Arboria

by Anthony Stefano

  Hope went to join Alexander and Meredith by the shed, near the entrance into the forest.

  “Is everything okay? You look angry.”

  “I think I’m going to cut my sister’s tongue out one day.” Alexander and Meredith exchanged a smile.

  Alexander woke up very early the next day. The mysterious disappearances of the Countess and Jonathan were whirling around in his head. He skipped breakfast and went straight down to the cellar.

  “If there is a secret passage in this house,” he told himself, “it must be down here.”

  Unfortunately, he found nothing of interest. The cellar was small and the walls were stone; he inspected every side but discovered nothing. He climbed back up the steps towards the kitchen when he heard his stomach crying hunger.

  “Well?” Meredith asked.

  “Well, what?”

  “Did you find the secret passage?”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Come on Alexander, I’m not an idiot. You weren’t at breakfast and you spent the whole morning in the cellar, which is not the most pleasant place in the house to go and play.”

  “Alright,” he said, “I didn’t find anything. I wonder if it’s not just some story made up to attract tourists. Where have Hope and Amy gone?”

  “They’re near the tree house. Come on, let’s go and find them.”

  They followed the path into the woods. The weather had turned somewhat that day, and the sun had given way to showers and wind.

  “All this mud!” said Meredith, lifting up her shoe.

  “Shh, do you hear that?”

  “It sounds like an argument. Let’s hurry.”

  “That’s enough, leave us alone!” said Hope in a commanding voice.

  “I’ll stop when I want to,” said Karen.

  “What’s going on?” asked Alexander.

  “It’s Karen, she stole my doll,” said Amy.

  “I didn’t steal it you little creep, it’s here, look,” she said, holding the doll out in her hand.

  “Give her back the doll, Karen,” Alexander said.

  “You’re no fun at all. Do you want the doll? Then go and get it!” She threw the doll into the woods and turned her back with an air of pride before setting off in the direction of the house.

  “I hate her,” said Hope.

  “I don’t think you’re the only one,” said Meredith.

  “I want my doll!”

  “Don’t worry, I’ll go and find it for you,” said Alexander.

  “You’re not really going to, I hope,” said Meredith.

  “Why not?”

  “My father told us not to go beyond the tree of thanks. Karen threw it so far on purpose; it’s dangerous.”

  “Just stay here and wait for me.”

  “I’m going with you,” said Hope.

  “Me too,” said her sister.

  “Okay, okay, but let’s not go too far from the tree house,” said Meredith.

  It was not without some sense of foreboding that the children ran off and into the forbidden part of the forest. They searched for the doll in vain and Amy started to cry more and more; she was inconsolable.

  “We’ll find it,” said Alexander, trying to reassure her.

  “Let’s stop here,” said Meredith, “I don’t think she could have thrown it this far.”

  “Meredith is right, Alexander. Let’s go back the way we came.”

  “My doll...” said Amy, tears in her eyes.

  “Look, a squirrel!” Meredith exclaimed.

  “And it found my doll!” said Amy happily.

  “Let’s go and get it,” said Alexander.

  “It’s running away with my doll!” Amy cried, and she started running to catch up with the little thief.

  “No, come back!” said Alexander in a panic.

  They all rushed after her, dodging branches and brambles on the ground. The squirrel fled and crossed through a kind of archway made by two huge trees with their uppermost branches intertwined. All the children ran through the trees, passing between the two trunks without a moment of care and oblivious that, from that moment on, their lives would change forever.

  CHAPTER 3: A STRANGE NEW FRIEND

  “Do you see it?” asked Alexander.

  “No, it’s gone.”

  “My doll,” Amy whined.

  “There it is!” said Alexander, pointing to it.

  He rushed toward the squirrel and leapt forward only to tumble to the ground, narrowly missing it.

  “I’ll get you,” said Alexander, rubbing his sleeves to dislodge all the dead leaves stuck to his jumper.

  The squirrel led them further and further into the forest which was growing thicker and thicker. A sudden gust of wind swept across the ground, and a chilling female voice echoed in the air: “Inesca terima ipsi canesura”. The sun disappeared and night fell in an instant. The atmosphere of the forest changed dramatically. The place suddenly seemed hostile, as if danger was lurking just around the corner.

  “Is everything alright?” asked Alexander in a frightened voice.

  “What’s going on?” asked Hope.

  “I don’t know. It was the middle of the day and now it’s night.”

  “I’m scared,” said Amy, clinging to Alexander’s leg.

  “Do you hear that?” said Meredith.

  A deafening sound came from the sky as if a comet was splitting the air.

  “Hide! They’ll see you!” said a little voice in a bush behind them.

  Three shooting stars darted through the darkness at a blinding speed. The frightened children scrambled to hide behind a rock. The shooting stars disappeared a few moments later, leaving a trail of white smoke behind them like an aeroplane and its chemtrails. Suddenly, daylight returned and brightness flooded the forest once more, making it appear more welcoming. A dwarf emerged from a small bush and stepped towards the children.

  “We escaped,” he said.

  “Who are you?” asked Meredith.

  “My name is Golmuth,” the dwarf said with a bow. “Are you human? I have never seen any that were so small; we are almost the same size,” he said as he stood next to Alexander to compare. “On the other hand, you are all so much thinner.”

  Alexander looked at the dwarf. “Are dwarfs not humans too?”

  “Excuse me, sir, but I’m a bit lost,” said Meredith. “Do you live in these woods?”

  “Oh no, little lady, I do not live here.”

  Hope let out a sigh of relief.

  “My village is just a stone’s throw away. And you? What are you all doing in this forest?”

  “We were following a squirrel that stole my doll.”

  “What is a doll?” Golmuth said gently to Amy.

  “It’s a toy,” answered Hope.

  “What is a toy?”

  The children looked at each other sceptically.

  “You are all strangely dressed for humans. Which town are you from? Aronia, Lumenzia? High-View?”

  “I don’t know those towns. We’re from Durbuy, from the little house at the entrance to the forest.”

  “I have known this forest for many long years, but I have never seen a human house and... by the great stone of Rocaille, are you spies for the Sorceress?”

  Golmuth took a step back and drew the axe that was hanging on his back.

  “No, mister dwarf, wait,” said Alexander, “we are not spies and we don’t know any sorceresses.”

  “Liar,” said the dwarf, and he brandished his axe in the air.

  “Wait!” cried Hope, “we are not spies, we’re just children and we’re lost. Look, here is my ID card.”

  Golmuth lowered his axe and took the little card in his hand.

  “By the great stone of Rocaille! What is this?” he said, examining the little plastic card. “What a horrible face.” Hope blushed and snatched her card back from Golmuth.

  “Can I see?” asked Alexander.

  “Of course not. It’s personal, and it’s an
old photograph,” said Hope, embarrassed.

  “It would be better if we went back now,” said Meredith, “our parents will be worried that we’ve gone.”

  “Can you help us find our way, Golmuth?” asked Alexander.

  “There is no house in these woods. There is only forest in Arboria and the nearest human village is in Lumenzia.”

  “Arboria?”

  “You are very accommodating for humans. Humans are usually more hostile and cruel. They are in the pay of the Black Sorceress.”

  “I’m starting to worry,” said Meredith.

  “Golmuth, you know we’re in Belgium, don’t you?”

  “No, we are in Arboria,” the dwarf answered. “I’ve never heard the name of that place before.”

  Golmuth suddenly grew very nervous. “Wait a moment, you don’t mean you come from the other side?”

  “The other side?” asked Alexander.

  “Yes, the other side. But if you are from over there, then how the devil did you come to be over here?”

  “We were following a squirrel that stole my doll.”

  “And that’s it?”

  “Yes, and now we have to go back. Will you help us?”

  “With pleasure,” said the dwarf, “but it would be better if you came with me to my village. They might come back.”

  “Who might?” asked Hope.

  “The henchmen of the Sorceress: Zago, Meyffrey and the most terrible of the three, Zgard.”

  “You mean that the three shooting stars we saw in the sky...”

  “They were no stars. They were the lackeys of the Black Sorceress. They were looking for someone in particular. She uses a magic spell to turn day into night so that her henchmen can move around; daylight burns their skin.”

  “They’re vampires,” said Amy, terrified.

  “I don’t know what a vampire is.”

  “Why don’t you trust humans?” asked Alexander.

  “You should know that the humans who escaped the battle of Kherr pledged allegiance to the Black Sorceress. The rest are dead. That is why we do not trust humans. Come, we mustn’t stay here, night will fall soon.”

  Hope grabbed Alexander by the arm and whispered in his ear: “We’re not really going to follow him, are we, Alexander?”

  “Do you have a better idea? I’m all ears.”

  Hope shook her head.

  “Let’s get moving,” said Golmuth, “it is not far from here.”

  The children followed the dwarf through the forest. The sun dipped towards the horizon and a light breeze picked up. The trees began to sway and a shiver ran down Amy’s neck. She grasped Alexander’s hand. The children and the dwarf walked for a long while until the path finally broke into a clearing where two enormous stones stood before them.

  “Here we are. Welcome to Between-Two-Rocks,” said the dwarf. The children looked at the funny little village. They had never seen anything like it. There was a pathway, sort of dirt track, between the two huge rocks, and the stones were covered in holes carved on all sides and which served as homes for the dwarfs. All of the holes were plugged with beautifully decorated wooden doors and windows. The wood had clearly been carved at the owner’s personal preference because no two patterns were alike.

  “Come, I will introduce you to our chief, he will know what to do.”

  Unfortunately, the welcome they received was much colder than they had expected. The dwarfs watched them pass and whispered amongst themselves. Alexander felt that they were not happy to see them. Hope tried not to meet any of the dwarfs’ eyes and instead looked at the village around her. There were lots of items made entirely out of wood. The dwarfs’ windows were carved three or sometimes four levels up the side of the rock.

  “This way,” said Golmuth.

  They arrived before a huge wooden door. Golmuth knocked twice and stepped back. A dwarfen soldier dressed in wooden armour opened the door and let them inside and they stepped into a long corridor burrowing deep into the stone.

  “Wow!” Meredith exclaimed. “This is really grand.”

  The throne room had been hollowed out of the rock just like the rest of the village, but the decorative panelling had been sculpted from wood.

  “It doesn’t look anything like a cave, it’s more like a castle,” Hope said with wonder.

  The dwarfen chief was sitting in his throne and seemed to be sleeping peacefully.

  “My lord... MY LORD!”

  “Huh, heh, what?” he said as he woke. He stared at the children with astonishment.

  “Sound the alarm, the humans are attacking! Alarm!”

  “Be calm,” said Golmuth, “these are my friends.”

  “You? Friends? Humans? Guards!”

  “Yes, my lord?” said the guards.

  “Why did you let them in?” the chief asked, clearly disturbed.

  “They asked to be let in.”

  “I’m surrounded by incompetents,” said the chief, tugging at his hair.

  “I’m not a soldier,” said the guard, “I’m a woodcutter,” and he threw his armour to the ground and left the room. Everyone stood speechless at the guard’s reaction.

  “My lord, do not be afraid of us. It is true we are humans but we are not like the humans you know. We come from Durbuy and we got lost in the forest when we were chasing a squirrel.”

  “Do you mean you came from the other side?” the chief asked.

  “Exactly,” said Golmuth.

  “Incredible, it has been so long since the last visitor from the other side came to Arboria. I think it was about fifty years ago.”

  “And how did these visitors manage to leave?” asked Meredith impatiently.

  “Well, he was a visitor at first, but he ended up staying with us for years.”

  The expression on the children’s faces fell.

  “Can you help us get back to our world?”

  “I will summon the village this evening in order to find a solution.”

  “Thank you,” said the children.

  The chief stood up on his throne and said, “by my word as Eolmuth, I will help you to go home” and then he tumbled head-first off the throne.

  “I think he’s weird,” said Amy after they had left the room.

  “I just hope he keeps his word,” Alexander replied.

  A few hours later, all the dwarfs had gathered around a large fire at the centre of the village, at the spot where the space between the two rocks was the greatest. Huge branches burned in the flames and one of the dwarfs was addressing the gathering. It was at that moment that the children arrived, accompanied by Golmuth. The other dwarfs immediately fell silent and Eolmuth spoke.

  “Come, children. Sit by the fire.”

  Eolmuth called for the attention of the gathering and began telling a very strange story.

  “As you know, a long time ago – a very long time – a man arrived, distraught, in our village. He was curiously dressed, he had a helmet made of metal and carried a fire-spitter. We welcomed him. That man showed us that humans could be good and loyal. Some years later, he told us that he had not been born in Arboria, but in another land. He did not know how he had come here. Even though he had been trained in war, he never showed the slightest sign of violence or hostility against us.”

  All of the dwarfs without exception showed their agreement with a nod of the head.

  “Today, these children have come from that same world. They need our help in order to return to their own land. Their parents miss them very much. Should we leave them helpless in this world that is not their own?”

  “We cannot trust them,” said a few voices in the crowd.

  “Come now, friends, do we dare to let these children wander the forest by themselves?”

  “They are spies for the Sorceress,” said some other voices.

  “We must help them find Werner Gravenstein,” said Eolmuth in an attempt to calm the gathering. “He alone knows how to return to the other world.”

  “No!” said a
dwarf. “The humans want to destroy Arboria. For years they have been cutting down trees and killing animals for food. They are predators, while we grow crops and care for the animals. The humans are not like us, they are liars and deceivers.”

  Eolmuth looked at the ground and a look of defeat crept over his face.

  “I trust them,” said Golmuth. Eolmuth smiled. “I will travel with them across Arboria in search of Werner Gravenstein.”

  “Who opposes?” asked Eolmuth.

  Nobody answered.

  “In that case, Golmuth, go to the town of Rocaille. There you will find a dwarf by the name of Silmaril; he knows where to find Werner.”

  Golmuth accepted with a nod.

  “Let it be so. You leave tomorrow morning.”

  The children thanked Golmuth. He led them into his little home burrowed into the stone.

  “You live here?” said Alexander, running his hand over the polished stone of the interior walls.

  “Yes, it is my home. It took me ten years to carve out all these walls and only two to dig the hole into the rock.” Golmuth went to the fireplace and lit a fire. Hope, Amy and Meredith stood by the flames to warm up and the air inside quickly reached a comfortable temperature.

  “Is Rocaille far away?” asked Alexander.

  “We will have to walk for several days.”

  “Tell us about Arboria,” said Meredith.

  “Oh yes, please,” said Amy.

  “Arboria is what we call our region. It stretches out to Avengard, the Sorceress’ castle in the north, and to Kratoa in the south. Kratoa is an underground city where thousands of gnomes live. Nobody knows exactly where it is; the gnomes are very secretive and they can take any appearance they like. We don’t have much contact with them; they are masters of the art of illusion and are fairly tricky. To the northwest is Vulcania, a city inside a volcano, and to the northeast is Sylum, the city of ice. We wood dwarfs mainly live here in Between-Two-Rocks and the rock dwarfs live at Rocaille. Once upon a time, there was peace in Arboria, but all that changed when the Sorceress arrived.”

  “Tell us about this Sorceress, who is she?” asked Alexander.

  “Nobody really knows where she came from. Legend says that she was wandering alone in the forest and was rescued by the Generata.”