Good day to you, terrans. I continue to record my adventures on your internet. Enjoy. -P

Her words were few.
“What troubles you?”
Fairbow improved the view.
My talk had changed.
It held thoughts strange
To them, the world they knew,
Now more than when
They’d let me in
Their trading circles too.
But she still talked
With me… or walked.
(I talked enough for two.)

“It’s (now, like then):
To save a friend
That I do what do.
But, more entwined,
Just how am I
To mount my friend’s rescue?
The vision strange,
Of him in chains,
Was it only the tea?
And if the tea,
Then it may be
His voice will cross the sea
While I’m away
At chores all day
Or lost within that cloud
Of thoughts of peace,
Diplomacies-
Did I say that out loud?”

With “Maybe,” she
Made memory
Of her, all picturesque.
Her smile, that glade,
Together made
Distractions from my desk.
Yet duty called
“Must read it all,
But first you'll learn to read.”
Which meant their tongue,
A fairy one,
And some hard to believe…

Good day to you, terrans. I continue to record my adventures on your internet. Enjoy. -P

When we arrived
We came inside,
And he made us a meal.
Reluctantly,
I heard his peace.
He offered me the deal
And asked of me:
“Are we agreed?”
And stood to shake my hand.
He stood just as
My ol' friend had
As dreamt out on the sand!
Reflexively,
I clasped. “Agreed!”
And that’s how it began.

I trudged ahead
Til, exhausted,
I slept without a fight.
My afternoons
And evenings too
Were spent in a new life
And learning more
Of distant shores,
Close islands, other tribes.

Twas hunts and talks
And chores and walks
There was so much to do.
But now and then
I dined with friends
At Small Bow’s with the crew.
There, appetites
For food, play fights,
And song would get their fill.
And after that
We’d all relax
With pipe and talk to chill.
And once the Sprout
Did win a bout,
Distracting Stomping Bird!
(When nearly beat,
He tickled feet.
For miles our laughs were heard.)

Yes, everyone
Had lots of fun
Diverted from their cares.
When things calmed down,
I grew a frown.
My thoughts took me elsewhere…

Good day to you, terrans. I continue to record my adventures on your internet. Enjoy. -P

“What job?” I snipped.
“Apprenticeship”
“Woah, wait. I won’t get paid?”
“You pay for it.”
“I Pay For It?!?!”
“You pay to learn the trade.”
“The hunt suits me.”
“Then it will be
How you will get his pay.
Your new friend, he
Is elderly-
Now move! I know the way.”

As she explained
His efforts strained
His old and weary bones.
“He treks quite far,
And light things are
Like lifting heavy stones…
It's honor-choose-
Or-honor-lose.
(Ungrateful undertones.)

“It’s always been
One from within.
To choose from out the clan
Is shocking rare,
And one from where-
Well, folks won’t understand.”

“It sounds like I
Should step aside,
Avoid the envy, strife.”

“You’ll show no sense!
They’ll take offense.
You’ll snub their way of life!”

Persuasively
She spoke to me
As she had done with him.
The man observed,
Had watched and learned.
My prospects first seemed grim.
But, per the fae,
“The other way
Could risk both life and limb.”

I’d come to see
More lay beneath
My fairy’s subtle plan
For me to slip
From Small Bow’s grip
(And too: his daughter’s hand).

Good day to you, terrans. I continue to record my adventures on your internet. Enjoy. -P

We talked for hours
On heightened powers
But not quite like you think.
It worked on me
Just like caffeine.
I didn’t sleep a wink.
He seemed much as
A friend lost as
Our ship began to sink.
I stayed up more
But at the shore
With fairy dust to drink.

The memory
Of mon ami.
It wouldn’t let me go.
From times we rode
As gypsy folk
To just some months ago.
I saw him wave
Before the wave
That took him overboard.
Wait. Here comes he!
From out the sea!
With chains along the shore?

Now stumbling,
He speaks to me
But I don’t understand.
He reaches out
For help, but “How?”
He makes to shake my hand.
“You’re late!”
“For what?”
“You’re job!”
“My what?”
“Wake up! and I'll tell you.”
With that, sand struck
My face.
“I'm up.”
My fairy brought me news…

Good day to you, terrans. I continue to record my adventures on your internet. Enjoy. -P

Though elderly,
He worked the peace.
He spoke with other tribes.
His disinterest
Caught my interest
And cut me down to size.
Returning to
My old lean-to
I received the goodbyes
Of all but their
Old man of peace
Who seemed kind otherwise.

My days with them
My nights with friends:
The voices from the sea.
Hunts with the crew,
My shares accrued.
(I had no family.)
So I would trade
A bunch, and they’d
Do all my processing.

I got my game,
Looks from the dame,
And props from her old man.
My crew was great.
We'd celebrate
The big kills with the clan.
On one such meet
I went to speak
My peace to that peace man.

He sat reclined.
He also kind
Of looked lost in the fire.
Eyes on the flame
But far away,
And where, I daren’t inquire.

“Hello to you.
I’m no more new,
But we have yet to meet.”

“I understand.
Does a great man
Have time for faeren tea?”

Shocked dumb and still
I got a chill,
My bones were locked in place.
How had this guy
Acquired this find?
They hide without a trace…

“I can’t refuse,
But am confused.
How came you by their teas?”

“I cultivate,
Negotiate,
The peace with enemies,
But also friends
Like fairy kins.
Was that a yes?”

“Oh, please!”