Alina And The Pathway of Light

Welcome!

Tonight's story is for the adventurers and seekers amongst you,

Who feel drawn to the woodlands,

The forests and streams.

For when I was very small,

I always ventured out to these wild places where the grown-ups dared not tread.

Listening to the calls of the birds,

The buzz of insects,

Building dens and teepees in amongst the bracken.

It was always the horses who heard me first,

Creeping through the fields.

They would lift their heads,

Prick their ears,

Snort and snuffle,

And then turn on their heels as they cantered away,

Tails up,

Dust rising into the morning dew.

This story is about Alina,

A young woman who travelled through the hidden lands with her horse and wagon.

And maybe,

Like her,

You too will discover the mystery of the stones and the pathways of lights.

But before we begin,

It's time to snuggle down,

In the best way that you know how.

Perhaps you have your magic blanket,

Perhaps you have a pillow that smells wonderfully of home or biscuits or sleepy nights.

Perhaps you have on your favourite pyjamas,

Whatever is perfect and comforting for you,

Allowing all the wriggles to go as you settle down with ears open and maybe eyes closed.

Many people asked Alina,

Where are you going?

Why are you always travelling?

Why do you never settle down?

But Alina only ever shrugged and smiled shyly,

For she held a secret in her heart that many may seek,

But few ever find.

Alina had always been an adventurous child,

Wandering through the wild woods,

Searching for treasures,

Climbing trees,

Skimming stones in the streams and chattering with all the creatures that learned to trust her.

The deer,

Badgers,

Field mice and foxes.

Alina's favourite time was dusk,

When the world became quieter,

Softer,

Still and she would creep to the edge of the stream,

Watching until everything merged into the deepest of blues.

Then she turned to go back to the warmth of her home.

On the morning of her 17th birthday,

Her parents gave Alina their treasured horse Merlin.

Merlin stood proud with patches of black and white and a flowing black mane and tail.

Merlin was a gypsy cop,

Used to pulling carts filled with hay and barley and ploughing the fields each springtime.

But it was time,

Said her parents,

For Alina and Merlin to discover the world together.

They packed their belongings and travelled down quiet country lanes,

Merlin's hooves clip-clopping in a sleepy rhythm,

As they drifted past fields of sweet smelling flowers and orchards brimming with apples and cherries.

Each afternoon before the sun began to set,

Alina would find a small stream to make camp by.

The wagon was covered in a bright canvas and inside was a small bed,

Some cooking pots,

A chest for her clothes and a box for whatever she could harvest along the way.

Alina earned her living making perfumes from the flowers of the wild woods and meadows,

And every town and village they passed through,

She would sell her wares.

Her perfume bottles were the same colours as her favourite flowers,

Blue for cornflowers,

Deep red for rose petals,

White for jasmine,

Violet for lavender.

It was on midsummer's night,

They made camp by a river,

When the lights appeared,

Merlin was tethered to a tree and the sun had just set.

Alina had a pot of water bubbling on the campfire ready to prepare her perfumes and Merlin began to whinny.

She was surprised to see two balls of light dancing together in the treetops,

Weaving through the branches,

Dipping down to the water's edge.

Too big to be fireflies,

She said to herself,

They're too high to be lanterns.

Who is there?

She called,

But when no answer came she sat and listened,

Focusing all her attention on the treetops.

The lights had gone,

She waited and waited,

Her breath held still until she could wait no more,

And then she turned her attention to the gentle sounds of the river,

Felt the cool wind on her cheek,

Heard the high-pitched squeak of bats circling through the trees.

It must have been dreaming,

Thought Alina,

And she yawned a big yawn and stretched out under the dark green woolen cloak that she was wearing.

But just as she rose to walk back to the fire,

She saw the flash of two bright spheres again,

Dancing above her now,

Just above her head.

Then they darted away along the path in the woods,

And Alina decided to follow them,

Sensing that somehow they were calling her.

There was only a hint of moonlight far behind the clouds,

But Alina pushed on along the narrow pathway,

Edged with gorse and black breeze.

She came to a clearing in the woods and as she entered it,

She knew that this was a special place for her.

She was not alone,

She was with her family.

She knew that this was a special place,

A place of great mystery and enchantment,

For in the center of the clearing was a circle of standing stones,

Each much taller than her,

Except for one which had tumbled to the ground and lay on its side.

Alina walked around the circle,

Touching each stone,

And feeling the rough patterns that weather had carved into them over the centuries.

Some were covered in leathery lichen,

Others had begun to lean and sink into the spongy mossy ground.

When Alina came to the stone that had fallen,

She bent down low to take a closer look.

She noticed it was different immediately.

There were carvings in the rock,

Spirals and symbols that reminded her of birds and trees.

She lay down on the stone that still held the warmth of the day,

And as the lights continued to dance above her in unison,

Weaving patterns of light to the sound of cricket song,

Alina felt unusually calm.

She closed her eyes,

It felt unusually heavy,

And instantly felt herself melting into the stone,

Just like a candle melting warm wax,

Drip by drip,

Releasing all the tension from her hands,

Drip by drip,

Releasing all the tension in her legs,

Her face and chest,

Melting all the tension from her tummy,

Until she felt as though she was a part of the stone itself.

Looking out through a collided through a kaleidoscope of crystals,

The world looked so beautiful,

The colors so vibrant,

And everything shimmered as if it was made of light itself.

Alina felt herself beginning to float,

As if in a dream.

In her hand she found she was holding a branch,

Its leaves the colors of fire,

And as she waved it in front of her,

The colors sparkled and drew patterns of light across the night sky.

Alina floated higher and higher,

And as she floated higher,

It was as if a pathway was lit up below her,

A point of light at each village,

At each village,

At each meadow,

At each hilltop,

Stream and valley that she had ever stopped to pick flowers at or rest.

It was as if the earth had created a map of every step she had ever taken,

And it glistened now in the moonlight as she floated high above it,

Just like the shimmering tracks of snails across the grass in the moonlight.

And as she closed her eyes,

Floating freely,

She could remember the happy feelings of the places she loved,

The places that felt wild and free,

The places that were warm and comforting,

And the places that had welcomed her with new friendships and fun.

Alina noticed,

When she opened her eyes,

That she was now floating higher and higher,

Floating higher and higher.

The stone circle was just a tiny speck below,

And as she looked down at her body,

She saw a beautiful bright light shining from her chest that pulsed with the beating of her heart.

Far,

Far below her,

She could make out tiny points of light,

Some that were the same color as her heart light,

And others that were different shades and hues.

You are a keeper of the light,

She heard the stone sing.

Wherever you travel,

You will bring joy to others,

And wherever you travel,

You will be drawn to people you can help,

And who will help you.

Simply tune into the color of your heart light,

The smell of the flowers,

And you'll remember how beautiful the world can look and feel.

You can see where you've been in the past,

Now it's time to pay attention to the present.

And with those words,

Alina felt herself floating back down to the stones,

Felt her feet sinking into the dirt,

And she felt the gentle tinkling of fairy song floating through the woods.

Alina went back to Merlin and her cap,

And in the morning,

Once more they traveled on,

Selling their perfumes,

Potions,

And good cheer to all they met,

Rippling kindness along the pathways.

And perhaps it's time for you to travel above those stones,

Floating higher and higher,

Noticing the pathways that you have traveled,

Shining bright far below,

The places that are dear to you,

That feel full of wonder and adventure,

Your safe places,

And the wild places of oceans,

Forests,

Mountains,

And streams.

And as you float above them,

Maybe you too will see your heart color beating bright,

Full of all the people and things that you choose to love,

Guiding the way to each new adventure.

And I wonder how far you will travel,

Wonders you will see when your heart light guides you.

Wonders you will see when your heart light guides you,

Just like Alina,

One step at a time,

Noticing the feeling of each new place,

Connecting to the magic of plants,

Flowers,

And herbs,

Ready for new friendships and fun,

As you begin to send a ripple of kindness wherever you go.

And as you float high above those stones,

Drawn by the magic pathways of light,

Feeling that sense of peace flowing all through your body,

Knowing that wherever you go,

You are safe,

And it's time to drift now with the pathways of light,

Sinking down deeply into the safe,

Warm comfort of all those that you hold dear to you,

Following your heart light,

Drifting and dreaming.