by Karen Hughes
Indie stared at the boy’s fiery hair, his long fingers, his golden skin. It was like looking in a mirror at her four year old self, without the tangled curls. She looked up at the old lady, her eyes asking the question she couldn’t put into words.
‘There is only one way to change him back.’ The old woman took a small black book from the shelf and thumbed through its yellow pages.
‘Change him back?’ whispered Indie.
‘Yes. Hmmm, now where is it?’ She sat heavily in the only other chair and leaned forward, holding the book open for Indie to see.
When the king eats the fruit of the stars, Gort will fall into darkness. The mountain men will march with angry hearts. The grey wolf will howl on the plains. Only the apiki flower will tame the fear. The sorcerer will find her, the wildcat will protect her, and the king will sit again upon the throne of Ballyndor.
She shut the book gently. ‘There’s another one a little further on. Something about the Emerald Child and the Sword of Veladin. But it’s complicated, and the page is torn so you can’t read it very well.’
‘What is this book?’ asked Indie. She reached for it and the old woman pulled away, clutching it to her heart.
‘It is a book of myth and legend. They say the Great Wicasa himself wrote it. It was a gift to my family when he came here, years ago, searching for his brother.’
‘His brother?’
‘The brother who fled to the mountains. It is said that they fought over a woman – the first apiki flower. She was Kalika. Beautiful, like your mother.’
‘The first apiki flower?’ Indie sat up straight in her chair. ‘Are you saying that the apiki flower is a person?’
The old woman smiled. ‘People have been searching the mountains for years, searching for a magical plant.’ She laughed softly. ‘Of course it is not a plant, just like the emerald is not a stone and the sorcerer is only a boy.’
‘Kai,’ whispered Indie.
The little boy in the corner cried out in his sleep and the old woman rushed to soothe him. She stroked his hair, and pulled the blanket over him.
‘In Gort, things are never what they seem,’ she said.
There was a clatter of boots outside. Indie dived behind the door. It flew open and Mugadi burst into the room. Behind him were two guards, waving their spears.
‘Where is she?’
The old woman looked him straight in the eye. ‘If you mean the princess, she’s gone.’
‘Don’t play games with me.’ He spat the words at her. ‘Where has she gone?’
‘Home, I imagine. To her family.’
‘Ha! She will not have a family for very long.’ He stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
Indie’s knees buckled as a wave of relief swamped her.
‘Quickly now,’ the old woman was pulling her to her feet, wrapping an old brown cloak around her shoulders. ‘The fog I cast on his mind will soon clear. He will be back to search the house. You must go.’
‘I can’t,’ said Indie. ‘I can’t leave Jabar.’
‘You must get your father away from here. If Mugadi finds out who he is he will kill him and Ballyndor will be lost. I will do all I can to protect Jabar until you come back.’
‘But where will we go?’ There were soldiers everywhere. As soon as she stepped out the door they would find her.
‘Your brother is not the only magical one. You are Kalika too. You have the old magic in your veins, and you have seen the power of the mountain.’
‘I’m not magic. I don’t know any spells.’
‘There are other ways to find your magic. Now hurry. Follow me.’
The old woman took a small leather bag from the folds of her skirt and scattered its contents on the floor – a polished bone, a piece of wood, a candle and a feather. She laid them in a circle, chanting softly:
Hasama kokomi
Ki ki yama, ki ki yo
Hasama kokomi
Mottaka, mottaka.
It’s Chief Wicasa’s flying spell, thought Indie. She stared at the book in the old woman’s hand. What else had the great Chief written there? And what had this particular family done for him that he should leave them such a gift?
‘You must concentrate on the spell,’ the old woman said. ‘I am not Kalika. The magic is not strong in me, but it is slowly waking up. You must take the feather and say the words. You must help yourself, Princess.’
Indie took the feather, feeling the smooth tip between her fingers. She closed her eyes. She could see the great canyon of Undaba spread out before her, feel the wind beneath her golden wings.
She whispered the words.
The door smashed to the ground. Soldiers poured into the room. The old woman picked up the boy and threw him into Indie’s arms.
There was a high-pitched screech. The air filled with the beating of giant wings. Indie wrapped her arms around the little boy as the world fell away, and the great claws of an eagle picked them up and carried them from the tiny hut – over the heads of the astonished men and up, up into the clear night sky.
chapter 20
Long Live the King!
Dargan did not see the eagle, but Kai did. He was lying at the base of the Moon Tree, the tree that had brought him to the mountains. Nima sat beside him, gazing up at the sky.
The great eagle circled overhead. It plummeted to the ground at an alarming speed. For a moment, Indie seemed to hang in the air with the little boy in her arms, then she tumbled to the ground, landing on her knees with the boy on top of her, and they began talking, both at once.
‘We have to go back,’ Indie said. ‘They have Jabar. They’re going to kill him.’
The boy danced around her. ‘We flew! Did you see us? There was a big golden bird and it had wings this wide.’ He stretched his small arms as wide as they could go and ran, soaring and swooping, around the tree.
Dargan’s face was pale. He stared at the boy. ‘King Eamon,’ he said.
Kai had never seen Dargan afraid. The big man grasped his knife and stumbled backwards, his eyes never leaving the boy.
‘This is an evil magic’ he said, his voice trembling. ‘Ballyndor is lost without its king.’
The little boy stopped running. He marched over to Dargan and looked up at him, his hands planted on his hips. ‘Ballyndor still has a king,’ he said.
‘Yes it does,’ said Nima. She had climbed to her feet and was standing behind the boy, her eyes fierce.
Kai stared at her. A green glow seemed to come from her clothes, her skin, her hair. The colour grew stronger; it filled the air around her. He wasn’t sure if it was coming from her or the tree she stood beneath.
She held out her hand to Kai. ‘We need a spell,’ she said. ‘To bring your father back.’
‘I don’t know how,’ said Kai. He couldn’t think of any spells. His mind was reeling.
Indie grabbed his arm. ‘Remember when we found Mum, after Aunt Sofia locked her away? Remember how you set her free?’
‘I made that up,’ said Kai. ‘It wasn’t a proper spell.’
‘But it worked,’ cried Indie.
The green glow reached out with electric fingers and touched Kai on the forehead. He saw a thousand stars spinning in his head.
Indie’s voice grew faint. The voices of the forest took its place.
Trust the apiki flower. She is your link with the mountain.
Kai heard the shriek of the red owl as she settled on his shoulder; he saw Usha, the gentle white leopard, settle quietly beside Nima. He looked at Indie and saw the shape of an eagle – the sunbird, master of the skies – hovering about her head.
‘Go on,’ said Nima. ‘Say the spell.’
Kai chanted the words.
Spirits from the web of time,
Nature’s magic, light sublime,
Surround me now and hear my plea,
Release the one who calls to me.
The green light grew stronger. It burst from Nima’s fingertips, passing from he
r to the little boy.
But he was not a little boy for long.
With a cry, he stretched his hand out in front of his face, watching it grow and change. His legs grew long and thin, and then filled out with muscle and sinew. Thick, peppery hair covered his smooth skin. A beard sprang from his chin.
His clothes stretched and changed. Tattered shorts and shirt sprouted into a fine tunic of white silk, with black pants and a wide belt. A silver buckle blossomed on the leather. Black boots grew, tall and sturdy, over his dirty feet.
Only his eyes remained the same. Through it all, they stayed clear and green and certain. So different from the shattered man Indie had found imprisoned in the tower, from the anxious man who had ridden out to meet the Dasa. These were the eyes of a king who believed he could do anything.
Kai looked at his father. For an instant he saw a mighty bear behind him, heard the echo of a growl in the air. It might have been a trick of the moonlight, but he didn’t think so.
‘The animals come when you need them,’ whispered Nima. ‘Especially for children.’
The king walked slowly to his son and wrapped his arm around his shoulders. Scooping Indie and Nima into his other arm, he hugged all three together.
Only Dargan stood apart, gaping, while the soldiers of Ballyndor kneeled before their king, their foreheads to the ground.
They sat under the tree, watching the sunrise, their cloaks wrapped tightly around them. The wind from the mountain blew icy and sharp.
‘Mugadi still has Jabar,’ said Indie. ‘He will kill him if I don’t go back.’
‘We’ll rescue him as soon as we can,’ said the king.
‘You don’t understand.’ Indie’s voice was frantic. ‘Mugadi said he’d kill him if I tried to escape. Jabar was already hurt. Really badly hurt. He wouldn’t open his eyes and there was blood all over his face.’
Dargan frowned. ‘He is Dasa –’
‘He can’t die.’ Tears filled her eyes. ‘It will be my fault.’
Kai stood and paced the frozen ground. ‘Jabar tricked us,’ he said. ‘He handed us over to Mugadi.’
‘He did not! He didn’t know Mugadi was in the tower.’
‘He didn’t tell us Mugadi was his father. How can we trust him?’
‘He helped us escape,’ cried Indie. ‘He led us to the shaman’s cave.’
‘He led Mugadi there as well.’
‘Only after Mugadi hurt him!’
‘Then he’s a coward as well as a liar,’ muttered Kai.
‘Enough,’ said the king, sternly. ‘Whoever this boy is, he doesn’t deserve to die. We will go to the village and find him.’
Kai hung his head. ‘I’m sorry,’ he said. ‘I’m tired. I don’t know why I said those things.’
‘It’s the mountain,’ muttered Dargan. ‘The magic gets inside you; it does strange things to you. Look what it did to Sofia.’
‘No,’ said Kai. ‘The magic doesn’t tell you what to think. You can’t blame it for how you feel or what you say. No, it was me – and I’m sorry.’
King Eamon called his men together. ‘The sun is rising. They will leave the village soon. Mugadi believes I am dead, so he will not be in a hurry. Dargan, what do you know about sneaking up on an army?’
Dargan smiled and patted the knife at his belt. ‘I’m sure I’ll think of something.’
‘Good,’ said the king. ‘We will rattle them, make them think twice about their quest.’
‘And rescue Jabar,’ said Indie.
‘And rescue Jabar,’ said the king. But his voice was grave, and he didn’t add what everyone was thinking. If he is still alive.
The king gave orders in a low voice, sketching his plan of attack with a pointed stick in the dirt.
‘Kai, you find Jabar and get him out of there. Dargan, you take half the men and find Mugadi. I’ll take the other half and find the emperor. If we can capture those two, we’ve captured the whole army.’
‘What about us?’ asked Indie. She stood with Nima, waiting.
‘You are a princess and Nima is a child,’ said the king. ‘You will stay here.’
Indie gave him a ferocious look. ‘You always do this, and you’re always wrong! We have to come with you. I can lead Kai to Jabar, I know where he is.’
The king frowned. ‘Will you stay here if I tell you to?’
‘No,’ said Indie.
The king looked at her, an expression in his eyes she couldn’t remember seeing before. ‘You’re right,’ he said slowly. ‘Go with your brother. Find the boy. Then get back here – the three of you – as quickly as you can. Nima, you wait here.’
‘Yes sir,’ said Nima, bowing her head.
The king almost fell over. He looked at Nima and his face broke into a smile. ‘Good,’ he said.
A cry came from the rocks above. Dargan came running down the mountain, slipping and sliding on the loose stones.
‘They’re already marching,’ he said.
‘Could you see Jabar?’ asked Indie.
‘No. They’re too far away.’
‘We have to get down there.’ She turned to run. ‘We have to find him.’
‘Wait,’ said Dargan. ‘It is all open ground between here and the village. They will see us.’
‘And there aren’t enough of us to attack an army on the open plain,’ said the king.
‘Can’t you do something?’ Indie turned to Kai, tears in her eyes. ‘Call on the fire, the wind, the earth – like you did in the forest when Aunt Sofia's army were attacking the Kalika. Make them stop like you did then.’
‘I can’t,’ said Kai quietly.
‘But the spells will work down here,’ cried Indie. ‘We’re not on the mountain any more.’
‘The magic is different here. The mountain throws its shadow over everything. I could use those spells, but I don’t know what would happen. I don’t think I could control it.’
‘You said that before. You’re just afraid.’
‘No, not this time. You have to respect this magic, Indie. You can’t go blasting people with it. I think that’s what happened to Aunt Sofia.’
‘Do no harm,’ whispered Indie.
‘Yes,’ said Kai.
‘But they’re going to harm us!’
‘It doesn’t matter. It’s a law, I think. You can’t break it.’
‘You broke it in the forest. You pelted them with wind and fire. You washed them away down the river.’
Kai grinned. He remembered the men clinging to trees as the muddy waters swirled beneath them.
‘I did do that,’ he admitted. ‘But I didn’t hurt them, not really. The magic here is too strong. I think if I called on it like that I’d probably kill them – and us as well.’
‘If Jabar is still alive, he will have to wait,’ said the king. ‘We must get to Ballyndor. The walls of the city have never been breached – I don’t want it to happen now.’
‘Then we have to go now, we have to beat them to the forest,’ said Indie.
‘It is an open plain,’ said Dargan. ‘Miles and miles of grass. There are no trees, no rocks, not even a hill to hide behind.’
‘Mugadi will reach the trees by nightfall,’ said the king. ‘They will make their camp at the edge. They have horses and wagons and an elephant. They will have to circle around in the daylight.’
‘But what if they go into the forest?’ asked Indie. Smoke was rising from the village of Linden; screams and cries echoed up the mountain. ‘What if they find the Kalika village?’
‘Your Aunty Mai saw this in the smoke,’ said Dargan. ‘She said she would take the people to the hiding place, to the huts beyond the Jindi Bridge. She said she would send word to Ballyndor.’
‘Our army is strong,’ said Kai. ‘The soldiers can protect the city, and the walls will keep Mugadi out.’
‘For a while perhaps,’ said the king. ‘But we will be under siege and that is a terrible position to be in. Mugadi has the advantage: he will have provisions flowing in fr
om Moto. Our people will starve to death within the city walls.’
‘If they choose to defend at all,’ said Dargan, his face grim. ‘Queen Tala won’t fight without you.’
The cries of the village faded to silence. The king bowed his head.
Indie looked at Kai. “You can’t use your magic here,’ she said slowly. ‘But why couldn’t you use it in the forest?’
Kai stared at her. He took a deep breath and turned to his father. ‘I know I made a promise,’ he said. ‘I told Mum I wouldn’t use my magic any more. But she doesn’t understand. When I’m in the forest it’s easy. I can stop that army the same way I stopped Aunt Sofia's soldiers last time.’
The king nodded. ‘We’ll have to wait until it gets dark. We should reach the forest by sunrise. I hope it will not be too late.’
Nima was standing quietly beside Kai. She tugged at his cloak, and whispered something in his ear. Indie heard the word ‘Sisika’, but she didn’t know what it meant.
chapter 21
The Soldiers of Ballyndor
The soldier on the rocks above the Moon Tree peered out at the open plain, adjusting his eyes to the glare of the midday sun. He could see the last of Moto’s army marching into the distance.
He had watched the Dasa Warriors pass first – tall wiry mountain men with long sharp spears. The foot soldiers of Moto followed, in columns 3000 strong; and then the archers with their longbows on their backs. 10,000 horsemen brought up the flank. The emperor and his elephant came last, with a retinue of supply wagons and servants and slaves stumbling along in chains.
He leaned forward. There was someone following at a distance, running to catch up. A servant, perhaps? Someone they had left behind in Linden? He settled back against the rocks. The king would not wish to be disturbed for such a trivial thing. He would tell Dargan when he came for the second watch.
*
No one stopped her. She was sure they would, but the slaves at the end of the column barely looked at her when she joined their ranks. They trudged on with lowered heads and beaten faces.