The Three Bards: The Ghost Of Whispering Oaks:Draft_3

The Three Bards

The Ghost Of Whispering Oaks

Draft_3

By: Chase L. Currie

(This is a long one, but I hope you enjoy it. I know it's a little early for Halloween but I was sure most of you would be out doing something on that night. Either way read and enjoy and as always let me know what you think.)

The Kingdom of Whispering Oaks,

Outside the Golden Acorn Inn,

All-Hallows Eve a cold October night,

Even the cold wind is out and about on this night, running from door to door as the pups dress in their devils and demon masks, asking for treats with the unspeakable word if the treats are bad then there will be a trick played. Some say this is the time of the year where the realm of the dead can crawl back into the world of the living just for a night. And all, who are out, must wear masks and dress like the devils, so they will not be carried back to the underworld. If you believe the stories that is, but some just know nights like All-Hallows Eve is a great time to make some extra acorns.

Squirrels like Matt Wandering-Leaf of the Ó Raġallaiġ House, a squirrel so big and so tall that most think he's from the north, but he's not. Although, some of his ancestors happen to be from the North and that is where he gains his high from and the dark brown fur, almost black on night like this, is a clear signed he from Thorn-Wood. He stand against the alley way, holing his guitar in his giant paws, smiling from ear to ear. “You need not to worry so much, button.”

“He's late,” Lindsey Wandering-Leaf barks. She normally as kind and cute as a button until her younger brother Sawyer does something to make her mad, like being late before they have to go out into the streets in sing for the passing crowds. “He's always does this.”

“Then it shouldn't be a big deal,” Matt replies, removing the dark purple hood from her head. She looks up at her tall brother, to her he's giant but a giant that is always protecting her. Then again most squirrels are giant to her, she after all  is a very tiny for a squirrels. Sometimes, they call her a chipmunk then quickly apologize when her face goes from kind glance to a unfriendly glare as they realize she not a chipmunk at all.

“I don't know why you always wear this hood,” Matt tells her, never letting the smile fade from his lips.

“ Mom gave it to me and,” Lindsey says, “it smells like her.” They both know the hood is the most important thing in their family. Not just for the odd shape it was crafted in, with a split running up the back, causing the cloak to fall done Lindsey's back like two tails. But also, because of the royal purple the cloak and hood is dyed in. It was a gift from the King Egon the sixth before he passed away. Their mother was a Royal dancer and all the King's dancer wore the same color cloak, but this one, their mother's cloak and hood had golden borders that was made by Queen Amber the fifth herself. It was the greatest gift the Ó Raġallaiġ House every received.

“Soon my dear sister,” Matt proclaims, taking her up in his arms, holding her off the ground, “we will go home and see her and dad and be a whole family again.”

“That's great,” she says trying to breathe as he hugs her tight. “Can you put me down now? So I can get some air.”

“Hey, hey,” a yelling voice comes from the other side of the alley way. Matt drops his sister as they both turn to face Sawyer running to them. “Sorry I'm late.”

“You're always late!” Lindsey says hitting him across the head, “We can't go on with out you!”

“I know, I know,” he quickly explains rubbing the spot she always hits, right between his ears, the same place their mother hits him when she upset at him, “but I got something for you.” He pulls a box out form under his cloak and paws it to his younger sisters.

“What is it?” she asks.

“Open it,” Sawyer says.

“Yeah, open it,” Matt orders. She lays it on the ground and slowly opens the box. There sitting safely is a purple and gold violin. The violin looks as if it was made from Throne-Wood and must be crafted from one of the thorns from the trees outside the kingdom. She picks at the strings listening to the perfect sound it makes. It's perfectly tune just for her. She stands up, never picking up the violin eying her brother. “Who did you steal it from?” The violin definitely one this well made would cost a King an arm and leg, for her little brother to show up with one is suspicious.

“I didn't steal it,” Sawyer quickly protest.

“Then where did you get it? We don't have the acorns for this.”

“Lighten up button,” Matt says, “me and Sawyer pulled our acorns together to get it for you.”

“Really? Why?” She ask.

“Because last week was your birthday and well---” Sawyer starts to explain.

“We forgot,” Matt chimes in.

“Yeah you both did,” She change her hard look on her cute reddish face to a lovely smile, jumping to hug them both, “but this is the best present in the world. Now lets go earn all the acorns you two spent on this thing.” She knows believing Matt over Sawyer hurt her little brother but there nothing she can do about that, he'll just have to get over it for now. There a show that they must put on or they won't being eating tonight.

“Sounds good to me,” Matt response. In no time there a crowd growing around the Three Bards, singing and playing their hearts out. The giant dark brown squirrel, playing his guitar beside a tiny almost redder squirrel, playing her new violin, while the deep brown squirrel at the end sings for every squirrel in the crowd. You almost can’t tell they are family until you see their hazel eyes, the white fur at the end of their tails and ears. But all know who the Three Wandering Bards are and how they spent their lives playing song, spinning stories for others. The night beats on growing closer to Mid-night when all the little pups must return to their homes, and all squirrels go inside for fear of demons may be out in the dark.

As the crowd starts to fade away so do the bards, heading back into the inn for the night. They make it in the door when every squirrel claps, screams, and buys them drinks for their great songs played tonight. Matt doesn't turn down one drink, taking his brothers when Sawyer doesn't want anymore and Lindsey never taking a drink from some other squirrel. She doesn't trust them, something her mother taught her. “Listen here little button,” her mother would say, “never take a drink from some one you don't know, you never know what they put in it.” She listens to her mother words always trying to get her brothers to do the same thing but they never do listen. Their father would just tell them, “Never turn down a drink, it's rude.”

“What you are going to name her?” Matt ask walking up to Lindsey, as she sitting beside the stone fire place, thinking about how it's not fair they can take drinks from anyone and she can't. He paws her a cup of hard cider as she study the craftsmanship of her new violin. She runs her fingers over the gold borders, twisting knots of the Throne-Wood artisans, and wonders who made this lovely violin. Normally the artisan would leave their mark somewhere on the instrument but this violin is empty.

“I don't know,” she replies to him, “I can't seem to think of a good name for her, but she plays better than anything I've every had before. It's almost like she is playing me instead of the other way around.”

“Well, I'm sure you'll come up with something,” Matt says sitting down beside her, “but I think you should go talk to Sawyer before he heads to bed.” They both look over at him. They almost forget it's him, he seem too small to be their brother. In fact he seem so tiny that everyone around him just forgets that he is there. His tail warped around the chair as he sits there with his face bury in his cup of hard apple cider, not talking nor looking around, just sitting there all to himself, thinking.

“Is he upset that I thought he stolen this?” She holds the violin up.

“Asking that kind of question,” Matt replies, taking another drink from some old squirrel walks by him, thanking him for the lovely music, “mean you already know he is.”

“I hate it when you're right,” she says standing up, throwing her purple hood over her ears and heading for her brother.

“That's what big brothers are for, being right.”

“I'm sorry,” she says as Sawyer looks up at her, he tries to grin a little but fails to do so. “I mean it, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have accused you of stealing the violin.”

Sawyer pushes the chair beside him out and quietly says, “You shouldn't have, but you did.”

“I'm sorry,” she says, sitting down, “it's just you been acting like you did before you ran off.”

“I told you that part of my life is over,” Sawyer begs her to understand. He hopes if anyone out of the family would understand it would be her. “I'm not that squirrel anymore.”

“It's just hard to believe. I don't think you know how bad you hurt mom and dad.” She tells him trying not to look him in the eyes. She hates opening up to her little brother like this and more than that she hate looking at him, because just like Matt, Sawyer can read her eyes like a book full of emotions.

He leans in, saying, “I don't think I've hurt just mom and dad. We were so close once, why can't we be that way again?”

“Because you changed it!” She almost yells at him, quickly calming herself down before she starts to get out of hand. Sawyer just sits back.

“That's not fair . . .” He starts to explain, but the light pull on the tails of Lindsey cloak turn her attention away from what Sawyer is saying. She looks down at the little girl with her bright red eyes, she smiles at the little sweet heart and the child smiles back.

Then the little girl ask, “Miss, can you save me?”

“Save you from what?”

“From him . . . Miss, you played the song, you have to save me,” the little squirrel almost starts to cry.

Lindsey shoots her paws out to stop the little girl from crying but before she reaches her every flame in the inn, dies with a horrible scream. But Lindsey, even in the dark, can still see the child as plain as day. Almost if there is a light coming from with in the little red squirrel. “You have to save me,” she cries.

“From whom?” Lindsey screams, but not sure why she is yelling so loud. She can barely hear herself talk or think. Somewhere in the dark of the inn, the echos of hooves thundering through the blackness. She knows they don't allow deer into any building, but there has to be one in here now. She can feel the animal walking around in a circle, circling the little girl like a wolf waiting for it's meal.

The little child looks around, hearing the same thundering sounds as Lindsey does and like a flash of lightning the child takes off running. In that flash the room comes back to life with light, squirrels drinking, and her brother standing beside her, holding her paws.

“What is wrong?” Sawyer asks.

“Did you see her?” Lindsey exclaims standing up looking for the girl, “the little pup, where did she go?”

“Button, there was no little girl.”

“What?” She asks, looking back at him, as Matt join them. “I saw her, didn't you?” Sawyer just look up at his older brother, the look was easy for Matt to read.

“What is wrong?” Matt ask.

“There was a little girl here asking me for help,” Lindsey starts to explain, “the room went dark and then she ran away because there was something after her.” She look at them seeing that they are not believing it at all. “I'm not lying!” She yells.

“No one is saying you are,” Matt say comforting her, “but do you think you might had a little too much to drink?”

“No!” She rips away from him heading for the door.

“Where are you going?” Both Matt and Sawyer asks chasing after her.

“To find her,” she tells them, “and you can stay here if you want, I don't care.” For a moment they were not sure they wanted to follow her and if it was any other night the might not have. But with it being All-Hallows Eve there could be some bad squirrels out there or worst things in the night. They rush after her just as she makes to the stone road. They all stop at the sight of the fog that seem to have come from nowhere. Hours ago when they were playing there wasn't any sign of fog but now there a deep smokey white cloud laying across the Kingdom. All they can see is the phantom glow of the street lights and the candles hanging in some window.

“If I get eaten by a demon,” Matt says trying to joke, but there just a little too much seriously in his tone to be taken as a joke, “I'm telling mom.”

“Which way could she have gone?” Lindsey asks, looking frantically down the street trying to pierce the fog. She stands there silently praying to the All-Father and at the end of the short prayer a soft sound kisses her ears. A sounds of someone or something playing a violin. Almost the same song Lindsey played earlier in the night, but she say nothing about it. She knows her brother might think that she gone mad, so she just starts to follow the lovely song as they follow her.

Until one of them says, “Do you hear that?”

“I do, where is that song coming from? And is that our song?” The other ask. Lindsey smile knowing they believe her now. They believe her even more when they find the player of the song, standing in front of a church is the little girl, playing the violin that is held in Lindsey paw. The little pup looks up at them, smile, winks and like the passing wind fades into nothing. Matt and Sawyer can't believe their eyes, that a little squirrel just disappears like that and their sister was telling the truth.

“Told you guys,” she says, crossing her arms and then ask, “So how do we help her?”

“She's a ghost, button, I don't think there is anything we can do,” Matt says still in a little shock over what he saw. Sure, he's sings stories about ghost but never seen one before in his life. And sure he believes in the After-life but now to witness it first hand, it seem so shocking.

“There has to be something we can do,” Lindsey says, “like put her to rest or something.”

“Or just let the night roll on,” Sawyer tells her. “This is All-Hallows Eve, the dead walk the land until the sun comes up and then they go back to the underworld.”

“She ask me to save her.”

“For all we know she could be a demon.” Sawyer says.

“Maybe you're the only demon here,” Lindsey scorns him, pointing up at him, “being cold hearten like this, we have to help this little girl.”

“Excuse me.” They all look over at the black squirrel standing at the doors of the church holding a candle in his paw and dress in blue bed robe. He must be the father over the church and the Three Bards must have woken him up. Lindsey's not sure, along with Sawyer, how loud they were yelling, and Matt, is trying to figure out where the little girl went. He thought it might be a trick but he knows how to make some one seem like they disappear and there would be sings of the trick. He know they were not being followed and there no way there a tarp door was the father is standing now. The father keeps saying, “Her name is Carolina, Carolina Ocean-Leaf.”

“You know her, father?” Lindsey asks rushing over to him. “You don't think we're crazy?”

“No, No,” he says, opening the door to the church, “come on and I'll tell you what happen.” Sawyer didn't hesitate at all, he felt being out in the fog on this night was asking for trouble. And Matt wanted to see if he could figure out how the girl disappear. Maybe there were clues in the church. Maybe, the father was in on it, so he thought.

Father Evans told them the story of Carolina. He told them thirty six years ago on this night she went missing, her little brother stolen her violin, that their mother gave her and hidden it in the Moon Shade graveyard near the Bottoms. Lindsey looks over at Sawyer who smiling a little bit because he would steal her violin all the time when they were younger. Then the father tells them, “she never came home.”

“We spent days, almost weeks looking for her but she never came back. Some said,” he lowers his voice along with his head, “that a demon took her or she fell into an of the open grave and was buried alive, but I don't know if I believe any of those stories. Either way Carolina's brother was never the same after that.”

“But why do you believe we saw her now?” Matt asks, not finding any clues to the trick, if it was a trick at all.

“Because,” the father tells him, looking right in the heart of the candle flame, “on this night you can still hear her play. She was always knew how to play the most beautiful song your ears have ever heard.” He tries to smile but some deep pain stop his lips from creaking the grin.

“Thank you father,” Lindsey says, “we are going to find her, I promise.”

“I hope you do my child,” he says, showing them back to the door and right before he shuts it, he tells them one more thing. Her violin was never found either. “It kind of looks like the one you are holding,” pointing at violin in Lindsey paw.

He shuts the door, locks it, and they head for the graveyard as Matt tells them, “I bet you that is Carolina's brother.”

“Who the father?” Sawyer asks, Matt just nods. “Nah, no way.”

“Come on did you see how sad he got when telling the story.”

“So it was a sad story, I almost cried.”

“Yeah,” Matt pull his brother over with one of his giant arms, “but you almost cry at every sad story.”

“Shut up,” Sawyer replies pushing himself away from his big brother. They keep the debate going the whole way to the graveyard whether or not if the father is the brother in the story. But Lindsey, knowing that Matt is right says nothing. All she thinks about is Carolina and how annoyed she still is at Sawyer but mostly about the little pup. What if she really was taken by a demon? What can they do to save her? They don't know how to fight a demon.

About an hour later they make it to the gates of the graveyard, where the fog seem not able to enter. They look through the bars seeing every gravestone under full red moon and know this can’t be a good sign at all. “Do we have to go in there?” Sawyer ask.

“Yes, we do,” Lindsey replies, she pushes on the gate and opens it. They all step in slowly looking around not seeing a single soul in the whole place. They also wait for the fog to come rushing in over their feet but it never does. Maybe, the fog knows something they don't.

“Well, where do we start looking?” Matt ask as they see the little girl run from a gravestone up a hill, heading for a giant oak tree at the center of the graveyard. “Never mind,” he says, “we can just follow her.”

“This is a bad idea,” Sawyer says, trying to keep his eyes open for any monsters or demons that might jump out of the dark. “A bad, bad idea.”

“Why?” Matt ask.

“Because we are putting out necks out for a girl who is already dead. I don't know about you guys but I like living.”

“Only thinking about yourself again,” Lindsey says to him, stopping to face him. “Why can't you think about some else for awhile?!”

“That is IT!” Sawyer yells, “Are you so blind or so mad at me for leaving that you can't see that is what I am doing! I am sorry, I left you, I am sorry, I had to go out to find what it meant to be a part of this family. I had to do that on my own but I came back.” He pulls her close to him looking her dead in the eyes. “But I am thinking about some one else other than myself, YOU! I don't want you to die for a ghost. I couldn't live with myself if that happen.” He say letting her go. “I wish you would just forgive me already.” Sawyer whispers to her, wipes away a tear from his eye.

“Not to interrupt this family bonding moment and trust me I wish you guys would have done this before we met this ghost, but . . .”Matt points back at the gate where they can see something large and long standing there. The fog like rivers of ghostly hands plowing into the graveyard, racing up to them and the tree. And the thing, black against the smokey white fog staring at them with blood red eyes. “Maybe we should run.”

“I agree with that,” Sawyer says, and they all take off running, heading for the tree. They don't know why, it's not like climb the tree would save them from the demon but that is where their feet take them. They run as fast as any squirrel can, just in time to reach the tree before the fog does. Matt and Sawyer run a little past the tree as Lindsey slides to her knees. She wraps her arms around the crying child something Sawyer and Matt must have missed. The fear pumping through their bodies must have blocked the sounds of the weeping child out. They turn back around and head for their sister.

“Come on, come on,” Lindsey keep screaming at the child, “We have to go.” But Carolina sits there hiding her face, crying her eyes out, and not moving. “Pleaseee, you have to start running.”

Without thinking Matt picks up the child, turns and start to run away but is stop by the sounds of fighting. He looks back as Sawyer throws himself at the demon, keeping the unholy monsters from chasing after his family. The fog swirls around him and then quickly retreats back to the gate along with Sawyer and the demon. Matt stops running, letting the girl down and falling to the ground himself. Lindsey quickly joins his side, looking around for her little brother and then asking, “Where is Sawyer?”

“Red eyes has him,” Carolina says.

“What?!”

“She right,” Matt says trying to catch his breathe, “I saw it take him. He was fighting it so we could get away.”

“Why would he do that? Why would he be that stupid!?” Lindsay asks, starting to cry, starting to realize what she has done, that she never forgave him and now, just might not be able too.

“We can still save him,” Carolina says, “the demon has to take him back to the gate and I know where that is.”

“Then lets go!” The both says jumping to their feet. They followed the little girl to a small shed on the far side of the graveyard and than down into a tunnel built from a reddish stone. The tunnel almost seem new as if it was only built a couple of days ago. They turn down a couple of passageways following Carolina as the thought hits Lindsey's mind. What if she a demon? What if this is all a tarp? But there nothing she can do now and she knows that. She has to find Sawyer and she doesn't know how to get out of the tunnels. Hopefully, she tells herself, if she thinking about Carolina being a demon so is Matt, hopefully.

They walk the passageways for hours until they come to a green door where Carolina stops. She tells them that the demon should behind the door with the gate to the underworld and the gate will only open ten minutes before dawn. “That will be the only time you can save your brother.”

“How do we save you?” Lindsey ask.

“You already have the key with you,” she says, “but we must hurry, it will be dawn soon.”

They rush into the large room, a room so big that it could fill hundreds squirrels in it and still have room to spare. They look around almost in awe of the size of the room. How could it be underground? How could no one know about it other then this little pup?

And then they see it the black round gate sitting at the far end of the room. In front of the gate stand the demon still in black, still covered by fog, but in his right hand he hold Sawyer as he tries to fight free. They all slowly move up close to the demon, making sure the monster doesn't notice them and then, when they are close enough, Matt tackles the beast. The sudden strike knock the demon off his feet, throwing Sawyer through the air. The little brother land as Lindsey rush to his side and Matt wrestling with the unholy monster down.

“Are you okay?” Lindsey asks helping Sawyer to his feet.

“No,” he replies, still quivering from being taken by a demon. “But I'll be find, we, we, should help Matt.”

They watch for a moment as Matt and the demon seem to be equal power in strength. Matt's size finally working in his favor but soon the demon will over power him, there no doubt about that. They rush him as Carolina yells that dawn is close. The gate start to breath, little red lights circle around it as it open the steel circle at the middle of the ring. The ring vibrate with a loud hum as the gate open to a world of blackness. And than they hear Carolina yell again, “Push it into the gate!”

The smash against the demon's body, as it tries to fight back and with all their might they push. Soon the demon is growing closer and closer to the blackness behind the gate. It fight, scream, almost cries to not be thrown into a world of darkness alone but the squirrels push even harder. The monster tail touches the darkness and then like a raging river it pushes back, almost knocking them all off their feet. But Matt shoves with every last little bit of strength he has knock the red eye demon into the world of nothing, just in time for the gate to slam shut.

They turn not being able to find Carolina any where, she must have faded away with the gate. All-Hallows eve must be over and the dead can't roam the land anymore. Lindsey lows her head feeling as if she fail the little girl some how. As if it was all for nothing, but Sawyer pulls her over to him, hugging her as tight as he can. “Thank the All-Father you came for me but thank him even more that you are alright.”

“I do forgive,” she says.

“What?” He ask, pulling her away a little so he can see her eyes, so he can see if she telling the truth.

“I do forgive you,” Lindsey says, “I was always going to forgive you but I needed time to heal. After you were taking all I could think about was there was no more time. So I forgive you as long as you promise never to run away from me again.”

For a moment he says nothing, than grins, and say, ”I will never run away again but I can't promise I won't leave again. And if I do leave I'll tell you before I go. I do promise I'll always come back to you, always.”

She smiles back but Sawyer can see it her eyes that not the answer she wanted, truthful it may be but it still not what she wanted to hear. He hugs as Matt join in with the hug, just happy they are all alright.

“Let's go home,” Matt says, “and tell mom and dad about this.”

“I doubt they will believe us,” Sawyer replies.

“Getting home might be harder than you guys think,” Lindsey says, “we don't know how to get out of the tunnels.” They open the green door the graveyard as if they were never underground. “Never . . . mind.”

Matt laughs, and as his laughter fade, he say, “Sorry we couldn't help Carolina.”

“Me too.” Lindsey say.

“But hey you got a new nice violin out of it,” Sawyer point out.

“By the All-Father,” Lindsey say, looking down at the violin. “That is the key.“

“What are you talking about now?” Sawyer ask as she runs over to the tree, digs a small hole and tell them that Carolina said she already had to key to save her. The violin it was her and it how they put her to rest so next year she'll be free from this nightmare. She slowly places the violin in the hole, covers it with dry as Sawyer can't watch, too many acorns were spent on it for it to be covered by dry. Matt say a few word, a few prays and Lindsey says her good byes to Carolina. They all know she is finally at pace.

Happy Halloween everyone...

Might your treats be good and your tricks even better.