6

Oscar puzzled over the strange sense of recognition he felt for the village leader, but failed to find an explanation. The mystery around this young ranger grew.

A knock sounded on the cabin door, Oscar was surprised to find his female captor standing on the threshold, staring up at him with wide blue eyes.

She looked about twenty years of age, but then Oscar was not very practiced at guessing the age of the humans.

" Gimli said to tell you that you are welcome to join everyone in the main hall for dinner." With that, she left Oscar standing there in astonishment.

"So, the name is gimli." Oscar repeated the village leader's name as if he had found out an important information.

Soon Oscar got dressed into the new raven cloth the village leader had offered to him and proceeded to the main hall as told.

As he passed by small houses and cabins, what Oscar had not counted on through was the reception he would get once he crossed over the threshold into the large building filled with loudly talking bodies and the scent of meat cooking.

Oscar spotted the village leader, who's name he had found out was gimli. He was seated between two rangers who Oscar recognized that escorted him to the village.

Gimli's keen eyes marked the Wolf's approach and he motioned Oscar to an empty bench and Oscar followed the gesture, then he waited for gimli to arrive before sitting.

Gimli excuses himself from the small cluster of rangers and walked up to the wolf.

"Why are you still standing my friend. Take a seat." Gimli said and Oscar managed to summon a wry smile.

"Pardon my younger sister for her not so kind humor. I imagine this is not like the wolfish courts you are used to. The laughter in raven fornost flows as easily as the mid does." Gimli said once Oscar and himself had been seated.

An older woman approached the two men with a wooden tray, on it was freshly baked peasant bread and grilled meat. Behind her, was another woman of her age who held another wooden tray that carried wooden plates and spoons. In her other hand was a silver vessel that contained the juices of the finest fruits they had in the forest.

"Thank you wren." Gimli said with a polite smile and Oscar did the same. Wren nodded brusquely whilst casting a critical eyes over the wolf. Oscar shivered under her gaze.

"Raven's fornost?" Asked Oscar curiously.

"Hah, Raven's fornost is just a nickname given to this small village by the founder of it. However, we are not far from the ruins of the ancient city, known fully as the urban Raven's fornost. The northern fortress of the kings. It was abandoned after the war of lords and the fall of the raven reigns. I'll take you there some time if you wish to see what remains of it." Gimli said with a very likeable amiability. Oscar nodded rapidly as he digested the information.

As they began to eat, gimli realized that both himself and Oscar had a fair few questions for one another.

"Having come from Silvillah, you must have news of the recent happening in the north." Gimli spoke conversationally but was clearly probing with his measured words.

"I have heard about the death of the serpent dragon. I am still eager to meet the brave warrior who took it down." Oscar said but gimli was referring to something else.

"The warrior was a girl from the good witch's enchanted city. Rumors spread that the princess and the heir to the crown had killed it."

"Interesting analysis. Who would have thought that a girl would at last kill the mighty dragon." Oscar replied and raised the wooden cup to his lips to take a long sip of the heavenly juice. In all his wealth and glory, Oscar had never tasted a juice as good as the one he was offered by villagers, there was appreciation written clearly on his face and Gimli noticed.

"But that wasn't what I was talking of my friend." Gimli added.

Oscar glanced at the young ranger in front of him who seemed to have held a more serious expression than he had earlier.

"What is the news then?" Oscar asked.

" Words have reached us of a great battle. A battle involving the humans, and the supernatural beings."

Those clear grey eyes seemed to regard Oscar with knowledge that by rights, the wolf knew he could not possibly posses.

Knowing that every word he spoke would carry more meaning and weight than even he intended it to, Oscar chose his answers carefully.

"I hate to say this, but I had no news of such until the moment that you mentioned it. Perhaps my father didn't think it was important because the wolves were not mentioned." Oscar reasoned, but a different thing was on his mind. Why had his father sent him to the north even after knowing that it would soon be under attack.

"Let's head to the northwest together Oscar, fight with us. It would be an honor to have such a mighty warrior at our rescue." Gimli joked and was rewarded with a toothy grin from Oscar.

"I am no warrior gimli." Oscar said, trying to push the attention off of himself, but he soon realized that he should have just kept quite as gimli insisted on praising him.

"We have heard a great deal about you Prince Oscar, the son of myrus the great. You had managed to kill the Dracula king after he had lived thousand years with a reign of terror. You were also the at the battle of the wolves, when white wolves and the black wolves fought the lands of wolverine. And my sister kara could not stop talking about your amazingly skilled reflexes." Gimly said and Oscars ears turned red in embarrassment.

"But if I fight alongside your people and the good witches, will you help me in search of my soulmate. Whatever I do, I cannot forget the promise I made to my father, the future of Silvillah depends on this." Oscar asked as he wiped his mouth with a napkin.

"You have my word Oscar." Gimli assured.

"And you have my bow." Oscar responded.

"We will be killing two birds with one stone my dear friend. We will head to the northwest together with my rangers. You might even meet your mate in our travel. And we might as well kill all of the goblins we spot in the woods and save the village from worrying that their home could be invaded at anytime." Gimli explained.

Oscar understood how these people must feel to see their home constantly assailed by the foul presence of evil.

"When do we leave?" Oscar asked, unable to hide his eagerness to continue with his journey.

"Relax my dear friend, we will leave tomorrow before sunrise, I suggest you go to sleep now. Tomorrow will be a long day." Gimli said as he excused himself from his conversation with Oscar. Children ran towards him and asked if he could tell them bedtime stories, which made Oscar chuckle.

Oscar returned to his cabin, the stars shone with a crisp of winter beauty and Oscar savored the rare sight as he walked alone in the cold night air.