Heart of the Staff - Complete Series

by Carol Marrs Phipps

  “I've heard all this,” said Tors, glancing at Lipperella with an appreciative smile before snatching up his third vole, “but I don't see how three dragons showing up instead of two would help much. The more of us, the more terrorized they'll be, I'd think.”

  “That's right,” said Spark with a nod, “and that's exactly what the Council is counting on to keep us alive on our journey.”

  “I suppose,” said Tors after a long pause, while he considered his brother's words, “I see their point, but it still seems as if two dragons...”

  “Papa! Papa!” shouted Laora, as she and Edward ran echoing through the grotto. “Momma?” Her voice trailed off, as their pelting footfalls grew louder. The moment they burst forth onto the balcony, Lipperella grabbed them with a look of disapproval and steered them right back inside, stepping in behind them.

  “Sorry,” said Spark, offering around the last of the voles. “They're energetic to the point of thoughtlessness, sometimes.”

  “She makes these better than anyone,” said Kast, as he popped a vole into his mouth and closed his eyes.

  “Oh fiddlesticks, Spark,” said Tors with a chuckle. “They're just kids. They'll get over it.”

  “No kidding, Kast,” said Spark, “but they're nothing compared to the vole in a hole she used to make before we all gave up chocolate... Of course you're right, Tors. No doubt they saw something from the air that amazed them so much, they plumb forgot their manners trying to share it.”

  “Undoubtedly...” said Tors.

  “Look, we're not offended by them in the least,” said Kast, “What if they saw something that scared them? You know best of course, but if it were me, I'd check.”

  Spark stopped chewing for a moment as he knitted his brow. “You know, you are right,” he said. “I'm going to go find out. I'll be right back.”

  “By all means,” said Kast.

  Spark found them in Edward and Laora's room.

  “...So Ceidwad and Lladdwr should be here any minute, since they can run really fast...” said Edward, as Laora nodded with sincere enthusiasm.

  “Ceidwad and Lladdwr?” said Spark.

  Lipperella looked up at him, wide-eyed, then sank back on her haunches and studied Laora and Edward. “Yes, I see, but it was still rude of you two to come crashing right into the middle of an adult conversation without waiting to be invited to speak.”

  “We're sorry,” said Laora, “but we thought it was really, really, really important for you to know about the diatrymas, and we didn't know Unca Tors and Kast were here.”

  “Did they say why they were here?” said Spark as he took a seat beside Lipperella.

  “They just said it was something important,” said Edward, “and asked us to fly ahead and tell you they were on their way.”

  “Then, thank you both for making sure we found out,” said Spark.

  “We did the right thing, then?” said Laora.

  “The hurryin' right here part was great,” he said, looking very seriously at the pair of them. “But the burstin' in part needs some work, yet. It's just like your momma said.”

  “Yes Papa.”

  “Yes Uncaspark.”

  “Good. Then hurry and find the diatrymas and tell them we'll meet them up on top in the leaning oaks by the main cave entrance.”

  “Let's go!” cried Laora.

  ***

  Hubba Hubba swooped in through the tower window, giving Razzmorten's childhood dog Fifi a terrible start. She charged out from under the table barking furiously and lost her balance on a throw rug that slipped out from under her, dropping her onto the floor with a bounce.

  Razzmorten jerked up wide eyed from the grimorie he had open before him on the table and smiled grandly. “Hey! Wonderful. You're here,” he said, as

  Hubba Hubba lit on the table, fanning the pages of the grimorie well enough to lose his place. He didn't see Pebbles, but just as he heard her wings beating to a halt overhead, she bent down the brim of his hat and stepped off onto his shoulder.

  “Yea!” cried Hubba Hubba with a vigorous flap of his wings. “And Lukus and Soraya and Ariel and Daniel and Neron and her three brothers are coming behind us, and one of 'em, Jerund is still hurt pretty bad. We had a rough trip, let me tell ye.”

  “Really? Well, tell me about it. I've got all morning for something like this. I'll just have a seat over here in this chair...” he said with a grunt as he sat down. So, are you about to tell me, or do you have other places you're off to?”

  Hubba Hubba quickly ran his beak the length of the two biggest primaries in each wing and gave his feathers a resolute shake, flinging out dander to whirl about in the light from the window. “Well, I reckon I can give you ones the short version and ye can dig the details out of the party when they get here.”

  Razzmorten settled himself thoroughly, slid his spectacles back up the bridge of his nose, raised his eyebrows and lifted his chin, “I can spare you all morning, my friend,” he said.

  “I say...” said Pebbles, “if you two will excuse me, I'd like to find Minuet and let her know that we've come.” And with nods all 'round, she vanished out the window.

  ***

  “It's perfect, isn't it Mother?” said Rose as she whirled around once in her wedding dress for Minuet to see.

  “Oh Rose, it is. Wait 'til Fuzz sees you. You'll have him speechless.”

  “Well, I hope not for long. I so enjoy the things he says...”

  “My!” said Minuet, as Pebbles suddenly flew in and landed on Rose's dress form.

  Pebbles gave a shrill two note whistle. “Hubba Hubba's with Razzmorten,” she said with a shake of her feathers, “and Lukus and Soraya and her family should be here any time now.”

  “That's wonderful news,” said Minuet, putting out her hand at once for Pebbles to step on to.

  Pebbles stepped on and thrust out the ruffled crown of her head for a scratch.

  “I'll tell Father and Fuzz,” said Rose as she swept to the door.

  “In your snow white gown?” said Minuet. “You want Fuzz to see?”

  Rose froze wide eyed. “I guess I'm coming undone without unbuttoning first,” she said with a giggle, as she spun 'round and presented her back. “So could you help me unfasten these twenty-one, Mother?”

  “My dear, you've gone giddy. You'll about have to stop bouncing.”

  “Oh! Sorry. I'm just so excited.”

  “I know. So am I.”

  They found Hebraun, Fuzz and Yann-Ber still sitting at the breakfast table, discussing Razzmorten's revelations about the First Wizard, the Heart, the Staff and what all of it might mean for Niarg and the rest of the world.

  “This is splendid!” cried Hebraun, springing to his feet to take Minuet's hand with a look of joy on his haggard face. “Lukus and Soraya are here at last.”

  ***

  “And then this beast, ugly like a human, came...”

  “Why thanks, Hubba Hubba,” said Razzmorten.

  “Well it was. You got 'o face things, Wiz. Humans just plain missed out on beautiful. It was ugly in exactly the same way a human is. You know: up on it's hind legs, no wings, no feathers. It was actually worse, 'cause it was as tall as the tallest human and might even 'ave weighed three times as much...”

  “Troll, aye?”

  “Yea,” said Hubba Hubba, pausing with a very serious look. “That's exactly what they called it. And it was ugly, in spite of what you say. It was so ugly, it didn't even know it had to hide itself with clothes the way humans know they have to. Anyway, doggone it. I'm a-tryin' to get to this, Wiz: it got Lukus. Lukus was a-tryin' to protect Soraya and the kids, and it grabbed him up and threw him down hard enough for to pop his bones. It was awful and I thought to my stars he was a gonner.

  “That's when Soraya and Danneth up and got the stinker. They turned 'im into a proper pin cushion, right now, they did. Now, Danneth's got quite a reputation as an archer, amongst the Elves anyway, but you ought to 'ave seen Soraya. I've never seen fury like t
hat. She's good. She never missed a lick. She emptied out her whole quiver, and she put her last two darts, right square into an eye socket apiece. And what's worse is I'm starvin' here, Wiz. I know you wouldn't want that, so bring me some of that blueberry cobbler of yours, right now if you don't mind. Then I'd have the strength to finish my story, and you wouldn't have to wait.”

  “Am I being addressed by an overweight crow, here?”

  “Hey...!”

  “Well I'll admit you're sitting in the light, but I hadn't noticed that your feathers were black...”

  “Now don't you dare go thinkin' I'm back to my old habits! I'm talkin' about blueberry cobbler without sukere.”

  Razzmorten smiled behind his hand as he raised a serious eyebrow.

  “Hey Wiz, this is vital information, here. You owe me some allowances,” he said with a huff, giving his feathers a thorough shake before leveling himself at

  Razzmorten. “Look. We just flew here all the way from the Jutwoods. You should've seen the stuff we've had to eat lately. I just figured for old time's sake, I mean I had it pictured that when I told you, you'd just up and...but I guess...I'm sorry, Wiz.”

  “For old time's sake. Absolutely,” said Razzmorten, launching himself from his chair. “Here comes some blueberry cobbler. Won't take me too long. You can visit with Fifi while I'm at it.”

  Hubba Hubba waddled to the edge of the table and peered over. “And you can have a jolly cobbler of troll dung, Tooth Face,” he said sincerely. “I mean you have the slobbers to handle it, and you certainly have the disposition for it.”

  “Fifi wagged her tail hard enough to make her hips shake as she lowered one eye and raised the other.

  “And the sheer intelligence,” said Hubba Hubba. “You've definitely got that.”

  “Vuff!” said Fifi, rearing up with a lunge to put her drool-matted paws upon the table's edge.

  “Man! Do you stink! Troll dung really would make you smell better. I'll be having my cobbler in the middle of the table, thank you,” said Hubba Hubba as he backed up with a hurried pigeon-toed two step in time for Fifi to say: “Vark!” and fling a string of drool across his eyes before dropping to the floor.

  Hubba Hubba was frantically wiping his beak on the edge of the table when Razzmorten came through the door with the cobbler. He looked up to see three sparrows perched on his shoulders. “Chirp. Squeak. Tweet,” he said, brightening up. “I didn't see nests or any traces of you ones in here. I was wondering.”

  “We're in the stables,” squeaked Chirp. “All three of us had nests in that oak just outside the window. When it turned cold, we took our second clutches to roost at night by the granary in the stables.”

  “No kidding. Wait 'til I tell Pebbles. I know she'll be anxious to visit and talk about eggs. Even since it turned cold, all she wants to talk about is eggs.”

  “Really?” tweeted Squeak as he took a peck at Razzmorten's cobbler. “I'd 'ave thought that going off on your adventures would have her forget all about eggs.”

  “Yea, but she ended up helping to take care of two dozen freshly hatched dragonet eggs and then Lukus and Soraya needed help with their two.”

  “Well,” squeaked Chirp. “When she sees our broods, she may have you cleaning out your old nest hole, even if winter is coming on.”

  “We don't in winter any more than sparrows,” said Hubba Hubba, swallowing a blueberry, “but this winter'd be especially crazy if we did! There's no way we could feed a brood. I hate to tell ye, but your broods are going to have it rough.”

  “What are you talking about?” chirped Tweet. “People always have tons of food going to waste here.”

  Hubba Hubba looked up to see Razzmorten shake his head. “I wouldn't count too much on the people's help this winter, fellows,” he said, backing away from the cobbler.

  Chirp, Tweet and Squeak stopped eating at once. “What do you know that we don't?” squeaked Chirp.

  “You've been here all the while and you don't know?”

  Three little brown heads shook in unison.

  “Each one of Niarg's grain crops is no good this year, and all the stored grain has gone bad,” said Hubba Hubba. “Everyone's going to have a very bad winter.”

  Chirp, Tweet and Squeak looked at Razzmorten.

  Razzmorten nodded sadly.

  “But you're a wizard,” tweeted Squeak. “Can't you fix it?”

  “I've been trying, but I'm just not up to what I once was. The blight which got each of the separate crops was caused by magic and none of my counter-spells works at all. Unless the one who cast the spell counters it herself....”

  “Herself?” squeaked Chirp. “You know who did it?”

  “No.”

  “The heck you don't, Wiz,” said Hubba Hubba, pattering around in an exasperated circle on the table top. “Come off it. You know jolly well it was the work of Spitemorta and Demonica.”

  “I know in my heart you're right,” he said with a heavy sigh as he plumped back into his chair, “particularly since I've never ever seen any blight or smut or rust of any sort at all infect more than one particular kind of crop before, but I've not seen one shred of anything that connects it with them.”

  “Maybe it's time to go back to the Peppermint Forest,” chirped Tweet.

  “What Peppermint Forest?” said Hubba Hubba.

  “What do you mean by that?” tweeted Squeak.

  “It's been steadily losing its magic since Ugleeuh died. When we left, everyone figured it would all be Chokewoods by winter. Well, it's winter.”

  “But it's all smallies and dorchadas in the Chokewoods,” squeaked Chirp.

  “And Chokeberries!” chirped Tweet.

  “You're trying to tell me something?” said Hubba Hubba. “I was just there, remember?”

  ***

  “Your Majesties,” said Captain Bernard with smile and a dignified bow. “Prince Lukus and his family have arrived with King Neron.”

  Hebraun and Minuet traded looks of delight with Rose, Fuzz, and Yann-Ber. “Too bad it's too cold to receive them in the garden,” said Hebraun. “Bring them here then.”

  “By all means, sire,” said Bernard as he turned to leave.

  In a few moments, Lukus and Soraya strolled into the throne room with a travel basket apiece, followed by King Neron and Danneth and Strom, helping to steady Jerund, who looked very white and weak. Minuet and Hebraun rose from their seats to greet them and have their first look at their new grandchildren while Rose, Fuzz and Yann-Ber stood aside politely.

  “They're perfect!” cried Minuet, as Hebraun nodded and beamed.

  “You expected less?” said Lukus.

  “Certainly not,” said Minuet, hugging first Soraya then Lukus.

  By now everyone was talking at once, though they soon found seats and settled into a wonderful afternoon-long visit. They spoke only of pleasant events and developments in each other's lives, defiantly turning their backs on the spectre of international politics.

  Pebbles flew off Minuet's shoulder to hover over Ariel and Daniel's baskets.

  “What's she doing?” said Minuet.

  “She and Hubba Hubba have been the twins' guardians, and they are most protective,” said Lukus.

  “That's an understatement,” said Neron. “At first, they even growled at me and refused to let me in the room when the babes were asleep. I'd have to return later.”

  “So Rose,” said Lukus, “when are you and Fuzz going to tie the knot?”

  “Would next week be soon enough for you?” said Rose, radiantly.

  Suddenly Hubba Hubba flew in with Squeak, Chirp and Tweet as Razzmorten appeared in the doorway. “Hey Lukus!” he cried, “Is it all right if I show them the twins?”

  “If Pebbles will allow it, Soraya and I are all for it.”

  Chirp, Squeak and Tweet chattered amongst themselves as they studied the sleeping babes then turned to Lukus and announced: “We agree that the wee lady is the angelic image of her beautiful mother and the wee man is you
r exact likeness, once again, plus...”

  “Plus...?” said Lukus.

  “Plus elegant ears,” chirped Tweet.

  “Yes, yes,” said Lukus.

  As Razzmorten greeted everyone and was peering at Ariel and Daniel, Captain Bernard appeared suddenly, wending through the gathering to find Hebraun. “I apologize for the intrusion, sire, but King James's retainer has just arrived and is asking for an immediate audience with you and Queen Minuet.”

  “Show him to the great hall and see that he has refreshments,” said Hebraun. “We shall be there directly.” He and Minuet excused themselves at once.

  “What in Niarg does James's retainer want here?” said Lukus, turning to Rose.

  “Why look at me?” she said. “I know less than you, Lukus.”

  “Possibly, except you've been here while I've been in Oilean Gairdin.”

  “The last we heard from James, he told Mother and Father that Spitemorta is blaming the dragons, the Elves and Niarg for the destruction of their sukere crops,” she said. “Of course this sounds likely but we've no way of knowing if he's telling the truth or not. I mean, she could've put him up to it.”

  “I see that you indeed know less than I do,” said Lukus, as he met Neron's eyes with a nod. “James is definitely telling the truth, Rose. We can vouch for that. On our way here we had what you might call the misfortune to pass through Sweet Pea...”

  Razzmorten, Fuzz and Yann-Ber converged on this at once.

  “Sweet Pea,” said Rose. “Oh, Lukus, did you eat at the Inn?”

  “I guess you didn't hear me say: 'misfortune.' We did stop, but their service has gotten so bad that we had to sever a few heads. Thanks to the very tales James warned of Spitemorta spreading, Elves are no longer welcome in Sweet Pea. That's why Jerund is wearing bandages.”

  “Then it's true that she's trying to start a war.”

  “It's inescapable, Rose. And if she does, it's a war we can't possibly win, yet.”

  ***

  Lance bowed and heaved a sigh. “I understand that your son has just returned from afar and that I've interrupted your reunion with him for which I must beg your pardon,” he said, looking uncomfortably at first Hebraun and then Minuet.