by Ivory Autumn
“Oh,” Gogindy cried, groveling before the Twisker guards, “have mercy. Please don't hurt us!”
“Shut up!” The gruffest Twisker thundered, shoving Gogindy away from him. “Now will you or will you not come and meet your fate?”
“Yes, yes,” Rhapsody said, “We will come. But as for meeting our fate, it may not be the fate you are thinking of.”
The Twisker guards then led them from Gogindy’s home and took them before the great king Dandywheel.
“Oh save us,” Gogindy moaned. “Save me.”
“Shut up you pup!” the guards told Gogindy, backing away as a loud pounding of small drums sounded---ta, ta, ta ra, ra, ra, ta, ta, ra, ra, ra.
A multitude of gathering Twiskers stared at them from every angle, whispering exclamations of fright. Twisker servants of king Dandywheel, spread smooth green leaves like a carpet on the ground, as king Dandywheel walked towards them. The Twisker looked formidable with his dandelion seed headdress swaying back and forth as he walked, his large angry eyes peering out at them through it, like two glowing moons in a misty cloud of fluff.
“Which one of you claims to be an elf with power over plants?” King Dandywheel thundered.
Andrew hesitated a moment, but a Twisker guard pushed him forward. “He does, sir,” the Twisker shouted.
King Dandywheel inspected Andrew from head to toe in dislike. “This is the great elf? The one who destroyed one of our sacred dandelions? If he is an elf, he is a bad one, a spy, sent by Morack, or Vargas, equipped with special powers of darkness!”
“Oh,” Gogindy cried, “he is an elf---a good elf. I’m sure of it!”
King Dandywheel looked at Gogindy with angry eyes. “You know nothing, you mewing kitten. You are a shame to all Twiskerhood! You have housed prisoners and trespassers, and because you have done this, you have endangered all our lives. From this day forward, your name will be spoken of in shame, and all your descendents will be shunned as outcasts. ”
“Please!” Gogindy wept. “Have mercy!”
“The day for mercy is past,” King Dandywheel shouted, turning to face the crowd of angry Twiskers. “Know this, O' Twisker's, that from this day forward, I banish Gogindy, the Twisker, from the Dandelion Den, forever!”
“No,” Gogindy wept, falling to the ground and whimpering. “Please just give me another chance! Please, I promise I'll do better! I'll make you proud. I will!”
“Even if you had ten thousand more chances,” King Dandywheel replied. “It wouldn’t be enough. You're no longer a Twisker of the Dandelion Den!”
“No, no, no!” Gogindy howled. “Anything but that. Kill me first, please!”
“If that is your desire!” King Dandywheel’s voice boomed. He raised a small sword above Gogindy’s head, ready to strike the Twisker down.
Lancedon's hazel eyes flashed with anger. He drew his sword and stood in front of Gogindy protectively. “Oh, great king Dandywheel, if I were you I wouldn’t be so hasty. Gogindy has spoken truth. He has saved not only us, but, perhaps in saving us, he has saved your small den.”
“Oh really?” King Dandywheel let out a loud laugh. “Gogindy is a fool! He couldn’t save his own life if he wanted to.”
“He is no fool,” Rhapsody said, stepping up to King Dandywheel. “He is capable of saving many things. Perhaps he has saved you from the elf's wrath.” Rhapsody bowed grandly to King Dandywheel. “Your great highness, if it pleases you, let us fix the damage we have done to your dandelion, for no power of darkness is able to bring life back into that which it has withered. And we are not of darkness, but of light. Light can restore that which is lost. If we do this, you must give back my staff, which was stolen, and promise us safe passage through your land. If you dare hinder us further, I and my companions will have no choice but to fight.”
“Grumph,” King Dandywheel murmured, frowning. “So be it. Let us see if you can heal the hurt you have caused.”
They were led, along with a huge procession of Twiskers, to the dead dandelion that Andrew had killed. It looked like a huge blackened stump, curled and withered. Yellow smoke rose up from its center, like a smoldering pile of dung that reached high into the sky.
The great crowd of Twiskers could be heard snickering among themselves. They knew there was no way it could be fixed.
Andrew paused before the dead dandelion, unsure. His heart beat faster and his hands trembled. He didn’t know if he could bring the huge dandelion back to its original state. He’d never done something like this before. What would happen?
“Hah,” King Dandywheel laughed, noting Andrew’s uneasiness. “The fraud elf is afraid! He cannot do it. He is an imposter, a darkened elf of the blackest kind!”
The great crowd of Twiskers roared in agreement, glaring at Andrew as if he was a horrible being.
Andrew clenched his fists as he stared at the crowd of hateful Twiskers. Their shouts were deafening. He could feel his concentration and confidence dwindle. Perhaps they were right.
“Don't listen to them, Andrew,” Ivory cried, placing her hand on his shoulder. “I have faith in you.”
Andrew smiled and nodded. Then taking courage, he placed both hands on the dandelion, and closed his eyes, concentrating with all his might. At his touch, a cry went up from the crowd of Twiskers, as great veins of silvery green shot up from the dead stem until the dead dandelion slowly revived, like a wilted flower given water, unfolding leaf, by leaf, into its former glory. As soon as the deed was done, Andrew fell back from the dandelion, exhausted.
A hush fell over the Twiskers as they gathered around Andrew’s body, in fear and awe. Andrew gradually became aware of a strange tickling on his face. He opened his eyes, seeing hundreds of Twisker eyes blinking back at him.
“The elf lives!” they all shouted, excitedly. “Hooray! The blessing of the elves has visited the Dandelion Den, once again!”
The Twiskers placed Andrew on a leaf-covered litter and carried him along, singing joyfully as they went.
King Dandywheel's countenance was very much changed, as he graciously led the group back to his dandelion, where the rejoicing Twiskers insisted on feeding them a rich meal of Spoegrum fruit, berries, and salad.
After Andrew had eaten the reviving Spoegrum fruit, he felt much better. He sat in the chair of honor, gazing on in fascination as the energized Twiskers moved, sang, and danced before him, darting around so quickly that he couldn’t tell what was going on.
“The blessing of the elves has visited this small den, again,” King Dandywheel said, raising his arms to quiet the Twiskers. “Our ancestors recorded for us the history of this place and told us that in the beginning, our beloved dandelions were no bigger than small flowers. But after the elves came here, and after they sang and danced among the small dandelions, the dandelions grew to what we now call our homes. And we were also blessed with the strange fruit that grows here, blessed fruit that gives us long life and energy. Long has it been said that some day we would give a great gift to the elves, in payment for their kindness.”
“Yes,” the Twiskers murmured in agreement.
“Now,” King Dandywheel cried above their cheers, “Andrew the elf is not the only elf here with us today. The beloved Rhapsody Rumble, an elf of Levwood, has also graced us with his presence. And their friends and companions are as welcome here as they. They are on a dangerous journey, one they might never return from, one that might free us from the ever- growing fear of Morack, Vargas, the Shade, and The Fallen Lord of the north. I hereby revoke my harsh words to Gogindy. He has saved us from ourselves, and our shame. He gave kindness to these strangers, when we did not. He is to be greatly commended.”
“Gogindy! Gogindy!” the Twiskers shouted in approval. “Hurray for Gogindy!”
Gogindy stood in front of the crowd of Twiskers, waving his hands and smiling, sopping up all the praise he could. Then King Dandywheel raised his arms, and quieted the crowd once more. “What gift shall we give the elves before we set them on their way?”
“Give the boy the necklace infused with the liquid of the Spoegrum fruit,” cried the Twiskers.
“Ah,” King Dandywheel agreed. “That is a choice gift, made by one of the first Twiskers who lived in this land. The necklace has the ability to give energy to its wearer. A very good gift.”
King Dandywheel had the necklace brought. Its chain was made out of a thin lace of silver. On the end of it was a small tear-shaped, blue, transparent stone, resembling a drop of water. King Dandywheel placed the necklace on Andrew’s neck, and smiled. “May it give you strength when it is needed.”
Andrew smiled and bowed low. “Thank you.”
At that, a light came into Gogindy's eyes. He whispered something to King Dandywheel.
“Uh, yes, yes…a very good idea,” King Dandywheel said, nodding. “And for another gift I give---that is if you will take it---the companionship of Gogindy. He wishes to come with you on your journey.”
“Gogindy wishes to come with us?” Rhapsody smiled and nodded. “It has been prophesied that something small will do something very great. I believe that Gogindy will help fulfill this prophecy. Yes. Let him come. It his destiny.”
“So be it,” King Dandywheel cried. “Gogindy will go with you, to prove his bravery, his loyalty, and his great courage. To bring honor to our Den, he will go with you. Today, let it be written that Gogindy the warrior has made his way out into the wide world, in defense of our Den. May he come back, in honor, bringing great respect and glory to his heritage and clan.”
The Twiskers all cheered. Gogindy was given a new sword, and all the smaller Twiskers braided the top part of his hair. The travelers’ things were returned to them, including Rhapsody’s staff. Then, in the dim light of evening, Gogindy led them back to his dandelion house, where he gathered a few of his belongings. Lancedon retrieved the horse he’d hidden beneath an old lean-to, behind Gogindy’s house. The horse’s name was Follymane. It was a beautiful horse, entirely black, except for a small, white, half-moon mark on its rump.
“Let’s be going,” Gogindy said, locking the door to his home. He gave his dandelion home one last sorrowful look. “I'm going to miss this place.” He sniffed and wiped his eyes. “I don’t know if I can leave it.”
“You don’t have to come with us,” Rhapsody said. “If you come with us, you may never come back.”
Gogindy ran his fingers through his quivering whiskers, and nodded. “That’s, why I’m coming. I want to return. It will make me all the more courageous.”
“You are wiser than you look,” Rhapsody replied. “lead on, Gogindy, the brave.”
“Yes,” Gogindy murmured, gently patting his Dandelion home. “Goodbye old Dandelion Den.” He wiped a tear, then quietly led them out of the Dandelion Den, towards the burnt meadow. All were laden with packs, full of Spoegrum fruit, provided by King Dandywheel.
Lancedon rode his beautiful horse, humming softly as they exited the den. Gogindy led them through the vast forest of tall dandelions and up a steep mountain. When they reached the top, they could see the great dandelions spread out over the land beneath them, like glowing bubbles lit by moonshine.
Gogindy paused at the sight, and sighed sadly. Then he hefted his heavy pack back onto his shoulders and led them down the other side of the hill, through a dark tunnel---the Twiskers secret passage, until they found themselves on a rising mound of dirt, over which they could see the field of burnt flowers Andrew had touched.
Ivory let out a gasp when she saw the parched meadow. “What…happened?
“What do you think?” Talic said, giving Andrew a sideways glance.
Andrew turned away from Ivory’s horrified stare, and pursed his lips, thoughtfully.
“He did it for you, Ivory.” Rhapsody said, placing a kind hand on her shoulder. “So he could find you.”
Ivory nodded. Her eyes filled with understanding. “Oh…”
Andrew felt a sudden feeling of guilt rush over him. He had disappointed Ivory once more. He couldn’t quite understand why, but he couldn’t stand the thought of Ivory thinking ill of him. He reached down to touch a few of the dead flowers, to revive them, but Rhapsody put out his hand to stop him. “No! You’ve already done too much for the day. Let this field go. Sometimes things can never be as they were.”
“But I can do it. I know I can.”
“I know you can. But don’t. I will not hear anymore about it. Do not touch a single one! Every time you use your gifts, it can be smelled.”
“Smelled?”
“Yes, smelled by something I have already told you about.”
Andrew’s face filled with anger. “I don’t have to listen to you, Rhapsody, you’re not my father.”
“No, I’m not,” Rhapsody retorted, “but you WILL listen to me!” His voice caused the ground to rumble and the wind to moan and toss up the dead ashes.
Andrew was taken back by Rhapsody’s outburst. He went instantly silent, feeling resentment flow over him. Who was Rhapsody to tell him what to do, or what not to do?
He trudged angrily on ahead, over to their horses they had left grazing on the other side of the meadow that had not been withered. Once there, they made up camp, and Andrew sat by the fire staring at the dead field, feeling angrier and angrier.
“Andrew,” Rhapsody murmured, noting Andrew’s dark expression. “Do not be so angry. You must understand that I wouldn’t ask you to do something without a reason. From now on, you must promise me to come to me first before using your gifts.”
Andrew stared at Rhapsody with smoldering eyes. “I thought you were my friend. Do have any idea what it was like for me to live for months, afraid to touch anything living, for fear of killing it. Now that I know I can change things, and make them live, you say I cannot use that power. You just want to control me. Just like everybody else. ”
“No. Andrew, it’s not like that.”
“Don’t you understand, it’s the first time in my life that I’ve ever been able to do the things I’ve done here, but now you just want me to stop. You might as well ask me to stop breathing.”
“I don’t want you to stop anything. I just want you to be careful.”
Andrew let out a loud gust of air, and turned his back on Rhapsody. “Just leave me alone.”
Rhapsody sighed, and turned away, “Fine. Just remember, Andrew, that there is a big difference between doing something because it makes you feel important, like a good person, and actually doing good because it’s the right thing to do”
“And sometimes,” Andrew retorted, “you must do what you can, when you can, or you’ll never get another chance.” He turned away from Rhapsody and lay down, closing his eyes, trying to ignore the hurt look on Rhapsody’s face.
Andrew lay there for a long time, thinking. There was no way Rhapsody was going to tell him what to do. He was his own boss. He would use his gifts when he wanted to. He waited until everyone had gone to sleep. Then when he was sure that all was safe, he got up and stood in the middle of the wasted field. He knelt down, glancing nervously over his shoulder, then ran his fingers through the ashes.
The instant he ran his fingers through the earth, a great wind came up and tossed the ashes into the air. The ground whispered and laughed as thousands of wonderful green stems shot up from the ground, unfolding one after another into hundreds of purple flowers.
Andrew smiled, feeling powerful, and happy. He had done it. It was amazing. He was amazing!
“You shouldn’t have done that!” Rhapsody thundered, standing over Andrew, his eyes fierce and his face filled with anger. “Do you have any idea what you have done?”
Andrew stood up and faced Rhapsody. “Get away from me old man. I can do just fine without you.”
Wind rustled Rhapsody’s cape, causing him to shiver. “You may just have your wish, Andrew.” He closed his eyes and breathed in, catching an exceptionally foul smell drifting in the air. “They are near. Very near indeed.”
“They?”
“The Barna
cles,” Rhapsody murmured. No sooner had he said the word, than a chilly dark shadow covered the moon.
Andrew looked around him, trembling, but having no idea why. Something dark was near. “I don’t understand,” he murmured, every ounce of his previous pride vanished from his countenance.
“Of course you don’t!” Rhapsody thundered. “You don’t listen at all, do you? You have summoned this darkness to yourself, by your own selfish pride.”
Andrew’s face drained of color. “I’m…sorry.”
“Sorry?” Rhapsody growled. He grabbed the hem of Andrew’s cloak, a gift Andrew had received from the Twiskers, and tore off a section, wadding it up into his hands. “Well, sorry won’t fix this! Only blood can. Hurry, Andrew, hold out your hand.”
“Why?”
“Why, why? Must you always ask so many questions? Just do it!”
“Fine.” Andrew held out his hand.
Rhapsody took Andrew’s arm, and before he knew what had happened, Rhapsody grabbed it and jabbed the sharp end of a dagger into his skin. Blood immediately began oozing from the wound.
“What are you doing, trying to kill me?” Andrew cried, jumping back.
“Far from it,” Rhapsody snapped, dabbing a piece of the torn cape onto Andrew’s bleeding arm. “I needed to get your scent on it---your blood.”
Rhapsody turned and faced the others who were just starting to wake, looking just as bewildered as Andrew.
“I’m sorry,” Rhapsody said, looking at his friends, with a fatherly longing in his eyes. “If there was any other way, I’d stay with you. But the time is short, and this new complication must be dealt with before it is too late.”
“You’re leaving?” Lancedon wondered, confused.
Rhapsody nodded. “Yes. For a time.” He placed a firm hand on Lancedon’s shoulders. “It seems a great tragedy to leave you all, now, because I have waited so long and worked so hard to find you.”