Rosewing (9) (The Underground Kingdom)

by Steve Elliott

  "We might as well go now," I announced. "The sooner we get there the better, I think. Tracey’s a bit put out that we won't be going home, but she accepts it. My other self is going to the Council of Elders to see if they know anything about this secret society, but I won't be holding my breath on that one. Still, it's worth a try."

  Chapter 16

  After an uneventful trek, we arrived at Nix's front door and knocked. He opened the door and immediately launched into a barrage of politically incorrect and sexist comments, mainly directed at Thorn. As usual. It was a strange greeting ritual but one we were used to and the familiarity of it was comforting.

  "Well, well," he began, grinning like a Cheshire cat, "and what have we here? Do my eyes detect a travelling circus? Let's see now, I see the world famous Ringmaster, Stephen, and his flashy assistant, Quina. I believe that Wonder Wolf Junior is also present, along with his trainer, Trix the Magnificent, followed closely by, let me see now …….. is it a clown or an elephant? Hmmm, it’s hard to decide. They look so alike. On the one hand, there’s definitely a clownish appearance, but on the other hand there’s the weight issue. I perceive an incredible amount of bulk involved here, so maybe it's just an enormously fat clown. What do the rest of you think?" Quina giggled so much she couldn't say anything, but Thorn had no such impediment.

  "The fat, my dear Nix, is between your ears," she began. "In fact, there's so much there that I can see it oozing out from your hearing appendages right now. Well, at least you never have to moisturise that thing you call a face. Where did you get it from, by the way? Surely Mother Nature couldn't have been so cruel as to give it to you at birth. She has some standards, after all. She must have been having a cup of tea at the time and you slipped unnoticed through the door and bypassed the reject bin."

  "Not bad for a fat clown," Nix grudgingly praised. "I suppose you'd better come inside, otherwise the town militia may think we’re being invaded by ugly aliens or something." Smilingly, we trooped inside and were met by Nix's mother, Edwinex.

  "As I live and breathe," she welcomed, "if it isn’t my favourite fairies, and would you look at that!" she exclaimed, spying Rosewing nestling in my arms. "Isn't she the most darling little thing?" She went up to me and, without even asking, stole my daughter and began tickling her belly. Rosewing chuckled and grasped Edwinex’s tickling finger .She examined it curiously, comparing it to her own tiny hand. Nix's mother smiled down at Rosewing in a motherly fashion and sat down at the table.

  "Now," she began, cradling Rosewing, "what's going on, Stephen? This is the first time you’ve visited with your baby and I would have thought she’s still a bit young for that yet, so something must be wrong. Out with it!"

  "Still as sharp as ever, I see," I laughed. "Edwinex, nothing gets by you, does it? Yes, there is a problem and I was hoping you can help."

  "You only have to ask," she declared. "You're practically family."

  "Thank you," I said, humbly. "I appreciate it. I think of you in the same way." I then went on to describe the recent events and the rationale behind our visit.

  "A secret society?" she questioned. "How very odd." Then she looked down at Rosewing, who was practically asleep in her arms. "But then again, this is a very unusual child you have here. She's the union of two worlds and that's probably a first, so I'm not surprised there’s some sort of a prophecy around her. Besides, just look at her! That blonde hair is fairly striking, you know. And being Traculimna’s offspring means that she’s gorgeous into the bargain. On top of all that, she'll have a human component in her makeup as well. No wonder these cultists are in a frenzy."

  "So, can we stay here for a little while?" Thorn asked. "Until we sort all this out, anyway."

  "Of course you can," Edwinex declared. "It'll be lovely to have a baby in the house once again, especially one as cute as this." Then she leaned over towards us and whispered in a hushed manner, "Forscewnix was never the most picturesque of babies," she confided. "I loved him, of course, but I could never show him off to visitors."

  "Mother, really!" Nix exclaimed, twitching his eyes to the ceiling and throwing out his hands. "And you wonder where my sarcasm comes from," he remarked to us with a depreciating grin. "Well, now you know. I inherited it."

  "I’m only joking," Edwinex clarified. "Forscewnix was a lovely baby, really, although it's a shame he grew up to be the lout he is today. Still, we can't have everything, can we?"

  "Oh, you and I are going to get on so well," Thorn announced, warmly. "As it so happens, I'm always on the lookout for ammunition, so you can tell me all the things Nix used to get up to as a boy."

  "I'll see what I can do," Edwinex said, winking at Thorn.

  Chapter 17

  We settled into our new surroundings without too much fuss. Luckily, the house was a large one, although a few sacrifices had to be made. For instance, Quina shared a room with Thorn and me, much to the Thorn's disapproval. She still held the notion that Quina carried a torch for me, despite the fact that Quina, to my knowledge anyway, hadn’t shown the slightest indication of it. But then again, when it comes to women, I, being a typical male, freely admitted to not being very bright. The situation quickly became even more complicated when I announced that Tracey had decided to join us. My other clone stayed behind to try to uncover some more about the mysterious secret society.

  "Why is Traculimna coming here?" Quina asked me.

  "Well, the only reason she stayed back home was in case you and Trix turned up," I explained, "and since that reason no longer applies, she’s coming here for Rosewing."

  "Oh, I see," she murmured.

  It wasn't long before Tracey appeared at the door, demanding to see her baby.

  "Goodness me," Edwinex exclaimed, "this place is turning into a regular rally point. Welcome, Traculimna. This is a rare treat. I've hardly ever seen you outside your house."

  "Greetings, Edwinex," Tracey replied, "and thank you for your hospitality. It's marvellous of you to put us all up. I hope we won't be too much of a nuisance."

  "Think nothing of it," Edwinex said, waving a dismissive hand. "Actually, it's nice to have the house full again. I miss the hustle and bustle of my younger days. Here," she announced with a smile, handing over Rosewing, "I believe this little bundle belongs to you."

  With tears in her eyes, Tracey took her daughter in her arms and rocked her gently. "My darling baby girl," she murmured. "I've missed you so much, but your Mommy is here now and I'll never let you go again."

  It was a poignant scene that moved everyone present. Rosewing compounded the prevailing emotion by looking up at Tracey with large, trusting eyes and reaching out with tiny fingers to gently brush her mother's face. Overcome, Tracey kissed the top of her daughter's head and hugged her fiercely.

  "No, we’ll never be apart again," she vowed, "and I don't care how many lunatics come knocking at the door. I'll always be here for you."

  The next few days saw the settling-in process finalised. Rosewing and Zen, having no inhibitions or shyness whatsoever, charmed everyone, especially Nix's three sisters. They practically fought each other to babysit Rosewing and to take Zen for walks. Not that those two minded in the slightest. They revelled in being the centre of everyone’s universe and couldn't have been happier. Rosewing, in particular, wanted to explore everything, and spent her time inquisitively roaming around her new surroundings. She had reached the climbing stage by now and seemed determined to make mountaineering her future profession. We were forever lifting her down from objects and off tables and chairs. I started to think she must have had glue pads on her feet and hands or something, because I couldn't see how she managed to clamber up to where she did. It became a bit nerve racking for us, but, with all the company around, there was always someone nearby to prevent any falls. She didn't appear to mind our selfish and unwarranted quashing of her mountain climbing career because, once we’d lifted her down from whatever precarious position we’d found her in, she'd happily wander off to investigate ano
ther height to conquer.

  Yes, those first few days were rather hectic, but were imbued with a sense of safety. I couldn't imagine any fairy cultist managing to remain unseen with all these goblins around. Nix’s mother spread the word about Rosewing amongst all her friends and soon we had a whole platoon of watchers protecting her – and also, by the same token, an unending troupe of them arriving at the house to marvel at the antics and striking appearance of our baby. Something about Rosewing appeared to bring out the mother in everyone. They fussed over her like clucky hens and, while it became a little irritating, it provided an added level of security for which I felt grateful. Rosewing wasn’t the least put out by this. She lapped up the attention like a cat face down in a bowl of cream.

  Chapter 18

  Our lives panned out to a basic, and mainly peaceful, routine. Tracey, with a horde of helpers enthusiastically falling over themselves to assist, looked after Rosewing, while Quina, Nix’s sisters and Edwinex did the cooking. Thorn and Nix kept guard and entertained us with their hilarious insult-a-thons. Trix and Zen spent their time prowling around the perimeter to check for interlopers. Quina kept in touch with her sister to see if there were any new developments, while I simply sat and worried about how to sort this whole mess out. All in all, our refuge was as secure as we could make it but, as it later turned out, ‘the best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men often go awry’, as Robert Burns once famously wrote, and every precaution we took eventually ended up being useless.

  Rosewing began to talk during this period. Being force-fed on a steady diet of television and cartoons, I'd expected the usual ‘ma-ma’ or ‘da-da’ as her first words, but instead found myself bombarded with constant repetitions of ‘more!’ and ‘what’s that?’, attesting to my daughter’s combined greed and insatiable curiosity. Of course, everyone thought this to be adorable, and they scrambled to fulfil any of her demands. I think that I was the only one who tried to impose limits, but even I had to succumb to her pleading eyes and wistful expression. Her authority became almost absolute and far outweighed her tiny physical size. If ‘being spoiled’ had been an Olympic event, she would have bought home the gold medal for sure. Multiple gold medals, in fact. Although she looked like one, she wasn't an angel by any stretch of the imagination. When thwarted in her desire to do something that met with our disapproval, she became somewhat …… um, vocal, and let everyone know of her displeasure. But despite all that, she still retained her sweet nature and was an endless source of joy for everyone around her, especially her mother. Tracey sank into parenthood like a stone into water, and I have to say that I plunged right in after her without hesitation. Rosewing delighted me. She was so small, so precious and so dependant, that my heart melted every time I saw her. Physically speaking, her growth rate hadn’t slowed down to any marked degree. Her wings were becoming stronger every day and she forever fluttered them in an attempt to fly. I didn't know at what age fairies had their inaugural flight, but Tracey assured me that there was still some time to go for that yet.

  My daughter's favourite toy soon became a doll-sized pram that had once belonged to one of Nix's sisters. She pushed it everywhere, frowning in concentration as she manoeuvred it around corners. The pram would often be loaded with various odds and ends she’d picked up, and she played with it every day. For the life of me, I couldn't understand her fascination with this wheeled contraption. She’d endlessly trundle it around the house for hours on end. Her intensity baffled me, but Edwinex laughingly informed me that her daughters had done exactly the same, and that children’s sense of fun often differentiated from the adult version, and not to worry about it. I bowed to her motherly wisdom and dismissed it from my mind. Well, not entirely. I still though it odd, but refused to fret about it.

  Her other hobby caused me to stop and stare in astonishment. I should have expected it, of course, because it would easily have been a logical step for a child’s mind. I happened to be making the bed when I heard gleeful shouts outside the room. I poked my head out to behold Zen trotting up and down the hallway with Rosewing, looking remarkably like a miniature cowboy, sitting astride his back and holding on to his ears. I couldn't decide whether to laugh or be appalled. This was the one time I wished I had a camera to record the scene for posterity. As I’ve said, I really should have seen it coming. Riding Zen would have been too big a temptation for any child to resist. And Zen didn't seem to mind. Rosewing was so small and light that she wouldn't have been a burden, although being used as a horse may have offended Zen’s dignity somewhat. As it happened, the whole household soon gathered around to watch the spectacle.

  Opinion remained divided as to whether we should let it continue or not. Tracey was horrified, imagining all sorts of injuries that could occur. Quina and Edwinex laughed uproariously, thinking it the funniest thing they’d ever seen. Trix came over all huffy, saying that Rosewing had turned her pet into a beast of burden, and that we should be trying to protect Zen’s sense of decorum and not condone such exploitive behaviour. Nix grinned, and commented that Rosewing would be a marvellous added attraction for Thorn's Travelling Clown Circus Extravaganza. Thorn herself didn't know what to think and neither did I. The end consensus resulted in letting Rosewing continue, so long as Zen allowed it to happen. We all knew he wouldn't put her into any danger and would stop as soon as he thought there was the slightest chance of an accident. Still, that image of that day burnt itself into my mind and provided me with the most marvellous memory in years to come.

  I had absolutely no idea of how long we were going to have to stay in exile. Back at the settlement, I couldn't find a single clue as to the identity of this secret society and Quina’s sister, Mirrella, couldn't either, so, whoever they were, they certainly knew a thing or two about staying hidden. Giving up on the investigation, I left the settlement and made my way back to Tracey and the rest of the company.

  However, it all became moot when we were invaded one night. Looking back on it, I grudgingly admitted that the whole process had been very cleverly managed. The cultists infiltrated the town in small groups one night and waited until early morning to break into the house. The first anyone of us knew of this was a frantic barking from Zen, combined with shouts and yells in the various rooms. I bounded out of bed as five or six cloaked figures burst into the room. Tracey screamed as I threw myself into their path. It wasn't much of a contest, really. It was an act of sheer desperation on my part and I fully realised at the time that I didn't stand much of a chance, and events soon after proved me to be correct. After all, this wasn't a Disney movie where the good guys always won, and a blow to the side of my head soon spiralled me into utter darkness.

  Chapter 19

  I awoke with a pounding in my skull and my head feeling the size of a watermelon. No, two watermelons, squashed together into a mushy mess. Blearily, I looked around. The first item that greeted my eyes was Thorn, stretched out unconscious on the ground. I crawled over to her and, with heart in mouth, examined her for injuries. I couldn't see anything physically amiss, so I searched further around the room until I found Nix, Quina and Trix. Zen was missing, along with Tracey, Edwinex and her daughters. I prayed they were safe. Most importantly of all, however, I found no trace of Rosewing, and that made me very uneasy. I presumed we'd been attacked by the 'evil child' cultists, and I felt a grudging respect for their tenacity and resourcefulness. They were certainly determined, and their fanaticism worried me no end. The first thing to do would be to escape from this room and find my daughter. With that aim in mind, I toured around, checking windows and doors but found them all securely locked. I was re-examining the door lock when I heard a groan and saw Thorn returning to consciousness, so I went over to ease her transition back to reality.

  "What happened?" she mumbled as I held her in my arms. Then the memories poured back and she sat upright. "The fight!" she gasped. "Where is everyone?" she demanded, gripping my arm tightly.

  "Nix, Quina and Trix are here," I told her, "but I don't know wh
ere the others are. My other self is here as well, but I'm worried about Rosewing."

  "Rosewing!" Thorn exclaimed in a panic. "Gods, yes! We have to get her back!"

  "Easier said than done," I announced, despondently. "We’re rather successfully locked in, I'm afraid. It'll take something special to get us free."

  Nix and Quina came back to us at the moment and I explained the situation to them. Everyone agreed that our first priority was to find my daughter but the means to accomplish that remained in dispute.

  "You're a world-famous burglar and a wizard with locks, Stephen," Nix told me. "Can't you do anything?"

  "I was in the process of doing just that when Thorn woke up," I replied. "I'll get back to it right now. Wish me luck." They all grouped around me in a tight semicircle as I continued my interrupted examination of the door lock.

  "Um, I can't do anything while everybody is blocking the light," I gently criticised.

  "Sorry," my companions mumbled, stepping backwards. Thorn stayed in place, reinforcing her premier wifely status by ignoring my commands.

  "Has anybody a piece of wire on them by any chance?" I asked, peering into the lock. Wordlessly, Trix handed over the desired short piece of metal.

  "Bless you," I told her, taking it and bending it double. I then inserted it into the lock and jiggled it around, trying to force the inner metal slots out of place. Overall, the One were a trusting and law-abiding race, and therefore their security systems were primitive in the extreme. Their locks were simple arrangements – a fact that I'd used to my advantage more than a few times before now. Actually, I felt a little guilty about this. I didn't like abusing their innocence but I had no choice, especially now. My daughter's life was in the balance and I banished my guilty feeling with no qualms.