A Vacation for Eric Creel

Eric was still lost in his musings when Garret pulled over off the road. They had been driving for about 3/4 of an hour, and were well out of the town. Eric thought the surroundings beautiful. They were completely surrounded by the forest. He helped Garret unload the gear.

"Well now, are we all rested and ready for a little walk ? If you want to reach The Door by night fall, we will have to hurry. "

"How long till we get there?" asked Eric a little concerned. He was in fine shape, but he had not been on a strenuous hike in the woods for ages.

"That depends on how fast you can walk Mr. Creel." Garret smiled mockingly when he saw the look on Eric’s face. "Afraid you can’t make it, eh? Well not to worry my friend. It should only take us a couple of hours, maybe two and a half. At a decent pace that is. It’ll be no marathon, but a brisk walk should put us there in no time."

At this, Eric showed visible signs of relief. So after the gear use divvied up, and quite unfairly Eric thought, the were off. While they walked, Garret told Eric all about the Faerie. There were tales about Drawves, Elves, and the infamous Gnome wars. Eric was not surprised to hear that many primitive Gnome tribes still worshipped nature spirits. Sometimes, Garret told him, they steal children for sacrifices to their gods. It was obvious from the way Garret talked, that he had little love for the creatures. When Eric pointed this out, Garret snorted and said: "If you had to put up with their petty wars all of your life and had seen the way they pillaged and plundered the villages of your homeland, you’d be bloody tired of the little bastards too! "

Garret had grown up in the country surrounding Timbuk3. As far back as he could remember the Gnome tribes had been at war. His village had been burned to the ground by Gnome raiders when he was eight. It was then that he had decided to learn to use his magic. All creatures of the Faerie had magic, but some had more than others. Since Garret was a pure blooded elf, he had extensive use if the magic, should he chose to master it. Most elves never learned to use the magic. Garret had gone into the city and trained with the masters through his teens and into early manhood. Even now, he was still discovering things the magic could do. The possibilities were endless.

Now Garret needed someone to help him. More specifically a human, Eric Creel. Someone had gotten word to him that the Gnomes had stolen a human child. They had simply gone too far this time. They had to be stopped! He had told Eric the Gnomes could not withstand the Elven army. That was not exactly the truth. The elves could hold back the Gnomes for a while, should they unify and attack the city, which was very unlikely. The army was strong but the city was not prepared for a siege. The Gnomes had allies among the more vulgar races in the Faerie, and they say the Elves as a constant threat. The Gnomes liked to fight among themselves, while the elves tried to promote peace and harmony among the races. The Gnomes resented the Elves for, "not staying in their own business." However, the Elves always resisted out ant out warfare. It was against their nature. But they had gone too far this time, way too far. What garret had told Eric about the refugees was not true either. He felt horrible about all the lie s, but it was the only way. Even the ad had been false. The agent was a friend of Garret’s, who had agreed to help him find a suitable person for the job. Garret only hoped the choice had been a good one.

They walked until it was beginning to grow dark, and Garret called a halt.

"We are very close to The Door now, and there are a few things I need to tell you before we cross over. First of all you are a stranger in our land. Most natives have never laid eyes on a real human before. Second some, well all, of them have magic, but only some of them can use it."

"Can you use the magic? " interrupted an impatient Eric Creel.

"Yes, I have a vast knowledge of how the magic works. Perhaps more than anyone else. Now, if I may continue. There are, or at least there’s supposed to be, horses waiting for us on the other side, and we will ride into the city. It should only take two or three hours. I don’t think we will have to spend a night in the open. The seasons correspond, but we are a few hours behind you, or maybe our days are just longer. Never have been able to figure that one. Anyway, when we actually cross over there are some you should know. It will be more like going through a tunnel than a door. I want you to hold onto my hand the whole time and never let go, not even for an instant, should you stray from the path. I will have to work magic to open the gate. So from the time we reach the spot, and I will let you know, I don’t want you to say another word, lest you disturb my concentration. Understand? Any questions?"