The Grove Of Gaiety

6-Mornings and Meandering

Our friends awoke as the sunlight peered through the leaves of their makeshift shelter. Dew drops fell on Micah's nose awaking her with a gentle sneeze, shaking Joel awake and startling Fern. The bunch were illuminated by the lace patter of the leaves as the laughed and stretched the sleep of their limbs. A heartwarming display that could not possibly last forever, as the fae always followed the sounds of joy.

They walked, sprinted, skipped and flew but their journey was long and they, as all living things, needed rest. Fern hunted, Joel fished and Micah gathered. They were hesitant to let Fern hunt but it seems that even though they looked like a plant they were some form of predator? The teeth were a giveaway. Together they had a great feast, told tales over the short-lived fire and thought Fern about singing. They took to it quite quickly.

Joel, who had lived far from the forest edge, had a new flavor of songs to bring. He called them sea shanties. They were so different from the lulling songs or discordant hall songs Micah would listen to. They were quite crude too, apparently. When they finally coerced him to sing one the young demon was red as a viburnum berry. Not long after they introduced a new concept to Fern. Dancing.

They held hands as they sang and skipped by the river, that is till they heard it. The sweet childlike laughter, the tingling of bells and the soft flutter of wings. Faeries, and they were near. Fern's eyes had been reduced to black slit and the leaves on their ears were pulled back. Joel's wing were tensed and ready to shoot up while Micah's own shook awake. They looked around backs facing one another. They crept out of the treeline, scattered all around. The colorful faces held malicious grins and their eyes held blood lust. "Took us far too long to find you, I see your ragtag gang is ever growing. What in the hells even is that? Some sort of nymph? Sickening. I've come to return the favor, Micah"

The faery spat out the name in sheer contempt prowling ever closer. Joel was trembling, eyes bouncing from one unwelcoming face to another. He was once again surrounded by people who he had done nothing to; yet they still wished for nothing but harm upon him. The voices were louder and louder repeating the words he had heard that day, one even sounded just like his mother as she helped him tie the boulder to his ankle. He looked at the river and felt the water in his nose and throat and suddenly he wasn't with Micah and Fern. Suddenly he was under and pleading to the onlookers, asking for forgiveness. There was none in the humans, there was none in the fae. Joel blinked once, twice, he looked upon the fast river and in a stroke of genius held his newfound friends hand. The voices were quieted by the roar of the river. "Jump!!"

There faces were confused but they did not hesitate. The water washed them away as the raging faeries were left behind, their wings much to frail to be soaked. They were left not choice but to cease their chase.

But our friends were not safe yet, the water was unyielding and Micah's wing faces the same problem as the others. Joel took both of them into their arms and navigated the turbulent waters with his strong wings. The leather limbs beat harshly steering them away from the fast approaching boulders and when they were a safe distance away he leapt out of the water throwing them to the shoreline and doing his best to stay afloat. He was exhausted and scared and the current was unyielding. He couldn't hear the two scrambling to find anything, anything, to help their friend.

Joel's eyes could barely remain open and he had not strength left to beat his wings. He didn't want to die like this, not again. Even if this time not rocks were tied to his ankles; a watery death was a horrible death. The water thundered in his ears trying to crawl up his nose, ears and mouth. He could not hear Micah crying for him to stay awake, or Fern unknowing of mortality but knowing Joel was not in a good situation.

Joel felt his chest crash into something, he didn't know what it was but he clung to it. The lifeline he hugged in his unconscious state slowly dragged him out of the water till he met the shoreline. Micah and Fern quickly dragged the small boy and his massive wings out of the water and laid him on his side. Not long after he spat out the water depriving him of air and took one deep gulp of air to bring him back. Micah cried over his shoulder while Fern stare in abject horror and confusion.

Though it was a close call our friends were okay, and lived one more day.

As soon as Joel could stand the made their way into the shelter of the thick forest, exhausted and weary. Wishing for nothing but rest and warmth.