Moonlight

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"Moonlight"

Sean-Perrin "Dreamspinner" Parker

Ariel felt the call of the full moon. It was the same every month for her- she must get out. She padded over to the window overlooking the oak grove, opened it, and climbed down the trellis to drop softly into the flowerbed. Crouching low in the bushes, Ariel looked to see if anyone in the household had noticed her escape- then took off in an exuberant run to the oak grove. When she arrived at her special place, a beautiful sight met her startled eyes.

Moonlight glistened on the man's pale skin and hair as he twisted, turned, and leapt in the complex maneuvers of the dance. As Ariel drew closer, she could hear the unearthly beauty of the elfin music slipping around the man's graceful form and into her consciousness. She dared not speak, lest she break the fragile beauty of the spell.

"Ah, fair maid! Dance with me!" the elf-lord cried as he spied the young girl peeking at him from behind the grandfather oak. His eyes were all the greens of the primal forest swirling, drowning her in their depths.

"May I?" she whispered.

His bright laughter echoed throughout the forest, "Come then!" He spread his arms wide in a gesture of delighted welcome and helped her into the circle of spring that shone in the autumn forest like an emerald in auburn hair. She felt the music envelop her like a warm lavender scented bath, caressing her, cajoling her to move her stunned limbs into the fever of the dance.

The elf-lord regarded the child and smiled in silent lucidity. "Come, youngling," he said softly as he offered her his hand. He led her into the dance, parenting her shy steps, pulling her deeper within. He took her innocent trust and in return, gave her the gift of the wild music of the faerie. And to any whom watched it seemed just a flash of flame entwined in a ribbon of silver, weaving through the silent forest to a rhythm born of freedom.

Ariel stretched her body in luxurious abandon, like a young filly at play on the emerald plains. The elf-lord grasped her hands once more and spun her in a dizzying circle. Wild laughter erupted from deep within her to blend harmoniously within the strangely familiar music. She looked up into the elf-lord's eyes to find he was watching and enjoying her reactions to his world.

"My Flame," he said as he smiled down at her. Suddenly, she felt drained- she must stop! She looked up into his eyes with regret. He smiled in understanding and gently lead her out of the circle.

"Come back, my wee maid of flame," his green-bright eyes twinkled with good humor, "come back to me at the next full moon- I shall be waiting here for you." He whispered softly as he helped her to sit, "I must go now fire-maid... Fair thee well until we meet again." He silently slipped back into the gradually disappearing circle, turned to gaze at her one more time, and then joined the music with a contented sigh.

Ariel stood at the spot where the new-green circle had been only moments before, allowing herself to drift a bit in dreamtime- then realized it was almost dawn! She rushed out of the grove, silently cursing herself for not watching the time. She then scampered up the trellis to her open bedroom window. Once safely inside her room, she peeked about, then noticed the feather-light weight upon her head. She reached up carefully and removed the beautiful circlet of tea roses her elf-lord had crowned her with during their dance. She sighed as she held it to her chest, then hung it on the center of the headboard of her giant canopied bed. She would be there in the circle for the next full moon- and the many moons that followed.

The forest watched in silence as the child grew to maiden, to mother, and finally to old woman... but her steps in the circle were always sure, and her elf-lord always there for her, until one day when she could come no more.

When Ariel's daughter went to visit her grave, she found, lovingly placed on the new turned earth, a circlet of fresh tea roses. And heard in the distance her mother's laughter surrounded by wild strains of alien music.... And returned home greatly comforted.

*Roses may bloom and fade, but their beauty is never forgotten*