Several minutes passed in silence before Moth returned. He glided down out of the sky and landed on Adan’s shoulder with a thud.
“The Federation soldiers are nowhere near the bridges,” the fairy reported. “They are all within their camp.”
Adan raised an eyebrow at the report.
“You seem concerned,” Kyle said suspiciously.
“No,” Adan shook his head. “It is just unexpected. I thought once they discovered that there was no way to go north that they might post sentries by the bridges to secure them. It is their only way out of the swamp.”
“Let’s remove the bridges before they discover their mistake,” suggested Laman.
Adan nodded as he rose to his feet and signaled his men to advance. Laman and Kyle moved towards the bridges to supervise their removal, but Adan remained in the grass. He turned his head and looked at the fairy.
“You did well, Moth,” Adan said with a smile. “Now I need to send you on a more dangerous mission.”
“No danger is too great for the fairy people,” Moth replied. “How may I serve the King of the Gypsies?”
“I need to get word to Mandel and Hortice,” explained Adan. “They and their men are hidden in the swamp near the Federation camp. They will be difficult to find, even for a fairy.”
“Fairies can find anyone,” boasted Moth.
“I do believe that to be true,” Adan said with a smile, “but you should know by now that gypsies can hide rather well. You will need to stay close to the surface of the swamp to find them, and great dangers exist at that level, especially for creatures as small as yourself.”
Moth shuddered at the thought of being eaten by one of the giant reptiles, but he replied with courage, “I will deliver your message. What shall I say to them?”
“Tell them that the bridges are being removed,” instructed Adan. “They are now authorized to begin their portion of this mission. You are to stay with them until they are done, Moth, just in case they need to send a message back. Find a safe place to wait and let Mandel and Hortice know where you will be. Above all, do not let the Federation see you.”
“You can count on me,” the fairy said reassuringly. “Fairies are never seen unless they want to be seen.”
Adan chuckled as Moth rose in the sky. He felt for the chubby fairy, and his thoughts turned to Caroom. Caroom had been a giant of a gypsy, and his size had made him a bit of an outcast. Adan often wondered how much of an impact those hurt feelings had in the play of events. In the end, Caroom had turned against the gypsy people, and he had died for that betrayal, but Adan wondered if the gypsy people had made it easy for the giant to turn against his own people by making him feel as if he was not one of them. Adan shook his head as if to clear it of such thoughts and walked towards the bridges to watch them being dismantled.
Moth soared high over the swamp, but he approached the Federation camp with the night sky in mind. Being careful not to get between the enemy and the moon, the fairy gazed down at the inhospitable terrain. He could see no gypsies in the swamp, and he suddenly remembered Adan’s instructions to fly low. Banking into a steep dive, the fairy shot downward with great speed. The tall grass rose towards him at a dizzying pace. He flared his wings out wide to slow his descent, but it was too little, too late. The tall blades of stiff grass whipped his body as he plowed through them, and he tumbled to the ground.
Moth pushed himself off the ground, the muck of the swamp sticking to his hands and oozing over his feet. He looked around, but he could not see a single pace in any direction. The grass was thick and tall, and he was stuck in the middle of it. He started tromping through the maze, but he had only gone a little ways when the noises around him caused him to halt in fear. He heard something large slithering through the grass to one side of him, and something very large soared directly overhead, its wings momentarily blotting out the moonlight. Moth shuddered with fear.
The fairy hesitantly turned towards the slithering noise, his eyes as large as buttons. Frozen with fear, he listened to the sound coming closer. Suddenly he saw the grass stalks moving and then he heard the hiss. A giant snake lifted its head up and sniffed the air, its forked tongue darting in and out of its mouth. Moth panicked. He screamed and ran, his tiny feet sloshing through the muck. The snake must have sensed its prey for it darted towards the fleeing fairy. Moth bounced off stalk after stalk as he hysterically raced for his life, the sounds of the slithering snake gaining on him with every step.
Eventually, Moth ran out of the patch of grass. He broke out into the open to find himself on the edge of a body of water. He flapped his wings furiously, but he was too exhausted to propel himself off the ground. He just could not get off the ground. Tears came to his eyes as he turned around and watched the giant snake approaching. The slithering beast halted as its tongue detected the fairy. It raised its head and lunged at Moth. The fairy closed his eyes and whimpered. The fairy trembled as he waited for the strike that would end his life, but it never came. Moth opened his eyes and saw the head of the snake mere inches from him, and then it was gone, flung off to some distant place by a large hand.
“You shouldn’t play in the swamp, Moth,” said the voice. “It is a very dangerous place, especially for fairies.”
Moth frowned in confusion. He turned and saw an arm sticking out of the water, a human arm. He turned further and stared into the mud-covered face of Mandel. The gypsy was submerged in the water of the swamp, only his head and arm were above the surface.
“You saved my life,” Moth said with awe and reverence. “I thought I was going to die.”
“You just might have,” Mandel said compassionately. “It happens to the best of us, but you are alive now. Rejoice and be thankful. What are you doing out here?”
Moth tried to stop his body from shivering, but he could not. He blushed with embarrassment, knowing that the gypsy had witnessed him cowering in fear. He was ashamed.
“Adan sent me to deliver a message to you and Hortice. The bridges are being removed and you are authorized to start your part of the mission.”
“Excellent,” smiled the gypsy. “I will inform Hortice and the others. Do you need help getting aloft?”
Moth broke down and cried. His head grew light and his limbs trembled so badly that he could not stand. He dropped into a sitting position and let the tears flow freely.
“I meant no slight by my words,” Mandel said softly. “You have been through a trying ordeal. Even a gypsy would appreciate some help under those conditions.”
“A gypsy would not cower in fear,” mumbled Moth. “I am fat, and I am useless. And now I am a coward. You should have let the snake eat me.”
“As long as you are assigned to Adan,” Mandel said caringly, “you are a gypsy, Moth.” Mandel reached out and cupped the fairy with his hand, holding him securely. “I have known fear in my life, and I know what it does to a man. You have no need to be embarrassed. You trying to fight off that snake would be the same as me trying to fend off a dragon. There would be no option but to run for either of us. Calm yourself and then I will give you a boost to get you flying.”
Moth shook his head. “Adan wants me to stay with you, in case you have need to send a message back.”
“And you are willing to stay in the swamp?”
“It is my duty,” answered the fairy. “I have no choice.”
“We always have a choice, Moth.”
“I will not abandon my duty,” declared the fairy.
“Then you are far braver than you think,” smiled Mandel. “Every man knows fear at one time or another. That is nothing to be ashamed of, but it takes true courage to stand firm in the face of fear. Let’s find a reasonably safe perch for you while Hortice and I teach the Federation a lesson.”
The gypsy moved silently through the water. First he joined up with Hortice and passed along Adan’s message. He then found a small tree for Moth and placed him on a branch as high as he could reach.