“I’ve said too much already.” The horse bobbed his head as he took a step backwards. “Let’s wait until we meet up with Lily and DaGon and we’ll discuss it further.”
Matt’s mind reeled. He regarded his friends and realized Chester was right. Why had he not considered the fact that they all took the leap through the mirror with him? He wasn’t the only one seeking the kidnapped children. It wasn’t just Toby out there in trouble, but Caitlin and George, their cousins, and perhaps two other children.
There were so many questions left unanswered and misdirected. What was the horse not telling them? Much of his statements made absolutely no sense. What was the special sword Chester talked about? And the legend of them defeating the Black Warlock and destroying him. Who was this wizard Keltrain? How did he and his friends fit into the happenings on this world?
Miranda caught his arm. “Are you okay?” she asked.
“I’m sorry, this whole thing...I really don’t understand what’s happening here, and my mind is trying to make sense out of...well...out of things I’ve been taught not to believe in. And now...knowing we’ll be here for God knows how long...Chester telling us we have to defeat this Black Warlock, kill him in order to get my brother and the others back to Earth...it’s too much to deal with all at once.”
“I think we pretty much feel the same way,” Thomas whispered to his friend. “I mean, how would you, or I, tell our parents about Chester, crossin’ through some weird portal to another world, finding a bunch of flower fairies on the other side of it and all the other things we’ve encountered since comin’ here?”
“Now don’t you go gettin’ upset about what Thomas is sayin’ and all. All three of us agreed to come and do whatever was necessary to help you.” Miranda grabbed Matt’s hand and held it. “We’re in this with you, to the very end.”
“I, for one, was dragged here, and not of my own free will. I only came in fear of the beating Thomas woulda lashed on me.” Ned stared at his brother in defiance. “If all of ya’ll had listened to me, I could’ve told ya this wasn’t gonna end well.”
Chester whinnied abruptly. “Tomorrow, when we get to Elven lands, more of your questions will be answered. For now, you need to rest. You’ll be surprised that when it’s necessary, you’ll find strengths you didn’t know you had. Please go to sleep,” Chester ordered quietly, stepping towards the side of the cottage.
“Where are you going Chester?” Miranda asked. “Aren’t ya gonna stay with us tonight?
“Have you ever seen a horse sleep in a house?” He glanced over his shoulder. “I am going to the stable where the hay is warm.” His eyes twinkled with laughter. “Unless you would like to share your bed with me?”
“Oh...Oh, okay. I mean...no. Okay, I understand you’re going to the stables. Goodnight.” Miranda rushed into the cottage.
Matt watched her walk past him. He paused for a Moment before closing the door and watched Chester disappear from sight. His eyes briefly scanned the horizon, focusing on a knoll in the distance. A white dot, reflecting in the moonlight, caught his attention, and he studied it intently. It was a white castle, perhaps even the one that Lily and DaGon had spoken of before they left them back at the hilltop. Sighing, he turned away from the view.
He hoped tomorrow would come quickly. He wanted their meeting with the Fairy Queen to be over as soon as possible, so they could be on their way. They needed to find that sword that seemed so important to everyone but him. Closing and latching the entry, his thoughts rested on his little brother, and the journey ahead. What kind of danger did he and his friends face? It hadn’t occurred to him until now, but talk of sword wielding and killing was a rude awakening to the severity and reality of their situation.
Miranda motioned for him to sit down at a small table in the center of the room. His motions mechanical, he took a slice of cheese from a plate on the center of the table. Chewing slowly, he mediated on the events leading up to this Moment. Who was this Uthal who kidnapped Toby, Caitlin and George, and the Knox twins? Would they really die if Matt and his friends didn’t reach them in time? It was hard to face any thought of Toby’s death, and Matt decided he would do everything in his power to save them. He couldn’t and wouldn’t go back to his parents without Toby. If he had obeyed his mother in the first place, Toby wouldn’t be in this situation. This mess was his to fix.
As he lay down upon the bedding in the cottage, his last thought was filled with the coming morning and their meeting with the Fairy Queen. He wondered if this quest be one of success or defeat. Matt vowed before closing his eyes that he would succeed or die trying.
Chapter Seven
The sun had just lit the sky a deep violet tinge when a loud rap on the door resonated through the small cottage. Matt opened his eyes and rubbed them. Where was he? It took a Moment before he remembered, the events from the previous day slowly filling his mind. Another loud rap pierced the quiet of the pre-dawn and he heard Ned slip from beneath his blankets and shuffle across the floor to pull at the wooden latch of the cottage door.
“Chester, what time is it?” Ned complained through a long yawn.
“It’s time to get out of bed. The Queen’s Guard will be here shortly to escort us to Crystal Palace. Wake up. Wash the sleep from your eyes and prepare yourselves,” he whinnied excitedly.
Matt remained quiet, as did the others. Only Ned seemed to have life, his small hiccups slightly irritating.
“Did any of you hear me?” Chester snorted. He stomped twice on the ground in irritation. “Get out of bed,” he commanded gruffly.
Miranda and Thomas grumbled loudly at the noise, pulling their blankets higher over their heads. Chester pushed his withers into the small house and snorted again.
“Have you not heard about the early bird catching the worm?” the horse asked in irritation.
“The sun isn’t even completely up,” Thomas howled from under the pillow. “Gee, when they said morning, I wasn’t expectin’ the crack of dawn.”
Matt, weary from a fitful night of rest, threw his feet to the floor. Scratching his head, he looked at the horse through sleep-encrusted eyes. “I didn’t sleep very well last night, so a few more minutes would’ve been greatly appreciated,” he grumbled, stretching and arching his back.
“The faster we get there, the quicker we’ll be off to Ellyllon and the Elven Kingdom to meet up with Lily and DaGon,” Chester advised.
“Just a little longer, please,” Miranda pleaded, her voice muffled by her pillow.
“Yes... five more minutes,” Thomas agreed.
“Those within the clutches of the Dark One don’t have five more minutes.” Chester whipped his head and snorted loudly.
Matt realized the horse was right. Disheveled and half-asleep, he got out of bed, made his way across the room, and sat down at the table in the center of the cottage. The others soon followed. Sometime during the night, the fairies had set out a washbasin, soap, toothbrushes and combs and a tiny bottle of lavender water for Miranda to use. Next to the items sat another plate of cheese, bread, and grapes.
“I am so hungry and all,” Miranda exclaimed, grabbing some grapes. “Momma’s eggs and bacon with some biscuits and gravy would’ve been so nice right about now.”
“Gee whiz, my stomach seems to be rumblin’ too,” Thomas declared, placing his hand over his midsection. “I didn’t eat much before we fell asleep.”
“Hurry, I see activity on the path,” Chester urged the group excitedly as he turned from the doorway and trotted to the hedges bordering the yard.
Inside the cottage, the children quickly tidied themselves with the soap and combs. Matt broke the bread and cheese into four equal shares as Miranda poured them a glass of milk. They ate quickly and talked quietly about their circumstance. He remained silent as his friends discussed the upcoming meeting with the Fairy Queen. All he could think about was his brother.
Toby had been constantly present in his dreams the night before, and the nightmares had staye
d with him. Even now when the sun’s light drifted in through the small windows, he felt fear. When he managed to drift off, the presence of a dark shadow haunted him, always in the background. The cloaked entity chased him through a forest and out the other side of the woods. The nightmares ended with him slipping beneath the waves of cold, dark waters. He awoke many times sweating, his heart pounding as he felt himself moved into the shadow of death. The horrible dreams finally escalated in the early morning hours with other visions of Toby and his friends as they were thrown into a swirling black pool of darkness. Matt wanted to tell Miranda and the others about his dreams, but Chester called to them before he had a chance.
“It’s time. You need to come quickly,” the horse called.
“All right, we’re comin’,” Thomas exclaimed. “Gee whiz, that horse can be so pushy sometimes,” he commented to the others under his breath.
“He’s just excited and all. Don’t be so hard on him,” Miranda said with a small smile.
“Ya know, that Fairy Queen sounds kinda mean,” Ned complained. “I wish we could just skip this morning and go to where DaGon and Lily are.”
“You don’t look very well,” Thomas suddenly said to Matt.
“I didn’t get much sleep last night, that’s all,” Matt replied quietly. “Horrible nightmares.”
“Gee, I was so tired, I didn’t even dream. What did ya dream about?”
“I dunno know, it was about something dark and black, just out of sight. It was chasing me, even though I couldn’t see it. And Toby was there, screaming for me, and then there was water, lots of swirling, angry water.”
“Hurry,” the horse cried from outside. “The guards are approaching.”
“Tell us later,” Miranda whispered to Matt as the four went out the door and stood beside the horse. She squeezed his arm slightly.
Her touch made him feel better. He wanted to cover her fingers with his own, but didn’t. While they waited, Matt lifted his face towards the warmth of the sun. It was comforting in a small way. His stomach flip-flopped at the thought of their meeting with the Fairy Queen, and tension began to grow within him. He wondered what would happen when they stood in front of her. He was anxious to get going, and felt things were moving too slow. Toby was in great peril, and he wanted to get to him as soon as they could.
“It’s just like a spring day back home, when Momma makes blackberry jam.” Miranda laughed at the butterflies of all different shapes and sizes floating in the air.
Matt smiled when one of the butterflies landed on the top of her shoulder. Something within him warmed at the thought of touching it, making it lift from her body.
“It’s so pleasant here, how could you ever wanna leave it?” she exclaimed as she spun around slowly.
“Believe me, if you knew the Fairy Queen, you wouldn’t care to live here in the Dell what-so-ever,” Chester replied under his breath.
A troop of guards appeared from the oaks, their golden wings flashing in the sun. They approached the children and the horse in two lines, buffering the group on either side.
“I hope all are rested.” The guard in the lead smiled, bowing politely.
“They seem to be much more cheerful and friendlier than those we encountered last night, don’t ya think?” Miranda whispered as she leaned towards Matt.
“Definitely so,” he agreed, feeling her presence so near him.
“Yes, thank you. We anxiously await our audience with the queen.” Chester bent low, one leg in front of him, as he officially returned the gesture.
“Please follow us. We’ll escort you to Crystal Palace,” the guard commanded.
The group meandered through the meadow towards the gigantic oaks. Once they crossed the threshold into the sanctuary of the trees, a flurry of activity bloomed from the branches, spilling over into the air above their heads. Laughter drifted amidst the trees as fairies flitted around in their daily chores, the mood much more carefree than that of the night before.
Miranda pointed to miniature cows, small sheep, and other barnyard animals running along a tiny fenced pasture under one of the oaks. A frustrated herder flew close behind them, yelling at the disobedient animals. “Oh my, they’re so cute and all,” she exclaimed. “I wish I could take one home with me. It would be fun having a miniature cow.”
“That good for nothing cat of yours would have it in no time,” Ned said, shaking his head.
“Yea, it would be a moo-nificent feline dinner,” Thomas replied, laughing.
“I would keep it safe from Momma’s barn cat,” she huffed, pushing past her cousin.
Matt chuckled slightly at Thomas and Ned’s teasing. He took in a deep breath and marveled at the smells of baking pastries that floated down from the houses cradled above in the oak branches, and closed his eyes, marking the memory. “I wish we had whatever is baking up there. It’s making me extremely hungry, even though we had something this morning,” he said to his friends when he finally opened his eyes.
“Yeah, it smells much better than that old cheese and bread,” Ned agreed.
The guards soon led them away from the center of the fairy market and houses. Matt wondered at the change, the quietness of the air as they drew closer to the palace. When they were just a few feet from the entrance, Matt saw an old fairy woman approach Chester. She whispered something in the horse’s ear, the words inaudible.
“Yes, at the elf castle,” the horse said quickly. The old fairy smiled brightly and shot skyward, disappearing through the tops of the trees.
“Who was that?” Matt asked.
“That was Lily’s mother,” Chester replied quietly. “She wanted to know where her daughter was. It’s been a long time since they’ve seen each other. Lily and DaGon were banished from the Dell long ago. Makes for a terrible family relationship.” The horse walked a few steps. “It would be a great offense if they were part of the conversation. DaGon and Lily. So please refrain from talking about them during our meeting with Queen Onagh, if you don’t mind. Brings back some unpleasant memories for her, and could cause some instability in her disposition.”
Miranda looked at the horse in puzzlement. “Why, that’s horrible. Whatever did they do to deserve such punishment? Both of them seem to be pretty wonderful and all.”
“You’ll need to ask them yourself, if they elect to tell you. Otherwise, it’s none of your concern.”
“Okay, I was just wondering.” She and Matt looked at each other in bewilderment.
“It musta have been pretty terrible if the queen banished them.” Matt remembered how his father didn’t talk to him after Toby’s disappearance.
“A deed considered most foul,” Chester muttered.
Matt scowled. The horse never quite answered their questions, and it was frustrating. He seemed to give them just enough information, which caused more questions. What had happened? Why were Lily and DaGon banished? Was their banishment related to all of the mess with Toby and the others? His mind tumbled over the possibilities. It took some effort to make his thoughts quiet as they climbed the stairs to the entrance of the Crystal Palace.
Upon entering the large blue doors, the children’s escorts led them down a long, white hall. Vivid paintings hung in a brilliant array of color along the corridor. Ned, curious at the lifelike quality in one of the portraits, reached to touch it and jumped back in astonishment when his hand moved effortlessly through the frame.
“What...? Hey, will ya’ll look at this,” he called out.
The other children gathered around him. Standing on tiptoe, they gazed in at the activity on the other side of the particular piece.
Chester whinnied with alarm. “Get back, or you’ll fall through and be lost forever, unable to find your way out. These are enchanted.”
The four jumped away from the frame, frightened.
“What...what...whatda ya mean?” Ned stammered.
“It’s a doorway into a prison. The Fairy Queen created these to keep the vilest offenders to Fairy Dell bo
und inside them.”
The children regarded each other with raised eyebrows. Matt thought of the picture hanging in Stewart Manor. “I think she may have a prisoner on Earth,” he commented slowly. The realization that Charles Stewart might have been locked up in one of the queen’s prisons deepened the mystery. How did he come to cross the Fairy Queen? And more importantly, why was the painting on Earth and not here?
“Come on, she'll be angry if we're late,” Chester demanded. At the horse’s nudging, the children continued towards a pair of arched double doors at the end of the hall.
“What in heaven’s name are you talkin’ about?” Miranda looked at Matt in puzzlement as they walked. “How could you even know one of her prisoners? We didn’t even know about this place until just yesterday and all.”
“When me and my brother first arrived at the house, I saw the man in the painting above the fireplace change position. I saw him move and he looked at me. I think it’s Charles Stewart.”
“So you’re thinkin’ that picture is one of the Fairy Queen’s prisons and that’s where he disappeared to?”
“Yeah, it’s gotta be. I wonder if Chester knows anything about it.”
“You should ask him.”
“I want to, but not now. He seems to be worried about us meeting the Fairy Queen.” Matt grew silent as the doors opened and they followed the horse into a small garden enclosure.
Oh, my,” Miranda exclaimed, seeing the immense display of flowers and fountains. “Will ya’ll look at those birds and all.” She pointed to the tops of several dogwoods along the outer walls, their limbs filled with brightly colored birds.
“Gee, are those things purple?” Thomas asked in disbelief.
“Yeah, turquoise and pink too,” Miranda laughed. “They’re so different than anything we got on Earth and all.”
The Forgotten Spell (Legends of Green Isle Book 1) Page 11