Through the Rabbit Hole

The jeweled wings of the monarch fluttered captivatingly in front of her eyes. She couldn’t help herself! Each rhythmic flap tapped out an invitation, and, before long, Silvie was chasing the glittering lure through the trestled gardens of The Archive. With single-minded focus, she leaped after the butterfly, pouncing from bush to bush, trying to gain on her prey. Bemused archivists and confused apprentices watched along as the butterfly, with Silvie in hot pursuit, flitted towards the marble dais on the eastern side of the garden.

Just as she felt she was within reach, Silvie crouched low and unleashed a mighty pounce. As she sailed upwards through the air, outstretched paws hoping to grasp victory, a claw of her boot caught on the top lip of the stairs, sending Silvie tumbling head-over-heels across the dais. The last sight she caught as her world spun around was her best friend Lorraine’s surprised face staring down, growing increasingly worried.

Splash! Silvie twirled to her feet, shocked by the sudden cold lake water. Opening her paws up expectantly, she disappointingly found nothing. Instead, when she glanced up, she saw the butterfly resting on top of the lake’s surface, its wings now an iridescent cerulean, slowly flapping in tune with the ripples on the surface. Strange. She didn’t remember a lake this big in the gardens. She took a second to concentrate, cocking her ears, but couldn’t pick up the distant chattering of people milling around the pathways, nor the warbling of the morning songbirds of The Archive. In fact, it was eerily quiet–the silence was only broken by the occasional drip of her still-damp fur on the lakeside grass.

The trees surrounding the lake barely rustled. A blue-tinged mist lingered beyond the canopies, obscuring sight and making it difficult to focus on anything in the distance. The unnatural stillness only accentuated the silence. A bit unnerved, Silvie leaned forward, swiping at the lake’s surface. When her hand broke through the tension, concentric ripples flowing away, she let out a small sigh of relief, reassuring herself of her senses.

As she pulled her hand back, she fixated on her reflection on the water’s surface. The ripples across the surface were almost hypnotic in rhythm, but she noticed something out of place, something almost unnatural in the reflection. Leaning in to get a better look, it was as if her mirror image was shifting between the ripples, between herself and something darker and more sinister. As the waves slowed, she leaned in closer to get a clearer view.

Deep past the ripples and reflections, something glinted and stirred in the depths. Shadows of debris swirled, billowing slowly out as a golden elongated outline uncovered itself from the clouds of darkness. A low hum, dissonant and wrong, began to ring in her ears, slowly growing louder as a golden sword slowly took form in the abyss of the lake.

Suddenly a hand reached out from the water. Silvie jumped back in surprise, stumbling backward into a tree. A warm branch settled gently on her shoulder. Wait, a warm branch? She tilted her head up, and smiling down at her was a soft and beautiful face with enchanting and haunting features, a cascade of ice-white hair curled down to the shoulders. Azure eyes, as if reflecting the depths of the lake itself, glimmered with amusement. “My my, we have a cute little visitor today, do we not?” A giant white snake slithered up from her shoulder and nodded as if in agreement.

Warm Introductions

“Um, hello. I’m Silvie! What’s your name, miss?”

“Ah, names… Yes, I am known as Nimue. Lady of this enchanting lake. What brings you into my domain?” Her voice flowed and stretched like honey, dripping sweetly into Silvie’s ears, calming and soothing.

“I chased Flutters here!” Silvie exclaimed innocently. “We were playing tag in the garden, but she flew away so fast. I almost caught her too! But then I tripped and tumbled into the lake…”

She stared down at her wet boots a little guiltily, thinking back to how silent everything was beforehand, “Sorry for making a mess in your lake Miss Nimue.”

She stifled a gentle laugh with her hand, eyes twinkling with mirth. “My dear, no need to apologize. Ages have passed since we last enjoyed some levity.”

As Silvie relaxed, she got a better view of Nimue. Her dress was made of finely crafted silk with gold and pearl filigree trim. The sapphire blue hue of her mantle shifted with the breeze, reflecting a blend of sky and lake. Golden tassels of thread lined the train, glittering and turning, and as her eyes followed downward, she noticed that the ends of the dress seemed to float above the ground. Whenever a piece of fabric would drift lower, a small gust would pick it back up, causing the satin to shimmer beautifully.

Past Nimue, she also noticed some movement at the edges of the woods; tiny eyes and paws peaked through the underbrush, curious about the commotion by the once-still lake. Before long, two elongated ears, tinged with morning dew, poked through the brush and a small hare hopped out. Beside it, a wolf tentatively padded out, its fur flowing between the viridian foliage and the gray-blue mist.

Silvie rushed forward, excited to greet her new friends, and they, sensing no danger, let her approach. She locked eyes with the wolf first and gave him a small bow of the head.

“Hello, Mister Wolf!”

She waited until the wolf nodded back in acknowledgment, and as she reached out to give him a big hug around the neck, a pool of energy, like cool flowing water, surged from Silvie to the wolf. Silvie repeated a similar process with the hare, and as she patted the hare’s dewdrop ears, a similar flow of energy coursed through her body, from the soles of her feet to her fingers, as if from the ground itself.

Nimue watched on with an intense curiosity. This adorable creature stumbled into her domain, drew the interest of the animals and beasts of the lake, and was now unconsciously channeling the long-dormant power of the leyline. Perhaps this fascinating being could be the one who ultimately saves Avalon and all its denizens. Nimue glided over to the wolf, bent down, and whispered into his ear.

“Take her from here, watch over her, and see that she grows strong enough to one day return.”

The wolf bowed his head in deference to Nimue, understanding her order and intent. To Silvie’s delight, he weaved his body around her legs protectively, a low rumble in his throat. Nimue then lowered herself down and petted the hare, connecting briefly as well with her, before leveling with Silvie.

“Now Silvie, I have a quest for you. One of great import for all of us creatures of the lake.” Nimue spoke, with heightened gravitas.

Silvie perked up at the request, a big grin and wide-eyed excitement on her face.

“An adventure, Miss Nimue? Can Lorraine join?”

Nimue wore a cryptic expression, deep in thought for a moment, before smiling softly.

“But of course. I foresee a grand expedition before you two. By fate’s strings, we denizens are tied to this domain, and have protected and been protected by Avalon’s waters for untold eons, waiting for our foretold destiny. Now, long-still waters are stirring, and the sky's reflection portends a coming calamity.”

“Journey into Cambria and bring us tidings of the outer realm. They,” Nimue waves her hand over the wolf and hare, “will be your trusted guides and companions, and I am confident that you will encounter many more.”

Silvie gave both the wolf and hare a big cuddle and nodded, eyes sparkling with innocent joy.

“We won’t let you down! Right, Wolfie?”

New Adventures

Wolfie, as Silvie had taken to calling him, led the party through the woods, past the edge of the domain, and into warmer climates. Both he and Hopper, Silvie’s new name for the hare, were anxious about passing the domain’s edge, but nothing happened. It just felt as if walking through a smooth layer of silk, and Silvie seemed to not notice the presence at all. Now, in the greater part of the Sylwin Woodlands, the forest came to life, with flora and fauna sprawling and blooming abound.

Silvie marveled at all of the new creatures, and many passed by curiously to gander at the strange band of travelers. A charm of hummingbirds zipped through her ears, each taking turns to hover in her palm, their emerald wings shimmering with every wingbeat. A pair of young deer, initially scared off by a growl from Wolfie, ended up nibbling gently on Silvie’s locks and ears while she petted them back in awe. Never before had she seen so many amazing and beautiful creatures. She couldn’t wait to tell Lorraine about all of the incredible experiences she had today.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, washing the sky in a palette of peach and plum, Silvie curled up with Wolfie and Hopper at her side. They had found a small clearing with a dry patch of grass underneath a massive oak tree, protected from the winds. Silvie absentmindedly tapped on the flute at her side, a present Lorraine had given her as a sign of their friendship a few years ago. Where had Lorraine gone? Those last moments of tumbling and confusion circled in her mind. Hopefully, they could meet up soon; Silvie had so many things to share!

As she snuggled into the warmth of Wolfie’s pelt, her mind absent of worries, her party fell into a deep slumber as a full moon slowly crept into the sky above.