Beyond the Cherry Tree by Joe O'Brien

laughed aloud and this infuriated the creature even more.
    â€˜Let me down, hideous ogre. Let me down or I shall rip you to shreds and chew on your bones for evening pleasures.’
    Bortwig laughed even louder now.
    â€˜How dare you laugh, elf. Laugh at a troll, do you?’
    Josh was a little confused. A troll! He doesn’t look nasty enough to be a troll .
    â€˜Is he really a troll?’ he asked Bortwig, who was now holding his belly as if he had a stitch from laughing too much.
    â€˜Let him down, Baulge,’ instructed Bortwig. ‘No, Master Bloom. Mad Argil is not a troll.’
    â€˜I didn’t think so,’ laughed Josh. He looked at the creature, who was fixing his filthy robe and shaking himself down while grunting up at Baulge.
    â€˜Filthy ogre!’
    Bortwig walked over to Mad Argil.
    â€˜Mad Argil,’ said Bortwig. ‘If Heckrin knew that you were making claims on his bridge and pretending to be the troll that passed through his gut many years ago, he would send you to the pit of his stomach too.’
    â€˜But I am a troll!’ insisted Mad Argil. ‘A dangerous troll, too. You shall not cross my bridge.’
    Bortwig looked up toward Baulge and winked.
    Without hesitation, the ogre rolled his knuckles into a balland tapped on Mad Argil’s head.
    Mad Argil fell.
    Josh stepped onto the bridge. ‘What was that for?’
    â€˜For his own good,’ smiled Bortwig as Baulge lifted Mad Argil up and flung him over his left shoulder.
    â€˜Bonkers Mad Argil may be, but dangerous he is not. Dungers are plenty in numbers and make tasty snacks for Heckrin. Mad Argil is lucky we crossed paths today.’
    â€˜So Mad Argil is a dunger. What exactly are dungers?’
    â€˜The clue is in the name,’ giggled Bortwig. ‘Dungers are harmless creatures that forage in dung, usually from trolls or ogres or cyclopses. Big creatures like that always leave something interesting behind them.’
    â€˜Uugh! That’s gross, Bortwig,’ said Josh stepping back a little from Baulge.
    â€˜Lead the way, Baulge,’ instructed Bortwig. ‘I’m pretty sure this bridge will be fine.’

Chapter 13
Flying Terror
    J osh held on tight as the bridge swayed from side to side. He dared not look down for it was a long, terrifying distance to the rocky floor below.
    ‘Easy, Baulge,’ calmed Bortwig. ‘Better to get across slowly than not at all.’
    Suddenly, Baulge let out an unmerciful cry. The bridge shook violently as the ogre thrashed about frantically, pointing up at the skies.
    ‘We’re going to fall, Bortwig!’ screamed Josh. ‘What’s wrong with him?’
    ‘Baulge!’ shouted Bortwig, but the ogre was inconsolable.
    Bortwig grabbed hold of Baulge’s leg, but Baulge panicked and ran, dragging Bortwig across the bridge. Josh tried to run too, but the bridge was swaying too hard and he was barely able to hold on.
    Bortwig let go of Baulge’s leg just as they reached the end of the bridge. The ogre danced around with Mad Argil still on his left shoulder. He was in a state of terror.
    Bortwig looked back to Josh as the bridge’s swaying came to rest.
    ‘Are you alright, Master Bloom?’
    Josh quickly got to his feet. His legs and arms were shaking .
    He waved to Bortwig, and then slowly began to walk along the bridge again. Bortwig turned to Baulge. The ogre held his head low with shame. He had calmed down a little, but still looked terrified as he pointed to the skies.
    Bortwig looked up.
    ‘I can’t see anything,’ he called, ‘but sea ogres are known for their ability to see things that are really far away …’
    Josh could see Bortwig look up to the sky and strain his eyes to see.
    ‘Heckrin!’ gasped the elf.
    Turning quickly, he shouted toward Josh, who still had a third of the bridge to cross, ‘Run, Master Bloom. Run for your life!’
    He pointed to the skies. Josh looked up ahead. He too could see something, but it only looked