Chapter 18 #2
Sitting in The Singing Seahorse, I look around the gathered group here today. Tilly, Maisie, Nori, Marisol, Calixta, Beryl, Annamae, Peregrine, and Aurelius are all here after a very brief, very vague invitation from me.
Morning light pours in through the pub’s closed windows and paints the dark wood floors with a honey glow while gentle music plays through the speakers, ready to cover our hushed voices so our secrets can stay safely inside.
At my nod, everyone takes their seats in the loose circle arranged around mine, and I smile at Tilly as she watches Nori cradling Lio while Annamae rocks Rio.
This community really is something special.
Thankfulness fills my heart for each one of these creatures that I get to call my friends, excitement bubbling through my veins at what I’m about to share with them.
I clear my throat. “Thank you all for stealing away from your jobs and taking the time to be here. It means so much to me. Now, I’ve hinted at some aspects of my plan to most of you, hence why you’re here, but I’m ready to give you a fuller picture and, most importantly, get your input—and hopefully your help, too. ”
Maisie rubs her hands together and wiggles her butt in her seat. “All this sneaking around is so fun. I love a good secret. Ren and I had so many secrets in the beginning of our relationship.”
Marisol bumps Maisie with her shoulder. “I don’t know how to break it to you, but that wasn’t much of a secret. Ren stopped wearing his glasses pretty soon after you arrived in Starry Hill.”
Grinning, Maisie says, “I’m always taking care of my man’s health.”
From across the circle, Calixta points a long black talon at me while her tail wraps around Beryl’s leg. “Audrey, I can guarantee whatever you’re planning, you’ve got our full support. You’ve always got good ideas, even the wild ones.”
I thump my giant leather binder onto my lap and I tap it twice before I dive right into my semiprepared speech.
“So, a while ago we talked about everyone having an Arran story and that he’s done so much for the town and all of its residents, but we don’t know how to thank him properly.
That got me thinking about planning an event or something where we could do that, but, as you all know, Arran hates the spotlight and wouldn’t want himself singled out. ”
“Get to the good part,” Beryl encourages with a roll of her hand.
“Yes, please tell us what it is you’re planning,” Aurelius almost begs.
“I’m getting there,” I say. “Just laying the groundwork first, announcement foreplay if you will.” They nod in understanding, then I continue, “I’m planning Starry Hill’s quadricentennial festival to celebrate four hundred years since Arran found it.”
“That’s an excellent idea,” Annamae says, now standing behind her seat to calm a squirmy Rio.
“Tell us more,” Tilly says, looking way less tired than she did earlier this morning. “Paint us a picture of what you imagine it would be like. I know how your clever brain works and you most likely already have most of it figured out.”
Just as she predicted, I open my binder and hold up a rough sketch depicting the relatively flat plain in front of the castle and what I have planned in terms of layout.
“I was thinking of having it right here by the castle on this open piece of land. Arran’s castle is a replica of Castle Stewart, the one he grew up in and I want to transform this area to the type of festivals they used to have, but give it a Starry Hill twist.”
My sketch gets passed around and I track the approving nods while I explain, “The idea is that the festival is for the community and by the community. Let Starry Hill’s residents help make it and celebrate it.
Ideal would be that everyone is involved as much as possible and that we order as little as possible from the mainland. ”
When the sketch comes back to me, I point to the various marked locations.
“In the afternoon, we’ll kick off the festival with the Stewart Games in this area.
It’ll be a variety of strength sports based on those that Arran played growing up, including log toss, hammer throw, tug-of-war, etc.
Then, around sunset there’ll be a giant potluck dinner where everyone contributes a dish, followed by dancing until the early hours. ”
Nori says in a hushed voice, “This sounds absolutely amazing. I already can’t wait for it to happen. Do you have a date in mind?”
I flick my pen against the open book. “I’m very open to suggestions since Arran can’t really remember the exact day he arrived.” At Tilly’s arched brow, I add, “But I was thinking somewhere around midsummer. The weather is great at that time of year and we shouldn’t expect any rain to ruin events.”
Peregrine smiles. “That gives us more than enough time to plan and get everything ready.”
Tilly raises her hand. “I’d like to volunteer Bodin’s time and services for the Stewart Games.
I think he’d be great at preparing everything for those events.
He can source the right equipment and mark out the safety lines too so we don’t have kids or drunk adults wandering in front of a log sailing through the sky. ”
I jot that down in my notes. “Thank you. I’ll get a list of equipment and the measurements and pass that onto Bodin.”
“Put Ren down for that too. He’s really good at log tossing,” Maisie says. “I have a question about the tug-of-war event. Would it only be for the guys or are the girls making teams too?”
Beryl squares her shoulders. “I think we shouldn’t limit anyone. We can just decide on numbers and let everyone form their own teams with whoever they’d like. Then we can do a lucky draw to pick competitors.”
“Would you mind being in charge of that?” I ask Beryl.
She smiles. “I’d be glad to.”
Calixta and Beryl exchange a quick but very heated look and something tells me the orc will be well rewarded for her volunteering.
“And the feast?” Annamae asks. “How would you like to go about organizing that?”
I take a deep breath and then lay down my slightly unhinged idea.
“How would you guys feel about each family bringing their own dining table as well as a dish?” At their confused looks, I flip through my binder and find another sketch.
“If we stack all the tables together into long lines like this and decorate them with long strips of fabric, they’d kind of blend together.
It would be like a giant alfresco sit-down family meal. ”
“Absolutely brilliant,” Marisol says. “That way it’s inclusive of all yet still feels intimate. It would be so pretty having it outside at sunset too. Though, we might need some extra lighting when night starts to creep in.”
Almost as one, we turn our gazes toward Aurelius. “Oh yes,” the mothman says shyly, glancing quickly at Peregrine. “I can be responsible for the lighting. Any specific style you’d like? Lanterns? Candles? Fires?” His eyes get bigger as if he’s picturing it all.
I scratch at my earlobe. “I’m hoping we can borrow some lanterns from creatures who wouldn’t mind parting with them for the festival.
A wide variety of all shapes and sizes is what I’m envisioning,” I explain, producing yet another sketch of where the tables would go and what the lights would look like around them.
“We can add twinkling lights, candles on the tables, big paper lanterns strung between the trees, and so on.”
Aurelius puffs his chest out and gives me a definitive nod. “You can count on me.”
In a rare sign of public affection, Peregrine lays his hand on top of Aurelius’s and says, “I can donate any extra scraps of material for the bunting. And I can see what I can come up with for table runners and any extra decorations.”
I nod thankfully as I jot their names down next to their responsibilities, happy little butterflies flitting through my stomach at how quickly everyone got on board and how smoothly this is going.
With Rio finally sleeping soundly, Annamae takes her seat again and says in a hushed voice, “I’d obviously love to do the flowers for the festival.
I’m picturing lots of wildflowers, basketfuls scattered everywhere bursting with color, and a giant maypole with vivid greens and a crown of roses and hydrangeas on top. ”
“Beautiful. Thank you, Annamae. I’m adding that to the list,” I say, loving the extra ideas and how well everyone’s catching on to what I’m dreaming up for this festival.
Marisol is next to draw my attention. “My pack and I will be responsible for the music throughout the day. I’d also like to design some kind of cocktail or punch for the occasion. We can have both alcoholic as well as nonalcoholic versions for those who can’t partake.”
Marisol’s offer is met with enthusiastic agreement, followed by various suggestions for summer flavors to complement the festival.
When it quiets down again, Calixta taps her fingernails together and we turn toward her. “You know what else we need?”
“What?” I ask, nervous and excited about whatever she’s going to suggest next.
“A helter-skelter,” Calixta states. “No countryside festival is complete without one.”
In my mind, I see the red-and-white tower, the stairs leading inside and the spiraling slide going around its outside. They’re so much fun, and both kids and adults will love them.
“That would be the perfect addition. Do you know how I could get one onto the island? Are they for rent or should we buy one? And would they be strong enough to accommodate creatures of Bodin’s size?” I ask, going through the list of potential obstacles.
Out of the corner of my eye, Aurelius’s white wings flutter nervously.
After an encouraging leg squeeze from Peregrine, he says, “I can build one. I mean, I have a hardware shop and all the equipment, plus it’s easy for me to get any other supplies I might need.
And after the festival, we can always donate it to the school,” he adds.
Stunned silence reigns for all of a second before we compliment Aurelius for the good idea and the generous offer.