Kendra Kandlestar and the Shard From Greeve (5 page)

UNCLE GRIFFINSKITCH was a quiet Een but was rarely speechless. Kendra knew him to grunt or snort or humph at any available opportunity, but at this moment the old wizard was at a complete loss for words. All the color had drained from his face, and he looked as white as Winter Woodsong herself.

Then the songbells started singing again, and this seemed to break Uncle Griffinskitch’s trance. “Who would try to harm you?” he demanded.

“Hard to say,” Winter said cryptically.

“I think I saw someone,” Kendra said, thinking back to the shadow in the songbells. “He was hiding in the garden, just before the statue crumbled.”

“Humph!” Uncle Griffinskitch uttered, and Kendra knew it was the type of humph that meant that he had made up his mind to go investigate. With a flutter of his white beard, the wizard turned and disappeared into the lush grove of flowers.

Kendra moved to follow him, but Winter said, “Let him go, child. His search will be in vain. The songbells sing again; the culprit, whoever it was, has made his escape.”

“Aren’t you afraid, Elder Woodsong?” Kendra asked.

“When you’ve been around as long as I have, the only thing that frightens you is another birthday,” Winter said with a chuckle.

Kendra stared at her in bewilderment. Only a moment ago, the old woman had nearly met her death, and now here she sat, cracking a joke. But this was the way of Winter Woodsong. A visit with her was like trying to solve a riddle.

“Do not fret, child,” Winter said. “One of the advantages of being so old is that you know a trick or two that no one else has yet learned. Let’s not worry for now. While we wait for that uncle of yours to return, speak to me of your studies. How do they fare?”

“Oh, well . . . er, fine, I suppose,” Kendra mumbled, looking uncomfortably at the ground.

“Trouble quieting your mind?” Winter inquired.

“How did you know?” Kendra asked.

“Many a young apprentice of magic struggles with focus,” Winter answered. “Even that uncle of yours! I remember when he was
my
apprentice. He was a restless boy indeed!”

“Uncle Griffinskitch was your apprentice?” Kendra gasped.

“Of course. You didn’t think he trained himself did you?” Winter asked with a chuckle. “And now I see that you too, Kendra, are growing impatient with your lessons.”

“It’s not that,” Kendra explained, tugging on her longest braid. “It’s just that . . .”

“You wish to find your brother,” Winter finished.

Kendra nodded.

“Patience, child,” Winter said. “There is something transpiring out there in that world. Now is not the time to rush into it.”

“That’s what Uncle Griffinskitch says,” Kendra said, her face flushing. “Always, it’s ‘patience!’ But he just doesn’t understand. I
must
find Kiro.”

“Oh, I think your uncle understands all too well,” Winter asserted. “Remember this: his sister—your own mother—rushed into the outside world, never to be seen again. Kendra, you must forgive us old folk for our cautious, practiced ways; please, do not be rash. We can’t afford to lose you like we lost your mother.”

“But it’s ridiculous!” Kendra cried fervently. “We know Kiro’s out there. Why can’t we just go get him?”

“And how do you suggest beginning?”

“We should go before the elders,” Kendra declared. “We should tell them the truth, that my brother was turned into a beast by the Door to Unger. That maybe my parents were changed too. That there might be countless Eens transformed. Maybe the council will arrange a search party, help us go out there and find them.”

“A noble plan, child,” Winter said with a nod. “But Burdock will not listen to such ideas.”

“It’s not an idea,” Kendra proclaimed. “It’s the truth.”

“That may be so,” Winter agreed with a gentle smile. “But you will come to understand, Kendra, that there are those in this world who are only interested in the truth they want to believe. Why, if you tell Burdock that Eens may have some connection to the creatures of the outside world, he will call you a traitor and cast you into the dungeon before you can tug a single braid! Burdock wants nothing to do with the outside lands. If he had his way, Een would be an island and he, its king.”

It was at this moment that Uncle Griffinskitch returned. His brow was furled in frustration. “I found nothing.”

“As I suspected,” Winter replied. “But I assure you, someone is trying to harm me. Do you remember my prolonged illness this past spring?”

“Of course,” Uncle Griffinskitch said. “It forced you to step down from the council.”

“Indeed,” Winter said. “But it was no illness, I’m afraid. It appears I was poisoned.”

“Days of Een!” Uncle Griffinskitch uttered. “Are you sure?”

“Quite sure,” Winter said, and Kendra could not help wondering how the old woman spoke so matter-of-factly. “You see,” Winter continued, “I had Professor Bumblebean analyze my cup. Someone, it seems, was lacing my drink with a few drops of skerpent blood. Why, it’s nearly as toxic as Krake venom.”

“But if you were poisoned,” Kendra said, “then how come you’re still . . . er . . .”

“Alive?” Winter asked with a merry laugh. “Well, it seems I have you and your uncle to thank for that, Kendra. Do you remember the fireflowers that you brought to me upon your visit all those months ago? After the flowers wilted, I brewed tea from their petals. As you know, the fireflower has incredible healing power; the tea counteracted the poison and managed to restore my health. It was then that I began to suspect the truth about my so-called illness. But that is not all.”

“Humph,” Uncle Griffinskitch muttered. “What else?”

“Last week, someone cast a slipping spell upon one of the steps leading down from my chamber,” Winter said. “If I had not discovered the curse, I would have tumbled all the way to the bottom of the stairwell. Surely, these old bones of mine would not have survived the fall.”

“What’s the meaning of all this?” Kendra asked.

“Simply put,” Winter said, “someone is trying to assassinate me.”

“This is quite unsettling,” Uncle Griffinskitch declared. “Who would commit such a crime?”

“I’m afraid I don’t know for sure,” Winter replied, leaning heavily on her wooden staff. “But I suspect it is the workings of Burdock Brown.”

“Burdock has become a foul and decrepit man,” Uncle Griffinskitch said, “but I doubt even he would be capable of such a heinous act.”

“I wish I shared your opinion,” Winter said. “But Burdock fears and envies me. Many Eens, especially the animals, are starting to think that I should rejoin the council, even in my old age. That, of course, would mean Burdock losing some of his power, and he would never let that happen.”

Uncle Griffinskitch sighed and rubbed his long beard, as if weighing the situation in his mind.

“We must take this before the council,” the old wizard said at last. “We must denounce Burdock for his treachery.”

“I’m afraid such an endeavor would be in vain,” Winter fretted. “I have no proof of Burdock’s crimes. Besides, you of all Eens, Gregor, should know how tightly Burdock has the council wrapped around his crooked finger.”

“We can’t just let him get away with this!” Kendra cried. “We have to fight him!”

“Spoken like a true Kandlestar,” Winter said. “But I would ask you both to put your minds at ease. I have no intention of letting Burdock Brown succeed.”

“Humph,” Uncle Griffinskitch muttered. “What do you mean by that?”

“I have a plan,” Winter replied.

“Then I suggest you share it,” Uncle Griffinskitch declared.

“Trust me in this, old friend,” Winter said, leaning forward. “The less you know, the better.”

But the old wizard was unimpressed. “Kendra and I will return at once to Faun’s End,” he told the sorceress. “You must come with us.”

“Oh, you’ll have to leave without me,” the old woman said. “I’ve arranged to take tea with Enid Evermoon; I’ll make my way home afterwards.”

“That’s hardly wise,” Uncle Griffinskitch snorted. “You should not be wandering about alone! Not after what’s just happened.”

But Winter simply smiled. There is a famous adage in the land of Een:
Brittle and weak may grow the bones, but stubbornness will only bud and bloom
, which is really just another way of saying that the old are very good at getting their way. Of course, Winter Woodsong was as old as the trees, and no amount of argument from Uncle Griffinskitch would deter the sorceress from her plans. In the end, Kendra and her uncle made the trip across Peddler’s Bridge without her.

As Kendra trudged across the bridge, she found herself gazing down upon the waters of the River Wink, which were swirling almost as much as her mind. Would someone—even Burdock Brown—really dare to harm Winter Woodsong?

If he’s capable of hurting Elder Woodsong, then no one inside the land of Een is safe,
Kendra thought. Little did she realize just how right she was—but she was to find out, all too soon.

SOMEONE WAS WAITING FOR THEM at the end of the bridge. It caught Kendra by surprise; one moment the path was empty, and the next, there stood a mysterious figure, as if he had appeared there by some sudden magic. Kendra tugged her braids. The stranger was clothed head to foot in a long cloak with a heavy cowl that completely concealed his face. Kendra could not decide the color of this cloak; within the space of a breath it appeared brown, dark green, and then even transparent, for it seemed to reveal the hues of the foliage behind him. His hands she could see; these were knotted and thin, like claws, and on one bony finger he wore a ring set with a large purple stone, dark and brooding.

“Who is that?” Kendra whispered to her uncle, but the old man could only muster a quiet “humph.” She knew that kind of humph; just like Kendra, Uncle Griffinskitch was trying to measure the situation.

As they stepped from the wooden planks of the old bridge onto the bank, Burdock Brown, Captain Rinkle, and the entire Een guard (all armed with spears and heavy clubs) appeared from the surrounding bushes.

“I warned you, Gregor,” Burdock snapped, wagging a finger in Uncle Griffinskitch’s face. “You’ve crossed the line again, and this time you’ve been caught.”

“Speak plainly, Burdock,” Uncle Griffinskitch grumbled. “I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.”

“Let me introduce you to Leerlin Lurk,” Burdock Brown continued, gesturing towards the stranger in the mysterious cloak. “He’s my new Agent of Magical Detection.”

“Which means?” Uncle Griffinskitch asked.

“He tracks down and catches the miscreants who abuse the use of magic,” Burdock announced.

Kendra watched her uncle cast a dismissive glance in Agent Lurk’s direction. Then he looked back at Burdock, muttering sarcastically, “Very impressive. The scary cloak is a nice touch.”

“I wouldn’t make light of this situation if I were you,” Burdock sneered. “Agent Lurk has already made his first catch. It seems your ward, Gregor, has been found guilty of playing with magic.”

“Kendra is my apprentice, you fool,” Uncle Griffinskitch retorted. “She’s entitled to practice magic.”

Burdock smiled and adjusted the monocle that sat perched on his long nose. “I’m not speaking of the girl. It’s that critter, Ratchet Ringtail. It seems that he
somehow
managed to get his black paws on some of that dreadful
Easy Sneeze
powder that he claims to have invented. He spilled a bag in the middle of Faun’s End. The whole town is sneezing and wheezing because of that wretched stuff!”

“Come now, Burdock,” Uncle Griffinskitch uttered. “Are you telling me you arrested him for a sneeze?”

“Not one sneeze, a whole town of sneezes!” roared Burdock, banging his staff against the ground. “And that’s not the point. Today it’s a sneeze, and tomorrow he’s taking down the magic curtain! Surely, Gregor, you don’t want every monster from the four corners of the world descending upon Een!”

“Burdock, your exaggeration wearies me,” Uncle Griffinskitch declared. “Where is Ratchet now?”

“He’s acquainting himself with my dungeon,” Burdock chortled.

“The dungeon!” Kendra cried.

“This is ridiculous,” Uncle Griffinskitch grunted. “Burdock, I demand you release Master Ringtail at once!”

“Don’t worry, you’ll see him soon enough,” Burdock growled. “You’ve been harboring that masked rascal in your home, have you not?”

“Yes. What of it?”

“Then it seems you’re all too guilty,” Burdock proclaimed gleefully. “How did that mischievous critter end up with that powder? As I recall, you bought what was left of that critter’s
Easy Sneeze
; I know I confiscated the rest.”

“Confiscated?” Uncle Griffinskitch asked. “I think the word you’re looking for is
burned
.”

“In any case,” Burdock sneered, “Who’s to say you haven’t been giving him magic powders and potions to play with?”

“That’s ridiculous!” Kendra declared. “Uncle Griffinskitch would never—,”

“Quiet, Eenling!” Burdock hissed, waving a fist in her direction. “Unless you want to suffer the same fate as your pesky uncle!”

“And what would that be?” Uncle Griffinskitch demanded sternly.

As if in answer to this question, Captain Rinkle and his men suddenly brandished their weapons before the old wizard.

“You,” snarled Burdock Brown, pointing a gnarled finger at Uncle Griffinskitch, “are under arrest.”

Kendra gasped. All this time, she had been restlessly fiddling with her own wand—but now she was so startled that she dropped it to the ground.

“You will submit yourself to the Council of Elders,” Burdock continued. “Pray, Gregor, that they show you more mercy than they did towards that rascal Ringtail.”

“And by
they
, you mean
you
,” Uncle Griffinskitch retorted.

“Choose your words with care,” Burdock warned. “Now is not the time for your blustering.”

“Burdock,” Uncle Griffinskitch spoke, his voice rising, “by the bones that quake beneath my beard, tell your men to step aside. We will pass.”

Burdock’s one eyebrow snarled across his forehead. “Look about you, old man,” he uttered in a threatening tone. “You are outnumbered.”

Kendra watched as her uncle surveyed Burdock and his men. She knew what her uncle was thinking; he was weighing the odds. It was Uncle Griffinskitch against all of them. Kendra had no doubt that her uncle could best Burdock in any duel, but what about Captain Rinkle, the Een Guard, and the strange Leerlin Lurk? Silently, Kendra cursed her own inabilities. How she wished she could use her Eenwood; then together she and her uncle might best Burdock and his troop. But whom was she kidding? She couldn’t even muster enough magic to budge a leaf, let alone fight a battle.

Uncle Griffinskitch and Burdock stared each other down. Then Lurk moved, or at least it seemed as if he must have; for one moment he was standing next to Burdock, and the next he was standing right next to Kendra, casting a long shadow across her face. Kendra felt her heart skip a beat. How had he so suddenly moved from one place to the other? It was as if he had momentarily turned invisible.

Uncle Griffinskitch glanced over, and for just a moment, surprise showed in his stern eyes. Whatever magic Agent Lurk had employed, Kendra knew it had startled the old wizard too.
That’s not a good sign
, Kendra thought.

Burdock chuckled and said, “The girl, Gregor. Think of her. If you entangle her in this fight, she will share your fate. Come with us now—immediately—and she goes on her way.”

For a moment, Uncle Griffinskitch didn’t say a word. He just leveled a hard and heavy glare at Burdock. Then sternly he said sternly, “Kendra, pick up your wand.”

Kendra did as she was instructed, blindly hunting for her wand with one hand, not daring to take her eyes from Lurk. In a moment her wand was back in her hands.
And so it’s a fight
, she guessed inside her mind. The tiny glade at the foot of the bridge was now filled with tension; Kendra was clenching her Eenwood so tightly that her knuckles turned white. Burdock shifted uneasily, as did his legion of men; only Lurk did not move. He stood as still as a tower.

“Very well,” Uncle Griffinskitch said finally. “I will go with you, Burdock. I will go before the council.”

“What!” Kendra cried in surprise, but before she could utter another word, her uncle spoke again—but this time it was inside her mind.

Kendra
, came his voice.
Listen now.

Uncle Griffinskitch’s lips weren’t moving, but Kendra felt a pulse of energy through her Eenwood, and somehow she knew he was communicating with her through the magic of their wands.

She wondered if it would work both ways, and so she said to him in her mind,
What are you doing? We should fight.

This is not the time
, he responded calmly.
You must not go before the council in the Elder Stone. If you do, you won’t return.

But neither will you!

Do as I ask. Today, go home; tomorrow, fetch Winter Woodsong.

I’ll fetch her now
, Kendra replied eagerly.

No. They expect it. They will stop you and harm you, if need be. Give them no excuse.

But—

Do as I say
, Uncle Griffinskitch interrupted.
I need you to be free. I need you to be patient.

There was that word again. Kendra boiled.

Remember: You are my apprentice
, came Uncle Griffinskitch’s voice.
And I trust you.

And that was all; he severed the link and said no more. The old wizard surrendered his staff to the greedy hands of Leerlin Lurk, and with a parting glance to Kendra, he raised his head high and followed Burdock down the path towards the Elder Stone.

This is my fault
, Kendra told herself.
If only I could conjure some magic from my wand! Then Uncle Griffinskitch wouldn’t have yielded so easily!

But she could not use her wand, which meant that all Kendra could do was watch Burdock’s men lead her uncle away. When they were out of sight, she turned at once, and bolted through the fading fall afternoon, her heart buzzing like a nest of wasps.