Their one great passion, however, is making shoes. The fancier the shoe, the happier they are. Funnily enough, while they house their workshops in the trunks of the huge oak trees, they sleep in the shelter of the mushrooms in order to see the bright stars at night.
Leprechauns are rumoured to help the human race with a stroke of luck every now and then, and of course grant one wish if they are unlucky enough to be caught. Although that duty was a well-kept secret, one which they didn’t share with the other immortals!
All leprechauns have mischievous glints in their eyes, and Nirb was no exception. It was Nirb who first introduced Bella to the human realm, painting such alluring pictures that she must enter to see these sights for herself. Once there, she had discovered that the mortal realm desperately needed her to guard their tulips as well. It was because of Nirb that she had met her prince.
When Bella had returned that first time to Leprechaun Hollow, Nirb had warned her never to go to the mortal realm again; it was forbidden for immortals to get involved with humans. But Bella, already captivated by the prince, had been unable to help herself.
Tears formed in Bella’s eyes as she remembered those times, but shaking herself free from that, she began to tell Nirb all she’d done and seen since last they’d met.
She told him about the list of tokens she needed for Nemesis the Dragon, and finally coming to the end of her story, she raised her eyes and said,
“My dear friend Nirb, I know that you and the other leprechauns are the guardians of the rainbow; is there a way that you might help me?”
Nirb looked at Bella, realising how brave and courageous she must have been. “I’m so proud of ye, Bella. I cannot promise anything, but I will call a meeting of the council to see what they say.”
Bella knew that was a good offer.
Nirb set off to call the council, and Bella went to find Teague. They rested beneath the scattered mushrooms until Nirb appeared before her.
“Come Bella, Fairy of Pure Heart, the council awaits ye,” he said in a serious voice, and Bella knew that Nirb was making a formal request on behalf of the council, not just speaking as her friend. Nirb tapped his walking stick to the ground and the most beautiful rainbow appeared before them. Bella stared in awe at the vibrant colours shimmering and gleaming in front of her. Nirb took her by the hand and the two stepped into the rainbow.
Although Bella had often travelled by rainbow before, it never failed to amaze her. The rainbow colours began to move; they swirled around her in a dazzling kaleidoscope, and then settled back into pattern, and it was over, all too soon.
Before them was a half-moon formed from twelve mushrooms, eleven of which were occupied by leprechauns. Another unoccupied mushroom graced the centre, and Nirb directed her towards it. He made sure that she was comfortably seated, and then took his place with the other council members. Bella could feel them staring at her. Measuring her up, judging if she was worthy.
The leprechaun sitting right in front of her drew her attention when he said, “I am Nurch, chief of this council. Nirb has told us your story, although we do find it amazing. Is it true that ye entered the Cave of Forgetfulness? Brave, I must say. And ye had help from the water sprites—they are not known for their kindness. Ye must truly be the Fairy of Pure Heart.”
He paused and looked around at his fellow council members, meeting each pair of eyes before returning his eyes to Bella.
“A sliver of a rainbow,” he stressed, “this is not a small thing that ye ask of us.”
Bella returned Nurch’s gaze steadily.
“I have given my wings to Yarg, King of the Trolls, I have bested a werewolf and saved a witch, I have braved the water sprites for the elfin folk’s help, and I have endured the Cave of Forgetfulness and snatched the heart from its fire. If I have something to give you in exchange for the rainbow sliver, I will surely do it, for my prince is worthy of it. What would you have from me?”
The council gathered together and addressed itself in whispers before turning to face her again. Nurch stood up. Bella watched his face carefully.
“Fairy of Pure Heart,” he began, “would ye be willing to offer a small service in exchange for a sliver of our rainbow?”
Bella looked at Nurch.
“What do you need me to do?” she asked hesitantly.
“Has anyone ever told you of the time before Nemesis the Dragon ruled?”
“No, I don’t know of anyone who would have that knowledge,” she whispered, deeply intrigued with what he was asking.
“Before his time or ours, the immortal realms were ruled by another Dragon. His name was Thorne. He was as Nemesis is—a great ruler, one with vision. He united the realms, believing that we would be stronger together, and gathered one leader from each realm to form the Guild of Immortals. He declared that it was our duty as the stronger beings to advocate for the humans, that the magical realms must ensure that the mortal race would survive.
He bestowed a gift to each leader. To the leprechauns he gifted a powerful magical pot. The pot could hold an unlimited supply of either gold or luck. All you would need to do is think of the one you would need, and then put your hand into the pot and retrieve it.”
He looked at Bella to make sure that she was listening carefully to what he was saying.
“Recently, that pot—our pot—was stolen.”
Bella gasped, “Who would do something so terrible?”
“We know who stole the pot,” he said. “But they are using it to prevent us retrieving it. We need someone to intervene; someone they wouldn’t suspect, someone who can retrieve it and return it to its rightful owners.”
He paused and looked intently at Bella.
“Someone with a pure heart, wanting nothing from the pot itself.”
“I don’t know if I can do it,” she said, and then, almost as if knowing the answer, she whispered, “Who stole your pot?”
“It was the Nuffins,” he said with disgust in his voice.
Bella gasped. “Oh, no, not the Nuffins. They are the naughtiest of magical creatures!”
“Yes,” sighed Nurch, “they create chaos and disorder wherever they go.”
“Why did they take your pot?” Bella asked.
“Our pot has magical properties!” Nurch snapped. “It has LUCK, sweet fairy—an abnormal amount of luck. Luck that doesn’t belong to them. Luck that they shouldn’t ever use, because they don’t understand how it works. But mostly I think they stole it just to make mischief.”
“Where are the Nuffins?” Bella asked quietly.
“As you know, long ago they lived in the mortal realm, although unseen by humans. But they played with the weather there and caused an Ice Age, so Thorne banished them and forbade them from ever returning. So now they travel through the magical realms seeking a place of their own. But because they’re so mischievous, none of the immortals ever allow them to stay very long. We’ve tried lots of times to find them, but when we finally track them down, they just disappear.”
“But how can I find them if you can’t? I need to save Arthur, and time is of the utmost importance now,” Bella said, with distress in her voice.
Nurch sighed, and said as if speaking to a small, not so very bright child.
“We know where they are at this exact moment, Fairy. If ye take yer butterfly, then ye can fly there. They won’t see any reason to run away and hide from ye. Then ye can go into their camp and retrieve our pot.”
“How will I get the pot?” she asked. “I do not see that they will just give it to me, and I cannot fight them for it. I do not believe in fighting.”
“Ah, Fairy of Pure Heart—yer name is true,” Nurch sighed. “No ye wouldn’t have to fight anyone. All ye have to do is to stand directly in front of the pot and chant a spell, and it will return to us.”
Bella�
�s face showed her lack of confidence in this plan.
“Is there no other thing that you would ask of me in exchange for a sliver of your rainbow?” she asked miserably.
“None,” he said flatly. “If ye wants yer sliver, bring us our pot.”
Nurch stretched upwards on the balls of his feet.
“Ye have until the moon rises tonight to consider our exchange, and then I shall expect yer answer. Should ye decide before then, ye only have to tell Nirb and he will contact us. We shall tell ye exactly how to find the Nuffins and what our pot looks like.”
Bella took a deep breath. “I don’t need time to think. I will try to do what you ask of me. Tell me what I need to know and I’ll do my best.”
“Take heart, Fairy. Ye have already faced difficult trials and found the courage to triumph,” he urged her.
Behind Nurch, the council members were excitedly speaking amongst themselves.
“Ye will find the Nuffins at the only common ground for all immortals, with the exception of the Valley Mystic. They are on the edge of the Immortal Markets, just ...” he began.
Bella raised her hand to interrupt him, “But the markets are guarded by werewolves!” she exclaimed, thoughts of the werewolf’s attack on Brighid the witch coming to mind.
“Yes, but they will not harm ye. The grounds of the markets are protected by an ancient spell weaved by Nemesis hisself; none will dare face his wrath by attacking another there. Besides, they will not be werewolves yet.”
“What do you mean?” she asked, her brows drawing together in confusion.
“The werewolves are men during daylight hours; the minute the sun sets, only then do they change. They will stay that way until just past sunrise, as the first rays appear in the sky, and then they will be men again.”
Bella frowned at him as she thought again of Brighid’s werewolf.
“I saved a witch from an attack by a werewolf, and that was in daylight hours,” she said slowly. “Why didn’t he change, if what you say is true?”
Nurch smiled faintly, “He was her familiar?”
Bella nodded her head.
“Then he couldn’t change. When they take a werewolf as a familiar, witches place a spell that gives them control of the change. Imagine how inconvenient it would be if the familiar changed into a man when the witch did not want them to!”
“I must admit, I’m not all that familiar with the laws that govern werewolves and witches,” mused Bella uncertainly.
Nurch could see that Bella still wasn’t convinced.
“The Nuffins are camping on the borders of the Immortal Markets. Every night for the past week they have had a celebration, inviting other immortals to join them. Tonight ye will be able to get close enough to the pot and say the spell that will return it to us.”
“Do you know exactly where your pot will be?”
“No, but I do know that when ye set foot onto the immortal grounds the pot will recognise yer powers, and will call to them.”
“But I don’t have powers anymore,” she whispered. “I gave my powers to Yarg in exchange for the list of tokens I needed to save Arthur.”
“Oh Fairy, yer powers aren’t in yer wings. Yer power is inside ye, and yer wings were only an extension of that—a visible, tangible extension, yes, but yer power has always been in yer heart.”
Bella looked at him, hope flaring in her eyes.
“Do you really think I can do this?” she asked breathlessly.
“How can ye ask?” he said smiling at her. “Look at all the things ye’ve done so far. Ye have great courage in ye fairy; believe in yerself.”
Bella gave him a faint smile.
“So, how will I recognise this pot of yours?”
“On the front of the pot is an engraving of Lugh, the first leprechaun. His name means Luck. He stands holding within his hands a few pieces of gold. On the rear of the pot there is a small, embossed picture of our greatest passion—a beautiful pair of black–buckle shoes.”
Bella laughed at his statement. As if she could be interested in shoes, she thought.
“So, does this mean we have a bargain, Fairy?”
Bella tilted her head to one side. Reluctant as she was to do this, she had known in her heart all along that she didn’t have a choice.
Nodding her head, she whispered, “Yes.”
Nirb stepped forward, a small, worried frown upon his face. “Bella, are ye sure about this?”
Bella smiled faintly at him.
“I have no choice,” she said.
“Of course ye do. Ye can go home and forget about this silly plan of yers. Forget about this mortal.”
“I can’t and I’ve explained this to you,” she whispered, seeing the worry in his eyes,
“Don’t worry Nirb, I have no intention of failing.”
Once more, she remembered Arthur’s words, and wrapped them around her as she stood up.
“Will you take me back to Teague?” she asked, reaching for his hand. “I must hurry,” she said, sensing that her time was running out.
Bella turned to Nurch, “I will see you soon. Please have my sliver ready for me.”
Nurch nodded his head. He reached out his hand and handed over a small parchment.
“Be safe, Fairy,” he said, watching her as she stepped closer to Nirb.
Nirb held her hand tightly, and tapped his stick to the ground, summoning the rainbow to him. They stepped within its safe confines, and the colours soothed Bella’s frazzled nerves. In an instant they stood in front of Teague.
Teague bounced towards Bella, playfully shoving her aside before he sensed her mood wasn’t as light as he’d thought it would be.
What’s wrong, Bella?
“We need to go to the Immortal Markets,” she replied as she pushed her head into his neck and breathed in his scent.
What are we going to do there?
“We’re going to get a pot.”
She turned to Nirb, who was watching her worriedly.
“How do we get there?” she asked.
“Once ye leave here, fly west. Fly straight onwards until ye see the ancient tree tops of Bemoomba, in the Manukies realm. Swing sharply north and continue on over the goblins realm, slow down when ye reach the border of the Satyrs, for over the other side lies the Immortal Markets.”
“Thank you, Nirb,” she said in a soft voice, already concentrating on the task at hand. She slid onto Teague’s back and took to the skies without looking back.
10
The Immortal Markets
Bella and Teague landed just outside the borders of the Immortal Markets. Sliding off his back, she stepped down onto the soft green grass. The afternoon sun shimmered down through the tree tops to bathe the whole area in translucent golden light. Soft tones glossed over the shrubs on the other side of the boundary lines.
Bella took a deep breath.
“Are you ready?” she asked Teague. At his nod they started forward.
The moment Bella set a dainty foot over the invisible line that divided the realms, she felt a gentle tug. After her initial surprise, she realised that it must be the pot reaching out to her, as Nurch had told her it would.
She looked around, trying to locate the source of the pull. In front of her was a clearing of soft grass, and in that clearing, side by side, approximately one metre apart, stood two huge men.
Bella ducked behind a shrub, and peered between the branches to take a closer look at them, thankful that they were not looking her way.
They were tall and well formed, and around their upper arms they each wore a set of gold armlets decorated with intricate embossed patterns. Neither looked around, nor moved.
They wait patiently for nothing, thought Bella. She glanced at Teague, who had jo
ined her behind the shrubbery.
“Why do you think they’re just standing there like that?” she whispered.
I’m not sure, he said softly in her mind.
Just then, a young witch materialised in front of them. Bella blinked. She watched the witch move towards the men, and then step through the space between them. The men stirred at last, shrugging uncomfortably and sniffing the air around them, trying to find the cause of the disturbance.
That has to be the opening, telepathed Teague.
“So, if that is the entrance, where do you think the Nuffins are?” she asked in a whisper.
I don’t know, maybe they are inside, said Teague.
“According to Nurch, it’s safe for us to enter the markets,” she whispered. “Let’s go then.”
Uhm, Bella, I don’t want to go inside there, said Teague.
Bella looked into his face and saw dread.
“It’s all right,” she whispered. “You stay here.”
Pitting herself against the worry that threatened her, she forced herself to stand. Stepping calmly past the shrubs, she made her way to where the men were standing. Pretending not to notice them, she walked toward the entrance.
Then stood still, terror gripping her. The men were starting to change. Low growls came from their throats; thick black hair sprang from previously smooth bodies; teeth sharpened and lengthened; thick legs became massive hind legs. The armlets began to glow eerily, and Bella realised that they were reflecting the last rays of the setting sun. Not stopping to watch the men complete the change to werewolf, she ran as fast as she could to the opening between the men, and threw herself through.
She landed heavily on her belly, sprawled on the floor. A few immortals standing beside the opening watched her in astonishment. A rather large goblin came towards her. Not knowing what to expect, Bella shrank away from him as his massive hands scooped her up. He surprised her by setting her straight on her feet. Then he put his hands on his fat waist and grinned down at her.
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