Chapter One – A Union of Friends
It was a nice, quiet, late-winter afternoon in Smurf Village…until Harmony started playing his trumpet as loud as he could.
"Hear ye, hear ye!" Harmony shouted as he ran through the village. "Papa Smurf wants everysmurf at the Speaking Shroom for a special announcement!" The Smurfs ran after Harmony, some still plugging their ears. Archer leaped down from her perch on the bridge and joined Gutsy as they ran to meet Papa. The village elder stood on top of the Speaking Shroom, waiting patiently for his children to gather. When everysmurf finally arrived, he raised his arms for silence.
"Thank you for gathering so quickly!" Papa called. "Now, as you all know, one of the smurfiest of holidays is approaching: Valentine's Day!"
The Smurfs cheered. Except Grouchy, who muttered, "I hate Valentine's Day."
"Now, we all know that Valentine's Day is a day for love and friendship." Papa called, silencing the Smurf's cheers. "And, of course, our friend Cupid's yearly visit. But this year, we are doing something a little different. We're going to smurf a ball with our friends the wood elves!"
The Smurfs cheered again. But Brainy spoke over the crowd. "But Papa Smurf, aren't most of the wood elves hibernating until spring?"
"Under normal circumstances, yes." Papa nodded. "Because many of the wood elves control the plants in the forest, they are forced to sleep as long as the trees and flowers and other plants do. Unfortunately, some of the wood elves are currently homeless." The Smurfs gave a collective "Awww" in sadness.
"Shamu waaaa!"
Papa turned with a smile as Wild Smurf charged in from the forest, pointing behind him and chittering excitedly. All the Smurfs followed his point to see a small clan of wood elves approaching the village, riding on the backs of Wild's squirrel friends. Laconia led the way, her husband Woody riding beside her. The Smurfs greeted the wood elves warmly, despite the lingering cold of winter. That same cold made many of the wood elves shiver a bit.
"Welcome, Laconia!" Papa greeted. "I'm happy Wild Smurf was able to assist you and your village in coming here."
"He was a wonderful help." Woody nodded. "And his squirrel friends were certainly happy to give us a ride here."
Thank you, Papa Smurf. Laconia said in her Sign Language. We are in your debt.
"No, not at all." Papa assured. "You are always welcome, my friend." The mute wood elf nodded her head in thanks.
"Papa, while I enjoy having Laconia and her friends here," Brainy piped up. "Which I do! I just have to ask the one question that's surely on everyone's minds—"
"Why are Laconia and these wood elves here?" Smartette finished for her mate.
"Sadly, these wood elves have no home." Papa explained. "They were forced to evacuate when Balthazar's moat monster smurfed into their part of the forest, scaring them away so it could live there. He burned down quite a few trees that housed the elves. They managed to smurf the moat monster away, but their homes are too damaged to live in."
"Oh, that's terrible!" Smurfette gasped.
"Yes." Papa nodded. "Winter will last another two months at least. But I have offered that Laconia and her clan stay here until spring, when they can find much smurfier homes."
"They can store their supplies in my old house!" Archer offered. "I'll go clear out some space!"
"I'll help ye, lass!" Gutsy chimed in, following his mate to her old home. Hefty and Farmer offered their assistance and followed.
"I'll smurf up some coats for you!" Tailor offered, noting how some of the wood elves shivered.
"Ah'll get some wool!" Wooly darted off to his house.
"Baker and I will make some porridge!" Chef announced. "You guys look hungry!" The two cooks took off for the dining hall.
"You are too kind, Smurfs." Woody sighed in relief. "If Archer and Wild hadn't found us when they did, we wouldn't have lasted the night.
How can we ever repay you? Laconia signed.
"Just smurf around long enough for our Valentine's Day dance." Papa assured. "You are our friends, and therefore no debt is needed. Come; let's see Baker and Chef about that porridge. Smurfs! Will you all please take the wood elves' things to Archer's old house?"
"Yes Papa Smurf!" The Smurfs saluted and instantly got to work. Papa led Laconia, Woody, and the other eighteen wood elves to the dining hall. The wood elves happily accepted the warm porridge Chef and Baker gave them, relieved by the warmth of the dining hall and how kindly the Smurfs treated them.
"Are you sure there is nothing we can do to repay you, Papa Smurf?" Woody asked.
"I wish there were." Papa chuckled. "I'm sure when the Smurfs start preparing for the ball, they would appreciate your help."
But of course. Laconia nodded. We would be happy to.
"Good." Papa nodded. "Now eat. You need your strength."
"Mister Papa Smurf?" said a small elf child in a pretty pink dress. She tugged shyly on Papa's trousers. "Where will we sleep tonight?"
"I'm sure the other Smurfs would happily share their homes." Papa nodded. "We have extra bedding and bedrolls."
"Momma!" a young boy elf jumped up and down. "Can we go play in the snow now?"
"Well…" the boy's mother looked worried.
"Go on." Papa encouraged. "I'm sure they can ask a couple of my Smurfs to play with them. They'll smurf an eye on the little ones."
The mother finally smiled. "Very well. Run along now, all of you." The six wood elf children ran off, laughing and cheering.
"Thank you for your protection, Papa Smurf." Another female wood elf nodded. "We were all very worried."
"Did everyone smurf out of the fire all right?" Papa asked.
"Nobody was harmed or killed." Woody assured. "Our sick and elderly were able to stay in the undestroyed homes of other wood elves. However, there was not much room for the rest of us."
"So we decided to move to another part of the forest in hopes of residing there until spring." Another male wood elf finished. "But it seemed every hole, tree, and cave already contained an occupant."
"We wandered the forest for two nights before Archer and Wild Smurf found us." The first mother elf continued. "Wild helped us come here while Archer returned to you."
"And now you're all here, safe and sound." Papa sighed in relief. "Though we are all sorry your homes were destroyed, you are welcome to join in our festivities for Valentine's Day."
"We would be honored." A third female wood elf bowed.
"Please, allow me to introduce our friends." Woody said. "This is Willow, Fleur, Hua, Hana, Florem, and Blume." The female wood elves curtsied in greetings. "And this is Leo, Phoebus, Atwood, Ash, Ignis, and Pescado." The male wood elves bowed respectfully. "Those children you met were Brook, Sky, Tori, Basil, Jasper, and Zephyr."
"Smurfy to meet you all!" Baker greeted as he collected the empty bowls. "I'm Baker and the Smurf with the chef's hat and apron is Chef. You'll learn the names of the other Smurfs soon enough."
"But for now, why don't we go see Tailor and Wooly are doing with those coats?" Papa asked. "You'll need to stay warm until the weather gets better."
Thank you, Papa Smurf. Laconia signed with a smile. Neither words nor signs can express our thanks.
"After the times you have helped my Smurfs," Papa replied, signing as he spoke. "Anything for a friend."
The next day, every Smurf and wood elf started preparations for the Valentine's Day Ball. Grandpa and Nanny looked after the Smurflings and the wood elf children while they played smurfball in the snow. Most of the Smurfs and a couple wood elves cleared the snow from the village square. The rest of the Smurfs and wood elves lazed about the village. The wood elves always had company with such enthusiastic Smurfs around to talk to and hang out with.
"Thanks for helping me gather smurfroot, Laconia." Archer said gratefully.
"Yeah." Smartette added. "Papa says we'll need the extra roots to make tea."
Does smurfroot tea taste good? Laconia signed, balancing a small basket of smurfroot on her head so she could sign with both hands.
"Well, if you add some sugar and a pinch of honey." Smurfette shrugged. "But it's great if you get the sniffles."
I see. Laconia signed, taking the basket off her head and carrying it in her arms. She blinked in surprise. She pointed ahead of them and the girls noticed a lone Smurf sitting on the banks of the river.
"Hey Handy!" Archer greeted as the three Smurfettes and Laconia approached. "Whatcha doin'?"
Handy looked up a little glumly. "Oh, I'm just waiting….." He sighed, unable to continue.
"Handy, are you okay?" Smurfette asked worriedly.
"You seem so sad." Smartette sighed sadly.
Handy sighed. "Well, Papa Smurf said I could invite Marina to the Valentine's Day Ball, and I was hoping she would come today."
"Well, did you send a letter?" Archer asked.
"Just last evening." Handy shrugged.
"Hmm, that does seem like a good amount of time for the letter to get to Marina and her to reply." Smartette noted. "We just had lunch."
Archer jabbed Smartette's ribs with her elbow. "Have faith, Handy. I'm sure she'll come. But remember: the ocean doesn't smurf as cold as the River Smurf does in the winter. We don't know how Marina will handle the cold water."
"That's why I brought the smurferator." Handy gestured to said invention, resting against a tree. "I can keep the water at a comfortable temperature."
Laconia set her basket down and signed, Are you and Marina in love?
"Yes." Handy nodded. "And boy do I miss her."
Keep faith, Handy. Laconia signed with a smile. Love will find a way.
"Thanks, Laconia." Handy smiled.
"Why don't you smurf back to the village with us?" Smartette offered.
"Chef can make you some cocoa." Smurfette added. "It's awfully cold out here."
"I told Marina in that letter I would wait a few feet upstream from the bridge." Handy protested. "She said she would smurf here sometime around noon."
Archer thought for a moment. "Handy, why don't you smurf back to the village with Laconia, Smurfette, and Smartette? I'll wait here for Marina."
"You will?" Handy asked happily.
"You go get out of this cold." Archer encouraged, pushing Handy towards the village. "Get some cocoa and relax for a while."
I will wait with Archer as well. Laconia signed. She handed her basket of smurfroot to Handy.
"Thanks guys." Handy said gratefully, taking the basket from the wood elf. "When Marina gets here, smurf her into the smurferator and turn the key. The machine will do the rest."
"Smurfaroo!" Archer nodded. Laconia gave a thumbs up. Handy, Smurfette, and Smartette disappeared into the forest, back to Smurf Village.
Who is Marina? Laconia signed.
"She's a mermaid that lives in Atlantica." Archer explained. "Handy and the Smurfs helped her and her father a long time ago. Handy and Marina fell in love."
That's so romantic. Laconia signed, sighing silently. A mermaid and a Smurf in love.
"Yeah." Archer nodded. She looked up and down the river, her eyebrows furrowed in thought. "You know, if Handy really sent that letter last night, then Marina should've arrived by now. It's getting late."
Last I checked, it was almost midafternoon. Laconia signed.
Archer put a fist to her chin in thought. She checked the river's current flow. "Come on, Laconia. We're smurfing downstream." Laconia nodded and followed the Smurfette downriver. They kept their eyes on the river, searching for specks of green or lavender. They pushed Handy's smurferator along, just in case.
Papa and Woody walked through the village, observing how the wood elves and the other Smurfs worked to clear out the village square for the dance. "Your Smurfs are certainly worked hard." Woody noted.
"Well, everyone enjoys smurfing celebrations like Valentine's Day." Papa smiled. "Of course, any time I allow a little party is when the Smurfs are willing to work hard."
Woody chuckled. "The wood elves are the same way. When work is done, we love playing around in the fields and with the animals of the forest."
"Ah, the girls have returned with the smurfroot." Papa waved as Smurfette and Smartette approached. Then, he saw Handy walking with them instead of Archer and Laconia. "Handy? I thought you were waiting for Marina."
"I was." Handy nodded. "But Archer and Laconia offered to stay and wait for her while I smurfed back for a late lunch."
"Has Marina not arrived yet?" Papa asked.
"No, that's why Archer and Laconia are waiting for her." Smartette replied.
"I certainly hope she's all right." Papa said a little worriedly.
Archer and Laconia paused when they reached the dam, yet they still saw no sign of Marina.
Where do you think she is? Laconia signed questioningly. Where can a mermaid hide anyway? The waters are just clear enough to see the bottom of the river.
"I don't know." Archer admitted. She stared at the waters for a moment before her eyes widened. "Oh my smurfness!" She suddenly dived into the waters of the river. Laconia stared after her, watching Archer's blue skin cause her to almost completely blend in with the icy waters of the river. Then, Archer burst through the surface, gasping from the coldness of the water. She clutched a limp Marina close to her chest.
Are you okay? Laconia signed hurriedly.
"Turn on that smurferator!" Archer urged. "We need to smurf her back to the village!" Laconia nodded and hurriedly turned the key to the smurferator, causing the gears to oxygenate the water inside. Archer pulled herself and Marina ashore and gently placed the mermaid in the smurferator. She and Laconia worked together to push the machine and the mermaid back to the village as fast as they could. Archer felt the chill all the way to her bones, but she kept running.
"Papa Smurf!" Archer shouted as they approached the village. She fought a shiver. "Papa Smurf!"
Papa and Woody looked up worriedly. "Laconia!" Woody called, signing as he talked. "What's wrong?"
We found Marina! Laconia signed quickly. But she was stuck at the bottom of the river!
"I d-dove after her." Archer explained, shivering a little.
"You jumped into the river?" Papa yelped. "My smurfness you'll get hyposmurfia!" He led the girls to his lab. "Get in here, quickly! And get those wet clothes off!"
"E-excuse me?" Archer gasped a little.
"Cover up and then get them off!" Papa corrected with urgency in his voice. "Do that and you decrease how likely you'll get hyposmurfia!"
Archer blinked. "Oh. I see." She accepted the wool blanket from Papa and wrapped herself in it, covering her entire body from the neck down before shedding her clothes.
"Woody!" Papa called quickly. "I need a cooling rack and a pan from Chef or Baker! Hurry!" Woody took off for Chef's house, the closest one to Papa's lab. "Archer, you sit by the fire." He ordered gently, leading Archer to sit as close to the fire as she could. "You need to warm up quickly."
"Y-yes Papa Smurf." Archer sniffed a little.
"Laconia, will you make some tea?" Papa asked kindly, handing the wood elf the container of loose tea leaves. Laconia nodded and put a kettle over the fire, wrapping up some of the leaves in a small bag for steeping. Everyone jumped a little when someone knocked hurriedly on the door. Papa answered it to see Handy right outside.
Handy panted a little, his breath coming out in a cloud. "I heard Marina was here! Is she okay?"
"She and Archer run the risk of hyposmurfia." Papa admitted, allowing Handy to come in. "But so far, we're beating it back."
"I got the pan and rack from Woody." Handy said, holding it up for Papa. The elder took the two objects hurriedly. He placed the wire cooling rack under the smurferator and used the metal shovel next to the fireplace to scoop some of the burning wood into the pan. He set the small fire on the cooling rack.
"There." Papa sighed. "The water's not too cold, and now it'll warm up to a nice, smurfy temperature."
Handy breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank smurfness." He hugged Archer tightly. "Thank you so much, Archer! Woody told me you smurfed into the water to save Marina!"
"She was unconscious and would've been swept away if I hadn't." Archer said with a smile. "I'm actually glad she was stuck on a rock."
"Well I can't thank you enough." Handy sighed. "You too, Laconia, for looking after them."
Anything for the Smurfs. Laconia signed, smiling. After all, Papa is taking care of my clan. It is the least I could do.
"I still owe you, Laconia." Archer gratefully took the cup of tea the mute elf gave her. "You stayed by my side and were a great help."
You are my friend, Archer. Laconia signed, giving Archer a hug. I always look out for my friends. Everyone turned at a moan, and they brightened when Marina's eyes fluttered open.
"Marina!" Handy cheered.
Marina's vision finally cleared, and she smiled warmly at the sight of her love. "Oh, Handy! It's you!"
"You're alive!" Handy cheered, holding Marina close while still keeping her in the water. "Oh thank smurfness!"
"Oh Handy, I thought I'd never see you again!" Marina sighed. "I was accidently swept downstream by a strong current and couldn't swim back. Then I hit my head and everything went dark."
"Archer and Laconia saved you." Handy explained. "They smurfed you back to the village so Papa Smurf could help."
"Archer?" Marina cocked her head, but smiled when Archer waved. "Oh yes! We've met a couple times."
"It's good to see you again." Archer nodded, sipping her tea.
"And this is Laconia." Papa introduced. "She and some of her wood elf friends are spending the rest of the winter with us since their home was destroyed."
"It's very nice to meet you, Laconia." Marina greeted.
Laconia signed her reply, which Papa translated. "Laconia says that it is very nice to meet you as well. She has never met a mermaid before, and certainly not one as beautiful as you."
"Why thank you." Marina blushed a little. "But, can't she speak on her own?"
"Laconia is mute." Archer explained. "She can hear what we are saying to her, but she can't reply using words. She uses Sign Language."
"How interesting!" Marina smiled.
"I could teach it to you!" Handy offered quickly. "Everysmurf knows it." He suddenly turned sheepish. "Well, Papa and Archer are better, so they could help. But of course, Laconia can smurf it best because, well, she made it and all, and…."
Archer rolled her eyes. "My, my, I do believe love is the most powerful spell in the world." She whispered to Papa.
"I must agree." Papa chuckled softly.
A/N: Ironically enough, the names of the female wood elves (minus Willow) are all the same word in French, Chinese, Japanese, Latin, and German: flower! And I know Laconia is sometimes portrayed as a deaf-mute, but I prefer her to just be mute so she can hear everything. It'll work out later in the story.