Behind the Curtain

by Shannon Ainslie

  She buckled her seat belt and checked herself out in the rearview mirror. Rowdy thought she was sort of pretty. She had straight dark brown hair and small but well-placed features.

  She turned to look at her son.

  “Why aren’t you training more pitchers? That kid could be decent if he practiced.” As if Thomas were responsible. He just kept quiet, and she turned back around.

  Rowdy thought it was cool the mom was competitive and knew about baseball. He had to agree with her summary of what had gone wrong. But she wasn’t finished. She turned around again.

  “And what is wrong with that assistant coach? Barking and swearing the whole time? What use is that?” She made to turn forward but paused and added, “It’s the coaches’ fault you guys got your butts kicked in the first place!” She finally faced forward and started the drive home.

  Rowdy felt it was his fault the team had lost.

  “Hugo going to be better for your next game?” he said quietly to the orange mop in front of him. Thomas nodded. Jordyn squeezed Rowdy’s hand with sympathy.

  “Hugo got what he deserved,” Jess said loudly. She was picking licorice out of her teeth. Rowdy, Jordyn, and Thomas stared at her.

  “What?” She stared back at them with a frown.

  “That Hugo looks like he’s been fighting. You guys know what happened?” Thomas’ mom looked at them through the rearview mirror.

  Jess’ eyes reflected understanding.

  “Heard it was an older student,” she lied casually.

  “Me too,” Rowdy and Jordyn chimed together. Thomas nodded his agreement.

  “Well, he shouldn’t be messing with the older boys anyway.”

  The rest of the drive was quiet.

  As he exited the vehicle, Rowdy asked Thomas, “What do you use for tinder for the flint?”

  “Birch bark,” Thomas and his dad said in unison.

  He and Jordyn talked excitedly about it under her window that night, among many other topics. They had catching up to do. He caught her up on Sionnin and the mouse hole; she caught him up on the girl drama with Jess. They caught each other up on kissing. It felt as if a long time had passed since Rowdy had her all to himself.

  She let him explore her body just a little bit, then laced her fingers through his and brought his hand out of her shirt.

  He leaned back against the house and looked at her, trying to connect the sweet and sexy girl before him to the fierce and adept warrior who stood beside him in Sionnin.

  “You’re torturing me,” he said to her, trying to wiggle his fingers free.

  “I know it,” she said. Then she let go of his hand, dragging their fingers apart slowly, making him crazy.

  “How long are you going to hide me from your family, Jord?” He tried to see her expression in the darkness.

  “Not very,” she said simply. She paused thoughtfully.

  “You know, with your muscles and long hair you kind of look like a badass. I don’t think they will like it much.” She giggled. She wrapped her blanket around her shoulders and stood up, looking at the stars above them for a moment before turning to her window.

  He sighed and stood too. He didn’t want to be away from her. He boosted her up. She kissed her fingertips and pressed them onto his cheek.

  “Get some sleep, badass.”

  “Good night, sexy girl.”

  * * * *

  Next day, Hugo was on the bus. He sat grimacing out his window, but turned to glare at Rowdy when he followed the girls to the back of the bus. His swelling had gone down, and his bruises had lightened up. Rowdy stepped back and looked at him. Hugo turned to glare at him, unblinking.

  “Hey, man,” Rowdy said awkwardly. “I’m sorry, all right? You can’t push my dad around though.” They stared at each other until the driver yelled at Rowdy to sit down. He hustled to the back of the bus. Jess and Jordyn’s friends nodded amiably at him. He sat with the popular people, accepted.

  He felt relieved he’d apologized to Hugo but knew the conflict was far from resolved. He stared at the back of the blond head, wondering what was in store.

  Hugo was quiet that day, getting caught up on homework and keeping to himself.

  The other students were curious about the friction between them. The consensus was they were happy someone had put Hugo in his place. Hugo’s former group of bullies had left him and were attempting to gain better reputations for themselves.

  After school, Jordyn, Jess, and Rowdy rode their bikes the long distance to Thomas’ house. He was going to teach them how to light a fire with flint and birch bark.

  The day was warm and bright. The girls gossiped while they pedaled, side by side. Their hair streamed in the breeze behind them. They wore matching oversized sunglasses and carried matching purple water bottles.

  Rowdy rode ahead, doing tricks and jumps off the sidewalks and curbs until they reached town. They dismounted and walked along the main street, curling around people and dogs. He stopped when he saw his dad through a coffee shop window.

  “Hey, isn’t that your dad?” Jess asked. “Thought he had a new job?” They waited while Rowdy leaned his bike against the building and walked inside. They watched through the window as he had a heated discussion with his dad.

  Rowdy stormed out with a scowl on his face. He grabbed his bike and walked on without looking at the girls. Even Jess knew to keep her mouth shut.

  They mounted again once out of town and rode a few more streets to Thomas’ house, calling out house addresses until they found a tidy, simple home surrounded by leafy fruit trees.

  Rowdy said nothing of his conversation with his dad, but he knew both girls gathered that his dad had lost his job.

  Thomas called to them over a gate at the side of the house. His freckled hand appeared over the top, waving them over. They unlatched it and went inside, then closed it behind them as a yappy, friendly wiener dog came running to greet them.

  The girls melted and cooed over the dog while Rowdy looked around Thomas’ yard. It was small and neat with a wooden fence around it and lots of green grass.

  “What’s your dog’s name?” Jess asked, still gushing over it. It was wriggling in her arms, trying to lick her face.

  “Einstein,” Thomas said. He led them to a large patch of dirt between the concrete patio tiles and the edge of the lawn.

  He shredded a pile of papery birch bark and covered it with skinny twigs. They gathered around, watching him. He handed them some thin bark, and they passed it around, feeling its slippery texture. He held up flint in one hand and a piece of steel in the other. With a part-hitting and part-sliding motion, he struck the flint against the steel, throwing sparks on top of the bark. The third shower of sparks lit the bark. Thomas fluffed the bark around the flame until the whole thing was on fire. He fed it some skinny twigs, then looked at them proudly.

  “Sweet,” Rowdy said. He took the flint and steel and mimicked Thomas’ movements until he too was able to throw sparks. He hoped the flint would work against his blade or chain mail.

  Jess wasn’t very interested. She turned her attention back to the dog and spoke to it in a high-pitched baby voice. It rolled over and waited for a tummy rub.

  Jordyn took a turn with the flint and steel, using the flint Thomas had given to Rowdy with success.

  “Cool!” she said.

  Thomas’ dad came out then, carrying a box of science supplies. They gathered around him on the grass and watched while he showed them how to make bottle rockets, speaking in four-syllable words only Thomas could understand.

  Even Jess was interested when they set off the rockets. Einstein ran back into the house.

  It was past suppertime when they departed after thanking Thomas’ dad; Rowdy wished he was his science teacher instead of boring Mr. Marchand.

  “Bye, Einstein!” Jess called as they rode out of the driveway.

  The girls had homework to do together, so Rowdy was on his own for t
he night. To his dismay and worry, his dad wasn’t at home when he got in. He decided to go for a run and do a workout to blow off some steam. He had a shower and ate some food. His dad had not returned when Rowdy fell asleep on the couch.

  To his relief, his dad was in his bed snoring when he awoke. Rowdy hustled to school, his excitement about Sionnin growing as Friday evening approached.

  Thursday and Friday dragged along. Hugo’s face got better. The Slammers won their game on Thursday night. Hugo seemed happier on Friday but was still not talking to Rowdy or even acknowledging his existence. Instead, he was giving his attention to Thomas, and not in a good way.

  Rowdy, Jess, and Jordyn kept a watchful eye on Hugo and Thomas.

  “If he lays a finger on Thomas, I will punch him right in the nose again,” Jordyn said through gritted teeth.

  “I can’t believe I made out with that guy,” Jess said, turning to face her friends. They were back on the concrete barrier having lunch on Friday. “Why in the heck didn’t you stop me, Jord?”

  Jordyn rolled her eyes. They were watching Hugo talking to Thomas across the field. Hugo had his arm around Thomas. Rowdy narrowed his brow.

  At last Hugo released him with a playful shove.

  Thomas crossed the field and joined them. He quietly opened his sandwich bag.

  “Everything okay, Thomas?” Rowdy asked, not able to gather any information from Thomas’ face. Thomas shrugged as usual and took a big bite of his sandwich. Egg salad.

  “What were you two talking about?” Jordyn pried, crossing one slender leg over the other and winking at Rowdy.

  “Baseball,” Thomas said.

  The bell rang. Rowdy and Jordyn looked at each other. Rowdy’s heart beat more frantically as their journey to Sionnin approached.

  Chapter 13

  Battle In Sionnin

  They hurried straight to Granny’s house after school. Rose met them at the bus stop and flew along ahead of them, cawing in excitement.

  They burst through the door just as Granny opened it, her face beaming.

  “We have a surprise for you, Granny!” Rowdy shouted. He and Jordyn hastily removed their jackets and shoes.

  “Ooh, I have one for you too!” Her eyes twinkled, and she rubbed her hands together gleefully.

  “I’m starving!” Rowdy announced, following his nose to the table where a pile of brownies lay steaming. Jordyn and Rowdy talked over each other while they ate. They told Granny about school and Hugo and finally about Rowdy’s dad.

  Granny nodded at them, trying to keep up with their animated dialogue while they chattered all over each other.

  They went straight upstairs then to share their surprises.

  They transferred to Sionnin. Without missing a beat, Rowdy and Jordyn ran to the wall of gems and started searching.

  Granny stood at her cauldron, laughing.

  “What on earth are you two looking for?” She looked at Rose, who shook her head.

  Rowdy and Jordyn scrambled around the wall.

  “Flint!” they chorused together.

  “Striped flint!” Jordyn specified.

  “I’ll find it first,” Rowdy teased her, tracing his fingers over a chunk of fool’s gold.

  “Wanna bet?” she teased back, looking for a striped gemstone. There were so many stones of all sizes and colors to look at.

  Granny shook her head and chuckled. She walked over to the wall and plucked a stone out of the plaster and held it up to them.

  “You mean this?” Her crystal eyes glowed mischievously.

  “Granny!” Rowdy complained.

  “That’s it!” Jordyn exclaimed, taking the stone.

  Rowdy followed her to the middle of the floor. They took their blades out and took turns striking the flint against the steel. Jordyn threw sparks on her third try to Rowdy’s dismay.

  She laughed at his pouty face and gave him the stone. He practiced until he got it too. Granny searched the wall until she found another piece and gave it to Jordyn.

  “Now you two cut this out before you set the house on fire!”

  Rowdy and Jordyn grinned and put their stones in their pockets.

  “What is this about?” Granny asked, returning to her cauldron.

  “Fire and birch bark,” Rowdy said at the same time as Jordyn.

  “There are birch trees along the streams outside of the heartland,” Rose said in her composed, rich voice.

  Granny nodded thoughtfully, considering bringing fire to Sionnin. She frowned.

  “Wouldn’t it draw attention, Rose?” She looked at her daughter, who was also frowning as she thought.

  “It might come in handy,” she said slowly.

  “What if we get cold or need to melt water or need to make a torch?” Rowdy offered. He simply felt safer having the ability with him.

  “Or what if we need it for defense?” Jordyn added.

  “But we don’t know if we can do it. The birch trees are covered with ice,” Rowdy said.

  The group thought quietly on it. Then Rowdy remembered.

  “Granny, what is your surprise for us?”

  She smiled and held her finger in the air to ask for their attention. Jordyn and Rowdy gave it to her, settling cross-legged on the floor.

  Granny poised herself over her cauldron. She closed her eyes and hummed for a little while. Rowdy admired her long shiny hair and the sense of power she carried around her. He watched, expecting fireworks to shoot out of the cauldron. None appeared.

  Granny simply reached into the murky water with a small splash. She pulled out some grassy pellets. She handed them to Rowdy and Jordyn, who received them with confusion.

  “They’re dry,” Jordyn said in awe, turning the grassy pellets in her fingers.

  “What are they?” Rowdy asked. He smelled them. They smelled like nothing.

  Granny laughed, delighted at their reaction.

  “Food!” she exclaimed proudly. “It took me days to learn how to make them! They will keep you full and warm for several hours at a time!” She beamed at her own ingenuity and handed a pellet to Rose.

  Rowdy grinned at his granny.

  “You’re a genius!” he said.

  “Amazing!” Rose added. “Well done, Mom!”

  Decked in leather boots and chain mail, Rowdy and Jordyn spent the next two hours fighting each other and the shadows on the wall. They went over and over any routines or strategies that were not perfect yet. Rowdy’s defense of his left side needed improving. Jordyn was still slow to protect any blows below her knees.

  They practiced shape-shifting afterward until it was late and Jordyn had to go home. Rose guided her back.

  Rowdy and Granny had tea and mourned his dad’s situation. It only spurred Rowdy on to complete his mission.

  “I need to find his amulet,” Rowdy told her, referring to the sanded round rock from the waterfalls of the Great Mountain. The one his dad had used to shape-shift into a bunny.

  Granny nodded.

  They were quiet. Granny shuffled over to let Rose in. Rose joined them for tea. They discussed the use of fire until it was time for a rest.

  Rowdy sank into his bath gratefully. He felt as though he were being covered with a soothing, hot blanket. He hoped Wizard Boc would appear.

  He cleared his mind. He listened to the water humming around him. His nose filled with a familiar scent that made his heart ache. He smelled his mother. He was flying up and down, his stomach lurching, making him laugh. His parents were taking turns pushing him on a swing. He could see his little shoes and fat legs stretched out before him.

  His mom was laughing. Her face and her smile were so vivid he reached his hand out toward her. His dad laughed and tickled her. He pulled her in, closer to him. He put her long, slender arms around him, and they touched noses.

  Rowdy felt happy. And then terribly sad as the vision dissipated into the steam. He hit the water with limp fists, then lay silently
, recalling the details of his mother’s face.

  “I remember,” he said to the flickering candles.

  He held the picture of her face in his mind as if it were his breath and fell asleep memorizing it, determined not to lose it again.

  * * * *

  “I lied to my parents,” Jordyn said point-blank at the breakfast table the next morning.

  Rose, Granny, and Rowdy looked at her, waiting for an explanation. She tucked her messy hair behind her ears nervously. Her clothes were crumpled from sleep. Rose had clearly retrieved her before she had finished getting ready for the day. Rowdy smiled to himself; she looked cute all messed up in the early morning.

  “I told them I was staying at Jessica’s house for a sleepover tonight…” She frowned and looked at her cup.

  “Does Jess know?” Rowdy asked. Jordyn blushed and nodded.

  “Yeah. She thinks I’m sneaking out to be with you. You know how boy crazy she is. She said she’d cover for me.” Jordyn avoided meeting Granny’s and Rose’s eyes. She was embarrassed.

  Granny said nothing.

  Rowdy knew it was a big deal for Jordyn to lie to her parents. Sneaking out to her yard for a visit was one thing, a bold-faced lie quite another.

  He reached over and put his arm around her. He pulled her close and kissed her on the cheek, making her blush brighter.

  “Rowdy!” she complained, pushing him away.

  “No funny business,” Granny scolded him.

  He grinned wide and shoved the last bite of cereal into his mouth.

  The morning light was just appearing in the windows when the group went up the stairs. The warriors were now armed, protected, and carrying food, an invisibility blanket, and the potential for fire.

  They had a meeting around the map and then transformed and dipped out of the window into a frigid dawn.

  They flew straight to the mouse tunnels and morphed into human form. They went immediately to the icy birch trees and used their blades to hack off some papery bark. They put the icy stuff alongside their warm bellies in their shirts, hoping it would dry out.

  “Agh!” Rowdy squealed, jamming his shirt with bark.