markliam3

Markliam and Princess Cheryl suddenly found they were not going as fast as they could have. There were an arms length from the opening, which from close up they could see was mostly covered with a thick blue tapestry. They creatures were behind them, right on their heels. Then, in a moment, they were through the tapestry, and stnding in a thicket. The creatures, before they knew where they were stumbled out of the cave beind them. Their call now changed to sound just like a squeeling pig. They covered their eyes with their human-like hands and ran for the opening of the cave. Once inside they pulled the covering back over the hole, and were gone.

There seemed to be a path leading out of the thicket, so they followed it. It lead them next to a stream, which they followed. Then Princess Cheryl exclaimed, �I know where we are! There is the pool were we need to be! We have made it!�

The pool was a magnificent thing, made of stones all pressed together, covered with vines and lichen. The stones were all the darkest red. They were not native to the land. On the swaying grass beside the pool there lay a large canteen, larger than most canteens are. It was made of one full animal skin. Despite its size it did not need to be pieced together from several. Princess Cheryl immediately bent down and picked it up. �For emergencies,� she explained simply.

They soon had it filled, and after sprinking themselves with it, they were back on the known path home. The sun began to have a famliar glow, as if the afternoon had turned magical, as if it would last forever. This is also the time just before the afternoon ends.

They walked on and on, all the while the sun began its slow crawl down in the evening sky. With the water in their posession, they seemed to be protected from the terrors of the woods. As they walked it seemed that there was a rush away from them, as if all over the place the evils in the woods were hiding themselves from view. The eveing birds still sang, and squirrels crossed their path. Rabbits hopped in the clover, and butterfiles and hummeringbirds wound their way around the trees and bushes.

Soon it was completely dark. The path seemed far longer than it ever had to Princess Cheryl. She had never taken so long to get home. The trees they passed began to have an eerie quality to them, as if they had seen them before. It was as if the path had looped, trapping them in.

They walked for hours, until there was a slight change in the path, and they found a red scarf lying on the path. Markliam stooped to pick it up, and as he did he looked up and saw in the tree above him a treehouse. They found the footholds on the tree trunk and made their way up. There in the leaves that had collected in the long forgotten treehouse, they fell into an enchanted sleep.

At dawn the next day Markliam awoke to the first golden rays of morning. He went onto the roof of the treehouse, and from there he could see very far off the first rays of sun were being relfected from something. As the sun rose a bit more he saw that the reflective surface was a spire on the top of a church, a church he knew well. It was their village.

Soon they were back on the path, this time heading towards their home. Within the hour they were entering the village, and soon they were at the castle. Princess Cheryl went straight to the garden, where she put the canteen away for safe keeping.

Later that day as the sun was its highest in the midday sky Markliam and Princess Cheryl went to the flower garden and just at the right moment Princess Cheryl watered the flowers. They thrived, and visbily fluttered their petals.

Later in the afternoon they were weeding the flower bed when Markliam hit something with his spade. He dug it up, and took it over to the Princess. They washed it off, and there sparkling in her hand was the violet amulet! The clasp on the chain was broken, but it was otherwise fine. She got herself another chain, and put it back around her neck.

From then on Princess Cheryl was careful never to let the amulet out of her sight. Markliam was appointed a Royal Guard, to asisit the Princess in the up keep of the garden. They were never attacked, and within a week the King returned, to lead the country again. And they lived happily ever after.

THE END