The Jack Brenin Collection

by Catherine Cooper

  ‘You took your time,’ grumbled Camelin once he was allowed back in the kitchen. ‘I hoped you’d save me something.’

  ‘There’s plenty left,’ said Nora. ‘Help yourself.’

  For an instant Camelin looked shocked.

  ‘You mean I can have what I want, and in any order?’

  ‘You can, just this once, but make sure you mind your manners, I hear you’ve let them slip a bit while I’ve been gone.’

  Camelin didn’t reply. He was too busy sorting out the cheese sandwiches.

  Nora turned to Jack.

  ‘You know how grateful we all are, don’t you Jack. What you did was very brave.’

  Camelin’s head shot up.

  ‘I was brave too.’

  ‘So were the Dorysk and Timmery,’ added Jack.

  Nora smiled and nodded.

  ‘You all were, but you shouldn’t have had to do all that on your own. I’m sorry I was gone so long, I think Charkle has told you about our problem in Annwn.’

  Nora paused and looked thoughtfully at her teacup.

  ‘I’ve had a long chat with Norris and Snook. They know the tunnels inside Silver Hill really well. We need a plan to rescue the dragon. A fully grown, fire-breathing dragon will surely be able to melt a hole in the ice sheet.’

  ‘I don’t want to have to fly over to Silver Hill again,’ grumbled Camelin.

  ‘You won’t have to,’ replied Nora. ‘Next time I’ll drive us all there.’

  ‘I think the dragon might be a bit too big to get in the car,’ said Jack.

  Nora laughed.

  ‘I wasn’t thinking of bringing it back here but I believe we have some rats to rescue too. We’re going to need all the help we can get.’

  ‘We couldn’t have rescued Norris and Snook without the Dorysk and he said he’d help us again any time,’ said Jack.

  ‘Help you,’ corrected Camelin.

  ‘No,’ said a familiar voice from the patio, ‘he’s going to help us all.’

  ‘Elan,’ cried Jack, ‘I didn’t know you’d come back.’

  ‘I’ve been gathering some support for our rescue mission at Silver Hill. I’ve just had a very interesting conversation with the Dorysk. He’ll be here later tonight. He’s very grateful to you Jack for all your help.’

  Jack felt his cheeks reddening.

  ‘It was nothing,’ he mumbled.

  ‘You were great this afternoon. I loved your solo,’ said Elan.

  ‘But how did you hear it?’

  ‘Didn’t you see five little birds sitting with Camelin?’

  Jack nodded.

  ‘Nora used a temporary transformation spell, the dragonettes and Timmery were changed into sparrows and the fifth one was me! I wouldn’t have missed your solo for the world.’

  ‘I’m really glad you heard it. It’s the best I’ve ever sung.’

  ‘The dryads were impressed too. I’ve been to see them this afternoon.’

  Camelin coughed.

  ‘Don’t you think we ought to be sorting out a plan?’

  Nora started to clear the table.

  ‘You’re right, but thanks to Jack we’ve got our protection sorted out.’

  ‘Thanks to Jack, thanks to Jack. It’s always thanks to Jack. What about all the brave things I’ve done.’

  ‘From what I hear you refused to help Jack make the potion. If you’d helped I’d be thanking you too,’ replied Nora. ‘Without Jack we wouldn’t have a whole cauldron of Dragon’s Breath. It’s going to protect us all from being roasted.’

  At the mention of the potion Camelin pirouetted and began to cough and choke.

  ‘I’d rather be roasted than drink what’s inside the cauldron.’

  Nora and Elan started to laugh and Jack joined in too.

  ‘What’s so funny, you won’t be laughing when you smell it.’

  ‘It’s not for drinking! Jack made it into a shampoo, we’re going to smear it all over our hair and let it dry. It’ll wash off later. Jack can help you get it off your feathers in the bath when you get back.’

  Camelin hunched his wings and looked annoyed. Jack presumed he didn’t like having a bath.

  ‘Have you any idea why the lights have faded inside the caves?’ asked Jack.

  ‘None at all, crystal magic is the most powerful kind of magic, it shouldn’t fail. It’s almost as if the crystals aren’t there any more,’ replied Elan.

  Jack felt a shiver run down his spine. He suddenly realised why the crystal, he’d taken from the tunnel in Silver Hill, looked so familiar. He stood up quickly and looked around the kitchen. It had to be here somewhere. Everyone was looking at him.

  ‘What’s wrong?’ asked Nora.

  Jack turned to Camelin.

  ‘Where’s the light I brought back from Silver Hill?’

  ‘In my loft, where else would it be?’

  ‘What kind of light Jack?’ asked Elan.

  ‘It’s like a crystal and I think I know where I’ve seen something like it before.’

  ‘You’d better go and fetch it,’ said Nora. ‘I think we need to see this light.’

  Camelin didn’t hurry. He waddled slowly to the door before taking off for his loft. Jack hoped he was wrong but when Camelin returned and dropped the crystal onto the table, a soft light glowed from its centre.

  Nora reached over and picked it up.

  ‘Oh my goodness! Look Elan it’s the same. How on earth did the Spriggans get hold of this?’

  Jack swallowed hard.

  ‘Most of the tunnels inside Silver Hill are lined with them. That’s what the Candleless Feast is all about, they don’t need candles any more now they’ve got the crystals.’

  Nora looked very carefully at the crystal again before speaking.

  ‘Someone else is behind this. The Spriggans wouldn’t have been able to do this on their own.’

  Jack remembered the conversation he’d had with Snook.

  ‘The one they call Pig Face has something to do with the lights, he seems to be in charge and he’s the one who’s organised the feast, it has to be Pyecroft.’

  Nora began pacing up and down.

  ‘This is more serious than I thought. How did anyone get in? It can only have been through the Western Portal, the other three gateways haven’t been opened yet.’

  ‘Four,’ croaked Saige.

  Everyone looked at the little frog as she hopped across the kitchen floor. Elan gently picked her up.

  ‘How many portals are there into Annwn?’ she asked.

  ‘Five,’ croaked Saige.

  ‘She’s never wrong,’ said Camelin.

  ‘I know,’ replied Nora. ‘This changes everything.’

  Elan looked shocked.

  ‘Why haven’t we ever heard of a fifth gate before? We’ve got to find out where it is and we’ve got to stop any more crystals from being taken, if we don’t, we’ll never be able to awaken the Druids. The crystal power keeps them alive. If any more are stolen none of the Druids will ever be able to leave the Caves again.’

  ‘Does that mean we don’t have to rescue the Dragon?’ asked Camelin.

  ‘Of course it doesn’t,’ replied Nora. ‘We can’t leave the poor thing captive and besides we don’t have much time. We need to retrieve the crystals and get them back into the Caves of Eternal Rest as soon as possible. The quickest way will be through the ice sheet. We’ll still have to find the entrance to the fifth gateway and that isn’t going to be easy. Whoever’s been taking the crystals obviously knows where it is. Before we do anything else, we need to ask Pyecroft a few questions.’

  ‘He’s not going to want to talk to you,’ chuckled Camelin.

  Nora frowned.

  ‘This isn’t a laughing matter. We’re going to have to go into Silver Hill and bring him out.’

  ‘Bogienap!’ croaked Camelin.

  ‘Precisely,’ agreed Nora. ‘And it’s going to have to be tonight.’

  INFILTRATION

  ‘Now let me see,’ said
Nora as she got out her map and spread it on the kitchen table, ‘here’s Silver Hill, Winberry Hill, the Westwood Roost and above them is Stonytop Ridge.’

  Jack remembered the feeling he’d had the first time he’d seen the crags, and a shiver ran down his spine. Just looking at the map made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

  ‘It’s a big place. How are we ever going to find the entrance?’

  ‘You don’t need to worry about that Jack, we’ll sort this out later tonight,’ replied Nora.

  ‘You mean I can’t go with you? I want to help. If we go now I can be back before it’s time to go home, Grandad’s not expecting me for ages.’

  ‘I’m not sure you’ll like what I’ve got in mind.’

  Camelin looked worried.

  ‘Do I have to go?’

  Elan frowned at him.

  ‘We’ll all go. I agree with Jack, if we go now we can be there before the Candleless Feast begins.’

  Jack smiled gratefully at Elan.

  ‘If I go and tell Grandad I might be a bit late, I can get changed and collect my wand at the same time.’

  ‘That’s a good idea and by the time you return we’ll be ready to go.’

  Jack was already on his feet and heading towards the patio door.

  ‘That was quick,’ croaked Camelin as Jack stepped through the hedge.

  ‘I ran all the way.’

  ‘You’ll wish you hadn’t when you find out what they’re planning.’

  ‘Whatever it is at least we won’t have to fly there and back.’

  ‘We’re going to be disguised. As Hags.’

  ‘Hags!’

  ‘I knew you’d be pleased. Nora says that when we find the way in we can pretend we’re late for the choir and whoever’s in charge at the platform won’t worry about four Hags. They’ll let us get on the train, and the good thing is, if we all go no one else will be able to get into the same carriage.’

  ‘That’s brilliant.’

  ‘It is?’

  ‘Yes, no one will suspect anything.’

  ‘Aren’t you forgetting something? We not only have to look like Hags, we have to smell like them too.’

  ‘We do?’

  ‘We do.’

  ‘I hadn’t thought of that.’

  ‘Come on, we might as well get on with it.’

  Jack followed Camelin back to the house. He could hear the sound of squeaky voices as they neared the kitchen. The Night Guard were sitting at the table talking excitedly to each other. The room went quiet as Jack entered.

  ‘Good,’ said Nora, ‘let’s begin. Norris and Snook have told me all they know about the Candleless Feast. It’s to be held in the great hall, which is roughly in the middle of the hill. The Bogie’s room is on the next level down. We need to find Pyecroft and get him into the train before he goes to the feast.’

  ‘But won’t the train driver be suspicious if we get back on the train before the feast’s started?’ asked Jack.

  ‘There isn’t a driver,’ explained Nora. ‘When the train reaches the bottom the rats are harnessed to the rear of the train and they pull it all the way back to the top so it’s ready for the next journey down.’

  ‘You mean there won’t be a train to catch back,’ moaned Camelin. ‘We’re not going to have to walk all the way to the top, are we?’

  ‘Don’t worry, it’s all been taken care of,’ said Elan.

  Motley coughed and stood to attention.

  ‘May I brief the Night Guard?’

  Nora nodded. Jack smiled as the rest of the rats stood to attention. Motley walked up and down in front of them a couple of times before he spoke.

  ‘As you know, Nora and I have had a very important meeting. Very important. Tonight we’re going on a vital mission. Vital. We’re going to infiltrate the ranks of the poor creatures who have been captured.’

  Fergus and Berry exchanged looks.

  ‘Are we going too?’ asked Berry.

  Motley smiled but Fergus and Berry didn’t look too happy.

  ‘All the Night Guard are required. Nora will make sure the cage can’t be locked again and while the train is in motion, we, the Night Guard, will change places with eight of the captives.’

  ‘You mean we’re going to have to pull the train all the way back up the hill and then stay?’ squeaked Fergus.

  Nora smiled.

  ‘Don’t worry. I think we might use a little bit of magic to get the train back to the top. The only pulling you’ll have to do will be to the platform on the next level up. Wait for us there, we’ll meet you there with Pyecroft. Once we get back to Ewell House we can see what he’s got to say for himself. When we know what’s going on we’ll go back and rescue the rats and dragon.’

  ‘Are you ready?’ Elan asked Jack. ‘We’re going to have to put a temporary transformation spell on both of you before we go. Nora and I can transform when we get there.’

  Nora put her hand on her Book of Shadows. The Book opened immediately and the pages flicked rapidly until they found the right spell. Nora read through it once before picking up her wand.

  ‘Ready?’

  ‘Ready,’ Jack and Camelin replied.

  ‘Coverto… diminutus… vetula,’ Nora commanded as she pointed her wand at Jack.

  He immediately doubled over and his body began to shrink rapidly. Once he’d reached the same height as Camelin, his nose began to grow. He watched in fascination as his hands changed. He was soon looking at long bony fingers with long claw like nails. Black and purple hair flowed over his shoulders down to the floor. Nora turned and pointed her wand at Camelin.

  ‘Converto… vetula.’

  Camelin didn’t shrink. His beak stayed the same length but changed into a nose. His feathers disappeared as a mass of purple and black hair covered his body.

  ‘Where are my arms?’ croaked Camelin as he flapped his wings.

  ‘I’m afraid you’re going to have to keep to the shadows, it’s only a temporary disguising spell, I can’t magic you arms,’ explained Nora.

  Camelin looked disappointed.

  ‘I’ve got feet, you’d have thought I’d at least have had some arms.’

  ‘I can give you a wart,’ said Jack as he looked at Nora. ‘If I’m allowed?’

  ‘Been memorising spells have you?’

  ‘I had a lot of time when I had chickenpox.’

  ‘What kind of a wart?’ asked Camelin.

  ‘It’s alright, go ahead, the more authentic we look the better,’ said Nora.

  Jack picked up his wand and thought about a big wart with a hair growing out of the middle. He visualised it on his nose and repeated the word he’d memorised. The wart appeared from nowhere.

  ‘Oh wow!’ said Camelin excitedly, ‘I’ll have one of them but I want three hairs in mine.’

  Jack pointed his wand at Camelin’s nose and out popped a wart. Three long hairs stuck out at different angles from the middle.

  Camelin shuffled over to the mirror.

  ‘A three hair wart! Thanks Jack.’

  ‘Very convincing,’ said Nora. ‘Now, I think we’d better get a move on if everyone’s ready?’

  Motley ushered the Night Guard out of the kitchen and started them marching towards the garage behind Nora and Camelin. Elan picked up some sacks before she and Jack followed the rest.

  ‘What about the Hag smell?’ asked Jack.

  Elan laughed.

  ‘We’ll add that at the last minute when Nora and I transform, it’ll be better than having to drive all the way there with it in the car.’

  Jack thought that was a good idea. From what he remembered, Hags smelt revolting, but not as bad as the potion he’d made.

  Nora parked the car as close to the crags as she could. Jack looked up at Stonytop Ridge, it didn’t seem as forbidding as it had the first time he’d seen it.

  ‘Ready everyone?’ asked Nora.

  ‘Ready,’ they all replied.

  The rats scampered on ahead and soon Ja
ck couldn’t see them anymore. The ascent wasn’t too steep but the sharp fragments of rock that littered the path hurt his feet. Jack remembered the rhyme Timmery had told him. Were these pieces of shattered stone from exploded rocks? Were they being watched? Jack shuddered at the thought and looked around. This part of the hillside was covered in heather and small bushes. Jack recognised the winberries and could see Camelin looking longingly at them.

  The landscape changed as they climbed higher. Rocky outcrops jutted from the hillside. Their strange shapes reminded Jack of Finnola Fitch and he was glad Nora and Elan were with them. It wasn’t long before they reached the top. Bare craggy rocks, of all shapes and sizes, stretched to the end of the ridge. The last of the day’s sun caught the rocks and made them sparkle. Jack turned slowly in a circle, he could see for miles in every direction. He recognized Silver Hill, Winberry Hill and the Westwood Roost, and in the distance, on the horizon, was another familiar sight.

  ‘Is that Glasruhen Hill over there,’ he asked Nora.

  ‘It is, but we don’t have time to stop and admire the view tonight, we’ve got an entrance to find.’

  Elan gave a long low whistle and the rats came bounding over to her.

  ‘Have you seen anything that looks like an entrance?’ she asked.

  ‘Nothing to report,’ announced Motley.

  ‘We’re going to be hours if we’ve got to search this lot,’ grumbled Camelin.

  ‘What exactly are we looking for?’ asked Jack.

  ‘Now that’s a good question,’ said Nora. ‘We don’t really know. Something not too big but not too small; a secret way into the hillside, maybe a hidden door, a concealed tunnel or even a special rock that opens to a touch. We’d better spread out. The sooner we find the entrance the better.’

  Jack and the Night Guard started searching on the left hand side, Nora and Elan on the right. When Jack looked up Camelin didn’t seem to be searching at all. It looked as if he was heading for a rock that was shaped like a chair.