The Rapha and the Firefly, page 17
“Good morning!” she called as Dill brought the bird in for a landing. “I’ve got a big stack of hot cakes on the table ready for you and Sage is scrambling up an egg now. Any sign of her?”
Dill jumped down and held up a hand to assist Basil.
“Nope,” Basil answered as he slid down. “I checked a few times and didn’t see anything. I think our luck is still holding.”
“Poor Ariel,” Rosemary sighed. “It isn’t fair that she’s missing out on assembly.”
“Try telling Keeper that,” Dill scoffed. “Could you imagine the look on Hallow’s face if Ariel made an appearance?”
Hallow? Ariel wondered. Who’s Hallow? Then she remembered Dill once mentioning that he was the hopper leader, and Grandma had spoken about him a few days before. He didn’t like Keeper or the Rapha. Well, Ariel wasn’t a hopper, so why should his opinion matter? But now Dill, Basil and Rosemary had entered the home and Ariel was left all alone in the cool of a Kansas morning, promising to warm up quickly.
The young flyer sat down, leaned against a thick trunk and set her mind to wait them out. It wasn’t easy. She could smell the aroma of scrambled eggs and pancakes wafting out of an open window and heard the low hum of their conversation, broken intermittently by laughter. She began to feel sorry for herself: hungry, alone, and excluded from her friends. Twice she considered knocking on the door. She was sure she would be invited in to breakfast, but what then? If she showed herself, she was sure to miss out on the mysterious Assembly again. No, she had to keep in hiding if she was going to discover the secret. And this time, she was so much farther on the path to answers than ever before.
Nearly an hour passed before she heard chairs being pushed back from the table and dishes clattered as they were stacked in the sink. A few minutes later, Ariel heard the door creak as it opened, and she ducked down behind her leaf, hardly daring to breathe.
The four young elves stepped out into the sunlight.
“You going by air or underground?” Dill was asking the girl as he pulled a fist sized seed cake out of the front pocket of his back pack.
Rosemary sighed. “Underground. Sage has been whining that I’ve been neglecting him.”
“I have not! It’s just that I miss you.” The sprite pulled his wife close and kissed her hair. The gnome giggled and jokingly shoved the large man away. “You took off the ring, right? We don’t want to lose it.”
“Yes,” Rosie nodded. “It’s on the table.”
“If you’d let me get you a birch one, it could phase,” he reminded her.
“I like GOLD!”
Basil and Dill laughed at the ongoing squabble.
“Suit yourself,” Dill said. He slung the pack over his shoulder and whistled. A meadowlark came in for a landing beside him and accepted the cake Dill held out for him. The hopper mounted the ‘lark and slung Basil up behind him.
“See you there.” the sprite called. Then, grabbing his wife around the waist, the two of them melted into the earth. Both the hoppers noted Rosie drew in a sharp breath before she disappeared. Basil couldn’t help chuckling as Dill watched in admiration.
“I gotta get Sage to take me some day,” he wistfully stated.
“Don’t hold your breath. Keeper says it isn’t as awe inspiring as you’d think. I guess the shock can really play havoc on your system.”
Dill considered for a moment. “So, Keeper threw up?”
“Just the first time. And he got a migraine, and was hyperventilating, and sweating…”
Dill let out a laugh that startled the meadowlark. It pranced agitatedly under them.
“At least that’s what Tanner says,” Basil said, laughing himself.
“Man, I woulda liked to seen that.”
“I imagine Keeper wasn’t very pleasant to be around that day.”
The voices faded as the bird lifted into the air, taking the conversation with it. Ariel waited a few seconds before lifting off also. They were only airborne a few minutes before the bird started into a landing pattern before a large oak tree. Ariel came to a landing in a tree about twenty feet away. From the branch high above the floor of the grove, Ariel watched the action taking place beneath her.
There were half a dozen other birds delivering elfin folk to the tree. At least fifty elves were there of all sizes and ages, clustered in groups greeting each other and sharing stories. The children stood together, the boys competing in games of hand actions that Ariel couldn’t figure out, and the girls whispering secrets and showing off their dresses.
“Tag! You’re it!” a little boy called as he swatted at his brother and ran away.
“No running, Elijah!” the older child reminded him. “You’ll get dirty!”
Elijah slowed to a stop, crestfallen.
Sage and Rosemary appeared, rising up from the earth a few yards away from the others. Ariel couldn’t help noticing that Rosemary shuttered and seemed to give a sigh of relief. They quickly joined Basil, Dill and Thyme in a cluster with Tanner, Grandma Love and a few others that Ariel didn’t recognize. She wished she knew what they were talking about, but it was impossible to hear them over the din made by the other groups.
After a few more minutes, a young boy came out a tunnel opening at the base of the oak with a bell, clanging it purposefully. Ariel expected the older fairies to shush him. Instead, the groups moved toward the opening, mothers calling to their children to hurry, children holding the hands of little brothers or sisters to keep them near as they all passed into the opening and disappeared from sight.
The whole scenario confused Ariel dreadfully. She had never seen so many elves together at one time before. And why were they here?
A meadowlark swooped past Ariel’s tree and came in for a landing. It was Keeper. He jumped down, looked around for a moment and spotted the healers.
“Rachael!” The Rapha were nearly inside the opening but turned as one. Noticing Keeper, they all walked back to greet him.
“You ok?” Tanner asked.
Keeper nodded. “Yeah. Sorry ‘bout last night.” He hesitated a moment before asking “can I talk to Rachel?”
Grandma stared at him a few seconds before nodding. The others headed into the oak as Grandma and Keeper stood facing each other in silence. After an awkward moment, Keeper brought a small yellow prairie flower up from under his cloak and held it out to her.
“Friends?” he queried.
She considered a moment, sighed, and took the flower. “You’re fixing my cabinet for me, right?”
He grinned. “Mind if Peter helps?”
“Sure. Then I’ll feed you both afterwards.”
He offered her his arm, which she took, and then together they entered the tunnel.
What was that about? Ariel wondered.
There had been a droning of voices from under the oak. In a few minutes, it died down and she heard a lone mumbling voice, but it was too muffled to hear its words. Other voices laughed politely at what was said. There were more words, followed by a brief silence. Then all the voices started singing together.
The princess was about ready to fly down to the opening and peek in when another ‘lark flew in and landed. A male gnome and his wife slid off its back and quickly helped down two little children.
“I told you we were going to be late!” the woman scolded. “They’ve already started!”
“I couldn’t find my good boots!” her husband snapped back. “Micah hid them in the corn bin.”
The family hurried to the opening. Somewhere inside, Ariel was sure their voices were now mixing with those of the other singers. But why? The song ended. Ariel waited. Another voice started speaking, different than the first. Another song was started. What did it all mean?
Ariel waited a few more minutes. When she was sure no one else was coming, she flew down to the base of the tree where she had been hiding. She could hear a little better, but not much. Tentatively, Ariel slowly made her way across the space between the two trees, peeking out between the blades of grass. The singing ended, and the first voice was heard again. And then there was a sound, as if dozens of people suddenly all arose at the same time and were murmuring to each other. Was that it? Ariel wondered, surprised. Was the assembly over so soon?
“Come this way children!” a cheerful voice called from inside the tunnel. The chattering and giggling of a group of youngsters could be heard, and the voices seemed to be coming closer! Ariel quickly flew up into a tree to hide seconds before a number of young children came running out of the opening, followed by two young women. Ariel recognized some of the children from rounds: there was Josiah’s little sister Tina, as well as Timmy, Eve and Samuel Weaver, and Thyme’s niece Sarah Brookside. There were three others she didn’t recognize, all between 3 and 6 years of age. The women called to the children who were laughing and chasing each other in the open area before the old tree. It took a few minutes for the women to get them all corralled and convinced them to gather around them. One of the women led the children in a few songs, using sweeping hand motions as they sang. The children mimicked her motions, laughing and singing loud. They sang something about how big Elyon was. Ariel had trouble making out all the words as the children were off key and not quite singing the words at the same time. After a few more songs, the children all sat down on the ground and the other woman began talking to the children, using broad hand and facial motions that made the children laugh on occasions. She was telling them a story and hamming up her narration. The children watched, fascinated as she acted out the characters, changing her voice for the different people depicted, stomping around, striking a fearful pose that got the youngsters rolling with laughter. To her chagrin, Ariel could hear very little of what was actually being said: as she was too far away. At the end of the story, the children all clapped their approval. The woman chanted a few words to the group and they chanted back “Logos made everything!” as they threw up their hands, to indicate the everything-ness. The group sang another song, again using hand motions to emphasis the words, after which the teachers lead them in a different activity which involved the youngsters mimicking the motions of the lead teacher. Ariel had no idea what the purpose of this activity was, especially when periodically the group would burst into laughter, point at someone and shout out “She didn’t say ‘Simon Says!’”
They were in a round of this senseless activity when someone came to the opening of the tunnel again, ringing the brass bell. The group quickly stopped their mimicking and gathered in a circle, taking each other’s hands and bowing their heads. Ariel realized they were petitioning Elyon. Once this was over, one of the women lead the children back inside, while the other followed, checking to be sure the group stayed together, and everyone made it back inside with them.
Ariel was disappointed. Was that it? She’d understood nothing of what she’d witness, and where were the Rapha during all this? She wasn’t sure what she’d expected from Assembly, but she was sure it was more than just watching little kids gawking while some lady made weird voices at them and said “Simon says.”
But then she heard singing again. It was many voices, children’s and grown-ups this time, like she had heard before the children had come outside. Once again, Ariel flew down from her perch in the tree and crept toward the entrance. She kept her eye on the opening in case someone came out and she needed to duck out of sight, but all seemed still. Ariel caught a few words as they drifted out of the tunnel: love, brotherhood, faith. She knew something about love, but not the other two. What was the voice talking about? Ariel crept closer. A baby started crying. The princess stopped. The crying was getting closer. Suddenly, a woman sprite came up out of the ground a yard from her, holding the crying child. The woman’s back was to Ariel, but the flyer dove down among the tall grass anyway. After a few seconds, she cautiously peered out between the blades. Had the spite seen her? No, she stood there by the oak, rocking the baby in her arms. When that didn’t work, she walked the short path down to the creek. Where is she going? Ariel wondered. Does this have to do with ‘Assembly’? She took off from her hiding place and followed, alighting in a tree beside the water. The mother came to the creek, sat down on the bank and started feeding the baby. Ariel was disappointed. Surely, this wasn’t Assembly. She contemplated flying back, but no, as the child nursed, its mother was looking around at the scenery. She would likely see the flyer. Ariel would just have to wait her out.
And so, she waited as the mother fed and burped her child. Surely now she will be going back, Ariel thought. But no, the woman laid the child down on the dry bank and started messing with its clothing. The flyer craned her neck to see. There was a cloth around the baby’s bottom. Ariel, who’d come from a colony where babies were left naked until well after their first birthdays, was totally perplexed as she watched the mother changing her infant’s diaper. Freshly clothed, the infant lay cooing on a blanket as his mother rinsed the soiled cloth out in the creek. Ariel wrinkled her nose in disgust and again wondered if she could fly back to the oak without being noticed. No, it was too risky. With a sigh, Ariel waited some more. Finally, the woman gathered up the wet clothes into a tote, took up her child and fazed into the ground. As soon as she disappeared, Ariel zoomed back to the tunnel. Craning around the edge of the opening, she looked in. A pathway led down beneath the tree. It curved shortly past the entrance, so all the princess could see were the walls.
The voice inside had ended his speaking and all the voices began a new song.
Tentatively, Ariel took a step inside. It was instantly cooler in here than in the bright sunshine. She took another step and could just barely see around the corner. She could see a few heads on the other side of a large room, but they didn’t notice her. She took another step in and then another.
27
Assembly?
Now, she was near the end of the tunnel, looking into the room. Other than her barn home, it was far larger than any room she had ever been in – at least ten feet across – and in a circle. Actually, more like a bowl with a bottom that curved upward to make the sides. Going all the way around the room were carved tiers going up the walls, with wooden benches that people were sitting on, all facing toward the open center arena. A man stood there in the center waving an arm in time to the music, while another man strummed a guitar, and a woman played a flute. The tunnel entered the room about halfway down one of the sides. There were rows of people in front of her, and rows curving around at her level and a few rows farther up. There were 3 other tunnels situated on the same tier she was on, one directly across and two others directly across from each other halfway around each side. There were long skinny windows cut all the way around the circle above the upper tier, each about 10 paces apart, that let in light. Ariel craned her neck around the edge of the tunnel. There to the side she could see the Rapha, sitting halfway up the steps. Dill, Basil, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme sat on a lower step with Keeper, Grandma Love and Tanner sitting one behind them. Ariel scanned the crowds to see if she could recognize any others there, and noticed the singing was dying off. Looking around, she suddenly realized why: she’d been noticed! A little boy pulled on his mother’s skirt and pointed. Teenagers whispered in gasps to each other. Older folks were staring at her, open mouthed. Fear, anger, hostility, surprise. She could see it in their faces. The room settled into an awkward silence as the girl stood there in the passageway, frozen to the spot with uncertainty. What should she do now?
Dill, Basil and the other Rapha looked around; trying to discover what was causing the commotion.
“Oh, no…” Basil breathed.
Dill followed his stare and saw the flyer frozen in the tunnel. Behind them, they heard a sharp breath being drawn.
“That little…” Keeper ranted under his breath.
Dill could hear their leader’s body shifting to rise, but quickly countered by jumping up himself.
“’Scuse me, ‘scuse me.”
He quickly wormed his way down the row, sprinted down a few steps and grabbed the petrified princess by the arm. Before she could react, he pulled her behind him down the stairs and into the middle of the arena. Dill stood there before the crowd, one arm around her shoulders to prevent her from getting away.
The Rapha were horrified.
“What is he doing?” Rosemary whispered.
Basil shook his head, open mouthed. He had no idea.
“Ladies and Gentlemen,” Dill announced. “I would like to introduce you to Ariel. Some of you have seen her around with the Rapha or at Tanner’s shop. And you’ve probably noticed: she’s a flyer.”
A couple of chuckles were heard at this remark, and Dill allowed the tension he felt to ease a bit as he quickly launched into an impromptu speech.
“This little flyer first showed up here about two months ago when we found out she’d saved Basil’s life by fighting off a huge spider single handedly!”
A murmur was heard.
“Then this sweet creature, after slaving away trying to bring him back to health herself, dragged our brother all the way home where he could get the medical treatment he needed to survive.”
Another murmur. Rosemary and Sage cast questioning eyes at Basil. He sat stone still, his eyes glued on Dill, as his cheeks burned. Dill’s story went on.
“And do you know what she found when she got to our colony? Things that she could not have imagined in her wildest dreams! We have books! And tables and doors! And cooking pots, glass! Things her colony doesn’t even have words for! We have checkers and chess games, playing cards, and uh…”
“Pancakes?” Ariel added hopefully. A chuckle went through the crowd. Dill couldn’t help grinning at this.
“And pancakes.” He agreed, then went on. “Blackberry pie, popcorn, omelets. All these things she wants to learn about. Things denied her in her own colony where she is treated as a slave. Do you know she’s learning to read? She came here wanting to learn to read. The Tuttle Twins, Frances the Gnome, The Spotted Dormouse, The Brave Little Hopper. All these wonderful stories you and I grew up on. Now this young lady here is enjoying all those! She can read at a level 3!”
