The Lore of Enchanter Galatea of the Heath

Lithobates

The thick vines on the arbor hid her from the outside world.

Galatea stood quietly next to the honeysuckle and checked the area. The color of the blossoms matched her hair. A hummingbird buzzed nearby but didn’t seem bothered by anything. Alone she stood in the quietness of the morning in her mom’s garden.

After the hummingbird left she shut the garden gate and went out into her family’s land in the direction of the morning sun. She walked until her home was not in view and then walked farther into the openness.

After a few minutes she paused and studied the surrounding landscape. When the chick-a-dee called out that it was all clear she sat down in a field. From here she could see if someone was coming.

Reaching deep into a pocket in her left boot, she pulled out her Mom’s necklace. It had been hidden in the lining since the ambush a few days earlier. It was a mystery what had happened to her mom. Had she been taken or…? Tears streamed as she tried to fight the thoughts that now haunted her constantly.

Staring at the necklace she exhaled loudly and asked, “What is your magic? What do you do?” Turning the locket in several directions she studied the triangular shape and the symbol engraved into it. “Mom, why did you throw me this necklace? Why does it need to be kept safe? Why did you yell at me to remember our song? Why?” she questioned.

Her hand rubbed the rune and she looked around for something to happen. Only the gentle breeze moved. Closing her fingers around the metal she began to softly sing. This melody had been taught to her by her mom and Grandma Maggie. The last note lingered in the air but nothing around had changed. The lines in her face deepend as she leaned in and pressed the rune of air much harder and let her voice float through the surrounding air.

This time when she finished even the wind was quiet.

Leaning forward she put the necklace on and closed her fingers around the rune. Her mouth opened as a strange noise came from the edge of the Emerald Forest.

Some ferns under a tree started to move. Coming out of the woods hopping towards her was a young green bullfrog. Galatea realized it was coming directly at her.

“Hey, What’s the matter?” she called.

The frog looked behind him and back at the young woman as he increased his speed. Sludge flew behind him with every hop. Galatea held up her hand and yelled, “Whoa...stop,” but the frog locked eyes on her.

With only a few feet between them, Galatea scooted backwards, drew a line in the dirt and cast a spell.

The frog bounced off the invisible wall and shook his head and frowned. A blue heron swooped over them and continued on its way back to Rabbit Lake.

The frog glared at her with his eyes wide open and a nasty frown.

“Well you were coming at me kind of fast and you're dripping with slime,”

The frog shrugged his shoulders and bellowed a deep, “Rrruuu.”

Galatea studied the swamp bullfrog who was covered with shades of moss and tones of the dark forest. “I guess you're not really a threat,'' she said as her hand lowered, releasing the spell. “You’re not even fully grown.”

The frog turned his head from side to side and noticed a snack. Nearby a large black beetle was making a run for it through the dirt.

The frog zapped it but the bug got stuck in his throat. He bulged his eyeballs out and then retracted them into his head forcing a swallow.

Opening his eyes he grinned with a drip of drool hanging off the bottom of his lip.

“Do you always have something oozing out of your mouth?” she asked.

The frog raised one eyelid high and answered, “Rruu.” Then he hopped a little closer and stopped next to some dandelions. A fly buzzed over the flowers until a long pink tongue sucked it in.

Galatea giggled, “You got a big appetite for a little guy.”

The frog responded with a huge burp forcing the fly to project out of his mouth. It stuck on her cheek with green yuck. They both laughed while she flicked it back at the frog. He swallowed it and then burped again. She ducked as her laughter increased until a loud snort came out.

The frog tapped his front foot and roared “Ru,Ru, Ru.”

Gaining her composure, she took off the necklace and put it back in its secret place. Looking at the frog she announced, “Enough of this. I need to go home...now.”

The frog wiggled his butt into the dirt and curled his bottom lip forward and mumbled, “rru.”

Galatea grinned “Oh, don’t pout.” but the frog turned around and hung his head down. “Don’t pout,“ she said again as she picked him up and examined his face. “You’re adorable and you make me laugh. How would you like a nice safe garden with a pond to live in where you can eat all the bugs you want?”

The frog responded with a small gurgle as he shook his head up and down.

“If you're coming with me you are going to need a name. “Hmmmmm, something that matches who you are.” Looking in his eyes she said, “You drool, you spit, you burp, and you have the cutest smile for a bullfrog. You’re a Lithobates?”

The frog tilted his head and then frowned at her. Galatea kept right on talking. “Yes, Lithobates is a perfect name but I…I will call you Litho. Hello Litho,” she said with a grin.

Smacking his left foot into her palm he shouted, “RRU! RRU!”

“Litho, I know exactly where I am going to put you in my mom’s garden. There are beautiful water lilies by the pond. You can make your home there. Everyone who lives in the garden has a job. Your job will be to eat some of the slimy crawly nasty things I don’t like to touch,” she said with a wink.

Litho smiled back at her as he licked his lips.

Galatea continued explaining, “The colorful snapdragons that surround the garden have radiant smiles. There are so many beautiful plants there that when you’re in the garden it has a way of making…oh of…making you feel like the world is okay.”

Litho gazed up at his new friend and softly sighed as he snuggled deeper into her palm. Gently wrapping her fingers around him, she opened a leather pouch and placed Litho on top of a cloth.

After closing the bag she headed towards home taking the same path that had been used earlier.

After a short distance a sound startled her and she turned around but no one was there. Hearing it again, she looked down and opened the pouch to find Litho with his eyes closed. His lips vibrated as they released gurgling sounds. In the corner of his mouth there was a drop of green slime running down his face.

“Sleep well my little one,” she whispered as she shut the pouch. “The world is scary but I will always try to keep you safe.” The young huntress continued on her way. Her face was wrinkled with deep thoughts.

At the edge of the Emerald Forest a shadow watched until it disappeared from behind a large black oak tree.

Entered by: 0x7BB5…3E05