The Misty World of Arial Hollyberry

I felt a tangible shift as I stepped into the fairy ring. A soft breeze began to sweep through the meadow, it carried the sent of lavender and jasmine as it swirled around the circle. I heard the rustling of a thousand  faerie voices blowing on the breeze, soft at first, then growing louder. I spun around and peered into the gloomy recces of the tall pines looking for the whispered solicitations, then, In one gigantic explosion, the air was filled with faeries.

I couldn’t see Arial anymore, she was lost in the frenzy of the faerie celebration. At the edge of the clearing, fireflies flew in and out of the flowers on the bleeding heart bushes, making them glow a soft red, still others flickered like tiny yellow candles moving in and out of the shadows at the edge of the clearing. Mixing with the melodious voices of the faeries were the sounds of the night. Frogs and crickets added the counter point to their song.

The faeries circled and spun, diving in and out, their delicate wings fluttering through my hair. In an attempt to find Arial, I moved closer to the center, making sure not to step on any of the spiraling faeries. They were everywhere, flying on humming birds, and hiding behind flowers. I had been to the realm of the fae before but I had never seen so many different types of faeries, they were all shapes and sizes.

The rhythmic melodies of the faeries were becoming more enchanting and I found myself swaying with the magical music. I caught sight of Arial just as a legion of faeries  lifted me into the air. Normally I would have been unnerved by the sudden change of altitude, but the high pitched singing had filled my ears and I was caught up in the turbulent dance of Midsummer. It looked as if I were dancing with the stars themselves, whirling faster and faster until everything blurred together. I heard musical voices whispering to me to leave the mortal world behind.

The night passed into early morning and still we danced, twisting and leaping, until I felt as though I had merged with the fae. All memory of my mortal world was slowly seeping away. This is wonderful! I have no ties to hold me back, no responsibilities. I am grace and spontaneity! At this moment, I had given myself over completely to the faerie realm, I couldn’t even imagine going back.

I was so caught up in the euphoria of the moment that I hadn’t noticed Arial spinning close by. She had a look of understanding on her face. “Kind One, we must get back to the ivy hedge before the sun’s rays hit the meadow.”  I felt like cold water had been splashed in my face. In the east, the sky was beginning to show the first light of day. The celebration was already beginning to fade from my memory and I became aware that I was floating high above the ground.

“No Arial, I don’t want to go back, I’m one of the fae now, I’ve been invited!” Arial held her wand over her head in both hands and spoke in elvish. The wand began to glow as we slowly drifted back toward earth. Arial spoke, her words soft in my ear. “Hold out your hand.” Reluctantly, I gave in and held my hand forward. She waved her wand  and a small polished stone materialized in my upturned palm.

The stone was soft pink rose quartz that had a hole in the center. I watched as black cording twined around the stone then draped itself over my head so that the pendant hung over my heart. “This is beautiful Arial, thank you, but what do I do with it? Does this mean I can stay?”

Arial smiled. “The Fae need your help on the other side Kind One, your work and the people who love you are there. You are much to important to us to stay in the realm.”  She could see that I was having a hard time remembering. “Hold the stone up to your eye and look through it, you will understand better.”

I brought the crystal up to my eye and gazed through the center. The faeries I had been dancing with were fading into mist, their delicate hands reaching out for me. The last thing I saw was their large liquid eyes as the mist enveloped them completely. The scene was replaced with a picture of my backyard. My three Chihuahua’s were sniffing at the bottom of the ivy hedge and whining, then the scene dissolved.

I let the stone fall. “Arial, I remember! I must get home, what was I thinking? What time is it? How long have I been gone?” Arial’s countenance brightened, She held her wand up and waved it over my head just as the suns rays peeked through the pines. I held my hand up to shelter my eyes from the stabbing light and found myself standing in the shade of the old oak tree that grew by the wall of ivy marking the boundary between the faerie realm and my yard on the other side. Looking down I found Odette clinging to my ankle and thought that this was how we got here, but it seems so long ago now…

The mornings are cool in the summer, it’s the only time I can sit in the backyard and watch my faeries come and go through the portal in the ivy hedge. I’m sitting on the chaise loung and my thoughts come back to me as the memory of the Midsummer celebration fades. The wind chimes are blowing in the breeze and my little Edie is asleep on my lap. Arial is on my shoulder braiding my hair, and the gnomes, Warren and Odette are over in the garden trimming the chives

I turn my head to look at Arial. “You know what Arial? I really do love my backyard.”

© Tami Ruesch, The Misty World of Arial Hollyberry, 2009.

With the fire faeries doing such a wonderful job of heating up the season, the only time I can enjoy my backyard is in the cool of early morning. The sky is a cloudless light blue and the air is calm, as if the world is holding its breath, waiting for the sun to melt away the last of the predawn shadows.

I love to lay on the chase lounge and watch my faeries coming and going through the ivy hedge. Ever since the celebration of Midsummer I have had a hard time concentrating, I feel the faeries whispering to me, inviting me to join them and leave the mortal world behind. “Come away with us, come, and leave your cares behind. Feel the soft breeze of the realm; hear the stream as it trickles over cool, mossy stones. Come away, come away…if it weren’t for Arial, Odette and I would still be there.

Arial has been trying to get me to write down my experiences, she tells me that it is the only way to break the spell cast over me when I entered the faerie circle; it seems that having faerie blood running through my veins makes it a little harder to resist the pull of the Fae. “Kind One, please, write down your thoughts on your computer machine, I will help if you like.” I had to smile. “Arial, I didn’t know you could type.”

Arial flew in low over my laptop, skimming her tiny feet across the keyboard. “I don’t mean helping you to spell the words, I mean helping you remember.” She flew up and landed lightly on my shoulder then began to braid my hair. I felt it again, that hazy euphoric feeling. The trees started to sway back and forth and I heard pipe music playing in the distance. It could have been my imagination but I could swear that the energy field around the portal wavered.

“Thanks, I think I can handle it.” I saw a look of disappointment wash across her face and felt ashamed that I had been so short and hurriedly added, “Why don’t you sit  and keep me company, I might need some clarification, I do still feel a little light headed.”  She jumped up and buzzed around my head, adding to my already disconnected feeling.

A slight breeze blew through the trees, carrying with it the sweet scent of honeysuckle. It lifted my hair and made the wind chimes sway. The pipe music I was hearing grew louder as the backyard seem to fade into a fine mist. My thoughts took me back to the path at the bottom of the hill. The dragonflies and faeries had escorted us  from the Elvenwood and were landing in groups of two and three at the edge of the forest. The sun balanced on the top of the hill sending blazing fingers of orange and pink reaching out toward high, thin clouds, and in the east, the early evening hues of violet and indigo signaled the coming twilight.

Arial suddenly materialized on the path in front Odette and I. Her sparkling bright orange and pink appearance took us by surprise and we had to shield our eyes from the intensity of her glow. “I’m so glad you are back! I trust that Elendain treated you well. Don’t you love the elvenwood? I knew she was nervous because she was talking fast as she whipped around us in an excited frenzy. “We must hurry to the meadow, the celebration is about to begin.”

I grabbed Odette and carried her as we made our way up the hill. By the time we reached the top, the purple and blue of the evening sky was blending with the sunset and the shadows on the forest floor were quickly deepening to black, blotting out the definition of the tall deep green pine trees. I expected to see a flurry of activity in the meadow but it was empty. “Arial, where is everyone?” Arial had flown ahead of us toward the center of the clearing and was hovering just inside what looked like a ring of soft white mushrooms that were nestled among the tall grasses, their large caps tilted in every direction.

Arial’s glittering wings reflected the last of suns fading rays. She beckoned us forward.  “Come, come and join the dance. Step inside the fairy ring, come.” I had never seen Arial act like this; she was swaying back and forth as if listening to soft music, and she had a dreamy look on her face. Odette and I exchanged puzzled glances. “Missus, why is she acting like that?” she pointed at Arial. “All befuddled and the like.” I had been wondering the same thing. “I don’t know, maybe its part of the celebration?” Odette nodded. “Aye, I’m thinking you’re right about that, but strange it tis.”

I took a deep breath. “Well, we might as well find out what Midsummer is all about.” Moving closer to the fairy ring, I stepped in.

© Tami Ruesch, The Misty World of Arial Hollyberry, 2009.

“Summer Procession”      by David Delamare

The air was full of iridescent blue-green dragonflies and faeries whose wings  crackled with energy. They circled and dived, then circled again. The elves in the trees came out to watch the aerial display. Every so often a faerie would suddenly appear with a loud pop, sending a shower of red, orange, and yellow sparkles out in every direction. This was what I had seen coming through the trees earlier, this faerie firework display.

Suddenly, the show halted. The dragonflies landed on the tree branches all around us, reflecting the sunlight in shimmering blue-green flashes. The faeries had drifted quietly to the ground and were hovering a few inches above the ferns on either side of the path. A hush fell over the clearing. The elves had ceased their murmurings and stood in respectful silence.

Coming through trees just ahead of us was a large gleaming sphere carrying a faerie in a glittering red gown. She had hair that looked like fire, red turning to orange, turning to yellow and her crown was made up entirely of interwoven lightening bolts that were constantly flashing around her head (it reminded me of the Wizard of Oz when Glinda arrived in munchkin land, only not that big).

There were faeries gliding along the ground on either side. Their wings were tall and thin, coming to a long, point.  Glittering lights followed the intricate design of veins that detailed each wing. I realized that these were the fire faeries of summer and that the spectacular faerie in the carriage must be their queen.

The procession halted in front of Elendain, who bowed deeply as the queen emerged. The faerie queen circled her wand in the air, spreading a bright yellow light above her, growing in size until she was as tall as the mistress of  the Elvenwood.

The royal pair hugged each other in greeting. “We are honored by your presence, Litha, Queen of the fire faeries, and want to welcome you and your court to our forest. Peace be with you.” Litha’s eyes sparkled and her smile warmed her face as she continued to hold Elendain’s hands. “We come in friendship and gratitude. We are indebted to you for saving the Kind One.”

I stood watching the gracious diplomacy of the two queens feeling small and inadequate, like I had been some what of a bother. It must have shown on my face because Litha turned and approached me. She glided up to me and held me in her arms. “My dear, we were so worried about you.” She held me at arms length and looked at me, tears glistening in her eyes. “I do not know what the future would bring if anything had happened to you. You are more important than you suspect, but that is the charm of your human half.”

There it was again, the half faerie blood thing. I sure wish I knew how to use it to my advantage. “Queen Litha, all of this…” I gestured around me, “is so far over my head. I am learning of things that I had no idea existed, of places I thought belonged  only in bedtime stories.”

Litha smiled and winked at me. “It is all quite something is it not? We have a very important celebration to attend so we must be going.” She turned again to Elendain who had stepped up behind her and they hugged one final time. “Hail and farewell Queen Litha, may your journey be smooth and your nights be filled with stars.”

Litha waved her wand and a brightly woven rug appeared, hovering two feet off the ground. She motioned for me to sit on it. “A flying carpet!? I feel like I’m in one hundred and one Arabian nights!” She laughed at the analogy. “Well, why not, it is a long journey, you might as well be comfortable.” She returned to her crystal bubble and waved at Elendain. “May you only know peace and happiness, Elendain, Mistress of Elvenwood.”

With that, the entire court of fire faeries rose into the air, flying carpet, dragonflies, and all, then darted toward the west, where the sun was already beginning to set.

© Tami Ruesch, The Misty World of Arial Hollyberry, 2009.