Chapter 3

Gene stopped long before reaching her house so as to decide what to do about the little man, er, gnome she carried before her. She stopped by a lone tree sitting at the edge of one of her father's fields. Its massive trunk was easily wide enough to hide behind should anyone happen to pass by on the nearby road.

Really, she was still a little befuddled about the whole situation. She was no one special, if anything she tried to hide in the background so that she would never draw attention to herself. Things like this were not supposed to happen to people like her. She was just supposed to live a nice quiet existence, away from the crowd. She even had dreams of her father finding a nice quiet man for her to marry, of having a couple of children to help fill the days of her ordinary life and maybe, just maybe, finding something meaningful to do with her existence.

I know it sounds contrary, to have a family and independence; but she was sure it was possible. Maybe she could start a small business to help fill the time when she was free from child rearing in order to earn some extra cash; she had a fair hand at taming horses, even if it was a profession that was mostly occupied by men, she knew she could do it.

Not that she really needed the money because she was due a small stipend upon reaching the age of twenty-one, or upon her marriage, from her mother's family. But it would be nice to know that it was possible to do both; it would be nice to not be defined as just another brood mare, someone's property and breeding machine.

She had no illusions on love. Men and woman did not marry for love in the world that she lived in. Marriages were contracts that were made by parents for reasons of convenience and for reasons of increasing properties and wealth; they were contracts between the wealthy that were not meant to take the children's feelings into consideration. But sometimes, if you got lucky, you could find comfort in each other. Sometimes, if your parents cared for you a little bit, they would try to find a man that was at least a little compatible with you. Someone who would not use your body for nothing more than their own pleasure.

Anyways, thing like this did not occur to people who's lives were planned out before they were even born.

Why was it that the Gods had chosen her to meet with a "mythical" creature such as the gnome Popo? She knew that things happened for a reason, so she was a little afraid of what this chance meeting meant.

When they stopped beneath the shady branches of the ancient tree she slid off her horse. The ground here was even but there were a few stones lying hidden in the grass, so it was not very comfortable; she was glad her father was not home because he would not be pleased by her unladylike appearance of disheveled hair, mussed clothing and bare feet.

She absentmindedly reached up and helped Popo off her steed, than she walked to the tree and sat down with her back cushioned by the mossy trunk. She stared at Popo in consideration before asking her questions.

Popo nodded his thanks and waited. Obviously she had things to ask and he did not mind answering them. He owed her for saving him twice. While he waited he looked around at the fields before him. It had been a long time since he been from the forest and he did not recognize this place.

"How long have you been a gnome?"

"About 200 years."

"How long do gnomes live?"

"I wouldn't know since I've never met another and I wasn't born one." It was easy being honest with this girl. Then he realized that he didn't even know the name of his savior, "What's your name? I don't ken that you liked being called girl since you obviously have some breeding to you."

"Gene. If you were not born a gnome, how did you become one?"

"Ah... right to the heart of the matter. Straight-forward ain't you girl?"

Gene blushed as she realized that she had been quizzing him as if he were some criminal. Maybe this was a touchy subject for him and he didn't feel like sharing his business with her. But she was so curious!

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry into your personal business. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, I understand."

"Not at all girl, not at all. I'll tell you something. It's been a long time since I've talked to a human, let alone a girl!" He liked her more and more, and he had to say that her blush was quite becoming. It was too bad that she was cursed with those spectacles or she would have been married by now. It was not a rude thought, he could easily see that she was a maiden by the fact that she wore no ring on her finger, and by her very mannerisms.

"No, I don't mind telling you at all Gene. But I will warn you that it is a rather long tale; you sure you want to know?"

"Yes, yes, please tell me! I'm ever so curious about you. How often does one meet a gnome, how often does one get to know what they are about?"

"Very well, you've been warned!" he chuckled at her enthusiasm.

Popo's story:

"I was born a long time ago in the town of Lorry. My father was a very wise and very prestigious healer who, because of his accomplishments, was given a title by the king. As a lord he came under the dominion of the king and he was given a wife from a noble family; believe it or not, they loved each other despite the fact theirs was an arranged marriage. I, along with a little sister, was the product of that union.

We were happy for a very long time and having grown up in a loving and wealthy environment I became quite spoilt and lazy.

I would not have admitted that at the time, for I was always told by my mother how absolutely perfect I was, and being told you are such for most of your life you tend to believe it. But time has a way of making you think over your life and realizing the errors of your ways.

I had no need to work; I had no need to worry. My life was filled with pleasurable pursuits such as riding and hunting: both for the wild beasties in the forest and for the pretty ladies.

I don't even mind telling you, though it still sounds conceited, that I was quite a beautiful man. I could have, and did have, any woman I wanted. Which is how I ended up cursed as I did.

Anyways, having anything and anyone I wanted led me treat people rather shabbily; but I did not care because no one ever contradicted me. Well, that is not exactly true. My little sister Kelly had no problems telling me what a brat I was, but who was I to believe her! She often warned me that one day I would meet a woman who would not let me walk all over her as I was accustomed.

One day I was in town when a lovely lass wondered into the village. I felt in that moment as if in my 22 years, I had not met a girl quite as lovely as she. She had the most beautiful blond hair that rippled in the afternoon sun. Her eyes were the strangest violet color, which I found very appealing. Her figure was divine: lovely tits and ass with a tiny little waist!

Err, excuse me lass for the language.

Anyways. In that moment I knew I wanted her and that she would be mine. I set out to pursue her with all the determination of a young man in love. I did not even mind that she chose to live alone in the wood; it never struck me as odd that she had no fear of what could happen to her. As far as I was concerned, it just meant that it we had a convenient trysting place away from the gossiping tongues of the village.

I had no ear for the gossiping villagers that called her a witch. I was sure that it was just jealousy of such a beautiful girl that made them speak of her as such. Her name was Leah.

I did love her for a while, in my own way. At least I thought I did at the time. Later I would learn that she was enchanting me and keeping me to herself with magic. She wanted the riches that would come to me upon the death of my parents; she had no love for me other than what I could provide.

My parents became concerned when I began spending all my time with her in the forest. They had never seen me as obsessed over a woman as I was with her. I even began to talk about marrying her, which caused a scandal in my house. Imagine the lofty Lord's son marrying the strange and common girl in the woods; a strange and lovely girl who was rumored to be a witch no less! I became enraged when my father refused to even consider it.

So I ran away. I loved her so that I thought we could be together, just the two of us in the forest. And I would have stayed except that she would not hear of me separating myself from my parents.

How naïve I was. I actually thought it was love of me that inspired such tender concern. She made it seem as if she could not bear to be the cause of the rift between us. The reality was that she wanted my father's money and she knew she would not have it if I were disowned.

So I went back to them and tried to get along. My poor parents, in an attempt to save me, came up with the idea of sending me away for a while. What they said to me was that it just a test of my devotion for the girl, Leah. They promised that if I could stay away from her for six months, and if I still felt the same, then they would consent to the marriage.

I was ecstatic! Not only were they giving way, but also they appealed to my romantic sensibilities with their request. I thought 'here is my chance to prove myself to her and my family, here is my chance to go on a noble adventure for the sake of love!'

So I left.

I was so eager to prove myself, because I felt I was so much in love, that I did not even go to Leah to tell her that it was all going to be okay; I was so eager to leave, so that I could return to her even sooner, that I forgot to tell her of my quest.

That decision has haunted me to this day: On the one hand, I am thankful because it allowed me to escape her clutches; On the other hand, it caused the death of my family.

Leah became enraged when I left because she thought my parents had tricked me somehow, or had found a way to break her spell. I don't know how she did it but she poisoned them. The three of them were found dead over breakfast one day. What was strange is that they were covered in sores and lesions; no regular poison would have done that, everybody knew it was magic; Leah's magic.

The villagers were scared to send for me because they thought the same would happen to me if I returned. The result is that I did not learn of my family's death until a long time after the fact.

It still saddens me that I was not able to say goodbye to them or to attend them in proper mourning. But for me they died; they died because they tried to save me.

In the mean time, their plan worked. As time passed, Leah's spell on me began to fade. I started to realize what she had done and I would be in danger still if I returned. I wrote my parents while I traveled. I thanked them for saving me and I warned them that I would not be able to return till I could find a way of making it so that her spell had no affect on me. I knew they would be happy at the news.

I was not concerned about the fact that I never got any correspondence from them. I was traveling the world seeking out healers and shamans for a cure; I never knew where the wind would carry me so I knew there was no way for them to contact me.

Two years passed before I found another witch willing to help me. This witch was old and happy to share her secrets for a little gold. She tattooed my chest with a special symbol that would prevent my premature death by witchcraft and would prevent Leah's love charms from affecting me.

I was so happy because I knew I could finally return home.

When I did return, my world had changed. The village was mostly abandoned, the fields had been left unattended, my home had been abandoned and my family had died.

One old woman that remained told me what had occurred, how the villagers had fled in fear of Leah's wrath. I became enraged and determined to confront and kill the bitch for her vicious acts.

How I wish today I had run as the villager had. But I was young and prideful. I wanted revenge and I would not be happy till I had it.

When I came upon her cottage I yelled for her and called her a murderous whore. I told her that her life would end that day and that she should not attempt to flee for I would find her.

I should have been scared that she wandered out her cottage as if she didn't have a care in the world. I should have known better than to threaten an angry witch.

She stared at me and tried to murder me with the same murderous curse she used to do away with my parents. Imagine her surprise when I just laughed in her face and showed her the tattoo on my chest!

It was my pride that made me think I was invincible. I knew that the tattoo would protect me from death at her hands, but I did not realize that she could do worse.

Leah knew that the only way to be rid of me was to somehow change the shape of the tattoo on my chest; she could only do that by cutting the tattoo from me, or changing the tattoo somehow.

Since I was bigger and stronger than her, she knew that she would not be able to beat me or hurt me if it came down to a physical contest of wills. She could not alter the shape of the tattoo, but she could alter the shape of my body!

I still remember the curse she placed on me that day:

"So pretty and prideful and strong,

You always felt that you could do no wrong.

Hear my words now, fear my curse now,

You are nothing but a little man,

You are nothing but a little troll; no, nothing but a little gnome!

I curse thee with the knowledge that,

Either you or I will die!

One of us shall be no more.

For as you shrink and shift your shape, your body shall mine.

And I will use your new blood as a cure for the ravages of time.

I will waste you, and drink you, and I'll be forever as I am.

But I am feeling rather fair so I give you one last chance or hope.

Find some virgin blood; ha, some pretty little dope.

Find me one that truly loves, and she might give you hope

Let her give her life for yours and I will set you free

She shall be my sacrifice, and I shall let you be."

So I shrank and shrank. You'd think it would hurt but it didn't.

I was, from that moment on, a gnome; I was, on the day of my twenty-fifth birthday, given a curse for a gift.

She laughed and cackled like the shrew I now knew her to be; she thought that she had won. She thought that since I was to die by her hand that very day I had no chance to reverse the curse.

But she forgot that as a gnome I would grow cunning and wise. It didn't take me much to realize the error of my ways and before she knew what I was about, before she could strike me down, I fled into the forest.

She was outraged, but she could do nothing about it. She might have feared me seeking a cure, but I never really did. I thought about it once, but I could not see how I could find a virgin to give up her life for me when I was nothing but a gnome.

It was hard at first, living as a gnome. I had no magic then as I do now. A fairy gifted to me the magic that I now possess, one I once helped from a trap. She gave me the ability to shift shapes for small periods of time, and the ability to talk to the animals. This made my life bearable because it helped me escape my loneliness.

When I did receive the gift to shift-shapes, I considered trying to get some girl to love me and sacrifice herself on my behalf. But how could I do that to another human being? I was no longer the conceited oaf I once was and I could not ask such a sacrifice from anyone. I had to find another way.

I didn't know that I would live as long as I did until the years started to pass and I did not seem to age.

The birds told me, once I learned to listen, how they had laughed at the witch from a distance. It seemed that she was no longer able to leave the forest. I did not know until I wandered away from the forest that she could not leave it unless I did. I thought if she were stuck there, it would be best if I left.

She found me then, and almost caught me in the fully abandoned village of my youth. When I fled back into the forest, her body was dragged back into it along with me. That is how I knew that as she cursed me, she bound herself to me. And here is the rub: it seems that with her own words she bound us so that we would live until one of us destroyed the other; I think so anyways. Maybe the curse will lift if someone kills her or me first.

Over time the forest grew and claimed the village; it no longer exists except in the hidden ruins of the forest. I've also caught glimpses of her as the centuries past. Where I have stayed as I am, she has naturally aged. I'm not sure if it my gnome blood that has kept me from aging but I'm glad because she has slowed down some with the ravages of time, where I have stayed the same.

And that is my tale. Until you rescued me I had not even thought to leave the forest again; it is, after all, big enough to get lost in or big enough to hide from her for eternity."

Gene stared in wide at wonder at the gnome. Wow, that certainly was a story, wasn't it? Funny but rather than satisfy her curiosity and brought a rush of fresh questions.

Popo picked up a blade of grass and commenced to chew on it. He wondered what she would have to say about what she had just told him.

"So how do you know that if she dies, you won't die with her?"

He was impressed by her perception. "I don't know, I can only guess that only one will die because the curse said: 'either you or I will die'. I'm not afraid to die, anyways. Not really. I've lived a long life and seen things most mortals can only imagine."

"So why haven't you just given yourself to her and ended your misery?"

"Hmmm, good question, Gene. But remember that she has had 200 years to practice and perfect her magic. She may not be a too much of a danger to the world as the crone that she is now, but imagine her as a young, strong, powerful witch! She is bound to the forest, well she was bound till I left it. What havoc do you think she would cause if she were let loose on the world? Especially if she was immortal?"

Gene nodded thoughtfully in agreement. Then her mind jumped to another question: "what can you shape-shift into?"

'Girl has a steel-trap mind, doesn't she?' Popo thought to himself. "Pretty much anything that doesn't go too much bigger than the size I once was as a human."

"Can you shift into a man? Err, I mean I know you are sort of a man, but can you shift into your old form, the shape you were when you were cursed?"

Popo chuckled at her. Somehow he sensed that if he showed himself to her as he once was she would shy away from him. So rather than show her, he replied in the affirmative.

"How long can you shape-shift for? I mean I know you said it was only for short periods of time, but how long is that?"

"Mmmm... good question! The longest I have been able to hold my form is for about an hour. I had to once to flee from Leah. But to hold the shape for that long drains me so that I become as weak as a babe. I managed to get away from her, and luckily I was able to hide before I was pulled back to my gnomish form; I wasn't able to stand for almost 3 days after that attempt!"

The wheels were spinning in Gene's head! There was a bit of information to mull over; it could prove useful should they come across the witch. She just had to figure out a way to use that information to their advantage!

Gene was a good girl and whether she would admit to it or not, she had already decided that it was her job to help Popo. She never could stand for any injustices being done to another sentient creature; Disturbance was a prime example of that. Once she knew of an injustice she made it her mission to correct it. She was rather tenacious on that score.