by Astrid Foss
Hanna felt the globe tug at her hands. She started to walk along the tunnel, taking cautious steps on the slippery floor. She frowned as the noise of the waterfall seemed to get even louder, so loud it made her want to cover her ears. “I wonder where it’s leading us…”
Prologue
The beautiful island of Nordovia, with its snow-capped mountains, glittering waterfalls and sweet-smelling pine forests, was strangely still and silent. The sky was a heavy, dull grey with no hint of the magical Everchanging Lights – the swirling ribbons of purple, pink and blue light that usually danced over the land, bringing peace and happiness. A pale golden sun hovered in the sky but even its rays could not seem to lighten the gloom.
It was the Day of the Midnight Sun, when the sun would reach its highest point and the sky never grew dark. It was usually a day of celebration but now Veronika, the Shadow Witch, had returned. Born into the magical Aurora family, it should have been her duty to protect the Everchanging Lights but instead she planned to steal their magic for herself, plunging the island into darkness and chaos.
Many years ago, Veronika’s sister, Freya, had banished her to the remote Svalgard Mountains but now Veronika had come back, stronger than ever and ready to battle for the Lights. She had attacked Freya and her husband, Magnus, but with her last few precious seconds of freedom Freya had magicked the Lights into three beautiful orbs – one purple, one blue and one pink.
Freya had sent the orbs across the land, keeping them safe from Veronika’s evil clutches. Beside herself with rage, Veronika had tried to track the orbs down. However, Freya and Magnus’s three daughters had beaten her to them. Their quest had been difficult and dangerous but now the Lights were inside a magical snow globe in the girls’ castle bedchamber – safe from the Shadow Witch for the moment, at least.
Freya leaned weakly against Magnus. His arm was around her shoulder, his hand stroking her tangled red hair. They were imprisoned in a freezing ice cave carved into the sides of a high mountain in the west. Their faces were creased with worry as they looked out through the one small window across the colourless land. In the far distance they could just make out the silhouette of a castle. Light was shining out of every one of its windows and a circle of blazing orange fires surrounded the walls.
“Our beloved home,” whispered Freya.
“The people have lit the lanterns and fires to keep the Shadow Witch away,” said Magnus.
“I hope Ida, Hanna and Magda are all safely inside,” said Freya.
Magnus rubbed his beard. “Our daughters may be inside at the moment, my love, but we both know they must venture out soon if they are to save Nordovia.”
Freya swayed. “I wish I could help them but Veronika has torn most of my magic from me.”
Magnus’s arm tightened around her shoulders. “You have fought so hard. She has been very cruel to you.”
Freya’s eyelids fluttered. “I cannot fight for much longer. I am getting weaker all the time.”
“Hold on, my love,” begged Magnus. “Just for a little longer. Our girls will save the day. I know they will.”
A sinister laugh echoed through the icy air and a shape emerged from the shadows at the far side of the cave. “Ah, how sweet,” the Shadow Witch hissed. “So, you still believe your daughters can defeat me! Fools.”
Magnus’s face darkened with fury but as he stepped towards the Shadow Witch she gestured with her hand and an icy blue light shot from her fingers. Magnus stopped dead, frozen in place.
Freya grabbed at his hand. “Magnus!” she gasped. But he was like a statue – only his eyes moved, frantically. “Veronika! Please, stop this!” Freya pleaded.
“No!” Her sister hissed. “I will do whatever I have to do to get the Lights.” She strode to the window and laughed as she looked across the island of Nordovia. “The people believe their lanterns and fires can stop me but nothing will stand in my way. The snow globe can only contain the Lights until the final stroke of midnight tonight. Then when the Lights are released I shall take their power. No one will be able to stop me. I have your magic now as well as my own and I have created an army that obeys my every word.”
“Army?” echoed Freya.
“Yes, dear sister! Behold!” The Shadow Witch hissed a spell and a pool of ice appeared at their feet. Its surface showed a swarm of sabre-toothed lions, grizzly bears and silver wolves. Their eyes glowed red, showing that they were enchanted by Veronika’s evil magic. Over their heads flew flocks of sharp-beaked ravens, crows and giant eagles, all with the same glowing red eyes.
The Shadow Witch’s coal-black eyes glittered. “My terrifying army will storm the castle, destroying everything and everyone who gets in their way. They will seize the snow globe. Midnight will come, and the power of the Everchanging Lights shall be mine.”
Veronika clicked her fingers and the ice cave was filled with the sound of howls and snarls and the harsh cawing of vicious birds. Freya covered her ears at the cacophony. Veronika cackled and her laughter joined in with the shrieks and growls, echoing around the icy walls. Then she clapped her hands and vanished. The hideous noises stopped and Magnus was released from the spell that had been holding him.
He put his arms around Freya. “Did she hurt you, my love?” he asked anxiously.
“No, but Magnus, our poor girls!” Freya’s green eyes filled with tears. “How can they succeed in their quest with Veronika’s dreadful army against them?”
“Our daughters are brave and their magic grows stronger every day,” said Magnus, his eyes looking out of the window towards the castle – a beacon of shining light in the grey landscape. “I believe they will defeat her. We must hold on to our hope.”
Freya nodded. “Yes,” she whispered. “Hope is all we have left.”
Chapter One
Ida Aurora stood at the window of her bedchamber in the castle and gazed out at the gardens below. Lanterns shone from every tree while servants were hanging silver and gold bunting around the castle walls and setting up long trestle tables covered with gold tablecloths. Madame Olga, the triplets’ governess, kept a close eye on everything. The cook bustled round, directing the kitchen boys as they carried huge wicker baskets filled with fresh bread rolls and mountains of chopped vegetables. Jugglers and stilt walkers were practising their acts and musicians were setting up their instruments.
Every year on the Day of the Midnight Sun there was a grand ball when all the villagers came to the castle for a huge evening feast. At the end of the feast, as the new day began, there was the annual Ceremony of Light where a host of lanterns were released into the sky in a ceremony that celebrated and strengthened the magic of the Everchanging Lights.
Today the preparations were the same as any other year … apart from the fact that there were three times as many guards patrolling the perimeter of the castle walls under the command of Captain Vladimir. Great fires had been lit outside the wall to try to keep the Shadow Witch away.
Ida shivered and glanced down at her long pink ball dress. “I can’t believe the ball is still going ahead this year,” she said, turning from the window.
Her sister Hanna was pacing impatiently around the room, the skirts of her shimmering blue ball dress swishing around her legs, while Magda, her other sister, was crouching on the floor in her purple dress, tying a ribbon around the neck of Oskar, their pet Nordovian polar bear cub.
“It’s so wrong!” Hanna burst out. “We shouldn’t be celebrating while Mother and Father are trapped. We really shouldn’t!”
Ida and Magda nodded. The triplets were very different and didn’t always agree on things, but they were all in agreement on this.
“I know Madame Olga says it’s important to hold the feast and the Ceremon
y of Light,” said Magda. “But I don’t want to have to smile and dance and chat to people when Mother and Father are in such danger.” Oskar whined anxiously and Magda hugged him. He could grow into a full size polar bear when he wanted to but at the moment he was only the size of a large puppy. “Oh, Oskar, you wish we could find them too, don’t you?” she said.
He wuffled in reply and nuzzled her neck with his dark nose. He missed Magnus and Freya and wanted them back as badly as the girls did.
Hanna strode to the centre of the room where a glass snow globe stood on a wooden table. Inside the globe, snowflakes swirled around a crystal-clear waterfall that fell from a tall cliff into blue sea below. Purple, pink and blue lights danced through the air inside the globe.
The snow globe was magical. Their mother had been able to use it to give the girls clues about where to find the orbs that contained the Everchanging Lights. But since they had found the final orb a few days ago, and had seen its light being magically absorbed into the snow globe, they had not heard anything from her.
“I wish Mother would talk to us again,” said Hanna longingly.
“She’s probably too weak,” said Ida, feeling her stomach lurch at the thought of their mother in pain, her magic being drained from her by their evil aunt.
Hanna touched the smooth, cold sides of the snow globe. “Tonight, we’ll save her and Father,” she said, her green eyes flashing with determination. “We’ll take the globe to the Silfur Falls and somehow return the Everchanging Lights to the sky.”
“If we can get out of the castle,” said Ida, fiddling anxiously with the ends of her long blonde hair. “Madame Olga’s been watching us like a snow hawk since we ran away to the Rainbow Springs to find the purple orb last week.”
“We’ll get out – we have to!” said Magda. “We’ll wait until everyone has eaten and the dancing starts and then we’ll sneak away.”
“Taking the snow globe with us,” agreed Hanna. “Then we’ll release the lights into the waterfall and they’ll return to the sky.”
“We don’t exactly know how to do that though,” said Ida. “Do we go to the top of the waterfall and throw the snow globe into the water? Or do we place it at the bottom of the cliffs where the water falls into Jorin’s Pool?” She frowned.
“Details, details,” said Hanna impatiently. “We’ll work out what to do when we get there.”
“But what if we don’t have time when we’re there?” protested Ida. “It’s going to take ages to travel to the Falls and we’ve got to put the orb in place by midnight. I’m worried we won’t get it right.”
“Oh, you’re always worried about something,” snapped Hanna. “Stop fussing, Ida!”
“Being sensible is not fussing!” declared Ida hotly.
Magda jumped to her feet, wanting to stop her sisters before they argued further. “Maybe Mother will manage to talk to us again before we leave and tell us what to do,” she said quickly. “For now, why don’t we concentrate on working out how we’re going to get out of the castle?”
“Yes. We’ll never get out through the main gates,” said Ida. “They’re too well guarded. You could always change into a bird and fly over the walls,” she said to Magda. “But Hanna and I will need to find another way out.”
Magda nodded. On their twelfth birthday, each sister had developed magical abilities. It happened to all members of the Aurora family. The sisters each had different powers. Magda could transform into any animal she could see; Ida could draw things which would then become real and Hanna could move things with her mind. Members of the Aurora family all started with one power but could then increase their powers by studying magic and practising their abilities, just like the girls’ mother and aunt had done.
“How about we wait until everyone’s busy and then we sneak around to the back of the castle where it’s quieter?” suggested Hanna. “You could draw us a long ladder, Ida, and I could use my magic to make it stand against the castle walls so we can climb over. We could take a rope with us and use it to get down the other side,”
“Good idea!” said Ida. “Magda could turn into a bird to keep watch for us and call out when it’s safe and no one is watching.”
Magda smiled. “Perfect! We’ve finally got a plan!”
“A good one,” said Ida, smiling at Hanna, their argument forgotten.
Oskar whined enquiringly.
Hanna ruffled his ears. “Don’t worry. We’ll take you too, Oskar. We’ll put you in a basket and I’ll carry you over the wall.”
Oskar bounded around in delight. He grabbed the roll of purple ribbon that Magda had been using to tie a bow around his neck and raced off around the bedchamber. It spilled out, leaving a trail of ribbon behind him.
“Oskar, stop!” Magda giggled, trying to grab him but missing.
Ida and Hanna chased after him. The cub dodged and swerved, his dark eyes gleaming cheekily. He ran through Ida’s legs, making her squeal and fall over.
“Got you, you naughty cub!” Hanna gasped, throwing herself at Oskar and rolling on the floor with him, just as the door opened and Madame Olga, the girls’ governess, came in. She was looking as neat and tidy as ever, her hair in a perfect roll at the back of her neck, her navy-blue dress spotless. Her eyebrows rose as she saw Hanna, Magda and Ida all sprawling on the floor.
“Whatever are you doing?” she exclaimed. “This is not the behaviour I expect of young ladies – young ladies who have a grand ball to attend!”
The girls sheepishly got to their feet.
“Sorry, Madame Olga,” said Ida as Magda quickly started to roll up the ribbon and Hanna put Oskar in his bed.
“Oskar just got a bit over-excited,” said Hanna, patting the cub.
“Hmm,” Madame Olga did not look impressed. “Well, if he can’t behave he’ll have to stay in the stables tonight.”
Oskar’s ears flattened.
“He’ll be fine, Madame Olga. We’ll make sure he’s good,” said Magda quickly.
“See that you do,” said Madame Olga sharply. “There’s quite enough to worry about without Oskar getting in the way.”
“Maybe we should just not have the ball tonight?” Hanna said hopefully.
Madame Olga fixed her with a stern look. “Hanna Aurora, we have been through this before. Cancelling the ball would ruin hundreds of years of tradition and, far worse, send a message to your aunt that we are scared of her. The people of Nordovia will not give in to her evil. Your parents would not want us to.”
Hanna bit her lip but didn’t say anything more. All the girls knew there was no point arguing with Madame Olga.
“Now, finish getting ready and come downstairs,” said Madame Olga. “The guests will be arriving in an hour and you must all be there to greet them with tidy hair and immaculate dresses. You are to behave like perfect hostesses for the night – do you understand?”
“Yes, Madame Olga,” the triplets chorused meekly.
Madame Olga swept out, shutting the door behind her,
Hanna grinned at her sisters. “We’ll behave like perfect hostesses until we sneak away!” she whispered.
Magda felt excitement flutter through her tummy and she squeezed her sisters’ hands. “Then our final adventure to save Nordovia and Mother and Father will begin!”
Chapter Two
A few hours later, the castle grounds were a picture of festivity. People sat at the tables eating and drinking, the musicians played lively tunes, conjurers entertained the crowds and jesters told jokes. Hanna, Magda and Ida were on their best behaviour, meeting and greeting the guests and making polite conversation with everyone.
“It’s almost time to go,” Hanna whispered to her sisters as people started leaving the tables and getting up to dance. She pulled a basket out from where she had been keeping it safe under the table. There were three warm coats inside it as well as the snow globe in a special felt bag that Ida had drawn for it. Despite Madame Olga having left them sparkling party shoes to wear, they were all we
aring their travelling boots under their long dresses. Luckily Madame Olga had been too busy to notice!
Ida swallowed nervously and glanced around. “Should we see if we can slip away now?”
Magda nodded. “Come on, Oskar,” she said in a low voice. “It’s time to go.” The cub got up and followed her obediently.
The girls put on their coats as they moved through the crowds, heading for the high wall at the back of the castle, but as they got close they heard the sound of shouting from the turrets above. They looked up and saw the guards rushing around, pulling out their bows and nocking arrows ready to fire.
“What’s happening?” asked Ida, puzzled.
The enormous warning bell in the watchtower suddenly started to chime. Magda paled. “The castle must be under attack!”
The musicians stopped playing and the guests stopped dancing. In the sudden silence, strange shrieks and screams and howls could be heard on the other side of the castle walls. The ground started shaking as if something very big was approaching. The guards called to each other as Captain Vladimir shouted commands.
“Who’s attacking the castle?” said Hanna.
Magda didn’t hesitate. “I’ll find out!” Seeing a snowy owl flying away from the turrets, she concentrated on its pale form. Magic tingled through her, faintly at first but quickly building up to a rush of power. She felt her body change and shot upwards into the air, powerful white wings beating. For a brief moment, she felt the sheer delight that she always felt when she turned into a bird and was able to fly … but then she remembered why she had transformed. She soared upwards.
Her heart almost stopped beating as she flew over the turrets. An army of creatures – wolves, enormous bears, sabre-toothed lions, all with glowing red eyes – was approaching the castle across the snowy plains.