by Ephie Risho
“I don’t know.” Amber said. “But I’ve seen them use wands and heal someone. Sage seemed to know we had powers. They probably have the same thing going on. I’ve always thought they knew a lot—way more than they ever tell us humans. I wonder what else they didn’t tell me.”
“Well, I can tell you one thing.” Basil stood and pointed to the southwest. “We need to find our horses, or we’re hopeless here. Amber, the amulet is there, right? Plus your cloak and all our other gear.”
Amber sighed. “Yeah, you’re right. We need to go back. But what if the trolls are still there?”
“I don’t know. But let’s start with the horses. I figure our camp is that way. The horses might be long gone by now, whether killed by the trolls or not. But I’m sure our gear will still be there—trolls aren’t like goblins. They don’t take things . . . they just eat them. So we need to find the horses. Theo, can you figure out where they are?”
Theo closed his eyes and scanned the mountain in his mind. “Nope. Let’s start walking.”
Basil’s experience in the outdoors kept them pointed in a steady direction, and Theo kept on the alert to find their hawk friend. Amber focused on the trees and plants, but that didn’t seem to make much difference.
They traveled for about half an hour, with Theo pausing every once in a while. Finally, he smiled. “I found our hawk friend from yesterday! I’m asking her now where the horses are.”
He stood with eyes glazed, staring at the clouds. “I know where the horses are! All three are still alive. They may even be where we left them. But they’re way over there.” He pointed down the mountain. “And I think . . . I’m not sure, but I think the trolls are there too.”
20
The Trouble with Trolls
“CAN YOU SENSE TROLLS TOO?” Amber asked.
“Not very well,” Theo replied. “Regular animals are much easier. But the horses are definitely upset, and I’m fairly certain the trolls are sleeping nearby—probably just inside the cave. They don’t like daylight, right?”
“I don’t think so.” Basil pulled his sword out a bit. It was slightly glowing. “Goblins and trolls are similar in that way, as far as I can remember. Regardless, at least now we’re the ones sneaking up on them, instead of the other way around.” He started hiking down the mountain in the direction Theo had pointed.
“Yes, but we need a plan.” Amber twirled her hair in thought. “We can’t just go in there—the only effective weapon we have is an enchanted sword that seems pretty puny. We’ve got to figure out another way to stop them.”
“Do you think the amulet would help?” Theo asked.
“Maybe,” Amber replied. “But it’s in one of my saddlebags.”
“Even so,” Basil said, “I doubt it. It’s for lifting the spell, which would help with something like the phoenix, but trolls are big ugly buggers no matter what. Spell or no spell.”
“Yeah, I think you’re right.” Theo pursed his lips and looked around. “We need another plan.”
Basil walked back to them and put his fists on his hips. “Since they’re sleeping inside the tunnel, we could try to cave it in.”
“How?” Theo asked.
“Um . . .” Basil scratched his head.
“Do either of you know why they don’t like daylight?” Amber asked. “Would it hurt them?”
Theo and Basil shook their heads. Basil shrugged. “Well, maybe the best we can do is sneak in, get our horses and stuff, and get out of there as fast as possible.”
“That could work . . .” Theo frowned. “But remember what Sage told us our mission was? To stop creatures like these from doing more harm. We can’t just let them go and kill the next people they find.”
“True. But what good is trying to do something against trolls and getting killed ourselves?” Amber asked. “You saw them last night. They’re unstoppable. We certainly can’t do anything about them. Besides, they’re way out here in the wilderness. There’s nobody around for miles.”
“For now,” Theo said. “Mark my words. I think if we leave this opportunity to take out two sleeping trolls, we may never have it again—and may come to regret it.”
Amber sighed. “You’re right, Theo. But what do we do? Sage didn’t give us a lot of advice.”
They continued walking and came around a rocky outcropping. Their horses were tied to the trees where they’d left them, down the mountain. They looked skittish and upset.
“Sage taught us to play Castles,” Basil said wryly.
Theo grinned. “You’re right. There’s nothing obvious in one move. But maybe four moves ahead?”
“Well, can you at least calm the horses, Theo?” Basil asked.
Theo nodded. “I hadn’t thought of that. Duh. For sure.” He focused on the horses and immediately they calmed down. “Okay. Now what?”
“We need to think of this differently,” Amber said. “A wise man once told me if you can’t figure something out with your first approach, try rephrasing the question. So rather than asking how do we take out three sleeping trolls, let’s ask something else.”
“Like what?” Basil asked.
“Well, how about, what can we do with sleeping trolls? No, that’s not it.” Amber looked up in thought.
Theo perked up. “What effect can three kids with powers have on trolls?”
“Better,” Basil said. They all sat in silence, then Basil looked over at Amber. “I have an idea.”
The three crept to their horses and gear. Theo made sure the horses kept quiet by calming them with his powers. Amber went to some trees with big, strong branches and asked them to release branches. One by one, three sturdy and healthy branches broke themselves off the tree and dropped into her hands.
She silently thanked the tree for its gift and reshaped them to shed the twigs, so they were easy to carry. Then the trio walked over to the cave entrance, holding one large branch each.
“Ready?” Basil put his hand on Amber’s shoulder as they stood at the entrance.
She looked him in the eyes and breathed deeply. “As ready as I can be, I think.”
Theo glanced at her nervously. “Well, it’s not like our lives are depending on it, right?” He laughed weakly.
“As long as they don’t wake up, this should work,” Amber said.
“We’re trusting you on this one,” Theo said uncertainly.
Basil hugged Theo’s shoulder. “She’s got this. Let’s go.”
With Basil leading the way, the trio stepped inside the cave and journeyed deeper into the tunnel. They arrived at the split and went the same way they’d gone the night before, toward the faint sounds. As they got nearer, they heard the heavy breathing and occasional snore from the two massive trolls. They were sleeping next to each other in a wide area, somewhat smoother and more well-worn than the other parts of the cave.
The three friends slowly tiptoed into the cave and each set a branch down next to the trolls as quietly as possible. Theo’s branch scuffed a stalagmite and one of the trolls snorted and stirred.
The three froze. The troll grunted slightly and shifted. They watched with held breath until it stopped moving. Theo quietly released his breath and set his branch down, then carefully stepped back next to the others.
Amber focused on the branches. Grow, branches! Grow into big prisons! She poured her energy into them, and they started to curl and wind around the trolls. The branches burrowed into the ground to form roots and wound around and around the sleeping creatures—gently so as not to wake them. Theo snuck behind a rock nearer the entrance, and Basil stood next to Amber, his hand on his sword’s hilt.
The trolls continued to sleep through the winding branch prison, and although Amber grew more and more tired, she felt the branches could grow limitlessly, so she continued.
When the branch prison finally covered both trolls, she began making the branches thicker and thicker. The minutes passed. She grew so weary that she staggered.
Basil saw her and reached over,
holding her up. He whispered, “How can I help?”
“I don’t know. I’m feeling so tired. But I want to make sure they can’t break out.”
Basil nodded, and Amber leaned on him more while growing the branches as well as she could. The branches grew thicker and stronger until finally she stopped.
“Done?”
“No. Just resting.”
Theo half-whispered from his rock. “Maybe try putting your hands on the branches.”
Amber nodded. “Thanks. I’ll try.”
She reached over and touched the branches. Where her hands touched the branches, they grew thicker and stronger, becoming almost as thick as trees.
“It’s helping! Thanks for the idea, Theo.”
After the branches around the first troll were as large and thick as a tree, Amber moved on to the second troll.
About an hour into the process, she reached a hand up, and Basil helped her to her feet. He walked her to the cave entrance, and they all turned to look at her handiwork.
The trolls were completely encased in massive tree prisons.
“Are they dead?” Basil asked.
“I don’t think so,” Amber said, exhausted. “But if they did live through that, they’ll have a very hard time getting out.”
Basil patted her on the back as they walked back to the fresh air outside. “Think of how hard it was to hurt those trolls with our normal weapons. And you stopped them. If we’d left them free to roam around the countryside, who knows, they could have gone to Mira or one of the other villages around here—and they’d have torn those folks apart. That was awesome.”
Amber nodded. “I didn’t think it was possible.”
Basil helped Amber mount Buttercup, and she slumped in the saddle, leaning into her horse’s neck and nearly dozing off immediately.
He looked at her concerned. “Do you want to ride with me instead?”
“Yeah, I think so.”
“Ok.” He helped her onto Storm, seated behind him. “I know that took a lot out of you, but that was amazing! You took out two awful trolls!”
Theo grinned. “This is only the beginning. Just wait till we get more practice!”
21
The Volcano
THE JOURNEY WAS A RUGGED ONE. They weaved down animal paths and across rocky ground, up and down mountains. The underbrush and trees became so thick they couldn’t see anything but the forest in front of them.
Theo and Basil dismounted, walking their horses through the dense forest, giving Amber a chance to recover. According to Theo’s map, the volcano was close. Late in the afternoon Basil climbed a tree for a better view.
“Smoke!” he shouted down. “And lots of it. I bet it’s coming from the volcano. We’re not far now.”
Amber started feeling her energy return and helped part some of the thick underbrush with her powers. They came upon a steep incline with crumbly, mossy ground. Basil climbed up, slipping a little, and grabbed at roots to pull himself up, getting twigs and leaves stuck in his hair.
“We made it!” he shouted down with a grin. “The volcano!”
He clambered down and they found another way around. They rounded some large rocks and saw the volcano. Even under their dangerous circumstances, they marveled at its beauty, standing stark and tall next to the sea with a thin plume of smoke coming from its top.
They traveled mostly in silence toward its base, then began their ascent.
“Did Sage say anything about where exactly we’re supposed to be looking?” Theo asked. Amber and Basil shrugged.
“Maybe we should go to the top?” Amber suggested.
“I can’t imagine anything living in hot lava,” Basil said.
“Do you have another idea?”
They shook their heads and continued on their way.
The volcano seemed like an ordinary mountain for a while, with grass and scattered trees, but they soon got to a section that was fully dark rock, with all sorts of little holes in it.
Amber examined the rock. “This must be what happens when the lava dries.”
Theo ran his hands over the ground. “Yes. It becomes rock. I wonder what causes the holes?”
“Maybe it’s because it becomes a rock so quickly.” Basil was holding a small stone, inspecting it carefully. “Other rocks are formed underground, but these come straight from lava, right here in the air. This is really light.” He tossed the rock a few times, then put it in his pocket. “That would be a good question to ask Chandler.”
“If we ever survive this trip to see him again,” Theo said sullenly.
As they neared the top, the travelers saw that the smoke at the top was coming from a small source within the large opening. They kept going all the way to the edge and peered down. A steep cliff went straight down on all sides, ending in a rocky basin far below. There was a hole in the middle of the basin with smoke coming out of it.
None of them had ever seen a volcano or a caldera before, and they stared at it in awe for a while. Basil leaned over the edge, then stood again. “I don’t think the phoenix lives in there. It’s probably in a cave. Maybe somewhere that has access to the heat from the mountain.”
They searched for another hour, then turned and went back the way they came. The view was spectacular, with the sea on their left and the mountainous forests before them. They scanned the mountain for cave openings.
“How on earth will we be able to find a cave on a mountain of this size?” Theo shook his head, discouraged.
Amber and Basil stood silently. None of them had an answer. They waited around, as if hoping the phoenix would suddenly appear. Eventually, Basil started walking again. “Well, let’s set up camp somewhere and figure out what to do.”
After an hour of meandering along the volcano, they found a spot to camp, much farther downhill. It wasn’t ideal but was a bit flatter than the higher sections, and it had trees and bushes to give them some shelter. With food in their bellies, and a small fire to keep them warm, ideas started coming to them.
“We could just sit at the top and watch for it.” Amber stared at the embers as they twirled and floated, then disappeared into the night. She whittled a stick with her fishing knife.
Basil shook his head. “Yeah, but we’d have to watch all directions. With only three of us . . . seems like a long shot.” He turned to Theo. “You could convince a hawk to fly over the mountain, to find it more quickly.”
“I can do that.” Theo’s eyes glazed over as he searched for animals around them. “I don’t think this is the answer, though. Like I said, I don’t actually see what they see. And I’ve lost our hawk friend. We need another idea.”
He sighed. “Sage never told you anything else, did he?” They shook their heads. He frowned. “This is foolish. We have nothing to go on. Hoping we find a hawk that happens to lead us to it. This is a big waste of time.”
Amber pointed her stick toward the top of the volcano. “Hey. We made it this far, right? Sage believed in us. Maybe we can walk around the volcano and watch Basil’s sword. It’ll glow when it’s near the phoenix, right?”
Basil shook his head. “I’ve got to be close for it to work. This is a huge mountain.”
“Well . . .” She glanced at Theo, who was watching the fire with his chin resting on his hands. “Let’s do both. We might as well walk around the mountain to see what we can see. Use some birds, Theo. And let’s look for caves as we walk around.”
Theo sighed. Basil patted him on the back. “I get it, Theo. It’s not a strong plan. But at least it’s a plan. Right?”
“I guess so.” Theo shook his head.
“Let’s play Castles,” Basil said. “Maybe that’ll inspire us.”
“Sure.” Theo stood wearily and brought the game over.
They played a few games, with Theo winning easily. His mood never picked up, and they went to bed unable to come up with better ideas, knowing it could take weeks to search the entire volcano.
The next two days were difficul
t and grueling. They searched throughout the day for caves, walking around and around the volcano in the hot sun, hoping for a sign of the phoenix or even a reasonable cave.
They found a hawk pretty quickly the first day, but the hawk idea turned out to be as unhelpful as Theo had guessed. What good was a hawk if the phoenix wasn’t even there? Maybe it was off burning some other village?
Their food supply was starting to get low, and the hawk hadn’t found them any rabbits. They felt themselves growing discouraged.
Basil sighed. “Maybe we should hunt for a bit?”
“Yeah, I’m sick of this dried food.” Theo patted his belly. “I don’t like the idea of splitting up, but you’re a good hunter . . . maybe you could look for some deer? I know I sensed some a couple of days ago on that mountain next to us.”
Basil shrugged. “I suppose. What do you think, Amber?”
“I don’t know. A deer would be great though. It would last us more than a few days. Who knows how long we’ll be here—if Sage is even right about the phoenix living on this volcano.”
Theo shook his head, discouraged. “That’s right. He said it was here, but then again, what if it’s sort of near here, not on the actual mountain?”
“Yeah, you’re right.” Basil turned to Amber. “Either of us could try our hand at hunting, but at this point, I think one of us should. This could take a while.”
They all agreed. Amber thought about her parents and village. She missed them dearly. They were so close to finding the cause of all the trouble. Yet they were stuck wandering around the volcano.
She wondered how far down the coast Seabrook was. She imagined it would only take a couple of days from the volcano. Funny, how nobody at the village ever mentioned there being a volcano this close.
Basil returned from hunting with no fresh food, and Theo grew even more discouraged. Amber breathed deeply, thinking of how to cheer him up. “So tell me, Theo, when did you start finding animals attracted to you?”
