The Jack Brenin Collection

by Catherine Cooper

  ‘I told you the Bogie was a double-crossing sneak,’ grumbled Camelin.

  Kerne gave him a disapproving look before addressing Arin again.

  ‘The only Bogies I know of in these parts are Addergoole Pyecroft and his brother Peabody. Was it either of them you saw?’

  ‘I’m sorry, it all happened so fast. I know Peabody, and know of Pyecroft, but I can’t be sure who it was. Someone Bogie-sized was with the man and was calling him Sire.’

  ‘Sire! There is only one man I know who would dare to think he deserved to be called Sire. His name is Velindur, probably the least worthy person of all to ever think he could be a king. This isn’t good news. I fear he is up to no good. You have spoken well, little one. Does anyone else want to add anything?’

  Nora passed Arin to Jack before she began speaking with Kerne. She told him everything she knew about the disappearances, about the creation of the safe haven and the evacuation of all the living creatures from Newton Gill to Steaple Lacy. Nora expressed their concerns about Velindur and explained he’d stolen the Book of Sorrows. When she had finally finished, she looked over to Jack.

  ‘We think he is planning something terrible to prevent Jack from being crowned tomorrow night.’

  Kerne paced up and down in front of them.

  ‘This is very worrying. I know little about the ways of Druids but I’ve heard of the Book of Sorrows. I’m not sure what harm he thinks he can do with a book.’

  Jack felt compelled to speak. He blurted out everything they’d found out about the Book. Nora put her hand gently on his shoulder and almost whispered her next words.

  ‘The Book of Sorrows seems to have been part of a plot Velindur has been hatching for many years, long before the trial that expelled him from Annwn. He will have free passage through any portal tomorrow night when Samhain begins. We need your help to rescue all those he has taken against their will. He must be holding them for a reason.’

  ‘Is the torc of kingship safe?’

  ‘It has been hidden in a very safe place.’

  Kerne paced once more. He rubbed his chin and shook his head.

  ‘This is more serious than I had imagined. Your news is very disturbing and there’s not much time before Samhain. I assure you I will find the Fair Folk, the flyers and the crawlers and return them to you, here, at dawn. Whoever is responsible for their disappearance will be punished.’

  ‘Thank you,’ both Nora and Jack said together.

  ‘Until dawn.’ said Kerne.

  Camelin coughed loudly. Everyone turned and looked at him. Kerne tilted his head to one side.

  ‘Is there something else that needs to be said?’

  ‘There is,’ replied Camelin, ignoring Nora’s black look. ‘The Bogie is a thief. He’s taken something of mine, something very precious, and I’d like it back.’

  ‘And what might that be?’

  ‘My dustbin.’

  Kerne looked puzzled. Nora tutted at Camelin before speaking again.

  ‘It is of no consequence, we can find another one for Camelin.’

  ‘It’s very important,’ grumbled Camelin. ‘He stole something from me. He’s a thief. He needs to give it back and be punished.’

  ‘I think I’m inclined to agree,’ said Kerne.

  Camelin’s beak fell open. When he closed it, he gave Nora a very self-satisfied look.

  ‘We will return at first light,’ she said.

  ‘Until then,’ agreed Kerne.

  Jack expected to see the Lord of Elidon transform back into the magnificent white stag, but he simply disappeared. One minute he stood before them, the next he was gone. Jack could still feel his presence behind the veil, but he could no longer see him. Nora held out her hand for Jack to pass Arin back.

  ‘You did well,’ she told her.

  Timmery detached himself from Nora’s cloak.

  ‘Where shall I wait for the Dorysk?’

  ‘I think the safest place will be inside the meadow. The ash tree by the Mound is the tallest. You’ll have a good view from the top of its branches and will be out of harm’s way. Velindur cannot reach you there. We’ll be at Ewell House until just before dawn. The Dorysk shouldn’t be long. When he’s given you his message, please tell him to go straight through into Annwn and report directly to Elan.’

  ‘Do the Dragonettes have to go back into Annwn too?’

  ‘It would be best; they’ll be extra protection for the Dorysk. Now, it’s time the rest of us went home and got some sleep.’

  Nora had made a pot of porridge. Jack sat at the kitchen table with a steaming bowl before him. He knew it would give him a warm glow inside as they made their way back to meet Kerne, but his thoughts were elsewhere and he really didn’t feel much like eating. A thud on the kitchen door, followed by the opening of Camelin’s raven flap, made them all jump. Timmery circled twice and darted backwards and forwards in a highly excited state before he was able to speak.

  ‘The Dragonettes have brought it back, it’s outside the door.’

  Jack had no idea what Timmery was talking about. He looked at Camelin who just shrugged his shoulders. Nora held up her hand to stop Timmery.

  ‘Let’s start from the beginning. Have you seen the Dorysk?’

  ‘Oh yes, yes. He said to tell you that all had been accomplished, everything he’d been instructed to do was now done.’

  ‘And did you tell him to go straight into Annwn?’

  ‘Oh yes, yes I did, but two of the Dragonettes insisted they brought it back before they flew off to the portal.’

  ‘Brought what back?’ asked Jack.

  ‘Camelin’s dustbin; they dropped it by the front door.’

  ‘My dustbin! Why didn’t you say so?’

  Camelin swooped down to his raven flap and disappeared through it. Seconds later his head poked back through the flap.

  ‘It’s mine all right, but it’s been dented.’

  Jack went outside and retrieved the small emergency ration dustbin. He brought it into the kitchen and put it on the table. Camelin landed next to it and hopped around it. He lifted the lid with his beak and peeped inside. Once he’d replaced it he stood in front of the dent.

  ‘Look, it’s ruined.’

  Nora picked up her wand and sent one bright spark towards the metal. It seemed to melt into the side and then shimmer. When it stopped moving, the repair was complete.

  ‘There you are, good as new.’

  Camelin humphed and tapped the repair with his beak a couple of times until he looked satisfied his dustbin had been restored to its former state.

  ‘A thank you would be nice,’ said Nora.

  ‘Humph! Thanks, but it shouldn’t have been stolen in the first place. That was a mean thing to do. It’s caused me no end of worry and upset.’

  Jack could see Nora was trying not to laugh.

  ‘Do you know where it was found?’ she asked Timmery.

  ‘I don’t, and the Dorysk didn’t say anything else, except to tell you that all would be revealed later.’

  ‘Hadn’t we better be going?’ said Camelin. ‘It’s nearly dawn.’

  ‘It is,’ agreed Nora. ‘Let’s go and find out if there’s any news about the prisoners.’

  They hurried to reach the edge of the forest. A frost had fallen and the grass sounded crunchy underfoot. As Jack tried to keep up with Nora he found himself panting. He was fascinated by how his warm breath turned into billowing clouds. He couldn’t remember ever being out so early on a cold autumn morning before. As they approached the ash tree in the meadow, Jack could see a huge black shadow by the edge of the forest. Before it stood the Lord of Elidon. As they approached, Kerne turned and pointed his staff towards the shadow. It quivered and rapidly began to transform. Within seconds Judd towered above them. In the giant’s hand was a very large felt hat. Kerne turned and laid his staff on the ground. They watched as Permeris sprang to life and grew to his full size. He slithered to his master’s side.

  ‘We have news
for you; some good, and some that has disturbed me.’

  Jack braced himself. He wished with all his might that no harm had come to any of the captives. He hugged himself tightly as Kerne continued.

  ‘You’ll be pleased to know that all who were being held against their will have now been released. For safety, Judd has helped transport them here in his hat. We thought it would be better if they were kept together to make it easier for you to take them to the safe haven you’ve created for them.’

  Jack felt a huge sense of relief as Judd carefully lowered his hat to the ground. He could see it was full of small creatures. They looked frightened and were huddled close together.

  ‘You’re safe now,’ Nora whispered as she bent down and peered into the hat.

  Jack looked up at Judd and smiled. He didn’t know if the giant would be able to see, so he called, ‘Thank you,’ as loudly as he could.

  Judd smiled back and gave Jack a small wave. Nora looked up at Kerne.

  ‘And the disturbing news?’

  ‘Neither the Bogie nor Velindur can be found.’

  Permeris raised his head and looked at Kerne before speaking.

  ‘We located the place where Velindur has been living without any problem, for many knew of him, especially since they’d seen him in the company of a Bogie…’

  Camelin nudged Jack hard and whispered loudly in his ear.

  ‘See, he’s been working for Velindur all along. I told you so, didn’t I?’

  Jack put his finger up to his lips; he didn’t want to miss what Permeris was saying.

  ‘… none were able to name Velindur, for it seems he has kept himself to himself since he’s been in Elidon, and had only one companion.’

  Jack got another hard nudge from Camelin.

  ‘Companion… what did I tell you? He’d be here now if he’d been held against his will.’

  Permeris had stopped talking and looked back at Kerne, who continued.

  ‘We have not questioned any of the little ones as they are obviously upset. We will search my realm for the two fugitives, but I fear finding Velindur will not be easy. With each misdeed he’s committed he’s lost a part of himself. Elidon is not called the Land of Shadows for nothing. If he continues to act like this he will one day become a shadow and inhabit the darkness without form or worth. He will seal his own fate.’

  Nora sighed deeply.

  ‘But that may take a long time, for now he is a real threat and tomorrow night, by the law of all the lands, he has the right to enter Annwn without fear of harm.’

  Jack thought back to the judgement pronounced on Velindur. He’d been banished and would turn into a wasp if he ever entered Annwn again. The voice of Permeris entered Jack’s head.

  ‘At Samhain that judgement would not apply, but only those who understand the law of our lands would know that. I have no knowledge of any who have re-entered Annwn after being banished to Elidon.’

  ‘But Velindur has studied the law. He must know he is exempt and can enter Annwn tomorrow night.’

  ‘In that case, he will also know that if he’s crowned King he’ll have until sunset to revoke the judgement made against him.’

  ‘But surely they wouldn’t accept him as their king?’

  ‘Whoever enters Annwn with the torc of kingship at Samhain will be crowned before sunrise. That is the law, and the law will be obeyed. Even if we found Velindur, we would not be able to prevent him from entering Annwn, for that is his right. You must keep the torc safe until you are ready to step into Annwn.’

  ‘Nora has it hidden. I have no idea where it is.’

  ‘That is good. It is also good that we’ve had this conversation.’

  Jack could see Nora had also finished speaking with Kerne. She beckoned for Jack to help her pick up the hat. When they had it between them she bowed her head to Kerne. Jack did the same.

  ‘We thank you all for your help. Once we’ve transported these little ones to safety we’ll make sure Judd’s hat is returned.’

  A huge grin spread across Judd’s face. Jack smiled back, but a sudden thought struck him… there’d been no mention of the Book of Sorrows. Kerne tilted his head. It was almost as if he’d heard Jack’s thought.

  ‘There is one last thing before you go. I’m afraid there was no trace of any book. Velindur must have either hidden it or have it about his person. If we have any news for you, word will be sent. Until the next time we meet, I bid you all farewell.’

  ‘Fare you well also,’ said Nora.

  Jack watched as the visibility between the two worlds faded. He was relieved and happy they’d been able to secure the release of all the captives, but he also felt troubled as they walked back to Ewell House. He knew that Velindur would stop at nothing in order to be crowned King of Annwn.

  INSIDE INFORMATION

  Nora stopped in front of the Herborium.

  ‘I think we’ll take these poor creatures in here where it’ll be quiet. I hope that when they’ve rested, some of the Fairies might be able to shed some light on why they were captured.’

  Camelin swooped down and was heading towards the patio when Nora called to him.

  ‘I need you to take a message to Timmery. Tell him to fly as quickly as he can through Glasruhen Gate and take the good news to Elan. He’ll need to stay in Annwn and await our arrival tomorrow night.’

  ‘Why can’t I go instead? There’s no reason why I can’t go now. It’s not as if I’m going to be needed. I can’t go to the party and I’m not allowed to go trickor-treating. What am I supposed to do until you’ve all finished enjoying yourselves?’

  Jack wondered what Nora would say. In a way, Camelin was right and it didn’t seem fair that he’d have to stay hidden until the party had finished. He thought Nora would agree, but she didn’t reply straight away.

  ‘Can I go?’ pleaded Camelin.

  ‘No. At least not right now. You can go through the portal later, after you’ve wished Jack a happy birthday. I’m sure they’ll be pleased to have some extra help. Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like you to take my message to Timmery. If he’s in Annwn tonight he’ll be able to practise the performance he’s doing with the Dragonettes. It will be their last chance before the coronation feast.’

  Jack could hear Camelin mumbling to himself as he flew off, but he felt sure he’d be a lot happier once he was in Annwn, even if he might be given some jobs to do. Once the hat was safely on the table, Jack peeped inside.

  ‘I thought some of the Fairies would have transformed into angry bees once they’d been released, especially Veronica.’

  ‘Sadness isn’t the same as anger. You can see most of these poor creatures are upset and probably very frightened. It’s going to take them a while to get over this. They’re going to need a lot of reassurance before we can take them to Steaple Lacy.’

  ‘Can I help?’ asked Arin, who was watching them from her bed.

  Nora smiled at her.

  ‘You will be a welcome sight to those who know you. Please assure them they have nothing to fear. As soon as they feel better we’ll get them to the safe haven.’

  Jack helped Nora to tip the hat gently on its side. While Nora went over to Arin, he found a wooden spoon and positioned it under the brim of the hat to steady it. Nora carefully lowered Arin onto the table.

  ‘You’ll be able to get into the hat if you want to go in and talk to them, or you can keep watch until they venture out.’

  ‘I’ll wait a while and then go inside,’ said Arin.

  Before they left the Herborium, Nora turned to Arin.

  ‘If anyone wants to speak to me, or if you have any news, please send Raggs to find me. I am anxious for anything they might be able to tell us.’

  Nora closed the door as quietly as she could and turned to Jack.

  ‘You’ve got a very important day ahead of you. Back to bed, you need some more sleep.’

  As they entered the warm kitchen, Jack suddenly felt very tired. It had been an eventful night,
but at least all the creatures from Newton Gill Forest were now safe.

  Jack found it an effort to climb the stairs to his room. His whole body felt heavy and it was a struggle to keep his eyelids open. As he opened the door, the sound of loud rasping snores reached his ears. He smiled when he saw Camelin asleep with his feet in the air. Jack managed to get undressed and into bed without disturbing him.

  Something woke Jack. He’d no idea how long he’d slept or what time it was and was too sleepy to look at his clock. He was just drifting back to sleep when he heard a whispering sound from inside his room. He managed to force his eyelids open a fraction. He opened them fully when he saw the Night Guard, along with Raggs and Orin, gathered at the end of his bed. Camelin hopped off the bedstead and joined them.

  ‘SURPRISE!’ they all shouted.

  Motley stepped forward and gave a small cough before speaking.

  ‘We’re gathered here this morning for a very important reason, don’t you know.’

  Nora tapped on the door and peeped in.

  ‘Are we ready?’

  ‘Ready,’ the rats and Camelin replied.

  ‘One, two, three,’ Motley counted.

  Everyone started singing ‘Happy Birthday’. Most of the rats had good voices, but Camelin’s enthusiastic croaking drowned them out. Halfway through the song, Nora brought in a cake. It was thick and square. As she lowered it, he could see it had been decorated like a book of spells, with a wand across the top. Twelve flickering candles had been spaced around its edge. When the singing stopped, Jack took a deep breath and blew them all out. It was the most unusual birthday morning he’d ever had.

  ‘Thanks everyone, what a lovely surprise.’

  ‘We’ve got more,’ said Camelin, as he nodded to the corner of Jack’s room. A pile of presents had been stacked, one on top of the other, from a large box on the bottom to a tiny box on the top. A tall thin package had been propped against the pile.

  ‘Open mine first,’ said Camelin.

  Nora brought the presents over to the bed. Fergus and Berry picked up a small box, Lester and Midge another, Podge and Morris found theirs and, lastly, Raggs, Motley and Orin pushed one of the larger parcels in Jack’s direction.