I amble into the bright woods smothered in a eye squinting whiteness. I have to heave my booted legs up from the thick snow step by step. The wind is astir sprinkling glittery snowflakes granting it a whimsical allure. I move slowly up toward a grove of Holly, Blue Spruce and White Cedar. I bite at my piece of bread then toss the crumbs onto the white snow. A tiny bird darts swifty and eyes me then the crumbs and greedily eats them up. The curious whippoorwill flutters behind me serenading me with a cheerful cadence.
I stop and dust off a rock face to rest when I hear another melodious sound. It is some type of woodwind instrument. I turn and head up the bank toward the sound near a laccolith. In a tall pine a piebald owl announces my arrival in a haunted shriek. The instrument stops. The wind picks up and ice starts to bead on my bangs under my fleece cap. A whirlwind now circles me causing me to loose my footing and fall. Covered in snow the lonley sprite cannot see me. He holds a tiny pan pipe in his dainty little hand. He trots on tiny goat hooves tilting his cherubic head while blowing into a wooden flute a surreal melody. I don't dare move as he clops closer. I can see he wears a crown of holly atop his head of golden curls. His neck shimmers with necklace made of icicles on his bare child like chest. His pants are made of deep rich russet fur. He pauses only to slide his pan pipe into a sporon then holds his tiny palm and sprinkles shimmering fairy dust into the air giggling then turns dancing merrily into a thicket hedge.
I stand slowly and dust the snow off. My cheeks are pink now from the cold and my nose begins to run. I look back at the way I entered but trudge toward the thicket and peek through. He is gone.
I look to the ground and his tiny hoofprints are now being covered by the falling snow. The whippoorwill appears again and jumps toward another pine ahead. I follow it closer to the dome of rocks.
The trail now turns opaline and irridescent. I can follow his trail of fairy dust. I stoop and place a ice bouquet of a tiny shimmering Crocus behind my ear and trudge forward. To the right of the rock mound the tiny bird now sails downward and lands in top of the granite.
I open my eyes in wonder at my esoteric find. I crouch to spy fairies, elves, sprites, satyrs, wood nymphs and tiny pixies dancing in a circle. A tall woman with whispy silver long hair sways in the center of the group. She is wearing a wintry tiara of snowflakes and in her delicate pale hands she waves a silvery wand encouraging the merrymaking. Her long flowing gown of silver flows in the breeze. Her lengthy sleeves angle sharply over her hands in a shiny see through fabric. The dress seems medieval with a deep v neck and the front criss crosses down to a rope made of hemp tied neatly into a dangling bow. The tiny sprites cheer loudly " Our Winter Queen is here!" The clap in cheer and shout the name "Mirari!"
Wood nymphs scurry holding harps as pipers play her a tune. Tiny elven maidens wearing floating gowns twist in between their mates dancing in a swirl tossing glitter over their heads. They wear crowns different from the pan piper. They have tiny halos of white Narcissus and around their necks are thick yellow ruffles like that of a golden Daffodil. Their mates wear tunics draped in curves. The fabric seems satin and is colored in deep fushia and crimson. They look like a Tulip when they turn. Tinier fay wrapped in white robes kick their tiny green nimble legs. They look like a delicate Calla Lily.
The Winter Queen casts her spell into the frosty air. "Wintertide is here! Let us spread our cheer!"
The dancers dance on as I grin in delight. It is a Pindaric whirlwind. They feast on morels and drink thick honeymead. I scoot closer toward their amity. They spot me in alarm but the whippoorwill tells them I am a friend. They open up the circle and allow me to dance with them.
I am given a icicle necklace and tiny snow beads in my hair. They spin me in a bewitching whimsy until I fall down in laughter. They pour me a silver goblet of what they say is "Icor" that warms my soul. They wink and dance a jolly jig. They stop as the Winter Queen announces: "We have played now time to tend to our matter. " She twirls her wand. "Prepare the sprinkling of our winter dreams for scatter."
A scintillating gush of winds almost blows me over as snow whirls all around me. I cannot see through the veil of cold floating ice. I place my gloved hands over my eyes to see. Slowly the gale slows and I peer all around the laccolith. They have all vanished. Their tiny prints now slowly fade in the shifting wind as I stand now alone. I begin to feel sadness at the loss of my new found friends. I turn with a heavy heart to walk back home. My trusty whippoorwill sings me a song:
"Don't you worry Selina my dear.
They have two more months of cheer.
You did drink from their silver chalis They knew you were not of malice."
The tiny bird now rests on my hand and finishes his sweet cadenza.
"In the winds they will
scurry
and flurry
and swirl
and twirl
curling
and twirling
their love unfurling."
I smile as I gaze up to the sky at tiny snowflakes . They softly flutter down onto my warm face. I shut my eyes as the flakes melt into tiny tears of joy that slide down on top of my smile. I am filled with etherea, with love, hope and peace. I glow now like a shiny crystal forming. Soft wet tears of joy slide over my smile. I whisper thank you my sweet Winter friends for melting my ice heart with your sweet warm Ichorous" as a tiny flute plays a gentle solo just for me in the wintry wind.