14

The Troykin got a slightly panicked look on their faces and assured me hurriedly that there would be no problem at all for Larry's mate-sister. “Yah, talk all yah want abrt it, ah'm the onet hasta go wit her.”, Zik'k said to the others bad-temperedly. “Look, I'm sorry, I didn't want to impose so if you don't want....” “No no no no! Nod dat at ahll, Magick madeb mah nodse clug up.” He took a deep breath through his mouth. “I'db beh fine inna libble bit.”
I looked Zik'k over and then at the others. “You all have this problem too?” I asked, half-amused and half-frustrated with the whole situation. The ther Troykin had watched our conversation, and the leader said to me. “I don't know dab edb dose.” He rubbed the side of his face, then smiled sheepishly. “I gebb we'db do gob de probbem too. You got lotsa mabjick. Idb tink dab's it.” His speech was almost inarticulate.
He backed up about ten feet to where the other three were standing and suddenly looked better. “Ah, yes, that feels so much better. Well, good day, and say hello to Mr. Larry for us.” They whirled and all but ran away, before I could ask any more questions.
I turned to the red-faced Troykin who backed up and got out of the range. “Gah, girl, that is the worst feeling.” He looked at the car, and his face fell to around his knees. “He looked at me and jerked a thumb at the car. “I gotta ride with you all the way back now don't I?” “Yep”, I said brightly, just to dig it in a little. “Just you and me for twenty minutes all the way back, and then we get to talk to another wizard.” I'd never seen a face drag along the ground before, but his tried very hard as we got in the car.
Along the way back to my office, Zik'k alternated between holding his nose while breathing though his mouth, and rolling down the window to stick his face out of the car like a dog, nose into the wind, presumably to clear his head of my magical odor. But he never made one noise of complaint, just a whole lot of body language. Once there I packed up my possibles bag, and filled two extra hand-sized sacks with iron filings, and added them to it.
As I threw the bag in the back seat, Zik'k asked me, “So why dib yuh azk for ub?” “Because you guys are tough to touch with magic, and you have a good reputation as being trustworthy.” I answered. I started the car and we drove to a location I knew of where the fae had a presence. If I wanted to talk with “Mr. Cobb”, that would be the place.
We drove through Halifax to the northwest and just outside of Lower Sackville, I pulled off the road and parked the car. Just off the road was a small trail that led to the edge of a small pond near a low hill, and one of the more beautiful places I'd seen in a while. Peace and a sense of wonder permeated the area. Now before you go wondering about how I knew about this place, it wasn't exactly a secret. A number of merchants used the location to trade with the fae for a number of years, so nothing mysterious about it. It was however, the off-season for trading, so we were the only ones here.
Zik'k trailed me by about twenty feet, that allowed him to watch my back and not have an attack of magical sneezes. I didn't expect any real trouble yet, that might happen when I accused “Mr. Cobb” of casting a glamour or three at, and on, me. The path ended between the pond and the hill. Showtime. “All right!”, I shouted to the empty space, “I have a grievance with the fae and demand justice!”
I really didn't like this whole thing much at all, I don't mind telling you. Things had piled up fast and I was feeling somewhat frazzled with a job, a glamour, hiring backup, and now bracing a fae about magic. I was not enjoying this one bit, and it felt like I was missing something in the whole mix. I just wasn't able to think of what it was.
A few moments after I had shouted to the world I was pissed, the fae showed. Mr. Cobb was there, so was his daughter, and six other fae I didn't know by sight. The oldest looking one wore brilliant sapphire blue robes that resembled a monk's habit. He was the judge, and in this instance, once we got started, his decision would be binding on us all. You call for faery justice, you accept the ruling. Period.
“Why have you called for justice, human. Surely you know the penalty for false accusation.” he said with a VERY serious touch to his voice. He clearly didn't like this, but I was already committed in my mind. In for a penny and all that. “I'm here because one of the fae cast a glamour on me without my knowledge or consent, that caused me near grievous bodily harm, and to others I may have contacted while under the glamour.”
Doesn't sound like much? It is. Long ago when fae had the upper hand with magick, such a thing was considered their right as long as they weren't caught doing it. Power with no consequence. That changed when humans made the first contact with the revived magic. we're on an equal footing now, and the fae found that difficult and hazardous to their well-being, so about twenty or so years ago, this form of legalese was concocted to address the problems between fae and human.