brink of the chasm and pointed upward with its
nose.
"Over the pit? Can they fly?"
" Woof."
"And you couldn't keep up with them, running on the ground. Or maybe
you could, until you got into that brier patch. And they didn't realize
you were caught, so don't know where you are."
" Woof."
"But maybe when they realize that you're gone, they'll fly back the way
they came, and find you."
"Woof!" Woofer agreed, brightening.
"So let's wait here until they come. Then you'll be all right. Xanth
isn't very friendly to a Mundane creature alone."
"Woof."
So they waited by the brink, gazing out, watching for flying creatures,
while D. Sire faded in and out, her disgust expanding to its farthest
boundaries. Forrest took some balm from his knapsack and spread it on
Woofer's scratches and punctures, and they started healing.
Then Forrest's sharp eyes spied two things in the air. They might be
birds, but they didn't fly like birds. "Maybe that's them," he
suggested.
"Woof!" Woofer wagged his tail.
So Forrest waved violently, to attract their attention. The shapes
veered toward him. Soon they showed up as two humanoid figures: a young
man and a young elfin woman. She had wings, while he flew without
wings. Evidently they were a couple.
Woofer bounded across to meet them as they landed on the brink.
The young man hugged him, and the young woman kissed his nose.
Then they turned to Forrest.
"Hello," he said, feeling abruptly awkward.
"Woof!" Woofer said, returning to him.
"You helped Woofer"" the man asked.
"He was caught in the brier patch."
"Woof.
"But those scratch something awful," the woman said. "He's
unscratched."
"Woof woof."
"I used some balm," Forrest said. Then, still feeling awkward: "I'm
glad he's safe now. I'll be on my way."
"Woof woof."
"But you are safe now, aren't you'?" Forrest said to him. "These are
your friends."
"I think he means that you helped him, so he wants to help you back,"
the man said. "Let's introduce ourselves. I'm Sean Mundane."
"I'm Willow Elf," the woman said.
"I'm Forrest Faun."
"And so you won't have to wonder, I really am Mundane," Sean SAId. "I
vISITED Xanth, and fell In love wIth Willow. We-well, we ran afoul of a
love spring without realizing it at first. She's large for an elf and
flies because she associates with a very large winged elm tree. I
returned to Mundania with her, and she found it a really weird place.
Then wtien we came back to Xanth, suddenly I could fly. We don't know
what happened, but it's great. Now we're just enjoying it. We hope to
marry soon."
Forrest realized that they were as curious about him as he was about
them. "I'm an ordinary tree faun. My neighboring tree lost its faun,
so I am in search of a replacement faun for it, so it won't die or
become-" He hesitated.
"Mundane," Sean said. "No affront; I know how awful that seems to
Xanthians. Of course you don't want that to happen."
"So I'm going to ask the Good Magician for advice," Forrest continued.
"Though I understand that he charges a year's Service for an answer, and
I have to be back with my tree in a month. And I can't even find my way
across this crevasse. So I'm not sure exactly what I'm doing."
Sean and Willow exchanged a Significant Glance. Then she spoke. "You
helped Woofer, and we appreciate that. So maybe we can do you a return
favor. I don't know how to solve your dilemma, but I think I know who
might be able to help. I'll call her." She lifted a whistle she wore
around her neck and blew on it.
In barely a moment there was a crashing in the brush as something huge
charged through it. "A dragon!" Forrest exclaimed. "You had better fly
out over the gulf."
"A dragon ass," she corrected him.