What's the Name of That Book??? discussion

Children or YA Read between 1990 and 1995, I recall a gauntlet being an illustration in the book or on the main cover. This may have been a distinct feature of the villain. Not long, maybe 11 chapters following the boy's journey. Landscape was very empty, and the land seemed to want to help him, as a rider or riders pursued him a tree increased the hole at it's base to accommodate him. Later, the land did the same, making a cave for him to pass through into a mountain.
(view spoiler)[Once inside the mountain he navigates tunnels and runs into a red headed blacksmith. The blacksmith gives the boy a sword he's forged for the boy to fight the villain. The boy continues on to a tower or fortress where the gauntleted villain is.
During the journey the rider may be the villain, and seems like a wraith from The Lod of the Rings (hide spoiler)]

The Gauntlet?

It's been reprinted many times - on my to-read shelf! :)

One misty summer afternoon, Peter Staunton was wandering near the ruined castle of Carreg Cennen in the hill country of the Welsh border. He stumbles across a rusted metal gauntlet and idly slips it on his hand. This is the start of an adventure that takes him back in time to the 14th century, when his Norman ancestors held the castle. Now, as Peter de Blois, he is plunged into a bewildering medieval world of chivalry and honor, of archery and falconry, of grand feasts and castles, but most of all, of heart pounding jousting tournaments. But all these rousing pastimes ominously give way to a rebellion among the Welsh tribes, culminating in a fierce assault on the castle fortress and its Norman defenders. Surrounded and outnumbered, the Normans must get word of the attack to the nearest castle. The only way out is down an immense cliff wall. Can Peter make the climb in time? A finely authentic picture of life in the 14th century. These rousing pastimes give way to ominous rebellion. Suddenly besieged in their castle, surrounded and outnumbered, these Normans are in peril. Will Peter now be the only one who can save the day?

Sounds more historical than fantasy, though it is tagged as a fantasy (perhaps only due to time-slip aspect).

Mio, My Son

But then something strange happened. An old black tree trunk right next to us opened up, and I saw that it was hollow. Before I knew how it happened, we crept inside the hollow trunk, Pompoo and I, and sat there trembling like two baby birds hunted by the hawk. Now the spies were close to us and we heard what they said.

But then something strange happened. The cliff we were pressing against gave way and before we knew how it happened, we were standing inside the mountain, Pompoo and I, trembling like two lambs hunted by the wolf. We didn’t need to be scared. We were inside the mountain and the spies were outside. The cliff had closed, there was no opening. They could never catch us here. But we heard them raging outside.

We played the old melody when we stepped into the Swordsmith’s Cave. It was a smithy we had come to, and a huge fire burned there. There was a big anvil and by the anvil stood a man. He was probably the biggest and strongest man I’ve ever seen. He had a lot of red hair and a big red beard. He was sooty and black and had the biggest and blackest hands that I’ve seen. He had thick, bushy eyebrows, and when we stepped into his cave, he stood still and looked at us with his eyebrows turned up in great surprise.

Rainbowheart wrote: "Mio, My Son

But then something strange happened. An old black tree trunk right next to us opened up, and I saw that it was hollow. Before I knew how it happened, we crept inside the ..."

Eerie! This is it, thanks so much - and for including the relevant passages that were just as I remembered them. Now I have the book to look forward to reading again, and an '80's movie too I see. Appreciate your knowledge and quick response! (I've been thinking of and trying to find this book for about 20 years)

Capn wrote: "
The Gauntlet?

It's been reprinted many times - ..."

Thanks for the suggestion, but it was Mio, My Son. Gauntlet had come up on searches I had done based on recalling that being in the book, but the book's description didn't ring a bell. Hope you get to read and enjoy it, and maybe check out Mio, My Son too.

You're welcome, super glad to help out!