"Wait my dear, patience is required. You have your Father's strong heart, but it's not that simple, together they posses great power. They've cast spells, evil spells, that cover the forest and beyond, and still their power grows. Your Father would know what to do, but it looks like the Witch anticipated that. She's rendered the Castle useless, a strategic move. It sounds like this illness is a diversionary spell, designed to keep your Father and his army away from the forest. It looks like we're on our own." Acron flew back into the tree; disgusted at the conclusion he'd derived.
"How did you know my Father?" Ruby looked at the creatures collectively gathered under the old tree. No answer was provided. Ranger Oakmoss stepped forward, "Your Father was a protector of this forest. He's a wise and caring man. We needed him; we need his wisdom now. Our plan was to seek his help and defeat this evil Witch. To know that he's ill, by the spell of the Witch, it's not what we wanted to hear. We don't have a plan now, we're barely holding our own against these beasts. We can't hold out much longer. If we don't, their evil will spill across the land unchecked."
"But we can't let that happen, right?" Ruby stepped forward to press home her point.
"As this night progresses we'll lose more of our brave warriors. The beasts keep coming, night after night, from the depths of the underworld. The Witch and the Black Fox have opened our world to these beasts, it's unrelenting." Ranger looked beaten, his back hunched and his body heavy.
Ruby was just a young girl but she could sense the gravity of the situation. These creatures needed hope, just like the people in the Castle. "My Father always said that defeat likes division. We need to fight this together, we need to stick together and play to our strengths." When Ruby was learning to master the bow, Joseph would always tell her, "Play to your strengths."
Giselle listened intently, watching Ruby's every move. "The girl speaks the truth. The Baron is stricken with this spell; our leader is a wise old Dragon, a Water Dragon, older than this forest." Giselle turned to address Ruby. "Your Grand Father was saved in this very forest from a pack of Wortenhogs; fierce beasts from the underworld. The Wyvern saved your Grand Father's life. Your Grand Father brought your Father into this forest when he fell ill. He was sick, dying from a vicious fever. He was a young child, about your age. He'd been poisoned and would have died from his fever. The Wyvern helped your family again, saving your Father's life. The Wyvern continued to help your Father and showed him the ways of our forest. In return for the Wyvern's generosity, he vowed to protect us when he assumed the role of Baron. We regarded your Father as a King, the King of the Humans. To us, you, my dear, are his Princess, and you must become our Princess." Giselle paused for effect. "We need your help; we need to work together to defeat this evil force. The Witch grows more powerful, she learns from the Black Fox. Together they will ruin this forest, if left unchecked. Evil cannot prevail; we must defeat it. In three moons from now, our leader, the Wyvern, will return. We will need to prepare for him; we've much to do."
"Where's the Dragon gone? Will he know how to save my Parents and the Castle?" Ruby realized she'd interrupted Giselle and wished she hadn't.
"Let's hope so Princess, he's older than a Dragon, he's a Wyvern. Our Wyvern has left us to enter the spirit world. He'll meet up with his two sisters. He's intelligent, experienced and cunning, I'm sure he'll return with a plan for us. In the meantime, our plan is to survive the next three Moons and provide him with a path back. It'll not be easy for him to return, he'll need our help. You, Princess, will have an important role to play in his return. The ceremony requires the presence of a Stibmit; we're fortunate you've joined our fight. Creatures of the forest," Giselle raised her voice and addressed the gathering, "We must protect Princess Ruby of Tamworthia; at all costs!" The sound boomed through the forest. The trees took the instruction and pushed it into the wind. They shook violently carrying the message into every nook and cranny.
Ruby had so many questions. Why was she referred to as the Princess of Tamworthia? Who does she need protection from? What role would she play in returning the Wyvern? What's a Wyvern look like? What will happen in three Moon's time? Will her Mother and Father last for three more days? Can the Castle curse be broken saving everyone?
Ranger was a patient soul. He spent the night with Ruby carefully explaining the answers to most of her questions.
As Giselle's command echoed through the forest, it did not escape the attention of the Witch and the Black Fox. They'd not anticipated a Princess. They'd heard about the King of the Humans, a Stibmit with powers of sight and communication. Their plan had worked to render him ill, making him ineffective. A Daughter was a surprise, but was this Princess a Stibmit? If she were, this would pose a threat to their plan. They exchanged a panic look. The mystical animals had hope, inspired by a new leader. This could be dangerous, she needed to be found and removed. They agreed to double the amount of beasts each night, and remove this unfortunate complication. For now, they must continue to find and burn each Yellow-bell.
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Princess Ruby of Tamworthia Page 24
