The next morning, it took Milori a long time to wake up. The dream wrapped around him like a blanket, making him not want to re-enter the world of the living.
A loud knocking on the door finally woke him. Jumping to his feet, he over balanced himself and fell to the floor.
With a slow CREAK, the door cracked open and Dewey pooped his head in. "Lord Milori," He asked. "You alright? I heard something fall?"
"I'm alright Dewey," Milori gasped, struggling to find his feet. "Please, come in."
Frowning, Dewey slipped inside and inspected the Lord of Winter. Without warning, he took a single step forward and pressed a hand to Milori's broken wing.
Yelping, he jumped away, "Why would you do that?" Milori growled, gripping his shoulder.
"Milori," Dewey shook his head sadly. "It's doing it again. Fairies… thy can't survive without their wings. The muscles in your back and working terribly hard to try and make you fly- it's overheating you. Eventually, you will burn yourself out."
"I know." Walking to the bed, Milori sat down and dropped his head into his hands. "I know I don't have much longer." He sighed. "I managed to fight the pull, it's been a good long run. A hundred and fifty years without wings. None have ever survived that long without flying- but it's been getting worse and worse. I will be lucky if I live three more years."
Handing the Lord of Winter his bird feather cape, Dewey sighed. "You should tell her."
"No." He shook his head vehemently. "We swore never to see each other again- to keep our people safe. Plus, I doubt she cares about me anymore. It's been a hundred and fifty years. She has found someone else by now."
Inspecting his staff, Dewey shrugged. "We don't hear much over the border. But from what I have heard, I don't think she has."
"Well," Milori clasped the cloak around his shoulders and limped towards the door. "It's too late for me now anyhow.
"Wake up Periwinkle!" Gliss shook her awake. "Come on, we want to show you the rest of the Frost Forest!"
Sitting up from her pile of owl feathers in the back of a small cave (her new home) Periwinkle grinned. "Ready in a second!" Pulling on her blue dress, Periwinkle ran out, almost bumping into Spike.
"Like, watch it." Spike gave her a funny look.
"Sorry, come on!" Spreading her wings, Periwinkle followed Gliss and Spike down the mountain and into the frozen forest beyond.
"It's so beautiful!" Peri gasped.
"Yeah, try this!" Leaping into the air, Gliss surfed down a fern leaf, leaving trails of blue frost behind."
"Whoa! It has its own design!" Peri's eyes grew wide with wonder as she poked as the half frozen leaf.
"Yeah, every one of us Frost Fairies has a different design in their frosts." Spike spoke in a no-duh kind of voice.
The three fairies stayed there for an hour before Peri began to get bored. As she watched her two new friends frost leaves and tree trunks, a bright light caught her attention.
What's that? She thought to herself. Glancing over her shoulder, she made sure that Gliss and Spike were occupied before she slipped through the woods towards the light. Her wings stirred a slight wind which pushed snow off of branches.
Skidding to a halt, she looked in awe at what was before her. In a perfect line, the snow just stopped. And on the other side, was the most beautiful things she had ever seen. Big beautiful flowers and trees…. Which were green!
Stepping forward, she reached out a hand and touched the other side. "Ouch!" She exclaimed. "It's hot."
"Peri, stop!" Gliss's cry came seconds before she grabbed Pari and shoved her back into winter.
"What? Gliss, why are you so upset?" Peri gaped at the bubbly fairy, who was now almost crying.
"Don't know know?" Spike leaned over and helped Peri stand. "Those are the warm seasons. We can't cross, it's against the law. Warm fairies stay in warm, cold fairies stay in Winter."
"But… Why?"
"If we cross the border, we can break a wing." Spike explained, looking at the bright colors in Spring with disgust.
"How?"
"Our wings can't handle the heat. There is no cure for a broken wing."
"Yes!" Gliss bawled. "And if your wing breaks, you end up dying!"
"How do you know?" Peri frowned.
"The Keeper." They whispered together. "He knows everything."
"Everything?"
Grabbing her hands, Gliss and Spike pulled Peri into the air calling, "Follow us."
A couple minutes later, they landed in front of a magnificent ice home. Slipping through the door, spike called, "Keeper! You here?"
Peri smiled at all the wondrous things in the building. Giant books, piled seven deep and half frozen covered the floor.
"Yah, I'm a'coming," A voice called and a short, chubby man with wild white hair and a curling mustache popped out from behind the books. He carried a large staff in one hand and a quill pen in his other. "Watcha need girls?" He asked.
"Peri here," Spike shoved Peri forward. "What's you to explain what happens when a fairy breaks a wing."
"Huh?" Peri's eyes were wide and Dewey smiled sadly.
"Breaking a wing is duh worst thing a fairy can do. There is no cure for a broken wing." He explained. "Fairies need to fly in order to survive, it helps us breath, helps our organs to keep working, and regulates everything. If a fairy breaks a wing, they are unlikely to live for more than twenty years. Although- there are… certain fairies who will survive off of shear determination."
"You've lived a loooooong time Dewey." Gliss paused, "Did you ever meet a fairy who broke a wing."
Nodding, Dewey traced the pattern of his staff. "Yes. I knew of two. One died very soon after it happened. And one-" Pausing as if trying to answer very carefully, Dewy shrugged. "One survived longer. But," He waved one finger at them. "That is why the border law is there. To keep us safe. No fairy has broken a wing since it has been in place. Now none of you are thinking of doing anything stupid are you?" He frowned.
"No Dewey, we would never think of crossing!" Grinning, Gliss pushed her two friends out the door. Thanks!"
Once they were outside, Peri asked, "Dewey?"
Nodding, Gliss bounced on the balls of her feet. "It's what his friends call him.
After the girls left, Dewey sighed and picked up a book he had been writing. "This book may never be finished." He whispered. "For I do not want to write a story which ends in tragedy."
Opening the leather bound tome, he traced a picture he had drawn of two fairies, one male one female, holding hands across the border between Winter and Spring. Turning the page, he stared at the next picture. This one of the fairies kneeling side by side, the male was gripping his shoulder in pain. Half of his left wing was torn nearly off, holding on by barely a thread.
"I wish to finish this someday." Dewey murmured. "I will call this book The Truth. For this is a forbidden story. I story of love between two people who can never enter the other's world.