The Watcher Chapter 4

Chapter 4


Epona led us out of the forest, and never was I so glad to be away from the woods. We had come to a land of hills; not the tree-covered hills of home, but grassy, treeless rolls of land with boulders of all sizes scattered about as if they were flung by a giant. In this land, such a scenario could have been very real. I rode Epona much of the day, and in early afternoon we topped a ridge that overlooked a small village in the valley below.
Tiny stone houses, all identical, ran in rows with brick streets. I could hear the voices of the townspeople and barely make out their tiny figures. It seemed a very busy place, and perhaps a place I could find food and rest, so I urged Epona down the hill and closer to the spot of civilization I had found.
As we drew closer, I immediately sensed the charm of this place. All the buildings were only the half the height of a regular home, and each made from stone. The roofs and shutters of the homes ranged in colors. Each house had a spacious yard with a picket fence, and flowers could be found everywhere. Many homes had vines covering the walls, and each home had one tree planted near the gate of the yard.
People bustled to and fro, with cheerful chatter filling the air. These were small people; I guessed they were dwarves. They stood about two feet tall, with little round bodies and big, rosy cheeks. They had pointed ears and red, bulbous noses. Everyone was dressed in clothing reminiscent of medieval times. I saw many dogs running about, as well as geese and ducks. Some of the dwarves were using donkeys to pull their carts.
When I rode up on Epona, to what must have been the main street of the town, I heard gasps of surprise and saw a parting of the crowd. Some ran into their homes, while others ran to find their children. I smiled at a young dwarf child who peeked out at me from behind the skirt of his mother. Frowning, she pulled him back behind her. I felt a bit nervous when I saw one of the male dwarves pick up a large stick, that I assumed he planned to use as a club. Epona did not seem nervous, however, so I continued to smile at each dwarf as I passed by, looking the fool I am sure.
I came to a building that had a leaning, wooden sign at the gate which said "Inn". I dismounted and tied Epona loosely to the hitching post outside the fence. Patting her neck, but also watching for her approval (which she gave), I walked up to the door of the inn and entered. I had to bend over to enter the door, but inside the ceiling was high enough that I could stand, barely.
The inside of the inn was filled with men and women dwarves. Some were smoking pipes, and everyone had huge foaming mugs of beer in front of them. Only a few were actually eating. The inn grew silent as I entered. I once again tried smiling, but was met with suspicious eyes and frowns once more. Across the room stood a bar, with kegs of beer sitting on stools behind it. There was a swinging door at the edge of the wall behind the bar that must have led to the kitchen. When I got to the bar a waitress came through the swinging door, yelling "Roast for Pytra!". When she saw me, she dropped the tray. The wooden bowl rattled as it hit the floor, and food splattered all over her dress. Crossing herself with the sign of the Crucifix, she backed away, leaving the mess, and disappeared behind the door.
I felt as if I was towering over everyone around me, especially when I reached the bartender. He stood staring up at me, gulping. I started to sit on one of the stools, but feeling foolish decided to stand instead. The bartender was wiping out a mug with a dirty towel, and he scowled at me when I asked, "How much for a meal, sir?".
It really didn't matter the cost, I had no money whatsoever. I had entered the inn hoping that the dwarves would be a charitable lot and feed me, out of pity if nothing else. Unfortunately, I saw no pity in the eyes of any dwarf in this room, or in this town for that matter. I looked down, avoiding the stare of the bartender for a moment. When I glanced back up at him, his expression had changed, just for a split moment. He shuffled over to the swinging door and yelled inside, "Bring a bowl of stew and a mug of beer for our guest!". He then grabbed a larger chair from behind the bar, much more appropriate for my size, and sat it down at the end of the bar. Gesturing for me to sit in it, he then called out, "One free meal to each traveller; that's thee rule. I'll feed 'er, and she'll be gone!".
Seeming satisfied with his answer, conversation once again flowed throughout the room. Crossing my arms on the table, I rested my head and closed my eyes. This was the first time I had felt even the slightest normalcy since entering Gaia. While these people were very unlike me, and this was still a magical land, I was sitting at a table, in a chair, and about to eat real, hot food. Relief washed over me, and I took advantage of the moment and simply relaxed.
It was the quiet cough of the waitress that caused me to stir. She set a wooden bowl of stew in front of me, along with two large slices of bread. Next came the mug of beer. I had never drank beer, or had any desire to. In my world, a fifteen year old drinking beer is a punk waiting for juvenile home. Obviously, however, I did not complain. At this point, having a drink of beer was the least of my worries. Having something to drink at all was a pure delight.
I sucked in my breath at the first bite. The food scalded my tongue. Quickly taking a drink of the beer, which made me grimace, I blowed on the food in my spoon until it was cool enough to eat. After a few moments, I was gulping the food down as quickly as possible. My last two days had allowed for little food, other than what the forest animals had brought me, and this hot meal was impossible to savor. I was very tempted to lick the bowl when I was finished, but instead took painstaking efforts to scoop every last bit of gravy out with my spoon.
Still hungry, but pleased with the food I had been given, I began to sip the beer. It was warm and bitter, but after many small sips it slowly began to disappear from my mug. I caught the bartender glancing at me from time to time, and at one point I saw him point at me to the waitress. A few minutes later she returned to my table with a huge piece of chocolate cake. I grinned like a child at Christmas, quickly thanking her before picking the cake up and beginning to eat it. She had not given me a fork, and I was determined not to complain. All modesty gone, I gobbled the cake, leaving chocolate on my face and hands, which I would later wipe off and lick. My Grandpa would have been disappointed at my poor manners, but my excuse of extreme hunger prevented me from feeling too guilty.
With everything that had been set before me now gone, I considered my options. I needed to rest, in a real bed if at all possible. Epona also needed rest, and a good grooming. She had eaten grass along the way after we left the forest, but my trained eye could already see she had lost some weight. A nice stall, with some oats or grain and some hay would do her a world of good. I also needed provisions to take with us on our journey. The unknown that faced us was frightening enough, and having atleast some food to eat along the way would be one less worry.
So, I walked up to the bar with the idea that I would ask for work. We could stay here for a few days until I could earn enough money to buy what we would need on our journey. The bartender had his back to me, so I cleared my throat to get his attention. He turned and looked at me with what seemed to be resignation on his face. "What is't ye'd like now?" He growled.
"I am looking for work. I can cook, sew, and clean. I am also good with animals, especially horses. I was hoping you could point me in the right direction." I made certain to look him straight in the eye and speak with confidence.
"'Tis no work here for yer likes." He said shortly. He turned his back to me once more. I could see he was counting large, gold coins, which must be the currency in this place. I stared at them, wishing only for a few, to get what I would need and be on my way. A warm bed could be sacrificed. However, it went beyond all things in my nature to steal, or to beg, so I insisted once more, "Please, sir. I am travelling with my mare to the Island of Horses. We have had little rest and even less food. Is there no work here that anyone could offer?".
He didn't respond. I stood there, determined, for several moments, until I began to feel foolish. Finally, holding back the tears, I walked back across the room to the door. Outside, Epona seemed to sense my disappointment and nuzzled my cheek. Her sympathy only heightened my sorrow, and I began to cry into her neck. For a moment, I wished I was home, but the home I had known with my Grandpa. I felt very alone in this place, and often hated. While I had never had many friends as a child, my Grandpa's praise had been enough to keep my heart strong. Now, in an unknown land and rarely a kind word, I felt I could take no more.
I didn't hear the whispering behind me at first. When I did, I turned to see a man and woman dwarf standing along the street talking quietly, often glancing at me. The woman seemed angry, and kept pointing at me while she talked. He kept shaking his head and was obviously in disagreement with her. Tired of being stared at with suspicion, I untied Epona and pulled myself on her back, ready to move on. I had just turned her away when I heard the man say, "Girl! Stop fer a moment."
I turned Epona toward him and stared down as he walked up to us. He shielded his eyes, much in the same way I had while staring up at the minotaur in the apple cove. His wife stood behind him, smiling. It was the first real smile I had seen.
"We herd ye needed work. Me wife thought perhaps ye'd like a job in her dress shop. 'Tis a wedding comin' up in a few days, and she be needin' extra help with the dresses and all." I immediately jumped down from Epona and grabbed his hand, shaking it vigorously.
"Thank you sir! Oh, thank you, madam! I can't tell you how happy you've made me." I beamed at them. "Do you perhaps have a barn or shelter for my horse while I stay? She is tired and hungry herself."
The lady stepped forward, and nodded. "We have a small barn, big enough fer yer mare. Follow us, and we will show ye where ye and yer mare shall be sleeping."
I followed them through the street to the very edge of town. There stood a long building with a sign outside which read "Vertha's Dress Shop". The shop shared a yard with their home. At the corner of their yard was a beautiful weeping willow tree, and I heard children laughing from under the branches. Vertha called to them, and out ran five dward children, two boys and three girls. Their eyes twinkled out from their dirty faces and they looked at me with curiousity.
"Jezel, take this girl and her horse to thee barn," Vertha told the oldest girl. She smiled at me shyly as she took my hand to follow her. We followed a stone path behind the house to a quaint barn barn also made of stone. Sunflowers taller than me surrounded the building. Inside was a milk cow chewing her hay and a small donkey. After finding an adequate stall, I pulled Epona's bridle from her face and began to brush her. The child stood back watching me, so while I brushed I asked, "What is your name?".
"Jezel," she answered. And then she asked, "What is your name?"
"Morgan, " I replied, smiling at her. I set down the brush and picked up a hoofpick that was setting on the stone wall of the stall. I touched Epona's leg, which she obediently lifted for me to begin cleaning her feet.
"If I may ask, why are ye here?" Jezel stammered. She glanced down at her feet as I looked up at her. I could see she was blushing.
"Honestly, I don't know for sure, " I began. "In my world we saw a white stallion, and Epona and I fell from a cliff. When I woke up, we was here. I know she wants to travel to the Island of Horses."
"The Island of Horses is in thee northern region; 'tis a long journey," Jezel warned. She stepped closer and lifted her hand up as high as she could to try to reach Epona's nose. Epona lowered her head and allowed the girl to stroke her.
"Have you ever met a human," I asked her. She shook her head and answered, "No, but me Father knew a man human when he was but a wee boy. He said thee man came with his dog and called himself a 'Free Mason'. He was travelling to the northern region as well, but 'tis said he died under the spell of the Nymphs." I glanced at her in shock. How long ago had this man come here, I wondered?
I bent to pick up another foot and asked off-handedly, "How old is your father?".
"'Twill be two centuries in three new moons," she answered. Two hundred years old? Had it been that long since another human had visited Gaia? "Have you heard stories of any other humans?" I asked.
"'Tis a few stories, and even songs, 'bout humans in Gaia. But none have been seen in the last century," she added. "It is said humans are too vile to pass into Gaia."
Laughing, I answered, "I will take that as a compliment." Jezel giggled back at me, and then turned to leave. Glancing back, she said "Me Mother will want ye to come in when ye're done so she can show ye yer room." I nodded, and she skipped back out of the barn.
As I finished with Epona's feet, I heaved a sigh of relief. It seemed that things had taken a turn for the better, atleast for the time being. I carried a bucket of water for Epona, threw hay in the corner of her stall, and poured oats in another bucket. She busily went to work eating, and I smiled as I listened to her munch. Part of me hated to leave her sight; she was the only thing here that was familiar to me. When she stopped eating and pushed me with her nose, however, I laughed and said, "Okay, okay! I'm going. Just don't go anywhere without me." The look she gave me told me she would never do such a thing.

Their home was as quaint on the inside as the outside. The bright rugs and curtains made it cheerful. Upon entering I followed the sounds of people talking to their kitchen. It was a simple room with a fireplace, a coal stove, a few cabinets, a tiny handcarved table, and a wash basin. Vertha was bustling about as the children ran to and fro, laughing and playing. Her husband had disappeared, probably in disapproval of having me there. Vertha wiped her hands on her apron when I entered and said, "Come with me; I shall show thee to yer room."
I followed her through the house to a small room beyond the kitchen. I tried to hide a smile when I saw the tiny furniture, imagining my legs dangling over the side of bed while I slept. Vertha caught my smile, however, and immediately went to work piling blankets on the floor. Once she was finished, she said, "Twill have to do."
"It will be fine, much better than I've had in days, " I replied. She told me to wash up and I could join her in the main room for tea. I walked over to the porecelain wash basin and stared at the painted images on it. The scene showed a knight in armor chasing a family of dwarves with his sword. I flinched, once again reminded that the opinion these creatures had of humans was not good. I appreciated the kindness Vertha had shown me even more, and after washing my face and hands in the cold water rushed to the main room, where she sat drinking her tea.
Once again the furniture was tiny, so as demurely as possible I sat in the floor next to Bertha with my legs crossed. I saw her studying my clothing--jeans and a t-shirt. I had taken my cowboy boots off at the door upon entering, and I shed my very dirty socks before coming downstairs. My toes peeked out from under my legs. Vertha shook her head and exclaimed, "Tis certain ye will be needin' to sew some garments for yeself as well while ye're here." I smiled and nodded, inwardly hoping we could come up with something appropriate that did not require wearing a dress.
"So tell me yer story. Beginnin' with yer name," she said.
"My name is Morgan." I answered, not sure how to begin. Seeing my uncertainty, she replied, "Tis best to begin at thee beginnin'."

And so I did. I told her shortly about my life in my world, and then went on to explain the vague circumstances that brought me here. When it came to my adventures in Gaia, I left nothing out. I told her about the centaur, the faun and the cyclops brothers, the minotaur and the Sphinx. When I got to the part about the Sphinx she sat up straighter, listening with special interest.
"Tis a great honor to meet with the Sphinx," she commented. "Just as it is in your world, there be those here who are common folks, and there be those who is important. The Sphinx tis a powerful one, she is." She went on to say, "Thee should know not all centaurs are wise, or all fauns are sneaky, or all minotaurs are evil seducers. Tis good and bad in all creatures, 'though some be worser than others. Only thee animals be the innocents, and even those have good or bad in their actions." I nodded in agreement. Animals had always seemed to be innocents to me, even those animals who would eat another animal, or maul a human. I believed animals live on instinct, and said as much to Vertha.
She went on to tell me animals are treated with dignity in Gaia, and pointed out that she had seen the misuse, neglect and abuse of animals in my world. Her eyes were sad as she considered the fate animals in my world sometimes receive. I then asked, "But you eat animals here, do you not? The cyclops had a bear rug in their cave, and my stew had some sort of meat in it."
Vertha laughed, replying, "Tis a part of nature, me dear. Thee cycle of life. To kill an animal with honor and feed ye family with it is no shame. Tis something we all hope for, a death with honor. When me was but a mere child me mother showed me yer ancestors in her looking glass. Wild, red men who honored nature and thanked thee animals for their sacrifice. Twas a better time for thee animals then, me think." I considered her comment, knowing she spoke of the Native Americans. She continued, "Then we saw the battles with the English, and twas a fright to see the humans and animals twas killed. Me saw buffalo killed by thee thousands, and horses herded off of cliffs, killed by them who seemed much more savage than thee 'savages'".
I found it fascinating that she knew so much of my world and its history. I told her about the image the cyclops showed me, and the mentioning of "Hopi" which I thought meant Hopi Indians, but she had no knowledge of this.
We sat for a long time, until the sun began to set, and she told me much of what she knew of my world. She said some of my world were very wise, and gave prophesies even her people could not understand. She had no understanding of technology, and she considered many of the things in my world magic. When I told her humans have no magic, she grew angry for a moment, determined I was lying to her. She asked me to explain how we could talk to someone across the world through a box. She asked how we could travel so quickly in our carts (cars). I tried to explain that these things came from our thoughts and ideas, our inventions, and no magic. While she was no longer angry, she couldn't understand my explanation.
I was very surprised to learn that the dwarves were all devout Catholics. Grandfather had always told me not to discussion religion or politics, especially with a stranger, but I expressed my surprise to Vertha. She said only that the creatures of Gaia have freedom to choose their spiritual path, as long as it does not interfere with the most natural, meaning nature.
I asked her opinion on why she thought Epona had come here, to which she replied, "Thee animals can move between worlds, as they wish. 'Tis only a wish away for a animal. And a horse, likin' ye's, 'tis very special. To every creature, every culture, every religion, every story, tis the white horse that carries saviour from evil. Count me words, child...that horse of yer's has a good reason fer coming here, and a reason fer bringin' ye with her."
At this, she proclaimed it was past time for dinner, and I followed her into the kitchen to prepare the food. I looked out the window and saw her children playing in the yard. And for the first time since the death of my Grandpa, I felt peace in this place, and safe.
I spent the next week with Vertha and her family. Vertha and I would work each day after breakfast until dinner time in her shop preparing the dresses for the up-coming wedding. Vertha even took the time to put something together for me; it was a pair of lady's riding breeches and a loose, cotton shirt with pearl buttons. She had basically taken the design for a man's clothes and put a woman's touch to it.
Vertha and I talked many hours while we worked, exchanging stories about our lives and the
differences in our worlds. Looking back, I wished I had asked her more about the creatures I would come to meet in Gaia, but Vertha had told me she grew up in the dwarf village and never strayed further the the edge of the Vammased Realm that bordered Casod.
After my work was done and dinner eaten, I would leave Vertha and her family alone while I rode Epona around the village. The dwarves were still suspicous of me, so we would often ride just outside the village to a stream we discovered our second day. I would dismount and sit on the ground with Epona standing over me, often throwing pebbles into the water, and just talk to her. I spent a great deal of time talking about Grandfather, wishing he was there with me. The realization became greater with each day that Epona not only understood what I was saying to her, she attempted to communicate back with me. At times, this was merely in her gestures or her eyes, but occasionally a thought would enter my head that felt so foreign, I was sure it was coming from her.
While I tried not to worry too much about what was ahead, or what would become of us, I did give a great deal of thought to what had happened to us thus far. I kept remembering the image in the pool that the cyclops had shown me, and how much it had frightened me; yet, I did not understand its meaning. However, my mission now was simply to help Epona reach her destination. The reason why were doing this would have to come later.
On my last day in the dwarf village, the day of the highly-anticipated wedding, I packed up all the provisions we would need before dawn,and when the sun crested the hills around the valley, I was hugging Vertha and saying my good-byes. Because the rest of the dwarves had an obvious dislike for me, I had no intentions of ruining the wedding with my uninvited presence. Vertha's husband, who I later learned was named Elarm, gifted me with a beautiful sword that his father had forged. It was a touching gift, especially considering Elarm was so distrustful of me in the beginning. I told them that perhaps someday I would return and visit with them once again, bringing with me the stories of my adventure. Vertha did not reply to my hopes, but instead warmly shook my hand and wished me "God speed".
We travelled for several hours, with Epona leading the way further north, until the sun was directly above us. I found a nice spot to rest by a small pond filled with lily pads and we stopped to rest. Knowing Epona wouldn't leave me, I pulled her bridle from her and let her graze while I ate. Vertha had packed lots of food, but determined to make it last as long as possible I only nibbled on some cheese and bread and drank from the canteen of water she had supplied. The pond water was not drinkable, so I knew I must find a stream or creek later in the day if I wished to refill the canteen. Epona would also need to drink by day's end.
I hadn't encountered any creatures, animal or otherwise, that morning, other than at one time seeing a bird fly past us high in the sky. I threw the last of my bread crumbs into the pond, hoping to see a fish come up for it, but it only floated along with no takers. The water rippled where the bread had fell, and as it rippled an image began to appear in the water. I knelt down, leaning over the bank, and stared down. Like before, it was images from my world, and at first very ordinary images. I saw a mother holding her baby, and then I saw children in a classroom. Then it was trains, and cars and planes. The images started to come faster, like someone changing the channels on a television very quickly. And the images became darker. I saw a man beating a horse with a whip. I saw a woman dropping her baby in a dumpster. I saw people in a club shooting up drugs. I looked away for a moment, perhaps in shame, and when I glanced back at the water the images were gone.
When we continued riding, I once again began to chattering to Epona. The sound of my own voice quelled the loneliness I was keeping at bay, and also helped me from thinking, or worrying, too much about the images I had just seen. I had just said, "Look at that blue sky," when I heard giggling and someone mocking my words, "Look at that blue sky!". I quickly looked around us, pulling Epona to a stop, and listened. "Whose there?" I called, only to here back "Whose there?" in a giggling voice.
I couldn't determine where the voice was coming from. I quietly urged Epona forward, at a walk, and after a few steps heard giggling once again. This time it seemed closer, and I tried in vain the find the source. The voice seemed so close, as if it was right next to us. Epona must have felt the same; she started side-stepping and prancing, looking down at the ground around her.
Using a different tactic, I urged her into a trot. We rode for several minutes this way, and then I stopped her again near some large boulders at the base of a small hill. I listened, and then whistled, but heard nothing. Shrugging, I told Epona, "We must have lost whatever it was."
"We must have lost whatever it was," a voice shrieked. I jumped, startled, as did Epona. Her reins fell from my hands, and then I felt her starting to rear. I pulled myself forward, trying to find the reins, as she whirled and took off at a dead run. Giving up on the reins, and hoping she wouldn't tangle her legs in them, I held onto her mane. I glanced behind me, to see what had scared her.
Standing at the boulder was a small, hairy creature, like a baby sasquatch. Long, wild blue hair covered its body, with only its eyes visible. It was doing an insane dancing. It stood at the boulder, hands held up in the air, dancing and shouting as we rode off. At my last glance, it had disappeared. To me, it looked like a troll.
Epona ran hard until we reached a stream, and while there was nothing I could do to stop her, I willed her with my mind to stop. She did so, reluctantly. Both of us were breathing hard, and I leaned overher neck, hugging her hard. I debated whether I should dismount and fill my canteen. So we stood there, waiting and listening, as both our breathing eased. Certain the danger was over, I slid from her back and took my canteen to the spring. I was leaned over, filling it, when I heard Epona squeal and jump sideways. Later, I would realize that I dropped the canteen in the water, but at that moment my mind was filled only with the image in front of me.
Epona had been standing under one lone tree by the stream when we had stopped. She had moved a few feet away from tree in the seconds that it happened, but it was clear that the creature had dropped out of the tree and onto her back. It looked like the same creature we had run from, but I thought perhaps that this one was smaller and more green in color. Epona was rearing in panic, but the creature clung to her mane, screaming and thumping her with its little legs. To my horror, Epona turned away from me, jumped forward with a buck, and then I was watching her gallop away, the troll clinging to her back.
I screamed "No!" as I watched her disappear, and scrambling back up the bank from the stream took off running in the same direction. I ran for as long as my lungs would allow, and then crumpled to the ground sobbing. The entire purpose of my life had become Epona and this journey, and my love and loyalty for her had grown enormous in our time here. Now she was gone, to an unknown fate. I had no idea where I was at or where they could have gone. I crawled on my hands and kneed, trying to look for tracks in the grass, through my tear-filled eyes, but it was useless. They were so far ahead of me they could have travelled in any direction.
I wanted to ask "Why me?" and thump the ground with my fists. But I did not. That hidden resolve that all of us possess filled me, and I stood up, wiped my wet cheeks, and began walking. I continued to look for tracks. I also looked for anything that could have fallen from Epona...the saddle bags Vertha had given me, along with the scabbard and sword, had been on Epona's back when she ran off. If I could find something that may have fallen, I would know I was walking in the right direction.
I walked the rest of the afternoon, and during that time I realized I had lost my canteen. This land with its rocks and boulders had few trees to offer shade, and the heat grew worse as the day went on. I made myself stop every hour and rest for about five minutes, taking stock of my surroundings in case I would need to double back. As the sun was setting low in the sky I stopped once more, at the top of a hill, and sat on a large boulder, silently considering the landscape around me. I swung my foot against the rock as I sat there thinking, when I felt something brush my leg. The touch startled me, and I pulled my legs up on the rock. I then leaned over the rock to find a large crack. Crammed into this crack was a small creature with huge, round eyes.
I quickly stood and jumped down from the rock, at eye level with the creature. It crawled out from the crack in the rock where my leg had been. It stared at me, slowly blinking its huge eyes. It stood hunched over, its body a shrivelled map of wrinkles. It had huge feet, but a tiny, quite pathetic body covered only with torn pants. Like its feet, its hands were also huge, with long fingers and fingernails that curled at the ends. Skin hung below its giant eyes. It had pointed ears flicking back and forth. Finally, it whined "Do not hurt Faznog." It trembled, and slid back behind the rock, peering around the side with its head.
"What are you?" I demanded. I stepped forward, which caused it to suck in its breath in a fearful sound.
"Faznog is a goblin," it answered.
"Have you seen a horse go by here? It was stolen by a small, hairy creature," I asked. He shook his head and continued to stare at me, blinking those big eyes, his mouth slack.
"The troll has the horse! Faznog can track, " he offered. For the first time there seemed to be some light in those big eyes. "Faznog good tracker. Can you pay Faznog?"
I thought quickly, and then said, "If you can help me find my horse and get it back, I will reward with you a very nice sword." He considered my offer, and then nodded.
With my hope restored, I motioned for him to begin. He stuck his long, curling nose to the ground and began to smell the ground like a dog on the scent of its prey. He then lowered his head to the ground listening with his ear. He stood and exclaimed, "Follow Faznog!" He took off at a run, and I followed. He was surprisingly fast, and had much more stamina than I did. Many times I called to him to wait for me while I caught my breath.
Darkness was creeping over the land as the setting sun disappeared. This didn't deter Faznog, however. Other than occasionally stopping to smell and listen to the ground, he continued running even when the world became completely dark and the stars began to twinkle in the sky. Luckily, it was a full moon, and the goblin was easy to see with his pale skin. I thought my heart would explode when he finally stopped running and turned to me, jumping up and down in his excitement. We had just crested the top of a hill, and he was pointing below. I ran up next to him, panting, and looked down the hill. About two hundreds yards from us was Epona! Something had her, something other than the troll. I looked at Faznog and he said, "Ogre," in a very serious tone.
While the troll and the goblin were small creatures like the dwarves, this thing was huge, standing atleast eight feet tall. It basically had the face and body of a man, only everything about it was exaggerated. The head was round and large, with bloodshot eyes and jagged teeth. Although it was difficult to tell because it was so filthy, I would have guessed its skin to be grey, like that of a dead person.
Epona stood terrified in a large cage, similar in construction to a bird cage, while the ogre tended the fire he had built a few feet from her. He was grunting and mumbling as he worked.
"What should we do?" I asked the goblin. The goblin smiled gleefully and replied, "Faznog save the horse. Faznog get his sword." And with that, he scurried away down the hill toward the ogre.
I tried to stop him, thinking we should come up with a plan, but he gave me no time. So I tried to follow him as quickly and quietly as possible. He was only a few yards away when the ogre saw him coming. The ogre roared and charged at the tiny goblin. Faznog, however, swiftly jumped out of the way at the last moment,escaping the ogre. The ogre turned, more enraged, and charged again. This time, before the ogre was close enough to do harm, Faznog threw fire at him. I couldn't understand at first where the fireball had come from, but as I watched in amazement I saw that Faznog was capable of forming fireballs in his hands, and he was winging them at the ogre. The ogre continued to roar, this time in pain, and finally ran off into the night.
I hurried to Epona, throwing my arms around her neck and crying with joy. She seemed unharmed, and just as happy to see me as well. After hugging Epona I turned to Faznog. "Thank you, Faznog. Without you I would not have been able to get Epona back."
Faznog nodded vigorously, and then did a little dance in his own happiness. I laughed, shaking my head, and turned back to Epona. She was staring at Faznog warily, obviously suspicious, but I patted her neck and said, "Faznog helped me find you Epona." I spotted my things that Epona had been carrying laying on the ground by the fire. I walked over and picked up the sword, and carried it to Faznog.
"This sword was a gift to me by friends. It was very important to them. Care for it well, Faznog." I handed Faznog the sword and he whispered, "Thank you, oh thank you! Faznog love sword. Faznog keep the sword, and care for the sword, and love the sword." He stroked the blade to emphasize his promise.
Because it was dark and I was exhausted after tracking Epona, I decided we could camp there. I invited Faznog to stay with us by the fire, and he could return home the next day. He seemed to like the idea, and sat at the fire polishing the sword with gleaming eyes. Epona seemed tired as well, and was dozing in the firelight as I pulled some food from the satchel and handed Faznog some dry meat and cheese. He had gobbled it down before I could even begin to eat mine.
We slept that night by the fire, and I was too weary to worry about attacks from strange creatures or the sounds in the night. Once I had eaten and curled up next to the warmth of the fire, I was sound asleep. It was a deep, dreamless sleep, and the sun had fully risen the next morning before I awoke.
I awoke to discover that my friend Faznog had disappeared, as had all my food and provisions. I jumped up, instinctively searching, but quickly realized it was a waste of time. The goblin had stolen everything. Luckily, he had not bothered Epona, probably so he wouldn't wake us and be caught. Even Epona's bridle was gone. I stomped the ground in anger. How dare he! I had treated him fairly in our trade, and the devious little goblin had taken off with everything. I had lost my canteen, now my food was gone, and our journey was not enough half done.
I expressed these feelings to Epona, who had also slept through the sneaky theivery. She seemed anxious to be moving, however, and unconcerned with my losses. I dejectedly followed behind her as she began walking, ever northward. She rarely looked back to see if I was there; her motivation to reach her destination seemed to be growing more intense. The final injustice was when I fell to the ground, scraping my face on a rock, and she didn’t even look back as I yelped in pain.
I stood up and began to walk again, groveling in self-pity, feeling very put-out by the loss of my food. I told myself that I had come here with Epona, but would still lose her in the end, once we reached our destination of the Island of Horses. I told myself it was not fair that I was doing all this and would get nothing in return, and could not even return home. I remembered each frightening moment we had experienced thus far, and each weary day we had spent travelling. I fumed and raged in my mind until I could not walk another step. I stopped walking, standing there watching Epona continue on, oblivious to the fact I was not behind her. Tears smarted my eyes when I considered all I had been through to save her, and here she was, walking off and leaving me without even realizing it!
I felt like a child who must have a tantrum to get a point across, and the temptation of doing that was so great I let it go. I screamed, which caused Epona (who was several yards ahead) to turn and look at me. I jumped up and down, stomping the ground, fists clenched. "You don't care about me!" I screamed at Epona. "You're just using me! You're going to leave me, and I will have nothing! I am tired, and hungry, and I saved you from the ogre! You don't even care that I have no food! You, you, you...." I stammered, and stopped, tears rolling down my face. Epona had not moved, only stood there looking at me. I had found myself more and more capable of reading her feelings and expressions, but this time I had no idea what she was thinking. She simply stood there, waiting....
What else could I do? I was now drained from my tantrum, which seemed silly. I still had no food, no water, no answers. My only choice was to follow her. And so I did. I wiped my sweaty hands on my pants, wiped my tears, and walked up to Epona. Once I had reached her, she turned and began to walk again. And, I followed; it was all I could do.
I didn’t realize that Epona’s eagerness to be on the move had nothing to do with her hope of finding the Island of Horses. In fact, Epona had veered from the route she would have taken and started traveling westward. Understanding my fatigue, hunger and frustration, she did not try to relay this information to me. Instead, she continued forward in determination, and all the while I followed, dejected and angry.
It didn’t improve my mood when it began to rain. Also, the ground was becoming more treacherous, with steep rocky plateaus. As the rain wet the ground, I found myself slipping on the slick rocks as we trudged uphill. I was amazed at how well Epona kept her footing, especially since I was constantly falling down. The rain beat down on us, at times so hard I could barely make out Epona ahead of me.
At one point I stopped and wiped the rain from eyes, peering forward, and saw mountains ahead. My heart dropped, knowing there was no way Epona and I could climb those mountains. Honestly, I had lost faith in her for a moment. I wondered why she would do something so stupid as to take us through the mountains? Even in this rain, it would have been better to take a longer route than to try to climb these. They were huge, their tips seeming to disappear into the clouds, and of course white-capped. There was something ominous about them too. A darkness seemed to surround them, and lightning was striking the white-caps from the clouds above.
“Epona!” I yelled to her. We had reached the top of the plateau, and she was starting down a path on the other side. She glanced back at me, but never stopped walking. She, too, was blinded by the rain, holding her head down as she trudged forward. Gritting my teeth, and once again wiping my eyes, I started down the plateau behind her. It eventually became clear I could not walk down; I simply sat on my rump and inched my way down. I could still make out the white shape of Epona ahead; occasionally her hooves would slide on the wet rocks, but she eventually made it to the bottom, as did I.
At the bottom was a field, probably two miles long, and waist high in grass. This field ran all the way to the bottom of the mountain range. Epona had stopped, and knelt so I could mount her. I should have been amazed at her bowing; it was not a trick I had ever taught her. But I was not surprised. I was more surprised that I managed to ride her with no reins. I had ridden bareback many times, even at a full gallop, but I had never ridden her without a bridle.
Epona trotted through the field, as the rain continued to beat down on us. My hair and clothes were soaked, and I began to shiver from the damp coldness that my skin seemed to be absorbing. Now that I was no longer moving, the cold began to take over. My teeth began to chatter uncontrollably, and I felt faint.
By the time we reached the bottom of the mountain range I was laying on Epona’s back, trying to absorb any warmth I could gain from her body heat. I was trembling hard now, and my chest was burning. Soon, I had closed my eyes, and then there was nothing.