The Fairy without a Talent – Chapter 17
How does having a new talent feel? Honestly, a little exciting. Also strange, and completely mysteriously mindboggling. And, a whole new name? It was almost like I was becoming a whole new person. New responsibilities and lessons to learn, honestly I didn't know how to cope.
I was given new quarters … a new house, per say … in a similar, yet cozy, little spot that was almost like the place Teal and the others had set up for me before. Now, my house, which was re-constructed from my old living bird nest cottage I used to live in, was painted crystal blue with a thatched fern roof, and was now secured in the lower branches of an orchard blossom tree in Havendish Grove.
It was beautiful, I had to say. And, inside, it was even more breath-taking. I still had my birch bark writing desk, but it was nestled in a cozy corner on the other side of my bedroom that had a carved ceiling with a bit of an aperture sun carved in with the luminescence of stars painted to match the silver walls. My bed was now a soft petal mattress, made up with fresh spider-silk sheets and a lily grass comforter, with lily petal silk stitched pillows to match.
Pulling back my sheets, I climbed into bed while gazing out my bedside window as the very first stars twinkled past as I reached over to turn out my light. It was late, and I still couldn't get to sleep. So, without even thinking about what I was fixing to do, I just leaned back into my covers and listened to their silent song as it filled my ears.
Allowing my eyes to drift, I just fell fast asleep as I felt my mind start to clear … and I started to dream.
Nothing was there at first, everything was still. Then, almost as if a shroud of shadow was lifted off the whole valley, the Hollow appeared. The seasons did not exist, Never Land was just an island floating in the middle of the Never Sea, where mermaids chatted out the day and sung through the nights. And, then, there was an island … as it was … with a great forest, which in a glittery clearing stood a-lone, giant maple tree.
Its branches were welcoming, each climbing as high as its canopies would allow, and deep in its center was carved a swirling well. Inside the well, a staircase glowed with the inklings of golden dust, but never had it really covered them. The well burrowed deeper and deeper into the catacombs of the very heart of the Tree itself.
And, out of the heart, fluttered a tiny fairy, as least what looked like a fairy. Long dark hair hastily hung down past her bare shoulders as her silvery wings started to glow. Barefoot, she perched herself right down close at the ear of the well and radiated her entire glow, right down into the very veins of the well, as pixie dust poured from her very essence. Looking up into the sky, she seemed to be listening hard … for anything coming … yet there was the nothing, the night sky was bare and silent. There were not even any stars, just the light of the moon that guided her and served as her light.
But then … something odd happened. Right as she turned her shimmering blue eyes towards me, the whole sky grew very dark, and the young fairy's glow went out almost completely, but not before she turned to see a giant hawk screeching above.
CRREEKKK …
Her scream roared past and echoed past my ears, until …
"Annora!"
Sitting up with a screech, I laid a hand up against my quivering chest as I found myself faintly sweating as I wiped at my brow. Bending over, I rubbed out the weird tingly feeling around my eyes as I heard someone knocking outside my door even more severely.
Blowing a quick horn, they called out, "Annora, are you in there?"
I know that voice, I said to myself as I hastily slid out of bed and onto my shaky feet as I pulled on a light blue shawl over my gown as I flew out of the room. Shaking some loose tangles out of my face, I sat a hand on the knob as I pulled open the door. "Viola?"
"I'm sorry to wake you, Annora, but Queen Clarion asked me to give you this," Viola said as she passed me a small leaf scroll. As the Queen's main personal messaging fairy, Viola served a mighty purpose as pretty much as serving the Queen herself.
"That's ok, I was pretty much awake anyway," I told her, not exactly a lie, as I read the inscription on the outside ream, "Nora, I seek to speak with you about something very important. Personally, I believe you may serve as the true key of this puzzle that's very recently been brought to my attention. See you soon, QC."
I looked up to see Viola's patient face as I asked her, "A summons?"
Nodding her head serenely, Viola looked up to note the moon high in the sky as she turned back to say, "I'll be back tomorrow morning. I will escort you to her quarters then immediately. Be ready. Goodnight."
And, with that, she flew off as I silently closed my door with a single hand as I collapsed back on my sunflower bloom sofa that sat across from the main entrance. Ready? Ready for what?
Honestly, I wasn't sure as I paused to leave the summons on my chair as I got up. Ambling over to the water pitcher that sat near my kitchen, I poured me some fresh water as I scooped some up into my shaky hands to wash away some of the stress that still laced across my cheeks. Why was I seeing the Pixie Dust Tree? And, who was that fairy I was dreaming about? What had happened to her? And, why now?
It had been nearly two weeks since I had found my true talent. Queen Clarion had called it listening-heeding. I knew I had an inner sense of hearing simple things, just as such like the breeze on a windy day or hear the echoes of a new laugh on its way to Never Land. In that way, I could actually sense when one was about to come, but I had never experienced something like this before. Something that was so long ago … I knew because of the Tree …
It was not just a dream, it was a message. I was sure of it! But, from who? And, why did she feel so familiar?
Morning came fast after my encounter, so fast that I didn't expect to hear Viola's hurried knock as I emerged from my room with my hair half-combed and dressed in a new white bare-sleeved dress and blue stockings.
"Nora, Queen Clarion awaits," I heard her say in her proud, regal tone.
Once we were at the Tree, I stood waiting outside while Viola flew up into Queen Clarion's chambers. Standing next to the Pixie Dust Well, I only had time to get my daily ration of pixie dust and just barely say hello to the other fairies that stood nearby before Viola returned.
"Better hurry, Terence, I've been summoned," I whispered, slightly pinching my nose and whistled a quick note as the dust shimmered down over my silver wings. With a giggle, I then let my arms stretched out and spun in a little twirl as the present glitter of the dust made me smile in its song.
"Sounds pretty important," Terence said with one of his signature smiles. "The last time I can remember Tink getting summoned was back when she was given the opportunity to build the Autumn Scepter, but that was so long ago. I still remember every aspect of our adventure … the good and the bad."
"Hmm," I muttered, smiling curiously. You'll have to tell us that story, I thought to myself as Terence seemed to read my expression as his grin shrunk a bit.
"Maybe one day," he said, taking the cup away. Then, seeing Viola's impatient stare, he slapped the side of his head as he said, "I'm keeping you from your meeting, aren't I? I'd fly backwards …"
"No, it's ok, and thanks for the conversation … and the dust," I said, gesturing towards his cup as he pulled out his sling and slunk his cup back into the well to pull out another scoop of fresh dust.
"Anytime, see ya," he said, watching me for a second as I flew back up with Viola.
Watching him for a second, I saw that familiar sparkle glint across his eyes as he thought about or mentioned of Tink. I could see his crush, and I only had one thought as I smiled; Tink's very lucky to have a best friend like Terence.
Leaving me to enter Queen Clarion's chambers alone, I heard the clanks, and the patters, and the rushing wings of Queen Clarion's personal helpers – Grace, Cinda, Rhia, and Lisel – before they had even knew I had arrived.
"Oh … Oh no …" I heard one of them say as I peeked my head around the entryway as their shadow erected up against the wall.
"What? What is it, Rhia?" one of them said as they looked up from their needlework, delicate needles carefully hanging from her clenched teeth as she pulled tied a knot across a sash.
"Oh … let's hurry, hurry, hurry, girls!" Rhia started to wail, her eyes glued to her checklist and eyeing the morning rising sun abruptly. "It's almost sunup!"
"Aw, sunup was an hour ago, Rhia," I heard Grace call from the other side of the room as she had her back turned towards me, stretching the Queen's spider-silk sheets so carefully and slowly as though to not rip them. "It's eight o'clock now, right on the acorn … or on the button, as the seamstresses would say. Hehe!"
Smoothing down her tea petal blue skirt, she turned her beautiful curls around to see Rhia still fussing down at her clipbook, her quill anxiously clenched between her teeth.
"Okay, what's wrong?" Lisel piped up, zipping out of the Queen's armoire with a glittering golden dress hanging delicately by her hands as she carried it over to lay it out across the bed and a pair of pointed small leaf pleats. "What's got you so antsy?"
"Who's Ann-sy?" Cinda asked curiously with a tentative grin as she looked up from her sewing work.
"Not Ann-sy, needle-point, Antsy," Lisel replied with a giggle. "It means she's nervous …"
"Who, Rhia?" Grace piped up. "I think I know what's got her razzled."
"And, what is that?" Lisel said, folding some sheets.
Meanwhile, I couldn't help myself as I gazed all around the Queen's chambers. Honestly, every time it took my breath away to see the beautiful antiques the Queen had carefully placed around the room. The huge arbor trunk walls I followed with my eyes as I studied the slight traced veins of pixie dust that ran up and down the walls intricately, almost too small to see, as I realized I had seen them before. However, I failed to see that I was hovering too close to an ornate table where a small painted picture of a tiny fairy with shimmering bliss silver wings and blowy brown tresses was framed sitting up for anyone to see.
"Queen Clarion asked us to ready the council hall library, but we haven't used that room in ages …" Rhia started to say as she checked her list one more time. "And, she didn't tell me who it was she was expecting … It could be anyone!"
A sudden crash made them all turn their heads to see a snow chalice fall to the floor as I just landed nimbly to my feet, gasping in shame.
"Or, it could be Nora," Cinda spoke up, seeing me. "Hi, Nora!"
"Nora, what are you doing here … AHHH!" Rhia screamed, dropping her book to the floor. "The vase!"
"Rhia, calm down! Breathe," Grace said, coming over to inspect the mess. "It's just a vase."
"Just a vase? But that's a genuine …!" Rhia started to say as Lisel started to gently pull her away towards the Queen's dressing room as she told her, "Here, Rhia, why don't you help me polish the Queen's new tiara that Lord Milori just gave her. It'd be our fiftieth polish! Ah, what fun!"
Looking up to see me join her on the floor, I was starting to pick up some of the loose pieces I saw before Grace said, "No, I got it. Are you ok?"
"Yeah, but I'm so sorry," I said, my wings starting to droop. "I didn't mean to knock it over …"
"Don't be sorry," she said, a little hint on the word. "It was an accident, it can be fixed even if you didn't fly backwards and knock it over … Oops, not helping."
Immediately seeing the reference, I asked her, "Fairies don't usually say 'I'm sorry', do they?"
"Sometimes, we're still getting used to it," she explained, looking back down at our task with an amused smile. "Most of the time, we fairies say something like … 'I'd fly backwards if I could' …"
"That's silly to say, then …" Cinda started to say as we both looked up at her funny.
With a small grin, she stated, "If you were flying backwards, then you wouldn't be able to see where you were going! Get it?"
Not really getting it first, I heard Grace start laughing as I started to join in, too, as we all three fell back on one of Queen Clarion's daffodil carpets giggling our wings off. Alright, not literally! It was just to release some of that tension I was still reeling from last night. At least, until I realized I was staring straight up at her familiar eyes in the photograph as I hesitantly sat up to my knees as I took hold of the picture and brought it close to my face as the other two stopped laughing, too.
"Who's this?" I asked them. With Cinda and Grace looking over my shoulders, we all took in the fairy that stared back at us through the frame. For a split second, it seemed like the fairy's eyes and mine connected as one as I felt the warble of her hair flick as if a trick of a breeze and heard the essence of her dust as it played a ting I had heard before. Looking up, I thought I saw the veins of Queen Clarion's outer walls glow before it faded away, again.
"I've seen her before," I found myself saying as both Cinda and Grace looked at me with confused frowns.
"You saw Queen Maya?" Grace asked me real slowly, as Cinda looked up to see a shadow come into the room.
"Who's … Queen Maya?" I asked, connecting the image in my hands to the one in my dream.
Hearing the Queen politely cough, I laid the picture down face up as I softly turned to see the Queen in her shimmering pixie gown as she smiled. "Queen Maya … I haven't that name in many seasons."
"If I may ask, Queen Clarion," I said to her as Queen Clarion sat it back up on the table. "Who is she?"
"She had many names, my dear hopeful," she started, meeting my gaze with a discerning grin. "But to me, she had only one. My grandmother, the very first Queen of Pixie Hollow."
Here it is, dear readers: Chapter 17, Part II of Nora's journey as Pixie Hollow's newest Hopeful. Will she accept Queen Clarion's quest? Who is this fairy that Nora's keeps having dreams about, and why is she important? What treasure(s) lies ... Oops, more will be revealed soon. I promise.
Keep your wings high, and keep on flapping. Enjoy! :)