The Magic Is Gone....
The Wizard lay Unmoving in the Cave, Dear Readers, the Darkness was Absolute. He knew not how long he had lain there, growing colder and weaker by the hour. He could not move and had no will to try. He knew the Old Year was dying, and he thought maybe he had as well. Except he had always thought he would know the minute he left this mortal coil, and this emptiness in his bones did not feel like Heaven to his soul. And every now and then he thought he heard Whispers echo around him. Perhaps it was the bats come to roost. Then again, Time had left him behind, for here it seemed, nothing changed at all. And then he heard it again... the sound became stronger... a whisper that wasn't the wind or the tides... but sounded like children bent on mischief. How had he forgotten about the children...?
Or maybe he was just Dreaming again...
and those were the voices of his fevered mind...
And yet, they sounded stronger and more insistent now...
They were arguing about dragons....
"I think the path to the Dragon cave is back here..." said Perry
as he inched forward through the dark cave.
"I thought we would be able to see in here..." added Tommy.
"The fire is gone out..." said Perry.
But there was still a faint shaft of light from the cave entrance.
"I wonder where the Wizard is..." he added.
Just then he heard a low moan from the back of the cave.
They stopped in their tracks.
"I think that must be the Wizard..." whispered Tommy,
suddenly not sounding so brave.
"It is..." said Perry. "I think something must be wrong with him!"
He moved a little closer to the sound and could just make out
the shape of the Wizard lying at the back of the cave.
There was another moan...
but other than that, the Wizard did not move at all.
"We need to get help!" he declared.
Just then the Little Dreamer Beth arrived in the cave.
"I knew I would find you here..." she said.
Perry didn't give her a chance to say anything more.
"We need to get help" he said.
"There is something wrong with the Wizard!"
"He's not moving..." added Tommy.
"I'll go find Old Meg..." declared Beth.
"She'll know what to do."
"There's nobody in the Castle..." said Tommy.
"We already went through the Kitchen" added Perry.
"I'll go look anyway..." said Beth...
"She's always there!"
Sure enough, when Beth reached the Kitchen
it appeared at first glance to be empty.
But there was a pile of old rags in the corner by the hearth.
As Beth approached, she could see
the figure of Old Meg amongst all the "rags".
"We need your help!" she declared.
"Please." she added.
"There's something wrong with the Wizard... he's not moving!"
"Perhaps it's his Time to die..." said Old Meg.
"I don't stand in the way of Death..." she added.
"No!" declared Beth.
"He's not dying!"
"He just needs help!" she insisted.
"Ah... well then!" replied Old Meg.
"You better go find the Gypsy Healer."
The Little Dreamer turned to go.
She didn't know how long it would take to get to her,
but she remembered seeing the Gypsy Wagon
as she was heading to the Castle.
Meanwhile, Dear Readers, Not too far away and not too long ago,
on the rocks below the Castle,
our Fairy Beary friend Hamish Harry Hotcakes McCloud
could be spotted enjoying an afternoon of fishing.
It was one of his favorite places to come.
Sometimes he just pretended he was fishing...
while he really was just Daydreaming the afternoon away.
This was that sort of afternoon.
He had not a care in the World!
The sun was shining and the seas were calm.
He almost didn't notice the sudden arrival of a visitor nearby...
"Heavens above!" thought Harry...
"I do believe that is a She-dragon!"
"Why, I'll be blown over...!" he thought...
"I've never seen one before!"
"Wait 'til I tell the Beary Gang....!"
"What a fine specimen!" he thought.
And then she spoke....
"Hi There....!" she said.
"My name is 'Lucy"... 'Lucy Silverwing' "
she added as she flapped her huge wings.
"Who are you....?" she added.
"Ach... I'm Hamish Harry..." he replied...
"I'm Cook at the Cloud Palace..." he added.
"'Tis a pleasure to meet you for sure..." he stammered.
"But I'll just be going now... have things to do...." he said.
And off he flew.
"Well!" thought Lucy.
"How rude!"
But it was too nice a day to be annoyed.
And she had just found herself a Lovely Old Treasure Cave!
And in case you were worried, Dear Readers,
the Little Dreamer Beth had hurried back the way she had come.
The farther she went from the Castle, the brighter the day became.
Before she had gone very far,
she spotted the Gypsy wagon in the meadow.
She had seen the Gypsy Fortune-teller
at the Castle Halloween party.
She didn't know her name,
but she wasn't afraid to talk to her.
Beth called out to her as she approached.
She was a bit winded from running...
"Please, Ma'am...." she gasped...
"We need your help!"
"The wizard might be dying...!" she cried.
"Please... we need you to Heal him!"
Well, Dear Readers,
We will have to wait to see what happens next.
Sometimes the Dark Times Overtake us...
And we need to find help!
