“What’s happening?” Hoxley asked.

  “Birds flushing from the trees far behind us.” Siouxsie said. “Roberts says it’s the third time he’s seen it happen in the tree lines following us. Once is an occurrence, twice is a coincidence, but three times…”

  “Three times is suspect.” Hoxley finished for her.

  “It could be nothing. But if it is something, the last thing we want to do is stop.” said Siouxsie. “If he has something to say, he’ll tell me.”

  “Awfully strange we haven’t come across any other travelers on the road today.”

  “Awfully.” The witch agreed. Sometime later, Robert returned. He descended to the ground and landed on his feet to continue walking next to Hoxley as Siouxsie hovered close by.

  “Peculiar.” He said in a volume loud enough for only Hoxley to hear. “I circled wide around to see if anyone was there, but saw nothing but some single file trails that could very well be woodland animals. If we are being followed, they’re cautious enough to keep their distance and skilled enough to stay hidden. If they’re skilled, they know they can follow our trail on the road or in the brush. If it was just us, we could easily outpace them. We’re travelling with two boys who don’t know how to avoid being stalked. What are your plans for bedding down?”

  “We can’t prove we’re being followed but it is suspect that it’s the third time in one day. I think the best we could do is keep a sharp guard throughout the night.”

  “There’s a still a few more hours of sunlight left before dark.” Siouxsie offered. “If we quicken our pace, we could make it to the lair of the cyclops by the time it gets dark.”

  “The cyclops?” Hoxley asked with raised eyebrows. “You want to visit the cyclops lair?”

  “Why not? I haven’t been there myself but the other witches who have been there say that Bohga is friendly to all the witches.”

  “Its name is Bohga?”

  “That’s what I’ve been told. He loves on the tallest crest in the middle of the biggest sinkhole in the Stoneylands. His cave is littered by dozens of boulders of the same size next to the entrance. It’s surrounded by active geysers, very hard to mistake.” She said

  “From a vantage point like that, it would be very easy to spot someone if they were attempting to follow us.” Said Robert. “There’s so much open ground it would be almost impossible to stay hidden and keep pace.”

  “And you’re sure he doesn’t mind visitors?” Hoxley asked. “I don’t want to anger a cyclops.”

  “I have no reason to believe otherwise.” Siouxsie assured her. “If we pick up our pace. I’m confident we can make it to his lair before nightfall.”

  “I hope you’re right about this ‘Bohga’ being friendly, our last host greeted us with smiles but tried to murder one of us in the night.” The twins took up their brooms and took their places high overhead. When they were gone, the prince and Morell caught up with them, asking what was being discussed. When Hoxley relayed the information, the prince almost turned white with shock

  “You’ve gone mad if you think I’ll trespass on the lair of a monster!”

  “It’s not a monster, it’s a titan.” Morell added

  “I don’t care if it’s a band of minstrels! It’s dangerous!”

  “The witches say the cyclops is friendly to witches.” Hoxley said

  “That’s fine for them, but the three of us aren’t witches!”

  “Yes, but in the company of witches isn’t the worst place to be. I trust them.”

  “Well, I won’t go.” The prince said. By this point, Prince Damron’s belligerence was beginning to wear thin on the faun’s nerves.

  “You are more than welcome to do as you please.” Hoxley said, her eyes forward and no longer looking at him. “Perhaps those who are tracking us on the horizon would be more receptive to have you in their camp. I can’t be certain of whether they’ll take you alive or put a sword in your gut, but either way I doubt they’ll want to hear your opinion on cyclops hospitality. Good luck. Once we’re over the next hill we’re going to pick up our pace. If you want to stay with us and not get lost, or worse, then I suggest you keep pace.” The party crested the next hill and a great and vast valley spread out before them. The pockets that weren’t covered in bleached white stone lay carpeted in lush green grass. It was a wondrous magnificence of nature on its own, like a great green bowl pockmarked with boulders each the size of the mill of Sweetwater. Here and there, white geysers of gushing steam and water shot into the sky. In the center, more than a mile off, the steep natural tower of stone that Siouxsie described lay waiting. Grey smoke trailed out of the top. Someone Or some…thing was tending a fire. The walls of the bowl were high indeed. Once they entered the decline, the sun would be blocked out by the edges.

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  The lip of the bowl was steep to be sure and Hoxley looked down upon it with some apprehension. The way was set and clear but missteps or careless ness could prove dire or even fatal if someone fell between a crevasse and landed on the rocks below.

  “I’ll go first.” She said to the boys. “Take it easy, don’t try and be quick. Slide on your butts for short distances if you can. Keep your distance from any ledges. This is not the place to take a tumble.” She stepped past the lip and she slid down a good ten feet, her hooves getting little traction at all. By taking her own advice, she skidded to a halt, got her footing on a bit of rock and urged the others to follow.

  The prince looked unsure but Morell swiftly followed on his rear end and managed just fine. When Prince Damron saw it could be done, he followed suit and caught up. The witches hovered over their heads and took in the whole scene, pointing out the best places for them to climb or slide. Despite being the leader, Hoxley had the hardest time. The stone wasn’t hard to navigate but the slippery grass offered little traction. Several times the green slickness threatened to pitch her headlong off a cliff. It was slow going at best. Even by climbing downward the effort and concentration needed to do it safely was exhausting. Distances were misjudged and mismanaged and none of the climbers escaped without a bruise or three to show for their effort. Each of them was painted in mud up to the knees by the time they reach the bottom.

  A collective sigh and laugh of relief were let out now that the topography was no longer life threatening. They stopped to catch their breath. When the moment passed, they began the long steady incline toward the smoky chimney beckoning them onward.

  The sunlight began to fade faster now. Sundown quickly gave way to dusk and dusk was all but gone when they approached the sizeable uniform boulders stacked on each side of the smooth round opening to the cave. To the right of the opening was a huge boulder large enough to cover the hole with a long iron chain lying on the ground with links as thick as a man’s leg anchored to it. Scratches on the ground hinted that it was his front door and could be pulled shut from inside or pressed out. It was here that Robert and Siouxsie landed to stand alongside them as they kept their distance from the opening.

  “Now what?” Morell asked.

  “I thought the witches were friends with them.” The prince said. Hearing this, Hoxley looked to the twins who also looked apprehensive.

  “Well?” Hoxley asked the pair.

  “I’ll do it.” Siouxsie said. With that, Siouxsie reached inside the neck of her shirt and pulled out her witchle. “Whhhhhhuuuuuuaaaaa” she inhaled, taking in the biggest of breaths before blowing the loudest, longest, high-pitched tone anyone had ever heard. Everyone cringed and clamped their hands over their ears to block out the piercing tweet. When she was out of breath, she tucked it away. “Whew! That should do it!” She said with a huge smile. “If there’s a cyclops in there, it definitely heard that!” Everyone lowered their hands.

  “The dead could have heard a note that loud!” The prince said with a pained expression.

  “What?!” Siouxsie asked. Sticking her pinky fingers in her ears and jiggling them about. For a moment there was nothing. Each one exchanged an anxious look at the other.

  “Perhaps the cyclops is hard of hearing.” Said Siouxsie., digging into her shirt again. “I’ll try another.”

  “No!” shouted the others together, hands apprehensively raising to cover their ears if need be. Then, reverberating in the ground beneath them, the pounding of impact tremors told of large feet stomping a path toward the opening of the cave.