Fedrick & Felnar answer your questions

This post is a response to Fedrick & Felnar's Interview from a couple months ago.

All right, everyone. Today I've brought back the goblin boy, Fedrick and the troll girl Felnar, to answer a few questions from our readers.

Colette asked: Why do you guys hate fairies so much? I think your friend Bardmaid has a different idea about them! Also, do trolls and goblins live together?

Fedrick: I'll take the first question. We hate fairies because they're stupid little trouble makers! They always find a way to ruin everything we do! Also they have these spells to keep us out of their forest, which happens to be one of the best hunting grounds on Irowasa. As if that's not enough, you can't even eat them or you get major food poisoning. They're just useless little...

Rebekah: Okay Fedrick, we get the idea! You're right though, Colette, I do have a different idea about them.

Fedrick: You probably think they're cute! That shows how much you really know about them!

Felnar: The little ones are cute!

Fedrick: Until they turn you to stone, kill you, or destroy your cave.

Rebekah: Let's move on to Colette's second question. I'll take this one. Not all goblins and trolls live together but some do. The underground city which is one of the major settings in Quests is home to both goblins and trolls. That's where Fedrick and Felnar live.

A friend on facebook asked: Question for Rebekah: how can you bear to have those two IN YOUR ROOM??

Rebekah: Well, whether I like it or not my characters are in the habit of slipping into my room at unusual times like 3 AM to tell me something important they think should go in the story. As annoying as it sometimes gets, if I kept them out my stories wouldn't be very interesting.

Question for Fedrick: how would a pet fairy be troublesome? Just let Felnar get one!

Fedrick: You're just another one of those clueless people who think fairies are cute little innocent things! What if she got a pet fairy who decided to blast a hole in her roof and let some sunlight in? Maybe you don't know that sunlight turns trolls to stone.

Question for Felnar: don't you think catching a fairy would be a very hard thing to do, especially since they live aboveground?

Felnar: I never thought about that. Maybe if I got the right fairy catching gear and snuck up to their house in the night when they were sleeping I could get one.

Fedrick: I just know she's somehow going to end up with a pet fairy. Just remember Felnar, any consequences are your own fault and don't say I didn't warn you.

Felnar: You're such a spoil-sport Fedrick. You probably still think I should just get a pet bat! Everyone in the city has pet bats!

Fedrick: Yeah, and no one has fairies. Don't you think there might be a good reason for that?

Rebekah: No fighting or I'll let in some sunlight and turn on all the lights! Well fans, I hope that answers your questions. Our next guest will be a... er... well, another friend of mine.

Contest Winners and Creature Answers

I’m pleased to announce the winners of the Name that Creature Contest! In 1st place we have Mike, who not only got all the answers right but also named the countries the creatures originated from, alternate names used for the same creature in other countries, and even a few of my sources. Show off! ;)
In 2nd place we have Adam who answered the questions correctly including the bonus ones!
In 3rd place is Wren who answered most the questions correctly and made a good effort to guess at the rest.
Congratulations winners and thanks for playing!

By the way I highly recommend Judy Allen’s Fantasy Encyclopedia to anyone interested in the genre. It’s one of my best sources for looking up fantasy creatures quickly. Also, I know I’ve read about most of these creatures in a few books and stories but I couldn’t remember all of them so I just put down the ones I could think of.

Now for the answers:

1. I live in mines. When danger is near I'll tap on the wall to warn you. What am I?

Answer: Tommy-knocker (a.k.a. Knocker, or Thumper)

From: Miners’ tales throughout the world

Sources: Fantasy Encyclopedia, The Spiderwick Chronicles by Holly Black and Tony DiTerizzi

2. I'm a small elvin creature that likes to tinker with technology. I was first discovered by the British Royal Air Force in the 1920s. What am I?

Answer: Gremlin

From: Legend formed from stories of the British Air Force

Sources: Fantasy Encyclopedia

3. I’m a shape-shifter who loves to cause terror and trouble. I change into things you fear. What am I?

Answer: Boggart

From: British legend

Sources: Fantasy Encyclopedia, Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling, The Boggart by Susan Cooper

4. I appear in the shape of a horse, but my hooves are backwards from those of an ordinary horse. If you get on my back I will carry you to the nearest source of water and attempt to drown you. What am I?

Answer: Kelpie (or Water Horse)

From: Scottish Mythology

Sources: Fantasy Encyclopedia, Water by Robin McKinley and Peter Dickenson, a children’s version of the Water Horse story whose name I’ve sadly forgotten

5. I live in marshes. You can only see me as a mysterious floating light. If you follow me I will lead you far into the marsh and leave you stranded there. What am I?

Answer: Jack O’ Lantern or Will O’ The Wisp

From: British legend

Sources: Fantasy Encyclopedia, Jack O’Lantern by Patricia A. McKillip (contained in the anthology, Firebirds Rising)

6. I can breathe fire I have the head of a lion, the body of a goat and the tail of a serpent. I brought death and destruction for years before battling a Greek hero. What am I?

Answer: Chimera

From: Greek Mythology

Sources: Fantasy Encyclopedia, various books on Greek myths and legends

7. I'm a man-like creature made out of mud or clay. I can only be brought to life by spells. I work as a servant, always doing as I am told and never moving unless I am given instructions. I usually work for sorcerers. What am I?

Answer: A golem

From: Hebrew Mythology

Sources: Fantasy Encyclopedia, Fablehaven by Brandon Mull

Bonus questions:

1. I live in the Alps. Icicles hang from my hair and beard. I prefer cold weather and hibernate in the summer. My favorite form of entertainment is surfing on avalanches, though I will whistle to warn you of their danger. What am I?

Answer: Barbegazi

From: Legends in the Alps

Source: Fantasy Encyclopedia

2. I have wild green hair and blue skin. I hibernate in the winter and am at my most mischievous in the spring. I let out whistles to confuse humans. To escape me you must put your clothes on backwards. What am I?

Answer: Leshie

From: Russian Folklore

Source: Fantasy Encyclopedia

Last call for creature naming contest!

Just a reminder, the Name That Creature Contest! is still going on. The contest will end September 2nd, so if you haven't yet, be sure to test your knowledge of mythical creatures soon.

Also check out some of the other posts such as Fedrick & Felnar's Interview. Fedrick and Felnar will be coming back on the blog to answer reader questions soon.

A scene from episode 1 of Quests, which won a contest in 2008, is also posted as: Beginning of a Rivalry.

Feel free to read and comment to your heart's content!

Beginning of a Rivalry

Today I'm going to share with you one of my favorite scenes from episode 1 of Quests which won the 2008 National Writers Association scholarship contest. In this scene the elvin princess, Beritta is asked by her teachers, the elders, to practice her fighting skills with a lower ranking elf named Oakley. Beritta is none to pleased thinking she will easily beat him. This is scene is the resulting skirmish.

Don't forget the Name That Creature Contest! is still going on. Also please check out Fedrick & Felnar's Interview so that we can do a question and answer session with them in the following weeks.

Now the story:

Beritta made a disgusted face as Oakley moved to stand beside her. As one of the highest of High Elves, she was expected to be an expert warrior, since she would some day lead other elves in battle. Turning her back on Oakley, Beritta followed one of the elders until they were out of Oakley’s earshot.

“Excuse me,” she said tugging on the elder’s robe. When he turned to face her she continued, “I think there’s been a mistake. You see the elf you partnered me with is a Wood Elf.”

“It’s not a mistake,” the elder replied. “I’d like you to work with Oakley.”

“But you know I’m one of the best fighters in the city,” Beritta argued. “I’ll beat him in no time and it won’t even be a challenge! You should find me a different partner, one who will put up a good fight.”

“I will not cater to your pride, princess,” said the elder. “If he is below your level you can help him improve.”

So Beritta grudgingly returned to Oakley, secretly vowing to go easy on him. She sized up his skinny body with an inward sigh. This would be far too easy.

“We’ll start with swords,” Beritta announced with a toss of her long hair.

Oakley nodded and picked a thin curved sword from the pile of weapons the elders provided. Beritta rummaged through this pile for a minute until she found her favorite practice sword. It was curved, like Oakley’s but with a small blade a few inches longer than her forearm. She swung it through the air experimentally, enjoying the whistling sound this made. Oakley stretched and sliced the air in front of him before moving into a ready position with his blade pointed straight in front of him. Beritta also took a ready stance.

Once all the pairs stood ready, an elder signaled them to begin. Beritta swung her sword forward but Oakley moved at the same moment, blocking her attack. The blades met with a metallic ring, sending up a shower of silver sparks like pixie dust. They pulled back and circled each other until Oakley jumped forward, forcing Beritta to block his blow. Beritta retaliated with a series of stabbing motions which Oakley parried, swinging his sword from side to side in a quick motion and starting the fight in earnest.

They wove in to deal blows and out to avoid the other’s weapon. Their movements were quick and graceful like a dance. Beritta loved the feel of the smooth motions and the fire in her blood which made her powerful. Usually she was faster and stronger than any elf she skirmished, but that day she found her opponent’s skill greater than she expected. Oakley was just as good as she was, moving his sword smoothly through the air in time with her.

As Oakley forced her to yield ground through a fierce attack, Beritta took back on her promise to go easy on him. With a two handed sweep of her sword, Beritta chopped at Oakley’s legs. He jumped back, giving her the space she needed to push herself into an offensive leap. Yelling, Beritta extended her sword, intending to smash the flat down on Oakley’s head, ending the fight. Positioning himself in a crouch, Oakley sliced upward using the force of Beritta’s leap to send her flying backward. Beritta felt the wind knocked out of her as she hit the ground and slid, raising a cloud of dust and pine needles.

By this time most of the other pairs stopped sparing and gathered to watch Beritta and Oakley. Beritta got to her feet and rubbed her sore scratched back. She glared at Oakley who held his sword in front of him with a calm air. With a shout Beritta charged. As she neared him, Oakley swung out his sword, slapping Beritta’s hand with the flat of the blade then swinging it beneath her weapon, disarming her. It was a complicated move only the best swordsmen knew. Beritta stared at Oakley, red faced and humiliated. She, Beritta, princess of elves had been beaten by a Wood Elf.

An elder standing nearby raised an eyebrow then clapped. Beritta and Oakley both turned in surprise. A mighty cheer went up from the watching elf children.

Exasperated, Beritta faced Oakley again and yelled, “All right, I admit it, you’re better than I am! I QUIT!”

She stormed off leaving Oakley confused and partnerless.

Name That Creature Contest!

I'm pleased to present the blog's first contest! This contest is called 'name that creature'. The object is to see how many of the mythical creatures listed below you can name correctly. There's just one little detail you should note before you play. These are unusual mythical creatures, not the ones you always hear about like dragons, unicorns and fairies.

Here are the rules: read my descriptions then copy and paste the ones you know to an e-mail and fill in the answers. Once you have as many answers as you know, send the e-mail to pixiewriter.rebekah@gmail.com. The person who fills in the most answers correctly wins. I will also give second and third place prizes to people who have the second and third amount of correct answers. Winners will recieve an e-mail asking for a mailing address so I can send them the prizes.

Prizes: That's what really gets your attention right? 1st place winner will get to sample the first 4 episodes of my Middle Grade fantasy novel, Quests, (I will attact the episodes to an e-mail) in addition to receiving a 'trading card' of Princess Beritta, (see the Meet Beritta and Beritta Answers Your Questions posts for more information about this character) a Quests 'logo' t-shirt and a $15 gift card to Barnes and Noble . 2nd place winner will receive a Quests logo t-shirt, a trading card, and a $10 Barnes and Noble gift card. 3rd place will receive a Quests logo tee-shirt and a trading card. Anyone who can answer the bonus questions will win a free t-shirt. The contest will run through August. Winners will be announced here on the blog. Prizes will come by mail after this period. Be sure to invite your friends to join the fun. The more competition the better! ;) Also you might want to study up on mythical creatures. Some of these are pretty hard.
Name That Creature!

1. I live in mines. When danger is near I'll tap on the wall to warn you. What am I?

2. I'm a small elvin creature that likes to tinker with technology. I was first discovered by the British Royal Air Force in the 1920s. What am I? 3. I’m a shape-shifter who loves to cause terror and trouble. I change into things you fear. What am I?

4. I appear in the shape of a horse, but my hooves are backwards from those of an ordinary horse. If you get on my back I will carry you to the nearest sorce of water and attempt to drown you. What am I?

5. I live in marshes. You can only see me as a mysterious floating light. If you follow me I will lead you far into the marsh and leave you stranded there. What am I?

6. I can breathe fire I have the head of a lion, the body of a goat and the tail of a serpent. I brought death and destruction for years before battling a Greek hero. What am I? 7. I'm a man-like creature made out of mud or clay. I can only be brought to life by spells. I work as a servant, always doing as I am told and never moving unless I am given instructions. I usually work for sorcerers. What am I?

Bonus questions:

1. I live in the Alps. Icicles hang from my hair and beard. I prefer cold weather and hibernate in the summer. My favorite form of entertainment is surfing on avalanches, though I will whistle to warn you of their danger. What am I?

2. I have wild green hair and blue skin. I hibernate in the winter and am at my most mischievous in the spring. I let out whistles to confuse humans. To escape me you must put your clothes on backwards. What am I?

CONTEST!

Coming Soon! The 'Name That Creature' contest. Test your knowledge of mythical creatures and enter for a chance to win awesome prizes. Rules and prizes will be announced with a later post, so be sure to check back in the next few weeks.

Fedrick & Felnar's Interview

Rebekah: Today we get a special treat. Two Dark creatures from an underground city beneath Emerald Mountains have agreed to do a double interview. Let me introduce Fedrick the goblin and Felnar the troll.

Fedrick & Felnar: Hi!

Rebekah: Fedrick and Felnar are best friends who appear in the series, Quests. They play a very important role in the story; introducing us to the main plot line. So tell us, what's it like living in an underground city?

Fedrick: It's nice underground. You know, cool and dark. You don't have the ugly sun blazing in your eyes and making you blind.

Felnar: Yeah, I hate the sun. It turns trolls to stone. I'm glad you're window's really small, though, so the sun can't touch me in this room. Hey, could you turn off that light? Fedrick's right, it hurts my eyes!

Rebekah: Oh yeah. Sorry about that. I forgot how much light bugs you.

Fedrick: That's better. I don't know how you can stand that!

Rebekah: So tell us a bit more about living in the underground city.

Felnar: It's really fun to explore. There are all this twisting tunnels that go deeper and deeper into the mountain. I met Fedrick one time when I was exploring.

Fedrick: She almost ran into me because she wasn't watching where she was going!

Felnar: Well I don't need to watch everything closely when I'm not hunting.

Rebekah: Okay, moving on. What are some hardships you face living underground?

Fedrick: Uninvited guests wandering into our tunnels. We had a humaviper (half snake monster) get lost in our city a little while ago. That was a disaster! Plus the dwarves keep trying to mine in the mountains. Every time they start digging they knock down a goblin city. I wish every dwarf in the world would just drop dead! The last time we attacked the dwarves the fairies got involved and ruined everything by...

Rebekah: Don't say too much about that. We want these people to read the book someday!

Fedrick: Just let me give them a little warning. Listen up everyone! Don't let the fairies fool you with their sweet looks, their pretty little wings and their pixie-dust. They're really nothing but meddling troublemakers! They just want to sneak into your life and mess everything up. That goes for other creature of Light as well.

Felnar: Yeah, like that stupid, quick little gnome. I really want to squash that gnome with my claws! Oh, but Fedrick, please don't kill all the fairies. You know I still want a pet one!

Fedrick: Will you stop whining about getting a pet fairy? I'm telling you, the thing will be more trouble than it's worth!

Rebekah: On that note I think we'll wrap up. Felnar, please don't scratch Fedrick! If you have to fight, wait until you get home. I really don't want you two to trash my room. Have a safe trip down the tunnel. Fans, if you have questions for Fedrick or Felnar please leave them in the comments box. We'll get them back in about a month to answer your questions, Lord help us!