Eliza Twitchel & The Haunted Forest

Eliza Twitchel & The Haunted Forest--Chapter 12

                               Aldaen's Dirty Secret

Breakfast consisted of cold rabbit, pine nuts and some purple berries Jynx found that had a tangy citrus flavor.  Eliza sat on the flagstone hearth, trying to absorb as much warmth as she could from the dying embers of last night’s fire.  Jynx and Grizzle sat beside her, their hands extended toward the coals.

"I could use a cup of mulled wine about now," Jynx muttered.

"And fresh-baked honey cakes," Grizzle said with a sigh.

Eliza popped a berry in her mouth.  "With a side of thick bacon and pancakes smothered in butter and maple syrup.  I’d even go for a cup of Charlotte Graham’s black coffee."

Talan clomped down rickety wood stairs, his bow in one hand and a bulging burlap sack in the other.  Blue-gray eyes peered out from under the moss green hood of his cloak.

"No sense wishing for what you don’t have," he grumbled as he sat and emptied the sack's contents on the floor.  He picked through copper coins, buttons, socks, a brass tinderbox, wool gloves, and several dull knifes.

Eliza stood and rubbed her arms.  "Where'd you get all that?"

"Compliments of our hobgoblin."  Talan motioned to the full quiver of arrows on his back. "Lucky for me she has a thing for arrows."

"Ooo! Ooo!" Eliza lunged forward and grabbed a wool cap and gloves from the pile.  She sniffed them, slid on the gloves and pulled the cap over her ears."

Talan shrugged. "If you feel an itch on your scalp--that would be lice."

Eliza stuck out her tongue. "I'll check on the horses." She jumped up and hurried to the front door.  Talan continued rummaging through the pile of junk.  He pocketed the tinderbox and picked up a white marble. Turning it over, he discovered it was a glass eye.  "Ugh!" He dropped it and wiped his hands on his cloak, then picked up the copper coins.

The front door banged open.  Eliza burst it, a panicked look on her face.

"The horses are gone!"

"What?" Talan jumped up and raced for the door, bow in hand, followed by Jynx and Grizzle. Outside, a light mist fell from a gray sky.  He scoured the damp earth, studying tracks.

"Maybe it was that hobgoblin," Eliza said, following behind Talan.  "She was pretty mad when you kicked her out."

"Hobgoblins do not bother with horses," Grizzle said as he stood over a footprint. "They only steal what they can carry. Besides, hobgoblins do not wear shoes."

Eliza came over and studied a set of footprints. "Those could be ours."

"These were made by a child."  Grizzle measured the footprint with his hands.  "A girl: around eight years of age."

"There are more over here," Talan growled, following small footprints beside horse tracks.  "They're fresh; maybe two hours old." He heard wings flutter and looked up to see Fayne perched on a nearby branch, a mouse gripped in her beak.

Talan frowned at the bird. "A little warning would have been appreciated."  The owl stared blankly at him, then swallowed the mouse.

"What do we do now?" Eliza asked as she came up behind Talan.  "Can we reach the Haunted Forest on foot?"

Talan shook his head.  "It would take weeks.  We have to get those horses back."  Without waiting for a reply, he headed off into the woods, following the tracks.