Travel to Sockland

Chapter 22

"You four are to make sure he doesn't escape." Arnie told a group of pencils, pointing at Stickler as he did.

Stickler's face was beginning to look normal again. The effect of the leaf was wearing off. Arnie directed his next words at him, his voice hard and cold. "Don't try to get away. Cooperate with us and all will be smooth. We're going to sort out this mess." Arnie saw a flicker of panic on the paintbrush's face but he said nothing.

The pencils gathered into formation with Stickler and his guards in the middle. Flimgog had wanted to tie the paintbrush up, but Arnie had refused. He told Flimgog that it would slow them down but really didn't like the idea of what he considered unnecessary suffering. Arnie decided he would follow the rest of them from behind so he could keep an eye on them all. He was also big enough to see ahead anyway.

They were ready to leave. "Let's go!" Arnie called. Alagog was at the front of the group, but Flimgog was at the back with Arnie.

The group moved forward and gradually filtered out through the small gate. They didn't pause outside but headed straight for the thin path through the glittering, glistening trees. Although the path was thin to Arinie, several pencils could walk it side by side without difficulty.

As he entered through the trees Arnie noticed that although the trees were slightly taller than him they didn't tower over the pencil men like he thought they ought to. In the same way that the pencil men seemed to have no problem keeping up with him while marching despite his much larger legs, it was something that struck him as odd. They seemed to be able to perform actions beyond their size.

Arnie walked on for some time, looking from side to side. The group ahead were moving rapidly and without much effort. He tried to look through the trees to see what was around but they were thick and the constantly changing shimmering from the leaves was quite uncomfortable to look at for any length of time. He looked down at Flimgog who was just managing to walk by his side.

"You were going to tell me something about Sockland. Can you do that now?" he asked.

"Of course. What would you like to know Arnold? I don't know where to begin."

"Well, you mentioned a queen for example. Where is she? Who is she?"

"I myself have never met the queen. She has not visited since the war began. I don't know what she looks like but the tales tell of a mighty and powerful creature. One of great wisdom as well. She is said to be as old as Sockland itself. She is rumoured to live in the far north at the topmost tip of Sockland. It is a great distance from here to there."

Arnie looked over his marching soldiers before looking back and answering. "What other counties or areas are there in Sockland? Is there something outwith or beyond Sockland? I know of Writingshire and Washingshire but what more is there?"

Flimgog paused before answering. He seemed to be puzzling over the question. Arnie couldn't see his face fully while they walked, but that was the impression he got. "Sockland is all there is. That we have been taught. It is our world. Sockland has a lot more to it, but I do not honestly know what it is like. We tend to keep to our own area. As we border on Washingshire, we have had some dealings with the basket people. But their land ends abruptly. We are bordered otherwise by mountains. I do not know what lays beyond those mountains. We are not taught and do not go. Although the queen comes from over the Northerly mountains as I mentioned."

Arnie was about to respond as the path up ahead turned off to the right. As the pencils at the front of the line began to disappear around this corner he noticed that they were slowing down. When he got around he saw a clearing up ahead. The forest came to an abrupt end. Alagog had stopped them all at the edge. Arnie saw him making his way through the group towards the back. It didn't take him long.

"Up ahead is completely open ground. We are not far from the village now. I wondered if we should go over the plan before we move out of here. They may have scouts anywhere around here." Alagog sounded confident, a soldier well trained in his craft.

"How far is the village?" Arnie asked, squinting out through the clearing. He couldn't see the village from here. He saw that edge of the forest ended and a whole new landscape appeared. The contrast was incredible and sudden. Like two paintings stuck together. The ground was covered in swaying, violet grass and the sky was an intense, bubblegum pink. The ground seemed to be a slight slope, heading up towards the pink horizon. From what he could see, it was otherwise empty.

Alagog responded, "The village is over the crest of the hill. It is a slight ascent and then it is a steep drop. The village is not far beyond the crest at the bottom of the hill. When we reach the top, they will notice us."

"Ok." Arnie said. His mind was actively filtering through various scenarios on what could and would happen. He truely hoped he could pull this off. "Let's sit and eat now, gather strength for a while and then we'll go."

Alagog nodded and made his way through the crowd, issuing orders as he went. Arnie sat cross legged on the forest floor with Flimgog still at his side. He noticed the rest of the group sitting down and bringing out food to eat. Arnie didn't feel much hunger but thought he should eat anyway.

He didn't talk much while they ate. He was deep in thought. Buried in his mind, he wondered what would happen when he met this girl, the 'weapon' of the pens. He wondered how the pens would react to the news of the paintbrush deception.

After a while of this, Arnie pulled his attention out of his mind and looked over his group of pencils. They were chatting to one another. Their mood was surprisingly merry, if slightly muted. He noticed Stickler in the midst of all this, still being watched, but also looking comfortable. Arnie clapped his hands quietly and stood up. Flimgog got up in response. "Time to go." Arnie said, forcing his voice to be calm.

As one, the group rose. Arnie called out to Alagog at the front. "I will join you at the front now."

He made his way to the front and, with Alagog and Flimgog by his side, left the forest of sparkling trees.

They marched straight towards the pink horizon, climbing gradually. It was a surprisingly short journey and so it didn't take long until they reached the top and Arnie looked over. He held up his hand and they all stopped. A squealing, high-pitched noise rang out through the clearing almost immediately. Arnie assumed it was some kind of alarm. No one reacted.

The village at the bottom of the hill looked like the pencil villages he had seen. A wall surrounded the whole place. It was different in that it was red, green, blue and black all the way around. There were houses dotted throughout the village.

Arnie was not at all surprised to see a house in the center of the village that was big enough for a human and very much like the pencil leader's houses he had seen. The whole village was coloured in the same way with equal amounts of red, green, blue and black.

He saw a commotion in the village and pens were forming around the gate.

The pens were prepared for their arrival.

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