New Friends

The lantern was comforting as she walked the trail. So far it had been some time and she was feeling fatigued, but there was a good deal more left to go. Behind the clustered trunks of trees, she could barely see the spray of moonlight cutting through the forest ceiling. The air was chill enough she could see her breath sometimes. So strange being it late summer.

While the lantern helped her see it was heavy and having been carrying the satchel as well her arms were tired from holding it. Something in the woods tonight was different. No sign of anything roamed the forest floor. No sounds, not even owls. So very strange.

All at once the air took on more warmth. The vaporous cloud of breath she'd exhaled a moment before vanished. Something nagged at her that there was a change that was more than just the weather being funny. Regardless, the trail beckoned and she pushed on.

"It never seemed to talk this long when I would come in the day." Ealga muttered to herself.

The words she uttered appeared to echo in the vastness of this place. Like the very trees were listening to every syllable and repeating it back to her. It didn't feel quite so dangerous in the day. Then again it never felt this dangerous before. Even without papa she'd walked this exact path late in the evening. The worst it ever seemed was that some owl would snatch a creature from a distance. She felt like she was the prey now.

She picked up the pace slightly as her thoughts took hold. Her free hand went to the dagger that was left behind. It was nestled in sash at her waist. The cool wood and metal made her more comfortable as she let her thoughts drift every which way.

She couldn't be certain, but it felt like her father had left it intentionally. As though he'd intended her to see it and then take it when the carriage was away. Why? Why not give it to her?

Perhaps he couldn't. She wasn't sure entirely what the rules for this test were, but it was possible that he did this to avoid her mother's scornful eye. She supposed that it didn't matter. She had it and that was enough.

In the near distance ahead there was a glimmer of something that flitted past some bushes. Ealga stopped moving feeling her breath catch in her throat. The grip on the handle of the dagger tightened as she watched for several long moments. Once she had her wits in better order she dimmed the lantern by twisting a claw like choke at the base lowering the wick.

The amber color turned nearly red once lowered. She fidgeted with the dagger in the sash a little. The sheath held to the blade strongly making the draw more difficult. Never taking her eye off what was rustling in the bushes ahead she pushed the hilt of the blade upward with her thumb until it was loose enough to pull. Once the dagger was free she approached the disturbance with point towards possible danger.

Once closer there were sounds like a little person speaking. It didn't sound like anything but gibberish at first. Then it became more clear. At the same time globe of light no larger than a fist erupted from some nearby brush chaotically flying over deadfall and mossy roots.

"No no no no. It has to be hear. Has to be. I just left it here. I can't have lost it. It was so pretty! Uuuugh." The little voice was childlike and not all at once. High pitched and very very concerned.

Ealga stared in stark disbelief. The creature hovered for just a moment with wings of a dragon fly and the pristinely naked form of a fully grown women. The light that surrounded here was a white and pale blue. As though a star that had fallen from the sky.

"Little folk!" Ealga blurted without thinking.

"Aaaaahh!" The tiny fey darted behind a trunk after being startled.

"No! I'm sorry, I-I didn't," Ealga groaned with dismay, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you. Please come back."

"Why child? Hmm? Why? You have a knife, you mean to steal my hat and take my wings. Well you can't have them! They're mine!" The fey's voice turned bitter with fear and rage at the thought.

"No! I wouldn't do that. I just thought that you were something of a monster at first. I didn't mean to scare you. I'll put the dagger away." To her word she sheathed the dagger quickly putting the lantern on the ground first.

"Ha! Tricky girl. You think you can fool me? I won't be so easily taken. You will have to do better than that."

"Really. I am not trying to trick you. I promise. I just want to see you. That's all. Please come out."

"No! You need to go away now. I have important matters to attend to." The tiny thing sounded so impertinent that Ealga giggled.

"I do!" The fey exclaimed flying out from behind the tree indignant.

As the creature hovered in the air just within arm's reach Ealga realized that she was looking at a fully naked faery. Her face turned red as she turned slightly to the side in a failed attempt to be polite.

The tiny woman scoffed. "You mortals always do that. Why do you do that?"

"You're naked!" Ealga retorted in disbelief.

"And what of it? You wear all those blankets all the time and put strange things on them. Then you smear paint on your faces or pluck hairs from your face while staring at yourselves in froze ponds hanging from the wall. You're the strange ones."

"Um. I suppose, but it is warmer in the 'blankets'. It's why we like them so much." Ealga was having a hard time trying to communicate with this creature as she remained suspended, nude, and fists on her hips in a huffy authority right at eye level.

"Oh. Well…" the woman fluttered slightly away thoughtful, "I suppose that does make some sense. Is that why you wear hats? They are so pretty. Like flowers on your head or-"

Suddenly she became erratic with trepidation. "My hat! Oooh. I can't find it." The woman seemed to become more light than creature as she flew again in chaotic patterns looking for her lost head wear.

"Where is it? Where!?"

"Maybe I could help?" Ealga offered.

The faery stopped, "Could you? But it is very small. How could be sure you could help me?"

Ealga lifted the lantern and twisted the choke clockwise to raise the wick allowing light to flare back up. The faery let out a whooping cry of excitement.

"Yes yes yes! This is perfect! Come on then. Let's see what you can do with that."

Ealga scanned the forest floor in slow measures in and around the trees and deadfall. The time it took seemed to be quite long. The little fey sputtered and chattered through the entire process making Ealga think that something was broken in her mouth as it was constantly moving. Near the trail just within a large tree root there was this glimmer of something yellow like straw. Upon closer examination the rim of a broad hat lay in the green brown moss.

"I have it!" Ealga exclaimed. She found herself covering her own mouth as it felt like she'd wake the very night.

"Oh my! Oh oh oh oh. Mortal child with devoted heart, thank you!" Tiny hands snatched the hat up and spun into the air and through the canopy high above then looking like a falling star the little light disappeared into the distant wood. Suddenly Ealga felt very alone knees down with only her lantern keeping the darkness at bay.

"You're welcome." Ealga mumbled to herself.

"Hahahaahahah!" The laugh startled Ealga to her feet.

"What—" The faery hovered in the air laughing and holding her stomach, "Ugh! You scared me. And where's your hat now?"

"Oh that thing? It is very much last summer. Besides I wanted to come back here and see what I could do for you little child."

Ealga huffed at being called little. "You're smaller than me!" She retorted.

"No I'm not. You just can't tell from where you're standing right now."

Ealga sighed. "My name is Ealga."

"Nimby Pims! Hahah. I am very pleased to meet you finder of hats Ealga!" Nimby spun around Ealga's head in a flourish of speed before stopping abruptly with some radical conclusion at the tip of her tongue. "I would like to join you! On… whatever it is you're doing out here. Keep you company. What do you say Ealga Hat Seeker?"

Ealga looked at this tiny thing that had somehow bounced into her life. Like something she'd never have imagined just popping into existence. There was only a moment's hesitation before she smiled and nodded.

"Fantastic! Then let us be off. I am sure that you have to be somewhere sometime right? Away away away!" Nimby bounced inconceivably in the air as though standing on solid ground hopping about and flitted down to rest on Ealga's shoulder. At least the journey wouldn't be lonely.