Chapter 10

It turns out that the lights they saw through the trees that directed them towards safety were fairies as they sparkled with grace and beauty. Dakota is in near heaven. Once they cross into The Free and Wild Lands of the Goddess Andromeda the storm loses much of its force, but it turns out a real storm has blown in, so the rain continues to fall. Just on the other side of the little meadow is where the little fairies are spinning a protective bubble so the future White Sorceress will have a dry place to lay her destined pretty head.

While Dakota goes off with the fairies to watch them, Sorbo turns to the great golden dragon and says, “Thank you, great sir.”

“You are most welcome, great Knight of Andromeda.”

Sorbo looks over at Dakota, who is now shinning with her power, and he sighs, as that was a little too close.

“Any ideas how and why a Loki’s Dragon found and attacked us?”

“You already know the why, but I believe the how is a Night Stalker Sorcerer put a spell on one and sent it to you by way of a lightning bolt. All magical creatures felt a weird vibration in the Web of Existence and that is how we believe they found you.”

“Yes, Dakota thought she felt something within the storm also. You mentioned, we.”

“Andromeda has alerted her Children of Light within her borders and we are spaced out watching for you, ready to lend a hand.”

“That is most gracious of you, great sir. Uh, you are a sir aren’t you?”

“I am. I am called Lender in your human common tongue. Sir knight, you must be tired, wet and cold. You may sleep well tonight for I will await you to awaken before I fly ahead looking for anymore ambushes.”

And from the words of power flows inner contentment and belief. Once Sorbo allows himself to take a deep breath and let his guard down he realizes just how sore and tired he is. Still he is a Knight of Andromeda and he would never turn in for an easy go of it while one of his own was not granted the same honor. Sorbo walks over to the grazing Hugs, their brown mare, as she stands near a stream.

By the time Sorbo gets Hugs unsaddled, wiped down, fed some grain and contented, the fairies have the little hut completed. It is a glittering shimmering weaving of the finest fairy silk that can be as tough as the strongest steel.

Sorbo has to stoop to walk in, but as soon as he straightens back up he is graced with one of the true wonders and beauties of all the worlds. He is wafted in the face from the heat by a magical fire that crackles blue, orange and yellow from the very center of the hut.

Dakota has already taken her wet nightgown off and is dancing around in all her glory to the music coming from a fairy playing a flute. Dakota is shimmering with a saffron glow as she embraces the beauty of the world and the power of magic.

As Dakota spins around she sees Sorbo and smiles up at him with a divine smile and waves. “You are not shy, are you, little lady?”

Dakota stops spinning and looks up at Sorbo like she has done something wrong, “I’m sorry, I’ll put my shirt back on if you want. Don’t be mad at me.”

“No, baby.” Sorbo walks over and kneels down before her. He once again brushes her hair out of her pale skin pretty face. “That’s not what I meant at all. I’m sorry. You go right ahead and express your beautiful spirit however you see fit. In fact, it makes me feel warm and trusted because being a Knight of Andromeda and the Protector of Innocence means more than just protecting the physical body, it also means protecting the spirit as well.”

With tears welling up in her beautiful blue eyes she flies into Sorbo’s arms and hugs the stuffing out of him and then she pulls back with a divine smile of radiance glowing from her and she starts twirling around again with her arms acting like the wings of a dragon. “Sorbo, isn’t the music wonderful?”

“Yes it is, babygirl.”

Fairies are amazing little creatures. They are miniature version of humans that wear shimmering see-through clothes that usually match the color of their shimmering see-through wings. They can fit in one hand, but they have the strength of beautiful hearts and magic. There are fifteen fairies in all and they are flying around and dancing with Dakota as she giggles and squeals in delight. It appears the more all-magical creatures embrace nature and openhearted freedom the stronger they are with it.

Sorbo is smiling so much that the muscles in his face start to hurt and then his shadowed mind goes back to another time that a beautiful little princess shared herself so openly and wonderfully and a wave of sadness wants to overtake him, but he will not allow it. He will not allow ghosts from the past to taint this pure, beautiful and honoring occasion. Tears momentarily well up into his eyes, but the smile does not fade.

While Sorbo was taking care of Hugs near the stream he thought he mind as well jump in to wash away the stench of stress and concern. Plus with the still falling rain he is dripping wet. After he sets the saddlebags down he sits down and takes off his jacket and boots and then he takes off his shirt and breeches leaving his under shorts on.

He reaches into the saddlebags and pulls out food and water. He starts to make a spot for them, but realizes the bedroll and blanket are wet. He stands up with the blanket and spreads it wide and holds it up to the fire.

One of the fairies seeing what he is doing comes over and offers, “Sir Knight of Andromeda, I can get that to hang for you so you don’t have stand there and hold it until it dries.”

“That would be most appreciated, Child of Light. I’m sorry what is your name, little lady?”

“I am Katarina,” says the adorable little fairy with crystal blue eyes, long platinum blonde hair, and pink shimmering see-through wings with a pink see-through shimmering knee length chiffon type dress on. Hovering in place by her exquisite wings she bows to Sorbo with a smile not unlike Dakota’s.

In the end the fairies allow Sorbo and Dakota to hang all of their stuff so it will dry faster.

Sorbo is sitting there deciding what they will have for dinner when he thinks he sees Dakota start to tire. “Dakota, time for dinner young one.”

With a big deep breath and a “whew” she starts walking over to him while saying, “Oh, good I’m starving.” She comes and sits down next to him on his left side on the now dry bedroll. “What are we eating?”

“Well, we only have the jerked meat and travel bread and I think we should eat plenty of both because it takes energy to travel and we still have a long ways to go.”

“Okay,” she says, giving her shoulder length curly wavy dirty blonde haired head an emphatic nod.

As they are sitting there Sorbo has his back against the hut and the power imbued within the strands are giving him a little tingling feeling, but it is also making him feel as if he is getting a massage and he is grateful. Dakota is sitting cross-legged facing him with her knees touching his left thigh and hip.

Sorbo looks over at her and smiles, but then he sees that it appears she has a wondering question in her eyes. “Yes.”

Her eyes go big for she is surprised he noticed, for only her mom has ever been able to notice when she has something on her mind. “Sorbo?”