The Jack Brenin Collection

by Catherine Cooper

  Nora nodded her approval.

  Jack turned to the right and made his way to the far side of the hedge that surrounded the standing stones. He no longer needed Cory to open it for him. He raised his hand and the bush parted. Once he was through, it sealed itself again. It was only a short walk to the edge of Newton Gill. The forest looked even more desolate now it was almost winter. Jack made his way along the path. The whole forest was silent, its former inhabitants now safe in Steaple Lacy Wood. Even though it was morning, there was hardly any light. The gloom deepened and, with each step he took, the dampness of the forest floor soaked his trainers. The further he walked into the heart of the forest, the deeper the shadows around him became. He could see the twisted and misshapen noses of the Gnarles as he passed each tree. He didn’t want to wake them and raise their hopes by having to explain why he was there. The old Gnori and Peabody’s front door eventually came into sight. Jack’s heart leapt when he saw how tall the new Hamadryad had grown, but next to the Gnori she still looked quite small.

  ‘Allana,’ he whispered.

  The oak shook her branches and seemed to turn in his direction. Jack knew it was time. He stood very still, closed his eyes and spoke the Oak Lord’s name.

  ‘Alindyne Brenin, I am in need of your help.’

  Jack heard the rustling of leaves. He looked over at Allana but she wasn’t moving. He felt a change in the temperature as a warm breeze brushed past him. The leaf-covered body of a tall man began to form. Soon the Oak Lord appeared. Jack watched as Alindyne inhaled deeply and let out a long, slow breath. He bent over and scooped up a handful of the rich earth before letting it fall slowly through his fingers. When he turned around he bowed to Jack.

  ‘My Liege, this is a sight I never thought to see again. It is good to have the sky above my head, the earth beneath my feet and to see one of the Mother Oak’s children.’

  Jack could see Alindyne’s eyes twinkle as he gazed at Allana, but his expression changed when he looked beyond her at the forest.

  ‘I see we have much to do if we are to restore this forest to its former glory but with our combined gifts, I’m sure we can find a way to bring new life to every tree.’

  Jack thought back to when he’d sat in the chair at Steaple Lacy. He’d been told the Oak Lord would need to summon the power of all four elements in order to perform green magic. From the depths of his memory, words began to form in his mind. They weren’t quite the same as the ones they’d used to give protection to Steaple Lacy Wood. Jack listened to the words again before he spoke.

  Earth, Fire, Water, Air,

  Send your power everywhere.

  Air, Water, Fire, Earth,

  To each tree bestow rebirth.

  Jack wasn’t sure what was going to happen but when he looked up at Alindyne, he could see that tendrils of ivy had begun to sprout from each of his fingertips. The Oak Lord held out his arms and pointed them towards the base of the trees. The ivy grew rapidly and wrapped itself around each trunk. It travelled fast among the Gnarles and outwards to the other trees of the forest. Jack eventually lost sight of the creeping vine, but he knew it would reach every tree in the forest before it stopped. Already the trees looked more alive with their green mantle of leaves.

  The Oak Lord chanted the words Jack had spoken:

  Earth, Fire, Water,

  Air, Send your power everywhere.

  Air, Water, Fire, Earth,

  To each tree bestow rebirth.

  The ivy stems dropped from his fingers. He raised his hands and cupped them around his mouth. He breathed out slowly as he turned a full circle. His green breath spread through the trees and clung to the bare branches. Many times he turned until he finally dropped his hands and spoke.

  ‘My part is done. I have given each tree a lifeline. Until their leaves grow, the ivy will connect them to each other. I have hung the breath of life, the spirit of the green, around each tree. It is up to you now to transfer the gift Arrana gave you into each one of them. Pick up the tendrils and use the green magic within you to make the forest grow again.’

  Jack bent over and gathered the ends of the vine together. Once they were firmly in his grip, he concentrated hard. He visualised the bare branches and willed buds to appear. He imagined each one opening and the leaves bursting forth. In his mind he formed the foliage into a canopy and visualised the whole forest. He opened his eyes expecting to see the image he’d just formed. He was disappointed when he saw that nothing had changed. Instead of leafy trees, the green mist from the Oak Lord’s breath still clung to the bare branches.

  ‘What went wrong? Why hasn’t anything changed?’

  ‘Hold your golden acorn, for within it lies Arrana’s power.’

  Jack clasped the acorn with his right hand and held the ivy tendrils in his left. He inhaled slowly and spoke the spell for the third time.

  Earth, Fire, Water, Air,

  Send your power everywhere.

  Air, Water, Fire, Earth,

  To each tree bestow rebirth.

  There was a blinding flash. The green mist glowed brightly for an instant before disappearing into each tree. When only the bare branches remained, Jack felt the tendrils jolt in his hand. A spark travelled down each one. It darted and danced, in and around and through the forest. Eventually the tingling in his hand stopped. The Oak Lord took the tendrils from Jack. He bent over, scooped a hole in the soft earth and planted them.

  ‘We have done all we can. I will protect the Hamadryad and ensure she continues to grow. We will have to wait until the spring to see if our work here has been successful.’

  Jack didn’t feel elated or satisfied. He’d hoped to have felt a sense of achievement and to have seen some sign that they’d been successful. Apart from the ivy, there wasn’t much to show for all the effort they’d put in. It was going to be a long wait until the spring. He turned to Alindyne.

  ‘Thank you for your help. I’m not sure what we’ve accomplished but we’ve done our best. It is good to know you’ll be watching over the young Hamadryads. If I need you I will call, but how can you contact me?’

  ‘If there is aught you need to know I will send word through the trees of Glasruhen. Rest assured that I will be watching closely for signs of our success.’

  The Oak Lord bowed low to Jack and then he was gone. A sudden creak from one of the trees made Jack spin round. Camelin was perched on one of the Gnori’s low branches.

  ‘It’s a bit of a mess in here. There’s ivy all over the place.’

  ‘The Oak Lord put it there. It’s to help restore the forest but I don’t know if it will work.’

  ‘Course it will. You’re the King of the Forest and King of Annwn. Nora sent me to tell you breakfast’s ready whenever you are. Of course, if His Majesty isn’t hungry, there’ll be more for me!’

  ‘I’m ready, there’s nothing else I can do here.’

  ‘Great, I’ll race you back.’

  Before Jack could answer, Camelin was gone. It was an unfair race; one Jack couldn’t possibly win. He decided not to rush. He wanted to remember and savour every moment of the last few days, now he’d finally got some time to himself.

  EPILOGUE

  Jack looked at the book Nora and Elan had given him for his birthday. He was supposed to be using it to chronicle his life but since he’d been back from his coronation, he hadn’t had much time to write anything. The new term meant he’d been busy with his schoolwork. He’d spent time rehearsing with the choir for the Christmas concert and kept Grandad company at night, playing cards by the fire.

  The only writing he’d done was to Elan. She’d gone back to Annwn for a while and he’d written to her every night before he’d gone to sleep. She kept him informed of anything he might need to know, which was very little at the moment.

  Camelin, Timmery and the Dragonettes had spent a lot of time in Annwn and Jack had only seen them at the weekends. The short days and long winter nights meant he hadn’t been out after he’d come home from scho
ol. He felt as if he were hibernating and he longed for the spring. He missed flying with Camelin most of all. His time on Earth seemed dreary in comparison to the time he spent in Annwn. He’d been through the portal many times now and after each visit, he’d come back refreshed and determined to begin the account of his life but, as yet, he’d not written a word. There were other things he needed to record too. There’d been a meeting with Chief Knuckle, visits to Elidon and the finding of a new home for Peabody in Steaple Lacy Wood.

  Now it was nearly the end of term. His dad would be back soon. It had been a great birthday present to find out he was coming home for good, but it would be an even better Christmas present when he finally arrived.

  Jack looked at two envelopes he’d propped up on his dressing table. The smaller one was an invitation to Techno’s Christmas party, which he was looking forward to. The larger one contained four tickets to the school concert. He hoped his dad was going to be home in time to join Nora, Elan and Grandad, who’d all said they’d be there to listen to him sing.

  Jack sighed. The news he’d really longed for hadn’t arrived yet. Since his meeting with Alindyne in Newton Gill Forest, he’d not heard anything from the Oak Lord at all. Jack had been tempted a few times to call him, but there didn’t seem much point as it was winter and nothing seemed to be happening in the woods.

  Jack ran his fingers over the soft blue leather of his book. He traced each golden letter of his name before picking up his pen and opening the front cover. He’d already made up his mind to begin his journal from when he’d arrived in Glasruhen. Nora had promised him another book once this one was full. He hadn’t told her he’d not begun writing yet, and the longer he left it, the harder it got. A loud tap on the window made him jump. Orin bounded onto the windowsill.

  ‘It’s Camelin,’ she told him, ‘and he’s got something in his beak.’

  Jack shivered as he opened the window. Camelin hopped in and dropped a parchment scroll on the bed.

  ‘You took your time. It’s cold out there. You wouldn’t happen to have a spare snack up here, would you? I’ve flown all the way from Annwn with your invitation.’

  ‘Invitation?’

  ‘It’s from the Queen! We’ve all got one and I know what it says because I’ve already read mine. You’ve been asked to attend the Yuletide celebrations. We’re all going. You too, Orin, you’ve been included on Motley’s invite.’

  Jack picked up the scroll. It had been tied with a golden ribbon and the seal of Annwn had been pressed into it. His name had been written in runes above it.

  He broke the seal, slipped off the ribbon, unrolled the parchment and then read the runes aloud:

  The Queen requests your company on the eve of the Winter Solstice, in the Banqueting Hall at the Glass Palace, to celebrate the beginning of Yule.

  ‘That’s just before Christmas,’ Camelin informed him.

  Jack rolled up the scroll and slipped the ribbon back on. That was something else he’d got to look forward to.

  Camelin hopped over to the open book.

  ‘Have you made a start yet?’

  ‘I was just about to begin when you tapped on the window.’

  ‘Well, I’ve got places to go, so if you let me out you can get on with it. You’ve got a lot to write, you know, and don’t forget to mention who helped you every step of the way. You know, Jack, from the first time I saw you, I knew you were the one… It was obvious, right from the start.’

  Camelin hopped onto the windowsill.

  ‘Oh! I nearly forgot. I flew through Newton Gill tonight on my way here and you’ll never guess what. There’s buds on the trees.’

  Jack whooped for joy. If there were buds, then the leaves would surely follow in the spring. He let Camelin out and decided he’d go over to Newton Gill in the morning and see for himself. If it were true, he’d summon the Oak Lord. It would certainly be something to celebrate.

  Jack sat down again in front of the open book, picked up the pen and, in his best handwriting, wrote…

  A NOTE FROM CAMELIN

  Jack has been writing the account of his life in the book Nora and Elan gave him. He really ought to put it in a safe place and not where I, or anyone else, might accidentally read it.

  I noticed some of the extra information he’s started to include related to our adventures and I thought it might be something you’d be interested in… so… here are a few of the pages I’ve reproduced with a copying spell I learned from Jack.

  When you’ve read the Spriggan page you’ll know that the next time you hear noises coming from way inside a tunnel, it won’t be the Spriggans’ knees knocking together!

  I also had to have a chuckle when I got to the end of the page about Judd. Of course, I’m not going to tell Jack I know his little secret!

  After these pages I’ve written some additional information for my glossary from my fifth adventure. Although Catherine Cooper has compiled this book, all the comments in brackets are my own.

  WHO’S WHO

  Alindyne Brenin – One of Jack’s ancestors.

  Arin – A Wood Elf who lives in Newton Gill Forest and is a friend of Twink, a Fairy from the Meadow Mound. (For their size, Wood Elves have very loud voices.)

  Chiddock – A retired racing beetle. (Depending on its size, a beetle can live as long as seven years but once they’ve eaten Fair Folk food, their lifespan is greatly increased. However, racing beetles usually retire from racing after only three summers.)

  Derradin – An ancient Druid and Guardian of the Westwood Portal, now sleeping in the Caves of Eternal Rest.

  Finnik the Delve -A chronicler and collector of ancient stories, rhymes, folklore and traditions. He was the compiler of The Book of Dragon Lore, The Legend of Howling Hill, The Glasruhen Giant and The Book of Ancient Lore. (There are too many books to mention here, but most of them can be found in the library at Falconrock. He was always on the lookout for feather quills.)

  The Goslings – Gerda and Medric hatched ten goslings.

  (There were six boy goslings and four girl goslings… None of them are any good at Beak Ball.)

  Hennawin – One of the new Hamadryads planted in Steaple Lacy Wood. (Hennawin’s full title is Ancient Protector of the Wood, Most Wise and Kind. She’s a bit of a know-it-all. Always has an answer for everything. She also has very good hearing.)

  WHAT’S WHAT

  Beak Ball – A version of bird football played with a ping-pong ball, or something smaller, depending on the size of the birds. (It was christened ‘beak ball’ by a pigeon who watched the first ever game Jack and I played in Nora’s garden. He misunderstood the game but told all the other birds about it anyway. Since then, beak ball has become a favourite sport of all kinds of birds in the summer months. There are now different leagues for large, medium and small birds. A word of warning, though – never let a pigeon referee the game, as they are partial to eating the dried pea inside the whistle.)

  Bug Races – Annual summer events held in most of the woods in and around Glasruhen. Wood Elves mainly use beetles as their mounts for the races. Bareback bug racing is quite a skill. (Beetles are no good at stunt flying but are quite good at cornering at speed.)

  The Oak Lord – The Guardian of the Oaks, he also tends the Hamadryads and protects the Dryads that dwell within the forests. (When the troubles began and the portals were sealed Nora and Elan took over the jobs he would have done and of course I did a lot to help.)

  Magic – There are many different kinds of magic.

  Green Magic – The powerful force that Arrana transferred into Jack’s acorn, which enabled him to make the hazel tree grow and bear fruit in Elidon.

  Crystal Magic – A power Jack is able to summon from the crystal he acquired inside the Labyrinth at Falconrock. It comes to his aid when he’s in need. (This is the most powerful kind of magic. It can’t be controlled by anyone and it’s got a life of its own… You don’t mess with crystal magic.)

  Words of Power – Words from the Bo
ok of Spells by which magic can be performed. Some need the aid of a wand and some don’t. (I’ve got my own wand now and have learned quite a few words of power.)

  Wood Elves – very similar to Fairies and belonging to the Fair Folk but they are unable to fly and so rely on small insects to transport them around the woods.

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  I’d like to express my thanks to everyone at Infinite Ideas for all their help and support, to my family, friends and followers who’ve travelled every step of this journey with me. I want to thank my wonderful husband, a true friend, valued critic and constant source of inspiration.

  With special thanks to Chris Lack for her support, and to Julie Burroughs, in appreciation of her time, specialist knowledge and consultations; and to the Friends of Apley Woods for their much-valued assistance, especially in providing the location for the ‘safe haven’.

  Copyright

  Copyright text © Catherine Cooper, 2013

  Copyright illustrations © Ron Cooper and Catherine Cooper 2013

  The right of Catherine Cooper to be identified as the author of this

  book has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright,

  Designs and Patents Act 1988.

  First published in 2013

  Infinite Ideas Limited

  36 St Giles

  Oxford

  OX1 3LD

  United Kingdom

  www.infideas.com

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