The
wind was picking up when a girl heard a song.
It was clear and like fresh snow.
It said, "Come to the mountains, where magic is real." Then it stopped. She was silent. It sang again and again, "Come to the
mountains, come."
It
didn't stop until she said, "Yes! I
will go to the mountains."
As
soon as it stopped, she felt relieved. Whew! Well, now that it's stopped I don't have to
worry about it any more.
And
she went inside and happily slept the whole night. But then in the morning, she went outside and
the voice was singing again.
"Go
to the mountains...."
"Okay!" She shouted.
"I'm going now!"
The
girl packed a few things, and then marched off.
She had paused for lunch when suddenly ...
"Mreowl!"
The
girl turned and saw a fluffy orange cat.
The cat sat very primly, his fluffy tail stretched out behind him. He had no eyes.
She
had never seen it before, and felt a little sorry for the poor thing. But she was on a journey. She could not be bothered. "Go, cat," She told it.
"Meeeow...." The cat didn't move.
"No,
you go away," Said the girl. She
shook her head. "What am I doing
talking to a cat?!?"
She
pushed it away. And then the girl picked
up her things and continued on to the mountains. She walked the rest of the day, and the cat
still followed her.
"Why
do you follow me, cat?" She asked,
looking at him. She was getting annoyed.
"Meoow,
you will get hurt." Said the cat.
"What-
I will not get hurt!" The girl
cried out. She stared at the animal,
shocked he had just said something.
"Yes,
you will, if I don't go with you. I've
been told to protect you."
She
was quiet for a minute.
"What
is your name?" She asked.
"Hmm
... I am known by many names. My
personal favorite is Bard Eanrin the Magnificant."
The
girl raised her eyebrows at him, and he gave a cat sigh.
"I
suppose you may call me Monster, if you wish.
And what is your name, young lass?"
"Kittenpaws,"
She told him.
"Ah,
yes," Eanrin said. "Almost
forgot I was in Southlands. You people
do have strange names."
SNAP!
Kittenpaws
looked around. "What was
that?" She asked.
"Never
fear!" The cat said. He jumped into a bush to investigate. Then ...
"Monster!" Screamed Kittenpaws, "Help
me!"
A
creature came out, grabbed her up, and ran away. Eanrin jumped at the creature, but landed in
nothing. It had already gotten away,
with Kittenpaws.
"Dragon's
teeth!" He said, and was off.
He
ran and ran and ran, trying to save Kittenpaws.
At last, he caught up to them. He
sprang and attacked the creature, aiming for its eyes.
"Run,
girl!" Eanrin yelled. "Run away from it!"
Kittenpaws
got away from the creature. Eanrin bit
and scratched the creature until it screamed for mercy. The cat jumped off and sniffed it, his back
arched. Then he said, "I will let
you go. Don't mess with Sir Eanrin,
Knight of Farthestshore. I am a
dangerous enemy to bother."
The
creature ran off. Eanrin was so tired
from his fight he had lay down.
Kittenpaws
came back. Gently, she picked the fluffy
cat up. "Thank you," She said.
He
purred. "We must continue
now."
And
the song said, "Go with him ... to
the mountains."
"Okay,"
She said, and they did.
When
they reached the mountains, Eanrin said "I must go now."
"No,"
Said Kittenpaws, and she stroked his fur.
She didn't want him to leave. She
liked the orange, fluffy cat.
"But
you are safe here, with His magic that is good.
And I cannot go the rest of the way with you. You have to go by yourself. You have to climb up the mountains and follow
the Path He has."
Kittenpaws
nodded. "Okay, but, Monster ... um,
why don't you have eyes?"
The
cat tilted his head up to her. His
whiskers quivered.
"We
might meet again. Then I will tell you,
but not now. Farewell, Maid
Kittenpaws. Go up the mountains, and
listen to the wood thrush as it sings in the wind. Cheery-bye!"
He
darted into the Wood.
"Good-bye
... Bard Eanrin the Magnificant."
She whispered. She smiled a
little.
Kittenpaws
turned and started up the mountain, listening for the wood thrush as she
climbed.
VOTING: If
you would like to vote on this or any of the other fan fiction
submissions, email your top three titles to me at aestengl@gmail.com. Voting is for fans of the Goldstone Wood series only.
I love seeing all the different sides of Monster. Great job, Judy!
ReplyDeleteJudy, you know how great I think this is. :)
ReplyDeleteGood job, Ms. Judy. Enjoyed seeing Monster as protector, and I loved the main character.
ReplyDeleteKittenpaws! What an adorable name!
ReplyDeleteOh Eanrin, so chivalrous!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun story! I really enjoyed it.
Also, I've decided that my Southlander name is Kittenpaws :)
Kittenpaws has to be one of the most adorable names ever. No lies. And I have come to the conclusion that Eanrin is secretly a sucker when it comes to children, especially little girls... ;) I loved to see how you captured the interactions between these two! It was so adorable!! Awesome job and well done!! :)
ReplyDeleteBlessings!
Melanie