The Oak Lord

by Catherine Cooper

  ‘Is there a problem?’ he asked.

  Crosspatch shook himself and hopped towards Jack. The other starlings shook their feathers too but didn’t utter a sound.

  ‘We’re waiting for orders. We were told we were needed in the kitchen, but when we got here there wasn’t anyone around. We didn’t know what to do.’

  Jack presumed Camelin had sent them to the kitchen so he could have his loft back. He looked at the clock and realised they’d all overslept.

  ‘There’s nothing any of us can do until we get some news.’

  The raven flap opened a fraction and all the starlings froze again. When Camelin hopped through, they all started squawking at him. Jack clapped his hands and the awful sound stopped.

  ‘We’ve all got to work together, so no more bickering.’

  Camelin hopped onto the back of a chair and positioned himself above the starlings before turning towards Jack.

  ‘Should you be giving orders in your pyjamas? You could have put your clothes on, you know. In fact, you ought to go and get dressed before Nora and Elan come down.’

  Jack raced upstairs and got ready in double-quick time. He made it back to the kitchen in time to see the new raven flap opening. Camelin didn’t look pleased as the Night Guard bounded into the kitchen.

  ‘That’s mine, it was for me to use,’ he grumbled.

  ‘Well it’s also a rat flap now,’ said Nora as she came into the kitchen.

  Everyone looked at the flap as it opened a tiny fraction.

  ‘Ooh! A bat flap,’ said Timmery as he flew into the kitchen.

  Camelin wailed.

  ‘Can’t a raven have anything of his own without having to share?’

  Nora didn’t reply. Jack made room for the rats to sit on the table. He placed upturned beakers in a semicircle close to Nora. Elan and Jack sat on opposite sides of the table. They all waited expectantly.

  Motley stood.

  ‘We’ve sent word to every creature we could find that lives either near or in the banks of the river from beyond Glasruhen to the rapids. What we could really do with, if you don’t mind me saying, is a Bogie or Dorysk. Information gathering’s what they do best, don’t you know.’

  There was a general murmuring around the table again, but Camelin’s grumble was heard above the rest.

  ‘We’ve got no use for a double-crossing Bogie.’

  Nora frowned at him but he continued.

  ‘He’s a dustbin thief too. All this talk about rescuing him because he’s been Bogienapped, he’s not in any danger, he’s working for Velindur and has been all along.’

  ‘You don’t know that for sure,’ said Elan.

  Camelin humphed loudly. Jack knew he wouldn’t be dissuaded from his opinion, no matter what anyone said. He humphed again when Timmery started flittering around the table.

  ‘I visited every bat in Glasruhen and explained our problem; they were so excited to be asked to help search for Sabrina. Word will go back with them to every roost this morning and will spread quickly throughout the whole area.’

  Nora nodded.

  ‘Today, Elan and I must enlist the help of the water nymphs and Dryads. The Flying Squad can start searching for Sabrina from the air. Begin at Beconbury and follow the river downstream.’

  Nora waited until the starlings had all nodded to show they understood. She then looked at Jack and Camelin.

  ‘You two can start just below the rapids at Brion Ridge and work your way upstream. If there’s no sign of Sabrina, come back to Ewell House when you meet up. If any of you sight her, send one member of the team to find the other group to let them know. You might have a better chance of catching sight of her in daylight. If she is there in the form of a fish, you’ll be able to see her from above. Now, have you all got your protectors on?’

  The Flying Squad all nodded their heads vigorously.

  ‘I don’t think you’ll have any trouble but it’s best to be careful.’

  ‘Are there any questions?’ asked Elan. ‘No? Then take care, everyone.’

  ‘We will,’ Jack assured her. ‘Are you ready?’ he asked Camelin.

  ‘I suppose.’

  There was a blinding flash, which lit up the whole kitchen. Jack shook his feathers. It felt good to be a raven again.

  ‘Ready?’ he asked the Flying Squad.

  The room filled with a deafening chirruping as all fifteen starlings confirmed they were ready to go.

  Jack turned before leaving.

  ‘We’ll see you all later, hopefully with some news.’

  THE SEARCH

  Crosspatch turned towards the kitchen door.

  ‘To the starling flap,’ he squawked.

  All fifteen starlings pushed and shoved their way to the door. Jack saw Beaky and Tweek prodding the other members of their squad with their beaks in their hurry to hop through the flap and leave the kitchen first. By the time Jack and Camelin emerged into the garden, the Flying Squad were nowhere to be seen.

  ‘Ready?’ croaked Camelin.

  ‘Ready,’ said Jack.

  As soon as they were airborne they flew at top speed towards Glasruhen. A cold blast of air hit them as they crested the summit and momentarily slowed their progress. Camelin signalled for them to drop down to the lower slopes. The forest provided some shelter from the wind, but its force swept leaves from the trees and sent them swirling into the air. Jack had never flown through a leaf storm before. Camelin veered to the left and dropped even lower; Jack did the same. They were soon flying over open countryside. Jack could see small clusters of farm buildings surrounded by a patchwork of brown fields as they headed towards Brion Ridge. Jack felt as much at home in the air now as he did on the ground but Camelin was still the better flyer. Jack realised he’d been paying too much attention to the landscape and was now lagging behind. He pulled down hard on his wings until he managed to catch up. When he eventually drew level with Camelin, he called across.

  ‘What’s the hurry?’

  ‘Some of us haven’t had any breakfast yet.’

  ‘None of us have had any breakfast yet.’

  ‘The sooner we reach the river and find Sabrina, the sooner we’ll get fed.’

  ‘It won’t hurt you to have to wait. Besides, you’ll enjoy it all the more when we get back.’

  Camelin circled around Jack and pointed his beak downwards.

  ‘Over there, look! Not got far to go now.’

  Jack could see the riverbank ahead. He remembered the last time he’d made a visit to the Gelston River and how frightened he’d been when they’d been spinning out of control in the coracle, without a paddle, and taking in water. Thankfully Judd had been there and rescued them. If they could find the island where they’d met Sabrina before, they might just be in luck and find her there again. Jack could hear the rushing of the rapids below. Instead of flying upriver, Camelin veered left.

  ‘We’ll start here,’ said Camelin, ‘it’s an easy landmark to find again.’

  They flew lower and circled before heading off upstream. Jack’s head moved from side to side as he checked the river below for any sign of the river nymph. He was surprised when an island loomed ahead of them. Their journey downstream in the coracle had seemed much longer.

  ‘Is this Sabrina’s island?’ he called to Camelin.

  ‘Looks like it. Let’s fly over the pool where we saw her last.’

  As they circled lower, Jack recognised the place where they’d landed the coracle. They flew outwards from the small pool below, in ever-increasing circles, until they reached either side of the river. Nothing below them moved and there were no large, dark shapes. The river ahead looked wide. Jack realised they’d got a vast area to search.

  ‘There has to be an easier way to find Sabrina,’ he called, but Camelin didn’t answer.

  Jack scanned the river. He looked up and back to the island, but Camelin was nowhere to be seen. There was a movement in one of the few trees that still had its leaves. Jack flew over cautiously.
He looked down and saw Camelin on a branch. He landed beside him.

  ‘I didn’t know where you’d gone.’

  ‘Shhh!’ said Camelin as he pointed his beak down to the grassy bank below.

  Below them were two men. They had an open basket and were eating what had to be their breakfast. They were obviously fishermen, as each wore waterproofs and waders. Two paddles lay on the grass and propped up at the bottom of a nearby tree were two coracles.

  ‘They are fishermen, aren’t they? Only I can’t see any rods.’

  ‘That’s because they’re coraclers. They don’t have rods. They have a net that goes between the two boats. They paddle about a bit, drop the net and spread it out. When they feel something swim into it, they make their way towards each other, hauling it in as they go.’

  ‘But the river’s running fast. We nearly got swept away in one of those. Isn’t it dangerous?’

  ‘Not for them. Coracles were built for fast rivers. They wouldn’t be here if they weren’t experts. I just wish they’d hurry up and get back on the river.’

  The men below stood and moved over to the tree. Jack watched as they each picked up a paddle and then, without any effort, shouldered a coracle. They launched their boats with ease and made their way quickly to the centre of the river above the island. They dropped a net in the water and paddled away from each other.

  Jack turned to speak to Camelin, but he’d already dropped down onto the grass; his beak was already inside the basket.

  Jack swooped down next to him.

  ‘You can’t do that, it would be stealing.’

  ‘Don’t you know? There’s a rule in the forest, anything edible that’s been left lying around belongs to the one who finds it.’

  ‘They’re not lying around and you know who they belong to… besides, that one’s had a bite out of it and the other one’s underneath a handkerchief.’

  ‘You can have the one under the hankie, I don’t mind having the one that’s been nibbled.’

  ‘That’s terrible. Nora wouldn’t be pleased and that handkerchief might not be clean.’

  ‘Does that mean you don’t want one at all?’

  ‘It does, and neither do you.’

  Camelin gave Jack a very disgruntled look but before he could complain, a loud splash from the river, followed by shouting, made them both look over to the fishermen.

  ‘This is it!’ cried one of the men as he paddled furiously to keep his coracle steady in the water.

  ‘To me, to me,’ the other yelled, ‘it’s a monster of a fish, never seen the likes of one this big before.’

  Jack and Camelin exchanged a look.

  ‘You don’t think they’ve netted Sabrina, do you?’ asked Jack.

  Camelin didn’t answer, but he was soon airborne and flying high above the action that was taking place in the river below. Jack followed.

  ‘They’ve got her,’ said Camelin. ‘Look, it has to be her, nothing else could be that big.’

  Jack saw the two men struggling to keep their small crafts stable as the net between the coracles twisted and turned. He had to do something… but what? As he concentrated all his thoughts, the right word of power leapt into his mind. He focused on the scene below and bellowed his command.

  ‘Solvo!’

  Everything happened at once. The net disappeared. The fisherman looked startled as they stared down at their empty hands. A huge fish leapt out of the water and slapped its broad flat tail on the surface. A wave rose, drenching the fisherman and filling their coracles with water. Jack watched as the huge fish circled the two small boats before swimming off downstream towards the island.

  ‘We’ve got to follow her,’ Jack called, without taking his eyes off the ripples that the fish was leaving in its wake.

  ‘I’m right behind you.’

  They flew after the dark shape. Once it was clear of danger it slowed and wove its way to the far side of the island. The pool in the centre rippled.

  ‘It has to be Sabrina,’ Jack called to Camelin. ‘You’re faster than me, fly upstream and find the starlings. Tell them to take a message back to Elan and Nora at Ewell House. I’ll go down and watch the pool.’

  Camelin nodded, circled and then headed off up the river towards Beconbury. Jack wondered if Camelin would ever admit they’d found Sabrina because of two abandoned sandwiches… he thought not.

  Jack landed by the edge of the pool. When he’d visited Sabrina before, both he and Camelin had been boys. Would she know him now he was a raven? The only way to find out would be to call her. He didn’t know if he should wait, but if Sabrina didn’t know he was there he might lose her. He knelt by the pool and put his beak into the water.

  ‘Saaabbbrrinnnaa,’ he called.

  The shock of bubbles filling his beak made Jack shake his head. He hadn’t exactly managed to speak the water nymph’s name; he’d sort of burbled it out and certainly hadn’t addressed her properly. He didn’t know whether to try again or wait for Nora and Elan. He didn’t doubt that Sabrina would answer their call. He decided to wait, but as he looked up to find a suitable branch to perch on, a splash from the far side of the pool sent a ripple towards him. He felt a tingle run through his feathers. She must have heard him. When the ripple reached the bank, a large fish with shiny scales leapt into the air, its tail almost catching his beak. He hopped back away from the pool and collected his thoughts. What should he say? He’d never spoken to a fish before.

  Jack watched as the water became still. He tried to locate any sign of movement. Should he call her again? He didn’t want her to leave the pool before Elan and Nora arrived. He was just about to go back to the water’s edge when the great fish rose again, but rather than lashing its tail at him, it began to transform in mid-air. Sabrina’s pale face and luminous skin appeared. Her long silvery hair cascaded over her shoulders but instead of legs, she had a scaly fish tail. She looked like a beautiful mermaid. Jack bowed his head and addressed her correctly.

  ‘Sabrina, Wise One, Lady of the River.’

  ‘And who is this who stands before me and calls my name?’

  ‘Jack Brenin, Friend to All, Raven-Boy…’

  ‘Ah! A Raven-Boy! That explains why I didn’t recognise you.’

  Jack knew she believed him because the tone of her voice had softened. He bowed his head slowly as he tried to work out what to say next.

  ‘Many have been searching for you to ask for your help. Some of the Fair Folk from Glasruhen are being held against their will in Elidon. We need to speak with Kerne but none of us are able to enter the Land of Shadows without permission. If we could, we would already have tried to rescue them.’

  ‘I am a nymph of the water and Kerne lives deep within the forest. How could I be of help to you?’

  Jack fell silent. He looked past Sabrina at the river. His encounter with Velindur, the sinking coracle and their rescue, all came flooding back to him.

  ‘Judd!’ he almost shouted. ‘Judd visits the river every day, doesn’t he? If you could speak with him and explain our problem, I’m sure he’d take a message to Kerne. He promised his help if we should ever need it. We need it now.’

  Sabrina didn’t answer and Jack realised that in his haste to speak with her he hadn’t brought a gift. He hung his head.

  ‘I’m sorry, I have nothing to offer you in exchange for your help.’

  Sabrina laughed.

  ‘I was thinking. I was trying to work out where Judd would be at this time of day. Of course I will help you and there is no need for a gift. When you thought I was caught in the fishermen’s net you came to my aid. You had no way of knowing I wasn’t in danger. It amuses me to shape-shift from the huge fish they think they’ve caught, into the river. I wriggle about enough for them to start drawing in their catch and when the net closes I transform and just flow through it. I’ve been doing it for centuries. Many have tried to catch the great fish of the Gelston River, but none will ever succeed.’

  Their conversation was interr
upted by Camelin’s arrival. Much to Jack’s amazement, he bowed low to Sabrina as soon as he landed.

  ‘Sabrina, Wise One, Lady of the River, you are a welcome sight. Camelin at your service.’

  ‘Another Raven-Boy! You too are welcome.’

  ‘I’ve sent word to Nora and Elan to say we’d seen you, but I had no idea Jack had already spoken with you.’

  ‘He has explained the problem and I have agreed to help. You both came to my aid, now I will come to yours.’

  Camelin looked at Jack.

  ‘You mean I’m going to get my dustbin back?’

  Sabrina looked puzzled. Camelin frowned at Jack.

  ‘You didn’t tell her about my dustbin, did you? I bet you didn’t tell her about that good-for-nothing, sneaky, double-crossing Bogie either. You know… the one who stole it.’

  Jack shook his head.

  ‘The dustbin is the least of our worries. It’s a good thing Nora isn’t here.’

  There was a downdraught from behind which made Jack turn. He just caught sight of two falcons before they began to transform.

  ‘Is there something I need to know?’ asked Nora. ‘I thought I heard my name.’

  Camelin lowered his head. Jack was about to explain when Sabrina spoke.

  ‘The Raven-Boys came to my aid. I have pledged them mine in return for their kindness.’

  Nora gave Camelin a searching look but soon turned her attention back to Sabrina.

  ‘We have a gift for you, a silver and pearl adornment for your hair, if you would do us the honour of accepting it.’

  Sabrina tilted her head to one side. Jack could see she liked the decorated hair comb Nora was holding, but instead of extending her hand she shook her head.

  ‘There is no need for a gift, I have already offered my help.’

  Elan stepped forward, took the comb from Nora and held it out for Sabrina.

  ‘We would like you to have this. We chose it with care just for you. We thought you would like the freshwater pearls.’