The troll stepped back, frowning, but whatever it had come against clung to it and it swatted around trying to bat the substance away. But the effort was for naught, and it bellowed in anger, kicking and thrashing.
"It is wrapped in the spiders' webs," Geoffrey reported.
"Small wonder, when there were a thousand of mem, one on top of another," Magnus answered. "Now, 'Delia, lead us. Think, brother."
Geoffrey glared at the troll, but his mind concentrated on Cordelia's thoughts.
Cordelia was thinking of birds—many birds. Sparrows, robins, bluebirds, crows—hundreds of them. Magnus picked up on the sparrows, imagining a horde of mem as vividly as he could. Geoffrey took robins, lots of robins, flocking together to practice flying south for the winter.
The troll roared in full anger now, struggling with more and more strength but less and less effect. As it struggled, bits of it began to flake off against the spider webs, taking on independent life, wriggling through the holes the troll tore in its invisible cocoon, clawing loose and fluttering away into the night.
"'Tis even as Puck thought!" Geoffrey cried. The troll is a thing made of witch-moss!" And he redoubled his efforts, glaring furiously at the monster.
The birds were fluttering out of the churning chrysalis by the dozens now—robins, sparrows, and bluebirds flying away, huge crows flapping into the night with cawing cacophony that masked the troll's shrunken, high-pitched roaring— and as they fluttered away, the thrashing shape grew smaller and smaller.
Finally, it was small enough to crawl through one of the holes it had torn—and a foot-high troll came waddling and tumbling down the side of the grotto wall with roars that sounded like a kitten's mew.
"Eh, the poor thing!" Cordelia said, and her vision of blue-birds vanished like a soap bubble. She leaped up, arms out-stretched—but Puck caught at her skirt. "Nay, lass! Small it may be, yet 'tis even now a vicious, voracious monster! Hold out thy hand to it and it will take thy wrist with its teeth!"
"Think, brother!" Magnus commanded, and Geoffrey obeyed with a will. As Cordelia watched, appalled, the troll's form blurred like a wax doll too close to the fire. The colors of its face, hair, and body flowed, blending into an even pinkish mass which still wobbled toward them, pinching in the middle, dividing, splitting apart. Then each half stretched, darkening, and slabs of its substance shelved out, moving up and down, as its form coalesced and hardened—and a crow flew away into the night, cawing. A sparrow hopped after it, chirping.
Then the grotto lay empty, and silent.
Cordelia stared, eyes huge and tragic.
"Do not feel guilt, sister," Geoffrey snapped. "It would have eaten thee, an it could have."
" 'Twas never a thing of its own," Puck pointed out, "for it had no mind—only an impulse, a blind, clawing need. 'Twas born of an old wife's delight in a children's tale, and had no more substance than a fevered dream."
"'Tis almost as though it had never been," Cordelia whispered.
"Never think it!" Geoffrey insisted, and Magnus nodded, his face hard. "It would have bitten thee with teeth hard and sharp, and devoured thee with an actual hunger. 'Twas real enough, sister—real enough."
Chapter 11
It was still dark when Kelly shook them, one by one, calling softly, "Wake. The sun rises over the pastureland, children, even though ye see it not. We must begin the day's journey. Wake!"
The children rolled over with an assortment of groans. "But we were awake so late last night, Kelly," Gregory pleaded.
"And 'twas quite wearying," Geoffrey seconded.
"Wearying! Sure and I thought ye did love a good fight!"
"I do," the boy yawned, "yet 'tis wearying nonetheless.!'
"Wherefore ought we to wake, when Puck doth not?" Magnus groused.
"He rose up before ye, and went ahead to spy out the countryside. Ye'll not go unwarned into danger again, says he! So come, awake!"
"Let me sleep a bit more," Cordelia murmured, burrowing her head back into her rolled-cape pillow.
But a velvet nose nuzzled her cheek, and she looked up to see the unicorn standing over her, silver in the dark. With a glad cry, she leaped up to throw her arms about the creature's neck.
The boys rose more slowly, but with much chivying, Kelly managed to persuade the children to wash. With a splash of cold water on their faces and a double handful of wild berries in their stomachs, they felt bright enough to trudge out of the forest.
They came into pastureland, and the cool, moist air, coupled with the sight of the early sun, raised their spirits enough so that they began singing as they wended their way down a cow-track, with Fess, who had finally found them again after their adventure with the troll, trudging contentedly behind them. Geoffrey even felt lively enough to fly a few. feet every other bar.
At the top of his third flight, he suddenly fell silent and
dropped back to earth hissing, "Hush! 'Tis four hulking thieves, or I mistake quite!"
Gregory bobbed up to take a look, but Magnus caught him by the ankles and hauled him back down. "Nay! If there be evil men, it most becomes children to be unseen and unheard!"
They went forward in silence, stealing into the hedgerow at the edge of the field and peeking out. They saw a dusty road. Off to their right, it met another such track to form a cross-road, marked by a huge stone cross. To their left, four beefy men came swaggering along, guffawing and bellowing.
"Eh, but didn't he run, though!"
'"Twas well for him, or we'd have left his carcass for crow-meat!"
"Nay, nay! We could ha' guv him as fancy a funeral as any village priest!"
"Surely we could have—he'd paid dearly enough for it." The biggest man chortled and held up a leather bag as big as his head.
"Aye," growled the shortest and most burly man, "yet we've not split it up into shares! And if I don't have mine soon, Borr, 'tis your corpse we'll bury, not his!"
Anger sparked in the eyes of the man called Borr, but he managed to smother it under a cardboard smile. "Eh, now! Would I cheat ye, Morlan?"
"Only an I did let ye," Morlan rumbled.
The anger glinted in Borr's eyes again, but he managed to keep the smile in place. "Why, comrade! Never would I! 'Tis only that we did need to be far enough from the ambush, lest that fat merchant might summon the Reeve!"
"So ye said," one of the other thugs growled, "but we're far enough now."
"Aye." Morlan pointed at the stone cross. "Yon's Arlesby Cross. 'Tis two miles we've come. Is that not enough?"
"Aye, 'tis indeed!" Borr agreed. "And there's the offering-stone before the rock! Others may leave food for the fairies on it—but 'tis in my mind 'twill make an excellent counting-table for us! Come, comrades!"
The four men strolled up to the cross.
They are robbers! Gregory thought.
Thieves, who've robbed a fat merchant, Geoffrey agreed.
'Tis outrage! Cordelia's thoughts were fiery. What harm had that poor man done them?
Ask rather, who would harm them for robbing him? Geoffrey retorted.
Magnus set his hand on his dagger.
A small hand grasped his thumb with an iron grip. "Nay!" Kelly hissed. "Ye cannot save the poor merchant now—his gold's already stolen!"
"We might return it to him," Magnus pointed out.
" 'Tis not worth hazarding yerselves!"
" 'Tis no hazard," Geoffrey grated.
"Mayhap ye are right—yet reflect! The Puck is not by ye now, if ye're wrong!"
Geoffrey hesitated.
The four robbers squatted down around the offering-stone, and Borr upended the bag. Coins tumbled out, and the men hooted delight.
"One for ye, Morlan!" Borr shoved a gold piece toward the squat man. "And one for ye, Gran—and one for ye, Croll…"
"And all for me!" rumbled a voice like the grinding of a mill wheel. Out from behind the stone cross he came—eight-feet tall at least, and four-feet across the shoulders. His arms were thick as tre
e trunks, and his legs were pillars. The cudgel he swung in his right hand was as big as Magnus, and probably heavier. His shaggy black hair grew low on his forehead; his eyes seemed small in his slab of a face, and his grin showed yellowed, broken teeth. "Nay, then!" he boomed. "Bow down, wee men! 'Tis your master Groghat who speaks!"
The robbers stared at him for one terrified instant. Then they leaped up and ran—except for Morlan, who swept the coins back into the bag before he turned to flee.
Groghat caught him by the back of his collar and yanked him off his feet. Morlan squalled in terror, and Groghat plucked the moneybag out of his hands before he threw him after his mates. Morlan howled as he shot through the air, spread-eagled, and Borr yowled in pain as Morlan crashed into him. Gran and Croll, the fourth robber, kept running, but Groghat passed them in a few huge loping strides and slewed to a halt, facing them with a scowl and a lifted bludgeon. "I bade thee bow!"
Gran faced him, knees trembling and face ashen. Slowly, he bent his back in a bow—but Croll whirled toward the trees at the side of the road.
Groghat's club slammed into the man's belly, and the rob-ber fell, curled around the agony in his midriff, mouth spread wide, struggling for the breath that would not come. The giant stood over him, glowering down at Morlan and Borr.
Slowly, they bowed.
"'Tis well," Groghat rumbled. "Be mindful henceforth—I am thy master. Whatsoe'er thou dost steal, thou shalt bring three parts out of four unto me."
"Nay!" Morlan bleated. "'Tis we who do steal it, we who run the risk of a hang…"
The huge club slammed into his ribs and something cracked. He fell, screaming.
"And do not seek to withhold aught," Groghat bellowed over the noise, "for I shall know, soon or late, who hath taken what, and shall find thee wheresoe'er thou dost roam!"
"Nay!"
"Nay, Groghat, we never would!"
"Three parts out of four to thee, Groghat, ever, henceforth!"
The giant glared down at them, nodding slowly. "See thou dost not forget." He nudged Morlan with his foot. "Take thy fools, and be gone."
"Aye, Groghat! Even as thou sayest!" Gran knelt to pull Morlan's arm over his,shoulders. Morlan screamed in pain.
Borr stood looking up at the giant. He was trembling, but he plucked up his courage to ask, "Art not afeard of Count Glynn? Assuredly, thou art mighty—but how wilt thou fare an he doth come against thee with an hundred men, armored?"
Groghat laughed, a sound like marbles rolling down a sheet of iron, and pulled something out of the wallet that hung from his belt. "Look and see!" he bellowed.
Borr took a hesitant step, eyeing Groghat warily.
"Nay, be not afeard!" the giant rumbled. "I'll not smite thee now. Come and see!"
He doth wish them to look, Geoffrey thought. He doth wish to boast.
Borr looked down into the giant's cupped palm and his bream rasped in, harsh with dismay. " 'Tis Count Glynn's signet ring!"
"The same," Groghat laughed, "and I assure thee, I did not find it by the side of the road!"
Borr lifted his gaze to the huge face, trembling. "Hast thou then slain him?"
"What! Throw aside a counter for bargaining? Nay!"
Groghat laughed with contempt. "What would I do then, if the Duke and his horse and foot came against me, eh? What would I do now? Nay, ask!"
"What wouldst thou do now, if the Duke came against thee with all his horse and all his men?" Borr asked, quavering.
"Why, bid him, 'Hold, or I will slay them! Slay Count Glynn, and his wife and babes!" Groghat cried. "Would he charge me then? Nay!"
He holds them imprisoned! Cordelia thought, appalled.
We must rescue! Geoffrey clenched the nearest branch so hard his knuckles whitened.
"Hold fast," Kelly hissed, laying a hand on his shoulder. "He will not kill them, as thou hast now heard. No further harm will come to them—yet it might, to thee."
"Aye, quake!" Groghat laughed, "Tremble, and rightly! For 'tis I who rule this county now, and all must pay me tribute!"
"Aye, Groghat!" Borr was nodding so quickly it seemed his head might fall off. "All shall be as thou dost say, Groghat!"
"Be sure that it will," the giant rumbled. "Will you or nill you! Nay, be assured—I will not take all thou dost steal. Wherefore ought I? For then thou wouldst steal no longer, and I wish thee to—to keep garnering gold for me. Yet thou wilt give to me three gold pieces of each thou dost steal, and three of each four silver and copper, also!"
"Aye, Groghat!"
"Even as thou dost say, Groghat!"
"Be sure of it!" The huge club hissed through the air and slammed into Borr, sending him flying with a yelp. Groghat laughed as he tied the moneybag to his belt. "That will ensure thy memory! Forget me not! Now up, and away—the whole day lies before thee, and thou hast much stealing to do for me!" And he turned away, guffawing and beating the money-bag in time to his footsteps as he strode away down the road.
Borr and Croll hauled themselves to their feet, groaning.
"Here, then! Aid me with him!" Gran cried.
Borr turned, frowning at Morlan, then nodded. "Aye. He did, at the least, fight the ogre." He reached down.
"Not the arm—he hath broken ribs on that side," Gran cautioned. Together, they helped the moaning man to his feet.
" 'Twill heal, Morlan, 'twill heal," Gran soothed.
"Yet will we?" Borr muttered as they turned away. "We must now rob whether we wish to or not!"
"Oh, be still! Thou knowest thou didst wish to," Morlan groaned.
"Aye," Borr admitted, "yet to keep only one coin out of four!"
" ''Tis one more than thou wouldst have otherwise," Morlan growled. "But help me to a bandage and a bed! Then give me two days, and I'll aid thee in robbing again!"
And they went off down the road, grumbling and moaning.
"Nay, 'tis scandalous!" Geoffrey hissed, as soon as they were out of hearing. "Will the roads not be safe for any man now?"
"At the least, we know now why Count Glynn did not summon his knights to battle Count Drosz," Gregory pointed out.
"Even so," Magnus said with a scowl. "There will be no government henceforth—he who hath seized rule, will do naught but take money!"
"'Tis outrage!" Geoffrey exclaimed. "The Count can no longer protect his people—and this giant will encourage bandits, not stop them!"
"No woman or child will be safe now," Cordelia whispered.
"Out upon him!" Geoffrey cried. "Let us slay this vile giant!"
"Nay, children, stay!" Kelly warned. "''Tis not a common man ye would fight now, but a monster!"
"And was that dragon a garden lizard?" Geoffrey countered.
" 'Gainst that dragon, thou hadst the power of the unicorn to aid thee—but what aid will she be 'gainst a fell man of that size? Nay, Groghat might catch and hurt her!"
"Oh, nay!" Cordelia cried, flinging her arms about the unicorn's neck.
Kelly pressed his advantage. "And thou didst have the Puck's magic to strengthen thine. Wilt thou not wait till he doth rejoin thee?"
"But this monster must not be left an hour, nay, a minute, to strike terror into our neighbors!"
"And who will take up the reins of governance when he hath dropped them?" Kelly demanded. "Nay, ye must free the count and his wife and children ere thou dost seek to battle the giant!"
"Why, then, lead us to them!" Geoffrey said.
"Thou carest not which battle thou hast, so long as thou hast battle," Cordelia scoffed.
"Thou dost me injustice!" Geoffrey turned on Cordelia, clenching his fists.
"'Tis true." Magnus slid artfully between them. "Thou must needs own, sister, that thy brother doth contain his hunger for fighting 'till he doth find a brawl that will aid other folk!"
"Aye, 'tis true," Cordelia sighed, "and here's a brawl that will aid them surely."
"Then let us to it!" With the children safely sidetracked, Kelly could let his own anger boil up. "The gall of h
im, to strike at a woman and babes! Onward, children! For we'll find and free that count, and he'll call up his knights! Then may ye aid him in making that giant into a doormat for the town gates!"
"Aye!" the children shouted, and followed the leprecohen.
The boys decided flying was faster, but Cordelia wouldn't leave her unicorn, so they flew down the road to either side of her, with Gregory perched astride the unicorn's neck just in front of Cordelia with an ear-to-ear grin, thumping the poor beast's withers and howling, "Giddyap! Giddyap!"
"Wherefore hath the beast come to tolerate him, yet not us?" Geoffrey called to Magnus.
His big brother caught the blackness of his mood and shouted back, "Mayhap because Gregory is so tiny. Contain thyself, brother!"
Geoffrey lapsed into a simmering glower.
Fess brought up the rear with Kelly dodging between his hooves and howling, "Ye great beast! Tread more softly!"
As they rode, clouds drifted across the sky, and the day turned gray. Kelly lifted his head and sniffed the air. "Sure and it's rain I'm smelling!"
"An analysis of local meteorological conditions indicates a high probability of precipitation," Fess agreed.
Thunder rumbled, not terribly far away.
"Ought we not seek shelter?" Cordelia asked.
"'Twould be wise," Kelly agreed, and swerved off the road into the trees. "Turn, Iron Horse! At the least, the rain will reach us less beneath leaves."
Thunder rumbled again, and the first raindrops sprinkled the road as the children turned to follow Kelly. They thrashed
their way through the underbrush at the side of the road. After fifty feet or so, the forest floor became relatively clear, as the deep shade of the towering trees cut off sunlight from the small growth. There were still roots and saplings, so the unicorn and the robot-horse couldn't really run. They hurried as quickly as they could, though, trotting. Kelly led the way, dodging saplings and vaulting tree roots.
" 'Tis a hut!" Geoffrey cried, pointing.
The children looked up, then swerved off after him with glad cries. The unicorn followed, responding to Cordelia's nudge.
"Nay, children!" Kelly cried. "Will ye not heed? There's something about that hut I like not!"
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