Willow Moss and the Forgotten Tale

by Dominique Valente

  Willow sobbed into the dark forest and then, somehow, she heard her grandmother’s voice from behind her.

  ‘Now, now, lass. Dry yer eyes. Tell me, what is it?’

  Willow gasped and looked around. But she couldn’t see her. There was just a faint lime-green glow surrounding Willow, like a coronet round her knees. She felt warmed by it somehow, as if it were a small, glowing flame. She blinked back her tears and whispered, ‘Are you here, Granny?’ Her heart skipped a beat in fear. ‘Are you … lost …’ She looked at the faces of her friends. ‘Like them?’

  ‘No, child. I’m the part that lives forever within you. We all leave a little of our souls behind with the people we loved. ’Tis only now that you’re in the world of souls and memories that I’m able to speak with you, lass – through the magic of this place. Tell me what it is you’re feeling that’s making it all disappear? Making you doubt your abilities, and yourself?’

  Willow’s lip trembled. It was there, the thing that she’d been pushing down for weeks, trying not to feel. She closed her eyes and fresh tears poured down her face.

  ‘I feel lost. Lost without you.’

  Suddenly it was like a dam burst and Willow sobbed. She didn’t know who she was any more. All she felt was alone.

  ‘I am always with you, lass. Those we love never truly fade away. They live in our hearts and in our memories. They give us strength when we need it most.’ Willow imagined more than felt Granny Flossy’s finger run beneath her lashes, wiping away her tears. ‘You know what you need to do. You can feel it there. Just believe, child.’

  And then there on the shadowy ground appeared Granny’s purple hat with the jaunty green feather, which had gone missing from Willow’s attic all those days ago. Willow stared at it incredulously. It was like a crack of light in the darkness.

  Willow looked up to see the ghostly queen not very far away, floating in the forest behind her – watching her, waiting … perhaps wondering what she would do next.

  Willow nodded, then got to her feet and closed her eyes. She drew strength from somewhere deep inside, raised her palm to the sky, and concentrated on finding all that she had lost. It wasn’t just things: it was her friends, her courage, her self-belief … The girl who found lost things had lost herself … but not any longer.

  There was a torrent from above, and the sound of a million spoons descending from nowhere, hitting the forest floor in a clamorous heap. These were followed by beds, and lost coats.

  Suddenly a witch with a copper foot appeared and said, ‘Well now, child, took yeh long enough! Looks like me remedy worked after all!’

  Willow didn’t respond. She just kept her eyes closed.

  ‘Keep going,’ said her grandmother’s voice, and she did.

  Feathering came next.

  ‘Young Willow!’ he shouted. ‘What happened? I was fighting that beast …’

  Willow allowed herself a small grin, but she kept her eyes closed as she concentrated. Then Oswin appeared, landing in her arms with an orange plop. ‘Wot choo go and makes me disappear likes that for? That’s no way to treat a body!’ he complained as he climbed down to the ground.

  Next came Essential, pushing up her glasses with a frown.

  Willow kept her eyes closed as she continued her search for Moreg and Nolin Sometimes – for their souls that were drifting between life and death, lost under the queen’s powerful grasp. It was hard. The queen did not want to let them go. Willow dropped to her knees. It was like her mind was wading through something thick and viscous; it sapped her energy, and she grew weak as she searched and searched.

  ‘You can do it,’ said Granny Flossy’s voice.

  She could feel the traces of Sometimes. The queen was holding on tight, but Willow fought back. Her magic might not be the strongest or the most remarkable, but it was reliable, and it would be so again! Because this time she wouldn’t forget who she was, or what she could do. She pulled with her mind, as if holding on to a fraying rope for dear life. She felt what seemed like the thread that was Moreg, purple-tinged, and Sometimes, pale blue, and pulled and pulled … till finally they were free.

  She opened her eyes, and there they were.

  23

  The Ferili Seed

  Moreg’s and Sometimes’s sightless eyes turned back to normal.

  ‘Gadzooks!’ exclaimed the forgotten teller. ‘Am I pleased to see you!’

  In his hands was the other mimic plant, which right then looked just like him, a small shadow of a man in a jar.

  ‘I didn’t know if you’d find it!’ he cried. ‘I hoped you would. I couldn’t be too obvious about it in my letter in case they found it and stopped it reaching you.’ He gave a dry, barking sort of laugh.

  Willow grinned. She’d figured that was the case.

  ‘I’m glad to see you too,’ said Moreg. ‘I’m sorry I tried to prevent you from coming … I saw what was happening with your magic – I got a flash of it – and thought it would be best for me to come and get him, rather than risk your life. I knew you would get a handle on it, but I wanted you to have that time – not force you into this danger, like I did the last time.’

  Willow touched the older witch’s hand, moved by her words. ‘You didn’t force me. But at least I understand now.’

  ‘How very touching,’ said the queen, suddenly joining them. ‘And I am pleased to see you restored to your full potential,’ she added, looking at Willow. ‘That will be better for my purposes.’

  ‘Enough of this,’ said Moreg. There was a clash of thunder, followed by a flash of lightning.

  The queen seemed to smile. ‘Oh, I did wonder when the fearsome witch I had heard so much about would actually turn up. So it’s a fight you want, is that it?’

  Suddenly there were dozens of red-eyed beasts circling them all, along with several white, spectral wolves.

  ‘I am, of course, always an obliging host …’ And, at that, the monstrous beasts began to advance on them.

  Pimpernell rolled up her sleeves, coming to stand next to Moreg, her wood-fire eyes blazing. She waved her opal-topped cane threateningly. ‘We’re gonna unleash more fire down here than you’ve ever seen before.’

  Essential raised her hands and tried to freeze the shadow beasts. It worked for about half a beat. ‘Run!’ she cried to Willow and Sometimes.

  There was a piercing cry and suddenly Sprig appeared in raven form, a vine still tangled round one of his feet. Despite everything that had happened, Willow found she was relieved to see him – relieved that he had escaped Umbellifer’s restraints and made his way back to them.

  ‘Follow me!’ he called to Willow as he transformed into a boy and led them into the shadowy woods. ‘This way!’

  Oswin dashed into the green carpetbag at Willow’s feet, and she picked it up as they turned and fled after Sprig.

  Nolin Sometimes’s eyes went pale as he ran, and he dropped into a dead faint.

  Willow skidded to a stop and gasped, ‘Oh no!’

  But thankfully he wasn’t out for long. From his prone state Sometimes’s eyes turned from white to blue. He sat up and stared at Willow urgently, gasping, ‘They gave you a ferili seed?’

  Willow stared at him. ‘A what?’ She felt that now was not the time for them to be discussing things that didn’t immediately involve screaming and running away from ghostly, red-eyed beasts. In the distance, she could see Feathering attacking one, fire streaming out of his mouth.

  ‘A seed from the Wisperia tree! It’s genius of them really.’ Then suddenly he sank back down into another faint, his eyes white again.

  ‘Oh, Sometimes!’ Willow cried, shaking him. The trouble with Sometimes’s ability was that he often didn’t realise that he fainted when he was seeing a memory.

  Oswin jumped out of the bag and hissed at a wolf that was getting dangerously near.

  Thankfully, Sometimes’s eyes turned blue again and he frowned as he muttered, ‘Merali, well, yes … I also wish I hadn’t risked you like this – I had
no idea at the time that your magic had gone rogue. I thought you might be able to find me from the safety of Starfell.’

  One of the beasts Essential had been trying to fend off unfroze. Snarling and snapping, it made its way quickly after them.

  ‘Sometimes! This is not the time! We have to get out of here!’ cried Willow, grabbing him by the arm. ‘Maybe put your hands over your ears so you don’t faint?’

  As he raced beside her, he looked affronted. ‘I don’t faint!’

  Behind them,Willow could hear Feathering attacking one of the beasts, and as she ran she glanced over her shoulder. Moreg was fighting with the queen while Pimpernell protected her flank against a group of advancing wraiths by swinging her opal-topped cane. But there were too many of them for the hedge witch to hold back. Willow gasped as Moreg released a bolt of lightning from her fingers towards the wraiths, illuminating the forest.

  Willow could well see why Moreg was called the most powerful witch in all of Starfell … but she was well matched, as the queen retaliated by stirring forth a massive shadow dragon.

  ‘Oh no, oh, me ’orrid aunt,’ cried Oswin, who was carrying the carpetbag in his front paws as he raced away from a smaller beast, his ears starting to smoke.

  ‘NOW is the perfect time!’ cried Sometimes. ‘The seed is from above, from Wisperia. It doesn’t work with Umbellifer’s magic – it’ll work with ours. Plant it, quick!’

  ‘Wot?’ cried Oswin, overhearing Sometimes. ‘The forgotten teller is mental – now is not the time for gardenenening.’

  ‘Trust me!’ shouted Sometimes.

  ‘It’s in the bag!’ cried Willow.

  Oswin groaned. ‘Oh, me greedy aunt, a curse upon yeh,’ he hissed as a beast came forward, and he delved a paw into the bag to grab the bright blue seed.

  Sprig, who was flying above, gave a blood-curdling cry and dived at the shadow wolf, diverting it away from Oswin.

  Sensing Sprig’s plan to distract the shadow beasts, Essential cried, ‘I’ll help!’ She lifted her hands to freeze another of the advancing beasts while Oswin, Willow and Sometimes ran towards a clump of shadowy trees and hid out of sight.

  ‘Plant it!’ cried Sometimes.

  The kobold shot the forgotten teller a hard look, but did as instructed, his ears smoking as he dug up a little of the shadowy earth and patted the seed into place. He looked up at Sometimes and shook his head. ‘Nutters, the lot of yeh. After this, if I gets out alive, I fink I’m going on an ’oliday. There’s a nice dark drain near the cottage …’

  As soon as the seed was planted, a small, pale yellow shoot began to grow very quickly. It sparkled like sunshine in the gloom.

  ‘What is it?’ whispered Willow.

  ‘Magic,’ said Sometimes.

  And it grew into a mighty plant, like a beanstalk with thousands of shoots that began at once to fight against the shadows, snuffing them out as the plant grew and spread through the forest. Its bright blue shoots reached towards the shadowy beasts and held them back, while a massive root wrapped itself round the shadow dragon fighting with Moreg. In the ruckus, Moreg and Pimpernell were able to get away, and raced towards the others.

  ‘Come on, let’s get out of here!’ cried Sometimes, and together they began to run away from the forest and towards the shadow river.

  As they neared, Willow felt an enormous pang of guilt. The last time she’d seen Holloway he’d been dragged off by a monstrous beast, but, with her own capture and everything else that had happened, she hadn’t yet stopped to really consider if he was all right. Her heart sank in her chest, and she silently pleaded that he was okay. She couldn’t find one friend only to lose another!

  She fished out the brass harmonica and quickly brought it to her lips. Behind her the shadow beasts were advancing. She blew on it, and suddenly a large copper bathtub with stumpy legs came hurtling up the river at breakneck speed. Then, through the swirling mists, she saw a familiar figure on board.

  Willow’s knees almost gave out in her relief. ‘Holloway! You’re all right!’ she cried, a grin splitting her face.

  ‘Willow, ahoy there, lass! Sorry I couldn’t find ya sooner – it took me forever to fight off that tentacled monster! Had to set a banshee wail on it—’ He stopped suddenly when he saw what was behind them, and he dropped the steps over the side of the boat at once. ‘Board now, quick! Quick as you can,’ he said, and they all sped on to the boat.

  Moreg turned and, with a twist of her fingers, she released a lightning bolt towards a shadowy beast that Feathering had been fighting off.

  The dragon rose up fast and dived on board. ‘Thank you,’ he breathed, sounding exhausted. ‘It kept getting stronger as I breathed fire …’

  ‘Don’t mention it,’ said the witch.

  Holloway’s sea-green eye widened as it took in Moreg, and he seemed to mouth her name silently, then swallow. His face blanched further when Pimpernell climbed quickly aboard, knocking back a shadow beast with her opal-topped cane, her wood-fire eyes glowing with warmth.

  ‘Well, hello there, wizard! This be a mighty interestin’ turn of events, you comin’ ter rescue us,’ she said. ‘Mayhap I should have believed yeh when yeh said yeh wasn’t gonna use yer new powers fer bad …’ She looked almost contrite. ‘A witch should admit when she’s done wrong … so I’m doin’ that now …’

  Holloway blinked. ‘Um, thanks.’ His cheeks turned pink, and then he jumped into action, taking two banshee-wail canisters and loading them into the chute beneath the sail.

  ‘Cover yer ears!’ he commanded, and they did, as bloodcurdling cries split the air. The noise kept even the beasts back and the boat sped fast on its stumpy legs towards the black waterfall.

  ‘How on Great Starfell are we meant to get up that?’ cried Sometimes. ‘Will the banshee wails do it?’

  Even Holloway looked uncertain.

  ‘I could try freezing it?’ suggested Essential. ‘That might work!’

  They nodded – it might.

  Essential closed her eyes and concentrated with all her might. Then she raised her hands and tried to freeze the downward tumble of the shadowy waterfall. At first it didn’t seem to work, then it sort of flickered a little.

  Moreg put her hand on Essential’s, and there was something almost like a tiny lightning flash, and the whole waterfall froze, becoming a motionless wall of shadowy water.

  The boat steamed ahead, powered by the twin banshee wails. Right before they reached the base of the waterfall, Feathering cried, ‘Hold tight!’ He heaved himself up and launched all his mighty weight against the stern, causing the boat to rock backwards and point its bow up the waterfall.

  ‘Thank you, dragon!’ yelled Holloway as the power of the banshee wails took over once more. ‘Perfect first-mate work.’ Then he nodded, clung to the wheel and said, ‘That’s right, Sudsfarer – all the way up, past the Mists, to the Knotweed River …’

  As they climbed up the waterfall, Willow’s eyes became heavy. She was tired … so tired … Her body felt drained of energy.

  Before she knew it, she was falling back into Sprig’s and Essential’s arms, fast asleep.

  24

  Home

  Willow awoke to sunshine and the sound of marsh birds as the Sudsfarer glided up the Knotweed River towards home.

  All the colours were bright and bold. The water shone and shimmered. The sky was a brilliant blue, and along the riverbanks Willow could see the marsh grass, knotweed, the butterflies and the bees.

  ‘Welcome back,’ said Moreg, taking a seat next to her.

  Willow had been placed on a mound of cushions on the deck. She sat up, blinking in the afternoon light. Near the stern, she could see Nolin Sometimes leaning against the railing as he chatted to Essential and Oswin, who was looking at the world through the copper spyglass. In the sky above, she could see Feathering keeping pace with the boat.

  ‘We were worried about you,’ said the witch.

  Willow felt a wave of fatigue wash over her as she
tried to sit up.

  ‘Relax, you’ve used a lot of magic – you need to rest.’

  Willow nodded. She looked at the witch and frowned, opening then closing her mouth.

  ‘What is it?’ asked Moreg.

  ‘Why didn’t you just send me a message to tell me not to come to Netherfell?’ Willow asked finally.

  ‘I should have – but I couldn’t be sure if you would have listened, knowing that your friend’s life was at stake. I thought it best to try and keep you safe. The problem was I couldn’t rely on my seeing ability – I can’t see what happens in Netherfell, just like Umbellifer can’t see what happens in the world above. That’s why I was unable to predict what Sprig was going to do – his actions were careful, and the fact we were often in different worlds clouded my vision.’

  As if he had been waiting for Willow to wake up so that he could speak to them both, Sprig approached them now. He looked unsure of himself. There were deep shadows beneath his eyes, and he bit his lip.

  ‘I’m so sorry about everything. I didn’t want to betray you,’ he said, looking at Moreg. ‘I believed Umbellifer when she said it was for the best – that we could prevent a war this way. I knew she was going to use your powers, but I never thought she would try to keep anyone in Netherfell for good.’

  The witch frowned. She didn’t seem angry, just disappointed perhaps. ‘You of all people should have known better. She’s not someone who plays fairly,’ she said. ‘But there was something else that was motivating you, wasn’t there?’

  Sprig looked down at the floor of the boat. ‘Yes,’ he admitted.

  Willow thought of the small throne that had appeared next to the queen’s. ‘You wanted to rule with her?’

  He shook his head. ‘Not exactly rule, no. I just wanted to belong. I’ve always felt a little lost, with one foot in both worlds. Out here, in this world, there have been many who were afraid of me, my powers … the scent of death. Umbellifer made me a promise that I would find where I belonged.’