The Uninvited Guest....

Winging It.... Part Two.....

Everybody, Dear Readers, was getting ready for the annual Halloween Party at The Castle! They were digging through their trunks and closets to find costumes to wear. Pollyanna and Arthur were once again going as a Witch and a Wizard. Joanna had decided to go as Maid Marion, because Victor was going as Robin Hood.

Charles was once again going as a Lord.... 

and they were waiting for Helen to finish getting ready. 

She was planning to be a Lady. 

Her gown was giving her fits, because it didn't quite fit right... 

but it was too late now to change her mind.

"You look beautiful, my Dear" said Charles. 

"That gown reminds me of many years ago 

when we first met" he added gallantly.

"Well, we better go or we will be late!" said Helen.

 

Sally May and Chip and Annabelle were almost the first ones to arrive.

Chip never dresses up... he says "I am just a Regular Guy"!

 

Joanna is enchanted by Annabelle's Fairy costume.

Will is once again going as a Crusader Knight.

Before long, all the familiar families are arriving....

The Castle is filling with children and grown-ups....

Most we have met before.... and some we have not!

Since Daphne is not here, Ken has found 

someone new to play the Gypsy Fortune Teller....

And there are quite a few folks 

who seem to have come from another Time altogether!

 

And one fellow who was not invited at all!

And who would most certainly be overlooked by nearly everyone else!

I refer to the Tiny Mischievous Fairy 

(Perched there on the mantle in the silver chalice...)

Whose idea of Fun was to make Humans do silly things....!

And tonight he had a whole Castle full of them! 

And they were already dressed and ready to play!

And our Favorite Band..... 

The Deadly Nightshades were already filling the Castle 

with Haunting Halloween melodies!

 

But Far below the Castle, Dear Readers, 

Deep in the Wizards Cave 

in another Time altogether,

 the Wizard had remembered what it was 

that needed to be done this night!

The Ancient Book of Forbidden Knowledge was not where it should be!

It carried Powerful Magic and Terrible Knowledge in it's pages....

 indeed even in the Binding itself, Enchantment was enmeshed.

The Wizard would not touch it himself....

It was not from his Time...

But Perry had touched it..... 

and was perhaps still bound to it 

in a way that could not be seen!

The Book must be removed from the Castle... 

before it could do more Harm..... 

and Time was running out!

"You must fetch the Book from the Castle Chamber 

where you placed it last...." said the Wizard to Perry.

"And you must carry it down to the shore below these caves....."

As if in a Trance, Perry crossed the empty Great Hall....

And found his way to the Chamber where 

the Book still sat on an ancient carved cabinet.

He picked it up. And as he did, Something changed.

He could see more clearly now.

And It was heavier than he remembered.

 

When he passed through the Great Hall again, 

it seemed an entirely different place...

it was filled with people.... 

Although none seemed to notice him as he went by......

And even the dogs in the kitchens did not see him pass...

He kept going, out past the stables and down past the caves,

 until he reached the shore at the bottom of the cliffs.

And there on the sand was a little boat, 

just as the Wizard had said there would be.

Perry pushed the boat into the water and climbed in....

The Wizard had said he must sail to the Forgotten Isle......

He must head due East....

And Not Look Back!

And so Perry sailed off into the night....

All alone!

And the Wizard watched him go!

But lest you think that is all, Dear Readers, 

I must tell you that Mischief was stirring this night!

 

One by One, the Fairy sought out the children...

And whispered in their ears....

Giving them Ideas they never would have thought of by themselves!

And before long the Great Hall was filled with grown-ups....

Dancing and Making Merry....

Without a Care in the World!

But What had become of the Children?

Well, Dear Readers, I hope you will understand

 if I leave you here again....

With our Uninvited Guest making Mischief...

And Time Flying By......

We're just Winging it again...!

 (Yes, there will be more....!)

"Go Where...?"

Winging It.......

It Was a Long Time Ago, Dear Readers, Even if it Felt like no Time at all had passed since Perry asked that question of the Wizard! Perry had finally returned the Key of Time and the Wizard had said now he was free to go. "Go Where...?" was Perry's reply! The Wizard just stared at him. This was not what he had expected. "You must go back the way you came... " said the Wizard. "To your home.... to your Time." he added. "But Where is that?" repeated Perry. "I don't remember" he added.
The Wizard looked closer at Perry and noticed a slightly dazed or vacant look in his eyes... as though he were not really here at all. This was not a good sign, thought the Wizard. Clearly something was not right, but he had no idea what had gone wrong. This would require some thought. And meanwhile he should probably keep an eye on the boy. "Then stay" replied the Wizard.

And so Perry stayed. 

He followed the Wizard everywhere he went.

The Wizard spent a great deal of Time deep in his cave staring into the fire... 

as if it held the answers to the Questions he pondered.

 

 

As if he could unravel the very fabric of Time and trace the steps back....

to find the place... the missing pieces.... the Spell gone wrong.

However Long it took.....

And even his Dreams were filled with the restless questing...

 

As he pondered the nature of Time and awareness and Memory....

And Dreamed he was wondering... 

and Wondered if he Dreamed....

And if not He... then Who...? and Where....?

Something was not right... of that he was sure!

And what of the Little Dreamers, I hear you ask? 

They found themselves once again at Rose Thorne Cottage 

on the Distant Briar Moors, 

where they were content to run in the sunshine

 and play with their little dolls.

Until one beautiful Autumn day 

when the wind was brisk and the sky full of puffy white clouds, 

and over the horizon trotted a pair of beautiful wild ponies!

They were the most beautiful sight the Little Dreamers had ever seen!

"Oh, if only...." thought Beth....

"If only we could ride them......."

She reached out a hand towards the white one....

And to her surprise and delight, the pony came closer....

Beth quickly set her doll down on the ground 

so she could more easily greet the pony....

And Amy, who was not quite as eager to play with the ponies, 

plucked up her courage too....

She set Sweet-pea down next to Little Rose, 

and approached the ponies....

Beth had already climbed onto the white pony.....

And Amy was going to have to ride the ginger painted one.... 

or be left behind!

It was easier than she thought it would be to climb onto the pony's back....

And just like that, they were racing off across the Distant Briar Moors....

Leaving the little dolls completely alone!

"I can walk..... but you can't" said Little Rose to Sweet-pea.

"So we'll just have to wait for someone to come" she added hopefully.

It wasn't a terribly long wait, but it felt like forever.

After quite a while they spotted a Tiny Fairy on a snail....

He waved, but was much too small to carry them.

So they waved back as he went by.

It wasn't too much later that they spotted 

another small creature passing over the moors

This time it was an Obsidian Turtle.... 

and he also was too small to be of any help.

Very Late in the afternoon a Glittering Leaping Lizard appeared....

and the Little dolls almost accepted his offer of a ride....

But he seemed a bit too slippery... so they politely declined.

And just when they were starting to lose all hope 

and it was beginning to get dark... 

over the horizon there appeared a great furry beast!

At first they did not even notice the new arrival... 

but Sweet-Pea the Fairy Beary had spotted them and was very curious! 

She was out hunting for rare herbs and flowers 

and had strayed onto the Distant Briar Moors. 

She had not expected to find such perfect little creatures all alone in the weeds!

The Tiny Dolls were Petrified!

The huge creature came right up to them.....

they couldn't move or speak!

But then the creature spoke in a gentle voice 

"Hello, my name is Sweet-Pea" she said. "I'm a Fairy Beary ... 

I'm a vegetarian... and I would never harm little ones." 

And then she added "You look a little bit lost.... 

perhaps I can help you.?"

At this, Little Rose spoke up saying

 "I'm Little Rose, and my sister is named Sweet-pea too.

Perhaps you could carry us somewhere safe?"

Sweet-pea was happy to gather them up in her paws.

"I can bring you to the Cloud Palace" she said.

"Blue will know how to help you" she added.

And just like that they were flying up into the Clouds above!

But meanwhile, Dear Readers, as Time has been Flying by, 

the Dark Time of year has has caught up with us once again!

And soon it will be that Night when the Veils of Time are vulnerably Thin.....

When creatures that do not mean well mingle with those who would do no harm.

And All must be wary lest they be Tricked  and Betrayed!

Time to Prepare was running out!

But the Locals did not Dream of these struggles! 

And as with every year, they worked to prepare the Castle 

for the annual All Hallows Eve Party!

Louis was tuning up his fiddle....

Ken was setting out the silver.....

And the floor had been cleared for dancing!

 

And deep below the Castle in the Dark Caverns....

In a Time that was Now... but Not.....

 

 

Where the Wizard had been Wandering ... 

Lost Deep in his Dreams.... 

he suddenly woke with a start!

It was the Book! 

The Book of Ancient Spells 

was the part he was overlooking, he realized.

The Book was the part that must Go!

But..... Go Where....?

 

Well, Dear Readers, I hope you do not mind me leaving you here.... 

with more questions now than when we began!

But rest assured, there will be more to come...

And while we might not know Where we are Going....

Somehow we will Wing it Anyway!

Because Time Flies!

(And I do hope you will come to the Party!)