Катерина Весна
Fairies and the Ice Flower. Story two

Chapter One

A dark, billowing cloud had gathered over the fairy town. It looked as if, in this nectar-filled valley—where cold had never set foot—it might suddenly start to snow. But then a playful breeze swept in, whisking the uninvited guest far away. The sun peeked out once more, flooding the patchwork rooftops of the sweet little city with its warmth.

From above, the town looked even more magical—a place that now, at last, had a name: Nectarville. Every resident had earned that title together. It hadn’t been easy for the fairies to relearn how to fly or to restore their Lake of Pollen. But, as the saying goes, “Patience and hard work can conquer anything.”

The fairies had gathered so much nectar from every honeyed flower in the meadow that there was more than enough to fill the lake to the brim. Now, once again, the lake was crowned with its frothy, golden foam, spilling sweet bubbles along the shore.

If you looked closer, off in the distance near a flat stone, you could spot the elder fairy, Marina, gathering the littlest fairies around her, preparing to tell them a story.

A little to the left, beside an overgrown path, Egorchik was shuffling along at a leisurely pace, arms full of delicious raspberry taffy. No doubt it was hard to fly with such a haul, so he’d decided to walk to the meeting place—though that didn’t stop him from nibbling his sweet treat the whole way.

Anya’s cottage, its roof a broad burdock leaf with a couple of prickly thorns for good measure, sat right on the lakeshore. That was no accident—she was now the chief mail sender.

When the fairies managed to revive the lake, they decided to share their nectar with the most distant magical villages, towns, and even kingdoms. Their neighbors repaid their kindness with kindness, sending their own gifts in return.

That’s how the lakeside postal service was born—fifty brave courier flies strong. Anya and the other post workers had a knack for deftly snatching up the bundled parcels dangling from each fly’s belly, letting the fly rest and sip from a puddle of nectar, then sending her off again on the return journey. The job was far from easy—demanding and full of responsibility—but it was good, honest work.

Thanks to the gifts from their neighbors, the fairies had acquired all sorts of rare treasures: little sea-stones from the Fairy King of the Seaside, soft and warm cocoons from the giant butterflies of Butterfly Island, magnificent orchid petals of every kind from the tree-dwelling fairies east of Nectarville, and much more.

Verochka quickly found a use for the orchid petals—though her talent didn’t blossom right away. Everyone knew she was a fashionista and a careful little fairy, but one day, her beautiful rose-petal dress ripped. She had to think fast: she grabbed a fir needle, borrowed a bit of spider silk, and deftly stitched the torn pieces together.

She liked sewing so much that now every second resident wore a dress or a pair of trousers made by Verochka. As for the ballroom costumes—those made from orchid petals—she sewed them by special order for the Queen of the Mirrored Ridge herself, famous for her peculiar balls. But that, as they say, is a story for another time.

And what about our Tanechka? She still lives in her little cottage in the shadow of the big stone, right there where the forest meets the meadow—at the very edge. She doesn’t care for bright daylight; Tanechka prefers the darker hours, when she can watch the fireflies or listen to the steady song of a cricket in her small garden behind the house. And she dreams of having a pet—a guard bug, of all things! After all, they’re so handsome, with that intricate pattern on their backs.

Oh, it looks like it’s time to set aside our chores and dreams and join the elder fairy, who’s waiting for everyone by the flat stone.

– Well, I see everyone’s gathered,– Marina said, slowly sweeping her gaze over the fairies and noticing the inseparable group of four friends in the front row, – Today, we’re expecting an honored guest who passes by our towns every year on her way to her own lands. This year, our city has the privilege. Many of you have never seen Snezhana the Hermit. She’s a wonderful fairy—a loner. No one knows why she doesn’t live with the others, and it doesn’t seem polite to ask.

– Oh, how boring, – Egorchik yawned, pulling out another piece of taffy, – Want some?

– Don’t interrupt, – Anechka whispered sternly in reply.

– Everyone’s so tense. As if we’ve never seen a fairy before, heh, – Egorchik slid off the stone and quietly slipped away from the gathering, – Better to spend my time wisely and go lie by the stream on the soft moss.

What’s the sweetest treat you’ll find?

My nectar cake—one of a kind!

And what’s the healthiest, they say?

That’s Anya skipping cake today!

But why, oh why, must this be so?

Because I get the whole cake—ho ho ho!

Humming his own little tune, Egorchik made his way down to the stream. The chilly spray from the water gave his wings goosebumps. He picked the softest, driest patch of moss, settled into its fluffy cushion, and took a blissful bite of his taffy.

– Ah, this is the life! – Egorchik sighed, even closing his eyes for a moment.

But his relaxation didn’t last long.

Suddenly, a chill drifted in from somewhere, and Egorchik opened his eyes again. On the opposite bank sat a completely white fairy. Her skin, wings, hair, clothes, even her lips—all were pale as snow. Only her eyes burned with a strange blue flame.

– Is this for me? – Her crystalline voice, like a frozen bell, rang in Egorchik’s ears.

The girl was holding a piece of raspberry taffy in her hands, and she smiled at him gently.

– What the—? – Egorchik blurted out, not understanding how his favorite treat had ended up in the hands of some strange girl, – Hey, keep your paws off! Fairy Rose didn’t pick those raspberries for you! It’s not right to take what isn’t yours!

The fairy stood up sharply, her lips pursed in offense.

– You’re such a greedy thing! Well, I don’t want your taffy anyway! Careful not to freeze your fingers! – She tossed the taffy back across the stream to Egorchik, then shot into the air so fast her snow-white wings brushed a tree branch, scattering blue sparks in every direction.

Egorchik was stunned by how quickly things had turned, but he managed to catch the taffy. He glanced up at the sky, but there was no sign of the white fairy left—she seemed to have melted right into a thick, darkening cloud…

– Well, that’s something,– he muttered. The sudden encounter had taken away any desire to lounge by the stream, so he decided to head back to Marina’s gathering. But just then, he noticed a glint on the opposite bank.

Flying closer, he discovered a perfectly smooth, shiny, and icy-cold little sphere. It must have been dropped by the fairy.

– Heh, she won’t need it anymore, but it’ll make a great addition to my rare stone collection.

Pleased with his find, Egorchik hurried back to the others. Slipping quietly through the back rows, he quickly took his usual seat.

– Where were you? – Anechka whispered, – Marina’s telling a really interesting story about the hermit fairy!

– Oh, just had something to take care of. But I’m done now, – Egorchik replied reluctantly, squeezing the cold sphere tighter in his hand.

– And now, friends, – the elder fairy went on, – remember this! Snezhnana is very sensitive. But she’ll gladly accept any sweet treat as a gift. That’s why it’s important for all of us to be prepared for her arrival—everyone should have something sweet to offer when you meet her. Usually, whoever she accepts a gift from becomes her friend. And, well, she already has plenty of enemies.

Egorchik started to feel uneasy. No, it wasn’t from the “kilo” of taffy he’d been eating all day, but from his recent encounter and a vague suspicion.

– Fairy Marina, – he suddenly asked, – what does this hermit fairy look like?

– I’ve already told you, Egorchik! Did you sleep through it? – A wave of knowing laughter rippled across the clearing, – Let me repeat—she wears a snow-white dress made of the lightest, coldest silk of winter, all year round; her long white hair, like a frozen waterfall, falls to the ground, and…

– And her eyes burn with blue fire, – Egorchik finished suddenly.

All eyes turned to him.

– What did you say? – Marina flew over to him, – I never mentioned that detail… How do you know?

– Well, it’s, um… – Egorchik hesitated, unsure if he should tell his story.

Marina gave him a stern look, and the boy caved.

– I just saw that fairy—the hermit… And, well, I took my taffy back from her… No matter how hard it was to admit the truth, Egorchik confessed, – …And, uh, she got upset and flew away… I think… yeah.

– You mean to say you just offended the hermit fairy?! – Marina started glancing around nervously.

– Well, she started it. She took my stuff, – he muttered, eyeing the treat in his hand, – How was I supposed to know she was that fairy? And really, what’s so special about her? Just an ordinary girl—moody and spoiled.

– It seems you missed half of my talk. I was just explaining why the snow fairy is dangerous for Nectarville, where it’s summer all year round…

The elder fairy shook her head sadly and looked at Egorchik with hope.

– Tell me, did she happen to give you anything in return?

– No, she flew away really fast.

A fleeting look of relief crossed Marina’s face.

He suddenly remembered the cold sphere clutched in his other hand and showed it to the elder fairy.

– After she left, I found this.

No sooner had Egorchik opened his palm than the sphere grew so slippery he couldn’t hold onto it. It slipped from his hand, hit the ground, and began to melt rapidly. The icy shell cracked and vanished, revealing a white seed, which immediately sank into the earth.

– What is that? – Egorchik stared in bewilderment, first at the spot where the sphere had just melted, then at the frightened Marina, then at the townsfolk.

With a sweep of her arms and wings, the elder fairy ordered everyone to move back, then leaned against the flat stone and, barely breathing, replied:

– You’ve just planted the Ice Flower…

Chapter Two

First, a tiny silvery leaf appeared, then a second, and soon there were five. Next, from beneath the earth, a thick, sturdy stem—strong as an old icicle—grew up, and its roots, just as springy and sinuous as snow serpents, snaked toward the fairies’ houses. In no time, the nearest cottages were coated with a crust of ice…

– Well, that’s something, – Egorchik scratched his head and backed away from the flower, only to stumble and fall almost on top of a root that suddenly burst from the soil, – What’s happening? What kind of flower is this?

The flower kept growing taller and taller, its roots spreading farther and farther. Then someone shouted from afar: "The Lake of Pollen is freezing! Help! Gather as much nectar as you can before it’s covered in ice!"

Everyone who could flew to the lake—after all, not only was the lake in danger, but so were the pollen flowers, which could freeze as well. If that happened, the townsfolk would lose both their homes and their food all over again!

– What have I done! – Egorchik clutched his head, – Why did I pick up that sphere?

– Don’t blame yourself. I’m sure Snezhana doesn’t sow seeds of resentment everywhere she goes by choice, – Marina came over to Egorchik and gently ruffled his hair, – We have to get rid of this flower before it turns Nectarville into a frozen wasteland. For that, we’ll have to find where the hermit fairy lives… Only, no one knows where that is…

The elder fairy lifted her gaze upward. The top of the stem had long disappeared into the clouds, only the caps of icy flowers hung down its sides, scattering dancing snowflakes all around.

– I need my spellbook, – Marina suddenly remembered something and hurried off to her home.

– Time to bundle up, – caring Verochka suddenly exclaimed, giving her slightly frozen wings a shake to flick off the fine snow before flying to her cottage.

– Where are they all going? – Egorchik was so upset, he didn’t even notice his taffy had frozen solid, turning into an icy candy.

– Everyone’s trying to figure out how to fix this mess! You’re the only one who ever thinks about food! You caused all this and now you’re just sitting here doing nothing! – Anechka scolded him sternly.

Egorchik lowered his head and threw his taffy into the snow, which now blanketed what was once a green meadow.

– Don’t be so hard on him! – Tanechka, who had been standing off to the side catching snowflakes on her tongue, spoke up. – It’s not so bad. I’ve heard that ice spiders live on these frozen flowers and spin icy webs.”

– Just what we needed—spiders! And ice spiders at that! Almost all the houses are frozen already, and now spiders will cover the whole town in icy webs—there’ll be no life left at all! – Anechka’s wings were trembling hard from fear and cold.

She hadn’t even finished speaking when Verochka appeared in the distance with several helpers, all of them carrying large burdock bundles full of warm clothes and shoes—soft and fluffy. Verochka was already dressed in a cozy fur coat, felt boots, and mittens. Her thick red curls were tucked under a furry hat.

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