by Jenni James
Stepping forward, he was happy to note his legs were fine. One ankle was definitely tender, which caused him to hop a bit, but nothing he could not shake off. He would put his full weight on in it a few minutes’ time. He held out his arms and turned for the girls’ inspection. “I am well. Do you see? Now let us get going before Gleeflak decides he would like to be friends again.”
He bent over and collected the mesh. Did they really do this by themselves? “Have I ever told you both how decidedly ingenious you are?” he asked as he looked up.
“Do not stare at me!” Rachel exclaimed. “It was all Jill’s doing. If it were up to me, we would still be in that crooked cage waiting for the giant to come back.”
Jill brushed the comment aside. “No, Rachel is being silly.”
“I am not. I had decided I would find a way out of the palace on my own if I had to, but when the time came to escape, it was the furthest thing from my mind. I tell you, Jill is incredibly resourceful.”
His sister blushed. “And have you met Jack?” she asked. “He taught me everything I know.”
“Yes, well, we could sit and compliment each other all day—and I see you females would prefer to do just that—but let us get this baby wrapped up and go home!”
Jill laughed while turning to Rachel. “And then there are days when I cannot stand the man and I want to kill him. But I usually do not mention such things in the company of my friends.”
Chuckling, Rachel shook her head. “Believe me, I know all about wanting to throttle him. The thought passes my mind quite often.”
“And you both love me dearly for it. I know.” He collected the rest of the netting, and while tossing it aside said, “If one of you will strap Verity to my back using Jill’s pack, we can be on our way.”
“How right you are! He is just like you!” Rachel said as she helped reposition the food items and settled the baby inside.
They readjusted the wrapping of the pack to allow Verity’s legs to dangle out, and then placed it on him.
Jack bit back the pain as his arm twisted when he put the pack on, but thank goodness Verity did not weigh much and so did not overly burden that shoulder. “Are all of my womenfolk ready, then? Can we finally leave now?” He grinned at them.
Jill rolled her eyes and pushed past him. “We have been ready for ages. We have been waiting upon you, sleepyhead.”
Rachel laughed as she approached him, sliding her hand into his. “Yes. Take me home.”
“Very well.” He bounced the baby a bit to adjust her better and then they were off.
In no time at all, they were approaching the tips of the tall beanstalk.
“So this is how you arrived here?” Rachel exclaimed.
“Well, when one bargains with a witch, one should never be surprised at what means one is given to complete the task,” Jack replied as he looped one leg around the stalk and began to climb down. “It is quite safe,” he called back. “Jill, help Rachel tie her skirts up so she will not get caught on the leaves and such.”
It was much easier to climb down than it had been to go up, and as long as Jack stayed at the bottom of the group, he figured he could catch one if she should fall. The sun was close to setting as they neared the base of the beanstalk and first heard the great roar of Gleeflak.
“Jack?” Jill had never sounded more frightened.
“Yes, I heard. Let us move—quickly now.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
THE GROUP MOVED DOWN the stalk at a much more rapid pace than before. All at once, nothing mattered but the safety of the village spread out below them.
“We are almost there!” Jill shouted.
“Hurry!” Jack answered back. “Do not dawdle—move faster!”
He was about two hundred feet from the ground when he noticed a roaring coming from below. He glanced down and saw a large group assembled, hopefully to welcome them home. It would seem that word had spread far and wide—they were clapping and cheering.
Jack felt the trembling of the stalk the instant Gleeflak climbed on it. “Go, girls! Now. We have no more time. He is on the stalk with us!”
“We felt him!” Rachel called out as she jumped from coiled stalk to coiled stalk.
“Help!” Jack shouted to the group. They were cheering so loudly, no one heard. “Stop!” he attempted again. “Please stop! We need help!” He was nearing close to about fifty feet from the ground, the girls much higher up, when someone finally heard him and hushed the group.
“What?” the man shouted after the crowd calmed down.
“Get as many men together as you can,” Jack called, still climbing downward. “And fetch axes. The giant is on this stalk with us. We must hurry and chop it down!”
The men ran, and as Jack stepped off the stalk, the girls some forty or sixty feet above, some of the men had already returned with their axes. “Begin now. But start in the back,” he called out. “The girls will be fine on this side. Hurry!”
“Jack!” his mother called as she ran up to him. “You did it! You saved them!” He hugged her and then she gasped, pulling back. “My goodness! And a baby, too. What in the world?”
Oh. He had almost forgotten about Verity. “Here. I will explain later,” he said as he shucked off the pack and removed the sleeping baby. “Take her and see that she is fed and changed. She is no doubt soiled, for we have not stopped once.” He handed her over and turned to leave before remembering. “Oh, and Mother, her name is Verity.”
He watched his mother grin at the baby a moment before glancing at his father, who had just come up the hill. “Do you mind helping Rachel and Jill down while I chop? Someone will need to be here.”
“Yes, I can do it.” Hansel touched his son’s shoulder. “Well done, you. I am a proud father right now.”
Jack met his father’s eyes and nodded. “As soon as the girls are down and you can fetch an axe, we could use you too.”
Hansel lifted up his axe from the ground and handed one to his son. “I am already with you, my boy.”
They shared a smile and Jack ran around to the back of the stalk. He began hacking into his own section immediately. The cheer that came from the crowd let him know the girls had made it safely upon the ground, and with that, he really put his back into it and whacked with all his might.
The pain in his wrenched shoulder was unbearable. However, nothing compared to the vengeance of a spoiled giant who wanted revenge. Jack’s limbs would heal; losing those he loved most would not.
As he chopped, he unexpectedly noticed a strange, magical mist swirling around his head. He pulled back. What is that?
Suddenly the witch appeared before him in a puff of white smoke. “Where is Verity?” she demanded. “Where is she?”
“Are you truly this selfish? I am trying to save us all. Gleeflak is on his way down. Move!” Jack shouted.
She yanked on his axe. “I want her! Tell me you saved her! You promised you would.”
“Yes. She is safe.”
“Where?” She looked around. “Where is she? I need her right this moment!”
“No. You will have to wait.” He pointed out toward the field behind him. “Now, leave me!”
Cora looked at his shoulder, and he could feel a slight tingly sensation where it was wrenched. He watched as she smiled, and then felt a fiery pain surge through his whole arm and settle into the torn tissues.
“Ahhh!” he groaned. It felt as though she were ripping his arm clean from his body. Beads of sweat popped onto his brow as he bowed under the pressure.
Just then a great roar could be heard above and the pain released.
“Gleeflak!” She glanced up, and then spoke urgently, “Meet me next to your home with that baby as soon as this beanstalk is felled, or more than your arm will come off!” With that, she disappeared as quickly as she had come.
Jack gritted his teeth and lunged and smacked and walloped over and over again until he finally gave a massive shout. The new damage to his arm and the weight
of the axe were too much. Falling to his knees, he simply could not do it. Another moment and he might become unconscious again.
Hansel rushed to his side. “Son! What is wrong?”
“My shoulder. It is wrenched and I am too weak to continue.”
“What is that?” asked his father, pointing toward Jack’s shirt. “Is that what I think it is?”
Jack looked down and saw the vial dangling from its leather cord. It must have slipped out. “The potion Cora gave Grandfather,” he said. “Why?”
Hansel looked up at the large stalk, then over at the men who were only a quarter of the way through it. “You are a genius!” he suddenly exclaimed. “Quick, hand it to me!”
Jack slipped it off with his good arm. “Here. What do you mean to do with it?”
“Watch,” his father replied as he popped the cork off the top. “I hope this still works.” He then shook and splattered all of the contents onto the beanstalk. Walking around the men, he made sure as many of the vines were touched by the droplets as possible.
“Is something supposed to happen?” Jack asked when his father returned.
“Your mother did something similar with some enchanted grass that had grown and held me captive. The potion caused the grass to shrivel up immediately.”
Suddenly the men began to bellow.
Jack looked up. The stalk teetered and swayed. “Run!” he shouted as he scrambled to his feet.
His father pulled him out of the way just before the whole beanstalk crashed to the ground in a long, crooked line, barely skimming past houses and upsetting farms.
***
THE MEN OF THE village searched through the ruined beanstalk for hours, but never found the remains of the giant. However, they did find the dead body of the witch an hour or so after the beanstalk fell. She was the only person crushed to death by the stalk.
“Jack, do you know this woman?” one of his father’s friends asked as he laid Cora’s body upon the ground. Jack, hoping to help clean up the mess, had just come from the cottage where his shoulder had been wrapped by the village doctor. Twilight was fading quickly and soon it would be completely dark.
“Yes. Where was she?”
“Near your home, under the fattest portion of the stalk. That is why we thought you might know her, since she was strangely nearby and yet not with the crowd of people who were standing out of harm’s way.”
“Thank you for bringing her to me. We will take care of her burial.”
When the men walked away, Jack called his father and together they marveled at the woman who had never died—until now, of course.
“Do not tell your grandfather. There is no reason for him to believe that she was not already dead.”
Jack nodded. “I wondered if it would make him more anxious, imagining what Cora might have been up to all these years.”
“Precisely. Though, do not discount this woman. She has clearly come back from Hades once—who knows what mischief she has left behind for us. Or why she found the need to visit us again.”
“Pa, she returned for Verity.”
“Verity? The little angel. She was Cora’s?”
“I believe Cora stole her from someone else, but I did not ask her about it—I did not wish to risk her wrath. And even though I have never seen it happen, it is said the baby has the gift of turning things to gold.”
Hansel whistled. “The Midas touch?”
“Yes, exactly. But I am almost certain it is just a rumor floating about.”
“Is that why the giant wanted her?”
“Yes.”
“And Cora?”
“Aye. Can you think of the greed that would be shown by the rest of the world if Verity could do what it has been claimed she can? They would all want her for themselves.”
His father’s gaze grew serious. “No one can ever know who this child is.”
Jack smiled. “And since you are so very good at hiding vulnerable children—or so I have heard—do you think you and Mother would consider taking her in, now that Cora is gone?”
“I think we had better ask your mother first.”
“Will you tell Mother of the danger Verity may be in?”
“She would have my hide if I kept such a secret from her!”
Jack grinned and then glanced up when Rachel walked over.
Hansel patted Jack on his wrapped shoulder. “Go and be with your dearest. I have some baby news to impart to your mother.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
JACK WALKED AWAY, LEAVING the dead witch upon the ground, and pulled Rachel with him. They went down the lane and over to their favorite tree just as the stars were beginning to come into full glory.
“You know, I wished upon those stars while I was in that castle,” she whispered. “I would wish upon them every night.”
“And what did you hope for?” he asked as he wrapped his good arm around her and snuggled her to his heart.
“I yearned, more than anything, to see you again.”
He leaned down and kissed her light hair. “I love you. I would never have left you there.”
She clutched his shirt and nodded. “I know.”
“Rachel?”
“Hmm?”
“Are you sure you would still like to marry me?”
“What?” She pulled back and looked at him.
He thought of how the witch plotted out this entire escapade. “I cannot guarantee our life will be normal. In fact, I am certain we will face many adventures, even things that are so very terrifying. Rachel, I am afraid I cannot protect you and shield you from all the scary things that may happen.”
She leaned up and kissed his mouth before stating simply, “Life is about the adventure, darling. And I will gladly face anything as long as I am with you. We cannot run from bad experiences or keep things from happening to us. Dreadful things must happen to everyone. But it is the people who care for us the most who guarantee we will not be left alone when dark trials come. I love you, Jack, and I count down the thirty-two days remaining until I am Mrs. Waithwrite. Do you know why? Because I know you will never allow me to suffer alone.”
It was sometime later before the two sweethearts were through being sweet and had calmed their hearts from the kisses they rained upon the other.
***
WHEN JACK RETURNED FROM walking Rachel home, he made his way over to the fallen stalk to look for the body of Cora. It took several turns and retraced steps before he realized the worst.
“Father!” he called out as he ran to the darkened cottage. “Pa, are you awake?”
“Yes?” came the sleepy reply as Jack burst into the home.
He quickly made his way to his parents’ room. “Did you bury Cora?” he asked.
“Cora?”
“Yes! The witch. Did you bury her?”
“No. I did not. I was too exhausted. I figured you and I would do so in the morning. Why?”
Jack took a deep breath. “She is gone.”
***
GLEEFLAK WAS NEVER HEARD from again. Many say he must have felt the tremors of the multiple axes chopping down the stalk and quickly climbed back up. Others believe he disappeared in a puff of smoke, like the witch. And still others believe it was all a hoax brought on by Rachel and Jack’s families to guarantee they had a larger-than-normal wedding party and therefore, more gifts.
The young couple did have an excessively large marriage celebration, due to the many onlookers and gawkers who came to see the brave couple in person. And though their life was full of trials, some of them much harder than they expected, they happily chose to walk together and support and uplift each other through it all.
They eventually went on to have three strapping boys of their own, all determined to find their personal adventures—especially when they heard the tales of their parents and grandparents. It was to be expected, they were sure, that they would have their very own fine tales to tell one day.
Jill settled down quite nicely with an excellent lord
from the court. Due to all the praise and popularity her family found, she had a slew of eligible men to choose from. But after sorting through them for a few years, she finally settled on the best one of all. He was kind, yet strong enough to handle the feisty, headstrong girl—and most importantly, he loved every moment of it. They went on to have five beautiful children who enjoyed playing with their cousins and following them about on their adventures.
Little Verity grew to be a beautiful young lady who did have a very peculiar gift that many found to be excessively pleasing and desired her for themselves. She was saved, however, by true love—but her adventure will be shared another day, when the time for such a story as hers can be told properly. It will most definitely be its own book, The Princess with the Golden Touch.
But as for now, this is the ending of the tale of Jack, the bravest man in the land, who, with the help of his fearless sister, bargained with a witch and outwitted a giant to save the only woman he had ever loved. And they, my dear readers, I know for an absolute fact, lived happily ever after.
THE END
SNOW WHITE
CHAPTER ONE
RAVEN LAUGHED AS SHE looked back at her new sister, Snow. They were the best of friends and had been for years—now she could not believe her luck! Sisters, truly sisters—it seemed like a magical wish come true. They had imagined and dreamed of it, and it was finally a reality. Snow’s father had proposed less than four months ago to Raven’s mother, Queen Melantha Flynn, a beautiful, widowed woman with two children.
Not that they were still children. Corlan was nearly twenty-two and Raven and Snow were both in their late teens, but Snow’s father would always consider them children. Raven watched as her beautiful new sister ran up to her, her long black curls bobbing as she came. There was not one person in Snow’s kingdom who had not instantly become enamored with the girl. She had a special quality about her—a naivety and zest for life, an inner joy—something that radiated from her happy smile and wound itself about the hearts of all those who were near her.