Should One Trust a Faerie?

She turned her attention back to the scene in front of her in time to catch the faerie's offer of help. What was the piece of folklore that Fritha had told her? Ah, yes, that was it. She said the words aloud: "Never accept a faerie's offer of help, for he is sure to demand a heavy price." The faerie looked daggers at her. "What are you babbling about, girl?" he asked. "The four of you must follow me and make all haste. We will go that way." And he pointed in the opposite direction to that of the lake.

Astra and Simon spoke simultaneously. "But our packs are back by the lake," Astra objected, "including the - uh - special supplies. We must go back for them." She clearly did not trust the faerie enough to reveal what the "special" supplies might be. "I'm not leaving Aethir. We must wait for him to come round," said Simon.

Before the faerie could argue further, something occurred to Andrea. "If Aethir MacFionn's dreams have provided the life of the Fey Wood for the last twenty years, what happened before that?" she asked. "The Fey Wood has surely been here far longer than twenty years."

Apart from directing a look of pure hatred at her, the faerie ignored her question. "I can smell wolf," he said, wrinkling his nose. "I don't like wolves." "That would be Andrea and myself. We are lycanthropes," Astra said, seeing no point in concealing it. "The smell of wolf is only faint from you, but it is very strong from her," the faerie said.

1. "But you must come with me now; there is no time to spend in conversation."
2. "Now I think I can guess why you came to the Wood. Spirit willow and fire moss were what you were after. Am I right?"

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