“Mother....can you come here please?” asked a little kind girl.
“I’m coming... I’m coming, now what do you want my little elf? A bed time story?” her kind mother asks.
“Oh yes please, please do tell me one.”
“Ok darling.”
Well there once was a lonely shepherd, living in a small clearing in the forest of dark magic. He had a name of which I do not know, I think he was nameless. He was so miserable, everyone hated him. They thought he was a mad man. Well the evil king Favbottom took his mother away from him. He just wanted to have someone to cuddle him at night and give him sweet kisses like sugar. He was only a young boy, 13 years I think. He never got to see her pale green eyes, her dark, brown hair that tickled her back.
One day, he was sleeping, dreaming about his goat Borin, eating grass then out of the blue a beautiful woman came behind Borin, and started to groom Borin, and then she said “come here darling, come here Rowan.” Then the boy woke up. He was thinking who is Rowan? I’m not Rowan; I don’t even have a name. Who am I? Tears of hatred filled his eyes as he lay in his bed. The hatred started to trickle down his cheek. They started to run down his cheek, soaking his garments.
“I’m going to find my mother, I’m going to find Rowan, and I’m going to find out who I really am. I’m leaving this place, this hell. I want a normal life!” he yelled to himself. He started to gather all his belongings, his two best cattle and Borin. “I’ll leave in the morning.”
That night he had the same dream... “Come here darling, come here Rowan.”
He woke bored and tired, but knew he had to leave quickly. He set off at the crack of dawn, the sun just rising over the mountains. He rode for hours, and hours until he grew hungry. He stopped by a small pond where the water was as clean as a crystal. He got some cheese that came from Borin’s milk and some bread which he had made the previous day. He made a little sandwich to fill his stomach as it was as empty as a dry well. While he devoured the small sandwich, he noticed a sparkle in the corner of his eye. He turned his head, but the sparkle kept annoying him. He then realised it came from the pond. He looked at the pond aimlessly but couldn’t find where the sparkle came from. He looked around the pond which triggered his thirst. Then under a small rock was an arrow. The most beautiful thing he had ever seen. From the fletch to the point. It had magnificent engravings of symbols he was not familiar with. He reached he hand into the pond; the water was ice cold as a glacier, refreshing to even touch. He reached for the bottom of the shallow pond, and grasped his hands around the arrow. He felt a rush of adrenalin race through his body. He pulled the arrow out and gave it an inspection. He felt safe when holding the arrow. Like his long-lost mother was holding him, like she was right beside him.
He put the arrow in his satchel just for safe keeping. But he was eager to drink some of that pond water. He cupped his hands and lowered them. He lifted his hands full of water, pressed his hands against his lips and drank. The water moved slowly down his body like he was in heaven. As he was doing so he heard a little voice; someone grunting, like a little beast. He turned and behind him was a little baby trolling ravaging his sandwich and running away with his cheese. He became frustrated, furious, angry...
That was his only food before he went hunting for deer. He felt fury building up, he needed this food to survive and rescue his mother who is on the other side of the forest. He started to run after the trolling, cheeky and selfish. He started to pick up the pace, getting a few centimetres closer every second. He started screaming for the trolling to stop. But the beast just kept teasing him.
All of a sudden, the trolling was being pulled back, being pulled back by nothing. It was as if he had a magnet on his back. It was being dragged all the way back to the satchel. The shepherd ran to the trolling, exhausted and confused. The trolling then gave back the cheese and ran off. The boy put the cheese in his satchel and saw the arrow glowing like it has been blessed by someone. He was curious but stopped worrying about the arrow and returned back to his cattle and Borin who was attempting to eat a chestnut. The young shepherd decided to ride his cattle as his feet were sore from all the walking. It started to get dark so the shepherd rested again after a long track.
