Heart Day Hunt Part I

Delaney awoke. The crisp mid-winter sun greeted him through frosted window panes. He jumped out of bed and scooted over to take a closer look outside. The Pillow Whimble smiled. The two perfectly formed snow replicas of the Orchid Whimble twins, Sasha and Rudi, were at attention on either side of the garden gate.

The two figures were completed at dusk the day before. Delaney and his brothers, Devon and Dillon, had gathered raisins for eyes, currants for mouths, long silky pine needles for whiskers, and brightly colored scarves that wrapped around their necks. The three had worked all afternoon the day before completing their masterpieces since the REAL Orchid twins were arriving today for tea and annual Heart Day Hunt.

Each year these two Lumenesian colonies gathered for this festive event. The twins always fabricated splendid hearts from fabric and snippets that they hid within tree crevices and surrounding bushes. Last year their treasures were wee silk and velvet pouches filled with sparkling red and white hearts. Delaney had discovered a pale blue one tucked into the nook of the garden Japanese Maple. He looked across the room at the magical gift resting on his nightstand.

"What marvels will the twins surprise us with this year?" he wondered to himself. "Our sun, Revelato, surely shines brightly for this Day of Hearts." (to be continued from The Upper Meadows - Caelumen)