T'was a glorious spring morning when Bridget stepped out onto the cobblestone roads. The weather was balmy, albeit a tiny bit cloudy, but all in all, perfect conditions for the day planned ahead.
On this fateful day, she and her neighbor, Rory, were to venture into the forest just past the town limits, to collect provisions for the community. Rory was to hunt small game -- squirrels and rabbits -- while Bridget was to forage for delectable stewing ingredients.
A huge smile began to adorn her face as she knocked on her companion's door. "Good morrow, dear Rory," Bridget chirped happily, "It's a lovely day for the task at hand, would ye not agree?"
Rory squinted at Bridget, a clear indicator that he had just woken up. He squinted past her, out at the rising sun half mast in the sky. "The sun is a welcome sight, but the clouds are unfortunate," he noted. "There is a chance we may get caught in some rain."
Bridget followed his line of sight, yet remained defiant. "Aye, 'tis a bit of cloud, is all. We shall be fine in the thick of the woods."
With little left to comment upon, the two friends finished packing up their gear and started to head out. Rory carried his bulky crossbow upon his back, the bolts securely tucked away in a neat sleeve upon his shoulder. Bridget brought her timeless rucksack that had joined her on countless adventures prior. There was an abundance of optimism in the air as they gaily conversed with one another, and tossed sweet greetings to every neighbor that crossed their path.
But as they began to exit the town, and the tall, dark forest entered their sights, so, too, did the presence of ominous, foreboding clouds... The sun was nearly covered by the time they broke past the tree line. Soon, tiny droplets landed on their faces. Then, the rain truly came down, washing over Rory and Bridget in a heavy downpour.
"We shall have to find a place to wait!" Rory called over the pouring rain. "We shall not be able to hunt or scavenge until it passes."
And so, they did, in the safety of a large hollowed tree. Thankfully, it was not a long wait! Similar to the country's rolling hills, the rain clouds rolled right over them.
As Bridget peeked her head out from the tree, she beheld a favorite wonder of hers: a magical rainbow, colorfully glowing amidst the soft sunlight. Her heart felt full at being a witness to such a rare and beautiful sight!
Rory was not as taken with the rainbow. Rather, he immediately took charge instead. "If the rain has passed, then we shall head over to the patch of blackberry bushes. Ye shall have plenty to pick while I search for game."
And so, they headed down the path. A sweet, pungent aroma filled the air once they stumbled into the vicinity of several bushes. The songbirds that were gorging on the earthly delights immediately departed at the sight of humans. Rory explained that he would venture a little further into the forest to search for animals while Bridget started to pick.
Every now and then, Bridget would gaze up at the hovering rainbow in awe. It was a wonderful beacon that proudly watched over her endeavors, watching her tenderly pluck some borage and elderflower plants that blossomed nearby.
Until suddenly, the peaceful atmosphere was broken with the sounds of shrieking. Bridget froze in place. Her immediate thought was of Rory -- had he fallen victim to a trap of some sorts? Yet, the shrieks were much too shrill to be that of a young man's. Rather, it sounded like that of a child!...
Bridget stood, alert, and listened... "Rory?!" she called out in a panic. There was no response; only the distant screams.
She did not know what horrors the shrieks harbored, but she could not continue to work with such agonizing cries surrounding her. She moved as quickly as she was able to in her long, simple gown, all the while following the horrible cries. At one point, while she struggled to locate which direction to go, she abruptly realized that she was following the rainbow.
The unmarked path eventually led her out of the woods and into a clearing. There, she came upon quite the sight! The shireks were coming from a tiny bearded man, tied up with rope, groveling on the ground in an attempt to escape!
The tiny man suddenly caught sight of Bridget and began to implore her assistance. "Help! Please, untie me!"
She ran over and kneeled down beside him. It was no use; the knots were committed with such skill that it would require a knife to cut through it. By the time she had come to this conclusion, a figure was already running to approach her, and Bridget whipped around to discover Rory!
"I heard --" he panted, pointing to the hogtied victim at their feet, indicating he had heard the commotion as well. "I came..." Rory sat next to the man while attempting to secure a pocketknife from his pocket. "Who did this to ye?"
"A poacher!" the man exclaimed. "A fox poacher! He wanted what is mine, and I refused to part with it!"
Rory started to carefully cut through the rope. "What did he want?"
"My gold!"
At these words, the two friends sat upright. "G-Gold?..." Bridget's voice was barely a whisper.
"He wanted my gold," the man repeated. "I wouldn't give to him. He told me, 'A bit of starvation should clear ye mind,' and he tied me up! Left me here to perish!"
With that, Rory made one final slice, and the man was free; he did a frenzied little jig. "Thank ye! Thank ye! Ah, 'tis a blessing to finally spring free from that trap!" The man settled down. "Now, ye two younguns are something to be admired! Honest work is what ye do, and ye never deprive others of their hard work." Bridget and Rory exchanged perplexed expressions; how could this stranger possibly know this? The man continued: "Thus, for living honestly, AND for saving my life, ye shall be rewarded."
From the corner of her eye, Bridget saw something begin to fuzzily materialize. Across from them, against the green foliage, sat a large, black pot. She could not say with certainty, but she thought she observed something glittering atop of it.