Shenrah’s tiny fingers combed the tangled, black hair away from her pointed ears. Brown eyes searched the leaves and flowers until she found enough morning dew for a bath. Afterwards her soft, green wings flexed and spread, fanning her dry.

She was one of the young fairies of Gleth Forest. They slept in beds of vining ivy and awoke each day to leaf carpeted branches covered with flowers. High above the forest floor they were safe from the Barthdread, a hideous, furry beast that considered fairies to be a delicacy. There was a time when the fairies danced and sang. Every day was a holiday. Now everything was different. Shenrah knew why but she told no one.

In school they talked about the Heartstone brought from the North long ago by the Fairies of the Green Wing. Planted with a sapling, the tree’s roots spread, eventually covering the barren land with giant Bherylcorn trees. The stone and the sapling were the heart of the forest.

Shenrah was the only one who believed in the magic of the forest and Heartstone. Everyone laughed at her, even her older brother, Jhaerm. He had stood up to protect her from their teasing before because she was the only fairy in the forest with green wings. Everyone else had yellow wings. But now he was laughing too.

She believed in magic. She had seen the stones of the old fairie rings on the floor of the forest. Determined to find the Heartstone, she flew from tree to tree, asking each fairy she saw about it and even the animals that lived in the forest.

She even woke the Great Owl. “Can you tell me where the Heartstone is?” she asked.

“Can’t you see it is the middle of my night and it is rude to wake someone when they are sleeping?” He closed his big yellow eyes and went back to sleep.

She went home to Baeranth Tree. Her hands ached, her wings drooped and her spirits were lower than the forest floor.

“Ouch! Ouch!” Someone was throwing acorns at her. She heard their laughter from the branches above.

“Leave her alone you guys!” Jhaerm yelled.

The pelting and laughter stopped. Jhaerm flew down to her. “Are you all right?”

“Yes.” She fought back the tears that threatened to run down her face.

“Well, if you weren’t so foolish and you were like everyone else, none of this would happen,” his voice was angry. He flew away leaving her alone.

She got hit by a few more acorns as the laughter retreated into the evening air. The last one hit solid on her shoulder. Whomp!

Absently she reached down to retrieve the small brown stone had hit her, furiously wiping at tears that ran wildly down her face.

The stone began to glow. Her wings vibrated with its magic. She’d found the Heartstone! Or it had found her. She would show them, especially Jhaerm. She danced out onto a branch, spinning in circles, ecstatic. Then she slipped!

The Heartstone flew from her hand, hanging out in space for the span of a heartbeat. The glow grew as it plummeted down through the leaves with her flying desperately behind it. She barely stopped herself from running into the Barthdread that caught the stone.

The Barthdread tried to catch her too, jumping up after her as she flew out of reach. Her heart pounded wildly against her ribs. She could barely breathe. The Barthdread’s sharp teeth snapped together. The wicked, hungry eyes followed her retreat.

She flew after the Barthdread as it clamored through the forest singing, “Come back little fairy with wings of green, you’re the tastiest treat I’ve ever seen.”

At the edge of the forest, the Barthdread disappeared into a dark hole in the rocks. She tried to make herself go inside but the whispering blackness sent her flying for home.

She argued with herself on the way back to Baeranth Tree, You found the Heartstone and it’s your fault it’s lost. No one knows, no one believes. But You do. You do. Her thoughts echoed back to her.

That was a month ago. Within a week, no one could fly. Signs of blight appeared on most of the trees. The forest was dying. The fairies held council each day. Scouts went out and returned with nothing. No one could find a reason for the gloom that had fallen over the forest. Shenrah struggled with herself every moment of every day since that night. She knew she had to go after the Heartstone. She would go tonight.

After dark she crossed the forest, jumping from branch to branch. Praying the den would be empty, she clung to a leaf as it floated towards the ground. A cold gust of air pulled her craft into the den. Deeper and deeper into the darkness she sped. Shivering with fear, her eyes adjusting to the gloom, she saw it. The glow from the Heartstone began to fill the den with light.

The furry hand came from nowhere, stuffing her and the leaf into a cage. The door snapped shut. The Barthdread slipped off into the darkness, its terrifying laughter echoed back to her. All was lost. The forest would wither and die and everyone would suffer because of her. Tears stung her eyes.

Something moved in the shadow! Jhaerm slid off the back of the great owl, running to the door of the cage that held her. Frantically trying to open the lock, Jhaerm’s frustration and tension showed in his voice. “I can’t open it.”

Shenrah paced back and forth, up and down. Fear ran wildly through her mind. Her brother was in danger too because of her. She didn’t know anyone that had survived an encounter with the Barthdread.

She tripped. She could feel bumps all over the floor of the cage. Her breath caught. The bumps were the nub of small green buds forcing their way up out of the wood.

“Jhaerm!” Laughing and pointing, she blurted out, “It’s a Bherylcorn.”

“You’ve gone crazy. How can you laugh at a time like this and what is a Bherylcorn?”

“The cage is made of Bherlycorn! It is growing because of the Heartstone. Help me. Take my hands and just concentrate on the earth, the forest, flying through the air, our life as we used to know it.”

“I don’t believe in all that magic stuff.”

“Please, Jhaerm,” she begged. “It’s our only chance.”

Perhaps it was the desperation in her voice or the fact that they would both end up being a meal for the Barthdread but Jhaerm took her hands. They stood face to face, seperated by the cage, concentrating, seeing the forest in front of them, tall and strong, filled with life.

At first nothing happened. Then the glow of the Heartstone spread, filling even the darkest corner of the den with light. The vibration of the stone ran through both their wings. Jhaerm’s wings changed from yellow to green. The cage began to split and spread, shoots ran out in all directions, roots spread throughout the den.

The noise was deafening. Popping, cracking sounds echoed through the caverns of the den.

“We have to leave now!” the owl screamed over the uproar.

Jhaerm and Shenrah ran for the owl’s outstretched wing. Just as they became airborne, the Barthdread came out of the dark, swiping wildly at the owl. They hung on to the owl for dear life.

Shenrah had a brief glimpse of the fear in the eyes of the Barthdread as it realized the den was breaking apart.

The Bherylcorn continued to split and grow, the Heartstone embedded in its trunk. The top of the tree had already pushed through the ceiling of the den, reaching for the clear night air. The roots shot out in all directions. The Barthdread turned and ran down a tunnel.

Safe! The owl flew out into the night carrying its tiny cargo.

“How did you know where to find me, Jhaerm?”

“The Great Owl spotted you with his night vision as you moved across the forest. I asked him where you could have gone and he offered to take me to you. He is not only great, he is wise. He knew of the Heartstone and how important it was to everything living in the forest. He also told me the mark of the green wing is one who believes.”

“Thank you, Owl, for helping me. And thank you most of all, Jhaerm, for saving me.”

“I couldn’t leave you out in the night lost and alone. But you know if you were like everyone else, this never would’ve happened.”

Shenrah stared at him and then started giggling. The giggling turned into full blown, howling laughter.

“What’s so funny? Come on, stop laughing and tell me. What’s so funny?” he demanded, spreading his green wings as he talked.

“Have you looked at your wings lately?” she sputtered, still laughing.