Arkhaven logo

The sharp clatter of dishes came from the kitchen. Eibhlin sat in the main sitting room, the kithara lying on the table next to her. As soon as they had returned home, Shira told her mother of the events. Yashul left dinner preparations half-done, charging her children to watch the house while she and their father were gone. Since then, a couple hours had passed, and still no news had come.


Staring at the kitchen, Eibhlin murmured, “Even with the danger, they still leave their children alone.”


The kithara spoke, giving Eibhlin a shock. While lost in her own thoughts, she had forgotten about the instrument’s enchanted nature. “You need not worry,” it said. “There is strong magic within the walls and windows of this house. Only highly skilled sorcerers could break through, and the dark elves are not likely to waste such a scarce resource on a mere civilian’s home, not with armed warriors attacking their troops. Do not be so afraid.”


“I see. Thank you. I feel a bit better now,” said Eibhlin, though her face did not show it. After a moment, she said, “Kithara, what are you?”


“I am an instrument.”


“Instruments don’t talk.”


“No. Most of us do not.”


“Then why can you?”


“Ah,” said the kithara, “now we reach a useful question. I possess speech because I am an instrument of priceless quality, the eldest instrument still played, crafted a mere thousand years after the Dawn of Time itself. My maker was Chimelim, greatest craftsman among all races and ages, and I am his fourth child. I am Melaioni, Protector of Understand-ing, Messenger of History.”


“Liar,” Eibhlin said flatly.


“My good lady,” cried the kithara, “you doubt my words?”


Eibhlin replied, “You can’t be telling the truth. To find someone… something as amazing as you claim to be, and in the way we did, it’s too crazy to believe. It would be too much of a coincidence.”


“Coincidence? You think our meeting just coincidence? Good lady, as said before, I am the Messenger of History. I have witnessed kingdoms rise and fall and ages pass from one to the next. If I have learned nothing else, it is that there is no such thing as mere coincidence,” said the kithara.


“But—”


“You think it coincidence that my master and I were waylaid by dark elves that likely now come to attack this town?” continued the kithara. “You think it coincidence that I fell into the river and so traveled here in time to give the elves warning? Do not call such threads coincidence. If you doubt in Divine Providence, call them fate or the work of Lady Fortune, if you must. Only do not call them coincidence. That is but a dream.” After Eibhlin gave no reply, the kithara asked, “Have I cleared your mind, good lady?”


“No,” she said.


“I see. I am sorry, then, if my words brought only confusion. Have I at least cleared my name? You still think me a liar?”


“I’m not sure,” replied Eibhlin. “I think I want to believe you, though.”


“If you need sure evidence, the elf daughter can confirm the truth of my claim,” it said.


“No. I’ll believe you.”


“You no longer think me a liar?”


“I don’t,” said Eibhlin.


A soft sigh, like the lightest thrum of its strings, came from the kithara. “Thank you, my most gracious lady. As the Messenger, to be accused of twisting truth, such a charge near splintered me.”


Eibhlin blushed. “I-I didn’t—”


“No, no, my good lady. Do not hesitate to speak your mind to me. Honest thoughts matter more to me than kindness, even when painful,” said the kithara.


Eibhlin said nothing, but she felt a bit relieved and let her shoulders relax.


Late afternoon shifted to evening, and evening to night. There was no moon. During that time, Elkir had come into the sitting room, shooed from the kitchen by his sister, and sat down next to Eibhlin. He turned through a book, but Eibhlin could tell his mind didn’t really process a single word. The kitchen had long gone quiet, but there was no peace in that quiet.


Everything shattered with the crashing of glass. The sound filled the house, swallowing all others. It had come from the bath.


In her fright, Eibhlin couldn’t even scream. Beside her, Elkir whimpered. He seemed about to cry when Melaioni hissed, “Quiet!” Just that one word, but with it came terror. Elkir grabbed Eibhlin’s kirtle. Eibhlin’s own hands locked into fists on her lap. Both stared, unmoving, in the direction of the bath.


So focused and tense was she that Eibhlin barely bit back a cry when Shira appeared and touched her shoulder. Eibhlin almost spoke, but the elf’s trembling hand motioned for silence. Shira lifted the kithara from the table and snuck into the hall toward the guest room, beckoning for the others to follow. Slipping off the couch, Eibhlin followed as quickly as she dared, Elkir still gripping her kirtle. The group slid into the guest room. Shira took out a key and locked the door, muttering a few words. A dim glow spread over the door before fading into the wood.


“That should give us some protection,” she said.


“What’s going on?” asked Eibhlin.


“Dark elves,” said the kithara with a voice like a dissonant chord. “I would know this feeling anywhere, sends my strings trembling.”


“I thought you said they can’t get in here!” said Eibhlin.


“They shouldn’t have. I don’t know how—” Melaioni broke off.

The Messenger of History panel 2
Fairy Door series cover
The Messenger of History episode cover
17K views978 likes
8 comments

Fairy Door

Created by
author avatar placeholder
V. A. Boston
After years of neglect from her father, Eibhlin has had enough. But when a purse of infinite gold, a fairy, and a trade shatter what little relationship she has with her father, she resolves to set things right. Aided by a magic compass and a talking instrument, she now seeks three magic keys and their magic doors to find the fairy once again and recover what was lost. She broke their relationship. Now, she’ll brave the Fae to fix it. If she can get there. From the fantasy tradition of The Chronicles of Prydain and The Hobbit comes a tale of love and redemption perfect for fans of all ages.
Returning Home+Afterword episode cover
Returning Home+AfterwordEpisode #60
Then What Will You Do? episode cover
Then What Will You Do?Episode #59
I Just Can't episode cover
I Just Can'tEpisode #58
The One She Sought episode cover
The One She SoughtEpisode #57
The Fading Man episode cover
The Fading ManEpisode #56
Mists of Memory episode cover
Mists of MemoryEpisode #55
The Hammer episode cover
The HammerEpisode #54
Lady Mealla episode cover
Lady MeallaEpisode #53
True Magic episode cover
True MagicEpisode #52
Back to the Beginning episode cover
Back to the BeginningEpisode #51
A Moment to Breathe episode cover
A Moment to BreatheEpisode #50
The Moon's Scar episode cover
The Moon's ScarEpisode #49
Moonstricken episode cover
MoonstrickenEpisode #48
What Remained episode cover
What RemainedEpisode #47
Chaos and Mourning episode cover
Chaos and MourningEpisode #46
The Witch's Triumph episode cover
The Witch's TriumphEpisode #45
The Color of Sunbeams episode cover
The Color of SunbeamsEpisode #44
Temptation episode cover
TemptationEpisode #43
The Witch of Hours episode cover
The Witch of HoursEpisode #42
Thresholds episode cover
ThresholdsEpisode #41
The Tower episode cover
The TowerEpisode #40
Frantic Escape episode cover
Frantic EscapeEpisode #39
Memory of Tragedy episode cover
Memory of TragedyEpisode #38
Fae Moon episode cover
Fae MoonEpisode #37
The Witch's Swamp episode cover
The Witch's SwampEpisode #36
Into the Fae episode cover
Into the FaeEpisode #35
Wicked Dealings episode cover
Wicked DealingsEpisode #34
Pangs of Conscience episode cover
Pangs of ConscienceEpisode #33
The Monks episode cover
The MonksEpisode #32
Tensilkir episode cover
TensilkirEpisode #31
Comfort in the Dark episode cover
Comfort in the DarkEpisode #30
Departure and Darkness episode cover
Departure and DarknessEpisode #29
Better Hands, Better Heart episode cover
Better Hands, Better HeartEpisode #28
The Final Day episode cover
The Final DayEpisode #27
Vi's Price episode cover
Vi's PriceEpisode #26
Keeper of the Bells episode cover
Keeper of the BellsEpisode #25
Up the Bell Tower episode cover
Up the Bell TowerEpisode #24
Rumors of Bells and Fae episode cover
Rumors of Bells and FaeEpisode #23
The Fae Realm episode cover
The Fae RealmEpisode #22
Enchanted Instrument episode cover
Enchanted InstrumentEpisode #21
The Seaside City episode cover
The Seaside CityEpisode #20
The Compass episode cover
The CompassEpisode #19
The First Key episode cover
The First KeyEpisode #18
Aftermath episode cover
AftermathEpisode #17
The Dark Elf episode cover
The Dark ElfEpisode #16
The Messenger of History episode cover
The Messenger of HistoryEpisode #15
The Kithara episode cover
The KitharaEpisode #14
Untamed Trees episode cover
Untamed TreesEpisode #13
The Craftsman episode cover
The CraftsmanEpisode #12
Elshiran episode cover
ElshiranEpisode #11
Elven Counsel episode cover
Elven CounselEpisode #10
Through the Door episode cover
Through the DoorEpisode #9
Fairy Key episode cover
Fairy KeyEpisode #8
Into the Woods episode cover
Into the WoodsEpisode #7
Decision episode cover
DecisionEpisode #6
The After Storm episode cover
The After StormEpisode #5
A Midnight Exchange episode cover
A Midnight ExchangeEpisode #4
The Broken episode cover
The BrokenEpisode #3
The Cracks episode cover
The CracksEpisode #2
The Border Town Girl episode cover
The Border Town GirlEpisode #1
,
List icon
Comment icon
Prev icon
Next icon
Fullscreen icon