poemtry and prose

When Cassie woke the next morning both Stick and Hazel were not in their beds. She looked across at Hazel's bed, it had been slept in, as the sheets were messed and pulled back. His boots were missing as well. Warm air circulated through the small hut, but the strong smell of sleep and sweat clung to the air. Cassie sat up in the bed, and grabbed her boots. She pulled them on her feet but did not lace them up. She was more concerned with where her friends went and why they did not wake her up.

Someone had been in the hut while she slept. A platter sat next to the lamp on the little table next to her bed. Sitting on the platter was a pitcher made of wood, a wooden bowl, and a towel that was ragged. "I guess my wish for a nice warm shower and bath today are outta the question," she said to the pitcher. She stepped over to the pitcher and poured some of the contents into the bowl. Water fresh from the brook poured into the bowl. She dipped the cloth into the water and sponged herself off. The cloth felt like wool, and was rough against her skin.

"Oh hey. You are awake," Hazel's voice came from behind her.

She dropped the cloth back into the bowl, "Just woke up and was going to go look for you two. Have you been awake long?"

"Only for a few hours. Since we do not need as much sleep as you do, we decided to let you sleep in. It looked like you needed the extra sleep."

"Thanks," she said, a bit disappointed that she missed out on the sunrise.

"We have been talking to Mac. He is quite the character. During breakfast I showed him the map and what I thought was the best route. He suggested a different way to get to Greycliff. One that will have us there by lunchtime. He also mentioned that he had heard rumors of a hermit in the mountains. No one knows who, apparently no one has seen this being in years. But it looks like the books and seers were right."

Cassie smiled at the hopeful news, "That is great. And yes, Mac is one interesting guy. He seems more interested in us and our stories than in telling us about himself and his village. I do not mean to sound negative, but you know me Hazel. I am very curious about your world and they seem very secretive."

"I do not know much about these faries. We do not see many of them in Stonehaven. But we know that are peaceful, tree spirits that prefer solitude and inner meditation to the city lifestyle. They are 100% self sustained, keeping small farms of tublars, and some herds of trabbits for clothing and cloth. Occasionally, one or two are born with a worldly curiosity and those fae end up being outcast, like the Bandits we saw last night. Usually, however, they are not that mean."

"Thanks. I will keep that in mind the next time Mac speaks to me. Speaking of which, can we go outside? I have not been outside yet and there is so much I want to see."

Hazel parted the cloth door, allowing Cassie to walk past him. She squinted in the bright morning light. The village appeared different, more calm, in the daytime than it did at night. No one was in sight, leaving the place silent as a ghost town. Cassie figured that they were tending to the trabbits or out pulling tublars. Mac emerged from a nearby hut and quickly walked over to them.

"As yes, you are finally awake," he said, patting Cassie on the shoulder, 'I trust you slept well?"

"Yes I did, the bed was comfortable and the blanket warm. Thank you for sharing your village with us."

He waved his hands, "The honor is all ours, milady. Are you hungry for breakfast? I do apologize for not having sent for you sooner, but your friends were quite animate about allowing you to get a full rest."

Cassie nodded, "Yes I am a bit hungry. But you do not need to go out of your way to feed me, I can always eat some of the rations we brought with us."

"Nonsense," Mac replied. He lead them back into the clearing where the table still sat. He pulled a chair out for Cassie and then ran off to another hut. She looked around her, taking in the scenery. It looked like they were sitting at the foot of their mountain, for it was very close and tall. Taller than she originally thought. She hoped that the people in Greycliff could tell them exactly where the hermit lived. She hoped that he did not live at the very top of the mountain. It looked like it would take a week or two to scale it. And she was not ready for that.

Mac returned from the hut with a plate topped with fresh berries and a square patty that reminded Cassie of an egg omelets. He set the plate in front of her and gave her a fork. Unlike the night before, Mac allowed Cassie to eat her meal before asking her some more questions. Again, she tried to answer them to the best of her ability, embellishing her answers with details that delighted Mac's mind.

Sometime later, Stick appeared. She had been off stripping bark from some trees and gathering roots to refill her portion of the food in Hazel's pack. She hopped on the table, smiling a hello at Cassie, and listened to the tales that were spoken. They left awhile later, allowing the food to settle in Cassie's stomach first. Mac and a few of the other villagers waived goodbye as the three set off for Greycliff following the instructions to the short cut Mac gave them.

The grove thickened into a dense forest. Wide tree trunks filled the spaces between small, tall bamboo-like plants. Hazel explained to Cassie that the land was sacred to Mac and his people and that it contained some of the oldest living trees in his world. Cassie nodded and was careful to watch where she tread, for she did not want to damage such a relic. An hour passed and they met back up with the brook, now wider and a bit rockier. The altitude shifted and they started climbing up the side of the mountain. The sun cast small patches of light through the forest, giving the forest bugs a place to gather and warm themselves. For the most part, the bugs left the travelers alone. Two more hours passed. And then their heard the echo of steel hitting rock. A sharp, steady clanging sound rolling down to them.

"Do you hear that?" Stick said. "We must be getting close to Greycliff. Although I do not see any roads or smoke indicating that anyone lives near here."

The little faerie was right, from where they were, the sound was the only thing telling them that a settlement was nearby. Cassie hoped that Greycliff was more like Stonehaven, although she did not mind a surprise.

Mac's directions, while very descriptive, lead them off about five-hundred yards from the road Stick spoke of. Despite the miscalculation, they made their way back to the main road and headed for the town. Tall, two-story buildings made of square brick lined the sides of four cobblestone streets. Greycliff was not as big as Stonehaven but Cassie thought it seemed more modern. Beasts of burden pulled carts filled with stone and slate through the streets, their reins held by short, dwarven men with short, grey beards, wearing heavy boots and leather pants. As they passed by, many of them looked at Cassie, sizing her up.

Their lustful stares made Cassie uncomfortable so she walked close to Hazel. "Do you notice something strange about this town," she whispered to Hazel and Stick, "Greycliff seems to be inhabited by mostly men."

"You are absolutely right," said Stick. "I did not see that at first. But now I do."

They walked up to one of the dwarves. "Pardon me, sir," Hazel said formally, "We traveled from Stonehaven and was wondering if you could point us in the direction of your town's mayor and maybe a place of lodging?"

The dwarf scratched his head, "Well, now. You would be a wantin’ to see Nalut. His office is over yonder. And well, the only place fit enough for you and your companions may be The Sad Hobgoblin Inn, at the very edge of town. Of course, you sire may enjoy a night with the lovelies at The Virtuous Virgin Tavern."

Hazel blushed at the last suggestion. He pushed Cassie ahead of him and hastily blurted Thanks to the dwarf.

"Did he just tell you, what I think he said?" Cassie giggled.

"Uh, yeah. Apparently Greycliff is a dwarven mining town. That is why there are no wives or classy women around. I say we find this Nalut and see how he can help us. I do not think I want to stay a night here."

It shocked Cassie to see the amount of seedy taverns Greycliff had, Nalut's office building was between two brothels. Large busty faerie women of all clans, wearing skimpy dresses and busties that exaggerated their woman-ness ganged up in front of their homes. Their hair done up in outrageous styles and their faces covered in thick layers of makeup. They cooed and whistled at Hazel and Cassie as they walked past them. "Hey baby, why don't you come over here and rest for awhile. I have charms that can make your muscles all better."

Cassie frowned at them, feeling a tinge of jealousy rise from her chest. She was tempted to hit the one who catcalled to Hazel. But she held back, focusing on their task instead.

Another woman stood in the doorway to Nalut's office. She threw a cockeyed smile as she bent forward to open the door, displaying her goods to Hazel. He quickly thanked her and sidestepped into the office.

A deck sat opposite the door. Cluttered stacks of paper filled every corner. Two more piles, rose high on both sides of the table. Pieces of paper covered the walls like wallpaper. The script barely legible, displayed lists and times. Cassie ventured that they outlined the rules and regulations and schedules of Greycliff. Behind the desk was a chair, the back facing them was long, orange and tall.

"Excuse me," Hazel said to the chair, "I am looking for Nalut."

The chair wiggled a bit and then quickly spun around. A short chubby dwarf with a long silver beard and a pair of spectacles perched on his nose faced them. "That be me! What can Nalut do for ye. You folks lookin’ for work?"

"No sir, we are not." Hazel pulled out the Stonehaven medallion that slipped under his shirt. We are on a quest, and were told that you might be able to give us some information."

Nalut had to lean over the desk, his hands sending loose scraps of paper into the air and on the floor. He squinted and then opened his eyes wide. "Ah yes, the crest of the Stonehaven Obelisk. I know why you are here now." He hopped off the chair and walked around the desk towards them. He shuck Hazel and Cassie's hands with his thick, calloused hands. "It be a pleasure, for sure. Please come with me."

He lead them into a room behind the office entry. Plush rugs and wall coverings hung everywhere. Two lavish armchairs sat next to a fireplace. He offered one to Cassie while taking the other for himself, leaving Hazel to stand or sit on the floor.

Cassie said, "There are stories, about a hermit that lives somewhere up on the mountain behind Greycliff. A deadly plague has reached these lands and we believe that if there is a hermit, that they may know of a cure. We came here in the hopes that you could tell us if the stories were true. And whether or not you know they way to where the hermit lives."

The dwarf leaned back in his chair, stroking his beard as Cassie spoke. He reached behind him, removing a pipe from a table. Striking matchstick that appeared out his shirt's breast pocket, he light the pipe. The strong odor of tobacco filled the room. Cassie patiently waited for the dwarf to answer her question.

He took a few more puffs off the pipe and then set his arm down on the chair's armrest, pipe still in hand. "The stories are correct. For years, Greycliff has provided the hermit you speak of with food and supplies. In exchange for our services and silence, the hermit helped us find the best places on the mountain to mine stones from. We were told that there would come a day when three visitors, like yourselves, would appear here. On that day, we were to break our vow of silence and expose the truth about the hermit."

Images from Cassie's dream flicked in her mind as her eyes focused on the dwarf, "Is that all, or is there more?" she asked.

"Oh," he said between puffs, "there is more. She was young when she came to us, seeking asylum, but by now I am sure she is either very, very old or dead. We have not been up to see her in a few weeks. Usually she sends a signal to us, when she is ready for a shipment of goods. For years we have kept to this system, sending the same packages every time we see the signal."

"We feared the worst when we did not see anything appear in the sky. And we had all forgotten what she said about you three. Until today, when you arrived in my office."

"So what now," Hazel said.

Nalut took another puff from his pipe, "Now I make arrangements for your ascent into the mountains. It will take us the rest of the day for Thoring to prepare the gondola for winter travel. While it is early in the season, snow falls on the caps early. I also need time to draft up a map for you to follow to her cave. The path is covered with snow and if you do not have coordinates and a compass to guide you, you will get lost and starve to death."

Cassie listened intensely. They had come so far and she was not about to get lost because she did not listen to what the dwarf said to them.

Hazel said, "I will help you with the map, then. That way I can best guide us up the mountain to the hermit."

Nalut shrugged, "As you wish." He turned to Cassie and Stick, "It may be best for you ladies to stay inside. The boys ain't used to seeing flesh so young and tender. And without protection, sometimes their carnal desires override the smarts inside their mind. You can stay here, if you like. The shelves are filled with books, many with pictures. Or you can nap in the chairs. Whatever you like."

Cassie turned to Stick, their eyes silently communicating agreement with the dwarf, "Thank you. We shall stay here. If we can help out in any way, please let us know."

The dwarf hopped off the chair, "There will not be any need. The boys know their jobs." And with that, he left the room Hazel trailing behind him.

Stick leaned against a floor-pillow and closed her eyes. Cassie grabbed a book off the shelf and started flipping through the pages. Even though she was not able to read the language it was written in, she made up her own stories to match the sketches. A small pile of books grew besides her chair marking the passage of time. Hazel appeared through the door later.

"I brought some lunch for you guys," he said, pulling his pack from his shoulder. He pulled out two sandwiches wrapped in brown paper and handed one to Cassie and broke the other in half, offering the smaller portion to a sleepy-eyed Stick. "From what Nalut says, the hermit's cave is not very far from the end of the gondola's line. We may be able to get there by..."

Hazel was not able to finish his sentence. He coughed, his chest heaving.

"Hazel, what is wrong," Cassie said her face growing pale. Stick stared at her companion.

"It's nothing, just a small cough from all the smoke. Don't worry, I am fine."

After lunch, Nalut gathered them back into his office. An icepick, a tent, some rope, a bronze compass, and the map sat on his desk. "These are for you. You may not need all these things, but tis better to be safe than sorry." He unrolled the map and describing the location of the hermit's cave. As he described each area in detail, he pointed to their corresponding coordinates.

"Thoring says the gondola is ready for you now. That is, if you want to leave now. It makes no difference to me, as long as my boys stay on schedule. We have ore and stone to mind. Nothing personal, just business, you understand."

They nodded. Nalut escorted them to the base of the gondola. A large cable, woven from metal, had been wrapped around trees and gears. The cable ran into a wooden house and out the other side. Cassie concluded that the house stored whatever powered the gondola up and down the cable. She looked up the mountain side, following the path of the cable. The gondola traveled high above many jagged cliffs and rocky outcroppings. Her eyes strained to see the end of the line, but it was obscured by clouds and altitude.

The gondola was also made of metal. It reminded Cassie of a Volkswagen bus without the wheels. It had been painted green but age wore flakes of paint off the side, exposing dull, grey metal underneath. Another dwarf, slightly taller than Nalut and younger, slid back the door to the gondola. He wore heavy boots and pants as well as a warm winter parka.

"Thoring, these are our guests," Nalut said. "Please escort them safely to the top of the mountain."

Thoring nodded, "After you, madam." And then he helped Cassie into the gondola. Hazel followed her, Stick perched once again on his shoulder. Thoring closed the heavy door and slid a bolt into place behind him. He walked passed them and stood in front of a box that had a button and two knobs coming from it.

"Okay everyone," Thoring announced, his voice gruff but friendly, "Hold on tight to one of those poles cos we're taking off."

He pushed the button and pushed one of the knobs forward. The gondola lept to life with a jolt that pushed its passengers forward as the cable started to move. The ground gave way beneath them, they were airborne.