Chapter 18 – The Price Of Failure
It was twenty minutes before the Spriggan clan leader was rescued from the wedgie hook on the tree. By that time Faris, Jack and Holly were safely back in The Caves and on their way to a celebration, four-knees-up horse-style.
Only five Spriggans had managed to make it through the wall of sheep. The others had run away or were lying dazed in the field moaning about fluff in their lungs.
Before dawn the Spriggans struggled back into their cave in the hills, carrying the clan leader who had not spoken once since being brought down from the tree. He was so severely wedgied that he didn’t speak for another three days apart from making small whimpers every now and then.
When the Spriggans got back to their cave they found the large cage empty and three seriously squished Spriggans. All in all it had been a pretty bad night. Fearing the anger of their Boss at their failure to kidnap the horses many of the Spriggans fled back to their own clans and caves across the countryside. Five days later only the clan leader and two Spriggans remained at the cave, and that was through necessity rather than choice…none of them could walk away.
One night, not long after the failed horse-nappings a dark figure appeared in the cave. He wore a black cloak that covered most of his face and he hovered in the dim corners of the cave. The two remaining Spriggans were so scared of him they ran off into the night and never came back. The clan leader was scared, but did not leave. He knew who the stranger was. He was Nagwort, the witch lord. He was also their ‘Boss’.
“So…what happened with the horses?” Nagwort’s voice rasped from inside the hood of his dark cloak. He walked in slow circles around the small Spriggan leader as he sat helplessly on the floor of the cave.
“They ‘ad ‘elp…sheep and birds and stuff. And a boy – there was a dark-haired boy with ‘im and ‘ee was talkin’ to the ‘orses. They was all ‘elping them ‘orses to get away.” The clan leader mumbled. He shifted uncomfortably in the large padded trousers he was wearing to protect his delicate, recently wedgied, bottom.
“A horse-talking boy you say?” Nagwort spoke quietly as though to himself. If that were true it meant that the horses had found another Hoofer. Nagwort glanced at the Spriggan. The Spriggan has no reason to, and was probably not smart enough to lie to him. This was not good news, but a Hoofer could still be dealt with. “Was there anything else about this boy?”
“Nope, not really.” The Spriggan shook his ugly head from side to side. “Oh! ‘Cept he took me knife! Cheeky blimin’…” He muttered under his breath.
Nagwort drew in a deep rasping breath; he almost didn’t want to ask his next question because he knew what the answer would be.
“The boy took your knife did he?” Nagwort’s coaxing voice was sickly sweet.
“Well, yeah.” The Spriggan thought for a moment. “It was one of them things you had us pinch the other week, you know…er…the erm…pretty curvy one…” His voice trailed off as Nagwort started to hiss loudly like a very angry snake.
“FOOL!” Nagwort screamed as he lurched across the cave and grabbed the Spriggan by his head. “I needed that you stupid cretin!” He shook the small creature back and forth, his stumpy legs jerking around in the air. Nagwort dropped him back onto the floor with a final yell and the Spriggan bounced painfully along on his well-padded behind.
A few minutes of tense silence passed, while Nagwort fought every urge to crush the creature into the ground. Finally he spoke. “What about the other horses you already had? The ones that I gave you the binding spell and cage for?”
“They ‘scaped while we was tryin’ to get them other ‘orses.” The Spriggan replied. “They squished me brother flat them ‘orses did. He were just a green puddle of slime and guts when we got back ‘ere.” He pointed towards a small green smudge in the doorway of the cave.
Nagwort did not even glance at the smudge – why would he care about Spriggans, alive or dead – they were only tools to be used to gain greater things. “The horses could not have escaped without magic, Spriggan.” Nagwort’s voice was hard and cold. “There must have been other help, not just the boy. Did you find any more horses other than the eastern ones I sent you for?”
The clan leader thought about it for a few seconds and scratched his bruised head slowly.
Nagwort shook his head inside his cloak hood. He hated working with these stupid creatures. But he told himself they the best way of getting what he needed without revealing himself. It was too soon for that.
“There was one other ‘orse…he wasn’t brown like all them others though. He was all black.”
“All black?” Nagwort repeated.
“Yeah. Well, ‘cept for a white star-shaped thingy on ‘is ‘ead.”
Nagwort muttered darkly in the old northern language. The Spriggan knew that this was not a good sign, so he stayed quiet, he wasn’t sure he’d survive another shaking.
There was no doubt in Nagwort’s mind who the black horse with star markings was. King Jequine. Jack. So, he had found himself a Hoofer again. Nagwort fumed silently inside his hood. If it was Jack, then there was no doubt that the magic to open the cage had come from his hateful faerie friend. She must be stronger than he thought: powerful for a Figlia faerie. Nagwort would remember that. Jack and his family had caused him enough problems in the past. It was typical that he would be involved in this little mishap too. Well, this would not completely ruin his plans, there were other ways to get what he needed and there was time yet. He had killed Hoofers and horses before and had no problem with doing it again if he had to. In fact, Nagwort would enjoy it.
Nagwort held out his hand towards the clan leader and was about to blast him into a thousand pieces, when he stopped. A new plan was forming at the edges of his dark mind…a plan in which the worthless creature may still have his uses. He lowered his arm.
“I will not punish you for this Spriggan. But, I will call on your services soon. Make sure you do not fail me again. I am rarely merciful and no one fails me twice.” Nagwort swept his cloak around him and disappeared in a swirl of grey smoke.
“Ow. Me bum.” The Spriggan said, thankful he was not going to have any more pain inflicted on his bottom.
Chapter 19 – Leaving The Caves
It was past midday and the sun sat high in the clear blue sky as Jack, Faris and Holly left The Caves. Over five days the horses from the seven families had walked the full length of the cave system to the exit closest to The Core. The final part of the journey had to made overland because The Core was not connected to any other magical haven for its own protection. Throughout the night and morning horses had left The Caves in small groups to make their way to The Core. Jack, Faris and Holly were the last to leave.
A part of Faris was sad to be leaving The Caves behind. They had been his first real home and he felt as though he had met his true family there, just as Jack had promised in the note delivered to his bedroom window.
At the same time he was excited to be moving to The Core. Jack had told him that this would be their new home where Faris would have the chance to meet other people and children with powers. Better still Faris would have the chance to go to a school, for the first time in his life. Jack had promised to teach Faris to count beyond ten as long as Faris taught him the wedgie trick. Both had agreed to this arrangement, for their own safety.
“Is it far to The Core?” Faris asked Jack as he rode along on his back.
“Not too far really. We should be there by night-fall.” Jack replied.
“Just an easy ride from here…” Holly sighed as she stretched out her legs. She was perched on top of Jack’s head.
“Easy for you to say!” Jack laughed.
“So Faris. Are you ready for The Core?” Holly asked, turning her head to look down at him.
“I think so,” he was thoughtful. There were still so many things to think about. So many questions about what the future migh
t hold for him.
“You’ll love it, Faris.” Jack said. “It’s like the Valley Cave – but bigger and better!”
“In that case, I can’t wait!”
Faris smiled and tilted his face up towards the warm sun and closed his eyes. As he rode along with Jack and Holly, Faris knew that this was the start of an even bigger adventure. He found it hard to believe that just three weeks ago he had been a lonely orphan, abandoned in the Mister Grimbaldi’s Foundation for the Potentially Lacking and now he had friends – as close as a family – and a place where he was needed. Faris had finally found out who he was. And he was happy with that.
(Not) The End
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