A Short Little Jaunt - Part 1

The following is a short story revolving around the fantasy story 'The Wall Outside'.  There will be serveral parts, one each day until Oct 31st.  It uses some of the characters of 'The Wall Outside', but is not part of main book.  'The Wall Outside' is currently available in digital format at http://www.amazon.com/The-Wall-Outside-Series-ebook/dp/B009FLOMLI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1350814435&sr=8-1&keywords=the+wall+outside+by+james

And now, 'A Short Little Jaunt' . . .

Bob The Pixie lifted the latch.  The squeals of the hinges pierced the night.  "Hello?"  His voice echoed into the cold dark chamber.  "I think it's empty, Jonna."

"Nothing out here either," Jonna looked around at the dark forest, as he slid his sword into a sheath at his waist.  "With the sun going down, I don't really want to stay in the woods again."  He shivered.  "I think it's getting colder."

Bob glanced up at the roof; through it he could see the sky in at least a few places.  As his eyes swept around the room, he stopped and smiled.  "At least it has an old chimney!"
As Jonna stepped through the door, it closed behind him with a foreboding click.  He shivered again, taking in what Bob has already seen.  The once many fine tables and chairs were broken, scattered around the room, but Bob is right; there was a chimney, and four solid walls to boot.  "This place used to be an inn."

"Well, we're in now," Bob grinned, flying this way and that to help gather up broken pieces of wood for the fire.  Jonna reached down and gathered up some larger pieces, then moved toward the fireplace.

In the fireplace, there was an old kettle held up by a hanger.  As he tossed the wood under the kettle, black wisps of smoke struck the air with a putrid smell, but they quickly faded away.  “Bob, are you certain this place is safe?”

The pixie waved the thought away.  “Of course it’s safe.  No one’s lived here for a very long time.”
~ James William Peercy

For those interested,  what is 'The Wall Outside' about?

Step across the barrier and what will you find?
A place of magic just out of sight?
A pixie, a leprechaun, or even a sprite?

What starts as a vacation, turns into a mess. For Jonna, there's
more at stake than meets the eye. Through pouring rain,
misdirection, and a curious mind, Jonna crossed the barrier
between our world and magic.

Now forced to return across the barrier, Jonna battles Dark Mages, angry leprechauns, and a ruthless Minotaur, all in an effort to find his wife. To do this, he must locate the stolen Rune Blade and rescue a beautiful elvish princess.

But what can a human do when faced with a world of magic?