‘He did, it was Uriel.’
Jack felt a shiver run down his spine as he remembered the visit they’d made to Uriel’s well. Camelin coughed and pointed his wing over to the three pieces of gold on Jack’s bedspread.
‘Aren’t you going to remake it then?’
‘I’ll try.’
Jack ran his fingers over the twisted pieces. He concentrated and visualised the torc he’d seen around Kerne’s neck. A bright light shone from above his hand as his crystal appeared. When its rays fell on the pieces of gold, they rose from the bed. In mid-air they twisted around each other. A golden glow filled his room before a beam of light burst from the crystal and fell on the bare ends of the torc. Two golden acorns began to grow from the twisted metal. When the torc was complete it fell back onto the bed with a dull thud.
‘You really are a natural you know, Gwillam was right when he said you were worthy. No one can doubt that now.’
Jack picked up the torc. It felt heavy now all the pieces were entwined. The two acorn finials were beautiful; their cups contained all the colours of autumn. He was tempted to try it on but it didn’t really belong to him until he’d been crowned. Finding somewhere to keep the torc was going to be a big responsibility.
‘I’ve just got to keep it safe until Samhain.’
‘You can do that, you’re Jack Brenin.’
‘I hope so. We’ve gone through a lot to recover this.’
‘But we did it together.’
‘We certainly did.’
Camelin hopped back onto the windowsill and was about to go when Jack’s Book of Shadows began vibrating.
‘You’ve got a message. Who’s it from?’
Jack opened his Book on the first page and watched the writing appear.
‘It’s from Nora.’
‘And… what’s it say?’
Jack felt the colour drain from his cheeks as he read the message.
Whatever you do, don’t remake the torc.
Gwillam was overjoyed to hear you’d recovered
all three pieces of the Lost Treasure
but also afraid Velindur might try to steal it.
If Camelin is still there get him to fly it
over to Ewell House one piece at a time.
It will be safer here.
It seems the King’s torc wasn’t the only Treasure
lost from Annwn.
What you saw in Velindur’s hand is the
Book of Sorrows.
Elan and I are needed in Annwn and have
to return immediately.
Jack sat down heavily on the bed. His joy had turned to despair.
‘What’s the Book of Sorrows, and why would Velindur want it?’
‘I’ve no idea but you’d better unmake that torc quick. You don’t want to lose it, not after all we’ve been through.’
Jack held out his hand for his crystal but it didn’t reappear. He quickly flicked through his Book of Shadows until he got to the spell page. It didn’t take him long to find what he was looking for.
‘Retexo,’ he commanded as he stretched both his hands over the torc.
There was a flash of light. When Jack looked, the two acorns had disappeared, and the golden strands were untwisting themselves. When the spell had finished three separate golden pieces lay on the bed. Without a word Camelin picked one up and set off towards Ewell House. Jack hoped that once the pieces were with Elan and Nora they’d be safe until Samhain. It wasn’t long before Camelin was back and on his way with the second piece. As Jack watched for Camelin’s return a large beetle, wearing a pair of spectacles, flew in through the open window with Twink on its back. Jack held out his palm for the Dorysk to land.
‘Elan sent me,’ said Twink. ‘She says not to worry, everything will be alright. She’s asked us all to keep a watch over Glasruhen. Velindur can’t leave Elidon but if he so much as takes one step towards Brenin House we’ll raise the alarm. You can sleep easy until Samhain, you’ve got a lot of friends who won’t let you down.’
Jack sighed with relief.
‘Thanks Twink, and you too Dorysk, I know I’m very lucky to have such good friends.’
There was a loud cough from the windowsill. Camelin had obviously overheard this conversation.
‘And even luckier to have Camelin. I couldn’t have found the lost treasure without him.’
Jack smiled as Camelin puffed out his chest feathers.
‘Ready to take the last piece?’
‘Ready.’
When Jack was alone he thought about everything he’d been through in the last few weeks. The Stone of Destiny had given him a vision of what was to be. Now he’d completed his quest and the Lost Treasure of Annwn had been found, he’d be crowned king at Samhain. He could rest easy knowing the three pieces of the torc would be safe at Ewell House. He was sure, now Gwillam knew it was the Book of Sorrows Velindur had stolen, he’d be able to find out the reason why he’d taken it. Both the buggy race and the quest had given him a sense of achievement. Seeing the torc remade, no matter how briefly, had been thrilling. What everyone had been telling him was true; he really was destined to be king. At last he felt excited.
He looked over at his calendar. At least the summer wasn’t over. There was still plenty of time to have some fun with Camelin.
Here are the additions to my glossary from my fourth adventure. Although Catherine Cooper has been helping me write my memoirs, any comments in brackets have been added by me.
Who’s Who
Beaky – Starling from the third watch of the Flying Squad, his watch is Benbow. (A well-known nickname for any bird who likes to stick his beak into everything.)
Benbow – Nickname of Benjamin Archer.
Benjamin Archer – Known as Benbow and a member of Max’s gang. (Hee hee! Ben short for Benjamin and Bow because his surname is Archer.)
Bicker – Starling, and leader of the second watch of the Flying Squad, his watch is Max. (Doesn’t matter what you say, Bicker will always argue, even when he knows he’s wrong.)
Chortle – Starling from the first watch of the Flying Squad, his watch is Danny. (A great starling, always laughing.)
Cloda – A Sylph. Nymph of the air and librarian at Falconrock. Her official title is Archivist, Guardian of Ancient Knowledge, and Keeper of Secrets. As a nymph of the air, Cloda takes the form of a falcon. (Librarians and archivists can be fearsome creatures, especially if you’re noisy.)
Crosspatch – Starling, and leader of the first watch of the Flying Squad, his watch is Max. (You can guess how he got his name.)
Danny Westbrook – Known as Danny and a member of Max’s gang. (His dad owns the Music Shop in Glasruhen.)
Dazzle – Starling, and leader of the third watch of the Flying Squad, his watch is Max. (Always has the most beautifully groomed plumage, a credit to the starling world.)
Devorah Dytch – A Hag living in Elidon. (Like all Hags, she’s bad tempered and smelly.)
Digger – Starling from the second watch of the Flying Squad, his watch is Benbow. (He always has his beak in the ground.)
Frank Smedley – Known as Tank because of his size, and a member of Max’s gang. (He’s the goalkeeper who pushed Jack and wrecked Elan’s bunch of flowers. His dad has a scrap metal yard in Newton Gill.)
Grannus – Guardian of the well, stream and spring at Falconrock.
Grouch – Starling from the third watch of the Flying Squad, his watch is Techno. (A really grumpy starling if ever there was one.)
Grubber – Starling from the first watch of the Flying Squad, his watch is Tank. (Like Digger he’s always got his beak in the ground looking for his favourite food.)
Grudge – Starling from the second watch of the Flying Squad, his watch is Tank. (He’s got a long memory and doesn’t forgive very easily.)
Judd – The Glasruhen Giant. (He’s the giant in the story told in Annwn.)
Max Wratten – Known as Max. Leader of a local gang. (He’s the boy Jack accidentally gave a
bloody nose to with the football when he first arrived in Glasruhen. Max has had it in for Jack ever since.)
Netty – A Fairy from the Meadow Mound. Representative of the meadow and wayside Fairies. She likes to sleep in the nettles in the back lane. (Like all fairies she talks too much.)
Pippa – Starling from the third watch of the Flying Squad, his watch is Tank. (Always first, likes to beat everyone at everything.)
Praket Kawle – Known as Techno and a member of Max’s gang. (He’s brilliant at designing, drawing plans and making things work.)
Rhoda – A Fairy from the Meadow Mound. Representative of the garden Fairies. She sleeps in the rhododendrons in Grandad’s garden. (Also talks a lot.)
Sabrina – Water Nymph of the Gelston River.
Snaffle – Starling from the first watch of the Flying Squad, his watch is Benbow. (He’s great at finding things and hiding them away.)
Snatch – Starling from the first watch of the Flying Squad, his watch is Techno. (None of the starlings have any table manners but this one is the worst.)
Speedy – A Fairy from the Meadow Mound whose real name is Veronica.
Tank – Nickname of Frank Smedley.
Techno – Nickname of Praket Kawle.
Tweek – Starling from the third watch of the Flying Squad, his watch is Danny. (Always preening himself and never ready on time.)
Twink – A Fairy from the Meadow Mound whose real name is Twinkle. Representative of the moor and mountain Fairies. She lives in the eyebright flowers on Glasruhen Hill. (Another talkative fairy.)
Twinkle – A Fairy from the Meadow Mound known as Twink.
Twizzle – Starling from the second watch of the Flying Squad, his watch is Techno. (He finds it so difficult to keep still you’d think he’d got ants in his feathers, which isn’t good when you need them to stand to attention.)
Veronica – Fairy from the Meadow Mound known as Speedy. She sleeps in the speedwell flowers in the meadow. (Never call her Speedy to her face or you’ll suffer the consequences… she’s got a very short fuse.)
What’s What?
Fairy – Another name for a type of Sylph; Nymphs of the air.
Flying Squad – A group of 15 starlings enlisted to spy on the five boys in Max’s gang, consisting of three groups of five, for 24-hour surveillance. (They were very undisciplined until I formed them into three efficient squads… just shows you what natural leadership can do.)
First Watch
Crosspatch watching Max – Max Wratten
Grubber watching Tank – Frank Smedley
Snaffle watching Benbow – Benjamin Archer
Chortle watching Danny – Danny Westbrook
Snatch watching Techno – Praket Kawle
Second Watch
Bicker watching Max – Max Wratten
Grudge watching Tank – Frank Smedley
Digger watching Benbow – Benjamin Archer
Mumble watching Danny – Danny Westbrook
Twizzle watching Techno – Praket Kawle
Third Watch
Dazzle watching Max – Max Wratten
Pippa watching Tank – Frank Smedley
Beaky watching Benbow – Benjamin Archer
Tweek watching Danny – Danny Westbrook
Grouch watching Techno – Praket Kawle
Gnarles – Are dying trees, no longer under the protection of a Hamadryad. They still have some life in them but the Dryads, who once tended and looked after them have left the forest and the Gnarles are left to slowly turn into dead wood. (They don’t seem to appreciate my singing.)
Sylphs – Nymphs of the air. They can shape-shift into creatures that fly.
Where is it?
The Map of Glasruhen – (pronounced glass-rue-hen meaning ancient green hill). From The Golden Acorn – The Adventures of Jack Brenin Book One.
Brenin House – The house where Grandad and Jack live. It’s been in the Brenin family for generations.
Elidon – The Land of Shadow.
Falconrock – A rocky outcrop to the north-west of Glasruhen where an ancient Druid’s library can be found.
Gelston River – The home of the Water Nymph, Sabrina.
Hazel Well – Located in the heart of Newton Gill Forest.
Lillerton – The next village to Glasruhen where Monument Hill can be found.
Meadow Mound – A Fairy Mound in the meadow not far from Brenin House.
Monument Hill – A large hill to the south-west of Glasruhen, on top of which stands a tall obelisk. The monumental obelisk was erected in memory of a local duke who once lived in Lillerton.
Newton Gill Forest – Once a great forest of oak trees but now most of the trees have become Gnarles. The Dryads no longer live in the trees and the whole forest is slowly dying. The old Hazel Well, and the Gnori, home to the Bogie, Peabody, are here too.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I ’d like to thank everyone at Infinite Ideas
for all their help and support,
my friends and family, and a very
special thank you to Ron.
I’d also like to thank all the members of the
Shrewsbury Canoe Club who helped me with
my research. In particular, Nigel Baker, for
his in-depth navigational descriptions of the
River Severn, its islands and character.
Copyright
Copyright text © Catherine Cooper, 2012
Copyright illustrations © Ron Cooper and Catherine Cooper 2012
The right of Catherine Cooper to be identified as the author of this
book has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright,
Designs and Patents Act 1988.
First published in 2012 by
Infinite Ideas Limited
36 St Giles
Oxford
OX1 3LD
United Kingdom
www.infideas.com
All rights reserved. Except for the quotation of small passages for the purposes of criticism or review, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except under the terms of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 or under the terms of a licence issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency Ltd, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 4LP, UK, without the permission in writing of the publisher. Requests to the publisher should be addressed to the Permissions Department, Infinite Ideas Limited, 36 St Giles, Oxford, OX1 3LD, UK,
or faxed to +44 (0) 1865 514777.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN 978–1–908474–73–5
Brand and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks
of their respective owners.
Cover designed by D.R.ink
THE OAK
LORD
CATHERINE COOPER
ILLUSTRATIONS BY
RON COOPER and CATHERINE COOPER
For
all our friends around
The Wrekin
PROLOGUE
Jack raced upstairs, threw his school bag onto the bed and opened his wardrobe. He smiled at the long list of numbers he’d stuck onto the inside of the door. He picked up his pen and slowly put a red cross through the last day of term. For the next nine days he was free to enjoy himself and in only seven days’ time it would be his birthday. He couldn’t decide what he was most excited about, his coronation in Annwn or the Hallowe’en party he was going to have at Ewell House. Grandad had promised to take everyone trickor- treating afterwards too. He smiled as he took three envelopes out of his bag and put them on the bed. His new friends, Techno, Danny and Benbow, had all said they could come.
A loud tap interrupted his thoughts. Jack closed his bedroom door before opening the window. Camelin hopped quickly inside. His feathers were all windswept and Jack had to stop himself from laughing. Camelin shook himself, dropped to the floo
r and skipped over to the wardrobe. He examined himself carefully in the mirror before speaking.
‘Wind like that plays havoc with your feathers. Looks like your hair could do with a bit of attention too.’ Jack went over to the dressing table and ran the comb through his tousled hair. He wasn’t sure it looked much better. When he turned around, Camelin was on the bed next to the three envelopes.
‘They’re not coming to your birthday party, are they?’
‘They are.’
‘All of them?’
‘All of them.’
‘That’s not fair. I’m your best friend but I’m not allowed to be there, and you said we could go trick-ortreating. Some friend you are.’
‘They won’t be coming into Annwn for my coronation, or the feast, and that’ll be much more fun. It’ll just be you and me all this week. I’ll be staying at Ewell House from Tuesday and I won’t be seeing any of them until the party on Friday.’
Camelin stuck out his beak and gave Jack his disappointed look.
‘It still doesn’t make up for not being able to go trick-or-treating. You don’t know how much I’ve been looking forward to taking my emergency ration dustbin out on Hallowe’en.’
Jack nodded towards the black plastic cauldron on his dressing table.
‘I’ll let you have half of what I get.’
‘Half! Only half? That won’t help me feel better.’
‘You can have whatever I collect then, if it means that much to you.’
‘It does.’
‘I’ll make it up to you. It’s half term, we can have some fun.’
‘Every time you say that, something happens.’
‘We had fun at the end of the summer, before I went back to school.’
‘But we didn’t go pond dipping in Elidon.’
‘That couldn’t be helped.’
As Jack sat down on the bed, Camelin humphed loudly.
‘What would you like to do tomorrow?’ Jack asked.
‘Aw! You really mean we can do what I want?’
‘Within reason,’ Jack added quickly.
The Jack Brenin Collection Page 84