GOBLIN FLAME
“Firth! Hey, Firth!”
Ardeen zoomed through the undergrowth of the Ancient Forest in search of his best friend.
“Over here!” came the response from inside a hollow tree trunk.
“What are you doing in there? I thought you were helping Bluebell collect blackberries?” asked Ardeen as he landed gently on the moss-overgrown trunk.
“I was, but then I found a bee stuck in the spiderwebs in here and helped it escape. Aren’t you supposed to study?” asked Firth in return, fluttering up to greet Ardeen.
“Yes, that’s what I did when I found this amazing spell turning the leaves of a cercis into a flame that gives off heat, but doesn’t scorch anything. Do you want to help me try it out?”
Ardeen unrolled a leaf scroll. Written on it, in the symbols of the Woodland Fairies, was a spell and description of how to use it.
“What does it say?” asked Firth, leaning over the scroll with what looked like swirls and spider legs to him. He had never learned to read or write the ancient language of the Woodland Fairies. His passion was to look after the animals of the forest, especially any injured creatures. He could talk to any woodland creature in their own language and, like all Woodland Fairies, he could communicate with the trees. Ardeen, on the other hand, was apprentice to Ealdwode, the oldest and wisest Woodland Fairy, keeper of all Woodland Fairy lore and wisdom, and current guardian of the Magic Sceptre. Ardeen studied the hundreds of scrolls that were kept in the old oak tree in the centre of the Ancient Forest, and some day, when Ealdwode’s century of guardianship will have come to a close, he will take over his responsibilities.
“We’ll need a yellow or red leaf of a cercis, some goblin gold moss and the Magic Sceptre, of course,” explained Ardeen as he was deciphering the scroll.
“I know a cave where we can find the goblin gold, but the trees are still pretty green,” Firth pointed out.
“I’m sure it will be fine if they haven’t changed entirely yet. Let’s go, I’m so excited to try this one.”
Together they flew to a damp cave with a spring. The two Woodland Fairies blended in perfectly with their surroundings. Their skin colour changed with the seasons
of the woods and was currently a pale green with hints of red, yellow and brown. Their clothes were made from moss and leaves. Their wings were leaf-shaped, and their flying pattern looked just like falling leaves dancing in the wind.
They stepped into the cave which was overgrown with the bioluminescent moss the Woodland Fairies call goblin gold.
“It’s like stepping into another world, isn’t it,” marvelled Firth, as they walked into the dark cavern, only dimly illuminated by the greenish glow of the moss. Ardeen picked a handful of it.
“Next stop, cercis leaf,” he said.
The beautiful, old cercis stood near a warm and sunny clearing in the forest. Ardeen and Firth flew all around the tree, but could indeed not find a single leaf that was fully dressed in autumn colours yet.
“Looks like it’s too early in the season for magic fires,” said Firth.
“I don’t think it matters that much if the leaf is still a little bit green. Let’s just use this one, it’s nearly all yellow,” persisted Ardeen.
“Are you sure? Remember what happened last time when you thought it was okay to use red currant when we couldn’t find any black currant?” Firth reminded his sometimes overly keen friend.
“I know, I know, but this is the right leaf. It just has a bit of green in it,” Ardeen assured him. “Let’s fly to the Old Oak and get the Magic Sceptre.”
“Alright, if you’re sure,” answered Firth, not sounding very confident at all. Ardeen was his best friend and a very eager student, but he did have a tendency to get overexcited, which made him a rather impatient fairy. However, most of the ancient spells of the Woodland Fairies were very specific when it came to ingredients to be used, and sometimes even time when certain spells could or should be performed. Nevertheless, he followed Ardeen to the Old Oak. It was always exciting to step inside and see it filled with scroll upon scroll. There were shelves overflowing with containers and jars filled with a wide array of pollen dust, preserved flowers, roots and leaves, nuts and seeds, and even mist. Some con-tainers were glowing, while others had strange looking liquids in them. Firth never dared to touch anything, but Ardeen felt quite at home, whizzing around, arranging everything to try out his latest discovery. Ardeen loved to rummage through the old scrolls trying to find a new fun spell to try.
“There, all set up,” Ardeen said as he put the Magic Sceptre on the table together with the leaf and moss. The Magic Sceptre was made from the twigs of the Magic Rowan Tree in the far north of the Ancient Forest. The twigs where delicately intertwined, cradling a red gemstone that glowed like red-hot coal. While all Woodland Fairies have their own magical gifts, it is their Magic Sceptre that is the source of all their magic. Without it, they would not be able to perform any magic spells, which were first and foremost healing spells, and would lead to the loss of their own powers over time if it were to be destroyed or lost.
“Where’s Ealdwode?” asked Firth, still a bit unsure about their experiment.
“He’s out gathering foxglove pollen. Our stocks are running low and he wanted to have enough to see us through winter.”
Ardeen unrolled the scroll and weighed down the ends with small pebbles. Then he formed the cercis leaf into a bowl with his hands, put the goblin gold moss in the middle and, holding the Magic Sceptre above it, read the magic words on the scroll:
“Goblin fire, keep us warm,
light a fire, without harm.
Our dwelling keep warm from the cold,
and let non-scorching flames unfold.”
As Ardeen spoke the words, the glow of the luminous moss brightened and intensified, and suddenly burst out into a bright green flame. Both fairy boys marvelled at the beautiful spectre. They touched the flame and felt its warmth, but it didn’t burn them. Ardeen was about to exclaim in triumph, when the flame quickly turned to thick smoke, filling the Old Oak library almost instantaneously. Coughing and groping around with their hands to feel their way out of the Old Oak, Ardeen and Firth suddenly bumped into Ealdwode.
“What in the name of the Magic Rowan Tree has happened here?” he exclaimed. He found the Magic Sceptre lying on the table, and with a swift movement of the sceptre, it started to suck in the smoke like a vacuum cleaner. When the smoke was gone, Ealdwode noticed the other ingredients on the table.
“Ah, I see you tried to make a Goblin Flame. I assume the leaf you used had not entirely changed its colour yet?” he said to Ardeen with a raised eyebrow. Ardeen hung his head.
“No, it hadn’t,” he mumbled. “I thought it would be yellow enough. I’m sorry, Ealdwode. I’m glad you came back when you did.”
“No harm done, my boy. I like your eagerness to try our spells, but you need to learn that these instructions are so specific for a reason. There is a right time for everything, and this wasn’t the right time for a Goblin Flame. Now, shall we get back to work?” Ealdwode explained, putting his arm around Ardeen’s shoulder.
“I’d better be off now,” said Firth. “Bluebell will be waiting for me.” He was glad to leave the Old Oak again. The incident with the smoke had given him quite a fright, and he was glad Ealdwode had been able to react so quickly. Sometimes he wondered whether it was wise of him to help Ardeen with his experiments when he felt they were not going to work. But there was no stopping him anyway, and he’d rather be there to protect his friend if he could.
Ealdwode and Ardeen spend the rest of the day going through a great variety of healing spells. Ealdwode made him learn them off by heart, focussing particularly on exact timings and amounts. There were spells to heal cuts, stings and broken bones, spells to heal stomach ache and even poisoning from foods and flowers. Ardeen’s head was spinning by the end of the day.
“I think you’ll have enough to study while I’m away for the next three days visiting my brother in the Southern Forest. I’ll leave the Magic Sceptre in your care, but be mindful only to use it in an emergency. No experiments while I’m away, please!” said Ealdwode looking stern. He trusted his studious apprentice, though his excitement often got the better of him.
“I promise, Ealdwode. I won’t let you down,” Ardeen responded sincerely. He wouldn’t admit it, but he was still shaken from the events earlier today and vowed to himself to be more cautious. They said their farewells and Ealdwode set off on his journey.