Heart of the Staff - Complete Series

by Carol Marrs Phipps

  Jeelys spun around and pounced on another troll. The one in the doorway staggered up onto a knee, intestines hanging, as he drew back his spear to hurl at Jeelys.

  Tramman ran him through at the shoulder blades with his claymore, then had to draw back and run to jump across his huge carcass to get outside.

  By now Jeelys had thoroughly ripped apart the second troll and with a rasping shriek had just knocked down a third.

  Tramman looked around wildly and dashed off after a Marooderyn Imshee who had just snatched up a little girl. With furious rage he leaped and planted a foot in the small of the troll's back and cleaved his head with a ringing two handed swing of his claymore. The child tore away screaming, drenched in the brute's blood.

  Tramman immediately wheeled aside to help his master Olloo, who was bleeding badly from his shoulder while being set upon by a particularly huge Marooderyn Imshee.

  With a decisive roar, the troll knocked the sword from Olloo's hand and drew back his mace to make his kill.

  Tramman sliced off the troll's arm just above the elbow.

  The troll swung 'round, his eyes ablaze with fury, blood pumping from his stump, as he thrust forth with a spear in his remaining hand, taking Tramman by surprise.

  He stumbled, catching himself on his elbows, losing his sword as he fell.

  As the troll drew back the spear to finish him, Olloo slashed the brute deeply across his back. At once Jeelys slammed into him feet first, knocking him down and disemboweling him, then ripping open his throat with his beak.

  Tramman rose on wobbly legs and stood beside Olloo. They studied the grizzly remains of their attackers as Jeelys gave the last troll a final shake for good measure and turned his bloody beak to snap up a stray piece of Elf Killer meat clinging to Tramman's hair. Satisfied that Tramman was indeed unharmed, he stood on the troll's remains and set to work, preening the ichor of battle from his feathers.

  Tramman let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He noticed how eerily still things had become and glanced about warily to see if the enemy was entirely gone. “I can't believe that they attacked with this much daylight,” he said. “Have you seen them do this before?”

  “Not since the one time when I was younger than you,” said Olloo as he clapped his arm around Tramman's shoulders. “This gives us the opportunity of a lifetime. Obbree saw the Big Butcher amongst the first wave of them. Come. We must gather the austringas and the regular army and find their stinking cave.”

  “But it's going to be dark right soon. The strike falcons won't come and the light will be entirely gone, long before we reach the mountains.”

  “We won't need the falcons, and all we need is to see just how they entered Maidenhair Woods to figure out their cave. Besides, there's going to be a full moon.

  We've had this strategy waiting for months. Just get moving.”

  Tramman knew he was lucky to get this much out of Olloo. He immediately took Jeelys to the mews and hurried to the council house where he found Olloo and the other austringas and some of the regular army. At once the austringas were on the trail of the Elf Killers. The regular army, known to them as Yn Armee Hassooagh, followed slowly in their wake, quietly hauling along a disassembled siege engine. They covered almost two leagues, running over the table-flat Strah, through the ten foot tall big blue stem grass before the light failed. Nearly a league remained between them and the woods and mountains, but by the looks of things the trolls had done all of the furtive switching of directions that they were going to during their first league out from Balley Cheerey, and now their trail was heading for the woods in a straight line. They would search for the nearest cave straight into the woods. Yn Armee Hassooagh would wait for them outside the woods in the edge of the Strah.

  Beyond a narrow border of briar and rose thicket, the Maidenhair Woods reared up abruptly at the feet of the Eternal Mountains or Sleityn Beayn. Here, Olloo, Trammen and Obbree left the other austringas to wait for Yn Armee while they entered the woods to scout for the Marooderyn Imshee encampment. They had to be most cautious for fear of being spotted by the trolls, who could see far better in the dark than any Elves. They were in luck, for before long Tramman spotted a light high up on a slope that rose out of a clearing, which turned out to a cooking fire at the mouth of a large cavern occupied by trolls. Tramman was sent ahead to investigate. He crept his way up the slope to some bushes to behold in horror the trolls gathered around the fire, feasting on the roasted carcasses of the three children they had stolen away from the village well in Balley Cheerey. He crawled away as quick and as far as he could so that he would not be heard. “Cursed drogh spyrrdyn!” he said, coughing on his vomit. “Rotten devils!”

  Tramman found Olloo and Obbree and they returned with his news to a most grim-faced group of austringas at the edge of the Strah.

  “I hope we kill every one of those oainjeragh,” said Daaney, a gnarly faced Elf with coal black hair. His heated pronouncement was met with a round of hearty agreement, but they all lapsed into silence. No one really wanted to talk about it.

  “Children!” thought Tramman as he gave a convulsive shudder, trying to control his fury. “Children! Those monsters are eating innocent children.” He glanced aside at Olloo and saw by the tear tracks on his master's grimy cheeks that he had been having his own reactions to this atrocity. He clenched his fists and pounded the dirt where he squatted, silently vowing to make every one of the foul beasts suffer and die that he could. And how he hoped the Fates would grant that it would be a good many of them.

  “We needed to be afoot to track, but no unicorns was an oversight,” said Olloo. “Three leagues is a long run this night to be back by sunrise with our shawkyn spooghey. Let's go.”

  When the austringas arrived back at Balley Cheerey it felt as though it had an air of morbid expectancy about it. “Of course,” thought Tramman grimly. “None of them ever believed we'd get back with the little tykes. They've only waited for affirmation so they can get on with mourning.” He felt a hot shot of anger surge through him.

  “Olloo,” said Tramman quietly, as if he were speaking out at a funeral, which he practically was.

  “Yes?”

  “Should I release Inney from her cellar, or wait?”

  “Tell her to stay until we return again. The Marooderyn Imshee might follow us back to here once we've done our deed. She'd better stay put.”

  Tramman nodded as he and Obbree headed for the eyas shed to look in on Inney on their way to the mews.

  In less than an hour the austringas, clad in black spiked leather with their claymores across their backs, assembled in the square astride their short legged Doolish unicorns, holding onto leashes fastened to the jesses on the legs of their restless shawkyn spooghey. “We go this morrow to feed our bond-mates troll flesh!” cried Olloo, as he drew forth his claymore with a ring. At once the entire squad bolted away into the dark with the red glow of dawn at their backs.

  Through the Great Strah they charged, big blue stem grass waving above their heads in the growing light, Dooleys at full gallop with the giant black crested white falcons impatiently idling along at their sides, keenly anxious for the big kill ahead. Flushed larks tinkled, soaring high into the sky from the ground here and there along the way.

  By broad daylight, the Maidenhair Woods rose up ahead once again. The austringas dismounted their lathered and winded Dooleys and left them with jockeys as they hurried into the woods on foot with their strike falcons. Through the timber they went, softening the falcons' movements with shushed encouragements.

  At the edge of the clearing below the cave they found Yn Armee in the broad daylight, sitting dead silent in the maidenhair ferns on either side of their assembled trebuchet, its gigantic boom drawn back with a huge petard in its sling and fastened with a trip. In the ferns nestled two more petards, ready if needed. The austringas and their strike falcons began carefully taking positions.

  Tramman and Jeelys took up a position safely to one side of
the mouth of the cave while Obbree and his falcon, Aalid took the other side. Olloo and Baase found a position between the Cave and the trebuchet, with the remaining bond-mates scattered between. When they were settled, Olloo gave the signal and Yn Armee Hassooagh lit their petard and launched it at the mouth of the cave.

  Right in! A bone-jarring explosion inside the cave thumped the ground all over the hillside. After a second's hesitation, muffled screams and shouts could be heard within, boiling over to echo through the woods as Elf Killers came running and stumbling out of the cave mouth, covered with bleeding cuts, led by Fnanar, the big male known to them as the Big Butcher, who had snatched the first child from Balley Cheerey. Jeelys and Aalid jumped him together, disemboweling him before he hit the ground. In less than a minute they had him thoroughly shredded. Jeelys gobbled down a piece of his windpipe and with a flutter of his stubby wings, knocked down another troll who was running by.

  Tramman and Obbree charged amongst the fleeing Marooderyn Imshee, cleaving head after head with furious two handed swings of their claymores as all the rest of the austringas, strike falcons and Yn Armee Hassooagh jumped into the fray.

  Baase had just started making a kill as Olloo yanked back his claymore from a killing thrust he had just made. “Tramman!” he hollered as he turned to see Fnanar's brother Gnophn running for the brush at the edge of the clearing. “That one! Get him!”

  Tramman turned and concentrated on Gnophn disappearing into the brush as he whistled for Jeelys, who streaked right to place in the brush where Gnophn had vanished and crashed out of sight. Tramman charged after, claymore in hand. In a few minutes, he and Jeelys returned to find the attack over.

  “Did you manage to get him?” said Olloo, still catching his breath as he pulled out a rag to clean his blade.

  “He got clean away,” said Tramman.

  “Did you recognize him?”

  “Isn't he the other really big one who always turned up alongside Big Butcher?”

  “I'm certain of it,” he said as he started his sword into its scabbard. “Next time they attack, even if it's years from now, I'd lay odds he'll be the one leading them. Now I'm not taking you to task, Tramman. If anyone would have got him it would've been you or Jeelys, but it's right ill news all the same, him getting away.”

  Tramman drug his filthy blood spattered arm across his sweaty brow and looked out across the quiet carnage. To his elation, scores of the Marooderyn Imshee had fallen. At least this was some vengeance for the three children, and felling Fnanar first thing had certainly done away with their nightmarish might for the time being. However, he quickly saw others who wrenched his heart. They too, had lost many men, austringas and army alike. And they had lost the only two strike falcons he had seen killed in his entire ten years as an austringa. He hoped it had been worth the cost.

  ***

  That evening, after an eternity of twenty four hours, Inney heard sudden pounding footsteps and her bed being dragged aside overhead. She jerked upright, breathing in tight little gasps as her heart pounded in her ears. It was either over or this was her death coming. Suddenly the trapdoor was thrown back and light flooded into the cellar, blinding her to the silhouette who had just stepped into the light. She flung her arm across her face to shade her eyes, still unable to see.

  “It is safe to come out now, Inney!” called Tramman as he came down a step. “They're gone and won't be coming back any time soon.” He was elated, but he also had a strange tone to his voice.

  “How can you be so sure?” said Inney, with the skepticism of one who has seen far too much evil.

  Tramman tossled her short silver hair and said: “Fetch your eyas out of the cellar and I'll tell you everything.”

  Inney nodded and followed him out at once. She carefully set Sheshey on the shelf by her bed and sat down on it beside Tramman and waited with large solemn eyes for him to tell his tale.

  “It was amazing, Inney,” he said. “It went almost exactly as Olloo had planned. Since the stinkers raided while it was still light, we were finally able to track them into the Maidenhair Woods to their huge cave that runs back into the first slope of the Sleityn Beayn. We had only to return with our strike falcons and Yn Armee Hassooagh used their trebuchet to throw a petard into the mouth of it. They must've thought the mountain was falling on them. When they came frothing from the mouth of the cave, their Big Butcher, the one Olloo's certain has been leading their raids, was right in the lead. He was a true coward when his own hide was in danger, like most bullies.”

  “So, then what happened?”

  “Obbree and Aalid were positioned on one side of the cave and Jeelys and I were on the other. Both falcons pounced on him at once. They gave him exactly what he had coming, and right smart. Then they went to work on other trolls, one after another. Of course Obbree and I were busy cleaving heads, alongside the regular army. So it was an easy victory.”

  “Easy?” said Inney looking at him with haunted eyes.

  “Yes. Our quick dispatch of their Big Butcher knocked them boss-eyed.”

  “Good,” said Inney. “And, then you rescued the captives?”

  Tramman's face fell as he looked away. “None survived.”

  “Dear Fates,” said Inney with a dry swallow, as she bravely kept her proper posture in spite of the fact that she was seven years old and badly needed a hug. “Dear, dear Fates.” A tear raced down her cheek. She had played with those kids.

  Chapter 79

  “He doesn't even know who I am,” said Fuzz, as he watched Edward shake with sobs in Spark's arms, “so how can I be any comfort when I'm probably just going to make it worse for him?”

  “Don't worry Fuzz,” said Rose in hushed tones, as she squeezed his hand. “He'll get things sorted out. It was Uncafuzz this and Uncafuzz that, every two minutes from the time I saw him. You're all he has left. He'll feel a whole world better when he knows you're here for him.”

  “Maybe Rose, but I failed the little man,” he said with a hard swallow. “I promised I'd bring back his mother.”

  “You did everything you could, Fuzz. We all did,” she said as she choked on a sob that came sooner than she had expected. She looked up to see Lipperella appear beside Spark with a strange man disfigured with horrible pustules.

  “Excuse me,” said Lipperella, speaking more quietly as she began taking in what was going on, “I'd like to introduce you all to Yann-Ber from Head. He's here on the advice of King Hebraun and Queen Minuet in search of Razzmorten...” She paused as she gave a puzzled glance about. “Has he not returned with you?”

  Tors stepped before them from the back of the group bearing Razzmorten.

  “Is he...?” gasped Lipperella as she and Spark went wide eyed together. “Oh no, thank the Fates,” said Tors. “But he's in a coma. It's a long story.” He nodded at Edward.

  “Oh,” said Lipperella.

  “Would it help if I took Edward into the nursery?” said Yann-Ber. “I could give him my undivided attention until you all have discussed things.”

  “We certainly do appreciate your kind suggestion, Yann-Ber,” said Fuzz. “but I feel that Edward's big enough and has a right to hear the tale first hand to know how his mother died. And while we're at it, since you have an interest in Razzmorten, sir, I expect you might also like to sit in on this as well.”

  “Thank you,” said Yann-Ber, “I would indeed.”

  “Well,” said Lipperella, “why don't we all go to the parlour?”

  With nods all around they followed her at once, though Tors stepped aside from the others to find a bed for Razzmorten in one of the guest rooms on the way. He caught up as everyone took seats on the large cushions which the dragons used instead of chairs.

  “Mary stood up, seeing that Edward's sobs were dying away to whimpers. “I think without Razzmorten, Fuzz should tell the tale,” she said. “At least he was conscious for all of it.”

  Edward sat up at this and gave a bewildered look about the room with his very red and swoll
en eyes before finally turning back to Spark with a shuddering sigh.

  Spark was dumbfounded for a few moments. “Ah!” he said suddenly. “You never knew Fuzz to be anything other than an enchanted old bear. With all the Peppermint turning back into ordinary creatures, I'll bet you thought if he turned into anything, it would be just a plain old bear. Look,” he said, pointing to Fuzz. “That's your Uncle Fuzz, Edward. He wasn't really a bear after all, you see?”

  Edward looked at this man doubtfully. He wasn't even old. He pulled away from Spark and came up to Fuzz to study him critically. He looked into Fuzz's eyes. Fuzz nodded. “It's true, Edward,” he said. “I'm Fuzz.”

  At the sound of Fuzz's voice, he flung himself into his arms. “I thought the sore sisseys had killed you, too!” he said with a sob.

  “Nay! An old bear like me wasn't worth their time,” said Fuzz, faltering at trying to make light of things.

  “But you're not an old bear, anymore,” said Edward.

  “In here I am, Edward,” said Fuzz, pointing to himself as he gave him an extra squeeze. “Always remember that no matter what I look like, I'll always be your Uncle Fuzz.”

  Edward almost smiled. For a moment he saw Fuzz as he'd always been.

  The dragonets took that moment to boil into a ravenous hunger. Spark and Lipperella slipped quietly out, followed by Yann-Ber who bowed as he passed. Mary. Rose and Lukus shared a look and joined them, leaving Fuzz and Edward alone.

  Fuzz found himself telling Edward the entire story from the rainy morning when he left Mary's grotto in the dark to his arrival at the Dragon Caves. Edward shed many, many more tears. Fuzz shed quite a few himself. At last he put Edward to bed and fell asleep beside him.

  Everyone decided to wait to have Fuzz tell the tale. It turned out to be a few days. Rose and Lipperella thought it would be best for Edward to have a wake for Myrtlebell. The day after that, Razzmorten awoke and everyone thought it best to give him a little time to regain his strength before discussing the details of the journey. After three days everyone gathered in the parlour and the tale unfolded at last.