The Ladder: Part 1

by David Hodges

  “Some of the Laochra, and of those who do, most are cooperating with my father and Marlow. They will follow his orders before mine.”

  Einar said, “We need as much help as we can get, Cameron. We need you.”

  Cameron looked at the man who was his mortal enemy minutes before. He had fantasized about his demise hundreds of times, and how he would bring it upon him, in vivid detail. Now the man was begging him for his help. It felt wrong to cooperate, despite what he now knew.

  Alexandra took Cameron’s hand and said, “You have to do what’s right, Cameron. Help them. You know I’m safe now because of them.” She looked to Einar. “He’s treated me well, he’s been good to me... do the same for him now.”

  He’s been good to you? He shook the jealous thought out of his head, then looked to Alexandra. For you.

  He looked between Einar and Faron, and said, “Alright. What do we do?”

  Faron took Cameron by the shoulder. “We secure the Spheres.”

  Einar said, “There were men gathering at the old castle, Redcoats… too many. They’re up to something. We should see what’s happening there first.”

  Cameron had not yet taken a close look at Einar’s leathery cloak, which looked to be comprised of mottled gray patches sewn together. Thin veins of Fuil filled the seams. He watched as Einar approached Alexandra and draped his cloak over her shoulders. He couldn’t help thinking that the gesture looked overly familiar, that Einar had done it before.

  Einar peeled off his shirt and changed into his amphibious form. A moment later, his gray, mottled skin changed colors and camouflaged him amongst the orange fallen leaves and brown bark of the trees surrounding them. His pants, and boots, which matched the cloak he had given to Alexandra, took on a similar appearance. Even his eyes changed to a burnt orange. He took Alexandra by the shoulders and said, “Stay hidden.”

  Alexandra nodded, and all but her face blended with the forest. She went to Cameron and kissed him on the cheek. “Be careful.”

  33

  HAZEL

  Hazel cut a piece of cloth from her shirt and wrapped it over the last of four deep punctures in Daniel’s forearm. Daniel grimaced as she tied a knot tightly over the wound. She lifted his arm up over his head like Aunt Beth had told her to when she opened a deep gash in her arm after catching herself on a nail in one of their fences.

  “I should’ve had your back. I’m sorry,” said Daniel.

  “Don’t be ridiculous,” said Hazel. She gave Daniel a hug. “But thank you for trying.”

  The cell door opened suddenly and Fergus came tripping through the door. Hazel managed to get up and catch him before he fell to the ground. The door slammed shut behind him.

  Fergus stood and looked at the others in the cell—Elisedd on the cot next to his father, Daniel on the ground with a bloodied, bandaged arm. “I’m not even going to say it.”

  No one responded.

  Fergus continued, “About getting thrown...”

  “Yes,” said Daniel and Hazel in unison.

  Fergus noticed Daniel’s makeshift bandages, then said, “You’re hurt.”

  “It’s fine,” said Daniel.

  Fergus nodded, then said quietly, “How is he?” as he gestured over to the cot.

  “Alive, but he won’t wake.”

  Hazel sat down with her back against the stone wall and Fergus did the same beside her.

  “What now?” Fergus asked.

  Hazel replied, “I suppose all we can do is wait for Faron and Cameron to come looking for us.”

  Fergus nodded. “Well, at least we’ve got each other’s company, right?”

  “Yeah,” said Hazel solemnly as she stared up at the small, barred window near the top of the cell. She could only see the gray sky. Then she saw a bird fly across the window, and a thought occurred to her. If she could get an animal inside through the small window, perhaps she could send a message to someone. Hazel thought of the perfect candidate. She only hoped he was close enough for him to feel her calling. She closed her eyes and concentrated on Ollie, summoning him to the cell. She let her thoughts drift outward, and after only a few seconds, she felt his presence and pulled him toward her. She opened her eyes and waited.

  A few minutes passed, and Hazel was just beginning to feel discouraged when Ollie suddenly appeared and poked his fuzzy head through the window, his bright green eyes peering in, wide open as he surveyed the cell with curiosity.

  “Oi! Look who’s join us,” said Fergus in a hushed but exasperated voice.

  “Shhh!” said Hazel. She watched as Ollie began squeezing himself through the bars. He stopped with half his body poking through the window, then began meowing. He was stuck. She rushed up and pulled the portly cat through the window.

  “Shh, I’ve got you,” she said as she sat down and nuzzled her face into him. “I need a favor, Ollie...” She concentrated as she held him, preparing to have him listen to her message, then her vision suddenly changed and she was no longer concentrating on Ollie. She was low on the ground, staring at Elisedd who was looking above her head. Hazel turned and saw her own face with a vacant stare. Éirí.

  She was possessing Ollie as she had done unintentionally twice before. She was about to try to return to herself when she heard footsteps walking down the hallway.

  Elisedd dashed from his cot and picked her, or Ollie up, as he closed her body’s eyes and gently laid it down. He lifted her up through the window and struggled to push her through, her sides squishing against the bars. She popped through just before she heard the iron door open and darted away.

  She was not sure how it was going to work, but she decided she would go to someone she could trust and see if she could get them to read her. She thought of who she could tell. Finding Faron beyond the walls would be nearly impossible. She wondered who else she could trust, then felt foolish for not thinking of Zofia sooner. Zofia could relay her message to Faron, and she would surely recognize Ollie. He had taken a liking to her during their lessons, and he was frequently part of them.

  Hazel trotted off toward Zofia’s courtyard. As she walked through an alley, she saw an enormous rat scampering into a drain beside her. It was ten times the size of any she had ever seen. Then she realized it only looked so because of her perspective.

  When she got close to the courtyard, she heard voices coming from within it. They were distorted as they had been in Ollie’s memory when he eavesdropped the cave, but she could tell they were men, and they were angry. She continued slowly through the entryway of the courtyard until she had a clear view of the speakers.

  Aatu was standing in front of Zofia with a pair of his wolves at his sides and a pair of Laochra farther back, standing watch over the courtyard. “Drop the act. I’ll ask once more. Where is Faron?”

  One of Aatu’s wolves began sniffing the air. Aatu stroked the dog’s head, sending him off toward the courtyard entrance. The wolf quickly spotted Hazel and crouched low, remaining silent as he stalked toward her.

  Hazel froze and felt the fur stand up on Ollie’s back.

  Zofia took notice and her eyes changed. A cloud of her light green butterflies fluttered from the resting places into the entryway, obscuring Hazel’s view of the courtyard and the wolves.

  Hazel sprinted out of the entryway as fast as she could. She could hear the wolves barking and snarling behind her. The sounds grew louder. As she sprinted through streets and alleys back toward the Roman Building, Hazel wondered what would happen if they caught poor Ollie. Then she remembered, Ollie was not the only one in danger, she had to get back to her body. She looked back as she ran and saw the wolves in full stride, not far behind. She looked up ahead and saw a row of tall trees and sprinted as hard as she could for them.

  There was a snarl and a snap of teeth just behind her as she approached the tree. She leapt up and dug her claws into the bark as she ascended it quickly. She looked down at the vicious pair barking and snarling on their hind legs.

  She felt herself pantin
g. Ollie was not used to being the one fleeing. She looked up the tree and noticed a branch that hung close to the roof of the row houses lining the cobbled street. She walked up it carefully then leapt onto the shingles and continued in the direction of the Roman building over the unbroken line of roofs. The dogs’ barks faded in the distance.

  She descended the roofs via another tree and went to the side of the Roman building where the small dungeon windows were. Unsure of which window it was exactly, she picked one and peered into the cell. It was empty, so she continued to the next. She was shocked to see Uschi lying still in a cot. She did not look injured and she could see that she was breathing.

  She was stripped of her usual leathers, wearing only a simple linen shirt and pants. Hazel thought back to the Den and how empty it and the training grounds had been, and wondered if there were others in the cells. She went to the next cell and saw Bjarke as still as Uschi had been. She continued checking the cells and saw Alviva, Bjorn, and several other guards that she recognized. All of them were still in their cots despite Hazel’s attempts to get their attention with Ollie’s meows.

  She finally reached her cell and squeezed into the window, where Elisedd pulled her through and set her down next to her body. She touched Ollie’s nose to her body’s hand.

  She opened her eyes and saw him next to her. He looked around the cell, dazed. She scratched his head and said thankfully, “Good boy.” She stood up and said, “I don’t think Faron is going to be able to help us.” She explained what she had seen and heard in the courtyard.

  “I knew there was something off about all those guard’s keys,” said Daniel.

  Fergus suddenly had that familiar look about him, the empty stare he had when he was making some realization.

  “What is it Fergus?” she asked.

  He walked up to Hazel and said in a hushed voice, “Do you have the comb with you?”

  Hazel pulled the comb out of her shirt and showed it to him.

  He nodded. What if it isn’t just a key to the shield? Remember how it didn’t look like it was going to fit the holes in the shield? It changed. What if it could change to fit that keyhole?” He looked toward the iron cell door.

  “It’s worth a shot,” she said as she looked down at her comb. She went to the door and put her ear against it. She didn’t hear anything outside. She opened the small flap in the door and looked through it, and as far as she could see, no one was in the hall.

  She took the comb off her neck and reached through the narrow flap toward where the keyhole ought to be. She felt for the keyhole with her thumb, and when she found it she pressed her comb to it, partially inserting one of the prongs. As she pressed it there, she felt the comb moving farther into the door as if the other prongs were shortening. The prong eventually felt secure within the hole, so she turned it gently. There was a click.

  She pulled back on the door and it cracked open. Hazel pulled her hand back in and looked down at the comb, which had taken the shape of the cell door key. It was covered in a soft velvety layer, like a stag’s summer antlers, still growing and unshed. It slowly changed back into its four pronged form. She looked to Fergus and the others, who were as awestruck as her.

  She looked out the door and saw that the hall was still empty, then waved the others toward her.

  They left the cell and Daniel whispered, “We need to free the others.”

  Elisedd replied, “We can’t carry all of them out.”

  “We can at least get Alviva,” he said desperately.

  Elisedd nodded.

  Hazel led them to her cell and held her comb to the keyhole. She was watching it change when she heard quick steps down the hall. She looked to the end of the hall and saw a pair of shadows approaching. They looked like those of a large man and dog. Hazel’s heart raced faster as she waited for the key to change. She watched anxiously as the shadows grew smaller, then Coinín appeared at the end of the hall with Ralf at his side. Ralf cocked his head, then his tail began to wag.

  Hazel noticed that Coinín was wearing an oddly contemporary leather jacket, cut more like her long riding coat than the short jacket she was used to seeing him in. On his waist, a thin saber had replaced his usual knightly sword. He held one hand up and a finger to his mouth and approached. When he reached them, he whispered, “I’m here to help. We have to hurry.”

  Elisedd looked at him suspiciously.

  “Your father’s been poisoned,” he said as he pulled out a syringe. “An antidote.”

  Elisedd was apprehensive as he stared at the needle.

  “He won’t wake without it,” Coinín urged.

  Elisedd nodded and Coinín injected the contents of the syringe into Fíodor’s shoulder. He removed it, then pulled out a set of keys and opened the cell door before rushing to Alviva’s cot and doing the same for her. They waited there for a tense minute. Then Fíodor groaned.

  Alviva’s eyes fluttered open. She sat up slowly and Daniel went and helped her up. “What happened?” she asked weakly.

  Coinín replied, “I’ll explain everything. We need to get the others.”

  “Father?” said Elisedd as he shook Fíodor gently.

  Fíodor’s eyes barely opened, then he vomited on the floor and groaned, still completely dazed. “He needs medicine,” said Elisedd.

  “We have to free the others first,” said Coinín. They went to a dozen more cells and did the same with all of the guards who had been imprisoned, then Coinín led them into one of the cells where tables and racks of weapons and armor had been locked away. “Your things...”

  The men and women in the room put on their equipment as they regained their faculties.

  Bjorn said, “What’s happening, Coinín. What was your father talking about?”

  Coinín shook his head. “I’m sorry, I should have warned all of you.”

  Bjorn put a hand on his shoulder. “Not now, lad. Just tell us what’s going on.”

  Coinín nodded and said gravely, “General Marlow is going to take the village. His soldiers are assembling at the old castle, as we speak.”

  There were gasps and protests among the guards in the room. “We can’t let that happen!” said one of them.

  “Einar was right,” said Bjorn.

  Bjarke said to his father, “We have to go stop them! They won’t expect us.”

  “We can’t fight them,” said Coinín.

  “Like hell we can’t!” said one of the guards.

  Coinín continued, “The rest of the Laochra are helping them, every single one of them, under my father’s command. You were all deemed, unfit, for the transition. That’s why you were brought to the Roman building, and given the drinks.”

  “Why would Aatu help him?” asked Bjorn.

  “Marlow promised him command of the Laochra... and the rest of the villagers.”

  One of the guards growled, “I say we fight to our last breaths before we let them take Talamh.”

  “No,” said Bjorn. “It would achieve nothing. We’d have no chance against Aatu and the rest of the Laochra. And Marlow’s men will have cured equipment. We would be crushed.”

  Uschi said incredulously, “So we just let it happen?”

  “No,” said Elisedd. “We stick to Faron’s plan. We secure the Spheres and the ladder and evacuate the village.”

  “Faron knew this was going to happen?” said Uschi.

  Elisedd replied, “No, he only guessed as did Einar, and they were right.”

  Alviva said, “We’ve been working together to secure the Spheres.”

  Hazel only then realized why Alviva had let them into the mines when they were searching for the Sphere. She must have joined her parents in helping Faron.

  “Einar! The man killed his wife!” said one of the guards.

  “No,” said Bjorn. “Marlow killed his wife.”

  “What! Why didn’t you tell us?” Bjarke said to his father.

  “I was following orders as I was taught to. It was a mistake.” Bjorn looked
to Elisedd and asked, “Where is Faron?”

  “I’m not sure,” said Elisedd.

  Bjorn looked to Coinín and said, “Do you know where the Spheres are being kept?”

  He nodded. “They’re being presented to Marlow at the manor. My father left with them not twenty minutes ago. They’ll be stopping at the old castle to meet with Marlow’s men.”

  “We have to try,” Bjarke said to his father.

  “We will.” He took his son by the shoulders and said, “You and Uschi will begin evacuating the village.”

  “Father, we can help you!”

  “This isn’t a game! There are no points to score, no second chances... one mistake and it’s your life you lose.”

  Bjarke’s fervor diminished. Bjorn wrapped a hand around the back of his son’s neck and said, “Get back to the village and warn whomever you can, then get out. Do not engage anyone unless you have to, do you understand?”

  Bjarke nodded.

  “Where will we take the villagers?” Uschi asked.

  Hazel replied, “The mines. We can get to the bottom of the quarry through one of them.”

  “The mines are closed,” said one of the guards.

  “Not all of them,” replied Elisedd.

  Everyone in the room turned their attention to heavy steps approaching the cell. “Coinín? That you?” asked a deep voice.

  The iron door began to open and nearly everyone in the cell drew their weapons.

  The guard who had nearly foiled their escape stood at the doorway with his dogs beside him. He backed away as Bjorn stormed toward him. “Now listen, I didn’t have a choice.”

  With a roar, Bjorn shoved his thick, fur covered arm and clawed hand into the guard’s chest, sending him backward into the wall behind him with a crash. He collapsed to the ground. His mastiffs lied down in the hall, low on the ground with their ears pinned back.

  “Don’t think he’s getting up this time,” Daniel muttered to Hazel.

  Hazel sat in the back of a moving, covered wagon, packed in tight amongst the other Laochra. Elisedd and his father had gone with Bjarke and Uschi to the stables to begin the evacuation.