Summer of Elves

by Joanne Vruno

  I was a bit nervous as I bowed back and extended my hand, replying, “Lunt, it is a pleasure to meet you. You are the very first gnome I have ever met.” I shook his hand with one of my fingers, “I’m also very sorry about ap­proaching you in my yard. I now know not to do that again and hope you can forgive me.”

  “It takes someone strong to admit a mistake,” said Lunt with a smile. Then he turned to Grandma: “Alice, I think you have a student who is now willing to learn. She reminds me of you when you were in training.”

  “Oh, I think she may outdo me down the line,” replied Grandma.

  I looked at Grandma and smiled. That was when I knew today was going to be a good day of training.

  Grandma explained that we were going to work in the yard, and Lunt was going to occasionally cross paths with us. We were to ignore everything he did or said. She told me to think of him as being invisible.

  I took a bucket and moved near the maple tree and started weeding in the area where I had first seen Silver. Grandma got a big bag to put all the weeds in for the compost site. She said we’d go there when we finished training for the day.

  I tried to focus on what I was doing, even though, out of the corner of my eye, I could see Lunt coming closer. It was hard, but I kept telling myself to not look in his direction.

  Then, out of the blue, he broke into song: “Pulling weeds, pulling weeds, silly humans pulling weeds. Don’t they know more weeds will always reappear? How foolish, they are to be pulling weeds.”

  I didn’t expect him to make fun of humans in song. I wanted to reply to him that it makes the plants stronger when you pull out the weeds, but stopped myself when I realized he was just challenging me. Focus, Aly, focus on your job, I told myself. What had Grandma said—-“think of a song to sing or hum to drown out Lunt’s voice.” I started to sing Lady Gaga’s, “Born This Way,” and moved my shoulders and head to the music as I weeded.

  I could hear Grandma laughing with Lunt at my response, but I pretended I didn’t hear them and sang louder. I chuckled then as I realized the song I had chosen fit my situation. I was born to be a guardian.

  Lunt became more focused on throwing me off. He finally achieved it when he started dancing to my song right in front of my hands, where I was weeding. I finally broke out in laughter, watching this little old gnome as he tried dancing to Lady Gaga.

  “That isn’t fair!” I exclaimed, “You made me laugh. I couldn’t hold it in.”

  “You haven’t met a troll yet. They’re the funniest creatures out there. They’ll follow you and mimic every movement you make. You can’t let them know you’re noticing them. I’ve seen a pair follow one human all day long. They can be quite annoying and comical. They’ll repeat everything you say, over and over, to copy your speech. A troll will pretend they’re you, with every action. It’s like an addiction for them, but very dangerous for you. If they sense you can detect them in any way, they can turn deadly,” said Lunt.

  All the fun was taken away with that statement.

  “Aly, Lunt’s right: trolls are very dangerous. Unfor­tunately, they’re one of the most common creatures you’ll run into. You need to block them out of your hearing and sight. Don’t focus on their conversations, songs, or actions. If you do, they’ll draw a reaction from you.”

  “But, Grandma, if they’re right within view, how could you not look at them?”

  “It’s very difficult. That’s why we need many days of practice. You did a great job focusing on your song and not Lunt’s lyrics. Dwarves and trolls make rude comments when they cross your path, call you names, sing rude songs. You can’t respond. In time, you’ll learn not to turn towards the voices of mythical creatures when you first hear them. You can slowly look in their direction after a few minutes. But always look casually, like you’re just viewing your surroundings. If you look quickly in the direction of the noise, they’ll know you heard them. Down the line, you’ll need to learn not to jump at every loud noise you hear. Your instincts will sharpen to know how to identify the source of most sounds. Until then, if you jerk, pretend you have hiccups. The reaction one may have when surprised is the same movement as a hiccup. My mother taught me that one.

  “Occasionally, Lunt and I will make surprise movements for you, so you can practice. Focus on weeding, not on our actions. Try to block us out completely. It’s a tough skill, but the most important one you need to know,” said Grandma.

  My determination was strong. Nobody was going to distract me . . . nobody! I stared at the hostas and really focused on the small maple seedlings I needed to pull. I even blocked out what the other two were discussing. I was so determined to block out any movement or sound that I ignored the rustle of leaves by my feet—-until something slithered across my ankle. I let out a scream. I looked down at a small garter snake. Jumping up, I almost stepped on Lunt, who was trying to sneak up on me. I couldn’t stop jumping and brushing off my legs. I hated snakes. To have one touch me was too much.

  “Well, it looked like she was ignoring all movement and sound,” said Lunt, looking over to Grandma. “I was just as surprised. I was so focused on sneaking up on you, I missed the snake also. It is just a baby one and won’t hurt you. None of the snakes around here are poisonous, just slithery.” Lunt smiled at me with pity in his eyes, knowing I had really been shocked by the snake.

  “How about you two go into the gazebo, and I will get all three of us a snack,” suggested Grandma.

  I walked to the gazebo and opened the door for Lunt. He took a seat on a cushion on the floor, while I sat in a chair and drew my legs up to my chin so nothing could climb up them. I smiled apprehensively at Lunt as I spoke, “I’m really sorry I jumped up so quickly. I hope I didn’t hurt you. I really hate snakes, and it was the first time I was touched by one. I hope I won’t ever have to experience that again!”

  “Oh, but Aly, snakes are so important. They help keep the rodent population down. They’re really good for gardens. They eliminate voles and mice that can eat the root systems of some garden plants and grasses. The snakes here are harmless to humans and creatures like me.”

  I thought about that as Grandma came to the door with a tray of grapes and lemonade. I quickly went to open the door for her.

  “Thank you, Aly,” she said, as she set down the tray on the gazebo table. She dished out grapes and poured a very small glass of lemonade for Lunt and set it down by him. Then she turned around and filled two larger glasses.

  We sat in silence, just relaxing as we ate. I loved sitting in the gazebo. Creatures of nature seemed to know we weren’t any threat there. A mother robin brought a worm to her nest in one of the many birdhouses hanging from the gazebo’s eaves. I could actually hear the chirps from her babies as she entered the circular opening to feed them.

  “It must be fun watching over this yard,” I said, looking at Lunt, “May I ask where you sleep?”

  “My home is in the a corner of the shed. I can hear of any danger from there. The average humans wouldn’t see my home, but to you it’d be visible. I don’t like to be disturbed, so I request that you not go in there without being asked. Your grandma has set all the gardening tools you need in her garage, so I can have privacy.”

  “Emily and I loved playing hide-and-seek in the shed, even though Grandma asked us not to. I never imagined someone lived there. Did we hurt any of your things? I’m so sorry if we did. Grandma, now I can understand why you’d get so upset with us. I really hope both of you accept my apology.” I felt awful when I thought back to how many times we had sneaked into the shed to hide. It seemed only to be filled with old planting pots and bags of planting soil. I never would’ve guessed someone’s home was in there.

  “Now you understand why I was so persistent with you two to stay away from the shed. I cringed each time I found you in there. It was almost like you were drawn to that shed more because it was rest
ricted,” said Grandma.

  “We used it as our secret fort. We didn’t know what secrets it had inside. Lunt, I’m so sorry, and if Emily knew, I know she would be too. I promise I won’t enter again without asking permission. Now that we’re older, it doesn’t seem so exciting. We both choose the pond and the fish to spend time with instead.”

  “Aly, you had no idea it was my home. You have nothing to be sorry for, but you probably should have listened to your grandmother,” said Lunt.

  “Lunt, you’re right. Sorry, Grandma,” I said, as I gave her a pleading look.

  “Little children often get into mischief. It’s part of their makeup. Now you have outgrown it. All is forgiven.”

  “Lunt, can I ask you another question? What do you do in the cold winter months?”

  “Gnome homes are partially above ground and partially below. In the winter I live below ground for warmth and in the hot summer I also choose to live underneath for the coolness. No humans can enter because of their size, and it’s constructed with magic, so no other creatures can bur­row into it. It’s how gnomes have lived throughout the ages.”

  I tried to imagine what it would be like to have a secret home. I was very interested in learning about the elves and gnomes. I even thought of the tomtes, Enar and Elsa. Where did they sleep? I’d have to ask them the next time I saw them.

  Grandma interrupted my thoughts, announcing we should go back to training. I helped her carry the dishes inside and then returned to the yard. This time I chose to weed the impatiens by the gazebo. Several times during the afternoon Lunt tried to surprise me, but I stayed focused on my weeding. At the end of the day, both Grandma and Lunt told me I was learning quickly how to ignore them. I laughed at that. Who would have ever thought I would be praised for ignoring others. In school we were taught to pay attention! This new lifestyle was so unlike anything I could have ever imagined.

  Chapter 8

  For the rest of the week my training was all about ignoring sounds and appearances from Lunt. Every day I felt more in control of my reactions. Now I only messed up about once a day, if that. I was taking pride in being able to block any reactions—-that was until Thursday, when I was caught off guard once more.

  We were taking our juice break in the gazebo, which had turned into a daily event, when I noticed something moving in the back of the yard by the shed. Should I check to see what it was, or ignore all strange movements? I looked at both Lunt and Grandma to see if they had noticed it too. They were both in deep conversa­tion about what to do with some bushes that were getting unruly. So I took another quick peek and saw a little woman that looked like a gnome in size. I quickly glanced back at Lunt. He noticed my look and smiled. I just smiled back and tried to focus on their conversation again. My mind kept telling me this was just another trial.

  When everyone was done with the snack, Grandma took in the tray, and Lunt and I returned to where we had been working. I was on the right border area of the yard with my back towards the yard. I thought this would be a great place to work because my back was towards Lunt and Grandma and whatever they might conjure up to surprise me. Plus it’d keep the little lady gnome out of sight.

  I was working hard pulling weeds when I heard strange voices. There seemed to be many, but this time they spoke in Swedish. My mind raced. Was this a trap or was Lunt having an argument with other creatures? I wanted so much to turn around to make sure he was all right. Grandma was still in the house, otherwise it wouldn’t have bothered me. The voices became louder, but I couldn’t decide if they were angry or not. I was getting more and more frustrated with the situation and hoped Grandma would appear soon for backup, if Lunt needed it. Part of me said just to focus on weeding and ignore the sounds, but the other part of me was getting more con­cerned for Lunt. He had become a friend in this short time of working together and training. He was looked very old. If some other creatures went after him, could he hold his own? I finally thought of a way to look without being obvious. I’d get up to empty my bucket of weeds into the compost bag. I could look casual doing that and not appear like I had heard anything. Then, if Lunt looked like he was in trouble, I could walk into the house and warn Grandma.

  I slowly got up, not wanting to look like I was in a hurry, lifting my bucket before turning around. All the voices suddenly stopped. I casually glanced around the yard but saw nothing, not even Lunt. I walked over to the compost bag, dumped my weeds in it, set the bucket next to the bag, and then strolled over to the back door without looking back.

  As soon as I had entered and shut the door, I ran to Grandma. “Grandma I think you should come outside with me. There are other creatures in the yard, and they’re in loud conversation with Lunt. He may be in trouble. I tried to stay calm as I came inside. I did make a quick glance around the yard, and Lunt and the others were gone. What should we do?”

  Grandma got out of her Lazy-boy chair and walked over to me. She put her hand on my shoulder and said, “Aly, you did the right thing coming inside to talk to me. I also noticed you closed the door before speaking. Now here’s one of the dilemmas we have as guardians. If we go out and check on the situation, the unknown creatures will wonder if we noticed them, especially because Lunt is a gnome. Gnomes are stationed at every home that has someone with the magical powers and knows about mythical creatures. Sometimes they choose homes with humans who don’t have any magical powers but have shown kindness to others. If a mythical creature notices a gnome in a yard, it also takes notice of the humans. If we run outside now to try to protect Lunt, we’d be putting him and ourselves in danger’s way. Instead, we have to act as though nothing’s changed and leave all confrontations to Lunt. You also need to know that, even if Lunt doesn’t seem very spry and strong, he has more knowledge and magical abilities than most creatures. In the creature world, the elders are the strongest. So why don’t you take a break here with me for half an hour or so. Then we’ll go back outside.”

  I thought about the information I had just been given, and wondered how I was ever going to learn all this. I was glad it was summer. If it were during the school year, my mind would be in overload mode, with all the things I needed to learn. That was the first time I thought about what would happen when I was at school or gone on one of my hockey tournaments. Some tourna­ments were out of town. I wouldn’t be there to help the elves if they needed me. I needed to ask Grandma.

  “Grandma, all this training takes so much time. What’s going to happen when I’m back at school? I’ll have homework and hockey practices in the evening. I won’t have time for guardianship training. What am I going to do? I can’t tell Mom or Dad or my coach that I can’t attend school or hockey because the elves need me.” I started to breathe quickly at all the thoughts that suddenly flooded into my mind. What about vacations? And sleepovers? And . . .

  Grandma noticed my spiraling panic. “Aly, calm down. All of it is doable. The number one thing you need to know is that you are not the only guardian during this time. I’m still here, and I don’t plan on going anywhere for many years. I’m your back-up. You’re not ready to go solo for a few years anyway. We’ll be working as a team until you are. By the time you’re ready, you’ll know all the ways we can be notified if the elves need us. If ever I am not around, Silver and Dolph will tell you what needs to be done. Lunt and the tomtes also know far more than you can imagine, and can also assist in more ways than you’d ever guess. We’re all here to help each other with what needs to be done.”

  I started to calm down with Grandma’s reassuring words, though I was still puzzled about what was going to happen next in my life.

  After the half hour was up, Grandma and I walked out into the yard. I wanted to look around but thought better of it. Instead I walked over to pick up my bucket. As soon as I started heading over to the butterfly bush by the fence, a roar of laughter caught my attention.

  “Aly, turn around,” said Grandma
. “I should have told you what was going on, but you definitely passed a major test today. I have some friends to introduce you to.”

  I turned towards Grandma who had a giant smile on her face, and then down to Lunt, who was laughing. Next to him were three other gnomes. One was the lady gnome I had seen earlier, who was around Lunt’s age, and then another couple who were much younger. They were all chuckling as if they had pulled a great prank on me.

  “Aly, your Grandma and I thought this would be a great test for you today, so we brought in others to help set it up. I have to congratulate you on passing with flying colors. You never once glanced over while you were weeding, only casually as you turned around towards the yard. Instead of panicking and running to the house, you walked calmly and gave no clue that you even knew we were here. I’m very proud of how far you’ve come in your training. Now I’d like to introduce you to some gnomes you’ll need to know.”

  Lunt walked over to the other gnomes and put his arm around the elder lady gnome and said, “Aly, this is my wife, Alma, and that’s my son, Alf, and his wife, Aina. And because you’ve always wanted to meet your gnome, here he is. But you have two gnomes instead of one. I was watching over your place when Alf went to Aina’s home to be wed. I could leave your grandma’s place because my wife Alma was here. Alf grew up with your grandma and has been your gnome since the day you were born. He’s very familiar with you and your sister, Emily.”