Information

Hoggle_750
Legacy Name: Hoggle_750

The Common Mahar
Owner: Faeflower

Age: 12 years, 11 months, 2 weeks

Born: May 16th, 2011

Adopted: 12 years, 11 months, 2 weeks ago

Adopted: May 16th, 2011

Statistics

• Level: 23
   
• Strength: 57
   
• Defense: 58
   
• Speed: 55
   
• Health: 57
   
• HP: 57/57
   
• Intelligence: 0
   
• Books Read: 0
• Food Eaten: 0
• Job: Manure Processor

Change into Glacier Mahar with overlay of both glacier and gold. Overlay of glacier to be more crystal than ice.

Hoggle's hoard is legendary and as long as there are people lacking common sense, it will continue to grow. None of the people in the village below can deny that he is the best guide to roam the trails of their solo mountain. He knows which paths lead to the summit and which will send the traveler plummeting over an icy cliff. He will serve anyone from adventurers foolhardy enough to tempt Old Man Winter to families seeking to begin a new life in the wild eastern lands. He does not discriminate, but his services are never free.

He will accept most any form of payment, so long as it is shiny and valuable. If it is gold, silver, or studded with gems, it will buy your passage. Some have tried to trick him with baubles made of glass. These are the ones who never pass through the village twice though sometimes a shredded pack or lone boot will be discovered in the spring, when the villagers take their goats to the foothills.

If you think you can appeal to his sweeter nature, you are a fool. He has none. Be advised that your trinkets will buy no idle chatter from this tight-lipped veteran of winter. You are twice the fool if you think any payment will convince him to risk his skin for you. If you come between a mother bear and her cub or snore loudly enough to bring down an avalanche, you will find yourself waking up alone, if you ever wake again.

The villagers are content to leave him the mountain and leave him alone. They warn their children that no good can come from pestering the grumpy mountain hermit and even the dogs know not to venture past the invisible line that marks Hoggle's property.

Lila knew the tales as well as any village girl. She simply refused to believe them.

*****

She paused at the entrance to Hoggle's cave, noting the fronds of grass that grew from above, forming a natural curtain that allowed the occupant to see out without revealing what the cave contained. Hoggle dashed out at the sound of a soft footstep on the threshold, teeth bared until he realized the intruder was not much of a threat.

"Well,, what do you want?"

Lila could not help admiring the icy crystals that took shape as he stepped out into the frigid air. She nearly forgot the pain of the wind striking her bare hands at the sight of him. "Please, sir. The people of my village say you know the way to the Cave of the Moon where sprigs of wild moonwort grow. I must get this herb for Mother. She is very sick and she will die without moon nectar."

"Nothing is free, girl. What can you pay me with? Your grandmother's brooch or a blade your father received from the emperor, perhaps?"

Lila bit her lip. "Ushna Povlin is a greedy man. He grants us a shabby shack in exchange for the money we're granted for Father's work for the emperor before he died. He does not even leave us enough to buy a full sack of rice each month. This is the greatest treasure I have. " She pulled a small roll from her pocket, one that was only slightly flattened from the journey. She had hoped to save it to pair with some roots and berries. Hoggle snorted and shook his head.

"You'll have to do a lot better than that. Tears won't help you either, so you may as well wipe your eyes and come back when you've got something worth my while."

"Oh please, sir. I have no treasures but I can be useful to you. Before she took ill, Mother taught me to polish the candlesticks in the temple. Surely in your vast collection of wonders there must be pieces that could use the touch of a gentle hand. I will make them shine as if they were newly formed by the hands of a master jeweler."

No such offer had ever been made but the thought of his treasures gleaming like rays of sunlight was alluring. Lila could not resist a small gasp as they entered the cave. As Hoggle's feet touched his treasure, his whole body took on a golden hue as the icicles morphed into gems. The gems varied in size from tiny purple studs on his eyebrows to ruby red crystals nearly half a foot high that ran the length of his spine. Shards of rainbow light danced on the walls with every small movement of his body.

Hoggle kept a careful eye on the girl as she did her work. Lila was cheerful, talking about life in the village and the small wonders of a spring day. She almost thought she saw a smile on Hoggle's face when she told a story of the ducks leading their hatchlings to water for the first time though he was quick to resume his usual scowl after loudly clearing his throat.

"Alright, enough already. Let's see if you've done any damage."

Every piece Lila touched was like new. Hoggle admired a chalice set with emeralds. It had always been among his favorites and now it looked as if it were once again ready to be presented to a king of old. The chalice was replaced in its exact location on a shelf of similar artifacts, just the way he liked it.

"You must have sorcerer blood in you, girl. I'll take you to the Cave of the Moon."

He grumbled a bit when she threw her arms around his neck but he didn't really mind. Her skin was soft and had a sweet floral scent that reminded him of the small forest cave where he was born. She tried to share her meager dinner but he shook his head. He saw the way she picked at the soft bread, giving in to her hunger after two bites and eating the rest with gusto. Scowling, he threw her a small wedge of cheese.

"You won't be much use if you pass out in a blizzard. Hurry up and finish that. It's best we get a start while the light is still good."

They never noticed the figure perched above the cave's rim as they set out. Ushna had followed Lila, upset that a girl so young was allowed such liberty to wander the mountain. That she would succeed in not only entering the hermit's home, but in securing his services for nothing, baffled greedy Ushna. As Hoggle emerged, Ushna witnessed the transformation from golden skin to rough white hide covered in icicles. He waited for hours until the two figures were too far away to be seen but could not convince himself to enter the cave. He had no way of knowing Hoggle had some limited magical abilities, or that his greatest skill was in illusions of confusion. Ushna did not attempt the cave, but he could not get the sight of Hoggle's bejewelled hide out of his mind.

"I'll kill the beast on his return, then claim the trove as mine. That pretty hide will make a fine coat just fitted for my shoulders." Ushna's flat face broke into a sinister smile as he began to form his vile plans.

*****

Lila's thin cloak was no proper protection on the icy slopes but she offered no complaints as Hoggle led her along narrow ledges that provided breathtaking views around every corner. She had never been further than the village outskirts and though she loved to listen to the tales of wandering bards when they spoke of wizards who could open portals to vast new worlds, she had always shook her head and smiled at such fantastic notions. Now she had to wonder if all the stories were true, for the world was much bigger than she had ever imagined. In this place, it was not hard to believe giants were real.

The girl's shivering became noticeable as the sun began to set. Hoggle led them to a sheltered nook in the stone where a previous explorer had built a small fire pit. There were even a few cords of wood neatly stacked to the side, beneath a canvas cover. Lila had to try twice to light a fire; her fingers were trembling so hard.

Hoggle bedded down at a small distance. Cold never bothered him but the girl would need all the warmth that small fire could provide. He snorted at her suggestion that there was plenty of room, tucking his nose between his front legs and staring into the distance. He was not concerned about midnight visitors, not yet. That would come when they ascended. It was never a bad idea to be vigilant, though.

Lila sighed as the heat returned to her toes. "Tell me about your other journeys up the mountain. The villagers say you have seen the peak three times but that none of the journeys were quite the same. They never tell any real stories about you, but I know your life must be very interesting." In a much softer voice, she added: "It must be nice to be free."

Hoggle let loose a wide yawn. "Foul weather and even fouler companions. There's nothing much to tell."

Oh please, Hoggle. Won't you at least tell me one of the stories?"

He had looked many humans in the eye. Most were greedy, spiteful pigs not worthy of a second glance. He could see no hint of malice or indifference in Lila. The girl was pure as a newly formed snowflake, with a goodness that glowed on her young face. He could not resist one impatient grunt before he gave in.

"My first trip up the mountain was with a man who vowed to be the first to plant his flag on the peak. The first week it rained so hard we had to live together in a tiny cave with nothing to eat but little soup bundles heavy with minced onion. The man stank of onions and would've eaten them raw if given the chance. The climb was miserable. The idiot left his socks on a limb to air out and forgot to get them. He walked the rest of the way in his boots with nothing to wrap over his feet. By the third week his feet were a bloody mess and he was feverish. He insisted on continuing. It was not until he collapsed, just one day from his goal, that he begged me to return to the village for help. I had done what he asked for the price he paid. I would've left him there, if he had not tempted me with a new offer. He had a watch with diamonds on the face and a gold chain, a fine piece made by an artisan. The watch was my bribe to enter the village and tell the people there his fate. How they got him off the mountain, I couldn't tell you. They certainly had nothing to offer, but I hear the man was in bed for two months before some people from his own country came for him.

Oh Hoggle, how could you just leave him like that?"

Hoggle shrugged. "It's a cruel world." His tone softened at the anxious look on Lila's face. "You are a rarity, child. Don't let them make you into a foul creature like the rest of us." He turned over, refusing to say another word, grateful when the soft sound of her breathing told him she was asleep.

Hoggle gave Lila no hint of the care he took in protecting her. He always walked to the front, ready to take on any creature that might spring onto the path. He sat up late into the night, replenishing the fire so that she would not catch a chill. He brought her a rich fur cloak that had fallen from the shoulders of a man he'd left to the claws of a polar bear when the man refused to make his payment. The fool had been rich enough to use an actual fur cloak as a pillow, dressing in one that was fancier but no more warm. Hoggle looked the garment over, taking care to make sure there were no bloodstains. Lila snuggled into the thick folds with a happy sigh, truly warm for the first time in days. Hoggle told her it was from a rich man's supply stash and that it would not be missed, for her peace of mind.

The full moon was directly overhead on the night they came to the Cave of the Moon. Hoggle waved the girl ahead, watching in silent glee as she bent to gathered the plants that glowed with a soft blue light. Her little basket was stuffed to the brim. She tucked the frayed cloth around the edges to keep any precious herbs from falling out; turning her head in the direction they had come.

"What if I'm too late, Hoggle? So much time has passed. What if Mother..."

She could not finish the awful thought. She began to cry in earnest, terrified of what she would find upon her return. Hoggle sank to his knees, putting his eyes on a level with hers.

"Climb on my back, Lila. We will beat the rising sun before it touches the rim of your mother's roof, and she will be waiting there to embrace you once you have made her well."

Lila had never felt such a sensation. It was something like the game her father once played, tossing her small body into the air and catching her well before she felt any danger. Hoggle was a wild force, yet she felt no fear while on his back. The wind whipped her long black hair back from her face and stung her eyes. She felt she could ride on him forever.

Thin lines of red light were showing through the slats where the blankets had fallen away. Lila burst through the door, seeing her mother lying just where she had been left. It was clear Kora had not yet been in that day but the embers in the grate were evidence that her mother had not been entirely abandoned.

Lenna drank the offered cup without recognizing the person that offered the drink. Lila helped her mother to once again lie down. "You'll be better now, Mama. There is no better medicine in all the world and I've gone up the mountain to get it just for you."

Lenna smiled in her sleep as the pain began to fade and she heard the precious voice of Lila. "Dear child, you always did have a mind for stories. Let me rest a while and you can tell me all about it."

Lila ran outside, her face breaking into a wide smile. "We did it, Hoggle! Mother's fever is going down...what's the matter?"

Hoggle was turned toward the mountain, his large frame trembling ever so slightly. "I am happy for you Lila, but I must return to my home. Something is the matter...I cannot see..."

She would not let him leave without one more hug. "Take care, dear friend. I will come to visit you as soon as I can."

Hoggle held his head high as he trotted past the well that marked the edge of the village. It was not until he was out of Lila's line of sight that he allowed his shoulders to droop. He did not want the girl to worry for him. Such exhaustion was to be expected, for he had used magic to enhance his speed and such spells were hard on the body of the caster.

The feeling that something was not right was a tickle in his mind, an irritation he could not brush aside as mere superstition. He had felt the protection spells go down two days ago, a result of being away from his home cave too long.

The stench of strange men hit his nose as he topped the hill on which his home stood. He hesitated, calculating the position of the men inside by their scent and the subtle sound of their boots on the cave floor. He could hear the treasures they'd already claimed jingling in their pockets.

All caution was abandoned at the sight of Lila scrambling down the rock face, landing heavily before the entrance to the cave. The intruders leaped forward, pinning her beneath a thick rope net heavy with magic. In the poor light of dusk they could not make out who they had captured as they began to put their clubs to use.

Lila hugged her body into a tight ball. She did not realize the blows had stopped as Hoggle began to toss the men out into the open air, enraged almost to the point of insanity. There was not one among them who would not bear scars. To Ushna, Hoggle showed the least mercy. Lila had spoken many times about her mother's landlord, shuddering at the recollection of the looks he gave her. There was not enough of Ushna's form left to bury.

Hoggle rushed to Lila, ripping at the cords though they stung his mouth and paws. He took the blanket from his own snug bed, wrapping her securely after he had tended her wounds. "How could you risk your life like that, Lila?"

Lila smiled through the pain. "True friends help each other, no matter what."

Hoggle's breath caught in his throat. He could not bring himself to admit that he'd never had a friend before.

"I will tell you about the other two who attempted the peak, dear Lila. The second was a woman but she was nothing like you. She was a coward who could not bear a third week of listening to the wind moan. The third was a man who succeeded though he gave up the only treasure he owned to do so. He said he would give the shirt from his back and lay himself down in the snow to die for the honor of being the first to conquer the mountain. He did not die though, and neither will you. You're goin to live a long and prosperous life because I will always look out for you, my Lila."

In later years she could never be sure whether the speech was a very wonderful dream but that night, as warm golden light surrounded her, she smiled in her sleep.

Story by Pureflower

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