Midsummer
Pretty little Cattail spread her wings as she awoke.
She stood from the corner of the branch where she had slept, sitting down, with her wings folded over her. She yawned and stretched, running her fingers through her long red velvet hair. She rubbed her arms and chest to warm up, then took flight, down from her tree to the shallow pool in the large gray rock at the base.
The morning sun had done much toward warming the water in her little pool.
She bathed, enjoying the feeling of her soft hairless skin, her deep burgundy red hair; long, thick, fine as a baby's breath. She scrubbed her thin but sturdy, multicolored wings.
As she really got the circulation going, the vibrant green, royal purple, vivid red and shimmering gold took on an opalescent glow.
Feeling awake and clean she shook her wings out and took flight seeking sustenance. She landed at a nearby farmer's house, known to be thoughtful toward her kind. He had left out cream with honey, warm and fresh from cow, and sunny hive. It was Summer Solstice and in honor of the day the farmer had constructed a half-scale nude sculpture of a pregnant woman out of maple sugar, and left it as a gift. Cat broke off the left nipple, which fit perfectly in her hand and flew off nibbling on it.
She watched the ground as she flew. Beneath her a forest passed. Leagues and leagues of verdant green.
A gryfalcon and its young burst out of the foliage of an oak to her left. A nestling was grasped firmly in each mighty paw. When it leveled off above her it dropped the babies. Learning to fly the old fashioned way. "Joyous and peaceful Midsummer, friends." Cat called waving. The gryfalcon and her wobbly young cawwed a reply, and flew off. Probably in search of food.
Cat flew lower. In amongst the branches. A centaur family danced in a circle, in a clearing, around a picnic blanket. Cat hovered and called, "Joyous and peaceful Midsummer, family."
"Joyous and peaceful Midsummer, child." Called the parents.
The children called, "Joyous Midsummer, miss. See you tonight."
Cat headed west, over the lake. She waved and smiled and called greetings and holiday wishes to all the water's denizens. Mermaids swam in circles, and played "Hide the clam".
Maenads dancing in the shallows called for her to join them.
"No friends, busy day. See you all tonight." Really a big part of her busy day was flying around being jovial, but that was quite an important job to a fairy. They all waved goodbyes and yelled promises to see her later. Across the lake was the local dragon's birthing cave. That was her next stop.
The cave was deep and dark, lit only by the open pits of magma that provided the necessary heat. She walked among the eggs like a worried hen. Putting her ear against the thick grainy walls of the eggs. She heard inside one the scratchings that preclude a birth. She stepped back.
The scratchings got louder, then three toes burst through. That foot pushed down and a large jagged piece broke away, and she was face to face with the wet, brick red snout of a dragon. It was already bigger, if not taller, than she was.
He was the first born of this clutch of eggs, which would generally make him the Alpha male. She stepped forward and kissed him lightly on the nose. It was the fairy kiss of luck, given to each dragon as it was born.
She had begun the tradition.
That may be why the dragons from this cave were so much stronger, smarter, and more healthy than others in the area.
She watched and kissed four more before she came to the reason why she was there.
A cold egg. As time went by, the cold dead eggs were removed from the hatching place. So this one must've died earlier that morning. Probably was the true first born. When birthing time comes for an egg there are just a few minutes between the life of an egg in an umbilicus, and breathing life outside. This one lasted through growth, was fully formed and ready. Then it was stolen from life through an extra strong egg sac or too thick of a shell. She cracked it open with a rock. Than pierced the sac with a shard from another egg.
Curled up tight and cold, she was blue black, with an iridescent green inner wings and underbelly.
She was a rare born magic user. Having been to the other side she would likely be a seer. Cat rubbed the small limp body for a few minutes. Well small for a dragon.
Doing her concentration breathing; in through her nose out through her mouth. She sent little magical feelers out to inspect the infant body for any flaws. She found her tiny heart, split on one side. And using her magic, Cat mended it.
When the beautiful baby girl's body was mended and sound, Cat felt ready to go in. She poured her consciousness down her body and through her hands into the foggy black darkness of the dead hatchling's mind.
She sent herself deeper into the misty black, calling, "Little dragon, c'mon, c'mon sweetie. C'mon sweetie. Draggie, here draggie draggie draggie." Strangely it seemed to be beginning to work. She could still see nothing, but she felt a little connection to her spirit. There it was pulling her deeper and deeper.
There was a dim illumination in the mist, floating partially obscured. Then it was within reach, a bit of glowing gossamer the size of a handkerchief. Or a fairy's bedsheet. She gently caught it in both hands and swam for the surface. It took her a little longer to get back than she'd expected, but she was at peace.
Then she was in her own body, embracing the neck of the shivering and mewling dragonlet. She exited the mind as the wee thing opened her eyes. They were glowing green orbs without visible iris or pupil.
Definitely a magic one.
Cat gave her the kiss of luck.
The dragonlet nodded silently, and licked her face with a hot, rough, pointed, red tongue. Cat laughed, and wiped at the smoky smelling thick saliva that even newborn dragons have, trying to get wipe it off her face.
She was the only one who could do that, ever they say. Quite a bit of responsibility, but she never missed a birth in the area.
The mother dragons gathered their young around them; Cat watched. The nestlings looked adoringly up at their mothers. The mothers looked into the eyes of each one in turn. Then they opened their little mouths in an adorable yawn, and she breathed fire down their gullets to get their little furnaces up to blast temperature. What Cat liked to call, "the lighting of the pilot light". After that they could breath tiny flames of their own. All the dragons blew flame toward the roof of the cave, in honor of her and she took her leave.
She was dusty. sweaty and bedraggled when she exited, the heat and hard work did her in pretty well. She flew home and bathed in her rock pool. It was getting dark. After sundown there would be a great feast in The Glade. In her knothole nest in the light of moon mushroom lamps, she prepared for the party. She took a small pot of purple ointment and rubbed it into her lips, eyelids and nipples. With fish scales she'd washed, then sundried and powdered ,she streaked her hair iridescent.
She pumped her wings hard to engorge them with blood, so the colors would stand out. Then she took a pot of fairy dust, bright and shining gold. She dusted her wings with it, then dusted the rest of her.
Finishing, and seeing full dark had been reached, she departed for the feast.
The dust drifted down as she flew, but enough stayed to accent her beautifully. When she arrived many of her neighbors were already there.
Dancing, eating, and carousing.
Fauns, silvani, centaur of all types; maenads, merfolk with their landlegs on, hundreds of fairys, and fey races of all kinds.
Then, in the center, she saw her dreams were answered. There danced The Queen and her Consort in deep greens and browns, crowned in flowers, in all glory appropriate for summer. They were actually motioning her over.
She flew in shock. When she reached them; she actually landed and ,when asked, sat in The Queen's cupped hands. Dangling her feet over between her wrists. They each spoke glowingly about her relationship to the dragons.
"Child," said The Queen, "We are very proud of you. When you appeared in Our court, and asked to help. We granted you the power to save. But only if you willingly took the responsibility of life and death. You devoted more to the cause than we ever hoped. You are our daughter with whom we are well pleased." Cat knew She only meant in the way that all fey were the children of Faerie Queen.
They each kissed her, then the Queen's Consort said, "We only came to see you. Now we must return to Our Court. Joyous and peaceful Midsummer, Cat"
Cat took flight and they disappeared. She lost herself in a daze of joy. Jumping from circle to circle laughing and dancing.
Finally she was approached by a fairy lass, and very good friend. Sammi Lamb. "Cat have you gotten so big, with a visit from Them, that you can't dance with me?"
"Never!" She took her friend's offered hands and they danced off, initially in the circles wit the others. But eventually alone together.
They danced on land, air and through the trees. They waltzed, they pirouetted, they skipped in a circle, holding hands.
They rejoined the fairy ring, about forty fairies dancing together, until there was a circle burned in the grass, from the speed and magic of their feet.
They split off and danced alone once more. Finally Cat asked Sam back to her house. She agreed and they left.
Cat led her first to the bath. Sam scrubbed Cat's skin sensuously, running her small strong hands all over her.
Cat began to pant with anticipation, to calm herself down she washed Sam in return. She washed the purple streaks from her hair, the ruby red from her lips, cheeks, and nipples and the red chevrons from her chest. Then she washed her wings. As she worked them, she laid a line of kisses down the inside of her wings. Then she licked down her spine, and pulled Sam airborne to her nest.
Once in the air they embraced, and the foreplay went on. They hugged and kissed, touching and stroking each other all over as they flew almost belly to belly, until they were ready. They flew smoothly up above the trees and they clasped their hands to each others waist and her legs oPened and hooked around her friend's. Their nether lips kissed and rubbed together Wingbeats matching their grinding thrusts together. As they neared climax, they flew faster.
Until they reached the first climax of the evening and their wings snapped flat.
They glided together, linked by hands and Cat's legs around and behind Sam's knees. Finally they split apart because it was easier and faster than flying the distance together and winged for Cat's nest holding hands.
If they had been a boy/girl or boy/boy couple they could have reversed it to the more traditional, foreplay in the nest and deep passionate penetrative love in the air. But they were quite happy reversing it. In her nest Cat crawled to the center of her thistle down mattress and Sam looked at her bottom, her wee juicy split fruit peeking out between her crawling legs and said, "Well Joyous Midsummer to me."