Thimbleberry Bushes

The waterfall rushed down the rocks with a steady, consistent flow of water. Dahlia grew to rely on the sound and sight of the waterfall. It gave her reassurance that the land was still full of life. The sun peeked in between the tall trees, and their leaves casted shadows on the forest floor. Dahlia stretched her arms out, and lifted her wings into a sun spot, letting the warmth seep into the little crevices and folds that her wings held. She looked around, surveying the woods around her. The balsam fir trees stood in their rightful places, they filled out the forest with full, green branches, accompanied by yellow birch trees standing tall and mighty. Of course, all of the trees loomed over the little fairy, who only stood at a mere 3 inches tall. Her size didn’t matter though, she played an important role in watching over her forest. She resided in a homemade hut, crafted out of moss, twigs, mud from the river, and bark. She loved her little home, and her job. 

Dahlia wiggled a little in her sun spot and fluttered her wings to lift up into the sky. A small breeze helped her get going, and she flew up and around the great waterfall. She surveyed the area, seeing neighboring critters gathering their daily food, or re-patching parts of their own homes. She smiled watching a baby squirrel peek his nose out from the trunk of a tree, being careful not to draw too much attention to himself. She flew around and checked off the items on her mental checklist. The thimbleberry bushes still sat in their rightful place, on the outskirts of the river, full of berries and thriving for the forest animals to eat. All of the homes she knew of that were occupied by life were intact, the occupants roaming around lazily in the sun. Lastly, she flew over to the birch tree that sat at the most northern part of her stretch of land. She peeked up into the branches, and checked the large nest that occupied the top of the tree. No eagle. He was still gone. A sigh of relief pushed out from her pink lips. She’s checked that nest for a full year, and he has yet to return. Dahlia hoped he had found a new home, and more importantly, a new place to find his food. The animals of her forest used to quiver in fear while having to leave their homes, scared they might be scooped up by him. This last year was the most peaceful the forest had seen, thanks to Dahlia. She was good at her job. 

She flew back to her hut and perched herself on it’s roof so she could watch the waterfall. She closed her eyes, and let herself relax. Her chestnut brown hair fell in between her wings, and her face pointed towards the sky. Her features were incredibly defined, like God himself had picked his smallest paintbrush and painted each delicate freckle, and formed her thin face with the utmost amount of patience. She was the last of the fairy folk, and for all she knew, the last fairy to be alive. Her father used to be the head of a group of fairies that resided in a forest far from where she was now, and he was it’s protector, the same job she has found herself in. Dahlia frequently thought about her place in the vast world, and if she’d ever see another fairy again. When she was born, her mother explained the war the fairies were at with the unnatural world. Machines wiped out forests in less than a day, killing the trees, animals, and fairies that lived there. Soon, the same fate fell upon her family and friends, and Dahlia was the only survivor. After searching far and wide, she never found another fairy in the surrounding woods. Finally, she settled in the forest she is now, and has taken the role of protector. Though lonely, Dahlia was proud of the life she had made for herself. It takes a lot of courage to continue to live after losing all of your loved ones; she was incredibly strong. An unfamiliar sound alerted her, and she snapped her eyes open, still perched on the roof of her hut. It sounded like a soft twinkle. A very faint sound, like a small little bell was ringing. Dahlia turned her head to the side so her ear faced the direction the sound was coming from, it seemed to be getting closer. She hoped from the top of her hut to behind it, and peeked an eye out to see what was approaching. Dahlia drew a sharp breath in when the source of the sound came into view. A fairy. He hovered above the waterfall, and gently came to the ground where it flowed into the river. He cupped his hands and took a drink. He also had chestnut brown hair that came to his shoulders, and a strong build, but his face held a soft look, like he was admiring the water he had found. Quietly, Dahlia tiptoed to the front of her hut. Her curiosity was too great to be on guard from the stranger. 

“Hello?” her voice squeaked out. The boy whipped around to face her, and she saw his face was covered in freckles that ran down his neck and onto his arms. He looked at her with the same stunned expression that her face held. 

“You’re...a fairy!” the boy exclaimed, lifting into the air and flying towards her with speed. He reached her and landed in front of her. 

He opened his arms and pulled her into a hug, Dahlia felt her cheeks redden, she was not used to being touched, and especially not held by someone of the same species as her. She wiggled out of his grasp and looked him in the face.

“Who are you? Where have you come from?” she demanded, searching his eyes for answers.

“Oh I’m sorry, my name is Basil. I’ve been traveling for over a month, looking for any signs of fairy folk in as many forests as possible. You’re the first I’ve found! What’s your name? Are there any other fairies here?” he was eager, and glanced around her for any other fairies. 

“I’m Dahlia. No, I’m the only one here. And probably the only one at least within the 100 surrounding miles. I’ve already checked.” her voice had fallen flat. She didn’t know why she felt put-off by him, but it might have to do with not having communicated with anyone in her language since she was just a child. She wasn’t used to talking so much. 

“Well I’m glad to at least have found you. Is this your woods? You watch over this place?”

“Yeah, I’ve been here for a long time. My family died years ago, along with our group that watched over a forest far from here. I’ve been here ever since I stopped looking for our kind” she looked at the ground, and felt ashamed. Sometimes she felt like it was her fault she couldn’t help save anyone. 

“Hey, well I’m so glad to have found you. We’ve been scouting for years.” 

“We?” Dahlia’s heart raced.

“Oh yes, fairies have begun finding each other again. There is a group of ten back where I’m from. I’m one of three sent out to search for others.”

Basil studied Dahlia. She was unlike any fairy he had met before (not that he had met many) but she seemed very strong. Her face was unreadable, but beautiful. Her brown hair had soft waves that lead down her back, and like him, was covered in freckles. She had clear green eyes though, very unlike his golden brown. 

“That’s amazing news!” Dahlia’s face brightened, with the realization she was not alone. She quickly remembered her manners. “Please, come in. Do you need to eat? I have thimbleberry jam, lots of it.” Dahlia led Basil into her hut, and he admired her little knick knacks that littered the homemade shelves. After visiting with her and hearing her story of protecting these woods, and filling himself up, he rose. 

“I hope you’ll join me on my journey home, we would love to have you stay with us. You must be lonely here.” 

Dahlia’s eyes lowered to the floor. She was lonely. But she couldn’t just leave the forest she’s dedicated her life to protect. 

“I don’t know if I can, this place is my home. The animals that live here rely on me to keep them safe.”

“I mean...how much can you really do? We’re quite small” Basil said, and motioned up and down his body. Dahlia was confused by this statement. 

“I can do plenty.” With that, she rose out of her hut and into the sky, and hovered above the waterfall.

Basil followed, and watched her from the ground. Dahlia lifted her hands above her head, and with a swift downward chop with her arms, a powerful wind left her body. A much more powerful wind than one would expect to come from a fairy, strong enough that it parted the waterfall for a few seconds. Basil’s jaw dropped. Dahlia lowered herself so she could touch the water, and scooped up a handful of the clear blue river that flowed beneath her. She focused on the water and it lifted out her hands, forming a small water droplet. She pushed it towards Basil, and it landed over his head, soaking him.

“You! You are the missing princess!” Basil yelled with excitement. Dahlia had no idea what he was talking about. 

“What?” Dahlia asked, “you can’t control natural elements?” Basil shook his head aggressively.

“No Dahlia. There was only one family line that holds those powers. Your dad used to be our king!” 

Dahlia felt lost. King? Princess? Why didn’t she remember any of this? She was quite young when her family died, but not young enough to forget something like that. Basil gasped.

“You don’t remember?”

“No, I don’t know what you’re talking about. My dad led a small group of fairies, and all of the fairies that I lived with had the same abilities as me.” Dahlia tried to search her memory, but found nothing that led her to believe her father was a king of any kind. 

“Dahlia, all of those fairies were related to you in some way. Maybe distant, but they were in your family tree. The king took his family to a small forest to stay safe and harness their abilities, and left for his kingly duties. You never left the forest he lived in.” Basil realized this must be a lot for her, and led her to the ground. Dahlia sat on the forest floor, crossing her legs. He sat too. Her face squished together, puzzled about her past. She looked up and around at her forest that had become her home, the place she protected. 

“I can’t come with you. This place needs me. I’m sorry.” Dahlia went to stand up, but at that moment the sun vanished, blocked by something large. Her eyes shot up to the sky, goosebumps lined her arms immediately. 

“Get inside.” Dahlia grabbed Basil and pushed him into the hut.

“What’s the problem?” Basil insisted. 

“The eagle. He’s back.” 

Dahlia navigated Basil into the corner of her hut, and took off into the air to follow the great eagle. As she zipped towards him, underneath her the small animals all scurried back into their homes in hopes to avoid getting picked up for the eagle’s dinner. Dahlia finally caught up to the bird but kept a safe distance as she tried to figure out where it was headed, but her guess was it would go straight back to his nest. Reaching the top of the tree, the eagle settled down into its old home, and surveyed the area. Dahlia kept her breath silent as she watched him from a lower branch. Something snapped behind her and she whipped around. 

“Basil!” Dahlia hissed as he came into view. 

“I wanted to see if I could help,” he whispered back

“Well you can’t. There’s nothing for us to do right now. I won’t engage with it unless it tries harming animals. This is a forest, I can protect the animals in it to an extent, but I can’t forbid an animal from living here. That’s against the rules of nature.” Dahlia quietly led Basil back to the ground to check on the animals that were located the closest to the eagle’s nest. After everyone was accounted for, they headed back to her hut. Basil couldn’t help himself, and glanced over at his new friend. He truly had never met anyone that was so brave, so willing to help those who weren’t herself. 

“You’re sure there’s nothing I can do to convince you to come back with me?” Basil questioned, careful not to upset her with being too pushy. Dahlia drew in a long breath, and examined her hut. Big enough for just her, she thought about all of the nights she spent awake thinking about fairy kind, and if she’d ever find anyone like her ever again. She exhaled, and looked back at Basil. He stood tall, but cautiously behind her, eagerly waiting for her answer. 

“The animals should be able to hide and get food without being caught for a little while, I’ve taught them how to be nearly silent while out of their hiding places. They should be okay for a little while.” Basil’s face lit up. 

“So you’re coming?”

“I guess I am.”

As the two fairies traveled, Dahlia had many questions about her family for Basil. He answered them the best he could, but all he knew were stories his parents had told him. Dahlia’s father was their king, he didn’t act as a king would though. He was very hands-on, and fought alongside the warriors that took on the great mechanical beasts. One forest after another was taken over, thousands of lives were lost, not counting all of the animals. This was really hard for the king, Basil told her, and he often visited his family in the forest they lived. Her bloodline was gifted with talents. Fairies that could heal, and control some, or all, elements. The king had all sorts of talents, and was said to be the most gifted. He could heal, control elements, and had visions of the future. The queen however was a natural healer, and could only influence water. Dahlia’s head spun as she received all of this new information, and before she knew it, they had arrived at Basil’s forest. Well, half a forest. 

“What happened here?” Dahlia asked, as they flew over woods that had been torn to shreds but had stopped halfway through, leaving the other side untouched. 

“This is one of the forest’s that your dad and the other warriors were able to save. They stopped the machines halfway through destroying it.” Basil motioned to the land. Dahlia thought about her father having been in the exact same place she was, and goosebumps ran down her arms. They flew towards the ground and Dahlia spotted a little fairy camp, big enough for at least 20 people to be easily sustained. Her heart fluttered at the thought of meeting more fairies. 

“Come on, they’ll love you”  Basil said as they touched the ground, and he jogged over to one of the huts. “Guys! I’m back! And I have a surprise for you all!” Fairies began to come out from surrounding huts, gathering in the center where Dahlia was. Whispers surrounded her. A group of nine fairies formed a circle around her and Basil. 

“This is Dahlia. The lost princess.” Basil said, and all eyes were locked onto her. 

“Are you...sure?” a voice from the group asked. 

Dahlia didn’t like to be doubted. She slowly lifted her hands from her sides, palms facing up. Dirt lifted from the earth with her as she rose her hands above her head. They all gasped. That was all the proof they needed. Cheers erupted and the fairies swarmed her, giving her hugs and shaking her hand. Dahlia’s face grew warm, as she took in the praise. Fairies began introducing themselves to her. 

“I’m Peony” a fairy with dark skin and long blonde hair said, extending her hand. Dahlia shook it, excited to get to know those around her. 

“I will try and learn all of your names quickly! I am so grateful that Basil found me, I was protecting a forest far from here. I haven’t been around other fairies since my family passed.” Dahlia spoke to everyone at once, and they all listened intently. 

“Dahlia can influence all of the elements, and it was hard for me to convince her to join me. Let’s show her around.” Basil put his hand on Dahlia’s back in between her wings and led her to the largest tent. “This is where we eat, and everyone has their own tent. Except for Clove and Snowdrop, the oldest of the bunch. Their daughter died when their forest was under attack” Basil explained.

Dahlia took it all in, a place large enough to house all of these fairies together, she was surrounded by people of her kind. It was a little overwhelming, and Dahlia asked to sit down. Someone brought her some water and berries, and she was joined by Basil, Peony, and another fairy, Turmeric. Turmeric was clearly the leader of the group, as fairies took directions from him. He was the tallest fairy Dahlia had ever seen, not that she had seen many, but he towered over the rest of them. But he had a kind face, and soft eyes, which contrasted with his red hair and pale skin. Turmeric watched Dahlia thoughtfully, and much like Basil, was taken back by her strong nature. Her presence demanded attention, and he admired that she had not only survived by herself for so long, but also kept a forest safe in the meantime. 

“So I’m the only other fairy you’ve found so far?” Dahlia asked the others

“Yes. We’ve searched everywhere, but no luck. We’re afraid it’s just us that may be alive still.” Turmeric answered, looking down at the little table they sat at. 

“Hey, I mean a few days ago I thought I was the only one left. So this is a positive thing for me.” Dahlia smiled, trying to lift their spirits. They smiled back, weakly. As they talked. The others built a fire, and made up a place for Dahlia to sleep. The sun began to set, and the group huddled near the fire. Dahlia felt at home, but a pang of guilt sat in the back of her mind. Eventually, she’d have to go back to check on her forest. What if the machines showed up there while she was gone? This worried her, but she kept it to herself. She started talking to Peony, and getting to know the others. Meanwhile, Turmeric and Basil stood near the tents and watched her, careful to speak low, out of earshot of the others. 

“Do you think maybe she can also heal, but just doesn’t know yet? She hasn’t had any fairies to practice on. It would be helpful to have a healer around” Basil said, while examining Dahlia’s hands from afar, wondering about her talents. 

“Maybe. I’m more curious if she knows about her mom. She didn’t die that day in the forest. She was captured by a human driving a machine. She may be alive still” Turmeric answered, eyeing Dahlia, as if trying to reach her memories.

“I don’t know. But if we tell her, her mom may still be alive, there won’t be any convincing her to stay. She’ll go after her.”