Eibhlin tried to nod, but a familiar dizziness stopped her. “Just a moment, Mel. I feel a bit lightheaded and really tired.”

“Ah, I see. Yes, the Fae did pull quite strongly upon you while on the fairy road,” said Mel.

“But I already slept. Shouldn’t this have stopped already?” said Eibhlin.

Mel replied, “The Fae Realm is quite mischievous, though in the past few millennia or so it has worsened. Ever since the Moon’s Rebellion, but that is a story for another time. Anyway, the Fae loves leading travelers astray, so any time travelers from the Mortal Realm enter a fairy road, the Fae tries to pull them off course. Furthermore, the power of the Fae waxes and wanes with the moon. Ever since the dark elves attacked, the moon has been waxing, so the Fae’s magic, its attempts to make you stray, is stronger.”

“But nothing happened,” said Eibhlin.

“Of course not. Lady Yashul’s blessing saw to that. There were other factors, but elven blessings, which are under the Mortal Sun, are quite effective against Fae magic. The pull would have to be much stronger to overcome a blessing. In the future, however, we must be careful. The pull of the Fae shall only grow stronger until it reaches full strength under the full moon. When it does, not even a blessing from the Lady of the Sacred Shadow from the City of Ancients could combat the Fae. Elven magic is only under the sun, after all. It is not the sun itself.”

“Then is there any way to keep from getting pulled off course?” asked Eibhlin.

“Just what you are doing. Mealla’s keys shall protect you. She is one of the few remaining with such power over the Fae, and she is no servant of the Fae Moon. Her magic can overcome, or at least diminish, the pull. If you find the next key, the combined power of the keys might make up for the blessing’s weakness. We must still act quickly, though. The weaker the pull, the more likely the protections are to work. So once you have the strength, let us find you a safer place to sleep, Milady. You need to rest away the power of the Fae for tomorrow,” said Mel.

With a nod, Eibhlin forced herself up, and by midnight she lay curled up in her cloak in a dark alleyway, deep in a dreamless sleep.

Morning came early in that city. Before the sky cleared itself of stars, carts rattled down the streets, and shopkeepers and bakers prepped and cleaned for that day’s customers. Eibhlin woke to brooms scraping against stone. Her body hurt more than when she had slept in her forest, and her muscles complained as she stretched out their stiffness. Melaioni sat right where she had left it.

“Do you think the next key is somewhere in this city?” she asked the instrument.

“Quite likely,” said Mel. “Mealla would want whoever guards the key to be near the door, and we did not see any other settlements on our way here. And if it is not in the city, perhaps someone has clues to give us direction. Now then, the best place for sleep and information is an inn, and for that purpose, I have a request, Milady.”

“The light was not hers,

But one placed by hands far larger

Than her own, too alive

For her current form to fully

Comprehend, and yet, it was she

Who was illumined.”

Coins clinked against cobblestone, tossed by passersby. In the middle of them, Eibhlin plucked the kithara’s strings, her voice rising in the air above the hum and clack of people on the road. When the last note faded, a few watchers clapped before returning to business. Eibhlin gathered the copper coins.

“Not much, but enough for a room,” said Mel when they had distanced themselves from the crowds. “If only my plectrum had not been lost when my poor master, Heaven’s Maker receive his spirit, and I were attacked. Clearer notes would attract more attention.”

Eibhlin shifted the coins in her palm. “Isn’t this kind of theft, though? I can’t actually play you, and I don’t really know any of these songs.”

“Not yet, but it is my skill and knowledge, only brought forth through you,” said the kithara. “Of course, I cannot stop you from thinking as you do, but if it brings you any comfort, the more you play me, the more the skills and songs will become your own. Soon, you will not need my help to play the basic melodies. The songs themselves shall take longer to remember, but they, too shall come with time.”

Eibhlin continued staring at the coins. With a sigh, the kithara said, “Come, Milady. We should find an inn. You can practice in your room.”

After finding an inn with decent prices and owners who could understand her, Eibhlin ate a light dinner and ran out the door again. There was only about an hour of daylight left, and she had a key to find. She wandered the area, asking those she met for rumors, strange stories, or whispers of the Fae. Most ignored her. Many didn’t understand her, and those who stopped gave no help. When at last the crescent moon rose above the walls and stars covered the sky, Eibhlin returned. The number of drunks had doubled, but they seemed the good-natured type, satisfied with clashing mugs, robust laughter, and off-key singing. She asked a few questions, but to no helpful end. In the end, she went up to her room, practiced on Mel, and went to sleep. Days went by as such. The most eventful moments were the occasional bar fights, but the innkeeper and his wife turned offenders out into the alleyways before they could do much damage. By the fourth day, Eibhlin began to envy the happy drunks from the nearby tables and let out a sigh.

“Still no luck, miss?” asked the innkeeper’s wife as she placed down Eibhlin’s drink.