We'd never knew when he was coming. He came and went just like the wind. "Faster than lightning during a summer storm." Papa would remark.

   But when he'd come, he'd come whistling so loud and high it rang through the trees. Papa said his whistling once made the birds answer back. If Papa's chuckles could rumble the earth, Uncle Lenord's whistle could echo to the heavens.

   We spotted him coming down the road riding his horse whose coat always gleamed in the sun. It was probably the prettiest horse anyone would have ever wished to seen. So high he would be on the horse you would have no other choice but to look up, squinting from the sun, at him.

   Uncle Lenord had a very carefree, mellow stride which his horse, Kalinee, had picked up on herself. His constant, bright smile was a common sight to see on his face; if he didn't wear it, you'd wonder where his smile went before his nose.

   I remember, when I was two, running out to meet him before he reached us, me hobbling down the dusty path with a wide smile on my face. Maman would place me down then watch me go.

   I was old enough then to race up the road to meet him halfway, keeping close to Kalinee's side as I stared up at him, excitement racing through my veins. I would stick on one side while Feria would usually stay to the other. His response was always the same, looking down at either of us with a toothy grin on his face.

   "Well looky looky, two young maidens tall and fair, walking by my noble mare."

   His dialect and accent were different each time he came, influenced by the places he'd come from visiting. We were always anxious to see what new gifts and experiences he came with this time.

   That day, as he dismounted Kalinee, tying her to a tree, he carried a small sack and his satchel, which was scarce seen off his person. Erinna, who had stuck close to maman the entire time he came trotting down, raced over at the sight of the sack with eagerness in her eyes.

   "There she is. Comes over only at the sight of a gift?" He picks her off the ground with ease and tosses her up in the air as though she weighed no more than a rag doll. Though maman looked nervous when he did that, Erinna had complete trust in him and giggled her high pitched laugh.

   "What did you get us, Uncle Lenord?" Feria asked, jumping up and down at his side.

   He laughed; papa would only chuckle while Uncle Lenord would only laugh.

   "Patience. A patient individual is like the most elegant flower in the field."

   "That's what papa always says." She replied.

   "He is a wise man. Speaking of your father, where is he?"

   "In the house!" Erinna, sitting on his hip, pointed to the house.

   "We ought to say hello to him first before we go digging through gifts."

   He walked to the house, the two of us trailing behind as sheep to their shepherd. He greeted maman with a kiss on the forehead to which she replies with a swat at him playfully with her handkerchief. We all poured into the house. Immediately, maman hurried over to rekindle the waning fire to heat up something to eat. Papa, who had been busy with the business of whittling a block of wood, looked to see what the cause of all the noise was and smiled at the sight of Uncle Lenord.

   "Acting an old man again, Emeric?" Uncle Lenord jester. "Whittling your life away when you have this fine family to uphold you?"

   Papa embraced him, the two smiling with brotherly love. Uncle Lenord transferred Erinna into papa's arms, though she whined quietly in protest.

   "How long are you staying?" Papa asked.

   Feria and I settled on the worn rug which was our only layer from the bare, dirt floor. Papa rested in his chair and Uncle Lenord took a seat at the table bench.

   "Oh not very long, not very long indeed."

   "Why not?" Feria and I cried in unison.

   From her place at the hearth maman gave us a corrective look for needless whining.

   "There is much to see, much to do. I am a man cursed never to stay in one place for long before my legs, or Kalinee's, take me wandering again."

   "Where did you go this time?" I insisted.

   "To a province called Nyress just near the mountain ridge. Such a cold, dastardly place up there, but very quaint- the people and the buildings. Can you believe their rooves are simply bare branches and animal furs; furs so thick, not even the harshest of snow can intrude. The houses get so hot you would never imagine that a blizzard was happening right outside your door."

   "How much snow did they have, Uncle Lenord?"

   We all loved how wide and elaborated his face would become in telling a tale, even a real one.

   "Why poor Erinna would be covered. Head to toe."

   "Really!?" She said in awe.

   "I assure you. In fact, the snow is not only high, but thick. So thick, the people there wear these special type of shoewear that protects their feet so they can easily travel. I acquired a pair myself, but sold them to a foreigner about to go there."

   "I want to go there!" I exclaimed. "I want to be a traveler like you, Uncle Lenord."

   "Me too!" Feria joined in.

   "I wanna, I wanna!" Erinna squirmed in excitement in papa's lap.

    Maman 'tsked' as she carried over the hot water to make the tea with. Papa smiled, tickling Erinna till her cheeks were rosy from giggling.

   "You may think wandering and traveling all over Edalirwen might be a fun life, but it's a tough road to travel. No true place to rest your head or call your home."

   "But you get to sleep in different places every night. You get to change." Feria argued.

   "Traveling does change you, but it might be for the worse rather than the better at times."

    Feria wanted to continue her explanation, but I cut her off with a question of my own.

    "What are you going to do when you run out of places to travel to?"

    He sat back, looking up at the low, sagging ceiling for thought before looking at me again.

    "I've often wondered that and you know what I would do?" A spark of adventure gleamed in his eyes. "I'd start exploring the other side of Edalirwen."

    My sisters and I gasped in amazement and wonder at the thought of our uncle traveling to such an unknown place. While we were in awe, maman, who finally brought over tea for everyone, clucked her tongue.

   "Aha, you put foolish, idle thoughts in their head. Everyone knows the other side of Edalirwen is folklore. Don't listen to your uncle's spinning tales, girls. There's nothing but ocean and empty forest beyond the ridge."

    That didn't dampen our spirits and imaginations.

   "But what if there is something?" Feria pondered with stars in her eyes. "What if Uncle Lenord proves there is?"

    I piped up. "Then he'd be like Blytas Bedlam!"

  Our uncle laughed in good humor at this, papa adding in with his throaty chuckle. Maman 'tsked' again, going to work on her patchwork, but a small smile appeared as she worked.

   "Blytas Bedlam, indeed." He agreed.

    His attention then shifted to the sack at his feet and as we watched in anticipation, he sat it on his lap, a secretive smile on his face as he reached in.

   "Who shall get the first gift?"

   Feria's arm shot up the quickest.

   "Me, me, me! I'm the eldest after all."

   "Ah, no, no," He shakes his head, digging deeper into the sack. "Being the eldest isn't about being first. In fact, it's about waiting last. Remember, a patient individual is like the most elegant flower in the field."

    My sister's mood was soured by this, but she waited without protest as Uncle Lenord pulled out the first gift which he presented to Erinna. She cried out in excitement, clawing desperately for the small, wrapped gift. Before she could tear away the parchment, though, he stopped her by explaining she could open her present once we all received ours. I was next to receive a slightly taller but still small package. I tried to guess what could possibly be hidden under the paper but to no avail. Feria was the last to receive her gift, an eager expression on her face as he handed her a medium sized wooden box.

   "Okay, girls, you may open your presents now."

   We dug in, wasting not a second to reveal what we had received.

   "Pretty!" Erinna oohed.

    In her small fist, she held a beautiful, red bow made of silk with golden embroidery. Even maman seemed stunned by it.

    "In my hair, in my hair." She cried. Maman wasted no time tying the thing into her hair.

    Feria was the next to praise her gift. In the finely carved box, there laid a leather braided bracelet with small gemstone embedded in the material. Slipping it on, it was big on her, but papa and Uncle Lenord assured her she'd grow into it.

    Seeing my sisters' beautiful gifts, I looked down at my own which was a simple, blue jagged crystal gem necklace on a plain leather string. It didn't look or feel as grand as my sisters' gifts had. A prickle of jealousy traveled through me as I clutched my necklace.

   "Aelita," Papa said. "Let me see your present."

   "Show us," Erinna said.

   Slowly, I opened my tight fist from around the crystal and held it up by its string. They all examined it as though it was something. I quickly closed my grip around it again.

  "Aelita, what's the matter with you?" Maman asked half concerned, half scolding.

   Shaking my head, I held back the tears which started building in my eyes. I kept my head close to my chest so they wouldn't see.

   Uncle Lenord couldn't have seen me, but he knew I might have been upset by what I considered a lacking gift.

   "Aelita. Do you know what it is I got you?" His voice became secretive and it pulled me in. "Do you girls know what I have brought you?"

   My sisters looked to him for answers while I remained in a small, compressed position, clutching the necklace.

   "Why Erinna, that bow used to belong to an ancient princess that lived long ago when the other side of Edalirwen was still joined with this side. Feria, yours once belonged to a mighty warrioress who conquered nearly all the regions and providences of Edalirwen."

   The two breathed in wonder, looking to their gifts with reverence now.

   "And Aelita." I glanced up at him a bit. "Yours never belonged to anyone, but it is still a very precious piece. It is said to have come from the other side. That gem is the soul of a rain fairy."

   My attention was enraptured in every word he said and I, too, looked down at my gift with great reverence.

   "Legend has it, that rain fairy used to stir mischief and trouble on the other side. She'd make it rain to where the rivers would flood and the crops would drown. Eventually, the people and other fairies got tired of her games and tricked her into turning into a crystal, there she could do no harm.

    "The old man who I brought the piece off of, told me you can use her to summon rain still. You just have to say a little poem and she'll listen to you. It goes like this:

    For the crops, for the soil,
    For the beasts, for after toil,
    Streams and rivers, brooks and seas,
    Send this blest rain to me.

    "And once you say that, wait till the next day and it'll rain. Depending on how she feels, it might rain a little time or a full day, but no more than one day."

   My gift now felt important to me. It felt as though I held power in my hands, ready to control at any time I wished. I placed the necklace around my neck and stared down at the crystal.

   After a few more minutes with Uncle Lenord and thanking him for the gifts, we were shooed out so the adults could converse. We ran through the forest in the back which was lush with green at that time.

   "Do you like my present?" Feria asked us, holding her wrist up to the light. "Isn't nice? Isn't pretty?"

   "My bow is red." Erinna smiled happily.

   They could brag about their gifts and how great they were, but I knew mine was the best. I would treasure and properly use its magic only to help when needed. In my mind, I repeated that poem again and again until, even weeks later, it would tumble around in my head at night.

   Uncle Lenord didn't stay even a day before getting up and heading off. He never said where he was going or when he'd be back again, he would only say that where his wandering led him to would be his destination. We followed him as far as we could, until the house was nothing but a brown speck farther back, then wave him off till he'd disappear out of view.

   The next morning, though, was a real sight to behold: rain.