Renegades Of Wolfenvald, Book Two of The Adventures of Sarah Coppernick

by SJB Gilmour

  The spirit then drifted back to its stone and like its comrades, faded into the snowy ground, and disappeared.

  Benjamin, Robert and Roberta scampered back to Angela and Susan, sniffing all around. Susan’s expression was serious though happy. Angela’s was equally serious however she was most definitely not happy.

  ‘Did any of that make sense to you?’ Benjamin asked her. ‘I heard every word but could only understand about one in four.’

  ‘Oh I understood it alright,’ Angela replied darkly as she, Susan and James put their clothes back on. She clamped her mouth shut and marched back to the campsite, sparks of anger flickering up and down her body.

  Sensing her teacher was probably not in the mood to answer any more questions, Sarah nudged the Silver Shroud werewolf before he could question her further.

  ‘I wouldn’t,’ she told him. ‘Not now, anyway.’

  Sarah herself wasn’t as concerned about why Angela was so upset. She knew how to find the missing piece of the Star of Planes! Who was holding it? Who he was supposed to be marrying and where exactly these Gog and Magog places were, she had no idea, but she was sure she’d find out soon enough. And, to top it all off, Susan was pregnant with a boy! Mel was going to have a baby brother!

  Once they settled back at the campsite, Susan filled them all in on what had happened while her sister was uncharacteristically silent.

  Mel stared at her mother and father for several minutes, not saying anything.

  ‘Mel, dear?’ her mother prompted.

  Mel swallowed, looking confused. ‘I don’t get it,’ she replied. ‘When I first got called The Last Daughter or whatever, I looked up Cassandra’s Herstory. She never said anything about me having a younger brother one day. It’s not like her to leave that kind of thing out.’

  Now everyone looked at her curiously.

  ‘If I may, Mistress,’ Nathan asked, bobbing his purple head anxiously. ‘What did she say?’

  Mel squinted for a moment. ‘I can’t remember all of it, but she carried on with her usual rubbish and got all weepy and angry. She said something like “Never has it been so clear! You are and always will be the last daughter of the line of Troy”.’

  ‘Sounds pretty cut-and-dried to me,’ James remarked. Then he shrugged. ‘Never had much faith in that old aunt of mine anyway. She’s nuts.’ Dismissing the matter, he turned to Angela. ‘Wedding day? Gog and Magog? What’s all this about? Who’s got the missing bit?’

  ‘Gog and Magog?’ Nathan piped up. ‘I can help you there.’ The bookwyrm looked skyward as he sorted through his memory. ‘Gog was the leader of a tribe of barbarians from around the time of Alexander the Great—’

  ‘Great?’ James questioned. ‘Humph. Nothing great about him. He was a pervert.’

  Nathan ignored him. ‘Gog’s people, the Magog, were from an area that used to be part of Syria but is now Turkey.’

  ‘So Magog’s a place,’ Mel stated.

  Nathan nodded. ‘And Gog, if I remember correctly, was buried near his birthplace in the southernmost reaches of his people’s land, all the way down near Egypt.’ He sighed with a dreamy expression on his face. ‘The Syria of those times was a far different nation to what it’s been reduced to.’

  James sat bolt upright. ‘Wait a minute!’ he burst out, his face going pale. ‘If Magog’s to the North and Gog’s to the south, then there’s only one place it could be!’

  Angela nodded. ‘That’s why I’m so annoyed. Mount Olympos.’

  James gaped at her. ‘Mount Olympos… Wedding day… Apollo?’

  Angela nodded.

  Sarah thought for a moment, remembering her geography.

  ‘I though Mount Olympus is in Greece?’

  Angela nodded again. ‘There are two. The mountain most people associate with the Greek gods isn’t the real one. It was renamed Mount Olympus only a few centuries ago. The real one is a long way southeast of Athens on the island of Cyprus, only it’s spelled with an O instead of a U. Mount Olympos.’

  Then the rest of James’ conclusion dawned on her.

  ‘Apollo? You’re going to marry Apollo?’

  Angela was quiet for a while then she sighed and nodded.

  ‘Sarah, if it means getting the Star of Planes so you can defeat Mautallius and destroy Conundrum Gate, I’d marry a devil.’

  ‘But isn’t there another way?’ Sarah was aghast at the idea of her teacher being forced to marry anyone on her behalf, even if that person was a god.

  ‘I could do worse, Sarah.’ Angela then smiled and held up her glass. ‘And now, if you all don’t mind, I’m going to get drunk.’

  Susan grimaced. ‘I’d love to join you, but it seems I’ve got to behave myself for a bit.’

  ‘I’ll drink with you,’ Roberta offered. While the two women made good on their intention of drinking far more than was really healthy, the rest of the group went their separate ways in different moods.

  Mel stormed into her tent and snuggled deep into her sleeping bag with her headphones blaring. She wasn’t angry enough to produce sparks, but there was enough energy being discharged from her slender body to make her sleeping bag crackle.

  James and Ronny retired to their tent where they chattered excitedly. For a god to be involved so closely to this kind of prophecy was absolutely amazing. They were both also very nearly drooling at the prospect of James being related to the betrothed of a deity. The commercial prospects of such a connection were enormous (or so they thought).

  Benjamin was neither excited or sad. Instead, a haunted look appeared in his eyes. He silently changed form, padded out into the night and disappeared into the forest.

  Sarah felt all kinds of emotions stir through her. Angela had always seemed steadfastly set on remaining single. She had seemed to be almost offended by Apollo’s attention and now she was being forced to marry Him just so Sarah could get a piece of that stupid amulet.

  She was excited at the idea of maybe getting to meet Apollo, but also worried that in doing so and getting the other half of the Star of Planes, she would be one step closer to having to face Mautallius again.

  Nathan and Robert were the only other ones who stayed up. Angela and Roberta, they decided, needed some level heads nearby just in case their celebrations got out of hand.

  Chapter Three

  The next morning, Sarah witnessed two things she’d never seen before. Angela, her usually very well-presented teacher, emerged from her tent pale and very dishevelled. Her hands shook and she commandeered Melanie’s dark sunglasses. Aunt Roberta appeared just as hung-over. Both sat about the campfire, gingerly cradling cups of coffee.

  James was the second surprise. There was a loud shout and he burst from his tent, looking most bewildered and angry.

  ‘What’s going on here?’ he demanded, throwing several curses in for good measure.

  Sarah blinked at him. ‘What are you talking about? What’s the matter?’

  James sputtered and blinked at her. ‘What do you mean? One minute, I’m having a drink before we head off on another of your hare-brained adventures. The next, I wake up in a tent on the other side of the planet!’ His head snapped about furiously as he got his bearings. ‘Who slipped me a mickey and took me to Castlerigg?’

  ‘Don’t you remember, James?’ Mel asked him. ‘You had a few drinks then we all came here. When you told us all about the snake that bit you and how you thought it was a copperhead because it was green, we had a look at the bite. You had a demonic infection.’

  Angela rubbed a trembling hand over her face and stood up, still cradling her coffee.

  ‘Probably an effect of the infection,’ she told the startled sorcerer wearily. Before he could protest, she held up one hand to calm him. ‘Don’t panic. We exorcised it. You’re safe.’

  James blinked again then helped himself to Angela’s coffee, earning him a deadly scowl.

  ‘Alright,’ he said, sitting down near the fire. ‘So I lost, what, twelve… fourteen hours of memory?’ H
e waved at Mel. ‘Better fill me in kiddo, just in case it doesn’t come back.’ He nodded at his hung-over cousin. ‘Angelina looks like she’s about ready to puke, and you’re closest.’ He sniffed the air in front of her. ‘And you definitely smell better than your aunt.’

  While Melanie tried to fill the gaps in James’ memory, David, Ronny and Robert dismantled the tents and began clearing up the campsite.

  ‘What?’ James yelled when Mel got to the bit about Angela agreeing to marry Apollo. The bald master of enchanted flora leaped to his feet and hurled his empty coffee cup to the ground in a rage. He whirled upon his suffering cousin.

  ‘Apollo’s spent aeons chasing you and all the while you’ve been carrying on about how if you marry, it’ll be your choice, not His! We all thought after your last go at choosing your own husband, you’d eventually see sense and take Him up, but now you’re only doing it so Sarah can get a bloody trinket? Are you off your twig?’

  Before James and Angela could begin arguing in earnest, there was a loud ‘ding’ as though a bell had been struck. James spun around to see a glowing spot on the ground nearby. The spot glowed brighter and brighter until there was another ‘ding’ and in the glowing spot’s place, stood the ruddy-faced form of Demeter, Apollo’s cousin and James’ goddess. James made a strangled noise and fell to his knees before the goddess of harvests.

  The last time Sarah had seen Demeter, when She had appeared to remove Her chockolatus curse from James, She had been dressed quite formally in a white toga. This time, She had obviously been doing a spot of sacred weeding. She wore muddy green gumboots, old, stained overalls and a holey (not holy, though it probably was holy, come to think of it) red knitted jumper and an equally worse-for-wear blue knitted beanie.

  The goddess waved at James. ‘Oh, get up and stop being such a drama queen,’ She admonished him in much more plain talk than one would expect from a goddess.

  James obeyed and stood before her, his head bowed respectfully. Sarah and the others also approached and bowed their heads to the deity.

  ‘I’ve just come to clear something up.’ She nodded up at the stone circle. ‘The Celts never had much in the way of marriages. To them, once a couple decided to be mated, that was it.’ She sniffed and wiped Her nose on Her sleeve. ‘Ignorant savages,’ She muttered dismissively. Then She turned to Sarah, whose head was cocked to one side in confusion.

  ‘Golden Mane,’ Demeter said with a formal nod.

  ‘Holy Demeter,’ replied Sarah, wagging her tail.

  Then Demeter turned to Angela. ‘Approach me, Marked One,’ She instructed.

  Surprised, Angela stepped forward.

  ‘First, I want to thank you and your sister,’ and Demeter nodded at Susan, ‘for ridding my subject of the demon that sought to overwhelm him.’

  Angela bowed her head, smiling.

  ‘Second, I would give you some advice.’

  Angela looked up, her bloodshot eyes wary.

  ‘From one who has known the embrace of Apollo to another who is yet to do so,’ She advised. She then reached out and put Her hand on Angela’s shoulder. Angela’s eyes widened in surprise and she began to blush. Whatever Demeter was telling her was no doubt quite frank and certainly not for ears as young as Sarah or Mel’s to hear. When She was done, She withdrew her hand and faced the group.

  ‘The spirits of this shrine interpret the stars well, but their ways are not the ways of the subjects of Mount Olympos. To them, even a single loving embrace can be taken as a declaration of wedlock. Apollo had his way with me, but it was no marriage.’

  ‘So, are you saying all Angelina has to do is sleep with Apollo and he’ll give us the missing piece of the Star?’ James asked.

  Demeter smiled. ‘Perhaps. There is no doubt my cousin wishes to wed yours. A kiss, an embrace… These may be enough for him to relinquish the item. Perhaps he may seek for her to agree to wed him in times yet to come. Such would certainly be considered a true betrothal by more than just the primitive spirits of this place.’

  Now Angela smiled and sighed with relief.

  ‘One last thing before I leave you, my son,’ Demeter said to James. ‘I do not know how to operate the amulet once it is made complete, so do not ask, but I do know there is one who does.’

  James scowled. ‘Well, come on,’ he demanded (very rudely, thought Sarah, though Demeter was obviously quite used to his abrasive manner), ‘spit it out. Who knows how to make the cursed thing work?’

  Demeter smiled at him again. ‘I do not know his name, for he is not of this world. His work however, survives.’

  Now Benjamin’s ears pricked up. ‘His work?’ he yipped.

  Demeter nodded at the silver and black werewolf.

  ‘Aye, Silver Shroud. Many copies of this text were destroyed by the king of Babylon, but one remains.’

  ‘I didn’t know Solomon destroyed books,’ James observed.

  Demeter nodded. ‘For heresy.’

  ‘No!’ Benjamin barked. ‘Impossible! It’s supposed to be lost!’

  Demeter shook her head. ‘No, Silver Shroud. One copy remains. If you can find it, you’ll find the one who made the Star of Planes.’ Then She turned to Mel’s parents. ‘Mother and Father of The Last,’ she greeted them formally.

  David blinked in surprise, and bowed, while Susan blanched at the term and nodded her head.

  ‘The caretakers of Castlerigg were wise to advise you to leave this group. I would help you on your way.’

  ‘A question, Holy Goddess,’ Susan asked next, stepping forward.

  Demeter’s face clouded over with sorrow. This change in expression made everyone in the group suddenly very nervous. Susan went on as bravely as she dared.

  ‘The spirits here told me I’m pregnant with a son.’

  Demeter nodded. ‘You are.’

  ‘But Mel said Cassandra couldn’t see it?’

  Demeter sighed. ‘My dear cousin Apollo and others would never have had you learn this, dear one, but we shielded your mother’s sight of this part of your future.’

  Susan looked shocked. ‘Why? Is something wrong with the baby? Is—’

  Demeter didn’t let her finish. ‘He will be beautiful and healthy, but please, ask me no more of his future, or yours. To know too much may change it and that must not be.’

  Susan wasn’t about to be put off. ‘Why not?’

  Demeter smiled sadly at her. ‘Because as slight as you may feel your involvement is with the Golden Mane and her pack, you, your husband and your son have perhaps the most important parts to play in this enterprise.’

  ‘But—’

  ‘No more questions for now. Be well, all of you.’ Then She vanished.

  ‘Well, that wasn’t very helpful,’ David muttered. Then he gave Melanie a quick hug before rushing to follow Susan who had just created a flickering portal. Susan’s temper was just about to break and many of the sparks that began flickering up and down her body just as Demeter left, remained in the portal.

  Now free of the presence of his goddess, James let fly with another string of profanities, while Benjamin growled in frustration and paced back and forth. Sarah had no idea what was going on. She looked at Angela.

  ‘James!’ Angela admonished. ‘When you’re quite done, we’ll need you to find us a ship. Preferably one that’s not got a hold full of Wolfsbane. While you’re doing that, Sarah, Mel and I need to go to Mount Olympos.’

  ‘A ship!’ Sarah and Mel both burst out.

  Angela nodded. ‘That’s what’s got Benjamin here so worked up. There’s only one person in the world who would have the tome we’re looking for, and to get to him, we’ll need a ship.’

  ‘What tome?’ demanded Mel.

  ‘Who?’ asked Ronny.

  ‘Where is he?’ Sarah asked.

  Angela smiled. ‘The tome is The Babylonian Heresies, the man is Oliver Cromwell Senior, and his island is smack-bang in the middle of the Bermuda Triangle.’

  Watching all this from the safety o
f a thick patch of bracken was Wallop. He didn’t know what to make of all these goings on. Castlerigg had sat idle for centuries until this lot had shown up and all of a sudden his forest was being invaded by all sorts of creatures, and now these creatures were being visited by a goddess, no less! He crouched in the bracken while he thought murderous thoughts about these folk in the campsite, being careful not to mutter any of those thoughts out loud, of course.

  Wallop had no idea what any of them were talking about, and quite frankly, he didn’t much care. That didn’t stop him being curious enough to eavesdrop.

  Then Wallop sensed another presence near the campsite. He looked up. The single advantage he had was exactly what had kept him safe in the bracken. He was too small and insignificant to be any kind of threat. He knew the sorcerers and werewolves in the campsite weren’t concerned with him, just as he knew the lycanthrope who was also eavesdropping (and who probably understood a great more about what had just happened than Wallop did), was not interested in him.

  After the group of sorcerers, werewolves and that frightful gnome had gone, Wallop turned to watch the lycanthrope. She appeared about the same age as the human girl sorcerer and the Golden Mane werewolf. She had short-cropped hair and was dressed in black combat fatigues.

  Wallop sniffed. There was something about this lycanthrope who had been so intently watching the Golden Mane. Over his own smell, he could make out something familiar about this girl… He was still wondering what this familiar smell was when the rest of the group disappeared. His confusion gave way to horror as he watched what happened next.

  The lycanthrope climbed down from the tree she’d been in so silently Wallop first thought he was watching an illusion. Then, just as silently, a hooded figure appeared in front of her. When the figure removed the hood, Wallop recognised the familiar scent. Goblin!

  ‘Did she detect you?’ The goblin’s face was scarred and he carried himself with the grace and bearing of a seasoned warrior.

  The lycanthrope bowed her head. ‘No, master.’