A tale by Jasmine Brockhouse.
I came to Falton in order to find a wizard. Not just any old wizard, though, but Etarum, the wizard who turned my father into a tree and tried to marry me.
Me!
Jasmine Brockhouse, a lowly healer’s apprentice. I was not willing to give up my job in exchange for the wedded life, nor did I want to marry the evil man.
I straggled into Falton and immediately made myself useful to the washerwoman by bringing her a jar of water. Then I meandered about and found myself near the tournament grounds. A young woman screamed and ran out into the open.
“Bandits! They attacked me!”
“Bandits? Where?” two men armed with both swords and shields asked. She pointed in the direction of the woods. They went off to slay the villains, while the woman adjusted her head piece. Judging from her elegant attire, I guessed she was noble.
I approached her. “Are you all right?”
She still panted for air, but managed to respond, “Yes, I am. Thank you. But the bandits gave me quite a fright!”
Then I introduced myself and learned her name was Princess Elise. I wished her the best of luck and departed, somehow ending up at Miracle Mike’s swamp house.
“I hate cucumbers!” A woman shouted from inside. “I like tomatoes!”
“Well, I hate tomatoes!” Miracle Mike retorted. A few minutes later, three young women emerged.
“We are searching for tomatoes and cucumbers,” the eldest of the group, whose name I later learned was Juliet, said to me. An odd quest, but given the odd characters inside the hut, not unexpected.
A younger member of the trio cautioned us against the bandits who have been robbing innocents recently. We looked around warily as we hurried to the washerwoman, who had no fresh produce, but offered free advice for the swamp couple: “Suggest that they each have a garden, where she will grow what she wants and he will grow what he wants.”
Armed with the advice, we trudged up the hill back to the swamp and pushed through the thickets to talk with Mike and Valkyrie. They thanked us greatly for the advice (“You know, that is a great idea!”) and I shared some homemade anti-bug tincture with them.
“Hello there!” A voice called as we exited. We glanced over at a man with shoulder-length red hair. Fearing he was a brigand, my new friends- Rosabel, who was the youngest, Clarissa, and Juliet- and I ran as fast as we could to escape him. “My, you run fast!” the man called after us, but he did not give chase. We found some shelter in the woods and stumbled to the fairy clearing. I did not particularly like fairies, as they had kidnapped my friend some years prior, but seeing as it was that or risk being attacked by bandits, I followed.
Witches weren’t much better.
The Witch who was there tried to convince us to marry her son, Man Witch, a strange sort of fellow who wore a colorful cape on his back and a scarf over his head. As we made our escape, we ran into Princess Elise and explained what The Witch wanted.
“I would rather marry a toad!” she exclaimed.
The Witch called, “I can turn him into a toad!”
Somehow we managed to get through the next hour without dying. All of my
group, that is, except for Rosabel, who was both a Healer and Noblewoman. She was strolling along alone when someone attacked her from behind, causing her to collapse, mostly dead, as he took everything she owned.
Faltonians and visitors alike searched for resources, dueled for money, and explored on quests. We regrouped at the Falton Fair, where we feasted on tubesteaks, fresh fruit, and cookies. There I met Luna, a woman-turned-part-werewolf, who was seeking a wizard to help her. We consulted a knight, recently arrived, and he declared that Man Witch had passed him as the knight entered the town.
A few minutes later, the knight announced the Falton would hold a tournament! Huzzah! Many a brave knight, princess, and common folk tried their hand. The princess Elise herself fought off three men and won one round. Sir Reginald, with whom I had spoken at the Fair, defeated Stryder himself! There was a contestant with a giant shield; another fought with a mace and sword; yet another with a giant hammer! Though some people were maimed, everyone agrees that the tournament was a success!
While we were celebrating, a townsperson collected all the resources he could find, bringing them to the tournament. Immediately, two men set upon him and stole his goods. Sir Reginald managed to nab a few items and brought them to me. In retaliation, the townsperson who collected the resources to begin with attacked me and robbed me of a few shillings. Feeling responsible, Sir Reginald ran to my aid. He was not able to save my life, but he avenged me, taking on three opponents at once!
Everyone remained congregated near the tournament fields. I joined them after I recovered. But what is this? Tom the Bard brought forth a foreign-looking cup. Stryder examined it and proclaimed that it was of Gilderian make! Everyone shifted uneasily at the news. Looking up, we saw movement at the top of the hill. It was a band of Gilderians coming to attack!
“We want your lands!” The leader shouted. “And your green apples!”
Stryder bravely stepped forward, a small white flower in his hand. “Here. We will give you this flower if you leave us alone.”
“I will take this flower… TO THE DEATH!” Their leader shouted, drawing his sword and cutting the flower from Stryder’s hand.
The battle for Falton had begun. I threw my throwing dagger into the middle of the advancing party. Unfortunately, I had no other weapon. Looking around wildly, I
saw Bard Tom holding out a sword to me. Nodding my thanks, I took it and plunged forward. Clarissa and I fought side by side until another enemy approached. I left Clarissa to finish off the first man and lunged at the new one. Our swords danced, the setting sun glinting off the blades. Finally, my opponent retreated. The tournament grounds, where we had so joyfully celebrated a few minutes prior, was now scattered with the bodies of the wounded. Sir Reginald, Stryder, Tom the Bard, Princess Elise, Clairssa, and many more fought valiantly. Shortly afterward, the grunts of the fighters gave way to celebratory cheers! We won!
“We need a healer!” Someone called. Finally I could make use of my healing abilities!
Once everyone had recovered, we clapped each other on the back, sharing tales of the day and our hopes of the days to come. No longer were we Gilderians and Faltonians, but friends.