The Team and the Cavern

by S G Read

  ‘What about the bash on the head Fergus received,’ JC one asked, ‘his head was bleeding according to the Fergus who was with me. He might have been snatched by the gryphon and miss timed turning it to stone and was hurt in the landing.’

  ‘I think you have something JC one.’ Toby one cried. ‘All we have to do is to work out a new cunning plan.’

  ‘You had to get that in, didn’t you?’ Toby two complained.

  ‘Well I like the program- we like the program, don’t we?’ Toby one answered.

  ‘We do.’ Toby two agreed.

  They sat discussing a new way to try to attack the apprentice, they did not want to change to normal routine of attacks, they just wanted something new that Seamus the red shoed leprechaun could tell the apprentice. If he was the spy. That sat and tried ideas until Simon suggested Fergus climbing a tree.

  ‘Can they climb trees?’ CJ asked. ‘We haven’t actually seen them and all the fruit is low down.’

  ‘Tell us about your idea and we will decide if it is worth finding out.’ Stuart one ordered.

  ‘I was thinking that if he told Seamus the red that he was going to climb a tree and get into the palace that way, Seamus the red might hurry to tell the apprentice to tell him. He doesn’t have to actually do it. All he has to do is to climb a tree to show Seamus he can.’ Simon explained.

  ‘In that case we need to find out if Fergus is willing to climb a tree.’ Stuart one answered. ‘Ben go and get a Fergus and we will ask him.’

  Ben walked over to the leprechauns and came back with one of the Fergus’s.

  ‘Can you climb trees?’ Stuart one asked.

  ‘When I was young I could, why?’ Fergus answered.

  ‘We thought that if you told the other Seamus that you were going to climb through the trees and get into the palace that way, it would give him something to tell the apprentice and he would rush away to tell him.’ Stuart one explained. ‘Simon will show you how to climb, if you can’t remember.’

  ‘I haven’t given climbing much thought since my hundredth birthday, it is not something we need to do.’ Fergus explained.

  ‘You are a hundred years old?’ JC asked incredulously.

  ‘I was on my hundredth birthday, we had a big party but that was a few years ago now.’ Fergus explained. ‘I seem to have lost track of the years since I have been fighting the apprentice.’

  They walked over to the nearest trees in a group and Fergus tried to climb. He tried, then Simon climbed up the tree. Fergus tried again and it continued until Fergus climbed the tree.

  ‘I should have thought of this before, I could have sneaked into the palace and found the wizard before the apprentice knew what I was doing.’ Fergus called down from the top of the tree.

  He climbed back down and they returned to the spot they had been sitting. As they walked back, two leprechauns walked into the village. They were both Fergus’s. They saw the group and walked over to them.

  ‘He got me, I walked up the stream but he knew I was going in that way and got me. I made sure I was lying down so that he took me out into the forest and dumped me. That meant Fergus here could turn me back.’ One of the Fergus’s explained.

  ‘Plan A then,’ Stuart announced, ‘This Fergus goes out to fight the apprentice. Make sure you see Seamus, act nervous but don’t turn him to stone. Then you tell him about your new plan and then climb a tree to demonstrate. He goes on and you go into the forest out of sight. We have men watching Seamus and we just see what he does next. If he tries to tell the apprentice we stop him and bring him back here. Just remember we can’t turn him to stone.

  ‘I’ll be off then.’ The tree climbing Fergus announced and walked away.

  Ben one, Ant one and three copies of Fergus waited for a few seconds and then they started to follow him. They were going through the tunnel to go round the front way, Fergus was hoping to catch sight of Seamus the red.

  At the start of the tunnel, Fergus took his time to make sure that there were no trolls inside. He had the memory of seeing the troll but could remember little after that, which had to be a blessing. He finally walked through and the others followed. He walked out into the light and walked for the main trail. The others followed, Ben one and Ant one were out in the edge of the forest but the leprechauns were keeping well out of sight, flitting from tree to tree to make sure no one saw more than one at a time.

  Chapter 9

  The boys emerged from the trees and made sure the coast was clear. Then one leprechaun ran across to the next cover. With no one there to see, another did the same and so on until they were all out of sight and the boys could walk on but now they had to make sure nothing swooped from overhead to turn them into a tasty meal, neither of them fancied that! They caught up with the leprechauns and looked at what lie ahead. They had the choice of keeping to the trees and away from the rocks or trying to hide in the rocks if someone came.

  ‘We could always turn anyone who sees us to stone!’ One Fergus suggested.

  ‘But when they are reborn, which seems to be as soon as they are stone, they will know something is going on.’ Ant answered.

  ‘We aren’t likely to see anyone here accept for Seamus the red but the three bears might come this way. Only turn someone into stone in an emergency then,’ Ben suggested, ‘so we keep to the trees as much as possible.’

  They saw the Fergus who had been sent out earlier to keep the apprentice entertained walk round the corner and hid, just in case he waved to them. The Fergus walked a little way then he saw the leprechaun with red shoes coming the other way. He paused, as if coming to a decision then turned to go back the other way. He stopped and turned back, his arm raised but he did not turn Seamus to stone. Instead he stopped and spoke with him. The boys took the chance to get further ahead to make sure that they could cut Seamus off if they had to.

  ‘That’s just what I did but he was the apprentice and not the real Seamus.’ One of the leprechauns with them declared.

  ‘Well it doesn’t look like it is the apprentice this time,’ Ant replied, ‘let us watch and see what Seamus does.’

  They watched the two leprechauns and moved through the trees at the same time.

  ‘Hello Seamus.’ Fergus greeted when he finally allowed Seamus to come closer. ‘I owe you an apology I think, I turned you to stone when you were not the apprentice but it is hard to know who is who anymore. I was going to ask the animals to ask but the gryphon took me. When I turned him to stone I landed badly and banged my head. When I woke up I had a brilliant idea! I am going to climb the trees and climb through them to get into the palace that way. The apprentice will not know anything until the wizard walks out and teaches him not to be a bad apprentice.’

  ‘Surely not,’ Seamus answered, ‘climb trees at your age?’

  ‘I can climb trees.’ Fergus answered. ‘Come, I will show you.’

  He half dragged Seamus over to the forest and the others had to stop and hide for fear of being seen. They watched as Fergus climbed a tree quite easily and then crossed to another tree. The demonstration over, he climbed back down again.

  ‘Did you see that?’ He asked.

  ‘I could hardly miss it, I was right here.’ Seamus answered.

  ‘So you were Seamus, now I must be on my way. I have to find a way to get close and then climb a tree to get inside the palace. By Seamus.’ Fergus walked on.

  Seamus followed Fergus until they came to the turn off which led to the Acephali camp. There Seamus turned off to find shelter for the night and he did it earlier than usual and Fergus walked on. Seamus walked a little way up the trail, then returned to the start of the trail and watched Fergus walk on. He waited until Fergus was out of sight and started to follow. When the copy of Fergus turned left at the end of the rocks to cross the stream, Seamus walked on toward the palace.

  Now they had to be in the right place. Another copy of Fergus hurried into the forest to their right to get in front of Seamus and find out where he was going. He hu
rried through the trees and as Seamus was not hurrying he overtook him easily. Now the copy of Fergus had to make sure he did not meet the apprentice. He saw Seamus coming and the trail he was following only led to the wizard’s palace. The other copies of Fergus caught up the first copy and they lay in wait.

  ‘Oh brother.’ A copy of Fergus exclaimed from in front of him, deep disappointment in his voice.

  ‘It is not how it looks brother, I often walk this way. How did you get in front of me?’ Seamus asked.

  'I am behind you as well brother,’ another Fergus said quietly, ‘how did he persuade you to help him, what did he offer you Seamus?’

  Seamus’s head fell.

  ‘A woman, he offered me a woman of my own,’ he answered, ‘and after all this time on my own, it sounded too good to be true.’

  The leprechauns grabbed him and bodily carried him into the trees, making sure they were not seen as they did it. As they carried him they made sure Seamus did not cry out. They all walked back to the village together, carrying Seamus. With Ben one and Ant one following.

  The other leprechauns looked up in surprise when the copies of Fergus carried Seamus into the village. Seamus was surprised to see all the leprechauns in the village walking about but there was nothing he could do about it now.

  ‘I find it hard to believe my own brother betrayed me.’ One of the Fergus’s said as they lowered Seamus to the ground.

  They held him securely to make sure he did not go anywhere while they decided what to do with him. The rest of the leprechauns echoed what Fergus had said and anyone who was not very stable in the mind, who just happened to be listening, could have easily been driven mad. It was repeated time and time again by other leprechauns, in disbelief.

  'What shall we do with him brothers?' Fergus asked as they all gathered round him.

  'Turn him to stone.' One called and that echoed round the gathering.

  'Alas we cannot, he would then reappear and warn the apprentice.' Fergus answered when the murmur dwindled enough for him to be heard. ‘And then he would have a lot more to tell him that the story I concocted.’

  'You could build a prison for him.' Stuart one suggested.

  The leprechauns discussed it in their usual way and between them they soon came to the same conclusion. To the team’s surprise they started cutting wood from the edge of the forest. In the end they built a prison from saplings, tying the wood with string to fix it together. Seamus would only have to find a way of undoing the knots to escape.

  'That wouldn't hold a baby for long.' Ben one declared from where the two teams were sitting, they were now together.

  The other members of the team nodded in agreement and watched with interest. The leprechauns threw Seamus inside the wooden prison and tied the door closed with more string. They all stood back and looked at their handiwork then Fergus waved his arm and turned the wood to stone. The string turned to stone as well making it impregnable. No one could get out or in without turning the stone back to wood.

  ‘That ought to hold him until we have dealt with the apprentice.’ The Seamus with the white shoes declared.

  ‘I’ll be off to try again then,’ Fergus announced, ‘I think next time it is time to call on the animals so I need to go and try. Come with me brother Fergus, in case you can turn me back but don’t let him the apprentice see you.’

  The two Fergus’s left and the teams settled down to wait again. They decided against another game of football, just in case they were heard. They had to wait until it was time for the Fergus they had sent out, to be ambushed by the apprentice and a replaced by another copy. Fergus and Stuart had briefed that copy, as he was the one who would enlist the help of the animals. They knew the apprentice would travel a long way and lay in ambush, so that he stopped him before he reached the animals. The first time proved to be painful for the apprentice and he was trying to avoid a repeat performance. The copy of Fergus knew what he would do and had a plan of his own to get to the animals before the apprentice left the palace. He was also going to get the help of the three bears and the wolf, one way or another, that way the attack would last longer to give the boys time to get into the palace and free the wizard. The boys planned to attack then and with Seamus safely locked up, no one would warn the apprentice.

  ‘Simon one, you go and search the cave for the other book,’ Stuart one ordered, ‘as the copy of Fergus who turned us into stone did not find it, it must be still there.’

  ‘Yes Stu.’ Simon one answered.

  He did not go alone; he took a copy of Fergus, John one and Colin one, for company, as he did not really want any protection just some company. They walked out of the tunnel and the copy of Fergus took them deep into the forest, traveling through the forest until they were opposite the cave they were turned to stone in. They made sure the coast was clear and crossed quickly. As soon as he was inside Simon started searching the cave. He searched everywhere, even in places where the book could not possibly be.

  ‘I was sure I hid it in here, but it isn’t there now.’ He complained and stood back in disbelief, just as he had done the first time he looked.

  ‘It seems too easy to find the book in there.’ Colin one argued.

  Suddenly a light came on in Simon one’s brain.

  ‘Of course, I thought that and put in somewhere else.’ He declared.

  ‘But where?’ John asked.

  ‘In the little cave next door.’ Simon answered and walked out.

  ‘So that’s where you went, I thought you’d gone out for a pee.’ Colin replied, as he remembered Simon walking out of the cave when it was almost dark.

  Simon one walked back in with the missing Grimoire tucked under his arm.

  ‘Come on, let’s get back.’ He said happily and they crossed back into the forest.

  In the morning word came that Fergus was another statue in the garden and another Fergus went off to enlist the animals in the fight. They apprentice had probably worked out that it was the animals this time and he would want to stop it happening. Stuart led the army of leprechauns and his teams to the tunnel at the back. Four leprechauns sorted out the trolls they found inside and they all walked through into the forest. Stuart sent Antony, as he was the fastest runner, to see when the apprentice left the palace. It was his job to run back and tell them as fast as his legs would carry him. The others, with the army of leprechauns, walked after him and congregated in the forest behind the palace. It was risky, if the apprentice walked that way then the fight would start there and then. It did mean that Toby one did not have to run as far to let them know that the apprentice had gone. They waited patiently and quietly, all concealed to give them the element of surprise in case the apprentice did come that way. Many eyes watched for Toby one’s return, all ready for action and the longer they waited, the more they wanted it to start. Stuart spent some time explaining to all the leprechauns about what Toby called the quid pro quo action, which seemed to be set up in their world. They could not turn the apprentice to stone as he would reappear somewhere else and they did not know just where that might be as no one had beaten him yet. If they turned him to stone, the fight would take on a very different configuration. The apprentice would then have surprise on his side and by then he would know just what he was up against.

  They heard Toby one coming before they saw him, he was not trying to keep quiet, just running as fast as his legs and the forest would let him.

  ‘He’s gone.’ He cried as he reached them.

  The hoard of leprechauns moved forward to take up their places in the palace garden while the rest took up their positions in the nearby forest to wait for the apprentice’s return. While there was time, they turned the leprechauns in the garden back from stone one by one and held them as they were turned back to speed things along. For this they employed all the spare leprechauns and used three boys to recite the spell. When each one accepted that all was well and they had a good chance of beating the apprentice, they joined the fight. The leprechau
ns did not move from where they were but returned to the same pose they were in when the apprentice turned them to stone. This continued until the garden was empty of stone leprechauns and boasted a small detachment of leprechauns standing as if they were still made of stone but actually ready to pounce when the attack started. Two leprechauns were sent out to where they knew other stone leprechauns were, to turn them back as a backup army. All that remained to do after that was to turn the two humans who had started the apprentice's reign of terror back into human form. A detachment stood ready to take them to the plateau to await being sent back to the real world.

  ‘What happened, Cynthia?’ The man asked. ‘That young man waved his wand at me and now there are a load of young people here with us.’

  ‘We are your escort out of here mister.’ Molly two answered. ‘Come with us, or you might be here another hundred years.’

  ‘A hundred years, we have not been here five minutes.’ Cynthia answered.

  Sherman two lifted his axe trying to look as menacing as he could.

  ‘Just get moving like Molly asked.’ He ordered and they led them away, still complaining as they went.

  Chapter 10

  With the cause of the problem out of the way, they waited for the apprentice to return from his ambush, on what he thought was the only Leprechaun in the nether world. Had the Wizard not cast his spell to keep at least one of everything alive in this world then he would have won long the battle long ago. It annoyed him a little that he had to do it but for now he had nothing else to do until more outsiders arrived. He wanted the second book and then he would take over the outside world as well. The fact that he was too engrossed in his battle that he had not looked round what was now his wizardom was a mistake as by now he could be ruling the world.

  The leprechaun army waited in hiding very quietly. They did not want to ruin their own ambush as they had to keep the apprentice detained while the boys searched for the second Grimoire and the wizard. According to the Grimalkin the apprentice had him locked in the dungeon, inside the palace. The group of ones moved toward the palace, some of the group of twos were outside to watch what went on and relay it to the members of the team who were inside. They had runners to keep the searchers apprised of any developments outside.