9.


"I'll do that right away, Viola," Dewey, the Keeper of All Fairy Knowledge said in reply to the summoner.

Viola arrived at the Winter Woods without incident. However, she was visibly on edge. Even within the comparative safety of the Winter Woods, every sound and movement caught Viola's attention. A screech by a Snowy Owl nearly sent her out of her own skin. "Don't be a silly fool," she tried to tell herself. It didn't help her much. When she delivered the queen's message to Dewey she was still shaken. Viola tried to keep her composure, but her body and voice quivered just a tad and Dewey noticed it immediately.

"Now then, what else bothers you?" he asked her.

"N-nothing…," she lied.

"Oh, now tell Dewey. I won't bite," he said with a carefree smile.

She took in a few deep breaths before revealing her secret. "I do not want to go back," she said. "I am frightened. For the first time in my life I am quite worried."

"That's not unusual. Especially considering what you've just told me."

"I am a summoner and the queen's personal body guard. She depends on me. I should be without dread," Viola declared with what little bit of pride she could muster. "But I am petrified. I do not want to go back and I am very ashamed for this. I feel like a coward."

The Keeper shook his head. "Now, now. You listen to old Dewey, okay? Some people think they're being fearless when really they're just being foolish. And sometimes people think they are acting like a coward, when really they are just being wise and practical."

"It doesn't matter. How can I show my face to Queen Clarion whom I am sworn to protect?"

"Have you tried a-talking to her?"

Viola gasped. "I could not admit my fears to the queen. She would lose all faith in me."

"Or she could understand you better and respect you even more."

The little summoner, dressed in deep reds meant to command respect, slumped onto a stack of books chiseled from ice. The normally implacable Viola was beside herself with despair. She felt like a failure of the worst kind and this made her angry with herself. It was a most alien feeling.

Dewey then offered a suggestion. "Why don't you ask the scouts to escort you back to the Pixie Dust Tree?"

"An act of shameful spinelessness."

"Actually, I think you would be lauded for thinking about your own safety," Dewey answered with a caring look. "Let me ask you this. Do you think that the Queen Clarion is a fearless lady?"

"Yes, of course."

"Then if she is fearless, why does she need a personal bodyguard?"

"She is the queen and requires protection as needed," Viola answered. It then dawned on her that if Queen Clarion needed protection Viola shouldn't be ashamed of needing it herself. This lifted the veil of dejection she had cast over herself.

"Feel better?"

She smiled. "Yes! You are quite correct. Thank you, Dewey. I shall indeed avail myself of a scout escort to the tree." Viola stood, now straight and tall; her confidence fully returned. "Please keep the queen apprised of any information you may find, Keeper. And do not speak of this to anyone, the queen does not want a panic among the populace."

"Will do. Now skedaddle. I'm sure Queen Clarion is a-worried sick about you."

Viola smiled. At the border she requested that scouts accompany her back to the Pixie Dust Tree. Two members flanked her during the entire trip across the warm seasons. One even complimented her for the attention to her own safety. "It's not safe out here anymore," one told her. "Next time you come this way, let us know. We'll keep you safe. No worries, we won't tell anyone."

Viola nodded her head, grateful for the offer. She would certainly call upon them if needed.

~O~

"Hi, Tink," Terence greeted with a warm smile. He had plastered it on his face after practicing all the way to her tea kettle home. Tink, who was recovering nicely, could see easily through his deception.

Rosetta was watching over her today. The garden fairy's hair was a limp and wiry mess. Apparently, as she told it, she was flying near the Pixie Dust Tree a week ago when someone inside the tree retched and it landed on her beautiful hairdo. It disgusted her so much that she had been washing her hair at least four times a day ever since. This left her normally voluminous tresses flat, damp and frizzy where the ends dried.

"Thanks, Ro," Tink said. "I'll call if I need you."

"Okay, sweetie pie," Rosetta cooed. "I'll be home washin' out my hair again. I still can't get that smell out of my lovely red locks. Oooh…, if I ever get my hands on whoever did this I'll have Sled give them such a thrashin'! No one does that to me and gets away with it."

"Uh…, okay." Now it was Tink's turn to plaster a fake smile on her face. She couldn't possibly tell Rosetta she was the one who wretched all over her bouffant red hair, Tink was certain it would just break her heart. When Rosetta left the room, Tink looked at Terence and quirked a suspicious eyebrow. "Where have you been?!"

"Sorry, Tink. I've been looking for Blaze, trying to protect him," he answered. Terence than had to admit that he had failed in his task. Blaze had gone to Lizzy's summer cottage to hide. When he and Fawn finally located him, Nyx took them all into custody. She had been following him for the entire week. Now Blaze was in confinement under Fawn's care.

"How could you? They'll banish him!" Tinker Bell railed.

"I have the queen's assurance that it won't happen," he told her. "She is going to keep him under observation until she believes it is safe to release him. He can join us again after that, and until then we can visit whenever Fawn allows it."

Tink sighed. She realized that it was the best outcome of a bad situation. Then she asked why he hurt her the way he did. Terence could only tell her what he knew. He felt a wave of violent anger crash over him like a wave. As if something else was making him do it.

"Something else?"

"Yes. He doesn't know what it was. Only that he couldn't stop himself."

Tink thought about Dolly and the spider who bit her. It sent Tink's problem solving mind into overdrive. She wanted to get up and look for answers, then thought better of it. If the queen knew of Blaze attacking her, then she would know about Dolly, as well, judging by the personnel she remembers leaving the emergency room that day.

"Here, I brought you lunch," Terence said. "You look like you could use a good meal." The young dust keeper placed before her a tray with a sampling of all of her favorite foods including pumpernickel muffins and small cubes of mouse cheese among many others. There was even a honeycomb they could share for dessert.

She smiled. Terence was always so good to her. He even seemed attuned to her needs. When this mess was all over she would consider asking him to accompany her to a play at Fairy Tale Theater. Or maybe let him suggest it as Rosetta had advised.

~O~

Viola returned to the Pixie Dust Tree. She felt confident in herself during the flight, but as the tree came into view, that confidence began to drain out of her. In spite of all that the Keeper had told her, she still could not face the queen knowing she felt such terror in her heart. It was so easy to be strong from a distance.

She reported back to the queen that the message had been successfully delivered to the Keeper and that he would keep her informed of any discoveries he made. After complimenting her on her successful journey, Queen Clarion went back to work. Viola stood outside the queen's private office waiting for her next assignment.

The summoner remained anxious, worried that her queen might notice her trembling in fright. Viola did her best to keep a stoic face and an erect stature. No matter what, she had to stay at the queen's side. She did her best to push down her anxieties and nervousness. Viola gave some thought to what Dewey had told her. That Queen Clarion would understand. Unfortunately, the little summoner could not muster up the courage to reveal this dark secret. Not a word was spoken between them the rest of the day. Viola felt relief when her shift ended, but tomorrow would be a new day and it would renew her apprehensions.

~O~

Buck and a small company of fairies had taken refuge in a bunker under the ground. The scouts had spotted a hawk circling high above the forest and sounded the alarm. When fairies rushed to hide, it noticed the movement and dove upon them, screeching as it did. That sound made Buck's spine tingle with chills. The Hawk was one of Pixie Hollow's most omnipresent predators. Knotholes, safe houses and bunkers had all been carved out so fairies could hide in safety from the tenacious raptor until a rescue squad could drive it away by pelting it with nuts and stones.

Today, though, the hawk sighting made everyone extra jittery. Rumors began to spread of docile animals inexplicably going on the attack. Everything from butterflies turning on their caregivers to the crocodile in the cove gobbling up fairies by the mouthful. Buck knew most of these stories were highly exaggerated, but found at least some of them credible sounding.

At first the whole idea of a friendly animal turning against a fairy was ludicrous. When the initial rumor began to spread, no one began to believe it. However, with time more such stories began to make their rounds and at least one fairy could attest to seeing it happen. As a result, people began to accept the possibility. While sitting in the shelter Buck imagined a crazed hawk tearing up the ground just to get to the group huddled inside.

Barely a few minutes later the all clear was sounded. Scouts and the rescue squad had driven away the hungry bird. It fled to find easier prey to snatch. Everyone quickly filed out of the shelter. Relief was the common emotion felt by all. One of the sparrow men stopped and looked back. "Maurice? Hey, Maurice?"

Buck flew back to speak with the Denny, a light talent who was helping the garden fairies grow new trees in the forest. "What's wrong, Denny?"

"I can't find Maurice. We were working together when the warning was sounded. We both took off and I thought he was behind me when I dove into the shelter," Denny answered.

Buck reassured him that Maurice was probably in another shelter. If Denny returned to his work place Maurice would probably be waiting for him there. The light talent agreed and flew off to locate his friend.

Down below, deep within the dirt, Maurice could not hear this conversation. And no one could hear his muffled cries for help. An earthworm, a normally harmless worm that aerates and fertilizes the soil had him secure in its coiled body. The earthworm's mouth slowly slid down over Maurice's head as it tried to devour him.


Thank you for all the wonderful reviews. I hope this next chapter is as much to your liking. Thank you for reading.