Jack Shian and the Destiny Stone (29 page)

Harald paused briefly. “Very well; but the boy and the
Mapa
must stay in the rear, and you are responsible for them.”

While the atmosphere over the next couple of days could not be said to be light-hearted, the new arrivals certainly galvanised everyone. About 100 strong, they swamped Novehowe. Jack and the others found themselves training in a dim recess with Finbogie as the much bigger (and better armed) Norsemen went through their paces.

“Have you seen their sceptres?” gasped Lizzie as she watched a squad of Norsemen training. “They’re the most powerful ones ever.”

“They’re the Elfting army – that’s like our Congress,” said Jack. “Only there’s more of them over there.”

“They don’t mind the cold, do they?” Rana shivered as she joined her sister outside to watch the display.

“That’s just as well. Edinburgh’s freezing.” Jack shuddered at the thought of his recent trip.

“Good news,” announced Harald, emerging from the tumulus. “The Kildashie have pulled back from Keldy – it’s undefended.”

“Are you sure?” asked Rana.

“Certain. We sent some men down there, and they say the Kildashie have pulled in all their men to Edinburgh. They’re planning a big celebration on Hogmanay.”

“So Mum can get as far as Keldy?” asked Lizzie hopefully.

“If Keldy is undefended, then there’s nothing to stop her.”

“Does that mean the other Unseelie will still fight?” asked Rana.

“Once they see the Kildashie have abandoned them, most of the Unseelie won’t be hard to tackle. You’ve seen how bold the Nebulans are now with their flag and the Gusog feather.”

“So Edinburgh’s all we’ve got to worry about?” asked Jack.

“My fjordsmen can take the Kildashie on, but we’ll not underestimate them: they’re well-trained, and used to the cold.”

This could not be denied; but doubts gnawed away at Jack’s mind.

“What about the Thanatos?”

“Nobody really knows what they’ll do. But if the Kildashie use the Tarditas hex to take the Stone at Hogmanay, we can’t afford to wait. Has Finbogie trained you well?”

Jack eagerly explained the manoeuvres that Finbogie had passed on to the youngsters, the girls included.

“We cannot let these girls come to Edinburgh,” said Harald emphatically. “A war is no place for girls.”

“That’s not fair!” shouted Rana. “We’ve been training the same as Jack and Petros; and we were at the battle at Dunvik.”

“I heard your father kept you away from the fighting,” stressed Harald. “You shall go to Keldy. When Edinburgh is secure, you can join us.” He turned on his heel and swept away before Rana or Lizzie could mount a challenge.

“He’s right, you know,” said Jack. “It’s going to be tough in Edinburgh.”

“Then why are you going?” retorted Rana. “You’re still not old enough to use a sceptre.”

“I can make the Sphere work,” said Jack simply. “And Finbogie’s taught me enough counter-hexes – they’ll keep me right.”

“It’s still not fair. They’re taking Armina and Arvin, and they don’t fight.”

“I want to see my dad,” added Lizzie.

“Gettin’ excited?” asked Ossian as he approached. “I can’t wait to get at those Kildashie.”

“Harald says we can’t go to Edinburgh,” moaned Rana.

“He’s right, though. His men are goin’ to get the worst of it. There’s no point bein’ there if you can’t fight.”

“We’ll see,” replied Lizzie.

“What about Magnus?” asked Jack.

“He’s comin’ with me to Cos-Howe. Him and Harald don’t get on, you can tell. They’re better apart.”

“So it’s fjordsmen and Cree against the Kildashie?”

“Don’t forget the Thanatos,” added Jack. “But we’ve got Dad and Grandpa and the others.”

Things at least seemed straightforward when Harald read out the attack plan: his men and the Cree would attack the castle, while Ossian and Magnus went to relieve Cos-Howe. The Lyosach and Nebulan forces were to free the west, while the McCools would liberate the border lands with the Warfrins. Together, it was felt that they could defeat the Red Caps.

“Will the west really be so easy?” asked Jack of Iain Dubh.

“It was only the Kildashie uniting the Unseelie that kept them so powerful, but they’re not all one group. In fact, some of the factions there hate each other.”

“So you reckon it won’t be a problem?”

Iain Dubh smiled. “There’s enough Seelie that
will
help us – we’ll be all right. Our Gusog feather gives us life in the winter. And the flag from Ardmore is our battle totem.”

Jack blushed. “It was Caskill who got your flag back.”

“You had to free him from the cave first. No Jack, those of you going to Edinburgh will have a much harder battle – I’m glad you’re going to be kept in the rear.”

“And who’re the Warfrins? Harald said they were going to help the McCools free the border lands.”

“They’re from the low lands, and they’ve got some special power against the Red Caps. Thins their blood – something like that.”

Jack found it hard to get to sleep that night. The Kildashie were mean, and the Thanatos vicious. Who knew if the newly-arrived Warfrins would help defeat the Red Caps? Or the islands-men defeat the Unseelie? He felt a tight fist in the pit of his stomach: in just over a day it would all be over. They would have recovered the Stone – or be dead.

Jack was first out of the tumulus, closely followed by Ossian.

“The mustangs were brilliant! We made it to Edinburgh in ten minutes.”

Ossian overtook Jack as they raced up to the standing stones, and was there waiting when Jack arrived, panting, his breath visible in the cold still air. Horses whinnied, and some pawed the ground. Others shivered, but Jack guessed it wasn’t the cold. They were finally on their way!

As the Seelie army grew, Jack waited irritably. Why was Petros so slow? Surely he wanted to get going?

When Petros finally arrived, Jack could almost feel his lack of enthusiasm.

What’s the matter with him? We’re about to get our homes back; and he’ll see his dad again.

Jack stopped.

He’s scared about his dad … He thinks what happened to Festus will …

A wave of guilt washed over Jack. He had been so excited finally to get going; and at least
he’d
found
his
father …

“Come along!” shouted Phineas at the stragglers. “Edinburgh crew over here; Keldy lot – you’re over there.”

The groups were soon marshalled and mounted, and at a signal from Grey Wolf the Keldy crew cantered, then galloped, and disappeared into the air. Once they were out of sight Grey Wolf signalled to the Edinburgh-bound crew.

It was just as Jack had remembered it from a few days earlier. Gripping Petros’ waistband tightly, he felt the sudden rise in height (and fall in temperature) as the freezing winter air whipped his face. He was grateful that this time he had Gilmore’s warm cloak. Charmed clothes had a lot going for them.

They were soon in the clouds, and the other horses and riders were lost to view. Jack could only trust that the mustangs knew their way – there were no landmarks in this grey desert. As the intense cold gripped Jack, the memory of the first trip came back to him: it had been no picnic. He tried to concentrate on not falling off.

After several minutes a loud shout from He Who Waits alerted Jack to a change in direction. The flyers were soon in a break in the clouds, and Jack could make out the dim outline of a shoreline below.

“Which coast is it?” he shouted, shaking Petros’ waist.

His cousin did not answer, and Jack could only hope that the coastline meant they were nearly there. However, the visibility soon disappeared in another swirl of clouds, and Jack suddenly felt his horse pull to the right.

“What’s the matter? What’s happening?” Petros had found his voice again.

“I don’t know. It was like the horse didn’t want to go any further. I think we’re heading inland.”

They were definitely losing height. The horses, used to travelling together, had wheeled west then north-west as one, and were taking the riders steadily down. This wasn’t supposed to be happening. With a sinking feeling, Jack saw the ground get nearer, but his mood changed as familiar sights came in view.

“Hey! That’s the River Keldy! I recognise the bridge.”

Within minutes the horses had deposited the riders in the field near Ossian’s house. While cold, it felt a lot warmer than being in the air – and was nothing like as cold as Edinburgh had been a few days earlier. Jack patted his warm jacket.

Those riders who were supposed to be in Keldy had already dismounted, and were looking in astonishment at the new arrivals.

“What’s happened?” demanded Rana. “You were supposed to go straight to Edinburgh.”

“Something stopped us,” replied Phineas. “When we got to the Forth the horses turned and made for here.”

Grandpa Sandy consulted with He Who Waits before turning to the crowd.

“It’s a campanilus hex.”

“What’s that?” demanded Ossian.

“Like a bell hex, only much stronger. The Kildashie must’ve raised it when they retreated. The horses can’t get through; it’ll block the low roads too.”

“So how are we supposed to get to Edinburgh?” asked Grey Wolf.

“We’ll send out scouts and see if it really goes all the way round. If it does, that’s good in one sense, because it means the Kildashie have given up on the rest of the country. But it also means we’re stuck.”

“You mean we don’t have a way in?” asked Iain Dubh incredulously. “I thought Harald was supposed to help us defeat the Kildashie; he can’t even get us to Edinburgh!”

Jack felt a buzzing at his neck. His right hand rose and grabbed Tamlina’s ring. Hurriedly, he tugged the
Mapa Mundi
from around his neck, and flicked it into the Sphere. The two circles formed, blank – or was it snow? Jack stared hard at them.

They must show us our true path! They
must
!

The snowy picture faded, clearing to show the distinctive outline of Edinburgh Castle in one, and a humans’ coach in the other.

Ossian and his parents came down to see us by bus! The Kildashie won’t be expecting that.

“We can do it! We’ll take the coach the humans use!”

“This is a Shian struggle,” asserted Iain Dubh. “Moving into the human sphere will not work.”

“This problem will become the humans’ if we do not stop the Kildashie,” said Jack. “And everyone knows that when
they
have a problem,
we
suffer. In any case, the
Mapa Mundi
always shows our true path.”

“Jack’s right: the campanilus
won’t stop a human coach,” said Phineas. “It’ll take a while, but we should just make it.”

“Does that mean we can come?” asked Lizzie hopefully.

“Certainly not. Keldy is safe: you must stay here.”

“You were allowed here because the Kildashie had left,” added Grandpa; “but here is where you’ll stay – for now. The rest of us will go by coach.”

“Will that be big enough for us all?” asked Petros.

“We’ll have to manage; and there’s little chance the Kildashie will be looking at buses,” replied Phineas. “They may even be safer than flying in to Arthur’s Seat.”

“But much slower,” pressed Grey Wolf. “We must get to the castle before this evening.” He shivered as an icy gust swept down from the hills.

“I’ve got the invisibility cloaks too,” added Gilmore.

Jack hadn’t noticed the huge bag his tutor had lugged down from the horse.

“I’ll take one,” said Ossian. “There’s a coach depot not far from here, but they’ll all be in use tonight. If I’m invisible, I may be able to borrow one before they all go. Grey Wolf, you come with me.”

The two set off at pace, and were soon lost to view.

Time

passed

slowly.

Jack’s spirits had risen and fallen with every sound from the path taken by Ossian and Grey Wolf. Had they really come this far, only to fail?

Nine o’clock. Nothing.

Half past. A light rain began to fall.

This is worse than waiting for Caskill at Ardmore!

With an overwhelming sense of relief Jack heard his cousin’s voice breaking through the darkness.

“Come on! The coach is over in the human space!”

The Shian crowd quickly made their way along the path until it came to a short tunnel running beneath a railway line.

“Watch out!” shouted Gilmore, as he was sent spinning near the tunnel entrance.

His sack dropped to the ground, and there was a flurry of activity as those around him helped him to his feet. Gilmore grabbed his sack, and dusted himself down.

“I thought it was the Kildashie we were supposed to be fighting,” he muttered, starting for the tunnel again.

As he passed through the tunnel, Jack felt himself rise to human height.

“That’s me,” said Petros as they emerged at the other side. “I’m going back to Keldy.”

He turned and started back down the tunnel.

“Hey! What’s wrong?” Jack doubled back after his cousin, dodging the crowd coming the other way, and dropping back down to Shian height.

“I can’t.” Petros had sat down on a rock, breathing heavily. “The Thanatos will kill me.”

“It’s your dad, isn’t it?” spat Jack. “You’re scared about what’s happened to him. Well, if I can get my dad back from the Grey, you can help rescue yours from Edinburgh.”

It was no use: Petros was white as a sheet. Jack could see him replaying his dad’s capture – and Festus’ death – in his mind. Jack watched him for a moment, then turned on his heel.

When he emerged from the tunnel he could see the crowd boarding a large coach in the car park. Daid stood by the door, a huge smile on his face.

“They could only get one bus. Come on, all aboard.”

He’s been waiting years to deliver that line,
groaned Jack, as he clambered up the steps.

“All right, Jack?” His grandfather sat beside him.

“Won’t the campanilus stop the coach?”

“We’re human size, Jack – it’s the wrong kind of hex. I’ll bet the Kildashie aren’t bright enough to work out a back-up.”