Changeling
From the collected papers of Lilliana, page to Sir Halfdan ap Kinrowan ap Dougal, her journal:

Dear Diary,
It seems I have come to a personal cross-roads and no-one seems to be able to help me. Sir Halfdan says that this is a decision I have to make for myself but I didn't think it would be so hard. I've never had to make a grown-up choice like this before... but then I suppose I've never been a grown-up before.
The Baroness has granted me the right to punish the one who stole from me my childling seeming, my childhood and my innocence. I have his heart between my teeth and it up is up to me to make a choice now.
I guess it wasn't all that long ago really, but yet it feels like eons have passed since the day that I was playing the freehold of Richard Sabre "Lion Hearted, squire to Sir Halfdan. My grandpa was napping in the corner and I was playing with some new wooden soldier he had just crafted for me. I didn't hear the footsteps creep up behind me nor did I hear the shovel swing down to connect with the back of my skull, however I did he the roar of laughter as my body was lifted and thrown into the balefire. And then silence and the blackness consumned me.
I woke and opened my mouth to scream but dirt caved in on me, filling my throat and my eyes. I sat up as hard as a could and felt the ground give under my thrust. I sat upright and rubbed the dirt from my eyes and spat the mud from my mouth. As my vision cleared I could see that I was buried in a shallow grave beneath the gazebo, not far from the freehold's door. In a panic I crawled through the narrow passage, blinking from the brightness of the sunlight and ran as hard and as fast as I could for help. I burst through the entrace to the freehold and spilled onto the floor just inside. I heard a rush of commotion through my sobs and looked up to see Sir Halfdan standing before me, a look of confusion in his eyes. It took a few moments before he realized who I was. I could see the shock on his face.
Through my tears and panic I brokenly told them what had happened to me. They helped to make me comfortable and the men went out to investigate. It was finally the Baroness who gave me a mirror and I saw a face staring back at me that I did not recognize. No longer did I see the flicker of innocent eyes or the round softness of my cheeks. A stranger's face was looking at me and it took me a moment to register what had happened. The only thing I could fathom was that someone had put a curse on me... but that wasn't for at least a few more weeks.
So, since then I have spent my time trying to come to terms with my recent "change". It is still strange to see the difference in the way people look at me and treat me. Sir Halfdan was nice enough to give me a job and I even get a paycheck now (ten dollars a week!!), but he looks at me in a different way now. He no longer calls me "child" and calls me "lady" instead. I still look over my shoulder everytime he says that to see who he is talking to. Also, walking down the street men give me cat-calls and women stare at me with envy while all I used to see was pity in their eyes for "that poor little lame girl". I don't know if I will ever get used to that.
I guess Sir Halfdan decided I was grown-up enough to handle real responsibilities because he asked me a few months ago if I wold like to go on a quest with him and Gustav the Black. I was a bit nervous about travelling with Gustav but I knew that Sir Halfdan would never let anything happen to me. So, we met with him and prepared to leave. I was sent out to fin Archimedes to get the location of a trod and once I made it back (I missed the bus so it took a little while), Sir Halfdan had his chimerical frog open the trod and we were off. I learned three valuable things while on the road with him. Firstly, that the Queen lives in a palace in the northern lights. We could see it from the road and Sir Halfdan said that I might be able to go there someday. He also told me that the most important thing to remember when travelling is to "never leave the path". I asked why and he said to me very seriously and told me "because it is bad". So I won't ever forget that. And lastly I learned that while Sir Halfdan and Gustav are enemies, they really seem to have a fondness for each other. Sometimes I think they like having nemeses.
I'm not supposed to talk a lot about what happened on our quest into the Dreaming to the north but what I can tell you is that we walked out of the ice castle together, Gustav with his iron sword on his back, Sir Halfdan carried an iron sword in his hand and I had a iron dagger tucked in my belt. Once we were som edistance from the castle, Sir Halfdan pitched his sword as far as he could throw it and we didn't speak of the events for the rest of our journey.
So I carried this on me for some time. I suffered unbelievably for weeks, like I could feel the cold iron draining my glamour, slowly and painfully. Then Sir Halfdan and I (well, Sir Halfdan mostly) came up with an idea on how to get rid of the dagger that I carried. I can't tell you how exactly because then Gustav would find out and I think Sir Halfdan enjoys watching Gustav stare at us in silent envy and I wouldn't want to make Sir Halfdan mad if this ever got back to Gustav... but it was a brilliant plan!
It tooks weeks of hard work and training but I was able to build up my magic enough so that I was ready to confront the black that lay in the harbour.

From the papers of the Barony, a letter written to the Baroness by one Archimedes Padapolous, pooka, self proclaimed Harold to the Baroness Angrhard Griffiths, Barony of Shining Waters, Third hooker form your left and straight on to the Harbour; written in blood upon kelp.

The path has been destroyed and none repair it. They will come. They will question, and none shall be safe. Why am I the only one to see these things?

The path has been destroyed and they will come.

I have seen a vision .. a great beast of Iron descends on the freehold. Smoke and Flame gushing from its nostrils it bears down on our holding .. restrained no more by its bars, it kills itself .. nay, sacrifices itself to destroy our hold. Fire. Death. Pain … and the dreaming lost to us all.

The Path has been destroyed and it will come.

Hear the rumbling, feel the ground shake as the beast approaches. Merriment and mirth within Caer August, and none come to repair the Path . I watch our doom approach.

Thankfully, I have air miles™. Being a frequent traveler, I have the experience to repair the situation… so I do.

The Beast rumbles on. CNN was its name. Its path repaired none discovers Caer August. None discover Halfdane and Lilliana engaging in merriment with Gustuv the Black. None observe any of you.

And now none ever shall.

The following found written with scrawling hand in blood upon a number of mouse-skins, stitched together with summer grass, then stuffed into the records of the Barony of Shining Waters.

THE GRUAGH
There was once upon a time a queen, but where she reigned and what she was called, I do not know. She had no son, but an only daughter who had always been ill, and no doctor had been able to cure her. Then it was foretold to the queen that her daughter would find her health by eating an apple. So she ordered it to be proclaimed throughout the whole of his kingdom, that whosoever brought her daughter an apple with which she could find her health, should have her to wife, and be king.
This became known to a Baron who had three sons, and he said to his Knight,Sidhe, go out into the garden and take a basketful of those beautiful apples with the red cheeks and carry them to the court, perhaps the Queen's daughter will be able to find her health with them, and then you will marry her and be king. The Sidhe did so, and set out.
When he had gone a short way he met a hoary little Pooka who asked him what he had there in the basket, to which the Sidhe, said frogs legs. At this the little pooka said, well, so shall it be, and remain, and Sidhe went away. At length Sidhe arrived at the palace, and made it known that he had brought apples which would cure the Queen's daughter if she ate them. This delighted the Queen hugely, and she caused Sidhe to be brought before her, but, alas. When she opened the basket, instead of having apples in it she had frogs legs which were still kicking about. On this the Queen grew angry, and had him driven out of the house. When he got home he told his Baron how it had fared with him.
Then the Baron sent the next knight, who was called Troll, but all went with him just as it had gone with Sidhe. He also met the hoary little pooka, who asked what he had there in the basket. Troll said hogs bristles, and the hoary pooka said, well, so shall it be, and remain. When Troll got to the Queen's palace and said he brought apples with which the Queen's daughter might find her health, they did not want to let him go in, and said that one fellow had already been there, and had treated them as if they were fools. Troll, however, maintained that he certainly had the apples, and that they ought to let him go in. At length they believed him, and led him to the Queen. But when he uncovered the basket, he had but hogs bristles. This enraged the Queen most terribly, so she caused Troll to be whipped out of the house. When he got home he related all that had befallen him, whereupon the youngest squire, whose name was Boggan but who was always called stupid Boggan, came and asked his Baron if he might go with some apples.
"Oh," said the Baron, you would be just the right fellow for such a thing. If the clever Sidhe and Noble Troll can't manage it, what can you do?"
The Boggan, however, insisted and said, "Indeed, Baron, I wish to go."
"Just get away, you stupid fellow, you must wait till you are wiser," said the Baron to that, and turned his back. Boggan, however, pulled at the back of his smock and said, "Indeed, Baron, I wish to go."
"Well, then, so far as I am concerned you may go, but you will soon come home again," replied the old baron in a spiteful voice. The boggan was tremendously delighted and jumped for joy.
"Well, act like a fool. You grow more stupid every day," said the Baron again. But Boggan was not discouraged, and did not let it spoil his pleasure, but as it was then night, he thought he might as well wait until the morrow, for he could not get to court that day.


All night long he could not sleep in his bed, and if he did doze for a moment, he dreamt of beautiful maidens, of palaces, of gold, and of silver, and all kinds of things of that sort. Early in the morning, he went forth on his way, and directly afterwards the little shabby-looking pooka in his icy clothes, came to him and asked what he was carrying in the basket. Boggan gave him the answer that he was carrying apples with which the Queen's daughter was to find her health. Then, said the little pooka, so shall they be, and remain. But at the court they would none of them let Boggan go in, for they said two had already been there who had told them that they were bringing apples, and one of them had frogs legs, and the other hogs bristles. Boggan, however, resolutely maintained that he most certainly had no frogs legs, but some of the most beautiful apples in the whole kingdom. As he spoke so pleasantly, the door-keeper thought he could not be telling a lie, and asked him to go in, and he was right, for when Boggan uncovered his basket in the Queen's presence, golden-yellow apples came tumbling out.
The Queen was delighted, and caused some of them to be taken to her daughter, and then waited in anxious expectation until news should be brought to her of the effect they had. But before much time had passed by, news was brought to her. And who do you think it was who came. It was the daughter herself. As soon as she had eaten of those apples, she was cured, and sprang out of her bed. The joy the Queen felt cannot be described. But now she did not want to give her daughter in marriage to Boggan, and said he must first make her a boat which would go quicker on dry land than on water. Boggan agreed to the condition, and went home, and related how it had fared with him.
Then the Baron sent Sidhe into the forest to make a boat of that kind. He worked diligently, and whistled all the time. At mid-day, when the sun was at its highest, came the little hoary pooka and asked what he was making. Sidhe gave him for answer, wooden bowls for the kitchen. The icy man said, so it shall be, and remain. By evening Sidhe thought he had now made the boat, but when he wanted to get into it, he had nothing but wooden bowls. The next day Troll went into the forest, but everything went with him just as it had done with Sidhe.
On the third day stupid Boggan went. He worked away most industriously, so that the whole forest resounded with the heavy blows, and all the while he sang and whistled right merrily. At mid-day, when it was the hottest, the little pooka came again, and asked what he was making.
"A boat which will go quicker on dry land than on water," replied Boggan, " and when I have finished it, I am to have the Queens's daughter for my wife.
"Well," said the little man, " such a boat shall it be, and remain."
In the evening, when the sun had turned into gold, Boggan finished his boat, and all that was wanted for it. He got into it and rowed to the palace. The boat went as swiftly as the wind. The Queen saw it from afar, but would not give her daughter to Boggan yet, and said he must first take a hundred hares out to pasture from early morning until late evening, and if one of them got away, he should not have her daughter. Boggan was contented with this, and the next day went with his flock to the pasture, and took great care that none of them ran away.
Before many hours had passed came a servant from the palace, and told Boggan that he must give her a hare instantly, for some visitors had come unexpectedly. Boggan, however, was very well aware what that meant, and said he would not give her one. The Queen might set some hare soup before her guest the next day. The maid, however, would not accept his refusal, and at last she began to argue with him. Then Boggan said that if the Queen's daughter came herself, he would give her a Hare. The maid told this in the palace, and the daughter did go herself. In the meantime the little pooka came again to Boggan, and asked him what he was doing there. He said he had to watch over a hundred hares and see that none of them ran away, and then he might marry the Queen's daughter and be king.
"Good," said the little man, " here is a whistle for you, and if one of them runs away, just whistle with it, and then it will come back again."
When the Queen's daughter came, Boggan gave her a hare into her apron, but when she had gone about a hundred steps with it, he whistled, and the hare jumped out of the apron, and before she could turn round was back to the flock again. When the evening came the hare-herd whistled once more, and looked to see if all were there, and then drove them to the palace. The Queen wondered how Boggan had been able to take a hundred hares to graze without losing any of them, but she still would not give him her daughter yet, and said he must now bring her a feather from the gruaghs's tail. Boggan set out at once, and walked straight forwards.
In the evening he came to a castle, and there he asked for a night's lodging, for at that time there were no inns. The lord of the castle promised him that with much pleasure, and asked where he was going. Boggan answered, to the gruagh. Oh, to the gruagh. They tell me he knows everything, and I have lost the key of an iron money-chest. So you might be so good as to ask him where it is. Yes, indeed, said Boggan, I will do that. Early the next morning he went onwards, and on his way arrived at another castle in which he again stayed the night.
When the people who lived there learnt that he was going to the gruagh, they said they had in the house a daughter who was ill, and that they had already tried every means to cure her, but none of them had done her any good, and he might be so kind as to ask the gruagh what would make their daughter healthy again. Boggan said he would willingly do that, and went onwards.
Then he came to a lake, and instead of a ferry-boat, a tall, tall Selkie was there who had to carry everybody across. The Selkie asked Boggan whither he was journeying.
"To the gruagh," said Boggan.
"Then when you get to him, " said the Selkie, "just ask him why I am forced to carry everybody over the lake."
" Yes, indeed, most certainly I'll do that," said Boggan.
Then the Selkie took him up on his shoulders, and carried him across. At length Boggan arrived at the gruagh's house, but the wife only was at home, and not the gruagh himself. Then the woman asked him what he wanted. Thereupon he told her everything - that he had to get a feather out of the gruagh's tail, and that there was a castle where they had lost the key of their money-chest, and he was to ask the gruagh where it was - that in another castle the daughter was ill, and he was to learn what would cure her - and then not far from thence there was a lake and a Selkie beside it, who was forced to carry people across it, and he was very anxious to learn why the Selkie was obliged to do it.
Then said the woman, "look here, my good friend, no commoner can speak to the gruagh. He devours them all, but if you like you can lie down under his bed, and in the night, when he is quite fast asleep, you can reach out and pull a feather out of his tail, and as for those things which you are to learn, I will ask about them myself."
Boggan was quite satisfied with this, and got under the bed. In the evening, the gruagh came home, and as soon as he entered the room, said, " Wife, I smell a commoner. "
"Yes," said the woman," one was here to-day, but he went away again."
And on that the gruagh said no more. In the middle of the night when the gruagh was snoring loudly, Boggan reached out and plucked a feather from his tail. The gruagh woke up instantly, and said," Wife, I smell a commoner, and it seems to me that somebody was pulling at my tail."
His wife said," You have certainly been dreaming, and I told you before that a commoner was here to-day, but that he went away again. He told me all kinds of things - that in one castle they had lost the key of their money-chest, and could find it nowhere."
"Oh. The fools," said the gruagh. "The key lies in the wood-house under a log of wood behind the door."
And then he said that in another castle the daughter was ill, and they knew no remedy that would cure her.
Oh. The fools, said the gruagh. Under the cellar-steps a toad has made its nest of her hair, and if she got her hair back she would be well.
And then he also said that there was a place where there was a lake and a Selkie beside it who was forced to carry everybody across.
Oh, the fool, said the gruagh. If he only put one man down in the middle, he would never have to carry another across.
Early the next morning the gruagh got up and went out. Then Boggan came forth from under the bed, and he had a beautiful feather, and had heard what the gruagh had said about the key, and the daughter, and the man. The gruagh's wife repeated it all once more to him that he might not forget it, and then he went home again.
First he came to the Selkie by the lake, who asked him what the gruagh had said, but Boggan replied that he must first carry him across, and then he would tell him. So the man carried him across, and when he was over Boggan told him that all he had to do was to set one person down in the middle of the lake, and then he would never have to carry over any more. The man was hugely delighted, and told Boggan that out of gratitude he would take him once more across, and back again. But Boggan said no, he would save him the trouble, he was quite satisfied already, and pursued his way.
Then he came to the castle where the daughter was ill. He took her on his shoulders, for she could not walk, and carried her down the cellar-steps and pulled out the toad's nest from beneath the lowest step and gave it into her hand, and she sprang off his shoulder and up the steps before him, and was quite cured. Then were the father and mother beyond measure rejoiced, and they gave Boggan gifts of gold and of silver, and whatsoever else he wished for, that they gave him. And when he got to the other castle he went at once into the wood-house, and found the key under the log of wood behind the door, and took it to the lord of the castle. He was not a little pleased, and gave Boggan as a reward much of the gold that was in the chest, and all kinds of things besides, such as cows, and sheep, and goats.
When Boggan arrived before the Queen, with all these things - with the money, and the gold, and the silver and the cows, sheep and goats, the Queen asked him how he had come by them. Then Boggan told her that the gruagh gave every one whatsoever he wanted. So the Queen thought she herself could make use of such things, and set out on her way to the gruagh, but when she got to the lake, it happened that she was the very first who arrived there after Boggan, and the Selkie put her down in the middle of it and went away, and the Queen was drowned. Boggan, however, Married the Daughter and became King.

Continued...

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