“Oh, Yaya, what am I to do?” he called. “I’m lost and so is Larna. I don’t believe you sent any message… ” His knees buckled, dropping him to the ground. Curling up like a baby, he began to shiver violently and lay there utterly defeated.
The wind whistled through the trees and distant sounds of laughter filled his head. Leaves that had been disturbed began to settle on top of him until only his face was visible. Feeling drowsy, he couldn’t keep his eyes open. Mumbling almost incoherently, “What’s the point. Yaya’s gone. Larna’s gone. And I’m lost so what’s the poin… ” His body temperature dropped dangerously low as he drifted into a deep, overpowering sleep, failing to hear the voices calling his and his sister’s names.
* * *
As time passed Aron began to dream. It was a bad dream in which he felt something touching him, crawling all over him. But in his semi-comatose state he believed he was shaking it off. Far-away voices entered his nightmare. He curled into a tighter ball under the blanket of leaves for warmth and protection against the creatures of the night that were chasing him. Then he dreamt his covers were being pulled off him and he began to thrash around. “Leave me alone… ” he slurred through icy cold lips. “Jusss… leeve… me… loooo… ”
In his mind, the evil-looking trees had formed a circle round him. Their branches poked unmercifully at him as he tried to fight them off. He felt himself being grabbed and then he dreamt he was floating and relaxed into it – whatever it might be.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
“Now we go, Larna,” said Cai. “Before we alert Boggrets. Must be in silence for a while. Come.”
Larna had never heard of Boggrets – though their name sounded sinister – and was about to ask when Cai took her hand and led her down to the lake.
“Can you move in water?” he asked.
Nodding, Larna made swimming motions with her arms. “Like this?”
“Like that!” Cai turned to the nearest woman and held out his hand. He was given a box which he opened and took out a sort of mask. “Wear this and you will be well, Larna. We are going to take you deep under to a place where you will escape the Boggrets and I will take you back to the world above where your friends are. We came from up there in the beginning.” He knew Larna wanted to ask lots more questions, but there was no time. “Come, we must hurry. Put on mask, practice breathing, then follow.”
After a bit of a struggle, Larna pulled the mask over her head like a balaclava and took her first experimental breaths. It felt fine. Then another splint was put on her twisted leg, enabling her to swim in a crazy crawl-like fashion. They waded out into the water, followed by the green-bodied guards. By the time she’d been submerged for a few minutes, Larna had got the hang of it. Down and down they all swam towards an opening in the rock-face and through an inverted V-shaped entrance. The water was crystal clear and Larna could see Cai’s slim form by her side. The others were around them in formation. As they slowed, the young prince’s long hair swirled around his face and he touched Larna’s arm, indicating that she should tread water. She nodded and Cai shot upwards with half the guards, the others staying close to Larna. Eventually Cai returned and beckoned her to follow him. The others looked at each other anxiously. Then everyone moved off again, swimming in formation until they reached a solid wall of rock. Pointing downwards, Cai mimed that this was the direction they should take. Larna guessed he must have spotted danger above and had decided to go the long way round which definitely wasn’t the scenic route.
It would have been pitch black and very claustrophobic so deep down if Cai and the guards hadn’t switched on the lights attached to their belts, powerful enough to shine several feet in front of them. Beyond the beams, everything looked dark and threatening as they glided towards a fissure in the rock face. The mask magnified the fish creatures that swam threateningly towards them. Larna was momentarily afraid until the guards waved the fish on their way. Then Cai pointed and they followed him through the narrow crack. On the other side, he indicated that they were going up. Larna was very tired now, being handicapped by her injured legs. The guards on either side realised she was experiencing some difficulty and joined hands for her to sit on. A third swam behind and helped. They rose slowly, Cai in the lead until they reached just below the surface. He turned, put a finger over his lips and blew a few bubbles, indicating for them to stay quiet. As one, they switched off their lamps, plunging everything into inky blackness.
In the darkness, Larna thought of the enormity of the mission ahead of her. Finding Aron and the others, searching for Neve and Violet, giving blood to help her friends find a cure. They were formidable tasks. Her heart thumped. She raised her head and watched as Cai and some of the guards broke the surface and looked around. After a few minutes, they returned and helped Larna up and out of the water. She was carefully placed on her back at the water’s edge, feeling very uncomfortable on what appeared to be sharp-edged shingle. But she was past caring because, out of the water, her legs were beginning to feel as though they belonged to her again and they were extremely painful.
Cai bent over her, helped to take off the breathing mask and adjusted the splints. “Sorry, Larna,” he said. “We take the long way. Boggrets waiting for us at first exit.”
“Who or what are Boggrets?” she asked at last.
Cai inclined his head to one side, thought carefully and then answered. “They evil creatures who, like us, used to live in realm above where your friends are. We Undines live there too, once, in lakes and streams and pools in the forest. We feared nothing and harmed no-one, until Boggrets discovered us and persecuted us almost to death. We took refuge down here for safety. Many lifetimes passed. We adjust to our new home and live in peace. But they find us again and move down here to continue hunting us. They led by their ruthless leader, Killian, who want to kill my father and take over his kingdom, same as they did when we lived above in the light.”
“So both the worlds of the forest are threatened by evil,” commented Larna. “First Mordrog and now Edsel seek to destroy the good on the surface; Killian and his Boggrets want to do the same below ground. It’s all so sad.”
“It is indeed… ” murmured Cai, thoughtfully. Then he broke out of his reverie with a start. “We must go. Not safe here. We have good advantage over the Boggretts because they cannot swim. But they’ll be running through the tunnels to catch us. If you to get back to your friends unharmed, we must be gone before they arrive.”
Larna’s legs were still giving her trouble and she realised there was no way she could walk anywhere under her own steam, so she was very grateful to see some of the guards twisting strange fibres into a large sling to carry her. Then one of the female guards made a twittering noise, looking eagerly around and pointing to one of the many tunnels. Immediately, two of the others wrapped each end of the sling round their wrists and nodded for Larna to sit on it. It wasn’t very comfortable. She wobbled about and had to grasp their shoulders for support. They set off at a trot towards the chosen tunnel. The only light came from their belts but it was enough to see the slimy, grey uneven walls and sharp objects jutting out from either side. Some looked sharp and dangerous and would cause a lot of damage if anyone accidently scraped against them. So everyone was careful to keep in the middle.
The tunnel twisted and turned with other passages branching off at intervals. They all looked alike to Larna who was totally confused. Cai obviously knew the correct route to take and they finished by making a mad dash towards some ancient steps. “Up! Up!” he urged, waving his arms for them to hurry. “I hear Killian’s foot-soldiers behind us.” Larna was jostled about and reached the top in double-quick time. Cai raced on ahead holding a large, rusty key which he inserted into an ancient lock in a door in front of them. He tried to turn it. Nothing! The noise behind them was getting louder. The Boggrets were coming, marching in time and making a terrible noise. In a panic, Cai dropped the key which bounced down the steps. He ran after it. Everyone behind Larna was
getting frantic, preparing for a confrontation. Cai leapt back up the steps two at a time, pushed the key back into the lock and tried again. Larna could see he wasn’t strong enough, so she jumped off the sling and gently removed his hands from the key.
“Let me try,” she said, turning the key with all her might and feeling something moving inside, though not enough to unlock it. “Feels as though it hasn’t been used in years.”
“You right, Larna. This way abandoned years ago. Too dangerous. To help you escape, we forced to use it because all other ways blocked by Killian’s men.”
Larna felt humbled by the help she was getting from these total strangers. They were putting themselves in great danger to help her. Their kindness was overwhelming and she said so.
“You not be silly, Larna. Of course you worthy of our help. You saved me, only son of King Drisco. Now hurry, please. They are but a few paces away.”
Larna gave her best shot and using all her strength managed to turn the key. Rust and dirt dropped onto her feet when she pulled the key out of the lock and handed it back to Cai. The guards who’d carried her tried to push the old wooden door open and failed, so with their combined strength they shoulder-charged it. The hinges squealed in protest but didn’t snap off as the door opened, a bit at a time, until it gave completely and flapped back.
Turning to let Cai go through first, Larna saw an army of creatures march into the passage. She felt petrified with fear. The guards picked her up and almost threw her outside as Killian’s men mounted the steps brandishing red hot sword-like points at them. Murderous noises came from their throats and the stench from their bodies was both terrifying and nauseating. Their eyes blazed fanatically. They were grotesque.
Outside, Cai and Larna lay gasping for breath on the damp soil, willing all the guards to make it out safely. The last one quickly turned and banged the door shut. Then it was held firmly in place with the help of two more hefty Undine guards. Killian’s men must have reached the other side at the same moment because they were trying to push it open. Larna could see the three Undines were struggling to keep the door shut, so more of Cai’s guards pushed frantically on the wood until the key could be inserted and it was finally locked. Everyone heaved a deep sigh of relief and sank to the ground around Larna.
The danger over, Larna looked around, trying to get her bearings. It was a shock to realise they were sitting in the shadow of a huge oak tree which Cai told her was called the Major Oak. It was hollow inside. Noticing her puzzled frown, Cai chuckled, “Yes, we come up in middle of that ancient tree. It save us many times through our generations.”
“How?” Larna enquired.
“The middle died centuries ago, but tree still lives on the outside. It been a friend to us for, oh, I don’t know how long. I told people from your own world used to hide inside it many hundreds of years ago.”
Larna started laughing. “You can’t mean Robin Hood. He wasn’t real!” Then she saw the look on Cai’s face. “Was he?” The boy smiled, mischievously. “How do you know he was not? You always doubt stories handed down through time? Must be some truth in them to last so long. Anyway, it a mystery you will never solve and will always wonder truth of it.” Cai stood up. A tinge of sadness entered his voice. “It is time we left. One of your days has gone and I know your friends very worried.”
“How?”
“Now you above ground, they know where to look and will come for you.”
It suddenly occurred to Larna that Cai and his guards had no safe way of returning home. The Boggrets were waiting for them. The prince read her mind. “Do not worry about us, Larna. We Undines are resourceful and can adapt to most situations. As you have probably guessed we can change shape. Besides there is water nearby in which we will be safe until Killian gets tired and goes back to his black pit.”
“So long as you’re sure, Cai.”
“I am sure.” He opened a pouch attached to his belt and brought out a disc. “King Drisco gave me this for you, Larna. Long ago, it was precious to one who lives above the ground. My father wishes you to accept it with our gratitude and said your friends will know what it means. Also, Drisco states that you are always welcome in our world down here.”
With shaky hands, Larna took the round object and clasped it to her chest. This was a parting Larna was dreading. Even though she’d only known him for a few hours, she felt sick at the thought of leaving Cai.
“Can’t you stay a bit longer?”
He shook his head. “It is time to say… ” He looked directly into her eyes “… maybe we meet again. Who knows, if you start to believe in Robin Hood, you will believe in dreams – and me.”
Tears prickled behind Larna’s eyes, but she fought them back. Cai came close to her and held her hands. Then he leaned in until their foreheads touched. “Close your eyes, Larna, and think only of your friends. They detect where you are. Keep them shut very tight and do not open them.”
* * *
When she eventually opened her eyes again, she was alone. She saw several glistening trails and one sparkling set of foot prints that had slipped into the trees and vanished.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
The sun came up and Larna began to feel drowsy in the heat. With two duff legs, she couldn’t go wandering off into the forest, so she leaned back against the Major Oak and closed her eyes. She began to drift, dreaming of Cai with his slim body and dazzling smile. A hand shaking her shoulder woke her abruptly.
“At last, Larna!” said Tiblou. “What happened to you and Aron?”
“We went to look for Yaya and Violet. There was a ‘goodbye’ message on a tree and I fell through the earth into another world. I thought he’d fallen with me, but I couldn’t find him so I must have left him behind.”
“That’s similar to what he said.”
“You’ve found him?” whooped Larna, joy coursing through the whole of her body.
“Yes. Once we’d taken him home and medicated him, he was almost back to normal.”
“What else did he tell you?”
“That the two of you were following clues to trace Neve and Violet.”
“Yes, yes, that’s what we thought, but I don’t think she sent the messages.”
“No, she can’t have, but somebody did. Somebody who wants you two out of the way for good. And they very nearly succeeded, too!”
He sat on the ground next to Larna and ran his hands up and down her splinted legs. “Hmm. You can tell us about this when we get you back.” He picked up the tattered hem of Larna’s dressing gown. “Your clothes are almost as torn and dirty as your brother’s. They’ll all have to be burnt.”
Then Chet arrived dragging what resembled a kid’s cart. The heat seemed to be getting to him because Larna could see sweat glistening on his forehead and upper lip. “Come on, hurry up,” he called. “We’ve still got to find Neve and Violet before it’s too late. And we’re going to have to get there the old-fashioned way.”
It was a while before they managed to position Larna comfortably on the cart. Tibs pulled and Chet pushed her along the uneven paths and across clearings until they saw Tiblou’s handsome red-brick house in the distance. Annie opened the door for them and looked shocked at the state of Larna’s legs sticking out in front of her. Before she could ask any questions, Larna said, “I’ll tell you all about it later, Annie. How’s Aron?”
“Not bad, considering he was suffering from hypothermia. I expect you’ll be hungry.”
“And thirsty.” Larna was so relieved that Aron was safe and she was back with her friends that she said the first thing that entered her head. “I’ll eat anything and everything except roast Boggret. Evil, smelly little creatures. They tried to kill me. And Cai.”
The others were horrified. They sat Larna down in a comfy armchair.
“Boggrets?” gasped Tiblou, his eyes and mouth rounded. “You’ve met the Boggrets? And they let you go… ?”
Annie produced some sandwiches and a warm drink which Larna stuffed
into her mouth immediately. “Actually, they chased us but we got away,” she said, talking with her mouth full and almost choking.
“So who’s this Cai?” asked Annie curiously.
“He’s a prince,” answered Larna, her eyes becoming dreamy. “I saved his life, then he saved mine.”
Annie looked at Tibs and Chet, raising her eyebrows very slightly. They both hid their smiles. Then they inspected Larna’s legs, nodding their approval.
“Whoever straightened your legs and splinted them up did a first class job,” commented Chet. “Unfortunately, you won’t be going anywhere, so you’ll have to stay here while we go and search for Neve and Violet.”
“NO!” shouted Larna, showering food everywhere. “You’re not leaving me behind.” She knew she was being irrational, but couldn’t help it.
“Not possible, Larna,” sighed Tibs. “You’d be a liability in your condition. He paused for a moment. “But there is a way. It might be a bit painful… ”
“What is it?” she asked with renewed hope. “I don’t care so long as I can go with you.”
Tibs left them, returning after a few minutes carrying several pieces of metal. “Those splints have to come off and you must put these on. The difference being, your splints are full-leg, making it impossible for you to bend your knees, while these are lightweight and comprise of one set above the knee and one set below, held together by a moving knee joint which will enable you to walk. Do you understand?”
“Of course I do.” She was impatient to get going. “Tibs, just do it will you, please.”
Spellbound Chronicles – Blood Line Page 13