Florisia Page 12

  “Well, I think it’s obvious we’re going to have to find out if this cave exists. And if it does, we need to get into that vault, and get some answers,” Belle said, surprising everyone in the room. She looked at Leah, smiled and shrugged. “Serena deserves to be avenged. The fact that all these things have landed in our laps tells me we’re the ones supposed to do it.”

  Then she turned to Raff. “What do you think, should we try?”

  A grin lit up his entire face. “Absolutely!”

  * * *

  Arguments had been going back and forth for the last ten minutes about who should go in search of the cave and when. They were interrupted by a young elf entering the room and whispering in Lyricus’ ear. Shock and then anger showed on his face as he listened. He stood up, thanked the messenger, and addressed the Oracle.

  “I have just received some shocking news. Tyranius visited the Fey Academy today, within hours of the children leaving. He requested an audience with them, and when Madame Persimmons failed to produce them, he removed her from the position of headmistress and ordered her to ‘accompany’ him back to Ellissidil. He placed Mr Kafoops in charge, who soon realised Dominic was also missing and issued a warrant for his arrest.”

  A deadly silence followed his announcement. Leah looked from Raff to Belle, and saw the same horror she was feeling mirrored on their faces.

  Raff jumped to his feet, the first to recover his voice enough to speak. “We have to do something!”

  Dominic and Dub chimed in, with vivid descriptions of what they’d like to do to the Elder Guardian when they got their hands on him. Leah sat in stunned silence. She hadn’t even considered the risk Madame Persimmons had taken sending them away if it was Tyranius trying to kill them. What would have happened if they’d still been there? She shuddered, fear clawing at her insides, but the fear wasn’t so much for herself, as for the woman who’d sacrificed her own freedom to protect theirs.

  The Oracle was trying to restore order, waving his arms and asking for silence. When everyone was again silent, he cleared his throat, and stood up.

  “I understand we are all angry, and justifiably so. I will make sure news of this outrage reaches the right people among The Watchers, and trust they will take the appropriate action. But this news also escalates the urgency of our task. The amulet appears to be inextricably tied to the prophecy, and therefore we must do everything we can to ensure it is made whole again.”

  Grudgingly they all agreed their paths lay elsewhere, but Dominic still insisted on extracting a promise from the Oracle to get word to The Watchers, as soon as possible, regarding Madame Persimmons’ plight.

  The Oracle rubbed his chin. “We agree then. Now, I must ask you to excuse me for a few hours. I need to do some research on the amulet, the cave, and this nine-tailed fox Serena described in her diary. I have had rooms prepared for you all, Lyricus will take you to them when you’re ready. Please feel free to wander around, and we’ll meet back here for dinner at sundown. Hopefully, I will have a little more light to shed on our situation when we next meet.”

  As the Oracle left the room, Leah hoped his research would turn up something useful. Her head was spinning from the day’s events, and she hadn’t had a chance to talk to Belle and Raff alone since they’d left the Fey Academy that morning.

  “Well, I don’t know about you guys, but I would love a hot bath and a soft pillow about now.” The others nodded in agreement, and Lyricus bowed, saying he would be happy to show them the way.

  They followed Lyricus through the door he had used earlier to go to the Oracle’s room. It led to another suspension bridge, which linked up with more bridges leading to small vine covered huts perched in the trees to their left and right. The bridges looked like a giant spider web, branching out from the meeting hall in all directions.

  “This one is the Oracle’s,” Lyricus said, pointing to one of the larger huts, set a bit higher up and to the right “Your rooms are just up ahead.”

  He stopped at a spot where two smaller bridges branched off towards vine covered huts, one to the left and one to the right.

  He pointed to the hut on the left. “This one is for you three, and Dominic and Dub will be here close by.” He indicated to the one on the right. “If you need anything, someone will be in the meeting hall at all times. I will see you at dinner.” He smiled at each of them before taking his leave, although his eyes definitely lingered on Belle longer than the rest of them, and Leah was sure the other girl was blushing.

  The front door of the hut opened into a small sitting room containing three comfy lounge chairs, covered in a soft pale green fabric. Four doors led off the sitting room, which they quickly discovered led to three small bedrooms, and a bathroom with a huge round timber tub in the centre. Six large buckets full of steaming hot water lined the walls, waiting to be used.

  “Wow, somebody was quick to organise the hot bath I said I needed. Two buckets each then?” She secretly hoped one of them would say they didn’t want a bath, and she’d get an extra bucket.

  “Sounds good to me,” Belle said, picking up one of the small bottles beside the tub and opening it. The aroma of fresh lavender wafted through the room.

  Raff stood in the doorway trying not to yawn. “Well, let me know when you’re finished. I’m thinking a nap, then a bath sounds awesome.”

  Leah knew he hadn’t fully recovered from the traumas of the last few days, and smiled as he turned and headed for his room. She called out to Belle, who was already heading towards her room. “Umm, did you notice if there were towels in our rooms? And I suppose we’ll have to put the same clothes back on.” She thought longingly of her cupboard full of clean clothes back at Fey Academy.

  “There are towels and clothes here.” Belle came out of her room holding a set of green shirt and pants, similar to what the elven guards wore, and a pale green silky looking dress, with a belt made from intricately woven vines.

  Leah giggled. “Wow, do you think maybe we’re supposed to get dressed up for dinner?” She dashed into her room, and came back with the same green outfit and a similar dress in pale blue, with the same vine woven belt.

  “Ooooh, the blue matches your eyes perfectly.” Belle winked, and they both burst out laughing.

  Leah draped the clothes over the back of the lounge, grabbed her towel and headed for the bathroom. “Well, I’m going to have a hot bath before the water goes cold. Won’t be long.”

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  - Kitsunes -

  The silky soft fabric of the dress floated around her calves and tickled her legs. Belle looked at herself in the mirror attached to the back of the door, and her jaw dropped, stunned at her own reflection. I almost look pretty!

  Thinking of Lyricus, she pulled her hair up into a bun, thinking it might make her look more sophisticated. And then her jaw dropped. She stared at the tip of the one pointy ear she’d exposed in awe. I’m an elf!

  A sense of belonging flooded through her for the first time in her life. She’d been the odd one out for so long; she’d almost given up on ever being accepted. It had started with her friendship with Leah and Raff, but this euphoria she felt at being the same as those around her was an entirely new experience.

  She smoothed the silky fabric over her hips one more time, took a deep breath, and opened the door to the sitting room. Leah and Raff were sitting on the lounge chairs chatting, but the conversation died when they saw Belle.

  Leah grinned. “Wow, Belle, you look gorgeous!”

  Belle laughed self-consciously. “No, you look gorgeous. But the dress is pretty isn’t it?” She twirled in a circle, the dress billowing out around her.

  Raff smiled sheepishly. “Well, personally I think you both look spectacular. But can we please go eat now, I’m starving!”

  They jumped up from their chairs, and Belle’s eyes widened at the sight of Raff in his elven outfit. The white, loose fitting shirt hung almost to his knees, cinched in with a belt the same as the girls’. It
had big blousy sleeves tied at the wrist, while the baggy pants were flared and ended at his ankles.

  “You don’t look so bad yourself.” She grinned, then laughed when both Leah and Raff instantly blushed.

  * * *

  The meeting hall looked amazing. A long dark table fashioned from the most exquisite mahogany coloured wood had replaced the Oracles’ chair, along with the round table and chairs placed there earlier. The table legs were dark and twisted, flecked with threads of silver, the chairs the same. The whole piece reminded Belle of the trees they’d passed earlier in the Forever Forest.

  Belle glanced at Raff and Leah, wondering if she was the only one who’d noticed the fine details of the table setting. Raff beamed from ear to ear, which did little to hide the drool edging its way down one side of his chin. Leah just looked overwhelmed. Belle reached up to touch the tip of her pointy elven ear and smiled. Must be an elf thing.

  And then she noticed what was on the table. Lilies, baby’s breath, and candles infused with the scent of the Forever Forest itself, lay in every crevice of the table not taken up by food. The smell and the sight combined was intoxicating.

  “Your friends Dominic and Dub have opted to dine in their hut tonight. They will join us later for coffee. I suspect it may have had something to do with the elven dress requirements for dining, which I would happily have overlooked had they asked. Never mind, we shall enjoy our dinner and put talk of serious matters on hold until they arrive.” The Oracle was probably right. Belle tried to picture Dominic and Dub in outfits like Raff’s, and almost burst out laughing.

  Belle was so distracted by the spectacular setting, she didn’t notice Leah grab Raff’s hand and lead him around to the opposite side of the table. But she watched her plonk herself down next to the Oracle, pulling Raff down beside her. Of course, this left only one other seat available, the one next to Lyricus, who smiled warmly.

  Belle blushed, and shot Leah a look of desperation. But Leah just smiled and winked. “Wow, this all looks so good. I don’t know where to start.”

  Belle sighed, and slipped into the seat beside Lyricus. How was she supposed to eat when her stomach was doing backflips at the thought of sitting next to the handsome elf? Determined to at least look normal, she focused her attention on the feast laid out before them.

  The trays were so laden with food they were threatening to overflow. Belle smiled as she watched Raff load up his plate with butter poached chicken, mashed potatoes, freshly baked bread, corn on the cob, and carrots glazed with honey.

  She was wondering how he could fit it all in when Leah nudged him and chuckled. “Hey! Don’t forget to leave some for the rest of us.”

  His only reply was a devilish grin, followed closely by his first mouthful of food being shovelled into his mouth.

  The food looked delicious, and the conversation was entertaining. As they ate, Raff told them the story of how Leah had stopped the fire, and then Leah launched into the story of Raff’s encounter with the beast, and Belle’s healing ability.

  Belle sat quietly, picking at the rather large piece of pumpkin pie that inhabited her plate, reliving the memories as they spoke. She was startled when she realised Lyricus had asked her a question. She turned to apologise for her rudeness, but his eyes looking at her so intently made her suddenly tongue-tied. He wore an outfit similar to Raff’s and looked absolutely gorgeous.

  “I was just saying, I have never heard of anyone being able to heal so quickly, and for so long. You must have been exhausted?” The admiration in his eyes made her stomach feel funny.

  “Well, I must admit I was relieved to see Dominic and Dub arrive with the stretchers.”

  The Oracle sent her a warm smile. “I have only read of one other elf having this ability Belle, and that was Serena. That, and her ability to communicate with living creatures, were thought to have died with her.”

  “Well, I can’t actually communicate with them. I only receive images Midnight sends to my mind.”

  The Oracle raised his eyebrows. “Are you sure that’s all you are able to do? Have you tried sending images back to Midnight, or communicating with any other creatures?”

  Belle’s eyes widened, she’d never even thought to try! She’d just assumed the communication would only be one way.

  The Oracle chuckled softly. “I will assume from the look on your face that you hadn’t thought to try. I would suggest you do. You may be pleasantly surprised at the result!”

  An elf had just finished clearing the table when the sound of someone clearing their throat alerted them to Dominic and Dub’s presence in the doorway. The elf quickly added two more chairs to the table

  “Ah, excellent timing my friends. I hope you enjoyed your dinner as much as we did. Please, come join us, and we can get down to business.”

  The Oracle pulled out a small leather-bound diary. “Well, I believe I may have identified the nine-tailed, white fox. I will read you what I have found:

  A kitsune is a shape-shifter. When a kitsune reaches the age of 100 years, it acquires the ability to take on other forms. There have been reports they can duplicate and replace other beings, shape-shifting into the look-a-likes of different people. They are believed to possess superior intelligence, long life, and magical powers.

  A kitsune can have up to nine tails, depending on its age, wisdom and power. It is believed that one of the tails is its main tail, and the source of all its power. Not knowing which tail is the main one, one would have to cut off all its tails to kill it. When a kitsune gains its ninth tail, its fur turns white or gold.

  Each kitsune has its own Kitsune ball, or star ball, which is a small white-gold ball. It is their most prized possession, since it is almost like their life force in a ball. By gaining possession of a kitsune's star ball, one would acquire the power to control the Kitsune, and make it do your bidding.

  They are also reported to display an irrational fear of other canine creatures. Confrontation with one of these creatures has been known to interfere with their ability to maintain their alternate persona, causing them to temporarily revert to their true form.

  The Oracle looked up from his reading with a deep frown. Raff felt sick from the knowledge that one of these kitsune creatures wanted them dead.

  How are we supposed to defend ourselves against that? The terror in Belle and Leah’s eyes told him they were thinking exactly the same thing. Nobody spoke, as they absorbed this new information and all its ramifications.

  “There is, however, one piece of good news I have deduced from Serena’s diary. Sardon, the first Elder Guardian, seems to have gone to a lot of trouble to destroy the amulet. I believe this means he feared its power, and that gives us hope.”

  “So we need to find this cave, like now!” Raff felt like he imagined a drowning man would at being thrown a rope.

  The Oracle smiled at Raff’s enthusiasm. “Unfortunately, I was unable to find any more information verifying either the existence or location of the cave. But I do agree we need to find out, one way or the other, as soon as possible. I was thinking of sending some of my guards to investigate first thing in the morning?”

  “Ummm, personally I think that would be a complete waste of time,” Belle said in her quiet, unassuming voice. “From what I can gather, this cave can only be entered by the ‘worthy’. Not that I’m saying Leah, Raff and I are the ones, but like I said earlier, it is kind of weird how all the pieces of the amulet have found us. Or maybe it’s the fact we’ve inherited Gifts from the ‘old blood’. Oh, I don’t know... I’m just saying I think we should probably go too, and the sooner the better.”

  Chapter Thirty

  - Behind the Waterfall -

  The waterfall proved to be even more impressive close-up than it had been from a distance. The children sat on their horses, puzzling over the seemingly impossible task of getting behind it. The broad curtain of water pounded relentlessly as it met the lake, churning the water, and making it bubble as if it were boiling. A fine mist
y spray hung in the air, streaked with tiny rainbows flickering in and out of existence.

  Raff watched as another two elven hunters attempted to reach the cave behind the waterfall by clinging to the jagged rocks and inching sideways from each side. They hadn’t progressed far before they were swept into the churning water, resurfacing shaking their heads in frustration.

  Leah hadn’t said much all morning, a fact Raff found unusual enough to finally comment on. “So Leah, what’s with the brooding silence? Want to share?”

  She turned towards him with a faraway look in her eyes, chewing her lip in concentration. “Hmmmm?”

  “What’s going on? You’ve hardly said a word all morning.”

  Her eyes came back into focus, and she smiled. “Well, I was wondering about what Madame Persimmons said about me being an elemental. What if I could, like, ask the water to clear a path for us?”

  Belle’s head swivelled towards them. “Leah, you’re brilliant! But…. didn’t Madame Persimmons also say your Gift might only work if it was used to save yourself or someone else?”

  Leah sighed. “That’s why I didn’t suggest it earlier. But I’ve been thinking. What if the reason we need to get to the cave is to reassemble the amulet, which we’re doing to help people? I mean, we don’t want to just get in there because we’re being nosey. There’s a good reason for it, right?”

  Raff nodded. “You know what, it might just work. Besides, there’s no harm in trying. I say go for it!”

  Belle nodded too. “I agree. So should we let the others know the plan first? I’m pretty sure the poor elven hunters who keep getting dunked would appreciate the warning. Hang on, I’ll let Lyricus know.”

  They waited until all the elves were back on the shore. Leah slid off Solange’s back, and walked to the shore in front of the waterfall. She stood with her head bowed, the roar of the waterfall the only sound, as they all watched her in silent hope.