Glasruhen Gate (4 page)

‘Cory will show you where the plates have been hidden. I need to rest now.’

Arrana sighed deeply as her bark began to shimmer and shake. When she had disappeared they stood in silence before the gnarled trunk of the ancient oak until Cory stepped forward.

‘Will you follow me?’

She quickly led them across the hillside. They had to hurry to keep up with her.

‘We’re here,’ she announced when they were standing before a group of bushes with strange twisted branches. They were so thick it was impossible to see anything through them.

Cory stepped into the first bush and disappeared. Jack wondered if they were expected to do the same but no one made any move to follow. Two more Dryads appeared and touched the leaves of the bush Cory had entered. The branches swished from side to side until an opening appeared.

‘Come through,’ Cory said from the other side.

They stepped into a circular clearing. A large stone stood in the centre, and there were smaller ones around the edge.

‘This place is protected by the deepest magic. None may enter without Arrana’s permission,’ Cory explained as she led them towards the centre.

Jack could see the stones had been carved with strange markings. They were different from the ones he’d seen around Jennet’s well. These were more like lines, scratched deeply into the stone. The tallest stone had a hole through the middle. Cory put her hands inside the hole and spoke to the stone. There was a loud crack as the ground split open at its base. She bent down and removed something large that was wrapped in cloth. Then the ground closed again.

‘I believe these are what you need?’ she said as she offered Nora the bundle.

‘Thank you, Cory. Please thank the trees for looking after my plates so well. Soon the cauldron will be remade and we’ll make all speed into Annwn to collect the acorns. We will have Hamadryads in the forests again to protect you all.’

Cory bowed and signalled for them to go back through the strange bush. Once they were in the forest Nora opened the package and spread the plates out on the ground.

‘That’s the rowan, ash and birch. Only three more to collect. Shall we go and see Jennet now?’

As they made their way to the Hawthorn Well, Camelin hopped and skipped around the meadow with his lath held firmly in his beak.

‘Thanks Jack. I can’t believe I’ve got a wand at last.’

‘It’s alright. You deserve it.’

Nora frowned at Camelin.

‘When you’ve empowered it you’d better join Jack for wand practice. I don’t want you misusing it.’

They walked the rest of the way through the meadow in silence, lost in their own thoughts. Even though he should have felt elated Jack couldn’t stop thinking about Arrana.

Nora had already got her lips to the water and was calling Jennet’s name by the time Jack and Elan arrived at the well. They watched as the water began to bubble. A column of water rose. Green matted hair appeared, followed by a very cross-looking water nymph.

‘It’s not two minutes since you were here last. What now?’

‘Jack has something to ask you,’ said Nora.

Jack stepped forward and shuffled his feet as Jennet sniffed the air impatiently.

‘Come on, come on, I haven’t got all day.’

‘I’ve come to collect the cauldron plates.’

‘And if I’ve got any, what do I get in return? Cauldron plates are very precious. Not many about these days.’

Elan stepped forward.

‘We have some very powerful magic. It can make you look even more beautiful than you already are.’

Jack could see Jennet was interested. Elan showed her the bottle.

‘The magic is inside.’

Jennet thrust her head forward and peered at the glass.

‘What kind of magic?’

‘Green magic.’

Camelin chuckled and Jack tried his best not to laugh.

‘Show me,’ crooned Jennet.

Elan opened the bottle. The powerful smell of the nail varnish filled the air. Jennet sniffed then put her tongue out and tasted the pungent aroma.

‘That’s powerful magic indeed. How does it work?’

Elan wriggled her fingernails then demonstrated the magic by painting one of Jennet’s nails.

‘Oh most acceptable. I’ll go and find you some plates.’

They all laughed after Jennet had disappeared into the well. They could hear crashing and banging coming from deep under the water. Occasionally bubbles rose to the surface. Finally Jennet reappeared with a whole collection of old cauldron plates. Nora didn’t look happy.

‘These are not the right ones Jennet. Jack gave you three plates, and all of them had trees embossed on them. Don’t you remember? One of them used to hang next to the well, it had a hawthorn tree on it. The other two are similar. One has the oak, the other a willow.’

‘This is all I’ve got. I’ve gone through my whole collection down there. If I’d had the well plate I’d have put it back a long time ago. Besides, Jack never gave me any plates to look after.’

‘I did, I gave them to you and you threw them into the spring.’

‘Spring?’

‘The one at Viroconium.’

‘Wasn’t me. Now I’ll just be taking my bottle and be off. I’ve got lots to do today.’

Nora unwrapped the bundle she was carrying.

‘Take a look Jennet, they’re like these.’

‘Nothing like them down below. Come and look if you don’t believe me.’

‘Could you just go and take one more look?’ Jack pleaded.

‘I know what I’ve got in my cupboards Jack Brenin and what’s more, I know you never gave me any cauldron plates. I would remember.’

The water began to gurgle and boil and Jennet abruptly disappeared.

‘I’m sure it was Jennet. You thought it was her too, didn’t you Camelin?’

‘It was dark, could have been any water nymph, they’re all bad tempered. Seen one, seen ’em all.’

‘What happens now?’ Jack asked Nora.

‘She’ll be back. She’ll want the bottle now she’s seen it.’

‘How long will we have to wait? You said we were running out of time. We need to get the plates back as soon as possible, don’t we?’

PROBLEMS

‘What about my symbol?’ asked Camelin as he looked around the base of Jennet’s well.

‘I’m afraid that’s going to have to wait. Recovering the plates is far more important,’ Nora told him.

Camelin frowned.

‘But I’ve waited a long time for a lath.’

‘Waiting a little longer isn’t going to make much difference is it?’

Camelin sighed deeply.

‘Couldn’t you just…’

‘No and that’s an end to the matter. You’ll get your mark eventually.’

Jack paced up and down in front of the well.

‘Do you think she’s forgotten about the plates?’

‘Water nymphs can be forgetful,’ said Elan. ‘It might help if you remind her what happened, when she comes up again.’

‘She will come up again, won’t she?’

Before Elan could reply the water in the well began to bubble. Nora stood by the water’s edge and was ready as soon as Jennet reappeared.

‘I don’t believe we finished our conversation, did we? Jack has something he’d like to ask you.’

‘I’ve already told you. There aren’t any more cauldron plates.’

‘Do you have any armour?’ asked Jack.

‘Armour! What would I be doing with armour?’

‘The Camp Prefect at Viroconium had lots of shiny armour and weapons. I just thought they were the sort of thing a water nymph might have taken a fancy to.’

‘Some might, but not me. I stayed right away from Romans.’

‘Did you ever go to Viroconium?’

‘Never.’

Jack sighed. He was getting nowhere. Elan put her hand on Jack’s shoulder and stepped forward.

‘Who would have been in the spring at Viroconium?’

‘How would I know? What did she look like?’

‘She looked very much like you,’ said Jack nervously.

Jennet ran her long green fingers down her cheeks before thrusting her head towards Jack.

‘Was she as beautiful?’

Jack was going to say it was dark and he hadn’t seen her too well, but Camelin interrupted before he could speak.

‘Nowhere near as beautiful as you and her hair was a lot greener than yours.’

‘Hmm, not as beautiful, darker hair, a few hundred years ago, Viroconium. Don’t go away, I’ll be right back.’

‘Do you think she knows who it was?’ asked Jack.

‘I think I know what she’s gone to fetch,’ replied Nora. ‘Jennet likes to be well informed, so she has a list of all the water nymphs. Just in case any of them might be more beautiful than she is!’

‘Here we are,’ Jennet announced as she resurfaced. ‘My list.’

She had three slates in her hand. Jack could see that the top one had strange markings scratched onto it. They were like the ones they’d seen on the standing stone earlier. Jennet coughed then began reading the names:

‘Isen, Nymet, Myryl, Kerrin, Coriss, Uriel, Lucie…’

‘How many names are on the list?’ Elan asked.

‘Too many,’ grumbled Camelin.

Nora gave him a disapproving look then smiled at Jennet.

‘Could you find out quickly for us which nymph it might have been?’

‘Don’t do information, you need a Bogie for that,’ Jennet replied, thrusting the slates into Nora’s hand before disappearing, once more, into the well.

‘It looks like we’re going to have to pay Peabody a visit. I’d hoped we wouldn’t have to see him again so soon.’

‘You didn’t ask her for my sign?’ grumbled Camelin.

‘And she didn’t ask for the…’ began Elan, just before a surge of bubbles exploded from the well.

‘My green magic…’ crooned Jennet as she stretched out her long fingers towards Elan.

‘My symbol,’ demanded Camelin.

‘A symbol? Now what would you be wanting with one of those?’

‘Camelin has a lath now,’ explained Jack.

Jennet looked surprised.

‘And in return for the symbol I can have the magic bottle?’

‘Yes,’ agreed Nora.

Jennet leant over the rim of the well and sniffed the air.

‘Here it is. Come and touch it.’

Camelin shuffled over and touched the rock with the end of his beak. There was a sudden flash. A symbol, carved deeply into the rock, began to glow. The tip of Camelin’s beak glowed too.

‘Hot, hot!’ Camelin shouted as he hopped around.

Sparks flew out of the end of Camelin’s wand. One landed on top of Jack’s head followed by the smell of burning hair.

‘I’m burning!’ yelled Jack.

Nora scooped up a handful of water and threw it over Jack’s head.

‘You said I was dangerous with my wand! Look what you’ve done with yours, you’ve singed my hair.’

‘Now, now, you two,’ chided Nora. ‘It was an accident. Your hair will grow back Jack. It’s only made a small bald patch.’

‘Can’t we grow it back with magic?’ asked Jack.

‘I haven’t got a lot of magic to spare at the moment. I’m saving what little I’ve got left for when we need it. Besides, growing hair with magic isn’t advisable, you never know what might happen. It could come back pink. It’s better to let it grow back naturally.’

Camelin chuckled. There was a strange rasping noise coming from the well as Jennet laughed too. She wriggled her fingers impatiently. As soon as Elan put the bottle in her hand she vanished.

‘Well, we seem to have a problem,’ sighed Nora. ‘I hadn’t anticipated this. I’d hoped we could remake the cauldron again this afternoon.’

Elan looked at the slates.

‘We’re going to have to find Peabody. We haven’t got time to visit all the nymphs on Jennet’s list.’

‘We’ll go,’ volunteered Jack, smiling at Camelin.

‘We will?’

‘It’d be quicker if you flew,’ said Elan.

‘We’ll take your clothes and wands. Come back to the house as soon as you’ve got the information we need from Peabody,’ said Nora. ‘With any luck you won’t have to search far, he might still be in the Gnori in Newton Gill Forest.’

Jack and Camelin transformed and flew off towards Newton Gill.

They landed on one of the Gnarles lower branches.

‘Hello,’ Jack shouted.

‘Hello to you,’ replied a sleepy voice from the tree they were perched in.

‘Have you seen Peabody?’ Jack asked. ‘He’s the Bogie you saved me from the last time I was here.’

‘I’ve got a good memory for faces, but I don’t remember speaking to any ravens lately.’

‘It’s Jack. Jack Brenin.’

The Gnarle screwed up his eyes and peered up at Jack.

‘He’s a raven boy now, like me,’ explained Camelin.

‘A raven boy, why didn’t you say? Have you come to sing to us again Jack. You did promise.’

‘We’re in a bit of a hurry at the moment. We need to see Peabody. Is he still living in the Gnori?’

‘Oh yes, he’s still there. He’s had it all done up since you were here last. Got a new front door. Lots of comings and goings. Getting busy again in the forest but no one ever gives us a second glance. It’d be nice to hear a song again, now you’re here.’

‘Well, maybe one verse, but then we really will have to go.’

‘What about the one that starts again at the end?’ said Camelin. ‘You know the one I mean, don’t you? It’s about an old man and the whiskers on his chin. I like that one, it goes on forever.’

Jack nodded. He knew the song Camelin wanted to sing.

They swooped down to the forest floor and began croaking loudly:

There once was a man named Michael Finnegan,
He grew whiskers on his chinnegan,
The wind came up and blew them in ag’in,
Poor old Michael Finnegan (begin ag’in).

The Gnarle stopped them.

‘That’s quite all right; you don’t need to
begin again
. Didn’t you say you were in a hurry? Maybe when you’ve got a bit more time, and you’re a boy again, you could come back and sing to us?’

‘I will,’ Jack promised as he and Camelin set off towards the Gnori.

The Gnarle had been right. Instead of an open crack in the hollow trunk of the old oak, Jack could see a brand new front door. A large notice written in crooked capital letters had been pinned to it.

‘NOT AT HOME,’ read Camelin before rapping on the door with his beak.

‘Can’t you read?’ shouted an angry voice from inside. ‘I’m not at home.’

‘I can read and you obviously are at home.’

‘Not to visitors I’m not.’

‘This is important. We’ve come on an errand from Nora,’ Jack croaked.

There were a lot of hurrying footsteps followed by bolts being drawn. Finally, a key turned in the lock and the door opened slightly. A long nose appeared through the crack.

‘From the Great Seanchai, you say?’

‘Hurry up and let us in. This is important,’ grumbled Camelin.

‘She needs your help,’ explained Jack.

‘My help! Why didn’t you say so in the first place? Come in, come in. Go straight through. Just follow the tunnel.’

The door slammed and was locked behind them.

‘Here we are,’ Peabody announced as they entered a large room.

Some of the roots from the hollow tree above were poking through the walls and an array of hats hung on them. There was a collection of coins and shiny things on the table which Peabody hurriedly covered with a cloth.

‘It reminds me of a Spriggan’s tunnel,’ said Jack as he looked at the smooth walls.

‘That’s probably because Spriggans made it. A sort of compensation for my brother getting me into so much trouble.’

Peabody stroked his long nose before speaking again.

‘Now, how can I be of service?’

‘We need to know which water nymph would have been in the spring at Viroconium,’ explained Jack.

Peabody rubbed his chin.

‘That’s a long time ago. I’m going to need my thinking hat for that one.’

‘Thinking hat? I thought most people had a thinking cap!’ said Jack trying not to laugh.

‘That’s most people. Now let me see, which one goes back a few hundred years?’

Peabody paced up and down in front of the row of hats before choosing the most battered one.

‘It used to have a beautiful feather stuck in the band. I don’t suppose either of you have got a feather to spare?’

‘No we have not,’ snapped Camelin. ‘Now, if you don’t mind, can you come up with an answer? We don’t have much time.’

Peabody put the hat on, sat down on a tree stump and closed his eyes.

‘Viroconium you say?’

‘Viroconium,’ Jack and Camelin confirmed together.

Peabody sat and muttered to himself for what seemed like a very long time. At last he stood up and replaced the hat.

‘Well?’ said Camelin expectantly.

‘I’ve gone through every water nymph I can think of. I only know of three who’ve ever lived west of here. It’s going to be Coriss, Myryl or Uriel. They’re Undines, they prefer wells and springs.’

‘Oh great!’ Camelin grumbled. ‘Three of them.’