Toby and Jessica in search of Fairyland

[Raven]

Part One - Lost in the Forest

Toby arrived at Jessica's home early in the morning.

'Are you ready to go and look for Fairyland?' he said.

'Oh yes!' replied Jessica, 'I only need to get my rucksack.  My daddy has packed us sandwiches, cereal bars, and drinks - enough to last us all day.'



'My mummy and daddy said we had to be back before it gets dark,' said Jessica.

'Yes, mine said the same,' said Toby, 'And that I'm to come back to your house because we're all having supper there tonight.'



'We had better leave the forest path,' said Jessica, 'We've got to get lost before we can find Fairyland.'

'I just hope that we can get unlost again,' said Toby.



Toby and Jessica had been walking off the forest path for some time when Toby thought he heard something behind him.

'Oh no!' he cried, when he looked back, 'Jessica, run quickly, there's a WOLF behind us!'



'There are no wolves in this forest,' said Jessica.

'There is one now,' said Toby, 'So run, just run.'

Jessica and Toby ran as fast as they could through the undergrowth.  Suddenly, Jessica spotted a stream.

'Let's go through the stream, Toby,' she said, 'I've read that dogs can't follow your scent through water.'

'It's a wolf, not a dog,' said Toby.

'Well, I don't expect that wolves can follow our scent through the water, either,' said Jessica.



'Look there's a clearing ahead,' said Jessica, 'I can see horses, so maybe there's a farm.  Perhaps it was a farm dog that you saw.'

'It was definitely a wolf,' insisted Toby.

'Well, whatever it was, I think we've lost it now.  Let's go and see the horses.'



'Toby!' squealed Jessica, 'These aren't horses - they are unicorns!'

'Wow!' said Toby.



'Oh, they are beautiful,' said Jessica.

'Do you think they are dangerous?' asked Toby, 'I mean, I'm thinking about those horns.'

Jessica, however, was already stroking a unicorn.



'Jessica!' said Toby, 'There's a man coming!  And he's got a blue and yellow horse!'



'Hello,' said the man, jumping down from his wagon, 'I am the Guardian of the Unicorns.  Who are you and why are you here?'

'I'm Jessica and this is Toby,' said Jessica, 'We were looking for Fairyland, and then Toby thought he saw a wolf, though it was probably only a dog, so we ran away and we ended up here.'



'It could have been a wolf,' said the Guardian of the Unicorns, 'It could have been one of Red's wolves.  If so, it would not have harmed you.  But anyway, you wish to enter Fairyland?'

'Yes,' said Jessica.

'Do you know where it is?' asked Toby.

'I know indeed,' replied the Guardian, 'But to enter there you will need the permission of Willow, the Lady of the Forest.  She should be with Red this morning.  I will take you there on my wagon. Climb aboard.'



'I will ride on front,' said the Guardian, ' Unicorns, do not follow us; I will return.  And horses: to Red's Outpost, please.'



'Don't you have to drive the horses?' asked Jessica.

'No, they know the whole area,' answered the Guardian.

'Why is one of them blue and yellow?' asked Toby.

'Because she wanted to be, of course,' said the Guardian, 'But that's enough questions; just relax and enjoy the ride now.'

'OK,' said Toby.



'This is as far as the wagon can go,' said The Guardian, 'We need to walk a little way.  The horses will wait for my return.'



'Here's Red,' said the Guardian of the Unicorns, and then to Red, he said, 'I found these two human children in the Unicorn Grazing this morning.  They wish to enter Fairyland and so I have brought them to present to the Lady Willow.'

'Willow is not here,' said Red, 'She's gone to the Healing Grounds.  But Greenleaf can show them the way there.'



'Greenleaf!' called Red, and a young elf came running.

'Greenleaf, these human children wish to fully enter our land,' Red told him, 'So they need to meet with the Lady Willow at the Healing Grounds.  Please show them the way.'



'Certainly I will,' said Greenleaf, 'Come this way, humans.'

'Thank you Guardian, thank you Red,' said Toby, 'Bye!'



'I hope it's not too far for you to walk,' said Greenleaf to Jessica and Toby, 'I don't know much about humans, I'm sorry to say.'

'We're good at walking,' said Jessica.

'Isn't the Guardian of the Unicorns a human also?' asked Toby.

'He is half-human,' said Greenleaf, 'But we don't mention it much.  Follow me, this way.'



After a short walk through the woodland, Greenleaf stopped at a bridge.

'This is as far as I can accompany you,' he said, 'You two must walk alone through Dragon Pass.  Keep to the path, and you will come to the Healing Grounds and the Lady of the Forest.  If all goes well.'

'Thank you, Greenleaf,' said Jessica.



Tomorrow: Part Two - Dragon Pass

[GrahamB]

Yipee! Another Toby adventure!
You have created another wonderful world for the children to explore, Raven. I just loved the journey through the forest, the unicorns, the self-determining horse, the don't mention he's only half human Guardian, Red, Greenleaf... can't wait for the next instalment!

[tahra]

A new story! Yay!

'I just hope that we can get unlost again,' said Toby.

'Why is one of them blue and yellow?' asked Toby.

'Because she wanted to be, of course,' said the Guardian, (...)

  That was great.

'Isn't the Guardian of the Unicorns a human also?' asked Toby.

'He is half-human,' said Greenleaf, 'But we don't mention it much.  Follow me, this way.'

'This is as far as I can accompany you,' he said, 'You two must walk alone through Dragon Pass.  Keep to the path, and you will come to the Healing Grounds and the Lady of the Forest.  If all goes well.'

That sounds... dangerous.


As always, looking forward to more.

The fairy thing looks awesome with more stuff, as expected (I just assembled mine this morning)...

[Tiermann]

Wonderful new adventure!

[Birdie]

Fairies? Oh no, I seem to remember something about fairies and child abduction 

Magical story, nonetheless 

P.S. I love all the quotes mentioned earlier 

[tahra]

Fairies? Oh no, I seem to remember something about fairies and child abduction 

Hey, those flowers need to eat! 

[Raven]

Well remembered about previous fairies, Birdie!


Part Two - Dragon Pass

'What did he mean, "If all goes well"?' said Toby, 'I don't like the sound of that.  And I'm not sure that I like this place either.'



'Do we really need to go and see fairies?' said Toby, 'I mean, we've seen unicorns; and a half-human; and, well, a dwarf, I think Red is; and Greenleaf the elf too.  Isn't that enough to see?  We could just go back now.'

'Of course we want to see fairies!' said Jessica, 'Toby, are you scared?'

'I was just saying,' said Toby, 'I mean, it might be a long way to the Healing Grounds, and we haven't even had a sandwich to eat yet, and I think that sandwiches would taste nice in that little wood we just walked through.'

'We can eat them at the Healing Grounds,' said Jessica, firmly.



So Toby continued through Dragon Pass with Jessica.  And then he saw something which interested him.

'Treasure!' he said.

'This is Dragon Pass, so it must be dragons' treasure,' said Jessica, warily, 'And look, there's a skeleton there too.  Maybe you are right, Toby, maybe we should go back.'



'I want to look at this, though,' said Toby, reaching for something amongst the pile of treasure.

'Don't touch it!' shouted Jessica.



Too late.  Toby had already picked up a large vase.

'My mummy and daddy have got vases like this,' he said, 'Only their vases are not gold of course, they are just pottery ones, and green.'

'Toby, you shouldn't have done that,' said Jessica, 'If this is dragons' treasure, then the dragons will come now.  We're going to end up like that skeleton, I know it.'

Then she shouted, 'Toby! Run! There's a snake coming after your ankle!'



Toby jumped quickly down the steps.

'It might not be a posionous snake, of course,' he said, 'But I think that proves that it's not dragons' treasure.  Dragons don't keep snakes as pets, do they?'

'Maybe they keep them as Treasure Guards,' said Jessica.



'Anyway, let's go back,' said Jessica, 'We could have our sandwiches in that woodland, like you said, and .... TOBY!  There's a dragon!'

'Where?' said Toby.



'I didn't see a dragon,' said Toby.

'You were just out of the line of sight,' said Jessica, 'But it was there, showing its head over the smaller tree.'

'I think you just saw branches moving,' said Toby, 'And I don't really want to go back now, anyway; come on, let's go on to the Healing Grounds as we planned.'



'It will be alright,' said Toby, as they continued walking along Dragon Pass, 'I'm sorry I got nervous earlier, that's probably what made you scared too.'



'And we're coming to nicer, open ground now,' continued Toby, 'It's quite a pleasant walk; look at those pretty trees over there.'



'Like I said, I think you just saw tree branches moving in the wind, not a dragon at all,' said Toby.

'I don't know,' said Jessica, 'But it didn't look like tree branches: it wasn't green, it was dark blue.'



'It was probably a trick of the light,' said Toby, 'Because dragons aren't blue, anyway.  Dragons are always green, everyone knows that.'

'Toby ... Toby,' gasped Jessica, 'They ... they are also red ... and one is....'

'No,' interupted Toby, cheerfully, 'Dragons are never red.  They are only green.'

'B-b-behind you...' said Jessica.



'AAAARGHHHH!' screamed Toby.



'Hello,' said the dragon, 'Sorry to surprise you.  Bluebell said that you were here, so I came to ask you if you'd like to see my baby.'

'Oh,' said Toby, calmed by the dragon's friendly voice, 'Thank you.  But I don't think we can do that.  We have to stay on this path and go to the Healing Grounds; we need to present ourselves to the Lady of the Forest.'



'It's not far,' said the dragon, 'And she's a beautiful baby, just like her mum.  And Blackcurrant will be there too.  And Pixie, when she gets back.  My name is Cuddles, by the way.'

'Oh let's go with Cuddles, Toby,' said Jessica, 'I'd love to see a baby dragon.'

'Who is Blackcurrant?' asked Toby, 'And Pixie?'

'Blackcurrant is the midwife fairy,' replied Cuddles, 'And Pixie is my wife.'

'A fairy!' cried Jessica, 'We've got to go!'

'OK,' said Toby, 'We can come back to this path afterwards.'

And so Toby and Jessica followed Cuddles, and he took them to see his baby.

'This is Raspberry,' he said proudly, 'The most beautiful baby in the world.'



'Bluebell suggested that you came to see Raspberry,' said Blackcurrant the fairy.

'Who is Bluebell?' asked Toby.

'Didn't you see him? He said he saw you at the Treasure Palace in the Pass,' answered Blackcurrant.

'The dragon?' asked Jessica.

'Yes,' said Blackcurrant, 'A wyvern actually, but dragon family.'

'Bluebell flowers are light blue,' said Jessica, 'But I thought that the dragon - I mean wyvern - that I saw was dark blue.'

'Yes, he is dark blue now,' said Blackcurrant.



Suddenly Jessica felt dragon-breath on her back.  Cuddles was inspecting her rucksack with great interest.

'I love your bag,' he said, 'Can I borrow it for the day?'



'I'd like to say yes, of course,' said Jessica, 'But I'm carrying our sandwiches and cereal bars and drinks in my bag.  We could eat some sandwiches right now, but we would still have food and drinks left for later, and we'll get hungry and thirsty then too.'

'If you would like to lend Cuddles your rucksack, then I can help you with your food and drink needs,' said Blackcurrant, 'Come with me and I'll give you some nectar to drink.  It will keep your hunger and thirst satisfied for 24 hours.  And should your teeth get bored at any time, there is plenty of fruit available in our land, and you can entertain your teeth with that.'



Toby and Jessica both had a good drink of nectar, and then Cuddles' wife, Pixie, returned.

'Human children!' she said, 'How delightful you are!'



'Do you like our baby?' asked Pixie.

'She's beautiful,' said Jessica, 'We are very lucky to have seen her.'



'We must be on our way now, though,' said Jessica, 'We've got to present ourselves to the Lady Willow.  You can borrow my rucksack for the day, though, Cuddles.  I can collect it again on the way home.'

'Put it with my other treasure,' said Cuddles, 'I will love to look at it all day.'



'I hope we can find our way back to the path that leads to the Healing Grounds,' said Toby.

'Oh, but you can't walk all that way!' said Blackcurrant, 'Your poor little feet!  No, as you can't fly, the unicorns must take you.  I will call them.'



'You two take one carriage, and I'll take the other one,' said Blackcurrant, 'Hold tightly to the hand rail.'



And off they went to the Healing Grounds to meet with Willow, the Lady of the Forest.



Tomorrow: Part Three - Exploring Fairyland

[Tiermann]

Hmmm. I have my doubts about that nectar. Reminds me somehow of Turkish Delight.

[tahra]

Then she shouted, 'Toby! Run! There's a snake coming after your ankle!'

I still can't believe anyone would walk in a forest (or anywhere else but home or the beach) barefoot in slippers! But that may be me 

'It was probably a trick of the light,' said Toby, 'Because dragons aren't blue, anyway.  Dragons are always green, everyone knows that.'

(...)

'No,' interupted Toby, cheerfully, 'Dragons are never red.  They are only green.'

 

'Human children!' she said, 'How delightful you are!'

She looks.... interested. Is that a CULINARY interest?


All the names cracked me up!

Looking forward to more!

[leefert]

Hmmm. I have my doubts about that nectar. Reminds me somehow of Turkish Delight.

My thoughts exactly!

Loving this new adventure Raven!