Nevan, a Leprechaun just beginning to enter middle age, had just spent the early morning chasing after a rainbow created by the last evening's light spring shower. As was usual, the rainbow had disappeared much too quickly, and a frustrated Nevan had come nowhere near finding his pot of gold. In fact, Nevan had never been able to find a pot of gold at a rainbow's end so far in his life. Throughout most of his life he had worked hard at it and remained uncharacteristically positive about his chances of finding his treasure. However, lately, he had begun to understand why most Leprechauns were known for their nasty and negative attitudes. He had started to feel the disappointment of failure.
He was nearly 35 and had not one haul of booty to call his own. He, like so many Leprechauns, had survived thus far by finding spare coins left on the ground, and by consuming food and ale left unattended in the pubs in the County of Cork. There always seemed to be an abundance of ale, which helped him and his cohorts to drown their sorrows on a regular basis. The mass consumption of ale had often also left him with morning headaches and the beginning of a belly that hung over his belt buckle. He had noticed, as of late, that the bright red hair on the top of his head had started to thin as well. He was glad for the coverage that his green derby hat afforded him. He recently had even stopped tending to his beard so much. It had become long and straggly. Because spring was now here, he had at least recently shaved himself clean. His clothes needed mending. There were little tears throughout them. After all, one does not go running full speed across the countryside to catch a rainbow and not suffer a little wear to their wardrobe.
Leprechauns were sad little creatures, in many ways. They were often prone to fighting amongst themselves. Although Nevan tended to avoid most brawls, he had noticed lately, that he had been more inspired to partake in them. Watching the human men in the pubs dancing and flirting with their females made him feel more lonely than ever before. Leprechauns really had no female counterparts, leaving them sexually frustrated as well. It explained their lack of grooming to some degree as well as their live for the moment lifestyle. Leprechauns enter the world by magically appearing at one end of a rainbow. Sadly, most do not figure out their quest in life before that rainbow fades, but some are known to have captured the treasure at the other end on their first day on earth.
This morning's chase had left Nevan fairly dirty. He found a puddle that was fairly clean, having pooled within a gathering of rocks. He walked in, clothes and all. He quickly found that he would have to remove his clothes to get them entirely clean and began scrubbing them against the rocks. After he was done, Nevan floated on his back in the cool water, doing a backstroke across the sizable puddle to the other side. Not watching where he was going, he knocked his head against one of the stones on the other side when he reached it. He sat up in the shallow water, rubbing his scalp. As he turned to look at the culprit rock, he glanced over his shoulder and saw something sparkling in the early morning sun beneath some low hanging branches. As he squinted he could see that it was a spider web covered in raindrops that twinkled like beautiful gems. Being naturally drawn to things that shimmer, Nevan rose from the water and began to walk towards the web. He could see, as he approached it now, that something was caught in the lower base of it. Something beautiful, that was also covered in droplets that reflected like diamonds.
He was close enough now to peer through the leaves and see that it was a Fairy caught in the web. Her pale strawberry hair hung wet and in her face, concealing most of her looks and the top of flower petal dress. Each delicate limb was wholly entangled, probably from struggling against the web. Her light skin glistened from the rain. She was motionless and rather limp, and Nevan wondered if she was still alive. He noted that she had not been wound in a spider's silk, and he supposed, judging from some sizable holes in the web, that the trap had been abandoned by the arachnid.
Nevan could not remove his eyes from the beautiful creature. It was rare to see a fairy, and if you did, it was seldom more than a flit of its wings or a blur of its hair. They were curious, yet elusive creatures. Nevan had often wished he could catch one. Once he had noticed one watching him masturbate while he was deep in the woods. She flew away as soon as he had spotted her, her giggle tinkling on the breeze. Nevan and his Leprechaun friends would sometimes follow human couples home from the pubs and watch them make love. They speculated amongst themselves whether it would be possible to carry on like that with the fairies, if they could ever catch them. No one was sure, because no one had ever even been able to touch a fairy. Nevan had come to terms with the fact that he may never find his pot of gold, but perhaps he could claim a prize that was even rarer. He had to approach the web and take a closer look, to see if the fairy was even still alive.
She was alive all right. She looked up and began to struggle against the web once she heard his approaching footsteps. Her dark brown eyes were almost cat-shaped. The fear shown on her face as he stepped in front of the web. He could hear her wings beat against the web as she twisted and turned. Her form writhed against its restraints. Her slender torso undulated giving hints to the beauty that lied beneath the wetted petals that clung to her shape. Nevan reached up to push her hair out of her face. He marveled at its softness, like the expulsions from the cottonwood trees that sometimes rode on the breeze.
"Puh puh please don't eat me." she stuttered in a voice that was a beautiful whisper.
Nevan laughed. "Silly Fairy!" he chuckled, "Leprechauns don't eat Fairies!"
She pulled back against the web, eyeing him with a look of doubt. "Then what could you possibly want with me?" she wondered aloud, her voice now contained a tremble.
