1.     Most People,
       Cannot understand why
       I love the days and nights
       When the clouds sinks low and
       Fog enveloped the land.

2.     Because, it sends me back
       To the Misty Isles.
       To a Time and Place where harsh
       Colors and sharp light does not
       Hurt my eyes and head.

3.     Now, in the softened 
       Landscape I see buildings of
       Dark-Red Stone with Turrets and
       Tall Towers besides having three
       Or four overlapping storeys.

4.     Where, when the light
       From a Red Sun hits the windows
       Of heavy curved Dragon-Scale Glass
       It will shimmer, shine and burst into
       Rainbows of iridescent colors.

5.     Through the Mist,
       I can hear the distant clanking
       From a working Smithy and the flapping
       And shorting noises from a restless
       Dragon wanting to soar.

6.     Leaning out my window
       And drinking in the fresh cool
       Morning Mist. At the end of
       The street I can see the settings-up for
       Market has already started.

7.     I see a waddling Troll,
       Clad in heavy wool.
       Arguing with Fishmonger Youle.
       By the look on her face, he smells
       Worse than the fish she sells.

8.     I see my street filling up  
      With folks from many Realms,
       Because our small Town lay at
       The crossroad to anywhere and it be
       On the largest of the Isles.

9.     Awakening is my Town   
       Soon all the Shops will be filled
       With hustle and bustle, and too,
       The one below, where I must go to
       Open the shutters and doors.

10.    For I am an Apprentice Witch    
       To the best Warlock and Herbalist
       In miles around. Only the best
       He teaches and long past this life
       I will remember Master Lhorne.

11.   Morning Sir, Elven Salve
       For sore Joints. Yes Sir,
       That will be ½ a Dragon Scale or
       Five Gold filings, Thank You Sir.

12.   Master Jarly, I did not see you
       Come in, of course the streak of red,
       I saw at the edge of my head.
       How you Gnomes can be so fast and
       Nimble on your feet; Gets me.

13.   What can I do for you?  
       A Love-potion for life,
       Only 7 filings of Gold and 3 of Silver.
       For 2 Silver and 3 Coppers you can have
       A Love-potion for a fortnight,
       It is a great bargain.

14.   Catnip, Master Jarly. Why?
       You always grow your own.
       Some Cat-people found your cache,
       Must have been some party! And,
       Not as much as a crumb did they
       Leave for your Tom.

15.   How much do you need?
       About 3 ounces you say.
       Her you are, 1 copper. Thank You.
       Oh, look at all the streaks of red!
       All the Gnomes in a hurry to get home.

16.   The sidewalks and roads are filling-up  
       With strange sights and sounds.
       Lizard people with shiny olive-green skin,
       Walking with stiff erects dignity
       and an overly sense of pride.

17.   The creaks and squeaks 
       From Wagons with oiling needs and
       Well-oiled Carriages of people with many
       Dragon-Scales or the Darkened Ones on errands
       Which cannot stand the light of day.

18.   Who is that elegant tall stranger 
       In the dark cloak. As he turned,
       I see a glimpse of white, glowing skin
       And piercing blue eyes; Elven Athlan.
       Why is he trying to hide?

19.   Oh my, the Elven Athlan
       To Master Lhorne is going.
       Maybe for Tea, the story I will see.
       Unless it is a dire secret to be kept.
       Time is only three, two more hours yet.

20.   Then Master Lhorne's voice 
       Rang out: Nhan, close the shop
       And come up. I did not know that call
       Herald the end of the Misty Isles and
       The only home I had ever known.

21.   Still I see sturdy Oaks 
       Spreading their shading crown and
       Silver Aspen the quiver at the slightest sound.
       Hedges of Hazelnuts and Brambleberries
       Green meadows surround.

22.   And, wild Roses
       Everywhere are bound. The sounds
       Of Bees and the Bumble kind with pollen
       Swollen legs dots the land and Ladybugs
       Busy cleaning the plants.

23.   Where, if you stood
       Very still and put out your arm; Green
       And blue Dragonflies with gossamer Wings
       Would land on the top of your hand. While
       Butterflies swung on grassy strands.

24.   In Spring, full are the meadows
       Of Lady Slippers, Wolf Banes and
       Dandelions. And peeking out from under
       The garden hedges are shy Violets
       With blue and purple faces.

25.   If you have frightful enemies,
       No place is safer to be than among
       The trees when the Wood Onions bloom.
       The purest and cleanest of smells
       Will protect yourself.

26.   The Odors and Smells  
       Of the Shop was a feast by themselves:
       Bay Leaves and Cummin Seeds. Crushed
       Mint, Rosehips and Catnip. Hops, Thyme
       And the brewing of Chamomile.

27.   Into my dreaming the words  
       Reverberate, "Nhan, close Shop and
       Come up." Again, I walk in that room
       And feel the fear and see on their faces
       Only dread and gloom.

28.   That afternoon, Master Lhorne
       Told me of how, in the past of Far-Time,
       From the movements of the Universe and
       The Realms, a loop created was in Space-Time:
       The Misty Isles within the loop was scooped.

29.   So far back it goes,
       That nobody knows from where the isles
       Flow: Earth, Midgard or Fairyland. One of
       The three it is bound to be for everything here,
       Also grows in each of those.

30.   We cannot tell by  
       The Red Sun or the pale Moon,
       Because, over them, as over all of the Isles,
       Is the silvery haze that gave raise to
       The name of The Misty Isles.

31.   The Silvery Mist around 
       The Isles into a Wall solidly fall,
       And the loop also formed Gates and
       Doorway to the Realms all. Making
       The Isles a Stile into many Stars.

32.   Like a fold in  
       A ribbon the loop was closing,
       But oh so slowly over the Centuries that
       Nobody noticed. For some unknown reason
       The process is speeding.

33.   What the Elven Athlan 
       Had to tell Master Lhorne, that
       The two outer Isles were already gone.
       We must all flee. No time is left
       To tarry, to tote or carry.

34.   Where do we go? 
       Of the Realms, Midgard is woe
       And mostly aglow. Radiation still
       Lingers, kill or distort anyone who do
       Not believe in invisible Torts.

35.   To Earth we cannot go.  
       The reign of cold-iron has
       Started with ignorance turning and
       Witches burning. We, they would see
       As Monsters and Devils to be.

36.   Nor can we to Fairyland go,
       Those Gates were on the outer Isles.
       Gone so fast they were, that
       The Elven Athlan was left behind.
       His fate with ours now is twined.

37.   The remaining Gates goes 
       To other Stars. Of which, some
       Are too hot or too cold and too
       Young or too old. And, all of them
       Too far from Home.

38.   When the End was near,
       The Elven Athlan and all
       The Gnomes chose a Gate, they
       Hoped would lead, in a around-about
       Way to Fairyland and Home.

39.   Master Lhorne did 
       Guile off the Isles all things
       Walking. But, the Isles we could not
       Save nor stop the Universe from turning
       With all of the Powers that are ours.

40.   The last Gate to 
       A Red Star led, and only
       The four of us left: Master Lhorne,
       Dhitter, Geharre and I, and visible now
       Is the Wall at close call.

41.   Apprehensive was I  
       Going through a Gate. "Nothing
       To it," Dhitter said, walked in and
       Disappeared. The Gate began to flicker,
       And a shove I felt.

42.   Echoing in my mind  
       Master Lhorne's last words;
       "Nhan survive," he said as he pushed
       Me through the Gate. Never again, Dhitter,
       Geharre or Master Lhorne I saw.

43.   The Red Star I  
       Never saw. If alive still are
       Master Lhorne, Dhitter and Geharre,
       They, like I, may on different Realms
       And Stars landed are.

44.   This body of mine was 
       Bred on the Misty Isles and cannot
       Stand the Blue-White Rays of this Sun.
       I sleep by day and work by night, their
       Two Moons are a kinder sight.

45.   The Pedans are a kind and  
       A pragmatic lot. They do not
       In Monsters believe and will not
       Kill Dragons on sight. If Dhitter is
       Here, she will be all right.

46.   Poor Dhitter, how
       Will she survive? Without
       Master Lhorne her mind link is gone.
       I have never been Dragon-linked.
       Her mind to me will not be.

47.   I work at their Space-Port,
       And many Travelers I see. Hoping to
       Find what became of my kind; seeing
       That Master Lhorne, Dhitter and
       Geharre still alive are.

48.   Still, I am a Witch.
       On Earth, most of what they
       Say about what Witches can do is
       Not true. But, send-out our thoughts
       And feeling we can do.

49.  I send-out my mind 
      In search of thine. If you
      Can hear me Sister, write my story
      Tell of what befell the Misty Isles and
      Some of your Kith and kin.

50.   Now, I work and wait.
       And, long for the days and nights
       When the clouds hang low and
       The Fog envelopes the land. So again,
       In my mind, everyone is alive and
       Through the silvery haze I can still see
       My Misty Isles and Home.