Fairy Pond

The wind whispers, rattling leaves from their trees, shaking them loose. They fall whirling and twirling down, coming to rest upon the serene surface of Fairy Pond.
Perfection in the smooth ripples, born from the feathery light kiss of Autumn’s first fallen leaf.
Ripple after ripple, flowing out from the point of contact; the center of harmony in the midst of chaos, as the soft waves casually upset the serenity about Fairy Pond.
A moment of confusion before everything is calm and perfect and once again still.
Continuing their trip outward from the leaf, which floats – forgotten - upon the surface, the ripples come to a rest – before, tiredly, return back to their leaf – where water becomes land.
The edges of Fairy Pond are intimately close to the soft silkiness of the grasses in Danu’s Field.
Crisp and sweet smelling, like a carpet of yielding emerald stretching far and wide.
Here too, the leaf’s fall is felt. Though wild roses linger here and there, their perfume has faded. The sea of flowers that Danu’s Field contains has dried up. Protected deep within the Earth, awaiting Spring’s awakening kiss.
Not all are ready to face Autumn just yet. A few lingering bees buzz here and there. A tiny mouse with ruby bright eyes nibbles on the berries that just have begun to ripen. A family of pearl unicorns grazes quietly beside a branch off of Fairy Pond.
Overhead, flocks of migrating birds, colors like mini explosions in the clear blue sky, head to where Winter’s icy touch cannot reach.
As a soft breeze, whispering of Autumn, sweeps across the land, the grass sways in its wake.
The emerald blades bow towards where the last sloping hill of Danu’s Field nudges Dragon Forest.
Here, mostly here, Autumn’s arrival is most felt. As the Sun’s golden light weaves through the trees, the effect is dazzling. There are bursts of blushing red and winking yellow, with a few green hanging tenaciously on.
Tree gnomes and nymphs alike gather fallen nuts, spotted squirrels pinching from rapidly diminishing piles. Tonight is the Harvest Moon, in it’s light the last harvest will be brought in.
Timid deer and jeweled rabbits prepare their dens. They seek out leaves from the laurel and willow, sacred trees to help protect them during slumber. The lavender has already dried, a soft and tranquil bed upon which to lie. They build and nest where safety deems it best. A patch of Belladonna with Choking Ivy nearby is prime.
A centaur gallops through, bearing a cornucopia in tribute to the coming Festival of Fall. He makes sure all is in order. He pauses at the edge of Dragon Forest, and gazes across the gently undulating waters of Fairy Pond. He takes a moment to savor the lingering warmth of Summer and all the joy it brought. As his gaze lands upon the fallen leaf, no longer forgotten as he muses, he takes the time to look forward. Past the sad ending of Summer and the beauty and hard work of Autumn. Past the harshness and bleakness of a seemingly endless Winter, to the distant buttery light of Spring and the promise of renewal.
Knowing that light is far off, the centaur focuses again on the leaf, admiring the simple and elegant bursts of color, as the pond's ripples return and send it whirling and twirling across the surface of Fairy Pond. And he knows Summer isn’t so far off after all.