Beyond the Cherry Tree (8 page)

Norlif looked at Bortwig and then at Josh. Bortwig jumped to his feet and stood in front of Josh. The doors of the room crashed open and a hideous, fearsome creature thrashed its way across the floor. Josh cringed back in alarm.

‘How did this creature escape? Surround it!’ shouted Norlif with great authority.

‘What
is
that, Bortwig?’ Josh shook out.

Norlif answered him, ‘A dragolyte! We netted it as it strayed past the forest. Krudon used his evil sorcery to create them from the ashes of the last of the black and red
dragons
of Mount Erzkrin. They are smaller than dragons, but lethal nonetheless, and as loyal to Krudon as dogs to their masters. Instead of breathing fire, they spit burning bullets of hot rock ash. But not this one! I’ve had its gut sealed with magical pine gum and its wings snapped. The only weapons it possesses now are its claws, sharp teeth and hatred – great hatred.’

Norlif turned from Josh and slowly walked over to the
creature, watching it as it fixed its evil, damning eyes upon Josh and Josh alone.

The creature opened its jaws. Josh could feel its hatred, hatred so intense that his nose began to bleed.

‘Norlif!’ called Bortwig.

Norlif turned to see Josh holding his hand to his nose and quickly turned to the creature to divert its evil.

‘He sent you, didn’t he? And you failed him, didn’t you?’

The dragolyte fixed its eyes upon Norlif.

‘You’ve been searching for the boy, tirelessly, and now he is before you, and you cannot carry out your master’s evil instructions. Yes! You know you failed him. Krudon would have your hide lowered into the witches’ cauldron and mixed with disgusting cankerous syrup for the witches to sip upon.’

The dragolyte raged inside, and returned its evil eyes to Josh.

Josh jumped backwards.

‘What’s he mean, he was searching for me, Bortwig?’ He looked to the elf. ‘Why would Krudon send him after me?’

Bortwig was about to speak when suddenly the dragolyte screeched out in agony as it tried to move its wings – its eyes still fixed upon Josh.

Norlif feared for the boy’s safety. He looked up to the gathering of elves above him and gestured to one near the edge. The tree elf swung down from the balcony and landed
on the creature’s back. Great rage and excitement filled the room as elf and dragolyte thrashed across the floor. Every time the evil creature cast its eyes toward Josh, the elves’ bows tightened and swords and spears took aim on Norlif’s command.

Josh’s insight into Bortwig’s people had changed. He
realised
now that they were not just kindly tree elves, but proud and rebellious creatures. They were quite fearless too.

The brave elf was hurt. Blood poured from his chest in the place where the dragolyte had ripped across with its swiping claws.

‘Time!’ called Norlif, as if boredom was nagging him.

With a powerful leap and a lightning slash, the elf jumped on the dragolyte and severed its head clean from its body. Josh felt light-headed and saw the room start to spin.

Chapter 12

Heckrin's Pass

J
osh's sleep was a long, deep one filled with neither dreams nor expectations of what the next day, or even the day after, might bring. As his senses slowly
awakened
, Josh could feel warmth settling on his face. The rising sun pierced light through his eyelids, revealing intricate flashing patterns.

This was nice, peaceful, non-chaotic – unlike recent
happenings
. Josh was in no hurry to open his eyes and end his rest. No; he would lie still for just a few more minutes even though he could now hear voices and busy goings-on and fuss around him. But a few minutes were not to be as the warmth quickly left his cheeks and shade once again
covered
his eyes. A different kind of warmth fell upon him. It wasn't nice warmth like the soothing glow from the sun, but a kind of running, slimy, smelly warmth. It trickled down his forehead and across his eyelids, then came to a
gathering on his cheeks.

Josh wanted to open his eyes and jump up, but he felt that fear which sometimes can paralyse a person when he is
startled
by something as he passes from sleep to consciousness.

Then, it happened again; only, this time, Josh did open his eyes as an even warmer blob of gunk fell into his left ear.

Leaning over a fallen tree and staring down at Josh was a big, fat, ugly, bald creature with a huge trail of disgusting snot hanging from its nostrils.

‘Uugh!' yelped Josh. He rolled over to one side just before the gunk dropped to where he had been lying.

The creature smiled at Josh, revealing tiny jagged teeth behind big blue lips.

Josh frantically wiped his face, then tucked his fingers inside his sleeve and vigorously cleaned the inside of his mucus-filled left ear.

‘Ah! Awake at last, Master Bloom?' greeted Bortwig, who climbed over the tree from behind the creature.

‘What's that?' asked Josh, pointing at the creature.

‘Don't be frightened, Master Bloom. This is Baulge. He's a sea ogre, and he's accompanying us on our trip to see
Wilzorf
. A little protection provided by Norlif.'

‘Sea ogre! Shouldn't he be in the sea, then?' asked Josh, observing the gills on the creature's neck.

‘Sea, land, makes no difference to Baulge. Very versatile
creatures are sea ogres.'

Josh was standing now. He still felt a bit light-headed.

‘Where are we, Bortwig? We're not in the forest. How did we get here?' Josh looked down at the clothes he was
wearing
. They had been changed.

‘And these clothes … where are my clothes?'

Just as Bortwig was about to answer Baulge moved quickly, thrashing his body to the ground behind the tree. When he stood back up, he was holding a dead hare in his enormous right hand. The ogre looked to Bortwig and held his limp victim up as if to gesture breakfast.

‘Excellent, Baulge,' commended Bortwig. ‘But I think we will have some fruit instead.'

Bortwig ordered Baulge to eat his breakfast elsewhere as he knew the ogre's savage method of devouring the hare raw would not help Josh's appetite.

He sat Josh back down on the tree trunk and gave him an apple and some grapes left over from Norlif's feast.

‘Do you remember the festivities of last night?' asked Bortwig.

Josh nodded.

‘Well, I remember the dragolyte and the fight. And I think the elf killed it. Is that right? I don't remember anything after that.'

‘Yes, Master Bloom. Artfid, tree elf, did kill Krudon's creature.
But, before he did, Krudon's evil got to you.'

‘What do you mean? How?'

‘Through the dragolyte's eyes. Its eyes were fixed upon you. It cursed you and damned you to die.'

‘My nose bled …' Josh remembered.

Josh munched on his apple, butt and all, then started on his pear. He had a big appetite and his strength was slowly returning.

‘But, my clothes, Bortwig? And how are we here and not back at Feldorn?'

‘Norlif's command,' explained the elf. ‘As Artfid severed the dragolyte's head clean from its body, blood sprayed your clothing. Norlif believed that this caused weakness to wash over you. A curse in the making. That's why you are in
different
clothing, Master Bloom. Norlif ordered our immediate departure to the Wizard's domain.'

‘But I was asleep.'

Bortwig stood up.

‘Baulge carried you. Come, Master Bloom. We must be going. If you are still weak, Baulge will carry you some more.'

Josh joined Bortwig as they searched for Baulge, who had wandered away with his meal.

‘I would have liked to have said goodbye to Norlif and Tigfry,' sighed Josh.

Norlif's blessing is with you, Master Bloom. I'm sure your
paths will cross again.'

The elf, the boy and the ogre walked until morning became high sun. The path ended with a cliff edge and a rope bridge, which stretched a long distance over a
treacherous
drop to another cliff edge. Josh noticed Baulge become twitchy and very nervous as they drew closer to the bridge.

‘Bortwig, what's wrong with Baulge?' he whispered.

Bortwig looked over his shoulder at Baulge. The ogre had fallen behind a little and his eyes searched left and right and up and behind.

‘Heckrin's Pass,' said Bortwig.

‘Excuse me?' asked Josh.

Bortwig pointed ahead toward the bridge they were approaching.

‘Do you see the bridge that joins those two cliffs?'

‘Yes?'

‘That's Heckrin's Pass. Baulge, as hideous and strong as he is, is terrified of Heckrin,' Bortwig explained.

‘Who's Heckrin?' interjected Josh.

‘Heckrin, Master Bloom, is neither evil nor good; just savage. He is a giant falcon with the hideous head of a crazed, hungry man. He has many jagged teeth and his long, pointed nose can smell warm blood from a hundred miles away.'

‘I don't blame Baulge for being afraid of him,' shivered Josh, looking toward the sky. ‘He's not here, is he?'

Bortwig shook his head. ‘Fear not, Master Bloom.
Heckrin
hunts on the far-eastern lands of Habilon at high sun.' He laughed. ‘Baulge would not be standing here if there was the slightest chance of an encounter with Heckrin.'

‘I wouldn't either,' chuckled Josh. ‘I'm terrified and I haven't even seen him.'

‘Most would fear Heckrin,' nodded Bortwig, ‘but Baulge had an especially terrifying encounter with Heckrin when he was just an infant.'

With Baulge close by, Bortwig began to tell Josh about the time Heckrin swooped down from the mist and snatched the infant Baulge from Togilin's shore.

‘But Baulge is here and big and well! Heckrin couldn't have eaten him, Bortwig.'

‘Heckrin made one mistake,' explained the elf. ‘He flew over Feldorn Forest.'

‘The archers!' smiled Josh. ‘Did they save Baulge?'

Bortwig smiled. ‘Yes, Master Bloom! Heckrin still bears the wounds on his left side. It has slowed him a little, but fast, ferocious and ever hungry he still is.'

‘So, the tree elves raised Baulge?'

‘Baulge fell crashing through the treetops of our forest. As eager as Norlif is to taste different meats, he could not command the slaughter of the infant ogre. And that is why Baulge is loyal to Norlif and Norlif's kind.'

Josh took one look at the bridge and questioned its strength.

‘I'm not too sure about crossing that bridge, Bortwig. It looks dodgy.'

Bortwig turned to Baulge.

‘Baulge will cross first,' said Bortwig. ‘If it holds his weight, then it will hold a hundred elves and at least one brave boy,' he laughed.

Baulge was very nervous. He grunted with dissatisfaction at the situation he was in. Josh walked over to the ogre and patted him on the side; this was as high as he could reach.

‘Don't worry, Baulge. You'll be fine. Once we've crossed, we'll be away from this place long before Heckrin shows up.'

Josh looked at Bortwig with a worried frown.

The ogre had not stepped three paces onto the bridge when, suddenly, an infuriating howl came from under the bridge. A very hairy, small creature not much bigger than Bortwig and a little smaller than Josh dragged itself up onto the bridge between the ogre, the boy and the elf.

‘Nobody shall cross my bridge!' commanded the creature, pointing its long, hairy finger at Bortwig.

Josh stared at the creature's long black nails with bits of slug guts, bug legs and wings buried deep within.

Yuck!
he thought.
Gross!
He heaved.

Baulge leaned over and picked up the creature. It kicked
and raged as it dangled in midair. Bortwig laughed aloud and this infuriated the creature even more.

‘Let me down, hideous ogre. Let me down or I shall rip you to shreds and chew on your bones for evening pleasures.'

Bortwig laughed even louder now.

‘How dare you laugh, elf. Laugh at a troll, do you?'

Josh was a little confused.
A troll! He doesn't look nasty enough to be a troll
.

‘Is he really a troll?' he asked Bortwig, who was now
holding
his belly as if he had a stitch from laughing too much.

‘Let him down, Baulge,' instructed Bortwig. ‘No, Master Bloom. Mad Argil is not a troll.'

‘I didn't think so,' laughed Josh. He looked at the creature, who was fixing his filthy robe and shaking himself down while grunting up at Baulge.

‘Filthy ogre!'

Bortwig walked over to Mad Argil.

‘Mad Argil,' said Bortwig. ‘If Heckrin knew that you were making claims on his bridge and pretending to be the troll that passed through his gut many years ago, he would send you to the pit of his stomach too.'

‘But I
am
a troll!' insisted Mad Argil. ‘A
dangerous
troll, too. You shall not cross my bridge.'

Bortwig looked up toward Baulge and winked.

Without hesitation, the ogre rolled his knuckles into a ball
and tapped on Mad Argil's head.

Mad Argil fell.

Josh stepped onto the bridge. ‘What was that for?'

‘For his own good,' smiled Bortwig as Baulge lifted Mad Argil up and flung him over his left shoulder.

‘Bonkers Mad Argil may be, but dangerous he is not. Dungers are plenty in numbers and make tasty snacks for Heckrin. Mad Argil is lucky we crossed paths today.'

‘So Mad Argil is a dunger. What exactly are dungers?'

‘The clue is in the name,' giggled Bortwig. ‘Dungers are harmless creatures that forage in dung, usually from trolls or ogres or cyclopses. Big creatures like that always leave
something
interesting behind them.'

‘Uugh! That's gross, Bortwig,' said Josh stepping back a little from Baulge.

‘Lead the way, Baulge,' instructed Bortwig. ‘I'm pretty sure this bridge will be fine.'