‘Well you’re the biggest,’ James retorted.
They moved positions and started again. The pirates ran forward jumping from island to island trying to tag as they went along. Gearoid was fast and tagged a few quickly, Adhara tried, but was struggling until she somehow managed to tag Alex, and started tagging lots of them. James and Lorcan avoided being caught and were the next pirates.
James looked sheepish. ‘I know what you’re thinking, but I just wanted to be a pirate once.’
‘I never said a word.’
They played the game for another hour before leaving the gym.
Carrie noticed Nessa messing with her hair. ‘What is wrong with it?’
‘I have to keep tying it back or it just flops down in front of my eyes.’
‘Let me sort it for you.’
‘You’re not going to cut it are you?’ said Nessa, in a worried tone.
‘Not if you don’t want me to, but it could do with a trim.’
‘Do you do it a lot?’ said Nessa.
‘Yes, I do everybody’s hair here, just look around.’
Nessa glanced at the other women in the hall. ‘OK, then yes please.’
‘Give me ten minutes to shower and get changed.’
Alex strolled down to the library where he found others looking through books and browsing the internet.
Luella glanced up from the book she was reading. ‘Did you have fun, dear?’
‘Yes, I did, what you up to?’
‘Looking for any clues to your dream, while you were playing.’
Alex sat down. ‘I keep getting told to stop thinking about problems too much, so I went to have fun.’
‘Did it help?’ said Joseph.
Alex shrugged. ‘I just keep thinking of those Other Worlds.’
‘As do I,’ said Adair, ‘but it doesn’t fit.’
‘What doesn’t fit?’
‘From the tales that I remember,’ said Adair. ‘There were going to be good and bad worlds. In some of the good worlds you wouldn’t be allowed weapons, and evil could never go there.’
‘It might not be a good world.’
Jarlath looked bemused by the computer screen. ‘My father said, on the good world the doorway wouldn’t open to evil.’
Alex rubbed his chin. ‘What would happen if something evil did manage to get in one of them, and didn’t need weapons but had other powers?’
‘I dread to think,’ said Adair. ‘The inhabitants would be defenceless apart from those with power.’
‘What sort of power?’
‘There are elf wizards who would have no problem defeating the witches.’
Alex read books and searched the internet, but found nothing. They left the library for dinner and Jarlath gave a whistle. Nessa’s hair, now washed, trimmed, and styled. She appeared pleased and impressed as were the others waiting.
‘I wonder if I should have my hair done,’ said the gnome.
Adair stroked his beard. ‘Carrie’s very good, she did mine, too.’
James shook his head at them. ‘What is this?’ A great wizard and a warrior gnome talking about having their hair styled.’
‘No,’ said Jarlath. ‘We were just saying how skilled she is.’
James put his fingers through his hair. ‘Yes, I know, Carrie also does mine.’
The food and drink order arrived, it was larger than normal and too big for the kitchen. Alex realised he’d forgotten to put in a store room and Summer made sure he knew about it.
‘I’ll take most of it to one of the empty rooms upstairs, and get one of those outhouses converted.’
Fergal stood staring at all the boxes. ‘I not be one for technology, but when you can get so much food delivered just like this then I be warming to it.’
‘I find it handy.’
‘You could do that with your clothes.’
‘No way,’ said Paige. ‘We’ll go shopping for those, unless I’m making them.’
Alex took the food upstairs. Well he went up the stairs with the food as it was Kerry who used her powers to move it. Summer joined them so she knew where the food was being kept. Michelle locked a bedroom door when they arrived.
‘What are you up to?’ said Summer.
‘It’s a secret,’ said Michelle.
‘You’re not going to tell us then?’
Michelle put the key in her back pocket. ‘Nope, it’s a surprise.’
‘I like surprises,’ said Kerry.
Summer nodded. ‘I do too, but I hate waiting.’
You do not have to come up here every time you need something, just ask me and I will get if for you, House told them. I will keep this room chilled.
‘Thank you,’ said Summer.
~~~~
James found an empty seat and sat down. ‘Are we taking weapons with us tonight?’
Alex nodded. ‘Yeah, it would be best.’
‘We only have swords,’ said James. ‘I can go and get some more axes tomorrow.’
‘Swords will be fine,’ said Jarlath. ‘We do have our own weapons, but as we haven’t used them in so long they might fall apart on us.’
‘Are you expecting trouble?’ said Luella.
Alex leant forward and took a drink off the table. ‘No, but we wasn’t expecting a troll when we went out one night.’
Fergal’s eyes grew big. ‘That be a battle I would’ve enjoyed.’
‘How big was it?’ said Jarlath.
‘About twenty feet tall,’ said Alex.
‘The witches had got one of their so-called friends to call it over here,’ said Adair. ‘I have no idea who or what he was, as he always wore a hood.’
Roth stood with his big arms folded. He had been suspicious of what was going on until he had a couple of drinks, and stories were exchanged. ‘Was it hard to kill?’
‘Yeah, at first,’ said Alex. ‘It was wearing thick armour, had four arms and two huge swords.’
‘Which forest are we going to search first?’ said Carrie.
Alex swapped his drink for a book and opened it, which showed a map of Great Britain, and its woodlands.
‘We will go to the east. We’ve not been over that side much, and we’ll search four forests or woods.’
Carrie rubbed her chin. ‘Four in one night, can we do it?’
‘Yeah, we’ll split into groups, I’ll lead one, you and Jodie will lead another, James and Asima will lead one, as will Paige and Claire.’
Carrie’s eyes grew big as she stared at him. ‘You trust me to lead a group?’
Alex smiled and nodded at her. ‘I have complete faith in you.’
Fergal stood in front of Carrie. ‘Do not worry, dear lady, you’ll have at least two gnomes with you.’
Roth banged his chest with a closed fist. ‘And follow you we will.’
James studied the atlas. ‘Why are we going to the east of the country?’
Alex stood. ‘We’ve been through most of the others, and if we haven’t the ladies have.’
‘There are no other pucas in Scotland,’ said Aileen.
‘And there’s no others in Ireland,’ Briana added.
‘Which leaves England and Wales,’ said Daralis.
Alex studied the map. ‘I think we can rule out Wales.’
‘Should you do that so easily?’ said Adair.
‘I sensed Flax and Gort long before I knew what they were. Rho took me to their forest, and I sensed something I had never felt before. If they exist, it won’t be from a forest or woods that I have visited.’
‘Could they be from overseas?’ said James.
‘They never have been before,’ said Briana, ‘apart from Ireland of course.’
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Goblins in the Mist
Four groups readied for the search of the missing pucas. Each contained at least two of each race apart from the wolves. House took them to different forests. Rho and Chi joined Alex. Each group took a mobile phone and went to forests on the east side of the country. T
he white witches decided to stay at the mansion and would only come if needed. They didn’t want to leave the children, which included human, puca, and gnome.
Alex took Gort and Flax of the pucas, and Fergal plus a couple of other gnomes. He had no choice about Kaeya and Lark as they were sitting on his shoulders. They walked for twenty minutes but couldn’t find or sense anything.
James and Asima had Joseph with them who thought it might be fun having a night out in the woods. They also had Roth and Dougal, but found no sign of the pucas.
Paige and Claire had sixteen in their group, including six gnomes, four pucas, they also had no luck.
Carrie and Jodie had Blaze, Adair, and Jarlath with them as they walked through a misty part of a forest, when they noticed some animals following them.
‘What do you think they are?’ said Blaze.
Carrie watched the animals. ‘There are two small deer with bright eyes that I can see.’
Jodie looked upwards. ‘There’s a bird up there, also with bright eyes.’
‘This mist isn’t natural,’ said Adair. ‘If you didn’t have your night-sight, I doubt you would see anything.’
Carrie took her phone out. ‘Let’s keep walking, I’ll phone Alex.’
~~~~
Alex felt his phone vibrate and answered it. ‘What’s up?’
Carrie sounded excited. ‘We’re being followed by bright-eyed animals.’
‘OK, stay put, and we’ll come to you.’
‘Who was that?’ said Fergal.
‘Carrie, she believes they have found them.’
You want me to take you there? House asked.
‘Yes, but not too close, it might be best if we walk up to them and not just appear out of nowhere.’
House did, and they arrived a distance away, but in sight. The mist grew thicker as the group approached with the pucas in front. House did the same with the other two groups. When they were altogether, Alex got the pucas to go and play near where the animals were hiding. After fifteen minutes nothing happened.
This mist is unnatural, said House.
Alex looked at the bright-eyed animal he could just about see. ‘Where’s it coming from?’
I believe the pucas are causing it.
I can sense their fear, said Rho.
‘I hate to think of them as frightened,’ said Paige.
James leant up a tree. ‘I don’t think it’s going to work.’
‘No, they are too wary of us,’ said Alex, as he walked over and picked Flax up.
‘They are pucas,’ she said.
‘I know, can you sense anything about them?’
Flax watched them. ‘They are curious, but very frightened.’
One of the animals moved, a deer, it changed into a puca and slowly approached them.
‘Hey,’ said Alex gently.
‘Hello . . . who . . . you?’ said the puca, in a quiet voice.
‘We were looking for you,’ said Alex.
‘I . . . not . . . know,’ said the puca, shaking his head, giving Alex a doleful look.
‘He doesn’t understand us. House, can you get some of our great ladies for us?’
House did not reply, but within seconds they were there.
‘What’s wrong?’ said Aileen.
‘They don’t know what I’m saying.’
‘No one has taught them . . . they probably only know the old language.’ Aileen dropped to one knee in front of the puca, and spoke in a language Alex could not understand. The puca understood and embraced her.
‘I’d call that a breakthrough,’ said James, as the mist thinned.
Aileen turned to Alex. ‘What do you want me to ask him?’
‘Tell them we have other puca friends and three babies.’
Aileen translated it, and strangely the puca said in clear English. ‘We had one, too.’
‘So there is another.’
Alex rubbed his chin. ‘How did he say that?’
Aileen shook her head. ‘I have no idea.’
I am also good at translating, House told them.
Alex looked up. ‘You already knew their language?’
No, I had to wait for Aileen to talk to him before I could figure it out.
‘You’re the coolest dude I’ve ever known,’ said James. ‘I’m sure we could give you a better name.’
I like House, said the spirit.
‘As do I,’ said Alex. ‘And I don’t want someone who calls you the “coolest dude” renaming you.’
You did not need your phones as I could have passed the message for you as I did in getting the great ladies.
‘Oh, yeah, I should have thought of that.
‘Gentlemen,’ said Aileen, ‘we do have company.’
‘Sorry little one,’ he said to the puca. ‘Yeah, we do have an extra baby, and you had one, too.’
‘There was one, but they got attacked and taken away.’
Aileen gasped. ‘Who would do that?’
The puca lowered his head. ‘There were two old women and some other horrible things. We were too late to stop them and they took all three away.’
‘When did this happen?’ said Alex.
‘A few nights ago, we got here as they took them.’
‘What’s your name?’
‘I am Brock.’
‘How did they manage to see them?’
‘It’s hard to hide when you’ve got a baby, and we weren’t here to help with their mist,’ said Brock. ‘Are you angry with us for not stopping them?’
‘No, of course not,’ said Alex. ‘I’m angry with the witches, and happy you didn’t get involved.’
‘You didn’t want us to save them?’
‘They are evil and very powerful, and you would’ve been hurt trying to save them.’
‘Are you going to look for them?’ said Brock.
Alex nodded. ‘Yeah, and they are going to pay for what they did. How do you make the mist?’
‘We just think about it, and it comes.’
Alex looked at Aileen who just shook her head. ‘That’s handy when you’re hiding.’
‘Yes, but the more of you who do it, the thicker it gets, and we wasn’t here in time to help them.’
‘Well don’t worry, we’ll find them.’
‘There are a lots of you, are they all friends, too?’
‘Yeah, and they’re your friends now.’
‘Do all pucas wear clothes now?’
‘They are outfits we made for a party and they seem to like them,’ said Alex, as Gort came over and gave the new puca his waistcoat.
Brock put it on and smiled. ‘Thank you.’
‘You are welcome,’ said Gort, as the other animals changed form, there were ten of them in total.
‘I’m Alex, and this is Flax, Gort was the one who gave you his waistcoat. ‘Come and meet the others.’
Aileen took the pucas hand, while Briana waited for the other pucas to join them.
‘This is Brock,’ said Alex. ‘He told me the witches took the baby and parents.’
‘Damn,’ Adair cursed, ‘it’s my fault . . . I should have gone looking for them.’
‘No, you’re not to blame for their evil, but why would they want to kidnap pucas?’
Adair leant on his staff. ‘I don’t know, and that worries me.’
‘There must be some reason they would risk coming out of hiding to get them.’
‘Talking of hiding, why did you reveal yourself in the end?’ Paige asked the Puca.
Brock was inspecting his new clothing. ‘It was the way Alex picked Flax up and held her . . . I could tell he loved her.’
Paige looked at Alex. ‘That was clever.’
‘Not really, I just wanted to pick her up.’
‘What happens now?’ said Brock.
‘I want you to come back with us.’
‘And leave our forest.’
‘You can come back here anytime, but it’ll be safer for you with us at the moment.’
Brock looked at his friends, many wearing waistcoats while studying the pouches, and they nodded.
Paige picked the puca up, and he didn’t seem to mind. ‘We have some of them for you, too.’
‘OK, we come with you,’ said Brock.
Alex told them what to expect, and House took them all back.
‘How on earth did that just happen?’ said Aileen, as they walked down the hall.
‘How did what happen?’ said Alex.
‘They just came here like that.’
‘Because Papa asked them to,’ said Flax.
‘Are you hypnotising them?’
Alex put Flax down so she could join the others. ‘No, but I do seem to have a connection with the pucas and pixies, but humans I have no understanding with.’
‘Oh, I don’t know about that. I didn’t take much persuading to come here,’ said Aileen, taking his arm.
‘And you’re very welcome here.’
‘Control your urges,’ Morven told her. ‘Mother wouldn’t like you trying to seduce her son.’
‘How could you even think that, he is my nephew,’ said Aileen, feigning shock, the real shocked looks were on Alex’s and Carrie’s faces.
‘That’s very confusing,’ said James. ‘If it’s mother’s son, wouldn’t that make him your brother?’
‘Whose mother are we talking about?’ said Alex.
‘Yours of course.’
‘She is not really our mother, or sister,’ said Aileen. ‘We call her mother as she is the oldest and taught us everything we know, as did Daralis, but they prefer being called sisters.’
Alex raised both eyebrows. ‘That makes it much simpler to understand.’
Claire laughed. ‘I can see why you’re a screw up.’
‘I hope you remember that in future when you’re being horrible to me.’
The new pucas were given food before the children took them to the cinema. The adults were in the party room as there was not enough seating in the hall for all of them.
Luella leant her elbows on a table. ‘So the witches have them.’
‘Yes,’ said Adair, ‘but we don’t know why.’
‘I had a horrible thought, but did not want to say in front of the others,’ said Carrie, as she sat next to Alex, and with Claire sitting the other side of him, he was quite safe.
Other Worlds: Vesta Mansion Trilogy - Book Two - Fantasy Page 22