Arthur Hood: the Heir of Robin and King

Chapter Twenty-Three

Following the trampled down undergrowth and the ogre's huge footprints beat into the earth, Arthur, Little Johnny and Merlynna raced after Esme, whose screams echoed loudly through the forest. Past tree after tree they went until Arthur realized where the beast was taking her.

'It's headed for Jack's Tree,' he said, spying the looming branched behemoth through the forest's canopy.

'I hope it doesn't take her up there,' huffed Merlynna, but her fear came true.

Reaching the humongous tree, the three glared up and saw the ogre already a quarter way up its trunk. And Esme was still slung over its shoulder.

'Now how are we going to rescue her?' asked Merlynna.

'We have to climb up there and get her,' replied Little Johnny.

'But it's too high,' Arthur burst out. 'One misstep and we're toast.'

'You're right. It'll just have to be me then.' Little Johnny threw his staff to the ground. Then without another word, he began to climb.

'But you can't,' howled Merlynna. 'It's too dangerous for anyone.'

'Maybe, but I must.'

'Let me come with you,' said Arthur, but the moment he tried to follow, he realized he just wasn't skillful enough. His grip soon slipped and he fell back down to the ground.

'It's all right, I'll do it alone,' came Little Johnny before craning his neck and seeing the gap between him and the ogre grow further.

But that pushed the boy even more and he quickened his climbing. Even when his arms and legs began to ache, he did not stop. Eventually, he took a peek to see how far he had scaled . . . . and whoa!

'Okay then,' Little Johnny stammered to himself as he saw Arthur and Merlynna now far below. They looked like tiny ants and the rest of the forest, the trees, looked like green matchsticks. 'This is quite high.'

Just then, a roar cracked down through the air like a bolt of lightning. Little Johnny snapped his gaze back up and saw the ogre disappear beyond the clouds.

Up and up the boy continued for what felt like an entire day, every step bringing the wind and cold, but Little Johnny finally reached the puffy white mistiness. And before he knew it, a great hovel made of stone appeared before him, its front door just one big crumbling hole and the roof looking as if it was about to cave in.

He had reached the top of Jack's Tree.

A scream bellowing out from within perked Little Johnny's resolve. He clawed his way to the entrance, where he carefully peered through. And inside was a cavernous room with its own smaller, yet still large, hovel made from tables and chairs, paintings, a bed, and pots and pans. And inside that, the ogre was resting, its eyes closed and Robin's Horn nestled on its breathing and heaving chest.

Yakking, snarling snores soon trumpeted from the beast and Little Johnny's gaze wandered to the corner of the room, where a cage made of bones sat occupied. He then waved his hands, quickly getting the attention of Esme.

Though scared, relief washed over her instantly as she mouthed, 'Get me out of here.'

On his tiptoes, Little Johnny shuffled inside and over to the cage.

'Where's the door to this thing?' he asked in whispers.

'There's no door,' Esme answered. 'He just put it over me. I tried lifting it up but it's too heavy.'

'I'll help.'

Little Johnny took hold of two bones at the base of the cage and Esme grabbed them too. Then with muffled grunts, the two lifted the enclosure. Up it went, making enough room for Esme to crawl out, but they needed something to prop it up first.

'I don't think I can keep it up for you to get out,' Little Johnny told Esme. 'I'll get something we can put underneath it. Wait here.'

'I'm not going anywhere,' Esme replied as they placed the cage back down.

Little Johnny turned to the indoor hovel, where fortunately the ogre was still sleeping. He then eyed something wedged in the debris that would do perfectly. It was a wooden box.

Once again, he tiptoed across the room, where the smell of the ogre's breath socked him in the face. The stench was so bad, like a hundred times worse than rotten eggs, that he had to cover his nose with the hood of his hairy coat.

Soon, he was grabbing the box he had eyed and began to carefully pull it out, hoping that the indoor hovel wouldn't collapse and wake the terrifying beast. To his relief, it didn't and before he returned to the cage, he swiped Robin's Horn.

Once Esme had crawled out from under her prison, she beamed with gratitude. 'Thank you so much.'

'You're welcome,' Little Johnny replied. 'Now let's get out from the clouds and down from this tree.'

'You don't have to tell me twice–'

Suddenly, the box propping up the cage imploded with an almighty crash, sending splinters everywhere. And despite the ogre's snores being much louder, the noise woke the beast with a roaring start.

'Time to run I think,' Esme gulped.

Little Johnny knew that out-climbing the ogre would just be impossible. But as luck would have it, he saw something lying underneath the remnants of the wooden box. It was a pair of ratty looking black boots with an image of a wing sown into each one.

'Are those–are those–' he started to ask as the ogre bounded up to his feet and boomed in rage.

'The Shoes of Swiftness,' Esme replied with a tremble.

Not knowing if they still worked, Little Johnny scrambled to put them on anyway. But the moment he tightened their laces, he knew they did, for his whole body twitched as if he had just eaten ten bars of chocolate.

'Jump on my back,' he then burst out. And Esme did just that. 'Now, hold on tight.'

In a flash, they were gone as if they had vanished with a poof, leaving the ogre to roar with such anger that the clouds covering the crown of Jack's Tree parted with a rush. And as more roars sent the walls of the stone hovel to crumble, Little Johnny was already racing towards the ground. He was going so fast, the fastest he's ever gone, that leaps felt like steps and clambering down the trunk felt as if he was sliding down a fireman's pole.

It was thrilling, but, oh, did he scream. So did Esme. And as they continued down, Arthur and Merlynna were looking up in horror as chunks from the hovel began to tumble through the air.

'That doesn't look good,' quivered Arthur. 'Do you think something's happened to them?'

'I hope not,' cried Merlynn before the two heard a voice zip down from above.

'I've got Esme, guys,' it yelled, sounding rather close.

'Was–was that Little Johnny?' croaked Arthur, but he or Merlynna couldn't see him anywhere.

But then, and in a gust of wind, Little Johnny appeared right in front of them with a pop.

'What in the hag's mole–' Merlynna swore as Arthur cowered back in shock. 'How? How? Is this magic?'

'The Shoes of Swiftness,' Little Johnny answered, pointing down at his feet, before Esme jumped off his back with utmost delight.

The four then quickly embraced. And after Esme thanked Little Johnny again for rescuing her, she said with concern, 'I just don't get it.'

'Get what?' asked Arthur.

'How did the ogre get inside Robin's Wood?'

Arthur wondered if it had anything to do with the Shadow.

'Whatever the reason,' Merlynna replied, 'I think we should probably skedaddle just in case the beast decides to follow you two down.'

'That's a good idea,' replied Little Johnny and the four were quick to head off back to the train in the trees.