It was a sunny early spring day today and I took a much needed break from my desk to rake leaves and sticks from my flowers beds. Alas! I discovered crocuses and lilies in bloom! Poor things buried under all that dead debris. As I dug in the dirt and pulled up overgrown ground cover, I thought about Jaida, one of my favorite characters Stelladaur: Finding Tir Na Nog. Here is a brief excerpt from Chapter 19 to introduce you to this intriguing character.
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Reilly opened his mouth to speak but gulped for breath as a mighty gust of wind overtook them. They turned towards the wind and saw streaks of bright green—a jet stream from something that had whipped by too fast for them to see. Then another whoosh of tremendous force blew past them in long streaks of green from the other direction. From behind them, someone spoke.
“I am called Jaida.” It was a female voice, gentle and calm.
Reilly and Norah faced the creature and dropped their jaws, still surprised by the continual unexpectedness in the realms unknown to them before.
“I am the Guardian of Nature,” she said, her long hair flowing with green threads of shimmering seaweed. “It is my purpose to protect the spirit of all living things.” Fastened to uneven sections of her hair by green stems were flowers of many colors and varieties. Like strings of randomly twinkling lights, the blossoms transformed continuously into other flowers and buds. Jaida’s two arms were moss-covered branches, and her hands were multi-pointed maple leaves. Though her shoulders were bare, her upper torso was covered in iridescent green scales, which blended into the feathered lower portion of her body. Reilly could not tell whether the scales and feathers were part of her body or her clothing. Tied about her neck was a flowing cloak, a collage of green leaves, which trailed behind her like an elaborate bridal train gathered about her in a sweeping fashion on the ground. Exquisitely camouflaged throughout the cloak—yet still appearing in their natural color- ings—were small animals, birds, insects and reptiles, some poking their heads up slightly as if to see who Jaida was speaking to.
“This is Nebo,” said Jaida, nodding to a bald eagle perched on her right shoulder. The bird’s white head towered above Jaida. “He is the Guide of Wisdom, whose influence flows endlessly through all living things.” The eagle blinked slowly as he, too, nodded to Reilly and Norah. They returned the greeting with a slight bow.
“Reilly, because you have an innate ability to listen to the spirits of other living things, your visit to Gwidon is primarily a reminder to you of what you already know within yourself,” said Jaida, her
scaly green breast rising as she spoke. “Norah, you, too, will learn from these same Spirits of Nature. They will aid you both in the healing of your souls and will offer simple treasures of delight, as you allow them. This is the purpose of Nature.”
Reilly and Norah listened carefully, glancing occasionally at the creatures peering up at them from Jaida’s cloak. Nebo continued to blink slowly and nod slightly ....
... Jaida’s own two eyes glistened like emeralds and her green fuzzy lips—reminding Reilly of a plant called Rabbit Ears that grew in his front yard—twitched at the corners.... Jaida scrunched her delicate nose until it took the form of a conch shell ...
“Green reflects respect for life in all forms. It brings endless growth and fertility, creating perfect balance through the Spirits of Nature. When Nature’s spirit is disrupted or harmed in any way, all other forms suffer as well. Most human beings are unaware of their power to create a peaceful balance with life.” Jaida looked adoringly at the creatures nodding beneath her skirt. “Those who listen to the Spirits of Nature are more enlightened in their ability to create this balance.”
“Can you repeat that?” Norah asked. “I don’t know if I can remember all of that.”
“You need only remember the feeling. Nature will remind you of all else.”
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