Silver Rose

Walocs

Mara rubbed her eyes and yawned. Tara, Mirage, and she had entered Iosis and wandered through for an hour. Then they’d suddenly become incredibly sleepy. They lay down under some trees and fell asleep. Looking around, Mara saw that she was not under the thick trunk of a giant tree, but in a glen beneath a high canopy of tree branches. She sat on a bed of soft moss and silky petals. Stretching her arms out, she yawned again. Her throat felt dry. There sound of tinkling and bubbling came from behind her. She stood and walked in that direction until she came upon a small stream a few yards from where she slept. She dipped her hands into the cold water and drank. When her thirst was quenched, her stomach rumbled. The smell of hot food wafted through the air. Near where she had awakened, sat a large flat stone. On the stone was a delightful spread. There was hot soup, warm bread, cold meat, ripe berries, yellow cheese, and a pitcher of cool nectar. Mara helped herself.

When her belly was full, she sat back on the bed of moss and petal. Smiling, she said,

“Thank you for the soft bed and a delicious meal.”

“You are welcome.” Several voices said in unison.

“I am the Fauye, Mara of the Polante-Gnight,” she said.

There was a rustling from the trees surrounding the glen. Down from them came several small creatures. They were about the size of a child with skin of gold and bronze. Their ears were as big as their faces in the shape of a teardrop with the tip at the back of their heads. They wore skirts made of leaves and flower petals. Which was also in their dark, curly hair. Four of them stood in front of her. Mara saw others in the shadows behind the four.

The first one on her left smiled,

“I am Bilbarger,” he said in a voice much too deep for his size. He bowed and sat cross-legged in front of her.

The one next to Bilbarger smiled,
“I am Dillow,” her voice was high like a whisper. She too bowed and sat.

“I am Popagan.” His smile made his bronze face glow.

“I am Salen,” the last one’s hair was longer than the rest coming down to her small feet. She had to pull it up before she sat down to avoiding sitting on it.

The other’s came into the glen. They sat down, but did not introduce themselves.

“What are you?” Mara asked.

“Walocs,” came the answer from a rising Tara. “They are part elf, part fairy. They’re only found here in Iosis.”

She stumbled over to the stone and began filling a plate with food.

“Hoo, Tara the Gommoth,” Bilbarger said. “We have not met in a while.”

“Yes,” said Tara. “But we meet now.”

Bilbarger nodded. Tara sat down a little ways from Salen. Bilbarger turned back to Mara.
“We know you too, Mara the Fauye,” he said, “but you will not remember us.”

Mara wondered how they knew her. She was sure she'd never met a Waloc before.

“You came through here many years ago,” Bilbarger said, “looking for your mother, the Fauye. We guided you through the forest. You came again not long ago with another Fauye. Neither time did you see our faces.”

It was as if he had read her mind.

“We are elves,” said Salen. “We can see your thoughts.”

“All my thoughts?” Mara asked.

“Not the words exactly,” said Salen. “Just the general thought. We can figure out the rest.”

“You seek out your forgotten life to remember it again,” said Bilbarger. “That will not be enough. It will only frustrate you more. Yes,” he said before she could ask, “we can see a picture of the future. Some paths are more set than others.”

“Then what can I do?” Mara asked.

The Walocs looked at each other for a long time.

“We do not have the answer,” Dillow finally said.

Then she was back to where she started. Even further back since these Ranleys would be of no help. Popagan put his hand over hers.

“Just because we do not have the answer, does not mean there is no one who has an answer,” Popagan said.

“Can’t you at least tell me what else I shouldn’t do?” Mara asked.

Popagan shrugged his slim shoulders.
“Anything you can think of probably won’t work,” he said. “Including finding your mother to demand that she take it back.”

Mara’s shoulders slumped. Then she would never know. Maybe Keinan was right. There was no point in knowing.

“It is good to know the past,” said Salen. “The past is what we are.”

“But not what we must be,” Bilbarger said. “You mustn’t get so wrapped up in those years that they are all you see yourself as.”

Mara nodded. She would never do that. She understood that those 40 years weren’t who she was. But she did need to know what happened in those times. What was so terrible or so important that her mother needed to erase it?

“We think you will get more answers if you go to the elves,” Dillow said.

“But I thought you were elves?” Mara said.

Every Waloc in the glen giggled. They reminded her of children again.

“We are half elf,” Salen said, grinning. “You need to consult the elves, those who have no other blood but elf.”

“Are there some here in Iosis?” Mara asked.

This time they giggled louder.

“Of course not,” said Salen.

“The elves do not live in this realm. Don’t you know that?” Dillow asked.

Yes. Now that she thought about it, Mara did know that. They lived in their own realm.

“We can go back to Ambremose, and go through the arch that leads to the elves.” Tara said.

Mara thought about this for a moment.
“No,” she said. “I only know how to work the human one. Each arch is different. Besides, my family won’t let me out of their sight if I return. I know Keinan won’t. We’d never make it to any of the arches.”

Tara nodded.
“Then we’ll need directions to the elf world from here.”

“We will show you,” Bilbarger said.

“I want to stop in Brovan on the way,” Tara said. “I may have to take my charge with us.”

The Walocs looked at each other.

“What is it?” Asked Tara.

“There have been disturbances in that area,” Bilbarger said.

“Disturbances? In Brovan?”

“Not just Brovan,” said Bilbarger, “but all over the west.”

“The first disturbance comes from the east. It is an army of goblins, trolls, and ogres,” Popagan said. “That one has been sweeping through the world for some time.”

An army of goblins, ogres, and trolls? Was that strange? She wasn’t sure, but she nodded as if she understood anyway. Dillow stared at her gravely.

“The army changes the balance of the world,” she said. “As they march, they take many lives.”

“Yes,” Popagan said, nodding. “And there is more. Another disturbance comes from the west.”

“Another army?!” Tara exclaimed. “Maybe they had something to do with the princess.”

“It’s not an army. It’s more like a… a swarm of dark magic.”

“Dark magic? From where?”

“We can’t find its source,” said Popagan. “But it is ever growing.”

Mara’s stomach roiled. Dark magic was terrible in the hands of any being. Its blackness clouded the mind. Her grandparents told her of the war with Ipson of Joulte, the Fauye. Ipson could use the same magic as the fairies fighting him, but the empty, black, abyss (as they described it) from his spells sent confusion and fear. Thus, Ipson almost won, would have won, if it hadn’t been for the fire of the dragons, which cut through the darkness.

“—it is too dangerous,” Bilbarger was saying.

“You don’t understand. I have too!” Tara sprang up. The Walocs remained seated.

“We understand that you are bound, dear Gommoth,” Bilbarger said. “But we felt the weight of the darkness when we helped you on the plains. It winds itself around the land in an iron grip. It grows too fast to be of an amateur human queen as you say. The source is someone, something that has been very powerful for a long time, but is only now manifesting itself.”

“That is why it is too dangerous for you to go into the west,” said Dillow. “The source is much stronger than all of us here. It will detect you as soon as you step into its domain. You know this. Magic sees magic. No matter what kind. More so, you know, the dark and the light cannot exist together. One must prevail over the other.”

“Don’t you see? I was in the west only a few months ago!” Tara said. “There was nothing there!”

“Listen to Dillow,” Salen pleaded. “The shadow will consume you. Your light will be extinguished.”

“There was nothing there!” Tara repeated. “No one had anything to do with magic except the queen!” Tara frowned. “And… and the mirror… But even that couldn’t be—Besides, no one could become as powerful as you say ‘it’ is in a few months.”

“There are those from the land of sulfur and brimstone…” Popagan stopped.

Just the thought of that land seemed to bring a chill through the land. Mara shivered.

“That’s impossible,” Tara said, though there was a slight tremble to her voice. “We would all know it, if that were true. There is no way you couldn’t have sensed a… a demon.”
The Walocs covered their large ears with their hands. Their little bodies shuddered making the leaves and petals of their clothing rustle like the wind. Mara felt her own heart thud loudly with fear as the Walocs began to wail. Their cries were like the sound of many horns being blown.

“I’m going to the west!” Tara shouted. “Demon or no!”

The Walocs moans grew even louder. Mara covered her ears with her hands. They stood to their feet and stomped the ground.

“You are all being ridiculous!” Tara shouted. She went to Mirage and patted her neck. “Aren’t you ready to go yet?”

Mara bit her lip. The horse was not stupid. Mirage knew they had offended the Walocs. It was very rude to leave without trying to make amends. But how did one pacify a Waloc?

Then, in front of her, Bilbarger began to grow. He grew and grew and grew until he was as tall as the trees. Mara leaped to her feet. Bilbarger took one step and stood before Tara. Her wide eyes looked him up and up.

“You should not speak of such things in my forest!” Bilbarger’s deep voice boomed.

A hissing sound came from somewhere below. Mara looked down. Where Dillow had been was now a rather large, rather angry mouse. Dillow snapped her sharp teeth, her red eyes flaming. Salen had become some kind of terrible monster with hair covering every inch of her distorted body. Mara turned to Popagan. He floated a few feet above the ground. His eyes were closed and his brown hair danced about his head. Suddenly, his eyes opened and he bared his white teeth. At that moment, his bronze skin glowed like the sun and his teeth as diamonds. Mara squeezed her eyes shut while throwing her arm over her face. As quickly as it came, the bright light disappeared.

“You could bring evil spirits into the forest by calling them by name,” Bilbarger bellowed. “And if they come, it is you we will sacrifice!” He reached down and picked Tara up. Tara wriggled in his grasp, but Bilbarger held tight.

Mara tried to think of something to do. She knew so little of Walocs and their customs. The last thing she wanted was to offend them even more.

“We must lock you up until they come,” Bilbarger said, turning. “Even if it takes a thousand years, you will pay for the woe you’ve brought to my forest.”

“No!” Tara yelled. “Bilbarger! I can’t! I have to get back. You don’t understand. Please. I’m sorry. Please, let me go!”

“Your apology is too late,” he said as he began to walk into the forest. His footsteps making the earth tremble beneath him. “Come.” He motioned with his free hand. The other Walocs followed him. Dillow scampered, Salen lumbered, and Popagan floated, but they all left Mara standing in a glen that quickly lost its charm.

Left Hanging

“Wait!” Mara shouted, running after the Walocs. Vines and tree roots sprung up in her path. “Wait!” She called again as a vine grabbed her ankle, toppling her to the ground.

Mara pushed herself up on her elbows, spitting grass and dirt out of her mouth. She let out a yelp as her face fell back in the dirt. The vine dragged her body over the rough, lumpy earth. Then it spun her around onto her back. When Mara began to get some air back into her lungs, the root pulled her up. Up past the huge trees’ trunks and through their branches. Mara’s insides seemed to swirl around in her body. When they finally stopped moving up, Mara found herself dangling above the tall trees of Iosis. To her right, she saw the tree branches moving aside as if something was pushing them back.

“Bilbarger,” she said to herself. Suddenly, she recalled that the Walocs weren’t the only ones with magic. She tried to focus, but the blood was rushing to her head making her dizzy.

So she thought of something sharp and aimed at the vine. It apparently worked for in the next moment she saw the starlit sky above her get further and further away. Then she hit the top branches of the trees. They snapped under her weight and she violently fell through the leaves and wood. She was sure she’d hit the ground and break her neck. Instead, she hit a large branch with so much force she bounced off and flipped around. She grit her teeth together as she saw another large branch she was heading for. In seconds, she hit that one too. But this time she curled her body a bit, keeping her from bouncing off. She stayed in that position—her abdomen lying on the branch while her limbs drooped in the air—for a long time.

When she was finally able to breath and her arms had gone numb, she moved. She tried to lift herself up onto the branch. Pain zipped from her back and down her legs. Her hands slipped from the shock. She dangled for a few more minutes, before convincing herself to try again. She tried and this time the pain was worse than before. She cried out and let go. Her back and legs were hurt badly. Tears filled her eyes. She’d probably be stuck there in that tree for a hundred years before she’d be able to move without pain. By then the Walocs would have killed Tara, the Ranley humans would be dead, and she’d STILL be hanging from this tree. The tears flowed out now. The salty streams fell onto her forehead and into her hair.

Below her, Mara saw movement in the thick underbrush.

“Help me!” She cried out to whatever it was. “Please help me!”

“Who’s there?” A gruff voice asked.

“Up here,” she said. “In the tree. I’ve hurt myself and can’t get down.”

She saw a pair of glowing eyes look up at her.

“Do you have wings?” It asked.

“No.”

“Then I can’t help you,” it’s eyes turned away.

“No, please wait,” Mara pleaded. “If you could just find someone who can help me get down.”

The eyes looked back up.
“The only ones tall enough to get you down would be a giant or a troll, and I don’t associate myself with either.”

“But—“

“Good luck getting down from there,” it said as its eyes disappeared. Mara heard the underbrush rustle as the thing walked away.

“Please,” Mara cried. “I just need… some one…”

All became quiet. Tears fell from her eyes again. And she could barely breath with the snot that clogged her nose. So she sobbed, snorted, and gagged. Then she heard a scream.

“All right! All right! I’ll help you,” the gruff voice yelled. “Just stop that horrible noise!”

Mara snorted the mucus down her throat. Her stomach twisted at the entrance of the disgusting liquid. The glowing eyes stared up at her. They slowly came closer and closer as whatever it was climbed the tree. Finally, it reached her branch. She felt the branch creak under the added weight. She couldn’t see it from where she was and didn’t know how far it was. She waited and didn’t hear a sound.

“Hello?” She called. “Hello?”

“Hello.” Something swung around and stared at her upside down.

Mara gasped in surprise. The thing chuckled.

“Can you help me down?” Mara asked, trembling.

“The best I can do is push you off,” the thing said swinging itself back up.

“Push me?!”

She felt it shove her side. She screamed in pain. Her abdomen hurt.
“Stop!” She cried after it pushed on her again.

“Well what did you expect?!” It exclaimed. “I can’t very well pick you up and carry you down!”

“I know—“

“And you’re the one who wanted my help.”

“I know—“

“Maybe I should march me-self back down the tree, and continue on my business.”

“But I—“

“Especially since you’re being so very rude. Asking for my help, then crying when I can’t. And when I do try to help, you don’t want it!”

Mara sighed. It was as it said.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “It’s just that I’ve hurt my back and legs, maybe even broken them. And my stomach is so sore. Another fall wouldn’t do me any good.”

“So what do you want me to do?” It asked.

Mara thought for a moment. It couldn’t carry her down, and she couldn’t fall down. So…

“Can you find someone to lift me off this branch?” She asked.

“I told you,” it said. “I don’t have nothing to do with trolls or giants.”

“Can’t you find someone? Bilbarger the Waloc was able to turn himself into a giant. Isn’t there anyone else in this forest who can do that?”

The thing was silent for a long time. Mara hoped it hadn’t snuck off and left her. But finally it spoke.

“I suppose I might know of some ones who may be able to do something for you.” It said.

“Oh, thank you,” Mara said.

“But it ain’t no Waloc,” it said.

“I’m not sure I want a Waloc,” Mara said. But actually she wouldn’t care so long as she got down from the tree.
“They ain’t nothing but trouble no how,” it said. “Thinking they own the whole forest.” Mara heard some sharp things scrap the bark of the branch. “Hang in there.” It said. Then it laughed the whole way down the trunk.

Mara grimaced at the bad joke; then sighed. She was all alone again.