by K. Dzr
Chapter 10
R H Y K E L L
“Are we still in Elysi?”
They eventually stopped running and were walking through the woods following a widening stream that would lead them to the lake.
“Yes, the woods surrounding the meadow are still considered Elysi,” Oraden answered.
“How do you know when you are not in Elysi anymore?”
“You just know, that’s all.”
“But how do you know? How will I know?”
“You’ll feel it.”
“Feel what?”
“I don’t know how to describe it, Tahir. It’s just a feeling. Kind of like how a breeze blows through your mane; you can feel it but you can’t see it.”
“I didn’t feel anything when you brought me into Elysi.”
“You weren’t supposed to.”
“Why not?”
“Because you didn’t belong here before. Now you do, so you should be able to feel it.”
“Oh well, let me know when I should start feeling it.”
“No, it doesn’t work like that. If you feel it I won’t have to tell you. You tell me if you feel something.”
“Alright.”
They followed the stream deeper into the woods.
Tahir stayed alert for some unknown feeling to come over him. But the only thing he felt was very familiar: hunger. He replayed his discussion with Diamond. Although he wanted to catch a rabbit and make a meal of him, just thinking about it made him feel guilty. He snatched a leaf and turned it over and over as he followed Oraden. He wondered if he could make himself get used to eating leaves. Most of the plant-eating animals he knew of were quite large, so it must be nutritious. He popped it into his mouth. He chewed and chewed, trying to enjoy it while trying not to taste it.
Tahir’s face contorted: How could Oraden stand to eat this? Repulsed by the taste, he finally he gave up and spit it out. There were no fruit trees in sight; nothing to replace the bitter taste of the leaf. He squatted at the stream and scooped handfuls of water into his mouth. Although he didn’t see any, he imagined there were fish in there. He wondered how Diamond would feel about him eating fish. Oraden was still walking, oblivious to his companion’s dilemma. Tahir patted his rumbling stomach and then ran to catch up with him.
“Are we almost there?”
“Almost where?”
“Wherever we’re going.”
“We won’t know until we get there.”
“I thought you said we were going to the lake. Are we still?”
“Maybe. That’s where we are headed, but you never know what adventures may lead you away from your original destination.”
“Back home, my friends and I would decide where we wanted to go and that’s where we went. We didn’t have surprise adventures along the way.”
“I don’t look for surprise adventures. Sometimes it just happens. Like when I found you yesterday. That was a surprise for both of us, right?”
“Yeah, that’s right. I was on my way to England, then I met you, and now I’m here.”
“Are you still going to England?”
“Oh, absolutely. I just don’t need to be in such a hurry. As I figure, since this place is kind of on the way, it wouldn’t matter much if I…”
“Look Tahir!” Oraden interrupted. “The sprites!”
“Sprites?” Tahir looked ahead but wasn’t surprised when he didn’t see anything.
“Yeah, sprites. They’re satchels of fun. You’ll see. Follow me.”
Tahir jogged along, eyes alert for something to materialize from thin air again.
“Hey, you guys! What are doing?” Oraden called out.
Tahir slowed and ducked under branches to enter a clearing. Once again he found himself watching Oraden talking to no one. At least now he knew his friend wasn’t insane. He listened to the one-sided conservation while he waited for Oraden’s friends to appear. It wasn’t long before he saw them: Sprites were people. Little people. There were lots of them, not one taller than his knee. They ran and gathered around Oraden.
“Where you been?”
“Haven’t seen you around here in a long time.” they all spoke at once while prancing around Oraden’s hooves.
“You know. Half of the time I don’t even know where I am.” Oraden tried to keep track of who was saying what, but with so many of them speaking so quickly it was nearly impossible.
“Are you here to play?”
“Of course we are.”
“Who’s that?” one of the females pointed her tiny finger at the stranger.
“This is Tahir. He’s my new friend.”
Tahir waved, too shocked to speak.
“Let’s play!” Oraden yelled.
All at once, the sprites jumped on him. They scampered all over Oraden’s body: on his back, up his chest, around his neck and legs; anywhere they could get a good hold.
“Is everybody ready?” Oraden asked.
“Ready!” they shouted in unison.
“Hold on!”
Oraden jumped and bucked, twisted and turned. The sprites hung on tightly, laughing as Oraden tried to throw them off.
Tahir laughed at the sight. He watched the first sprite fly from Oraden’s ear. It sailed through the air and landed in a nearby shrub. Tahir ran to him, concerned that he may be hurt, but the little man emerged from the leaves laughing. Tahir cheered the sprites on. One by one they were flung in every direction. It was the funniest thing Tahir had ever seen.
“Only three more left, Oraden!” Tahir shouted.
One sprite was hanging by Oraden’s mane, and two others were tangled up in his tail, fighting for the best position. Oraden whipped his tail around as he reared up and jumped wildly in circles. Finally the two sprites on his tail were thrown head over heels to the ground.
“Eureka! Eureka!” the last remaining sprite cried.
Oraden settled down to allow the sprite could jump off.
“I won! I won!”
Tahir applauded the winner.
“I want a turn! Climb on me,” Tahir yelled.
The little sprites looked questioningly at Oraden.
“It’s alright. Go ahead if you want to.”
The sprites didn’t need to be asked twice. They ran to Tahir and climbed up his clothing. Tahir giggled when some tickled his belly as they tried to find something to hold on to. When everyone was ready, Tahir jumped and kicked and flailed his arms around. The sprites and Oraden alike roared with laughter. Again, one by one the sprites lost their grip. When a winner was finally declared, Tahir fell to the ground from exhaustion.
The sprites laughed non-stop. They recounted how Sudlin and Caan struggled to hold on to Oraden’s tail, and they compared the differences between riding Oraden and riding Tahir. Each of them offered his perspective of the game, one funnier than the next.
As good a time as Tahir was having, his stomach wouldn’t let him forget that it had been empty all day.
“Is there anything good for a human boy to eat around here?” he asked.
“Does a human boy eat the same thing a sprite boy would eat?” Sudlin asked.
“I think so.” Tahir shrugged.
“Well then, yes!” the sprites all jumped and ran, yelling for Tahir to follow them.
They showed him where to find berries, figs, rhubarb, watermelon, pomegranate, tasty mushrooms and flowers. They taught him how to identify the poisonous fruits, how to get honey and extract tasty tree sap. Tahir ate his way through all their favorite foods. Between bites he asked every question he could think of; all of which, the sprites were more than happy to answer. Tahir looked over at Oraden to share his excitement.
Oraden however, was not impressed. The unicorn tried to entertain himself for a while but quickly became bored. He came here for an adventure, but the sprites were too busy enjoying Tahir’s company to bother with adventures.
“What’s the matter Oraden?”
“You ask too many questions, that’s
all.”
“What’s wrong with that? If I don’t ask, I won’t know anything. You don’t tell me anything.”
“I shouldn’t have to tell you everything. Some things you should just know.”
“How am I supposed to know about a place I’ve never been, and creatures I have never seen before?”
Oraden didn’t bother to answer. Instead, he just stepped away and grazed.
Tahir was having a good day. He didn’t understand Oraden, but for now, it didn’t matter. The sprites were friendly enough and they didn’t mind answering his many questions.
“Tahir, we should be getting back now,” Oraden announced. He was bored and didn’t appreciate being ignored as Tahir became the center of attention. He occupied himself as long as his patience would allow.
Tahir refrained from asking why they needed to leave so early. He’d been hoping to spend the night in Rhykell with the sprites. Oraden has been unusually quiet and distant today. Tahir suspected something was troubling him, but he dare not ask.
“Alright, Oraden. If you’re ready, I’m ready too,” Tahir lied.
They said their goodbyes to the sprites and Tahir thanked them for teaching him so much in one day. The sprites made Tahir and Oraden promise to come visit again soon.
The two companions walked in silence back toward the meadow. Tahir knew that Oraden was not in the mood for conversation, so he quietly practiced identifying the plants the sprites just taught him. After a while he became bored.
“Want to race?” he asked, knowing Oraden loved to run.
“No, I don’t feel like running.”
“Can I ride on your back?”
“No,” Oraden snapped.
“You want to ride on my back?” Tahir asked, hoping to lift Oraden’s spirits. “I won’t let you fall, Oraden. Come on!”
“We will both fall,” Oraden pondered the suggestion. “Actually, you will fall, not me.”
“I’m stronger than you think,” Tahir smiled. “Really.”
“How could you possibly carry me?” Oraden gave Tahir a skeptical look. He’d never been carried by anyone before; the possibility never even occurred to him. “Fine, let’s try it.”
Tahir braced himself as Oraden carefully placed his front legs over his shoulders. He tried to lift the unicorn up and carry him piggy-back style, but could only lift one of his hind legs. Oraden was forced to hop on one hoof until they both tumbled to the ground.
“I told you!” Oraden laughed.
“It’s not my fault,” Tahir said, brushing the leaves and sticks off of himself. “You don’t have hands to hold on.”
“Excuses. Let’s try it again.”
They tried a few more times, each resulting in Oraden hopping around until they tumbled to the ground in uncontrollable laughter. They played tag for a while and then raced back to the meadow. Oraden’s foul mood all but forgotten.
The days came and went; each bringing new adventures and games. Although Oraden promised more than once, they hadn’t returned to Rhykell to visit the sprites; instead they spent their time in the meadow, the surrounding woods, and by the stream. Tahir mingled with other unicorns—though constantly mindful of Kodah. He had long conversations with Diamond, who was always willing to answer his many questions and teach him about life in Elysi. He was beginning to feel more and more at home here. Yet, often he missed his real family and home even more.
Tahir lay awake under a full moon and a blanket of stars. He thought about how different his life had become. Back home, he frequently dreamed of living in the wild. No restrictions or limitations, no boundaries; just absolute freedom. Things don’t turn out the way you imagine though—even when your dreams do come true.
He knew it was irrational, but there were times he even felt guilty for enjoying himself. Here he was, laughing and playing in this amazing, beautiful place as though nothing ever happened, while everyone he’d known and loved lay dead in the sand.
Some nights he still heard the screams and felt the earth shake. Smoke and burning flesh flooded his nostrils. His chest was squeezed until there was no air left in his body. He clutched his heart; surely it was about to explode. He was going to die like everyone else. The guilt he felt for surviving was replaced by cries. But I don’t want to die, I don’t want to die!
“Tahir!”
His eyes snapped open to the silent darkness. The ground was not shaking; there were no fires. Though his heart still pounded, he could at least breathe.
“Tahir, you were screaming again,” Oraden whispered. “Are you okay?”
Tahir nodded, rubbing his hands to keep them from shaking.
“There there, Child,” Diamond cooed, snuggling closer to the boy. “You are safe here, protected by magic and fairies.”
Tahir was calmed by the lights floating overhead, the soothing stream rippling softly. Ramah stood nearby; it seemed he never slept. Though he usually seemed angry, perhaps even mistrusting of him, Tahir could now see compassion in his face and sensed that Ramah would indeed protect him. The other unicorns stirred; he probably woke them again. They never seemed to be angry with him. He wiped at his tears and took a deep breath. He was safe here. He rested his head against Diamond’s side. Her heartbeat was slow and strong. Oraden inched himself closer and leaned his narrow head on his friend’s chest. Tahir stroked the unicorn’s long neck and ran his fingers through the silky mane. Petting such a magical creature always soothed him.
“You were having a nightmare about your village again, huh?” Diamond asked.
“Yeah,” Tahir whispered back.
“What happened?”
“I don’t know.” That day haunted him almost every night, but somehow he couldn’t remember the details; it was all just a blur. “It happened so fast, there were screams…then everyone was gone. I don’t know who did it, or why.”
“We may never know the answers to these things, Tahir,” Diamond explained as she nuzzled his face. “Perhaps time will reveal all. Take comfort in the knowledge that you are completely safe here; the magic of the fairies and dryads is incredibly strong, and protects all who dwell here. Be at peace, my human boy. Think on happier times.”
When Tahir awoke to daylight, Oraden was gone. Diamond and Ramah grazed not too far away, but he didn’t feel like talking to them. Well, Ramah rarely spoke to him at all. Diamond would want to talk about the previous night and he didn’t want to. He just wanted to empty his mind and play. Oraden was the best person—or unicorn, rather—for that, but he was nowhere to be found. Roddy, on the other hand, was always easy to find; she never left the meadow.
“Hi, Roddy. Have you seen Oraden?”
“No. Not even his parents can keep track of him. He could be anywhere.”
“Thanks anyway.”
Maybe Oraden needed a break from him. Before he showed up Oraden was a loner; now he had a boy following him around all the time. Tahir wandered into the woods. Maybe he’d find Oraden; maybe he’d find an adventure. He strolled along, tearing leaves from branches and wondering if he’d left the boundaries of Elysi. He tried to focus his attention on the magic protecting the oasis. He desperately wanted to have magic. If he had magic, he’d feel more like he belonged in the oasis. Being the only human and the only one without magic made him feel more isolated from the others. If he were to stay in Elysi he wanted to feel a part of it. Magic is what he needed. And food. He snatched up a handful of dates, and sat beneath a large tree. Amidst the gentle forest sounds came a strange voice.
“Who’s there?” Tahir jumped to his feet and spun around.
When the voice came again it was faint and farther away.
“Oraden, is that you?”
He peered into the woods using all of his senses to determine the source of the sound. Diamond often told him there were no hidden dangers within the enchanted woods, but he wasn’t certain if he was still in Elysi or not. He decided to retrace his steps. Before he lifted a foot, three pixie dragons appeared before his face. He w
as startled, but relieved to see friends.
“Oh, hello. I thought you were Oraden.”
“We are not Oraden,” one of them replied.
They fluttered around his head as they usually did, making it difficult for Tahir to keep his eyes on them.
“Why aren’t you in the meadow?” he asked.
“We want to play.”
“I thought you stayed in the meadow.”
“We go where we please,” another answered.
“Yes, where we please,” their voices pealed in unison as they all flew away.
“Wait!” Tahir called after them.
The three tiny dragons fluttered around in circles just above his head. They were constantly in motion. One would speak then dart away. Another would appear in its place seconds later. They crisscrossed in front of his face and orbited his head. He had to keep looking up—sometimes directly into the sun—while turning his entire body in circles. Just keeping at least one of them in sight was dizzying.
“Are there always pixie dragons in the woods?” Tahir asked.
“Usually,” one answered.
“If I get lost, can you show me the way back to the meadow?”
“Yes. Follow us.” They all flew away again.
“Wait. Come back!” Tahir shouted. He did not try to follow them, but waited for them to return. Only one came back. It fluttered around his face in its annoying manner. Tahir resisted the urge to fan it away with his hands. “Do you know where the sprites live?”
“Of course.”
“Will you take me there now, please?” Tahir asked.
“Yes.” The little creature darted away.
Tahir had to run to keep up with it. He stumbled over logs and fallen limbs, ducked under branches and spun in circles trying to keep the little dragon in sight. It darted behind trees and bushes, zigzagging in every direction. It was impossible to tell where he was going. Tahir wondered how he would ever learn his way around if he went a different route every time.
They finally reached a clearing. The pixie dragon circled Tahir’s head a few times before disappearing into the woods. Tahir looked around and found himself in the home of the sprites, but Rhykell seemed abandoned. He wandered the area searching for his miniature friends. He saw their little tree houses grouped together in a stand of poplar trees. He marveled at their craftsmanship from the ground. He wanted to climb up and have a peek inside. When he found the sprites he would be sure to ask for permission.
He noticed a circular area free of grass and shrubbery near the tree houses. Tahir smiled as he realized what he was looking at: A well-equipped outdoor kitchen. There were three little stoves and several little tables. He knelt down to examine the tiny utensils stashed in a small wooden box atop one of the tables. There were spoons, stirring sticks, bowls, plates, slightly larger pots and pans; everything his mother had in her kitchen. The same common kitchen supplies he was used to seemed so cute on a miniature scale.
Tahir couldn’t resist. His big fingers pinched the spoon handle and stirred imaginary soup in the miniature bowl. His smile faded. He ran his fingertips over the rim of the bowl. It was very similar to the one his mother had. He could see her cooking and hear the songs she used to sing. Humming it to himself, he turned the small spoon in the bowl as she used to do. He didn’t realize he was crying until a teardrop splattered into the bowl. As he put the utensils away he imagined the sprites using them, sitting here eating, talking and laughing with one another, telling stories and making music.
He wiped his eyes and left the gathering area and strolled toward the river. He focused on his surroundings and became aware of the many small animals that shared this clearing with the sprites. There were birds of many varieties, chipmunks, rabbits, squirrels; he even saw a lone aardvark lumbering from behind a shrub. Finally he heard voices near the river. He followed them past a grove of trees where he found several female sprites tending a garden.
“Hello, Tahir,” one of the sprites called out.
“Hello.”
“Sorry we didn’t get to meet you the last time you were here. We were out gathering food. Bennie and Sudlin couldn’t stop talking about you. I figured we’d get to meet you sooner or later.”
“What’s your name?”
“I’m Triah. This is Rassine, Reeny’s sister.”
“Lia was right, he is handsome.”
The sprites giggled.
Tahir had no idea why they were giggling, so he just smiled and waved to the little women.
“Nice to meet you all,” he said. “Where is everyone else? I’ve been wandering around for the longest time and didn’t see anyone until I found you.”
“Oh, they’re all out hunting.”
“When will they be back?”
“As soon as they kill a kudu. That can take an hour, a day, or even a week.”
“How can such little people kill something so big?”
“Skill and practice. Killing one is the easy part, bringing it home is far more difficult.” Rassine explained.
“So what are you girls doing?” Tahir asked, just making conversation.
“It’s time to harvest the cotton. So we stayed behind to get it started.”
“Can I help?”
“Most certainly.”
The sprites taught Tahir how to pick cotton. What would have taken them days to harvest, Tahir managed to finish within a few hours. The few hours felt like minutes; the sprites had a way of making any chore fun. They talked and laughed, sang songs and told stories. They teased each other and had races and contests to see who could pick the fastest while balancing a piece of fruit on their head. Tahir was almost disappointed when the work was completed.
“Tahir, we need you around every time we pick cotton. This would have taken us forever without you.” Triah laughed as they carried the last of the cotton to the small tables where they would clean and divide it equally among the village.
“They’re back! They’re back! Come on!” Naurel jumped up and ran to meet her father.
Tahir watched as hoards of little people emerged from the forest. Each carried a sack draped over his shoulder.
“Hi, guys. What have you got there? A kudu?” Tahir asked.
“Yep, want to help us get it ready?” Weiger asked. “We could sure use the help.”
“If you show me what to do.”
“Sudlin, Tahir wants us to help him build a tree house for himself,” Triah explained. “He’s already helped us enough for one day. Look! He helped us pick all of the cotton and it only took a couple of hours.”
“Is that right?” Sudlin inspected the pile of cotton on the table. “If that’s the case, we owe you a big favor, Tahir.”
“I didn’t mind helping. It wasn’t much like work at all.”
“I already know the question. You want us to start preparations on the catch while you guys run off to build a tree house for your friend, right?” Mog grumbled. The stout little man with a full beard crossed his burly arms over his chest. He stood no taller than the rest of the sprites, but probably weighed twice as much. His broad shoulders and muscular square frame was quite distinct from the rest of the sprites. Except that about half of the sprites with him seemed to be built the same way. Until today, all the little people Tahir met, with the exception of Meelix, had lithe bodies and moved about as though their feet were strapped to the backs of obedient bunnies.
“No. I wasn’t going to ask that. I was going to suggest that we hurry with the preparations so we could go build a tree house for our friend,” Sudlin lied.
“I do want a tree house, but it doesn’t have to be done immediately. It can wait until all the work is finished. I’ll help you. We could start the tree house tomorrow.”
“Now that’s the most practical idea yet,” another of the burly men said, shoving a sack in Tahir’s hand. “You can start by skinning the beast. Just grab a sack, pull out a piece of him, lay the skins out flat, and grab another sack until you’re finished.
”
“Work, work, work, that’s all you ever want to do,” Bennie complained between bites of a seemingly giant radish.
“And if it wasn’t for us, nothing would ever get done around here. Get to work! Everybody!”
Some of the sprites giggled and teased the stocky, less playful people. But soon they turned to the tasks that required immediate attention. As everyone worked, the sprites laughed, teased, and sang. The gruff, muscular people neither talked nor laughed. They frequently scolded the others for wasting time, insisting that they would be far more productive if they would just be quiet.
Tahir was amused by the relationship between the two groups of little people. He wanted to learn more about them. He grabbed a few sacks of meat and moved to where Meelix and Sudlin were working.
“Hey, Meelix, are you and these other guys sprites, too?”
“No, no,” he said. “I’m a gnome. Gnomes live here in Rhykell, too.”
“Are those other guys gnomes?” Tahir asked. He noticed that Meelix looked a bit different than the others; he was a slightly taller, and not nearly as bulky and square as the other stocky people.
“Yes, they are gnomes,” Meelix answered. “But I don’t spend a lot of time with them.”
“Why didn’t I see any other gnomes before?”
“We gnomes are designed to be hard workers. You probably wouldn’t see them much since they don’t typically play around with the sprites. Actually, I’m the only one who does.”
“You don’t get in trouble for not working?” Tahir asked. He never heard of anyone just not doing their chores before.
“I still do my fair share. But the sprites, I think, have a better way of working. You see, one day I was hauling stones to build a new well when I heard the most beautiful sound. I went to investigate and found sprites making music while they sewed. Oh, just wait until you hear Reeny play the violin. Sometimes he and Rassine play together and it’s like nothing in this world. Anyway, I watched them from a distance for a few weeks then decided to join them. They were more than happy to accept me as one of their own. So here I am.”
“Weren’t the other gnomes mad at you for leaving them?”
“Perhaps at first.” Meelix shrugged. “They’ve always accused me of being lazy anyway. I think they realized they were better off without me.”
“Do they have tree houses, too?”
“Oh, no.” Meelix laughed. “We aren’t really built for tree climbing. They make their homes underground. Just on the other side of those acacias.”
“Are there any other types of little people that live in Rhykell?”
Meelix and Sudlin pondered the question.
“Well, there is a dryad, but she’s not little, and she never plays with us. As a matter of fact, we rarely even see her.”
“And sometimes a gnome and a sprite will fall in love and a gnite is born, but they are rare,” Meelix explained.
“Yeah,” Sudlin agreed. “Those gnomes aren’t exactly loveable.”
“Or easy on the eyes!”
“I’m surprised they ever have any babies at all!”
All the sprites burst out laughing.
“What’s everyone laughing at?” Tahir was confused.
“The sprites can communicate with each other without actually speaking,” Meelix answered. “I keep telling them it’s rude if everyone can’t be part of the joke, but they still do it.”
“Oh.” Tahir nodded. “That is kind of…strange.”
“We don’t do it to be rude,” Sudlin said. “It just comes naturally.”
With the help of Tahir, the people of Rhykell were able to finish cleaning the meat and setting the skins to dry sooner than they would have thought possible.
“This is amazing! The sun hasn’t even begun to set and look, we’re almost done!” Bennie exclaimed, waving a piece of a carrot in the air triumphantly. “Tahir, you’re the biggest, best worker in all of Elysi!”
The sprites danced around Tahir and sang impromptu songs.
Cooyah! Cooyah!
The work’s all done
Thanks to Tahir
We can all have fun!
Fairies and Pixies
We can play
For Tahir came
And saved the day!
Tahir laughed at the silly sprites while the gnomes looked on impatiently.
“If you are quite finished, there’s still work to be done,” Wan said. “The meat still needs to be prepared, cooked, and preserved.”
“And we still need to divide the skins fairly, as well as clean and set up for supper.” Kewtan added.
“Why aren’t you glad that we finished early?” Tahir asked them.
“Because there’s still so much more to do!”
“Oh, jackal toes!” Bennie threw his hat at the gnome.
“Stop it and get back to work!” Mog ordered as the sprites danced around him making faces.
They finally settled down and everyone returned to their work. The women prepared supper; some seasoned and cooked the meat, others chopped and boiled vegetables over the fire, some gathered fruit and squeezed them for juice. The men cut and divided the skins evenly and carried each family’s share to their home. They chopped firewood, cleaned their weapons and tools, and finally began setting up the area for the meal.
Tahir helped with various tasks. He was so fascinated by the sprites and gnomes; the food they ate, their strange symbiotic relationship, architecture, music and stories; he could not get enough. And unlike Oraden, they seemed to enjoy answering his endless questions.
The sun made its way west and set the sky ablaze. One by one, stars blinked to life above them. Tahir joined the sprites and gnomes at the tables to enjoy the fruits of their labor. He ate slowly, savoring the delicious flavor of meat and his first cooked meal in a long time. It was the best food he’d tasted in weeks.
The sprites and gnomes discussed the best way to build Tahir’s new house. They constantly argued amongst themselves, especially the gnomes, but no one seemed to get upset.
“The first thing you need to do, Tahir, is to choose the perfect tree.” Bennie scanned Rhykell for a suitable tree.
“Yes, it should be one of the larger, stronger trees. Maybe one of those closer to the lake,” Meelix suggested.
“I was kind of thinking that I should build my house in the meadow,” Tahir said.
The sprites seemed shocked and disappointed by this revelation.
“Well, only because Diamond and Ramah have taken me in as their own son,” Tahir quickly added. “They have been so nice to me. Even to let me stay in Elysi was against the rules, I guess. I couldn’t possibly disappoint them by building my house here. As much as I would like to, they may think I didn’t appreciate everything they have done for me. And besides, what about Oraden? He’d be very upset if I built my house here. He probably wouldn’t even help us.”
“Who cares what Oraden thinks? He just…”
“Wait a minute,” Sudlin interrupted. “It does matter what Oraden thinks. Oraden is Tahir’s friend: his first and best friend. And he’s our friend too, remember? If it weren’t for Oraden, Tahir wouldn’t even be here. I think you are absolutely right, Tahir. I would probably make the same decision myself. Your place is in Elysi. Rhykell is just for visiting.”
“Pixie wings!” Reeny shouted. “It’s only three throws of a dragon’s tail. You’re acting as though it’s half-way around the world.”
“That’s right!” Tahir added, happy that he didn’t have to argue with the sprites about where his house should be.
“It is settled then. As soon as you are ready, Tahir, go and pick the tree you like best in the meadow,” Sudlin said with finality.
“Just remember, it needs to be a big strong tree that will hold up through wind and rain,” Bennie said as he stuffed a handful of dried fruit in his mouth. “Not to mention bearing your weight,” he added, trying to stifle a laugh.
When darkness drifted upon them, it was
decided Tahir would spend the night in Rhykell. Tomorrow they would head back to the meadow to determine the perfect tree for his house.
Meelix led Tahir to a nice spot and created a bed of leaves under one of the poplars. According to Meelix, just because you live in a forest with animals didn’t mean you should be without the comforts of civilization.
Tahir made himself comfortable in his temporary bed; it was as cozy as Meelix promised. As lights went out in all the little windows above him, Tahir imagined living in his very own tree house. He could climb up and hide. When he got angry with Oraden, he would have a comfortable place to be alone. He’d have a roof over his head and no longer have to sleep on the ground. He couldn’t wait to start building.