The Hawk

by Donna and Abs

Once the bonding ceremony was over, the Old One started to make his way across the glen to where his old friend, Bannie, stood with a hawk on her forearm. He encountered several delays along the way, including watching with a smile as Endora gave her two daughters to Glenn, and the three of them flew off together to fulfill their destiny. What a difference between them and the couple that had just been married. One could almost feel the joy emanating from the three young fae as they lifted into the air and disappeared into the night, living a sparkling trail of faerie dust behind them. 

Still, the result would be the same.  The children of both unions would be almost pure fae.  It was hard for him not to applaud that.  And he would not hold the Count's child's paternity against it! 

A pleased smile on his face, he turned to head toward Bannie again. The Leprechauns were already out on the dance floor, filling the glen with the joyous sound of music, dancing and laughter. 

"I was wondering when you were going to come meet my new acquaintance," Bannie said with a grin as he approached her. 

"And just who is your friend here?" he asked, bowing respectfully to the hawk.  Just because it was a bird did not mean he could treat it any less respectfully from the other life forms of the world. 

"Fisher, meet Isabeau. Isabeau, this is the Old One I was telling you about," she told the hawk, who stared at her intently while she was speaking. Glancing back at her friend, the Banshee shook her head sadly. "She came to this world with one of the men now living at Camelot, a Captain Navarre. Apparently they were transported during the day, and the enchantment that was on them both was nullified, at least to the point where they no longer change forms with the coming or going of the sun." 

"But he is a man and she is changed forever into a hawk?" he asked, as if knowing the spell. 

The hawk made a mournful sound, and Bannie responded with a soothing, birdlike chirp at her. "Something like that. Apparently she was a hawk by day, and he a wolf by night. Now they are stuck in the forms that they came here with. Isabeau's spirit is imprisoned within the hawk's body." Bannie sighed softly. "But she would be content to be with him in the form of a hawk if that was the only way that were possible, but there is one slight complication." 

"Other than it is very unsatisfying being unable to be together the way lovers should be?" he asked, quite serious despite the tone of his words. 

Bannie nodded. "Apparently one of your daughters looks identical to the way that she did in her old life. It pains Isabeau to see them together." 

"That is a problem," he sighed.  "I do not know what to do about that - she can change forms but not her face!  Not now, at least." 

Bannie was quiet for a moment as she gently stroked the feathers on the side of the hawk's head and neck. "She loves him very much. I could tell that much at least. It was hard to get what information that I did out of her. There isn't much of the woman’s spirit left in the hawk now. Each day, Isabeau grows weaker, and the hawk stronger. Soon, there will be nothing left of the woman that she was." 

"Is there no way to save it? The essence of her love? Which of my daughters is it?  She sees them together; are they attracted to one another?"

Bannie just shrugged and chirupped at the hawk again. The bird looked back at the Grand Banshee, her feathers ruffled as she stared back at her. "She doesn’t know what her name is or if they are attracted to each other. But when I asked her what her name is, an image of a cat flashed across her mind." 

"In Camelot?" asked the Old One.  "That would be Faline."  He paused.  "Then she was a very lovely girl in human form.  Faline is beautiful." 

The hawk's feathers ruffled again, but settling down after squawking a mild complaint, she began to preen herself. Bannie shook her head. "She doesn't know what would be worse. Him becoming attached to her, or him staying alone and hurting the way that he is now. She does want him to be happy, even if it is painful for her to see." She paused, a thoughtful look on her dark face. "I wonder... She and the hawk share the same body. Do you think we could somehow arrange for the little bit of her essence that is left to be transferred into Faline?" 

"Can you do that?" he asked.  "I am better at begetting children, not moving essences around.  But the Grand Banshee. . ," he said, raising his eyebrows flatteringly. 

"I can do it," she said, the corners of her mouth lifting up into a fleeting smile. "But you, my old friend have a much more difficult task on hand. Before I can do anything, you must talk your daughter into allowing it!" 

"I suppose it depends on whether Faline likes the man in question.  If she despises him . . ."  He shook his head.  "I've already sent one daughter to a man she did not love today, I do not think I can do it to another." 

"She would not want that either," Bannie sighed. "I'll stay here while you go talk to her." She turned from the Old One and went to go find a place to sit. 

He sighed, looking around for his feline daughter.  He had two, but the other lived in Esperanza.  Finally he saw her, talking with some of her sisters, and he made his way toward her. 

Faline was sitting on the ground, talking with Mika and some of her other friends. As the Old One stepped up to them, she leaned up against his leg and rubbed her cheek to it in a very catlike manner. "Hello, Father," she purred. 

"Hello, Little One," he said.  He smiled affectionately at all of his daughters, and they all smiled back.  "I have something to discuss with you.  Would you mind taking a walk with me?" 

She jumped up to her feet in one smooth motion. Rather than her usual pants and loose fitting shirt that she usually wore around the stables, she was wearing a dress that one of the handmaidens had given her. "Of course, Father," she said happily, slipping her hand into his. 

As they walked, he slowly explained the situation.  First, he wanted to know what she thought of Navarre, whom he had no experience of.  She told him she saw him quite a bit, because he had a wonderful horse, and she worked in the castle stables, but that did not tell him much more than she liked the *horse*.  "What do you think of the man?" he pressed. 

She looked up at him, studying his face. "I think he is way too full of himself, but then again, so am I!" she giggled. "I believe he puts on that gruff exterior to hide some pain inside of him." 

"Well, that is true.  How does he react to you, personally?" he wanted to know. 

She was silent for a moment. "I remind him of someone he loved very much," she said softly. "So when he sees me, it brings him nothing but pain." She shook her head sadly. 

"And if that person became a part of you?  Would you like this, or would it anger you?" 

She looked startled. "Father? What are you talking about?" 

"The woman he loves is trapped in the body of a hawk.  During the day she was a hawk, and he was a wolf at night.  They could never be together.  When they came here, he was stuck as a human, she a hawk." 

"The hawk?" gasped Faline, stopping in her tracks. "I thought there was something odd about that bird! But if you put her inside of me, will she take over? What will happen to me?" 

"You will have to speak to Bannie about that; I do not know how it will be done.  But she said the girl's essence is very low now, just barely there." 

"Is she dying then?" Faline asked, biting nervously on her lip. 

"The hawk will live on.  As a hawk." 

Faline headed to the nearest tree and scampered up it, climbing out onto a tree limb. She sat down, hugging her knees tight to her chest. "It would be the right thing to do, wouldn't it Father?" she asked. "But I'm scared. What if I'm not me any more!" 

"Talk to Bannie.  I don't want to force you.  It would be a shame to lose the love they had, but I will not force that on you.  We've had enough of that for one day!" 

She just hugged her knees even tighter to her for a moment. "I will talk to her," she whispered. Then, leaping out of the tree, she changed back into her cat form in mid air, landing on her four feet and then after one backward glance at the Old One, she dashed back to the glen. 

He watched her go.  He wanted her happy, but really did not want a love - any love - to die needlessly. The Old One took his time walking back. When he got to where he had left Bannie, he found Faline back in her human form and sitting on the ground beside the Grand Banshee, her head resting against her thigh while Bannie gently stroked her tawny hair. The hawk was on a tree limb above them, watching everything intently. 

"Well?" he asked, not wanting to ruin the bucolic scene, but curious. 

Bannie looked up. "She wants to do it. But she is frightened. Cats do get nervous if out of their element, you know." 

"I do know.  Will she be Isabeau, or Faline, when it is over?" 

"She will be Faline for the most part. But there will be a small part of her that will be Isabeau. I told her that just as when you communicate with her, she hears you in her head, so shall it be with her and Isabeau." 

"And she will have control over herself, except for the love she will have now for Navarre?" 

"Complete control. I promise you both that. Faline herself will not be changed unless she allows it. Perhaps down the road, the two of them may blend so that there is no difference between them, but that is hard to predict, and will depend on how they interact with each other." 

He looked at his daughter.  "It is up to you," he said.  "I only need to know if you are displeased with the man." 

She shrugged. "I like him well enough," she said. "It only hurt my feelings to have him ignore me. Once I got out of the Mouse the reason why, I understood him more." 

"And if you feel love for him?  And if he understands that through you he may love Isabeau?" 

She shrugged, lifting her head up with a show of her own feisty spirit. "Then I will let him know that he can not love the one without loving the other." 

The Old One smiled.  That was all he wanted to hear. He was content.  It was up to Faline now. 

Bannie stood up, extending her hand to Faline, who after only a brief hesitation, took it. She then called the hawk down to them. "Take a deep breath and then open your mind. Listen for her voice. I will have her call for you." 

Faline nodded, and did as she was told. After what seemed to be an eternity, a smile crossed her face. "I hear her! She sounds just like me!" 

"Then let her in," said the Old One.  "Accept her." 

She took a needed breath and nodded, closing her eyes. For a moment, the hawk seemed to glow, and then the faint glimmer of light shifted from the bird to the young fae. After a moment, Faline opened her eyes. "She is happy. She knows that she has a home in me now." 

"And the hawk is free, as well," said the Old One. 

"I will take the hawk back to him in the morning and try to explain everything," Faline said softly. Something had changed about the girl. It seemed that she now seemed to have a quiet maturity and inner strength about her that she had not had before. 

The Old One nodded.  He saw the change but was not upset by it.  It was probably for the better. It might make things a little easier for all those concerned!