The Golden Acorn

by Catherine Cooper

  ‘…and it’s round and it’s on the wall by the front door!’ interrupted Jack when he suddenly remembered where he’d seen a tree on a green metal plate before.

  ‘‘That’s the one,’ Elan replied.

  ‘The name of the house and the surname I adopted should tell you where it used to hang,’ added Nora.

  ‘Ewell,’ said Jack. ‘The yew well!’

  Camelin flapped his wings and hopped around to show Jack how pleased he was that he’d been able to work out the answer without being told.

  ‘The embossed trees represent a special time of the year. Each plate hung on its own tree, which stood by a sacred well. Whenever there was a festival on Glasruhen Hill the keepers of the wells would bring their plates. I’d lace them together and we’d use the cauldron and the golden acorn in our rituals,’ explained Nora.

  ‘The well in this garden is the Yew Well. Gwillam looked after the Oak Well in the Sacred Grove and the one on the edge of Glasruhen Forest, where you saw Jennet, is the Hawthorn Well,’ croaked Camelin.

  ‘When it’s all laced together it looks like this,’ Elan said as she took out one of Nora’s books from the picnic basket. She opened it and showed Jack a drawing of the cauldron. Nora tapped the page with her wand three times. The drawing came to life, rose from the page and began rotating. Jack was fascinated. As the cauldron slowly turned he looked closely at the plates. He couldn’t see any of the holes now the plates were joined. The cauldron was larger than Jack had imagined.

  ‘Where did the holes go?’

  ‘If we didn’t use a little bit of magic it would leak,’ laughed Nora. She gave one of the plates a gentle tap with her wand and the holes sealed; another tap and the holes reappeared.

  ‘The cauldron is one of the four treasures of Annwn,’ began Elan.

  ‘You said I could tell Jack,’ interrupted Camelin and looked pleadingly at Nora.

  ‘Go ahead,’ she smiled, ‘and when you’ve finished we can eat.’

  ‘There were four great treasures,’ Camelin began rapidly. ‘The first was the Sword of Power, a great magical battle sword, which made its owner invincible as long as it was used for good.’

  Camelin picked up a twig and lunged at Jack.

  ‘And the second?’

  ‘That was the Spear of Justice. It didn’t harm anyone who told the truth. The third was the Stone of Destiny, which could reveal your future.’

  ‘And the fourth was the cauldron?’ said Jack.

  ‘Yes, but I’m telling this,’ Camelin grumbled, then quickly carried on when he saw Nora’s frown, before she could say anything. ‘The cauldron was the only way of transporting objects between the two worlds. It was known as the Cauldron of Life. You could open the Western Portal with it and bring back the leaves from the Crochan tree to make the elixir, or Hamadryad acorns to plant. Did I miss anything out?’

  Nora shook her head and smiled at Camelin before turning to Jack.

  ‘Each one of the treasures has the power, when used with a Druid’s golden acorn, to open a portal into Annwn. The others are no longer on Earth and their gateways have been sealed. The only entry left is through the Western Portal on Glasruhen Hill but it’s impossible to open without the cauldron.’

  The recovery of the cauldron plates suddenly became very real to Jack. While the others chatted over lunch, he ate in silence. A lot was depending on him.

  After lunch Nora got the boat out and they rowed over to Gerda’s island. Instead of flying, Camelin sat on the prow like a figurehead. They showed Jack around the island and Gerda waddled happily over to greet them. On the way back Jack and Elan got out and paddled in the shallows and splashed each other.

  ‘I think you’d better go and get some dry clothes on,’ laughed Nora when she saw Jack’s soaked jeans.

  They repacked the basket. Jack carried the rug back to the kitchen then went upstairs to change. Before he opened the bedroom door he knew something was wrong. A familiar smell hit his nostrils. As he peeped round the door he gasped. The duvet was half off the bed, the bedside cabinet had been turned over and his Book of Shadows lay open on the floor. Soil had been trailed everywhere. Jack looked in horror at the wrecked room.

  ‘Elan!’ he cried.

  ‘What’s wrong?’

  ‘Somebody’s been in my room.’

  Elan looked at the mess.

  ‘I didn’t do this!’

  ‘I know.’

  Jack began frantically searching through the mess.

  ‘The golden acorn, it’s gone!’

  INTO THE TUNNEL

  Jack continued to search his room while Elan went to find Nora and Camelin. The golden acorn was nowhere to be found.

  Nora stood in the doorway and sniffed the air.

  ‘I left it on the table,’ Jack told her. ‘I know I did.’

  ‘Spriggans!’ she gasped.

  He fought back the tears.

  ‘When was the last time you saw it?’

  ‘After breakfast. You gave it back to me after the ritual. I put it on the table, with my Book of Shadows and wand, when I came upstairs. I don’t understand how they knew where to find it?’

  ‘Spriggans can smell gold easily and once they’ve got the scent they don’t give up. Maybe they weren’t just hunting rats when they tunnelled into your greenhouse and kitchen the other night,’ said Nora thoughtfully.

  ‘Look at this!’ croaked Camelin who had his head out of the window. ‘Down there in the grass.’

  Everyone crowded around. Jack could see a hole, exactly like the one he’d seen in the kitchen.

  ‘Well that explains how they got in. They’ve obviously tunnelled under the hedge and climbed up the trellis. Look, all the ivy’s been pulled down,’ said Elan.

  Nora began pacing up and down.

  ‘It must have happened while we were on the island. The trees wouldn’t be able to get a message to us there. For them to do this in broad daylight isn’t good. They usually do this sort of thing at night, and never here, not with all the protection we’ve got. I’m not happy about this.’

  Jack sat on the edge of the bed and bit his knuckle.

  ‘I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. You gave me the acorn to look after and now it’s gone.’

  ‘Don’t worry Jack,’ said Nora kindly. ‘This isn’t your fault. I thought the acorn would be safe here. I was wrong. I never expected anyone or anything to come under the hedge.’

  ‘But you need the acorn for the ritual. Can you get it back?’

  ‘We’re going to need some extra help,’ said Elan.

  ‘We are,’ agreed Nora. ‘Elan, you go and find Motley, and Camelin can fly over to see Timmery later. We’ll have a meeting tonight to decide what to do.’

  Jack was too upset to ask Camelin who Timmery was.

  ‘Leave this to us,’ said Nora as she gently squeezed Jack’s shoulder. ‘There’s nothing else we can do at the moment.’

  Jack felt awful, and then an even more terrible thought struck him.

  ‘Where’s Orin? She was asleep on my pillow the last time I saw her.’

  ‘Orin,’ they shouted.

  Nora, Jack and Camelin rushed around the house searching for her.

  ‘She’s gone,’ sobbed Jack. ‘They’ve taken her too; it’s all my fault.’

  Nora put her arm around Jack’s shoulder.

  ‘We’ll get her back if we can,’ she told him. ‘Get yourself out of those wet clothes. We’ll meet in the kitchen in ten minutes and start making plans. This can’t wait until tonight.’

  Jack changed as quickly as he could. How was he going to tell Motley his sister was gone? Tears streamed down his cheeks. This was no time to cry. He dried his eyes. He had to be strong and help the others find Orin. He took the stairs two at a time and dashed into the kitchen. Motley was standing on the table talking to Nora. He didn’t need his wand to understand that Motley was upset.

  ‘What’s happening?’ he whispered to Camelin.

  ‘Nora’s going down
the tunnel after the Spriggans to try to rescue Orin and get the golden acorn back, Motley wants to go too but Nora said no. It’s too dangerous. He’s agreed to gather the Night Guard and circle the hole. They’ll keep watch until Nora comes back.’

  ‘I want to go too,’ said Jack in a loud wobbly voice.

  ‘You’re too big for the hole,’ said Nora.

  ‘I can squeeze down there if you can.’

  ‘Mmmm,’ said Nora thoughtfully. ‘There’s something I haven’t told you. To go down the tunnel, I’m going to have to shape shift.’

  Jack remembered the words from his Book of Shadows.

  ‘The Seanchai, Keeper of Secrets and Ancient Rituals, Guardian of the Sacred Grove, Healer, Shape Shifter and Wise Woman; that’s you isn’t it?’

  ‘It is. You’ve been using your Book well, but it’s too dangerous for me to let you go down the tunnel.’

  ‘I’m going to be flying back into the past. You don’t mind me doing that.’

  Jack was close to tears again.

  ‘I’ve got to do something to help. Camelin and I can transform, I can use my beak and claws to defend myself if I have to.’

  Camelin frowned at Jack.

  ‘I think we should stay here,’ he croaked.

  ‘And I say we should go.’

  Jack straightened his back, folded his arms and clenched his teeth.

  ‘I agree with Jack,’ said Elan as she came in from the garden.

  ‘Are you sure?’ asked Nora.

  ‘Sure,’ Jack and Elan said together.

  ‘We’d better work out a plan quickly. We don’t know how long Orin’s been gone,’ said Nora.

  ‘I think we should follow their trail through the tunnel and find out where it leads first,’ said Elan. ‘Agreed?’

  ‘Agreed,’ everyone replied.

  ‘We might have to make some quick decisions because we don’t know what we’re up against,’ added Nora before turning to Jack and Camelin. ‘And if there’s any sign of trouble I want you to promise me you’ll get back to the house as quickly as you can.’

  ‘Promise,’ said Jack and Camelin together.

  ‘Good, that’s settled. Now once we have Orin and the acorn back I’ll close the tunnel so well they’ll never get back into the garden again,’ added Nora. ‘Are we all ready.’

  Everyone nodded. As Jack touched foreheads with Camelin the kitchen lit up. His clothes fell in a heap on the floor. He struggled out then waddled over to Camelin. He watched Nora raise both arms. She turned slowly and with each rotation her body got smaller and smaller until she’d shape shifted into a large ferret with beautiful silver fur. She darted over to join Jack and Camelin. To Jack’s surprise Elan also raised her arms and turned slowly. She too started to shrink.

  ‘I didn’t know Elan could shape shift!’ Jack whispered to Camelin.

  ‘She can do exactly what Nora can,’ explained Camelin. ‘Watch.’

  Jack’s eyes grew wider as Elan got smaller and smaller until a chestnut-coloured ferret appeared. She shook her fur and looked around the kitchen. Her green eyes flashed as she darted over to join the rest at the door.

  ‘Close your beak,’ Camelin said to Jack. ‘Nora says it’s rude to stare.’

  Jack was too shocked to say anything.

  ‘Come on,’ said Nora. ‘But not a sound once we’re inside the tunnel.’

  To Jack’s surprise, the tunnel was well made. The Spriggans had compacted the earth on the walls and floor making it smooth to the touch. Nora led, Jack followed, Camelin came next and Elan last. Jack found it hard to keep up with Nora. She scurried along and he kept stumbling. He hadn’t really got used to his new feet yet.

  Once they’d left the entrance the tunnel got darker and darker. No one spoke. They’d been travelling for about ten minutes when Nora suddenly stopped. Jack almost bumped into her. There was a rustling of feathers when Camelin crashed into Jack.

  ‘Shhh,’ Nora whispered. ‘I can see a light ahead; we need to slow down.’

  By the time Jack could see the flickering light he could also hear angry high-pitched voices. They’d stopped at the end of the tunnel where it led into a circular cave. Beyond it, the tunnel carried on. Three Spriggans were crouched around a small fire. A pot of water hung from a tripod over the flames. Each Spriggan wore an old felt hat with an unlit candle perched on the brim. The nearest Spriggan had his foot on a drawstring bag. Jack thought he saw something move inside.

  ‘I says we skins her now and cooks her,’ the nearest Spriggan squeaked.

  ‘Are you mad, Grub,’ the middle one replied. ‘Chief would skins us alive if he finds out.’

  ‘Whiff’s right,’ the third Spriggan wheezed. ‘How’d you explains where the middles went? You knows he always get to eat the best meat. When’s the last time you had a nice tender female rat. We only gets the tough ones.’

  ‘Go on Grub, tell Pinch and me hows you’d explains it to him,’ said Whiff.

  ‘I just don’t sees why he has all the best meat?’ Grub grumbled.

  ‘Because he’s the Chief, that’s why,’ explained Pinch.

  ‘OK, I’d tells him she was dead when we found her and she wasn’t fit to eat so we skinned her and throws the meat away.’

  There was silence. The other two Spriggans were nodding at Grub. Jack knew they were going to have to do something soon or Orin was in danger of being eaten.

  ‘Yeh, why shoulds his lordship get all the bestist meat. It’s us what goes a hunting for him,’ agreed Whiff.

  Grub and Whiff looked at Pinch. Before he replied Nora turned and nodded.

  ‘Now,’ she whispered.

  Nora and Elan darted forward. The Spriggans jumped up.

  ‘Ferrets!’ cried Grub as he jumped behind Pinch.

  Nora grabbed the drawstring bag in her strong teeth and Elan went over to the fire. As Nora turned and fled back up the tunnel Jack and Camelin touched foreheads. There was a blinding flash. Before it disappeared they touched foreheads again. Once more the cave filled with light. The Spriggans’ high-pitched squeals echoed around the cave. Elan pulled one of the tripod’s legs with her paw and the water tipped onto the fire. The flames hissed and died as the cave went pitch black.

  ‘Over here,’ Elan shouted to Camelin and Jack.

  They raced over towards where Elan stood at the mouth of the tunnel. They ran as fast as they could away from the cave. They’d only got halfway when they heard shrill voices shouting and screeching not far behind. The Spriggans were after them! Every so often Jack saw a light flicker in the tunnel. The Spriggans were closing the distance between them.

  ‘Run faster,’ Elan shouted.

  It wasn’t easy but Jack and Camelin managed to reach the garden before the Spriggans caught up with them. The sunlight blinded them for a moment. They stood panting, waiting for Elan. Motley and the Night Guard had broken the circle around the mouth of the tunnel.

  ‘Where’s Nora,’ Camelin gasped.

  ‘She’s gone in the house,’ Motley said in a very shaky voice. ‘Are there Spriggans down there?’

  ‘Run!’ shouted Elan as she bolted out of the hole. ‘There’ll be Spriggans up here soon. Don’t let them catch you.’

  As the rats scattered Nora came out of the kitchen. She’d already transformed and held her wand high in the air. Jack expected her to seal the entrance but instead she waited. First one head appeared, and then all three Spriggans tumbled out of the tunnel.

  ‘Stop!’ cried Nora.

  The Spriggans stopped. Light burst out of Nora’s wand.

  ‘You have something which belongs to me.’

  ‘You got something what belongs to us and we wants it back,’ screeched Pinch.

  No one spoke. Nora waited patiently for the Spriggans to hand over the golden acorn. The Spriggans shielded their eyes from the light coming out of Nora’s wand. They shuffled expectantly, waiting for Nora to return the drawstring bag. All of a sudden a smell of burning reached Jack’s nostrils. The others s
melt it too and were looking from Spriggan to Spriggan to see if their candles had set fire to their hats.

  ‘No!’ shouted Nora when she saw what was burning.

  The rope that secured Grub to Whiff was on fire.

  It was too late. As the rope burnt through Whiff and Pinch shot back down the tunnel. Grub began to grow and grow, and grow. Soon he’d passed the kitchen window. He didn’t stop until he’d reached the bottom of the roof.

  ‘Giant!’ warned Elan.

  Grub started blundering around the garden. He crushed the picnic table and flattened the benches. Nora pointed her wand at the bottom of the trellis and twirled it around in an upward spiral. The fallen ivy picked itself up and started to wind its strong tendrils around Grub’s feet, legs and finally his body and arms. In seconds he looked like an old tree trunk with only a small part of his face visible. When Nora was completely satisfied that Grub was immobile she lowered her wand.

  ‘That should make sure he doesn’t trample on anyone. Now, is everyone alright?’

  Whiff and Pinch were nowhere to be seen. Motley and the Night Guard peeped out from behind the shed, then came to join everyone else by the kitchen door.

  ‘And I don’t want to hear another word from you,’ Nora cautioned Grub.

  The gigantic Spriggan frowned down at everyone.

  ‘Did you get her back?’ whispered Motley.

  ‘We did,’ replied Nora.

  Everyone cheered.

  ‘She’s in the kitchen but she’s a bit shaken. You can see her in a minute.’

  ‘What about the golden acorn?’ Jack asked.

  ‘I’d hoped it was going to be in the bag, but it wasn’t.’

  Everyone looked worried.

  ‘How did the fire start?’ asked Elan.

  ‘With this,’ croaked Camelin as he waddled towards Nora. In his beak was a small lantern dangling from the top of a long silver stick.

  There was something strange about the lantern. Instead of a light Jack thought he could see a tiny green shape inside.

  ‘What have you got there?’ Nora enquired.

  ‘Please don’t hurt me,’ said a very frightened voice from inside the lantern cage.