by P. D. Kalnay
“That’s amazing,” I said. It totally was.
“We could use a knife,” Ivy said, with a shrug.
“I don’t think cutting food with my knife is a good idea.”
“No, definitely not!”
Three hustled over to stand in front of Ivy, making rapid motions with both hands.
“Mistress, he wishes to peel it for you,” One translated.
Ivy set the whole plant down, and Three attacked it with his dull claws. In a matter of seconds the thick purple shell had been torn away to reveal a dull yellow interior, half as large. It consisted of five orange-like segments. Ivy pulled them apart, handing me one. The segment was heavy, firm, and smelled sweet.
“Do I just bite into it?” I asked.
“Yes,” Ivy said. “It’s all edible, and very nutritious. These don’t grow in many places, even with help. Sweetroot is considered a delicacy almost everywhere.”
I took a tentative nibble from the narrow edge of the segment. Then I took a bigger bite. Beneath a thin skin, the texture was smooth, similar to the filling in a lemon meringue pie. The sweetroot tasted sweeter, and was more refreshing—like eating melon. I finished the first segment in short order. Ivy had only made it a quarter of the way through her first segment by the time I’d finished three. I was starting to fill up.
“You must have been hungry,” Ivy said around a mouthful. “I’ve never seen anyone eat three in a sitting before.”
“I did just grow wings.”
That got a giggle. I looked down at my grey hands. There’d been little opportunity to contemplate my transformation.
“What happened to your hands?” Ivy asked.
“They went all grey.”
“No, the marks on your palms.”
I told Ivy about the ring I’d forged—and split—while she ate. She looked up at me sadly when I finished.
“I’m sure they’ll heal eventually,” she said.
Her eyes said she wasn’t at all sure about that.
“We should get going,” I said. The afternoon was coming to an end. “It’s a long walk back. Where have you been living, anyway?”
“I lived in a building on the edge of Havensport until the raiders came. It wasn’t comfortable, but most of the roof is still intact. I didn’t know they were in the city until a few of them surprised me. Your necklace kept me safe, but they’ve been after me since. For the last week, I’ve been sleeping outside on the ground.” Ivy ate the final piece of her segment. “It’s been too dangerous to grow food for myself, so I’ve had to rely on scavenging.”
“We can start collecting supplies, and figuring out a plan, tomorrow,” I said. “We should just head home now.”
“Home?”
Ivy looked up at me curiously, and I nodded.
“Turns out this is my Place in the world,” I said. “You should see Marielain’s smithy!”
“How did you get in? I grew curious and went up there once. The door was locked tight.”
“Actually, I came out. I didn’t have time to explore though. Two has been taking care of the place, so I think living there makes the most sense.”
Ivy licked her fingers clean and stood.
“Let’s go home, Jack.”
***
We hurried across the island, only pausing to gather blue grape-like fruit from an orchard as we passed by. The harbour had grown entirely calm. By the time we’d reached the steps leading back up to Marielain’s workshop, night had long since fallen. The three moons of the First World shone silver, pink, and blue above us. They were reflected, along with the light of countless stars, in the still waters below. Though the stairway spread wide enough for us to walk side by side, Ivy and I climbed single file with our hands trailing along the sheer cliff to our left. Even with my new wings, it was still unnerving not having anything in the way of a rail. In spite of the moons above, the night remained quite dark, but my eyes had no difficulty in discerning our path. I was certain that along with whatever else had happened to me—my night vision had improved dramatically. After climbing the day’s final steps, we reached the wide landing and the main doors.
“How do you open them?” Ivy asked.
“They open on their own,” I said. “Watch.”
I wished the front doors open. Silently, they swung inward. The pitch-black hall looked scarier at night. I wished for light, hoping the hall had the same glowing red symbols carved into walls and ceiling that had lined the smithy and stairwell. Bright yellow orbs, suspended in the vaulted ceiling above, flared into life.
“Pretty cool, right?”
“Very cool, Jack.”
“Do you want to see the smithy?”
“Maybe tomorrow,” Ivy said through a yawn. “I haven’t slept in days.”
“Oh, sorry. I forgot. Let’s just find somewhere to sleep.”
I turned back to our tiny companions. One, Two, and Three all had armloads of the strange blue fruit we’d picked.
“The living quarters are down there, aren’t they?” I pointed to the far end of the entrance hall.
“Yes, Master,” One said. “Everything is as you left it.”
“Let’s go and check it out,” I said to Ivy.
With Ivy safe, I was curious to see more of the place, and excited about exploring… after a good night’s rest. A smaller door stood shut at the end of the hall. My wishing it open, as we approached, had no effect. It looked as though only the main doors worked that way. Then it occurred to me that I should probably shut the front doors for the night. Just contemplating locking up, made it happen. The main doors were already shut by the time I looked back. We got into the living quarters by more conventional means. I used the doorknob.
Marielain’s mountainside apartment had more of the glowing yellow orbs lighting the place. There was nothing homey about our new home. Utilitarian would be the word that most accurately described it. A curving hallway led gently upward, following the mountain’s face outside. Rooms to the left of the hallway had windows looking out over Knight’s Haven. Those on the right didn’t, giving them a cave-like quality. I felt tired, and Ivy looked exhausted, so we only peeked into a few of the rooms that night. One was the kitchen, a small windowless room, with wide hearth, cut into the mountain, and a good deal of cast iron cookware hanging from racks. One, Two, and Three deposited the fruit in an otherwise bare pantry. It looked like weird blue fruit for breakfast.
Across the hall was a sitting room with three overstuffed chairs. They were covered in what appeared to be pale blue leather, but might not have been. Strange alien-looking furniture filled the room, but what interested me was a large mirror hanging on the wall. To be more accurate, what interested me most was my reflection in that mirror. Ivy’s change to red was nothing compared to my transformation. I don’t know how long I stood staring at myself before Ivy spoke.
“Jack, are you unwell?”
“No, it’s just really weird.” I pointed to my reflection. “It’s me, but it isn’t me.”
“It was the same for me, when I first came to stay at Glastonbury Manor. I couldn’t pass a mirror without re-examining myself.”
The guy who looked back at me wasn’t the Jack I’d known. His face was almost the same, but that was where the resemblance ended. I now had grey pebbly skin, the same as the Petrathen I’d seen. My hair had turned shiny black and my eyes had changed from dark blue to a pale icy blue, exactly like Gran’s. Just having my grandmother’s creepy eyes was disturbing all on its own. The giant insect wings were the biggest deal. After most of a day, I’d almost forgotten about them. Now, I did some experimental flapping. Moving them was as easy, and as natural, as moving my arms. Following a fair bit of flapping, Ivy rested a gentle hand on one wing. I couldn’t feel her hand. My wings obviously had nothing in the way of nerve endings, but I could feel the pressure in my back muscles.
“Jack, I’m very tired.”
“Sorry,” I said. “This is really weird.”
I didn’t
know what else to say.
“Are there bedrooms?” Ivy asked Two.
“Yes, mistress. There are several sleeping chambers. The Master’s, and others for servants.”
“Can you show us?” I gave the wings one more flap before turning away from my reflection.
Marielain’s old bedroom was biggish. It had a large four-poster bed and a wide balcony looking out over city and harbour. It was the only bedroom on the window side of the hallway. The others were little more than cells, with narrow, hard cots for beds. Marielain’s room was the last one at the end of the long hallway.
“You can have this room,” I said.
“I can’t take your room, Jack. Besides, I don’t need such a large bed.”
“This bed is large enough for both of you, Master,” One said helpfully.
Ivy and I glanced at each other. I felt my face flush, though I didn’t know if my new grey skin changed colour. Ivy’s pink face went remarkably red.
“That… wouldn’t be proper,” she said. “We aren’t, we haven’t—not until we have wed.”
Her left eye developed a pronounced twitch.
“I’ll take the room across the hall,” I said. “You’ve been sleeping outside, and you were stuck in a cell for most of the last few years. This room has windows and fresh air.”
“Thank you, Jack.”
“No problem.” I turned back to One, Two, and Three. “You guys can go to sleep now too, if you want… Do you sleep?”
“Not really, Master,” One said. “But I’m sure we can find useful tasks to accomplish in the night.”
“Good night Master, good night Mistress,” Two said. Then she pushed the others out of the room.
Ivy and I went out to the balcony. The night air was cool, fresh, and salt filled.
“I guess we’re on our own now,” I said.
“For a while at least. We do have One, Two, and Three for company.”
“I suppose so. This place is going to need a lot of work.”
“These chambers are in good condition. Others can help repair the rest as they arrive.”
“Do you think any friendly people will come, besides the members of the Order?”
Looking down at the grim place, I wasn’t so sure.
“Others will come,” Ivy said. “Knight’s Haven was once a refuge and a symbol of hope. Its legend will draw folk back.”
For a while, I looked out over the ruined city. When I finally turned back to Ivy, she was staring at me with a strange expression on her face.
“What?” I asked. “What are you thinking?”
Ivy smiled.
“I was wondering if they’d taste different… now that they’re grey.”
— End of Book 3 —
The Legend of the White Sword continues in:
Book 4 – Knight’s Haven
Table of Contents
Ivy’s Tangle
Chapter 1 – Ms. Mopat
Chapter 2 – Glastonbury Manor
Chapter 3 – Knights in the Library
Chapter 4 – Down to the Basement
Chapter 5 – Digital Princess
Chapter 6 – Ivy’s Lesson
Chapter 7 – Gardening
Chapter 8 – Hammer and Tongs
Chapter 9 – Eyes in the Darkness
Chapter 10 – New Beginnings
Chapter 11 – Bows and Arrows
Chapter 12 – New Doors
Chapter 13 – Misfortunes
Chapter 14 – Questions and Answers
Chapter 15 – Friendship Lost
Chapter 16 – Mended Fences
Chapter 17 – White Sword
Chapter 18 – Summer’s End
Ivy’s Bind
Chapter 1 – Unexpected Treasure
Chapter 2 – Bows and Magic
Chapter 3 – Dirty Pool
Chapter 4 – Magic’s Sting
Chapter 5 – Old Friends
Chapter 6 – Unanswered Questions
Chapter 7 – Watering the Ivy
Chapter 8 – Forging On
Chapter 9 – Blades and Arrowheads
Chapter 10 – Hot Tempered
Chapter 11 – Night’s Edge
Chapter 12 – Early Engagement
Chapter 13 – Untimely Answers
Chapter 14 – Down the Tree
Chapter 15 – Distant Relations
Chapter 16 – Ties That Bind
Chapter 17 – Hammer and Sword
Chapter 18 – Answers and Questions
Chapter 19 – Jack, Out of the Box
Chapter 20 – A Petal’s Promise
Chapter 21 – Older Friends
Chapter 22 – Blood of the World Tree
Ivy’s Blossom
Chapter 1 – Leaf and Hammer
Chapter 2 – Broken Bonds
Chapter 3 – Magic’s Cost
Chapter 4 – A Hefty Key
Chapter 5 – No Real Choice
Chapter 6 – Unhatched Plans
Chapter 7 – Summer School
Chapter 8 – High Expectations
Chapter 9 – Waking Nightmares
Chapter 9 – The Other Library
Chapter 10 – A Mopat’s Tale
Chapter 11 – Seven Swords
Chapter 12 – Insufficient Inquiry
Chapter 13 – Back Down the Tree
Chapter 14 – Knight’s Haven
Chapter 15 – Into the City
Chapter 16 – Narrow Escapes
Chapter 17 – A Feathered Foe
Chapter 18 – Forgotten Friends
Chapter 19 – Fevered Dreams
Chapter 20 – Acceptance
Chapter 21 – Locked In
Chapter 22 – A Tale of Two Lunches
Chapter 23 – Home Sweet Home
