Chapter Five - The Road to Thistlewick
THE WEATHER WAS warm but I woke in a cold sweat the morning of our journey. My dream visited me once again in the night. Every detail replaying the same as before other than one terrifying revelation, this time the creature was clearly a Gnarl. Its shining skin glistened in the moonlight that reflected off the brook, its menacing tiger eyes narrowed with malice. It let out a piercing screech, a screech that penetrated my being with fear, which threatened to stop the very beating of my heart. I wanted to run into the darkness of the field but I couldn’t move. I was paralysed, unable to budge but without the knowledge to fight. Resigned to my inevitable destruction I drew in a breath and waited for the end.
“Violet.Violet. VIOLET DEARY GET UP!”
Bettery prepared boiled eggs with bread. My mother often made the same thing for me at home. I wondered about my parents and how they were. Who was looking after Grey’s Blooms for them? And where had they stayed in the past week, in a strange country they had never even visited before?
They would not wonder about me. Merl explained that the enchantment placed upon them made them feel content. They believed that I was secure and happy. As far as they were concerned I was safe where I was, and danger was a million miles from me. It wasn’t true of course. I was about to leave the relative security of Blossomdown, a place I had come to think of as a home away from home. I had grown to love waking up to the fresh scents of the summer flowers in bloom and the crisp sea air that blew in through the village every day. I would miss the taste of sweet honey bread Bettery bought from the miniature bakery every morning. Blossomdown was a happy place but Thistlewick and it misty marshland seemed far more dangerous.
I had taken a book from one of the shelves in Merl’s entranceway the first night Dahlia arrived. Crooked writing had spelt out the title, Thistlewick a Geography. What I could gather from the battered, dusty old pages was that Thistlewick, for the most part, consisted of marshland. The woods surrounding it were dense and travellers often became lost in the forest. One of the more curious chapters in the book mentioned how the trees were said to whisper directions to lost trekkers, if they liked the trekker they might direct them correctly, if they didn’t they would send them to the deepest darkest part of the forest. Only the very luckiest of people had emerged from deep within the forest. One particular paragraph mentioned Merl and how he had gotten lost after trying to make firewood from one of the eldest of the trees. Of course, he found his way out again easily. I was finding myself constantly amused at the way Merl’s cantankerous attitude had gotten him into trouble. I couldn’t help but wonder if that was the way Merl had always been. I never asked Bettery to elaborate on why the observatory room was once a nursery. Maybe if I stayed in Falinn Galdur a while longer, I might summon the courage to ask about Merl’s child. For now, I decided that the subject was better left un-broached.
Packing for the journey to Thistlewick was relatively easier than I had imagined. The bow that Merl gave me swung easy around my back and rested there comfortably. My bag mainly consisted of a change of dress. Bettery skillfully stitched me a forest green coloured corset dress, just in case I needed a change of clothing during the three days it would take for us to reach Thistlewick on foot. I stuffed Thistlewick a Geography into my small leather shoulder sack, I thought it would come in useful. I fully intended to take it back to its rightful place on the shelf when I returned. This did not however stop Merl from muttering, “Ruddy thief,” under his breath when I walked into the sitting room that morning.
“I’m sorry, I was only taking it for reference, I was going to put it back.” I apologized, slightly ashamed that my usual good manners had escaped me in the excitement of the journey and I didn’t ask before taking.
“Never mind that silly girl. I stole the book myself from the Banshees on a trip to the marshes.” Merl retorted without a hint of irony. My eyebrows seemed to jump to the top of my forehead from shock. “I’m not usually one for such larcenous pursuits, however those ruddy Banshees slandered my good name in that book, making up stories about me. Quite a cheek I tell you.” His cheeks became red with indignation.
“They’re not stories they’re not, you and those trees were at each other’s throats from the minute you stepped into that forest. I’m surprised you ever got out in one piece I am.” Bettery entered the room, her usual warm smile adorning her rounded face.
“Yes well, one would be surprised at how useful the ability to conjure fire into ones hands can be on occasion.” Merl stated more triumphantly than angry now.
“That’s amazing you can conjure fire into your hands?” I couldn’t hide that I was more than just slightly awestruck. “I guess that’s why you can’t come with us through the forest?” I was a bit nervous about venturing into the forest without Bettery or Merl by my side. Bettery had become the cornerstone of my sanity since the day I had woken up in the tower. I was accustomed to Merl chuntering about the house, muttering profanities when he thought I wasn’t in earshot. He was like an angry grandfather. Merl’s face suddenly became more serious.
“Violet, I’m going to teach you an enchantment now, it is the most basic enchantment but one of the most useful and I cannot let you proceed through Thistlewick forest without it.” Merl stressed. My palms became sweaty why did he think that I, Violet Knight-little miss ordinary, would be able to perform magic? And not even the kind of magic you see on television on a Saturday night. No sleight of hand, it was the real deal we were talking about and I was not entirely sure I was capable of it. “Now if you would desist with your nervousness silly girl, or the enchantment simply will not work.” I tried to remain as calm as possible and concentrate on breathing. “You will require focus and attentiveness. I want you to feel the earth’s energy all around you and beneath your feet. I want you to draw the energy from the earth, let it flow through you like a wave of electricity.” Merl spoke his words like a hypnotic chant. Against everything I expected it was actually working! When I had resigned to empty my mind and really focus, I could feel pulses of energy racing around me in a million different directions. The earth was no longer a dead rock that rotated pointlessly towards oblivion, it was a living breathing entity that could heal and destroy at the same instance. I felt what must have been a mere molecule of the earth’s power, but it was enough to make me unsteady on my feet.
“Good, now I want you to clasp your hand like a tulip and push outwards with the word eadrom. This is very important now, can you hear that Violet eadrom.” I was still shaking with the experience of raw energy whirring like a whirlpool of electricity around me but I did as instructed. I made my hand into the best tulip shape I could envision and released whispering the word
“Eadrom,” exactly as Merl had directed me. I felt a surge of energy enter into my body and leave through the palm of my hand as my tulip shaped fingers extended outwards. When I surveyed my hand to assess where the energy had gone, I realised that somehow, the palm of my hand was emitting a bright light. I was astounded, my hand had become alight with energy and I lit up the dark sitting room.
“Well done deary!” Bettery praised, her face nearly as glowing as my hand.
“Indeed.” Agreed Merl he was almost complimentary.
“Beautiful.” Jestin’s appearance into the sitting room broke my concentration and my light went out.
I had the opportunity of a few more minutes practice before Dahlia appeared. She explained that she would have been on time if she hadn’t had to stand outside arguing with Fizzlesnap the doorknocker. It seemed he had been insisting on a password in order for her to gain entry. When Dahlia had finally remembered there was no password, that Fizzlesnap was just being facetious, she threatened to stuff thistles into his mouth and I guess that did the trick.
After a rushed goodbye from Bettery and Merl, they explained that they would be travelling via a hidden portal created by Merl after the forest incident. I secretly wished we could go with them. Although a little uncom
fortable, a portal was a much faster way to travel than to trek for miles on end. I had raised the question with Merl but he clarified that no portal would ever be stable enough for more than two people to travel through at one time, not even his famous gate. Whenever possible he tried not to use them at all. When I pressed further, why we could not go through the portal two at a time, he explained that not only did they need time to inform the Banshee queen that her daughter was on her way but also a trip across the island would be somewhat character building for me. This explanation accepted, we set out west towards Thistlewick forest. I suppose this way, I got to spend some quality time with Dahlia and I couldn’t pretend I was disappointed about travelling with Jestin.
Most of the views in Blossomdown were similar, that didn’t detract from the beauty of the place. We walked across shimmering brooks and fields of wild flowers that grew to waist length. It was the first time I truly witnessed un-spoilt nature. I was awestruck. Jestin walked ahead for the most part of the day, making sure he stayed close so we could still see what direction he was taking.
“Guess we’re slowing him down.” Dahlia observed, seeming a little offended.
“No, he’s making sure the way is clear.” I felt like I had to defend him, after all he had sworn an oath to protect me.
“How do you know that? Maybe he just doesn’t like our company. I mean what does the handsome wolf boy from a mystical island really have in common with a couple of teenage girls like us?” Dahlias words hurt a little. I could tell she was hinting that I ought to stay away from him. How could I explain to someone like Dahlia, who fell in and out of ‘love’ with each new rock star she discovered, that the feelings that Jestin stirred in me were something more than just teenage infatuation. After a couple of moments careful brooding, I eventually concluded that it would be best to give Dahlia the impression that a teenage crush was exactly what it was. Maybe then, she would stop nagging about it.
“Can’t you just let me enjoy looking at him?” The words came out in an unintended shout. Unfortunately, during those few moments of brooding, prior to my outburst, I didn’t see that Jestin had made his way over to us to suggest we camp on a farm at the edge of Blossomdown for the night. At least he was gentleman enough to suppress his imminent smile whilst I waited for the earth to swallow me whole. That didn’t happen. I resigned myself to walking the next few hours without making a fool of myself and therefore in complete silence.
Our tent was relatively cosy, considering we pitched it in the middle of a cornfield full of gigantic Bobbin corn. A grey-haired farmer had given us permission to camp there for the night after Jestin helped him reweave a broken thatch in his roof. Jestin suppressed huge towers of corn into a rounded circle and then pulled together the edges to create a makeshift corn camouflage. It was only immediately visible from above. I then proceeded to pitch our cloth tent inside our corn camo and prayed to the heavens that it didn’t rain. Jestin needed to hunt for breakfast during the night and he would sleep close by when he had caught something. He promised that he wouldn’t be far away, but the idea of him being away from us, even for a short while, made me feel sick. We hadn’t spoken much during the day following my embarrassing episode so I felt like I needed to explain myself to him. I didn’t want him to feel uncomfortable around me for the rest of the journey to Thistlewick. I would clear the air in the morning.
“Oh dear me Vi, you turned bright red, they should have called you Scarlet.” Dahlia found the whole thing a lot more amusing than I did.
“Thanks for the moral support best buddy. I’m so glad I came along on this journey to meet your mother with you.” To be completely honest I was more annoyed at myself than Dahlia, her teasing didn’t help.
“Okay, okay I’m sorry I’ll stop, I’ve just never seen you so interested in a boy before.” Dahlia clearly wasn’t going to stop, I turned over and tried to fall asleep.
“Night Dahlia,” I faked a yawn so she would let me lay in peace.
“Night Vi.” She stretched, placed her arm behind her head and began to snore.
In the morning, Jestin had insisted that we eat the roasted rabbit he had prepared for us. I found myself surveying the deep incisor wounds in the carcass of the animal. They must have been Jestin’s teeth marks. It seemed unbelievable that the well-spoken, handsome young man smiling back at me from across our small fire could have inflicted those wounds upon the poor rabbit. I didn’t really want to eat a meal as rich as roasted rabbit at first light but we needed to raise our energy levels for the journey. Even so, I was sure I saw Dahlia throw hers into a crevice whilst she thought we weren’t looking. She was a vegetarian, she wouldn’t have even touched the rabbit at home but she didn’t seem to want to mention this fact to Jestin. I guess for all her confidence and bravado, just like me, she didn’t want to appear odd to the people of this island.
The farm we camped at turned out to be the last building before we reached the border between Blossomdown and Thistlewick.
It wasn’t simply the landscape but also the atmosphere that changed when we crossed the boundary line. Thistlewick felt like a shadow next to the brilliant colours and constant light of Blossomdown. As we reached the very edges of Thistlewick forest, thick hedges of brambles and thorny berry bushes replaced the sweet summer flowers. The forest seemed dark and foreboding. The imposing height of the great oak trees blocked out the sunlight and cast a menacing darkness over the barely beaten path we had to follow. The smells were different too. The air seemed heavier and damp compared with the fresh crisp open air of Blossomdown. I was about to take my first steps onto the pathway when I felt Jestin’s protective arm reach out before me. The waves of electricity I felt at his touch washed over my body like a tsunami hitting suddenly and then dispersing as he moved away. His upper lip curled revealing the huge incisors I had feared this morning. Now the incisors didn’t seem so menacing, they were my protectors, safety in the face of a different kind of beast. Jestin rumbled a low warning growl.
“What’s wrong?” I tried to convey my voice as evenly as possible but I’d never seen Jestin this on edge before. It was making me nervous.
“Any squirrels need dealing with? Because I’m your girl,” Dahlia added unhelpfully, not quite grasping the seriousness of the situation. Neither Jestin nor I took our eyes from the opening of the pathway. I thought I could hear the faintest sound of the leaves rustling above. Jestin didn’t move for what seemed like an age. I reached for my bow, knowing that whatever was making Jestin so uneasy would not be something as frivolous as a squirrel. I listened harder to try and pinpoint the exact location of whatever was moving in the trees above. I could hear a childish giggling sound emitting from the tree closest to the opening. Jestin must have heard it at the same time. He turned his head to the same tree and let out a terrifying, guttural growl that made Dahlia take a step back in fear. The creature in the trees retreated too. I didn’t catch sight of the thing itself but I could track its path through the rustling of leaves. Whatever it was, it was withdrawing deeper into the safety of the forest. The pace of my heart began to slow as the mysterious creature disappeared into the shadows of the trees.
Jestin’s voice was commanding and full of the importance when he turned to speak, “We must move through the forest hastily. Creatures are abroad that mean you harm. It is imperative that you do not waver from the path or my view do you understand?” Dahlia’s mouth was still agape in shock, so I nodded in agreement for the both of us. “Let’s move.”
I could see why this youthful looking man was the General of an army. We descended into the murkiness of the forest at a greater speed than we kept yesterday, but even Dahlia was too afraid to complain about the pace.
“We aren’t actually sleeping in this place tonight are we?” I think Dahlia already knew the answer to her own question but she clearly didn’t want to hear it aloud.
As we hurtled through the trees, I kept a constant eye on the sun’s position in the sky. It was difficult to track thr
ough the dense canopy of the forest. Every so often, there was a break in the trees, through which smatterings of brilliant sunlight would appear. As the blazing light started to descend towards the horizon and with no end to the forest in sight, I began to feel less confident in my sworn protector’s ability to get us out of Thistlewick forest safely. The childish giggle of the creature hiding up in the trees unsettled me. I was so disturbed by the angelic innocence of the sound that I could hear it ring out every now and again, as if it was following us on our path. I told myself that it wouldn’t have been possible for the creature to backtrack from the direction it retreated in, and then keep up with our swift speed.
By mid-day, we reached the very heart of the forest. I was weary and hungry. We hadn’t stopped to eat as planned because Jestin felt like it wasn’t safe to leave us unattended. We would have to wait until we reached our campsite to eat. My stomach rumbled reminding me of my hunger. I had to keep my wits about me and not let my appetite distract me.
I had read in Thistlewick a Geography that the part of the forest we were now moving through was notorious for the trees mystic influence. They had led many travellers’ astray and I began to understand why. I could hear the mysterious muttering of each ancient oak tree as we past. I suddenly felt as though I was walking through a crowd of hundreds of people, each trying to tell me their own personal story. All the voices melted into one continuous murmuring that made me feel like I was losing my mind. I was deteriorating rapidly. I surveyed my companions who seemed to be pushing ahead with the same steely determination as before. I couldn’t understand why they didn’t seem to be affected the same way that I was. The sea of whispers created such confusion within my aching brain. All I could focus on was the need to move forward. I pushed my legs onwards, left right left right, through the pain that was digging like a sharp dagger into my mind. I wasn’t even sure if I was heading in the right direction anymore. I was feeling weak. I needed to rest, to gather my thoughts and decide which ones were actually my own. I felt overwhelmed by my own bewilderment. My eyes glazed over so that the shapes of the forest around me moulded into a mist of murky greens and browns. I stumbled over an exposed root, not only losing my footing but also losing my grip on reality. I knew I must be falling but I never felt the pull of gravity forcing me downwards, or the dampness of the leaves against my face. I really felt as if I had lost Jestin and Dahlia completely. I couldn’t hear their pounding footsteps or the crackling of the leaves anymore. My vision became so blurred that I closed my eyes altogether to try to regain my swiftly decreasing control. It seemed strange to me that I would join the victims of the forest. I hadn’t done anything other than pass through it. I wondered why the trees didn’t like me. The danger, chronicled so widely in my book, was becoming a reality that I now faced. There was something terrifying about the prospect of becoming a victim of the trees. The continuous din of thoughts was becoming less prevalent now, allowing me the clarity of my own mind. One thought hit me with the force of an iron hammer, what would happen to Jestin if I died? After all, he had bound himself to me in order to protect me.
Transported, I was back in the field. The snarling Gnarl, its menace and anger juxtaposed with the peace and tranquility of the shimmering brook. I felt it again. My protector, I must reach for the long bow, I must try to protect myself but it wasn’t there. It had gone, abandoned me. I was alone, truly alone. I woke with a discordant scream.
“Keep it down Vi.” Dahlia’s voice conveyed a sense of urgency.
“What happened? Where are we?” The back of my neck was throbbing but at least my eyesight had returned. Although I found myself in a cramped and dimly lit room, I could see huge tree roots emerging from the roof of what appeared to be some kind of mud den. Candles rested in small crannies dug into the walls of dirt. The space was rather small, around four or five meters wide but I felt safe here. A damp earthy smell permeated the air all around. We had to be in some kind of underground home.
“Jestin put that blanket over you, you nearly copped it Vi. If he hadn’t have sucked that poison out of you so fast you’d have been a goner. He isn’t feeling great himself though. He’s been throwing up a lot. Glad he’s not done it down here! Could you imagine having to spend the night in here with a pile of puke? Urgh, no thank you.”
“Where is Jestin?” I didn’t even attempt to sound casual like I had previously. He saved my life. I had every right to show concern for his welfare. There was no way to hide the relief I felt that I hadn’t killed him by-proxy.
“He went to some stream that’s close by. Can’t blame him for needing water I bet he’s feeling quite dehydrated. I mean the guy does like a three mile run with you in his arms then when we finally reach this place he starts chucking his guts up.”
“What happened Dahlia? Why did I pass out?”
“Well according to Jestin, we had to steer off course a little. Apparently, we passed through Spriggan territory. They didn’t appreciate it. They hit you with a poison dart Vi, it was terrifying, you went all red and your eyes glazed over. You fell but Jestin caught you. He sucked the poison out straight away but you blacked out. I freaked out but we had to keep running. Then we reached this little clearing, Jestin pulled open a trap door in the ground and here we are. I’ve been sat with you for a few hours now, Jestin said we need to keep quiet but you’ve been delirious and then that scream Vi, are you ok?”
Dahlia sounded really concerned, which put me a little out of sorts. It was so out of character for her, she usually dealt with things by making light of them. I didn’t want to worry Dahlia any more than I already had, I explained away the scream as an effect of the poison. It wasn’t of course. My dream was becoming more vivid and therefore more terrifying. I just hoped that when we got to Thistlewick Marshes, I could keep it down during the night. Full-blood Banshees didn’t sleep, they were bound to think I was crazy. Dahlia on the other hand did sleep, I passed her the tartan blanket that Jestin covered me with and let her settle into the warm spot I was laying in. For what I guessed was around an hour, I watched the roof and the trap door, waiting. An age seemed to pass before Jestin finally pulled open the trap and descended the thick root into the den.
“Violet, I’m glad you’re awake.” He looked happy. I guess he was as relieved to see me conscious, as I was to see him. He came closer to my post on floor in the cramped underground den He placed his hand under my chin raising my face to his. His touch felt warm, the electricity that scared me to begin with now felt familiar and comforting as it pulsed through my body. He looked deep into my eyes. His intense gaze was touched with benevolence. Jestin may have been considered a monster in the world I came from but I knew somewhere deep within my being that he wasn’t. When I looked back into Jestin’s eyes the kindness within them permeated deep into his very soul. In that moment, I felt like I was under a spell. Jestin turned his head away.
“The poison has subsided. Your eyes are clear blue again, like before.” His voice, filled with tension.
“Thank you for saving my life, Dahlia said something about Spriggans?” I had tried to learn about the perils of the forest before we set off but there had been some pages missing from Thistlewick a Geography, in the Dangerous Beings chapter. I wondered what other monsters were lurking in the dark that I had no idea how to defend myself against. Too lost in his own quiet musings, Jestin didn’t register my anxiety. He began,
“Yes, I wasn’t expecting them to be so close to the path. They are quite dangerous little beasts. Spriggans are known to be fairy-like creatures. Spindly and extremely small the only difference is that they’re covered in hair. It is nearly impossible to hear them and no creature alive has ever seen them apart from Merl. They poisoned you with a potent tree sap mixture. I believe you must have quite a headache.” Something Jestin mentioned troubled me.
“You can’t hear them?” I asked.
“No they are far too light in stature to make any kind of detectable noise.” He stated.
“Th
en it wasn’t a Spriggan at the opening of the forest?” I asked tentatively, we hadn’t really spoken since I had witnessed the more animalistic side of his nature in the mouth of the forest. Jestin looked reluctant to talk about the growling incident. He was clearly uncomfortable with the fact that I had witnessed his Worlen side, although from that moment on, I had never felt anything but safe in his presence. Merl mentioned that they are an intensely private pack and maybe I had witnessed something that I had no right to see. So had Dahlia, and he didn’t seem suddenly awkward towards her.
“Get some more sleep. I have borrowed this den for the night from an old friend and he will be back in the morning to escort us to the edge of the forest. We should arrive in Thistlewick at around mid-day tomorrow.” Jestin stated, trying to make his voice more light hearted. His lips formed into a gentle smile that somehow did not touch his eyes.
I managed to sleep a while longer before my own rumbling stomach woke me. Jestin held out a handful of nuts and berries he’d foraged whilst at the stream. As his hand briefly brushed mine, I felt the familiar surge of electric pull through my body. I focused intently on the small round fruits to take my mind from the obvious, confusing chemistry between us, which was now bringing a bright shade of rouge to my cheeks. The small mixture of foraged goods wasn’t much but I was grateful that they would give me energy for the day ahead. As I popped the last blackberry into my mouth, the trap in the roof began to open and the feeble voice that I thought must belong to an old man, echoed into the den.
“Don’t be alarmed I’m on my way into my burrow. I am a hideous creature but I mean you no harm. Do not be afraid of me.” The voice sounded genuine and kind, I couldn’t imagine why we should have anything to fear from a stranger who had provided us shelter for the night. Confused, I looked over to Jestin who was smiling at the strange greeting we had just received.
“Bugul you need not warn an old friend of your presence, your kindness in giving up your home should serve as proof enough that you are nothing other than good. Come in, I would like to introduce you to Violet.” Jestin’s voiced depicted a tone of warmth.
Long yellow toenails, as sharp as razors, preceded a huge muddy green foot that descended slowly into the den. The inhuman foot was followed by a tangle of thin muscles that made up a leg. The creature’s rib cage was visible under its thin green skin and a huge humped, bulk shape made up the creatures back. His face was equally as unusual. His eyes were moonlike silver orbs, far too big for his small head. As was his nose that protruded in a crescent shape from his face. He was undoubtedly the strangest creature I had ever seen but I wasn’t afraid of him. I smiled a greeting at the creature Bugul, who was hanging his head whilst his orb eyes strained upwards to meet my gaze.
“It’s lovely to meet you Bugul and thank you for providing me with much needed shelter last night. I am very grateful.” Bugul smiled back revealing a blackened set of crooked teeth, nevertheless there was warmth to this smile that portrayed his true soul.
“You were very ill last night when Jestin brought you to my den so I have made this for you, eat please, it will renew your strength.” He passed me a small wooden bowl with a pulpy green concoction sat in the middle.
“It is mostly gooseberry and some water from a spring nearby but I added some ingredients that will help you to heal a little faster. I hope you don’t mind me doing so.” He said.
I took the bowl and popped a slushy handful of the mixture into my mouth. It certainly looked unpleasant and had a slightly metallic taste, which was a little odd but other than that Buguls solution instantly made my stomach feel better. I was touched by this small creature’s warmth.
“Thank you, but I wish you hadn’t spent all night outside in the cold when there was enough room here for you, in your own home.”
Bugul was not a conventionally beautiful creature, but his presence was humbling.
“I don’t believe your friend would have been very comfortable with me around. I think I may have frightened her.” He explained. Trust Dahlia to judge based on appearance. Dahlia was a wonderful person almost all of the time. She was funny, ferociously loyal and endearing, but she had always preferred the more aesthetically pleasing side to life, shying away from anything that may get too deep or thought provoking.
“Why don’t you show Violet your drawings Bugul? I’m sure she would be intrigued by them.” At Jestin’s unusual suggestion, Bugul took a great leap through the trap door in the roof and pulled it open to full capacity. The position of the den must have been in one of the clearings because it was instantly flooded with a bright sunlight that lit up the walls. As I looked closer, each wall of the mudded den was intricately decorated with pictures that reminded me of cryptic cave drawings. They depicted all kinds of wonderful things. One-half of the left wall was covered with a magnificent sunrise whilst another had a mural of a floral meadow. The image that fascinated me most of all was one of what I recognised to be Bugul with another creature of his kind and a large looking egg. Bugul jumped from the opening of the den to stand beside me.
“She was the most beautiful thing that ever walked the face of this earth.” he was referring to the second creature depicted in the image. “She was my partner for a thousand years and more. When they came to take her, I couldn’t stop them and they took the baby, our egg. Two hundred years had almost gone and our baby would have been ready to hatch. But they took it too. Smashed it no doubt, it would have been no good to them yet.” The tears that ran down Bugul’s face were black, staining his green cheeks as they made their way to the ground.
“Why would someone want to harm such a kind creature as you Bugul? I don’t understand.” I didn’t mean to pry but I was so touched by the sadness in Bugul’s story I felt the need to know more. Jestin provided the answer.
“Creatures like Bugul are immensely rare and his blood is the most potent solution when added to any potion. Brewing for thousands of years in his veins, it can be used in very ancient and very dangerous magic before his kind was almost hunted into extinction. Bugul’s mate Berna, was taken by Agrona and her wretched Gnarls, along with his egg. The egg has never been found. Bugul was knocked unconscious in the raid. It must have been a Gnarl because Agrona would have known that when a Bugul Noz is rendered unconscious it disappears into its surroundings and becomes almost impossible to find.” Bugul continued the story his voice trembling with grief.
“They took her for that evil witche’s spell and bled her dry like she was some insignificant fruit ripe for the picking. My wondrous Berna, thousands of years of life gone in one night.” I was horrified at Bugul’s story, the love of his life and his child taken from him for one woman’s selfish need. I was beginning to understand the evil that Merl tried to describe to me on my first night in Falinn Galdur. Bugul placed himself at the side of his mural to his family and closed his eyes. He lifted his hand to touch the etching of the egg, humming what sounded like a lullaby he disappeared into the wall.
Dahlia awoke not long after and headed of towards a nearby stream to freshen up. She had adamantly denied Jestin’s request to let him accompany her, explaining that she would need her privacy in order properly wash herself. I waited with Jestin under a nearby tree that was within hearing distance of Dahlia.
“Jestin there’s something I don’t quite understand about Bugul’s story, why did Agrona take his egg if a Bugul Noz’s magical blood has to brew for thousands of years? I mean, surely a young baby would have been useless to her.”
“Yes that’s something myself and Bugul have discussed at length. Bugul seems to think that the Gnarls may have used it for sustenance.”
“What you mean they ate it?” I was appalled.
“Well that, like I said, is Bugul’s theory. I however do not believe this to be true. Gnarls are more likely to consume stolen livestock from farms and small woodland creatures such as badgers and foxes. I have never known them to eat an egg.”
“So why take it then?” I was sure Jestin would
have some idea after all he was a born tactician being an Army General. He would have considered all of the possibilities.
“Agrona was a truly evil woman Violet. She would stop at nothing to make herself all-powerful. She wanted to rule all man and beast at whatever the cost. She did not consider that other beings would not go as far as her in her quest for power, beauty and immortality.” I began to understand.
“So she destroyed the egg so that no one else could use it in the future?” I said.
“I believe so, for all her knowledge, skill and power she didn’t grasp most creatures have a capacity for empathy and respect for their fellow beings. There are fearsome beasts that dwell from shore to shore on this island but very few of them could reach the depths that Agrona sank to in her selfish quest.” I wanted to go back to the den and wrap my arms around Bugul for allowing kindness and compassion back into his heart, even after such terrible things happened to him. I couldn’t leave Dahlia unguarded in this place and Jestin would not have left my side.
I was listening to the calming sounds of the bird song in the trees. It was comforting to hear the melodies that had awoken me most mornings back home. I wasn’t sure which birds had been perched in the small yew tree at the bottom of the garden on Wickersley Lane.
Jestin seemed rather relaxed in our private moment too, smiling and whistling along with the birds’ serenade. Our moment of peaceful bliss was suddenly shattered. Jestin’s head turned in the direction of the stream, and of Dahlia. His huge incisors’ piercing through his gums, his deep green eyes suddenly a golden shade of yellow, an animalistic growl erupting through the silence of just a moment before. Dahlia was in danger and I wasted no time darting after Jestin on the path towards her.
The childish giggle from the morning before was mockingly ringing out from beyond the stream as we reached the water’s edge. My eyes rapidly swept the water bank for my friend but she was not with her leather sack, which was dangling from a tree branch immediately to my left. I looked towards Jestin. He was also surveying the scene before fixing his view across the other side of the bank. Dahlia was stood on the opposite side of the stream, her feet wet from crossing. The fear I felt a moment before suddenly shifted from panic for Dahlia to a fear for the small, golden-haired child that now stood at her side. His arms were reaching out towards her. He needed protection from the dangers around him. His innocent beauty entranced me. He must have only been around the age of two. He had tightly curled ringlets that framed his cherubic face. He was barely dressed, apart from a small pair of ragged green trousers.
Jestin pounced across the stream in one powerful bound and landed in a half-crouched defensive position, bearing his sharp teeth at the child and growling. Dahlia turned to him in anger, her voice flooded with sympathy for the lost defenseless child,
“What kind of monster are you Jestin? This poor y oung boy is lost in these woods, he needs our help.” She spat. Jestin’s reply was more of a growl.
“Get away from that thing.” Dahlia looked from Jestin to the child in confusion. The small boy’s outstretched fingers flexed urging Dahlia to take him in her arms. It took me a moment to understand why Jestin would have such a violent reaction to this seemingly helpless child. The same childish giggle that we heard in the opening had come from a creature way up in a huge oak tree. No real child could have reached such an extraordinary height. The giggle that also followed us through the woods at a speed that the small rounded legs of the child should not have been able to reach, let alone maintain.
“Dahlia back away from it, it’s not a child.” I pleaded with her desperately but she still seemed unsure.
“Vi, I can’t just leave a baby out here, it’s dangerous!”
“That creature is a changeling you fool. It wants to suck the bone marrow from your bones.” Jestin growled back. Dahlia looked back at the small child. It was now hissing and bearing a row of razor sharp teeth, its real identity revealed. Its eyebrows reached up in menacing points as its face distorted back to its true, terrifying form. What had been a small child’s button nose became slit-like nostrils. The devilish creature was suddenly frothing at the mouth. Dahlia dived towards Jestin but the creature lunged at her and bit deep into her ankle. Jestin threw the injured Dahlia behind him, his back turned to the changeling. I was not the only one to notice this slip of concentration and the changeling bowed, ready to pounce, towards his spine. If it managed to get its sharp teeth into Jestin’s spine, it would surely paralyse or even kill him. Instinctively I tugged my long bow from around my back and pulled the string taught, opening my chest and focusing on my target. I released my grip, as the changeling was midair, its mouth opened at a grotesquely wide angle in order to procure the largest possible bite area. My arrow hit the hideous changeling in the chest, piercing its heart. It breathed out one last pathetic whisper before flopping dead on the ground in the space immediately behind Jestin. The thumping of my heart began to slow. Jestin turned to the body of the changeling and smiled at me with pride. From across the stream he began to laugh. His laughter irritated me slightly. Didn’t he realise he had nearly died?
“Oh, funny is it that that little beast very nearly ripped your spine out?” I stated exasperated. Jestin continued to laugh.
“Thank you for saving my life Violet but I was actually counting on the little horror trying to attack my back. It is a tactic often used by Worlen fighters when they are at war with devious creatures such as changelings. Your shot however was extraordinary. For you to have been able to hit the beast in midair was nothing short of miraculous.” Jestin finished his sentence as he supported a limping and embarrassed Dahlia across the stream.
“The horrific little thing I should have screamed its head off.” She complained angrily.
When we reached the opening of Bugul’s den he was awake again and ready to accompany us to the edge of the forest. Jestin had to carry Dahlia most of the way out, fortunately the path was relatively flat and clear. Bugul sang an ancient song to try to keep us in good spirits as we pushed forward but after the experiences of yesterday and this morning, all I wanted was to get out of this dark and dangerous place. Every now and then, I would detect a whisper of ‘This way’ or ‘straight on’ from the trees. Bugul knew the path well. Happily, the trees seemed to be sending us in the correct direction. It was around afternoon time when the dense woodland became sparser and sunlight was afforded more influence. The ground became damper with the wet marshland looming. When we finally reached the very edge of the trees, it was bitter sweet. I was happy that we were only a couple of miles away from Thistlewick Marshes and the food and shelter, provided by the Banshees. At the same time, I hated to see Bugul retreat back into the trees and back towards his lonely life of isolation. I promised myself that one-day things would be better for the kind creature Bugul.