Forbidden Quest (11 page)

“What's going on?”  Jack’s eyes narrowed at the ugly troll as Hopper righted himself and tried to look innocent.

"She just cast a spell on you Jack." Nicole explained as two imps rose and

Gleefully staggered toward them.

"What kind of spell?" Jack demanded turning toward Sarah.

"Oh relax, Jack. It was just a little case of the hiccups." Sarah announced, proudly.

"Well then we can quit worrying about those warriors now. Sarah has everything under control. She'll make them hiccup so hard they'll fall right off their horses." Jack

chuckled
, leaning back against the tree.

"
l'm
just getting started, Jack.
"
Sarah answered with a defiant smile. "Go back to sleep, Barbarian."

"Not likely." Jack grabbed her hand and pulled her down beside him. "Show me

your
stuff oh Magical one."

"I should try another small spell, before I attempt anything remotely threatening." Sarah smiled slyly and turned toward Hopper.

A look of great concern came over Hoppers face as she began to chant. Trying to

hide
his distress, he managed a smile and said, "Did I tell you how beautiful you looked

just
before you lay down on the cot this morning?"

Sarah ceased her chanting and stared expectantly at Hopper. "Well?"

"Well, what?" Hopper stared back at her. "What kind of spell was it?"

"You tell me.
"
Sarah
answered ,
rising to face him.

"Nothing's happening." Hopper glanced over at Jack, "Is it?"

“You look the same to me." Jack said, "No feminine features yet, Sarah."

"What?" Hopper staggered backward terrified.

It was Jack's turn to fall back laughing.

Hopper grimaced,  “Very funny.
"
Then suddenly he stiffened and started to squirm. "Sarah!" He bellowed, "Stop it!"

Smiling wickedly at Jack, Sarah, "He hates to be tickled."

Hopper jerked and wiggled, screaming with laughter as he worked his way toward

them
.
"Sarah! It feels like ants are crawling all over me." He gasped, then fell to the

ground and started rolling and kicking with laughter
.
"Enough!"

The others laughed in spite of their empathy for the tall troll. "I thought nothing

could bring him to his knees " Jack said with a guffaw.
"
Leave it to a seemingly defenseless female to lay you out cold, eh Hopper?"

"This will teach him to appreciate
you, Sarah." Nicole added. ..

"Well at least he'll never underestimate me.
"
The tall
sorceress
smiled back at her.

Hopper rolled
onto
his knees and crawled to Jack, gasping for breath. "Help . . . me.”

Jack knelt beside him. "Sarah, I think he's had enough." A shiver ran through

him
as he recalled Nicole's recent fit of hysteria.

"Well your hiccups stopped right away." Sarah's smile vanished. "It should stop any second."

"I . . . can't . . . stand it!" Hopper collapsed
onto
the grass. "It hurts . .
. "

“Todd?" Sarah rushed to his side.

"Is there some kind of counter spell?" Nicole asked.

"Can't . . . breathe . . ." Hopper gasped, his lips were turning blue
.
Tears were

streaming
down his hairy cheeks.

"Do something!
"
Jack grabbed Sarah by the shoulders.

Sarah jumped up and rushed over to the rocks where she'd left the book and

scanned the pages surrounding the tickle spell desperate to find anything to help
.
"I can't find anything. It HAS to wear off?" She rushed back to them. "Todd? Hold on, just a few seconds more. Concentrate on your breathing, try to take just one slow breath."

Hopper was oblivious to anything but the torturous laughter the flowed uncontrollably from his mouth.

Sarah screamed as Hopper began to convulse. "Oh God
!
Jack, do something! I’m killing him!"

Jack sprung up and rushed to her side. "I can't read it!
You'll
just have to take it

one
page at a time."

Nicole moved slowly toward Hopper as Jack and Sarah raced through the book.

Taking Hopper by the arm
,
Nicole gently pulled him to his knees
.
"Laughter's unusual

for a troll.
"
She whispered. Her eyes grew glassy and dark. "Trolls and elves have never

been close friends you know, but I'll help you, Hopper
.
I won't desert you." Her eyes

began to brighten and glow the same soft green light as when she arrived
.
Nicole led

Hopper toward the pool as she began to sing a whispering lullaby.
 

Sarah's scream jolted Nicole back to awareness. The young Sorceress' eyes filled

with
horror as Nicole pushed the nearly unconscious Hopper into the dark frothy water.

“He'll drown!" Sarah cried rushing toward them. "He's too weak
! "

Hopper's head popped out of the water as Sarah reached the edge of the pond.

"I'm all right." He gasped, sucking in a deep breath of air. 
"Thanks to Nicole."

Jack was in the water beside him in an instant helping the huge troll to the edge of

the pond
.
Sarah's waiting arms pulled his massive hulk out of the water and held him

tight
.
Taking his large head in her hands, Sarah kissed his huge lips deeply. "Nicole,

how did you know?
"
She turned toward the silent elf.

"Water is a pure element. It dilutes acid, stops chemical reactions, and washes

away
the dust of the earth.  It's a cleansing agent what would work better to cure a dark spell?" Nicole answered quietly, surprised at her own words. "You could have killed him Sarah."

"I didn't realize." Sarah's eyes filled with tears. "Todd, you know I'd never . . ."

"It's okay, baby." Hopper pulled her to him. "I know you'd never hurt me."

"Thank you, Nicole.”  Sarah reached out and took Nicole's hand. They stood staring at each other as the glow faded from Nicole's eyes.

“Forget it." Nicole answered, turning away.

"I'm sorry about what I said." Sarah called after Nicole.

Nicole spun and flashed a smile that hid her concern over her own mental

stability before she moved to ready the horses for departure
.
"We better get moving, we

don't
want to get caught with our backs to the water."

"She's right." Jack confirmed, reaching out to Hopper and taking hold of his

shoulder
. "You up to it?"

"Get me on a horse and
l'll
be fine." Hopper shook his large head violently,

showering them all with water
.
"Sorry." He smiled weakly and then escorted Sarah to her

horse
.

The dark warrior gazed at the small group from across the rolling waters. His

sapphire
eyes showed great astonishment at the sight of the beautiful Sorceress showing

such devotion to a troll
.
Perhaps they weren't Puissant's destroyers after all
.
Staring at

the
young woman his eyes fell to the rocky ground beneath them as thoughts of

duty pressed him to action
.
He
couldn't
let a pretty face and a seemingly compassionate

heart
dissuade him from what must be .

Jack and Nicole quickly packed the food and supplies as Sarah helped Hopper onto his horse. Fetching the thick tree limb that served as his weapon, Sarah insisted on tying it to Hopper's saddle before mounting her white mare.

"The map shows a large series of narrow canyons running the entire length of the
mountain range." Sarah announced, studying the soft leather parchment. "There's a canyon passage near the crest of the double peak."

"We
’
ll have to find some high ground. You
can't
see the sky through these trees,

much
less a mountain.”  Jack said as he headed for the waterfall.

Climbing the rocks, Jack stood near the edge of the cascading water and gazed over the trees. "There's a double peak just west of here." He yelled.

"Wonderful! Now anyone in the immediate vicinity knows exactly where we are

headed.
"
Sarah chided him.

"Let '
em
come." Nicole declared
as
she swung up on her horse.
"I’m
ready for a little exercise."

"How much longer until nightfall?
''
Sarah asked.

Nicole shrugged, "What do you think Barbarian?"

"Beats me.
"
Jack answered climbing down.  "Let's go. I'll take the point."

They headed into the forest. Working their way through the trees, they searched for any sign of a path leading into the mountains. Nicole sang to the animals and they reappeared to greet her, scampering away when the others came near.  The small red fox from that morning appeared suddenly out of a dense thicket. It moved toward Nicole quickly then veered off to one side, disappearing into the trees. Eyes narrowing, Nicole called the party to a halt.

"We've got company." She announced,
as
a band of nearly twenty elves on horseback appeared from the far end of the thicket just ahead of them.

Without hesitation the leader of the elves, a golden haired elf of large stature

dressed in black chain link armor drew forward raising his sword high above his head
.
His eyes met Sarah's and he hesitated. Sarah froze, expecting a dark cold
glare,
she found a pair of
warm
blue eyes staring back at her.

"Back!
"
Jack shouted turning his horse around
.
The others followed suit, retreating back the way they had come
.
A shrill war cry pierced the air as the warriors charged. Veering from the path and crashing through the underbrush, Hopper cleared a path with his club for the others to follow. Galloping blindly through the thicket Hopper searched for an easier route in an attempt to gain distance from their
attackers and still head toward their goal.  The warriors raced toward them, unhindered by the dense line of trees and brush.

Suddenly a large doe leapt out of the thicket directly in the path of the charging elves.  The lead horses, startled by the sudden movement reared, screaming in fright. The instant of confusion slowed their approach, allowing the adventurers to lengthen their lead. Pushing the frightened horses aside, the dark warrior rushed past, continuing the chase.  Arrows began to assault the brush around the adventurers as the elves attempted to halt their escape.  The small red fox dashed out of the underbrush to race under the legs of their pursuers' horses, sending several more warriors reeling into the thicket. All save the dark leader.

A hawk flew from the treetops into h
is
face. He swatted it away and pushed on, gaining ground with each stride. The air around the warriors that followed seemed to take form as birds of prey dove out of the sky attacking them. The elves fought to control their horses, urging them forward
to try
to keep pace with their commander.

Abruptly Hopper came to a halt as the adventurers cleared the thick trees. "We're

trapped!
"
He shouted, motioning toward the rock bluff that stretched out before them.

They’d fled into a small canyon, concealed by the trees
.
The
sheer
wall of the bluff

Gave no hint of escape.
  Hopper turned his horse around as Jack cleared the trees and charged back toward the dark warrior.