The Oak Lord

by Catherine Cooper

  Nora went over to the dresser and picked up an acorn that she’d brought back from the woods.

  ‘What’s inside here?’ she asked Jack.

  ‘A nut.’

  ‘And what happens to that nut when it’s planted?’

  ‘It grows into an oak tree.’

  ‘But there’s a lot that could happen to that nut. Not all acorns grow into mighty trees. The Oak Lord would know which nuts had the best chance of survival and he would protect them and help them grow. The other acorns would be given to the creatures as food. If we’d had an Oak Lord to watch over the forests, we’d never have lost Newton Gill.’

  ‘So he’s a bit like Kerne?’

  ‘He is, except Kerne has been in Elidon from the beginning of time and will always be the ruler there. For now, we don’t have an Oak Lord to call upon, not until you’re crowned. It’s going to be our responsibility to resolve this problem. I suggest you consult your Book of Shadows and learn all you can before your coronation. Now, I think I’ve talked long enough, we’ve got important work to do.’

  STEAPLE LACY WOOD

  Elan took her wand down from the dresser.

  ‘Have you got yours, Jack?’

  He held up his wand for her to see.

  ‘What about you, Camelin?’ continued Elan.

  ‘Mine! You mean I’m going to get to use my wand?’

  Elan nodded.

  ‘I did say we’d need your help. There have to be four of us in order to do what I’ve got in mind. We’re going to create a safe haven big enough for all the creatures living in Newton Gill.’

  Camelin looked pleased.

  ‘They’re not all coming here, then?’

  ‘No, not here, we’re going to need somewhere much bigger. We’re going to have to use another wood.’

  ‘A whole wood!’ exclaimed Jack.

  ‘A whole wood,’ confirmed Nora. ‘Once we’ve established an impenetrable boundary, the evacuation can take place. One of my biggest concerns is for the safety of those who’ll be bringing the creatures out of Newton Gill. I’m not sure yet how best to protect everyone.’

  Camelin didn’t wait to hear what else Nora might have to say, and flew out of the window. When he returned with his wand, he looked very annoyed.

  ‘The Flying Squad is in my loft!’

  ‘That’s good,’ said Nora, ‘they’ll be safe there.’

  ‘No, it’s not good,’ grumbled Camelin, ‘it’s my loft.’

  Elan held up her hand.

  ‘We don’t have time for this. If we work together we’ll get things done a lot quicker.’

  Camelin looked disgruntled but didn’t argue.

  Nora picked up her keys.

  ‘We’ll take the car, it will be quicker.’

  ‘Is it far?’ Jack asked, as Nora reversed the car out of the garage.

  ‘No,’ replied Elan, ‘we’re going to Steaple Lacy Wood, where the Hamadryad Hennawin was planted.’

  Jack remembered how rapidly the young Hamadryads had grown before they’d been transferred to the forests and woods. He wondered how tall Hennawin would be now.

  ‘Are we going to visit her?’

  ‘Not today, we’re going to another, even more secluded part of the forest. A place where green magic can be performed.’

  Camelin nudged Jack.

  ‘That’s a special kind of magic an Oak Lord does, only he can do it on his own without any help.’

  Camelin was obviously impressed. Jack was beginning to understand why appointing an Oak Lord would be important, especially if he had so much power. It seemed it was going to take the four of them to do what the Oak Lord could achieve by himself.

  ‘Nearly there,’ said Nora, as she turned left off the main road.

  They travelled along a quiet lane. Tall yew trees grew on either side of the road; their topmost branches formed a canopy that got lower and lower the further they went. It felt as though they were driving through a green tunnel. They hadn’t gone far before Nora slowed the car to a halt. It was hard to see anything through the thick wall of branches.

  ‘This way,’ said Elan, as she got out of the car and made her way to a gap in the trees. She stopped in front of a most unusual black metal gate. The shape of a horse and groom standing before a group of trees had been wrought into the ironwork. When Jack looked closer he could see other shapes too. There was an old woman sitting with some geese, a cat and four dogs. He expected the gate to be cold to his touch, but it was warm. He got the strangest feeling that the gate was friendly. He looked at Elan.

  ‘It’s not just a gate, is it?’

  ‘No, it’s like the hedge at Ewell House; if it doesn’t like you it won’t let you in. Come on, we need to get to the heart of the wood before the light starts to fade.’

  Nora held out her hand towards Camelin.

  ‘Give me your wand and you can fly on ahead. We’ll take Jack through the secret tunnel, that way we won’t meet anyone.’

  Camelin reluctantly gave Nora his wand and took off. It wasn’t long before he was out of sight. Jack looked around. To his left and right he could see a well trodden path. Stone steps lay ahead and led upwards through a gap in the yew trees. Nora flicked her wand towards the gap at the top of the steps. A mist began to rise from the ground. It billowed down the stone stairs and settled around their feet.

  ‘That should make us invisible to anyone who might be in the woods. Shall we go?’

  Jack and Elan followed Nora as she led the way up the stone steps. The mist swirled as their feet disturbed it. Jack found it difficult climbing up the almost invisible steps. When they reached the top, he could feel the weak afternoon sun on his face, but he couldn’t see anything through the haze.

  ‘This way,’ said Nora, as she held back a branch for Jack to duck under. ‘We’ll take the yew tunnel to the circle.’

  ‘Circle?’ said Jack. ‘Are there standing stones in the wood like the ones on Glasruhen?’

  ‘There are stones, but not like any you’ve ever seen before,’ replied Elan. ‘This is a very special place that contains four carved chairs, each one representing an element.’

  ‘You mean fire, earth, air and water?’

  ‘Precisely. We have to bring all four elements together in order to perform green magic.’

  ‘Could the Oak Lord command all four elements on his own or would he need help?’

  ‘He has very special powers to harness all the elements, but we’re going to have to work together and use our own magic to create the safe haven. I think you should represent the earth, Camelin the air, Nora fire and I’ll be water.’

  Jack’s heartbeat quickened. What they were about to do felt very special. He wondered what the stone chairs would be like but he didn’t ask any more questions. As they walked through the yew tunnel, something was bothering him but he couldn’t put his finger on what. For some unknown reason his thoughts went back to Elidon and his meeting with the river nymph, Sabrina. Their conversation came flooding back. She’d been impressed that he’d got the power of Arrana within him and she had called it green magic. Was this the same kind of force the Oak Lord possessed? In Elidon, he’d been able to make the hazel tree grow and bear fruit but he’d not knowingly called upon the four elements. A rustling from one of the trees made Jack look up. Camelin’s head appeared.

  ‘There’s no one here, it’s safe to come through.’

  Nora stopped and raised her arms. The yew tree rustled and moved to create a small gap, which closed as soon as they’d stepped through it. Jack could see a grassy area enclosed by a complete circle of yews. Directly in front of him were several narrow paths all radiating from a smaller circle at the far side of the clearing. Beyond that was another stone stairway, which disappeared into the mist.

  ‘Are the stone chairs near here?’ asked Jack.

  Nora took a step forward, turned and then spread out her arms. Jack went and stood next to her, looking first left, then right. At the end of each narrow path, almost
hidden under the trees, stood a large chair. Each had been carved from what once must have been huge blocks of stone. He went over to the first. Four large feathers formed the back, and their points joined together to form a triangular seat. The next chair was more like an armchair and from its seat rose several carved flames that curved to form the back. A similar shaped chair was to the right, only its back was formed of carved leaves. The final chair was triangular, its back composed of four carved waves. Nora was right. Jack had never seen anything like them before. He wanted to go and sit in each one but he didn’t think that was the right thing to do. Nora held out Camelin’s wand. He shuffled over to her and gripped it firmly in his beak.

  ‘Take the first chair,’ Nora told him, ‘the one with the feathers. Yours is the third one, Jack, the one with the leaves that represents earth.’

  Jack went over to the seat. He felt strange as he sat down, not only because the chair was far too big for him, but also because the stone wasn’t cold. He watched Nora cross over to the chair with the flames and Elan to the triangular seat with the waves. Camelin looked very small as he perched on the tip of the other triangular seat. When they were all in position, Nora and Elan raised their wands. Jack and Camelin did the same.

  ‘Now, Jack,’ said Nora, ‘we need you to summon your crystal and ask for its help. You know the problem; we need to make Steaple Lacy into a safe haven. If crystal magic can help, it will speed things up a bit.’

  Jack closed his eyes and held out his hand. He’d been told crystal magic would come to his aid if he were ever in need. He concentrated hard and thought about all the creatures in Newton Gill Forest. He recalled the image he’d seen of the Fairies that had been imprisoned. They were all in need of protection. He visualised his crystal and asked for its help.

  ‘Look, Jack! You’ve done it,’ cried Elan.

  Jack opened his eyes but no crystal hovered above his palm. It just wasn’t there. He looked over at Elan but she was looking towards the small grassy circle; they all were. Jack followed their gaze. He could see a small crystal sphere.

  ‘That’s not mine. What is it?’

  ‘Something very special,’ replied Elan. ‘It’s an orb of power that only you could have summoned. Once we release the green magic from within the sphere, it will give us the help we need. We must all direct our wands at the orb and think about the element our chair represents.’

  ‘How will we know if it’s working?’ asked Jack.

  ‘You will be able to see the effects. Once the sphere is full, green magic will do the rest. Are we ready?’

  ‘Ready,’ they all replied.

  Jack lifted his wand and pointed it towards the orb. He could see the others had done the same too. He had no idea what would happen. He concentrated hard and thought about all the trees in the forest, the Dryads and Hamadryads. He was surprised when the small sphere began to grow. He thought about the fields, hills and mountains, the sights and smells of Nora’s and Grandad’s gardens. With each new thought the crystal globe grew bigger. Finally, Nora and Elan began to chant.

  Fire, Earth, Water, Air,

  Send your power from each chair.

  Air, Water, Earth, Fire,

  A safe haven we require.

  Both Camelin and Jack joined in. Each time they chanted, the globe grew brighter. Small blue lights began to appear from deep within the sphere. Jack felt his wand growing hotter. Sparks burst from the tips of each wand. They crackled and fizzed as they sped towards the globe. On impact, an explosion of light burst from the crystal. Jack peered through half-closed eyes to see what was happening. The globe of power crackled. Each tiny blue light from within grew brighter. It looked like an electrical storm was brewing inside the sphere. There was a loud crack as bright blue lights exploded into the air. They left the globe and spread outwards in all directions, touching the trees as they sped through the air. From within each trunk glowed a green light. It spread quickly through the branches, flowed out of the leaves and filled the air with a green mist. Once the sparks had visited all the yews surrounding them, they darted beyond the circle and disappeared from sight.

  ‘Don’t drop your wand until the lights return to the globe,’ Elan told them, ‘keep them steady.’

  For what seemed like an age, Jack tried to keep his wand from wobbling. His arm ached and he longed to lower it. Just when he thought he couldn’t hold it steady any longer, a pale spark of light danced into the circle and fell into the globe. One by one, more and more returned. Jack wondered how they would know when the last spark was back and it was safe to lower their wands. His question was answered when the globe began to shrink. The crackling storm within subsided. When the crystal was clear again, it disappeared altogether.

  ‘That’s it,’ announced Nora, as she lowered her wand, ‘we have created a safe haven and the evacuation of Newton Gill Forest can begin.’

  Jack transferred his wand into his left hand. It immediately took on the appearance of an ordinary twig. He shook his aching arm.

  ‘What exactly happened?’

  Elan stood and patted the chair.

  ‘These are ancient stones of power, carved into chairs to represent each of the four elements.’

  Nora held a finger to her lips. Jack knew this was a sign she was about to let him into a secret, one he thought the others probably already knew. She looked at Jack, and smiled before whispering…

  When wands are wielded from these chairs, great magic travels everywhere.

  ‘Crystal magic did the rest,’ said Elan. ‘You found the right crystal to help us direct the power of your green magic from the chairs to the whole of Steaple Lacy Wood.’

  Camelin skipped over to Jack.

  ‘It’s simple. We sent the power to the globe and it sent it round to each tree in the wood. Only friends can enter now. Isn’t that right?’

  Nora nodded.

  ‘Only those who respect this wood and the creatures who dwell within it will be allowed past the first trees. All the trees and living creatures will be protected. Steaple Lacy Wood is now a safe haven for eternity. Now I think it’s time we were getting back. As soon as it’s dark we can begin the evacuation.’

  They didn’t retrace their path through the secret tunnel inside the yew trees. Instead, Nora led them through the hedge and down the stone stairs. It led them along a path by a small meadow and down a second flight of steps. Once they had reached the bottom step, the mist began to clear. It wasn’t long before they reached the black gate.

  ‘Thank you, Jack,’ said Elan, as they walked over to the car. ‘Without your help we could never have achieved that.’

  A loud cough made them both turn around. On top of the gate was a new black shape, a very familiar one.

  Elan laughed.

  ‘We couldn’t have done it without your help either.’

  Nora opened the passenger door.

  ‘Are you coming with us or are you flying back?’

  Jack smiled. He’d already anticipated Camelin’s answer.

  ‘Naw, I’ll see you later,’ he croaked. Before Nora could reply, Camelin was airborne and heading off in the direction of the shops.

  PROTECTORS

  It wasn’t late, but the light had already faded and by the time they reached Ewell House the garden was in darkness.

  ‘I wish I could come with you tonight,’ Jack told Nora and Elan as they made their way back to the kitchen.

  Nora sighed.

  ‘If it wasn’t urgent we could have waited until tomorrow night so you could have come with us, but I don’t want to leave it a moment longer than necessary to get those poor creatures to safety.’

  Jack smiled weakly.

  ‘I know. I just wish I could help in some way.’

  There was a slight crackling sound which made them all stop and listen.

  ‘What was that?’ said Elan, as she strained to locate the sound.

  Jack held out his hand.

  ‘I think it’s me! Look!’

 
The crackling grew louder when Jack raised his other hand. Sparks danced around his fingers. They were bright enough to light up the part of the garden where they stood. Jack turned his hands over and shook them. The sparks made an erratic pattern as they followed the movement of his hands.

  ‘What did I do?’

  Nora and Elan exchanged a look.

  ‘I think this is something to do with crystal magic. You just made a wish and I think it’s about to come true,’ said Elan.

  ‘I only wished I could help.’

  ‘The greatest help we need tonight is to keep everyone safe,’ said Nora.

  Jack closed his eyes. He thought about the Night Guard, the Flying Squad, Timmery and Camelin. They’d be the ones leading the evacuation from Newton Gill. He wished he could keep them safe. An ear-splitting crack made Jack jump and lose his concentration. He reluctantly opened his eyes. He’d expected the light to have faded but, instead, at his feet lay a pile of glowing crystals. He bent down and scooped some up. Each was shaped like a teardrop. Their facets sparkled but they were unlike anything Jack had ever seen before, for embedded deep inside each one were what looked like frozen crackles of light.

  ‘What are they?’ he asked.

  Nora picked one up and examined it.

  ‘I think they’re protectors. If everyone entering Newton Gill Forest tonight wears one of these around their neck, it should keep them safe. I’m not sure how they work but I am certain your crystal magic has come to our aid.’

  Jack looked carefully at the crystals.

  ‘They’re not going to be any use. They’re all the same size, they’ll be far too big for the Flying Squad and Timmery.’

  ‘I don’t think that’s a problem,’ said Elan, as she collected the rest of the crystals. ‘With a little bit of magic we can make them the right size. I’m sure reducing them won’t lessen their power. We’ll gather everyone together and sort it out before you go home.’

  Before long, the kitchen at Ewell House was filled with excited chatter. Nora, Elan and Jack transformed the large teardrop crystals to fit the rats and starlings. Soon they each wore one around their necks.