Meg's Ramblings

I hiked up Barry’s Heartache Trail. It took a couple of hours, but the view at the top is worth it. The rolling hills and glimpses of the rivers are just breathtaking. I found a nice spot to set down and eat my packed lunch.

The forest is so peaceful and beautiful that I decided to sit and write for a bit. Unfortunately, for anyone who has tried to sit in nature and write, it’s never comfortable where you manage to sit. So I wrote for a little and then packed up again to head down the trail. Lup’s Leap branched off from Barry’s Heartache so I turned there, not quite ready to go home yet.

Lup’s Leap ended up being longer than I remembered and soon the sun was setting. I packed my flashlight, but the beam of light did little to take the chill out of the forest. The trees seemed to grow taller, more menacing. Every shadow darkened. Every rustle sounded like a predator stalking its prey.

I double checked my map in the beam of my flashlight. After a few more bends in the trail I’d be back on Barry’s Heartache and then it’s a nearly straight shot to the parking area I left my Jeep Wrangler in. I stuffed the map back into my bag and kept on down the trail.

Back on Barry’s Heartache, I noticed that the birds had stopped singing. My heart skipped a beat. Ok, Ok, I told myself, this is not a horror movie. You’re going to be fine, just follow the trail back to the car. I took three steps and then heard a rustle just to the left of me. I swung my flashlight around. Nothing. My heart is racing and I’m trying to take nice calming deep breathes. It was probably just a squirrel. I start down the path again. Another rustle, this time with a low guttural growl. That’s definitely not a squirrel sound.

“HEY! BEAR!” I call out, hoping that if it is a bear it will decide to go away. I walk slowly, clapping my hands and calling out Hey Bear. I don’t hear anymore rustling over my calls.

I’m nearly to the parking area, I can see the gate at the end of the trail when a large dark shadow steps onto the trail ahead of me. It’s beyond my flashlight reach, but I know shadows and that is not any shadow I recognize. I freeze up, faintly hoping that it will cross the path and move on.

No matter what I say to Mum she never agrees to let me go beyond the hedge. If it weren’t for the magic wards I would have gone already. That’s the problem with magic parents. You can’t really disobey their boundaries, especially if you don’t know the right spell to get you past the wards.

“Blow out your candle and make a wish, Sorcha.” Mum said, placing a blueberry muffin with a single candle in front of me. I closed my eyes and thought really really hard, with all of my heart for my wish. I opened my eyes and blew out my candle. “Happy Birthday Sorcha.” Mum said, gently pulling the candle from my muffin.

“So what did you wish for?” Mum asked from the stove, tossing around the hashbrowns to get them evenly cooked.

“To go beyond the hedge.” I said, knowing full well that I was starting a fight on my birthday. Mum gave a heavy sigh and put the pan of hashbrowns back on the stovetop.

“Why?” she asked, sounding extremely tired, she looked older somehow in that one moment.

“I want to see the creatures that live in the forest.” I say, watching for her reaction. Waiting for her to get angry, explode, send me to my room. All she does is sigh.

“You’re just like your father.” she said, her voice full of sorrow. “Alright. Ok. He’d want you to explore your curiosity, just like he did.” She said. I was shocked. Mum never talked about Dad. He had studied magical creatures and wrote journals on them. He even helped out Mr. Scamander a few times. But his love for magical creatures was what killed him. He died on an expedition to study Hungarian Horntails. Mum wont tell me the details of the expedition, but I’ve done some research on Hungarian Horntails, they’re depicted as angry nasty beasts. Father didn’t believe that. He believed there was more to the Horntails.

“Here’s the plan.” Mum said, sitting down at the table with me. “I want you to study up on survival skills. You’re going to join the muggle local scouts, and you will not use magic when you are with them. I’m going to get you every magical survival book I can. And we are going to do some muggle camping trips until I know you know how to be safe in the forest. And then, next year I will adjust the wards to let you pass.” I couldn’t believe it. Mum was going to let me over the hedge. I jumped around the table to hug her, thanking her a million times. “Finish your breakfast, we’re going to the library and the bookstore this morning to start your studies. And Sorcha, I mean it. You have to take this seriously, I don’t want to lose you too.”

Beau’s watched Yasha pick and press flowers with great fondness. Her hands soft and gentle, treating the flowers as if they would fall to ash if you hold them too hard.

Beau is reminded, yet again of how gentle Yasha can be after an ambush. They’d all been walking along a dirt road, heading to whatever city comes next on Fjord’s map. Beau stopped paying attention to the plan a few hours ago, just glad to be moving on to a new place. Out of nowhere, or rather out of hiding spots on the hills they were passing between, a group of bandits sprang up, crossbows aimed at every single one of them.

Of course common bandits were no problem for the Mighty Nein and they were dealt with quickly enough. Unfortunately a few of the bandits had gotten off some lucky shots, and now Beau looked and felt a bit like a porcupine. Jester was treating Caleb, who was still not the best fighter and had taken a few hits.

“I could help?” Yasha asked, voice soft now that her rage had subsided.

“Yeah. That’d be great.” Beau gritted out, trying to reach the closest bolt and causing more pain in doing so.

“You should hold still.”

“Yeah, ok.”

Yasha pulled out each bolt as quickly as she could, applying pressure as each bolt left a weeping wound. Beau could feel a warm glow coming from Yasha. The healing glow, Beau isn’t that far gone for the barbarian. Ok that’s a blatant lie. With the pain fading from Beau’s back and the crossbow bolt wounds closing up, there really was a warm glow coming from Yasha’s hands.

“You’ll be sore for a while, but your wounds are closed.” She said quietly as Beau tried to organize her thoughts and stop thinking about Yasha’s hands.

“Thanks for the magic touch.” Beau said with a grin over her shoulder at Yasha. Yasha sputtered for a moment and turned a little pink in the face.

I like Kairon. They are warm and kind. They always have snacks and sometimes they let me nest up in their horns. Kairon takes me to what they like to call “birthday parties.” I don’t mind because I get to be out of the habitat and see more of the world. Even if I’m put in front of a herd of younglings from various different herds. I don’t even mind their touches for the most part. Well, ok. Except for that one that grabbed my wings. That one I didn’t like, and I may have bit that one. Purely self defense ok? Besides, I spent the rest of that “party” up in Kairon’s horns.

I was resting up in a tree, one of the few in our habitat, when Kairon and a few other caretakers came in. It wasn’t feeding time, and they had the “travel crate” as they called it. Must be a party day. The other caretakers were putting extra skins on their hands, they use these for protection when dealing with us. I saw Kairon roll their eyes at the other caretakers. Kairon never uses the extra skins with us. Once all of the caretakers had their extra skins on Kairon looked over the habitat until they spotted me in the tree.

“There you are.” they said with a smile. “Come on down, we have a party to go to.” I sat a moment, pretending to think it over. Of course I was going. Who would give up a chance to be out of the habitat. Especially when Ayruth and Dayghen were arguing again, soon they’d be fighting and everyone else would be in an uproar too. I hopped off the branch and flew down to land on Kairon’s horns.

The trip to the party was not very long. We actually did not even leave the Caretakers Grounds. One of the tables by the giant watering hole, that the beings didn’t even drink from, was surrounded in bright colors floating in the air. Kairon and the other caretakers put the “travel crates” down.

“Hi kids!” Kairon said over the roar of the younglings running around the table. They all stopped running and swarmed Kairon and I. “Ok, so first things first. My name is Kairon and this little guy up here,” he pointed to me, “Is Gem. Now, which one of you is having a birthday today?” Kairon always starts this way. Apparently beings like to make their names known when they first meet each other. Beings are very proud of their names.

All of the younglings pointed to a very small very blue little being. She was giggling and hiding behind her hands. “Hello, my name is Fiona Fancypants.” She said, the other younglings giggled in response.

“Hello Fiona, and Happy Birthday.” Kairon said, bowing to the blue youngling. I nearly toppled off of their head, I flapped my wings and tried to rebalance as he changed his position. The other younglings giggled again. “I have some friends I’d like you all to meet today.” Kairon said, moving towards the travel crates. “But before I bring my friends out, I need to go over some rules. We all have rules right? Like, don’t pull your friends hair.” the younglings nodded, “Don’t shove your hands into the cake.” they all giggled at that one. “Don’t pick your friends nose.” They all made funny faces at that one. Kairon uses the same rules every time, I find the younglings reactions to be entertaining. “Well, my friends have rules. Rule number one, respect my friends. They are like you and me. They get nervous when there’s a lot of big new and loud people around. Rule number two, be gentle with my friends. Some of them you will be able to touch and maybe hold. But they do not like being grabbed or having their tails yanked. Just like you probably don’t like being shoved or having your hair pulled. And my last rule is to listen. Some of my friends are very special and you can learn a lot about them, but only if you are listening. Think we can do that?” The younglings all roared in agreement. They went back to their table to sit down while Kairon brought out the first creature.

The youngling having the birthday loved every creature that Kairon showed her. She touched them all gently and even talked to them. She reminded me a lot of Kairon. I don’t usually leave Kairon during these parties, but this blue youngling seemed special. I flew over to her head. She watched my every move. I circled her and did a few tricks, that always pleases the beings. When she was finally standing still enough, I landed on her head, balanced myself between her horns and settled down to watch Kairon tell the younglings about another of their creatures.  I could feel the excitement coursing through the blue youngling. She was nearly glowing with joy.

At the end of the party Kairon made sure every creature was back in their crate. They were ready to leave. “Fiona,” they said crouching in front of the blue youngling. “It’s time for my friends and I to go. We all wish you a very happy birthday and hope to see you again soon.”

“Thank you.” The blue youngling said with the biggest smile I have ever seen on a youngling, even if I was seeing it upside down.

Maisey made no motion to move. Satisfied, I turned back to the dishes. I rinsed and put one dish in the dishwasher when Maisey stood up again. “Ah! Sit.” I said, hand still on the dish I just placed on the rack. Maisey sat down again. I returned to my rinsing and placing.

Maisey and I go through this charade every time I have to do the dishes because Maisey likes to like the dirty dishes in the dishwasher. No matter what is one them. Pasta Sauce, lemon dressing, whipped cream, even dish soap, which is probably not good for her.

Which is why I haven’t burned it down. This is my cave. This is my woods. I protect everything in the woods. Even the humans who live on its edge.

Some other dragons don’t understand why I keep the humans around. Some other dragons see humans as snacks, or vermin to exterminate. But I know better. I’ve watched these humans, studied them. They are different from the others. These humans do not waste what is good. They do not destroy what is around them. They do not take more than they can give. These humans are good, and I protect them even though most of them do not know it.

I was having a sun nap on a rock by my waterfall when three of the younger ones came bursting into the clearing. The smallest, Josias, was crying, tears and snot streaming down his face. He did not look like he was going to be stopping anytime soon.

“Myrm, we need to hide in your cave. Will you let us?” The oldest, Nicholaus asked. There was panic in his voice. Edith, the middle aged one, was trying to quiet Josias, but he wasn’t cooperating. “Please Myrm.” Nicholaus begged. I nodded and led them into my cave. Either the sound of the waterfall drowned out Josias’ cries, or he had stopped.

The younger ones backed all of the way to the back of my cave. They were terrified of something. I glanced out of the cave, a group of men barged into the clearing. They were armored and shouting. Definitely the bad humans. Were the young ones hiding from these bad humans? I glanced back at the younger ones. Edith had moved to stand with me at the cave entrance.

“Those are not good men.” She said, but she didn’t sound like Edith. Her voice was hard as stone and just as cold. “They killed mama and papa. They killed the whole village. With no warning.” I looked down at Edith. She looked like herself, but not herself. She was tense, ready fight or flee at a moments notice. Her eyes looked dimmer than usual.

“Somewhere warm.” Kale shrugged, not even taking his eyes off of his phone.

“You’re real helpful you know that?” Laguna said, rolling her eyes.

“How about Sumatra?” Leaf suggested, flipping through a travel magazine. “It’s got volcanoes.”

“Are you actually interested in Sumatra?” Laguna asked. “Or are you just suggesting it because that’s the first location mentioned in that magazine?” Leaf ducked his head behind his travel magazine. “Don’t either of you have a place you’ve always wanted to go?”

“Not in this plane of existence.” Kale said, tapping away at his phone. Leaf lowered his magazine and shook his head.

“You two are impossible.” Laguna groaned.

“Why don’t you pick?” Kale suggested, slouching lower into his chair.

“It is your first trip out of the country.” Leaf said, “It’s only fair that you get to go where you want to on your first trip.”

“You guys really mean it?” Laguna asked. Both boys nodded, Kale never looking away from his phone and Leaf looking like an excited puppy. “Okay. I’ve always wanted to go to Iceland.”

“Then that’s where we’ll go.” Kale shrugged.

“If we go,” Laguna said with a grin, “You won’t be allowed to just sit and play on your phone the whole time.” She snatched the phone away from Kale. He sputtered and made a grab for it. Laguna laughed and jumped out of reach. Soon Kale was chasing Laguna around the dining hall trying to get his phone back. Leaf pulled out his laptop and started looking up a travel agency that would help them visit Iceland, since that’s where Laguna wanted to go.

On a rainy night, a couple decided to take Mill Street and shorten the drive home from the movies. They turned onto the street, and they never turned off. They didn’t get murdered or anything. The police never actually found their bodies. Or the car. They just disappeared.

In December, the street fills with cut pine trees. There’s no sign listing a price. And no one is ever seen tending to the trees. They just lean against their stands. Around December 20th, give or take a few days, Christmas lights appear, strung across the street. No one put them up. They aren’t even plugged in to any of the known electrical outlets.

During the spring Mill Street is filled with the sound of chirping birds. There are no trees on Mill Street. No nests have been seen on Mill Street. No birds have been spotted on Mill Street even though the Bird Watching Group from the town library has cataloged nearly 30 of the bird calls heard from the street.

He wound his way around the legs of the table, finding familiar boots that smelled faintly of the ocean. Fjord, the larger green one that spits up sea water. He is usually calm and relaxed. Frumpkin hopped up onto the table. A large map greeted the familiar. It was written in a strange numeric language, not one that Frumpkin had ever encountered. He settled down at the edge of the map, loafing as the blue one, Jester, had called it.

Fjord was hunched over the map, studying the strange markings and making notes on a loose piece of parchment. He was acting similar to Caleb for the moment. Quiet and intensely focused. Frumpkin was about to close his eyes and start a nap when BAM! Jester appeared.

“Fjord!” She said, slamming her hands down on the table. Frumpkin jumped up and glared at Jester. She didn’t notice, all of her attention on Fjord. “You’ve studied the map for long enough. The musicians have started playing and you promised me a dance.”

“I- uh. We really need to figure out this map Jester.” Fjord stammered. Frumpkin rolled his eyes. Fjord was starting a losing battle. Jester will put on the puppy eyes or pouty face and Fjord will bend to her wishes and do anything she asks.

“But Fjord, you promised.” Jester began, her voice wobbling pathetically, “Do you not want to dance with me?”

“I- I do want to dance with you Jester. But-” Fjord was cut off by Jesters squeal of glee as she dragged him off towards the open bit of floor to dance.  Fjord barely had the time to grab the map and stuff it into his pouch.

Time to find a new napping spot. Frumpkin looked around the tavern. The grumpy human was at the bar, talking to the barkeep. Frumpkin hopped off the table and wove his way through the crowd beginning to form. The bar was not too high to jump on, but Frumpkin knows from past experiences that you can’t always predict what state the bar will be in. Freshly cleaned? Covered in foul smelling liquids? Slightly sticky and altogether unpleasant. No, the best course of action is to jump up onto the stool, inspect the bar and then proceed. So he did.

The grumpy human, Beau, was still focused on the barkeep. She was talking low and had a small smile on. Frumpkin watched a little of the exchange. Beau would say something and lean in, then the barkeep would giggle and lean closer. The barkeep was leaning on her arms her face slowly inching towards Beau when she noticed the familiar.

“Oh was a cute cat! Is it yours?” she asked Beau.

“No he belongs to Caleb.” Beau said leaning closer, she kept talking but Frumpkin didn’t bother to listen to the rest. He was inspecting the counter, it was definitely freshly cleaned. The barkeep had a rag in her hand, she had probably been cleaning that section of the bar when Beau started talking to her. Their faces were mere inches from each others now. Frumpkin rolled his eyes. Humans and their strange ways. Soon they will be smashing their faces together and making strange horrible noises. There will be no nap to be had here, but perhaps some fun. Frumpkin stepped up onto the bar and walked right between the two humans. He rubbed himself up against Beaus face, pressing his hip a little extra near her mouth. She sprung back, sputtering and spitting out fur.

“Frumpkin!” She growl and then spun around, “Caleb! Your damned cat just jumped in my mouth!” There was laughter throughout the tavern. Caleb was focused on his book by the hearth and didn’t even take notice. The barkeep laughed and then leaned closer to Beau to whisper something. Frumpkin ignored the two as he scanned the tavern for a new place to try and nap in.

Nott, Caleb's goblin friend, was sitting in a dark corner of the tavern. Nott would be a good place to nap. They liked to go unnoticed so Frumpkin would not be bothered by anyone. He  made his way towards Nott, eyeing the seat next to her. That would be a lovely place for a lazy nap. He hopped up and curled around himself until he was comfortable. He watched Nott practice a few hand motions that he had seen Caleb do before.

Frumpkin was nearly asleep when three sharp popping noises sounded directly above him. He sprang up with cat-like agility, because he currently was a cat. He glanced around the tavern, looking for the source, his little heart racing in his chest. Nothing. There was no fight.

“Oh! I’m sorry Frumpkin.” Nott said, staring at her own fingers, “I didn’t mean to do that.” Frumpkin’s tail twitched in annoyance. He jumped to the floor and quickly walked towards Caleb, whose nose was still buried deep inside a book. He will just nap with Caleb. Why didn’t he just start there?

Caleb was sitting by the hearth. It was the perfect place, nice and warm and close to Caleb. Frumpking curled up under Caleb's chair, where no one could accidentally step on him, or spill something on him, or set off spells over his head. Frumpkin was just fading from consciousness and about to enjoy what would probably be a most wonderful dream, when Caleb’s voice entered his mind.