A Fairy’s Song

 

By the end of the following day, Jasper’s mind was made up; he wanted to stay in Kiki Lane and help the village rebuild. As he had spent the day looking around and chatting to the residents and some of the visitors at the market square, the friendly tiger had fallen in love with the place. There was so much work to do in the village and his mind was swirling with ideas. He could see the potential and he wanted to be a part of the transformation, not just temporarily, he wanted to see Kiki Lane flourish and to be a part of the community there. With his heart set on moving to Kiki Lane, Jasper set up a meeting with Kiki after the village’s evening meal.

The meeting went smoothly, with both parties very excited by the opportunities available to them. Kiki was thrilled to hear Jasper’s plans to move, and Jasper was excited about what Kiki was offering in return. With little funds to pay Jasper for his work, the village could only afford to pay for the material costs so Kiki had come up with several things she could offer in return for his labour. Firstly, for his work, Jasper would get free food and accommodation at the inn for the time being. Secondly, Kiki and Jasper would work together to find a location for his workshop which would be given to him free of charge for the duration of his time in Kiki Lane.

Finally, Kiki understood that Jasper would play a vital role in helping to develop the village, and if he planned to move there for good, they couldn’t leave him living at the tavern forever, it wouldn’t be fair. However, most of the houses in the village needed repair and there wasn’t really anywhere he could move into straight away. So, for the final deal, instead of monetary payment, Kiki was happy to give Jasper a house of his choice which he would be able to move into once he got round to finishing the repairs on it. There was no rush in choosing which building he wanted, he could take his time finding the best place for him.  For Jasper this worked perfectly and he and Kiki had quickly drafted an agreement and signed it off. It was a win-win deal for everyone.

The next morning Jasper awoke, eager to begin work in the village. Unfortunately, with no tools to carry out the work and things to sort out back in the city to complete the moving process, he had to say goodbye and make the journey back to Claymont City before he could begin working.

News of Jasper moving into Kiki Lane had spread throughout the village and Kiki had outlined the terms to Hattie, so the little dog understood Jasper would not need to pay when he returned. As he signed out at the reception desk in the inn, Hattie took his payment for the couple of nights he had stayed and smiled at the tiger in front of her. “Have a safe journey, Jasper. We will see you soon. I’ll have the same room saved for when you get back!” she called out as Jasper left through the front door.

Jasper travelled through the forest with ease, remembering the route he had taken with Maxwell just a few days previously. As he passed his friend’s cabin, he slipped a letter through the door which he had written the night before, explaining his plans to the little yellow duck. After reaching the edge of the forest he could see the Sapphire lake in the distance and a carriage travelling around it. It was an easy route from there to the city and he would make it home by evening.

It was just beginning to get dark when Jasper walked through the city gates. Without enough time in the day to begin to sort everything out, he would have to wait until the following morning. Jasper quickly headed into a nearby tavern for some food before he walked home and made a plan for the days to come.

The next day he began the processes that would take the longest - cancelling his rent for both his home and workshop space. This was a rather simple process, involving him going to the carpenter’s guild for his workshop space, and the property agent for his house to inform them, leaving them to take care of the paperwork.  It was waiting for this paperwork that would take the longest, but he was very lucky to only have to give a week’s notice and then he could sign off on the dotted line and be on his way to Kiki Lane.

For the next several days Jasper worked as efficiently as he could. He started in his home, packing everything he needed into his trunks, and selling anything he did not need to take with him. With the money he was able to make from this he bought a small wagon that he could easily pull and took it to his workspace.

From there, he quickly packed his workshop equipment onto the wagon, making sure to take everything he might need for all the jobs in the village. By the end of the week he had emptied out his workshop area, pulled the wagon home and packed his personal belongings onto it and was ready to depart the next day.

On his final evening in Claymont City he made his way to his favourite tavern to say goodbye to all his remaining friends who had gathered there for the evening. It was this place he would miss the most. He had got to know the barkeep and a few of the regulars there quite well and would miss catching up with them at the end of a week. However, he would miss the musician who played there more than anyone else. Her songs always inspired him the most and helped him to relax after a hard day of work. Music was the one thing that couldn’t be found in Kiki Lane yet; there was no musician or bard at the inn yet and he would miss it dearly. It was time for him to move on though; the city was no longer his home.

*

Arietta walked into The Laughing Lantern, her violin case slung over her shoulder, as night began to fall on Claymont City. The tavern was doing quite well for itself but less people seemed to be interested in her music, they were there to eat, drink and meet friends, not listen to her. Waving to the barkeep, she slowly made her way over to the small performance space they had left for her. If she was being honest, they had tucked her away in a corner and with no raised stage no-one could really tell she was there; but they let her perform still and that’s all that really mattered.

She was an unusual fairy, some might think. Her bright pink hair was uncommon in the fairy village, but even more so in the city and it made her stand out in most crowds. Her pale pink wings shimmered in the light and were slightly translucent. It was always her choice in clothing, however, that stood out the most. She didn’t really care what people thought though, she liked it and that was enough.

Arietta had been living in the city for a few years now, playing in different taverns and sometimes on the streets. She had initially planned to travel to different towns and cities in the kingdom but once she had become comfortable in Claymont City, she hadn’t been able to muster up the courage to travel anywhere else.

There was always a part of her that missed the fairy village she had grown up in. It had broken her heart when she was made to leave with everyone else and from there she had desperately tried to make the city her home. She planned to travel around, perhaps to try and forget about the fairy village, but deep down she wanted somewhere to call home, somewhere she could always return to.

Even after living in the city for a while, something about it didn’t feel like home. She always felt like if she left to travel that she might return and find everyone she knew had left and she would be all alone again. It had been hard for her to get this far in the city; she couldn’t lose it all.

As she finished setting up for the night, a familiar face entered the tavern. With his orange and black striped fur he was easily recognisable. There were other cats in the city but none as large as him. It was Jasper the tiger.

Arietta smiled upon seeing her friend. He had been a regular ever since she started playing at The Laughing Lantern and he was almost the only creature to fully pay attention to her music every time. She had got to know him over the years as he often arrived before her start time just so they could chat. In reality, he was one of her only good friends in the city, even if they just saw each other once a week.

Arietta sat down at the nearest table and waited for Jasper to join her. As he approached she could sense a mixture of emotions flowing through him as if there was something he had to say that he was both excited and slightly sad about.

After settling onto the wooden chair opposite the pink fairy, Jasper took a deep breath before beginning his announcement. “Ari, I’m leaving the city tomorrow. It’s time for me to move away.” he disclosed as he let out the air he didn’t know he was holding in.

Arietta stared at her friend for a minute, too stunned to speak. Collecting herself she managed to finally squeak out “So you won’t be here next time I play?” almost as a whisper. Jasper nodded in response and her mind went blank, overwhelmed with the emotion of the news she had just been given. She couldn’t quite wrap her head around what was happening. As she sat for a moment in silence she realised her friend was waiting for her to say something. Without having the time to process her emotions she pushed aside her own thoughts and gave all her attention once again to one of her biggest supporters. It was her time to support him. She needed to be happy for him.

“Where are you going?” she asked with a small smile. The tiger’s response was vague but Arietta was caught off guard with his description of a village in the Emerald Forest. She only knew of one village in the forest she used to call home - the fairy village she grew up in. Was there another village she didn’t know of? Her heart began to race but she dared not hope it would be her old home. “Do you mean the fairy village?” she queried trying to keep her voice steady.

The realisation that the pink fairy might know of the village dawned on Jasper as he noticed Arietta’s pink wings shimmer in the candlelight. Excited to explain more, he enthusiastically explained how the old fairy village had been turned into a village for all creatures. “Do you know the place? Have you been there?” he questioned eagerly.

Arietta listened carefully. There was a part of her that wanted to know more, but another part of her was scared of the response she would get. She was unsure how to feel. That was the fairy village, her home, how could it change? She pushed her uncertainty aside hearing Jasper’s questions and began to explain how she had grown up there, sharing a few stories from her childhood with him until it was time for her to start her performance.

 

The next morning Jasper set off out of the city, pulling his wagon full of tools and personal items. He was ready for the new adventure ahead. It took him longer to travel with the weight of the wagon but as evening fell he pushed open the door to the Kiki Lane inn. As the bell chimed above him he was greeted by all the residents ready to celebrate his arrival.

Back in Claymont City, Arietta’s head swam with all the information and questions she had about Kiki Lane, wondering what it was like now. She couldn’t help but think about who might be living there. Were there any fairies? Was it being taken care of properly? Each time she went to play her violin she would find herself sitting holding her bow, unable to play as her thoughts unfurled.

After a couple of days unable to play, she remembered that Jasper had mentioned in passing that the inn at Kiki Lane had been reopened and she made the decision to visit. She couldn’t keep this up, she needed answers so she could carry on with her life. Unsure what she would find, she gave notice of her upcoming unavailability to the owners of taverns in which she played before beginning her journey to the Emerald Forest.

The route to the forest was simple but as she arrived at the edge of it, she racked her brains trying to remember how to get to the village from there. She hadn’t visited the forest since she had left years ago so her memory was hazy. Even when living there as a child she had hardly ventured out of the streets so the only memory of the route through the forest was the one journey when the whole village had left.

She had a vague memory of which direction to head in so she set off into the unknown, certain she would find her way there somehow. Before long she found herself flying over the river and noticed an A-frame cabin down below that looked new. She wondered if Jasper had played a part in making it. The sight of the water helped confirm she was heading in the right direction.

Flying still in a somewhat unknown direction, the pink fairy was very pleased to see wheel marks on the forest floor below. They must have been from Jasper’s wagon she thought to herself as she began to follow the direction in which they were headed. The marks slowly began to disappear as grass gradually covered the floor below and Arietta finally found herself back at the entrance of the village she used to call home.

As she slipped through the streets she noticed that the village hadn’t changed much; it just seemed so much more run down, like it had been abandoned for a while. It broke her heart a little to see how many repairs were needed but she knew Jasper was there now. He could help.

It was so much quieter in comparison to her childhood memories. There had always been so many fairies in the streets working or chatting but now there were only a handful of different creatures wandering around. Even as a child there were a few non-fairy residents who were loved by everyone and were just as important as all the fairies, but it pained her to not see any other fairies walking or flying above.

Keeping high near the roofs of the building she slowly made her way to the Great Tree Library, hoping not to be noticed. She didn’t completely understand why but part of it was that she didn’t want anyone to question why she was there. If they asked she didn’t know how she should answer.

Nearing the Great Tree she began to wonder if there were any guardians left there. Surely there had to be? Deep down a part of her knew she needed there to be one left. Landing on the floor, she pushed open the large wooden door set into the tree trunk and entered the library. As soon as she entered a wave of nostalgia washed over her; it looked just as spectacular as it did in her memories.

Taking in more of her surroundings, she froze as she looked around. Behind the counter was a large elegant pink dragon and coming down the stairs was a burly red dragon carrying a tall stack of books. Arietta’s heart began to pound in her chest. Sitting by one of the widows were two small dragons who had looked up from their book to look at her. Quickly looking away to avoid eye contact the pink fairy saw a spiky blue, purple, and pink dragon making its way towards her with a smile.

Heart racing, Arietta’s breathing intensified as she began to panic. Why was The Great Tree Library full of dragons? Where were the guardian fairies? She didn’t like it, this was all wrong. As her vision began to blur she carefully placed her violin case on the floor as her legs trembled. The room seemed to be swirling around her before her legs gave way and she crumpled to the floor, panting.

She quickly dug deep into her pocket, hoping to find something she could focus on to distract herself. Finding nothing she reached over and placed her hands on the violin case, feeling the grain of the wood as she began to create a tune in her head to help her to calm down.

As her vision returned, Arietta glimpsed a pair of shimmering purple wings fluttering towards her. Even with her limited vision she could tell they did not belong to a dragon. Looking down as her vision returned to normal and breathing calmed down, she saw two ivory feet in pale pink shoes standing before her. She slowly raised her gaze and saw a pretty purple-winged fairy. Arietta could not remember the fairy’s name but she immediately recognised her as the final fairy guardian.

Tears began to stream down her face as she looked up at the  guardian fairy. “You’re still here” she whispered in relief before wiping away her tears. Kiki crouched down to the pink fairy on the floor and pulled her into a hug. “Welcome home” she said greeting Arietta with a smile.

Kiki had recognised her because Arietta had always stood out in the fairy village due to her fashion choices. She had come up with her own designs, choosing clothes very different from the usual village styles. The elder fairies weren’t always very impressed by her clothes but she had always had the support of her family who said a performer who is unique is always wonderful. Many of the younger fairies in the village were also on her side and praised her for her confidence and individuality, so Kiki remembered her immediately.

Once Arietta had calmed down and been introduced to all the guardian dragons, the two fairies settled into one of the upstairs rooms in the library. They sat and chatted for hours about everything that had happened in Kiki Lane recently. Arietta was relieved to hear that Kiki had chosen to bring the village back to life herself and had been overseeing everything, making sure everything that happened was for the good of the village. She was also thrilled to hear there were a few other fairies who were involved in the village. Her home was not being taken over, it was simply being revitalised in a new way, incorporating the new and the old.

After sitting for a while, Arietta quickly browsed the music section of the library before she made her way over to the old inn. Stepping inside the old building, she was amazed by the beautiful new decorations inside and could tell a lot of love and work had bee put into the place.

Hattie the dog greeted her from the reception desk as the pink fairy made her way over to book in for the night. Hattie subtly studied the fairy in front of her as she went through the booking process and eventually recognised her from a tavern in the city Hattie had visited with Ruby.

With booking in finished, Arietta smiled at Hattie and confidently asked to see Ruby as Kiki had mentioned the mushroom fairy worked there. With a big smile Hattie quickly left to fetch Ruby from the kitchen. When the pair returned, Ruby was thrilled to see Arietta and remembered the pink fairy’s musical talent. “Do you have anything to play for us this evening?” queried the red fairy after their greeting.

Hattie was ecstatic to hear that Arietta was a musician and quickly helped the music fairy to her room before finding a space for her to rehearse in the dining area before everyone arrived for the evening meal. Arietta was very happy to have time to practice as she had borrowed some sheet music that she remembered from her childhood from the library and wanted to learn it before everyone arrived.

As evening approached Jasper packed up his tools and retuned to the inn for the night. When he reached the inn the familiar sound of a violin surprised him as he entered. He didn’t know of any musician in Kiki Lane. Did they have a new guest? Following the beautiful tune through the inn into the dining area he was shocked to see Arietta standing on one side of the room, her head buried in sheet music.

Hearing footsteps, Arietta looked up to see Jasper standing in the doorway. Blushing slightly she waved sheepishly. “Hello again” she said nervously, unsure how the tiger would respond to the fact she had followed him without him knowing. Jasper’s face lit up, excited to see his friend again and all her hesitation washed away seeing his positive reaction. The pair chatted for a bit as Jasper expressed how pleased he was that everyone would be able to hear her beautiful playing and Arietta’s confidence for the evening grew.

That evening, after eating their community meal, everyone didn’t go home like they usually would, but instead stayed behind to chat together and listen to Arietta’s music. The pink fairy realised as she played that she hadn’t been listened to properly like this for a long time and she was overcome with the feeling that she was home again. Perhaps there had always been a part of her that longed to return to this village.

When she arrived at the village earlier that day she had panicked about all the changes but that concern had been replaced with joy. Looking around the room, it made her so happy to see all the creatures who had come together to make this place their home. They were bringing this beautiful village back to life in a fantastic way.