A Bedtime Story For Charlotte
"Do you want me to make you some tea?" I asked.
"No." She said shaking her head and making her raven hair shimmer in the firelight.
She walked gracefully across the room and sat down on the carpet before the fireplace. It crackled and popped softly.
"Will you tell me a story?"
I closed my book and placed it on the small table beside me.
"Of course." I said with a smile. "What would you like me to tell you?"
She lowered her face for a moment and thought. Finally she turned her face back to mine and turned her dark eyes on me. They were nearly as black as the night outside.
"Tell me a story about faeries and a dragon." She said.
I stopped for a moment.
"Why faeries and a dragon?"
She looked away and the fire reflected in her eyes.
"I had a dream about faeries and a dragon." She said distantly as she stared into the flames. "I don't remember it, though. Tell me a story so I can remember it as my dream."
I smiled.
"Okay."
***
Once upon a time there was a boy who lived in the forest.
The forest was a great kingdom unto itself full of massive trees and winding paths. It was said that travelers could become lost on the paths and the spirits of the forest would lead them from glade to sunny glade until they collapsed from exhaustion or went mad from the repetitive beauty of the forest. The boy had never had such problems but then the spirits of the wood were his friends and he was a guest among the trees. He respected the ancient trees and never abused the bounty of the forest.
The boy lived in a small cabin near a large hill. Atop the hill was a bare rock clearing with several large standing stones surrounded by a ring of bone white birch trees. The site was ancient and the boy never ventured inside the circle. He always had the impression that it was a sacred place and he would not defile such holy ground.
The forest respected the boy because deep within him was the spirit of a great warrior. When the boy approached manhood he came to realize his noble blood and did many great deeds of courage and valor to protect his forest home. He eventually realized that he was as much a part of the forest as the great trees themselves and the forest was a harmonious place that protected and took care of its own.
One day as the boy was outside his cabin chopping firewood for the fast approaching winter the sky grew dark. The blue of the sky grew gray with clouds. The clouds began to spiral over the forest and a great funnel opened in the sky. A swirling black vortex. The boy dropped his axe, retrieved his trusted broadsword from its place next to his bed and ran toward the hill.
A wind picked up and blew up the sides of the hill. The boy ran as fast as he could up the paths that wound their way to the sacred circle. The funnel of clouds continued to swirl and descended down to touch the peak of the hill. The clouds grew dark and flashes of lighting could be seen within. The wind whipped at the boy's hair and clothing but still he ran.
As he approached the great white circle of trees the clouds receded and grew pale leaving a thick mist on the hilltop. The boy slowly approached the ring and crouched behind a nearby oak. The mist was too thick to see inside the circle and the standing stones were only large shadows in the fog.
The boy waited as the wind died and all was still. The forest was silent and the normal background noise of rustling leaves, buzzing insects and chirping squirrels was gone.
The boy continued to wait. His courage was strong and he would not flee this foe if there truly was one. Then he saw a massive form move within the mist. It dwarfed even the great standing stones. It turned in the fog to reveal a gigantic winged beast. The head of the beast moved silently through the mist toward the boy on a long neck. As it drew closer the boy tightened his grip on his sword. The form grew in definition until the boy could make out a great serpentine head. The beast examined him with golden eyes and its scales were a dull purple.
That was the first time the boy had ever laid eyes on the dragon. They spoke then for a very long time. The dragon, whose name no human could pronounce, told the boy why it had come to the forest. It had searched for a very long time for a safe place to lay its eggs and raise its offspring. It chose a sacred site in a peaceful forest near the home a legendary warrior.
The boy and the dragon became very good friends and fought side by side several times for the defense of the forest. The dragon was a powerful and noble beast able to summon lightning from the skies at will. Enemies fled the beast with terror in their hearts when she turned her golden eyes upon them and her teeth sparkled with electricity.
At times the dragon would sleep for long periods of time. Days or months would pass as the beast slumbered around her eggs atop the hill. During these times the boy would fight alone against the enemies of the forest and never once did he falter or fail. The dragon loved the boy and swore to always stand by his side.
One day the boy saw a beautiful form come from out of the depths of the forest. She was tall and elegant and dark and beautiful. Her skin glowed like the sun through the canopy of the trees and her hair was the color of the leaves upon the forest floor. The boy had never seen something so elegant and beautiful.
She floated across the carpet of leaves and came to rest before the boy. He stood tall and proud, knowing that he was looking upon an Aelf from the depths of the wood where even he knew not to venture. She stood for a long time before him, inspecting him with her glittering eyes.
"I have had my eyes upon you for some time." She said finally with a voice as soft as the breeze.
The boy stood before her and waited. She was an ethereal spirit in a long green grown of grass and leaves. Her hair hung in delicate curls and was woven with twigs and berries.
"I have come to make you an offer." She said finally.
"What is it?" The boy questioned.
"Your warrior blood is unparalleled." She explained. "I would like to have some of your seed so that I may make a tuatha child."
The boy thought for a moment.
"I know tales of your kind." The boy said. "How do I know I can trust you? You may just bind me to your servitude."
"We will make an unbreakable pact." The Aelf princess said. "For your seed I will deliver to you your greatest desires. Wealth. Power. Beauty. Whatever you please."
The boy thought on it for a few minutes. He thought of how to make sure the Aelf kept her word. He fully intended to keep his end of the bargain but the Aelfs were known for their trickery. Finally he decided on a spell that would be unbreakable.
"You may have some of my seed to create your child but only if the oath is bound in dragon fire."
The Aelf thought for a moment and finally raised her face to him.
"Anything you say, my love."
Together the boy and the Aelf walked up the hill to the sacred circle at the top. The dragon listened closely to the proposed oath and agreed to oversee the ritual. The three of them descended the hill after the sun had set beyond the western hills and made their way from the trails to a secluded glade.
The dragon stood over the boy and the beautiful Aelfin princess as they exchanged their parts of the oath. With the dragon as witness the oath was unbreakable and cast in dragon fire.
The boy and the Aelf both stripped their garments off and tossed them aside. In the silver of the moon and the Aelf glowed with an ethereal light. They embraced and laid down on the grass. They copulated in the moonlight through the entire night until the dawn began to break in the east. As the sun began to warm the forest the boy fell fast asleep.
When he awoke in the gold of the afternoon he was alone. He stood and put his clothes back on. Though the beautiful Aelf princess was nowhere to be seen he could feel the seed of his child growing in her belly deep within the heart of the forest.
***
Charlotte stared at me with wide, glistening eyes.
"That's it?" She said after a moment of silence.
"Yes." I said softly.
"Well what happened?" She demanded softly. "Did he ever meet his daughter?"
I smiled.
"That's a story for another time, dear."
She pouted a deep, sorrowful pout.
"Go and try to get some sleep."
"Okay." She said as she climbed back to her feet.
She leaned forward and gave me a great, big hug. I hugged her back and she pulled away.
"Goodnight." She said.
"Goodnight, sweetie." I answered.
She smiled at me before she turned and flittered from the room. I heard her mount the stairs and disappear into her room.
I smiled. She looked so much like her mother.
Back
I sat in my overstuffed armchair with only the crackle of
the fire and a loved novel for company.
I had my feet up and my boots off so the heat of the flames warmed my
toes. The cold made my old bones ache
so the massaging heat of the fire was welcome.
Outside the windows of my den the wind blew fierce and the night was
black. It was good to be inside next to
the fire. There were things in the
blackness of the night that were better avoided.
I heard the stairs creak and knew that Charlotte was
awake. It was late for her to be
awake. Her soft footsteps came down the
hall and entered my paneled den. I
looked over to her and smiled. She was
such a beautiful child. So much like
her mother. Her hair was long and black
and her skin nearly glowed an ethereal white.
She stood so small yet powerful in her floral nightdress. She was barefoot despite the chill outside;
keeping her in shoes was virtually impossible so most of the time I didn�t
bother.
"What's the matter, sweetie?" I asked gently.
"Do you want me to make you some tea?" I asked.
"No." She said shaking her head and making her raven hair shimmer in the firelight.
She walked gracefully across the room and sat down on the carpet before the fireplace. It crackled and popped softly.
"Will you tell me a story?"
I closed my book and placed it on the small table beside me.
"Of course." I said with a smile. "What would you like me to tell you?"
She lowered her face for a moment and thought. Finally she turned her face back to mine and turned her dark eyes on me. They were nearly as black as the night outside.
"Tell me a story about faeries and a dragon." She said.
I stopped for a moment.
"Why faeries and a dragon?"
She looked away and the fire reflected in her eyes.
"I had a dream about faeries and a dragon." She said distantly as she stared into the flames. "I don't remember it, though. Tell me a story so I can remember it as my dream."
I smiled.
"Okay."
***
Once upon a time there was a boy who lived in the forest.
The forest was a great kingdom unto itself full of massive trees and winding paths. It was said that travelers could become lost on the paths and the spirits of the forest would lead them from glade to sunny glade until they collapsed from exhaustion or went mad from the repetitive beauty of the forest. The boy had never had such problems but then the spirits of the wood were his friends and he was a guest among the trees. He respected the ancient trees and never abused the bounty of the forest.
The boy lived in a small cabin near a large hill. Atop the hill was a bare rock clearing with several large standing stones surrounded by a ring of bone white birch trees. The site was ancient and the boy never ventured inside the circle. He always had the impression that it was a sacred place and he would not defile such holy ground.
The forest respected the boy because deep within him was the spirit of a great warrior. When the boy approached manhood he came to realize his noble blood and did many great deeds of courage and valor to protect his forest home. He eventually realized that he was as much a part of the forest as the great trees themselves and the forest was a harmonious place that protected and took care of its own.
One day as the boy was outside his cabin chopping firewood for the fast approaching winter the sky grew dark. The blue of the sky grew gray with clouds. The clouds began to spiral over the forest and a great funnel opened in the sky. A swirling black vortex. The boy dropped his axe, retrieved his trusted broadsword from its place next to his bed and ran toward the hill.
A wind picked up and blew up the sides of the hill. The boy ran as fast as he could up the paths that wound their way to the sacred circle. The funnel of clouds continued to swirl and descended down to touch the peak of the hill. The clouds grew dark and flashes of lighting could be seen within. The wind whipped at the boy's hair and clothing but still he ran.
As he approached the great white circle of trees the clouds receded and grew pale leaving a thick mist on the hilltop. The boy slowly approached the ring and crouched behind a nearby oak. The mist was too thick to see inside the circle and the standing stones were only large shadows in the fog.
The boy waited as the wind died and all was still. The forest was silent and the normal background noise of rustling leaves, buzzing insects and chirping squirrels was gone.
The boy continued to wait. His courage was strong and he would not flee this foe if there truly was one. Then he saw a massive form move within the mist. It dwarfed even the great standing stones. It turned in the fog to reveal a gigantic winged beast. The head of the beast moved silently through the mist toward the boy on a long neck. As it drew closer the boy tightened his grip on his sword. The form grew in definition until the boy could make out a great serpentine head. The beast examined him with golden eyes and its scales were a dull purple.
That was the first time the boy had ever laid eyes on the dragon. They spoke then for a very long time. The dragon, whose name no human could pronounce, told the boy why it had come to the forest. It had searched for a very long time for a safe place to lay its eggs and raise its offspring. It chose a sacred site in a peaceful forest near the home a legendary warrior.
The boy and the dragon became very good friends and fought side by side several times for the defense of the forest. The dragon was a powerful and noble beast able to summon lightning from the skies at will. Enemies fled the beast with terror in their hearts when she turned her golden eyes upon them and her teeth sparkled with electricity.
At times the dragon would sleep for long periods of time. Days or months would pass as the beast slumbered around her eggs atop the hill. During these times the boy would fight alone against the enemies of the forest and never once did he falter or fail. The dragon loved the boy and swore to always stand by his side.
One day the boy saw a beautiful form come from out of the depths of the forest. She was tall and elegant and dark and beautiful. Her skin glowed like the sun through the canopy of the trees and her hair was the color of the leaves upon the forest floor. The boy had never seen something so elegant and beautiful.
She floated across the carpet of leaves and came to rest before the boy. He stood tall and proud, knowing that he was looking upon an Aelf from the depths of the wood where even he knew not to venture. She stood for a long time before him, inspecting him with her glittering eyes.
"I have had my eyes upon you for some time." She said finally with a voice as soft as the breeze.
The boy stood before her and waited. She was an ethereal spirit in a long green grown of grass and leaves. Her hair hung in delicate curls and was woven with twigs and berries.
"I have come to make you an offer." She said finally.
"What is it?" The boy questioned.
"Your warrior blood is unparalleled." She explained. "I would like to have some of your seed so that I may make a tuatha child."
The boy thought for a moment.
"I know tales of your kind." The boy said. "How do I know I can trust you? You may just bind me to your servitude."
"We will make an unbreakable pact." The Aelf princess said. "For your seed I will deliver to you your greatest desires. Wealth. Power. Beauty. Whatever you please."
The boy thought on it for a few minutes. He thought of how to make sure the Aelf kept her word. He fully intended to keep his end of the bargain but the Aelfs were known for their trickery. Finally he decided on a spell that would be unbreakable.
"You may have some of my seed to create your child but only if the oath is bound in dragon fire."
The Aelf thought for a moment and finally raised her face to him.
"Anything you say, my love."
Together the boy and the Aelf walked up the hill to the sacred circle at the top. The dragon listened closely to the proposed oath and agreed to oversee the ritual. The three of them descended the hill after the sun had set beyond the western hills and made their way from the trails to a secluded glade.
The dragon stood over the boy and the beautiful Aelfin princess as they exchanged their parts of the oath. With the dragon as witness the oath was unbreakable and cast in dragon fire.
The boy and the Aelf both stripped their garments off and tossed them aside. In the silver of the moon and the Aelf glowed with an ethereal light. They embraced and laid down on the grass. They copulated in the moonlight through the entire night until the dawn began to break in the east. As the sun began to warm the forest the boy fell fast asleep.
When he awoke in the gold of the afternoon he was alone. He stood and put his clothes back on. Though the beautiful Aelf princess was nowhere to be seen he could feel the seed of his child growing in her belly deep within the heart of the forest.
***
Charlotte stared at me with wide, glistening eyes.
"That's it?" She said after a moment of silence.
"Yes." I said softly.
"Well what happened?" She demanded softly. "Did he ever meet his daughter?"
I smiled.
"That's a story for another time, dear."
She pouted a deep, sorrowful pout.
"Go and try to get some sleep."
"Okay." She said as she climbed back to her feet.
She leaned forward and gave me a great, big hug. I hugged her back and she pulled away.
"Goodnight." She said.
"Goodnight, sweetie." I answered.
She smiled at me before she turned and flittered from the room. I heard her mount the stairs and disappear into her room.
I smiled. She looked so much like her mother.
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