by Maggie Joan
Calico headed for a white building with black window frames, just a couple of buildings into the town. With grey slates on the roof and the slightly wonky lines, it reminded me of an old medieval type of house.
“You can dismount,” he said, watching the environment around us. “We’re quite safe here.”
The horses didn’t kneel for us to dismount, something I made a mental note to ask him about later. I slid down from Kaisa’s side, the few seconds to the grass making me feel like I was falling forever.
“There’s a barn around the back,” Calico said, pointing to a narrow alleyway between the white building and a thatched roof cottage to the left of it. “I’ll be back in a human minute.”
With a cheeky grin, he led the horses down the small alley. I stood in front of the white building, only noticing then an old wooden board stuck to the front of it of a handsome man all dressed in white clothing. The name below it said The White Prince Inn.
“Well aren’t you just a delightful little thing.”
I turned around at the sound of a cheery female voice. In front of me stood a human looking woman, which I presumed meant she was a goblin. Somewhat large and dressed in a flowery outfit with grey curls piled on top of her head, she reminded me of a grandmother type of figure. Her bright green eyes exuded nothing but warmth and happiness. I felt no threat at all.
“Hi,” I said.
“What’s a rarity like you doing around these parts?” she said, looking me up and down very quickly.
“I’m here with a…” Could I say friend? “…with Calico. He’s fairy royalty,” I said, hoping the mention of royalty would make me seem rather important.
“Oh, Calico, yes I’m very familiar with him and his family. Lovely clan. Why don’t you come and sit down, rest those weary legs of yours whilst he tends to your horses.” She beckoned me towards her with her chubby hand. “I’m only over there.”
I followed her pointed finger to a rickety old wooden building. It leaned heavily to the left, almost an engineering marvel at how it hadn’t collapsed. Two stories high, both windows were covered in grime and dust making it impossible to see inside. Outside the open door, a pair of dogs not that dissimilar to German Shepherds laid on their bellies, posing like the sphinx.
“What do you do?” I said, eyeing the building with suspicion.
“I’m a healer, I make potions and lotions for a variety of different ailments,” she said, smiling.
My legs did ache, and I couldn’t resist the thought of sitting down. Glancing back to the alleyway, I saw no sign of Calico just yet. This woman seemed perfectly harmless and if she was for all intentions a doctor, I’d be fine with her.
“Thank you,” I said, returning her smile. “I’m Faye by the way.”
“Merron,” she replied. “Come, I’ll make you a cup of my best herbal remedy for tiredness.”
I felt somewhat at home, like I’d been accepted into this community already. Excitement and happiness tumbled around inside me. Everything I encountered here seemed so surreal it took me a while to understand what was happening in front of me.
As we approached the front door, I remembered Calico’s words of don’t pet the dogs. What made that really hard was when the dogs jumped up in sheer joy at meeting someone new. They wagged their fluffy tails so hard their bums wiggled from side to side. Their brown eyes were full of hope of being stroked, it took every ounce of willpower not to automatically fuss them.
“They’re fine,” Merron said, strolling into her shop. “You can touch them. They won’t bite.”
That was my first red flag that something wasn’t right.
Chapter 10
For whatever reason, I ignored the red flag of Merron telling me that the dogs were fine to pet. Maybe they were harmless to her kind but dangerous to me for some reason I didn’t know yet. I had no ill feeling from her at all so I walked through into her shop, immediately amazed by the crooked little building.
A range of smells hit me first, lavender, spices, herbs, burning incense. Various clutches of plants, in different stages of freshness through to dried, hung from every inch of the ceiling, making me paranoid about hitting them with my head. Every wall was lined with rows of shelves, all carrying jars and jars of assorted ingredients.
In the far corner, where the left wall and the back wall met, a huge black iron cauldron sat there, almost to the brim and bubbling with some sort of creamy liquid. Little green specks floated around the surface, reminding me of chives in a cheese and chive sauce. My stomach grumbled, alerting me to the fact I hadn’t eaten for goodness knows how many human hours.
“This is a really cool shop,” I said, still taking in everything around me. “I’d love to work somewhere like this back home. Do you do spells and things too?”
Merron spun around. I jumped back in surprise when I saw her green eyes had been replaced with fiery red coals, her face set in a hard stare. Her entire body seemed to have puffed up, as if she were about to explode. “Do I look like a witch to you?”
My heart thudded against my rib cage and I held my hands up in a surrender sign. “I…I meant no offence. It’s just where I come from, this kind of shop and witches go hand in hand.”
As if I’d just stuck a pin in a balloon, she deflated, and her eyes turned to their original green colour. “I’m sorry,” she said, clearing her throat. “Around these parts, witches are not nice people. They curse and cause death. I am quite the opposite of that.”
I offered her a faint smile as I wrestled with the idea of running back outside. “Sorry. Duly noted for the future.”
“That’s quite alright. Now, let’s get you some rest and something nice to drink.” She stared at my clothes and then tilted her head to one side. “I have a lovely dress I think would look stunning on you. Would you like to try it on?”
“I…I don’t have anything to give you for it but thank you anyway.”
She waved a hand through the air. “I don’t expect anything for it. It’s not been used for decades and is just sat there collecting dust. It would be nice to see it being worn again.”
I hesitated but felt I’d be being rude if I declined again. What harm could wearing a dress do? “Ok, thank you,” I said, giving her my best smile.
At the far right-hand side of the back wall, a small brass knob stuck out, making me realise the shelves and wall gave way to a door. Merron disappeared into the doorway, reappearing seconds later with a beautiful white lace gown. It looked like a wedding dress. Sweetheart neckline, lacy straps, floor length, it really was quite breath taking.
“Oh wow,” I said, gasping. “That is gorgeous.”
“It is,” Merron agreed. “Such a shame to see it going to waste. Come here, let’s get this on you.”
I all but skipped over to her, almost buzzing with excitement at being able to wear such a pretty dress. I took my t-shirt off and let her put the dress over my head. As it slid down my body, it clung to me like a second skin. The inside of it was lined with silk and it felt so good, so smooth. For a moment, it was like I was royalty.
“Take your trousers off,” Merron said, as the bottom of the dress hit the floor. “Then we’ll see you for real in it.”
I hitched the dress up and undid my jeans, kicking them off with glee. “Have you got a mirror?”
She clapped her hands together and squealed in delight. “Oh you really do look scrumptious in it. Turn around, there’s a mirror on the wall.”
I whirled around and stared at myself in the full-length mirror and gasped. “Wow,” I whispered. The dress shimmered, a myriad of colours flowing all through it like a river. All the shades of the rainbow moved over it, pastel and bright. “What…what is this?”
“It reads your soul and yours is just delightful. I’ve never seen one so vibrant,” Merron said.
In the mirror, I saw the glint in her eyes and at that moment, my heart dropped. My moment of joy and beauty became a reality of fear and dread.
“I…I…w
hat does that mean?” I said, trying to formulate a plan of action in my head.
I turned around carefully, eyeing the door out of the corner of my eye. Merron continued to stare at me, roving her eyes up and down me, almost like she was in a trance. What should I do? Should I make a run for it? Try and talk to her again?
Merron snapped out of her hypnotic state and scurried over to one of the bottom shelves. Picking up an almost empty jar, she hurried over to her cauldron and tipped the contents in. All I saw was a glimpse of pink.
Very slowly, I inched my way towards the door. When I’d managed to move about half a foot, Merron turned around and noticed I’d moved. Several fraught seconds ticked by.
“FAYE?”
The sound of Calico shouting for me brought me a wave of relief. Throwing all caution to the wind, I ran for the door, shouting his name. A horrendous roar bellowed behind me, making me run even faster.
“Calico!” I yelled, almost tripping over my own feet as I ran out into the street.
A collective gasp sounded from every being in the town and everything fell silent and stood still, staring at me. I searched the crowd for Calico. He stood, frozen, his mouth wide open as he stared at me in the dress.
If I felt like an alien before, I certainly did now. What was the deal with this dress?
“The dogs, Faye,” Calico shouted, breaking free from his position and pointing behind me. “Pet the dogs!”
I frowned. What? He told me not to pet the dogs before and now suddenly I had to? What was the deal with the dogs?
“DO IT!” he shouted.
I turned around and went to run back to the dogs, only to be sent flying sideways as Merron burst out of the doorway in all of her goblin form. She charged into the crowd at full speed, reaching the inn before she stopped and turned around, her massive bulky shoulders heaving as she sucked in deep breaths.
On the floor and in a daze, my entire body turned to jelly. Even as Merron’s burning red eyes glared at me, the panic rising inside me made me want to do nothing but freeze in sheer terror. Thankfully, something inside me snapped and I moved, frantically searching for the dogs. Still sat either side of the door, I scrambled to my feet and ran to them.
I flung myself at the closest one, wrapping my arms around its neck in a hug and rubbing my hands all through its fur in a big cuddle. The other dog stood up and came over to me, begging for fuss also. After several seconds of giving them both attention I began to wonder what the big thing with the dogs was about.
When Merron snarled in anger and made a charge for me again, the dogs leapt towards her, almost tripling in size as they flew through the air. Blood curdling growls and snaps rumbled through the air as they fought with Merron.
I watched, amazed, as they prevented the bowling ball of anger and hate from trying to get to me. Calico ran to me and took my hand.
“It’s ok now,” he said. “She won’t get past them.”
The dogs wrestled with Merron for a few minutes, overpowering her easily. When one of them knocked her onto her back, the other went for her neck, straight for the kill. I squeezed my eyes shut and turned away.
“I did warn you that everything eats everything,” Calico said, chuckling. “It’s not all daisies and sunshine in our world.”
I shuddered and then remembered what I was wearing. I wanted the comfort of my jeans and t-shirt again. “I’m going to get changed,” I said, opening my eyes to look at Calico only.
He raised his eyebrows and stared at me. “Come in here,” he said, dragging me back inside Merron’s shop. “That dress belongs to the Queens Court. It has been missing for decades. You’ve just solved one of the royal families greatest mysteries. You can’t take it off.”
“She was going to do something,” I said, all but hissing at him. “This dress hardly bids me good luck.”
He pursed his lips and sighed. “That dress is going to give you a bargaining chip at the Queens Court. If you take it off, there’s a chance it could be lost again. If you wear it, wherever you go, the dress goes.”
My head was pounding. I had so many questions all racing around my mind and I didn’t know which one to ask first.
“Take a deep breath,” he said, placing each hand on each of my shoulders. “Look into my eyes and breathe with me.”
I did as I was told and copied his breathing. After a couple of minutes, I felt much calmer and more in control of myself.
“Thank you,” I said, my voice as shaky as my body had been moments ago. “Question time. What was she going to do to me?”
“Remember I said humans are considered a rare delicacy?”
I nodded, my throat running dry. “Well, Merron, and many other practicing herbal goblins like her believe that human body parts have magical healing properties. With ingredients from humans in their potions, they will have a returning line of customers.”
“But you’ve shut yourselves off from humans?”
He nodded. “Exactly. Which is why she went a little crazy when she saw you. You may as well have been a huge diamond being given to her for free. Do you understand?”
I nodded. “What’s the deal with the dogs?”
“They’re motivated by love and affection. If someone comes along and pets them, giving them more love and affection than their current owner, they will switch their loyalties.”
I frowned, trying to understand it. “So basically, if you pet them, they become yours?”
“Yes, pretty much. And they protect their owners to the death.”
A flood of relief washed through me. That wasn’t so bad. “Why did you make them sound so scary before?”
He laughed. “Because I didn’t want a trail of dogs following us for the rest of our journey. Looks like we’ve gained two although I don’t think that’s a bad thing.”
I looked around the grim shop I had thought so wonderful no less than ten minutes ago. Spotting my t-shirt and jeans on the floor, I walked over to them and scooped them up, wishing so badly I could wear them right now instead of this colour changing dress that quite clearly painted a target on my back.
“Any chance of something to eat?” I said, sighing. “I’m absolutely starving and quite traumatised. I need comfort food.”
Chuckling, Calico nodded. “We’ll go into the inn, where you won’t wander off again, will you?”
I shook my head. “Lesson definitely learned.”
Chapter 11
The White Prince Inn was just like being sat in an old cottage. It reminded me of a holiday to England when I was twelve and a quaint little restaurant we’d eaten in one night. The magic of the place had captivated me from the moment I saw it and this was like reliving that all over again.
Thinking of memories like that from happier days with my parents caused a wave of nostalgia to rise inside me. I loved my parents but their lack of affection had done its damage over the years. All of my childhood memories lacked hugs and kisses. Maybe that was why I was such a cuddly person now I’d grown up.
As I looked around the inside of the inn, the old wooden tables and the low hanging beams on the ceiling gave me such a homely feel, I didn’t want to leave. An open fire crackled away at one end of the large room, surprisingly warming the entire place. The bar stretched from one end to the other, with numerous tables all scattered around the aged wooden floor.
Calico, still holding my hand, said, “Where would you like to sit?”
My eyes lit up in an instant. “By the fire,” I replied, grinning. I wanted familiar sounds of home around me, just for some comfort at least.
The barman, a cyclops, had done nothing but stare at me since we walked in and the dozen or so creatures enjoying their glasses of cloudy liquid couldn’t take their eyes off me either. Just as I struggled not to squirm under their scrutinous stares, the black wooden door we’d just walked through flung open courtesy of the two dogs I’d now seemingly gained ownership of.
Like some important figure had just told them all to get back to the
ir own business, the staring crowd busied themselves back to whatever they were doing. The dogs ran to my side, tails wagging and their eyes bright and full of glee.
“Who’s good bo—” I glanced up at Calico and said, “Are they boys?”
Calico grinned. “They are actually asexual. Dogs in our world are like certain creatures in your world. They change sex depending on their environment and what sex is needed to continue the population. This particular breed of dog however is not very common and they only breed in very specific circumstances.”
We sat down in front of the fire with a table large enough for four in between us. I reached down and fussed the dogs, calling them ‘good dogs’ instead of being gender specific. The more fuss I gave them, the more they wanted, they were like demanding babies. As soon as I took my hand away, they’d whine and push their noses against my leg.
“I’ve got to ask,” I said, looking up at Calico. I let my hands dangle either side of my chair, fussing each dog with one hand. “What was that? What they turned into?”
He looked over his shoulder and caught the bartender’s attention, then lifted his hand to indicate we wanted serving. “There are a lot of weird and wonderful creatures here. As they are, in their current state, they’re not going to protect anyone or anything to the death. They need to be at their utmost potential of fearsome and deadly. The amount of love and affection they get and how happy they are also feeds into their shift size. If they have to protect you again, they will be bigger than they were just now.”
My mouth dropped wide open. “Bigger? Like, how big?”
He pursed his lips for a moment. “I can only compare to creatures you are familiar with…like your rhinoceros or hippopotamus. Perhaps slightly bigger.”
I didn’t know what to say but I suddenly felt a lot safer having these little fellows by my side than I did before.
“Yes, Sir?” the bartender said, addressing Calico but looking at me.
