Behind the Curtain

by Shannon Ainslie

  The passage home was swift and pleasant. The air was growing warmer as they traveled. Rowdy rested his head on the powerful neck. He enjoyed the feeling of flying and the sound of the hooves hitting the ground.

  When they arrived at the base of the tree, he waited for Granny to transform. She stamped her hoof at him. He looked at her, understanding creeping into him.

  “You’re staying,” he said. She stamped and nodded. He felt his stomach sink. Hot tears formed. “No,” he said lamely, shaking his head at her. She nuzzled him with her immense nose.

  “No,” he said again in a whisper. The unicorn reared up and whinnied. She turned and ran into the night, leaving him alone, filled with loneliness. He climbed up the tree, now dry, and tapped on the window. Rose let him in. She was beaming and threw her arms around him before he got through.

  “You did it!” she exclaimed, kissing him everywhere.

  He pulled away from her and walked to the middle of the floor with hot tears falling. He returned to the regular world. He sat on the floor and cried.

  “She’s not coming back,” he said, then sniffed. Rose sighed and patted him on the head.

  “Sionnin is her home,” she said apologetically.

  Rowdy thought of the time he had first come to Granny’s to find some comfort. The soups and snacks and spells and love his granny had shown him. He thought of the times she opened the door before he could knock. And he thought of her strange stones and herbal teas. He thought of her eyes and her long hair and her scent of wildflowers. He cried some more. Rose left him alone. She sat patiently beside the candles.

  When he had cried himself dry, she took him downstairs and tucked him into bed, kissing him on the forehead with a mother’s love.

  The next morning, Rowdy awoke on the couch in his granny’s living room. He was dehydrated. Birds sang, and sunlight streamed in the window. He sat up, confused, then remembered about his granny and felt sick all over again. He plopped back onto his pillows, wondering how he was going to drag himself through another day of boring school.

  “School is out for the day,” Rose said cheerfully, appearing with water and coffee in her hands. “The river is subsiding, but the sandbag crew is still working on it.”

  Rowdy sighed with relief and downed the whole glass of water. He flopped back onto his pillow in thought. He realized he would have to tell the others what had happened. Suddenly Jordyn burst in, full of energy.

  “You did it!” she shouted at him, pulling her shoes off.

  Rose went to hug her, and the two ladies hustled to the living room around Rowdy. He groaned. He didn’t want to talk yet. He was angry that Granny wasn’t coming back. The two ladies pressed him, though, and when they saw he wasn’t fully awake yet, they turned to discussion of the local news.

  “There are crews here from all over,” Jordyn told them. “There are nurses and electricians and sandbaggers. We’ll have to go help out today! The town is in shambles!” Rose and Jordyn drank their coffee, practically vibrating with excitement.

  “The only ones who know what really happened are us,” Rose mused, and the ladies burst into giggles.

  “Poor Thomas,” Jordyn said. “We must have scared the crap out of him!”

  The ladies went on to discuss how amazing Thomas was, Rose’s new love, and the new job Rowdy’s dad was going to interview for. Rowdy rolled his eyes. He finally propped himself up and looked at them. Then he couldn’t help but smile. They were so beautiful, his aunt and his girlfriend.

  They sat at the edges of their seats while Rowdy told them every detail he could remember about his journey to the heartland. He sipped his coffee, trying to make sure he wasn’t missing anything. When his dad arrived, he had to tell the story all over again.

  “You will have to tell Thomas when you see him,” Jordyn advised. “I believe he is with his dad sandbagging the river today.”

  “I don’t think we need to scare Thomas any more than we have,” Rose objected, sending the group into giggles. Jordyn nodded in agreement, her green eyes crinkling at the sides.

  Rowdy grew serious then. He placed his empty cup down and stared at Rose. He wanted to know, he had to know, if Granny would ever come back.

  “If I know Granny, she’ll be back on Summer’s Eve,” Rose assured him. “There is to be a huge celebration for us all at the delta.” Rose nodded at him reassuringly. He hoped she was right. He missed Granny already. He looked at his dad.

  “What about Dad?” Rowdy asked. “When does he get to go to delta?” His dad’s eyes lit up at this. He wanted badly to go there. To see the green fields he spent his childhood roaming. The group looked around at each other. Rose smiled and shrugged.

  “Well, the storm has passed,” she said thoughtfully. “Let’s all go next Saturday. That should be more than enough time for Granny to straighten everything up.”

  They all sat back in wonder, envisioning a trip to the Great Mountain that wasn’t full of danger and risk. Rowdy’s dad beamed. Rowdy felt better knowing he would be returning to his granny’s home soon. He thought some more and looked at his dad again.

  “Dad?” he asked. “Will you come with me for a little ramble this morning? I want to show you something.”

  His dad nodded, and the men got dressed and put their hikers on. Rose and Jordyn went to the kitchen to cook up some much-deserved breakfast. Rowdy bumped into Jess on his way out.

  “Hey, storm is over,” she said, tossing her hair over her shoulder. She walked into Granny’s house to join her friend.

  Rowdy led his dad over the two hills to the dirt road. The men were silent. They were in awe of the wet, glistening beauty around them. They listened to the birds and the bees buzzing, feeling the promise of summer close upon them.

  Rowdy led his dad down the dirt road and along the path into the pine forest. He remembered making an oath of secrecy with Jordyn and the surprise they had shared when Granny had approached them through the grass, her eyes ablaze. He chuckled to himself. He missed Rose being a crow sometimes. He remembered Rose hitting Jordyn on the back of the head with a sandwich bag and laughed out loud.

  “What’s so funny?” his dad asked, puffing along behind him.

  “A lot has taken place in these back fields, Dad,” Rowdy said, poking through the weeds and flowers that had sprung up across the path. But Rowdy didn’t need a path. He knew how to make it to the rock with the trickling water. It was time to talk to his dad about his mother.

  His dad was generally a happy-go-lucky guy. He followed along happily, not knowing Rowdy was planning a heart-to-heart.

  “Here it is,” Rowdy said, stopping before a large stony cliff with water trickling down. Rowdy pressed his body against it and lapped up some cool water. His dad did too. The water was good and fresh.

  Rowdy pulled himself back and wiped the water off his mouth with the back of his hand. He looked at his dad. He was so healthy now. The two had been through a lot. Knowing his feelings for Jordyn and seeing the vision of his dad and his mom pushing him on the swing, he felt awful knowing what kind of pain his father had endured.

  “We never talk about Mom,” Rowdy said uncertainly, watching his father’s reaction.

  *

  Mr. H. pulled himself away from the rock and wiped his own face with the back of his hand. He looked at his son and sighed, realizing the point of their hike.

  “It’s hard to,” he said lamely.

  “You loved her,” Rowdy said.

  “More than life itself,” Mr. H. said. He sighed again and looked into the distance at memories only he could see.

  “Why this rock? Why here?” Mr. H. asked his son, feeling heavy with hurt and emotion.

  “It reminds me of her,” Rowdy replied softly. “Cool and reliable; fresh and natural.”

  Mr. H. nodded and looked at his only son. His son was something to be proud of. His son showed him at every turn a maturity Mr. H. had not possessed as a teenager. There was some
thing deep and empathetic about him, yet brave and strong. He pulled Rowdy in close to him. The sound of the trickling water filled the space around them.

  *

  “You amaze me,” his dad whispered.

  Rowdy tucked into his dad’s embrace, listening to the trickling water. He felt as though his heart was healing. He had his dad back. They would have to move forward together.

  It wasn’t awkward when they parted from their hug. It felt right. Though few words had been spoken out loud, many had been spoken from heart to heart. They caressed the rock again and drank. They headed out to the road with a new life ahead of them. Rowdy turned at the last minute to see the rock. He smiled, knowing his mother was with them.

  The ladies were loud and giddy when they returned, ravenous. They sat at the table, receiving mounting plates of breakfast food. Everyone was excited about the free day from school and happenings around their otherwise small, insignificant town. As they sat down to eat, Thomas showed up at the door. He was met with loud approval. Behind him was Rose’s new man, swarthy and nervous. Rose gushed, and everyone laughed.

  “Everyone, meet Marco,” she said.

  “Hi, Marco!” everyone shouted in unison.

  Marco smiled, exposing teeth that beamed white against his dark skin and black hair. He entertained them all by giving them the Italian words for the items on the table.

  They walked down to the town after breakfast to help put things back together. Everyone was collecting to ask what they could do, even Jordyn’s parents. It was a long afternoon of working with a community bent on picking itself up, not knowing that magic was behind the surprise storm.

  “Ugh,” Jordyn said as she struggled to lift a sandbag. “The sooner we contain this river, the sooner we are back at school! That isn’t much of a reward!”

  They all groaned in agreement, standing knee-deep in turbid water. It was a special afternoon, complete with donuts and coffee donated by the local restaurants. The news crew came around, and a steady flow of families poured in and out to relieve one another.

  Despite the chaos in their town, the biggest thing on Rowdy’s mind was their upcoming return trip to Sionnin.

  Chapter 18

  Return To Sionnin

  They collected at Granny’s house the following Saturday morning after a tedious week of work and school. They had to coax Thomas to join. He was still disturbed by his first meeting with magic. He came along uncertainly.

  The day was bright. It was almost June. Rowdy’s dad held his liathroid up to the light to see that Sionnin was bright and sunny. He practically vibrated with excitement.

  They merged into Sionnin in the upstairs room. Then Rowdy turned into a mouse just to make Thomas shriek. Jordyn put him in her pocket. His dad laughed and morphed into a bunny using his rounded stone. Thomas looked as though he would pass out. Rose picked up the bunny and put him on her shoulder. The odd group went out the window and picked their way down the tree.

  They started their long trek but were met early by the unicorn. She whinnied and stamped. Rowdy squeaked in delight to see his granny. She bent down, and the crew climbed on, Thomas grasping shakily at Rose’s skirt. Granny took the trip casually, allowing them all to see the Sionnin she so loved. It was beautiful beyond words. The comrades rode in silence, looking at the fields, animals, streams, and flowers around them. They trotted into the heartland at noon and stopped to eat some pellets. Wizard Ondag greeted them and invited them into the Great Mountain for a feast. They put their pellets back into their pockets and followed the magical beast to his cool lair.

  Rowdy’s dad was beside himself. The crew knew that he had waited a very long time to be reunited with his beloved Sionnin. He had the day of his life, running about looking at each little thing and tripping down memory lane. It was the reaction they had all hoped for. Thomas’ reaction was also entertaining. He fluctuated between fear and excitement at the new world he was able to discover. He crouched around the grass, poking at rocks and plants and holding things up to the light.

  For the most part they left him alone. They talked with Ondag and enjoyed fresh water and edible shoots. He brought out plates of huckleberries, and the juice dripped down their chins. The lair had improved since Conan had left. The air was fresh, and the room was swept clean. Rowdy spied the mouse hole he had climbed out of. He realized the tunnels were now full of mice. He wondered what a real mouse would think about a magical mouse.

  He was debating whether to put his question to the test when Thomas burst in. His face was pale. His eyes were wide, and his hands were full of plants, bark, soil, and rocks. The small company turned to stare at him as he stood in the main entrance with sun lighting up his curls.

  “Thomas?” Granny pressed him with growing interest.

  What had he seen? She stood and walked toward him, looking pensively out of the entrance behind him. Just as he approached, there was a burst of red cloud, and Thomas was gone. But not gone. Granny stepped back in surprise. Everyone was speechless, watching. Granny then stooped and picked up a stone and a black mouse. She held him on her flat palm and turned to the group. The little black mouse crouched, trembling, with his tiny paws held tightly against his body.

  There was a roar of laughter.

  Rowdy held his amulet and turned into a white mouse. He ran across the floor, and Granny put the black mouse down. The two mice looked at each other. They felt each other’s faces and whiskers. They ran all around the floor and up the walls. Thomas chased Rowdy up the main corridors to the place he had found the horn. They ran to the entrance he had thrown the horn out of. They ran back down to the main lair and stopped to catch their breath.

  Rowdy eyed the opening of the mouse hole curiously. He looked back at the black mouse behind him. Thomas looked as though he was having fun. Rowdy decided to enter the tunnel. He leaped down to the opening and poked his nose in. Thomas followed reluctantly. A dank odor could be smelled. It was an odor Rowdy could not identify. He went partly into the opening to investigate, whacking Thomas with his tail by accident. He turned and motioned his fuzzy black friend to follow.

  They stood waiting for their eyes to adapt to the darkness. Rowdy could feel the ground vibrating under his paws. He picked something up. It was a pellet of poop. That was what was causing the odd odor. The floor was thick with it. He turned his ear toward the tunnel before him and heard squeaks he couldn’t understand.

  “Hello?” he squeaked. He heard Thomas turn around and run out of the entrance behind him. A big form was approaching him. He could see the outline of a big, fat mouse. The mouse was squeaking at him without pausing for breath. Rowdy backed up. The mouse pushed in closer to him. Rowdy backed up. The mouse backed him out of the entrance. It stood inside the entrance, squeaking at him.

  Rowdy chuckled and held his amethyst. He grew into a young man sitting on the floor in front of the opening. The mouse squealed and bolted. Thomas went over to Granny, who held out his rock for him. He turned into a young man too.

  “That was the coolest thing I have ever done!” he shouted. He looked at his rock with wonder. He handed it to Rowdy, who looked closely at it; simple white quartz. There was a lot of quartz on the wall of gemstones.

  “Nice one, Thomas.” He grinned and passed his rock back. “Glad we have two mice now!”

  “No fair!” Jordyn complained.

  “I wouldn’t mind going for a flight,” Rose said, winking at Granny.

  She pulled her feather out of her hair and waved it. Nothing happened. She held it to her side and flapped it as though it were a wing, and poof! She was a crow. She cawed and waddled out of the entrance to take an afternoon flight. Rowdy, Jordyn, and Thomas walked out into the beautiful field. They went to the stream and put their feet in the cool water.

  Rowdy felt their time was running out, and he didn’t want it to. He watched as Rose wheeled high above them. She was making a racket and doing somersaults. The teenagers leaned back on their hands a
nd enjoyed the warm breeze on their skin. The huge dark shadow of Wizard Ondag fell over them, and they turned to look up at him. He nodded regally and sat his large behind in the grass. Tiny Granny sat beside him, her white robes flowing around her.

  “What in the heck is Rose doing?” Rowdy chuckled. He splashed his feet in the cold water.

  “There is to be an honorary celebration,” Ondag said slowly. “The animals are approaching with gifts.”

  Rowdy felt Jordyn nudge him with her elbow excitedly. They grew quiet and watched in wonder as animals slowly emerged from the forest on the hill before them. He felt his stomach flutter. He lifted his feet out of the water to dry them. Thomas and Jordyn followed suit, reaching around for their socks and shoes. Rowdy looked at his granny to see her eyes alive with anticipation.

  The bees and the butterflies found them first. So many insects emerged. Grasshoppers and ants, spiders and caterpillars appeared around them, settling on the grasses and flowers. The rodents came next. Rowdy looked for the mouse who had yelled him out of his hole. Rats, moles, mice, and critters he couldn’t identify made themselves visible. Thomas was shaking with excitement. He was trying to identify them.

  “That’s a vole,” he said, “and that’s a mole!”

  The reptiles showed up next and then the rabbits, and then the larger animals began to appear in a circle around them, chattering and chirping. The sky grew dim and loud with wings. The air above them was filled with birdsong. The teenagers looked around them silently. Rowdy felt energy all around them growing bigger and stronger in intensity, and he grabbed at the earth.

  The shadow of Ondag fell upon them again as the great bear stood. There were hundreds of creatures around them making a racket, but all fell into a hush when Ondag stood. Rose settled with a flutter onto Rowdy’s shoulder. He felt her sharp nails dig in and reached up to pet her leathery toes. The group slipped on their socks and shoes and stood beside their master.