The Children and Two Fairies
In the days of dragons, fairies, nymphs, and other magical creatures, the twins, Tormeg and Tormegina lived with their parents on the border of the great forest. Their father, Conall, provided for them well giving to them freely but holding back this one thing. Being a prudent man, he admonished his children to remain close to their cottage at all times and to never enter those dark woods without him.
Tormeg and Tormegina respected their father and obeyed him, that is, until their thirteenth birthday. On that day they played in the field behind their cottage coming closer and closer to the very edge of the line of trees bordering their family’s farm. They dared not set foot under the boughs of the trees, but drew near enough to look between trunks to examine what lay within the forbidden borders. As they so approached, they spied a golden glow around a three foot figure underneath the nearest tree. A voice called out, “Come children. I am the fairy Lillysprite and this is my forest. I can see you are curious about my realm. Come with me and I will show you what treasures you can find here.”
Tormeg glanced at his sister and placing his left foot onto forbidden ground prepared to enter the forest. Tormegina grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back. “Not so fast,” she said. “Are you forgetting Father’s warning? We have no idea what dangers lie within those woods as fair as this fairy makes it seem.”
Lillysprite, who had hidden his real name, Webcaster, for he was no fairy but a Goblin in disguise, answered, “Nay, child but your father does not know the truth about my land. He means well, but he only tells you the tall tales of the superstitious old men and women of your village–stories spoken to create fear in order to maintain control over those vulnerable to their lies. Has your father ever ventured beyond the fringes of my realm?”
Tormeg turned to his sister. “That’s right. Father has never talked much about the forest and he has never taken us very far into it. Perhaps this fairy is correct and there is more in there than he can imagine.”
Tormegina loosened her grip on her brother’s hand. “I-I don’t know.” She craned her neck to look deeper into the woods.
Her brother shook his arm free from her grip. “Come on, Sis. Didn’t you hear the part about hidden treasure? Besides we’ve got a fairy to guide us and to protect us from any danger. It’s not like we’d be in there alone. We’d be as safe as when we’re with Father. Besides, we can always turn back at any time if we so desire.”
Tormegina tilted her head. “But what do we need with treasure? Father gives us everything that we need.”
Webcaster looked her in the face. “Yes, but does he give you gold, emeralds, diamonds, and rubies. There are these and more to be found within my borders.”
Tormegina edged closer to the trees. The lure of forbidden treasure began to take hold of her. She thought, What harm could there be in making a short venture into the woods?
Her brother stepped into the forest, and she followed.
When they found no treasure after walking for several hours following the disguised goblin, they questioned him. “Further on,” he answered. “Good treasures are always found deep within my land.” More time went by. Again, the children questioned their guide. Again, the answer, “Further on.” On several occasions the children asked Webcaster about the treasure. Each time he responded the same and each time the goblin looked less like a fairy and more like his hideous self.
Tormegina shuddered at the change in their guide’s appearance, while her brother took no notice at all. Evening came when the children realized they had no chance to return home before total darkness engulfed them. Tormeg expressed no concern. His dreams of treasure kept him from seeing the danger that lay around him and his sister. Besides they had their guide to protect them. Tormegina had begun to see through Webcaster’s deception and begged her brother to return with her to their father’s house, but he refused.
“We can’t go back now,” he said shrugging his shoulders. “It will be night soon. We’re safer here with Lillysprite to protect us than we’d be stumbling in the dark.”
As Tormegina shook her head, her long black hair flowed wildly. “I don’t know about that. Have you taken a good look at our guide lately? I’m sure he is not what he pretends to be. And where is he anyway?”
Tormeg just smiled. “I swear, Sister. You are becoming like Father. You see bad in things that are good. Our good fairy has just gone ahead of us. No doubt he’ll be back in the morning.”
Despite her plea, Tormegina’s brother refused to budge. He sat against a mighty oak and prepared for the night. she sat beside him, not willing to part from him.
And so, many days passed. Webcaster left the twins mostly to themselves, occasionally making an appearance reminding them the treasure was not far away. They wandered aimlessly through the forest, sustaining themselves with foul tasting nuts and berries. They scrounged just enough to keep them alive. Tormeg came to like the unpleasant fare, but his sister wrinkled her nose each time they ate.
In the meantime, their father, Conall, had followed his children’s footsteps into the woods, but Webcaster cast a spell that caused their tracks to fade. The good man searched for days to no avail. At last, he dropped to his knees calling out to the good fairy of the forest. “Olgood, I plead to you. Hear me now. You have always treated me well. My children did not heed my warning and have entered these woods without me to lead them. I shudder to think what guide they have found. You spared me when I promised to never take more than I need from your land. I have honored my pledge. Please help me now.”
A glow surrounded Conall, who shielded his eyes. Olgood, dressed in white appeared before him and spoke. “Be of good cheer. Return home. I have heard and will help.”
The twins’ father returned to his cottage and waited for his children. Tormeg and Tormegina continued to wander in their lostness. Webcaster led them to the darkest part of the forest and for his part kept them out of the clutches of the wicked creatures that lived there.
Each night ogres watched the children as they slept, reaching out their claws readying to snatch them. But the fiends’ fear of the goblin proved stronger than their desire to carry the twins away. A dragon happened by as well. He too, left Tormeg and Tormegina alone.
Another month passed and Webcaster led the pair to his mine. “In this mine you will find treasure-rubies, gold, and silver. You just have to dig for it. On the way you will find coal. Bring this to me for I have great need for it.”
Now what use goblins have for coal, I cannot say, for this fact is not mentioned in the pages of lore. But this goblin had a desire for it and a mine where it was found deep in the earth. Since goblins are not fond of hard labor and always try to find others to do the work for them, Webcaster had brought the twins here to do his bidding.
Tormeg started toward the entrance of the mine with no questions, but Tormegina had enough of the goblin’s deceptions. “I’ll not take another step,” she said.
Her brother stared into her eyes. “You’d let me go in there without you? Besides where else would you go? You can’t go home. You have no one to guide you from these woods.”
She stared back. The force of her stare caused her brother to freeze.
At last, Tormeg broke off and stomped back to his sister, grabbed her arm and pulled her toward the mine opening.
Tormegina tried to resist but her bother possessed the greater strength. “No!” She screamed. Help! Can anybody hear me? I need help!”
At that moment a ball of light shined between them and the dark entrance to the mine. In the light stood a man–the same man in white who had appeared to their father. He smiled broadly. “Release your sister,” He said.
Tormeg’s grip loosened, and his sister broke free. She looked into the face of her rescuer. “I don’t know who you are, kind sir,” she said.
The man in white smiled, “I am Olgood, a friend of your father. If you will, come with me. I will take you to him.”
Tormegina looked at her brother. “But what about Tormeg? I can’t leave him here.”
Olgood locked his eyes on the girl. “His decision is his to make, as yours is yours.” He caught the boy’s eye. “Will you come with me also? Neither of you have to wander. I will guide you.”
Tormeg pointed a finger at the man in white. “Who are you to tell us what to do?”
Olgood answered, “I am the true keeper of this forest. The one before me is a deceiver and leads you in ways of destruction. Your father knows me. He sent me to you.”
For a moment, Tormeg stood with one foot in the mine. Tormegina stood outside. The brother held onto the deceptions he had followed while the sister saw through the lies of the goblin. In the end, while tears ran down her cheeks, the girl turned her back to her brother and followed the man in white out of the forest and to a happy reunion with her father.
Time passed. Tormegina grew into a fair maiden. Not a day went by that she did not think about her brother somewhere in the wilds of the forest. Was he still working in the mine of the goblin? Was he looking for home. Oh, how she longed that he’d have come with her and Olgood the keeper of the woods.
It came to past during the sixth year since she left Tormeg at the mine that Tormegina scoured the forest for good things to bring to the family table. Her father had taught her well the ways of the forest and how to protect herself from its dangers. On this day she searched for the finest mushrooms found only in the heart of these woods. She found a choice cluster when an angry voice came out of the trees. “Leave those be. They are mine.”
Tormegina looked in the direction of the voice. She recognized the speaker at once. “Tormeg? Is that you? My, how you have changed, but I can see. It is you.”
Indeed, her brother had grown as had she but instead of becoming fair in appearance he had become twisted in frame, his face distorted, his skin an ashen grey, and darkness filled his eyes. A heavy chain girded his waist. He stared at Tormegina. “You seem to know me, but I don’t know you. Leave me and leave my mushrooms.”
The girl ran to him, embracing him. “It’s me, your sister. Now that I found you I can’t let you go. Tormeg, listen, the man in white was right. Lillysprite is no fairy, but is a goblin who deceived us with fair words. There is a way out of this forest. Come. I’ll show you.”
Tormeg broke free from her embrace, as recognition of his sister came to him. He shook his head. “But, I haven’t found my treasure yet.”
They stood for a moment in silence. Tormegina’s eyes pled with her brother to come, but he stood firm.
They might have stood there for hours had not the man in white returned in the ball of light. He spoke to Tormeg. “And you never will find treasure following your deceiver.”
Tormeg shook his head and suddenly launched himself at the newcomer. “You took my sister from me, now I will make you leave us both,” he cried.
They wrestled. Tormeg fought the true keeper of the forest. They wrestled far into the night. At last, the main in white gripped the chain around the young man’s middle. It broke free in his hand. As he did so, light replaced the darkness in Tormeg’s eyes.
“I can see now,” the young man exclaimed. “I’ve been following the wrong truth.” He dropped to his knees. He looked to the man in white. “Please, good sir, lead me out of this forest.”
And so, Tormegina found her lost brother. The twins followed the man in white to their father’s house. Tormeg leaned on his sister the whole way because when the chains of Webcaster broke, Tormeg’s hip became disjointed leaving him lame the rest of his days. However, the grey left his skin. The distortion left his face and body.
On their return, their father welcomed them with open arms.