Flash Fiction #590 -- Buffy the Princess/7

 

Serena would have preferred something softer, but that was just feeling sorry for herself. Besides, they found several pleasant areas filled with sand and as comfortable as anywhere they had slept in the last couple of days. It was easy enough to get rid of little biting bugs. It was one of the first spells mom had ever taught her, and Serena could see now why it was always so important.

Thomas had only climbed partway on the rocks and looked around as though testing the site for an upcoming battle. Serena supposed she should look at it the same way, but she was just too tired to care right now. Besides, if the enemy came to them here, they would at least know what they were up against and how to deal with them.

"I'm going to spend the night in the water," Thomas announced. It didn't surprise Serena; she almost complained before he went on. "I can feel magic better in the water than in the air. If anything comes our way and touches the water, I'll know it."

Serena nodded, realizing that this also meant Thomas thought they could take care of themselves. He had his unique talents and was willing to use his abilities to help them.

Thomas gave a little bow of his head in farewell. He turned around to walk back down to the beach. Buffy had moved over to sit with Serena as they watched, and she wondered what the cat thought about this mess. Serena would have asked, but she was just too tired now. Buffy was her best friend, and she knew the cat would stand with her and help her.

"Buffy," she said in a sudden surge of fear. "Promise me you'll be careful. I couldn't stand to lose you, too."

"We have lost no one yet," Buffy replied, settling into Serena's lap.

"You believe Thomas?"

"We were both there. Did you see anybody in the water? Did you hear anyone? I'm not saying it will all be perfect if we find them, but it would have been far easier to let everyone drown if that was the point. I think we chanced not to get caught in the net."

Serena tried to believe those words.  She stared at where Thomas walked into the waves and disappeared.  Despite Buffy by her side, it still felt scary being so alone.

Serena didn't sleep well.  For most of the night, she had nightmares of the ship pulling apart and all of them drowning.  Buffy was always in her lap and helped ease her back to sleep. They had no trouble that night, and just before dawn, Serena had an entirely different type of dream.

Mom and Dad sat on a divan, close together and holding hands.  They both stared at her, looking intense and not happy.  Serena feared what she had done wrong.

But then Mom smiled.  "There you are.  And Buffy, too.  Thomas?"

"In the water," she answered as though this were an actual conversation.

"Yes.  Good.  No time, Serena.  Stay safe.  This isn't -- someone --"

A flash of light and everything went away.

"Damn," Buffy hissed.  "Mom was just about to tell us something!"

"That was real?" Serena asked and panicked because she hadn't done very well.  "Mom!"

"Calm down.  Oh, here comes Thomas.  Good.  He must have had the same message."

He had and was as happy as Buffy about it.  "We need to compare what we saw," he said. "We might figure out where they are."

That did sound hopeful.  So, as the sun rose, they laid out what they saw, step by step.

"They sat on a divan, side by side," Serena began.  It was dark green and had a gold pillow pushed to Mom's side.  Both were dressed normally, I think."

"Yes," Buffy said.  "That dress Mom wore should be at the bottom of the ocean.  That is odd.  I had the impression of at least one other person in the room - a sort of shifting of shadows as they talked."

"And I don't think the magic to reach us came from either of them." Thomas looked around, and that made Serena nervous.  "I didn't think they were fighting it, though."

"I felt they were safe," Buffy added, but didn't sound entirely convinced. "There was no tension except that the connection was too brief."

"Was it lack of power?" Thomas asked.  "Or did someone cut them off?"

"Or did someone try to listen in?" Serena asked.  "I think we better go."

Neither Buffy nor Thomas argued.  They climbed back down the rocks, and she hoped the other two had gotten more sleep than her.

"Where do we go?" she asked.  "Not far if we can help it."

"There is another small island -- though larger than this one -- about seven miles to the west," Thomas said.  "I was going to suggest we head there anyway since I found a freshwater spring and some fruit.  I think we should be able to see the mainland shore from there, too.  It was dark, so I wasn't certain, and I didn't want to go any further."

Both sounded wonderful.  "Buffy and I will fly this time, but stay low.  Is there a problem with you swimming there?"

"None at all."

"Then let's go."  Buffy all but shouted.  She took to the air but only circled.  "Come on!"

"Yes, Princess Buffy," Thomas said.  He walked into the waves and disappeared.

"Serena!  "Let's go!"

"Yes, Princess," Serena replied.

This would be a problem, but that was for another time.  They had enough problems right now, though.  If someone had caught that communication, it might already be too late to get away.

Better to fly rather than stand here and wait for it to happen.  Serena took to the air, but she and Buffy stayed close to the water.  She watched everything.

Flash Fiction #589 -- Buffy the Princess/6

The sun was starting to go down. Where were they even going to sleep tonight? She looked around and decided some big leaves would make beds and blankets. It wasn't that cold, after all.

Thomas returned first. She saw him stand and fight past the waves and up to the sand. He looked pleased to see her.

"Buffy should be back soon," Serena said. "I should have told her to come back before sunset."

"She's smart. She'll -- there she is!" He pointed up at the sky and sounded as relieved as Serena felt. That was kind of sweet.

Buffy made a show of landing, of course. They all hurried into the cover of the plants. Serena gave her leaves for bedding. Buffy didn't much like it, but she looked likely to fall asleep on her paws.

"I think whoever was after us had to be in the east, directing the storm in our direction."

"Yes, that makes sense. There isn't much out that way, though."

"I saw nothing in that direction," Buffy admitted. "I thought I felt a trail of magic heading northward, but it died out, so it was probably an errant wind from the storm."

Both humans agreed.

"How did you end up with one of Queen Anna's special cats?" he asked. "I didn't think she ever parted with any of Empress Fluffy's litters."

They both turned and stared at him.

"Mom brought her home from one of her trips," Serena said. "She was a tiny thing, but Mom said she would make an excellent familiar. She was right."

"Special cats?" Buffy squeaked. She stopped so suddenly that Serena almost tripped over her. "I'm a special cat?"

"I can't imagine you could be anything else," Thomas said while she preened. "You look just like Empress Fluffy Kitty."

"If my mother is Empress Fluffy, then I must be Princess Buffy!"

She laughed with delight and skipped on ahead of them.

"Now you've done it," Serena said with a shake of her head. "And mom brought her home after a long trip. I was just old enough to train with a familiar."

She stopped talking, but they still followed Princess Buffy. Serena sniffed and shook her head.

"Serena?"

"I am worried about what happened to Mom. And to Dad. I am not used to that part, you know. But I want them both back!"

"I'll do my best to help you find them," Thomas promised. He even put a hand on her arm. "They disappeared. I think we didn't because we were inside the hull. That's a good thing, Serena. As worried as you are, I believe we'll be more help out here rather than wherever they were taken."

Serena looked at him and back at Buffy. The cat had stopped prancing, and she returned with a look of determination. Serious, too.

"We will find them," Buffy declared. It might even be a royal 'we' that she used. Serena only nodded, still feeling as lost as she had before. "Look," Buffy said and drew lines in the sand. "We sailed northward from home, most of the time with the shore in view. We were far closer to our destination than to home. The attack came from the east, but I suspect the person behind it was on the mainland, pulling together the storm farther out at sea."

"Someone strong," Thomas said and looked westward, but they were not close enough to see the mainland. "Someone willing to risk being caught, too. We are close enough to home that many people with powers could have caught a hint of it."

"Are there a lot of people with magical ability?" Serena asked.

"Far more than the King realizes," Thomas said, looking around as if he expected someone to hear him. That worried Serena about going to this place, and even Buffy looked uneasy. "It is kind of an open secret with just about everyone else. It is safest to keep quiet about any powers unless someone else shows they have magic. Even then, it would be wise to be quiet."


"The more I hear about life in this castle, the less I think I'll like it," Serena admitted.

"There is a reason why Mom never talked about the castle," Buffy said. "And she clearly doesn't want to live there."

"We should never have wanted to go!"

"The king mentioned, in the middle of a feast, that he wanted to meet you, Serena," Thomas admitted. "We all thought it a bit odd. Personally, I think he did it to annoy the princess gang."

"Who are they?" Buffy asked as he started walking away again.

"They are the topline princesses and related to Serena and me. I mentioned Thina, their leader. There are seven of them. They act as though they run the castle. A couple of them have bored the little magic that I wouldn't trust them very far."

"Could they be behind all of this?"

They walked a few more steps in silence. Then Thomas stopped and sighed. "I don't like to say they're stupid, but all of them are a few gems short of a crown."

Serena didn't ask why Thomas didn't like his cousins, but she felt she wouldn't like them much either. Buffy looked from one to the other and offered nothing, which Serena found both perplexing and worrisome. The cat always had something to say.

Thomas held up a hand and stopped them both. "I think we can find our best cover for the night there in those rocks," he said, pointing towards the boulders set back from the shore. "They look a lot more sturdy than those bushes did. We seem to be mostly out of the wind at this corner of the island. We only have to worry about another storm, but I don't think that will be a problem."

 

Flash Fiction #588 -- Buffy the Princess/5

 

It seemed to take forever, but the island finally grew closer. Serena paused to look at it sometimes and give herself a brief break. Thomas had gone ahead as a fish, intending to ensure it was a safe haven.

Not that it mattered. Even Thomas was starting to show signs of exhaustion. Buffy had slipped off twice, but at least she could swim until one of them grabbed her.

The island looked like paradise. A small paradise, but it had golden sand and green trees. There might be food ... after they slept.

She swam again. Onward. Rest soon. Just get --

Something grabbed Serena by the arm. She twisted --

"It's me," Thomas said. "We're there. You can stand and walk from here."

Selena lowered her legs and tried to stand, but they felt like jelly, and walking would not happen. Thomas kept her moving, and as soon as the water only reached her ankles, Buffy jumped down, hissing and growling all the rest of the way.

"It's a good thing I don't speak cat," Thomas said. Serena wondered how he could still be in a good mood. "Just a bit farther. We don't want to be too low on the beach when the tide comes in."

Serena wanted to protest, but they didn't go too much further. Thomas carefully lowered her to the beach, and then he fell face-first into the sand. Serena turned his head so he could breathe and not just so she could see his face.

Buffy walked between them and plopped down, looking straight into Serena's face.

"Enough of this human silliness," the cat said, staring straight into her eyes. "Get control. We have a lot of work to do."

"Yes," she agreed. "After a nap."

Buffy purred at that idea.

Resting in the sun while she dried out was wonderful - right until the storm hit.

Buffy was on her feet and yowling at the clouds before either human stood.

"I was afraid this might happen," Serena admitted. The breeze was cool, but no rain fell yet. "All that magic stirred things up. Buffy, stop yelling. We must find cover, though I suspect we'll still be wet."

Thomas nodded in agreement and stared out at the clouds. "The storm could also be cover for a sensor spell, though. It's good we've all been too tired to use magic."

Buffy walked back to them. "Someone is going to be sorry I am this miserable."

Serena didn't doubt it.

They retreated to the line of bushes growing on a slight incline of sand, rock, and dirt. They had to make their own path, but they did so carefully, hoping no one looking around would notice. Serena wasn't surprised to see no sign of people on such a small piece of land, but they did have enemies. She just didn't know who they were.

They soon had enough plant life between them and the wind that it didn't feel so cold. Even the rain got diverted by the tall, leafy trees. Serena couldn't name them, but they were welcome. Somewhere around the middle of the island, which was only a few minutes from the shore, they found a tall, broad tree wide enough at the base to shelter them.

They sat there as the storm raged over them and passed on. Birds of many types had gathered in the limbs, and Buffy eyed them with a bright gleam in her eyes. Then she yawned and went back to sleep.

Serena tried to straighten out her ruined dress and wished she had a way to fix her hair until Buffy climbed up on her lap, put both paws on her shoulders, and stared her in the face.

"If you don't stop, I am going to bite you on the nose, and that will put an end to your primping."

"I am not primping! No one could possibly primp in a place like this. Besides, I've never primped in my life, and you know it --" She stopped protesting because it had only set Thomas laughing.

"You two are wonderful," Thomas said. "So much better than your cousins."

Buffy sat down and purred for a while. It helped. Serena and Thomas had a serious discussion about what to do next. Recognizance by sea and air seemed the best idea.

"But if Buffy is flying and you are swimming, what will I do?" Serena asked and tried not to sound annoyed.

"Assume that neither of us will spot anything," Thomas answered. "Come up with what we should do next."

 There was a daunting task.

Serena went with them back to the shore, though she stayed under cover. Buffy spread her wings with a sigh of contentment, took a running leap, and took to the sky. Thomas waded out into the waves and disappeared.

Serena didn't like being left alone, but it made sense that she stayed out of notice. A spell to make her invisible would have helped, but the magic alone would have drawn attention. If neither found anything, it might be time to use magic to get them out of the area, if not to safety.

How could they find safety if they did not know who worked against them? How could they find Mom, Dad, and the others?

All her new clothes had gone down with the ship. Even that horrible book on Royal Linage was gone. It angered her to tears.

She fought that useless reaction to an end. Time to think this through. Maybe looking for safety wasn't as wise as looking for their enemy. If they knew that person's location, it could keep them from blundering into there.

Serena thought she at least had an idea of the direction.

They were gone for hours. Serena paced the area near the shore and scanned the sky. She did not curse, but she wished strongly for both of them to return now.

Flash Fiction #587 -- Buffy the Princess/4

 

 

And that is what he became, his fishy tail splashing Buffy.

"He did that on purpose!" she growled.

"Yes, I think he did."

She grumbled but stopped as the light came back, the bright circle swinging over them and back again. The wind picked up and had a definite feel of magic and anger. Even Buffy knew that wasn't a good mix. The rowboat bounced on the waves, splashing into their little corner of safety and seeming to steal away the air.

 But the feeling of magic died away, and the light didn't return. By then, Serena could barely keep herself afloat. She was going to have to use magic for both of them.

Thomas's head popped up about a foot from her. She screamed and went under. Thomas grabbed her by the shoulder and yanked her back up.

"Sorry," they chorused.

Buffy snorted, and Serena couldn't decide if it came from disgust, amusement, or seawater up her nose.

"They're gone," Thomas said. "We better head for shore while we can. I don't want to be here if the person, or people, regain their strength."

"The others from the ship!" Serena protested. "Mom! Dad! We have to look --"

"Everyone but the two of you were grabbed in a magic cloud and taken away. I don't know where to go, but I think they are safe. Otherwise, it would have been easier to leave them here. I think they missed you and Buffy -- and maybe me -- because we were underwater."


"But -- but --"

"It makes sense," Buffy said. She still looked demented. "Let's get somewhere we can do something to find them."

Serena still wanted to argue, but she said no more. She supposed it would be hard enough to survive without her being unreasonable.

"Buffy, you will have to play at being my fur collar for a while," Serena said and forced herself to be calm again. How far are we from shore? I assume you can find it?"

"No problem," Thomas said.

He even helped get Buffy situated before he shoved the boat's edge up, and they all three escaped. Serena worried they wouldn't find anywhere safe again.

"Where are we?" Buffy asked after a while. It was possible she hated the silence or the fact that they'd left the debris behind. As low as they were in the water, it was impossible to see very far.

"We should be about ten miles from shore and a couple days south of the capital. It is a long way to shore, but I'll do my best to get you there. I have some magic --"

"So do I," Serena replied. "And Buffy has some gifts of her own."

"Oh. Yeah. I have to remember that just because you weren't raised at the palace, that doesn't mean you know nothing about magic."  Thomas swam a few strokes in silence. "If even half of what we've heard is true --"

"That hardly seems fair," Serena said before he could go on. Buffy sighed. "I didn't even know I had cousins."

"There are too many of us, and no one gets along. Well, except for Thina's gang, but they only follow her to see what trouble she'll cause next."

"Sounds unpleasant," Selena answered.

"She's not my favorite person," he admitted. "And her friends are worse. Although maybe I shouldn't say such things. You should judge everyone yourself. Never mind what I've said."

"I'll trust your judgment until I learn otherwise. Tell me about more of them."

They talked for a long while. Buffy slept. The day passed quickly, at least.   It was easy not to be scared when she had Buffy and Thomas to talk with. She tried not to worry about her mother, father, and the others. It would have been easier to kill them at the wreck. They were alive somewhere.

"The water pattern changed. We're near land. An island, I bet." Thomas sounded excited. "At least we'll have a chance to rest!"

"That would be good," Serena agreed. Buffy made a hopeful sound. "And if we can dry out, Buffy and I can fly. We need to dry out and warm up."

"You really can fly? Since you haven't, I assumed that part of the story wasn't true."

"Just too cold, wet, and shocked. Besides, we had just promised Mom that we wouldn't unless there was a real need. I think this is it."

"I can do some recognizance work," Buffy suggested. "I'm less likely to be spotted."

"Yes, that's true. But you must be careful."

"I will. How far to the island?"

"It feels like maybe a mile. It can't be big, or we'd have seen it by now."

"Out of the water is all we need," Serena replied and felt a sense of hope coming back to her again. Of course, Mom would consider this important enough to break the rule about not flying, and not just because she was in trouble. Serena had hoped to spend at least a day at the castle before she broke that rule, though.

Then suddenly, the island was there. She could see it, but neither movement nor magic seemed possible now, even though she desperately wanted to reach that beach and those trees.

Serena just closed her eyes ...

"If you drown now, so do I."

Buffy always knew the right things to say.