The Warble

by Victoria Simcox

  As they neared the island, fog as thick as pea soup enveloped them. Ugan lit a lantern and hung it on a hook attached to a pole in the back of the boat. He continued rowing toward a cave in the rocky side of the island. Inside the cave it was cold, damp and a musty smell lingered in the air. If this isn’t hell, there isn’t any other place that could be more like it. A chill ran down his spine. As the oars stirred up the water, the only sound that could be heard was the moisture dripping off the cave walls, and the only source of light to pierce through the darkness was that of the lantern.

  A bat that had been hanging on the cave wall awoke and flew straight toward the boat. It swooped down at Ugan’s head, but he ducked and was able to get out of its way. Then it flew in the direction of the cave’s entrance.

  The queen was looking through the Book of Prophecy and was so enthralled with it that she didn’t seem to notice the bat. She began to laugh, startling Ugan to the point that his heart began to palpitate. “Oh, how wonderful! It says that Ramon is waiting for the arrival of Kristina. He and his troop of zelbocks are at the Salas city prison,” she said. The light from the lantern gave a green tinge to her pale complexion.

  Ugan tried to smile, but the most he could do was slightly lift one corner of his mouth.

  “I guess you’ll have to get the penthouse suites ready for her and the boy’s arrival tomorrow morning.” The queen laughed insanely again, making Ugan cringe.

  They finally reached the end of the cave, and Ugan brought the boat to a stop next to a ladder that was hanging from a trap door in the roof of the cave. Near the ladder hung a large brass bell. Ugan reached for the rope hanging from the bell and rang it. The gonging was very loud and it echoed off the cave walls. A light shone down, and a large iron-barred crate with two zelbocks crouched on top of it was lowered down into the boat. The two disgusting creatures jumped off of the crate and one of them, who had a key hanging around its neck, opened a lock hanging from a rusty chain. It pulled the large chain from the crate, and opened the crate’s lid. The two zelbocks carried the two cages with the animals in them to the crate, opened it, and dumped the animals into it. The zelbock with the key put the large chain back around the crate and locked it up. Then it rang the bell, and the two of them jumped back on top of the crate. Two other zelbocks, who were waiting up above, slowly pulled the crate back up. As it ascended, the beaver turned back into Hester, and then Davina and Graham turned back into themselves as well. Hester sat up and looked at Queen Sentiz through the bars of the crate.

  “I must say, that potion was one of Rupert’s best inventions,” the queen said, just before the crate disappeared out of her sight.

  21

  It was almost midnight when Kristina, Taysha, and Raymond neared Salas. They had come to the top of a hill that overlooked the sleeping city below. The clouds had cleared and the mother-of-pearl moon shone brightly in the dark sky. Calmness lingered in the air as they gazed up at the twinkling stars above them. They were arranged so differently than the ones Kristina was used to seeing out of her bedroom window. For a brief moment, she felt homesick.

  Raymond sniffed at the cool breeze and looked up at the moonlit sky. “A fellow could get used to a place like this.”

  “I agree. It’s so cool here, except for that wicked queen who rules over it,” Kristina said.

  While they stood gazing at the stars, someone wearing a long hooded cloak came running up the hillside toward them. Taysha reared up on her hind legs. Raymond disappeared back into Kristina’s vest, and Kristina held on tight to Taysha’s mane.

  “What is it now, Taysha?” Kristina asked, not yet seeing the cloaked figure. Taysha didn’t answer but turned and ran in the opposite direction.

  “Wait! Please, wait! I come in peace,” the cloaked figured called out, from about halfway down the hillside.

  Taysha stopped and turned around to face the mysterious stranger. That’s when Kristina took notice of it for the first time. The cloaked figure removed its hood to reveal that it was a young gnome man. “Please, don’t be alarmed and run away. I have a message for you.” He was winded from running up the hillside.

  “How can we be sure you’re telling the truth?” Kristina shouted.

  “It’s from Prince Werrien.”

  “What do you think, Taysha? Should we trust him?” Kristina asked the mare.

  “If he is telling the truth, it may be very important,” Taysha replied.

  Raymond poked his head out of the vest. “I say we don’t trust him and stick to our original plan.”

  Kristina thought for a moment and then replied, “Raymond, we don’t have an original plan, or really any plan, for that matter. I say we trust him.”

  Raymond shook his head in disagreement and then disappeared back into her vest. Taysha trotted down the hillside toward the gnome. When they were about twenty-five feet away from him, he fell down on his knees with both hands clasped above his head. “Bless you, chosen one. You have finally come to restore Bernovem.” He got up, walked over to Taysha, and stared up at Kristina with large eyes and a wide grin on his face. “My name is Retzel. It is such an honor to meet you,” he said, grinning from ear to ear.

  “Thank you,” Kristina said, feeling slightly awkward.

  “In the city, we believers can’t show our joy publicly, so we have secret meetings, where we can express ourselves and celebrate your coming, as well as the return of the Warble.”

  “I’m going to try my best to deliver the Warble to its resting place.” By her outward appearance Kristina seemed brave, but on the inside, she was just a scared child, not knowing what to do or expect next.

  “I work at the prison in the city of Salas. I deliver the food rations to the prisoners.”

  “Have you seen Werrien?” Kristina asked.

  “Prince Werrien,” Retzel corrected.

  “Oh, yeah, Prince Werrien,” Kristina amended. Even though he was a prince, to her he was just a regular boy. “Is he okay? I mean, they haven’t hurt him, have they?”

  “I’m sorry to say that they did whip him several times.” Retzel looked sad.

  Kristina’s stomach sank. She couldn’t imagine her newfound friend being whipped.

  Raymond poked his head out of her vest. “Those dirty rotten creatures. When I get hold of the one that did it, I’ll bite its ugly, pointy ears off!”

  Retzel looked curiously at Raymond. “What kind of an animal are you?”

  Raymond raised his nose in the air and answered, “I am a rat and, I’m proud to say, a fancy rat, for that matter. That is what the pet shop sign read, when I resided there.”

  “What a nice little fellow.” Retzel pet Raymond on his head. Then he glanced up at Kristina. “They were trying to make Werrien tell where the Warble is.”

  “Did he give it to them?” Kristina asked.

  “Why, I don’t think so.” Retzel looked puzzled. “Does he have it?” He tickled Raymond under his chin.

  “Yes, I gave it to him to hold, not long before he was captured by the zelbocks.”

  Retzel was so fascinated with Raymond that he seemed to have forgotten about the message he was to give.

  “Did you say you had a message for me?”

  “A message?” Retzel repeated, seeming a little confused.

  “Yes, isn’t that why you came to find us?”

  “Oh, yes, of course, the message,” Retzel said, bringing his attention back to her. “Werrien is hoping that you are coming to rescue him. He wanted me to warn you to not go to the back side of the prison, because there will be zelbocks hiding there, waiting for you. Instead, you are to go to the east side, where his cell window is. He said he can give you further instructions when you get to that point.” He went back to petting Raymond.

  Kristina stared a Retzel, waiting for him to give her more information, but when he didn’t she asked, “Is there anything else I need to know?”

  “I think that’s about all.” Retzel looked back up at her with his large eyes and
a slightly annoying smile. “I must hurry back.” He put his hood back up over his head, said good-bye, and ran down the hillside toward the city.

  Kristina rode Taysha down the hillside, the same way that Retzel had left, and they continued under the moonlit sky toward the city.

  “He sure was a nice fellow. I haven’t had that much attention since I’ve been here,” Raymond said.

  “Quit whining Raymond! It’s not like I’ve had a lot of time to spend playing with you since we’ve been here,” Kristina said.

  “I’m not sure that I trust him,” Taysha said.

  “I know I don’t trust you,” Raymond shot back, “especially when I’m left alone on your back.”

  “I meant Retzel,” Taysha retorted.

  “What do you mean?” Kristina asked.

  “There was something creepy about him,” Taysha went on.

  “I found him pleasant,” Kristina added.

  “Maybe you’re just a little jealous that I got all the attention and you didn’t,” Raymond said to Taysha.

  “No! It has nothing to do with that. It’s just the strange look he had on his face, and those large eyes of his,” Taysha said.

  “Well, one should never judge by appearances,” Raymond countered.

  Kristina stared ahead in amazement. “Hey, look, guys, straight ahead,” she said.

  Taysha and Raymond stopped arguing to look ahead at an elaborate iron gate not far off in the distance. Arched across the top of it was lettering that read “Salas” and arched under that, more lettering read “A City Dedicated to Her Majesty.”

  22

  All was very quiet as the three approached the city gates; not a single soul was to be found. The closer they got the taller and wider the gates seemed to grow, and when they finally stood under the enormous archway, they noticed the many details in the ironwork. Its archway was a depiction of two trees bending toward each other to form the arch, and at the base of the trees, there were vines twisting around the bottom of the trunks, entwining them all the way up to the tips of each and every branch; it gave the impression that the vines were choking the life from the trees. The gate itself was in bad condition, broken in sections and rusting.

  While standing under the archway, Kristina stared at a large statue standing directly ahead of her. It was an enormous replica of Queen Sentiz and it stood over twenty-five feet tall. Its eyes seemed to be glaring right into her eyes. In the statue’s right hand was a tall scepter, and at its top was a snake’s head. Its mouth was wide open, revealing two sharp fangs. In the other hand, she held a scale of measurement, in which the left scale outweighed the right one entirely.

  “Is that statue a replica of who I think it is?” Kristina asked Taysha.

  “If you’re thinking Queen Sentiz, then yes.”

  “She’s scary looking.” Kristina shuttered.

  “That’s her whole intention.”

  The three continued on past the statue and down the main street of the city—Queen Sentiz Street. Rundown shops lined its sides, along with empty fruit and vegetable stands. As they walked along it, Taysha’s hooves clacked loudly on the cobblestone road.

  “I think we’d better get off this street and onto softer ground,” Taysha said.

  They headed for a dirt alleyway, and just as they turned its corner, a window in one of the buildings lit up. A dwarf in a nightdress poked his head out of the window to see where the noise was coming from. Luckily, Kristina and Taysha were already down the alley and out of sight. It was very dark and they couldn’t see anything as they walked, but the darkness didn’t prevent them from hearing a horrible screech, followed by a loud clanking noise. It frightened Taysha and she reared up.

  “Whoa, Taysha!” Kristina whispered.

  “What was that?” Taysha asked.

  “I don’t know.”

  From the left side of the alley just ahead of them, two bright-yellow, glowing eyes appeared, and a few seconds later they heard a loud screeching sound.

  “Why don’t you watch where you’re stepping?” a voice said from below Taysha.

  “She’s getting quite good at that,” Raymond said.

  “It’s a cat,” Kristina said.

  The cat began to run away.

  “Wait! We’re really sorry,” Kristina called out after it.

  The cat stopped and looked back, its eyes glinting.

  “Would you be able to help us?”

  “Why should I?” the cat asked.

  “I can pay you.” Kristina smiled slightly.

  “Money is of no use to me.” The cat turned and began to walk away.

  “Wait, please! I have some cheese.”

  The cat slowly turned around and sauntered back toward them. “I will do it, for the cheese and some fairy blossom.”

  Kristina thought of how Werrien had been beaten and was now sitting in a cold prison cell. He would most likely need the fairy blossom in order to have the strength to escape. “I can give you the cheese, but I can’t give you any fairy blossom.”

  “Well, then, the deal’s off.” The cat turned once again to leave.

  “Okay, I guess that I can spare a little.”

  The cat walked back toward them once again, and Kristina jumped down off Taysha and opened the food sack. She took out what was left of the cheese that Leacha had given her. Then she opened the little sack of fairy blossom and saw that there was about one tablespoon left. She divided it in half and then wrapped one part in a napkin. Then she placed the cheese on the ground in front of the cat. The cat gobbled up the cheese so fast—Kristina wondered if it hadn’t eaten in weeks.

  “Now give me the fairy blossom,” the cat said, licking its paws.

  Kristina looked sternly down at the cat. “First, you need to lead us to the prison, and then I will give it to you.”

  The cat didn’t answer but turned and started to walk away.

  “Okay, have it your way.” Kristina placed the napkin on the ground.

  Once again, the cat turned around. Then it ran toward the folded napkin and picked it up with its mouth. It turned and ran away, this time not stopping.

  “Now what are we going to do?” Kristina said. “We have no idea how to get to the prison, and there’s no one around who can help us.”

  “We’ll just have to keep searching until we find it ourselves,” Taysha said.

  The three continued on through the city’s dark alleyways, and when they got to the end of each one, they would stop and look down the street to see if there was any sign of the prison. After searching for what seemed to be a couple of hours, they began to worry that they would never find it. They had been down what seemed to be every street and alleyway, Taysha stopped walking.

  “Why are you stopping?” Kristina asked her.

  “We’ve been down every possible street and alley, and we haven’t found the prison.”

  “We can’t just give up.”

  “I don’t know where else to look.” No sooner were the words out of Taysha’s mouth than the glowing yellow eyes appeared again from the side of a garbage can.

  “Follow me,” the cat’s voice commanded and it started down the alley ahead of them.

  “Where were you?” Kristina asked angrily. “We had a deal! You promised to help us, but then you left us for more than two hours.”

  “You should know by now that you can never trust a cat,” Raymond said, looking scornfully at the cat.

  “I had business to take care of, so either follow me now, or I’ll leave for good.” The mysterious cat trotted ahead of them and led them out of the very dark alley. It crossed a street, and then crossed over to another street. Then it jumped over a fence into what seemed to be someone’s backyard. It pranced over to a gate and rubbed up against it. Taysha followed and pushed the gate open with her muzzle. Then she went into the backyard.

  “Why did you lead us here?” Kristina asked the cat.

  “This is the prison warden’s backyard, and we need to go through it in order
to get to the prison,” the cat said.

  There was another gate at the back of the yard, and the cat pranced over to it and squeezed underneath it. Taysha approached the gate. Kristina noticed that the gate was chained and locked to the fence.

  “How are we supposed to get through this gate?” Kristina asked the cat.

  “I told you that I would lead you to the prison, but I didn’t say it would be an easy road.”

  “I’m just going to have to jump over it,” Taysha said.

  “Maybe there is another way around,” Raymond said hastily. However, before he could go back inside Kristina’s vest, Taysha was already in midair, jumping over the gate.

  The cat ran ahead of them, down a pathway leading into the wooded forest. Taysha followed behind it, winding to the left and the right for what seemed to be a very long time. The prison finally appeared ahead of them. It was huge, with barred windows, and in front of it, a row of torches lit up the foggy darkness. Two zelbocks stood at attention, guarding the prison.

  The cat stopped and looked back at Kristina. Then without saying a word, it ran off the path and into the thick of the woods.

  “The cat’s taking off again. Now how are we supposed to get past those zelbocks?” Kristina asked.

  From within the woods, they heard the cat say, “Follow me.”

  Taysha turned toward its voice and Kristina was able to see the glowing eyes peering out from between the trees ahead of her. Once again, Taysha followed the cat—off the groomed path and into the woods. Leaves and fallen branches crunched and snapped under her hooves. One of the zelbocks seemed to hear them, and it looked suspiciously into the woods. The cat stopped and stood silent.

  “I know these woods like the back of my paw. You must watch where you go, and only go where I lead you. If you don’t and they see you, you don’t stand a chance of escaping. Now follow directly behind me to avoid the hidden traps. Remember, one wrong move, and you’ll most likely fall into one,” the cat said.

  Trying to stay directly in its trail, Taysha cautiously followed the cat until it stopped again. It looked left and right and then up and down.