The Butterfly Trainer – Chapter 9

"Alright … there," River said, sitting aside the brush as two to three more butterflies lined up on the tree to air out their wings. Exhaling out softly, she shook out her painting hand as she muttered, "My hand fell asleep."

"Well, we have been working for 4 hours," Annora said, stretching up her arms and her wings at the same time.

"Well, I can say one thing: Emma owes us big time," River announced, standing to her feet as she reached down next to her ankle, where she kept her pixie dust bag tied just inside the top of her boot.

Watching a fairy pour pollen into waiting buds on a pulley system and another push a wheelbarrow full of seeds, Nora sighed as her ears twitched as a small rumble came from each of the girls' stomachs.

"I guess I'm not the only one who's talking," River said, earning a chuckle from Nora who agreed.

Wiping a hand across her brow, Nora said, "Ah, I could really go for some …"

"Honeycomb!" came the famous cry of one of the most anticipated sparrow men around. "Get your fresh slice of honeycomb cake, here!"

"Honeycomb Man!" both of the girls cried at the same time, giggling again at the scene.

"Grab me two?" River called up, already hearing Nora's wings midflight as she took off out of the work station.

Sighing again, River leaned over to pick up her water canteen as she splashed the last of the precious liquid across her face and licked her lips faintly as she said, "Splash, Winter was not kidding about that drought."

"Um … speaking of Winter, River," she heard Nora say as she flew back in with four honey cakes in her arm and a fresh pitcher of berry juice. "Did he say that he'd be back? I wonder if he's ok."

"Aw, I would not worry about it, I bet he's fine," River said, already taking a bite of the juicy treat from her cake. "He's probably making some more ice … He freezes anything he touches, remember. I'm sure he can take care of 're fast!"

Thinking for a moment, Nora agreed, "The suppliers were getting low. And, I thought you said you were worried about him …"

"I am, ok?" River sighed, combing one her hands up over her hanging bangs and pausing at the gold-encrusted iced sheen ornament that was pinned just above her ear, holding the right half of her hair back. "But honestly, why did he even come?"

"Maybe because of you," Nora mused, folding over legs while taking her honeycomb to add a little bit of flavor to her berry juice.

"Huh?"

"Or, he probably thought he could have been of use here … you know, with the … ice, maybe," Nora said, biting into her snack as River stood to her tired feet.

"What are you getting at? What are you trying to say?" River demanded of her as Nora's eyes just sparkled with knowing.

"I know you like him, River," she said quite simply, yet plainly, as River's cheeks turned a slight blush. "And, I know you don't like others helping you, unless you ask. But he doesn't see you as an invalid, someone to help … He sees you as a friend, a very good one … just as I do and so many others, too."

"Still," River said, pulling at her collar as she felt one of the sun's rays made its way into the camp as Nora turned to see that some of the spare on hand light fairies were taking advantage of the ray's temporal glow, cupping their hands and collecting soft balls of light, filling nighttime seed lamps as they went.

"You know he lives in Border Creek, right?" Nora asked her friend, seeing that River was thinking about something else. "That little creek spot that touches a little bit of the snow up near the top bank of Havendish Stream, right near the Border?"

"Yeah, I heard," River said, listening to the crickets who were starting to sing as a fairy in the distance tapped a twig baton against a log. "That still doesn't explain how he's a Winter Fairy who lives in the warm seasons. That's never happened."

"Milori's a Winter Fairy," Nora said with a small smile. "He comes and visits often, doesn't he?"

"Well, yeah, to see Queen Clarion," River said, cheering up a bit. "… especially after apart for so long. Why … Have you heard anything?"

"River," Nora scowled at her friend playfully as they both laughed. With a keen smile, she answered, "It's none of my business to know, you know that."

"Well, I just asked," River said, chuckling as she rubbed at her eyes. "Anyways, what you were saying about Winter liking me?"

"So, you like him?" Nora aimed back at her as River shook her head in a shy.

"I don't know," River said truthfully, lowering her chin a bit as she sighed. "Maybe a little …"

Grinning widely, Nora nodded her head as she thought about something. "You know, Winter was right."

"About what?"

"Now that I think about it," Nora started, thinking back. "Something did happen …"

"What happened?" River pushed, wanting to know.

"He was a water talent sparrow man … a very good one," she said, pricking her mind for anything she could remember about him. "We met him once before … He came to the Winter Woods with us."

"Us?" River prompted.

"You, me, Teal, Bluebell, Torum, and a few others … Something happened. We didn't even know he was missing, and then … Hmm, I don't remember."

"When was this?"

"Last year, I think," Nora said, flicking her wings up. "It was just a little after …"

"Wait, are you saying something caused him to develop frosting abilities?" River asked, intrigued.

"It's possible, I'm not sure what happened," Nora replied. "It was so long ago."

"It wasn't that long ago," River tried to start up, again, before they heard a rumble of lightning echo right up and over the camp.

Startled, both girls screamed and jumped to their feet as Nora pulled River up after her as they both made a midflight dash for the comb dormitories that hung sheltered in the deep branches of the Tree, where they circled around to fly into one they shared with Teal and a couple of other fairies.

Closing the door after them, both girls caught their breaths as they heard someone wake up and stretch from inside the other room as a voice called out, sleepily, "Dessa, is that you?"

"Moth?" Nora called, calming enough to fly away from the door as River followed her, her head turning every so often as she strained to listen for any more surprises.

"Nobody said anything about storms," River said, sitting down on one of the daisy swings that sat hanging alongside the far wall.

"Silvermist did," Fira said, yawning again. "We're going to have a light shower right before the eclipse tonight …"

"Eclipse?" River said, all ears as Fira's head bolted right up.

"Who said 'Eclipse?' Where?" Fira said, shooting out of bed and on her wings in a slight frenzy. However, no more than a few seconds passed before she regained her composure as she heard River's reply.

"Uh, you did … just now."

"Oh," Fira said, sitting down on one of the dahlia stools as she ran a brush through her bright and long dark curls. "Yeah …"

"You look a little tired," Nora observed as she ducked into the closet to pull on a fresh daisy shirt while she unbraided her long brown hair and weaved her fingers through it, to start a new fish-tail braid.

"Yeah, I was just catching up on some sleep …"

"You took a catnap, before evening?" River asked, pulling off her boots.

"Best time, that way I'm wide awake ... A light fairy's job is never done, 'specially at night," she said, stretching some more as she said, "Nora, can you toss me that bottle of sunrise?"

"Sure," Nora said, without another word. "Didn't you hear the storm, though?"

"Yeah, a little," she said, uncorking the bottle and letting the light absorb into her glow, which only intensified it as she shook herself awake. "Don't worry, it's only temporary."

"Yeah, you said that, too," River said, grinning a little as she pulled off her gloves to flex her fingers from fatigue.

"I heard that, little missy," Fira said, standing to her full height.

"I didn't mean anything by it," River smiled. "Who told you that we were having an eclipse tonight?"

"I'm not sure, but Posy rectified it before I dozed off," Fira said, buzzing her wings to flutter up and glow even brighter. "Anyone seen her?"

"I haven't," River said, somewhat specifically. "I heard that she went after her sister."

"She's not back yet?" Nora asked, concerned.

"No, Posy came back," Fira said, shaking her head. "I guess Emma told her to come back and wait here, in case Mari came back to Camp."

"Well, I'm sure if Emma's out there looking for her, then Mari won't be hard to find," Nora said, looking up from her now completed braid. "Is Posibelle doing alright?"

"Yeah, just worried," Fira consoled, "… right as any older sister would be."

Nora smiled to herself as she thought about her sister as she said, "I know that feeling."

Hearing the door open, all three fairies turned their heads to the threshold as they saw a very tired Posibelle droop through the door as Fira rushed over to catch her in her arms.

"Oh … night lamps all filled for the night …" Posy murmured as her glow dimmed tiredly. "Just … have to rest …"

"Yes, you should," Fira said, helping Mari up to walk near the cots, to which Nora was already fixing up the bed. Stepping aside, Fira sat her friend on the bed as Mari looked over to reach for her light weaving journal, only realizing she had left it back home. "You're been working yourself hard … and stressing over …"

"Where's Mari?" Posy immediately asked, not even prompted. "Is she back?"

"Soon," FIra promised, pulling the covers up over her as Posy just fell back on the pillow, too tired to say anything else as she fell asleep as quick as a light. "I promise, soon."

Backing them out of the room, Fira ushered Nora and River to follow her back outside, where they saw, true to Fira's words, that the storm had stilled to a light rain as the overcasting clouds began to break up.

"That's all Posy's been thinking about, since she returned," Fira told them as they sat down on one of the branches near the Camp clearing. "She said that a bird attacked them, but they were ok. Now, she's just worried about her sister being gone. And without any news soon, I'm worried she'll go crazy."

"How long has she been gone exactly …" River asked, trying to make sense of everything. "Where did Mari even go?"

"The boy captured Mari's butterfly!" Emma shouted into the camp as she came streaking alit into camp like a fiery beacon, looking for anybody as several scouts and concerned fairies stopped to listen. "Mari flew into the human's house! I couldn't stop her!"

Zipping over, Teal immediately took her hands and tried to calm her down as they landed. "Whoa there, sugarcube! Easy," she said, watching as someone passed Emma a cup of something to drink. "Now, tell us what happened."

Trudging in, soaking wet and grouchy, Vidia announced, "The simple fact is, dear, Mari is in that house right now with Lizzy …"

"With Lizzy?" Tinker Bell piped up, peeking out from her makeshift workshop. "If she's with Lizzy, then she's fine … Vidia, you're all wet."

With a slight grimace towards Emma's direction, she growled, "I know …"

"What's more is … Tommy's got Papillion," Emma said, catching her breath.

"Who?" one of the scouts piped up, who immediately flew over in a flash.

"The boy … the one we saw earlier," Emma spoke up truthfully. "He's got Mari's butterfly. That's why she flew into the house! I couldn't stop her. I'm so sorry."

"Then, what are we waiting for?" Posy shouted down, now dressed in a double strapped green form fitting dress with blue pants as she came streaking down in front of Emma. "Let's go get my sister!"

"Posy, you can't …" Fira tried to say as Posibelle shot her a look so headstrong that it made Fira shrink back. We had never seen Posy this way before.

"I've waited long enough," Posy said, staring around as more and more concerned faces joined Fira's, seeing how Posy's glow turned a shade dimmer. "I'm fine," she assured them.

Flitting over, the Minister of Summer came flying over demanding to know what was going on, but when she casted a wary scanning look towards the circle, she saw what everyone was seeing and knew what she had to say.

Clearing her throat, the Minister flew towards the center of the ring as everyone stilled and quieted. Meeting over Posy's eyes, the Minister of Summer extended her hand out motherly, yet gently, as she touched her young fairy's shoulder and lowered her down to the ground and said, "You need to rest, come with me."

Her demand was soft, almost authoritive, but that wasn't her style. Smilling a bright grin, she tried to lead Posibelle away from the group as Posy tried to jump back into the air, but trying as she might, her wings gave out and she fell to her knees as she felt the ground spin beneath her.

"Niral, Soley!" the Minister called as two healers came flying out to lift Posy gently by her arms as they carried her away. Looking back towards the others, the Minister exchanged looks with some of the wiser scouts as she asked, "You'll see to this?"

"We will, we'll take care of it," the scouts said as they started to talk amongst themselves.

Watching the two fairies take Posy into the infirmary, Emma whispered, "We'll get her back, Posy. I promise."

Back with another update. This just came to me just the other day, and I've done a little research about what I want to come out of this story, but this scene is more of a filler until I can plan that scene. And it mentions Winter, who I will mention later.

Honeycomb Man, just thought it might be fun to relive that Pixie Hollow short scene, one of my favorites.

I hope this is enough for you readers, sorry this story as been on standby. But I promise you, I have something really big planned for this tale, so just hold on your wings. So, with that, I will say ... Enjoy! :)