The Key to Her Mind

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

            “My name is Arabesque”, said the girl as they ran down the dirt path, “but you may call me Ara if you like”.

            “It would seem that you already know my name”, answered Jillian, “but I am not quite sure how”.

            “Why, we Gantailzians are taught to recite stories about you from the day we are able to speak though it is done very secretly now a days”, said Ara. “We have been waiting your arrival for many years. You will bring our beloved queen back”.

            “I’m afraid that I don’t know what you are talking about”, replied Jillian. “I have heard of your queen several times but I don’t think that I am going to bring her back. I don’t know where she went”.

            “We don’t know either Jillian”, answered Ara. “Some people believe that the witch killed our queen long ago. Those are the people who have decided to give up fighting Loukraiza, but my family and some other loyal subjects of Lorraliell still believe that our queen is out there and that you are the one to bring her back to us”.

            This is all very confusing”, said Jillian.

            “You’ll get used to it”, said Arabesque smiling. “Over there”, Ara pointed. “That is the cottage. An old man used to live there many years ago when Lorraliell was queen. His name was Horrilen. He was a rather strange man, a wizard of sorts who kept to himself but made special potions for the queen. Lorraliell trusted him and always asked for his advice on important things and the town’s people always thought it weird that she would like to spend so much time with such an old man and talk so secretly. The only person who was allowed to hear their conversations besides Horrilen was his servant Menko. There is a fire place there so we should be warm through the night. This way Jillian”.

            The two girls climbed down a small dirt bank and walked through a bunch of very tall pine trees to the cottage. It was very dusty and dirty inside. Obviously no one had lived there for years. There was nothing but a table and a chair, some old crinkled papers, and some dirty pots and pans.

            “I saw some wood out back”, said Ara. “I’ll go get some”.

            Arabesque walked out the back door and Jillian proceeded to tidy the hut up a little bit. She dusted the table with her skirt and swept as much of that dirt as she could out the door. Suddenly the front door opened and a strange figure entered the room. Jillian screamed and Ara, having heard it dropped her firewood and ran back into the house. Ara, off course expecting to see a monster or something was very surprised when all that had entered the cottage was a young man. He was tall with brown hair and brown eyes and he was holding a large basket of vegetables.

            “What are you doing in my house”, he asked in a scared voice.

            “Your house”, asked Ara? “No one has lived here for years since Horrilen died.

            “Well I am living here now”, said the young man in a rather annoyed sounding tone of voice, “and I would appreciate it if you would leave”.

            “O please let us stay just for tonight”, pleaded Jillian. “It is cold and dark outside.”

            “Yes, we are going to see the cave keeper tomorrow and we need rest”, said Ara.

            “You are”, asked the boy?

            “We are”, asked Jillian?

            “Of course”, answered Ara. “We have to if we are going to save the queen”.

            “The queen”, asked the young man? “In that case of course you can stay but I would like to accompany you on your journey if you will let me. I could be very helpful to you. I have experience with magic. I am Horrilen’s son Rix”.

            “His son”, exclaimed Ara! “I didn’t know that Horrilen had a son but you are welcome to come with us if that is really who you are”.

            “I have to go work in the orchards tomorrow morning”, said Rix, “but we can set out in the afternoon”.

            The three had a delicious supper that Rix cooked with the vegetables that he had brought home and they all slept soundly through the night. In the early morning before the sun was up Rix awakened the girls from their sleep and they all set out for the orchards. It was still cool out and they all shivered a little as they walked. The orchards were not far and they all set to work tending the beautiful fruit trees. They kept at it all morning and as the sun rose Jillian found that she had to take a break. She sat down next to an odd, speckled rock under a tree.

            “Pssst”, said a voice, “Pssst”.

            “Who’s there”, asked Jillian?

            “My name is Jebob”, whispered the voice. “I am one of the specks on the rock next to you. You must find me”.

            “What is with all these people making me find them”, Jillian thought to herself? “It’s strange but I guess that I had better do it any way”.

            Jillian looked at all the spots on the rock. There must have been a million of them. She touched a speck but the rock did nothing so she looked closer. She noticed that the tiniest speck was all alone on the edge so she touched that one next. Again the rock did nothing so this time she poked the largest one and sure enough the rock changed into a middle aged man.

            “Thank you, I was placed on that rock by the witch when I took some of her fruit to feed my family”, said Jebob. “You must be Jillian. At last you have come to us”.

            “I am Jillian”, she answered, “and you are welcome”.

            “Take this it will help you. It belonged to Lorraliell. I have been saving it for her”, said Jebob as he handed Jillian a beautiful head piece. “Good luck saving our queen”.

            The head piece was made of fine silver and it had a magical looking lavender orb in the center. Jillian put it in her pocket just as Arabesque came running up to her.

            “Rix thinks that we had better get going”, said Ara.

            Jillian followed Ara back to where Rix was standing and the three started down a cobblestone path towards the Cave Keeper’s hut.