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Landsbyen -Into the North- An Epic Poem 75

A stranger came arunnin through the village shoutin bout something in the forest that was killin the crops.  He was all excited and needed help gettin rid of the creature.  A big crowd gathered and some of the men started their usual manly talk bout how nothin was gonna kill their crops and git away with it but when they started toward the woods, they was all walkin real slow like.  Me on the other hand, I walked through the woods all cocky like a rooster until I gets to the clearin.  There in the clearin was a thin small man with these pointy ears.  I was sceared and jumped behind a tree as soon as I seen 'im.  One of the ones followin further back burst into the holler and started yellin, there he is, git him.  The people was sceared too, and didn't move at first.  Then this man who wasn't a man, the one that looked like a human started throwen light from his fingers and the villagers started fallen like 
leaves from a tree.  Tother man with the pointy ears started throwen light from his fingers at the other demon, like he was tryin to stop him or somthin, but bout that time the villagers finally found their gumption and attacked old pointy ears.  Strange thing, he didn't even try to stop them even though he could'a burnt 'em all up with the fire from his fingers.  They beat him with sticks and hoes until he didn't move anymore.  Then that other demon threw his light at everyone of them until they was gone.  I was the only one to get away.  
 
     “When I left that forest I swore I'd never go back and ain't never done it since.  I tell ya it's a cursed place.”  She took Joulupukki's hand with her grimy fingers and with surprising tenderness and sincerity she lowered her voice and said, “Don't be goin out in those woods son.  It won't do ya no good.”
The King thanked the woman for her kindness and stepped back to Lumi.
     “Did anyone bury him,” the half elf asked, as he looked back at the woman.
     “The next day they gathered a few men and women together and went to the woods to get the bodies.  They used sledges to drag the men back and buried them in the fence over thar.  As for pointy ears, one of the women said no one wanted to touch him so they covered him with a few spades of dirt, said a prayer and left him where he lay.”
He turned back to the group and asked, 
     “Did someone actually see a dragon, as I heard?”  
     “Sure did,” shouted one of the men in the back.  “I saw it and so did my wife, and Remy there.  He said it was breathing fire.  I didn't see that, but I do know I hit it with a couple of 
arrows.  We're going back out tonight and see if we can finish it off before the Roman
Guards get here.  They make jokes about us.  They say we're not hunters.  
We intend to have a beast to show them when they return.”
“Would you mind if we come with you?”  Joulupukki asked.
The man who was speaking hesitated for several seconds before answering.
     “You can come, but I think it best you leave your brother behind.”  The man finally said.
     “But he is the one who needs the light.”  Joulupukki sounded almost condescending.  “If, in fact, it was sent from one of the Gods.”
     “Oh, yeah,” the man spoke to someone beside him, “You two stay at least ten paces behind us and I guess it'll be OK.”
     “Thank you,” Joulupukki tried to sound as sincere as he could.
The old lady looked at him for a moment and shook her head as she disappeared back into the crowd.

Copyright © James Inman | Year Posted 2021

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