Lakequine the faeries of the lake.

Queen Millie rose from her throne and all followed her to the great hall. There the queen informed the faeries of those who had been lost and from what foe they must now guard themselves. She spoke also of her understanding if the faeries now wished to take safe refuge inside the palace walls. She told them there would be no shame in doing so. The faeries to a one, rose up and pledged their allegiance to the queen and swore to fight this evil alongside her troops.

They would not cower and hide when they could wreak their vengeance upon the evil which had stolen their kin. So as the moons began to rise a single faerie flew out across the lake to spy upon the happenings there. It was felt that one faerie alone would be less conspicuous and more likely to succeed in their mission. Within the hour she returned with news that would astound all those who heard it. 

The hole in the ice was being caused by lakequine, the faeries of the lake. These tiny horse-like creatures roam the lake bed grazing on lake grass. Their silken manes and tails float in the water around them and their iridescent scales shine like rainbows upon them. Like seahorses they do not have legs but swim gracefully on the currents below the lakes surface.

As soon as everyone was gathered around the table in the queen’s chambers the faeries placed the large glass jar on the table and Amaranth started to recount their mission to all present. The lakequine had been more ready to talk than anyone had anticipated. As soon as the faeries had arrived and hovered closely over the hole in the ice several lakequine had risen to the surface and greeted them. They were all too well aware of the evil which had befallen the land and knew that the survival of those in the lake depended also on the land dwellers success in this battle.

 Amaranth had explained to them the situation and the lakequine had been excited to think they could so easily help the faeries. They told them they knew just how they could make a powerful spell which would melt the ice blocks encasing the hounds of the patrol. They said it would create a heat so powerful the ice would instantly thaw but it would touch no living creature, so the hounds would not be scorched by it.

They had told the faeries they must wait there at the hole while they went in search of the little creatures they would need to enchant to cast this spell. They had said it could take some time as they were already using all that were in close proximity to warm the lake water to keep the ice at bay. They had not been wrong, it had been a very long time before they returned but when they did they had with them a jar filled with little translucent jelly fish. Their little tentacles emitted sparks and flashes of light as they touched one another.

The lakequine told of their secret spell, which Amaranth said she must keep to herself on pain of death. She would be the one to perform the incantation. Melchoir said Amaranth was probably the only one who could perform it anyway as she was the only one who could speak the language at all. So with evening biting at their heels it was decided the faeries would fly out accompanied by those trusted few who had been involved in the counsel.