Travel to Sockland

Chapter 26

When the pencil leader had clapped his hands tables ran forward into position. Many pencils appeared from various doors and corners of the room bearing trays of food and refreshments. The leader bade his guests sit and be comfortable and pillows were provided for each of them - including two big enough for the humans. It was in this comfortable setting that they told him of all that had happened. Flimgog took the lead in the telling with the pen leader interjecting his contribution every so often. The look on the pencil leaders face throughout remained passive, but his eyes glowed. The glow shifted subtely throughout, from intense interest, through what appeared to be rage and a whole range of other emotions.

Arnie tried to imagine what it would feel like to have been embroiled in an unneccesary war for ones entire life.

When the tale was complete, the entire chamber fell into a long, thick silence. The silence seemed to press in upon them from all sides of the room. It felt, to Arnie, like an age was passing them by. He felt restless and somehow sensed that Isabelle felt the same. Why was no one reacting or speaking? Despite feeling like this however, he did not feel like being the one to break the silence and so he sat quietly. He noticed that even the tables were sitting unnaturally still with the remains of the food sitting on trays upon their backs.

Suddenly the pencil leader rose from his chair. The sudden movement made Arnie jump. The pencil leader picked himself up and walked to where the pen leader sat upon the floor. The leader of the pens did not react but looked straight into the eyes of his once enemy. The pencil leader raised up and stretched his arms out towards the pen. Arnie noticed they were both around the same size as he watched the pencil leader grab the pen by his shoulders and pull him up into an embrace. "Brother" he said with intensity, "we are united once more, bonds from an earlier generation have been reborn. Together we will make this now ravaged land great again!"

The pen leader simply nodded his agreement and returned the embrace. The room felt charged with positive, powerful energy and a cheer erupted from the crowd. The spell that had held the silence was broken. Arnie turned to Isabelle and smiled. She smiled back. "They're almost like one big family" she whispered, being careful not be overheard. Arnie nodded. He had thought a similar thing earlier. They were almost identical in their manner and customs.

"Arnold and Isabelle." The pencil leader got their attention before continuing. "Will you help us to end this now?"

"I'm with you." Arnie said without hesitation.

"I will." Isabelle said almost at the same time.

"Very well, I thank you both. We do not know what we face when we arrive amongst the paintbrushes. It has been ever so long since we last visited their lands. Now it is time to prepare. Let us hope there will not be need for fighting."

Both the leader of the pens and the leader of the pencils, as though guided by a hidden force, began walked steadily towards the exit of the chamber. Immediately, all the pencils in the room fell into place and began to follow without a word. Arnie and Isabelle got into step at the back of the group.

"How are you feeling?" she asked with her usual musical, lilting voice. Arnie's stomach flipped.

"Surprisingly good." he said and he did feel surprisingly good. He felt as though he belonged more than he had ever belonged before. Among this crew of strange creatures in this stranger world.

"How about you?" was all he could think to reply. Isabelle simply nodded.

They walked in silence through the hall and out into the village. Arnie could see ahead that runners had already been sent around to gather the pencils into the clearing in the center of the village. He also saw word being passed to the gate guards and a runner was sprinting at full speed towards the gathered pens waiting a distance from the village with Alagog. Arnie felt a sense of relief that it had worked out so well so far.

They gathered in the clearing and waited for the remaining villagers to arrive and for the visiting pens and returning pencils to arrive. When everyone had gathered together in the center of the village Arnie noticed that the pens were sitting off to one side with an uncomfortable look about them. But he also noticed with some satisfaction that there were a few of the pencil soldiers scattered amongst their numbers. These were the ones they had marched with. He thought the friendship would only strengthen from here. At the front of the crowd stood the Pen and Pencil leaders side by side. The pen leader spoke first, addressing the entire gathering. Arnie and Isabelle were sitting near the gate with their backs facing outside and their attention on the two leaders.

"We are friends here. There is nothing to fear from one another. Yes, we have been fighting but it has been an unneeded war among ourselves. Most of you know the tale by now. And we are going to end this war completely now." There was a cheer from the pens. Some of the pencils also joined in enthusiastically. "We are taking it to the source." The pen leader went on to explain, for the benefit of those who had not heard it and for the benefit of all what they had discovered about the paintbrushes and their apparent motives. All those in the clearing listened in absolute silence throughout the tale. When he finished, no one spoke.

The pencil leader spoke next. The gathered crowd were riveted. He talked of his history as leader of the pencils, he talked of his dreams of peace for his people. He talked about the unification of their two races that would now follow on from the war's end. Arnie thought he was a very impressive speaker. His voice carried, his tone was certain and sure. Arnie found himself almost wanting to stay forever and live among these people. His mind strayed into daydreams of being a pencil, of marching among their numbers.

Arnie was brought back to reality by a sharp jab in the ribs.

"Oi." Isabelle whispered. "Are you listening?" Her voice was quiet. He supposed he must have looked distant.

"Yes" he whispered back hastily putting his attention back on the pencil leader who was still talking.

"We are waiting for pens arriving from the various villages around Writingshire. They are freeing all the pencil soldiers as we speak and marching here. We expect them all in within the next two days. Once we are all gathered, we will ready ourselves and set out for the hills of the brushes." He looked straight at Arnie. "Arnold will you lead the camp in training and preparations over the coming two days?"

Arnie hesitated for just a moment, wondering at being selected for such an important task.

"Of course I will." It was the only answer he could give.The pencil leader nodded and then looked to Isabelle.

"And will you assist in that task also, Isabelle? You are more familiar with the techniques, strengths and skills of the pens than Arnold." Isabelle didn't hesitate for a second.

"Absolutely" she said, sounding eager.

"Thank you both." The pencil leader stepped back slightly. The echoing voice of the Pen leader spoke once more.

"Pens, you will intersperse among the pencil squadrons. We can learn from each other." The pens shouted their agreement and began spreading themselves amongst the gathered pencils.

Arnie got up from where he sat and called out to the gathered groups.

"Squadron leaders to me. Everyone else, we will begin training in approximately 2 hours."

And with that, the leaders came towards him and the rest of the crowd dispersed throughout the village to ready themselves for a march that would go down in their history.

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