Trish

A Faerie Tale

Trish sat there absentmindedly scratching Oofa's nose, It was getting warmer again and her wings kept sticking.

Krill had laughed at her flitting up and down like a drunken hummingbird.

Oofa arched her neck to let tiny fingers stroke inner scale roots.

 Warm was fine for Oofa who could sleep in a fire and had several times to Trish's despair when she was supposed to be tending her. The golden dragon shivered suddenly and they were both lost in a quickly disappearing cloud of dragon dust.

Trish brushed her scarf across her face and held in a sneeze. 

"Oofa" she snapped" what did you do that for?" 

The little red eye focussed on her wings and she suddenly understood.

Krill would have to find something else to laugh at.

She looked off into the mountains, absently fingering the dust from her nostrils, flicking balls of it toward Krill. The mountain looked different.   

     One section of it looked like a stone giantess sitting cross legged 

in a long flowing robe. She seemed to be looking down into the valley of memories and concentrating on one particular cave. Trish blinked and then looked again.

 It took a few breaths of concentration and Trish saw her again  this time clearly enough to see her grey eyes focus on her tiny winged body, 

                       zzzzzzzzzzzztt!!!!

      Oofa felt her flinch and glanced up at the distant mountain. Two clicks later they hovered over the grey eyed giant, another click had Krill riding Sloom beside them.

     "What in sweet sugarcups is that? and where did she come from?"

Krill was hanging from Sloom's talons by his knees trying to get a closer look.

Sloom's eyes spun as she mind chattered madly with Oofa. Trish couldn't focus on all of it but the gist of it was what do we do? along with a lot of in the wind suggestions

    Moments later they were back where they had been, looking at the distant mountain. Trish was not too happy at the quick change. She'd gotten used to the blink of nothing but did not like being dragged back and forth like a doll on a string.

   Oofa sorried to her but not very earnestly. They needed time to think. She'd brought them back to before Trish had seen the mountain maiden. Sloom was as quiet as Trish had ever seen her. Even Krill was at a loss for words, or cautious enough to not use any.

   The valley of memories held many caves.   Occasionally one could almost see emanations slipping out to gaze around before slipping back in quiet satisfaction.   The one cave the grey stone giantess was watching had never changed its dark shadowed appearance in all the turns Trish had tended dragons.   She and Krill had enjoyed reliving a lot of the stored memories in the caves' dancing shadows.   It had been fun to flit through storms and rolling crashing waves.  To be so close to flashing lightning and roaring forest fires.   Oofa had sailed through firestorms with Sloom following so closely she and Krill had been able to shout to each other in wild whirling joy. The valley of memories was full of happier times.   It was also a trap.   Without the dragons to flick them out Krill and Trish would have died happily.

   The giant mountain maiden reappeared before them, this time dressed in Fall finery, glistening in a gown of multi colored trees that waved and shimmered in soft cold breezes.   Ooofa and Sloom hovered in calm stillness listening to her whispery thoughts.   Trish caught glimpses of apology and a view of time she'd never considered.   The maiden had been here just yesterday, before the second moon, long before dragons and faeries appeared.  The black cave had been there long before the valley held memories.  She disappeared in a slowly rising fog whispering she'd come back tomorrow.

Reviews

[emmajoy]

There's much magic in this, love the names and how the dialogue is so fondly written. The piece could be the introduction to a much longer piece, perhaps it is, it's hinting at far more with that ' she'd come back tomorrow. '

Whereas the final paragraph is perfect, there are areas which need a bit of editing .. maybe that's yet to be done. I truly hope to read much more about Krill and Trish.

[Gandré]

this is full of mystery, just like a good fairy tale has to be written. I could even imagine to read it for some longer time... I find it a good idea when you write fairy stories for boys and girls which make feel attached to nature. Vivid! I loved this. Thanks for your review of my article.