On one of the last days of Autumn, there suddenly came a storm. One the mountain will never forget, for when a lightning bolt hit the Grand Juniper atop the mountain, alighting the tree with an eerie silver flame, all the animals knew a great force had been birthed into the world.
The flames never leapt to the surrounding forest, and it wasn’t until a giant vulture landed atop the tree that the animals realized the flame had gone out, leaving the Grand Juniper shinning silver. As the first rays of sunlight filtered unto the hollow, thousands of golden poppies began to bloom. Under the gnarled roots of the tree lay a lone wolf. Suddenly, the giant vulture lifted off and cried “Juniperstrike!” disappearing into the night sky. As the animals watched him fly away, they started to join in the cry.
As she woke, blinking in the new light, she saw figures all around the hollow, past the lake that separated the island. She could hear them calling her as they turned, disappearing into the thicket. “YES, this is my forest. This is my home. I have struck down this Juniper and now it shines with light of the moon. I shall fill it’s pool with stars until it too, reflex’s the lights of the night sky.” And as she closed her eyes once again to sleep, a thick blanket of fog rolled in and coved the hollow. Only with great luck or skill will the hollow be revealed again. “Starlight like Peony and Poppy, may only the glory of a blue September’s morning finds its way here.”
