Craig Shaw Gardner - An Excess of Enchantment

S is for the sole that goes on forward,

H is for the heel that rearwards be,

O is for the oxen-leather stitching,

E is for the eyelets, dont you see?

Put them all together, they spell SHOE-oo,

And that means an awful lot to me!

The Brownie Creed, Stanza 603

I knew I was in trouble the moment I opened my eyes. Without thinking, I had wished myself away from all the others, and apparently, completely out of Mother Ducks control. But where had I wished myself to?

I still was in a forest, perhaps in another part of the Eastern Woods. But it was different here, far darker than the clearing where we had met the giant. The trees were much taller and broader, towering far overhead, their great shadows keeping the sunlight from the forest floor. Their bark was dark gray as well, almost the gray of the shadows, and for a moment I imagined I had wished myself to a place that held no color, but only shades of shadow.

I tilted my head back as far as I could, trying to see the tops of those monstrous trees. There, high overhead, I could see some small patches of blue. But the color gave me no comfort because of what else I saw above me.

Here it was, the end of summer, and none of the trees had leaves. Their branches were barren, shaking in the wind high overhead, rattling against one another like skeleton bones. All the trees were dead.

That same breeze whipped against me with an unexpected suddenness, blowing Aleas borrowed blond hair from my head. I let it go. The giant had seen through my disguise in an instant. I pulled the sackcloth skirt up about my shoulders, hoping the extra fabric would provide me with some protection against the sudden chill.

I did not like this; it was all too familiar. I had been in a forest like this before.

I thought I heard a dry chuckle carried by the wind.

I turned and saw a robed figure regarding me from between the trees. Even before I could see his face through the shadows, I knew what to expect; the darkened sockets, the skull-like grin, the hands that looked like whitened bones.

Greetings, the sepulchral voice of Death announced as the spectre approached. It has been quite some time, Eternal Apprentice, since we have had a chance to speak alone.

I stood my ground as Death drew nearer, floating toward me as if he was carried forward by the howling wind rather than anything as simply mortal as legs and feet. Death seemed to think there was something special about me. That was why he called me the Eternal Apprentice, a soul that managed to elude Deaths grasp by constantly being reborn in new forms, a soul destined to always aid, however clumsily, true heroes, with the assistance of multiple companions.

I had no idea if there was any truth in Deaths claim. But it didnt seem to matter what I thought about it. Death had decided that I had somehow escaped his kingdom many times in past lives, and because of that he was willing to bend the rules of life and death, and steal me away as soon as I was alone.

As I was now. All alone with Death, without even my cowardly sword to protect me.

Death grinned at me, and held out his hand. You cannot imagine how I have longed for this moment. To at last possess the one who has forever been beyond my grasp!

He threw his hea3back and laughed, a high-pitched, frightening sound, like nightbirds falling from the sky with broken wings.

Indeed, I responded, concentrating mightily to keep my voice from cracking in terror. Death would take me now; he had made his desire for my Eternal Apprentice soul abundantly clear in my last two narrow escapes. But I could not succumb to the emotions that raged inside me, threatening to block my windpipe, to stop my heart. Perhaps, I reasoned instead, if I could get Death to talk, he might betray some weakness and inadvertently show me a way to save myself.

Indeed? Death replied, a bit surprised.

Indeed, I said again. I think not.

Death chuckled, the sound of black beetles being ground underfoot.

Pitiful human, the spectre whispered. Resistance is useless against a force such as Death. Still, you know my fondness for games. Come! Try your best to keep me from taking you to my kingdom of darkness, and I will thank you for giving me my sport.

I took a step away. Somehow, though I did not see him move, Death seemed no farther away than before. If anything, he was closer; his outstretched hand now almost touched my shoulder.

You will not escape that way, the spectre said. Death is everywhere. He flexed his bone-white fingers. Come now. Take my hand. It will be so simple.

Was this, then, the end? I could feel panic shooting up my spine. Before, my companions had always rushed to my aid, presenting Death with far too many souls to dispose of, thus defeating his deadly plans. Now, though, I was completely alone, far from everyone I knew. I had even lost my trusty ferret, in an earlier altercation with the giant. The silence of the dead forest seemed to close in around me. Oh, if I could only hear that reassuring Eep-eep-eep which had saved me from Death before.

Deaths bony fingers brushed the cloth at my shoulder.

No! I cried. I am not ready!

Death guffawed, the sound vultures make as they circle their prey. Ready? You dont have to be ready for Death. It simply happens. Come now. I have plagues to spread, disasters to provoke. Death can never rest.

His hand reached for me again. Come! No one can resist me!

I am not precisely sure what happened next. The soft, barren earth beneath my feet seemed to give way as I kicked back from the reach of Death. The ground appeared to slip one way, my boots another. Whatever the cause, I lost my footing. I looked up to see Death grasp the empty air where once my head had been.

I have never seen anyone so clumsy! the spectre raged. And you would dare to deny you are the Eternal Apprentice!

I rolled away, scrambling to my feet.

Indeed, I remarked, searching for some words that might further distract the angry spectre.

What is that? Death whispered in a voice as cold as Midwinter Night.

I stopped, and in the stillness I, too, heard something cry, an animal of some sort, coming toward us!

Eep! the animal sounded. Eep! Eep!

I knew what it was even before I saw its gray form streaking between the trees.

It was my ferret.

Eep! the ferret cried, overjoyed to see me. Eep! Eep!

Death stared at the ferret in disbelief. That is impossible. We are in the most destitute part of the Eastern Woods, miles from life of any kind. And yet, you are sought out by this animal companion. And still you doubt that you are the Eternal Apprentice?

The ferret leapt up into my arms. I, too, believed it was a great coincidence that my pet could find me, out in the midst of these barren woods. But then again, this was one of my magic ferrets, produced from an equally magic hat I had taken with me to the Netherhells. Perhaps, because I had conjured them, the ferrets were somehow connected to me. Could it be. then, that all I had to do was think of them, and they would come?

Death glowered at the ferret, spreading his arms wide as if he would encircle me in a skeletal hug.

Before, I would have contented myself to merely touch you, the spectre leered. But no, you choose to elude my deadly grasp. Now, I will be forced to wrestle you to the ground. I will take your soul, and the life of that ferret, too! Submit, mortal! No one can survive the grip of Death!

I am also not entirely clear on the exact sequence of subsequent events, but I do remember Death lunging for me again and the ferret streaking between us, and my arms flailing to get out of the way, but despite my best efforts somehow getting caught up in Deaths robes, and the spectre flying over my head, falling to the ground with a rattle of bones. I tried to scramble away, only to have my feet get caught by the robes coarse material.