I awoke that morning refreshed and ready to start. I was going to
miss the castle and the village full of people, but I needed to go to help
them. Quickly I dressed and ate my breakfast. I was feeling a little
nervous, and I hoped that at least someone would go with me to the foot of
the mountain.
After I was finished with everything, I checked my sack one last time to make sure I hadn't forgotten anything. I remembered my weather ball by the side of the bed, and put that into my sack too. With that, I left the room and quietly made my way out of the castle. When I stepped outside, I noticed that there wasn't any noise. I guess even the birds knew I was leaving. I walked down the path toward the mountain without looking back. I had the strangest feeling someone was watching me as I was leaving, but I didn't turn around.
I got to the mountain much sooner than I would have liked. I stood there and looked up at it. It must have been at least ten thousand feet tall, and about five thousand wide. I suddenly didn't feel so confident as I had earlier.
There were many rocks protruding from the strangest places, their sizes ranging from pebbles to great buildings. Right away I noticed the many plants and shrubs sticking from the ground, as well as the variety of trees. I took my first step onto the sloped edge, and started walking upwards. As I was doing this, I pulled out my book on herbs and plants and started to identify the things around me. I even stopped a few times to pick a helpful plant and put in my bag. After about 3 hours of this, lunch time grew near, and the sounds of my stomach could be heard throughout the forest. I heard a creek nearby, so I followed the sound until I reached it. I filled my cup, and sat down on a flat rock to drink and eat. I drank deeply, feeling it as it seeped down my throat. Within seconds, I had drained the cup. I filled it again and took a few sips before setting it down to get out some food. I took out some cheese and bread, and began to eat my lunch. As I ate, I listened to the sounds of the forest. I could hear many birds now, talking to each other in there own languages. Every now and then a squirrel or chipmunk would scurry by my feet, then tumble into bushes and watch me with there small eyes.
When I was done with my lunch, I packed my cup and started back up the mountain. It was truly a beautiful day, with the sun spilling through the branches of the trees and on to the forest floor. It seemed very odd that no one from the village would want to come here. "All they said about the mountain was there were wanderers.and untrustworthy" thieves. But I had not seen one other person since I started climbing.
A little while later, I came into circular clearing of trees. It was unusually dark inside the clearing, which I thought to be a little odd. As I came nearer, I saw that there was a fire pit in the center of the circle. I walked over to it, and it was still freshly smoldering. "That means that someone is probably out here with me.and that I not alone." I thought to myself, and felt a shiver go down my back. It was deathly quiet. I didn't like it at all. I started to walk out of the clearing, and walk around it instead. The feeling of someone watching me had come back again. "Crack". I heard the sound of someone stepping on a stick. I turned around quickly to see something rush past in the trees. I stopped dead and didn't move. I had no idea what to do. I dropped my arm and felt it brush against my sword. "My sword! I almost forgot about it!" Quietly, I drew it from the hilt and strained my ears for any other noise. There was none. But I was not convinced. "Whatever that was is still out there." I thought to myself, and the knowledge of that didn't make me feel good at all. I took a step towards the entrance to the clearing. Out of nowhere something shot out at me and took a hold of my sack. I felt the breathing of whatever it was down my neck.
"You can win you silly little girl." I heard it say, and I fought to stay upright and lifted my sword to smash it down onto its head, but it looked up at me and saw what I was holding. I froze. "Slash it! Slash it! Come on, kill what ever that thing is!" I kept telling myself, but my arms wouldn't move. It felt like we both were frozen in time. I saw him reach into my sack and pull something out.my weather ball. A rage inside me that I had never known before grew.
"Let go!" I screamed, and brought the sword down with an earsplitting crack. But when I looked down at the ground, nothing was there, and my weather ball was gone.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
After I was finished with everything, I checked my sack one last time to make sure I hadn't forgotten anything. I remembered my weather ball by the side of the bed, and put that into my sack too. With that, I left the room and quietly made my way out of the castle. When I stepped outside, I noticed that there wasn't any noise. I guess even the birds knew I was leaving. I walked down the path toward the mountain without looking back. I had the strangest feeling someone was watching me as I was leaving, but I didn't turn around.
I got to the mountain much sooner than I would have liked. I stood there and looked up at it. It must have been at least ten thousand feet tall, and about five thousand wide. I suddenly didn't feel so confident as I had earlier.
There were many rocks protruding from the strangest places, their sizes ranging from pebbles to great buildings. Right away I noticed the many plants and shrubs sticking from the ground, as well as the variety of trees. I took my first step onto the sloped edge, and started walking upwards. As I was doing this, I pulled out my book on herbs and plants and started to identify the things around me. I even stopped a few times to pick a helpful plant and put in my bag. After about 3 hours of this, lunch time grew near, and the sounds of my stomach could be heard throughout the forest. I heard a creek nearby, so I followed the sound until I reached it. I filled my cup, and sat down on a flat rock to drink and eat. I drank deeply, feeling it as it seeped down my throat. Within seconds, I had drained the cup. I filled it again and took a few sips before setting it down to get out some food. I took out some cheese and bread, and began to eat my lunch. As I ate, I listened to the sounds of the forest. I could hear many birds now, talking to each other in there own languages. Every now and then a squirrel or chipmunk would scurry by my feet, then tumble into bushes and watch me with there small eyes.
When I was done with my lunch, I packed my cup and started back up the mountain. It was truly a beautiful day, with the sun spilling through the branches of the trees and on to the forest floor. It seemed very odd that no one from the village would want to come here. "All they said about the mountain was there were wanderers.and untrustworthy" thieves. But I had not seen one other person since I started climbing.
A little while later, I came into circular clearing of trees. It was unusually dark inside the clearing, which I thought to be a little odd. As I came nearer, I saw that there was a fire pit in the center of the circle. I walked over to it, and it was still freshly smoldering. "That means that someone is probably out here with me.and that I not alone." I thought to myself, and felt a shiver go down my back. It was deathly quiet. I didn't like it at all. I started to walk out of the clearing, and walk around it instead. The feeling of someone watching me had come back again. "Crack". I heard the sound of someone stepping on a stick. I turned around quickly to see something rush past in the trees. I stopped dead and didn't move. I had no idea what to do. I dropped my arm and felt it brush against my sword. "My sword! I almost forgot about it!" Quietly, I drew it from the hilt and strained my ears for any other noise. There was none. But I was not convinced. "Whatever that was is still out there." I thought to myself, and the knowledge of that didn't make me feel good at all. I took a step towards the entrance to the clearing. Out of nowhere something shot out at me and took a hold of my sack. I felt the breathing of whatever it was down my neck.
"You can win you silly little girl." I heard it say, and I fought to stay upright and lifted my sword to smash it down onto its head, but it looked up at me and saw what I was holding. I froze. "Slash it! Slash it! Come on, kill what ever that thing is!" I kept telling myself, but my arms wouldn't move. It felt like we both were frozen in time. I saw him reach into my sack and pull something out.my weather ball. A rage inside me that I had never known before grew.
"Let go!" I screamed, and brought the sword down with an earsplitting crack. But when I looked down at the ground, nothing was there, and my weather ball was gone.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *