Visions of Magic - The Kidnap of Gabrielle Ulan

  He started following the trail, but night soon approached and he realised he could go no further until morning. He found himself a place to sleep just a short distance from the path at the base of a tree, in amongst its raised roots.

  The air around him was still warm and dank and there was no breeze for relief. Farrel adjusted himself among the tree roots until he was comfortable. It was damp where he sat, but everywhere in the forest seemed soaked through with moisture. He certainly was, his robes having been drenched fully with sweat many hours ago.

  He ate quickly as the darkness continued to deepen. The hard travel had left him famished, but he ate only a little of what he had. He had enough food to last for another two days if he was careful. The humidity that seemed to be generated inside the forest made breathing difficult and through his exhaustive battle against the forest he had almost emptied his water skin. He hoped that he would come across more water soon.

  Having eaten, Farrel laid back against the tree, using his carry sack as a pillow and closed his eyes. The darkness was so intense that he suddenly felt blind and was not sure whether he had his eyes open or shut. For the first time since he had entered the forest he became keenly aware of the myriad of strange sounds that emanated from it. Suddenly he felt very alone and very scared. He was so petrified that he dared not move or even breathe too heavily. When sleep finally came that night it was very fitful.

  #

  Farrel awoke with a start as a droplet of water landed upon his nose. Quickly he looked around expecting to find himself amongst a horde of goblins. To his relief, and dismay, all that surrounded him was thick forest. Several birds called to each other in the canopy way above. They gave great screeching noises as though they were in pain. Farrel rested his weary head against his carry sack.

  He wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked around again. He had no idea what time of the day it was, but assumed that it was still early morning because the stifling air was not that warm yet. Determined to find Gabrielle he ate quickly and was soon again following the trail. The meal he ate was meagre, but gave him the energy he needed to push onward through the ever thickening undergrowth.

  Early morning had pushed on to mid morning, or so it seemed by the rising temperature, when Farrel finally had to stop. He could go on no longer and stood bent over, hands on knees, scrambling for breath. His lungs burned with a fire that seemed hotter than the sun. His muscles ached and worst of all he was out of water. The drops from his water skin did nothing except tease him as they fell onto his tongue.

  He leaned against a nearby tree unable to do anything, except gulp air into his lungs. As his breathing finally slowed he heard something which almost made him yell out with glee. It was the sound of running water. He was so excited that he almost ran straight out into the clearing before he realised it. Catching himself at the last moment he stopped at its edge and silently peered out from the trees.

  The clearing was not large, but pleasant for the eyes. In the same way, it was enough open space to have to cross to be seen by goblins or whatever else was lurking about the forest. Though fear made him cautious, the sight of the clear water in the stream on the far side of the clearing did much to persuade him to continue.

  The water called to him with its bubbling splashing melody. Despite the damp air his throat and mouth were dry and roared at him to hurry. He could resist no longer and moved out of his hiding place and walked toward the stream. As he walked he noticed the horse tracks he had initially followed into the forest came into the clearing from the south then went directly across the clearing and the stream to its far bank. At that point it was swallowed up again by the forest.

  He was so intent on the tracks that he did not notice he had reached the stream until his feet were splashing in the shallow water at its rock strewn edge. He could hold back no longer, so with a brief look about him he put down his carry sack and knelt down to drink deeply from the stream’s refreshing flow. As the first scoop of water cupped in his hands reached his lips Farrel heard a noise on the far bank directly opposite him. Startled, he realised far too late that he was not alone.

  Farrel fell over backwards, trying to stand, turn and run in the opposite direction all at the same time. Attempting to get up again he thrashed about frantically and succeeded in falling forward into the stream. After several more moments of thrashing about in the water Farrel managed to pull himself back out of the stream. Now however, he was dripping wet from head to toe.

  All of the sudden fits of soft, but high pitched laughter came from the far bank. Farrel had expected to see a goblin leap down from the bushes to eat him. Alas though he saw nothing, yet the laughter continued to filter out from the bushes on the far bank. He peered intently along the far side of the stream, but still saw nothing but trees.

  “You will never see me when I wish to blend with the trees,” sang the voice. Terrified, Farrel dashed back to the water’s edge where he had dropped his carry sac, opened it and withdrew his spell book.

  “Come out! Or I shall cast a spell!”

  “Oh...a magician you be. Cast spells will thee?” the voice sang melodiously. “Magic I know too. Much more I think than you.”

  “Who are you...what are you?” demanded Farrel.

  At that moment without warning something burst out of the bushes right where Farrel was looking. It flew quickly across the stream and right at Farrel’s nose. Out of self preservation he shut his eyes and held his spell book over his face to try and shield the collision, but it never came. Farrel opened his eyes slowly and lowered the book. His eyes almost touched the end of his nose and his heart skipped several beats at the sight of what was now hovering about two inches from his face.

  “A human you must human be. You are very large compared to me,” sang the little creature.

  Farrel was totally dumbfounded. He could not believe his eyes. In front of his nose was the smallest woman he had ever seen. She was no more than 10 inches tall and had two almost transparent wings upon her back. She hovered quietly in front of him with a large smile upon her very pretty little face and an insatiable curiosity in her dark green eyes.

  Her skin was pale and her ears came to a slight point at the top. Her hair was very dark brown and short. When she spoke it seemed rather that she sang, so soothing and melodious was her voice. Fascinated Farrel put up a hand to touch the little creature. In a flash she darted back out of his reach.

  “Take care what you do, for I am delicate and easily broken by the likes of you,” she chastised. Even though it seemed that she sang every word Farrel could still hear reprimanding tones in her voice. He lowered both his hands back to his sides, still clutching his spell book in one, and opened his mouth to speak. Before he blinked let alone spoke the tiny flying woman was resting upon his shoulder.

  “I...I am human as you say,” said Farrel. He felt uneasy with the woman being perched on his shoulder. “But what are you?”

  “A wood fairy I would be,” she chirped happily. Farrel turned his head slowly to look at her upon his shoulder conscious not to move too quickly for fear of knocking her off. His eyes still bulged at the sight of her as she adjusted her clothes, preening herself. She wore a small green vest over a brown short sleeved tunic. She even wore tiny breeches with small brown leather boots upon her minute feet.

  Having finished her preening the wood fairy suddenly looked at him mimicking his astonished expression. He blushed slightly at having openly gaped at her, but she did not look offended, rather more amused in fact.

  “A funny one you be. Are all humans like thee? The sage fairy says humans are cruel and mean so we should never let ourselves be seen. I watched you for a long time and you seem not cruel but rather kind.”

  Farrel managed to squeeze a word in at the point the little wood fairy finally took a breath.

  “Can I ask your name?”

  “Poppin,” she replied happily and threw out a tiny hand in greeting.

  “Pleased to meet you Poppi
n,” said Farrel smiling as he delicately offered his pinkie in greeting to her. She shook it vigorously.

  “I am Farrel Tarse.”

  “Oh my! Tarse of the gully, powerful wizard was he.”

  “That was my grandfather,” he said proudly. “I am to become a wizard someday too.”

  “When a wizard you be, maybe you will visit me? Then, fairy magic I shall teach thee.”

  “Fairy magic!” exclaimed Farrel excitedly. “From all that Varn Maun told me fairy magic is very powerful.”

  Poppin frowned.

  “The magic I know is not for power, it is for tending the trees and the flowers.”

  “Please don’t mistake me, I meant only that it would be a great honour to learn from such masters of magic as the wood fairies.”

  Poppin’s face brightened immediately.

  “Then so shall it be,” she chirped, leaping from his shoulder and buzzing about his head, humming a merry tune as she did. Abruptly she stopped, hovering again in front of his face, a perplexed look upon her face.

  “What does bring thee here?” she blurted out so quickly that it took a second attempt before Farrel understood what she said. Like a stone in the forehead it all came back to him.

  “I must go,” he said, quickly placing his spell book into his carry sack. He shouldered the sack and rushed across the stream, not the least bit worried about getting wet since he was already soaked.

  “Where do you travel in such a hurry?” asked Poppin, flying beside him next to his right ear, easily keeping pace with him.

  “I must find the goblins who took my friend. I am off to save her if I can.”

  Poppin stopped at the bank where the forest met the stream and gasped. Farrel now intent again on Gabrielle kept going and entered the forest again.

  “But goblins are nasty things. Many they are and you too few. I am thinking what may you alone do?”

  There was a rustling amongst the bushes where Farrel had disappeared then suddenly his head poked out. He looked at her solemnly.

  “I do not know Poppin, but I know I must save her. I must try at least...” his voice trailed off.

  “A love you have? Now I know what drives thee,” she sang unhappily as she flew over to land upon a branch near Farrel.

  Her shoulders slumped and her face took on a most mournful look.

  The sad expression on her face did not look natural, as though her features were much more accustomed to smiling. Farrel’s heart went out to her when she looked up at him with the tiniest tears in her bright green eyes.

  “Inside me I also have pain. My brother is missing I am afraid I will never find him again!”

  “I am sorry Poppin. I wish that I could help you look for your brother, but I must find my friend.”

  With a huge sigh Farrel reluctantly turned back into the forest. Poppin leapt into the air and flew quickly after him wiping tears from her eyes vigorously with her tiny hands.

  “But your help I need,” she pleaded, ringing her small hands together in desperation. Farrel could not bear the look upon her face so he stared intently at the ground as he walked.

  “I’m sorry,” he repeated.

  Poppin stopped abruptly, hovering in the air in the one spot. Despair took her, she needed someone to help her find her brother since none of the other fairies were brave enough to leave the Bastion and enter the wild parts of the forest. Then a thought occurred to her. Beaming with pride at her own brilliance she darted past Farrel and hovered a few feet in front of his face as he walked.

  “If I help rescue thy friend, will then you help me find my brother again?”

  “If we rescue Gabrielle and live to tell the tale then yes I shall help you. I promise.”

  Poppin’s face lit up with a broad smile. She was so happy that she did a full loop to loop in the air, giggling the whole time.

  Taking a deep breath and wondering exactly what he had just gotten himself into Farrel pushed onward through the forest in pursuit of his quarry. He had not gone far when the land began to slope downwards toward a gully off to his left. Poppin was still swooping about him, smelling flowers and talking to the birds in a strange language as she went. Strangely enough the birds seemed content to chatter right back to her. She was not the least bit hindered by the forest.

  Farrel looked down into the gully. The narrow trail and the horse tracks stayed across the top of the ridge and went off to the north. The forest was thick down in the gully so he continued to follow the trail. Poppin stopped however and called to him.

  “Why do you that way head? I think you should follow me instead.”

  “It’s too thick down there and the horse tracks go that way.”

  “If your friend you want to see, then you should follow me.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “I know where the goblins hide. Smell them I may, from a mile away,” she chirped wrinkling her nose in disgust. Poppin flew leisurely in the direction of the gully. “Follow me friend Farrel, follow me...” she sang as she began to disappear amongst the trees.

  #

  Narrow shafts of light pushed their way between the small gaps in the forest canopy as dawn broke. One such beam fell directly upon Farrel’s face. With a bright light suddenly in his eyes, Farrel awoke, sitting up quickly in fright.

  “Damn, how could I fall asleep!” he thought to himself angrily, shivering slightly. It was unusually cold. Before he could berate himself further he realised that Poppin was gone and he was completely alone. Scrambling to his knees Farrel crawled to the edge of the bushes where he had been sleeping and looked down upon the goblin village.

  He and Poppin had travelled long and hard the previous day to reach the village and Farrel had planned to wait all night until the goblins were asleep so he could sneak down into the village and find Gabrielle, if indeed she was there at all. Unfortunately, there was much activity in the village throughout the night and he had fallen asleep waiting.

  The village itself was nestled in amongst hills that formed a deep gully. It was well hidden from anyone wandering through the forest. Farrel certainly never would have found it if not for Poppin. The more he studied the place the less it looked like a village and more like a hive. The many grass and stick huts were scattered randomly more often than not running into one another. There was not a single straight path anywhere to be seen. To make things worse the whole village seemed to be covered in a murky gloom that made it difficult to see things in fine detail. Farrel squinted, trying to see some sign of Gabrielle or Poppin amongst the clutter of huts. He saw nothing, nothing at all.

  “What am I doing here? I don’t even know whether Gabrielle is even here,” he cursed under his breath. He clenched his fists in frustration. He had no plan to rescue her, he was but one man and what could one man do against a village full of goblins.

  “I do!” chirped a melodious voice from behind him. Farrel’s heart missed several beats.

  “Please do not do that Poppin!” snapped Farrel, a little too loudly for his own liking. Poppin simply looked at him and giggled.

  “Humans are such nervous things. For ones so big I think.”

  “Where did you go?!” demanded Farrel, this time lowering his voice to a harsh whisper.

  “I’ve been down to the goblin home,” she said, her face scrunching up in disgust. “Smelly things they are, a wonder indeed your friend I found at all amongst that stench. Lucky for me, that humans have a most peculiar smell you see. Your smell is lik...” Before she could continue Farrel burst in over the top of her.

  “You found her, how, where?” he asked urgently. Poppin hovered a few paces from his face looking at him intently, sniffing the air delicately.

  “Yes, yes,” she said quite amazed. “Your friend and thee smell much alike to me. Perhaps...” Farrel’s patience had worn through.

  “Poppin!” he growled. “Where is she?”

  As soon as the words left his mouth he wished he had never said them. The hurt lo
ok upon Poppin’s tiny face made him feel as though he had kicked a baby.

  “I’m sorry Poppin. I am very worried about Gabrielle. I am sorry, please forgive me.”

  Poppin, being a typical wood fairy preferred happy moods to sad ones and so before Farrel had even finished his apology she was back on his shoulder smiling.

  “That is quite all right. You humans have a small amount of patience for ones so big.”

  “Poppin, please tell me where Gabrielle is.”

  “Captive she sits, in a large goblin home in the village midst. Most of the vile creatures are asleep. Silly things, sleeping the day away...” Poppin saw the look of urgency on Farrel’s face and realised that she was straying from the topic at hand again. “With the goblins asleep your friend we may rescue without stirring them I think, but...but,” an edge of fear found its way into Poppin’s melodious voice. It froze Farrel to the spot. “Something in that hut lurks with your friend I fear, something so vile and horrid that I dared not go too near.” Poppin’s voice trailed off. A long silence followed and Farrel used its every second to muster up some courage.

  “I must go down there to save her,” he squeaked, his voice not yet convinced it was the right thing to do. “I must,” he repeated more firmly. There was more silence between them and Poppin sat thoughtfully upon Farrel’s shoulder, her silver wings moving together and apart very slowly. It was a trait she was prone to when nervous. Farrel starred upon the village, unable to move.

  “If only we had some type of distraction,” he said, attempting to stall for time until his body would obey his mind. He looked at Poppin questioningly, but she seemed intent on looking down toward the village. Suddenly a wry smile broke across her face.

  “I think this could be your distraction I see,” she said pointing off to one end of the village. In the early morning light that penetrated the trees in columns of yellow and gold Farrel saw the glimmer of metal. It was Lord Ulan with two other knights and they were riding right into the heart of the village. As they entered the perimeter of the village the gloom which seemed to fester in the village hid them from sight. Fear left him completely. With not another word Farrel grabbed his spell book from his carry sack and flicked to his favourite spell. He read it a couple of times quickly before placing the book back into the sack, which he then slung across his shoulders.