Secrets of the Old Forest

 


The guide turned back to Ritter and said, "We are entering the oldest part of the forest. Few come this way, and many of those who do are not seen again."

It looked like a normal forest to Ritter, but he drew his sword out of caution.

"Nay, good Sir," the guide said. "Your sword cannot protect you from the powers that inhabit this place."

The old guide threw his cloak around his bony shoulders and moved cautiously down the trail. Ritter followed, his sword still unsheathed.

They walked silently, slowly for a few minutes, and the air grew warmer, more oppressive. It was like the forest was watching them, and the gaze of the trees was pressing in on them.

The guide stepped lightly to the left to avoid a small mushroom on the trail's right edge, and Ritter copied him. As he did, Ritter's sword lightly grazed the top of the mushroom. He said nothing, and continued following the old man.

Moments later, the trail turned to bypass a huge tree, behind it, a few feet off the trail, Ritter saw an enormous mushroom. It was big enough to sit under!

The guide stopped. "This is the moment of our greatest peril," he said over his shoulder. "We are in the very heart of the forest. Touch nothing but the trail. Especially stay away from the mushrooms."

Ritter nodded, noting how the old man's cloak seemed to ripple in the breeze, but there was no breeze. He blinked, feeling warm. Too warm.

"Why shoo I no touch," Ritter started asking, but his tongue felt thick and tingly. He stopped and blinked again.

The guide turned, his face seeming to ripple like it was under water. Colors like stained glass drifted across his body. Ritter looked up to see where the colors originated, and the trees were rippling too.

"What is wrong," the old man asked, then his eyes grew wide. To Ritter, his eyes were enormous. "What have you done? What did you touch?"

"M'sooord tushed..." Ritter looked at his sword. It seemed to droop like a boiled noodle. "M'sooord is...wobbly."

The guide just stared as his face rippled with colors. "Follow me. Touch nothing!"

Like a jackrabbit, the old man hitched up his cloak and ran down the trail.

Ritter sat down as his face began to tingle.  He smiled up at the enormous mushroom.

The mushroom smiled back.




///

(Check out Mick's Fantasy and Sci-Fi Emporium for my curated list of goodies to satisfy your LARP and cosplay pleasure.  Look for the latest DISCOUNT codes from my partners.)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Heroes and the Jabberwock

Image
  For a long time it was assumed that the fearsome jabberwock was at last slain by a single hero. One can blame the talented - and slightly bonkers (all the best ones are) - writer Lewis Carroll. In truth, there were two heroes with vorpal blades that sealed the creature's fate. None today remember their names or stations, though some of the ancient scrolls hint that one was a ferocious knight traveling the land and helping the downtrodden - his penance for some past sin. The other was called "a pox-scarred bard whose voice was the only beauty about him." Each hero took a tooth, not the entire monstrous head, from the jabberwock's steaming mouth as a keepsake. It was said that it took a team of mules to haul the prizes home. But, since all we have is our esteemed Mr. Carrol's poem, we must pretend to change "He" to "They." Then it reads right. Jabberwocky BY LEWIS CARROLL ’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe: ...
Read more

Queen of Wands

Image
  Ulrich sat in the Seeing Lady's wagon as she lit an oil lamp. The wagon was more like a small house, in truth. It was just big enough for two curtained rooms. The main room was her public space, it seemed, with silken hangings, a folding table, lamps, and too many pillows. When he glimpsed through a gap in the linen curtain, he could see her sleeping cot and two fluffy cats: one asleep and one staring at him without blinking. "Please to be comfortable," the Seeing Lady said, pointing to a three-legged stool topped by a white pillow with a swan embroidered in red. It was also covered in cat hair. The Seeing Lady wore an elaborate, silk and linen dress and head scarf favored by ladies in eastern Salvania. Her fingernails were painted bright red to match her lips. Her eyelids were painted green. She fell into that indeterminate age somewhere between too young and too old. It seemed like eastern ladies went to a lot of trouble painting themselves each day. They sho...
Read more