Chapter 40: Back to the Lily Pond
The two boys took some wool bundles, and went to the Lily Pond once more. Tulip came to greet them, just like last time.
"Hello, boys. How have you been?" She asked.
"Good. We came to learn how to make clothes with mana," Erin said, excited. He wanted better clothes, than what was available in the markets. Clothes with runes woven into them. Ones, that would not tear so easily. Like the clothes, which he got for Yule.
"Oh, but that is a secret," Tulip looked to be wavering. As if she wanted to go back inside the Lily Pond.
"Please, we can't go back in town, and we are always in need of new clothes," Lysander pleaded. The fairy sighed, and then went back into the pond.
"Wait, don't go," Erin said, going to the edge of the water. "We can pay you!"
The two boys staid by the water for a while, and then another fairy came up. She had silver hair, tied in a bun. This fairy looked far more stern, than Tulip.
"You wish to know our secrets?" She asked. The boys nodded as one.
"I hear you," she nodded at Erin. "Are a dragon. Is there any truth to that rumor?"
"I can turn into a small drake, when I am angry," Erin admitted. He was yet to figure out how he could gain better control of his shape-shifting.
"Even a drake is good enough protector for a pond. If you promise to look out for us, and protect us, we will teach you how to make clothes," the fairy said.
"Wait a minute, Rin is just a child," Lysander protested. There was no way, he was going to let Erin risk himself. "Once he grows up, he might end up very strong and big, but you can't ask him to fight for you now."
"Hm, he could scare away wolves," the fairy suggested. Lysander huffed.
"No, he can't!" He stomped his foot then, and Paul whined. By now, the wolf looked to be the size of an adult. That prompted the fairy to look at the wolf.
"You have a wolf pet?" She asked. "If you let him become our guardian, I suppose I can also accept that."
"No, we give you cloths, and you teach us," Erin said, his hand going to Paul's head. He petted the black fluffy fur, trying to calm down the wolf. "Paul is a friend!"
"Boys, you have to understand that one must give, so they can be given back. Cloths are nice, but you are not the only one, who can give them to us. We can make this wolf grow as big as a pony. With magic," the fairy said.
"No," both Lysander and Erin yelled at the same time.
The fairy leveled them with an unreadable look, and then she smiled.
"You passed the test," she said, and the two boys blinked at her. "We can only teach our magic to those pure of heart. How can someone be pure, if they leave their loved ones behind? Now, what do you want to learn first?"
"That was mean of you," Erin said, as he clutched at Paul. "Trying to make Ly either leave me, or Paul."
"I suppose, but if you think that it was unfair, you have to look things from my perspective. The clothing made by magic, in the styles of a fairy, is much sought after. People with unpure hearts would take full advantage of it, and then use the knowledge to harm us. For, we would be competition," Erin bit his bottom lip then. He supposed that this was the truth of the matter.
"So, you are a good fairy?" Erin asked. After Goldana, he had to be sure about these things.
"What is goodness to you, my boy?" The fairy asked. "Is it to give charity to the poor, or heal the wounds and spirit of the sick? Perhaps it is a kind word? I can assure you, even evil people do such things."
"Anyone else would have said they are good, to put us at ease," Lysander said. The fairy nodded.
"You are trading partners, and I, Bellchime, don't make a habit of treating trading partners with anything but respect," the fairy said, and then flew towards the two boys. "I will let you judge me as evil, or good. But for now, you have a lesson. What do you want to sew, and do you have cloth?"
"We have some," Lysander took out the wool bundle he had prepared. "We would like to learn how to make socks."
Socks were something that tore too easily. Even though the two boys had done their best in trying to make them last, they, even now, wore socks with holes in them.
"It is summer, and you want socks made of wool?" Bellchime giggled at them, and shook her head. "Well, no matter. I suppose that is what you had. Now, first, I will need to teach you how to cut with mana."
Hours passed, and the two boys did their best. Yet, their socks looked like stitched together swamp monsters. Bellchime did make them a pair, after they said that they will leave her the rest of the wool.
Together with Paul, the two boys went back to the hut. They placed their socks in the cupboards, for tomorrow. Both went through the pocket dimension, and brightened up when the warm air enveloped them.
"Tine, you won't believe what we did today," Erin said, as he noticed the wizard sitting on a picnic blanket together with Belle. "Do you want us to tell you?"
"Sure, come over here. You must be hungry," Tine pointed at the food on the blanket. Belle smiled at them in encouragement, and the two ran to their parent figures.
When Belle found out the two had talked the fairies of the Lily Pound into giving them lessons, she had asked them if they can't make her some fancy clothes too. Something out of white silk. For some reason, Tine blushed bright red, when Erin promised Belle a silken dress, with flowers at the hems.
Chapter 40: Back to the Lily Pond
The two boys took some wool bundles, and went to the Lily Pond once more. Tulip came to greet them, just like last time.
"Hello, boys. How have you been?" She asked.
"Good. We came to learn how to make clothes with mana," Erin said, excited. He wanted better clothes, than what was available in the markets. Clothes with runes woven into them. Ones, that would not tear so easily. Like the clothes, which he got for Yule.
"Oh, but that is a secret," Tulip looked to be wavering. As if she wanted to go back inside the Lily Pond.
"Please, we can't go back in town, and we are always in need of new clothes," Lysander pleaded. The fairy sighed, and then went back into the pond.
"Wait, don't go," Erin said, going to the edge of the water. "We can pay you!"
The two boys staid by the water for a while, and then another fairy came up. She had silver hair, tied in a bun. This fairy looked far more stern, than Tulip.
"You wish to know our secrets?" She asked. The boys nodded as one.
"I hear you," she nodded at Erin. "Are a dragon. Is there any truth to that rumor?"
"I can turn into a small drake, when I am angry," Erin admitted. He was yet to figure out how he could gain better control of his shape-shifting.
"Even a drake is good enough protector for a pond. If you promise to look out for us, and protect us, we will teach you how to make clothes," the fairy said.
"Wait a minute, Rin is just a child," Lysander protested. There was no way, he was going to let Erin risk himself. "Once he grows up, he might end up very strong and big, but you can't ask him to fight for you now."
"Hm, he could scare away wolves," the fairy suggested. Lysander huffed.
"No, he can't!" He stomped his foot then, and Paul whined. By now, the wolf looked to be the size of an adult. That prompted the fairy to look at the wolf.
"You have a wolf pet?" She asked. "If you let him become our guardian, I suppose I can also accept that."
"No, we give you cloths, and you teach us," Erin said, his hand going to Paul's head. He petted the black fluffy fur, trying to calm down the wolf. "Paul is a friend!"
"Boys, you have to understand that one must give, so they can be given back. Cloths are nice, but you are not the only one, who can give them to us. We can make this wolf grow as big as a pony. With magic," the fairy said.
"No," both Lysander and Erin yelled at the same time.
The fairy leveled them with an unreadable look, and then she smiled.
"You passed the test," she said, and the two boys blinked at her. "We can only teach our magic to those pure of heart. How can someone be pure, if they leave their loved ones behind? Now, what do you want to learn first?"
"That was mean of you," Erin said, as he clutched at Paul. "Trying to make Ly either leave me, or Paul."
"I suppose, but if you think that it was unfair, you have to look things from my perspective. The clothing made by magic, in the styles of a fairy, is much sought after. People with unpure hearts would take full advantage of it, and then use the knowledge to harm us. For, we would be competition," Erin bit his bottom lip then. He supposed that this was the truth of the matter.
"So, you are a good fairy?" Erin asked. After Goldana, he had to be sure about these things.
"What is goodness to you, my boy?" The fairy asked. "Is it to give charity to the poor, or heal the wounds and spirit of the sick? Perhaps it is a kind word? I can assure you, even evil people do such things."
"Anyone else would have said they are good, to put us at ease," Lysander said. The fairy nodded.
"You are trading partners, and I, Bellchime, don't make a habit of treating trading partners with anything but respect," the fairy said, and then flew towards the two boys. "I will let you judge me as evil, or good. But for now, you have a lesson. What do you want to sew, and do you have cloth?"
"We have some," Lysander took out the wool bundle he had prepared. "We would like to learn how to make socks."
Socks were something that tore too easily. Even though the two boys had done their best in trying to make them last, they, even now, wore socks with holes in them.
"It is summer, and you want socks made of wool?" Bellchime giggled at them, and shook her head. "Well, no matter. I suppose that is what you had. Now, first, I will need to teach you how to cut with mana."
Hours passed, and the two boys did their best. Yet, their socks looked like stitched together swamp monsters. Bellchime did make them a pair, after they said that they will leave her the rest of the wool.
Together with Paul, the two boys went back to the hut. They placed their socks in the cupboards, for tomorrow. Both went through the pocket dimension, and brightened up when the warm air enveloped them.
"Tine, you won't believe what we did today," Erin said, as he noticed the wizard sitting on a picnic blanket together with Belle. "Do you want us to tell you?"
"Sure, come over here. You must be hungry," Tine pointed at the food on the blanket. Belle smiled at them in encouragement, and the two ran to their parent figures.
When Belle found out the two had talked the fairies of the Lily Pound into giving them lessons, she had asked them if they can't make her some fancy clothes too. Something out of white silk. For some reason, Tine blushed bright red, when Erin promised Belle a silken dress, with flowers at the hems.
