“I know what you mean,” said Claudia. “I keep wanting to warn the other Greytails. But Gwen told us to keep it a secret, especially as we don’t know who the Shadow actually is.”
“It’s probably safer that way,” Fletcher added. “There’d be fighting if people knew. There’s already so much suspicion between the tribes. We just have to keep our mouths shut and carry on looking for the Myricals. It’s the only way we can help.”
“I guess so,” said Laney. “But it feels like we’re waiting for something bad to happen and it’s getting on my nerves. I wish Gwen had some idea of where we should look.”
Gwen Whitefern was the only tribe Elder that Laney trusted and the only one who knew about their search for the Myricals. She had explained how the sacred objects came to be – telling them that years ago each of the tribes had crafted a precious thing and poured the essence of their powers inside it. These were the five Myricals. The Mist tribe with its water magic had made the Crystal Mirror. The Thorns with their power over plants and trees had created the Wildwood Arrow. The Blaze tribe had put their power over fire into the Sparkstone, while the Kestrels had filled the Vial of the Four Winds with their power over air. Finally, the White Wolf Statue was made by the Greytails and they poured their powerful bond with animals into it.
Gwen had also told them how a great evil force had risen among the faeries, and how the tribes had planned to hide all the Myricals, only retrieving them when the evil was defeated. But by then the Myricals had been lost completely. Now a new evil was searching for the objects. And if the Shadow faerie took possession of one… Laney shivered. You could destroy masses of people and whole stretches of land with power like that. At least they’d made sure that the Crystal Mirror was safe. Passing it through the ancient Mencladden Stone outside the village at sunrise had locked it away inside Time itself.
Fletcher took the adder stone from Laney and used it to check the new field. “I can’t see anything here either.”
“Big surprise!” said Claudia. “It’s just another field.”
Fletcher ignored the comment and checked the field one more time. Laney noticed that Dizzy was standing stock still, her back arched and her black fur bristling. Then she uttered a long string of meows before rushing off into the undergrowth. Claudia, who had bent down to listen, straightened up and looked at Laney with raised eyebrows.
“What is it?” Laney knew cats were one of the few creatures that could see faerie magic and Dizzy was definitely spooked by something.
“Dizzy’s caught the scent of someone crossing the river – a man from the Mist tribe.”
“Do you think he knows we’re here?” said Laney.
“He probably doesn’t,” Fletcher said quietly. “You go and see what he’s doing, Laney – he’s from your tribe. We’ll stay hidden.”
Laney went down the footpath that led to the riverbank. A tall, thin man with angular shoulders stood on the bridge that spanned the Mistray river. He was leaning on the railing, peering at the water over the top of his half-moon spectacles. Laney recognised him as Lucas Frogley, the new Mist Elder. He came from the neighbouring village of Gillforth, so she didn’t know much about him.
Curious, Laney went closer to the river’s edge, trying to work out why he was staring at the water so hard. A small whirlpool spun in the centre of the river directly below the bridge. Laney’s eyes flicked from the man to the swirling water, sure he was creating it even though he gave no sign he was using his power. A bunch of leaves and sticks floating down the river were sucked into the whirlpool and vanished completely. Laney shivered.
“Ahh!” said Frogley, a smile widening on his pale, bony face as he saw her. His stare made Laney feel as if she was something slimy he’d found on the riverbank. “Are you Elaine Rivers?”
“Yes, I’m Laney.” She noticed the curling silver marks on the backs of his hands. Those were the marks of an Elder.
“Your father came to speak with me today,” Mr Frogley said grandly. “Is it true that you Awakened quite recently?”
Laney nodded, hoping he wouldn’t ask too much about that.
“Well, young lady!” He peered at her over his half-moon spectacles. “Your dad said you were keen to join us so I came to deliver the good news myself. You’re invited to join our next Mist training session, just as long as you can guarantee one thing.”
Laney smiled nervously. “Yes … sir?”
He leaned a little closer. “I want to be sure that you won’t be spreading any more nonsense about a Shadow.” He paused as if waiting for a reaction. “I’m certain it must have been that Whitefern woman filling your head with Thorn ideas and by now you must know that it was no more than a ridiculous lie. Hmm?”
Laney thought fast. “I won’t mention anything about it.” At least she could promise that without being untruthful – after all, they were supposed to be keeping what they knew a secret for now.
“Good.” Frogley’s mouth stretched into a wide smirk. “Because we can’t welcome anyone whose words or actions will make a joke of our tribe, can we? The next training session is today, in fact, at Faymere Lake at seven o’clock. Don’t fly there, don’t be late and make sure that you’re not seen on the way.”
“Thank you. I will. I mean I won’t,” said Laney.
Frogley smiled again and his round eyes examined her closely before he turned in the direction of Skellmore.
Laney gazed at the water rushing under the bridge, her stomach flipping over. She couldn’t believe it – she had thought her dad was never going to talk to the Mist Elder about her training. She had been wishing so hard for this, but what if she went along and did everything wrong?
Dizzy ran on to the bridge and sniffed the air, her tail held high, and Claudia and Fletcher emerged from the hedgerow on the riverbank.
“Did you hear all that?” asked Laney.
“Most of it.” Claudia smoothed back her dark hair. “Greytail super senses, you see! So you’re off to your first training session at last!”
Laney’s stomach flipped over again. “Yeah. At last.” She checked her watch. “Actually, I’d better get back.”
“See you later.” Fletcher smiled. “And good luck.”
* * *
Laney slipped out of the house after tea. Her dad was out on a plumbing job. She’d wanted to thank him for getting her the invitation to the training session but at the same time she was glad he wasn’t around. Her stomach was churning and she didn’t think she could bear any last-minute advice.
She crossed the High Street, quickening her pace. A shimmering flock of sprites swooped down, making empty sweet wrappers skitter along the pavement. She breathed in, trying to get her heart to slow down.
She was worried about what the other Mists would say when she turned up at training, as the strange circumstances of the night she Awakened had made many faeries suspicious of her. It had been her birthday and hanging in the sky had been a Wolf Moon – a blood-red full moon, the worst omen in the faerie world. It had all led to the Elders performing the painful Seeing Thread test to check her power. She pushed the memory of it away. She had to concentrate on tonight.
The sun dipped in the sky and her pulse began to race again. She needed to get moving. She only had twenty minutes to get round the edge of Hobbin Forest to where they were meeting, and she’d been told that she mustn’t fly. The risk of a human seeing her was too great if she used her wings before dark.
Her phone beeped. It was a message from Steph, her best friend, who lived in town.
It had been hard knowing what to say to Steph lately. Steph was human, so she couldn’t be told a single thing about what Laney had been going through all summer. Feeling bad, Laney pocketed the phone again. She’d have to talk to her later.
Crossing the High Street, she walked through the yard behind the minimart that was full of recycling bins and empty packing crates. Then she climbed over the fence into the field behind the shop. Hobbin Forest lay on the opposite side of
the meadow, a dark mass of trees with the burnt-orange sun hovering above them. Breaking into a run, she followed the path to the edge of the trees. The path ran along the side of Hobbin Forest for a couple of miles.
Hurrying through the deepening dusk, Laney thought of the Shadow faerie and shivered. What if he was in Hobbin Forest right now? She glanced at the trees to her right. For a second, she wished Claudia and Fletcher were with her. Then she reminded herself that she couldn’t turn up to her first Mist training with a Thorn and a Greytail.
She’d thought that the terror of meeting the Shadow would start to fade, but there were times when his cold laugh still echoed inside her head. Before the flood he’d invaded her dreams and, even when that nightmare ended, nowhere felt completely safe.
Branches creaked above her and great black wings spread wide. Laney gasped and stumbled. She recovered her balance and stared at the black crow, flapping off through the treetops. She had to get a grip on herself.
She stepped over a patch of brambles and carried on, trying to shake off the feeling of being watched. The path grew stonier and her feet ached. Thinking she heard voices, she stopped and peered through the half-light to see if there were any other Mist kids ahead of her.
A faint rustling came from the ground and something crept over her trainer. She glanced down and noticed a long twig lying across her foot. Shaking it off, she took a few more steps before she felt something coil itself around her ankle. She reached down and unhooked the knobbly stem that snaked away across the ground.
Suddenly she realised it was a tree root. It had a thin gnarled look about it from a lifetime spent underground. Why wasn’t it buried deep in the earth? Then, from the corner of her eye, she saw movement. She lifted her head and froze.
A towering figure dressed in a long black cloak and hood glided down the path towards her. In a heartbeat, Laney felt transported back to the moment she found the Crystal Mirror. She pictured the Shadow towering over her and sliding the Mirror easily from her helpless fingers.
She heard a shout and the figure on the path raised one black arm. Laney screamed and ran.
Laney stumbled over bumps in the path, expecting at any moment to feel the burning pain of the Shadow’s red lightning.
No lightning came.
She ran on, not daring to look back. Perhaps the Shadow had taken to the air? He could be about to land right in front of her, spreading out his monstrous bat-like wings.
Struggling for breath, she pounded down the footpath, hoping for a glimpse of Faymere Lake and the other Mist faeries. The ground grew stonier and she could see the glint of water in the distance. She fixed her eyes on the water and tried to gain speed.
She was nearly there, so close – but then her foot caught on something hard sticking out of the path and she fell. Her hands and knees smacked into the stony ground. The world spun over and as she lay gasping she heard someone laugh.
Stumbling up, she turned to look for the Shadow, her heart still hammering. She was right by the edge of the lake, in the centre of a group of kids, and a figure was walking down the path from the trees. He wore a long coat that flapped as he walked and the light from the setting sun shone on his face – a kind face with a broad nose framed by fuzzy dark hair.
There was no hood, no vast black wings. This wasn’t the Shadow.
She brushed the dirt off her jeans, feeling stupid.
The man with the long coat walked straight over. “Are you all right?” he asked. “I thought you must be a Mist on your way to training and tried to catch up with you, but you ran off.”
The kids whispered to each other and there was a sharp burst of laughter.
Laney flushed a deep red. She knew everyone was staring, dozens of gold-ringed eyes all fixed on her. “I was hurrying. I just didn’t want to be late,” she said lamely.
“It was a good way to make an entrance, if that’s what you were aiming to do.” Laney turned at the sound of Frogley’s voice, and he frowned at her over his half-moon spectacles. “OK, everyone, are we all here now? This is Joe Fenworth. He’s come to help us.” He indicated the younger man with the long coat and thick, dark hair. “Gather round now and we’ll start.”
The kids crowded closer and Laney edged to the back. There was a mixture of younger and older kids, some from the villages of Gillforth and Pyton. She spotted Leah Millbrook with her shiny grey glasses and the tall figure of Cathy Rainer, who she knew from school. She hadn’t known they were Mists, but it made sense somehow. A boy in front of her looked round and nudged the girl next to him, who glanced round too. Laney’s heart sank when she saw who it was: Jessie Weir.
Jessie’s eyes gleamed and she shook back her curly dark hair as she whispered to the boy. Then they both sniggered. Laney felt her cheeks turn red again. Jessie had always been the Queen of Mean and she hadn’t expected anything else.
But now she was getting funny looks from Cathy and Leah too, even though they’d always been friendly before. She guessed that Jessie had done a good job of filling everyone in on her late Awakening.
Mr Frogley cupped his hands and breathed into them. Letting them open, he released a thick blue vapour that went swirling up into the air. The mist spread out, forming a barrier around the edge of the lake. Then he released several glowing white orbs that floated into the air, casting a pale light over the surroundings.
“We are cut off from human eyes for a while.” Mr Frogley chuckled as he looked round at them. “Safe and sound, eh? All the same, there will be no flying during this session and you must get back home on foot. Better safe than sorry.”
At this news, there was some grumbling from the older kids, but Frogley ignored it. “As you know, we’ve missed training for a few weeks, but now we must work on our skills more than ever. Some members of the other tribes blame us for the flood, even though we worked hard to stop it. We must stay strong against the other tribes…”
Laney stared at the lake as Frogley carried on talking. The surface of the water looked dark and enticing. Faymere was meant to be really deep. The thought of all that water made her want to dive in and use her water wings.
She touched her shoulders, thinking of what it felt like when her wings unfolded … that sudden swish as they spread out behind her and the feeling of freedom as she climbed into the air. Frogley hadn’t told them to change into faerie form though, and she didn’t want to mess up at her first training session. She dug her hands into the pockets of her jeans. She had to act normal – the same as any other Mist faerie. She tried to tune back into what Frogley was saying.
“Sevensies, you can go with Mr Fenworth. Flyers, you’re with me. Divide up, please.” He waved a bony arm, indicating that they should move.
Laney looked around, confused. What did he mean – Sevensies and Flyers? She wished she’d been listening properly.
Everyone around her shuffled into two groups; the older ones stood together while the younger ones moved to where Joe Fenworth was standing. Laney stood in the middle on her own. Feeling awkward, she edged towards the older ones. All the kids she recognised from school were in that group.
“You’re with the Sevensies for now, Laney.” Mr Frogley pointed at the younger group. “Better to start at the beginning, eh? Everyone has to learn to toddle before they can run.”
There was a spurt of laughter from Jessie, and Laney flushed again. Leah and Cathy were smirking too, she noticed; in fact, most of the older group were grinning. She should have known she’d be put with the younger kids. She pushed tendrils of hair off her face and stood with the Sevensies, ignoring all the stares. Swinging his skinny arms, Frogley strode down to the water’s edge and his group drifted after him.
“OK, everyone!” beamed Joe Fenworth. “As it’s my first time helping here, I’d like someone to show me what you’ve been working on. Who wants to go first?”
The little kids started jumping up and down, their hands in the air. “Me! Me!” shouted a curly-haired boy at the front.
“O
K, Sam,” laughed Joe, “why don’t you have a go then? Just take your time.”
Laney hunched her shoulders, trying to disappear at the back of the group. How embarrassing to be with a bunch of kids who were barely up to her waist. The heavy feeling that had been bothering her all day grew stronger. It filled her body until every movement felt like a huge effort.
The curly-haired boy picked by Joe Fenworth walked over to the lake and the group followed. He closed his eyes and pointed his finger at the water with tight-lipped concentration.
Three large drops of water lifted from the lake’s surface and rose into the air, catching the pale light from the glowing orbs as they turned. The boy opened his eyes. His face grew redder and his pointed finger trembled. Then he let go of his breath and the water fell back into the lake.
“That’s great!” said Joe. “Next time see if you can breathe while you do it. We don’t want you passing out every time you try to use your powers! OK, guys! Let’s start with moving water drops like Sam did. Just a few small drops though – no drenching anybody!”
“That’s too easy!” groaned a small girl with plaits. “Why can’t we do something harder?”
“Well, if you’re all amazing at that we’ll move on to freezing water and making rain showers,” Joe Fenworth told her. “All right, spread out, everyone!”
The kids spread out into a line along the edge of the lake with Laney on one end, feeling giraffe-sized next to the others.
The Sevensies began their exercise and a collection of water drops rose into the air. Laney watched them, unable to pull her gaze away. All the Mist tribe children seemed oddly similar. Maybe it was the way they moved so smoothly or something about the ever-shifting thoughts behind their eyes. Something united them, and whatever it was she just didn’t know if she had it too.
Dark Tree Shining Page 2
