“I'm worried about the others and all,” Miranda interjected softly. “We have it so nice here compared to what they probably have. I wonder how they’re doing? Are they being treated badly? Do you think they’re still alive?”
Matt watched her walk to one of the two windows in the room and look out at the evening sky. He didn’t know if he should tell her that he had the same questions. He knew he needed to be brave for her, and showing how afraid he was would not help. All he could do was offer her his presence. He approached her and placed his arms around her carefully. His skin tingled when she placed her hand over his.
“It’ll be okay Miranda. We’ll find them in time.” He steadied the wavering in his voice. His feelings for her were overwhelming, and all he wanted to do was protect her from what their future held on this world. “Uthal doesn’t have everything he needs for his spell, remember? We’ll just have to find the Sword of Balorn first.”
Thomas suddenly sat up. “I’d like to know one thing. What kinda spell are these Elves and others so afraid of? What’s its supposed to do?”
“One of destruction and all,” Miranda stated as she pulled away from Matt, her brow furrowed. “Didn’t you listen to anything Queen Erulisse said?”
“Well, it was a lot to grasp at one time,” he retorted.
“How do Toby, Caitlin, and George fit into this spell?” Ned asked from the sofa. “What does this Uthal guy want from them?”
“They're part of it somehow,” Miranda replied. “That’s all I know.”
“As long as I can do something about it, no one is going to be used in some kinda spell.” Matt stood in front of the fire and stared at the flames.
“I wonder what Mom and Dad must be thinking?” Ned stated quietly. “It’s been a couple of days since we left.”
“Oh, my. I haven’t even given it a thought. With all the excitement of this place, I forgot about Momma. She must be dreadfully worried.”
“We’ll get through this quickly, I promise,” Matt replied. “When we go back through the portal and come out of the garden with Toby, Caitlin, George and the other two, the whole town will be rejoicing. You wait and see.”
“Well, what if we don’t make it, what then?” Thomas rolled from the bed and faced Matt, his face serious. “Gee whiz. That’ll just make matters worse.”
“I’m trying to be positive, Thomas,” Matt said angrily. “We’ve all got to be in this together if we expect to get back home. You’re the oldest. You should be setting an example, and all you’re doing is frightening Miranda and Ned more.”
Thomas diverted his eyes. Matt knew that the thought of dying had not crossed any of their courageous minds, and now, suddenly, the image of death thrust itself into existence, along with the newfound fear of never going home. Matt put his hand out again, as he had done the night before they left the Manor. His intense gaze rested on each of their faces. “We came here for a reason,” he said. “We’re the only ones able to rescue them, and we mustn’t give up, even if our course through this world...even if our course leads to death,” he finished quietly.
Thomas glared at Matt. Finally, after several tense seconds, he sighed. “You’re right.” Reluctantly the older boy slapped his hand down on top of Matt’s. Ned came up beside his brother and gently covered Thomas’ hand with his own. Miranda stood silently apart from them, her face stained with tears, staring at the three boys.
“Well?” Thomas inquired, looking directly at her. “Gee whiz, whatda hesitating for?”
She swiped at her cheek, her hand shaking as she put it on top of theirs. Whispering, she replied, “I don’t want anyone to die.”
“No one gets left behind,” Matt stated with determination, “and all of us will make it back together. All of us,” he reaffirmed softly, unwilling to let the disagreement of his heart be heard.
Chapter Ten
The next morning, Miranda heard the slight sound of a small bell as something unseen jumped from the floor to her bed. It was then that she remembered the feline hadn’t been around last night. She sat up in bed and looked down at the indentation in the blanket.
“Sonya, where have you been and all? What if we’d left before we found you? You would’ve never gotten back home,” Miranda said, scolding the cat once she materialized.
“You wouldn’t have missed me. You didn’t even notice that I left you in the great hall. As I recall, your attention lay within that ridiculous tale being told by her majesty. The queen’s story was very interesting, wouldn’t you agree?” she replied sarcastically. “I must say her history lesson seemed a little biased.”
Miranda narrowed her eyes. “Is there something you’d like to add to what the queen said? I thought her story was very exciting and all. Why didn’t you make yourself known, if you were in the room? Perhaps you could have corrected it if you felt it wasn’t told right?”
“No. There’s nothing I wanted to add,” Sonya harshly replied.
“You don’t have to be so angry about it, ya know.”
“I find some things humorous, that’s all, especially when storytellers pass off lies for the truth.” Licking her paw, the cat softened her tone. “As for remaining hidden, I don’t get along with the king. He’s rather pompous and overbearing. We’ve never seen eye-to-eye.” Jumping from the bed, Sonya Wandered around the room, her tail waving above her head like a flag. She stopped in front of Matt’s bunk. “Don’t you think you should wake your companions? It’ll be time to leave soon.” Flicking her tail in the air, she haughtily trotted to the door, the hinges squeaking as it opened on its own accord, moved by Sonya’s magic. The cat looked over her shoulder at the girl on the bed. “Besides, if I had said anything, it would have ruined such a good story.”
Miranda watched Sonya disappear from view. She wondered if the cat was being sarcastic, and concluded that she was. Shrugging her shoulders slightly, the thought moved quickly away as she slipped from the covers and onto the floor. Tiptoeing, she quietly made her way to the edge of Matt’s bunk. The coolness of the morning air made her shiver and she hugged her body.
Standing over her friend, she touched his shoulder gently. Her fingers felt electrified when she touched him. Her heart raced, watching his eyes flutter and then open. “Matt, you need to get up.”
“What time is it?” the boy asked.
“Close to dawn, I think. The sun isn’t quite up and all.”
Matt moaned.
“Are you okay?” she asked quietly. She noticed dark circles under his eyes and became worried.
“I didn’t sleep well. Had terrible nightmares.”
“What were they about?”
“It was the same thing over and over again. A dark figure chased me through the forest. I could hear Toby calling my name from somewhere in the distance and I just couldn’t find him in all this fog. Then I got sucked down into some dark water.”
“We could ask to stay a little longer, until you felt better.”
“I’ll be fine. I don’t want to delay us.”
Miranda helped Matt from under the covers. She grew fearful for her friend. He seemed very upset.
“Besides that, my brother and the others can’t wait any longer; we’ve got to find them. Hearing his voice calling out to me in the dream made me afraid for him even more.”
“It was just a dream. DaGon and Lily aren’t going to let anything happen to any of us, I’m sure,” Miranda soothed, touching his hand softly. She liked Matt deeply. She had since the first time she saw him. Her heart grew fearful though, at the gray appearance of his skin. He didn’t seem well and it concerned her greatly.
“Maybe it’s some kind of premonition.”
“You believe it’s a warning and all?”
He shook his head. “I feel like I’m running out of time...for something. I just can’t figure it out.”
Matt glanced at Thomas and Ned on the top bunks still sleeping. “Let’s wake them. We need to get ready. I want to get to this wizard’s place as soon as p
ossible.”
Miranda roused other two from their slumber. The brothers grumbled, pushing the blankets from around their bodies.
“Is it morning already?” Ned complained as he stretched. “It seems like we only just fell asleep.”
“Gee whiz.” Thomas stifled a yawn. “I could sleep for another day. All this walking....”
“Hey. They left us somethin’ for breakfast.” Ned jumped down and ran to the table, excited to see a covered dish.
“Gee, you and your food.”
“I sure do miss pork chops and mashed taters,” Ned sighed heavily after he raised the lid. “Is this all they have to eat around here?” he exclaimed, seeing the cheese and bread underneath.
“I don’t think they know about pork chops and mashed potatoes,” Thomas stated. “But maybe if you put a request in with the cook...”
“Not very likely,” Ned mumbled.
The four sat down and ate the morsels without speaking. Once finished, they gathered their cloaks and retraced their steps back down the tower staircase to the study. DaGon glanced up from the book he was reading when he heard them.
“Good morning,” he said gruffly. Small spectacles rested on the tip of his snout, as he intently studied several pages of a book. Miranda giggled at the sight, as did the boys.
“Aren’t you afraid you’ll set the papers on fire?” Ned inquired.
“No.” DaGon snorted, sending a smoke ring around Ned’s body. “I decided to do some reading on the construction of the Fomorian Keep before we left. Erulisse asked if I would retrieve Quert’s box in preparation for our departure this morning.”
“Where are they?” Miranda glanced around, hoping to see the Elf Queen before they left.
“They had an emergency and had to leave to survey some business happening close to the Pine Forest on the road to Kille Cael. The Border Elves, living on the outskirts of the forest, reported...an incident.” DaGon snapped the book shut, emphasizing his words. Rising from his crouched position, he took the glasses from his nose and placed them on the desk, his talons careful not to disturb the papers on top.
“Where’s Lily?” Matt glanced around the study.
Miranda realized that she had not heard the little tinkling voice yet.
“Lily went to get Chester. We’re instructed to meet them both at the front gate. Do you have your emerald crystals Queen Onagh gave you?” DaGon inquired as he placed his book back on a shelf.
The children nodded as each one touched the warm stones upon their breast. DaGon opened the glass door to where Quert’s box was kept and took it out. “Good. I don’t want you vulnerable to attack. We must go undetected as long as possible if we’re to retrieve the sword before Uthal knows where we are. The Elves were kind enough to give us some packhorses with food and supplies. Poor Chester is too old for packs and couldn’t be burdened with the weight. Besides, I think it would hurt his feelings if we made him carry them.”
DaGon carefully tucked Quert’s box under a scaly arm and carefully maneuvered out the door and down the hall to the stairs. “We need to hurry, for we must make the edge of the Pine Forest quickly. We’ll need the cover of the trees.”
The dragon’s actions and curt behavior seemed out of place to Miranda. Something was not right, but she dare not ask him. But Matt did. “What’s wrong? Does this “incident” have something to do with us?”
“They believe it might be the Slaugh, which is why we must hurry.”
“Gee whiz, then that warlock knows we’re here?”
“Not the exact place, but I’m sure Bera’s spies have sent a message regarding the whereabouts of your travel yesterday. It’s was only a matter of time.”
“How will we remain hidden, then?” Matt asked quietly, his voice echoing his tiredness.
“We must keep moving towards our goal. Once we get to Keltrain’s, he’ll help shelter us with his magic. But we’ve got to get there first.”
“Then what in heck do we have these emeralds for?” Ned voice quivered.
“They’re just a little spell and all,” Miranda replied quietly. “Just enough to hide us for a short time. Those Slaugh things wouldn’t be able to get an exact location, just a general one. At least that’s what I was told and all.”
The children followed DaGon down the winding staircase, avoiding his tail. Once out the door, they picked up their pace and rushed through the crowd in the market, chasing after the dragon as he sprinted forward. Lily waved to them as they drew closer to the main gate, where Chester stood with the packhorses.
“There’s trouble.” Her voice urgent, she motioned towards the gate. “The Slaugh have penetrated the defenses of the border town of Kille Cael. They’re coming down from the ancient road in ApHar Mountains, the same way they came during the second war.”
“What does that mean?” Miranda asked. Her stomach churned with anxiety.
“We didn’t make it past Bera’s spies. Someone knows where we are, so we must be on our way.”
DaGon handed a pair of reins to each of the boys. “Don’t let them pull away,” he instructed them tensely. “These supplies will have to last, for once we make it into the Pine Forest and to ApHar Mountains, there’s no place to replenish until we get to the coastal towns.”
The children were quiet, for DaGon’s commands frightened them. They nodded their understanding at his quick orders. Miranda watched the dragon quickly push Quert’s box and the map into the pack on Matt’s horse. Thrusting his snout into the boy’s face, he whispered, “Guard these with your life, for they are the only means to locate the sword needed to free your brother.”
The words made her realized that they were now fully intertwined in the quest. Their lives, and the lives of those that the dark warlock had taken, depended on them finding this sword. Her hands shook as she drew her cloak closer to her body.
Unfolding his wings, DaGon stretched them out. In an instant, he was airborne and off the ground. Lily soared close behind him as they passed through the gate and out of the castle walls.
“Quickly now, don’t let up your pace,” Chester said, urging them forward.
Turning eastward, they continued on the road they traveled the previous day, following the flight of the dragon and fairy. In the distance, a line of snowcapped mountains loomed, breaking the purple blue hue of the sky above. A dark line of green cut the horizon at its base.
“Keltrain’s sanctuary lies within the southern peaks,” Chester commented to Miranda.
“How far is he from us?”
“Several days travel. The old Fomorian byway passes through the Pine Forest and exits at the ancient Keep, in the meadow of a hidden valley.”
Miranda glanced over her shoulder, taking a final look at the beautiful Elf sanctuary. She grew alarmed to see the Ellyllon knights closing the wooden gate so quickly behind them. It gave her a feeling of being shut out and forgotten. A roll of thunder broke the quietness of the morning, causing her to look up to the blue sky. The sound confused her because she saw no clouds. Where did it come from?
“DaGon. The horizon!” Lily cried. A thin black line came towards them. It was a dark, shapeless mass and Miranda couldn’t make it out. Whatever it was, it caused the flower fairy to flit frantically from one side of the road to the other.
“Keep moving,” the dragon called out to the group. “Whatever you do, don’t stop.”
“What is it?” Matt called out.
“It’s the Slaugh.”
“So much for our rescue attempts,” Thomas angrily muttered under his breath. “If Uthal knows we’re comin’, what good is it? How are we gonna be able to rescue the others if we can’t even get to that stupid sword before we’re captured?”
“We’ll just have to do the best we can,” Matt retorted. “We have the charms. Queen Onagh said they would protect us. Have faith, okay?”
“Fine, but don’t get upset if I have to say ‘I told you so’,” the older boy replied as he moved ahead.
Menacing sou
nds of lightning and thunder filled the air. The continuous rumblings shook the ground as the black clouds swirled from the direction of the distant mountains. The horses bucked and whinnied as the storm grew closer and the boys wrestled to keep their grip on the skittish animals. Miranda wanted to run and run fast.
“DaGon, I am afraid we won’t make it to Keltrain’s. It’s too far and I don’t know where we can hide,” Lily yelled.
DaGon soared higher and faster as another clap of thunder pealed through the sky. The group, now in full run, had difficulty keeping up with the quickened flight of the dragon. “We must try to make it to the forest,” he called down at the children. “Run as fast as you can.”
Miranda needed no other urging. She quickly followed Chester’s gallop. They had not gotten very far before she heard a loud yell behind her. When she turned around, she saw that Matt had stumbled and fallen to the road. The force of the impact seemed to have thrust the air from his lungs, and his head had hit the ground. She screamed when she saw a thick line of red find a course down her friend’s face. The horse drug him a short distance before Ned caught the animal by the reins.
“Are you alright?” Ned asked.
“I’ll be okay.”
“We need to dress the wound,” Miranda exclaimed. She helped Matt from the ground. Seeing the gash on his forehead made her heart ache. But before she could find anything to stop the bleeding, DaGon spiraled downward and called out loudly to them. “We need the shelter of the pines. YOU NEED TO RUN! Worry about the injury later.”
The dragon reared up and landed hard on the road in front of Thomas and in a fluid continuous movement jumped into a gallop. Leading them straight to the thickness of the trees, the dragon roared, the mass of black clouds now overhead.
“He’s hurt,” Ned shouted in irritation, pointing to the blood oozing from Matt’s brow.
DaGon stopped and turned, his face scrunched in irritation. “I understand, but we’re vulnerable in Angus’ wheat fields. The Slaugh ride the lightning and thunder, and will be on us at any Moment. Even with the protection of the emeralds and their spell, they can see us if they are right on top of us. At least in the cover of the trees, we’re hidden.”
The Forgotten Spell (Legends of Green Isle Book 1) Page 15
