Through the Fairy Ring

Chapter Thirteen

Roldo closed the portal, and I was on my own. The concrete path that wound its way around the flat-topped formation of Devil's Tower was at my feet, just like Breeju drew on the map. The historical and sacred landmark loomed in the background, the vertical scores in its sides looked every bit as if the monument had been clawed by a giant bear, as told in the Crow, Kiowa, Arapahoe and Cheyenne oral histories.

A giggle and shouts of laughter rolled into my ears and a family of four came around the corner. The man was tall, the woman easily a foot shorter, and the boys with them looked to be around nine years old. All four jumped when they saw me, but the man then nodded and said, "Good afternoon."

I smiled politely. "It is."

One of the boys grabbed onto the woman's arm and pulled her down the pathway. I feigned a great interest in a squirrel searching the grass near me so they would pass by. Since we were going to be heading the same direction, I didn't want to be in front of them the whole way. I also took the opportunity to mark where the portal was. Two thin saplings crossed overhead, and that was it. Nothing indicated the area was special in any way, and it would be very hard to find in a hurry. Or at all.

After a couple of minutes, I ambled along the concrete strip and looked over the map. It didn't seem like it would be too difficult to find the Pixie Queen, as long as I found the tree, which I did easily a short distance later. The vibrant colors of new prayer cloths, tied along the branches of the gigantic ponderosa pine tree, contrasted brightly against the older, sun-faded ones. Both old and new intermingled with bird feathers hanging from the branches of the ancient evergreen marker.

A quick glance around made sure I was alone, and I left the path to search the basalt boulders a short distance behind the sacred tree for the opening Breeju had talked about. I encountered several little crevices and potential animal caves, so I stopped walking and called out, "Hello? I'm Hazel of Darag-Leigh, and Breeju told me that the Pixie Queen is here?"

The birds twittered above, but nothing else made a sound.

It had to be the right tree. It matched Breeju's description perfectly.

"Hello?" I tried again, a little louder.

"Hi?" An old man with camera hanging around his neck watched me from the path, grey eyebrows raised over kindly eyes. "Are you lost?"

I laughed. How could I be lost when the path was right in front of me? More likely he wondered if I was nuts, but of course wouldn't ask that.

"No, not lost. I..." Hmm, what was I doing calling out to the thin air? "My friend thinks he's funny and ran off into the woods. I guess he thinks I'm going to waste my time looking for him."

The man's face creased with a smile. "Can't say I blame you. But you might want to get back on the path. I passed a park ranger a while ago, and he was headed this way. There were signs that said to stay on the path. Maybe you didn't see them?"

"Oh, thanks." I joined him back on the path, mentally willing him to move on. "I'll just wait here for him."

Thunder growled from some darker clouds gathering above Devil's Tower. Great. Rain.

"Good luck." With a nod, the man continued on his way.

Afraid the park ranger would catch me if I returned to the trees, I remained on the path, and spoke loudly toward the tree. "Can anyone hear me? Please, I need your help."

The air in front of one of the crevices I'd noticed shimmered and the rocks shifted to reveal an opening large enough to be an entryway. A blue-skinned man about as tall as me—so not very tall—stood inside the doorway, dressed in jeans and a black t-shirt. Crimson tattoos scrolled down his well-muscled arms in elaborate swirls. He held a crossbow, which he had pointed at the ground in front of me. "Hurry, or we'll be seen."