Ambrosia's Story (5 page)

“Come, we must talk with the others. There
must be something we can do. If we work together we can do this, we
can.”

~ Chapter Six ~

No one doubted that Rom was alive.
Mirabella’s senses were strong, but they sat quietly, uncertain how
they could do something that no one from the Mystical Forest had
ever done...cross into the world beyond.

“I can go,” Anastasia said breaking the
silence.

“You are just a child, Anastasia, but I thank
you for your bravery.”

“I can do it, Mirabella. I have taken care of
myself for two years. I can find Rom and bring him home. It is the
only way.”

Majik stood at Ambrosia’s side. He would go
with her, his neighs told Mirabella. She hated the idea, but
Ambrosia was right, they had no other choice. Rom had to be hurt
and suffering.

“Let us return to the cliff. We must find a
way down that keeps you from wandering too far from our
boundaries.”

The cliff was steep and dangerous. They had
to travel nearly a mile to find a spot they felt was safe enough to
travel.

“Let us return to the village and gather
supplies for your journey,” Mirabella said. They would need food,
water and supplies to aid Rom.

As Mirabella watched them pack the saddlebag,
sadness filled her. Rom was in need, but she felt such guilt and
sadness in the knowledge that she was sending a child on a journey
that was far beyond her age.

Ambrosia sat on the ground and watched the
activity from a distance. She refused to let her fear show for Rom
needed her to be strong.

“Are you certain that you want to do this
Ambrosia?” Mirabella asked startling her.

“I am sure. You don’t have to worry about me.
Majik will protect me.”

“Ambrosia, you do understand that once you
cross over the Mystical Forests boundaries Majik will lose all of
his powers. In the human world he will only be a horse.”

“I understand,” Ambrosia assured her, but
Mirabella could sense that her news had taken her by surprise.

Majik joined them, his saddlebags packed with
supplies. Ambrosia climbed onto his back and smiled down at
Mirabella. “Please don’t worry,” Ambrosia said. “I won’t let you
down, I promise.”

Mirabella watched with a heavy heart as they
descended the mountain.

* * * *

Daniel McDonald had spent the last two days
calling everyone he knew in search of Ambrosia. Without her, he
could not continue to get to the insurance money from Amber’s
death. He got a monthly severance for Ambrosia’s care.

He slammed down the phone after another
failed call. He stormed down the hallway and shoved open her door.
There had to be something in her room that would help him figure
out where she had gone.

Daniel McDonald tore the blankets from her
bed and threw them onto a pile on the floor. They were followed by
the mattress and box springs, nothing.

He turned over her toy box kicking her toys
apart sending unicorns and stuffed kittens across the room. He
turned to the closet pulling her clothes from their hangers. In a
rage, he threw her books off their shelves, the covers filled with
fairies and princesses, again nothing. He returned to the closet
and spotted a box that he remembered Amber giving her resting on
the closet floor. He pulled it out and removed its lid.

The box was full of pictures of Amber and
Ambrosia, drawings and other girly stuff. He went through the box
tossing things of no use.

On the bottom of the box a large drawing
rested. It appeared to be a map that Ambrosia had taken much time
and care in making. The map had “The Mystical Forest” written
across the top.

“The Mystical Forest,” he said aloud. He put
the map down. Why did that sound so familiar to him? He paced the
room for a moment or two before it hit him. “That darn book.” After
searching her room for the book and not finding it, he picked up
the map and headed back to the kitchen.

He immediately dialed Amber’s mother’s
number.

“Hello.”

“Hi, Sara it’s Daniel.”

“Daniel, is Ambrosia all right.”

“Yes, she is fine. She lost that book she
loves so much and I want to get her another one, but I just can’t
remember the name of it.”

“Oh dear, she does so love that book. I can’t
tell you how many times I’ve read it to her. It is called “Majik
the Black Unicorn” by a Tammy Marie Rose.”

Daniel wrote it all down. “Thank you, Sara,”
he said hanging up before she could reply. He grabbed his coat and
wallet as he headed out the door.

He had to stop at three bookstores before he
found a copy. He flipped through its pages looking for anything
that might give him a clue to where she could have gone. Nothing in
the book helped him. On the back cover, the author’s photo stared
up at him. Her bio said she was from Clay County, West Virginia.
Daniel punched it into his GPS. It was a little less than two hours
away.

Daniel filled the car up with gas, bought a
twelve pack and headed for Clay County.

* * * *

As Ambrosia and Majik reached the bottom of
the mountain, Daniel McDonald was pulling into the long driveway of
Ambrosia’s favorite author.

He picked up the copy of the book and checked
his hair in the mirror. He grabbed a piece of gum to cover the
scent of beer. He put on his best smile and got out of the car.
Several dogs greeted him. He all most returned to his car, but
their wagging tails told him he was in no danger.

Daniel knocked on the front door. The author
herself answered the door. She looked just like her author photo,
just a bit older. She had a blonde haired girl with a big smile on
her hip. “Can I help you?” she asked

“Mrs. Rose?”

“Yes.”

“I apologize for the intrusion, but my
daughter is your biggest fan. Her birthday is in a couple days and
I was hoping that you could sign this copy of your book for her. It
would make her so happy.”

Tammy smiled at him. “I’d love to,” she put
the little girl down. “Honey, go play with your sister for just a
minute.” She watched the little girl go.

“I appreciate this so much. You are going to
make her whole day,” he said as he handed her the book and a
pen.

“What is her name?”

“Ambrosia, she’ll be eleven.”

“What a beautiful name,” she said as she
signed the book. She handed the book back to him. “Please tell her
happy birthday for me.”

“I will. Thank you. Can I ask you something
about the book?”

“Sure.”

“Ambrosia is always asking me where the
Mystical Forest is. How can I answer that?”

Tammy laughed, “That is the question I am
asked quite often by the kids. I always tell them that when I was
young my family would visit Dolly Sods and that it is in the forest
surrounding that. If you have ever been to Dolly Sods, you’d
understand. It is so beautiful there, but strange in a very special
way. Whenever we visited I always got the feeling it was magical.
So when I wrote the story I pictured Dolly Sods in my mind as its
back drop.”

“Thank you again,” he said as he backed down
the steps. He waved at her as he headed back to the car. He threw
the car into reverse and headed back down the long driveway leaving
a trail of dust behind him.

Daniel knew that the Dolly Sods Wilderness
area was part of the Monongahela National Forest. It was not far
from the town of Davis where his cousin Jack lived.

Daniel pulled over and punched Davis, WV into
his GPS. While it calculated his route, he took Ambrosia’s map out
of the glove box and spread it out on the passenger seat. “You’re
looking for your magical forest, aren’t you Ambrosia?”

The GPS told him it was a 145-mile drive. If
he didn’t stop, he could be there in two and a half hours. He put
the car back on the road and headed toward the Mystical Forest.

* * * *

Ambrosia and Majik journeyed carefully across
the field that lay beneath of Troll Mountain. Majik’s horn was now
gone as were his magical powers. If anyone were to come across
them, they would only see a girl and her horse.

It was over a mile trip to the spot where Rom
and Nog had rolled from the mountain. “Majik, if Rom survived then
maybe so did Nog.”

Majik whinnied. The path they followed for
the most part was clear so traveling it was easy. They startled a
herd of deer that darted off into the woods at the sight of
them.

Ambrosia could not help, but admire the
beauty all around them. Not far off a deer drank from a large pond.
They passed several unusual rock formations. She watched a squirrel
run up a tree and hop from limb to limb.

It had taken them nearly an hour to find the
spot where Rom and Nog had fallen. They were only certain it was
the right place due to a large circle of blood they found on a flat
rock. The amount of blood made Ambrosia’s feel cold inside. Neither
Rom nor Nog was to be found. They must have both survived the fall,
but where were they?

Ambrosia got down from Majik’s back. “They
most likely would have left some type of blood trail,” Ambrosia
told Majik. They started to search. After a moment, Majik whinnied.
Ambrosia ran to him. Sure enough he’d found what they were
searching for. Climbing back onto his back they followed the trail,
which led further into the human world.

It did not take them long to stumble upon a
sight that stopped them cold. A troll body laid just a few feet
ahead it’s back to them. It did not stir.

“I don’t think he’s breathing,” Ambrosia said
her heart filled with fear. “Please, don’t be Rom, please God,” she
prayed.

Cautiously Majik approached the troll. They
could see no signs of life from the still body. Ambrosia got down
from Majik’s back. Slowly she walked around the other side of the
body. Her hands were balled into tight fists of fear. She could
barely breathe. Looking down at the troll she suddenly let out a
breath of relief. “It’s Nog!”

Majik pushed on Nog with his hoof. He was
gone. Nog, the Troll King, was dead. Though his death should have
brought great joy to her Ambrosia could not help but to feel sad.
Nog was evil, but he was a troll and could not help that his soul
was dark. Ambrosia reached out and closed Nog’s eyes.

A tear rolled down her cheek. It was the only
tear ever shed for the life known as Nog. Majik whinnied. “I know,
Majik, we need to find Rom.”

The blood trail continued. “Nog must have
been following Rom,” Ambrosia said. “He would search for shelter;
somewhere he could rest and not be seen.”

The trail led into a thick grove of trees. As
they entered the grove, the trail was harder to follow as the drops
of blood were soaked up by pine needles.

Ambrosia got down. “We should split up and
search, but please stay where I can see you.” Majik nuzzled her
softly. She hugged him before she headed off to the left.

They had all most reached the end of the
grove when Ambrosia spotted him. “Rom!”

~ Chapter Seven ~

Daniel McDonald stopped at a trail map
located outside of the forest ranger station. He pulled Ambrosia’s
map from his back pocket and looked it over. It took him several
minutes, but he was able to match her map to a similarly mapped
area on the chart.

After locating the right trail, he headed
out. He would find her and make her one sorry little girl.

* * * *

Ambrosia ran to Rom, who was slumped in front
of a large hemlock tree. Majik came running from the other side of
the forest.

“Rom, are you all right?” Ambrosia asked
kneeling down in front of him.

Rom looked up at her with bloodshot eyes. “I
am alive,” he said as he forced a smile.

“Can you walk?”

“No, my left leg is broken.”

Ambrosia looked down at his leg and nearly
threw up. His bone was sticking out just below his knee.

“Ambrosia, I need you to get that stick over
there,” Rom said barely able to lift his arm to point out the
stick. Ambrosia got to her feet and retrieved the stick. “Now, you
need to find something to tie the stick firmly to the outside of my
leg. That will stop the bleeding and brace my leg so I can
stand.”

Ambrosia thought for a moment before tearing
off the sleeve of her shirt. “This is going to hurt,” she said as
she reached over and picked up the thick stick. She placed the
stick beside his leg then wrapped her sleeve tightly around it
stabilizing it and stopping the bleeding all at once.

“I’m going to tighten it up just a little
more is that all right?”

Rom nodded his head and Ambrosia pulled the
sleeve as tightly as her small hands would allow.

Rom groaned.

“Is this the only place you are hurt?”
Ambrosia asked as she finished knotting the sleeve.

“I think so. Nog broke my fall.”

“We found Nog dead a ways back,” Ambrosia
said.

Rom was silent a moment letting the news sink
in. “Our world will be at peace now,” he finally said. “Ambrosia
would you get me something to drink?”

“Of course,” Ambrosia said returning to her
feet. She opened Majik’s saddlebag and took out a gourd filled with
water. She held it to his mouth while he drank greedily.

While Rom drank, Daniel McDonald entered the
same grove of trees. Half way through he stopped. He was certain
that he had heard voices.

“You can’t walk far, Rom, and even if you
tried you might pass out from the pain. We have to find a way to
get you up onto Majik’s back.”

“Ambrosia,” Daniel McDonald whispered.
Quietly he made his way through the trees. Soon he spotted them.
Ambrosia sat on the ground speaking to what appeared to be a
deformed midget. A large black horse stood at her side.
Where
the heck did she get a horse and what is that she is talking
to?
he thought to himself.