Important note 2 - I changed the character of Cynwreg. Here's his new description/story: He is still Isaac's uncle, but he has been a sailor or merchant all his life. He was visiting the other Hawkin's when they were evicted from their land and took them with him on his trading rout. He is getting ready to continue his journey to another port when this story opens.
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Edward Butterworth lifted his head from his drawing to look at some figures he had written down. He was sure that this would be a map included in every text book on Whistletrush Island from there on out. By now Edward had forgotten that he had let Ashe go down to visit the Hawkins on their boat and that Cynwreg, a merchant and sailor, was readying for a visit to the mainland to sell some Whistletrush flugar, a delicious flour used for preparing desserts.
He glanced over at Ashe's side of the attic. He noticed a little miniature chest laying on his bed. This was a strange sight indeed, for it never left Ashe's pocket. Ashe had never let Mr. Butterworth see inside, but Edward wasn't sure Ashe could even open it.
Meanwhile, Isaac, Ashe and Iona were playing a heated game of Kittimbi - a game Cynwreg had brought back from one of his travels - on the Hawkins' ship.
"No, you've already moved your nine pawns, drawn your toll card and played your special cat, now it's my turn." Ashe was new the the board game, but had caught on quickly and was certain Isaac had no idea how to play
"Yes, but if you roll an 8-and-a-half you get to move an extra pawn and claim a marker in the Jagged Cliffs Zone, plus remove a tumblebunny marker from the other player's bonus board." Isaac's normally calm, quiet, thin and freckled face was slightly construed with irritation.
"Well, Ashe, I think Isaac might have a point. Here, let me find the paper that Mr. Cynwreg wrote all the rules down on." Iona was trying to sooth the argument, which Ashe had kept fueled since the game started. She was a young, beautiful teenager with regal composure and well kept hair.
Suddenly a voice thundered down the hatch that went up on deck, "If you kids want, we might have something better for you to do than argue." Jack was a quiet man with a sense of sarcastic humor and commanding authority.
The children all came up on deck, Ashe wielding a formidable frown. Cynwreg spoke, "As you might know, I'm planning on going to the mainland to tradeWhistletrush flugar, juneberry starch and most importantly, silk form Truggit." Cynwreg's golden eyes shown and his wide jaw spread into a grin. "I am told Truggit is the city on the north side of the island. I need Jack and Isaac to go and retrieve an order of silk from Truggit."
"We were wonderin' if you lil' one's might like to go with me," Jack joined in. Isaac was pretty sure that if Ashe changed emotions any faster than he did, he would suffer a stroke. Ashe was now bounding up and down instead of angrily frowning, all in the span of about 2 seconds.
"Well, of course I'd like to go." Isaac said.
"Oh please may I go! Please!" Ashe was positively ecstatic.
"Ok. We'll leave early tomorrow morning. Just make sure Edward says you can go."
He glanced over at Ashe's side of the attic. He noticed a little miniature chest laying on his bed. This was a strange sight indeed, for it never left Ashe's pocket. Ashe had never let Mr. Butterworth see inside, but Edward wasn't sure Ashe could even open it.
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Meanwhile, Isaac, Ashe and Iona were playing a heated game of Kittimbi - a game Cynwreg had brought back from one of his travels - on the Hawkins' ship.
"No, you've already moved your nine pawns, drawn your toll card and played your special cat, now it's my turn." Ashe was new the the board game, but had caught on quickly and was certain Isaac had no idea how to play
"Yes, but if you roll an 8-and-a-half you get to move an extra pawn and claim a marker in the Jagged Cliffs Zone, plus remove a tumblebunny marker from the other player's bonus board." Isaac's normally calm, quiet, thin and freckled face was slightly construed with irritation.
"Well, Ashe, I think Isaac might have a point. Here, let me find the paper that Mr. Cynwreg wrote all the rules down on." Iona was trying to sooth the argument, which Ashe had kept fueled since the game started. She was a young, beautiful teenager with regal composure and well kept hair.
Suddenly a voice thundered down the hatch that went up on deck, "If you kids want, we might have something better for you to do than argue." Jack was a quiet man with a sense of sarcastic humor and commanding authority.
The children all came up on deck, Ashe wielding a formidable frown. Cynwreg spoke, "As you might know, I'm planning on going to the mainland to tradeWhistletrush flugar, juneberry starch and most importantly, silk form Truggit." Cynwreg's golden eyes shown and his wide jaw spread into a grin. "I am told Truggit is the city on the north side of the island. I need Jack and Isaac to go and retrieve an order of silk from Truggit."
"We were wonderin' if you lil' one's might like to go with me," Jack joined in. Isaac was pretty sure that if Ashe changed emotions any faster than he did, he would suffer a stroke. Ashe was now bounding up and down instead of angrily frowning, all in the span of about 2 seconds.
"Well, of course I'd like to go." Isaac said.
"Oh please may I go! Please!" Ashe was positively ecstatic.
"Ok. We'll leave early tomorrow morning. Just make sure Edward says you can go."
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Isaac glanced up and down the misty streets on the northern edge of town. No figures were in sight. Only Jack, Martha and Isaac stood on the dirt path. Suddenly, someone grabbed Isaac's shoulder.
"Surprise!" shouted Ashe, and everyone jumped
"That's not funny." Isaac said in a serious tone after regaining his composure.
Jack's voice rang out in the misty morning, "Alright everyone. Let's get goin'. It'll take us 'bout a third o' the day to get to Truggit, so we better get started. By the way, did Edward say ye could come, lad?"
"Yeah," replied Ashe, but he quickly changed the subject, "Ms. Martha! I didn't expect you to come!" Ashe exclaimed without a second thought to the fact that his comment might have been rude.
"I do enjoy a good hike now and then. Plus, I'll need to help pick out the silk." The gentle woman replied, knowing Ashe's question had originated from innocence. Her face was kind and patient, and her maple hair fell in curly locks over her shoulders. She was the youngest of her siblings and youth still flowed in her veins. Of course, Jack and Cynwreg were still healthy as lions and strong as bears.
But Ashe had already lost interest in Martha's answer and was questioning Jack, "How come Cynwreg isn't coming? What is Truggit like? Have you been there?"
"Well, I've never been to Truggit. In fact, this is my first time bein' on Whistletrush. Cynwreg couldn't come because someone had ta stay and take care o' the ship and the other lasses."
The morning passed slowly as they plugged along, with Ashe constantly asking questions, chasing Tumblebunnies or snacking on some Flabbit meat Mr. Butterworth had given him. The morning stayed foggy, just as Edward had predicted with a weather machine he invented. After about three hours they reached a fork in the road.
"How come we didn't just taken a wagon? It would've only taken an hour to get here," complained Ashe.
Jack ignored him. "Left or right? I've plumb forgotten which way Cynwreg said ta go." said Jack, scratching his balding head, his wide jaw with red beard scrunched up to one side.
"We need to go right. To the left is the... umm.... what do they call it? The Greatwood Forest." stated Martha.
Ashe shuddered, "We definitely don't want to go there. That road is shorter, but it goes through the Greatwood Forest. I've heard daymares and scarytales about that place; that explorers were eaten whole by giant Slopmouths or impaled by swarms of Divecrows. Even the Hunter Kids don't go in there. The Flabbits1 are the worst, they...."
"Well, I can see we don't what to go there, so let's go right." Martha cut him off, but she was promptly interrupted by a gasp from Isaac.
"Look, look down the road a little," he whispered. A figure's silhouette emerged from the fog.
"Who goes there? State the passphrase and we won't rip ye insides out," a young but savage voice came down the path the Hawkin's had intended to take. It was a child.
"Hunter Kids." gasped Martha. She had been on Whistlethrush Isle long enough to learn that the Hunter Children were a savage band of outlawed kids that loved to hunt, steel, pillage, and had a mission to disobey every rule ever made. Waylaying, robbing, and murdering travelers was their specialty. Jack drew a sword hidden in his clothes and Ashe's eyes widened2.
"I suggest you don't come any closer! I got me a weapon and I sure know how ta use it!" Jack shouted into the mist. Four or five more figures appeared like ghosts.
"I suggest ya hand over ya weapons and loot 'fore we chop ya into little bits!" returned the Hunter boy.
Jack whispered to the others, "I could take one or two of 'em, but I've heard mighty powerful tales 'bout a whole swarm of 'em choppin' up a whole caravan."
"Uncle Jack, let's go into the forest just a little ways and hide, and since they won't follow us, they'll go away and we can continue." suggested Isaac, who was usually quiet, but he when he did talk he had something useful to say.
"Quick everyone, we'll do as Isaac said, now hurry!" whispered Jack, gesturing towards the forest.With a terrified look from Ashe, a nod from Isaac, and a scared look from Martha who was still staring at the Hunters, the Hawkins and Ashe vanished into the Greatwood Forest.
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Ashe jumped. He had stepped on a stick and it jumped up out of the leaves. His heart had nearly stopped. The others, however, were not quite as scared as they had not grown up with the scarytales of the Greatwood Forest. Ashe glanced into the tree tops and spotted a familiar shape.
"Everyone, start walking around in circles and figure eights!" Ashe whispered to the others.
"Why?"
"Because, there's a Divecrow in that tree, and if we hold still, it'll impale you on its beak!" Everyone promptly began acting like deranged chickens. "Oh, never mind, it's just a clump of leaves." Ashe said nonchalantly. They continued there walk through the shaded, foggy forest, with scowls for Ashe. The Greatwood trees were so big they could not stand around them with their hand's touching, and their huge limbs spread out across the ground.
"You know, if this weren't such a bad place, these trees would make excellent tree forts," said Martha, trying to cheer everyone up. Jack still had his sword drawn, and continually turned around to see if they were being followed by the Hunter children. Isaac could still hear them in the distance, and they sounded like they were getting closer.
"Ok, I think this is a good spot to hide, let's just stop going deeper in. How 'bout that?" Ashe suggested, in the same tone a child caught steeling cookies would give instructions to himself on how to put them back in the jar.
"Might as well." Jack plopped down next to the others.
Just as Ashe began to relax, a loud crashing sound came from behind them. Everyone spun around. Through the underbrush came a monstrous Slopmouth. It was a chubby creature with a wide mouth and two beady eyes in the center of it's forehead, and it resembled a whale on legs. It was a moldy-green color, and it's giant mouth leaked acid saliva and bore moss, twigs, and other slimy things straight out of a nightmare.
At this sight, Ashe promptly fainted of fright, Isaac jumped up to climb the nearest tree, Jack thrust he sword forward, and Martha began thinking of what type of flowers she might like at her funeral. Roaring with immense volume, the creature trampled a few more trees as acid spit dissolved a sapling under it's mouth. Even Jack trembled. Isaac wasn't a vain 17 year old, but he certainly didn't want to be remembered this way.
"Oh my oh my oh my! I do give my apologies. Get down boy, get down!" An antiquated and bearded man teetered from the wood, "Do forgive me, this wasn't a very good welcome. Now, let's..." He was cut off as Jack tackled him.
"Watch out for that monster! I'll save ye!" As Isaac's burly uncle collided with the frail old man, the knobby fellow's eyes bugged from his head and his wind left him. As the Slopmouth turned towards the commotion, the two figures rolled into the underbrush. Unfortunately, this seemed to anger the monster and it lumbered in Jack's direction.
"Down I say, down!" the man regained his composure and crawled out from under Jack, "There, much better, now sit." Obediently, the hefty Slopmouth sank to the ground as Ashe regained conscientiousness. "Sorry everyone. This here is Sloppy, and I'm, well, I'm umm... Oh dear, me forgots me name..." the man spoke with a quaking voice as he trailed off. Ashe, seeing the Slopmouth still there, and very close at hand, fainted again.
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"You see, Greatwood forest is really quite a nice place," feebly, the old man was guiding the group of friends through the forest. Sloppy, who was clearing a path in front of them, and Jack were still wary of each other. "the problem is, everyone's afraid of these here animals."
"But aren't these creatures a terrible menace? What about all the stories?" questioned Isaac.
"Legends. The truth is, everyone's afraid of this place, but the things they're afraid of are actually quite tame. Sure, the Ankleterrors gnaw an ankle off now and then, but the Slopmouths are docile and the Flabbits don't even have teeth. Except, of course, for the toothy ones." The man, who had eventually identified himself as 'Tu', replied. Widening his eyes, Ashe was obviously not comforted. Casting a glance for the billionth time at the monster ahead of them, Isaac curiously inspected it. No one had ever described a Slopmouth to him, and he of course had never seen one. He was quite enthralled.
Soon, the company arrived at the edge of the forest. Truggit was in sight. It larger and far more crowded than Clagtown and lay on the opposite shore of the Truggit River.
"Well everyone, I'll leave you here." said Tu as he waved his hand. "Oh, and by the way, the Hunter Kid's passphrase is 'who needs phassphrases?'"
Martha was positively appalled, "How do you know their passphrase?!"
"Oh I used to be a Hunter Kid 'til I grew up. And they always tell me their passphrase 'cause I let 'em go through the forest. It's quite an ingenious trick, but don't tell 'em. They will positively not hurt you or steel from you if you say the passphrase. So long!"
Jack gave Tu a hearty handshake, apologized for trying to save his life, and escorted his family and friend down to the Truggit River Bridge.
"Oh my oh my oh my! I do give my apologies. Get down boy, get down!" An antiquated and bearded man teetered from the wood, "Do forgive me, this wasn't a very good welcome. Now, let's..." He was cut off as Jack tackled him.
"Watch out for that monster! I'll save ye!" As Isaac's burly uncle collided with the frail old man, the knobby fellow's eyes bugged from his head and his wind left him. As the Slopmouth turned towards the commotion, the two figures rolled into the underbrush. Unfortunately, this seemed to anger the monster and it lumbered in Jack's direction.
"Down I say, down!" the man regained his composure and crawled out from under Jack, "There, much better, now sit." Obediently, the hefty Slopmouth sank to the ground as Ashe regained conscientiousness. "Sorry everyone. This here is Sloppy, and I'm, well, I'm umm... Oh dear, me forgots me name..." the man spoke with a quaking voice as he trailed off. Ashe, seeing the Slopmouth still there, and very close at hand, fainted again.
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"You see, Greatwood forest is really quite a nice place," feebly, the old man was guiding the group of friends through the forest. Sloppy, who was clearing a path in front of them, and Jack were still wary of each other. "the problem is, everyone's afraid of these here animals."
"But aren't these creatures a terrible menace? What about all the stories?" questioned Isaac.
"Legends. The truth is, everyone's afraid of this place, but the things they're afraid of are actually quite tame. Sure, the Ankleterrors gnaw an ankle off now and then, but the Slopmouths are docile and the Flabbits don't even have teeth. Except, of course, for the toothy ones." The man, who had eventually identified himself as 'Tu', replied. Widening his eyes, Ashe was obviously not comforted. Casting a glance for the billionth time at the monster ahead of them, Isaac curiously inspected it. No one had ever described a Slopmouth to him, and he of course had never seen one. He was quite enthralled.
Soon, the company arrived at the edge of the forest. Truggit was in sight. It larger and far more crowded than Clagtown and lay on the opposite shore of the Truggit River.
"Well everyone, I'll leave you here." said Tu as he waved his hand. "Oh, and by the way, the Hunter Kid's passphrase is 'who needs phassphrases?'"
Martha was positively appalled, "How do you know their passphrase?!"
"Oh I used to be a Hunter Kid 'til I grew up. And they always tell me their passphrase 'cause I let 'em go through the forest. It's quite an ingenious trick, but don't tell 'em. They will positively not hurt you or steel from you if you say the passphrase. So long!"
Jack gave Tu a hearty handshake, apologized for trying to save his life, and escorted his family and friend down to the Truggit River Bridge.
1 - Ferociously Large Rabbits, although they resemble giant bunny-rabbits, bear nasty razor teeth and a hop that can overtake a carriage in two bounds. They are known as one of the most feared predators on Whistlethrush Island. Ancient Whistlethrush residents learned to tame them, but that knowledge has long been forgotten.
2 - Ashe was probably shocked by Jack's sword because an early king of Whistlethrush Isle - King Sharpsword III - outlawed weapons in Clagtown and Truggit.
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