On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness

by Andrew Peterson

  Two sounds split the air and sent a shiver of panic through the whole regiment of Fangs. A rumble like the explosion of close thunder, together with the soaring cry of a bird of prey, crashed over the Fangs of Dang like a mighty wave.

  Podo’s jaw went slack at the sight before him.

  Peet the Sock Man, arms wide and talons bared, was riding on the back of a giant black dog the size of a horse.

  “What in the deep…?” Podo breathed.

  The last Podo had seen of Nugget was a motionless mangle of fur with a spear run through his side near the cottage when they’d first been captured. The beast that bounded toward him, however, was like nothing he’d ever seen.

  Thirty Fangs were flattened to the ground like weeds in the wind when Peet and the giant Nugget creature slammed into them. The Fangs were so transfixed by the huge black thing in their midst that Podo was able to push his way through in an instant to the children and Nia.

  Even Khrak was immobile, gawking at the wild-haired Sock Man who was tearing into his army with talons and a giant dog.

  “Crawl!” Podo said. “I’ll cut you loose when we’re clear of the Fangs!” They wriggled and wormed their way between hundreds of Fang legs while the soldiers emerged from their surprise and began an attack on the beast and its rider. By the time General Khrak noticed they were gone, the Igibys were climbing into the wagon at the edge of town, giddy at the very breath in their lungs.

  Podo turned the wagon north toward Anklejelly Manor and urged Danny the carthorse, “Like lightning, Danny boy!”

  “What was that, Grandpa?” Janner asked as they jostled north past the Blaggus Estate.

  “Was that Peet doing all the screaming?” Tink asked.

  “Aye,” Podo called back from the front of the wagon.

  “What was the other noise?” Janner asked. “The growling, I mean.”

  Podo hooted and slapped his knee. “Leeli girl,” he called over his shoulder. “You ready for this?” Podo turned and leaned close to Leeli’s face. He took her chin in his old gnarled hand. “It was Nugget. That little dog of yours is alive. Aye, and he may be more than that.”

  Leeli’s face was a perfect picture of wonder. Tears rose to her wide eyes and her mouth hung open and begged to smile. “But…how? All those Fangs! How can you be so sure he’s alive?” she asked, feeling deep inside her that what Podo said was true. The deep roar she’d heard had sounded wonderfully familiar to her.

  Janner smiled to hear Leeli’s strong voice come back to her.

  “Oh, I’m sure Nugget’s fine,” Podo laughed. “There’s not much a Fang could do to him now, I tell ye. Wait and see, lass. I reckon Nugget’ll pick up our trail and be with you shortly.”

  As Danny the carthorse pulled the wagon along at a trot, the Igiby children began to feel the weariness of their travails. So much had happened since they had followed Peet the Sock Man to his tree house in the forest, and it didn’t appear that any rest was in sight.

  Leeli leaned on Janner and was soon fast asleep. He put an arm around her, then felt a weight on his other shoulder. Tink had fallen asleep too, his head unconsciously resting on his brother. Janner thought with a smile how horrified Tink would be to know that he had snuggled up to his big brother.

  Nia leaned forward and kissed Janner on the head.

  As they climbed the long, steady slope north, away from Glipwood and the cliffs over the Dark Sea of Darkness, they could see the warm lights of the town’s streetlamps twinkling in the distance, an irony in light of the evil that swarmed the streets there.

  Janner said a silent prayer for Oskar, then for Peet, who had once again swooped in out of darkness and saved their lives when all was lost. Janner wondered why Podo hated him so much. What secret history did they have, and how could Podo not replace that anger with gratitude when Peet had not once, but three times, rescued them?

  “Mama?” Janner could stand no more silence.

  “Mmm?”

  “Where will we go?”

  Nia looked troubled. She brushed at her dress and looked up at the moon. “I really don’t know, son. The Ice Prairies, for now. Oskar told us that the Fangs are sluggish in the cold and they avoid it when they can. He told us there’s an outpost of rebels there, those who would drive the Fangs back across the sea to Dang. Oskar said he knew some of them, so your grandfather plans to seek refuge there. But getting there…”

  “Is it far?”

  “Very far. But we first need to live through this night. Don’t worry. Your grandfather has a plan.” Nia laughed, a welcome sound in the dark. “Or at least he’s in the process of making up one.” Nia stroked Janner’s head. “You should rest your eyes now. We won’t be there for a little while yet.”

  His mother’s voice soothed Janner and his eyes drooped.

  A thumping in the darkness behind the wagon startled Janner awake. He braced himself as a dark shape approached the wagon, moving faster than a horse at full gallop.

  Podo, hearing Janner’s gasp, raised his sword in one hand and held the reins with the other. But when he saw in the moonlight what was approaching, his manner lightened and to Janner’s surprise he reined up Danny the carthorse.

  The wagon stopped, and Leeli and Tink stretched and rubbed their eyes. A black shadow bounded toward them—a shadow oddly familiar to Janner. Astride it and covered in dark patches of green Fang blood was the white haired, lanky figure of Peet the Sock Man.

  With sleepy eyes, Leeli peered into the moonlit night, trying to understand what she was seeing. She leaned over the edge of the wagon as the dark creature approached and Podo climbed down with open arms.

  The creature let out a deep, happy noise—like a bark, only much, much larger.

  “Nugget, lad,” Podo said, reaching up to scratch the creature behind a big floppy ear.

  Leeli’s eyes widened, unbelieving.

  Peet slid off Nugget’s back, slinking away from Podo, who hadn’t even acknowledged the Sock Man’s presence.

  “Nugget?” Leeli ventured timidly, afraid to believe this was really him.

  The giant dog yipped, if it could be called that, as it was a sound that shook the air and made birds scatter half a mile away. Leeli let out a happy squeal and tumbled out of the wagon. She crumpled to the ground, forgetting in her elation that she had only one good leg.

  Nugget bounded over to her and set to licking her with a tongue nearly as big as she was. She squealed with delight and disbelief. She was sure she had seen a Fang kill her dearest companion, and now he was alive and as big as a horse. Nugget crouched his bulk low to the ground, and Leeli laughed as she climbed onto his back. She sat astride her dog, burying her hands deep in his soft fur. Nugget stood there panting, tail as long as a broomstick and wagging dangerously.

  From the tall grass several paces away, Peet the Sock Man cleared his throat.

  Janner wanted to run to the strange man and hug him, but he was wary of it. Podo had made it plain that Peet was to stay clear of the children, and Janner was afraid of bringing more of his grandfather’s wrath down on the poor man. He was also unsure of the lethal talons that served as Peet’s hands.

  Had Leeli not been so enraptured with Nugget, she would have reached out to him with her typical compassion and typical disregard of Podo’s gruffness. But as it was, the family stood in a cluster around the giant dog, and Peet stood alone.

  “Peet,” Janner asked with a cautious glance at Podo. “How did Nugget get so big? How was it he came back to life?”

  “Nuggy and I made it out,” Peet said, ignoring the question. “But only barely, bonely. The snakes. They’re coming. Coming fast. You’ve got to hide the pewels, Jodo. Jewels, Podo. You can’t let them fall to the Fangs.”

  “Don’t tell me what I’ve got to do,” Podo growled. The children were startled. Even Nugget whined and buried his face under his giant paws. “I reckon I know how to keep things safe better than you.”

  “Father,” Nia said, placing a hand on Podo’s arm. He g
lared at his daughter and seemed about to retort, but with a great will he held his tongue and stomped away to the wagon.

  So the jewels are here somewhere, Janner thought. He tried to imagine what the jewels were and whether or not they were wrapped in the bundle Podo had brought with him out of the cottage, the bundle lying in the wagon just behind his grandfather.

  “Back in the wagon,” Podo said, trying to speak calmly. “Somebody’s led the Fangs right to us.” He seemed ashamed at the unfairness of his own remark. “Either way, we’ve got to get a move on. The manor is just ahead, and it’s our only hope of making it to mornin’. Now listen. Ye children are gonna wait inside while I try to find the weapons Oskar told me about. He never had a chance to give me the map.” He looked back down toward the glow of town where he had last seen his old friend.

  “We know where they are, Grandpa,” Tink said.

  “Do you now?” Podo said, his eyes narrowing. “You boys have been right busy, I’d say.” Tink started to respond, but Podo cut him off with a quick cut of his hand.

  A Fang silhouette appeared in the moonlight over a rise not an arrow’s shot away.

  “Here they are!” the Fang cried.

  Peet the Sock Man lost no time. He shrieked and bolted across the meadow toward the evil lizard.

  The Fang scurried off, waving its arms and yelling to the rest of the soldiers that he had found their quarry.

  “Onto the wagon! Now!” Podo commanded.

  Nia and the boys clambered into the back, and Podo snapped Danny into motion.

  Leeli clung to Nugget’s neck as he galloped along beside Danny the carthorse, who was quite unsure about the happy beast beside him.

  42

  Good-bye, Iggyfings

  The foreboding, skull-like face of Anklejelly Manor materialized out of the darkness as they approached. Illumined with ghostly moonlight and framed by the dark wall of Glipwood Forest, the sight of the ancient manor sent a shiver straight down to Janner’s toes and set him sweating. He tried not to think about the horned hounds or the ghostly moan that had oozed out of the tunnel that led to the weapons.

  Behind them, another of Peet’s screeches echoed over the wide meadow. He raced toward them and away from the Fangs at full speed, hundreds of soldiers coursing up the field behind him. Podo drove the wagon through the dilapidated gates, past the odd statues and the overgrown fountain until the upturned cobblestones and rubble proved too much for Danny.

  Podo leapt to the ground and quickly worked the harness and tack loose. Once Danny was free, Podo slapped the horse’s rump. “Now git! Git!” Danny whinnied and was off, galloping along the edge of the forest and away from the coming battle.

  Anklejelly Manor had been frightening enough during the day. Now it was deep night, with a horde of Fangs fast approaching. The forest wall loomed an arrowshot away, teeming with unseen creatures that would put fear even into a Fang.

  It seemed to Janner that there was nowhere left to run—none of the options seemed safe, not running into the forest, into the Fangs, or into Anklejelly Manor.

  At least in the manor they would have an army’s share of weapons. What good some swords would be to an old one-legged pirate, a woman, and three children, he didn’t know, especially against an army of Fangs. But at least they had Peet and Nugget. Still, formidable allies that they were, Peet and Nugget couldn’t defeat hundreds of Fangs.

  Janner began to despair. Even if his grandfather had a talent for improvising in dangerous situations, sooner or later he was sure to run out of ideas. That time seemed to have come. He watched Podo helping Nia out of the wagon while only a few minutes away stormed the Fang horde.

  “Janner!” Podo said. “You know where the weapons are?”

  “Yessir, Tink and I do,” Janner said. “Inside, under the cellar.”

  Podo nodded. “Good. Janner, you lead the way. We’ve got to get down there, and fast.”

  “But, grandpa, we’ll be trapped!” Janner said. “There’s a long tunnel, and there are horned hounds, and there’s a ghost down there, and—”

  “A ghost, eh?” Podo said, tossing the bundle from the cottage over his shoulder. “Well, would you rather face your imagination or a Fang blade?”

  “But we heard it!” Tink insisted. “We heard the ghost and it chased us out of the tunnel!”

  “That sound is nothing but the wind. It’s just something Oskar rigged up to a shaft to scare off folk that weren’t supposed to be down there—like you and yer brother, for example. Now, you need to trust yer Podo and get to it.”

  “What do you plan to do with more weapons anyway? There will still be only five of us!” Janner said.

  “JANNER!” Podo bellowed.

  Janner’s mouth clapped shut.

  “Leeli, come on down from there,” Podo said gently. “Nugget’s gonna have to take care of himself now. There’s not much in all of Aerwiar that he needs to fear anymore, and he can’t follow where we’re headed. He’ll be fine come sunrise, you’ll see.” Leeli protested and hugged Nugget tight as Podo pulled her down. The dog whined and nuzzled her gently.

  “Tink, help your sister,” Podo ordered.

  Suddenly Peet materialized out of the darkness. His breathing was ragged and he staggered wearily.

  “I wanted to say good-bye, young Iggyfings. I’ll fight for you as long as I can.” Peet looked at Podo with a new boldness. “I’ll fight for them.”

  But without a word of thanks or even a glance, Podo stepped up the stone stairs and into the black mouth of the manor.

  “I won’t follow,” Peet called after the old man. “I’ll stay away from you all, like you said. But I will fight for them.” Peet turned to the children and bowed low. “Good-bye, Iggyfings,” he said, then he turned and strode through the gate and toward the ocean of Fangs, his arms spread wide and his talons bared.

  Tearing his eyes away from their protector, Janner took a deep breath and followed Podo into the darkness of the manor.

  “Nugget,” Leeli cried over her shoulder. “You go someplace safe. Find me when this is all over. Go!”

  But Nugget stood there, his giant head cocked sideways, his ears perked up expectantly.

  “Mister Peet! Will you take care of him?”

  “Yes, princess,” called Peet from across the moonlit lawn.

  Nugget whined again as Leeli was led by Tink through the doorway, swallowed by the darkness.

  Nia was last, and as she entered, the first of the Fangs poured through the gates of Anklejelly Manor, a hissing riot of snakes and snarls.

  43

  A Ghost in the Wind

  All was darkness.

  Janner tried to remember which doorway led to the room with the missing stairs. It had been dark enough last time they were in the dilapidated mansion, and then it had been the middle of the day. Now it was night, and he was scared out of his wits.

  His eyes adjusted and Janner was able to detect signs of bluish moonlight sneaking through cracks in the ceiling and puddling on the floor. He could just make out the wide staircase that led to the upper floors. Podo’s hand was on Janner’s shoulder, and Tink, who was helping Leeli, had a hand on Podo’s back. Nia held on to Leeli’s elbow.

  Janner turned left and the train of Igibys entered a black hallway.

  “Lad, I don’t mean to rush you,” Podo whispered. “But that noise you hear outside is Fangs coming fast.”

  Janner wasn’t certain, but this felt like the right hallway, the one lined with doors on either side. If this was the case, he just had to find the third door on the left. He scooted his feet forward carefully with his hands outstretched until he felt the first doorway. The train of people behind him grew more frantic by the second.

  “I wish I had some light,” he muttered.

  “Aye, son. Me too. But even if we had some fire, there’s nothing the horned hounds like more than a good blaze. Them and a great passel of other critters in the forest are drawn to it, especially at night. We don’t need
toothy cows and Fangs after us, now do we?”

  “No sir.”

  “You can do this, lad.”

  “They’re getting closer,” Nia said from the back.

  Janner felt his way to the second, then the third doorway. “This is it.”

  Like a gust of wind, the fear of the ghost of Brimney Stupe whooshed into Janner’s heart. All the other horrors visiting them now seemed harmless. Here he was about to descend into the dark, stairless cellar and crawl into a tunnel where a ghost kept watch. Podo had said the sound was nothing but the wind, but Janner’s imagination was strong and working hard. Death by Fang seemed better than facing the groaning ghost of Brimney Stupe, imaginary or not.

  Sensing the silent urging of his family behind him, Janner edged forward, kicking little stones and debris as he did so. He fully expected to see Brimney Stupe’s ghastly form rise up from the cellar door and set to eating his brain right out of his head.

  Then he reached the dark doorway that dropped off into the cellar.

  “We’re here,” he breathed. He shook his head with frustration at himself for kicking the rope and plank back into the cellar when he and Tink had escaped last time. “There are no stairs, so we have to jump down.” He tried to hide the tremble in his voice.

  “You first then,” said Podo. “I’ll help lower down yer ma and sister.”

  Janner thought to protest but kept silent. In his mind he saw a faceless figure standing at the bottom of the cellar, waiting to wrap its cold arms around him and gobble him up.

  It’s not real, Janner told himself. It’s only the wind. Only the wind. There is no ghost of Brimney Stupe. He sat on the ledge, turned onto his stomach, and scooted himself over until he was hanging by his fingers against the cellar wall. He closed his eyes and willed himself to drop. Only the wind. Trust Podo. With a prayer to the Maker, he let go.

  The ground wasn’t so jarring this time, now that he was expecting it and he wasn’t jumping from the full height. He got to his feet.