saying to them. He even planted them a special bush, which they really liked, as he was such a kind and gentle soul.
He could not see the monument very clearly, as the mist was too thick, and what he could see, was mostly covered in thick undergrowth. It lay at the top of the mountain, and looked down over the valley below.
“This is the monument of the Great King, who was lost in the terrible battle that took place all of those years ago.”
Roggie felt sad, as he thought about all of those people who had perished on that terrible day. Many of the tales told around the village fire were of those distant times, of the Great King, and of the glorious kingdom of Elphamia.
“Don’t feel sad little one.”
Roggie could not help it, as he had heard how wonderful life had been before that fateful day.
“You must find the sceptre, and take it to the Wise Old Griffin.”
Roggie started to feel uncomfortable, as he had never taken anything that did not belong to him.
“It is all right, I will protect you as much as I can…”
Roggie still felt that it was wrong, as the villagers never took anything. If ever they wished to borrow something, then they just asked, as everyone shared everything they had with each other.
“I must leave you now little one, as you must awaken, and begin your journey.”
Roggie was never one to journey, or to get out of bed unless he really had too. All he wished for was to stay here, safe in the knowledge that adventure and journeys were something that other people did.
His vision began to fade, as he could see the inside of his burrow again, and that was where he wished to remain. Just a few more minutes, he said to himself, as the warmth of his bed began to develop a slight chill. Roggie reached for his blanket, to pull it up over himself, as he dozed on. His blanket did not seem to be there, as he reached around for it. The bed also felt strangely hard and almost mossy to the touch, and he could have sworn that instead of his pillow, he was holding onto the handle of his trusty spade. What was that doing in bed with him?
He thought that he must be dreaming, as his back started to ache, and his whole body felt stiff and sore. That was unusual, as his lack of activity prevented him from feeling anything like that. The bed was always so comfortable, and the mattress was usually so soft and inviting.
Roggie began to stir, and very slowly, he opened an eye, and was shocked by what he saw. There shining brightly above him, was a crescent moon, just like the one he had seen in dream.
He closed his eye again, hoping that it was an illusion. His aches and pains were very real though, and he felt as though he would have to move. Opening an eye again, the crescent moon was still there, along with a lot of trees, and a raging river, whose thunderous roar filled his ears!
Roggie sat upright, not knowing where he was. He was shocked, and quickly remembered what had taken place earlier that day. He began to shiver, as he relived the events which had brought him here. He shivered again, as he looked out towards the edge of the waterfall. He could now remember the tree, and his frantic struggle to climb up onto the rock.
It had not been a dream that he’d been having, but a nightmare, and the nightmare had taken place during his waking hours!
Five
The chill of the breeze combined with the memories reverberating around his mind, sent a ripple down Roggie’s spine. It had been a terrible experience, and as all of the day’s events quickly flooded back to him, he felt bewildered, not being able to come to terms with what he had been through. He was full of confusion.
What was he going to do now?
He could not stay here, or return to the village either!
Roggie sat up gathering his thoughts, and trying to pull himself together. Reaching into his bag, he pulled out a large carrot - well he was an Elphin Rabbit after all!
There were also some other vegetables inside, and some bread, although that was still a bit soggy, and he did not like the look of it. Maybe he should make a fire, and toast it, although if he did that, then the Men might see it and come after him. It was a bit of a dilemma, and he was not quite sure what to do as he munched away on his carrot.
He was still sitting there, when he heard a voice.
“The sceptre!”
Roggie looked round but could not see anyone in the moonlight.
Maybe he was imagining things?
Finishing off the carrot, he thought that he could hear the voice again, only this time it was much fainter.
“Get the sceptre!”
Roggie was very confused, and as he looked up the riverbank, he could see nothing but trees. He looked down at the river, and there was nothing there either, apart from the swirling torrents of water. He listen intently, but there was no sign of the voice, so he reached into his bag, and pulled out another vegetable, wishing that he was in his burrow enjoying a hearty meal.
His nerves began to calm as a soothing energy seemed to wrap itself around him. It was the same feeling that he had experienced whilst he had been asleep, and he could see the Faery again in his mind. She was smiling at him, although he could not see her for real. It was just a vision, all be it one which filled him with serenity.
This was all very strange, although it was not quite as strange as the fact that he was sitting on a rock by a fast flowing river. Roggie was not used to being out alone, particularly at night. Some of the evenings he would spend around the fire, listening to the tales told by the village elder. How he wished that he was there right now!
Finishing of the last of his vegetables, he came to the conclusion that there was no other option than to try and get off the rock. It had given him sanctuary, although if he moved slightly in either direction, then he faced the distinct possibility of falling back into the water. This time, there would be no tree to hold onto, so he decided that it would be safer to climb further up the bank.
Roggie gathered his things together, and hoisting his bag over his shoulder, he grasped hold of his spear with his right hand, and used it for support as he got to his feet. His limbs really ached after all of his exertions, as he was not used to having so much exercise. Now that he was standing up, he could see that the rock was quite isolated, and if he was to get to the nearest one, then he would have to jump. It was not that far, and so with a mighty effort he hopped onto it.
Roggie did not land too well, and nearly slipped backwards, using his spear to steady himself. Fortunately, the next rock was a little closer, and before he lost his nerve, he jumped onto that one, followed by the one which lay beyond that. Within a few minutes, he was safely amongst the trees, and held onto a large branch that protruded out with his free hand.
Breathing heavily, with his limbs still aching, he stayed there until he felt ready to move a little further up the bank.
It was quite difficult forcing his way through the branches, as he grabbed hold of another one, steadying himself again with the aid of his spear. It was quite dark, and he would not have been able to see anything at all, if it had not been for the shafts of moonlight which filtered down through the trees which dwarfed him, making it just bright enough for him to see where he was going.
Roggie struggled on, stumbling more than once as he made his way up the mountainside, sending the odd loose rock tumbling down into the choppy waters below, until he came to a flat rock. It was covered in undergrowth, but provided him with a good resting place. Looking around he could see the remains of what appeared to be a path, which seemed to have once stretched up from the valley floor, right to the peak of the mountain. It was badly overgrown, and obviously, it had not been used for quite some considerable time, but it was a welcome sight, and far better than having to scramble up the steep slope.
Roggie carefully made his was along it, stepping over, and bending under an assortment of branches that had grown over the path. It was surprising easy in comparison to the slope, although it still had more than its fair share of obstacles.
On and on he trudged, as the crescent
moon shone brightly overhead, like a guiding light. He also felt as though there was something else watching over him, although he could not be sure. It was just a feeling, and as he climbed steadily, he thought more about the Faery.
She was really beautiful, and she had given him such a wonderful feeling of safety and contentment. Never in his life had he ever experienced such a feeling, or had such an incredible dream. The more that he thought about her, the more real she became. Roggie particularly liked the way the butterflies seemed to surround her, and butterflies were by far his favourite creatures.
Sadly, there did not seem to be any butterflies here, although he had seen the odd moth. Butterflies liked the sunlight, where as moths preferred the dark. They used to fly around the village fire at night, and some of them actually landed on him. He loved it when that happened, although when one of them had started to nibble at his clothing, he had not been too happy!
Roggie must have been walking for half the night when he finally reached what looked like a pair of stone pillars that were all covered in ivy. He stopped to get his breath, looking up towards what appeared to be an arch, carved into the mountainside.
The path had suddenly curved inwards, and it looked as though he was about to enter the side of the mountain. It had been quite a long climb, although the path had really helped him to get this far. Looking out over the treetops, he could not see the river