Quia Fuistis Ibi

In honor of Faith's birthday, which is today, I wrote a story with her as the main character. I'm not sure I did a very good job impersonating her but I know that I did included a few features and gestures that she has or does. I don't feel like this story is very well written either--I just couldn't seem to get any inspiration. Sorry Faith...I did try writing fantasy for you!

So--HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

Quia Fuistis Ibi

Faith turned away from the hills and began to walk along the edge of the Flumen Tenebrarum, her long green dress blowing behind her. The river sparkled enticingly in front of her but she alone knew the darkness that the waters hid.  She sat down on the bank and began to bounce her knee nervously. Why was she here anyway? Did she really think that she could rescue her best friend from this darkness when she herself had often succumbed to it? The wind caught her straight brown hair and whipped it into her cold blue eyes.

Faith heard some light footsteps behind her and then a deep voice, “What are you doing here, My Lady?”

She turned around quickly for these were not the days in which you let strangers stand behind your back. A tall white horse stood behind her, his head bent low to be on level with her own.

She hurriedly stood to her feet, “I am waiting for a friend sir.”

“Why are you waiting here, My Lady? Is there not some safer place for young ladies to wait?”

Faith looked curiously at the magnificent animal in front of her. “Most these days encourage the idea of being near this lake.”

“I know that.” His deep voice sounded sad.

Faith hesitated, unsure what to say next. “You sound sad. But don’t worry, I am only here long enough to try and prevent a friend from knowing the darkness.”

“I know that too.”

“You do? How would you know? I told no one except my friend where I was going!”

The horse stepped even with her and then gazed out toward the lake with a distant look in his eyes. “My master told me.”

Faith was getting more and more confused. Most creatures did not have masters, unless they were a dog.

“You have a master?”

“Everyone does whether or not they know it.”

“What do you mean? I don’t have a master! That would be disgraceful!”

He smiled gently, “I think you will understand me in time but for right now I will leave it.”

“But I want to know what you mean!”

“Be patient, you will understand in time.”

Faith shrugged annoyed but then spoke quickly again. “How did your master know that I was waiting here for a friend?”

Without answering the white horse turned sideways to her and she saw, neatly folded on his back, a pair of wings.

“You are an Equum Nuntius!”

“Yes.” His deep voice answered her.

“But I was told you were not real. I was told you were something that the king made up so that we would all obey him!”

“Is that why you are not now in the Flumen Tenebrarum? Because you are afraid of my kind?”

Faith tucked my blowing hair behind my ear. “No, no! I am not in there because I have been before and it was awful! Besides that, the King said we should not go in it.”

“But you disobeyed him and went in anyway.”

“Well, I was born in it to begin with.”

“True, but that was not the only time you were in it.”

She blushed and dropped her head, to her shame he was right. Sometimes even now, she still just dipped her toes in.

“You are right. I don’t know how, I just, well—“to Faith’s surprise she felt tears starting to burn on her face. Chokingly she began to sob out the story. “I remember sitting there, out in the middle one day, feeling all the darkness dragging me down and suddenly realizing that I was going to drown. I guess I screamed because suddenly I saw someone wearing a white shirt and white pants standing on the edge of the river and reaching his hand out to me. An old man dressed the same way and wearing a crown on his head was standing beside him with his hand on his shoulder. When I saw those two I suddenly felt lighter and reaching out my hand begged them to help me. The king turned to his son and motioned him towards that water. Both faces looked sad but without hesitating the young man dove in. I saw the darkness reach for him and try to swallow him but his white clothes seemed to shine through. When he reached me he quietly explained that he would have to cut the rope that was pulling me down. I hadn’t known there was a rope tied to my ankle until he dove and his garments lit it up. As I starred down into the water after him I saw his hand reach out and he broke the cord. I was so happy! But just as I was swimming towards the shore I looked back and saw the darkness swallow him and then he was gone! I screamed again and tried to call to his father to tell him what was happening but he had turned away and was standing with his back to the river!—“ Faith broke down so thoroughly that she could go no further.

The Equum Nuntius gently laid his head over her shoulder.

“I know the story, My Lady.” His voice rolled over her calming her down with its full melodic sound.

“You do?” she struggled to get out.

“I was there; all of us Equum Nuntius where there. But don’t cry, remember that after three hours the prince surfaced again, and went to his father who received him with open arms!”

“Yes, I remember.” Faith began to get a hold of herself again. “But what makes me so unhappy is that after he did that for me sometimes I still find myself wanting to just put my toes in. It always feels really good on the edge.”

He nodded understandingly, “And the King told you that you must never do that again.”

“Right, how could I disobey someone who was willing to let their son die to rescue me?” Faith sat down on the river bank again and rapped her arms around her knees unhappily. “Have you ever been in?”

“No.” He gazed out toward Castle Hill and shook his head.  “Though some of the other Pegasus once went in long before you were born, My Lady.”

Faith looked up eagerly, “Did the Prince rescue them too?”

“No, that is not the way. They did not want to be rescued.”

“So they still live there?”

“Did you not see them, My Lady?”

“There was nothing as white as you there! It couldn’t stay that way!” she motioned toward the lake. It look enticing and clean but they both new that nothing could spend any time in it with out looking black too.

“You’re right. They’re not white.”

“You mean the Amator Tenebris? The shadows in the darkness that held my rope and pulled me down? They look nothing like you!”

“Yes, My Lady, but they used to.”

Faith shook her head again; this was a strange new element of life she had never thought about. “So let me get this all strait, your master that you mentioned earlier, is the King?”

“Yes.” He spoke with a deep reverence and pride in his voice.

“So why did the King tell you that I was waiting here for a friend? And why are you here right now?”

“What is my name?”

“Do you not know that yourself? It’s your name after all.” Faith laughed wondering what he meant by the question.

“Yes, but what does it mean, My Lady?”

“Uh, “messenger horse” I think, right?” Faith put one hand up to her temples as if translating hurt her head.

“That’s right, My Lady. So I bring a message from the King.” He turned and looked her full in the face, the green eyes holding her blue ones with his serious gaze.

For once Faith could think of nothing to say though a thousand questions raced through her head. Why was the King sending her a message? What was it? Was the King possibly going to tell her how to help this friend?

“Are you listening My Lady?”

“Don’t I look like it?” impatience tinged her voice.

“The King said to tell you “Quia Fuistis Ibi” “

Faith stared absent mindedly at her green dress while she mentally translated. “What is that supposed to mean? Is it some code or something?” She turned toward the Equum Nuntius and then jumped to her feet.

She was alone of the bank of the Flumen Tenebrarum. Looking towards the hills where she had come from she saw nothing and turning quickly towards her other side she strained her eyes to look into the dark forest. The Pegasus was gone but coming out of the forest she could see a young woman. It was her friend and she was still at a loss how to convince her not to go into the lake. Why had the Flumen Tenebrarum come to her anyway? He and his message were no help!

She because to bounce her knee nervously and again pressed her hand to her temple. She had nothing to say to this young friend, she was not good enough to tell her that she should not get into the lake when she had been in it herself! Then she remembered the message from the King-- Quia Fuistis Ibi! Now she understood and confidently she walked up to her friend and greeted her.

She could tell her not to get in the lake because she knew that it was not all it was cracked up to be.

Quia Fuistis Ibi—“Because you  have been there.”