The Journey to Northumberland and the Rise of the Undertoads
Page 31
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As the morning broke on this most promising of days, Louis's hopes were high that Spadefoot would be home and answer his early visitors. Washing his face in what was left of the clean water and adjusting his wizard robe Louis was keen to face his fate.
"Did you sleep at all last night Louis?"
"Yes Broomstick and just enough to feel refreshed this daybreak. I am ready to undergo the day are you?"
"I am Louis, a quick hour's walk and we are back at The Toad King's hideaway. I am sure that word of our arrival in his enchanted black forest, and word of the death of the White Queen has entered his ears already. He has many other moles and scouts that we do not know of, many fly above and burrow below us, word travels fast in his realm."
"Then our business with him should be over and done with quickly, and then we are on our way" stated the now ever optimistic young boy "in that case let's began. I am feeling so good about how the day will turn out that I would like to walk the rest of the way."
"So be it Louis. Your good attitude is rubbing off on me Louis. It is a good today."
The sky was clear, and the winds were gentle. A few small birds circled in flight high overhead with nothing else being more out of the ordinary on this morning, Louis took that to be a good sign. Louis began to skip and sing a little ditty and play his flute again as Broomstick kept time with his tail, flipping it back and forth in time with Louis's agreeable song.
"I can see it Louis, dead ahead, see the large clearing coming into view?"
"Yes I do Broomstick. I have been here before, only a few days ago. I ran for my life, I was so scared last time I was here but today is different. I have done as the Toad King has asked of me, so I have nothing to fear today. Today will be a day of days alright."
As Louis and the little unicorn approached the bug-eyed Toad King's haunt, a small mound of fresh earth churned up in front of them.
Out popped Digger the Blue Haired Rabbit.
"Good morning Louis, good morning Broomstick nice to see you both again. It has been a while since I have talked with you Broomstick."
"All is agreeably Digger, nice to see you again. What brings you here?" asked Broomstick.
"Hello once again my little friend" said a smiling Louis. Yes what does bring you here today?"
"Mr. Spadefoot has called me back to him, just one last deed and my contract with him is complete. I have done all I was asked of. I was to wait for your arrival you see, you were expected to be here sometime this day. His scouts tracked you from Hagby Tower so they knew you were close. I am to search his many tunnels and wormholes underneath the ground, find him then announce you're coming to him. You see I am a ground dweller, you know, just as he is. This is going to be a great day though. It will be my last deed for Mr. T?ngarar Spadefoot, he has promised to release me Louis. I am to go home in the present day, due to your good recent deeds and mine."
"So will you broadcast our arrival to Spadefoot, we are at his front door step. Then you are off for home for good? I could not be any happier for you. I look forward to seeing you stealing vegetables once again from Mr. Beamer's garden. And Muncy can chase you again around the front yard as you run with your pinched bounty."
"I so look forward to doing that, it was one of my favorite things to do. I like your Muncy but he is a little too slow and not a very good guard of the vegetable garden. I always fill my pouch to the top."
"Soon I will be home as well, and I can him help catch you, it would be my pleasure little rabbit. I expect to be home shortly as well for I have done all that Mr. Spadefoot has asked of me as well" said the eager Louis.
"OK I will hold you to that Louis, see you in Centerville soon. Sorry we do not have more time to chat Broomstick. I do hope your family is well. I just had a new litter back home, five new sons, my house is so busy so I must be going and quickly, the Toad King waits."
Bowing down to Louis and Broomstick in a sign of thanks and respect Digger quickly disappeared back into Spadefoot's mud den as Louis looked towards Broomstick with confidence showing.
"I can smell Hattie May's bread baking in the oven already and the warmth of my bed my good friend. All is right in the universe today because I am going home."
"And I can see the new day's yellow sunlight rising over the Kingdom of Gwynedd and Deganwy Castle in two days. New spring flowers will bloom, the lakes streams and ponds will fill with clean waters yet again, the green grasses in the fields will grow high as before, the air will become perfumed, and the lands will flourish with life and activity once more, but most importantly our queen will return to us. She will sit upon her throne which is her birthright and rule all the good creatures and humankind of our lands, as she did once before in the high-ancient times."
"I can see it all happening Broomstick, won't it be grand? And I can see my good fortune in two days, in returning to my family and friends."
As the two first-rate friends waited the return of the Toad King Louis looked up in the air towards the reflecting dim light of the blue moon, knowing that his days in this world would soon be ending.
The world above was hushed, calm and peaceful as the muddy ground underfoot stirred with life in front of them. One thick stubby forefinger appeared above ground, after that another became visible, then a bloated hand, followed by one more, afterward a stumpy arm began to surface over the earthen crest of the slimy lair. A deep loud and disagreeable belch was heard then a famed and most repulsive bulbous head emerged from the bottomless unholy pit.
His massive torso was lifted to the top of his mudded nest by his whopping, fatted legs. Just by wrenching himself out of his filthy lair he was breathing heavily and sweating freely. With great difficulty he lifted his massive body out of the polluted, diseased ridden hole, his majesty T?ngarar Spadefoot yet again appeared before the world in all of his inglorious hideousness and sloth.
Trying not to breathe in too deeply, so as not to smell the wretched stench of his grotesque body and breath Louis turned his head to the side, pinched his nose together with his fingers then bowed his head down in false respect to the bedeviled king. Broomstick breadth was shallow he tried to not smell him as well; he then lowered his head mirroring Louis's behavior. Remembering his pledge to himself to never be bullied again Louis was prepared to spare with the Toad King on his own terms this time if need be.
"Oh great Toad King, your majesty T?ngarar Spadefoot, I have called upon you today to bring you good news. Thank you for answering my callings this grand day."
"Well if it is not the counterfeit wizard; the snake oil salesman. What unmatched news could you have for me? Waking me out of my morning slumber is not something I recommend to anyone who values their life" said the behemoth toad as he scratched at his gigantic behind in scorn and belittlement of his enemy.
"I stood before you a few days ago begging for my life and for that of my friends. You sent me on a quest. You do remember me, I can tell by the not to gracious greetings..."
"I do remember you...continue...and tell me about your quest...refresh my memories of our prior meeting."
"You instructed and let it be known to me that if I killed the White Queen who lives in Hagby Tower, your old archenemy that you would release me and my friends, and that we could go free, to go home back to Centerville, from whence we came. You also stated that you would break any spells placed upon us by Noctuid the Black Witch and yourself. You also instructed me that I needed to bring either the White Queens black heart or jeweled crown that sits upon her head, back to you to prove her death, but especially you wanted her magical crown."
"Yes I remember the conversation we had. Did you do as I requested of you little one?"
This last statement by Spadefoot irked Louis to no end, remembering his "bully pledge" to himself once again, Louis tried his best to contain himself and his hatred for the vile king as the conversation continued.
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br /> "I have oh great Toad King, I did as you requested. The White Queen, the after-walker walks no more on this earth, for I have bested her and burned her ignoble and shameful throne to the ground."
"I have heard the rumors of her demise they circle about me like butterflies in flight do sometimes. I pay them no attention for they cannot hurt me. And what proof do you have of your great victory small wizard? Did you bring me her black heart, her crown, or her head, or are you just telling tall tales like Mr. Beamer does?
Will you just be making up stories to tell your grand-children, or again do you have any proof of your great might in battle?" asked the Toad King as he belched loudly again with the pungent, foul-smelling gas wafting outwards over little Louis and Broomstick, covering them both from head to toe.
Turning towards Broomstick Louis spoke in a low whisper, "He pushes my patience my friend. No one bullies me, no one, and that is exactly what he is trying to do again. And I have had about enough of his insults."
"Tolerance is a virtue Louis. We have come here on business, not to pick a fight, nor to be in one. Keep with the plan. There are greater things at stake here" said Broomstick as he tried to give Louis the staying power that he needed at this very time.
"The rumors of her demise, they are not. There are only truths. I have brought you the White Queen's crown."
The dishonorable and dastardly King of the Undertoads chuckled and chortled in a mocking tone as he heard Louis's newest words.
Louis did not flinch or falter at the Toad Kings expected reaction, now reaching into his robe into the very bottom pocket; he brought forth the jewel encrusted crown, exposing it into the blue moon's daylight. T?ngarar Spadefoot's demonic bug-eyes bugged out even further as his lust for power and control once again ravaged his feeble and infected mind.
"So the rumors of her death are true. You have performed well in battle and are the understandable victor. The White Queen has gone silent and stiff, all at your mighty hand. The Morpeth floods that destroyed my forest were your doings then. Word has been passed along to me that you also splayed in battle directly or indirectly some of my generals; Draconilla the Vampire Bat, Hydrarchos the Water Serpent, Spydos the Spider, Noctuid The Black Witch and Morr?gan the Stone Troll. Is this true?"
"Yes I have had run-ins and have battled recently with each of them in one way or another. Which are dead or alive, or have gone missing, or are injured I am not sure. I did not stay around long enough to find out. I had to continue on my way, continue on my quest."
"This does not make me happy. Those were loyal servants of mine. They were important to the great cause, although they did bicker between themselves and harbored jealous behavior they were of the utmost importance to my success within my cause, more about them in a bit."
"I am sorry about their seeming or real demise but I had no choice. I have done what I had to, to be able to survive your world."
"Again we will talk about that in a moment. You do know now that you are now a little thief and murderer? I usually do not do business with the likes of you but give me the crown willingly, and I will full fill my promises to you from before boy."
"What do you mean you do not do business with anyone like me? You are the one to talk. Your generals are: black witches, stone trolls, vampire bats, spiders and water serpents. The nerve of you, and furthermore I have not stolen anything. The crown, it fell into my hands. I took it as a sign of my strength.
You do not need to know the whole story of how it became mine, it is not your concern, and as for me being a murderer, the White Queen she was already dead, after all she was an after-walker, so your words ring hollow. Now back to our deal. I will give you the crown, and in return you promise to let me and my friends go. To let us leave this world by the way which we entered it. And you will permit Elphen the White Queen to be reincarnated and take her place once again on her throne in the Kingdom of Gwynedd in Deganwy Castle. She has paid an awful price inside of her imprisonment by you. She now needs to be completely freed. I started the regeneration process of her soul, and you finish it."
"Of course I promise. My words and promises have always been as good as gold" said the sarcastic, mordant toad.
Looking towards Broomstick Louis spoke softly to him yet again, "Can I trust him my friend?"
"You have no choice Louis your futures are entwined for better or worse, there can be no doubt. But you have to make the final decision, you and no one else determines your own fate better than you."
"Your gifted words speak the truth Broomstick" said Louis as he turned to face the Toad King again.
Slowly and carefully walking forward Louis approached the sizeable beast. Spadefoot's breath smelled like death, his yellow and green broken teeth harbored a recently devoured meal, rotted and stinking flesh and small bones were still lodged in-between the larger gaps. His forked black forked tongue licked at the heavy air that was weighing down upon them both.
Dropping to one knee and raising the jewel encrusted crown of the land draug, Queen Elphen from Elphame City Louis willfully handed the powerful circlet over to the dreaded T?ngarar Spadefoot the King of the Undertoads.
A sly and clever smile crossed his face as the true sway of the compelling crown took its hold upon his twisted and deformed mind. And as he held it up high in both hands above his grotesque body, drool freely flowed down both sides of his open mouth, while yellow snot dripped from his globular nose.
"The circle of power is now complete. The olden and most ancient crown that rules the underworld and unites all the dark powers of this land is back in my possession at last. What was stolen from me, what I once owned has now been returned to me, willfully given to me by the great ancestor of Grettir ?smundarson from Bjarg, the defiant, ill-tempered, and false red-haired hero. He failed me once during the same quest in the high-middle ages, where you in the present day did not little wizard. You are the "real hero" of this story now, at least in your mind you are. You have no idea what you have done, do you? Absolute power will now be mine, and absolute power begets absolute power and absolute truth. You allowed me to manipulate and cultivate your mind into thinking that you would be free after you brought me this golden crown; think again little "BOY"."
"What do you mean; do I know what I have done? I have done as you requested. The White Queen is to be freed to reign over this land again, and bring sunshine back into this world. You were to rule only Northumberland with this crown and leave the Kingdom of Gwynedd and Deganwy Castle alone. You were to release the captive children and their souls that are being held hostage here below in this world, and then you were to allow me to go free, back home. I don't understand" said the disbelieving Louis.
"Let me help you understand, you broke our deal when you set free your first two friends. I specifically told you what the bargain was. Do you not remember?"
"What are you talking about I broke the deal, you riddle-me-this and riddle me-that, twisted words flow over your forked black tongue. Speak the truth for once in your life!"
"I would be happy to speak the truth where you have not. I remember our conversation before in detail, where you have a foggy memory. I told you to not free your friends that they are to be held captive until the crown of the White Queen was safely in my hands. And I Quote: You cannot free them because you do not have the courage to, the willpower, nor the knowledge. And I will not allow it. Do only as I say. DO NOT TRY TO FREE THEM OR ELSE!"
"What....this is outrageous!! What tomfoolery is this...?"
"I continue, and with these recent actions by yourself and with help from your friends my armies have been decimated in the Morpeth Caves, drowned by the floods that were of your doing, that was only one of many armies but all the same, they were some of my best warriors. You then took the life of four of my generals, my top leaders who ruled many parts of Northumberland. So you are the one who broke the original deal not me.
Thank you for discovering the only way out of this world, to the upper world of light and fresh air. I have been searching for that opening for what seems like a thousand years. I along with my armies will march onwards to your fairy circle for a quick exit to the top-world. You see you don't understand the real powers that lie inside of this crown that I hold in my hands, the powers are just too great, they cannot be stopped.
"I cannot believe what I am hearing. What kind of evil demon-king are you? You are a true sociopath of the worse kind. You value nothing and care for no one. You are the greatest bully the world has ever known! You are a soul-stealer of children and a child-adductor. Your mind is as polluted as your words are vile. I will end this!!"
"You cannot end this, it has only just begun! You fool! Only a "real hero" can kill the Necromancer but the power of Necronomicon magic still lays dormant inside of this crown. I will call the rest of my toad army to the surface now and begin the turning-of-the-tides. Behold the power of Necronomicon magic by the now sole ruler of all of the Underworld and the Overworld."
Artfully placing the jeweled crown upon his own thick skull, the self-aggrandized king of all things in any world shook and shimmied like an impaled worm on a fishing hook. As delight filled his thoughts the black magic inside of the golden crown took hold of his inner-mind. Now ablaze in bright red colors, matching the color of the Toad King's demon glowing eyes the crown started to show its sleeping powers.
The jewels became inflamed on the crest of the crown. Six large red rubies shot red and green flames outwards and upwards they exploded in an unnatural whiteout above the fatted toad's head as he raised his arms towards the blue heavens above.
Louis and Broomstick both stumbled backwards off of their feet as the muddied ground around the great clearing began to convulse, tremble and shudder. As freshly churned earth fell over its self again and again like small waves on the shoreline, a whole host of webbed fingers appeared, then stout hands came into view, afterward thick arms, followed by rounded heads and shoulders, then hefty bodies appeared, they become visible by the thousands.
"Rise up my undertoad army, it is time to harvest, time to reap, it is time to claim what is lawfully ours. You have been in a restless sleep for almost a thousand years and that is far too long to be among the dead below. Wipe the sleep out of your eyes children, and meet your new world above, for I am the Toad King!
I am your father!
You will now repay your debt to me; we march towards the bright sunlight of the Upperworld, the world of humankind."
"Ribbett...Ribbett... Ribbett...Ribbett...Ribbett...
"Ribbett...Ribbett... Ribbett...Ribbett...Ribbett...
The native tongue of the toad army was spoken for all to hear, it was earsplitting and forceful. The collective voices of the massive toad army sounded like a thousand bass drums being pounded at once, it assaulted the senses at every level. It was a beat-down and battering of the mind, body and soul.
While T?ngarar Spadefoot was entranced and danced about with his followers in delirious pleasure, Louis tried to cover his ears the best he could with his hands, while Broomstick covered his with his long, thick tail.
Still back peddling away from the swarm of bellowing toads as fast as they could before they were completely surrounded by the slow hopping medium-sized creatures, the little wizard and the unicorn halted for a moment to hear what filth was going to spew forth next from Spadefoot's mouth yet again.
The Toad King raised a hand high into the air which signaled for all to cease in the verbal offensive. In a scornful and mocking tone he spoke, "Children of the Underworld quiet down please. I do share your elation and your united thoughts, but first I have a little more business with these two who stand defiant and bold before you.
Broomstick you have a strong back, you can help haul some of the supplies we will need as we march for the wormhole that leads to our escape from this world. And Louis all you need is to allow one of my underlings to bite you again so that the Ogbanje can reappear. Will you join us wizard? We could use such a "real hero" and a "real wizard" ". Upon the ending of his last words The Toad King exposed a brash smirk on his face. It was the most revolting grin Louis had ever seen before. It sent chills down to the ends of his nerve endings.
"The door is closing upon us Broomstick, we will not live to see another breath escape us unless we...we..."
"I am way ahead of you my friend, quickly Louis jump ahead upon my back, we must become disappearing ghost, or we will soon become toad food and truly disappear like real ghost.
"Bring me the hero, alive or dead, no matter! The unicorn can be on your menu tonight if you are fast and hungry enough!" barked out Spadefoot as the nimble Louis made haste.
With quickness he did not know he had Louis flew up upon Broomstick's saddle. Holding on for dear life, and to stay away from a certain forthcoming death Louis shouted out, "No time to be a statue...run...run away like a thousand toads are about to eat you..."
"That's not funny Louis..."
"It was not meant to be...run...run...!"
Spinning quickly about-face like a soldier during a military drill, Broomstick saw the only way to clear freedom. After that catapulting himself and his little jockey over a small knot of hopping, charging frogs they went missing towards the open road heading without delay towards Deganwy Castle. Hurtling gracefully over another few bounding, slimy frogs that were trying to block their way Broomstick's athleticism had giving them at length enough distance that being caught on this day would become a falsehood.
Seeing his chance to catch the little wizard and his four legged friend fading like water color paint in a rainstorm Spadefoot shrilled out at the top of his lungs his displeasure at his hated foes escape. His hateful shout-outs were for the world to hear, as his toad army began their loud vocal chants again, it was the oddest of musical duets:
"Ribbett...Ribbett... Ribbett...Ribbett...Ribbett..."
"Ribbett...Ribbett...Ribbett...Ribbett...Ribbett..."
"Ribbett...Ribbett... Ribbett...Ribbett...Ribbett..."
"Ribbett...Ribbett...Ribbett...Ribbett...Ribbett..."
Backwards looking as Broomstick crested a medium-sized hill Louis could witness almost to the end of Bramble Forest where it backed up to the Northumbria Mountains. As far as the eyeball could observe, the toad army covered the fouled lands. Knots of a thousand undertoads here, and thousands hopping undertoads over there, the land had changed to the strange colors of toad browns and greens. The deep rumbling of their voices, and their collective hopping, resounded off of the solid ground below, and the thick clouded skies above. The earth underneath foot shook and rumbled violently like they were a wild heard of stampeding bison on the early American plains. Their shared voices boomed overhead like a quarrelsome thunderstorm over a wild, vast African desert.
"What have I done Broomstick? Look backwards, this land will never be the same again?" said the brokenhearted Louis, "Spadefoot was right, this is my entire fault. How do I right this?"
"As you always say "the incident was only an accident", well this is incidentally not entirely an accident. You were sent into this world for a reason. You are on a mission, and this is just part of that mission, and of your growth as a person inside of that mission is the most important journey you can take. This is your story Louis, you are the lone writer. It will end well or badly depending on how you write your future.
This story is really about how you react to your enemies in times of
troubles. That is the only thing that in truth that is important. You are ultimately the one who decides your own future. It is how you react to the situations, not the situations that define the man or the boy in this case. Do you understand what I am getting at Louis?"
"You mean that this horrible creature T?ngarar Spadefoot, or Frank Frankle whatever his name is, or whoever he really is, that seems to have been in my life for so long, can be beaten or tamed, and it is all up to me to choose the outcome of this entire mess?"
"Yes, is that not true with everything in life? Your reactions to all people and your own state of affairs are always choices for you to make, and you alone. No one has control of you" stated the ever so wise unicorn.
"There is much truth in your words to me my friend. I will have to think long and hard on all that you just said. The White Queen spoke similar words to me as well before her re-birth. It is good to have your experience and knowledge on my side but for now we must not tarry any longer in this Forest. We have a day and a night to get to the fairy circle where I can make my escape."
"You're correct little wizard, we must be going now. The toad army will be quickly on our heels. They will carry the fatted Toad King upon their combined shoulders to be able to move his great weight quicker."
"You are right they are doing that now as we speak, look. What do you think the king and his armies will do next?"
"They will send the greater part of their vast army toward the Kingdom of Gwynedd and the Deganwy Castle. They will try to scale the thick block walls but will not be able to. The walls are just too strong and too tall. For many years we have anticipated the rise of the undertoad army. Governor Bregon and Thithor the Mayor are already aware of the circumstances that are before them and they are prepared for the war that is coming.
Orlaith and Eldon, the brother and sister fairies have flown back and forth many times over Northumberland and Bramble Forest in the last day and night since your great victory at Hagby Tower, they are keeping an eye on the movements of T?ngarar Spadefoot and his other generals. They have been reporting back to Atamo the Astral Fairy as was requested of them by me and him. You see we are all in this together, you only set the clock in motion so to speak."
"I had no idea this was all going on."
"You are new to this world we on the other hand have been dealing with T?ngarar Spadefoot for what seems to be a few hundreds years."
"If you don't mind Broomstick can I guess what is going to happen next?"
"You are in this with us all, and I value your views and beliefs as you know. You are wise beyond your years little wizard."
"Then if I may. The toad army will fail at first in their siege of Deganwy Castle, and will suffer many fatalities and losses. But this will not hinder them. They will blockade the castle until it at last falls. There will be hunger and suffering inside of the castle. And as this begins, and upon their arrival the Toad King along with the larger part of his undertoad army, and some of his vile generals will directly head for the fairy circle for two reasons. One is to stop my escape and that of my friends, and the other motivation, is to begin their rise out of this land into the upper-world through the wormhole that brought me here.
Spadefoot will use the now wicked powers of the Crown of ?thelfrith of Northumbria, the White Queen's old crown to travel through that wormhole. Upon his appearance in the upper-world the destruction will immediately start in Centerville, my hometown and spread like a wildfire across the upper-lands. And as this is happening eventually the Kingdom of Gwynedd will fall, then at a later date my own world will fall. Am I correct in my theories?" said the over-wrought Louis.
"Yes you are correct Louis I believe all of this will happen and more so. As Spadefoot began his march, the wheels of his war machine have already began to churn, he has already called his other generals, vile creatures and horrid beasts that he commands, to join the great battle that is now underway as we speak. He calls these; Baba Yaga's or as you once labeled those, black witches, there are many in Northumberland besides Noctuid. He will cry out for other hobgoblins or hobs like Hobthrust then there are the Sleagh Maith Hairy fairies, other ill-tempered cave and stone trolls, fierce Minotaur's, many dark evil fairies, large hungry spiders like Spydos, other water-demons like Hydrarchos the Water Serpent. Then there are others like olden flying dragons. One in particular shoots flames from his throat, and his feathers burn with fire as he flies. His name is Rukh the Firebird. He is the evil-spirit, the raptor of the skies he is a truly awful demonic creature. Spadefoot will call on his services for sure.
And there are others, like Draconilla the Vampire Bat, he has a large family. And worst of all he may even call Apohasis the Destroyer, the Great Black Snake who slithers in the depths or the underworld caves. I think you get the message Louis. The things that go bump in the night are all on the move, and are out to destroy all the good creatures in this world and yours, it is going to be an epic battle, and this all depends mostly on you Louis and of course us."
After hearing all that Broomstick just imparted on him, Louis exhaled a long deep breath of despair then inhaled and long deep breath of hope "It keeps getting worse. I had no idea about all of this. So much is riding on us and especially me. We must keep moving. I have to find my friends. I am sure they are at Deganwy Castle by now and will soon be heading for our exit point out of this world beyond the castle walls. We must head to the castle and warn all of the residents who live there all we have seen offer our advice and afterwards head as quickly as possible for the fairy circle."
"Let us not amble about anymore" said the little unicorn as he quickly turned an about face.
Now heading out of the wastelands of Bramble Forest and towards the Kingdom of Gwynedd, Broomstick trotted as swiftly as his short legs could move. Louis was lost in thought as the hours little by little passed, he did not speak very often; he did not eat nor drink. He tried to fathom all that went before and all that was to soon befall him, as he tried to keep his courage and wits about him.
He was again using his third-eye, his minds'-eye to reason out all that was before him, to be able to gain strength in the decisions he had to make. He tried to center the correct vibrations of the universe and gain a solid foundation on which to reach a more advanced level of thought. His mind's-eye, his two physical eyes focused above his eyebrows, his vision narrowed as he once again reached high-thinking. Renewed courage grew in his mind and heart. He now completely believed that he could defeat the Toad King on his own ground and on his own terms.
Broomstick kept up a balanced pace and was hard-working in his duties and devotion to his rider. Making good time was central to Broomstick, he knew the rate the toad army could keep, they would not falter in their resolve, would not tire, and were raised and trained for only one thing, and that is to serve their inglorious king, their minds were as clouded as a foggy day at the beach.
"Louis we will not make it to the safety of the castle today, we can only travel another few hours or so. The blue moon is sinking quickly in the eastern sky, and shortly the dense fogs will cover the ground again, this will slow our travel. It is not trustworthy to travel in the fogs, we could get lost. We must find shelter for the evening. We can make it to Deganwy Castle by mid-afternoon tomorrow."
"You are correct. The day has been long already and the nighttime could be longer. I know of a hunter's cabin up the road. My friends and I stayed there one night a few nights ago. There is food there, water and the doors are thick, and strong. We will be safe from Spadefoot's long arm."
Directing Broomstick onwards for another two and a half hours or more a slight fork right away appeared in the road. Then making a slight change of direction by a large twisted tree, Louis spotted the same cabin off of the beaten road, in the small clearing, just as before. Entering through the back door, the cabin was vacant. Louis and Broomstick would be out of harm's way for the night. Louis lit a small fire in
the firebox to warm their hearts, bodies and minds. Sharing what food Louis could rustle up from the kitchen Louis cooked a hot meal to both of their agreement. Louis snuggled up on the dusty old bed again as Broomstick took the first watch of the evening. The hours un-eventfully passed this night with neither creature nor beast disturbing the peace. Taking turns keeping watch and looking towards each other for confidence, both would safely reach the next morning's new dawn.