Fairy Dust: Chapter 1
Fairy Dust: Chapter 2
By Thomas Wood
“The leprechauns have the glade pretty much surrounded.” The tunnel was tight, even for fairies. “When we reach the end of the tunnel we should be behind them and we can make for the village. If I know Glidden, they are already aware of them by now, but they don’t know why.”
“What was this tunnel Hex?? It smells.”
“Oh, just an old gofer hole that Benjamin used to run his mandrake trade through. Watch yourself! We are coming to the end. We don’t know what is out there yet, so let’s keep it quiet.”
The top of a dandelion covered mound began to move. Its hump was nestled between two oak trees that stood like imperial guards over a secret entrance. The simple twig hatch that covered the gofer hole opened slowly, and the unseen head of Hex popped out. Her eyes scanned the open clearing surrounded by the trees of the forest. A thick blanket of clover covered the clearing almost perfectly. Hardly anything else would grow in the clearing except the clover, with the dandelion covered mound and its imperial guards smack dab in the middle of it.
The perfectly circular clearing was known as the circle of charms, although most of the fae consider the area taboo and would not enter it. A respectable clan of leprechauns once lived here called the Luckleaf clan. Their pot of gold was the largest of all the leprechaun clans, and nestled between the two oak trees on top of a magical fire. Leprechauns tend to keep their pots of gold over roaring fires to prevent thieves from stealing it.
One day, on a perfectly clear day, a rainbow appeared over their pot of gold. Leprechauns despise the rainbow because it shows where their pot of gold is. Normally a rainbow only appears on sunny, yet rainy, days and the leprechauns would bury their gold to keep the rainbows from finding them. But this day, not a cloud was seen in the sky. No one really knows what happened to the pot of gold, the leprechaun clan, or how the mysterious rainbow found their gold. But as everyone knows, a leprechaun’s life force is tied to their pot of gold. If they lose their gold, then their essence is disrupted, and they are doomed to roam as shades.
Hex surveyed the thick clover, amazed at what she saw. “We will have to cross the clover field.”
“Clover? You didn’t say anything about a clover field.”
“Yes, well, the clover isn’t usually out this time of year. The leprechauns must be up to something really big to require this much clover, especially here. And it is Red Clover.”
“Oh, I don’t know, Hex, crossing clover is dangerous with leprechauns about. Besides where is here? ”
“We are at the circle of charms. It is the closest I could get us to the village.”
“The circle of charms. Are you mad? We can’t go in there. The . . .”
“We can, and we will. Don’t start your superstition with me Gossomer. This is it. Besides I can smell the smoke of the chimneys in the village. We are really close.” Hex leaned the hatch against one of the trees and looked back down the hole. “Listen, when you climb out race straight to the west. The village is there. I will do my best to confuse the Leprechauns.”
“But the clover . . . and . . . and what about you?”
“I will be behind you, don’t worry. Besides YOU need to get the information to Glidden.” Hex climbed from the tunnel and grabbed a handful of fairy dust from her pouch.
“Well, Hello!” Came a gravely voice. “What do we have here lads?”
“Ah, now you might want to reconsider that there. This be red clover you are stand’n in. Not a good mixture if you get me meaning.”
“I know all to well your meaning Barley. What are you doing here?”
“You know why we be here. To claim what is rightfully ours. Now, where be the wee one?”
“Oberon will have your essence for this. He will . . .”
“Oh, I think not. We have come this far haven’t we. Besides what makes you think our lord doesn’t already know what we plan.”
“He would never . . .”
“We have emissaries there even as we speak me little bobbin. This is in the best interest of all the fae.”
“Hex!” Came a loud whisper from the tunnel, “Are you ready?”
“Aye, there be the lass.” Barley began to lean closer to the hole.
“What did you say? I can’t hear you down here.” Gossomer’s head began to spin. Did she say yea or Aye? She doesn’t say aye. What should I do? Where is she? She said race west to the village. But she hasn’t told me to go yet. Or did she?
“Call the lit’l rabbitout of her hole, Hex, and lets all talk about this.”
“You call her out. We have nothing to discuss, unless it be with Glidden.”
“Glidden, that ol’ fae has cob webs for brains. He still lives in legends and tales of the past.”
Well there is nothing like the present. So here I go.
“Watch what you say Barley.” Hex shakes her fist of fairy dust at him over the tunnel entrance. Gossomer picks up her speed and begins to dart out the entrance when she is met with sprinkles of dust in her face and eyes. Popping out of the hole, Barley stumbles back in surprise and Gossomer meets Hex’s fist of fairy dust at full speed.
The fairy dust showers from her hand, dancing across the breeze and out over the field of clover. The impact from hitting Hex’s fist was enough to send Gossomer sprawling. She bounced squarely off Barley’s nose causing waves of tears to fill his eyes as he let out a squeal. Bouncing from limb to limb of the oak tree, she finally landed in a vacant robins nest.
“No, the dust!” cries Hex watching helplessly as it settles over the clover. No one knows what will happen when it hits the clover without a charm said over it.
“You blasted pixie! This isn’t over, we will have the stone,” screamed Barley.
The first of the fairy dust hits the clover and a loud firecracker sound ignites a train reaction. As more dust settles over the field, explosive fireworks began to shower the clearing. Sprays of color and fire spread everywhere. Leprechauns began to dance out from under the clover with the seats of their pants ablaze. The spectacle was so funny to look at, each leprechaun helping the other to put out the fire on their back sides, that Hex almost forgot about Barley and the importance of the situation at hand.
“Gossomer?” She looked up into the oak tree, “Gossomer?” She shouted with more urgency.
Gossomer wiped fairy dust from her face and rubbed additional bruises she had just recently acquired. “Why do I always get hurt every time . . .”
“Gossomer!”
“What!”
“Hurry! Before Barley . . .”
“Before Barley what lass.” Barley barreled toward Hex with a vengeance. “You won’t escape and the stone will be ours.”
Hex blew the remaining thin layer of fairy dust on her hand towards Barley. A sticky web stretched between the two oak trees, cutting off Barley’s advancement.
Gossomer flew down next to Hex. “We must go Gossomer, and now. The village is close, and the leprechauns are in chaos.”
(To Be Continued . . .)
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