Snowdonia. A truly magnificent part of Wales. Rugged peaks and deep valleys. Babbling brooks and roaring waterfalls. Green and grey, all at the same time. Whether washed by the pure rain, buried under feet of snow or drenched in glorious sunshine, this land of princes and castles, myths, legends and history dating back to the dawn of time, is simply breathtaking!
My husband and I often visit the tiny villages with their slate houses and little Victorian steam railways, which are the best way to view this awesome spectacle of raw nature at it's best.
It was here, one beautiful sunny summer day, that my tale begins.
We were staying in a remote cottage on the banks of a shallow stream, deep in the heart of Snowdonia. There was just a track to the house and not a neighbouring property in sight. There was a small coppice near, through which the river flowed and through the trees it was easy to hear as it flowed swiftly over rocks that had washed down over centuries of rainfall.
We had been out most of the day, taking a ride on the little narrow gauge railway that steamed it's way along valleys, over rivers and past falls of water from high above and down the great slate cliffs. It chugged incessantly up steep mountain sides and past great lakes and all at a pace where the scenery could be appreciated with wonderment.
We returned to the cottage as the sun began to dip low in the sky and my husband, due to his illness, had needed to rest. I was still full of awe and joy at my surrounding and didn't want to stop.
As we entered the living room I turned to him.
“Philip, do you mind if I go for a stroll? I don't want to stop just yet.”
He looked at me and smiled.
“No,” he said, “of course not, but you don't mind if I stay here do you? I am dead on my feet.”
“No, I don't mind at all. You sit and rest. I shan't be gone long. I just want to appreciate this beautiful, magical place as the sun sets.”
“Okay,” he replied, “but don't be too long as the sun is already falling. You don't want to get lost.”
“I won't,” I promised.
I was about to pick up my mobile phone but thought better of it. There was no signal here and I had no pocket in my thin summer dress, so I left it where it lay, on the table.
The air outside was beautiful and warm, the evening sun kissing the mountain peaks, sending long shadows across the valley as I walked alongside the stream towards the trees ahead. The water played merrily amongst the stones, chattering and splashing as it flowed, tiny white horses frolicked and danced along with the sound. I was so happy here I felt as though my heart was about to burst out.
Apart from the water I could hear the faint sounds of tiny lambs bleating on the distant hillsides and the occasional call of a bird as it flew high above in the cloudless blue sky, and then, I saw it, hovering above the dancing water just a few feet away. The most beautiful blue dragonfly I had ever seen. It hovered silently, it's wings beating the air as it moved gracefully between the exposed rocks, looking for I know not what. It's body was almost luminous in hue, a glorious mid blue, almost like a spark. I was captivated as I watched it dart here and there. Before long it was joined by another, equally beautiful creature but green. Just as luminous, just as enchanting, both around 3 inches long, dancing around each other, never touching.
Just for a second they both turned towards me, as if looking at me and then, they were gone, the spell broken.
I smiled, still staring at the spot they had been, feeling the warm air against my naked arms, the gentle movement of the air making the skirt of my light dress move almost imperceptibly against my legs. I was in love. Not with anyone but with life itself, with nature. I could not stand in a place like this and not feel it, not be a part of it.
I looked up suddenly! What was that? A sound, like gentle laughter. I looked around.
Nothing.
Hmm... I must have imagined it, I supposed. With the stream in front of me, the trees, birds, lambs, so many little sounds, what's one more.
But wait, there it was again. This time, the slightest of rustling coming from within the trees to my left.
I peered through the boughs but could see nothing. A few steps towards the edge. No, just an animal a small woodland creature no doubt.
I began to walk slowly through the trees, alongside the stream to my right. The ground climbed steadily upwards and the sun shone through the leaves, causing the wavelets on the now fast flowing water to glitter and sparkle as they ran rapidly around the big rocks, tiny rainbows appearing above them.
I heard the tinkling laughter again and I looked around quickly and again, nothing. It was just my mind playing tricks, getting carried away with the shear exhilaration of this wonderful moment.
No, it wasn't in my mind! There! Through the trees, a movement, something flitting from one thin trunk to the next.
“Hey!” I called, softly, “Hey, wait. Who are are you?”
I heard the giggle again, to my right this time and then, almost immediately to my left, almost like stereo, like an echo.
“Come out,” I called gently, “Who are you?”
I looked around and this time I saw her, peeping from behind a tree.
“I see you. Come out. I won't hurt you.” I tried to sound encouraging. I wasn't afraid at all, just curious as to who this girl was.
Finally, she skipped gracefully out into view, laughing gently as she danced amongst the trees. She was beautiful. Her young flawless skin, pale in the sunlight. She was as dainty as a ballerina, and dressed in the thinnest of gossamer. Her slender lithesome body outlined beneath but not visible. Almost childlike and yet not so. She was ageless, and moved with the grace of a fairy. She may have been twenty, maybe thirty, more even, I couldn't tell. Her hair was short and dark and her sparkling blue eyes matched exactly the shimmering blue of her dress. I was captivated by her, unable to speak as she skipped lightly from tree root to tree root, her soft laughter like music in my head.
I sensed, rather than felt, a movement behind me and I turned slowly, not wanting to turn away but as I did, I saw another beautiful girl. Almost identical in appearance but dressed in green gossamer and the brightest green eyes I had ever seen.
I was awestruck, silent. Twins, and so incredibly beautiful.
They danced around me, never touching, making barely a sound but for their gentle laughter.
“Do not be afraid.” The voice came from behind me, “They will not harm you.”
I turned slowly.
There stood an impossibly beautiful woman. Again, I could not tell her age, I would have guessed around middle age but, how my mind felt now she could have come from the middle ages and I would not have been surprised.
“I am Coedwig.” She smiled benignly.
“I am Anna,” I whispered, “I am not afraid but...”
She answered my unasked question.
“They are river sprites. You saw them earlier, dancing above the river.”
“I saw dragonflies...” My mind was in a whirl.
“That is because they had not revealed themselves to you. They are very wary creatures, making sure that only those with a true love of nature and a good heart can see them. You should be honoured that they trust you.”
I stared in silence at her. She was tall and willowy. She wore a cloak of brown green fabric that reached the ground and resembled leaves and branches and yet not like anything I had seen before. Her long, chestnut hair hung way down her back, below her bottom and around her head was a small circlet of thin twigs, interwoven with leaves and flowers. Her hazel brown eyes sparkled in the light filtering between the branches and as I gazed into them their depth seemed unfathomable. I sensed wisdom and age beyond calculation.
“Come,” she said at last. “Follow me.”
I hesitated, unsure.
“You have no need to fear me. You will come to no harm.” Her words were like the rustling of leaves and all doubt was washed from my mind and I followed her further into the woods.
As we walked, the Sprites danced around us and I could feel their closeness even though they made no contact.