by Clare Wilson
It had gone unnoticed to both sides in the darkness, but a large group of Nuggies had entered the clearing and positioned themselves in a crescent moon shape around Torean and the boys.
Tom instantly knew that they had been the first movement he had detected among the trees.
‘You shall not harm the staff wielder!’ shouted Low-Paw from the centre of the group. He held up his hand towards Naithara and the other Nuggies followed his example. They all began to hum a deep vibrating sound, and suddenly a shield of piercing blue light rose up around the group. It surrounded them and looked like a curved wall between the two camps.
After a few seconds Naithara broke out of her confusion and shouted to her men, ‘After them! Are you afraid of these little rats?’
The men looked at one another for a couple of moments, unsure of what the little creatures had created, but started to move slowly forward.
Low-Paw turned to Tom and said in a strained voice, ‘You must go, Staff Wielder. We can hold them off, but not for long.’
‘Will you be okay?’ Tom asked. He didn’t want these little creatures to sacrifice themselves on his behalf. There had been enough death.
The creature simply smiled, ‘Do not doubt us. We have fought worse animals than these throughout our history. Like all of their kind, they underestimate the strength of the ancient powers.’
Tom, not wanting to waste the advantage that Low-Paw and his Nuggies had bought them, shouted his thanks hoarsely and the three ran blindly out into the night.
They had only been running a few seconds when Tom heard an explosion behind them. Terrified that Low-Paw had been injured, he turned round to see that a couple of Naithara’s men had been sent flying backwards when they had tried to penetrate the shield surrounding the little creatures. He couldn’t believe the Nuggies had come to his aid. He hoped one day he would be able to show his gratitude to them.
The Nuggies were still holding their own against the group of men. Once Long-Paw was sure that Tom and the others had been given enough of a start into the distance, he signalled to them to make their next move. The creatures raised their little hands higher into their air, and Low-Paw uttered, ‘Wait for my mark, men.’
Naithara’s men were looking at the shield created by the Nuggies, trying to find a way through the wall. They heard Low-Paw speak, but, unlike Tom, they had no connection with the little animal and simply heard some garbled sounds.
Low-Paw waited until enough of the men were up-close to the shield and shouted, ‘Now!’
Suddenly the force field fell. It looked like a wall of water which had been held, was now released upon the men. The force of the flowing energy sent them flying backwards. As though floating on water they were all dragged back from where they had once stood, which gave the Nuggies ample time to disappear in the undergrowth.
With the light from the shield gone, the clearing seemed strangely dark. The men noticed that in the sudden lack of light they were almost blinded and could not make out in which direction the little creatures had made their escape.
Naithara was now completely consumed by her rage. Power surged through her and exited from her finger tips. It was white hot. How could the old man have slipped through her fingers once more? How could he have managed to take her only bargaining tool with him? She knew her master would not understand her failure. How could they have lost the staff wielder? The men around her cowered away, fearing they might be struck down the same way the Sheriff had been. While they continued to be in awe of the power Naithara was able to command, the last few days had shown them what failure could reap. As she raged, they all, one by one, turned and fled for their lives.
After a few moments Naithara stopped her angry tirade and dropped to the ground. She looked around the empty clearing, and for the first time thought they may not achieve their aims. She looked like a lost child.
Only one man had remained behind - the Provost. He knelt down beside her and put his arm around her. Naithara had shown weakness tonight, something which the Provost did not like. He wondered whether it was perhaps time for him to assert himself in order to ensure their venture was successful. He had always wondered whether a woman was capable of such a task.
Chapter Twenty
The Longest Wait
Feeling heartened, Tom ran through the night without another look back; he was free. After feeling so hopeless, he was now with his friends once more. This filled him with a new found energy. He felt he could have run for days. A strange feeling hit him, he felt naked without his staff. As the Nuggies had said, he was a staff wielder. It was now a part of his being. Running endlessly as he now was, he was absolutely free, but continuing the fight and not having his staff felt like he was missing a limb.
The three slowed from their run after they were sure the group was not following them.
After a few seconds Aneirin stopped beside a tree where Onero was tethered. They had left him there in case they needed to make a hasty escape.
Tom, leaning against the tree and breathless, looked around and suddenly noticed that Torean was struggling. His heart sinking, Tom shook Aneirin to alert him and the boys ran, almost having to catch the old man before he fell to the ground. As he held Torean’s arm Tom noticed his hand was covered in blood. ‘Torean, what happened?’ he questioned.
‘Granda?’ Aneirin asked, now petrified.
‘Don’t worry about me, boys,’ the old man replied, trying to hide his pain. ‘It was a stray spell, nothing serious. I’ve just lost a bit of blood and I’m feeling rather drained. Just get me to Wilson’s and I will be fine.’
‘Lean on me,’ Aneirin said, putting his grandfather’s uninjured arm around his shoulders.
Tom ripped the sleeve of his shirt for a tourniquet and wrapped it around Torean’s arm above the wound to help stem the bleeding.
With some help from Tom, Aneirin helped his granda onto the horse and then climbed up in front. ‘Tom, are you alright to follow on foot?’
‘Of course,’ Tom panted. He was utterly exhausted, but knew he would have to push himself a little bit further to reach the farm and safety.
They were glad to be together again, but both boys were worried about Torean. They knew they had no hope of surviving this fight without him. They journeyed on in silence, both desperate to get to Wilson’s farm and get Torean some assistance.
Tom was banging on the door at the farm and was now starting to feel desperate. Under other circumstances he would have felt strange about making such noise at someone’s door in the middle of the night. Not on this occasion. He was weary, scared and just wanted to be inside the house with the cold night closed away.
Wilson opened the door; he and his wife had sat up with Adaira waiting upon the group’s return. When he saw Tom’s ashen white face, he was glad to see the boy, but he knew all was not well. He pushed Tom aside and saw Aneirin holding Torean up. He ran to his old friend and lifted him in his strong arms, carrying him quickly into the house.
Tom went to Aneirin in order to help him inside. The boy was exhausted from carrying his grandfather’s weight.
‘Thank you,’ Tom said sheepishly.
‘Tom, you don’t have to,’ he said smiling wearily. ‘You would’ve done the same for me. For now I just want to get inside.’
Tom suddenly felt weak. Aneirin caught him and helped him over the threshold. He then closed the door and walked into the kitchen with Tom leaning on him for support. The group was a sorry sight.
Wilson had Torean stretched out on a bench, while Adaira and Mrs Wilson fussed around him with wet cloths and bandages.
‘Is he alright?’ Aneirin asked, sounding all too much like a little boy again.
‘Don’t worry, son,’ his mother replied, looking scared by Torean’s condition herself. ‘He’s weak, but I think he’ll be fine.’
‘Will he be fit enough to fight?’ Tom muttered as he lowered himself painfully into a seat. He was still extremely stiff from his time spent in the Provost’s
cellar.
‘I sure hope so,’ Torean groaned. ‘This is nothing.’
‘I think you should get some sleep,’ Mrs Wilson said.
‘I can’t leave him,’ Aneirin moaned.
‘Neither can I,’ Tom added, although he was clearly exhausted.
‘Go,’ Torean muttered.
‘Aneirin,’ his mother said sternly. ‘You have played your part tonight. We can’t survive with you both exhausted.’ Turning to Tom she smiled, ‘It’s good to have you back safe, boy.’
He looked at her and tried to smile. Having never felt so tired, he didn’t need a lot of persuasion. He just wished his own mother was with him.
‘Go to bed,’ she continued. ‘Lizzy will be here in the morning and we’ll need to make plans.’
She knew just what to say to sway her son. Going to bed would surely make Lizzy arrive sooner. She was the one who made him happy. Aneirin rose from his chair groaning, kissed his mother and left the kitchen to head upstairs to bed.
Tom didn’t rise from his chair and plucking up the courage said, ‘If it isn’t too much trouble, could I possibly have something to eat? I haven’t eaten in such a long time, and I don’t know that I can sleep right now.’
‘Of course you can,’ Mrs Wilson said, leaving Adaira to finish tending to Torean. She was ashamed she had not offered the boy anything before now. It was then that she noticed the cut on Tom’s face. ‘Forgive me, my lamb, with Torean in this state it was easy to forget why this whole thing happened tonight. It looks like they beat you. Is it bad?’
‘No,’ Tom muttered. Talking about it made him feel strange. He felt numbed by the whole experience and he didn’t feel fear even though he knew the Provost had wished to hurt him further. ‘I was lucky,’ he continued. ‘My lack of injury is not due to the Provost’s want of trying. He fortunately didn’t manage to have any length of time alone with me. Otherwise I would have been in a much worse state.’
Mrs Wilson set about cleaning his face before she made him some supper.
‘He’s an evil man,’ Wilson mused. ‘I’ve always thought there was something about him. Even as a child he used to sit and pull the wings off insects, he enjoyed causing pain.’
‘Well,’ Torean said, leaning up on the bench as Adaira propped a cushion behind him. ‘At least this little fly got away. We had rather an eventful night.’
‘So it would seem,’ Mrs Wilson said, ruffling Tom’s hair as she sat down a large bowl of steaming broth and a plate of fresh bread which was still slightly warm.
Tom wolfed into his food, he hadn’t felt this hungry in a long time. The food disappeared very quickly and left the boy feeling satisfied and drowsy.
‘Off with you,’ Wilson said, noticing Tom now struggling to keep his eyes open. ‘We can discuss your adventures in the morning. It’s late and this battle is far from over. We should all get some rest.’
‘Good night,’ Tom said, rising from his chair and following the path Aneirin had taken out of the room. ‘Which room is Aneirin in?’ he enquired, suddenly aware that he had no idea where he was going.
‘Straight up the stairs, first door on the left.’ Mrs Wilson beamed.
‘Thank you,’ Tom said, wasting no further time and disappearing up the stairs outside the kitchen door.
‘You know,’ Mrs Wilson said, looking at the empty doorway. ‘The resemblance is uncanny. He could be Aneirin’s brother.’
‘Yes, the family resemblance is striking,’ Adaira responded. She was pleased to have Tom back. She had become rather fond of him since he had appeared in their lives. He was a very sensitive boy.
‘Torean,’ Mrs Wilson said, now turning to him. ‘I think you should sleep down here tonight. It wouldn’t be wise to move you, plus it will be warmer down here with the heat from the dying fire.’
‘Thank you, my dear,’ Torean said, taking her hand. ‘I’m grateful for not having to move. I shall be very comfortable where I lie.’
Adaira rose from the chair next to where Torean lay and kissed him on the head. ‘Will you be okay without me?’ she asked, feeling a little wary at walking away and leaving him when he was in such a condition.
‘Go, girl,’ he smiled. ‘Get some sleep. I’ll still be here for you to fuss over in the morning.’
With that the group broke up and headed for the stairs and to bed. They would still have another two days before their next encounter with Naithara. During that time Torean and the boys had to ensure they were not seen, and Lizzy and the Laird would need to think of a way to get hold of that book.
When Tom woke he could hear the group down in the kitchen talking. He had no idea what time it was, but felt as though he had slept for quite some time. He quickly rose and pulled on his clothes so that he could find out what was being said in the house below.
As he entered the kitchen, he noticed the Laird and Lizzy were now also among the group gathered around the table.
‘The little creatures were all gathered around us,’ Aneirin was saying to Lizzy and the rest of them. ‘Tom spoke to them, although I don’t know what they said, it just sounded like noise.’ At that he noticed Tom was standing there. ‘Here he is. I’m sure Tom can tell us what the little animals were doing.’
Mrs Wilson rose from her chair, ‘Let the poor boy sit down first, Aneirin.’ She turned to Tom and showed him where to take a seat. ‘I have some tea fresh in the pot if you would like, and I’ll put some bread over the fire to toast.’
‘Thank you,’ said Tom, gratefully taking the large mug of tea from the woman. ‘That sounds great. Thank you for having me, I haven’t had a sleep like that in a very long time.’
Mrs Wilson beamed at him. ‘You’re very welcome, lad. Such manners in a young man, you’ll go far, my boy!’
‘So,’ said Aneirin impatiently. ‘What were the little creatures saying to you?’
‘They’re called Nuggies,’ Torean said from his makeshift bed on the bench. ‘Tom has met with the little creatures before, that’s why he could communicate with them. It was quite impressive that your link with them remained even when you were without your staff.’
The group turned to Tom, now even more intrigued.
‘Erm,’ Tom said, feeling strange to have all of them looking at him. ‘The little animal leading them is called Low-Paw. He visited me at night when we were staying among the hills. When I met him he said his elders were planning to have a gathering to decide whether they should help us or not. From last night, I assume they chose to get involved. I’m grateful they did. We may not have had such a lucky escape otherwise.’
‘What did he say to you in the clearing?’ Lizzy enquired, fascinated at the thought of little mythical creatures coming to their rescue.
‘He simply said that we should run,’ Tom continued. ‘He said his men couldn’t keep up the shield they had put around us for much longer. I didn’t want to squander the opportunity they’d given us, so we ran off. I hope they got away from there okay.’ As he finished he felt worried about Low-Paw and his friends. He knew what Naithara was capable of.
‘I wouldn’t worry on that front,’ Torean said, sensing Tom’s upset. ‘I think our little friends will have had an escape route planned. Plus, people like Naithara always underestimate the powers which naturally magical beings possess. I would doubt she would even order her men to chase after them. It would be our escape which would have filled her with anger.’
Tom felt relieved at Torean’s words. He hoped the old man was right.
‘This is all very fascinating,’ said the Laird. ‘I have read of such creatures before, but had no idea that they were real.’
‘They’re real alright,’ Aneirin said, smiling. ‘They saved our bacon.’
‘Indeed,’ Torean added, shifting uncomfortably. ‘They’ve always been here, although these days they choose not to allow themselves to be seen. They could sense that young Tom was a staff wielder and decided to reveal themselves to him. It is a great honour, my boy.’
‘Yes,’ Tom mused. ‘I hope I see them again so that I can thank them.’
‘That, you cannot guarantee,’ Torean replied. ‘They’re a highly secretive people. The fact that they chose to risk exposure last night must have caused a great deal of upset among their kind.’
Tom knew that Torean was probably right, but he still hoped he would see the little creature again, crawling out from the undergrowth.
‘I suppose all that’s left to discuss is what we do from here,’ Lizzy said, breaking the group’s reverie.
‘Well,’ Torean said thoughtfully. ‘I think it would be best for us to hide out here until the time of the battle. I don’t think Naithara will come here looking for us, and the main thing we need to do is wait until they strike so we can destroy Eiric. Also, as you have found out Angus, in order to achieve this we need to destroy the book which holds his soul together. There is very little point in us succeeding in banishing him on this occasion if he will use someone else to attempt to rise to power again in the future. We’ll need you both for this,’ he said, motioning to Lizzy and the Laird.
‘It won’t be easy,’ the Laird mused.
‘I could search her room,’ Lizzy responded almost to herself. ‘She’s used to me going through her belongings. Lady Naithara’s not exactly a tidy person. She always leaves things lying around which I have to tidy away. I’m sure she wouldn’t think twice if she found me among her things.’
‘That may be the simplest option,’ Torean said thoughtfully.
‘I don’t like the idea of putting you in harm’s way, my dear,’ the Laird said, racking his brains to think of another way around the situation.
‘I think,’ Lizzy rebutted, ‘that this may be the best way to have a look around without arousing her suspicion. What would she think if she found you in her bedroom?’
‘True,’ the Laird said despondently. ‘While I would doubt it would be the first thing which would enter her head, she would start to watch me if that happened. It would then be unlikely that either of us would have the opportunity to search her room. In that case, it would probably be best for you to go in and at least scout around to see if you can find its hiding place. Then you can report back to me.’