Martha Bloom and the Glass Compass

by Estelle Grace Tudor

  Martha looked deep into her old friend’s eyes before running her hand over her soft, velvet-like nose.

  “Hi, Linnea,” she murmured. The exuberant greetings of “Xanthe!” “Oren!” by Octavia and Otto as they greeted their own respective yellow and orange unicorns diminished as the connection was forged between Martha and Linnea once more.

  Martha was relieved to see how brightly the blooms on all the unicorns shone; these special unicorns showed the health of Fairy Land – if the blooms faded, Queen Rhosyn would lose her powers, and as a result Fairy Land would be vulnerable to attack. But Martha knew how strongly Octavia and Otto believed in Fairy Land, and it was their belief as Key Keepers that kept the floral unicorns blooming.

  Queen Rhosyn and King Llyffant rode up on their own huge gold and copper floral-patterned unicorns, and a familiar friendly face sat atop the last remaining unicorn.

  “Soren!” Felicity exclaimed. “It’s so good to see you again.” She waved up at Evony’s new husband.

  “It’s Prince Soren now,” a delighted voice announced from beside her.

  “Father!” Soren blushed. “He’s a little too proud of the title the queen and king kindly bestowed upon me,” he explained to the grinning children.

  “Quite right, Finnian, you should be proud indeed of your son,” Queen Rhosyn said with a smile to the short, squat, white-haired fairy who had been leading the unicorns.

  The children mounted their unicorns, and Felicity gave an exclamation of joy as she saw her golden-coloured bow and quiver of crystal arrows attached to a holster on Emeraude, her green unicorn.

  Once all the children were ready, the unicorns guided them towards the entrance, but Martha noticed that Evony wasn’t joining them.

  “Aren’t you coming?” she asked from Linnea’s back.

  Evony smiled softly and placed a hand on Finnian’s shoulder. “No, I’m going to stay at the castle and spend some time with my father-in-law.”

  This puzzled Martha slightly – Evony was always at the forefront of any adventure or outing – but she swiftly understood as Evony once again placed her hands on her stomach, her eyes meeting Soren’s. Castle Enfys was the safest place for Evony and her unborn fairy-baby, with Nesrin on the loose.

  Eira bounded after the queen and king as they made their way from the castle behind some of the queen’s guard, who were to accompany and protect them should the need arise. They crossed over the crystal bridge and the blooming unicorns pranced joyously, happy to be reunited with the children once again.

  Martha listened to Beatrice and Caeruleus’ conversation and how they wished they could take to the skies for a quick fly around.

  “You can’t risk it; it’s safer if we all stick together,” Martha said, catching up with her sister.

  Beatrice frowned but nodded. “I know,” she said, disappointment colouring her tone.

  The unicorns headed through Bloomsville, the fairy village at the base of Castle Enfys, and continued up a winding path at the edge of the village towards a shiny new building made from the same pearly stone as Castle Enfys.

  A small crowd had gathered around the building, and a gold ribbon magically hovered across the doorway. An aged fairy dressed in silver stood waiting at the top of the steps. Martha recognised her as the one who had performed Evony and Soren’s wedding ceremony.

  “Welcome, Queen Rhosyn, King Llyffant, Prince Soren, and young Blooms,” the fairy said, her delicate wings fluttering in the slight breeze.

  “Thank you, Sylvaine. It is a pleasure to open the new Fairy School and nurture and prepare our next class of Key Keeper Companions,” Queen Rhosyn said, flying down from her unicorn.

  The assembled crowd of fairies and creatures curtsied and bowed as the queen and king passed them by. Sylvaine inclined her head, her long, flowing white hair brushing the ground. Queen Rhosyn and King Llyffant flanked her, and the children ranged themselves at the bottom of the steps, eyes wide as they took in the magnificent school.

  “If our school looked like this, I wouldn’t mind going,” Otto said, slightly too loudly.

  “Shh!” Martha hissed, aghast. Otto gave her his trademark cheeky grin and turned back to hear what the queen was saying.

  “We welcome back our esteemed guests from the human world – the Blooms – and we are lucky indeed that we have not one but two Key Keepers this generation. Their companions, Ferren Mouseling and Sage Otterly, will be telling the new class all about the human world and what they should expect if they are lucky enough to be chosen as a companion to the next Key Keeper – or Keepers,” Queen Rhosyn announced, with a smile at Otto.

  “Please, Queen Rhosyn, if you would be so kind as to officially open the school,” Sylvaine invited her.

  The queen was handed her magical staff by one of her guards. The globe on the top swirled with rainbow colours, and with one intricate wave the golden ribbon untied itself and transformed into an explosion of glitter, scattering across the front of the school.

  “Wow,” Martha breathed, watching the sparkling display as it turned into a golden sign displaying the school’s name in ornate letters – ‘Bloom Academy’. The motto underneath read Age Si Quid Agis: Bloom Where You Are Planted. The children looked at each other in delight.

  Martha was suddenly bumped out of the way, and she looked down in shock to see a large, bespectacled owl clutching a stack of books in its wings pushing through the children.

  “Excuse me, excuse me, coming through,” it muttered, “I have lessons to teach.”

  Martha watched with shocked amusement as the owl paid no heed to the assembled crowd and almost ploughed headfirst into King Llyffant.

  “Barnabus!” Sylvaine said, and the owl stopped abruptly. Barnabus slowly blinked his enormous yellow eyes as he took in the staring crowd.

  “Oh, oh,” he fretted, turning to look at the queen and, in his haste to bow, dropping the pile of books onto his feet. As he hopped about in pain, the children rushed forwards to help him, already liking this eccentric character.

  “Here,” Felicity said kindly, handing him the books.

  Sylvaine waited while the owl pulled himself together and tried another bow, which this time was successful.

  “Your majesties, may I introduce the headmaster, Barnabus? He has taught numerous companions. I believe he taught young Ferren and Sage here,” she said.

  Queen Rhosyn smiled down at the owl, and he stared back in unblinking awe at the queen and king. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Headmaster Barnabus. Thank you for all the work you do with our special creatures,” she said.

  “Of course, of course – it’s important work,” he hooted, puffing out his feathered chest. “Please let me introduce you to our latest intake.”

  “I’ll stay with the unicorns,” Soren said, and waved a goodbye. The children patted their unicorns and followed on as Barnabus led the way into the school with the king and queen.

  Sylvaine’s voice floated behind them as she addressed the crowd: “Refreshments will be served on the lawn, if you’d like to follow me.”

  “Oh, I hope they have honey cakes,” Octavia whispered to Otto, “I’ve been looking forward to eating them again.”

  Queen Rhosyn turned her head and said, “I’m sure they will save some for us,” then smiled as Octavia gave a delighted giggle.

  Barnabus led them along a marble hallway with many doors leading off from it. At the end was a large hall, where various woodland animals were sitting on toadstool-shaped benches. They shuffled excitedly in their seats as the children walked in, their eyes wide as they stared at Sage, and Ferren, who was perched on Octavia’s shoulder.

  “Class, settle down, settle down. This, of course, is Queen Rhosyn and King Llyffant, our benefactors, and these are the Bloom children from the human world.”

  Martha locked eyes with those of a little brown bunny, remarkably like the one from her dream. She gave the bunny a tentative smile, and the bunny twitched its whiskers back.

  “A
h yes, Bracken, you can accompany – um?” Barnabus was looking expectantly at Martha.

  “Oh, I’m Martha,” she said shyly.

  “Miss Martha, Bracken will accompany you and show you around the grounds.”

  The little brown bunny hopped over and held up a tiny paw.

  “Hi,” she whispered, one velvet ear flopping over her left eye. Martha smiled back in delight at the adorable creature.

  Barnabus busily paired up the remaining children and sent them all off in different directions whilst he showed around Queen Rhosyn and King Llyffant.

  “Miss Martha, if you would like to come this way, I will show you our outside study area,” Bracken said softly.

  “You can just call me Martha,” Martha told the bunny, who looked startled, but nodded. She bounded ahead and pressed a button near the bottom of a glass door, which swung open at her touch.

  A beautiful stone floor led down to a sloping garden. A stream ran along the bottom of the garden, and a canopy of cherry blossom trees provided a shady area over small log stools and tables. In the distance was a summerhouse, where the crowd from the Fairy Court were sipping tea and talking.

  “Oh, this is beautiful,” Martha said, walking down the slope. “What a lovely place to have lessons. It’s a good job my cousin Octavia doesn’t attend school here – she would forever be off in a daydream,” she added with a laugh.

  Bracken gave a squeaky little giggle and hopped onto one of the stools.

  “So, tell me about your lessons. What do you have to study to make you good companions?” Martha asked with interest.

  Bracken twitched her nose in thought. “Well, the most important thing we learn is to keep the Key Keepers believing. For the longest time, the only link between the humans and Fairy Land was us companions.” She looked up at Martha earnestly from underneath her floppy ears. “Queen Rhosyn would send the chosen one through her portal at Castle Enfys when the time came, and it was the companion’s job to keep Fairy Land alive in the hearts and minds of the Key Keeper. Their belief makes Fairy Land stronger.”

  “Of course.” Martha nodded. “We saw how the unicorns’ flowers faded when Aunt Genevieve lost all hope and stopped believing when we first came through the door. She was the current Key Keeper then.” A thought occurred to her, and she asked, “What happens to the companions who aren’t chosen?”

  Bracken tilted her head. “Oh! We become apprentices to a healing fairy or a flower fairy for example – wherever our strengths lie. Still a kind of companion, but to a fairy instead. I have been studying extra hard, and have learnt all the history of Fairy Land and about how the Blooms came to be the first family to guard the original door. Did you know there used to be more doors? They were only used for our dream fairies and tooth fairies to go through from our side. But over time, as humans stopped believing in us, they stopped working one by one, then disappeared altogether,” she said sadly.

  “That’s terrible,” Martha said. But in all fairness, I didn’t believe Fairy Land even existed until last summer when Tavi and Fliss discovered the door, and Great-Aunt Clara revealed our family’s centuries-old secret! she mused.

  Deep in thought, Martha didn’t notice the sky above darkening until the wind started to pick up. Bracken squeaked in terror as she was nearly blown from the stool. Martha managed to grab the terrified creature and held her to her chest as she battled the sudden, fierce wind.

  “What is happening?” Martha cried, eyes scanning the tumultuous skies, where she saw black clouds rolling in, followed by the ominous sound of thunder. The skin on the back of Martha’s neck started to prickle as a feeling of foreboding enveloped her. This looked like the work of Taran, Nesrin’s thunder raven.

  Screams reached her ears from the summerhouse as the glass doors banged shut and trapped the crowd of fairy folk. Fighting the wind, Martha decided to try to get back inside the school to find the others and get help. She stumbled, falling to her knees, and found herself in a deluge of rain that fell suddenly from the clouds.

  Drenched, she slipped and slid down the slope towards the now swollen stream threatening to burst its banks. Bracken buried her head in Martha’s arm, and with her panic rising, Martha waited helplessly to hit the water.

  Just as suddenly as it started, the rain stopped and the sun came out from behind the clouds, chasing the darkness away. Martha found herself suspended over the water, hovering mere inches above it. She craned her neck to see Queen Rhosyn holding her staff aloft, stopping her from falling. Gently, the queen drew Martha and Bracken back towards her and set her on her feet.

  Standing on legs made of jelly, Martha said gratefully, “Th-thank you, your majesty,” then added, “What happened?”

  Queen Rhosyn’s mouth pulled into a grim line before answering with a word that struck fear into Martha. “Nesrin.”

  Martha’s heart dropped, but before she could ask more questions Beatrice’s desperate voice rang out. “Matty, are you all right?”

  Beatrice slid on the muddy ground in her haste to get to her sister. Martha gave a wobbly smile and caught her one-handed, clutching the trembling Bracken in her other arm.

  “I’m fine, but where are the others?” she asked, looking around for their cousins.

  Anxious voices reached their ears, and they turned to see Barnabus flying towards them, swiftly followed by Felicity and a desperate-looking Octavia and Otto, Ferren and Sage notably absent.

  Barnabus hooted in anguish, “They’re gone! The companions are all gone!”

  Chapter Four

  Companion-napped

  Queen Rhosyn looked thunderous.

  “One moment,” she said, and whirled around, her powerful wings propelling her to the summerhouse, where she surveyed the damage. The glass doors had shattered in the fierce wind, covering many fairies and creatures with tiny cuts.

  With a grim look, the queen shot a rainbow from her staff in the direction of Castle Enfys. “I have sent for healing fairies; they will be here soon. Sylvaine, please make them as comfortable as possible whilst I find out what has happened here.”

  Sylvaine nodded and bustled about, directing the injured to seats. Queen Rhosyn flew back to the Blooms.

  Beatrice stepped forwards with Felicity. “Your majesty, may we help? We were able to heal Doran with my magic last time when I linked with Fliss.”

  Queen Rhosyn looked startled, but then nodded. “Of course! In my distraction I had forgotten that we have talented Blooms among us. Do what you can,” she instructed. Beatrice and Felicity hastily set off for the summerhouse to help.

  Martha noticed that Ferren and Sage’s absence was palpable; they were usually never far from Octavia and Otto, who now stood huddled together in shock. Barnabus flew around them in circles, hooting softly, “Oh, how could this have happened?”

  Martha gently placed Bracken down on the stone floor as they headed back inside, with Queen Rhosyn shouting for her guards. When no response came, fear showed in the queen’s violet eyes for the first time.

  Bracken hopped along the corridor, calling desperately for her friends.

  “I told you, they are all gone,” Barnabus hooted sadly after her retreating form.

  Queen Rhosyn flew towards the entrance, and King Llyffant met her coming the other way. “Good, you are safe,” he said in relief, taking her hands. “When I saw your guards all lying on the ground, I wondered if you had been harmed. I never should have let you go on ahead.”

  Martha exchanged a worried look with Octavia and Otto.

  “What do you mean?” Queen Rhosyn asked. “I let the guards take a break for refreshments. The last I saw of them, they were being offered cups of elderflower cordial by Barnabus’ assistant.”

  “Where is that weasel?” Barnabus fretted. “I gave him one job – to look after the queen’s guard – and look what has happened!”

  Octavia gasped, comprehension dawning across her face. “Um – did you say weasel?” she asked, exchanging a significant look with Martha,
who gave a jolt as she understood what Octavia was getting at.

  “Yes, yes – my new assistant, although he is forever eating too much and getting into trouble,” Barnabus said distractedly.

  Octavia looked thunderstruck. “And is this weasel’s name Wattle?” she asked.

  “What is the significance of this, Octavia?” Queen Rhosyn asked, hearing the meaning in Octavia’s voice.

  At the same time, Barnabus said, “Yes, why, do you know him?” He stopped flitting about and blinked slowly at Octavia.

  “Oh, we know him all right,” Martha said grimly, and then turned to the queen. “He is one of Nesrin’s most loyal guards. We met him in the Middling Grounds on our first visit here when we were looking for the Arianthe flower. I would bet that the cordial had sleeping dust in it.”

  Barnabus looked aghast. “Wh-what?” he blustered. “I had no idea, your majesty, I promise!”

  King Llyffant looked deep into the owl’s wide eyes, before nodding. “He is telling the truth,” he said to Queen Rhosyn.

  “Well, now we know how Nesrin got past the guards,” the queen said, her voice like steel. “Barnabus, can you give me a list of all the animals that have been taken? We need to figure out why Nesrin has taken the next generation of companions,” she continued, as she fluttered through the open doorway to inspect her sleeping guard.

  Bracken came bounding back down the corridor. “It’s true – they are all gone except me,” she said through her sobs, great tears sparkling in her soft brown eyes.

  “But how did Nesrin get to the companions that were showing all of you around, and Ferren and Sage too?” Martha asked in confusion, bending down to comfort the small rabbit.

  “We caught up with each other in the kitchen area, and they thought they could hear Barnabus calling, so they went out to look – and they never came back,” Otto explained with a helpless shrug.

  “Ferren and Sage went to see where they had gone and now we can’t find them either,” Octavia added, tears rolling down her heart-shaped face.