They had left the forest behind when Azuria angled her broom so that she was flying next to Millie. “That’s Soggy Molvinia,” she said, pointing at the ground. “Most of the kingdom looks just like that.”
Millie maintained the steady beat of her wings as she glanced down. Marshland stretched out in front of them for as far as she could see, making a crazy quilt of water and soggy patches of land. The bright colors of marsh flowers accented the mix of blues, browns, and greens like dabs of paint on an artist’s palette.
Once again Raindrop flew down to listen to a shrinking puddle. She stayed on the ground for only a minute before darting back up to talk to Millie. “This is as far as I can go,” she said. “The witch landed her broom on that hummock just as the rain stopped. She may have stayed here, or she may have gone on. Either way, I can’t tell you what happened next. Falling rain notices everything, but puddles aren’t very observant.”
“Thank you so much,” said Millie. “You’ve been such a big help.”
“Just remember that,” said Raindrop, “in case I need a favor someday.” Bringing her hand to her lips, the fairy blew a kiss at Millie before darting back the way they had come.
“Now what?” asked Audun as the three witches gathered around them. “We can fly down there and look around, but that’s an awful lot of ground to cover.”
“I don’t think we have much choice,” Millie replied.
“I’m going to start by that hummock,” said Azuria.
“We should all start there and work our way out,” Audun said. “Millie and I will look from the air while you three ladies search the ground. If there’s anything to find, we should be able to spot it with five of us looking.”
“Oh dear,” said Oculura. “I should have worn my blue eyes. These are fairly nearsighted, I’m afraid. I don’t know how much help I’m going to be.”
“And my back is hurting me,” Dyspepsia whined. “I just can’t ride a broom for long distances like I used to.”
Azuria sighed. “Do what you can, girls. A child’s life is at stake here.”
“Yes, of course … ,” said Oculura.
“I didn’t mean … ,” Dyspepsia protested even as Millie began to spiral closer to the ground.
While the three witches descended to the hummock, Millie and Audun began to search from the air. They didn’t see much at first, but after a time Millie noticed a brown hummock much like the one where they’d left the witches. There was something odd about it, however, so she called to Audun and pointed at the little hill. “What does that look like to you?” she asked when Audun flew close enough to hear her.
“I don’t know,” Audun replied, squinting. “It almost looks like fabric, doesn’t it? Let’s get a better look.”
The lower they went, the more puzzled Millie grew. It wasn’t until the two dragons were about to touch the ground that she saw the brown mound for what it really was—a hunched figure wearing a cloak with the hood pulled up.
“It’s the witch!” she breathed, but Audun had seen it as well, and he looked as if he was about to attack it. “No,” said Millie. “You might hurt Felix.”
Audun paused, his tail raised for a blow. He set it down reluctantly and, prepared to pounce, approached the seated figure.
“What took you so long?” asked the figure as he pushed back his hood. “I’ve been expecting you for hours.”
Millie hissed as her breath escaped in a rush. It wasn’t a witch at all. It was Olebald, the nasty old wizard. “Where’s my brother? Do you have him with you?”
The old wizard shook his head and sneered. “I’ve put him where you’ll never find him.”
With a roar, Audun launched himself at Olebald and knocked him flat on his back. “What have you done with the baby?” the dragon growled.
When Olebald laughed, Audun pressed his talons against the old man’s chest. Sweat broke out on the wizard’s forehead and he gasped. “If you hurt me, that boy will spend the rest of his life in this marsh!”
“Where is he?” demanded Millie.
“Make Scaly Face get off me and I’ll tell you.”
The witches had noticed the commotion and flown closer to watch. Millie glanced up at them and saw Dyspepsia’s mouth open in surprise. “Olebald, what are you doing here?” cried the old witch. “We were engaged to be married once,” she told Millie.
“For about fifteen minutes!” said Olebald.
“Then he ditched me for a tree nymph!”
“And she tried to stuff me in a sack and throw me in the river!”
“It’s too bad I didn’t. Letting you talk me out of it was one of the dumbest mistakes I’ve ever made.”
“That’s saying a lot, considering how many dumb mistakes she’s made,” said her sister, Oculura.
Olebald’s face was turning red when he shouted at Audun, “Let me go or I won’t tell you a thing!”
Millie turned to Audun and nodded. Growling softly, the ice dragon sat back, freeing Olebald. The old man scrambled to his feet and straightened his cloak, revealing the broom he’d hidden under it. Snatching the knobbed wooden stick off the ground, he snickered and said, “You’ll never find that baby. I turned him into a frog, and even I couldn’t find him now. Do you know how many frogs there are in this marsh? Poor little princess,” Olebald added, pretending to look sad. “Your brother is gone and so are your parents. You’ll never see any of them again!”
Millie flinched as if she’d been struck. This time she didn’t want to hold Audun back when he lunged for the wizard, but the old man was faster than anyone could have expected. Laughing triumphantly, Olebald smacked his broom against the ground … and vanished.
Dyspepsia squawked and nearly fell off her broom.
“Did you see that?” cried Oculura.
Azuria landed beside the two dragons, who were still staring at where Olebald had stood just a moment before. “He had it all planned, didn’t he?” she said, using her toe to poke at a bristle that had fallen out of Olebald’s broom. “He must have, to disappear like that. Olebald isn’t a strong enough wizard to just vanish. He must have had a spell in place before we ever got here. All he had to do was tap the ground to put it into effect.” She bent down to pick up a clump of dirt and crumbled it between her fingers. “If I’d had any inkling he was going to do it, I could have grabbed hold and followed him to wherever he went, but it’s too late now. It was a one-shot spell. Ah well, live and learn. So, what did he tell you exactly?”
“He turned Felix into a frog,” Audun said. “He set him loose in the marsh with all the other frogs.”
“Oh dear,” said Oculura.
“That’s horrible,” Dyspepsia declared.
“He said I’ll never see Felix or my parents again,” Millie said, sounding nearly as numb as she felt.
“You’ll be able to find him, won’t you?” Audun asked Azuria.
The Blue Witch shook her head. “It would take me weeks to find him among all the frogs here, and that’s if he doesn’t swim farther away or get eaten. There are a lot of creatures in a marsh who consider frogs a delicacy.”
Millie’s face drained of color and she made a strangled sound. Her eyes looked stricken when she turned to Audun and said, “We have to find him soon!”
“Then we’ll need your mother,” said Azuria. “She’s the most powerful witch I know.”
“But I don’t know how to get in touch with her,” said Millie.
“You’ll have to go get her. Do you know where she is?”
“She’s on that tropical island where all the old witches were taken, but I don’t know where the island is located.”
“That’s easy,” said Azuria. “I’ve never been there myself, but I’ve heard that it’s just past a string of islands that shoot melted rock into the sky.”
Dyspepsia shook her head. “No it’s not. It’s all by itself halfway around the world, thousands of miles from anything.”
“I was told that it was just off the coast of Grance
,” said Oculura. “They say the island is shaped like a rabbit with three ears and—”
“Never mind,” said Millie. “I’m sure I’ll find the way.”
“You should go now, dear,” said Oculura. “We’ll stay here and look for Felix. Perhaps we’ll be lucky and he’ll come if we call him.”
“Dragons know their names when they’re babies, but do humans?” Audun asked.
Dyspepsia snorted. “I doubt it. But don’t worry, we’ll make sure nothing eats any of these frogs. Hey you, what do you think you’re looking at? Shoo!” she shouted at a passing crow.
Millie thanked the witches, and a moment later she and Audun were airborne.
“It’s good of them to help,” said Audun. “Don’t worry,” he added when he saw Millie’s expression. “Your mother will find him as soon as she gets back.”
“That’s another problem,” said Millie, the creases in her brow deepening. “I still have no idea how to find the island.”
Seven
It was late afternoon when Millie and Audun returned to Greater Greensward. They flew to the cottage where Francis lived with his parents, but he wasn’t there so they continued on to the castle. Even from a distance Millie could see her cousin pacing the length of the curtain wall. He was wearing his armor as if expecting someone to attack the castle at any moment, and the polished metal reflected sunlight so that it hurt her eyes and she had to close her second set of lids.
“Any luck?” he called as she and Audun landed on the parapets.
Millie shook her head. “We know where Felix is, but we can’t find him.”
Francis looked puzzled. “That doesn’t make any sense.”
Agitated, Audun opened and closed his wings, making a sharp snapping sound each time. “It was Olebald Wizard who took him. I should have done something more permanent to him when we captured him in Aridia after the war over the throne. King Cadmus was sure he could keep him locked up, but Olebald is slippery and can escape from just about anything. He’s been imprisoned in the dragon stronghold three times now. The last time he escaped, he sent two dragon guards to another time and place. No one has seen them since, and the king declared them both dead. After that the ice dragons were really out to get him. They’d be interested to learn what he’s been up to lately.”
Millie was changing back into a human even as she said, “Olebald turned Felix into a frog, Francis! He left him in a huge marsh in Soggy Molvinia. My brother is just a baby! He won’t know how to find food or stay safe or anything! We have to find him right away, except we don’t know how.”
Francis reached up to scratch his head, and his fingers hit his helmet with a clang. He winced and shook his hand. “I want to help, but I don’t know any frog-finding spells.”
“Azuria, Oculura, and Dyspepsia are already looking for Felix. We think the best thing we can do is get my mother, only I don’t know how to find the old witches’ island. I was hoping you could tell me where it is.”
“I don’t know, either. My parents have gone there a few times, but they’ve never taken me with them. Is there anyone else you can think of who might know?”
“Great-Grandmother, but she’s away with Great-Grandfather. There are probably some older witches in the retirement community who know, but I hate to waste time going door-to-door asking for directions.”
“We might have to do that,” said Francis, “unless … Does your mother still have the old carpet that used to belong to my mother? You know the one I mean—they used it the first time they flew to that island looking for Great-Grandmother.”
Millie nodded. “It’s in the back of her closet. At least it was when I went in looking for the basket with my old baby things. Mother saved all my clothes for when I have a baby, but she’s using them for Felix now.”
“You can use the carpet to find the island,” said Francis. “Just tell it to take you to where it took your parents.”
“That was a long time ago, Francis. My parents weren’t even married then.”
“Magic carpets never forget,” said Francis. “I think it has to do with the way they’re woven.”
“It’s worth a try,” said Audun.
“I’ll help you get the carpet started, then I’ll see if I can locate a spell that would help me find a particular frog in a marsh full of frogs. But I think you’re right; our best chance to find Felix is if your mother comes back.”
Emma’s storage room was nothing like Millie’s. True, they were both small and dark, but Millie usually tossed things into her room, then had to hunt around for them later. Her mother was much more organized and kept her storage room so neat that it was easy to find things. Millie located the rolled-up carpet leaning against the wall in the back of the room, a thick coating of dust dulling the vibrant colors on the outside. She could have sworn it shivered when her fingers brushed against it, almost as if it couldn’t wait to go flying.
The carpet was heavier than the one her mother had given her, and it proved to be much bigger once Audun and Francis wrestled it through the door and unrolled it. The scarlet, gold, navy blue, dark green, and cream were brighter than Millie remembered. She had ridden on the carpet with her mother when she was younger, but Emma had used it only rarely.
The old carpet would seat four people easily. Two heavy cords were attached to the carpet next to where the people riding in the front would sit. Grassina had put them there the first time Emma and Eadric had ridden on the carpet without her, but Millie had no idea how to use them.
“It’s awfully big,” said Audun, scratching his chin as he studied the magic carpet. “Will it fit through the window?”
Millie nodded. “When I rode on it with my mother, the window widened to let us through. Have a seat,” she said as she stepped onto the carpet and sat down cross-legged.
“You don’t happen to remember what your mother used to say to get this carpet to move, do you?” asked Francis as Audun joined Millie.
“Not really,” said Millie. “She hasn’t used it in a long time.”
Francis shrugged. “It probably doesn’t matter much. The older magic carpets are kind of funny that way. It’s more the magic and the intent behind it than what you actually say. I know something I can use that should work. Are you all set?” When Millie and Audun both agreed, he raised his hand in a dramatic gesture and said,
Take them to the island
That her parents went to see
When looking for the witches
Who had gone through trickery.
The magic carpet shivered just as it had in the storage room, only this time Millie could feel it through her whole body. When it rose from the floor, the movement was so smooth that she might not have noticed if her eyes hadn’t been open. Audun took her hand as the carpet rose higher, and she turned and smiled at him. He’d been so helpful ever since he arrived. She didn’t know what she would have done if he hadn’t been around when Felix disappeared. Just having him there was—
The carpet suddenly darted forward, only to slam into the sides of the window frame. Millie cried out as she nearly fell through the window, but Audun had a good grip on her arm. He pulled her back as the magic carpet backed up and prepared to try again.
“No! Stop!” shouted Francis.
“Hold on!” Audun cried, grabbing the edge of the carpet with one hand and wrapping the other arm around Millie’s waist.
Taking hold of one of the heavy cords attached to the carpet, she gripped it so hard that her knuckles turned white. The carpet quivered and took off, ramming the window frame with even greater force than before. Millie and Audun bobbed back and forth like a pair of children’s toys, but they didn’t fall.
“Jump off!” Francis ordered.
Frantic, Millie looked around. The carpet was already backing up to the rear wall. Then suddenly it shot forward and was nearly halfway to the window when it tilted onto its side. Millie and Audun grabbed the upper edge and held on, their feet scrabbling to get a purchase on the now-vertical
carpet. This time it slipped through the window with room to spare, although both Millie and Audun scraped their legs against the windowsill. Once outside the castle, the carpet righted itself and took off into the cloudless azure sky.
“Be careful!” Francis called after them.
Millie glanced back, but the carpet was moving so fast that the castle was already dwindling in the distance. They were passing over the closest village when she let go of the cord and reached for Audun’s hand.
“Tell me about the island,” he said. “What was that about witches going there through trickery?”
“It happened before I was born,” said Millie. “Olefat Wizard, Olebald’s brother, tricked some witches into going to a tropical island. Some of the witches liked it there and decided to stay. Cadmilla, the witch who came to get Grassina, is one of the few who still lives on the island.”
“I visited a tropical island once,” said Audun. “It was too hot for my taste.”
Millie laughed. “Most tropical islands probably are.”
Although Millie had flown great distances as a dragon, she’d never grown tired of seeing the countryside change beneath her. She leaned forward now, watching the land below them. They flew past the Purple Mountains, where she’d often attended the Dragon Olympics with her friend Ralf and his parents. When she saw pink clouds rising from the volcanic bowl where dragons practiced flame-breathing events, she smiled and pointed it out to Audun. “I’ll take you there to look around sometime,” she said. “We can go to the Olympics, too, if you can stand the heat.”
Millie’s muscles became stiff long before they reached the desert, and she leaned back to watch the clouds. After a while her eyes closed and she dozed, waking with her head nestled against Audun’s shoulder in time to see the sky turn red and orange as the sun set. Night came and they watched the twinkling stars. They talked about their plans for the future, and the constellations above, but mostly about Felix and what they hoped Emma would do when she returned to Greater Greensward.