In the Land of Fae ♔ (gxg)

16. valerie

The snow was falling heavily that day.

Even Alastair, with all her heat, wore a thick black shawl over her dark red blouse and black pants. Like all shirts made for fae, the shawl buttoned in the back and had slits where her wings fit perfectly. Nyx couldn't see this, though, because Al made her walk ahead of her as they journeyed to the human village. She stayed close, for the snow was so heavy that there was hardly any visibility for more than two feet ahead.

Of course, Al had flown them for most of the way, until the falling snow became so thick that she could hardly see the ground below. So they walked a mile or so until they finally reached that small cottage just below the hill.

Once they came close, Nyx could hardly contain her excitement and began running towards the cottage with smoke coming out of the chimney.

Al jogged, keeping close as the girl reached the cottage and swung the door open.

Nyx was met with warmth and the familiar smell of her home, nostalgia sinking into her. She hadn't been away for too terribly long, but it was long enough to make her feel painfully disconnected.

"Mother?!" she called, a grin on her face as she stepped in, not seeing her mother in sight. A sound was heard from her mother's bedroom, and Valerie rushed around the corner of the fireplace and into the kitchen upon hearing Nyx's voice.

They both froze once their eyes connected. Valerie, with her gentle eyes, looked older than Nyx remembered. Her light brown hair had grayed even more, and there were visible wrinkles on her face that she had never noticed before. Her eyes were pink and swollen, and the memory of tears stained her soft cheeks. She was wearing her navy blue dress with her thick gray scarf hung over her shoulders. Her hands were visibly shaking.

"Nyx," Valerie whispered, her lips trembling as they parted. She looked the girl up and down, blinking hard so that she would wake up from the dream she believed herself to be in. But seeing Nyx's golden brown eyes so clear and the hesitant smile on her face made her realize that she was really standing there before her. "Oh, my God."

The mother rushed across the room and grabbed her daughter, holding her to herself tightly. Nyx latched her arms around Valerie and buried her face into her scarf, inhaling her comforting scent and squeezing her close.

"Oh, my God," Valerie breathed, holding her hand against the back of Nyx's golden head. "Nyx... I thought..."

A dark figure appeared in the open doorway, and Valerie's eyes widened as she quickly released Nyx. Nyx turned in response and watched Alastair gently stepping through the doorway, turning to the side so that her wings could fit through the space not specifically built for fae. Her eyes were trained solely on Valerie's.

The human woman gasped as she recognized Alastair, not having seen her in more than eighteen years. "Alastair?"

Al straightened and closed the door softly so that the cold would not seep in. Out of habit, she rustled her wings to get the snow off, but she realized that she sent melting snow onto the wooden floor. "Oh—sorry," she awkwardly mumbled, and Nyx was shocked to see the trace of blush on the fae's face.

Her hand still on Nyx's arm, Valerie stepped past the girl and up to the taller fae. "Alastair... I thought..." Again, she failed to express her thoughts, instead giving the warm fae a sudden hug that startled her.

Looking at Nyx unsurely and with her arms stiffly extended, Alastair watched Nyx nod reassuringly before loosely wrapping her arms around Valerie. "Hello, Val."

Valerie released the fae and stepped back, still in slight awe at seeing a fae up close for the first time in years. She clasped her hands together nervously. "It's been so long," she said gently before turning to Nyx, the look of surprise again refilling her irises. "Nyx..." She grabbed her daughter by the arms and searched her face. "I thought you were gone forever. That day, when you ran out, I saw her. I saw—"