The four of them made their way through the dark forest. Ariel made no sound as she moved among the trees and underbrush. Geoff, Sawyer, and Jane did make noise, however. A lot. The moon had disappeared behind thick clouds, so they stumbled over moss-covered rocks and tree roots. Geoff wished he hadn’t forgotten his torch in the ruined keep.
As silent as she was, Ariel was also much faster than they were. She had to stop on several occasions and wait for them to catch up. Geoff noticed she continuously scanned the forest around them for any unseen enemies.
It wasn’t long before the sounds of the stream had faded and they came upon a clearing.
Ariel suddenly stopped and grabbed Geoff’s arm.
“Get down,” she whispered as she crouched in the darkness, pulling Geoff down with her. Sawyer and Jane did as she said; their breathing was the only sound. Then Geoff realized what had concerned Ariel. The forest was quiet. Too quiet.
“What is it?” asked Jane.
Ariel held a slender finger up to her lips “Shh. We are not alone.”
She pointed to a glade just ahead. Emerging from the trees on the other side of the clearing were larger, dark, apelike shapes.…
“More goblins?” asked Sawyer.
“Orcs,” whispered Ariel as she narrowed her eyes. “What are they doing here? They have never dared to venture so deeply into these woods before.”
“What the hell is an orc?” asked Sawyer.
As they watched, the dark, brutish figures spread out and started to search the tall grass of the moonlit glade. Their arms were thick and muscular and their faces looked more
humanlike than the goblins.
“What are they doing?” whispered Jane.
“They are hunting us,” Ariel answered as she turned and looked at Geoff.
Geoff trembled. His skin tingled with goose bumps and his heart thumped in his chest.
“Us?” asked Jane. “Why are they hunting us?”
Sawyer tightened his grip his spear and asked, “Can we take them?”
Ariel shook her head. “No. There are too many. Orcs are much stronger than goblins. We must leave before they catch our scent.”
Ariel slowly backed up while remaining crouched. The others did likewise. When they were far enough away from the glade they changed direction, giving the orcs a wide berth. As best as Geoff could tell by looking at the moon, they were making their way north along the tree line between clearings. Ariel was in front, followed by Geoff and Jane, then Sawyer. Once they had traveled for nearly a mile they came to another clearing.
It was a large clearing and in the moonlight they could see tall grass and a thousand tiny flashes of light that flitted about in the meadow.
“Look at all the fireflies,” said Geoff.
The insects flying about flashing their tiny lights created a surreal appearance.
Ariel stopped again and crouched. Geoff and the others did so as well, not knowing what unseen dangers lurked ahead.
“What is it? What do you see?” asked Jane.
Ariel shook her head. “Nothing, but we must hurry across this meadow. We will lose too much time if we try to go around it. Be careful; we are vulnerable in the open.”
“Vulnerable to what? Orcs? Goblins?” asked Jane.
“Everything,” answered Ariel as she stood up, hands on her weapons.
“We are vulnerable to everything tonight.”
“Where are we going?” asked Jane.
“The nearest human village is over the next ridge,” Ariel said as she pointed across the clearing.
“Cool,” said Sawyer. “This place would be alright if it wasn’t so spooky and full of bad guys.”
“Yeah,” said Geoff.
“Shh. Orcs are relentless and have a keen sense of smell. They can easily track us in the dark. We must hurry.”
They set out across the meadow as fast as they dared run, following Ariel. The moon illuminated their way, making it easier for Geoff, Sawyer, and Jane to cover more ground. The grass and wildflowers grew as high as their knees and slowed everyone but Ariel.
Geoff, being the smallest, had a more difficult time keeping up with the others. More than once he stumbled as he ran through the tall grass. They were nearly halfway across the meadow when Ariel stopped and held out her arm for them to stop. Geoff kept his eyes on Ariel, who slowly and silently drew her scimitars and crouched down. Geoff crouched beside her.
“What now?” he whispered. He noticed the muscles in her forearms were taut and she was coiled like a spring. Then he smelled a disgusting, fetid odor and he thought he heard footsteps approaching. He turned and looked at Jane and Sawyer. Jane was holding her nose from the stench.
As he turned back to Ariel, a large, brutish figure suddenly sprang up just in front of them with a massive two-handed battle-axe. The orc was taller and more powerfully built than a man, with skin that was dark green-gray. It had large teeth, which looked more like tusks to Geoff. A helmet adorned with ram’s horns and a thick mane of long black hair covered most of its head. It wore pieces of different types of armor, which added to its grotesque appearance. The armbands and chest and breeches were made of stitched leather, and the shoulders, helmet, and gloves were constructed of plate.
It raised its axe high overhead and let out an awful roar.
Ariel leapt forward and whirled, slashing its midsection with her scimitars. The orc was stunned. It gasped and dropped its axe. Then it covered its wounds with its hands and crumpled to the ground. As it fell, Geoff saw the shapes of two more similarly armed orcs bearing down on them. Ariel crossed her scimitars in front of her and uttered, “Tae’nalara!” and the closest oncoming attacker was violently thrown backward, sailing through the night air and landing with a loud crash almost thirty feet away.
The second orc rushed at Ariel and swung his axe at her right side. Ariel ducked the blow. As she did so she slashed at the legs of her opponent. It howled in pain and dropped to its knees. Ariel’s next blow was across its neck, silencing any further sounds except the gurgling sound it made before it fell to the ground.
Geoff had not moved; he was shocked by what he had just seen.
“Hurry. The others will be here soon,” said Ariel.
“Oh, no,” said Geoff as he pointed to at least a dozen or more orcs coming toward them from the forest.
Chapter Seven
Journey to Silverthorne Manor
Each of the approaching orcs looked to be almost seven feet tall and carried wicked-looking serrated axes and swords. Like the first orc, they were clad in mismatched armor. The moonlight that illuminated the flowers in the glade ignored them. The orcs appeared to be wild black shapes amid the blue, white, and purple hues of the wildflowers.
“Guys, we’ve got to get out of here!” said Jane from her crouching position. She grabbed Sawyer’s sleeve and gave it a sharp tug.
“Now,” she said. “Let’s go!”
“Holy crap,” said Sawyer. “They’re huge.”
Jane looked at Sawyer, who didn’t move. Why isn’t he moving? Thought Jane. He seemed to be in awe at the oncoming shapes. She punched him in the arm. Sawyer grabbed his arm and looked at her.
“Now!” said Jane.
Sawyer sprang to his feet.
“Run back the way we came,” said Ariel. “Hurry!”
Jane jumped up and started running back to the forest. Sawyer and Geoff were right behind her. As they ran, Jane looked over her shoulder at Ariel. She had knelt on one knee and was chanting Bar’athel envora repeatedly as she watched the grass and trees sway in the night breeze.
The orcs spotted the teenagers almost immediately and charged across the meadow, but as they gained on Sawyer, Jane, and Geoff their sprint slowed and then halted when they reached the middle
of the clearing. The attackers’ legs had become wrapped and entangled by an overgrowth of grass, weeds, and flowers.
The orcs roared in anger as they strained and struggled to free themselves. They tried to cut and hack their way out of their grassy trap, but whenever they chopped away the entangling greenery more arose and wrapped around them. Ariel stopped chanting. She grabbed her weapons and ran after the others. She caught up with them as they reached the tree line.
“The entangling growth won’t hold them for long. We must hurry,” she urged.
Jane turned and looked behind at the struggling orcs.
“Oh wow! What did you do?” she asked.
Ariel shook her head. “We have some time, but the spell will eventually wane and the orcs will be freed.”
“How did you do that?” asked Jane.
“Forest magic,” said Ariel. “Hurry.”
As Ariel led them deeper into the forest, Jane could still hear the orcs trying to free themselves, but their grunts and screams subsided with every step they took.
“Where are we going?” asked Jane.
“I know of a safe place. A grove. Evil pursues you, and I do not know why.” Ariel looked at Geoff for a moment. Jane noticed her glance and frowned. Why is she looking at Geoff?
“Oh, and what was that thing in the keep that attacked Geoff?” asked Jane.
Ariel did not answer. She continued rushing them through the forest. All three suffered scrapes and small cuts as they pushed through the undergrowth.
“Well?” said Jane, who was determined to have her question answered.
“Look,” said Sawyer, “we just wanna get home. We don’t know what’s happening. This is all weird as hell.”
“Yes,” said Ariel. “It is strange because orcs and goblins would never dare to venture so deep into this forest. Something compels them. As for you returning home? If what you have told me is true, if a wizard’s key brought you here, then only a wizard’s key can send you back.”
“What he’s trying to say,” said Jane as she brushed past a sapling, “is we don’t have unicorns or goblins or magic where we come from. We shouldn’t be here at all. It was an accident. We don’t belong here. So if you can help us we would really appreciate it. I bet our parents have the police looking for us by now.”
“Home. The sooner the better,” Sawyer said.
“I cannot return you to your home,” said Ariel. “As I already told you, the best I can do is take you to the nearest human village. Once there, the lord or magistrate can decide what to do with you.”
“Magistrate? Lord? Medieval villages and towns had those,” said Geoff. “Did we go back in time?”
They waited for an answer from Ariel, but again no answer was forthcoming; she simply continued to lead them into the dark forest. Something in Ariel’s voice and manner struck Jane as aloof, perhaps even self-centered. She opened her mouth to say this to Ariel but stopped. Whether she liked this strange elf-girl or not, Ariel was leading them to where other people were located. And more important, she was leading them away from danger. Jane shivered a little as she walked.
In addition to her fears, Jane was beginning to feel overwhelmed by the events she had witnessed. Who would ever believe her? What would they say to their parents?
Somewhere far behind them came a bloodcurdling howl that pierced the night. Ariel whirled around, her green eyes searching the trees.
“What the hell was that?” asked Sawyer as he tightened his grip on the spear he carried.
“A wolf,” Ariel said. “A very dangerous wolf.”
“A wolf? Are you sure? We have wolves back home, but I don’t think they sound like that,” said Geoff.
“I doubt you have wolves like this,” said Ariel as she knelt down on one knee, placing a palm on the ground. Jane opened her mouth to ask her what she was doing when Ariel spoke.
“Stand back. I am trying to conceal our trail.”
“Udair’lalnaron ethel tonari,” chanted Ariel. As they watched in the moonlight, their footprints disappeared, broken limbs and twigs repaired themselves, and plants that were trampled underfoot straightened themselves.
“Cool!” said Geoff.
“We must hurry,” said Ariel. “Our trail is masked, but not our scent.”
“How much farther?” asked Geoff.
“Not far. You will be able to rest and eat,” said Ariel.
Jane realized they hadn’t eaten for most of the day. She felt a hunger pang as she ran.
“I wish you hadn’t mentioned eating,” Jane said. “My stomach is starting to growl.”
“Same here,” agreed Sawyer.
“Me too,” said Geoff.
“This way,” said Ariel as she led them further into the forest and into a thick copse of trees.
Jane saw a faint glow ahead through the trees. It wasn’t an eerie glow; it was more like a warm, welcoming light. The sweet scent of wildflowers wafted over her. It reminded her of the colorful flower-laden meadow they found themselves in when they had awakened. She heard a babbling brook as they trotted toward the friendly glow.
A few minutes later they emerged into a tranquil grove. Jane, Sawyer, and Geoff all stood awestruck. The grove was almost fifty feet in diameter and ringed with apple, pear, peach, plum, and cherry trees. There were also raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries scattered here and there.
The grove had an upward slope with what looked like a round dais supporting a large stone bowl. A small waterfall trickled from the base of the hill and filled a crystal clear, rock-lined pool. Everywhere the grass was thick and littered with flowers.
“This must be what paradise looks like,” said Geoff.
“Yeah,” said Sawyer. “Paradise.”
“You are safe here,” said Ariel. “Eat your fill and drink from the pool. You will find the water refreshing.” Ariel walked up the hill to the dais and bowl. Jane thought she heard her mutter something that sounded like an incantation, but Sawyer was making too much noise picking apples for Jane to fully hear.
“So we don’t need to boil the water before we drink it?” asked Sawyer.
“No,” said Ariel.
“Mmhmm. That’s what I thought,” said Sawyer, glancing sideways at Geoff and Jane.
“What is this place?” Jane asked.
Ariel turned her attention to Jane, “This is a druid grove. Every druid is the caretaker of a forest and within each forest druids have groves like this one. This is a sacred place. Only the purest of souls may enter.”
Sawyer chomped down on a large juicy apple. “So does that mean we’re all pure? I mean, we’re here, right?”
“In your case, I have made an exception,” said Ariel.
Jane smiled and giggled under her breath. Then she saw from the look on Ariel’s face that she was serious.
“Here, Jane. Try these,” said Geoff as he held out a handful of the most succulent raspberries Jane had ever seen. She popped one in her mouth. The sweet, juicy taste was simply delightful. Jane rolled her eyes in approval. “Mmm. That is the best raspberry ever!”
“I know, right?” Geoff said while he handed the rest to Jane. Jane eagerly ate a few more delicious raspberries. Sawyer and Geoff went to every tree, bush, and vine collecting what amounted to a feast. Jane picked a few blackberries herself, then she stopped and looked around. The moonlight shone directly on the grove. It’s almost like daylight here, she thought. The stars overhead shone brightly and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky.
“Everything here is perfect,” said Jane, addressing Ariel. “How’s that possible?”
“As I just said, I am the caretaker of this forest, Spirewood Forest. This is my grove. My magic sustains this forest and everything in it. I protect it.”
“Well,” said Sawye
r, who was finishing off the last bit of his apple, “looks like you haven’t been doing a good job. I mean, your forest is full of goblins, wolves, and those big orc dudes.”
Jane looked at Ariel. She was sure Sawyer’s comment would draw her ire, but she only nodded.
“And what’s to stop the orcs and wolves from walking right in here and attacking us?” Sawyer helped himself to a pear, tossing it in the air and catching it.
“Forest magic. Evil cannot set foot in a sacred grove,” explained Ariel. “There are powerful incantations and blessings in place to prevent that.”
“Okaaay,” said Sawyer. “Forest magic for the win!” He took a bite from the pear.
“Alluria is on the verge of tearing itself apart. War is coming. I fear a dark age is nearly upon us. If what you have said is true, then you have come to this world at the wrong time.”
“Tell me about it,” Sawyer said.
“Alluria? What is Alluria?” asked Jane.
The elf tilted her head slightly and raised an eyebrow. “Alluria is this world, the world in which we live.”
Jane, Sawyer, and Geoff fell silent and sat in the grass around Ariel, nibbling on their harvest.
“I was tracking the goblin raiding party when I happened upon you. The three of you had already defeated the goblins when I arrived.”
“It’s a good thing you did,” said Jane. “Otherwise, the unicorn would have died.”
“What was the giant that grabbed me and stole our key?” asked Geoff. “You never did answer Jane.”
Jane nodded and looked at Ariel. Ariel sighed and thought for a moment. “You should know that most druids are peaceful, compassionate, and strive to maintain a balance with nature,” she said. “I suspect what we saw tonight was a druid who has been corrupted. A dark druid.”
Jane watched Ariel as her gaze drifted downward and the look on her face was no longer stoic. She looked sad, she thought. She isn’t telling us everything.
Wizard's Key (The Darkwolf Saga Book 1) Page 8