Chapter Three - Falinn Galdur
I AWOKE THE next morning in the observatory room on the west side of the stone house. Bettery made up the huge golden four-poster bed for me. Beautifully embellished with a glorious blazing sun design, this began at the very bottom of the bed and extended from a half circle until the rays disappeared over the top of the large frame. It was magnificent to behold and like nothing I had ever seen before. I didn’t know if it was the romance of the magical room or the fact that I was exhausted but that night I slept more soundly than as far back as I could remember.
It wasn’t until I had the opportunity of a good night’s rest that I fully appreciated how wondrous this room actually was. When I had been brought into the room the night before, it had been the exact shade of the midnight sky with the stars and planets all shimmering silver on the walls. A shooting star crossed my line of vision. I crossed my fingers, closed my eyes and wished I would be back at home with my parents in the morning. However, this morning the room exuded rays of sunshine, radiating from the centre point of the ceiling. The midnight stars that had glistened so brightly last night were now replaced with beautiful midsummer blossoms, which were emitting the freshest scents, the kind that normally creep in through open windows at the height of summer. I didn’t have long to sit in awe before Bettery’s friendly face appeared at the door.
“Hello deary, I reckon it’s about time you got up, you’ve slept rite through the morning you have!”
“Oh. I’m sorry.” I replied
“You’ve no cause to be sorry deary, take these you’ll fit in a bit better round here with them on you will.” She pushed a bundle of black clothes toward me.
“When you’re dressed you’d better make an appearance downstairs and we’ll try and work out what to do with you.” She flashed me a cheery smile and went to exit the room. I didn’t want her to go just yet. Something had been playing on my mind since the night before “Bettery?” I asked tentatively.
“Yes deary?” she spun on the spot to face me. I had the feeling that she liked to look people in the eyes when she talked to them.
“Why weren’t the Gnarls allowed in, you know, when Merl let all the other magical creatures come through the gateway?”
“Because deary those things don’t belong here, neither in this world or yours. Terrible horrible creatures they are. Didn’t know magic they didn’t, not until Agrona taught them how, in return for their loyalty. They were stuck you see, stupid beings Gnarls, couldn’t find their way out of the dark Russian forests they lived in they couldn’t. So she went looking for them. They used magic in the most awful of ways they did. Awful.” Bettery walked through the door swiftly when she had finished talking. I got the impression that there was a lot more I had to learn from Bettery on the subject of Gnarls.
As I pulled on the black corset design dress with a golden ruffled satin bottom, I wondered what my family would be thinking right now. I raised my hand to my neck to twirl the rough twine of my necklace as I always did whenever I felt unsure. What could Dahlia possibly tell them to explain my disappearance? She couldn’t exactly tell them that I’d run off into the woods followed by some snarling creature that could send blasts powerful enough to destroy walls from its hands. I decided that the only way to resolve my predicament was to ask Merl to send me back home somehow and I could tell my parents that I’d gone off on a spontaneous whim to some imaginary music festival. Surely grounded for forever but at least I would also be home.
I descended some creaky wooden stairs, went to the end of the bookcase corridor and through the bird design door to the room where I met Bettery and Merl deep in discussion. At first I didn’t think they’d realised I was there and continued their private conversation oblivious to my presence.
“How could it be Merl? With Sancred watchin the gateway, and the key with the girl, they just couldn’t get through.” Bettery’s voice sounded tense worried even. “She could leave it here, she wants to go home, I can tell by the sadness in her eyes I can.”
“Ah but now they are aware that an heir lived close to the gateway and they may be searching for the girls family as we speak.” Merl seemed calmer than when I had first encountered him the previous evening “As for the key Bettery, Gnarls are not aware of its existence, they will think that the girl knows how to open the gateway and they will not stop until they have forced her to do just that, or slain her trying.”
I let out a gasp at the word slain. Bettery whirled round in surprise. Merl looked up slowly as if he had actually been aware of my presence all along.
“Well then it looks about time that me and you went and fetched some honey bread from the village.” Bettery’s voice became suddenly chirpy again as she surveyed the huge owl shaped wall clock that hung tick-tocking above my head. I nodded in agreement wondering how I would be able to crouch into the small buildings we had walked past yesterday.
“Indeed.” approved Merl “Ambrose! Take this through the gate and administer it to the occupants of sixty six Wikersley Lane.” Merl extended a bottle of shimmering green liquid towards what I had assumed last night was some kind of giant leather light fixture that now began to uncurl on the roof. Its cone shape extended outwards in a spinning motion to reveal a huge brown bat with glistening black wings. Its menacing red eyes reminded me, in some animalistic way, of the Gnarl creature and I took a subconscious step backwards in fear.
“That’s my home! You can’t! What are you doing?” I gasped in shock.
“This potion is not a poison foolish girl, it’s an idea. A very powerful idea at that and it will most likely save your parent’s lives’.” I surveyed Merl in confusion.
“It will give your parents the most overwhelming urge to pack up their lives and immigrate to the furthest island they can think of. Are your grandparents alive?” Merl enquired
“No” I replied, it was almost a whisper.
“Good!” Merl retorted bluntly, “That will make the process slightly simpler.”
The huge bat took the potion in its hand-sized claw and swooped swiftly out of the biggest open window.
I could feel tears welling up in my eyes remembering the loss of my grandparents and the thought of losing my parent as well became too much for me to bear. I felt Bettery’s warm hand on my wrist.
“Now don’t you cry my deary, we can’t have that, your mum and dad are going to be just fine, safer than if they stayed at your home. Who knows what’ll happen to them if one of the Gnarls followed your scent and went visiting them. I’ve lost family in the most painful of ways, what I’d give to know that they were safe and sound I couldn’t….”
Bettery’s obvious sadness snapped me out of the depression that was about to envelope my heart. My mother and father meant more to me than anyone else. They weren’t just my parents they were my friends. I didn’t want them to go anywhere but I didn’t want them to get hurt more. I couldn’t understand why my family would be in any kind of danger from that creature but when I really thought about it the idea of them being hundreds of miles away from it did make me feel a lot better. I swallowed my pain. I’d learned to internalise over the years, it was just how most Yorkshire folk coped with tricky emotional situations.
“Come deary I’ll take you to explore Falinn Galdur I will” Bettery continued, the usual warmth returning to her voice.
We walked for hours around the petite cobbled village collecting fresh fruit and vegetables from the small, narrow shops. Bettery was skillfully bartering with the owners and exchanging round silver and golden coins as well as colourful cloths and linens for goods. I decided that if I was going to be on this island for any length of time it would probably be best if I learnt a little about where I was.
“Bettery tell me about this place, this I’m sorry what it called far-farllin?”
“Falinn Galdur.” Bettery corrected me in a very matter of fact manner.
“Yes tell me about Falinn Galdur please?” I realised I needed to be open minded about her
answers, after all, had I not just slept in the home of a powerful wizard under a canopy of stars that turned into rays of sunshine with the first light?
“Well, Falinn Galdur has two main woodlands with all kinds of creatures lurking in them. There’s your bog standard wood animals like dear or foxes that you might find in any wood where your home is, but there’s also more mystical beings like Spriggans an what have you, so you mustn’t go into either of them without me or Merl by your side ok deary?”
I nodded in agreement. I would not be venturing into any kind of wooded area without an experienced guide after my most recent experience.
“Let’s see there’s Blossomdown that’s where you are now deary, main inhabitants are Bobbins and badgers nothing much that might hurt you, although the bramble toads might give you a bit of a pinch when you’re trying to pick their blackberries. Then there’s Thistlewick Marshes, the Banshees live there they do.”
She must have noticed the expression of surprise on my face and responded with her usual warm and comforting smile. “Oh, don’t worry deary although their quite a powerful bunch of women they’re not dangerous unless you really cross them. They’re not to be reckoned with mind you, voices that can kill. I witnessed it myself I did, during the great battle I saw their queen blow the head clean off a Gnarl just by screaming at him. Terrifying it was but no less than that Gnarl deserved. Banshees are a very odd race. Some can see the future, some can read minds and others can see your aura they can. You simply can’t deceive a banshee you can’t. It’s like they can see straight into your soul. There are the Banshee males of course but their main jobs to look after the little ones it is.”
I was amazed and terrified, I would definitely not be visiting Thistlewick Marshes any time in the near future. Bettery’s face crumpled with a frown of contemplation as she tried to remember the important details of each location.
“Then there’s Mount Galdur, that’s enormous, been there myself I have on a trip to the visit the king and Queen of the Worlen with Merl. They were having problems with the Cave Ogres from Cragsley a couple of hundred years ago you see and no one wanted it to come to blood- shed, so me an Merl went up there to sort it all out. Beautiful up there it is, nothing much but moorland and rocky terrain stretching for miles but it’s so rugged, I’ll wager that’s why the Worlen chose to build Forge Gate there. Reminded them of their old homeland you see deary, I heard you call it Scotland these days.”
Bettery took in a deep breath. She could see my curiosity about Falinn Galdur had not been sated and true to her polite nature she continued.
“Let’s see, there’s nothing much after the mountain range at Forge Gate other than Cragsley beaches. Well there’s the Spinners, huge spiders they are. Most of them don’t like humans, will eat them if they get the chance but Sancred he’s different, that’s why Merl asked him to guard the gateway. Then there’s the Cave Ogres deary, don’t come out in the day as they’re blind in the sunlight they are. They’re no good for trading with anyway miserable troglodytes they are. There are a couple of vagabonds living in the no-mans-land past Forge Gate but no one goes there much so we don’t think on them.”
“Who are they?” I couldn’t help but think it must be horribly lonely for the people that lived on their own next to Cave Ogres and Spinners.
“Well there’s Olaf last of the Giants, not much of one himself really, only about six foot seven he is. Lucky really, because that’s how he managed to survive when all the other Giants were killed after an uprising against Agrona. He blended in with the people you see, being not that much bigger than they are. Lived on your island for a long time but he must have got a bit tired of seeing people he knew dying and came through the gate to live on his own. And there’s Mother Madge, mad as a march hair she is, no one goes to see her much, other than Merl every hundred years or so.” Olaf and Mother Madge intrigued me they seemed quite sad characters. I was going to ask Bettery to tell me more about each of them but she took another breath and continued so I decided to ask another time. “Then you’ve always got to watch the skies deary because you never know when a reaping bird might be flying about.”
“What’s a reaping bird Bettery?” I felt like a child in primary school learning about the world all over again.
“Big as a grown man they are deary, beaks as sharp as hunters knifes and huge talons. Terrifying things! They tend to live in the forest close to the marshes legend has it they’re drawn to the Banshees’ shrieks but that’s just legend that is. Then there’s Loch Du with the lake maidens, Merrows we call them, your people call them mermaids, terrible creatures. Merl had a close shave with one of the beastly things. However the Selkies can abide to live that close to them I‘ll never know. I’ll tell you there’s nothing worth visiting in Loch Du deary.”
I was fascinated. I wondered who the Worlen were and what magical powers they might possess? And I wanted to know more about the reaping bird although I had to admit the prospect of a giant carnivorous bird flying above me was not thrilling. I opened my mouth ready to question Bettery further but we crossed paths with the red headed Bobbin that had sulked on our way to Merl’s house. Bettery flashed him a warm smile.
“Hello Burzel deary is the honey bread at Blossom Buns baked yet?”
“No they said that it’ll be ready in half an hour so I came to get a drink from the water fountain I did, what’s she still doing here?” Burzel pointed at me accusingly.
“She’ll be staying here a while yet Burzel she will, its not safe for her to go back until Merl gets to the bottom of why that Gnarl was trying to get through the gate and how it managed to get past Sancred without waking him up.”
I felt uncomfortable listening to the conversation especially because Burzel didn’t seem to have taken much of a liking to me. I guessed he was still cross that I’d accidentally startled him into a door. There was now a disproportionately large and angry looking red bump on his forehead.
I wondered off to survey our surroundings whilst Bettery and Burzel continued to speculate about what the Gnarl creature was doing at the gateway. I ran my fingers over the moss-covered brickwork that made up the village shops. The most beautiful floral scents of lavender and cherry blossom carried across the summer breeze and mingled with the smell of newly baked bread, just taken from a huge stone furnace by two blonde-haired Bobbins. Bettery began to walk in the direction of the miniature bakers.
“I’ll just go fetch the honey bread deary, you wait here I’ll not be long.” She called backwards in my direction. I plonked myself on the village water fountain. It was a pool of clear water encased by cobbled stone with a large statue of Merl in the centre. His outstretched arm spouted water from the flat of his palm. I glanced around the pleasant little village square and pined for my home. The snug way the small buildings sat together reminded me of the closeness of the terraced houses on Wikersley Lane. I gazed curiously between two rows of shops and into a dark alleyway. I took a second glance and then a third, radiating through the darkness I could see two yellow sparks of light.
I stared for a moment trying to decipher what the source was. I realised that they were growing and they were not stationary, they were moving slightly, bobbing up and down in a repetitive motion as if they were approaching my direction. Confusion suddenly became worry, what if whatever is approaching me is not friendly? I didn’t have the slightest clue what kind of inhabitants this island had. What if this was something that had a liking for human meat?
My heart beat faster. I began to wish I had insisted on accompanying Bettery to the baker’s oven. Burzel had already headed off down one of the opposite narrow alleyways. I was completely alone and exposed in the centre of the square. I stared at the exit of the alleyway watching the lights approach, waiting. My mind was racing I could feel the beads of sweat gathering on the palms of my hands. I was still tense and nervous after my encounter with the Gnarl. The feeling of being approached, hunted by something that I could not comprehend, reminded me of my d
ream. I knew I was being irrational but I could feel the pull of some primitive emotion screaming at me to take flight. I couldn’t, I was frozen into place underneath the fountain by my own fear. I drew in a deep breath and waited for the lights.
The figure of a tall male emerged from the alleyway. I guessed he was around my age or maybe a couple of years older. He had a masculine face that complemented his youthful features. His lips were full but not plump. The lights I had been watching disappeared as he stepped out of the dark alleyway and into the daylight. His eyes replaced them. The mysterious boy had the most captivating green eyes I had ever seen, framed by lusciously thick eyelashes they dazzled like emeralds as the sun reflected in them. His dense black hair loosely curled, licking the underneath of his earlobes. He was not clean-shaven with a slight amount of stubble around the lower half of his face but it wasn’t too pronounced. The way the slight amount of facial hair framed his lower lip gave him a more mature appearance. His frame was slender but muscular underneath his dark leather hunting attire. He didn’t seem shocked to see me perched frigidly on the wall of the fountain. The sheer intensity of his gaze made the adrenaline pulse through my body. I began to feel embarrassed but I couldn’t look away from this strange and beautiful boy. He was unlike anyone I had ever encountered in my seventeen years. He was majestic and graceful. With confidence and purpose, he headed in my direction.
“Oh deary, you look like you’ve seen a ghoulie you do.” Bettery approached laughing at what must have been my gawping expression. I hadn’t noticed her approaching just as she hadn’t noticed the mysterious stranger heading from the opposite direction. She turned to survey what had drawn my attention and took a step backwards to behold the boy that was now lingering less than a few feet from where we stood. He flashed us a formal looking smile.
“How are you Bettery? I’m sorry to surprise you but it seems we all have serious business to discuss and I was wondering if you would be so kind as to accompany me to Merrydian’s home.”
Bettery regained her usual composure and the warmth of her smile radiated again from her face.
“Of course Jestin deary, follow me.”
I walked behind Bettery and the handsome boy in a Burzel-like fashion on the journey back to Merl’s although I wasn’t actually sulking. Instead, I was intimidated by the forceful elegance of his stride. It was obvious he was someone important. Maybe he was some kind of official or something? Almost every Bobbin we past seemed just as shocked as me when they saw him, although some female Bobbin’s seemed to swoon rather than withdraw.
We reached the cobbled pathway that led to the huge narrow house. Bettery was the first to arrive at the door.
“What the blazes do you want now?” Enquired the ireful gargoyle doorknocker.
“Well we want to come in don’t we deary otherwise it’d be no use knocking now would it?” Bettery replied in a semi-courteous manner. Well it did seem quite polite compared to the previous exchange I’d witnessed between the two. It must have done the trick because the gargoyle permitted us entry. The mysterious stranger acknowledged the rude gargoyle politely as he entered,
“Thank you Fizzlesnap.”
“Bugger off!” The gargoyle muttered back as he slammed to a close behind me.
Merl was sat calmly in his usual golden chair with four mugs of a smooth green substance, which I think was mint tea by the smell, waiting on a wooden table in the sitting room for us. I took the same place I had yesterday, on the cushioned wooden bench and the boy sat directly at the side of me. He was close. I could smell an earthy wooden aroma. He reminded me of my hikes through the forests with my mother and father during the glorious English summers. When the business had really taken off we didn’t have time for them anymore but I could still envisage the crisp green leaves filling out the trees, the bramble bushes filled with plump blackberries or blueberries and the fresh summer breeze gently swaying the woodland to and fro. I glanced up from my broken thoughts and saw he was looking down at me. The strength of his gaze threw me for a moment and a slight smile poked the edges of his lips at the sheepish look overtaking my features.
“Well then.” Merl began “A visit from the great Jestin himself, General of the Worlen Army. I think I am correct in assuming there must be unease at Forge Gate to warrant this?”
“I’m afraid so,” replied Jestin “I received a visit late yesterday afternoon from Rosamaylind, the seer of the Banshees. She expressed an importance in my coming to see you. She mentioned that a girl had passed through the gate and that I must make haste to Blossomdown, Idris wanted to come but she warned against it. I agree, I don’t think an unstable gateway is the place for the future king of the Worlen to be at the moment either.”
“The gateway is perfectly stable Jestin, you need not have worried” Merl replied calmly.
“How can it be?” Jestin questioned, “Unless this girl is some kind of powerful magician, there is no way she should have been able to open it.” Jestin eyed me inquisitively. I began to feel uncomfortable, as I became the centre of conversation.
“The girl is not a sorceress.” Merl confirmed what we all already knew. “She is an heir and soon to be very powerful sorceress if I so choose her to be. She is also in possession of my key which I had misplaced on a visit some two hundred years earlier and thus was able to open the gateway.” Merl asserted, much to both my own and my companions surprise.
“I’m sorry but I don’t understand.” I added unhelpfully. Merl turned from Jestin to me.
“Well of course you don’t understand Miss Knight and how could you possibly expect to understand something of such gravity when your world was turned upside down only two days previously. In truth, I had hoped that I wouldn’t have to enlighten you on this subject rather so soon. Due to our visit from Jestin here it hardly seems fair to keep you in the dark.” Merl looked from me to Jestin, who continued to survey me with a mirroring confusion to my own.
“Merl you must appreciate how dangerous it is to have an heir in Falinn Galdur, what if the Gnarls found a way through? You know the possibility of that is unthinkable with an heir here it could be devastating.” It didn’t seem to me like there were many things that Merl wasn’t aware of. His brow furrowed at Jestin’s words.
“I have considered the alternative Jestin and I will not send her home to put her life in danger. She must stay.” Bettery, who had remained quiet through the whole conversation, gave a harsh shake of the head in agreement. Jestin offered his own respectful nod and began to speak in a more formal manner.
“In which case Merl I pledge my life and my army to protect this girl and will guard her from the evils that will undoubtedly seek her out.” My spine tingled as all eyes rested pitifully on me.
“What evils?” I asked in fear. I was subsequently ignored.
“That is a very serious promise Blackheart. I wonder are you as worthy as your words?” Merl questioned rather bluntly.
“Bind me to it” Jestin eyes glinted with steely determination.
“That’s a very powerful spell you understand even for someone exceptional physical prowess such as yourself Jestin, do not take this lightly.” Merl warned.
“Oh Jestin deary, it’s very dangerous you can’t expect Merl to put your life in danger like that you can’t! I mean what if something goes wrong deary? Who’ll lead your army then?” Bettery looked full of concern but Jestin didn’t break his gaze that was now firmly fixed on Merl.
“Bind me to it.” He repeated.
“That’s a boy!” Merl was filled with a sudden enthusiasm that I hadn’t witnessed in him so far, it was excitement that was not matched in Bettery’s suddenly worried expression, she rose from her seat and left the sitting room. I stayed in my place seemingly unnoticed by Merl who had now taken position standing above a seated Jestin, his fingers outstretched towards the wooden floor. He remained motionless, uttering an ancient incantation in a language I didn’t recognise. The air was tense for reasons beyond my comprehension. A sil
ence past over all three of us, even the singing birds in the trees outside grew quiet. Suddenly the room filled with smells of burning wood, a crackling sound erupted from the floorboards and the room began to shake violently. In my failure to understand what was unfolding so rapidly around me and disorientated, I assumed that the island had been hit by a huge earthquake and took cover behind the cushioned sofa. Jestin remained seated in front of Merl. I couldn’t see his face through the blistering golden fireworks erupting from the floor. I followed the path of light and noticed that this wasn’t some sudden accidental explosion of electrical wires that I had first thought. How could it be? It dawned on me earlier in the day, there didn’t actually seem to be any modern conveniences such as electricity on Falinn Galdur. This electricity, if that’s what it was, was coming from a much more unexpected source. It was Merl! The fireworks were entering Merl from the earth. They were shooting upwards from the very ground itself and into the tips of his outstretched fingers. The bright golden light was stinging my eyes, which had only just adjusted to the dark light of the poorly lit sitting room.
“WHAT’S HAPPENING!!?” I screamed at the top of my lungs but the feeble sound of my voice didn’t carry through the screeching lights. A low murmur, somewhat like a growling, was coming from an origin that I could not detect. The sounds where filling my mind, making thinking clearly almost impossible. Just when I was sure my head was about to implode from the chaos and confusion that had erupted in the room a moment before, all the noise suddenly ceased. Replacing it was an eerie silence. Everything was quiet, the screeching was gone, the room no longer shook, and the fireworks had stopped. The growling sound had become a low rumble that I now noticed was coming from Jestin, who remained in his seat although Merl now stood directly over him, his fingertips twitched then relaxed a little.
I felt myself pulled by some immense yet invisible force towards Merl. I wanted to resist but I couldn’t even raise my arm to try and grab something to anchor myself to. I was bound. It was the same sensation as when I’d accidentally fallen through the gate and had been catapulted through the air at enormous speed. Why hadn’t Bettery warned me to leave the room too? I was terrified. I reached my destination with my forehead rested on the flat of Merl’s palm, which now extended in my direction. I expected it to be hot with the heat from the fireworks that I had just witnessed enter Merl’s fingertips but it wasn’t. He had his other hand outstretched, with his middle finger pointed accusingly towards Jestin. A booming voice erupted from Merl that wasn’t his own. It was both powerful and commanding.
“WHAT IS YOUR OATH?” the voice commanded.
“I will protect this girl from any creature that means to do her harm until she is safely returned to her homeland.” Jestin almost snarled every word.
“YOUR PROMISE BROKEN WITH DEATH” the voice exploded from Merl. Forced backwards with a jolt, I hit the floor. I saw Merl dip in a sudden movement as if he was scooping an invisible substance and push outwards with a huge blast of wind. The wind didn’t knock Jestin off balance, but I was thrown, tumbling towards the far side of the room. Whatever Merl had hit him with was hurting him. Lashes began to appear across the skin on his face as if some transparent tormentor was whipping him. Blood trickled down his cheeks and the broken snarl of his previous sentence became an all-out animalistic roar. His green eyes glazed over a golden yellow and then crimson red. Two huge incisors ripped through his gums. My own eyes widened in terror. The Worlen were werewolves!