Fern and Thor

Chapter IV

“We are gathered here today to witness Miss Fern’s departure.” The councillor’s voice interrupted Fern’s thoughts. She looked out from where she was standing, in front 30 pairs of eyes. Everyone from the village had come to see Fern leaving. The councillor looked at her expectantly. Fern was told she had to make a speech.
“Fellow villagers,” she began awkwardly, “I will miss you all terribly, as I go to do my part in the world. But just know that I will always be thinking of you.” There was a small sob to be heard in the crowd.
“Fern! Fern! Fern!” Someone was starting up a chant. Fern looked closer and made out a tall, athletically thin man. “Thanks, Horace” she whispered. Soon, more people were shouting along with him and it rapidly spread and soon, everyone in the village except she and the councillor was cheering. Finally, though, the councillor held up his hand for silence. “Enough.” He said, “Before Fern goes, I have a gift for her.” The councillor held out his hand to reveal a shining gold amulet studded with emeralds. It bore the village’s coat of armsin the middle. “Thank you.” Fern muttered. She didn’t have very much taste for jewellery, but she took it anyway, slipping it over her head.
“Now, I am afraid Fern must leave us.” The councillor shook his head with what Fern was sure of was false sadness. “Fern, be on your way.”
Fern didn’t know what to do, so she just picked up the knapsack containing all her things, waved to the crowd and walked out of the village gates. Stopping to look back one last time, she saw her mother waving, crying slightly.
“I’ll make you proud, mum” she whispered, and then called out “Don’t worry! I’ll be safe!”
This made her mother look up and smile, and Fern, satisfied, strolled out of the village.

Fern trudged across the fields of Rea. The grassy plain was filled with poppies. Fern shuddered. It reminded her of death, and what she was putting at risk for this adventure. She pushed the thought out of her mind and continued on her way.
Fern decided she would first go to Damaka Forest. In her point of view, that would probably be the smartest place. There were many shadowy, dark places suitable for hiding, and the dryads and wood elves living there would provide convenient for the hydra, or whoever was controlling it. As she approached the bushy tree-infested woodland, she saw a weather-beaten placard with the words Damaka Forest, Home to the Spirits of the Trees and an arrow leading into the crooked pathways of the small jungle.  Fern cautiously followed it, the sounds of the birds and wildlife interrupted by the crunching of leaves underfoot. After long, the trail stopped suddenly, in front of an old paper bark tree. There was a little hollowed out space in front where a young, beautiful dryad sat, her eyes closed. Carefully, Fern crept up, and purposely cleared her throat. “Excuse me…” she said weakly. The nymph’s eyelids flickered open. “Ah, child. I have been expecting you.” She replied airily. “You come to seek the Evil One, do you not?”
“Yes…” Fern replied uncertainly. “Can you tell me where he lives?”
The dryad’s eyes narrowed. “Child, do you know of our custom?”
Fern shook her head.
“It is that every being come to seek advice from the beings of the Wood must first answer a riddle. If they succeed, we give them the information provided. If not, they are cursed to die a terrible death.”
Fern shivered. “Well, I must be going-”
“Why?” the dryad interrupted, “Why don’t you take my test?”
“No! Give me one reason why I should.”
“Because,” continued the nymph, “It will take you hours to search the whole of the Woods. If the Evil One’s location is elsewhere, it will all be for nothing. You’ll have wasted valuable time, and by the time you get back, your village will be a smouldering crater. Do I prove my point?”
Slowly, Fern nodded. It made sense. She had to know. “Fine. I accept”
“Okay then. Oh Child of the Land Outside, hear and decipher!”
Her enchanting voice carried out from the night air in mysterious tones:

“I follow you round when the sun is high
I cease to exist when the moon is nigh
I pursue your heels, turn where you steer
I know neither love nor fear
I hide beneath the soles of your feet
No matter the amount of chill or heat
I am the part of a bird that does not fly
So what is the answer-?
Who am I?”

As she finished, Fern roughly translated the riddle. She decoded it up until the 7th line. The part of the bird that does not fly.What would that mean? If it didn’t fly, it would be on the ground. So, what lives on the ground, disappears at night and follows you around in the day? Fern thought hard. The dryad smiled. “You have ten seconds” she said.
“What?!” Fern retorted, “You never said I had a time limit!”
“You are wasting time, child. Seven seconds.”
Fern knew that, however annoying she was, the nymph was right.
“Six”
She wracked her brains for more information.
“Five”
It lives on ground. It hides underneath your feet.
“Four”
It doesn’t know any emotions.
“Three”
It goes where you go, no matter where or when.
“Two”
Suddenly, Fern’s brain clicked. The answer never seemed so obvious.
“One-”
“Shadow!” she shrieked.
The dryad looked perplexed for a minute. Then she quickly recovered and, scrutinizing Fern, said, “Well, child, you have succeeded. Quite fortunate. Very well, I will give you the information you seek. The Evil One is not hidden in the Damaka Forest. If you wish to hunt him down, go to the northern mountains, but be careful. The only way to get inside the Evil One’s lair is for the wind to be blowing north-east.”
“But how-?”
“I cannot assist you any further, child. Goodbye, and may the Winds of Chance have us meet again”
Fern nodded. “I’d rather we didn’t,” she mumbled quietly.
“Thank you…” she replied, and turned to face the exit, still thinking about the hydra’s lair. She walked out of Damaka Forest, into the fields of Rea, and took a deep breath of air. That was when she heard a scream.