'Ever that sonne is just as yellow,

And so they sit on that hobbling camel.

Underway to Tilliante's wundersplendour.

Who fight for her with all their might.

Sprechen will soon be seen again,

and uns thank you again and again

O this assignment is so amusing,

Because who wirden köning van diese land!'

The piglets sang so out of tune that some stray acorn sparrows spontaneously fell from the tree. Thanks to their very fast camel, they had already left the other candidates behind for some time. Now they were riding along the wide forest path, covered with thousands of acorns and leaves that crunched loudly under the camel's paws. In the meantime, the beast munched up the greenest leaves he could reach with a distasteful smack. Hörk rubbed his paws in delight and saw the victory in front of him. Perhaps he could seduce the beautiful Tilliante himself as his temporary wife. He strummed the self-made tune on the front hump while the camel hobbled along.

Unexpectedly, a shrill cry rang out that cut right through the ancient tribes. Gnörk quickly glanced back anxiously to see where the strange noise was coming from when suddenly a violent gust of wind arose. He grabbed onto the bristly camel hairs with both paws so as not to tumble down while the tops of the trees danced back and forth faster and faster. The upper layers of air began to whirl and the three piglets were frightened to see how large piles of leaves flew up. On top of that, it started raining acorns that drummed hard on the pigs' heads.

Hörk was forced to pull on the reins until the camel, who did not understand this strange spectacle, stopped. Pörk was just grabbing a bottle of water when a horrible face appeared along the flank. The piglets cried out and fearfully hid their heads behind the bumps that danced back and forth, trembling with fright. Gnörk never thought a jerk witch looked so ugly. The woman man was tall and thin with sharp protruding knuckles. She had rusty brown hair that peaked extremely and was full of all kinds of twigs, moss plants, acorns, pine cones and small mushrooms. Her skin had a moss-green sheen and was as wrinkled as the bark of a beech tree. She had small ochre eyes that seemed to burn under a set of bushy raised eyebrows. She smiled viciously at the piglets, baring her big brown teeth, who cowered deeper and deeper. With the snap of a finger, six other companions suddenly appeared, forming a semicircle around the front of the camel. They forced them to reverse again. Hörk hoisted himself to his feet, forced the animal to turn around, and so they hobbled as fast as they could in the opposite direction. Then they turned into a winding road and continued their way between the trees.

How those old ladies thought they would stop them! Pörk was just about to whistle a triumphant tune when a fallen tree trunk loomed five meters away. The camel, still looking up to avoid the gruesome looks of the acorn witches, didn't notice anything and rushed towards them. Hörk shouted something unintelligible, but the camel took this as an incentive to keep following the ideal escape route and started to run even faster. Gnörk drummed violently on the camel's back, but in vain. The four of them flew at high speed against the unexpected obstacle. The camel fell forward and the piglets spun through the air like three pink balls. Screaming, they alternately saw the blue sky and the brown forest floor as they croaked down in the brambles with a hellish crash. Black balls danced in front of the frightened pigs' eyes, and the last thing they heard was the screeching laughter of the acorn witches, like the sound of sharp knives on a porcelain plate.

"I think we should have turned right at the Pearl Spring, you know," Slander grumbled doubtfully and turned the map over again. "I still don't see any trace of the Leafy Forest."

"Don't whine," replied Vlander, who tried with all his might to keep his balance on the back part of the wobbly horse. 'If you don't see the saying for the trees, that's exactly what's going on here. We've already seen a lot of trees, so the forest is nearby.'

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Slander looked thoughtfully at the surrounding farmland that stretched for miles like a giant patchwork. Except for a few gnarled birch trees along the dirt road, there was not a tree to be seen. He yawned once and turned his attention back to the card. His brother caressed the horse's mane. Thus they trudged on in silence for some time when a loud cry roused them from their reverie. Vlander narrowed his eyes to see where the sound was coming from and then abruptly pulled Slander's glasses from his nose. He peered into the distance at a brick-red farmhouse where a thin plume of smoke curled from the chimney.

'Over there Slander, life in the brewery. Maybe they can show us the way."

"What do you mean by that, that I don't point the way properly or something?" There was a deep indignation in his voice.

Vlander shook his head. "I'm not saying that, and we can stretch our legs before I start confusing them with horses' feet."

Slander sighed and pushed his short legs into the horse's side, but the unsuspecting beast stumbled on just as slowly as the farmer's cottage loomed more and more clearly before them. In the yard a chubby farmer's wife was shouting at the reluctant goats and with a stick she tried to chase them into the barn one by one. She just swallowed a curse when she caught sight of the newcomers. "Well, gentlemen, on your way to your farm?"

Slander shook his head and let himself slide off the horse's back. "We are on an important mission, ma'am, and we are on our way to the infamous Leafy Forest."

The farmer's wife laughed with a laugh that reminded the two newcomers suspiciously of a goat and pushed a last resister into the stable. 'But why the detour? The Foliage Forest is completely the other way around.'

"See!" shouted Vlander and jumped from the mount. "You marked the road wrong!"

His brother made an indignant face. "The map showed us the wrong way, I just followed the arrow."

Vlander raised an eyebrow and looked over his companion's shoulder. 'Coincidentally, it's the arrow of the compass rose, Slander, which points to the north while the Leafy Forest is all the way to the south.'

Slander scratched his head thoughtfully and wondered what on earth that arrow was doing there.

"But come, gentlemen," beamed the farmer's wife, "a hot meal is always welcome, for you have a long journey home ahead of you. 'Under slight coercion, she pushed the two brothers into the comfortably warm farmhouse as if they were two goats hopping around while a grumbling Slander folded the map.

With Robert and Leo the trip went a lot smoother. It gave the two a moment to chat and get to know each other better. It was Leo who started the conversation.

'How long have you been working for the Courtly Functional Bourgeoisie?'

Robert paused for a moment.

'For years. I've lost count. I know my dad used to have the same post as well. After his retirement, I simply took over that position, much to Siel's regret," Robert replied after much thought.

"You two really don't like each other, do you? Understandable, a klutz like you and a snob like him, that always causes friction', Leo joked. He briefly pulled the stallion's reins to avoid a fallen tree that was partly lying across the path.

"Haha, HILARIOUS," Robert said with a slight undertone of sarcasm in his voice. "While we're on the subject of the past, tell us about yours. Where are you today?'.

I'm Leonido, but everyone calls me Leo. I live with my sister in a small farm in Salado, among the ordinary citizens, but I often feel more at home with the poor wretches from Amargo.'

"Jeez, Amargo. You hear a lot of nasty things about that place from the people in Azucar. I sometimes wonder if what they're saying is true, or just gossip to isolate the part even more, or for activists who just want to take advantage of simple people like me," Robert said. His tone had gone from playful to serious.

"Worse things are happening than you can imagine behind that great wall. Despite the poverty, there is also respect between the people in Amargo, helpfulness and kindness. Most people try to give life some value and look for connection and equality. They try to help each other get back on their feet and that is worth much more than those stupid activists who put most of the money in their own pockets. I do my best to stand up for the weak, just like King Lodehart'

Robert swallowed audibly. "It sounds like they're trying to make the best of a very bad situation. They are lucky to have your help. Not everyone sticks their neck out for someone else'.

"I can only hope so," Leo said. He sounded a little insecure. 'Of course, as king, I could help a lot more. Then, hopefully, one day we will be able to solve the problem completely.'

"Well, then I'm glad I came with you. Such a noble candidate is certainly worth helping," Robert said with a laugh, unaware of the adventure he had clumsily engaged himself in. "Do you have a plan to get Lady Tiliante talking again?"

"Wait and see," Leo replied with a conspiratorial smile, and gave his horse the spurs to move on to a light trot. Robert was startled, and also placed his boots in the flanks of his own horse. For a moment the animal seemed unresponsive, but soon it followed Leo at a brisk trot deeper into the forest.