Mom told me to check the violet flowers for anything to drink. Since the mist from Marpe’s mountain had kept the wet. I had no problems finding droplets of water here and there as well as nectar from the flowers. While the violets had a pleasing aroma the nectar was bitter. I sipped enough to wet my throat and settle my tummy.

“Mommy, please tell me that Aunt Marpe was joking about me having a gift of healing?”

Mom was wanting me to sleep, but when she said, “Marpe was being honest about that.” My mind became full of thoughts. Mom could tell it upset me, She said, “I would have thought that would be great news to you. How come you are not excited?”

I said, “But Mommy that would be a lot of responsibility. I don’t think I will ever be responsible or intelligent enough to learn what I would need to know.”

Mom said, “You are young and have much time to learn what you need. But it will also take being quiet and learning from nature. You need to be a faerie longer so you develop your ability to hear the animals and read the signs of nature. Presently, you tend to limit your learning from books and human teachers. There is much more to learn than that. I believe over the next two years you will become much more excited to learn all you can.”

Mom covered me with two silk blankets made of material like my clothes. I soon felt the warmth and with the fatigue from our flying, I was ready to sleep. I closed my eyes to sleep. I soon woke and Mom showed me how to roll up the blankets and was to put them. We had a quick drink of nectar outside, said goodbye to Marpe and flew towards home. But this time we were flying just above the scrubs.

Mom said, “To fly higher we would be flying into the sun and less likely be able to see predators.” I wondered whatever could happen. She said, “It could be a person throwing something, or a diving hawk, or something as simple as flying into a tall tree or those giant towers with the power lines.”

Seeing the landscape change so fast kept my attention and the time quickly passed. I hadn’t realized almost four hours had gone by the time we were back to our home. I felt a person walking by and it reminded me of my other family. I was deeply torn between helping Jeni and wanting to see my family, my human family.

Princess Ayala said, “You rest an hour to an hour, maybe a little longer… I know you are missing your other family, but that needs to wait for now… When you wake up we’ll have two stems and some Aloe Vera for you and Jeni will be here.”

Once I woke up, I jumped into a pool of water gathered in a large leaf. It was warm and somehow I knew a clear substance on it was a soapy gel. I bathed myself and found out more about the sensitive areas of my body. I made sure they were clean and they were part of what made me a girl. I sang as I bathed, and later Jeni told me she knew when I touched my joy spots. I was embarrassed by that.

“It is better you find out before any boy goes exploring.”

I selected another one of my outfits. The panty fit snuggly, the bra showed through the dress which hid enough to invoke boy’s imagination. I brushed my hair and did my makeup, enjoying each step.

When Princess Ayala called for me, I went in time to see the two lily flower stems being set down on a work table of stainless steel. A piece of the Aloe Vera was placed next to them, along with a cutting tool.

Jordi was there to be my nurse, holding surgical gloves ready for my hands to slip into. My feeling and thought of being inadequate to the task faded away. There on a screen were the images of Jenni’s damaged wings, and where I had in my mind to place the strands from the stem plant. I washed thoroughly my hand and slipped them into the gloves. I used the cutter to cut loose the strands narrower and shorter as needed.

Jeni was there and she was both excited and nervous. For some reason, I gave her a kiss and said, “I will be careful to cause you as little pain as possible. I looked at a damaged area and make it straight while gently supporting it to hold in position. I usually used three strands, they had their own adhesive to stay in place. The glue from the Aloe plant was spread over them and quickly set. I had repaired three areas when I noticed a smile come to Jeni’s face.

“There is less pain there,” she said, pointing to the repaired areas. She asked, “Why your frown?”

I said, “It hurts me, that I was so mean and unthinking to hurt you as I did. I do love you and hope you will forgive me in time.” Jeni used a cloth to dab the tears from my eyes.

I set back to mending her wings, ‘One more area on the upper right wing, and one long area on the lower wing on the same side. It was the side that was severely damaged. The left wings had two cracked areas on the top wing and the bottom wing had been bent backward. The cracked or broken areas were mended easily enough. It took two longer strands that had been laced together and bent just enough the opposite way to create enough strength to pull the wing back into its correct position. I added the other two strands to give it the needed strength to hold it properly.

Princess Ayala was back in time and she helped me blow some translucent faerie dust to cover the mended areas. That was to allow the mended area to dry without being sticky. We all visited for a while to keep Jeni’s mind off of her wings until they were sufficiently dry. I asked Jeni to get up and walk around the recovery area.

“Jeni, in an hour, I want you to move your wings very slowly.” She was walking as she does it. I could see a slight change in facial expression, but hopefully, it isn’t pain. “Jeni, what are you feeling?”

“I’m feeling much better, I know I’m stretching my muscles. I was afraid it would hurt more, but at this speed, it doesn’t. I sense I’m weaker, but I expect it will get better with use.”

I gave a sigh of relief and I'm surprised when Jeni gave me a hug and then a kiss. “Thank you, Dr. Erin.” I see a flirting wink from Jeni.

Jeni said, “Princess Ayala said you were supposed to be a princess many years ago. I often stayed around having fun with your Sister Josie, hoping to see when you became a princess. My crush on you isn’t just that of a patient having feelings for her doctor.”

I looked to Princess Ayala. She smiled but didn’t say anything other than. “Erin, you did very well. I wouldn’t call you a doctor or healer yet.”

I sit feeling emotionally overwhelmed. “I don’t rightly know how I did all that. Princess Ayala did you and Marpe help me in some way?”

She said, “Marpe was watching you through my eyes. While our spirits’ strengthened you, we did not intercede or direct you. Marpe said, she marveled at your gifts. She was also happy to see you have a caring touch that is as strong. She said you did not leave any bruising that she could see.”

Princess Ayala said to Jeni, “Marpe looks forward to seeing you when she helps to take the supports off. She said she has missed seeing you. She wanted to know if you got her message.”

Jeni had the biggest smile since she got hurt, “O yes! I got her message, but she told me she needed to wait. I so want the joy of seeing her again. But where can she stay the cave would still be too cold and wet?”

Princess Ayala turned to me and asked, “Do you know a place she might be able to stay? I am sure you do. After you rest you can go there and ask your folks.”

I hadn’t thought about going home once I concentrated on mending Jeni’s wing. It excited me, but then again I had fallen in love with Jeni and cared about Princess Ayala as my mom more than I had expected. Again it was like the Princess knew my thoughts and said, “The change will do you good. You need to gain some perspective and decide what is real for you.”

I took a hold of Jeni’s hand and we walk out into the underground faerie land. Somehow I knew to hand a piece of leaf for Jenni to bite on and it relieved her of some pain. We didn’t walk long before we sat and talked. She was telling me of some things that Ayala had not. “I love you. Though faeries don’t marry as beings do. I hope you will find our love to be just as precious. I suspect you will love a being too. I think it is the kind of faerie you’re to be.”

Jeni kissed me as she blew some green dust my way. I felt like we were in paradise as I drifted asleep. I heard someone call my name and a hand wipes the faes dust from my face. I kissed the hand thinking it was Jeni, but then heard, “Daughter, please wake up I want you to fly home for two nights. Please go to your folks, I hope they will agree to allow Marpe to stay with them. She should be here on Thursday and will be staying for about a week. You should come and tell me tomorrow. If you come as Erin, you can meet me at Fae Island.”

I made my way up through the hollow of the tree from where I saw the way to my house. I flew from there to my home. I was high enough to see the island and half way to my house. I began to fly but soon learned some birds were predators. I flew between branch openings too small for the birds, but it made getting home more difficult and take a little longer. Joselyn’s window was open and I went to fly through it. It scared me as I almost flew into the screen. Instead, I called in and Josie came out to greet me.

“Erin, you make such a pretty faerie? Are you always going to be this size?” My answer was, for now. I settled on her should and we went into the house. Mom was making dinner as Josie said, “I have a friend who says she has a question.”

I said, “If you believe in faeries. You will be able to hear and see me.”

“I can hear you.” And when I moved on Joselyn’s shoulder, she said, “Erin it is so good to see you. I missed you. However, it does look like being a faerie agrees with you. What do we owe the pleasure of your company?” I began to speak but stopped when my mother said. “You know, when you are here you can become our size.”

With that, I willed it and was soon up in my room sorting out some of my Erin clothes. Mom walked into the room and I automatically ran to her and hugged. “Mom, I know what I want to be when I grow up? And you can help me. I need to become a better student than Aaron was or I ain’t got a chance?”

Mom said, “The word should be ‘don’t’, ‘ain’t’ isn’t a word. But I doubt that you really want to study with your Mom?”

“Are you crazy Mom; I need your help and maybe even Grandma’s. Do you think she knows the old natural remedies?”

Story to be continued...