"Yes." His leaf-green eyes looked directly into hers.
"And that sad face in the oak in your shop was real. I know that now, because I saw a face in the aspen in the meadow, too. He talked to me." Keelie held her breath, wondering if he would trust her with the truth.
He nodded thoughtfully. "I saw the power interchange. Have you ever done that before?"
She shook her head.
"Could you feel the tree spirits in California?"
"Yes. Well, a little. There weren't too many trees where we lived. But here-Dad, just touching wood I know what it is, where it came from. What's that about? Can you do that, too?"
"I do. We're more attuned to nature than other crea tures, Keelie. All trees have spirits, and their roots drink deep of the Earth's healing magic. There are those who aid the trees, keep malevolent forces from harming them, and in turn, the trees allow them to draw from their magic."
"The aspen called me Tree Shepherd's daughter," Keelie said.
"I'm one of the shepherds." Her father sounded weary. "Seems you're one, too. I was expecting it."
She lowered her sunglasses. "Right. They didn't cover this in Career Day at school. My dream job is not wandering through the woods, watering trees and chatting with them about squirrels and angry fairies."
Dad gave a short laugh. "That's not exactly what it's about, and the teachers at your old school have no idea, but you need to learn to control your gift."
"How about I ignore the gift? So far it's just been a big headache." Literally.
"You can't ignore it. Not in a forest. Keelie, I am so proud of you. What you did was very brave. Cameron can't stop talking about what you did for Moon."
Tears burned Keelie's eyes again. Thank goodness she was wearing dark shades, she was turning into a swamp. This time her tears were not grief. Her father was proud of her.
"I'll come down in a bit and show you my new garb. Janice and Raven picked them out."
Her father smiled and touched her cheek. "I'm sure you'll dazzle everyone. You even look beautiful in Muck and Mire Show clothes. But stay away from the pirates!"
What did he know? "Are they magic, too?"
"No. Most of them are just hormonal college boys looking for pretty girls."
After three cups of Sir Davey's coffee, Keelie's headache had almost completely disappeared, but she really had to go to the bathroom. She sat up carefully, then dropped her legs over the side of the bed. So far, so good.
"Do you need help?" Dad asked.
"No. I'm fine. Raven said I needed to move."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"I need to tend to something in the shop really quick. I want to make sure Scott is handling the crowds and sales. Sometimes he can get overwhelmed."
"I'm better. Go down to the shop."
When Dad left, Knot opened his eyes and yawned. He hopped down onto the hardwood floor in front of the garb that Raven had brought.
Keelie said, "Don't even look at them. If you pee on them, I'm going to have a new kitty muff."
As she returned to her bed a few minutes later, Keelie realized her headache had totally disappeared. She wasn't green either, to her delight. She was happy she wasn't going to go around looking like Kermit the Frog's human cousin.
Crowds walked outside the shop, and from the near distance, cheers resounded as the joust took place. Was Sean riding today? Probably. She glanced at the rack, the dress colors glowing like jewels. Watch out Elia, Keelie was going to be dressed to kick butt.
"I wonder how Moon is doing." Keelie said to Knot, but he'd disappeared.
After everything she'd been through to heal the owl, Keelie wanted to make sure she was recovering. The path to the mews just happened to go by the jousting ring. Maybe she'd run into Sean on the way, and he'd notice her new look. Goodbye, Mud Girl.
Outside, thunder rumbled from faraway. Did it ever stop raining here? You'd think it was Seattle, not Colorado. Keelie was glad Janice and Raven had gotten her a good thick wool cloak. The Irish cloak's large hood with the ruffled rim let her see everything without being claustrophobic.
Keelie dressed, happy that the big sleeves were comfortable. She had to watch it around doors, though. Leaving the apartment, she'd gotten a sleeve caught in the door and had been brought up short, landing on her butt on the landing.
"Dad, going for a walk," she called as she passed the shop.
He was busy showing a chair to a woman with overflowing cleavage. Another hovered nearby, anxious for his attention. Of course.
He looked up and waved at her, then did a double take when he noticed her garb.
"Looks like Sir Davey's brew did the trick." He bowed to her with a flourish, and she did what she thought was a curtsey, then took the path to the jousting ring.
She recognized the silver and green, black and gold of Sean's colors as he galloped around the ring before going into the lists. She paused at the crowd's rim to watch as a page tossed a tall spear into his hand. He caught it lightly, even though Keelie knew they were heavy and awkward. Inside her cloak, she whispered, "Go, my brave knight, go."
"Ah, what lovely is this before me?"
Keelie knew that voice. Donald Satterfield, a.k.a. Captain Randy Dandy, her amorous pirate. She turned, dropping her hood.
He staggered back a little, "Whoa. You." He recovered, putting his hands over his heart. "Ah, lass. You've made my heart stop beating. There's only one medicine for that. A kiss, sweeting, from your lips." He leaned against the tree, blocking her view of the jousting ring, and held out his arms, making kissy noises.
She backed away as he leaned toward her, lips pursed, smelling like mead. "Go away. Not interested."
"But lass, it seems Lady Love conspires to bring us together."
"You're drunk." She made a face and turned to leave but stopped when she heard him laughing behind her.
He'd stopped weaving and stood still. "Keelie, my sweet. Do you think the Faire admin would really let me be drunk around the mundanes? I'd get my pirate ass fired. I just take a sip before speaking to make it real for the guests." He bowed and made a farewell gesture, with his hat in his left hand, the right held over his heart.
She felt her face get red. Of course. She should've known.
Captain Randy Dandy winked and put on his big pirate hat again. "I'll catch you later, sweeting. And believe me, I will. Captain Randy always wins his battles."
Cheering erupted behind her. Keelie spun around to face a large crowd of people, some in garb, some in their ordinary everyday clothes. They clapped and whistled. Keelie whipped back around to see Captain Randy taking a sweeping bow.
"Curtsey," he hissed.
She bobbed down, holding her skirts.
"Pirates." How dare he use her for material for one of his improv performances? What kind of place was this, where your private life became part of the ticket price?
More thunder rumbled, and the crowd started breaking apart. One man herded his kids away, saying, "Time to get home."
The wind raced through the trees, and a branch from a large oak crashed to the ground. She felt the tree shake itself. The branch had been half-dead.
A strong smell of ozone filled Keelie's nostrils, then her hair prickled. A flash of lightning hit the ground nearby. People started to run for shelter in nearby booths, waved in by merchants.
Keelie lifted her face. The clouds swirled wildly above her like vengeful spirits. Rain pelted her face, cascading from the sky. Little muddy streams formed along the paths in the ground, carrying away sticks and little bits of pine bark. Keelie picked up her skirts and ran for the mews. She wanted to check on Ariel and Moon before she went back to Heartwood. Once she reached Ironmonger's Way, though, running was out of the question. The rain had turned the dirt path into a treacherous mud slick. At least she didn't have to worry about mudslides like she did in California. As she ran, the sodden hem of her skirt slapped around her ankles. She could've sworn she heard that nasty little Red C
ap's voice in the wind.
Keelie raised her head again. The sky was a funky green. Green sky? This couldn't be good. She remembered the previous tornado warnings, and the sky had been this same pea soup color. She longed for the sun. It had been days since she'd felt its warmth on her face. The trees swayed as the wind whipped around them. They agreed. It had been too long since the sun had touched their treetops, their roots craved the nurturing energy that fed them.
Everywhere the shops were crowded with mundanes trying to stay dry. The mews were ahead, and she hurried to get into the shelter of the tarps that covered the cages. The musky smell of birds surrounded her.
Cameron's helpers were running back and forth, unlatching raptor cages from their stands.
"What are you doing here?" Cameron looked frantic.
"I came to see how Moon was. What's going on?" Everyone worked quickly and precisely, but there was a thread of fear in their movements.
"Haven't you seen the Weather Channel? Cold front moving through, hitting a warm front that just appeared out of nowhere. Tornado warnings posted everywhere. Security's getting the visitors out."
The wind lifted a tarp off of a vulture's cage. It squawked. A great horned owl banged its wings frantically against its cage. Ariel called when Keelie ran to her. "Cameron, do I need to get her out?"
Gently removing Moon from her cage, Cameron said, "Yes. Find a carrier for her."
Cameron placed Moon inside a carrier that reminded Keelie of the one that Laurie's mom used for their mean Himalayan cat, Pickles.
Once Keelie wrestled Ariel into the carrier, the hawk pecked at her hand. It drew blood, but Keelie hung onto the handle for fear of dropping Ariel. "Where are we taking the birds?" She shouted to be heard over the increasing shrill of the wind.
"Across to Sir Davey's. It's the strongest shelter. Hurry." Cameron raced ahead.
Keelie wondered where her father was, worried for him. Wrapping her cloak around Ariel's cage to try to calm the frantic hawk, she followed Cameron. James ran with efficient and urgent speed as they gathered the other birds. They loaded them into the back of a jeep, stacking the cages precariously.
Keelie raced toward Sir Davey's shop, more concerned for Ariel's safety than her comfort. Her skirts wrapped around her legs. Hail pummeled her as she crossed the little clearing toward Ironmonger's Way and the Dragon Horde Shop. She had to stay focused, deflecting the trees' fear of the approaching storm. If she left herself open to them, their panic would paralyze her.
Sir Davey barked out orders. "Move them birdies to the back. They'll be safer there." His gray eyebrows rose like little hairy caterpillars when he saw Keelie. "Lass, what are you doing up and about after that episode last night? Does your father know you're here?"
"Your really great coffee fixed me right up." Keelie pushed her cloak back and revealed Ariel's cage. The hawk was bobbing back and forth on her perch. Her shrill calls made Keelie's ears hurt. The pounding of rain on the metal roof didn't help.
Sir Davey nodded. "I see how it is. There's a bond betwixt you and the hawk. Now move her and yourself to the back. And stay there."
Something hard plunked onto the metal roof of Sir Davey's shop, followed by more. The hail was getting bigger. Keelie huddled down next to Ariel and whispered to her. "It's going to be okay. I'm here." Ridiculous thought. If a tornado hit the building, they would both die.
There were more shouts from the front of the shop. Cameron yelled something to James. The howling wind drowned out his reply. The weather radio beeped, and the announcer in a dull, robotic voice said, "Tornado Warning for the greater Fort Collins area, including the High Mountain region."
Sir Davey waddled back into the small room of the shop, muttering to himself as he carried a cage almost as large as himself. Inside, the turkey vulture flapped its wings and squawked.
Plopping the cage next to Ariel, Sir Davey said, "Keep an eye on this buzzard; he's a trouble maker."
He whirled around. "When I find out who or what is behind this storm, I'll be whipping up a spell to teach him a lesson."
Shivering, Keelie looked up. "You think this storm was caused on purpose? Who could do that?" Maybe the singing she thought she'd heard in the wind really had been the Red Cap. Her heart raced. Was that little creep magically that strong?
The buzzard flapped his wings, causing his feathers to brush against her arm through the cage bars. She wanted to move away from the ugly bird, but he stopped squawking and tilted his bald head as if he was studying Keelie, trying to figure her out. He calmly folded his wings. The verdict was in: he liked her. She didn't know if that was a good thing or not.
Twenty minutes after they took shelter, the storm passed. As Cameron's helpers left to assess the damage, Sir Davey walked Keelie back to Heartwood. "Cameron's quite pleased with you. Your help made all the difference today."
Keelie blushed. She'd been glad to help Ariel, but it was nice to be appreciated. "Sir Davey, you said you thought something or someone had caused this storm. Do you think it was the Red Cap?"
He eyed her from under his hat brim. "Don't mention him aloud in the forest. The poor trees have just been through a storm. They're traumatized enough."
Keelie looked up at the tall trunks around them. Solid and unmoving. Silent as ever. But she could feel the nervous energy that ran through their sap. It flowed up and down her skin like a million ants. She rubbed her arms through her big sleeves.
"How can we get rid of him if we don't talk about him?"
Sir Davey gripped her arm in his strong hand. "Leave it to the adults, lass. This is too dangerous for you. You're new to the magic, and though you're strong, you don't know what you're getting into."
Pounding steps squelched through the mud behind them. It was James. "All the cages were turned over and the tarps are gone. Cameron wants to know if the birds can stay where they are."
"Yes." Sir Davey looked stunned. "All those birds in my shop? The Dragon's Horde has been turned into a veritable roost."
His warning about the Red Cap was sobering, but she'd seen the nasty decaying mushrooms on both sides of the path and all around the shop.
"It's a good thing we're having our meeting. In fact, I may be staying over and sleeping on your dad's couch. Those birds smell."
At the shop there was no sign of Knot, thank goodness.
"Zeke's waiting for you upstairs, Sir Davey," Scott said. He looked at her. "You're all wet."
"Thank you, Lord Obvious." She needed to change into dry clothes and hang up these wet ones to keep them out of Knot's reach. Upstairs, Janice sat on the couch drinking from a green mug decorated with gilded trees. Steam rose from the rim, and the aroma of mint lingered in the air. Her father stood by the stove, pouring boiling water into the pot.
He stopped what he was doing and hugged her, releasing her quickly before she could protest. "I was so worried for you during that storm, but I learned you were with Sir Davey. Is everything okay at the mews?"
"Messed up, but the birds are okay." Keelie lowered her voice. "Zeke, the trees were afraid. I felt them telling me when the storm came."
Zeke sighed. "I did, too. Dark magic has upset the balance of energy in the forest."
"We found the mushrooms, Zeke, and it isn't good." Janice had risen from the couch and walked to the kitchen. She placed her mug on the kitchen table, bracelets jangling. Keelie noticed that Janice wore a purple sweater and jeans, normal clothes for a change. She looked nice.
"I saw the mushrooms too. They were all around the Dragon's Horde."
"You can smell them before you see them." Sir Davey's caterpillar eyebrows vibrated. "Those birds will be staying in my shop until the mews can be repaired. Mind if I bunk with you, Zeke?"
"Good idea. There's another front moving through and the weather might get rough again." Dad handed Keelie a cup of tea. "I can make coffee for you two. I've got some left."
"You have coffee?" Janice's eyes were wide.
Zeke shrugged. "Some of
Sir Davey's blend. He brought it up for Keelie this morning. Keelie was feeling a little queasy after the excitement of saving Moon."
"I'll have orange juice, if it's all the same to you." Keelie craved sunshine, even if it was the liquid variety.
"No coffee?" Zeke pretended to be shocked.
Sir Davey took her hand and turned it over. A green tinge lingered in her palm. "Too much acidity will off-balance the photosynthesis her body is trying to counteract. No orange juice."
"Coffee, then." Keelie sat down on the sofa, hugging a green pillow to her chest. "I'm tired." She leaned forward to examine the weather maps spread across the coffee table. Strange runic symbols were drawn over the Rocky Mountains. There were dots of green outlining forests. Some of the forests were labeled "Sentient." And there were dots of dark brown labeled "Earth."
Keelie asked, "What's this mean?"
"Those are the magical centers over the mountains," Zeke said.
Sir Davey sat down next to Keelie. "The Earth magic centers are fewer, but they are deep and very ancient. Forests come and go, but the Earth is there forever."
"How does Earth magic work?"
"Thought you'd never ask." Sir Davey beamed at her. "Hold out your hand. Don't be afraid." She raised her palm upward, and he placed a cold, round ball of raw, unbaked clay in her hands. It was hard and squishy at the same time, but thankfully not like mud. Where did he get it? She pictured him walking around with mud balls in his pockets.
"Remember, Keelie. Remember mud pies, remember sandboxes, remember splashing in puddles on a warm summer's night."
Keelie closed her eyes and wrapped her fingers around the cool clay. It was soothing, like a balm to her fractured heart. Her fatigue eased.
The memory of splashing with Laurie in her pink wading pool was suddenly clear. She had forgotten about the pool, and how they'd made mud pies next to it and had underwater tea parties and played with their dolls for hours while Mom sat in her lounge chair reading Glamour magazine.
Keelie giggled, remembering the warm sun and playing hide-and-seek with Laurie in the flower garden. Mom had complained about the tall lilies that their neighbor had planted and that now grew inside their fence, too. And suddenly, another memory surfaced. She felt her jaw drop as she remembered the little insect-like people that joined in their games.
The Tree Shepherd's Daughter Page 17
