Part 1:
Mighty tree trunks, swooping in looping arcs, filled our eyes.
Limbs crisscrossed overhead in dense, twisting branches.
Every last twig teeming with green leaves.
Cutting loose and gliding downward, the leaves rained upon us as if a steady shower.
Yet the trees never lost cover, even with so many occupants meandering to the ground.
Within this wondrous setting we sat, one thought on Rick’s mind:
“Dale? Get us home. Pretty soon my couch will be a shrub!”
The lion did not reply, paying notice only once the leaves had collected on his head.
“Hey, hello,” my brother said. “The couch?”
A turn of Dale’s neck sent green stars flying.
“I can’t.”
“What do you mean, you can't? You sneezed and brought us here, now sneeze and get us home.”
“Maybe it’s my sinuses or whatever, but I’m tapped out. And we’ve traveled … pretty far.”
Limbs crisscrossed overhead in dense, twisting branches.
Every last twig teeming with green leaves.
Cutting loose and gliding downward, the leaves rained upon us as if a steady shower.
Yet the trees never lost cover, even with so many occupants meandering to the ground.
Within this wondrous setting we sat, one thought on Rick’s mind:
“Dale? Get us home. Pretty soon my couch will be a shrub!”
The lion did not reply, paying notice only once the leaves had collected on his head.
“Hey, hello,” my brother said. “The couch?”
A turn of Dale’s neck sent green stars flying.
“I can’t.”
“What do you mean, you can't? You sneezed and brought us here, now sneeze and get us home.”
“Maybe it’s my sinuses or whatever, but I’m tapped out. And we’ve traveled … pretty far.”
Fallen leaves nearby soon rustled from approaching footsteps.
We ducked down at the sound of the voice.
“Ohhh, mine troubles grow in drovish amounts.”
The stranger slumped and leaned against a tree.
He wore a suit of metal armor, silver and blue and green, carrying a big sword at his side.
“Really far,” Dale whispered.
The fellow was a bit taller than Rick, long and lanky, with a chin that loudly announced his face.
He looked clean-cut and serious, yet vulnerable all the same.
We decided to approach him.
“Hello?" Rick offered, standing up with a wave.
The man rose quickly, but did not seem alarmed.
“Fellow travelers? Salutations.”
“I’m Rick Hatcher-Hyung. My sister, Josephine. This is Dale.”
“I am Sir Winthrop, son of Felix. At your service.”
“Where are we?" I asked. “We're not from around this land."
“You are in The Falling Forest, of course. To the east is Brinmore, from whence I hail."
The man stared puzzled at Dale, as if awaiting a greeting. “This one. Can’t he speak?”
“Yeah, I talk,” Dale replied. “That … doesn’t shock you?”
“You look of intelligence. But what manner of beast are you?”
“I’m a lion.”
“A li-ion? As in ‘to lie?’ Pray tell, do you bait men with riddles and devour them with cunning?”
A hand crept toward his sword.
“No, no,” I said. “More the sort to ‘lie around.’ On his belly, or in a bed, or on the grass … ”
“All right, all right, he gets the idea.”
We ducked down at the sound of the voice.
“Ohhh, mine troubles grow in drovish amounts.”
The stranger slumped and leaned against a tree.
He wore a suit of metal armor, silver and blue and green, carrying a big sword at his side.
“Really far,” Dale whispered.
The fellow was a bit taller than Rick, long and lanky, with a chin that loudly announced his face.
He looked clean-cut and serious, yet vulnerable all the same.
We decided to approach him.
“Hello?" Rick offered, standing up with a wave.
The man rose quickly, but did not seem alarmed.
“Fellow travelers? Salutations.”
“I’m Rick Hatcher-Hyung. My sister, Josephine. This is Dale.”
“I am Sir Winthrop, son of Felix. At your service.”
“Where are we?" I asked. “We're not from around this land."
“You are in The Falling Forest, of course. To the east is Brinmore, from whence I hail."
The man stared puzzled at Dale, as if awaiting a greeting. “This one. Can’t he speak?”
“Yeah, I talk,” Dale replied. “That … doesn’t shock you?”
“You look of intelligence. But what manner of beast are you?”
“I’m a lion.”
“A li-ion? As in ‘to lie?’ Pray tell, do you bait men with riddles and devour them with cunning?”
A hand crept toward his sword.
“No, no,” I said. “More the sort to ‘lie around.’ On his belly, or in a bed, or on the grass … ”
“All right, all right, he gets the idea.”
“It does me well to see such friends,” he laughed. “Alas, you look upon a poxed man.”
“Poxed? You’re sick?”
“Sick of the heart, perhaps. I beckon thee, sit 'round, and I’ll share a story.”
We gathered as took out a tiny ukelele, plucked a note, and sang:
“I came forth one evening, to sup with the king,
The queen and some knights, for some pleasant good dining,
I saw the bone china a-laid at our places,
Mine hope was a rise back in his lord’s graces.
We sampled a taste of the baker’s best bread,
And sipped slippery drinks, that went to mine head,
We’re full of good cheer as we sang our strong songs,
I scarce even noticed the greens bowl passed ’long.
I noticed, then happened what caused me mine grief,
I thought I spied an asp ’neath the leaves.
I leapt toward the bowl, mine fears to allay,
And hammered the edge with the brunt of mine blade,
It flew through the air, de-crowning his Royal,
And left an ire’d king dripping vin’gar and oil.
I cried, ‘Sire, I’d noticed a snake in the roughage,’
‘Winthrop you fool, ’twas none but alfalfa!’
Hence again mine bravery had led me astray,
I was surely to be an ex-knight right away,
He boiled a minute, then expressed me mine dread,
‘You’re to steal for me one of yond dragon’s new eggs.
You’ll be given five days, and if not in that time,
You’ll be hanged for this most awful evening of dine,’
And so now here you find me, beginning this quest,
A-knowing mine fate, a dead man at best.”
“Poxed? You’re sick?”
“Sick of the heart, perhaps. I beckon thee, sit 'round, and I’ll share a story.”
We gathered as took out a tiny ukelele, plucked a note, and sang:
“I came forth one evening, to sup with the king,
The queen and some knights, for some pleasant good dining,
I saw the bone china a-laid at our places,
Mine hope was a rise back in his lord’s graces.
We sampled a taste of the baker’s best bread,
And sipped slippery drinks, that went to mine head,
We’re full of good cheer as we sang our strong songs,
I scarce even noticed the greens bowl passed ’long.
I noticed, then happened what caused me mine grief,
I thought I spied an asp ’neath the leaves.
I leapt toward the bowl, mine fears to allay,
And hammered the edge with the brunt of mine blade,
It flew through the air, de-crowning his Royal,
And left an ire’d king dripping vin’gar and oil.
I cried, ‘Sire, I’d noticed a snake in the roughage,’
‘Winthrop you fool, ’twas none but alfalfa!’
Hence again mine bravery had led me astray,
I was surely to be an ex-knight right away,
He boiled a minute, then expressed me mine dread,
‘You’re to steal for me one of yond dragon’s new eggs.
You’ll be given five days, and if not in that time,
You’ll be hanged for this most awful evening of dine,’
And so now here you find me, beginning this quest,
A-knowing mine fate, a dead man at best.”
He leaned back, resting his head on a tree, content to contemplate the falling leaves.
“You put salad on the king, now he wants you dead?” Rick asked.
The unhappy fellow nodded a yes.
“What a jerk. What a lousy king.”
Winthrop jumped to his feet and aimed his straight at us!
“No base knave slurs the name of King Rodrick Buckingum.”
“Hey, come on now,” I said. “No offense meant.”
“Recant, or defend yourself."
“Rick was showing sympathy,” Dale growled, stomping between us. “Just trying to be nice.”
Winthrop stood undaunted, showing no signs of compromise.
“You saw a snake,” I said. “And with no regard for your safety, you leapt to save the king.”
“Correct.”
“Your goal wasn’t to embarrass him. You thought an asp slunk in the lettuce.”
“Correct again,” he replied, his blade drooping.
“And now you’re to be led like a lamb and slaughtered like cattle by a low-down dog of a dragon?"
“Perhaps so."
“I’d say you are ruled by a selfish loser … a first-class jerk of the highest order!”
“Aye,” Winthrop said. “Aye, you’re right!”
A dark pallor came over his eyes.
“One slash of mine sword solves this all. As he begs for life, I’ll dump salad oil in his wounds!”
“Uh, take it easy,” Dale said. “That’s not what Josie meant.”
“It’s him or the dragon; he needs it more. I’ll lance him clean.”
“You don’t want to kill him, do you?” Rick asked. “Not really?”
The knight holstered his sword and stood empty.
“Just disappointed. After years of service, sent on a fool’s mission?”
“You put salad on the king, now he wants you dead?” Rick asked.
The unhappy fellow nodded a yes.
“What a jerk. What a lousy king.”
Winthrop jumped to his feet and aimed his straight at us!
“No base knave slurs the name of King Rodrick Buckingum.”
“Hey, come on now,” I said. “No offense meant.”
“Recant, or defend yourself."
“Rick was showing sympathy,” Dale growled, stomping between us. “Just trying to be nice.”
Winthrop stood undaunted, showing no signs of compromise.
“You saw a snake,” I said. “And with no regard for your safety, you leapt to save the king.”
“Correct.”
“Your goal wasn’t to embarrass him. You thought an asp slunk in the lettuce.”
“Correct again,” he replied, his blade drooping.
“And now you’re to be led like a lamb and slaughtered like cattle by a low-down dog of a dragon?"
“Perhaps so."
“I’d say you are ruled by a selfish loser … a first-class jerk of the highest order!”
“Aye,” Winthrop said. “Aye, you’re right!”
A dark pallor came over his eyes.
“One slash of mine sword solves this all. As he begs for life, I’ll dump salad oil in his wounds!”
“Uh, take it easy,” Dale said. “That’s not what Josie meant.”
“It’s him or the dragon; he needs it more. I’ll lance him clean.”
“You don’t want to kill him, do you?” Rick asked. “Not really?”
The knight holstered his sword and stood empty.
“Just disappointed. After years of service, sent on a fool’s mission?”
“Maybe we can help figure something out.”
“Figure out?”
“Is there any way of slipping in and stealing a dragon’s egg?”
“There’s no slim chance. And she’s liable to not say a word, just kill me on the spot.”
“Dragons can talk?”
“Just as well as your lion. But much more deadly.”
“Even so, it might be good to speak with her.”
“The risk looms heavy.”
“Let’s try. We can help if things get rough.”
“Very well, but the journey’s at least half a day. We’ll need to camp for the night.”
“Sounds good to me,” I said. “Dale, how about you?”
“Tomorrow we’ll get up and go see that dragon.”
He paused, studying us, until uttering a single word.
“Joacquil.”
“What?” we asked.
“Joe-ack-quill. Her name is Joacquil.”
“Perfect,” I said. “We’ll head out tomorrow for Joacquil.”
Winthrop smiled, offered a reaffirming nod, and set his jaw bold and resolute.
“Figure out?”
“Is there any way of slipping in and stealing a dragon’s egg?”
“There’s no slim chance. And she’s liable to not say a word, just kill me on the spot.”
“Dragons can talk?”
“Just as well as your lion. But much more deadly.”
“Even so, it might be good to speak with her.”
“The risk looms heavy.”
“Let’s try. We can help if things get rough.”
“Very well, but the journey’s at least half a day. We’ll need to camp for the night.”
“Sounds good to me,” I said. “Dale, how about you?”
“Tomorrow we’ll get up and go see that dragon.”
He paused, studying us, until uttering a single word.
“Joacquil.”
“What?” we asked.
“Joe-ack-quill. Her name is Joacquil.”
“Perfect,” I said. “We’ll head out tomorrow for Joacquil.”
Winthrop smiled, offered a reaffirming nod, and set his jaw bold and resolute.