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Ricky of Kokiri · #9 [ ] 10-10-2006, 11:52 PM

The sun was high in the sky, and the road was clear as they rode through the countryside, heading east- something inside Alvin knew the Forest of Idle Fantasies lay in that direction.

They made decent progress that day, and, as the sun set, they set up camp on the side of the road, had a small meal, and slept under the stars. The next morning, they resumed their journey, and entered the forest around noon.

The forest was dense, and dim. Very little sunlight got in because of the vast canopy the trees created. Wild animals could be heard all over the place… growls, chirps, barks, howls… Alvin shivered and held tight to the reins, whispering to his steed to keep it calm. Ginger curled up in Alvin’s lap, scared, since her current form made her a prime target for some carnivore’s meal.

Deeper into the forest they went, and still there was no sign of the witch’s cottage. “I don’t like this,” Alvin said to Ginger. “I feel like we’re too vulnerable…”

“Who ya talking to?”

Ginger screeched, the horse reared, and Alvin did all he could to control it. Once the horse was steady, Alvin, heart pounding, drew his dagger. “Who’s there?!”

The male voice laughed hysterically. “Who’s there?” It laughed again, and changed to a falsetto tone. “Oh, help me! The scary voice is frightening me! Listening in as I talk to myself… the nerve!”

“Cut that out!” Alvin yelled. “Show yourself!”

The voice returned to normal. “Show myself? Why would I do that? You’d stab me on the spot.”

Alvin breathed heavily, trying to calm himself down. There was no telling who this person was… he didn’t think it was Lucifer- it didn’t sound like him. Sounded younger, and more immature. The witch? No, Abraham had made it seem like the witch was female. “If I put the dagger away, will you come out peacefully?” he asked.

“Let me think, let me think… um… nope! It’s much more fun like this! Why ruin it by letting you see me?”

Alvin gritted his teeth. This was going nowhere. “All right, nevermind. Listen, we’re not here to hurt you…”

“I only see you! What is this ‘we’ you speak of? An imaginary friend?” the voice broke out into laughter again.

Alvin sheathed his dagger and glanced down at Ginger. Something suddenly occurred to him. “Hey, can you see him?”

Ginger looked around, and shook her head. Alvin sighed. “Sir, could you please tell me where I can find the witch?”

“Which witch? Ha ha! Get it? Which witch!” The voice laughed again. Alvin grimaced and waited. “Oh, my, my! Such fun! Well, the witch is straight ahead. Just keep going straight. Yes, straight, straight it is.”

“Straight forward?” Alvin asked suspiciously.

“Yes, that’s what I said! Do you need me to say it a dozen more times?”

“No, no,” Alvin said. “I’m just wondering if there’s a trap or something straight ahead.”

“If there was, would I admit it?”

Alvin groaned. “Oh, nevermind. Good day, sir.” Alvin nudged the horse with his feet, and it started walking. They turned to the right, Alvin refusing to risk falling into whatever trap that joker had prepared.

They moved on in silence for a while, until Alvin stopped the horse and dismounted. Ginger sat on his shoulder. “Any ideas?” Alvin asked.

“Nope, no ideas, none at all!”

Alvin closed his eyes and groaned. The joker had followed them. Ginger hissed. “What do you want?” Alvin demanded, glancing in the direction the voice had come from.

“I’m bored. Oh, so very bored!” the voice said, now coming from behind Alvin. “You are the first visitors to this forest in many a day!”

Alvin turned around. “Do you wish to harm us?”

“No, no, not at all! Well, unless it’s fun! So, who’s the cat?”

Alvin ignored that question. He didn’t want to inform this stranger of anything. “Do you know where the witch lives?”

The voice laughed again. “I told you, straight ahead! Of course, now you have to go left, and back a little ways, but you ignored me! Ignorant little fool! Hee hee hee!”

Alvin sighed. They were sure to be past any trap the joker had set up. “Okay, fine. Thank you.” He began walking to the left, leading the horse behind. Ginger, still sitting on his shoulder, looked around, trying to spot the one with the voice, but had no luck.

After a couple moments of walking, the voice rang out again. “Okay, now here’s where you backtrack! Go left!”

“I don’t like this,” Alvin whispered to Ginger. Ginger nodded. However, they were lost, and these were the only directions they were getting, so they did as the voice told them, and started walking left, back towards where they had first heard the voice.

They hadn’t walked very far until there was a snap, and all of a sudden Alvin and Ginger found themselves caught in a net. Ginger screeched, Alvin yelled, and the horse reared in fright and began to bolt until a figure ran up to it and calmed it down. The voice, still coming from the treetops, laughed uproariously.

“Ha ha ha! You fell for it! You fell for it!”

“Be silent, Weaver!” This voice, female, came from the figure at the horse. “Take them to the house.”

“Yes, ma’am,” the voice said respectfully. The woman walked away, leading the horse behind her. Alvin called out to her, but to no avail. A couple seconds later, the net was released from the tree; Alvin hit the ground with a thud, and groaned in pain. Ginger, who landed on top of him, mewed quietly. Then Weaver began dragging the net across the ground with them in it.

Try as he might, Alvin couldn’t get himself free of the net, nor could he get a really good look at Weaver. “What are you going to do to us?” he demanded.

“You’ll be supper, and the cat will be a welcome mat!” Weaver said, laughing his head off.

Alvin’s stomach felt hollow, and Ginger flattened herself against him; he hugged her in response. After several minutes of this dragging, they finally arrived at a cottage hidden amongst the trees. Weaver dragged them through the door, and dumped them unceremoniously in the middle of the room.

The room was well-lit by lamps hanging from the ceiling, allowing Alvin and Ginger to see the shelves of books, the cozy fireplace, the rug on the floor, and the table in one corner. It was all very neat and organized.

From behind them, Weaver laughed. “Enjoy your stay! You won’t be here long!”

The witch- for it was the witch- walked into the room. Rather than wear the standard witch garb, she was wearing a simple dress with an apron. “Stop that, Weaver,” she said harshly. “You know I don’t like human flesh.”

“Apologies, ma’am,” Weaver said, stepping over Alvin and Ginger and walking over to her. Alvin stared at him in shock. Weaver was a… large, oversized, walking-on-two-legs raccoon, with a large bushy tail and a filthy black tunic. Weaver turned around and saw him staring. “What? Are your eyes too big for their sockets?”

The witch rolled her eyes and clicked her fingers. The net vanished, leaving Alvin and Ginger sprawled on the floor. She looked at Ginger in interest. “Ah, a cat transformation, I see. Who’s work is this? Delia’s? Lucifer’s?”

“Um… Lucifer’s,” Alvin said, standing up. “Abraham said you could reverse the spell.”

“Ah, is that why you’re here?” the witch asked. She gestured with her finger; Ginger lifted off the ground and floated over to her. The witch studied her. “Hmm… powerful curse, this one. Abraham told ye I could reverse it?” Alvin nodded hopefully. “Well… I’m afraid I can’t.”

Alvin’s heart sank. Ginger mewed sadly and lowered her head. Weaver opened his mouth, but the witch flicked her fingers and no sound came out of his mouth, much to his alarm.

“Yes… Lucifer uses a much darker magic than I. My magic is powerless against it. That fool, Abraham… he hasn’t visited me in years! How would he know what I can or can’t do? But… while I can’t reverse her form, I can make use of it…” The witch began chanting under her breath, moving her hands around Ginger. Alvin watched, both entranced and concerned, until she stopped chanting, and backed away. Ginger floated to the ground. “There now. How do you feel, girl?”

“Fine,” Ginger said. She gasped.

Alvin’s mouth dropped open. “You spoke!”

The witch smiled. “Yes. It’s the same spell I used on corn thief over here to give him the power to use our language. You and your friend can now speak to each other, though I’m afraid she’ll remain in that form until you can convince Lucifer to break the spell.”

“Like that’ll happen!” Weaver laughed, his voice back. “He’s a toad, that one!”

“He’s evil,” Ginger said. “He kidnapped A- the princess.”

“Yes, I heard stories about that from the leaves traveling on the wind,” the witch said. “Of course, killing him will also break the curse.”

Alvin flinched. “To be honest, we’re going after him anyway. We have to save the princess.”

The witch looked at him in surprise. “Oh? Why aren’t the knights doing it?”

“Something about it being our destiny,” Alvin said.

The witch laughed. “Well then! I wish ye luck! You’ll need it! To help ye out, I’ll send Weaver with ye. He can get ye out of pinches.”

“What?!” Weaver exclaimed. “You’re kidding, right?! Why should I go with them?!”

“Well, for one, I’d like some peace and quiet for once,” the witch said. “For two, if ye don’t, I’ll reverse my spells and make ye an ordinary beast again.”

Weaver pouted, then glared at Alvin.

[word count for the day: 1,643. Ah, much better! Still have some catching up to do, though.]