Okay! Here we go! Took me long enough! Fool of a Took as Gandalf would say 😖

CHAPTER TWO: SEPERATION

                The evening came far too quickly. They did not get as far as Kalmar or Artham would have liked, but they supposed that was enough for one day. They did get there alive.

                In a moment of ignorance, everyone decided a small fire would be alright, especially since they had a very threatening looking Cloven on their side.

                Ah, moments of ignorance make the most sense, until one looks back upon their mistake with fresh eyes, and blushes for having been such a fool.

                Leeli and Sara dozed off, and Nia began to nod. Kalmar yawned noisily, and Artham chuckled a bit.

                “You yawn like your father would.”

                Kalmar laughed as well. Even though it was the simple task of yawning, he couldn’t help but feel somewhat happy. Esben Wingfeather, his father, was a person he would love to be like in every way.

                “Uncle Artham, could you tell me more about my father?”

                Artham looked sad for a moment, but then smiled. “Aye, lad. I will most certainly do that.”

                After poking the fire with a stick, he leaned back and engrossed Kalmar in a story of Esben and himself when they were boys, playing at being pirates. It was long after ten o’clock at night that Kalmar finally dozed off.

                Artham smiled a bit. “You can still weave a story, Artham Wingfeather,” he whispered to himself.

                He put out the fire and leaned back against a tree. The only sounds were the snoring of Oskar and Kalmar, and the breathing of the girls. He looked up at the stars, wishing someone was awake so that he did not have to be alone with his thoughts.

                But, alone with his thoughts he was, and finding none of them to be good, he closed his eyes and decided to sleep.

                Mooo!

                Artham’s eyes quickly opened, and he sat up, already fingering his sword.

Perhaps there was just one toothy cow somewhere nearby, not noticing them, but just passing through.

                He thought that very unlikely.

                He looked all around him, smelling the rancidity of the cows (there had to be more than one) and he winced. His heart began to nervously beat when he saw the bulbous eyes of the hideous creature gleam in the moonlight.

                What was he supposed to do!?

                Artham swallowed hard. Should he shout? Scream? Yell? Should he try and distract the cows away from the family...his family?

                Nia began stirring, which was his answer. He had to scream and warn them all.

                “EVERYONE UP! TOOTHY COW!”

                They all jumped with a start, and such confusion started that the cow Artham had seen seemed almost to laugh. Then, the beast let out a blood curdling moo, and soon several other cows came in view.

                Artham leaped in front of everyone, waving his sword in a threatening way in front of the cows. That seemed to keep them at bay, and so the rest of the family began to run. Nia picked up Leelie and ushered Sara to follow her. Oskar picked up Janner and started after, shouting at Kalmar to follow.

                Kalmar got up but bonked his head on a branch in his rush, staggered for a moment, and then collapsed into the bushes.

                The cows had had enough. They charged Artham, who jumped at the last second, flapping his wings madly to stay above them, and they crashed into one another. They all shook their heads in confusion and mooed in disgust. They had just lost a good meal.

                Gradually, all of the beasts plowed away, except one, who went close to the bushes, sniffed at it for a moment, then snorted and trudged away.

                After waiting several moments to make sure it was safe, Artham landed and rushed to the bush. He had heard someone fall and crash into the bush, and he knew in his heart it was Kalmar.

                When he dug through it, he felt no one. His heart sank, but he couldn’t scream. If he did that, he would attract all of the cows back.

                He stood up and looked around. Suddenly all the trees seemed to cave in on him, the branches twisting into cruel smiles.

                He whimpered, and suddenly he felt terrified. Every single one of his dark memories floated across his mind, and he couldn’t help but sob.

                He fell to his knees and held his hands over his ears, crying, and then he fell to his side, and sobbed himself to sleep.

                Meanwhile, running in an opposite direction, someone with fingerless gloves was carrying Kalmar far, far away, and deeper and deeper into the forest.

Wow, cliffhanger ending huh?

So, I wanna explain one thing. Why I spell Leelie with the extra e. Well, in the artbook her name is spelled like that once, and I saw it on one other piece of merchandise, and I think it's a pretty and unique way to spell it! I may go between the two, but just thought I'd explain 😉