Martis Ch 1 Greystalker (revised)

Beginning of Fantasy novel

Martis

1

Graystalker

It was the Cat that convinced Martis.

That day he slid through the forest silent as shadow. He was peering into the undergrowth looking for ginseng ,bloodroot , nettles and other herbs as well as puffballs, reishi and other useful fungi which he could sell in Bramnol. Waram the herbalist would pay well for them. Martis was very good at find such things and often spent a week or more sweeping the woodlands gathering what would pay best

Many people of his home would tell tales of the dangers of the strange mists that were sometimes there.

It was called the Forest of Mists because in its depths one could find areas of strange mists. Sometimes in areas as small as a few hundred yards and at times much larger. It was said that they were connections to the world of Faery the home the Fay, a powerful race who had great magical powers. Their land was full of strange trees and creatures.

There were many stories about things that they could do because of power within them. Even lore masters would admit that some of the lore were contradictory.

They would say that the Fay had once lived among humans. But when the Breaking War a thousand years ago. came to its climax of conflicting powers some lands convulsed and were literally torn and left in ruin.

When this upheaval had happened the land of Faery and some had lesser-known lands were torn from the human world entirely to became realms outside the boundaries of the mundane worlds.

He had been deep into the forest for years. He discounted the stories because he had crossed mists of a few hundred yards without seeing anything but the normal forest he had seen all his life.

Seeking a place to camp afternoon he found an area with soft moss growing on the ground and the trunks of several trees. It had many of the the things he sought in the area around it. He found a place under the tree canopy that was shadowy.

He made his camp on the soft moss there on the south side of a large tree and a supper of hardtack, strips of cured meat and a few mushrooms good only for the table.

He did not light a fire as it would draw insects to trouble the traveler. He wrapped himself in his cloak and slept.



He woke abruptly in the morning. It was much lighter than it ought to be.

He found a clearing around him that had not been there the night before. The sky was an odd reddish color and around him there were rocks of a strange blue color shot with veins of red about the area.

It was unnerving so he strung his bow and nocked an arrow to be ready for anything dangerous.

He then turned slowly around, scanning the entire clearing and the forest beyond. The trees had smooth light brown bark, their leaves were a bright green. They had odd geometric shapes like diamonds, stars and triangles.

When as he completed his look around the clearing he found a large gray female cat sitting on one of the blue stones. It looked like many kept by his folk that hunted the vermin that were after the grain and other products stored in their homes.

She was staring intently at him with her blue eyes. The cats he knew did not behave that way.

"I am Graystalker," said in a woman's voice that seemed to speak in his head.

The cat cocked her head "Who are you?"

He stared back at the cat confused.

"I am Martis," he said glancing around for the speaker. He lowered his bow.

The cat rose from her haunches and hopped down from the stone and approached him.

She circled him slowly.

"I've never met a human before, but you look like what I have been told." she said.

She stopped a few feet before him still looking up at him.

"Very interesting." she went on.

:"Are all your people like you?" she finished sitting again on her haunches peering up at him.

"More or less," he was puzzled by what she by there question.

How she did she know he was a human but not know the answer to that question? He answered after spending a long moment before going on.

"Women are usually smaller. Most of my people have hair varies black, brown, blond or red."

"Very few of your people have come here," she said after a moment.

"There must be for a reason why you have come." she announced, looking him up and down. "\Why have you come here?"

"I have no idea. I slept in the forest and woke here. I was not trying to go anywhere.

She seemed to consider that. After a long minute she stretched and walked back to her perch on the stone.

"Do you want to go back to your forest?" she asked cocking her head again.

"Yes" He said staring at her wondering How a cat do to get him there?

"Come here then then and lay a hand on this stone for a moment thinking of your forest." she said seriously.

It took a long moment for a long minute before he approached the stone. He warily reached out his hand. The stone was oddly warm when he touched it.

In an eyeblink he was back at his camp with his hand was on the tree under which he had slept.

Graystalker was staring at him from nearby.

"I think I will have to find why you came to Faery," she said "Such things do not happen without a reason."

"How did you do that?" he asked staring around him

"I did not. You did." she answered.

"How did I do it?" he asked puzzled.

"It is easier to return from Faery than to travel there.

"As I said we need to find out how it happened and why." she answered.

"We need to leave the forest so that I can see more of your people. Maybe I can see a difference in some way.

"Which direction is your home?"

"South." He answered.

She walked a few feet in front of him toward the barony of his home.

He mulled overall all as he followed her. What could she see?

His family had lived in the village of Oharen for generations just another family making their home there.

They walked in silence. for three hours.

He went back to his normal activity of silence and foraging for what he sought.

"I need to stop for a bit. I need lo have something to eat and check my harvest so far today. It's been a productive trip for me. These should sell for a good price."

"What is sell?" she asked coming closer to him.

"The herbalist pays me with coins. I can use them can buy things."

"New words for me," she said cocking her head. "What are coins?"

He reached into a pouch on his belt and produced a silver coin.

"This a coin." he said holding it in front of him.

"Silver," she said, "The Fay make jewelry and decorations out of it but have no coins nor do they buy and sell, whatever that means."

His whole situation was unreal . He was talking with a cat who seemed intelligent but had no knowledge of normal life.

"There is an even important question about this situation," she went on, "How can you still hear and understand me? That should not be once we left Faery. The power there could allow us to speak. That power doesn't exist here. Try to communicate with me by addressing me without speaking aloud."

"And how to do that," he thought looking at her.

"As you just did," she answered.

He had a strong desire to be in the inn of the Dancing Bear with a mug of its best ale in his hand.

His life had become too strange. He was beginning to believe that he was goimg mad.

"I can only think of one possible answer. You are Fayborn."