Michael promised to stay out of the forest and stick to the path. He could wander into the village, if he
would agree to pick up the mail at the post office and a pound of cheese for tonight's dinner. He grudgingly
agreed.
He was halfway to town, when a young male voice called out to him.
"Hey, you're new around here! What're ya called?" shouted someone from the side of the road.
Michael turned his head. He saw a tow haired lean young man stretched out on a low rock wall sunning
himself.
"My name's Michael. I'm staying up at my Aunt Dedrana's," Michael said.
"Mike? Oh, I bet that's fun," he chortled, "Staying up at that crazy ol' bat's place. It's like a haunted
house. 'Course it's not really haunted."
"Yeah. How much farther to town?" Michael asked.
"Too much farther. It's a hot day, I'm going over to the mill pond and take a skinny dip. Care to join me?"
"Thanks, but maybe some other time. I promised to get to get some things in town for Aunt Dedrana."
"Ah, turning down my hospitable offer, but for a promise's sake. I think I like you," the lad said hopping off
the fence and lightly stepping through the grass to the road. Michael barely noticed at the time, but the
tall blades of grass between the wall and the road seemed undisturbed by the young man's passage. If Michael
had walked there, great numbers would have been smashed down.
The lad extended his hand and shook Michael's hand firmly, "I'm Robin, but you can call me Rob."
"Hey, Rob, nice to meet you."
"I think I'll walk with you to the village. It's not rightly a town, barely rightly a village. Still
companionship makes time go faster - or so says my granny," he went on. He was standing a might closer than
Michael was used to people standing, but he felt good about his new friend and didn't mind. He was soon
telling this stranger all about his family, and how they had to live with their aunt or be separated. Then he
told Rob about the faeries.
"Aah," Rob said knowingly touching his nose, "Your auntie is right. Interesting things do happen around
hereabouts. Interesting can be good or bad. Though the term faeries does seem a bit inadequate and confusing
to describe the beasties and beings that may frequent this circle."
"Circle?"
"Oh, the whole valley is round and surrounded by monolithes like at Stone Henge. It's a giant fairy circle, so
naturally it attracts magical things. I think you might advise your auntie to use analogy to explain her
concerns to your younger siblings. Best describe the things in the circle as fairies or elementals because
they are natural things like fire. Fire isn't good or evil, it help keep you warm or it can burn you. Same
with fae folk and beasties."
"Fae folk?"
"Fae is like fate or destiny. It's what the creatures are rightly called. But over the years people
corrupted the words into fairy," Rob explained.
"You sure know a lot about this stuff," Michael said.
"Aye, Mike, I should. I've lived here nigh on forever," Rob said drapping his arm across Michael's shoulder,
"And I can show you a thing or two."
"I wouldn't mind find a tele to catch a football match while we're in town. Aunt Dedrana doesn't have a
television," Michael said.
"Ah, they've got one of those big screens over at the pub," Rob said lightly. His arm on Michael's shoulder
guided him across the road toward the tavern.
"I'm too young to drink," Michael blurted out.
"You're not going to drink. You're going to watch," Robin said shaking his head. He guided Michael around
through the garden and into the lounge through the window of an open dutch door. He put one hand on the wooden
ledge of the door, and vaulted into the pub. He motioned to Michael to follow, "Come on now."
Michael did so less gracefully leaving a footprint on the dutch door's shelf.
They snickered. Surprisingly, there was no one in the sunporch lounge. It wasn't that surprising, as it was
like a sauna in the glass room, but there was a big screen TV. The game came on. Rob watched, and didn't say
much, as Michael gave the play by play. The match was almost over when the barkeep discovered Michael.
"What are you doing here?" he roared.
"Jes' watching the game," Michael said standing up.
"And what made you think you could just stroll in here and watch?"
"Well, it's a public house, and Rob and I - " Michael paused. Where was Rob? Michael continued, "Anyway,
when I came in I didn't see you or any other strangers, so I sat down and watched the match. Funny, most of
the time I expect there would be other guys wanting to watch the match too."
"Most of the time there would be except this Tele is busted."
"It is?" Michael said pointing at the screen as the final scores were displayed.
The barkeep's jaw dropped, "So how did ya fix it? It wasn't working when I unplugged -" the barkeep stopped
speaking. He was holding the power cord and plug in his hand. The game was still on the screen. Then it
flickered off. "It's been unplugged this whole time, how could you be watching?" he demanded.
"I think you just unplugged it now," Michael said.
"Who are you?" demanded the burly man looming over Michael.
"My name's Michael, I'm staying at my Aunt Dedrana's with my brothers and sisters," he rambled.
"Yeah," demanded the big man.
"Yeah, now leave Michael alone," said Rob from the corner of the room where he squated perched on the shelf of
the dutch door. He was half outside and half inside. "You should be grateful that your tele is working now,
and not go questioning innocent folk. I think some people call it bad karma, might make all your beer go
stale and flat, if you make too much of it."
"Who's he?" the man demanded of Michael.
"That's Robin-"
"Robin Goodfellow?" said the man incredulously with a hint of horror in his voice.
"I'm not sure about his last name?"
"I'm sorry gents. How about a pint for both of you. On the house. I apologize for my manners, the heat's a
bit got me nerves off. I wish my air conditioner was working as well as you fixed my tele," he said dashing
behind the bar and grabbing some glasses.
"I'm too young to drink legally," Michael said, but he was a bit hot.
"I've got ginger beer too," the man offered, "I really need to make up for my bad behavior earlier.
"Well, you need a gentler nature," Robin said from the far side of the room by the thermostat. He tentatively
tapped it, and a loud whooshing sound followed as cold air blasted out of the vents. "Just needed to tap the
thermostat. The thermocouple was just stuck. Now I think I'll try one of your frosty cold ones." He climbed
up on the barstool, and patted the one next to him, and Michael joined him.
It was odd the barkeep served them. He looked straight at Michael, but he seemed to look all around Robin, and
never straight at him. He even stared at Robin's glass as he raised and drank it.
"Strange fellow," Michael whispered, "Ah, people see what they want to see or not for that matter." Robin
winked.
From the corner behind the bar, the big man trembled as he watched the half filled pint of beer floating in
midair being drunk by an unseen guest. Still his television, and air conditioning were working again, and all
it cost him was two beers. He should be happy and grateful, and part of him was, but part of him was
terrified. Robin Goodfellow was in his pub. The most powerful, caprious and dangerous fairy in the woods was
sitting - well, probably sitting - on the stool next to this young lad who seemed to be oblivious. He could
hear the human, but only heard Robin when Robin wanted him to hear. So the conversation that they were
currently having was extremely disconcerting. He heard Michael talking about the match, and how Beckham and
Magee and Perk had made that goal. Michael would pause for Robin's presumed response. He'd say, "Oh, yeah," or
"that's right" and laugh.
Eventually, their glasses were empty.
"Would you like another?" the barkeep said nervously.
"Thanks no - unless you want one Rob?"
The barkeep looked expectantly at the empty stool.
"Okay then, we'll be back tomorrow. Which way is the post office? I need to pick up the mail," Mike asked
jumping off his stool.
"You and your friend are always welcome here," the barkeep said with a forced smile and sweat on his brow in
spite of the cool air blasting on him from overhead, "The post office is just on the other side of the
fountain in the center square. Big green building, it's the market too. You cannot miss it."
"Thanks."
"No problem. And thanks to your friend Rob for fixing that pesky thermostat," he said, "And tele."
Robin laughed, and this time the man heard him. He nearly dropped the glass he had been nervously polishing.