Haugh’s Keepers
MANY, MANY YEARS AGO BEFORE TELEVISION AND COLOURFUL BOOKS WERE AROUND TO FEED CHILDREN’S IMAGINATION, STRANGE CREATURES AND MAGICAL BEINGS WERE AS REAL AS YOU AND ME.
TORGUE, A GOOD HEARTED AND FUN LOVING GOBLIN WHO LIVED WITHIN THE CONFINES OF BOTHWELL CASTLE, GRANTING WISHES FOR HIS MASTER, KING HAMILTON WHO WAS A FAIR AND HONOURABLE RULER.
ALL WAS PEACEFUL AND TRANQUIL IN THE KINGDOM UNTIL THE DAY THE KING UNWITTINGLY FELL IN LOVE WITH AN ORDINARY PEASANT MAID, ANNABELLE.
A BEAUTIFUL YOUNG GIRL WITH LONG GOLDEN HAIR AND AN ANGELIC FACE.
IN AN ATTEMPT TO WIN HER HEART THE KING SHOWERED HER WITH GIFTS OF EXQUISITE JEWELS, EXPENSIVE PERFUME AND BOUQUETS OF THE RAREST OF FLOWERS, BUT SHE HAD PROMISED HER LOVE TO ANOTHER, A STABLE BOY, JOE.
HE WAS A GOOD LAD, HONEST AND HARD WORKING FROM A SMALL HOUSE IN THE VILLAGE.
THE KING DEMANDED ANNABELLE'S HAND IN MARRIAGE BUT SHE REFUSED.
THE KING WAS FURIOUS!
HE SUMMONED TORGUE TO HIS CHAMBER AND ORDERED HIM TO CAST A SPELL ON HER SO SHE WOULD FALL IN LOVE WITH HIM. TORGUE TOLD THE KING HE WOULD NOT HELP AND WARNED HIM THAT DABBLING IN SUCH MAGIC WOULD HAVE DISASTROUS CONSEQUENCES. IN A RAGE, HE BANISHED TORGUE FROM THE KINGDOM.
THE KING, UNFAZED SOUGHT THE HELP OF COULROT, AN UNSCRUPULOUS DARK WIZARD WHO LIVED IN DEEPEST DARKEST DUNGEON IN THE CASTLE. HE WAS ONLY EVER SEEN AT NIGHT, LURKING IN THE SHADOWS.
COULROT WAS MORE THAN WILLING TO HELP THE KING, BUT AT A PRICE, THE KING NOT LISTENING, WITH ONE THING IN MIND, AGREED.
UNWITTINGLY HE HAD WISHED FOR ANNABELLE TO BE QUEEN OF THE LAND, BUT COULROT HAD TRICKED HIM BY SAYING, WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO GIVE UP ALL THAT YOU HAVE FOR THIS. ATHE WHOLE TIME COULROT WAS PLANNING TO TAKE OVER THE KINGDOM BY GETTING RID OF THE KING AND MARRYING ANNABELLE ONCE SHE WAS QUEEN, WHO HE HAD TRAPPED IN HIS SECRET LAIR, AT THE BOTTOM OF THE CASTLE.
COULROT GAVE THE KING A POTION TO DRINK, SECONDS LATER THE EARTH AND WALLS OF THE CASTLE TREMBLED, THE TREES SHOOK, LEAVES TURNED BROWN AND FELL OFF. CROPS WITHERED AND DIED, THE CLOUDS GATHERED AND THICKENED CONVULSING INTO A BLACK CANOPY ENVELOPING EVERY OUNCE OF DAYLIGHT. DARKNESS - BLACK LIKE A SHROUD HUNG OVER THE KINGDOM.
THE KING WAS CAUGHT IN A TRANCE, DIZZY FROM THE SPELL, UNAWARE OF THE TURMOIL TEARING THROUGH HIS LAND.
IN THE DISTANCE CROSSING THE HILLS THAT BORDERED THE KINGDOM, TORGUE LOOKED ON IN DISBELIEF, RECOGNISING THE HANDY WORK OF COULROT.
HE KNEW HIS MAGIC WAS NOT AS STRONG AS COULROT AND FEARED THE WORST,
WITH THAT A BLINDING FLASH IN FRONT OF HIM, A FAIRY APPEARED, IT WAS QUEEN NEETAL, SHE WAS NO BIGGER THAN YOUR HAND, FOUR WINGS AND A WARM YELLOW GLOW SURROUNDED HER, A VERY ELEGANT AND PRESTIGIOUS FAIRY.
AS SHE SPOKE, SHE BUZZED FROM SIDE TO SIDE OF TORGUE’S HEAD, AS IF UNABLE TO STAY STILL.
SHE WAS THE MOST POWERFUL OF ALL THE HAUGH FAIRIES. THEY WERE A WONDERFUL RACE THAT LIVED ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF THE KINGDOM AT BOTHWELL HAUGH, NOT TOO FAR BEYOND THE ENCHANTED FOREST ALONG THE SACRED RIVER CLYDE.
SHE PROPOSED THAT BY JOINING ALL OF THEIR MAGIC POWERS TOGETHER THEY COULD BECOME POWERFUL ENOUGH TO DEFEAT THE EVIL COULROT.
TORGUE AGREED AND THEY HEADED TO BOTHWELL HAUGH TO MEET THE ELDERS OF THE VILLAGE.
THEY SET ABOUT HATCHING A PLAN. SEARCHING THROUGH OLD DUSTY MANU
THEY DISCOVERED THAT COULROT WAS A WRAITH, THE WALKING DEAD, AND IN THE SAME WAY THE FAIRIES SOURCED THEIR POWERS FROM THE RAYS OF SUNLIGHT, IT COULD ALSO DESTROY COULROT.
THE WHISP OF FAIRIES GATHERED TOGETHER AND MADE THEIR WAY TO THE CASTLE. HUNDREDS POSSIBLY THOUSANDS, STRIPY SOCKS, LAVISH DRESSES, BEAUTIFULLY DESIGNED HAIR STYLES. ALL OF THEM HAD A GLOWING AURA THAT LIT UP THE BLACKNESS OF THE ENCHANTED FORREST.
ON ARRIVING AT THE CASTLE THEY ENCIRCLED THE WALLS, MOVING CLOCKWISE, GETTING FASTER AND FASTER, CAUSING A HOWLING WIND THAT GOT STRONGER AND STRONGER, BLOWING DUST AND LEAVES WHICH GREW INTO A SPIRAL REACHING HIGH INTO THE SKY, A WEB OF ELECTRICITY SNAPPING WITH THUNDEROUS ROARS UNTIL IT PIERCED A HOLE THROUGH THE BLACK CANOPY CAUSING A SINGLE RAY OF BRIGHT SUNLIGHT TO BURST THROUGH, SHINING DOWN INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE CASTLE
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THEN AN ANGUISHING AND PAINFUL ROARING HOWL. IT WAS COULROT; THE RAY OF LIGHT HAD HIT HIM AND HE HAD BURST INTO FLAMES.
HE SHOT THROUGH THE CASTLE WALLS LIKE A METEORITE, PILLAGING SMOKE BEHIND HIM, STRAIGHT INTO THE RIVER. THE WATER BUBBLED AND SPURTED, BOILED UP AND CREATED A MASSIVE TIDAL WAVE WHICH RUSHED UP RIVER AND FLOODED THE VALLEY INCLUDING BOTHWELL HAUGH, THE FAIRY’S HOME LAND.
TOGETHER THEY HAD MANAGED TO DESTROYED THE EVIL WIZARD.
TORGUE WAS STILL SEARCHING FOR ANNABELLE, ONLY TO FIND HER SOUL WAS TRAPPED BEHIND A FORCE FIELD IN THE SECRET DUNGEON BELOW THE CASTLE WITH THE KING.
TORGUE AND THE FAIRIES SPENT FIVE DAYS CHANTING A SPELL TO REVERSE THE CURSE ON THE KING AND ANNABELLE.
THE KING NEVER CAME ROUND PROPERLY AND WENT QUITE MAD.
THEY GOT ANNABELLE, WHO WAS NOW QUEEN, OUT OF THE SPIRIT WORLD AND BACK TO REALITY, SHE MARRIED JOE WHO THEN BECAME A NOBLE KING.
NO ONE KNEW WHAT HAPPENED TO THE FAIRIES, THEY ALL THOUGHT THEY HAD BEEN DROWNED IN THE FLOODS, ALONG WITH THE EVIL WRAITH, COULROT.
BUT TORGUE AND THE FAIRIES HAD SACRIFICED THEMSELVES. WHEN CASTING THE SPELL. THEY HAD BEEN UNDER GROUND IN THE SECRET DUNGEON AWAY FROM SUNLIGHT FOR TOO LONG. WITH THEIR MAGIC POWERS WEAK. THEY BECAME TRAPPED.
THERE THEY HAVE REMAINED FOR OVER SIX HUNDRED YEARS UNTIL RECENTLY WHEN A WORKMAN CARRYING OUT ROUTINE MAINTENANCE IN OLDEST PART OF THE CASTLE BROKE THE SEAL ON THE CHAMBER AND SET THEM FREE.
ON RETURNING TO THEIR HOME, AT BOTHWELL HAUGH THEY FOUND IT FLOODED. THIS IS NOW KNOWN AS STRATHCLYDE PARK, ALONG SIDE THE RAITH INTERCHANGE
THEY HAVE NOW SET UP HOME IN THE TREES OF THE ENCHANTED FOREST SURROUNDING BOTHWELL CASTLE.
IF YOUR VERY QIET AND LOOK CLOSELY YOU CAN TELL WHERE THEY LIVE WHEN YOU SEE LARGE MUSHROOMS, WHICH THEY USE TO SHELTER FROM THE RAIN,
BUT BE WARNED.
DO NOT TOUCH THE MUSHROOMS, THEY ARE VERY POISONOUS TO KEEP PREDATORS AWAY WHILE THEY ARE ASLEEP.
IF YOUR HEART IS TRUE YOU MIGHT SEE THEM FLUTTERING AROUND THE BRANCHES, OR DANCING IN THEIR FAIRY RINGS.
THEY HAVE SET OUT A TREE, NO ORDINARY TREE BUT A WISH TREE.
IF YOU WRITE DOWN YOUR WISH, TIE IT TO THE TREE, CLOSE YOUR EYES AND HOLD YOUR BREATH FOR FIVE SECONDS A FAIRY WILL COME AND GRANT YOUR WISH.
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WRITE YOUR WISH ON RIBBONS AND CUTTINGS OF MATERIAL, THEY USE IT TO MAKE THEIR CLOTHES AND REPAIR THEIR WINGS.
By
oe MulhoJlland
