Saturday, April 14, 2018

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.

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)

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.

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.
Copyright © 2018 by Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene
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