The Key to Her Mind

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

            The path, which was made of cobblestones at first slowly started to slip off into a dirt trail as the three travelers entered a deep, dark wood. Hardly any light seeped through the think foliage of the tall, tall pine trees in the forest. It was very quiet. There was hardly a rustle or a call from a bird to be heard so deep in the wood. Jillian looked about but she could barely see anything beyond the strange looking ferns and berry bushes that lined the edge of the trail.

            “How much longer do we have to walk in this forest”, asked Ara, her voice quivering?

            “For only a few more minutes”, answered Rix. “The cottage is not far ahead”.

            “Rix”, asked Jillian, “what was your father like”?

            “My father”, Rix answered, startled by the question?

            “Yes, Horrilen, the wizard”, answered Jillian.

            “Oh, him”, said Rix, “Well, he was magic and old”.

            “No, what was he like”, asked Arabesque?

            “Well, he was nice and very secretive. Yes, very secretive”, answered Rix. “He kept to himself a lot”.

            “We heard that he had lots of secrets with the queen and that the only other person who knew them was Horrilen’s servant Menko”, said Jillian.

            “Oh yes, Menko, he was a very good man”, said Rix quietly.

            Jillian looked over at Rix and for a brief moment she thought she saw a mournful look in his eyes.

            “Over there”, said Rix. “That is the Cave Keeper’s hut”.

            The path ended by a large tree and beyond it was a sad and dirty looking shack. Jillian could see parts of the roof that had fallen to the ground and the shutters hung off the windows at an angle. Rix walked up to the front door and knocked. There was no answer. He knocked again.

            “Go away”, someone mumbled from inside. “You don’t belong here”.

            “Lezt, are you in there”, asked Rix? “Come on out you rascal. You know that you haven’t been to see me in weeks”.

            “My uncles not here”, answered the voice. “Go away Rix. I don’t have anything that you would want”.

            “Your uncle is away”, answered Rix? “Where has he gone and when will he be back? Lezt answer me”.

            There was no answer from the hut.

            “Lezt, get out here”, yelled Rix.

            Rix opened the door and stomped into the house. Jillian and Ara waited outside for a moment or two until Rix emerged from the shack dragging another boy by the collar of his shirt. The boy looked to be about sixteen, the same age as Jillian and Arabesque. Jillian guessed that Rix was probably about eighteen because he was so much bigger that Ara and herself. The boy that Rix know held by the scruff of his neck has tall and thin like Rix but he seemed to be scrawnier than Rix was. His hair was a very light tan color and was somewhat shaggy and he had very quiet blue eyes. He wore a dirty white shirt that looked like it was very old and on his face he had a sort of shy, almost sad smile. Around his neck was a shiny blue handkerchief.