The whispering forest

Chapter 1: Old Man Alfred

"Ash, earth to Ash, huh?" I asked, ''Will you pay attention for once?" My father asked me. I looked up at him and saw my green eyes reflected back at me. I smiled at him. "Do not worry; I am." He smiled at me and said, "Come on, we have to get the horses saddled up so we can go into town for your mom's medicine." My mamma, I thought to myself, had golden brown hair and blue eyes as clear as day; I inherited my father's green eyes and my mom's golden brown hair. "Alright, I am almost done saddling up Charlie. "How are you doing?" "I'm almost done," I said, smiling at Charlie. He was my beautiful chestnut quarter horse and one of the best horses on the farm.

I looked at my father's palomino. His name is Buck, and for good reason, that used to be all he would do until my father gentled him. Now, he was a wonderful horse to my father anyway; he didn't like anyone else. I heard gentle footsteps approaching us. I looked up and saw my twin sister there, supporting my mom. "Hey Willow, what are you two doing out here?" "Well, mom wanted to see you and dad off, and I didn't want her to walk out here by herself," she said. I looked at my mom. She had been sick since last winter. It was really harsh, and we barely survived it. She smiled at me. "Where's your dad?" she inquired.

''He's out saddling Jules," I responded. Jules was a mule. We usually take her with us when we go hunting so we can bring the meat and fur back in one piece. "So you're going hunting?" Willow said, "Yeah, after we get mom's medicine for her." "Merry," my father called out as he entered the barn. "What are you doing out here?" "Well, I wanted to see you and Ash off," she said determinedly, a stern look in her eyes making me gulp. "Tell me you're taking the dogs," my mother said. My father rolled his eyes. I let out a small gasp. "Mark Jay William, you did not just roll your eyes at me," my mother asked with an exasperated tone in her voice. "Fine, we will take Ace with us and leave Roxy here, okay?"

"Thank you," she said, smiling and kissing him on the cheek, adding, "Good luck, my dear; we will be waiting for your return." She then turned to me and gave me a hug; my father gave me a look, and we saddled up. I called out to Ace, and he came out from around the back of the farm. He was a husky-wolf cross; he was huge and intimidating. Roxy was his sister; she was sweet and protective but stubborn. Ace is hardworking and does whatever I ask him to do, but he only listens to me. I found them when they were just pups.

They had been dumped on the side of the road by themselves, so I took them home, and now they are hunting dogs and guard dogs. "Come on, we're going to town," I told him, as Roxy looked up at me with hope in her eyes. "Sorry, girl, not this time; you need to stay here and protect mom and Willow," she sighed as she walked back to the house. We were trotting along when a familiar black horse cantered past us. The boy called back, "Catch me if you can." I looked at my father, who smiled and nodded, giving the go-ahead, so I squeezed my thighs, making Charlie move into a canter, and before I knew it, I had caught up with him. "Hey James, race you to town," I called as I sped past him. I laughed as he caught up; it was a tie. When we got into town, we waited for our fathers at the market. "So how is Star doing?" I asked, looking at his horse, who was a completely black quarter horse with a star on her forehead. "She's doing better now that her hooves are trimmed; thanks for that, by the way." "You're welcome." "So do you think your father will tell me more stories?" "Probably you are the only one who listens to them anyway," he said, chuckling.

After we got my mom's medicine, we all sat in the local library, where old man Alfred told his tales about the "whispering forest." I listened and soaked up every detail; he told a tale that started in the heat of the south, went through the cold temperatures of the north, and passed the twin mountains, where there sat the whispering forest. "There I entered through a cave covered in vines and ivy; it was calling to me, whispering my name." "When I entered the cave, it was pitch black, and the only light came from the end of a long tunnel, so I went there, and when I came out the other end, I saw things I thought I'd never see: dragons in all different colors and sizes, unicorns and Pegasus's, and nymphs from all different environments," he continued as I imagined my own adventure. After that, we were getting back on our horses again when Alfred and James came over to talk to me and my father. "Going hunting?" Alfred asked my dad while James came over, leading the horses behind him. "Yeah, on our way home," my father told him, "mind if we join you?" Alfred asked. "Of course, you can," my father said with a tired look in his eyes.