Footprints in the Snow Page 5

  “I don't know who is more crazy Ma, me or you?” Morgaine said with a smile. It was the first true smile I had seen in a year. If nothing else, all this had broken through the ice wall Morgaine had built around her heart.

  I laughed and asked both Pegeen and my daughter to hold my hands as we circled the bush we had first found the gaily coloured nest on a few days earlier.

  “Nine times we circle this bush; nine time we entreat thee. Three of us dance under the high moon, three times three for the nine.” I repeated the words as easily as breath. They were the same words I recalled my mother using in order to get a glimpse of the wee folk in the moonlight. “They were the same words I used?” I whispered under my breath.

  Pegeen giggled and Morgaine skipped as easily as she had once done as a child. My heart was the happiest it had ever been as I watched my two ladies dancing in the snow.

  “Mamo! Look!”

  All three of us stopped dead in the snow as a barely visible glow began to emanate from the trees. As we stood breathless, the glow became more and more evident until tiny shapes appeared.

  “The ladies came back!” Pegeen shouted, jumping up and down and clapping her hands.

  Morgaine was struck dumb as she watched the three visiting fae materialize in front of her.

  “Welcome ladies,” I whispered gratefully. “Welcome indeed.”

  “It's true. You are real?”

  Aye Morgaine. As real as you remembered so long ago. My blessings on you and your wee one. She was such a joy and source of eternal energy.

  I held my breath as the voice filled my head. I was certain by the looks on their faces that Pegeen and Morgaine heard it too. Before I could utter a sound, the queen herself stood in front of us, as radiant as the moonlight itself.

  “Welcome great lady.” I smiled and felt a sense of calm as Queen Maeve moved herself closer to Morgaine who was backing away, clutching Pegeen to her waist.

  No need to fear anything from me or my kind Morgaine. I am here to seek your help.

  “You took my daughter! How can I trust you?” Morgaine's voice shook with fear. Believing something and being confronted with the reality was two different things.

  Your daughter was returned unharmed. Have you forgotten your time with us dear Morgaine? Do you not know from whom you received your name?

  “I remember..”Morgaine stuttered. “I just thought it was childish nonsense a fantasy of childhood. My mother says you are dying?”

  Maggie Mae is correct in telling you of our hardship. Our lives will soon fade from the universe if we can not contain the damage lack of faith is doing to our kind and those many other ethereal creatures.

  “Maggie Mae?”

  “The fae have a tendency to give those they choose for contact pet names; mine has been Maggie Mae since...the day of my birth?”

  Quite right and the nickname you have chosen to remember.

  “But I thought you were my Mamo?” Pegeen pouted.

  I laughed and Queen Maeve smiled. A child's innocent view of the world was exactly what this was about.

  “I am and I always will be my pet. But, just as I am your mommy's Ma, to these ladies I am Maggie Mae. Do you understand?”

  Pegeen nodded and rubbed here eyes. “It's like when Mommy calls me Peg.” She said, stifling another yawn.

  Children understand so much more than what they see with their eyes. They feel and are sensitive to the world around them.

  “What help can we three be?” Morgane asked. “The world is so large and we are only three people.”

  It only takes one to change the world. History can attest to that.

  Flashes of both male and female solitary figures with open minds and hearts came into view as photos would on a slide show. I and Morgaine blinked. The pictures were only in our minds but we recognized most if not all and understood what the great queen was trying to say. Such as these few changed the course of time and history for those of many faiths, races and creeds. Were we to be as influential?

  Your family has a special connection with our world. Throughout the generations there have been roots from the old world to yours. You know this better than most Maggie Mae and you choose to remember.

  “That's the thing,” I replied. “I choose to keep the old ways close to my heart. Others of this world dismiss it as myth and legend.”

  “And I closed my heart to everything. I am so sorry Ma. Can you and Pegeen forgive me?”

  I looked upon my daughter and smiled. In spite of everything she was finding the courage to open her heart again. She was finding her way passed the death and suffering. How could I not forgive that?

  “Of course my pet. I always forgive you and Pegeen loves you no matter what.”

  That is all we seek as well Morgaine. Truth and respect and love despite who or what we are. Come and I will show you so that you can remember well the events to day and recount them.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I think,” I began. “And I don't want to speak for the great lady but we need to go with them. You need to see the faerie realm again my love.”

  Oh yes mommy can we go? It's so beautiful. Well the parts that aren’t black are beautiful!”

  Morgaine looked down at her daughter and then back at me. She held out her hand and intertwined out fingers. “What is there to lose? Alright then, let's go.”

  Close your eyes dear friends and when you reopen them you will see what I look upon every day.

  The three of us held hands did as Queen Maeve asked. When I felt it was time, I opened my eyes to find myself among an array of the most beautiful trees and flowers. I could hear Morgaine gasp as she opened her eyes to the view.

  “Mamo look! The black has colours again!” Pegeen released my hand and went dancing toward the edge of the realm with the “three ladies” following her. Where there had been a distinct line drawn in nature between the dark encroaching on the land and fae world, the colours seemed to be bleeding into the darkness.

  “Peg!” Morgaine reached forward to hang on to her daughter.

  Please leave her. She is safe and has her guardians with her. All it took was the faith of a child and her mother to reverse some of the damage. Do you see Maggie Mae? All hope is not lost.

  Queen Maeve's face was alive with joy at the renewed energy in this place. Morgaine stood by and watched as the queen followed the faerie guard to where Pegeen was dancing on the dew drenched grass.

  You are a lucky girl to see the dawn of a new age for my kind. Our blood is your blood. We are one kin.

  Queen Maeve patted Pegeen on the head with a delicate, pale hand. She looked tired; like one who has been through the battle of her life and it was not over.

  I started to speak but then thought better of it. I knew better than anyone when words were best left unsaid.

  “Ma?”

  I turned to see Morgaine, her arms were wrapped around her own shoulders like a hug. “Yes pet?”

  “This is what you have trying to get me to see all along isn’t it? I don't just mean the faerie world but just the fact that I needed to start living in my own; for my sake and for Peg's.”

  “Aye my dear one. Just as my own mother taught me. We have only one life and at times it is so fleeting. There are things in the world we are meant to understand and those we don't. Just live and enjoy my pet. Just live and allow Pegeen to do so as well.”

  Morgaine broke down and cried on my shoulder. The great lady left us to our moment and focused on Pegeen and the three wee ladies. Their laughter was a sound of joy as they danced in the dew.

  “My lady...Queen Maeve?” Morgaine broke away from my shoulder and slowly walked toward the queen. “Can all of this be fixed or will this fade as well?”

  The queen shrugged her shoulders and smiled. “Nothing truly fades if we keep joy in our hearts.”

  I stopped in my tracks and held my breath as I heard the words escaping from the queen's mouth. “You spoke?”

  A joyful giggle l
ike the sound of bells escaped the queen's throat. She threw her head back and her hair fell like gold spun silk down her back.

  “I can indeed speak human words when the spirit moves. Is it not proof that anything is possible?” The great lady then turned to face my daughter and reached out for her hand. “Morgaine it will take millions upon millions to save this world in whole. But even a few can effect the end result. I give you and Pegeen authority to travel between our worlds so the message can be truly effective. Convince the world that they need us just as much as we need them. You can do it. You have royal blood in your veins.”

  A quizzical look came over Morgaine's face as she struggled to understand what the queen wanted from her. But, to her credit she agreed and smiled back, her eyes sparkling with renewal.

  “I and my family promise to do what we can. It would be such a shame to lose all this.” With a wave of her hand, a myriad of flying and earth bound creatures and various sizes and genders of fae came forth and surrounded both Morgaine and Pegeen. I could see how startled my daughter was by this show of support. A flood of emotions filled me as I began to recall my own visits here as a youngster. Morgaine was home more than she realized.

  Queen Maeve seemingly floated to my side and bent low to kiss my cheek. “The trust engendered to you and your family was well earned Maggie Mae. You were chosen well.”

  All I could do was nod as the tears flooded from my eyes and down my cheeks. “Thank you for this dear lady.”

  “No, thank you. No matter what happens all of our lives are irrevocably changed.”

  I blinked the tears away and in that blink found myself, along with Pegeen and Morgaine once again standing in the crisp, new snow that had fallen in my back yard.

  “Where did they go Mamo?”

  I looked down to see Pegeen searching the bushes and snow for any sign that some of the wee folk had returned with us. They had not.

  “Now what Ma? How do we get people to believe in something they don't see?”

  I shook my head, knowing the task ahead would be difficult. “Of that I am not sure but if we all put our heads together we will do it. We have to.”

  Morgaine grabbed Pegeen's hand and started toward the house. “Let's go. I think you need your bed. I know I do.”

  “Me too Mommy. Me too.” Pegeen said sleepily. Morgaine hoisted her up on her hips and I quickly moved in front to open the door.

  Once the little one was tucked safely in her bed, Morgaine and I head back into the kitchen for a glass of wine instead of tea. It was the middle of the night but neither one of us cared. It had been along and surprisingly emotional day; full of revelations and renewals.

  “Thanks Ma,” Morgaine said as she gratefully accepted the large glass of red wine I placed in front of her. “I just can't believe what has happened today.”

  “That's the point of all this my love. “ I said between sips of wine. “Belief and faith in the unknown.”

  “I have been so horrible to you. Please forgive me.”

  I shushed her with a look and reached over to pat her hand. We had all been through a lot and it was just the beginning. “No more about blame or forgiveness. It's done. When I saw your smile today it was worth anything we have been through. You and Pegeen are so special, even the great lady think so.”

  “Thanks, but I have a question about Queen Maeve that I think only you can answer.”

  I drained my glass and took a deep breath. “Yes pet? What question would that be?”

  “Even before we went into her world, the queen eluded that I...well, Pegeen and I had royal blood. She seemed to think we had more to do with the fea that even I remembered. What did she mean?”

  I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. I peeked over my shoulder to see the late winter sky turning pink with the dawn and I smiled. “I think,” I began quietly. “That story is better left for another day.”

  The Fairy Queen

  Come, follow, follow me,

  You, fairy elves that be :

  Which circle on the green,

  Come follow Mab your queen.

  Hand in hand let's dance around.

  For this place is fairy ground.

  When mortals are at rest,

  And snoring in their nest ;

  Unheard, and unespied,

  Through key-holes we do glide ;

  Over tables, stools, and shelves.

  We trip it with our fairy elves.

  And, if the house be foul

  With platter, dish, or bowl,

  Up stairs we nimbly creep.

  And find the sluts asleep :

  There we pinch their arms and thighs ;

  None escapes, nor none espies.

  But if the house be swept,

  And from uncleanness kept,

  We praise the household maid,

  And duly she is paid :

  For we use before we go

  To drop a tester in her shoe.

  Upon a mushroom's head

  Our table-cloth we spread ;

  A grain of rye, or wheat.

  Is manchet, which we eat;

  Pearly drops of dew we drink

  In acorn cups fill'd to the brink.

  The brains of nightingales.

  With unctuous fat of snails.

  Between two cockles stew'd.

  Is meat that's easily chew'd ;

  Tails of worms, and marrow of mice.

  Do make a dish that's wondrous nice.

  The grasshopper, gnat and fly,

  Serve for our minstrelsy ;

  Grace said, we dance a while.

  And so the time beguile :

  And if the moon doth hide her head,

  The glow-worm lights us home to bed.

  On tops of dewy grass

  So nimbly do we pass ;

  The young and tender stalk

  Ne'er bends when we do walk :

  Yet in the morning may be seen,

  Where we the night before have been.