Dusty Red - Instalment Twenty-two

Instalment Twenty-two had come around. When I started this I had no idea whatsoever how long this was going to be, but I actually do have an idea for an ending (A really cool idea what's more). So I'm afraid to say that this story will end, perhaps not for another few months - it depends how long it takes for certain things to happen- but don't be worried...when it ends I'll probably just take a few weeks off until I can think of another story to start. :D That's the crazy writer me for you.

It was my sister Alice's birthday a few days ago and she got her 'L' license whatsitcalled on Monday. I think she's got about an hour in her log book so far. There's one problem with her getting her L's: it means there's only two years...until...I have to...terrifying thought ain't it?

Perhaps we should move to more cheerful subjects than me having to grow up and be responsible and all that balderdash. I think a story should do to lighten the mood. Option three was voted in, and, sad to say, I had some slight difficulties while writing it as that was the only option that I had absolutely no idea  what was going to happen next on. But it's interesting to see how the story creeps out from the dark recesses of my imagination. So it only took from about ten 'til twelve on Thursday morning.

Larzik stood in the middle of the clearing, furiously thumping a fallen log. “Hiiiiiyah!” he yelled again, hitting the log even harder.

“What, may I ask, are you doing?” Flicks asked, raising her voice to be heard above Larzik’s yells.

The Imp-goblin stopped abruptly and turned around. “Oh, you’re back,” he said in a flustered voice.

“Yeah, we’re back,” Flicks agreed, walking into the clearing. “But what were you doing?”

“I weren’t doing nothing,” Larzik proclaimed.

Nainsi and Skilf cleared their throats simultaneously. “That’s debatable,” Skilf put in.

Nainsi looked around the clearing. “Nice place, this,” she remarked, changing the subject.

Flicks too glanced around. It was a fairly ordinary clearing, as far as clearings go and she shrugged carelessly. “Yeah, I guess.” She leant against a tree, propping one foot up on the trunk behind her.

A stick dropped onto her hair and Flicks reached up to brush it off. A sharp pinch on her finger caused her to draw her hand back sharply. “Ow!” she exclaimed, staring at her hand.

The twig fell off her head and onto her hand. Flicks almost shook it off before she stopped herself and looked more closely at the stick. It stood as straight as any normal stick but, on close inspection, tiny limbs were visible, as well as a small face.

“Hey, Larzik,” Flicks said. “Is this a Twigin?”

Skilf and Nainsi walked over interestedly and Larzik peered at the stick. He nodded almost immediately. “Most certainly, miss Flicks, it is a Twigin.”

“But what would a Twigin want here?” Flicks asked pensively.

“You could ask it,” Nainsi suggested.

Flicks lifted her hand to eyelevel and looked at the Twigin. “What are you doing here?” she asked.

The Twigin suddenly knelt down on the palm of her hand and began to speak in shrill unintelligible squeaks.

“I can’t understand what you’re saying,” Flicks pointed out. “Can’t you write it or something?”

The Twigin shook its head solemnly, rising to a standing position. It squeaked again.

Flicks looked helplessly at her companions. “Can anyone else understand him?” she asked hopefully.

Nainsi and Skilf shook their heads. Larzik shrugged. “I never bothered to try and learn,” he remarked. “They don’t often say anything important.”

The Twigin leapt off Flicks hand in a fury. Landing on Larzik it began pounding him with its small arms. Flicks suppressed laughter. “Oy, you, Twigin,” she said. “Come back here, please.”

The Twigin halted obligingly and flew back onto Flicks’ hand.

“What if it tried to act out the message? Like a game of charades,” Skilf put forward.

The Twigin bowed once and began to caper about on Flicks hand. It’s tiny hands rose up to its head and it put on a regal air.

“Something about the queen,” Flicks guessed.

A wooden smile broke across the Twigin’s face and it nodded fiercely. Next it tapped the side of its head with one hand and rubbed its chin with the other.

“Wise?...thinking?....Remembering?” Nainsi questioned.

Again the Twigin nodded. And then put its hands out like it was reading something.

“A book?” Skilf asked.

The Twigin shook his head.

“Reading?” she suggested next.

Another head shake.

Flicks closed her eyes and thought a moment then said, “The Queen wants us to remember something we read?”

The Twigin jumped up and clapped his hands, nodding once more.

“But what did we read that she wants us to remember?” Skilf mused.

The Twigin bent over and began hobbling along Flicks’ hand.

“What’s happened to it?” Skilf asked, alarmed.

The Twigin jumped up and shook a fist at her, making a noise like the shrieking of branches rubbing together in the wind.

“Okay, okay,” Skilf said, taking a step backwards. “Sorry, I didn’t realise you were acting.”

The Twigin snorted. It was the most intelligible noise it had made so far and Flicks couldn’t help grinning. The Twigin went back to shuffling along her hand.

Flicks frowned. “Old?” she asked. “Something old?”

The Twigin nodded again.

Larzik jumped up. “The prophecy! Did you read the prophecy?”

Flicks nodded. “Yeah, we did.” Turning to the Twigin she continued, “So the queen wants us to remember the prophecy?”

The Twigin nodded so hard that Flicks was worried his head might fall of.

“Okay then,” Flicks said. “D’you remember how it went Skilf?”

“Erm, not completely. Something about ‘Aldutch’ or something, and he had magic. But we know who that is—”

“We do?” Nainsi interjected.

“Yeah, it’s Kendal,” Flicks explained.

“Then there was something about ‘The Willow Wall is the  hope – then something about us, Flicks – Then something about some guy called Sniperscope,” Skilf said.

“What do you mean, ‘about us’?” Nainsi queried. “You’re in a prophecy?”

“Aye,” Skilf agreed. “Apparently we’re ‘Dragontwins’ or something like that.”

“Right,” Nainsi said slowly.

“There was something about the Rune Stones,” Flicks recalled. “Said they’d show the way, I think.”

The Twigin tapped his foot, and waved a hand to attract their attention. When Flicks noticed he bowed and waved a hand.

“You’re going?” Flicks asked.

The Twigin nodded and then bowed again and shot off up into the trees.

“Well, that was an interesting interruption,” Nainsi commented. “What were we doing before?”

“I believe our Imp-goblin was going to answer a question. What were you doing Larzik?” Skilf asked.

Larzik’s copper skin turned a glowing red. “I was thumping the log ‘cause...’cause I fell off it when I tried to sit down.”

Nainsi nodded solemnly. “In that case, I quite agree that the log deserved thumping,” she said, without a hint of laughter.

Flicks felt a tug on her hair and realised the Twigin had returned.

“I think he’s got something else to say,” Fred remarked.

The Twigin pointed urgently in the direction of the castle and then in the opposite direction. Pointing back to the castle he straightened his limbs and saluted then mimed marching stiffly.

“Soldiers?” Flicks guessed, hoping she was wrong.

The Twigin nodded and pointed back away from the castle and mimed running.

“We should run?”

A nod confirmed Flicks’ guess and she bit her lip. “Thanks,” she said to the Twigin who bowed and flew away again.

“Skilf! Nainsi!” Flicks called to attract their attention.

They turned. “Something wrong?” Nainsi asked.

“Rather,” Flicks said emphatically. “There are soldiers coming our way.”

Just then an arrow thudded into the tree just beside Nainsi. The four companions dropped to the ground, diving into the bracken around the clearing.

Fred jumped off Flicks’ shoulder and scampered along the forest floor, leading the way.
A crashing of bodies through trees behind them warn of the pursuit. “We need to go that way,” Flicks hissed to the others, pointing in the direction that the Twigin had gestured to.

The others didn’t protest as another volley of arrows buried themselves into the trees around them.
Flicks decided to risk standing and ran through the undergrowth, hearing the others following her example.

Her breath was laboured and gasping when a tall wooden wall loomed up in front of her. Flicks nearly ran right into in and only just managed to stop herself in time.

A moment later Nainsi appeared closely followed by Skilf and Larzik. Fred flapped up to the top of the wall. “Quick,” Flicks said, kneeling. “Climb up over the wall.”

Skilf stepped forward. “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure,” Flicks replied.

Skilf stood first on her knee then her shoulder and vaulted over the wall the rest of the way. “Hey!” she called from the other side. “The ground’s heaps higher over here.” Her head appeared over the top of the wood barrier.

Nainsi climbed over next and then Larzik. Flicks bit her lip and the Imp-goblin struggled to surmount the wall from her shoulders. “Here,” she offered. “I’ll stand up then it’ll be easier.”

The sounds of pursuit were getting closer rapidly and it took all Flicks nerve to stand still while Larzik scrambled over the wall.

“How are you planning on getting over?” Nainsi asked, her face just visible over the wall.

Flicks took a deep breath and walked backwards. “I suggest you step backwards,” she called. Then she ran at the wall.

Setting her feet against the vertical wooden logs she ran up the wall, grabbing the top and tumbling over it.

An arrow whizzed over her head and thudded into thin air, quivering as if it had just struck a physical barrier.

“Wha—” Flicks began, picking herself up from the ground where she’d landed.

Skilf tapped her arm, interrupting her incredulous question. “Flicks, what does this look like to you?” She lifted a finger and pointed forwards.

Flicks’ incredulity at the arrow faded and lay forgotten at the queer sight that now met her eyes.

~

1. A ghostly blue glow emanated from a pile of rocks just meters away from where they stood.

2. No trees had grown on this side of the wooden wall so Flicks had a clear view of the astonishing building in front of her.

3. A pedestal about a meter in height stood in the middle of a circle of stones. Resting on top of this stand was a large crystal rock, glowing with an unearthly silver light.

~

I hope you enjoyed reading! Don't forget to comment...You can be powerful beyond your imagining. (For example, Lydia Scott said she liked Twigins and Leafits and look what happened in this instalment! Suggestions and ideas are very welcome.)

Fare Thee Well!

P. S. Apologies for the mistakes. I really should reread these before I publish them...