Chapter 12: Lintel

The walk across the rest of the meadow is gentle, and the time seems a good bit shorter than the first half was. While strolling along, Tonic swirls toward Atcher and yelps “Quick! Before they’re gone!” while pointing at the hot air balloon floating slantwise to places unknown. 

“What?!” the startled brownie grinds to a halt and looks around with concern.

“The Useful Device! For seeing far away!” Tonic’s bubbling enthusiasm makes it hard for the gnome to articulate thoughts clearly.

Prism gasps, “Oh! Yes, let's send the Nightjar twins your Useful Device! It would likely be ever so much help to them.”

Tonic nods in grinning agreement.

“Of course! What a brilliant idea!” Atcher responds elatedly. Taking out the far-seeing Useful Device the brownie wonders, “But how do we get it back to them? The meadow takes so long to cross.”

“Wind Rabbits.” Prism asserts, while taking the Useful Device. With a sharp whistle, the sprite has all three Wind Rabbits at attention. “It will take all of you working together, but please race this Useful Device up to the hot air balloon. Okay?” Undertow twirls the Useful Device and takes the lead, showing Steam and Turbine how to lift and balance it. Atcher writes a brief note of thanks and explanation, ripping the page out of the birchbark journal. Tonic uses a bit of ribbon from a tea tin to tie the note securely to the Useful Device. Only a few slips and drops later, the Wind Rabbits are racing the Useful Device toward the ever more distant hot air balloon. Continuing their trek while the gift is delivered, the friends share the happy, satisfying feeling of helping. The woods on the far side of the meadow loom up quite suddenly, as though the meadow was eager to have the trio arrive; or perhaps the geography is not as scrunched up at this end. Looking back across the meadow, Prism notices that the hot air balloon and the Nightjar twins are no longer visible. The sprite smiles, thinking of what Weathervane said about lost things, and quietly says, “It was magnificent to meet them. I hope they bring delight where they are needed next. Although the twins aren’t exactly lost things, their friendship is treasured.” Moments later, the speedy Wind Rabbits are back.

Surveying the landscape ahead, the friends determine that the trees are large, the brambles tangled, and the undergrowth a thicket. It is hard work to get into the woods. Atcher chooses a sharp Sudden Idea from the Birchbark journal to help cut into the brush. Tonic looks for a path with the least harmful plants, and uses the Mighty Teaspoon Hammer to sweep aside and crush any plants blocking the way. Prism barrels through like a storm, ripping and stomping, and sometimes howling from a vicious thorn or stick. In this way, sprite, gnome, and brownie make it through the woods. 

Once inside, the light is a dappled green, and the air is cooler. The trees are older and larger, so the undergrowth is thinner, making progress much easier. The trio stops for a rest and a snack of nuts and dried fruit. The Wind Rabbits chase up a breeze to cool everyone, and soon the friends are searching for the depression full of violets that marks the Tree Beyond the Garden. Atcher uses the Sudden Idea about maps to help determine their course. The underbrush has thickened again, and sturdy green vines curl and lock everything together, almost into a wall. Tonic observes, “Some of these vines are as thick as the bowl of my Mighty Teaspoon Hammer. We won’t be able to cut them. But if Compass saw the hollow of violets, then there must be a way through. Look for any sort of break in the vines, or more cleared area.”

The search is quite fruitless for a long while, until Atcher notices the opening of a small tunnel. “I’m not sure much more than a Wind Rabbit could slip through there, though.” the brownie muses with disappointment.

“Not to worry!” Tonic exclaims, hauling the Mighty Teaspoon Hammer around. “It seems that most of the plants here are dead and brittle. I believe I can lever the tunnel open a bit bigger for us!” The gnome heaves and bashes with the Hammer, causing a ruckus. In a short time, bracken pieces fly and the air fills with viney bark dust. Clearing the debris, the trio sees that the tunnel is big enough to walk through in a crouch. The vines that are left are a vibrant green, and closely woven together, forming a tunnel that almost glows with green light.

Tonic goes through the vine tunnel first, to clear the way. Since Atcher is the tallest, the brownie sometimes bonks into a lower-hanging stick or bole. The group is out of the tunnel faster than you can say “repeating regatta of revolving rafts is revolutionary!” Although why you should want to say that is unclear; it’s not as though it pertains to the situation.

On the other side of the brief, verdant tunnel is a wide, grassy clearing; a depression filled with violets. In the center is one twisted tree, on smooth, bare earth. The tree is smallish, possibly a peach tree, but totally barren. Not a leaf or flower on it. It is intriguing and enticing, though the trio could not explain why if anyone had asked. The party moves toward it, holding hands, unsure of what will happen. Tonic is slightly in the lead. “This is it,” the gnome declares, “this is the Lintel. We’ve almost found Graemes!” 

The moment Tonic’s foot touches the cleared area, all three friends are filled with fear and a sense of dread and loss. Their hands clasp tighter, and none of them moves forward.