fairy tales of a different sort

Tea Party

"Ready or not, here I come!" Tristan shouted. Hearing the rustle of twigs and laughter coming from his left, he took off with a smile on his face. "You can't hide from me, Myra!"

"We'll just see about that! Won't we, Tristan?"

Myra laughed as she ran off, zigzagging through the woods. She knew that if he caught her, he would claim his prize. A kiss. A token of promise. She wasn't sure if she was ready for that, but she knew Tristan. She trusted him. She'd grown up with him, playing hide and seek through these very woods.

"There hasn't been a time I haven't found you!" he said. A grin on his face. He loved that she challenged him. He thought her willfulness and stubbornness cute. She was like sunshine: bright and happy with a smile filled with warmth.

He still couldn't believe his luck, that she was his. He would always be thankful to his father for the arranged marriage. Their village wasn't very big, but as it was, being the lord's son, he did get to have his pick. He saw her standing up ahead. Her back turned from him. With a mischievous glint in his eyes, he quietly crept up on her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Found you."

"Tristan, not now. Look!" Myra was in awe at the sight before her. She didn't even register Tristan's arms wrapped around her. There were trees having a tea party! She tried to take a step forward, only to find herself being held back. "Let go, Tristan! I want to go see." she demanded as she pulled at his arms, trying to get out of his grasp.

"No, this doesn't look safe." he said calmly, tightening his hold. Some kind of foul magic was at work here, as trees certainly didn't have tea parties!

"What's with all the long faces?" He heard a tree sitting at the end of the table asked.

"Long faces? Haha! You should be the one to talk!" one further down spoke. His voice was more guttural as he nearly spat out his tea. He set down the teacup that was held in his branch-like hand, placing it in front of him.

"Now look, you've gone and scared them off!" came a female voice on the other side of the table. She was very boisterous, thumping her teacup down.

"They're rather skittish. Like rabbits!" piped up another female. She was so soft spoken that Tristan couldn't tell which one she was.

"Rabbits! Don't get me going on about rabbits! Pesky little buggers! Always hopping along, putting their noises in places they don't be long. Bad manners, that!" another said. Tristan could almost imagine him tsking, if trees were able to tsk.

"It's the woodpeckers with bad manners! Trying to poke holes wherever they want! Think they own everything! No concern for others."

"Noisy, too!"

"Noisy? You don't have any ears!"

"I heard them coming, now didn't I?"

"How could you not? Clumsy creatures aren't they?"

"Very! But wait, where are our manners? Won't you two come join us for tea?"

As they all continued to chatter amongst themselves, Tristan gave up trying to decipher who was who. Each spoke up out of order, sipping tea as cups went flying about. The teapot was continuously passed around. Their long limbs reached out here and there over the table for it.

"See, Tristan? They're harmless! Come on, lets join them! Don't want to be rude." Myra glanced over her shoulder at him. Her face showed pure joy.

"Harmless? Did she just call us harmless?"

"Don't you worry, dearie, our bite is worse than our bark!"

"Hahaha! Bark!"

"Alright, but stay close Myra." He let his arms drop, keeping an eye on all the surrounding trees.