Floating Stars

Chapter 37: Gealach Trabem

A gentle breeze caressed Amber's face as she walked through the towering trees of Night Forest. Even the air around her felt different in Natanstrelle, but she couldn't quite figure out why. She drank in the sights around her. The many shades of green that adorned the leaves of the trees, the soft, spongy moss, and the purple flowers that sprouted from the ground. 

She crouched down to look closer at those delicate flowers. They were like bluebells, but not; rather than shaped like tiny bells, the heads of these flowers looked like silky eight-pointed stars. When the breeze played amongst their petals they shook off tiny particles of shining, glitter. Amber gasped at the sight.

"Are these flowers magical?" Amber whispered her question in awe. 

James smiled at her as he saw how small things, which most Natanstrelleans took for granted, filled her with such wonder.

"It has some magical properties, yes, many plants in the Night Forest do. The Draoicis-Lus family come here to forage for their trade," James explained. "That flower is called the Strelle fo Bhlàth, which translates simply to the Stars in Bloom, in Natanstrelle's old language."

"What sort of magic does it do?"

"Well the Strelle fo Bhlàth produces pollen that can glow in the dark. When it is gathered together it can glow very bright indeed. It is actually what makes our light orbs glow." As he spoke, James took out his light orb to show her what he meant.

"So those ball things you and Dad have, have pollen from these flowers in them?" Amber confirmed, her eyes now glued to the ball of light in James' hand. 

"Yes, that's right."

"Wow!" Amber mouthed in wonder. After hearing this she was even more eager to carry on exploring the forest and learn more about the magic that it kept. She got back to her feet and started to walk again. 

The playful breeze whipped at her long, red curls lifting them up from her light green zip-up hoodie as she moved. James made sure to keep her slim frame in view at all times as he sauntered slowly, a few steps behind her. 

She went from tree to tree, searching for hidden secrets. The variety of trees that stood around her looked quite ordinary to her inexperienced eyes.

That was until she came across a tree that was far from ordinary. She noticed that between the cracks of its rough bark lay a clear material. It looked like it was made of crystal. She reached out her right hand to feel the smooth, shining surface that peeked out from beneath the tree's mahogany outermost layer.

"James what's…" A navy blue leaf fell from one of the tree's branches and landed on her outstretched arm, interrupting her question. The veins of the leaf looked like tiny strings of blown glass. It matched the shine of the stuff inside the tree trunk. Her eyes absorbed its beauty. Tiny specks of glittering dust covered the body of the leaf. Its shape incidentally resembled the flowers Amber discovered moments ago.

"Are you alright, Amber girl?" James slowly caught up to the intrigued tween.

Amber gently picked up the fallen leaf in-between the index finger and thumb of her left hand. She then raised it up towards the light rays that streamed through the forest's canopy. Golden beams shone through the leaf casting a rainbow across her pale face. 

"I know this tree has to be magical!" she announced excitedly towards James, who she could feel standing behind her.

"Magnificent isn't it?" he responded, looking at the leaf over her shoulder. "It's from this tree that we get the other material to create the light orb. Don't ask me how it is shaped into an orb, mind you, I have never been told that."