Something strange in the village – A tale from Briarhaven

Mora gathered some late sunflowers from the pot outside her door. She opted to walk to the market rather than fly and pushed open the gates at the bottom of the stairs. As she tried to walk out, the gate was pushed back into her face. She pushed the gate back  harder and stepped out, grumbling at the man outside. “What do you think you are doing?” the fairy demanded shrilly.

The man turned and looked directly at her, before stumbling back against the gate. “Hey!” Mora called and dropped her flowers as she tried to steady him. “Are you…are you alright?” The man gave no answer but stared vacantly back at her, silently blinking.” She took his arm and helped him to stand. “Are you unwell?” she asked. She sniffed close to him and shook her head. He didn’t seem to smell of ale, yet didn’t seem to have any idea where he was, who he was, or how to walk. Mora helped guide him slowly towards the Physician’s Office, to find help.

Leaving the man with healers, Mora headed back to see if she could salvage her flowers.

She didn’t get far before another man blundered into her, knocking her onto her backside. She glared up at him and saw him staring straight ahead, as if he hadn’t even seen what happened.

She scrambled to her feet and took his face between her hands and looked deep into his eyes. They did not even seem to see her. One hand reached to the crystal around her neck and she focused her thoughts through it. She could almost feel the vibrations as it echoed the mother stone back in the hive from which she originally came. All of her sisters carried such a crystal, a lasting connection from each to the other. The crystal started to glow brightly as it sensed the opening of the fairy connections. Mora gasped as she saw a brief flicker of bright clarity in the eyes of the man, before they turned dull again. She frowned and let go of her crystal. She helped this man reach the Physician, before turning back, now determined to find out what had made the men act this way.