Winter Bloom Meets A Gnome

Winter Bloom flitted cautiously, towards the voice, calling for help. It seemed to becoming from the woods. She darted into the woods, looking around. Snow covered the grounds in its white blankets. Hulking alpine trees stood all around, frozen and white.

"Heeeelp!" Came the voice again.

Winter Bloom approached a grove and then, saw a huge, gray wolf. Its long, sharp teeth was bent over a creature she had never before seen. The creature was small like herself, small in comparison to the gray beast. Its short arms were crouched in fear. The wolf snorted ominously and clenched its teeth around the creature's small feet.

"Let me go this instant, ye monstrous beast!" Scolded the creature, as it flailed its arms wildly. "I'll not be yer dinner!"

The wolf kept pulling at the creature, dragging it in the snow. The creature struggled and struggled, but it was helpless to free itself.

"Well, what will ye be hovering there for? Help me out before I get gobbled up!" The creature screamed at Winter Bloom, suddenly sighting her.

Winter Bloom felt uncertain, but then she stretched forth her hands, and the wolf began to freeze all through. Its eyes went wide and its jaws released the creature's leg. Soon, the wolf was completely frozen and fell stock-still onto the snow.

"Bless me, but am I glad not to have been eaten!" The creature said, happy and relieved to be safe from the clutches of the wolf. It dusted the snow off its clothes.

Winter Bloom felt horrified at what she had just done. She didn't mean to hurt the wolf. She stared at the frozen wolf with her eyes wide, and with her little hands over her small mouth.

Seeing her expression, the creature looked over the wolf and exclaimed: "Well I never!"

It looked back at Winter Bloom and started towards her. Coming to a halt infront of her, it squinted its beady, black eyes as if, trying to figure what she was. Winter Bloom also stared in awe of the creature; it wore a long, pointed red cap, had a grumpy expression on its face, its white beards ran in a curve on its chin, and it stuck its big, red nose at Winter Bloom.

"Why, you're just like a fairy! But the queerest fairy I e'er saw!" It exclaimed finally, after moments of silence and scrutinizing.

"W-what are you?" Winter Bloom asked timidly, stuttering a little. She suddenly felt shy at this stranger, who was studying her very closely.

"My, so she does speak! I thought you quite dumb." The creature said in a crude manner.

"I can speak quite well, if you must know." Winter Bloom replied, quite offended by his rudeness.

The creature chuckled in mock amusement, his eyes crinking a little.

"I've not had such a laugh, in a long time!" It said, and redoubled down in mirth.

Winter Bloom could not understand what was so amusing in the situation, so she folded her arms across her chest, cross with the creature. She waited until its laughter had died out.

"Whatever are you anyways? I've not seen your likes before." Winter Bloom creased her forehead in thought.

"Never seen my likes before!" Exclaimed the creature, unbelievably. "Where have you been living, under a rock?"

"You're quite a rude fellow."

"And you're an odd little thing!" returned the creature.

"Little! Why, were just about the same size!" Winter Bloom cried out, indignant. "You're very grumpy and ungrateful sir, and I should really have left you to the wolf."

"Well you didn't, so here we are." The creature replied, refusing to utter 'thanks' to Winter Bloom. She felt quite unfortunate to have rescued such a rude-mannered and irritable fellow, who couldn't be thankful to her, for saving his hide.

"Anyways," said the creature with airs, "If you really must know, I am a gnome."

"A gnome?" Winter Bloom repeated, testing the sound of the word in her mouth.

"Yes, a gnome."

"Are there other gnomes like you, then?" She asked, curious.

"Yes, of course. There are many gnomes like myself, both blue and red alike, and there are a great many others too." The gnome expressed greatly, scratching his white beard.

"A great many others too! Whatever do you mean by that?" Winter Bloom asked, wondering what other kind of creatures could possibly exist, apart from herself and his kind.

"I mean, the enchanted forest. The enchanted forest of Fairy Glade." The gnome answered, raising its brow in disbelief.

Winter Bloom felt puzzled by all the gnome just said, as she didn't understand a button he said.

"You don't know?" Said the gnome, unable to believe his ears. He looked at Winter Bloom and wondered where in the whole enchanted forest, she had come from. Winter Bloom just shook her head, meaning she indeed didn't know.

The gnome looked up to the sky, and the snow was beginning to fall fast. He felt cold and numb, and he needed a place to cave in for the night.

"Come, let's go look for a shade and I'll tell you. It seems there's a great lot you don't know about." The gnome said and began truding in the snow. Winter Bloom followed behind, pensive in thought.