Part one: Before the Beginning

Bailey and Donna have been together for some time now. They are so much more than dog and owner. They are best friends, family, kindred spirits. But oh so much more and here I shall tell you why...

Many, many, many moons ago, 28 human years actually. Donna was in the faerie realm. Now I can't tell you her name in faerie, as names are precious and hold special power. I wouldn't want you trying to call her, just to catch a glimpse of a real faerie. But what I can tell you is this. She was a faerie of some interest, as she had been around for some time and had witnessed the destruction the humans weaved upon the land. But she had also seen the vastness and the complexity of their natures. She found she couldn't help but be intrigued by them. Humans could also show great acts of love and kindness. Perhaps they couldn't help being a little bit slow?

Now Donna in this faerie realm, created magick of a healing kind. Be it plant, animal or fay. She connected to everything through feelings and emotions. You couldn't hide anything from her, which was good as this meant you couldn't feel bad for long. Trees that had lost friends were healed as quickly as possible. During the great conflicts in the land of fay, Donna fought in defending her fay and friends against the troublesome trolls. Some were gigantic and some relatively small, however all were very strong. Donna also had the power to shape shift into animals, her favourite being a large black panther who came in handy during a skirmish. Now don't get me wrong, faeries don't enjoy fighting or ever go looking for trouble. They do stand true to their honour as they vowed to mother earth, Gaia as we like to call her, to always protect and nurture her children - nature itself. And for some fay this is their job. For some it was to lead and dictate, some to honour the old ways and others just to be as pesky and troublesome as they like. However even they have great wisdom but they choose to teach it through play.

One day Donna was called upon to see the Queen herself. Donna entered the great hollow tree to be greeted by the Queen and her six advisers who sat on moss covered stools and the Queen on a great throne made out of willow and ivy with gems embedded around them.

"Greetings Donna. You know the situation in the human realm. They are wreaking greater and greater destruction on the land. Their anger and greed pollutes the air. More creatures suffer needlessly and there is no respect from them anymore. They have forgotten everything we taught them, and of the old ways. We need someone to enter into their world as one of them. To remind them and teach them of the way of faerie. To honour the land we share and her creatures. To show them they have to change their attitudes and replace it with love. To let it enter their hearts. We need to understand them more fully. Once we do we can perhaps send some more fay to lead them towards the light again. This is a great mission I ask of you. You have stood by my side for a long time. I know you have the courage to do this but it is up to you. Only you can decide, as I would never force you. It will be harder than you can imagine. You will be born into their world as one of them and live life as they do. It is the only way for us to really learn from you. You will eventually forget your world here but it will never leave you. You will be allowed to enter at times but never stay until your mission comes to an end. I will always be watching you and you will have my guards close to you too. You will loose a lot of your power and become vulnerable like them."

The Queen sighs and Donna feels the ache in the Queen's chest. Shrugging her shoulders, "This is our only option for the time being. Great change is heading our way. We need to remind them of the magick of the world before they destroy it. You will have to remind them. It is a great task. What do you say, Donna?"

"I will gladly accept my Queen's wishes and it is an honour to serve you in this mission."

"I fear you take this too lightly my friend but we have little choice. You are strong and you will need this. This will be harder than you could possibly imagine. However I have found a mother who has just conceived a baby. I will show you to her and if you feel she is right for you than we shall proceed. May the Great Mother guide and keep you."

And with that the Queen came down off her throne and held onto Donna's face and bowed her head down as she kissed her forehead. There where she kissed, glowed a seven pointed star. This was to mark her out as a fay for the faerie realm to always see, even in her human guise.

Nine months later she was born on the 23^rd June. She was supposed to be born on the 21^st but Donna had too much fun leaving her body and travelling to the faerie realm to join in on the Summer Solstice festivities. Oh, but when she finally arrived, she came out howling! Everything was so bright and coarse with great big lights that were not the sun, flashing in her face. Then dull and drab as the colours of the world that she could see (which wasn't much) were plain boring and well; dull. The energy was so thick and dense. How did they cope with this? No wonder they are miserable! As Donna was getting over her trauma so was the midwife. Donna had pointy ears! The midwife smiled at the mother who was exhausted after her seven hours of pushing. Well you would be too, but this mother was still full of excitement at having a look at her newborn. The midwife stared into this baby's eyes as she cleaned her up. She was mesmerised by this infant's gaze, and realised she hadn't taken a breath. As she stared at this little one, the newborn seemed to give her a knowing look. The midwife smiled at the babe and then gave a sympathetic smile to the mother as she gently handed over the cleansed baby.

"She is an old soul, this one, my dear. She will keep you busy. I am sure she will grow out of those ears. If not they can work miracles these days my love." Said the nurse as the mother we come to know and love as Maggie held her faerie bundle quite unaware.

As the years went by, the midwife's prediction certainly came true. By two, luckily Donna's ears finally did round off. Well almost, a slight tip perhaps still lurks if you look very closely. Very closely. Mariq the faerie physician worked hard in changing those ears as subtly as he could over time so the humans wouldn't get suspicious. Now just to give you some background information here. Although Donna's own magick had been stifled, she was wrapped in her own magick of the human variety. Her father had died a few months before she was born, which had hit her mother hard. However she was lucky enough to have a Grandmother to dote on her at every opportunity, who moved in with Maggie when Donna arrived. They surrounded Donna with as much love as anyone could ever want. A house full of love with four powerful strong women is a heady brew for anyone magickal or otherwise. Donna's love for her Grandmother was deep as they spent so much time together telling stories and playing games. Singing and laughing. Her Grandmother always had time for her, which is one of the most valuable things on earth. Especially for a four year old. Her Grandmother had named Donna so maybe this is the reason for the bond. If you remember at the start of this tale I mentioned a name is a powerful thing if you know it. Can you imagine the power if you are the one to give someone a name? That binds you for life or maybe forever as you shall see.

Now, Donna wanted for nothing. She had a huge garden to play in with lots of trees and flowers, which make good hiding places. A bridge into the forbidden kingdom (Mummy's vegetable garden) and a swing! She would spend all her time out there playing especially on the swing. She would talk away to herself and sing songs she would make up about the birds and squirrels that visited and lived in the garden. Her mother would watch from the kitchen window and would see her daughter playing happily. Donna would play with the daisies and leaves singing as she worked making presents for her friends. The faeries! Yes Donna could see them and talk away to them and sing them songs. They were her friends and she saw them everywhere. She told her mother this and naturally her mother thought she had a good imagination. She played the game and smiled at her little one. Maggie asked her own mother whether this was something to be encouraged. Donna's wise Grandmother soothed her daughter's worries and told her that maybe Donna could see faeries. Either way, did it matter as long as she was happy? Which Donna obviously was.

Donna did have times of showing some strange behaviour though.  She seemed to sense somehow when someone was upset. She would come out with strange things that were just far too mature for a little girl her age. She never stopped asking questions about the world and why people did what they did. Animals behaved quite strangely in her company suddenly wanting to be near her. One day Maggie came out to find Donna with a squirrel on her lap and one on her shoulder. She was talking away as if this was normal until Maggie's presence scared them off. At night things would get even stranger. She was unnaturally drawn to the moon and stars, so she was eventually moved into the attic when she was six so she could sleep under the skylight window. This room was bigger and when no one was looking she would climb out onto the roof and, sitting on the window frame, gaze at the night sky. This would frighten her mother whenever she was caught and each time Donna promised never to do it again (with her fingers crossed behind her back). From the age of four Donna told her mother about her mission from the fay and that she had chosen her mother to be her mother. Maggie asked her how she knew this and Donna replied that at night she went to faeryland with the faeries and they told her. Often Donna would wake up in the morning telling everyone what she had been up to, the parties, the singing and dancing she had enjoyed. Often Donna would see an invisible faerie sitting on her mother's or sister's shoulders and whisper things in their ear. This was to cover up Donna's silly stories or maybe to give a nudge to help Donna's transition on the human world. There was still a lot Donna didn't understand. Well what do you expect? She was only a young child you know. But then again, are children not the wisest?  Maggie took all of this with a pinch of salt. However Donna sensed her Grandmother believed her, which only then deepened their bond.

Now this household had a special dog called Penny. She was a red setter cross. A puppy Donna's late father left them. So Penny and Donna grew up together playing rough and tumble getting filthy! However Penny grew up a lot faster than Donna and the faeries set forth to give Penny her orders. She was responsible for Donna. A second mother if you like. For Donna was a wild child and it was hard for them to keep her feet on the ground. Donna was baffled by the fact she couldn't fly. Why was that? At night when she went back to faeryland she could. What was wrong with here? So she would climb walls and jumping off would hold on to the belief she could fly. She literally did this for hours. Luckily she had the sense to start off with small walls. Needless to say she never migrated to the larger ones. She was often found climbing trees hanging upside down. Hair wild, refusing to wear shoes or socks whenever possible and all this in a lovely dress; even in the winter for she hated trousers. Most clothes for that matter. She would say that they get in the way of her climbing. She can grip better with her toes. She can bend her leg higher in a dress. She needed freedom. Well she got it. But her mother had to contend with the black feet that never seemed quite clean and the hair that was a tangled mess with twigs and who knows what through it. A stressful way to start the morning, sorting that hair out before school, that's for sure.

Now this is where we hit a problem. For dear little Donna didn't realise other children didn't quite have the same friends as she did. The children at school were happy to play along for a short time until they realised she was 100% serious. Then well that was too good to just let go. So yes they would tease and bully her. They would say how silly she was that faeries just aren't real. That one had asked their mother and she had said "No." This didn't trouble Donna too much as she knew she was on a special mission. She couldn't quite remember the details but she was sure it was something to do with helping people. Her Mum always said to treat other people the way you want to be treated. So Donna did her best to ignore it. As she started to get quieter the teasing stopped. She tried to remember what her mission was. She knew it was important, that she had to help and heal people and the world. To teach people her understanding; but how was she suppose to do that? Now luckily Donna did make one very good friend. Her name was Katie. She was a pretty little blond girl who was different from the other children too. She was very quiet and had these big eyes that just looked fearful. One day they became friends while painting a butterfly together. From that day onwards they became the best of friends till the day they died. They spent all their time together. They were inseparable. At last Donna had someone her own age to play with who believed in faeries. Donna introduced Katie to her friends in the garden and together they all played. During the summer the girls would sit under the apple blossom tree taking turns on the swing and place the fallen blossom in their hair. They would take turns marrying the faerie prince and defeating the evil witch who wanted to cover the world in darkness. At weekends they would all go to the local common with Donna's family and Penny. Katie and Donna would be up ahead with Penny as the lookout. Finding faerie spots and having adventures. Donna tried to teach Katie the art of climbing trees but Katie was of a little more delicate nature than Donna. Katie was quite happy to follow suit on the adventures.

Well what can I tell you? Sounds lovely doesn't it? Well things change. Donna's Grandmother died unexpectedly, but not before she gave Donna a special pendant of a faerie. It would change colour with your moods. Donna wore it all the time. What Donna didn't realise until many years later is that it held special power. Her Grandmother put so much love in this pendant that she put a bit of her soul inside there too. So when the dreadful day came when she died, she left something of herself behind always hanging on Donna's heart. Now it took a long time for Donna to recover from this blow. She was now 8 years old and thought herself much older than her peers. But she wasn't prepared for this. She shut herself away from the world for months, including from the faeries. They tried to lure her out when she was awake and when she was asleep. She turned her back on them as she felt they shouldn't have let it happen. Couldn't they have done something? It wasn't fair! Her family tried desperately to cheer her up but she just moped around, not seeing Katie, not playing in the garden. It all stopped. Then one day her mother tells her that her Great Aunt (Grandma's sister) who lives in Spain was coming to live with them as she had taken a turn when she had heard the news. What was a turn? Fine, maybe she would be as much fun as Grandma. No, No, NEVER! She was scary and awful. She didn't play the games that Donna tried to play with her, she said faeries don't exist! She became the evil witch. Donna started playing again with the faeries and seeing Katie. Their new mission was to get rid of the witch who was trying to fool everyone and take her Grandmother's place. Donna was often caught spying on her Aunt, trying to find out her secrets. Her Aunt never seemed to get caught though. Not when she chased Donna with a huge spider all the way upstairs, or when she locked Penny outside. She was a clever one.

The years went by. Donna still loved the night sky and going out in nature but as she became an adolescent, she started to want to fit in and be like everyone else. She became a teenager and so did Katie. Posters of unicorns were replaced with boy bands and she talked less and less about the faeries. She stopped travelling to the faerie realm. She would still say she believed but life takes its toll even at such a young age. The wicked Aunt passed away too, as did the beloved Penny. Donna came out of a little bubble and into a new one. Here the world was even colder and harsher. Things died and death here lasts longer. Some things were kept. Little ornaments and figurines and the films she most loved where she could lose herself once more. As Donna grew up she watched the world and her people. She watched their suffering and their lies. She watched what made them happy. Yes she still would never quite fit in, as the midwife had been right. She was an old soul and didn't belong in the here and now. So it didn't matter how much Donna would try to fit in she was never going to do it. She started writing all her woes in poems. Trying to understand how she was feeling in that way. Sometimes it was the only time she could make sense of the world she lived in. It was all so harsh. Time came for Donna to move into a career. She chose massage, as she liked one-on-one with people better. She hated groups of people as they would just get too much to cope with. Also with a one on one, she discovered people would open up to her and talk about things they would never normally talk about. She would massage them and with her touch they would feel better. This was something she was good at.

Katie in the meantime went to University to do an art degree. This is where Katie blossomed. She found where she belonged and why she saw the world so differently from others. She met like-minded people and had a ball. Donna studied through her training and then would set herself on course after course. Her family moved up north and she managed to keep herself on track. Donna was often aware of her Grandmother and would tell her what was troubling her as she laid down for bed. She would fall asleep with the tears still wet upon her face with her hand holding onto where she had felt her Grandmothers hand. This gave her great strength for the years that followed. For as the years went by Donna realised more and more she was on her own and by how much. She was always acting trying to be something different for everyone she met. She didn't know how to stop it or how to be anything else. She was thought of as "quirky," "deep," and "different."

One day Donna was starting a massage on a woman she had never met before. As she applied the oil, she could feel all these emotions that weren't her own. Feelings of loss and abandonment. Of not being good enough and being stupid. They were so strong Donna knew they were not her own. She saw in her mind a man shouting at this woman on her massage table, of his mother putting this woman down. Constant nasty remarks and she could see how this made the woman feel. Straight away before Donna had a chance to think about it she told the woman what she had felt. She asked if this is what has been going on. The client was astounded as no one knew this but yes this is happening. She cried as she told Donna the rest of the story. Both left that day different people than when they left their houses that morning, as the woman went back determined not to carry on her life like this.

Donna then discovered Reiki, a form of hands on healing. This changed her life forever. As she worked with the reiki, the more it felt natural and right. She practiced it as often as she could, on clients and herself. Never her friends as they wouldn't understand. She stuck to the rules of reiki for as long as she could but she soon found herself doing it differently. Something else was guiding her, it wasn't her conscious mind but it seemed to work better. More and more people were having unusual experiences with Donna as she seemed to know how they were feeling and what was going on with them. Often during the treatments people would say they felt joy around them and laughter like children's laughter. They left a little lighter. Donna knew it was the faeries back to lend a helping hand. After a year Donna started working with crystals and vibrational essences on a recommendation from the faeries. As time had gone by her connection with them was strengthening all the time. Now she listened to what they had to say. And as she did this she felt less alone and a little more complete. She started to visit the faeryworld again in her dreams and through meditation. She would ask them when she could come back to them and when can she stay for longer? She was always given the same response. Not until her mission was completed. She saw them here and there and asked for their help in all her healing treatments. A reputation started to form and one day a very popular psychic woman came in to see her. She had been "pushed off" her stool while trimming the rose bush in her garden. She said the faeries had done it and was told to speak to Donna the faerie lady. Donna was surprised by this newfound name of hers and that a very good psychic would need her help. To be honest Donna didn't feel comfortable with the pressure of it. The woman was very intense and didn't smile. People who didn't smile always made her nervous. It just wasn't right. Donna asked for a diagram of the garden and where the lady was standing. Donna then thought about it and the answer was put into her head thanks to the fay.

"Well you have been ignoring your garden for some time now and therefore ignored the faeries. They have wanted to talk to you. You weren't listening to them so they tried to get your attention. And it worked."

"What, by pushing me off a stool?"

"Well it worked, and it was only a nudge." Retorted Donna feeling a little protective of the fay.

"There is more, there is something you are not telling me that you should be." Donna was taken back as she wasn't holding anything back she said what she had felt. But she knew this woman had got that from her spiritual guide so there must be something.

"I can't think of anything but if you want to come into my treatment room I can tune into you there, better." So they went into the room. The psychic lay down on the couch. Donna settled her energy and tuned in starting at her clients head. She started to see/hear information about the client's wellbeing and why she had blocked out the faeries. Donna asked the faeries to help heal the woman, as it was slightly their fault she was like this. The client then started to cry. "Thank you" she said. "I can see them all around me. They are beautiful with so much joy. I have never seen faeries before." Donna was pleased to have a client who could see so clearly the faeries she had called upon. And right enough the faeries on this occasion really went to town. They were almost swarming over the ceiling, the walls, the client, everywhere. Donna tried to work around them without getting in their way. Then the funniest thing happened. Her client put her hand in between Donna's shoulder blades.

"You haven't opened your wings in such a long time. You need to open them to increase the circulation." Well they laughed. Donna's face was a picture, as she hadn't expected that. The laughter filled the room. The client went home with a new appreciation of the faeries, and tips on how to improve her friendship with them and become allies in helping her garden.

Well you can see the life Donna was leading. However she wasn't happy. She still didn't get to be herself and she longed for big open spaces and her family. So after years of setting up her business she left it all to move to Scotland.

The transition was hard but the faeries helped as much as they could. They seemed to find it easier to communicate with her here. One day Donna couldn't find her chakra CD. She had unpacked every box and put everything in its place. She knew if she couldn't find it now it had been lost forever. She kept thinking how useful it would have been to help her own energies. Then the next morning hanging quite precariously on a faeries' wing (ornament) was the cd. It wasn't there the night before when she went to bed and the wing itself was bent to accommodate the cd. A gift she knew from the faeries as she asked everyone in the house whether they put it there. No one knew what a chakra cd was, so it wasn't them. Their own way of helping. They helped in finding Donna other things too. They sometimes would try and bring Donna out of her cloud and make her laugh. The faeries always gave her hope but she needed more. One day while visiting her sister, she came across it. Her sister was dog-sitting this 14-week-old cocker spaniel. It was gorgeous. Donna fell in love with it instantly and decided that that is what she needed. Something she could pour all her love into. She set forth in researching the breed and all that it would entail. The faeries showed their enthusiasm for this idea and would constantly be talking about it, laughing and playing as poor Donna was trying to get to sleep. She had to agree with their excitement though. What Donna didn't know is in the faerie realm they had watched as their beloved faerie struggled with the harsh world they had sent her to. They had learnt a lot and Donna had helped more people than she realised. She had given people a new perspective on things. This has a ripple effect and carries on helping others. The faeries knew Donna needed help. So they started making preparations. This was meant to be. She eventually found a breeder close by who just had a litter born. She had a good reputation, so here goes...

By Donna Lowden

Sir Bailey's Adventures

“I believe everything within nature holds its magic at its heart. Some of us; we let it burn more brightly and therefore it ignites with other sparkles in the world, letting us have a deeper connection.

As a child I let the sparkles grow as I communed with the faeries in my garden. They have been by my side every step of the way ever since. I listen to their guidance and show my love, gratitude and respect every day.

I am simply complicated as all interestingly boring people can be.

Bailey, my young Cocker Spaniel, is my companion. His pedigree name is Silver Knight and he has definitely been my knight in shining armour. He has been on journeys with me to the darkest of places and seen some very scary sights. The most evil of Queens and ugliest goblins! But he has always stayed true and brave. He never left my side and we came through it together, out into the light. I owe him so much.

Bailey will always stand his ground and never show fear. He is very stubborn and knows his own mind. When not on missions he loves to have fun playing games like hide and seek and chase. He loves cuddles and will shower you in kisses.”

Donna has been a member of Enchanted Folk since September 2007

members.enchantedfolk.com/donna