The Fairy Without a Talent – Chapter 14
"Hmm, who knew snow could be mixed into something like this," River said, taking another big bite from her bowl. "With just a bit of ice and sugar, I'm surprised they don't have anything like this in the Tearoom."
Sighing happily, River fell back into the mid-morning warm grass as Nora quietly thought to herself, stirring her spoon about the sugary treat in her lap.
"I mean, what would you call it?" River asked, looking up keen to her friend's silence. "Nora?"
Peering up, Nora's eyes trailed up as she said, "I don't know, but I do have a feeling that it'll come …"
"I'm thinking about calling it ice cream, what do you think?"
Feeling the silent whistle of the breeze tug of her bangs, Nora just sat her bowl aside as she just hugged her knees and shut her eyes.
"Nora, what's wrong?" River asked, immediately concerned. "Ever since Queen Clarion told you what you were, you haven't done or said much to anyone. Is something bothering you?"
"No," Nora murmured, opening her eyes to see that River was nestled just a few flaps away from here. Turning her head to follow the breeze, she watched as the still grass around them began to bend with the subtle current. "Hey, can I ask you a question?"
"Yeah, anything," River said with a smile.
"When you perceive the world around you, with your sense of touch for example, what do you often hear or see?" Nora asked, threading her words together serenely.
Tilting her head down, River felt the crystal around her heart start to glow as she lifted her hands in front of her. With a smile, she replied, "I often hear the world as a living thing as it passes through and around me, all its surroundings and feelings, almost as if I'm … it just feels like it's a part of me and that I'm a part of it. Does that make any sense?"
"More than you know," Nora replied, tilting her head down, the ends of her brown hair fluttering about her wingtips. "The whole world has a voice, and with it comes understanding. I'm just becoming aware of that."
"Do you think it could be your talent?" River asked.
"I don't know, but I do feel something harboring in me. I have been feeling something like this for the last few days, ever since that first moment since my arrival. I've just felt tied, but each day I just feel a bit more of it emerging, but I don't know what to call it," Nora said, standing to her feet. "Whatever it is …"
"It's all yours," Teal said, landing down beside them as she caught wind of Nora's words. "Remember Nora, Queen Clarion said that you were the key when it comes to unlocking your talent."
"What key? They never said it was a key," Nora said more to herself as her ears perked up to follow the breeze up over her brown hair as the dust began to scatter at her feet.
"They?" Teal wondered aloud as River and she exchanged wary glances. "Nora, what are you getting at?"
Pausing in her thoughts, Nora just looked at them as she said, "I don't know. I may go see Queen Clarion for a while, ok? I'll see you all in a bit."
Starting to walk off into the brush, Nora trudged ahead as she felt River's and Teal's ever watchful eyes follow her as she rushed further into the shadows of Needlepoint Meadow.
"Nora, wait!" Teal's shouts were lost as Nora felt the shudder of breeze still about her as she heard the rumbling of feet scratch the dirt around her.
Gasping, Nora felt the ground shuffle as two or three patches of grass pushed themselves from out of the ground in front of her. Hearing them start to run, Nora stood frozen in her tracks as they started to rush by and about her. Feeling one of them brush past her arms a couple of times, Nora just gripped her ripping sleeves as one of them tugged at her hair as was tripped to the ground. Covering her face in an effort to shield herself, she suddenly hear a rapid rush of wind as she felt two firm set of hands lift her into the air above and away from the rowdy thistles.
"Need a lift, sweetie?" a sugary voice said as a long trail of black hair turned to reveal VIdia as she tightened her grip on Nora's left arm as she and another lowered Nora safely out of reach atop an open sunflower. "A hint of warning dear, never go trudging in the middle of the thistles' territory alone."
"Now, why would you rush off and get yourself tangled into something like that?" Nora heard her big sister say as she landed beside her. Brushing her long willowy blonde strands aside, Bluebell's brown eyes just danced as she laughed. "Isn't it enough that you're grounded for a day or two? How's the wing doing?"
"It's fine," Nora said with a giggle. "Clara says I should be able to fly any day now."
"That's good to here," Vidia said with a small grin, "but for the record, please note that I wouldn't be fond of not being able to fly."
Nora just nodded a thanks as Vidia waved a goodbye and whisked out of sight.
"You know she isn't as bad as Tink made her seem," Bluebell said, watching her go. "Sure, she has her quirks, but she's just who she is … Vidia." Turning back to see Nora get up, she said, "Hey now, whoa. Where do you think you're off to?"
"To see Queen Clarion," Nora said simply. "I was hoping she might help me with something …"
"You hear things, don't you?" Her sister said effectively with a fond smile.
"You know, how?" Nora started, walking alongside her sister.
"Let's just say I know you," Bluebell said taking her sister's hand, "and let it be known that sisters just know these things."
As the two walked side by side, Nora just smiled at her sister as Bluebell led her into a grassy clearing to talk.
"Alright, I want to know what you know," Bluebell said, turning to see Nora bent down next a small stream that trickled at her feet.
Dipping a finger to touch her reflection, she closed her eyes as her image rippled past her, releasing all the sounds she had come across from her journey.
As she heard the breeze pick up at her feet, Nora felt her hands dip into the water to come up with a perfect, wavering dewdrop as River had placed in her hands before, even slight echoes from the drop itself shimmered to join the others in the seat of her hands as she turned to her curious sister's eyes.
"One of the things that I learned was this, but …" Nora started to say as her sister came closer.
"Nora, how …?"
"I don't know, but I can seem to be able to … Just listen …" Nora said, bringing the drop between them as its own silent song prolonged at her touch.
Hearing it last, Bluebell murmured, "It lingers … you're making it …?"
Shrugging, Nora allowed it to slide down her hand as it splashed back into the water. "That's what I'm not sure of, but it's not just what I hear at times." Tilting her head, Nora said, "It's like how I know Teal and River are right behind that fern, watching us."
"Ok, now I thought that was just my thing," River said, pushing a leaf down out of the way for them both to pass through.
"Nora …" Teal started to say, hearing Nora's confession. "Your talent … you had it all along."
"Then what it is it?" Nora asked mainly to herself. Looking at her hands and feeling the breeze brush her bangs, Nora just gazed up at them all as she said, "I was aware of River's journey as a laugh, her and her sister. Even I didn't know about Snow until we saw her in the Winter Woods and saw the similarity between them both, but I did hear her coming. However, that was just one of the many factors that I began to see manifest in me, in fact it was one of the first."
"Nora, it's alright …" Bluebell said, kneeling down beside her sister. "Even I wasn't sure what you were going to be able to do, but I just had a feeling when I told others you were a good listener. Understanding the world and the power of life is an important lesson to learn, but I don't think your journey is over, not yet."
"You got that right," her brother said, coming out from under a leaf.
"Torum, where did you come from?" Bluebell asked with a giggle as he leaned himself up against a pebble stone twice his size.
"Ah, I believe I was here first. You two just happened to step upon my favorite napping place. You could say that I overheard what you two said, and I do have to agree, Nora," he said, smiling proudly at his sister, "that your talent is about to come to light."
"But what about the legend? What about me being a hopeful?" Nora asked.
"The journey began with a curious mind," Queen Clarion said, flitting in to join them. "Now, it starts with you, little one. May your heart lead you to find your marker."
"Marker …?"
"Your talent stone," Queen Clarion said with a smile. "It does exist, but it does so to signify what you are."
"Like how the ball of light represents the light talents," Torum remarked, not doubt remembering.
"And how the water dewdrop stands for the water talent," River said with a smile.
"Exactly," Queen Clarion said with a smile.
"Is it really a stone then?" Nora asked, standing to her feet.
"Well no, but I will say this: When you're back where you started, as your talent brings you home, a golden midst will form to reveal it right and true," Queen Clarion said, taking her young hopeful's hand. "Trust your heart, Nora, to tell you what to do next. It will show you where to find it, but I must tell you that it will not just be found where you think it might be. As you look for it, just be patient and open to whatever comes, for as you reveal your talent to others as will it reveal itself to you."
Usually my chapters are little bit longer than this, but I know that I'm nearing the end of this story. How Nora comes across her talent stone will be revealed next time, I promise. I'm trying to plan what to do with the sequel to this story, but I'm still working my two new characters to try and figure them both out. If it feels like I rushed this chapter, I'm sorry, but this chapter just came upon a topic thought.
If you feel I can do better on this one, let me know in the reviews. Or if you feel it's alright, then I hope you enjoy it. :)
Fly with you later!