 and twigs. Good trees are usually passed down to future generations or gifted to family members. Sometimes fairies move, like Harlequin’s family, and negotiate for a good tree in the new location.
Twins Twins are common amongst fairies and are considered lucky. Triplets and other multiple births are unknown. It is a good thing twins are common; babies are not a frequent occurrence amongst fairies. Willow and Briony are twins.
Unicorn master The unicorn master is the resident veterinarian. He should work well with the leader of the troop but does not usually ride a unicorn himself. Harlequin’s local unicorn master at the start of the story is not ideal. He also happens to be Harlequin’s stepfather and the father of Willow and Briony.
Unicorn meadow A clearing on the Edge (or near any fairy settlement except Tara) where the unicorns congregate. They are usually invisible to humans as they can hide behind a blade of grass and their coats reflect the night sky.
Unicorns Unicorns are like horses but often come in pearlescent or metallic colours and have spiral horns. They are possibly a kind of equine fae. They bond with fairy riders (almost always male) and communicate with them via a sort of telepathy. Their legendary preference for virgins is merely a legend, but they prefer young people, a type of ‘innocence’ not often found in humans and a quietness of spirit not often found in hunting human males. Thus are legends born. Unicorns name themselves when they bond. Until then they are given names signifying their time of birth. (e.g. Solstice, February, Summer). Unicorn hair is used in the manufacture of jewellery; shavings of the hooves and horn of a dead unicorn may be used to make ‘remembrance’ jewellery. The horns themselves make goblets or hunting horns. Unicorns do not live as long as fairies but they do last a great deal longer than horses. They are never shod, but they are groomed nightly and some will consent to wearing flowers or other decorations.  Their spit has medicinal properties. They refuse to wear any saddles, bridles, reins etc. and regard themselves as equal partners in the riding process. Bonded unicorns are expected to train, with their riders, to form the wild hunt. Unicorns choose their own adult names.
Velvet Son of Stag. Sometimes stands in for him at festivals etc and is training to take over at some hazy future date. Brown hair, eyes and wings. Eight point antlers (at present). His unicorn is Crown.
Veronica Speedwell, Lady A lady-in-waiting from Tara. Accompanies the titania on visits to outlying woods such as Alderley Edge. Named for a pretty but invasive creeping plant that will take over a lawn in a very short space of time. Green-gold hair and wings. Blue eyes. Wears blue.
Vervain A friend of Yarrow’s. Named after the herb which is also known as the ‘enchanter’s plant’. The herb has many medicinal uses, including an ability to combat depression and is traditionally known as a female aphrodisiac. Vervain lives up to his plant’s reputation. Sand coloured hair, skin and wings. Blue eyes. Wears blue and green. His unicorn is Mephistopheles.
Vole A fairy in Whetton. Half-brother to the twins Briony and Willow. Original rider of Wrath.
Wasp An unpopular fairy in Tara with yellow and black striped wings. He is a bureaucrat who takes himself too seriously.
Waterfall A water fairy on Dominica. Twin to Rainbow.(See Rainbow for description).
Watersprites Sprites who enjoy living near and in water. Not to be confused with kelpies or selkies or water fairies.
Werneth Low A low hill in north east Cheshire. Gee Cross is at its foot. It is a designated ‘country park’ for human recreation. There is usually a weekly goblin market underneath. It is well known locally as a place to gather ‘magic’ mushrooms.
Whetton A village in Staffordshire. There is a fae community nearby.
Wild hunt Each solstice and equinox the unicorn troops ride every dawn for a week in a wild hunt to clear the area of spotted snakes, thorny hedgehogs, newts, blindworms, etc. They also cull aged/sick animals such as stags and a special meeting of the Hunt may be called between the major festivals for that purpose. The lord of the hunt may grace a local hunt with his presence.
Willow Harlequin’s youngest brother; Briony’s twin. He is quite unlike his sister and has black hair, huge green eyes and wings that look like green watered silk. Willow is a plant that loves water. Willow may have been named for the tree’s ability to ‘weep’ beside streams. Green willow was often used to express mourning for a loved one who was far away, as in the English folk song ‘All around my hat’. It seems Flame must have sensed a sadness in Willow’s future.
Wings Fairies have wings that can be folded down into wing cases on the shoulder blades. The wings are strong and will carry a fairy some distance. They may be a single pair or a double pair. They are usually, but not always, semi-translucent, but transparent and opaque ones are known. The colours vary and they may be monochrome, multi-coloured or patterned. The texture can vary too, from gauzy to velvety though they are never feathery. Some wings look metallic in moonlight. Although they look delicate, they are tough and can regenerate after injury.
Wishes Fairies can grant general wishes, for health, wealth, happiness etc. Luck, too, though this is more of a problem area and it may be that the ‘luck’ is simply one of the other things. The effects don’t always last. If a human wished for a specific object, a fairy could wish them the money to buy it with. There is no truth to the legend about having to grant wishes; fairies will grant them out of gratitude which is how the legend arose. They get fed up after about three, which explains that legend too. Most fairies try to tell humans they can’t grant wishes, in order to avoid the whole issue.
Wizard, The A pub on Alderley Edge. English pubs (bars to the rest of the world but usually more than just bars) tend to have names like The Ship, The Red Lion, The Lamb, etc. These are always written with capitals and are familiar to English readers. The Wizard is named for the legend about Merlin sleeping under the Edge (but he sleeps in a lot of places in England, Wales and Brittany).
Wrath Vole’s unicorn. Huge. Charcoal grey with a black mane and tail. Later ridden by Elder.
Wren A fairy in Whetton. Vole’s mother.
Xanthippe Dragonfly’s unicorn. Bronze with a gold horn. The name is attributed to the wife of Socrates, the daughter of Dorus and a character in the New Testament apocrypha. It is generally supposed to indicate a ‘shrew’ or ‘nag’. Xanthippe just liked the sound of it, and as her grandsire was called Apollo (one legend has him as the father of Dorus) she chose it and is sticking with it. However, she is a very gentle unicorn and never nags Dragonfly.
Yarrow Harlequin’s lover/boyfriend/partner/whatever. Leader of the local unicorn troop. Tall (for a fairy) with golden hair, dark blue eyes and velvety white wings. His unicorn is Devil. The medicinal herb for which he is named is also known as Noble Yarrow, Devil’s Nettle, Devil’s Plaything and Squirrel Tail. The references to Devil and Eichhorn are obvious. The flowers can be white or pink, depending on the calcium content of the soil, and there is a cultivated variety with yellow flowers. Yarrow wears white and pink. The herb is supposed to be dedicated to evil, but Yarrow is dedicated to Harlequin and to unicorns, in that order.
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