April continued deeper into the cave until she reached a large chamber. Oh great, so now what should I do? she puzzled, looking at the three pathways that all exited the chamber in different directions.
“Hello!” she yelled louder this time.
April spun round slowly, looking all around the chamber, searching in the darkness for any signs of life, and wondering which of the three pathways she should take… if any. She stopped abruptly, as if playing musical statues, afraid to move, afraid to breathe in case the sound of her respirations prevented her from hearing the slightest noise. She desperately called upon all her senses for any clue as to why she had just suddenly and most involuntarily frozen stiff. She was petrified and she didn’t know why. The pounding of her nervy heartbeat within her head was loud and immensely annoying. She desperately wanted to escape, but the hammering of her heart and her inability to move were hindering her normal responses and this scared her more than ever. Two yellow eyes appeared, shining from within one of the dark pathways ahead of her, then two blue eyes appeared. April’s heartbeat strengthened, the nervous pounding was now becoming unbearable. NOMEDS! she thought.
April was completely paralysed. She was normally a very feisty character and she couldn’t understand why she was so scared, frozen with fear, unable to fight, unable to flee and more worryingly, unable to protect herself. The yellow eyes seemed to fix their gaze directly with hers. The eyes grew larger as they advanced out of the darkness and moved towards her, but despite moving into the orange glow of the Fire Fairy pod that was gently lighting the cave, the eyes were still surrounded by darkness, for they did not belong to a Nomed at all, but to a large wolf, a very large and very black wolf that was now curiously circling her. The wolf was quickly joined by two others, a white wolf with dark eyes and a brown wolf with beautiful rich and warm brown eyes, the warmth of which helped to reassure April that maybe, just maybe, their presence was friendly after all. The white wolf raised his nose in the air and as he and the other wolves circled her, he sniffed the cold air curiously, inhaling deeply, drawing in her scent.
“Well, what do you think, Rian?” asked the brown wolf.
“I think that she is telling the truth, Remus. I cannot smell anything sinister here,” Rian replied.
“I don’t trust her,” the black wolf snarled, baring his huge fangs.
April was now becoming concerned that the warmth she had previously felt from the brown wolf would count for nothing if the fierce-looking black wolf decided that he was going to attack.
Then the blue eyes emerged out of the darkness, bringing an air of calmness to the whole frightening experience.
“Stand down,” said a handsome grey wolf with the most beautiful ice-blue eyes.
Remus the brown wolf, and Rian the white wolf, backed away from April and placed themselves behind the grey wolf.
“Romulus, you must do as Takoda says and back down,” Remus reiterated.
The black wolf snarled and gave April a threatening sideward glance, and then he joined the rest of the wolf pack, standing behind their Berthold, Takoda.
April, still unable to move, was now allowing herself to breathe more freely and had calmed down quite significantly. Her heart was beating at a close to normal rate since discovering that the coloured glowing eyes did not belong to Nomeds as she had first thought, and realising that she had succeeded in finding the Berthold of West Fishtail Mountains, Takoda. However, she could not help but feel a little unsettled, anxious as to why she was still completely unable to move.
“Okay April, I trust Rian’s judgement implicitly, his ability to smell danger has not let us down yet and he smells no danger here. I am therefore going to release you. Please accept my apologies for paralysing you, but you must understand our need to be cautious in these worrying times,” Takoda said, as he approached April. He placed one huge paw on each of her shoulders, then gave her a slobbery wet lick right up one side of her face. April, now able to move, screwed her face up in disgust and wiped the slimy slobber from her cheek.
“I’m sorry that I had to lick you like that but my saliva is needed to cure the paralysis, you see,” Takoda explained.
“Er, that’s okay,” April said, still rubbing at her cheek with her sleeve.
“What is it that you so urgently need to speak to me about? We rarely see any of the Halfses in these parts, especially at this altitude. What is so urgent that you would risk coming so far into the mountains to find me for?” Takoda asked.
“The Nomeds. They are growing stronger, they are attacking more ferociously and more frequently. We think that they may be breeding an army. Liberty is in great danger and we need your help.”
“We have hidden ourselves within these caves, only leaving to assist the creatures of the West Mountains when they have needed us most. I knew there was an increase in Nomed activity but I had no idea that it had become so bad,” Takoda frowned.
“We are losing some of the good creatures of Liberty every day and we also fear that some of the Nomeds may have escaped into the Human world. Zavier, my Berthold, Berthold of Maytime Meadow, has spoken with the Great Prophet and the Great Prophet asked him to gather all of Liberty’s Berthold and return to the meadow with them. The Great Prophet has foreseen an answer to our problems, an answer that it needs to share with you all. We have been travelling for days now and we have left our creatures vulnerable, so we must return quickly to protect them. We must return now. Takoda, please come with me.”
“Understood,” Takoda nodded.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you,” April said gratefully and she turned to leave the cave back through the tunnel by which she had entered.
“No, April, not that way, it will take far too long. Follow me,” Takoda said and he entered the middle pathway, quickly disappearing into the darkness.
After a relatively easy descent through the network of tunnels and caves, they emerged through a hidden entrance, not sealed, but concealed from sight by a clever maze of rocks. They weaved their way out of the rocky maze.
“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” April gasped as she looked around at her surroundings and heard the loud roar of the lower falls. “You mean to say this entrance was here all along, and we need not have climbed the mountainside to find you?”
“I’m afraid so, April, but this entrance must be kept a secret, you mustn’t tell anyone that it exists, not even your Berthold. Promise me that you will not tell a soul,” Takoda asked.
“Do you know how much time this could have saved us if we had known about it?”
“April. Promise,” Takoda growled.
“Okay, okay, I promise. Now let’s get back to the others at the cabin as soon as possible. We might just make it back there in time for breakfast,” April said, stripping off her clothes and stuffing them into her backpack, then attaching her helmet and Fire Fairy pod to one of its straps.
“Thank you,” said Takoda, turning away from April’s pale yet flawlessly beautiful naked body.
April transformed into her horse form, picked the backpack up with her teeth and led the way, galloping through the snowy pine forest. The wolf pack followed close behind her, leaping effortlessly across the deep snow of Winter Forest.
*The Human World*
Chapter 27
One more sleep
“One more sleep to go, one more sleep until the party, one more sleep until Grandad Arthur dresses up like an Oompa Loompa and drinks lots of beer, one more sleep until the partyyyy,” Grace sang loudly as she came down the stairs for breakfast, causing Harry to laugh mid-mouthful of tea. Unable to contain the fluid within his mouth, his cheeks bulged and as the tea escaped through his pursed lips, a shower of fine tea droplets sprayed out from his mouth across the breakfast table and straight into the face of his dad, who was sitting opposite him.
“Hah, sorry, Dad,” Harry said wiping his chin with his hand, trying to catch the remnants of his tea as it dribbled down from his mouth.
Evan calmly pic
ked up a tea towel from the table and patted the tea droplets off his face, then he put the tea towel down and continued reading the newspaper on his tablet as if nothing had happened. You see, such shenanigans were par for the course in the Darling household and everyone continued to eat their breakfast as per normal.
“Nice one, little sis. When did you make that song up about Cranky?” Harry asked.
“Just now, as I came down the stairs,” Grace replied, pulling up a chair at the breakfast table and placing a slice of toast onto her plate.
“Dan, please could you pass me the jam?” Grace asked.
“Agh, er…” Dan replied, shaking his head, with his mouth stuffed full of toast, as he grabbed the jam jar for himself.
“Oh, you’re such a child,” Grace said, reaching for the butter.
Dan just smiled and nodded, still clutching the jam jar, his cheeks bulging like a hamster’s.
“Grace, sweetie, Dad and I are going out for the day to get food, drink and decorations for the party. Nanny and Grandad are going to come over to look after you and I’ve invited Christian over to play for the day.”
“YES!” Grace said, holding her clenched fist below her chin and pulling it down sharply to her side as if she’d just scored a strike at ten pin bowling.
“What time are they coming?” she asked excitedly.
“Well, Nanny and Grandad are coming at nine thirty and I’ve told Sharna and Kyle, Christian’s parents, that you will knock for Christian once you’ve finished helping Elsie with DD.”
“Okay,” Grace said, hurrying to finish her toast.
“Please may I leave the table?” she asked, gulping down a mouthful.
“Hey, slow down young lady, you’ll make yourself sick,” Evan replied, peering over the top of his tablet.
Grace swallowed her last mouthful. “Sorry, Dad, please may I get down now?”
“Okay, off you go,” he nodded.
Grace pushed back her chair and hurried toward the back door.
“Erm, where are you going?” Evan asked.
“To feed the birds before I get dressed and go next door to Elsie,” Grace replied.
“Haven’t you forgotten something?” Evan asked, turning his head and looking towards the plate that she had left on the table.
“Doh! Sorry, Dad,” she smiled. She collected her plate from the table, gave her dad a great big kiss on the cheek, then carried the plate to the dishwasher.
* * *
Grace skipped down the garden in her dressing gown; compressed, icy snow that had begun to melt and had then re-frozen crackled under her wellies. She filled the hanging bird feeders with seed, dropping a plentiful amount on the ground below. Womble had followed her outside and was snuffling around in the snow, nose to the ground, his ears flopping as he attempted to hoover up dropped seed with his droopy jowls.
“No Womble, silly,” Grace tutted. “Dogs don’t eat seeds, they are for the birdies,” she said, shooing him away with her wellie-booted foot.
Small birds began to gather in the higher branches of the tree.
“Morning, birdies,” Grace beamed, captivated by the tiny birds as they hopped around from branch to branch, clearly visible in the winter nakedness of the deciduous tree. A few brave little sparrows ventured closer and began to feed.
“Hello,” Grace whispered. I wonder where your friend the little robin is? I haven’t seen him for quite a while now, she thought to herself.
Grace could have stayed and watched the birds in her garden all day, but she had things to do and Christian, her bestest friend in the whole of the world, was coming over to play for the day and so she whispered, “See you tomorrow,” to the little sparrows and left them to eat their breakfast in peace.
* * *
When Elsie opened the door to Grace, the first thing that Grace noticed was the wonderful smell of fresh baking. The warm and homely aroma of breads and cakes spiralled through the air, swirling up Grace’s nose and dancing around her senses, making her taste buds tingle and her mouth water. The second thing she noticed was that instead of her usual cheery smile, Elsie had a sombre expression on her face.
“Morning, Elsie, are you okay?” Grace asked.
“Oh yes, dear, nothing for you to worry about. I’m just a little worried about DD, that’s all. She doesn’t want to go outside, not at all, it’s most unlike her.”
“It has been rather chilly, Elsie. Maybe she just doesn’t like the cold,” Grace said reassuringly.
“Maybe,” Elsie sighed. “Anyway, my dear, I’ve a warm chocolate chip muffin in the kitchen with your name on it. Best come and eat it before you see to DD, while it’s still warm.”
“Yum! Thanks, Elsie,” Grace grinned as she pulled off her boots and hung her red coat over the stair banister. Then, following her nose, she headed to the kitchen.
“That was absolutely deeeelish! Thank you, Elsie,” Grace said, with a melted-chocolate-chip grin.
“You’re most welcome, my dear. It’s the least I can do to say thank you to you for helping me to look after DD.”
“Are you coming to our party tomorrow?” Grace asked.
“Oh no, dear, I’m a bit too old for parties now, but I do hope you all have a lovely time.”
“I’ll pop round to see you before it starts, to show you my costume if you like?” Grace said.
“I’d like that very much,” Elsie replied.
Grace went into the living room, bent down and picked up the little dwarf lop rabbit and tucked her under her arm to carry her outside and place her in her run. Grace quite often did this when she cleaned out DD’s indoor hutch because the curious little rabbit would often interfere and toss the fresh hay around with her head, creating a huge mess in Elsie’s living room. As Grace approached the back door, DD wriggled and scratched with such ferocity that Grace had no option but to put her down. “Ouch, Donna, you doughnut, what did you do that for?” Grace said, rubbing at her arm where the rabbit’s claws had scratched her.
“Oh my goodness, did she hurt you?” Elsie asked, gripping at the furniture to steady herself, as she tried to hurry across the kitchen to Grace.
“I’m fine, Elsie. It’s just a little scratch.”
“I don’t know what’s wrong with her. Something has spooked her into not wanting to go outside,” Elsie said.
“Well, I did see a fox last night, and it ran into your back garden,” Grace said, suddenly remembering the footprints in the snow, the fox and the orange lights that shone from Mr Avery’s window.
“That’s what it is then, that’s what DD is afraid of,” Elsie said, quite relieved to have found out what was upsetting her poor little house companion.
“You silly little doughnut, I wouldn’t let a hungry Mr Fox get you, would I?” Elsie said to DD, who was now trembling on the floor in the corner of the kitchen.
Grace cleaned out DD’s hutch. She gave her fresh food and water and snuggled the little rabbit into a comfy nest of fresh hay inside the bed compartment of her hutch.
“There you go, DD, all snuggled up safe and sound,” Grace said, stroking the rabbit’s velvety fur. “Is there anything else that you’d like me to do before I go, Elsie?”
“No dear, you go and enjoy the rest of your day.”
Elsie used the walls and furniture to support herself as she saw Grace to the front door. As Elsie opened the door, a small van with a picture of a hot, steaming pie on the side of it pulled up at the bottom of the path in front of her house.
“Ooh, that will be the lovely Janice with my dinners for the week. She does the best shepherd’s pie in the whole of Witern Wood, or even in the whole of the world, I’ve no doubt,” Elsie said, giving the Meals On Wheels lady a cheery wave.
“’Bye, Elsie,” Grace said and she headed down the front path.
“’Bye, dear, see you tomorrow,” Elsie called out, staying at the doorway, ready to let Janice in.
As Grace reached the end of the path, a car pulled up behind Janice’s van.
“Nanny! Grandad!” Grace squealed excitedly and as soon as they got out of their car she gave them each a big bear hug.
“Hello, darling,” they said, squeezing her back.
“Hi, Janice!” Lizzy called out.
“Morning Lizzy, morning Arthur.” Janice waved back.
“Are you coming to Mary and Evan’s fancy dress party tomorrow?” Lizzy asked.
“Oh yes, I’ll be there, I can’t wait,” Janice replied as she carried a food box down the garden path to Elsie, who was still waiting at the front door.
“Great, see you tomorrow then,” Lizzy called back, giving a final wave as Janice and Elsie closed the door and went inside.
“I’m going to knock for Christian, see you in a minute,” Grace said to her Nan and Grandad.
“Okay, darling, see you soon.”
Grace ran around the close to Number Ten. The snowman in Christian’s front garden had been given a reprieve from the thaw as the cold air had allowed him to keep hold of his one remaining button eye for a little longer. Grace pressed the doorbell and before she had even managed to move her finger off the button, the door was flung open and Christian stood there with one arm inside his coat sleeve and the other sleeve dangling down behind his back. He pulled the door towards him with one hand and clumsily flapped his other hand around behind his back, in an attempt to find the sleeve hole to slip his arm into.
“See ya, Mum,” he managed to call out just as the door slammed shut.
“Be good!” his mum’s muffled voice could be heard calling out from the kitchen.
Grace ran back towards her house round the path, cautiously dodging any icy-looking patches. Christian, on the other hand, had chosen to cut across the road, running and skidding on every icy patch that he could find.
“Look, Grace, I’m ice-surfing,” he bragged, as he slid down a long stretch of ice with his arms held out for balance.
When they reached Grace’s front door, the pair pushed their noses against the glass and knocked, chanting “Let us in, let us in.”
Hidden Magic Page 13