Hello Readers!
Sorry for the unexplained year long vacation from writing. I thought I should finally sit down and write a quick note to let you all know what is going on with my writing and plans for the coming year.
First of all, my new ideas are coming together really slowly which is part of why I have not posted anything recently. That said, in looking back over the blog and some of my old stories, I decided I would like to wrap up my Quests series once and for all. I'm actually really pleased with the serial version of Quests part 1 posted here on the blog. I already have a draft of part 2 waiting for edits after which it can appear on the blog as well. I'm still debating whether to write enough episodes to make it a 3 part series or just adding a couple episodes to the end of part 2 which would wrap up the plot. Either way I hope to post a new episode sometime in January. As I mentioned in a couple of last year's posts, I was feeling overwhelmed with trying to blog every week. This coming year you should expect to see 1 or 2 posts a month, most likely a new episode each month and an occasional additional post for news.
Another thing I recently decided is that when I re-publish Quests I'm going to sell the entire series as a single volume rather than breaking it into 2 or 3 books and the separate parts will not bear their own names. I apologize to those of you who already bought a copy of part 1. However, with all the changes I've made to the series, an updated version of part 1 will help make sense of the later parts, plus you will now be able to get all 2 or 3 parts for the price of one book! The series will also remain available on the blog for anyone who wishes to read it for free.
If you have not read Quests yet or if you wish to refresh your memory you can start with the series prologue here. After that just follow the link to episode 1 at the end of the post. You should be able to get through the entire series just by following the links at the end of each episode. Also, you'll notice I have changed the look of the blog slightly. It was just time for something new.
nb
Check back in January for the new episode and until then, Merry Christmas and Happy Reading!
Friday, December 5, 2014
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Quests Episode Fifteen: “They’re in the Woods!”
Just a couple news items and reminders before I proceed to today's story:
After this post I will be taking a break to prepare for and celebrate the Christmas season. When I return to blogging I will begin posting part 2 of Quests.
Also, when I resume the story after New Year's I will be switching to a new episode every month rather than every week, though I may have an additional post every few months.
This is the last episode of Quests part 1. I hope you have enjoyed reading it here on the blog.
Now back to the story...
Read the series prologue.
Read episode fourteen.
Episode Fifteen: “They’re in the Woods!”
“Lilac, wake up.”
It was late at night with only the smallest sliver of the moon casting light on the sleeping depths of Fairy Wood but someone was shaking Lilac’s shoulder. She woke and turned to look into a freckled face.
“Reuben!” she cried in a loud whisper. “What are you doing here?”
“I was out flying and I saw something,” Reuben replied. “I wanted to tell you.”
“Come back in the morning,” Lilac growled, rolling over.
“It can’t wait ’till the morning. It’s really important.”
“Well then hurry up and tell me!” snapped Lilac, impatient to get back to sleep.
“An army of goblins and trolls is marching into the woods.”
“What!” cried Lilac pulling herself into a sitting position. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, I saw them.”
“Do you remember where they were? Could you show me?”
“I think so,” Reuben replied.
“Then let’s go,” said Lilac jumping to her feet.
“Right now?”
“Yes,” she said turning to face him. “You were right. This can’t wait for morning.”
A little later, Lilac and Reuben perched on a tree branch overlooking a large group of marching goblins and trolls.
“How many do you think there are?” Lilac whispered.
“I can’t tell,” Reuben whispered back.
“This isn’t good,” said Lilac. “They must have found out that we know they were the ones who poisoned the water.”
They watched in silence for a minute before Lilac added, “They’ll have to camp somewhere out of the sun during the day. They have trolls with them.”
“Yeah,” agreed Reuben. “I hadn’t thought about that.”
“I’m sure they did. Come on, let’s see if we can find out where they’re going.”
They flew out of the tree and moved toward the front of the army. Suddenly a goblin cried out, “Look there, it’s a pixie!”
His captain cried, “Quick, catch it!”
Lilac looked at Reuben in alarm, wondering why the goblins hadn’t seen her also. Suddenly she understood.
“Reuben they can see your light!” she cried. “We have to get out of here, fast! Take my hand. I don’t want us getting separated.”
Obedient for once, Reuben grabbed the hand Lilac held out to him. They flew into the thicker parts the woods as fast as they could. Behind them, goblins crashed through the trees and undergrowth trying to find the fairy spies. As they passed a hollow log Lilac tugged on Reuben’s arm, pulling him inside the small space with her. They landed at the bottom of the log, hiding Rueben’s tell-tale light.
Lilac waited until the sounds of shouting and stomping faded into the distance before whispering, “So long as they don’t find us we’ll wait here until morning. They should make camp when the sun comes up, so it will be safe to go out then.”
Reuben nodded. He glanced at the opening in the log as if he expected a goblin to reach in and grab him. With a shudder he pulled his legs to his chest trying to hide the fact that he was trembling. Lilac regarded him for a minute, taking note of all this.
“When the light comes,” she said at last, “we have to fly as fast as we can to find the fairy queen. A Dark army in the woods means only one thing.”
“What?” asked Reuben with a mixture of fear and fascination.
“War,” Lilac replied.
End of Part 1
Continue to episode sixteen.
After this post I will be taking a break to prepare for and celebrate the Christmas season. When I return to blogging I will begin posting part 2 of Quests.
Also, when I resume the story after New Year's I will be switching to a new episode every month rather than every week, though I may have an additional post every few months.
This is the last episode of Quests part 1. I hope you have enjoyed reading it here on the blog.
Now back to the story...
Read the series prologue.
Read episode fourteen.
Episode Fifteen: “They’re in the Woods!”
“Lilac, wake up.”
It was late at night with only the smallest sliver of the moon casting light on the sleeping depths of Fairy Wood but someone was shaking Lilac’s shoulder. She woke and turned to look into a freckled face.
“Reuben!” she cried in a loud whisper. “What are you doing here?”
“I was out flying and I saw something,” Reuben replied. “I wanted to tell you.”
“Come back in the morning,” Lilac growled, rolling over.
“It can’t wait ’till the morning. It’s really important.”
“Well then hurry up and tell me!” snapped Lilac, impatient to get back to sleep.
“An army of goblins and trolls is marching into the woods.”
“What!” cried Lilac pulling herself into a sitting position. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, I saw them.”
“Do you remember where they were? Could you show me?”
“I think so,” Reuben replied.
“Then let’s go,” said Lilac jumping to her feet.
“Right now?”
“Yes,” she said turning to face him. “You were right. This can’t wait for morning.”
A little later, Lilac and Reuben perched on a tree branch overlooking a large group of marching goblins and trolls.
“How many do you think there are?” Lilac whispered.
“I can’t tell,” Reuben whispered back.
“This isn’t good,” said Lilac. “They must have found out that we know they were the ones who poisoned the water.”
They watched in silence for a minute before Lilac added, “They’ll have to camp somewhere out of the sun during the day. They have trolls with them.”
“Yeah,” agreed Reuben. “I hadn’t thought about that.”
“I’m sure they did. Come on, let’s see if we can find out where they’re going.”
They flew out of the tree and moved toward the front of the army. Suddenly a goblin cried out, “Look there, it’s a pixie!”
His captain cried, “Quick, catch it!”
Lilac looked at Reuben in alarm, wondering why the goblins hadn’t seen her also. Suddenly she understood.
“Reuben they can see your light!” she cried. “We have to get out of here, fast! Take my hand. I don’t want us getting separated.”
Obedient for once, Reuben grabbed the hand Lilac held out to him. They flew into the thicker parts the woods as fast as they could. Behind them, goblins crashed through the trees and undergrowth trying to find the fairy spies. As they passed a hollow log Lilac tugged on Reuben’s arm, pulling him inside the small space with her. They landed at the bottom of the log, hiding Rueben’s tell-tale light.
Lilac waited until the sounds of shouting and stomping faded into the distance before whispering, “So long as they don’t find us we’ll wait here until morning. They should make camp when the sun comes up, so it will be safe to go out then.”
Reuben nodded. He glanced at the opening in the log as if he expected a goblin to reach in and grab him. With a shudder he pulled his legs to his chest trying to hide the fact that he was trembling. Lilac regarded him for a minute, taking note of all this.
“When the light comes,” she said at last, “we have to fly as fast as we can to find the fairy queen. A Dark army in the woods means only one thing.”
“What?” asked Reuben with a mixture of fear and fascination.
“War,” Lilac replied.
End of Part 1
Continue to episode sixteen.
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Quests Episode Fourteen: The Giant Bat and Odd Friends
Read the series prologue.
Read episode thirteen.
Episode Fourteen: The Giant Bat and Odd Friends
Fedrick sat tense, clutching a crossbow and waiting in the moonlight outside the entrance to a large cave. A few days earlier goblin scouts had reported that deep within this cave was a creature which looked like a giant bat. This creature was called a strellogroth. The goblin council thought that if they could catch a strellogroth and keep it in the city they might be able to use it as a secret weapon against the fairies and elves. They chose a small group of goblins warriors to carry out their plan.
Fedrick was part of this group. The other warriors were spread out on the mountainside, crouching in bushes and behind rocks, also waiting. Finally, the great bat monster emerged to hunt.
The strellogroth opened its mouth and let out a call too high pitched for Fedrick’s ears to catch. As the sound bounced off the surrounding objects, the monster discovered their presence. The strellogroth wheeled in a tight circle over their heads then began to descend. It opened its mouth, showing large fangs. Fedrick jumped up and taking a deep breath to steady his aim, shot a tranquillizer dart into the strellogroth’s neck. For a moment the creature continued on its course, then the drug took effect. The strellogroth’s wings locked and it dropped harmlessly into some bushes.
Once they were sure the strellogroth was unconscious, the other goblins came out of hiding. A few of them pulled out a cart which had a cage on it. The captain of the group clapped Fedrick on the back as he passed him and commented, “Nice shot.”
The warriors gathered around the body of the strellogroth and each grabbed some part of the huge body. Then the captain cried, “All together, now!” Staggering, grunting and by the end of the task sweating they heaved the monster into the cage. They then took positions around the cart, some pulling it from the front some pushing the wheels, and slowly rolled it toward the underground city.
As he heaved and puffed his way home, Fedrick thought how pleased the goblin council would be with his night’s work. He imagined how terrified the fairies would be when they discovered this secret weapon of the underground army. A malicious grin spread across his face.
****
Bubble, the boggart, became bored with Fairy Wood. He decided to take a short vacation. He turned into a bird and flew to the plains of Wilderlah. Far below him, he saw a strange man with green skin and orange hair. Bubble hadn’t scared anyone in a long time. He decided to see if he could scare this person.
Glibbin was also bored. The elves were busy and could not play with him. He wandered out of the protective hills of the lake capital and into the fields beyond. The guards were used to Glibbin coming and going by that time, so they made no attempt to stop him. Glibbin was so busy watching a beetle climb a stem of grass that he hardly noticed when a bird landed nearby him. He turned away before he could see the bird change into something else. A minute later Glibbin heard something buzzing in his ear and turned to see a very large bumble bee hovering at his elbow.
He screamed and began running in circles crying, “A bee, a bee! It’s going to sting me!”
Bubble was so pleased that he had actually scared someone that he turned into a little man and laughed. “Got ya!” he shouted. “That was a good one. No one has been that scared of me in a long time.” He laughed again.
“That’s not fair!” cried Glibbin. “I didn’t know you weren’t a real bee. You could have warned me.”
“No way!” said Bubble. “That would spoil the fun.”
“It still isn’t fair!” Glibbin whined.
“Okay, I’ll give you another chance. Now that you know that I can change into things you’ll be prepared.”
“Like a game?” asked Glibbin.
“Sure,” Bubble replied.
“You mean you’ll play with me?”
“If you want me to.”
“Yippee!” shouted Glibbin. “I’ve been wanting someone to play with me for a long time.”
“You wanted someone to play with, I wanted someone to scare,” said Bubble happily, “It’s a good thing we met each other!”
They introduced themselves then proceeded to play. It turned out that knowing Bubble could turn into things didn’t help Glibbin much. Bubble was still able to scare Glibbin most of the time. Despite this, the two quickly became friends. They didn’t know that they were really supposed to be enemies. However, even if they had known, they probably wouldn’t have cared.
Continue to episode fifteen.
Read episode thirteen.
Episode Fourteen: The Giant Bat and Odd Friends
Fedrick sat tense, clutching a crossbow and waiting in the moonlight outside the entrance to a large cave. A few days earlier goblin scouts had reported that deep within this cave was a creature which looked like a giant bat. This creature was called a strellogroth. The goblin council thought that if they could catch a strellogroth and keep it in the city they might be able to use it as a secret weapon against the fairies and elves. They chose a small group of goblins warriors to carry out their plan.
Fedrick was part of this group. The other warriors were spread out on the mountainside, crouching in bushes and behind rocks, also waiting. Finally, the great bat monster emerged to hunt.
The strellogroth opened its mouth and let out a call too high pitched for Fedrick’s ears to catch. As the sound bounced off the surrounding objects, the monster discovered their presence. The strellogroth wheeled in a tight circle over their heads then began to descend. It opened its mouth, showing large fangs. Fedrick jumped up and taking a deep breath to steady his aim, shot a tranquillizer dart into the strellogroth’s neck. For a moment the creature continued on its course, then the drug took effect. The strellogroth’s wings locked and it dropped harmlessly into some bushes.
Once they were sure the strellogroth was unconscious, the other goblins came out of hiding. A few of them pulled out a cart which had a cage on it. The captain of the group clapped Fedrick on the back as he passed him and commented, “Nice shot.”
The warriors gathered around the body of the strellogroth and each grabbed some part of the huge body. Then the captain cried, “All together, now!” Staggering, grunting and by the end of the task sweating they heaved the monster into the cage. They then took positions around the cart, some pulling it from the front some pushing the wheels, and slowly rolled it toward the underground city.
As he heaved and puffed his way home, Fedrick thought how pleased the goblin council would be with his night’s work. He imagined how terrified the fairies would be when they discovered this secret weapon of the underground army. A malicious grin spread across his face.
****
Bubble, the boggart, became bored with Fairy Wood. He decided to take a short vacation. He turned into a bird and flew to the plains of Wilderlah. Far below him, he saw a strange man with green skin and orange hair. Bubble hadn’t scared anyone in a long time. He decided to see if he could scare this person.
Glibbin was also bored. The elves were busy and could not play with him. He wandered out of the protective hills of the lake capital and into the fields beyond. The guards were used to Glibbin coming and going by that time, so they made no attempt to stop him. Glibbin was so busy watching a beetle climb a stem of grass that he hardly noticed when a bird landed nearby him. He turned away before he could see the bird change into something else. A minute later Glibbin heard something buzzing in his ear and turned to see a very large bumble bee hovering at his elbow.
He screamed and began running in circles crying, “A bee, a bee! It’s going to sting me!”
Bubble was so pleased that he had actually scared someone that he turned into a little man and laughed. “Got ya!” he shouted. “That was a good one. No one has been that scared of me in a long time.” He laughed again.
“That’s not fair!” cried Glibbin. “I didn’t know you weren’t a real bee. You could have warned me.”
“No way!” said Bubble. “That would spoil the fun.”
“It still isn’t fair!” Glibbin whined.
“Okay, I’ll give you another chance. Now that you know that I can change into things you’ll be prepared.”
“Like a game?” asked Glibbin.
“Sure,” Bubble replied.
“You mean you’ll play with me?”
“If you want me to.”
“Yippee!” shouted Glibbin. “I’ve been wanting someone to play with me for a long time.”
“You wanted someone to play with, I wanted someone to scare,” said Bubble happily, “It’s a good thing we met each other!”
They introduced themselves then proceeded to play. It turned out that knowing Bubble could turn into things didn’t help Glibbin much. Bubble was still able to scare Glibbin most of the time. Despite this, the two quickly became friends. They didn’t know that they were really supposed to be enemies. However, even if they had known, they probably wouldn’t have cared.
Continue to episode fifteen.
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Quests Episode Thirteen: New Orders
Read the series prologue.
Read episode 12.
Episode Thirteen: New Orders
Beritta woke early. Her mind was filled with thoughts of the day to come. The day before she and Faralasa had briefed the king and elders on all they knew about the situation in Fairy Wood. The council had spent the rest of the day debating the best course of action and had informed her that they would be summoning her and Faralasa sometime this morning to inform them of the decision which had been reached.
Beritta dressed quietly, grabbed a handful of nuts to munch and went outside, walking aimlessly down the hillside until she came to the southern lake. The sun had just risen. A reverent silence hung over the land as it always does at the times of the sun’s coming and going. An early morning mist hung over the lake, rising in ever thinning wisps to the heavens. Beritta stood still at the water’s edge letting the peace of the morning sweep over her. She continued to stand there even as the world around her began coming to life. Birds trilled happily in the trees, small animals moved through the grass, a few deer walked to the lake to drink.
As the deer moved into the woods, Beritta heard another animal coming up behind her. She turned and saw Mist.
“It’s a beautiful morning,” Mist’s words floated into her mind.
“Yes, it’s wonderful,” Beritta replied sighing with pleasure.
On the hillsides the elves were rising and starting their day. Before long Faralasa and Oakley appeared, trailed by Glibbin.
“I was informed late last night that I will be working as an animal handler for a group of scouts which will be using winged horses to patrol along the edge of Fairy Wood,” Oakley announced as the friends moved into a large meadow behind the southern lake.
“That’s wonderful!” said Beritta.
“Yeah, I’m glad you may finally be joining us on a quest in Fairy Wood,” agreed Lasa.
“Well, that all depends on what the elders tell us this morning,” Beritta warned.
The others nodded.
A noise behind them caught their attention and they turned to look. Mist was absently running her horn through a stream which ran through the center of the meadow. Beyond the unicorn Glibbin had moved into the woods where he was playing, which explained the noise.
“You okay Glibbin?” Beritta called.
His smiling green face appeared between the trees.
“There’s a little animal with a big fury tail,” said Glibbin.
“It’s called a squirrel,” said Beritta.
“I’m going to catch it so it can play with me.” cried Glibbin and ran back into the trees.
Lasa snorted.
Just then a young golden-haired elf boy in a green tunic trimmed with gold appeared at the end of the meadow. He bowed and said, “The council of elders wishes to speak to Lady Faralasa.”
With an excited glance at her friends, Lasa followed the messenger out of the meadow and around one edge of the southern lake. On the far side of the water they entered the woods and followed a well-worn path. They continued on this trail until they came to the place where the elders sat on chairs of exposed roots around a table of melded stumps beneath a canopy of short leafy trees. A cool breeze drifted to them off the lakes, setting the leaves rustling.
After formally greeting Faralasa one of the elders said, “In reviewing the happenings in Fairy Wood we have received reports of a few strange and amazing acts you performed. We would like you to do something for us. Jump into the air. See how long it takes you to come back down.”
With an uncertain glance at the faces surrounding her, Lasa leapt into the air. To her surprise, she hung there for three minutes. It was as though gravity had lost its hold on her.
Intimidated by this strange new ability Faralasa dropped back to the ground.
“Excellent,” said the elder who had made the suggestion. “Now I want you to do one more thing. Jump into the air again but this time, instead of hovering, see if you can move.”
“Move, you mean in the air?” Faralasa clarified wondering if she had heard him correctly.
“That’s right.”
Lasa jumped into the air again, this time moving slightly to the right. Suddenly she found that she was floating, moving easily through the air as though some unseen force lifted her. She dropped to the ground once more staring in confusion at the elders.
“It is as we thought,” one of them said. “She’s been showing signs of it for months.”
“They always do,” murmured another.
“Showing signs of what?” asked Faralasa in frustration. None of this made any sense to her.
“You’ve been showing signs that you are light enough to walk on air,” one of the elders explained. “You have graduated to the level of Airwalker. Barely anyone ever does.”
“I’m an Airwalker, really?” Lasa asked in excitement.
“Yes indeed. You will have to be trained by one of the older Airwalkers in aerial fighting and how to get airborne without jumping, but there is plenty of time for that. To begin with you will train for the following week after which you will join a scouting group heading to Fairy Wood. However, whenever you are not engaged in scouting operations you should use all your time to learn from the older Airwalkers and hone your new skills.”
“This is amazing!” cried Lasa. “I can’t wait to tell my friends!” she stopped and looked uncertainly at the elders. “I can tell them can’t I?”
“By all means,” the elders replied. “May Light bless you as you discover how to use your new ability. You may go.”
“Thank you,” said Lasa and dashed to rejoin Oakley and Beritta.
“I’m going to be part of the group that will be scouting to find the goblins,” she said, “and I’m an Airwalker!”
She hovered in the air above them just to prove she could. Beritta and Oakley were still congratulating her when the messenger reappeared.
“The council now wishes to speak to Princess Beritta,” he announced.
When Beritta came before them the elders proceeded to tell her, “We have heard how you acquitted yourself in Fairy Wood. You have shown great leadership potential. However, we cannot forget that some of your recent actions here in Wilderlah have been reckless and irresponsible. You see, we would like to assign you leadership of the scouting group which will be sent to find the goblins invading Fairy Wood but we need to know we can trust you. Can we?”
Beritta took a deep breath and let it out before speaking.
“I understand how important this quest is. I’ll do my best to act the part of a responsible leader and live up to your expectations.”
“So be it,” said an elder. “You will lead your scouting group to Fairy Wood in a week. Use the intervening time to make all necessary preparations.”
Continue to episode fourteen.
Read episode 12.
Episode Thirteen: New Orders
Beritta woke early. Her mind was filled with thoughts of the day to come. The day before she and Faralasa had briefed the king and elders on all they knew about the situation in Fairy Wood. The council had spent the rest of the day debating the best course of action and had informed her that they would be summoning her and Faralasa sometime this morning to inform them of the decision which had been reached.
Beritta dressed quietly, grabbed a handful of nuts to munch and went outside, walking aimlessly down the hillside until she came to the southern lake. The sun had just risen. A reverent silence hung over the land as it always does at the times of the sun’s coming and going. An early morning mist hung over the lake, rising in ever thinning wisps to the heavens. Beritta stood still at the water’s edge letting the peace of the morning sweep over her. She continued to stand there even as the world around her began coming to life. Birds trilled happily in the trees, small animals moved through the grass, a few deer walked to the lake to drink.
As the deer moved into the woods, Beritta heard another animal coming up behind her. She turned and saw Mist.
“It’s a beautiful morning,” Mist’s words floated into her mind.
“Yes, it’s wonderful,” Beritta replied sighing with pleasure.
On the hillsides the elves were rising and starting their day. Before long Faralasa and Oakley appeared, trailed by Glibbin.
“I was informed late last night that I will be working as an animal handler for a group of scouts which will be using winged horses to patrol along the edge of Fairy Wood,” Oakley announced as the friends moved into a large meadow behind the southern lake.
“That’s wonderful!” said Beritta.
“Yeah, I’m glad you may finally be joining us on a quest in Fairy Wood,” agreed Lasa.
“Well, that all depends on what the elders tell us this morning,” Beritta warned.
The others nodded.
A noise behind them caught their attention and they turned to look. Mist was absently running her horn through a stream which ran through the center of the meadow. Beyond the unicorn Glibbin had moved into the woods where he was playing, which explained the noise.
“You okay Glibbin?” Beritta called.
His smiling green face appeared between the trees.
“There’s a little animal with a big fury tail,” said Glibbin.
“It’s called a squirrel,” said Beritta.
“I’m going to catch it so it can play with me.” cried Glibbin and ran back into the trees.
Lasa snorted.
Just then a young golden-haired elf boy in a green tunic trimmed with gold appeared at the end of the meadow. He bowed and said, “The council of elders wishes to speak to Lady Faralasa.”
With an excited glance at her friends, Lasa followed the messenger out of the meadow and around one edge of the southern lake. On the far side of the water they entered the woods and followed a well-worn path. They continued on this trail until they came to the place where the elders sat on chairs of exposed roots around a table of melded stumps beneath a canopy of short leafy trees. A cool breeze drifted to them off the lakes, setting the leaves rustling.
After formally greeting Faralasa one of the elders said, “In reviewing the happenings in Fairy Wood we have received reports of a few strange and amazing acts you performed. We would like you to do something for us. Jump into the air. See how long it takes you to come back down.”
With an uncertain glance at the faces surrounding her, Lasa leapt into the air. To her surprise, she hung there for three minutes. It was as though gravity had lost its hold on her.
Intimidated by this strange new ability Faralasa dropped back to the ground.
“Excellent,” said the elder who had made the suggestion. “Now I want you to do one more thing. Jump into the air again but this time, instead of hovering, see if you can move.”
“Move, you mean in the air?” Faralasa clarified wondering if she had heard him correctly.
“That’s right.”
Lasa jumped into the air again, this time moving slightly to the right. Suddenly she found that she was floating, moving easily through the air as though some unseen force lifted her. She dropped to the ground once more staring in confusion at the elders.
“It is as we thought,” one of them said. “She’s been showing signs of it for months.”
“They always do,” murmured another.
“Showing signs of what?” asked Faralasa in frustration. None of this made any sense to her.
“You’ve been showing signs that you are light enough to walk on air,” one of the elders explained. “You have graduated to the level of Airwalker. Barely anyone ever does.”
“I’m an Airwalker, really?” Lasa asked in excitement.
“Yes indeed. You will have to be trained by one of the older Airwalkers in aerial fighting and how to get airborne without jumping, but there is plenty of time for that. To begin with you will train for the following week after which you will join a scouting group heading to Fairy Wood. However, whenever you are not engaged in scouting operations you should use all your time to learn from the older Airwalkers and hone your new skills.”
“This is amazing!” cried Lasa. “I can’t wait to tell my friends!” she stopped and looked uncertainly at the elders. “I can tell them can’t I?”
“By all means,” the elders replied. “May Light bless you as you discover how to use your new ability. You may go.”
“Thank you,” said Lasa and dashed to rejoin Oakley and Beritta.
“I’m going to be part of the group that will be scouting to find the goblins,” she said, “and I’m an Airwalker!”
She hovered in the air above them just to prove she could. Beritta and Oakley were still congratulating her when the messenger reappeared.
“The council now wishes to speak to Princess Beritta,” he announced.
When Beritta came before them the elders proceeded to tell her, “We have heard how you acquitted yourself in Fairy Wood. You have shown great leadership potential. However, we cannot forget that some of your recent actions here in Wilderlah have been reckless and irresponsible. You see, we would like to assign you leadership of the scouting group which will be sent to find the goblins invading Fairy Wood but we need to know we can trust you. Can we?”
Beritta took a deep breath and let it out before speaking.
“I understand how important this quest is. I’ll do my best to act the part of a responsible leader and live up to your expectations.”
“So be it,” said an elder. “You will lead your scouting group to Fairy Wood in a week. Use the intervening time to make all necessary preparations.”
Continue to episode fourteen.
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
A Quick News Update
Yes, I know I have fallen behind in my posts again. I have a lot of other projects I'm working on at home and sometimes blogging gets pushed lower on the list. For that reason I have decided to switch my blogging schedule to one story post a month with an addition news post every once in a while when I have announcements and such to share. I will begin writing on this new schedule in January of 2014 at which time I hope to begin posting part 2 of the Quests series. In the meantime I still have 2, possibly 3 episodes from Quests part 1 which I will edit then post in the next couple weeks before Thanksgiving. The next episode is not quite ready to make its appearance today, but you can expect to see it either late this week or early next week, so stay tuned!
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Quets Episode Twelve: The Enemy Discovered
Read the series prologue.
Read episode eleven.
Episode Twelve: The Enemy Discovered
In the days and nights following their battle with the trolls, the elves stood guard and the fairies patrolled the forest, watching for any sign of intruders. Lilac, Lilly and Reuben were on evening patrol duty near the mountains.
Reuben, who was tired of keeping watch, asked the others, “Aren’t we pretty near the dwarf mines?”
“Yeah,” Lilly replied. “They’re practically right up the mountain from us.”
“I wonder how they’re doing,” said Reuben. “I bet Griffona has grown a lot. We should go see her.”
“Forget it, Reuben,” said Lilac.
“Well, why shouldn’t we visit her?” asked the pixie indignantly. “After all, if it weren’t for us the dwarves wouldn’t have Griffona.”
“That’s not the point,” said Lilac. “We’re supposed to be watching for trolls.”
“None of them are going to come here after what we did to the last ones.”
The girls knew this was probably true but didn’t tell Reuben so.
“Come on,” he continued. “I’ll race you both to the mine!”
Lilly cried, “No, Reuben!” at the same time Lilac yelled, “Don’t you dare!” but it made no difference. Reuben shot off, a stream of red light cutting through the twilight in his wake.
“Should we go after him?” asked Lilly.
“Yeah,” said Lilac. “You know how he is. It will probably take both of us to bring him back.”
They chased the pixie over the foothills, with the cooling air rushing over their backs. Reuben dodged them, laughing, as they yelled at him. In a few short minutes they were racing above the mine. Lilac and Lilly tried in vain to catch the pixie, who flew in zigzag patterns occasionally turning to make raspberries at the other two fairies. Lilac flew in a different direction, hoping to cut Reuben off, when someone below her shouted something. She looked down and saw a dwarf standing in front of the mine.
“What?” she called to him.
“Come down here,” the dwarf called back, cupping his hands around his mouth. “I have to show you something.”
“Lilly, Reuben come here, it’s important!” Lilac yelled. Then she dove and landed next to the dwarf. Looking at him more closely, Lilac realized the dwarf was Farushin. A minute later Lilly and Reuben also joined them.
“What’s going on?” asked Lilly.
“Yeah, Lilac, what’s up?” Reuben said.
“Farushin called me over.” Lilac turned to the dwarf adding, “Did you say you had something to show us?”
“Yeah, I do,” replied the dwarf. “But it ain’t a pretty sight. You see, I think Griffona found how your water got so dirty.”
“How?” asked the three fairies in unison.
“It was magically poisoned,” said Farushin, “by the goblins. Griffona caught one of um prowlin’ around and, well… you should see for yourself. I know it ain’t nice. She clawed him up pretty bad.”
“But how can one dead goblin prove it was the goblins who poisoned the water?” asked Lilac.
“I’ll show you,” Farushin replied.
He walked to the entrance of the mine and beckoned them to follow. The fairies exchanged an uneasy glance then entered the mine after the dwarf.
Farushin lit a tiny lamp on his cap and led them down a dark tunnel near the entrance. The passage was tall enough that the fairies could fly as they followed. Tension grew as they moved deeper under the mountain. They stayed close together, silently lending each other support. Eventually, Farushin turned from the tunnel they had been following into a small side chamber.
“In here,” he said his voice echoing on the cave-like walls. The fairies entered, hovering a few feet above the floor. The dwarf turned his head to shine the light on a heap on the floor. In the dim light the fairies quickly realized that they were looking at the mangled body of a goblin, covered with dark streaks of blood. Beside the goblin was a large bag which had been opened to reveal some kind of garbage. Both items gave off a putrid stench. Lilac gasped, Reuben flew a few feet backward and Lilly gagged.
“Must have been on his way to Fairy Wood when Griffona attacked him,” said Farushin. “We drug him down here so he’d be out of the way but we could show ya later.”
“I still don’t understand why goblins would poison our water,” said Lilac finding her voice before the other two.
“I reckon it’s ’cuz of Griffona,” Farushin replied. “They’re probably sore at you for givin’ her to us. Must have thought you was interfering.”
“You think all of this started with that old quarrel?” asked Lilac in disbelief.
“Goblins be the worst for carrying a grudge.”
“It’s payback time!” cried Reuben viciously.
“No, Reuben. The goblins were paying us back,” said Lilac irritated. “Paybacks are what got us into this mess. We don’t need to pay them back, we need to finish this. We have to get the goblins out of our forest and keep them out.”
“Can we go?” asked Lilly speaking for the first time since they had gone underground. “The smell is making me sick.”
“Yeah, we can go,” Lilac replied, “but we’ll have to report this to the rest of the fairy kingdom and to our allies from Wilderlah. The queen and her court will most likely want to see this for themselves.”
They all agreed.
“I’ll show the evidence to any of your officials who wish to see,” Farushin promised.
After expressing their thanks to the dwarf, Lilac,Lilly and Reuben returned to Fairy Wood to make their discovery known.
****
“The dwarf was right,” said Beritta a few days later. “I found traces of garbage and poison in a dirty pool before Mist purified the water. What’s more, after a little hard investigating I identified the spells on the pool as goblin in origin. It wasn’t easy. The goblin magicians added lots of wards to try to keep us from tracing the magic back to them.”
“Do you think it’s what Farushin said?” asked Lilac. “Did they poison the water because we helped protect the dwarves?”
“We don’t know for sure,” Faralasa replied, “but that seems the most likely motive.”
“News of the state of affairs here has reached my father and the elders,” Beritta continued. “We have been summoned back to Wilderlah to make a full report, after which they will decide on the best course of action for sending aid to the fairy queen in this matter.”
“On behalf of all the fairies, I’d like to wish you safe travels,” said Lilac. “I hope your king and elders reach a decision quickly; all help Wilderlah sends is most welcome in a crisis such as this.”
The elves bid farewell to the rest of their fairy friends shortly after this. Beritta tried to say good-bye to Mist as well, but the unicorn insisted on going with the elves. Surprised by this, Beritta asked Mist why she wished to stay with them.
“You’re not in danger from the trolls anymore you know,” the elf pointed out.
“I know,” Mist replied. “It’s just that I like you. I’d like accompany you a little longer if that’s all right.”
Beritta agreed.
Next, the elves had the task of finding Glibbin. Beritta and Faralasa searched the woods for several hours, unsure where he had gone.
“Maybe he forgot about us. Maybe we’ll never find him,” said Lasa hopefully.
She had no sooner said this, however, then Beritta pointed to a sunny meadow shouting, “There he is!”
The hobgoblin was more than ready to return to Wilderlah for, he did not hesitate to tell them, “There is no one to play with in Fairy Wood.”
So, with the blessing of the fairy queen and the good will of the little people, the group set out for the elvin capital.
Continue to episode 13.
Read episode eleven.
Episode Twelve: The Enemy Discovered
In the days and nights following their battle with the trolls, the elves stood guard and the fairies patrolled the forest, watching for any sign of intruders. Lilac, Lilly and Reuben were on evening patrol duty near the mountains.
Reuben, who was tired of keeping watch, asked the others, “Aren’t we pretty near the dwarf mines?”
“Yeah,” Lilly replied. “They’re practically right up the mountain from us.”
“I wonder how they’re doing,” said Reuben. “I bet Griffona has grown a lot. We should go see her.”
“Forget it, Reuben,” said Lilac.
“Well, why shouldn’t we visit her?” asked the pixie indignantly. “After all, if it weren’t for us the dwarves wouldn’t have Griffona.”
“That’s not the point,” said Lilac. “We’re supposed to be watching for trolls.”
“None of them are going to come here after what we did to the last ones.”
The girls knew this was probably true but didn’t tell Reuben so.
“Come on,” he continued. “I’ll race you both to the mine!”
Lilly cried, “No, Reuben!” at the same time Lilac yelled, “Don’t you dare!” but it made no difference. Reuben shot off, a stream of red light cutting through the twilight in his wake.
“Should we go after him?” asked Lilly.
“Yeah,” said Lilac. “You know how he is. It will probably take both of us to bring him back.”
They chased the pixie over the foothills, with the cooling air rushing over their backs. Reuben dodged them, laughing, as they yelled at him. In a few short minutes they were racing above the mine. Lilac and Lilly tried in vain to catch the pixie, who flew in zigzag patterns occasionally turning to make raspberries at the other two fairies. Lilac flew in a different direction, hoping to cut Reuben off, when someone below her shouted something. She looked down and saw a dwarf standing in front of the mine.
“What?” she called to him.
“Come down here,” the dwarf called back, cupping his hands around his mouth. “I have to show you something.”
“Lilly, Reuben come here, it’s important!” Lilac yelled. Then she dove and landed next to the dwarf. Looking at him more closely, Lilac realized the dwarf was Farushin. A minute later Lilly and Reuben also joined them.
“What’s going on?” asked Lilly.
“Yeah, Lilac, what’s up?” Reuben said.
“Farushin called me over.” Lilac turned to the dwarf adding, “Did you say you had something to show us?”
“Yeah, I do,” replied the dwarf. “But it ain’t a pretty sight. You see, I think Griffona found how your water got so dirty.”
“How?” asked the three fairies in unison.
“It was magically poisoned,” said Farushin, “by the goblins. Griffona caught one of um prowlin’ around and, well… you should see for yourself. I know it ain’t nice. She clawed him up pretty bad.”
“But how can one dead goblin prove it was the goblins who poisoned the water?” asked Lilac.
“I’ll show you,” Farushin replied.
He walked to the entrance of the mine and beckoned them to follow. The fairies exchanged an uneasy glance then entered the mine after the dwarf.
Farushin lit a tiny lamp on his cap and led them down a dark tunnel near the entrance. The passage was tall enough that the fairies could fly as they followed. Tension grew as they moved deeper under the mountain. They stayed close together, silently lending each other support. Eventually, Farushin turned from the tunnel they had been following into a small side chamber.
“In here,” he said his voice echoing on the cave-like walls. The fairies entered, hovering a few feet above the floor. The dwarf turned his head to shine the light on a heap on the floor. In the dim light the fairies quickly realized that they were looking at the mangled body of a goblin, covered with dark streaks of blood. Beside the goblin was a large bag which had been opened to reveal some kind of garbage. Both items gave off a putrid stench. Lilac gasped, Reuben flew a few feet backward and Lilly gagged.
“Must have been on his way to Fairy Wood when Griffona attacked him,” said Farushin. “We drug him down here so he’d be out of the way but we could show ya later.”
“I still don’t understand why goblins would poison our water,” said Lilac finding her voice before the other two.
“I reckon it’s ’cuz of Griffona,” Farushin replied. “They’re probably sore at you for givin’ her to us. Must have thought you was interfering.”
“You think all of this started with that old quarrel?” asked Lilac in disbelief.
“Goblins be the worst for carrying a grudge.”
“It’s payback time!” cried Reuben viciously.
“No, Reuben. The goblins were paying us back,” said Lilac irritated. “Paybacks are what got us into this mess. We don’t need to pay them back, we need to finish this. We have to get the goblins out of our forest and keep them out.”
“Can we go?” asked Lilly speaking for the first time since they had gone underground. “The smell is making me sick.”
“Yeah, we can go,” Lilac replied, “but we’ll have to report this to the rest of the fairy kingdom and to our allies from Wilderlah. The queen and her court will most likely want to see this for themselves.”
They all agreed.
“I’ll show the evidence to any of your officials who wish to see,” Farushin promised.
After expressing their thanks to the dwarf, Lilac,Lilly and Reuben returned to Fairy Wood to make their discovery known.
****
“The dwarf was right,” said Beritta a few days later. “I found traces of garbage and poison in a dirty pool before Mist purified the water. What’s more, after a little hard investigating I identified the spells on the pool as goblin in origin. It wasn’t easy. The goblin magicians added lots of wards to try to keep us from tracing the magic back to them.”
“Do you think it’s what Farushin said?” asked Lilac. “Did they poison the water because we helped protect the dwarves?”
“We don’t know for sure,” Faralasa replied, “but that seems the most likely motive.”
“News of the state of affairs here has reached my father and the elders,” Beritta continued. “We have been summoned back to Wilderlah to make a full report, after which they will decide on the best course of action for sending aid to the fairy queen in this matter.”
“On behalf of all the fairies, I’d like to wish you safe travels,” said Lilac. “I hope your king and elders reach a decision quickly; all help Wilderlah sends is most welcome in a crisis such as this.”
The elves bid farewell to the rest of their fairy friends shortly after this. Beritta tried to say good-bye to Mist as well, but the unicorn insisted on going with the elves. Surprised by this, Beritta asked Mist why she wished to stay with them.
“You’re not in danger from the trolls anymore you know,” the elf pointed out.
“I know,” Mist replied. “It’s just that I like you. I’d like accompany you a little longer if that’s all right.”
Beritta agreed.
Next, the elves had the task of finding Glibbin. Beritta and Faralasa searched the woods for several hours, unsure where he had gone.
“Maybe he forgot about us. Maybe we’ll never find him,” said Lasa hopefully.
She had no sooner said this, however, then Beritta pointed to a sunny meadow shouting, “There he is!”
The hobgoblin was more than ready to return to Wilderlah for, he did not hesitate to tell them, “There is no one to play with in Fairy Wood.”
So, with the blessing of the fairy queen and the good will of the little people, the group set out for the elvin capital.
Continue to episode 13.
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Quests Episode Eleven: Dawn’s Curse
Sorry for skipping a week, I got busy taking care of my household and am finding it a bit hard to consistently post something every week, partially due to having only intermittent internet (long story). On that note I want to make a few brief announcements before continuing to the next episode.
First, I'm thinking about switching to a blog post once a month or every two weeks rather than once a week. I will decide how often I wish to be blogging and announce the new blog schedule at the end of the year.
Also, I am close to the end of part 1 of Quests so I am going to use October and November to finish posting part 1, take a break in December for Advent and the early part of the Christmas Season, and resume with Quests part 2 sometime after New Year's.
That said, we now return to our regularly scheduled story...
Read the series prologue.
Read episode ten.
Episode Eleven: Dawn’s Curse
“They didn’t make it. Turned to stone. Stupid elves!”
Fedrick had realized long ago that Felnar babbled when she was nervous or scared. Still, he found her incoherent rambling irritating.
“Felnar, slow down and tell me what you’re talking about,” he demanded.
“The stinking elves made some of us trolls stay out when the sun came up,” said Felnar, “So the ones who were outside turned to stone. I barely made it back to my cave on time. I almost died!”
“Elves?” said Fedrick in confusion. “I still don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“The elves didn’t want us to hunt unicorns, they want us to starve!” Felnar explained. “So they tried to turn us all to stone. It worked on few of us too!”
“When did elves get involved? I think there’s more to this story. Calm yourself down and tell me what happened, the whole story, starting when you began hunting in Fairy Wood.”
“Okay,” said Felnar after taking a deep breath. “But I warn you, it’s not a good story.”
“Just tell me,” Fedrick replied.
So Felnar told Fedrick the tale of the troll’s terrible adventure of the past night.
****
The previous night Felnar had joined a larger hunting party of trolls making their way to Fairy Wood. Her mouth watered at the thought of the fresh unicorn meat on which they would soon feast. As the rocky heights of the foothills gave way to the tall trees and tangled undergrowth of the woods, the trolls crouched low and sniffed the ground until they picked up the scent of unicorn. It did not take them long to spot a large herd. They spread out and stalked forward, hoping to surround their prey and bring them down quickly. A tiny breeze stirred the leaves and carried the smell of trolls to the nose of a large male unicorn. He tossed his head in fright and whinnied a warning to the rest of the herd. The unicorns reacted immediately, stampeding into the depths of the forest with the trolls in hot pursuit.
Felnar’s mind was so filled with thoughts of juicy unicorn meat that she didn’t notice the gnome on the head of the lead unicorn until he shouted, “Split up!” Then everything became total chaos. It was hard for Felnar to understand what happened, even afterward.
When the gnome shouted, the unicorns split into several factions, each veering off in a different direction. The trolls in the lead stopped in confusion. Felnar and a few others bumped into them before they could stop themselves, and they all fell in a heap. While they were still trying to get to their feet, a number of strange noises came out of the woods around them and a shower of stones and pine cones fell on their heads. The trolls ducked into the underbrush until the confusion ceased.
A troll patriarch yelled, “Split up and see if you can catch any of the unicorns.” The hunting party hurried to obey. Felnar’s group went after the portion of the unicorn herd the gnome had joined. As they tracked the unicorns Felnar couldn’t help but wish she could catch the gnome. She would make him pay for messing up their hunting! The trolls ran a long distance and used their claws to climb through a ravine before they spotted the unicorns.
“Try to surround them,” said one of the trolls. “We’ll back them off the ledge and then have easy pickings.”
The trolls fanned out and, despite the gnome’s directions to them, the unicorns were soon backing toward the drop. Felnar was pleased by the knowledge that the gnome would probably fall to his death along with the unicorns he was trying to protect. She grinned at the thought as she moved closer with the rest of her hunting party.
The unicorns were only a few feet from the edge, when the trolls noticed an elf with short black hair on the other side of the gorge. They noticed her because she yelled something. Felnar didn’t know what the elf shouted. Perhaps it was an elvish curse. Then the elf jumped out over the chasm. Felnar watched in mild fascination, thinking the elf incredibly stupid since she would surely fall. In the next second the elf cleared the gap and crashed into the trolls. The she kicked Felnar hard in the jaw, knocking the troll to the ground. Gripped with a sudden fear of this elf, who could seemingly fly, Felnar scrambled to her feet and hurried after the other trolls as they scattered in terror.
Once Felnar had calmed down a bit she realized that she was alone. In her panic she had gotten separated from the other members of her party. Just as she was getting worried, she ran into a hobgoblin. He had his face in his hands and was sobbing. Felnar approached him cautiously, wondering if the elves had attacked him too. Finally she worked up enough courage to ask, “What’s wrong?”
The hobgoblin dropped his hands, stopped crying and answered, “I can’t remember.”
They stared at each other for a minute before the hobgoblin said, “I’m Glibbin, what’s your name?”
She told him, then asked, “What are you doing here?”
“Playing,” said Glibbin. “What are you doing?”
“I was hunting,” Felnar replied. “But the elves and fairies ruined everything!”
“They probably didn’t mean to.”
“Yes they did. They tried to kill me!”
“They’re not so bad once you get to know them,” said Glibbin.
“I can’t get to know them!” Felnar squeaked. “If I get too close to them I’ll die!”
“They can’t be that bad. Hey, do you want to play with me?”
“I can’t. I have to get home before the elves find me or the sun rises.”
“You better hurry,” Glibbin commented glancing at the sky. “The sun will come up pretty soon.”
Felnar also looked at the sky and suddenly realized that it was getting lighter.
“Oh no!” she squealed and dashed in the direction of her cave as fast as she could go.
As she ran, Felnar joined other trolls who had also realized how early it was and were trying to make it back to their caves. The trolls were nearly out of the forest when a few elves stepped into their path. Some of the trolls screamed and veered away from the main group. Others snarled and charged the elves, clawing and biting their way past them. Felnar stayed close to these fighters, deciding that was safest. Finally, the small group made it to the entrance of the underground city. They ran inside just as the sun appeared on the edge of the horizon. Felnar and those with her moved into the shadows of the cave where they were safe from the rays of the sun. A terrible shrieking from just outside told them that many trolls were not so fortunate. The sound was so horrible that Felnar covered her ears. In a few short minutes it was over. It was clear that many trolls from the hunting party had been petrified by the coming of the dawn.
Distressed by the loss of some of her troll friends, Felnar wandered the city babbling incoherently until she found Fedrick. As she told him the story, Felnar realized with a shiver that she could easily have been one of those turned to stone had she not been so fast. She knew that the trolls’ hunt of the unicorns in Fairy Wood was over for good.
Continue to episode twelve.
First, I'm thinking about switching to a blog post once a month or every two weeks rather than once a week. I will decide how often I wish to be blogging and announce the new blog schedule at the end of the year.
Also, I am close to the end of part 1 of Quests so I am going to use October and November to finish posting part 1, take a break in December for Advent and the early part of the Christmas Season, and resume with Quests part 2 sometime after New Year's.
That said, we now return to our regularly scheduled story...
Read the series prologue.
Read episode ten.
Episode Eleven: Dawn’s Curse
“They didn’t make it. Turned to stone. Stupid elves!”
Fedrick had realized long ago that Felnar babbled when she was nervous or scared. Still, he found her incoherent rambling irritating.
“Felnar, slow down and tell me what you’re talking about,” he demanded.
“The stinking elves made some of us trolls stay out when the sun came up,” said Felnar, “So the ones who were outside turned to stone. I barely made it back to my cave on time. I almost died!”
“Elves?” said Fedrick in confusion. “I still don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“The elves didn’t want us to hunt unicorns, they want us to starve!” Felnar explained. “So they tried to turn us all to stone. It worked on few of us too!”
“When did elves get involved? I think there’s more to this story. Calm yourself down and tell me what happened, the whole story, starting when you began hunting in Fairy Wood.”
“Okay,” said Felnar after taking a deep breath. “But I warn you, it’s not a good story.”
“Just tell me,” Fedrick replied.
So Felnar told Fedrick the tale of the troll’s terrible adventure of the past night.
****
The previous night Felnar had joined a larger hunting party of trolls making their way to Fairy Wood. Her mouth watered at the thought of the fresh unicorn meat on which they would soon feast. As the rocky heights of the foothills gave way to the tall trees and tangled undergrowth of the woods, the trolls crouched low and sniffed the ground until they picked up the scent of unicorn. It did not take them long to spot a large herd. They spread out and stalked forward, hoping to surround their prey and bring them down quickly. A tiny breeze stirred the leaves and carried the smell of trolls to the nose of a large male unicorn. He tossed his head in fright and whinnied a warning to the rest of the herd. The unicorns reacted immediately, stampeding into the depths of the forest with the trolls in hot pursuit.
Felnar’s mind was so filled with thoughts of juicy unicorn meat that she didn’t notice the gnome on the head of the lead unicorn until he shouted, “Split up!” Then everything became total chaos. It was hard for Felnar to understand what happened, even afterward.
When the gnome shouted, the unicorns split into several factions, each veering off in a different direction. The trolls in the lead stopped in confusion. Felnar and a few others bumped into them before they could stop themselves, and they all fell in a heap. While they were still trying to get to their feet, a number of strange noises came out of the woods around them and a shower of stones and pine cones fell on their heads. The trolls ducked into the underbrush until the confusion ceased.
A troll patriarch yelled, “Split up and see if you can catch any of the unicorns.” The hunting party hurried to obey. Felnar’s group went after the portion of the unicorn herd the gnome had joined. As they tracked the unicorns Felnar couldn’t help but wish she could catch the gnome. She would make him pay for messing up their hunting! The trolls ran a long distance and used their claws to climb through a ravine before they spotted the unicorns.
“Try to surround them,” said one of the trolls. “We’ll back them off the ledge and then have easy pickings.”
The trolls fanned out and, despite the gnome’s directions to them, the unicorns were soon backing toward the drop. Felnar was pleased by the knowledge that the gnome would probably fall to his death along with the unicorns he was trying to protect. She grinned at the thought as she moved closer with the rest of her hunting party.
The unicorns were only a few feet from the edge, when the trolls noticed an elf with short black hair on the other side of the gorge. They noticed her because she yelled something. Felnar didn’t know what the elf shouted. Perhaps it was an elvish curse. Then the elf jumped out over the chasm. Felnar watched in mild fascination, thinking the elf incredibly stupid since she would surely fall. In the next second the elf cleared the gap and crashed into the trolls. The she kicked Felnar hard in the jaw, knocking the troll to the ground. Gripped with a sudden fear of this elf, who could seemingly fly, Felnar scrambled to her feet and hurried after the other trolls as they scattered in terror.
Once Felnar had calmed down a bit she realized that she was alone. In her panic she had gotten separated from the other members of her party. Just as she was getting worried, she ran into a hobgoblin. He had his face in his hands and was sobbing. Felnar approached him cautiously, wondering if the elves had attacked him too. Finally she worked up enough courage to ask, “What’s wrong?”
The hobgoblin dropped his hands, stopped crying and answered, “I can’t remember.”
They stared at each other for a minute before the hobgoblin said, “I’m Glibbin, what’s your name?”
She told him, then asked, “What are you doing here?”
“Playing,” said Glibbin. “What are you doing?”
“I was hunting,” Felnar replied. “But the elves and fairies ruined everything!”
“They probably didn’t mean to.”
“Yes they did. They tried to kill me!”
“They’re not so bad once you get to know them,” said Glibbin.
“I can’t get to know them!” Felnar squeaked. “If I get too close to them I’ll die!”
“They can’t be that bad. Hey, do you want to play with me?”
“I can’t. I have to get home before the elves find me or the sun rises.”
“You better hurry,” Glibbin commented glancing at the sky. “The sun will come up pretty soon.”
Felnar also looked at the sky and suddenly realized that it was getting lighter.
“Oh no!” she squealed and dashed in the direction of her cave as fast as she could go.
As she ran, Felnar joined other trolls who had also realized how early it was and were trying to make it back to their caves. The trolls were nearly out of the forest when a few elves stepped into their path. Some of the trolls screamed and veered away from the main group. Others snarled and charged the elves, clawing and biting their way past them. Felnar stayed close to these fighters, deciding that was safest. Finally, the small group made it to the entrance of the underground city. They ran inside just as the sun appeared on the edge of the horizon. Felnar and those with her moved into the shadows of the cave where they were safe from the rays of the sun. A terrible shrieking from just outside told them that many trolls were not so fortunate. The sound was so horrible that Felnar covered her ears. In a few short minutes it was over. It was clear that many trolls from the hunting party had been petrified by the coming of the dawn.
Distressed by the loss of some of her troll friends, Felnar wandered the city babbling incoherently until she found Fedrick. As she told him the story, Felnar realized with a shiver that she could easily have been one of those turned to stone had she not been so fast. She knew that the trolls’ hunt of the unicorns in Fairy Wood was over for good.
Continue to episode twelve.
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