Of ye Unicorns, ye Man-rats, and ye Goblyns

Faustus was on his warhorse Skeeter, coming back from a mission he had urgently been requested on "with the utmost speed". He had been successful. It was a 6 pound 5 ounce baby boy. Mother and son were doing fine, and the extremely nervous father was grateful.

Faustus had to accept payment for the help in delivering the baby, least it insult the father. Such was the honor system here. The Midwife had sent the father to get help when complications arose. Had not Faustus got there, both would have been lost. But using his Clerical powers Faustus was able to make a dangerous situation very routine.

As Faustus rode happily toward the destination that would take him home, narrow red eyes watched him from the underbrush. The Jezail was cocked, and aimed. One ratman held it over his shoulder and the other aimed and fired the evil rifled weapon.

Faustus heard a noise and started to turn his head when he heard the shot and felt a sudden sharp pain in his head. Then there was oblivion.

Ginny walked out by the gate and peered down the street to the wall. Faustus wasn't there. He'd left earlier on his horse when another of those odd looking fellows came to get him. The guy looked like a peasant farmer. He had a big horse that looked like a Clydesdale and rode it bare back. He spoke to Faustus in that language Ginny didn't understand, and then Faustus went to the stables to get his horse.

He told Ginny he'd be back soon and rode off with the guy. That was this evening. The lights were still on in Faustus's bungalo, a sure indication that he was due back. But now it was almost time to go to sleep. They had school to teach tomorrow.

Ginny told herself that there was no need to worry, but worry she did. She couldn't help feeling that something had gone wrong. Very wrong.

Ginny stayed up late worrying. She had to get some sleep or she'd be listless tomorrow trying to teach. She turned off her lights and tried to doze off. The worry ate at her, keeping her awake. She once got up and looked at the Captains house. No change.

She returned to bed and was in that twilight area between dozing and actual sleep when a knock came on her front door.

Who on earth could that be at this hour? MAYBE IT WAS FAUSTUS!

Slipping on a robe, she went to the front room and turned on her porch light. She opened the door. What greeted her was unexpected.

There stood a very handsome fellow with blond hair and pointed ears and a guy she recognized as the Ranger, Jack Ogre-taunt. She peeked around the door, suddenly apprehensive.

"What do you want?"

The pointed eared fellow said something to her that she couldn't understand.

Jack elbowed the elf, and told him something. Then realizing she didn't speak the language, the elf switched to perfect accent-less English.

"Captain Faustus Mitternacht is in need of your help, Miss Stewart. Would you please come with us? I am Mairu, Lord Brandon's servant and fellow adventurer. I believe you know Mr. Oger-Taunt here?"

"Er, yeah. Is Faustus hurt? What is it?"

"We must hurry. We can explain on the way."

"Let me get dressed, okay?"

"Certainly, but hurry. Um, you CAN ride a horse, can' t you?"

"Yes, but I don't have one."

"Then you must double up with one of us. Please hurry."

Ginny got dressed in what she hoped were traveling clothes; blue jeans, a shirt, and some hiking boots she had for when she took the Girl Scouts out on campouts. She grabbed a light jacket, and thought for a moment about how much she wished she had a gun. But she shrugged it off. If these two meant her harm, she was in no condition to resist anyway. They were trained medieval type fighters and she was a 21st Century woman. She once picked up Faustus's sword and was surprised how much the thing weighed. If she had to fight them it would be a one sided contest.

Ginny went outside, locked the door to her bungalo, and saw the two men were already mounted and waiting for her. She went over to Jack's horse, and tried to mount, but was having trouble. He then reached down and pulled her up to his saddle, as if her 130 pounds were nothing. Both men then dug in their heels to their horses and galloped down the street.

They crossed the road and went about a mile into the desert. Then they reigned up. Ginny was confused, but not as much as she was when the elf made an incantation and waved his right hand. A strange hole seemed to open in the air before them and they went right in.

As Ginny watched, the hole closed behind them. The first thing she noticed was that they were on leaves and grass, there were trees on all sides, and it was more humid than where they were just seconds ago. It was strangely beautiful! A night bird called, and the moon looked some how different. They rode out onto a path.

"Where are we?"

"The land where we and Faustus come from, Miss Stewart." was all that Jack offered as an explanation.

They rode for about an hour, then Ginny stared in disbelief at the castle before them. It was a rough hewn outpost, but still a castle. And it was obvious that it was in use. There were banners on the turrets, lights in the windows, and smoke from the chimneys visible in the moonlight.

A big man in blue livery, looking like a Norman Knight, strode toward them. He said something to the two in that language, the men replied, then he spoke to Ginny in English.

"Welcome. Glad you could come. I am Lord Charles Brandon. You may call me C.B. The Captain is holed up in one of our store houses. He's been injured, and he doesn't know who he is, hes scared, armed, and dangerous. I was hoping you'd be able to talk him out before someone gets hurt. Every time somebody gets near him, he shoots at them."

They all dismounted and walked cautiously toward the castle storehouse. There, looking over a low wall, Ginny could see Skeeter; Cap's warhorse standing near a stone building. They stayed under cover.

C.B. spoke in a whisper to Ginny.

"Mairu found Caps helmet on the trail coming back from a farm near here where he went to help deliver a baby. Hes been shot."

Ginny gasped.

C.B. held up the helmet. It had a large dent on the left side, but no hole. There was blood on the questing scarf and inside the helm.

"It looks like the ratmen who shot him came out to finish him off, but didn't think about the warhorse. Skeeter killed them both, then stood guard over Faustus, judging from the tracks. When Faustus got up he wandered around for a bit, then came here. When we went to see what was wrong with him he retreated into that grainery and has been shooting at us ever since. I am hoping he'll recognize you and stop trying to kill us so we can help him. He looks in a bad way."

"What do you want me to do?" Ginny asked. 

"Call out to him, see if he'll snap out of it."

"Okay."

Ginny looked cautiously over the wall, and called out.

"Faustus? Its me! Ginny!"

There was a click followed by a loud bang. A pistol ball pinged off the wall 4 feet away. Ginny was pulled down to cover by C.B.

"Well, that didn't work. If we don't get to him soon, I think either he's going to hit one of us or die from his wounds. We'll just have to wait him out."

Ginny couldn't bear the thought of not being able to help Faustus. She pulled loose from C.B.s grasp and hopped over the wall.

"Come back here, you little fool! You'll be killed!" 

Ginny stood straight up, and put her hands out by her side, where Faustus could see she was unarmed. She cautiously walked forward. All three men looked over the wall at the scene.

"Faustus? Don't you know me? Please, look at me! It's Ginny! Talk to me!"

Faustus appeared at a window and Ginny could just make him out. The left side of his face was swollen grotesquely and he had been bleeding from the nose and ears. His right eye fixed on her and he leveled a flintlock pistol at her. Ginny looked at death from 20 yards away.

Mairu and Jack both stood up and drew their bows to their chests. Both arrows had vicious barbed heads, and the one Jack had glowed with a malevolent light. If Faustus shot her they were going to kill him, just like that. No questions, no arguments. C.B. looked on, wondering when Faustus was going to blast the idiot girl's head off.

The moon came out from behind a cloud and Ginny seemed to glow in it. Faustus could see her clearly as day.

"Faustus, don't you know me? Its Ginny. I'm your friend. Talk to me, please? We talk all the time at the wall. You remember the wall? Back at Guiding Light? Don't you?"

Faustus seemed to hesitate. The anger and fear was draining from his face.

"I would like to talk to you now, Faustus. Wouldn't you? Put the gun down and we'll talk. Please?"

Faustus seemed to grow very tired. He looked at her.

"Ginny..." he said, then the gun fell from his hand and he fell backwards into the darkness of the grainery. She heard him hit on the floorboards.

Ginny just stood there for a moment catching her breath and the three men behind her rushed by. She followed them into the building.

Jack was doing some type of first aid to Faustus. His hands seemed to have a peculiar energy and Faustus's wounds began to fade away a little. He was still in very bad shape.

C.B. then picked up the Captain and carried him out of the building, then made his way to the castle proper. Skeeter followed a bit, but the horse seemed to realize the worst was over. Ginny followed them all into the lamp lit castle.

Tapestries and other medieval odds and ends decorated the walls, the furniture was rough and sturdy. C.B. carried Faustus into a room and put him on a bed. He then looked at Ginny.

"That was a crazy but brave thing you did. He might have killed you dead as a doornail."

"He didn't. We are too good a friends to harm each other, Mr. C.B.".

C.B. shook his head and waited for Jack to do some more healing work on the Captain. The crisis was passed. He offered Ginny a room in the castle then he went on with his normal duties for the night. Exhausted, Ginny slept on the rough bed in that room.

The next morning she went to see how Faustus was before she even thought of breakfast. When she saw him she was almost shocked. There was no sign of injury at all.

Jack explained to her that here in these lands they had ways to heal wounds very quickly. Ginny was impressed. Jack went to find breakfast.

Ginny sat on Faustus's bed and they held hands and chatted. Mairu came in to see how things were going and looked on. He could easily tell the affection these two humans had for each other was well beyond a simple friendship. They smiled that special smile and looked deep into each others eyes.  

"They are true soulmates" the Elf thought, slyly.

Faustus was was more himself. He recognized everybody but had no recollection of anything he had done after he was shot until he woke up here. Ginny filled him in on what he didn't remember. Faustus was appalled that he shot at Ginny once and took aim at her a second time. Ginny told him he wasn't himself, and besides, it worked out okay. Faustus was still very distrubed by what happened.

Mairu figured he'd better get them some food. He brought the two lovebirds a breakfast he quickly put together in the outpost's kitchen. They ate while continuing their talking. Ginny even fed him a couple of fork fulls.

"What in the broken bow of Martu the Elf is this? Get outta that bed, you slaker!"

C.B. brushed Ginny to one side and grabbed Faustus by his shirt and bodily lifted him to his feet from the bed to the floor. Ginny started to protest, but C.B. roared with laughter and stomped away.

Faustus stood there and glared at C.B.s back, but stayed standing.

"I can't even have a peaceful moment with you these days, but hes right. I'd better get moving."

Faustus put on his armor and livery and they continued talking.

"We're in trouble." Ginny said.

"Oh?"

"Yeah. We've got classes to teach today and neither of us called in."

"Oh nuts! Mrs. Taylor will have a cow! Oh well. Being as how we've already blown a day, I may as well show you around. My own place is a few hours ride from here. Wanna see it?"

"Wow! Yeah, sure!"

Faustus and Ginny went outside and they selected a horse of a temperament she could ride and stay alive on. Faustus let the local smith hammer the dent out of his helmet and he replaced the soiled questing scarf and homecoming ribbons with spares he had in his saddlebags.

C.B. walked up to him again.

"Now you be careful, Faustus. Those Ratmen were sent here to kill you, and they botched it. Havoc will try a second time, you know that."

"You'd think," Faustus said, "that he'd try to kill Farenfarr first. He's the brains of this outfit."

"That may be, but you've got the largest army and the only navy in the east. He kills you and we lose a lot of that, if not all."

Faustus just shrugged. He wasn't going to let some demonic strongman from the western coast make him change his life style. Besides, what they had hidden at Guiding Light would keep him away, at least from there.

He and Ginny mounted up and rode away. C.B. watched them go then Mairu came up behind his left shoulder.

"They are alerted and watching" said the Elf.

C.B. nodded approvingly.

After riding for a few hours, the two decided to halt and rest the horses. Faustus went off to pick some wild apples for a snack and Ginny found a pond nearby so the horses could water if they wanted. She sat on the bank and looked the surrounding woods over.

It was eerily beautiful. Then it hit her; it was very storybook like! The trees were either straight and tall and majestic or twisted and evil looking. Wildflowers were the kind a florist would kill for. Everything was just so!

Then she heard a rustling in the underbrush. Fear grabbed her, and she had no weapon at all to defend herself with. She started to call for Faustus when a small horse-like creature emerged from the bushes. She recognized it immediately from pictures in storybooks she had read as a child. It was a Unicorn!

Amazed to see such a beautiful creature, she carefully stood up. The Unicorn looked at her with great curiosity and advanced a little. Its coat of fur was luminescent and white as snow. The single horn on its forehead seemed to have a ornamental twist to it. It had cloven hooves, but otherwise was very much like a small horse.

Ginny knelt down and held out her hand.

"Come here, little fella! Come on!"

The Unicorn whinnied and stamped one foot, tossing its head. Then it cautiously advanced toward her. Carefully she reached out and touched it's nose. The creature responded by getting closer and then she patted it's neck and scratched behind it's ear. Soon she could pat it's back and play with it's mane. It trusted her totally. She talked to it as she would a puppy.

Ginny then noticed Faustus stood dumbfounded several yards away, his helmet full of wild apples.

"Isn't it cute?"

Faustus nodded, taking in the remarkable scene of Ginny petting a Unicorn. He'd never seen anyone make contact with one before. Ever. It just wasn't done, except by special people. Unicorns were rare and an incident like this was even more so.

Ginny asked for an apple, and Faustus tossed her one. She fed the Unicorn the apple. After eating it the Unicorn snorted as if to thank Ginny then trotted away into the underbrush. Ginny got up to watch it go.

"What do you think of that?" she said.

"Unbelievable," Faustus replied, staring at her.

They mounted up and continued their journey, munching on apples and talking.

Two heavily armed elves came out of the woods and watched them. Both elves were in awe.

"That was just about the most incredable thing I've seen a human do in a hundred years." one said.

The other nodded in silent agreement. Then they continued to follow the two.

After journeying a bit more, Ginny noticed farmlands and cattle herds. Then the road led to what appeared to be a small town with a large wooden palisade in the middle. The palisade looked for the world like a frontier fort she had seen in old western movies.

The village itself was surrounded by a low wooden wall. It was like a dough-nut around the castle itself. There was a 400 yard open area that was used for crops and grazing in the center, before you got to the castle wall. They traveled up the dirt road to the castle gate. locals recognized the Captain and some saluted. Others just gawked at her a bit, having never seen someone from "over there" before.

Ginny felt a bit self conscious. Back where she lived the Captain and his people would stand out in a crowd. Here, it was the reverse. Everyone who looked could tell she 'wasn't from around here'.

One thing she noticed, nobody bowed. The Captain was lord of this dominion, but he was not bowed to at all. Treated with respect and saluted by the military folk, but the civilians went about their own business. Some would wave at them, one asked how things were, but it was a bit like back home. More equality. That pleased her.

The wooden walls had a gate in the north. These were, once again, like a movie frontier fort; double gates that opened out. There were guards on the walls. Inside the stockade was the castle proper. It was stone and brick, and looked like your classic castle. It had a pointed princess tower at the corner of three of the four walls, and a large round keep at the north east corner. They had to ride around to the south end to get inside the castle. Between the two walls, chickens scratched and pecked, dogs wandered, and there were numerous shops that did work for the army; a smith, a cooper, and so on. One held a small stable, but the horses were usually kept in a corral outside.

There was a shallow moat, and a drawbridge over it. This was the main gate. A tall knight in black came out to greet them. He had a hawk like nose, black curly hair, thin lips, dimpled chin, and a black thin mustache. His dark eyes radiated intelligence and a certain cunning. He spoke to the Captain at length and Faustus replied from time to time. It looked like something was up. Two men came out and took the horses. They dismounted.

"Ginny Stewart, this is Karl the Unseen. He's the second highest ranking man in my service."

"Hello," Ginny said, offering her hand for him to shake.

The knight took her hand and lightly kissed it.

"Charmed, dear lady. Welcome to our humble encampment." Karl said smoothly, then excused himself to go take care of other castle business.

It was obvious to Ginny that this guy was a doozy with the ladies. She'd have to be careful around him, she reckoned.

They went inside the walls as the horses were led to the stables. Other men came up and took Faustus's pack, shield, and helm. Faustus kept his sword and pistols. Ginny noticed the inside of this part of the castle had an armory, sheds filled with grain, and a well. There was a large building in front of them, about 3 stories high. That was the hall, where the Captain lived when he was here. They went inside there. Immediately a well dressed elf greeted them and talked to the Captain cheerfully for a bit.

The elf then looked at Ginny.

"I am named Mallok but called Melf. I am pleased to meet the Captain's lady."

"Guinifer Stewart," she said, introducing herself.

Again Ginny offered to shake hands, and again she got it kissed. The touch of the elf and his kissing of her hand was interesting to say the least. She was thinking she could get to like some of the gallantry and customs on this side.

" I shall prepare a great dinner in your honor if you are staying."

"I think we will."

Then the elf smiled, bowed and walked away to what appeared to be the kitchens.

"Thats Melf. He and I have been on some adventures together too. He's in charge of my servants here. Not a bad cook, either." the Captain told her.

The room they were standing in was a large dining area that apparently served also as a throne room for audiences and court when needed. There was a large chair on a low dias on the far wall. Above it hung a version of the Captain's shield. Several other people in various types of dress looked at him expectantly.

Faustus sighed, and went up to the throne. He sat down and immediately scribes appeared and numerous other people came in. They had complaints, ideas, and other courtly business.

Faustus looked at Ginny.

"I'm gonna be very busy here for a while, Ginny. I've got unexpected business to get caught up on. Get one of my men to show you around, if you like, but don't go anywhere by yourself. Its kinda dangerous out there."

'Kinda dangerous' indeed! From what Faustus had told her, this place made downtown New York at midnight look peaceful by comparison. But she found a guide and went looking around. She checked out the castle and went up on the parapits. There she could see the surrounding town. There was a small church, with a cross on the steeple, much like back home. The guide told her it also served as a school. Everyone here could read and write.

The guide was a skinny man with a large nose and in need of shave. He wore chain mail, had a steel cup like helmet, and carried a spear, shield, and wore a sword by his side. He was honored to be her escort. He told her his name was Slorrie. They got her horse and another for Slorrie and went sight seeing around the town. He pointed out places of interest: the wells, the midden where everyone dumped their trash, the local shops and a small tavern. Chickens, dogs, and livestock were everywhere.

The people here lived quite low tech, but the overall enchantments of the world and the use of some magic had made their lives quite comfortable. They didn't need a hospital, because you either got cured quickly or you were beyond help. Everybody here looked quite hale and hardy. It apparently wasn't a bad life. She noticed the children. They were all happy and healthy, inspite of the medieval surroundings.

Ginny decided to collect some wildflowers and the guide went with her. After collecting a large bouquet she secured them in a saddle bag. The guide insisted in showing her the local bridge the Dwarves had built last year. It was payment, he said, for a service the Captain did for them.

Ginny decided to check it out. They went down a large dirt track that a lot of cart ruts in it, and passed a fortified town.

"Thats One Stump. Last civilized town near the Tawa-koni Moor. Don't go near them Lake People down by the moor. They'll cut your throat for a copper piece."

"Nice place," Ginny thought, sarcastically.

The bridge was impressive by medieval standards. Made with finely cut stone and re-enforced with steel, it spanned the river before them. There was some barge traffic on the river, mostly cattle and cotton one way, and various goods going the other explained her guide. Only once in a while did a barge go by, though.

They turned to go back when a hail of arrows hit their horses, and took out Ginny's guide. Both of their horses hit the ground thrashing, and Ginny got clear of the dieing animal. The guide was dead right there, looking like a horrific pin cushion. Ginny almost screamed in horror, but something worse than that appeared out of the brush on the side of the road.

It was several dozen of the green skinned people Faustus had told her were called Goblins. They were riding the biggest wolves she had ever seen in her life. The wolves were as big as horses! She was horrified. The Goblins leered at her, and approached.

"Well, what have we got here?" one spoke in accented English.

"Looks like a bit o' fluff!"

They all laughed evilly.

"Oi, lets have a some sport with her first!"

"Yeah!"

A big skinny one looked at her, showing pointed yellow teeth, and drooling like a mad man.

"Run, bitch!"

Blind panic seized her and she took off back toward the town at a dead run. An arrow nicked her right shoulder and she screamed in blind terror. The Goblins laughed.

"Lets get her!"

They howled and charged.

Out of the trees behind her two mounted knights with lances lowered smashed into the Goblins before they knew what hit them. One knight was Faustus, the other was C.B. In a red and blue whirlwind they passed through the Goblins, cast away the splintered lances, drew swords as one, and attacked back into the mass. Swinging about right and left, the knights felled a Goblin or a wolf with each swing. Some Goblins broke from the battle and formed a tight mass preparing to counter charge. Faustus made a motion with his hand and fire came down from above frying the Goblins and wolves where they stood.

"These guys are better trained than average!" Faustus called.

"Break off!" C.B. yelled, "before they get reorganized!"

Both men turned their horses about and galloped at full tilt toward Ginny. C.B. began to string his bow while on horseback. Faustus locked his eyes on Ginny.

Ginny heard the ring of swords on metal, the thud of shields, and high pitched screams behind her. Then an strange crackling rush that sounded oddly like a huge fire and more screams, but she was far too frightened to look behind her. All she could think was run, run, keep running, before they got her!

Then she heard the galloping behind her. She tried to run faster, but she was winded. They were almost upon her! A powerful hand seized her under her right armpit and she screamed in absolute horror as she was lifted off the ground. She started to blindly fight whatever it was that had her.

"Ginny! Ginny! Its me! Hey!"

She gawked at the Captain.

"Oh thank God!"

She grabbed onto him.

An arrow passed within inches of them. Faustus pulled a pistol from his belt, turned in the saddle, and aimed. The Goblin had just enough time to look down the barrel at a distance and gasp as the pistol fired and took him off the wolf. C.B. shot an arrow and the wolf went down also.

"Gotcha you bastard!" C.B. taunted them as he smoothly put another arrow in his bow. He shot and a wolf went down, tossing it's rider to the dirt and both tumbling in a bloody ruin.

Faustus gave Ginny the pistol.

"Reload this!"

"I don't know how!"

"Then hang onto it!"

Ginny realized that if the Goblins caught up to them she was supposed to use the pistol as a club. She wasn't sure it would make any difference.

C.B. nocked another arrow and Faustus pulled a second pistol with his left hand. Both men fired and two more wolves lost their riders. The enraged Goblins came on. Arrows stuck in the mens cloaks, bounced off armor, and whizzed by close. Ginny clung to the Captain for protection.

Two more shots and Faustus was out of pistols. He concentrated on keeping distance between himself and the Goblins, but riding double slowed Skeeter down.

Suddenly out of the woods to their left stepped Jack Ogre-Taunt. He fired his longbow at the Goblins, got one, and ducked inside the trees.

The Goblins figured a dismounted human was easier pickings than two mounted knights so they went after the Ranger. The rode right into a U shaped ambush of elves and men and were all but wiped out in seconds.

Faustus and C.B. reined their horses to a halt, the animals turned about smoothly and then broke into a breakneck gallop back the way they came. C.B. put away his bow and drew his sword again. Ginny noticed it had that odd glowing capability like Faustus's sword did.

A wounded Goblin stood up defiantly and drew a bow. He fired at C.B. C.B. blocked the arrow with his shield and neatly sliced the Goblin in half as they thundered by. Ginny hid her eyes from the sight.

They literally slid to a stop where the Ginny's guide lay dead. Faustus neatly vaulted off his horse and was by the mans side in a second. C.B. stayed mounted and on lookout.

Ginny had never been on Skeeter by herself before, and felt a little uneasy up there. Faustus never let anyone else at the Girls Home ride him. The horse was dangerous, and trained to kill, but he stood stock still and behaved himself while she was on his back. Had she known him better, she would have felt more at ease.

Ginny watched with absolute fascination as Faustus withdrew the arrows and began some sort of ritual over the man. Power seemed to flow from his hands. To her great surprise the man started to breathe again.

"I got him back! Thank the Lord! Here, drink this, Slorrie!"

Faustus whipped a potion off his belt and had the man drank it.

He actually opened his eyes and looked at Faustus.

"Thankee, Captain sir..." he said weakly.

"Relax, Slorrie. You've had a rough day. We're gonna take you back to the castle and let you recover. You gave me and my lady quite a scare."

"It was worth it to see that she's all right. I got in front of them arrows afore they got her..."

"Bless you Slorrie, I shall not forget this. Rest now. Here comes the others."

"That was waaaay too close, Cap!" Jack called as he and a full company of elves and men dressed in green trotted up. To Ginny they all looked like classic Robin Hood merry men types.

"It would have been worse if you hadn't have sent a runner to my castle. They'd both be dead. As it was, we were lucky. We saved her and got Slorrie back."

Jack and another fellow walked up to where the man lay. They carefully picked him up and moved him off the road.

"I'll send a cart once I get to One Stump. Thank you all."

Faustus went over to Skeeter and tended to Ginny's arm. Ginny watched as Faustus said something like a chant. His hand glowed slightly, and her shoulder stopped hurting instantly. When he mopped the blood away, the wound was completely gone!

"Is there anything we can do for the horses?'

"I'm afraid there isn't, Ginny."

She shed a tear for the poor animals. She looked at them where they lay in the road.

Behind her, scattered at regular intervals up the roadway, were dead goblins and wolves. At least the Goblins paid a heavy price for their folly. She just wished it had never happened.

Jack had the elves bring the sole surviving Goblin out of the ambush area. The creature looked terrified, where just moments ago it was leering in blood lust. The elves treated it roughly.

Jack spoke to it.

"You go back to your people, and you tell them this vow. If the Goblins come back in this land the Rangers and Elves will destroy them all. None will return. Then we will find your villages and burn them all to the ground. You have been spared only to deliver this message. If you return I will personally see to it you do not leave here alive a second time."

The Goblin was let go and Jack put a foot in its backside to speed it on its way. It ran off into trees and was lost from sight.

Ginny was impressed with the amazing healing powers Faustus seemed to have. She pelted him with questions, and he seemed to avoid answering them directly. However he was capable of doing what he was doing, he definately wanted to keep it secret. She let the subject drop after a bit, not wanting to tic him off. No one else seemed to think what he was doing was out of the ordinary either. Ginny pondered that carefully. Were there more with powers like that?

They halted in One-Stump to ask for a cart to transport Slorrie to the castle, and then continued on their way. There were no more incidents on the way back and the castle town's people turned out to welcome them back.

Melf was true to his word, and prepared a fine feast. They all ate well and Slorrie himself was the guest of honor. Faustus raised a cup and toasted him and his devotion. Everyone there drank to his courage.

Ginny liked the castle and told Faustus so. Faustus thanked her, but said he wasn't all that fond of the place himself.

"This is a house, not a home. It was my father's before it was mine. It has no joy and no warmth in it for me, Ginny. I don't stay here except in the summer when the school is out. The emptyness here is so strong it is painful to me. I come here only on business and other affairs."

She felt sorry for her friend for a moment and realized why Faustus seemed to be happier on the other side. As much power and prestige as he had here, back home he was more at peace.

She took his hand and smiled at him, understanding. He smiled back. It was good to have a friend like Ginny. She understood so much.

The time came to go back. C.B. and a large squadron of Faustus's cavalry accompanied them to the link. Faustus said the words of command and the portal opened. He and Ginny crossed back on to this side, and were home. All they had to worry about now was how angry Superintendent Sharon Taylor was going to be with them for disappearing again, and how much their lesson plans were disrupted by being gone. Still, it was great to be home, and safe.

Back on the other side, the deceptively handsome and powerfully built Lord Havoc the Foul interrogated one of his spies. Havoc sat on a skull engraved red ruby and gold throne, half naked slave girls all around him. They fed him a occasional grape and generally rubbed themselves all over him. He ignored them, as if they were just lap-dogs. What were these mere women to the master of the entire Western Coast?

"And this wench the Captain is fond of? What is her name?"

"She is called Ginny Stewart, my lord."

Havoc rubbed his perfectly handsome chin, and thought evil thoughts.

"She would make a valuable tool to neutralize Farenfarr's pet warlord. I shall see if she will be a guest here in my dungeons. Soon, very soon. Ah, yes. I'll make her scream and bleed, dance on hot coals, and twist on the rack. Then we'll see if this pig of a Captain will beg me, BEG, I SAY, and grovel, and kiss my feet for the worthless life of his filthy wench. Then, THEN I'll have him in my power! WHAT WILL YOU DO FOR AN ARMY THEN, FARENFARR?"

The thought made Havoc laugh, and his laughter echoed in the throne room.