Immortal (14 page)

“Okay—uh,” Gabriel moved his eyes upward, “Uh, Humberto, este es mi amigo, Jasper. Jasper
él dice hola.”

“Hola!” the lizard said to Jasper.

“He says hello, Jasper. I told him your name and that you say hello.”

“Hola!” Jasper said.

“Hola!” said the lizard.

“Hola!” Jasper said.

“Okay enough!” Staysia giggled. “Tell him the rest!”

Gabriel winked at Staysia and knelt in front of the lizard. “Jasper dice que le gustan sus alas. I told him Jasper likes his wings.”

The lizard spread out his wings and chuckled. “Gracias Jasper, Yo también!” The lizard smiled wide. “No son agradable!”

“What does he say, Gabriel?” Jasper asked.

“He seems quite proud of his wings. He says he likes them too— he says aren’t they nice?”

“Yes!” Staysia said as she stood in front of the lizard and nodded her head slowly up and down.

“Si means yes, Staysia,” Gabriel told her.

“Si!” said Staysia. “Si!” said Jasper and Tristen. “Isn’t he cute?” said Staysia. “Okay, tell him Jasper says thank you.”

“Humberto,” Gabriel began, “Jasper dice gracias! Jasper dice que es rápidos!”

“Si!” the lizard said in a proud, rough voice.

“Ha!” Gabriel laughed. “I told him you say thank you,” Gabriel said to Jasper. “I told him you said he was quick. He says yes! He seems quite proud of his quickness as well!” Gabriel laughed and petted the top of the lizard’s head. “He
is
cute,” Gabriel said. “I should introduce us all.”

“Yes, please do!” Staysia said.

“Este es mi amigo, Staysia!” Gabriel pointed to Staysia as he introduced her. Staysia waved.

“Provocativo!” Humberto said as he moved his tongue from one side of his mouth to the other and puckered his lips as if for a kiss.

“Ha! Ha!” Gabriel laughed.

“What did he say?” Staysia asked.

“He says you are sexy, Staysia!” Gabriel laughed.

“He did? Ha! He’s so cute and funny!” Staysia said.

“Humberto,” said Gabriel, “este es mi amigo, Tristen.”

“Hola!” Humberto said.

“Hola!” Tristen said.

“Tell him it’s nice to meet him and ask him if he is ready to go to Gnome Hills!” Staysia said.

“Mi amigo dice que es gusto conocerte. Estás listo para ir a Gnome Hills?” Gabriel asked.

“¡Sí!
 Diga su collar será retornado a ella antes de Staysia.” Humberto said as he winked at Staysia.

“What did he say?” Staysia asked.

“He says he is ready. He says your necklace will be returned to you soon,” Gabriel answered. “But I could’ve told you that.”

“Really?” Staysia said with her hand on her chest where the necklace had been. “Tell him thank you very much!”

“Staysia dice gracias mucho,” Gabriel translated.

“No hay problema. Es la Madre que cuida de ella.” Humberto said.

“And he says no problem. He says it is the Mother who looks after you.” Gabriel said. “Well, that’s great! He can speak after all! And Jasper, I must say, I am quite impressed with your beast taming!”

“It was nothing!” Jasper said. “Who is your master?” he asked Barthesus.

“You will always be my master and my friend, Jasper.” Barthesus said.

“Oh! You two are so cute!” Staysia said. She reached down and pinched Jasper’s cheek.

“Staysia!” Jasper waved his hand at her. “Stop it now!”

“Sorry. It’s true!” Staysia said.

“Yes, and it is also true that you are much happier now that Gabriel is here and you know it!” Jasper told her.

“Alright, that’s enough, you two!” Gabriel put an arm around Staysia and Jasper and squeezed them both and then let go. “Let’s be on our way!”

“I will walk. You should ride the horse with Gabriel.” Tristen told Staysia.

“Alright,” Staysia said. Gabriel held out his hand to help her onto the horse.
        

When he did, he looked dreamily into her eyes. Staysia smiled and nodded
, and let him help her onto the horse. Gabriel got on the horse in front of her and they were on their way to Gnome Hills. Staysia felt a sense of security with her arms around Gabriel.

“I can’t believe you’re here,” she said.

“I can’t believe I thought that witch was you!”

“
You know, Isis got stolen.”

“Yes, the Mother told me. Are you okay? I know you love her very much.”

“I’ll be okay once I get her back. Cove is going to help me get her back.”

“That’s great! She is in good hands then!”

“So what happened back at the village?”

“Uh, nothing really,” Gabriel said. He didn’t know how to tell her that he was falling for her and that the witch had fooled him into believing she had fallen for him as well.

“Nothing?” Staysia asked.

“Not really. We just talked.”

“What did
we
talk about, Gabriel?”

“Ha! We just talked.”

“Wow, it must have been weird for you to find out she wasn’t me.”

“Yeah, I thought it was strange that she hadn’t mentioned Isis. I
mean, if she were really you, she would be going crazy looking for her. It began to rain and so I went outside to look for Isis. That is when I saw the witch speaking to another witch. I took off running into the forest. The Mother spoke to me after that and helped me find you. I am sorry I failed you. I should’ve gotten there sooner. I should have saved you.”

“Gabriel, don’t feel that way. It’s okay that you didn’t make it in time.”

“I could’ve proved to you that I am good if I would have. You would have known you could trust me.”

“I do trust you, Gabriel. I really do. There is not a bone in my body that doesn’t trust you at this point. I just feel so close to you.”

Gabriel couldn’t help but smile when he heard this. “So do I, I feel like I’ve known you my whole life. I must say, I was quite surprised when I saw you and Tristen kissing.”

“I was surprised myself!” Staysia replied.

“Hey Jasper, how did you tame that creeper?” Gabriel asked.

“His name is Barthesus,” Jasper replied.

“Barthesus then, how did you tame Barthesus?”

“Ha! It’s an unlikely story. When we were back at the village, just before you left with the witch I took a bite of an emerald that made me hallucinate a little. I guess the witches wanted to distract me for a time. Anyway, after I took the bite I thought Barthesus was a pig. I thought he had a snake wrapped around his mouth so I untied it. Ha! Ha! He drank some water, after that and we became friends.”

“M hmm” Gabriel said.

“He also brought Tristen the water that he drowned the serpent with.” Staysia added.

“That’s great! The witch told me that you went back to the bridge. I was heartbroken.” Gabriel told Jasper.

“You were?” Jasper asked.

“Of course I was! We’re a team—me, you and Staysia.”

“Yes, we are—
with or without Tristen!” Jasper said.

Staysia looked back at Tristen who w
as a little ways behind them. “What is it you don’t like about him?”

“He’s alright, but he has been hitting on you ever since he met you!” Jasper replied.

“I can’t blame him for that!” Gabriel said, causing Staysia to blush.

“When are
you
two going to kiss is what I’m wondering.” Jasper said.

“Jasper, Jasper, you are a mischie
vous little troll!” Gabriel replied.

“Well, it isn’t fair that she gives her love to Tristen after you saw her first!”

“It isn’t, is it?” Gabriel smiled back at Staysia briefly.

“Jasper!” Staysia said.

“I can’t wait to see my Emerald again. I am finally going to tell her how I feel—how I’ve felt for all these years. I hope she will love me back. I hope she didn’t give her heart to another in my absence.”

“Where does she live, Jasper? Surely she doesn’t live
in
Gnome Hills.”

“No, she lives just outside of it. We will be there before we ever get to Gnome Hills. I will not take her along with me into Gnome Hills. I wouldn’t want anything to happen to her. She is precious like a baby and delicate like a rose. She is as beautiful as the rain
, and she is valuable as an Emerald.”

“Jasper, you
are
quite the romantic, aren’t you?” Staysia said.

“I just love my Emerald.” Jasper replied.

“What will you say to her when we get there?”

“I will confess my love to her.”
Jasper said simply.

“What do you think she will say?”

“I do not know. I hope she will love me back. I hope she has not found another. I should’ve found her a long time ago and told her how I feel.”

“Well, we will have to see. You deserve the one you have chosen and if she does not feel the same she doesn’t deserve you.”

“My Emerald deserves the best.”

“Then it is plain, she should be with
you
.”

“Just look her in the eyes
, and hold her hand in your own. Tell her you no longer wish to be alone. And if you might, write her a love poem.” Gabriel said.

“Poetry? Not me, I am not good with poetry.” Jasper replied.

“What you just got through telling me and Staysia is poetry, Jasper. Poetry does not have to rhyme. Poetry is the expression of your feelings. You just expressed your love for Emerald to us. Your words were great! Tell your Emerald what you have told us.”

“I will take her hand and stare into her eyes. I will tell her my days have been long and lonesome. I will tell he
r no other could have my heart—no one could have it because it belongs to her. No one could steal it, because it was locked away in the safest place. A place only she could find. No matter the years that have fallen behind me, I could never forget her.”

“That is beautiful. No matter what you say, it seems to me, you will do great.” Staysia said.

“Yes, unless I get so nervous I forget my own name!” Jasper replied.

“That won’t happen, it won’t.”

“Is that a b-bridge?” Jasper stuttered.

Staysia looked over Gabriel’s shoulder. “It looks like a bridge!”

“Oh my! It
is
a bridge. It is the bridge where my love lives.”

“Is it?” Staysia smiled. “That’s great! Stop the horse for a moment
, Gabriel. I need to make sure he looks his best.”

“You got it!” Gabriel stopped the horse and Staysia jumped off and ran over to Jasper.

She ran her fingers through his troll hair and straightened his collar. “Perfect!” she said. “You look perfect.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure. Now, let me check your breath.”

Jasper breathed in her face.

Staysia sniffed and wrinkled her nose. “You have troll breath!” she said. “Peppermint! You need peppermint, and I bet I know just the guy who has a leaf or two.” She stood up straight and called to Tristen. “Do you happen to have a peppermint leaf with you?” she asked.

“Me? Of course I do!” Tristen reached in his pocket and gave her a peppermint leaf. She gave it to Jasper and he ate it. He then put his hand in front of his mouth and breathed on it.

“Now, let me see your teeth.” Staysia said.

Jasper smiled. He had peppermint leaves in between his teeth. “Are they clean?” he asked.

Staysia laughed. “No not at all! Go like this,” she said as she moved her tongue across her teeth. Jasper mimicked her and she gave him a thumb’s up and got back on the horse behind Gabriel. “To the bridge!” she said.

Here Goes Nothing

The bridge got closer and closer
, until they could hear the tiny trolls speaking to one another. This is what the trolls said:

“It’s a good thing they kicked us out of that god-forsaken town. We are much better off here under our bridge!”

“Oh yes, much better here than there. Hmm Hmm Hmm,” a female troll hummed. “Hmm, Hmm, Hmm.”

“That’s her! That’s my Emerald!” Jasper blurted loudly.

“Hush Emerald, did you hear something?” the troll asked Emerald.

“No, not me, I didn’t hear a thing. Did
you
hear something?”

“I most certainly did! Who goes there? I heard that! Are you trying to cross under my bridge without me seeing you? Come out and show your face!”