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

lead into the cemetery hills…onlyone of few that still stand,” Tinspar whispered softly inhis scratchy tone. “Here we shall enter a place as oldand ancient as the realm itself. Many spirits lingeramongst these hills; but mostly they keep amongstthemselves—so no need to worry too much…”

Tabitha nodded, looking up at the great archwaythat loomed high above them. She felt worn out from allthe she had been through since she left home from theLand of Iron and Anvil with Jonathon and Haley. Herheart sank whenever she thought about her friends andwhat must have happened with them; it sank evenfurther thinking of her family and how worried theymust be.

Tinspar noticed her lost look. “You okay, kid?”

Tabitha blinked; nodding her head and shakingoff her thoughts. “Yeah, just worried for my friends andfamily…” She stood up and walked over to where hestood.

“You think we can do it? I mean, do you thinkwe still have time to warn them and to stop this witch?”

Tinspar looked down upon her and placed a handon her shoulder. “Listen, young child, we have to endthis witch. Have faith and hold on to hope; you’refamily and friends need you to do that for them.”

She looked up at him and wiped a tear from hereye. “You’re right, Tinspar…I do. Thanks for helpingme.”

He patted her shoulder and grinned. “That’s thespirit, kid—now let’s get going. I’m quite certain oldWill isn’t too much further past those hills. If Iremember correctly from what he had told me, it’ll bean old, hollowed-out tree; a house of sorts with a tinycreek running through the middle of it. Also, it will besurrounded by hundreds of hot springs. It should bewhere he still lives out his days.”

“Tree house? Hot springs?” Tabitha asked, afunny smirk crossing her face.

“Oh sure, he’s told me that it’s a great place tolay one’s head down at night, especially out in thesewilds between the lands,” Tinspar said charmingly.“And with the hot-spring water bubbling year round—wow! I’ve often thought of taking up the idea, myself!”

Tabitha chuckled. “Neat! It sure sounds like agreat idea!”

“Yes, not too bad at all, my dear. Now then, let’sput out the rest of that fire and get moving!”



Hours later, as the sun was dipping below thehorizon of the hills, Tabitha and Tinspar foundthemselves at the tail end of the cemetery hills. The skyhad become a darkening burst of black clouds torn withholes of the fading sunlight occasionally slippingthrough.

The two worn travelers had crossed many milesthrough the hills, unharmed. They had avoided any kindof communication with the haunts that had occasionallyfloated by them or through their path; the ghosts alwayshowled eerily, as if in great pain or distress.

“The ghosts in these hills are not the type wewant to be making small talk with young lady,” Tinsparhad said to Tabitha when they had encountered the firstof many stone tombs that scattered the hillsides. “Justkeep to your own self, and follow along with me: headlowered and with a blank gaze in your eyes.”

“What is wrong with them?” Tabitha had asked.“Why do they make such awful, creepy sounds?”

“Well, child, they are very ancient spirits of along-dead age, before the realm ever had lands withnames attached. These spirits exist in another plane oftime and thought; and if nothing else, they are basicallymad from not leaving this world behind when they hadthe chance.”

Tinspar had stopped as one had passed along, itsvaporous form swirling past the two through the icyterrain. Tabitha had frozen still, not bothering to lookup into its haunted face.

“No chance to leave? But they still know we arehere—right?” she had whispered to Tinspar, her headlowered, waiting till the spirit had passed by. “I mean,it seems they can still see us, even though you said theyare in another time or plane…”

“Yes, that is right; they can see us,” Tinspar hadreplied, nodding his head and watching from the cornerof his eye as the ghost moved on. “You see, they arefrom a dark age that sought only war and bloodshed,nothing more. But when their dark age had come to anend, they sought to remain here in this world—even indeath. They knew of nothing else. And that, my youngfriend, was their sad choice that brought about theirmadness: the fact that they could have been taken intothe great light, but instead refused. And so here theyremain, forever in aimless wander.”

Her eyes had then caught the movement in thedistance of a few other spirits that floated over the topsof a few hills, spinning in hopeless circles.

“So, what about this great light?” she had said, asthey both had resumed walking. “Will this great lightreturn to give them another chance to leave this world?”

“Oh yes, I’m quite sure there is always a secondchance for all of us in life,” Tinspar had replied with asigh. “And in death, too….”



Now, as they were both resting at the tail end ofthe hills, munching on some dried fish and bread,Tabitha gazed upon a few rays of the setting sunlightthat poked through the dark clouds, and wonderedabout the great light itself.

“So, how is it you know so much about the realmand the ghosts?” Tabitha said, breaking the silentevening air.

Tinspar finished eating and brushed himself off.He twisted his head around to her and smiled.

“You are a curious soul, aren’t you, missTabitha?” he stated gently. “Well, seeing as how I’vebeen around for many, many years, and have studiedmuch about the realm through the old scrolls theancient monks have kept well preserved back in theLand of Tales—well, I guess that would be how I’vecome to know a few things.”

Tabitha nodded, a tiny smile creasing her mouth.“Wow, that would sure be something…” Her big blueeyes sparkled in wonder. “To see the Land of Tales oneday…”

He patted her on the back, grinning wide. “Andone day you just may!” he groaned, heaving himself upfrom the ground. “Okay, come on! We’re just about tool’ Will’s. In fact, I can see some odd-looking shapesdown below there in the valley—they just may be hisarea of hiding…”

~ CHAPTER VIII

~ HAMMER and ANVIL

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