“Let us return to the cliff. We must find a way down that keeps you from wandering too far from our boundaries.”
The cliff was steep and dangerous. They had to travel nearly a mile to find a spot they felt was safe enough to travel.
“Let us return to the village and gather supplies for your journey,” Mirabella said. They would need food, water and supplies to aid Rom.
As Mirabella watched them pack the saddlebag, sadness filled her. Rom was in need, but she felt such guilt and sadness in the knowledge that she was sending a child on a journey that was far beyond her age.
Ambrosia sat on the ground and watched the activity from a distance. She refused to let her fear show for Rom needed her to be strong.
“Are you certain that you want to do this Ambrosia?” Mirabella asked startling her.
“I am sure. You don’t have to worry about me. Majik will protect me.”
“Ambrosia, you do understand that once you cross over the Mystical Forests boundaries Majik will lose all of his powers. In the human world he will only be a horse.”
“I understand,” Ambrosia assured her, but Mirabella could sense that her news had taken her by surprise.
Majik joined them, his saddlebags packed with supplies. Ambrosia climbed onto his back and smiled down at Mirabella. “Please don’t worry,” Ambrosia said. “I won’t let you down, I promise.”
Mirabella watched with a heavy heart as they descended the mountain.
* * * *
Daniel McDonald had spent the last two days calling everyone he knew in search of Ambrosia. Without her, he could not continue to get to the insurance money from Amber’s death. He got a monthly severance for Ambrosia’s care.
He slammed down the phone after another failed call. He stormed down the hallway and shoved open her door. There had to be something in her room that would help him figure out where she had gone.
Daniel McDonald tore the blankets from her bed and threw them onto a pile on the floor. They were followed by the mattress and box springs, nothing.
He turned over her toy box kicking her toys apart sending unicorns and stuffed kittens across the room. He turned to the closet pulling her clothes from their hangers. In a rage, he threw her books off their shelves, the covers filled with fairies and princesses, again nothing. He returned to the closet and spotted a box that he remembered Amber giving her resting on the closet floor. He pulled it out and removed its lid.
The box was full of pictures of Amber and Ambrosia, drawings and other girly stuff. He went through the box tossing things of no use.
On the bottom of the box a large drawing rested. It appeared to be a map that Ambrosia had taken much time and care in making. The map had “The Mystical Forest” written across the top.
“The Mystical Forest,” he said aloud. He put the map down. Why did that sound so familiar to him? He paced the room for a moment or two before it hit him. “That darn book.” After searching her room for the book and not finding it, he picked up the map and headed back to the kitchen.
He immediately dialed Amber’s mother’s number.
“Hello.”
“Hi, Sara it’s Daniel.”
“Daniel, is Ambrosia all right.”
“Yes, she is fine. She lost that book she loves so much and I want to get her another one, but I just can’t remember the name of it.”
“Oh dear, she does so love that book. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read it to her. It is called “Majik the Black Unicorn” by a Tammy Marie Rose.”
Daniel wrote it all down. “Thank you, Sara,” he said hanging up before she could reply. He grabbed his coat and wallet as he headed out the door.
He had to stop at three bookstores before he found a copy. He flipped through its pages looking for anything that might give him a clue to where she could have gone. Nothing in the book helped him. On the back cover, the author’s photo stared up at him. Her bio said she was from Clay County, West Virginia. Daniel punched it into his GPS. It was a little less than two hours away.
Daniel filled the car up with gas, bought a twelve pack and headed for Clay County.
* * * *
As Ambrosia and Majik reached the bottom of the mountain, Daniel McDonald was pulling into the long driveway of Ambrosia’s favorite author.
He picked up the copy of the book and checked his hair in the mirror. He grabbed a piece of gum to cover the scent of beer. He put on his best smile and got out of the car. Several dogs greeted him. He all most returned to his car, but their wagging tails told him he was in no danger.
Daniel knocked on the front door. The author herself answered the door. She looked just like her author photo, just a bit older. She had a blonde haired girl with a big smile on her hip. “Can I help you?” she asked
“Mrs. Rose?”
“Yes.”
“I apologize for the intrusion, but my daughter is your biggest fan. Her birthday is in a couple days and I was hoping that you could sign this copy of your book for her. It would make her so happy.”
Tammy smiled at him. “I’d love to,” she put the little girl down. “Honey, go play with your sister for just a minute.” She watched the little girl go.
“I appreciate this so much. You are going to make her whole day,” he said as he handed her the book and a pen.
“What is her name?”
“Ambrosia, she’ll be eleven.”
“What a beautiful name,” she said as she signed the book. She handed the book back to him. “Please tell her happy birthday for me.”
“I will. Thank you. Can I ask you something about the book?”
“Sure.”
“Ambrosia is always asking me where the Mystical Forest is. How can I answer that?”
Tammy laughed, “That is the question I am asked quite often by the kids. I always tell them that when I was young my family would visit Dolly Sods and that it is in the forest surrounding that. If you have ever been to Dolly Sods, you’d understand. It is so beautiful there, but strange in a very special way. Whenever we visited I always got the feeling it was magical. So when I wrote the story I pictured Dolly Sods in my mind as its back drop.”
“Thank you again,” he said as he backed down the steps. He waved at her as he headed back to the car. He threw the car into reverse and headed back down the long driveway leaving a trail of dust behind him.
Daniel knew that the Dolly Sods Wilderness area was part of the Monongahela National Forest. It was not far from the town of Davis where his cousin Jack lived.
Daniel pulled over and punched Davis, WV into his GPS. While it calculated his route, he took Ambrosia’s map out of the glove box and spread it out on the passenger seat. “You’re looking for your magical forest, aren’t you Ambrosia?”
The GPS told him it was a 145-mile drive. If he didn’t stop, he could be there in two and a half hours. He put the car back on the road and headed toward the Mystical Forest.
* * * *
Ambrosia and Majik journeyed carefully across the field that lay beneath of Troll Mountain. Majik’s horn was now gone as were his magical powers. If anyone were to come across them, they would only see a girl and her horse.
It was over a mile trip to the spot where Rom and Nog had rolled from the mountain. “Majik, if Rom survived then maybe so did Nog.”
Majik whinnied. The path they followed for the most part was clear so traveling it was easy. They startled a herd of deer that darted off into the woods at the sight of them.
Ambrosia could not help, but admire the beauty all around them. Not far off a deer drank from a large pond. They passed several unusual rock formations. She watched a squirrel run up a tree and hop from limb to limb.
It had taken them nearly an hour to find the spot where Rom and Nog had fallen. They were only certain it was the right place due to a large circle of blood they found on a flat rock. The amount of blood made Ambrosia’s feel cold inside. Neither Rom nor Nog was to be found. They must have both survived the fall, but wher
e were they?
Ambrosia got down from Majik’s back. “They most likely would have left some type of blood trail,” Ambrosia told Majik. They started to search. After a moment, Majik whinnied. Ambrosia ran to him. Sure enough he’d found what they were searching for. Climbing back onto his back they followed the trail, which led further into the human world.
It did not take them long to stumble upon a sight that stopped them cold. A troll body laid just a few feet ahead it’s back to them. It did not stir.
“I don’t think he’s breathing,” Ambrosia said her heart filled with fear. “Please, don’t be Rom, please God,” she prayed.
Cautiously Majik approached the troll. They could see no signs of life from the still body. Ambrosia got down from Majik’s back. Slowly she walked around the other side of the body. Her hands were balled into tight fists of fear. She could barely breathe. Looking down at the troll she suddenly let out a breath of relief. “It’s Nog!”
Majik pushed on Nog with his hoof. He was gone. Nog, the Troll King, was dead. Though his death should have brought great joy to her Ambrosia could not help but to feel sad. Nog was evil, but he was a troll and could not help that his soul was dark. Ambrosia reached out and closed Nog’s eyes.
A tear rolled down her cheek. It was the only tear ever shed for the life known as Nog. Majik whinnied. “I know, Majik, we need to find Rom.”
The blood trail continued. “Nog must have been following Rom,” Ambrosia said. “He would search for shelter; somewhere he could rest and not be seen.”
The trail led into a thick grove of trees. As they entered the grove, the trail was harder to follow as the drops of blood were soaked up by pine needles.
Ambrosia got down. “We should split up and search, but please stay where I can see you.” Majik nuzzled her softly. She hugged him before she headed off to the left.
They had all most reached the end of the grove when Ambrosia spotted him. “Rom!”
~ Chapter Seven ~
Daniel McDonald stopped at a trail map located outside of the forest ranger station. He pulled Ambrosia’s map from his back pocket and looked it over. It took him several minutes, but he was able to match her map to a similarly mapped area on the chart.
After locating the right trail, he headed out. He would find her and make her one sorry little girl.
* * * *
Ambrosia ran to Rom, who was slumped in front of a large hemlock tree. Majik came running from the other side of the forest.
“Rom, are you all right?” Ambrosia asked kneeling down in front of him.
Rom looked up at her with bloodshot eyes. “I am alive,” he said as he forced a smile.
“Can you walk?”
“No, my left leg is broken.”
Ambrosia looked down at his leg and nearly threw up. His bone was sticking out just below his knee.
“Ambrosia, I need you to get that stick over there,” Rom said barely able to lift his arm to point out the stick. Ambrosia got to her feet and retrieved the stick. “Now, you need to find something to tie the stick firmly to the outside of my leg. That will stop the bleeding and brace my leg so I can stand.”
Ambrosia thought for a moment before tearing off the sleeve of her shirt. “This is going to hurt,” she said as she reached over and picked up the thick stick. She placed the stick beside his leg then wrapped her sleeve tightly around it stabilizing it and stopping the bleeding all at once.
“I’m going to tighten it up just a little more is that all right?”
Rom nodded his head and Ambrosia pulled the sleeve as tightly as her small hands would allow.
Rom groaned.
“Is this the only place you are hurt?” Ambrosia asked as she finished knotting the sleeve.
“I think so. Nog broke my fall.”
“We found Nog dead a ways back,” Ambrosia said.
Rom was silent a moment letting the news sink in. “Our world will be at peace now,” he finally said. “Ambrosia would you get me something to drink?”
“Of course,” Ambrosia said returning to her feet. She opened Majik’s saddlebag and took out a gourd filled with water. She held it to his mouth while he drank greedily.
While Rom drank, Daniel McDonald entered the same grove of trees. Half way through he stopped. He was certain that he had heard voices.
“You can’t walk far, Rom, and even if you tried you might pass out from the pain. We have to find a way to get you up onto Majik’s back.”
“Ambrosia,” Daniel McDonald whispered. Quietly he made his way through the trees. Soon he spotted them. Ambrosia sat on the ground speaking to what appeared to be a deformed midget. A large black horse stood at her side. Where the heck did she get a horse and what is that she is talking to? he thought to himself.
He made his way closer using the large tree trunks as coverage. He got about thirty feet from them and stopped. He needed to figure out what to do next. Daniel McDonald sat down and listened.
“Once we clear this grove, Rom, it is only a little over a mile to the spot where we can climb back up the mountain. Once back on top we will be back in the boundaries of the Mystical Forest and Mirabella can heal you.”
“The Mystical Forest!” Daniel McDonald said in a whisper. How could it be possible? He thought things through. The dwarf-like creature was clearly injured and it would not be difficult for him to grab Ambrosia take the horse and make his way back to the car, but what if Ambrosia had found this Mystical Forest? If he could find it, would be a rich man.
From the tree, the watched Ambrosia help Rom to his feet. The horse paced nervously.
“Rom you are too heavy for me to help you far and I don’t think I am strong enough to push you up and onto Majik. We have to figure out how to...”
Before Ambrosia could finish her statement, Majik sat down beside them. Ambrosia smiled. “It looks like Majik has solved our problem for us.”
Ambrosia steadied Rom while he slowly lifted his injured leg and straddled Majik. Rom slumped forward exhausted and gripped a handful of Majik’s mane tightly in his hand.
Ambrosia kissed Majik softly on the head. “Thank you,” she said. “You need to hold on tight, Rom, while Majik gets to his feet.”
“I’m ready,” Rom said gripping Majik’s mane with all the energy he had left.
Ambrosia moved to Majik’s side and placed both her hands on Rom’s good leg to help steady him. “Okay, Majik”
As carefully as he could Majik returned to his feet. Rom was tossed about a bit, but he held on.
The threesome headed back toward Troll Mountain. Daniel McDonald moved around the tree and kept out of sight. Once they had passed him, he began to follow them at a safe distance. They’d lead him to the Mystical Forest, where he would grab Ambrosia and become a rich man by revealing the forest’s existence to the world! He rubbed his hands greedily together as he watched them enter the sunlight as they exited the protection of the tree grove.
“Are you doing all right?” Ambrosia asked Rom placing her hand gently on his leg.
“Don’t worry about me, Ambrosia, I’ll be fine.”
Ambrosia left Rom’s side. “He looks like he could pass out any time,” she whispered to Majik. He neighed softly. He picked up his pace slightly, but feared going any faster would make Rom too uncomfortable or worse yet cause him to fall off.
Leaving the shelter of the trees, Daniel McDonald had to move quickly to keep up, yet remain hidden. There were plenty of rocks large enough for him to hide behind, but they were spread out across the open meadow.
As they drew closer to the mountain, Majik slowed slightly. They were approaching the still body of Nog. Nog had caused nothing but pain. His whole life he lived only to torment those around him. Rom hated Nog deeply, but felt a twinge of sadness as he looked down at the still body of the Troll King. He had once been the controlling force in his life, now as they passed him he became a fading memory.
Majik, Ambrosia and Rom reached the base of the mountain and began
to follow the trail that would lead them home.
Daniel McDonald had reached Nog’s body. Looking down at the stiffening figure, he poked him with his foot. “What the heck are you?” he asked aloud. In death, the Troll King had lost all of his intimidation. The smell of the dead creature made Daniel McDonald sick to his stomach. As badly as he wanted to investigate the creature further, he could not stand the smell and could not chance losing sight of Ambrosia. He got up from his knees and made his way to the next rock.
There were no rocks along the trail large enough for him to hide behind so he followed them from a great distance.
* * * *
“Here we are,” Ambrosia said. “From here it is all up. Do you need something to drink before we start up?” she asked Rom.
“Yes, please,” Rom said.
Ambrosia pulled another gourd of water from the saddlebag. Rom drank a few sips then handed it back to her. Ambrosia took a deep swallow. The large gourd was almost half-full. She broke off the top of the gourd and brought the water to Majik. He drank up the last of the water neighing his appreciation.
The three friends began the climb back up the mountain as Daniel McDonald watched them from the safety of a large boulder. They had to move slowly because of the injured thing on the horse so he was not worried about keeping up with them.
It took them about twenty minutes to make the climb and Rom had used up all most all of his energy hanging on to Majik’s neck to keep from sliding off as they got to the steep part of the journey.
They all sighed with relief as they crossed back into the safety of the Mystical Forest.
“Let’s get to the shade of the forest up ahead and Rom can rest in the coolness of the trees while you go for Mirabella,” Ambrosia told Majik.
An aura of blue suddenly surrounded Majik as his horn reappeared. They were home and safe...so they thought.
Daniel McDonald quickly climbed the mountainside. As he reached the top, he looked across the mountaintop. He saw no sign of Ambrosia so quickly he climbed up. He ran to the closest tree and pressed his back to it. The climb was a steep one and with one being injured, they would need to rest. They could not be far ahead.
Ambrosia's Story Page 4