As the houses in the valley came in sight, Ferry's heart began to race. His legs were not listening anymore, and he found himself running. He descended the path, passing by Oona and Matilda like an arrow. He stopped at the edge of the village, catching his breath. He needed a few minutes before he could do or say anything.
The small village in front of his eyes was trembling with sounds, colors, and music. It was alive. In the beginning, he thought they were cottages, but now he could tell they were actually tree-houses. The thick branches were the floor, walls, and roofs of the houses. And the roofs were actually the treetops, intertwined with layers and layers of flowers. There were roofs of bachelor's buttons, morning glory, lilies-of-the-valley, climbing roses, poppies, and clover. Each tree-house had three rooms only, one on top of the other. The first and lower one was the hall and the storeroom altogether. The next room was the sleeping-room; it was called that way, Oona told him, because that was the place for sleep, even though there was no bed like in the world of humans. A couch of leaves and soft herbs was enough for the fairies to catch a nap. Fairies took a nap pretty much anywhere, but the best nap was in the sleeping-room. Usually, a fairy's nap took as long as a good fairytale. The last chamber was the kitchen. Fairies loved soups, salads, berries, and, of course, all the tarts, cookies, muffins, and soufflés you could think of. They were made with honey, the sweetest, most flavored honey. And there was plenty of that, for bees in the fairy world were the size of sparrows.
Spiral stairs were curling the trees' trunks, leading to each room. But the stairs weren't built by hand. They were crafted by the trees themselves to offer shelter to the magical beings that kept them safe.
In Tenalach, just as everywhere in fairyland, there was no fire. The fire was dangerous, hence forbidden. But there were flames, for fairies had the power of making flames with their bare hands. Flames to keep them warm or to light up their houses, and flames for cooking. But flames that would never burn or harm a creature, be it a fairy, a tree or even a plant.
"That is beautiful," Ferry whispered, unable to take another step.
"It is, isn't it?" Oona said, her eyes sparkling with pride. "So what are we waiting for? Let's go!" she said taking him by the hand and pulling him over.
The uproar in the village was growing with every step they took. The most unusual beings were welcoming and greeting them, wearing big smiles on their faces. Bigger, smaller, tall and majestic, or tiny and humpbacked; walking or flying, wearing the most colorful clothes, or clothes of light and air; with flowers in their braids and jewels on their jackets. With beards, fur, and hair waving in the wind.
And nymphs! Nymphs that were dancing in the circle, barely touching the ground, with their dresses made out of mist and hair falling like a river all the way to their heels.
Some of the magical creatures were singing long-forgotten songs. Others were playing the pipe and flute. Some of them were speaking human language. But most of them were speaking a different language. An old language that was kept since the beginning of time, the language all the fairies were speaking, no matter where they were. It was called Elvian and whenever they spoke that language, the fairies seemed as singing, pronouncing longer vowels and sometimes ending the phrases with short sounds like saying magical words with unusual powers.
But the fae were not the ones to surprise Ferry the most. People were. The human prisoners of fairyland. Just like Matilda, long threads of shiny wool, thinner or thicker, were tied to their feet. And no matter how hard they've tried to enjoy the feast spirit, the humans were somehow restrained, watching the colorful show from the side.
The night was silently falling over Tenalach and shadows were taking the place of light. A few rays of honey light were still oozing between the branches. Lanterns were being lit in front of the tree-houses. Ferry watched like in a trance the blue, flickering flames. He stopped in front of a big torch near the path and touched the flame. He could sense the heat, a strong heat that reached to his heart. But the flame didn't burn him. And Ferry couldn't stop but wondering. He seemed like he had forgotten about rescuing Danny, about Oona's game, and... Matilda!
His heart skipped a beat. He started to look for her. Yet, couldn't see her in that big, tumultuous crowd.
"Matt! Matt, where are you?" he shouted.
Oona covered his mouth with her hand, "Keep your voice down! Else you're going to make everyone notice you."
"I can't, Oona. I lost Matt. I have to find her, I can't just leave her like that..."
"Why not?" she shrugged. "She's more of a burden to us, anyway."
But Ferry was determined "I can't just leave her! She's my friend. And she's a human. She won't make it here by herself."
Oona rolled her eyes, "Fine, you just wait here."
She slowly lifted above the ground, higher and higher, all the way to the sky. Then she vanished into thin air.
She came back after a few minutes, dragging the thick thread at the end of which there was Matilda, pale and ruffled, but safe and sound.
"How could you leave me behind?" she shouted as soon as she laid eyes on Ferry.
"I'm sorry, Matt, I didn't realize ─ " Ferry mumbled.
"It's not the fairy-boy's fault you cannot keep up," Oona interfered.
"You stay out of it!" Matilda shouted at her.
"She's right, Matt," Ferry added. "Why can't you keep up? It's dangerous to get lost around here."
"How am I supposed to keep up with that thing tied to my foot?" she snapped.
"Nonsense," Oona sniffed. "You can't even feel it. Imagine it's... invisible, as you, humans, say."
"That's easy to say," Matilda mumbled. "How am I suppose to leave this place with that thing tied to my foot?"
"You can't," Oona thwarted. "Not until you become a fairy. And you can't become a fairy until you have lost the last piece of memory of your human life. I know a lot of people who got off the thread after they've become fairies."
"But I don't want to become a fairy!" Matilda yelled.
Oona shrugged, "Then I can't see a way out. The threads become thinner only when the memories began to disappear. And yours is the thickest I've ever seen. To be honest, I think I've only seen two more this thick. One is your friend, the fat boy. The more you hang on to your human past, the thicker and more difficult to be cut it would be. "
Matilda was just about to burst into tears, but Ferry was there for her, this time, "Don't worry, Matt. All we have to do is find the end of the thread and cut it off."
Matilda smiled, a shadow of hope in her eyes.
But Oona shook her head, "I'm afraid that's also pretty hardy-hard. All the threads are going to the same place. A huge ball the Fae Queen keeps in her chamber inside a chest."
"Then we'll go there and cut it," said Ferry.
But Oona knew better, "No use. Only a fairy can cut it, with magical scissors. Which are also in her chest."
When hearing Oona, despair began to grow on Matilda. Ferry couldn't stand to see her sad. After all, she was there because of him. "We'll find a way, Matt," he said. She nodded, with two pearls of tears in her eyes.
"Well, are you hungry or not?" Oona asked them without looking troubled by Matilda's worries. "I'm starving. Hurry!"
Taking Ferry by the hand, she started to intermingle with the crowd of visitors. This time, Ferry didn't leave Matilda behind.
In the village, the tree-houses were placed in charming chaos, surrounding Fae Queen's palace. There were no roads, only paths, all leading to the palace. After walking the labyrinth of paths, they came in front of one of the treehouses. It was a lovely cottage, with the roof made of small, colored mushrooms. In the world of humans, they would definitely have been poisonous. On the lower branch, there was a wooden sign where they could read The Hornless Unicorn.
A small-sized old man appeared. He had a dark complexion and he was wearing a gray shirt and black leather pants with suspenders. He looked really happy to see them.
"Greetings, Oona! What brings you here?"
"Greetings, Slick! I'm here with my friends and we're very hungry. What's your treat for us today?"
"All kinds of treats, actually. I have a delicious dandelion salad with flax seeds oil, and poppy and sesame seeds. And I also have some oat bread, freshly baked. And breadsticks with butter and honey," Slick ended reciting the menu with a smirk on his face.
"Goody, goody," said Oona, licking her lips. "Bring us everything. And don't forget the water!"
The little man retired while Oona went round the inn, with Ferry and Matilda following her steps. She sat at a small log which served as a table with smaller logs around it. The table was placed under an old willow, from which thin branches were reaching the ground, slowly undulating, like a curtain in an open window. A few spears of orange light still pierced the thick foliage, playing on the tables and all around.
Oona sat and called them to take a seat, too. Ferry thought it was the right time to find answers to all the questions that started to crowd in his head. Curiosities about small things. Yet, somehow, he felt that there was more behind every tiny thing he'd ever met in this world.
With the corner of his eye, he was observing Oona. She seemed troubled, somehow. Not as confident as before. Now it was the time. But he had to be careful. Oona seemed foolish, but Ferry had the feeling that she, just like every other being of that world, was hiding something. So he couldn't possibly underestimate her.
"I was wondering," he said while watching a willow leaf that was falling, twisting above them. "Your mother won't be mad if you have your meal here instead of home?"
"Well, I don't know my mother," said Oona as natural as can be.
"You don't know your mother?!" both Ferry and Matilda wondered.
"You see, children from around here don't know their parents. In fact, we grow old so slowly, that we don't even have old people in Tenalach. Why would we need children? My people are still very young. Except for some leprechauns and dwarfs who found shelter here, we don't have old fairies," said Oona.
Ferry was sure his jaw dropped, "You mean you don't know who your mother is?"
"Oh, yeah!" she said while playing with a lock of her ruby hair. "She could be anyone. She could be one of the domestic fairies or any other fairy. I don't really know and honestly, I don't care."
"You don't care?" Ferry wondered. "Then, who's taking care of you? How about when you need advice? Or when you're sad? Or feeling sick? Or lonely? To whom you turn to?"
Oona gave it a thought for a second, "Well, you won't find any illness here, so we don't fall ill. And we have no need to be sad. It's never cold, even if the weather gets cold. We have this wonderful place. We have the softest shelters and the most flavored food. Everyone is friendly with everyone and there is no hate or envy... "
"But who's telling you bedtime stories? And who's there to comfort you when you're having a nightmare? And who's baking your favorite pie? And who's looking at you like you're the only one in the universe? I could never imagine my life without my mother..." he said and he felt his heartache. For the first time since they've been in Tenalach, he missed his mother.
"You do know you're a changeling, don't you?" Oona said. A small, evil flicker appeared in her eyes. "And that your mother is not really your mother..."
Ferry felt discouraged, "Maybe she's not my real mother, but she's the best mother in the world," he said and got up, ready to leave.
Matilda, who was staring ever since they've sat at the table, shivered all of the sudden and gave Ferry a meaningful glance he couldn't figure it out.
"I'm sure you can take care of yourself, Oona," she said, as sweet and calm as can be. "But we were just wondering who's taking care of the small children. They can't take care of themselves, you know..."
"Well, that's the job of the domestic fairies," Oona said, seemingly in her good mood again. "And there are also ─"
Yet, something made her stop. She stayed there, with her finger in the air, staring at a small willow leaf wriggling above. The leaf started to spin, faster and faster while other leaves, caught in the whirl, began to dance frantically in front of them as if tiny people, dancing in a circle.
"What is this?" Ferry wondered, trying to keep his forehead hidden, which looked rather difficult in front of the strong breeze.
Oona didn't say a word, but the children could see her mouth squeezing, her eyes squinting, and her face turning red. The whirl descended in the vicinity of their table. And from the whirl, a little fairy emerged, running towards Oona and hugging her so tight, that she almost turned her over. She was wearing a short, fluffy dress, like a doll's dress, decorated with tiny little flowers. Her blond hair was braided with small, blue flowers that spread a sweet scent. Her eyes were as clear as the sky and she looked just a little bit younger than Matilda.
"Oona, where have you been? I've been looking all over for you," she said, still not letting Oona go.
"Caireann, I told you... Stop following me!" said Oona, visibly uncomfortable with her being there. "Go play with fairies your age! Can't you see I'm busy?"
"But there aren't fairies my age around here," the little fairy complained. "And I've also lost my toy... What am I supposed to play with?" she added while her lower lip was trembling.
"You lost your toy ages ago," Oona mumbled. "Won't you forget about it?"
"I can't," Caireann replied. "I dream about it every time I fall asleep. Can I stay with you?" she asked, begging with her eyes.
Oona nodded with a sigh and Caireann shouted with joy. She sat on the log next to her. Then, she started to study Ferry and Matilda with her eyes, the color of the summer sky.
"Who are your friends?" she asked.
Oona hesitated for a moment. "This is F ─ Fandrew and Matt. And they are just visiting," she cut Caireann short before she could ask anything else.
The little fairy kept her mouth shut for a while without taking her eyes off the two visitors. She studied especially Matilda who, under her nosy gaze, started to fuss on her chair.
"You're a girl, aren't you?" she eventually said.
But before Matilda could say anything, Oona interfered, "Are you hungry? What are you having?"
"I'm having what you're having," Caireann answered, clinging to Oona's arm. Oona rolled her eyes, then whistled and Slick appeared out of nowhere. He brought all the dishes Oona has asked, put them on the table, then vanished.
"My, my, such dainties," said Oona, once again in her good mood. "Now, let's eat!"
And without further invitations, the two fairies began to treat themselves with the delicious food on the table. Ferry tasted the dandelion salad; he thought it was the best salad in the world, better than any other salad he's ever tasted. It was like tasting a piece of a cloud, one that looked like cotton candy on the sky; an explosion of flavors, separated in fresh drops that made him feel invigorated and happy.
"Aren't you eating, Matt?' he asked the girl, seeing her sitting there without touching the food.
"I told you, I'm not eating anything coming from this place. Unlike you, I intend to go back."
"But you're going to get sick," he insisted. "Please, eat something. The salad is delicious."
But Matilda shook her head and took out a biscuit from her sack.
After the salad, it was the time for bread and the breadsticks with honey which tasted like drops from the sun. It smelled like flowers of the field while the fresh, cold water had the taste of the summer raindrops.
When everyone finished eating, Oona got up. "It's time to go," she decided. But she barely finished talking, that Slick appeared.
"I hope you'll pay this time, Oona," he said, raising an eyebrow. "You said you're going to spread some good charm over my vegetable garden. I'm still waiting, ya know..."
"Don't worry, Slick," Oona winked. "After the Moon Dance, my powers are going to bloom and you're going to have the most beautiful, richest vegetable garden in Tenalach."
Slick mumbled something as they left, but Ferry wasn't paying attention. "How do you pay Slick?" he asked Oona.
"Well, we, the Wandering Fays, have the power to make plants grow and yield fruit. That's how we pay, without pennies, or silver, or gold, although that kind of paying is also welcomed here. Only I've been so busy, I didn't have the time to take care of Slick's garden. Now let's go, I have a lot more to show you."
So all four set moving on the colorful paths that winded ahead. Oona was leading the way, closely followed by Ferry and Caireann who kept stopping to smell the flowers or chase a butterfly. She seemed like she was doing anything to draw Oona's attention. The last one was Matilda who was barely dragging her feet.
After a while, Caireann came close to Oona and offered her a green flower which she put it in her hair, to Caireann's joy. She took Oona's hand and then turned to Ferry and took his hand. Her hand was cold and soft, like the frail stalk of a plant.
But as they were walking, something happened. A soft, almost intangible sound. It was somewhere close and it seemed familiar. A playful tinkling that jingled with every step they took. It was coming from their vicinity, seemingly joining them. It felt as if coming from another world. From home.
Ferry looked around, but couldn't see anything. Then he laid his eyes on Caireann's small hand. And he saw it. A silver bracelet with four charms; they were charms of flowers and clover. A thought came to his mind, making his heart skip a beat.
Poppy!
Thank you for taking the time to read this new chapter! I would really, really want to know what you think of it. How about the surprise at the end? Let me know what you think :)