The Watchers

A long, long time ago in a forest of deep woods lived many of the Faye. One, named Peppermill, made his home at the feet of a great oak tree in the middle of the forest. His front door consisted of a polka dot red toadstool that when opened led to chambers among the roots of the oak. He kept his home tidy where the rooms meandered between the great roots of the tree.

Peppermill stored what ever curious thing he came across on his walks among the trees. He preferred calling trees, professors for Peppermill learned a great deal from the old ones.  His closest, and dearest friend was the very oak where he made his home.

Peppermill felt called, as all the Faye do at some point, to spend his life with this particular tree when he was much younger and ventured about the forest. As the years past, Peppermill found that when he placed his hands on the sides of the roots that made the walls of his chambers, the great oak could talk with him. There he would sit with a pot of nectar tea and marshmallow cake, his thistle chair made comfortable with flower petal cushions so that he could place his hand on a knob of root. That is how he talked with his friend, the great oak, by holding the root knob the tree could convey to Peppermill his thoughts, and Peppermill could send his thoughts back to the great tree.

The great oak told Peppermill not only about their forest but events all over the world. For the tree's roots went very deep and connected to the other trees who were also connected to others. It was a network of information that went all over the world, and trees live long lives giving them knowledge no other living thing could ever fathom.

One day as Peppermill sat in his chair holding the knob of root, he asked the tree what was their purpose on earth? Was it to bind the soil or hold the knowledge of all  things? The great tree answered that it was those things and more, but trees call each other The Watchers, for they found their main purpose was to warn life of impending danger.

"Are we in danger?" Asked Peppermill.

"Not now, but remember time brings change and though we can formulate possibilities for the future, we never know for sure."

Peppermill took morning and evening walks. He did this every day because the Faye enjoy that balance of dark and light when shadow battles light. The Faye are fascinated by many things. What seems trash, the Faye find fascinating, and every sunrise and sunset, Peppermill found something to take home. The chambers he used to store all the things he found grew and grew among the roots of the Great Oak.

One day, Peppermill found something so big and so fascinating he needed the help of friends to bring it home. They beat their wings and used magic spells to lift the object and Peppermill, as well as his friends, wondered how he would get it home. But Peppermill wondered too, what the Great Oak would have to say about the strange and heavy object.

Peppermill and his friends decided it would be best to rest the object in front of hs home. It was just too large and heavy, even with magic to get it inside, and so they placed it near one of the thick roots that held the Great Oak.

After thanking his friends and everyone again commenting on the strange object, and for Peppermill to tell them what the Great Oak had to say, they left for Peppermill to talk with his friend.

Exhausted, Peppermill brewed a pot of nectar tea and cut off a slice of  marshmallow cake, placing them on a tray that he brought to the chair where the root knob of the Great Oak protruded. He ate half his cake and had two cups of tea before he settled in to talk with his ancient friend by holding the root's knob.

"Did you see the object near the front door?" Asked Peppermill.

"Yes, I remember when it landed in the forest many years past."

"What is it?"

"It is doom."

"Doom?" Peppermill was worried, "Should we have brought it here?"

"It doesn't matter where it rests for it is not of this earth."

"Where is it from?"

"From the stars where all things come from."

"Why then is it dangerous?"

"It is a piece from an asteroid that struck the earth long ago. Asteroids, if big enough, could tear the earth apart, nothing would remain of what we know of our planet. And in some point in time, that will happen."

Peppermill was distressed, an end to their earth and everything on it, but the wise old tree calmed Peppermill.

"Live for today. For tomorrow is not here and yesterday is gone."

From that day forward, while men fret about the future or the past, all other creatures took the wise old tree's advice and live for today, for that is all any of us really have.