Midsummer Sky by T.J. Land

Author:T.J. Land [Land, T.J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: General Fiction
Publisher: NineStar Press
Published: 2016-02-14T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 5

Hours later, the first rays of sunlight illuminated not a forest, but a sea of pale mist from which Ariel’s mighty tree arose like a lighthouse. Breakfasting on a blackberry, Ariel admired the view and the picturesque vision his son made silhouetted against it, his chin in his hand, his strong back hunched. He felt a stab of jealousy. Oberon seemed able to project an aura of drama and magnificence effortlessly, even when at his lowest ebb. Ariel himself had to choreograph his public appearances to achieve such an effect.

“Well met,” he greeted his son, blackberry juice running down his chin. “No luck? Still haven’t found them? Never mind. You’ll get there eventually. By the way, I couldn’t help but observe the altercation you had with your servant last night.”

Oberon replied, “So you have been spying on me. I wondered.”

He didn’t sound angry. Curious.

“Of course. And I confess myself staggered by the depths of his insolence. Had one of mine addressed me in such a fashion, I’d have cut out his heart. Your response was peculiarly mild.”

“I struck him,” Oberon said with an agonised wrench in his voice that confirmed several of Ariel’s suspicions. “Without moderation.”

“You did. And let me tell you, Oberon, it did my heart good. I’d begun to worry that he’d completely castrated you. You might not remember, but I often had to reprimand your mother in a similar fashion. I won’t pretend one doesn’t feel like a beast afterwards, but it’s the only real way to keep them in line.”

“Yes. I do remember you doing that.”

Was that reproach he detected in his son’s voice?

“I never struck you, though,” Ariel reminded him. “Not once. Don’t I get a few points for that? Anyway, do cheer up. You’re making fabulous progress. And your servant is keeping himself entertained. He’s met up with your old favourite, the fat one.”

Finally, anger. Oberon’s eyes flashed red. “Don’t refer to him in such a manner. Whatever crimes I may have committed against you, he’s served you faithfully all his life.”

Ariel was simply unable to resist replying, “He has. In so many ways.”

And he licked his lips.

* * * * *

As the mist slowly dispersed and the world freshened up, most of Ariel’s court still had not returned home. They had been drawn from their tree in the wee hours, to a nearby glade where a lithe foreign fellow had made a bonfire and was telling the most marvellous stories and jokes.

None of them were to know that the fuel for Puck’s bonfire consisted largely of objects he had stolen from Ariel’s larder and treasury. Bunce, interestingly enough, had made only a token effort to stop him and now sat laughing and clapping with the others. Puck suspected Ariel’s guardsman, while innately loyal, had begun to grow disillusioned with his master after so many years of service.

“Now,” Puck said. “Who wants to hear the tale of the time I turned a mortal into a donkey?”

As several dozen hands went up, the day darkened.

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