The Word for Wednesday challenge started a long time ago. Now it has turned into a movable feast with Elephant's Child as our coordinator; and the Words are provided by a number of people. This merry month of May they are by David M. Gascoigne.
The general idea of this challenge is to make us write. Poems, stories, subtitles, tales, jokes, haiku, crosswords, puns, ... you're the boss.
Use all Words, some Words, one Word, or even none of them if that makes your creative juices flow. Anything goes, only please nothing rude or vulgar.
It is also a challenge, where the old saying "The more the merrier" holds true.
So Please, remember to follow the links, go back and read other peoples' stories. And please leave a comment after reading. Challenges like this one thrives on interaction, feedback and encouragement. And we ALL need encouragement.
The general idea of this challenge is to make us write. Poems, stories, subtitles, tales, jokes, haiku, crosswords, puns, ... you're the boss.
Use all Words, some Words, one Word, or even none of them if that makes your creative juices flow. Anything goes, only please nothing rude or vulgar.
It is also a challenge, where the old saying "The more the merrier" holds true.
So Please, remember to follow the links, go back and read other peoples' stories. And please leave a comment after reading. Challenges like this one thrives on interaction, feedback and encouragement. And we ALL need encouragement.
- - - - -
Words for Wednesday May 22:
Polls
True
and/or
Temperature
I only used the striked out words for this continuing story of Thora, Gylfi, Tähti and Taavi discovering the rules of magic long ago.
The solar flares made for spectacular Northern lights while Taavi and Tähti helped Gylfi and Thora prepare dinner. They ate together in Gylfi's living room, not only was it the biggest, it also had a large window facing north and thus giving a view to the celestial spectacle while they ate in the darkness.
Over the coffee, which Taavi and Tähti insisted on preparing after their experience with Icelandic coffee, they finally felt comfortable enough with one another to touch on the subject of magic once again.
Tähti opened by trying to teach Thora and Gylfi the language spell. She slowly swished her wand and spoke the words; "Kieli on sama". The words in Finnish were not hard for the two Icelanders to learn, but the magic of it seemed to elude them.
"Our wands are very worn," Thora admitted, "We found a stash in an attic room, but it seems they are losing power each time we use them. We're already on our second pair of wands."
"This is a serious concern," Täthi said. "Obviously, if we only have the wands we inherited, or what we can find in old attic rooms. No offence intended", she quickly added.
Gylfi replied: "And none taken; if our predicament is any indication, each wand will only take so much use, and then deteriorate. This will fast become a problem."
"But where did those old wands come from," Taavi asked. "We have not used ours that much, and I too have noticed a ... sluggishness ... for lack of other expression, in my wand recently."
"This is surreal," Thora said. "Here we are, practitioners of magic, finally out in the open and ready to go. And then we are cut off by a lack of wands."
"I remember something," Gylfi said slowly, "the old people ... they used to Signa wands for children coming of age. But how?"
"Signa?" Thora said. "I remember some singing involved, no blessings."
"Singing ..." Tähti looked at Thora with a strange look. "My grandmother taught me a song when I was very small. She sang it to me every time we visited. And when I got old enough to sing, she asked me to sing it for her afterwards. She told me it was the most important song I would ever learn, and when I finally sung it perfectly she promised to tell me how to use in the summer. Only she died, fast and unexpected, from a seemingly harmless disease before summer came." Tähti pulled out a large, blue handkerchief, wiped her eyes and blew her nose.
"Can you sing it still?" Taavi asked. I vaguely remember your singing, but Grandpa kept me busy with his games of guess a flower or mixing up strange concoctions ... those were potions! But that'll have to wait. Sing!"
Tähti drew a deep breath and stood up, gently she sang a tune of growing, of mending, of future and past, of flying and longing. She grasped Thora's hand and pulled her out of the door, out into the night under the still dancing aurora borealis. The skies seemed to dance to her tune, as she walked around the garden, pulling Thora along, touching this tree and that until finally she stopped by a big, old hawthorn. There she pulled Thora up to the tree, and placed their hands on the trunk. Thora felt the skies and the tree and her whole being resonate through her palms resting on the tree. When Thora sang the last line of the song, a shiver ran through the tree and a branch from high up fell from it, gently landing on Thora's arms.
"Take it!" Täthi said in a low voice, and Thora did as she was told. The branch felt alive in her hands, and a happiness stirred inside her, and she swished the wand through the air. Emerald green sparks flew from the end, and would have started a fire had the ground not been drenched still from the recently melted snow.
"Yes, wands most certainly are sung!" Taavi whispered.
... to be continued
This is a WONDERFUL episode. Thank you
SvarSletThank you for yur never failing support!
SletReally great!!
SvarSletI really like these stories with these Finnish names,
the imagination and so much creativity (I really liked that you put in the story the song has meaning).
Thank you very much❤️
Thank you for reading and commenting. It means a lot ot me.
SletI hope this week I will have time to write and come back with links
SvarSlet(unfortunately no time)
There's new prompts next week. I hope you find time to participate, it is fun.
SletUsually, I find wands as a source to move power out, like a tool but here you're saying wands have their own powers, it's an interesting aspect of this world of magic.
SvarSletHave a lovely day
I would not call it power directly, but wands are kind of "alive" maybe vaguely sentient is an apt descripion. Magical people can feel if the stick they're handling is a wand or just a branch. Wands get worn out when used by someone not their owner, and they can and do make their wielder happier. In my world, magic is a happy practise ;)
SletI am so happy they remembered the singing for the wands and that they found the right tree for Thora.
SvarSletIt was a happy coincicence indeed, and I count this as the beginning of The Unicorn Farm.
SletAnd aren't we glad they are sung! Delightful story.
SvarSletWe sure are. Thanks!
SletWell done
SvarSletThanks a lot.
Slet