Aron sauntered in, sleepy-eyed. “What’s happening then?” When he saw his sister, his face lit up and widened into the biggest grin imaginable. Then he dashed over and flung his arms around her in a bear hug. “I thought we were both goners. What happ… ” He looked at the others and seeing the preparations caught on immediately. “Hey, I’m alright now. If Larna’s going with you in her condition, so am I.” Realising Aron could be stubborn, and as he didn’t look any worse for his adventure, they gave in.
Annie, Chet and Tibs got to work on Larna’s legs immediately while Aron filled her in on his second near-death experience. He was just about to break into full flow when the others took hold of Larna’s elbows and raised her to her feet. Tibs stepped back a few paces. “Right. See how you feel walking.” She tried, wobbled dangerously and nearly fell her full length before her knees would bend. Time was passing. They needed to get a move on before the sun was at its height, so she kept practising until she felt comfortable. Walking up and down the room, she gave them a full version of her spent underground and eventual escape. Annie kept nodding, eyes getting rounder and rounder. Tiblou and Chet glanced at each other occasionally, but didn’t utter a word.
When she finished, Tiblou shook his head and said, “You weren’t meant to leave the house, you know. To protect you, I’d altered the corridors so nobody could get in during the night. It didn’t enter my head you would climb out through the window.”
“That was your idea!” exclaimed Larna, looking accusingly at her brother. “And a right mess it got us into. Didn’t it?”
“How was I to know you’d go and fall down a stupid hole in the ground?” retorted Aron.
“I didn’t fall! Someone got me…”
“Stop bickering, you two,” snapped Chet, stepping in and taking control. “If you’re intending to help us, you need to focus. We have to leave now.”
Annie eyed Larna up and down and pulled a face. “She can’t go anywhere in those filthy rags. Come with me.” Larna followed her to the stairs and wondered how on earth she was going to climb them. She needn’t have worried, though, because the first stair began to extend towards them. Helping Larna on, she twisted the acorn on top of the newel post and they rose gently to the first floor. A gap appeared in the banister rail and they stepped off into the corridor. There was no time to marvel at the intricacies of the contraption, or have a shower, just change into some clean clothes. Annie helped when she saw she was having difficulty getting them on. Larna didn’t object. She was way past caring and allowed herself to be dressed like a toddler.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
The others were waiting in the hall, impatient to be away.
“If it hadn’t been for us wasting all this time,” said Larna, suddenly feeling guilty, “we might have been able to rescue Yaya and Violet already… ”
“I don’t believe that, Larna.” said Tiblou. “I think they are being used as bait to entrap us. They will be kept alive until they are of no further use. But I feel time is running out now. Whoever is holding Neve and Violet must be running short of patience. So you see the urgency of our situation.”
Larna and Aron nodded, their faces serious.
“We must stick together this time,” continued Tibs. “We must all watch out for each other during the trek to the Forest of Darkness and hope for a successful outcome.”
“Are you going to… whisk yourself there?”
“No, Aron, we walk there. I want to keep an eye on everyone. No more casualties.”
“Yeah, okay.”
They gathered by the door, which opened and widened enough for them to exit, then returned to its original size. They set off at a brisk march, soon leaving the house with its grey roof and untidy garden behind. As they walked, Larna expected to feel Edsel spying on them from the trees. Nothing. That in itself made her uneasy. But her disquiet was soon replaced by discomfort from her legs. It was one thing to walk around Tiblou’s sitting-room in her hinged calipers; it was quite another having to stride through the forest in them. Aron noticed his sister was flagging and tried to cheer her up. “You know, the sooner we rescue Yaya, the sooner we can go home. I mean, back to our real home.”
Larna’s eyes showed a fresh spark of life and she found her second wind. In spite of their differences, Aron was on her side. She smiled at him. He was a great brother to have and she was proud of him.
* * *
The first thing Larna noticed as they neared the Dark Forest was the silence. All the birds had stopped singing. A tingling sensation ran up her spine and she began to get a nasty feeling about things. She made sure she stuck very close to Aron and the others despite the pain it caused in her legs. Tibs halted in his tracks and looked up. They did the same and saw a trail of red smoke rising into the air above the trees at the centre of the forest.
“We have to follow that smoke,” he said. “I have a strong suspicion that’s where we will find Neve and Violet.”
Automatically closing ranks, they walked into the woods with more caution. The trees were tall, thin, bare and almost black. The closeness of the trees cast even scarier shadows than they were used to. The temperature dropped dramatically and their frosted breath hung in the air like smoke. The light from the sun disappeared to be replaced by a huge dark cloud.
The smoke trail above was getting thicker and redder as they moved closer to their goal. Tibs stopped abruptly and stretched out his arms to prevent them bumping into him. Putting a finger to his lips, he mimed, “Shh!” They stood stock still, quiet as mice, and listened. Larna and Aron were grateful for a few minutes rest, especially Larna whose legs were throbbing mercilessly inside her leg-braces. “I sense Neve and Violet,” Tibs whispered. “We’re very close. Until I see the next sign, we’ll continue on this route.”
Apart from the trees, the area was barren. But Tiblou spotted something. As quickly and as quietly as possible, they made their way into a clearing to what looked like a black hole in the ground. But it wasn’t. In the middle, a flower stood straight and proud, it’s magnificent yellow head bobbing from side to side like a flag blowing in the breeze. Only there wasn’t even a draft. The stillness was eerie.
“Goodness has passed this way allowing this one flower to germinate and grow.” Tib’s voice was full of emotion. “See how it shines for us.”
“What do you mean?” asked Larna.
“I mean Violet and Neve came here – or were brought this way – and left us a trail to follow. I think the bright colour was chosen deliberately to help us.” He nodded to himself. “Now for the third sign.”
“Does that mean Yaya is close?” Aron asked.
“Yes. I also believe Balgaire’s spirit is with us.” He closed his eyes for a few seconds. When he opened them they shone with renewed hope. “We need to look for the light and there we’ll find our loved ones.”
Everyone smiled with relief, but the joy only lasted a moment. A twig snapped nearby.
“They know we are here,” said Tibs.
* * *
They formed up in single file and, like school children, put a hand on the shoulder of the one in front. There was no way they were going to be separated again. Plodding on in this fashion, they tried to spot more of the yellow flowers, each one saying a silent prayer to Balgaire for guidance.
Suddenly, Chet broke ranks and began to run. “There’s the light. Come on.” He raced off to the right. Above the trees and in place of the red smoke there was a white glow that wasn’t of their earth. Whilst the rest of them had had their heads down, Chet’s had been up. Larna shuddered at the thought that they could have missed this final sign. Each one of them picked up speed. Larna’s legs ached like crazy. Bringing up the rear and slowing down with the pain, she was even more determined not to give in.
“Hurry up!” Chet shouted over his shoulder and ran smack-bang into an invisible wall. The others were unable to slow down and hit the wall as well. All of them jumped back and fell over backwards. Tiblou was the first to get up and rub his n
ose.
“Are you alright, dears?” Annie asked anxiously.
A frustrated Chet replied for them all. “Of course we are! Don’t fuss.”
Annie looked hurt. She stood up slowly and dusted herself down, trying to hide her face. Tibs put a protective arm round his mother. “Don’t take it to heart, mum. This awful place is affecting everybody’s mood.”
“I’m sorry,” Chet added. “Take no notice of me.”
Tiblou stepped back a few paces and took what looked like a brand new and slightly bent emerald green wand out of his pocket and pointed it at the invisible wall. “Wish me luck.” He raised his arm. “REFLECTA EVAPORO!” Everyone gasped in surprise as the air in front of them began to shimmer, rippling out like sun on moving water, and the wall disappeared with a loud ‘pop’. They took tentative steps forward, hands stretched out in front in case there were other unseen obstacles, but there weren’t. They were beginning to celebrate when they were instantly blinded. The brilliance of the light hit them with full force and they automatically put their hands over their eyes until they became accustomed to the glare. Aron was the first to see properly and find his voice.
“YAYA!” he yelled.
Everyone looked up in shock to see Violet and Neve encased in sparkling gold particles all floating around in a huge bubble. Their eyes were closed, as if asleep, with their arms pinned to their sides. It upset Larna to see how restless her grandmother and the fairy were and wondered if they were having a nightmare or were possibly aware of their predicament. Unable to bear this heart-breaking sight, Larna lunged forward and tried to burst the bubble with the tips of her fingers, only to pull them back when a powerful current of electricity shot up her arms. “ARRGH!” she screamed and fell backwards into Chet. This was obviously the work of someone very powerful.
Tiblou put the heels of his hands to his temples and closed his eyes. “I can’t understand it. I’m sensing a strong dark presence, but don’t know where it’s coming from.” He swayed. “The power from this being is very close to us and trying to take over.” The colour drained from the young wizard’s face. “I’m having difficulty keeping it at a distance.”
“W-W-Who is it?” stammered Aron, trembling from head to toe.
“Well,” said a calculating voice, “I’ll make it easy for you.”
They turned to the voice. It came from Chet, but it was Edsel! He had taken over Chet’s body in the same way that Balgaire took over Tiblou’s when he first appeared, but this was much more sinister and dangerous. In a different body Edsel looked taller, straight backed and he had hair. His skin was ashen but his eyes remained the same. Terrifying!
Larna pushed away from him in disgust, wrinkling her nose at his overpowering smell. It suddenly dawned on her where she’d experienced the foul stench before. Underground! Edsel was one of the stinking Boggrets. Suddenly it all made sense. That night, Edsel must have sent a false message from Neve that made her and her brother wander through the forest on their own. Then he had dispatched her below ground in the hope that she would be disposed of by his foul kin while he pursued Aron above. He wanted rid of both of them, just like Mordrog had done, so the bloodline could not be restored. That meant they were still in terrible danger.
While all this was flashing through Larna’s mind, Tiblou was the first to recover from the shock of Edsel’s appearance. “Mordrog passed his wand and powers to you, didn’t he?”
“No. I took them as he fell.” His laugh grated. “Then I pushed him on his way, down the well. He was too busy trying to save himself to take them back.” He studied each one of them in turn, eyes glaring from his misshapen head. “Why do you think I put up with him for so many years, at his beck and call and taking punishment for imagined wrongs, eh?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “I was studying and learning the whole time. He used me and, in return, I used him. Seems only fair, don’t you think?”
Tiblou could see Chet struggling to free himself from Edsel and started playing for time. “Edsel, if we pool our knowledge we can achieve anything… ”
“You really don’t mean that.”
“I do.”
“No, you don’t.” Edsel began to laugh, his top lip curling back to show his contempt.
“If you don’t join us you’ll just have to suffer the consequences.” Tibs warned him.
Cold, calm and utter evil was written on Edsel’s face and in his voice. He leaned forward menacingly. “Are you threatening me? Remember whose body I’m using. You wouldn’t want to harm your own brother, would you?” He swaggered over to the bubble, appearing to admire his creation and what he’d done to Neve and Violet. Then he turned to Larna and Aron., “It’s showdown time, my young friends. I’ve used the pathetic love you feel for your grandmother to lure you into my clutches. I shall remove you both in an amusing way in due course. Then Mordrog’s clever little scheme will come to fruition and I’ll have more money I can possibly need for the rest of my days.”
“That’s not what you’re really after though, is it?” said Tiblou. “You have other plans as well, don’t you? A hidden agenda.”
“How very perceptive of you, my dear boy! You’re quite right. I have taken all of Mordrog’s powers. Now I want all of yours as well!”
“The only way you will ever get the powers from my son is to kill him and take his wand,” said Annie, defiantly.
“And that’s exactly what I intend to do,” chuckled the Boggret.
“But why?” protested Aron. “Aren’t you powerful enough already? Why do you need more?”
“I’ll tell you why!” snarled Edsel, suddenly looking furious. “I am a Boggret from the vast land of Tophet below our feet. My father was the ruler there, but his brother Killian murdered him and took his place. My uncle sent his soldiers to hunt me down, but I found a way out and up into this world where I have lived ever since. Now I wish to go home, but not as a fugitive. I shall return as an all-conquering hero. I intend to make my uncle and his family pay for what they’ve done to my father’s household. I will slaughter them all as they did mine. Then I’ll be supreme ruler of Sherwood, both above and below ground, and the most powerful warlock of all time!”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
A stunned silence followed this declaration of Edsel’s murderous intentions. Larna noticed her grandmother becoming restless, trying to move around inside the bubble of glittery gold. Violet remained perfectly still. The bubble looked as though it was shrinking, losing air, and Larna realised if they didn’t free the two of them soon, they would die. Then Neve woke up and began to struggle. Larna willed her to keep still to avoid using up what little oxygen there was left.
For a moment, Edsel remained absorbed in his own thoughts and seemed unaware of Chet trying desperately to regain his body. Then he returned to his senses. Turning to Tiblou, he held out his hand for Balgaire’s wand.
“Relinquish the wand without any fuss and your demise will be painless,” he promised. “Refuse me and you will die an agonising, lingering death. So will all your kith and kin, including your dear young friends.”
“NO!” screamed Annie. “Leave my son alone!” For her outburst, she received the full force of one of Edsel’s spells and was frozen like a statue. Frantically, Tiblou tried to undo the spell imprisoning his mother, but he failed. He turned on Edsel and brandished Balgaire’s wand, ready to retaliate.
“Don’t even think about it,” growled the warlock. “You’re still an infant, taking baby steps. I’ve been practising in secret for years.” He poked his chest. “When you hand over your power to me, I’ll free your female protector. Unless she melts first, of course.” Edsel grinned.
“You know I can’t do that, even if I wanted to. This wand and my cloak were passed on to me strictly in accordance with the rules from the Supreme Council of Wizards and Witches. Balgaire’s power came into me, as he wished, and cannot be transferred.”
“Unless you die!” Edsel said.
Then everyone looked up at the ever-shri
nking bubble with horrified expressions. The outer skin was starting to cling to Neve, the white witch. It was almost up to her waist. Violet’s position was higher up therefore unaffected as yet. Something had to happen soon, otherwise they’d suffocate. Tiblou gave it one last shot, “Why don’t you put your new powers to good use and join us? I could learn a lot from you and together we could try to reverse everything Mordrog did to us, and to you.”
Edsel’s answer was to turn a tree into a spear and send it flying. It pierced the ground in front of Tibs with an almighty thud, the long handle quivering to a stop. Aron yelled frantically and made to charge Edsel. Instantly he was stopped as motionless as Annie. Larna felt a wave of outraged fury at this and, screaming furiously, she went for the monster as well. Another invisible wall stopped her. The electric shock was stronger than the first and it floored her. Lying on the ground groaning, she gave Tibs an imploring look, begging him to do something.
The young wizard rose to the challenge. He waved his wand at the wall, and it disappeared before their captor could counter it. Then Toblou ran hell for leather into Edsel. As they fell, Edsel touched him on the chest with the tip of his wand and sent him sailing backwards. As Tibs hit the ground, feet first, it opened up and began to suck him slowly down, like quicksand. Larna tried to yank him out of the mire but he was stuck firmly. Forgetting her legs, she dropped to her knees and despite the pain tried to doggy-paddle the soil away, only to find she was making it worse. He was going down fast and the more he struggled, the faster he sank. A feeling of helplessness overwhelmed Larna as she saw Aron, Annie, Neve, Violet and now Tibs all powerless to help themselves in the face of Edsel. She sank to the ground, threw back her head and let out a desperate cry for help. Next moment, a puff of wind ruffled her hair and seemed to assault her left cheek and ear. Clamping one hand to the side of her face, she thought she heard a message from the dead. Balgaire! “Larna, look to your inner strength… you have much more than you realise… in your heart and in your hands… you are not so alone as you think… but hurry… hurry… hur… ” The voice drifted away on the breeze.
Spellbound Chronicles – Blood Line Page 14
