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Marzurka led Billy out of the door, "I cannot face her alone, William." He said, "I need your help."
Standing near the gate was Marzurka's magnificent horse, Magnolia. She stood patiently for her master, her broad vanilla shoulders poised. She was without saddle and reign, but perfectly loyal. From the gleam in her eyes, Billy could tell she was tempted to dive into the flourishing flowers of the cottage's garden.
"Take the path into the woods." Marzurka said, his hand on Billy's shoulder, "It's the most direct route. I'll proceed to the village and acquire the necessary supplies. I'll meet you at the castle."
"Here, take these," the wizard said, forcing a loaf of bread into his backpack, "You may get hungry along the way." He placed a large silver sword into his hand.
Billy looked from to sword to the trees nervously.
"Don't worry, my boy," The wizard said, "Keep your head up and never stray from the path." And with that the wizard mounted his horse and bounded towards to the village, leaving Billy alone.
He stood watching his friend ride until he disappeared from view. He sighed, his body shaking as he looked again at the path he needed to take. It was sodden from the day's rain and overgrown with brambles. With a lump in his throat, he set his stride.
With every step, the trees seem to enclose him. The whistling of the birds had ceased and the path under foot had become unstable. He wrapped his overcoat further around his chest to keep out the biting breeze.
He was realising now why his mother had never told him to come into the woods. His heart began to quicken and the shapes of the shadows played tricks with his mind, forming outlines of beasts that weren't there.
In the distance, he could see a large stone building peering through the tree trunks. It looked old, much older than he was. Despite it's vast height, it could see it was overgrown.
"That must be the castle." He said to himself.
He turned around and realised he couldn't see the house anymore. |
