Everyone was there including the Mayor of the neighbouring community of Crimity, a small hamlet with an unfair reputation, it’s only a name. As far as the eye could see coloured lights blazed, their brilliance matched only by the elaborate firework display contributing to a cacophony of noise that was Windy Ho partying. They really knew how to party, the whole thing being organised in one afternoon, such is the zeal and vigour of this small community of Windy Ho. They had a celebration to perform, after all, partying was a serious business, almost a duty. Had to be done right. The Peeps could be relied upon to do their duty. They partied through the night and on through the rest of the week. Well, it’s not every day a dragon comes to visit, is it? It would take some dedicated sleeping to sleep this lot off but the Peeps are good at that too.
Upon awakening one week later Matty struggled to lean on one elbow, yawned, rubbed his bleary eyes and uttered more to himself than anyone else, ‘Ooo, that last ‘Sledgehammer’ was two too many.’ He continued to groan as he moved around going through the motions of rising for the day muttering to himself, ‘Never again.’
‘Morning Matty, it's a beautiful day isn’t it!’ Marc burst on the scene with his usual youthful enthusiasm expecting his friend to be up and about just like himself, not realising that not everyone was like he was. Being bright and chirpy first thing upon awakening was not in his friend’s make up, especially this particular morning, suffering as he was one king size hangover.
‘For goodness sake, Marc, be normal for a change will yuh, and stop banging about and shouting. Aint yuh got no feelings for yuh fellow Peeps? I’ve got a thousand bells ringing in my head all at once.’ With this the elder Matty, older and wiser in the ways of the world, slowly moved over to his bed and fell face down on it. First attempt at rising from slumber a failure.
‘Aw, come on, Matty, you can’t stay there all day, I mean, you’ve been there for the past two days already and there’s much to be done. We need you, Matty.’
There were a thousand and one bells now ringing in Matty’s achingly fragile head. Marc had just added one with the simple statement, ‘We need you!’
Sitting up and staring in the general direction of his little ‘all bursting with energy and urgency’ friend, eyes slowly coming into focus, Matty was coming around now. Grabbing hold of Marc’s lapel, and with eyeball to eyeball said, almost in a growl, ‘What did you just say?’
Marc, surprised by his friend’s unfamiliar and slightly aggressive manner, pulled back, uttering a ‘Whoa! Steady on there old friend, I only said you shouldn't still be in bed on such a beautiful day .’
‘No, not that bit, the other bit, the ‘We need you’ bit. Matty was wide awake now, well the closest he was going to get this day. ‘Whose we?’
‘Ah!’, that’ll be me and the Council, I guess.’ said Marc, almost in a whisper.
‘You guess!, you guess! You don’t know?’
‘Now just you calm down a bit, have a brew or something, get your bearings and when you’re calmer and I dare say a little sweeter, then I’ll explain everything.’ Marc Was now standing by the door, just in case he needed to make a fast exit. He wasn’t sure given how his best friend was behaving. He’d never seen him like this before and it came as a shock.
Looking at Marc who was standing half in and half out of the doorway, Matty realised he’d shaken his young friend, quite unintentionally and wanted to make amends as fast as possible. ‘Come on in my friend and have a brew with me. I do apologise for near biting your head off back there but I’m feeling a little fragile, something I must have eaten, I suspect. They exchanged a knowing glance. ‘Now then youngster, tell me, what’s with the “We need you” bit. That is what you said, isn't it?’
After a moment or two of uncertainty brought on by his friend’s initial outburst, Marc, cup in hand, began. ‘It’s like this. The Council were discussing, along with the dragon, er, Windy Blu, just what the next steps were and they decided that it would be good to show him around the place. Well, I just happened to pop in at that point and Windy Blu himself said that he thought it’d be good for the ones who found him to do the honours. Of course I could not refuse, could I, I mean, defy the Council and all?’
Matty didn’t respond but looked at his young friend and said, ‘Go on.’
‘Well, that’s about it, really. We show Windy around. Simple.’
‘Simple, huh? You reckon being a nursemaid and tour guide to a dragon will be simple eh, no problems?’
‘What problems could there possibly be?’ asked Marc.
The older thought for a moment and then said, ‘I have no idea and neither do you. I guess on this one we start off on an equal footing, two idiots in the dark together.’
‘Aww come on Matty, it'll be fun. Trust me.’
‘Hmm?’
‘I will make one suggestion, speaking as your senior and that is we first of all pay a visit to the Community Oracle.’
‘Not Mystic Gwen!?’
‘The very same. It’ll save us a lot of time because she’ll know where we should start our tour.’
Marc knew his friend was right and so didn’t argue the point. Next stop then, the dwelling of Mystic Gwen, source of all knowledge. The lady in question lived on her own in a little domed roof adobe dwelling on the northern edge of Windy Ho. She was a recluse and thought by many to be a little ‘odd’ but whenever anyone had a problem to solve she was the one to go to. She also had been labelled ‘a witch’ by some because she had an uncanny ability to read peoples’ minds and do the occasional ‘magic’. Of course, a lot of this was small community superstition. Even so, no one dared cross her and all showed great respect for the woman of all knowledge. Marc was a little apprehensive about going to see this woman, well, any woman made him feel uneasy but this one was off the scale for him, even though he had never actually seen her. The two Peeps were soon standing at the round door, which protruded slightly from the main structure, attached as it was by a tube. This gave the visual impression of a slightly wonky igloo. Before either of them even touched the door bell a voice from inside beckoned them enter. This was not a great start for Marc, it was too weird but Matty turned the door handle and the two stepped inside. They were not expecting the sight that met their eyes for the inside of this seemingly small abode was immense. They were stunned by this for it was just not possible but there it was, before them, a great cavern of a building standing where there should be only a small round hovel.
‘You took your time, I must say. I was expecting you ages ago and where’s the other one of the fearless trio, Windy Blu?’ The vice belonged to a petite female of indeterminate age, fair complexion with blonde hair, a round homely face framed by a pair of over large, round rimmed glasses, over the frames of which she managed to peer. Marc stood transfixed by the large pair of glasses, the source of the voice.
It was Matty who rallied first. ‘My apologies, Madam Gwen, for being late. It’s entirely my fault for sleeping in late after a rather heavy night.’ Then the thought struck him. She knew they were coming and what’s more she was expecting Windy Blu as well. Then Marc found his voice, albeit a little shaky.
‘Y-yes, we did party a little bit too much b-but how could you possibly know we were coming. It was only decided a very short while ago?’
The glasses lady chuckled to herself and said, looking directly at Marc, ‘How sweet, how naïve, how perfect. Come, both of you, please, take a seat and tell me your business here.’ They did as asked and told her all they knew,
from finding the egg, reporting to the Council and then the party right up until arriving at her door. They had to admit that they had forgotten to collect Windy Blu on the way.
‘Oh, I’m here alright, albeit a bit late for which I do, most humbly apologise.’
‘Ah!’ said Gwen, ‘I wondered when you’d declare yourself. I felt your presence even though you were in invisible mode. I thought you’d say something soon enough and no apology needed my friend.’ At this point Windy materialised before them. The Peeps, being quick thinkers, were wondering how it was possible a dragon so large could fit inside this tiny abode then again, it was just as possible and likely as the abode was impossible in its dimensions outside and in. This sure was turning out to be one strange day for them.
‘You are an incredible lady, Miss Gwen, knowing I was here before seeing me.’ Said Windy.
‘Oh I know a lot of things.’ There was warmth in Gwen’s vice. ‘You imagine you are setting out on a sightseeing tour but I know different. I know that Windy here, did not arrive in our parts by chance but was sent for a reason. He is on a mission and you, my little friends have become part of that mission.’ Marc looked at Matty and he returned the look. Windy just kept looking at Gwen. His education accelerating with every passing minute. Gwen continued. ‘You are more curious about the hill and its Cloud, are you not, Windy?’
‘Am I?’
‘Oh yes, you are, or rather, you will be. But, forgive me, I’m racing ahead.’ The Lady of all knowledge realised right there that she was going a bit too quickly and decided to allow Windy Blu to catch up, as it were. But the dragon’s curiosity was already aroused.
After a moment’s thought he said, ‘That’s interesting. On the way here I managed to listen in to a number of conversations among the Peeps in the community and there was frequent mention of a cloud on the hill that overlooks the settlement and how it always brought trouble. I was going to ask the boys here about it but I think you may be the one to ask.’
Matty was thoughtfully rubbing his chin while young Marc was trying to catch up. Everything had taken the most peculiar turn since that fateful day he stumbled upon the egg and there was a faint sense of regret creeping in now that he had done so. Nevertheless, what had been done could not be undone and he was in like it or not. Besides, there was his best friend, Matty. He could not let him down whatever happened.
Gwen began to tell them what she knew about the cloud which had appeared about three years ago. At first it was just a little grey rain cloud nobody thought much about until it began to grow in both size and darkness. Around that time things started to happen like crop failure, animal stock mysterious deaths. The climate around here became very unstable and all of this was accredited to the presence and growth of the cloud. A group of Elders ventured up the hill to see what they could find but upon their return they were changed Peeps. They had become fearful, always nervous, like they were afraid of their own shadow. Something had really spooked them up there and as a result no one would venture there again. In the meanwhile trouble increased for Windy Ho, so much so that there was talk of abandoning the settlement and starting up elsewhere. That’s a decision awaiting to be made.
‘And no one has any idea of the cause?’ Asked Windy.
‘I have my suspicions,’ said Gwen. ‘But they’re only that, no proof.’
‘The Elders who ventured up the hill were changed by the time they returned, you say. Can you be more specific?’
‘They had lost every bit of confidence they ever had and their complexion was white as chalk, is about all I can say. You have quite a challenge, my friend.’ Gwen sat back in her rocking chair, watching the trio in front of her. Silence descended on the room, everyone deep in his or her own thoughts, the trio mulling over what they had just heard, each making of it what they will. Marc was regretting ever finding the blessed egg while Matty was clearly thinking on a similar line. While Windy Blu, sitting resting his chin on his hand, never took his eyes off the woman behind the round glasses, lenses of which could not hide crystal clear blue eyes in which Windy detected a tiny glint.
‘Okay Windy, it’s up to you. What do we do?’ This was the older and wiser, Matty, always trying to think ahead and think of the consequences involved in what they decided to do.
‘Well,’ said Windy, ‘I’m going to have something to eat before I do another thing. There’s a delicacy I heard of while coming here which is called, er, Fish and chips with mushy peas? I think that’s what it was called and from what I heard it sounded interesting. My advice to you, my young friends, is to do likewise for we’re going to need all the strength we can get.’ As an afterthought he added, ‘Oh yes, and salt and vinegar.’
