by John Lenahan
‘After I stood up to my father in the throne room,’ Jesse said. ‘Remember? It was over giving you your horse back.’
‘Oh I remember,’ I replied.
‘Well, after that, Dad said I had bivka.’
‘I have no idea what bivka is but you were pretty awesome that day.’
Jesse blushed. I almost expected him to say, ‘Aw shucks.’
‘When I came back with The Turlow’s horse, you know, the one you gave me, everybody assumed I stole it. Dad was so impressed with my transformation, he gave me a small troop to lead. They were the bottom of the barrel but I didn’t know that. I had watched Demne,’ Jesse stopped at the mention of his dead brother and swallowed hard. ‘You know Frank?’
I nodded. Of course I remembered Frank.
‘Well I had watched a lot of his training in the Torkc Guards and I just did the same drills his combat master had put him through. My men loved it. Last month we had war games in the Alderlands and my troop won. Dad promoted me to commander.’
‘Congratulations,’ I said, slapping him on the arm. ‘That’s wonderful.’
Jesse rubbed his arm where I had hit him. ‘No it’s not. I’m just pretending to be a leader. I go watch other commanders and just do what they do. Well, I change it so no one will notice, but I really have no idea what I’m doing. I just put on a gruff voice and make sure nobody sees me …’ He turned and looked away, covering his face.
‘Hey, guy, it’s OK.’
‘But it’s terrifying, Conor. I think any minute everybody is going to figure out that I’m faking it.’
I had to cover my mouth to stop from laughing. ‘Oh Jesse, we’re all faking it. Before the battle at the Hall of Knowledge last winter I figured out that bravery was just pretending not to be scared. You’re not doing anything every other commander hasn’t done. You learn by watching what others do, then you change it to suit you. It sounds to me like you’re pretty good at it.’
‘Really?’ he said, wiping his nose. ‘You’re not just saying that?’
‘If I had a Brownie troop that needed commanding – you would be the guy I would pick.’
‘Wow, really?’ he said, unconsciously sitting up straighter.
I nodded.
‘I’m so glad to see you, Conor. Say, what are you doing out here alone anyway?’
So I told him the whole story about the raid on Yew House on Mount Cas and how my grandmother and Lugh had kidnapped Ruby. Maybe I shouldn’t have. He was technically the enemy, but then I remembered what I had said to him so long ago in the Brownielands. ‘Others can make us enemies but no one can unmake us friends.’ Then I told him how the Hermit of Thunder Bay had puppeteered me into the situation I was in now.
‘You went into battle with Lugh? Weren’t you scared?’
‘I pretended not to be.’
Jesse nodded and smiled like a schoolboy remembering a lesson.
‘So I have to get to Castle Onn – the hermit told me that’s where they are holding Ruby. Do you know where it is?’
‘I’ve never been there,’ Jesse said, ‘but that’s where I’m going.’
Jesse went on to explain that his father had sent him to represent the Brownies at a meeting called by Cialtie. Apparently the new Turlow was going to attend, and there were rumours that Lugh was again abroad in The Land and that he would be there. Cialtie had promised he would reveal a secret weapon or something that would ensure that Duir would soon be liberated.
‘Liberated from its gold you mean,’ I said sarcastically.
Jesse laughed. ‘That’s what my father thinks.’
‘Jesse, do you really think that if you win this war Cialtie will just hand over Castle Duir to the Brownies?’
‘My father does.’
‘Yeah, but do you?’
Jesse thought for a time. It’s never an easy thing for a son to judge his father. Finally he looked up and said, ‘No, I do not.’
‘Can you tell your father that?’
‘I could, but he wouldn’t listen. What should I do, Conor?’
‘Aw, Jesse, I have no idea. He’s not only your father, he’s also your king. You kinda have to do what he says.’
‘Even if he’s wrong?’
I shrugged. A wilful father I had experience with, but a wilful and stupid father – would be awful.
‘The more pressing problem,’ I said, ‘is what are you going to do with me?’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Well, I’m your prisoner, aren’t I?’
Jesse thought for a second. ‘I suppose you are,’ he said, then giggled. ‘Maybe I should take your shoes.’
I started laughing too until Jesse shushed me and said, ‘Wait here.’
Jesse’s voice when addressing his scout was so different to the childlike tone he used with me. I couldn’t quite make out what was being said until the scout said, ‘Right away, sir’. Then I heard him gallop off.
Jesse came back into the tent with water and an apple. I drank deeply then devoured the apple.
‘OK,’ Jesse said, ‘I quizzed my scout and he hadn’t recognised you, so I told him you were one of Cialtie’s scouts that had been waylaid. I told him not to mention it to anyone for fear of embarrassing Cialtie. Then I sent everyone back to the main troop.’ He threw clothes at me. ‘Here, quickly, put these on.’
This wasn’t the meek weepy Jesse I knew – this was Captain Prince Codna of the Alderlands. His voice shocked me, so I just did what he said. I was bigger than the average Brownie but luckily Brownie clothes are pretty stretchy. Jesse held out a hooded cloak and I put it on. It was tight but if I didn’t move around too much it was OK. Jesse walked behind me and tied a triangular cloth across my face like a cowboy train robber’s bandana, and then he fixed a translucent piece of black muslin across my eyes. Finally he walked in front of me and lifted the hood over my head.
‘This is the uniform of the Brownies Shadowguard. Castle Onn is a half day’s ride. You can get to the outskirts of the castle if you run fast.’
We didn’t have a lot of time. Our plans were much more hurried than I liked.
‘Are you sure you want to do this?’ I asked. ‘If this plan falls apart then you are going to be in a whole heap of trouble.’
‘I can’t defy my father, but I can’t let Cialtie kidnap a young girl.’
I placed my hand on Jesse’s shoulders. As I looked at him it was like looking into an illusion. I saw the young sweet kid I had always known at the same time as I saw the steely commander. ‘You’re a brave man, Captain Codna.’
‘As long as that’s what people believe.’ He tried to smile but just missed it.
I turned to leave.
‘Oh, and Conor – you can’t wear those shoes.’
I was never a runner before I got to The Land. I always figured that if the creator of the universe wanted human beings to jog he wouldn’t have allowed us to invent the Ferrari. But there was no sports car handy so I was hoofing it as fast as I could, hoping I could get to the place where Jesse and I had agreed to meet before his troop got there. He said he would try to delay them as much as possible but still they were on horseback and I was running. And I wasn’t in my Nikes. If I didn’t know better, I would have accused that Brownie of orchestrating this whole thing just so he could finally get his hands on my sneakers.
So I was trying to keep up a decent speed in these stupid Brownie slippers. They had stretchy sides so the fact that they were too small wasn’t too bad but the leather soles were so thin, I might as well have been barefoot. Every time I stepped on a sharp rock or a pointy twig, I shouted, ‘Slek,’ which is a very rude Brownie curse word that Jesse’s late brother Frank had taught me. I thought it only appropriate. I tried to separate my mind and body the way the Fili had taught me but every time I stubbed my toe, my mind and body came together and my mind told me that I was running too much. This Brownie outfit didn’t help either. I tried to remember if I had ever seen an Olympic marathon runner wearing woollen leg
gings and came up with nothing. Gosh, I wonder why not?
Through my discomfort, I remembered Dad telling me about the mantra that inspired him to win the boat race against his brother. He told me he kept saying, ‘Rowing beats Cialtie,’ over and over again in his head. I started saying that but then changed my chant to, ‘Running saves Ruby.’
My new yew banta staff was heavy in my hand. I said to myself, I wish this damn stick was lighter – and it was. That broke my concentration and I thought out loud, ‘I wish this stick was heavier.’ Even though I had asked for it I was unprepared for the sudden weight in my right hand. I tipped over at full speed and crashed painfully onto the ground. I sat up and when the cartoon tweeting birds that were flying around my head finally disappeared I said, ‘Cool,’ and then ‘Ow,’ but maybe not in that order. I started back at a jog and as I picked up speed I willed my stick to go light again and thought, I need to look into the stuff this stick can do but not now. Now – running saves Ruby. Running saves Ruby. Running …
My mindless-running-chanting universe was disturbed by a feeling of vulnerability. I looked around and found I was no longer in a forest. Jesse had told me that before you get to Castle Onn there is an expanse of treeless fields that borders the Hollylands. We had agreed to meet at the treeline. I looked behind me and saw that I had run past that. I circled back, hoping no one had seen me, and finally came to rest under a cherry tree. It was too early in the season for fruit and the tree constantly apologised for that, regardless of how many times I told him it was all right. I was sweating from head to toe and desperately wanted to peel off some of these hot clothes just for a second but was afraid that if I did, that would be the moment when Jesse and the Brownies arrived.
With the tree still pestering me if there was anything he could do, I asked if he minded if I climbed. Delighted that he could be of any service the cherry gladly agreed. I picked up my yew staff from the ground. It was regular yew weight again and I mentally asked it to lose its weight. As it grew lighter I flippantly asked the wood to become lighter than air. The stick shot up and out of my fingers then fell to the ground. I stared at it thinking then smiling. I picked it up again and this time held on tight with both hands.
Lighter than air, I said in my head and I instantly shot twenty feet in to the air until I let go screaming. I hit the ground hard and then was hit in the kidneys by my falling stick. After determining that none of my bones was broken I said, ‘Wow,’ and tried again. This time when I spoke to the wood I said, just a little bit lighter than air. The stick rose and I felt the pull on my outstretched arms. A tiny bit lighter, I said as my full weight was slowly pulled off the ground. I found I could regulate this anti-gravity effect. I could only go up and down but I figured if I gave myself enough time I could also get it to hover. But time I didn’t have, so I just used my new-found floating stick to propel me to the top of the cherry tree where under the cover of leaves I stripped off some of the sticky wool and let the breeze cool me down while I scratched.
The cherry tree told me of Jesse’s Brownie troop’s approach. It was something I asked him to do and the tree was delighted he could be of further assistance. Cherries are helpful to the point of annoyance. They are also not very inquisitive. The tree seemed to not notice that I flew into its top branches. I re-donned my damp, smelly Brownie-wear, covered my face and eyes with the Brownie ninja gear and waited until Jesse and his charges were almost below me. I then instructed my staff to go light-ish and jumped.
The effect was just as I had hoped. It looked like a slow motion scene from a bad action movie. I arrived from that dizzying height on my feet and then placed my hands on my hips. Jesse had told me that Shadowguards never speak. Good thing ’cause I almost said, ‘Ta da!’
Jesse’s troop was stunned and impressed. After their initial shock they gave a Brownie salute that I returned. The most shocked of the entire group was Jesse. I could tell he was dying to ask me how I had just jumped out of a four-storey-high tree but finally he just said, ‘Now that my Shadowguard is here, it is time to meet with Cialtie and Lord Lugh.’
Chapter Fourteen
Ivy Lodge
The Ivy Lodge half lived up to its name. It was more of a castle than a lodge, but as for the ivy – it sure had a lot of that. From the outside it looked fine, majestic even, like the main building of some venerable old university. But once you got inside it was terrifyingly apparent that this place was going to come crashing down any second. It seemed that the ivy was the only thing holding it up.
The origins of Ivy Lodge lived in that timeline between history and legend. Apparently Mom and Dad weren’t the first to take a Choosing simultaneously. It had been done before, a long time ago. Supposedly these two lovers from an ancient time had a love so strong they couldn’t be apart from each other – even for an instant. Against all advice they performed the Rite of Choosing hand-in-hand. For their daring and effort they each received a major rune. The woman was given Gort – the man Tinne. They became the King and Queen of Holly and Ivy. Together they built Ivy Lodge in the new Hollylands far to the north. When the castle was completed they held a midwinter celebration that was ill-attended due to distance and bad weather. After that they never held another party, they never left the castle grounds or each other’s side. They received visitors with courtesy but never warmth. They had no children. Then one day, reports came back that the castle was deserted. The holly trees and the ivy, no longer tied to runes, spread across The Land and King Holly and Queen Ivy were never seen again.
The Hollylands we had just passed through were as wild as the inside of the Lodge. It felt cold up here, even though it was approaching high summer. The cool air still didn’t stop a trickle of sweat from sliding down my back, but that had less to do with the temperature than the anticipation of waltzing into a lion’s den.
Inside the Lodge was crawling with Banshees, which removed all doubt, if there was any, that this was Cialtie’s party. I drew some pretty serious stares with my hoodie, bandana-ed face and gauze-covered eyes but I must have been intimidating enough to stop anyone from saying, ‘Who are you supposed to be?’
We were ushered into a small room that contained a couple of chairs and a table with a pitcher of water and a bowl of apples. Cialtie obviously wasn’t maxing out his hospitality budget. Saying that, as soon as Jesse and I were alone I lifted my bandana and wolfed down an apple. Considering where I was, I wondered if this was to be my last meal. I laughed at that thought and then thought some more and realised it wasn’t funny.
‘Are you all right?’ I whispered to Jesse.
Without looking at me he replied, ‘I’m pretending to be fine.’
I smiled under my mask and tried to do the same.
After half an hour we were instructed by our Banshee party-planner that the meeting was about to begin. We were escorted through corridors where periodic cracks in the walls allowed vein-like ivy to push in and attach pale green leaves to the stonework. At the entrance to the main hall, a Banshee honour guard informed us that I could only enter if I unmasked and disarmed.
‘I am Prince Codna, Emissary and son of King Bwika of the Alderlands, this is my Shadowguard. We both enter unmolested or I return to my father now.’
Wow, Jesse really had this faking brave stuff down.
The guard didn’t protest. When we got inside it was obvious from all of the bodyguards present that he had gotten a similar response from everybody. Bad guys, it seems, like their henchmen.
I was very glad of my mask and eye gauze. Even though I was expecting to see my uncle, I’m pretty sure my heart-pounding terror combined with my overwhelming desire to attack him would have shown on my face. He was flanked by two Banshees: one a male archer and the other a sorceress wearing a thin leather belt that held her wand against her hip.
To his left were Grandma and her boyfriend Lugh. In a normal family, a grandson would be delighted to see his grandmother but normal my family was not. I hadn’t expected to see her but I w
as hoping Ruby would be with them. She had to be nearby – the question was how to find her.
To Cialtie’s right was a group of three Banshees, all dressed up in Banshee finery.
There were no chairs. We took our place standing in an empty space between two pillars.
‘Mother, Father,’ Cialtie said addressing Macha and Lugh, ‘may I introduce Prince Codna of the Brownielands.’
Jesse bowed formally. ‘Lord Lugh, it is an honour to finally see you. I am, as are all of the Brownie clan, at your service.’ He straightened up and then bowed again to my grandmother. ‘Lady Macha, The Land rejoices at the news of your reappearance. I am your humble servant.’
As Jesse instructed me, I only slightly bowed my head. I was supposed to act like I wasn’t there.
Then Cialtie gestured to his right. ‘And may I introduce you to the newly ascended Turlow.’
The new Banshee chief looked small and uncomfortable between his two beefy bodyguards. He bowed and mumbled, ‘My lord and lady.’
‘Our generals have already had several meetings about our upcoming siege of Castle Duir,’ Cialtie said.
Had they? I wanted to turn to Jesse and ask him but remembered I wasn’t supposed to be there.
‘Both Banshees and Brownies have expressed doubts about the success of such an attack, especially after your defeat at the Hall of Knowledge.’
I noticed Cialtie said ‘Your defeat’ like he had nothing to do with it. If I was the new Turlow or Jesse I would have pointed out that attacking the Hazellands was Cialtie’s idea, but these guys were too green to stand up to my uncle.
‘Your hesitations are not without merit, my friends, but worry no longer. As I have promised, we will soon have a new ally, one that will ensure our victory as foretold by Ona.’
Once again I was glad for the mask that covered my face. A new ally? I was expecting a new weapon, maybe, but an ally? Who’s left? I thought for a second that maybe it was the Mertain. They were plenty angry at me and Graysea for stealing the dragon blood but Red was furious with Cialtie and the Banshees, he wouldn’t allow his brother to fall in with this bunch. That only left the Elves. Dad told me it was hopeless trying to enlist the Elves. He said that when a conflict comes, they disappear into the forest. But if Cialtie could coopt them, then potentially that would mean the trees would be on my uncle’s side. At that moment I couldn’t imagine what the trees could do to help but I had been surprised by enough plants in The Land to know that making enemies of a tree is a bad idea.