If you stand at the edge of a silent glade on a winter's night, and look deep into the woodland beyond, you may catch a glimpse of a squat, goblin-like figure peering back at you in the glow of moonlight amongst the bracken.

This is Ghobe, and his Kingdom lies in the forests and pastures, of the land, for he is Lord of the Element Earth, and resides, with the animals, under the jurisdiction of the Archangel Uriel, his Master.

Whenever Uriel is called upon for protection, Ghobe stands silently in the shadows beside him, a solid static figure, awaiting to do as requested.

Together they direct and control the land mass, plants, and stability of this world on which we all live.

It is said, by those with experience, that Ghobe is a solemn, shadowy being, with wary eyes of sharpened crystal, and delicate clothes of platted fern, sewn with glistening dewdrop webs by busy elfin hands.

His saddened pointed features show the deepening scars of the rigors of life, born from uninvited interlopers; the jungle of hostile human neighbours who share his Earthly Kingdom.

This Elemental King is much more shy and less forthcoming than the others. His power is indomitable, and his strength without comparison, but he will normally remain hidden in the secret meadows and groves where humans do not go.

However, if we look very carefully, and if we earn his trust, we may find that he will show himself, sometimes peering from the undergrowth, or maybe standing almost immobile with his back to a tree trunk on the edge of a woodland stream.

There are many elemental faces and shapes that can be seen amongst nature's greenery in the picture on this page, if we just take a moment to sit and stare.

We are told that if we do ever manage to catch Ghobe's glance we will, for one poignant moment, be irresistibly held by the haunted bewilderment in his almond eyes. And somehow we will taste the bitter fruit of personal responsibility for the ignorance of others of our kin, who are so willing to uproot and desecrate the hidden treasures of his land.

This silent, somber being can be as gentle and protective as a shady tree, or as brooding and heavy as a forest at night.

When he does choose to speak, his voice is as brittle as the snap of a twig, and it is through these abrupt commands that he signals the Gnomes - the minature elemental beings of his Kingdom - to gather at his side.

These shy tiny creatures most often appear to us resembling human form - sometimes slim as an elf, or dainty as a fairy, and sometimes squat and heavy.

They creep from out the timeless shapes of oak and ash, fern and shrub, sliding down flower petals, pattering beneath the bracken, peering from within the hedgerows, skipping and scampering, trudging and scattering around their King as they gather confidence and exuberance.

We are told that, if we stand in the countryside at the midnight hour, and listen carefully, we might be able to hear the talking and laughter of their shrill weeny voices as they clamber through the night,their tiny lanterns swinging before them, and the buzz of their chatter ringing through the air like a colony of bees, trapped in a honeycombe, far away in the woodlands beyond.

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