Cinderella vs. Happily Ever After

Chapter 28

            They stood in front of a narrow trail leading between two huge rocky cliffs. The trail, more of a goat track, wound up and out of sight within a few turns. The rock faces looming over them were of rock so dark a grey as to be almost black, shot through with veins of light brown, lighter grey or dark pink.

            Val looked back at the other two. “It can’t really be as easy as just walking through and getting a drink at the spring on the other side of the valley without looking behind us.”

            Isaac grinned. “You forget, the rocks are all people who’ve been transformed and they’re going to insult us.

            “How the hell do people fail at this?” she said, shaking her head.

            “Ah well you know those big muscled types,” he replied then winked. “Not as well as I do of course. But most of them here seem to be very touchy and easily worked up. I’d have suspected steroids but I know you can’t get them here.”

            She sighed. “Well we might as well get this over with.” She led the way up the path, past the cliffs and over a rise where they could see the entire valley laid out before them It was a narrow valley, hemmed in by tall hills, really just small mountains, one either side. Little twists of steam hovered in the faint shadows of the black rocks that filled the valley. Staring, Valerie shook her head. There had to be at least a hundred rocks down there and the idea that each one was really an enchanted person…she shook her head again. There were days when it really struck her she was in another world.

            They walked forward, side by side, eyes straight ahead of them. The second their feet touched the valley floor, the rocks began talking. “What in the name of Snow White’s tits are these people supposed to be?”

            Val’s lips twitched but she continued on. “Hey, hey! That is a lady! And there is a wench beside her. What kind of fool brings a lady and a wench on a quest?”

            “They are all ugly. There is no point in looking.”

            “They will fail. They always fail.”

            “They look like the kind of cowards who would lose their bowels at the sight of a real enemy.”

            The farther in they got, the louder and more numerous the voices became. They continued with general insults until they reached what Valerie assumed was the halfway point. Then things got personal.

            “Here, kitty, kitty, kitty. I have some nice catnip for you.” Miette stifferened, her chin rising as the voice continued to call at her.

            “Look at you, the woman who destroyed a country. Come to destroy this one as well?” Val could feel her cheeks heating up but she continued onwards.

“Lost any other lovers cause you can’t function in bed?” Isaac only yawned.

“There is a reason they say all the morals of a she-cat. Cannot even stay a virgin before marriage, eh?” Miette had somehow managed to puff herself up, her hair seeming to gain volume from her anger.

“Like this one. Sleep with as many men as you can huh, whore? How much it cost for a night with you?” That one made Valerie laugh, which seemed to anger the stones if the way the volume of their insults increased was any indication.

“You know,” Isaac shouted over the jeers surrounding them. “I get the feeling they don’t like us.”

“It must be your imagination. After all, what’s not to like?”

“Maybe it’s jealousy. I am just so very pretty.”                            

“Pretty like the half rotted corpse of a rat,” she replied.

“Hey! The stones are supposed to insult me, not you.”

“Then you need to stop making it so easy.”

Isaac grinned. “Well you clearly need to learn better control. I can tell you’re only seconds away from looking behind you.”

“Speak for yourself.”

Miette, realizing what they were up to, joined in gratefully, pulling her mind away what was being shouted at her. “You have both clearly been charmed. Or I would say charm but you are both stupid enough to look behind us.”

“Ho-oh, so the cat has claws,” Isaac said.

Valerie told him “Well she’s better than a little bitch like you.”

“Little? I tower over you, woman.”

The stones had been tapering slowly off as they heard the insults they were flinging at each other. It was like they were in shock, Valerie thought as she continued to verbally assault the other two.

            By the time they finally reached the spring, Miette was trembling with anger, eyes flashing every time she moved. By unspoken agreement, Isaac and Valerie had her drink first, after first reminding her to use the wooden dip and not the gold one. She glared but did as she was told, roughly passing the dip to Valerie when she was done. After Isaac had drunk, they turned to stare at the valley of the now silent rocks.

            Val looked at the other two then asked “Now what?”