Little Orphan Anvil: The Complete Trilogy by Joseph Beekman (best contemporary novels .TXT) 📕

said,motioning his long-fingered hands from the sky to theground. “And this was thought to have been broughtabout by the realm spirits themselves—condemning todust the dark magic of these evil witches. Some say itwas an ancient, good witch that brought about the ruinof the Land of Stars,” Tinspar said. “And that this goodwitch had summoned the meteorites, or what becameknown as the shower of doom, to befall the darkwitches and their twisted sorcery.”

Another loud boom from the darkening sky madeTabitha jump. Tinspar glanced upwards to the sky justas dark drops of rain fell upon the two. “Let’s hustle!We must get to my abode before this water begins torise!”



As the two made their way through the reeds andbrush of the swamplands, the rain continued to pourdown upon them.

Tabitha couldn’t help but think how this poorsoul had endured such a sad fate: first being outcast andpunished by ancient and evil witches; then enduring thecrazy, monster-like stories spread throughout the landsabout his character—it was just not right.

She followed closely behind him, now and thenpeeking up from under her hooded cloak to see she wasstill right behind his path. His towering body, with hisstick-like legs, seemed to gracefully glide through themushy swamps.

After what seemed an hour or so, Tabitha decidedshe must tell him about her friends, the witch, and thenew threat of her dark magic.

“No, no, young miss!” Tinspar hissed back to her,after she had asked him loudly, through the downpourof rain, if she could speak with him immediately. “Wemust continue! This is the time those awful oil slickslove to come around!”

Tabitha shot him a look of fear. “Oil slicks? Outhere in this heavy rain?” she shouted to his back.

He stopped and turned about to face her. Tabithacame to a halt, staring up to those large and dark eyesdripping with rain.

“Yes!” he stated to her. “They lurk and slitherand hunt out here in these swamplands, quite often! Wemust hurry; my raft is up a ways more, and from therewe shall take to my—”

Suddenly, he froze in mid-sentence; his eyesturned a deep glowing red as he peered out beyond thefoggy, rainy distance from where they had beentraveling.

Tabitha swirled around to try and see what had soalarmed Tinspar. “What is it?” she whispered loudly,alarmingly.

“Shush, child!” he hissed back. “I can see farand wide, even through this murky distance, and I seefour—no, wait!—five oil slicks making their waytowards us!”

Tabitha took a step back, shuddering at thethought of being hunted by those creepy things.Without warning, Tinspar plucked her up off her feetand hurled her onto his shoulders.

In seconds they were moving fast, headingtowards some heavier brush. Tabitha felt dizzy andlight-headed as they sped quickly along; she felt almostas if she were soaring like the songbirds that floatedhigh over the fishing camp back home.

Tinspar soon stopped and lowered himself to theground, allowing Tabitha to climb off his shoulders.They were now behind some heavier bamboo reeds andfairly well hidden from view. Amber-colored lightningflashed across the shaded sky, followed closely bythunderous booms.

“Okay, now we stay here and remain low,” hewhispered. “We will wait until they get closer.”

“Closer?” Tabitha said in shock. “Why would wewait for them to get us?”

“SH! Now don’t go getting all worried, youngTabitha,” he said. “I have this here iron-bladed polethat was forged with great magic!”

He removed the cloth that protected it, andhimself, from any lightning strikes that would beattracted to such metal. He held the pole for her so shecould see more clearly.

She gazed at its tarnished brilliance, seeing thecharming handy work from which it had been made. Itwas surely that of iron and anvil—her homeland!Tabitha realized excitedly.

“I know of this metal!” Tabitha spouted. “It’sfrom where I am from: the Land of Iron and Anvil!”

Tinspar gasped, his bulbous eyes bouncingtowards her gleaming face. “You—you are from thatgreat, magical land?” he said with astonishment. “Whyever did you not say so before?”

“I tried to!” she exclaimed. “You never gave memuch of a chance; nor did I think to tell you. I didn’tsee this um…weapon, up close, until just now.”

Tabitha made to touch the iron-bladed pole, butTinspar withdrew it quickly. He darted his gaze backthrough the reeds.

“Shush now!” he snapped, glancing back throughthe reeds. “We have to remain very still now. Theyseem to have picked up our whereabouts; they have akeen sense of smell…”

He covered the pole with the cloth again.

Parting a few of the reeds very gently before hereyes, Tabitha peeked through them and saw the quick,movements of dark, oily shapes slithering towards theirhiding spot. The oily bodies of the creatures glistenedslightly from the rain, and she could make out their tinygreen eyes blinking about.

“Here they come!” Tabitha whispered, her heartracing with fear.

In a flash, Tinspar leapt from the reeds. Tearingthe protective cloth away from the pole, two bladessuddenly sprang from the end of it. He slasheddownwards towards the oncoming oil slicks. Two ofthe oil slicks shot upwards at him in the same instant,but were immediately caught off guard by the ironbladed pole as it severed their bodies in half. The otherthree oil slicks, now forewarned of the deadly attackerand his weapon, quickly submerged themselves in theswamp water and made their way to surround him.

With his tall height, Tinspar could see over thearea; he was aware of the creatures cunning intent, andhe backed off some ways. Then with a great heave, hethrew the pole like a mighty javelin spear into the darkwater where he had just stood.

“What are you doing?” Tabitha shouted.

Just as the pole slammed into the groundwater, alightning bolt surged from the sky; it zapped the ironpole, igniting the water around it into bluish flames.

Tinspar waited a moment, and then bolted over tothe smoldering water. He quickly snatched the poleback, careful to use the cloth so as to protect him fromthe radiating heat of the lightning strike, and any other,unknown strikes that would still be attracted to the ironbladed pole. He then hopped back to Tabitha where sheremained awestruck, watching as