23) Stories around the Campfire

Stories around the Campfire

Trotting through our familiar forest - without wolfs howling - was a very calming experience after this oddysey of events. We all walked in silence, all unbeliving that we found our way home. We fell into a slow canter after a while, gallopping through the forest, getting closer and closer to our little Village Oaksworth. "Are we really in the right forest?" Namir said after a while, which the others commented by slowing down.. and then finally stepping out of the forest one by one, to reveal our village. Müsli and Namir gasped as loudly as ever. "Let's go, calmly, I don't want to wake the humans." Khaos said, and we nodded. Astoria slowly started walking down the path to the Village. Arctic, Namir and Müsli followed her, with me and Khaos just standing there, still at the edge of the forest, looking at each other very tired and incredibly exhausted. We nod at each other and then slowly follow the others, walking next to each other. "I can't belive we did this" I mumble silently, still very much in shock. "I can't either. I don't think we were supposed to survive it." Said Khaos, silently enough that the others didn't heard it. I just nod. Astoria now put her first hoof on the empty street, walking very carefully over it and then around the corner to our stable. We follow her, with Arctic mumbeling stuff to himself. We were all probably very shocked and unbeliving at this situation. We step onto the small field that was located right next to our pasture, where this year's big campfire was. It was nearly out, but a few warming flames were still tingeling around in it. Astoria stopped at the campfire, looking at us, asking "What about letting this day.. night... come to an end here?" She smiled at us, laying down at the campfire. "I'd love that," Arctic sighed, laying down next to her and munching on the ground a bit. Khaos looked around, then nodded. "I will get us something to eat" He said, which everyone was very excited about. I lay down next to Arctic, Müsli sat down next to Astoria, and Namir who looked a bit lost stood next to Müsli for a bit till he also layed down. Khaos came back with a whole bag of pumpkin treats he had found, placing himself down next to me. "I'm dying of hunger!" Said Arctic, snatching a treat for himself and Astoria immediatly. Everyone very happily started chewing their - actually very delicious - treats. After a bit of just silently sitting there, munching on the pumpkin treats, Namir finally spoke up. "And nobody has an explination for this?" He asked slowly, which Müsli shook his head to. "Not you, I mean the ones who actually live here!!" We other 4 look atg each other in silence, with me then sighing. "We have a legend that has been going on here for many centuries.." I slowly start. Astoria and Arctic gasped in horror. "I know I know, I will not.. tell it! Don't worry!" I calm them. Khaos nodded in agreement, and Müsli and Namir stared at me without even blinking. "So.." I started again, "There was once the start of a legend. We call it the Fate of the 6. It is a story about.. about a group of 6 people at Halloween in the year 666." Namir blinked, Astoria shuddered, and Arctic ate another cookie in horror. Khaos deeply breathed and layed his head down next to me on the ground. I continue, saying "Nobody dares to talk about it openly. It brings bad luck. So we never do. Everyone knows it though, through whispers in the shadows. So, as I don't feel like we should push our luck even more, I won't be going into more det-" I got interrupted by Müsli and Namir immediatly at the same time. "Please, tell us just a bit more!!" Müsli pressed, while Namir said "I don't belive in back luck!" "Do you belive in slime rivers, murder plushies and headless horseman ghosts instead?" Astoria said dryly. Namir shut up, while Arctic started laughing. Even Khaos next to me had to laugh, which was quite the achievement. "Okay okay" I answer Müsli, "I will say just a bit more." "Don't say too much!!" Arctic stressed, looking around a bit nervously. "I won't" I reassure him. "So... The legend is saying, that those 6 were exploring a forest at halloween night, in the year of 666. They made.. a mistake, which upset the spirits, living deep in the forests. The Spirits got mad, and tried to get them to admit their mistake, but the group of 6 didn't." Astoria and Arctic looked around frightened, while Namir and Müsli were practically inhaling each of my words. Khaos side eyed me, but I continued. "Then the Spirits of the forest decided, they would be giving them a trial, out of 6 tasks. If the group would make it through all of the challenges, they promised to let them go. But if not? Then they would keep them, trapped in the forest, in their own personal nightmare." I close, nodding slowly. Arctic whimpered something about "bad luck" and "the shadows shouldn't talk that much." Khaos sighed, rolling onto his side and yawning. Astoria yawned too. "What happened to them? What trials was those 6 challenges? Did they made it, or did they got trapped in the forest?" Namir continued to press on, while Müsli ate one cookie after the other one, probably to soothe his stress. I smile slightly, saying "Well.. nobody knows. But it is said to belive, that in each of the 6 challenges, one of the group member died." Namir shuddered in anxiety. "But what does that have to do with.. this? With what happened tonight??!" Müsli asked. "Well, we were 6 horses, and we dared to go into the forest at halloween.." Arctic said slowly. "But don't you guys do the wild hunt every year..?" Namir asked. "Yes we do" Khaos answered, "But normally we are never less than 7. Normally, we are always between 7 and 11 horses, but never, never would, and should, we go out as a group of 6 into the forest at halloween." We all nod slowly, and Namir said angrily "But why did we do it then?! Why??" I sigh, i had been asking that exact same thing earlier already, before the hunt had started. "Because the 7th horse that was planned for this years hunt got hurt, and couldn't come along" Arctic answered. "This is absolutely crazy" Sighed Namir. "I wonder why the humans had let us do the hunt.." Astoria said. "Probably because they belive it's just an old legend.." "Do you think the.. things we came across.. were challenges? Like the trials the group in the legend had to master..?" Khaos nodded slowly, and Arctic said "Yes, I assume so." Müsli shuddered, with Astoria nudging him slighly for comfort. "It's okay", she said. "It's over now!" And we will not leave his Village anymore this night. So we all are safe." She said calmly. I nod. I would probably never leave in a group of 6 again after this, and the others looked as if they hd come to the same conclusion. And with this, these 6 brave horses, were the first to walk into the forest of Oaksworth in the Halloween night in a group of 6, and to make it out alive and well afterwards again.