Heart of the Staff - Complete Series

by Carol Marrs Phipps

  “Wel thanne what?”

  “Mother Celeste and her sisters are now quite aged,” she said with a deep bob of her head.

  “So? Thou dost knowe that weo on erthe sithence the byginnynge of al memory han ben, righte? No thyng a-lyve beth eldre than Ich am.”

  “I'm sorry,” said Ceidwad with a snap of each wing before fixing her gaze upon him. “My attempt to be gentle has simply undone things. I have no choice but to be direct and I apologize for having delayed telling you. Razzorbauch turned our mothers into old hags when he made them prisoners of Mount Bed. They still have endless lives, but not endless youth.”

  “They lok olde?”

  “That's what we're saying,” she said. “And we had no idea how someone who has always had eternal youth would face having his lover be gnarled and aged, so we didn't speak up when we probably should have. Have we made you upset with us?”

  “Up-sette with thou? Fithel-stikkes!” he said, tramping about in distraction. “Alacke! The oonly way to chaungen hem bakke is with the Grete Staf of Power and the Cristal Herte. And evene thanne, weo myghte neede the Ffirst Wysardes grimoire.”

  “Our mothers have accepted their fate Meri, and they hold out hope that the Elven Prophecy is true. If that be, then perhaps they will indeed be turned back, and eventually will only have been old for a mere moment in your time. The question is, how are you managing right now?”

  “What?”

  “Mother Celeste has longed for you these live-long years. Will your shock at the sight of her upset her?”

  “O!” he said, stopping short at the sight of how it all was. “Ich see. Wel my derre Celeste wol alwey the moost bryhte sterre in the hevenes ybe. That beth al she by the lok in myn eyn wol gete.”

  “Well then,” said Ceidwad, rising to her feet with a shake of her feathers. “Are we ready?”

  Meri gave her a sudden hug and a pat, did a handspring and hopped astride Lladdwr as he rose to his feet.

  “Finally off his swyving toute!” croaked Ocker from somewhere overhead.

  ***

  “Trolls, roaches and vampire bats,” said Minuet as she watched Celeste sit down across the board with Nasteuh asleep in her arms. “Will we ever know what caused her to be born that way?”

  “Ich wolde nat to seye whan Longbarke hath no idee why,” said Celeste.

  “Nastea had a twin brother,” said Blodwen as Alvita dug some apples out of the basket and sat beside her with a pan.

  “Indeed,” said Razzmorten. “Did he burn up in the castle?”

  “Probably not,” she said as she ate one of the slivers of the apple half she was slicing. “I heard all kinds of things. I was at the castle the whole time. One claim was that Spitemorta wanted him kilt the moment she saw him. When the midwife refused to do hit, Spitemorta stopped her heart and kilt her with a wave of her hand. Right after that there were several who saw Demonica go down the hall and on down the stairs with a bundled up baby and disappear for days. When she showed up again, there was no baby boy. Spitemorta probably kilt him, just like she did mine.” She dropped her knife in her pan with a loud sniffle and covered her face. The old Fairies had their arms around her at once.

  “Celeste! Celeste!” came Rodon's echoing cries down the lava tube. He had everyone's wide eyed attention by the time he came 'round the corner.

  “Heere!” said Celeste. “Thou wol to wake the Dampned Babi.”

  “Hit is hee...!” he cried, gasping to catch his breath. “Hee! After al thise yere, hee thou hath yfounde!”

  “Now whoso this ybe?” she said with a careful peep at Nasteuh as she pulled away from Blodwen.

  “Ich sawe hym! Hee beth comen up the mounteyn on Lladdwres bakke...”

  “And Ceidwad?”

  “Yis!”

  “And who on Lladdwr?”

  “Meri!” he cried, slapping the top of the board. “Thine verray owene paramour, heere with a paire of raveynes...”

  “Seydestow Lladdwr and Ceidwad...?”

  “Yis! And the raveynes. But hee beth comen up-hyll as weo speken. Looke thee in thy stoon bal.”

  Nacea nestled the ball in Celeste's lap next to the Damned Baby and backed away with a nod of encouragement.

  Celeste turned her scrying ball this way and that with one hand. “Oon of thos raveynes is a wysard,” she gasped, “and hee bethe carien oon of Longbarkes stikkes. And my derre, derre Meri, what ever wiltow with me o hagge to done?”

  “A glamourie?” said Alvita.

  “Ther hath nat a glamourie on this erthe hee koude nat seen thurgh yben,” said Celeste.

  “Say!” rattled Hubba Hubba as he walked down the board to stare up at her with his brassy black eye. “I'm a parrot, remember. The Wiz here turned all of us into real crows. He could turn you back.”

  “My derre brid,” she said, “Ich sawe thou was a poppinjaye long byforn thou comen in-side.”

  “Remember it wasn't safe for me to remove Ugleeuh's spell on you, those years ago?” said Razzmorten.

  “Yea,” said Hubba Hubba.

  “This would be the same thing.”

  “Ich have the wardes lat doun,” said Celeste as her eyes brimmed with tears. Suddenly she stood up and handed Nasteuh and her ball to Alvita. “Ich am goyng bakke Longbarke to seen. Do nat senden eny oon but Meri out ther un-til weo arne doon.” And with that, she left the kitchen.

  “Not one crow has ever liked me,” said Hubba Hubba. “I dread ravens.”

  “Nonsense!” said Razzmorten. “They're in the company of Meri Greenwood and the diatrymas.”

  “Do you reckon it could be Ocker, the one who saved Hebraun and me?” said Minuet.

  “That's a thought,” said Razzmorten.

  “What's this?” said Hubba Hubba. “I've never heard this tale.”

  “Me neither,” said Pebbles. “What happened? Saved you all how?”

  “From Ugleeuh actually,” said Minuet. “Saved our lives, he did, and he knew Neron, but I don't remember a thing about his being a wizard.”

  ***

  Celeste found it most odd to be drawn to Longbark as if summoned, since nothing like this had ever happened before, but the moment she had her hands resting on the great oak's trunk, she knew that Longbark had indeed called to her. As it always was, she was entranced at once, as if she and the tree had become one, sharing everything about each other, everything they ever knew and felt with an overwhelming sense of serenity and joy. This time was also very different in another way she had never experienced before. This time she found herself exhilarated and charged with more vitality than she had ever known, as if she were being infused with the very energy of the sun in Longbark's leaves.

  “A Celeste,” said Meri from behind her, drinking in the sight of her gorgeous green tresses cascading down her perfect back. He simply could not imagine that when she turned about, she would be haggard and stooped like Alvita and Nacea. “Thine Meri am Ich.”

  Suddenly she knew what Longbark had given her and her eyes brimmed with tears as she turned to face the love of her life.

  “My verray word!” he gasped. “Thou art everydel as praty as Ich remembrid.” He grabbed her up in a passionate and giddy spin about and set her down. “Ich have thee missed, Ich have thee indede missed! Ich wol nevere thou to lat out of my sighte agayne.”

  “O Meri! Ich have for thee longen everych solitary day, but hit nis nat to buen.”

  “Heere! If Ich most for evere to bene thrall un-to this cursed vulcan mounteyn for me to buen with thee, thanne heere am Ich. Ich wol nat leve thee agayne.”

  “Meri, Meri. Ther nis no thyng Ich have ever wanted more than eternite with thee for to spende, but the Fates arne nat kynde.”

  “What seyst thou? With-outen thee, my lyve hath no menynge .”

  “Didist thou nat Nacea and Alvita to seen?”

  “Ich didde,” he said with a frown. “But som day the Profecie wol comen to pace and they thaire bewtee agayne wol haven and weo this prisoun shal leve for evere.” A breez
e scurried through Longbark's leaves as he studied her face. “Lladdwr and Ceidwad me ytold that thou was a hagge as wel. How koude they be wrang?”

  “O, but Ich am,” she said as she gave Longbark's trunk a soft pat. “Longbarke un- to me myn younge lokes out of kyndness for the moment thou sawst me ygeve. Ich wol in a day or tweye buen olde agayne. So thou seest why thou moste nat heere to biden?”

  “Ich do nat see atte al,” said Meri. “Ich love thee. Ich love thy herte and thy soule. Wrynclis konnen nat wyddre thy herte nor myne.”

  Celeste smiled and shook her head. “Thou moste ga bakke out, Meri. Thou most with what doth remayn of the pure and the goode to stonden. If thou dost nat, the Elvyssh Profecie may nat comest to pace. And after al, weo aren eterneel and a fewe moore yere to wayte is nat a matere. Plese. Lat us this wee bit of tyme togidre to enjoye so that the memory of hit in the colde yere to come wol warmen us, un-til weo arne free of Mount Bed atte last.”

  Meri closed his eyes, drew in a great breath and sighed. Another breeze stirred Longbark's leaves as a phoebe called from first one branch in her crown and then another. “Verray wel,” he said with a sudden nod. “Ich wol ga if a nyce long steye ffirst Ich may haven.” He raised his eyebrows and his finger. “And if weo aren wedde this verray day.”

  “But whoso koude parforme the seremony?”

  “Queene Minuet. The verray soverayn of this countree, as hit thynketh me.”

  “Ay she koude, koude she nat?”

  “Thanne thou agreest?”

  “With al myn herte and soule!” she cried, throwing her arms about him.

  ***

  The moment Blodwen leant aside for more apples for her pan of water, Ocker and Urr-Urr rushed at her other pan and snapped up several apple slices apiece.

  “Hey fowl!” cried Blodwin, hoplessly too late as they buoyed themselves above the reach of her swat with a couple of flaps and settled at the far end of the board.

  “Yea?” said Ocker as he gobbled down his slices. “Ravens is the kind we happen to be, if ye want to sound like you know things, dear. And by the way, nice apples.”

  “Thieving vermin is what,” she growled. “Ye're damned well told, nice apples! I sliced 'em.”

  “Good for you, sweetheart,” he said as he lunged into the air to hover over her shoulder. “You owe us.”

  “Just how in all the chiming bells of Golltowre is that?” she said, turning square about on her seat in time for Urr-Urr to grab out more slices from her pan and lunge into the air. “Damn you varmints!” she cried, wheeling back to her pan.

  “Listen quiente,” he said, hovering at her ear, “you owe us because Meri Greenwood would never have got here without us. And if you had any sense you'd see hit. And while you're a-wising up, shouldn't someone be looking after Meri?”

  “What?” she said.

  “What's going to keep him from going all crazy and beating up the old hag, anyway?” he said, settling onto the table by Urr-Urr to take one of her slices. “If she's as confounded ugly as these two, he might.”

  “Look 'ee here!” cried Hubba Hubba. “These old ladies are nice!”

  “Yea?” rattled Ocker. “What do you know about it, fraud? You ain't even a bird.”

  “I'll have you know I'm a double yellow-head Amazon...”

  “Popinjays never made it all the way to birddom, hole!”

  “And nobody owes you the time o' day...”

  “Well Hubba Hubba,” said Minuet, “I do owe him my life...”

  “He's that very Ocker?”

  Minuet and Razzmorten both nodded with twinkling eyes.

  “Well maybe if he just watched his mouth...”

  “Hey, I'm just distracted, Yellow Crow,” said Ocker with wide-eyed smacks of his beak, gobbling down another slice of apple. “I mean, we brought Meri all the way here, and now his whole world just caved in on him, don't ye know...”

  “Whosoes woreld hath juste kaaved in?” said Meri as everyone in the room stopped short at the sight of the radiantly gorgeous Celeste on his arm.

  “You fixed her,” awked Ocker. “You going to pretty up the other Fairies, too?”

  “Ich didde nat,” he said as he and Celeste knelt before a speechless Minuet. “My gracious Queene. Wolt thou us to marye this verray howre? In dede, wolt thou plese marye us byforn weo risen fro oure knees?”

  “Why, there's nothing I'd enjoy more!”

  “Thanne byforn weo to risen, plese do,” said Meri.

  “But you need a bouquet,” said Nacea.

  “And shulden nat weo for this to reherse?” said Alvita.

  “Swyven off, you two!” said Ocker. “They want to nest.”

  “Plese,” said Celeste. “Byforn my lokes dekay. Everych oon plese stant with us. Ocker, perchestow on Meri, if thou woldest. Every brid on a shulder. Ceidwad and Lladdwr, my derre children, plese yeve me awey.”

  The room hushed at once to hear the joyous vows.

  Chapter 161

  Spark and Lipperella's kitchen overlooked an oasis of cottonwoods, scrubby oaks and a profusion of different sorts of fleshy agaves, gathered at the convergence of barren hills and dunes of obsidian sand like a floral button on a cushion of a colossal sparkly black davenport. Abaddon leant against the mouth of the kitchen cavern, watching a bat fluttering from flower to flower just opening on the towering agave spikes, as he listened to the calls of a poor-will under the darkening heavens and the shouts and laughter of most of Spark and Lipperella's dragonet mob, frolicking on the wing, playing keep away with a leather covered ball of yarn.

  “Abby,” said Lance with a screech, as he drew up the only chair in the kitchen and sat in the doorway.

  “Look at them, Lance,” said Abaddon with a glance over his shoulder. “That really looks like fun. You know, if Mamma and Nana Demonica can fly on the Staff, I wonder if there's any way I could ever get up there. And speaking of them, they told me that Nana and Razzorbauch got rid of all the dragon's feathers and made it so they couldn't fly.”

  “Well you see the feathers...”

  “You think I didn't catch on when Edward and Laroa found us this morning?”

  “I didn't mean it quite that way...”

  “Say Lance. When are we going back to the Fairy ring?”

  “Well I think Sulacha and the diatrymas want to rest up a few days before heading back to Gerddi Teg. You miss your dad?”

  Abaddon gave a shrug. “Maybe a little,” he said as he studied the players in the sky. “And Mary and Ariel and Daniel too.”

  “You might even have time to make friends with Edward.”

  “Poop! Not according to him. It's kind of why I want to go back.”

  “What did he say?”

  “Not a thing, but I saw how he looked at me at supper.”

  “So? He doesn't live around a single human being. He's probably daft as a sheep.”

  “Yea?” he shouted, wheeling about. “Well daft wouldn't make him leave the table before supper was over. And he did the very same thing at dinner when we came at noon, too. And you know what? I don't blame him. I'd slink off too if I'd had a nice mother and his mom was a horrible witch who'd killed her for no good reason.” And with that, he pushed past Lance and disappeared into the dark echoing hallway beyond the kitchen.

  Suddenly he was on the floor, rocking back and forth with a painful hip and elbow.

  “Prince Abaddon!” cried Laora. “I didn't see you. I'm so sorry! Are you hurt?”

  “No Laora, I'm all right. Just give me a moment.”

  “Here,” she said, taking him by the hand.

  Suddenly he was on his feet, wide-eyed with astonishment at how very strong she was. “Sorry I wasn't watching where I was going. Haven't you all heard of glow lichen?”

  “We had it where we used to live, but we left there in such a hurry that we never got here with a start...”

  “Yea. Because of my awful mother.”

  “I'm sorry...”

  “Why should you be sorry?”
>
  “So where were you off to?” she said quickly.

  “Bed, I guess. I'm awfully tired.”

  “Well,” she said. “I'll not keep you then. I just thought you might want to go flying for a spell. Edward doesn't want to this evening.”

  “On your back?”

  “Only if you want to,” she said. “I mean, not everyone would really like to...”

  “I sure would, but...”

  “But what?”

  “Wouldn't that upset Edward?”

  “Why should it?”

  “You're more than just ordinary friends. I can see that. And what would he think when my mother killed his mother?”

  “Oh! I never thought...”

  “Yea. And he might expect you to.”

  “That's sweet. You're 'way more thoughtful than you look.”

  “Well tell Edward I'm really sorry that my awful mother killed his. And tell him I'd give anything in the whole wide world if I could bring her back.”

  ****

  Emperor Azenor sat on his coronary chair atop its four gilt tortoises and drummed his fingers as he watched his serjeant-at-arms mount the steps and hurry toward him, up the long scarlet carpet flanked by rows of black marble pillars.

  “Your Imperial Majesty, C'hwi a zo gant an droug-penn,” said the breathless serjeant in the echoes of the enormous polished hall as he rose from his bow. “Heman zo un ankou droug!”

  “What?” said Azenor with an astonished scoff. “I have a headache, a grim reaper? What in all boull c'hurun are you talking about, Andrev?”

  “You have a kiez from afar, out there, who wasn't one bit nice about being made to wait.

  “And does this kiez from afar have a name?” said Azenor.

  “Oh she most certainly has, Your Majesty. She's Queen Spitemorta of the new kingdom of Niarg-Loxmere-Goll. And she not only says that she's Demonica's granddaughter and heir, she looks ever so much like her.”

  “Ha!” said Azenor , suddenly reminded of Karl-Veur's mission. “Demonica's heir, aye? That's an odd way for her to present herself. You reckon something's happened to Demonica? And Niarg! They've taken Niarg?”

  “I'm afraid that's all that they said...”