She pushes a lock of her shiny black tresses behind an ear as she draws a small symbol on a rock very nearly the size of her chalk. So intense is her concentration that she does not notice the small origami aviary bouncing and flitting about her. The tip of her tongue waves erratically as she draws symbols on a pile of rocks of varying shapes and size. Soon, she has an assortment of smooth river stones covered in powdery symbols.
With a practiced patience she begins to stack the rocks, in twin piles; long, flat stones at the base, followed by two rectangular stones. With a wave of her little hand the symbols flash and become a shade in the stone, as though some sedimentary pattern that had always been there. Two small round pebbles rest upon the others and another flash of light. Her concentration breaks into an impish grin as she puts a final stone in place. Whispering to the last stone, she tells it to be nice, and play well with the other little people.
As her little fingers pull away, another flash lights up her smiling face, her little dimples and the gap of a missing tooth the only shadows. The bright light gone, she pats the little stone man on his head.
In confusion, the little stones move, reaching up with gravel fists to rub away the little girls affection. "Aren't you cute!" she says as he turns shyly away. Soon the little birds are jumping all around the new playmate and the little girl lies on her side to watch.
In a pile of tiny, flittering paper and a pile of stones that acts like a confused child, she giggles and loses track of the time.
As the night closes in, the radiance of the sun is replaced by isolated spheres of light, the closest illuminating a wide trail on the other side of some thick bushes. The little birds and the small golem suddenly bounce and topple to their sides, slowly righting themselves as the little girl rolls over. "Come out, Deleo, I know you're there… Your feet are quiet, but you're knocking down the little ones." Her voice is light and happy, not a trace of fear. Crawling out from under the bush, she nearly bumps into the feet of a towering giant. She leans against his round; clay leg for support and one massive hand comes down to gently assist her. "Thank you, Deleo, you are so kind." She affects small curtsy and turns to skip down the trail, the giant in tow.
Twisting and turning along through the quiet woods, they come to a wide open clearing, in the center of which a large pagoda sits, it's paper walls illuminated to a creamy haze. The smells of cooking food float from a propped window, the sounds of clinking utensils accompany the welcome aromas. Suddenly realizing she is hungry, she begins to take the steps two at a time.
A rustle in the brush at the fringe of the lamplight causes her to turn mid stride. Still between steps she turns her head, then her shoulders, scanning the foliage. She sees nothing in the contrast of lit porch to dim garden, and crouches down, creeping back down the steps. Hunched there at the base of the steps, she watches the darkness between two lamps. Another rustle reveals the location of a familiar form.
The brush moves again, part of it detaching from the rest, the light outlining the graceful form of a large hunting cat. Lights plays across the small green leaves of its face and paws as the larger leaves ripple with the imagined power of a great cat. The branches and stems can be seen beneath the bright green leaves and the cat nuzzles the little girl. "Stop it, Maati, that tickles!" Squealing with delight the she scratches behind a leafy ear, making the little yellow flowers of his eyes wink and bloom in contentment.
Still giggling she returns to the porch, patting the sentry like Deleo as she enters. She kicks off her shoes and skips into the dining area just as her grandfather sets down a large bowl of white rice among other hot dishes including fish, fresh vegetables and cider. Smelling the many tasty items on the table, she hurriedly makes a few quick motions and kneels on a mat next to the low table across from her grandsire. He follows her example and sits across from her.
Over the dinner, her smiles, his eyes unseeing balls of white, and he spoke slowly, gently. "And what did you do with your day, my little ray of sunshine?" as he forks up a mouthful of fish and rice. She chews animatedly. Her eyes alight with excitement. "I made a new friend and the little ones like him, and Maati tried to catch me on the steps, and Deleo is not so sneaky as he thinks, and I think I found a new place for us to explore tomorrow, and…" The words came out in a rush and the old man chewed and listened attentively, a small smile on his thin, wrinkled lips.
Old Nahvet hasn't seen his granddaughter since she was very young, but he knows she is a very beautiful, very lively little girl. The years he has taken care of her he has known no greater joy. The garden that has been his sanctuary was never so alive as when she was left with him by her father's people. His kind old body moved with a warrior's confidence as he cleared away the dishes, never bumping into a single piece of furniture or doorway. He had built the large home in his prime, as he envisioned his family living happily in the hidden glade.
War took its toll from him, leaving him with memories and an estranged granddaughter. With the small child and his failing eyesight he was lost, and turned back to his religion, and though not as devout as he once was, he still thanked the gods for the wondrous child and her abilities. Never did she complain about not having any friends, and no harm ever came to her. Her gift provided for her. His daughter's daughter could create life in the most fantastic shapes.
He spent many sunny afternoons sitting on a grassy knoll or sandy beach with her and her little ones, the small birds of colored paper she animated and seemed to follow her wherever she went. It was later, a few years he guessed, when the heavy step of Deleo began to look after her and help him with the chores. No longer able to carry the wood for the winter fires or reach for the higher berries, Deleo became his companion. Able to carry out the small requests he had for him, the former ornament served his small family so well that he was considered a part of it.
Peering out into the night with only his Elven sight to guide him, he watched the small, fantastic creatures, the Faerie folk, dance and frolic in his garden.
There on his front steps he listened to the night and enjoyed the summer breeze, smiling.