bed, staring up into the point of the wooden turret and contemplated the dayâs events. He began to feel sleepy, so he rolled onto his side and pulled his hoodie up under his head for a pillow. He nuzzled into it, closed his eyes and quickly went to sleep.
âHey, hey, let me out! I canât breathe! Let me out!â
Harry opened his eyes.
âLet me out!â the voice screamed loudly into the ear that Harry was resting on the hoodie.
He lifted his head and carefully uncrumpled the screwed-up sweater.
âAbout time! I thought I was going to die in there!â an angry voice yelled.
Harry was astonished to see a small, leaf-like creature crawling out from inside his hood. It pushed itself up onto its feet and held out a hand.
âGreetings, friend, my name is Leah, nice to meet you.â
Harry blinked a few times and rubbed at his eyes, but it didnât change what he saw, for the little leaf creature was still there, standing on his hoodie, tilting her head curiously as she stared up at him with intense green eyes.
âErr, der, Dan!â Harry stuttered.
âShhhh!â Leah pleaded, opening out her leaf membrane and flapping her arms to hover in front of Harryâs face.
âYou mustnât let anyone know that Iâm here. Theyâll make me go home and I donât want to go back to the woods. I want to stay here with you.â She smiled, leant forward and rested her elbows on the bridge of his nose as she continued to stare dreamily at him.
Harry brushed her off as if she were an irritating feather tickling at him.
âWell, what the bloominâ heck am I supposed to do with you?â he asked.
âSsshhh! You donât need to do anything, you wonât even know that Iâm here,â she said, snuggling herself back inside the hood of his sweater.
âWell, what about your family? They must be worried about you, surely?â
âNah, theyâre used to me disappearing. Iâm always off on adventures, me. Sure, theyâll be mad when I do return, and theyâll probably order me not to leave the woodland ever again. And I wonât. Well, not until the next adventure beckons, anyway!â
*The Human World*
CHAPTER 8
ADRAMALECH
Since the night of the fancy dress party, Adramalech and the juvenile Nomed had made their way through the treetops of Witern Wood. They had covered many miles, and were now perched high in the canopy of a tall pine tree that looked out over a neighbouring farm. They could taste the scent of farm animals in the air. The juvenile Nomed flicked and curled her tongue as she savoured the aroma, and then she began to hiss and click excitedly.
âTeiuq,â spat Adramelech, glaring intimidatingly into the young femaleâs eyes with his fiery stare. Then the pair sat very still as the farmer and another man appeared beside a large horse lorry in the farmyard below them. An energetic springer spaniel ran around the menâs legs, whipping them with its excitable tail. The men shook hands.
âBeen a real pleasure doinâ business wiv ya,â the farmer said, stuffing a large wad of notes under his flat cap. âIf yer mate ever wants any more knackered old nags to feed to his lions over in sunny South Africa, you know where to come for âem.â
âYes, cheers Fred, Iâm sure heâll need more soon enough. He goes through a tidy few ponies at his white-lion breeding park and, as you know, heâs willing to pay over the odds for them. Well, he can afford to, canât he, what with all those trophy hunters that go there. Did you know they pay around 120,000 dollars to âhuntâ his captive lions, so itâs no wonder heâs got a few bob to pay you for your ponies, is it?â
âWell, I would say I feel bad an all, but his lions gotta eat, donât they, and so do I,â Fred said, smiling as he patted the money-stuffed cap on top of his head.
âIs
âHey, hey, let me out! I canât breathe! Let me out!â
Harry opened his eyes.
âLet me out!â the voice screamed loudly into the ear that Harry was resting on the hoodie.
He lifted his head and carefully uncrumpled the screwed-up sweater.
âAbout time! I thought I was going to die in there!â an angry voice yelled.
Harry was astonished to see a small, leaf-like creature crawling out from inside his hood. It pushed itself up onto its feet and held out a hand.
âGreetings, friend, my name is Leah, nice to meet you.â
Harry blinked a few times and rubbed at his eyes, but it didnât change what he saw, for the little leaf creature was still there, standing on his hoodie, tilting her head curiously as she stared up at him with intense green eyes.
âErr, der, Dan!â Harry stuttered.
âShhhh!â Leah pleaded, opening out her leaf membrane and flapping her arms to hover in front of Harryâs face.
âYou mustnât let anyone know that Iâm here. Theyâll make me go home and I donât want to go back to the woods. I want to stay here with you.â She smiled, leant forward and rested her elbows on the bridge of his nose as she continued to stare dreamily at him.
Harry brushed her off as if she were an irritating feather tickling at him.
âWell, what the bloominâ heck am I supposed to do with you?â he asked.
âSsshhh! You donât need to do anything, you wonât even know that Iâm here,â she said, snuggling herself back inside the hood of his sweater.
âWell, what about your family? They must be worried about you, surely?â
âNah, theyâre used to me disappearing. Iâm always off on adventures, me. Sure, theyâll be mad when I do return, and theyâll probably order me not to leave the woodland ever again. And I wonât. Well, not until the next adventure beckons, anyway!â
*The Human World*
CHAPTER 8
ADRAMALECH
Since the night of the fancy dress party, Adramalech and the juvenile Nomed had made their way through the treetops of Witern Wood. They had covered many miles, and were now perched high in the canopy of a tall pine tree that looked out over a neighbouring farm. They could taste the scent of farm animals in the air. The juvenile Nomed flicked and curled her tongue as she savoured the aroma, and then she began to hiss and click excitedly.
âTeiuq,â spat Adramelech, glaring intimidatingly into the young femaleâs eyes with his fiery stare. Then the pair sat very still as the farmer and another man appeared beside a large horse lorry in the farmyard below them. An energetic springer spaniel ran around the menâs legs, whipping them with its excitable tail. The men shook hands.
âBeen a real pleasure doinâ business wiv ya,â the farmer said, stuffing a large wad of notes under his flat cap. âIf yer mate ever wants any more knackered old nags to feed to his lions over in sunny South Africa, you know where to come for âem.â
âYes, cheers Fred, Iâm sure heâll need more soon enough. He goes through a tidy few ponies at his white-lion breeding park and, as you know, heâs willing to pay over the odds for them. Well, he can afford to, canât he, what with all those trophy hunters that go there. Did you know they pay around 120,000 dollars to âhuntâ his captive lions, so itâs no wonder heâs got a few bob to pay you for your ponies, is it?â
âWell, I would say I feel bad an all, but his lions gotta eat, donât they, and so do I,â Fred said, smiling as he patted the money-stuffed cap on top of his head.
âIs
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