The owl called Thousand and I contemplated eachother's visage for what seemed hours.

          "My Ladye, lead me to the Gathering."

                        The Olde one leapt from her branch and plumeted to the ground.  My heart froze at the sight of the olde sage as she fell to the earth, but it was at the very moment before hitting the rock strewn ground that with a single great beating of her wings that she swept up into the canopy.

         "Come along Sir, I have other travelers to lead!  ho! ho!"

          Thousand flew quickly but with a light oafishness, only just missing large trunks of outstanding trees.  I had not even time to remount my horse, only to to gather its reigns and pull them forward.  I could hear voices of small creatures as I passed, voices that sounded both frightened and irritated.  Before I could ask the question, Thousand answered.

         "Those would be the Cy Fairie, ignore them.  They lost their way long ago, and only find pleasure in nonsensical mischief."

                On she flew until at last we came to a clearing.  A great hall made of a sequence of two trees standing opposite eachother lead off into a shadowed distance.  Thousand landed on a high branch.

       "Off you go, Libris." said the owl.

            "My gratitude my Ladye.  Is there anything I can-"

        "This is my reason for being sir, it is happy chance that we met.  Please go in-I shall be here to show you the way back when you return." 

           With that Thousand was gone.  I stood at the outset of the entry gate to the Gathering.  I mounted my horse and with a single command we rode together into the hall, into the cool shadows to the Gathering. 

This day of July the Ninth, of the year two-thousand and eight, Anno Dommini

Libris

                             Day the Second, A Fyre Dawn

                              After brief respite, I gathered the my steed's reigns and led him quietly through Fairen Woode, where somewhere lay the Gathering.  With great anticipation we journeyed through the emerald darkness of the woode.  Soon I would be speaking in the tongues of men, learning of all the wonders that took place in other lands in this world.  The Kings, queens, nights, and nobles I sought, as well as the other creatures of Oberon's kind awaited further in the place.  During the third hour of the sun's rising, I became discouraged, and it was then that a voice fell upon my pointed ears from a Willow above.

              "You are a Druid, are you not?"

       The voice was clearly that of an old woman-but an old woman that could climb trees?  Perhaps she was related to Puck....

           "Look up at me sir, for I have been watching you for near an hour, and I believe I know something you do not."

        Unable to ignore such a cryptic message, I chanced a glance into the forest canopy, and caught sight of a heavily madded horned owl.  Her feathers looked as if they were only just attatched to her body by a poor alchemist.  Her horned feather caps were both pointing jauntily to the left.  Her talons looked as if they could not even rip the flesh of a slug.  She was a dim mass of gray and white.  Where her left eye should have been sat a black cavity revealing a shallow bone interior.  But her right eye betrayed her appearance all together.  It was a radiant gold, with the sharpest black pupil I had seen to date.

    "Master Owl!"  I cried, "Forgive my lack of reverence, I-"

   The Old Owl laughed with a laugh so hearty and infectious that I chortled in spite of myself.

            "Sir Druid, why do you anticipate wrath or anger for something that does not merit it?  You are a funny Druid."

      "Yes my Lady.  If I may ask, who are you?"

       "I am called Thousand.  And you are called Libris, a druid from the Schwarzwalder, is that correct?"

 "Well, yes..."  I was awestruck. 

        "Don't be so surprised sir, " said the owl with her own brand of owl smile.  "My golden eye, which you so admire, is able to see your name above your head, and upon inspection of the items that you carry, I gather that you come from the Schwarzwalder.  I can smell Black Stone Fungus in one of your satchels...But I stray from my purpose in speaking to you.  You seek the Gathering.  I have come to tell you that it is but a some 200 paces before you.  But the closer one finds themself to the gathering, the more vulnerable they become to the mischief of the Cy fairie.  So, if you will, I would ask you to follow me down the path.  The fairie will not trouble you if I am with you."

  I gazed at her in silence.

 "I know that it is difficult for you to trust me, especially because you are a druid-it is in your nature.  However, consider the fact that I have been following you.  If I had any malcontent in store, I could have easily acted by now.  I stood to gain nothing by waiting.  Know that It is my sole responsibilty now to watch after travelers in his wood.  What say you?"

  I am glad of my answer that I then made to her....

May the Twenty-second of the Year Two-thousand and eight, Anno Dominni

Libris