Ferryl Shayde

by Vance Huxley

  6 – Coming Together

  Two days before New Year, Abel and Rob still hadn’t worked out their costumes for the official opening of the Tavern. Kelis had her own robe now, one very similar to both the bath robe and the one on her figurine. Rob’s “one leaf floating” text message puzzled Abel, because Rob had already managed semi-hovering and could disturb gravel. After the next message, “Come quickly” Abel went outside and met Rob coming up the street.

  “One leaf floating?”

  “An email.” Rob looked stunned. “I sent a text to Kelis and she’s waiting for us.”

  “Not from Kelis?” Abel realised. “An email? Has one of the Tavern betas been in touch? What’s the matter?”

  “The email came to Ferryl Shayde. Remember, when we gave out instructions to calm themselves until they could float a leaf, to find out if they had magic?”

  “Yes, in the game. You used your domain for the email address because you’d got spares.” Abel stopped. “Someone actually made a leaf float?”

  “Possibly. Petra sent the message to the right email address, exactly as the game instructions told her to. She wanted to be a cat-sorceress, Ferryl Shayde, because they all think we made her up. It might be real because she added “Help, I’m frightened.” Rob tugged at Abel’s arm. “Come on.”

  “One of the Tavern players, from the game, has discovered magic? Wonderful. Now she can guard her own village.” Careful enquiries among the betas had already shown nobody knew of any witches or warlocks.

  “No, she’ll be scared witless when she sees all the magical creatures.” Rob stared so Abel explained what Ferryl said.

  “Her email didn’t mention creatures, just floating a leaf.”

  Kelis waited with her front door open so Abel and Rob shut up until they were all safely in the library. Between them, he and Rob brought Kelis up to date. Kelis seemed more excited than worried. “Did you email back?”

  Rob grimaced. “Only to wait, help will be coming. Where does Petra live?”

  “Briarley. About six miles by road, or four across the fields which I’m not even attempting in this weather. The mud will be knee deep.” Abel looked from one to the other. “What can we do anyway?”

  “I cannot go. I promised to protect you, and that is too far away.” Ferryl sighed. “I might make things worse.”

  “We can go and see her. At least take her some Tavern hexes to keep the slimies off her clothes, and we can clear out any globhoblins, thornies, that sort of thing.” Kelis headed for the door. “I’ll ask Aunty Celia to give us a lift.”

  “Blimey, do you think she will?” Rob stared after Kelis.

  “You know what Kelis told us, her Aunty Celia feels guilty because Mr. Ventner is her brother. Even so I’m not sure about this. We can try our parents?” Abel slumped a little. “Mum has just settled down with the TV to catch up on the soaps, so she won’t be happy.”

  “Explaining why it’s so urgent will be fun. Dad’s had a drink so no chance there. I could suck up to Samantha, if Dad will let her drive his car?” Rob shook his head, “but I’ve no idea what to bribe her with.”

  Kelis interrupted them. “Ready in ten minutes, but she has to be back in an hour for Mum’s therapy. Rob, you’d better let Petra know.”

  Abel pulled out his phone. “I’d better get the okay from Mum. Why are we suddenly haring off to Briarley?”

  “Tell your mum that Petra has just had a brainstorm about the game. After all, she really has.” Kelis stopped smiling. “This is not going to be fun, is it? I don’t know what I’d have done if the leaf had suddenly levitated and I hadn’t had the talk first. The creatures really will freak her.”

  “She’s seen pictures, and even knows which ones to avoid. Hang on, Mum’s answering.” Abel suffered through the teasing about his game and a stern warning to be back for tea, and rang off. “I’m clear.”

  “Me too.” Rob raised his phone. “Petra must have been waiting for a reply, she’s answered my email already. ‘Please hurry. I’m freaking.’ That’s fairly restrained.”

  “I cannot teach her control in one hour. She must learn to avoid danger while she trains. That will encourage practice.” Ferryl seemed decidedly upbeat. “Now Petra can wear her cat suit with pride. Wait until the other betas hear.”

  “They’ll run a mile, call us liars, or have hysterics and want us to prove it now, right in the school canteen.” Abel sighed. “Remember, nobody believes in magic.”

  “I believe this is when one of you usually says oops.”

  * * *

  Unfortunately only Ferryl could speak silently on the trip, and none of the humans could answer. The three of them listened to a happy litany of how Petra could improve her village, become the witch or maybe the sorceress, and benefit from all that had been worked out in Brinsford. As the car swept past the first houses in Briarley, Ferryl’s tone changed. “Oh no! Petra might be in danger. I hope the priest here knows of the agreement, or he may denounce her.”

  “Priest?” Abel spoke without thought because he couldn’t even see a church as yet.

  “Look. Very few magical creatures, and very little litter because there are no thornies. The church here must be well attended. Yes, I can feel it, an itching telling me to leave.”

  “I can’t feel it.” Rob kept his voice very low, while the other two shook their heads.

  “I can, but not as strong as other times.” Ferryl cheered up. “I can bear this. There are some good things about being a tattoo.”

  Aunty’s voice from the front seat interrupted. “This is the place, Kelis, according to the satnav. Nip in and find out how long you’ll be.” The three of them went, after thanking Aunty Celia for the ride, and she drove up the street to park.

  “Thank God. Oh, boys, never thought of that.” Petra glanced over her shoulder. “I can’t take you pair to my room for privacy.” She looked around. “I’ll get a coat.” Seconds later she came back, pulling on her fleece. “Is this real? Is there a real Ferryl Shayde, and Saint Georgeous, and all the others? I’ve been calling myself Ferryl Shayde and dressing in fur, I won’t grow real fur and ears, will I?”

  “Magic is real, but most of the characters aren’t. You’ll stay as human as we are. Me and Kelis anyway, we’ve always wondered about Rob.” The silly joke brought a smile at least.

  “Thank God. So what is it, some sort of Far East mystic meditation thing? I’ve been holding my Tavern mark when I meditated before playing for weeks. It felt really nice, calming, even though I thought the whole thing was just some bullshit way to settle all the players down and start the game. That funny feeling, the calming, flowing sensation got stronger then ping, the leaf fluttered up and away.” Petra whirled round, jabbing Abel in the chest. “It scared me shitless. Not the first time, but the second. The first might have been a draught. You could have told us!”

  “We didn’t expect it to work unless someone had already done some magic by mistake. We wanted to warn those what they’d got into.” Abel frowned. “The meditation instructions never mentioned holding a hex, or your warding mark.”

  “The first beta to find out might have been an accident. Warren told me the stroking helped, but someone else might have told him. The town Tavern started it, all meditating together before a meeting.” Petra put her hand to her arm where, presumably, she’d drawn her ward. “We’ve all got hexes now, I think. A couple have them tattooed on. Just how real is this, the game?”

  “It’s a hex when it’s on a car or door, and a warding mark on skin. Do you want to talk to Ferryl Shayde?” Abel couldn’t think of a way to shut Petra up long enough to explain, but that did it.

  “Tail? Ears?” Her eyes opened wide, “All fur and whiskers? She really has an email address?” Petra looked around furtively. “Can she make herself invisible? Is she here?”

  “Hold out your hand and close your eyes.” Abel had just remembered how Kelis and Rob reacted to that tendril of mist, invisible to the non-magical. “Ferryl Shayde, p
lease say hello to Petra, our new apprentice.”

  “Hello Petra. The game is not a game. It is how the real world is. You will see me, but not right now. Is your family religious? Do they go to church?”

  “What? No, but the neighbours do. Mum and Dad go to the church fete, that sort of thing. Does it matter? Oh crap, is this a pact with the devil? I’m not selling my soul, or even renting it out.”

  “No devils. Some sorcerers probably qualify, but any who claimed to be the real thing were killed very quickly.”

  “Abel, why are we connected by creepy-string? Is it you talking in my head?” Petra had opened her eyes, which were now fastened on the connection coming out of Abel’s coat arm.

  “That’s a sort of mental telephone line to Ferryl Shade, and I’m the telephone exchange.” Abel shrugged. “I have to make a living somehow.”

  “Idiot.” Petra reached out carefully and tried to touch the connection but her finger passed through it. She watched as more mist came out of Abel’s sleeve and Ferryl connected to Kelis and Rob. “Spooky. Can you hear me down that if I just..”

  Rob smiled. “Whatever you said, no, but I’m guessing you said think it.”

  “No, I thought do a cartwheel.”

  “I cannot hear thoughts.”

  “Whew. All three of you can do the leaf thing?” All three nodded and Petra scowled. “Swine, all of you. How many others?”

  “You are the only one who emailed.” Abel gave her a potted explanation, concluding with “So you did really well to imagine the glyph well enough.”

  “Ah, the imagining thing. It’s hard, so some of us started using a bit of charcoal or lipstick, or a pen.” Petra looked embarrassed.

  She looked startled at Abel’s sigh of relief. “That explains why you managed. It takes a lot of control to manage using imagination. That’s why only someone already magically active can do it.”

  “We’ll need an extra line in the rules, pointing out it has to be imagination or the meditation won’t work.” Rob looked pale at the next thought. “Otherwise we’ll be buried in magic users freaking about what’s crawling through lunch.” He rallied, glancing round, “At least the magical creatures won’t bother Petra because the church protects the area.”

  “You’ll be grossed out when school starts again.” Kelis shuddered. “I had things crawling over my clothes and dinner to start with.”

  “There aren’t any around here now, or not many anyway.” Petra’s eyes opened wide. “Can anyone do magic, or just a few?”

  “I’ve no idea about everyone, but many can once they discover how.”

  “Brace yourselves for trouble because now most of the betas are holding the hex, the Tavern ward, to keep them calm to meditate. Well, we thought meditate. I’ve no idea how many draw the symbol.” Petra rolled her eyes. “Suckered. When do I find out the good stuff or if I’m truly doomed?” She might have been trying to joke but the quaver in her voice told the truth, Petra was terrified.

  “Mostly good, sometimes gross, but you aren’t doomed. A couple of days training would help.” Abel looked helplessly around. “We never considered anyone actually managing it.”

  “Two days would be enough. If you work all day, every day, you will be able to drive off a Globhoblin. It might be easier if you leave home.”

  Abel sniggered. “Ferryl has an odd idea of adulthood.”

  “You could visit me?” Kelis shrugged and grinned. “I’ll suggest using the guest suite. It was for important clients, so Mum might like the idea of one of my friends messing it up. Otherwise you can doss down in my room, or on the floor of the Tavern.” Abel wasn’t so sure, but it was the best they had. Petra definitely looked puzzled but Kelis just smirked. “I’ll explain later. Can you come and visit?”

  “Hellfire, you’re serious? I can ask. Mum and Dad will want to phone your mum first, or maybe deliver me. Maybe not deliver me, you don’t look like white slavers.” Petra shook herself, rallying. “What will I need?”

  “Bring the cat suit. Kelis can wear her Glyphmistress robes.” Abel smiled. “Two days means New Year, if your parents and Kelis’s mum agree.”

  The first truly happy expression swept over Petra’s face. “Really? I’m sold.”

  While Petra went indoors to start convincing her parents, Kelis phoned her mum. It didn’t take long. “Mum says okay. She’ll get fresh sheets put on and organise smelly girly soap, pretty towels and all that. I told her it’s for a Tavern meeting and training.”

  Rob and Abel looked at each other, astonished. “It’ll never last.” Rob shook his head. “I know she hates the bloke, but even so…”

  “I’d better explain to Petra about Aunty Celia and not talking out loud on the way back. Ferryl, will you explain the creatures in the fields on spooky-phone and why Petra can’t talk about them?” Abel snapped his fingers. “Pad and pen!”

  Kelis patted her pockets and produced a marker pen. “Why?”

  “That’s how I talk to Ferryl at school sometimes, she reads my notes through my eyes.”

  The phone call, where Mrs. Ventner explained to Petra’s parents about the New Year’s party Kelis would be hosting for star Tavern members, did the trick. Abel couldn’t get his head round how Kelis’s mum seemed to be going with it all. Now Petra’s parents agreed, with a comment that it would probably be livelier than anything in Briarley. Better still, without Petra at home they could go into town for New Year themselves.

  Petra brought a pad and pencil, and Ferryl answered questions on the way back. The number of creatures in the fields freaked Petra, but quietly since the voice in her head had the answers.

  * * *

  When the four of them arrived back, Kelis’s mum didn’t sound bothered, just curious. “That was short notice.”

  Kelis answered. “Petra just found out about the calming, and it freaked her a bit.”

  Abel stared at Kelis, then switched to Mrs. Ventner because the answer hadn’t puzzled her at all. “Fair enough.” She smiled at the group. “It might have freaked me if my daughter hadn’t explained. Being pumped full of painkillers and tranquilisers might have helped as well.” Mrs. Ventner put her hand to the top of her broken arm, above the cast, and smiled. “Now it means I need less medication, which must be a good thing. You’ll be all right dear, Petra isn’t it?” Petra nodded, speechless. “Don’t worry. It will be a great comfort sometimes. What character do you play?”

  “Cat-sorceress, Mrs. Ventner.”

  “Ferryl Shayde? I’m Jessica if you like, though this pair can’t seem to manage it. Would you like a cuppa? There’s soft drinks in the tavern.” A few mumbled replies to say they’d be fine with soft drinks, and all four made their escape to the Tavern.

  “It’ll be a great comfort.” Abel glared at a decidedly shifty-looking Kelis.

  “My daughter explained?” Rob’s glare joined Abel’s.

  “You two didn’t know?” Petra stared at all three.

  “I can explain.”

  “Drinks, sit, and then an explanation.” Three nods answered Abel.

  “This should be interesting, at the very least. Chris, then Jessica, so much for secrecy. When do Rob’s family join us?”

  * * *

  Kelis kept silent until they’d all found a seat, then took a deep breath. “I couldn’t think of anything else.”

  “You told her about magic? Your mum can see magical creatures? Will she want to learn magic?” Abel shut up, because he really should let Kelis answer at least one of those.

  “Adults don’t take to magic very well. Finding out at a late stage can send them mad.”

  “My mum hasn’t gone mad! She doesn’t know about magic.” Kelis looked and sounded really defensive now, all trace of the Glyphmistress gone. “Dad hurt her, really bad, and he frightened her.” A flash of her alter ego returned, “There were things all over the hospital ward! Nothing came near because of my mark, but the nurses wouldn’t let me stay!”

  “It’s all right Kelis. Really.
We’re not mad at you. Not even Ferryl.” Though Abel could feel his tattoo pacing.

  “I am angry, but not at my apprentice. Why are hospitals not warded? Even poorhouses had hexes when I went in the hole.”

  “Hole, what hole?

  “Later, Petra. Part of the two days.” Rob grinned. “One small part and possibly not the weirdest.”

  “A varied but intensive magical world induction course.” Petra shrugged at their looks. “My dad designs and runs induction programmes. He’d have a ball with this.”

  Abel chuckled, because Petra probably would. “Though first, what exactly did you do, Kelis?”

  “Showed Mum my Tavern mark, or rather the flower.” Rob mouthed a silent ‘later’ as Petra opened her mouth to ask. “I explained. Even then I think she only let me draw one on her arm to stop me crying. A Tavern hex.” A fit of giggles interfered with the next bit. “She stroked it like I said and jumped a mile. The staff, the nurses, they wanted to clean it off and she wouldn’t let them.”

  “What about the burning? Mine really felt hot.” Rob touched his waist.

  “If it burned when I did it, Mum can’t have felt it with the rest. She has a broken arm, for a start.” Kelis waved her hands, indicating the room. “Now you know why she wants to know all about the Tavern, and wanted us to have this. Also to stop the dozens of boys of course.”

  “Didn’t the doctors or nurses insist on cleaning it off? They more or less scrubbed the skin off me to inspect my leg.” Rob glanced from one to the other.

  “Mum told me they tried and she went barmy. Told them it was her only link to me, it had to stay. Cried on them. She can be quite devious, my mum.” Kelis lost her smile, and sighed. “She’s had to be, for years.”

  “Not anymore.” Abel hoped he’d understood. “So she can’t see creatures, and she’s not trying to float a leaf or anything like that?”