Ozette's Heartstone

by Judy Pierce

  Sophia indicated for Ozette and Gizmo to sit with their backs against the tree. The sprites flew to the ground.

  A sprite sitting in the west, dressed in a flowing brown gown with a ruff of soft green lichen adorning it, spoke first. “I am from the soil, from which all trees spring. Their deep roots make them strong and sturdy, faithful and dependable. The soil nourishes them, and they in turn nourish all of life.”

  The sprite flew to Ozette and Gizmo. Using her delicate hands, she gently scooped up some earth, held it to the sky and murmured some words the squirrels didn’t understand. Then she sprinkled the soft soil over Ozette and Gizmo. Ozette inhaled the heady, woodsy smell of the rich soil.

  The next to speak was a water sprite. Ozette didn’t think she had ever seen anyone so lovely, with her flowing pale blue hair and shimmering blue gown that seemed to flow from shoulder to ankle like a waterfall.

  “I’m a water sprite and nourisher of trees. The rain nourishes the tree’s roots and helps them grow strong, so they can gift the world with food, homes and shade. Trees give you the breath of life and take away impurities. She flew above Ozette and Gizmo, and gentle, fragrant raindrops fell onto them. Ozette and Gizmo breathed in the droplets, which smelled like dawn.

  Another sprite flitted through the branches. Ozette did a double take. She was transparent with just a bit of form at first, and then she gradually changed into an ethereal sprite wearing a dove gray gown with autumn leaves adorning the bodice. Her pale hair flowed and twirled. She landed near the squirrels, sending leaves scattering.

  “I’m a wind sprite,” she said as she twirled around, her hair swirling around her delicate shoulders. “I spread tree pollen and seeds, and I sing the song of the wind to the trees.” She then sang the most haunting melody Ozette had ever heard.

  The sprite flitted above the squirrels, and a soft wind scented with all the fresh smells of nature fluttered above them. It ruffled their fur as the song of the wind slipped into their hearts.

  But the sprites weren’t finished. A dazzling sprite dressed in a fiery orange gown with a circlet of yellow flowers anchoring her flowing, gold hair, flitted from the south. She landed at the squirrels’ feet.

  “I’m a sun sprite. I kiss the trees with the sun’s radiant light and dazzle the forest with its brilliance. I bring sunshine to the trees, so they can flourish.

  She fluttered around the squirrels, fire shooting from her fingers, warming the squirrels and the Heartstone with its dancing light. The tingling sensation made Ozette feel slightly dizzy.

  “Now, Ozette and Gizmo, I want you to close your eyes and breathe deeply. Now that your energies are totally in alignment with all of the tree energies and the sprites that surround them, you’ll be able to see trees,” Sophia said. “And much, much more.”

  The squirrels settled themselves more comfortably against the golden acorn tree and took deep breaths. Ozette felt so relaxed that she was afraid she would fall asleep. The wind swirled around her head, and its scent was pure heaven.

  “Open your eyes,” whispered Sophia.

  Ozette’s fuzzy chin dropped in awe. Gizmo’s eyes were huge and staring in amazement at what he saw. A lovely birch tree Ozette had often admired was staring back at her, its face smiling and nodding at the squirrels. The sun danced on its leaves, and a gentle wind tickled its bark. The face looked like that of a male with curly hair that framed an oval-shaped face. Its eyebrows were delicate, its smile imp-like. The tree seemed amused at their sense of wonder. Instinct told Ozette to bow to the tree, so she put her paws together and bowed deeply. The tree’s smile widened. Gizmo gulped, putting his paws together and bowing awkwardly.

  A light breeze ruffled the birch’s delicate leaves as it bowed its limbs. “Welcome, Ozette and Gizmo. I’ve been waiting for this moment,” the birch said with a voice as smooth as velvet.

  “Umm...us too, uhhhh...tree,” Ozette said, not sure just what one said to a talking tree.

  The tree’s branches rustled in the wind, and it looked like the tree was laughing.

  “Come meet some of my friends,” the birch said, pointing a delicate pale branch to a tree next to it.

  Ozette followed the tree’s gaze to a lovely maple, whose leaves were already sporting dashes of gold and orange in the early autumn sun.

  “Oh, how beautiful!” she said, her paw on her heart.

  “Wow,” said Gizmo, his eyes taking in the lovely sight of an angelic face that was framed by long, flowing hair. Its full lips broke into a wide smile. The tree’s eyes were wide and deeply set. As she and Gizmo looked around the forest, she noticed that each tree had a different face, expressing its own personality. She was drawn to a large oak with the face of a wise old man. Its beard streamed from a strong chin and kind, knowing eyes met hers. Tears sprang into her eyes. The experience of actually seeing the essence of the trees reminded her that she couldn’t allow Boardmore and Smiley to harm even one limb on these trees.

  As if reading her thoughts, the oak tree spoke in a deep, commanding voice.

  “We gladly share our gifts with those who are respectful. It’s shameless greed and senseless destruction that saddens us,” it said.

  Gizmo had wandered off and was deep in conversation with a young hickory tree. Ozette smiled. Sophia was right. His young mind was open to the spirits of nature.

  “Sophia, will I always see the trees–I mean really see the trees from now on?” Ozette asked.

  Sophia nodded. “They’ll not seem this vivid unless you focus on them. The forest holds many distractions, especially for a squirrel,” she said, smiling. “But they’ll be here, and you’ll find yourself stealing glimpses of the essence of flowers, ferns and all of nature. Oh, Ozette! It’s really quite wonderful to know you’re a part of something bigger than yourself, something wonderful and nurturing, something that can bring true contentment to all beings everywhere.”

  “Oh. I want to see–really see–the golden acorn tree,” Ozette said.

  She turned to face the tree and found herself puzzled. It looked the same as before: just a lovely oak tree with golden leaves shimmering in the sunlight.

  “But...I thought...” Ozette’s voice tapered off.

  Sophia flew to her shoulder. “It’s not yet time for her to reveal herself in her full glory, Ozette. Patience, dear friend. Trust the Heartstone.”

  Ozette bid her new friends farewell, and she and Gizmo headed back to their tree, lost in their thoughts.

  Chapter Seven

  Startling Revelations

  The next day, while Gizmo was napping–his adventures with the tree sprites had tuckered him out–Ozette slipped out of the nest and scurried toward Princess Abrianna’s cottage. A heavy rain had pelted the forest during the night, and Ozette tried to dodge puddles as she scurried to the princess’s cottage. Droplets rained down from the trees, and Ozette’s white coat was getting quite wet.

  She practiced her new seeing abilities and, as promised, when she truly focused on a tree, its face was plainly visible. As she patted a trunk or waved at a tree, Ozette didn’t feel self-conscious at all. The grasses, bushes, and flowers had all changed; or perhaps it was Ozette who had changed. Now all of nature’s creations seemed to have a living essence and distinct personalities.

  A warm feeling swept over Ozette as she realized how comforted and loved this new ability made her feel. She realized that all who lived here were alive in a way she hadn’t noticed before. She was sometimes distracted by a beckoning mushroom or stray pecan. When she lost her focus, the tree faces would fade into the forest, and she would return to ordinary reality. She knew it would take time and focus to hone her new skills.

  Wisps of smoke curled from Princess Abrianna’s stone chimney as a distinct chill filled the early morning air. Ozette breathed in the heady scent of wood smoke.

  She had just shaken the water droplets from her coat and was going to tap on the heavy wooden door, when all of a sudden it opened. Princess Abrianna had a cup of somethi
ng hot and fragrant in one hand; she smiled when she saw the white squirrel. As the princess beckoned Ozette inside, Cassady barreled around the corner, delighted to see her squirrel friend. She gave Ozette’s face a quick slurp then sat, her tail thumping against the floor. The princess just shook her head and rolled her eyes at the dog.

  Ozette followed the princess into her cozy parlor, where a roaring fire blazed in the fireplace. A black pot sat on the hearth, and the princess fetched a pottery mug from a cupboard. Using a ladle, she spooned a steaming, fruity-smelling liquid into the mug and handed it to Ozette. The princess sat on a yellow, chintz couch patterned with flowers and strewn with soft pillows. She patted a spot next to her. Ozette sat and sipped the hot drink gratefully.

  “I was hoping you’d stop by,” the princess said, reaching onto a side table and placing a freshly baked slice of Choco-Yum-yum cake on a plate for her guest.

  Ozette took a bite, savoring its goodness. She licked frosting from her lips. “I wanted to talk to you about some things I’ve been seeing,” she said, unsure of how to start.

  The princess smiled and sipped her cider. “I understand that you’ve been seeing our forest is a new way.”

  Ozette looked up, almost spilling her fruit cider.

  “You know how the Farlandia news network works. Nothing stays secret for too long. I understand that you and Gizmo are doing well in your training. Being squirrels, you know that trees are your closest allies.”

  Ozette gazed thoughtfully into the fire.

  “Since I’ve gotten to really know trees, I’m wondering about the fire here. This is wood you’re burning. Do you cut down trees?”

  The princess patted the squirrel’s paw. “The trees would gladly give their lives if asked to do so with respect, Ozette. But there are enough branches and limbs that fall as they age or as a result of storms that can be collected and used for firewood. We’re not wasteful, and if we use our resources wisely, we’ll never have to cut down a single tree,” she said. “Besides, the atmosphere here is such that it takes a very small amount of wood to sustain a long-lasting, blazing fire.”

  Ozette nodded, clearly relieved. It would pain her to see one of her friends fall to the ax for firewood. Then she remembered that Boardmore planned to cut many of the trees in Farlandia. She shuddered and tears filled her dark eyes. They chatted for a bit longer about her and Gizmo’s new abilities, and then Ozette changed the subject.

  “Well, I’ve been noticing other things,” Ozette said thoughtfully, after taking another sip from her cup. “In Earth World, squirrels and other animals had lots of predators that ate them, but here...” she said, holding open her paws.

  “Ahhh. I was wondering when you’d ask about this. Ozette, animals here–no matter what their diets were in Earth World–all eat plant material of some kind, and these plants rejuvenate themselves very quickly. The body chemistries of those who ate meat in Earth World change drastically in Farlandia, so here they thrive on non-meat foods. We quickly lose our taste for eating animals. And remember, animals here can live forever. This is yet another way in which life in Farlandia is different from life in Earth World.”

  Ozette thought. Something was twirling around in her squirrelly brain. She held up a paw. “But wait. When DZ first came to me, she said the cook fixed her juicy steaks.”

  The princess laughed. “That’s what she calls them. They’re really a delicious mix of vegetables, grains and fruits seasoned with herbs and spices.”

  “Ahhh,” said Ozette, finally understanding.

  They sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes.

  “And what about bugs? You know, the kind spiders eat?” Ozette asked, as she remembered her spider experience last spring.

  The princess laughed and put a finger to her mouth. “Shhh. Koshi WorldDreamer dreamed those up. He’s very proud of his fake bugs. Like the rest of our food, they are made from organic vegetables, seeds and nuts plus special herbs. To make them more real for the insect eaters to catch, he animated them. A unicorn delivers veggie insects to the forest every couple of days, but the spiders don’t know they aren’t real.”

  Ozette smiled at the thought of her spider friends scurrying around catching fake bugs. Then she turned serious. “So why do Boardmore and Smiley want to have a hunting lodge if no one in this realm eats animals?” Ozette asked, puzzled.

  The princess sighed. “Sad to say, they’re not hunting for food but for trophies. Something they can stuff to hang on their walls.”

  Ozette’s mouth flew open, and she covered it with her paw. In Earth World, she had assumed humans killed animals because they needed the food.

  “So Boardmore and Smiley want to kill me so they can stuff me and hang me on their wall?” Ozette asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

  The princess took Ozette’s paw and held it firmly, nodding her head and sighing.

  “That’s why they have to leave our realm, Ozette. They don’t fit in. We’re a peaceful, compassionate realm, an experiment, if you will, to see if we can all live in peace and harmony. We’re hoping our plan will make them realize that they need to go back to Earth World.”

  A shadow crossed the princess’s face, and Ozette glimpsed deep sadness in her eyes. She looked questioningly at the princess.

  “I’m sad about this, Ozette, because they’re family. I may not like their behavior, but I remember them as sweet children. Now Boardmore and Smiley have built tall fences around their hearts. They’re going to have to learn to love their way back to life, to true living.”

  Ozette gulped. Fear gripped her heart. Was Abrianna going to go back on her vow to rid Farlandia of Smiley and Boardmore?

  The princess looked thoughtful. “Smiley looks up to Boardmore and will always follow his lead. My ties to my family are strong, but they brought this upon themselves. Queen Beatrix and I are in total agreement. Sometimes, Ozette, you just have to do what’s right even if it pains you to do so.”

  Chapter Eight

  A Little Fairy-Dust Magic

  Several weeks passed and Gizmo was growing stronger by the day. Every morning and evening, Ozette and Gizmo practiced their new way of seeing. Soon it was second nature to both of them, and they were amazed at how much richer their lives were since they had become more intimately involved with the forest.

  Princess Abrianna began teaching them how to prepare the different fairy dusts and how to use them. Ozette and Gizmo enjoyed following the princess’s formulas, grinding herbs and working with magical stones. They learned the magical words needed for activating some of them. “Bristlemufflet-Goodykuntz-spiellomba” Ozette and Gizmo chanted as they ran an amethyst over a batch of fairy dust.

  Each day, Farlandia seemed to become more alive as they developed their skills for talking to the creeks, rivers, stones and plants. Ariel, Sydney and Annika would sometimes join them, turning the teaching into a social event. The princess often loaned Ozette books on magic that had been written centuries before. The books were yellow with age and had been passed from generation to generation. Ozette and Gizmo would stay up late into the night reading. Ozette knew it would take many years for them to learn all there was to know about magic.

  One sunny day, when a slight breeze was whispering through the tree branches, they were at Princess Abrianna’s cottage, helping her grind herbs to make fairy dust to animate tree energy. Ozette painstakingly ground sage, motherwort and oak leaves with a mortar and pestle, so they could be added to a fairy dust formula they had concocted several days ago. The day was unseasonably warm, and a gentle breeze blew through the open windows in the cottage, filling the cottage with the scent of fall-blooming flowers.

  “See, Gizmo,” the princess said, handing the baby squirrel a brilliant opal. “When you move the stone over the fairy dust four times in a clockwise direction, it activates the magical energies and makes it so much more effective.”

  Gizmo nodded eagerly. He was a quick learner and adored the princess, although some days he would pre
fer to frolic in the forest with his animal friends. Ozette and the princess tried to find a good balance.

  After Ozette had finished with the formula, she wrapped the fairy dust in squares of pale green, silk fabric and tied each of them with a bow. Gizmo was restless, so the princess sent him outside to throw sticks for Cassady while she and Ozette fixed lunch. Ozette loved the time she spent with the princess and was learning so much about the herbs the princess grew in her garden or gathered wild in the forest.

  They were getting ready for lunch when Sydney flew into the princess’s cottage. “I stopped by your nest, and when you weren’t there, I thought you might be here,” Sydney said. “Princess Abrianna asked me to make something for you and Gizmo, so you can carry fairy dust with you.”

  The fairy held out two pouches woven from honeysuckle vines. The pouches had intricately woven thin straps that could be fastened around the squirrels’ middles.

  “Those are beautiful, Sydney,” Ozette said, opening hers and examining the various pockets in the pouch for storing different fairy dusts.

  “You do such beautiful weaving,” Ozette said, as she admired her friend’s handiwork.

  “Here, Gizmo. Let’s see how this looks on you,” the princess said, fastening the pouch around Gizmo, who had hurried into the cottage when he saw Sydney. The excited squirrel raced around the cottage pretending to sprinkle fairy dust everywhere while the princess invited Sydney to join them for lunch.

  “I’d love to, but I promised Annika I would have lunch with her today,” Sydney said with a wave, as she flew out of the door to shouts of “Thank you,” from the squirrels.

  They dined by the pond on Salad Supremeo, Egplantini, Pumpkin Breadettes and mint tea. An exhausted Gizmo fell asleep on a rocking chair by the pond. Ozette felt such tenderness for him as she placed a tiny pillow under his head and tiptoed back into the cottage.