Tangled Magick (15 page)

Nothing stirred. The pale yellow sun dappled through the trees, warming the white bark of the tall birches. Peck hooted above as she swooped close to him and dropped a thick twig on the path. Without missing a step, Leif bent and snatched the stick up. It was a good size for carving, about as long as his forearm. He peeled the bark off, littering the path behind him. The wood was soft and dry.

Peck swooped in front of him again, so close he could feel her wingtips brush against his nose. He jerked back as she screeched—her call was filled with panic. Leif perked his ears and heard hoofbeats. He struck a beeline toward a tall tree with thick roots protruding above the ground at the edge of the forest. Sliding over the tangle of roots, he ducked behind them and peeked through a gap. Fifteen men on really big horses were pounding toward him. Some of the reins carried the remnants of faded and ragged yellow and red flags that whipped and snapped in the wind. The riders' chainmail was dull and black. The lead rider wore a worn surcoat with a bear and a unicorn flanking a shield of thistles. Another rider carried a long pennant with the same symbol. It too had seen
better days, but Leif recognized them as King Huldhill's men. Perhaps he wouldn't have to find the giant after all!

He scrambled from his hiding place, took the badge from his pocket, and held it up as he called out to them, “Wait! Stop! Please!”

But none stopped. Leif sighed as the last rider rode quickly past him without a second glance. Beau jumped from his shoulder and ran after the riders a few paces before stopping and raising his fisted paw. He shook it at the king's men and scolded them in his high-pitched squeak before returning to Leif's shoulder to pout.

Leif scratched his head through the knit cap. It would've been so much faster to hitch a ride on one of those large horses. He could still feel the rumble of the hooves as he pocketed the badge again. Shifting his knapsack, he stowed away the stick Peck had given him and started walking again. He'd only walked a few paces when Peck streaked past him screeching out another warning. As Leif looked up, the horses and their riders came back into view.

He stopped as the horses circled around him. He felt Beau crawl under his hat. The poor little squirrel was trembling. The lead rider in the faded surcoat looked down at Leif from atop his high seat. “What's a hapenny doing traveling alone in this forest?”

Leif took out the badge and held it up.

The leader prodded his mount forward, and Leif stood his ground as the horse halted next to him. The animal was so close Leif felt the heat emanating from its belly, smelled the leather of the saddle. He stood on tiptoe as the human bent low over the saddle and stretched down. The human plucked the badge from Leif's hand and inspected it. “Where did you get this?”

“From a wizard I know.” Leif tried to keep his voice from squeaking.

The group of men chuckled at this statement.

“You know a wizard?” the leader said. “I suppose you are going to tell me that one lives in your village next.”

Leif swallowed. “Yes, actually. Two live in our village. Callum and Aletta.”

A look Leif couldn't quite decipher crossed the leader's dark face. The other men were stone silent.

“Callum and Aletta,” the leader repeated.

“Yes. Do you know them?” Leif asked.

“Colm, put that hapenny boy on your horse,” the leader said. He then turned his horse and continued down the road with the rest of the party following.

One of the men dismounted and lifted Leif into his saddle. Then he remounted and squeezed the horse's sides. The cold metal of the soldier's helmet rubbed against his right shin. Three dead rabbits strung from the saddle bumped Leif's left leg as the horse pranced under him. He hoped they were dinner.

“Hold on,” Colm said as his horse wheeled and turned before breaking into a canter.

Leif squeezed Colm tight around his belly, his face squashed against the soldier's cold chainmail. He'd never dreamed of flying, but that's what it felt like to ride on the back of the warhorse. A Wedge pony could never have run this fast. “I need to talk to your leader,” he yelled into the wind.

“You'll have time when we stop for the night,” Colm said.

“Colm, can I call you that? My friends are in trouble. I need to talk to him now.”

The wind gusted, making the downed leaves dance over the road. Horses startled and spooked, dancing under their saddles. Hooves stamped on the hard-packed ground as reins were pulled. Leif wondered if it was something he'd said as he peeked around Colm's broad back, and then a very loud creak, like the sound of a tree falling, filled the forest.

A humungous foot settled in the middle of the road. A voice boomed above. “Who's that yelling, calling, requesting help from me?”

Leif gathered his courage, but his voice trembled as he answered the giant in as loud a voice as he could muster. “It was I who called you.”

“Come out, come out where I can observe, see, meet you,” the giant said.

Leif swung his leg over the horse's back and slid down from behind Colm. His legs felt like warm pudding as they dangled in the air. As he looked over his shoulder to judge the distance left between him and the ground, he immediately regretted his hasty decision to dismount without help. He looked up at Colm.

“Um…a little help, if you don't mind?” Colm grabbed his arm and lowered him almost to the ground before releasing him.

Leif landed with a thump, but safely on both feet and turned toward the giant.

River Weed Starr crouched. “Why do you yell, call, request me? Why do you say Mae needs my help, aid, assistance? You are not Maewyn Bridgepost.”

The giant's hand pounded the road. The leaves at the edge jumped into the ditch, the nearby trees shivered, the horses snorted, and Leif shook in his boots. His nose twitched. Perhaps he was wrong about asking the giant for help.

“I am Reed's older brother—you know, the hapenny boy you found in the woods a couple of years ago and took to Callum's cottage? I'm also Mae's best friend,” Leif said. “I called you in her name.”

The giant's face softened. “Well, why didn't you say, declare, tell me that in the first place?”

Relief washed over Leif. Perhaps the giant would help him. “Mae and Callum, and the others are in trouble.”

“In trouble?” the giant's voice rolled over the landscape like thunder.

“You didn't tell me that Callum was in trouble!” the lead soldier said.

Leif nodded. “Yes. The traveling party was heading toward the human town of Larissa, but something's happened. She sent Peck.” Leif pointed to the owl that had settled on a limb about eye level with River Weed Starr. She hooted and blinked her golden eyes.

“Peck can show us the way—but on foot, I cannot travel very quickly. King Huldhill's men kindly picked me up, but I have not been able to speak with their leader yet.” Leif peered at the lead soldier from under his lashes.

River Weed Starr sized up each man and then focused on the soldier with the surcoat on. “Brynjar, is it?”

The leader nodded in greeting. “Greetings, friendly giant. But how did you know my name?”

“You are the soldier, wanderer, seeker who has been searching for the lost princess these many years, are you not?”

Brynjar sat a little taller in his saddle. “I am.”

“All the creatures of the trees, forest, wildwood know of you and your mission,” the giant said. “Perhaps I can help, aid, assist you as well. Can you and your men keep pace?”

Brynjar looked at his men. They all nodded back at him, hands tight on their reins. “As long as our horses last.”

Leif reached for Colm's arm and was lifted onto the back of the horse again as River Weed Starr made his way down the road toward Larissa. The trees that grew on the giant's back swayed with each movement, and his stringy, root-like hair flowed behind him. Beau slid out of Leif's hat, which was just as well, because he was making Leif sweat like a roasting chicken. He took his place on Leif's shoulder and stood on his hind legs to peek over Colm's shoulder. Peck swooped in front of River Weed Starr and took the lead as day turned into dusk.

^“
W
here is the queen? And Poppy?” Mae asked. She tried to keep her voice from trembling.

Geindride leaned forward, eye level with Mae. He searched her face as he stroked his pointed beard. “They are being… taken care of.”

Mae cringed at the tone of the wizard's voice. “Are you going to put me somewhere
safe
as well? A tower, or a cage in the dungeon, perhaps?”

The smile on Geindride's face was almost maniacal as he stood. He gestured widely with his hands. “No, I will keep you here and make you the new queen of the trolls. All of this will be yours to rule as you please. There's never been a hapenny queen before. Trolls would serve you.
I
would serve you.”

Mae's wand wavered. “Trolls aren't very good servants.”
What is Geindride up to? Could I use this offer to my advantage? Could this buy me some time to find the comb and break the spell?

Geindride laughed. “That depends on what you ask them to do. Trolls are very good at kidnapping, raiding, and keeping magickal animals, well, if not well-kept, at least alive.”

Mae pointed at the candle on the table. “
Villielder
!” The candle flamed to life, and Mae slipped her wand back into her pocket.

The wizard watched her every move. He pointed at her pocket. “Your wand, is it rowan wood?”

“Yes,” Mae answered.

Geindride seemed disturbed by this. His face turned a strange shade of pale green, and he ran a shaky hand through his hair.

“Does that distress you?” she asked.

Chuckling nervously, Geindride tried to hide his feelings with bravado. “Distress me? Ha! A little hapenny like you?”

“I am the littlest in the Wedge. I thought after Gelbane… er…left, that I might grow a bit faster, but no luck.” She shrugged nonchalantly. Truth was, she'd grown a lot under Callum and Aletta's care, but was still only up to Leif's shoulder.

“Doesn't matter what kind of wand you have. You'll never be as powerful as me.” The slick grin spread over Geindride's face again.

“What would I have to do if I was queen?” Mae plopped into the upholstered chair as though she didn't have a care in the world.

The wizard turned quickly and knelt by her side, his eyes wide. “Does that mean you will accept my offer?”

“What will Huldfrejya do when she discovers that I've taken her place?”

Geindride shook his head. “Locked in the dungeon, there is nothing she can do.”

Mae shrugged and let the smile on her face convince the wizard that she was pleased the queen was in the dungeon. Well, she
was
pleased. Not for the reasons the wizard was thinking, but because she wouldn't have any trouble getting to her once she found the comb. She peeked at the gargoyle over the mantel. He looked pleased as well, with his large, toothy smile. “Can I have the night to think about it?”

“I suppose I can accommodate that,” Geindride said as he stood. “Now, let's celebrate with dinner!” He clapped his hands and the fire roared to life. More candles lit up the room and the chamber was spotless. The bed curtains were mended, the broken pane of glass had been replaced, and the copper tub shone.

“How did you get the room so clean?” Mae asked.

“Poppy cleaned it for you,” Geindride answered. As if on cue, Poppy strolled through the door with a giant tray of food and dropped it on the table between the two chairs.

“Isn't it wonderful, Maewyn?” she asked, crossing her arms over her chest. Her tone told Mae that she didn't think anything was wonderful.

“Poppy! Your braids!” Mae gasped.

Poppy ran her hands down the silky lengths. “Geindride made my hair grow back. And he is going to bring all of the hapennies to the castle to live. And you are going to be our queen. Isn't it wonderful?”

Mae searched Poppy's smirking face. Behind the regrown hair, the scattering of freckles, and the bright white teeth, there was something very wrong.

“Yes.” Mae forced a smile. “It
is
wonderful news, isn't it?”

“To us!” Geindride picked up a full goblet of wine and tossed it down, then began to pick at the offerings from the tray. The hard-boiled eggs still steamed, the roast beef glistened with oily goodness, the carrots shone bright orange, and the potatoes were cooked to perfection.

Maewyn's stomach rumbled. Poppy shoved a plate at her and piled it with food. Mae had been so hungry since they'd arrived at the castle. She picked up a slice of meat and gobbled it down. She shoveled in potatoes and carrots and ate full eggs in one mouthful. Her stomach was full to bursting and the platters were empty of anything but scraps of potato skins when she stopped.

“Well, a hapenny's appetite
is
legendary, but I really had no idea,” Geindride said. His hands were poised above his plate, fork and knife frozen in midair. The bewildered look on his face was almost comical.

“Are you going to eat that?” Mae pointed to the pile of vegetables left on his plate. He set his utensils down and pushed his plate toward her. After Mae ate his vegetables too,
she smiled contentedly. “There is a lot you have no idea about when it concerns hapennies, I'd wager.”

“Well, hopefully we'll have time for you to teach me…if you accept my offer.” Geindride wiped his hands on a linen square. He unfolded himself from the chair and stood. “I think I will leave you to your bath, then, and your bed. Good eventide, Maewyn. I'll be back in the morning.”

“Goodnight,” Mae said. She watched him stroll from the room, uneasiness in his gait. The full moon was just rising, flooding the candlelit room with an eerie white glow. Poppy ambled around her, clearing the dishes. As she placed them on the serving cart by the window, the pale moon revealed the magick surrounding her friend. Her hair, what was left of it, was a tangled mess, her travel clothes stained and torn. Mae turned to the bed. The moon revealed the tattered state of the bed curtains and the broken panes in the windows. Poppy had not cleaned the room or mended the curtains. All of it was disguised with a leyna charm. Geindride had seriously underestimated her.