Freddy the satyr was old, mean, cursed in pastries and denied being her son. But Mary loved him all the same. He was going to be her dungeon boss when she grew up. But he seems to be lacking in the attack department.

“Surely, you can fight.” Said Mary disbelieving. Freddy shook his head.

“I can dance and drink wine. Nothing more, nothing less. Now, bring me wine!” Demanded Freddy in his old man voice. Mary frowned at him.

“It is wrong to drink. No one drinks at mommy’s grotto.” She said and crossed her hands over her chest.

“What, such bores.” Freddy sighed and pretended to yawn. “You have to have juice here then? I can pretend its wine. Have you ever been to a party, nymph?”

Mary’s face lit up. She had never been to a party, but she heard from the other children that they were fun.

“A birthday party?” Asked Mary, excited.

“No, you piece of too sweet cake, a wild rave! Ho, ho, ho. With drums and flutes. For the great God Sylen. Every satyr has to make him a rave when they find a new home. It is tradition.” Said Freddy. Mary nodded.

She knew that people were allowed to worship what they will. She, herself, worship the soil goddess Pohva. Furthermore, she was the patron goddess of all nymphs, and she made sure they were all connected to the soil from which they were born.

“Ok, we have some raspberry juice we can give you, Freddy. But we don’t have drums. Or flutes.” Said Mary and Freddy sighed and then picked up an iron plate and began drumming on it. Mary’s toes tapped to the beat.

“See?” Asked Freddy when he was finished. “You can make music out of everything. You children are very unfortunate to not know something this simple. Old Freddy is going to take you under his wing.”

“Freddy, you don’t have wings.” Said Mary, and she stared at Freddy’s back, expecting for wings to sprout from it.

“Just get the juice and gather the children.” Said Freddy as he began to drum on the plate again.

Mary ran to the grotto’s cellar, where they kept extra water just in case the watering hole froze over, and searched for the raspberry juice. She found a bottle and she ran out.

As she was going back towards the greenhouse, she saw Harry and Tod the Tedsby laying on the grass. She stopped by them and spoke.

“Freddy is going to throw a party to worship the god Sylen. Come on and tell the others to come too.” Said Mary, and then she resumed running between the houses to reach the greenhouse by the lake.

Harry scratched his head and looked at Tod.

“Have you ever been to a party, Tod?” He asked, and the Tedsby mirrored him and scratched his head.

“They are fun. There is cake and one child gets presents. Once per year it is me.” Said Harry, standing up. Tod hopped on his back and wrapped his arms around his neck.

Harry went to where most of the children were having lessons, and he spread the word. Everyone wondered if this god Sylen had a birthday. Then they wondered if gods had birthdays at all.

Seeing how excited everyone was, Crassus and Esmer let them go to the greenhouse, trailing behind them to make sure they didn’t get up to any trouble. What they found was Freddy, sitting on Mary’s shoulder and holding a plate.

“Ok, candy canes, line up for the penguin dance.” Said Freddy. The children looked at him with confused looks.

“You hold each other’s backs and line up in a big line, then, when the music starts, you skip in circles.” Clarified Freddy. He drummed a beat on the plate as the children lined up.

Then, when they were finally done, his drumming became faster as the children skipped and the line wiggled around like a centipede.

“Is that the best you all can do, candy canes? Put your minds to it!” Said Freddy and one child began to run in place. He made three steps of running with leaning on his left leg, skipped forward, and then did three steps with leaning on his right leg.

“Better, better. Everyone, do that.” Said Freddy, and he began to drum in the rhythm of the child. Many copied him, but some began to invent their dances as they listened to the beat.

Red checked and happy, the children jumped around, with Mary leading them around the greenhouse in circles.

“Now, everyone, raise your hands and say praise Sylen!” Said Freddy over the laughter of the crowd.

A chorus of “Praise, Sylen,” carried over the lake. Then, to everyone’s surprise, a golden light appeared, and a human sized satyr appeared next to the lake.

He carried a drum and had a flute strapped to his belt. Sylen began to drum a faster beat with breaks in it, and the children began skipping around, not knowing why.

They felt at ease, even though they were confused. When Sylen stopped beating the drum, everyone felt lighter. As if a weight has been lifted from their shoulders.

“May you all be blessed.” Said Sylen as the children all looked at him, their hands still in the air. “May the girls be beauties and the boys handsome. May you all be smart, and may you have fun all the time. I, Sylen, have spoken. May it be so!”

And the god disappeared. Everyone looked at a grinning Freddy.

“He has a soft spot for children.” Clarified the satyr. “And delights in new worshipers. The next party is on Friday at six pm, don’t be late. Now, my juice!”

Mary handed Freddy the uncorked juice bottle and helped him drink, as the bottle was bigger than he. After two gulps, Freddy hiccuped and patted his stomach.

“Good stuff, not wine, but good stuff. Go back to your lessons now. God Sylen wants you all to be smart!” Said Freddy and the children dispersed, grumbling that there was no cake.