Faery Forged

by Donna Joy Usher

  Finally, when I thought I might start screaming, we reached the corner the boys had taken. Another cobblestoned alley stretched in front of us. There was no sign of the children.

  We ran down the alley until it reached a T-intersection.

  ‘Shit.’ Aethan ran his hands through his hair as he looked left and right.

  We were so exposed.

  ‘That way,’ I pointed to the left. A tall spire stretched towards the sky. I was betting it was the church.

  Using the doorway shadows for cover, we moved towards the spire.

  Where was everyone? If today was a religious festival why weren’t they all coming to the church?

  A low hum started up as we got closer to the building with the spire. Singing.

  Of course, the reason there weren’t any giants in the alleys coming to church was because they were already at church.

  The end of the alley opened into a large, paved courtyard in front of the church. A wide set of stone stairs curved from the ground to a soaring arch filled with two ironclad, wooden doors. A smaller entry was serviced by a path that wound through a garden and ended at a stone arch on the edge of the courtyard.

  We darted across the courtyard to the stone arch and hid in its shadow. As we listened, the singing got louder and then there was a squawking creak as the main doors were pushed open. A giant, dressed in robes stood in the entry.

  I scooped Scruffy beneath me as we cowered into balls, face down and pressed into the base of the arch as the priest started down the stairs. Counting on the colour of our clothing to camouflage us in the shadows, we stayed absolutely still as the congregation trailed after him in a long column.

  It felt like forever as their footsteps thundered past us, their singing echoing around the courtyard and down the alley. Sweat drenched my body as I controlled the urge to flee.

  And then they were gone.

  I let out the breath I had been holding and sat back on my knees. Aethan grabbed me before I could stand.

  Lollipop boy pushed open the small entry door. ‘They’ll be gone for at least an hour.’ Instead of heading down the path to where we hid, he led his companion across the garden towards the staircase. He broke a branch off a tree and whipped it from side-to-side before tossing it back to the ground.

  ‘Little vandal,’ Isla hissed.

  They jumped up onto the stairs and made their way to the still-open doors of the church.

  As soon as they had disappeared inside, we followed. Of course it wasn’t quite so easy for us. The stairs were shoulder height and took us longer to navigate.

  We had an hour to find our friends and get the hell back out of there. I was hoping the crypts weren’t too far down.

  We heard Lollipop as soon as we crept into the church. Hiding behind a pew we could see him struggling with a door. ‘I’m sure it’s down here.’ He turned the handle and rattled the door backwards and forwards and suddenly it popped open.

  His companion stuck his head into the opening. ‘Cooooolll,’ he said. ‘The stairs go down.’

  ‘Where did you think they’d go?’ Lollipop pushed past him and disappeared down the stairs. His friend followed and the door began to close.

  We broke from our cover and raced towards the door. If it shut we were never going to get down there.

  ‘Quick.’ Aethan grabbed one end of a door stopper and I got the other. We wedged it in between the door and the frame with inches to spare.

  ‘That was close.’ Isla looked down the stairs. ‘It’s dark.’

  ‘Maybe you should stay up here and stand guard,’ Aethan said to her.

  She looked at him with one eyebrow arched. ‘Trying to keep me safe, brother dearest?’ She patted him on the cheek and stepped past him, jumping down the first stair.

  Aethan turned to me.

  ‘Nahaaha,’ I said. ‘I’m coming. You may need my superior fighting skills.’

  The corner of his mouth quirked up. ‘We need someone to stand watch.’

  I looked at Scruffy. ‘You stay. Bark if someone comes.’

  He whined and pawed at my leg.

  ‘Love you too buddy. Now hide.’

  He darted underneath the nearest pew and pressed his body up against the leg. No-one would see him unless they got down on their hands and knees and looked.

  About halfway down, the staircase began to lighten. We progressed more quickly once we could see, and it only took us a few minutes to make it to the bottom. The light came from a tunnel off to our left. We slunk down it, freezing when we heard the boy’s voices.

  ‘Coooollll.’

  ‘I told you there were faeries down here.’

  Aethan gestured for us to follow and we crept into the room and hid behind the legs of a chair.

  The boys had their backs to us as they peered into the cell that held our friends. Fine mesh covered the cell bars from ceiling to floor. We could see Brent, Luke and Wilfred standing behind the mesh.

  ‘Faeries are arrogant.’ Lollipop jabbed the wire mesh with his finger. ‘My Mum says so.’

  ‘Mind who you’re calling arrogant.’ Wilfred puffed his chest out and stepped closer to the mesh.

  ‘Arrogant, arrogant, arrogant.’ Lollipop stabbed the wire with each word.

  On his third stab, Wilfred leapt forwards, pulling his sword out of his sheath and stabbing it into the end of Lollipop’s finger.

  ‘Oowwww,’ Lolly shrieked, leaping back from the wire. He stuck his finger in his mouth and sucked on it.

  Aethan stepped out from behind his chair leg and waved. Wilfred’s eyes widened as he saw him, but then he turned back to Lollipop as if nothing had happened.

  ‘Think you’re pretty tough coming all the way down here by yourself,’ Wilfred said.

  ‘I am tough.’ Lollipop took his finger out of his mouth and put his hands on his hips. ‘I could take you on any day.’

  Wilfred, Brent and Luke burst out laughing.

  ‘Yeah right,’ Brent said. ‘My Grandmother’s tougher than you. And she can’t walk.’

  Luke and Wilfred laughed again, slapping their legs as if it were the funniest thing they had ever heard. What were they doing? Were they trying to get killed?

  ‘I am so tough,’ Lolly said.

  ‘Why don’t you come in here and show us how tough you are?’

  And then of course I understood what they were up to. There was no way we would be able to get them out of there. The lock was too high for us to undo. The boys though? Well they were another matter entirely.

  Lolly looked around and spied a set of keys hanging from the wall. He stalked over, grabbed them and took them back to the cell.

  ‘I don’t know if this is such a good idea?’ his mate said.

  ‘No one will know.’ He fumbled for the correct key. ‘We’ll just squash a couple of them. I get the orange, hairy one.’

  Brent, Luke and Wilfred backed away from the door to the other side of the room as Lolly opened it.

  ‘Not so tough now are you?’ Lolly’s laugh reminded me of the bullies from my schooldays. Did they take lessons on how to make that sound?

  ‘Nope.’ Wilfred shook his head. ‘But my friends are.’

  He pointed in our direction and when the two young giants turned around we were blocking their exit from the cell. Aethan and I had drawn our swords and Isla had my bow with an arrow notched.

  ‘Hello boys,’ Isla said, pulling back on her bow string.

  When Lolly went to rush us, she let the arrow fly. It thudded into the flesh of his thigh and he let out a squeal and fell to the ground. ‘Plenty more where that came from,’ she said.

  Wolfgang lay on a mattress near the far wall. Brent and Luke picked it up and carried him out of the cell. His face was pale but his eyes were open and he managed to give me a small smile.

  ‘How are we going to keep them in there?’ Wilfred said, as he stood in the doorway with Aethan and me. Lolly’s mate stepped towards us and we waved our swords to warn him off.

&
nbsp; ‘I think I can manage.’ Wolfgang’s voice was weak.

  We stepped back as Brent and Luke closed the door. Lolly’s mate rushed at the door, but before he could force it open there was a clicking sound and the key turned in the lock. The mesh prevented them from being able to undo it.

  ‘Well done,’ I said, turning towards Wolfgang. His eyes were closed and his breathing came in small rasps. I exchanged a worried look with Isla.

  ‘You’ll never get away with this,’ Lolly said. A small trickle of blood seeped from the arrow wound.

  ‘Oh,’ Isla said, ‘I think we just did.’

  We could hear their yells fading behind us as we climbed back up, but we had more important things to worry about. It took all of us to get Wolfgang up the stairs. Three each side, we lifted the mattress onto the next step and then clambered up after it. By the time we neared the top I was panting and covered in sweat.

  With one step to go, Scruffy let out a little ruffing bark.

  Whizbang. Someone was coming.

  We lifted Wolfgang the last time and dragged the mattress towards the door. I stuck my head out through the opening. I could see a priest up the front moving around and lighting candles. Singing could be heard coming into the church from outside.

  ‘Quick,’ I hissed. The parade was almost there.

  The first of the congregation marched up the stairs, their song echoing around the church. We carried Wolfgang’s mattress and slipped it under the nearest pew, sliding in next to him.

  ‘The door,’ Aethan whispered, darting back towards it.

  We had left the doorstop propping it open. The last thing we wanted was someone investigating the crypt while we were still in the church.

  I followed him. Grabbing either side of the wooden stop, we wiggled it from side-to-side. The pressure of the door on it stopped it from coming easily. Any second a giant was going to come up the side aisle and see us there wrestling with the damned thing.

  It inched outward, until Wilfred joined us, putting his back to the door and pushing it open. We yanked the stop out and placed it back against the wall, diving back under the pew as the first shadow darkened the aisle. Scruffy pushed up against me, and I scratched him on the head.

  Still singing, the giants entered the church. They filed back into the pews and we pressed ourselves against the side leg, trying to remain upright as the ground shook. They took their seats and silence fell over the room. The light dimmed as the entry doors started to shut.

  ‘Excuse me,’ a familiar voice said. ‘Want to talk to God.’

  The doors creaked back open and murmurs and mutters of disapproval could be heard.

  ‘Let him in,’ the priest said from the front. ‘Anyone who wants to talk to Ukita can enter his home.’

  There was more muttering and then the sound of feet shuffling and Tiny walked down the side aisle. If we were to escape he had to sit near us. But if we were seen trying to attract his attention we would all be caught, and he would no doubt be punished. In the end I reasoned most of the giants would be looking at him, so I stepped to the other side of the leg and waved an arm in the air.

  Aethan yanked me back beneath the pew. ‘What are you doing?’ he whispered.

  ‘Getting his attention.’

  We felt Tiny stop walking as he got to our pew. ‘Tiny sit here,’ he said.

  ‘This is my seat young man,’ a giantess said. ‘Go find your own.’

  ‘Tiny’s seat.’ He shuffled sideways into the pew and we saw the legs of the lady sliding sideways.

  ‘Why, I never,’ she muttered.

  Tiny let out a satisfied grunt as he sat down. He chucked his bag onto the floor and kicked it under the seat. I resisted the urge to clasp his hairy leg and kiss it.

  Isla, Aethan and I rushed to the top of the bag and pulled back the lid.

  ‘What are you doing?’ Wilfred whispered in my ear.

  ‘This is our ride out of here,’ I said.

  He stared at me with his eyes wide and his bushy eyebrows raised but at the sight of Isla and Aethan preparing the bag he shrugged.

  The priest’s voice droned as we wrestled Wolfgang’s mattress into the bottom of the bag next to the bread. Then we climbed in and, just before I flicked the lid back down, I reached out and patted Tiny’s leg.

  A few seconds later we heard him stand up. More mutters of disapproval followed. ‘Finished,’ he said, swinging us up into the air.

  I think we all held our breath as the giant doors creaked back open, and then Tiny was walking down the stairs and away from the church. I couldn’t believe we had gotten away with it.

  He strode through the alleyways and back through the marketplace. We huddled around Wolfgang’s mattress and waited. Nearly there. We were nearly free.

  ‘Oiy Tiny.’ It was Derek from the front gate. ‘Where are you going?’

  ‘Tiny go home now.’

  ‘Thought you wanted to see the festival.’ I squeezed my eyes shut as Derek’s voice got closer.

  ‘Spoke to God. He told me to go home.’

  Derek burst out laughing. ‘I bet he did. Why would he want a lumpkin like you at his birthday party?’

  By the movement of the bag I thought Tiny was shuffling his feet again. ‘Tiny not a lumpkin.’

  ‘Let it go man,’ Aethan murmured under his breath.

  ‘What‘d you say?’ Derek’s voice was quieter but it held a menacing undertone.

  ‘Tiny not a lumpkin,’ Tiny shouted.

  Oh boy. Here we go.

  In the dim light of the bag I could just see Brent and Luke start to draw their swords. Aethan shook his head and motioned for them to re-sheath them. If the bag got tossed around it was us that would feel the sharp length of steel.

  ‘Well looky here. The mutant grew some balls.’ There was a soft smacking sound and I pictured Derek punching a fist into the palm of his other hand.

  ‘Not mutant,’ Tiny roared and then we were dropping down and moving forwards. The bag jumped around wildly, swinging from Tiny’s back to his side like a pendulum. Derek let out a cry and a shockwave from the contact of Tiny tackling him flowed through the bag.

  Then we could hear flesh pounding flesh. I prayed it was Tiny’s flesh pounding Derek’s and not the other way round.

  Derek let out another roar and the bag was flung out to the side. Tiny grunted and like an elevator out of control we crashed to the ground.

  It was crowded with the eight of us in the bag. I cradled Scruffy in my arms as we tumbled over each other, a gigantic ball of body parts. Wolfgang let out a low moan as we came to rest.

  I was guessing the score was one all.

  ‘What ya got in here?’

  We were hefted back into the air so suddenly that, for a split second, when we reached the top of the arc, I was weightless.

  ‘No,’ Tiny yelled. ‘My bag.’

  The bag jerked and the fabric stretched horizontally as they wrestled for control.

  Oh Dark Sky, don’t let it rip down the middle. A picture of us tumbling from the ruined bag flashed into my mind.

  One big tug in Derek’s direction and the bag was free, but in Derek’s possession.

  ‘You been stealing boy?’

  Oh, had he ever.

  ‘Tiny not steal.’

  ‘Well let’s have a look, hey.’

  I shared a look of horror with the others. We had been so close. So close. And now because of this bully we were going to be captured. And eaten.

  I hated bullies. Despised them with my whole heart. I felt a pressure building inside me. I’d had enough of them trying to ruin my life. I’d be damned if I were going to let this Derek end it for me.

  ‘Wolfgang.’ Aethan’s low tone held a note of urgency.

  Wolfgang opened his eyes, but pain glazed them like a frosted window. ‘Isadora,’ he croaked.

  ‘I can’t… I don’t.’ If it were up to me, we would die for sure.

  ‘Instinct,’ Wolfgang gasped. ‘Don’t think. Do.’ />
  Isla grasped my arm as the flap of the satchel lifted, flooding light down through the opening. ‘I believe in you,’ she whispered.

  I couldn’t let Derek see us. Not like this, with Wolfgang wounded and us all trapped. I threw my arms up in the air above us.

  Don’t see us. Oh please don’t see us.

  The light shifted and bent around us, touching the sides of the bag. Not one ray of sunlight landed on any of us.

  Derek’s face appeared in the opening and peered down at where we lay in a tumble of disarray.

  ‘Huh,’ it said. ‘There’s nothing here, except….’ A hand descended towards us and Brent and Wilfred shoved the half-eaten loaf of bread into the outstretched fingers. ‘This bread.’

  Derek shoved the bread into his mouth and took a bite. ‘Thanks, I was hungry.’

  He let the bag fall from his fingers and I tensed with my hands still up, waiting for another hard landing, but before we hit, the bag was swung back up and around and I guessed we were back on Tiny’s shoulder.

  The gentle swaying motion of Tiny’s walking recommenced. The noise of the town fell behind us and we were free.

  I dropped my hands and slumped back against the side of the bag.

  Isla crouched down beside Wolfgang and put her hand on his brow. His chest hardly moved as he took short, sharp breaths. My eyes dropped to his leg. It lay at an awkward angle to the rest of his body. He had to be in such pain.

  Aethan put his hand on my arm. ‘What did you do?’

  ‘I don’t know.’ I never knew.

  ‘She wove an illusion.’ Wolfgang opened his eyes. His lips pulled up in an attempt at a smile. It looked more like a grimace. ‘In a fashion. She manipulated the light rays so that he couldn’t see us.’ He winced and closed his eyes, shifting his body as if trying to stop the pain.

  ‘Shhh.’ Isla took his hand in hers.

  ‘I wove an illusion.’ I shrugged my shoulders. ‘I’m pretty useless really.’

  ‘I wouldn’t call that useless.’ Aethan gave me his cutest, dimpled smile. ‘You saved us.’