CHAPTER TEN: Do you have a broomstick?
Jude rang his mum at work and told her he would be going camping for a couple of days with some friends. He’d been talking about doing it at some point that holiday, so she seemed okay with it. Seemed anyway, he suspected she was just relieved that he wasn’t harping on about monsters and getting on with normal stuff. Jude tried to give her the impression that he was embarrassed about what had happened by not referring to it at all. He could feel her giving him space to ‘get over it’. She’d kill him if she knew where he was and what he was doing. But at least he’d got a couple of days without having to worry about it.
Jude, Branwell, Ruby and Connor with Rowan, to get what they needed, were gathered back at their guest dwelling. They were seated around the table making preparations. It was decided to leave as soon as they could to give the Dwarves as much time to prepare as possible, after all they still didn’t know when the assault would start.
The Dwarf Kingdom of Ninque Oron was apparently hidden away beneath the mountains of Scotland. Jude couldn’t believe how they were to travel there.
“By train,” he exclaimed.
“How did you expect to travel?” Rowan smiled at him. “Were you expecting to walk all the way or fly by broomstick?”
“Do you have broomsticks?” asked Jude curiously, you never knew.
Rowan just laughed at him. It was decided that they’d travel by train up to Scotland, but that they’d have to walk the last part of the way into the mountains. Jude looked at Connor, how were they going to get a sparkling Sprite with wings on to a train. Rowan saw where he was looking and said. “Connor will have to go in disguise as a human child.” Connor looked very embarrassed.
Branwell looked at Ruby. “It would perhaps be well if you came with us. A female with a child should help disperse any suspicions. Would you be willing to go?”
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” she said enthusiastically. “I was beginning to worry I might be left behind and miss the adventure.”
When Rowan had found them provisions for the journey and a disguise for Connor they were ready to leave. Branwell had hidden his weapons under his black, leather coat. Connor, dressed in a child’s clothes with his wings and ears concealed by a hooded coat, was looking every inch the sulky toddler. Jude hoped no one would notice the greenish tint to his skin and wondered if they could pass it off as illness if anybody did. Ruby’s plain elvish gown looked normal under Jude’s coat which she’d kept hold of. Jude hoped they wouldn’t have any problems on the way. While they were making their preparations the whole of Aldea was becoming increasingly busy as the news spread that they were preparing to fight. The Elvish singing and laughing that Jude had heard when he first arrived was replaced by earnest conversations.
They made their way down to where Taule and a large group of Elves and Sprites were assembled to see them off. Taule handed a scroll to Branwell, a message for Thorgar and gave them all his blessing for a safe journey. Ione and Lily came and laughed at Connor’s strange garb. Then gave him good-bye kisses, they would miss him. As the party left Aldea Jude heard the ringing of a hammer on hot metal as the Elves began their preparations in earnest.
The train station was not too far from where they left the wood, luckily they didn’t need to walk through the industrial estate. But Jude was still on the look out for Orcs or anyone with a hood. Branwell turned to him.
“Relax. If there are any Orcs here you’ll attract them instantly. I would spot them before you anyway; I’ve been hunting them so long. Trust me.”
Connor not happy about having to walk was complaining about his feet hurting. He trotted up to Jude. “Piggyback.” He lifted him up on to his back, he felt lighter than he would have expected. Connor proceeded to play with Jude’s hair. “Giddy-up. Giddy-up.”
They arrived at the train station without seeing any Orcs and got on to the train. Jude noticed they hadn’t bought any tickets, not that he had enough money on him to buy them anyway. When the ticket inspector came round Branwell showed him a piece of paper and looking intently into his eyes and said. “Here are our tickets.” The inspector looked back at Branwell, blinked, and said blankly. “Yes, your tickets. Thank you.” He turned to the next passenger for their ticket.
“How did you do that?” whispered Jude to Branwell. “That was so cool. You’ll have to show me how to do that.” Connor had also been looking on in an interested fashion and was listening closely for Branwell’s reply.
“Do you think it would be easy to learn how to reach into someone's mind and make them see something which isn’t there?” he asked him levelly. “Do you think it would have no consequences for yourself?”
This was obviously a mystery that Branwell was not going to share. Jude was glad Branwell was on their side, spider phobia aside, he wouldn’t like him as an enemy. He still hadn’t figured out if he was human or Elf yet. He seemed to have a touch of their magic but also seemed so much darker in spirit than the lightness he associated with the Elves.
They continued on their train journey to the mountains. Branwell remaining silent most of the time, but alert. Connor was fascinated by the human world around him peering at the other passengers and investigating the train and any objects that came his way. But he was easily bored and attempted to open a passenger’s handbag and investigate the contents. Branwell caught him and gave him a sharp look. Where upon he sat on the floor and began determinedly sulking. Ruby took pity on him and started playing games and singing children’s songs with him. Connor soon after curled up on Ruby’s knee and fell asleep. Before long Ruby was yawning and dropped her head on to Jude’s shoulder next to her. As she struggled to get comfortable on his shoulder he put an arm around her.
“Mmm, that’s better,” she said and went to sleep. She felt warm against him and he was quite tempted to doze off himself, he rested his head on top of hers. Branwell was still alert and looked like he had no intention of going to sleep. An elderly lady got on to the train and walked past them.
“Ahh. What a lovely looking family you’ve got there,” she said to him with an affectionate smile. “You’re so lucky.”
She went past before Jude could make any reply. His eyes widened in surprise. Oh my God she thought this mischievous little Sprite was mine and Ruby’s kid. But he found, to his further surprise, that the thought of having a child with Ruby didn’t fill him with as much horror as he’d thought it would. It led to some quite pleasant thoughts. He could hear her breathing softly next to him and feel her warm weight against him.
They eventually reached their destination, a small local train station up amongst the mountains of Scotland. Jude looked around him. He’d never been to Scotland before. Most of the land seemed to be upwards, he’d never seen mountains like these before. They were surrounded on every side by huge mountains. They were majestic; it was the only word for it. The light was starting to go when they got off the train and the mountaintops were glowing with golden light. Ruby was as spellbound as Jude was by the scenery. She was turning round slowly in circles trying to see all the mountains at once. Branwell had been here before and wasn’t giving them a second glance after checking for any hostiles. Connor was engrossed in a discarded shiny orange drinks can he’d found on the platform. Branwell took it off him and threw it in a bin. Connor looked after it in disappointment.
“This way,” he called to the others leading them along a path away from the station and up into the mountains. Ruby skipped along behind him gazing around at her surroundings and occasionally picking a flower and showing it to Connor.
“Is it far?” Jude asked Branwell.
“It is not far for me,” he replied. “But my estimate of the distance of ‘far’ will be different from yours and certainly from Connor’s.”
He picked up the Sprite, who’d taken his shoes off as soon as they were a reasonable distance from the station and swung him onto his back. Jude noticed he didn’t play with Branwell’s hair.
As the
light faded from the sky in a final burst of gold and red light; the mountains lost their golden glow and turned a dusky purple. Jude had always felt this was a magical time of day, the twilight, between the brightness of the day and the dark of the night.
“We’ll go a bit further and then make camp before it gets too dark,” said Branwell.
So he would be camping after all thought Jude. They’d be sleeping rough and it’d be cold sleeping outside even when it was warm during the day. They’d probably have to sleep close together to keep warm and in case of Orcs or wild animals. Jude wasn’t sure what wild animals Scotland had, but you couldn’t be too careful. He glanced over at Ruby walking through the heather and took a deep breath.
Just before it got too dark to see where they were going, Branwell called a halt for them to make camp. He set off across the heather, Connor now asleep on his back, to a dip in a rise of ground. The higher edge of the dip had heather growing over it giving that part a sort of roof. It should shelter them from the worst of any weather and hopefully help hide them from any passersby. Branwell put Connor down, who woke up with a protest. Branwell looked around the area carefully, apparently satisfied he said. “We’ll camp here tonight. Jude sat down gratefully, Ruby next to him giving a tired yawn. They had something to eat, Branwell sat apart on the edge of the dip, constantly on the alert and looking around them. He wondered why he didn’t make the shimmering bubble around them he had in the woods.
“Have you run out of that sparkly powder?” he asked tentatively.
“That was wood magic. These are mountains,” he replied not looking at Jude, but continuing to look all around them. “Orcs are rarely found up in the mountains now, the Dwarves would not allow it.”
Jude felt relieved until Branwell said. “But I am not alive today by relaxing and trusting all is well. I have an unquiet feeling in my bones.”
Now he felt a bit nervous, he glanced at Ruby but she was yawning and obviously struggling to stay awake. She didn’t look at all worried about what Branwell had just said, if she’d even heard it.
“You should turn in for the night,” Branwell said. “I will keep watch.”
“Wake me up when you want me to take over,” offered Jude. He wasn’t looking forward to that and hoped it wouldn’t be too early.
Jude cut some heather to lie on the floor of the dip, under the overhang, for beds. Ruby’s bed was the nearest to the wall, the most under the overhang. Connor curled up there with her and Jude laid down the other side of him. The Sprite turned and gave him a mischievous grin before cuddling up to Ruby and going to sleep. What did that Sprite know about how he felt about her? Jude had a last glance around at Branwell sat motionless with his coat wrapped around him, the hood covering his head, on the alert. He got the impression that Branwell would be that motionless and alert as long as he was on guard, he wouldn’t nod off during the night. Jude didn’t know if he would manage it when it was his turn. He felt reassured that he was watching over them, and quickly fell asleep.
He was woken suddenly in the night by being shaken sharply and with a hand over his mouth. He started in alarm, where was he? What was happening? He opened his eyes and looked straight into Branwell’s directly above him. It couldn’t be his turn to watch already, he felt like he’d only just closed his eyes. But then he saw the urgent look in his eyes. He put a finger to his lips and whispered. “Keep watch.” Glancing at the others still sound asleep Branwell had disappeared in a swirl of black leather before Jude had managed to scramble out of his bed. Quickly pulling on his coat and boots against the cold, he tried to wake up properly. He looked around him and strained his ears for any sounds. He could hear nothing and he knew Branwell couldn’t be that far away. He crept to the edge of the dip, keeping low, he still couldn’t see or hear anything. It was very dark, a sickle moon was up, but it didn’t give a lot of light. Jude looked up at the clear night sky, it was so full of stars, Jude didn’t think he’d seen so many before. His eyes gradually become more accustomed to the dark and he could see around him better. He could see the mountains and surrounding heather moor land, but he couldn’t see anything move, and however much he listened all he could hear was his own breathing and his heart beating. We wondered what on earth had alarmed Branwell, probably just his spider sense tingling. Jude started to relax and looked enviously back at his bed and the two who were still asleep. He gazed at Ruby, she looked so beautiful and peaceful asleep. She had her head rested on the top of Connor’s and he had his fingers entwined in a strand of her hair. Jude turned back to looking around, still nothing, his eyelids were starting to feel heavy. He was never going to be able to keep awake until dawn.
Suddenly he heard a strangled cry a short distance away. He was instantly alert again, he recognised that cry with a shudder. It came from an Orc. But it did sound like an Orc that had just been killed, he hoped. He looked in the direction the cry had come from, straining his eyes he could see movement. As his eyes adjusted and took in what he could see, he realised he was looking at a group of Orcs, but they appeared to be in turmoil. He heard more cries and saw Orcs flying through the air and falling as well as others swinging clubs and crude swords, but they didn’t seem to be fighting amongst themselves as Jude first through. They seemed to be directing their attacks at nothing. No, not at nothing, there was a patch of darkness in their midst. Jude could now see two thin blades flashing in the starlight as they moved unstopping, slicing through the night air and Orcs without distinction. Jude breathed a sigh of relief, Branwell. It was just as well he was on watch and not Jude or the Orcs would have found them for sure. Jude glanced over at the others, but they slept soundly on, the fight was too distant for them to have heard it. Jude glanced around, what if there were any more, or any had crept away from the fight. He looked around for a weapon, a hefty stick lay near by, and he picked it up and tapped his palm with it. It would have to do, not that he realistically felt he stood a chance against even one Orc in a fight. He looked at the others again, perhaps if he hid them. Their was just room, under the overhang for Ruby and Connor to be hidden if he piled the heather from his bed over them. He hoped any Orcs would not notice the hiding place in the dark and that Ruby and Connor wouldn’t wake up and make any noise. Jude looked around again but still he couldn’t see or hear anything apart from the fight below which with one final Orc cry became silent. Jude glanced back at it, all the Orcs appeared to be still, the two shining blades disappeared and Jude thought he could just see a darker patch of night than the surroundings walking silently towards him. He breathed a sigh of relief, all the Orcs were gone, they were safe now.
Suddenly he felt a hand with sharp nails grab his shoulder from behind. He tried to spin around wielding his stick, but it was knocked sharply from his grasp, hurting his hand. The hold on his shoulder tightened as he struggled, the nails digging into his skin. He heard an evil laugh and felt a foul smelling breath on his neck. Another hand appeared in front of his face, it had green warty skin and claws, and it was holding an ugly looking dagger, which did not glint in the starlight. Jude was sure he’d get tetanus from a blade like that and instinctively drew away from it.
“Now, my pretty,” sneered the Orc. “No trouble, or I gets your blood on my blade.” Jude felt the Orc would be quite happy about this. Jude became aware of more Orcs moving behind and around them, but he didn’t dare to turn his head to see how many there were. The Orc stood him up and pushed him forwards towards where Branwell was heading for them. As soon as they stood up Jude could see the patch of darkness increase its speed and the two blades appeared once more. Jude didn’t dare glance towards where he’d hidden Ruby and the Sprite, but he couldn’t hear anything from that direction. He was relieved the Orc seemed to be moving away from them and tried to increase his pace as much as he could without running into the dagger.
When Branwell was close enough to see and hear clearly the Orc pressed the dagger to Jude’s neck and hollered.
“Stay there or I slit
his throat.”
Branwell stopped instantly, unmoving, swords still raised. Jude hardly dared to swallow the dagger was so close to his neck.
“Now, drop those shiny sticks.”
Branwell didn’t move. His hood was still up and Jude couldn’t see his face, he had no idea if he’d let them cut his throat or not. He felt helpless. Jude felt the tip of the dagger prick his skin and blood run down his neck. He flinched and gasped. Branwell dropped his swords and held his arms out from his sides. The dagger came away from Jude’s neck and he breathed again.
“Bind him.” The Orc laughed evilly. “No, tricks now. My blade has tasted blood.”
The other Orcs leapt forwards and roughly starting tying Branwell’s arms behind him, and shackling his legs. Searching him for any more weapons they found the curved dagger Jude had seen earlier, plus another smaller straight dagger in his boot. When this was done, the Orc holding Jude threw him at another Orc who also bound him. Pointing his dagger from Branwell to Jude and back the Orc asked threatingly.
“How many more of you?”
Branwell won’t know the other two are safe, thought Jude; that the Orcs haven’t found them yet.
“I’m alone,” said Jude in a voice which came out a bit more frightened than he’d intended.
“Ha.”
Jude and Branwell were both shoved roughly in the direction the Orcs wanted them to go. Branwell’s face was still covered by his hood and he didn’t even glance at Jude or even try to speak to him. Jude didn’t know if he was angry with him for getting captured by Orcs or not. But what could he have done against a group of five Orcs on his own without even a proper weapon. Orcs that must have crept up, completely silently, behind him. Jude didn’t attempt to talk to Branwell either. His shoulder and neck felt sore. He just hoped Ruby and Connor wouldn’t be found. What would Ruby think when she woke up and he and Branwell were nowhere to be found. What would they do? He hoped she would be safe. He didn’t know what was going to happen to him and Branwell, but it didn’t bode well. Jude could feel himself sweating despite the chill of the night.