“You stay here,” Henry said to Ethal. “And if Ludo comes knocking do all you can to delay her.”
“But how do I do that?” she trembled.
“A pot of tea perhaps? Some of your apple strudel?” Henry winked at her. “It’s always done a fine job before.”
“Oh dear,” she whimpered as she rushed down the main stairs that lead to the front of the house.
Taking my hand, Henry rushed me down the other set of stairs that lead to the rear of the house.
“Someone must have seen us and sent word to her,” he said. Donning an odd-looking hat that appeared more Alfred’s style than his own, he opened the back door just a sliver and looked to make sure that no one was there, before he ushered me quickly through the rear yard and into the carriage house.
“Thank heavens you made it out!” said Alfred. “Ludo’s apparently got those flying beasts all looking for you. Now hurry and get into the carriage so we can leave sooner rather than later!”
“No, it’s what she’ll be expecting,” said Henry. “You must go without us. Drive with haste and go as far as the horses will take you. Don’t look back, and slow for no one!”
“But where will you go?”
“We will take the tree once we are in the clear. My guess is that she’ll follow you if she thinks you’re in a hurry for a reason,” he smiled at Alfred.
“A ruse it is then,” Alfred returned the smile.
“Come on out Justin and Emily!” Henry tapped on the carriage. “It’s low-tide and we’ve got much to do if we’re going to get you all home in one piece.”
Emily peeked her head out from behind the dark velvet curtain. “But what if she finds us?” she asked.
“She’s too close now and will more likely follow the carriage with Alfred in it.”
“Oh!” she squeaked and quickly climbed out with Justin following behind.
“Close the drapes tightly!” said Henry, while unlatching the garage doors. “She must not know that the carriage is empty until Alfred’s a good distance away.”
Alfred paused before climbing up onto the drivers bench. “You will write when you can?” he said taking Henry’s arm in a good farewell grasp.
“I will do what I can, but I’m not sure how easy that will be from where I’m going,” said Henry extending his grasp into a full hug.
“You never did tell me where you were planning to go,” said Alfred, looking distraught that Henry had barely arrived and was already having to leave again.
“No, I didn’t.” Henry stopped and looked at Alfred. “And for good reason. It’s better you don’t know. If there is any way to find it in your head, Ludo will stop at nothing to get that information out of you. Don’t fret dear friend,” he said quietly. “In three suns this house will be bustling again with these three arriving, asking all sorts of questions and you’ll be sending them back to the day of the great fire.” I realized he was talking about the day we arrived in Lockhart and met Alfred for the first time. “The time of the Myth is at hand and there are plenty of good days ahead. You will see Alfred, you will see.” Henry gave his friend a couple of friendly pats on his back, took Alfred’s hat with one hand and pushed him up into the driver’s bench with his other.
“Away from the carriage now!” Henry whistled to us. He put Alfred’s hat on Justin’s head and looking him over, he said, “I figured it would be Tali who would choose to wear her own clothes today, but it is you and Emily who have surprised me.”
Just then we heard the door chimes echoing through the home and out through an open window in the rear.
“Ready or not, that’s our cue,” whispered Henry.
“YAAA!” he smacked one of the horses swiftly on his rear and they both bolted out through the doors, into the bright daylight with the carriage swaying madly behind in their dust.
“Follow me,” Henry whispered, signaling with his hands for us to remain quiet and keep low.
We followed him out to the back laneway, creeping low behind the shadows of the thick hedges.
“In town we must not speak to anyone,” he said. “Be polite, and try not to make eye contact with anyone, lest you be caught in a conversation that could hinder our only means of escape.”
—
We reached the maple tree in record time and seeing that no one was around we climbed inside.
“Where are we going?” I whispered to Henry who held my hand tightly as he pulled me into the room with the lantern. Emily and Justin followed. “There’s not a symbol for home in here is there?”
“It’s a good thing there isn’t,” he said.
“Then where are you taking us?” I asked.
“We are going to save you,” he said.
“Save me?” I felt more confused by his answers than I did before I’d asked the question. “What happens that you need to save me?”
“You don’t remember?” Henry reached up and swiveled the metal sleeve around until the symbol of the shell appeared above the doorway.
“We’re going to Lily Palus?” asked Emily.
Henry nodded.
“Wait!” I said. “What day is it?”
“Ahh!” smiled Henry. “Now there’s a question worth asking.” He took my hand again and pulled me back through the doorway, which instantly shot us forward towards the light as it had done before. Justin and Emily followed us out to where the weeping willow stood beside the sandy shores of Lily Palus.
Chapter Twenty-Four
The Surprise
“So this is the day I nearly drowned,” I said. “The day you saved me.”
“Mmmhmm,” he confirmed with a smile. “Although, strictly speaking, it doesn’t happen till nightfall.”
“So you do remember it!” I said.
“Oh no, I can’t remember something that hasn’t yet happened for me,” he replied.
“But then how do you know it’s tonight?” I asked.
“Remembering is not the same as knowing.”
My mind drifted back to that night in the cool, dark water; the night that was a memory for me. It was the night I first met Henry, and began dreaming of him nearly every night since. His glowing green eyes and silvery scales... ‘Wait!’ I thought. “How do you...?” I looked down at his feet. “You know.”
“Ahhh, yes my legs,” he smiled. “It appears I’ll need a little help!”
“Weren’t we supposed to be going home today?” interrupted Emily.
“Yeah, weren’t we?” I asked.
“Tomorrow,” he assured. “When the sun rises in the east, be on alert!” He pointed towards the sandy horizon. “The Myth will come sailing in, surrounded by faeries and you will all be home before lunch.”
“The Myth?” I glared into Henry’s eyes. “I was beginning to think that this Myth you talk about is just that - a myth!”
“No, I can assure you, she is very real,” said Henry.
“And we finally get to meet her?” giggled Emily.
Henry nodded.
‘Oh brother,’ I thought. What’s the big deal with her anyway? I looked out at the horizon, where the sandy landscape would soon be filled with sea water.
“What’s she like?” asked Emily.
My eyes glanced towards Henry, waiting for his response.
“I think you’ll find her friendly enough, though you wouldn’t want to cross her,” he laughed. “And she’s quite stubborn.” He smiled a playful grin. “I am most certain that you will get along with her well enough.”
The way he smiled gave me a sick feeling. It was easy to see that he was fond of her.
“You seem so sure she’s going to come,” I said, unable to contain my jealousy.
“Trust me,” said Henry taking my hand. “She will come. But first things first - I need YOU to help me grow a tail.” He looked at me, but I looked away, p
ulling my hand with me. I didn’t want to see that grin of his any longer, and the pain of having to say goodbye was infinitely more complicated with having this other girl arrive.
“Why don’t you get the Myth to grow you a tail?” I said sharply.
Henry’s eye’s widened.
“Oooohh, I do believe she may be jealous,” scoffed Justin.
“Hardly.” Was it that obvious?
“You should have heard her talk about you when you saved her,” giggled Emily.
I felt Henry’s gaze on me, but I refused to look up at him.
“It’s only because I had never seen a merboy before!” I said defensively.
“He saaaaved meeee!” mocked Justin who then burst out laughing, until he noticed the piercing daggers I shot from my eyes.
“Alright,” said Henry. “Let’s save the stories for when we don’t have as much to do. Right now, I need you and Emily to set up camp here,” he said to Justin. “You’ll need to keep an eye out for Ludo. Hide yourselves well and watch the entrance to the willow carefully,” he instructed.
“What if she comes?” asked Justin, suddenly somber.
“You’ll know what to do.”
“But... how will I know?” Justin appeared doubtful and concerned.
“Remember what we talked about before you and Emily left to distract Ludo?” asked Henry. “When you were unsure of how you’d keep her from finding all three of you in Demoror Ari?”
“Yeah,” sighed Justin.
“And how’d that work out?” asked Henry.
“Good,” Justin smiled modestly.
“Alright then, it seems all you need is a little more trust in yourself. Here.” Henry reached into the larger of the two bags that hung from his shoulder and pulled out what looked like a small wooden whistle.
“Keep this Tacere flute near you. If you see Ludo, give it three sharp blows,” he said. “You will hear nothing, but from a distance we will hear the call.”
Then Henry slipped the larger bag off his shoulder and handed that to Justin as well.
“It’s time,” Henry whispered, pulling me towards the sandy shore.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“Have you already forgotten that I have a surprise for you before the tide comes in, after which we get to the business of saving you,” he whispered.
“Wait, am I going to have to drown again?” I asked, unsure of how this time continuum thing worked.
“Strictly speaking, from this place in time, you shouldn’t feel a thing.”
“You promise?” I asked, resisting his pull.
Henry stopped. “You have already felt what it is like to drown. Now you will see this day from a different perspective.”
Seeing that I was still hesitant, he added, “Trust me.”
“How long will you be?” Emily called out. “And what about food?”
“It’s all there in the satchel,” Henry called back to her. “The Myth will be here by morning!”
—
Henry led me towards a large rock cliff that ran along the shoreline. The sandy, wet bottom continued its descent into a maze of coral, while the hardened path he was leading me on curved upwards along the side of the cliff. As we climbed the path I noticed a dark horizontal line stained onto the cliff’s wall midway up. It must have been made by the surface of the water as the tide came and went. But for now, the tide was low and the sea bed stretched out for miles below us.
“What did you and Justin talk about?”
“Hmm?”
“Before he left with Em to distract Ludo,” I reminded him.
“Oh, we just had a man to man talk. Nothing that you’d understand,” he said.
“Is that so?” I raised my brow.
He smiled. “There are times when men just need some time with other men, and sadly Justin has been without one for some time now.”
I realized he was talking about Justin’s dad who had been gone for over five years now. Justin and I never really talked about his father’s death, and I hadn’t thought about how difficult that would have been for him, having only his mom and I to confide in. Now with Emily in the scene, he had his hands full and I could see how a man-to-man talk would have done him some good.
Henry and I hiked along the path for some time until we came to a point where it narrowed and swayed to the right, allowing the cliff to continue its steady accent without us. We walked in single file around the steep cliff with Henry in the lead. Every once in a while he’d turn around and smile at me.
“We’re almost there,” he finally said. We had come to a high point where the cliff veered tightly to the left and the rock path jutted out to a small precipice on which we could stand. Coming around the sharp bluff I was suddenly overcome by the incredible vista. We had reached a high ledge on the mountainside and were treated to a beautiful, wide view of the canyon that went out for miles. The sun was high in the sky, making it difficult to tell which direction we were facing, but as I looked out over the horizon, I could see no Myth coming from any direction.
Miles out along the distant shore I saw the long stems of the lilies reaching up to where the familiar platform of lily pads spread out. They sat at the same height as the cliff’s dark stain and I could imagine how different the landscape would look by morning, the rocky canyon having been filled with water.
“What do you think?” Henry asked, leaning back against the wall beside me. He had a silly grin on his face, as though he were proudly showing off his handi-work.
“It’s beautiful,” I said. “But did you really make all this?”
“You could say I imagined it; gave it a start,” he smiled.
Looking past him, I spotted a flock of white gulls soaring along a riverbed that continued to trickle far below us. Hundreds of glassy puddles spread out along the bottom of the canyon, reflecting the bright blue sky above. It was an incredible scene, and it was hard to imagine that he could have made it all.
“Here they come,” he said, looking out at a cumulous of clouds funneling in towards us.
‘The Myth?’ I wondered, scouring the distant sky.
“Come here, I want you to see this!” his eyes gleamed as he held out his hand for me. My insides danced with anticipation as I slipped my hand in his, and he walked me slowly out towards the edge. The cliff’s sheer drop, now inches from my feet, was unnerving and he must have known, because he wrapped his warm arms around me as we looked out at the horizon together.
The sea of billowing clouds rolled in like waves towards us, masking the canyon below with their expanding white wisps. Their misty cool vapour poured over my feet and gave me the sudden impression that we were in the heavens, somehow standing on the clouds. It was a fascinating contrast to feel the cool air over my feet, while the bright sun warmed my face. I stretched my hands up and placed them on either side of the round, bright ball, as though it were possible to hold the sun in the palm of my hands.
A sudden gust of white misty strands swirled over me, covering me in goose-bumps and lifting my hair up into a dance. Taking in a deep breath of fresh sea air, I settled back in Henry’s arms, content. The breeze quieted and the ebbing clouds moved on, leaving a moist tingling sensation on my skin and an unpreventable smile on my face.
“Is this the surprise you had for me?” I turned towards him with a sense of awe.
“Consider it a teaser for the main event,” he said with a wide grin, apparently pleased with my reaction.
“Come, the surprise is not far now,” he said, leading me back to the path that ran along the jagged cliffside. I followed his high-spirited pull around the cliff to a set of stairs that were carved right into the rock and entered the sharp cliff wall at a ninety-degree angle.
“It’s up here,” he said, stepping to the side so I could look up the narrow flight of stone steps.
<
br /> “The surprise?” I asked.
“Mmmhmm,” he smiled. “At the very top.”
Suddenly energized, I decided to make a run for it. I bolted up the steps, my legs leaping over ever other stair as I tried to beat him to the top. I glanced back and was startled to find him right behind me, keeping pace with every step of mine. I laughed nervously, panting for air, but not conceding what had become a race between Henry and I. Up the stairs he chased me, trying to pull ahead, but I had surprised him and was determined to keep the lead.
I could see the top step now, where it opened into the sky, and was excited to see what sort of surprise he had concocted. Suddenly, the last step ended with a small platform and a sheer cliff falling off into a large, deep crater. I felt Henry’s hand grab hold of me and pull me back against him, saving me from what would have been a dangerous fall.
“You might want to warn me next time you decide to bolt off like that unexpectedly,” he huffed, holding me so close that I could feel his heart pounding inside his chest.
“But you’re supposed to know enough!” I panted.
“Apparently, with you I am at a loss in knowing what to expect!” He looked past me. “So, what do you think?”
Peeking over my shoulder I slowly turned to find myself on the edge of a large crater that was filled with water about thirty feet below us.
“What is this place?” I asked in awe.
“Syreni Loch,” he said.
The lake looked to be about a few miles around, with vertical cliff walls rising around it, to border the entire place, except for a narrow opening on the far side. Circling the water and carved from the cliff itself were monolithic stone figures of tall human-like figures joining hands, not unlike a massive circle of friends. Each figure was incredibly detailed and they reminded me of the Syreni I had seen in my dream back at the temple. Each had a long neck, large head and wide set eyes. All had long hair and although some appeared more masculine than others, there was no defining gender that differentiated one from another. I was in awe with how long it would have taken to carve out such a massive masterpiece.
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