The Forgotten Magic

  Look at that, we have a title for this novel now. :) This makes me happy :P

I hope that you enjoy this third part. I'll be very grieved if you can't pronounce the names, and I hope you'll forgive me if that be the case.

 Here it be :D

“I don’t know, but they’re gonna get it. How dare they bash my door down… or try to anyway.”

He started hobbling toward the door with an indignant cry. I stared in surprise.

   “No offence or anything but what exactly are you going to do?” I asked.

The door creaked ominously, but still held. I was unsure how it had managed to stay in one piece so far. Whatever was on the other side was pretty determined though.

  “I’m goin’ to give them a piece of my mind, and a lecture on other people’s property.” He declared still steaming with anger.

  “And just how are you going to do that?” I asked not a little sceptical. Ok, the man could turn himself into a cat, but I couldn’t see that coming in handy. He turned and smiled saying mysteriously,

“Oh, I have my ways.” He winked at me and turned back to the door. I looked around and saw the table. I crawled under it grabbing the fireplace poker as a weapon on my way. Whatever was behind that door sounded big and I wanted to be able to defend myself. Hínnior grasped the door handle and tugged it viciously. The door opened with a spooky creak, and revealed…

A giant.

Like I mean a real giant. It was easily eight feet tall, and probably weighed five hundred pounds. My heart leaped into my mouth, and I gripped my poker till my knuckles were white. To my surprise Hínnior didn’t seem the least bit perturbed by the sight of the thing. I gaped as a little man stepped out from behind the giant. He was up to the giant’s knee. He was a dwarf by human standards, but next to the giant he was miniscule. Hínnior opened his mouth to speak, but the little man beat him to it.

“Honestly, Izor, I asked you to knock not break the door down.” He said with a frown. The giant lowered his head and scuffed the ground with his giant toe.

“I’m sorry, Mas’er.” Izor whimpered with a lisp. “I did no’ mean to. Some’imes my s’rength does me no good.” He sniffed and sighed. It was bizarre. Here was Izor, eight feet tall, reduced to a sniffling, cowered servant by a man who came up to his kneecap.

“I’m terribly sorry, Hínnior. Izor doesn’t know his limits yet.” The little man apologized.

“Oh, that is alright, Iggy. The door will hold more of Izor’s knocking any day.” Hínnior boasted.

“Still as proud as ever over that door,” grinned Iggy. Through this conversation I still hadn’t moved from my shelter under the table. Now at Hínnior’s invitation, the duo moved inside. Iggy immediately noticed me hiding.

“I see you’ve got a new pet, my friend,” he said boring his jet black eyes into mine. Despite my misgivings about this dwarf man my blood boiled at the mention of me being a pet. It did make me wonder if Hínnior kept humans as pets, but only briefly. I scrabbled out from under the table and drew myself up to my full height. Even so I only came up to Izor’s waist.

“I am most certainly not a pet!” I said indignantly my eyes blazing. Somehow this was funny to both Hínnior and Izor who both burst into loud laughter. Iggy only let a ghost of a smile touch his features.

“Oh, leave her be, Iggy. I found her here when I came home. She was taking refuge from the hares.” Hínnior explained.

“What kind of a name is Iggy anyway? Sounds a bit childish,” I said just a little smugly. I was convinced I’d found a way to get back at the man for calling me a pet.

I was right.

Iggy turned red and steam could have been coming out of his ears, although I could have been imagining that part. Obviously I’d hit a tender issue with the little man.

Fortunately for both parties, Hínnior interrupted before Iggy exploded.  

“Now, now, no need to get our arms in a twist. I’ll have no fighting in my house. But what are you we going to do about you, lassie. You can’t stay here.” Hínnior said thoughtfully.

“I definitely need to get back home.” I said suddenly worrying about how Poppa, Mamma, and Preston were faring since I hadn’t come home. I certainly didn’t want them out in the woods with those hares around looking for me.

“Well, we could point her the way and shove her outside,” suggested Iggy grinning with delight.

“I refuse to budge a step out of this hut with those crazed things out there.” I said coldly.

“No, I don’t think we’ll send her out there, Iggy.” Hínnior said glaring at Iggy.

“Oh, well, it was worth a try,” whispered Iggy none to quietly to Izor. That sent Izor laughing again.

“I think it be best if you sleep here tonight and we’ll send you on your way tomorrow.” Hínnior concluded. I agreed with a nod though I was pretty sure I would sleep a wink tonight with these weird people around. I settled in the corner on a pile of fur coats. Despite my intentions to stay awake and listen to their conversation, I fell asleep the moment my head hit the pillow. Running form hares will do that I suppose.

I was sleeping sweetly when a sudden shriek pierced my consciousness. 

1. I awoke to find myself back at home outside the fringes of the woods. But something was wrong. Very wrong. I smelt the air and shivers shot up my spine as I smelt the unforgettable scent of wood smoke. I spun around to see a sight that sunk my heart to the very tips of my toes. My beloved home was burning. My thoughts jumped immediately to the rest of my family. With a cry I began to run toward the swirling mass.  

2. I jumped to my feet and grabbed my poker. I looked frantically around for Hínnior and the others, but the hut was empty. Panic filled my heart as I ran to the door, and swung it open to reveal a terrible sight.

3. My eyelids shot open. I sat up cautiously my hand groping in the darkness for my poker. My hand closed over it and I pulled it closer. I looked around and was surprised to see the others fast asleep still. Seriously? I pulled off the blankets and tiptoed over to the figure I though was Hínnior. I was about to shake him awake when I noticed something odd. I peered closer and saw that this man was clean shaven. My heart leaped and I slowly back away. That man couldn’t be Hínnior and he was too small to be Izor, and too large to be Iggy.

“Where am I?” I thought horrified.

Right before I backed into a chair. 

Voila! I hope that makes you happy. 

We're going golfing tomorrow. I've never been before so hopefully I'll manage. :P My brother likes to go, and so does one of my friends. She will be there tomorrow so that will be helpful. That is if it isn't cancelled due to the rain. We're getting quite a bit of it but I don't mind too much. It's rather nice. Which is a good thing I guess since we'll be getting more. 

I must say adieu now. Sorry for the shortness of this, but duty calls.

Arrivederci!

Antonella Rose