The Dark Fairy Suthrie

The Dark Fairy Suthrie1

In a kingdom back in medieval times, there was a peasant teenager, Mano, that pursued the princess Sateda. His cause was lost, because it was forbidden in those times for her to even be interested in common folk, for her parents had an arranged marriage with a prince from a different kingdom.2

The boy would not be deterred and he was head over heels in love with her at first sight. Determined to have his love be with him, he took a dangerous journey into the forest next to the town.3

The forest was rumored to have creatures of all kinds, hideous in nature and evil in deeds. But he did not care, for he was looking for the one creature that could help him, the dark fairy Suthrie.4

His travel was wrought with danger. He went through huge swamps and was very dirty by the time that he had arrived at her small hut in the forest.5

The door opened and a fire in the back shone through to illuminate the dark fairy’s small form.6

“You are expected, young sir. My name is Suthrie and your cause must be great.” She said, standing aside and opening the door more fully. Mano entered upon her invitation and she closed the door behind him.7

“Yes, my lady, it is.” Mano said meekly. “I’ve come to seek a way for my true love to be with me.”8

She looked at him deeply in contemplation while sitting down in front of the fire. Mano swallowed nervously. He had heard stories of men who went looking for the dark fairy and she was fickle on whose requests she would grant and whose she wouldn’t. It was also said that you never knew what exactly you got into when you reached an agreement with her.9

Suthrie smiled and she said “What is the name of your true love?”10

“Sateda, my lady.” Mano said with nervousness.11

“The princess?!?” Suthrie shook her head slowly and chuckled. “My, my, young one, you do reach high. Very well, you may have your wish. Go now, for I have to prepare.” With that, she made a shooing motion towards the door.12

Mano was most happy and he couldn’t stop grinning all the way home. The next day, while he was doing his chores and running errands for his father, the local blacksmith, he ran quite literally into the princess Sateda. 13

Mano dropped to his kness and begged forgiveness. Her personal guards, seeing him as a threat, brought blades to his throat.14

“Wait!” Princess Sateda said, holding up a hand, to which the guards backed down. “I wish to see him.”15

Mano was brought forward, still restrained by the big burly guards. When they looked into each other’s eyes, Mano could have sworn that he fell into the big navy pools that were her eyes. He saw her face soften and warm at his stare of her and she turned to the guards and commanded them to release him.16

They dropped him and Mano fell to one knee, because of not being supported.17

“My eternal thanks, your majesty.” Mano said with reverence.18

“Why don’t you escort me around the town” Sateda reached out with a hand to help him up. “These guards, always try to keep me on one path, so that my father can see me from the castle. I want to go have fun and I’m sure that you can show me how.” She said with amusement in her eyes.19

Mano kissed her hand and said “Yes, my lady, if you wouldn’t mind accompanying me to the blacksmith’s shop, I have to drop off a few things for my father.”20

Sateda looked at him with surprise. “Your father is the local blacksmith? How lovely. His weapons are always of the highest quality. Saved my father’s life a time or two and I always appreciated his workmanship of the bows.” She said with respect in her voice.21

Mano was genuinely pleased. “My father is gifted with his hands. This way, please.” He waved her on to the shop.22

As he arrived, his father was shocked that the princess came with his son. He spoke gruffly, thinking that the boy had caused trouble again.23

“Mano?” Mano’s father said. “What have you gotten into this time?”24

“Nothing” Mano said, looking at him and then Sateda. “Princess Sateda has asked for me to show her around the town. Is that acceptable to you, father?”25

“Yes, yes, go show her around, anything for the princess.” His father said. “Gentleman” he said, speaking to the guards. “Is there anything that I can interest you in? A good, strong blade or shield…”26

While his father was talking with the guards, Sateda grabbed Mano’s hand and motioned towards the back of the shop. They raced away from the guards and after running for quite awhile, they rested behind a house. 27

“Thank you for that” Sateda said chuckling. “Oh, you don’t know how much I wanted to escape their watch. They can be very strict. So, how about we get an apple from the trees in the forest?” She said with mischievousness in her eyes.28

Mano chuckled to himself. “Ok, but the forest is wrought with danger. Are you sure that you want to risk it?”29

“What’s life without a little risk? My life has been dreadfully boring, don’t do this, don’t do that… wouldn’t you do something that was a little risky to just feel alive?” She said, looking at him pointedly.30

He couldn’t disagree with her. Life was all about risk and making it on your own, so he understood her thinking, but he was nervous about the forest. He didn’t want to tempt fate again so early, but she was very persuasive. 31

“Very well, I will lead though. To keep you safe.” He said, leading the way.32

As he and Sateda went deeper into the forest, they eventually found an apple tree. The apples were quite far up and since Sateda was wearing a fine dress, she couldn’t climb and not tear it. 33

So Mano started to climb up and get the apples for them. It took him about twenty minutes to get to the branch, but it was very unsteady and while he got one and tossed it down to the princess, the other was stuck and with a great yank, he dislodged it, but fell and as he was falling, he ended straddling one of the lower, thicker branches. 34

Sateda heard something come from him that sounded like “Mommy” that was very weak and higher than his normal tone of voice. Then he tipped to the side, and fell to the ground, cushioned by the leaves on the ground. 35

Sateda ran over and pulled him up. “Are you alright?” She said with genuine concern in her voice. “36

“I’m alright, just a little bit bruised.” Mano said, trying to show that he hurt a lot from the fall and was dizzy.37

She smacked him upside the head. “You dolt.” Sateda said. “What were you thinking climbing that high to get those apples. You could have been killed.” She said, with genuine worry etched into her face.38

She impulsively gathered him in a hug to reassure herself that he was fine. She didn’t know why he meant so much to her over so little time, but she knew that she wasn’t letting him out of her sight. 39

“Come on, best we be getting back, my father will be worried.” Sateda said, rolling her eyes. “Today has been fun and we should do this again sometime when I am able.”40

“Oh, I don’t think that you are going anywhere.” A male malevolent voice said from behind her. 41

Sateda and Mano looked at him and then around them. They were trapped by wolf creatures and the man who was horribly disfigured in the shape of wolf and man. The monstrous wolf-man came towards and with roughness, grabbed Sateda by the arm.42

“Unhand me” Sateda said, anger in her voice.43

“Let her go” Mano said, threatening. Mano brought his boot to his hand and he produced a silver dagger.44

“You wouldn’t dare attack me, little man. My wolves would rip you to shreds and even if you could get close enough to me, you wouldn’t risk harming the beautiful maiden, now would you?”45

Looking defeated, Mano hissed at him, but dropped his weapon to show that he wasn’t going to do anything. 46

“Kill him” the wolf-man said and left, dragging Sateda beside him. She screamed out for him, scared for him and for herself.47

The wolves circled around him, savoring his fear and waiting for the moment to kill. Just as they were about to pounce on him, Mano heard hooves pounding and coming towards him. Centaurs, creatures that were half men and half horse, ran through and smashed into the wolves viciously. They slew them and then turned to Mano.48

“What is your business here, human?” the lead centaur said. “Your kind doesn’t come to the forest often?”49

“I came to get some apples with my love, Sateda, and she has been captured by the monstrous wolf-man.” He said hurriedly. “I have to save her!”50

“Hold up, human.” The lead centaur said, putting a hand on his shoulder. Turning to his fellow centaurs, he spoke in their language and they all nodded their heads in agreement. “We have agreed to accompany you, since the wolf-man has been a nuisance and should be taken care of and you humans don’t belong in our forest.” Handing Mano’s dagger back to him, Mano pointed to where he last saw the wolf-man went. “Let’s go.” the centaur said. 51

Running alongside the centaurs, they caught up with the wolf-man and his helpless prey. The hideous wolf-man snickered. “You won’t be able to stop me!” He said, laughing manically.52

“Probably not.” the lead centaur said lazily pointing to Mano behind him. “But he can.”53

Turning to see who the centaur was pointing to, he saw Mano throw his dagger, swinging it end over end and then impaling itself deep into the wolf-man’s throat. 54

The wolf-man coughed and the silver in the dagger burned him when he tried to remove it. Sateda ran for Mano and they hugged each other tightly, as if they would never let each other go. The wolf-man laughed in spite of the knife in his throat and he collapsed and then died. 55

The centaur thanked Mano for killing the creature that had plagued the forest and said that he would be welcome amongst them the next time he ventured into the forest. Mano assured him that it wouldn’t be anytime soon. He gathered Sateda in his arms and took her home. By the time that they reached the castle, it was night and her disappearance had caused an uproar around town. He brought her to the gates of the castle and was arrested for kidnapping. 56

Sateda pleaded for mercy in front of her father and told her of what had happened in the forest. Her father thought that she was making it up, but released Mano and forbid Sateda to see him again.57

Mano and Sateda went to their separate lives and soon after, it was proclaimed that she would marry her betrothed from another kingdom. She cried in her room for hours on end and Mano was very moody and sullen.58

Realizing that her daughter wasn’t at breakfast the next morning, he found her on top of one of the castle’s towers, looking out over the town. 59

“Daughter, what are you looking at?” He asked gently.60

“My love and my life.” She said serenely.61

Looking out over the town with her, he realized that her happiness was necessary as his need to keep her safe.62

With that realization, he came to the blacksmith’s shop in ragged clothes to mask his presence and he saw Mano doing his chores.63

“Mano, I need to speak with you.” He said and removed his hood from his cloak. 64

“Yes, your majesty. What can I do for you?” Mano said, bowing to one knee.65

“Do you promise to love, cherish, protect, and honor my daughter?” He asked most seriously.66

“With everything that I am.” Mano said solemnly.67

“Then come to the castle and go see her and treat her well, or suffer my wrath.” The king said.68

Six months later….69

Everyone was at the wedding except the one person who needed to be there most of all. 70

The husband Mano.71

He was standing at the door of the dark fairy Suthrie, and was thinking over whether or not to knock at her door. Just as he was about to knock, the door opened and Suthrie looked him over in his fine clothes and said “Well, a deal is a deal, and I hoped that you learned my lesson well.”72

“Yes” said Mano smiling. “That what you want, you can get, though not quite the way that you expect.” 73