by E. D. Baker
Tamisin thought about trying to run past the troll, but that thought died quickly when she saw how his chunky body blocked the opening. Thunder boomed and lightning flashed outside, but the troll didn’t seem to care. If only she could zap him with a bolt of lightning!
“Let’s roast . . . ,” one troll head began.
“. . . the girl,” said the other.
“. . . for dinner!” the first head finished.
“Yummy!” they both declared, patting their ponderous belly in unison.
“We start fire . . .”
“. . . wrap her in leaves . . .”
“. . . tuck her in coals . . .”
“. . . and bake her!”
Unable to see anything in the depths of the cave, Tamisin slowly felt her way backward with her foot, inching away from the lip-smacking troll. She watched as he banged two rocks together, trying to light a small piece of tinder. When he finally had a spark, the heads took turns blowing gently on the tiny flame.
Suddenly, Tamisin had an idea. It wouldn’t be easy to guide the barest whisper of wind into the cave. She’d have to aim it just so through the entrance and draw it all the way back to the fire, but all she needed was one small puff . . .
The troll sat back, a dumbfounded look on both of his faces. “You blew . . .”
“. . . fire out!” the two heads accused each other.
“Did not!” said one.
“Me neither!” said the other.
“We try . . .”
“. . . again!”
While the troll went through the steps of lighting a fire all over again, Tamisin got down on her hands and knees, feeling the ground for a loose rock or anything she could use as a weapon. When her hand finally closed on a stick, she almost dropped it when she picked it up and realized that it was actually a leg bone with a knob at one end. But, she thought, it would work, and she stood, holding the bone behind her back. Once more she waited until the troll had the fire started; she blew it out with a gentle puff of air.
As thunder boomed so loudly that the cave itself shook, the troll got to his feet and his two heads turned to each other.
“Why you . . .”
“. . . keep doing that?”
“It not me!”
“It you!”
Both heads were frowning as they glanced down at the cold ashes. “I know!” said one, his expression brightening. “We eat girl raw!”
“I going to say that!” said the other.
“Good idea!” said the first.
The second troll beamed. “I know!”
Tamisin shrank back when the troll turned in her direction. He was only a few feet away when she drew the bone from behind her back, raised it high, and brought it down on the bearded troll’s head with a loud crack! Although it was the bone that broke and not the troll’s skull, the bearded troll howled at the top of his lungs. Tamisin zigzagged as he came after her, his arms grabbing, both heads wailing. Although she was able to duck under his outstretched arms, the troll stayed between her and the opening of the cave.
There was a flurry of movement by the door, and Malcolm the brownie tore into the cave, stumbled, and fell flat on the floor. Tamisin saw him, but the troll didn’t, and with an angry shout and a flailing of arms, the troll tripped over the brownie and landed faces-down on the rough stone floor. Before the troll could get to his feet, Narlayna was there, too, plunking herself down on the troll’s back. The troll continued to holler, flopping his arms and kicking his legs, but the ogress just smiled and patted his two heads as she made herself more comfortable.
“Quiet down, pea brain!” she told the troll. When she glanced up and saw Tamisin standing there, staring open-mouthed with surprise, Narlayna shook her head in exasperation and yelled, “Run! I’m not going to sit here all day!”
“That not fair!” shouted the troll. “Fairy say I can eat girl!”
“Really?” Narlayna said as Tamisin headed for the cave entrance. “And which fairy was that?”
“Come on!” Malcolm hollered as he tugged on Tamisin’s hand. She turned and ran with him, out the narrow cave opening, around the pile of leafy debris, onto the path, and back to Narlayna’s home. “We’ll wait here for Narlayna,” the brownie told her. “She wanted to talk to you before you went back to the other side of the hedge.”
“There’s no door,” Tamisin said as they stepped inside the cozy cave.
“There’s no door been built that can keep a troll out, but he’d know from the smell of it that this place belongs to an ogre, so he wouldn’t follow us in here even at night,” said the brownie. “Ogres are the only thing trolls fear, aside from sea monsters and sunlight. Sea monsters because they can hold their breath longer than trolls and can hold them down and drown them, and sunlight because it turns trolls into stone. Did you notice how dark that troll’s cave was and that he stayed in the shadows of the pine forest?”
“Why are trolls afraid of ogres?” asked Tamisin.
“Because ogres aren’t afraid of them,” said Malcolm. “Ogres are bigger and stronger. They’re smarter, too, but then, just about everybody is smarter than a troll. Even so, only ogres can take on a full-sized troll. If I knew a troll was after me, I’d skedaddle out of this forest so fast that a jackrabbit couldn’t keep up with me.”
“That’s his way of saying that he thinks you should leave Oberon’s court as soon as you can,” Narlayna said as she stepped into her cave. “Whoever sent that troll after you isn’t trying to be subtle.”
Malcolm nodded. “We didn’t know there was a new troll in the woods until we heard him howl. If we hadn’t come running, you would have been his next meal. The only troll that’s supposed to be here is old Ingebert, who takes care of the bridges, and he’s bad enough. Now we’re going to have to go to all the effort of driving this new one out or he’ll make no end of trouble.”
“The troll said a fairy told him he could eat me,” Tamisin said, shuddering at the thought. “Did he tell you which fairy?”
Narlayna shook her head. “The troll didn’t say much of anything, except that a male fairy lured him here by offering you up as dinner. Apparently the troll can tell males and females apart, but other than that he thinks all fairies look alike, except for you. He said you look more human than the rest, so you were easy to recognize. I was able to stop him for now, but he still plans to hunt you down.”
“The fairy who sent the troll after you isn’t the only one who means you harm,” said Malcolm. “Fairies talk when they think they’re alone, and I have a way of blending into the trees. I know of at least two fairies who were involved in the incident with the sea monster and three others who moved the porpoise, not including the one who talked to the mermaid. Then there were the nasty pieces of work who tried to get you to eat the frillet berries. If you stick around, one of them is bound to succeed sooner or later.”
“I already plan on leaving. I’m going to ask my father to have Mountain Ash take me home.”
“When you mention your father, do you mean Oberon?” said the brownie.
Tamisin frowned. “Yes, of course. Why do you ask?”
Malcolm and Narlayna exchanged glances. It was the ogress who spoke up. “Because some of us have doubts that he really is your father. There’s no denying that Titania is your mother, but you’re too much like a human—”
“And better for it,” interrupted Malcolm.
“To be a full-blood fairy,” Narlayna concluded.
“I know he’s my father! Oberon—”
“Has his own way of shaping the truth,” said Narlayna. “He probably used his magic to convince you.”
Tamisin sighed. “Why not? I’m sure Dasras used magic to make me think I loved him. I suppose if Oberon gives me a hard time, I could fly back to Titania’s forest on my own. The gates near her forest open up close to where I live in the human world. I’d just need someone to show me the way.”
“You’d never make it,” said Malcolm. “The only ones who can
fly away from Oberon’s forest are the fairies who shrink themselves down till they’re so small that most of the bigger monsters can’t even see them. We’ve heard that you can’t change your size, so you’d be the first thing the beasties would go after. That’s why Mountain Ash had to shrink you before flying all the way back here.”
Narlayna nodded. “Every direction has its risks. The Southern Sea is to the south. No one goes in that direction if they can help it. There are too many nasty creatures in the sea, and some of the larger monsters are able to leap out of the water to surprising heights. You can’t fly west along the shore without running into the Land of Forgetfulness. If you try crossing over it, by land or by air, you’ll lose your memory. If you stay there long enough, you’ll lose your life as well.”
“And to the east?”
“Griffins. Most griffins live north on the Griffin Hunting Grounds except for a few colonies, one of which lives here. Go beyond the griffins and you’ll reach dragon territory. And in that direction is Sphinx Alley,” she said, pointing directly north. “Don’t go that way either. The sphinxes like to waylay everyone and ask crazy riddles. If you don’t give them the answer they want, they’ll eat you. If they don’t like the way you give the answer, they’ll eat you. Of course, they’re not all like that, just the ones you’re likely to meet.”
“So in other words, there’s no way to leave Oberon’s forest,” said Tamisin.
“Not without help,” the ogress said.
“You could leave tonight during the dance. That will give us time to find someone to take you home, and the dance itself will be enough of a distraction for you to slip away,” Malcolm told her. “In the meantime, be discreet. There’s no saying what the fairies who don’t like you might do if they knew you were leaving. Some might be satisfied that you’re going, but others might want to make sure you can never come back. There’s something else,” he said, glancing at Narlayna. When the ogress nodded, the brownie continued. “We’ve heard rumors that Titania found out that Oberon had you kidnapped and is as mad as a hornet on a hot frying pan. Word is out that she’s on her way here.”
“Then I can go back with her!” said Tamisin.
“Maybe, maybe not,” said Malcolm. “Her showing up might just be the worst thing that could happen. The last time they fought, they destroyed a lovely forest just north of here. They ravaged the ground so thoroughly that nothing will ever grow there again. What used to be called Ever Green Forest is now Griffin Alley. Believe me, no one is safe when fairy royalty fight.”
Chapter 16
Jak woke the next morning to the sun shining in his eyes and the feeling that he had something important to do, only he had no idea what it might be. Yawning, he sat up, stretched, and looked around. It was a beautiful, calm day with a cloudless sky; Jak would have relished the thought of exploring the plain if he hadn’t felt so uneasy.
He was getting to his feet when he noticed the writing on his hands. Turning in place, he saw that the forest began only a short distance away. The day was already getting hot and the shade looked tempting. He entered the forest a few minutes later and noticed how much cooler it was in the deep shade. He paused to look up, awed at the sight of the oldest trees he’d ever seen. Even the trunk of the smallest tree was so wide that three men could not circle it with their arms; most of the trees were far more massive.
This forest felt different than most. The air was heavy with the breath of trees, the weight of their years, and something even harder to discern, which he finally decided was the tingle of magic. It must be strong here if I can feel it, he thought.
A flicker of movement drew Jak’s eyes, and he saw a full-sized fairy warrior standing only a few feet away, watching him. The pinecones embroidered on the shoulder of his tunic indicated that the fairy was an officer. Two tiny fairies flitted around Jak, as if waiting to be told what to do. At the officer’s gesture, the air sparkled and two warriors stood on either side of Jak, aiming short, slender reeds at him. Although the new arrivals didn’t have the pinecone insignia, all three fairies were dressed in the colors of the trees around them; the browns and greens shifted as they moved, matching the trees and making the fairies hard to see.
“Hey, how are you doing?” said Jak, still used to the ways of humans. His memory was returning bit by bit, just enough to know that there was a lot he couldn’t remember.
“What are you doing here, goblin?” asked the officer.
Jak wasn’t sure what to say. He knew he had come to the forest for a reason, but he didn’t have a clue what it might be.
“I’m not sure why I’m here,” he replied.
The officer grunted. “It’s too soon. He probably doesn’t have his memory back yet. The effects of the Land of Forgetfulness don’t wear off right away.”
“How long will it take?” asked one of the other fairies.
“It varies, depending on the species, age, size . . . There’s really no way to predict,” the officer said, looking Jak up and down. “Can you tell us your name?” he asked Jak.
Jak could see from the suspicion in their eyes that the fairies didn’t trust him, which made him think that he shouldn’t trust them either. Something that he had heard recently crept into his mind, and he considered it good advice: don’t give your real name to anyone you don’t trust. He still couldn’t remember his real name, but there was a name that he knew wasn’t his. “Nihlo.”
A twinkling light appeared in the gloom of the forest, darting under branches and over fallen trunks. It came to a stop beside the officer, and hovered there. The officer nodded and extended his hand. A moment later he was holding a pale yellow blossom and the tiny fairy was leaving.
“Say ‘Ah,’” the officer said to Jak.
“Huh?” Jak replied.
The fairy squeezed the base of the blossom, squirting nectar into Jak’s mouth. “That’s good enough.”
Jak opened his mouth to ask what was going on, but nothing would come out.
“I think it’s working,” said the officer. “We can ask him questions now, and he’ll have to answer with the truth, whether or not he can consciously remember it himself. All right, goblin . . . You are a goblin, aren’t you?”
Jak wanted to protest and say that they had no right to treat him this way, but he didn’t seem to have any control over his voice. His mouth opened of its own accord and words came out, even though he wasn’t thinking them. “I’m half cat goblin, half human.”
“I thought he was a cat goblin, Lieutenant Spruce,” said one of the other fairies. “They all have a certain look about them. I can honestly say that I can’t tell them apart.”
The other fairy snorted. “Look at him, Ragweed! He’s half human! That’s even worse than a full goblin. What’s Titania going to send next—full humans?”
“That’s enough of that, Mugwort,” said the lieutenant before turning back to Jak. “Are you a spy?”
There were a lot of things that Jak wanted to say, but the only word that would come out was “No.”
“Did Titania send you here?” asked the lieutenant.
“No.”
“Then who did?”
“No one.”
Mugwort made a rude sound. “This is worse than coaxing buds to open before their time!”
“Shh!” said Ragweed while the lieutenant scowled at Mugwort.
Turning back to Jak, Lieutenant Spruce asked, “Why did you come?”
“To see Princess Tamisin.”
“Now we’re getting somewhere!” breathed Mugwort. Ragweed punched his friend in the arm.
“Why did you come to see Princess Tamisin?” asked the lieutenant.
“Because I love her.”
Mugwort snorted. “Yeah, right!”
“Don’t laugh!” said Ragweed. “It has to be the truth if he said it under the influence of nectar.”
“Do you intend to harm the princess?” Spruce asked Jak.
“No.”
“Do you intend to harm anyo
ne else here?”
“No.”
“You can take him to the colonel now,” Spruce told the two fairies. “Mountain Ash can decide what he wants to do with him.”
Mugwort looked disappointed and shoved Jak when he didn’t move quickly enough. “Leave him alone,” said Ragweed. “We’re just escorting him. He’s not a prisoner.”
“Yet,” Mugwort muttered.
When Jak looked confused, Ragweed patted him on the back. “Don’t listen to him. You’re fine. Now all you have to do is talk to the colonel and he might let you see the princess. I’ll take him myself,” he told his friend as he led Jak away.
Chapter 17
Tamisin would have preferred to fly over the briars, but her wing still hurt, and Narlayna told her not to use it for a few days. Instead the ogress escorted her as far as the opening in the hedge, where she stayed while Tamisin continued on. Upon reaching the clearing, Tamisin was surprised to see that the sun was high in the sky; she had missed breakfast as well as supper, so she headed toward the rock to try to get something to eat.
When she arrived, only a few fairies were helping themselves to food, but Irinia was there, and Tamisin remembered the two-faced woman’s soothing touch the night before. Tamisin waited until Irinia noticed her before going closer and saying, “I want to thank you.”
Irinia held up her hand in a shushing motion. “There’s no need.”
“Have you decided what you’re going to wear to the dance?” one of the fairies asked another.
“My pink petal dress, of course,” the fairy replied as they wandered off together.
Tamisin was about to try talking to Irinia again when Dasras hailed her.
“Where have you been?” he asked, scowling. “I went to your tree first thing this morning, but you weren’t there. I’ve been looking all over for you.”
