*A/N* Hey, please let me know if you think it drones on too long on poor Iraella's pain or anything....I'm usually much too kind to my characters....

Chapter the Second

Before Iraella’s eyes was something beautiful, and she didn’t know what to make of it.
It was on a wooden canvas stand in the middle of the stream, a painting so intricate it seemed real. It was of a girl pushing aside vines and peeking her head through, smiling with dark chocolate curls toiling down to touch a wooden bridge. Although Iraella couldn’t see the rest of the girl’s body, she could tell she was ducking down. “Oh my goodness, Baeddan! It’s beautiful! Did you paint it?” Iraella asked.
Baeddan rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “Yes,” he said, as if he were embarrassed that a strong “macho” farm boy would be painting such a picture.
“I didn’t know you could paint, Bae. You’re amazing. It’s almost as if she’s real,” said Iraella, walking out to the middle of the creek and cautiously touching the girl’s face. A tingle was sent up Iraella’s fingers and she jerked her hand away, but did not retreat. Something was strikingly familiar about this girl. Faintly, she saw the outline of nearly invisible wings above the ivy bridge. She turned to face Baeddan. “Did you base her off of someone?” she asked, still standing beside the painting.
“To an extent, yes,” replied Baeddan, staying where he was.
Iraella’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean?” she asked.
“Last Tuesday I awoke in a cold sweat, knowing I had to paint. I had a dream of her,” Baeddan gestured to the painting, “I don’t know what it meant, but I think it is more significant than a painting idea. I call her Nasia.”
Iraella raised her eyebrows and then looked down at Nasia again. “Is she a fairy?” she asked, still staring at the outline of the wings.
“In my dream she was, but I only started them in the painting,” Baeddan replied. “Look, Ira, we’d better head back, before it gets too late,” he said, looking anxiously at the sky.
Iraella straightened and left the water with some sort of eerie feeling that something either really bad or really good was going to happen. She hoped it was the second option.
As the pair jogged back down the trail, the eerie feeling in the pit of Iraella’s stomach grew worse and worse, until she stopped and put her hands on her knees. Despite the cool air and the beginning drizzle, she was sweating and breathing hard. Her stomach hurt intensely, a sharp pain in her gut, and now she had a growing headache.
“Iraella, are you okay?” Baeddan asked, suddenly at her side. Iraella groaned in response and Baeddan started massaging her shoulder. It eased the pain and calmed her down somewhat, but she still had a terrible feeling, and she didn’t know why.
“Something is wrong,” Iraella let out a sharp gasp and another groan. “…..Baeddan,” she finished.
Iraella couldn’t see Baeddan’s face, but she could feel the concern in his fingertips. “Okay, Ira. I’m going to pick you up now and take you home,” he said slowly, the calm steadiness of his voice calming Iraella down. Iraella mumbled something that sounded rather like “My father’s going to kill us,” but Baeddan ignored it and scooped the girl up as if she were weightless. Then he began to run.
When Baeddan arrived at the farm house with Iraella in his arms, he set her gently on the porch and knocked on the door. He heard angry grumbles and winced when Eamon opened the door. “Sir, something is wrong with Iraella,” he announced, picking the wincing girl back up. Eamon’s hard eyes turned soft when he looked at the tears running down his daughter’s face.
“Silera! Come, Iraella is sick,” Eamon called inside the house. He took Iraella from Baeddan’s arms. “I will be asking you what happened later,” he said, not trying to conceal the coldness from his voice.
Baeddan only nodded and stepped inside as Iraella’s mother burst out from the hallway. Baeddan watched guiltily as Silera’s eyes widened, seeing Iraella in Eamon’s arms.
Silera merely made a strangled noise, looking at Baeddan in horror, and then scurried to the main room. Eamon shot a menacing glare at Baeddan, then followed his wife into the main room, laying Iraella on the couch. Baeddan hung back for a moment before walking slowly to a crying Iraella.
“What’s wrong, Iraella? What happened?” whispered Baeddan.
“I don’t know,” Iraella whimpered.
“What hurts, Ira?” her mother asked, suddenly by her side, smoothing her hair back lovingly.
“My stomach, and my head hurts awfully,” Iraella said, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Silera nodded, then opened a cabinet that was on a shelf. She took out a bottle full of a syrupy substance, shook it, and then filled a teaspoon with it. She hurried back over to her daughter. “Alright, sugar. Drink this, it should ease the pain,” Silera said soothingly.
Iraella slurped it up without hesitation, then grimaced as she swallowed. Silera smiled. “I know it doesn’t taste very good, but it will make you feel better,” she said.
Eamon looked to Baeddan. “Now, what exactly happened?” he asked.
Baeddan took a deep breath and explained all. After just hearing the first part about throwing pebbles at the window, Eamon looked as if he had enough. He thought about having the boy stop, but Silera urged him on.
“She just started feeling unwell, I don’t know why,” Baeddan finished.
“Something bad is going to happen,” announced Iraella, wincing as her head throbbed. “Something about that painting. It was a message, I know it,” she said. Tears started flowing again. “Mother!” she cried. “My eyes are burning, it hurts!” she was now sobbing freely.
Baeddan was the first to rush to her side, “Can you see anything?” he asked. She didn’t respond, she just kept sobbing. Baeddan had never seen her like this, she was usually so joyful and carefree.
Baeddan just stared at her sadly before Eamon pushed him gently aside. “Iraella, can you see?” asked Eamon louder. Iraella still didn’t speak. Baeddan looked back to Silera, who was staring fearfully at her daughter.
Baeddan focused back on Iraella, and he only wondered what was going on inside her, what could he have done?