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

After a few more days and nights of travel uponthe great river of the realm, they had come to a stop atthe edge of the wilds. It was where Tabitha had decidedto fish, using the fishing rods Will had brought withthem; and it was a fine spot where the boys hadrecovered much of their strength. They had arrived atthe outskirts to the Land of Iron and Anvil.

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After ascending the hills that overlooked themining village in the Land of Iron and Anvil, the partystood silent and stared in shock: the village had beenutterly destroyed. Save for a few iron huts and steeltowers that still stood upon some rock embankments,the lava and ash and rocks had wiped out all else. Agreat fog and grim mist, all purple and black and red,swirled over much of the area. The fog-mist lingeredlike phantom waves in and around areas of rock andstone. And the mountains continued pouring forthmolten lava over much of the land.

As the party moved down closer to the village,they began to see the movement of people wanderingabout—the people seemed lost in a state of disbelief.Tabitha and the boys couldn’t contain themselves anylonger, and quickly sped down into the village area.Will and Tinspar stopped and watched as the three kidsscurried off, hoping they would find their folks stillalive and moving about.

“Boy…I hope Kelsey and Sonny are okay,” Willsighed.

Tinspar looked down at the old blacksmith andnodded. “I’m sure they are, Will. From what you’vetold me of them, they sound like strong, able souls.”

Will returned his look, and patted him on theback. “Thanks, old friend.”

“Now, I must get going,” Tinspar said. “It is timefor me to get back to the swamplands and tend to mygarden groves.” He looked up to the darkened, cloudcovered sky. “I’m sure they, too, have suffered plentyof damage from the fallout of those dreadful clouds.”

Looking up to the sky, Will nodded. “It’s been anhonor having you along to help.” He turned his gazeback to Tinspar. “Thank you for seeking me out. AndI’m forever grateful to you for looking after Tabitha.”

Tinspar grinned, his big, bug-like eyes flashing agreenish color. “A great honor, indeed. We’ll meetagain soon; I’m quite certain it’ll be somewhere alongthis magical pathway called life…”

“Indeed—we shall!” Will said, handing him theother iron lantern that they still had with them from thejourney. “Here, take this for your homeward journeyback.”

“Goodbye, old friend. And tell Tabitha farewellfor me, too.” Tinspar then moved off towards the east,his long, stick-like legs bouncing from hill to hill as hemade his way home to his beloved swamplands.

“Oh, and remember what you had told me oncewhen we had first met—” Tinspar shouted back overhis shoulder: “Never abandon hope!”

Taking a deep breath, Will then made for theruins of the village below—his former home.

~ EPILOGUE

A few years had passed since the great volcanicmountains had erupted and crushed so much life andland throughout the realm. The rebuilding of the Landof Iron and Anvil had started up almost immediatelyafter its destruction; and soon the mines were reopenedfor the drilling of the magical iron ore.

The loss of all the robot-droids was felt heavilythroughout the land, but they were soon being forgedonce again from iron and anvil.

Kelsey and Sonny had survived and were reunited with their daughter, Tabitha, and their old friendand blacksmith, Will. Despite the loss of the robots inthe village, as well as the crater lake, having beenturned into hardened lava rock, they had so much to bethankful for.

The old iron lantern now stood upon a mantle inKelsey and Sonny’s new home—the iron hut upon therock hill where they survived the eruptions and the lavaflow.

Tabitha, Jonathon, and Haley, who had all beengrounded for one year from ever going off into thewilds again, had taken up the blacksmith trade; theywanted to create magic from metal.

And Will—he had moved on, traveling about thelands. Still saddened by the loss of Anvil, and heartbroken after Stella had passed on some time later, hehad finally decided to make for the old barn he hadonce lived in, far away in the Land of Shadows. Therehe would see about constructing a new robot-droid withthe iron material he’d stashed away in the old barn,years before during the orphanage days. Though thenew creation would never be the same as Anvil, he atleast could begin to heal his heartache by staying inaction; and he wanted to do so in a place where Anvilwas born.

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Forging a new robot, Will thought to himself ashe traveled through the canyon narrows, heading for theLand of Shadows. That will be a darn, good start!One like Anvil—used for the good of many of thechildren that became orphaned after the witch’svolcanic madness!

As he moved through the dry riverbed, he pausedbriefly at the old burial spot of Anvil—and the witch.He had wanted to pay his respects to his little robotcreation. His eyes misted over. Then he noticed thetiny hammer (the one he had laid upon one of the stonesthe previous winter) was missing.

Hmm…strange,

he thought to himself.

Probablysome traveler that has needed it for their own…

He looked upwards to the canyon walls and cavepockets, scanning his eyes about. Also strange, hethought. Aleeria and the ghosts have not comearound…

But then he thought that maybe the sorceress hadnot taken notice of his presence in the narrows, nor hadthe stone trader ghosts, because he was keeping so quietto himself and his travels—moving only under thecover of the night and its shaded shadows.

As a chilled and frosted wind started up, Willdecided to ramble on.

Walking further along the hard-frosted ground,moving some distance away towards the burnt embersand scattered ashes of the deadwoods, Will thought hehad heard the low drone of an iron drive, along with amuffled whistle, sounding faintly forth from beneaththe pile of stones of the burial spot. He paused in midstride and turned to stare at the distant pile of stones.

“Hmm,” he whispered to himself, steam rising inthe cold air from his breath. “Nah—couldn’t be…”Shaking his head, Will turned around and continued on.

The wind was now