Lavender Glass

Every day, Cara would rush through breakfast. She was plenty hungry, but the excitement of a new summer day always took over. If her mom allowed it, she would jump out the door with nothing in her tummy, and her enthusiasm was such that hunger later might not even be a problem. Her mom felt differently though, and insisted on most days she slow down.

This was one of those days, and her sister Elise was just as excited. Today was the annual forest carnival, when the wizards would awaken the old magic, making the trees come to life, all except one. Some were rides, and everything from roller coasters and ferris wheels, to zip lines and spinning, could be done by basically riding the trees. Even carnival games would appear, rocks grinding into position to form benches and counters, and animals helping out to run the games. Some smaller bushes and trees would even move like people and talk, some selling refreshments and running games or rides. It was no surprise the girls wanted to skip breakfast.

“You girls know the carnival doesn’t start for a while,” their mom said, “you’ll still have time to play before it starts.” The two made faces, but did slow down, at least for a little bit. The sun was up, and it shone through a window right on to the breakfast table. You could see the beam, lighting up little pieces of dust, probably from Sarah. Sarah was a gerbil who kept getting lost, usually from jumping out of her cage when they fed or changed her bedding. Eventually, Brenda decided not to worry and Sarah was now going on three weeks cage free. Even their skink, Leroy, didn’t have any worries. In fact, you could often find the two outside playing, chasing each other in a little patch of loose dirt just outside the back door.

The moment the two girls were done eating, they bolted for the door. “Not without washing your hands and faces!” their mom cried out at them. They didn’t understand why it was so important, since they were going to get dirty anyway. Cara groaned, giving Elise a chance at the sink first. Their mom spotted Elise’s hope to be outside first. It was an opportunity to argue their mom wanted to avoid. “You can wait for your sister,” she said, as Elise grabbed the towel. It was Elise’s turn to make a face, and her sister stuck out her tongue as she started washing up. Once they were finished, nothing was stopping them, and they ran screaming out the door and into the morning sun.

The day was brighter than usual, with a clear blue sky and beams of light shining through the trees surrounding the little cottage that made their home. A windy dirt path zigzagging through the trees from their front door seemed to go on forever, and the girls ran full tilt into whatever might be on it. The forest was a safe place, and little but trees taller than you could see surrounded them. Except for the occasional squirrel and bird, their forest was a quiet place with the occasional cottage like their own.

Cara and Elise ran for quite a while, until they were almost at the clearing. It was a large spot where the grass had turned yellow, and except for three trees in the center, and some rocks, it was completely bare. The clearing wasn’t quite a circle, but close, and had a narrow part where the path they took ended. On the far side of the clearing were other paths, leading to other cottages, some that led where their friends lived. As they slowed to a walk, they began to hear other kids in the distance, mostly from those paths on the other side.

It was still a long time before the carnival would start, because the wizards would arrive at noon, and it would take time for the magic to work. Still, the children gathered early, playing games while waiting for the big event. Foster and his twin brothers Mike and Randy ran up to the girls, and soon were playing a lazy game of tag, while other kids gathered in groups each passing the time a different way. Six near the center were playing “duck duck goose,” by the three trees in the middle of the clearing. The larger one, around which the other two were wrapped, had two long bare branches that leaned over the game, seemingly watching as the time passed.

Cara broke away from the game after tagging Foster, and ran towards the trees in the center. When the carnival started, the big tree in the center would be the only one that wouldn’t move. The children called it the Simple Tree, as did many of the older adults. Most people felt it was too withered and old to take the magic, and that’s why it no longer moved. Some suspected, since the stories of it ever having moved were so old, that the tree had never moved at all. Elise and Cara in their hearts knew better. The Simple Tree was special, but not even the two sisters knew how much so. The other trees surrounding the Simple Tree moved however, and would unwind and become the carnival ringleaders. Each carnival, the wizards implored the Simple Tree to accept the magic, but would always fail and say that the tree’s time had passed.

Long ago, the tree really did move, and it led the announcement of the carnival beginning and end. But now, nobody alive remembered that, and so some people had started to think that maybe it never did. The Simple Tree had stood still for as long as anyone could remember.

Elise and Cara on many occasions would have lunch by the Simple Tree, and in their imaginations the tree would tell stories of carnivals from long ago. They heard of a great wizard, Allyon, who weaved magic throughout the forest, keeping it safe and caring for the creatures who lived in it. Back then, the Simple Tree could move and talk without magic. Indeed, it was the work of the tree and Allyon that started the carnival, and the wizards confirmed this, but people were certain that the girls had heard of Allyon from the wizards, and not the tree. The wizards could not say which one that was, but it was impossible for two little girls to get the adults to realize that the Simple Tree told them. Cara would sometimes get upset about it, but both knew that adults would always see it as the wild stories all kids tell.

It wasn’t long before a number of adults, all carrying a staff and wearing a heavy single colored robe, began to show up at the clearing, every few minutes or so. Their robes were more like blankets, each with a soft white inner fold and each one a different color on the outside, but the clothing wasn’t at all hot. If anything, the wizards were more comfortable than most others, and except for a single woman all had long flowing white beards. Other adults showed up too, and for the most part the adults made small talk while the kids continued their play.

The sun came close to the middle of the sky, and the girls sat near the Simple Tree watching the game of “duck duck goose.” Food and drink for the carnival were being brought in, and most of the kids and a few adults made various efforts at getting samples. A few samples from Miss Eloise were handed out, small chocolate covered berries resembling strawberries, but for the most part it was a solid no. Cara and Elise ran up to Miss Eloise when they spotted her, but she had already given out all the freebies.

“I still have plenty for the carnival,” she told the girls, “so don’t fret.” Miss Eloise was the master of confectioners, and it was no surprise the samples were gone so quickly. She looked up from the girls and around at all the people who had shown up. “Where is your mother?” she asked the girls. Cara peeked around as well, and Elise answered “I don’t think she’s gotten here yet.” Miss Eloise looked a bit perplexed and wrinkled her nose. “Well, I need to speak to her before the carnival begins,” she said, “it’s very important.”

“We’ll make sure to tell her,” Cara said, and the two girls ran off looking for their mother. Brenda (the girls’ mom) had just arrived, by way of the same path Elise and Cara took. It wasn’t long before all three found each other.

Their mom had brought some decorations for Miss Eloise. Some of her cakes required a special touch, and while Miss Eloise was the better baker, Brenda by far was the better decorator. She’d made some cakes that would be added to others, completing the decorations. The girls knew all about it, so they all assumed that was the reason why Miss Eloise was looking for her.

She nearly abandoned the stand she was setting up when she spotted Brenda, Cara, and Elise, and clearly there was something else of importance. “Why don’t you both go help Yert and Billy?” Brenda asked the girls when she saw the expression on Miss Eloise’s face. The two girls started to make a fuss, but then thought better of it, and set off to see about helping Miss Eloise’s sons. Brenda pulled Miss Eloise aside, and asked, “what’s going on?”

The usual arrangements for the carnival were most definitely not the concerns on Miss Eloise’s mind. “You realize this is the hundredth year,” Miss Eloise said, “since Zera came and tried to ruin everything.” Zera had shown with a demand. Give the magic of the trees to her, or she would take all the children. Many knew the story, but few took it seriously. Nobody knew exactly how she was stopped, but everyone knew that she had threatened to return in a century when she was banished. It was the only thing on Miss Eloise’s mind, and she clearly felt like the danger was real.

“Do you really think that’s a worry?” Brenda asked. “If she does return, what is it you think we can do about it,” she told Miss Eloise, “and shouldn’t you be telling the wizards instead?”

The two spoke at length, and Miss Eloise explained how Zera had originally been defeated. That part of the story not many knew, nor even cared about, because everyone felt like it was something legendary. Supposedly, two girls, one with a special mark, had stepped forward and spoke the strangest words. “Dedo. Corazón. Tiempo.” The Simple Tree then apparently snatched Zera, and she was banished from the world when the tree itself became a portal to wherever she went. As she struggled, quite uselessly, she threatened her return.

“This will not hold me forever!” Zera cried. As she struggled, the tree wrapped around her and pulled her inside. The center of the tree was glowing a bright white, and as her body touched the light dissolved into it. The light began to fade around her body, and the tree and Zera seemed to become one thing, as she vanished into it. “When a century passes, I will return,” she yelled out, “and I will have my magic and the children next time!”

Miss Eloise was not known as a gossip, and taken quite seriously most of the time, but the wizards didn’t see any danger. “I’ve told them, yes,” she told Brenda, “but they assured me that security is absolutely taken care of.” Miss Eloise’s face frowned and she looked at her feet. “I’m getting older,” she said, “and they probably think I’m batty.”

The two talked for a while; Brenda mostly trying to assure Miss Eloise that nothing would happen and that nobody thought she was crazy. She told her there were others that were worried, but those who did had put their trust in the wizards for a safe carnival. “In any case,” Brenda said, “there isn’t much we can do about it.” Miss Eloise was not convinced that Zera wouldn’t return to ruin everything, and steal away the children, no matter how much Brenda tried. She eventually, though reluctantly, agreed to focus instead on the carnival preparations.

For the most part, the various vendors waited until a wizard came up to them, and they would then describe the type of stand and furnishings needed. Using a limited form of the magic that would later make the trees move, the wizards shaped rocks and bushes to help them. Most needed only a few moments of magic, to make a basic stand and shelves, but some needed more, and a few wizards would attend to the more detailed displays. When the carnival was over, the changes would undo at the same time as the trees would return to their original positions, when all the wizards would cast the final spell to end the carnival.

Before long, the carnival was almost ready to start, with food vendors ready with delicious treats and a rather large number of excited children. The wizards gathered in a group near the center of the clearing, and began chanting in a murmur, heads down and walking around with what looked at first like some sort of careless wandering. As they continued their spell, they fanned out and their words became louder and clear, though nobody knew what they were saying. They formed a circle and joined hands, and a few wizards began shouting something different. Eventually, those who started shouting broke away from the circle and moved inside it, beginning strange gestures and waving their staff in the air. The spell began to show signs of changes, as the trees looked like some were arriving just as the people did, and shambled into the clearing, preparing to be either rides or games.

Both adults and kids alike started to cheer, their excitement brewing as the bushes and trees came to life. A large group of trees gathered with an even larger number of bushes and a few stumps, slowing climbing on each other until they formed the oddest-looking tower. The tower spread out with mostly tree branches near the top, forming a large circle. As the circle started to turn, an eerie music began as a whisper from the center, and within minutes the main ferris wheel had come to life. Not only rides were being formed. Another group near the girls rose up and a bush resembling a fat man shouted at them, “step right up!” Although such things were expected, Brenda jumped as did her two kids, Elise with a squeal of delight as well. “Try your luck! Win a prize! Only three tries per person,” the fat man bush called to them, “but everyone’s a winner!” Elise and Cara asked their mom if they could play the games that were starting, as did nearly every other kid ask their parents much the same thing.

“You both know that everyone has to wait for the official announcement from the wizards,” their mom told them. Until the spell was complete, there was a chance it could begin to fail. It was something that rarely happened, but a child holding a ball made of something inside of a tree could harm both child and tree if something went wrong. “Be patient,” she said, “it won’t be much longer.”

As the wizards finished their spell, Cara saw the Simple Tree move, and grabbed her sister’s arm and pointed. “Yeah, I see it too,” Elise said, “but nobody else is gonna believe us.” Cara and Elise watched, as a single branch moved ever so slightly, and appeared to point at them. Both of the sisters knew the tree was special, and the branch that moved was no surprise to them.

The wizards gave the final announcement and the carnival had begun, and Brenda gave her children the okay to enjoy the forest turned midway. In addition to games and rides, some of the stones and plants served as moving decorations too. A set of bushes twisted in a strange spiral around a few larger rocks, the rocks spinning in opposite directions from the bushes. Another group of flowers nearby had petals that burst open, spraying a gentle mist every few minutes. The mist smelled of lavender and holly, and had a cooling effect on those it touched. The entire clearing was full of either pathways made of leaf walls, or games, or of course, the rides.

Huge trees and stones made a roller coaster of sorts that plummeted through the river just outside the clearing, before quickly spinning both back towards the clearing and upside down, with so much crazy fast that you either screamed or passed out. For some, especially the older adults, both was the result.

Children ran through windy paths of dirt, giggling and laughing while running through the hedges. Some adults and older kids ran too, mostly chasing kids in the case of adults. The wizards were watching and wandering about, keeping a close eye on things. There was no danger, but sometimes it was necessary to add a bit of magic to keep things going. Everyone, including the wizards, were either busy having a good time watching and eating, or playing games and riding the rides. The carnival was in full swing.

A few hours later, the sky seemed to darken, and the sun looked like it was in the wrong place in the sky. Without phones or watches, the passing of time was told by sundials, but the feeling remained for just about everyone that something seemed wrong. After some conversation among the wizards, it was confirmed that the sun was closer to setting than it should be. Miss Eloise spotted Brenda and cried out to her, running around from the back of her stand and pushing through people a little to reach her.

“I told you something like this would happen,” Miss Eloise said, struggling to catch her breath. “Where are Cara and Elise?” she continued.

Brenda spent the better part of the next ten minutes trying to calm her down, first telling her she had just seen her children, and that for now everyone was safe. It wasn’t long before the sky was dark, and the sun completely out of the sky. Some claimed to have watched the sun, but couldn’t remember anything except the sun, and all of them had not seen anything unusual. Everyone who had looked at the sun and tried to figure it out also felt sick to their stomachs, and nobody had any answers. The wizards were mostly busy trying to calm down the people and explain that “everything was under control.”

Nobody except for Elise and Cara noticed at first, but a glow was starting to appear from the Simple Tree. The girls noticed it almost immediately, and ran to their mom to tell her. By the time they had reached her, the glow was noticeable to everyone, and what appeared to be a female figure was moving inside the glow. The glow began to fade, as a woman appeared and stepped out of it.

Miss Eloise promptly freaked out, as did several others. The woman was tall and slender, if not a bit frail, and her eyes were dark and scared more than a few kids as her gaze met theirs. She finally approached Tero, the oldest and leader of the wizards. “Fools,” she said, “this will start with you.” Her arm raised up to him, and a flash of lightning jumped from her hand. Tero quickly spun his staff to block it, and the bolt was absorbed by the staff completely. “You will not have the forest magic today Zera,” Tero told her, “nor our children.” He spoke confidently, but there was a tremor in his voice. Tero knew that if the legends were real, Zera would not likely be stopped by their magic.

Zera walked towards the wizards, raising her arms and beginning to chant, as Tero and the others began casting spells of their own. Zera appeared to struggle for a moment, as some of the wizards tried magic to hold her and keep her from using magic herself. It did little good. “Your puny powers cannot hold me!” she exclaimed, as she threw off the magic used against her with little trouble. The wizards tried their best, but before long most lay still or exhausted on their knees, leaning on their staves for support.

Cara and Elise, along with their mother, were in the beginning of all this huddled together next to their stand. As the battle continued, they found their way to the Simple Tree, where nearby Miss Eloise was crouched behind some rocks. Miss Eloise watched the wizards do what little they could against Zera, who seemed for the most part unaffected by the wizards and their magic.

Unnoticed by anyone, the tree from where Zera had come was slowly moving, twisting and untwisting, with the occasional bending of a branch and curling of the leaves. Nobody else saw the glow either, as the light hadn’t gone away completely, and was turning a somewhat light blue color. As the light changed color, it became brighter, and as the two girls finally noticed it had become a shimmering teal. A pair of brighter lights and shadows appeared inside the glow, forming a sort of face, and Elise and her sister in curiosity started walking towards the Simple Tree.

When Cara reached the tree, it called out to her, and only she and her sister could hear the voice. “Child,” the tree told her, “only you and young Elise may defeat Zera this day.” The wizards were nearly beaten, and by now Zera had seen the glowing face too. She turned her attention to the girls and the face, and began screaming at them, demanding to hear the words. Elise and Cara clinged to each other, but the Simple Tree ignored Zera and continued speaking to the children. “Come closer,” it said, and a large branch near them bent down towards them.

The two sisters huddled up to the tree, and as they did so time slowed down around them. Zera noticed something happening and cried out, “NO!!” For the two girls, the sound came out like a slow and long wail, and as Zera ran towards them it seemed like she was actually almost running in slow motion, until the entire world stopped around them. All except for the Simple Tree and its glowing face.

“Young Cara and Elise,” the tree called out to them, “Zera will be easily defeated by the love you hold in your hearts.” Some of the branches were blossoming with both leaves and flowers, and the flowers sparkled in the glow. “It is the love you hold for each other, and also your family, that will be her final end,” the tree said, “but first you must choose a creature as your herald.” The two sisters looked at each other with confusion, understanding what was said about family, but unsure at first as to what the tree meant by a herald.

“You will ride out to her on your herald,” the Simple Tree continued, “and it will call out to her.” The girls knew immediately what creature they wanted, and as the thought came to mind from the glow came two horses. At first it looked like the light was making the horses teal, but that was their true color, with eyes of sparkling silver. “Remember, you must stick together,” the Simple Tree told them, “or all is lost.”

As the horses appeared, Cara and Elise jumped to their feet, barely hearing the tree’s words. When they reached out to the horses, a strange energy lifted them into the air, and set them gently on each horse’s back. Once they were seated, there was a large flash of light, and the tree went back to its original self, the glow completely gone. Time had returned to normal, and the two sisters on horseback stood facing Zera.

“Little ones,” she addressed them, “let’s see to you first.” Zera raised her hand, and pointed at Elise and Cara. A flash of lightning shot at the two girls, but stopped short. The horses reared up as the bolt came, and their eyes shone as if somehow they were stopping Zera’s attack. Zera brought her other hand up, and both bolts were stopped, but the horses began to struggle. Cara and Elise looked at each other, wondering how they would stop Zera.

“You cannot hold me forever,” she warned them, “soon I will claim my prize.” Zera strained against them and shouted, and the horses fell back down to all four feet, their heads turning to the side as they struggled against Zera’s magic. The two girls looked at each other worried, until they remembered what the Simple Tree told them. “Quick, grab my hand!” Elise shouted at her sister. Cara reached for her and soon they were holding hands tightly, turning to Zera and wondering what to expect.

Zera pushed harder, and soon the horses could barely contain the lightning. They called out to her, neighing and whinnying at her, and both sisters remembered that the Simple Tree told them what would defeat her. Cara looked at her sister and said, “I don’t know what it’s supposed to do, but I love you.” Elise agreed, and the sisters had no idea how it would defeat Zera, but she looked back at her sister. “I love you too!” Elise said, and a glow began to appear from the girls’ clenched hands. Zera, seeing the glow, pushed even harder, but it was too late. Just as the lightning broke through the horses’ power, the glow flashed out and wrapped around Zera, and when the light was gone, so was she.

Everyone was staring at the two girls, atop these strange horses of an even stranger color. All except Miss Eloise, whom their mother was holding, gently crying, quite shaken after the affair. The wizards were mostly asleep on the ground or quickly attended to by some of the adults. Elise and Cara and the teal horses, with the glittering soft silver eyes, were an amazing thing to see. Even the manes were blue, and the sisters rode on matching white saddles.

Brenda beckoned to them, and the horses, seeming to understand, turned and walked over to her. Her mother reached up and took both children down from the saddles. “I’m not sure where we’re going to keep two new teal horses,” their mom said, “but I’m sure we’ll figure out something.” The wizards were all at their feet by this time, and everyone seemed to be okay. “You two will always have your disagreements,” she said, “but I hope you learned something important today.”

The girls nodded, and by this time Miss Eloise had also recovered somewhat. “That was amazing,” she said, “but too frightening for me.” The wizards were exhausted and most of the other adults too, and to the complaint of many a child the carnival was declared over. The sun was setting, and the clearing was returning to the way it started on its own. “We can hold a second carnival next month,” Tero assured everyone. Most were looking only to go home, especially Miss Eloise.

People packed up their belongings, and within moments the clearing was bare, except for Miss Eloise, Cara, her sister Elise, and their mother. And of course, two majestic teal horses. Even Miss Eloise’s boys had gone home, taking most of their things with them. “Are you sure you’ll be okay?” Brenda asked Miss Eloise. She quickly stood and dusted herself off. “I’ll be fine,” she told them, “and I’ve got to catch up with the boys anyhow.” They said their goodbyes, and then the three set off for home themselves, Brenda holding the reins of both horses while her children walked on either side of her.

“Do you think she’s really gone?” Elise asked as they walked down the path back home. “And are these horses really ours to keep?” Cara added. Their mom replied that the answer must surely be yes to both questions, and the walk home was full of such questions. Most of the questions were unanswered though, and the conversation soon turned to talk about the upcoming new carnival, and the strange teal horses.

The two girls of course didn’t stay girls forever, and after many years grew up and started families of their own. The horses, being special and made of magic, and the love of their family, never died. They stayed in the family and reminded both Cara and Elise, and all who saw them, the importance of love and family, and the power of the Simple Tree.