//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 - Fluttershy and the Gnomes // Story: Fluttershy's Unexpected Journey // by JesterOfDestiny //------------------------------// After an hour of walking, Hadrik and Fluttershy finally arrived at the edge of the forest. The trees were flaunting their brilliant shades of greens and blues and yellows. “We have arrived.” Said Hadrik, then turned around. “Well, it was nice talking to you, Fluttershy.” “Aren’t you gonna help me find your friend?” Fluttershy asked with worry. “I’m needed here at the sacred plains.” “But how am I going to find him?” Hadrik thought for a bit and then smiled. “You’ll recognize him. And most of all, he’ll recognize you.” Fluttershy sighed at the orc’s unhelpful answer and slipped between the trees. “And don’t let your kindness get you into trouble again.” Hadrik’s voice echoed through the first few trees. Fluttershy has walked for a while. The leaves shined in the sunlight slipping through the foliage. The choir of birds have echoed through the forest. Fluttershy didn’t have much problem wading through the dishevelled bushes and branches. She’s been in forests before, she knows how to navigate them. The worry in her heart has calmed down, as she observed the animals living their lives. She even started to understand them. The unkempt bushes started easing up, as colourful flowers took their place. The sound of bees started echoing quietly, as more and more flowers began to cover the ground. Shortly, Fluttershy found herself in a spectacular garden, full of splendorous flowers. Hundreds of colours ran all the way across the ground and covered the trees. Fluttershy stopped to appreciate a tiny beetle show off its shiny wing covers, on top of a white flower. “Oy!” A sudden shout, followed by a forceful tap on the flank, interrupted the admiration of nature. “Get your dirty teeth off my flowers!” Fluttershy turned around and saw an angry little man with a long white beard and a pointy hat, holding a long stick of bread. “Oh, I’m sorry.” Fluttershy apologized. “I didn’t mean to ruin your garden.” The anger faded from the tiny man’s face and his eyes opened wide. “Sweet smelly sunflower, that horse talks!” He exclaimed and turned angry again. “Begone demon! Begone demon!” He started yelling and hit Fluttershy repeatedly with his dry as a rock breadstick. “Ow! I’m not a demon!” Fluttershy objected. “Oh, yeah? Well then why do you talk?” “What’s so special about talking? You talk too!” The tiny man pondered for a moment. It looked like he was ready to give Fluttershy a lecture, but then he realized the error of his logic. “Good point.” He replied in sudden calmness. “Beautiful garden, by the way.” Fluttershy tried to defuse the situation. “Have you done it all by yourself?” “Eh, no! It was cultivated for centuries by me and my sixteen brothers!” He explained proudly. “Sixteen brothers?” Fluttershy said in surprise. “Well, yeah. What, you have more?” “No, just one.” “Just one?!” The tiny man seemed horrified. “Where did the rest go?” “No, I always had just one.” “Oh. What, did your father couldn’t get the wheels turning?” “I’d rather not talk about that.” The tiny man let out a hearty laugh, then asked. “What is a talking horse like yourself doing in these woods anyway?” “Well, I’m looking for someone, but I’m not sure whom.” “Oh, someone? Great, let me show you my home, we’ve got plenty of someones in there, I bet we’ll find the someone you’re looking for.” “I don’t think that’s...” Fluttershy tried to say something, but the man started pulling on her mane. “There’s Gortle, Chortle, Nortle, Bortle, Ortle, Vortle, Hortle, Tortle, Sortle, Yortle, that’s me, Lortle, Mortle, you can recognize him by his pointy hat, Kortle, Dortle, Fortle, Portle, Jortle and of course our dad, Fapalataka! Does any of these sound familiar to you?” “Uhh...” Fluttershy said everything she could muster after such a long-winded list. Yortle, the tiny man didn’t even wait for a proper response. “We’re here!” They stopped between five trees and Yortle finally released Fluttershy’s mane. She tried saying something, but Yortle didn’t let her do that. “We’re here!” he yelled out loudly. Not even a moment has passed and tiny doors busted open from the trees and more tiny men with white beards and pointy hats swarmed out from them. “Folks!” Said Yortle. “Let me introduce you to my new friend! A talking horse!” The tiny men cheered and quickly swarmed Fluttershy. They climbed on top of her, examined her mane, pulled her tail and just kind of forgot about her personal space in general. “You see? That’s Gortle, Chortle, Nortle, Bortle, Ortle, Vortle, Hortle, Tortle, Sortle, Lortle, Mortle...” “You can recognize me by my pointy hat.” Mortle interrupted Yortle’s list. “... Kortle, Dortle, Fortle, Portle, Jortle and of course, our dad, Fapalataka!” He pointed at an angry looking man wearing a purple robe and carrying a wooden staff, who was standing in front of the tree in the middle. “What is the meaning of this, Yortle?!” He yelled out. “Dad, I brought a visitor!” Replied Yortle. “What did I tell you about bringing visitors?!” “But, dad...” “Silence!” The tiny man in the robe shouted, his loud voice completely silencing his noisy children. “Let her go.” He lowered his voice, now that everyone could hear him clearly. Everyone climbed off from Fluttershy, as Fapalataka stepped closer to her. “Who are you? State your business!” He yelled accusingly at Fluttershy. “I’m Fluttershy and uh... I’m looking for... someone.” She said timidly. “Someone eh? Well, you ain’t finding that someone here. Now leave!” “But, dad!” Yortle interrupted. “There are plenty of someones in here. There’s Gortle, Chortle...” “Don’t give me the list, I know your smelly names!” He stopped him from going over the list again. “Last time you brought here an elf! You know how much magic is in there in an elf?!” “I, uh...” “Plenty! And now you bring here a talking horse?! Last thing we want is smelly demons finding us!” “But dad, we can’t just hide away from magic forever. There’s magic everywhere in this world!” “Yes! And everything’s gone horribly wrong! Because of magic! Don’t you remember what happened to those smelly elves?” “I do!” “Good! You should! You were there after all. Now take your new friend out of here!” Yortle sighed and walked over to Fluttershy. “Come on talking horse. Let’s go.” As such, Fluttershy followed him. The lights of the tiny village were fading between the bushes, the gnomes all started going back to their trees. Yortle and Fluttershy were walking in the forest. The sun was setting and coloured the colourful leaves orange. “What happened to the elves by the way?” Fluttershy asked Yortle. “They were destroyed by some sort of magician.” He explained. “Just like that. Tall towers, more beautiful than any flower. Boom! All gone. And it took only one magician. Crazy ain’t it? Imagine what else magic is capable of.” “Wow, that sounds awful.” “Yeah, it is. I’m not surprised my dad is so afraid of magic. I’m afraid too.” Yortle looked around. “Where are you headed anyway?” He asked. “I know this forest like the back of my hand. I could get you wherever you’re headed.” “I’m not sure actually. I don’t know whom I’m looking for. Hadrik never gave me a clear answer, he just told me he’ll find me and I’ll know it when that happens.” Yortle stopped in his tracks and stared for a second. “Well, good luck then!” He then turned around and walked away. “Aren’t you going to help me?” “I don’t know where You’ll-know-him-when-you-see-him lives.” He said while not even looking at Fluttershy. She looked at the departing gnome for a moment, then sighed and carried on by herself.