《Trek For Survival》


 1 Chapter 1 Gia

    "Gia, that hurts! Please be more gentle," said her father, wincing as she helped him change into a clean shirt.


    "Sorry, dad. I didn''t mean to hurt you," she said, as his nimble fingers quickly did up his buttons.


    "It''s alright, I didn''t mean to snap like that. Did you bring any good wood today?" he asked.


    With a grin she set her basket down in the small table next to his chair. His fingers danced over the wood scraps inside of it.


    "Some of these feel very nice, others are small. We don''t bring in as much money on the little pieces," he said, picking up one of the smaller pieces.


    "But you carve the smaller pieces faster," she laughed, picking up the stir-spoon and stirring the soup she had going all the time. It was starting to get warmer, so that meant winter was losing its grip. She couldn''t wait to be able to visit the city walls and look out on the forest with Vonn.


    "Thinking about Vonn, again?" teased her father as he turned the wood over and over in his hands.


    "How do you always know?" she asked, tapping the spoon on the side of the small kettle and setting it aside.


    "Just because I''m blind doesn''t mean I can''t hear a girl''s heart start thumping harder," he laughed, setting the wood off to the side and picking his water cup up gently.


    "Oh, you!" she said, shaking her head at him as he laughed, then snatched up his dirty clothes. They would need to be washed before he could change again. Spying a small tear in one seam she held in her sigh. No reason to worry him. She had thread and a needle to stitch it.


    "Found where that seam split, didn''t you?" he asked softly as she stepped towards the sewing box.


    "It''s nothing a quick stitch won''t fix," she said lightly.


    His face tightened, but he didn''t say anything.


    "Gia! I got six this time!" cried a young boy, barging into the small shack they called home.


    "That''s wonderful, Mikey!" she exclaimed, setting the shirt down and gingerly taking the six giant rats the boy held up by their tails. "That gives us two for the soup pot and one for each of us to eat."


    "Can I have some salt on mine?" he asked, jumping from one dirty, bare foot to another.


    "I''ll see if I can find some," she said, ruffling his hair with her free hand. "Why don''t you go wash up and fetch some water from the fountain? Make sure you don''t wash in the drinking water!"


    "Alright," he grumbled, snatching up the pail they kept by the door and dashing outside again.


    Spying her father''s taut face, she sighed.


    "If I wasn''t..." he began, but she jumped in.


    "We have meat to eat, which is more than the other families get. You know that we would have a hard time affording meat even if you weren''t blind. Being poor just gives us an excuse to eat meat that other people would turn up their noses at."


    He shut his mouth and picked up his carving knife. Gia watched in excitement as he made the first little cut in the wood. It always amazed her how he could do that without seeing what he was doing.


    Placing the rats into the scrap bucket, she grabbed her own little knife and sat down to clean the meat. She had to keep reminding herself it was just meat, and it would keep them healthy when everyone else was sick. She wasn''t entirely sure how, but an old woman had told her that once, before she died. Gia had loved that old woman, and tried hard to follow all of the little bits of wisdom she could remember from her.


    They sat together, silently working for a while, before her father cleared his throat. "There should be a little bit of salt in the cabinet still."


    "I know. I''ll put some on his," she said softly.


    "You should accept his offer," said her father. "Vonn''s."


    "I won''t leave you and mom alone. Mikey isn''t old enough to help out like I do. Vonn will wait. He understands."


    He sighed again. She knew he wasn''t going to give up on the topic, but neither was she. Vonn wanted to leave the city, and she wasn''t willing to leave her family. They would die, she was sure of it. Life in the city was too harsh and unforgiving for a blind man and his family.


    "Hey, Mikey! Did you have any luck today?" came a female voice outside as Gia slid some of the meat into the soup pot and set the other on the cook plate over the fire coals.


    "I sure did, Momma! Did you?"


    "Of course!" she laughed, pushing the door open for Mikey to set the bucket of water down inside. Her face, however, quickly showed just how tired she was.


    "Sit down, Mom. I''ll make you a cup of tea," said Gia, quickly grabbing the special tea her mother had brought home the night before.


    "Thank you, Gia," her mother said, hanging her cloak on the peg by the door and moving over to her chair. She watched as Dad carved on the small chunk of wood while Gia prepared the tea. Mikey added wood to the fire and threw himself down on the scrap of a rug in front of it, before noticing the pee pot. Wrinkling his nose, he glanced at Gia who raised an eyebrow. With a sigh, he climbed back to his feet and took the pee pot outside.


    "Wash your hands again, when you''re done!" Gia called after him.


    "You''re so good to him," said her mother, taking the cup. "More of a mother than I am."


    "Now don''t you start, too!" groaned Gia.


    "Oh? Your father''s been after you to marry Vonn again?" she asked, breathing in the hot liquid.


    "You know he has," Gia said, picking up the shirt and going over to the sewing box.


    "Carla, you know she can''t stay here taking care of us forever," said her father in the silence as she sat back down to stitch the shirt seam back together.


    "I know Tom," she answered softly, sipping her drink. "When will Vonn be back this time, Giavanna?"


    "He should be back tomorrow. With the lingering cold, there''s a big order for firewood he has to fill."


    "Good, then we can talk about this some more tomorrow, and enjoy the rest of our evening," she said, winking at Gia.


    "Why do I feel left out of something? Are you two girls doing your secret girl talk again?" Tom half-complained, looking back and forth at them with his pale empty eyes.


    Both Gia and her mother broke out laughing as Mikey came back into the room, hauling the emptied pee pot with him.


    "What did I miss?" he asked, looking around excitedly.


    "These girls are ganging up on me," Tom laughed, shaking his head.


    "Well, dad, they are girls," said Mikey, as if that answered everything. Throwing himself down on the rug again, everyone laughed at his answer. "What?"


    "Oh, child, don''t ever lose your innocence," said Carla, taking another sip of her tea.


    "I don''t know what you mean. Hey, Momma! Could you tell us about when you and dad first got together again?" he asked, getting up on his knees and holding his hands clasped together in front of him. "Please?"


    "Oh, child! Well, okay," Carla said, settling into her chair and spreading her blanket over her swollen legs.


    Gia noticed how bad they were and set the sewing aside to fetch the stool Tom had made for her to prop her feet up.


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    "Mom, you need to find another job that doesn''t keep you on your feet all day," chided Gia.


    "That inn is the only place that would hire me. The owner Bob told me that if I started drinking this tea my legs would get better by next week. He pays really well, too. I got a whole silver today!"


    "What?" exclaimed Gia and Tom together. Mikey only gaped at her, unable to say anything.


    "That should be enough to get something good tomorrow, and he said he''d give me another if I came back tomorrow, but for some reason he didn''t think I would make it. I told him for pay like that I would definitely be back."


    "I should say so! Do you think he would hire me?" asked Gia, excitedly.


    "We can definitely check."


    "How bad are her legs?" asked Tom, his fingers twitching to feel just how swollen they were.


    "Not that bad," said Carla, giving Gia a warning glare.


    "They''ve been worse, dad. Let her rest them some."


    "Mom! The story?" whined Mikey, frustrated that everyone was talking about something else.


    "Oh, yes, sorry. Let''s see."


    Gia sighed and went to check on supper. It wouldn''t be long before the meat was done. Taking a pinch of the few remaining grains of salt, she gently sprinkled them over one of the pieces of meat. There wasn''t enough for everyone, but Mikey was the one who had provided it, so he got the salt.


    "We lived in a very small village further south of here," started Carla, holding her cup to her. "Your father was a woodcarver and had just inherited his father''s woodshop. We were going to travel here to the big city to get married and open a new one, and leave the little shop for his younger brother. When we got here, your father made arrangements with his inheritance money and got us a big beautiful house that had two bedrooms in addition to the family room. However, the day he went to make arrangements to open his shop, a horse kicked a little dirt into his face. By the time he got home that evening, both his eyes were nearly swollen shut. By the next morning they were swollen completely shut, and nothing the healer lady did could open them back up."


    "And by the end of the week we had lost everything," Tom jumped in, setting his things down. "Gia, how''s supper coming?"


    "Oh, Dad, you always interrupt and stop the story there," whined Mikey.


    "Then you should know not to ask for that one," said Gia, handing him his bowl of meat and soup. "I put salt on it."


    "Oh! Yum!" he cried happily, taking his bowl over to his spot at the table and sitting down.


    "I think I''ll just eat mine here," said Carla, wincing as she shifted one foot.


    "They''re really bad tonight, aren''t they?" asked Tom, standing up and moving carefully over to her.


    "I''m afraid so," she said, sadly.


    "I''m so sorry, dear," he murmured, making sure her feet were covered and tucking the blanket around them with the softest touch.


    "It''s not your fault. This tea is making them feel better already. I trust that Bob. You''ll see, by the end of the week, they''ll be like when we first got married."


    "Ha! Maybe I should go see him myself," laughed Tom, moving over to the table and sitting at his spot.


    "That would be a miracle," Carla said softly.


    Tucking both her parents into their beds that night, Gia banked the fire, and made sure Mikey was asleep in his spot. Checking that the door was securely locked, she finally climbed into her own bed. As much as she hated the thought of getting a job, something no woman should have to do, the thought of them getting two silver a day was exhilarating. Surely Vonn would understand?


    "Gia?" came a voice at the door, jerking her wide awake. "Gia?"


    It was Vonn! Rolling out of bed, she wrapped her blanket around her like a shawl and opened the door a crack to let him in.


    "I need to talk to you right now! It''s important!" he whispered, pulling her out into the frigid cold instead of stepping inside.


    Wrapping his coat around her, to keep her warm, he glanced up and down the street as if worried.


    "What''s the matter?" she whispered back, trying not to chatter her teeth.


    "We have to leave the city now! There''s not time to waste!"


    "What do you mean? Vonn, I''m not leaving my family!"


    "Gia, there''s an army! We have to leave, even if we have to take your family. They''re going to lay waste to everything outside the city walls. By this time tomorrow, this whole area is going to be destroyed!"

 2 Chapter 2 Running for Their Lives

    "What do you mean?" asked Gia''s mother, Clara, as she sat up in bed.


    "I overheard some people talking in the woods, and they said an army would be here by dawn," explained Vonn, shifting from one foot to another in his nervousness.


    "Calm down, Vonn," said Tom, sitting up as well, and tucking the blanket around himself. "What makes you think we need to leave the city? The outer walls should be sufficient to keep us safe."


    "Well, these two guys that I overheard talking said that they expected the entire outer city to be completely destroyed. I don''t know how they think it, but they were talking about how long they thought those who made it to the inner sanctum could last with the planned siege. If we leave in the next hour, we should be able to get far enough away to escape the coming army."


    "Tom," said Carla softly, "You know that we could never keep up with the kids. With your eyes and my legs, we would only slow them down."


    Tom nodded to her, patting her softly. "Gia, take your brother and go. We will stay here, so if the army doesn''t come, our house isn''t grabbed up by crooks."


    "What? No way!" complained Gia, fighting to keep her voice down. It was barely after midnight, and they didn''t want to wake any of the neighbors. "Vonn, if my parents don''t come, I''m not going with you!"


    Vonn looked at her, and she almost caved. He looked so lost and scared. This was definitely not a trick to get her to leave with him. He honestly believed an army was coming.


    "Gia, don''t be silly," said her mother.


    "No, you guys can say whatever you want. I am not going to leave you to die. Either we figure out a way for you to come too, or we all stay here and die."


    Gia crossed her arms and gave them the look. The one that said she was absolutely serious and they were not going to change her mind.


    "She''s giving us that look, isn''t she?" asked Tom.


    "Yes," sighed Carla.


    "I have my cart," said Vonn, laying a hand on Gia''s arm. "They can sit on it and I can pull them. They won''t weigh nearly as much as the wood I''ve had to haul every day. It won''t slow us down that much more."


    Gia thought about it for a moment, chewing on her lip. Mikey snorted in his sleep, and it seemed to help her make up her mind.


    "Alright, mom, you wake Mikey and get him packing things. Dad, I want you to get your carving things into your bag. Make sure you grab your clothes from yesterday. They''re hanging on the line and should be dry enough to not cause your tools any harm. Vonn help me get these things over here," Gia said, jumping into action.


    The relief on Vonn''s face was short lived as he moved to start helping. After making some hard decisions, everyone was ready to go. Vonn pulled his little cart up to the door, and Gia helped her parents sit on the back of it. Mikey was rubbing his eyes, but didn''t complain when Gia explained they were going on an adventure and needed to be quiet. Tucking the last blanket around her parents the best she could, Gia nodded to Vonn and pulled her cloak off the hook. With one last look around the only home she had ever known, Gia pulled the door shut and locked it, as if they might return someday.


    The journey through the streets was cold and dark. No one was around at this time of night, as everyone who had a bed was in it. None of the lanterns that normally illuminated the streets were lit. That sent chills down her back, and added to their urgency. When they finally reached the northern gate, goosebumps ran up and down Gia''s arms. The gate was open, and there were no guards in sight. The gates were never left open at night, and there were always guards, everywhere, especially at the gates.


    Slipping through the open gate, no one said a word, for fear the missing guards would be noticed and they would be blamed. Glancing at Mikey who was sleepily keeping up, Gia was grateful he was too tired to notice anything, otherwise he might have been making enough noise to draw attention to them.


    "We''re leaving the road now, hold on," whispered Vonn, turning the cart to the left and guiding it through the small ditch on the side of the cobbled road.


    Gia could see tracks in the dirt where it looked like he did this fairly often, so she didn''t say anything. Her parents were holding the sides of the cart with death grips, but no one said anything as they entered the edge of the trees. The sounds of horses and the gentle rustling of movement drifted on the wind and Vonn picked up his pace. Gia could keep up, but Mikey was stumbling over roots and rocks in the dark.


    Handing her backpack to her mother, Gia stooped down, "Hop on, Mikey. I''ll give you a piggy-back ride, like when you were little."


    His face lit up and he quickly hopped onto her back. Vonn glanced back, with a worried look on his face, but she gave him a determined look, shifted Mikey''s weight a little, and started back up, catching up with the cart pretty quick. It wasn''t long before his gentle snores were in her right ear, and she couldn''t help but smile. Her mother saw it, and smiled back.


    "It won''t be long now," said Vonn, almost to himself.


    "Wait, are you taking us into the Forest of the Lost?" asked Tom.


    "It''s the only way we have a prayer of getting far enough away from the city before dawn," said Vonn, obviously gearing up for a fight.


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    "The forest is too dangerous!" exclaimed Carla, fighting to stay quiet.


    Gia glanced behind them, where a faint glow could be seen. No one was following them yet.


    "I''ve been in the forest plenty of times," said Vonn. "It''s where I get some of the better wood for the wood carvers."


    "It''s too late," said Tom. "We can''t go back now. I only hope you can keep us alive to the end of this trek, Vonn."


    "Why can''t we go back?" asked Carla.


    "I am doing the absolute best I can," said Vonn, starting to haul the cart up an increasingly steeper incline.


    "Because those noises we heard when we left the road were the army," said Gia. "The city is already burning."

 3 Chapter 3 Forest of the Los

    "My legs hurt," murmured Carla, as Vonn pulled the cart over a small rise.


    "Vonn, do you think we''ve traveled far enough to stop for just a short while? It''s almost mid-morning, and I need to make mom her tea," said Gia, shifting her brother''s weight slightly. Her right shoulder was wet where he had drooled while he slept, but she didn''t mind that as much as she wished her arms hadn''t gone to sleep.


    "I suppose we can stop here, but only for an hour or so. I want to keep going until it gets dark. I don''t want to risk being caught by any scouts looking for people fleeing the army."


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    "Good, because I need to pee," said Tom, climbing out of the cart slowly.


    "Dear, you should wait for someone to help you," said Carla, reaching for his arm.


    "I''m fine. It''s my eyes that are broken, not my legs," he said, standing up and stretching.


    "Can I have something to eat?" murmured Mikey, sitting up a little and rubbing his face.


    "I''ll see what we have," said Gia, setting him down and trying to rub some life into her arms.


    He followed his dad over to a bush that was growing next to a tree, and they relieved their bladders together.


    "Stay close," cautioned Carla as Mikey moved to look at something at another tree.


    "Hand me my bag," said Gia, to her mom as she finally got her hands to start responding. If the stupid pins and needles didn''t make her drop her bag, she would be able to get a fire going pretty quick.


    "I''ll get some wood for you," said Vonn, grabbing his axe out of the cart and checking it''s edge before moving towards a felled tree.


    "It feels good to be off that cart," said her father, using his walking stick to move around carefully in the small clearing they found themselves.


    "Mind helping me up?" asked her mother. "I could use with pee break myself."


    "Of course, honey," her father said with a grin, moving over to offer her a hand.


    "What are you looking at, Mikey?" Carla asked as she slowly made her way over to the same tree, with Tom holding her arm the whole way.


    "There''s a really neat mushroom here, that almost looks like a little man," breathed Mikey.


    "Well, best not to touch it. With us being in a magic forest, there''s no telling what we''ll encounter. Best be on the cautious side and not touch anything," she said hitching up her skirts to pee.


    "Okay," grumbled Mikey, coming back over to Gia who was trying to get the fire started with her tingling hands.


    "Want to show off your fire-making skills?" she challenged him, remembering that he had made one not too long ago. Her hands were tingling so bad she kept dropping the flint.


    "Can I?" he asked, excitedly, taking the flint and steel from her.


    Sticking his tongue out at an angle, and closing one eye, Mikey began striking the two together like she had shown him. Moving the bits of fiber closer to the sparks he was flinging off, she was able to get it smoking.


    "Alright! Quick! Feed it some little slivers of wood!" she urged, cupping the fibers she had shredded from inside some bark, around the glowing sparks.


    Mikey grabbed a handful of slivers and stuck them up against the glow, watching as Gia blew gently on them. The fire flared up and they both gave a sigh of delight. Setting the tiny fire onto the waiting bed of wood chips she had brought from back home, they both busied themselves feeding the fire and keeping it from spreading by gently scraping the dead leaves and debris away from it.


    "I''ll grab the kettle!" declared Mikey, jumping up to get it from the cart.


    Gia glanced over at her parents, partly hidden by the tree, and overheard her mother gasp, then giggle. Rolling her eyes as her mother glanced her way in embarrassment, Gia pretended not to notice them acting like children.


    "Is this all the water we have?" asked Mikey, holding up the half-full kettle.


    "I guess so. We''ll ask Vonn if there''s a stream around to refill it when he gets back."


    "I can go find some!" Mikey announced, puffing out his chest and turning to leave.


    "No!" barked Gia, grabbing his arm a little too fast.


    His look of surprise brought her up short. She had never raised her voice to him before.


    "I''m sorry, but you have to stay close. It isn''t safe for you to leave exploring. There''s bad people back that way, and we don''t know what things live in the forest. They''re probably not going to bother us, since we''re just passing through, but it''s best not to risk it."


    Mikey still looked a little hurt as he handed her the kettle, and Gia took it gently. She felt horrible for snapping at him like that, and made a promise to herself not to do it again.


    "I know you''re scared, Gia, but it''s okay! We''re on an adventure! Whatever lives in these woods is friendly!" he said with a goofy grin, showing the gaps where he had lost some teeth.


    Gia laughed and rubbed his head, before turning back to the fire. "Want to see if there''s any stew left? I can heat it over the fire too and we can finish the pot."


    "That''s a great idea!" he beamed, jumping up and heading to the cart again.


    "Gia, could you help me a moment?" asked her mother from by the tree. "My stockings have fallen and your father can''t see to pull them up right."


    Tom''s laugh was sharp and loud, startling a bird above their heads. "I''ve never had a problem taking them off, but now you want them pulled back up! I can''t help having the wrong skill set!"


    "Oh, you!" chortled Carla as Gia approached, taking a swipe at his arm that connected but was more of a caress than an actual hit.


    "I''ll go back to the cart, since I''m not needed," complained Tom playfully.


    "You''re legs look better this morning," commented Gia as she helped her mother with her stockings. "Do they feel any better?"


    "I can definitely tell it''s time for my tea. We did bring it, didn''t we?"


    "Of course! Let me help you," said Gia, giving her mom her arm for her to hold on to as she walked back to the cart.


    "You guys could have gotten so much further away if you hadn''t brought us," said her dad as they got back.


    "I told you I wouldn''t leave you!" asserted Gia.


    "Such a loving family," said a deep soft voice from behind them.


    Gia turned to see a pair of the most beautiful brown eyes she had ever seen in her life, gazing at her from out of the tree branches. It took her a moment to realize they were a part of the tree. The tree was talking to them!


    "What a lovely voice," sighed Tom, turning towards the tree with a smile. "Forgive my family for intruding, as we are currently fleeing an army that wishes to kill us for nothing more than having lived in the city they wished to destroy. We wish you no harm; only an opportunity to travel freely to where ever we can set down roots again."


    The tree looked at them thoughtfully. Mikey''s face was lit up with delight, as he stared openly at the talking tree. Carla seemed too shocked to respond, and Gia knew that the tree had to prove that they were fully in the Forest of the Lost.


    "Is there a problem with us making camp here?" she asked, glancing down at the little fire she had going. The stew pot was starting to warm up enough it didn''t look like a gelatinous mess inside.


    "I would only ask that you move the fire a bit away from my roots. They are getting rather warm," said the tree, still looking over the family with curiosity.


    "Oh!" exclaimed Gia, jumping towards the fire, now that she could see which roots belonged to the tree. They had blended in with the dirt so well, she hadn''t noticed them before.


    "Thank you, that''s much better. There are men who will be heading into the forest?" asked the tree.


    "We fled the city, right before the army attacked. We missed them by minutes. If the attack had happened in the light of day, we would have been spotted for sure," explained her father, cordially.


    "That is good information to know. There are always disputes going on, but being rooted here, I don''t always find out about it. I tell you what, for the information you have given me, I will give each of you a gift."


    "A gift?" whispered Mikey, his look of awe changing to one of immense glee and excitement.


    "That is very kind of you," started her mother, no doubt to turn the gift down, but Gia jumped in.


    "We would be honored that you see us significant enough to bless with a gift. We would never dare to insult you by refusing," she said, trying to curtsy without falling. It wasn''t a skill she practiced often.


    The understanding shined on her mother''s face, and all she could manage to do was nod.


    "Such adorable little humans," chuckled the tree, dropping a few stray leaves as the branches over their heads shook gently. "Here is your gift."


    Gia took the bundle of leaves gently from the branch that reached out to her, and unwrapped it with Mikey jumping from foot to foot to snatch it from her. There were five small wooden pendants, on twine. The wood looked like smooth little buttons, with a swirl on two sides. A natural hole in the middle is what the twine was strung through, and she didn''t see a knot, where the twine was tied. It seemed to have grown in a perfect circle.


    "If you wear those while you travel over the lands on your journey, none should react to you aggressively. Be careful though, because they can only do so much. If you insult, or attack the ones you meet, they will revert back to their normal opinions of you. When you find the land you wish to set roots on, bury them, and your new home will be blessed. Good luck, little humans."

 4 Chapter 4 Mushroom Fores

    "That should hold us," said Vonn, dropping the little wood he was carrying, next to the fire and throwing himself down on the root to start building the fire higher. "It''s actually really hard to find dead wood around here."


    Gia held out his necklace in silence.


    "What''s this?" he asked, taking it and looking at it.


    "A gift that you should wear," said Gia, touching her own. She fought not to glance at the tree next to them.


    "Thanks! I really like it!" he said with a grin, putting it on, obviously thinking she was the one who was giving it to him, rather than it coming from someone else.


    "I think the stew is warm enough to eat," said her mother, stirring the pot with the long handled wooden spoon Tom had carved ages ago.


    "Oh, good!" exclaimed Mikey, dancing over to her and jumping up and down in excitement.


    "Are you hungry?" Gia asked with a laugh, handing him the one bowl she was able to grab. There hadn''t been time or room to grab all the bowls they had. "You can eat first, then we''ll feed father."


    "Okay!" he said, cheerfully, taking the bowl of stew.


    "I''ll need to keep an eye out for game, while we travel. It''s going to take a lot of food to keep us fed. Good thing the super cold is giving way to warmer weather. I''m just not looking forward to the rains when they come," said Vonn, feeding bits of wood into the fire.


    "That fire feels good," said Tom, stretching his fingers towards the heat.


    "Done!" trilled Mikey happily, handing the bowl back to Carla.


    She filled it again, and handed the bowl to Tom. "Careful, it could be hot."


    "Don''t you think I know how to eat, woman?" he laughed, feeling the bowl and bringing it up to his mouth.


    Humphing in amused annoyance, she went back to stirring the remaining soup. Gia could see that the pot was getting slim. Feeding everyone would finish off the pot. Tipping her water into the pot, she gave her mom a knowing look, and Carla nodded, stirring to mix the thick stew with the water, to make it last through everyone. Once Tom was done, they fed Vonn, and then Carla scrapped the last of the soup into the bowl and handed it to Gia.


    "I''ll share some with you," Gia said, taking a slurp from the bowl.


    "It''s fine. I have my tea from Bob. It will last me until we eat again."


    "Mom, we don''t know when that will be. You need to keep your strength up just like the rest of us."


    "I''m riding in the cart. You''re walking. It''s fine."


    "Let''s discuss this right now," said Vonn, wiping his hands on his pants with a frown. "No one is going to be going hungry. Everyone eats whatever there is available. We can''t afford to have one person too weak to help out. I will try to find something everyday."


    "I agree, Carla, we can''t have you too weak to help me when I need to pee," said Tom, patting her knee softly.


    "Fine," she grumbled, taking the bowl from Gia and eating some of it.


    "I can help too! I''m a good hunter!" said Mikey with a grin, holding up his slingshot.


    "Good, then if you see something, you can let me know," said Vonn, nodding at the boy.


    "We need to get some sleep, so we can keep moving," said Gia, glancing back the way they had come. "I don''t want to get caught by any of the army, if they come looking this way."


    Everyone nodded, and settled down, close to the fire for warmth. Gia was worried it would take her a long time to fall asleep, but the moment she lay her head down, she was out.


    "Child, it would be best if you woke your family, and hurried along. There are people approaching," came a soft whisper that woke Gia up. The fire had died down to embers, but she was able to see well enough in the fading daylight, to make out the forms of her family. Glancing at the tree behind her, she couldn''t make out the face anymore, and then the message it had whispered at her made sense in her foggy brain.


    Shaking everyone and trying to keep them quiet, they scrambled to get moving again. Vonn hefted up the cart, with her parents on it, and they started out again. Gia glanced back at the hastily abandoned camp, to make sure they didn''t leave anything behind, and grabbed up some of the wood Vonn had found. It was dry, and cold be used at the next fire. If she got too tired to carry it, she could always leave it behind, but after he had said it was hard to find, she didn''t want to leave it.


    They stumbled forward, tripping over roots and rocks, as the dark deepened and the noises of the forest became louder. Mikey stayed close to the cart, craning his neck to see if there were any rats anywhere to hunt. The trees towered over them, and the roots began to recede, leaving them walking over a lush green carpet of thick moss. They could hear birds and bats flying overhead, and Gia wished it were still light enough to see what they looked like. She imagined anything that lived in a magical forest would be beautiful and amazing to look upon.


    Hearing noises behind them, they all rushed behind one of the giant trees to hide. A group of three men, heavily armored and carrying swords appeared shortly. One paused to check on the ground, but shook his head.


    "I can''t see any tracks with this moss, sir."


    "They can''t be far away. With that cart, we should catch up to them in only a few moments. Keep your eyes open and stay quiet," said the obvious leader as they approached, looking around in the growing gloom.


    Everyone stayed quiet, waiting for them to pass. Even Mikey stayed quiet with his eyes wide open, watching as the adults around him waited in hiding.


    A noise on the other side of the glen drew the soldier''s attention, and they rushed over to investigate.


    "This way, friends," said a soft voice at their feet.


    A short ugly man, with green hair and a green beard, motioned for them to follow him. Without any hesitation, Ven turned the cart to follow him.


    "It''s my friend!" whispered Mikey, happily. "He told him we needed somewhere to hide!"


    "What are you talking about?" whispered Gia, trying to keep her brother from making too much noise as they tried to escape from the men. Glancing behind her, it was getting too dark to see if they were being followed.


    "Don''t you see the mushrooms on his head? My friend, the mushroom man, must have told him to help us!"


    Gia looked back at the tiny figure they were following, and realized Mikey was telling the truth! There were tiny little red mushrooms growing in the guys hair, and along his back. The more she studied him, she realized he was only wearing a loin cloth, and was completely barefoot! He must be freezing!


    As the man paused next to a tree, he knocked twice and stepped back as the whole side of the tree swung wide to expose a path leading down underground. Taking off her shawl, Gia handed it to the man.


    "Thank you so much for helping us!" she said, before following the cart and her family into the dark opening.


    "Anyone the mother blesses, we try our best to help," said the man, wiping a tear away from the side of his bulbous nose and hugging the shawl to his chest.


    As soon as everyone was inside, the tree swung shut again, leaving them in complete darkness for a moment. Then a soft glow lit their path.


    "For a moment, I knew what it was to be blind," muttered Carla, glancing at Tom who snorted.


    "That was a forest trolling. They''re smaller than the more dangerous forest trolls," murmured Vonn, as he pulled the cart carefully down the slanted path. "I''ve seen them before from a distance, but they always disappeared whenever I tried to show them to anyone, or got close. Never thought one would actually help us. Why do you think it said we are blessed by the mother?"


    "It''s probably these little necklaces we''re wearing, that the tree gave us," said Mikey, holding his up.


    "The tree?" asked Vonn, glancing over at Gia.


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    "The tree we were camping by said she would help us find a place to put down roots," explained Gia. "These are supposed to keep us safe by making anything we run into friendly, instead of trying to attack us."


    "These are heart stones?" he exclaimed in surprise, pausing to look at his closer. "I''ve heard stories, but have never seen one before. Best not let anyone get them, everyone. These are priceless! We might actually be able to survive this trip!"


    "Only if you figure out how to haul this cart right," chuckled Tom, rubbing his neck. "All this start and stop stuff is giving me a pain in the neck."


    "Oh, you!" sighed Carla, shaking her head.


    There were little mushrooms growing along the edges of the path, that glowed a faint blue-green color. As they followed them, they descended further until the tunnel opened up to expose a vast glowing mushroom forest.


    "Do you think any of these mushrooms are edible?" asked Carla, gazing around at the hundreds of different mushrooms around them.


    "Probably, but I wouldn''t know which ones. There are so many different ones, I don''t recognize any, and even if I did, with us being in a magical area, I don''t know that we should try any," said Vonn, not pausing to answer.


    "What''s this about being hungry?" came a deep voice from all around them.


    As they looked around, for the source of the voice, the entire forest, to their left, rose up and a smiling face could be seen. The mushroom trees were growing out of this things back!

 5 Chapter 5 Truffle

    "What are humans doing in my forest?" boomed the giant being, looking at them with a giant black eye. Two horns protruded from his brow, and as he moved, Gia could see what must be ears sticking up out of the ground, or his head, now that she was starting to see just how big he was.


    "Forgive us, great King," hollered Vonn, setting down the cart. "We are only passing through. A small forest trolling guided us to come down this path in order to escape soldiers from a human army."


    "I don''t care why you''ve come down here, but you need to leave! This is no place for a human, unless¡­" he turned his other giant black eye on them. "Do you want to become mushroom men?"


    "No!" squeaked Carla, quickly covering her mouth.


    "Well," started Tom, but he shook his head with a chuckle. "No, while the offer is tempting, I think we will turn you down, Your Majesty."


    "You are peculiar creatures," his voice rumbled through the forest.


    "Do those mushrooms really grow out of your back?" asked Mikey, climbing up onto the cart and pointing at the glowing mushroom trees that protruded from the Mushroom King''s back.


    "Eh?" The king went to turn and look behind him before he paused and then turned back.


    "Mikey!" gasped Gia, trying to snatch the boy''s arm quickly. She didn''t want to test the magic of the necklaces already!


    "Those are my back hairs!" laughed the king with great gusts of damp-earth smelling breaths.


    "Mushrooms for back hairs!" exclaimed Tom. "How I wish I could see that!"


    "Hush!" begged Carla, barely able to contain herself. Gia hoped she didn''t pee herself. There wasn''t any way she was going to get her mother''s clothes washed down here!


    "Truffle!" boomed the king.


    A cute little green mushroom man popped his head out of a nearby pile of dirt. Rubbing his black eyes with his tiny little hand, he gave a yawn before climbing out of the ground. "Yes, da?" he piped.


    Gia couldn''t help but grab her hands tightly. He was soooo cute! Glancing over at the others, she saw Mikey''s mouth drop open and Vonn shaking his head in disbelief.


    "Guide these humans to the dwarves. They need to get out of here before they get spored."


    "What does that mean?" gulped Carla, holding onto Tom''s arm with a death grip as she stared at the adorable little mushroom man.


    "Probably something along the lines of growing mushrooms out of our backs," guessed Tom, patting her hands.


    "Make sure you avoid the purple-blue section. They are getting ready to spore. If any of the funglings touch them, they''ll have to stay, and we can barely keep up with our population as it is," said the king, his voice making the ground rumble.


    "Okay, da!" chorused the little Truffle, as he turned back to the spot where he had been buried, apparently sleeping, and dug up a little staff. A glowing blue snail shell was lodged in the end. As he gave himself a final shake, to get the last of the dirt off the tiny little leaves that made up his outfit, he waved for them to follow him.


    "Thank you, great King," called Vonn, giving a short bow, before he grabbed the handles of the cart and hurried to keep up with the mushroom man.


    "Thank you!" called Gia and Mikey, as Carla nodded to the giant being, too terrified to speak.


    "Such fascinating creatures; humans," mumbled the king as he settled himself back into the ground.


    "So, what are funglings?" asked Mikey, rushing forward to speak with Truffle.


    "Well, they''re kind of like babies. Except they float around, and if they touch you, then you''ll become their host. I hear it hurts a lot when they grow their roots into you to eat, but I''ve never experienced it myself. I was born a Fun-Guy."


    "A fun guy?" laughed Mikey, slapping his knee.


    "Funglings sound terrifying," choked Carla, holding onto Tom''s arm even harder.


    "Oh, dear, I''m sure it will be fine. This Truffle fellow seems like he knows what he''s doing. I''m sure he will guide us along a safe path. We''ll be at these dwarves'' home in no time flat."


    "Well, it will actually take about a week to get through the entire Mushroom Forest, sir," admitted Truffle, scratching the edge of his mushroom cap with an embarrassed laugh.


    "A whole week?" fretted Carla. "But, what will we eat while we''re down here?"


    "Oh! I know!" gushed Mikey, dashing off the path towards one of the mushroom trees.


    "Wait!" cried Truffle, darting after him.


    Gia watched in horror, as they both slid in a pile only a few inches from a huge green plant. Rushing over, she grabbed Mikey''s arm, hauling him to his feet. Before she could say anything, the green plant shook and the top began to unroll right towards them. Truffle squeaked in terror and jumped to his feet to run back to the path.


    "Hurry! It''s hungry!" he called, as his little feet left puffs of dirt in his wake.


    Gia grabbed up Mikey, and ran as best she could. Mikey didn''t even struggle, only watched as the bright pink of the maw opened and a human skeleton became apparent inside the thing''s tooth lined mouth.


    "Mikey!" chided Vonn, taking him from her and setting the boy in the cart. Taking her in his arms, he held her until Gia''s shaking calmed down.


    "I almost lost you," she cried, glaring at Mikey. At least he looked a little ashamed, but then she realized that she was doing it again, and buried her face in Vonn''s muscular chest.


    "If we''re going to get you out of here before the funglings fill the air, we really need to keep going," said Truffle.


    "I''m sorry, Gia," mumbled Mikey miserably.


    "Oh, sweety. Your sister cares about you very much. She overreacted when she thought you were in danger. If only my legs were better," moaned Carla, slapping her legs in frustration.


    "Don''t, Carla," said Tom, finding her hands and holding them. Bringing them to his lips, he kissed each hand. "That tea will start working, and you''ll be able to walk beside the cart, like Gia. We should travel much faster, then."


    Carla laid her head on Tom''s shoulder, pulling Mikey into a group hug. Gia watched from Vonn''s arms, and felt left out. Her heart hurt that they were in this position, and there was nothing she could do but move forward.


    "Okay," she sniffed. "I''m better. Let''s get going."


    Nodding, Vonn let her go, reluctantly, and picked up the handles to the cart. Truffle danced in front, urging him on. The scare seemed to finish waking up the little mushroom, as he skipped ahead and paused to look around while he waited for them to catch up. After the third time, he darted off the path, and returned with his arms full of little grey mushrooms.


    "You should be able to eat these," he said with a wide grin, holding them out for Gia to take.


    Cradling them in her hands, she studied them.


    "They''re oyster mushrooms," he added, watching as she handed them out. There was barely a mouth full for each of them.


    "Not very filling, are they?" laughed Tom, after chewing for a moment. "It''s going to take way more than that to fill me up."


    Truffle frowned as he thought about that, glancing back the way he had come with them. Nodding to himself, he headed off down the path again. It wasn''t too much longer when he paused at a fork in the path. After thinking for a moment, they continued down the right path. A couple of steps later, the little guy darted off the path again. Pausing, Vonn took the time to stretch out his shoulders.


    "Are you alright?" asked Gia, worried.


    "I''ll be fine," he said with a smile. "My shoulders are just starting to get a little tight, is all. They''ll loosen up in a bit, and I should be all right."


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    "Let me try for a bit," offered Gia, eyeing the handles of the cart. It couldn''t be that heavy, could it? "Just for a short while, to give your shoulders a little rest."


    "Are you sure?" he asked, unconvinced.


    "Might as well," she said with a grin.


    He showed her how to stand and then helped her pick up the handles. It was much heavier than she thought. Her hands immediately complained, but she ignored them. Vonn had been hauling her parents every since they left the city. His shoulders had to be killing her. Even if she could only pull the cart for a few minutes, it was a few minutes he could rest.


    "I found a whole bunch of morels!" reported Truffle, hauling a huge mushroom behind him. "If one of you could help¡­"


    It wasn''t long before Mikey, Gia and Vonn were all busy hauling mushrooms back to the cart. Each mushroom was plenty big enough to make a meal, so Gia tried to gather as many as could fit in the cart. Truffle didn''t seem to mind at all. Getting back to the cart, she went to pick it up, and Vonn laughed as she struggled.


    "I''ve had a good rest. My shoulders don''t hurt any longer. Let me take that."


    Gia didn''t believe him, but was still relieved to step out of the way. Grabbing one of the mushrooms, she took a bite of it, and marveled at the wonderful nutty flavor.


    "I''ve had these mushrooms before," said Tom, taking another bite of his. "There were some nobles talking about how expensive they were. I never told a soul I had eaten three while I helped unload the wagon of them. I''m sure I would have lost everything then, without losing my eyes."


    "If those really were morels," said Carla, "then you probably would have lost your life, instead. I prefer you alive and blind, thank you."


    He laughed and made a kissing sound at her.

 6 Chapter 6 No Sun No Time

    "Giavanna," said her mother softly.


    "Yea?"


    Tom and Mikey were sleeping in the cart, while Vonn pulled them along. There was evident pain in the way his shoulders were hunched, but he continued without saying anything.


    "Can you have Vonn stop for a bit? I need to use the bathroom, and I think I may need your help."


    "Alright, mom," she said, noting that Vonn had heard, and was setting the cart down gently. Tom''s soft snores had already alerted him to the fact they were sleeping. It had taken a lot to get Mikey to stop questioning their mushroom guide, but they had learned a lot. He had crashed almost as soon as he got into the cart.


    "Can you start a fire, Vonn? I need to make mom some more of her tea, while we''re stopped. If not, I can do it when I get back?"


    He gave her a tired smile. "I can start a little fire, but we don''t have much wood left. Better make extra and let it steep for next time. I don''t know that it will hurt her much."


    Nodding, she watched as he carefully picked up a little piece of wood out of the cart. Every little movement was causing him pain, and it bothered her. He was used to hauling the cart, but not constantly. She didn''t have the strength to pull it. Maybe she should have her dad walk a bit. The path was pretty smooth here. It would depend on how well her mother was doing, she decided as she followed her mother behind a small cluster of mushrooms.


    "Help me with my stockings. I don''t want to get them dirty," Carla murmured, lifting her skirt.


    Gia studied her mom''s legs as she helped lower the stockings, and relief flooded through her. The swelling was almost gone! That tea really was working! Maybe walking for both her mom and dad would do everyone some good.


    "That''s better," sighed her mother, finishing up her business. "You might as well go, too. There''s no telling when we''ll get another chance."


    Gia nodded and glancing back at the cart to make sure everyone was still okay, she squatted next to her mother.


    "Do you human''s always have to purge yourselves?" came a small voice, startling her. Luckily, she had just finished peeing, so she didn''t dirty her pants.


    A foot in front of her was a tiny little mushroom with a short round hood. Peeking out from under it were two lovely little eyes.


    "Oh! I''m so sorry!" came a voice not too far away, and Gia watched a figure, about the same size as Truffle, hurry out from among a clump of tall thin mushrooms. "My little Button is always getting into trouble!"


    "That''s alright," said Gia, pulling her pants up self-consciously.


    "Mother?" asked the little Button, clutching her dress as she reached him. "Do all humans have to purge themselves?"


    "Yes, dear. They don''t have the same bodies we do. They have to consume their food, and the parts they can''t use, they purge. That''s what gives us such rich soil to absorb. Though we like to wait a bit to let it lose some of its aroma and strength," explained the mother mushroom, looking down at him.


    Gia shot a look at her mother who was watching in silence, unable to say or do anything.


    "If you will excuse us," said Gia politely, she motioned for her mother to head back to the cart.


    "Oh, Truffle?" called the mother.


    "Yes, Mrs. Mushroom?" he asked, turning with a small grin.


    "Oyster said to tell you she was interested in meeting with you once the forest was done sporing."


    "Really?" he squeaked, looking surprised.


    "Don''t worry," she laughed, taking Button''s hand. "Mr. Mushroom said he wouldn''t chase you away this time. Oyster has started to bud, so he''s grudgingly accepting suitors."


    "Wow! Okay!" he gushed, his whole face darkening.


    Button snickered as he was led away by Mrs. Mushroom.


    "I dare say, this is turning into a very entertaining trip!" joked Tom, sitting up with a stretch. "I hope that since we are stopped, that means I can go to the bathroom? I need to stretch my legs!"


    "Yes, do you want me to go with you?" asked Carla, glancing back towards where the mushroom people had disappeared.


    "I would love for you to accompany me," he said, wiggling his eyebrows.


    Carla gasped and giggled, causing Vonn to chuckle. Gia glanced at him and he tried to wiggle his eyebrows, too.


    "Oh, you!" she laughed, moving to slap his arm, but stopping when she realized they were probably still really sore.


    "How does he even do that?" he asked, still trying to wiggle his eyebrows.


    "It''s talent," responded Tom over his shoulder.


    "I have the fire started, but it''s not really enough to get the water boiling. Your mom can drink warm tea, right?"


    "Where did you get the water? I thought we were out?" Gia asked, picking up the water bag next to him.


    "Truffle showed me how to get water out of those short pink mushrooms. You cut the top off, and the middle is hollow, where the water is."


    "He didn''t mind?" she whispered in horror. It was so strange not knowing which mushrooms were going to start talking to you.


    "He''s the one who showed me how to do it," said Vonn, glancing over at her. "You look tired."


    "Not as tired as you. I think I''m going to have mom and dad walk a bit. It would do them both good to stretch their legs and it will give you a break. I can pull the cart with just Mikey on it."


    Vonn looked at the cart thoughtfully, and it confirmed her suspicions. If he wasn''t hurting really bad, he would have turned her down right away.


    "The tea''s ready. Pour some in the water bag, and have your mom drink the rest."


    She moved to do as he suggested, and listened as her parents giggled behind the group of mushrooms. They hadn''t been this carefree in a long time. She knew her father was joking to help keep them all in better moods, but it was getting harder. Where were they going to find a home, if they were going to end up in the dwarven city? Didn''t dwarves dig deep into the ground and mine all the time? She missed the sun.


    "We need to get a couple hours of sleep," said Vonn, to the little mushroom man, Truffle. "Will that be a problem?"


    "I don''t think so. I''ll watch for dangers."


    "Thanks, Truffle," said Gia, handing her mom the tea when she got back with her dad.


    "I''ve decided," said her dad, as if that were a monumental thing.


    "What have you decided?" asked Carla, blowing on her tea gently even though it wasn''t hot.


    "I want to walk for a bit," he said.


    ''I don''t know¡­" began Carla, worry immediately turning her features older.


    "Dear, I have been sitting forever in that cart, without a chance to walk more than 5 feet at a time. I need to walk. My butt''s killing me!"


    "We''re going to rest for a couple of hours," said Gia, smiling at her mother. "Then I think it would be good for both you and dad to walk a little. Your legs are getting much better and a couple more days of this tea, you shouldn''t have any problems."


    "My legs might not swell anymore, but that doesn''t mean I want to do a ton of walking," she grumbled, but everyone knew she didn''t say no, either.


    "Drink your tea, and let''s have a nap before we get back on the road. I don''t know about the rest of you, but I''m looking forward to meeting these dwarves," said Tom.


    "Uh, oh," said Carla, a suspicious look on her face. "Why are you so excited at seeing the dwarves?"


    "I heard they make the best ale in the whole world! What better chance do we have of testing that theory, then in the dwarven city?" he exclaimed excitedly.


    "Oh, Tom!" exclaimed Carla, rolling her eyes.


    "Dad!" exclaimed Gia at the same time.


    "Sorry to burst your bubble, but we don''t have any coin to buy any ale," said Vonn with a huge grin, as if he was kind of excited at the thought himself.


    "Oh, well, I''m sure we can think of something," he laughed.


    "This has been some adventure," said Carla in the following silence, glancing at the cart where Mikey was still sound asleep.


    "I never imagined there was a mushroom forest underneath the Forest of the Lost," said Vonn, looking around.


    "Did you know there were dwarves?" asked Gia, poking the glowing embers from the dying fire.


    "There were rumors, but there were rumors for just about anything," said Vonn with a laugh.


    "That''s true," said Tom thoughtfully. "I don''t recall ever hearing much about the dwarves. I''m pretty sure that if I knew there were some so close, I would recall it."


    "We''ve been walking for days," said Carla. "Surely we''ve traveled a long way?"


    "I don''t think so," said Vonn, shaking his head. "I''ve be surprised if we''ve gotten half-way through the mountains."


    "Really? Not even that far?"


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    "You''ve never been that far before, so how would you know?" asked Tom, stroking her hair as she leaned against him.


    Gia took her mother''s tea glass and set it back in the small chest she had in the cart. Returning to her spot, she settled down for a short nap. Without a sun, it was really hard to tell when it was time to sleep.

 7 Chapter 7 Trouble in Paradise

    "Giavanna," said Vonn, stroking her hair. "We probably need to get going again. The little mushroom guy is upset about something."


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    She opened her eyes and looked up at him with a smile. "Alright."


    Standing up, she glanced around to see that her mom had put everything away, and they were just waiting on her to start pulling the cart. Mikey was awake, but didn''t seem interested in walking.


    "If I start walking too fast, let me know, and I''ll slow down," she said to her parents.


    "Don''t worry about us," chuckled her father. "I''m sure I can keep up. It''s Vonn I''m worried about."


    "Hey, I can keep up with no problem!" complained Vonn, half laughing as he tried to feign outrage.


    "We need to get going!" said Truffle as Gia picked up the cart and started to pull it. It wasn''t nearly as hard with both her parents walking. Once the wheels started turning, she just had to keep it moving forward.


    "How much longer are we going to be down here?" whined Mikey, propping his chin up on the side of the cart.


    "We still have to go through the tall mushrooms, and the mushroom village, before we reach the edges of the blue mushrooms. There, we''ll probably have to be careful of the wild mushroom creatures. They''re bound to be on the move with the forest about to spore," explained Truffle, his little legs shuffling so fast, Gia was surprised he didn''t fall or trip.


    "There''s a village down here?" exclaimed Mikey sitting up quickly.


    "Mikey!" cautioned Carla, from behind them.


    "Sorry," he said quickly, hopping out of the cart.


    Gia sighed in relief. The cart was even lighter without him. How did Vonn do this?


    "The mushroom village is where most of the mushroom people live. It''s safer if any of the mushroom creatures decide to rampage. They do that occasionally."


    "How is it safer?" asked Mikey, dancing in front of her, to walk next to Truffle.


    "Well, we have a wall around it, and there''s mushroom guardsmen who protect everyone there," explained Truffle, scratching the underside of his little mushroom cap. "Not much can get past them. It''s a good thing you came across the king, because he ordered me to go with you. The guardsmen won''t bother you while you''re with me."


    "That''s good," said Tom, "I would hate to have to explain why we were lost."


    "Well, it''s because you were giving directions, of course," laughed Vonn.


    "I don''t know what that says about your intelligence, boy, if you were taking directions from a blind man," joked Tom.


    In the distance, Gia could see some really tall mushrooms. Their stalks were as thin as her pinky, and they stretched high into the air, with a white bulb at the very top. Some of them had long thin hairs standing out straight, while others had clusters of white bulbs gathered around their bases, as if the stalks never grew on them.


    "Is that the tall mushrooms?" asked Mikey, pointing at them.


    "Yes, but don''t touch any of them," cautioned Truffle. "Those long thin hairs are toxic. Anyone who touches one will become paralyzed for the mushroom to eat."


    "Wow! How can you let them survive if they''re so dangerous?" asked Carla, horrified.


    "They make the most delicious wine!" said Truffle with a dreamy smile. "One taste and you would understand why we let them live. Besides, the mushroom trolls tend them. They love doing that sort of thing."


    "Are they the ones who let us in here?" asked Mikey.


    "I believe so," said Vonn.


    They had reached the very edges of the thin mushrooms, and Mikey gaped at them for a while, making sure to point out each and every one that had the toxic hairs so no one missed them.


    "Mikey, it''s hard to see that one," said Tom, after he pointed out one for the hundredth time.


    "No, it''s not!" declared Mikey, turning to look at him, before realizing he was joking with him. Mikey''s giggles had them all laughing.


    "Gia! Watch out!" cried Vonn, jumping forward and pushing her to the side as a mushroom came crashing down on top of the cart.


    "Vonn!" she screamed, rolling in the dirt to see the mushroom laying on top of him. Most of the weight was on the crushed cart, but enough was on him, to pin him in place.


    "Oh! I''m so sorry!" came a cry, from the area the mushroom had fallen. Out from behind a cluster of white hairy balls, a beautiful girl, with long golden hair hurried towards them. She wore a red mushroom cap on her head, like a cap, and Gia could see mushrooms growing along the back of her hair.


    The girl rushed over to Vonn, and Gia immediately wanted to rush over to keep the girl from touching him.


    "Don''t touch him! You''ve done enough!" she cried, stepping towards the girl.


    "Oh?" the girl asked, turning towards her, while pulling on thick brown gloves. "I''m sorry the tree fell on him. I didn''t realize there would be anyone on the road. I''ll have it moved in a jiffy!"


    "That''s Fungee," said Truffle, laying a hand on Gia''s arm. "She normally cuts the mushroom trees that are older and threatening the safety of travelers. I''m sure she can handle getting this one up without hurting him anymore."


    Gia wrung her hands, seeing her parents waiting patiently on the other side, while Mikey hunkered down to watch as close as Gia would let him, as Fungee began cutting the thin stalk with a small handsaw.


    "The stalk is surprisingly heavy, for as small as it is. I''m glad he isn''t hurt more than he was," said the girl, as she worked.


    "Why isn''t he moving?" cried Gia once the stalk was off of him.


    "He''s paralyzed, hunny," said the girl with a smirk. "Those hairs on the thing aren''t just for decoration, you know."


    It was official. Gia hated this girl.


    Pulling out a small vial from her bag, Fungee leaned down over Vonn and gently poured the silvery liquid into his mouth.


    "How dare you!" shrieked Gia when she realized the girl was purposefully leaning over him so he couldn''t help but stare up her little mushroom skirt. The material was made from a giant mushroom cap, and matched her hat, which meant, it didn''t bend, so when she leaned down, it flared up, and his face was directly underneath the skirt.


    Giving Gia a smirk, Fungee slipped the vial back into her bag and stepped back. Vonn rolled to his side and coughed.


    "Fungee, why would you taunt a guest of our king?" asked Truffle, shaking his head. "I don''t want to have to report you again!"


    "Oh, Truffle, don''t worry. The poor human didn''t mind the view. Besides, this girl could use a lesson on her manners. That was my last potion. I didn''t have to use it on him."


    "Fungee, one of the human''s is blind. They needed that cart you crushed. You can complain about using your last potion all you want, but if I report that you dropped the mushroom on one of the king''s guests and took out their cart, you''ll be in a lot of trouble!"


    Fungee looked back over at Carla and Tom, and noted how Tom was smiling at her, waving his hand in front of his face to prove he was blind. Glancing down at the crushed cart, she scratched her ear.


    "What do you want me to do about it, Truffle? I don''t have another cart like that one, and I can''t fix his blindness."


    Gia was so furious, she knew that if she went anywhere near the girl, she was going to attack her. Going over to Vonn, she leaned down and touched his back, making sure to keep her knees together and be a decent woman. She may be wearing pants, instead of a skirt, but that didn''t mean she couldn''t be decent.


    "Gia, I''m fine," he finally managed to gasp, wincing in pain as he tried to push himself up. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn''t do it. Vonn had to work his legs up underneath him, and get up without using his arms.


    "It''s all your fault!" cried Gia. She knew that his shoulders were hurting from hauling the cart so much, but she was going to blame this slut! "He''s so hurt, he can''t get up right! You owe us a new cart and recompense for his hurt shoulders! What are we going to do if he can''t raise himself up off the ground with his own arms?"


    Both the mushroom people turned to look at them, having been in a conversation over how Fungee was going to pay them back, and saw that Vonn was struggling to stand without using his arms.


    "Gia, I''ll be fine," Vonn said softly. "Please, calm down."


    "Don''t tell me to calm down with this floozie dropping a tree on you and then flashing herself while ''tending'' to you!" Gia roared.

 8 Chapter 8 Toads

    "Giavanna!" declared her mother, gaping at her in shock. "I understand this woman has done some things that are wrong, but that doesn''t give you an excuse to act that way!"


    Gia took a step back, her face flushed in anger and shame. Her mother hadn''t yelled at her like that in years, but the same urge to run and hide washed over her. She glanced at her father, and saw his normal look of amusement gone. He looked just as upset as her mom.


    "Gia, please, just calm down," implored Mikey, tugging on her shirt.


    "I''ll be fine, Gia. Let''s get going. Truffle said there was a village up ahead. Maybe we can rest there a bit?" suggested Vonn, moving towards her and wrapping his arms around her waist.


    She buried her face in his chest, fighting the sudden sobs that threatened to overcome her. The beat of his heart calmed her anger, as she remembered he rolled away from that girl the moment he was able, even though it probably hurt his shoulders horribly to do so.


    "I''m sorry, Vonn. I guess, it''s just been hard traveling so much. I miss the sky," she whispered.


    "There might be healers who can help with your injuries," said the mushroom girl, Fungee. "I''ll pay for the medicine, if there is. I don''t know what we''ll do about your cart. I can have someone bring it to the village, to get fixed, but it''ll be a bit as my helpers are all out doing other stuff at the moment."


    "That would be best," said Truffle, nodding his head seriously. "Don''t let it take too long. We need to get past the blue mushrooms before they spore. The king doesn''t want any more people living down here. You''re already more than he can handle."


    She blew a kiss at Truffle who squirmed in disgust. Fungee laughed at his reaction and turned to finish chopping the tree up into smaller pieces.


    The moment her parents were past the tree, Gia inspected the cart. They may not be able to take the cart pieces themselves, but she was not about to leave their belongings. As far as she was concerned, this floozy was going to steal it all.


    "Gia, what is it?" asked Carla, turning to look at what she was doing.


    Gia was shoving things into her already overstuffed backpack.


    "Mikey, come here," she said, holding up his backpack.


    He sighed, but came and got it, slipping the straps over his shoulders.


    Grabbing the almost empty chest, and the extra blankets, Gia turned to start following Truffle again.


    "Do you need me to carry some of that?" asked Vonn, worry evident on his face.


    "Actually," said Gia, stopping to glance down at the things she was trying to carry.


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    A few minutes later, everyone was sporting a blanket around their shoulders, and she was only having to carry the chest with her backpack. It was still heavy, but easier than it had been.


    "How much longer before we get to the village?" asked Tom, several hours later.


    "Quite a way. Do we need to stop and let you rest?" asked Truffle, noting that the two older people were starting to lag further and further behind.


    Gia was worried about her mother''s legs. It was probably time for her to drink her next batch of tea. Setting the chest down, for her mother to sit on, she pulled the water bag of tea out of her backpack. With a frown, she jiggled it a little. There didn''t seem to be as much as there should have been.


    Dripping liquid drew her eyes to a small hole on the side of the bag. When the cart was destroyed, it must have punctured the bag!


    "It''s been steeping a long time," said Vonn, noting her distress. "I''m sure it will still be alright."


    Carla took the bag, and took a drink carefully, to keep from losing more. Wincing, she nodded. "It''s plenty strong! I could probably get away with drinking only half of this."


    "Oh, no you don''t!" chided Gia, putting her hands on her hips. "You drink every drop. You''ve been doing a lot of walking when you probably shouldn''t be. I don''t want you to miss out on one drop of that magical elixir!"


    Tom laid a hand on her head, then moved it to her shoulder with a chuckle. "You''re shorter already! Drink it up!"


    They all laughed at that, and Truffle looked back and forth at them in confusion. He didn''t understand the joke, and that made them all laugh even more.


    "I''m hungry," whined Mikey. "And I haven''t seen any rats to kill in this whole underground place!"


    "Oh, well, rats don''t live very long down here, with all the toads," said Truffle.


    "Toads?" asked Mikey, perking up. "Can you eat those?"


    "Normally, yes. But I''m not thinking you can eat the ones Truffle is talking about," said Vonn, glancing over at the little mushroom guy.


    "Oh, I suppose you could eat them, but they''re much more likely to try and eat you first. The mushroom guards tend to keep them along the edges where the rats and other creatures that come into the mushroom lands frequent."


    "How big do these toads get?" asked Tom.


    "Um, bigger than me?" said Truffle, thinking about it for a moment, and then shrugging.


    "I have some mushroom you can eat," said Gia, pulling out some more of the mushroom from earlier. Mikey immediately took his and started tearing into it. She made sure everyone got a piece, pausing when she got to Truffle. He grinned at her and held up a hand.


    "I already ate. I can eat while I walk," he said, holding up his foot, where the underside of his little boots were covered in a thick mat of what looked like roots.


    "Oh, okay," said Gia, keeping the last pieces of mushroom for herself.


    They sat there, eating their mushrooms, while Carla sipped on her tea. Watching her grimace at each mouthful, Gia started to wonder if maybe she shouldn''t have insisted on her drinking it all, but glancing at how well her mother''s legs were doing, she didn''t say anything. Carla''s legs looked wonderful. That stretch marks from the swelling were completely gone, and she didn''t seem to be limping at all.


    "The silence is what gets me," said Vonn suddenly, after they had been sitting in the quite for a while. "A forest always has the noises of birds or little things scampering about. There isn''t any of that here."


    "No, with the paralyzing spines of these mushrooms, not much lives here," said Truffle.


    "Let''s get going," said Carla, holding her hand out to Gia, to help her out. "Now that you''ve said that, it''s going to bother me until we get into this town that''s been mentioned."


    They walked and walked until Gia was sure her arms were going to fall off. Mikey finally spotted the roof of one of the buildings in the mushroom town. It didn''t surprise anyone when they saw that the buildings were all shaped into the form of giant mushrooms. Gia didn''t care what they looked like. She wanted a place to rest and to set the chest down somewhere. Vonn needed a healer and they all desperately needed something to eat that wasn''t a mushroom, though the chances of that happening were probably very slim.


    The excitement of finally reaching the town made the last leg of their journey through the tall mushrooms very short. As they walked through the gate, her hope dwindled. All of the mushroom people were short, just like Truffle. None of the buildings were tall enough to let them get inside. If they were going to rest, it was going to have to be in the middle of the street, out in the open, for everyone to see.


    In fact, crowds of mushroom people were swarming towards them, with their different colored caps, and clothing that blended in with the mushroom-like qualities of their bodies. Gia wasn''t sure if some of them were wearing pants, or just had dark brown legs. After a few moments of trying to puzzle that out, she finally gave up and decided it didn''t matter. They hopefully wouldn''t be there long enough for it to matter.


    Truffle moved off to talk to a taller mushroom man, who appeared older than Truffle, and was smoking a little pipe. Was his smoking tobacco, mushroom, too?


    "Mayor Funguy, says that you can stay in the storage shed. It''s the only building in the whole town that has a tall enough door for you, except for the guard barracks, and we didn''t think you would want to stay there. He also said he would send Mr. Morel to see to Vonn''s injuries," explained Truffle.


    "Thank you, Truffle," said Tom. "We appreciate all the help you are giving us."


    Truffle smiled and motioned for them to follow him as the townspeople moved out of the way. The storage shed was on the other side of the town, and Gia thought she was going to collapse half way there. Setting the chest down, extra careful, she finally flopped down onto the floor. The others joined her, being sure to stay clear of the bags in the back of the room.


    Mikey, on the other hand, was eyeing the bags curiously.

 9 Chapter 9 Mr. Moral

    "I''ll take you to see Mr. Moral," said Truffle, sticking his head into the doorway.


    Vonn stood with difficulty, and Gia rushed to his side. Everyone turned to look at her, and she stood there, hesitating before telling him she wanted to go with him, but didn''t want to leave her family.


    "Go ahead, Gia," said Carla.


    "Where''s she going?" asked Mikey, looking up from the mushroom soup Gia had made for them to eat.


    "She''s going to make sure Vonn doesn''t get lost," said Tom with a hint of a smile.


    "But Vonn shouldn''t get lost with Truffle leading him around," said Mikey in confusion.


    "Vonn''s hurt, dear. She''s going to make sure he can make it to the healer," said Carla, winking at Gia.


    Gia took Vonn''s arm and they rushed from the shed before Mikey could ask another question.


    "Mr. Moral is in the black shroom house," said Truffle, pointing down the road at a mushroom house that was leaning to one side. "I''m going to meet Oyster over by the well."


    He gave them a smile, then rushed off to meet the young girl who was peeking at them from the town well. Vonn looked at Gia with a smile on his face.


    "Remember when we met?" he asked softly, placing his hand on top of hers.


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    "I tend to recall you were a small dirty boy, who couldn''t reach the rope for the water bucket," she said with a laugh.


    "I guess that fits me pretty well," he chuckled, ducking his head, then wincing as it pulled on his muscles.


    "Why do you ask?" she asked, pulling him along, where he had stopped. The dark mushroom house was just ahead.


    "Gia, when we find a place to settle down, would you¡­ would you marry me?" he asked, turning and taking both her hands.


    Gia stood rooted to the ground. They were stuck in an underground mushroom village, on their way to a dwarven kingdom. She didn''t even know when they would be able to stop this crazy adventure.


    "Vonn, my dad''s blind, my little brother is still a child, and my mother''s legs, while on the mend, are still not good enough for her to take care of them all by herself. I want to marry you¡­ but I can''t leave them either."


    He smiled and said, "What if I built a house big enough for all of us?"


    "You would live with my parents?" she asked in a hushed voice. "Really?"


    "Why not? I will probably still be a wood cutter, where ever we end up, and I would hate for you to be alone all day. They would be able to get along just fine, with you there. As long as our bedroom is far away from theirs."


    Gia''s face blushed fiercely red. "Vonn! I can''t believe you would joke about that!"


    "It''s true, though. If I get to design the house, would you marry me?"


    She looked into his eyes and saw their future together.


    "When we find a safe place, I promise!" she whispered, too overcome to say it any louder.


    He laughed and grabbed her up in a huge hug. She gasped in surprise, and worry. This probably hurt his shoulders terribly! As she struggled, he set her down and locked his lips onto hers. She froze, too stunned to pull away.


    He pulled away with a laugh, and finished pulling her the short distance to the house. When he knocked, Gia was able to pull herself together enough to stand on her own, and to stop leaning on him so much.


    "Yes?" asked a very short mushroom man. His reddish-brown cap was so large, it dragged on the floor behind him.


    "I was told¡­" began Vonn, but the mushroom man cleared his throat so loudly, it cut him off.


    "I know who you are. You''re the human that''s been hurt in the king''s forest. Come in, come in. I''ll see if I have any more ointment made up."


    Vonn glanced at her, before ducking into the small door. Gia hunched down, to see him sit on a tiny stool, while the mushroom, Mr. Moral, puttered around with some small vials on a shelf. There wasn''t room for her to join him inside the house.


    "I hear your shoulders hurt?" asked the diminutive man.


    "Yes, do I need to take off my shirt?" asked Vonn, his fingers going to his shirt buttons.


    "That would be best. This stuff doesn''t do too well if it''s not on the skin," chuckled Mr. Morel.


    Gia flushed and turned away, spying Truffle by the town well, talking to the cute little mushroom girl. She didn''t want to see him without his shirt, especially after his comment about their bedroom being on the other side of the house from her parents. Looking around for anything to distract her, she spotted Fungee entering the town, with the parts of their broken cart. That girl was nothing but trouble!


    Fungee dropped the parts next to another house, and knocked on the door, speaking to the mushroom that answered. Gia crossed her arms angrily, determined to glare at her, for all she was worth, but just then, Vonn let out a soft moan that took her breath away.


    Glancing back in the door, before she could help herself, Vonn was having some green slime rubbed onto his shoulders. His muscled chest and abs took her breath away for a completely different reason. As he winced and let out another groan, she straightened up too fast, and bumped her head on the door frame.


    "Everything alright?" asked Fungee, raising an eyebrow as Gia turned around, rubbing her head.


    "I''m Fine!" she growled, trying to make it clear the mushroom-infested girl wasn''t welcome.


    "Is that Vonn? He must be hurt pretty bad to be willing to see Mr. Morel! The guys known for his poison''s just as much as he''s known for his cures. He''s getting to be pretty old! I hope he doesn''t get them mixed up! Good luck!" sang Fungee as she all but skipped away.


    Gia scrunched her brow in worry. Fungee was just trying to cause trouble, but she couldn''t help but glance back into the room. After all, with the amulets they were wearing, she couldn''t imagine how Fungee would treat her normally. Vonn was almost laying on the floor, he was leaning forward so much, and his face had a look on it that made her blush even harder, backing up so fast, she fell on her butt.


    Behind her, she could hear giggling. Standing up, she glanced back to see who was laughing at her, but instead of someone laughing at her, she only saw the young mushroom couple.


    "Oh, Truffle! Of course, I''ll go with you to the Sporing!" exclaimed Oyster, giving him a quick peck on the cheek and rushing away, turning as red as an amanita mushroom. Truffle grinned from ear to ear, and turned her way, not even noticing that she was brushing dirt off her backside.


    "We need to leave tomorrow, if that''s okay!" he said, glancing in the room where Mr. Moral was finishing up with Vonn. "I have to hurry and get you guys out of the forest, so I can take Oyster to the Sporing!"


    "The Sporing!" laughed Mr. Moral. "Are you sure her father is alright with that?"


    "He is! He gave his blessing already. We''re going to be wed and have tons of babies!"


    Mr. Moral laughed again, and handed Vonn his shirt, off of the ground. "You should be just fine by tomorrow. In fact, you should be better than new. It will make crossing the Mushroom Fumigating Steppes easier."


    "The what?" asked Vonn, pulling his shirt on and nodding to himself in appreciation.


    "We just call them the Steppes," said Truffle, scratching his nose. "They''re a section of the path, where the mushrooms grow down in crevasses, and provide flat spots for us to travel across. It''s probably a good thing you don''t have the cart anymore, because it would be really hard to pull it across them."


    "But, my dad''s blind! How will we guide him across them?" Gia asked, worried all over again.


    "Don''t worry, Gia," said Vonn softly. "I''ll help your dad across. I told you I would help, didn''t I?"


    Seeing some of the green ointment seeping through his shirt, Gia turned to Mr. Moral. "Will that green stuff stain his shirt, or cause any problems?"


    "It might stain, but it should all be soaked up by tomorrow. If any lingers, don''t touch it. His body will absorb it as it''s needed to heal him. It has a little extra something in it, to make it extra potent, but it shouldn''t cause him any harm."


    The little mushroom man went to shut his door, then paused to say something else, then shook his head and finished shutting it. Gia was less than reassured.


    "Let''s get back to your parents, and get some rest. We still have a couple days before we''re out of the mushroom forest. I don''t know about you, but I''m ready to have the open sky and the sun above my head again."


    She nodded and turned back to the storage house, hesitant to take his offered hand. When he glanced at her, she hurried to take it. She was just being silly, after all.

 10 Chapter 10 A Rough Road

    That next morning Truffle was ready to leave and had them getting up and moving early. They had no sun to tell them it was early, but they could feel it in their bones and muscles as they ached.


    "Why don''t we have the cart to ride in?" complained Mikey, rubbing his eyes as they left the town.


    "It was destroyed and we''re not waiting for that woman to get it fixed," said Gia, hefting her backpack higher to tighten its straps. They were loaded down with water and food to get them the rest of the way through the forest.


    She kept a close eye on Vonn, as he seemed to be doing so much better than she thought he should have. Was that salve the mushroom man had put on him magical? If so, she almost wished she had thought to take her parents to him. Her mom had finished the tea from Bob, and her legs were doing great, but it was still a lot of walking when they weren''t used to it. Tom was getting better about not tripping, and trusting Carla to lead him, but Gia still worried.


    It was several hours before the mushrooms transitioned from the dangerous hairy ones, to shorter, more broad mushrooms. Up ahead, a huge purple capped mushroom man was making his way over the steppes that Truffle had mentioned the day before. Gia had hoped the mushroom steps would be flat, like flagstones, and they would just have to step carefully across them, but watching the huge guy make his way across carefully, she realized that wasn''t the case.


    The thick purple stalks of the steppe mushrooms were good and sturdy, but their blue caps weren''t entirely flat. Some were leaning to the side, making their tops be at an angle, instead of even with the ground. The few that did line up well, had a slight rounding to their tops, almost as if they had grown thicker to handle the stress of being walked on.


    "I don''t know how we''re going to get Tom across this," worried Carla as she looked it over.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll help him," said Vonn, taking Tom''s arm.


    "This looks like fun!" cried Mikey, rushing onto the mushrooms, before the mushroom guy could finish crossing.


    As the oversized mushroom gave out a cry of panic and surprise, Truffle cried out a warning, and they watched horrified as one of the mushrooms the guy was standing on collapsed.


    Cries of alarm rang out as the deep snapping sound of the stalk echoed from the valley below them. The mushroom man waved his arms and threw himself forward, landing mostly on the solid ground, but the mushroom he had been standing on leaned to the side. The blue in its cap fading to a dark brown as they watched.


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    Mikey, who was already half-way across the flat mushroom caps, turned to see what was going on, and slipped. Gia cried out in horror as he slid off the edge of the mushroom and out of sight. Rushing over the soft steppes, she slid to a stop on the mushroom he had disappeared from, and saw him hanging from a mushroom just below the lip of the one she was on. His arms were too short to reach back up, and the drop to the ground stretched dozens of feet below him.


    "Gia! Help me!" he called, seeing her peeking down at him.


    "Oh, Mikey! Why did you rush ahead like that!" she growled, reaching an arm down to grab his hand.


    "It looked like fun! I didn''t mean to cause any trouble!" he moaned as she pulled him back up onto the mushroom.


    "It''s going to take a while for that steppe mushroom to grow up into the missing place," said Truffle, looking at the dead section.


    "I''m just glad I made it across," said the mushroom man in a deep gravelly voice. "It will be far more interesting to cross now."


    "Are you alright, Mikey?" called Carla, stepping across the mushroom steppes as if she were afraid they would attack her or break under her weight.


    Vonn followed behind her, moving carefully with Tom on his back. Gia held Mikey''s hand as she finished crossing, and then turned to watch as her parents came across with Vonn. The intense concentration on Vonn''s face made her wonder how painful it was to carry her father, but Tom seemed to be having a grand time.


    "I wish I could see, to know what it was we are walking on! The ground feels soft and squishy from up here, but at least it''s more comfortable than the cart!"


    "Oh, you!" grumbled Carla, too intent on where to place her feet to glance up at him properly.


    "What are these small green mushrooms? They have glowing spikes sticking out of their caps!" laughed Mikey, already moving on to the next section of their journey.


    Gia sighed and said, "Mikey, please stay close and don''t touch anything! We''ll get going again, as soon as everyone is across!"


    "Oh, Gia! I''m so tired of just walking! I want to go and play!" he whined, stomping his foot and crossing his arms.


    "Mikey, you can''t just go running off. Once we''re out of the mushroom forest, maybe we can pause and rest some with the dwarves," said Carla, reaching the ground with a look of relief.


    "Do you think there will be other kids I can play with?" he asked, perking up.


    "Maybe," said Tom as he slid off Vonn''s back. "But we don''t know what dwarven children do for fun. We''ll just have to wait and see when we get there."


    "The dwarves may not want us to stay, since we''re human," said Gia, worried, as they all gathered and prepared to continue.


    "You can see the edge of the purple-blue section over there," said Truffle as they started walking again. He was pointing to their right, at a section of mushrooms that were poking up higher than the surrounding mushrooms. "We''ll avoid that section, because it''s already started sporing."


    "What''s sporing?" asked Mikey, kicking the ground as they walked. "You keep using that word."


    "Well," said Truffle, scrunching his brow adorably, "It''s a lot of different things, I guess. When we''re talking about the big mushrooms, it''s when they release their funglings, which are baby mushrooms. If they land on the ground, they''ll grow into big mushrooms, but if they touch someone who''s not a mushroom person like me, they''ll be spored, which means they''ll become like Fungee. A person with mushroom traits and growths. I''ve heard it''s really painful, so I''m glad I was born a mushroom person."


    "You were born?" asked Carla, who then shook her head, "I mean, you didn''t grow from a spore, or a fungling?"


    "Oh, no!" he chuckled. "My ma had me. It only took me a year and half to sprout."


    As they all glanced at each other, trying to decide what they were going to say to that, there was a crash up ahead of them, near a fork in the road. The fork was where they would turn right, if they were going to the part of the forest they had been told to avoid. A huge multilegged creature, with blue-purple spikes and mushroom caps growing all over it crashed out of the forest ahead, and paused in the middle of the road.


    "Uh, oh!" whispered Truffle, holding out his hand. "It''s a wildling! They can be really dangerous!"


    "I can imagine with all those spikes!" cried Carla in a hushed whisper, grabbing Tom''s arm tightly.


    "Just don''t let go of my arm, dear," Tom said, patting her softly. "If you run, I want to know that I should run, too."


    "What do we do?" asked Gia. "It''s blocking our path!"


    "Are we going to have to go through the purple forest after all?" asked Vonn softly.


    "We may have to. If we go near that thing, it could spike any of us," said Truffle, glancing towards the forest to their right.


    "Why would it do that?" asked Mikey.


    "Anything it can spike, will feed it as a kind of fertilizer," said Truffle.


    "I am not going anywhere near that thing," said Carla with a shake of her head.


    "If we do go through the purple forest, what do we need to keep an eye out for?" asked Vonn.


    "The funglings will be floating through the air. If any of them touch you, then they will root to you immediately. But it would be faster to go that route. The Dwarven Gate is just on the other side. Do you all want to try it?"


    "Do we have any other choice?" asked Gia. "That wildling, thing, doesn''t seem like anything we want to mess with."


    "It''s really not. I''ll have to let the Guardshrooms know that it''s near the path. They normally keep a pretty good eye out for them, but this one must be new. That can happen if a lot of funglings all attach to the same creature."


    "Let''s go, before it notices us," said Gia. "Everyone keep a close eye out for those fungling things, and dad, I think you should be in the middle, so we can keep an eye out for you."


    "I''m so glad someone remembered that I was blind," he laughed softly, as they moved forward, turning to go towards the purple-blue forest.

 11 Chapter 11 Dwarven Kingdom

    There were hundreds of these little floating bags everywhere. Truffle had given them all pieces of mushroom to bat the sporelings away so they didn''t try and attach to them. Their only saving grace, was the fact that the little fist-sized sporelings moved slow. Even Truffle was batting them away so they didn''t attack to him.


    Gia would never be able to stand anything floating in the air, ever again after this. While kind of beautiful, in a haunting way, watching them attach themselves to something was horrifying. They had root-like threads hanging from their underside, that when they came in contact with something, would wrap around it and into it within a matter of seconds. They gave off a faint green glow which made it easy to see and avoid, until they attached to something, and then the glow faded to the bright purple-blue of the surrounding mushroom trees.


    A loud crashing erupted behind them, and they turned to see the spiked wildling running through the mushroom forest, attracting the sporelings in droves. Every time a tree was hit, it would puff out hundreds more of the things, high into the air.


    "That''s not good!" cried Truffle, drawing its attention. "We need to hurry!"


    A tall mushroom man, wearing what looked like plates of armor made of leather, charged towards them from the other direction, cutting the sporelings out of his way. The green goo dripped from his cap, apparently no longer a threat once it was dead.


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    "A mushguard!" cheered Truffle. "We''re saved!"


    "Get these humans to the gates! There are more guards waiting for you. We received word that you were on your way. I''ll deal with the wildling!"


    He was taller than even Vonn as he charged by them, his blades dripping bright green goo from all of the sporelings he had killed. The wildling had found the clear path, and was gaining ground on its rush towards them.


    Gia pulled her eyes away as the guard ran up to one of its legs and cut it. The thing had enough legs, it didn''t fall, but the pain was enough to have it turn and stop its charge. Vonn handed her his mushroom, and had Tom climb on his back. With them pushing the sporelings out of the way, they picked up their pace, as best as they could, spying the dwarven gates ahead. Another tall mushguard stood next to the gate, cutting down any sporeling that drifted near the gates. On the other side, they could see short stocky forms watching from a safe distance.


    The second mushguard was wearing fine green and brown clothing, but he stood taller than Vonn as well. The tall scepter he held was similar to Truffles, but his cap was tall and skinny, rather than fat and wide.


    "You already have permission to proceed into the Dwarven Kingdom, humans. Truffle, your father, the king, requested you return to him, as soon as you are done here," said the guard in a deep voice.


    "But I wanted to go to the sporing with Oyster!" pouted Truffle, stomping his foot in frustration. "Did he say why?"


    Gia helped Tom climb off Vonn''s back, and helped everyone get their bags back in order after the rush. They were allowed through the gate, but then it was shut back, before any of the sporelings could get through.


    "Ye''ll have to strip, to make sure ye don''t have any o'' those spore things on ye," came a rough gravelly voice out of the darkness.


    "What?!" Carla and Gia cried together, as Tom chuckled and turned towards Carla, wiggling his eyebrows.


    Vonn stepped forward. "Good, sirs. I assure you, none of us are infected with those things."


    "That''s prolly the case, but it''s the rules, boy. Strip to ye skin, or ye can go back into the mushroom forest."


    The figure that was speaking stepped forward, into the torch light, exposing a wide man who stood about 4 foot tall. He had a beard that fell to his belly, intricately braided and decorated with little metal clips and beads. A hefty pickaxe hung from one side of his belt, and a huge axe hung from his back. He wore heavy metal armor that glinted in the dim light.


    "All right," Vonn said, glancing back at everyone.


    He set his bag down on the ground, and the dwarf picked it up carefully, as if it were contaminated, and examined it carefully, pulling everything out of it. Once he was sure it had no sporelings in it, he shoved it all to the side, near the wall, and motioned for Vonn to start.


    Vonn sighed and started by pulling his shirt off. Gia struggled for only a moment, but then turned around so fast she almost fell down when he reached for the tie on his pants. Carla quickly joined her, when she realized what he was doing.


    "I thought you were going to take off your boots first!" Carla complained as the sound of his pants hitting the ground made Gia''s face hit beet red so fast, she almost fainted.


    "Boots too, lad. We can''t risk any of those things getting into the kingdom. It''s me job!"


    Vonn sighed as the sounds of him kicking the boots off came next. "Satisfied?"


    "Alright, ye can get dressed. Let the little lad go next."


    "I have to take my clothes off, too?" asked Mikey. "It''s so cold down here, can I keep my boots on?"


    "Stop arguing, Mikey," said Carla. "The sooner we get done here, to sooner we can get somewhere warmer."


    "Alright mom," he groaned, handing the dwarf his bag as he started taking off his clothes, too.


    A dwarven shout rang out as Mikey''s bag went flying towards the gate, hitting it and sliding to the floor. The faintest green could be seen and Gia and Carla both freaked, swirling around to check on the boy. Luckily, Vonn had already pulled up his pants before they turned around. The sporeling was undersized, and had latched onto his bag. There was a faint thread on his shirt, so it joined the bag. Thankfully, it didn''t reach his skin.


    "That''s why we check," grumbled the dwarf, as Tom went next.


    Mikey joined Vonn with staring at the wall, as Carla and Gia went last. They couldn''t meet the dwarves'' eyes, as they stripped and turned for them to see they weren''t infected. The humiliation was worse than the cold for her.


    "Don''t be getting any ideas," chuckled Tom, holding Carla''s dress for her to put it back on. "I sure am."


    "Ach," spat the dwarf. "We''re not interested in your women. They don''t have near enough hair on ''em. Don''t know how you can stand them, being smooth."


    Shoving the things back into their bags, and leaving Mikey''s bag and shirt behind, they followed the dwarves into the dark. The tunnel was very well constructed, but was barely above their heads. The smoke from the lantern they held tickled their noses as they followed.


    One of the dwarves stayed behind, to guard the gate, while the other two escorted them through the tunnels. Gia couldn''t understand how they didn''t get lost. There were so many connecting passages, and they all looked the same to her. She was hopelessly lost after only a couple minutes.


    "The King said ye could stay for a week, but cause of some things, ye''ll have to move on after that."


    "A week would be greatly appreciated," said Tom. "We''ve been on the move for a long time, it seems."


    "Fleeing the fighting with all the humans on the other side of the mountain?" asked one of the dwarves, glancing back at them.


    Carla kept a tight grip on Tom''s arm, to keep him from bumping the sides of the tunnel, as he nodded.


    "We managed to escape in the night, right before the army arrived. Some of the soldiers chased us into the forest, and some friendly creatures let us escape them by showing us a way into the mushroom forest," explained Tom.


    "Are we really already on the other side of the mountain?" asked Vonn.


    "Aye, ye will be when ye leave our kingdom. Though, I don''t know where ye''ll be going. The elves on the other side of the magical forest ain''t too kind to humans. The monsters in the forest will prolly eat ya before ye reach them anyhows."


    "Well, that''s reassuring," murmured Carla.


    "We appreciate you allowing us to rest a bit," said Gia, as they approached an opening to a larger tunnel.


    Stepping out of the tunnel, she looked up, expecting to find another tunnel but instead a vast underground city spread out before her. Tall stone arches reached so high into the air, she couldn''t see the top. A haze obscured the roof of the cavern. The houses and buildings that covered the space before them were all made of stone as well. Arches and peaks, all made of stone, could be seen as far as her eye could travel. Warm glowing light emanated from the windows and openings, beckoning them on.


    "We don''t normally get guests from this side, so we''ll have to take ye through the city before ye can rest. The inn over there will have beds and food. I don''t care for the ale there meself, cause I don''t get paid enough to afford it."


    "Will we have to pay for the rooms and board?" asked Gia, suddenly worried, because they had no coin of any kind.


    "We''ll figure that out tomorrow, when the king has a chance to deal with ye. Let''s go."

 12 Chapter 12 Bob’s Bar

    The inn was very nice, as they stepped inside. The most surprising thing was the bartender. He was human, instead of dwarven, though when he spoke, he sounded dwarven.


    "Welcome t'' me inn. Guests of the king, are ye? No pro''lems! Me rooms will fit ye just fine!"


    Mikey giggled hearing the dwarven words coming out of a human, and it seemed to calm everyone down after the long trek through the city. Gia was looking forward to a nice bed and some much-needed rest. She was sure she had blisters on her blisters.


    "Will they be needing baths, too?" the barkeeper asked their dwarven escort.


    "If''n ye want t'' charge ''em fer it, then go ''head. I''m not sure how much the king will be willin'' t'' pay fer, though."


    "A''right," he said, nodding and setting down the mug he was wiping clean. "How ''bout a tall one, b''fore ye head back? Fer com''n all this way, an all?"


    The dwarf nodded enthusiastically, as he jumped onto the stool and took a large gulp of the ale the man pushed to him.


    "I''ll show ye the way t'' ye''s room," he said, wiping his hands and setting down the towel.


    They followed him up a wide set of stairs and turned right at the top, heading down a long hall. There were doors on both sides, but he ignored them, going to the end of the hall, where there was a door in front, and the hall turned right again. Opening the door with a key, he turned and handed the key to Vonn.


    "Here you go," he said with a soft smile, dropping the dwarven accent as they stepped inside.


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    "Why don''t you sound like a dwarf anymore?" asked Mikey.


    "It makes the dwarves more comfortable around me, if I sound like them," he said, hunching down to talk to Mikey at his level. "There''s no dwarves around, so I don''t have to sound like one. But don''t tell them, or I might get in trouble!"


    Gia couldn''t help but smile at this kind man''s words. Looking around, she saw smiles on everyone else''s faces, too.


    "What''s your name, innkeeper?" asked Vonn, holding the key to their room tightly.


    "My name''s Bob. It''s pretty simple to remember."


    "That''s the same name as the bartender back home, that I used to work for!" exclaimed Carla, looking at him harder.


    He laughed. "I have a brother with the same name. We decided to go by the same name, because it was easy to remember, and the chances of meeting the same people in such different places was pretty low."


    "That makes so much sense!" she said, worry fading from her face. "He gave me a tea to drink that was supposed to help with swelling in my legs."


    "Did it?" he asked, interest in his eyes.


    "It sure did! I would never have made it all this way, if it weren''t for him. If you ever get a chance to talk to him, would you tell your brother?"


    "Of course! I''m sure he will be overjoyed to hear the tea worked."


    "I hope he made it out of the city," said Vonn, looking around at the room.


    "Was it bad when you left?" asked Bob with a frown of concern.


    "There was an army marching on it. We almost got caught by some soldiers!" exclaimed Mikey. "This giant tree woke up and gave us these amulets, and then these little mushroom men showed us how to get into the mushroom forest! We saw a mushroom so big, the hairs on his back were the size of trees! Only they were mushrooms instead of trees!"


    His eyes were wide and he was waving his arms around in excitement as he told Bob about their journey.


    "Oh my! Was that the Mushroom King? I''ve heard he is huge!"


    "Yep! And Truffle, his son, brought us through the whole mushroom forest, to here," ended Mikey.


    "It sounds like you''ve had quite an adventure! This room should be plenty big enough for all of you. It''s one of my biggest rooms. I''ll have some of the workers bring up a tub for baths. Would you like a nice hot stew? Maybe some tea? I would offer you ale, but there''s a bit of a fee with it, and the king here is kind of stingy when it comes to that."


    "That sounds wonderful," said Tom, finding his way to one of the many beds, and sitting down.


    "Do you know how long it will be, before we''re summoned before the king?" asked Gia softly. She was trying to figure out if there would be time for her to clean all of their clothes before then.


    "I can see about some new clothes for all of you, before the king summons you tomorrow. Your current clothes are a little ragged, and some of you seem to be missing pieces," he said, winking at Mikey.


    "It''s been a long trip," sighed Carla. "I wonder how much longer we have to go. That dwarf said we wouldn''t be allowed to stay in the city here, and honestly, I don''t think I would feel comfortable being surrounded by dwarves all the time. They''re a bit intimidating. I don''t know how you can do it."


    Bob laughed again, and shrugged. "I''ve seen a lot of different and strange things in my day. It doesn''t really bother me much at all. I''ll have that food and drink brought up with the tub, and your clothes should be here later tonight."


    He left them as they started taking off their backpacks and boots. Gia made sure to check everyone''s feet for blisters. She didn''t want anyone to have issues with their feet since they had such an important meeting the next day, and then they would be back on the road again¡­


    "Vonn, how are you doing?" she asked as he claimed a bed in the corner.


    "Giavanna, we have a long way still to go. I don''t think we will be able to just go back over the mountain to the city. We''re going to have to finish traveling through the magical forest and past where the elves are. I think there''s an ocean beyond that. Eventually we should be able to get back to the human lands, but it''s going to be a long trip!"


    "It''s okay, Vonn. As long as we''re together, we''ll figure it out."


    "I want to marry you, and start a family, but we can''t do that while we''re traveling."


    "What''s this I hear?" asked Carla, coming up to them. "You want to marry?"


    Gia sighed. "Yes, mom. He asked me to marry him, and I said yes, but¡­"


    Carla interrupted her with a cheer and grabbed her into a happy hug. "We''re going to have to figure out a dress, and find a cleric to marry you! I don''t imagine they have those here¡­"


    "Carla, dear. They probably don''t intend to marry here in the dwarven lands. They probably want to do it when we get back to the human lands. You don''t want our poor Gia traveling while she''s pregnant, do you?" asked Tom from across the room.


    "Oh! I hadn''t thought of that. No, I suppose that''s true. I guess that just gives us time to plan the wedding out!"


    Gia sighed as her mother happily moved over to the bed Tom was sitting on, almost dancing. Vonn chuckled and Gia couldn''t help but smile as she turned back to him. A knock on the door interrupted her, before she could say the next thing. Mikey rushed over and opened it before anyone could move. A young dwarven woman, with a very short beard, was standing there with a tray full of bowls of stew. Gia would never had thought she was a girl, if it wasn''t for the gown she wore.


    "A bit o'' stew for ye," she said, pleasantly, setting the tray down on the table in the middle of the room. "I''ll be bringing ye''r drinks next!"


    "Thank you!" said Gia heading for the table.


    Once everyone was sitting at the table, Carla turned to Vonn, "I love how everyone fits around this table! Do you think you could make one like it for our new house, where ever it ends up being?"


    He glanced over at Gia, who blushed, and said, "Of course I could! This doesn''t look like very difficult workmanship. Though, I think a bit longer would be better."


    Carla looked confused until she noticed the deep blush on Gia''s face and Tom started laughing.


    "Good! You''re looking out for your future already! As it should be!" he laughed, until Gia shoved his bowl in front of him.


    "Dad! Please! Eat your stew before it gets cold."


    "What''s so funny?" asked Mikey, taking a bite of his stew. "Hey! What kind of meat is this? It doesn''t taste like rat!"


    "That''s because I believe it is mutton," said Vonn. "Judging from the hint of wild flavor, probably a wild mountain sheep."


    "I like it! We should have this again," he said taking another bite.

 13 Chapter 13 Magic in the Bath

    The bath tub took two dwarves to haul into the room. Gia stared at it nervously, wondering how she was going to manage to bathe, knowing Vonn was in the room.


    "We''ll be erectin'' the curtain in a bit, miss," chuckled the dwarven woman, seeing Gia glancing at Vonn.


    "Oh! Thank you! I was wondering how we were going to manage with so many people in the room," said Carla, holding her hands to her chest and smiling. She must have noticed Gia, too.


    "How much does a mug of that ale cost?" asked Tom, rubbing his knees with a grin.


    "Well now, it depends on what kind o'' ale ye''re wanting. We have many different kinds here. The standard stuff is only 4 copper coins, tho''," said the woman, putting a hand on her hip and leaning against the door frame.


    "What about mead? I''ve heard you have that here," said Carla, trying to hide her interest.


    Gia sighed and rolled her eyes. They only had the silver coin her mother brought home the day before they had to flee the city. She really doubted they would waste it on dwarven drinks.


    "Well, now, that''s an interesting topic round here, right now," said the woman, looking thoughtful and running a hand through her beard. "Ye see, we have a bit o'' a feud goin'' on about the mead and ale."


    "What do you mean?" asked Vonn.


    "Ye see, the Khag Clan claims that mead should be added to the ale, and the Silverbeard Clan claims that the ale should be added to the mead. It''s gotten pretty serious, too."


    "What''s the difference?" asked Tom.


    "Why, it makes all the difference! The taste changes either way, and the amount of foam it makes is important to a lot of us dwarves. Ye humans must not be able t'' understand something so important as this¡­" She shook her head and left, hopefully to fetch that curtain.


    "I really don''t understand how important it would be to add either one first," grumbled Tom, turning his head angrily to the side and flopping his arms onto the bed.


    "Why so upset about it, dear?" asked Carla, patting his hands to calm him down.


    "I''ve wanted to taste real dwarven ale since I was a young boy, and now, I may not be able to, because of some silly feud!" he spat, hitting the bed again.


    "I''m sure you will be able to taste some before we leave," Carla chuckled. "Stop acting so childish about this."


    "Yeah, dad. If we hadn''t had to run away from the army, we would never have made it here!" chimed in Mikey, swinging his feet as he finished off the last dribbles of stew in everyone''s bowls.


    "Maybe tomorrow, after we see the king, you can find some dwarven children to play with," said Gia, stacking the empty bowls so they would be easier for the dwarven woman to take back. She really needed to learn what her name was, so she could stop thinking of her as a ''dwarven woman.''


    "That sounds like a wonderful idea!" he piped up, not quite jumping out of his seat.


    It was pretty obvious to everyone he was tired. They all were exhausted, but for him to stay in his chair at the idea of finding new playmates was unheard of.


    "Here''s that curtain," said the woman, quickly erecting the pale brown fabric onto a wooden rod.


    "Thank you so much! What''s your name?" asked Gia, as the woman grabbed up the bowls Gia had stacked.


    "M'' names Gidren Darkbraid. I''m not related to those Grimbraid folk," she made sure to point out as she swept out the door, leaving them eyeing the tub.


    "There''s no water in it," said Mikey, peeking into the tub. "But there''s a hole in the bottom, and a handle here¡­"


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    Reaching for the handle, Gia grabbed his hand.


    "Let me look, before you break anything. We don''t have the coin to pay for anything if it breaks or makes a mess," she said, letting go of his hand and looking at the tub herself.


    A cork stopper was hanging from a metal hook on one end of the tub, that looked to fit into the hole perfectly, but there was nothing under the tub, to keep the water from running out on the floor. As she reached for the cork stopper, her shirt caught on the handle that Mikey was reaching for, turning it.


    Water started gushing out of the tap, rushing towards the hole. Gia cursed and dived to get the plug in place before the water rushed out all over the floor. Slipping, she fell into the tub and got soaked.


    "Gia! The water''s not coming out the hole on the bottom," said Mikey, leaning down to examine the underside of the tub.


    "What? Really?" she said, climbing out of the tub, turning the water off on the way.


    Sure enough, as she leaned down with him, she could see that there was no hole on the underside of the tub for the water to come out of.


    "Where''s the water coming from?" asked Vonn, coming over to investigate the tub himself.


    Gia and Vonn had their heads together, watching the water rush from the tap as he turned the handle on and off several times.


    "Are we getting baths, or not?" asked Tom.


    "The thing must be magical!" exclaimed Carla as Gia and Vonn realized how close they were to each other and jerked away, both falling on their butts in the process.


    Mikey started giggling, and that caused Gia and Vonn to start laughing too.


    "I don''t see what''s so funny," complained Tom, which just made them all laugh harder. Even Carla started chuckling.


    "I think Gia should bathe first, since she''s already soaking wet," said Carla after a moment to catch her breath.


    Sobering up, they all nodded, and Gia grabbed a blanket off her bed, to wrap up in after she washed up. Pulling the curtain closed around her, she threw the blanket carefully over the rod holding the curtain, so that it didn''t collapse, and quickly stripped out of her wet clothes. She would hand them over the backs of the chairs to dry overnight. Tomorrow she would check with Gidren to see where she could take their clothes to get washed. Even if they were ragged, they would still work for a while.


    Stepping into the tub, she fiddled with the handle until she had a decent stream of water, then sat down to wait for it to fill. To her surprise, the water was a delightful temperature, and she found a bar of soap in a little niche on the side of the tub. Not remembering it being there before, she wondered if that was another part of it being magical. Watching over the side as she pulled the plug, just to make sure it didn''t spill out anyways, Gia waited till it was almost gone, before standing up and wrapping the blanket around herself and stepping out from behind the curtain.


    "My turn!" chimed in Mikey, darting behind the curtain.


    "I''ll go with him, to make sure he doesn''t fall asleep and drown," said Vonn, with his own blanket.


    "Help him keep the water in the tub, too," said Tom. "Even if the water doesn''t come out onto the floor, that doesn''t mean it can''t come out over the edge."


    "Fair enough," laughed Vonn, disappearing behind the curtain.


    "Will you two be able to bathe by yourselves? The tub is pretty tall," asked Gia, pausing by her parents.


    "We''ll be fine, dear. Go ahead and get some rest," said her mother with a tired smile, waving at Gia''s bed.


    A soft knock at the door drew their attention.


    "Yes?" asked Gia, approaching it hesitantly, clutching her blanket tightly.


    "Oh, Gia! Let me get that!" chastised her mother, rushing past her and answering the door.


    "Bob told me to give ye these clothes," said Gidren''s voice.


    "Oh, thank you! These are so nice! Are you sure?" asked Carla, looking down at the thick, sturdy clothes she had been handed.


    "Bob doesn''t lie, if''n ye mean that. These are for ye. There''re no other humans in the place for ''em to go to!"


    Carla brought the stack of clothes back to the bed and began laying them out. They were all perfectly sized for each of them.


    "Must be more magic," said Gia, taking the pair that would fit her. There was a pair of pants and a good shirt for each of them. Even nice leather boots that fit, were there.


    "I''ll lay them on each person''s bed," said Carla, shooing Gia to her bed with her clothes.


    Taking advantage of Vonn and Mikey being in the bath, and her dad being blind, she quickly dressed and slid into her bed. She wasn''t sure if it was magic, or just exhaustion, but the moment her head hit the pillow, her eyes started to flutter, and she was soon asleep.

 14 Chapter 14 A Hairy Momen

    A knock on the door woke her the next morning, and Gia quickly climbed out of bed to answer it. Gidren was there, with a platter of food for their breakfast.


    "Ye finished wi'' the tub? I c''n take it," she said softly, noting that everyone else was still asleep.


    "Oh, yes, we''re done with it," said Gia holding the door open for the dwarven woman to enter with the tray she held.


    Gidren set the tray down on the table long enough to take the food off of it, then she grabbed the edge of the tub and hauled it out into the hall.


    "I''ll git one o'' the others to held me finish putting it up. Enjoy ye''r breakfast," she said, leaving the tub in the hall, pushed into the corner out of the way.


    "Thank you, Gidren," Gia said, closing the door gently.


    The smell of the food was starting to get the others to stir, so she went over to the table to see what it was. There was a plate of scrambled eggs, thick slabs of bacon, and huge chunks of toasted bread slices. Small bowls held butter and jelly, while a large bowl held some kind of porridge. Taking one of the empty plates that came with it all, Gia quickly started making everyone''s plates and setting them out on the table.


    "Is that juice?" asked Mikey as he climbed into his chair and rubbed his eyes.


    "We haven''t had juice in a really long time," said Tom, climbing out of his bed slowly and finding a chair to sit in at the table.


    "I fear how we are going to pay for all of this, if the king decides not to pay for it," said Carla as Gia started pouring everyone a glass of the purple juice.


    "We''ll worry about that when the time comes," said Vonn, joining them at the table. "We should be thankful that we don''t have to walk anywhere today, and can rest and recuperate. It''s not too hot, or too cold here, and we have good food to eat."


    "You''re very right," said Tom with a hearty nod.


    "It''s so sweet! It hurts my tongue!" laughed Mikey as he took a drink of the juice.


    "What do you think the king will be like?" asked Gia, sitting in her seat as she finished handing out the cups of juice.


    "I bet he''s going to look like a dwarf, with a big, long beard, that has lots of jewels in it, and nice clothes," said Mikey, holding his hands down near his knees when describing the beard.


    "It would be good for him to look like a dwarf since he''s supposed to be the dwarven king," said Tom, chuckling as he felt for his fork.


    "You have eggs on the top left of your plate, with a slice of buttered bread on the upper right. There''s a slice of bacon on the bottom left, next to the porridge," said Carla gently as he felt for the edge of his plate.


    "Thank you, dear," he said softly, pulling the plate a little closer.


    "This bacon is delicious!" exclaimed Mikey. "What animal did it come from, a sheep?"


    "No, silly," said Gia with a laugh. "Bacon comes from pigs."


    "Can we have sheep and pigs at our new home?" asked Mikey, shoving half the giant slice of bacon into his mouth and chewing it enthusiastically.


    "Well, I don''t know. It depends on where we end up, and what it looks like. None of us know how to raise those kinds of animals, so maybe we could live near someone who raises them, and buy the meat, when they butcher it," suggested Gia, thoughtfully.


    "That would be okay, too," he said, starting on his eggs.


    "What do you think the king is going to say?" asked Carla, stirring her porridge slowly.


    "I imagine he''s going to want to know why we''re here, and what we plan on doing," said Tom, chewing and swallowing. "There''s nothing to be worried about. These amulets mean he won''t hate us and try to kill us on sight. Everyone we''ve met has been rather nice, considering the circumstances."


    "Bob seems like a nice guy, I''m sure if the king refuses to pay for everything, we can work out some kind of a deal with him," said Vonn, reaching for some jelly for his bread.


    "Carla, would you cut my hair for me?" asked Tom, running a hand through his hair. It was past his shoulders, and he had a rather scruffy beard from their travels so far.


    "Of course, dear."


    "Mom, do you want me to trim Mikey''s hair, and braid yours?" asked Gia, wiping her mouth and reaching for her drink.


    "That would be wonderful," said Carla nodding, and eyeing Mikey, who scowled but didn''t say anything.


    "I could probably do with a cut myself," said Vonn.


    "I like your scruffy beard," said Gia, blushing fiercely.


    "Then it can stay, but my hair needs to be shorter. I don''t like it being past my ears," he said with a grin.


    Mikey had his hair done first. Gia gave up after he complained she was hurting his head. His hair was shorter, at least, if it wasn''t neat.


    "All of the dwarves have long hair, I don''t know why mine has to be short," Mikey grumbled as he watched the other men get their hair cut.


    "Because we''re not dwarves," chided Carla, as she carefully trimmed Tom''s hair. "Do you still want to be able to put it up into a ponytail?"


    "Yes, please. I don''t want it in my face when we finally get into the open air, and I feel that first breeze."


    "Why don''t you cut it shorter, so it doesn''t get in your face?" asked Vonn.


    "My mother loved my hair, and my father hated that I had such nice hair when he was bald, so I always kept it this way. I''m a bit afraid if I cut it shorter, I might go bald like him," laughed Tom as Carla positioned his head to make it easier for her.


    "His hair was one of the reasons I fell in love with him," sighed Carla, running her fingers through his hair.


    "And here I was, thinking it was my rugged good looks," chuckled Tom.


    "It was this hair, and that sharp chin of yours. I''d never seen a man with such a sharp chin line. I knew as soon as I saw you our children would be gorgeous."


    "Mom!" gasped Gia, throwing her a look of shock.


    "Well, it''s true. Why marry a man who''s ugly, when you can have the handsome one?" she laughed.


    "There was Steven," said Tom. "He was just as good looking as I was, if I recall."


    "He was very good looking, but he also used his good looks to get as many of the girls into his bed as he could. I was one of the few girls in town that hadn''t fallen to his good looks. He was one of the reasons I was willing to go with you to the city when you asked."


    "Really? I thought it was to get away from your parents," Tom said thoughtfully.


    "I did want to get away from them," Carla confirmed. "Mother was horrid about the chores having to get done that moment, and father was very heavy handed with his belt whenever he thought you might be misbehaving. I still have marks from that horrid man."


    "I never knew that," said Gia, looking at her parents.


    "I imagine there''s a lot you don''t know about our parents," said Tom. "We tried hard to keep that life out of your lives. They were the reason I tried so hard to move into the city and make a good life there. When this happened," he said, waving at his face, "it almost broke me. But the thought of what our parents would say and do kept us in the city, instead of returning to the village we had grown up in. There was no way I was going to bring you children up around those people."


    "I''m glad you decided to live in the city, even if you did end up living in the poor section," said Vonn. "I would never have gotten to know Giavanna, if you hadn''t."


    "Oh, you!" complained Gia, hitting his shoulder softly. "I''m all done, you can go look in the mirror."


    He hurried over to the small mirror that hung on the wall, and checked himself over carefully.


    "What''s wrong?" Gia asked, handing her mother back the scissors.


    "I''m trying to make sure I have both my ears, and that the hair is even on both sides."


    Mikey broke out laughing as Gia threw her brush at Vonn. Tom''s guffaws were loud and Carla snorted as she tried to hold her laugh in, and that made everyone laugh even more.


    "Actually, Gia," Vonn managed after wiping his eyes from laughing so hard, "I think you have a real knack at this hair cutting thing. You might be able to cut people''s hair where ever we end up."


    "You think so?" she asked meekly.


    "Well, I don''t think the dwarves would pay for it," he teased, picking up her brush, "Especially if you throw hair brushes at your customers."


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 15 Chapter 15 Scandalous Tattoos

    They nervously moved through the dwarven city again, following another dwarf dressed in thick armor and sporting a long ornately braided beard. Dwarves were watching them as they went, all sporting chunky clothing and long beards.


    "I don''t like how they stare," whispered Carla, holding tightly to Tom''s arm.


    "Don''t worry, dear," he chuckled, patting her arm tenderly. "They''ve probably never seen so many humans before. I know that if I could see a dwarf, I would want to stare."


    "Oh, you!" she said, a little calmer at the thought she was representing all humans for these dwarves.


    Gia couldn''t help but feel anxious as she walked. Mikey was so excited he was practically bouncing with each step. Her muscles were wound tight, to grab him if he darted off. Vonn wrapped his large hands around her shoulders as they walked, and massaged the tense knots he found.


    "It''s going to be fine, you know," he said softly to her.


    "It''s hard to walk with you holding me like that," she said, not meaning to be rude, but feeling incredibly self-conscious with him touching her.


    His chuckle as he dropped his hands to his sides relieved her moment of panic, and she suddenly missed the weight and warmth of his hands. Pride kept her from asking him to return them.


    Mikey paused suddenly, spying something ahead, and Gia had to stop herself from grabbing his arm. Some dwarven children were watching them from the side of the street, as they went by. Judging from their clothes it was a little boy and a little girl. Both of them already had little beards, and watched in excitement as they walked by.


    "Wow," said Mikey once they had turned around a corner and the kids were out of sight. "I never thought the kids would have beards, too!"


    "They''re not human, Mikey. Different races have different looks. Dwarves have beards," laughed Vonn, rubbing Mikey''s head. "They probably think we''re ugly without our beards."


    Coming up on a series of forges, the heat that radiated out from it blasted them, causing sweat to immediately pop up on their faces. The dwarven guard that was escorting them paused as they saw a dwarf intently pounding a piece of metal with his hammer. He had a young boy dwarf between his arms, helping him hit the metal with his own tiny hammer. The look of intense concentration on the child''s face had them all entranced.


    "Is it there yet?" asked the dwarf, pausing with his hammer to the side.


    "Nope, a couple more blows!" declared the child with a very serious look.


    "A''right," the dwarf said, hitting the metal with his hammer a couple more times. Each time his hammer hit, the boy''s hammer would hit.


    "There!" exclaimed the boy with a wide grin. "We''re all done!"


    "Good, b''cause it looks like the humans are here," said the dwarf, setting his hammer down and picking up a crown set off to the side and putting it back on his head.


    They all stared in shock, that this dwarf working in the forge, wearing unadorned brown clothes, and covered in sweat and soot, was the king!


    "You''re the king?!" exclaimed Mikey.


    Gia winced and glanced at the king.


    "Aye, I am. Ye must be the humans who came from the mushrooms?" said the dwarf, taking off his stained and dirty shirt, and tossing it to a dwarf who was waiting off to the side to take it.


    As he turned to grab a clean shirt, they all had a perfect view of a rather scandalous tattoo on the dwarf''s upper arm. Gia quickly averted her eyes, making eye contact with her mom, who had also averted her eyes.


    "Who drew all over your arm? Are you mad at them for that?" asked Mikey, pointing to the dwarf''s arm.


    "Eh? Oh," he chuckled, pulling on the clean shirt. "That''s a bit o'' fun from me single days. Me wife would have it be gone, at least until she''s drunk enough!"


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    The dwarven boy had put his little hammer into a cabinet and arrived at the king''s side. "Da, do I have to go? I want to play more!"


    "No, I have things t'' do. Go find your ma," he said, waving at the boy with the same thick red hair as himself.


    The boy stomped his foot, glaring at them as if it were their fault, then stormed off.


    "Thank you very much for letting us into your kingdom," said Tom, bowing slightly in the direction of the dwarven king.


    "Blind, eh? I''d heard it, but didn''t believe it till now. How did the lot o'' you get into the mushroom forest? Ye don''t even look like adventurers."


    "Well, we were running from an army," started Mikey, all too willing to tell the king the story.


    "Mikey," snapped Gia, grabbing his arm. "We talked about letting the adults talk. Remember?"


    He pouted. "Okay."


    "Let the lad speak. I want to hear about this army," said the king, eyeing Mikey.


    "We had to get up in the middle of the night, to get out of the city, because the army was comin'' to kill everyone! We just barely managed to escape. We ran into the woods, and some of the soldiers followed us. We kept going, even when the sun came up, and it was sooooo cold!


    "I got to ride on Gia''s back while mom and dad rode in the back of Vonn''s cart, because dad is blind and mom''s legs were hurt. They''re all better now."


    Gia glanced at Vonn, worried that Mikey''s prattling was going to annoy the king, but he seemed to be listening intently to everything Mikey said.


    "When we finally stopped to get some sleep, this tree woke us and told us to get a move on, cause those soldiers were getting close! Then, we were hiding behind a different tree, when this little mushroom guy told us to go down into this passage that opened on the side of another tree, taking us right into the mushroom forest.


    "Then, this giant mountain with mushrooms on its back rose up and it was the mushroom king! He told Truffle, his son, to take us through the forest to here. We met a girl who had mushrooms growing on her, ''cause she got spored, but we got out before we got spored. I lost my bag and shirt, though. They got spored. Do all dwarves have beards?"


    The king had been stroking his beard as he listened, and broke out laughing at Mikey''s question.


    "Aye, lad. We''re all but born with ''em. Who do ye think was behind the army?" he asked, turning to Vonn.


    "I''m not sure, Your Majesty. I was out in the woods, cutting wood, when I came across these guys talking about how quickly the city would fall, and that they would kill everyone in the outer city before sieging the inner city," explained Vonn.


    "But they were humans?" asked the king.


    "Yes, the soldiers were all human."


    "Then nothing I need to worry about. Strange that the mushroom folk would be willin'' to help ye, but again, none of my business. I''ve enough troubles on me hands t'' have to deal with ye lot, too. Ye can stay in th'' inn another night, but I''ll not be payin'' for such things as new clothes an all that. Work out a deal with the innkeep and be leavin'' quick. We don''t have needs for beggars in my city."


    Gia was shocked. This dwarf was so rude! Tom''s face was rigid as he turned away, all but dragging Carla with him. Vonn grabbed Mikey''s arm before the boy could say anything, and dragged him along as they all headed back towards the inn. No one said a word the entire walk back, but it was obvious they were all livid. Gia couldn''t understand why the king would be so rude. She kept running everything that had happened over and over in her head, but it didn''t make any sense! He seemed intent on being done with them as fast as possible, so he could deal with other things.


    Once they were back in their rooms, with food on the table waiting for their return, they all sat in silence.


    "He seemed worried about something," said Mikey, picking up his spoon to eat the soup.


    "What do you mean?" asked Tom.


    "He kept pulling on his beard, kind of like our neighbor Mr. Anders used to, when he worried about his daughter late at night.


    "I think it was just because he was listening to your story very carefully," said Carla, picking up her spoon as well, and poking at the soup. It smelled lovely, and had thick chunks of potato, or some white vegetable.


    "No, Mr. Anders would tug on his beard when he was listening, but the way the king was running his hand along the beard, like he was trying to make it straight, is exactly like Mr. Anders did when he was waiting for Sally to get home. I think the king was worried about something."


    "Well, he may have been worried about something. He is the king, after all," said Tom, reaching for his spoon.


    "I think I''ll go talk to Bob after lunch, to see if there''s any jobs I can do, to pay him back for the clothes and other things the king won''t pay for," said Vonn, taking a small sip of the hot soup.


    "I''ll go with you, in case I can help," said Gia. She might be able to wash dishes or something.

 16 Chapter 16 Errands for Bob

    Gia followed Vonn down the stairs in silence. She couldn''t imagine what kind of jobs Bob would have for them here. They didn''t need wood cut, as it seemed they used chunks of coal for fuel.


    "Ah! Gia, Vonn! I was just hoping ye would come down!" called Bob, waving for them to come over to him. "I have a bunch o'' things I need done, before the comin'' festival, and there''s not enough time t'' get some dwarves t'' do it. Would ye be willing? I''ll wipe all debt ye have fer the time ye stay, if''n ye''re willin''?"


    Vonn looked at her and she smiled. This was perfect! Nodding enthusiastically to him, he clapped his hands and motioned for them to sit before him.


    "Alright, listen close," he said, leaning in as they huddled together. "The dwarves don''t mind ye, but it''s best if ye don''t linger anywhere too long. The first thing I need is some special mead from the Under-Mountain Brewery down the street. Just tell ''em it''s fer me, and they''ll let ye have it. The second thing is that I''m holding a drinking contest during the festival, and need some more mugs from the Chug-a-Mug t'' get delivered. And last of all, it''s the princess'' birthday and I need a gift fer her. Do you have any ideas? It''s only in three days."


    "What does the princess like?" asked Gia, thinking hard about if her father could carve anything in that amount of time.


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    "Funny as it sounds, she likes ponies," he said, glancing around to make sure no one was listening in.


    "My father is really good at carving those, but he would need a good piece of wood," she said, looking at Vonn.


    "Then ye''re in luck! I happen to have a piece lying back here, that''s just been collectin'' dust," said Bob, pulling out a chunk of wood that was dented and dusty. "I don''t know if it will work for ye, but ye''re welcome to try! I sure would appreciate it, if''n ye could."


    "I''ll take this to my dad right away!" she said.


    "I''ll wait on you, and get the information on these other things he needs," said Vonn.


    Gia nodded and rushed back up the stairs, holding the piece of wood tight. It was such a blessing that Bob had a chunk of wood that would work just lying around! Rushing into the room, she didn''t bother to shut the door.


    "Dad! Bob wants to know if you can carve this into a pony? He needs it for a gift in three days."


    Tom took the chunk of wood from her and turned it around and around in his hands. Hefting it for size, and scratching at it with his nail, he held it up and sniffed the scratch.


    "This is basswood! Where did he get this?" he exclaimed as excitement flushed his face and he pulled out his carving knife.


    "He said it was collecting dust, so if you could use it, he would appreciate it," she said with a wide grin. "Vonn and I are going to go run some errands for him, because he said there was going to be a festival in three days that he''s trying to get ready for. If we run these errands, he was going to forgive all our debt to him!"


    "That''s great to hear!" cried Carla happily. "I was so worried what we were going to have to do!"


    "Anything I can help with?" asked Mikey, peeking over the bed he had turned into a fort.


    "Not right now. It''s probably best if you stay up here with mom and dad. If dad needs you for anything, you can get it for him. It sounds like the things we are getting might be breakable, and I don''t need you getting underfoot."


    "Oh, fine," he grumbled, ducking back under his bed.


    "Be careful," said Carla, as she looked at Gia with a worried expression. "Some of those dwarves looked so mean and unfriendly."


    "Don''t worry, mom. We''ll be fine," laughed Gia, leaving and shutting the door carefully. She was so excited to be able to pay off their debt to Bob, she didn''t even mind the coming work. Her dad was excited to be carving again, and her mother and brother were safe and well fed. Things were great! If only they didn''t have to leave in a few days.


    "Okay," said Vonn as she met up with him at the exit. "I know where we''re going. The first stop is just down the road to the brewery where Bob needs us to pick up a small cask of mead, he ordered last year. We don''t have to worry about paying for it; he just needs it delivered safe."


    She slid her arm through his, and they made their way out onto the street. Dwarves glanced their way as they walked past, but none bothered them. The brewery had a large sign hanging outside the door, of a dwarf being crushed under a mountain of kegs. The funny thing was that the dead dwarf was still smiling.


    "Mead first!" screamed a woman, barreling out of the door with a small cask under each arm.


    "Hey!" shouted a dwarven man, running out after her. "Guards! She''s stealin'' me mead!"


    Vonn and Gia stood back, against the wall, as a handful of guards came running past, chasing after the dwarven woman, who turned to go down an alley screaming and shrieking the entire time about mead.


    "Stupid Khag!" grumbled the dwarf, rubbing his bald head as he kicked at the ground. "That mead wasn''t even paid for yet!"


    "Excuse me, sir," said Vonn, moving a few steps closer to make sure he could be heard. "Bob, from the inn down the street, said he had some mead we needed to pick up for him?"


    The dwarf looked over at them, and did a double take, before shaking his head. "I got it, jus'' didn''t remember Bob hiring humans t'' do his runnin'' around fer him."


    Gia stood back and let Vonn do the talking, as he often had to talk to people in order to sell his wood back in the city. They followed the dwarf into the brewery and stood there amazed as he fetched the small cask of mead for them. The walls were lined with bottles and small casks of every different kind of ale and mead you could think of. There were wines covered in dust, and bottles of beer lined up in wooden crates.


    "Be sure ye get back with this quickly. Those crazy Khag''s are stealing all o'' it before the comin'' festival, t'' make a point. If something doesn''t happen soon, the king may have t'' step in."


    "Thank you," said Vonn picking up the heavy cask and they made their way quickly back up the street.


    "Do you think that feud is going to cause us any problems?" asked Gia softly as they reached Bob''s inn and stepped inside.


    "I certainly hope not. I don''t think it possibly could," said Vonn, setting down the cask and waving at Bob from across the bar.


    He saw them and rushed right over, checking the cask over carefully. "Oh, thank ye! I had heard that some o'' the casks were getting'' stolen from the brewery and wanted t'' make sure it was safe. I would hate t'' waste money on something I never got!"


    "Well, we''re on our way to get those mugs for you now," said Vonn. "You wanted a case of them, right?"


    "That''s right. And make sure there''s a full twenty mugs in the case. They''ve been known t'' short a guy a few."


    "Alright," said Vonn, taking Gia''s hand.


    She was starting to feel useless, until they stepped outside and the crazy dwarven woman from before was running at them. The guards were still chasing her. Sticking out her foot, she tripped the woman, causing her to tumble to the ground.


    "Oh! I''m so sorry!" said Gia, holding a hand over her mouth as the guards rushed up. "I didn''t mean to trip her!"


    "Tha''s all right. Here''s th'' reward fer stoppin'' her," gasped one of the dwarven guards, handing her a coin pouch. "No tellin'' how long we would have chased her!"


    They stood back and watched as the guards hauled her to her feet and dragged her away. Gia had hidden the pouch in her shirt by the time the commotion was over. She would look at it later, to see how much was in it. It might be enough for them to buy some supplies before they had to leave!


    The Chug-a-Mug was two blocks away, and the trip over was uneventful. Stepping into the dimly lit interior, they both paused, wondering if Bob had made a mistake. There were mugs for sale, but they looked poorly made, and several were covered in indecent sculptures.


    "What d'' the lot of ye want?" asked the dwarf behind the counter with a scowl.


    "We were sent by Bob to pick up his order?" asked Vonn stepping forward.


    "Bob, eh? Well, the box is right here," said the dwarf, picking up a wooden crate and setting it on the counter with a thud that made both Gia and Vonn wince.


    "Mind if I take a look inside? Bob wanted me to count them before we took the box back, so we didn''t have to make more than one trip," said Vonn looking very sheepish.


    Gia was impressed with his acting skill. The dwarf sneered but waved for him to check it out. Vonn took his time, counting each one, and even took a few out to whistle over.


    "These are very finely made," he exclaimed looking impressed. "The ones across the city were nice, but these are beautiful if held just right!"


    Gia tried to hide her confusion, glancing at the mugs Vonn was holding up. They looked like normal mugs, and ugly ones at that, but the dwarf was buying every word of it, the sneer and ugly expression dropping off his face as he squared his shoulders a bit.


    "Thank ye fer ye''r business," he said gruffly, but not rudely as when they first entered.


    Vonn nodded and picked up the box to leave. Once outside he chuckled softly and Gia glanced over at him.


    "Bob told me to give him a chance to gloat, and his horrible behavior would disappear. I couldn''t help but give it a try, after all, he only broke two of the mugs when he slammed it down. Bob was expecting him to break half of them, which was why he ordered so many."


    "But if Bob knew he was going to break so many, why order them at all?" Gia asked.


    "His kid is sick, and he took over the business when his father died. Bob''s just about his only customer. If he loses the shop, his wife will leave him, and his kid will probably die. As it is, Bob said he went through enough mugs with the dwarves getting drunk, he didn''t mind if they were ugly. They still held the drinks long enough for the dwarves to drink it, and that was all that was important."


    Gia shook her head. She couldn''t imagine how nice Bob was. They just had to get back to the inn without breaking any more of the mugs, so she could count her money!

 17 Chapter 17 Hefty Reward

    As Gia and Vonn set the box of mugs down on the counter, they had a few minutes to wait on Bob while he dealt with a group of dwarves talking to him about the festival. Gia felt a little anxious with them all standing so close to her, covered in dirt and grime from the tunnels where they had been working earlier that day.


    "I swear, I''m going t'' put a pickaxe in the back o'' his head, if he sings or whistles that tune one more time," grumbled a dwarf, entering the inn behind them, talking to his friend.


    "Ye have t'' admit it has a catchy tune t'' it," said his friend with a chuckle.


    "No! It was catchy the first time. He''s sung it non-stop since he started workin'' down the tunnel from me. If''n I hear one more ''hi-ho'' he''s dead, ye hear?"


    "All right! I''ll talk t'' the headman and get him moved," his friend said, laughing and patting him on the back as they moved past them to find a seat at the overcrowded bar.


    Bob showed up right then with a smile, "Sorry fer the wait. This is perfect! Let me know when ye get that pony done, okay?"


    Vonn smiled and nodded, shaking hands with him, and pulled Gia up the stairs.


    "Did you hear that dwarf say he was going to kill someone?" asked Gia, looking behind them before the bar area was out of sight.


    "I imagine hearing the same song over and over can drive anyone crazy, but it''s probably nothing. Let''s go tell your parents the good news!" said Vonn with a wide grin. "I''ve never gotten rid of debt that easily before! If only every person I''ve worked for was that easy!"


    "Do you think he''s going to ask for something else?" asked Gia as they reached the door to their room and went in.


    "Probably not. I imagine he''ll just be glad when we''re gone, so he has this room available again," said Vonn, sitting at the table and turning to watch Tom as he carefully carved another slice of wood from the block he held.


    "If there really is a festival coming up, I imagine Bob is going to want us to be moving on soon," said Carla, folding her old clothes and putting them into her bag.


    She had everyone''s bags lined up on her bed and was organizing it all.


    "You''re probably right," said Tom, feeling the block of wood carefully, before placing his knife in a new spot and gently pressing on it to start the next cut. "We should make arrangements to leave as soon as I''m done with this."


    "How long do you think that will take?" asked Gia, thinking about getting back on the road again with a sigh.


    "This wood is cutting so beautifully. I should be done with it by morning, if I work on it late," he said with a small smile.


    "Then we need to think about what we need to buy and start thinking about how to get them," said Carla, sighing as she held up the ratty pants Mikey had been wearing.


    "I have some coin we can use," said Gia, pulling out the pouch proudly and setting it down on the table with a heavy clink.


    "Wait just a minute! Where did you get that, young lady!" exclaimed her mother, glaring at her.


    "Mom! I didn''t steal it, if that''s what you''re hinting at. I was awarded it for stopping a thief!" exclaimed Gia, frowning and feeling insulted. "I don''t do that sort of thing!"


    "It''s true, Carla. She tripped a thief that had stolen two small casks of mead and was running from a group of guards. One of them gave her the pouch for stopping her."


    "Her? The thief was a girl?" asked Mikey, climbing out from under the bed he had been playing under.


    "She was one of the Khag dwarves, who is involved in that blood feud we heard about from Gidren," said Gia opening the pouch and pouring the coins out on the table.


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    "Some of those coins look odd," said Vonn picking one of them up and dropping it in shock.


    "What''s wrong?" asked Gia, picking up the coin he had dropped. "What''s platinum?"


    "What!?" exclaimed Tom and Carla at the same time.


    Carla jumped across the room, moving faster than Gia remembered seeing her move in a long time. She snatched the coin from Gia and stood there staring at it for a while.


    "It''s a real platinum coin. Child you just made us rich!" she whispered.


    "Platinum?" said Tom. "Let me hold it?"


    Carla handed the coin over to him while Gia spread the coins out and counted them. There were twenty platinum coins along with some gold ones, and a few silvers. Swallowing she looked up at her parents.


    "How much is a platinum coin again?"


    "They''re worth ten gold," said her father, running his fingers over the coin. "How many of these do you have?"


    "There''s twenty of them, along with nine gold coins and a few silver coins," she said, running her hand over them all.


    "We have roughly 300 gold pieces," he breathed. "We haven''t had this much money since before I lost my eyes."


    "Does that mean we can get me a new backpack?" asked Mikey, climbing into a chair and picking up one of the coins.


    Vonn laughed. "Yes, Mikey. You can get a new backpack, and Tom can get that mug of ale he was wanting, and Carla can get new boots. What would you like, Gia?"


    "Maybe we need to think about this first," said Gia, piling the coins up and sitting back. "Mikey needs a new backpack. We probably need a tent for all of us to sleep in, and new blankets. I think we should get rid of the ragged clothes we had before and get a second pair of these good sturdy clothes Bob got us."


    "That''s smart," said Tom, setting the coin down and picking up his carving knife again. "I would like a nice thick cloak, to cut down on the wind and rain, when we start back up."


    "Can we get horses?" asked Mikey, setting his coin down too, and bouncing in his seat.


    "Mikey, do you know how to ride a horse?" asked Gia, tilting her head to the side and raising an eyebrow.


    "No, but I can learn!"


    "Mikey, horses are expensive. Even with the coins we have, we couldn''t afford enough horses for all of us. Besides, we''re in the dwarven lands. Dwarves don''t ride horses," said Vonn.


    "I think we should get some rations to take, that way we don''t have to worry about being hungry, or having to hunt so much," said Carla.


    "That makes me wonder if we need to get a bow and some arrows?" said Tom, making another tiny cut. "Vonn or Gia could use it if we encounter deer or wild boar on the road."


    "I suppose that''s a good idea," said Carla, looking at them uncertainly.


    "I don''t mind getting a bow. I haven''t had one in years," said Vonn.


    "You did use to have one, didn''t you," said Gia, thinking back when they were little. "You broke it fighting off those street dogs, didn''t you?"


    "Yeah, they wanted my bread. I fell in a puddle and it was ruined anyways."


    "Well, I''ve never used a bow, but if we got one, you could show me how?" asked Gia, looking at him hesitantly.


    "Of course! I''ll show Mikey how to use it, too. When he''s old enough, and we have our own place, he can go hunting with me."


    "That sounds great!" said Mikey jumping up in his chair and raising his arms triumphantly. "I''m a great rat hunter! I bet I would be fantastic hunting deer and boar!"


    "Hunting deer and boar is a little harder than hunting rats, Mikey," laughed Tom, shaking his head. "Why don''t you two go look for those things, so we have time to pack them. You can take Mikey, to help you carry it all back."


    "Yes!" cried Mikey, running over to the door and sliding his boots on.


    Gia carefully gathered all of the money up and put it back in the pouch, into her shirt. Vonn followed her with two of the empty backpacks to carry things back in. Mikey danced around them as they headed downstairs.


    "Bob?" asked Vonn, getting the man''s attention. "We''re looking to buy a few things to take with us when we leave. Do you know the best place to get things like more clothes and food?"


    "Well," thought Bob, rubbing his chin like a dwarf does, which looked funny without the beard, "There''s a general store down the street. Turn left at the first corner, and it''s called the Cat''s Tongue. The dwarf who runs it can be very persuasive, so be careful ye don''t buy anything ye don''t intend to get."


    "Thanks, Bob," said Gia, shooing Mikey out of the door.


    "Do you think they''ll have any toys?" he asked, skipping along beside them.


    "Probably, but remember, anything we get, we have to carry, and there''s probably a long way to go," said Vonn.


    "But if he has something that''s little?" asked Mikey holding his hands together. "I haven''t had any toys in a really long time!"


    "You got those marbles last year!" exclaimed Gia, feeling insulted. She had scrimped and saved to get him those marbles.


    "Yeah, and they were fun to play with, but I traded them to get us some more salt, remember?" he said, looking up at her.


    She thought about it for a moment, then nodded, ashamed of her earlier reaction. He had surprised them with the salt on her birthday.


    "Alright, we''ll get you something, if it''s small," said Vonn, giving her a smile as Mikey cheered and jumped around, getting several dwarves to stop and look at them before they continued on.

 18 Chapter 18 It Takes Time

    The shop, when they entered it, was crowded with all manner of things. Gia had to remind herself that they didn''t need a lot of it, but some of the things were fascinating to look at. Mikey very quickly got lost looking through a shelf covered in small toys.


    "Don''t break anything, okay?" she said, moving over to look at the clothes hanging on a rack marked human.


    "What can I do for ye?" asked the dwarf that popped out from a doorway in the back. "Oh, humans."


    "We have a list of things, that we need to get for Bob, the innkeeper?" said Vonn, stepping forward with a small friendly smile.


    Gia hid her astonishment at him shamelessly using Bob''s name by turning to look at a shirt on the rack.


    "What sort o'' things?" asked the dwarf suspiciously.


    "I need a backpack, some bedrolls, clothing similar to these we are wearing," started Vonn, pulling at the front of his shirt.


    "Are ye sure these are fer Bob? Seems they are for someone intendin'' t'' leave the city soon," said the dwarf, eyeing him carefully.


    "Well, now that you mention it, Bob is the one who sent us, and he told us you were the best dwarf to buy things from," said Vonn, managing to look sheepish.


    "I recognize those clothes ye are wearing, cause Bob had me make a second pair o'' each o'' them. Enough for 5 o'' ye, right?"


    "Yes, sir," said Vonn, stepping back as the dwarf moved towards the rack Gia was looking through.


    Pulling clothes off the rack and setting them down on the counter, the dwarf soon had five sets along with boots and cloaks for each. Then, he went over against the wall and started pulling rolled up bedrolls and handed them to Vonn, who set them on the counter with the clothes. Next, he grabbed a backpack and threw it on top.


    "What else?" the dwarf asked gruffly, eyeing them.


    "Do you have a tent and some rations?" asked Vonn, looking around.


    The dwarf quickly added a large tent to the pile, but paused at the packages of rations.


    "How many rations ye want? Each one feeds a person fer a whole day," he said, holding up the hand-sized bundle.


    "How about enough for five people for a week?" said Gia, taking one of the bundles and opening her mouth in shock at its weight. This might feed them for a couple of days!


    "Alright," he said hauling the entire basket over and counting them into the new backpack. "What else?"


    "Some waterskins," said Vonn, counting out five and adding them to the pile, then pausing as he noticed something.


    Gia moved up and looked at the display of flint and steel fire starters that had caught his eye, and noticed the sewing needles next to it.


    "You can get one of those, if I can get a needle?" she said with a smile.


    Nodding, he gathered them and threw on a roll of twine as well.


    "Look around and make sure there isn''t anything else ye want, while I add up the total on this," said the dwarf, folding the clothes and shoving them into the two bags Gia and Vonn handed over.


    "Go ahead," he said. "I''ll help here."


    Gia looked around the store, wondering what else they could possibly take. There were some nice soup kettles, but they looked so heavy she knew it wouldn''t be practical. Grabbing a whetstone for Vonn''s dagger, she handed it to him and then went to see what Mikey was playing with.


    He had left the toys and was over in a corner. She double checked that the small horses and goats were back on the shelves where they belonged, and went over to see what he was looking at.


    "Mikey?" she asked, coming up behind him. "What are you looking at?"


    "It''s a little battleaxe, sized just for me!" he exclaimed, holding up the axe for her to see. It looked exactly like the ones she had seen the dwarven guards carrying around, only smaller. She saw that it even had a sheath to attach to either his belt or to strap the weapon to his back.


    "I sell a lot o'' them to young dwarven lads," the dwarf said, overhearing him.


    "I told you I would get you something, but I''m not sure I can afford this," Gia said, chewing on her lip. What would her mom think if she got him one?


    "Please? I looked at all of the toys, but they''re for little kids and I need to be grown up so I can help out more while we''re traveling!" he exclaimed, getting a serious look on his face. "With dad being blind and mom''s legs hurting all the time, I need to be able to protect them if you and Vonn are busy or out hunting!"


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    "What''s this I hear?" asked the dwarf, shoving the whetstone into one of the bags. "Ye''r dad is blind? And ye''r traveling? Where are ye going?"


    "We don''t really know," said Vonn shaking his head. "An army marched on the city where we used to live, and we were forced to come this way to escape it. It won''t be safe to go back over the mountain, so we''re going to have to head further east and south along the coast."


    "It''s mighty dangerous that way. Ye have the magical forest yet to get through, and then tricky elves. Beyond that there''s lizardmen and orcs. Ye best let the lad get the axe if ye can afford it. He''s right in thinking he''s going to have to grow up right fast."


    "How much do we have already?" asked Gia looking at the stuffed bags.


    "Just over 48 gold," said the dwarf. "That axe is only 10 gold."


    "Do you have any longbows?" asked Vonn, looking around.


    "I have a crossbow, and a composite longbow. The crossbow is 35 gold and the composite longbow is 100 gold. I''ll throw in 10 bolts or arrows if ye buy one."


    "I could use a new axe myself, and the crossbow will be easy enough for even your mother to use," said Vonn, looking down at Gia.


    "So, two axes and a crossbow will be 55 gold, making our total be 103 gold?" she asked, looking over at the dwarf.


    "I''ll make it an even hundred, just because I like to make it easier on young lads getting their first weapon," he said, nodding and smiling at Mikey.


    "Alright," she said, stepping forward and pulling out the pouch from inside her shirt.


    Counting out the ten platinum coins, she felt a pang of pain as each one clinked onto the counter. This was more money than she had ever had in her entire life, and now she was having to part with it.


    "This looks like the king''s money!" whistled the dwarf, picking up one of the platinum coins and studying it. "How did you come across some of these coins?"


    "I stopped a thief from escaping from the guards after she had stolen two small casks of mead," said Gia, panic fluttering in her belly.


    "Ah, that sounds about right. The Khag clan has been stealing all o'' the mead in the whole city. They''re determined t'' make their point, even if it brings the whole family down," he grumbled, shaking his head.


    Thanking him, they gathered up their bags stuffed full of things, and with Mikey proudly strapping on his new weapon, he led the way back to the inn. Dwarves watching him go, could tell he had just gotten the axe and chuckled as they watched him pass. Gia was surprised by how many of them looked at him approvingly. She could only imagine the fuss her mom would make when she found out.


    Bob was too busy, as they entered the inn, to notice them, so they went ahead and went up the stairs to show her parents what they had gotten. Her mother noticed the battleaxe the moment they entered the door, but Mikey jumped forward before she could say anything.


    "Mom! Look what I got! It''s a real battleaxe! The dwarf shop owner let me have it for 7 gold instead of 10 gold because it was my very first weapon! Now I can help protect you if Vonn is gone hunting or getting wood!"


    "I got one too, Carla," said Vonn, setting down his bag on the nearest bed and showing her the small axe. "As well as a crossbow. It will be easier to use than a longbow."


    "You could even use it, if you needed to!" piped in Mikey, still excited that he could be considered old enough to have his very own weapon.


    "Well," Carla managed to get out, before Tom spoke up.


    "Let me see your new weapon, Mikey," Tom said setting his knife down next to the wood that was starting to take on the shape of a pony.


    Mikey carefully handed him the axe, making sure the sharp blade wasn''t going to cut his father. Tom ran his fingers along the entire weapon, checking the sharp blade and the strength of the handle before motioning for Mikey to come closer.


    "Look here, on the underside of the blade, near the handle. Do you see that little mark?"


    "The one that looks kind of like a hammer?" asked Mikey squinting at the mark his dad had found.


    "That''s called a maker''s mark. The dwarf who made this axe left the mark of a hammer on the blade, to show that he was the one who made it," explained Tom patiently.


    "But why would he do that?" asked Mikey.


    "So that if it ever breaks, someone knows who to blame?" guessed Carla.


    "No, so that if someone sees how good it works, they know who to buy from again," laughed Tom.


    "Do you leave maker''s marks on your wood carvings?" asked Mikey.


    "I do, see here?" Tom said, holding up the pony.


    "That''s the letter T!" Mikey said. "Because your name starts with a T!"


    "Well, it does, yes. The main reason I use the letter T, is because it reminds me to take my time."


    "Take your time?" asked Mikey, confused.


    "Someday you''ll understand," Tom laughed.


    "I think you just made that up," grumbled Mikey.

 19 Chapter 19 Leaving the Dwarves

    "This will be perfect!" exclaimed Bob, holding up the toy pony with a wide grin.


    "Thank you for everything, Bob," said Vonn.


    They were all gathered in the entry of the inn, tightening the straps on their bags and getting used to the weight of everything, waiting on the dwarven guard that was going to escort them out of the city.


    "Maybe we''ll meet again someday," said Bob with a wink, giving them each a handshake, even with Tom and Mikey.


    The dwarf stepped inside and saw them.


    "If''n ye follow me," he grumbled, waving for them to come along.


    Carla held Tom''s hand as they made their way out of the inn and onto the busy street. There were so many more dwarves than there had been, Gia was amazed.


    "Why are the streets so crowded?" she asked the dwarf they were following.


    "Everyone''s comin'' in fer the festival."


    "I wish we could stay for the festival!" complained Mikey, walking with his hand on his axe right behind the dwarf.


    "Mikey, this isn''t our festival," said Gia. "We are outsiders here. I''m sure the dwarves will be happier once we leave."


    The dwarf cleared his throat but didn''t say anything, and thankfully Mikey dropped it. The rest of the way out of the crowded city was uneventful, until they turned to head down a tunnel that was empty.


    "Where are we going?" asked Gia, looking back the way they had come, where the throngs of dwarves paid them no attention.


    "These tunnels lead to our western entrance. If ye plan to go back to the human lands eventually, ye want to go this way."


    Vonn took her hand and gave her a smile to calm her down, and she sighed. It had been so nice to rest and be still for a short while, before they got back on the road. Thinking about it for a couple of steps, she gave herself a shake and decided it didn''t matter where they went, or how long it took, they would all get there eventually, to the place where Vonn would build them a home and they could all live happily ever after.


    She was pulled out of her fantasy when her father, Tom, spoke up.


    "So, we''re going to be heading into a place known as the Magic Forest? What sorts of things should we expect there?"


    "Not been there, meself, but I''ve heard it''s a place where the very trees walk. Glowing lights can be seen moving about, and strange music that makes one want t'' dance can be heard. It''s not a place I want t'' go, oh no!"


    Carla glanced at Gia, but didn''t say anything.


    "And elves are on the other side?" asked Vonn.


    "Aye, they live on the western edge o'' the forest," he said.


    "Is there a path we can follow?" asked Gia.


    "Supposed t'' be."


    "How long should it take us to get there?" asked Tom.


    "Maybe 2 weeks?" guessed the dwarf with a shrug.


    Mikey was trying to make his steps match the dwarf''s, stretching his short legs to reach the same distance.


    They traveled the rest of the tunnel in silence. When real sunlight caught their eye, smiles broke out on everyone''s faces. Pausing at the edge of the tunnel, they tilted their heads up to let the sun shine on their faces.


    "Be careful, now. Once ye step outside o'' the tunnel, ye''r on yer own. The drop is pretty far. Would hate for this trip o'' mine to be for naught cause ye all danced off the edge."


    Gia quickly glanced down to see what he was talking about, and realized they were standing on the edge of a cliff edge. A narrow stone bridge connected them with a chiseled path on the other side of the gorge. Far below, in the bottom, the glint of blue could be seen where a river rushed along.


    Giving an ''eep'' of surprise, Carla clung to Tom''s arm even tighter.


    "This the lot o'' humans the king said to keep an eye out fer?" called a dwarf on the back of a brown mountain goat. Its horns were curled around into curly q''s and the dwarf had a saddle on it, watching them comfortably.


    "Is a goat cheaper than a horse?" asked Mikey softly.


    "No, Mikey. Not those type of goats," said Gia, trying to get her chin up off the floor.


    "We have to cross that?" asked Carla with a squeak and a hiccup of fear.


    "If ye plan to leave our city, aye," said the dwarf on the goat, as the other dwarf had already disappeared back into the tunnel.


    "I can''t do that," whispered Carla, visibly shaking.


    "You can hold on to me," said Tom, patting her hand. "I''m not afraid of the drop. I don''t see it."


    "I''ll carry you," said Vonn, stepping forward and taking off his backpack.


    Gia took the bag and watched as Carla climbed onto Vonn''s back, hiding her face into his neck. Tom took ahold of the back of Carla''s shirt, and followed as Vonn carefully stepped out onto the stone bridge. The dwarf watched in amusement as he carefully kept to the middle of the bridge and then set Carla down on the other side.


    "Can you make it, Gia?" Vonn asked, watching as she shakily took Mikey''s hand.


    "Don''t worry, Vonn," said the boy, grasping Gia''s hand tightly. "I''ll get her across!"


    "That''s a good lad!" laughed the dwarf, watching as Mikey pulled her across the bridge.


    How could her legs shake so much? She knew the bridge wasn''t going to collapse, yet she struggled to take each step. The sounds of the water rushing far below came to her ears, and she froze, Mikey''s hand slipping from hers as he headed purposefully across.


    "Giavanna!" he scolded, planting his hands on his waist. "Stop being silly! Come on!"


    He reached out and took her hand again, to pull her along, but she couldn''t get her feet to move. All she could hear was the water rushing below, and the knowledge that it only took one misstep to fall all that way.


    Suddenly, Vonn was there. His face was smiling at her, and the next thing she knew, was that they were both on the other side of the bridge. Mikey was rolling his eyes at her, as if he couldn''t believe she froze up, but her mother was giving her an understanding smile.


    "If ye don''t waste any time, ye should be able to reach the bottom o'' the path before nightfall," said the dwarf on the goat, still chuckling as he directed the animal to jump up the almost sheer cliff, and was quickly gone.


    "Dear me! The only thing scarier than being on this infernal mountain path, is being on it in the dark!" cried Carla. "Let''s get going!"


    Vonn took his bag back and slid it on as he moved to the front, to guide them down the side of the mountain. Even though there was plenty of space between them and the edge of the path, they all hugged the mountain wall on their rights. Gia stayed at the back, to make sure no one lagged to far behind Vonn as he led them all.


    Other than some slick patches of snow and ice that terrified them all, even Mikey dropped his charade of fearlessness, they were able to reach the bottom of the steep path just as the sun disappeared from the sky. A stiff wind was picking up as they looked ahead at the dark valley before them. The sound of the river was louder here, but none of them were interested in trying to go see it.


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    "I''ll set up the tent here, on the path, and hopefully we''ll be close enough to the dwarves that nothing will bother us tonight," said Vonn, sliding off his bag.


    Carla and Tom had already set their bags down and had sat down leaning against the rock.


    "I don''t remember being this tired, before," said Tom slowly.


    "I do, but this cold is about to freeze me solid," said Carla, with her teeth chattering as she snuggled into Tom''s side.


    "Me, too," shivered Mikey, snuggling into Tom''s other side.


    Gia helped Vonn figure out the tent, as the dark grew deeper and deeper.


    "Next time, I think we need to stop sooner, so we can see what we''re doing," she said as they finally finished.


    "I agree. Let''s get our things inside and settle down for the night," Vonn said.


    Everyone shuffled inside, pulling their sleeping rolls out of their bags, in order to have something to sit on other than the cold, hard ground. Despite the howl of the wind, they were all so tired from the constant fear and hurried pace to descend down the mountain, they all were soon fast asleep. In the distance soft glowing lights flittered and played, intrigued by the newcomers to their home.


    The next morning as they all started waking, giggles in the distance faded and the lights blinked out.

 20 Chapter 20 A Giant Surprise

    "I think we may have slept in a little," Carla said, as everyone began moving the next morning.


    "Well, it was rather warm in the tent and everyone was tired after all that walking," said Tom.


    Vonn and Gia were trying to figure out how to roll the tent back up small enough it would fit back into the case it came it.


    "If I hadn''t helped you take it out of the thing last night, I would swear this tent didn''t come in it," complained Gia, shoving and pushing the fabric.


    "Gia, let''s try rerolling it again," sighed Vonn.


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    "We''ve done that twice already," she growled.


    He took her chin in his hands and made her look at him.


    "Some things take time," he whispered.


    All of her anger and frustration disappeared in the blink of an eye and she stood there in shock as he pulled the tent from her hands and began unrolling it.


    "Can I go look at the river?" asked Mikey, tightening the strap of his axe sheath on his side.


    "One moment and I''ll go with you," said Carla. "I don''t want you slipping and falling in."


    "Mom," he groaned, giving her a look.


    Gia sighed, sitting back on her heels as Vonn continued trying to roll the tent up tight enough to fit into its original sleeve.


    "We have to figure out a better way of doing this," she said, looking over the flat area ahead of them, that lead to the forest.


    Patches of water shone in the late morning light, and the sound of the rushing river was much louder.


    "You''re right," said Vonn, giving up on it and sitting back on his heels, too. "Why don''t you go with your mom and brother to see the river, while I work on this a bit? Maybe I can figure something out."


    "Alright," she said with a nod, standing up. She needed to pee anyway, and this would give her an opportunity to get out of sight to do just that.


    Linking arms with her mom, they followed Mikey''s skipping form as he rushed towards the river.


    "Wow!" he exclaimed, stopping in his tracks and waiting for them to catch up to him. "Look at all the little pools!"


    The rock slab next to the river had spots worn out of it, where the water had hit it enough to wear away large depressions. Inside each one, they could see colorful rocks and tiny creatures like fish and frogs moving about.


    "Try not to touch anything," cautioned Carla as Mikey sat down on the wet stone to catch some of the creatures.


    "But mom! Why?" he whined. "I can catch enough fish and frogs for us to eat!"


    "We don''t know which of those might be poisonous," she said, giving him the mom look. "I don''t have any potions like the mushroom people had, to heal you if you get poked by a poisonous barb."


    He looked back at the fish. Some of them did have fancy fins and colorful spines. Sighing in frustration, he climbed to his feet.


    "I''m going to find a spot to pee," said Gia, eyeing the rocks that littered the space against the cliff wall.


    "Alright. I''ll keep an eye on the little hunter until you return, and then swap with you," chuckled her mom.


    "Little hunter!" grumbled Mikey, moving away from them. "I was the one who hunted the rats we caught before we came here! I think I am more than just a little hunter!"


    Knowing that he had a valid point, Gia left him to her mother, in order to find a suitably hidden spot to do her business. Some of the rocks were tumbled from above, probably from when the dwarves were carving the path, they had walked along the day before, and others were shoved in place when the river flooded this area. Making her way carefully around a bend, she stopped dead in her tracks, too terrified to move.


    A giant figure sat among the rocks; sound asleep. All around it were bones from animals and what looked like humans. There may have been dwarven bones there, too, but she wouldn''t have been able to tell the difference between them and human bones. Furs and slats of wood were tied to its body, in the guise of clothing with thick gnarled ropes.


    Breathing as lightly as she could, Gia stepped back the way she had come, reaching out for the rock next to her, to keep her balance on the slippery ground. Her hand brushed against some loose rubble, and she snapped her head to the side in horror, watching as the pebbles fell on the ground, skittering all the way to the giant''s ugly feet.


    Snorting, it raised its massive head and blinked groggily a couple of times, before spotting her.


    Swallowing the bile that rose in her throat, she gave it a weak smile and tried to curtsy.


    "Ugh," it groaned, raising a hand to its head and rubbing its face.


    The smell from its breath was putrid. She turned her head and coughed, fighting the urge to puke.


    "Human?" it seemed to say in a deep rumbling voice.


    "Yes, sir," she managed to squeak out, hoping and praying it was male. It wasn''t wearing a shirt, so she was taking that to mean it was a boy, but who could tell with giants.


    "Have food?" it asked, rubbing its head and wincing, as if in pain.


    "Um," she glanced around, looking to see if there was anything laying around them that might equate to food for this thing, when she noticed it had blood trickling down its neck. Was it hurt?


    "Do you need a bandage?" she asked, wondering where she would get a bandage big enough for this thing.


    "Head hurt," it moaned, causing the little rocks around it to vibrate.


    "May I see? I might be able to help?" she offered, completely shocking herself at her offer.


    "Help," it nodded, leaning forward until its face was right in front of her and then turned its head towards the river.


    There, right at the edge of its hairline, was a dwarven spear, sticking out of its head. She reached out tentatively and touched the space around it, realizing the spear head hadn''t pierced through the giant''s skull. The angle of the spear made it impossible for the giant to get a good enough grip to yank it out.


    "This will hurt, when I pull it out, are you alright with that?" she asked, speaking softly into its ear.


    "Stop pain," it moaned, moving closer to her.


    Taking a firm grip on the spear, she gave it a quick jerk, pulling the spear out all at once. The giant grunted and jerked away from her. Gasping at the blood that poured out of the wound, Gia grabbed the first thing she found, which was a scrap of leather that had fallen off his arm when he jerked away.


    "Oh! I''m so sorry! Put this on it, to stop it from bleeding!" she held out the leather to the giant, and the giant grabbed it from her, almost taking her arm with it.


    Holding the scrap of leather to the back of its head, the giant sat back down and big tears collected in its eyes.


    "So hungry!"


    Looking around, Gia held out the spear, "You can catch some fish using this."


    The giant looked at her for a moment, as the tears trailed down its face. Thinking it didn''t understand her, she held the spear up and pointed to the water, pretending to stab something in the water.


    "You can stab fish in the water," she said, holding the spear out to it.


    Taking the spear with its other hand, the giant looked over at the water, still holding the piece of leather to its head.


    "Do you want me to tie that?" she asked, pointing at the spot where it was holding the leather.


    "Hurts," it said softly, turning again for her to see it.


    She looked around, and found some rope on the rocks near where it had been sleeping. Wrapping the rope around the giant''s head, she secured the leather in place and stepped back to see if it had worked. It probably wouldn''t last for long, but it might be long enough for the bleeding to stop.


    "Okay, I think that should work," Gia said with a nod, stepping back.


    "Hunt now," it said, standing up and moving down to the water, carrying the spear.


    Stepping back, Gia slunk back and made her way back towards where her mom and Mikey were. As soon as she was out of sight, she turned and ran.


    "What''s wrong?" asked Carla, as she ran up to her. Spotting the blood on her, she gasped and asked, "Are you hurt?!"


    "No, but we need to go, now! There''s a giant back there, and it''s hurt and hungry!"


    "A giant?" asked Mikey, craning his head to try and see it.


    "Come on, Mikey!" commanded Carla, taking his arm and pulling him along. "We''re not fighting giants today!"


    "Does that mean we can tomorrow?" he asked with a grin.

 21 Chapter 21 A Song of Seduction

    They were almost in the edge of the forest when Gia finally had to stop. She had to pee so bad, she was going to wet her pants if she didn''t go.


    "I need to stop," she said, darting towards a tumbled pile of rocks.


    "Oh, thank goodness!" said her mother, darting after her.


    "What''s going on?" asked Tom, standing still as Carla left him.


    "We never had a chance to use the bathroom," said Gia, dropping her bag once she was behind the boulders and fumbling with her belt.


    "How big was the giant?" asked Vonn, studying the looming forest in front of them.


    "It could have eaten me in two bites," said Gia, trying not to make a sigh of relief as she finally emptied her bladder.


    "And you say it had a spear in its head?" asked Tom.


    "Yeah, it looked like it had been attacked by a dwarf, and managed to escape. I thought it was going to kill me for sure, until the very end when it waded into the river with the spear to fish," she said, tightening her belt and grabbing her bag.


    Vonn took her hand, when she got back and smiled. "I''m glad you''re safe. Let''s get going again. We''ve already used up two days of our rations, and the trip was supposed to take two weeks."


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    She smiled back at him before checking over her shoulder to see her mom linking arms with her dad. Mikey was waiting impatiently, leaning against one of the boulders and kicking rocks to see how far they would go across the ground. One of the rocks skittered all the way to the water, making a soft plopping sound.


    As they all went to start walking again, there was a loud splash and a shout.


    "Who''s throwing rocks at my babies!"


    Gia''s head snapped around to see a naked woman sitting on the side of the water, staring at them angrily. Her hair barely covered her bare chest. Gia noticed green scales on her arms. Was she wearing some kind of sleeves and no shirt?


    "I beg your pardon?" asked Tom, since everyone else seemed too stunned to talk. "I''m afraid I don''t know what you mean, ma''am."


    "You of you must be the person who threw a rock at my precious eggs and I demand an apology! They could have been hurt!"


    Gia turned to look at Vonn and saw his eyes were dilated. He had a far away look in them that scared her. Looking at her mom, she saw her mom glance at her in concern, pulling Mikey back against her. Mikey had the same glazed look that Vonn had.


    "I''m very sorry my brother kicked the rock. We didn''t know you had eggs in the water," said Gia. "We''re new to this area and are only passing through."


    "Hmmph!" she said, still upset and angry. "I demand an apology, or else!"


    "I already apologized," Gia said uncertainly.


    "Not from you, from him!" said the woman with a slow, evil smile, pointing at Mikey. "If he doesn''t apologize, then I get to eat him!"


    Gia''s eyes widened in shock as she saw the sharp pointy teeth in her mouth. This was no mere woman! She must be a water monster!


    "What are you?" asked Carla in horror, holding Mikey even harder.


    "I am a mermaid," said the creature, flipping her hair back and exposing more green scales covering her breasts. As she shifted her weight, her long green tail rose out of the water.


    Gia had heard about mermaids. They were supposed to be beautiful women with the tails of fish. They would lure men underwater and drown them.


    "If you try to run away, without giving me an apology, then I will tell all my kin. You will never be able to step into a body of water ever again, without worrying about us."


    "I''ve always wanted to be able to see a mermaid," said Tom wistfully. "I''ve heard you are very beautiful.


    "You can''t see?" she asked, a sneer replacing the creepy smile she had before.


    "No, unfortunately. My sight was taken from me before my first child was born. I''ve never seen their faces. Perhaps I was the one who kicked the rock near your children? I certainly would not have seen the rock to know. If so, I do hope you will accept my apologies. I would never wish harm on another person''s children!"


    Gia glanced at her mother, wondering if it would work. They both knew it was Mikey who had kicked the rock, but with him in the trance, and the mermaid not having seen who did it, there was a chance she would believe him.


    "If you kicked the rock, then why did she say her brother did it?"


    "I do recall hearing my son kicking at the ground, but whether or not any of those rocks ended up in the water near your eggs I''m afraid I couldn''t say. I do know that I accidentally kicked some rocks as I made my way through this area."


    The mermaid sat there fuming for a moment and Gia hoped that it would be enough for her to allow them to leave. The slow smile that came over the mermaid''s face made Gia''s stomach start to churn in panic.


    "It must be so hard, living life without the ability to see anything," she purred, the sound of her voice wrapping around them all and causing muscles down low to clench.


    Gia gasped and felt Vonn move forward a step. Pulling on his arm, she was able to keep him back, but her mother was having a harder time. Mikey was squirming to get away from her, to go to the mermaid. Tom''s face had gone slack and he had turned more towards the mermaid.


    "Why don''t you come to me, so I can help you," the mermaid said in a honeyed voice that promised all sorts of pleasures.


    "Vonn, no!" cried Gia, trying to hold him back as he lurched towards the monster sitting at the edge of the water. He paused, but didn''t turn towards Gia.


    "Tom!" cried Carla. She had her hands full holding Mikey, but nothing stopped Tom from making his way slowly towards the mermaid.


    Tears gathered in her eyes, as Gia knew she had to make a choice. It was a choice she didn''t want to have to make, but she couldn''t save them both. Rushing forward to grab her father''s arm, Vonn started making his way towards the water''s edge.


    With a cry of pain, Gia grabbed for his arm, and for a moment, she held both of them back. Tom was held by her left hand, and Vonn by her right.


    "Please, don''t do this!" cried Carla to the mermaid.


    "Raising children is hungry work," said the mermaid softly, in a singsong voice. "These two will feed them for quite a while!"


    "Dad! Vonn! Please!" sobbed Gia as her hands began to slip against their constant pull.


    "They are mine!" said the mermaid, preparing to pounce.


    BOOM!


    A boulder hit the ground, inches from the mermaid, causing her to scream and dive back into the water. Vonn and Mikey both stopped their struggles, standing there dazed, rubbing their faces. Tom stopped moving forward as a confused look came over his face as well. Gia looked where the boulder had come from, and saw the giant standing there with a look of hatred on his face.


    "No hurt friend!" he roared, throwing another boulder at the river and sending a splash of water all over the shore.


    Gia was just able to pull her father back, before he got wet, and he stumbled and fell with a cry.


    "Are you alright?" she asked, helping him back to his feet. "I didn''t want you to get all wet!"


    "Thank you," he said, turning back to where Carla was with Mikey. "I don''t think I have the same image in my head of mermaids. I thought they were beautiful."


    "Oh, she was gorgeous," said Carla softly. "Sometimes, things that are beautiful, are more trouble than they''re worth."


    "Friend hurt?" asked the giant, coming up to them with several large steps.


    "No, thank you," said Gia, giving him a smile. "The mermaid said there were eggs in the water there," she said, pointing where the boulder lay half submerged.


    "Eggs?" he said, curious. Turning away from her, they all heard him say, "Eggs good to eat."


    Not hesitating to see what happened when he stepped into the water, they all turned and hastily dashed for the forest. Tom stumbled several times, and Vonn took his arm to help him keep his feet. From the cover of the brush in the tree cover, Gia watched as there was an intense battle in the water. There was a lot of blood, that she didn''t want to think of where it came from, and then the flash of something that looked like a big purple egg with dark blue veins running around it, before there was another large splash and then silence.


    "Come on, Gia," said Vonn carefully. "I don''t really want to know who won that fight."


    Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, he guided her away, and she went willingly, wrapping an arm around his back, under his backpack, and laying her head on his shoulder for a moment.


    "I almost lost you," she whispered.


    "Never," he whispered back, tickling the hairs on her neck. "You''re worth too much to me."

 22 Chapter 22 Fun with a Fawn

    The trees were tall and thick as they pushed their way deeper into the forest. All traces of the path they had been on were gone.


    "How are we going to keep from getting lost?" asked Carla after a while of walking.


    "Don''t worry, we''re not lost yet," said Vonn, leading them while carefully keeping an eye on their surroundings.


    "Vonn is used to the forest, dear. He won''t lead us astray," said Tom, patting her hand and then tripping on a root.


    "Dad!" exclaimed Mikey, as everyone rushed to help him back up.


    "No, I think I need to rest a bit. That tumble was a bit rough," he gasped, holding his knee where he fell.


    "I could use a break myself," said Carla, taking off her bag and sitting down next to him.


    "Let me look at your knee," said Gia, gently pulling the thick fabric up over his leg.


    There was a rough spot where he skinned it, but it looked like the fabric saved him from a cut.


    "You''ll be sore, but you''re not bleeding," she said, easing the pants leg back down.


    "You would make a good healer, where ever we stop and settle down," said Tom with a gentle smile.


    "I don''t know," Gia said, shaking her head.


    "I think he''s right," said Vonn, sitting next to her.


    "There''s so much a healer needs to know, that I don''t have a clue about. Besides, I thought you said I should cut hair?" she asked, giving him a scrutinizing look.


    "I think you should do whatever you want to do," Vonn said with a smile.


    Gia laughed. "That sounds like a cop-out. Afraid I''ll get mad at what you think?"


    "Gia, I would never lie to you. Remember that! If you want to know what I really think, alright. I think I want you to be happy. If cutting hair makes you happy, then go for it. If you want to help people, I don''t mind talking about it. Where ever we settle down, I intend to take care of you and your family, and hopefully our family."


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    She blushed and dropped the line of questioning. There was no telling where they would end up. In the ensuing silence, she noticed Mikey was missing, and almost stopped breathing.


    "Where''s Mikey?" she asked, looking around and climbing to her feet.


    "I''m here," he said, coming around a tree. "I found a friend!"


    They all turned towards him, uneasy and apprehensive as he held out a hand and showed them a small green figure. It looked up at them with questioning eyes and then with a whir of wings, flitted away.


    "What was it?" asked Tom. "I heard it fly away, but that was it."


    "It was something small and green with wings," said Carla.


    "It could have been a fairy or sprite," said Vonn, looking up into the trees where it had disappeared. "This is called the magical forest. There''s no telling what creatures we might encounter."


    With a sigh, Tom climbed to his feet.


    "This is so frustrating! I can''t see all of the amazing and wonderful things that you are all seeing, even though I''m right here!"


    "I''ll tell you what it looked like!" piped up Mikey with a grin, clasping his hands together in excitement.


    "You better be very descriptive!" said Tom, waving a finger in the boy''s direction.


    "All right! It was as tall as my thumb!" he said, holding his hand open and staring at it, as if he could see the creature again. "It had two legs and two arms, just like a little person, but it''s clothes were more like leaves on a strawberry. Its skin was all green, so I couldn''t tell if the leaves were actually clothes, or just parts of it. And it had leaves around each ankle, like the tops of shoes."


    He held out a foot, falling behind them as he stared down at his own ankle.


    "And it had wings?" asked Tom.


    "Oh! Yes, it had four wings! Two on each side, but they overlapped so much, it kind of only looked like one wing on each times. Then its head was about half the size of its body, and round, like a ball. The hair was kind of like leaves growing up, like a flower that had barely opened."


    "That''s actually really good," said Gia, impressed with his imagery.


    "I think I know what it looked like now," Tom said with a smile. "Thank you, Mikey."


    "You''re welcome!" he said cheerily.


    "Can anyone else hear that?" asked Vonn after a moment.


    "Hear what?" asked Gia, then suddenly she heard it.


    There was the faintest hint of music on the wind. They all paused to listen, and it seemed to grow stronger.


    "Sounds like a flute like the street performers used to have," said Mikey.


    "It does," nodded Tom.


    "Should we check it out?" asked Gia, thinking about how they''d encountered so many different creatures so far.


    "No, it veers off to the south and we need to keep moving east," said Vonn after a moment of thought. "Besides, anyone who''s willing to make that much noise in the forest, isn''t afraid of attracting any kind of attention."


    "What does that mean?" asked Mikey.


    "That means they don''t mind if monsters are attracted to them," said Carla.


    The music that had been soft and enchanting seemed much more sinister now, and they picked up their pace as best they could with Tom trying not to fall over the various roots.


    "Look!" cried Mikey, pointing off to the right.


    A giant spider web between a low tree branch and the ground had a glowing creature struggling in it. As they drew closer, a big black spider dropped down from under some leaves and began to slink across the web towards it.


    "Eww!" cried Carla, hiding behind Tom, who shook his head in confusion.


    "What?" Tom cried, unable to see what she was hiding from.


    "That is the biggest spider I have ever seen in my whole life!" exclaimed Mikey. "It''s as big as my whole hand!"


    "Should we try to save the glowing thing?" asked Gia, looking over at Vonn.


    He already had a stick in hand and was making his way over to the web. It only took a couple of moments, and the spider had retreated back up into the leaves, leaving the glowing creature alone. Vonn reached out and gently took it by the back of its dress and pulled it free of the web. They all gathered around to stare at the tiny fairy he held in his hands. She was glowing a gentle yellow, and starred right back at them in fright.


    "You want to be careful with those. They can bite!" said a voice behind them.


    Vonn held his hand up, and the fairy flew off quickly. Turning, Gia was shocked by what she saw. A young man, about Vonn''s age, stood without a shirt. The thing that bothered her so much, was the fact that he had the lower half of a goat.


    "What are you?" asked Mikey in astonishment.


    "I''m a satyr. Would you like to come to our festival tonight? There''s going to be lots of drinking and dancing?" he asked hopefully.


    "Sorry," said Vonn quickly, easing an arm around Gia and pulling her behind him a hair. "We''re on our way to the elven forest, and still have a long way to go."


    "The elven forest? Why do you want to go there? The elves are horribly snooty and stuck up. No fun at all!"


    "It sounds like fun, to attend your festival, but we really need to be going. Could you point us in the right direction?" asked Tom, picking up on Vonn''s unease by the tone of his voice.


    The satyr smiled mischievously and pointed south, towards where the music had been coming from. "Would you like for me to show you the way?"


    "No, that''s fine. Thank you," said Vonn, motioning for Carla to take Tom''s arm and started moving everyone away from the figure.


    He watched them with lowered eyelids, before shrugging and skipping off to the south.


    "What''s wrong? Why couldn''t we go to the festival?" asked Mikey, trying to skip like the satyr had.


    "The only thing those things think of, is their dancing and mating," said Vonn with a frown.


    "What?" exclaimed Gia, glancing back to make sure they weren''t being followed. She didn''t think they were.


    "How do you know that?" asked Tom.


    "Have you met them before?" asked Carla.


    "No, not before today," said Vonn with a shake to his head. "But I''ve heard stories. They will entice people who are lost, to them with their music, and then will serve lots of drinks to make them drunk. Some of the stories even say that they intentionally poison people to fall asleep from the food and drink. And then they **** everyone."


    "That''s horrible!" cried Gia, picking up her pace just a little more.


    "Are there girl satyrs?" asked Mikey, confusion clear on his face.


    "I''m sure there are, or there wouldn''t be more satyrs," said Carla, shooting them a warning glance.


    "I hope we don''t run into any more of those, then," said Gia with a shudder.

 23 Chapter 23 Weeping in the Nigh

    "It''s starting to get dark, Vonn. We need to stop and set up the tent," said Gia as he continued to pull her by the hand.


    "I know. There''s water up ahead, I can hear it. We should stop there, so we can refill our waterbags," he said, not looking back at her.


    "Are you mad at something?" asked Gia, confused by his behavior.


    "Gia, I think he''s mad at the satyr," said Mikey, still trying to skip and keep up at the same time.


    "What do you mean? Vonn?" she asked, jerking her hand free and making him stop. "What''s wrong?"


    "Did you know you stared at his chest? What about the way you glanced down his entire body like it was candy?" he growled, swinging around angrily.


    "What are you talking about?" she asked, confused. She remembered looking at his entire body, but only because it was so different.


    "That!" he cried, motioning towards her face with both hands. "That''s what I''m talking about! You were thinking about him again, weren''t you?"


    "Vonn, do you think yelling is appropriate?" cautioned Tom. "There are things in this forest we don''t understand just yet."


    "Let them hear!" he growled, turning back around after giving her a dirty look. "The stream is right up here."


    Gia looked over at her mother, tears in her eyes as she fought the urge to get mad. What was going on? He acted like she wanted to be with the satyr! Had he lost his mind?


    "Let''s go, dear," said her mom quietly. "It''s probably not a good idea to get separated."


    Gia nodded, wiping her eyes and helping her parents through the thick brush that crowded up against the edge of the small stream. It was deep enough for someone to be fully immersed if they sat on the bottom, in the middle of the stream, but the edges were only about knee deep.


    Vonn was standing in a small clearing, looking at it angrily before turning back.


    "What''s wrong, Vonn?" asked Mikey. "Isn''t that spot big enough for the tent?"


    "Do you want deer walking all over us in the middle of the night? We need to find a spot that isn''t a main path for every creature around."


    "Oh," said Mikey, cowed by Vonn''s harsh tone.


    Spotting another clearing just off the edge of the water, behind some bushes, Gia called out, "Vonn, I found a spot! What about over here?"


    He paused, as if listening to something and shook his head before coming back.


    "I guess it''ll work," he said gruffly, throwing his bag down and pulling the tent off the back of his bag.


    "Vonn?" she whispered. "I don''t know what I did to make you so mad, but this isn''t like you."


    "What? What isn''t like me?" he snapped, glaring at her.


    "This," she said, waving her hands at his angry face and the bag on the ground. "You''ve never thrown anything around like that, or raised your voice to me."


    "You going to look at every guy we come across like you did back there?" he asked, pulling the strings loose and giving the tent a sharp shake. "Why did that giant rush to save us from the mermaid? What did you do that would suddenly make him so willing to save you? Huh?"


    "Now see here!" growled Tom, dropping his bag on the ground. "Are you saying my daughter did something unfaithful?"


    "What would you know? You''re blind as a bat. You can''t see the looks people give you, or the way they mouth their thoughts where you can''t hear them," snarled Vonn, throwing the tent to the ground.


    "You''re not my Vonn," whispered Gia, wondering what could have happened. "My Vonn is the most wonderful person in the whole world. He understands me better than anyone! My Vonn would never yell at me or say such hurtful things!"


    Her voice rose as she talked, and tears began to pour down her face.


    "Why are you being so mean?" asked Mikey, walking up to Gia and patting her arm. "Vonn is never mean to anyone!"


    Vonn snarled, almost like an animal, and stormed off towards the water. They all stood there, stunned.


    "Does anyone know what just happened?" asked Carla in the sudden silence.


    "The young man was bit by a fairy," said a deep slow voice behind them. "He''s also got a spell on him by a satyr. Those creatures are always up to trouble."


    Gia turned around to see the tree smile at her. He had a long green beard made of leaves and vines, and one arm, or branch, was held up where glowing butterflies were starting to wake and flutter in the growing dusk.


    "What do I do?" she asked, her chest hurting. It felt as if someone had shoved a needle into it. Raising her hands, she covered that spot and pressed, wanting it to go away.


    "Go to him, and tell him the truth. Talk to him and let the magic work its way out of his system. If he knows he had magic cast on him, it should be easier for him to overcome it. But he needs to want to overcome it. If he wants to be mad and away from all of you, then the magic will win."


    "What happens when the magic wins?" she asked, almost afraid to know.


    "He will become a spirit that floats about in the night, watching and hating those he can''t influence anymore."


    "He''ll die?!" she cried in horror. "Oh, NO!"


    Turning without another thought, Gia rushed through the bushes, looking for any signs of him. Spotting his footprints in the soft mud, it looked like he had traveled along the edge of the water further downstream. Rushing after him, she ignored the growing dark, the whipping sting of the branches, and the scratches she was getting from the bushes. He stood hunched over, staring at the water with his hands balled into fists.


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    "Vonn!" she cried when she saw him, and he turned towards her with such a look of hatred, she skidded to a halt.


    "What do you want? To show me what you did with the giant? Or did you finally get tired of your helpless family?"


    Her mouth hung open in shock at the words that spilled out of his mouth, and then gave herself a shake. It was the magic from that satyr. It wasn''t him! She had to remember that.


    "The satyr must have cast a spell on you. You have to fight against the magic or you''ll die. Please, Vonn! I don''t want to lose you!"


    He glared at her in disgust and spat at her feet. "Coming up with lies now? I never took you for a whore, but I guess it''s true!"


    "Vonn," she whispered, hopelessness rising in her as she fought against her panic. This was so wrong! "I love you. I''ve loved you since the day we first met at that well, when you couldn''t reach the water bucket to wash the mud off."


    "Mud? So, I''m the dirty one now?" he hissed.


    "You are a wonderful man, and when we reach the end of this trek, we''re going to get married and have a family," she said, tears falling down her face as she thought about it.


    "A family? With you?" he burst out laughing a nasty laugh.


    Gia felt a pain in her as if he had just kicked her in the gut. She fought against clutching her belly and bending over, afraid of giving in to his hurtful words.


    "Remember how we talked about having kids when we were little? We would sit by the outer walls and joke about how clumsy our son would be."


    "But our daughter would be just as beautiful¡­" he started, the look on his face reverting to a more normal one for a moment before the hate returned.


    "And then the guards chased us through the pens where they kept the pigs and we were laughing at how they couldn''t run along the fence and fell into the muck," she continued, hope flaring in her.


    "And then we slipped and fell into the watering trough," he said, the anger draining from his shoulders and his fists loosened.


    "We were soaking wet when we got back to my house. My mom said we looked like drowned rats," she said, a hint of a smile on her face at the memory.


    "You got sick," he said, stepping towards her, worry on his face. "You were sick for¡­"


    "A whole week," she nodded, watching as he warred with his emotions. And then the hate was gone, as if it had never existed.


    Stepping up before her, Vonn reached down and took her hands. "Giavanna, I¡­ I''m sorry¡­"


    "Oh, Vonn!" she sobbed, fresh tears falling. "I can''t imagine a life without you. I don''t want to lose you! I don''t think¡­"


    "Please, stop crying," he whispered. "You saved me. You and your beautiful memories. I was so mad¡­"


    He closed his eyes and turned his head away. "It was like I wasn''t in control of myself. It was as if¡­"


    "It was like you had become your dad," she whispered.


    He swallowed, without opening his eyes. "Never again will I raise my voice to you, or say such things. Gia, I am so sorry!"


    Laying her head on his chest Gia cried, clinging to him with all the strength she had left.

 24 Chapter 24 The Stream’s Child

    Gia lay her head on Vonn''s chest and closed her eyes. Everyone was snuggled into the tent for the night, and she was exhausted from the high emotions from earlier. Drifting off, she imagined she heard someone whispering, and it jerked her back awake.


    "Is everything okay?" asked Tom, feeling her jerk from the other side of the tent.


    "Sorry, I thought I heard someone whispering," she said softly.


    "That''s funny, because I thought I did, too," whispered Carla.


    Mikey softly snorted and rolled over, obviously already asleep.


    "Should I check it out?" asked Vonn, easing out from under her.


    "Only if I get to go, too," Gia said, sitting up. "I almost lost you once today."


    "Is that wise?" asked Carla. "What if it''s some beast? Or another satyr?"


    "We need to know what it is, to know if we should flee," explained Tom gently. "We can''t just stick our heads in the sand and pretend nothing bad exists."


    "I thought these amulets were supposed to keep us safe, though," Carla said, pulling hers out to try and look at it in the dark.


    "They influence those we meet, which is why the kids should be safe checking out who is outside."


    "Didn''t really help with that satyr, did it?" she grumbled softly, but seemed to have given in to the argument.


    Vonn and Gia quietly slipped out of the tent and stood by the door together listening for the noise again. Hearing it from near the water, Gia pointed and Vonn nodded, taking the lead. There was just enough moonlight trickling through the trees to let them see as they made their way through the thick bushes next to the water.


    Just upstream from them, they saw a young satyr, half the size of the one they had met earlier that day, leaning over and talking to someone who was in the water. Gia''s first thought was that it was another mermaid, but as they got closer, it looked less like a person, and more like a fish.


    "But I do love you. Nixie! I told my family I didn''t care that you weren''t a mermaid. I''m willing to run away with you whenever you''re ready!" whispered the satyr, not noticing them.


    "But I can''t run away with you," said a soft garbled voice from the fish. "Oh!"


    Vonn and Gia paused as the fish seemed to notice them and dived under the water. The satyr looked in their direction angrily, but stopped short when he saw them.


    "Humans?" he exclaimed. "What are you doing here? Are you lost? The festival is back that way!"


    He pointed behind them, back the way they had come.


    "I''m sorry," said Gia. "We didn''t mean to intrude. We had settled down for the night, and overheard you whispering."


    "So, you came to spy on me?" he exclaimed, getting angry.


    "No, we didn''t know who it was until just now," said Vonn. "Are you alright? It kind of sounded like you were in trouble?"


    The satyr stared at them for a moment then sighed, sitting down in the lush grass and glancing towards the waters.


    "Satyrs aren''t supposed to marry water-folk unless they''re mermaids. It keeps things simple, because the babies of mermaids are always fish-like. Nixie is a non-mermaid, so everyone is against us being together. I keep telling her I''m ready to run away with her, but she keeps telling me she can''t."


    He sat there looking so forlorn, Gia couldn''t help feeling sorry for him.


    "Why can''t she?" asked Vonn. "Does she have family she won''t leave?"


    Gia gasped and looked at him, to see the hint of a smile at her reaction. She relaxed when she realized he was teasing her.


    "No, her kind don''t stay in family groups."


    "But if that''s true, aren''t you afraid she won''t stay with you?" asked Gia.


    "I thought about that, but she tells me that mated couples stay together, they just don''t let their kids stick around, which sounds great to me."


    "Can she leave the water?" asked Vonn, looking puzzled.


    "For short times, but not really, her legs and arms aren''t that great at working out of the water."


    "Then how do you plan to marry her? Can you spend time in the water?" asked Gia confused.


    "We had that all planned out. I would live around the pool she ended up in, and whenever she had any kids, they would be sent downstream to find their own home."


    "How do you intend to get her to the pool if she can''t be out of water?" asked Vonn. "You don''t look to be very strong."


    The satyr went to answer, then paused, looking at them. "That''s what she meant! How could I be so stupid!"


    "What?" Gia and Vonn asked at the same time.


    "She can''t run away with me, because she can''t run! Ugh! That''s embarrassing."


    Gia shook her head and Vonn chuckled.


    "Thanks for talking to me, guys, but why aren''t you at the festival? I have a hard time believing you made it this far into the forest without running into any of the other satyrs."


    "We did, actually," Gia all but growled.


    "Oh, from that tone, I take it the experience wasn''t a good one," said the satyr with a wince.


    "He put a curse on me, that almost killed me," said Vonn, putting his arm around her, to calm her down.


    "You survived a curse! It had to be my brother. Was there a fairy involved?"


    "Yes, it bit me too! If the tree hadn''t told Gia what had happened, I would probably be dead right now."


    "Wow, if the trees are talking to you, you must be something special. Well, you probably don''t want to be on this side of the river when everyone wakes up tomorrow. My brother can be a jerk when he doesn''t get his way."


    "The river? You mean this?" asked Gia, pointing at the water.


    "Yea. Normally people are stopped by the non-mermaids from crossing, but Nixie will let you, since you''re my friend. The satyrs don''t cross it at all. Here, I''ll give you a gift to help you get past the elves over there. They can be pretty stuck up."


    The satyr held out a flask.


    "What''s in it?" asked Vonn, taking it and hearing the slosh inside.


    "It''s a special wine. We satyrs make it out of special grapes the fairies grow. The elves love it, but we can be kind of stingy with it. Think of it as an apology gift for my brother almost killing you. He''s in cahoots with a lot of the local fairies. They like to dance to his music during the festivals. We really only give the elves some of the wine if they try to stop the festivals. They know we don''t cross this river, and it might cause them to stop you when you cross it."


    Vonn nodded and said, "Thank you very much for the warning. Do you know what else might be in the forest, and how far the elves are from here?"


    "Well, you have a long walk, honestly, to get to the elves. I''ve not seen any this far out in a while. The other side has more treants, which are talking and walking trees, as well as sprites."


    "What are sprites?" asked Gia.


    "Sprites are like fairies, but more wild and mean. They like to play pranks on people who are walking through their areas. You should be good though, if the trees talk to you, because the sprites are more plant-like than the fairies. If the trees like you enough to talk to you, then the sprites should like you too."


    "What will they do to those they like?" asked Vonn. "I don''t want to insult any of them."


    "If they offer you anything, as a gift, take it, but be willing to give it right back. I don''t understand them very well. It''s like they don''t have a very good memory and forgot they gave you something, so when they see it, they want it back. I''ve heard stories where they traded things back and forth with a guy for three days, before he finally left their territory. If they offer you food, eat it right away, or they will get mad that you don''t like it."


    "What kind of food would a sprite offer, if they are like plant fairies?" asked Gia.


    "Oh, like berries and stuff. Nothing poisonous, I think."


    "Anything else dangerous?" asked Vonn, getting ready to leave.


    "There is a dire elk that lives in the forest, but it shouldn''t bother you, unless it sees you eating elk. Also, you might want to watch out for the troll."


    "Troll?" they both cried together.


    "Yes, there''s a forest troll that lives around here somewhere, and rumors have it he moved to the other side of the river to get away from the noise of our festivals. He will eat just about anything that moves. Even the dire elk leaves him alone."


    "Oh dear!" said Gia, covering her mouth in alarm.


    "Thank you very much for letting us know!" said Vonn.


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    "I have to see if I can get Nixie to come back and talk with me some more," said the satyr, turning back to the water.


    Gia and Vonn hurried back to the tent. They would have to be very cautious to avoid the troll. She didn''t look forward to telling her parents what they had discovered, because she was so tired. Thankfully, they were both asleep. She could tell them in the morning!

 25 Chapter 25 Forest Troll

    They were up early the next morning, making their way to the stream before they had even rolled up the tent. Gia''s parents were sleepy and Tom kept stumbling over roots.


    "I don''t understand why we have to be in such a hurry if everyone is sleeping in after their party last night," he grumbled as they came up to the river.


    "The satyr last night said that the other satyrs won''t like the fact we didn''t go to the festival, and that they might come after us today. After Vonn almost died, I don''t want to take any chances," said Gia, shaking her head as they all looked over the water.


    "I don''t like the idea of listening to a satyr after the incident with Vonn," said Carla. "How do you know he wasn''t lying to us? What if he''s just trying to get us into the water so his girlfriend can eat us?"


    Gia glanced at Vonn. Her mom had a point.


    "Let''s travel upstream a way and see if there''s a better spot to cross. I don''t want to get the tent too wet before I can roll it up," said Vonn.


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    Gia helped him roll it into a tighter ball, so it wouldn''t snag on so many branches and then they headed further north.


    "I wish we could just do what the tree said," grumbled Mikey as they looked over the river. The banks had gotten deeper and the distance between the two had gotten smaller but it was still nothing they could cross.


    "What did the tree say?" asked Gia, tired and annoyed.


    "It said to look for a dead tree and cross it," he sighed. "But I don''t see any dead trees."


    "It is odd how there doesn''t seem to be much dead brush around," said Vonn, resting the heavy tent on the ground as he looked around.


    "It''s almost like someone has been clearing the brush away," nodded Carla.


    "There''s a nice clearing here, maybe we can roll the tent up better, and then keep looking for a way to get across?" asked Gia, looking around them.


    "If we''re careful not to get the edge in the water, I think it will work here," agreed Vonn.


    Tom and Mikey stood out of the way, as they spread the tent out flat. Gia was standing by the water, making sure the tent didn''t fall in and get wet, while Vonn explained to them all how he had figured out how to roll the tent up. She heard a soft splashing noise and turned just as the fish girl, Nixie, lunged at her. Gia fell on her butt avoiding her wet grasp.


    "You told them about us! I''m going to drown you!" she gurgled, her face twisted in rage.


    As she reached for Gia''s foot, there was a sudden rustle from the bushes by Tom and Mikey. The howl that broke out over the area was so deafening, they all fell to the ground clutching their ears. Nixie beat a hasty retreat into the water, fear and horror written plainly on her face.


    The creature jumped over the tent, splashing into the water, and grabbed up Nixie by her tail.


    "Mmm, fish," it drawled, opening its wide toothy maw and shoving her in, tail first.


    "AHH!" she screamed, beating at its hairy face, but it didn''t stop until she was all gone.


    Everyone stayed frozen in place on the ground, too terrified and shocked to move.


    Turning to look at them, it smiled a wide, toothy smile and said, "I love to eat fish! But humans are even better. You come back tomorrow and I''ll eat you then."


    It waded into the water and began to swim downstream. Gia wasted no time jumping to her feet to check on her dad and brother while Vonn helped her mom to her feet.


    "We have to get away from here!" whispered Carla.


    "Let''s get this tent rolled up quickly," agreed Vonn, as Gia helped her dad up.


    Tom had a scratch across his face, but it would heal up quickly. Mikey was disgusted with himself as he straightened his axe.


    "I didn''t even think to attack it!" he grumbled.


    "Don''t you worry about that!" said Tom, grabbing the boy''s shoulder. "That thing sounded far bigger than even Vonn. I doubt your little axe would have done more than make it angry."


    Mikey nodded grudgingly and helped finish rolling up the tent with Gia and Vonn.


    "What do you think that thing was?" Carla asked.


    "I think it was the forest troll the satyr told us about last night," said Vonn, shoving the tent into the bag. It wasn''t a perfect fit, but it was enough for him to tie to his backpack.


    They all hurried further upstream, looking for a sight to cross the water, until they went around a bend and saw a tree that had fallen across the river.


    "We''re going to try and cross that, aren''t we?" moaned Carla.


    "You can stay here and visit with the troll tomorrow," said Gia, making a beeline for the huge oak.


    "It''s fine, Mom," said Mikey, grabbing her hand. "I''ll help you across, and besides, the water''s not that deep! You can see the little fish swimming in it."


    Vonn went across the tree first, to test it out and make sure it was stable. Judging from the mud on it, plenty of other creatures used it as a bridge, too.


    Gia and Mikey got their parents up on the log, and the four of them made their way across, inch by inch. It creaked once, when they were in the very middle, but didn''t move again. Carla was breathing so hard by the time she reached the other side; she had to sit down or pass out.


    "We need to get as far from here as possible," said Vonn, taking out one of his rations.


    Everyone else followed suit, preparing to eat while they walked. The morning had already been long and they all agreed this wasn''t a place they wanted to stay in.


    "I hope the elves are nicer than anything we''ve encountered in this forest," grumbled Carla.


    "The tree was really nice!" exclaimed Mikey.


    "It was," said Tom, nodding his agreement and missing a branch to the face.


    "You talked to a tree?" piped up a soft voice, off to their right.


    Gia and Vonn turned to see what looked like a little girl peeking out from under a pile of vines and leaves. The more they looked, though, the more they came to realize she wasn''t under the pile of foliage, she was the foliage!


    "Yes, we''ve spoken to several trees," said Gia politely. "It''s a pleasure speaking with you, but I''m afraid we''re in a bit of a hurry. There''s angry satyrs behind us, and a rather large creature, we think is a troll, near the river back there."


    "The satyrs won''t cross the river, but the troll will. His name is Benjamin, but he goes by Ben. He shouldn''t bother you, since he only eats fish and humans. The satyrs are too fast for him to catch," explained the girl.


    "But we are humans," said Gia.


    "Oh, then you do have a problem. But, if you''re human, how can you talk to trees?"


    "Well, the first one we met in the Forbidden Forest on the other side of the mountain. The second was on the other side of the river. They were both very nice," said Mikey, with a wide grin.


    "Wait, do you have amulets from the old one?" asked the girl, her green eyes going wide. "You must be very special! Let me take you to the elders, so you can travel through the forest safely. Are you heading to visit the elves? They''re on the other side of our forest."


    "Yes, we''re heading to the elves, but we''re honestly only planning on passing through. Eventually we would like to find a place to settle down with other humans," said Vonn.


    "If you''re looking for other humans, then why are you all the way over here? There aren''t humans for miles and miles!"


    "We got directed through the Mushroom Forest by some well-meaning individuals," said Tom.


    "Ohh, that place is really dangerous. How did you get out without being infected by the spores?"


    "Luck, I guess," said Gia, glancing at Vonn.


    "Your elders don''t eat people, do they?" asked Carla fearfully.


    "No, they''re called the tree folk by the elves. I''m a youngling that travels in search of berries and nuts to eat. You''re lucky I found you before Ben did. He loves to eat humans. That''s why we don''t have any for miles and miles. You must have run across him when his belly was full of fish, to have gotten away from him."


    "I believe he had just eaten a rather large fish," said Vonn, nodding thoughtfully.


    Gia glanced in the direction they were heading and paused. The trees were moving as if in a huge wind. It took her several minutes to realize what she was seeing.


    "The trees really are walking!" exclaimed Mikey in delight.

 27 Chapter 27 Cold Comfor

    The tent was set up and drying as Gia struggled out of her wet clothes. She was shivering in the cool air as she wrapped up in the blanket her mother held out to her.


    "Let''s get those clothes drying by the fire," Carla said, taking them as Gia stepped carefully over to the fire and sat on a log Mikey had positioned for her.


    Vonn was wrapped in his own blanket, opposite her, shivering as well.


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    "I think it''s getting colder," said Tom, holding his hands out to the warmth of the fire.


    "Wonderful time to fall in the water," grumbled Gia, pulling the blanket tighter.


    "There might be ice on the water in the morning, at this rate," said Carla, hanging the clothes on tree limbs.


    All of the things in their bags had been emptied out and were spread all over the place to dry.


    "It was way colder than this back in the city," said Vonn, watching as Mikey added wood to the fire. "The cold was bound to catch up to us."


    "Why is it so much warmer here?" asked Mikey, sitting next to Tom.


    "Maybe there being so many trees and mountains, the warmth has been trapped here," said Vonn, looking up at the trees around them.


    "Or there''s a lot of magic here," said Gia with a sigh.


    "It''s going to be really hard to travel if the cold weather continues," said Carla, finally sitting herself.


    "Do we need to find some place to stay until winter is over?" asked Vonn.


    "Not in this forest," said Gia. "But maybe in the elven forest?"


    "I got the impression, from the dwarves, that we wouldn''t find refuge in any of the places we visit on our travels. We must just continue putting one foot in front of the other and be more careful in the future. If an obstacle is in our path, rather than trying to push forward, we must err on the side of caution, even if it means our journey is longer," said Tom.


    Gia sighed. He was right, of course. She couldn''t stand the thought of losing anyone.


    "How about we get the crossbow out and practice shooting it, in case we see a deer or rabbit?" asked Mikey, perking up at the thought.


    "No, Mikey, the crossbow got wet. We have to let it dry out as well. You can oil it, though," said Vonn, nodding at the kit he had gotten with the weapon.


    "Really?" exclaimed Mikey, jumping over to it.


    "You need to know how to take care of it, if you plan on using it," said Vonn with a nod.


    Gia and Carla watched him carefully open the kit as Vonn explained what each thing did and how to use them.


    "Your clothes are dry enough to put back on," said Carla after checking the clothes draped over the branches. "You''ll smell like wood smoke, but at least you''ll be warmer than you are now."


    Gia nodded, moving stiffly as she got up. Her feet were so cold she could barely feel them to walk over to the bush where she was to dress.


    "The boots are still wet," said Vonn with a shake of his head. "We''ll have to hope they''re dry by morning so we can keep going."


    "If they''re not, we''re staying right here," said Tom. "Your health is too important for us to put it at risk."


    His breath was leaving puffs of moisture in the air at each word. Mikey had grown bored with the crossbow and had put it all away. His soft snores could be heard from inside the tent.


    "It''s a good thing there was so much dry wood here, that we could burn," said Gia, returning to the warmth of the fire. Her clothes had been warm when she put them on, but the chill in the air had sapped the warmth quickly, away from the fire.


    "Did you see the giant stag?" asked Gia, settling onto her log. She hadn''t wanted to bring it up with Mikey there.


    "I heard you gasp, but no, I didn''t see it," said Vonn with a shake of his head.


    "I missed it, too," said Tom with a slight smile.


    "Oh, you!" snorted Carla, slapping his arm lightly.


    "Ooh! I got a snort out of you!" Tom said excitedly. "I haven''t gotten a snort in a while!"


    "And you won''t get another for a while!" growled Carla, fighting the grin that threatened to overtake her entire face.


    Tom laughed and grabbed her up in a kiss.


    "Let''s leave the young''uns, to tend the fire and we can get cozy in bed," whispered Tom in her ear, plenty loud enough for everyone to hear.


    "Oh? Are you that tired?" teased Carla, a sparkle in her eye.


    "It has been a rather trying day," agreed Tom with a chuckle.


    "It has," agreed Carla with a serious look. "Let''s get you in bed then, old man."


    "Old man?!" exclaimed Tom, pretending to be offended.


    She shook her head as she pulled Tom to his feet and led him into the tent. There was a moment of rustling as they got their bedding in order and moved Mikey over before silent reigned in the area. A few moments later, soft snores could be heard from all three of them.


    Gia rested her head on Vonn''s shoulder, watching the fire burn the logs he had added a few moments ago. Her feet were held out towards the fire, soaking up whatever warmth they could.


    "Do you think we''ll be like that when we''re old?" asked Vonn softly.


    Glancing at the tent where her family was sleeping, Gia smiled softly and said, "I hope so. How long do you think it will take for us to get to where we''re going?"


    Vonn sighed and shook his head. "I''m honestly not sure. The past month has gone by so quickly, and yet we''re barely a quarter of the way where we need to be."


    "How do you know?" she asked.


    "The mountains are very dangerous here, so we can''t cross them until we get further south. I don''t know how long that will take. I''m hoping the elves have maps they will be willing to let us use."


    "Why do you think the army came to kill everyone?" she asked, her eyes drifted shut as she struggled to keep them open.


    "I''m not sure. I just hope whatever is going on will be over by the time we reach our destination. I want to be able to build us a house where we can raise a family."


    "That sounds nice," murmured Gia, snuggling into his side and falling asleep.


    Every time she started to wake, from the cold, warmth would wash over her, and she settled back into a deeper sleep. When the day started to dawn, she woke with a start. The fire was dying down, but didn''t look as if it had been banked to burn all night. Vonn must have been adding wood all night to keep her warm.


    "Good morning, beautiful," he said with a smile, handing her a stick with cooked meat on it.


    "What''s this?" she asked, taking the warm stick and sniffing the delicious aroma.


    "Squirrel. I noticed a nest of them in the tree above us and put the crossbow to work. I was worried it would wake you, but you were sound asleep."


    "How much sleep did you get last night?" she asked, eyeing him with a worried expression.


    "I got plenty. Your shivering woke me and I added more wood to the fire, but I feel well rested. We stopped early last night, remember?"


    She nodded, not convinced. The smell of the meat had everyone else up pretty quickly. Mikey was ecstatic over getting to try a new meat.


    "It''s been a long time since I''ve had squirrel," said Tom, taking a bite.


    "It''s just as delicious as the last time," said Carla, tearing off a chunk of her own and popping it into her mouth.


    "It''s not much, but it should let our rations last a little longer," said Vonn, turning the next batch over the fire. "I caught enough we can eat it all day."


    "Are the boots dry?" asked Carla, reaching for one.


    "No, unfortunately they''re not," said Vonn, shaking his head. "We can rest here a day and let everything finish drying. I don''t want to reach our destination and find out a war is still raging."


    "I forgot there was a war going on," said Carla, looking over at Gia. "We''ve been going for what feels like forever, just trying to survive, I hadn''t thought about what must be going on, on the other side of the mountain."


    "We were talking about how long it might take to get where we''re going," said Gia, looking over at Vonn.


    "I think it might take a year or more, to get back, but I''m hoping the elves have a map we can use, to see exactly."


    "That sounds like a plan," said Tom, with a nod.


    "Hey! Look! More fairies!" cried Mikey, pointing in the direction they intended to travel once everything was dry.


    Lined up on a branch were tiny figures, huddled together in the cold, fluttering their little wings as they watched them. They had green clothes, but looked nothing like the fairy that the satyr had used against them. These fairies looked like tiny people, except with wings.

 28 Chapter 28 Trembling Anticipation

    "We''re not fairies," said one of the tiny figures in a high-pitched voice, "We''re pixies."


    "Does that mean you won''t bite?" asked Vonn, rubbing his hand where he had been bit before.


    "Not unless we have to," she said, tilting her head to the side like a little bird. "May we come closer to your fire? It looks warm."


    "Of course," said Tom, before anyone could say anything else. "Those who are cold are always welcome at our fireside."


    They small group zoomed down next to the fire so fast, everyone gave a start. They seemed to have been shot from a bow, they flew down so fast. Gia watched as they held out their tiny hands to the fire. Some even turned to warm their backsides, though they almost seemed to fold their wings around their shoulders when they did that, to prevent them from getting burned by the fire.


    "What brings you to our fire?" asked Tom, to fill the silence, since everyone else was too entranced with watching the tiny figures.


    "We got separated from our group when we were out on patrol, and then the cold caught us. If it weren''t for your fire, we would freeze to death. Us pixies don''t do well in the cold," said a different pixie than had originally spoken to them, a little pixie man.


    "Then what do you do each year, when winter comes?" asked Tom.


    "We hide in our nest and eat the food we''ve stored all year long. What brings you to our forest?" asked the pixie man.


    "We are traveling through your forest, trying to get back to the human lands on the other side of the mountain," said Tom, resting his arms on his knees and leaning forward. "I think it''s taking us a lot longer than we thought it would."


    "The human lands are really far away! You have to get past the elves that way, or the satyrs that way," said the man, pointing in either direction.


    "Well, seeing as how we already made it past the satyrs, I think the elves are our next destination," said Tom, nodding as he sat back up.


    "We don''t like the satyrs," said the pixie woman with a shake to her head that sent her long curls bouncing. "They either want us to do things for them, or to entertain them. It''s horrible some of the stuff they want."


    "We barely managed to escape them, ourselves," said Tom. "The mermaids are pretty scary too."


    "Oh, well, as long as you stay out of the water, you should be fine with them," said the pixie man.


    "We were told the trees walk here, is that true?" asked Tom.


    "Oh, yes! If you do anything that might make them mad, they will chase you and stomp you into paste!" cried the third little pixie.


    "Best not to make them upset, then," chuckled Tom. "I don''t fancy being made paste anytime soon. Is there anything else we can offer you? A piece of squirrel, perhaps?"


    "Sorry, we don''t eat meat. Do you have any honey, or mead?" asked the girl pixie hopefully.


    "No, sorry," said Tom, "we don''t have any of that."


    "That''s alright," said the pixie man. "Once we are warm enough, we will make a dash for our nest and there is plenty of food for us there."


    The pixie girl didn''t seem to think that was a good idea, but she didn''t complain.


    Gia couldn''t imagine how fast they would be traveling if they intended to make a dash anywhere, considering how fast they had moved from the tree branch to the fire.


    "Why are you sitting here, if you have such a long way to go?" asked the third pixie.


    "Two of us fell in the water yesterday, and their boots are still wet. We can''t travel with their boots wet, or they might get sick in this cold. Hopefully they will dry enough by tomorrow, we can travel some more," explained Tom.


    "Are your wings like dragonfly wings?" asked Mikey, kneeling down on the ground to get a closer look at them.


    "Yes, and they''re very fragile. We have to be super careful not to hurt them, because it takes a long time for them to heal," said the pixie man, stepping in front of the other two pixies, as if to protect them.


    "For letting us get warm by your fire, we will dry your boots for you," said the pixie girl, waving her hands at the two pair of boots.


    A glittery swirl drifted from her hand and settled on the boots, making them sparkle for a moment before a whoosh of white frost was expelled out of them. Mikey was so surprised, he jerked back, landing on his butt.


    Vonn and Gia started laughing, and it broke the spell that had been on the group while the pixies were there. They darted away, gone so fast, it was as if they had never been there before.


    "Are the boots really dry?" asked Carla softly.


    Vonn grabbed his and reached inside. "They sure are! Let''s get them on and pack. It''s still plenty early to get a long way before night."


    Everyone rushed around helping to clean up and pack. Less than half an hour had gone by before they were on their way again, the extra squirrels safely tucked away for snacking on during the trip.


    As they made their way through the forest, sounds they hadn''t heard before started to catch their attention. Creaking and groaning of wood echoed through the forest, and occasionaly they would hear the snap of branches. Pausing about midday, they noticed their first walking tree.


    It was gently pushing its way past several other trees, that were not walking, making sure to break as few branches as possible.


    "Why do you think they move like that?" asked Mikey as it made its way past them.


    "Maybe there''s so much magic here, they can''t be still," suggested Gia.


    "I can hear it, but I sure wish I could see it," sighed Tom, leaning heavily on a walking stick he had found.


    "It''s just a walking tree," said Carla. "There''s not really anything to describe. A few of its branches are swinging like arms and it has two giant roots that it''s using as legs. The rest of the roots, kind of look like a skirt."


    "Great, now I want to see it even more," he grumbled.


    "Why are they all going in the same direction?" asked Mikey as two more walked past.


    "Maybe they have a path they follow," said Vonn.


    "Or they''re on their way to a party," teased Gia, tickling Mikey.


    Setting out again, they had to watch out for the walking trees to make sure they didn''t get in the way of them. There were so many of them, and the giant trees didn''t seem to notice or pay any attention to them as they went. It was really difficult and tiring since Tom couldn''t see when he was in danger.


    By the time it was getting late, everyone was starting to get moody.


    "We need to find a place to camp," said Gia, looking ahead at the open ground around all of the giant trees ahead of them. There wasn''t any underbrush because it had all been trampled by the walking trees.


    "I know," growled Vonn, looking around as well. "There doesn''t seem to be any place safe enough to set up the tent, without risking getting stepped on by a tree."


    "This is so weird," groaned Carla. "I''m glad trees in the human lands don''t walk around."


    "Maybe we just need to sleep up against one of those trees with big roots?" suggested Gia, pointing at one just ahead.


    "That sounds like a good idea," said Tom, breathing hard after being dragged along all day.


    They rushed over to the tree between two of the walking trees.


    "Oh! I haven''t seen humans in a very long time! You must have some kind of charm on you to keep the guardians from attacking you," said the tree they were huddled up against.


    Gia looked up to see the tree smiling at her, with a wide grin. Small branches hanging from his bottom lip made it appear as if he had a beard.


    "We do have a charm!" exclaimed Mikey, showing the tree his amulet.


    "How fascinating! I will keep you safe from the feet of the guardians if you tell me all about your travels! I can''t wait to hear everything!"


    As he spoke, the roots they were hoping to protect them from the walking trees rose higher into the air, stretching higher than Mikey''s head.


    "There, that should do it. I don''t think it''s going to rain tonight, so you should be fine without that tent I see on your back. I''m afraid I can''t help you with warmth though. Fire this close would be horribly uncomfortable."


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    "That''s alright," said Vonn, setting his bag down and looking over everyone. "We have blankets to keep warm with. I appreciate your offer of safety."


    "We all do," added Tom with a nod towards the tree.


    "And one with no sight! This is going to be good!" squealed the tree in anticipation.

 31 Chapter 31 Mapping Their Route

    "So, the humans are fighting?" asked Llewel, helping Vonn pack up the tent the next morning.


    Gia was cooking more meat from the deer, that hadn''t finished getting cooked the night before, so they could take it with them.


    "I suppose," answered Vonn. "We lived in the capital city, in the poor section of town. I cut wood in the forest just north of the city to make ends meet, when I overheard some men talking about the army and what they were planning."


    "An army was marching on the capital city?" Llewel shook his head in disbelief.


    "The men said they planned to burn the city to the ground and siege the castle in it''s middle. I managed to get everyone here out of the city before the army arrived."


    "That''s amazing. I''m surprised you weren''t caught by scouts," said Kilyn, who was sitting and watching them work next to Mikey, who was shoving slivers of the cooked deer meat in the pouch his new pet slept in.


    "Some of the scouts did follow us in to the forest," said Tom with a sigh. "That''s how we ended up here, instead of dead. It''s amazing how we''ve traveled so far, just trying to get back to the human lands after all of that."


    "Well, based on what I know of the mountains, you probably still have a really long way to go," said Llewel, sitting back on his heels while Vonn finished putting the tent away.


    "We were hoping you had a map we could see," said Vonn, tying the tent to his backpack securely.


    "There is a map in the main city, but I don''t think it would be a good idea for you to go there," said Kilyn, shaking her head.


    "Why? Do you think they won''t like us showing up?" asked Carla, folding blankets and putting them away in bags.


    "No, nothing like that. I imagine the royal family would be thrilled to host you in their palace," said Kilyn with a chuckle. "They love any excuse to throw a party. No, I don''t think it''s a good idea for you to go there because it''s so far out of your way."


    "We really don''t want to add to our journey, if that''s alright," said Gia, checking the meat she was cooking by cutting it open. It was still a little bloody, so she turned it and poked the fire to get it to flare up.


    "I can draw you a rough guess to how the terrain is?" offered Llewel, raising an eyebrow questioningly to Vonn.


    "That would be good," Vonn agreed, nodding his head.


    The elf found a stick and started drawing in the dirt, explaining as he went.


    "These are the mountains that separate out forest from the human lands, that the dwarves claim as their home, and the magical forest covers. They get really steep and dangerous from here to about here, which is well past our forest. The next possible place you could cross would be here, but it''s filled to the brim with giant spiders, that I would really recommend you avoid."


    "We will!" exclaimed Carla without any hesitation, shuddering and pulling her cloak closer.


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    "I would rather not take everyone into the path of danger," said Vonn.


    "Well, the next opening that would be somewhat safe, would be here. You will need to travel alongside the sea for a while, until you get to this valley. The last thing I heard from scouts that traveled that way, said there was a clan of creatures living in the waters. So, if you avoid them by clinging to the edges of the mountains, you should be fine."


    "What kind of creatures?" asked Tom.


    "Eh, well, they were described to me like lizards. Our scouts didn''t get very close to them, as that''s pretty far south for us to travel."


    "We''ll just have to be careful, I suppose," said Vonn. "What''s on the other side of the mountains there?"


    "Grasslands. The weather should be getting to spring by the time you reach them, so the worst you would have to worry about would be storms. I don''t think our scouts have ever seen anyone living there. If you can get across them, you should find the human lands again."


    "So far still to go," said Carla with a sigh.


    "There isn''t anything dangerous along all that way, except the lizards in that one valley, right?" asked Gia.


    "There''s plenty of dangers," laughed Kilyn. "Wild beasts that are hungry and looking for a meal, not so wile creatures that would see you as an easy target, and I''m sure there are people of one kind or another somewhere along there, that we elves don''t know about. We haven''t had scouts down that way in several hundred years."


    "What?" said Vonn in dismay. "Then everything you''ve just told me could be completely wrong!"


    "Technically, the mountains haven''t moved," said Llewel, pointing to the tree canopy above them, as if they could see the mountains through the tangle of branches.


    "We have no choice," said Tom, standing and putting his bag on that Carla had just handed him. "We at least have an idea of where to go and what to expect on our trip back to the human lands."


    "I suppose," murmured Vonn, putting his bag on as well.


    Gia grabbed the last of the meat up by the stick it was tied to, and wrapped it in the hide of the deer. Throwing it over her shoulder, she stepped in behind the others as Kilyn made sure the fire was completely out.


    "We''ll escort you to an older village that''s along your route," said Llewel as he stepped in line with them. "It will provide you with some protection and decent rest for as long as you want to stay while we make arrangements for someone else to travel with you the rest of the way through our forest."


    "Is that so we don''t get lost?" asked Mikey, walking carefully with one hand over his pouch so it didn''t bounce so much.


    "Our forest can be rather hard to traverse if you don''t know the right routes," said Kilyn, catching up with them. "It would be easier on you if we showed you the quickest route."


    "We thank you for your hospitality," said Tom. "I''m not sure how we can repay you for your kindness."


    "It''s our job to keep an eye on the forest and deal with anything we come across. Following along with you all gives us something exciting to deal with, instead of the boring same old stuff," said Llewel.


    "Some of the things you need to go across might be difficult without sight," said Kilyn, looking at Tom thoughtfully.


    "What sort of things?" asked Gia, her stomach churning as images of craggy pits and rushing rivers entered her mind.


    "Well, we''re about to encounter the first of them," said Llewel, pointing up ahead.


    The soft sound of water trickling along stones came to their ears in the following silence, as they continued walking forward. The trees ahead of them thinned, letting in more sunlight. The river was wide and slow, skipping and dancing over the rocks that had been washed down from the mountains and tumbled until smooth and round. It was a beautiful blue green and clear enough to see each pebble and rock. Placed in a curving path across the water, was a collection of boulders that had been ground smooth on the top, to allow easier walking across them.


    "Stepping stones!" cried Mikey in glee, starting to jump up and down in excitement, then holding his pouch carefully, he looked up at Llewel. "My little sprout can''t get wet, can he?"


    "Sprout? Is that what you named your Limcheez?" asked Llewel with a laugh. "No, you shouldn''t let it get wet."


    Nodding, Mikey got a look of concentration on his face and started across the rocks, making sure he took each one carefully, so as not to lose his balance and fall into the water. Gia was impressed and relieved. She had been worried the boy would get to excited and rush off, getting soaked. Perhaps this tiny creature he had gotten as a pet would be a good influence and keep him out of trouble.


    "Are you ready, dear? We''ll take one step at a time," said Carla.


    "I''m right behind you, in case you misstep and start to fall," said Vonn.


    Tom nodded and using his walking stick, felt out each stone before carefully positioning himself on the edge each one and stepping across. It took forever, in Gia''s opinion, but she didn''t mind. Her father was actually making it across on his own. Once he made it across, she let out the breath she had been holding and smiled. While it wouldn''t have been deadly if he had fallen, it would have slowed them down tremendously while they dried his clothes off to be able to travel again. He had extra clothes he could have changed into, but the cold wind would have been even colder while wet, and she didn''t want him to get sick.


    "That was nothing. When we get to the village, you''re going to have to walk along winding tree branches that are high off the ground," said Kilyn with a grin. "That''s when the fun begins."

 32 Chapter 32 Plummeting Interes

    Gia heft the meat higher on her shoulder, trying to hide how much her shoulders were aching.


    "Why don''t you let me carry that?" asked Llewel with a smile that melted something down low.


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    She cleared her throat, finding it suddenly dry and nodded. He took it from her with a grin, and she averted her eyes, catching Vonn watching them. Hurrying to catch up to him, she reached for his hand and grabbed it, as if it were a life line. Ignoring the chuckles behind her, she looked ahead of them, to see massive trees that stretched high above their heads.


    Kilyn had stopped with her parents up ahead, looking at something. When she got there with Vonn, Gia''s breath stopped. They stood on the edge of a great ravine. The sounds of water in the distance echoed among the trees, and a light breeze blew up from the depths that seemed to have no bottom.


    "This is where we start traveling along tree branches," said Kilyn with a grin at their horrified looks.


    "What''s going on?" asked Tom with a frown. "We''re walking on tree branches?"


    "They''re like wooden paths," said Vonn, giving everyone a look. "Just without rails."


    Mikey was staring at the branches ahead of them, that were easily four or five feet across, but were covered in moss and slick wood.


    "Elven children are taught to walk over these branches from a very young age, so you should be fine," chuckled Kilyn, stepping out onto the first branch that presented itself.


    "I''ll go after anyone who falls," said Llewel, with a similar chuckle.


    "How?" asked Carla, not moving an inch. Fear was evident on her face.


    Gia glanced at Vonn, worried. He had to carry her across the dwarven bridge, but it was a short distance. This was much longer, and not as smooth!


    "Let''s play a game," said Gia, stepping forward to make eye contact with her mom before looking at Mikey with an excited smile.


    "What kind of game?" he asked, perking up immediately.


    "Yes, what kind of game?" asked Carla, not as excited by the idea.


    "Dad can''t see to know when to step up or to turn at a bend, and mom is scared of being so high up. Let''s play follow the leader, but with our eyes closed, so no one is scared," she said, focusing on Mikey.


    "What do you mean, with out eyes closed?!" exclaimed Carla, her voice rising as her eyes widened at the thought of being unable to see at all.


    "I do it all the time," said Tom, patting her arm. "I think this is a brilliant idea."


    "I''ll go first, and watch where to put my feet, and you follow me, holding on to my hips. Dad can go after you, holding on to your shoulders, and Mom can go after him, holding his hips. Vonn can go last, to make sure no one is about to do anything wrong. Every step I take, you will take, and when I turn, you''ll feel me turn, so you can too. When I have to step up, I''ll tell you."


    Mikey thought about it for a moment, before nodding. "That is brilliant, Gia! We''ll be like a snake, or worm!"


    "Oh, dear," whispered Carla, holding her hands to her chest as tightly as she could.


    "I have experience catching people who fall," said Llewel. "You don''t have to worry about anything."


    "How do you catch people?" asked Tom, curiously.


    "I have a rope and a whip that I use to secure myself to the branch if I have to jump after someone who''s fallen. When I catch them, the rope stops us."


    "That sounds painful," Tom said.


    "I won''t lie you''ll have bruises and be sore, but it''s a far cry from being dead."


    "Oh, dear," whispered Carla again, closing her eyes tightly.


    "Mom," said Gia, standing right in front of her.


    Carla opened her eyes.


    "Do you trust me?"


    Carla started to say something, and glanced at the tree branches behind Gia.


    "Mom!" said Gia forcefully, grabbing her mother''s attention again. "Do you trust me?"


    Carla shut her mouth and sighed. Trembling, she nodded.


    Squaring her shoulders, Gia looked at Mikey. "Ready?"


    He grinned at her and nodded back. She turned away from him, letting everyone form their chain, then took her first step, coming to the edge of the rock. Everyone behind her took a step as well.


    "Stepping up," she said, taking another step onto the branch.


    "Stepping up," said Mikey, as he struggled with the big step and his small legs.


    "Stepping up," said Tom, barely hiding the amusement in his voice.


    "Stepping up," whispered Carla, when it was her turn.


    Vonn called, "Do I need to say I''m stepping up, too?"


    Gia laughed and said, "No, you need to be watching everyone in front of you, to make sure no one gets too close to the edge or doesn''t step up enough."


    "Okay, got it."


    They wound through the canopies of the giant trees, with Gia moving slowly with her family following behind. The sights were wonderful, but she refrained from saying anything. It would encourage them to open their eyes and break her father''s heart. Whenever they had to swap to another branch, or had to slide past a tree trunk to the next branch, she made it a silly game, to distract her mom from how terrifying it was. She had time to think up each silly thing they would do, by looking ahead at their path to see what the next big obstacle would be.


    When the village they were approaching came into view, she almost missed a step. It was so beautiful in the streaks of light; it took her breath away.


    "Very few people still live here," said Kilyn quietly, as they got closer.


    "Why?" asked Tom.


    "Many have chosen to move to the capital, to be closer to the king, and they don''t like the vines that have started taking over the town," said Llewel.


    "Are we almost there?" asked Carla with a shaky voice.


    "Almost, Mom," said Gia. "Can you feel how the path is starting to slant down? We''re coming to the entrance to the town now."


    Kilyn pointed to the entrance, so Gia could see what the last obstacle would be.


    They would have to jump off the branch, onto the stone path. It looked like the branch had moved some and there was now a gap of about two feet. Nothing serious, but it would be difficult for them to do it with their eyes closed. Gia knew that the moment her mother saw how far down it was, she would have a panic attack and possibly fall. She needed to think of something really creative to get them across the gap.


    "Okay, we only have one last obstacle," said Gia cheerfully, as they came to the gap. "There''s a stream we have to jump over, onto the path of the village. We can''t step into the water, because it''s filled with sharp sticks that might go through our boots. We''ll go one at a time, and I''ll hold your hand while you go. Don''t open your eyes until Kilyn pulls you up against the wall, okay?"


    Mikey nodded, a wide grin on his face. He had enjoyed the game, but Gia could see her mother was only moments away from having that panic attack, despite not having her eyes open. She turned around and stepped across the gap, straddling it.


    Holding Mikey''s hand, she said, "Okay, Mikey. You''re first. Ready to jump?"


    He nodded, holding her hand tightly and jumped, clearing the gap easily. Kilyn grabbed him and pulled him to the wall quickly. Gia glanced at Vonn, to see him frowning at her position, but he didn''t say anything to prevent her mother from freaking out.


    "Alright, dad. I know it''s been a long time since you''ve jumped, but I need you to jump as far as you can, alright?" said Gia, taking his hand.


    He bent his knees as a look of intense concentration overcame him, and then he jumped. Kilyn caught him as he overjumped, almost going off the edge of the stone ledge and pulled him over to the wall by Mikey who had opened his eyes and was holding his mouth tightly as he watched what Gia was doing. He knew if he said anything, Carla might freak and send them all falling.


    "Alright, mom, ready?"


    "No," her mother whispered. "There''s no water here, is there? I can''t hear any!"


    "This is the last thing you have to do, and we can go inside the inn and sit down for a delicious meal and a cup of hot tea," said Gia, struggling to keep her voice cheerful. She had glanced down as Vonn guided her mother into position, and Gia could feel the color draining from her face.


    "I can''t carry you and jump, Carla," Vonn whispered in her ear. "You have to pull up those big girl britches and jump."


    "What!?" exclaimed Carla, shocked by his choice of words, just as he picked her up and threw her over the gap.


    Gia had a hold on her mom''s hand when Carla went flying past, being caught easily by Kilyn, but the jerk was enough to dislodge Gia''s foot from the branch.

 33 Chapter 33 Falling Hard

    When Gia''s foot slipped, she kicked off from the stone pathway of the city, hoping to jump onto the branch, but instead, she slammed against it, scrambling against the smooth wood before falling.


    "Gia!" screamed Vonn, falling to his belly, as if he might be able to catch her, but she watched his face get smaller and smaller.


    Then Llewel was there. He had jumped off the other side of the branch and was streaking towards her.


    "Spread your arms and legs out!" he shouted.


    She did as he ordered, feeling the air pushing against her, and he drew closer, his arms held tight against him.


    "Grab me!" he shouted, as he got close enough to wrap his arms around her. He slid his arms between her bag and her back, locking his hands together and pulling her tight against him.


    She didn''t hesitate, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. She even locked her ankles to make sure she didn''t come loose. Her face was in the crook of his neck and she suddenly became aware of a smell. The scent was in his hair, and it reminded her of the forest. There was a wildness to it that brought to mind images of tall trees and wild creatures.


    Then she saw the rope he was tied to starting to stretch. Reaching the end of the rope, there was a sharp jolt and she realized she couldn''t breathe! Fighting to pull air into her lungs despite the burning pain in her side, Gia''s grip on Llewel''s neck started to slip.


    "Hold on!" he growled, pulling her tighter, and she felt a pop.


    The scream that came out of her was weak but still made him wince. At least she could breathe again. It felt like she had a hot iron pressed to her side, where she had hit the branch before falling. She must have broken a rib to be in that much pain. They bounced on the end of the rope, spinning in circles as she gasped in air, trying to tighten her hold.


    "We''re pulling you up!" cried Kilyn from far above them, and Gia felt a jerk on the rope, followed by another and another.


    She closed her eyes, ignoring the dizziness that was trying to come over her and focused on breathing through the pain. When she finally felt hands pulling her up over the lip of the branch, she dared to open her eyes.


    Vonn was there, pulling her to him, and she went joyfully. Crying as he pulled on her left arm, he almost dropped her again.


    "I think one of her left ribs is broken," gasped Llewel, as he climbed up onto the branch and lay there panting. "She can still scream pretty loud, despite the broken rib."


    "Does that mean you''re deaf now?" asked Kilyn, smirking down at him.


    "In my left ear," he said, cupping it gently and feigning pain.


    "I am so sorry!" whispered Vonn, holding her as tightly as he could without hurting her further.


    She buried her head into his shoulder and just lay there breathing, trying not to move. Hearing her mother weeping, she turned her head to see her father consoling her. Mikey was clutching Tom''s shirt edge, like he used to do when he was very little, looking over at her with big wide eyes.


    There was a slight tremble to the branch they were laying on, and Kilyn cursed.


    "Get everyone off the branch!" cried Llewel, struggling to stand.


    "It''s too late!" cried Kilyn, throwing herself belly down on the branch. "Everyone, hold on!"


    Vonn rolled them over, causing Gia to gasp in pain at the sudden movement, and the branch they were on started to buck and rock.


    "What''s going on?!" shouted Vonn.


    "Backlash from the pull of the rope!" answered Llewel. "It won''t last long!"


    Gia was crying as the movements finally faded, holding her left arm to her side and trying not to move. As Vonn helped her to her feet, worry for her evident on his face, they turned to step over onto the path and gasped. The two foot step was now a four foot one.


    "I was afraid of that," said Kilyn, shaking her head. "Hold on."


    She took a breath and kneeled, laying her hand on the branch and closing her eyes. Her hand started to glow as vines popped out of the branch, shooting across the gap and sinking into the stone. With a grunt of exertion, she pulled the branch they were standing on closer to the stone. The moment it was close enough, Vonn helped her step across.


    "Enough, sister!" said Llewel, grabbing her shoulder.


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    He had all of his ropes thrown over his arm. As the green glow faded, Kilyn stood, weaving to the side as he grabbed her arm and pulled her across the gap as well. The vines she had called into being were turning brown as they watched, and when they started to go, all of them snapped. The branch once again began to buck and weave, and the gap between the two was even greater than before, reaching almost six feet now.


    "The elders will have to fix that before we can use it again," said Kilyn, holding a hand to her head.


    "You overdid it," Llewel chastised her, shaking his head as he turned towards them.


    When Gia got close enough to her family, Mikey rushed to her, wrapping his arms around her waist. She winced, but patted his shoulder with her right hand.


    "That was so stupid!" screamed Carla, glaring at Vonn with red rimmed eyes. "You almost killed her! If it wasn''t for the elves¡­"


    Carla turned back to Tom and buried her face back into his already wet shoulder.


    "I''m not sure what just happened, boy, but you''ve terrified my wife. I think you need to find some way to make it up to her," said Tom gravely.


    "He will, Dad," said Gia before Vonn could respond. Turning to look at Vonn, she gave him a smile and held out her hand. "Let''s go see this elven village."


    Mikey didn''t stop clinging to her shirt as they all made their way past the archway to the village. It was clear Carla hated it. The stone pathway curved into a large half circle, with ornate, beautifully designed buildings on the right, and an open drop on the left. There wasn''t even a railing. Vines grew all over the place, making it difficult to walk along the pathway without having to step over them every couple of steps. Tom was having a very difficult time.


    "Most of these buildings are empty," said Llewel. "You can stay in the first one."


    "Thank goodness," said Carla, making a beeline for the doorway, pulling Tom behind her.


    Gia spotted a beautiful elven woman coming towards them, carrying a large brownish fox draped over one shoulder. Her gown seemed to almost be in tatters of a light, yellow green color, but as she drew closer, Gia could see it was actually made from leaves and vines.


    "Llewel and Kilyn, what have you brought to my village this time?" asked the woman.


    "Mayor Soliana, how good to see you again," said Llewel with a short bow. "We are merely escorting these humans through the forest. I''m afraid we had a slight mishap at the branch, though. It may need an elder to fix."


    She glanced beyond him and then back at him with a snort, before turning to Gia and Vonn.


    "Humans. I can''t say I''ve ever had any of those in my village before. I suppose you are welcome to stay as long as you like. It''s fixing to start raining soon, and judging from the dropping temperatures you might want to stay inside for the duration."


    "Mayor Soliana is capable of predicting the weather really well," said Kilyn, sounding stronger than she had a few moments ago.


    "Thank you," said Vonn, "But I think we might want to keep moving as soon as the weather clears up. I don''t think everyone in our group is very happy with heights."


    "Judging from your little spectacle a few moments ago, I would think not," said Soliana, turning away and leaving. The fox on her shoulder stared at them for a moment before yawning in boredom.


    "Well that could have gone better," said Llewel.


    "Just be glad she didn''t immediately send us away," grumbled Kilyn. "You know how much she hates having the branch messed with. I don''t even know if Luan is still living here. She''s probably the only one around capable of fixing it."


    "Ugh, Luan gives me the creeps," mumbled Llewel, as they all made their way to the doorway Carla and Tom had disappeared into.


    "Why''s that?" asked Vonn.


    "She''s not albino," said Kilyn, "but her skin is pure white. With her black hair it gives her a creepy look."


    "The pink tattoos on her cheeks to match one of her eyes doesn''t help either," said Llewel with a shudder. "Hopefully we don''t meet up with her at all."


    "Hey guys!" cried a girlish voice from inside. "Long time; no see!"

 34 Chapter 34 A Foxy Move

    "Luan, what a surprise! We were just talking about you!" said Kilyn with a false smile plastered on her face. Llewel just sighed and walked over to where Tom and Carla had sat down at a table and dropped his rope with a loud thump.


    "You were?" asked the elven girl with a wide grin of pleasure.


    Gia was frozen in place looking at her. The girl''s skin was completely white, like it had been painted such, and her hair was pitch black, but the most impressive part of her face, were her eyes. One was a deep purple and the other was a deep blue. They didn''t even have any white to them. Gia couldn''t decide if she was beautiful or odd. Though, judging from the way the twins were acting towards her, she was wanting to think beauty won out. Gia was seriously not liking the twins, despite the fact one of them just saved her life.


    "Let''s get you sat down," said Vonn softly, moving her towards the table and a waiting chair.


    "This human fell off the walking branch and Llewel had to jump to save her. The tree wasn''t very happy about it," said Kilyn with a sad shake to her head.


    "Oh, dear!" exclaimed Luan, covering her mouth with both hands, hiding the pink tattooed lines on her cheeks. "I bet the branch moved quite a bit!"


    "Almost six whole feet," said Kilyn. "Do you think there''s anything you can do about it?"


    "Six feet! Llewel didn''t use his picks on it, did he? The last time he did that, the branch bucked anytime someone walked on it, until I got it calmed down. The marks are still there, if you look."


    "No, nothing like that," said Kilyn, shaking her head.


    "Well, okay. I need to go check on it right away! Poor thing!" said Luan rushing away, focused entirely on the branch.


    "You didn''t mention that you used your vines on it," said Llewel with a chuckle as Kilyn joined them.


    "And make it my fault? No thank you! This way she''ll think it will all be your fault," said Kilyn, giving him a smirk.


    "She''ll see your vines, dummy," he said, rolling his eyes.


    Gia tried to ignore the bickering as she sat down carefully into the chair. Every movement hurt her side, and she was afraid to move her left arm at all. At least she could breath, even if it was a shallow breath each time.


    "Let me help you with your bag," said Vonn, moving to help her take it off without her having to move her left arm too much.


    "Thanks," she said, not raising her eyes from the table.


    "That was a rotten thing, pushing me like that!" growled Carla.


    "I was just trying to get you off the branch," said Vonn softly, sitting next to Gia and taking her right hand in his. "I had no idea Gia would be hurt!"


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    Gia looked up at him and smiled. She knew it was a complete accident, and gave him a smile to let him know it.


    "We''re all okay, and I''m sure Gia will be fine after she heals up some," said Tom, patting Carla''s hand, that was holding onto his arm. "Why don''t you focus some of that anger at getting supper ready?"


    Carla shot him a nasty look but stood up and moved over to where the deer meat had been set down. A fire was burning in the fireplace, lighting the area and giving off a warmth that was appreciated.


    "If that''s bothering you too much, I can take you to see someone about getting it healed?" suggested Llewel, nodding to Gia''s side.


    "No," she began but Kilyn jumped in.


    "That sounds like a great idea! The two of you can be back before the food''s ready."


    "I should go, too," said Vonn, starting to rise out of his chair.


    "Oh, but I was going to talk to you about plant magic while they were gone! I think you have a talent for it," said Kilyn, looking excited as she held out a hand and a green glow started to form in her palm.


    "Plant magic?" asked Mikey, coming over from the fire where he had been standing, to see.


    "Come on, Gia," said Llewel. "It won''t take long to find someone. If the local alchemist''s aren''t in their lab, the mayor can do it."


    Gia stood shakily, not sure she liked the idea of leaving with Llewel so soon.


    "Maybe I can talk to you about plant magic later," said Vonn, starting to stand to go with her again, but Mikey pouted.


    "You just don''t want me to learn anything about the magic."


    "That''s not true," said Vonn, turning to Mikey with a look of disbelief.


    "Well, here," said Kilyn. "I''ll show both of you."


    Gia bit her lower lip as Vonn sat back down and gave her a guilty look of uncertainty.


    "Come on, Gia," said Llewel, already at the doorway.


    "Hurry back," said Tom, "or your mother might hurt herself."


    "Oh, you!" exclaimed Carla, rolling her eyes as she positioned the meat near the fire to start warming it.


    Gia followed Llewel back outside, and followed him as he turned away from the branch. They hadn''t gone very far before he fell back, to walk beside her.


    "I''ve never met a human before. Are all the girls as cute as you?" he asked, giving her a smile.


    "I have no idea how to answer that," she said, shocked that he was so forward, especially knowing she was with Vonn.


    "Well," he said, pausing.


    She paused as well, looking at him confused as he stepped closer to her. Confused, she stepped back, and suddenly realized she had backed into a small depression in the stoneworking. There was no way to step around him as he backed her further into the corner.


    "What are you doing?" she asked, panic fluttering in her chest.


    "Don''t play games. I''ve seen how you''ve glanced at me ever since we first met," he purred, smiling a slow devilish smile.


    She swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. The stone was cold against her back as she watched him reach for his belt.


    "Don''t worry, you can be as loud as you want here. No one can hear you," he whispered, leaning in to kiss her.


    She reacted, pushing him with both arms, as hard as she could. Pain flared in her side, but adrenaline flowed through her when she saw the look of disbelief and anger flash over his face. Stepping forward she grabbed his shoulders and kneed him in the crotch as hard as she could.


    He gasped in pain, grunting as he leaned over clutching himself between the legs. Gia didn''t stop there. She stepped back and then kicked him in the face as hard as she could. The pain in her side took her breath away, and she held her left arm to her side, falling to her knees as waves of black threatened to steal her away.


    Llewel jerked backwards after she kicked him in the face, stumbling a couple more steps back, and then was gone.


    Gia stared at the edge of the walkway, uncomprehending what she was looking at. Drops of rain started to splash all around her, and she could feel it hitting her hair and back. Licking her lips, she struggled to stand, having to crawl back to use the wall to help her. Glancing back at the spot where he had been standing, she watched it for several minutes, expecting him to pop his head back over the edge and come after her.


    Movement across the nothingness drew her attention. The mayor was standing there, petting her fox and watching her. It was too far to tell what expression was on her face, but panic started to climb in Gia again as she realized what she had just done. And the mayor saw her do it! Had she seen him trying to force himself on her? How long had she been watching them?


    Panting, she turned to go back to find Vonn, and saw him rush out of the building with Kilyn on his heels. Feeling her knees starting to buckle, Gia managed to rush at him, tears falling down her face as she barreled into him and wrapped her right arm around him and burying her face into his warmth.


    "What''s happened?" he asked as she fought to stop sobbing and get a breath.


    "Where''s Llewel?" asked Kilyn, stepping past them to look around.


    Gia tried to say something, but her head was spinning and she started gasping to get enough air.


    "Calm down! Slow, deep breaths!" coaxed Vonn, lowering her to the hard, cold stone and making her meet his eyes.


    "Where''s my brother?!" asked Kilyn again, louder, turning and glaring at them.


    "Kilyn," said the mayor, having joined them from the other side of the walkway.


    Gia jerked to look at her in panic. Was she going to tell them what she had done? Was she going to demand she be imprisoned? Her hard-won gain in breathing was gone in an instant and she fought to catch a breath again, scrambling at Vonn with weak hands.


    "What?" snarled Kilyn, turning to look at the mayor in fury.


    "Your brothers over there," said the mayor, motioning towards the empty space beside them.


    "What?" asked the elf, turning quickly to see him.


    The moment her back was turned, the mayor kicked her in the butt, sending her over the edge, too.

 35 Chapter 35 Overwhelming Mishief

    Gia stood there, frozen in fear and disbelief as Kilyn''s scream was cut short. Had the mayor of the town really done that?


    "So glad you killed her brother. It left me open to be able to finally kill her. Those royal brats have caused so much trouble, and they''ve been protected by their royal standing. Don''t worry about any repercussions from the royal family. I doubt they even find out the brats are gone for months, if not years. In fact," she stepped closer to them, as Gia cringed into Vonn.


    Her heart felt like it was going to explode as she struggled to pull air into her lungs past the pain in her side. The elf reached out, as the rain started to fall even harder, and wrapped her arm around Gia''s side. As the mayor drew in closer, almost rubbing against her back, Gia felt Vonn start to move, as if to stop her, when suddenly there was a bright glow from her hurt side, and a tingling warmth spread all along her ribs.


    "What?!" cried Vonn, jumping back away from her, his eyes going wide.


    Gia couldn''t move. Mayor Soliana had her arms wrapped around Gia, keeping her from escaping.


    "For getting rid of that punk Llewel, I''m healing your injuries. Those two have been a figurative pain in my side for years. Now that it''s gone, I''ll get rid of the pain in yours," whispered the mayor in Gia''s ear.


    As the pain faded, so did the glow and the tingling warmth. The elven mayor stepped back, dropping her arms from around Gia and turning to leave.


    "I''ll have someone less annoying come to show you to the border. I''m assuming that''s where you want to go, right?"


    "Yes," said Vonn, rushing forward to Gia. "We would like to avoid heights, if at all possible, as well."


    "No problem. We rarely use those branches for traveling anymore. I figure the twins brought you that way to get you here faster."


    Gia pulled Vonn under the overhang, to get out of the rain, as the mayor picked up the fox that had jumped out of her arms when she kicked Kilyn over the edge.


    "What happened?" asked Vonn, brushing wet strands of hair out of her face.


    "He¡­ he pushed me into this little space, where I couldn''t move, and¡­" Gia started to cry, remembering how he had almost kissed her.


    "Did you really push him off the ledge?" asked Vonn.


    "I¡­ I pushed him away, and then kneed him. I think when I kicked him in the face, he stepped backwards and fell," she said, ending in a voice that was barely a whisper. Looking up at him, she couldn''t help but expect a grimace of distaste and disgust.


    "That''s my girl," he said, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into a tight hug. "You''re mine. Don''t you ever forget that. If I found out he had done that, and you hadn''t pushed him off, I would have kicked him off just like the mayor did Kilyn!"


    "But, do you think she should have killed her?" asked Gia in a whisper."


    "She was trying to convince me to stay and learn plant magic. I have no interest in that. I think she was trying to stall me so that her brother could hurt you. There''s no telling what else they may have had planned. If I hadn''t jumped up and started this way, I think she would have tried to hurt Mikey to keep me there."


    "Oh, Vonn! That''s horrible!" cried Gia. "Is everyone okay?"


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    "Your mom is still upset with me for pushing her, but I swear, Gia. I had no idea you were holding her hand. I would never put you in danger like that!"


    Vonn''s eyes were filled with tears as he looked down at her, and she could feel the sobs in his chest, where he was fighting not to cry.


    "I know, Vonn. I don''t blame you, even though I should. My mom will get over it. She knows you would never intentionally hurt me or her. She''s just terrified of heights and scared that I almost died. Once we get away from these cliffs and back on solid ground, she should calm down a lot."


    "I sure hope so. It will make living with her much harder," he said, turning back towards the building they were staying in.


    Gia held onto him, even though it meant she was getting wet from the rain, insisting on having his arm wrapped around her.


    Luan appeared, soaked to the bone, looking grim.


    "That rotten Kilyn! She lied to me! I saw the remains of her vines on that tree branch!" she grumbled, joining them again as they stepped into the front room.


    "You don''t have to worry about Kilyn anymore," said Gia, giving the white elf a smile. "She left with her brother, and I don''t think they''re going to come back any time soon."


    "Good! I have a lot of bad things I would say to them both, if they were here right now. I need to have a moment to calm down!" exclaimed Luan, pounding a fist into her palm.


    "I like your tattoos," said Gia, shyly.


    "You do?" asked Luan, brightening up. "I did that when I was younger, before my one eye turned purple. It used to be pink. My mom hated it, and wanted me to get rid of them, but I refused. I figured I looked different enough already, it didn''t matter that I had tattoos, too."


    "Why do you look so different, if you don''t mind me asking?" asked Vonn.


    "I was telling your parents," said Luan, as they reached the table where Tom was sitting, eating some meat that Carla had warmed in the fire. "I was born as a prophesy child, under a full moon. I''m supposed to do something really big and great someday, as I was marked by the spirits. I don''t know what that big great thing is, other than it''s kept me from having any real friends. I am really good at magic and stuff, but that''s about it."


    "Is that why you live out here, where there aren''t a lot of people?" asked Mikey, eating the meat that was given to him.


    "Yeah, a lot of the elves that used to live here left, and those of us that don''t really fit in well with others, find it nice to have a place where we aren''t judged," explained Luan.


    "Would you like a chunk of deer meat?" asked Carla, holding the huge chunk up for her to see.


    "That would be great!" smiled Luan, sitting in the chair.


    "Do you need a spare set of clothes to wear?" asked Gia. "You look to be about my size?"


    "No, thank you. I have spare clothes I''ll change into once I get ready to sleep. I find it better to just sit by a fire and let the warmth dry my clothes, when that''s an option. Otherwise, it takes longer for your clothes to dry."


    "But aren''t you worried about getting sick?" asked Vonn.


    "No, I can just heal myself," said Luan cheerily, taking the meat that Carla handed her with a thank you.


    "Where''s Kilyn and Llewel?" asked Tom, carefully.


    "They''re gone," said Vonn gravely. "And they won''t be back."


    "Thank goodness!" exclaimed Carla with a shake to her head. "I did not like the way they acted one bit!"


    "Why not?" asked Mikey, slipping a sliver of meat into his pouch.


    "Is that a Limcheez pouch?" asked Luan, suddenly.


    "Yes?" he said, looking at her in alarm at her reaction.


    "Is that bad?" asked Gia, with everyone else looking at Luan in anticipation.


    "How long have you had it?" she asked worriedly.


    "A couple days?"


    "Maybe it''s not too late! Can I see it?"


    Mikey pulled the little green fluffball out of his pouch and held it out for the white elf girl to see it. He had real concern on his face.


    "Are you going to take Sprout?" he asked in a whisper as Luan leaned forward to see it.


    "No," she sighed with a shake to her head. "It''s too late. It''s bound to you already."


    "What''s wrong?" asked Gia, looking back and forth at the fluff cupped in Mikey''s hand and Luan.


    "Limcheez are incredibly magical creatures. When they bond to someone, it''s supposed to increase that person''s magical abilities. Since you''re human, I don''t know what it will do. Human''s don''t normally have magic, and often can''t use it even if they do."


    Gia glanced at Vonn, knowing what he was thinking. Kilyn had tried to show them magic, leading them to believe Vonn might be able to use it, when Luan just said humans couldn''t use it normally. What horrible people Kilyn and Llewel had been!


    "So, I can keep Sprout?" asked Mikey, his look of fear being replaced with hope.


    "Yep, but it''s going to be really hard to keep Sprout alive," said Luan. "There''s a lot of magic around here, that there isn''t found outside of the forest. I don''t know how Sprout will do when you guys leave. I think that as long as you keep him fed and happy, he should be okay."


    "Do you think he''s a boy, or a girl?" asked Mikey, poking the fluff gently with one finger.


    "Well, can you see his tummy yet?"


    "His tummy?" asked Mikey with a squeak.


    "When they''re this little, they stay curled into a ball. As he gets bigger, he''ll start to unroll, so you can see his belly. Girls have pouches, where babies can grow, and boys don''t. When you can finally see his belly, see if he has a pouch. It''ll be obvious, but don''t try to open the pouch, or put things in it. That can hurt him."


    "I would never do anything to hurt Sprout!" exclaimed Mikey, holding the fluff to his chest and looking at her with wide eyes.


    "Then I think you''ll be just fine," Luan said with a laugh.

 35 Chapter 35 Overwhelming Mischief

    Gia stood there, frozen in fear and disbelief as Kilyn''s scream was cut short. Had the mayor of the town really done that?


    "So glad you killed her brother. It left me open to be able to finally kill her. Those royal brats have caused so much trouble, and they''ve been protected by their royal standing. Don''t worry about any repercussions from the royal family. I doubt they even find out the brats are gone for months, if not years. In fact," she stepped closer to them, as Gia cringed into Vonn.


    Her heart felt like it was going to explode as she struggled to pull air into her lungs past the pain in her side. The elf reached out, as the rain started to fall even harder, and wrapped her arm around Gia''s side. As the mayor drew in closer, almost rubbing against her back, Gia felt Vonn start to move, as if to stop her, when suddenly there was a bright glow from her hurt side, and a tingling warmth spread all along her ribs.


    "What?!" cried Vonn, jumping back away from her, his eyes going wide.


    Gia couldn''t move. Mayor Soliana had her arms wrapped around Gia, keeping her from escaping.


    "For getting rid of that punk Llewel, I''m healing your injuries. Those two have been a figurative pain in my side for years. Now that it''s gone, I''ll get rid of the pain in yours," whispered the mayor in Gia''s ear.


    As the pain faded, so did the glow and the tingling warmth. The elven mayor stepped back, dropping her arms from around Gia and turning to leave.


    "I''ll have someone less annoying come to show you to the border. I''m assuming that''s where you want to go, right?"


    "Yes," said Vonn, rushing forward to Gia. "We would like to avoid heights, if at all possible, as well."


    "No problem. We rarely use those branches for traveling anymore. I figure the twins brought you that way to get you here faster."


    Gia pulled Vonn under the overhang, to get out of the rain, as the mayor picked up the fox that had jumped out of her arms when she kicked Kilyn over the edge.


    "What happened?" asked Vonn, brushing wet strands of hair out of her face.


    "He¡­ he pushed me into this little space, where I couldn''t move, and¡­" Gia started to cry, remembering how he had almost kissed her.


    "Did you really push him off the ledge?" asked Vonn.


    "I¡­ I pushed him away, and then kneed him. I think when I kicked him in the face, he stepped backwards and fell," she said, ending in a voice that was barely a whisper. Looking up at him, she couldn''t help but expect a grimace of distaste and disgust.


    "That''s my girl," he said, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into a tight hug. "You''re mine. Don''t you ever forget that. If I found out he had done that, and you hadn''t pushed him off, I would have kicked him off just like the mayor did Kilyn!"


    "But, do you think she should have killed her?" asked Gia in a whisper."


    "She was trying to convince me to stay and learn plant magic. I have no interest in that. I think she was trying to stall me so that her brother could hurt you. There''s no telling what else they may have had planned. If I hadn''t jumped up and started this way, I think she would have tried to hurt Mikey to keep me there."


    "Oh, Vonn! That''s horrible!" cried Gia. "Is everyone okay?"


    "Your mom is still upset with me for pushing her, but I swear, Gia. I had no idea you were holding her hand. I would never put you in danger like that!"


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    Vonn''s eyes were filled with tears as he looked down at her, and she could feel the sobs in his chest, where he was fighting not to cry.


    "I know, Vonn. I don''t blame you, even though I should. My mom will get over it. She knows you would never intentionally hurt me or her. She''s just terrified of heights and scared that I almost died. Once we get away from these cliffs and back on solid ground, she should calm down a lot."


    "I sure hope so. It will make living with her much harder," he said, turning back towards the building they were staying in.


    Gia held onto him, even though it meant she was getting wet from the rain, insisting on having his arm wrapped around her.


    Luan appeared, soaked to the bone, looking grim.


    "That rotten Kilyn! She lied to me! I saw the remains of her vines on that tree branch!" she grumbled, joining them again as they stepped into the front room.


    "You don''t have to worry about Kilyn anymore," said Gia, giving the white elf a smile. "She left with her brother, and I don''t think they''re going to come back any time soon."


    "Good! I have a lot of bad things I would say to them both, if they were here right now. I need to have a moment to calm down!" exclaimed Luan, pounding a fist into her palm.


    "I like your tattoos," said Gia, shyly.


    "You do?" asked Luan, brightening up. "I did that when I was younger, before my one eye turned purple. It used to be pink. My mom hated it, and wanted me to get rid of them, but I refused. I figured I looked different enough already, it didn''t matter that I had tattoos, too."


    "Why do you look so different, if you don''t mind me asking?" asked Vonn.


    "I was telling your parents," said Luan, as they reached the table where Tom was sitting, eating some meat that Carla had warmed in the fire. "I was born as a prophesy child, under a full moon. I''m supposed to do something really big and great someday, as I was marked by the spirits. I don''t know what that big great thing is, other than it''s kept me from having any real friends. I am really good at magic and stuff, but that''s about it."


    "Is that why you live out here, where there aren''t a lot of people?" asked Mikey, eating the meat that was given to him.


    "Yeah, a lot of the elves that used to live here left, and those of us that don''t really fit in well with others, find it nice to have a place where we aren''t judged," explained Luan.


    "Would you like a chunk of deer meat?" asked Carla, holding the huge chunk up for her to see.


    "That would be great!" smiled Luan, sitting in the chair.


    "Do you need a spare set of clothes to wear?" asked Gia. "You look to be about my size?"


    "No, thank you. I have spare clothes I''ll change into once I get ready to sleep. I find it better to just sit by a fire and let the warmth dry my clothes, when that''s an option. Otherwise, it takes longer for your clothes to dry."


    "But aren''t you worried about getting sick?" asked Vonn.


    "No, I can just heal myself," said Luan cheerily, taking the meat that Carla handed her with a thank you.


    "Where''s Kilyn and Llewel?" asked Tom, carefully.


    "They''re gone," said Vonn gravely. "And they won''t be back."


    "Thank goodness!" exclaimed Carla with a shake to her head. "I did not like the way they acted one bit!"


    "Why not?" asked Mikey, slipping a sliver of meat into his pouch.


    "Is that a Limcheez pouch?" asked Luan, suddenly.


    "Yes?" he said, looking at her in alarm at her reaction.


    "Is that bad?" asked Gia, with everyone else looking at Luan in anticipation.


    "How long have you had it?" she asked worriedly.


    "A couple days?"


    "Maybe it''s not too late! Can I see it?"


    Mikey pulled the little green fluffball out of his pouch and held it out for the white elf girl to see it. He had real concern on his face.


    "Are you going to take Sprout?" he asked in a whisper as Luan leaned forward to see it.


    "No," she sighed with a shake to her head. "It''s too late. It''s bound to you already."


    "What''s wrong?" asked Gia, looking back and forth at the fluff cupped in Mikey''s hand and Luan.


    "Limcheez are incredibly magical creatures. When they bond to someone, it''s supposed to increase that person''s magical abilities. Since you''re human, I don''t know what it will do. Human''s don''t normally have magic, and often can''t use it even if they do."


    Gia glanced at Vonn, knowing what he was thinking. Kilyn had tried to show them magic, leading them to believe Vonn might be able to use it, when Luan just said humans couldn''t use it normally. What horrible people Kilyn and Llewel had been!


    "So, I can keep Sprout?" asked Mikey, his look of fear being replaced with hope.


    "Yep, but it''s going to be really hard to keep Sprout alive," said Luan. "There''s a lot of magic around here, that there isn''t found outside of the forest. I don''t know how Sprout will do when you guys leave. I think that as long as you keep him fed and happy, he should be okay."


    "Do you think he''s a boy, or a girl?" asked Mikey, poking the fluff gently with one finger.


    "Well, can you see his tummy yet?"


    "His tummy?" asked Mikey with a squeak.


    "When they''re this little, they stay curled into a ball. As he gets bigger, he''ll start to unroll, so you can see his belly. Girls have pouches, where babies can grow, and boys don''t. When you can finally see his belly, see if he has a pouch. It''ll be obvious, but don''t try to open the pouch, or put things in it. That can hurt him."


    "I would never do anything to hurt Sprout!" exclaimed Mikey, holding the fluff to his chest and looking at her with wide eyes.


    "Then I think you''ll be just fine," Luan said with a laugh.

 36 Chapter 36 Late Night Cha

    "This venison is delicious! Thank you for letting me have some, Carla," said Luan, wiping grease off her mouth.


    "You''re welcome, Luan," said Carla with a smile.


    "It''s so nice to finally have someone to talk to that''s not crazy or has a hidden agenda," said Tom as he picked up his cup and blew on it gently.


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    "Oh," laughed Luan, "I don''t know about that! The only reason I came to this town was because I needed to see the alchemists. They make a potion I need to stay sane."


    "What?" asked Tom, his cup halfway to the table.


    "What do you mean?" asked Gia. "You seem perfectly fine to me."


    "I get really angry when I don''t have my medicine every couple of weeks. And with the magic I control, it''s a really bad idea for me to be mad. My father sent me out of the village, when I was little, whenever I got mad, because I would do bad things with my magic. Now that I''m older, he pays the alchemists to make me my medicine, and they keep me calm."


    "That''s horrible!" exclaimed Carla. "How could any parent send their child out into the forest just for getting upset? Being upset is part of growing up!"


    "Oh, there''s nothing normal about my anger. My magic is plant based, so when I get mad, the plants respond. I strangled two people at the age of two. When I got mad, my dad would take me and put me in this wooden crib he had built out of a living tree. I was safe there, and no one could get hurt. I made all sorts of things in my anger, like a wooden monkey that would hop around the cage, rattling the bars and screaming at anything that moved. Things like that would amuse me and cause my anger to go away."


    "That sounds awesome!" exclaimed Mikey, looking at her with wide eyes. "Well, not the killing people, but the monkey!"


    "The monkey was just one of the things I made. I had all sorts of things that I made when I ended up in that crib. Most of them were destroyed, but I still keep a few, just to remind me not to get too mad at anything."


    "That''s not a bad idea," said Tom, nodding his head. "I love to carve things out of wood, so I can understand the draw of making things. Especially if you keep a few of them around to remind you of things."


    "I suppose I could see carving wood, if you didn''t have the magic to meld it," said Luan thoughtfully.


    "When do you go see the alchemists?" asked Vonn.


    "Probably tomorrow morning. It''s getting awfully late, and I''m kind of tired after fixing the tree branch that Llewel and Kilyn hurt. I still can''t believe they used those stupid vines on the tree. That hurts it so bad, it''s a wonder it will let anyone walk on the branch ever again."


    "It probably wouldn''t hurt any of us to get a good nigh''s sleep," said Tom, stretching with several cracks and pops.


    "Have you seen the beds in the back?" asked Luan, standing up and taking her plate over to the sink to wash. "They''re actually really nice, but they don''t have any sheets or blankets."


    "To sleep in a real bed again!" exclaimed Carla with a dreamy look on her face.


    "You act like we''ve been sleeping on the ground!" said Tom with a smile.


    "That''s because we have been!" said Mikey, giving him a look.


    Everyone laughed, as they all got up to see the beds in the back. There were eight beds in all, and it didn''t take long for everyone to pick one out. Half an hour later all of the dishes from supper had been washed, the fire banked for the night, and everyone was tucked into their own beds.


    Tom''s soft snores were quickly joined by Carla''s. Gia rolled to her side, marveling at how easy it was to move again. Had the mayor not healed her side, she would have been in agony. She wasn''t sure how she would have laid down, not to mention if she would actually have gone to sleep.


    Glancing over at Vonn''s bed in the dim light, she saw the lump that had to be him shift slightly. Was he thinking the same thing she was? She didn''t like sleeping on the hard ground, but she missed the warmth and comfort of having him beside her while she slept.


    The sounds of Mikey finally asleep were what finally drove her over the hesitation she had been fighting. Grabbing up her blankets, she tiptoed across the cold floor to Vonn''s bed, where she gazed down at his sleeping face. There was just enough room for her to squeeze in beside him, and she didn''t hesitate.


    Even asleep, he rolled to his side to make room for her, throwing an arm over her side and pulling her in close. Snuggling into his warmth, she finally closed her eyes.


    The ground was getting closer!


    Sitting straight up in bed, Gia looked around wildly. Vonn was still asleep, leaning away from her, and there was a huge wet spot on the bed where she had apparently been sweating. Wiping her brow, she climbed out of bed, appreciating the cold of the floor as she moved over to the fire. It had all but died in the night, so she took the time to build it back up.


    It was far too early to be up, but she made herself a cup of tea in the hopes of calming down. Even now, when she closed her eyes, there was the ground, rushing up at her. Shaking her head, she took another sip of the tea. The dream was crazy! She hadn''t even been turned towards the ground to have known what it looked like!


    "Gia?" asked a soft voice, and she turned to see Luan standing in the doorway. "Are you alright?"


    "I just had a nightmare, is all," said Gia with a soft smile.


    "Oh, I thought I might have woken you," said the white elf with a relieved look.


    "Is everything alright?" asked Gia, moving over and patting the bench for Luan to sit beside her.


    "I can never sleep right before I get my medicine from the alchemists here," the girl confided, giving her a small smile. "They scare me, and I never know if the potion they give me is going to be the same as the last one. What if the potion was made wrong and it doesn''t work? What if it makes me angry, instead of calm? I don''t want to lose myself."


    "When was the last time you were really angry?" asked Gia.


    "When I was 59. I remember it really well, even if I couldn''t do anything to stop myself," she said in a small voice. "I had just healed this little tree that got knocked over by one of the walking trees, and these elves had showed up, looking for wood to burn for a fire. They cut my little tree down, not knowing I had just healed it. I got so mad, I made the tree next to them wake up and step on them."


    "Wait, do you have anything to do with all of the walking trees in the forest?" asked Gia.


    "Maybe?" said Luan, wincing and hunching in on herself.


    "Why don''t you put them back to sleep so they stop walking? I really wondered where they were going, and it seemed like they were just walking because they didn''t know what to do."


    "I guess I could do that," said Luan thoughtfully. "I guess I never really thought about it. The walking trees never bothered anyone, and they keep those stupid satyrs away from our towns, so I didn''t think about making them go back to sleep."


    "Do you want me to go with you to the alchemists in the morning?" asked Gia, finishing her tea.


    "Would you? I hate the idea that you would get hurt if the potion doesn''t work¡­"


    "I don''t mind going. As long as they don''t try to do anything to me. Could Vonn go too?"


    "Sure! Though I don''t think it would be a good idea for Mikey to go. He''s so little and inquisitive, he might get into something and get hurt."


    "That''s fine. We''ll tell him that his Limcheez might get hurt, so he''ll stay here."


    "I am a little worried about him having that. No human has every had one. I don''t know what will happen to him once he''s fully bonded. He might not age like other humans, and he might change to be something other than human."


    "Well, if something does happen, we''ll deal with it then. Worst case scenario, we''ll have him come back here."


    "That would be a good idea," said Luan with a relieved nod.

 38 Chapter 38 Dwindling Luck

    "I asked them to come," said Luan, raising her chin and staring at the older elf.


    "What? But, why?" he asked, obviously more confused than angry.


    "Your son scares me," she said, her voice breaking on the last word. "He''s always mean to me when I come by and I don''t want to marry him."


    She set the potion back down on the counter and stepped back next to Gia and Vonn.


    "He is?" asked the elf, turning to the younger elf behind him. "Is that true?"


    "I have no idea what she''s talking about," said Sylven, shaking his head. "I treat her the same as I do with every customer. These humans that have shown up, have her convinced she doesn''t need the potion.


    "Not wanting to marry my son is one thing, but not taking the potion can be very dangerous! Luan, do you remember what happened the last time you were late for your medicine?" he asked, turning back to her.


    "Yes," she answered meekly, ducking her head and staring at the floor.


    "We still haven''t figured out how to get the vines that have grown all over the village to withdraw or shrink. And two of the shopkeepers have still not reappeared. We think they may be dead!"


    "They''re not," she whispered, her words so soft, Gia could barely hear them.


    "What?" the old elf asked sharply, eyeing her with disapproval.


    Gia frowned. They were bullying her. Poor Luan was stressed enough! Grabbing Luan''s hand, she wrapped her hands around it and gave her a warm smile of encouragement to remind her she wasn''t alone. Von did the same on the other side.


    "You shouldn''t yell at her," said Vonn in a loud commanding voice.


    "Who are you, boy? Have you even reached twenty winters yet? It''s all the same with you humans! You live such short lives and yet you''re willing to risk so much on such faulty beliefs!" complained the old elf.


    "I don''t have to live as old as an elf, to know a bully when I see one. Why can you not talk to her as an equal, instead of a child?" Vonn countered.


    "Because she is a child! An elf isn''t an adult until they reach their hundredth year," explained the old elf in exasperation.


    "The missing shopkeepers haven''t shown back up, because they are the vines," broke in Luan loudly. "They were druids who answered the call when I lost control and sent it out."


    "The call?" asked the old elf.


    "You wouldn''t understand," she said, straightening her back and looking him in the eye. "I am not going to take the potion. I need to learn to control the powers I was born with rather than suppressing them all the time. I will head north east to the section of forest where the walking trees are, and will not return until I am certain I can be around others safely."


    "But Luan, that''s¡­" began the old elf, before shaking his head. "If that is your decision, I will notify your father. He has paid us in advance for the potions, until the day you turned a hundred. Had you married my son, the potions would have been free from that day forward, but if you insist on not taking them, then I will reimburse your father."


    "Father?!" exclaimed Sylven, looking at the older elf in shock and surprise. "Does this mean I will not be marrying her?"


    "Probably not, Sylven. You only wanted to marry her because of how powerful the children would be, not out of any interest in her. Finish your work," said the old elf, moving back to his desk in the back of the room.


    As they left the alchemy lab, Luan was grinning ear to ear and giddy with excitement.


    "I did it!" she exclaimed. "I always dreamed of telling them no, and now I''ve finally done it!"


    "Good for you, Luan!" beamed Vonn, patting her shoulder.


    Gia gave her a hug. "When are you leaving?"


    "I will need to leave soon, before my powers start acting up, but I should be fine for another couple of days. I was hoping to stay with you guys until you left. I think Mayor Soliana was having Elisen escort you to the border. I haven''t seen her in a long time, and wanted to tell her what I''m doing. She''s one of the best druids in the forest. I really like her!"


    "I wonder how long it will be before she shows up?" murmured Vonn. "I would like to buy some more rations before we left, so I don''t have to hunt on the way. The twins didn''t seem very pleased with us shooting a deer."


    "They wouldn''t. All of the animals in the forest technically belong to the royal family, which means you killed one of their animals. Since they ate some of the meat and then left, I think you''re fine. I can take you over to the merchant''s store, if you would like? Nakisha is really nice. She''s been there for the past 500 years."


    Vonn nodded, and they followed Luan along the path, having to carefully make their way over the vines growing on the path.


    "When I lost control, the shopkeepers heard the call I sent out, and became these vines. No one can get them to move, because they are blocking the doors to their stores. Only those who are willing to actually buy from them can enter, but no one knows how to communicate with them, other than me," Luan told them once they got to the other side.


    "What did they sell?" asked Gia curiously.


    "Spices in one and fabrics in the other. I haven''t bothered to try and get them to move because neither of those things would last very long," explained Luan.


    The next store down from the vines, was the general store. Stepping inside, the scents of a variety of seasonings and items hit Gia''s nose, making it twitch and threaten to make her sneeze.


    "Ah, Luan! How good to see you again! Here for your next potion?" asked the elderly elven woman behind the counter.


    "No, Nakisha. I''m not taking the potion any longer. When I leave the town here in a few days, I''m heading to the walking trees. I''m going to get control of my powers before I come back. I don''t know how long that will take, but I thought you should know."


    "Well, take care dear. Everyone needs to find out who they are sometime. Do you need anything, before you leave?"


    "My new friends were hoping to get some rations before they left. I think Elisen is going to escort them to the border."


    "Humans? What are you doing so far from your own lands?" asked the old elven woman with a look of shock.


    "We fled an army that was coming to destroy our city. Some good luck saw us past the mountain, but now we need to get back and the only route has us going through your forest," explained Gia.


    "Why don''t you just go back the way you came?" asked Nakisha, genuinely curious.


    "We traveled through the mushroom forest, and the dwarven city," said Vonn.


    "Ah, no going back that way. Isn''t the magical forest there too? Very dangerous for humans. The path ahead of you will be dangerous too," she cautioned.


    "It would be easier if we had some food. My father is blind and my little brother doesn''t hunt very well," said Gia.


    "Blind?! Traveling on this journey?! Wow! I am impressed! Here, take these rations and good luck!" said Nakisha, shoving a whole bag of ration bars at them.


    "We have coin," said Gia as Vonn took the bag and looked inside.


    "No! I will not charge travelers who are with someone so handicapped! I am even more amazed you have made it as far as you have! How did you ever get past the giant deer or the troll?"


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    "The troll had just eaten a mermaid, or nessie?" said Vonn.


    "And I saw the deer, but it disappeared very quickly afterwards," said Gia.


    "Amazing! That deer has been known to stomp people to death if they see it, and sometimes if they don''t! And the troll just let you get away? Simply amazing! You must have some impressive luck!"


    Gia glanced at Vonn, to see him glancing at her and they both smiled. They did have some good luck, in the form of amulets from the tree.


    "Let''s get back and show your parents all of the food you have," said Luan, looking outside.


    No sooner had they stepped outside, then a series of elves appeared out of nowhere, grabbing Luan by the arms and pushing Vonn and Gia off the edge of the path.


    With a scream, Gia grabbed at anything that was nearby, catching hold of the giant vines and stopping her descent. Glancing down at Vonn fearfully, she saw he had also grabbed the vines. Resting her cheek against the side of the plant, Gia closed her eyes and focused on breathing. Her heart was beating so fast!


    The sounds of screaming could be heard from the path above, as the elves dragged Luan away.

 39 Chapter 39 Dwindling Strength

    "Gia, are you okay?" called Vonn softly, once the noises of Luan''s cries faded.


    "I''m still alive, if that''s what you mean," she responded, unable to open her eyes.


    What was wrong with her? It was her mom who was afraid of heights, not her! She took a breath and opened them, only to find a giant leaf blocking her view of the chasm below her. A rush of relief flowed through her. Glancing up, she could see the edge of the path only about six feet above her.


    "Gia, you need to reach up and start climbing, I can''t get around you," said Vonn.


    "I don''t think I can," she said, staring up at the next branch. Her hands were holding on so tight, she was starting to lose feeling in the tips of her fingers.


    "Dear, you can''t stay there forever, and I can''t carry you. You can do this," he said, his voice gentle and calm. "I''ll help you, okay?"


    "Okay," she whispered. If her hands went numb, she would fall. She had to climb. She could do this.


    "Let go with your left hand and reach up," he coaxed.


    She lessened her grip just as her left foot slipped a little. With a high-pitched yelp, she tightened her grip again and held on for dear life with her eyes squeezed shut as tight as she could.


    "I can''t do this!" she whimpered.


    "Gia, you have to. If you fall, I will fall after you. Then there won''t be anyone to help your mom and dad get home. Your little brother will have no one to teach him how to cut down trees or hunt in the woods," he said, trying to distract her.


    "I know that," she whispered, peeking up at the next branch with one eye. It was right there, not very far at all.


    Swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat, she lunged for the branch just above her left hand. The quick movement almost dislodged her completely, and she felt the whole vine shake. Vonn had reached up and pushed her foot higher on the branch where she was standing, and was helping to hold her still.


    "Good girl, but let''s move a little more gently next time, okay?"


    She nodded, not daring to look down at him.


    "All right, now I''m going to guide your left foot up to the next foothold, alright?"


    She could feel his hand holding onto her ankle. "Alright."


    Moving painstakingly slow, she moved her foot, with him guiding her. Once she felt his hand leave her ankle, she looked for the next branch to grab with her right hand. It was too high!


    "Gia, calm down, you''re breathing too fast. I don''t need you to pass out. Slow breaths, okay? In and out," he said, helping her to slow her breathing.


    "I can''t reach the next branch," she said shakily.


    "Yes, you can. You just need to push with your left foot and reach. Your right foot is going to come off its branch and I will guide it while you go," he said, placing his hand on her right ankle.


    "It''s too far, Vonn," she whimpered, looking up at the branch.


    "Gia, you can do this. Stop thinking you can''t. It only looks far because of the angle. Go on," he said, his voice smooth and deep.


    Swallowing again, she took a breath and loosening her right hand, raising it as far as it would go. There were still a few inches between the branch and her fingertips! Grabbing the branch she had before, she shook her head.


    "I can''t reach it!" she sobbed.


    "Gia," he said, soothingly. "You need to straighten your left leg while you reach. You can do it. I have your other foot, so I can guide it to the next branch."


    Looking back up at the branch, she nodded and reached again, her left leg quivering as she tried to straighten it. She could feel his hand guiding her right foot as the panic of only being supported by her left hand and left foot beat against her chest. Grabbing the branch with her right hand as he firmly seated her foot onto its next foothold, she clung to the vine and fought to catch her breath.


    "Good girl," he said softly. "You did a great job! Only a little further to go now."


    There was something about his voice that caught her attention.


    "Vonn, are you alright?" she asked, fighting against the urge to glance down at him.


    "I''ll be fine once we reach the ledge," he assured her. "Let''s go for the next branch, shall we? It''s right above your left hand, see it?"


    She looked up and saw the branch he was talking about. "I see it," she said.


    Thinking about him made her forget how scared she was. She didn''t think he was fine at all! Licking her lips, she shifted her body weight slightly and reached for the next branch with her left hand. The edge of the path was almost within reach! Not waiting for him to coach her, she looked for the next branch and reached for it with her right hand, lifting her right foot and feeling for a foothold. Finding one, she found herself at the edge of the path.


    Looking around, there wasn''t really anything more to grab ahold of. Hearing a faint grunt of pain from below her, she scrambled up the vine anyway, and rolled onto her back, staring at the sky. She had made it!


    With a wide grin, she rolled around and stuck her head over the ledge to see where Vonn was. He was far below her, resting his head against the vine, and holding on for dear life. She could see where a branch had impaled him when he fell against the vine, and a trail of blood was streaming down the vine!


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    "Vonn!" she burst out. "You''re hurt!"


    "I know, dear," he said with a pained smiled. "But you made it! Good job!"


    "Get your butt up here!" she cried, as tears gathered in her eyes and an even larger lump formed in her throat. "I need you!"


    "I''m trying, dear. I don''t seem to have the strength, though. I''m awfully tired." His voice was weak and faint.


    "Vonn, there''s a branch right above your left hand," she said softly, trying to do what he had done. "You can reach it; I know you can!"


    He looked up at her and smiled. It was a peaceful smile that brought a sob to her chest. "Don''t you dare give up! I didn''t give up!"


    "I know, but¡­ I don''t think I can grab that next branch. It''s too far away, and my hands are slippery," he sighed.


    Gia scrambled back from the edge and looked around frantically. What she needed was rope, but it was in Vonn''s backpack, back with her family. If she took the time to try and get it, she was afraid he would fall. Spying a strand of vine that was about the right size, she grabbed it.


    "I''m sorry, but I can''t let him die!" she muttered to the vine and pulled.


    Surprisingly, the little vine came loose in her hands. Not bothering to question her luck, she jerked on it a couple of times to make sure it was strong enough, then she tied a large loop on one end. Praying it would hold, she started lowering the end towards him.


    "Vonn, I need you to loop this around your waist, and make it as tight as you can!" she ordered. Watching as it drew closer and closer to him.


    He turned his head and looked at the makeshift rope for a moment before he reached out and grabbed it.


    "That''s it," she coaxed. "Over your head, now grab ahold of the branch again and put your other hand through. That''s it. Good job. Now tighten it as best you can."


    Gia watched as he tried to pull it tight, but as he jerked, his foot slipped. Acting quickly, she wrapped the other end of the vine around herself and threw herself at the vines, squeezing herself between them tightly. When the rope went taut, she was still almost jerked over the edge. Crying in pain as the rope tightened around her middle, she struggled to breath. Looking around, she realized there was nothing else but to try and pull him up.


    Grabbing the taut rope, she pulled, but it didn''t move. The vine next to her suddenly shifted, and she could see enough space underneath it to slide under it. Pulling with all her strength, she was able to get through the gap. Using the vine, she was able to pull him inch by inch, back up to her. By the time he was on the ledge, her legs were ready to buckle and her hands were bloody.


    "Vonn!" she cried, grabbing him under the arms and trying to drag him further up on the ledge, but all of her strength was gone.


    "Please!" she sobbed.


    "Is something wrong?" asked a voice.

 41 Chapter 41 Opposing Viewpoints

    "Elisen, I should have known you would get involved in this. Don''t you have your hands busy with that new baby of yours?" asked the old elven man as he stepped out of their way.


    Luan held tight to Gia and Vonn as they made their way towards Elisen.


    "Grand Mystic Malthren, I greet you in the name of the forest. Don''t you think the prolonged warmth we''ve had this late autumn is quite beautiful?" asked Elisen calmly, patting her child gently.


    "Yes, it is a bit unusual," he said softly as she smiled at him and nodded, holding a hand out for Gia and Vonn to lead Luan away from the stone pit alter.


    "Safe travels, humans," called the elf before they were far enough away.


    Elisen didn''t stop until they were standing on the stone path in the village again, and even then, she motioned for them to proceed to the building where Gia''s family waited for them. Spying the bag Vonn had dropped earlier, holding the rations from the store keeper, Gia stooped to pick it up before climbing over the vines.


    Stepping into the doorway of the building, Elisen turned to them and said quickly, "Get your things, we need to be out of this town before dark. I don''t trust Malthren as far as I can throw him, and right now, that wouldn''t be very far."


    Gia and Vonn nodded, rushing to her parents who were calmly sitting at the table finishing a cup of tea.


    "Is everything all right?" asked Carla, her eyes narrowing. "Gia, you look like you''ve been crying!"


    "There''s no time, we need to go," said Gia, shoving things into her bag and putting it on.


    "Alright," said Tom, grabbing his walking stick and standing up. His bag was on the ground behind him, in easy reach to grab and put on.


    "Mom had us getting ready while we waited for you," said Mikey, appearing with his bag on as well. "The elven lady told us we would be leaving as soon as you guys got back."


    "What elven lady?" asked Elisen, confused.


    "I believe it must have been the mayor," said Luan. "I think I saw her briefly when they dragged me away."


    "So, she saw us get pushed off the edge, and didn''t come to help us?!" exclaimed Gia in surprise and anger.


    "Wait, what!" cried both her parents.


    "There''s no time," said Elisen. "We really need to be going. I''m sure Malthren will be thinking up something to cause us grief on the way."


    "You will explain everything, in great detail when we get a moment!" growled Carla, throwing her bag on after dumping the last of the tea out of the cups and shoving them in her bag.


    "I intend to," said Gia, hurrying to the door with everyone else.


    "I can''t believe you guys did that for me," said Luan, following along.


    "Did you think I would let you just die?!" exclaimed Gia in horror.


    "Everyone else would have," muttered Luan. "Except Elisen! She always said she would find a way. I never imagined it would be like this, though!"


    "I try very hard not to break my word," said Elisen with a soft smile.


    "We don''t have to go on those dreadful tree branches again, do we?" groaned Carla as they stepped outside.


    "Absolutely not! The twins must have brought you, if you came that way. They are the only ones I know who would brave those branches this time of year," said Elisen.


    "Yes, and Kilyn used her vines on the branch, too!" pouted Luan. "The poor thing had moved a whole six feet from the edge of the ledge! I was able to get it moved back, but it wasn''t happy about it."


    "Control yourself," said Elisen, giving Luan a thoughtful look. "I don''t think Kilyn will be causing any trouble again, any time soon. Let''s go the back way. There''s not cliffs or trees to climb, and should be much easier for your father."


    "Thank you," said Tom, holding tight to Carla''s arm as they made their way along the stone pathway.


    "What do you think Malthren will do?" asked Luan after they had been traveling for a while.


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    "I don''t know, but have you noticed how quiet the forest has become? That is very unusual," said Elisen.


    "I had noticed, but I wasn''t sure if that was normal over here. I haven''t been this far south before," said Luan.


    "What sorts of things do you think we might encounter?" asked Tom, patting the ground in front of him with his stick to make sure he didn''t trip on any branches as he walked.


    "In the forest?" asked Elisen, glancing around. "There is a giant deer that travels the forest, but I have only caught glimpses of it. The thing is very elusive to everyone. There is a troll that lives closer to the satyrs, and mermaids and nixies in the waters. They are all dangerous to encounter, and I would strongly recommend you stay away from them. The pixies can be annoying, but generally stay away from us elves."


    "So, nothing we haven''t already encountered," said Vonn.


    "You''ve run into all of those?" asked Luan.


    "Gia''s the only one who saw the giant deer, but yes, we have," he said, giving Gia a proud smile.


    "Wow, Gia. Even I haven''t seen the giant deer," said Luan, impressed.


    "Don''t feel so bad, Luan," said Tom, deadpan. "I haven''t seen hardly anything this whole trip."


    "Oh you!" laughed Carla, gently slapping his arm.


    "Is he always making comments like that?" asked Elisen to Gia.


    "Yes," Gia said. "Do you know any way to heal his blindness?"


    Elisen looked over at him and sadly shook her head. "To cure his blindness would take a regenerative magic that I am not capable of. Luan might be able to do it when she is older, but her magic is too new to her right now to be able to pull it off without any problems. The queen might be able to do it, but it takes away life force when cast, and she only does that in extreme cases."


    "What sorts of things do you think we might expect on our travel south to the cleft in the mountains?" asked Vonn, changing the subject away from such depressing news.


    "You will travel along the coast, where the feet of the mountains reach the sea. I have personally never traveled further than that. There are beasts that live along that stretch, and you must avoid the waters as best you can, as there are creatures that lurk in their depths and are not afraid to lung out at you. I do know there are lizard people living in the cleft of the mountains but I have never seen them myself. You will need to be very careful when traveling that area, as they are known for eating people," cautioned Elisen.


    "Thank you for that news," said Tom with a nod.


    "Now that we are away from that accursed town, tell me what happened!" demanded Carla.


    "No, wait until tomorrow before bringing that up," said Luan quickly. "We may be away from the town, but I have no doubts we are being followed."


    "Luan is right. It is not safe to speak of the recent past just yet," said Elisen, glancing back behind them.


    Gia and Vonn sighed in relief, looking at each other.


    There was a large commotion behind them a few moments later. Gia and Vonn both dived to push people up against trees. Luan grabbed Mikey and held him up to a tree, to scramble out of the way. Gia held her mom and Vonn held her dad. Elisen crouched in place, holding her baby against her as a large group of wild pigs appeared. The boar snorted once, then charged. The rest of the pigs quickly followed.


    With a grunt of her own, Elisen jumped straight up into the air, avoiding the tusks of the boar by inches.


    "Climb!" cried Luan, scrambling into the tree after Mikey.


    Gia just about pushed her mom into the tree they were hugging, her arms screaming in pain and fatigue after the past day''s activities. Jumping for another branch herself, Gia felt something grab her and pain erupted on her ankle as she jerked it away from the boar. Sitting on the branch trying to catch her breath, Gia looked over towards where Vonn had her dad.


    Tom was clinging to the trunk of the tree with his feet up off the ground, while Vonn hung from a branch, kicking at the boars that were trying to bite and tear into him. Gia watched with bated breath as he pulled himself up onto the branch and out of the reach of the boars.


    "These animals should not be attacking us like this," said Luan to Elisen.


    "No, they have been enraged by the mystics. Give me a moment to calm them down," said Elisen, holding out her hands towards the pigs and muttering in a soft tone.


    "That won''t work," chuckled Malthren, stepping out from behind some bushes. "These have been blessed by the Mystics to take out those who oppose the forest. By harboring humans, who are not allowed to live in our forest, you will find that all the forest animals are opposed to you and your little group."

 42 Chapter 42 On the Run

    "Malthren, how could you possibly turn the entire forest against us?" laughed Elisen, patting her baby as he started to fuss a bit. "Do you forget who you are speaking to?"


    Gia glanced over at Luan, to see her grinning as well, and the apprehension that had coiled tightly in her chest began to unwind.


    "Gia!" whispered her mom, "You''re bleeding!"


    Gia lifted her foot and saw that blood was indeed dripping down her boot, where the pig had grabbed her ankle. Lifting her pant leg, she saw a gash just above the edge of her boot. It wasn''t anything more than a scratch, but it had been sufficient to trickle blood down the side of her boot.


    "It''s nothing, mom. I''ll be fine."


    However, the boars below them didn''t think so, because the moment they smelled blood, they started going crazy, tearing at the tree and pawing the ground.


    "Ah, but Elisen, these aren''t normal pigs. They have been blessed by the Mystics!"


    Everyone watched as the enraged pigs began to grow spines and longer tusks. Growing larger and larger, Carla clung to Gia in terror.


    "Go higher!" called Vonn, pushing Tom to a higher branch himself.


    Carla nodded as Gia turned to her, and they climbed higher in their tree as well.


    Malthren laughed as he watched them scramble higher in the trees.


    Luan frowned as the boars below her began going through the same transformation.


    "This isn''t natural! You have corrupted them! That is against the law!" cried Luan.


    "I have not corrupted them; they have been blessed by the Mystics!" screamed Malthren.


    Luan''s eyes began to glow, and the tattoos on her cheeks lit up as she pointed at the pigs below her. Their eyes began to glow as well, but the boars shook their heads with a squeal and started attacking her tree, froth spewing from their mouths.


    Malthren laughed, obviously unhinged. Elisen watched as he too seemed to be losing his mind.


    "Luan, you don''t have enough control over your magic to affect the animals just yet. But you have worked with the trees, plenty of times. In fact, your entire life you have been an influencer of the trees," called Elisen.


    Luan nodded and turned her attentions to the trees around her. Elisen pulled out her bow and knocked an arrow. Mumbling something under her breath, the arrow tip began to glow, and then she quickly fired it at the nearest boar. The arrow sunk into its skin effortlessly, and the boar hit the ground.


    "Forgive me, great forest, for the acts I commit," cried Elisen as she quickly shot the other pigs that were there as well.


    Malthren screamed in rage. "For killing creatures that were blessed by the Mystics, you are sentenced-"


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    An arrow pierced one of his eyes, cutting his sentence off in the middle. He stood there for a minute, as his mouth turned into a little O of surprise, then he fell to his knees and then to the ground.


    Stillness rang out throughout the forest, before the trees they were sitting in began to sway and quake.


    Tom gave a shout of surprise, as Carla screamed a little, both clinging to the trunks of their trees. Mikey laughed as the tree he was in gave a little shake, pulling its roots out of the ground with a pop.


    "Luan, we need to get out of here before the other Mystics find out Malthren is dead," said Elisen, looking around.


    "Take us south, to the edge of the forest!" said Luan in a loud commanding voice.


    All of the trees, that were in that area seemed to give a shake and rise up to join the already freed trees, forming a moving wall around them.


    "This is fantastic! Just like before!" laughed Mikey, swinging his legs back and forth.


    "You''ve ridden in a moving tree before?" asked Luan in surprise.


    "Yes, we got a ride from one on the other side of the elven forest, to get through the area where the walking trees were," said Tom.


    "That''s amazing!" laughed Elisen, settling into a crook of her tree and pulling out her baby to feed him.


    "How long will it take to get to the border?" asked Carla unhappily.


    "Several days by tree speed," said Luan with a grin. "It would have taken over a week, almost two, just by walking. Plus, this keeps us safe from any creatures that the Mystics may have sent after us."


    "I don''t mind taking you to the border, but can I go back to sleep once we get there?" asked one of the trees. "I don''t really like the weight on my roots, or the feel of air around them."


    "Of course!" agreed Luan with a nod.


    "That''s a relief," said another tree, ducking to go past a group of other trees.


    "I bet we could get there faster, if we danced," said a smaller tree that was following along.


    "Junior, you don''t have creatures in your branches," grumbled the tree holding Tom and Vonn.


    "Please don''t dance," cried Carla in a high-pitched voice.


    "Dear, don''t you worry. I have no intentions of wasting my energy," said the tree holding Carla and Gia.


    "I don''t mind using energy!" laughed the little tree, giving a bounce and a wiggle. Soon everyone was laughing at its antics as it danced around them.


    "Elisen, will the elves come after you and Luan for killing Malthren?" asked Tom, thoughtfully.


    "We will only be in danger while we travel with all of you, because they know where we are heading. Once you are out of the forest, we will disappear, traveling randomly while Luan learns more about her inherent powers and grows stronger. Don''t you worry about things. We shall be alright," said Elisen.


    "Luan, you won''t forget us, will you?" asked Gia as the day wore on."


    "How could I forget my adoptive parents?!" laughed Luan. "I could never do that!"


    "Wait, what?!" cried Carla, getting distracted from the rocky ride. "I think now is a good time to start explaining things!"


    "They claimed me as their child, so the Mystics wouldn''t sacrifice me to the forest," said Luan before either Vonn or Gia could speak up. "Our laws state that if a child is handed over to the Mystics because of differences in the child, that separates it from other children based on magic, then the Mystics may choose to raise the child to become a new Mystic, or the child may be sacrificed in order to return the magic the child contains back to the forest."


    "That''s horrible!" exclaimed Tom.


    "It has helped keep wild children from becoming horrible abominations as adults. Time is given to any child who is born with excessive magic, to ensure the right choice is made, as many can grow into their magic and become exceptional members of the community, but occasionally there is a child that is born with too much magic that must be killed. The magic seems to take control of the child and causes more chaos in the forest than any good. I believe Luan was chosen to be sacrificed because those in power wished to control her, so they would have control over her magic, but their methods weren''t working as well as they would have liked. With the appearance of you humans, I believe they decided to just sacrifice her, before she escaped. Refusing to take the potions they kept giving her, was too much for them to ignore," explained Elisen.


    "But I thought Sylven wanted to marry her?" asked Gia.


    "Sylven is the nephew of Malthren. He was only attempting to have children with her, to see if the children could be controlled easier than she was," said Elisen with a shake to her head.


    "Why do you care so much about Luan?" asked Vonn.


    "She is my niece. I am her mother''s sister. I should have been a noble, like her parents, but my calling was to the forest. I know quite a bit more than most of those in power like, but because of my own powers, and the blessings the forest has placed upon me, no one has been able to do anything about me. Though, after today, I believe there will be a huge shake up. Malthren controlled quite a bit of the politics of the Mystics. With his death, there will be a power grab within their ranks, to see who will become the new Grand Mystic."


    "What of my child?" asked Carla, grabbing Gia''s hand worriedly.


    "The laws in our forest claim that as long as Gia and Vonn have no children of their own, Luan is their child, regardless of the age difference and the fact that Luan is elven. They have claimed her as their own, and that protects her from being sacrificed by the Mystics," explained Elisen, burping her baby and turning to change his diaper.


    "No children!" exclaimed Carla. "But I was looking forward to grandbabies!"


    "Once you leave the forest, no one is going to know if they have children later," said Luan. "Because humans only live so long, no elf is going to go searching for you, to watch and make sure they have no children. It isn''t worth the time. It is just a formality in this case, to keep my safe. I will have reached the age of adult, long before their life spans are over. Only a child can be sacrificed to release magic into the forest. Once adulthood is reached, sacrificing the person only means the magic is lost."


    "Alright, I suppose," said Carla, glancing back down to Gia who gave her a weak smile. "If that''s the case, then why did it look like you were crying when you first arrived to get us?"


    Gia grimaced, glancing over at Vonn, then back to her. "Vonn was hurt when the Mystics grabbed Luan and I was afraid of losing him. Elisen healed him and then we went to rescue Luan."


    "Alright then. I guess that makes sense. Thank you very much, Elisen," said Carla.


    Gia sagged against the trunk of her tree and smiled over at Vonn. If her mother had found out everything that had happened, there would have been a much bigger conversation, but it seemed she was willing to accept the short version, and Gia was glad. It had been an exhausting day!

 43 Chapter 43 Web of the Arachnae

    "Do you think those mystic elves are going to let us make it to the edge of the forest?" asked Carla the next morning.


    They were within hours of reaching the border and there hadn''t been a single sign of them.


    "I doubt they gave up that fast," said Elisen, shaking her head as she placed her baby back into the front carrier, she wore for him. "Especially after I killed the Grand Mystic. I imagine they are going to try something big right before we get there, so be ready!"


    Everyone finished their breakfast of rations and tightened the straps on their backpacks. Vonn was talking quietly to Tom about something when Gia saw the first strand of webbing. With a gasp, she realized what she was looking at and cried out in alarm.


    "Stop!" cried Luan, spying the same thing. "Quick! Turn East!"


    A giant spider rose up over the edge of the trees ahead of them, twitching its mandibles and waving its front two legs slowly. All of the trees that were carrying people turned while the empty ones darted forward to distract it.


    "Spiders?! Why did it have to be spiders?!" cried Gia, rubbing her arms as goosebumps formed and her hairs stood straight up.


    "Stay close to the trunk of your trees!" cried Luan, keeping an eye on the spider behind them. "If one attacks your tree, chances are it will take off branches rather than get to you. Closer to the ground is better too!"


    "Oh! I hate losing limbs! Do you know how long it takes to grow them out?" demanded the tree carrying Luan.


    "Don''t worry, if you get hurt, I''ll heal you," said Luan, patting the tree to comfort it as they continued in the new direction.


    "Luan, this isn''t going to work!" said Elisen after a few minutes. "The spider has the entire southern end of the forest blocked off. There''s no way to go around the webbing! We''re going to have to go through it, and hope we make it to the coast before the spider shows up. Hopefully there''s only one."


    "Is this spider related to the Mystics?" asked Tom, holding on to a branch near the trunk of his tree as it ran along.


    "Probably," said Elisen. "I haven''t been to this southern border in a while, but I would have remembered if there were giant spiders in our forest!"


    "The King hates them and kills them whenever they appear. If the Mystics are behind this one, they will be in serious trouble!" said Luan.


    Pausing as the trees of the forest butted against a stone cliff that stretched high above them, the trees turned towards the webbed forest to the south.


    "It''s going to be tough going! Hold on!" said the tree holding Elisen as it dived forward, quickly getting entangled in the webbing.


    "Luan, I need your help with this," said Elisen as she started chanting, holding up a hand ahead of her.


    Luan quickly nodded, holding up her own hand and chanting along with her. The trees in their group started glowing a soft green, and the webbing that clung to them fell away, as if it couldn''t stick to them. The sky above them, what little could be seen of it, started to cloud over, cutting the light around them drastically. The trees pushed on, forcing their ways through the last silent mile of forest, as a drizzle of rain began to fall.


    All hopes of getting through the web covered trees without encountering a giant spider faded away as the water clinging to the webbing began to bounce and shake.


    "Gia, if Elisen and Luan stop chanting, this webbing will stick to the trees and trap us in place. We have to stop the spider ourselves!" called Vonn, pulling out the crossbow he had gotten from the dwarves.


    Mikey had a grim look on his face of determination, as he pulled out his hand axe. "I won''t let any spider get to Luan!"


    Gia turned and watched as the spider rose up over them, then turned and chased after them as they passed it by. The trees they were on didn''t pay it any mind, focusing instead on reaching the edge of the forest as fast as they could.


    "Gia, I can''t watch!" cried Carla, shutting her eyes tight as she clung to the trunk of the tree.


    "Me, either!" cried Tom, trying to make a joke as he held on for dear life.


    No one laughed as the spider drew closer, preparing to pounce on Luan''s tree in the back of the group. Vonn took his time aiming, before letting loose a bolt from the crossbow. It hit the spider''s eye, but seemed to bounce off. With a muffled curse, Vonn reloaded the crossbow and prepared a second shot.


    This time he aimed for the mouth, waiting for it to attack, before letting loose the bolt down the throat of the monster. Its fangs slid off the outer branches of the tree, and Mikey swung his axe at one, missing and almost falling off his branch. Getting a better grip, he glared at the spider as it paused in its run.


    Vonn quickly reloaded the crossbow for the third time as the spider lunged in his direction. Gia screamed as he let loose the bolt without getting a chance to aim. The spider bit off the entire top of the tree, exposing both Vonn and Tom for the spider''s next attack. The tree they were in whimpered in pain and dived in front of Luan''s tree as the spider went for a second bite. Missing its mark, the spider tried to overcorrect but slipped in the increasing rain, giving Vonn enough time to reload the crossbow yet again.


    Waving her arm to try and distract the spider, Gia questioned her sanity when it noticed her and turned her way. Clinging to her tree with a high-pitched whimper, Gia closed her eyes as it lunged her way. Her tree shook, and she opened one eye to see everything above her head was gone.


    The spider spat out the wood, giving Vonn another shot into its mouth.


    There was a bright flash that caused spots to dance in front of Gia''s eyes, quickly followed by a loud crash of thunder. The stone cliffside beside them began to crumble and collapse, raining loose pebbles down onto them as the trees they were riding on picked up their pace. Glancing back at the spider, Gia saw it disappear under the collapsed cliff and breathed a sigh of relief.


    With rain pouring down around them, they stared out over the rocky coastline ahead of them. Climbing down out of the trees, Gia turned to Luan.


    "We wouldn''t have made it without you!" she exclaimed, giving the elven girl a hug.


    "I wouldn''t be alive, if it wasn''t for you!" laughed Luan, returning the hug. "You are my mom, after all. I just wish you could stay in the forest. I think I would like having you and Vonn as my parents."


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    "I''m sorry, Luan," said Elisen, glancing back into the forest. "We must go. The Mystics have several more of those spiders on the way. They will be safe from them, being outside of the forest, but we will not."


    "Alright," nodded Luan, giving Vonn a quick hug as well before turning and diving back into the forest behind Elisen.


    Vonn turned and looked at Gia, taking her hand. She wiped away a tear, and turned away from the forest. Even if they weren''t in the forest, they still didn''t want to be close enough for one of those giant spiders to consider them for supper. None of them breathed a sigh of relief until they had followed the coast around a bend in the cliff wall, cutting off the view of the forest entirely.


    "I''m going to miss her," said Gia softly, holding Vonn''s arm as they slowed their pace to something more comfortable.


    "Me too," said Vonn.


    "We need to find somewhere to wait out this storm," said Tom, pulling his cloak tighter around him.


    "Your father''s right. Help me look for a cave or something," said Carla.


    "What about that?" asked Mikey, pointing ahead, where a small cleft in the wall formed a small waterfall.


    As they drew closer to it, they could see that the way the rock had split, formed a natural hollow that was dry from the lashing rain. Getting everyone up to it was difficult, and they found that they weren''t the first ones to have used it. Piles of bones and bits of fur greeted them as they piled in.


    "Do you think the owner of this cave is going to mind?" asked Carla, pausing at the sight of the bones and fur.


    "They''re old, Carla," chuckled Vonn. "I don''t imagine anything''s been in this cave in a while. In fact, if I build a fire, it should deter anything that might be seeking shelter."


    "Good idea. That will also give us some heat to get the chill out of our bones," said Tom, settling down and shivering. "Carla, dear. I think I have splinters in places I can''t seem to get out on my own. Would you mind helping?"


    Rolling her eyes, Gia moved to help Vonn gather some of the drift wood that had collected along the rock wall as Mikey groaned behind her. They were safe and sound, and past one more obstacle on their trek to a new home.

 45 Chapter 45 The Sad Truth

    "Vonn! Watch out!" screamed Gia as the giant creature erupted out of the water and lunged at him.


    Vonn leapt over the log he had just helped Tom get over, and pushed Tom to the ground as the thing snapped above their heads. Carla screamed, having fallen to the ground as well. Gia rushed over as the thing turned and started making its way back to the water. Its long flippers pushing deep grooves in the rocky sand as it scraped its way back to the surf.


    "Are you guys okay?" asked Gia, helping her mom to her feet and turning to Vonn and her dad.


    "I believe so," said Tom. "That will teach me to sit down and rest. Shall we keep going? I suddenly don''t care to remain near here."


    "Where''s Mikey?" asked Carla, looking around.


    "He was just here a moment ago," said Vonn, looking over near where the boy had been.


    "I''ll look for him," said Gia, bounding to her feet and rushing over to the where he was before the attack. All sorts of thoughts crossed her mind as she jumped over several large boulders.


    "Gia!" cried Mikey, looking up from a tidepool he was kneeling next to. "Do you see that?"


    Sighing in relief as all of the images of his dead body were quickly pushed out of her mind, Gia came over to see what he was watching. In the tide pool was an octopus no bigger than her hand. It must have gotten trapped when the tide went out. Hiding underneath some of the sea grass, Gia smiled at Mikey.


    "It''s really neat, but we need to get away from the water and see how far we can get before it gets dark. Do you still have your basket?" she asked, looking around.


    "Oh, it was on the tree next to dad," said Mikey, jumping up and darting over there.


    When the beast attacked, and Vonn had all but thrown Tom over the tree trunk, Mikey''s basket was scattered all over the place. He didn''t complain when he saw that, only rushed to pick things up so they could keep going.


    "Do you want me to start looking for caves?" he asked, as he caught up with them.


    "Sure, just don''t explore them first," said Vonn.


    "I won''t. You never know what weird creatures could be in there. What if there''s a beach bear? Or a water goat? Ooh! If we see a goat, can we kill and eat it?" he asked.


    "We''ll see. It depends on where we see the goat and what''s going on when we see it. I don''t think I want to stop running from a giant snake or spider to shoot at a goat," said Vonn.


    Mikey considered that carefully, then nodded. "Yeah, the monster might eat our goat."


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    Gia chuckled at Mikey''s conclusion. The temperature was quickly getting warmer, and they had all shed their cloaks by now. It wouldn''t be long before they needed to look for fresh water, but Gia was just glad they had plenty of rations so they didn''t have to hunt for food.


    "Look," said Vonn, pointing up ahead. "It looks like there''s some ship rubble that washed ashore. Should we check it out?"


    "There''s probably only going to be rubble and trash, but we can," said Gia.


    "Watch out for creatures," said Carla. "After the giant fish tried to eat us, and the snake chase you across the beach, I don''t trust anything."


    "Don''t worry mom, we will," said Gia.


    "Can I come?" asked Mikey. "I have my axe!"


    "But you need to protect mom and dad," said Gia. "Besides, it''s not like we''re not all going to walk by it."


    "Oh, yeah," said Mikey. "And I don''t want Sprout to get hurt."


    "Have you fed Sprout lately?" asked Gia. She didn''t want the little thing to die of starvation because Mikey forgot to feed it.


    "Yes! I feed him every time I eat."


    "I just hope it doesn''t get fat," laughed Carla.


    "Sprout needs all the food he can get, so he can grow big and strong," said Mikey, patting his pouch carefully.


    "Hey Gia," said Vonn. "It looks like there''s a huge fish over by the boat. Do you see that tail? Let''s go check it out!"


    "Alright," she said, leaving her parents and brother to investigate the boat debris.


    When Vonn went around the broken wooden crate, he stopped in his tracks and stared at the fish in shock. Gia hurried to see what startled him so much, and saw that it was not a fish. The tail belonged to a man who had strong fish features all over his body. He still had feet even!


    "What do you think it is?" asked Vonn softly.


    "Is he still alive?" asked Gia.


    "I don''t know, let me check," said Vonn reaching down and touching the man''s face.


    The flipper, or fin, that protruded from the sides of the man''s face, fluttered when Vonn touched him, causing him to jerk back quickly.


    "What should we do?" asked Gia. "We can''t just leave him here to die. That giant fish creature might eat him if we tried to return him to the water."


    "Gia, we don''t know if he''s friendly," said Vonn.


    Gia tapped her amulet that still hung around her neck and raised an eyebrow. Vonn sighed and looked around.


    "The storm must have caused the ship to crash against the rocks. I wonder if there''s any other survivors, or if that fish thing ate them all," wondered Vonn.


    "Even if there are, we need to help this guy first. Let''s get him away from the water, and out of the sun," said Gia.


    They lifted the fish man up and dragged him by his arms up to the rock cliff, where Tom, Carla and Mikey were waiting for them. The man was starting to come to, so they sat him up and leaned him against the rock.


    "Ugh," gurgled the man, spitting out some water and sand. "I have a splitting headache. What happened?"


    "It looks like your ship crashed," said Vonn, scanning the beach for any other survivors.


    "The would be my luck," groaned the man. "Are we near the elven forest? I don''t remember seeing humans near here before. You are humans, right?"


    "Yes, but we''re a long way from home," said Carla.


    "I would imagine. Humans would be killed and eaten if found near here. Don''t you know that the lizard folk live south of this beach?" asked the man, looking at them all as if they were crazy.


    "We were told that, yes," said Gia.


    "We plan to sneak around them to get through the mountains," said Vonn.


    The man started laughing, scanning the beach and the debris around them. "And who told you to go that route?"


    "The elves?" said Vonn.


    "Of course, they did. Elves hate humans. I''m surprised you made it through their forest!"


    "I don''t believe I caught your name," said Tom, frowning in annoyance at the man.


    "My name doesn''t matter. I need to get back out at sea and find my brother. He''s waiting for me."


    "There''s a giant fish in the water that will eat you if you go near it," said Mikey.


    "Really? Sounds like a challenge," said the man, flipping his facial fins around and trying to stand up. "I don''t even know why I''m bothering to talk to you humans. I would normally kill you so I could eat you, but for some reason I don''t feel like it. I don''t like magic being used against me. Let me give you some parting wisdom before I leave. As a type of thanks for not just killing me when you found me. Avoid the lizard folk if at all possible. And if you can''t, be prepared to kill one in a one on one fighting competition. If you win, they''ll probably let you live. If you don''t, then they''ll eat you all. Just claim you''re there to prove yourself. They love that stuff."


    "How do they fight?" asked Vonn with a frown. He was the most likely to fight if the need arose.


    "They normally use spears, but in the competition any weapon is allowed that''s not ranged, like a crossbow," he said, glancing over at the one hanging from Vonn''s side.


    Vonn nodded thoughtfully, and said, "We''ll deal with that when it comes. There''s no reason for us to look for trouble when we don''t have to."


    "Okay, but I thought you would like a heads up," said the man, heading across the beach and on into the water.


    No sooner had his head disappeared below the waves, then the giant fish flashed by, throwing water into the air as it dived after him.


    "I hope he''s okay," said Mikey.


    "Why?" asked Gia. "He was really rude, and threatened to kill and eat us!"


    "Because he warned us about the lizard folk," said Mikey. "And he didn''t have to."


    "Mikey, we already knew the lizard folk were dangerous," said Vonn. "But you are right. He didn''t have to tell us anything about them. Now we just have to hope what he said isn''t needed."


    "Yeah, because we''re going to sneak," said Tom dryly.

 46 Chapter 46 A Glimpse of Beauty

    "Those clouds out over the water look terrifying," said Carla, as they made their way around a long point that reached out into the water quite a way.


    "I don''t like how the water has risen and seems to be getting rougher again," said Vonn, eyeing the incoming tide.


    "We need to hurry to get around the point before that storm hits," said Gia, eyeing the shrinking beach uneasily and thinking about the giant shark that had tried to eat them earlier. Since that seaman had disappeared into the waves, they hadn''t seen it cruising around, but that didn''t mean it was gone, or that there wasn''t more than one of them.


    "I''m going as fast as I can," grumbled Tom, using his walking stick to feel out the sticks and rocks that littered his path.


    Gia glanced at her dad with a troubled look, and caught her mom''s eye. It was apparent to both of them that Tom was depressed about missing his eyesight. All of the wondrous things they had seen so far in their trek across the land, and he had missed them all even though he had been right in the middle of them all.


    "It''s alright, dad. When I get big, I''ll carry you on my back so you don''t trip and fall down, because I''ll be big and strong," said Mikey, with a wide grin.


    "I appreciate that," Tom said with a sigh.


    Keeping a close eye on the water, Gia rushed them around the point, but once they reached the other side, they stopped with a groan.


    "What?" asked Tom, almost angrily.


    "There''s a cove that goes a long way inland and loops back around to just a short way from here," said Gia, feeling tired all of a sudden.


    "If only we could get across right here, and not have to walk all that way," moaned Carla.


    "Well, it can''t be helped," said Vonn, sounding just as exhausted as Gia. "Maybe we''ll find a cave to stay in for the night, and out of the coming rain."


    "Are there gemstones on that rock?" asked Mikey after a little while.


    "What rock?" asked Gia, looking around.


    "That one, there, on the rock in the water?" said Mikey, pointing out near the center of the bay.


    Shading her eyes to see better, Gia heard Carla gasp right before the creature raised its head to look in their direction.


    "Do you think it saw us?" whispered Carla, as it dove into the water.


    "I definitely saw it," grumbled Tom, slamming his stick down with a sigh.


    "Don''t be silly, mom. Of course, it saw us!" laughed Mikey. "Do you know what it is? It sparkled like gems in the light!"


    Before anyone could respond, there was a splash as the beast lunged onto the beach beside them, pinning them against the wall.


    "Go on, curious little creature," it said in a deep voice. "I''ve not heard such nice words spoken of me in a long time."


    Gia looked at the beast in front of them, trying not to hyperventilate. This thing looked very similar to a snake, with it''s scaled hide, but it had four legs and horns jutting from its brow.


    "You shine in the light like gems," said Mikey. "When you turn, each scale flashes like there''s fire in each one!"


    The boy was drawing closer to the creature, staring at the scaled hide in adoration and laughed out loud, with no fear at all.


    "Forgive us for trespassing," said Tom wearily. "We''re trying to get as far as we can before the storm hits, and looking for shelter at the same time."


    "I''ve not seen creatures such as you before," it said, getting close to Mikey to study him. "You''re not elven, or lizardfolk. What are you?"


    "We''re human, sir," said Vonn.


    "Sir?" asked the creature with a raised eyebrow. "I suppose you haven''t seen one of my kind, either?"


    "No," said Gia, shaking her head.


    "I haven''t either," piped in Tom, his voice having a fake cheery attitude to it.


    "Ah, blind. Cute," said the beast, glancing at him. "I am a sea drake. My mother was of the air, and my father was of the sea. I am a mix of the two, and thus not a true dragon. I have heard of humans, but I never imagined they would be like you are. Hmm."


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    The drake backed away from them as it seemed to think of something. "There is a village of lizardfolk that live further along the coast, in the direction you are traveling. If you give them one of my scales, they will heal your vision."


    "They will?" exclaimed Tom, his voice full of incredulous excitement.


    "What would you ask for a scale?" asked Gia, uncomfortably.


    "I have a collection in my cave, that you could organize for me," it said, looking to the other side of the cove, where a cave entrance could barely be seen.


    "What kind of collection?" asked Carla, an eye twitching in fear.


    Gia could imagine a collection of skulls or furs, maybe gemstones or coins. What would a drake collect?


    "Shells," said the drake with a wide grin that showed lots of teeth.


    "Shells?" asked Carla. "I have some beautiful shells I collected after the last storm!"


    "Really?" asked the drake, perking up.


    Gia closed her eyes and slumped in relief as her mother started chatting with the drake in an excited voice, pulling out the shells she had shoved into her pockets and her bag. The drake oohed and aahed over most of them, telling her about the shells it had collected that were similar to them.


    "It will take you too long to walk all the way around the cove. Hop on my back and hold on to my spikes and I''ll swim across," said the drake, turning sideways and lowering itself to the ground.


    Mikey hopped on first, squealing in glee. Vonn helped Tom get on while Carla and Gia glanced at each other uncertainly before finally climbing on themselves.


    "Pull your feet up so they don''t get wet," said the drake moving carefully to the water.


    The ride across was very quick and they were soon climbing up to the cave entrance. Inside, the drake had shells in piles all over the cave. In the middle was an obvious nest where it slept. Carla didn''t waste any time in pulling out all of her shells to show the drake. It searched through its piles in excitement, to show her shells that were similar, but bigger or more colorful than the ones she had found. Instead of being upset by the drake''s actions, Carla was delighted to see the shells it showed her.


    The rest of them found spots near the entrance to put their bags and settle down for the night. Outside, it had become windy and overcast. The storm was blowing in fast.


    As it became harder to see, Mikey asked, "Do we still need to organize your shells? It''s hard to see them, and I''m tired. But I really want my dad to be able to see again. He''s not ever been able to see me! And I''m sure he would love to be able to see you!"


    The drake looked over at them, as Carla pulled the last shell out of her bag. Without saying anything, it looked at the shell Carla was setting down gently. Picking up the shell gently, it turned it around thoughtfully.


    "The storm will be rough tonight, so get as much sleep as you can. We will discuss it in the morning," said the drake, returning the shell to the pile Carla had made in front of its nest.


    "Okay!" said Mikey, cheerfully.


    Gia glanced over at her dad, but it was too dark to see what his expression was. They got their sleeping rolls out and settled down to sleep. The crash of thunder woke them several hours later. Lightning flashed most of the night, but they were able to ignore it and slept through most of the night.


    When they woke the next morning, the sun was out, and birds could be heard calling to each other, probably eating the dead sea creatures that had been washed up on the beach again. Gia turned to speak to the drake. She didn''t want to take so much time sorting the collection it had, but when she looked at the nest, she saw it was gone. Where Carla''s pile of shells lay, three beautiful blue scales lay, perched against the largest shell, which was the one she had pulled out last.


    "Where''s the drake?" asked Mikey, picking up one of the scales.


    "I don''t know, but we don''t really have time to stay and sort shells," said Tom.


    "There''s so many shells," said Mikey, getting a good look around at the thousands of shells piled around the cave.


    They put away their bedrolls, and quietly ate rations, waiting for the drake to return. As soon as they stepped out of the cave, the drake appeared on the beach below the entrance.


    "Still here? I figured you would have taken the scales and left."


    "No, we are not thieves," said Gia.


    "Take them anyway. No one should be denied my beauty. Give one to the lizardfolk to use in their magic to return your sight, and another to trade with them for your safe travels through their land," said the drake.


    "What about the third one?" asked Mikey.


    "So, your father can see how beautiful I am," said the drake with a grin.


    "Why are you being so nice?" choked Tom, wiping tears from his face.


    "No one should be denied a glimpse of my beauty," said the drake.

 47 Chapter 47 No Trees to Cu

    "I still can''t believe the drake let us leave with those scales, without paying anything in return!" exclaimed Tom, a bounce in his step as he walked.


    They all glanced at each other. No one wanted to tell him that Carla had left all of her shells behind. The drake would find them when it went back into its cave that evening. Gia just wanted to get as far along as she could, and was happy her dad seemed to be in such a good mood.


    The storms the night before had once again littered the beach before them with dead sea creatures and boulders that had fallen from the cliff beside them. Twice they had already had to climb over sections where the entire cliff had fallen down. Thankfully, though, they hadn''t had any issues with creatures from the water trying to attack them.


    Up ahead, they could see the cleft in the mountains that they were heading for, but it was still a way away.


    "Do you think we''ll find a good place to camp tonight?" asked Mikey, his arms full of dead things he wanted to try and eat.


    "As soon as I see a good spot, we''ll stop and build a fire," promised Vonn, looking ahead. The rocks that jutted out into the waves seemed to have several holes and entrances where it looked like the water had worn caves into it.


    Making their way over another collapsed section, ahead of them the beach disappeared into a large hole in the cliffside. Light lit up the inside, so they proceeded carefully in order to check it out.


    "This is awesome!" cried Mikey, looking around in excitement.


    The entire inside of the massive rock had been worn away to leave behind a huge chamber within the rock. Soft sand covered the floor, all the way from the waves that gently washed against the beach to the very back of the cave. A large chunk had fallen from the ceiling, forming a natural rock dais they could camp on and still allowed light inside.


    "This does indeed look like a perfect place to camp," said Vonn, amazement obvious in his voice.


    "How are we going to continue, though? There''s no exit on the other side," said Gia, pointing across the cave.


    There was another hole, but it was far out in the water, and wouldn''t work to let them continue following the beach.


    "Maybe we can go back and climb over this area, using that rock slide just outside," said Carla as she helped Tom climb onto the rock.


    "I''ll check it out with Gia, once we get a fire going, and Mikey can cook his fish," said Vonn, gathering wood from the beach.


    Gia helped him, until there was a huge pile on the side of the rock, far more than they would need to keep the fire going all night. The wood inside the cave was good and dry, perfect for starting the waterlogged wood burning.


    "Gia, do you have any of that wood for my to carve?" asked Tom, stretching his finger in anticipation.


    "Of course!" she said, digging through her bag and pulling out several pieces she had found while they walked. "Here you are. There''s four. See which ones you want to carve."


    While he studied them, she turned to see Carla helping Mikey carve and clean the fish for their supper. Mikey was watching carefully as she showed him how to scrape the scales away and then cut out the sharp fins. Satisfied that they were all happy and safe, Gia rushed over to join Vonn who was waiting for her by the cave entrance.


    "You know, this place would make an interesting home," he teased as they started climbing the rocks. It was so much easier without having to wait for Tom or Mikey to find their way.


    Glancing at him to see his goofy grin, Gia smiled back and said, "But you promised me a wooden house, and it would take you a long time to gather that much wood here."


    "I don''t know, there''s plenty of rock. I could make you a stone house."


    "I think stone houses are colder," she said, shaking her head. "We would have to burn so much wood to keep everyone warm, that my dad wouldn''t have any to carve."


    "I suppose you''re right," he sighed, then added with a chuckle, "Besides, who would Mikey get to marry if we settle here."


    "Mikey is too young to get married!" laughed Gia, but the thought was already rooted in her head. He was getting older, and would need a wife eventually. She glanced towards the cleft again, and gasped in surprise. Vonn quickly moved to her side, to see what she was looking at.


    At the mouth of the cleft, there was a tall stone spire, rising high into the air, as if it protected the cleft itself, but what had caught her attention, was beyond the cleft. They had all grown used to the sight of the majestic mountains, but this was the first time she had seen them so clearly. Running along the top edge of the mountains were regular spikes, almost like someone had attempted to build a fence, but she could see now that they were actually the spikes in some giant creature''s spine! The creature was long dead, but she stood there, gawking as she realized what she was looking at.


    "How could anything be that big?" she asked in a whisper, unable to get her eyes off it.


    "And what could kill something that big?" asked Vonn, a hint of fear in his voice.


    "We need to travel when its very dark still, so mom and Mikey don''t notice it," said Gia, thinking quickly. "It will make dad depressed to know he can''t see it, and it might freak mom out."


    "It will be hard to climb that rock slide in the dark, but I think you''re right. Let''s see if the way down to the beach is easier.


    They made their way carefully along the top of the cave, peeking down the huge hole to see them cooking the fish happily. The smoke and smells of the fish drifted up to them, making their stomach''s rumble even though they had already eaten some rations earlier.


    On the other side of the cave, it looked like their ease of walking along the pretty sands were over. The rest of the way seemed to be large slabs of rock that jutted out into the water.


    "If we climb up closer to the mountain, and away from the water, it will probably be easier to travel, rather than climbing up and down each giant boulder," said Vonn.


    "Are you sure those are boulders?" asked Gia, her eyes starting to imagine them as giant eggs from whatever that beast before them was.


    "Stop joking. We need to plan our next moves. We''re really close to those lizardfolk, and two of the three people we''ve talked to about them recently, warned us about how dangerous they are. I know the drake said these scales will protect us, but we have to be willing to accept that maybe they won''t," said Vonn.


    Gia took his hand and raised his chin with her other hand. "Vonn, we have been incredibly blessed so far this entire trip. I have every reason to believe that these magical amulets from that tree really do protect us. We need to continue moving forward and if they are mean, we will deal with that. As long as we are together, I don''t care if we travel forever, but it would be nice to eventually get to a home."


    Vonn laughed at her and threw his arms around her. "You''re wonderful, you know that? You are going to be such a wonderful mother!"


    She blushed furiously and turned to look at the path before them once again. "I think you''re right. Closer to the mountains look easier to travel. The gaps between the boulders is smaller, so maybe we can step over them, or take some wood to help us cross the larger ones?"


    "That''s not a bad idea. I still have the rope in my bag, and we can tie it to each of us, so if someone slips, they aren''t lost forever," he said.


    Gia glanced out at the water, shielding her eyes from the setting sun, and sighed. "It is a beautiful spot. I just don''t want to live here with such bad storms all the time. And there''s hardly any trees or grasses. Other than fish, what would we eat?"


    "Not much, you''re right," Vonn said, looking around again. "There might be animals in the mountains to hunt, but I would hate to risk my life falling, every time I needed to go hunting."


    "Then it''s settled," said Gia firmly. "We keep going and look for a better place to call home. Mikey needs someone to marry, and you and dad need wood to cut and carve."


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 48 Chapter 48 Everybody Does the Wave

    The path Gia and Vonn had picked out for everyone to follow, was way more difficult than they had thought. With so many deep crevasses to cross, and Tom not being able to see where he was going, they had to keep a much closer eye on him. The rope they had tied to everyone had already come in handy several times.


    By midday, they were all tired and grumpy.


    "Can we get back down on the beach?" asked Mikey, glancing towards the water.


    "No, sorry. There''s no beach to walk on, or we would be down there," said Gia.


    "How far before we get to the lizard folk cleft?" asked Carla, glancing ahead of them, towards their destination.


    The mountains that held the skeleton of some giant beast was obscured by clouds, so she hadn''t freaked out, which made Gia happy, but the cleft they were heading towards seemed so far away.


    "Maybe if we turn to head straight there, across these giant boulders, instead of going around the foot of the mountains, we would get there faster," suggested Vonn.


    "Why haven''t we been doing that from the beginning?" asked Tom.


    "Because it looks to be even rougher," said Gia. "Though, we might as well give it a try. If one of the clefts is too deep, we can detour around it."


    "Alright. Let''s get going," said Carla, standing up and helping Tom to his feet.


    "Wow, mom. Your legs are doing so much better than when we first started," said Mikey with a grin.


    "I think all of this walking has really helped, but I must admit, I''ll be glad when we get some where we can call home. I miss those slow lazy days where the worst I had to worry about was making a hot cup of tea."


    "You''ve never had one of those!" laughed Tom. "How can you miss something you''ve never had?"


    "I can dream!" snorted Carla, which ended up making her laugh too.


    Hearing them tease each other, and laugh, cheered Gia up. Getting up and moving so early had made it harder on everyone, but every step got them closer to their destination, wherever that was. Glancing at Vonn, they shared a smile.


    "Why is the water going away?" asked Mikey, looking out at the water.


    They all turned towards the sea, and saw that the water had receded for what seemed miles, exposing the ocean floor. Creatures were flopping around, and the sea grasses lay limp as the water left it exposed to the air.


    "That''s odd," said Vonn, taking a step towards the water. "I''ve never seen such a thing!"


    "We could walk on the beach now!" said Carla.


    "No, wait, what''s that?" asked Gia, pointing at the horizon. It looked like a wall was rushing towards them.


    "It''s the water!" exclaimed Vonn, stepping back and looking at the mountains behind them before turning back to the water. "We need to get to higher ground!"


    "What? Why? Don''t you think that''s silly?" asked Tom, as they all started moving towards the mountain behind them and pulled him along.


    "Dad! The water''s coming, run!" cried Gia, as the water got closer, and seemed to climb even higher!


    Reaching the rocks at the bottom of the cliff on the mountain, Vonn started pushing Carla to climb. Mikey wasted no time scrambling up while Gia tried to get her dad to start climbing. He carefully found hand holds and foot holds, but didn''t have the strength to pull himself up.


    "Climb, Gia," said Tom. "You guys can pull me up with the rope."


    Vonn nodded at her, and Gia started climbing. She didn''t hesitate in reaching up or straightening her legs to reach the next rock to grab. Her entire focus was climbing as high as she could before that water hit them. Reaching a flat outcrop, she turned to glance behind her and her breath caught in her throat. The water had hit the coast and was rushing towards them. Vonn reached the outcrop with her, and they rushed to pull both her parents up with the rope.


    With her hands aching, she finally managed to grab her mom''s arm and jerked her up over the edge, reaching for her dad''s arm when the water hit the wall. Vonn gave one last massive tug, and Tom rushed up at them with the water just behind him. Gia screamed, sucking in water and scrambled at the rock, trying to find something to grab as the water washed her back over the edge.


    There was nothing but water! She couldn''t see anything, and she couldn''t breathe!


    A sharp tug around her waist caught her by surprise, and she was suddenly slammed against the side of the cliff, hanging by the rope as the water receded back to the sea. Blinking, she looked around trying to get her bearings. Gia saw that she was hanging from the cliff they had climbed, and both her parents and Vonn hung below her, where they were all attached by the rope. Glancing up, she saw that Mikey had climbed even higher and secured the rope to a tree above them. His grinning face brought her immediate relief.


    With a cough, she reached for the rock behind her and tried to get a grip. She could hear those below her starting to groan and cough.


    "Grab the rock, so we can climb," she called out with a hoarse voice.


    "Gia, are you alright?" called Vonn, sounding weak.


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    "I have a nasty headache, but yeah, I think I''m fine," she said, clinging to the wall, trying to ignore the pain of the rope around her middle.


    "I''m bleeding, I think," called Tom. "I can''t seem to get a good grip on the rock, it''s too slippery."


    "Just try, dear," called Carla, her voice heavily tinged with pain.


    "I''m climbing up," called Vonn, as some of the weight was relieved. "Tom must have hit his head, because he''s bleeding like crazy. Nothing too serious, though, I think. Here, put your hand here, and your foot¡­"


    Gia listened as he coached her father to climb up the rock face. Once they got to Carla, he started to do the same with her. With each step, the weight was removed from her waist a little more, and Gia could breath a little easier. She didn''t realize she was crying until they reached her.


    "Are you hurt bad, Gia?" asked Carla, looking at her with worry.


    "We need to get to the top, so we can check everyone," said Vonn, giving Gia an encouraging look from her right. "Go on, Gia. You can climb now."


    She nodded, looking up at the tree above them that Mikey had tied them to and started climbing. She tried not to think about anything else. There was only the next handhold and the next foot hold. Even the sounds of grunting and moans from the others as they climbed was tuned out as she drew closer to that tree.


    "No, Gia, climb here, not the tree," said Mikey, reaching out to point to the side of the tree.


    She blinked her eyes a few times, trying to comprehend what he had meant, then nodded and changed her course. The others were following her, she knew.


    Reaching the top, Mikey helped pull her onto the wide ledge and she rolled over onto her back to get out of the way as Carla''s hand reached up to climb over.


    "It''s amazing¡­ what you can¡­ do when¡­ death is the¡­ only other option¡­" panted Carla, crawling past Gia to collapse against the wall.


    Next came Tom, coached by Vonn. Once they were all on the cliff, Mikey cheered.


    "Did you guys see that wall? The water was so high! It had all sorts of fish and huge monsters in it, too! If you look, you can even see one of those things with tentacles on the rocks below, where it got stuck after the water left! It''s huge!" exclaimed Mikey.


    "Son, I''m glad you''re excited, but I think this rope is about to cut me in two. Think you could help take it off?" asked Tom, picking at the knot at his waist.


    "Oh! Sure!" said Mikey, turning and starting to try to untie it. "The rope''s all wet and it''s too tight. I can''t get it."


    "Here," said Gia, with a groan. She struggled to sit up, feeling pain all around her middle from her own rope. She ignored it to start working on her dad''s knot. It took her ten minutes to get the rope worked loose enough for the knot to let go. Once he was free, she turned to her mom. Vonn was trying to work on his own, but when she was done with her mom''s, Gia crawled over to help him with his. Then they both worked on hers.


    "I''m bruised all around my middle," whispered Carla, holding her shirt up to show the deep purple and black coloring. "My back kind of hurts, too."


    "I don''t know if I''m bruised, but I certainly feel like I may be," said Tom. "I don''t even know how I managed to climb that. My hands and feet are shaking so bad I would drop anything I tried to pick up."


    "We''re all bruised," said Vonn. "I shouldn''t have tied the ropes like that, but it seemed to have worked. We''ll all be sore for a while, but we should be okay."


    Gia wasn''t sure about that as she lay back down. Her entire belly felt like it was on fire, where the rope had cut into her.


    "Is anyone hungry?" asked Mikey, reaching into his bag for a ration bar, but everyone groaned. With a shrug he bit into his with relish, making sure to shove a sliver into his pouch for Sprout, his Limcheez.

 49 Chapter 49 Waves of Fury

    "It hurts so much!" cried Carla, slapping at Vonn''s hands.


    "Carla," he sighed, "It''s going to hurt. You got rope burns and bruising, just like the rest of us! I''m tying you differently, so maybe it won''t hurt as bad, but you have to bear with it. None of us have the strength to climb down on our own. We have to use the ropes."


    "I know," she said softly, licking her lips. "It''s just so far!"


    "Vonn, I think she''s more scared of the distance down, than she is of the ropes," said Gia.


    He nodded and sighed. "Just close your eyes and hold the rope. It''ll be over before you know it."


    "That''s what I''m worried about," she said deadpan, glancing towards the edge again.


    "Mom, we can''t let you down with anyone else. Do you want someone else to go first?" asked Gia.


    "No, I have to get off this cliff," said Carla shaking her head.


    "Alright, then let me loop this around your legs one more time," said Vonn, basically making a seat with the rope for her to sit in, before tying it tightly around her waist.


    Carla winced in pain and grasped the rope tightly, as she closed her eyes. Gia and Vonn guided her to the edge of the cliff, directing her to sit and swinging her legs around to dangle. She was breathing hard, and Gia hoped she didn''t pass out.


    "Okay, I''m going to start lowering you now," said Vonn, fighting to stay calm and patient.


    Gia watched as he lifted her mom up, so she wasn''t sitting on the edge anymore, using the rope and the tree. Gia pushed her mom out over the edge so Vonn could slowly start letting her down. Laying down, Gia held the rope gently away from the rock to keep Carla from bumping against the rock.


    As soon as she was near the ground, Gia called down to her, "Get ready, you''re almost near the ground!"


    "Oh, thank goodness!" exclaimed Carla, giving a little yelp as she bumped against the ground.


    "Step out of the rope, so we can bring it back up for Tom," said Vonn, leaning against the tree and looking down at her. "You should be able to just step out of it."


    "My middle hurts so much, this rope is too tight," called Carla, struggling with the knot around her middle.


    "If you can''t get it undone, you''re going to have to come back up," called Tom.


    "Oh, no I''m not!" she called back, tearing at the rope with even more fervor. "There! I got it!"


    Gia watched as she stepped out of the rope and looked up with a wide grin.


    "Okay, bring up the rope," said Gia, climbing up from the ground. "You''re next, dad."


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    "Do I need to close my eyes, too?" he asked with a grin, standing up.


    "Only if you want to," laughed Gia.


    Vonn helped him into the rope, making sure it was tight where it needed to be, then Gia guided him to the ledge just as she had with Carla. He didn''t have any issues going down, and soon it was Mikey''s turn. When it was the two of them, Vonn sent down all of the backpacks then turned to her.


    "I have an idea on how to do this, so we don''t leave the rope up here. Are you willing?"


    "What does it entail?" she asked, glancing at the edge of the cliff hesitantly.


    "The rope isn''t long enough to go all the way to the ground with both of us, be if we untie it, once we get almost to the bottom, we can climb down the rest of the way," said Vonn.


    Gia glanced at her hands. They were pretty scraped up from the climbing and the tsunami, but she didn''t think they would be alive if it wasn''t for that rope. Nodding in determination, she watched as he tied the rope around both of them differently than he had with the rest of her family. He showed her how to quick release it so they could both untie and not risk pulling the other down.


    "Ready?" he asked, as they both sat on the edge of the cliff. "Roll onto your belly and start down slow. I''ll be right beside you. The rope should stay somewhat slack, so you can climb, but if you slip it will catch you. Okay?"


    She nodded, and rolled, painfully because of the bruises, onto her belly, feeling for footholds. Once she found some, she started climbing down. Her whole body ached and cried in pain. Her hands wanted to cramp and tears came to her eyes, but Vonn was right beside her, struggling too. She could see his arms quivering as he struggled to hold on. They should have waited a day or two, to make sure they had healed enough to do this.


    When they were about halfway down, there was a rumble and the rock they were clinging to started to vibrate under her hands.


    "Earthquake," whispered Vonn in horror. "Quick, climb down!"


    Gia struggled to speed up her descent as the rock under her bounced and shook underneath her. How she managed to keep her grip, she had no idea. Then the rope went tight. They were at the last of the rope, literally.


    "Gia, this rock could give way at any moment, we need to untie and climb down," panted Vonn as the ground seemed to stop shaking and calmed down.


    She reached down for the rope at her waist, and struggled not to slip. They couldn''t be that far from the ground. She had only a little way to go. Pulling the end of the rope, that released her completely, she started climbing down when things started shaking again.


    "Climb!" screamed Carla.


    Gia rushed and slipped, falling only a few feet as Vonn tumbled after her, pulling the rope quickly. The others had the bags and were already making their way along the rocks. Helping her off the ground, Vonn grabbed up the rope and they hurried to catch up.


    "Is the earthquake going to make another big wave?" asked Gia, panting as they ran.


    "I don''t know, but it could," said Vonn.


    "Do we need to climb up the cliff again?" she asked, looking ahead to see a more gradual incline."


    "Carla! Go up the mountain more!" called Vonn, pointing towards the incline.


    She steered Tom and Mikey towards the incline as Gia and Vonn caught up with them. The climb was difficult, as Tom couldn''t see what they were climbing over, and everyone was sore and tired.


    Reaching the top, where the land started to level off, Gia looked around. There were a few trees they could use, and if any rocks gave way, they would be safe. A rumble from behind them, drew their attention back from where they had been earlier. They all watched as the side of the mountain came down, destroying the little cave they had stayed in the night before.


    The water was starting to withdraw again.


    "There''s going to be another big wave," said Mikey.


    "Let''s get into the trees," said Vonn. "We can tie ourselves in them to keep the water from washing us off the mountainside."


    "More ropes," sighed Carla, guiding Tom over to the trees.


    "These don''t look very secure," said Gia, once they were close enough to see them better.


    "The roots probably don''t go very deep," agreed Vonn with a sigh. "We don''t have much of a choice, though."


    "Look!" cried Mikey, pointing further south, towards the cleft they had been heading towards.


    Figures were rushing towards them, trailing long reptilian tails behind them as they ran.


    "Quick, where''s the scales?" asked Vonn, diving for the bags.


    "In my bag," said Carla, pulling her bag off so Vonn could dig through it.


    Pulling out a scale, he held it up for the incoming lizardmen to see.


    "Come! Quickly!" cried the lizardman in a rough voice, waving at them. "It''s not safe here!"


    They grabbed their bags and Gia grabbed one arm, while Vonn grabbed Tom''s other. Between the two of them, they were able to move faster than the blind man would have otherwise been able to move over the rough terrain.


    The roar of the water as it approached the land had them moving even faster. One of the lizardmen picked up Mikey when he stumbled, and threw him over his shoulders to be able to keep running. As the water reached their cliff, the ground underneath them started rumbling again.


    Gia couldn''t tell if it was from the water hitting the ground, or if it was another earthquake. All she focused on was placing each foot in front of the other as quickly as she could, while keeping a tight grip on her father who was trying the best he could to keep on his feet, and following the lizardman in front of them who was leading them up another incline. As water lapped against her heels, she spotted the village they were rushing towards. The moment they stepped through the gates, a tall lizardman slammed his staff down on the ground, and a magical barrier stopped the water that had reached that far.


    Turning as she panted, trying to catch her breath, and holding her side where a sharp pain had erupted, Gia saw that the water had really made it that far at all, but another wave was approaching that was even bigger.


    "Oh dear," whispered Carla as it crashed into the cliff they had just left.


    The barrier held back the water, but Gia wasn''t sure how.

 50 Chapter 50 A Force of Determination

    "Ow," groaned Gia, falling to the ground as her father settled next to her.


    Everything hurt. She saw that the rest of her family had also collapsed to the ground, exhausted and sore from the mad dash.


    "What is going on?" asked Tom after a few minutes.


    "The VulCan god is angry," said the lizardman who made the magical barrier. He pointed to another archway, similar to the one they just rushed through, and said, "Beyond the edge of the world, he is burning the land with molten rock, and filling the sky with thick smoke. These waves are from him stomping his feet in anger, as is the ground shaking."


    "Why are you helping us?" asked Carla, taking off her bag with a hiss of pain.


    "One of our deities contacted us and told us of your approach. When we received word that the VulCan was angry and would be sending waves of water at us, we knew we had to find you and bring you in or risk angering the other deity. Forgive us for not coming after you sooner, as we had to evacuate our village to this place, to keep our people safe," said the lizardman.


    "What else did your deity tell you about us?" asked Vonn, glancing at Gia win a concerned look.


    "That you would come with a gift, to allow you safe passage through our lands, and to heal one of your people who has lost his sight," said the lizardman, drawing closer to them.


    Gia watched as the light from the setting sun seemed to shine on his eyes and made them turn blood red. Fear rushed through her body, sending goosebumps racing up and down her arms.


    "What gift do you bring us that would convince me to do these things?" asked the lizard, leaning forward and looking Tom in the face.


    "We have a scale," said Vonn, holding up the one that he had pulled out of his bag before they made a dash for it.


    The lizardman took the scale and studied it reverently for a moment before nodding.


    "This is do. Come, I will show you to a place where you can rest while I prepare the spell. It is not an easy thing to do, to restore the sight to one who has lost is so long ago."


    "How do you know I''ve been blind for a long time," asked Tom, standing up and waiting for someone to take his arm.


    "When someone loses something, they develop ways to overcome that loss," explained the lizardman as they all followed him down a chiseled path in the rock. His black cloak hid his body, but a tail stuck out, swaying back and forth as he walked.


    "Like what?" asked Mikey.


    "Look at him," said the lizardman, motioning towards Tom. "He steps with his toes first, instead of his heel, as everyone else does, and doesn''t place weight until he is sure of his step. He turns his head away from those he is listening to, to better hear them with one ear, or the other. He also flares his nose, using his sense of smell, to determine when someone new walks by."


    "I never realized you did all of that," said Gia, looking at her dad in surprise.


    "I didn''t either," he laughed.


    "Your mind craves the missing input that your sight provided. You were not young when you lost your sight," said the lizardman. "You have come up with these ways to gain insight of your surroundings, without intentionally doing them. I have seen it happen once before in one of our best hunters. He went on to become the best scout after he had his eyesight returned to him, but there is a cost to the process."


    "What kind of cost?" gasped Carla, alarmed.


    "I cannot know that until I have started the spell. Magic such as I do, can be very dangerous. This one will have his eyesight back, but I cannot guarantee at what cost."


    "Maybe we shouldn''t do this," said Gia softly, looking over at her father.


    "No, I want to see. I have missed so much since I lost my eyes," said Tom forcefully.


    Vonn met her gaze as Gia scrunched her brow and she knew he would support her in whatever decision she made. Glancing back at her mom, it was obvious her mom wasn''t happy about it either.


    "What''s the worst thing it could be?" asked Vonn cautiously.


    "The worst thing would be that it required the life of someone else, but I do not think that it will come to that. He has only lost his eyes, not his heart," said the lizardman as they turned a corner and found themselves in a village.


    Each family seemed to be staying in different homes, but the most striking part, was that each home was made from the skull of some giant beast! Most had horns that sprouted from their foreheads, but some had spikes that trailed down their jaws.


    "None of the things those came from, are around here, right?" asked Carla shakily.


    "These are the skulls of great beasts that died long ago. We pull them from the waters when great storms leave them for us on the beaches below. You will be staying in our guest lodge. We don''t have many guests that come around this time of year, so you will have it all to your selves. I will have someone bring you food as it is very late. I will prepare for the spell and will send someone for your blind one when I am ready. It will probably be tomorrow afternoon. After he had adjusted, I will have one of our black-scale scouts escort you through the cleft to the other side of the mountains," stated the lizardman before leaving them at the mouth of a large skull that exposed a dark tent interior.


    "We should get settled for the night," said Vonn, leading the way into the tent.


    There was a fire pit in the middle, that he quickly got to work building a fire in. Mikey helped fetch some of the wood that was found in a pile in the back of the tent.


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    "Are you alright?" asked Gia, watching as her mom sat down painfully on the raised dais.


    "I''m not sure," admitted Carla, wincing as she lifted her shirt. The black bruises had spread over her entire midriff. "It hurts to touch, and I can barely move."


    "Vonn!" called Gia as her mom slowly lay down on her back. "Come see my mom! She looks really bad where the rope caught her."


    Vonn came over and went to touch the bruises, but Carla gasped in pain before he ever touched her.


    "Let me just sleep some. Maybe I''ll feel better in the morning," said Carla, pulling her shirt down carefully. "My head hurts and I feel dizzy. We''ve been rushing around so much I''m exhausted."


    "I don''t think that''s a good idea," said Vonn, looking worried. "Gia, I''m going to see if the lizards have a doctor. I think your mom might be hurt worse than we thought."


    "If we need to, they can use that scale for her," said Tom, moving over next to her and stroking the side of Carla''s face gently. "I won''t need to see anything if anything happens to her."


    Vonn gave Gia another look before rushing outside, calling for someone. Gia moved over to the area next to her mom where their bags were and started going through them. Did they have anything at all that she could use to help her? But after emptying everything out of all the bags, she couldn''t find anything that might help Carla. They were supposed to give the lizards two of the scales, but had only given them one. Maybe if they offered another, it would be enough to save her mom? She dreaded the thought of what the additional cost might be, but she didn''t want to lose her mom!


    Vonn came back, ignoring the mess she had made, pulling another lizardman behind him. The new lizardman took one look at Carla''s bruising and rushed back out of the tent.


    "When did this happen?" asked a different lizardman, rushing into the room, with the first close behind.


    "Earlier today," said Vonn. "We were climbing the cliff, to get away from the first big wave, when it hit, knocking us off the rock. We were all attached to each other by a rope, that kept us from being washed back out to sea."


    He lifted his shirt to show the lizards his bruising, and Gia did the same. The lizard seemed horrified. "These bruises are signs that there is damage on the inside. If this isn''t treated immediately you may all die! I will be right back with our best healer!"


    "We may all die?" asked Gia, looking over at Vonn.


    "It hurts, but I''ve felt worse before," said Vonn, sitting down next to Tom. "Your parents are older, so the damage might be worse. How are you feeling Tom?"


    "I''m stiff and sore. Sleeping isn''t looking too probably right now. I honestly feel pretty stupid at not thinking about how Carla was feeling. She said it hurt tremendously, but I never gave it much thought. Do you think she''ll be alright?"


    "Yes, she will," said Gia, determined to do whatever it took to keep her family safe.

 51 Chapter 51 Sneaky Magic

    "She will die soon if we don''t do anything," said the lizard healer to Gia softly after examining Carla''s injuries. His bright green scales glinted in the lingering rays of daylight.


    "What do you want?" asked Gia, panic fighting to claw its way out of her chest as she clutched her hands tightly.


    The lizardman before her glanced around and leaned in to speak even more softly. "Do you have another of those scales from the great one?"


    "Yes," she answered, hope flaring. Could it be that simple?


    He nodded and turned to enter the room again. "I shall heal her and everyone in this room for that payment. Come, all of you sit around her. I shall do this quickly before anyone comes to investigate what is going on."


    Gia quickly ushered everyone to the seat where Carla was laying, breathing shallowly.


    Chanting under his breath, the lizardman''s hands started glowing, just like the elves'' hands had when they used their healing magic. Except, instead of touching one of them, he clapped his hands and the magic flew out over them, covering them in a type of glowing dust. It sunk into their skin and clothes almost as soon as it landed, leaving behind a slight soothing sensation. The cuts and scrapes, bruises and sore muscles all disappeared.


    Carla opened her eyes wide and sucked in a sharp breath of air.


    "Are you alright?" asked Tom, unable to keep the slight wobble in his voice from escaping.


    "I haven''t felt this good in ages!" exclaimed Carla, sitting up and looking around.


    "The healing affects will fade long before you are brought forward to have the eyes fixed of your companion. The scale?" asked the lizard, looking at Gia expectantly.


    "You traded a scale for me?" whispered her mom, as she handed it over.


    "Yes," Gia said forcefully, turning to look at her mother. "And I would have gladly paid more, if it meant you were healed."


    The lizard snatched the scale and gazed at it for a moment in reverence, before shoving it into a pouch and rushing out of the tent.


    "I don''t have a good feeling about that lizard," said Vonn, glancing at Gia.


    "We don''t have a choice," she said. "None of us know magic, and he did. I''m just grateful the scale was all he requested. I was willing to pay whatever I needed to, to make sure my family is safe."


    "Don''t say that," said Carla, shaking her head. "These people are supposed to eat people, remember? What if they asked for your arm, or your leg?"


    "Mom! That''s horrible!" cried Gia, looking at her mother in horror and confusion.


    "Are you feeling alright?" asked Tom, noting the difference in the way Carla was acting.


    "I feel better than I have before we met. Do you remember when I fell down and hurt my knee the first time we met as kids?"


    "I remember," Tom said slowly, frowning in thought.


    "My knee was twisted horribly, and the town healer thought I would never walk again. Yet I did? Well, that knee has always bothered me, even after drinking that tea from Bob. It doesn''t hurt anymore. In fact, I feel as if I could climb a mountain and run down the other side!"


    "I don''t think that would be a good idea," said Mikey, shaking his head. "You don''t like heights."


    "Well, that''s true," Carla conceded, nodding in agreement.


    "I never knew," said Tom softly, reaching out for her hand to hold it, but Carla bounced up off the stone platform and danced around for a moment in glee.


    Everyone watched her in silence, stunned at her change in behavior. Tom lowered his hand when he realized she wasn''t there, and sat in silence.


    "You''re acting weird, mom," said Mikey, petting his pouch where his Limcheez was sleeping.


    "Well, I feel great! Tom, do you want to dance? You know, like we used to do when we were younger, before the kids."


    He shook his head and said softly, "I don''t think so. I can''t see to lead you around, and I would hate to step on your toes like I used to."


    Carla laughed and said, "Oh! That''s right! I forgot you did that. I think that''s why we stopped dancing, actually. Oh, well. That''s a shame."


    "The magic must have done something to her," whispered Vonn to Gia and Tom. "She doesn''t act like this normally."


    "He said the magic would wear off before they came to fix my eyes," said Tom, leaning down to grab his bag. "I''ll carve something while we wait."


    "That''s a good idea," said Gia, looking over at Vonn with worry in her eyes. She didn''t like how her mom was suddenly so energetic and disregarding the hurt she was causing to Tom. Her mom never did that!


    "Mikey, let''s start something cooking," said Carla, poking at the fire Vonn had started. "Do we have anything to cook?"


    "Only rations. I don''t have any fish anymore. I dropped them all when we were running from the big wave."


    The ground shook slightly, and they all paused and waited for screaming and shouting to start up, but it never did.


    "Maybe some of the lizardmen will have some fish I can cook," said Carla, rushing out of the tent before anyone could stop her.


    Gia darted after her, unease making her feel sick to her stomach. These people would only be nice to them if they didn''t make them upset. She had to stop her mom!


    Carla was chatting to a tall pale green lizardwoman, who was gazing down at her with a raised eyebrow. The lizardwoman had an ax in one hand and a thick bladed sword in the other. It was clear from the leather armor she wore, that she didn''t have any fish to trade.


    "Mom!" cried Gia, rushing up to Carla and smiling at the lizard before grabbing her mom''s arm. "I am so sorry to have bothered you!"


    The lizard shook her head as Gia dragged her mom back towards the tent.


    "Giavanna! What are you doing?" demanded her mom.


    "I am trying to keep you from messing everything up! We can eat rations for tonight. Tomorrow they''re going to fix dad''s eyes and then we can head out and start working our way through the mountains. If you mess everything up, I don''t know what these people will do to us!" hissed Gia.


    Her mom stared at her in shock as she dragged her back to the tent where the others were waiting.


    "I can''t believe you just spoke to me in that way," said Carla, shaking her head.


    "I can''t believe you''re acting like a child!" barked Gia. "You''ve hurt dad''s feelings, and you never do that!"


    "I did?" asked Carla, looking over at Tom, who seemed intently focused on his sculpture.


    "Yes," said Mikey, nodding his head. "Even I know not to say mean things."


    "I¡­ I don''t know what came over me," said Carla, confusing and uncertainty on her face as she sat down gently next to Tom. "Dear, I''m so sorry. I never meant to hurt you!"


    "I never knew you loved to dance so much, or I would have tried harder to learn," he said softly after a moment.


    "I loved to dance, yes, but my knee would hurt so bad, I didn''t mind when you stopped," she murmured softly. "Do you forgive me? I was a little taken by the sudden energy I had and the fact I could move so well, without anything hurting."


    "Of course, I forgive you!" he reassured her, setting his carving down. "I love you!"


    She leaned in as he turned towards her, and lay her head on his shoulder, her face inches from his. "Are you sure?" she asked softly.


    "That I love you, or that I forgive you?" he asked, just as softly.


    "Both?" she asked, as he kissed her.


    "I''m pretty sure," he said, coming up for air. "Though, I think there''s more fun things we could be doing, other than dancing."


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    "Oh, yeah?" Carla asked with a grin.


    "Totally," Tom grinned back.


    "See," said Vonn, pointing at them as he looked at Gia. "This is why I want our room to be as far from their room as possible!"


    Tom and Carla laughed as Gia''s already pink face deepened to a dark red and she sputtered, unable to answer him.


    Mikey was too busy covering his ears and closing his eyes to put his personally feelings into the discussion, but a tiny green head poked out of the top of his pouch and blinked at them.


    Everyone was so startled, that Mikey opened his eyes to see why it had gotten so quiet, and glanced around quickly when he realized everyone was staring at him, except of course Tom.


    "What''s going on?" asked Tom, "You stopped kissing me."


    "That''s because Mikey''s little pet just poked its head up out of its pouch," said Carla.


    "Oh! Sprout woke up!" cried Mikey, looking down in excitement.


    "I wonder if the healing magic had anything to do with that?" asked Vonn quietly.


    "I don''t know, but I bet the lizardman didn''t know Mikey had it," replied Gia.

 52 Chapter 52 The Gift of Sigh

    As they all settled down for the night, Gia decided she couldn''t trust her mother to not cause trouble while everyone was asleep.


    "Mom, I think it would be best if you and dad slept in the back of the tent," said Gia, grabbing their bags and moving them to the furthest sleeping platform in the back of the tent.


    "What? Why?" asked Carla, gathering the sleeping blankets and rolls up and following her.


    "Dad can''t see if we get attacked in the night, so I thought it would be best if Vonn and I slept near the door," she said, thinking fast.


    "Keep in mind, young lady, that the two of you aren''t married yet," chided Carla, waving a finger at her after setting the blankets down.


    "Carla," said Tom. "Just because we haven''t held some kind of ceremony, doesn''t mean the two can''t claim they''re married. We can still have a ceremony later. I doubt there would be a soul alive who could complain after everything we''ve been through."


    Gia watched as her mom nodded thoughtfully at Tom''s words, and sighed inwardly at the change in subject. While it wasn''t what she would have preferred as a change in topic, it would work for her.


    Mikey came up to her, holding his Limcheez Sprout in his hands. The tiny green fuzzball was looking around and blinking his eyes curiously.


    "Gia! Sprout ate all the food I gave him. Can I have some more? I don''t want him to get hungry!"


    "Alright, Mikey. I should have some of my rations still in my bag. I didn''t finish all of it," she said with a smile, heading back over to her bag.


    Mikey beat her to it, and set his new pet down to rummage in the bag. Sprout wrapped his long prehensile tail around Mikey''s ankle while he looked around. His two little feet stuck out of his fur, as he twisted and turned to see everything.


    Once she had Mikey settled on his own sleeping platform with his new friend, she helped Vonn finish settling their blankets and bedrolls. Her stomach was churning at the thought of starting the night at his side, but she had to agree with her dad. Her and Vonn should start acting like they were married, instead of sleeping apart. The ceremony could wait.


    "Are you alright?" he asked, as he lay down and pulled the covers up.


    "I''m a little nervous about this," she whispered, not wanting her parents to hear.


    Vonn laughed. "Don''t worry, my Giavanna. I''m not going to ravish you here, in the middle of a lizard village. I plan to wait until we have our own bed in our own house. Do you mind?"


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    The relief and disappointment that washed over her was very confusing, and seeing her face only made him laugh more.


    The next morning came far faster than Gia was expecting. The moment she heard noises of the others starting to stir, she was wide awake and climbing out of the bed. Her mother hadn''t tried anything in the night, and she was very grateful. Hopefully the wild attitude her mother had the other day would stay gone. Gia sincerely hoped it was just a weird reaction to the spell the lizard healer had used.


    "The Witch Doctor is ready for you," said a small lizardman, sticking its head in to tell them its message, and then darting away.


    "Quickly! Pack everything up so we can head out as soon as this is done!" said Gia, throwing things into her bag.


    The others didn''t hesitate, and she could see Tom pacing nervously as he waited the few moments it took to fold the bedrolls. Making their way out of the tent, it was easy to see where they were supposed to go. The lizardman witch doctor had an alter set up near the back of the village. The round plate where a fire was gently burning, looked to have sticks poking out of it, much like a giant bird''s nest. The doctor was moving some of the items near the flames slowly with the scale they had given him.


    Gia led them towards the alter, wondering if this was such a good idea, when she saw what the items he was moving were. A human skull, some rib bones, and a large leg bone were being moved slowly around the red coals. Swallowing, she realized the skull was too small to be from a grown man.


    "In order for this to work, there is a cost," said the lizard as they approached. "Returning sight requires a sacrifice. I refuse to expend my personal life force to return this ability to you, but if you are willing to give up something of equal worth, your sight can be returned."


    "Wait, so you mean his ability to hear or speak?" asked Gia, dread clawing at her stomach and throat.


    "Yes, one of those would be satisfactory," said the lizard with a nod.


    "What about if I were to give up one of my eyes?" asked Carla softly.


    The lizard seemed to think about that, and then shook his head. "The spell would require two eyes to return his sight. Returning sight to only one eye isn''t an option."


    "Then I will give an eye," said Gia, stepping forward.


    "Giavanna, no," said Carla and Tom together.


    "I am old, I do not need both eyes," said Carla, chewing on her lip. "But you are still young. It is important that you not lose one in case something was to happen to your other."


    "Yes, that is true," said Tom. "Having lost my sight, I would not wish this on anyone."


    "But I won''t let mom lose both her eyes!" said Gia. "We would be gaining nothing!"


    "What about my sense of smell and taste?" asked Tom, turning towards the lizard. "Would that be equivalent?"


    "For one of my kind, who relies on the sense of smell and taste to hunt our prey, yes, it would. But for you humans, who barely use them to eat, I think something else will need to be paid to offset the cost."


    "Then my one eye?" asked Carla, stepping forward beside Gia.


    "Yes, I believe that will suffice," said the lizard, turning to scrap something up out of a bag.


    Gia felt awful, watching her mom stand there as the lizardman witch doctor began drawing strange designs on her face around her left eye. What would the elves think? Would the designs be permanent? Would the people they encountered back home know what they were? All sorts of worries plagued her as the lizard finished with her mom and moved over to start on her dad.


    This time the designs were much more intricate. Lines and squiggles ran all over his face, around his eyes, his nose and his mouth. The lizardman kept dipping his sharp claws into the bag and pulling them out, covered in what Gia believed was a red ink. The thought it might not be ink was not an option if she wanted to stay sane.


    "Sit here," he said, pushing her mother to the ground at a certain place. "And do not move until this is done."


    He pushed his father down at another spot, then moved to the bowl in the middle of the platform. Chanting something in a very reptilian tongue, he picked up more of the red ink from the bag and dribbled it onto the glowing embers with a sharp hiss.


    Vonn wrapped his arms around her as she started trembling and Mikey leaned against her side, clutching his pouch to him. Carla was trembling with her entire attention on the waving form of the lizardman before her. Tom sat silently waiting for something to happen. Gia couldn''t remove her eyes from scene before her.


    Suddenly there was a loud squelch and her mother fell to the ground, clutching her face, as the lizard finished his chanting. Tom gasped as he looked around, and then he spied Carla on the ground and rushed to her side. The lizard said nothing, so it must have been over. Gia hurried over and was there to see her mother''s face as Tom lifted her up. Her left eye, that the lizardman had drawn lines around, was pale and milky. The lines were gone and so was her sight in that eye.


    "My dear, you are just as beautiful now as they day I first laid eyes on you," whispered Tom, pulling her into a hug.


    Gia glanced up at her father''s face, and saw his eyes open and seeing for the first time in her life. They were a delightful blue color that she was sure wasn''t natural, but at least the lines on his face were gone as well.


    "It is done. I will have one of the shadowborn escort you through the cleft, to the lands beyond our home."


    Vonn nodded to him, thanking him softly, as tears streamed down Gia''s face. Her father could see!

 53 Chapter 53 Needle Teeth Swarm

    \"It is good that you can all see once again, but this trip will be a long one,\" explained the tall lizard that was to escort them through the mountain cleft these lizard people called home.


    Gia had managed not to stare at the lizard''s dark scales or the bright red patch around its neck, but her father had no such qualms.


    \"What is the significance of the red mark on your neck?\" asked Tom, blinking several times as he tilted his head to see the red spot easier.


    \"They signify that my body is ready to mate. Do not worry, human male, I have decided not to lay eggs at this time. You need not worry about it,\" said the lizard, waving her hand as if it was nothing.


    Tom nodded, but Gia caught a worried glance from Vonn.


    \"What sorts of obstacles will we need to expect on our trip through the cleft?\" asked Gia, tightening the straps on her bag as everyone gathered around the lizard.


    \"The only creatures you will need to watch out for are the needle teeth packs that run among the thick foliage in the base of the cleft. When overwhelmed, they can strip an animal to the bone in minutes. If cornered, they can also zap their perceived threat to dissuade it from attacking. If you get zapped enough times, from enough of them, it can knock you out and put you at risk of being overwhelmed.\"


    Carla covered her mouth in horror, glancing at Mikey who was bent over showing Sprout a caterpillar that was crawling across the ground.


    \"I''m sure we will be able to avoid those, are there any other obstacles we will need to overcome?\" asked Tom, giving Carla a look of reassurance, that she missed because he was to her left.


    \"There will be a waterfall we will need to get past. The river that runs to and after the waterfall is very dangerous. The safest place to traverse it is over the top of the falls itself. You will be able to see the great world tree from the falls, a sight that no other human has ever been graced with being able to see,\" said the lizard, as if this was something significant.


    Carla turned to Tom, looking worried, but once she saw the look of reassurance on his face, she calmed down. Gia nodded her thanks to the lizard and turned to Vonn, who was getting Mikey up off the ground.


    \"Shall we be off?\" asked the lizard before turning away to lead them out of the village.


    Tom took Carla''s arm tightly as they went to leave, since she still wasn''t steady walking with having lost one eye. Vonn had to pick Mikey up and put him on his shoulders to keep him from showing Sprout everything.


    As the village disappeared behind them, Gia kept her eyes on the underbrush around them uneasily, not sure exactly how big the needle packs were. She would have to keep a good eye out for them. There was no way she was going to lose anyone, being this close to home. They only had to cross the plains on the other side of the mountains, to reach the human lands.


    \"This is so hard!\" complained Carla to Tom.


    \"I think it probably would have been easier to lose your entire sight, rather than just one eye. You have to adjust so much,\" consoled Tom, holding her arm tightly as she almost tripped over a branch she hadn''t seen.


    \"There will be a time of adjustment, but I assure you, you will adapt,\" said the lizard, glancing back at them.


    They broke through some bushes, not too much further ahead, and stopped short at the shear cliff that was before them. Carla whimpered and clung to Tom, hiding her face in his chest.


    \"Wow! You can see so far from up here!\" exclaimed Mikey. \"Look Sprout! You can see the waterfall from here!\"


    Gia looked out over the valley they were in, marveling at how beautiful it was. She could see lizardmen everywhere, climbing the cliffs and running along the river below them. Some were even fishing. By ignoring the sheer drop before her, she was able to appreciate the space these lizards lived in, but a realization came to her. With the way they were spread out, it was impossible to imagine them being able to sneak through the valley as the elves had suggested. Of course, the magical necklaces helped.


    \"So, we will be traveling along this ridge all the way to the waterfalls?\" asked Vonn.


    \"Yes. It is the quickest route out of the cleft,\" said the lizard, turning to continue along the edge of the cliff.


    \"Look! There''s some tiny little lizards that are glowing blue!\" laughed Mikey, pointing ahead of them.


    They all turned to see a swarm of needle teeth blocking the path ahead of them. Gia watched as the shadowborn lizard that was leading them, grabbed a branch and swung it at the lead lizards. They scattered, but gathered back together, snapping and snarling.


    \"They''re the dangerous needle teeth, right?\" asked Carla, sounding faint.


    \"Yes. If I can get them to spook, they''ll run off and we can get away from here,\" said their guide, gritting her teeth as she swung at the swarm again with her stick, knocking several off the cliff.


    The screams of the falling lizards seemed to agrivate the rest of the swarm, causing their frills to rise along the backs of their heads and they started chittering and making high pitched chirps. Gia could see the flicker of bright blue arcs of electricity jumping between them as they milled around the bend in the path ahead of them.


    \"They should not be acting this way,\" growled the lizard, glancing further ahead, to see if there was anything there. \"Take this stick and keep them at bay. They should not charge you. I need to see if there is something ahead making them think they are trapped.\"


    Gia took the stick the lizard shoved into her hands and watched as she slipped away into the thick brush beside them. The swarm of lizards, that stood on two legs as little dinosaurs, eyed her. Their frills started to lower and the electrical flickering died down. She stood her ground, watching the lizards, but not making any move to swing the stick at them.


    \"They''re actually kind of cute,\" said her mother softly.


    \"I don''t intend to try and capture one for you to have as a pet,\" said Gia lightly, in a gentle tone so as not to spook them.


    \"Do you want me to swap places with you?\" asked Vonn, moving to set Mikey down.


    \"No, you keep Mikey safe. I''m fine,\" said Gia, not taking her eyes off the swarm that was watching her carefully.


    A few of the lizards stepped forward, as if to test her resolve, and she found herself reaching into her pocket for some of the dried meat she had left. It wasn''t much, but if she could convince these things she didn''t mean them any harm, maybe they could get around them without any problems. Before she could lean down to give the food to them, there was a loud crash on the other side, and a large tree was flying off into the air. A loud cry went out, and she saw every lizard person in the valley turn to see what was going on. The swarm wasted no time in running back off into the underbrush, leaving the path clear.


    The shadowborn lizard reappeared on the path, waving for them to come to her. \"A tree had fallen, and it was big enough they couldn''t jump over it. I moved it, allowing them to escape, and us to continue.\"


    Gia glanced over the edge of the cliff, seeing the tree far below them, having crushed several smaller trees and causing a small partial dam to the river below.


    \"Let''s go,\" said Vonn, touching her arm as he passed.


    She nodded and turned away from the edge. Memories of the fall danced in her head, and she couldn''t help but glance around to make sure Llewel wasn''t there. She knew the elf was dead, but goosebumps danced along her arms with his memory.


    Climbing up a small rock fall took time as Carla hesitated and Tom coaxed her up. Gia watched as he patiently helped her mom place each foot, and remembered how Vonn had done that for her when they fell against the vines.


    Glancing at him, she saw he was watching her and quickly looked away in embarrassment. She could hear his chuckle moments before he wrapped his arms around her.


    \"What ever is the problem, my dear wife?\" he asked with a mischievous grin.


    \"Oh you!\" she laughed, wrapping her arms around him as well. They were all safe and sound, her dad had his sight back, and they were almost back to the human lands, where they could build a new home. Life was good!

 54 Chapter 54 The Falls

    The rocks were becoming more and more slippery as they climbed higher to the top of the waterfall. This meant their speed was cut down more and more as Tom struggled not to get distracted with the many rainbows that were glistening everywhere and as Carla struggled with losing her eyesight in one eye.


    Gia was keeping a close watch on Mikey, who kept wanting to stop and let Sprout see the rainbows, too.


    \"Mikey, keep Sprout in his pouch until we''re on the other side of the waterfall, or he may get lost and fall into the waters. You don''t want to lose him, do you?\" asked Gia, frustrated that he wouldn''t keep moving.


    \"Gia, he''s just as excited as the rest of us, at being in such a beautiful place,\" said Tom, admiring another rainbow.


    \"Dad! This isn''t the place or time to be excited about beauty!\" complained Gia. \"This is a very dangerous place! If anyone slips, they will fall into the waterfall and die! We need to keep going!\"


    \"She''s right, dear,\" panted Carla, as she rested against a wet and slimy rock. \"These rocks are very slippery, and none of us are very good at climbing with heights.\"


    Tom''s head snapped up as he realized she was afraid of heights, and quickly made his way to her side. \"I''m sorry! I totally forgot. Are you doing alright?\"


    \"Not really, but I haven''t stopped yet,\" she said, a shake to her voice as she tried to smile at him.


    Mikey sighed and slipped Sprout back into his pouch, before reaching for the next rock to keep climbing. The pouch swung out, away from his body, and banged against a rock. His head jerked back and Gia barely managed to catch him as he crumbled, falling back away from the rocks they were climbing.


    \"Mikey! Vonn, something''s wrong with Mikey!\" she screamed, clutching her lifeless brother in her arms as she clung to the rocks.


    \"Gia, calm down,\" said Vonn, moving over to see what was wrong. \"I''m sure he''ll be fine. Here, let me have him.\"


    She gratefully let Vonn take the boy, and followed close behind as he finished the last of the climb to the top of the falls. Concern had Tom and Carla reaching the top at the same time. The dark colored lizardfolk was watching from a distance, having reached the top a long time ago and was lazily waiting for them to make their way to the top as well.


    Vonn lay Mikey down and checked his breathing.


    \"Did something bite him? Like a snake or a spider?\" asked Carla clutching her shirt.


    \"No, there''s no marks on him,\" said Vonn, examining the boy''s fingers and hands.


    \"Did he bump his head?\" asked Tom, rubbing Carla''s shoulders.


    \"Not that I recall,\" said Gia, shaking her head. \"I told him to put Sprout up and to get back to climbing. The pouch hit the rock when he did, and then he fell. Do you think it''s because Sprout hit the rock?\"


    \"There''s one way to see,\" said Vonn, gently opening the pouch and pulling the limp green Limcheez from its pouch.


    As he turned it over, they saw a small bump protruding from the back of its head.


    \"Could he really be bonded to it that closely?\" asked Tom in wonder, his eyes darting back and forth between the small creature and the boy.


    \"The elves seemed to think so,\" said Vonn, gently sliding the small furry body back into the pouch and tucking it into Mikey''s shirt. \"I''m going to carry him, and we''ll see it he gets any better. I don''t think there''s really anything else we can do.\"


    Gia nodded and watched as Vonn picked the boy up in a princess carry, being careful not to harm the Limcheez further. It terrified her that any injuries the thing received could carry over to her brother. What if it was killed? Would he die as well?


    \"The water rushes very fast across the rocks, making them slippery, but it is very shallow. If you go slow and carefully, you should be able to make it across the falls without any problems. I have two ropes. One I will tie here, to this large rock, and take the other end to the other side to attach to that large rock over there. The other rope I will cut into pieces and tie around each of you, so you are attached to the first rope. We do this to our young when it is time for them to learn to cross the falls for the first time. If you slip, rather than falling to your death, you will be caught by the ropes and can be pulled to safety,\" explained the lizard as she tied the first rope around the rock, and then tied each of them to it.


    \"Whoever comes last, will need to detach the rope from the rock and tie their rope to the end of it. It would be best if it were someone smaller, so if they slip, we can pull them up easier,\" added the lizard, eyeing Gia.


    With a sigh, Gia nodded her understanding, and watched as the lizard tied her end of the rope to the loop of rope that went around the rock. She didn''t like the idea of going last, and possibly not having the safety of the rope to stop her from going over the falls, but she wasn''t going to volunteer anyone else for the job. It was already going to be hard enough for her parents and Vonn had Mikey to carry.


    They all watched as the lizard seemed to skip across the waters, not being bothered by them at all, and then tied the rope to the rock on the other side. Vonn nodded to himself, and took a breath before stepping out into the water. It immediately rushed over his boots, pushing against his feet and dragging him closer to the edge.


    \"We should take off our boots,\" suggested Carla, watching as Vonn fought back several times before finally making it to the other side.


    \"That looks like a good idea,\" agreed Tom, as the rest of them all got to work taking off their boots and socks.


    The rock under her feet was warm from the sun, and slightly damp from the mist, but Gia didn''t mind. She knew that water was going to be very cold, and wasn''t looking forward to it.


    Carla and Tom chose to go together, to help hold each other up as the water pushed and tugged on them, trying to throw them off the top of the falls. A large fish, half as long as Carla was tall, came swooping along the waters, hitting her feet out from under her, and knocking her off the edge.


    Tom gave a shout as she was ripped from his grasp, and stood there in shock, staring at the edge where she had disappeared. Gia screamed at him, and he shook his head, grabbing the rope that was attached to her. Gia went to run out and help, but was jerked back when she realized she was tied to the end of the rope.


    Vonn waved at her, and stepped back out into the water. Gia could barely see the splashing from her mother fighting against the stream of water, as Tom struggled to pull her up without getting swept over himself. As soon as Vonn reached them, he helped pull her up, soaking wet and sputtering. Gia watched in relief as they all made their way to the other side and fell down in exhaustion. It was her turn.


    Pulling the loop of rope off the rock, she double checked to make sure her rope around her waist was securely attached to it, before starting her way across the water. It was every bit as cold as she expected, almost making her jerk her foot back when she initially touched the water. Gritting her teeth, she forced her other foot into the water, and began to make her way across the waterfalls.


    The loud churning of the water far below called to her as she reached halfway. The extra rope was being pulled by the lizard, and being wrapped around the rock on the other side. That way if she fell, she wouldn''t fall as far. Keeping half an eye on the river to her left, in case another big fish came to swoop her off the edge, Gia made sure to plant each foot firmly before easing her weight onto it.


    She was so focused on making sure she didn''t slip, she almost screamed when Vonn grabbed her and pulled her into a bear hug when she reached the other side.


    \"You all did well,\" said the lizard, taking off all of the ropes. \"We always loose at lease one young one when we attempt this, as the ropes around the middle don''t always hold well. The strength of the water can often cause the ropes to untie.\"


    As the lizard turned away to place the coiled ropes in a hollow formed specifically for that purpose, their eyes all met in horror. Gia was glad the lizard hadn''t told them that before they went to cross the waters. None of them might have tried it otherwise.

 55 Chapter 55 A Change of Perspective

    Gia sat on the rock overlooking the rocks and dreading the upcoming climb down. Vonn was hefting Mikey onto his back, with her father''s help, and they were tying the boy in place until he woke up, so that Vonn''s hands would be free. Carla kept fretting over them, basically getting in the way, but Gia was having a hard time caring. She was so tired. Both of her parents were acting like children, and she wasn''t sure she had the strength to keep going. Her determination was starting to fade in light of their constant state of danger and impending doom, and she wasn''t sure they would ever reach an end to the journey.


    "If you look just right, towards that highest cliff, you can see the branches of the great world tree," said their lizard escort, pointing further south over the mountains.


    Gia squinted against the bright sunlight, trying to see what the lizard what trying to show her, but shook her head.


    "I guess that cloud is blocking my view," she said, sadly. It figured, with everything else, that even this would be taken from her.


    The lizard just chuckled and said, "That isn''t a cloud, that is the tree."


    Gia''s eyes widened as the lizard''s words sunk in, and she stood up to take in the sheer size that she was seeing.


    "But that can''t be right! How can it be so big?" she exclaimed.


    "It is far away, almost a year''s journey to reach, and half of that time, it''s great branches obscure the sky from view. I have never made the trip, but I have been told only the most skilled survive the trip, and many decide to never return."


    Gia glanced at the lizard, and saw a look of yearning on her face that she remembered having when they had first started out on this trek of survival. Thinking of how she had felt when she was filled with determination to keep her family together and safe, she just sighed.


    "There are so few things to yearn for in the short lives we are given. Do you not yearn for something?" asked the lizard.


    "I want to be done with this trip. I want to have a nice house to have babies and raise my children. I don''t want to have to worry about my parents falling and getting hurt, or my little brother tripping and being attacked by some monster."


    "Worrying about things, doesn''t make those things go away, or not happen. It only causes heaviness on your spirit," said the lizard. "Why worry about things you cannot control? Perhaps it would be better to place one foot in front of the other, to do the things you can in the moment that presents itself, than to worry about the danger that hasn''t presented itself yet."


    "But how can you be prepared for such a danger, if you don''t worry about it?" asked Gia.


    "I am prepared for anything that may happen, because I train my body and mind constantly. Not because I worry about what might happen if I don''t." The lizard tilted her head at Gia, to see if she understood.


    "How do you train your body and mind?" asked Gia softly, her eyes darting towards her family, who were almost ready to continue.


    "I will show you as we travel, but you must watch me carefully."


    Gia nodded, standing up and brushing her pants off. Keeping an eye on the lizard, instead of her parents, she saw how the lizard descended the rocks as if they were nothing more than stepping stones in her path. Shaking her head, Gia knew she would not be climbing down this cliff like that! What if she slipped? She would get scraped and banged up, maybe break something or even die!


    Vonn was slowly starting to make his descent, placing his feet and hands carefully, to keep himself from slipping on the wet rocks, and her parents were also making their way carefully.


    The lizard had said to train her body and mind. Her mind told her she might get hurt, because her body wasn''t capable of doing the task, she had witnessed the lizard do. So, she must need to train her body to be able to do things, so her mind wouldn''t tell her she couldn''t do it. Taking a breath, Gia started her descent as well, but she forced herself to stretch and move in ways that she knew she could do, without putting herself at risk, while telling herself she could do this.


    She was so focused on trying to improve herself, she almost missed when her mother slipped beside her. Gia''s hand shot out, without a second thought, and grabbed her mother''s wrist, keeping her from falling.


    "Oh! Gia! Thank goodness you were there!" exclaimed her mother with a wide smile, before returning to climbing.


    Gia remained there for a moment, staring at her hand, wondering where that had come from. She hadn''t even noticed her mother was slipping before she was reacting.


    When they reached the bottom, the lizard merely blinked, before turning to resume leading them along the path, watching for the dangerous needleteeth. Had she seen her save her mom? Was it because she was trying to improve herself, or not? Gia was so confused, but decided it didn''t hurt to improve herself.


    Watching the lizard as they made their way down, she saw that the lizard was walking toe first, then heel. Did that make a difference? Was it because she was a lizard, or did it give her an advantage if she needed to spring into action?


    "We will follow this ridge, along the entire valley, until we leave the mountains. It will keep us out of the deeply wooded areas, and away from the rivers that crisscross the floor of the valley. We shall be able to see anything that threatens us easier, and won''t have as much issues with bugs, since your skin is so thin and fragile," said the lizard as they all paused at a branch in the path they were following.


    "That sounds good," said Carla, scratching several bug bites she had already gotten.


    "When do you think we will reach a camping spot?" asked Tom, pulling the straps of his bag tighter and looking out over the forested valley below.


    "Not too much longer, I think," said the lizard, looking ahead thoughtfully. "There are several good spots to stop, but the one I prefer may be too far to today. We shall see how late it is when we reach the first."


    "Where are we?" asked Mikey, groggy. "Can I get down? I need to pee!"


    Gia helped Vonn quickly until the boy, and then laughed and helped him stand when his legs wanted to buckle from being tied so long.


    Vonn helped him get his pants down before he wet himself, while Gia held him up, but it was all pretty funny. Even Mikey was laughing by the end, as they struggled to get his pants back up.


    "Why are my legs so rubbery? It feels like they''re getting eaten by ants!" laughed Mikey, as he struggled to stand.


    Once he was able to stand and keep up, they resumed their march along the mountain trail, with Carla filling him in on what all had happened since he got hit in the head. When he heard that Sprout had caused him to pass out, Mikey quickly pulled the small creature out to make sure it was alright.


    Reaching a clearing overlooking a large lake below them, the lizard paused, looking around.


    "I think we will stop here for the night. You do not seem to have the stamina our young do, so I will not push you."


    "Thank you," panted Tom, settling onto a rock. "Being able to see lets me move more, and this old body doesn''t seem to enjoy that."


    "Are you calling yourself old?" asked Carla, sitting down next to him after taking off her pack.


    "I''ll gather wood for a fire," said Vonn, heading for a small stand of trees just down the path a few feet.


    "How are you doing?" asked Gia, sitting next to Mikey. Her body was sore and tired, but she wasn''t sure if it was from trying to push herself, or just from the normal walking. Was all of this even worth it?


    "I feel tired, even though I know I wasn''t walking much. I still can''t believe I missed the waterfall! We were supposed to be able to see the world tree!" he pouted, holding his Limcheez in his hands.


    "It could be from bumping your head, er, Sprouts head. And the world tree wasn''t really that awesome. It hung in the sky like a giant cloud," said Gia, trying to downplay how awesome it had been.


    "A tree that looked like a cloud?" he asked, confused.


    "Well, it was so big in the sky, I thought it was a cloud until I was told it was the cloud. It didn''t look like a cloud, just that it filled the sky," she said, trying to make herself clearer, and only making it worse.


    "I still wish I could have seen it," he pouted.


    "Well, you can probably see it when we get out of the mountains. Until then, want to help me set up the tent before Vonn gets back?"


    The grin on his face cheered her up, and Gia hoped the odd feelings she had before were gone for good.

 56 Chapter 56 Not On The Menu Today

    Gia sat next to Mikey, watching him feed Sprout, when she noticed Vonn stand up from where he had been sitting next to Tom and head her way.


    "Mikey, could you come here, please?" called Tom, waving for the boy to come over.


    "Okay!" responded Mikey, gathering his food and Sprout up to moved over next to his father.


    "Gia," whispered Vonn, once Mikey was gone. "Come with me. I found this beautiful spot I would love to show you."


    He held out his hand to her and with her heart in her throat she accepted it. After all, they were married now, right? Surely whatever he had planned would be alright¡­


    They sneaked around the rest of her family, who were being carefully watched by the lizard who was escorting them through the valley rift to the other side of the mountains.


    "Where are we going?" she asked, looking up at the dark trees around them.


    "I saw this spot on the edge of the cliff that had a beautiful view while I was collecting wood, and I wanted to show it to you," he insisted, squeezing her hand with a small smile.


    "Okay," she managed, struggling to keep up with his quick steps away from the others.


    Could there be another reason he was dragging her away into the dark? Her heart was speeding up at the thought. Surely, he didn''t want to consummate the wedding? They had both agreed to wait until they reached their destination, so she didn''t have to travel while pregnant, but could he have gotten impatient? It was taking a really long time to travel¡­


    As they finally broke through the thick brush, she barely managed to keep from squeaking in surprise at the open view before them. There was barely a foot of rock between them and the edge of the cliff.


    "See?" he exclaimed in excitement. His whole face was lit up as he waved at the view before them.


    Tearing her eyes away from his face, Gia glanced out at the wide expanse and her breath left her all at once. It was gorgeous!


    There was just enough light from the full moon to illuminate the forest and river below them. The mountains in the distance gave a dark backdrop to the valley that perfectly framed the view. The stars winked at her, as if admonishing her for her thoughts getting here. She was glad it was too dark for him to see her blush of embarrassment. Maybe it was taking her too long to get home, but he obviously wasn''t planning on doing anything naughty as she had thought.


    Pulling her down to sit with him on the edge, he grinned at her while holding her hand. "Isn''t it beautiful? It was even better in the light, with the sunset colors reflected in the river below."


    "It is beautiful," she agreed quietly.


    "What''s wrong?" he asked, taking her chin in his other hand and turning her to face him. "You''ve been really quiet every since we left the falls. Are you feeling alright?"


    "I¡­" she began, but stopped. How could she tell him that she had been struggling with a feeling of not being good enough every since they had left the falls? That the trip was taking so long, she felt it was taking forever. That she just wanted to be somewhere they could have a home and start a family and not be walking on and on every day. How could she tell him that she had been trying to make herself a better person by copying a lizard? Even in her head, it sounded weird and crazy. Maybe she was losing her mind.


    With a sigh, she looked down at their clasped hands and asked, "Are you sure you''re okay marrying me?"


    "What?" he cried with a laugh, before realizing she was speaking the truth. "How could you even think to ask that? I''ve been by your side as often as I possibly could, from the moment we first met as kids. Do you remember the trouble we got into running away from the city guards?"


    "Do you mean the time they tried to follow us past the pig pens, or the time we ended up stealing one of their horses by accident?" she asked with a small smile, remembering both times.


    "I would have kept that horse, if it hadn''t been so striking in its colors. It was a fantastic beast," laughed Vonn.


    "I was thinking today, while we were at the falls, how this trip just seems to keep going on and on. My dad has got his sight back, and my mom can walk without pain, but she''s lost sight in one eye, and Mikey''s bonded to a creature that could get him killed if it gets hurt. I wonder if maybe this is all getting to a be a little too much for me¡­" she tried to explain.


    "Oh, my Giavanna," he whispered, pulling her into a hug. "Don''t you worry so much! We''ll get to our home eventually, and I''ll build us a huge house when we get there."


    "One big enough, that my parents have a room on the opposite side of the house from ours?" she asked with a small smile, remembering his words from earlier.


    "Of course! You don''t think I want to hear your dad commenting about things, now do you?" he asked, looking mock insulted.


    "Oh? And what things would that be?" she asked, half egging him on. Was she the one wanting to hurry things along? Her heart was starting to beat faster again, and her face pinkened in the dark.


    "Oh, you!" he laughed, repeating a phrase she and her mother used often, and it surprised her so much, she broke out laughing too.


    "I don''t want you to ever change, Giavanna. I love you just the way you are."


    His words brought to mind her decision to make herself stronger both physically and mentally. Maybe she didn''t need to get stronger, but just to be reminded how strong she already was. Turning to him, she threw both arms around him with a laugh and clung to him tightly.


    Vonn grabbed her and leaned back, to keep the two of them from slipping over the edge, laughing as she held him tightly.


    "Thank you so much for this Vonn! You have no idea how much I needed a moment to just clear my head and¡­ and remind myself what was important!"


    "Oh, my Giavanna! You are the most important thing to me! I know that your family is very important to you, but you will always be my number one! Please don''t ever hesitate to come to me when you feel down, or troubled," he said, tucking a stray strand of her hair behind her ear as she pulled back just enough to look up into his eyes.


    "We should probably get back soon, so we don''t miss out on eating supper," she finally said, after several more minutes of sitting with him.


    They stood up, taking turns to brush the dirt and debris from each other''s backsides, before turning back to the much darker forest to return to the others.


    "Um," said Vonn after a few moments of walking, glancing back behind them and then all around. "I think we should go that way."


    "Don''t tell me the big wood cutter has lost his way in the woods," she teased as they turned to head towards the others, but after a few moments, he paused again, and a frown creased his perfect face.


    "Don''t get mad at me if I tell you I''m lost," he said, turning around to look all around them. "I guess I was a little distracted being with you that I must have missed the turn to go back with the others."


    "Well, let''s just go back the way we''ve come, and we should find our way again," she suggested, not worried just yet.


    After several turns and back tracking, they finally stopped and looked all around, trying to listen to see if they could hear the others, but there were only the nighttime noises of the forest all around them.


    "I didn''t think these trees were that big," said Gia, finally starting to worry a little.


    A snap beside them caused them both to jump and swing over to look at what was approaching them. A small, adorable lizard child was approaching them cautiously, brandishing a spear.


    With a feeling of relief, Gia and Vonn made their way in the direction the lizard child was guiding them. A few moments later, they broke out of the brush and found themselves at the campsite. However, when the lizard child saw their escort, he seemed to deflate and tried to run away. Their lizard chased him down and brought him back.


    "What were you doing in the forest with my humans?" she demanded, holding the child up by the scruff of its neck.


    "I wasn''t sure if they were edible or not," he finally admitted, crossing his arms.


    "They very much are, and if cooked right, are delicious, but these are mine," said the lizard that was escorting them. "Find your own!"

 57 Chapter 57 Parenting 101L

    Gia and Vonn stuck close to the group the next day, not wanting to risk danger like they had the night before. Her interest in learning how to improve herself had waned, but she still kept a close eye on the lizard in case she did anything that might be worth noting.


    A rustle up ahead had them all pausing in apprehension. A large lizardman jumped onto the path before them and stood slowly, looking over each of them.


    "Slavok, why are you escorting these humans instead of killing them?" he asked, tilting his head to the side.


    Gia swallowed in dread, as the sun sparkled off his blue tinted scales. He still had what looked like blood under his claws.


    "Tiktok, what news do you have of the Edge?" asked their escort, Slavok.


    "Well, since you ask, a storm is blowing in from the south, you can''t hardly see the Great Tree at the moment, and the Skeleton Mammoth Traders have been spotted. If you keep going at the crawl you''re moving at, you''ll miss them," he said with a low growl, baring his teeth.


    "It can''t be helped, the Witchdoctor ordered me to escort the humans to the Edge. If there were some way to get there faster, I''m open to hear your ideas," she responded, ignoring the looks that Gia was sharing with Vonn and her family.


    "I could grab a few of my buddies and we could carry them?" he offered, scratching his chin.


    Slavok glanced back at them for a moment, then turned back to him. "Do you think you can promise me that none of your buddies will harm them? That includes scaring them to death."


    Tiktok laughed out loud. "I''ll see what I can do. I''ll be in touch!"


    Before Slavok could say anything more, he ran at the cliff and jumped off. Carla gasped, as Gia rushed to see Tiktok spread two flaps he had on either side, and glided down to the edge of the river, flipping over in the air and landed with one knee and one hand down, before racing off into the trees.


    "This cleft in the mountains is a playground for my people. We learn it as we grow, and continuously work to improve our abilities. Tiktok wishes to be my mate, and will do much to impress me. Escorting you through the cleft is something far below my status, but for some reason our leaders have decided you are important, so I will do this for them. If he can come up with a way to get you to the Edge quicker, I will accept it. This will please him, but it is wearisome to escort humans who are worse than younglings through the whole cleft."


    "That will please Tiktok," said Gia carefully. "Do you plan to let him be your mate?"


    "I may, but there are many suitable in the cleft. I will probably hold a race and whoever catches me, we shall consummate our mating in a wild frenzy," growled Slavok with a wide grin, clasping her fist at the thought.


    Gia took a breath at her words and slowly let them out, her face burning at the freedom of what she had said. These lizard people were incredibly crude! She turned to continue along the path and bumped into Vonn. Glancing up at him with an eep!, brought an even darker shade of red to her face and she stared at the ground furiously as she darted around him and continued walking. Why did he have to be standing so close behind her?


    "Walking so fast makes me think you want to be caught," laughed Vonn, causing both her parents to chuckle too.


    Why did they all have to be so mean?! She couldn''t bare to make a sound, because it would probably come out as another squeak!


    "What''s wrong with Gia?" asked Mikey to someone behind her.


    "She''s embarrassed," answered Clara, sounding amused.


    "What''s she embarrassed about?" asked Mikey, sounding perplexed.


    Gia could imagine his face all scrunched up as he tried to understand what was going on.


    "It would seem she wishes to be mated with that male, and is uncertain of her desires," said Slavok in amusement. "It is common in the very young, who are unskilled in the act of mating. Perhaps you will experience this when you are older and have found someone you wish to mate with."


    "Mate with?" asked Mikey as Gia gaped in shock. "What does that mean?"


    "Don''t!" cried Gia, spinning around as panic overwhelmed her.


    Everyone stopped short, surprised at her reaction.


    "Mikey is still innocent! I want to keep him that way as long as possible!" she said, fighting for a reason to end the line of conversation.


    "But he is a young male and needs to know these things if he is ever to father any brood. Do you not wish for him to father children?" asked Slavok in confusion. "Every child must learn these things to become adults."


    "Yes, he must learn these things, but I don''t think he needs to know them now," argued Gia, her heart beating furiously.


    "Are you his parent, to decide this?" asked Slavok, eyeing her carefully.


    "She might as well be," sighed Carla. "It has been very difficult for Tom and I to do a proper job raising him without her help."


    "Ah, that makes more sense. There is a confusion of roles in this family group. That can happen in times of great duress. Perhaps when you have a chance to build a proper nest, the roles will straighten themselves out."


    "What?" asked Mikey, looking around at everyone in even more confusion.


    "That means," said Vonn with a chuckle as he ruffled Mikey''s hair, "That you''ll figure it out later, when you''re older."


    "Oh," grunted Mikey, his eyes drooping in annoyance. "Why didn''t I think of that?"


    "Don''t worry, young one, I''m sure a day will come when you have young of your own and you will have the dilemma of when to teach them things. I would suggest you find a good strong mate who can bear you many young. I don''t think your kind lays eggs," said Slavok.


    Gia swung back around, her face burning in embarrassment, even more than before, and hitched her backpack higher.


    "No, we aren''t chickens," laughed Mikey.


    "Mikey, I believe Lizard people do lay eggs," said Tom quietly.


    "Really?" exclaimed Mikey. "How big are they? Are the shells hard like a chicken egg or soft like a snake egg? Do they get bigger or are your babies really small when they hatch?"


    "Our eggs are normally about as big as your newborn babes. They don''t get any bigger as the babe inside grows. The shell is not as fragile as that of a bird or snake. They are much harder to open, which is why our babes are born with sharp bones on their noses, to help cut through the shell when they are ready to emerge," explained Slavok, thinking about each sentence before stating it.


    "Wow, that''s neat! I wish I could see one of the eggs," said Mikey.


    "That is not likely. When we lay our eggs, it is in a hidden location, that is guarded fiercely until the babes are hatched. Only then are they brought to the village for all to see."


    "That''s fascinating," said Tom. "How long does it take for them to hatch?"


    "Anywhere from six to nine months, depending on what time of year they are laid and the weather."


    "Wouldn''t it be better to lay your eggs in the middle of the village, to better protect them?" asked Carla, clutching her shirt in horror.


    "Perhaps if we wanted every babe born to survive, but by having them in seclusion, it allows the mother to cull any who are born wrong. That way there is none to decry the mother for malformed children. All babes must be strong and fit to survive in our world. If they are sick or weakly, they will only be a burden. Better to let them die in the egg than to coddle them their whole life."


    "That''s horrible!" exclaimed Gia. "Perhaps if you took better care of the child, while it was in the egg, it might not hatch malformed! How do you know that child won''t grow up strong and be the best hunter, or whatever, your village ever has?"


    "There are some mother''s who do not have the will to kill their children when they are born weak, and often, those children will die in childhood, having taken food from the mouths of others who were not weak. It is very rare to have a child born ill and make it to adulthood, but those who do, often become our witchdoctors and leaders. They are not suited to much else, and thus gain the weakest positions in our society."


    "Your leaders are the weakest positions?" asked Vonn.


    Slavok laughed. "They may be strong in mind, but they are weak in body. If I had to fight anyone in the entire cleft, and be expected to win, I would choose our leaders every time. That does not mean I don''t follow what they tell me to do, as they use their strength to better our village. That does not mean I will bring any of my babes that are born wrong back to the village. I will eat them first!"


    "Don''t worry," said Tom. "I don''t think you could be capable of having babies that were born wrong."


    "Ah, spoken like a true leader," laughed Slavok.

 58 Chapter 58 Death Cliff

    "I almost wish I could stay here and take care of all the poor babies that you plan to kill or eat," said Carla, holding her shirt front tightly.


    "What would you do with them when they are grown and unable to care for you in your old age?" asked Slavok curiously.


    "I would take care of them until the day I died!" said Carla, standing up taller.


    "And once you were dead, who would care for them? They would have no skills useful to our people if raised by you, and would end up starving to death without your constant care," said Slavok, waving a hand dismissively. "It doesn''t matter, no mother of my clan would hand over a baby that should be killed. And if you arrived back to your people with a child from my clan, it would be certain your people would not accept you back. Come, let''s see how far we can get before Tiktok returns with his friends."


    They walked in silence for another hour, each of them thinking about the poor babies doomed to die, when Tiktok landed before them with a small cloud of dust billowing up around him.


    "I have found enough others who are willing to help you with your task, Slavok," he grinned, dipping his head down in anticipation of her appreciation.


    "Remember, Tiktok, they must all arrive well and alive to the edge, or I will hunt you down and kill you slowly," growled Slavok, tilting her head to look at the other large males who had followed Tiktok back.


    Gia swallowed her heart, that had jumped up into her throat, and glanced over at Vonn uncertainly. This was not in the agreement to be escorted and she was terrified what might happen. Especially with Mikey, since he would be killed if anything happened to his new pet.


    "Don''t worry, little human, none of them want me to kill them this day," said Slavok, noticing her concern.


    "Mikey," said Carla, kneeling in front of the boy as the lizardmen headed towards them. "Make sure Sprout stays in his pouch, and it is protected from any bumps! We don''t want him or you getting hurt, okay?"


    Mikey nodded quickly, and shoved his pouch deep into his shirt, tightening the string that secured the top of the pouch before buttoning the shirt up as high as it would go.


    "We will tie them to our backs, so they do not fall when we jump or run, and that will leave our arms free," said one of the darker lizardmen as he stepped in front of Gia and looked her over.


    She was so scared; she was trembling as he reached for her with a chuckle. His hands were strong and smooth, not rough like she was expecting, and they lifted her over his back, settling her in place before quickly looping several strands of rope around her. He was the first to be done securing her, and she clung to his shoulders with a mixture of fear of him, and fear of what to expect.


    "You need not fear me, little human, I will not bite you, and your grasp cannot hurt me," he chuckled, turning so his words could reach her easier.


    "This is going to be fun!" cried Mikey, a huge grin on his face.


    "Oh my," trembled Carla, as she was secured in place.


    "Just close your eyes, dear," said Tom, as he was also tied onto the back of a lizardman.


    "I won''t drop her," said the lizard that was carrying her, as if insulted.


    "She''s terribly afraid of heights," said Tom. "I don''t expect you to do anything wrong, but I love her dearly and hate to see her so frightened."


    "Afraid of heights?" asked the lizard, surprised at the idea. "If that is true, then yes, you want to keep your eyes shut. We will be moving very fast and I don''t want to hear you screaming the whole way."


    "Oh my," Carla gasped again, closing her eyes tightly as the lizard tightened her ropes even more with a shake of his head.


    "You will be carrying the big male, Tiktok?" asked Slavok curiously.


    "How else shall I impress you? Not only will I carry the biggest human for you, but I will still beat everyone to the Edge first!"


    "Then it''s a race?" asked the lizard carrying Gia.


    "A race to impress Slavok!" agreed the lizard carrying Mikey.


    "Whichever male reaches the Edge first, shall be granted permission to participate in the race to be my mate," agreed Slavok, moving over to the edge of the cliff and looking in the direction of the edge of the mountains.


    The other males quickly gathered along the edge of the cliff too, and Gia swallowed her heart again. Surely, they weren''t planning to jump? She glanced over to see the same fear reflected on everyone else''s face, except her mother, who had already closed her eyes tightly and was almost hiding her face in the lizard''s back. Mikey''s look of excitement was fading to one of fear as they did indeed prepare to jump.


    With some invisible sign, they all dived over the edge of the cliff and Gia couldn''t keep from screaming a little as the rocks below them drew closer far too fast. Holding the shoulders of the lizard with every ounce of strength she had, she felt him shift slightly, and suddenly they were swinging through the trees, using branches and vines to propel them along faster. Some had swung up onto branches and were running through the trees. It didn''t take long before they had all dropped to the ground and were dodging through the trees and running along beside the river.


    The lizard carrying Mikey dived to the side, and they all quickly turned to catch up to him, where he had started jumping and climbing back up the cliff, using the tree roots that were dangling down to swing on.


    Gia stopped being afraid, and started to anticipate where her lizard was going to jump next by which muscles he was bunching up, and was actually leaning into his swings and helping him round corners with her movements. She didn''t dare try to grab anything, as they were going far too fast to safely be able to do anything like that.


    As the edge of the mountain pass drew closer and closer, she saw that her lizard was pulling ahead of the others only slightly, and she started wanting him to win. She ducked her head down so the wind wouldn''t catch in her hair as bad, and she pulled her legs up a little, to allow him to run easier. Shifting her weight from one side to the other, helped him as well, and his lead was gaining even more.


    Another cliff was approaching and some of the lizards had slowed their pace, glancing back and forth between each other, as if seeing if everyone intended to jump again. Gia wasn''t sure what was so dangerous about this cliff over the last several they had already jumped over. Her lizard didn''t bother to glance at the others, in fact, he sped up and as they dived over the edge, her breath caught in her throat. Below them was a raging river that churned around sharp rocks and broken branches that stuck up like spikes. She knew they were going to die and fought the urge to close her eyes. As he bunched up his muscles in preparation for something, she spied a branch that reached out over the water. There was no way it would hold their weight!


    Running what would happen through her head, she realized he knew it would break as well, and relaxed a little. He was going to use the branch to slow their momentum and possibly change their direction a little. If it was enough, they wouldn''t land in the river at all.


    As his hands closed around the branch, she reached out and grabbed another branch, holding it with all her strength, and as soon as his broke, she let go. It was just enough to slow them down and allow him to land in a crouch on the shore of the water. Without a glance back, he took off running again, dodging trees until they ended and Gia found herself gazing out over a field of tall wild grasses.


    He had undone her ropes and she had walked around a little bit on her rubbery legs before any of the other lizards caught up with them. Her family had such huge looks of relief on their faces when they saw her, that she couldn''t help but smile at them.


    "You impress me, Grosgen. You shall be in my race for sure. That was an impressive move jumping from death cliff," said Slovak.


    "I had been there just this morning and knew there was a way to survive the jump with the human on my back when I reached it. But it was only because she also grabbed a branch as we fell that I was able to reach the shore. I understand why the leaders were impressed with them," Grosgen said with a wide grin, turning to look back at Gia.


    "Gia did that?" asked Vonn, standing on his wobbly legs.


    "I''m impressed!" said Tom, not bothering to try and stand. He sat under a tree with Carla and beamed at Gia.


    "I always knew my Gia was awesome!" cried Mikey, running to give her a hug.


    "You would make a good hunter if you wanted to stay and learn," said Slovak.


    "No, thank you. My family is too important to me, besides," said Gia, turning to look across the grassland, "We''re almost home."

 59 Chapter 59 Wayward Traders

    "It would be best if you were to travel with the traders," said Slovak, sending the male lizardmen away.


    "Why is that?" asked Vonn, sitting with Gia and her parents under the shade of the trees.


    "There are many venomous snakes in the grass that would kill you humans quickly if you were to get bitten. The traders travel in the skeletons of great dead elephants, that keep them high above the strike range of the snakes," explained their former escort. "The traders will be here by tomorrow, as they were seen earlier today from the watchtowers. It would be best if you consider what you could trade with them for passage, as they will not accept you for free."


    "I suppose that is a good idea," said Tom, glancing around. "They are traders after all. Do you know how far they travel across the grasslands?"


    "They will only go as far as the great tribes of the Orcs. The halflings do not care for them, because of their modes of transport."


    "I suppose it would be grisly to see elephant skeletons walking about," said Carla. "How big are elephants? Are they larger than horses?"


    "You will see when they arrive," said Slovak. "I am leaving now, as I have completed my task for the leaders."


    Gia watched the lizard disappear into the trees, and listened as the birds around them started singing shortly after.


    "Gia, if you can find some good chunks of wood, I can carve some small trinkets that might work to pay for our passage," said Tom pulling out his carving tools from his bag. "It''s about the only thing we really have to pay for passage."


    "We have coins from the dwarves," said Gia with a frown.


    "If these traders only deal with lizardmen and orcs, then we probably don''t want them knowing we have actual coins," said Vonn, standing up. "I''ll help you look, and it will help pass the time."


    "Alright, as long as we don''t get lost like last time," she agreed with a laugh. "We don''t have Slovak to chase off the hungry lizardmen that might rescue us."


    "Can I come?" asked Mikey hopefully.


    "Sure, why not? It will keep you away from the snakes in the tall grass," said Gia with a nod.


    "Be careful," said Carla with a slightly worried look. "Now that we don''t have our lizard escort, we don''t need any trouble!"


    "Don''t worry, we''re blessed, remember?" said Vonn with a smile, tapping the amulet under his shirt.


    Returning shortly with their arms full, Gia heard Carla gasp and ran the last couple of feet to see what was wrong. Approaching, out of the distance, were 4 large bone constructs, driven by rough looking men in the breast cavity of the beasts. They spotted their group standing by the trees and turned the skeletons to walk towards them. As they got closer, Gia could see that the men were dirty, wearing long cloaks adorned with bits of bone and metal.


    "Are the bone monsters wearing armor?" asked Mikey, tilting his head to the side as they got closer.


    Gia cleared her throat as her words got stuck in her throat and finally managed, "I believe it appears to be armor, yes. And I don''t think those are just skeletons, some of that appears to be dried¡­ flesh."


    "Oh dear," whispered Carla, clutching her shirt. "I don''t think I can stand to travel inside that thing!"


    "Do we have a choice?" asked Tom, quietly. "I don''t want any of us to get bitten by snakes as we travel, and those things appear to be moving much faster than we can walk."


    "We don''t have a choice," said Vonn unhappily. "We could never carry enough water and food to get across the grasslands and I believe part of it might be wasteland, even."


    "We could try and hunt some?" suggested Mikey, looking back at Vonn.


    "Even if we were protected from the snakes with these amulets, and managed to hunt enough to stay fed, we would still not have enough water to make it across," said Gia carefully. Swallowing her bile as the grisly sight before her drew ever closer, she turned to her father and set her bundle of wood down. "I hope you can carve quickly, because they will be here very soon!"


    Tom nodded, turning his gaze away from the approaching traders and started rummaging through the wood that they were all setting in front of him. He snatched one chunk up, and after a quick look, started carving fiercely.


    "Hail!" cried one of the traders when they arrived several minutes later. "Are you looking to trade?"


    "We would," nodded Vonn, stepping forward to greet them.


    "What are you interested in?" asked another of the traders, looking over their group carefully. "We don''t normally run into humans on this side of the bowl."


    "Bowl?" asked Gia, looking at Vonn in confusion.


    "There are mountains that run all the way around this great grassland," explained the second trader. "The very middle, where the orcs live, is more wasteland because of how little rain they get there. We call this area the bowl, because of the mountains."


    "It''s a long story on how we ended up here, but we''re trying to get back to the human kingdom," said Vonn. "What would you want in exchange for travel fare?"


    "Well, that depends on what you have to offer," said the third in the group with a chuckle. "I doubt you would have much to offer the lizards, but the orcs are pretty easy to please. We only travel as far as the orcs, so if you want all the way to the human lands, you''ll have to find your own way."


    "You are all human," said Gia. "Why do you stay away from the human lands?"


    "Well, sweet thing, we''re considered outcasts because of our nice mounts here," explained the fourth and last in the group. He looked far more sinister than the other three, and Gia instinctively wanted nothing to do with him.


    "I am a skilled woodcarver," said Tom, standing to bring them the simple carving he had managed to start.


    The trader in front reached down from the elephant''s empty cavity he sat in and examined the carving carefully.


    "This isn''t bad, and you''ve only been working on it for a few minutes?" he asked, surprised.


    "That''s right," nodded Tom. "Just since I saw you appear on the horizon a few minutes ago."


    "Could you carve bone?" he asked, turning and grabbing something behind him, handing it down with the carving of wood.


    "I''ve never had a large enough bone to try," said Tom, examining the chunk of bone carefully.


    "If you can carve bone, I will carry you and your family across to the orcs," said the trader thoughtfully. "The orc love carved bones, but only if you make it into something they would recognize, like snakes and rats."


    "I can definitely try," nodded Tom again, closing his eyes to run his fingers over the bone in more detail.


    "Do the lizards know you lot are here?" asked the fourth guy, scratching his neck.


    "Yes, they are the ones who escorted us through the cleft," said Gia, glaring at the guy.


    "I''m surprised," said the second trader, looking off towards the south. "They normally eat humans that stumble this far West. You must be something of a special case. I''m going to head to the normal trading spot to see if any are waiting for us."


    "Go ahead, you know they are. When have they not spotted us?" said the first. "I''ll catch up in a bit. You know I''m running low on trades anyway, after that run in with the elephant herd."


    "It''s a good thing you had those pepper pouches, or we would have been goners," said the third, moving his ride to go around the first and follow the second.


    The fourth guy sat there for a moment, staring at them, as if he was debating on whether to ask something or not, before the first guy turned to look at him.


    "Something wrong, Geth?" asked the first, raising an eyebrow.


    "I was just thinking, Sudar. I hate to miss out on a trade, you know."


    "Do you want to take them back to the orcs for his carvings?" asked Sudar in surprise. "I would have thought you didn''t have the space after that landfall of cactus fruit a week ago."


    "The lizards will probably take most of it," mused Geth, eyeing Gia.


    "Probably, but they are also bound to have a lot of those pelts you make a killing on with the orcs. If he carves enough during the trip, you can always trade with him on the way," suggested Sudar, turning back to them.


    "You are right. I can always get what I want later," said Geth, moving off to join the others.


    Gia glanced at Vonn and was relieved to see he didn''t like Geth any more than she had.

 60 Chapter 60 Lizard Trading Grounds

    "If you can all climb up here, we''ll see if you''ll all fit, then I''ll take us over to where the lizards do all of their trading. We only stopped here because we saw you guys," explained the trader pleasantly, moving over to let them climb into the hollow area behind him.


    The elephant had leaned down so they didn''t have to climb much, but the space was really meant for storage, with a sleeping area outlined with blankets in the middle. Getting all of them to fit only worked because he didn''t have anything to really trade at the moment.


    "You''re lucky my ride here is empty, otherwise you would have been out of luck. We hit a nasty snag on the way here from the orcs that pretty much wiped out my stock, so I''m really hoping you get a lot of things carved to get me back up and running," he continued once they had all gotten somewhat settled, and the elephant had stood back up.


    They got used to the back and forth movement of the skeleton beast pretty quickly, and Mikey even managed to fall asleep leaning against one of the ribs. Gia was of the same opinion as Carla, in that she didn''t really want to touch anything that should be rotting on the ground somewhere. She did have to grudgingly admit, it did travel faster than she could walk, which would come in handy traveling across the grasslands.


    "How exactly does this skeleton work?" asked Vonn as the gathering place drew closer.


    "This skeleton was a gift from one of the witch doctors in an orc tribe that doesn''t exist any more. My buddies and I saved their tribe from stampeding elephants. They were just going to let us live, instead of killing us since we were human, but another orc tribe showed up at that point, and we were able to play them off each other to get this beauty," explained Sudar.


    "Wait, so they had an animated elephant skeleton just standing around to give to you?" asked Gia incredulously. What kind of orcs were they?


    "Oh no!" laughed Sudar. "You see, the two tribes hated each other. When the second tribe showed up, and made a big deal about the first tribe being saved by humans, we took our chance to play up how big and important we were. Afraid of losing face to the second tribe, the first one agreed with us, making us out to be big heros. The second tribe wasn''t buying it of course, so I said that the first tribe was going to reward us with something befitting our ranks as traders and heroes. The second tribe laughed of course, and asked the first tribe what that was going to be, expecting something small and insignificant. Well, the first tribe didn''t have much in the way of anything. The elephant herd had basically destroyed everything they had. I''m not sure, but I almost think the second tribe had something to do with the stampede."


    "But how did they come up with animating a skeleton?" asked Vonn.


    "Well, since they didn''t have anything to give us physically, I laughed and joked that perhaps they could provide me with a ride to be able to travel around the area in order to trade with all of the orc tribes. I was bluffing hard core by this point, and I''m pretty sure my buddies wanted to strangle me, because all they wanted was to get away from all of the big scary orcs before we were pummeled, but I was on a role and I was not about to back down. I had put on a strong front and needed to see it through, or they might have killed me just for the fun of it.


    "The first tribe huddled together, and their leaders began to talk back and forth, trying to come up with something that would not only be super impressive, but would drive away the second tribe. You see, the second tribe was there to loot anything that might have survived the stampede, and it was obvious to everyone they were a larger tribe than the first. This is very common among the orcs.


    "They finally decided to sacrifice one of their best hunters in order to allow the witch doctor to animate the skeleton and give me a ride suitable for my hero status."


    "Wait, wait, wait," said Gia, holding up a hand as they reached the trading ground and stopped outside the area reserved for Sudar. "Why would they sacrifice one of their people for this? Much less one of their best hunters?"


    "I''ll tell you later," said Sudar as several lizardfolk headed their way. "I need to trade for now. Care to climb down so I can reach what little I have left?"


    Waking Mikey, they all climbed down out of the elephant, and sat in the shade underneath it as the lizards crowded close.


    "Sudar, you bring humans for trade now?" asked one of the lizards looking over at them curiously.


    "Idiot! Those are protected humans! The leaders have declared them unfit to eat," snapped another lizard that Gia thought may have been one of the males in the race a while ago. Was he the one that carried Carla?


    "Unfit to eat? Why?" asked the first lizard, looking at them puzzled.


    "I don''t know," grumbled the second. "I just know that if you eat them, Slovak with eat you."


    "Slovak? Fine. Whatever,?? grunted the first, turning back to Sudar with his handful of trades.


    Gia relaxed finally, as the lizards conducted their trades, ignoring her and her family after that. By late that evening all of them had finished and disappeared back into the trees with their new treasures.


    "We''re probably going to wait to leave until tomorrow," said Sudar, climbing down out of his elephant and stretching his legs. "I like to let the lizards have time to come meet us, if they don''t get a chance the first day. Do you have a tent or something to sleep in? I don''t have room in the elephant for all of you to sleep in it with me."


    "We have a tent," said Vonn, taking it out of his bag and starting to unroll it.


    "Do you stop to rest every night?" asked Tom, glancing up from his carving to look at him, before turning back to the tiny elephant that was forming under his careful hand movements.


    "No, so, we''ll probably have to figure something out," said Sudar, rubbing his shaggy hair.


    "Some of them can ride with me?" suggested Geth, approaching them and glancing over towards Gia.


    "Oh, I don''t think that will be necessary," laughed Sudar, waving a hand at Geth. "My elephant is practically empty. Besides, you probably filled up with those hides I saw the lizards carrying over."


    "I did get a lot of hides," muttered Geth, glancing back at his own skeleton.


    Gia stepped over closer to Vonn, using him as a shield, as Geth drew closer, and noted the scowl that came over Geth''s face. Vonn noticed her discomfort and stood up straight, glancing over at Geth as he walked by and giving him a nod of acknowledgement to encourage the man to keep walking. Once he had passed and disappeared into the bushes, Sudar walked up to them.


    "My friend Geth doesn''t normally pay so much attention to someone. I don''t think he will actually do anything, but just in case, please don''t place yourselves in a position where any of you is alone with him, okay?" said Sudar quietly, keeping half an eye on the trees Geth had disappeared into. "I would think the most he would do would maybe show himself off to the ladies here, but otherwise he''s harmless."


    "We don''t want any trouble, Sudar. We are just grateful you are willing to allow us an opportunity to get home faster. It would be very difficult for us to walk by ourselves across this expanse of grassland," said Tom.


    "Well, if you change your minds on traveling with me, because of him, I''ll understand. If you do though, I would recommend traveling around along the edge of the mountains, rather than trying to travel through the middle. There isn''t enough water in the plains for you to be able to make it, without an animal of some kind carrying a lot of it. We will be stopping by a river not far from here to stock up before heading out tomorrow. Even the orcs aren''t able to travel the routes we take because of the lack of water."


    "Thank you for the advice," said Vonn softly, as Geth reappeared, glancing back over their way before heading back to his elephant.


    Gia worried about what might happen if they ran into trouble with Geth, despite the reassurance from Sudar. Geth just seemed like trouble to her. Hopefully it wouldn''t be an issue and they would arrive at the orc trading grounds soon.

 61 Chapter 61 Snakes for Dinner

    As everyone settled into the tent for the night, Gia glanced over at Geth''s elephant and saw him watching her. Swallowing in fear, she ducked into the tent and looked over at Vonn in the dim light.


    "He''s still watching us," she whispered, moving into her place.


    "Dear, stay near Vonn, and don''t give him a chance to be with you alone," said Tom. "Just watching us won''t get him anywhere. If you stay nervous from him watching, eventually you will crack. Just stay calm. Remember, you are stronger now than you were when we left our home so long ago."


    She sat down, with her knees pulled and nodded thoughtfully. Her dad was right. If she stayed cool headed, and aware of her surroundings, that man couldn''t do anything to her.


    "Mikey, we can''t trust any of the people around us, so you need to stay close to an adult at all times, okay?" said Carla softly, tucking the boy in.


    "Okay, mom," he sighed, already half asleep.


    Gia would have to remember to remind him in the morning not to wander off. She didn''t want to risk him going missing because a lizard took a fancy to him. Laying down with a shudder next to Vonn, his warmth seeped into her cold body, calming her down. All of the tension fled as his warmth chased away her chills, and she was soon asleep.


    At some point in the night, she woke up, wide awake, and sat up straight in her sleeping blanket. There was a figure outlined on the wall from the moon outside. She just knew it was Geth and her throat closed up in fear. What was he doing outside her tent? Was he going to come in and attack them? Was he going to try and kidnap her? All sorts of terrible things flew through her mind and she jammed a fist into her mouth to keep from uttering a sound.


    Jabbing down, the figure lifted up a long thin wriggling shape, and she realized it was a snake! Breathing hard, she watched as the person cut off the head and shoved the reptile into a bag before moving a few steps and repeating the process. Shuddering in fear, she watched as he slowly moved around the tent, stabbing over and over again, the sound of the weapon hitting the ground with a thump alternated with a soft occasional hiss.


    How much time passed, Gia wasn''t sure, but Vonn woke her the next morning from her strange hunched over position, where she had fallen asleep at some point, still clutching her knees in fear a snake might bite her toes. She sat up and rubbed her eyes groggily, realizing everyone else had already left the tent. Scrambling out into the sunlight, she glanced around to see if there were disembodied heads laying around the tent, but she couldn''t see any.


    "Good morning!" chirped Sudar cheerfully. "I hope I didn''t wake you in the night. I used the heat you guys were putting off to hunt the snakes that were attracted to you. It can get pretty cold at night, and they don''t like that. It makes them slow, but oh so easy to hunt."


    She looked over at the rack he had erected to dry the snake meat, and rubbed her arms to try and get rid of the goosebumps that were racing up and down her arms. Those things were huge!


    "Good morning," she replied in a soft voice. It had been him killing the snakes last night, not Geth! She felt kind of silly for her fear, but at the same time, seeing the sizes of those snakes, she was grateful for his thoughtfulness. "Thank you for keeping us safe last night."


    "Oh, I didn''t hunt them to protect you," he laughed. "Snake meat is delicious when dried and will provide us with plenty of good meat while we cross to the orcs."


    She swallowed the bile that was trying to rise in her throat and nodded to him, afraid she would throw up if she tried to say anything. Vonn rose up from where he had been taking down the tent when he saw her strangled face and came to her side.


    "Are you alright?" he asked softly. "Do you want me to come with you to use the bathroom?"


    "Please," she managed, looking at the ground. She was so scared of Geth and ashamed of herself for thinking Sudar was Geth, she wasn''t sure what to feel. The thought of eating snake grossed her out beyond words. The thought of protecting her chastity from Vonn was far from her mind.


    "You seem really subdued. Did you have bad dreams?" asked Vonn, sneaking looks at her as they walked towards the trees.


    "I woke up and thought Sudar was Geth and freaked out. I was too afraid of a snake biting my feet to lay back down, and didn''t sleep well because of it. Did you know Sudar plans to have us eat snake while we travel with him?" she finally managed to choke out.


    Vonn was quiet as she stepped behind a tree to relieve herself, and when she returned to his side, they walked silently back to the others. When they finished getting the tent set up, Vonn said he wanted to talk to some of the lizardmen before they left that day and headed off. Gia watched him go, until he was out of sight.


    He returned shortly with a large heavy sack that he set down at her feet.


    She looked up at him curiously, feeling better after sitting in the warm sunlight for so long, and reached for the bag. Inside was a pile of bloody meat.


    "What''s this?" she asked, looking back up at him.


    "We''re going to start a fire and cook it, so you don''t have to eat snake meat," said Vonn, gathering some sticks together and pulling out his fire starter.


    "What?" asked Tom and Carla as Gia gaped at him.


    "Gia doesn''t want to eat snake meat, which is what Sudar has for us to eat, so I got us some wild pork from the lizards," explained Vonn as if it was the most sane thing in the world.


    "Oh Vonn!" gasped Gia, a smile lighting up her face. "You are the most wonderful man in the whole world!"


    Rushing to his side, she knocked him to the ground and gave him a hug.


    "We still have plenty of the rations from the elves," said Tom, confused as he watched them for a minute before returning to his carving with a shake of his head.


    "You would have done the same thing for me," said Carla softly, winking at him.


    "You know I would!" replied Tom with a fierce nod. "But we''ve had snake before."


    "It''s delicious if cooked right," agreed Carla.


    "Is it?" asked Mikey. "I like pork, though."


    "Oh, no! That''s for Gia. You''ll eat the snake like the rest of us, and then we''ll eat rations after that," said Carla.


    "You''ll really like it," said Tom, turning his carving around and examining it carefully before holding it up in the sunlight. "This bone seems to glow in the sunlight. I really like the effect. I''m afraid to carve it too thin, because I don''t want it to break."


    "That''s beautiful," said Carla, taking the little elephant from him.


    "I just wish I had seen some of the other things we''ve run into, so I could carve them," sighed Tom, taking out another piece of bone. "I bet Sudar would have gotten a lot of trade value out of them."


    "I can draw you a picture of them in the dirt?" offered Mikey.


    "Would you?" asked Tom, watching as the boy quickly started sketching.


    "Wow, that''s really good," said Carla, looking at the dirt at her feet.


    "I know," said Mikey, looking at the sketch for a moment, adding a little here and a little there. "I used to draw pictures in the mud for little Susy before we left. She really liked it when I used different colors of mud to make the pictures more real-like."


    "Which little Susy?" asked Carla, scrunching her brow. "I don''t remember a little girl named Susy."


    "She was the daughter of the pig farmer. She was supposed to be inside doing her lessons with her mom, but her mom liked to drink until she fell asleep and then Susy would come out and play with me. She didn''t like touching the rats, but she would help me chase them where I could get them. I miss her. Do you think we can see her again someday?" asked Mikey.


    Carla looked over at Tom, and he cleared his throat. "Son, the reason we left the city, well, is because bad men were coming. I don''t know that we can ever go back.??


    "What kind of bad men?" asked Mikey. "Like those bad elves that tried to kill Luan?"


    "Worse than them," said Tom. "But very similar."


    "Do you think we''ll ever get to see Luan again?"


    "Probably not. She lives a long way away," said Carla.


    "She said I would live a really long time because of Sprout. Maybe she''ll come visit me some day, or maybe I can go visit her? I know the way after all!"


    "Maybe someday," agreed Tom. "Now, about that sketch."

 62 Chapter 62 Watering Hole Showdown

    "Mikey, do you see the great tree?" asked Gia, pointing south at the giant tree that took up the entire horizon.


    "Wow! That''s a tree?" he asked, gaping at the sight.


    "Yep. Maybe someday you''ll get to see it," she said, thinking of what the elves said about his lifespan being so long. "Slovak told me that it gets so dark the closer to the trunk you get, that nothing grows there, so you need to make sure that you take lots of food if you ever go."


    "I will!" he agreed, nodding enthusiastically, before turning back to help finish filling the water bags with water.


    They had stopped at the watering hole the traders always used before heading across the plains to the orcs.


    "What should we expect on this trip?" asked Vonn to Sudar as they loaded the heavy water bags into the elephant.


    "We should avoid most of the dangerous animals, since the elephant is so tall. The snakes are dangerous because they are attracted to your heat in the night and like to bite to eat you the next morning. There''re some small furry creatures that look cute until you get close enough for them to attack you. They eat just about everything, even the snakes, if given an opportunity. I generally keep my ride moving so nothing gets an opportunity to climb the legs while I''m sleeping, and it cuts down on the travel time when you never stop."


    "How long do you think it will take to cross the fields to the orcs?" asked Carla.


    "Well, the grasses only last a couple days before it peters out to dry dirt. There''s no water to keep the grasses alive out that way. If you go too far north, you''ll hit sand and sandworms. It can get really dangerous there, so we tend to swing more south while we''re traveling. Some of those worms could swallow our elephants if they wanted to. I prefer not to give them a chance. The worse we''ll run into, in the south, is herds of wild elephants, but they tend to steer clear of these guys. It should take us a couple weeks to reach the orcs, if we don''t stop anywhere for too long."


    "Wow, if they can eat something that big, I hate to think what they eat normally," said Tom.


    "There''s large beetle things, that sift the sand, eating anything edible, that they eat, I believe," said Sudar.


    Gia looked back at the small stream that emptied into the small lake they were getting their water from, wondering if she should try and get a bath before they traveled over the coming wastelands, but decided whatever clean she managed to get from it would quickly disappear while traveling in a huge dead elephant.


    Glancing back at the other traders, she noticed Geth was still watching her. There was no way she would get a bath now. Helping Tom and Carla arrange their things in the elephant, she heard Vonn send Mikey in to help moments before Geth''s voice drifted in to them.


    "Hello, friend," said Geth.


    "Hello," answered Vonn in a neutral tone.


    Gia glanced up at her parents, to see that they had both slowed their movements to listen as well.


    ??I was wondering about those traveling with you," continued Geth, seeming to not notice Vonn''s tone.


    "What about them?" asked Vonn.


    "Is the young girl available for sale? I can pay quite a bit for her?"


    Gia''s face froze in horror as her parents shared her reaction. Mikey''s head shot towards the conversation, but everyone frantically waved at him to be silent and still.


    "I''m sorry, I must have misheard you," said Vonn, his voice having dropped into a deep growl. "Are you talking about my wife, or my mother in law?"


    "Ah, so you are a couple. I apologize if I insulted you. It has been a very long time since I have dealt with such family structures. The few people we meet out this way don''t hold to such traditions," said Geth, continuing as if he didn''t notice Vonn''s reaction.


    "Let''s put it this way, friend," he spat. "If I catch you so much as looking at my wife, I will sever your head from your body and shove it where the sun doesn''t shine! Is that clear?"


    "I understand," said Geth, his voice dipping as if he were bowing, and then the sounds of his footsteps could be heard fading in the ensuing silence.


    When Vonn reappeared, at the entrance to the elephant''s chest, where they were all currently, Gia gave him a big hug and hid her face in his chest.


    "Can you believe that creep?" exclaimed Vonn shaking his head. "Traditions my foot! If you see that jerk even glance at you, you let me know immediately, you hear?"


    "Yes," she murmured, feeling loved and protected as he wrapped his arms around her and took a deep breath to calm down.


    "I need to get the rest of the water loaded so we have enough to make it to the orcs," Vonn finally said in a normal voice, kissing the top of her head before pulling away. "Sudar wants to leave by midday."


    "We''re about ready here," said Carla, stowing the last of their things between the ribs of the elephant, where Sudar had showed her the skin had been stretched before it dried to form nice hollows to store things. Her hands hardly shook, almost hiding the intense rage she was feeling at the moment.


    "I still can''t believe this thing is dead and able to carry us all," said Mikey, looking up at the massive skull of the beast.


    "It''s death magic of some kind," said Tom with a frown. "I don''t like that the same type of person who did this also restored my eyesight, but I''m not going to complain."


    "I''m glad you have your eyesight back," said Mikey with a grin. "Otherwise you would never get to see my sketches!"


    "When we get situated," said Gia, ruffling his hair, "I''ll buy you some real paper to be able to draw your sketches on, instead of just in the dirt."


    "Really? But paper is so expensive!" he exclaimed with a large grin.


    "I''m sure I can figure something out," laughed Gia in a much better mood now that she didn''t have to worry about Geth bothering her.


    "Alright, I think we''re ready to head out," said Sudar, coming around the end of the elephant and ducking under its massive tusks. "If you need to pee, now would be the time before we leave."


    "Nope, we''re all good," said Vonn, stepping up beside him. "I just finished loading the last water bag in the spots you showed me on the back."


    "Great," nodded Sudar as they all repositioned themselves to get underway. "We''ll make two short stops a day, to let everyone stand and stretch their legs, and use the bathroom. Otherwise the trip will be nonstop. If anyone wishes, the other traders have offered to let you travel with them, but I think we have plenty of room here, right?"


    "Correct," said Tom, shifting his leg to the side to let Mikey stretch out.


    "It will be a little crowded for the next two weeks, but I think we''ll pull through," said Vonn, patting Gia''s leg.


    "What do you plan to do once you reach the orcs?" asked Sudar, turning his elephant towards the eastern horizon.


    "We''re going to keep heading east until we reach the human lands," said Vonn.


    "I would love to hear how you ended up all the way out here," said Sudar, settling cushions around him and pulling the curtain he used as a wind block into place as the wind started to kick up a little.


    "It''s really long," said Vonn, glancing at Gia, who nodded and smiled at him. "But I suppose we have time to talk."


    As they started on the two-week travel, Vonn started to tell Sudar how they fled from the incoming army into the forbidden forest, starting their trek of survival across so many foreign lands. Sudar only interrupted to ask a few questions about the incredible creatures they encountered and some of the harrowing adventures they had found themselves in.


    "If I didn''t know any better, I would say you were a bard and just making all of this up, but I can tell in everyone''s faces that you''ve actually been through all of that. That is an incredible adventure, and you''re not done yet! You have the orcs to deal with, and then past them you have the goblins and dog riding halflings. I can''t tell you exactly how far east you will have to travel, as it''s been too long since I''ve been that way. There''s no telling how far west the humans have pushed. The last I knew they were just on the other side of the mountains, but they might be on this side by now, I don''t know."


    "Where ever they happen to be, we appreciate your help," said Tom from the back, not bothering to look up from his carving.


    "No problems at all," chuckled Sudar.

 63 Chapter 63 Emptiness of the Wastes

    They had been traveling for over a week, stopping twice a day to let everyone get out to stretch their legs and use the bathroom, but otherwise, they were stuck in the same space, barely able to move, while the dead elephant continued to plod along. Gia had to admit it was faster traveling in the elephant, but it was also very boring.


    Tom had already finished several sculptures out of the bone Sudar had given him, and was currently working on one of the dragon they had encountered along the coast. Carla wasn''t sure she was going to let him trade that one, because he was adding spaces for some of the shells she had kept in her bag. They all knew that he enjoyed the enthusiasm Carla was heaping on him, and that he probably would not keep the sculpture or use the shells that she loved so much. He could easily carve another one using her shells when they reached their home.


    Mikey spent most of his time giving Tom pointers on what the creatures he was carving needed, since Tom hadn''t seen them, and playing with his Limcheez. The way he talked to it made them all wonder if the creature was responding, and they just couldn''t hear it.


    Gia found it hard to sit still, as they traveled farther and farther into the wastelands. The grass was almost gone by this point, with sparse brown clusters poking up out of the hard-packed dirt as if taunting the burning orb in the sky. It was hot in the elephant, but experience taught her quickly that it was even hotter outside in the sun. Strangely, the elephant didn''t stink. She still avoided touching it whenever she could, using a blanket or something to keep her skin from coming in contact with it.


    Vonn dozed most of the day away, staying awake more at night, to keep an eye on things as there were more creatures out and about in the cool dark than there were during the stifling heat of the day. Gia couldn''t manage to change her hours around like he did, no matter how hard she tried. She ended up looking forward to the few moments she could get out and move around, anticipating them like a starving man would his supper. She knew it was silly, but she couldn''t help it.


    Sudar tried to fill the time by asking questions and showing Gia how to drive the elephant, even giving her the reigns to practice a little, but she felt too uncomfortable being so close to the strange man and quickly handed them back. She ended up hiding behind Vonn the rest of the day.


    The other traders, Brin and Kei, were indifferent to them, ignoring them for the most part, and barely spoke during the breaks. Geth seemed to have lost all interest in Gia, which relieved her immensely, and he ignored her whenever she noticed him, but she still kept her distance out of caution.


    In the middle of the second week, while they were stopped early in the morning, Sudar stopped them as they began crawling out of the elephant.


    "We are going to be stopping early tonight, for our break," he mentioned, getting all of their attention. "There is an oasis where we always stop to refill our water before the last leg to the orc camps drawing closer. We''ve made good time and will be getting there before we normally stop in the evening."


    "That''s great!" exclaimed Mikey with a grin.


    "Will there be a lot of dangerous animals?" asked Vonn with a frown.


    "It is one of the only places we can get water in a long while," said Sudar with a nod. "There will undoubtably be a large number of creatures there. The general rule is that nothing attacks anything else while they are getting water, but once they leave, they are open game. So you should all be fine, as long as you are close to the water, but if you wander too far, then something may decide to go for you."


    "That means no exploring," sighed Mikey, before anyone could direct caution his way. "At least we can get out and be out for a while, right?"


    "I normally like to rest there a full night, leaving just before dawn, because the creatures like to hunt the most at night. They have a hard time attacking me in the elephant, but I don''t like to risk it."


    "Do you think it would be safe enough to set up the tent?" asked Vonn, thinking about how cramped everyone had been in the elephant. Sleeping in the tent wasn''t much better, but they wouldn''t have to worry about accidentally kicking someone.


    "It depends on what it looks like when we get there. Last time I was there, there was plenty of space for a tent without any issues, but the time before it was pretty crowded."


    "It would be nice to sleep flat," murmured Carla softly, not wanting to be ungrateful.


    "The space can be pretty restraining for so many people," chuckled Sudar.


    "I''ll help switching out the water bags," said Vonn, moving around the elephant with him while Gia went with her parents and brother to do their business. The coming oasis was all they could talk about, as they finished and returned to the elephant.


    She couldn''t wait to see what the oasis was like, and found herself watching for it in excitement as they resumed their boring plod through the wastes. About midday, the edges of the trees came into view, and her eyes watered in anticipation. How thrilling to finally see some trees again! The flat of this unending land would drive anyone insane. How these traders managed to survive and thrive here was beyond her. How could they enjoy this enough to want to continue doing it their whole lives?


    Watching as the trees grew on the horizon, it quickly became obvious that the lush greenery around the pond was constantly under attack from the things that ate it. One whole section had been stripped to the ground, giving them plenty of space to bring the elephants in close to the water.


    Gia''s eyes grew large as she finally witnessed some of the creatures Sudar had told them lived in this bleak land. There were all manner of lizards and snakes, as well as scorpions, giant scaled bugs, and small rodents with long tails and legs. Maybe she didn''t want to sleep in the tent. Glancing over at Carla, her mother seemed to be having the same thoughts.


    "Don''t look at any of them too long, or they''ll think you''re going to attack them," cautioned Sudar, climbing down out of the elephant. Vonn followed to help him gather water.


    "I don''t know that I want to get down," whispered Mikey as he watched Vonn and Sudar make their way towards the water''s edge.


    "Me either," admitted Gia.


    "I don''t like the looks of any of them, but I have got to use the bathroom and stretch my legs," said Tom with a frown.


    With a sigh, she climbed down to help her parents get out. It did feel good to stretch her legs, and she knew she needed to use the bathroom, but this audience was not going to be pleasant.


    As they were heading back to the elephant, they hesitated to climb back inside. Sudar had said they would be there all night long, and the inside of the elephant was starting to feel claustrophobic. Gia could hear Vonn talking to Sudar about using them in the tent as bait for more snakes again, like he had before they had left, but Sudar didn''t think it was a good idea. He suggested that if they were going to set up the tent, they do it right next to the water, to keep everything from wanting to attack them, or right next to the elephant so they could retreat to safety if they needed to.


    The more she watched the strange deadly looking creatures around her, the less she wanted to sleep in the tent, no matter how nice it would be to stretch her legs out while she slept.


    "Sudar, could you help me haul my water bags?" asked Brin, struggling with one of his bags.


    "I could use some help, too," added Geth, not glancing around.


    "I''ll help you, Brin," said Kei, rushing over to help him before he dropped the full bag.


    "Vonn, do you think you could help Geth?" asked Sudar, fighting with some of the straps on the side of his elephant.


    Vonn frowned but nodded. Sudar must not have known about Geth''s attempt to buy Gia, but he couldn''t risk upsetting Sudar now. There was no way they would be able to make their way across the wastelands. They all understood the dangers this area could bring to them without the benefit of the elephant.


    Gia watched uncomfortably as he helped Geth move water bag after water bag, holding them in place for Geth to lash to the side of his elephant. There were so many! Why would he need that many water bags? Even Sudar didn''t have that many water bags, and he was providing water for all of them as well. Could Geth be planning something?


    If he was, he didn''t give any hints of it, keeping quiet until they were done and then thanking Vonn with a gift of jerky. When he returned, he looked perplexed.


    "Is that his famous jerky?" gasped Sudar, spying the package in his hands.


    "What''s so special about it?" asked Gia, not interested in eating anything that came from Geth.


    "I''m surprised he has any of that left! The lizards normally buy every last bit he has on him. He must have made another batch," said Sudar. "It takes a lot of time and patience to make it just right in these conditions, but it tastes delicious. I''m jealous he gave you some for helping out. I would have traded places with you in a heartbeat had I known."


    "I guess I would be willing to share it with you?" offered Vonn, obviously thinking Gia would be fine if he gave it all away.


    "I wouldn''t mind a taste, but I would never take it all. I bet you guys will love it!" said Sudar. By the time that evening had rolled around, he had convinced them all that it was the best food in the world. They all finally agreed to try it, and Gia found it was actually really good. She didn''t dare ask what kind of meat it was, though. She didn''t want to know if it was giant bug or scorpion. She wasn''t sure if she would be able to deal with that.


    As night started to fall, and more and more creatures showed up to get a drink, the decision to sleep in the elephant became easier to make. After eating all of the jerky, shared between all of them, none of them had any trouble going to sleep. As Gia fought to keep her eyes open, a sinking feeling of dread wafted through her foggy brain before fading completely.

 64 Chapter 64 Desert of the Wastes

    Gia opened her eyes slowly. Her head was aching and everything seemed to be rocking side to side. In front of her nose was the inner hide of the elephant, and its musty smell made her nose itch. Her whole body ached and she couldn''t seem to remember why that was unusual. Trying to move proved ineffective. Her arms and legs felt like rocks, stiff from laying in one place for too long, and her mouth was dry.


    As she lay there, feeling began to return slowly to her body, and she realized she couldn''t hear any of her family moving or making noises. Where Vonn''s shoulder would normally be in her back, there was nothing. Mikey''s soft whispers to his pet Limcheez, Sprout, her father''s soft sounds of carving, her mother''s heavy breathing as she sighed frequently, and Sudar''s grinding teeth were all absent. All she could hear was the rustle of the leathery skin of the elephant and the steady plod of its footfalls.


    "Finally wake up? You must have eaten more of that jerky than I thought you would," said a husky voice behind her.


    Who was that? Her mind seemed to be moving through mud as she tried to place that voice. Could it be one of the guards? But the city had been destroyed. It wasn''t a dwarven voice, it didn''t have the accent. Then everything seemed to click. It was Geth!


    "Struggling won''t do you any good. Those ropes are strong. And screaming won''t do you any good. No one''s around for miles."


    His husky voice drew closer to her, but she couldn''t turn her head to see him. What had happened?! She knew that the jerky he gave everyone must have been poisoned somehow, but had he done anything? Panic welled up inside her as she felt his breath on her hair for a moment, and then it was gone.


    "Don''t worry, I haven''t touched you, yet."


    His chuckle sent shivers down her back.


    "I would let my elephant just walk, and have all the fun I''ve been thinking of, but we don''t want unwanted visitors, now do we?"


    What did he mean? Sweat was trickling down her back from fear and the heat. Gia could tell that Geth had thrown her next to his piled-up furs, and there was very little air flow back there. Her mind was clearing the longer she lay still, as the last of the drug wore off, and she became more aware of the bruises she could feel forming on her arms and legs where he must have grabbed her and pulled. Her belly hurt, where he must have carried her from Sudar''s elephant to his. Was Vonn alright? Had Geth hurt any of her family? If he had¡­


    Gia wasn''t sure what she would do, but at the moment, she wasn''t above killing him. Closing her eyes to keep the tears from falling, she knew that she would get really thirsty if she cried too much. There was no telling where Geth was taking her, but she was sure it wasn''t to the orcs like they had planned.


    "A few rules we traders follow include not killing people, so you don''t have to worry about those others you were traveling with. Just be glad you have more room to spread out, here in a bit. As soon as we get past the edges of the wastes and into the desert proper, then I''ll untie the ropes. But you won''t be free just yet, oh no. I have these chains I''ve been holding on to for a while. Got them from the orcs. Never had a use for them, until now."


    Gia lay there, not trying to move, hoping to conserve her energy until she could do something to hurt him when given the opportunity. All she could do was hope that Vonn and her family were safe, and that Sudar was willing to come after her. Surely the other traders knew where he was going, and were willing to help save her.


    After what felt like forever, with sweat stinging her eyes, she finally heard Geth moving towards her again.


    "I have a few minutes. Plenty of time to get you chained up."


    He was talking more to himself, than to her as she felt cold metal sliding over her wrists. How it could be cold was beyond her, but as he began to untie the ropes, the pain and tingling of blood rushing back to her hands and feet almost made her cry out. He didn''t try to move her, just jerked the ropes out of her reach and returned to steering the elephant.


    Pulling her arms and legs up under her, she huddled in place for a few moments, until she could move without screaming. Rolling over, she glanced around the elephant and saw that he had already moved everything up out of her reach, and the chains around her wrists were connected to a rib of the elephant, keeping her from being able to do much of anything.


    Geth was sitting, hunched in the front of the chest cavity, watching ahead and to the sides of them anxiously. He didn''t seem to be paying any attention to her, his focus being entirely on watching for something.


    All Gia could see was sand dunes as far as the eye could see. There wasn''t a sign of the cracked earth they had been traveling on. The feet of the elephant were sinking pretty deep with each step it took, and she could occasionally feel it sliding as the sand under its feet gave way. It was clear this place was not somewhere the elephant should be.


    Studying the rib of the elephant, Gia slowly pulled back the blankets she was sitting on, wondering if there were a weak spot under them where she could get free. Grimacing at the grime under the layers of blankets, she finally spotted what might be a weak spot. Timing her movements to the sounds of the elephant, she began to work the chains against the bone. Keeping half an eye on Geth, and angling her body to hide what she was doing from his line of sight, Gia worked at breaking the bone. What she did once she was free was beyond her, but she focused on one task at a time. Maybe she could control the elephant, after pushing him out, and turn it around to get back to the others. They couldn''t have traveled that far, right?


    "It''ll be dark soon, but we''re not going to stop anytime soon," came Geth''s voice as he seemed to be watching something in the distance. "The desert is way too dangerous. I have a couple pots back there you can do your business in, and I''ll throw it out later. If you look over to your left, you''ll see a bag with some dried meat in it and a water bag. Don''t waste it. We have a long way to go before we run into more water."


    Gia glanced over at the bag that had blended in with the furs and swallowed past the dry lump in her throat. There was no way in hell she was going to eat or drink anything this man offered her. She wanted to keep her wits about her and not become a crazed slave. There was no telling what this man had planned.


    "Where are you taking me?" she managed to whisper.


    "There''s this ruined city we found when we were wandering around exploring years ago, that we played with the idea of living in, but it doesn''t really have a lot of food there. And it was pretty boring. It''s really dangerous to cross the desert with the giant sand worms and snakes, but if we don''t stop, we should be fine."


    He didn''t sound very confident, and it made her renew her efforts to break the bone holding her chains. There was no way she was going to go live in some abandoned city with this deranged monster. If she could get free, she still had a chance to get back to the others.


    As the sun began to fade, she could hear Geth muttering to himself. He kept thinking he was seeing things, but couldn''t tell. She kind of hoped he was just delusional, rather than there actually being monsters of some kind drawing closer to them, about to attack the elephant.


    The last rays of light were fading when she finally managed to break the rib bone holding her chains. There was a loud snap as it gave way, causing Geth to jerk his head around to see what the noise was. In front of the elephant, just as he turned towards her, Gia saw a shadow rise up, blocking all view of the dark sands ahead of them, and she screamed.


    Geth turned back, the movement of the shadow drawing his attention, as the monster attacked. The head of the elephant was suddenly gone. A loud crunching noise was quickly followed with a hiss, and Geth had just enough time to scream, before the entire carcass of the elephant collapsed. Gia watched, as the shadow moved lightning fast, snatching up Geth and swallowing him in one bite.

 65 Chapter 65 The Snake in the Dark

    Gia stared up at the giant snake, watching the neck muscles force the lump that had been Geth further downwards. The faint signs of struggling slowly faded and Gia''s stomach lurched. She was glad she hadn''t eaten anything recently.


    "I can sssee you there, sss, hiding among the bonessss," hissed the snake, it''s head weaving back and forth. "Don''t, sss, think you can hide from me, ssss."


    "I''m not hiding," she managed to croak softly.


    "Then, sss, why are you not running, sss?" it hissed, turning its head slightly to get a better view of her.


    "The man you ate," she said, motioning with one of her hands. "He captured me. My arms and legs can barely move¡­"


    Licking her dry lips, she wondered if she was already dead. Why was she talking to a snake??


    "That man, sss, was a nice treat. Ssss, I rarely get soft meat."


    "Please don''t eat me," she whispered, trying to move something, but the weight of the bones pressed down on her already injured limbs and the after affects of the drug were making her feel weak. Or was that fear causing that? She couldn''t tell.


    "Sssuch a sssmall sssize, I think you are sssafe tonight. But, ssstill, there are othersss¡­" The snake looked around, settling its long body deeper into the sand.


    "He was trying to take me away from my family," she said softly, wishing Vonn were there. Or her dad. Either of them wouldn''t hesitate to speak to this snake and figure out a way to get out of danger.


    "Family? Perhapsss your nessst?" asked the snake, tilting its head in confusion.


    Gia realized this snake probably didn''t understand the concept of families. Living out here in such a harsh place would mean it was probably on its own as soon as it hatched. Thinking about what words she should use to convey her meanings, she struggled to move some of the bones again, but they were too heavy.


    "He took me away from my mate, hoping to force me to take him instead," she tried to explain.


    "Why did you, sss, not kill him?" asked the snake, tasting the air with its tongue.


    "He tricked us by putting poison in our food to make us sleep. And then stole me away," Gia continued trying to explain. The longer it was talking, the longer she had to live.


    "Want me to ssspit him out, ssso you can ssslay him?" asked the snake, starting to reverse the muscles that were pushing his lump down.


    "No!" Gia cried. She didn''t think she could stand to see his dead body again. "I would never ask you to forgo a meal!"


    "How nice, sss," hissed the snake, resuming swallowing him. "You should not ssstay here. Thisss isss not a good ssspot for you."


    "I know that humans should not be in your desert," she said, trying to think of something else to say.


    "I mean, sss, there are othersss coming. They will probably eat you, sss," said the snake, glancing off in the distance.


    "I''m not strong enough to move these bones off me," admitted Gia, trying once again to push one off.


    "You should have sssaid sssomething," hissed the snake, starting to grab bits of the elephant and eating them.


    The moment she was free, Gia scrambled away from the dead elephant, and took a deep breath of the cooling night air.


    "Sssit on my back, ssso nothing triesss to eat you," offered the snake, moving one coil over towards her.


    Swallowing the lump in her throat, Gia reached out with a shaking hand. Could she do it? A soft noise off to her left drew her attention, and she glanced over to see something moving towards her, just under the sand. Scrambling back away from whatever was under the sand, she ended up on the back of the snake. Something that looked like a cross between a demon and a cockroach poked out of the sand, right before the snake attacked it. One long fang pierced the middle of the nightmare bug before it disappeared down the same throat that swallowed Geth.


    "Hold on, human, sss," hissed the snake after a moment, and it began to slide across the sand, away from the remains of the elephant.


    Gia managed to glimpse a multitude of the nightmare bugs starting to swarm over it, before the snake had taken her too far to see any more in the dark.


    "I can take you to the sss, city, but it would be hard for your mate to get there. Perhapsss I should travel to the wasssstessss. I might find sssomething sssoft to eat again¡­"


    The snake was thinking to itself out loud, because Gia was too busy trying not to fall off the constantly moving scales underneath her to respond. She was just thankful the edges of the scales didn''t try to pinch her as they slid back and forth with the snake''s movement.


    Turning around after a few minutes, the snake started heading in the direction Gia thought was the wastes. She couldn''t wait to get back with her family after this. She didn''t even care that she would have to be squished back into the elephant without any room to move, just so she would be safe and with them and away from this desert.


    Sounds all around her made her wish she could see in the dark as the snake seemed able to. Why did Geth think it would be safe to travel here?? There was swishing noises as things moved away from the snake quickly, not wanting to stick around and see why the snake was moving so purposefully in one direction. She didn''t remember any of these noises while they were traveling in the elephant. Had they been there and she just didn''t remember them, or did the sounds of the elephant hide them? Maybe these creatures didn''t think of the elephant as something worthy of avoiding. They would most likely have been sleeping during the heat of the day anyway.


    As the night wore on, she caught herself drifting off to sleep, and almost fell off the back of the snake several times, but it would jerk or move suddenly, and she would find herself wide awake, with her heart beating in her throat, clinging to its back once again.


    "There are othersss, riding the dead beasssstssss. Could they be, sss, looking for you?" hissed the snake, pausing to look back at her.


    "Are there three of the elephants?" she asked hopefully.


    "No, sss, only two," said the snake, turning to look back the way it was heading.


    "That''s not good," she said softly. Had Vonn sent her brother and parents on to the orcs with one of the other traders? She was terrified that he may have, because she wasn''t sure she trusted any of the traders now.


    "We mussst hurry, sss, before the sssand wormsss arrive. They are, sss, bigger than me, sss, and I will need you, sss, off my back to fight them properly," warned the snake, before darting forward. "I will eat, sss, good tonight!"


    Hearing a shout from the approaching elephants, Gia tried to wave at them, to let them know she was alright, and that the snake was a friend, but it was hard to do with it moving so fast. She had to keep both hands down, to keep from being thrown off. The snake reared up, just in front of the lead elephant, whipping the coil she was clinging to at it, before darting to the side and striking at a monstrous beast as it rose up from the sands.


    Gia screamed, reaching out for the elephant''s tusk, and managed to grab it, swinging up under the jaw, and landed in the hollow, in Sudar''s lap. Vonn, who was right behind him, grabbed her and pulled her off the trader, and the rest of the way into the cavity, as Sudar quickly grabbed the reigns to turn the elephant away from the massive battle ensuing before them.


    Burying her head into Vonn''s shoulder, words poured out of her about the sand worms and the nice snake that ate Geth and saved her before the sand roaches came to eat the remains of the elephant, and how they needed to get back to the wastes before more things came, attracted to the battle.


    "Oh! Gia!" exclaimed Carla, trying to give her a hug around Vonn in the confined space. "We were so worried!"


    Gia sat up to see that her entire family was in the elephant, and said, "I thought you guys would have gone with one of the other traders to the orcs."


    "And split up?!" cried Tom, "Never!"


    ???Then why are there only two elephants?" she asked, looking around for answers.


    "Brin''s elephant was destroyed by sand crabs," said Sudar, gritting his teeth as he moved the elephant to avoid being crushed by the snake''s tail as it struggled with a second sand worm.


    "Is he alright?" she asked, feeling terrible that two of their elephants were destroyed because Geth took her. She knew that it wasn''t her fault, but she couldn''t help feeling bad.


    "Kei was able to save him, though he almost lost his elephant too. We''re hoping the orcs can fix the damage to his ride when we get there," explained Sudar, settling in to a long night as they finally pulled away from the fight.


    "I can''t believe you rode on the back of a giant snake!" exclaimed Mikey in surprise. "I thought you were terrified of them!"


    "Most snakes don''t talk to you, and tell you you''re not worth eating," said Gia with a shudder, laying her head back on Vonn''s shoulder. "I don''t ever want to touch another snake every again."

 66 Chapter 66 Desert City

    Gia slept for the next day and a half, waking midday on the second day since she was rescued, and looked out, hoping to see wastes, but instead, sand still spread as far as the eye could see.


    "Why are we still in the desert?" she asked, panicked. "There''s all sorts of horrible monsters here!"


    "When we escaped the giant snake and worms, we got turned around. We''ve tried to figure out where we were based on the stars, like we used to when we were here last, but I didn''t recognize any of them," explained Sudar apologetically. Brin is too upset over losing his elephant to offer much help, and Kei doesn''t remember the stars from up here well enough to offer much help. Sadly, Geth was the expert at finding the perfect way through the desert."


    "He didn''t do too well this time," muttered Gia, remembering the snake that had eaten him.


    "No, I''m not sure, but I think he fell to the madness that the orcs are always warning us of. I''ve had lots of time to think over it, and he was showing all the classic signs. Do you mind telling me what he said, if anything, to you while you were with him?" asked Sudar.


    "He was going to take me to some city, before he did anything. He never said what, but I didn''t really want to ask," she said, shuddering at the memory.


    Vonn wrapped his arms around her and held her to him until the shivering stopped. She took a breath to get herself under control and gave him a smile in appreciation.


    "I''m glad he didn''t do anything worse," said Carla, glancing at Tom as if they had discussed something, and Gia nodded.


    "I was so worried he had killed all of you, so you couldn''t follow and try to get me back, but he said that was one of the rules of being a trader, was that you didn''t kill anyone."


    Sudar gave a laugh and said, "That was a rule we came up with when we first decided to be traders. It was mostly to keep him in line because he was always a little outside the laws, no matter where we went. I don''t think we''ve talked about those rules since we first made them. Good thing we did!"


    "Do you think you could tell us a little more about this madness you''ve mentioned?" asked Tom, frowning down at the sculpture he was currently working on. There were plenty beside him, and Gia knew that he carved faster when he was stressed or upset.


    "It makes you fixate on one thing until you die. The example given to us was of an orc that hunted the sand bugs on the edge of the desert. He became fixated on hunting enough for his family, because they ate them, but he never stopped hunting, even when there were hundreds back home. No one could get through to him that he needed to stop, and eventually a sand worm ate him."


    "But, how could he survive without water?" asked Mikey.


    "I think he must have been drinking¡­" began Sudar, but Gia jumped in.


    "His family was probably taking him water, if they were trying to convince him to stop hunting, or he was getting more water when he returned with the bugs he had already hunted," she said.


    Mikey nodded and turned back to his pet. Sprout didn''t seem to like the desert and refused to come out of the pouch.


    "Well, will you look at that!" exclaimed Sudar after a few moments had passed. "That''s the city we found before!"


    Gia turned, with everyone else, to see a huge city carved of stone, sticking up out of the desert. The sun was starting to set behind it, making it look lit up from within.


    "Does anything live there?" asked Gia after a moment of silence.


    "There were these snake people who lived there the last time we came. They were really friendly, but told us they weren''t interested in trade. There was plenty of leftover stuff from the people that had lived there before, that they were using. We didn''t stay long because Kei was king of freaked out by them. I think it was because one of the girls had asked him if he wanted to help her lay eggs."


    "Seriously?" asked Mikey, as the adults all shook their heads in disbelief and amazement.


    "We never know what another race will think when we meet them," said Carla to Mikey, calming him down as the excitement in his eyes started to make him fidget and move around.


    "Will I be able to get down and move around?" he asked, as the city drew closer.


    "I certainly hope so," said Tom. "I could use a break from being in this elephant for a bit. I don''t know how you could accept this as a lifestyle."


    "I love it. I''m never in one place for more than a day or two, I don''t have to worry about crops or animals, or making people upset because of what I choose to do. Plus, I never know what adventures I might find myself in," laughed Sudar.


    As they drew closer, Sudar pointed out an approaching sand worm, and they sped the elephants up to get to the city before it reached them. Gia hated it. She was sure it was going to fall any moment with the way the sand was causing it to slide around so bad. But they reached the city and the worm turned away, not willing to mess with the people in the city.


    As they climbed from the elephant, after a moment of looking around, a snake man, carrying a large sword appeared out from behind one of the buildings. He looked like a giant snake, with the chest and arms of a man. His belly was almost the same color as the sand, but his back was a vivid green. Gia was surprised to see that color in the middle of the desert.


    "Welcome, human traders. We remember you from your last visit. Why are there only two of your beasts?" asked the snake man, not having a lisp like the giant snake had.


    "One of us had become stricken with the madness the orcs sometimes get when they enter your desert, and tried to come here on his own. We ran into giant snakes and sand worms trying to catch up with him, but he died and we lost the other two elephants," explained Sudar, walking out to greet the snake.


    "It is a dangerous time for you to be here," said the snake after a moment of thought. "Our young are hatching, and they don''t always recognize friend from foe. It may be alright if you avoid them, but if they see you, they may try to attack you since you are not one of us."


    "We only wish to refill our water and restock our food stores so that we might be able to continue trying to get out of the desert," said Brin, approaching from the other elephant.


    Kei was staying by his elephant, checking for damage from the run, and keeping an eye on the desert just outside the city gates.


    "Those things can be arranged," the snake man nodded, motioning them to follow him into the building closest to the gates. "You can rest here, while we bring you what you ask for. I would let you wander through the city, as you had the last time you were here, but our young make it too dangerous for you."


    "Thank you," said Tom, Vonn, and Sudar, all at the same time, causing them to chuckle.


    Gia looked around the room she found herself in, and saw with a sigh that there was no furniture of any kind. Not having legs, these snake people must not need to sit.


    "I will fetch some of the furs from the elephant for us to rest on," said Sudar, heading back to the elephant.


    "I''ll go with you," said Vonn.


    "Mikey, stay close," said Carla, but he had already darted into the next room.


    "I''ll get him," sighed Gia, moving to follow after him.


    Stepping into the next room, she looked around, and saw him hunched down talking to someone in a back corner.


    "You''re so pretty! Don''t be afraid, I won''t hurt you."


    "Who are you talking to?" asked Gia, as terror suddenly raced through her. Had he found a baby snake person already?!


    Whatever the small green figure was, it was definitely not a snake baby. Gia drew closer, hunching down as well, so she wouldn''t tower over the tiny figure.


    "It''s a baby goblin," said Mikey. "He said that he was lost and trying to hide from the snakes, so they don''t eat him."


    "Goblin?" asked Gia, "I''ve never heard of them before. Where is your family?"


    "I.. I lost," whimpered the tiny green figure, looking up at her with big red eyes that were filled with tears. "I climbed in crack to escape brothers. Brothers mean. Try hurt Og and eat Og, but Og hide. Climb up crack and get chased by snakes. Snakes eat Og too. Og scared!"


    The tiny figure was probably the same size as Sprout, Mikey''s Limcheez, but with long spindly legs and arms. Gia looked around to see if she could find the crack the creature was talking about, but didn''t see one anywhere. How far had it been chased, and could the snake be one of the babies they were supposed to avoid? Gia shuddered. She was tired of snakes.

 67 Chapter 67 Prey in the Deser

    "What do you mean, we have to help it?" asked Vonn, looking at Gia as if she had gone crazy. "It''s a goblin. Goblin''s are evil."


    "But it''s only a baby, and if we release it, the snakes will eat it," said Gia, sighing in frustration.


    They both knew she wanted nothing to do with the little green figure in her hands, but because Mikey was right there, watching with his little innocent eyes, Gia was going to try.


    "Fine," sighed Vonn, taking the goblin, who looked up at him with big wide eyes and sniffed. "I''ll see what I can do."


    Mikey grinned and went to follow him as Vonn headed out the door, but Gia grabbed his shoulder.


    "No, you don''t. Vonn said he would deal with the baby goblin, and make sure it didn''t get eaten. You are not about to go with him. There are lots of dangerous snakes wandering around, and we''re too close to the gate where those sand monsters are waiting, for me to even consider letting you go out there."


    Mikey sighed, but nodded and headed back over to his parents, sitting down next to Tom and complaining, "Gia''s being mean."


    "Gia is looking out for you. She doesn''t want to see you get hurt," consoled Tom, glancing up from his carving. "What do you think of my tree? I''m trying to make it look like the great tree we saw back at the lizardman''s mountains."


    "Its top branches aren''t big enough. That thing blocked out the sky!" exclaimed Mikey.


    "But this is a tiny carving. I can''t have it block out the sky, silly," laughed Tom.


    Carla came over to talk to Gia as she waited for Vonn to return. The traders were outside, loading water and food back into the elephants, and trying to patch up any damage the dead creatures had gotten rushing through the sands.


    "What do you think Vonn is going to do with the goblin?" asked Carla.


    "I don''t care," whispered Gia, glancing back at Mikey. "It was trying to lick my hand, and I was afraid it was going to bite me. It smelled horrible, too!"


    "Goblins are known for being horrible little things, back home at least. I don''t know if these goblins would be the same, but it was so tiny. Do you think the snakes really eat them?"


    "Probably, mom. What else is there for the snakes to eat?" asked Gia.


    "But then, what do you think the goblins eat?"


    "If they really live underground, there''s no telling. I just know I''m not going to ask what kind of meat we have to eat when we head back out. Do you think those worms will still be waiting for us?"


    "I imagine the traders will figure out a way to get past them. They made it before. Besides, we don''t have much a choice," said Carla with a shrug. "It''s not like we could make it by ourselves."


    "Yeah," said Gia softly, thinking back to the giant snake that had given her a ride across the sand. It had moved much faster than the elephants, but she didn''t want to experience that again.


    "Here''s Vonn back, I''ll leave you to him," said Carla, heading back to sit with Mikey and Tom.


    Vonn glanced over at Carla in confusion, before turning to Gia. "Sudar said he would help the little guy get back to his people. I didn''t really want to be involved, but it sounded like he was going to use it to trade with the snake people. Don''t tell Mikey."


    "No, it''s okay. I kind of want to wash my hands after touching it," she said with a small smile.


    "I did wash my hands. Want me to show you where?" he offered.


    "Yes, please," she nodded, following him hesitantly out of the room that was designated as safe by the snake man guard.


    Vonn took her past the elephants to a fountain that could be triggered to spill water out of a statue that protruded out of the wall. The traders had been using it to refill the water bags they had left on the elephants. Vonn quickly showed her how to trigger it, and Gia washed her hands as quickly as she could, so as to preserve as much water as possible.


    As they were finishing and turning to leave, a movement out of the corner of her eye had Gia jerking back. A tiny snake with arms, was perched on the edge of the fountain, eyeing her and the water in the basin. Vonn took Gia''s arm and they slowly moved away from the fountain, so as not to spook it. It watched them carefully, then went to move, but fell into the fountain with a splash. There was a small strangled cry as it thrashed in the water, and the snake man who was helping Sudar turned immediately to see what was going on.


    "It fell!" exclaimed Gia, covering her mouth in shock, watching as the guard snatched the baby snake out of the water and give them a suspicious look.


    "Return to your room," he almost hissed, anger evident in his voice as he turned back to the baby who was struggling in his hands.


    "I can''t wait to get out of this desert," gasped Gia as they reached the room once again.


    "Of all the places we have been, I believe this is probably the worst," agreed Vonn, still holding her arm from before.


    "What happened?" asked Carla.


    "I was washing my hands when a baby snake appeared and fell into the water. The snake man thought we had pushed it in," said Gia.


    "That''s horrible. Was it alright?" asked Mikey.


    "Judging from the way it was struggling in the hands of the snake guy, I would say it was just fine," said Vonn dryly. "I''m going to check with Sudar to see how much longer it will be before we can leave."


    "Not soon enough," grumbled Gia as Vonn left.


    "I don''t know why you''re so grumpy," said Mikey. "I don''t like traveling in that stinky elephant. It''s so crowded and hot inside! And there''s nothing to do!"


    "You could try carving some of the wood I have left," offered Tom.


    "No, thank you," said Mikey, laying back on the floor. "When will we be home?"


    "Hopefully we can find a good spot to build a house when we get to the other side of these plains," said Gia. She moved over to the wall next to her family and leaned against it. The stone was cool against her back. She couldn''t stand the thought of sitting just yet. "I don''t want to get back in the elephant either, but I don''t want to stay here where everything is dangerous. I hate the sand getting in my clothes and all of the monsters wanting to eat us."


    "Someday soon we will find a place and stop traveling," said Tom, turning back to his carving.


    "Vonn was going to build us a house that was big enough for all of us, and for any kids we have in the future," said Gia with a small smile, thinking of the family she would have with him in the future. Would there be lots of kids? Would there be more boys than girls?


    "Oh, yeah! I remember him saying that," said Mikey, sitting up. "He said I could help him build it!"


    "That''s right," said Carla, wiping the hair out of Mikey''s face.


    "Will there be other kids for me to play with?" he asked, turning to look at Gia, as if she knew the answer.


    "I hope so," she said. "We probably won''t stop to build the house until we find a village with other people in it."


    "I hope so, too. I want there to be some other boys, that I can run and play with. Do you think I''ll have to hunt rats again?"


    "No, we won''t be living in a big city like before, ever again," said Tom.


    "Vonn will probably teach you how to hunt big animals," said Gia.


    "I would like that. I hope there''s girls, too. I want to find someone to be my wife," said Mikey. "That way, when I get older, I can build a house for her and me to have some kids, too."


    "That''s going to be a while," laughed Carla.


    "Well, we''re not there yet," sighed Mikey.


    Vonn came back in just then, with a weird look on his face.


    "What''s wrong?" asked Gia, standing up from the wall.


    "Sudar just said they were calling the lions to help us get out of the desert, and hoped that none of us were afraid of heights," he said, glancing at Carla.


    "Don''t worry about me," Carla sighed. "I know how to close my eyes by this time. Oh, sorry, eye."


    "Oh, you,??? said Tom with a laugh.


    "What does that mean?" asked Gia, referring to the lions.


    "I''m not sure, but Sudar said they would be here within the hour, and that we needed to be ready to leave as soon as they arrived. The snake men were not happy with us being here, and were talking about chasing us back out into the desert for the worms to eat."


    "Oh dear," said Carla, with a frown.

 68 Chapter 68 The Roar of the Storm

    Gia watched as Sudar and the other traders laid out huge harnesses around the two remaining elephants. The harnesses wove throughout the bones of the ribcages and under the entire cavity that they sat in.


    "We can''t take as much water as we were planning to, because it would make the load too heavy for the lions," Sudar was telling Vonn as they climbed back into the elephants.


    Gia was going to ride in one with Von and Mikey, with Sudar, and her parents were going to ride in the other with Brin and Kei to equal out the loads. All of their stuff would be with her, since Mikey didn''t weight as much as her mom.


    "When did you meet the lions to form this friendship?" asked Vonn, shading his eyes to look for the approaching lions.


    "Oh, they''re not friends," laughed Sudar. "They''re more like what I call acquaintances that require lots of payment."


    "Oh," said Vonn, stepping back in surprise. "What will you be paying them with?"


    "I plan to give them a lot of meat that I will be getting from the orcs when we arrive. It should take the lions only about ten to twelve hours to fly us there. Those carvings from your dad should get a lot from the orcs."


    Vonn didn''t correct Sudar about who''s father Tom was, and Gia grinned at that. He was trying to help them get the last of the ropes in place when four huge creatures seemed to appear out of nowhere. They looked like cats with wings, only huge. One stood almost as tall as the elephant.


    Gia pulled Mikey back into the elephant, trying not to stare. Sudar had told them they might not like them, and to stay out of sight. Vonn quickly joined her and Mikey, and they waited in the very back of the elephant as Sudar spoke to the lions.


    "Thank you so much for answering my summons. I wasn''t sure you would be willing to accept my request," said Sudar.


    "We found ourselves with some spare time. I do hope you remembered that we don''t work for free, human," came the rumbling voice of one of the lions.


    "Oh, no, I assure you that I will pay you as much as you feel I need to. I will trade for meat from the orcs when we arrive," said Sudar.


    "The orcs are generally easy to please, so I don''t doubt your abilities to get meat from them. It better be fresh though. We don''t care for dried meat."


    "I understand. Are you ready to have us start attaching the harnesses?"


    "Yes, have you equalized the loads?"


    "I believe so. If you feel they are still needing work, we can fix them."


    "Very well. Be careful around our wings. The feathers are new and we don''t want them damaged too much."


    One of the lions stood in front of the elephant for a moment, peering in at them, before moving out of their line of sight. Mikey was grinning ear to ear.


    "Do you think I''ll get to pet one?" he asked.


    "Mikey, they aren''t pets. They''re wild animals," said Gia. "If you make them angry, they may eat you."


    "I bet they could swallow me whole!" Mikey said, nodding to himself. "They''re mouths are so big! Did you see those teeth! They''re as long as me!"


    "I just hope that this goes smoothly," said Gia, shifting her weight. "My mom is going to freak this entire trip!"


    "It can''t be any worse than riding in the tree, running from those giant spiders. Or how about on the back of the lizards when they decided to jump off the cliffs?" said Vonn, trying to reassure her.


    "I don''t think this is the same at all," said Gia, shaking her head. "This time we''re going to be high up in the sky, without anything touching the ground. If the elephants were walking, we would be close enough to survive falling, but if anything happens, and we get dropped, there''s not much of a chance of surviving."


    "Oh, Gia!" said Mikey, scrunching his nose. "You sound just like mom! You should calm down and not worry so much!"


    "Mikey''s right," said Vonn, giving her a hug. "I don''t think the lions are going to drop us, and I certainly don''t think Sudar would want us to get dropped. If there were another way out of here, I think he would have offered that before contacting the lions."


    "Hold on guys!" shouted Sudar suddenly. "We''ve got a sand storm coming in fast! We''re going to have to rush to get this done! When they lift off, it''s probably going to be rough!"


    "No time to check weights!" called out the lion. "Hurry with the straps over my back haunches. We''ve got to get into the air now!"


    "I''m trying!" cried Kei.


    "I''m done!" cried Brin, as he scrambled into the other elephant.


    "Done!" cried Kei, following Brin.


    The two lions strapped to their elephant rose up in a great gust of wind. Vonn frowned as Sudar seemed to be trying to hurry, but the others had left him alone.


    "I better go help," said Vonn, sliding towards the entrance, but Sudar appeared just then, breathing hard, and barely managing to grab ahold of the elephant before the lions they were attached to began to, lift them off the ground.


    Vonn grabbed his arm and finished pulling him into the cavity, and they all got a really good glimpse of the receding city below them as they pulled high into the air. The lions wheeled away from the wall of sand that was rushing towards them, and Sudar pulled the leather mat across the opening, to block out the blinding sun as they flew away from the storm.


    Gia couldn''t believe how fast they were moving. Far below them, she could see through some of the holes in the floor, giant sand worms appearing and seeming to reach for them, but falling back to the ground before the edges of the storm overwhelmed them. She hoped that the lions were able to stay ahead of the storm.


    "That storm looked nasty. If its what I think it is, it can grind the skin off a man''s hide in a matter of minutes. I don''t know how long the lions will be able to withstand it, if it overtakes us," said Sudar, glancing through another hole near the back of the cavity.


    "We will not be overtaken," said one of the lions above and to the side of them. "These wings of ours will not fail us."


    "I meant no disrespect," said Sudar, moving back to the front.


    "It is understandable for a race that doesn''t fly, to not understand the might of us lions. You are forgiven," said the other lion.


    They had turned again, and the sun was no longer blinding them. Ahead, Gia could see the other lions with the other elephant suspended between them. It was amazing watching the way the lions synchronized their wings so they didn''t strike each other with their wings.


    Glancing behind them, she saw that there was nothing to see but the wall of sand. While they had drawn further away from it, she couldn''t help but feel like it was chasing them.


    "Where do you lions live?" asked Vonn, taking advantage of their willingness to talk.


    "We live where ever we wish," answered one lion. He sounded amused, but Gia wasn''t sure.


    "We prefer to live where there is plenty of food, and away from you pesky humans. We don''t generally like elves either," added the other lion.


    "Why don''t you like elves?" asked Mikey, peeking through a hole in the side to see the lion better.


    "We have bad history with the elves. They often wish to take our cubs, and we don''t care to lose them," said the lion he was looking at.


    "We don''t care to lose our young either," said Gia, watching the sand wall cautiously. "Is the storm following us?"


    "I certainly hope not," said Sudar, moving next to her, to see it better. "My friends, I do believe the storm is getting closer, quickly!"


    "Hold on!" said one of the lions, as the other roared to the others.


    The lions in front of them glanced behind them before picking up their pace. They could all see the strain on their faces as they flapped their wings harder.


    "We need to lighten the load," said Vonn, as they all realized at the same time that there was no way the lions could keep up such a pace for so long.


    "Cut the water bags," said Sudar. "If we don''t get to the orcs, it won''t matter if we''re thirsty."


    Gia took the knife that was tossed towards her and started cutting the lashing that held the water bags to the outside of the elephant. Sudar shouted to Brin and Kei to cut their water bags loose as well, and the bags were soon dropping to splatter on the desert floor. The roar of the storm started to lessen as they picked up speed and pulled away from it again.

 69 Chapter 69 Cat and Mouse

    The wall of sand was almost touching the tips of the lions'' tails. They were beating their wings as hard as they could, and their sides were heaving in and out as they fought to stay ahead of the storm. Then, the sand below them disappeared and the hard-packed dirt of the wastes spread as far as the eye could see. The sand wall dropped away and Gia heaved a sigh of relief.


    "There''s the orc camp!" cried Sudar, excitement and unease in his voice.


    Gia could see a line of orcish warriors lined up with their weapons at the ready, when they seemed to suddenly see the storm behind them, and turned and ran.


    "Why are they running? The storm is dying," said Gia in confusion.


    "It''s not dying, it''s just slowed a bit because it''s not on sand anymore," said Sudar, shaking his head. "As soon as we land, we''re going to have to make a run for the tents. The orcish rule is that anyone may take refuge during a storm, so even the lions can enter."


    "What do you mean?" asked Vonn, picking up on his unease.


    "The lions hunt the orcs, so I knew they would be at odds with each other. I''m not entirely sure how this is going to work," admitted Sudar, giving him a worried look.


    Gia saw a circle of four huge tents, partially buried in the ground, drawing closer. The orcs were darting inside of them as fast as they could.


    As the lions landed, throwing up dirt and dust in their wake, Sudar tossed Vonn a knife.


    "We don''t have time to undo the harnesses. They''ll need to be cut!" explained Sudar darting out of the elephant almost before it was on the ground.


    Vonn paused long enough to say, "Get Mikey and our things into the nearest tent. I''ll be there as soon as I can!"


    Gia slipped on her bag and grabbed two of the others, leaving one for Mikey to grab, with his already on his back. Sliding out of the elephant, who had basically laid down in the ground, they ran as fast as they could towards the nearest tent. Pausing at the door, Gia turned to watch her parents slip into another tent and the lions dancing as their tethers were cut, watching the approaching sand storm.


    There were sounds inside the tent, behind her, but she refused to move and turn to see the orcs she knew were behind her until she saw each of the lions grab up the man who cut it loose in their mouths and run for the tents. The lions were too big to fit more than one in each tent, but they managed to slide in and get the flaps secured before the storm howled in.


    The orcs had moved as far away from the lions as possible, but the sound of the storm outside terrified them more than the heavily panting lions.


    Gia moved around the lion slowly, looking to see who was brought to her tent, and sighed in disappointment when she saw it was Sudar.


    "Sudar," said one of the orcs, standing tall enough to brush the top of the tent normally. His black hair shined in the dim light, against his deep green skin.


    "Xoruk, I greet you," said Sudar, turning to face the orc. "I request shelter from the storm, before I trade good things to your people."


    "You bring enemy of orc people," growled Xoruk, not hiding his fear and anger.


    The lion had laid down, with its two front legs crossed in front of it, and was watching the two in fascinated amusement.


    "The lions saved us from death. We lost two elephants to the worms in the desert. Geth was taken by the madness and we tried to save him, but it was too late. I had no choice but to ask the lions for help," explained Sudar.


    "What Sudar pay lions for this help?" asked Xoruk, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.


    "Xoruk, you wound me," said Sudar. "I have never betrayed the orc people."


    "What Sudar pay?" demanded Xoruk, crossing his arms stubbornly.


    "I have good things to trade to orc people," said Sudar. "I want meat from orc to pay the lions with."


    "Any meat?" asked Xoruk.


    "The silly things think you are going to pay us with their nasty meat," chuckled the lion, unable to hold back any longer. "No, orc chieftain. The trader human is not going to give us orc meat. We are hoping you have plenty of elephant or desert worm to trade. I prefer the elephant, but my cubs don''t care."


    Xoruk glared at the lion for a moment, mulling his words over.


    "It''s true, Xoruk," said Mikey, poking his head around the other side of the lion. "Sudar would never trade a person to be eaten!"


    "Sudar bring other humans. Are they clan?" asked the orc, studying Gia with new eyes that made her suddenly very uncomfortable.


    "No, Xoruk. These humans are a family that traded passage across the wastes. They are not of my clan," said Sudar, but Gia couldn''t help notice the slight tinge of regret in his words. Maybe Geth wasn''t the only one she needed to be wary of.


    "You tell story," said Xoruk, stepping back and sitting on a carved rock.


    As soon as he sat down, the rest of the orcs in the tent seemed to calm down and sit more comfortably as well. Maybe they were taking the cues from their leader before deciding if the lion really was safe for the moment.


    "What does he mean by story?" asked Mikey.


    "This storm is going to last a while," said Sudar, sitting between the lion and the orc chief. "To pass the time, the orc people usually tell stories."


    "What do they do if a storm blows in and they aren''t near a tent?" asked Gia.


    "Then they take a cloak and cover themselves as best they can with it. If they can burry themselves in the sand and dirt before the storm hits, then even better," explained Sudar.


    "What story are you going to tell, human trader Sudar?" asked the lion.


    "Well," started Sudar, rubbing his chin before he looked over at Gia and smiled. "I think it would be best if Gia tells the story. She''s a really good story teller."


    "I am?" asked Gia, taken aback. When had she become a story teller? Surely the little stories she told Mikey during their travels didn''t count?


    "Oh! Yes! Gia, tell everyone about our journey from our old home, all the way to here!" exclaimed Mikey, jumping from one foot to the other, holding his pouch with Sprout so it didn''t bounce too much. "That should take forever!"


    "Well, um¡­ okay," she said, feeling uncomfortable with all the eyes in the tent on her.


    "Here, you sit," said a female orc, placing a leather covered stool beside her. The baby strapped to her side gurgled in hello, waving a rattle made from the small bones of some creature.


    "Thank you," squeaked Gia, sitting on the stool quickly so as not to insult the orcs.


    "Remember to talk loud, so everyone can hear you," said Sudar with a small smile.


    "I had just laid down to sleep, when Vonn, my husband, err¡­ mate, came to wake me. A huge army was coming to kill the whole city, uh¡­ clan?" she glanced over at Sudar who nodded and waved for her to continue.


    After a couple more fumbled words, Gia realized the orcs didn''t care if she used a word they didn''t know well. They still sat quietly and listened attentively as she retold the story, she had told so many times before. The lion yawn and lay its head down, as if to sleep when she got to the dwarves, but Gia could tell it was still listening because its ears would swivel at every noise.


    The storm finally subsided as she came to the part where she was strapped to the back of a lizardman, and when she told the orcs of the way she had helped it win the race by grabbing a branch, they couldn''t hold back their grins.


    "And that''s when you ran into us, right?" asked Sudar, signaling that she should end the story.


    "Yes," she nodded, grateful for that to be over so she could get Vonn and her parents back with her.


    They all made their ways out of the tent, to find the two elephants almost completely buried by the sand. The moon was high in the sky before they managed to get them unburied.


    "If you continue south and east, you should run into the halflings," said Sudar as they all settled down to sleep. "There really isn''t a reason you should stay here with the orcs. In fact, I would be worried they would involve all of you in some of the clan drama. This is the meeting place between the four major clans and whenever I show up, something always brews for fighting to break out."


    "Then we will probably plan on leaving first thing in the morning," said Tom. "Will we be able to get supplies?"


    "I don''t think that will be a problem," chuckled Sudar, bidding them goodnight and leaving.

 70 Chapter 70 Orc Drama

    It was just after dawn and Gia was filling the last of the water bags Sudar managed to get from the orcs when a large male orc approached her. Looking around for Vonn, Gia stood up uncomfortably to greet him as she had seen others greet them.


    "I Jreg," he declared, pounding his chest.


    "Hello, Jreg," Gia said carefully, still looking for Vonn. He had only left a few moments ago to get some food with Tom from Sudar. "I am Gia."


    "Jreg will join Gia clan and prove self as mate," said Jreg, looking pleased with himself.


    Gia gasped in panic, stepping back away from the orc. Not that he wasn''t good looking, for an orc, but she wasn''t interested in him at all! Was this the drama that Sudar had warned them of the night before?


    "You can''t be my mate," she said quickly. "My mate is Vonn!


    "Jreg know of the mighty Vonn who is not scared of the sky terrors. Jreg would be happy to be Gia''s second mate. It would be good luck to join Gia''s clan."


    "Why would it be good luck?" she asked, trying to see where her mother had gone with Mikey. She didn''t want to make him mad by refusing, but she knew nothing of their customs!


    "First mate Vonn has not yet gotten Gia with child, so it would be good for Gia to have a second mate. Jreg is strong and good hunter. With two mates, Gia will be able to have lots of healthy babies and feed them all."


    He seemed so sure that his logic was sound that Gia struggled not to laugh. Her having half-orc babies? No!


    "I''m honored by your offer, but the reason I''m not with child yet is because I am choosing to wait," said Gia, trying to explain to him.


    Jreg scrunched his brow, thinking about her words carefully.


    "If I got pregnant, with child, while we traveled, it would be harder to travel for me. If I wait until we reach our new home, I won''t have to travel anymore, and there will be other women to help me if I have any problems."


    "Orc woman not wait. Orc travel always. Gia stay with orc and have orc woman to help. Does Gia not have mother traveling with her?" He tilted his head to the side, honestly looking like he was trying to figure her out and understand the problem.


    Her moment of mirth long gone; Gia realized this was going to be harder than she thought.


    "Jreg, where I am going, where my family is going, is the human lands. Orcs are not welcome there. You would be seen as a monster to kill, not as a person," tried Gia again.


    "Jreg will learn the human ways from Gia as we travel. Humans in Gia new home not think Jreg monster is Jreg act like human."


    He shook his head at her as if she were being silly, grinning as his cleverness.


    "Jreg, humans don''t take second mates," said Gia, shaking her head right back at him.


    "Gia does not see how good Jreg is. Jreg must prove himself."


    He pounded on his chest again and left in a hurry, jogging out of sight. Gia didn''t waste any time finishing the water and taking the bags back to where they were gathering their things. Her mother was there, finishing the last of the packing and helping Mikey get his bag on his back.


    "We need to leave now!" Gia said softly, handing over the bags and grabbing up her pack.


    "What? Why?" asked Carla, putting the bags of water into Vonn''s pack before picking up her own to put on.


    "I just had an orc try to convince me to let him become my second mate. I tried to tell him no, but he''s rushed off to prove himself."


    "Oh no!" gasped Carla, looking around. "I don''t know how long it will take Vonn and Tom to get back."


    "We can''t leave without them!" cried Mikey with wide eyes.


    "Don''t worry, we won''t," said Gia.


    "What did he say? The orc?" asked Carla, finishing the rest quickly.


    "He thought Vonn wasn''t a good enough mate because I wasn''t pregnant. I tried to explain to him that I was trying to wait for my own safety, but apparently the orcs are nomadic and travel all the time. He didn''t think there was a problem, especially since you were with me, to help when it came time to give birth," said Gia, looking around at the orc forms preparing for their day.


    None of the other orcs paid them any attention, most seemed still half asleep after the long day with the storm. The longer it took the men to return, the more nervous Gia became.


    "Let''s take everything to the men, so we can hurry them up," said Carla finally, and Gia nodded in relief.


    They gathered up the last two packs and started looking for them. They were near the lions, talking after having traded the meat to the giant cats for their service. Gia and Carla hurried over to them with Mikey in tow.


    "Vonn!" Gia cried. "We need to get going!"


    "What''s wrong?" he asked, turning to take his bag from her in confusion.


    Tom and Sudar turned as well, curious to see what was going on.


    "One of the orcs proposed to Gia," said Carla, out of breath from carrying the extra bag.


    "What?" Von asked in low tone.


    "I tried to explain to him that I was already with you, and that human''s don''t have two mates, but he thought it was good luck to have a second mate since I wasn''t pregnant with you," explained Gia, glancing around to make sure Jreg wasn''t around.


    "Sounds like drama," sighed Sudar. "He probably expected you to agree quickly, because he is a young strong hunter, then use the fact that you accepted him to cause jealousy with some of the other orc women, since you are the new woman in town."


    "I don''t care what he''s trying to do, I''m not interested," said Gia with a frown.


    "Telling him no, isn''t going to do it," said Sudar, "and if you guys leave now, he''s bound to follow you. You wouldn''t be the first woman who tried to avoid drama by running away. Several orc women have tried that and failed."


    "Then what do we do?" asked Tom. "There''s no way we are taking an orc with us back to the human lands."


    "Well, the rules are kind of fuzzy on this, because they can be so complicated. The easiest way to dissuade him, would be for Vonn to challenge him to combat, but seeing as how orcs are much stronger and faster than men, I wouldn''t recommend that. The next way would be to actually get pregnant. Orc woman go into heat once a month, like an animal, so the men can smell if they''re pregnant or not. You must be ready to get with child, or he wouldn''t be able to tell you weren''t pregnant, even though we don''t go into heat."


    "Are there any other options?" asked Gia, uncomfortably. "I was trying to wait to get pregnant until we got back and had an actual home so I wouldn''t be traveling while pregnant. It''s been so dangerous so far; I would fear for the safety of the child."


    "I understand your concerns," said Sudar, nodding his head and rubbing his chin thoughtfully.


    "Why don''t you just kill the orc?" asked the lion standing next to them. "It would raise respect among the other orcs, and convince the others to leave you alone."


    "What?" gasped Gia, her hands starting to shake in fear. "Me?"


    "That is an option," said Sudar, nodding at the lion. "The orcs judge others by strength. I had thought of that, but wasn''t sure you would be willing to do it."


    "We''ve seen these orcs fighting all the time. It''s actually the best time to hunt them, because they are so consumed with the fight. But you will need orc witnesses so they don''t just blame you for wrongfully killing him."


    "I don''t¡­ I don''t think he deserves that," said Gia finally, shaking her head. "He wasn''t trying to do anything wrong that would warrant me killing him! There must be another way."


    "Sudar," said Vonn after a moment of silence, while they all tried to think of a solution. "You said the orcs had magic, right?"


    "To some extent, yes," said Sudar, nodding.


    "Can they heal?" asked Vonn.


    Gia thought she knew where he was going with this, but kept her thoughts to herself. She needed to trust him to do what was right.


    "Of course. That''s the main type of magic they do," said Sudar.


    "Then I will challenge the orc to a fight for Gia''s mate. If I win, he has to stop trying to be her second, and if he wins, he can be her second," said Vonn. "Then after the fight, if either of us is harmed, the orcs have to heal us both."


    "I''m not sure if they will accept that," said Sudar thoughtfully. "What was the name of the orc that approached you?"


    "Jreg," said Gia uncertain she liked this idea.


    "What?! That''s the prince of the clan!" exclaimed Sudar.


    The lion just laughed, shaking its head in amusement.

 71 Chapter 71 Vonn Vs Jreg

    "Does it make a difference if he''s the prince?" asked Gia. "I still don''t want a second husband, much less an orc one!"


    "But the chances that he''s doing it for drama with someone else is gone! If he''s truly serious about being your second mate, this could be horrible!" said Sudar, holding a hand to his head as he tried to think.


    "Could be horrible?" exclaimed Vonn. "I would think it already is!"


    "Surely, we can talk to someone, maybe the leader of the orcs to get this figured out?" asked Tom.


    "I don''t think so. The prince is old enough to be an adult, which means the leader has no say in who he chooses to be a mate with. I don''t understand how he can think being your second would be better and any other person. How did your status with the orcs get so high?" said Sudar, shaking his head.


    "The story she told yesterday seemed to make a huge impression on them," said the lion. "Maybe that was why they like her so much?"


    "Wait, does this mean that other orcs might be trying to become her mates, too?" exclaimed Carla. "We have to get out of here!"


    "I had wanted them to like you, so the trades would be good, but I never anticipated this," said Sudar.


    "Could the necklaces have anything to do with it?" asked Mikey, holding his amulet from the tree out to see it.


    "Maybe, but it doesn''t matter at the moment," said Gia. "I have to figure out a way to convince this orc I''m not interested without insulting him. I''ve never had to turn someone down before."


    "I made sure of that," agreed Vonn. "Maybe I should just fight him, and get it over with. The longer we stay here, the more orcs may try to start something."


    "As much as I hate to see you fight an orc, I tend to agree," said Tom.


    "But I don''t want you to lose and have a second mate!" cried Gia.


    "What this?" said a voice behind them.


    They all turned to find Jreg standing with a large desert bug dead behind him, sweating profusely in the presence of the lion. He fought to stand so close to it.


    "Those bugs are considered delicacies and are extremely hard to hunt," whispered Sudar in amazement.


    "I don''t care," whispered Gia back.


    "I will challenge you for Gia," said Vonn, before Gia could say anything to Jreg. "If I win, you will leave Gia alone. If I lose, you may be her second mate."


    Jreg nodded quickly. "We fight challenge in village center."


    Vonn moved to follow the orc, and Gia grabbed his arm. "Be careful, please!"


    He gave her a smile and wrapped a hand around her cheek. "I will not lose."


    Gia trailed after him, feeling lost and unsure of what was expected of her with the rest of her family trailing behind. The lion was curious enough to follow as well, and that drew the attention of the rest of the orc village.


    "After the fight is over, your healers will heal both of us," said Vonn, to Jreg. "And we are going to leave immediately after that. We have a long way to go, and I will not waste more time with more challenges!"


    The orcs who were close enough to hear, all nodded in understanding. Several of the leaders approached, since this was a gathering place of four different tribes, and they started discussing among them about who should be required to heal the fighters. Gia stood there, not understanding what they were saying. The decision was finally made to have the healer of the tribe of Jreg''s father heal them, since he was of that tribe, and all the orcs who were interested in challenging for the right to be Gia''s mate were disappointed to find she wasn''t interested in having another.


    "I can''t believe how many of them are interested," whispered Gia, horrified, to her mother.


    "I know!" answered Carla, looking around at the upset orcs who were talking quickly to each other about how they had been planning to try. "None of them better try that with me! "I''ll slap them silly!"


    "You?" said Gia, looking at her mother in shock. This woman was afraid of everything! When did she ever think she would harm someone?


    "Well, I would probably just scream and run in fear, honestly," admitted Carla, grabbing Tom''s arm in support. Acting brave seemed to have been exhausting for her.


    "Is Vonn going to be alright?" asked Mikey, pushing past Carla to see the two fighters better.


    "I certainly hope so," murmured Gia, crossing her arms over her chest. She had been about to chew on her fingernails, and that was a habit she hadn''t had in years. It took her a really long time to break, and she definitely didn''t want to pick it back up now. What was she thinking?? This was horrible!


    Vonn circled around Jreg, watching how the orc moved, and waited for him to make the first move. As Jreg moved forward to punch him, Vonn dropped down under his fist and ducked to the side, kicked at Jreg''s knee with all of his weight.


    The orc screamed, falling forward, and Vonn was right there, grabbing Jreg''s hand as he reached out to break his fall and jerking it back so the orc''s face slammed into the hard ground. Vonn landed on Jreg''s back, sliding quickly down and placing his knee onto the orcs neck, pulling the arm backwards into an unnatural position.


    "Yield," said Vonn, barely having broken a sweat.


    The orc could only cry out in pain, panting in the dirt. The crowd around him was completely silent, as none of them had ever seen that before. Gia just gaped in shock, her mouth hanging open. When had Vonn learned to fight like that??


    "Give up!" growled Vonn, jerking the arm and making the orc grunt in more pain.


    "Give," panted the orc.


    Vonn jumped up off of him and turned to look around at the other orcs.


    "Gia is my mate! She doesn''t want another. Only one!"


    The other orcs nodded their understanding, watching as Jreg rolled over and winced in pain from his knee. The healer rushed over to look at it and started chanting to heal the dislocated knee.


    Gia wanted to rush to Vonn''s side but she was torn. He kind of scared her. If he could fight like that, why hadn''t she realized it sooner? Wasn''t there plenty of opportunities for him to fight? She tried to think over their trip as the healer performed his magic ritual to heal Jreg''s leg.


    As soon as the healer was done, Vonn held out a hand to help Jreg up from the ground. Jreg paused and looked at him for a moment.


    "I would be honored to have you as a brother, even if my mate will not accept an orc. I would be honored to have one such as yourself to hunt beside me if a time ever called for it. I do not want this to dishonor you," said Vonn.


    Jreg nodded slowly, and accepted his hand. Once they stood side by side, Gia approached slowly.


    "Jreg honored to be brother to Vonn, but Jreg need work harder to earn right to be a mate. Jreg thought it good luck to be Gia mate, but Jreg got leg hurt when try. Must try harder to be mate."


    "But not my mate," said Gia quickly.


    "No, Gia good story teller, but Gia only have one mate. Human''s strange," said Jreg, shaking his head.


    "Is that why you wanted to be my mate? Because I told the story well?" asked Gia, confused. Why would that cause him to want to be her mate?


    "Story telling good for orc people," said Jreg. "Stories give orc something to do in storms and at night when too tired to do anything else."


    Gia nodded her understanding. "We are leaving now. Thank you for letting us stay the night. We have a long way to go to get home."


    "Gia take gifts?" asked Jreg, turning towards his father in the crowd.


    "Gifts?" asked Gia and Vonn together.


    The orcs had piled things together, out of sight of the fighters, and Sudar gave a low whistle when he saw it.


    "It is considered a great insult not to take any gifts offered," Sudar said, shaking his head.


    "There''s no way we can take all of that!" gasped Gia as her eyes traveled over the multitude of things in the pile. There were dead animals, heavy weapons, a whole tent complete with long tent poles, clothing, jewelry, and lots more.


    "Well, we should go through it and see what we can do," said Vonn.


    "Jreg has gift," said Jreg, trotting off and returning quickly with a two wheeled cart. "Gia gifts fit on cart."


    Gia and Vonn stared at the cart in shock, because it looked exactly like the one they had when they left the city so long ago.


    "I guess I''ve pulled one of these before, I can pull another one again," Vonn laughed, moving to start loading the cart down with all of the items. Gia nodded and moved to help. She would wait until they were away from the orcs before she started asking him questions.

 72 Chapter 72 A Spy Among Them

    "So, before you get started asking my all sorts of questions, I thought I would tell you a little more about myself," chuckled Vonn, pulling the cart as Gia walked beside him.


    "You knew I was going to ask?" she asked with a smile.


    "I know you Gia. We''ve been together since we were little kids. You always ask me about everything."


    "Obviously not enough," she pouted, crossing her arms and looking away from him.


    "Oh, don''t be like that. I said I would tell you about it," he said, with a sigh.


    "But why haven''t you told me before? It''s not like you haven''t had the time," she said, turning to look at him again.


    "I know, but I was afraid you wouldn''t like the answer," he said after a moment.


    "Vonn, we''ve been together for a long time. I''ve agreed to be your wife. How bad could it be?" she asked.


    "Well," he said, "I kind of worked for the army that was invading."


    "What?!" exclaimed Gia and both her parents, who had gotten closer to listen in.


    Vonn glanced back at her parents and then sighed as he turned back ahead of them. They had left the orcs long behind, having bid farewell to Sudar and the lions as well. They had all been so grateful for leaving without any more drama, they hadn''t bothered to look through all of the things in the cart yet. When they stopped to camp that evening, they would go through it more carefully.


    "Every time I went out to cut wood, I was supposed to meet with the scouts from the other army, to tell them about the guard movements and if there were any signs of preparing for the invasion."


    "So, you sold out the city?!" cried Tom.


    "Why would you do that?" exclaimed Carla.


    "I don''t understand," said Gia. "We had a good life there. Mom had just gotten a good job and dad was making money selling the carvings he did¡­"


    "Gia, we did not have a good life there," said Vonn, ignoring her parents. "You lived in the worse part of the city, and ate rats if Mikey could catch them. There is nothing good about that."


    "We had a roof over our heads and something in our bellies when we went to sleep at night," she argued.


    "Your clothes were rags that you spent countless hours stitching together. Mikey couldn''t go to the academy because you couldn''t afford to send him. Your mom got a new job, but it all but killed her legs. Gia, I did it so we could have a future together!" Vonn said, trying to make her understand.


    "I didn''t go to the academy, either," she said softly. "And neither did you."


    "And that''s why I had to resort to cutting wood to survive," he said, pulling on the cart when it got stuck in a crack of the hard ground. "You refused to marry me, so I could take you away from that hard life, so I tried to find another way to make enough money to support you and all of your family."


    "Whatever they offered you wasn''t worth the lives of all those people out there!" Gia cried. "We almost didn''t get out ourselves!"


    "They gave me a warning of only a short time, expecting me to run for it by myself," Vonn admitted, looking off into the horizon. "I knew that I would be cutting it close running all the way back to you, and when you insisted on taking your family, I knew that it was possible we would be caught. But, Gia, I wasn''t going to leave you. Everything I did, I would do again. Those people back there that died, were going to die anyway. If I didn''t help those scouts, then they would have found someone else to do it. I was trying to make a future for us."


    "That doesn''t explain how you knew how to fight," she said softly after several minutes had passed. She wanted to believe he had done it for the good of their relationship, but it was too much for her to process all at once.


    "After the people approached me to spy for them, they tried to convince me to join the town guards. I figured I would be getting paid by both sides, and then I could make a run for it with you before any of the fighting actually started."


    "What happened?" she asked, curious despite herself.


    "The king had declared that all of the woodcutters were to remain woodcutters. Because of the monsters that sometimes popped up in the forest, there weren''t a lot of people willing to cut wood to support the needs of the city. When the recruiter found out I was trying to quit cutting wood, he refused to protect his butt. He told me I earned just as much cutting wood as I would in the town guards."


    "Do you think the king knew something was up?" asked Tom.


    "Maybe, he was the king after all, but if so, I never heard anything. I told the scouts that I couldn''t spend the money they were trying to pay me in case I was caught. The war was just starting out on the fringes and if I showed up with some of it, it would tip people off. They agreed to teach me to fight instead. I never had to use it until now, and honestly wasn''t sure how good I would do."


    Gia watched him pull the cart, deep in thought. He had been trying to earn extra money so they would have a better future, and it didn''t matter in the end. The army came and killed everyone in the city, probably razing it to the ground.


    "Then, I''m grateful you were the spy," she said softly, feeling a warmth in her heart.


    "What?" he said, almost dropping the cart.


    Both her parents were gaping at her in shock, and Mikey gazed at her in confusion.


    "Despite everything that has happened, you claim you did it all for our future. I would probably have taken the enemies money and gotten caught. Plus, there''s no telling what they would have done to you if you had refused. We''re healthier now than we''ve ever been in my lifetime, and we''re not living in that tiny hut in the slums anymore," she said thoughtfully. "Dad has his sight back, and mom''s legs are better. Mikey is growing really well and not having to catch rats. I was always afraid we would get some disease eating them, but our hunger was stronger than my fear. And I finally agreed to marry you," she said with a soft smile.


    "Of which I am incredibly grateful," he said stopping the cart and pulling her in for a kiss.


    "Does this mean that I get to go to an academy?" asked Mikey, looking up at Tom and Carla.


    "I have no idea if there will even be an academy where we end up," said Carla.


    "What even is an academy?" he asked.


    "It''s a place where children go when they are old enough, to learn how to read and write and do math," said Tom.


    "Did you go to the academy?" asked Mikey.


    "No, neither did your mom. We grew up in a small village outside of the city. It was our plans to send both of you to the academy when we moved to the city, but that ended up not happening," said Tom sadly.


    "Because you lost your sight," clarified Mikey.


    "Partly," said Carla. "When he lost his sight, he couldn''t work and earn money for us anymore. We had worked so hard to get to the city, we didn''t want to run back to the village we grew up in, so we stayed."


    "And Vonn saved us from the enemy army," said Mikey, nodding in understanding.


    "Pretty much," agreed Tom.


    "Is there anything else I need to know before it slips out?" asked Gia, pulling back from the kiss with a deep blush on her cheeks.


    "I''ve never bedded a woman before, so there''s that. You know that both my parents are dead, so no surprises there. I had a brother, but he disappeared right after mom and dad died. I doubt he will pop back up ever, and I hope we don''t name the kids anything exotic. I''ve had enough exotic to last a life time!"


    Gia laughed. "I don''t know, I kind of like the name, Luan."


    "Alright, I can see that one. If we ever have a daughter, she can be named Luan," Vonn conceded with a grin. "Just don''t tell the elves, because they might get upset."


    "I don''t know, I may need to get that promise from you. You are the one who has a history of being a spy," laughed Gia.


    "Oh, you!" he groaned as everyone broke out laughing. "I''m never going to live this down, am I?"


    "Nope, and I plan to ask you who you''ve talked to every time you return from cutting wood," said Gia, pulling away from him so he could start pulling the cart again.

 73 Chapter 73 The Halfling Wolf Rider

    Gia set her backpack down next to the cart and looked around. Her feet were sore from walking so much, after not having walked much the past month. The sun was setting and the wastelands had changed into more plains with grass again.


    "Are we going to go through all the stuff from the orcs now?" asked Mikey in excitement.


    "Yes," said Vonn, stretching his shoulders out after pulling the cart all day.


    "What do you think about the tent?" asked Tom, pulling on the thick material.


    "I think the tent we got from the dwarves is pretty worn. There are rips and tears all over it. If one of those sandstorms gets this far, we wouldn''t stand a chance," said Vonn, helping Tom pull the tent off the cart.


    "It''s awfully big," said Carla.


    "We could probably redo it, without too much effort, and leave the extra fabric behind," said Gia, pulling the many poles out of the stack for them to start erecting the tent.


    "Won''t they find the extra fabric and be insulted?" asked Carla.


    "I doubt it, and besides, we don''t plan to encounter them again," said Tom, helping Vonn roll the tent out.


    "Here''s the leather ties to attach it all together," said Mikey, pulling out the rest of the pieces from the cart.


    Once they had the tent set up, they all stepped back to look at it.


    "It''s much larger than our last tent," said Carla.


    "Orc''s are much larger than we are," said Gia. "When we take it down in the morning, we''ll spend a little time working on it, to make it not be so big."


    "Alright," Carla nodded as they all turned their attention to the cart.


    There was a small chest of coins, which they added the dwarven coins to, and put into the tent. The next thing was a bag of stones. None of them could figure out what was so special about the stones, so they put them next to the chest, to decide what to do with later. There were several pairs of gloves made from some kind of skin they couldn''t recognize. They were too large for any of them, so they were added to the pile with the stones. Carla thought she might be able to modify them so they weren''t so large, and Gia looked forward to seeing how she did that, so she would know how to make gloves in the future.


    Mikey pulled out several pots of paint, that Tom recognized as the paint the orcs used to paint on themselves. Since none of them knew what was actually in the paint, they were added to the pile. Mikey had been hoping to use the paint to make pictures of some of the things he had seen, so they probably wouldn''t get rid of it.


    There was bone jewelry and weapons that they couldn''t decide if they were decoration or functional. Tom thought he might be able to carve on some of it and resell it when they finally settled down, so they added it to the pile in the tent.


    The clothes that Carla pulled out could be resized for all of them, since the clothing they had was just as worn as the tent.


    Carla found a super soft pelt of some animal none of them could place. It had obviously been taken very good care of, so it was quickly decided it could go to Gia and Vonn as a wedding gift. Gia tried to give it to her parents, but they insisted she would get more use out of it than they would.


    Vonn found armor made from the worm chitin, but it was all too big for him. After puzzling over it for a while, they all decided to keep it, in case it could be resized.


    Several things were immediately thrown to the side, such as a bat skull that still had bits of brain inside and a pair of ears that seemed far too fresh for any of them to be comfortable holding on to. A hole was quickly dug to put them in so no animal would be attracted to them.


    Mikey found a carved stone that seemed to be similar to an orc woman and Carla snatched it from him.


    "What''s wrong?" he asked, as she showed it to Tom.


    "This is a fertility stone. I''ve seen them before. Hunters would take them with them, in the hopes that if they were able to find a wife, the wife would bear lots of children," explained Tom.


    "Then that should go to Gia," said Mikey, turning back to the cart. "I don''t plan to get a wife soon."


    Gia turned bright red and everyone laughed, causing Mikey to glance back at them curiously.


    "I''m good," she said. "I don''t want to carry it around if it has magic attached to it. Besides, it would be really heavy."


    "Oh, I don''t know. It''s not very big. Maybe I should carry it. I am the hunter, you know," chuckled Vonn with a grin.


    "Oh, you!" she exclaimed, turning back to the cart so that if he did take it, she didn''t see.


    There were several more things, such as a bag of sand that none of them could figure out, a jar of what looked like toes, a pretty uncut gemstone, and a stick.


    "Why is there a stick in here?" asked Mikey, picking it up and looking at it carefully.


    "I don''t know," said Tom, taking it from him and looking at it as well. "There doesn''t appear to be any carvings or anything on it. Maybe it was just something to symbolize wealth? They didn''t have any trees, so any wood at all would be worth something, maybe?"


    "Could there be something magical about it?" asked Gia, uncertain her father''s explanation was right.


    "How would we know that?" laughed Carla, taking the stick from Tom, to look over it as well. "None of us have any magic!"


    "You''re right," sighed Gia, stretching and glancing in her bag for some dried meat. "Let''s eat something and settle down for the night. I''m tired."


    The whole night went by without any interruptions, but the next morning, they were woken by a voice calling out.


    "Hello? Who''s in there?"


    Gia pulled open the tent flap to see a small girl standing by their cart.


    "Oh, humans. I was worried you would be orcs," said the girl, lowering her spear. A large wolf poked its nose around the cart, and Gia froze, but the girl laughed and pushed the canine away. "Not right now, Fluff! Can''t you see I''m trying to do serious stuff?"


    The wolf glanced at them all frozen in their bedrolls, staring at it and the girl, and turned back to give the girl a look.


    "I know, I know, but they could have been orcs! They have an orcish cart and tent!"


    The wolf gave a huff of annoyance and threw itself down in the grass behind her. That was when they saw that the wolf had a saddle strapped to its back.


    "Who are you?" asked Gia, crawling out of the tent and standing up to look around.


    "I''m Bee," said the girl with a wide grin, hooking her free thumb through her belt. "And this is Fluff. We''re ranger scouts for the halfling nation."


    "Halfling nation?" asked Vonn, climbing out of the tent after Gia.


    "Yep. We don''t get much bigger than this, so you humans call us halflings," Bee said cheerfully. "So, why do you have so much orc stuff? It stinks horribly!"


    "Sadly, that may be what we smell like," said Carla sadly. "We just finished traveling across the desert and the wastes and haven''t had a proper chance to bathe in over a month."


    "Oh, dear!" exclaimed Bee, looking at them in horror. "Does that mean you traveled past the orcs? Did they attack you? Did you kill some and steal their stuff?"


    "Oh, no," chuckled Tom. "They gifted all of this to us as we were leaving, because they liked our story of how we have been traveling so much."


    "Well, I guess I don''t have to worry about any orc war parties then," sighed Bee, as if she was disappointed. "How about I wait for you guys to pack up and I''ll show you the way to a stream that''s not too far from here?"


    "That would be great!" sang Gia, quickly pulling her boots on and jumping to help pack everything back onto the cart.


    Bee rode on the back of the wolf comfortably, not using any form of reins to steer him, and yet the wolf seemed to know where she wanted him to go. They reached the stream by midmorning and stopped to make camp.


    "I think this is a good spot to stop for a short while," said Carla. "I need to resize the tent and the clothes we got from the orcs."


    "I need some new shoes," said Mikey, holding up his dwarven boot for them to see where his big toe was sticking out of a hole.


    "There''s some leather shoes in here, but the soles aren''t that great," said Gia, holding up one of the leather wraps. She wrinkled her nose at the smell that emanated from it. Surely it hadn''t been used before being gifted to her?


    "If you want, after you get cleaned up, I can take you to the nearest village where you can get decent clothes and supplies," said Bee with a wrinkled nose of her own. "Orc stuff isn''t the best when it comes to just about anything."

 74 Chapter 74 The Halfling Bob’s Bar

    After going through the orc stuff again, with the help of Bee, and loaded down with much less, they headed towards the town she told them was nearby. Gia was hoping it wouldn''t be mud huts or holes in the ground, as there weren''t any trees for them to build in. It would be nice to stay in an actual inn, but she decided that was going to be asking for too much.


    As the town grew on the horizon, everyone was amazed to see actual houses.


    "How did you get the materials to build out here?" exclaimed Tom.


    "They had everything hauled out here. It cost a pretty coin or two, but it''s worth it. There''s a lot of money to be had out this way," explained Bee with a grin. "The wild animals all around bring in lots of exotic materials for the workers further east. They pay a lot for specific things, and we are more than happy to oblige them."


    "Is it possible that the town has an inn?" asked Gia, inwardly prepared for the answer to be no.


    "There is, but it''s pretty pricey," said Bee with a wince. "If you have coin to spare, then yes, otherwise you would probably be best to just set up in the street out of the way somewhere. Be careful of carts though, they don''t mind driving over whatever may be in the way."


    "We have coin, thank you," said Gia, thinking about the coin they had gotten from the dwarves and the orcs.


    As they entered the town, they all heaved sighs of relief. It had been so long since they had been in a real civilized place, that it was nice to be back in one, even if everything was sized too small for them.


    "If you''re not afraid of the prices, then let me take you to Bob''s bar!" said Bee cheerfully. "He has the best ale, and his food never upsets your stomach!"


    "Bob?" they all exclaimed at once.


    Bee turned to look at them in confusion. "Have you heard of him? I didn''t think the orcs knew about him?"


    "Is Bob a human?" asked Carla, hesitantly.


    "Oh, no! He''s a halfling, just like the rest of us," chuckled Bee. "You must have known another Bob then?"


    "Yes," said Vonn, nodding. "He ran a bar in the city we used to live in, and his brother ran a bar in the dwarven city under the mountains."


    "Wow, I''ve never heard of them. That''s interesting. No, Bob''s been here as long as I can remember, but I''ve only been here personally, for about fifteen years."


    As they walked along the dirt streets, they saw a lot of colorful characters. There were several more wolf riders, a couple of people preforming with puppets for a crowd of monster hunters, a monk preforming intricate movements, and young halflings chasing after small foxes.


    Bee paused in front of one of the largest buildings in the town, and jumped off her wolf.


    "Do you want to come inside, or do you want some free time?" she asked her wolf.


    He turned to look over at the other wolves in the street, one of which growled at him, and he turned back to her with a lopsided grin, panting with his tongue out.


    Chuckling, she patted his neck, and turned to take them inside. "Your stuff will probably be safe. Not many people will mess with a cart full of orc things. But if you want, you can drop it off around back, at the stables, and the stable boy will keep an eye on it for a coin or two."


    Glancing at the others, Vonn nodded to them, and headed around the back. If they didn''t have the chest of coins in it, under some of the orc things, they probably wouldn''t have bothered, but the cart contained everything they owned at the moment.


    Gia went on inside with her parents and brother, all of them having to duck to get through the door. Thankfully the ceiling was high enough they didn''t bump their heads on the rafters.


    "Ah, new comers!" exclaimed a voice.


    Turning to their left, they saw an old halfling woman with a deep blue dress grinning at them.


    "Welcome to my inn!" she said, throwing her arms wide. "Will you be needing rooms? I''m afraid I don''t have one big enough for all of you¡­"


    "Martha, where''s Bob?" asked Bee, craning her neck to look at the bar.


    "Ah, he''s stepped in back for a bit, dealing with other business. If you stay any length of time, I''m sure he''ll pop back up. Why don''t all of you have a seat here in the back at the large table? I''ll get my daughter over right away to fetch you all some drinks!" Martha said warmly, motioning at a large table in the back that wasn''t as low as some of the others.


    They all made their way over, being careful not to bump anything. The chairs were a bit low, but not too uncomfortable, and they were able to sit with their knees under the table.


    "I wonder if they have a tub large enough, we could bathe?" wondered Carla quietly, as a young red-headed halfling made her way over to them.


    "Hello," she said shyly. "My name''s Lily, and I''ll be serving you today. Would you like something to drink before your food arrives?"


    "What is there to drink?" asked Tom, looking over at the other tables to see most everyone was drinking ale.


    "You can order anything you want here," laughed Bee, grinning at the girl. "Bob can serve it! I want a blackberry wine."


    "Is there a halfling drink I could try?" asked Tom, perking up.


    "We have something called the Lucky Coin," said Lily. "It''s made from apples grown behind the inn. Bob makes it himself, in barrels in the basement."


    "That''s really good too, but I enjoy my blackberries," said Bee with a nod.


    "Then, I would like to try one of those," said Tom cheerfully.


    "I would like something that isn''t alcoholic," said Carla, carefully. "Do you have any hot tea?"


    "It''s pretty hot outside, maybe a Magic Butterfly would be better? It''s not alcoholic and its really tasty," suggested Lily.


    "It''s not magical is it?" asked Carla, with a frown.


    "Oh, no! That''s just the name, ma''am. It''s a beautiful drink that has blues and purples in the bottom and no colors on the top," said Lily quickly, her freckles standing out as she blushed in embarrassment.


    "I want one, too!" cried Mikey, without giving his mom a chance to speak up.


    Carla nodded, after glancing at him, that it was alright.


    "I''m not sure what I want," said Gia, looking to see if Vonn was there yet.


    "May I have Bob mix you up something?" asked Lily. "He likes to try new drinks on people who can''t make up their minds."


    "As long as it''s not too strong, I guess that would be alright," said Gia with a nod. "Have him make something for my husband, too. He should be here in a few minutes. He was dropping off our cart behind the inn."


    "Alright. I''ll let the cook know you all want meals as well," said Lily with a quick smile before hurrying away.


    "She''s a doll, isn''t she?" sighed Bee, setting her chin on her hand. "She''s always so nice and gently. I don''t think I''ve ever seen Lily upset with anyone."


    "She did seem really nice," said Mikey with a nod. "Will the beds be big enough for us to sleep in? I would like to sleep in a real bed tonight."


    "I think so," said the halfling, patting her wolf on the head. He had laid down under the table, and was curled around her chair as well as he could.


    They watched as Martha greeted Vonn when he came in, tucking a strand of her white hair back behind her ear as she looked up at him, then motioned in their direction. She followed him as he made his way over to them and sat down next to Gia.


    "Will you be needing two rooms, or three?" she asked pleasantly. "And would you like baths prepared?"


    "I think two would be fine," said Tom, glancing at Vonn who nodded. "And baths would be wonderful."


    "I only ask because the bath house at the end of the block isn''t really designed for large folk like yourself," she chuckled, to let them know she wasn''t trying to insult them. "I''ll have Tunny prepare your baths while you eat, so they''re ready when you are."


    "That sounds great!" said Carla with a wide grin.


    Martha moved over to talk to some of the guests as Lily returned with a blonde halfling wearing a blue dress. Lily set down the Magic Butterflies in front of Carla and Mikey, who leaned down to admire the beautiful swirls of color in the bottom. Tom got his Lucky Coin, that had swirls of gold and red throughout it. Then she set down two glasses in front of Gia and Vonn.


    "Bob said you would like these. He calls them the Blue Bunny Brew. I''m not sure what''s in them, but I love how they fizzle! They''re such a light drink that I could drink them all day!" she giggled and moved away with the blonde girl, who Martha called over.


    "Oh! Mine''s really sweet and fruity!" exclaimed Mikey, taking a sip.


    "I just hope these don''t cost too much," said Carla, setting hers down after tasting it. "I really want another before we have to leave!"

 75 Chapter 75 Spring Has Sprung

    "The room to the left will have the bath for the men, and the room to the right will be for the women," said Tunny with a wide smile as she stepped aside for them to pass. Her blonde hair swished around her shoulders, and she seemed to bounce far more than Gia thought was necessary.


    "I''ll get the tailor and seamstress while you bathe, so they can take your measurements and whip something up for you really fast," said Bee, wrinkling her nose at the disheveled clothing they were wearing. "This look like they''ve seen better days."


    "Honestly, I''m not sure how they''ve held up for so long," said Carla, running her hands over the front of her shirt where there were numerous stitches over rips and tears.


    "I''ll ask Martha if I can get you some blankets to wrap up in once you''re clean, so you don''t have to be naked while they make your clothes," chuckled Tunny, winking at Mikey.


    Mikey laughed as the blonde halfling moved away, but the adults didn''t share the amusement.


    "I want you to stay away from that woman, Mikey," said Gia with a frown. "Halflings are full grown by your size, and she may not realize you''re just a kid."


    "Really?" he asked, surprised. "Then what do the kids look like?"


    Gia thought about that for a moment, thinking about the kids she had seen playing with the fox kits. They may have been closer to adults than she had thought. "Probably much smaller than the ones we saw chasing foxes."


    "Wow, that must be really tiny. No wonder we haven''t seen any. They''re probably afraid of hawks snatching them up," said Mikey, petting his Limcheez while he waited for his dad and Vonn to get into the room to bathe.


    The doors were very low here, not made for people like them, and Gia was worried what the bathtubs would look like, but her fears were quickly relieved as the tubs were plenty big enough. It didn''t take her and Carla long to strip down out of the nasty clothes they were wearing. Of the two tubs that were available, they decided to use the first tub to get as much of the grime off as possible, and ended up using some of the soap that had been laid out for them, before climbing into the second tub together to do a deeper clean. They took turns scrubbing backs and washing each other''s hair.


    Tunny slid a pile of blankets into the room, without actually coming into the room with them, and Gia hoped she did the same thing with the men.


    "Have you noticed how flirty that girl is?" asked Carla with a frown. "I don''t like it one bit."


    "You would think that she wouldn''t flirt with the guys, them being so much bigger than her!" agreed Gia with a small shake to her head.


    "If she did manage to get one of them into her bed, the babe would kill her!" exclaimed Carla, starting to get worked up.


    "I just hope the seamstress is really fast at making clothes," said Gia, noticing her mother''s mood and trying to change the subject.


    "Well, if we went with some dresses, then it would be really fast, but I think I would like some pants, since we''ve still got so far to go. It is wonderful to be able to stop and rest in an actual inn, though. So weird that the barkeeps name is Bob."


    "It is! I couldn''t believe it! Do you think there''s some hidden group that goes around making sure that innkeepers keep the name Bob, or change their names to Bob when they become one?" asked Gia.


    "You don''t think it could be the same person, do you? I mean, there wasn''t an innkeeper named Bob in the elven forest, was there?" asked Carla, scrunching her brow as she tried to remember.


    "Not that we ran into," said Gia, rinsing the last of the soap out of her mom''s hair. "There may have been one in the capital, but we didn''t go there."


    "I''m glad! After those twins, I would hate to see how the royal elves act!" said Carla, standing to get out of the tub.


    Gia didn''t say anything. Her mother didn''t know the twins were royal, or that they were both dead, and she didn''t want to tell her. She was just glad that the dreams of falling had stopped.


    "These blankets are so soft!" sighed Carla, wrapping one around her.


    A sudden clap of thunder had them both shrieking in surprise and panic.


    "Was that really what I think it was?" asked Gia, moving over to a window to peek out, with the blanket wrapped tightly around her shoulders.


    Carla came over to see with her, and they both watched as a downpour seemed to wash the entire town clean.


    "I''m glad we''re inside," said Gia softly.


    Carla nodded, when they both heard a knock on the door.


    "Come in," called Gia, thinking it was the seamstress.


    A halfling man stepped inside, with his face averted enough to make it clear he wasn''t looking in their directions. "Greetings, Gia and Carla. I already spoke with your husbands and brother. I am Bob, and I came to greet you in person. I know that now isn''t an opportune time for you, due to your current state of dress, but I thought it important for you to know that I am asking all of my customers to please relocate further into the building. The storm that is whipping through the town is going to be bringing a flood, and only the inner upper floor rooms are safe at the moment. I have one room available for your entire family to stay in, so that none of the other customers will see you in your current state, and I am pleased to inform you that the seamstress and tailor were able to make it into the building before the storm hit, so they will be joining you momentarily."


    "Thank you," said Gia, struggling to keep her blanket wrapped around her naked body while she went to pick up their bags.


    Bob looked very similar to the man they had met in the dwarven inn, but Gia wasn''t sure if the distance and time wasn''t causing her to think that. She helped her mom carry their things across the hall, where Tom, Vonn and Mikey were already waiting for them.


    "Did you hear the lightning?" asked Mikey excitedly, holding Sprout to his chest.


    The little Limcheez was almost too big for the pouch Mikey had been keeping him in, and had a really long green tail wrapped around his wrist to steady it, since it didn''t have any upper arms. It watched them with big, triangular eyes, as they set their things down with the rest of the bags.


    "Did you wash your Limcheez, too?" asked Gia, moving over next to Vonn, almost forgetting that they were both naked underneath their blankets.


    "His fur was really dirty! But I think he might be a girl," said Mikey in excitement, coming over to her, for her to see. "See? His belly has a line where I think there might be a pouch!"


    Gia looked at the soft little fuzzball carefully, as it clung to his hand with its tail, and sure enough, she saw what had to be a pouch on its belly.


    "Are you going to change her name?" asked Gia, straightening back up.


    "Nope, she likes the name I gave her," said Mikey with a grin, smoothing the fur down around her eyes.


    A knock on the door had them all turning as it opened slowly. Two halflings popped their heads in and looked around before hurrying inside.


    "So sorry to rush in like this, but Bob insisted we hurry!" said the woman apologetically.


    "He made it sound like the flood was going to hit any moment!" added the man.


    "Does it rain like this often?" asked Tom.


    "Normally about spring we get some pretty big storms and lots of flooding. Because the rest of the year is so dry, whenever it rains, it always floods. We use this time to refill our water barrels underground that will provide us with drinking water for the rest of the year," explained the woman, taking out a measuring tape for an apron pocket and approaching Gia.


    "You don''t need to uncover for me dear," said the woman, taking quick measurements and moving methodically around her, having her bend over to get her shoulders and chest.


    "Can you really remember those numbers?" asked Mikey, as they both measured one person and quickly moved over to the next.


    "Sure can," chuckled the man, stepping up next to Mikey, to measure him last. "We''ve been doing this for almost twenty years. Numbers just stay in our heads. I can tell you, if you were to come back next year, just how much you''ve grown over the year."


    "Wow!" Mikey said, his eyes going wide. "I don''t think I''ll be back next year. I want to grow up and get a wife who''s human, and learn how to chop wood and hunt in the forest."


    "Then I better get you some clothes that will last, if you''re going to travel all the way to the forests in the east," chuckled the man, stepping back to join the woman when he was done.


    "Do you know how far that is?" asked Carla.


    "Oh dear, it''s probably a month or more. You have a pretty nasty mountain between us and the human lands. There''s rumors that there are monsters that live on the mountain, and that''s why the humans haven''t started encroaching on our fields yet," said the woman with a sad smile.

 76 Chapter 76 The Truth Comes Ou

    Gia turned before the mirror that was hung on the wall, admiring her new clothes. They fit so well, she almost wanted to think magic was involved in their making.


    "These clothes are fantastic, Juniper! How in the world did you get so good?" asked Carla to the seamstress.


    Carla had become very close friends with the halfling over the past couple of hours, and the two had been talking almost nonstop. Gia was glad her mother had found a friend, and hoped she found another just as good when they reached their final destination.


    "I learned to sew from my mother, when I was a wee thing," said Juniper with a smile, finishing a last stitch on Mikey''s pants. "When I met Tucker, it was as if our threads were entwined. We were wed so fast, I''m not sure my dad could take it. I was moved out in the blink of an eye and helping Tucker make clothes the very day after my wedding."


    "Did you make your own wedding dress?" asked Carla, sneaking a glance at Gia, but Gia caught it.


    "I did. It took me a whole week! It was a beautiful thing, but totally unpractical for this day and age. The thing would fall apart in minutes if anyone tried to wear it here in this heat!"


    The two women laughed and Gia ran her hands over the soft fabric. Juniper had promised it would last a good year of hard travel, so they should be able to get to their destination without needing new clothes again. It was really cheering to know that they were so close to the end of all this traveling.


    "Why do you ask about wedding dresses? I thought your daughter was already married to her man?" asked Juniper, having also caught the sneaky look from her mom.


    "Technically, I am married," said Gia, coming over to the table and sitting down. "There was an orphan girl in the elven forest who was going to be killed for some magical rite if someone didn''t claim her as their own. In order to claim her, Vonn and I had to be married, so we claimed we were."


    "Ah, I see. With you being on the road and traveling so much, there was no way to claim it wasn''t true, but you''ve had no ceremony or anything. Poor dear. Half of a girl''s dream lives in the special day she gets to celebrate being tied to her partner. Maybe Bob could do something? I hear he''s thrown some pretty interesting parties before," said Juniper.


    "I don''t know," said Carla with a frown. "We were going to wait until we hit the human lands, so the ceremony could be held in our new home."


    "See, the problem with that, is that all of the people you are going to be living around, will know they weren''t married all this time, and will look down on her for being near a man while not married. You should have the wedding here, at Bob''s. I''ll make you a stunning gown, and we''ll throw a party you''ll never forget!"


    Gia looked over at her mother, to see how she felt on the idea. Gia hadn''t considered the reactions of the people they might run into, if they waited to have the wedding there.


    "That is an interesting point you bring up," Carla said, chewing on her lip. "I would hate to have the people think poorly of us, knowing that we''re going to be trying to live among them. We''ll already be kind of outsiders, and that wouldn''t bode too well as an introduction, I suppose."


    "We would need to talk to dad and Vonn when they get back from the kitchens," said Gia. "This isn''t something we can just decide on our own."


    "Oh, you know that if we decide this, they will go along with it," said Carla, waving her hand at her as if the idea of them protesting was silly. "The thing that bothers me the most is if you get with child the night after. We still have a month of travel to go."


    Gia''s face immediately turned bright red. The night after the wedding hadn''t even occurred to her.


    Juniper saw her face and started laughing. "It''s clear to me that they haven''t consummated the marriage, even if they claim it to have happened."


    "No, we''ve been concerned with her losing the child, or not being able to keep up once she gets pregnant," said Carla, since Gia couldn''t seem to make her words come out of her chest.


    "Dear, stop flapping your mouth like that," laughed Juniper, her face starting to darken from laughing so hard.


    Once they were all able to calm themselves down, and talk again, Juniper said, "I still say you should go ahead with the wedding here. Even if the poor girl becomes with child, a month of travel shouldn''t inconvenience her too much. I would doubt she would even be showing in that amount of time."


    Gia placed her hand on her very flat stomach and looked up at her mom who was eyeing her.


    "Do you know how much Bob charges for a wedding? It''s not going to be cheap for all of the food and drinks. Will there even be enough room for everyone who wants to come?" asked Carla.


    "I''m sure Bob can work something out," chuckled Juniper, holding up the pants and nodding. "Go fetch that boy of yours so he can try on these pants. I can''t believe I had them too long! Bu the hem should be able to unroll easily enough as he grows so they don''t become too short."


    "Great," said Carla, moving to the door.


    They had left Mikey sleeping in the next room over. All of the excitement after the flood rushed through the town had exhausted him and he had crashed.


    "We knew a Bob back in our human city, before we had to leave," murmured Gia, while her mother was gone.


    "Really? I''ve had a lot of people tell me that Bob has multiple bars all over the place," said Juniper. "You should ask him about it. I bet he would tell you the truth if he knew anything about it."


    "Maybe," said Gia thoughtfully. "It would take some pretty impressive magic to have so many bars open at the same time. Why, I bet he''s some kind of god!"


    "That''s hilarious!" cried Juniper, starting to laugh again.


    "But it makes so much sense!" insisted Gia, jumping up in excitement. "Before we left, he had given mom a medicine to help heal her legs, and now you couldn''t ever tell she couldn''t walk well before. And when we ran into him at the dwarven city, he told us the Bob we knew in the city was his brother, that they used the same name because it was easy to remember!"


    "Well, Bob is pretty easy to remember," admitted the halfling woman, still not convinced, but Gia was adamant that it had to be true.


    "The bathtubs are even the same!" she claimed, pacing around the room. "The magic that filled and emptied them was the same as the ones in the dwarven city!"


    "But, dear, this Bob can''t be the same as the one halfway across the world. This Bob is a halfling, not a human!" said Juniper shaking her head.


    "If he was a god, he could make himself look anyway he wanted," decided Gia, pounding her fist into her other hand.


    Chuckling and shaking her head at the girl''s ideas, Juniper said, "Then if you think he''s a god, you should try praying to him. That''s how they get stronger, you know, from the prayers of their followers. Though I''m not sure you want to get involved in all of that god stuff."


    "No other god has watched over us as he has," said Gia fiercely.


    Carla came back into the room, with a sleepy Mikey on her heels. Rubbing his eyes, he took the pair of pants and started putting them on.


    "See, those fit so much better now!" cheered Carla, clapping her hands.


    "They feel really comfy, too," said Mikey with a yawn. "When''s breakfast?"


    "Silly, it''s almost time for supper," laughed Carla.


    "Mom, I need to talk to you about Bob," said Gia intently.


    Stepping back at the look on her daughter''s face, Carla glanced at Juniper, but the halfling was too amused to say anything.


    Before Gia could open her mouth to tell her mother and brother about Bob being a god, Vonn and Tom returned, carrying trays of food for everyone.


    "We grabbed some for you and your husband, too," said Tom to Juniper. "It''s the least we could do for these wonderful clothes you made us!"


    "That''s wonderful!" exclaimed Juniper, gazing at the mounds of food before them. "But before we get too far into whether or not the innkeeper is a god, I want to talk to you all about getting Gia and Vonn properly married."


    "Wait, what?" asked Vonn.

 77 Chapter 77 Just a Humble God

    "Gia, are you sure about this?" asked Vonn for the umpteenth time, pulling on the tight sleeves of his shirt.


    She sighed and turned to him with a patient smile.


    "Vonn, we''ve talked about this. If we arrive at the human town we''re going to live in, as a married couple, then talk about needing a wedding ceremony, there will be a lot of questions I would rather not answer," Gia said.


    "I don''t mean the wedding itself; I mean having the wedding here with the halflings," he said with a grimace at the tiny form of the seamstress as she rushed around the room checking on everyone''s outfits. "I can''t help but feel we''re being taken advantage of. Have you seen the bill she gave me?"


    Gia scrunched her brow in concern. She hadn''t seen, or even thought of the bill.


    "We have enough to cover it, don''t we?" she asked, thinking about all of the gold they had gotten from the dwarves. It had been so heavy to carry all this way¡­ surely it would be more than enough?


    "Well, yes, but-" began Vonn, as the halfling seamstress rushed up to them.


    "Alright dear, we''re all good here. Time for your dress! Now, no peeking, young groom!" she chuckled, taking Gia''s hand and pulling her from the room.


    "Okay," said Gia, following meekly.


    There was just so much going on! Bob had checked in on them briefly, not giving her a chance to grill him about his possible deity status, to make sure they were alright with some of his preparations. They had all sounded perfect to her, making her even more certain he was a god. Martha, the head maid, (and possibly the half owner of the inn?) had stopped by several times to make sure the foods she was having the kitchen prepare would be alright. Even the blonde waitress had stopped by to ask if they had a preference on the alcohol served after the ceremony. She hadn''t seen her mom to talk to her since Vonn returned, because the moment Mikey had heard about the ceremony, he had been far too giddy to sit still.


    "Now, don''t worry yourself," chuckled Juniper. "I spoke to both your parents in great detail about how a proper human marriage is supposed to go, and we''ve arranged for our cleric to be here to marry you. Since you don''t really follow any one god, he should be just fine at conducting the marriage."


    "But I think Bob is a god!" said Gia, fighting the urge to stomp her foot.


    "Dear, even if he is, do you really want a god of inns to marry you?" asked Juniper fighting to not laugh.


    "How do you know he''s a god of inns?" asked Gia, ignoring the other part of Juniper''s words.


    Shaking her head, Juniper had her turn a step to the left so she could check on a seam that was too tight.


    "I want to talk to him, to make sure he isn''t insulted, just in case," said Gia, making sure the halfling seamstress understood that she was serious.


    "Honestly, I don''t know what has put this idea into your head," said Juniper. "I can fetch him, if you really want, but it will make me late in getting you out there for the ceremony. They''ve already got people filling up the seats in preparation for the wedding!"


    "I think you are more than capable of handling whatever else this dress might need," said Gia, not letting her get out of it. "Besides, it''s beautiful enough, I could walk down the isle with it just as it is!"


    Sighing, Juniper turned to the door, to go fetch Bob, when there was a light knock followed with Bob sticking his head in.


    "Is everything all right? I had a minute, so I''m going around making sure everyone''s doing alright," he said with a smile.


    "Bob!" called Gia intently. "I need to talk to you!"


    "Alright?" he said, stepping into the room with a puzzled look on his face.


    "Oh, goodness!" said Juniper, throwing her hands into the air. "I''m going to run to relieve myself before the ceremony starts. I''ll be back in a few minutes."


    "She seemed rather upset, is everything alright?" asked Bob, after the halfling seamstress rushed out of the room in a huff.


    "I need to know if you''re a god," said Gia with a serious face.


    Bob opened his mouth to say something, then looked at the floor and chuckled.


    "It''s far too convenient for there to be three different innkeepers, in three different lands with the same name," said Gia, crossing her arms carefully, so as not to crush the front of her dress.


    "What do you think? Would that make me a god of inns or bars?" he asked, looking up at her with a twinkle in his eye.


    "My mom hasn''t had even a limp since she finished that medicine, and you said she wouldn''t be turning up to work the next day. You knew that she needed something to help her get through this trip. You knew that army was coming, and that we would escape!" insisted Gia.


    "So, that makes me a god?" he asked in surprise.


    "So, you admit that was you?" she asked in surprise, somehow still amazed that her assumptions were correct.


    "Giavanna, you can''t worship me," he said with a shake to his head. "I??m not that kind of god."


    "What, why not?"


    "No one worships me," he said with a shrug. "I just run bars and sell drinks to people. Sometimes I have a kitchen to feed people, and a bed for them to sleep on."


    "But you know so much! You''re like a god of drink and information!" she said, not letting up. "You have to know a lot working in bar! When people get drunk, they say things they wouldn''t normally say."


    "That''s true," he nodded thoughtfully. "But I don''t have people going around worshipping me. I''m not that kind of god."


    "What do you mean?" she asked, confused. "I thought gods got their powers from being worshiped?"


    Bob chuckled again. "When the drunk is in need of a drink, who does he thank? When the tired traveler can only think of a hot bath and a soft bed, who does he thank? When the hungry worker only wants a filling meal, who does he thank? That''s how I have my power. If you were to worship me, then what could I do for you?"


    Gia paused before she jumped in with her answer. He was right. Just because he was a god, didn''t mean that he was a god she could worship. What could he offer to her? Her future, with her family, didn''t intend to be living in a bar. There might not even be a bar where they finally settled down and built their home. But¡­ he was a god!


    "I don''t know," she finally answered in a subdued voice.


    "You have a wonderful family, and a very good future ahead of you," he said with a soft smile. "Think about what you''ve learned today, and when we meet again, we can discuss it. You have a wedding to attend!"


    With a nod Gia turned towards Juniper as she rushed back into the room.


    "Are you almost done with the dress?" asked Bob before Gia could say anything else. "The guests are all assembled, and the cleric is waiting. I''m going to take the rest of the family down to get in place. I think you have a few more minutes if you need them."


    "I only have a few more stitches, and then we''ll be down," said Juniper, jumping towards Gia''s dress with a savagery that almost caused her to jump back in alarm.


    Bob winked at her from the door, with the seamstress''s back to him, before slipping out of the room.


    He was a god! Gia had known there was no way so many innkeepers could have the same name. Should she tell the rest of her family? What he had said about not needing worshippers still nagged at her. How could a god turn down another worshipper? Granted, you were supposed to worship a god who could grant you something, and he couldn''t grant her anything. Honestly, she didn''t worship a god, because she hadn''t thought about it before. What should she do?


    "There! All done! Let''s get you properly married to that young man of yours!" exclaimed Juniper, back to her cheerful self.


    Gia smiled. Vonn was waiting for her in his uncomfortable outfit, that made him look as handsome as a prince. The tailor had even trimmed his hair, so he looked very neat and prim. She couldn''t wait to put her arm in his and stand before everyone to proclaim her love for him. They would be a proper married couple!


    Her breath caught in her throat at the thought, and the halfling woman grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the room. Stepping into the huge room reserved for such gatherings, her heart leapt into her throat as hundreds of eyes turned to see her in her new dress. Her father was standing at the door, looking chipper in his new clothes.


    Wiping a tear from his face, Tom said, "I never thought I would actually get to see you in a wedding dress."

 78 Chapter 78 After the Wedding

    Music floated over the room as halflings danced, chatted and ate foods of every kind. Gia stood next to Vonn, feeling very uncomfortable surrounded by so many people she didn''t know. She wanted to get away from all of the noise, but whenever she thought about where she would be going, she balked and asked for another drink or plate of food.


    "Vonn! You should feed this lass more!" said a drunk halfling, stumbling up to them and sizing Gia up with his eyes. "She''s not eaten more than a dozen plates of food! Go get her some more!"


    "Beorn, I heard they were opening another bottle of that wine you''ve been eyeing," said Bob with a smile, coming up behind the unsteady halfling.


    "Oh!" he exclaimed, turning and almost falling against a group of older women but righting himself at the last second and disappearing into the crowd.


    "Thank you, Bob," said Gia in relief. "I don''t know how to thank you!"


    "Perhaps you should join in some of the dancing? It would allow you to mingle more, instead of standing here to like statues," he chuckled, giving her a wink.


    Vonn took her arm with a laugh and pulled her on the dance floor where they tried to mimic some of the halfling''s dance steps. As he spun her around, Gia caught glimpses of the drinking contest in one corner, the entire wall of food that was still straining under the weight of all of the food that kept appearing, and her parents sitting and chatting with several older halflings off to one side. Her brother popped up next to her, and grabbed her away from Vonn for a time, as everyone laughed and had fun.


    Several hours had passed before she found herself sitting in a very short seat, her knees pulled up to her chin, almost, and Vonn handing her a mug of something clear and fruity.


    "We can go to our room anytime," he said gently, sitting next to her and nibbling on a cookie.


    "Do you think it would be proper to leave? The party is for us, after all," said Gia, apprehensive about what was coming.


    "Bob told me that the halflings would be partying half-way through tomorrow, and maybe even the next day, as they woke back up," chuckled Vonn.


    "Alright," she almost whispered, as he stood up and pulled her to her feet.


    Just as she was pulled through the door, a cheer erupted behind her, but Vonn didn''t let her glance back to see what was going on.


    "We''ll go upstairs, and get out of these horribly tight clothes, away from all of the noise and little people," he sighed, guiding her up the stairs that were so small, they could take three or four steps at a time.


    "Vonn," Gia finally managed to squeak out as he shut the door behind them, and she had full view of the room. The bed seemed to loom in her eyes and she almost felt sick to her stomach. She had eaten so much food, she didn''t know what could be upsetting it.


    "Giavanna, are you scared of me?" he asked, stepping in front of her and taking her chin, he tilted her eyes up to see his.


    "No," she whispered as her heart beat furiously in her chest.


    "You trusted me to get you and your family out of the city safely, and you trusted me to get you out of danger so many times. Trust me with this, okay?" he said gently, his hands flowing down her dress to the ties that held it on.


    Gia stood there with her hands clutched to her chest, afraid to meet his eyes as her dress lay crumpled at her feet. Even in nothing but a shift, she felt more naked before him than any of the times she had actually been undressed in front of him¡­


    As his lips touched hers, she felt something inside slip, and the next morning arrived in a daze of bright light shining through the window. His arms held her against him in a warm cocoon of love, and she couldn''t bring herself to break free.


    When her eyes drifted open again, the sun wasn''t shining directly inside, as it had the last time, and she was going to pee the bed if she didn''t get up right that moment. Struggling against his arms, he pulled her in closer for a hug before finally letting her go with a laugh.


    "So, determined to get away from me already?" he asked, rolling to his side of the bed and sitting up with a sigh.


    "I would stay in your warm embrace all day, if my body would let me," she said, trying to remember everything that had happened the previous night, and her cheeks turned bright red.


    "Such poetry, Gia. You heard too much from those bards last night," he said as he waited to use the chamber pot himself.


    "I liked some of the songs they were singing. They were pretty," she said, trying to remember them.


    "The music was pretty, but the stories that were sung were very lewd," he said as she reached for her shift and slipped it on.


    "I don''t remember," she sighed. "Do you think everyone''s alright?"


    "You said Bob was a god, right? Do you think he would let anything happen to our family?" he teased, reaching over to kiss her forehead.


    Warmth curled around her at his words and she leaned her head back so his kiss, that had been aimed at her brow, hit her mouth instead.


    "Careful, I might pull you back into that bed," he whispered after they both had to come up for air.


    "There will be plenty of time for that, once you build one in our own house," she laughed, pushing him back so she could slip on her crumpled dress.


    Grabbing up his pants, he watched her struggle with the unfamiliar ties for a moment, before shaking his head and grabbing her arm.


    "Nope, I just can''t help it. That dress is a complete mess. There''s no hope for it, we''re just going to have to stay in bed today."


    "But Vonn!" she laughed as he pulled the dress off again. "What about something to eat, or getting back on the road?"


    "That can wait. I''ve been wanting to marry you for far too long to stop just yet. Don''t worry, I''m sure there will be plenty of food left," he growled into her neck, causing her to squeal.


    As the moon finally started to rise over the horizon, Gia was able to get them out of their room and in search of something to eat. She was tired and sore, but happier than she could ever remember being. Their first stop was to the room that had their things. There were tubs set up for them to bathe in, and that took even longer than she could have imagined, but once they were done getting cleaned up and dressed, she dragged Vonn back to the party room.


    Halflings were in full swing, with music and dancing, food filled the table, and her parents and brother were in the same corner, chatting with the same people.


    "Are you sure time didn''t stop just for us?" she asked in a whisper, confusion on her face.


    "And if it did?" he asked with a grin.


    "Bob could at least have had the decency to make me a little less sore," she joked, holding Vonn''s arm tightly as they made their way over to the table with all of the food.


    "Back already?" asked Juniper with a laugh, handing Gia a plate piled high with cakes and pies, meats and fruits, vegetables and cheeses.


    "I was starving," said Gia, taking a bite of a chunk of cheese, savoring the flavor.


    "I understand," laughed the halfling woman, handing Vonn a plate of his own. "There''s plenty more where that came from!"


    "Thank you!" said Gia before Vonn dragged her over to an empty table.


    Watching her family laughing and having a good time made her happy, and she turned her smile on Vonn.


    "We''ll need to hurry, to get to the human lands," Vonn said seriously, taking a bite of a rich piece of cake.


    "Why?" asked Gia, "Juniper said it couldn''t take another month or so to get there."


    "But I need to have time to get our house built before winter hits," said Vonn. "Also, we need to have a house built, and everything prepared before it''s time."


    "Time? Time for what?" she asked, taking a sip of her drink.


    Vonn gave her a wide smile and leaned in close before saying, "Time for the baby to arrive."


    Gia managed to swallow her drink and not choke. She hadn''t thought about that. Well, she had when they were discussing her being wed, and it had occurred to her before going to their room, but all thoughts of a baby had left her mind once he first kissed her last night. Placing her hand on her belly, she glanced back at him and nodded very seriously. If she was going to get pregnant, they had just made sure she would be.

 79 Chapter 79 Leaving the Halfling Lands

    "Do we have everything packed?" asked Carla, looking back towards the door of the inn.


    "I believe so," said Gia with a smile, brushing her hands together to knock any dust off of them from tying the ropes on the cart.


    "I can''t believe everything the halflings have gifted us with," said Vonn with a shake of his head.


    "It''s a lot," agreed Tom, patting the side of the donkey that was hitched to the cart.


    "And I get to ride the donkey!" cheered Mikey with glee.


    "Someone has to take care of her," teased Gia, wrinkling her nose at him. "None of us have any experience with donkeys!"


    "She''s a good donkey," laughed Martha. "She''s got a mind of her own when danger is around, but that''s not necessarily a bad thing, and she will protect that boy with her life."


    "Good," nodded Carla, glancing back over the packed cart. "I suppose we should be going then."


    "Thank you, Martha, for everything," said Gia.


    "Don''t worry about it," she smiled, turning and heading back into the inn.


    The halflings that were up and about, waved and called out to them as they left, making all of them feel almost like heroes of some kind.


    "Do you think we''ll run into another Bob?" joked Tom as they finally left the halfling town.


    "Probably," nodded Gia, completely convinced they would.


    She had told them all about her conversations with Bob, and how she believed he was actually a god, but they all laughed and agreed that even if he was a god, why should they worship him? They wouldn''t benefit from a god that ran a bar. Gia wasn''t so sure, considering they had benefited plenty from him having the bars, and had decided to secretly worship him anyway.


    Taking a road that would be the most direct route to the mountain they needed to cross, Gia studied the sharp cliffs as it grew on the horizon. Rose had promised there was a road that they could take to cross the mountain, but Gia wasn''t so sure. With Vonn guiding the donkey, and Mikey preoccupied with teaching Sprout all about taking care of a donkey, Gia had plenty of time to think.


    "One of the halfling bards was telling me tales of magical creatures that were seen on the mountain," Tom was saying.


    "What kind of creatures?" asked Carla, sounding weary of more dangers.


    "Dancing nymphs, winged griffons, and small fire creatures left over from some mage that used to live in the keep on the top of the mountain," said Tom, getting more excited as he talked.


    "We''ve dealt with nymphs," said Gia, with a sigh. "They tried to convince you, Vonn and Mikey to come to them so they could feed you to their babies."


    "No, those were mermaids," said Tom with a shake of his head.


    "What''s the difference?" said Carla with a shrug. "These nymphs can''t have anything good about them, if they have to use magic to get you to come to them. Remember those satyrs? They wanted us to come dance with them, and they definitely didn''t'' have a good reason."


    "Perhaps these nymphs aren??t bad," said Tom. "And besides, we probably won''t even see one. It just sounded interesting."


    "Do you think the griffons will be like the winged lions?" asked Gia thoughtfully.


    "I don''t know. The griffons are supposed to have beaks and claws like a bird. If we see any, maybe they''ll keep their distance," said Tom.


    "How many halfling towns are we supposed to go through?" asked Carla, trying to change the subject.


    "Three, I believe," said Gia. "But they aren''t on this road directly. We would have to deviate down side roads to get to them if we want to visit them."


    "I don''t know that I want to take the time to see them," said Carla. "I enjoy the chance to get a bath and sleep in a real bed, but I kind of agree with Vonn in that we need to get a house built before winter hits."


    "You''re not worried about me, too, are you?" exclaimed Gia. "Honestly, just because I''m probably pregnant doesn''t mean I can''t do anything."


    "But we don''t want you to have to try and take care of a new babe while we''re still on the road," insisted Carla. "Trust me, it''s hard enough taking care of one when you have a proper house."


    "Besides," said Tom. "In the beginning, right after the babe is born, it won''t sleep much and will cry all of the time because of one thing or another. If we''re still on the road, that could attract unwanted attention."


    Gia thought about the griffons and other creatures her dad had just been talking about and nodded. She didn''t want to have to fight off monsters with a baby.


    "Look! It''s raining over there!" exclaimed Mikey from the front.


    They all turned to see the storm pounding the dry ground off in the distance and Vonn picked up their pace a little.


    "You don''t think it will cause that flooding we had at the inn, do you?" asked Carla.


    "The wolf riders had said that we should be safe if we took this road, as it was higher than the surrounding land and would make the water run away from us; not towards us," said Vonn over his shoulder.


    "I''ll feel better when we get away from these plains," grumbled Gia. "I don''t care for the flat unending feel of it. It''s hard to tell how far something is, because you can see it, and yet no matter how long you travel, it still seems the same distance."


    "Don''t worry," chuckled Tom. "Soon we''ll be in the forest wondering what each noise is."


    "I just hope that none of the mountain passes are blocked. I don''t know how we would get the cart through if they were," said Carla.


    Their chatter subsided at that, and they traveled in silence for the rest of the day, keeping a close eye on the distant storms. When it started to get dark, they started making camp in the middle of the road.


    "If anyone comes along, our fire should warn them of our presence," said Vonn, as Mikey helped him unhitch the donkey from the cart.


    "I''ll brush her down if you''ll get her feed," chimed in Mikey cheerfully, reaching for the brush.


    Gia helped Tom set up the tent while Carla prepared the meal. They all ate in silence and settled down, watching the lightning in the distance. The next couple of weeks continued in that fashion, with them traveling all day and camping each night in the middle of the road. The storms never rained directly on them, but there were several times they had to carefully traverse freshly washed bits, where parts of the dirt and sand had washed away and formed ruts and holes that they couldn''t risk a wheel getting stuck in.


    The donkey was wonderful, seeming to know where to go to avoid the worst holes. Mikey rode her every day, making sure to check her for wear from the ropes and restraints often, and letting her eat and drink as much as she wanted each evening as he brushed her down. She was really starting to like him, resting her head on his shoulder when he walked near her.


    The mountain in the distance grew larger and larger, and the dark smudge that had heralded the coming forest seemed to suddenly explode before them one day.


    "I guess we''ve finally reached the trees," said Vonn quietly, reaching out and touching one of the tree trunks happily.


    "We''re getting closer!" crowed Mikey, urging the donkey forward again.


    "Look!" cried Tom, pointing high up the mountain where small specks were flying. "I think those are griffons!"


    "As long as they stay up there, and away from us," said Carla.


    "Why?" asked Mikey, shielding his eyes to see the small specks.


    "They might try to eat your donkey," teased Gia.


    "They might," agreed Tom. "I don''t think they''re as big as the lions were, though."


    "Let''s hope not to find out," said Carla.


    "It''s so nice to have the shade of the trees again," said Gia, wiping the sweat from her brow. "Those storms always left it feeling so humid and hot!"


    "I''m glad we don''t have to live there; can you imagine trying to cook in that heat?" asked Carla.


    "We have, mom," said Gia.


    "I know," Carla sighed.


    As it began to get late, Gia watched Vonn start to set up their camp with a cheerful hum. He was so happy to be surrounded by trees again it made her heart swell with even more love for him.


    "Is there an old man over there?" asked Carla, sitting down next to Gia where she was in the middle of preparing the meal for the evening.


    Glancing up, she saw a hunched figure picking up something that looked like herbs or wild mushrooms.


    "Maybe?" she said. "Vonn, do you see that person over there?"


    Vonn looked up with a frown and nodded, heading over to greet the figure.

 80 Chapter 80 A Mage

    "It''s so nice of you to invite me to eat with you," said the old man. His beard was grey, and hung almost to his knees as he sat on the stump by the fire. "I don''t run into too many people this side of the mountain."


    "We''re trying to get to the other side in time to build a good home before winter," said Mikey, puffing his chest out as if he were the man in charge.


    "I believe there is a town over there, on the other side. This side is more considered the border lands," said the man, lifting his wooden bowl to slurp some more of the broth from the stew Carla had made with some of their supplies from the halflings.


    "What brings an old man such as yourself, so far out of the way?" asked Tom, studying the man''s purple robes. They were old and worn, but still spoke of high birth.


    "I''ve found it''s nice to get away from the troubles of people to be able to conduct my studies alone. I find people to be bothersome when you''re trying to read or write," said the old man with a chuckle. "Not that I don''t mind the occasional encounter."


    "You know how to read and write?" asked Mikey in amazement. His mouth was hanging open.


    "I do," nodded the old man. "I learned a long time ago. See?"


    Mikey leaned forward to look at the large tome the old man pulled out of a protected pouch he wore on his hip. The book was thick, and held a lot of pages. As the old man went to open the book, the donkey snorted, breaking free of her harness and trotting over to the fire.


    The old man gave a shout as the donkey kicked up some of the embers from the fire, jumping to his feet and dancing away from the beast.


    "What is wrong with your animal!" he demanded angrily, wiping some of the soot that had landed on the book away.


    "I''m sure sorry!" exclaimed Mikey, grabbing the donkey by her broken rein and leading her back to the tree where she had been tied up for the night.


    "Please accept our apologies," said Tom, having also climbed to his feet at the disturbance.


    Carla was holding the stewpot with the edge of her shirt, to keep from getting burned, and Gia quickly took it away from her with the pot holder.


    Grumbling to himself, the old man settled back down on his stump, glancing in anger at the donkey that was still putting up a bit of a fight.


    "I don''t know why she''s suddenly gotten so upset," said Vonn with a shake of his head, hurrying over to help Mikey quiet the donkey down.


    "Do you have a home around here?" asked Tom, trying to get the conversation back to a more comfortable topic.


    "Not too far, if you know how to get there," grumbled the man, his mood obviously soured.


    "Shall I make you another bowl of soup?" asked Carla, picking the man''s bowl up off the ground, where it had fallen and spilled when he jumped away from the donkey.


    "No, thank you," he said, snatching the bowl from her hand. "I should probably be on my way. I''ve wasted enough time talking to you lot."


    "I really am sorry," said Mikey, hanging his head as he returned to his seat by Gia. "I thought I had the rope tied tight."


    Sliding the book back into his pouch, the old man stood up and paused, before turning to look at Vonn. "You seem familiar. Why would that be?"


    "Me?" asked Vonn, touching his chest and laughing. "I have no idea. I''ve never been to this mountain before."


    "No, but it seems like I know you. Who was your father?" asked the old man.


    "His name is all I have of him. He died when I was a very young boy," said Vonn uncomfortably. "It was Jasper."


    "Jasper? Are you sure?" gasped the man, stepping back away from Vonn. "And the last name?"


    Vonn glanced at Gia in confusion, before turning back to the man and saying, "His last name was Ashton, but I took my mother''s last name of Ravenswood. She lived longer than he did, so I have a better memory of her."


    "It can''t be," muttered the old man, turning away from them.


    Vonn looked at Tom and shrugged, but before he could say anything else, the old man moved faster than any of them would have thought possible, and appeared behind Vonn. As the old man grabbed Vonn by the shoulders, he went to react, but the old man''s hands began to glow a pale-yellow color, and Vonn fell to his knees in pain, crying out.


    "Your father escaped from me many years ago, but I didn''t know he had a son. I will use you instead and finish what I started with your father. My research will not be a loss after all!"


    Everyone jumped to their feet in shock and horror as the area erupted into flames. The donkey screamed in pain as the tree she was tied to erupted as well. Gia rushed to Vonn''s side, trying to reach him before the old man did whatever he was planning to do.


    Vonn''s eyes met hers and she heard him whisper, "See you in the next life, my love."


    "No!" she screamed, reaching for him, but they were gone.


    A black scorch mark was all that showed they had been standing there.


    "Gia!" cried Tom. "We have to get out of here!"


    Standing in the middle of the inferno, tears streaked her cheeks. Vonn was gone and she didn''t know where he could have been taken. Swirling around in panic, she snatched up Mikey and set him onto the back of the panicked donkey. Pulling the rope free from the burning tree, she all but ran with it to the cart and in moments they were rushing away from the burning campsite with what little they had managed to throw onto the cart.


    "Gia! The cart isn''t hooked up right! It''s hurting the donkey!" cried Mikey, trying to slow them down.


    "We have to get far enough away from the fire not to get caught again," panted Gia, looking around at the gathering gloom around them.


    "I can hear water off to our right," panted Tom, pointing to the right. "Maybe we can get on the other side of the water, and avoid the flames catching back up to us?"


    "I just hope we can get across," panted Carla.


    Gia didn''t argue, tears were streaming down her face so thick, she almost couldn''t see where she was going. The donkey was leading her more than she was it. When they broke free from the brush, the river was wide and shallow. Perfect for the cart to cross without any problems.


    Once they were across, Gia fell to the bank and leaned against a tree, staring at the glow from the fire. Vonn was gone. That man had taken him.


    "Who was that?" asked Carla finally, as her and Tom busied themselves making a new campsite.


    "Maybe he was the mage the gnomes said lived on the top of the mountain," said Mikey, brushing the scared donkey down.


    "I forgot they mentioned a mage," said Tom softly. "Gia, are you alright?"


    "I have to go after him," she whispered.


    "Gia, don''t be silly," scolded her mother. "What could you possibly do?"


    "Would you really leave us?" asked Mikey, his eyes wide as he came to kneel next to her.


    "In the morning, I will help you guys get across the mountain, just like we planned. Once you''re in the village, I will go find him," said Gia, her mind clicking over to what she could do.


    She hadn''t been able to save him when the mage grabbed him, but she could go after him and save him now. She had to!"


    "Gia, it''s too dangerous!" insisted Carla, but Tom took her arm and shook his head.


    "The girl''s been strong headed every day of her life. If she''s made up her mind, you know as well as I do that there''s no convincing her. She''s just lost her love."


    Carla looked over at Gia for a moment with a frown before nodding and looking over the hastily made camp.


    "The tent has a hole burned in it, but I think it will do for the night. We should try and get some sleep so we can head out first thing in the morning," said Carla softly.


    Gia stood up and went into the tent. Vonn''s blanket was tangled with hers, where they had heaved the tent into the cart to escape. Sitting down, she carefully untangled them, and then hugging his tightly to her chest, she lay down to sleep. Tears collected on the tent floor below her head, but she made no indication of noticing.

 81 Chapter 81 Sucker for a Good Love Story

    The next day, they were moving before dawn. Everyone was somber and quiet as they packed up the cart and hitched the donkey. It was harder without Vonn''s muscles, but Gia managed to not break out crying again. Tom took the lead and walked next to the donkey, while Gia and Carla kept a lookout from the back. No one felt like talking much.


    When they paused midday, to hand out food, Gia started going through her bag. She didn''t say anything to anyone, but it was obvious she was planning what she would need to take, in order to save Vonn. No one dared to mention it might be useless.


    Carla mentioned quietly to Tom, her fear of losing Gia and the baby, but Tom shot her down quickly with a look. There was no way they were going to convince Gia not to go, and everyone knew it.


    By the end of the day, they were all tired. The donkey was even starting to lag. As they came up over a crest, the view of a village before them cheered them all up. However, as they started back up, Gia didn''t move.


    "Come on, Gia," said Carla, causing Tom to pause the donkey.


    Mikey turned in his seat, to look at her. "Is Gia leaving now? I thought we were going to get to the village first?"


    "No, there''s still plenty of light for me to get a good way up the mountain. You should be fine the rest of the way to the village," said Gia, tightening the straps on her backpack. "You can use the coin from the dwarves to stay at the inn, if they have one. Otherwise, I''m sure someone will let you stay in their home for the night. Tomorrow, you can start looking for a decent homesite. As soon as Vonn and I get back, we can start building."


    Tom stepped up to her and took her chin between two of his fingers. "Daughter, I look forward to seeing you again. We love you."


    Carla''s eyes were too full of tears for her to be able to say anything. She had her hands clutched so tightly to her chest; they were turning white.


    "It shouldn''t take longer than a week, I think," said Gia with a nod, looking up at the mountain.


    "Gia!" Mikey cried, sliding off the donkey and rushing to her. As his arms wrapped around her, she couldn''t help but notice how much he had grown. Sprout was peeking at her from his shoulder, blinking a message she didn''t understand.


    "I''ll be back in a week. I have to go get Vonn," she said, kneeling in front of him and wiping the long hair from his eyes.


    "But mages are super dangerous!" he hiccupped.


    "I have the amulet," she said, holding it up for him to see. "I''ll be just fine."


    "Vonn was wearing one of those, and he''s been snatched," sniffed Mikey, wiping his face with his sleeve.


    "You need to go, before it gets too dark," said Gia, kissing his brow, then quickly moving to each of her parents and planting a kiss on their cheeks before turning her back and hurrying off into the brush. If she waited another moment, she might have lost her courage.


    The moment she left the path to the village, and started walking through the forest, she felt a weight lift off of her chest. She would find Vonn, and they would be together again. No matter what that meant. She thought she heard Mikey cry after her one last time, but knew her parents wouldn''t let him follow her. Sending a prayer to Bob, to watch out for her family, she pushed forward into the growing gloom.


    Breaking through some thick bushes, she found herself before another wide stream. It wasn''t as deep as the river had been. Picking out which stones to step on, Gia prepared to cross when she heard a splash and a giggle. Ducking down quickly, she hid behind a tree as a young girl, all dressed in white, ran by. Her long blonde hair trailed behind her as she skipped from rock to rock, avoiding the trickling water.


    Gia was about to step out and ask who she was, when she noticed the girl had a long tail trailing out from under her dress hem. It ended with a tuft of hair the same color as her hair.


    With a giggle, the girl, swirled on a rock and said, "Who''s there? Do you want to play?"


    "No," answered Gia before she could stop herself. Had the girl used magic on her to make her speak up?"


    "Oh, boo! It''s a girl! Why are you in the forest alone?" she asked, skipping closer to where Gia was hiding.


    "The mage took my husband. I''m on my way to save him," admitted Gia, fighting the urge to step out from her hiding place.


    "I can smell the mage on you. He always burns everything when he leaves a place. I hate him!" exclaimed the girl, wrinkling her nose in disgust. It was adorable.


    "I haven''t had a chance to bathe," said Gia, glancing down at her clothes. It hadn''t occurred to her.


    "Do you even know that way?" asked the girl, dancing closer to the bank of the stream, but not leaving the water.


    "No," sighed Gia, clenching her fists. "I know he lives at the top of the mountain. I will find him and bring back my Vonn!"


    "Such love and devotion," sighed the girl, clutching her hands in delight. "I can''t help you get to the mage, but I know someone who will."


    "Really?" asked Gia, glancing back at the girl doubtfully. "Why would you help me?"


    "Let''s just say I''m a sucker for a good love story," laughed the girl. "You should bring me your first born, when she''s born, and I will bless her."


    "I don''t know," said Gia, placing a hand on her belly. How could she trust someone she had just met?


    "There''s an egg hidden in the bushes to your left. The mage was trying to steal some of the griffon eggs and dropped on. I pushed it up there, to keep it safe, but I imagine if you take it back to the griffon nest it came from, the mother would take you to the mage''s keep."


    Gia glanced to her left, but couldn''t see anything in the dark.


    "Young mother, go save your love. I can sense that he''s not yet dead. The griffons mourn their lost young. Go bring light back into their world!" The girl stomped her foot on the last word and then disappeared from sight.


    Gia craned her neck, but couldn''t see her anywhere. Leaving her hiding spot, she made her way along the bank to the left and found tucked up under a bush, a large white egg. Licking her lips nervously, she squared her shoulders and picked it up. Feeling something move inside made her almost drop it. Then there was a soft chirp, as the baby inside called out.


    "Don''t worry, little one. I''ll take you back home," murmured Gia, looking around for the nest the girl had mentioned.


    A cliff high above her head was covered in sticks and feathers. Could that be it? Her eyes traveled over the sheer sides of the cliff, and she was reminded of the cliff she had to climb once already to escape the wave of water. This one didn''t have the handholds as the other, and she wouldn''t be able to climb it anyway, with the egg cradled in her arms. Maybe she could call up to the parents, and get their attention?


    Glancing around uncertainly, in case any other monsters lurked about, Gia cleared her throat.


    "Hello? Are there any griffons up there?" she called.


    A rustle greeted her cry, and a head popped over the edge. It had a black beak and pure white feathers around its face. As it twisted to see who had called it, Gia could see longer black feathers framing the face.


    "I found an egg, could it be yours?" she called up again, holding the egg where the griffon could see.


    It gaped at her for a moment, then scrambled out of the nest, quickly followed by another beige colored griffon. When they landed in the water before her, she almost dropped the egg. They weren''t as big as the lions had been, but they were still plenty large enough to carry her off and eat her if they wanted. She glanced down at the claws on each of their feet and swallowed in fear.


    "Where did you find that?" asked the black and white griffon, shoving its head right into her face.


    "It was here, up under a bush," she whispered, too afraid to move, in case it decided to bite her in half.


    "Is it ours?" asked the beige griffon, peering over at it.


    "I believe so," answered the black and white griffon.


    There was another chirp from the egg, and both griffons fluffed up their feathers in excitement and delight. The beige one immediately began chirping back at the egg in soft little chirps.


    "Come, climb on my back, human," said the black and white griffon. "We will take you back to our nest so our baby can be safe. You may see it hatch in payment!"

 82 Chapter 82 The Shadow from the Gorge

    Gia sat on the edge of the nest, watching the egg wobble before her. The two griffons were watching it intently, but all she could think about was her Vonn helpless at the hands of that madman mage at the top of the mountain. How was she going to ask the griffons to take her, when they were so intent on watching their child hatch?


    "It won''t be long now," whispered the father, his black and white feathers fluffed out in excitement. "Do you think it will be a boy or a girl?"


    "I think it will be beautiful, regardless of what it is," responded the mother, her beige feathers blending in with the nest and rock around them.


    "Once it is hatched, do you think I could have one of you take me to the top of the mountain?" asked Gia, deciding to jump in while they were both in good moods.


    "Why in the world would you want to go there?" asked the mother in horror.


    The father gaped at her in shock, too stunned to say anything, when the egg gave another chirp, and he turned back quickly as a crack started to form. "Look! It''s pipping!" he exclaimed, ignoring Gia''s request.


    "My mate was taken from me, and I want him back before our child is born," said Gia, thinking quickly, rubbing her belly to emphasize her words. She didn''t think she had even missed her monthly yet, to guarantee she was with child, but it didn''t matter. These two were high on the fact they were about to be parents and she needed to take advantage of that.


    "Oh! You poor thing! We would take you, but it''s very dangerous up there!" murmured the mother, shaking her head. "That mage has caused all of us that live on the mountain, uncountable harm."


    "Could you at least get me closer?" asked Gia, trying to come up with some way to convince them. "I don''t have wings to fly up there, and it''s so hard to climb with my little arms and legs."


    The two griffons looked at each other uncomfortably. It was obvious neither wanted to help her at all, but the father finally sighed. "You returned our egg to us, when we grieved its loss, before it could hatch or be killed. Once my child has entered the world, and I can lay eyes on it, I will take you as far as the ridge. It will save you a lot of time."


    "Oh! Thank you!" cried Gia, relief surging through her. She watched as the tiny griffon chick worked its way around the egg, tapping at the shell until a tiny piece broke outward, then turning inside the shell to tap again. It took forever, but soon the whole top of the egg was loose, and the chick could start squirming out. Both parents chirped encouragingly at it, giving it what it needed to keep going, and once it was outside of the shell, laying exhausted on the soft down its parents had prepared for it, the mother settled next to it to keep it warm.


    "A fine boy if I ever did see one," stated the father proudly, puffing out his chest.


    "Go quickly, and take the human up to the ridge while he rests," said the mother. "It won''t be long before he will need to eat."


    Nodding, the griffon turned back to Gia and settled next to her. "Climb up and I will take you as I promised."


    Gia''s hands shook as she buried them into the soft feathers at the back of the griffon''s neck. They were high above everything, and all she could think of was how terrified her mother would be right then. Images of her fall in the elven forest kept trying to appear in her mind, but she refused to think about that, focusing on the approaching ridge of rocks.


    She needed to make her way up to the castle that sat on the crest of the mountain, find a way inside, and somehow rescue Vonn from the evil mage. Studying the landscape before her, she tried to figure out which way she needed to go when the griffon left her. The winds were very rough, and she would get cold quickly, so she planned to get her cloak out of her bag first thing.


    "Be careful up here, human," said the griffon, landing softly on the outcropping of rock. "The mage has many monsters guarding his home, and I would hate to think you died to any of them."


    "Thank you for bring me up here, when you have a new son to worry about back home," said Gia, climbing down from his back.


    "I wish I could do more, but I can''t risk leaving my mate alone to raise our chick without me," he said, jumping back into the sky and quickly disappearing from view.


    Gia crouched in the cold wind and pulled off her bag while she scanned the area for any movement. Something may have noticed the griffon land, and she didn''t want to be caught so soon. Slipping the cloak out of her bag, she made her way towards the castle near the top, trying to sneak from one rock to another. Pausing to wrap the cloak around her and put on the backpack again, she saw a shadow slinking towards the spot the griffon had been.


    Huddling closer to the shadow of the boulder she was beside, she watched the figure pause at the location she had climbed off the griffon''s back, before returning the way it had come, back to the castle above. What was it? There had never been anything like it in her life, to compare it to. Its body was almost man-like, with arms and legs, but the body was tiny, like that of a child, and the head was huge. Large frills grew back from the head, like feathers on a bird, but made up of skin and bone, instead of feathers. The fingers and toes that clung to the rocky ground reminded her of lizards who could run up and down cliffs without falling. Was this a monster of the mage''s?


    Waiting for it to disappear, she started slowly making her way to the castle again. The wind tore at her cloak and ripped at her hair, knocking small rocks and pebbles loose almost constantly. At least it would cover up any noises she made.


    A large stone bridge spanned a gorge before her, blocking her path to the castle. Gia could see the small shadow figure, pacing back and forth across the bridge, as a guard would. There was no way she would be able to get across there. She was going to have to find another way across the gorge.


    Gia made her way back down, away from the bridge, trying to keep the large rocks and boulders between her and the bridge so she wouldn''t be seen by the creature, and then started making her way along the gorge, looking for another route across. Turning a bend, she stopped in her tracks. There was another way across before her, but the sight of it terrified her. Rock pillars stuck out of a deep foggy gloom, connected with thick tendrils of vines that hung out over the gorge. If she could jump from one pillar to another, she would be able to get across the gorge, but the thick fog that filled the space below the pillars terrified her the most. Any kind of monster could be lurking down there, waiting to snatch her up the moment she got too close.


    Thunder in the distance heralded the arrival of a coming storm and Gia knew that the only option was to try and cross before the storm hit. Once the moss on the pillars got wet, there was no way she would be able to cross them.


    Swallowing her fear, and keeping Vonn in her mind, she stepped up to the edge of the chasm. The first pillar was almost close enough she could just step over, but not quite. Pushing the image of the gap between the tree branch and the elven road out of her mind, Gia took a breath and jumped.


    The fog fed the moss just enough moisture to keep it lush and green. It was also enough to make the tops of the pillars already slippery. As Gia slid across the top of the first pillar, she fell to her side and grabbed one of the vines that grew across the top, stopping her from going right over the edge. Breathing hard, she realized the rock under her wasn''t flat. The moss gave it the illusion that it was, but it was actually at a slant. If she continued, she was going to slip across the moss on each one of these pillars, and eventually fall.


    Glancing back the way she had come, thinking she had to turn back, she was terrified to see the small guard creature pacing back and forth along the edge, waiting for her. When it caught up, she wasn''t sure, but there was definitely no turning back now. Gia was going to have to cross these pillars or die!

 83 Chapter 83 A Fleeting Ember

    The wind was whipping her hair into her eyes, but Gia couldn''t pause to tuck it out of the way. Her hands were wrapped tightly around vines suspended between two pillars. Below her, was a thick mist hiding untold dangers that she wasn''t interested in investigating. As soon as she managed to get across this chasm, she would have to run as fast as she could to the cluster of bushes in order to hide from the creature that was watching her intently from the edge of the gorge behind her.


    Reaching the next pillar, she clawed her way onto it, scooting along her belly until she was no longer at risk of falling. Raising her head wearily, she could see the other side of the gorge just a few feet away. Her arms burned and ached from all of the effort of getting to where she was, but Gia knew there wasn''t time to stop and rest. Vonn had been with the mage for far too long. There was no telling what horrible things that evil man was doing to her love.


    If she could manage to stand up on the slippery surface of the rock column she was laying on, Gia was certain she could jump the last little bit. As she was getting her knees up under her, the guard creature appeared in her vision. It must have run around while she was working her way across the gorge. Tears welled in her eyes. What was she going to do?


    "Please, just let me cross?" she whispered into the wind. Her arms were shaking, and her hands were trying to slip out from under her on the wet moss.


    The creature tilted its head to the side, as if it hadn''t heard her well.


    "Please, just let me go by," she said louder, hoping the amulet around her neck would be strong enough to sway it. Sending a prayer to Bob, Gia watched as the creature seemed to consider her request. It didn''t have a mouth to speak to her, and she couldn''t see any ears, for it to be able to hear her. The glow from its eyes terrified her, but she watched it with bated breath as it made up its mind.


    Breathing a sigh of relief, Gia stood up and jumped as the creature moved out of her way. Landing on the solid ground, she curled into a ball for a moment, as her body shook and shivered. Her clothes were soaked through, and a chill had worked its way into her bones, but Gia didn''t have time to change or build a fire to warm herself.


    The shadow creature approached her, each step making a soft sizzle sound, and as it reached her side, Gia saw with surprise that it was actually giving off black smoke. Its skin was actually rock held together with what looked like molten lava. The heat that emenated off of it warmed her, and she found herself huddling closer to it, despite the obvious threat to her life.


    "You''re so warm," she moaned, holding her hands up to the creature.


    It drew even closer to her, almost reaching out to touch her, before drawing back and sitting, with all four limbs held tightly together. Leaning its head closer to her, she saw the spikes start to glow a deep red that grew brighter and brighter. The area grew warmer and warmer, and she couldn''t help but sigh in delight. Her clothes dried out, and her chills faded.


    "That is so nice! Thank you!" she murmured, suddenly remembering her manners. "I have to go, though. The mage has my mate trapped in his castle."


    She went to stand and move towards the castle, but the creature jumped in front of her, shaking its head.


    "Please let me by?" she asked again, thinking it worked the last time she had asked.


    It shook its head at her again, glancing back at the castle, then motioning with its head, and pointed towards the bushes she had planned to try and hide in. The bushes branches and leaves sizzled and withered where the creature touched them, as it pushed its way into the thicket. Glancing one last time at the castle, Gia sighed and followed it. The path it left was pretty easy to follow, and she soon found herself standing in a hollow surrounded by trees. Before her was a strange formation she didn''t understand. It looked like the trees had grown into a circle. No leaves covered the trees that made up the circle, and she approached it hesitantly.


    The creature had walked right up to the edge of the circle, staring into it intently, as if expecting something to be standing in it.


    "What have you brought me?" whispered a sly voice, and Gia watched as a small fox appeared in the middle of the circle.


    She gasped in shock and froze in her tracks.


    "A human? There hasn''t been a human this close to the mage''s keep in a long time. He must not know you are here," said the fox, its eyes flickering with yellow flames.


    Gia swallowed the lump of fear that had formed in her throat and shook her head. "The mage doesn''t know I''m here yet," she managed to whisper.


    The fox nodded, laying down on the bottom edge of branches that formed the circle, and curled its tail, which looked to be nothing but flames, around it.


    "Once he finds you, he will take you to be fed to some of his pets. He doesn''t keep people around long."


    Gia gasped at the thought of her poor Vonn, as tears gathered in her eyes. "I have to hurry then!"


    "Did you not hear me?" asked the fox, looking startled. "I just said the mage will kill you!"


    "But the reason I''m here is because the mage took my husband! I''m trying to save him!" she sobbed, as huge tears streamed down her cheeks. "I have to save him!"


    "You¡­ want to go up against the mage?" stammered the fox in amazement. "I have to see this! Alright, I''ll help you get into the castle, but remember, the mage has traps everywhere!"


    Gia nodded, wiping her eyes and hiccupping. She was so tired! Why was she breaking down like this? Was it because she was pregnant?


    The fox hopped down from the circle of branches and tentatively took a few steps across the grass. After a moment of contemplation, it nodded and turning to look at her said, "Follow me as quickly as you can, and I will get you through the traps he has set around the castle. Whatever you do, don''t look at the glowing crows. They will report you, if you do!"


    Gia nodded again, and forced her tired body to follow as fast as she could as the fox darted off into the forest. Branches slapped at her face, and she felt cuts form on her arms and hands. Birds screamed at her, but she kept her eyes glued to the glowing form of the fox before her. When it turned, so did she. When it ducked under something, she slid to her knees and crawled. When it jumped over something that could have been crawled under, she tried her best to climb over it as well.


    By the time they reached the small sewer grate at the base of the castle, Gia felt like she was about to drop dead from exhaustion. The fox sat on its haunches and studied her for a moment.


    "I would bless you, but you''ve already been blessed. Any chance you would be willing to remove the necklace?" it asked, tilting its cute little face to the side, to study the amulet that had fallen out of her shirt at some point.


    Gia wrapped her hands around the amulet and took a breath, to be able to answer.


    "Thank you very much for leading me here, but I''m afraid this amulet has been the only thing that got me this far. I can''t part with it, until my husband and I are safe and away from here."


    "He''s probably already dead, you know," said the fox, looking disappointed.


    "I pray he''s not. And if he is¡­" her voice faltered before she shook her head violently. "No! I won''t even think it! Vonn is still alive! I will save him, and we will raise our children in the village below, in the house he will build. I can''t risk the thought of him not being alright!"


    "I admire your loyalty," said the fox. "I''ll grant you temporary strength to finish your quest!"


    It reached out and booped her nose with its own, before vanishing as if it had never been there. Gia rubbed her nose, feeling a blister starting to form as if she had been burned by an ember. Strangely, she didn''t feel as tired anymore. Turning to look at the gaping hole that lead into the bowels of the mage???s castle, Gia took a breath of fresh air and nodded to herself. She had made it this far! Vonn was on the other side of the tunnel, and she was going to save him!

 84 Chapter 84 Voices in the Dark

    The wall of the tunnel was rough and slimy. Gia had a hard time touching it, as she wasn''t sure, in the dark, what she was touching. Judging from the smell, she was grateful she didn''t have a light to ignite the fumes around her. The sounds of squeaks in the dark caused her to panic until she consoled herself that she would get out of there and find Vonn. She just needed to find a ladder to climb.


    As she moved forward, ever forward, deeper into the darkness, Gia started hearing whispers. Closing her eyes to get herself under control, and to try to hear the voices better, she found that they were just outside her range of hearing to understand. Was this some trick of the mages? Was he not worried about keeping a guard on this entrance because he had some spell cast to drive intruders insane?


    Breathing hard, she thought over how gentle Vonn had been. The sound of his voice was the only one she cared about. The other voices started to fade and she continued on. Soon, the voices started to grow again, but this time, her thoughts of Vonn didn''t make them go away.


    Pausing in the water, that was now up to her waist, Gia leaned against the rough wall and fought to catch her breath. It was harder to breath with the air so fetid, and she didn''t want to pass out from fear. Whatever was in these tunnels would gobble her up in a heartbeat, she knew.


    "What are you waiting for? An invitation?" asked a voice in her ear.


    Muffling her scream, Gia reached out to keep from falling, and grabbed a bar that was just beside her. Using it to pull her upright, where she had almost fallen in her fright, she realized she wasn''t holding a metal bar. It felt too real. Too alive!


    "Quickly, now. Before the slime gets any closer!" said the voice in her ear again.


    Gia''s heart skipped a beat, as all sorts of images came to mind. Clinging to the bar, or arm, or whatever it was, she felt around and found what seemed like a ladder to climb. As soon as she was on the ladder fully, she felt it rising up into the air, and closed her eyes, clinging to it in panic. Below her she could hear the voices rise in anger, murmuring of her escape, and faint lapping of the water against the stone.


    "It almost had you. Don''t worry, I was fed recently, so I''m not interested in eating you," said the voice as she came to a halt.


    Opening her eyes, she saw that she was clinging to a living ladder, suspended over a stone portal that seemed to be where she had been. A single torch flickered by the only door in the room, and she quickly scrambled away from the ladder and the hole. The creature the ladder seemed to be a part of, studied her for a moment.


    "You look a lot like the mage. Are you a human, too?"


    "Ye¡­Yes," she stammered, standing by the door shivering. Her clothes were soaked from the chest down, and as she glanced at them in worry, saw that they didn''t seem to be soaked from just water.


    "Not many humans come this way. I normally have to eat any that come in that way, but like I said, the mage just fed me, so I''m good. That slime though, it doesn''t care about anything. Everyone it eats, becomes a part of it. The mage was pretty happy when he made it, but it wouldn''t listen to orders so he shoved it down there."


    "What keeps it down there, instead of leaving and looking for more things to eat?" she asked in a whisper, holding her arms tightly to try and stop her shivering.


    "Probably the number of rats that it can eat," it said, shrugging.


    "I need to find my Vonn," she whispered, inching towards the door, but not wanting to upset it.


    "You should change out of those clothes. That slime on you will start to eat away at your flesh soon," it said, settling down into a more comfortable position.


    Gia glanced down uncertainly, swallowing in fear. What if it was telling her the truth? Pulling off her backpack, she started stripping off the clothes. If they were really soaked in slime, she didn''t want to keep them, but they were such nice clothes. Juniper had spent so much time making them.


    Bending over to dig in her bag for her spare clothes, she was disappointed to see everything in the bag was coated in the slime.


    "What will I wear?" she asked herself, starting to chatter her teeth from the cold.


    "If you go before the mage looking like that, I imagine you will definitely distract him," said the creature behind her.


    Swinging around, Gia covered herself in shame at the lecherous look in its eyes.


    "Don''t worry, human. I don''t eat young maiden in that way," it sighed, before turning away from her. "I haven''t been able to do that in ages. Go, find your Vonn. The second door on the right should have clothing you can wear. My cousin is one of the chests, so be sure you mention me before you start opening things. He normally eats first and asks questions later."


    Gia nodded quickly, backing up to the door and fumbling with the latch. Slipping into the dark hall, she stood stark naked, wearing only the amulet given to her at the beginning of this long trek for survival. Doors lined the hall on both sides, before a set of stairs climbed up out of sight. Light spilled down the stairs, giving her just enough light to see by to tiptoe to the second door on the right.


    Pausing for only a moment before reaching for the latch, Gia decided she didn''t have a choice. She couldn''t save Vonn stark naked!


    Slipping into the room, she glanced around at the dim interior. Four chests were arranged against the walls.


    "Hello?" she whispered.


    Something shifted subtly, but she couldn''t make out what.


    "I was told by the ladder creature that his cousin was in here?" she continued, craning her neck around to see which chest was the cousin.


    "And just why would he go and do that?" grumbled the chest closest to her. The tips of teeth could be seen glinting from the edges of the lid, and a thick strand of drool crept down one corner.


    "I need some clothes, as my last set was ruined by slime?" she said softly, trying to be as truthful as possible. "It said I might find some clothes in here?"


    The chest popped up, gazing at her with large glowing eyes that stuck up out of the top of the chest.


    "It''s been ages since I saw myself some proper booty!" he growled, grinning wide. "I like! Spin around and bend over!"


    With a startled cry, Gia backed away from the mimic, tripping on the chest behind her and falling to the floor.


    "That''ll do!" the mimic crowed, grinning wide, as strands of thick mucus fell to the floor. "Open the chest behind you, and you''ll find all sorts of clothes!"


    Nodding quickly, Gia scrambled backwards and quickly threw open the chest behind her. Feeling fabric under her fingers, she glanced quickly back to see it was indeed filled with cloth of some kind. Picking herself up off the floor, she tried to keep an eye on the mimic behind her, that was ogling her naked body, as she started pulling strange outfits out of the chest.


    "Those belonged to his followers, before they all died. He put them there until he needed them again," said the mimic, turning to get a better look as she twisted to stay away from it.


    "Please, keep your distance," she whispered, too afraid to lift her voice.


    "Oh, I don''t have the parts to enjoy what I see, little girl. Otherwise, you would already be enjoying me!" he chuckled. "I''m going to have to thank my cousin. I haven''t had this much fun in a while."


    "Well," said Gia, clearing her throat as she pulled on an oversized tunic and grabbed up a pair of pants. "I don''t appreciate the way your acting at all. It''s quite rude!"


    "Rude? HA!" The mimic fell back, close to where it had started, and laughed and laughed.


    Gia took advantage of its mirth to grab up a pair of boots and a belt before darting to the door. The mimic tried to snatch at her, but from his prone position, she managed to get away, shutting the door firmly behind her. Leaning against the wall next to the door, she fought to catch her breath. Energy was racing through her veins after that close call, and she quickly slid on the pants and boots. Tying the belt to secure everything, she turned to the stairs. What other tricks did the mage have up his sleeves?

 85 Chapter 85 Flames in the Sky

    The stairs led her up to a great hall, that she didn''t think had been properly cleaned in ages. Spiderwebs filled the highest nooks and crannies, and dust covered the floor, showing a thin trail where the mage seemed to concentrate on walking.


    Curiosity escaped her as she focused on following the trail up another flight of stairs to a large wooden door. Glowing runes covered the trim along the edges of the door, and Gia wondered if it were some magical spell to attack her if she opened the door. A gap at the bottom of the door was large enough for her to peek through, so she lay on the floor to see what was in the room.


    Vonn''s shoes were the first thing she noticed. He appeared to be tied to some contraption and leaned against the floor. From the way he was sagging, he was either unconscious or dead. Muffling her moan of horror, Gia could only pray it was the first, and scrambled to her feet when she didn''t see any other pairs of boots.


    Hesitating for only a moment, she finally reached out for the handle of the door, expecting a bolt of lightning, or a hidden dart to come flying out at her, but the knob clicked softly and swung open. Bookshelves covered the walls, haphazardly filled with books, papers, and scrolls. A large table took up the center of the room, with a large book open upon it. Large yellow candles flickered in her passing as she ignored everything else in the room and darted for Vonn''s still form.


    "Vonn!" she hissed, glancing around wildly for some key to unlock his chains.


    He was still breathing, but it was shallow and she feared he was under some kind of magical spell. With sobs threatening to break out of her, Gia rushed over to the table to see if there were a key hidden under the book. Finally spying one, laid beside one of the candle sconces, Gia snatched it up.


    Her hand brushed against the sconce, knocking the candle over. Her eyes widened in horror as she watched the hot candle wax spill across the book, quickly followed by the flames from the wick. The book almost seemed to catch faster than it should, and before she could back up a single step, the entire table was aflame with a fire that burned with black flames.


    Clutching the key to her chest in terror, Gia dashed back over to Vonn''s slumped form.


    "Vonn! Vonn, please!" she whimpered, shoving the key into the locks and freeing him from the chains.


    The fire had spread to the bookshelves. If she wasn''t quick, they would be trapped in this inferno. Breathing hard, Gia grabbed his arms and dragged him inch by inch towards the door. A loud pop startled a scream out of her, and she fell, covering her face in fear. She wasn''t strong enough to drag Vonn out of the room, and now they were going to burn to death!


    "What is this!" raged a voice from the other side of the room.


    Glancing up, Gia expected to see the mage appearing, but it was a large blue figure, looking around in confusion and anger. She went to respond, but the fumes and smoke were causing her throat to close up. She slumped over Vonn''s body, coughing and fighting to get a breath.


    "Are you the one who started this fire?" asked the blue figure, floating over to her and shoving its face into hers. The fire didn''t seem to discomfort it at all.


    "Acc¡­" she tried to explain to the figure, but she didn''t have enough breath left to form the word. Her eyes were starting to flutter and everything was going dark.


    "Well, it''s about time someone got the better of that mage. I''ll finish where you left off, but the two of you probably shouldn''t be here. These magical flames won''t do you two much good."


    Gia''s eyes closed as everything that she had been through seemed to catch up to her all at once.


    "Gia? Giavanna!" came a voice. It was a precious voice to her. "Gia! Wake up!"


    "Vonn?" she whispered, trying to open her eyes. Had it all been a dream? Was she back home in her bed? It had been such a long dream!


    "Gia!" cried Vonn, shaking her shoulders as her eyes finally fluttered open.


    The blue sky behind him was fading to dark, so it was late in the evening. She didn''t recognize the trees though. Had she gone with him to cut wood and fallen asleep?


    "Gia, I can''t believe you came for me!" exclaimed Vonn, pulling her into a tight hug.


    That''s when everything came rushing back to her. Gia''s eyes widened as she glanced around in panic, clinging to his clothing.


    "The mage!" she whispered in horror. He would come for them!


    "The mage is dead!" laughed Vonn. "He burned up inside his keep! I could hear his screams when I first woke up, and nothing I did could tear my eyes away from his burning keep until just now. You managed to free me!"


    "Oh! Vonn! I was so scared!" she cried, burying her face into his chest and wrapping her arms as tightly around him as she could.


    "How did you know that fire was the only way to kill the mage?" asked Vonn.


    "It was?" asked Gia, finally pulling away from him enough to glance over at the smoldering ruins. Was the mimic dead? What about that ladder monster? And the slime? She shuddered to think that any of them might have survived.


    "Oh you!" he laughed, pulling her to her feet so they could see the ruins better. "My father had been an apprentice of the mage, but managed to escape and fled to the city where he met my mother and I was born. Afraid the mage might come after me, he tried to leave, but my mother refused to be parted from him. I always thought they had abandoned me and died, but I found out that the mage had killed them both. He told me of the horrible things he had done to them before they died, and of the things he planned to do to me, but you saved me!"


    "You didn''t know your father was an apprentice of the mage?" asked Gia, suddenly worried he had withheld more information from her.


    "No, I never knew. In fact, I wouldn''t have believed the mage if he hadn''t shown me my parent''s bodies. He had them preserved in some kind of spell. It was horrible, Gia. He was trying to find a way to prolong life, but all of his experiments kept failing. The few ones that survived, were changed into horrible creatures."


    "I saw some of them," whispered Gia.


    "Oh, I am so sorry! I can''t believe you came all this way for me! Where is everyone? Are they alright?" he asked, looking around to verify they weren''t there somewhere, then studied her carefully. "Are you alright?"


    "I think so," she nodded, placing her hand over her belly and then looking up at him with a small smile. "Are you still up to building that house you promised?"


    Laughing, Vonn picked her up and twirled her around. Gia couldn''t hold back her laughter any longer, and finally felt relief. This nightmare was over and everything could go back to being right again.


    As they started to make their way down the mountain, Gia heard a yip and glanced over to see the tail of a fox disappearing into the bushes. Clutching Vonn''s arm tighter, she turned back to watch her step. She was ready to get back to the village and her family. They would pick out a good location for their house and Vonn and Mikey could get to work cutting trees. Her dad could carve little designs into the wood and her mother would help her prepare for the coming baby. Everything was finally falling into place.


    As the deep dark descended on the mountain, Vonn started looking for a good place to set up camp.


    "Let''s keep going," suggested Gia. She wasn''t that tired, having slept most of the day away, and the urge to get back to the town was overwhelming.


    "The mage is dead, we don''t have to push ourselves," said Vonn with a grin.


    "I know, but he wasn''t the only dangerous thing on this mountain. If we keep going, we can reach the town and safety faster. I''m not that tired, if you''re not?"


    Vonn seemed to think about her words then nodded. "You''re right. There are a lot of griffons on this mountain. It probably wouldn''t be a bad idea to keep going."


    Gia gave him a quick hug in thanks and they continued down the mountain. The only thing that bothered her, was that he had lost his amulet. The mage probably took it from him so it wouldn''t get in the way of any of his spells, but she still worried about it. What could the mage have done with it?