The Wonderful Wood

The Crisis

"We've changed you back into your real form!" said Ethan helping one up. "I can't remember anything from the point that wizard..."

"What did he do?" asked Ethan, eager to know more.

"Well, he pointed his wand at us, and I don't recall anything since!"

"You mean you don't remember your time as a wraith?"

"No, I don't," said the man and added, my sister was right all along.

"Ar you the brother of a countess?" asked Ethan, feeling sure that this was the man that he had been looking for in the first place.

"Yes, she warned me that I might get into heaps of trouble, and I didn't listen!"

Then a man came running and said, "The chief's son is sick, come quick, we are trying everything, and nothing is working!"

"How did that happen?" asked the chief of the gypsies as he got ready to follow the man who had brought the message.

"The boy has been stung by a scarlet scorpion! The healer has been working on him, but he seems to be not getting any better."

"Well, I'm going straight back to the camp," said the Chief and started walking away. The others got ready to follow.

The other men who had been wraiths thanked them and went their ways. Ethan told the countesses brother how she was troubled about him, and he decided to leave with Ethan and followed them back to the gypsy camp.

The Chief rushed towards the tent of the healer. There was a crowd gathered about that tent. The Chief made his way to the tent. Ethan looked around, and the Chief came out and said, "I'm going to see the wood witch!"

"The wood witch lives in the heart of the wonderful wood. Anyone who wants to join me can come!" said the Chief as he went back to his tent. A few men nodded, and then Ethan and the countess's brother also joined the Chief to go to the Wood witch.

They got on donkeys and set off to the Wood Witch. On they went deeper and deeper into the woods. It got darker and darker as the trees and bushed grew denser and denser.

They came to the gate of the Wood Witch and found that it was locked. Two ravens were sitting on the gate posts.

One raven cocked his head looked at the visitors and flew off toward a small cottage that was sprouting purple smoke from his chimney.

Then the cottage's front door opened, and a small, hunched figure came out of the door.

The woman came to the gate and unlocked it, and said, "Come in, come in!"

They went inside. It was snug and warm. She asked them to sit down on some chairs and then asked, "how can I help you?"

"Well, my son has been stung by a scarlet scorpion!"

"Well, that is grim news, I might not be able to help much, but I can guide you!"

Then she said, "Only the healing horn can heal the child."

"But where is that?" asked the Chief, "I have never heard about such a thing!"

"Well, it is a magical horn that could heal any deathly disease." said the witch. "Only this can save the life of your son."

"Well, in that case, we must find it at any cost. I couldn't possibly bear the loss of my son and get on with my life.

"Well, then, your best bet is to retrieve it from the Troll Tower."

"And where is that?" asked the chief, who was eager to get on with things.

"In the Valley of the Valkyries," said the woman adjusting her bun of silvery hair.

'Luckily for you, I do!" she said, getting up from the chair she had been seated and going to a shelf full of books. "Mind you, please return it to me as soon as you have done using it!"

"Alright," said the Chief and took the map the lady handed over to him. Then he thanked the lady, and they all bid her farewell and set off back towards camp.

Back in the camp, things were prepared for their long journey to the Valley of the Valkeireis. They got on to their ponies with their provisions and weapons and set off.

Diagon turned into a stallion and carried both Ethan and the brother of the Countess.

"Who are you called?" asked Ethan as they rode together. "I'm Ethan!"

"I'm Roland," said the man as they came to a river. The river was too broad to cross and they went down trying to find a place where it was shallow, and they could cross.

 "Why did you choose to be a robber?" asked Ethan wanting to know more about this strange man.

"Oh, that is a long story. I feel stupid for having done what I did."

"Don't we all," said Ethan smiling back reassuringly.

"Well, I was in love with my sister's best friend. But our parents were not on good terms. And when they found out, they forbade us from seeing each other and married her off to a rich man."

"Well, I was so angry and sad that I decided that nothing mattered and chose to hang out with bad men. That is how I became a robber. My sister tried her best to convince me to change my ways but naive and young as I was, I didn't listen to her take her words seriously. How is she, by the way?"

"She was well when I last saw her, but she was upset about you," said Ethan as he remembered the lady who had been crying in the garden.

"I hope she is okay. It was so good of you to come and look for me. Very noble. Are you of noble blood?"

"What do you mean by noble blood?" asked Ethan, not sure what that meant.

"I mean, are you royalty, like a king or queen or the son of one."

"Well, yes, I happen to be a ruler or Marshdom," said Ethan, remembering an entire kingdom was under him.