Sleep debt caught up with me in mid tumblr conversation. I don’t know when I went from chair to bed. I don’t remember changing clothes. I only remember I slept.
When I opened my eyes, I found myself being warned not to spill the tea on myself. It was a little thimble cup I was holding but if it wasn’t spilled out all at once, it would pour forever. I straightened my grip and apologized for my inattentiveness. The Little Folk giggled in mirth. My formality was a bit of an inside joke. They know I’m being polite and trying not to stick my foot in my mouth. I probably could relax the phrasing. But to be honest, I enjoy the mirth myself.
I’m sitting on my knees under the Telling Tree. A rainbow blanket is draped over me. Under the blanket, my feather cloak held me close. I must have fledged out in deeper sleep again. The raven feathers reminds them of unpleasant things and is very distressing for them to see.
“Oh dear, I have been a rude guest. I’ll put the cloak away at once!”
“No, Lemon-Eater, you don’t have to. It’s what you are. We know you mean no harm to us. We covered you because you were shivering.” Ke handed me a little plate with a little tea cookie. I accepted with grace and nibbled. Mmm. Little Folk throw the best tea parties.
“Lemon-Eater? I told stories then?” The multitude of giggles around me answered better than words. “Did you like my stories? Did I tell them well? Were there any others you wish for me to tell?” They clapped and cheered in that childish way. I accepted their accolades, remembering despite their appearance, they are not children.
A little bird with long colorful feathers surprised me by landing on my shoulder. The Little Folk were happy and sad to see it. I recognized it at once as one of the Folk I reformed after the assault on their world. I called to the bird, but only bird thoughts answered back.
“He doesn’t know who he is. He only knows tea cakes make for good nibbles.” The Folk closest to me started to give the bird a cookie. I held up my hand, stopping kir.
“Wait. Not yet. Lemme check something.” The bird’s attention was focused on the cookie. It wanted that cookie. While it was distracted, I examined the bird and the essence it held. A sudden flash of vision. The Little Folk within was whole. And slumbering. And dreaming ke was a bird.
“Where is kir doll? Quick! I need kir doll, and maybe more cakes and tea!” I whispered as I slowly closed my hand around the bird. The bird allowed me to hold it securely. It wanted that cookie!
Some did not want me to have the doll, others that had seen what I had done to save their friend scrambled to fetch it. Soon it was in my free hand. “I apologize if my appearance changes to something distressing. If your friend is to be restored, I need to be me.” Many understanding nods surrounded me. Those that did not understand were ushered away.
I kept the rainbow blanket around me. It hid most of my fledging. The sight of my afro turning into head hugging feathers made a few gasp. The thinning of my hands caused a little more concern.
“Those of you that know kir best, come forward and surround me. I can change kir back into kirself, but y’all need to call kir into waking.” Brave little faces formed a thicket around me. Brave Little Folk pressed close to the symbol of their fear in hopes of saving one of their own. I felt unworthy to witness this.
Weaver Ravendaughter unmade the bird, and using what was kept in the doll, reformed the sleeper back into a Little Folk. This happened in complete silence. It felt like a week of time had passed. It happened in the blink of an eye.
The sleeping one was cradled in my arm. The doll in my free hand felt noticeably lighter and empty. I tucked the doll with the sleeper and wrapped the rainbow blanket around kir. I had forgotten I was fledged out underneath.
Ignoring the new round of gasps and whimpers, I told them, “Call kir. Sing your songs that you greet each other with. Tell kir it is time to waken.” I rocked my arms like a cradle while the singing started around me. Silly songs and clapping hands in an intentionally jarring counter rhythm teased my ears.
Just when I allowed myself to fear I had failed, the sleeper stirred. Little fists rubbed at little eyes. A little stretch turned into a little angry yawn. Ke opened kir eyes and saw my face first.
“Ahh! The Unmaker has me!” How confusing it must have been to hear kir fellows cheering at the cry. I called for tea, cakes, and clothes for the newly woken. For some reason, they would not let kir leave my arms just yet.
Ke ate while sitting in my lap. Wrapped in the rainbow blanket, with my own wings wrapped around us both in a instinctive maternal gesture. “Oh! I’m feeling very silly! I have arms but I feel I’m missing feathers! Could you see me as a bird?” Another round of laughter confuses kir.
Finally, ke comes to kir complete senses. While ke doesn’t remember life as a bird too well, ke remembers all that led up to kir wounding and my arrival to help. Ke didn’t want to talk about what ke thought when ke saw me entering the tangle.
Clothed properly, having had food and drink, ke was allowed to leave my lap and rejoin kir fellows. As ke did, ke clutched tightly to kir doll, praising and lamenting the doll’s sacrifice that restored kir.
“Where is your doll, Weaver Remaker?” Shit.
I chose to answer honestly. “A trusted friend has it. He is a tinkerer by nature, and took it for safe keeping because I have so many adventures. I don’t know if he’s adding to it, but I trust him, and know it’s safe there.” Well, mostly honest with a pinch of hope.
The Little Folk that asked me stared hard, weighing my answer. “It is good that Weaver has true friends to be vulnerable to. To be strong all the time is to be brittle and easily broken.”
Was that a warning, a compliment, a scolding, or all three?
I accepted the words and nodded in bittersweet agreement. My work, and time, with the Little Folk done, I told them to watch for the other Reformed. If circumstances allow, I could restore them as well. We shared farewells. A few braver ones giving me a hug despite the black feathers. I took flight and woke up at once.
Make of that, what you may.