Thistledown – Midsummer Bedlam 31 — A Perversion of Phantoms

Saturday, April 14, 2018

Boy field smoke-ball aziz-acharki-290990

Aziz Acharki, Unsplash

Welcome back to the faery land of Thistledown. It’s great to see you! In this chapter, Bedlam relates the next part of the story as it was told to her.

Previously in Thistledown

In Episode-29, A Hummingbird, we left Bedlam and Bob the hummingbird far away from Thistledown, their home. Though neither knew quite where the other was, they were both in the colorless world with the “scary faeries.” In their own way, both felt the need to save Thistledown from the terrible potentials of Bedlam’s vision.

In Episode-30, Meanwhile Back in Thistledown, the day of the grand Midsummer party finally arrived. All the hummingbirds of the realm gathered to take part. However, the entertainment for the party was overtaken by dark magic. The faeries of Thistledown saw, projected onto the clouds, Bedlam’s horrific vision. All the hummingbirds flew away.

Ghosts Thomas Breeson Salbert hill fortifications Old NATO station

Thomas Bresson via Wiki Media Commons. Salbert Hill fortifications Old NATO station

From Episode 14, The Etheraris Spiregris

“A Perversion of Phantoms,” River read aloud the title at the top of the timeworn page.

The long muskox hair fell limp against the page. My hand dropped, resting against the page as Rhymer and I echoed River in stating the name of the spell. All three of us were touching the pages of the incantation as we spoke.

The three of us exchanged a look. It was spontaneous, a coincidence. We didn’t mean to speak in chorus but as one we gasped.

“A Perversion of Phantoms!”

Abruptly the heavy volume snapped shut. The periwinkle muskox hair was still within, like a bookmark. The room spun wildly. It was like looking into a kaleidoscope.

Then the world shattered.

Thistledown

Midsummer Bedlam 31

A Perversion of Phantoms

Eva Blue, Unsplash

I relate this part of the story as it was told to me by my friends River Mindshadow and Rhymer Rainbow.

My friends and I had held precariously to the periwinkle colored muskox hair as we dangled in the great abyss. Bob the hummingbird had brought me the magic-charged hair to guide me as I searched for understanding regarding my visions. At that moment the fine hair was the only thing between the three of us and a potentially endless fall within the black abyss. The huge furry faery, Field Yewwasp had rescued Rhymer Rainbow and then River Mindshadow.

(See Episode – 22, A Hair Aflame)

Thanks to the efforts of the crochet circle and Field, my friends were safe. However, their well-being was damaged from their time in the dark place. Willow Rainbow, Rhymer’s aunt called for the healer, Lavender Cozy. The healer borrowed the big moonstone from Crescent Glimmer that she had used to examine what might be wrong beyond my physical ills. Lavender used the moonstone on River and Rhymer.

(See Episode – 8, Shadows of Body and Mind)

Maiden and Moon_The Pink Fairy Book_1897_Andrew Lang artist unknown

The Maiden and the Moon, from The Pink Fairy Book, by Andrew Lang artist unknown circa 1897

Lavender shook her head in worry about their condition. She ordered that my friends stay in bed and not be moved. So, they stayed at Willow Rainbow’s charming yellow house, where they were when they were pulled from the abyss. She wouldn’t allow them to even go to any of the Midsummer parties.

“It’s as if they are depressed,” Lavender Cozy said. “That’s a very dangerous condition for faeries.”

Depression was unheard of in Thistledown, so the healer had to explain the condition. She emphasized its seriousness. She said it was not something that the girls could simply shake off or decide to change their moods.

The most worrisome part was that neither of the girls cared that they were missing the parties. When the day arrived for the grand Midsummer party at Peaches Dragonfly’s orchard, Rhymer and River stayed in bed, without protest. Concerned, Willow Rainbow stayed home to watch over the girls. However, they finally persuaded her to go to the spectacular party Peaches was hosting. It seemed to make them feel a little better that Willow would enjoy herself, so the woman reluctantly agreed.

After a while, shadows filled the bedroom. Rhymer went to the window and looked at the sky.

“Oh my! Such dark clouds in the sky. Could there be a storm? On Midsummer that’s not the norm,” Rhymer exclaimed.

Something thumped somewhere downstairs. River jumped out of bed and hurried down the stairs toward the sound. Rhymer went after River, long rainbow-colored hair streaming behind her as she ran. They paused for a moment, waiting for any other sound. Then they heard a rustling sound, like the pages of a book rapidly turning.

Ancient Book daniele-levis-pelusi-221717

Daniele Levis Pelusi, Unsplash

“I thought your aunt Willow put that book away. Do you think…” River began.

“That’s coming from the library. Let’s not tarry,” Rhymer replied.

Opening the door, the first thing the girls noticed was a wide empty spot on the top shelf, where Willow had put the ancient tome. On the floor, the covers were open and the pages started to turn. The Etheraris Spiregris moved of its own accord.

Cautiously the girls approached the powerful book that had gotten them into so much trouble. Step by step they edged closer to the tome. They were almost upon it when the sun seemed to go behind a heavy cloud.

Looking out the open window they saw that the sky had not clouded because of weather. A thick flock of hummingbirds had darkened the sky.

Janet Weight Reed

“That must be every hummingbird in Thistledown!” River cried.

Then the tiny birds started streaming through the window into the library. They went directly to the rustling pages of the Etheraris Spiregris. A dozen of the humming birds flew in a circle around the ancient book. The pages stilled. Then the birds swooped down and tore out the page on which the book stopped.

River and Rhymer saw the page clearly as the hummingbirds tore it free. It was the page containing the spell A Perversion of Phantoms.

The birds that had entered the farmhouse flew back outside. It took several of the tiny avians to carry the page, but it didn’t seem difficult as their flight was so perfectly coordinated. Then the mass of hummingbirds disappeared without a trace.

Everything became unnaturally quiet.

The End

***

This Week’s Faery Namers

Click the links to reveal the identity of the namers. Be sure to visit the “secret” bloggers who have faeries named in honor of them in this episode.

Willow Rainbow http://cerobinsonauthor.com/

Rhymer Rainbow https://whenwomeninspire.com/

River Mindshadow http://www.authortranslatorolga.com/

Field Yewwasp https://thestoryreadingapeblog.com/about/

Crescent Glimmer https://annetterochelleaben.wordpress.com/

Lavender Cozy https://doctorly.wordpress.com/

Valley Hummer https://jcrhumming.wordpress.com/tag/janet-weight-reed/

Impossible as it seems, it looks like all of the hummingbirds may have left Thistledown. Tune in next weekend when I hope I’ll be able to tell you more. Until then…

Hugs on the wing!

For an entirely different variety of “fae” read Atonement, Tennessee. I’m currently editing book-2 and hope to publish soon.

Atonement, Tennessee

Amazon UK

This is a work of fiction. Characters, names, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, locales, or events is entirely coincidental.

No part of this work may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.

All images are either the property of the author or provided by free sources, unless stated otherwise.

Thistledown – Midsummer Bedlam 30 — Meanwhile Back in Thistledown

Saturday, April 7, 2018

Welcome back to the faery land of Thistledown. Things have taken a much more serious tone in recent episodes. Our friends might resort to drastic measures as they try to fix the situation.

Bob the hummingbird has something up his tiny sleeve (err rather wing), but he sees no way to accomplish what he needs to do without using the dark magic of the cave of the abyss. There is not enough magic in the colorless world where he followed Bedlam Thunder.

The friends Bedlam has made in that murky place think the only answer to saving Thistledown from the reality of Bedlam’s horrific vision is to sever the link between the two worlds. Bedlam’s seer instincts tell her that breaking the link would be disastrous for both worlds. She also knows her friend Bob is there somewhere, but his whereabouts are unknown to her.

With all that, it’s been quite a while since we paid a visit to the home of Bob and Bedlam — Thistledown. The faeries there were in the midst of their weeks long Midsummer celebrations. So we return to them now, as Bedlam looks back and describes what was happening in her home.

Thistledown

Midsummer Bedlam 30

Meanwhile Back in Thistledown

Image by Kirt Tisdale

Some people think it should have bothered me, hurt me, even scarred me, but I couldn’t see it that way. Most of the Thistledown faeries are a positive, happy, generous lot. Their joy multiplies more and more as it is shared. They also live for parties. That’s why it didn’t bother me to know that everyone went ahead with the Midsummer parties even though they had no idea where I was or what had happened to me.

The party Peaches Dragonfly gave was the grandest of them all. Her cousin Pick Dragonfly made sure the liquid refreshments flowed, including his special agave juice. (See Episode-9, Gone to the Dogs.)

Poppy Songbird did aerial acrobatics high above the stage. As the Dragon’s Nest band played, her cousin Holly Songbird made a dramatic entrance through the beautiful arch that Carver Eastdoor created for the occasion. Candy of all sorts exploded from the arch when Holly hit the high note of her opening song. (See Episode-7 Doors and Doors.)

Then Skypainter Morning flew high above the stage. He had finally perfected the moving image he wanted to use. He tied the magic of the scrying pool to the images he cast against the clouds. It was unlike anything that had ever been seen in Thistledown. The partygoers gasped and shouted, cheering Skypainter on as he made the cloud painting more complex and realistic. (See Episode-4 A Finder.)

Sunrise by Kirt Tisdale

He recruited Moon Shadow and Valley Hummer to help. Moon played her flute, adding emotion to the moving paintings. Valley summoned the huge flock of brightly colored hummingbirds. Their flight was like an intricate dance to the music and echoed the movements of the paintings.

That’s when things started to go wrong.

The hummingbirds stopped their aerial dance. For a moment they silently hovered in place. The onlookers murmured to one another in puzzled, worried tones. The hummingbirds began to chirp to each other. Their voices became a raucous cacophony. Abruptly all the hummingbirds flew away.

Then Skypainter’s wonderful images wavered as the clouds darkened. The paintings rippled as if something might have dropped into the scrying pool, which was part of the magic that Sky used to project them. Gradually the images transformed into something horrible.

Replacing the glorious paintings Sky had created in the clouds was the horrible vision which the very same scrying pool had inflicted upon me. That vision had devastated me, and as a seer, I was somewhat trained for it. The horror of it was too much for the faeries of Thistledown. They cried and screamed. Chaos ensued.

The Midsummer party fell into bedlam.

Altered image via Unsplash

The End

***

This Week’s Faery Namers

Click the links to reveal the identity of the namers. Be sure to visit the “secret” bloggers who have faeries named in honor of them in this episode.

Pick Dragonfly http://johnwhowell.com

Peaches Dragonfly https://apuginthekitchen.com

Poppy Songbird https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/

Holly Songbird https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyWrV-dmm_oWHnc50YKSVnA

Carver Eastdoor https://nofacilities.com/

Skypainter Morning https://thewallgallery.com/

Moon Shadow https://salmonbrookfarms.wordpress.com/

Valley Hummer https://jcrhumming.wordpress.com/tag/janet-weight-reed/

Tune in next weekend for Episode 31 — A Perversion of Phantoms. Until then…

Hugs on the wing!

All images are either the property of the author or provided by free sources, unless stated otherwise.

Thistledown – Midsummer Bedlam 29 — A Hummingbird

Saturday, March 31, 2018

Alexander Sinn, Unsplash

Welcome once again to the faery land of Thistledown. At the end of the previous episode an orange feather from Bob the humming bird drifted down to Fallow Blackmoon. Thanks to Jacquie Biggar for being the first reader to cause me to see what a symbol of hope that feather was.

Today hope is not quite gone. However, our friends might resort to drastic measures…

Previously in Thistledown — Midsummer Bedlam

Episode 24 – The Other Seer

“The family always said the copper battleax was magical. I’ve never seen anything unusual or special about it. Except for how big it is. And how old,” Stranglevine Starquencher told us.

“Could you bring it here to the cave?” Fallow asked gently. “I’d like to see how it reacts to the magic of this place.”

Episode 27 – A Feather

Bob made it to the tiny opening in the cave wall. He came out on the other side of the hill from where Bedlam and the scary faeries were at the cave opening. He used his hummingbird magic to summon others of his kind. But they were all brown.

Episode 28 – Gray Wings

Last time Bedlam saw the bright orange feather that surely had belonged to Bob the Hummingbird, but she found no trace of the brave little guy. Also, Fallow Blackmoon had grave news for Bedlam Thunder and it was related to her horrible vision.

“Bedlam, the rest of your burden is at least as great as mine. And dire. There is a connection between this world and ours. Just as many of the folk of Thistledown have doubles, things that happen here can eventually bleed over and into Thistledown.”

Thistledown

Midsummer Bedlam 29

A Hummingbird

Fairies Looking Through A Gothic Arch, John Anster 1900s

At first light the next day most of the drum circle gathered again at the entrance to the cave. Although, first light in the colorless world happened later in the morning than it did in Thistledown. The sun was in the same position, but it seemed to take it longer to build up enough illumination for the break of day.

As that sun shone weakly on the dull world around me, Fallow Blackmoon smiled at the sky as if she beheld a bright day. I supposed she had gotten used to the difference after so many years in that place.

The copper battleax glinted warmly in the wan sunlight. Stranglevine Starquencher moved it as Fallow Blackmoon requested, while she examined it in different lights.

“This ax is not of this world,” Fallow stated. “Like its twin in Thistledown, it was made there.”

Stranglevine seemed particularly surprised. Clearly he had never considered that his family heirloom had come from anywhere else. After a moment of conversation, Stranglevine hefted the great ax and carried it into the cave where they analyzed its reaction to the magical properties of the cave.

I followed rather reluctantly. I didn’t like the cave any better than the black abyss where I experienced the prolonged fall into that colorless world. While the copper ax didn’t seem to be influenced by the cave, I could feel the dark magic of the place like dirty oil against my skin.

Der sogenannte Märchendom in den Saalfelder Feengrotten

“This cave is within the same mountain as the great scrying stone’s cavern where you visited me,” Poison Ivy Razorleaf told me.

I perceived that Razorleaf had more innate magic than anyone else native to that world. His ability was second only to that of Fallow Blackmoon, who I had learned was from Thistledown. Razorleaf and Fallow started talking in quiet voices. They looked up at the endless seeming heights inside the mountain. They appeared to come to an agreement of sorts.

“We think this ax may well be able to sever the connection between our world and yours, Bedlam,” Razorleaf told me, but included the group.

“But what effect would that have on all of you? On your home?” I asked in dismay. “And Fallow, you’d never be able to get home. What if you changed your mind and wanted to go home? Or even visit?”

“Don’t worry, Bedlam,” Fallow told me in a kind voice. “I will not permit this until we have figured out how to get you back to Thistledown.”

I was appalled at the prospect and not just for Fallow’s sake. It seemed wrong to me, in ways that I couldn’t describe.

“It’s not about me!” I cried, not knowing how to explain. “It’s not about you either. It’s…” I fumbled to a halt, not able to put my desperate feelings into words.

Razorleaf looked at me curiously. Fallow looked at him, and then at me. She took a step closer, her brows knitted in concentration.

“That’s coming from the seer in you, isn’t it?” she said speculatively. “I sense your gift at work, but I can’t tell what message you’re getting.”

“Maybe it needs some time to digest,” Razorleaf suggested. “We can’t do anything with the ax until we figure out how to elevate it into the area from where you retrieved Bedlam as she was falling. The upper part of the cave you called the abyss,” he told Fallow.

While we spoke the great copper battleax started to vibrate. Stranglevine Starquencher grunted an exclamation of surprise. Then the ax levitated. As it rose to waist height, he grabbed onto the handle. The ax continued to ascend though he tried to pull it back to the ground.

Drummer Soulfire and her cousin Rotten jumped up to help. Stranglevine tried to motion them away.

“Be careful of the blade. There’s nothing sharper!” he yelled.

Instead of touching the ax Drummer and Rotten grabbed onto Stranglevine.

“You’d better get that thing outside,” Razorleaf told them with the smirk that seemed to be part of his nature.

I failed to see any comedy in the situation. Apparently even humor was dark in the colorless world. Fallow snorted and agreed that they’d best get out of the cave.

However, I did see something surprising as they wrestled the big copper battleax back to the floor of the cave. Amid the intricate engravings that decorated the ax was the image of a hummingbird.

Patti Black, Unsplash

***

Bob the hummingbird gazed at the others of his kind in dismay. It wasn’t just their dull coloring that concerned him. It was the scant amount of magic he sensed — in the hummers and everything else where he should have detected magic.

He cried out to the other hummingbirds and the hornless unicorns who came to his call. He asked that they summon all of their kind. Bob realized that they wouldn’t be able to accomplish very much with their faint enchantment, but anything was better than nothing.

Then Bob turned to go back inside the cave of the abyss. He gathered his courage and steeled his resolve. Using dark magic could end in death or worse. However, he saw no alternative. Bob would have to try and combine his hummingbird magic with the powers of the cave.

The End

***

This Week’s Faery Namers

Click the links to reveal the identity of the namers. Be sure to visit the “secret” bloggers who have faeries named in honor of them in this episode.

Stranglevine Starquencher https://nofacilities.com/

Fallow Blackmoon https://harvestinghecate.wordpress.com/

Poison Ivy Razorleaf https://hughsviewsandnews.com/

Rotten Soulfire http://www.authortranslatorolga.com/

Drummer Soulfire https://suedreamwalker.wordpress.com/about/

Tune in next weekend for Episode 30 — A Perversion of Phantoms. Until then…

Hugs on the wing!

All images are either the property of the author or provided by free sources, unless stated otherwise.

Thistledown – Midsummer Bedlam 28 — Gray Wings

Saturday, March 24, 2018

We’re back in the faery land of Thistledown. It’s great to see you. With this episode we leave Bob the hummingbird and go back to the point of view of Bedlam Thunder. We last saw her in the colorless world with some enigmatic folks. This time, a dire revelation.

Previously in Thistledown — Midsummer Bedlam

Episode 8 – Shadows of Body and Mind

Finally, the phantasms released me. I felt disoriented, queasy, and my head ached from the base of my skull. I squinted at the light of day. Vaguely I noted that River Mindshadow and Lavender Cozy were there, but I couldn’t understand why.

“Shadows,” I murmured, trembling. “Burned into the walls. So many shadows.”

Thistledown

Midsummer Bedlam 28

Gray Wings

Fairy by CE Brock, late 19th or early 20th century

Only a few of the drum circle remained when Fallow Blackmoon and Drummer Soulfire went back inside the cave. They checked the air again to see if the spores had dissipated enough to make the air safe to breathe. Everyone seemed eager to experience the property of the cave that amplified their slight innate magic. Drummer and Fallow had been whispering when they emerged from the cave. Their faces bore concerned expressions. Fallow discretely tucked something inside her gray snakeskin jacket.

“A few mushroom spores won’t do any harm. I hear they even have certain health benefits,” Poison Ivy Razorleaf suggested, with a wriggle of his eyebrows and a wink. “Why not go back inside? Dah-le, the day is wasting! I know we’re all very well able to take care of ourselves but being outside after dark is foolhardy in this day and age. I can circle around to the scrying cavern, but Drummer and Rotten have a bit of distance to cover before they get home,” he added in a more serious tone.

“The air should be clear enough,” Drummer told him. “But just barely. Be sure to tie a scarf around your mouth and nose.”

When the others went into the cave, Fallow motioned for me to remain outside with her. She looked troubled.

“Though I suspect there may have been others over time, I am the only person in this world who is from Thistledown,” Fallow Blackmoon began. “I have seen that many of the faeries I knew have doubles here, although I have none. Like me, you are a seer, Bedlam Thunder. You have no double in this world. I think only certain people from Thistledown are drawn here. I believe those people bear a great burden.”

Fairies, Edwin Austin Abbey, 1852-1911

The horrid visions I’d had were never far from my mind. If that wasn’t a burden, then I didn’t know what was. I described it to Fallow in detail.

(See Episode 8 – Shadows of Body and Mind)

“I had a powerful, awful vision. And I didn’t just see it, Fallow. I felt all the spewing emotions of hatred, self-importance, and fear! I felt vibrations that were caught inside my skull. Then I heard a loud whistle that came closer and louder. Though from far away, the singe of intense heat reached me,” I explained. “Then I saw the shadows. Impossible numbers of people were destroyed, wiped from existence! All that remained were their shadows — shadows that were blasted and burned into the rubble of walls. I’ve always felt that those devastating events had really taken place, somewhere…”

My voice trailed away as a suspicion came to me and quickly became a certainty. Fallow nodded gravely. However, she was silent for so long that I began to fidget. I unfurled my gossamer wings with the sudden urge to check my wound. It had finally been almost well. I groaned in dismay when I saw that the nearly healed tear looked somewhat worse.

“Rotten told me about your injured wing. She was so amazed to see anyone with wings! I didn’t heave the heart to tell her about mine,” Fallow told me in a wistful voice. “Your wing will not heal in this place. It will likely get worse and worse if we don’t find a way to get you back home.”

Her words worried me, not so much for myself, but for her. I felt something terrible must have happened to Fallow Blackmoon. My face must have shown my question. She took off her jacket and turned her back to me. Her wings were gray. She moved her shoulders in a very deliberate way, as though she had to force the muscles. When her wings extended, I saw that they were stunted and withered.

I tried in vain to take back the horrified gasp I made when I saw Fallow’s wings. She waved her hand and shrugged, but she looked sad.

Black Gray Swirls david-werbrouck-247332

David Werbrouck, Unsplash

“Yes, Bedlam. It happened in reality. Those events took place in this world. Although it happened years before I came here. Terrible as that was, it is only part of the reason there is so little magic in this world. Innate magic is rare, and Thistledown’s magic can barely survive,” she explained with a motion to her wings.

“Fallow, you must come back to Thistledown with me. Somehow, I’ll get back and you’ll come with me,” I told her. “Lavender Cozy is a marvelous healer. I’m sure she could help you.”

The bright pink streak in her hair shone in the gloom as Fallow shook her head. The things she had said and the way she reacted frightened me.

“No. The burden that brought me here is the burden that keeps me in this world,” she answered. “I knew what I was getting into. Though at the time, I hoped I could make a difference. I can’t heal the barely existent magic of this place, but I can make a difference.”

“Then, is that my burden as well?” I asked. “To stay here? To leave Thistledown forever?”

She gave a small smile and patted my hand.

“No, Bedlam. For one so young to carry that terrible vision… that is more than burden enough. You brought it here as a warning, a confirmation,” she told me with conviction. “Most of the people of this world have chosen to forget that those horrific events ever happened. Or at least they ignore the extent of the suffering and the way it decimated large areas of the world for decades afterward. They refuse to admit that they are headed toward the same kind of catastrophe, but one of even greater magnitude.”

“I don’t doubt your wisdom, but how could they possibly be so blind?” I asked, finding the situation unimaginable.

Dancing Fairies, August Malmström

She only shrugged and looked sad. I supposed words couldn’t describe and logic could not make sense of such circumstances. Fallow held my gaze and spoke in a very determined voice.

I thought of the pond next to Peaches Dragonfly’s orchard. The brown suckerfish and the odd little gray dog. I remembered the dark, shadowy thicket that had inexplicably developed where we found the dog. Those things had to be the result of what Fallow described as bleeding over from the colorless world and into Thistledown!

(See Episode 5 – Pucker Up)

Fallow pulled on her jacket. She brightened when she put her hand inside a pocket.

“Hearing about your vision, I almost forgot one of the most marvelous things I’ve seen in a very long time,” she said, pulling out a long iridescent orange feather. “This floated down to me when I went back into the cave.”

Even in Thistledown I had only seen such bright orange feathers on one creature.

“Bob!” I exclaimed.

I rushed back into the cave, but there was no sign of the hummingbird.

The End

***

This Week’s Faery Namers

Click the links to reveal the identity of the namers. Be sure to visit the “secret” bloggers who have faeries named in honor of them in this episode.

Fallow Blackmoon https://harvestinghecate.wordpress.com/

Drummer Soulfire https://suedreamwalker.wordpress.com/about/

Rotten Soulfire http://www.authortranslatorolga.com/

Poison Ivy Razorleaf https://hughsviewsandnews.com/

Lavender Cozy https://doctorly.wordpress.com/

Peaches Dragonfly https://apuginthekitchen.com

Things seem pretty dark… and I wonder if Bob the humming bird and Bedlam will find each other. Fly back to Thistledown again next time to see what happens.

Hugs on the wing!

For an entirely different variety of “fae” read Atonement, Tennessee. I’m currently editing book-2 and hope to publish soon.

Atonement Video Cover copy

Atonement, Tennessee

Amazon UK

All images are either the property of the author or provided by free sources, unless stated otherwise.

Thistledown – Midsummer Bedlam 27 — A Feather

Saturday, March 10, 2018

Thank you for flying over to the faery land of Thistledown.

Thistledown Girl

Previously in Thistledown — Midsummer Bedlam

Episode 24 The Other Seer. Bedlam Thunder was finally pulled from an endless fall in the black abyss. She had new friends among the “scarey” faeries to thank for that. Among them Fallow Blackmoon and Drummer Soulfire. However, she was again stuck in the colorless world.

Episode 26 Emptiness. When we left Bob the hummingbird, he was falling through the dark abyss. As Bob tried to gather his magic and his courage, not to mention his easily distracted focus, he felt a painful thud. A bat, in its mushroom induced high, flew higher than the rest of its cloud, colliding with the tiny bird.

Thistledown

Midsummer Bedlam 27

A Feather

Ruby-topaz_hummingbird_flying in Tobago

A jolt of pain.

Realization.

Fear.

Momentarily stunned by the impact of colliding with a bat, Bob dropped. Luck was with him though, and he landed on the back of a second bat. He tried to make his tiny feet grab onto the bat’s fur, but he wasn’t quick enough. In a burst of speed, the bat angled upward, in pursuit of the first one.

Bob slid the length of its back, but finally managed to grab onto the bat’s tail. The hummingbird thanked his lucky stars, because some bats didn’t have tails. The whiff of spore tainted air that had reached Bob, made him woozy. He poured all his focus into hanging onto the bat’s tail. He could only imagine what delirium possessed the bats, who had been in air thick with hallucinogenic spores.

With more than natural strength the bat broke free of the powerful current and rushed after its opponent. Clear air came to Bob’s lungs, reviving him. He sensed the dark magic of the cave and again considered trying to use it, despite the inherent dangers of it.

Bob knew he would have to do something before the bats caught up to one another. He pondered what would happen if he simply let go of the bat. After the things he had already endured, the tiny hummingbird didn’t have the strength left to fly around and explore the vast cave. If he continued the descent of the abyss, he would end up in the strong air current again, unable to control where he went, which would be back into the mushroom spores and the colony of bats.

Märchendom in den Saalfelder Feengrotten, Wiki Media

As the bat flew, Bob looked for something on which he might alight. Perhaps he could cling to a stalactite if one was near. Unlike many creatures, Bob couldn’t see very well in the dark. He tried to scan the area. A pinpoint of light came to his vision. He thought it was the same one he saw earlier. The light got larger as the bat flew closer to it.

Abruptly the bat banked hard to the right. He saw they had reached the other bat. The movement was so sudden that as the animal’s tail swung, flinging Bob a good distance away from the two bats. Wings beating in a blur, the hummingbird flew toward the spot of light.

The light encouraged Bob, drawing him onward, despite his exhaustion. Although it seemed radiant at first, he realized that it was only bright in contrast to the utter darkness of the cave. As he drew closer to the light, Bob saw that it was a crack in the wall of the cave. His strength gone, the hummingbird alighted in the fissure.

A week, milky sun greeted him. The colorless world.

As he gazed around, Bob realized his perch was high on the side of a mountain. He stretched to see the ground below, but he didn’t see the mouth of the cave. He wondered if there was an entrance.

His eyes wandered the area before him. It didn’t look all that different from Thistledown, but the lack of color was more than enough to tell him it was an alien place. The foliage and the insects were all dank colors. Among the brown leaves of a scraggly tree, he saw squirrel. It was gray, rather than green as it should have been. Bob spotted two steeds.

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Unicorns! he thought. But how awful. They’re hornless. And their fur… It’s a muddy color, not brilliant white. They don’t glow at all, as unicorns should.

Bob called out. The gray squirrel chittered at him from the nearby tree. However, he didn’t hear any voices of his own kind. Concentrating hard, Bob sent out a thread of hummingbird magic. Soon, a dozen hummers darted in the air beside the mountain.

They’re all brown. And they’ve barely a trace of magic. Nothing near what a hummingbird should have, Bob thought aghast.

Bob’s courage wavered. He saw no sign of Bedlam Thunder.

***

Fallow Blackmoon pulled a scarf from her gray snakeskin jacket. It was black with bright pink fringe. She wrapped the scarf around her face and walked back into the spore laden air of the cave. Drummer Soulfire tied her scarf similarly. Like her drum, the scarf fore the image of a bear. Their eyes squinted in the dirty air.

“We dare not stay in here more than a moment. At least not until the air has cleared of the spores,” Fallow warned. “I thought I sensed another magic. Not like Bedlam, but… At any rate, I don’t feel it now.

As they turned to leave, an iridescent orange feather floated down. Fallow extended her hand and it gently came to rest in her palm.

“Magic,” she murmured. “It’s been so long I had almost forgotten what hummingbirds were like there.”

The End

***

This Week’s Faery Namers

Click the links to reveal the identity of the namers. Be sure to visit the “secret” bloggers who have faeries named in honor of them in this episode.

Fallow Blackmoon https://harvestinghecate.wordpress.com/

Drummer Soulfire https://suedreamwalker.wordpress.com/about/

Bob the humming bird seems to be safe — at least for the moment. However, now he’s stuck in the colorless world too. Worse, he didn’t see Bedlam anywhere. Fly back to Thistledown again next time to see what happens.

In case you missed it…

Tuesday I posted a request for your votes and feedback. I want your input as I decide on what kind of blog serial to do when Thistledown is finished. It will be a “three things” style serial, with you sending three random things to drive the story. So I want you, the reader to be evolved every step of the way. If you missed that post you can vote for the type of serial you’d like and leave your thoughts here*. Please do vote and/or comment. It really helps my thought process.

Hugs on the wing!

All images are either the property of the author or provided by free sources, unless stated otherwise.

Thistledown – Midsummer Bedlam 26 — Emptiness

Saturday, March 3, 2018

I’m happy to see you here, in the faery land of Thistledown. It’s already March. Time continues to fly for us, but in Thistledown, they still haven’t managed to get to their biggest midsummer party. However, the story wings toward a conclusion… eventually.

Fairy_Islands_1916_by_Ida_Rentoul_Outhwaite

Writing Process

Thank you for bearing with me while I try to overcome my own “stuff” and write another episode. When I finished the last chapter, I thought the story would go back to the point of view of our hapless faery, Bedlam Thunder. However, it didn’t. There was more to tell from Bob the hummingbird. Now to Thistledown.

Previously in Thistledown — Midsummer Bedlam

Accessing the dangerous and ancient tome, the Etheraris Spiregris, the crochet circle spoke the Perversion of Phantoms spell. Working together they created a new opening to the black abyss, where Bedlam Thunder was trapped. However, the opening was far too small for the faeries to use. Then suddenly, Bob the hummingbird darted into the portal.

Thistledown

Midsummer Bedlam 26

Emptiness

Hummingbird, Kunstformen der Natur, 1904

Blackness.

Emptiness.

Magic. Dark magic.

Despair.

Bob the hummingbird tumbled wildly. His descent into the black abyss was so forceful that he didn’t even try to fly. He feared his wings would break. His hope was all but gone.

A pinpoint of light caught his eye as he toppled, head over tail. Distracted by the unexpected sight, his fear calmed and his rapid tumble slowed. In sudden epiphany, Bob managed to quiet his tornado of thoughts. Indeed, his panic had caused his drop to be faster and more chaotic.

Having quieted his mind, Bob’s saw that his descent slowed to a much less threatening speed. Cautiously he spread his wings. The hummingbird glided downward on a gentle current of air. He sensed ground somewhere far below. A trace of odor reached his nostrils.

Mushrooms? Oh, and a dangerous variety. There must be millions of spores down there. I’d best find a way around that place.

Bob tried to go with the air current rather than fight it, even though he glided closer to the air that was heavy with hallucinogenic mushroom spores. Then the first sound he had heard since entering the portal reached his ears. Leather wings rustled ― hundreds of them.

Bats. Lots and lots of bats.

Wiki Media Commons

The sound came from below him, but Bob didn’t know how he could alter his descent to steer clear of them. A horrifying realization came to the hummingbird. The bats were breathing the spore laden air. There was no telling what hallucinations they experienced, or how they would react as a result.

As Bob got closer to the bats, he could hear the chaos caused by their altered state. He didn’t think he could make it through the cloud of bats alive. They were larger and stronger than a hummingbird.

The hummingbird saw the pinpoint of light again. He struggled against the current of air he rode, but could not break free.

Bob felt the vibration before he heard it ― the beat of a drum. It tapped out a message, a message for Bedlam Thunder! His hope blossomed.

Could Bedlam be somewhere nearby? The drum was dir ected to her, so maybe… Oh, but the drumbeat carries the tiniest trace of enchantment. Could hummingbird magic blend with it enough to draw him to the source of the beat?

Bob wondered if that combination could give him the strength to break free of the current before he collided with the colony of hallucinating bats. He combined his innate talents with the trace from the tapping drum. Disappointed, Bob realized it was not enough.

Adding the dark magic of the cave would be the only chance Bob had. Yet it was difficult and unspeakably dangerous.

As Bob tried to gather his magic and his courage, not to mention his easily distracted focus, he felt a painful thud. A bat, in its mushroom induced high, flew farther up than the rest of its cloud, colliding with the tiny bird.

Copper-rumped hummingbird in flight

The End

***

This Week’s Faery Namers

Bob flew in for a solo appearance for today’s chapter. So, unfortunately there are no shout-outs. Rest assured that the Faery Namers will be back.

Fun with words: Did you notice the word cloud? I’ve heard groups of bats called colonies, but a group of them can also be called a cloud.

Now Bob is trapped in the abyss. A ray of hope, dangerous dark magic, and then a collision with a hallucinating bat? The heroic hummingbird seems to have become as hapless as his friend Bedlam. Until next time…

Hugs on the wing!

All images are either the property of the author or provided by free sources, unless stated otherwise.

Thistledown – Midsummer Bedlam 25 — Reopening

Saturday, February 24, 2018

Welcome back to the whimsical faery land of Thistledown.

Previously in Thistledown — Midsummer Bedlam

When we last met, Bedlam Thunder had met friends among the “scarey” faeries of the colorless world in Episode 24 The Other Seer. Yes, she landed in that bleak world again, and who knows how she’ll get back to Thistledown. Meanwhile her friends and the crochet circle are still trying to rescue her. Let’s go back to Thistledown and see how their efforts are going.

From Episode 22, A Hair Aflame (click here)

Bob darted up to the ceiling as the periwinkle muskox hair sizzled and lifted up from the pages of the ancient tome. The hair sparked and burst into purplish-blue flame. Then it was gone.

The black portal popped shut.

Thistledown

Midsummer Bedlam 25

Reopening

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Bob the hummingbird watched in stunned horror. His rapidly beating wings stilled and he dropped halfway to the floor before he caught himself. The magical muskox hair he had brought to Bedlam Thunder — the one he hoped would lead her in her quest — sizzled and flamed.

Purplish blue sparks glittered the room where the crochet circle gathered, trying to save Willow Rainbow’s niece, Rhymer Rainbow, as well as River Mindshadow and Bedlam Thunder, from the dark abyss.

Periwinkle colored lightning shot haphazardly around Willow Rainbow’s library. A brightly colored bolt narrowly missed Blossom Stargazer, zapping her blue tam. Her crocheted cap lay smoking on the floor. Tinder Willowtree fluttered to the ceiling as another bolt hit the floor, singeing her slippers. In a particularly close call, the large moonstone that Crescent Glimmer wore was struck a glancing blow.

(See Chapter 8 — Shadows of Body and Mind for more about Crescent’s moonstone.)

Crescent yelped in surprise. The previously pastel stone glowed with deep purplish blue. Beneath the pendant, an angry red spot marked Crescent’s clavicle.

“I’m a bit singed, but it’s not bad,” Crescent assured everyone. “I wonder… I have an odd intuition that I’ve been marked in a way that could become useful.”

“Bedlam is still in there. We have to do something!” River shouted.

“How will we get Bedlam back? Without the hair we’ll lose track!” Rhymer cried.

Daniele Levis Pelusi, Unsplash

Willow Rainbow gazed at the Etheraris Spiregris. She took a steadying breath.

“This tome is dangerous and should only be used by an expert, one who has studied it for a lifetime. No one here is qualified to use it. Why didn’t I burn the wretched thing?” Willow said remorsefully. “I have no special powers, but…”

Then Willow Rainbow placed her trembling hands on the cover of the Etheraris Spiregris. In a soft voice she murmured words that Bob could not catch. The hummingbird knew it was a spell.

A sound like chimes emanated from the ancient book. The cover burst open and the pages turned of their own accord. Abruptly it stopped. Everyone gathered, and Willow quickly warned them not to read anything aloud in unison. It was a spell for a circle to perform. No more than one voice at a time should read.

“A Perversion of Phantoms,” she named the spell and the pages rustled as if in reply.

Everyone gathered around the book and studied the spell. They shook their heads or muttered discouraged words. It was a very advanced, difficult spell. Finally, a hushed agreement was reached. The crochet circle joined hands, but Field Yewwasp took a step back. Imploring eyes turned to the huge furry faery.

“We need everyone,” several of them commented.

“My magic vibrates at a different level from yours,” he explained. “It might make no difference, or it might cause the spell to twist and be, well… as it is named, a perversion.”

Soft voices began reading the spell. The chimes returned, hitting varied discordant notes. The faery voices fumbled and halted, but the ear wrenching chimes continued. Field looked at the circle with narrowed eyes.

“Stop reading. Let go of one another’s hands,” he suggested. “Now breathe in, and then out. On the out-breath take each other’s hands again, and then breathe in.”

“Field is right. We need to cleanse our thoughts,” Blossom Stargazer added.

Wikimedia Commons

They rejoined hands and read the spell a second time. The chimes evened and gradually drew into a single clear note. The air was filled with intense vibrations. The circle started reading the spell a third time. Their concentration was so complete that their wings unfurled and they lifted up from the floor. The vibration in the air became so strong that it effected Bob’s hovering flight. He alighted on Field’s shoulder unsteadily.

The pages of the Etheraris Spiregris glowed with building periwinkle light. The glow coalesced into a single beam, which flowed to Crescent Glimmer’s moonstone. As the beam touched the moonstone, its glow increased. The stronger beam shot to the place where the gaping maw of the abyss had been.

After a moment a small black opening appeared. Pepper Stargazer sighed in frustration along with most of the others.

“That’s far too small for any faery,” Pepper said. “We have an opening, but what can we do with it?”

Bob eyed the tiny portal. When it formed the vibrations in the air became bearable. He fluttered up from Field’s shoulder. However, a shift in the stance of the furry faery caused him to look back.

“Bob,” Field began in a soft rumble, unheard by the circle. “I realize hummingbirds have unique magic that is barely understood by faery-kind. “But what you have in mind is very hazardous ― too dangerous for anyone to attempt.”

Field seemed to understand Bob’s determination. A burst of air came from his lips that was so strong it would have knocked Bob across the room, if it had come in his direction. Fortunately, Field turned his head.

“Since you are so determined,” the furry faery told him. “Keep an eye out for a copper battleax. I don’t know what means, but it’s important. There is one here. Ah! I see you’ve seen it,” he added as Bob bobbed. “I believe there will be one where you’re trying to go. But you still should not attempt this.”

Bob held the huge faery’s gaze. Finally, Field nodded.

Bob the hummingbird darted into the tiny opening to the great abyss.

The End

***