A Tremulous Test

Chapter Three

It might have been hours, it might have been days before Grimmbros' weary eyes re-opened. But when they did, he felt the warmth of soft bedding, the touch of fresh cotton on his skin, smelt the gentle odour of potpourri in a jar. A roaring log fire burned at the side of the cosy, candle-lit room. Someone had put a smooth, silken, bottle-green pyjama suit on him.

This was bliss. Deep in the comfort of an enormous bed, Grimm stretched and turned to the window - it was snowing outside - that was odd! Yet everything felt so inviting here, so comforting, so...

His attention shifted as he heard the sound of straining footfalls on creaking stairs; louder, louder, getting closer. His eyes alighted on the doorknob that was turning, the door beyond the foot of the bed was opening. Grimmbros' head whomped onto the pillow in a pretence of slumber. Heavy breathing alerted the apprehensive urgh-bane to the arrival of what could only be the hefty Norris. He sensed her massive presence move past him and risked a quick peep as she placed a tray laden with hot brewing tea and current-cakes with homemade jam beside the bed.

Through one barely-open, squinting eye Grimm noticed the heavy hammer dangling from the monster's waist. He shrank back further into the mattress, his ankles feeling strangely vulnerable. Then she bent and picked up a log, flinging it into the sparking blaze in the huge grate. Grimmbros suppressed a gasp as Norris abruptly turned, her immense fist now clasping a single yellow flower. She carefully placed it into a small vase on the tray. Seeing her turn toward him, Grimmbros squeezed his eyes tight and felt a gentle pat on his forehead.

"How nice this is," he heard her muse, "How nice, a guest at last." Then she was gone again, labouring down the groaning staircase. Despite the rest, Grimmbros was still feeling extremely drowsy; he couldn't even begin to grasp what was happening here. He knew that he should arise and explore his surroundings, examine the exit routes, check the... check the? He was too weary, all of that could be done later. He found himself drifting off to sleep again. As his eyes grew hazy and the world around him grew dark again, he noticed a bookshelf to his right. Books - books were good things.

Outside, on the far side of the river, two small figures huddled together, shivering under a bush.   
"It's her isn't it?" said Razzles, "The snow I mean. It's the lady up the cloud - she’s snowing."
"I think you're right," agreed Fürgůïn, watching his breath form a dense mist cloud just in front of his pale face, "She's probably angry that we're not getting on with this wretched quest. Look, it's only snowing in our area. If you look far enough in the distance it's still sunny!"

"So now what? Grimmbros has been taken captive by that, that - what is it - a half-oafe?"
"Yeah, half oafe, half hippo or something” Fürgůïn muttered bitterly.
The pair smirked a bit before Razzles added, "Half oafe, half buffalo!"
Fighting back laughter the renling sighed and said, "Suppose we'd better rescue him."

Razzles took a deep breath and pictured himself swinging into the bridge house with swashbuckling heroism, a grateful Grimmbros greeting his rescuers with undisguised admiration. Of course, that was never what was going to happen.

Suddenly though, Razzles' romantic notions of heroism were shattered by a shriek that pierced the snow-damped air all around them.
“What was that?” squealed Fürgůïn.
“It sounded like... like... Grrrimm... Grimmbros !” replied Razzles as his brain stumbled into action at the now-familiar sensation of impending trouble. “G-R-I-M-E-B-R-O-S !”
“It did sound like him and it sounded like he’s in real trouble because that was a particularly high-pitched scream for a creature of his... er... girth!” Fürgůïn exclaimed.
“Now we definitely have to save him I tell you... H-A-V-E T-O! She’s going to kill him or eat him or do something horrible to him with that fat, smashy hammer of hers. We need him or we’ll be stuck here and have snow here forever and we’ll never finish the quest. The cloud lady will freeze us I tell you.
F-R-E-E-Z U-S!” shrieked Razzles who was beginning to dance around in a fit of worry setting the
icicles that were forming on his beard jangling like a set of wind chimes.