Abandoned - Deadwood - Story 73

[Abandoned]

Chapter 15


  Everyone was surprised when my sister Lorrine married and moved into the treehouse with Orris.  She was still a student.   Shortly after she finished school she had an adorable baby boy they named Tylon.  He looked just like his father Orris.  Construction of the small house by the fairy garden stopped.

  My brother Nest and Caldonald had a baby girl named Eldorathy and were expecting another child.   Hobartly the fisherman who moved out of their pumpkin house had a wife and child too.  My friend Madaliana had another baby boy, he looked just like his father Carlin.

  I wondered if I would ever have a husband and family or if like Carney said no one would want to marry me.  I felt very alone except when I was in the woods by my Woodman.   Carney was still alone in the pumpkin house.

[Abandoned]

Chapter 16


  I spent as much time as I could with Woodman.  I never gave up believing he was still alive inside that tree bark shell.  He must get lonely standing there all alone.  I told him my concerns about what Carney had said and that Carney was still alone.  He groaned, I was sure it was my Woodman who groaned.  It was not just the wind in the trees, it was him.

  When I went across town to get carrots and potatoes at the market I stopped to talk again to Arman at his pumpkin house by the fairy garden.  He was witch Ofelicity's son and had taught magic at the magic school for awhile.  I asked him again if he knew of any spell that might work to help break the spell on the Woodman.  He had nothing he could tell me about the spell, but he did tell me that his sister Partha had a baby girl and moved into the other pumpkin house with Carney.  They were not married, Arman said he warned his sister about Carney but she would not listen.

  Across the river, the small nice cottage was finally finished.  Ethelmer and his new bride, Odalysa, moved in.  She was the daughter of our neighbor by the apple walnut grove that was next to my sister's treehouse.  Despite them both being married to someone else, Ethelmer still delivered those pumpkins to my sister every autumn.

[Abandoned]

Chapter 17


  My sister was very happy with her life and had another child, an adorable baby girl they named Ryannalian.  I wondered what I would do with my life.  I did not want to spend it being cook and housekeeper to my mother.  I was no longer a little girl but what choice did I have.  I was a young woman who talked to a tree. 

I was there in the thicket talking to Woodman when by friend Madaliana stopped by while out for a walk with her 2 little boys.  She had several times spoken to her mother, witch Ofelicity, and to her brother, Arman, about the woodman.  There just did not seem to be any spell that could reverse the spell that went wrong.  At the time her family was more concerned with her sister Partha living with Carney.  It was rumored that he was now seeing someone else.  Madaliana said she was tempted to turn him into a toad.  Then she got very excited and said she had an idea.  She asked if I had kissed the woodman.

  What!  No, I had not kissed the woodman.  But yes, I had heard stories of women kissing toads to reverse the toadification spell.  Madaliana said it was worth a try, true love's kiss was a known cure for many things.  What!  True love!  Well, yes I suppose I did love Woodman.  Madaliana said of course I did, everyone knew that.  Everyone!  She said a kiss was worth a try, I should think about it.

[Abandoned]

Chapter 18


  Well, weary traveler, think about it I did.  And I had help.  Madaliana must have told the idea to my sister, Loarrine, when she took the boys there to play.  My sister must have told my brother.  They both came to the thicket to talk to me about the idea of kissing Woodman. My sister got there first but my brother was not far behind.  My sister said I should give it a try.  What could it hurt?  She laughed and said the worst that could happen would be if my kiss turned him into a toad and that would probably be better than being a tree.  My brother was more direct and told me to do it, just do it.  So I did.

  I sat there on my tree stump for a while before slowly approaching my Woodman.  I suppose I did love him.  I told him I was going to kiss him and I hoped he turned back into the man he was.  And then I kissed him.

[Abandoned]

Chapter 19


  I gave my Woodman a soft gentle kiss and then stepped back quickly because he began to shake.  Bit by bit the pieces of bark dropped off and there before me stood the man who had come through the tunnel all those years ago.  He hadn't aged a day. 

  I don't know what I expected next but it wasn't to be swept up in his arms and swung around joyfully to the sound of happy male laughter.  And then he kissed me.  My Woodman was alive and well and he kissed me.  And I kissed him back.

  It was a beautiful autumn day, the sun was warm and highlighted the beautiful fall colors of the towering pine trees all around us.  We sat a long time on the log to talk.  Yes, he saw me standing there holding the fawn but does not regret for a moment that he hesitated to watch me because here we are.  He was so grateful I came to visit him and did not give up.  He enjoyed watching me grow up, and was endlessly entertained watching me and the little critters that would follow me to the thicket.  He said he loved me since the autumn day I came to the thicket and threw an armful of leaves up in the air and danced happily around as they fell to the ground around me.

  As darkness began to fall, I did not know what else to do, I took Woodman to my brother's house.

[Abandoned]

Chapter 20


  Woodman spent several days with my Brother.  They talked to my father.  Woodman did not want to stay in Deadwood but he wanted me to go away with him.  I was not yet marriageable age but he got permission from my Father.  He said neither of us would be happy in Deadwood but we could make a good life for ourselves elsewhere and be happy.

  I never thought of leaving Deadwood.  I was born in one of the treehouses.  I visited the ducks in the ponds by the mushroom houses.  I crossed the tree bridge  to go to the magic school in the Coven part of town not far from the fishing tree.  I went past the witches' houses and spooking cemetery and pumpkin houses on my way to buy vegetables at the market and visit the old donkey.  I loved the beautiful pine trees and wise owls sitting in the Deadwoods.  Would I be happy if I left Deadwood?

  My brother offered some words of wisdom to help me decide.  He said the question to ask myself was not would I be happy if I left Deadwood but would I be happy if I stayed in Deadwood without Woodman?  The answer was no, but it was Woodman who convinced me to go.  He said he loved me since I was a little girl and was very glad that I did not allow him to be carved into a puppet to be played with, because he wasn't made of wood. 


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHAJF56zc6Q

[Abandoned]

Chapter 21


  Well, weary traveler, I was not a little girl anymore.  I had grown just as the town of Deadwood had grown in those years.  The population was 76, 39 adults, 6 students, and 31 young children.  They were all healthy and happy, except for maybe Partha who was still living with Carney.  Yes, everything happens for a reason and what is meant to be will be.  I spent most of my childhood in that deadwood thicket with Woodman.  Talking to a tree prevented me from being with Carney or anyone else and now I was leaving Deadwood with my Woodman.

  The town's people were amazed at the turn of events and were very happy for both Woodman and for me.  We were given that old wagon and donkey for our journey.  Ethelmur said that old donkey would not be happy without me and he knew I would take good care of him.  The wagon was lightly loaded with plenty of warm hides and furs, a few sturdy cook pots, and crates of potatoes, carrots, and onions.  My father, brother, and sister along with many of the town's people came to see us off and wish us well on that beautiful autumn day that Woodman and I left Deadwood behind us.


To Be Continued (in Story 77 or 78  next year)

[kid1293]

Well done!

Wasn't the woodman hungry?
Just kidding. The spell kept him alive.

[Abandoned]

  Thank you

Hmmm  Ya, he must have been starving    oh well, wagon has veggies and cook pots    She can feed him all the way to wherever they're going    Way to the man's heart and she's a good cook   

[Abandoned]

Three mods have been released.  Find info and link to downloads here:

Kid Deadwood    http://worldofbanished.com/index.php?topic=4048.0

Kid Tree Replacer Fairy Pines   http://worldofbanished.com/index.php?topic=4050.0

terrain Fairy Pines     http://worldofbanished.com/index.php?topic=4049.0