Soon they were at the alders and looked down in rivulets, where clear water ran and whirled over polished stones. The willow stood close on the shore, and Robin wondered if Irwarin[1] was hiding there, because no one could live in the whirling water?

Greenwood cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted:

“You that are where the stream goes
You that master the water
You that is older than time itself
You that rule in rivulets and river!
Like silver you stand in the arms of the stream
The reeds whisper your mighty name
You that swam in the creation water
Equus Aquarius, come now forward!”

“You always have to flatter him some,” whispered Greenwood to Robin. “Listen!”

And Robin heard a sound like thunder; a strange, rumbling sound that came closer along the rivulet. The alders shivered, and the water ran faster over the stones, like trying to get away. She pressed closer to Greenwood and looked at the rivulet bend.

An enormous, silver-grey stallion with a flying white mane comes runaway in the water groove. His hooves struck flashes from the stones, and around his body stood a haze of spray. He came as a rolling stone, and nothing wanted to be in his way. The willows drew in their twigs, the water divided for his hooves.

But in front of Greenwood and Robin he stopped and stretched his big head. The alders branches mirrored in his blank eyes; and his white mane fell like a waterfall over his neck.

“Master over the water, master over the streams,” said Greenwood. “We have come to ask your help.”

"Speak!" barked Irwarin his voice a deep growl.

“We need to find the Giant,” said Greenwood. “Do you, o father of the rivers, know the way to his home?”

The stallion shook and said:

“Long it is, if the bird fly
Long it is, if the deer run
And for the one that walks, he will never reach.
He eats of year, like the time wound.”

“That sounds difficult,” said Greenwood. “Is there really no other way to get there?” He furrowed his brow. “The whole Rhovanion is in danger, you see, oh master. We need the giants help. The Manulô[2] empire grows stronger. No one is safe. I have hear that they will fill the rivulet with greystones, because they don’t like it porl.” Greenwood looked troubled.

“Mighty peculiar it is to hear this,” said the stallion incensed. “Are you sure?”

“Mja, I only tell what I have heard. They have already conquered Lô na dûr. But I shall not bother with little thing, oh master. Return to your rest, you; it is best to do as long there is any water to be in…”

The stallion shook his head, so the mane flying. “Be careful to raise my anger, water creature!” he said. “I know what you want to get. Climb up on my back and we will proceed to the giant’s dwelling place. Quickly, before I regret myself!” he snorted, and the silver hooves danced above the stones.

“We are two as you see, o mighty master.”

“A mortal?” Iarwain seemed first now noticed Robin. “Never has a mortal ridden on my back.”

“Then we have to look for someone else’s help,” said Greenwood. “Worst, we have to surrender to Manulô’s. Come Robin, let’s go.” He turned around.

“Unwise you speak!” the stallion said. “Reluctantly I carry you both. But if the water is in danger…” he rose up on the shore; the enormous body glimmered, and Robin nearly stepped backed, when the big head turned towards her.

“Climb up on my back!” said Iarwain.

Greenwood took a leap upon the stallion and stretched out his hand to Robin, who was suddenly sitting astride over the wide back. She didn't know how it had happened, but unexpectedly she was there. And she had hardly time to put her arms around Greenwood’s waist, when the stallion took a huge leap over the rivulet, straight through the willows and roaring further through the trees, where frighten birds flew away and flowers was crushed under the hooves. Robin’s hat flew off and she was scared to lost both breath and balance of the wild ride.

 

~*~ Part 41 ~*~

Robin squeezed tight to Greenwood with her face in his lean blond hair. But soon she dared to look around and saw how trees, bushes and sunlit meadows glimpsed and flew by.

She didn’t know for how long they ride through the wood. In the end the whole world was the sound of the silver hoovess, the wind in her face Greenwood's body and the stallions white mane flew around them. She felt safe where she sat; she was riding with a gale and didn’t need to fear the storm.

Greenwood's laugh and the sound of the wind sounded like bells. She joined them laughing even though she noticed that the forest around them became darker and thicker. The moss grew high and untouched over gigantic stone blocks, and white rough lichen hung from dead branches. Fallen trees lay with sprawled branches over the ground that looked like no foot had stepped there from time immemorial. The pines thick head close over their heads.

The stallion run fast as it continued to the world’s end.

“It starts to get night,” whispered Greenwood through the wind. Then saw Robin how the shadows grow longer, how they reach after turfs and thicket and encircle them with dim.

When they had ridden through the dusk for some time, Iarwain slowed down and said: “Now we are almost there. The cave you will find in the mountain.”

  

~*~ Part 42 ~*~

In front of them rose a dark mountain wall where small birches and other plants climb. The stallion stopped beside two large stone blocks that lay in front of a big opening in the mountain.

“Here you enter,” he said.

“Will you not come with us?” Robin dared to ask.

“In to mountains and under ground I not walk,” said the stallion. “But I will give you a firebrand that makes the dark shy. Get off my back.”

Greenwood and Robin jumped down in the flexible moss. They looked curious when Iarwain took a dry branch in his mouth and with his hoof made a sparkle. The sparkle flew and put the branch on fire that started burn with a slow blue flame.

“Magic is in this fire,” the stallion said. “Only I can put it out.”

“I thank you, oh master over water,” said Greenwood and lifted the torch. He took Robin in his hand, and they went together through the crack.

The blue light fell on high, rugged stone walls where nothing grew. Soon the crack got wider, so they barley saw the walls. Their steps echoed and went rolling in the dark. But there was another sound as well, a rumbling, regular sound from the depths of the mountain.

Robin held tighter to Greenwood's hand. Chilly air met them, and the flame flickered. The passage turned into a big cave, where the light didn’t reach up at all. The whole cave was filled with the brawling sound.

“I know what that is,” whispered Robin. “That moust be the Giant which snores. Ugh, then we have to wake him. I know how angry you can get when you are woken up.”

“That depends on how the waking is made,” said Greenwood. “Let me to handle the talking.” And he shouted:

“Four fat sheep in your vestibule stands!”

A very noise was heard from the dark. “Whaba?” said a muddy deep voice, which echo in the cave: “Who is it that speaking about sheep?”

“It is I, but when you noised so much they went to the forest,” said Greenwood regretful.

“What are you for little pestilence creep,” the Giant muddy on. “Do you think that tiny flame reaches against my dark? That I will easily blow out.” A strong breath of air came towards them, but the flame didn’t go out.

“That was peculiar,” said the giant. “What are you for creep?”

“I reside in the goldenblack water,” said Greenwood with a deathlike voice. “Iarwain’s friend I am, and at my side stand Robin the daring, Robin that walks between the worlds.”

“What nonsense do you speak?” said the Giant. “Are you tenderize in the meat, by the way? Fat and well?”

“Not especially,” said Greenwood, “we have lost our flesh, so long we have travelled to reach you.”

“How odd,” said the giant. “You are either foolish or unwise to come here. Because it is some time I got a real tuck-in. At least a thousand years, I think. I lay down to sleep to forget the rumbling in my stomach, and the talk about fat sheep have made me wild of hunger.”

“It can be so,” Greenwood said. “But if you eat us now, you never will hear why we come.”

“Hm,” said the giant. “Have it anything with food to do?”

“In a way,” said Greenwood and squeeze Robins hand. “It is about Manulô, to be more exact. Manulô and thind mân. They are trying to take over the wood. And without to overstate too much I can say that they isn’t especially appetizing. They are both mouldy and vapid in taste. I would not hesitate to call them inedible.”

“What do I care about that?” said the giant.

“Yes,” continues Greenwood assiduous, “Thind mân get more and more because all other beings in the forest turn into Thind mân’s too, when the Thind mân catches them. Do you understand?”

“Hm,” said the giant. “You say that it gets more Thind mân and less of everyone that is eatable?”

“Exactly,” said Greenwood. “And soon there is only Thind mân, if nothing is done.”

“So awful,” said the giant worried. “Then is it best I eat you fast, before you get grey too.” And they heard how he came on feet somewhere in the dark.

 

~*~ Part 43 ~*~

“Stop!” said Greenwood. “If you eat us are we your last mouthful. Then it just Manulô and Thind mân. Can you listen little longer?”

“Yes, if you not get long-winded. I am starving.” They heard a sound that could be gnashing of teeth.

“You, that is so powerful and strong and wise and clever and intelligent,” said Greenwood with a mild voice, “you should easily extinguish the Thind mân.”

“There is something in what you say,” agreed the giant. “I could stamp on them with my big foot.”

“That is not going,” said Greenwood, “even though you astonish me with your wise in your suggestion. They slip away as the fog. But I have heard that you are magnificent to throw stones.”

“Oh, that was in my youth,” said the giant modest. “Now can I on my length throw a three miles way or so. And then I want to hit a church, or else it had to past.”

“Three miles!” said Greenwood. “I amazed and it takes my breath away! But it is of course small stones you talking about.”

“Are you shameless?” shouted the giant and took a step towards them. It rumbled in the mountain. “I can throw as big stones as I want!”

“That I wonder,” said Greenwood. “I do not think you can lift the Angel stone.”

“Angel stone? What is that? Any angels I do not want to have anything to do! They burns and flutter in your sight! And they are not eatable either.”

“It is not a question to struggle with any angels,” said Greenwood. “What would be needed is someone to move the angel stone from the field on the way to the village and then throw it on the city Grey Hunger in Lô na dûr, where the Thind mân lives. It is sad that you not be capable of it.” He sighed.

“That you can take down that am capable off!” exclaimed the giant. “In the field, you said? In Lô na dûr, you said?”

Greenwood and Robin pressed to the wall when the giant tramped by. They were able to catch a glimpse a big, hairy foot with long toenails, which glow in the blue light. Then went the noise further and further away, and the stillness lowered in the cave.

Greenwood sighted. “Let us go,” he said. His voice was weak and toneless after the conversation with the giant, but when the light fell on his face, Robin saw that he had an arched smile. They looked on each other, and burst out in laugh and laughed all the way until they came out through the two erratic blocks.

There stood Irawain and waited for them. The moon had went up and mirrored in his eyes. In the moonlight they could see the pushed down trees, the pressed-kicked stones and the tear up moss the giant had left from his way forward. It looked like a tornado had gone through the wood.

 

 

~*~ Part 44 ~*~

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