Chapter 32
The Morran sky was turning from black to dark blue, as it does in the very early hours of the morning, clear skies promising the warmth of the sun, yet not for a few hours. Mia sat on the edge of her bed, her heart finally slowing down a bit.
Finnegaff burst into the room, Lebethtro Larra held out in front of him. The knotty end of the staff glowed brightly, illuminating the quarters. Romessee shot up in her bed. "Is all well?" he said to her. "Where's Miagaff?" He scanned the line of four beds to his right. The first two were taken by Amielle and Kammah. The third one contained Romessee. The fourth one was vacant.
"Here," Mia called. "Behind you." Mia was in the first bed on the left. "I'm okay," she assured the wizard.
"What in Saa was that?!"
Mia shrugged. "I guess I met the dark sorceress."
"Well, yes. I guess you did." Finnegaff stroked his beard, a mannerism Mia had learned the wizard did when he felt a response he received was inadequate. "What did she do to cause such a racket?"
Mia shook her head. "I don't know. It happened after I woke up."
"You must have done what we discussed. In the dream, I mean."
Mia was slow to answer. She nodded. "Yeah, I did. And a few extra things."
"Well, whatever it was that you did, you clearly upset her majesty!" Finnegaff smiled. Mia didn't feel humorous just then.
Mia and Romessee decided to awaken Kammah and Amielle, suspecting that their mother would soon be there to do so anyway. As predicted, their mother came for them just before dawn, requiring them to help in preparing to serve breakfast to all. The four girls of Mia's Stand decided to join them in the kitchen.
Cinndar said his good-byes after breakfast, saying something about a matter he needed to tend to. He left them with best wishes and welcomed all to visit again soon.
Breakfast was good: eggs, potato something, (something- a term Mia ended many Morran dishes with), bacon, kind of, and pancakes. Definitely pancakes. Zimm and Karthich were fine with the eggs and the bacon. To them, the potatoes and pancakes smelled like dead plants. Vegetables were just not on their menu.
They readied the horses. After giving their farewells, they set to the task of crossing the Plains of the Great Beasts. The road was wide and, since there were no side roads with cover, they opted to take the traveled road, for sake of ease.
In two days' travel the flat terrain turned to gently rolling grassy plains. By the third day trees became more abundant. On several occasions they had to circumvent massive herds of grazers, sometimes taking them miles out of their way. The fourth day brought rolling hills to the plain. By mid afternoon, mountains came in to view, yet a distance out. For the last hour, Mia noticed the mountains grew little in size.
Gullies that had formed by flooding caused obstacle. Spotty outcroppings of rock were more easily circumvented than crossed, slowing them or averting their course. The tired Mia's Stand passed quietly in the late afternoon. They began to consider stopping for the night.
Belemeriath took to flight and hovered in front of the line of travelers, knees bent, hands palms down at arm's length. "Listen! Listen!" he yelled in his loud, little voice. Mia heard not a thing, just crickets and frogs. The fairy darted straight up in the air about fifty feet, then straight down.
"Running animals!" he yelled. "Lots of them! Lots and lots! And they're heading our way! There's elephants, and deer, and..."
Finnegaff held up a hand to silence his little friend, cocking an ear to listen. All did the same. Mia could hear, faint but powerful, a distant continuous thunder.
"Quickly! All on horses and over there!" He pointed with Lebethtro Larra toward one of the rock outcroppings that dotted the plains. The jutting rocks were steep, and this particular grouping was higher than many of the others. They followed Finnegaff at a run to the side away from the charging beasts. The sound was becoming louder. There was no question what was about to happen. They dismounted the horses.
"Up!" Finnegaff cried to the rest of the party as he motioned for them to climb the outcrop. They began to climb. The Mantids flew to the fifty-foot top before any of the others were six feet off the ground. Finnegaff had not yet joined in the climb, having delayed to speak with Strongwind about the horses.
The face of the rocks were marred with crevices. Each of them took one so all could make time which, Mia judged by the shaking of the ground, was running short. She wedged herself into the crevice almost at the top, the roaring sound so intimidating that she thought only to stop and hold on. Just as she did, the stampede reached them. The entire rock shook.
The great beasts crowded the plain for what seemed to be miles. The air was alive with trumpeting, squawking, bleating, whistling and otherwise very noisy cries of distress from big animals that ran from a fear unknown to Mia’s Stand. Strongwind reassured the horses in only a way that a Centaur can, instructing them to press themselves sideways against the rocks away from the stampede. For this, the stand was grateful. Without his ability, the horses would have spooked to join the herd of wild, scared animals.
Finnegaff made it to the top of the outcrop. He had seen the other three just before ascending himself. He felt that they had gained enough vertical altitude, though they had not yet crested the knoll. He gazed toward the oncoming herd. From his vantage point, he could tell that the end of the stampede was close. So was the cause. Behind the running animals ran a group of thirty or so men brandishing torches at the beasts, causing their terror. They seemed to be moving fast, very fast for men. Finnegaff looked closer. Darkhounds! They were closing as the last of the great beasts passed the rock. Finnegaff positioned Lebethtro Larra in preparation for attack. Carameth had made it to the top. He was knocking an arrow when the darkhounds screeched to a halt. Some of them dropped their torches and fled in the opposite direction. For but a second Finnegaff was puzzled by their sudden flight, darkhounds typically not able to distinguish between bravery and stupidity, when the monstrous Cinndar flew directly over head, so close was he that the wizard had to hold his hat in place to keep it from blowing away. Just as he was above them, he roared the release of a stream of fire, sweeping the area the darkhounds occupied. Some were immediately incinerated. Others were alive and on fire, their yowls heard above the distancing stampede. Cinndar passed the darkhounds. He banked hard to the left and circled ninety degrees. He then approached the enemy from their flank. On that second and final pass, he flamed, eliminating all the darkhounds to the last one.
He circled in a tight curve. With a single, graceful back flap, he landed on the far side of the rock outcropping from where Strongwind stood with the horses.
Cinndar was standing, bringing him to eye level with Finnegaff. "I do apologize, Lord Finnegaff, for spoiling your fun. But the herd, you know."
"Yes, yes. Uh,” He turned to Carameth. "Where are Miagaff and Romessee?" They looked around. "MIAGAFF! ROMESSEE!" he yelled.
"Here!" It was the Mumbwe, just climbing to the top. "I thought it best to stay where I was."
"Hmm. Yes," Finnegaff agreed. "MIAGAFF!" he called.
"Over here!" They could hear her but not see her. Her voice had come from over the brink of a rock to their right. They ran to her aid.
She was climbing and nearly to the top. She shook violently. She tripped and stumbled as they helped her the last few feet to the top. She looked terribly frightened.
"Miagaff! What’s the matter?" The wizard held her shoulders. She grabbed his forearms as she lost her balance. She would have fallen had Finnegaff not caught her.
Her trembling was ferocious. "I...I...This..." she yelled as her breath came in rapid, heavy gulps as she broke into tears.
"Are you okay?" Finnegaff could feel her quaking nearly out of control. She was not okay.
Mia’s face was white. She gagged. "I...I..." She shook herself. "The Book!" she clenched the leather string that had retained the Book of Life. It hung limp in her shaking fist.
"Did it fall off? Become untied?" Finneg
aff said. Yet he knew better.
"NO! NO!" Tears streamed Mia's face. "Someone,” she screamed, "this...thing...attacked me! It stole it!" She collapsed into Finnegaff's arms.
###
Catch the exciting conclusion to Mia’s Stand,
The Mad Wizard of Slagg
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About the Author
Living in Colorado for many years has brought an appreciation for mountains and all things wild. Mia’s Stand and The Mad Wizard of Slagg reflect many good morals toward others and nature. David is an amateur entomologist, a musician and does standup comedy, is devoted to family and the care of our environment.
David Hartman can be contacted through:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/@davethebugguy
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