Away with the Fairies

*°•○Part Four○•°*

Louise and Hans did not notice at all that while they walked deep down within the shadows of the meadow, the sun had nearly completed its daily journey towards the western horizon.

Now, looking in front of them from Orangebeak's back, they could finally see the long fingers of sunshine tinged in orange, pink, and purple hues. The rays caressed the beautiful Terra Sonalis spreading far and wide beneath them, growing weaker and fainter as the sun dropped slowly behind the snow-capped mountains towering in the distance.

Noticing how late it was, Hans remembered that he hadn't eaten anything since lunch, and the thought made his stomach growl.

"Are we nearly there yet?" he called into the blackbird's ear. It was difficult to speak, but even more difficult to hear anything over the air whooshing loudly around their ears as they flew through it quickly.

"We're quite close, Master Hans," the bird chirped in response as it soared in a wide circle above a large rose garden, before it started its slow and careful descent, mindful of its passengers.

Louise wasn't scared, not exactly. However, she tightened her hold around Hans' waist and buried her face in his jacket anyway, as he wrapped his arms around the bird's neck.

They touched the ground softly, at the same moment when the last trace of daylight vanished, and the first stars pierced the darkened sky. Rosalind was waiting for them at the beginning of a long lane winding its way under many rose bushes. A lane lined with... Two rows of fireflies, nearly as tall as themselves. They stood erect and perfectly still, holding long spears in their hands, their lights illuminating the path brightly.

"Night Guards," Rosalind said, responding to Hans' enquiring look.

"Thank you, Orangebeak, it was amazing," Louise, who had to force herself to tear her gaze off the multitude of enormous insects, curtsied to the blackbird. The girl never quite liked any sort of creepy-crawlies; the sight of the large fireflies made her shiver, and she laced her arm through Hans'.

Orangebeak was already shaking out his wings and ruffling his feathers before his next flight. Rosalind embraced him as a dear friend, and the bird wrapped one of his wings around the fairy.

"I won't be far, only in the forest. I want to see how your friends are doing with the looking glass. Call me whenever you need me, Princess."

The fairy nodded, and the bird, chirping loudly, flew towards the distant trees, leaving them alone.

"Where's Rolo?" Louise and Hans asked at the same time, noticing that the little elf was missing.

"He went to inform my parents that I'm back," Rosalind said, frowning. "Come on, you two must be hungry," she added, making Hans' stomach growl again.

"We are," Louise said, smiling at him.

With that, they started walking up the gravel path, between the silent, motionless rows of black fireflies. They couldn't see much beyond the Guards' bright, flickering lights, but both Hans and Louise noticed how the rose bushes grew closer together, higher up the path they went. Their blooms, swaying in the gentle wind, were bigger, and they smelled sweeter, too.

They must be in all possible colours, Louise mused, observing the roses which now, in the dark, seemed to be all blue-grey.

"Rosalind, why do your Guards need the spears, and your friend Garrett carries a sword?" Hans asked, scattering Louise's thoughts concerning the roses. She had noticed that too, but did not think it was very important.

"For protection, of course," the fairy replied matter-of-factly. "Like every kingdom, even our one has enemies. And thus we need an army."

"Who are your enemies?" Hans enquired, his curiosity growing by the minute. "The goblins?"