The mystery of the little blue flame continues and grows. First during my afternoon with Elise and now at the Hallinox Festival, and quite a stir it made this time too.
I was at the festival, and it was a lovely dark night. Davy and Elise and I were talking about the different Hallinox stories we had heard growing up as children, when Alexander and Mr. Leland approached us. Alexander was very excited and said, “Hi Sonya”, but then after Mr. Leland coughed, he changed it to “Hello Miss Sonya” and added a bow for good measure. It made me smile and after returning the greeting, I introduced Mr. Leland to Davy and Elise. He was so formal, but still very friendly and asked us how we were enjoying the festival. He explained that he’d never celebrated Hallinox before, which surprised me. It seems to be not as popular further north, or maybe it has fallen out of fashion as some country holidays have in the past. Davy said if he really wanted to celebrate Hallinox properly he ought to hear a ghost story by the light of a Long Night Lantern. Oh goodness, then Davy suggested that I tell us all one, to which Alexander and Elise heartily agreed. I was so embarrassed, but Mr. Leland added that if I would provide the story, he would provide the lantern and showed us the one he had just purchased. I still felt rather shy, but my love of stories won out. We found a quiet place to sit, and as I was thinking what might be a good tale to share, Mr. Leland lit the lantern.
As soon as the wick caught flame, the light jumped into the air, blazing blue! Oh goodness, Elise shrieked, Davy fell back, and Alexander shouted “A wisp! A wisp!” all while the little flame darted around us frantically! This little light, goodness… I do not know if it was the same one Elise and I saw before, but it was far more lively. It did not stop moving for a second and whizzed about us, as though looking for a place to hide, before, goodness, shooting straight up into the air and vanishing in a puff of smoke… needless to say, I did not get the chance to tell my story.
Well after that, we were all rather shaken and Alexander was still shouting excitedly when the baron and his guards came over. He boomed out in his powerful voice, demanding to know what was going on and why his son was shouting in a most unseemly way. Alexander stopped and looked down ashamed. I found it rather unfair, since the baron was talking just as loudly, but perhaps when you are Baron it isn’t so “unseemly”. Mr. Leland explained that his pupil’s response was appropriate considering the circumstances, for we had all just had a surprising encounter with “the extraordinary”.
Baron Rhodes seemed to grow troubled as we described the blue flame, but when Elise mentioned we had seen it before, that it had done no harm and had actually been quite helpful, he relaxed. Thank goodness for her help, and I made sure to thank her for calming the situation later. The baron stated that the flame had no doubt come from the forest, some part of its strange magic as odd things had happened before. He only wished it would keep to itself, and with that he led Alexander away. Though I was glad to see that he no longer seemed upset with his son; I think Mr. Leland’s comments must have helped the baron understand, for which I was grateful. He seems a somewhat strict tutor, but not an uncaring one. He listens to Alexander too, for on market day, you see, he came by and told me that the young master knew about the blue light. He had called it a wisp and had shown his tutor a story from one of his many books. It seems that in it, the blue flame met travelers near bogs and swamps, sometimes leading them astray for miles off their path. So, I asked Mr. Leland if that’s what he thought the wisp had been doing with us, but he didn’t think so. I also reminded him of how the first wisp had shown Elise and me to her missing scarf. He asked what any of us might have been missing on the night of Hallinox, though I could not say.
Mr. Leland told me he would be free sometime in the next two weeks to explore the forest, and that he would come by again to arrange the details. I wonder if the baron is right and the wisps are from the forest, also if, like in Alexander’s story, they are trying to lead us awry. While I do think it likely they are of the woods, I doubt they are here to cause any mischief. The wisp at Hallinox almost seemed confused, like maybe there were too many people about and… oh, I don’t know, but I think I know someone who might. I do hope I see the smoke over the forest again. Then I’ll know it’s time to pay a visit to my old friend.