After an uneventful journey they reached the outskirts of the Kingdom, looking out onto the hilly terrain ahead. The wooded area housed the Goblins mine and had been the home of the wicked witch. They continued flying over the tops of the dense trees, coming to land on the craggy hill which rose above the wooded area. Shaun and Herne dismounted and Shaun led them down the track to the camouflaged entrance of the Goblin mine. But the dark tunnel inside was so small there was no way Herne could squeeze through, so he remained outside with the horses while Shaun disappeared inside.
As on his previous visit he had to grope his way forward in the dark as the tunnel wound its way deeper into the crag, and the sound of heavy banging caused the ground beneath him to vibrate. He was relieved when he reached the end and entered the huge cavern that housed the diamond mine. The place was buzzing with activity as the workers drilled the rock face for their precious diamonds. He stood at the entrance. A smile crossed his face as memories came flooding back of how he had used his magic hammer to demolish the rock face, leaving the diamonds on the floor to the delight of the Goblins.
One of them spotted him and slowly the whole cavern came to a standstill. His face lit up as he saw his dear Geriba rushing over to greet him: they were both in floods of tears as they had shared such an exciting but dangerous time together when they were trapped in the mine, as the whole side of the mountain exploded and the avalanche of falling boulders had sealed off the entrance. The whole Goblin Kingdom and Ava and Louis thought they were dead, but Shaun managed to save Geriba and carried him to safety after several days. So Shaun was seen as a true hero: not only did he save Geriba, but also he was able to clear the mine that had claimed the lives of their relatives. Many years before, the Goblins had tried in vain over time to clear the entrance and had given up any hope of being able to lay their remains to rest. Geriba put his arm around Shaun. ‘Come, we must go to the Grotto: our leader will be so pleased to see you alive and well, and hear your version of the battle with the evil Dark Wizard. We have heard so many stories: some, I’m sure, have been somewhat exaggerated?’
He led Shaun out of the cavern and through the tunnel. He gasped out loud when they stepped outside to find Herne. He froze to the spot. Herne looked like a giant to all those who first set eyes on him, but the Goblins were so small and Herne towered above him.
Shaun saw the expression on Geriba’s face and put his arm around him. ‘I’m so sorry. I should have told you about Herne: he is a frightening sight when you first meet him, but he is really gentle.’ He paused a moment before continuing. ‘That is unless you annoy him.’ Again he paused. ‘So best not go on: might annoy him.’ Herne burst into fits of laughter. He grabbed Geriba in his huge, muscular arms and spun him around and around before putting him back down. When Geriba finally got his breath back he joined in with the laughter, probably a nervous laugh as he turned and led them down the track to the Grotto.
When the leader saw Herne he had a similar reaction. He had heard so many stories of Herne the hunter, and thought the description was exaggerated, but in truth they didn’t even come close to how large and threatening he looked.
But again Shaun explained and they were soon enjoying a meal together, laughing and chatting as though they had been friends for years.
Of all the sad farewells in each of the Kingdoms this was the hardest for Shaun; while they had been trapped in the collapsed mine for several days they had forged a strong bond, something difficult to explain, a bond so intense and probably only shared by two brothers. So with a tear in his eye and a lump in his throat he waved as he and Herne led their horses out of the Grotto and were soon on their way to the Kingdom of the Dwarfs.
The previous visit to the Kingdom was on the back of a Dragon, but this time, even though Star and Herne’s horses were powerful fliers they could not match the Dragon’s speed, so it took that much longer to fly over and around the countless mountain tops. They had to seek a safe cave to shelter for the night before setting off again at first light. It was a great relief when Shaun spotted the flat plateau tucked into the side of the Dwarfs’ mountain where the Dragon had dropped them off and Shaun steered Star down to land there, with Herne close behind. They wasted no time and dismounted. They led their horses down the track to the cave entrance and disappeared inside. They were greeted with loud cheers as they entered the forge; the workers put down their tools and surged forward towards their two visitors. They were followed by all the Dwarf warriors who raised Shaun up onto their shoulders, and after three failed attempts to lift Herne, they all burst into fits of laughter. Suddenly the whole cavern died into silence as the King’s door opened and King Dumall and his son Prince Duval stepped out, followed by the King’s brother Delross and his son Prince Dakro. They, too, wanted to be there to show their appreciation. They were heroes in the eyes of the Dwarfs, not only for leading them to victory over the Dark Wizard’s army, but also, before that, they had rescued King Delross from the Dark Wizard’s fortress.
Shaun had also saved the life of Prince Duval, and as a reward King Dumall had let Shaun take Thor’s magic hammer on their Quest. He was so taken by the humility of Shaun and the fact that he didn’t want any reward for himself, even though the King offered him anything he desired.
After a huge celebration and a banquet feast for all, the two Kings and their sons escorted their two visitors to the cave entrance. Prince Duval wrapped his arms around Shaun. ‘We will never forget you,’ he said, fighting back the tears.
King Delross wrapped his arms around Shaun and Herne. ‘I thank you again for saving my life. Not even our greatest warriors could have entered the Dark Wizard’s fortress to free me, yet you two succeeded.’
And finally King Dumall took Shaun to one side. ‘Remember, I still owe you so much for saving the life of my one and only precious son. My offer of anything you need or want: you only have to ask.’
The four royals, all now tearful, watched as Shaun and Herne stepped outside, mounted up and waved before galloping off up the track and soaring up, circling the mountain to wave one last time before disappearing over the mountain top, heading for their last visit to the enchanted forest.
It was early morning with the sun just beginning to rise above the mountain top, bathing them in its warm rays. There was just a light breeze which pushed the fluffy, white clouds along above them, and below was the most wonderful landscape of lush green valleys sweeping the mountain range with sparkling rivers and cascading waterfalls. But as they journeyed further, the terrain slowly changed: it was still mountainous but now covered in bushes and bracken with steep, craggy mountainsides, and the many tracks that snaked around the mountainsides were covered in loose shale and gravel.
Finally they reached the huge, wide gorge with the enchanted forest in view at the other side. They paused a moment to catch their breath before Shaun eased Star to the edge and they stepped off. Star took advantage of the uplift of the air and glided forward with Herne close behind, clinging onto his reins. He couldn’t resist a glance down, but once was enough: the thought of them tumbling down to the bottom sent shivers down his spine. It seemed to him like a never-ending horror ride, but finally as he landed he gave out a huge cry of relief. Shaun, who had already landed, laughed out loud. ‘Do you want to try a return trip? The more times you do it, the easier it becomes. The first time we came over it was on the back of an eagle. Gillie the Gnome arranged that.’ He paused a moment, ‘Oh, that reminds me: we must pay him a visit. I’m sure he will have wondered if we completed our quest and our encounter with the Trolls.’ He shook his reins and they trotted towards the forest again. They paused a moment and looked at each other before disappearing inside.
The forest was so dense. Fortunately, Shaun recognised the dirt track that Gillie had led them along, twisting and turning its way through in an eerie, dim light. It took all of Shaun’s concentration to follow the track; they had to dismount on account of the closely packed trees, with Herne using his axe to trim some o
f the overhanging branches so that he and the horses could squeeze through.
Finally, after a torrid journey, Shaun sighed with relief as he spotted the huge oak tree that housed Gillie and his family. Herne stood holding the reins of their two mounts while Shaun pushed his way through a row of bushes which surrounded the tree and grabbed one of the gnarled roots: the doorway appeared in the trunk. Shaun popped his head inside and shouted, ‘Gillie, are you there?! This is Shaun. Do you remember me?’
There were an awkward few moments of silence before Gillie appeared. His face cracked into a huge smile when he saw Shaun, and he wrapped his arms around him. ‘Oh it’s so good to see you alive and well. Me and my family have often wondered how our three little brave warriors fared on their quest.’ He grabbed Shaun’s arm. ‘Come, you must tell us your story, and if I remember, you won’t say no to a meal.’ He froze. His little eyes nearly popped out of his head as Herne suddenly appeared. ‘Don’t be alarmed, this is Herne, my close friend and protector. He helped us on our quest and in our latest battle against the Dark Wizard.’
‘Ah yes,’ replied Gillie. ‘I had heard of the conflict between the Dark Wizard and the Great Wizard, and so you were involved with that. You do like to live dangerously and certainly pick your foes: first the Trolls and then the Dark Wizard. They must be the two most feared inhabitants in Colgilor.’ He took Shaun’s arm. ‘Come and share a meal with me and my family, I’m sure they would love to hear your story.’ He turned to Herne. ‘You are welcome to join us if you can squeeze down our tunnel.’
Shaun laughed out loud. ‘I doubt very much if Herne could squeeze through the doorway, let alone along the tunnel, but I’m afraid we must hurry on, but I couldn’t pass by without saying hello.’
Gillie smiled and nodded before wrapping his arms around him. ‘You won’t be needing me to escort you through the forest. I doubt if any creature living here would consider attacking you while Herne is by your side.’ They all shared a laugh before Shaun and Herne led their horses away; they turned to wave before disappearing into the gloom of the forest ahead.
Even though it was early afternoon, the forest was so dense it blocked out most of the light. They struggled to make much progress so Herne led the way, using his axe to hack his way forward. When they reached the wide river with the narrow, rackety bridge arching across, Shaun stood and shook his head as it brought back bad memories. While on their quest they had tried to cross the bridge only to find the bridge turned into a river serpent before slipping down into the river, leaving Shaun, Louis and Ava struggling to stay afloat. But there was no problem this time as Star lifted off and flew to the other side with Herne following.
They continued on through the forest which was now thinning out, allowing the sun’s rays to filter through. They paused a moment when they reached the small glen overlooking the secret valley with the large lake in the centre which had been the home of the evil water demon that had controlled all the fauns and nymphs living there. The elders had thought it was a water spirit which would protect them, even though it demanded sacrifices, with many of the nymphs who lived in the lake disappearing. But when Shaun killed the monster the elders realised it was not their protector but an evil demon, and Shaun became a hero in their eyes.
So it was no surprise as Shaun and Herne rode down into the valley that word quickly spread, and the elders, fauns and nymphs rushed out to greet them. Nerisha the nymph, whom Shaun had saved from drowning when she was trapped under a large rock in a spring with the water rising and would surely have drowned, was the first to wrap her arms around him. ‘Oh it’s so good to see you,’ she said in her soft, gentle voice. ‘Me and my sister often talk about you.’
She was joined by Sateala, the leader of the Fauns, who had fought alongside Shaun in the battle with the Dark Wizard. The elders joined the joyous reunion when suddenly the valley was filled with the sound of thunderous hooves. Shaun turned to see Cabura and Creedor leading their herds of Centaurs, galloping down from the other end of the valley towards them.
The Chief Elder put his arm around Shaun. ‘The last time you were here you changed our lives forever by killing the evil water demon, but you were in too much of a hurry to move on. You did not allow us to celebrate your heroic feat. So we will not take no for an answer this time: we will all enjoy a special festival in your honour and you can stay overnight and leave in the morning.’
Shaun glanced towards Herne. ‘What do you say?’
Herne shook his head. ‘I can’t believe you are thinking of turning down a feast. Of course we will stay: it would be rude to refuse. I only hope they realise what a huge appetite you have.’ He paused a moment before continuing. ‘And this huge water demon, I’m surprised you didn’t just eat it.’ He threw back his head and roared with laughter, and the whole crowd joined in, with the sound of laughter reverberating up through the valley.
The following morning everyone turned out to see Shaun and Herne off. There were tears from Nerisha and her sister Nabula, and warm hugs from the Elder, Fauns and Centaurs before Shaun and Herne mounted up and rode out of the valley with the loud cheering ringing in their ears. They came to a halt when they reached the small glen, turned and waved before flying up and disappearing through the treetops and soaring over the forest, heading for the Grey Elf’s Castle.
When they landed at the rear of the castle they dismounted and Herne took Shaun up in his arms, hugging him so tightly, and for the first time tears flowed down his face. Shaun struggled to control his tears: he had never seen Herne so upset and probably Herne could not believe it either, but he had become so attached to this little visitor to Colgilor and the thought of never seeing him again was too much to bear. After nearly squeezing the life out of Shaun, he put him down and Shaun turned to Star, wrapping his arms around him. Star nuzzled him into his chest: even he seemed to have tears in his eyes. The three of them remained huddled together for several minutes before Herne mounted up, took hold of Star’s reins and trotted forward and then flying up into the bright blue sky. They circled above Shaun several times before turning, soaring up and heading back to the Magic Kingdom.
Once they had disappeared from view he turned towards the castle to see the Grey Elf waving from his balcony. Shaun smiled and waved as he strolled over to the castle gates.
The Grey Elf was expecting him and he had food prepared and set out in the dining room. Although Shaun was upset at the thought of never seeing all his friends again, he still managed to clear a few platefuls of food.
After they had finished, the Grey Elf took Shaun down though the labyrinth of tunnels and passageways to the large cave that housed his magic room with only the eerie light of several flaming torches hanging on the stone walls.
They sat down on a stone bench at the far end of the cave behind the smoked glass screen etched with strange symbols, and on the floor a square was marked out with the large portal standing in the centre.
The Grey Elf turned to Shaun. ‘Is this when we say goodbye for the final time? If you are sure you intend to return home, then all you have to do is step through the portal.’ He paused for a moment. ‘But it would be a sad day for all the inhabitants of our beautiful land. You have achieved so much while you have been here, and won the hearts and respect of all our kingdoms.’
Shaun fought back his tears. ‘I know and it will be a sad day for me as I have made so many good friends here, and of course I have to leave my closest friend, Ava. She is so such more than a friend. When we are apart I feel half of me is missing.’ He couldn’t control his emotions any longer as he wiped away his tears. ‘And I had promised her I could go and see her again to tell her my final decision, but I don’t think I can do that, so can I ask you to tell her how sorry I am and how hard it has been for me to leave her?’
The Grey Elf ran his hands through his long, white beard, a sorrowful expression on his face. ‘I don’t think you should do that: it is the coward’s way and as you have proved over and over you are no coward. If
you can’t bear to meet her then at least talk to her. I can open up the portal to the Elves’ kingdom and you can give her the bad news face to face.’ Again he paused. ‘I tell you what we shall do: stay the night and you can speak to her in the morning. I will contact Princes Elba and arrange for her to have Ava ready to speak with you over the portal. It will give you time to decide what you will say to her and be sure you are doing the right thing.’
Shaun nodded his head reluctantly. He knew it was better to tell her face to face, but in his heart he knew it would make it so much harder. The Grey Elf rose to his feet, put his arm around Shaun and escorted him out of the cave. They walked back through the tunnels to his bedroom in total silence, and once inside he sat in a chair, his head in his hands, going over and over how best to break the sad news. And even when he eventually bedded down, he tossed and turned hour after hour, going through the whole night without a wink of sleep.
He was relieved when the Grey Elf knocked and entered the room. ‘Are you ready? My Elves have prepared a meal and then you can speak with Ava. Princess Elba will bring her to the portal.’
War in Colgilor Page 18