by Ivory Autumn
Chapter Eighteen
Gone
“What about the others?” Andrew asked as they galloped away from the Foglocker on their horses.
Rhapsody turned his horse abruptly to the right, staring blankly ahead, refusing to acknowledge the pleading howls, and outstretched arms of the trapped people. “They’ve given themselves and the key to their freedom away, long ago, to the Foglocker’s power. There’s nothing we can do.”
The Foglocker glared at them and shook his cane with fury as they passed by. “Follllowwwwwww!” it moaned. “Follow!”
“Cover your ears,” Rhapsody commanded, urging his horse to go faster. “It appears that none of you are not immune to temptation.”
The Foglocker stared at the fleeing figures, with fire in his eyes. “Follow!” His voice echoed behind them, and eventually faded into the mist.
They traveled on through the patchy fog, weaving in and out through the misty maze, unable to exit the way they’d come, because the fog hemmed them in so much that when they tried to push through it, it was like they’d rammed up against a wall made out of a feather mattress. They moved through it until the sunlight steadily grew brighter, and brighter and the air became fresh and clear once again.
Andrew watched in amazement as the fog slowly dissolved, and the ground gradually became no longer black, but a pleasant rich red hue. The sun was warm on their backs. Somewhere Andrew could hear the sound of a stream gurgling. A pleasant breeze was blowing from the north, bringing with it a faint smell of flowers.
Rhapsody led them down a small rocky path and through a ravine into a beautiful meadow covered in little purple flowers. Big black bumblebees flitted around them, filling the land with a sweet smell of honey.
A small stream cheerfully burbled through the meadow. They stopped by it to wash off the black mud of the Foglocker. Andrew soaked his feet in the stream, feeling his muscles relax in the cool water, while Talic, Ivory, and Freddie splashed playfully around him.
After washing in the stream, they all sat, relaxing on the grass, warming themselves in the sun.
Talic sat up, and smiled. “Andrew, do you think you could turn Freddie into a tree?”
Andrew shrugged and laughed. “Hmm…I don’t know. Would you like me to try?”
Freddie shoved Talic in the ribs, causing him to yelp in pain. “Honestly, Andrew, I think Talic would make a better tree. Maybe a quaking aspen. He’s always trembling, and shaking. Besides, I think he would look mighty dandy with a magpie’s nest on his head, and pinecones growing under his armpits.”
Talic gave Freddie a hurt look and slugged him back. “You’re the one who’d give anything for a bunch of pinecones growing under your armpits. Just think, you’d never go hungry.”
“Very funny...” Freddie glowered.
“You guys are so ridiculous,” Andrew laughed, then glanced behind him, to make sure his friends hadn't woken Ivory who'd fallen asleep in the grass from exhaustion.
But she was gone.
Just a moment before, she had had been asleep on the grass. Now there was no trace of her.