Katina's Adventure
an excerpt

Katina was a remarkable young girl. She lived with her parents, her brother, and her sister in the vast forest of Talendoo. Her parents were always kind and loving as were her siblings, but at times it seemed they didn’t even notice if she was there or not, although this fact didn’t seem to bother her at all. She led a happy, peaceful, and uneventful life until one particular morning that soon proved to become an adventure.
One morning Katina awoke to find that she had wandered far from her home while in her sleep. At first Katina became frightened. She didn’t have any idea where she was or how to return to her home with her family. But soon she calmed herself and began to look around in the hopes that something would become familiar to her.
The first thing she noticed was that she was in the middle of a field with numerous wildflowers, tall grass, and plenty of buzzing bees flying from flower to flower collecting the nectar. As she stood and turned in a circle squinting her eyes against the morning sun, she saw an animal she had never seen before. Deciding that the strange animal was as good a place to start as any, she set out with a determined step toward it.
It didn’t take Katina long to reach the animal, and as she approached it she was amazed by what she saw. The animal was a deep brown color and covered with some kind of fluffy fur. It had a long neck and seemed to be eating. A bit cautiously Katina reached out to touch this strange being and found its fur to be very soft and the animal was extraordinarily willing to let her pet it.
With the animal so friendly and Katina a bit at a loss as to what to do next, she began to tell the animal what had happened and why she was out in the middle of nowhere without her family. Although she knew this strange animal had no way of knowing what she was saying, it made her feel better and less lonely when she talked aloud.
As Katina finished telling her short tale she realized that she was very hungry having not had breakfast yet. Saying as much to her new friend, she began to look around for anything that she might be able to eat. Having grown up in the woods and living off the many edible plants that grow there, she was sure she could find something.
Katina felt a tug on her shirt sleeve. Turning to see what it was, she noticed the animal walking away from her only to stop after a few paces and looked back at her as if it wished her to follow him. So having nothing better to do, the young girl followed the animal hoping that he would lead her to some kind of nourishment.
Two to three hours passed as the two continued to walk. Katina was beginning to feel a bit faint from the lack of food and water. She was also wondering if following this animal had really been a good idea. Just as the thought entered her mind they came upon a big house with several smaller dwellings surrounding it. They looked as if they were made of the ground itself. Each building had grass and many flowers protruding from it and vines cascading down the doorways and windows and blocking anyone from seeing what was inside each building.
“Ah, Talio, back so soon and with a friend I see.” Katina turned to find a man much older than her father coming up behind them. She studied him as he drew nearer to them. She took in how white and long his hair was and how his beard, though neat, came clear down to his knees and was the same color of his hair. He had a long robe the color of the night sky and when he turned just slightly it seemed to twinkle in the sunlight. When he was just a couple of paces away from her and her animal friend she also noticed that his eyes were a brilliant blue with a sparkle that spoke of the happiness and contentment that was in this man’s heart.
The animal moved away from her then and nuzzled the old man’s head with his own. There was obviously a special bond between the man and her new friend. Unsure of how she was suppose to act, Katina took a few steps back away from the two and just watched them as they seemed to be conversing somehow. She hoped they were discussing food and were planning to share. Just then her stomach made an awful rumbling and grumbling sound. Both the animal and the man stopped and looked at her. Katina hung her head in embarrassment for she had never before heard her belly make that sound and she was certain it was rude.
The old man just chuckled and chided himself for not being more hospitable toward this young girl that had befriended his llama. “Come child.” He said, holding out his hand and gesturing her to follow him, “Why don’t we find you something to eat.”
Katina timidly reached out and took hold of the old man’s hand, but she grew more trusting when her animal friend fell into step beside her and leaned down to nuzzle her head just as he had done with the old man. It was as if the animal was comforting her.
It didn’t take them long to reach one of the smaller buildings off to the right. Katina marveled at the fact that the building was indeed made out of the very earth she walked on and that flowers and grass covered the whole outside of the building. The old man reached out and pulled back the vines covering the doorway so she could enter the building. Cautiously she stepped through the door and was again amazed by what she found inside. The inside of the building looked much bigger than the outside though it was still small compared to her own home back in the forest. “Why would one man need so many homes to live in?” Katina wondered.
The man smiled at the questioning gaze the young girl through his way and knew exactly what she was thinking. “The folk who live in these beautiful homes go to the forest once a week to gather the roots and other vegetation they use in day to day life.” The old man explained. He moved to the cabinets on the far wall and started pulling all types of food from it. There were several types of cheeses and smoked meats as well as several types of drinks that looked quite refreshing to the girl. The man fixed her a plate that held a bit of everything and she saw him mix a few of the juices together while mumbling to himself about how certain ones would help her feel more refreshed than others.
The man placed the small banquet in front of the young girl and moved back to the cabinets to prepare himself a small snack so she wouldn’t feel uncomfortable eating in front of him. Katina watched him a moment before looking at the plate in front of her. She was nervous about eating this food. What if this man put something in it that would make her sick or hinder her returning to her family? But being as hungry as she was, this thought didn’t last long. In no time Katina had cleared her plate while she listened to the old man tell her tales of his travels.
He told her of big lizards with wings that could breath fire and of beautiful white horses with horns on their heads. He told her of vast mountains that could touch the sky and water that seemed to have no end. As she listened to him go on and on, she could feel the thrill of each adventure he recounted for her.
Noticing that the young girl had finished eating, the man smiled and leaned back in his chair. It was time to find out where this girl belonged and to whom. “Now that you have a full belly and have been kind enough to let me rattle on about my adventures, I believe it is time for you to tell me your story.”
So she did. She told of how she had been berry picking with her family the day before and how they had the most wonderful blackberry pie that her mother had made for her since it had been her birthday. She told him of the sturdy swing that her father had hung from a tall oak tree behind her family’s house. She told him of how she had gone to sleep the night before happy but had wished she could have some kind of an adventure. She then told the man how she had awaken in the middle of a field with no clue as to how she got there. She figured she had walked in her sleep.
It took a while for Katina to finish her story of how she had come to be in his presence. When she did finally finish with her recounting of how she came to him, she sat back in her chair and watched him anxiously in the hope that this man could help her find her way home. “Intriguing.” Was all the man said as he stroked his beard in thought.
Katina sat back in disappointment and lowered her head until her chin reached her chest. She thought for sure this man could help her since he had so many grand adventures in the past, but evidently she had been wrong.
The old man started chuckling when he saw this. “Don’t look so sad young lady. I’m sure we can get you home, but how is the biggest question here.” Katina jerked her head up in surprise and excitement. He could get her home! She could barely sit still as she waited for him to tell her what they were going to do.
“I believe,” the old man started thoughtfully, “that we will need the help of a dear old friend of mine.” He rose from his chair and beckoned for her to do the same. They went back outside and found that not only was the creature that Katina had befriended standing there waiting but also another type of creature. It was extraordinarily tall and the darkest brown she had ever seen. But what she found more interesting was that it had wings. She thought it resembled a horse but its nose was more rounded and look much more majestic and a lot nicer than any horse she had seen in her mother’s books back home.
“This is Quietus.” The old man said fondly. “It means undisturbed or quiet in Latin. I thought it was quite fitting at the time that I gave him that name because he never seemed to be bothered by much of anything, and he is always so quiet that I never know when he arrives or when he leaves. It would seem he knew that I would have need of his services this day.”
Katina watched as this amazing creature seemed to nod his head in agreement. Katina looked back at the old man, who she realized hadn’t shared his name with her, and asked. “How is Quietus going to help me get home?”
“Why we will ride him of course.” The old man said quite matter of factly. “How else are we going to get you back before dark?”
Quickly he picked the young girl up and set her on Quietus’ back and then hopped up behind her. In no time at all the creature was up in the air soaring over the land. Katina looked down as she gripped the animals hair and gasped at the beauty that she saw. The trees carpeted the ground like an elegant quilt so full of many different colors this time of year always brought. She could see the field where she had met Talio and how pretty it looked with the sprinkles of wildflowers peppering the fields. As they flew along Katina could feel the muscles of Quietus bunching beneath her and the wind blowing her hair back from her face. She laughed in pure joy and she heard the old man join in her merriment but unfortunately, it didn’t take long for the three of them to reach their destination, the edge of Talendoo.
The man helped her down, then bent down to look her straight in the eyes before saying. “Anytime you wish for another adventure just come to this spot and Quietus will be waiting for you. Come back and visit anytime you wish. Now run home before you worry your family more.”
Katina impulsively gave the man with no name a hug, thanked him for all his help, and then turned to run into the forest but not before turning back and waving to her new friends. The walk home didn’t take long and when she arrived it was as if her family hadn’t realized she was gone, but that didn’t bother her for she had made new friends and had the promise of a new adventure.