| Vedui' to you villagers. | | | | garden - or worse still concrete yards. They were |
| Have you seen a magic in your area recently? | | | | once woods and trees and fields. Those huge |
| Think about it - under the hydrangea bush where | | | | tranches overrun with factories and suburban |
| one or two used to be? Down near the stream, | | | | shopping malls and supermarkets with their never |
| in the old tunnel that once belonged to the | | | | ending car parks? They were once woods and |
| water-voles? In fact - what happened to the | | | | trees and fields. As the villager population grows, |
| water voles come to that? | | | | so the magics fade and retreat and not in an |
| If you are young, most probably you have never | | | | equal proportion. |
| seen a magic at all. You may only have read | | | | We do not fade in equal proportion because we |
| about them in books, or in the diary blogs of your | | | | cannot live with some of the changes you have |
| great grandmothers. Magics were more plentiful | | | | made. I mean that in a literal sense too. You can |
| then that's for sure, but even then they had the | | | | it seems - but for just how long? |
| sense to keep out of the way. Now, I am talking | | | | You see - magics are extremely sensitive to |
| about the United Kingdom. I can't speak for other | | | | environmental conditions - far more so than you |
| countries, but thinking about the way the great | | | | villagers. Radiation is one of the worst culprits - |
| forests of the world are being cut down to make | | | | living near any nuclear installation makes us ill with |
| way for agriculture, and how more and more air | | | | the possibility of fading altogether. The worst |
| is being polluted by emissions from the power | | | | thing about the nuclear stations is the waste you |
| stations and plastic factories, then I have my | | | | see - it cannot be got rid of - simply can't - it is a |
| suspicions. The dragons disappeared years ago in | | | | forever thing. You send it across parts of the |
| Britain, even the Welsh ones. It is probably too | | | | country on trains. They are old trains - and you |
| late to try and re-introduce them - they need | | | | think they are safe - they have waste 'flasks' on |
| such huge spaces free from any kind of pollution | | | | board. These containers emanate minute amounts |
| - but what of the other magics? It isn't so many | | | | of radiation - and it hurts us - gradually but surely |
| decades ago that there were fairies, elves (both | | | | - all magics in these areas have faded or are |
| High and Lowly) and gnomes if you knew the | | | | leaving. I know of a nuclear place - not so very |
| right places and the right way to scary for them. | | | | far from me - across a marsh and by the sea. |
| I should know, I am one myself. A Wood Warden | | | | The Marsh Whisps who lived and worked there |
| fae to be exact. | | | | on the wide marshes, cleaning, lighting, looking |
| So, what has happened to them? They are fast | | | | after the bees, have all faded. Some moved out |
| becoming an endangered species. I know you | | | | in time - but most have simply travelled on - |
| have villager societies to save endangered species | | | | faded - extinct. Another marsh species gone. Tiny |
| - even though it was you who endangered them | | | | lives with huge souls snuffed out like candle |
| in the first place - but I have never heard of the | | | | flames. |
| WMF or anything like that. WWF yes - even | | | | And that hydrangea bush - the one where the |
| places like "Welcome to WWF's global network" - | | | | magics lived when you were just a sprig? Is it still |
| global! But WMF - never. It isn't money we need - | | | | there? Didn't you dig up that patch of garden and |
| not at all - we wouldn't know what to do with | | | | lay it with concrete to 'get your car off the road'? |
| that - it is trees and clear air. | | | | If you haven't done it yet - then please stop and |
| I live in a small wood in the south east of England. | | | | think. Support wind and solar energy - think about |
| I am lucky that it is still here. Look about - you | | | | all the beautiful places of fresh air and shelter |
| see all those housing estates, those shining new | | | | around you and treasure them. |
| regimented rows of bricks? Tiny patches of | | | | We do! |