Rueben Dael sat cross legged at the edge of a small creek while fingering a small twig.
He turned back to look at his newly formed faerie wings and sighed for they were not very big.
In fact, on his day of coming into his magic, he overheard some other boys pointedly laugh,
What autumn faerie could not fly? But Rueben was only an autumn faerie by half.
He was the first child born to an autumn faerie and a warrior elf.
He was predicted to have great magic, but he was a disappointment to all, including himself.
Flying low to the ground and radiating a low beam of light,
Came Nareen, Ruben’s mother, to see if he was alright.
She sat down next to Ruben in her long emerald gown,
Then ran her fingers through his black hair as she absently looked around.
“It is time you meet your father,” she sighed with a somber tone.
Ruben cast his eyes downward, slowly nodding, but feeling more alone.
“Will you come with me?” Ruben asked, as she drew nearer.
With an arm wrapped around his shoulder, Nareen whispered, “no love, my place is here.
“But you have elf blood, so you will know your way.”
“Yes, I feel the pull stronger now.” And Rueben knew he could no longer stay.
Nareen stood up to face her son who now towered above her as they stood apart.
She blew magic into her hands and placed them on his chest over his heart.
And suddenly Rueben knew it was time to go.
He kissed his mother’s smooth skin on her cheek, as he bent down low.
And without another word walked into the wood,
Leaving his mother where she stood.
Rueben was not sure if he would smell the blackberry pie his mother bakes and leaves on the windowsill, again.
He was not sure if he would see another coming of age ceremony or the dance of the autumn men.
But the forest was a familiar place,
With wild squashes, acorns and Granny Smith apples as smooth as his face.
He listened for the soothing wind’s song,
And tucked his hands in his cotton pants pockets as he went along.
Skunks, rabbits and squirrels came out to say hi,
Small black birds flew around him as he walked by.
And he already felt a cheerier disposition.
As he wondered at the warrior elves and their warrior mission.
It was after a day’s walking and sleeping awkwardly in the roots of an evergreen tree,
That Rueben came across a strange hut made of straw, and stood a little shabby.
As a general rule, faeries and elves do not usually come in contact with people not of their kind,
But Rueben found he was tired and felt okay to leave standard caution behind.
Rueben studied the uncut grass with gnome statues and window filth.
But still he knocked on the door without any stealth.
Answering the door was a man short and stout.
He had scruff on his face, small smiling eyes, and moved around by scuttling about.
“Hello child. Come in. Come in. Have something to eat and sit by the fire,
“Tell me about your deepest desire.
“You are quite welcome here, if you could not tell.
“My name is Mr. Vale.”
Rueben did not think twice.
The room was warm and he could smell the warm stew and rice.
This little home was stocked full of books.
In the book cases, on the table tops, on the couches, in all the crannies and nooks.
Rueben sat down in an old wooden chair,
While Mr. Vale served the boy dinner.
“Those are some unusual wings you have there,” Mr. Vale inquired.
“Yes, I am afraid they are quite useless, leaving one to feel less inspired.”
“Is it your greatest wish, then, to fly?”
“I wish for a great many things, by and by.
“I am on a quest to find my father and try to discover my place in this world.
“I do not seem to fit in with the autumn faeries, as best we have all understood.
“I just want what anyone wants, to have a proper purpose in my life.
“So I can do what I am meant to with minimal strife.”
Rueben was now shoveling spoonfuls of stew into his mouth.
The older man leaned back in his chair, making it creak as he looked out the window facing south.
“Your wish cannot be granted but must be earned, instead.
“But I can offer you help on your quest,” Mr. Vale finally said.
“Here is a magic staff that can do marvelous things,
“When in need, tap it twice to uncover its mysteries.
“Now, in the back room I have a bed made,
“So you can rest well before you set off after you have stayed.”
Rueben was very grateful to this very generous man.
He offered to help out in the morning before he took off by lending a helping hand.
Mr. Vale accepted this offer, and they both felt fortunate by the meeting.
And Rueben left the next morning with his new staff after cutting the grass and doing some weeding.
Deeper into the forest Rueben went.
Deeper than he had ever gone in his time spent.
After a while he came to a bog,
Surrounded by a thick wall of fog,
And just before the rickety foot bridge was a troll,
Standing there, keeping guard, and expecting a toll.
But the only possessions Rueben had were his clothes and his staff.
When he asked for his passage the troll just stood there and laughed.
“Payment of a single gold coin will let you go far.
“Without it, passage for travelers is barred.”
Rueben stopped and sat down to think.
He was sure if he tried to walk through the bog that he would sink.
Then he remembered that he had the staff, so he stood up and gave the ground a double tap.
And from the ground bubbled a liquid gold fountain, in which the troll allowed passage as well as provided a map.
Rueben was feeling very fortunate with his staff and his map, indeed.
As he embarked deeper into the fog bank feeling that he had all that he would need.
The bog on either side of the bridge, boiled with steam.
Rueben found the hissing sound as something straight from a dream.
On the other side of the bridge, Rueben pulled out his map in midday.
Though, he did not know where the elves were, only that he knew the way.
However, he did see that there was an enormous mud pit that would take several days to go around.
He thought to himself that he best be on alert for changing ground.
It was not long before Rueben discovered softer earth at his feet coming up to the pit.
He learned the pit would be a challenge to properly circumvent.
He thought he would use the staff and attempted to give the ground a double tap on the muck,
But the ground was so soft that his staff just got stuck.
Rueben tried to pull out his magical stick,
But the staff wouldn’t budge from the mud that was thick.
Rueben looked at the staff he was going to have to abandon while flapping his nonfunctional faerie wings quickly.
The more he pulled, the more the staff sunk, causing Rueben to feel just a little bit sickly.
With a long face, Rueben walked away and looked for more solid ground.
He was beginning to resign himself to have to find his way around.
And yet, the pull to go straight into the mud pit was strong.
He sat down feeling confused on why his instinct could be so wrong.
How could anyone pass through the mud pit and not sink?
Rueben sat puzzling this out trying hard to think.
Then Rueben had an unexpected thought.
So far, he congratulated himself, this was the best idea that he got.
He would build a raft, then flap his wings to propel himself forward on.
And right away, Rueben got to work, while humming himself a working song.
When Rueben was finished, he made a nervous laugh,
Still feeling a little sad at the loss of his magical staff.
He set the raft down in a deeper spot,
And had a ray of hope that the raft would not get caught.
Hesitantly Rueben stepped aboard the raft,
And again, all was well aboard his little craft.
Rueben started fluttering his little wings very fast,
And found himself propelling forward as he had predicted, moving forward, at last.
Through the mud pit and to the other side, Rueben safely crossed,
And continued on, not knowing where he was, but still not feeling lost.
The next day and a half moved with a steady cadence,
But Rueben found himself once again stopped and by an unusual fragrance.
The smell of burning rotting wood hung thick in the air.
Rueben coughed as he breathed in standing there.
And then he saw the dark house in the middle of the wood.
This was not pleasant magic being practiced. That much, at least, Rueben understood.
Rueben did not want to meet the wizard who was desecrating this part of the forest.
But the clearing was wide open, and it proved impossible to move about unnoticed.
Just as Rueben stepped into the open, a large griffin did appear.
Rueben marveled at the body of a lion and head and wings of an eagle, which were fixing Rueben with an intense stare.
Rueben smiled at the creature. He had always been good with animals but magical beasts were a whole different level.
He reminded himself that though they were ferocious, they were not the devil.
Rueben summoned all of his courage and stepped out into the open with his hands outstretched towards the beast.
“Woah, there fellow, I come as a friend just traveling east.”
The bird head cocked left and tweeted in bird language, “You may not enter, here.”
Rueben smiled, glad that he could understand the beast, which helped calm his fear.
Rueben responded back, “I do not wish to enter, only pass.”
The griffin said, “Do you have an offering for the magician, like copper or brass?”
Rueben sighed, then remembered his map.
“I have to offer this map of the wood,” Rueben said giving it a tap.
The griffin moved to the side.
“Very well. Leave the map and you may pass, and make no attempt to hide.”
“Thank you,” Rueben said, then bowed, then stepped cautiously on.
Rueben felt grateful when the smell of magic was finally gone.
A couple hours later Rueben felt he was close to what he hoped to be his new home,
“When an archer in the trees suddenly called out to him.
“Ho faerie! Where are you going to?
“You are far from the autumn faeries. Tell me, what ails you?”
Rueben’s stomach turned to knots, and he spoke, “Well,
“I come to find my father, Josphenos Dael.”
The elf came down to face the young boy, who was standing near a wall.
He was youthful, with black hair, pointed ears, he was slender and he was tall.
The elf studied Rueben’s face, looked serious and said, “I see.
“Stay close, faerie, and follow me.”
The two took winding trails up the edge of a steep cliff.
And Rueben’s hand shook, and his muscles went all stiff.
At the top of the mountain were houses and old trees.
The elf knocked on one of the doors, and said to the young woman who opened the door, “Josephenos, please.”
She left them standing there as a man came to the door
With a face almost as young as Rueben’s and strikingly similar.
The young elf declared, “Josephenous, this boy says he is your son.”
The man’s eyes grew wide with surprise. Rueben spoke, “Nareen is my mother. I am half faerie and half elf. And I am the only one.
“I do not fit in with the faeries, for I cannot fly.
“I was hoping there may be a place for me here. At least I am willing to try.”
And Rueben made sure his back was straight,
As he let this stranger decide his fate.
“Welcome, my son of Nareen.”
And Josephenos opened the door, as he said, “I will introduce you to our queen.”
Rueben let his breath go as he entered to get washed and fed.
Josephenos had his young daughter make up a bed.
Once clean,
Rueben was presented to the queen.
She responded with, “Rueben of Nareen, you are welcome here.
“You weave a tale of great adventure.
“You showed kindness to an old man, cleverness with a troll,
“Ingenuity in the mud pit, and bravery with the griffin with your eye still on your goal.
“We welcome you to the elven wood with an open hand.
“And hope to gain from your talents as best we can.”
And with that, Rueben was applauded into his new home and family,
Where he discovered more of his special talents and lived happily.
Valerie Carsey, LLC 