Silvermoon. A Tale of a Young Werewolf. A YA Novel. 12-18 (21 page)

Ingrid clapped her hands. “And you could come with us, all of you and meet my parents too, but do you think I should inform them of Reginald’s heritage and you three?”

Yvette said, “No, they wouldn’t believe you, they might think you crazy and lock you up.”

Chapter sixteen.

Home again.

They walked from the station, and after passing Crow’s hill they reached the last hill.

Jason looked down at the farm, the animals were in the fields, the horses in the paddock, and all was quiet. He had informed his parents of their time of arrival, and then he remembered the birthday parties, and he recalled how his parents loved surprising people.

As they arrived at the front door it sprung open. A black and white figure ran out and sprung up into Jason’s arms as he went down on one knee. He caught her and laughed as she licked his face. His friends laughed too as he fell over onto his side. A familiar voice said, “Eighteen years old and as sprite as a puppy.”

Their eyes turned towards his mother’s voice, there stood Jennifer’s parents and the Longfellows. Iain called out, “Welcome home, Jason, Jennifer and friends.”

Jason’s mother said, after a long-awaited embrace, “Oh my, how you have grown, you’re as tall as your dad.” She winked at her husband. “By the way, Jason, how do you like surprises?” Without waiting for an answer she whistled, and six half-grown dogs of mixed appearance ran out of the doorway and surrounded Jessie, Jason and his friends. One black and white one had pointed ears and a bushy tail and another one had red fur and a white patch over its eye, it was plain to see that they were cross-breeds, part Border Collie and part fox.

Jason said to Jessie, “I thought I told you not to go near that fox.”

His father said as he hugged him, “She didn’t, he came to visit her. They would chase each other round the field and play all day long. I imagine she missed your presence so much she was glad to have someone else to take her mind off you, even if it was a fox.”

Jennifer approached her parents and they embraced. Silvern said, “We told Mr and Mrs Longfellow of the lies Lucas had spread. If he has the rune stone, and we believe he has, Helga would like to believe it is in safer hands, as the goblin menace is still with us and one day they will rise again and I am convinced Chanteline will be their main objective.”

Jason said, “I am longing for a swim,” he turned to the others, “Who’s coming?”

The three girls dropped their backpacks in answer.

His mother told them, “Leave your things here, lunch will be in the table in an...”

Her voice trailed off as she watched them head off over the fields and her husband said, “He’s back.”

Jason ran on ahead, Jennifer and Yvette kept pace with Ingrid and the three of them arrived together. They undressed quickly, and walked over to the river bank where Jason was ready and waiting. He turned around and said, as they approached him, “How about jumping from the tree...” His voice faded and then he said as he eyed his three companions, “My, oh my, how you three have changed since we were kids.”

The three stood there smiling, and Jennifer’s thoughts ran through his mind,
“You too, husband-to-be, and shame on you thinking that. Keep your eyes on me from now on, if you please.”

Ingrid, in the middle, looked at the others in turn and then back at Jason, she grinned wickedly and said, “Okay girls, let’s dunk him.”

Before they could grab him, Jason sprang into the water and the girls followed. They surrounded him in the shallows with the water coming up to their waists. Jason took several deep breaths, Yvette said, “Watch out, he’s going to try and get away.”

“Fat chance,” said Ingrid and the three girls lunged at him and ended up holding each other.

Yvette cried out. “There he goes,” and they looked in the direction of her finger. The three set out after him. Jennifer and Yvette dived below the surface, Ingrid followed at a slower pace on the surface, the other two stopped and grabbed hold of her wrists, Yvette said, “Tell us when you need air,” and together with Jennifer she submerged once more and set off after Jason, towing the alarmed Ingrid with them.

They arrived at the ford. They had to surface briefly half-a-dozen times on their way there to give Ingrid a chance to fill her lungs. They saw Jason sitting on the jetty. He pointed to an array of bones sticking out of the water in midstream, some way off from the crossing. “Was that your doing, young lady?”

Jennifer looked at what was left of the Troll’s ribcage. “His name was Burr, he died serving the goblins.”

Jason said, “Now his spirit is at peace, poor fellow.”

“Jason, he tried to-!” She stopped as she heard two splashes down stream. Seconds’ later two shimmering forms approached them underwater, and then Lionel and Reginald made an appearance as they broke the surface.

The two Halflings stood in the shallows, grinning mischievously, Yvette and Ingrid pushed their way to them, Yvette asked them, “What are you doing here.”

Another voice sounded - female, “They met us at the station, they wanted to accompany us, and show us the way.” The four of them tuned and saw a man and a woman, both raven-haired and dressed in black robes. Yvette squealed, “Mama, Papa,” and rushed forward, sprinting through the shallows and ran into the woman’s arms.

Jason stood up and stared. The man held out his arms and said, “Silvermoon, my son, how are you, we have missed you sorely, can you forgive us?” His accent, and the woman’s, had a French lilt to it, just like Yvette’s.

Yvette watched him as he continued staring; she freed herself from her mother’s embrace and approached Jason, her arm outstretched. She took his hand as she neared him and tugged gently. He took a hesitant step forward and allowed his sister to pull him along. She brought him to his father and they slowly embraced, “I never knew you,” said Jason, as he looked into his father’s eyes, “But I missed you after learning of you. I know you did it for the best, so there is nothing to forgive.” He turned and held his hand out to Jennifer as she approached. “May I introduce my future wife, Jennifer Townsend, she is an elf. Her name is Lavendel. She is also a telepath and an accomplished archer.” He indicated with his head the pile of bones, “That’s some of her handy-work.”

Jennifer held out her hand to Jason’s mother, she took it and said, “Husband, we now have two daughters.”

Another familiar called out, “And we have a son.”

“Father, mother,” called out Jennifer as her parents approached. She indicated Jason’s parents, “Jason’s mother and father.”

Seawan said, “We have met, they are Deerfoot and Darkenstar, and I see by the absence of clothing you have been skinny-dipping again.”

She shrugged, and said, “What’s the point of wearing clothes while swimming, our bodies get wet anyhow, besides it’s a nice feeling, especially with someone you love, trust and respect.”

Seawan looked at Silvern and said aloud, “Same old argument, first an innocent child, now a grown woman, who is in love with a werewolf-.”

Jennifer raised an eyebrow and he added, “Who happens to be our future son-in-law.”

Darkenstar said, “Well spoken, so, when’s the wedding?”

The wedding.

Seawan gave his daughter away; Yvette and Ingrid were, of course, the bridesmaids. Reginald tossed the coin for best man, Lionel lost, good naturedly.

The ceremony was held inside the Townsend house, and the festivities, a grand affair, were held out in the open. Jennifer wore a shimmering gown and Jason the robe of an elven lord. Jason’s step-parents were there, also Lengowyn and his whole clan, together with Derek, Julia and family. The mayor and most of the townspeople turned out to wish the happy couple as they rode along the road on Aries back to the Longfellow farm for a night alone.

Jason carried his bride over the threshold and set her down once they reached the bedroom. They undressed slowly and embraced gently. They gazed at one another for a small eternity then Jason said, “How about that kiss, it’s something I have dreamed about.”

Their lips came slowly together. They stayed transfixed for a second eternity, and then their bodies rose up and hovered over the bed. The kiss ended and they both looked down at the bed. She looked at him from under her eyebrows and asked him, “Can you read my mind?”

“Can you read mine?”

“Wow!”

Then they slowly drifted down
to
wards
the bed
…

Chapter seventeen.

Dardwyn.

Jason woke to a hammering on the door, Jennifer sat up next to him, they said in unison, “Yvette!”

They dressed hurriedly and as they opened the front door they saw Yvette. His sister said without preamble, “They have found Lucas.”

The
Meeting.

Yvette, Jason and Jennifer approached the Townsend house. Elven soldiers patrolled the grounds.

They entered by way of the repaired front door and walked through into the lounge. Eleven figures were present, seated around an oval table. Seawan and Silvern sat at one end with Deerfoot and Darkenstar, next to them sat Lengowyn with Helga on his left. Derek and Julia, with their eldest sons, Reginald and Lionel, sat on Seawan’s right. Jason and his companions pulled out their chairs in silence and seated themselves, thereby completing the circle, except for an empty chair between Seawan and Silverfoot.

Darkenstar spoke first, “Lucas has betrayed his own kind.”

He turned to face Seawan who said, “He has betrayed us all,” and then he added, “Allow me to introduce Dardwyn, son of Langhobe, leader of the dwarves.”

A head appeared and then the top part of a body as a young dwarf stood up on the chair, he leaned on the table with both hands, regarded the company and smiled. Then he said, “Hello, I’m Dardwyn.”

Seawan said, “Dardwyn has escaped from Lucas’ lair. It is a reopened mine where his people are kept prisoner, forced to mine for coal. Lucas has a giant workshop where steel from scrap yards is converted into armour, axes, spearheads and javelins.” He added after this news had sunk, “It seems he is building an army, he is also making explosive bombs, lead balls filled with black gunpowder and iron shards.”

Yvette asked Dardwyn, “How did you escape, do they know you are missing?”

He sat down on the table’s polished surface and swivelle
d around to face her. “I got out without bei
n
g
seen through a small tunnel, which ends behind the hil
l. I
t is at this moment being widened by my brothers, wide enough for a man to crawl through. They won’t miss me
though
, goblins are stupid, we all look the same to them with coal dust on our faces, and they can’t count anyway.”

He chuckled then his visage altered as he regarded the gathering. “Lucas has mated with female goblins.” This produced a gasp from all except Jennifer and Jason’s parents. “They have produced hundreds of eggs and the results are flying monsters. The first to hatch have already reached full-size.”

Lengowyn asked, “What do they look like, these monsters?”

Dardwyn’s features altered once more as he spoke. “Horrible. They look like giant scaly toads with big bug eyes, and when they transform they look like dragons, some of them have wings, but they take time to develop. We call them harpies, because of the head; it’s covered in sharp quills.”

Helga asked, “What about the rune stone, do you know where it is?”

“He keeps it by him.”

Jason asked him, “Do you know where this black powder is kept?

He nodded, “Below the smelting room in a sealed vault.”