Marigold and the Dwarven Sapphire - Pt 2

   I was in for another shock when I opened the front door of my flat. I gasped as I saw our living room covered by spider webbing, with tables and chairs overturned and scorch marks against the wall following a scuffle which had evidently involved magical enchantments. I suddenly realised why Bluebell hadn’t turned up for the ball. She’d never even made it to the Royal Palace.

   Hazelnut realised this too, and breathed, “Daffodils, why would they have attacked your friend first?”

    I was forming a surprisingly accurate hypothesis in my head. “Foxglove,” I murmured. “He’s the only one capable of organising such an assault. It would also explain why he went for Bluebell first, as she’s the only one capable of standing up to him.”

   “Then we’d best find that ring before the whole of Daffoville becomes one big spider web,” Hazelnut exclaimed.

   We set to work, scouring the entire flat for any sign of the Dwarven Sapphire which Bluebell had used in our last encounter with these creatures. We swatted back the webs covering the doors and corridors, pulling out drawers and throwing books onto the floor as we searched. I really began to curse Bluebell’s disorganised nature at that point.

    As I scoured Bluebell’s bedroom I heard Hazelnut remark from our living room, “I’m telling you Marigold, when I find the one responsible for this they’re going to regret it.”

   Before I could stop myself I said curtly, “What are you going to do? Throw a handball against their face?”

    There was an agonising pause. Eventually I heard Hazelnut, sounding a lot less assured than before, say to me, “You’re still upset about that? Look Marigold it was an accident I swear.”

    “In the same way the frog in the soup was an accident? In the same way pushing me into a pond was an accident,” I snapped.

  Buttercups, I had no idea where that had all come from. Neither did Hazelnut evidently, and he sounded very off put when he answered, “Look, I was an idiotic kid. I’m sorry that I did all those things but…it was all a long time ago.”

    Immediately I regretted acting like such a cockroach. I swallowed in shame before saying, “Yeah…I know…I’m sorry Hazelnut. When this is all over how about I show you around Daffoville like you suggested?”

    He didn’t reply. I guessed that I’d really hurt his feelings. I could have banged my head against Bluebell’s dresser. Why had I let my emotions get the better of me?

    In that moment of frustration I stared out the window of Bluebell’s bedroom and had to restrain my cry of shock.

    Outside, seeming to hover in mid-air, was the ghostly figure of a beautiful, angelic woman.

    How she was hovering I did not know. I could not see any wings protruding from the white robe she was wearing, with the hood pulled up over her honey coloured hair. She was truly stunning, and when she smiled she seemed to entrance me, rooting my legs to the spot and preventing me from calling out for Hazelnut.

   “Do not be alarmed,” she told me softly, her voice clear to me even when speaking through the glass. “The gem you seek is held in Bluebell’s jewellery box. You can find the key for it in the top left drawer of her dresser. Take it to her and use its power to defeat the menace threatening those you hold dear.”

    “Who are you?” I managed to croak in astonishment.

    “Nothing more than a spirit currently. I do not have the strength to help you directly, but I have steered you on the correct path.”

   “What do you mean by path?” I asked.

    This woman than gave a silky, relaxing laugh. “Oh Marigold, always so nervous and shy, feeling so inadequate compared to Bluebell and Fern. Little do you know of the important role you have already played, and will still play as future events unfold.”

      That was the moment that I broke eye contact with this woman as I opened the top left drawer, quickly finding the key to Bluebell’s jewellery box. “Wow, thanks for the tip. Can you tell me how exactly to get this to…”

   I trailed off when I looked back out the window and saw she had completely disappeared.

   I stood motionless for a few seconds, wondering if my imagination was playing tricks on me. Who was that? How had she known all that? What did she mean by the correct path?

  Finally however I returned to my senses, and putting this mysterious apparition behind me I used the key to unlock the jewellery box. My heart beating in anticipation I lifted up the lid, and there it was, seeming to glow in a comforting blue light. The Dwarven Sapphire, a magical jewel which emitted a radiance which scared off driders and spiders alike. Just the thing for saving Daffoville from an arachnid invasion.

    “I found it!” I yelled in triumph to Hazelnut.

    He didn’t reply.

    Suddenly an icy fear permeated my body as I began to realise that maybe there had been another reason Hazelnut hadn’t called out to me earlier. Summoning all my inner resolve I put the Dwarven Sapphire onto my gloved ring finger, and apprehensively I exited the bedroom and returned to the living room.

    Just in time to see a spider apply the finishing touches to the cocoon now enveloping every part of Hazelnut’s body from his mouth to his feet.

    I restrained my cry of shock as I realised the beast responsible for capturing Bluebell had never left the flat. And now, with Hazelnut cocooned, only I was left to go.

   The creature immediately sensed my presence, and dropped the encased Hazelnut to the ground as it prepared to strike. I had only seconds to come up with a plan. But as it turned out, seconds were all I needed to come up with perhaps the most insane plan in Daffoville history.

   Bluebell would be able to use the Dwarven Sapphire to send these creatures packing, but she had evidently been captured already. How would I be able to get the ring to her before people started dying? The fastest, and perhaps craziest method, was to let myself get taken by the spiders too.

   With a flap of my wings I darted forward as the spider sent a flurry of venom darts in my direction, which all somehow missed me. I was trying to reach my assortment of potted plants in the far corner, now all covered by spider webs. The very thing I needed was still exactly where I’d left it, in the pot of a small tomato plant I’d been cultivating. It was my favourite pair of secateurs.

   I grabbed them with the same hand I’d put the Dwarven Sapphire on, and then with the spider bearing down on me, I pretended to faint.

    I dared not open my eyes as I heard the infernal creature stand over me, making horrible clicking noises as it processed this strange turn of events. Then I felt it pick me up, and then even with my eyes closed I felt the world begin to spin.

    Last time this had happened I’d been drugged up with venom. This time I was only too aware of the sensation of having sticky spider silk being weaved about my body. I felt it fix to my bare feet and lower legs as my winding calf strap, high heeled sandals and diagonal slit dress offered no protection. I felt the fabric of my orange dress be pressed against my legs and body as silk began to envelop me. I could feel my wings being gunked and curled up by the silk as my torso was covered. I clutched the pruning shears as tightly as I could as I felt my arms become pinned against my sides. And at the moment where I felt my mouth get covered by repeated strands of sticky silk, I found myself praying that I knew what I was doing.



     It was in the early hours of the morning when we reached the spider’s den. The arachnid transporting us had quite the journey to make, scuttling and climbing through the streets of Daffoville unseen. An impressive feat for a creature that was carrying two webbed up nymphs on its back.

    I’d spent much of the journey thinking through my plan as opposed to tiring myself out struggling. A few jiggles and flexes was all I needed to confirm that wriggling alone wasn’t going to break me out of this stifling, restrictive cocoon. My legs remained fixed together and my arms remained rooted to my sides. Moreover strands of my golden hair had also got caught up in the sticky material, tugging on my roots if I even moved my head. For now, I had little choice but to stay in place.

   But the restricting cocoon of silk was not the only cause of discomfort. In order to transport us to its lair the spider had positioned Hazelnut and I face to face, then attached a few additional strands of silk between our cocoons to keep us together. As a result my face was held only inches apart from Hazelnut’s, to the point we were almost touching. In the low light I couldn’t see much, but I could just about make out his facial features and see into his deep brown eyes. Weird to think how earlier in the evening I’d been dreading meeting him again. Now I was glad of his company. I didn’t know how I’d have coped doing all this on my own.

   Hazelnut saw me looking at him, and shifting against his own sticky cocoon he murmured through his silk gag at me, “Mmmmmm sssrrrnnnn mmmmrrrrrggglllllldddd.”

    “Tttttssss kkkkmmmm,” I murmured in response, glad the darkness concealed my blushes. I clutched my secateurs tightly underneath all this silk. There was still hope left. I just had to wait for the correct opportunity.

   After what seemed an eternity the spider reached a burrow leading underneath the Royal Palace. Hazelnut and I groaned as we were led down the earthy, root strewn tunnel before we ended up in the sprawling cellars underneath the willow tree. The entire space, from the ceilings, walls and even the floors, was completely coated in sticky webbing, colouring the normally dingy cellars a pristine, eerie white. The space was bustling with activity, as countless brown spiders scuttled from wall to wall, weaving more webs and also carrying with them cocoons of all shapes and sizes, affixing them to the walls and ceiling wherever there was space.

   I realised quickly that most of the Palace must have been captured by now, judging solely from the sheer number of cocoons. Some were fixed to the walls, some were bundled together in the corners, some were dangling from the ceiling upside down. But the occupant of nearly every cocoon was fully awake and struggling furiously for freedom, crying and mewling desperately through their silk covered mouths.

   We were carried deeper into the cellar by the arachnid, until suddenly a large shadowy figure loomed over us. My eyes widened in fear when I saw the deep red eyes, pristine white teeth, black hair and arachnid legs of a drider, realising then for the first time who was really behind this attack. “My my, let us see what we have here?” this female drider sneered, before leaning in to examine their latest catch. I think she recognised me as she formed a malicious smile, baring her pointed fangs, before she remarked, “At last, the final member of the royal family is ours. You did well to evade us my dear, but it was ultimately all in vain. With you in attendance, the feast can begin.”

     “Nnnnnnmmmm wwwwmmmm!” I protested. But the drider ignored me, instead making some kind of guttural, chattering noises to its spider brethren. The spider carrying us clicked in response, before it scuttled off to its new destination. As we were carried along with it we started hearing muffled shrieks from the cocoons, now containing people we recognised.

    Hazelnut saw his family first, his mother, father and two older sisters were hanging from the ceiling all enveloped in their webbings. Then we passed by my own family, my parents and brother attached to a support pillar, all furiously wriggling at the sight of me being carried past. I got a good long look at Queen Snowdrop and Honeysuckle, both cocooned side by side, writhing helplessly and crying out to me through their silked up mouths.

   Then I heard a desperate cry of, “Mmmmmrrrrrrrgggglllll, nnnnnmmmmm!” from above. I looked up and my heart sank as I saw Fern dangling upside down from the ceiling, her long green ponytail falling towards the floor. Her hair and her upper face were the only parts of her body visible, the rest completely coated in constrictive white webbing. She stared at me with her wide, hazel eyes and angrily wriggled for freedom, desperate to protect me.

    Dangling by her side was none other than our three human friends, Aaron, Gary and Rebecca. The two boys seemed spaced out, perhaps still feeling the effect of the spider venom. But Rebecca was struggling inside of her cocoon even more furiously than Fern, her face flushing red as her long blonde hair swished underneath her. Nymphs can handle being held upside down for long lengths of time (comes with our ability to fly) but evidently the same didn’t apply to human kind.

   Finally I was taken to the final cluster of prisoners. First I saw Primrose, Reed and Moss all wrapped up, writhing about for freedom from their position against another support pillar. Then I saw the cluster of Pixie delegates that had been ambushed and replaced by the driders earlier. Then, at last, I saw her. My closest friend in the world, bucking and twisting with everything she had when she saw me sharing her plight.

   “Mmmmmmm ssssssrrrrrrnnnn mmmmrrrrrggglllll!” Bluebell cried at me as Hazelnut and I were dumped in the middle of the web strewn cellar.

    “Ttttttssss llllrrrrrtttt!” I replied, realising now was the time to spring my plan into action. I fought against my silken bonds to twist my secateurs around and then, without anyone noticing, I began rubbing the blade back and forth against the silk. It sliced through the material like butter, and soon I had enough space to move my right hand. With more work I knew I would be able to break free from this damn cocoon. But of course, that was only half the problem. The other half was managing to get to Bluebell, free her and hand over the Dwarven Sapphire, without getting noticed or recaptured by the driders.

   And with all five of those infernal beings clustered nearby, currently that was going to be impossible. The three who had accompanied Pixie Prime Minister Helvella to the ball had cast off the enchantments disguising them, and were now strutting about in their half arachnid glory. They were eagerly examining their larder of captured nymphs and other fey creatures. As I listened to their conversation I realised, to my horror, that they were discussing which of their many captives they were going to feast on first.

   “I think we should feed on those three humans to start with,” one of the male driders hissed happily. “I’ve never tasted human energy before. I wonder what it’s like.”

   “No, we should save them for later,” one of the two female driders replied. “I say we feast on the royal family first. I got a good whiff of that princess when she was brought in. Her quintessence tastes like peppermint.”

   “I want that blue haired Nymph over there. Her quintessence is overflowing!” hissed a second male drider.

   “For the last time, we are not to touch the granddaughter of Foxglove,” The lead drider roared at his sub-ordinates. But then he cackled happily to himself, before turning to the only non-spider creature in the room not webbed up. “Perhaps we should let our accomplice choose our first course, seeing as we would not have succeeded without her.”

   “Don’t you dare treat me as your accomplice,” Helvella exclaimed from where she was standing in the corner of the room, only a short distance away from the wriggling Bluebell. “I only did as you ordered because the lives of my ministers were under threat.”

    “Silence you impudent wench!” hissed one of the female driders. “You should be grateful. We have finally rid Daffoville of those Nymphs that you are so keen to see deposed.”

   But Helvella shook her head defiantly. “I may have my issues with the Nymphs, but I do not wish to see them suffer at the hands of evil. You can tell Foxglove that if he wants to take over our world by force, then he won’t just have the Nymphs to contend with. He’ll have to battle against all fey-kind.”

    The lead drider hissed in amusement, before replying ominously, “Perhaps you can tell him that yourself, once we’ve wrapped you up nicely and taken you to his hideout.”

   Immediately he and his drider accomplices began advancing ominously on Helvella, but she had anticipated this. She turned on her heel and ran, not towards an exit but, to everyone’s astonishment, to Bluebell. She’d been waiting for the driders to reveal her identity, and now she could put her own plan into action.

   She knelt down beside my cocooned friend and grasped the layer of silk wound over her mouth. “You had better be as powerful as the stories tell young Nymph,” she said as she tugged hard against the silk, ripping it away from Bluebell’s face.

   The second her mouth was liberated Bluebell responded with a loud yell of, “RELOSAS!”

    In an instant the silk webbing entrapping Bluebell dissolved into a wild flurry of blue petals, surrounding her body like a tornado before dispersing throughout the cellar. Everyone stared up at the blue haired sorceress as she fluttered her newly liberated wings and took flight, hovering over the scene. She was wearing her gorgeous deep blue ballgown with ribbon straps tied behind her neck, with matching blue gloves reaching over her elbows and ankle strap blue high heeled sandals on her bare feet. And boy, did she look like she meant business.

    “I am sick and tired of having to battle creeps like you!” she roared at the five driders as they gathered around her in a semi-circle. “Why can’t you leave us all in peace? That’s all we’ve ever wanted. Why are you forcing me to fight all the time?”

    “Haven’t you heard my pretty?” the lead male drider hissed, not sounding too perturbed by this change in fortunes. “A new era is about to begin. Foxglove will usher in a new age of prosperity for us creatures of darkness. The trees and plants will decay and be replaced by stone and metal. With you all gone, it will be a paradise. You will pay for the curse brought upon us by your ancestors.”

     “You brought this curse upon yourselves!” Bluebell roared. “And I swear, in front of you and everyone you’ve captured, that as long as I breathe I won’t allow that to happen.”

      As Bluebell defied the driders I looked up and saw a number of spiders scuttling across the web strewn ceiling towards her. Blue hadn’t noticed them, but Fern and I had. “BBBBBLLLLLBBBBLLL LLLLLLKKK TTTTTT!” Fern roared desperately continued, her webbed body swinging from side to side as she did everything to break free. I continued to saw away at the silk with my secateurs. I almost had my hand free!  

      “Brave words,” hissed female drider. “But even with all your magical abilities you remain outnumbered. All it takes is one venom dart to pierce your tender flesh and you will become our prisoner once more!”

    “I’d like to see you try. Flastarna!” Bluebell roared, sending fireballs flying from her gloved fingertips. The driders scuttled backwards to avoid her attack, all the while the spiders above Bluebell’s head prepared to strike. Fern, Primrose, Aaron and I all screamed in warning, but she remained oblivious as a spider dived at her.

   Only to be hit by a gust of wind summoned by none other than Helvella.

   Bluebell blinked at the Pixie and asked, “You can use magic?”

   “You thought Briar was the only one of our kind who could?” Helvella retorted as she struck a defensive position beside Bluebell. “Come child, let us see if the magic powers of the Nymphs are comparable to our own.”

    The driders hissed angrily at this turn of events, and launched to attack Bluebell, but summoning tongues of bright flame which encased her hands Bluebell fended them off. Behind her Helvella was using wind magic to keep the spiders at bay. But despite their efforts they were gradually becoming enclosed by an angry ring of spiders and driders alike. Even for magic users as powerful as them, it was only a matter of time until the pair were overwhelmed.

    But then my secateurs finally cut through the webbing, and my gloved hands (the gloves ironically made out of spider silk) burst free. With some wriggles I managed to grab the silk covering my mouth and pulled it away. I took a deep breath before I yelled at the top of my voice, “Bluebell, I have the Dwarven Sapphire, over here, quick!”

    At my words all five driders emitted horrified, high pitched shrieks. “NO, a Dwarven Sapphire! Stop her brethren,” the lead male roared in desperation. But Bluebell gave a powerful flap of her wings, divebombed through the air towards me, managed to barrelroll mid-air to evade a glob of silk emitted by a nearby arachnid, before landing at my side.

     She quickly saw the blue coloured ring on my finger, and as she pried it off I told her firmly, “Give them hell Blue!”

    “BRETHREN, CATCH THAT NYMPH!” the lead drider roared, scuttling over the web-covered floor at full speed until he was bearing down on us.

    But at very that second Bluebell slid the Dwarven Sapphire onto her own finger, at which it began emitting a bright, pulsating blue light as it resonated with her magical energy, which seemed to send out a wave of magical power which pushed the arachnids back.

   “No, the light. I can’t stand it,” the lead drider howled, shielding his eyes as he and his four accomplices were forced away by the brightness emitted from the ring on Bluebell’s finger. The spiders too began to cower against the radiance, retreating further and further from the nymph whose magic was filling the Dwarven Sapphire.

    Suddenly filled with confidence Bluebell yelled, “What’s wrong? Weren’t you going to feed on us all and plunge Daffoville into an era of darkness?” As she spoke the light from the ring intensified, becoming brighter and brighter until it became too much for even me to look at. I could have sworn Bluebell was glowing too. Her eyes seemed to shine a deep, mesmerizing blue and her hair seemed to sparkle. I’d seen her emit these crazy levels of magical power before, but this time she was in complete control.

   As a result the drider forces were in disarray. Terrified by the light, they and their spider forces went into full retreat, scuttling away in all directions as fast as their spindly legs could take them. “Such power!” one of the female driders screamed. “Please spare us!”

   “I will spare you!” Bluebell answered as magic continued to course through her body. “But on one condition. Return to my uncle and tell him that he is mistaken if he thinks that he can take over Daffoville. Tell him that we are strong, and that we will not be cowed by his threats anymore. NOW GET OUT!”

   The driders and spiders seemed only too keen to oblige her demands, scarpering out of the cellar and leaving it filled with countless cocooned conference guests and palace staff, all staring wide eyed and murmuring excitedly at the sheer display of power from the young Nymph sorceress. Bluebell descended to the ground with the light from the Dwarven Sapphire diminishing in radiance until it was once again a blue gem on her finger. Everyone watched in silence as she returned to normal, in awe of the magical prowess my oldest friend had displayed.

   An aura completely broken when Bluebell tried turning to face me, clumsily got her feet caught in the hem of her party dress, and tumbled over to the ground face first.

   I found myself laughing as I watched her pick herself up, pulling away strands of her blue hair from her face and brushing the cobwebs from off of her dress. “Smooth Blue. Good job the spiders didn’t see that,” I remarked as she approached.

   “Good job that I have a friend as amazing as you,” Bluebell smiled at me. “We’d have been done for had you not brought us the Dwarven Sapphire.”

   “Well it was Fern’s idea,” I replied as I managed to partially haul myself out of my pierced cocoon, before using my secateurs to start cutting away at the silk binding Hazelnut.

    “Ccccnnnn yyymmm ggggttt sssss ddddnnnn nnnnmmmm?” the dangling Fern asked us as she and her fellow upside down prisoners started wriggling in anticipation.

   Breathlessly Bluebell answered, “Give me a sec Fern. Going to need a lot of energy to free everyone with this Relosas spell.”



    Two days later and finally the conference was underway. The delegates all gathered in the now cobweb free ballroom, dressed smartly as they awaited the first day of discussions and negotiations to begin. I was about to take my seat beside Bluebell, Fern and Honeysuckle when we all heard an enthusiastic voice calling my name. We turned to see that it was Hazelnut, dressed smartly in a suit and tie made out of woven reeds.

   “Hi Marigold, are you OK?” he asked me as he reached us.

    I smiled as I replied, “Fine thanks. I know it sounds weird but I’m used to quick recovery times after being captured now.”

    Grinning broadly Hazelnut then turned to my friends and said, “Listen Fern, I never said thank you for getting me out when the spiders grabbed my family. And Bluebell…wow. You were astonishing. Thanks for saving us all.”

  A sly smirk on her face, Fern answered, “It’s quite alright. Thanks for taking care of Marigold for me.”

   “Yeah, I heard you really helped out in finding the Dwarven Sapphire,” Bluebell added.

   “Well, Marigold was the one who ended up finding it,” Hazelnut said modestly. Then turning to me he said, “So, we still on for Tuesday afternoon at the Greenleaf café? You going to show me the sights then?”

    “I’ll be there!” I smiled reassuredly.

    Looking delighted Hazelnut responded, “Cool…see you then!” after which he returned to where his parents were sitting, leaving me stood surrounded by three ladies with very cheeky smirks on their faces.

   “Look it’s not what it looks like,” I told them immediately.

   “Why, what does it look like?” Bluebell asked me mischievously.

   “I know what you’re all thinking.”

   “How could you possibly know what we’re thinking?” Fern remarked jovially.

   “I’m just…returning the favour for his help fighting the driders.”

   “Very generous of you Marigold,” Honeysuckle smiled. “Taking a boy who previously drove you crazy out for a drink…just the two of you.”

   Then to compound my embarrassment the three humans turned up, and Gary couldn’t help but say, “What’s this? Does Marigold have a date?”

    “I DO NOT HAVE A DATE!” I insisted a little too loudly, my face flushing red as my stomach lurched in embarrassment.

    All my protests did was cause my friends to laugh happily, the trials of the previous evening just memories now. Aaron however was looking quite sheepish, eyeing up the podium he was to speak from in a few moments time. Bluebell could see he was nervous and touching him on the shoulder reassuringly she said, “You’ll be fine. Just tell them the truth and they’ll understand.”

    Aaron seemed to relax at her words. “You mean…like you understand?”

    Bluebell nodded at him, a smile on her lips. “I know how hard it is having a mad family. But I promise that we’ll get through this to…”

    “INTRUDER!”

     Everyone turned to the entrance to the ballroom as in burst three members of the elite guard as they bundled in an uninvited guest. Bluebell, Fern and I took flight to get a better view of this intruder, and our mouths fell open in shock as we all recognised his wild green hair, his bushy green moustache with curled ends and his vibrant, multi-coloured bowtie worn with his blue suit and purple waistcoat. “Excuse me lads, watch the suit. It’s tailored you know,” the man remarked as he was pushed into the centre for inspection by security.

     But Fern dove forward and intercepted them before things got out of hand. “Stand down everyone. It’s alright. He’s a friend!” she told the elite guard.

    “Ribwort!” Bluebell exclaimed as she and I flew forward to greet him. “What are you doing here?”

     Looking suddenly delighted the eccentric Nymph said, “Ah Bluebell my dear. You’re looking healthy. Oh and wearing that ring I gave you. Nice to see you haven’t forgotten me.”

     Prime Minister Helvella and her (real) entourage of ministers did not look impressed by this eccentric display. “Who is this vagrant,” she sniffed.

    “This is Ribwort, a friend of my grandfathers,” Bluebell explained to everyone in attendance. “He’s aided me and my friends before, and if he’s here, then he’s here to help.”

   “Perceptive as always Bluebell!” Ribwort remarked excitedly as he bounced away from the guards who had apprehended him. “I must say you wasted your time calling this conference your majesty. If you wanted to find out how to stop those human invaders, then you should have found me first.”

    “Well if you stayed in one place for more than a few days we might have been able to ask,” Fern grumbled.

     “What do you mean Ribwort?” asked Queen Snowdrop. “You mean you have information for us?”

    “Well I know for a fact that you don’t stand a chance against the humans currently,” Ribwort said bluntly, somehow having found his way to the main conference podium. “We might have all the magic, but humans are simply too strong and determined. If we are too save Daffoville and its surrounding lands then we have to engage the humans on their own terms.”

   “How do we do that?” I asked.

   Looking very mischievous Ribwort said, “In days of yore the fey and human worlds were much more closely intertwined. There was even some communication between the two, and as a result the sorcerers of old devised ancient magic capable of allowing fey species and humans to travel between the two worlds. That magic still exists, and theoretically one could use it to travel to the human world and stop their plans before they can implement them.”

   “And use it to travel home,” Rebecca breathed.

    “Where could we find this magic?” Bluebell asked Ribwort.

    Ribwort gave his most manic smile yet before answering, “You’re standing on it.”

    Everyone dispersed at that point, revealing the circular pattern in the floor of the ballroom, right in its centre. It was a pattern that was very familiar to me and many of my close friends. Many months ago I’d stared at that spot in terror as the mad sorcerer Floxglove threatened to send me through a portal to another world. Now I stared at that very spot as Ribwort told us that that very same magic held the key to saving my land from destruction.

    “The Black River!” I murmured in disbelief.

    Bluebell however became very pale all of a sudden, and became unsteady on her feet. Looking like she was about to collapse in shock she murmured, “But…that must mean…”



     “Please come in!”

     The door to the office was flung open aggressively, and in strode Lord Haldwick, the self-proclaimed owner of the Alder Valley and uncle to Aaron. He was a portly man with a taste for fine ale, tall and imposing and wearing an expensive tweed suit. A flat cap covered his bald head, and one of his beloved terriers, by name of Janice, trotted into the room after him, not caring one bit that animals were not allowed onto university premises.

    “I doubt that I need to introduce myself,” he announced pompously to the room’s only occupant, a bearded, bespectacled university professor from the university’s environmental studies department, who seemed more interested in the potted plant on his desk then the person who had just entered his office.

   “Well most people introduce themselves when they enter. Seems to be the done thing,” the professor remarked amiably. “Would you like a boiled sweet?”

   “I do not want a boiled sweet,” Lord Haldwick retorted angrily. “I want to talk business.”

   “Well I’ve never been one for business. Have you tried the school of Economics?” the professor replied.

    “I am not in the mood for jokes!” Haldwick roared. “I want to know what your game is. My sources tell me that you’ve only been a professor here for a few months. In that time you’ve rallied all the local students against my construction project in the Alder Valley. Apart from that, my sources are unable to find out anything about you.”

    “Perhaps you need to hire better investigators.”

    “My investigators do not miss anything,” hissed Haldwick. “All we know is that you appeared out of nowhere, and have made it your mission to disrupt my plans by sending all your environmental students out to protest against my projects.”

     “Would you have them studying instead? Heaven forbid.”

    At that point Haldwick’s patience snapped, and he thumped his fist against the desk, causing his terrier Janice to bark in alarm. “I don’t know what your game is professor, but I won’t stand for some trumped up lefty hippie ruining everything I’ve worked so hard for. I can make you rich, I can get you whatever you want. Just name your price, tell your students to give up their stupid crusade, and you can walk away from this a happy man.”

    The professor for the first time looked at Haldwick, smiled, and answered, “Sorry. If I was motivated by money I wouldn’t have become a professor.”

    Visibly bristling with anger Haldwick growled, “You’ll regret joking around instead of taking me seriously.”

    “Don’t you have more important things to do than threaten me, like trying to find those three students who went missing on your property?” the professor asked bluntly.

    “They aren’t missing,” Haldwick growled as he strode to the office door. “Aaron is staging all this as some kind of publicity stunt. Now he had the whole country discussing his and his friend’s disappearance, and I can’t make a move without the tabloid press breathing down my neck. Well bravo to him, but he can’t fool me. And if I find out you had anything to do with this, you’ll regret the day you were born.” Then he flung open the door, waited for his terrier Janice to trot out, before slamming it shut behind him.

      Professor Lupin hummed happily to himself as he poured a glass of elderflower wine, then checked his reflection in the mirror on his desk. “What an unpleasant man,” he said to himself as he analysed his bushy grey beard and long grey hair, focusing intently on the one strand of hair, just behind his left ear, which remained a bright, vibrant blue colour.