Chapter 1

 

 

Dom had got himself into trouble… again. Not the dangerous kind of trouble mind you. It was the kind of trouble that ended up doing a chore of some kind. Which is exactly what he and his friend Toma had been given and it was not a nice one.

 

They stood in the village square of Gnome Hollow, looking out across a large paved area of flat stones, painted white and yellow. But this was not the Gnome Hollow in the mountains near Eldor’s cottage. This was the ancient home of the gnomes, the home in the Quiet Woods where the gnomes had once lived with the fairies… and now did so again.

 

It was almost a year to the day that his folk had returned to the woods. Carried here by the fairies from their old village to their… new, old village as Dom liked to put it. It had been hard leaving behind their old homes. Not a few gnomes had been nervous about it, even though they were very happy at the prospect of living with the fairies again.

 

They had wondered what their new, old village was going to be like. Was it as comfortable as their old village? Would the cottages need some repairs after being vacant for so long? Was there plenty of space for children to play?

 

Of course, once they arrived they found the village just like their old one. Surprisingly their ancestors had called it Gnome Hollow too, just like their old one. It was perhaps even a little bigger and in fine repair, kept so by the fairies. It lay nestled in a shallow hollow just like their old one. The Quiet Woods surrounded it and it even had a huge grassy dell to the south where children could play.

 

It had a village square, just like the old Gnome Hollow and surrounded by cottages. In the middle of the square was a paved area of flat stones, just like their old one. They were painted white and yellow and this was what Dom and Toma had been given to clean.

 

‘I suppose we had better make a start,’ Dom said to his friend. ‘It will take the rest of the day.’

 

‘It won’t get done staring at it,’ Toma said wisely.

 

So they set to work, each with a bucket of soapy water and scrubbing brush. Slowly they worked their across the paving stones, scrubbing and cleaning away marks and dirt. Often they had to walk to the village well nearby to refill their buckets when the water go too dirty.

 

The afternoon slipped by, the sun slowly falling toward the horizon. It wasn’t until it was well behind the trees of the woods and the shadows were long that they finished. Dom stood up and arched his back with a long stretch.

 

‘A fine cleaning job, if I say so myself,’ he said with a sigh. ‘I don’t think anyone can complain about it.’

 

‘What do you think?’ Toma asked as he joined him. ‘Was it worth it?’

 

Dom grinned.

 

‘Anything is worth a prank on Sora Ickle,’ he replied. ‘I’d put those mice back tomorrow if I could.’

 

Dom was talking about the prank they were being punished for. They had put mice in Sora Ickle’s home the other day. Now a mouse is a fairly large animal compared to a gnome and many were kept as pets. But Sora Ickle had come home to find a dozen of them inside her house. They had been lying on beds and chairs, in her bath and one had even got into her bedroom closet. It had taken her some time to shoo them all outside again.

 

Dom and Toma had been immediately accused of the prank. There wasn’t any proof of course, but the village Elders had decided they would be punished anyway. If not for this prank, than for all the others they had gotten away.

 

‘So would I,’ Toma said. ‘But I think we should lay low for a while. We’ll be blamed for anything unusual that happens if we’re not careful.’

 

‘You might be right,’ Dom agreed.

 

‘Well, I’m off home for some dinner,’ Toma said. ‘Any idea of when our visitors will be here in the morning?’

 

‘Probably early,’ Dom replied. ‘With so many coming, they’ll be arriving all morning. I’m going to wait on the log at the far end of the dell and watch them set up their tents.’

 

‘Come and get us in the morning then,’ Toma said and Dom watched him wander off toward home.

 

The visitors he had mentioned were elves and dwarves. They were coming to spend a few days with the gnomes and fairies. To celebrate one year since the gnomes had returned to live with the fairies in the Quiet Woods.

 

They would fill the dell with a huge tent encampment. There would be a lot of feasting, music played and songs sung. Dom could hardly wait as both Eldor the wizard and Nyssa the elf were coming too.

 

And Lore was coming as well, which pleased him immensely. He was a young dwarf, one of many he had met over the past year and now a great friend. He had found they were very much alike, both loving good food and exploring.

 

‘Day dreaming, young Dom!’ said a sudden voice behind, startling him.

 

He tuned to find two adult gnomes looking very hard at him.

 

‘Hello, Trell. Hello, Mika,’ he greeted the two Elders. ‘I was just thinking about tomorrow.’

 

‘And a fine time it will be indeed,’ replied Trell. ‘I see you’ve done a reasonable job on cleaning here… a reasonable job.’

 

‘Thank you, Trell,’ Dom replied, sounding suitably humble as this was supposed to have been punishment.

 

‘Yes, it will look very nice for our guests, even though we won’t be using it,’ Mika said. ‘It’s far too small an area for elves and dwarves to use of course.’

 

‘At least it will be clean for when we use it next,’ Dom said.

 

‘Will it?’ Trell queried, eyeing Dom thoughtfully. ‘A bit of dust and rain could make everything dirty again. And of course children like to play marbles here, leaving behind hand and boot prints. It might need cleaning again very soon!’

 

Dom’s expression must have been quite painful, because both gnomes suddenly laughed. Then Trell patted him reassuringly on the back.

 

‘Don’t worry, Dom,’ he said. ‘I don’t think it will be your turn… unless of course you misbehave again.’

 

‘Yes, I don’t think Sora deserved all those mice in her home, do you?’ Mika asked, her look severe.

 

‘Well… she always picks on me,’ Dom replied a little lamely.

 

‘That’s because she’s your school teacher and you’re supposed to be learning!’ Trell scolded. ‘Giving you homework doesn’t deserve her home being filled with mice.’

 

‘I guess not,’ Dom replied.

 

‘Mmm… well, I dare say you’ve learnt your lesson… this time at least.’ Trell replied. ‘It’s time for you to head home and get cleaned up for dinner. Say hello to your parents and Jena for us.’

 

‘I will,’ Dom said and watched them wander off toward another group of gnomes chatting nearby.

 

He then packed up his bucket and scrubbing brush and headed home. There was a hot bath waiting for him and a well-deserved dinner.

 

* * *

 

He was walking up the pebbled path to the front door of his house when it opened and his sister, Jena came out.

 

‘Hi, Jena,’ Dom greeted. ‘Are you going down to the fairies glade?’

 

Jena nodded.

 

‘I want to ask Queen Erin if she has thought of anything else we might need for the festivities,’ she replied. ‘Have you finished your cleaning chore?’

 

‘Yes… took me most of the afternoon,’ he replied.

 

‘Well, you’ll have to stop pulling pranks on folk, Dom,’ Jena said. ‘It will get to the point where if anything unusual happens, you’ll be blamed for it.’

 

‘I know,’ Dom said, then grinned slyly. ‘But it’s worth it, you know!’

 

‘You’re hopeless!’ Jena scolded. ‘You had better get inside and get cleaned up.’

 

‘Say hello to the fairies for me,’ Dom replied and headed into the cottage.

 

Jena herself set off through the village, greeting other gnomes as she went. Shortly she left the cottages behind as she entered the woods and walked down a narrow trail. The fairies glade was a fairly long walk when you’re only the size of a gnome and she wouldn’t reach it till almost nightfall. But she knew a couple of fairies would carry her home again.

 

But it was still light enough to enjoy the sights of the woods. There were flowers in bloom, sparrows, finches and other birds swooping from tree to tree and squirrels gambolled about the branches. It was a perfect summer afternoon and she hoped the good weather would last for the festivities.

 

Soon the shadows began to lengthen as they day drew to a close. The trail dipped into a broad hollow and by the time it levelled out again, the light had almost faded from the air. Then she arrived at the fairies glade and stopping at its edge, gazed out across it.

 

The glade was mainly clear of trees, with just the odd one growing here and there. Flowers grew everywhere else, arranged in dozens and dozens of large beds bordered by stones. There were roses, carnations, tulips, daisies and bluebells... just to name a few.

 

But in amongst them were unique flowers called starflowers. They grew singularly on long stems and were silver in colour. This was where the fairies slept during the day, as they were awake mostly at night. At the moment their petals were firmly closed, but soon they would open and the fairies would wake up.

 

She waited as night settled about the glade and stars winked on in the darkening sky. As they did the starflowers began to glow. Jena frowned. The glowing was not as bright as usual and this was not the first time she had noticed this. Normally they brightened quite quickly, their petals opening up and the fairies waking. But over the past couple of weeks she had noticed the glow dimmer than normal. She was slightly worried that something might be wrong with them.

 

But then the flowers abruptly brightened with a sudden pulse and the whole glade came alight with a silvery light. She smiled, putting the concerns from her mind as she stepped across the glade. Perhaps the fairies were just a little extra sleepy she thought.

 

Above her the starflowers were opening and fairies were sitting up in them. Their large wings unfolded and beginning to glow with the silvery hue like their starflowers. A low hum began to fill the glade as some took to the air, a few calling down to her in greeting. Jena waved and called back.

 

Then one fairy suddenly dropped down out of the air and landed on the ground in beside her.

 

‘Hello, Tani!’ Jena greeted her, one of the first fairies she had met. ‘Are you looking forward to tomorrow?’

 

‘I certainly am!’ Tani replied, a broad smile on her face. ‘Are you here to see Queen Erin?’

 

Jena nodded as they walked on.

 

‘Yes, just a quick visit to see if she’s thought of anything else needed for the festivities.’

 

‘I’m sure she has,’ Tani said. ‘Come and see us when you’re done and I’ll carry you home again.’

 

‘Thanks… I will,’ Jena replied and watched her shoot up into the air to join dozens of fairies now in the air.

 

She shortly reached the centre of the glade and a large bed of roses. Amidst them grew a single starflower and as she stopped beneath it, a fairy popped her head over its petals and smiled.

 

‘Hello, Jena,’ said Erin, Queen of the Fairies. ‘I was hoping you were coming down. I have a couple of last minute suggestions to make before our guests arrive tomorrow.’

 

‘I thought you might, so here I am.’

 

‘Very good,’ Erin laughed as she fluttered into the air and then landed on the ground by Jena. ‘It shouldn’t take too long as I don’t want to keep you late. It will be a long and busy day tomorrow.’