and said so. I asked her to please say something. I was getting worried that somehow this new power had hurt her in transit to the circle.
Then she spoke;
She said in a very shaky voice, "Is that you Ash?"
She knew who I was. That was a shortening of my original name Ashtoreth in Greece at the time I met her. She is one of the only ones who called me that. We had become quite close at that time. Spending a considerable amount of time together in Tir Na Nog. Attending balls together, learning spells together and hunting. We sat up many nights talking philosophy and drinking ale. She was part of the reason I left the Greek to allow them to grow into an independent functioning society. Not one reliant on false gods. She actually petitioned the legions to do the same. Our father had already left and stopped meddling in their lives. She felt we all should do the same. She explained that if it was our duty to watch and direct these souls to the right choices to move on. Then using them for our enjoyment should not be any part of that. Of course she stated those sentiments much more eloquently, with kindness, love and respect. To my surprise even the most difficult of my kind listened and agreed to her request. As I stated before she was kind, calm, intelligent and trustworthy. Not many supernaturals are all of these.
Her reaction to my sight of such fear hurt me. Of course she seemed to be composing herself quickly. But I could still see fear in her emerald green eyes.
I asked her why she was afraid she knew me. She must have known I would never harm her. Her answer took me back. She asked me when was the last time I had viewed myself in my true form as I stood before her today.
I answered that she knew I did not like vanity so obviously it had been a very long time. I asked her why? She then produced a mirror image of myself in the circle. Now it was my turn to be shocked.
It hurt my eyes to look at the image she projected. My ethereal body glowed so bright with power. I could barely see the shape of my body it seemed to be almost made up completely of energy. My dark brunette hair seemed to have numerous silver highlights running through it. My eyes once brown, now shone like chocolate diamonds. I subconsciously wrapped my wings around me thinking it would dim the startling light emanating from my body. But they were a shock in themselves, where they once were white feathers tipped in a steel like substance. Now they were white with silver running through the feathers ending with what seemed to be diamond tips.
She saw the shock on my face and almost immediately relaxed. She said incredulously you truly hadn't noticed your appearance.
It took me several moments to answer her. I told her she knew how I was. I become very focused on my purpose and don't notice things that occur to myself. She nodded she had seen me after an elf training exercise once, coming in with my arm barely attached to my body dripping blood all over the castle floors and I hadn't noticed. She had stopped me and made me heal myself then clean up the mess. I wasn't happy about the later but once again she explained it in a way you couldn't say no.
She took the mirror image manifestation away and asked me if there was anyway I could dim the light emanating from the power running through me. I was just trying to think of how I could and wishing I could just disappear from her sight, as it seemed to be causing her pain, when the light began to dim around me. I realized that must have been why I hadn't noticed the glow before, any other time I had been in my true form: I hadn't wanted to be seen. Obviously the glow dimmed whenever I was trying not to be seen. But looking down at my ethereal body I could see that although it dimmed that strange glow was still very much there like a silvery light under the skin.
Una was just standing there smiling at me. I could see her eyes were still wary but she was trying to put me at ease after my shock of seeing my ethereal image.
She asked me how did I bring her to the circle, as Oberon's spell shouldn't have allowed her to exit Tir Na Nog. I explained that I had just strengthened the fae spell with my own power. She asked how much power had I strengthened it with and I answered a very small trickle because of some things that had happened recently I had been concerned about using too much.
She just raised one eyebrow and looked at me. She then proceeded to ask me what had I done to her maiden Aria. I said nothing all I had done was use a forgetting spell so she wouldn't remember meeting me and sent her home. I asked her why, what happened is she ok?
She told me that Aria had appeared only moments after she had left her and consequently passed out. Her hair had a beautiful silver streak running through it down the right side of her head. She had investigated it and it appeared to be pure silver flowing from her head. When Aria awoke she didn't remember anything of the last day and couldn't explain anything let alone her hair turning silver. She had been about to call Oberon; when she was pulled through the planes with such force she couldn't breath and felt like she may be crushed from the speed and energy surrounding her. Then she had arrived in the circle and I was standing in front of her. She asked if her hair had turned silver at all. I looked and sure enough there was one fairly thick stripe of silver running through her hair.
I was kind of frightened to tell her. The fae royalty were very particular on their look. All I could think of was what if she didn't like it. I had never been on her bad side but from what I had heard it wasn't a good place to be. But if I didn't tell her and she found it later...I had a feeling that would be worse.
So I bit the bullet so to speak and told her. Her only reaction was a loud audible sigh. She then turned to me and said I had better tell her everything.
So I began from the beginning explaining my decision to become human. My human life, my children and my grandchildren. She interrupted me then and said "Wow, Ash you are a mother?" Her face held pure joy all over it. She said she never imagined me having children. She was genuinely happy for me. I showed her images of my children and family. She loved hearing about them all; you could see it in her eyes.
My children have been the greatest gift of this adventure. Just the little things they do. I remember my oldest daughter at just under two, asking me why, for the hundredth time one day. All of you as parents remember this stage in their lives. Anyway I had answered her with, well why is the earth round? She didn’t even skip a beat and answered me with, because we have to have night and day Mummy. Like I was silly to even ask that question. That quick answer made my day.
They have always brought me such joy even through the troubling teenage years. As those of you who are parents can attest, those times are definitely a trial. I love talking about them but I really hadn't wanted to tell her about them because I hadn't wanted anyone to know about them in the supernatural world. Unfortunately I knew that hiding them from her would be dishonoring her friendship and if I was to gain her trust. I had to be 100% honest so she would never doubt me.
She said she was glad that her spells were helping to protect them and hoped to someday be able to meet them but for now I had best continue my story.
I continued explaining that even though I had never unbound my powers, I had felt them being released by my father not so long ago. I had heard his voice speak the words to release the bond. I couldn't remember exactly when. I told her I had not used my powers after this in my human life and it was a short time after this that I had felt my brothers and sisters dissipate and then disappear entirely from my telepathic reach. I had become worried and had decided to investigate.
I stopped for a second to see if she would comment on that. But she didn't so I continued. I went through all that I had done since my first visit to the ethereal plane until she finally appeared in front of me.
She had sat down while I talked and when I finished talking she just sat there still. I waited somewhat impatiently.
She finally spoke. She said that I was right to
