Beyond The Misty Mountains: Preview

The Sun hung lazily in the sky. The town of Oberwinzer began to become a shade of orange as the sun began to set in the West. Children of all ages ran and walked here and there on he sidewalk. Two children though, walked into a field full of trees to make their way homes. The yellow-green grass was dry as the October winds rustled them about. Two pairs of feet, covered in sock and large boots, stepped on the dry October grass as they made their way home. The two pairs of feet belonged to two brothers, one slightly taller than the other. The tall boy wore a tall green pointed hat that sat upright upon his head. His torso was covered by a white button up shirt, which was concealed by a black overcoat with golden buttons. His legs were concealed by black pants that want down his black boots that trotted upon the Iden (the country of Iden) land. The other boy wore a hat that is worn in the alpines, but it was the color blue instead of the traditional green. His torso was covered in a white shirt as well, but his overcoat was the color blue, held together by black buttons. His legs were covered in brown pants that went down to the same boots as his brothers, yet they too were brown. The hats covered both of their brown-yellowish hair. Some of it stuck out and flowed because of the cold October winds. Both boys carried watches that dangled on their shoulders. The bags swung lazily by the October breeze as well.

         “Otto,” the younger, shorter boy said, “how was your day at school?”
         “Just fine,” the older, taller lad said, “how was your day at school?”
         “Not good, I was stuck with that awful teacher once more,” the younger boy said as he sat on a stump. Otto sat on the stump with him.
         “You mean Ms. Emma? I thought you enjoyed her company?”
         “I did, until she made me feel like a complete fool.”
         “Whatever did she do to you that gave her such a bad view in your eyes?”
         “She said I was behind the class, and put me in a math class with younger students, I have never been more humiliated in my entire life.”
“Was it only today that this happened?”
“Yes, but wha tif this happens again?” the shorter by asked in irritation.
“Look Hans,” Otto said as he rose from the stump, “you are an amazing kid that can do great things, there is no need for your spirits to be hindered by the fact that you are a little behind in a class.”
“There is a need! It matters!” Hans shouted as he rose from the stump in retaliation, “I don’t want to be around younger kids who will make my life worse than what it is!”
“Implying that it was bad in the first place,” Otto retorted, “besides, what is you vendetta with younger children anyways?”
“They act far too young for their own age,”
“Maybe you’re acting too old for your age?”
“People just need to act more mature.”
“People do need to act a little more mature, that much is true. But you have to enjoy yourself a little bit, ya know?” Hans grunted in response to Otto’s comment.
“Maybe you just need to work with the kids, or get to know them better.”
“Maybe, I still don’t like it though.”
“You never really will change, will you?”
“Nope.”

The two brothers continued to make their way through the forest, slightly picking up speed as the sun was heading down. They made it out of the forest and onto the streets, it wasn’t long before both of them made it to their neighborhood.

“Hey! It’s the Eichen twins! How was your day at the school?” an old neighbor shouted from a distance.
“Like we have stated before good sir,” Otto began to spoke, “we are the Eichen brothers, not the Eichen twins. I’m older than him by at least two years. Anyways, we did have a good day at the school, right Hans?”
“No, not everyone had a good day Otto,” Hans said with a look of grimace on his face and contained his negative emotions.
“No need to be rude now, Hans. I mean, it is a Friday after all,” Otto said.
“You’re right,” Hans said, “I apologize sir.”
“Well that’s mighty fine then,” the neighbor said to him, “I’ll accept your apology.”

The two brothers ended their conversation with the old man with a “goodbye” and started their way back to the path home. The October winds began to blow and the leaves were shacking on the trees. Not long after, a single maple leaf shook to the point that it flew off the tree and summersaulted its way to the street ground with the rest of the leaves.

“You would have had to anyway. It’s not like you had a choice in the matter,” Hans whispered in an attempted raspy voice to himself.
         “What did I say about being rude so rude to people?” Otto scolded, there was moment of silence as they walked towards the home.
         “Sorry Otto,” Hans started, “but don’t you of all people know how bad it feels to be left behind?”
         “I do, and what I do is get back up on my feet. No use to mope around and be wistful, you know.”
         “But what about…father?”
         “Let’s not discuss of him,” Otto began before something caught his eye, “Oh look, a maple leaf, it has such a lovely golden color to it.” He plucked the golden leaf from the pile of all the others as he began to make his way once more.
“Otto, sometimes you can be distracted so easily.”
“I know, but that’s what makes us all special, we all have some special part that makes us who we are.”
“So what’s so special about that leaf?”
“It’s the lucky leaf, besides, look at how the color of the leaf greatly differs to that of the others, it looks as if it’s pure gold.”
“Whatever you say, Otto.”

Otto and Hans made their way into the house, the structure was similar to a house you would find out in Bavaria. The lawn was similar to the forest floor, with the dried up and dead grass swaying back and forth in the late October breeze. The two went inside the building, the inside of the house was white with a brown wood flooring. A fire place to the North and a couch to the West in the front room. The fireplace contained portraits of the family after multiple adventures. Sitting in the the corner was a suit of armor that seemed ancient, as if it were forged in the medieval times for the finest of warriors. Here and there in all of the right places, there were windows that made the room seem more magical with the light from the sun flooding into the room, giving it such a luminous glow. The children set their satchels on the floor and Hans made his way into to the dinning room. Otto, on the other hand, went into his room. He set the golden maple leaf on his desk and made his way down into the dining room. In the dining room was the mother and father of the Eichen brothers. The mother was tall and graceful, even when standing over the stove preparing Jäger Schnitzel for her family. Her lovely green and white house dress covered her body. Her golden locks laid on her shoulders as she walked the prepared meat to the table. The father sat there with a smile on his face, but mostly covered by his beard. His shaggy brown hair was covered by a helmet, and his clothing was similar to that of ancient hunters. He welcomed the children and gave them a big hug. He asked them about their day at school. Otto beamed about his average day of success and accomplishment. Hans, on the other hand, was very quiet and distant, replying with a “It was fine”.

“Why is your brother so quiet?” The father asked.
“It’s nothing father,” Hans murmured
“Do not lie to me boy,” the father told him, “you know I only want what is best for you.”
“Well, if you must know, I was put in a math class for children who are behind.”
“Unacceptable!” The father roared, the mother shot a scornful look, but he wasn’t aware.
“He is trying to succeed,” Otto chimed in, “he’s doing well in his other classes.”
“He needs to be doing well in ALL of his classes.” His father responded. Hans quickly stormed out of the room.
“NOW look at what you’ve done,” Otto said as he ran after Hans.
“That boy will never become better if he doesn’t apply himself. Otto will be just like him if he’s not careful. Then nobody will succeed in this house! We’ll be stuck in the countryside forever!”
“Calm yourself, my husband,” the mother reassured, “they will become greater than anything you’ve ever expected. They might even become kings. We just have to wait and see.”

Hans was walking from the neighborhood to the fields of the Oberwinzer forest, more leaves continued to fall and the trees continued to look more and more naked. The birch made the forest look like thick white lines sprouting from the orange, red, and yellow patterned floor made by nature. The birds began to follow Otto, but they could have just been flying around, nobody really knew about the birds in the forest. The birds were of all kinds. Owls, ravens, cardinals, all that you could imagine as long as they were brown, black, or yellow. Otto continued his pursuit for his brother until he found him on a stump. His face was red and wet.

“Hans, have you been crying?” Otto began to ask.
“Of course not!” Hans responded.
“Then why is your face wet and eyes red?” Otto continued. There was a brief moment of silence.
“How can you keep dealing with that man?” Hans asked, breaking the silence.
“His expectations are high. You and I both know this. He doesn’t realize how well you are doing in all of the other classes at the school.”
“He does not care, he wants everything to be perfect because HE wasn’t.”
“I know, and I’ll help you become better.”
 “How? Mayne I’m supposed to be like this.”
“No man nor beast was made yo be what they were. You are no exception to this either. You must polish your stone if you wish for it to be smoother,” Otto assured, “There will be hardships along the way, but I will make you the greatest you can become.”
“Alright,” Hans said. He ripped the tears from his face, no longer cold and a smile that replaced the previous grimace. “Thank you, Otto.”
“You’re welcome. Now, let’s go and eat, the dinner is probably cold by now.”

As the Eichen brothers left the forest, the birds began to look at the two. They look with their large eyes, as if they knew something was going to happen. The crows began to mob together and caw. All of the birds flew deeper into the heart of the forest.