by T J Green
For a while they assessed each other, before the man dropped to the ground and sat cross-legged.
“Greetings,” he said. “My name is Woodsmoke.” His voice was soft and low with a strange accent.
Surprised, Tom said, “Hi.”
“And you are?”
After debating whether telling this stranger anything was a good idea, he said, “Tom.”
Woodsmoke nodded, as if that was the answer he’d been expecting. “I know your grandfather,” he said.
Tom’s head shot forward, his mouth open wide. “How? Have you seen him recently? Is he all right?”
Woodsmoke laughed, so gently it sounded like rain on the roof. “So many questions, Tom. You remind me of him. He’s fine. He doesn’t want you to worry about him. That’s why I brought his watch for you.”
“It was you? And you were in the wood yesterday! But where is he? I want to see him. So much has happened since he left, he could help – I know he could.”
“He’s too far away to help, Tom. As he said in his letter, he won’t be coming back. Whatever it is, you’ll have to manage. You aren’t alone, are you?” Woodsmoke looked concerned, as if he’d misunderstood.
“No, I live with my dad. But …” He shrugged.
Woodsmoke sighed. “I don’t know if he could help, Tom.”
“Well, I want to see him anyway!”
“I’m sorry, that’s not possible. I shouldn’t be speaking to you, I should have just gone.” Woodsmoke looked cross with himself. “I must go now, I have a long way to travel, and you must go home too. Stop worrying, your grandfather is fine.” He rose swiftly to his feet, but as he turned to go, a woman came running around the side of the tower.
“Woodsmoke, quickly – the girl has gone into the tunnel.”
“You said you’d sealed it!”
By now Tom was on his feet and looking at both of them. “What girl? Do you mean Beansprout?” But Woodsmoke and the woman were already running back round the tower.
3 Into the Other
Tom hurtled after them, trying not to fall and break his neck, and saw Woodsmoke and the woman disappear into a hole in the ground he was sure hadn’t been there before. Looking around the clearing he saw no sign of Beansprout, so he threw himself into the hole after them.
For several seconds he slid and coughed as dust rose in waves around him. Then he stopped with a thump, and looked up to find himself in a tunnel. Woodsmoke was looking at him in exasperation.
“You should not be here!”
“I’m coming with you if Beansprout’s down here. She’s my cousin; I’m not leaving without her.” All thoughts of his grandfather were temporarily forgotten.
Before Woodsmoke could answer, the woman shouted, “Come on!”
Woodsmoke pulled Tom to his feet, saying, “Stay close.” He looked above Tom’s head, murmuring something under his breath that Tom couldn’t understand, then a door slid shut across the opening. Tom experienced a moment of panic as he realised he was trapped, but before he could say anything, Woodsmoke set off after the woman.
Tom followed. The tunnel was narrow and dark, lit by occasional burning torches attached to the wall, their flames giving off an acrid smoke that made Tom’s eyes smart. The roof was low and the walls rough, tree roots spearing in from all directions.
Woodsmoke moved ahead with ease, gliding through the gaps. They reached an archway made of smooth, close-fitting stone, across the top of which words were carved in a strange language.
Woodsmoke shouted, “Brenna, wait!”
The woman called back, her voice flattened by the earth above them. “Hurry up!”
On the other side of the arch, the tunnel walls were made of the same smooth grey stone, the ceiling rising higher and higher as the walls moved further apart. The path sloped downwards, deeper and deeper into the earth.
Tom couldn’t understand how the woman had got ahead of them so quickly, but as they rounded the corner he saw her standing in the middle of a high domed space. Brenna had the whitest skin he’d ever seen, but her hair, falling long and straight to the base of her back, was so black that it had glints of blue in it. In contrast to her skin, her eyes were dark, the whites barely visible. Like Woodsmoke, she carried a sword at her belt. She looked completely at home in this space. It seemed to fold around her.
The floor was laid with intricately carved stones forming patterns of diamonds, circles, and interlocking squares, while the walls were decorated with patterns of leaves and animals – fierce-looking winged creatures with hooves and fangs. Tom thought he could hear murmurings and rustlings.
Around the edge of the semi-circular cavern were four wide-arched entranceways. Beyond each was a black void; it was as if the floor just dropped away. Beansprout was nowhere in sight.
“Where is she? Did you see where she went?”
Tom was worried by the urgency in Woodsmoke’s voice. However, Brenna looked calm.
“She went into the Realm of Water,” she replied.
Woodsmoke turned to Tom. “You must wait here; you cannot come with us.”
Tom looked around at this strange place so far beneath the earth, and knew he must go too. They didn’t know Beansprout – they would need his help to find her. And besides, what if something came out of those arches? What if Woodsmoke and Brenna never came back? He would die down here, entombed.
“No,” he said. “I’m coming. You can bring us both back.” In those seconds Tom felt the weight of the backpack on his shoulders and tasted the decay in the air around him, and knew he was watched by all those hundreds of eyes in the carvings as they waited with him in the long-abandoned tunnel.
Woodsmoke swore under his breath and then extended one hand to Tom and the other to Brenna. She turned and quickly pulled them into one of the archways.
For several seconds Tom felt completely weightless, and couldn’t tell if he was falling or flying, or simply suspended in the dark, a speck in an ocean of blackness. He heard a murmur, like waves lapping a beach, and a whispered “Welcome,” then felt a wrenching pull in the centre of his body. All at once there was light and ground beneath his feet. He felt himself cry out as air was forced from his body, and his hands instinctively reached out to protect himself as he pitched forward onto a mixture of hard grey rock and moss.
Taking a deep breath he pushed back onto his haunches and looked around. They were on a broad stone path in the centre of a large horseshoe-shaped curve of rock and water. Granite cliffs stretched high into the air, and waterfalls streamed down from the misty heights into an enormous lake in front of them, frothing and churning where they hit the water. The cliffs were pitted with caves and crevasses, some small, others cathedral-like in their enormity. Ferns grew everywhere, anchored to the rock with clinging roots. A broad stone bridge crossed to the far side of the lake, and beyond that the cliffs extended in a straight line, a deep gorge disappearing into the distance.
And it was hot and humid. Despite the fact that the sun was sinking in a cloudless pale blue sky, the oppressive heat lay across them like a blanket, and sweat was already beading on Tom’s brow.
Woodsmoke and Brenna seemed nervous. “It brought us here? To the Eye? Of all the places …” Woodsmoke whispered.
Brenna’s pallor was almost luminous in this light, which made her eyes appear even darker. “Well we must be quick then – and quiet!” she said.
Tom wanted to ask where they were, and what the Eye was, and who had whispered in his head so quietly it was as if he’d imagined it, but Brenna’s words stilled his tongue.
They hurried across the bridge. It wasn’t until he was halfway across that Tom thought to look below him, into the clear green water, and he stopped, astonished. Beneath the waves was a huge castle with turrets, parapets, courtyards and towers. It was completely intact; it wasn’t a ruin that had been swallowed by the lake. Far below he saw lights flashing in the darkness on the floor of the lake, and wondered who lived there. He ran to catch up to Woodsmoke
, pulling at his arm. Woodsmoke hissed, “Wait”.
The bridge ended with a low parapet, and they gazed over its edge. Water from the lake thundered to the base of the gorge to form a fast-flowing river. He saw a figure down there, much further along on the right.
“Look – out there. Is that Beansprout? Why is she down there?” he asked, bewildered.
“The doorways open onto different spaces, depending on the time you enter,” said Brenna. “The closer you are in time when you cross, the closer in distance you will be. That’s why we had to come here quickly,”
“We have to get down there. She must be terrified!”
Brenna looked at Woodsmoke. “I’ll go first, I can wait with her. We’ll walk back this way.” Then, in front of Tom’s eyes, she turned into a big black bird and plunged over the parapet, heading towards Beansprout.
Astonished, Tom turned to Woodsmoke. “What is this place? Where am I?”
“You’re in the Eye, which is the centre of The Realm of Water. It can be dangerous, so we need to leave. Stay quiet.”
Woodsmoke led the way down a wide stone ramp that dropped to the floor of the gorge. The cliffs either side were so high that Tom felt the size of an ant. It seemed to take forever to cross a small distance, as if they were crawling. It didn’t help that he kept slowing down to look around him. He wanted to see everything, to imprint it on his mind forever.
On the far side of the gorge was an identical ramp; the gorge was in symmetry. He wondered who had designed it all. It was peaceful and beautiful.
“We haven’t got all day, Tom. Hurry up.” Woodsmoke’s strides were long and fluid, and Tom almost had to jog to keep up with him.
“Is this where you live?”
“No, I live in the Realm of Earth, which is where your granddad is.”
Woodsmoke kept his voice low and Tom struggled to hear him.
“Is that close? Are we going there next?”
“No. You are going home next. And keep close to the cliff side; we’ll be less visible there.”
Tom decided to ignore the “going home” warning and asked, “Why is it sometimes dangerous here?”
“The water spirits who live here are not always friendly, and there are other things lurking in the rocks and the water that are even more frightening. It is not good that it’s so late in the day.” He looked thoughtfully at Tom and asked, “Why is it that a girl would go into a tunnel she doesn’t know, and then enter an archway that is black and appears to lead nowhere? Is she stupid?”
It was a good question. Tom wasn’t sure how to answer, but he thought he should defend Beansprout because he was actually pleased to be here.
“She’s quite inquisitive,” was all he could think of.
“Really?”
Tom thought he detected sarcasm. “I suppose she thought she was helping. She probably thought our grandfather was living in the tunnel beneath the folly.”
“Really?” Woodsmoke said again.
“Well, I would have thought so if I’d seen the tunnel; I’d have done the same thing. Anyway, it’s your fault. You left the tunnel open.”
Woodsmoke’s eyes narrowed as he stared at Tom. “Actually, Brenna did.”
Tom realised he’d better not be cheeky, or Woodsmoke might leave him here.
It was nearly dark when they reached the others. Brenna and Beansprout were waiting inside a small cleft in the rock face.
“Tom!” Beansprout said nervously. “Sorry to have caused so much trouble.” She looked as if she was going to hug him, but thought better of it.
“Are you OK?” he asked.
“I am now.” She smiled at Brenna. “I was a bit panic-stricken at first.”
“Well, this is Woodsmoke and he’s annoyed! Woodsmoke, my cousin Beansprout.”
Woodsmoke nodded briefly, and then said, “We need to get out of here.” He turned to Brenna. “I think we should go higher, find a cave and get out of sight.”
“I’ve already found one.” Brenna pointed to a small black hole in the rock wall, several metres above the path. “It’s small, but there are no other caves leading off it. It’s the best we can do for now.”
Woodsmoke sighed. “All right. Lead the way.”
4 The Eye
Excitement and nervousness fought inside Tom’s head. He wanted to see more of the Eye and the Realm of Water, but he didn’t want to come across the weird and dangerous creatures that lurked beneath the waters. Well, actually he did want to see them, but from a safe distance.
The four of them were at the back of a shallow cave looking out over the gorge. It was hot and airless, and Tom was uncomfortably sweaty. He could just see Woodsmoke and Brenna in the darkness as they leaned back against the walls, seemingly deep in thought.
“So what’s the plan?” he asked.
“We need to find another portal, Tom,” said Woodsmoke, “so we can take you back home. The portals between the four worlds are rarely used now. We certainly don’t know where to find one here, so we’ll need to search, but we can’t do that at night.” He groaned and rubbed his hands across his face. “It could take us days. And if we can’t find a portal it will be a long journey back to our realm.”
Beansprout spoke, her voice quiet. “I’m sorry. It’s my fault we’re here. I didn’t mean to …” Her voice trailed off with a sigh.
Tom asked, “What happened? How …?”
“I was eating and I saw this hole in the ground, so I thought I should check it out – you know, just in case. So I stuck my head in and then ended up sliding in. Once I was in I thought I’d see where it went.”
“But why didn’t you call me when you saw it?”
Beansprout shrugged. “In case it was nothing. I followed that tunnel, which was really amazing, and then I sort of stuck my hand in that black hole and it pulled me right in!” She sounded sheepish and delighted with herself all at the same time. “I freaked out initially, kind of froze, then decided I should sit tight and hope someone came for me – and here you are!”
Woodsmoke sounded cross. “Well, you are very lucky we found you intact. In fact you are lucky we found you at all.”
The word “intact” seemed to hang in the air.
“Well I’m starved,” said Beansprout. “Let’s eat.”
“Great idea,” Tom answered. “And while we eat you can tell us about this place, and how you know our granddad.”
Beansprout and Tom rummaged through their backpacks, handing out food and drinks.
“Very well,” said Woodsmoke. He paused, as if wondering how much to tell them. “First you need to know we are no longer in your world. I’m sure that’s obvious. We are in the Otherworld, which lies alongside yours. There are four realms here – Earth, Air, Water and Fire – and different spirits and beings live in each. This, as you know, is the Realm of Water, and we have arrived in the Eye, the absolute centre of the realm, where the Emperor lives. Brenna and I are from the Realm of Earth. Years ago we passed between the four realms all the time, but for years now we have remained separate. It’s the same with your world – we no longer come and go from there as we used to. In your world we have different names – faeries, elves, fauns, nymphs, or even Sidhe.”
“Faeries!” gasped Beansprout. “Like in the old stories – the ones where people would disappear and never be seen again?”
“That’s right. At certain times of day – dawn and dusk – and in certain places, the edges of our worlds would dissolve and humans could pass from their world to ours, usually by accident. Now, for most people, only the portals will enable passage, but they are well hidden.”
“Hidden how? By magic?” asked Tom.
“Of a sort. And they are usually built underground, or in remote places, with concealed entrances. My grandfather, Fahey, was trapped in your world for many years. When he was released from the spell, he managed to find the portals in the wood. He said he could hear our realm singing to him, as if to call him home, and he followed the music.”
“In that old yew tree at the edge of the wood beyond your grandfather’s garden. He was trying to travel to Avalon but triggered a spell. For years we had no idea what had happened to him, although we searched and searched.” He shook his head. “And then he returned a few months ago, with your grandfather, Jack. He was the first person Fahey saw after he was released from the spell.”
“Wow!” Tom exclaimed, “So why is Granddad here?”
“My grandfather liked him and so he invited him. I don’t know why he said yes, Tom. I know how much I missed my grandfather – that’s why I agreed to bring you that package, so you wouldn’t worry.”
“Then you must know why we want to see him, Woodsmoke.”
“I do, but it’s not that easy. Our world is dangerous, full of magic, strange places and even stranger creatures; far more dangerous than your world is to us. I have heard rumours of the Emperor here. If they are true, he’s someone we should keep away from.”
“So if this is the Realm of Water, why are we on land?” Beansprout asked.
“A portion of it is land, although it’s filled with rivers and waterways. Most of the realm is under the sea; whole cities are sprawled across the sea bed, or perched on underwater mountain ranges or deep within trenches far from light. From what I have heard there are different groups who all fight for control, and petty skirmishes are constantly breaking out. The Emperor must be a busy man,” Woodsmoke said thoughtfully.
“Do people fight in the Realm of Earth too?” Tom asked.
“Sometimes. There are disturbing rumours coming out of Aeriken Forest in our realm. The Queen of the Aerikeen is strange, and rarely seen. Her people have disappeared from the villages.” He exchanged a worried glance with Brenna. “We fear something terrible is happening there.”
“Do you know Jack too, Brenna?” Beansprout asked.
“Yes,” she answered from the darkness. “At the moment I live with Woodsmoke and his family. We’re friends. I said I would travel to your world with him, for safety. And I was curious too. After meeting Jack, I wanted to know what your world was like.”
