Chapter Two

The Cottage

Twelve long days had passed since he had last spoken with The Lady of the Light. He had traveled along the river passage encountering no one and no thing. Nicholas didn't know if that was good or bad, as he had not eaten in almost two of those days. At least he had found shelter every night, he thought. As he walked through, what he hoped was the edge of the forest, he stopped dead in his tracks at the distinct smell of wood burning. 'Are the trees on fire? …No.' As he walked tentatively forward he saw where the smell had been coming from. There was a small cottage concealed within the woods with smoke coming out of the chimney. There were candles in both front windows and a considerable amount of wood near the front waiting to be chopped.

'Well, I hope they're friendly,' he thought, as he headed toward the entrance. He rapped on the door twice and waited. There was no answer. So he rapped again three times much louder than the first. The door opened and there stood before him the shortest, and quite possibly the most unsightly old woman he had ever seen before.

"I'm coming! Just a darn minute! Ya know I don't move as fast as I usta. Eh,

whaduya want. Best be good ya know, ies taken me nap. Well, boy!"

"I…I'm so sorry to disturb you. I…I c..can come back later if you'd like." He stammered.

"Well, ya best have me now ya woke me old bones up."

"I was just wondering…"

"Yes, yes, hurry it up son. I ain't gonna live forever ya know."

"Well, I was just wondering if I might be able to chop your wood for some food madam."

"Wadja say?" she asked putting a hand behind her left ear. "I can'ts hear to good neither."

"Could you possibly spare some food in exchange for chopping your wood?" he almost yelled. "I'm quite hungry."

She eyeballed him for a moment and said, "Well, it's been a long time since I've had me some company for supper. But I suppose that'd be all right. Did ya wants to eat befores or afters ya done me wood?"

"After would suit me just fine madam." He said smiling and relieved that he wouldn't have to go hungry much longer.

"Wells, ies ain't no madam, but the chopper is on the choppin block ya sees it do

ya?"

"Yes miss. I'll get started right away."

"Ya sure do need your eyes checked boy, cause ies ain't no miss neither…Ursula's me name…Ursula dos me just fine. I'll get your supper ready for whens your finished."

"Yes miss…Ursula." And he ran off to chop the wood.

A few hours later, he finished stacking the wood after he was done chopping it all. He headed up to the cottage door and rapped yet again.

"Come on in. Don't know what your knockin fer. I knows ur heres. Sits urself on down will ya…won't have ya dyin of zaustion whiles ur heres. Sit on down."

He obeyed the old woman without argument, as he did feel as though he would in fact fall over dead at any moment if he didn't at least have some water soon. And low-and-behold she handed him an ice-cold glass of water.

"Gots me own secrets I dos. I gots some cold milk too if thatd suit ya betters," he said as she winked at him.

He smiled in return and said, "No thank you. This suits me just fine. Thank you so much for your kind hospitality…Do you happen to have some place I can wash up before supper?"

"Well, seems I gots me a trues gent in me midst do ies. The washin troughs out backs it is. But hurrys it up…your suppers right ready."

"Thank you." He trotted off to wash before he set at the old woman's table. Gentry told him once, "Never seat yourself at a ladies table without washin' first boy," he said, "they tends to not like it much, or you fer it." He could still hear the old mans voice rattling about in his head. When he had finished, he headed back to the table.

When he entered it was like he had entered another world. The table when he entered the first time was old, cracked, and wooden quite worn with years of use upon it. That was now gone and in its place was a stone topped table with silver candle holders and white candles in place of the single lantern she had there earlier. There were also silver plates and eating utensils in place of the simple wooden and stone ones that lay there before. The stew she had been preparing was also gone, and now lying on the table was a small pig with an apple in its mouth with cakes and sauces all around it. There was surely enough food to feed an army. He stared on in amazement and searched the room for the old woman. Instead of Ursula, he found a beautiful young maiden setting in a lounge chair near the fire warming her diminutive hands.

"I'm so sorry I just walked in, but Ursula told me…"

"I know she did young man."

"My name is Nicholas. Might I have the pleasure of your name miss?" he said nervously.

"I have already introduced myself to you, but if need be my name is Ursula."

"Oh, are you a relative of the lady of the house?"

"No. I am she." She paused for a moment. "This cottage was enchanted and I with it. You broke the spell put upon me when you considered an old woman's feelings and treated her with kindness and respect. You are the first to see my true form since the evil Enchantress Charlondara cast this spell on me and exiled me to this cottage many years ago. Whatever I can offer is yours but for the asking…Please, what do you desire."

"Oh, no miss, I couldn't. Just the meal you promised would be fine."

"That is all you wish?" she asked quizzically.

"Yes miss."

"Then please, sit."

As he sat and ate, he started thinking about what he would do for shelter that night and how he was going to complete his trip to Delanburgh, now that he was no longer able to travel along the river.

"I would like to offer you shelter for the night for your kindness," said Ursula reading the boys thoughts. "It is getting dark, and it's too dangerous for you to search for your shelter this evening. This forest is gentle during the daylight, but at night," she trailed off. "Please, stay with me this night. I shall take offense if you reject my offer."

"As you wish, my lady," he said, happy to oblige the young woman.

The next day he awoke with a start. He quickly peered out the window to see that almost half the day was gone. He jumped out of bed throwing on his clothes as swiftly as he could. He nearly fell down the stairs trying to fasten his belt.

"Good afternoon." The woman said with a bright smile. "I thought you might have passed on in your sleep. I have kept your porridge warm here near the fire."

"So sorry my lady, I've no time for food this day. I must be going," he said hurriedly starting to rush for the door.

She ran in front of him and held up her hand. "I cannot permit you to leave on

your journey so late in the day, sir. There is not enough time for you to reach the edge of the wood before night fall."

"But I must go…now!"

"No. You've not seen the Gangledorfs. You haven't any concept of what they are capable of. I cannot allow you to leave at such a late hour." She said with such emotion, he had no alternative but to take heed. "Please stay once more here with me and I shall give you a gift of great necessity at first light."

He finally gave in and nodded in response. "What shall I do here all day?"

"Well, I would appreciate some company collecting nuts and berries if you don't mind."

"No. Not at all my lady." Never mind that this was one his most favorite pass times. And, off they went gallivanting through the woods racing to see who could gather the most the fastest.

Several hours had passed since they had left the cottage and they had collected enough nuts and berries to last the maiden a whole month. They decided that they should return home before the sun started to set. As they started back toward the cottage, they heard the distinct sound of men at arms fighting.

"Quickly, run!" she said as she dropped her basket of nuts and berries.

They didn't get very far when a man in black armor riding a black stallion leaped in front of them and shouted.

"Stop in the name of the Great Enchantress!"

They stopped dead in their tracks, both too afraid to move.

"What are you two doing here? These lands belong to the Enchantress Dauphinee and everything in them." He drew his sword and pointed it at Nicholas. "What's your name boy?"

"Nicholas, my lord," he said quavering.

The man jumped down from his horse and walked up to Nicholas. "Are you stealing boy?"

"No, my lord," he said earnestly with his eyes wide with fright.

"No? Then what are these?" He picked up the basket of berries lying in the grass. "You're a thief and a liar!" He raised his sword and started toward Nicholas.

On pure instinct, Nicholas raised his shield to protect himself from the mighty blow he was about to receive from the hulking man before him. He ducked his head behind the shield in the process and waited…and waited. There was no blow. There was no sound. And then he heard Ursula gasp in horror. He peered over the edge of the shield only to see that the man had been turned to marble where he stood, poised and ready to strike. 'Just like the statues he had seen in courtyards so many times before,' he thought.

"What have I done?" he cried.

"You've done nothing, now come. We must flee before anyone else sees us." She grabbed at the horses reins and flung herself onto its back and reached down to help Nicholas. Once he was upon the horse, Ursula pushed the horse into a full gallop and kept him in such a state until they had reached the cottage. There she took the horse around the back of the cottage where a barn sat nuzzled between two trees.

"Quickly, get inside before they come looking for us," she said.

Once they were safely inside the cottage he said again "Oh, no. What have I done? I'm bewitched…I'm cursed…I'm a murderer!" his eyes full of fright.

"Oh dear stop it." She said giggling. "The poor lad done it to himself. You didn't do anything but make him see his own reflection."

"Huh?"

"See, here…look for yourself." She held up the shield for him to see for himself. "This is a magic shield. It makes any enemy see his own reflection looking back at him. If you're a good decent person, all you'll see is yourself as you really are. If you're an evil person though…who knows what kind of nightmares will jump out and get you." She said as she snarled like a wolf.

"How do you know that?" he asked suspiciously.

"Because of the Unicorn on the front," she stated matter-of-fact. "My mother is an apprentice to a very powerful sorceress. She told me all kinds of strange things that they do. But that shield you carry…there's only one. It was intended to go to the Prince of Dragonfield, but it never got to serve him. It's not even supposed to work for any body but him."

"The Prince of Dragonfield?" Nicholas was thoughtful for a moment.

"What?" she asked. "Did I upset you?"

"No. No. I was just thinking. Someone told me that the prince was kidnapped as a baby." He laughed, "I was just thinking, what if he were me."

Her face went ashen, but she dared not say what she had been thinking from the moment he arrived.

In the distance, at the viewing pool, the sorceress watched on with delight.

"Tandy, Tandy, come quickly. You must see what has happened."

"What…has he turned into a mushroom yet?" she said hopefully.

"Of course not. Well, not yet anyway…Come and see what's happened."

When Tandy glimpsed into the viewing pool her eyes instantly filled with tears. "My girl, my god, she's so grown up. She's so beautiful."

The sorceress slid her arm along the back of Tandy's shoulders and hugged her close. "You knew she would be. Beautiful people never have ugly children…unless they're cursed of course. Let's just hope she didn't inherit her mothers sense of tact."

At that Tandy had to laugh. She was well known by all for being quite beautiful, quite powerful, and quite charming, but quite lacking in diplomacy.

"They've been talking about you…here listen." They listened and watched, and the sorceress was more than just a bit pleased with the outcome of things. However, the longer it went on, the more Tandy cried until the sorceress could no longer watch her friend suffer and disenchanted the pool once more.

"Wait…what are you doing!" she shouted as she grasped at the waters. "Bring them back," she said angrily.

"Tomorrow is another day sister. That is enough for now." She saw the pain in Tandy's eyes. "It is not good to dwell at this pool too long…it breeds contempt for life if you let it. Come, we must prepare for a long journey ourselves." Tandy reluctantly followed and forced herself to smile. She would see her daughter again soon, she reminded herself.

Back at the cottage the rest of their evening went by fairly uneventful until they heard a low tune playing. For several minutes the pair tried to locate the origin until he spied his sword. It was glowing and playing the most eerie tune he had ever heard.

"What on earth is it doing that for?" Ursula asked.

"I don't know. It's never done that before."

They looked at each other not daring to touch the sword. It wasn't until Ursula peeked out the window that she realized the why's surrounding the sword.

"Gangledorfs," she stated with disgust. "Hurry up now, lots to do," she said as she clapped her hands. "You go upstairs and brace all of the windows. When you're done, come back down here. It's going to be a long night."

Hurriedly he put on all of his gear and set off to do as he had been told. When he stepped onto the landing at the top of the stairs, the tune stopped playing. He drew the sword and held it up as he skillfully inspected the entire top level of the cottage and braced the windows. Just as he was about to pound a nail into the last window he had the unnerving sensation that someone was in the room with him. He could still hear Ursula banging around on the bottom level securing everything. Slowly he turned to see who or what it was, but there was nothing there.

"You big baby," he said, "you'd be afraid of dust bunnies if they darted across the floor," he scolded himself.

He turned again to finish securing the upstairs when he saw the largest creature he had ever seen in his life. Fear surged through his body causing the hair on the back of his neck to stand up. He tried to call to Ursula, but only a raspy breath came. The creature had teeth like a bears, and hair like a wolf's, claws like a bird, and the most fowl smelling breath he had ever encountered. In a flash his instincts took over and he swung the sword at the creature cutting off on of its' claws with very little effort. A stream of thick black goo began to drip from the stump that remained. Regaining some of his composure he cried out, and he heard himself shriek like a child wanting its mother. And there she was, with her hair flying about her like a mad woman. Ursula appeared out of thin air and began to fight with the creature. The creature began to make a horrible squealing sound. Like fingernails on a chalkboard the sound nearly brought Nicholas to his knees.

"Open the window!" she yelled. "Quickly, open the window!"

He ran back to the window and opened it as quickly as he could desperately trying to tune out the sound. Amazingly, there was a horrendous wind outside which turned the window into a giant vacuum.

She grabbed Nicholas' arm with one hand, and held onto a dresser with another. The wind was so strong it was beginning to pull the desk even with the weight of the two anchoring themselves to it. "Hold on to my waist." He did as she said and let go of her hand. She placed her other hand on the desk and held on to it with all of the strength she could muster. "Whirling wind with all of your might, take this Gangledorf out of my home and out of my sight." And the giant creature was sucked out of the window as quickly as it came in, and closing the window with it as it left. They both fell to the floor with a resounding thud. "Quickly, help me brace this window!"

Without question, Nicholas did as he was told and then set back and stared at the amazing woman before him. She stood there straightening her hair and dress, but when she noticed how he was looking at her she said, "What? What's wrong?"

"N...Nothing." he stammered.

"Come now. We'll have to take shifts downstairs."

Thankfully, that had been the last they had seen of the Gangledorfs that evening. The next morning they went outside to find that all of the neatly stacked wood was now lying all across the yard. The trees looked more than a bit unnerved, and the rest of the wood looked as though someone had run a great tiller through and disturbed all of the vegetation. Ursula herself even looked a bit strange. She was dressed like a servant boy with her hair tied up and covered with a rather odd looking hat.

"Well, as promised let me take you to your gift." They walked around the cottage to the barn. She led him all the way to the back of the barn where there stood a beautiful white horse. "His name is Treludod. He will keep you safe on your long journey. He is already packed with oats and one week of rations if you are ready to leave," she said.

"Of course. Thank you, my lady for such kindness you have shown me."

"No, thank you sire, for giving me back my life."

She led the horse out of the barn and handed the reins to Nicholas. While he mounted the horse she led out the black stallion they had captured the day prior and mounted him as well. He looked at her quizzically.

"Well you didn't think I was just going to let you leave me out of a magical adventure did you?" she said with a smile. "Besides, you'll never make it through this country without me to guide you."

He smiled and did not argue. After so much time alone, he was grateful for the company and the guidance.