The little Faery Daffodil stopped winding the cobwebs on her stick and stood very still. "Listen," she said. "Someone is walking through the forest."
"Should we hide?" Meadow-Grass looked afraid.
"No, I don't think so," answered her sister Rose.
"Humans don't usually see us, and the animals don't harm us."
The six Faeries waited and watched as the sound of steps got closer. Then, along the faint path came the beautiful young Maiden. She was dressed all in white and Her hair was braided down her back. She was wearing a dark blue cape that reminded the Faeries of the night sky.
"Good morning, Faeries," the Maiden said as She stopped to look at them.
"Good morning, Maiden," the Faeries answered. "Where are you going?"
"I'm going on a journey," the Maiden said.
"May we walk with You?" Little Elder Blossom asked shyly.
"It is a long journey." The Maiden smiled down at her. "I will be gone until Winter Solstice. But you may walk with me part of the way. I would be glad to have your company."
The Faeries stacked all their material near a root of a big fir tree and walked along with the Maiden. They went deeper and deeper into the forest, where the shadows were thick and heavy underneath the tall trees. The path the Maiden took finally went up a forest-covered hill and ended at the dark opening of a cave.
The little Faeries stopped and stared at the cave.
"Are you going inside?" asked Lilac. She shivered because she was very afraid.
"Yes, I must go inside." The Maiden sat down on a big rock, and the Faeries gathered around Her. "The path goes through the cave. Then it goes down and down into the Earth until it enters the realm of the Dark Lord. I must go into the Dark Lord's realm and stay until the Winter Solstice. Then I will come back for a time and celebrate with you."
"Oh, no!" Dandelion started to cry. "You mustn't go there! You might get lost and we would never see You again."
The Maiden picked up Dandelion and wiped away the Faery's tears. "I go every year," She said. "I know the path very well and will not get lost. You must not be afraid for Me, little ones. It is very important that I go."
"But why?" Meadow-Grass looked up at the Maiden with sad eyes. "What could be more important than the forest and all who live here?"
"Go ask the Old Wise One in the Sacred Grove, little Faeries," said a deep voice from the cave. "Come, my Lady. They are waiting."
The Faeries turned to see a tall dark man wearing a fur cloak and carrying a spear. He stood just inside the cave with the dark shadows close about him. He held out His hand to the Maiden, and She disappeared into the cave with Him.
"Come back!" cried all the Faeries. "Maiden, come back!"
But the Maiden was gone, and they were alone on the hill.
"We must tell the Mother!" Rose began to run down the hill, and her little sisters ran with her.
The Faeries ran and ran until they were very tired.
"Where are you going in such a hurry?" croaked a big raven, who watched them from a tree limb.
"We must find the Mother," said Lilac. "We must tell Her that the Dark Lord took the Maiden down into His realm."
The raven cawed loudly, and then flew down to the ground beside the Faeries. Other ravens also flew down to sit beside them.
"Climb on our backs," the first raven said. "We will take you to the Sacred Grove. But you mustn't be afraid, little Faeries. The Maiden goes every year into the Dark Lord's realm."
"But why?" asked Dandelion as they climbed on the birds' backs.
"I don't understand."
"The Old Wise One will explain it to you," said the raven. Then the ravens all flew away through the forest.
"Oh, the ground is far away," said Daffodil, peeking through her fingers she had over her eyes.
"But it is fun," answered Rose. "You can see so far from up here. Look! There is the Sacred Grove and all the big stones that guard it."
She pointed ahead. The Faeries could see the big gray stones and the open space in the center with the altar stone.
"The Old Wise One is waiting there for us," Dandelion said, and pointed to an old woman in a black dress who sat on the altar stone.
The ravens flew down to light beside the Old Wise One.
The little Faeries climbed down to the ground. All the ravens flew away, except the biggest one.
"Lady, these little ones do not know why the Maiden went on Her journey," cawed the big raven. The bird nodded its head to the old woman, and She nodded back. "They are afraid they will never see Her again."
"Thank you for bringing them to Me." The Old Wise One gathered the Faeries in Her hands and lifted them to the altar stone beside Her. "Now tell Me," she said, "why are you afraid?"
"The cave is very dark and cold." Elder Blossom shivered.
"The Dark Lord looks very frightening." Daffodil hung onto Lilac's hand.
"The Maiden will be gone a long, long time, and we will miss Her." Dandelion looked as if she were going to cry again.
"What do you think lies in the cave at the end of the path?" The Old Wise One smiled at them. "The night is dark, and you are not afraid of the night, are you?"
The Faeries shook their heads.
"Sometimes it is cold when it rains. You are not afraid of rain, are you?"
"No," the Faeries answered. "But what is at the end of the path inside the cave?"
The Old Wise One took the little Faeries into Her lap.
"The Dark Lord rules over the land where all creatures go when they die," She said. "It is a place where the souls all sleep and grow strong before they are reborn into a new life."
"But why does the Maiden go there?" asked Meadow-Grass.
"The Maiden goes to comfort them," answered the Old Wise One. "She helps them prepare to return in another body. When it is time for some creature to die, the Dark Lord helps them find their way into His realm. He does this because he follows My laws. He is My helper. The Maiden also follows My laws and goes to help the souls in the Dark Lord's realm."
"We will miss the Maiden." Rose looked up at the Old Wise One and saw the love in Her eyes and in Her smile. "Everywhere She went, the forest was happy."
"The Maiden must go for another reason too." The Old Wise One stroked Daffodil's long silky hair with one wrinkled finger. "When the Maiden awakes from Her long sleep, it is spring in the world. She dances through the summer and into the autumn. Now She must go about Her business, and while She is gone, winter comes. And winter comes so all the plants and animals can rest and prepare for the spring again."
"Then the Maiden is safe?" Elder Blossom snuggled close to the Wise Old One.
"Yes, the Maiden is very safe. No harm shall come to Her."
The Faeries sat in the Old Wise One's lap while She sang them songs about the turn of the seasons and about being reborn. The raven nodded along with the words and waited patiently until the Old Wise One finished Her songs.
"Now, little Faeries, it is time for you to go home," the raven said as the Old Wise One gently lifted them back to the ground. He cawed loudly, and all the other ravens returned to sit beside him. "It will soon be night, and little Faeries need their sleep. We will stop and get your cobwebs and things at the big fir tree. Then we will take you to your home under the oak."
The Faeries climbed back on the ravens. "Goodbye," they called to the Old Wise One.
"Goodbye," She called to them. "Come back at Winter Solstice to the Grove."
"We will," promised the Faeries, and the ravens flew away into the forest.
The Faeries got all the things they'd left at the fir tree. Then the ravens took them right to their door. They thanked the birds for their help and went inside.
"I will still feel sad about the Maiden," Daffodil said, as she put away her sticks wound full of cobwebs.
"I think the secret is that it's all right to miss someone who is gone," said Lilac. "But we should remember that they will always come back. The Dark Lord's realm and winter are not the end of life."
"Then we should plan a surprise for the Maiden." Little Meadow Grass smiled, as she carefully laid the moss and feathers and bits of fur on a shelf. "When She returns, we can make Her a garland of spring flowers," said Elder Blossom.
"And we can brush Her long hair and braid it with strands of sweet-smelling herbs." Rose and Dandelion began to dance around the room, they were so happy with their plans.
The little Faeries ate their supper of berries and grass seeds. And for dessert they had candied buttercups and spiced mushrooms. Then they climbed into their little beds and dreamed of all the nice things they wanted to do when the Maiden returned in the spring.
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