Gildan Braid and the Cave (Audio Book)

“In the dark of night, high above the deep green forest, nestled in the crotch of a mighty oak, elvan great grandfather Robrecht faced his many avid listeners across a blazing fire bowl.

Pointed ears all attentive, the young elves eagerly awaited another of their elder’s famous stories.

“Gildan Braid, a precocious halfling child with long braids of golden hair, was disobeying her parents, yet again. She set off, alone, walking and skipping to visit her grandmother’s house in a nearby settlement. She knew that her grandma loved her mother’s freshly baked pastries and she had a full basket just for her.

Due to recent rains, the path was partially washed out and Gildan made a wrong turn. Unknowingly and most unintentionally, she wandered into the wild, dense forest.

She very quickly became lost and very much afraid. She was really, truly, lost!

The forest sounds grew louder – or was it her imagination?

Gildan wandered in fear all day. Hungry, she ate her grandmother’s pastries and the very few berries she found along the way.

As the moonless night approached and the temperature dropped with the sun, Gildan felt a powerful storm coming. Seeking shelter, she cautiously approached an overgrown, dark, silent cave entrance a little taller than herself, but much wider. The storm was rapidly approaching and she needed shelter fast. Dropping her basket, she ran quickly into the lightless cave.

The cave was dark and cold but somewhat dry as the entrance sloped upward. Crawling and feeling with her hands she found a large boulder prevented passage beyond about 20 feet. Leaning on the rock, she could feel cold air flowing around its rough edges.

She curled into a tight ball against the boulder, wrapped herself in her bright red cape, and attempted to sleep. As she was just falling asleep, the rain started. Slowly at first, then much faster, it poured from the sky. The heavy rain loudly pelted the trees and ground outside. Thunder boomed, and lightning flashed across the pitch-black sky. Gildan shivered in her cape on the floor of the dark, damp cave.

Suddenly she heard them! Two voices were coming from behind the rock. They were both deep and very harsh. Their ominous mumblings were in a strange language. Sometimes they sounded like a long drone. Sometimes like a loud avalanche. Her heart was racing and sleep was very far from her mind. She was more terrified than ever before. What were they? Were they but a few feet away on the other side of the rock?

Trapped by the storm and the dark of the night, she was compelled to listen. On and on they continued for what felt like many hours, but was in truth, less than one. Suddenly they burst into a powerful shout which was immediately answered by many higher-pitched screams! Gildan Braid was startled, and she screamed in return in her highest, shrillest, loudest voice!

Immediately there was complete silence. Gildan Braid covered her mouth. They had to have heard her. What should she do? What would they do to her?

She cringed and buried herself as deep as she could in the folds of her cape. Maybe they would not find her. Maybe they were not aware of this cave.

Shivering with fright she waited. And waited. Gildan silently waited in fear while the storm raged just beyond the cave’s wide-open entrance.

Wet, heavy footsteps sounded outside the entrance! She held as still as she could, certain that her racing heart could be heard above the raging storm. Her mind was filled with thoughts of her family and her loving parents, her repeated disobedience to them, and the foolishness of traveling alone. She trembled as she feared for her life.

Out of nowhere, a tiny, bright ball of saffron yellow light popped into being in the air directly in front of her face.

She was caught!

With one last, tiny screech, Gildan, the young halfling maiden, fainted!

In her sleep, she had nightmares of ugly, savage monsters. She dreamed that she was about to be devoured many times. Gildan moaned, tossed, and turned constantly.

Finally, she awoke with a choked scream!

Slowly opening her tear-filled eyes, Gildan found herself on a wooden and rope bed, laying on a soft fur, covered with a clean, fragrant blanket. Illuminated by a small glowing ball of saffron yellow light, she saw that she was in a cozy stone-walled bedroom filled with many children’s toys. She was shocked. She stared in disbelief.

Hearing her awaken, 3 dwarven children rushed in and loudly greeted her. Their common speech was good enough for them to understand each other and Gildan Braid quickly realized that she was not only alive but among friends.

Their much larger parents entered and greeted her with their deep voices, the voices that Gildan heard the prior evening.

With great relief, everything was clearly explained. Gildan had stumbled into the closed back door of their dwarven home. Last night, the dwarven parents were telling spooky ghost stories to their children as the storm raged outside. The higher pitched screams were from the children when the evil ghost in the story swooped down from the sky. When Gildan screamed, the dwarves were shocked and their children, with wide eyes and open mouths froze into terrified silence, fearing the ghost!

While the new friends were finishing a hearty warm breakfast, they are interrupted by the bang of the heavy brass door knocker on the front door. Gildan Braid’s parents had followed her through the night and the raging storm, found her abandoned basket, and were seeking information about her from everyone in the area. Hearing her parents’ voices, she rushed into their much relieved, loving arms!

Gildan Braid was safe. She had terrifyingly learned the importance of listening and obeying her parents. Never again would she wander alone!

Wondrously, out of fear and desperation, she had made new friends.

All, finally, ended well for all.”

The End