NECESSARY CEREMONY

The following morning Bear awoke to a tickling sensation. A tiny yellow bird was perched on his snout, chirping, "wake-up, wake-up, twitter, twitter alarm service!"

Creaking to a sitting position Bear scratched his nose and sneezed with a blast. The bird fluttered away. After rubbing the haze from his eyes his senses slowly came into focus. But troubled dreams still simmered in the back of his head.

Clattering sounds disturbed the cottage; the house echoed with noisy guests.

Leah had already taken her morning bath and was out doctoring poor Fern. She held a glass of sugar water to Fern's lips. Fern drank gratefully deep.

"Thanks," Fern said,"I really needed that. I'm all dried-up from crying. I controlled my emotions much better before."

"Don't think about that, Honey." Leah patted Fern and brushed back his drooping leaves. She stooped to adjust Fern's temporary shadow. "See how much everybody loves you? Really! Over twenty-seventeenth spiders have worked hard all night so you wouldn't be uncomfortable today."

"Well what will become of us all," Fern whined, "this whole world is in terrible, horrible danger just because of me."

Shaking her forefinger, Leah scolded, "see you have it too, low self-extinct! Be happy, Fern; we all have troubles sometimes. It will all be much better soon because Pretty Lady has a plan. She told me so. I'm sure things will turn out okay. Maybe it would be good if you tried doing some reading. You know, I'm learning to read and. . ."

A bell tinkled from the cottage.

"I've got to go now, Fern. Pretty Lady is having another meeting." Leah lowered her voice, "I really don't care much for meetings, but I might have another really important job, maybe serving tea again."

At the pow-wow Leah tried to pay better than usual attention. She was an important person now. Shianna had just explained to everyone about the mission: she and Bear were going off to save the world. That made Leah happy, because it smacked of adventure, and adventure was a jillion times more exciting than plain old meetings.

Shianna explained, "it was a force field around Clear Peak that wounded Tolbin; he rammed it head-first when he was sent to contact the Great Birds."

Leah raised her hand. "What is a 'force field'?" It was a good thing she asked because some of the others didn't know either.

"It's a barrier," suggested Trindle, "like a sheet of glass."

"Ohhh," Leah said, but still not totally sure.

Shianna added, "we think it is caused by a crack between the worlds."

"Crack," Leah questioned.

"Like a cut or wound," attempted the Queen.

A small elf interrupted, "what about Fern's shadow?"

The Queen replied with a twinge of sadness, "we can only assume that the worst has happened . . ."

"You mean. . ." Mr. Trindle's pipe dropped from his mouth.

Shianna closed her eyes slumping her shoulders. "In . . . in my dreams last night I saw Shadow trapped in a dark chamber. He has slipped through the crack. The 'Sight' is never wrong."

Everyone fell hushed. Some of the newer Halflings sensed the panic and began to wail. Shianna directed a matronly fairy woman to comfort them.

Raising her hand with authority the Queen spoke, "now no one should thicken this with fear. We need to act quickly!" She had an idea. "I think we should have a ceremony. When things are hard to understand then it is necessary for a ceremony. We will meet at the roots of wise old Trephir, and there we will join spirits to gather power and protection, especially for our two heroes, Leah and Bear. I want you Elves to gather supplies. Fairies, go tell the other forest creatures to join us by Trephir. We will depart immediately. Dwarves, you lead the halflings. Leah, you ride the back of ol' Bear, and both of you, stay near."

The parade cascaded down the path to the inner forest. From all territories and nooks the inhabitants of the Enchanted Lands swept-in to join. It became the banner parade in all history.

The day bloomed beautifully. Leah jostled on the back of Bear; the Queen strode alongside. Countless animals, halflings and forest creatures tramped behind.

At a bridge crossing a stout gnome waited. He raised his hand. The parade rolled to a stop. Shianna stepped forward in greeting, "Heinzel, my old friend, so good to see you again."

"M'Lady, Shianna." Heinzel stooped to kiss her hand, "it be not often thet r' empires intersect." A full red beard garnished his ruddy face. He wore the rugged garb of the underworldlings. With longing gaze the gnome stared, as though many past adventures had been shared; fates had intertwined. "T'would guess, M'Lady, thet ye've been at yer councils too."

Shianna glowed with a blush. "So you know. Have you been hearing my thoughts again? We have always been tuned." The Queen's expression saddened. "It has been many seasons since our last. . . falling-out."

Heinzel nodded gravely. "Aye," the gnome replied.,"as shadows be yer carpets, they remain our ceilings. We be aware o' th' danger." He glanced into emerald pools. "Though th'r be gulfs between us, M'Lady, I haven't tunneled thet deeply into th' world."

Shianna sighed. "Oh, Heinzel, I. . . ."

"M' dear sweet Queen, t'would ask thet th' past be forgotten. We o' th' underworld uv felt deep shudderings. I must be included in y'r plans."

Shianna's eyes brimmed watery. "Yes, old friend, stand with me once again."

Heinzel joined the party.

The throng entered the sacred grove. Shafts of light pierced through boughs of ancient trees. The party circled at the base of a grandfather Sequoia.

"Wake-up, old one," Heinzel commanded, "we need y'r help. We've come fer a necessary ceremony."

A deep slow groan arose from the huge tree, "ohhh, not againnn, don't you knowwwww that ceremoniessss take meee monthssss. . . of preparationnnnn."

Raising hands palms up, Shianna requested, "I need you to furnish me a wand, Grandfather, a special wand."

Trephir pondered the request and then did something rare, at least for him, he began to move, to quiver.   The onlookers retreated. Trephir roared like a storm. From the tops of his branches a sound cracked. A staff screeched down spearing into the ground between Shianna's dainty feet.

Leah straddled Bear's back, watching the spectacle. She stretched forward to whisper in his ear, "Bear, could I ask you a question?"

"I guess so," Bear replied confused.

"What in the world is a 'sera-bony'?"

Bear whispered back, "the word is 'ceremony', honey. To tell the truth though that is a good question. We'll just have to wait and see." But Bear did not mask an expression of concern, well fear.

Yanking the staff from the ground Shianna tested circling the gnarl above her head. Pin-lights swirled. She handed the staff to Heinzel. The gnome gouged a hole in the gnarl and inserted a rare quartz stone. A fairy touched the gem. A spray of violet rays streamed out.

"Bear," whispered Leah, "I have another question. Do you think we are in a big bunch of trouble?"

"Gosh, I hope not." Bear shrugged his shoulders.

"Yikes," yipped Leah. Bear's shrug had propelled the girl over his head. She plunked in the dirt in front of his snout. Turning to glare, Leah huffed, "yes, now I know we are in a big bunch of trouble!"

"Good heavens," exclaimed Shianna.

Heinzel scooped the miffed little girl form the dirt dusting her off. "Come over here, you little scamp."

The Queen explained, "I need your help." Bear instinctively backed away a few paces. Shianna scolded, "No, you too, Bear, over by this big boulder."

The ceremony began. The crowd circled closer in wonder. Shianna directed Leah and Bear to perch atop the boulder. The rock stood at the center of the grove. On its surface were etched ancient runes. Shianna addressed the crowd, "our brave pair will try to penetrate the force field and enter the crack. They come from a denser world carrying this density with them. So they might have a chance. Once through the crack and onto the other side they will search for Fern's shadow and try to bring him back home."

The Queen commanded, "Elves and Fairies, bring the supplies we have prepared."

Again Leah whispered to Bear, "what are they doing? I'm a little bit scared."

Bear returned, "I think something is very. . . peeculiar."

Leah rolled her eyes and lowered her voice. "Bear, don't say bad words."

Bear stuttered, "wh. . . what! Oh no I. . ."

Shianna handed to Leah a small wicker basket with button and string fastener. Leah eagerly undid the clasp. Inside was a batch of purple bubbles.

Explaining that the bubbles would protect against danger the Queen proceeded to direct their use. "If you come across a threat, throw the bubbles and say, 'phony baloney'."

Leah nodded and mouthed the words silently.

Shianna gave final instructions, "I will cast a magical spell to help you on your way. It's impossible to know what conditions you will discover near the crack. Try to find one of the Great Birds, hopefully Crow. He is shadowy himself so he might be an ally in tracking our little Shadow."

The Queen's eyes began to glaze over.   Bear and Leah exchanged worried glances. Circling the wand high, Shianna started to chant. The crystal pulsed with increasing brightness. Her voice shrilled louder.

"Wait a minute," boomed Bear.

"Me too," chirped Leah.

The spell snapped. Shianna swooned back into the arms of Heinzel.

Bear gulped. "Uh. . . sorry to interrupt. . . but I have some troubled questions."

"Me too," resounded Leah.

But Bear's tongue got tied. Now he couldn't remember his questions, although he still felt immensely disturbed.

"Pretty Lady," Leah snipped, "what are you going to do with us?"

"Good question," agreed Bear.

Thoughts spinning the Queen gasped, "I thought I explained everything?"

Leah pointed to a distant ring of mountains. "That's a long way to walk. We don't know the direction. We might get lost!"

"Yup, those are the questions," echoed Bear, "and what about my stiff knees and poor eyesight and my lousy sense of space?"

Shianna choked a laugh; Heinzel didn't, he bellowed; before long the entire congregation boiled to a laugh.

Bear stared around bewildered.

Leah frowned. She didn't like being laughed at. For the first time in the Enchanted Lands she began to leak tears. Then she fumed and leapt from the boulder spinning away and rubbing eyes.

Shianna swept to catch her, crouching down and throwing her arms around the embarrassed little girl. "Oh no, Honey, we're not laughing at you. It's just that I overlooked your doubts. I'm so sorry."

Leah wiped her eyes and turned a thin smile.

Heinzel moved to stroke the girl's hair. "Ah, m'little lass, ye be very important to us. Our laughing will make fer a much more effective spell."

Turning to Bear Shianna explained, "I surely didn't intend for you to walk all the way to Clear Peak; that was why I was adding my spell."

Bear wheezed a long sigh of relief.

Leah's intensity returned. "But Pretty Lady, how do we find our way through all those forests and stuff?"

Peering through the trees Bear knew that Leah was exactly right again.

The Queen comforted, "I will explain the method of journey, but first, have you anymore questions?"

"Well, I've got at least one," said Bear. "About this mission: I mean I think I've got it straight; we bust through the force field and slip through the crack, but also about Fern's shadow, you see if we end up back down on Earth, well, there are millions of shadows down there. How will we find one puny little shadow?"

"I didn't tell you," Shianna asked.

Bear thought. "Not that I can remember."

"Leah, Bear," the Queen sighed, "listen carefully, I have forgotten a very important clue; this has after all been such a dreadful emergency. When one of our shadows escapes into the denser worlds, it will not be dark at all. It will appear, in fact, like an intensely brilliant light."

"Like the sun," Leah asked.

"That's it, Honey, like a little sun."

Bear peered out into the dense forest. He still worried about his own bad sense of direction. How would he ever find his way through those tangled woods? Also hiking all the way up there seemed like it would be an awful lot of work. He was about to raise more questions.

Shianna seemed to catch his thoughts. "No, you don't have to walk, ol' Bear. We must get back to the ceremony."

"I still don't get it," Bear muttered.

"Calm down," Shianna said, "now listen. . . the spell is designed to make you fly."

Leah jumped with glee.

Bear smiled his best, but truthfully, he was already feeling a little airsick.

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER FOUR