Welcome,
Fellow dream weavers,
To a realm of enchantment.
Tonight we'll embark on a journey into the depths of our inner worlds.
The journey will be a sweet one,
Soft and comforting,
And too it shall be a fun one,
Intriguing and engaging.
By the end of our time together,
You'll be roaming around inside your own mind,
Gently lulled into a restful sleep by my words.
To get us there,
I request that you now find a cosy spot and get as comfortable as you can.
Exactly how you get comfortable is up to you,
Of course.
A bed,
A couch,
A reclining chair,
Whatever it may be.
Find your space now.
Get settled,
Close your eyes and let the external world fade away and your internal world light up.
This is a place where all is well and magic reigns supreme.
And so,
We're ready to begin our adventure together.
Our little bedtime story.
Tonight's story is called The Caretaker of the New Glen.
Once upon a time,
Many,
Many moons ago,
Existed a realm called Nordalia.
Nordalia was a verdant place,
Full of lakes and birds and surrounded by ginormous snow-capped mountains that came so close to the heavens that they tickled them.
It was cold in Nordalia,
Though not so cold that vegetation couldn't grow and people couldn't prosper.
Oh no,
People led good lives here and the overgrowth was lush.
In truth,
It was a paradise.
A paradise where people fished and boated and trekked.
It was a peaceful life.
A simple life.
Uneventful one could say,
But profoundly satisfying nonetheless.
Nordalia is a name you may recognize,
Or then again,
You may not.
It's a place that existed not far from here in the same area of space that you and I inhabit now,
But in a time so distant that it may as well have never existed at all.
In fact,
Most of us have forgotten about this place entirely.
Rest assured though,
In certain corners of this wonderful universe and on tourist space flights that pass by unseen,
Its legend lives on.
Its story retold daily.
The story goes a little something like this.
In Nordalia lived a young woodcutter named Freya.
Freya was a gentle soul that held a deep connection to nature.
She lived in a cozy log cabin nestled within the forest at the foot of the giant snow-capped mountains surrounded by towering pine trees and glistening streams.
Every morning she'd wake to the sweet songs of birds and the gentle rustling of leaves.
Freya's days were spent tending to her immediate surroundings,
Carefully pruning branches and collecting fallen leaves.
She lived alone,
Away from the boats and the fishermen.
One day,
As Freya ventured deeper into the woods than was typical for her,
She came across a hidden glen.
It had the appearance of a place once lived in,
A place once revered.
Yet this day was the first day she'd ever stepped foot there.
She knew not of its history.
And so she explored it,
Curiously.
In the centre of the glen stood a mysterious stone circle,
Ancient and weathered.
Intrigued,
Freya approached the stones,
Feeling an awesome energy emanating from them.
As she reached out to touch the stones,
A soft breeze whisked through the glen,
Causing the flowers to sway in unison.
To her astonishment,
The stones began to shimmer and glow,
Casting a warm and ethereal light upon the glen.
It was a magical moment that filled Freya's heart with wonder and joy.
In fact,
It left such a mark on her,
That from that day forward,
Freya became the caretaker of the glen.
The new glen,
As she called it.
She set up her home there,
And began tending to it,
In a similar way she had previously,
With the woods at large.
And so,
With each passing season,
The new glen was transformed by Freya.
After a few years,
She became so adept at caretaking,
That the woodland creatures began communicating with her.
And in turn,
They shared the secrets of the glen.
They explained how she had been the previous caretaker here,
Many,
Many centuries prior,
In a different life,
In a different time.
The stone circle was actually where her previous body was buried,
In memoriam.
To an outsider looking in,
All they'd hear were animal sounds.
But to Freya,
She understood.
Through her bond with nature and the animals,
Freya discovered that the glen had healing powers.
This tranquil energy brought peace and serenity to whomever entered its sacred space.
And so,
Because of this,
News of the new glen spread throughout the lands of Nidalia,
And people from far and wide came seeking renewal there.
One by one,
Freya greeted them,
With a tender smile and open arms.
Freya grew to love the influx of visitors,
Guiding them through the glen and teaching them everything she'd learned about it.
Some days,
The crowds would overwhelm her,
But she'd always find peace once more in the still,
Quiet evenings,
With just the trees and the animals for company.
There,
In those moments of rejuvenation,
She'd sit beneath the tree's canopy,
Listening to the whispers of the wind,
And finding comfort in the gentle rhythm of the forest.
One day,
After a large group of visitors had come to visit,
She gathered those remaining around a crackling bonfire to share stories,
Sing songs,
And dance beneath the starlit sky.
The warmth of the fire and the laughter of the guests created a sense of unity and belonging,
Reminding everyone of the interconnectedness of their lives.
Freya realized that,
In a very real sense,
She shared the new glen with these visitors now,
And watching their healing take place made it worth every minute.
As the years passed,
The new glen continued to flourish,
Becoming a sanctuary for weary souls seeking solace in the lands of Nordalia.
Freya's legacy as the guardian of the glen grew,
And eventually,
People would come not just to see the glen,
But to meet Freya too.
She was loved beyond belief,
So much so,
That as her days there began to wind down,
And she became old and unable to continue,
The visitors rallied around to support her.
Her final days were some of her best.
Even though she was old now,
She still enjoyed the companionship of the visitors,
And mere weeks before she passed,
They unveiled a statue of her in the centre of the new glen.
She couldn't believe it,
And,
In response,
Softly wept.
You'll never be forgotten,
Freya,
Said a visitor.
Although,
Sadly,
Many,
Many centuries later,
She was,
And so was Nordalia.
But not entirely,
You see,
Because here we are,
In this future time,
Resurrecting the tale once more,
And remembering Freya in the way she always deserved.
And so,
Finally,
The tale of Freya,
Nordalia and the new glen has returned,
Reminding us of the healing power of nature,
And the importance of nurturing our connection to the world around us,
Teaching us to embrace tranquillity.
Freya knew that life on this planet could coexist in perfect harmony with nature.
And now,
Thanks to her,
So do we.
Until we meet again then,
Fellow dreamweaver,
Sleep well,
For the dream realms are calling you now,
Reaching out with their gentle touch.
Good night to you,
And sweet dreams.
