A New Keeper

by J C Gilbert

  “They couldn't make it back?” I asked.

  “I'm afraid not. I lost a cousin that way.”

  “Why couldn't they just build a raft? Goblins build rafts,” said Elaine.

  “Well, you would think that might work. But it was so much fun firing arrows at them as they frantically paddled their way back over. It was tragic. Fun-tragic.”

  “Look, if we promise to speak to the rulers of the human lands will you just let us go?” I asked.

  “What about letters?”

  “What are you talking about?” asked Elaine.

  “Humans, they are always sending these letters. We figured out that they carry little packets of magic with them. We got stacks of them. Won't say how we got them,” he tapped his nose, “some of us burn them along with the socks on special occasions.”

  “So what do you want us to do with them?”

  “I want you to make some.”

  “You want us to write letters?”

  “Yeah. Lots of ‘em. Letters can change the world.”

  “Okay… We are going to need quill and paper,” said Elaine.

  “What's that then?”

  “Like a stick to make marks with and a very large white leaf.”

  “White leaf, huh? I would never have guessed. Let me see what I can do. Don't go anywhere,” he said, chuckling.

  The strange creature clambered back into his raft and rowed ashore.

  “What an interesting person,” I said once he was out of earshot.

  “That's very kind of you to call him a person. Now let's make a move before he gets back.”

  “What do I need to do?”

  “I have been watching the guards, the ones on patrol, they seem to be coming by every five minutes or so. We will need to time this just right. I don't imagine they look over here very often, but just in case we will wait till they have made a pass and then you can make your move. When you are back here swim ashore, get the key, then come let me out. We need to do all that before the guards get back, or before Gormfull returns. Can you do that?”

  I was fairly sure it would not be a problem except for swimming in the water. It was dark, and it struck me that it was quite dangerous to swim in unknown waters at night. But I couldn't exactly leave Elaine in this cage.

  “All right, I'll do it.”

  “Wait until I give you the signal. Once they are gone, you have about five minutes. Please don't leave me here. I don't think I could take another conversation with that Gormfull guy.”

  “He was all right.”

  “Yeah, but the politics! It's not what you expect in jail. Why couldn't he hit us with rocks or something?”

  “I thought it was interesting.”

  Elaine gave me a look. Then she glanced to the shore. “Go!”

  I opened Elaine’s book and read the first line. Hardly had I landed in The Library before the book was snatched from my grip. I gasped, reaching for it.

  “What is that you are reading?” screeched a voice.

  CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

  Elderly Elaine towered over me. She was holding her own book now, peering at it suspiciously. My heart pounded in my chest. Now that I knew who she was I was able to trace Elaine’s likeness. Time and bitterness had not been her friend.

  “I can’t read the title. That is strange, strange indeed.”

  “Please, I need it back.”

  “Patience, young one. Why such a rush? It's only a book. You read it, I read it, it remains the same.”

  “Sometimes.”

  “Ah, so it is that kind of book. Why don't I have a read?”

  “No!” time was ticking. The goblins would be back at any moment. If they realized that I wasn't in the cage then who knows what they would do to Elaine. I thought of those poisoned spears. I thought of Elaine bleeding out in the dust.

  The old woman opened the book to read. I held my breath.

  “This book is empty,” she said with a scowl.

  “I know,” I said, “I am going to write a story.”

  “Waste of time,” barked Elaine. She threw the book at me. It collided with my nose and pain shot through my experience.

  “Hey, that hurt!” I called after her as she walked away.

  “I don’t care,” she said.

  Fortunately, the book was not blank to me. As soon as the woman was out of sight, I began to read.

  I found myself on the outside of the cage as we had planned.

  “What took you so long?” asked Elaine immediately on my return.

  “My book was, well, never mind. Guess I'll be swimming then.”

  “Yes. Please.”

  I placed one foot into the dark waters. It was far colder than it looked. Reluctantly I started to wade into the shallows. I couldn't tell how deep it was going to get and hadn't thought about the book. I didn't want to get it soaked. Who knows if it would still work. Every extra step forward brought the water higher and higher up my waist.

  “Hurry up!” hissed Elaine, “you don’t have much time!”

  The ‘encouragement’ really didn’t help. Frantically I scanned the river bank for any sign of the guards. It had to be almost five minutes by now.

  At its deepest point, the water reached my chest. I held the book overhead to keep it from the river’s grasp.

  There was no time for celebration once I was on the shore. The guard with the key was leaning against a thick tree trunk next to a large candle. I crept towards him as silently as I could.

  He didn't look like he was a very heavy sleeper.

  Two oversized keys hung on a tree branch next to him. All I needed to do was grab them and go.

  My heart was beating fast as I approached. It was hard to believe that the guard couldn’t hear it thudding around in my chest.

  I was inches from the keys when he stirred. I froze, watching him roll over. He placed one green hand over the branch that kept the keys.

  I didn't know what to do. If I tried to lift his hand now, I would surely wake him.

  A noise caught my attention. The guards were returning. They were arguing loudly with each other. It was unclear exactly what it was about, but the subject seemed to be eggs.

  I was out of time.

  Then an idea struck me. It had been a while since I had drunk of the flower tea, but it was possible that there was still some power left in me. I directed my attention towards the candle, pouring all my concentration toward it, focusing with all my might.

  The flame began to grow.

  Slowly, carefully, I breathed life into the flame. I didn't want to hurt the guy. It's not exactly his fault that he was a goblin. But I could make him uncomfortable. Very uncomfortable.

  All I needed was one: toss or turn and it didn't matter which.

  I could see sweat beading on his forehead. It was working!

  I took a moment to glance up. The guards were in sight.

  Now or never. I had to grab the keys whether it woke him or not.

  I reached out my hand. It was shaking in the candlelight. I was just about to snatch the keys when the goblin turned over. I grabbed them.

  As quickly as I could, I hurried toward the water's edge.

  “Oi!” yelled one of the patrolling guards, “what are you doing out of your cage? Get back in there!”

  “Ingratitude!” called the other guard as the water reached my waist.

  The shouting must have woken the sleeping guard because there was commotion by the tree. I glanced back briefly to see that the two goblins had abandoned their pursuit of me to go watch a fire which had started at the base of the tree. The candle must have been knocked over in the confusion.

  A smile broadened across my face. I couldn't help it. I’m such a badass.

  That's when I felt a slither against my lower leg. My smile dropped, and I cried out involuntarily.

  “What is it?” asked Elaine urgently, “you didn't drop them, did you?”

  “There is something in here!” I quickened my pace.


  “Oh yeah, didn't tell you about the eels. I should probably have told you about the eels.”

  “Eels? Was that just an eel? It was enormous!”

  “Aren’t eels big where you are from?”

  I tried to remember if I had ever seen an eel, but could only picture the vacant face of one gormless creature I had seen in a book.

  “Don't worry, they are usually well-fed around here. Goblins aren't great swimmers.”

  I clambered onto the shore, my clothes dripping, thankful to be out of the water. I chose one of the keys at random, shoved it into the rusty oversized lock, and gave it a twist. The lock popped open and dropped to the ground.

  Elaine stepped out of the cage, dusted herself off, and peered into the water.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Trying to figure out if there is another way across. I don't really want to get my feet wet.”

  “You couldn't have done that earlier?”

  Elaine shrugged. “Well, it doesn't look like there is. Good thinking with the candle, by the way. Though if it were me, I would have just started by setting fire to the tree. And the goblin.”

  Glancing over to the shore I saw that the tree was now completely aflame, bright in the dark night. About a dozen goblins had gathered around to look at it.

  “Do you think we can get past them?” I asked.

  “They seem distracted. Goblins are pretty weird about fire. Hey, you can go back to your world now if you want. I’m probably OK from here. And maybe, well maybe I can handle the Hollow Hills on my own, you know? You have already helped me out. I don't want to put you in any more danger. Tonight was a close one.”

  The nearer we got to the Hollow Hills the more I wanted Elaine to say something like this. The sorceress sounded pretty terrifying. But the more I got to know Elaine the more I was convinced that I was supposed to help her. If I didn’t, then who would?

  “What? No. I said I would help you, and I will.”

  “I’m serious. You should probably stay away from me anyway. I’m not like you, you know.”

  “We don't have to be alike to be friends.”

  Elaine gave me a long hard stare. “Alright, OK. Your funeral. Thanks though, I don't think I have really had a friend before.”

  “Just your sister?”

  “What? Yeah, that's right. My sister. That's why I gotta save her. Now get back to your world, would you? There is no sense us both getting soaked.”

  CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

  On Tuesday evening, Lilly insisted on accompanying me back to The Library. I couldn’t blame her, the place was epic, but I was apprehensive of her meeting Elaine.

  I took Elaine’s book from the shelf and opened it to the first chapter. The book was always nearby when I wanted it, just as the Librarian said. Taking up Lilly’s hand I began to read, and we began to fall.

  Night had spread over the land. The stars were bright in the sky, but little of their light penetrated the forest canopy to light our way. Elaine was somewhere else. I looked about for Mason, but couldn't see him anywhere either.

  “It's so real,” whispered Lilly.

  “It is real,” I said.

  “Yeah. Hey, so this is a book about night time?”

  “No, this is a book about that girl I told you about. Elaine. She is like an actual person though, not just a character from a story. It's a little complicated.”

  My eyes were adjusting to the night now. There was life in the shadows. Small glowing insects glided gently through the air on their mysterious errands. The woods were alive with night sounds. An owl hooted loudly and deliberately from somewhere just behind us.

  “So what do we do now?” asked Lilly.

  “Whatever we like. I don't know. I usually just walk in a random direction until I run into Elaine.”

  “She hangs out in a random direction, does she?”

  “Apparently. Look, be careful around her, OK? She is kind of a handful.”

  There wasn't really a path to follow. Disturbed fireflies flew up as we walked. They hovered and spiraled about us, casting a blue-green glow over the ferns and undergrowth.

  As we walked, the forest closed in around us. It reminded me of the living woods in The Lord of the Rings. It seemed like the trees were alive and wanted to hold us. Maybe they did? Eventually, we reached an impasse and stopped.

  “This place is nice and all,” said Lilly, “but I’m not really in the mood for dark fantasy at the moment, especially the one about slightly annoying scratches from bumping into things. Not my vibe.”

  “It's usually not like this,” I said. Usually, I ran into Elaine way before this. Was it possible she was staying away because of Lilly?

  “Why don’t we just try another book? Maybe one set inside? On comfy couches maybe?”

  “This story called me, I think. I sorta have to see it through.”

  “Well, you ain't seeing anything at the moment.”

  “There is this sorceress I gotta help Elaine deal with,” I explained.

  “Oh, yeap.”

  “She sort of eats people.”

  “I vote new book.”

  “We are not far from the Hollow Hills now,” said a voice. It was coming from above. There, in a tree above us crouched the shadow of Elaine.

  “Gnorts, that's dramatic.”

  “Gnorts?” asked Elaine.

  “Don't ask,” I said, “if you ask then she wins.”

  “So you have brought a friend into my world.”

  I nodded, feeling awkward.

  “I’m Lilly,” said Lilly, holding out her hand to Elaine in the treetops.

  Elaine looked at it. “Charmed. I’m Elaine,” she then turned to me, “will she be accompanying us tonight?”

  “Yeah, I guess so,” I glanced at Lilly.

  “I’m all about the quest life,” said Lilly, “just show me the way.”

  Elaine jumped down. “We will arrive at the Hollow Hills within the hour,” she said.

  “What do we do when we get there?” I asked.

  “Leave it to me,” said Elaine, “just stay close, OK?”

  I nodded.

  Elaine shot Lilly a strange look and then led us into the night. It turned out there was a path we could have been walking along. It was like an actual cobbled path, and it was pretty much right next to us.

  “I’m getting serious off-vibes from her,” whispered Lilly when she got the chance.

  “She’s alright really,” I said, “just a little rough around the edges. Like you.”

  “You are mistaking me with the post-apocalyptic badass version of me. Don't worry, I understand, we look very similar. But seriously, just keep your book handy, so we can get out if we need to.”

  I lifted up the book for her to see. My index finger was inside the pages, marking the space we needed to open to.

  CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN

  Elaine led us out into an open field. Blue grass stretched before us like a ghostly sea. Hundreds of standing stones stood in the field. They seemed to be set in an elaborate pattern.

  “Come on,” said Elaine, gleefully.

  “She seems cheerful,” said Lilly, giving me a sideways look. “I don’t like it.”

  “You would be cheerful too if you were about to rescue your sister from the clutches of an evil sorceress.”

  “It seems to me that Elaine is an evil sorceress, just saying.”

  “I wouldn't say evil…”

  “You told me Sauron wasn't evil, Alex. Freaking Sauron.”

  “I just said that if you look at his history that-”

  “Yeah, I know, Alex. Everyone is really good and nice on the inside.”

  “I think that there is some good in everyone.”

  Lilly shook her head. “I love you.”

  I squinted at her mockingly and smiled.

  Elaine was quite far ahead of us now. We quickened our pace to catch up. The blue grass rippled and swayed in the silent wind. There was no sound in the field but for our legs bru
shing the grass.

  Soon the stones were all around us, dark shadows in the night. Elaine was in the center of the circle now and appeared to be sitting on something.

  “I don't see any hills, Alex,” said Lilly, eyeing the stones suspiciously. She gasped.

  “What is it?”

  “Gnorts, that scared the crap out of me. I thought they were just stones.”

  I looked closely at the nearest shadow. The shadow changed from a standing stone to a statue.

  “They are people,” I said.

  “Giant serious people,” said Lilly. “Look, Alex, I’m really not feeling comfortable about all this. Can we please go back?”

  “They are just statues. I’m sure Elaine will explain when we reach her.”

  “It's not the statues that worry me,” said Lilly.

  Once we passed the figures, I could see that there was a raised stone area in the center. Elaine sat on a stone chair in the center of that. She stood up on the chair as we approached.

  “We finally made it, Alex,” she said.

  “What is this place?” I asked.

  Elaine smiled. She thrust her hands into the air and shouted “Claudere Caelum!”

  Lilly and I exchanged urgent looks. My hand darted down toward my bag, toward our escape.

  A great white dome of light crackled into existence overhead, covering the clearing, trapping us in. I didn't want to wait to see what this meant. We needed to get out of there. The book was open, chapter one was open. I read.

  Nothing happened.

  “Come on Alex!” yelled Lilly.

  “I’m trying!”

  I repeated the first line and waited for that feeling of falling, but it didn't come. Panic was rising in my heart. I tried reading the next sentence.

  “It's not working!”

  “Run,” said Lilly and started for the woods.

  CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT

  I followed after Lilly as best I could. She was faster than me but looked over her shoulder now and then to ensure that I was still behind her.

  That's when I saw the shadow close in on her. “Lilly!” I shouted. But it was too late. One of the statues had intercepted her path and wrapped two stony arms around her.