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MIDWINTER MAGIC: TWELVE
Wallace was stretched out across a broad leaf, on his belly, wings laying somewhat folded over him like a blanket. His silken gold hair spilled out over his arms which were folded beneath his head like a pillow. Arista slipped up to the workroom door and opened it, peering over her shoulder to make sure that Jera was along. The young girl had become all too good at picking this lock and she pushed the door open to step inside. Already she was looking back toward the glasshouse for the wee sprite. As they proceeded to the solarium proper, Jera gazed into the room as well and hissed under her breath in Sithryn then spoke her comment in the common speech a little more audibly. "We must have studied longer than I thought. Look..." She could already see a greater preponderance of red berries, no longer scattered here and there, but seeming to have grown on everything. Giving a slow and distracted nod, Arista miserably surveyed the red splotches all around... berries, seed pods, even some spots on various leaves. "He's been busy... and his aim could use some work." She raised her fingers to her temples to rub slowly, circling to relieve some of the tension that had built over the day. Standing in the middle of the solarium, her eyes scanned the sea of green with red dots. She turned slowly as she looked for the little artist. Jera had to snicker at Arista's comment then covered it. Her mirth faded soon anyway as they wandered through. "Amin dele... I am worried now. It is more difficult to tell the fruits one from another. Once plucked, poison and benefit will look the same. No notion what the change he makes may do to the properties of tinctures and such either." She sighed as she brushed at a few clusters of indistinguishable red berries. Wallace stirred a bit, shaking the leaf upon which he slept. He turned his head and his long golden hair shifted to hang and shimmer from the tip end of the leaf like a tiny cascade of sunlight. Arista frowned and searched until she saw Wallace there on the leaf. She could not help it, no matter the trouble she might be in, she found the little fellow fascinating with all his magic and melodrama. "Wallace..." she hissed, "Och, do ye know what ye've done?" She turned to Jera briefly, then crouched next to Wallace. Still her voice was quiet, "Mayhap he can tell us what they looked like... before the sp... er... change?" The sprite wiggled and lifted his head. At first he was a little startled by a large face so close but recovered that soon enough. "Would ye mind not yammerin' whilst I'm tryin' t' rest?!" His face then softened into a sleepy smile. "Oh, tis you, the lovely red lass from..." he blinked, "Was tha' earlier this day or yester?" He sat up on the leaf causing it to wobble with him and his wings fluttered to level out the bouncing. Jera tilted her head and turned to look too, now standing behind Arista but well able to see the waking monarch. Arista smiled at the sprite. "Earlier today, Wallace. Time does fly when you're so umm.... busy. Does it nae?" The girl cast a nervous glance around. Wallace sat cross legged and extended his hands out proudly. "Aye, fair lassie, I've done most o' this place. Can't fathom why I couldnae have taken me own time with it, but..." He yawned and chuckled at himself. "Seems I might almost be ready for the crown and that scrap with the Oak King." He added a curt nod to that. "Wallace," Arista began gently, not wishing to bruise the sprite's oversized ego. "Hae ye any idea that ye've colored more than just the holly berries here? Did ye note some of the other things here were already ripe in other colors? They... didnae need your expertise, I'm afraid. Can ye... is there a way... to umm..." She stopped, knowing this might not go over well. "Change them back to what they were before?" First arching a wee brow, then furrowing both, Wallace responded to such a notion as the shorter of the two long people suggested. "I know ye are NOT mockin' me work. I am th' Holly King and all th' berries must be red!" He shot a hand up, finger pointing to the sky with his royal decree. Still standing in the background, Jera cleared her throat and whispered to be heard by Arista only, she hoped, "This may take quite a bit of straightening out." Arista winced. "Oh no, your majesty, no mockery whatsoever. But, we made an error... in not clearing away all of those plants inferior to the holly. And so, they're wearing a color far above what they should." She darted a look at Jera, her little mind working quickly, trying to soothe the miniature monarch, before her mother came into the workroom and spied the havoc wreaked upon her store of herbs and flowers. Wallace stood up on the leaf which jostled it so much that he had to fan his wings and hover as he looked about. He narrowed his eyes and rubbed a wee gloved hand thoughtfully over his chin. "Now tha' might just be." Jera patted the girl on the shoulder and whispered, "You're doing fine. Best as... well... fine." Making again her apology, Arista dared to repeat the request too, "It is my fault, gracious majesty. Please, can ye nae forgi' me, and turn the other berries... back?" The sprite could see there might be an error, now that she'd brought it up, and he was certainly going to let someone else hang for it, if so. He shook his finger at Arista. "If there's anythin amiss here, it tweren't me. Aye, musta been you." With that, he glided through the air, right at the girl's face, and tapped her nose then cocked his head to one side when he had no effect. "Harrumph! How dare ye not turn!" At just that moment, Skye Blackthorn stood outside her workroom door and placed her key in the lock. Arista looked toward the doorway, having caught the familiar strains of a song coming from Skye's lips and the key turning, a tiny click to accompany the joyful tune. Meanwhile, Wallace reared back to spit. "No! Please, your majesty!" Jera drew Arista back a pace by her shoulders and hissed against her ear, "Not sure if it would even work, but let's not see!" END TWELVE © 2002 DP & SO along with all other participants ~ This and other stories may be found at Willow's End |