by Nancy Gaskin
Wise Ones
They walked through the ancient forest until they came to a clearing with many flowers. As Dagmar surveyed her surroundings she realised that the flowers were actually growing in circles and other geometric shapes, all over the clearing. Fana led the way to a large hedge and through a well concealed entrance as they arrived at the home of the Wise Ones. The two girls stared around in utter amazement at the little house and neat little garden. As they followed Fana along the winding path which led past neat beds of assorted vegetables edged with pretty flowers. The girls were enchanted with the sheer beauty of the garden and it reminded Dagmar of her grandparents’ garden.
As they neared the house a lovely voice could be heard, following the path they found the source of the singing. A very pretty lady, wearing a large straw hat, which hid most of her face. Fana called out “Merry Meet gentle mother” looking up from her task she responded “Merry Meet daughter. How was your journey?” “We had an uneventful journey thank the Goddess.” answered Fana. The girls stood by quietly, looking around not wanting to draw attention to themselves. “Merry Meet daughters. Come children, let us go inside and I will make us some refreshments.” said the lady as she stood and dusted her hands on her long brown apron, tied around her small waist. She was a tall, slender woman with long silver hair tied in a simple braid that went well past her lower back.
Following the woman, who walked in a graceful and regal manner leading the way. As they approached the house Dagmar saw that it was a small hut made of logs and had a thatch roof. It was a pretty little place with windows that had flowers growing on the sill. The hut looked very small and homely, the girl wondered how they were all to fit into it. As they walked around the corner a gentleman was just stepping out of the door, smiling in greeting saying “Merry Meet daughters of the forest. Welcome to Rhiannon and my home. Enter and be at peace.” He stood back to let them enter as he beamed at every single one as they walked past him and then gave the lady a big kiss on the cheek as she entered. Smiling broadly he reached out and took Fana into his arms and hugged her closely “How have you been my daughter? I know we only saw each other a few days ago but many things happen in shorted time spans.” “I am well Falcon. Everything is as it should be. I am just so happy to be with you both.” Smiling up at Falcon and returning the hug. He then reached out and took Fawn into his loving embrace “Merry Meet sweetling Fawn. I am ever so happy to see you.” Embracing him back Fawn replied “Merry Meet gentle father, I am very happy to be here and to meet you.” Releasing Fawn, he then turned his attention to Dagmar, smiling broadly he opened his arms with the girl willingly walking into them for a loving embrace “Merry Meet precious sweetling. I sense much beauty and gentleness about you. There is much we need to discuss later about your gifting time.” “Merry Meet gentle father” replied the girl copying the responses of Fana and fawn, unable to work out what he meant. “Let us have some refreshments and we can talk then Falcon. Come daughters, there is a wonderful part of my garden you have not seen and it is the prettiest little patch.” Guiding the small group through a hallway and then several large rooms, which had the two girls look at each other in utter amazement considering they saw the outside of the building at it was very small. They reached a large opening that led into an area where the grass was the greenest and most lush that any of them had ever seen, in the centre was a large mushroom that served as a table and around it were several smaller mushrooms that were the seats. Roses were growing along three walls of such a brilliant display of colours with their scent wafting gently on the breeze.
Walking directly to the mushroom table Rhiannon indicated that they should make themselves comfortable. She turned towards the house again only to meet Falcon half way and she took some of his burdens off his hands and followed him back to the small group. Falcon had a tray laden with plates and bowls as well as tulip shaped cups and Rhiannon followed with a large jug, they placed everything on the table and sat down. “Now then who is thirsty?” asked Rhiannon in a bright voice, as she filled cups “Firstly though,” she said “let us give thanks to Our Mother Gaya for providing us with this food so that we can nourish and protect Her! Now then, I am sure you are all thirsty as well as hungry. What do we have to offer Falcon?” she asked the man “Oh my darling we have fruits and nuts and bread rolls. We also have cheese, honey and some of that deliciously sweet berry spread you have made. Help your selves my daughters and don’t be shy,” he said with a chuckle looking at the two girls who were hungrily looking at the food on offer. Without hesitation both girls reached for bread rolls and the berry spread Falcon had mentioned, Fana was a little more reserved and took some bread and cheese to begin the meal with. Thoroughly enjoying the taste of the spread the girls had a second helping before reaching for some fruit and having a big drink of pure rain water. Having consumed their food in silence and with their bodies replenished with nourishment, they all relaxed.
Rhiannon turned to Fana and asked “I know you have come to get advice about your sweetling and I also sense many gifts in this child, what can we do for you?” “Gentle Mother, when we found the child she was near drowned and then she took a bad fever. She was incoherent. As she became well some of us noticed things about her, which are not bad” glancing at Dagmar to make sure she understood “she told us how she came to be here and I know that Queen Titania had been searching and had also gone beyond the curtain to speak to her grandparents. I can feel that her gifting is close and am wondering if you would help me guide her. I need your wisdom because as you have already said there are many gifts I can also sense.” She continued to explain. Fawn and Dagmar sat quietly and listened intently to Fana and Rhiannon’s conversation whilst Falcon sat back and observed the girls closely.
Rhiannon sat in deep thought for a short while and then turned to the girl “Dagmar, my daughter could you come over here please.” obediently the girl got up and walked around the mushroom table sn stood on front of the woman. Rhiannon stood up and placed her long slender fingers gently on either side of Dagmars face and closed her eyes, humming and gently swaying from side to side. As she slowly opened her eyes again she smiled “Well you ARE a little bundle of surprises my sweet. I sense many gifts in you. Tell me sweetling, have you ever had injured animals come to you for aid?” she asked the girl. With a shocked look on her face Dagmar nodded “and have you touched someone and they felt much better afterwards?” again the girl nodded “Yes gentle mother, my Oma has joint pain in the colder seasons and she asks me to put my hands over hers to ease the ache. She calls my hands healing hands and I always find animal friends when I go and play in the woods.” she explained. Falcon then said “Sweetling your gifting will be upon you within the next day. It will be a time of changes and joy. We will guide you through this time if you trust us.” everyone looked at Falcon in surprise. “Where did THAT come from my love?” asked Rhiannon. Looking a little perplexed Falcon shook his head as if to clear it “I have NO idea my love. I was not in control.” he replied still looking very perplexed by what had just occurred. All sat deep in thought for a short while “Who spoke through you? The last time this happened was well over a thousand years ago. By the Gods, THIS child is very important indeed!” said Rhiannon in amazement still holding Dagmars face gently between her fingers, dropping them as if embarrassed. “What do you mean? Me important.” asked the girl looking at Falcon and Rhiannon alternatively trying to make sense of what had just happened. “Tonight we cast a circle!” said Rhiannon in a determined voice. Fana got up and said “We had better go and pack up our camp since we will not be getting back there this evening. Come girls we will go and do that now.” ushering he girls before her when Rhiannon stopped her “Do not worry yourself dear daughter. You possessions have all arrived with the help of some of my little friends. They are already waiting in the guest room, come and I will show you.” leading the way inside she walked down another corridor which the
girls did not see when they arrived. Walking a short distance, they came to a set of double doors, reaching for the handles Rhiannon threw open the doors and walked in. “Here we are my precious daughters. Fana, I thought you may like a little privacy so I think this bed would suit you.” indicating a lovely four post bed with gossamer curtains in a concealed alcove. “Oh gentle mother it is absolutely lovely!” exclaimed Fana looking with delight at the small niche. Turning to the girls Rhiannon smiled and said “I believe you two enjoy spending time talking, so with that in mind I think that one large bed would suffice for you.” she led the girls to the farthest part of the room, which seemed a lot larger then it first looked, and there the girls saw a massive four post bed with sheer rainbow coloured curtains. “Go on girls try it out!” said the woman with a smile.
The girls walked over to the bed and climbed on. Closing the curtain around them the first thing they noticed was the absolute silence. They saw the woman’s lips move but could not hear a thing. Fawn ducked her head out from behind the curtain saying apologetically “Gentle Mother we could not hear a word you were saying.” upon hearing that Rhiannon burst out laughing “That my sweetlings is because that curtain contains all sound and keeps all sound out as well. Sound proof curtains, so to say. You will be able to chat and chat and not disturb dear Fana.” replied the woman still chuckling. The girls looked at each other and grinned. Jumping off the bed they ran over the Rhiannon “Thank you gentle mother.” they said in unison as she reached out and gave them both a warm loving hug. “You are more than welcome my sweet daughters.” she replied smiling lovingly at them. She then turned and walked to the door, as she reached the door she turned saying “Rest and unpack my darling daughters and we will see you a little later to begin preparations for our precious Dagmars gifting.” turning back to the door she walked through, closing it behind her.
Fana and the girls gathered where their possessions were piled on a small table, reaching for their individual satchels and baskets they proceeded to go and unpack what they needed for the night. Each wrapped in her own thoughts, Dagmar broke the silence by asking no one in particular “What did they mean by gifting?” Fana stepped into sight and walked over to where the girl was standing. “We all have certain gifts. Remember clove from the village? She has a gift when it comes to making containers of all kinds which near on ALWAYS find their true owner. Lavander and herb incredible understanding of herbs and we all have some minor ability to heal and commune with the plants and trees or with the birds and fish depending where a person is born. Does that make sense sweetling?” “Um in a way Fana. Let me see if I can explain it my way back to you. Opa has a gift for tracking animals and communicating with them he also is at one with plants and trees. Oma is gifted with healing and herb knowledge. Is that what you mean?” “Yes sweetling exactly. You are very clever. From what Falcon said you have a combination of your grandparent’s gifts as well as one or two of your own. We shall see this evening when we cast the circle. Now unpack and rest because tonight will be long. Since you are already dressed for the ceremony we don’t have to worry about those little things, just rest and if you can have a little sleep.” Suggested Fana as she turned to go to her niche and rest for a while.
Dusk had fallen and the rooms were in a gentle murky light when Rhiannon and Falcon came to get Fana and the girls. Falcon dressed in deep green shirt and pants with bare feet and a cloak made of very large feathers. His bushy white hair combed and his bushy beard made into small braids with beads on the end, jingling and rattling as he moved his head and spoke “Arise sweet daughters for it is time for the gifting.” Rhiannon wore a midnight blue long dress synced at the waist with a silver cord and a cloak with a very wide hood made of the deepest black that shimmered green and blue and purple as she moved. Her white hair was undone and flowing around her shoulders down to her knees as a living cloak, holding a tall staff made of ancient oak inscribed with runes and topped with a large tear shaped amethyst crystal. The small group had been ready for a while having all awoken a short time ago and freshened up to be ready when called.
They walked in single file with Falcon leading and then Fana, fawn, Dagmar and Rhiannon at the end, down the passage out into the evening twilight and walked a little way until they reached a line of trees. Producing from somewhere within the folds of his cloak Falcon produced several unlit torches. He handed one to Fana and the other to Rhiannon, with a word and a gesture all three torches were a flame with a merry little fire catching hold to create light by which to walk. Then, this time Rhiannon took the lead and then Fawn, Fana, Dagmar and Falcon as rear guard, walked through the tree line which was about five to six trees deep and they came to a sheltered grove with large boulders the size of houses creating a natural barrier in a semicircular shape.