The Forbidden Lands (Wattys 2015 Winner)

Chapter Seven-The Trolls

Chapter Seven
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I sat the rowboat down on the beach, and ran for the shelter of the trees. The tall trees waved wildly in the wind, their twisted branches clashing together. I turned back around to get my trunk. By mistake, I'd forgotten it. But the waves lapped onto the beach, and washed the rowboat away.

"No!" I shouted, as the rowboat washed out of sight. Now all I had was the contents of my satchel. I took one last look at Krialle, and stepped into the shelter of the trees.

I'd prepared myself for some sort of fantastical scene, yet all I saw was a forest of unusually tall and twisted trees. I took a deep breath and another step forward. I noticed that the storm sounded fainter the further I was from the beach. The trees were denser than most. They twisted in a sort of arch formation, and a dirt path guided the way. Which way, I did not know. I assumed it was west, but I didn't have the sun or stars to tell me in the storm.

It was dark, and I was exhausted from the day's events. I hadn't seen any sort of threats that day, so I assumed it was safe to sleep--which was a foolish decision, but I was tired. I climbed to a thick branch of a tree and laid down, closing my eyes. Before I fell asleep, I realized that something must inhabit the forest, because that path was there.

I got lucky that night.

When I awoke, it was a little before noon. I was starving, but my trunk had contained almost all my food. I opened my satchel and pulled out a couple biscuits. I devoured them in moments. But now I was thirsty. I walked around, looking for water and magical creatures. After a while, I doubted the existence of both. My throat was so dry, I considered eating one of the unfamiliar plants, but decided against it. I took samples of some, and drew them quickly. Perhaps one would cure diseases, someday.

I found a break in the trees. It opened up to a little pond. I dashed over to drink some, then paused. What if it was contaminated? I heard a little rustle in the bushes. Something flitted out towards the pond. I gasped. It was a little fairy--pixie, as I'd heard in some stories. It cupped some water with its tiny hand and sipped. If the pixie could drink it, I assumed I could as well. I put my face to the pond and drank thirstily.

Once I was satisfied, I immediately sat up to draw the pixie, as she admired herself in the pond's reflection. She was as small as my index finger, with bright blond hair and a pink petal dress. Her wings looked like glass, and her features were delicate and pointed. As I shaded her minuscule eyes, I wished I had paint, so I could capture her hair. It almost glowed. But charcoal would have to suffice.

Once the sun went down, I realized her hair did glow, like fireflies. The firefly pixie flew over and looked at my sketch of her. She made a little chirping noise, a word in her language. She blushed.

"Do you like it?" I asked. She nodded and made another high-pitched noise. A few more pixies flew out and crowded around my sketch. Some of them pointed at it, and then themselves. They all wanted portraits.

I laughed and began drawing each of them. One had multi-colored wings that shimmered and sparkled. One had leathery, black wings, almost like a bat. Another had a tiny little gown, with an intricately embroidered pattern. The stitches were nearly invisible. Each had an aura of light. They glowed their brightest so I could see the parchment, as the sky grew darker.

I looked down at my work, satisfied, with tired eyes. There really were magical creatures, and I would be the one to discover them all. The pixies scattered away once they saw me close my sketch book, and I fell asleep.

I awoke to a voice.

"The woods are dangerous for humans at night."

I opened my eyes. A troll-like creature stood above me. It was the size of a chimpanzee, perhaps, but broader, with ears similar to a primate. It was a sandy red color, with tough skin and intelligent black eyes.