Page 31 of Wings of Reverie

Threadneedle Thicket Workshop

Needle. Needle minder. Pincushion. Thimble (lost?).

“Mind the pins.” Threadneedle Thicket near Woolgathering Glade? (n.b. ref. 8)

Bobbin Wood Workshop (Morpheus)

Scissors.

“Chase the dreams.” (tautological?) Near forest center (n.b. ref. 2).

Snow Globe Mountain Workshop (Stella)

Loom.

“Find the thread.” (accessibility? Historic change in downdraft patterns?)

9

Juniper Glade had the sense of a party Periwinkle wasn’t quite ready to leave as they crossed the threshold later that afternoon. All over the glade, winter fairies bustled around with towering piles of books wrapped in holly and evergreen, decorated with tiny, perfect snowflakes. There was a festivity to it, a cozy sense of anticipation Periwinkle wanted to pour into a glass of clove-cardamom tea and sip while she watched the sunset.

She and Weaver left the Hall of Winter anyway, splitting up before agreeing to meet again later that night. But as Periwinkle made her way over the Frost Forest toward home, she was startledto see Lord Milori. He looked hollow-eyed and windblown, like he’d been on owlback for hours. Periwinkle sighed as he raised an arm to flag her down.

When his owl fluttered down to land on a large rock, she drew up beside him, trying to casually tuck her bag further under her arm. “Did you just get back from the Mainland?” Periwinkle asked, before he could speak. Maybe she could head off whatever was coming if she distracted him.

No luck. “Yes, I did. I was sorry you weren’t able to join us after yesterday’s accident,” he said, pivoting neatly to what she’d been hoping to avoid.

“Yes. I was…very disappointed.” Periwinkle cleared her throat. “I’ll have to be more careful next time.”

“Indeed,” Lord Milori said. “With your friends gone, this winter promises to be a lonely one for you.”

The Keeper had brought this up, too. But Lord Milori—well. She wasn’t sure where he was going with this line of thought, or if she liked it. “Maybe. But I’ve been at the Hall of Winter for most of the day. I spoke to Dewey. And I’m looking forward to the Frost Festival,” she added. Maybe that would satisfy him.

“Getting books for the Book Flood? Or on some other errand?”

Was Lord Milori’s face unusually frowny, or was she imagining that he was watching her suspiciously? “Just reading,” she said.

Down in the Frost Forest, two fairies laughed as they opened books together. Apparently, they’d each given the other the samenovel. Periwinkle and Lord Milori watched each other, both waiting for the other to speak.

“Well, that’s…excellent,” he finally said. “But to break up any boredom you might face, I’ve had an idea.”

Oh no. “Oh?”

“Yes,” he said. “I’d like you to help in one of the workshops this week.”

Ohno. “What?” Periwinkle blinked at him. “Why? Do they need a frost-talent?”