“I tried desperately to pilot the balloon,” Emil explained, “but I had no time to learn. When I jumped on the bicycle in the High One’s Throne Room, I had no idea it was a launch vehicle! The launch completely surprised me, and with my Coyote friend draped over my shoulders, I could not handle the controls. I attempted to direct the balloon, but failed.”
Emil shook his head in disbelief as the memory of the balloon launch came back. “The wind was ferocious. It threw the balloon wildly this way and that. All I could do was keep us from being tossed overboard! Although I felt nauseous, I did manage to accidentally flip a lever that popped open an enclosure to form a passenger basket around the bicycle. With that small shelter available, we both collapsed in the bottom of the basket and rode the winds. It was very cold. The basket enclosure was fairly well closed at the top, but at the bottom there were so many gears, wheels, and other machinery that it was quite open. I had no idea where we were carried. Low-hanging clouds made it impossible to see the ground, and we sailed far past the limits of the Forever End. The balloon traveled on far into the night, in what direction I could not guess.”
“Yor came down near’s about, I take it?” Ola inquired.
“Aye, the balloon landed not far from here,” Emil replied. “I tell you, Ola, that balloon just suddenly dropped like a rock! A seam split open. We were fortunate that the split was relatively small. We dropped rapidly, but the balloon lost gas slowly enough that, although we crashed hard, we were not badly hurt.”
“Yorn Coyote friend is here?” Ola asked.
“Aye,” Emil answered. “His name is PorNart-1604. He’s with me at Mar-Marie and Ord’s house.” Noting Ola’s quizzical look, Emil continued. “Mar-Marie and Ord are Norder Wolves who live with their four daughters and three sons in a house just on the other side of this cornfield.
“Norder Wolves!” Ola exclaimed. “Here?”
Emil looked at Ola with a pitying look. “And just exactly where do you think ‘Here’ might be?”
Ola did not reply. He realized that he could not be sure where he was, but he was very surprised to find Norder Wolves. His wide wanderings in the wilderness gave him a broad understanding of where the homelands of different folk lay, and what patterns of movement different adventurers, traders, and rogues tended to follow. Norder Wolves near the Everlost? He had never heard that. He was puzzled. Then he realized the problem. “Enigma!” he breathed softly to himself. “The more a creature be’in sure he knows stoof, the more likely it be’in that he don’t know it all.” Drawing on the power of Enigma, Ola regained his composure. He was ready to meet the Norder Wolves.
“Come on, Ola,” Emil invited, “I’ll introduce you to Mar-Marie and Ord.” Picking up his hoe, Emil motioned for Ola to follow. As they walked around the cornfield, Emil related more of his story.
“See that low hill right over there? That’s where the balloon crashed. When we came down, it wasn’t easy for us. PorNart-1604 was in terrible shape—frostbite, maybe some broken bones, shallow breathing. I was very worried. But from the hillside, I could see the faint light of the farmhouse and felt hope. Although very weak and exhausted, I picked up PorNart-1604 and carried him to the farmhouse. When we reached it, I managed to knock once. When Ord opened the door, I toppled over into the house. Mar-Marie nursed me and the Coyote back to health.”
Ola was fascinated by the story. His mind raced. Norder Wolves were distant ancestors of Ola’s folk. So, there was some special interest in his anticipation of meeting Mar-Marie and Ord.
As they approached the farmhouse, Ola could see a heavy set female Wolf in a plaid apron sweeping the dirt path in front of the house.
“Hullo! Mar, we’ve got a visitor! Call Ord! It’s a friend of my sister!”
Mar-Marie stopped her sweeping and looked curiously at Ola. She, too, was apparently surprised to meet another Wolf. She gave a warm and welcoming smile.
The beautiful weather, warm and mild, and the bright red and green plaid Mar-Marie wore made the welcome seem especially lovely to Ola.
“Nar, sweets! Just hold there a moment,” Mar-Marie greeted them. “The dust is deep in the path. It’s not fitting as a welcome. Hold just there a moment, while I finish my sweeping.” The female Wolf swept the dirt path furiously, setting up great clouds of dust, stripping off every speck of dust that could be removed.
When she stopped sweeping at last, she smiled again at her visitors. “So sorry, sweets, but you caught me in my evening sun-making. I dare not delay it,” she said, as if they would certainly understand. “Nar, sweets, forgive me a bit more, if you would. Stay there while I get Ord and bring you some water to drink.” As friendly as the Wolf’s welcome had been, she still made it clear they were not to approach the house yet.