They were all in place waiting for Harold to wake up. The thing was that Harold was having an especially wonderful dream and had no intention of waking up anytime soon. Most humans fell asleep as soon as they stumbled across or entered the Sacred Circle, and it has to be said that if a human was in a rush or not in tune with their surroundings, that they would inevitably be overcome and soon fall into a deep sleep. Gnomes have such a different sense of time - happy quick time, happy slow time, slow winter dream time - well, the list is endless and pretty unfathomable to humans. Any place where they live and frequently come together to celebrate or meet up, has an especially different air. In fact one of the ways you can find out if a place that you suspect is a gnome meeting place - really is one - is to quietly enter and see if you begin to feel a dreamy, expanded sort of peaceful doziness - the answer is very likely yes if you do!
Aunt Mildred was beginning to feel a little bored, she wasn't feeling particularly kindly towards Harold so it was easy to be bored. She had looked inside her basket and been most disappointed to find that there wasn't even a supply of mint humbugs - 'shows what a panic we were all in when that ridiculous man came stumbling into the forest - no sensible supplies to pass around and share'. Luckily Hortensia had put some of her special crumbly shortbread in Archibold's pockets that morning so they soon were feeling fortified by a bit of biscuit while they waited.
Hortensia was still stroking Harold's forehead trying to ease the worry lines, this was partially why Harold was having such a good dream, he hadn't slept this well for years and his whole body was relaxing into the moss as he gently slumbered on. The other reason that he was sleeping so deeply could have been because of the kindness that he felt all around him. Archibold and Stephanotis had had a good feel of his ankle and carefully rubbed some of Aunt Mildred's homemade liniment around the strain and the bump where he had banged his head.
Soon twilight began and the gnomes skilfully hid as Hortensia cut open and waved a piece of fresh garlic under Harold's nose. He opened his eyes and found himself thinking about how hungry he was and that he hadn't felt so well in ages - 'how amazing; he thought, 'fancy there being some blackberries on the moss right by me, most have caught on my clothes and dropped off as I fell'. He gobbled up the blackberries and started to put his sock on, his ankle felt as good as new and he was ready to get up and be on his way when he caught sight of something out of the corner of his eye and found himself staring in amazement hardly daring to breathe.
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