“Oww

  She groaned, as she shakily pushed herself vertical again.

  “Are you alright?” Bohga asked

  “Ow.” Hoxley said again, finally getting her footing after a few wobbly steps. “The armor may deflect enemy strikes but does nothing for my clumsiness.”

  “Then I believe only your pride has been injured. I believe that can be cured with acts of good will. Are you not shod my dear?”

  “No, I don’t wear shoes yet. My parents said its normal to wait until I get a little bigger.”

  “You have a great distance ahead of you. I would be honored if you would allow me to shoe you before you leave.”

  “You would do that?”

  “I haven’t had guests for the longest time and the night is young. Please allow me to do so.”

  “I don’t object if you don’t.”

  “Ha! Splendid! Allow me to get my tools. This won’t take long at all. Does anyone know any songs they could play or sing while I prepare?”

  “I know lots of songs!” Siouxsie practically squealed. From beneath her huge robes, she produced a small lyre. The others looked surprised at how she’d hidden the thing the whole time. “Who wants to hear Piggy Piggy, My Fat Little Pig?”

  “Pleeeease, don’t play that song again.” Robert groaned.

  “Oh, be quiet. You’ve always loved, Piggy Piggy.”

  “I love it when you don’t play it every day.” Robert said.

  “Piggy Piggy?” the other three asked in unison.

  “You haven’t heard it? Oh! Then I have to play it!” She said as Bohga returned with a heavy sack of clanking tools and sat down upon the bench that hadn’t been destroyed. As Hoxley stood before him, Siouxsie began vigorously strum her strings and sing.

  “Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

  My piggy, my piggy is fat and round, he rolls in the mud all on the ground, he weighs so much it does astound, my piggy is a fat little pig!

  He doesn’t cuddle but he doesn’t bite, he eats up everything in sight, but touch his slop and he just might fight, my piggy is a fat little pig!

  Mighty fine, smelly swine, cleaning him takes most of my time!

  Mighty fine, hungry swine, my piggy is a fat little pig!

  Now you might ask why I don’t own a goat or cow, just a big fat pig who porks his sow, but if you listen, I’ll tell you now, why my piggy is fat little pig.

  We cut his throat and turn him to chops, we sell his bacon in all the shops, everyone says my pig parts are tops, my piggy is fat little pig!

  Mighty fine, tasty swine, eating him takes most of my time!

  Mighty fine, helluva swine, my piggy was a fat….. little…… piiiiiiiiiiiiig!”

  And with a proud, majestic stance, Siouxsie finished her song to great applause. Even Bohga momentarily set his tools down to clap his hands.

  “More! More!” said the others as they clapped. “Sing some more!”

  “What’s that? More you say? Very well! Here’s a fun song about a pumpkin who rolls down hills.” Siouxsie went on to play several more songs while the others listened and clapped in time. As she did, Bohga fitted each of Hoxley’s feet with iron shoes. The cyclops masterfully wielded his knives and hammers to deliver a perfect fit that was held in place by lyythium nails. By the time the witch girl had finished ten songs, Bohga let Hoxley go and she trotted about the chamber in her new iron additions.

  “How do they feel?” Morell asked.

  “I’m not sliding as much as I was. You’ve done a great job, Bohga!”

  “Ho ho, I’m glad you like them.” He said, putting his tools away. Please, please, play some more songs!” Siouxsie played some more songs and sometimes Hoxley played in harmony with her ocarina. Everyone sang the fun songs they knew or merely clapped in time with the ones they didn’t. And as the hours of the merry night went on, each of the companions forgot for just a moment the difficult circumstances that had brought them together. It was a respite for the young to be young and to be as they were with laughter to fill their ears as they danced and sang. And after a few more songs and lots of vigorous jigging, and one more refrain of my fat little piggy, eyelids began to droop. Each of the youths curled up into warm corners about the main chamber, their virgin blankets tucked high to chins. Everyone seemed quick to doze off, save for Hoxley.

  Armed with her spear and armor, she did not rest, but watched the darkness beyond the threshold.

  “Will there be no rest for Hoxley tonight?” Asked Bohga, taking slow steps as not to wake the guests sleeping.

  “How can I?” She asked without taking her eyes off the starry night. “How can I sleep when there are those out there who pursue us?”

  “I admire your dedication. You put the safety of others before your own comfort.”

  “I didn’t think I had a choice.” She said, shouldering her spear.

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  “Then perhaps there is a great leader growing beneath that helm, yes? The desire to put others before themselves is an admirable quality.”

  “I don’t know what else to do. It’s all I think I can do, Bohga.”

  “Then perhaps I can put your mind at ease.” The cyclops moved past her to pick up the huge chain linked to the boulder outside the opening. With a few heavy shrugs, he pulled the boulder to rest in front of the entrance where no one save for him would be able to get it open again. “There. How do you feel now?”

  “Better.” She said, relaxing a little as she smiled.

  “Good. Take off that armor for tonight. You should sleep better now that you’re defended. I’m going to my own bed now. I will see you when the sun rises.” With that, the cyclops turned and walked back into the further chamber. A strange feeling struck the faun girl and she followed him as he approached his bed. When he realized he was being followed, he turned to face her. “Is there something else?” He asked.

  “I don’t know what I want to say.” Said Hoxley. “A strangeness I can’t fathom is in my stomach and won’t let me be.”

  “Then tell me what you know as best as you can.”

  “Something is happening. Something you know to be true.” She said “Somehow you knew we would be here. Somehow you knew all of our names. Some way you knew how big to make the helm that is atop my head with holes for horns. These things are too well aligned to be by chance. You made the exact number of weapons and a blankets for everyone who came to your home. The others accepted this without question. I am grateful for everything you have provided, but I am not a fool. I want to know how this came to be, I want to know the reason. I want to know how you know the things you know.”

  “There you are.” said the cyclops with satisfaction. “There’s the girl with the steel gut.”

  “A steel gut?” She asked. “What do you mean?” The cyclops stood there for the longest time breathing silently as a huge cyclops can. He gave her the strangest look, but bent down to take and knee and her hand before he spoke. He looked so happy she thought he might be ready to cry.

  “My dearest Hoxley.” He said. “I have waited five hundred years for this day to come, for you to stand here and ask me what you have just now. A long time ago a riddle was put to me that only now can I understand. For five hundred years I had to bide my time in this place watching and waiting that one day you would come and free me. And now that you are here.”

  “I don’t understand, Bohga.” she said. “Why would you be waiting for me? I don’t understand your riddle.”

  “All will be revealed in time.” He said. “If I explained it all to you now, you would not be able to understand. But know this; Seeing you here, now, as you are, I can tell you that the centuries I have spent…I know my hands have done greater work than to burrow into the earth to escape the outside world or build a raft that would take me from here. I know this all seems as a great nonsense, but you are meant to be where you are now with the others. And in the times to come, I am sure you will find your true purpose my dear faun.”

  “You are correct, Bohga, I don’t understand anything of what you’ve said and it is a great nonsense. But I feel you would not lie to me and that what you know I will one day know.”

  “Know this, Hoxley of the plains. To see you here, as you are, with all the light in your eyes, I know the world will be right.” To this, the faun blushed beneath her freckles and looked away. “Don’t hide.” He told her. “Listen, difficult times are coming for you and your friends. If they are to survive, you must be strong. You must be the strength they ‘ll be able to cling to when all hope seems lost.”

  “What’s coming?” She asked. “Please tell me.”

  “I wish I could my dear, but much is unknown to me. But hold true to the person I see before me now and I promise you you’ll find the answers you seek. But your quest to find those answers will not begin in this cave tonight. Sleep well. For tomorrow is a big day and you’ll need to be well rested.” The cyclops let go of her hand, stood and turned about to crawl into his bed of tree limbs and pull the large blanket over him. Speechless, Hoxley returned to the main chamber and found a place to bed down near the others. She had two because the cyclops had an extra blanket. Perhaps the cyclops didn’t know everything. Or perhaps two were for her since she needed to cover more body than the rest. Whatever the case, she decided not to dwell on it too much. The entrance was sealed so she knew she’d be able to sleep soundly. A glance around the room found the twins coupled in a space between two barrels. Each of the other boys lay snoozing where they lay exhausted. Hoxley removed her armor and took the cyclops advice to get some good rest. She got comfortable and closed her eyes. Whatever riddles waited past sunrise would be dealt with in their own time.