The Fairy Without a Talent – Chapter Five
"Just hold the hammer like so … and then apply some of the pixie dust along the rim so it will act as a paste … after that's done, slide the spout into place along the side and hammer it in like this … and then after a few last minute touches … you have your very own acorn teapot," Tinker Bell said as the girls watched as she sculpted one for them to see and observe.
"Are you ready to give it a try?" She asked Nora, turning to pass an extra tinker's hammer to her as Nora and Teal walked up to the tinkering table.
"Seems like a pretty easy challenge," River said, leaning up against a wall next to a pile of weaving baskets, "don't you think?"
Looking over her shoulder at River, Tink made a temporary scowl at her as she pulled her bangs in frustration. However, as Nora tilted her head around she saw Tink's blue eyes narrow in consideration as Tink sat the other hand down on a single pair of goggles.
"Tinkering goggles," Teal whispered, stifling a laugh. "That's a common thing for any tinker when they want to see the tiniest details in case of accuracy and mechanical instrumenting. Hey, they're even used for glasses, ask Bobble, but I think I know who Tink is going to try and give them to."
"But River doesn't want anybody to know …"
"Exactly, what do you think we should do?"
Watching Tink quietly flitting down to the base of River's head, Nora said, "I think we should …"
"What do you think you're doing?" River immediately said, tilting her head up towards Tink as she hovered there stunned.
"Huh?" Tink said, dropping the goggles in midair, where River caught them instinctively in the air.
Bringing them to her face, she fingered them as she asked, "Ah, Tink, what were you doing with these … goggles … all the way over here when your work is over there?"
Tink looked even more dumbfounded as River flew over to where Nora and Teal stood looking on by the craft table. Smiling at her friends, River returned the goggles as she felt Tink's curious flapping near her shoulder.
"River, how …?"
"In a simple answer, I'm blind, Tink. The goggles wouldn't have helped anyway, but thanks for trying. Just one thing, would you please ask me first before you try and strap something over my head?"
"Just tell me one thing … How did you know I was right above you?"
"I heard you … your wings gave you away," River said, flapping her wings in meaning.
"You heard them …?"
"Yes, and I heard Nora and Teal whispering over there," she said with a glance to her friends.
"They were over there, though …"
"Tink, I rely on my other senses when it comes to sight, and with them, I can see like any other. It's not that strange. I doubt that I'm the only fairy who's ever come into Pixie Hollow that is blind."
"I wouldn't know for sure, I've only been here about a few years," Tink said, holding her tinker's hammer to her chest as she fluttered over by the door.
"Tink, wait, what do you mean?" River asked, hearing Teal and Nora come up from behind her.
"Remember what Rosetta said about tinkers not bring able to go to the mainland for spring?" Nora asked, turning her head over to see Tink's reverent expression.
"I arrived in the springtime of that year, right before the nature fairies set out to bring spring to the mainland," Tink said, opening the door for them as they all stepped out into the sunshine. "When I arrived, I was so excited about the possibilities that I could bring to the mainland, but when Queen Clarion informed me that tinkers didn't go to the mainland and that my place was here in Pixie Hollow, I didn't want to be a tinker anymore."
"What happened?" River asked.
"I tried to switch my talent. First I tried a water fairy, but I couldn't hold the dewdrop or weave into a spider web for another. Then, I tried being a light fairy, but I couldn't catch the light or even touch it, but those fireflies sure came after it …"
"What?" River said with a small chuckle. Teal held a small hand to her mouth with a smirk.
Blushing, Tink said, "Never mind. After all that, I tried helping out Fawn with a baby bird, but he acted like he was scared of me and didn't even want to come out of his shell. That was when the hawk came."
"Tink, were you alright?" Nora asked, gasping.
"I was fine, and so was Vidia," Tink said rather quickly. "If you see Vidia, don't even mention the hawk incident, she prefers to forget it. We're friends now, but we had a fairly rough start."
"Who's Vidia?" Nora asked, looking at Tink curiously.
"Oh, if you're lucky, you'll meet her soon enough if you're still talent hunting. Speaking of talent, did you already finish the teapot?"
"Look for yourself," Teal said, Pushing the door open a little wider for all them to look inside.
"You did it," Tink said with a dimpled smile.
"Yeah, but anyone can tinker, Tink, its true enough. But, it was a good start," Teal said with a beaming smile.
"I agree, but true tinkering takes time to get something just right, but Nora does seem to have the basic tinkering touch," Tink said, turning to Nora. "However, Nora, only you can tell for sure."
"Tink, how did you come to truly accept your talent?" Nora asked with a small smile.
"At first, I was proud to be a tinker, amazed at the possibilities I could do, but because of the nature fairies only being the ones allowed to go at the time, I just wanted to throw it aside and become something I wasn't. It was my truest wish to see the mainland, and I eventually did get there when I helped saved spring. I embraced myself and my talent when I fully discovered who I was, and it was thanks to my friends that helped me to find and accept it."
"That's all you had to do, Sweet Pea," Rosetta said, landing with two other fairies as they flew into Tinker's Nook. One had long black hair and wore a beautiful blue water lily gown. Holding a shy hand to touch her lip, the fairy turned to agree with a dark skinned fairy that had short black hair tugged back into a tidy bun and wore a sunshine yellow sunflower top and skirt.
"You've met Rosetta, I have no doubt, but please may I also introduce you to Silvermist and Iridessa," Tink said as she was wrapped in a pixie hug.
"Hello," Iridessa said, smiling at them all.
"OH, River, there you are," Silvermist said, coming over to where River stood next to Nora. "Every one of the water talents have been looking for you. We were wondering, if you were settled and everything, would you like to join us in the summer preparations? We'll be bringing rain to the mainland pretty soon within the next few days."
"Well, you see …" River started to say as she cut off by Tink.
"Sil, I don't know if she can. She's blind," Tink said before an aggravated River shot her head towards her.
"Tink, no one's supposed to know that," River said, a tear pouring down her cheek.
"River," Silvermist said, sitting a caring and gentle hand on her shoulder, "Does Queen Clarion know about this?"
"I don't doubt it, but she hasn't said anything to us about it," Teal said, rapping an arm around River.
"River told us first, and she doesn't want a lot of people to know. Just because she can't see, it doesn't mean she can't get around," Nora said, taking River's hand. "So, please, until River is ready or if it ever came to it, don't tell the other fairies yet that she's blind. She's our friend, and being blind does not change that."
"Sweet Pea, of course we won't, if it means that much to you three," Rosetta said with a smile.
"But …" Iridessa started to say, worried as ever.
"Yeah, don't worry about it, River, we'll keep your secret, you can count on that," Silvermist said.
"But how would she …?"
"Definitely," Tink said, casting a weary look over at Iridessa. "We won't tell if you don't want us to, right Iridessa?"
"Hey, just because I worry about her getting around because she's blind doesn't mean I don't keep my promises. I won't say anything, but I also want you to be careful doing so," Iridessa said seriously with a grin.
River smiled with a laugh, chuckling along with all of her new friends.
Looking up, Nora noticed how the sky was beginning to darken. "It's getting late."
"It's almost suppertime, but you still have time to try one more talent before the day is done," Teal said, looking on after Iridessa as she glanced back between her and Nora.
"Do you want to give it a try?"
As soon as Nora nodded her head, every head turned as they heard an "AHHHHHHHH!"
Nora, together with Teal and River, took off as they followed by Tink and her friends as they zipped out of Tinker's Nook to behold a familiar face as he flapped his wings madly while shooing a persistent little firefly away from his shirt pocket.
"Shoo, go away," the poor sparrow man said as he dropped his honey bar.
Zooming down to catch it in his tiny mouth, every fairy laughed as the tiny little firefly hiccupped with a friendly smile while the sparrow man looked on with annoyance and a hidden chuckle.
"Torch, having any trouble?" Nora said, calling out to her brother.
"Hey, Nora. Naw, you can't really blame the little guy, these little critters just love the scent of honey. I'm not sure why, but they do," he said with a smile.
"Let me see this little guy," River said, holding out her hand while making a firefly-shaped bubble float in her hand. Watching it bounce along in her hand, the little firefly immediately left my brother's side as it flew around the little bubble with a dizzying speed.
Laughing as he watched the little firefly settled down on her hand after seeing the little water fly "POP," Torch then said, "I think he likes you, River."
"Where did he come from, Torch?" Nora asked her brother.
"Oh, I found him over at Shadow Falls, right near my house. He was all alone, poor thing, until now."
The little firefly chirped as he saddled up onto River's shoulder and just stayed there.
"It looks like to me that he's found a home," River said proudly, petting the tip of his head with a tender little finger.
"I think you may be right," Nora said with a smile.
And, here's chapter five. Sorry for the wait, I had to think pretty long on this one, and school has started up again, but I'll get to the other chapters as I can. If you have any other suggestions for this story, I wouldn't mind to hear them in the reviews. Fly with you later until next chapter. :)