A Convincing Tale

It was another glorious autumn day dawning in Glimmerfalls Dell, sunlight trickled through filigree branches in sprays of soft warmth, meadowlark and dragonfly sang dulcet tunes that rippled sweetly on the morning air... butterfly danced on the gentle breeze, sharing pollen rich flowers with golden yellow bees... but Eixip was already bored and restless.

'Just another day in Boringfalls' she muttered in a tone so irritated that a nearby dragonfly stopped singing.

'Eixip' the dragonfly said 'you need an adventure'.

'Oh Bradfire, I do! I do I do I do!' Exclaimed the disgruntled little pixie... ' I need an epic adventure I tell and retell again and again... except, adventures aren't just laying around, waiting for someone to find them!'

'Aren't they?' Bradfire responded in a quizzical tone ' You wouldn't know Eixip, you mooch around on your mushroom complaining about being bored every day'

'Very well' retorted Eixip, ' I'm going then, you'll have to entertain yourself today, adventure is calling me!'

And with that parting statement the little pixie headed towards the forest path... 'See you when I see you' she called over her shoulder.

Eixip thought about adventures as she strolled along, thinking this was probably the daftest thing she'd ever decided to do, how would she even recognize an adventure? Perhaps she would find adventure if she went up to Mudcairn Mountain... but there was a very real possibility she would run into gnomes and they were very territorial. Besides mountains took such effort to climb. She wondered if there might be adventure to be had by Lagoongard, stores abound of merpeople living there, although Eixip had never met anyone who had actually ever seen a merperson themselves.

Maybe she could just make one up? Where would she even start? An adventure has to have a starting point!

At that very moment she heard, or thought she heard, voices carried on the morning breeze... secretive voices whispering -

- We need more time... no... more... time... winter is coming... must raid... Tonight!

A raid! Thought Eixip, but who, why and on what?

The hollow whisperings sounded as if they were coming from behind a patch of tall Tattlegrass, but when Eixip crept closer no one was there. It was then she remembered how they were always taught not to believe what you hear when you are close to Tattlegrass, so named because it really could sound like voices when the wind stirred through them.

Eixip was just about to turn around and go home, give up on the notion of adventuring, when she heard a loud BOO!

She fair near jumped out of her skin!

Spinning around she found her sometimes friend Sanderwell rolling on the ground in fits of laughter.

'This is no time for laughter or tricks! ' she yelled crossly 'I am on an .... an... important mission!'

'A mission! ' chuckled Sanderwell 'You!'

'Yes!' Eixip snapped ' I um, I just overheard plans of a raid! The Elderwise must be notified! '

'A raid?' Sanderwell looked uncertain 'are you sure? It was probably the Tattlegrass playing with your mind!'

Eixip huffed 'Do you honestly think that I can't tell the difference? I'M NOT A BABY! I spend more time out in these woods then YOU do'

Sanderwell held up his hands in a gesture of calm, 'Alright, then who, how and where are they now eh?'

' It sounded like those rascally badgers' Eixip lied... ' they plan on raiding food stores! What if it's our food stores in the village? How will we ever survive the winter? '

Sanderwell looked agast at this news, he was very fond of food. 'We must tell the Elderwise! We must tell everyone! '

' But I'm such a nobody, who will believe me' Eixip moaned.

'You'll have me at your side, come on!'

And with that Sanderwell headed off, with Eixip following, wondering what on earth she had set in motion.

Sanderwell was quick to tell anyone and everyone they passed 'the badgers are going to raid our food stores! ' he yelled to the Emberbert family, who were picking berries.

'The badgers are going to raid our food stores!' he shouted to to mouse clan by the oak tree. He even told the two crows who were fond of helping themselves to the corn patch.

By the time Eixip and Sanderwell had reached the Village it seemed EVERYONE knew and the village was in uproar. Pixie folk gathered in groups whispering as Eixip and Sanderwell made their their way up the main path through the village. The baker stood outside his shop, cornflour still dusting his hands.

Children crowded at the windows of the schoolhouse and few grizzled fieldworkers stood on the steps of the tavern, holding mugs of ale.

Extra guards were already outside both store houses and stood three rows deep flanking the Council of Elderwise office where two of the Elders stood... waiting, with frowns ceased across their wizened brows.

'So' said Elderwise Magehelm 'Explain'

'The badgers are planning are to raid our food stores' Sanderwell blurted out.

'Is this so?' Magehelm raised a hairy eyebrow.

'Eixip heard them!' Sanderwell nodded.

'Eixip?' Magehelm questioned.

'Well... ' Eixip began ' I actually said it sounded LIKE the badgers... and I never said they were going to raid OUR stores'

'I see' muttered Magehelm testily 'So this whole story has gotten larger then the truth?'

'Maybe ' admitted Eixip, doing her best not to smirk... 'but I did hear someone or something. It sounded a bit badger like and they were talking about raiding someone’s food storage'

'Very well' Magehelm nodded 'then in an effort to safeguard both foodstuffs and villagers I hearby announce a one week lock down. No villager will be allowed to leave their abode. Everyone has until one hour before sunset today to acquire stores and essentials.

As a further precaution, the guard will be trippled.

That is all! Go about your business! '

Oh dear, Eixip thought... I didn't think this was going to happen! But what if, what if it wasn't the Tattlegrass... what if it really was badgers (or someone sounding badger like) ... what if the food stores were in jeopardy!

And convinced of the possibility of her own story, Eixip headed towards the growing waiting line outside the storehouse...

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Sharonlee Goodhand 2021