Novels2Search

40: Walk in the Park

In Megrim, the trail leading away from the gate was barely visible, just a slightly clearer space wending between the trees. The undergrowth was denser here, crowded with mushrooms and wildflowers of all varieties. The party stopped to just admire the myriad of sights and smells, not even having traveled ten feet into the realm.

"These aren't the zombie mushrooms, Amelia. But I wouldn't eat them if I were you," answered Quiet.

The caretaker nodded, still looking at the fungi suspiciously. She sniffed the air, then pointed towards the roots of a massive fir tree. "There's truffles there. But I know, don't eat 'em, either."

All of the tourists had been counseled extensively not to damage or consume any berries, plants, fruits, or anything else they saw. Not because they'd 'be trapped in fairie land forever and ever' as Amelia had suggested, but because this section of wood had a lot of inedible and toxic flora. Briar could have identified what was safe, but she had been unavailable for the trip.

After they had all had a good ogle at the surrounding area, Quiet continued onwards. The road the path intersected with was narrow and more of a wide trail, but smooth and level, running as straight as an arrow as far as they could see. The goblin led the group across, then waded the shallow stream on its far side, and on into the wood beyond. Unlike where they had just been, this forest was far more open, with very little bracken or undergrowth to make the way difficult. She set a casual pace so they would have time to marvel at the sights around them as they walked. The pace seemed to slow further the deeper they moved into the trees.

"Whoa! Everything looks so clear and sharp! Like suddenly everything is in focus! And all the colors are so vibrant!" one of the ramblers exclaimed. There was a murmur of agreement from the group. Nothing they had seen was particularly unusual or odd, but they all felt like they had woken from a faded, drab dream into a world more real than real. Everything they saw, whether animal, vegetable, or mineral, was the ideal of its kind until they saw the next one, and then the next. A few of the walkers felt dizzy as their senses were overwhelmed, and stumbled as if drunk.

"This is way better than I expected! So awesome!" said Bill, awestruck. Elisabet wandered past him, Onni babbling in her outstretched arms. The dwarf stepped deeper into the trees so her babe could reach for a butterfly that fluttered in front of them.

Amelia looked around, confused. "Um, guys? It's just a forest. Nice and all, don't get me wrong, but nothing special. Heck, the hollow is loads better than this, and you've all been there." No one responded, all busy gawping and pointing. She tried to look at what was capturing their attention, but nothing of interest caught her eye. The crowd started to disperse as they all moved to whatever they had seen most recently, unable to withstand the distractions.

"Glamour! Glamour!" came Fern's high-pitched voice from right below her left ear. The sprite was still sitting on her shoulder, holding the girl's earlobe to steady herself. The tiny creature didn't seem at all impressed with the wood either.

"Glamour? Aww, crap," responded Quiet sourly, suddenly alerted from her stupor. She shook her head in anger, then fished in a pocket for a moment, pulling out a small case. Inside was a lens on a head strap, which she pulled onto her head and placed so the glass covered her right eye. The goblin cursed quietly as she looked around, before pulling down an eye patch attached to the same strap, covering her other eye completely. "V, Elisabet, what do you guys see?"

"This is amazing! We should live here! Forever! It's so beautiful!" called Elisabet from a distance away, turning in place while she tried to see everything all at once, clapping her hands in delight. Vieno didn't even respond, the dwarf so enthralled by what she saw.

It was hard to tell if Whisper or Shock were affected, since Whisper seemed to be asleep again, and the dog reacted to everything as if it was the greatest thing ever.

"Okay, stop here everybody! Look at this rock here. Isn't it the best? You should all stare at it for a while." The goblin said, pointing at a lump of stone at the base of a tree. Amelia couldn't see anything in the least remarkable about it.

"Um, Quiet? What's going on?"

"Glamour. Someone's got a spell going. Screwing with our senses. The question is, why? What are they up to?" the goblin was scanning around them thoroughly, squinting and jerking her head around to try to perceive depth with her one uncovered eye.

Amelia watched the goblin for a moment, then looked over to where the rest of their group was gathered around the rock Quiet had pointed at. They were practically worshiping the thing. She blinked and focused, and looked around with her true sight. There were slight glows from the two weapons Bill and Vieno were carrying, and a brighter glow from the lens the goblin was looking through. Her own equipment was a cacophony of sights. Her clothes had a dim bluish shine to them, while her cloak was positively radiant, shimmering and sparkling like it was sequined. Her cloak pin scintillated as well, too bright to look at for long. She gasped in concern, though, as she looked at her left wrist. The bracelet sucked light into itself, becoming a dark, indistinct void. Midnight drops oozed from it into a small inky puddle that grew slowly beneath her feet. She could see a trail of the stuff that led back the way they'd come. Tendrils led off from it in all directions, merging into the existing shadows and dark places.

The peal of Shock's silent barks broke her from her staring, and she let her focus lapse as she turned towards the puppy. Quiet quickly padded over and scooped up the dog, then pulled Amelia behind a nearby fir. She motioned with her hand to stay still and quiet.

Moments later, a creature burst from the trees in the direction Shock had indicated. It looked like a greyhound, but tremendously large and thickset, eighteen or more hands at the withers. Its sides heaved with its deep breaths, and there was a fearful look in its eyes. It moved at a gallop and disappeared into the trees beyond without a glance at the huddle of people enraptured around the rock.

Amelia started to move, but Quiet again gestured for her to wait. Sure enough, within moments more creatures emerged. It was a curious collection of beasts, composed of stags, foxes, and hares, baying and belling, many sniffing the trail of the departed canine. They moved slightly slower than the dog had, but with equal determination. Amelia pulled her cloak tightly around herself, wishing she had thought to turn it to its grey side for camouflage.

Behind the tracking beasts were a horde of small mammals, mostly mice and squirrels. They were riding atop larger prey animals and a few pigs. The riders were dressed in an assortment of hats, capes, and sashes, and they brandished horns and other hunting accouterments. They halted not too far from the tree where Amelia and Quiet hid, a stag snuffling and hunting towards them. Quiet put a finger on Fern's face to keep the sprite quiet, then whipped it away and shook it as the tiny figure bit her. Fern stuck out her tongue at the goblin but stayed silent.

"What have we here? Interlopers? Trespassers?" said a squeaky, raspy voice. It came from a richly dressed hedgehog who was on a huge boar.

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The porcine mount huffed. "Humans, milord. And dwarves. Alasdair says he smells a goblin, too, somewhere. And ... something else. Something ..." he paused as he sniffed the air, then the ground. He didn't finish his sentence.

"Baby, your grace. I smell baby. Dwarf baby. And elf!" The tiny voice that interrupted snarled the last word, and all the beasts growled and barred their teeth as they heard it.

"Where's Onni?" mouthed Quiet, after getting Amelia's attention. They could see Elisabet with the others, still enamored with the stone, but her sling was empty, hanging slack on her front. Amelia shrugged, then held her breath as the stag came closer. It stared right at her, but for some reason seemed to look right through her, before moving around the tree to continue its search of the ground.

"Hah! Elf! Enough with this silly hound. We hunt real game, now! You! Ottilie! Take Wilfred and Hugh and round up these yokels. Take them to the hall and I'll deal with them later. Now, the rest of you! Find the elves, my dears! After them! No escape for the blighters!" shouted the hedgehog. It gestured wildly with its minuscule scepter, then tooted an ornate horn. As one, the pack bayed, then scattered outwards to find the trail. After just a short search, another horn call went up, and the horde dashed off into the woods.

The tour group and the two dwarven chaperones were nowhere to be seen.

Quiet kept them hidden quietly by the tree until she was certain they had gone. She placed the puppy down, rubbing her ears thoroughly. The dog had barely moved while they waited.

"We have to save them! And find Onni! Where did he go? What'll happen to him? How will we tell Elisabet? Tyni?" Amelia wailed, shaking a bit.

"He'll be fine, Amelia! The tracker said an elf was around, and unless I miss my guess, that is who has the baby. They like to snatch children and raise them as their own, sometimes leaving changelings behind. We'll get Onni back, but don't worry! He'll be well taken care of, and isn't in any danger."

The caretaker took a deep breath, then nodded. "Okay. But who do we save first? We can't take that group with us, it might be dangerous. And we can't leave 'em behind, either! Who knows what that guy meant when he said 'deal with'."

Quiet was already searching the ground for clues and paused to answer. "We'll split up. I'll go after Onni before the trail gets too cold. I'm not the best at it, but I can follow that host, and they should lead me to him. You take Shock and Fern and go see if you can help the rest. I don't think they're in danger, but hopefully you can get them home."

Amelia nodded, face serious. "Yeah, good. We'll bust 'em out, then round up a posse to come help you. But Fern should go with you. She's really good and spotting stuff, too."

"Help! Help! Baby! Baby!" called the sprite, flying up to hover near the goblin.

Quiet thought for a moment, then agreed. "She can come with me. It'll be good to have some backup!"

"Muscle! Muscle!" Fern replied, flexing a tiny bicep.

"You got it, Fern! You deal with the rough stuff, and Quiet will do the sneaking. Onni will be back with his family in no time!"

Shock rubbed her head on the goblin, leaning against her and looking up adoringly. Quiet patted her side briefly, receiving a lick as she did so.

"You take care of our caretaker, okay? You're in charge while I'm gone." She winked at Amelia as she said that. "Good luck, you two!"

"Thanks! Fern, please bite the elf that took Onni for me, will you?"

The petite sprite saluted, miming taking a big chomp. The movement exposed a double row of shark-like teeth, small but razor sharp. There was a gleam in her eye that indicated biting was definitely in the plan.

Amelia watched the two head off, following the clear trail of spoor the beast mob had left, then turned to the puppy waiting patiently at her feet.

"Okay, Shock! Just you, me, and Whisper! Rescue time! Remember Bill? Find Bill! Find V and Elisabet! You can do it, girl!" She encouraged the dog, as she removed and flipped her cloak, putting it back on grey side out.

Shock snuffled the ground for only a moment, then started leading the way into the woods, occasionally glancing behind her to make sure Amelia was keeping up. They travelled fairly quickly, the puppy barely even hesitating as she led the way. After maybe a half-mile, they could even hear the voices of the tour group, still raving at the sights, sounds, and smells of the forest around them. They mostly seemed to be praising a stick that one of the animals had, and Amelia guessed they'd pulled the same trick that Quiet had, telling the ensorcelled people it was amazing so they would follow.

The trio finally got close enough to the group that Amelia had to slow Shock down so they wouldn't be discovered, staying a few dozen meters back from the two animals on their mounts that were shepherding the walkers. They did their best to keep multiple trees between them and the group, just in case anyone looked behind them.

Amelia had thought about just charging in and hosing the creatures with her water spells, but they didn't seem to be malicious and were certainly taking good care of the group. Since she didn't know their intention, it seemed best to try to gather more information before potentially making enemies. She tried to stay close enough to hear the rear guard chatting as they traveled along. As far as she could tell, they were mostly griping about elves and their hatred of them, and all the things they wished they could do to them.

Eventually, it sounded like they had reached their destination, and she heard the rustling of jackets and backpacks being removed, among the hubbub of voices. She crept cautiously forwards, carefully moving from the shadow of one tree to the next, Shock close at her heels.

The group had stopped in a great green hall formed by two parallel columns of trees, mighty branches arching overhead to form a leafy roof. Smaller chambers flanked the space, all open to the air except for a few pleached partitions. There were long tables and benches set in the main room, covered in moss and leaves, with ivy twining up the legs and across much of the surfaces. Her friends had piled their belongings on one of the tables and were seating themselves at another. The latter looked to have been hastily cleared, as bits of vegetation were piled near it, and the surface was still strewn with a few leaves.

Amelia watched as a brace of badgers pushed a serving cart over, a swarm of mice disembarking to push plates in front of the tourists, piling them high with berries and shelled nuts. A sow carried in a large pitcher, her head at an odd angle to keep it from accidentally pouring, then filled mugs that the mice unloaded from the cart. She could hear Bill and a few of the others thanking their servers, before digging in, praising the amazing flavours.

The animals worked together in a way that showed they were very familiar with serving, even though the furniture hadn't been used in years. Amelia gazed into the open end of the hall from a tree some short distance away, noting the mounds of vegetation and fungus formed where some of the furnishings had collapsed with age and rot. There was no evidence of accommodation for the smaller forms that did all the work, just things made for people closer to her size.

After she decided everyone was safe for the moment, she ducked back behind her tree and sat down, accepting the lick on her face from Shock before the puppy plopped down and leaned against her outstretched legs. Whisper drifted off her head, then floated lazily down to land on the dog's back, glowing a happy green colour.

"Poor things! At least they're enjoying themselves. Those darn elves and their darn mind control. Good riddance, I say!" she heard a voice say nearby. Peeking around the tree, she saw a mouse astride a hare, the mount loping past where she sat.

"Good riddance! Hope Digby and the pack find the one that did it. Did I hear there was a baby involved, too? Horrible!" The hare said, then twitched its nose angrily.

"They'll get 'em. Glad Digby's the king this week. He hates the elves, and won't go soft on 'em. Not like Hamish or Percy, those fops."

"Now miss! They're young and don't remember the old days. You can't blame them for wanting to let bygones be bygones."

"Bah! Dumb pups. They should know better. No mercy! Can't give the shiny buggers an inch. Never again!" shouted the mouse, gesticulating wildly.

"Never again! But calm yourself, dear. You know how you get. Deep breaths, please!"

The mouse visibly worked to relax herself, huffing in big lungfuls of air, rolling her neck, and windmilling her tiny arms. "Sorry about that. It's just, we fought so hard to get our freedom, when I hear the young 'uns thinking it wasn't that bad, I just want to scream. Deep breaths. Deep breaths."

The voices faded off as the two continued on at a gentle pace back into the woods.

"Huh. I don't know what to make of that, Shock. Weird. But I think those are faeries! So cool!"

"Ahem." came a squeaky voice from behind her.

Amelia turned to see a squirrel balancing a human-sized tea cup on the back of a badger, the pair somehow having approached without her noticing. She glanced down to see why Shock hadn't alerted her, and realized the dog was asleep, curled up around Whisper, who was glowing her reddish 'happy and sleeping' colour.

"Actually, ma'am, we prefer the term 'The Fur Folk', but we're easy. Cuppa?"