The Trespassing of Souls

by M S C Barnes

from the open doorway.

  “Are you okay, Dierne?”

  The Dryad gave a shake of his head.

  “I think I’m deaf,” he whispered, tapping his ears.

  “I’m sorry!” Seb said but his voice once more was taken by the sphere and came booming back: “I’M SORRY!”

  Zach called over to Seb, “All right mate, no need to shout! And you should be sorry; I was having a fantastic dream about— ”

  “Shut up, Zach,” Miss West said.

  Seb, really concerned he had deafened a Dryad and prematurely woken the rest of the group, looked guiltily at Mr Duir and then relief washed over him, with a bit of annoyance, as he saw the smiles on his and Dierne’s faces.

  “What in the world is that?” Zach bounded over. As the others saw the ice globe they too assembled at the doorway.

  “Wow!” Aiden said, and now his voice was captured by the sphere and amplified.

  “WOW!” it shouted back at them.

  “See, it’s not just me!” Seb whispered.

  Mr Duir pulled the door closed. Turning to the fascinated group he said, “Think before you speak.”

  They all nodded then Aiden, noticing the characters on the other banks, nudged Zach, pointing.

  “That’ll be the Elders then! Hi— ” Zach waved to the Dryad.

  “Zach!” Scarlet whispered angrily at him. “Shh!”

  “I thought first, Scarlet! The door’s closed.” He waved at the elf. “Hallooo.”

  “That is enough, Zach!” Miss West came up behind him and he hung his head. “Show some respect!”

  Mr Duir smiled. Seb was once more intrigued to see how he seemed to find Zach’s irreverent attitude and Miss West’s annoyance at it, amusing.

  The elf had begun walking along the Dryad bridge towards the stone plinth. It seemed he was anxious to crack on. Mr Duir opened his door, put a finger to his lips and stepped onto the bridge. The others hesitated until Miss West barged past them and followed. Zach decided he was next and after a bit of jostling they all entered. Seb, at the rear, closed the door as Alice zipped in with him.

  They traversed the bridge, twenty feet above the lake bottom, and as they reached the triangular stone Seb was astonished at its size. There was plenty of room as everyone shuffled in towards the centre and he stared at its surface which was peppered with small gems.

  The elf, already there, stood on the side facing the diamond. Other than Seb, Mr Duir indicated for everyone to line up along the other two sides. He kept Seb with him, in the centre of the stone, facing the elf.

  Now the other Elders flitted through the frozen globe and joined them. Scarlet giggled as the Fairy Elder landed on her shoulder. Miss Angel raised her eyebrows in surprise.

  “I take it we can speak now,” Zach bellowed.

  “Only if you have something worth saying,” Miss West barked and he closed his mouth.

  The two other Elders moved over to flank the elf.

  Wondering what would happen now, Seb became aware of that faint tinkling sound again. The elf was looking at Nat who, smiling happily, nodded. Seb realised he was talking to her. The tinkling continued and now the elf looked at Aiden who blushed and said, “Yes I do.”

  Moments later he gazed at Scarlet who, with an extremely serious face, gave a solemn nod. “I do.”

  Now the elf regarded Zach who seemed startled. Seb guessed, like him, he had been unable to hear any exchange of conversation but now the elf was addressing him and Zach almost shouted.

  “Well absolutely I do! Do you know what I did last night?” He grinned wildly.

  Miss West raised her eyes and Mr Duir laughed, all formality forgotten.

  Finally the elf looked at Alice, who smiled, winked at Seb and said, “With such a twin? Yes.”

  And then the silver eyes fell on Seb. At last he could hear words within the tinkling sound.

  “Young soul, your group is formed. You are Custodian. When confirmed, your soul will be established in this human form for the length of your service. There will be no release and none may undo what is done here. Do you agree to serve?”

  Seb couldn’t answer. Seconds passed and Mr West coughed. Seb looked at his feet.

  “Seb!” Scarlet whispered.

  He shook his head.

  Alice whizzed to stand in front of him, hands on hips.

  “Seb, after everything you did last night and this morning, do you still doubt yourself?”

  “Alice, look, please. I just can’t!” he said, looking at the granite stone.

  Mr Duir spoke. “Okay. Enough now.” He bowed to the Elf Elder. “May we have a minute?” The elf raised his eyebrows but nodded.

  Mr Duir placed both hands on Seb’s shoulders and gently moved him to the vertex of the triangular stone that pointed towards the diamond. Dierne called Alice away.

  After a moment Mr Duir said, “What makes you still doubt this is your calling, Seb?”

  Seb took a deep breath, trying to find the right words. Conscious the others were straining to hear he spoke as quietly as he could.

  “When Braddock took over my body I was so afraid. I was terrified of him, of the gytrash, terrified of having to deal with them, terrified of not being up to this job. And I came so close to giving in. I nearly ran away, let him have my body so that I wouldn’t have to face this responsibility.” He looked up at Mr Duir. “You though, you took all those attacks, got so badly hurt, and you were willing to risk your soul being trapped for ever with Braddock and Heath, to save everyone else.” He looked down at his shoes and mumbled, “I’m not confident, I’m not brave. When it comes to it, I may be a coward. I’m not like you – and I can never be as good as you.”

  Mr Duir smiled.

  “Look at that!” He pointed at the diamond. “Then look at me and say that again!”

  Seb stared at the diamond twinkling at him across the hollow bowl of the lake, Mr Duir’s death-cast deep inside it, and he felt the warmth of this man’s hand on his shoulder.

  Mr Duir continued, more quietly still.

  “Nature, Seb, does not get it wrong. In all of history only one other Custodian has managed to create the Glacial Trace. Interestingly, that Custodian also doubted, also feared and refused at first to be confirmed …”

  Seb turned slowly and looked up at Mr Duir, eyes widening. Words Mr West had said at The Hurlers came back to him, But then, if I remember rightly, Aelfric himself was reluctant – he actually refused the Grand Elf at first.

  “And Seb,” Mr Duir said. “I still fear and I still doubt. I have had my failures and they haunt me, but there are so many souls who just need someone to show them they care and nudge them back in the right direction and for that I will keep trying.”

  Mr Duir was quiet now, giving Seb a chance to think.

  Seb knew he was supposed to find this all amazing and to see what he was being offered – an extended lifetime with his friends, his sister and Alice and then ultimately to become an elf, able to wander all the realities as he chose, as a gift. But he couldn’t. It wasn’t a gift; it was a daunting responsibility that weighed heavily.

  Looking at the glimmering diamond he finally nodded.

  Mr Duir said one more thing.

  “Seb I owe you my life and my soul. Whatever I can do to help you, I will.”

  Then without another word he walked back to stand in front of the elf, waiting for Seb.

  Seb followed. As he passed Scarlet she whispered to him, “Little brother, none of us doubt you.”

  Now he smiled and stood next to Mr Duir.

  “Thank you,” he said to him quietly then turned to the elf and, raising his voice, said, “Okay.”

  “Yay, Seb!” Zach shouted.

  Immediately the elf nodded and lifted his left hand. He tilted the palm towards the roof and opened his fingers. Seb expected to see a mark like his and Mr Duir’s but there was nothing, just a smooth, silver palm. A bolt of blue flame burst from the elf’s hand and shot into Seb’s chest. Five lines forked from
him and struck Scarlet, Nat, Aiden, Zach and Alice. Seb braced himself, expecting pain, but felt nothing. In a second the flames were gone.

  “You are Confirmed!” The elf said and Seb gaped at him.

  He felt a bit deflated and then recalled Mr Duir saying he barely remembered his own Confirmation it had been so quick.

  So I’m officially a Custodian.

  It was a big thing for Seb to comprehend, especially as he felt no different now to how he had felt just a minute before. Then he realised: that was the point – he was no different. He smiled to himself.

   

   

  A Resolution

  Scarlet and Seb’s friends were ecstatic. They spent a few minutes congratulating him. He wasn’t sure that was justified.

  Mr Duir had moved to the edge of the stone, out of the noisy group and as soon as Seb got a chance he slipped away and joined him, feeling more comfortable in his quiet company than in the loud and exuberant group.

  “What now?” he asked.

  “Before the Question to End I await the Elders’ response to my request.”

  “What request?” Seb glanced at the Elders, who were conferring.

  Mr Duir watched the elf. “To give your father’s soul peace.”

  As he said that the tinkling words came, “We have considered.” All three Elders moved forward slightly and Mr Duir approached them.

  Seb felt a tingling in his hand and his heart pounded as he waited for the result. At length, the elf said to Mr Duir, “We can see no answer. The oath was sworn for one hundred years to an unconfirmed Custodian, party to that oath. The soul shall remain.”

  Mr Duir stiffened. Seb’s breathing had stopped; he felt like his heart had too. The elf was saying his father would remain as that ogreish form for