Epilogue 2

So that was the story of…

A word that froze, a heart that soared,

A boy who flew, a girl who ROARED.

Have you guessed which of the characters in the story I am yet?

I could be any of them, Wish or Xar, or Caliburn, the-raven-who-has-lived-many-lifetimes, or Bodkin the Assistant-Bodyguard-who-wished-he-was-a-hero, or Crusher, the-dreamy-Longstepper-High-Walker-giant, or one of the sprites, or the hairy fairies, ANY of the characters at all. (Not Eleanor Rose or the werewolf—I couldn’t be either of THEM, because they weren’t in the first book, so that would be cheating, and the narrator can be tricky but should not actually cheat, otherwise it’s extremely annoying for the reader.)

I still cannot tell you who I am, I’m afraid, for as you can see, the story has not yet ended.

I can only tell you at the end…

but the end is getting closer.

Wish’s and Xar’s stars have crossed for the SECOND unlikely time, and for good, or for evil, their stars are now joined together and they are traveling in the same, very dangerous direction.

I left them, peacefully enjoying the present.

One of the reasons that looking into the future, or dwelling too much on the past, are such dangerous practices, is that what we see there might stop us enjoying the excitement and pleasures of the “now.”

But pity me, for I have the curse of being able to see into the future, and although they do not know it yet… that door our heroes are lying on so peacefully is headed toward the Lake of the Lost, which, as Bodkin pointed out, is the Drood stronghold, and Droods are unrelenting, unforgiving, and the greatest Wizards in the wildwoods, and they will want to obliterate anyone who has Magic-mixed-with-iron.

The emperor of Warriors will be told by the Witchsmeller about Sychorax’s daughter, and he too will want to eliminate the threat posed to the Warrior world by Magic-mixed-with-iron…

Encanzo and Sychorax will be chasing Xar and Wish, but Encanzo is in trouble with the Droods himself. And Sychorax is in trouble with the emperor of Warriors… and everyone will be chasing everyone else.

The forces of darkness will be closing in on our young heroes.

But WORST OF ALL…

The Kingwitch will be after them both. And he will not rest until he gets them. And he has a single piece of tiny blue dust that he thinks he may find helpful.

Can Wish and Xar break out of the sad circles of the history of the wildwoods?

They are young, they are hopeful.

Can they really write their own story?

Is that even possible?

Keep hoping…

Keep guessing…

Keep dreaming…

 

Never and Forever (Tor’s Song)

Don’t blame the wolves, for winter is bitter,

Don’t blame the wolves, for wolves need to eat,

The winter has chased all the game from the forest,

The wolf cubs are hungry, and I would taste sweet…

I don’t want to die before I have children,

I don’t want to die when the world is so young,

I don’t want to die on this glorious midnight

With words not-yet-said and songs not-yet-sung…

I am young, I am poor, I can offer you nothing,

All that I have is this bright pair of wings,

This air that I eat, these winds that I sleep on,

This star path I dance in, where the moon sings…

See the swifts soar, they live well on nothing,

You are young, you are strong, if you’ll give me your hand,

We’ll leave earth entirely and never go back there,

We’ll sleep on the breezes and never touch land…

I promise you gales and a merry adventure,

We’ll fly on forever and never will part…

I am young, I am poor, I can offer you nothing,

Nothing but love and the beat of my heart.