It was like a giant had silently snapped his fingers. Demus woke up. It was still dark, but there was a smell of cinnamon, and a strange little glow near his boots. The air felt heavy and wet. Demus sat up.

... "Uh, hello?"

×÷× "Top o' the morn, lad. I be 'John Thomas'. 'Lumox' be around s'mplace." and the small humanoid sitting in Demus' left boot puffed on his pipe again. That was both the glow and the source of the smell.

... "Hi. My name is "Deemo". Is there a particular reason you are here?"

×÷× "Ayup! The fairies whose meetin' chairs you disturbed yesterday, well, they like you! When the kind o' human they like ingests a bit o' fairy dust, he feels extra good, he sings, he dances, he has a good time. Those they don't like end up sleepin' a week or three."

--- 'Fairy dust! No wonder!!'

... "Uh, okay."

×÷× "Well, I owe them a favor, doncha see. They told me your story, 'n they want me ta help you."

... "What's my story?"

×÷× "You're an orphan from that nearby village, you have no fear o' the wilderness, you're an excellent fisherman, there's a wolf who visits now 'n again who thinks o' you fondly, 'n you have begun ta sleep in the wild. But Winter is coming, 'n you don't seem ta have any plans."

... "How can you help me?"

×÷× "An old friend o' mine has moved inta 'n begun ta renovate an Alchemist's tower up in the Northern hills. He needs mortal help, 'n he's got plenty o' room. I thought I'd introduce the two o' you ta each other."

By now, twidark had begun. The nightly mist condensed into drops of dew on the leaves as the morning chill breeze began. Demus could make out the outlines of John Thomas' tiny face and beard. Then he shivered from the chill, while John Thomas placidly puffed.

Gradually, the light in the sky grew, from near-black, to shades of dark grey, to dark silhouettes of land and mountains against faint bluish grey to the West and roiled pastel pinks and oranges to the East. The colors got hotter and brighter, starting to look like a puddle of molten iron somehow held up in the sky. The chill breeze freshened, and Demus got up, still dressed, to stomp his feet and rub his cold arms.

... 'If it's going to be like this, I would better have more effective shelter than a lean-to!'

--- 'Yup! Of course, blankets would be nice, or a way to have a safe fire.'

×÷× "P'rhaps you'd like a bit o' help w' that?"

... "Ssss sure!"

Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

     John Thomas clenched his pipe in his teeth and clapped his hands together. Immediately the area all around was warm. Demus became much more comfortable and happy.

×÷× "Have ye any things ta gather,  or chores ta do? Or can we set off soon?"

--- 'Stretches, loving life, breakfast.'

... "Umm, I need to stretch and say, er, recite somethings."

×÷× "By all means!"

   So Demus did his stretches, and as he got into his final, cross-legged ones, he began saying:

... "I love this life! I love this amazingly beautiful morning! I slept well, and I am happy to be alive!!! I thank this life! I thank the forms of the land, the light of the Sun, and the movement of the clouds that have danced this beautiful sky into being today! I thank whatever elses have brought me to this place, this time, in this condition!! I thank the fairies..."

×÷× "Och, now you've done it!"

... "...for noticing me and sending me help."

×÷× "Never thank a fairy, lad. They can't stand that!"

Demus stood up, and retreived both of his boots to put them on.

... "Why would that be?"

×÷× "They are the selfish essences o' natural, wild power. If they do things worthy o' bein' thanked, it hurts that selfishness, 'n they feel it like an arrow. Ta them, all things must balance, exchanges o' favors, deals 'n contracts, courtesies, everything."

... "I didn't mean to hurt them. What do they like?"

×÷× "Honey and cream, set out in a wooden dish."

... "Speaking of which, are we going to fish before we go? I'm a bit hungry."

By now the full dawn had graced the day. The clouds were dark grey with the wide orange Sun above them.

×÷× "Ohhh, Luuumoooox!" There was a distant scuffling noise, and then a really large dog loped into sight. As it got closer, Demus could see that it wasn't a dog at all, but a tremendous raccoon, with a saddle and some bags strapped to its back. It was the size of a large dog, but somehow seemed more like half of a bear. It stopped near the 9-inch tall form of John Thomas. He opened up one of the bags, and handed Demus a -- tiny yellow rock?

×÷× "Get it wet, lad." And he wiped his across a nearby leaf. It quickly grew into something that filled the Gnome's hand. Demus did the same, and his hand then held a yellow-brown muffin. John Thomas was already eating his. Cautiously Demus took a bite.

... "Delightful! What is it?"

×÷× "Honey-Pehkahn Journey Bread, Gnomish. I've got Cheese Breads for lunch as well." He climbed up onto Lumox' saddle, and turned East.

... "Aren't we going North?"

×÷× "We have ta get around the lake first, lad."

They spent all morning walking through the forest around the lake. They stopped by a small stream at noon. Demus found a good tree to lean against and dung, cleaning up with a large green leaf, then washing his hands in the creek. Lumox looked at him as he washed and nodded knowingly. Then John Thomas shared out the Gnomish Cheese Bread. They both filled their water botas, and started hiking up the hills North of the village and lake.

     While hiking, Demus had watched it rain on the forest, the lake, and the village. Things got steeper, and John Thomas got off of Lumox to hike and sometimes climb beside Demus.

×÷× "So, why did your parents come to Rynlen?"

... "Rynlen?"

--- 'The village.'

×÷× "The village."

... "I have no idea. I don't even remember them."

×÷× "Hold up, lad. The morrow's the day o' rest. We can stop and make camp before dark, or we can go on for three hours 'n be there."

... "Hiking in the dark? Won't we get cold?"

×÷× "There's a road above, less than an hour up. I can cast all the 'Warmth' cantrips we'll ever need."

... "Lead on, then!"