Fairy Games

"Marvin! What have ye done, lad?!"

Marvin's eyes widened as he was called out by his pa. He looked down at the rope in his hands, than back up to his father storming towards him.

"No pa, wait a minute! It wasn't me!"

"Not you?! Than why's there a bloody rope in yer hands, and my 'stock run amuck!" Lidden, Marvin's father, gestured with his rough, dwarven hands to the open field where a group of short-head rams bleated and jogged away.

Lidden had taken his family away from the dwarven city of Tallstone in order to raise livestock in the countryside. Their small house and barn were sat in a valley between two mountains where the climate and terrain were perfect for protecting and raising animals. However, today was another day that Lidden had to find out why his son had caused yet another commotion.

"Pa, you've got to listen to me! The fairies in the woods made me do it! I swear!"

"PAH!" His father spat. "No more o' the fairy talk again! This is the third time you've got our livelihood to run away. Now yer gonna take that rope and use it to get our rams back, ya hear!" And without a chance to protest, Lidden turned around and marched to his barn, leaving Marvin looking foolish with the rope still in hand.

The dwarven boy was upset, to be sure, but he was a dwarf, and he never let anything break him up too easily. Marvin looked out over the field where the short-head rams looked like little blobs out in the distance. The sun had just touched the horizon in its descent to the other side of the world. Marvin knew it was only a matter of time before it would be difficult to find the animals with their grey coats, so he looped the rope over his shoulder and began walking.

Marvin knew his pa wouldn't let him come back for dinner if his rams weren't in the barn. Although it seemed a bit cruel, both Marvin and his father knew it was important to make sure they didn't lose their best way of making coin. Taxes had gone up another silver coin, which wasn't much, but the kingdom knew it was an increase that would only continue.

But it still wasn't fair. Marvin really had been tricked by the fairies of the woods again. They had promised him valuables and secrets in return for playing with them. But now Marvin just felt like the butt of a joke, which he honestly was now. The fairies had given him nothing but grievance from Lidden, and Marvin had been too slow to learn it until now. It was the last straw, and Marvin decided it was time to finally give up dealing with the sparkly cretins.

But as Marvin pushed himself over the stony ridge he had seen the rams travel over, he knew, deep in his gut, that they weren't done with him yet. On the other side of that ridge was a large open field in the valley, with only some scattered fields. He remembered when his father had found it, and the smile on his face as he claimed it as a good grazing area for the livestock.

But the short-head rams were no where to be seen. They should have been visible for quite a distance, and there was nowhere to hide. Marvin could only curse out loud as his job just got more difficult, especially with the sun now dipped below the horizon a third of the way.

Marvin's frustration must have been quite comedic to anyone watching, because it elicited a snort and snicker from behind a boulder off to his side. The dwarf squinted at it in the dim light, and he could see a set of wings that resembled a dragonfly's poke from the top of the rock.

"You! You get out here right now you little- stupid-!" He could hardly finish his sentence, he was so angry. Which only made the creature with the wings hardly contain itself with laughter. It drew back its wings and lifted its head over the boulder.

Red hair paired with a set of pale-white eyes on a wide face. Its smile was toothy and quirky, and its cheeks were speckled with freckles. It stepped around to give Marvin the same sight he had seen twice before. A fairy, standing no taller than himself, which made his four and a half tall build seem pretty high.

"Stupid little what?" It replied in an energetic tone, matched with an almost squeaky sound. "You look stupid and little yourself, hah!"

"Agh!"Marvin stomped his foot in frustration. "Do ye know how much trouble I'm in! My pa needs those rams! Now where did they go you little scamp!"

"Hey! I am not a scamp, okay?! I'm a fairy! And what makes you think I know where your precious rams are?" The fairy gave Marvin a pouty face. He knew it was mocking him.

"I know yer kind now. You and yer friends are tricksters and I don't want nothin' to do with ya. I know it was you, so you better tell me where the rams went!"

The fairy placed a finger to her lips and hummed while looking like it was deep in thought.

"Yeah, maybe I do know where I- er, someone hid them. How's 'bout you play a game with me and I'll tell ya!"

What?! No no no! I won't play any more games with ya! I'm tired of it and I'm already in too much trouble."

"Aw, and here I thought you wanted to join your 'pa' for dinner tonight..." The fairy tilted its head, expecting a good response from the riled up dwarf.

Marvin growled deep in his throat and clenched his hands until the veins in his arms rose up.

"Fine! One game, and than you tell me where my pa's rams went!" He held up one finger for emphasis.

"Goody!" The redheaded creature clapped a few times with a grin and gave a twirl of excitement. "Let's solve a riddle or three, shall we?"

Marvin pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned. He hated riddles so much. The last time the fairy asked him to do so, he was left shirtless and unable to form words as his father tried to get the answer as to why his produce was spilled on the ground in the shape of an anvil. It had been a part of the fairy's 'explanation'.

"I'll make them simple, so don't worry!" The fairy cleared its throat dramatically. "What can't you keep until you have given it?"

"PAH! That's easy! Yer word! Us dwarves know a wee bit somethin' oh that!" Marvin certainly looked proud of himself, which only made the fairy snicker once again.

"See! I told you. But you'll still have to use your head for this next one. What has a head and a tail, but no body?"

"What?! That's ridiculous!" Marvin fired back quickly. "There's no such thing!"

"Come on, it's not that bad! I've known toads that can solve that one. Are you dumber than a toad?"

"I ain't dumber than no toad! Let me think!" Marvin closed his eyes and rubber his temples, thinking so hard that his face went red.

"A coin! A coin has a head and a tail with no body! That's two for me ya little scamp!"

The fairy puffed out its cheeks. "Not a scamp! And yes, that's it. But you still have one more riddle to solve, and I'm not gonna make it easy! Here goes..." It rubbed its hands together while looking straight at Marvin. "What has a heart, lungs, liver and spine, but no brain?"

"That's just the same as yer last riddle!" Marvin exclaimed. The fairy only shrugged, feigning innocence.

Again, he rubbed his head and thought for a good long while. The sun had only just set now, and he knew it would be too late to find the rams.

"Ugh, I give up. Just tell me what it is and get it over with."

"Isn't it obvious what it is?" Marvin shook his head, and the fairy snickered again.

"A little stupid dwarf!" It cried out with a laugh. Marvin just couldn't take it at this point.

"Just tell me where my rams are or I'll have the whole dwarven guard hunt ya down!"

"Okay okay! Calm down! The rams are back at your barn already, silly!" And it wiggled its tongue at him. "But thanks for playing with me! Let's do it again real soon!" And with that, it hopped back over the ridge whence it came.

Marvin slumped his shoulders in defeat. He had wasted so much time. Should have figured the rams hadn't gotten far. He looked out over the valley one more time, than back to where the fairy had disappeared to. Gathering himself, he began his trek back home, and made himself a promise.

"No more Fairy Games."