Jack Shian and the King's Chalice Part 19

"These aren't the healin' kind. They're my compa.s.s," replied Ossian irritably.

He quickly cleared a small area in the undergrowth and leant over to the stream to moisten one of the pebbles. Then, holding all three together in his right hand, he threw them as if they were dice.

"The wet pebble's a sea stone, that one's a wood stone, and this is granite. They show where the cave and the forest are, and where the sea is. We must have over-shot the fields. The cave's over there," he indicated the way they had come. "We'd better get goin'."

"Those other horses went further than we did," pointed out Jack. "They must have overshot the fields too."

"You're right," said Ossian. "We may still get there first."

"What's in Dunvik apart from the cave?" asked Petros.

"No' much. There were some human villages, but they got cleared ages ago."

"'Cleared'?" asked Rana.

"The people got shipped away, to Canada or America. All they left were graveyards, and a lot of sheep. But this isn't really Shian territory. That's why we're human height here."

"So humans got banished as well?" asked Jack. "It's not just the Shian who got pushed around?"

"Some o' them," grunted Ossian. "Some o' the ones doin' the pushin' were pretty bad, though. It's hard to like them when you see what they did to their own kind, never mind us."

"So, some humans are all right then?"

"Of course," snapped Ossian. "But some deserve everythin' they get."

They walked on in silence, Ossian still limping. The air was clear and fresh. Lizzie, shivering as quietly as she could, pulled her cloak tightly around her.

After a while, Ossian held up his hand, and they all halted.

"Shhh!"

There was no doubt about it: there were voices ahead. The five crouched down, trying hard to hold their breath.

"I can't make out who it is," hissed Ossian. "Someone'll have to go closer and find out. With this leg I'd make too much noise."

"We'll do it," chorused Rana and Lizzie.

"I meant Jack or Petros," replied Ossian coldly.

"We've something that'll help us," explained Rana. "Show him, Lizzie."

Lizzie unhooked her satchel and took out two small green bonnets.

"Are they what I think they are?" whispered Jack. "How'd you get them?"

"Freya made them," said Rana. "You thought Fenrig was the only one stealing cloths? Freya's been making charmed clothes for ages."

"You wore them when we went to see Tamlina, didn't you?" exclaimed Petros, half in awe, half in anger.

"Never mind that now," hissed Ossian. "Can you get close enough to find out who they are?"

"'Course we can." Rana placed the bonnet on her head. "Look. Or you could try looking, but you can't see." She couldn't resist laughing at the expression on Petros's face.

"Would you keep quiet?!" hissed Ossian. "This isn't a joke. If others are after the King's Cup, they'll no' take kindly to us bein' here."

Rana and Lizzie fell silent, and, invisible to the eye, moved off carefully towards the sound of voices. Jack sat down, his heart thumping. It nearly leapt up his throat a few minutes later when a voice beside him said, "Boo!"

A peal of laughter echoed through the woods as Rana and Lizzie took off their bonnets.

"That's not funny!" yelled Jack.

"Oh yes it was," said Rana. "It's OK, it's Grandpa and some of the Congress. They've made a fire."

"Did they see you?" asked Ossian.

"'Course not, we're not stupid," replied Lizzie. "Grandpa'll be pleased to see us. They've got a fire going. You don't see it until you're up close."

"Well, you're making enough noise," hissed Petros. "They're bound to have heard you by now."

He was right. Without warning a beam of light illuminated the whole area, blinding them.

"Stand up, and put your hands on top of your heads," commanded a voice. The five obeyed.

"Grandpa, it's us," shouted Rana, her eyes tightly closed.

Jack felt his hands being seized and quickly tied behind his back, while a hood was placed over his head. To his left he heard Lizzie complaining that 'that was sore'. The five, hooded and stumbling, were made to walk by rough prods in the back. Their captors, whoever they were, did not speak. Jack thought he recognised the Darrig's distinctive smell.

"Ow!" shouted Rana. "Quit it, will you?"

"That's far enough!" the same voice directed them.

Jack's hood was taken from his head, and he faced the bright beam of light again. Gradually the light dimmed, and slowly he was able to open his eyes. As they became accustomed to the light, he saw his Uncle Doonya standing in front of him.

"Dad!" exclaimed Lizzie, but her greeting did not get the expected reply.

"What the h.e.l.l are you kids doing here?"

28.

The Dunvik Oak

The youngsters sat huddled while the Congress members discussed their fate. They were too far away from the fire to feel its warmth, but near enough to hear that the conversation was heated. None felt like speaking, and they sat, cold and disconsolate.

After a while, Grandpa Sandy and Doonya approached, the stone from Grandpa's sceptre lighting up their faces.

"Ossian," said Grandpa sternly, "you know better than to risk the lives of your cousins, Rana and Lizzie in particular. You shall return to Keldy at first light."

The group sat, mute, avoiding eye contact in the dim light.

"You should all be close to home, especially on Hallows' Eve. Jack, I thought I had impressed on you the danger of being so far from the safety of the castle."

"We thought we could help," said Jack quietly. "We discovered things about the Cup and the spirals, and we know there's others here too we saw five horses above us."

"We saw them too," replied Doonya crossly. "That should remind you of the danger. Didn't you realise you might be followed? That you might lead the Brashat here?"

"Dad, the Brashat know more than you think." Petros's voice was plaintive. "We tried to tell you earlier. Fenrig can disappear. He could have overheard everything."

"Gilmore said some charmed cloth had been stolen. But how did Fenrig make that into clothes?" asked Grandpa.

Rana and Lizzie looked uneasily at each other, but neither spoke.

"We don't know," answered Jack. "But he could've been eavesdropping for ages. Is the whole Congress here?"

"Just Atholmor, Rowan, Finbogie, and the Darrig. The others will come tomorrow." Grandpa paused and looked at the youngsters. Lizzie had started shivering. "You had better come and sit by the fire. Don't worry, it's charmed, it can't be seen more than twenty yards away. And tomorrow morning you are all going home."

"Are we far from the cave, Grandpa?" asked Rana as they walked towards the small clearing.

"It's a couple of hundred yards away. Tomorrow we shall be in the best place to find the Cup. We're camped by the old hermit's cell," continued Grandpa. "There's little of it left now. About half a mile over there," he indicated with his arm, "is an old ruined castle that belonged to the lord of these parts. An evil man; he cleared his own people away."

"But what if the Brashat come?" asked Jack.

"Tomorrow is Hallows' Eve, a day sacred for all Shian creatures. Even the Brashat would not dare to break that."

"Are you sure?" asked Jack uncertainly.

"I'm sure, but I still don't want you young ones getting mixed up with the Brashat. Hallows' Eve is a day for celebration, when we look back and honour all those who have gone before us." Grandpa examined the stone in his sceptre. "It's late. Time you lot got some sleep."

He indicated a flattish bit of ground near the fire, and the five youngsters settled down. Sleep did not come easily, however. The ground was hard, the night cold and a constant muttering came from the Congress members around the fire. It was some time before Jack and the others drifted off.

Jack woke with a start. It was still dark, the fire having all but died out. Someone was tugging his arm.

"Get up!" hissed Ossian. "And be quiet."

"What is it?" asked Jack blearily.

"Shhh! Come wi' me."

Jack looked over to the fire. The Congress members were all asleep, either propped against a tree, or curled up on the ground. Ossian silently woke the others, and together they all crept away from the camp. When they had gone about fifty yards, Ossian stopped.

"A Ghillie-Doo warned me," he whispered. "There's Brashat and Hobshee swarmin' all over the forest."

"We have to warn Grandpa, then," said Jack.

"He won't listen. You heard him last night. He's just goin' to send us packin'."

"What do we do, then?" whispered Rana.

"We'll have to hide. The Cup only shows itself when the moon rises."

"What time's it now?" asked Lizzie, simultaneously yawning and shivering.

"Dawn's not far off," replied Ossian. "We'll hole up for the day, then see how we can help when evenin' comes."

"Where's safe if there's Brashat and Hobshee all around?" asked Jack.

"There's an old oak. It's got this huge cavern in its trunk. I sheltered there once before; the rain was lashin' down, but it was a fine shelter. It's no' too far."

The first glows of daylight were lightening the sky. Jack yawned as Ossian led them along a faint path. Sure enough, not two hundred yards away, there was an oak tree. Ducking under a low hanging branch, Ossian crawled through a tear in the bark, followed by the others. It was dry inside, and felt a lot warmer than being out in the open.

"It's pitch dark," complained Rana.

Tutting, Ossian extracted a small stone from his pouch and set it down. Muttering inaudibly, he flicked his fingers at the stone, and it began to glow. Though dim, they could see that there was room inside for them all.

"We'll take turns watchin'," said Ossian. "I'll go first. You lot get some rest."

Over the next few hours Ossian, Jack and Petros took it in turns to watch. Against his better judgement, Ossian allowed Rana and Lizzie to go out for a while with their green bonnets on. They returned quickly, however, having seen figures moving among the trees.

"D'you see who they were?" asked Ossian.

"We didn't get close enough," replied Rana. "It wasn't the Congress, though."

"I want to go home," said Lizzie. "And I'm hungry."

"I brought some food wi' me."

As Ossian and Petros laid out the provisions they'd brought, Jack edged round so that he was closer to Ossian.

Being cooped up in here's bad enough, but Aunt Katie's food will make it desperate. At least Aunt Dorcas can cook.

"What can we do if there's Brashat and Hobshee around?" Lizzie's voice trembled.

"We have to get into the cave," said Jack. "The Cup's in there somewhere. The Congress can't complain if we help them get it."

"D'you want a bet?" said Petros. "Dad's going to be furious, whatever happens."

"We'll have to face that when it happens," reasoned Jack. "The important thing's to get the Cup before the Brashat."