Page 24 of Must Love Moss and Moonshine
Taking one last look, she nodded, then turned back.We made our way up the narrow slope, turning off the path that led to the summit toward an unseen and unbroken path hidden behind a jumble of rocks.
“We’re not going to the top?”Sylvie asked, looking up at the face of the mountain.
“No,” I replied.
“Oh, thank Gaia,” she said with a laugh.“Then where?—”
“Follow me,” I told her, leading her toward a massive jumble of rocks and then around them through an almost invisible path.A little forest glamour and a visual trick of the eye left the path hidden.
“Whoa,” Sylvie said, her eyes wide as she followed me through the rocks.“I feel it…the charm.”
“Yes.Stay close.”
We wound through the rocks, emerging on a rough path on the other side.The scramble over stones, around narrow ledges, and up rocks was easy for me, but I was used to it.Sylvie went more slowly, but I could see that it was more her injury than her fitness slowing her down.Her eyes glimmered with excitement as we went.When we were finally through the rough section, the sun had sunk below the horizon, and it grew dark.Walking in the darkness, I began to see the flecks of light before me.Blue balls of light bounced out of the darkness to greet me.
The wisps did not speak.They chimed soft tones of welcome and swirled around Sylvie and me.
Smiling, Sylvie held out her hand.One glowing wisp alighted briefly, turning momentarily pink with joy and sounding a soft chime, before gliding away again.
“She liked you.”
Sylvie grinned.“The feeling is mutual.”
Marvelle, who had been pouting most of the day, sleeping in my sling, climbed up to my shoulder and looked about, clicking lightly.
“Come, little friend.Let’s see.And stay out of trouble.”
Going forward, the wisps lighting the way, I led Sylvie to the standing stones that formed an archway at the entrance of the Moonvale.The ancient stones bore markings in old dryadic, protecting the ancient vale from harm.
Sylvie looked up, her brow furrowing as she tried to read the inscription, then followed me through the passageway.
There was no resistance.
We followed the path, descending the winding slope leading to the moonwell, the vale, the tree, and its remarkable inhabitants.
Even from this distance, the silvery-blue glow of the moonwell and the ancient Silverdust Willow tree shimmered with blue and silver light.When we rounded the bend, however, the full beauty of the valley came into view.The valley was nestled between the mountains, out of sight.A gap in the mountains, facing the great sky beyond, painted a background of silver stars on a night-blue canvas.The ancient Silverdust Willow tree, its long branches of silvery blue leaves, falling like the tresses of a woman’s hair, skimmed the surface of a glowing blue pool at its base.The clear water took its hue from the tree, shades of gentle pink, soft lavender, pale blue, silver, and gold rippling on the surface.The moonshine plant grew in great patches all around the water’s edge.And while there was a fortune in the rare plant growing there, that was not the most magical element.It was those who tended the valley who made Sylvie gasp.
“Are those… Are those fairy moon dragons?”she whispered.
“This is the only place they are known to reside.”The kitten-sized moon dragons, their scales the same soft pastel colors as the tree’s glow, flying about on iridescent gossamer wings, fluttered as they cared for the tree and one another.
One of the moon dragons, a playful but shy youth, stopped when he saw us.He whistled to the others, causing many moon dragons to stop in midair to look.Most, recognizing me, carried on with their own business.But the addition of Sylvie and Marvelle roused the curiosity of a young moon dragon and his pack of friends.
A dozen small moon dragons flew our way.I held out a hand to their leader, a moon dragon with pale blue and pink scales.He landed on my hand and blinked inquisitively at me.
“This is Sylvie.I have brought her here hoping to restore her memory,” I told the moon dragon, gesturing to her.“And this is Marvelle, the bravest squirrel in all of Silver Vale,” I added, patting the miscreant.
Marvelle sat up on his back legs, still favoring the stronger of the two, and chirped at the moon dragon.
“But he is also accident-prone,” I added with a smirk.“With honor and reverence, we will stay in the shelter of the glade this night and depart in the morning.”
The small moon dragon fluttered from my hand, nodded, and then went to Sylvie.He eyed her comically, tilting his head as he considered her.After making up his mind, he flew in close, rubbed his head on her chin, and then flew off, the rest of the moon dragons following him.
Sylvie laughed.“Well, Marvelle.I guess we are acceptable.Or it’s a ruse, and they will fireball us in our sleep.Time will tell.”
The squirrel clicked at her.
Sylvie chuckled.
