William Wright and the Dragon's Treasure

  Chapter 7: Trouble in the Streets

  It was a fresh new day. William, however, was feeling anything but. He felt tired and looked bleary eyed. With some encouragement from Foddle, William crawled out of bed and headed off to the King’s Hall for breakfast.

  The Twins were already eating breakfast when William and Foddle arrived. Having the cruel nature of bullies still in them, the Twins soon made a sarcastic remark about William’s appearance.

  “Did the bogeyman keep you up last night?” they asked, giggling.

  “No, but your snoring did,” replied William bluntly, fully aware that it wasn’t snoring that had kept him awake.

  Albert and Trevor continued to make jokes about William looking so tired. After listening to this for about ten minutes, William had enough, and he was about to tell Foddle to go ahead and turn the Twins into slimy slugs like Foddle had suggested the previous day. Before William had the chance, a fairy fluttered in through the hall’s window and landed on his shoulder. The fairy looked like a tiny pointy eared person with butterfly wings. William had never seen one of the fairies up so close before and noticed that the green glow actually radiated from their wings, not their bodies.

  “I bear a message for you,” said the little girl fairy.

  “Yes, what is it?” asked William politely.

  “Two children, one named Sarah and the other Eric, are waiting for you at the castle’s drawbridge,” she replied.

  “OK, thanks,” said William, and the fairy fluttered from his shoulder and back out the window.

  “We had better be going,” suggested Foddle to William.

  “I know,” replied William, and he looked towards the Twins. “Finish up, you two, it’s time to go.”

  “Just after I finish this,” said Trevor, gobbling into a plate stacked high with cream buns.

  “Yes,” added Albert, a chicken’s drumstick hanging from his mouth, “one must always journey on a full stomach.”

  “Take what you want and leave the rest,” snapped William.

  The Twins grabbed a handful of food and grudgingly left the hall with William and Foddle.

  “So, Foddle, do you know anything about these kids that are going to show us around Camelot today?” asked William, as they walked through the castle.

  “Don’t ye remember talking to them at the end of the feast? They be ever so friendly.”

  William tried hard to remember, but after meeting Oden, the other guests seemed blurred in his memory.

  “Umm, errr … Sarah and Eric, wasn’t it?” said William, remembering the names the fairy had mentioned.

  “Ah, ye does remember,” answered Foddle, and he laughed. “I be worrying that me lad be losing his memory.”

  The walk to the gates was short, but the Twins had already begun to puff and pant. As they crossed the castle’s drawbridge, William could see a curly haired girl and boy standing at the far end wearing wizard’s robes.

  They both ran up to William as soon as he had got halfway across the bridge.

  “Hi, I’m Eric -- Eric Turner,” said the boy excitedly. “You shook my hand yesterday at the feast.”

  “Err … yes, I remember,” said William, really unable to recollect a thing.

  “See, I told you he’d remember us, Sarah,” said Eric to his sister. “She reckoned you hadn’t paid any attention when I shook your hand. Ah, what do sisters know?”

  “That’s not true,” snapped Sarah, a slight blush visible on her cheeks. “I said, if you recall correctly, that it looked like he had other things on his mind and that he might’ve missed our handshake. That’s all.”

  William smiled. “No -- no, I couldn’t forget you two.”

  “I had better be off, now,” said Foddle.

  “Why? Where are you going?” asked William, who thought Foddle was coming along with them.

  Foddle whispered in William’s ear, “I be going to help Merlin, ye know … to find out who be after ye.”

  “What did he say to you?” questioned Trevor suspiciously, as soon as Foddle had left for the castle.

  “Nothing important,” replied William, shrugging his shoulders.

  Trevor smirked. “You had better tell us or we’ll tell your new friends about last night and the bogeyman.”

  “Yeah,” said Albert, “you wouldn’t want that, would you?”

  “OK, if you must know, Foddle told me that we should take regular stops,” replied William.

  “And why is that?” asked Albert.

  “Well, if we didn’t, we’d end up carrying both of you.”

  “He did not!” snapped Trevor.

  “How do you know?” questioned William.

  “I-I, err …”

  “Good, that’s settled then. Let’s get going,” said William to Eric and Sarah, who both looked impressed with the way he handled the Twins.

  William, the Twins, Sarah and Eric headed east along a cobbled road to where a potion shop was located. As they walked, the townsfolk regularly came up to William offering baskets of fruit and fresh chicken eggs. William smiled at each of them and graciously refused, telling them not to consider him a hero until he had actually done something heroic. The Twins, on the other hand, had no such qualms and took whatever gifts they could get their greedy hands on. Their excuse being they didn’t have the heart to say no, William thought stomach would’ve been a better word for it.

  “How much further to the potion shop?” whined Trevor, half bent over and rubbing his gigantic thighs.

  “Don’t worry, it’s just around that corner up ahead,” replied Eric reassuringly.

  “Why are we going there, anyhow?” complained Albert, for the third time.

  “They’ve already told you before, Albert. It’s because that’s where the Potion Master lives, and that’s who will take me for potion lessons,” said William, and he thought back to the explosion he heard from Merlin’s study yesterday. “Merlin’s not an expert at everything, you know.”

  “Well, it’s too far. That’s all I know,” grumbled Albert, kicking a loose pebble on the road.

  As they journeyed towards the shop, William learnt that Eric was aged eight and his sister, Sarah, was aged eight, too, but she made sure they understood she wasn’t just eight. She was eight and three quarters.

  The atmosphere was cheerful as they continued to walk, even the Twins seemed to have quietened down a bit, but that was until they headed up a secluded backstreet.

  “Hey, give me back my hat,” shouted a young boy at a group of kids, who had his hat and were throwing it cruelly to each other.

  “Come on, William, let’s put a stop to this,” said Eric heroically.

  “Umm … don’t you think there’s quite a large number?” said William nervously. “Maybe we should go get some help, instead.”

  “Very clever, but you don’t have to pretend to be scared just for our safety,” replied Eric. “We know you’re the Chosen One and couldn’t possibly be scared of anything, especially a group of only seven bullies.”

  “Yes, well … I just didn’t want you two to get involved in something that could get ugly,” said William, trying hard to sound valiant, “but if you’re happy to go ahead …”

  “Absolutely,” said Eric, rolling up the sleeves of his robe.

  “Are you sure you want to get involved in this?” William asked Sarah.

  “Hey, I am in my third year of magic training,” she replied, a little insulted. “I think I can handle some snot nosed bullies.”

  “Sorry, I didn’t know,” said William, and he looked over at the Twins. “I --”

  “Don’t even think about us going to fight your battles,” interrupted Trevor.

  “Yes, how dare you even think of it,” added Albert accusingly.

  “I wasn’t,” replied William. “I was going to suggest you stay here.”

  “Oh, were you. Why, may I ask?” said Trevor, sounding very intellectual.

  “Because I know two big heads like you two wouldn’t wa
nt to get hurt,” he replied.

  “That’s what you may have thought, but there’s a time when even intellectual geniuses like myself and Albert must put our bodies on the line for others,” announced Trevor valiantly, his chest pushed outward, “for the strong must protect the weak, and the smart must educate the --”

  “Yeah, yeah, you coming or what?” interrupted William.

  “Yes, Albert and I will venture into battle with you, no matter the odds or the dangers we face.”

  “OK, if that’s settled, we need to work out a plan,” said William, and everyone quickly huddled around him. “I don’t think it would be a good idea to just run in there. They’ll probably see us coming and run off with the hat.” He grinned. “I suggest we work our way as close as possible to them and then wait for the right moment. When that comes, I’ll run in and grab the hat, while the rest of you can back me up. What do you think?”

  “Sounds good,” replied Eric.

  “Yes, I like it,” agreed Sarah.

  “It’s a ridicules plan,” said Trevor stubbornly.

  “Yes, foolhardy and stupid to boot,” remarked Albert.

  “Do you have a better idea?” asked William.

  “Err … no, but I’m positive we could’ve come up with a much better plan if you let us have a proper breakfast,” answered Albert, crossing his arms.

  “Well, I’m sorry guys, but since your stomachs aren’t at bursting capacity, we’ll go ahead with my plan,” said William.

  Having finished disagreeing, the Twins grudgingly followed William, Eric and Sarah as they edged their way closer to the bullies. Standing just out of sight, they waited for the right moment. With a strong gust of wind, it had arrived. One of the bullies missed catching the hat.

  “Now!” shouted William, leaping from the shadows and running towards the hat.

  “Get him!” William heard a familiar voice shout out.

  Suddenly, the group of bullies were hot on William’s heels, trying to run him down. It was just like old times at Harsly when the Twins had less brain cells than a bowl of spaghetti.

  “Watch out!” yelled Sarah and Eric, seeing a bully dive for William’s ankles.

  William heard the warning. Instantaneously, he zipped left, and the bully dived face first into a fresh pile of horse manure.

  “Just a little further,” panted William. “I’m almost there.”

  With William only a few yards from the hat, Oden unexpectedly slithered out from the shadows and swiped it from the ground.

  “Looking for this?” he asked sarcastically, dangling the hat in front of William’s stunned face.

  William didn’t have a clue why Oden didn’t just grab the hat straight from the start.

  “But why did --”

  “Why did I wait for you to get so close?” he interrupted, as his goons began to surround William. “So you can feel what it’s like to have something important taken away, like I did with my father!”

  “It’s not --”

  “Shut up. I don’t feel like hearing your worthless excuses as to why you think it’s not your fault my father died,” snapped Oden hatefully. “Your very existence caused my father’s death. If you had never been born, Merlin wouldn’t have seen you in his crystal ball and requested the search for the staff. I blame you, and only you, for his death.”

  William could see the crazy logic to Oden’s argument, but it wasn’t his fault he was born.

  Oden turned to his gang of ruff faced bullies, who were almost twice the size of William, and said, “Make the worm squirm.”

  “I don’t think so,” snapped Sarah, pushing her way through the bullies after finally catching up.

  “Nor do I,” said Eric, as he pushed his way in, too.

  Oden laughed. “Oh, look guys, someone left the stable doors open and two nags have escaped.”

  William guessed Oden was making a joke about the symbol printed on the back of Sarah and Eric’s robes, a symbol of a unicorn.

  “Why don’t you crawl back down the hole you came from, Oden,” said Sarah heatedly.

  “Tough words from a Turner,” replied Oden. “Your magic skill is nothing compared to mine, so just be careful what you say, eh?”

  “No, you be careful!” snapped Eric sharply, as he stood next to William. “William’s on our side, and he’s the Chosen One. If you’re not careful, he’ll vaporise you and your thick headed friends with a single wiggle of his nose.”

  Oden grinned. “Oh really, we’ll see about that.”

  As Oden’s goons dived for cover, William quickly tried to whisper in Eric’s ear that he hadn’t learnt any magic yet, but it was too late, Oden had flung up his arms ready to cast a spell.

  “Leviarnus,” shouted Oden, and he brought his hands down not on William but Albert, instead.

  Suddenly, Albert soared skyward, only stopping once he was level with the rooftops.

  “Ahhhh! Let me down,” he screamed widely, kicking his legs and flapping his arms.

  Oden pointed to Albert in the sky and laughed to his goons, “Look, fellas, pigs can fly.”

  “Put him down!” ordered William.

  “What are you going to do if I don’t?” mocked Oden.

  “I, err …”

  “Oh, it looks like the Chosen One doesn’t even know how to remove a levitation spell. I knew Merlin was a fool when he said you were the Chosen One. How could a pathetic thing like you protect anything?”

  “That’s not true!” said Eric. “William just doesn’t see the need to prove himself to the likes of you. Isn’t that right, William?”

  “Um, yeah … that’s right,” agreed William awkwardly.

  “Come on, gang, let’s leave these pack of losers,” said Oden, as he turned to go. “Maybe their Chosen One will feel more willing to show his abilities another day when he realises how pathetic he’s made himself look.”

  “Don’t worry, Oden, next time we meet, William will show how pathetic you are,” answered back Eric.

  Oden turned around and looked Eric straight in the eye.

  “Once a loser, always a loser,” he said mockingly, and he threw the hat back to the young boy, showing that William had failed in his attempt to retrieve it.

  “Forget about him,” said Sarah, coming to William’s side. “He’s been twisted ever since his father died.”

  “I know, Merlin told me about it,” said William.

  “Hey! If you’ve finished chatting, maybe you’d like to bring Albert back down,” shouted out Trevor, as he attempted to jump up and grab Albert by the feet.

  “Oh, yes, Albert. Um … do either of you know how to reverse the levitation spell?” asked William, looking at Sarah and Eric.

  “Sure, but don’t you want to do the honours?” said Eric.

  “I think it’s time I tell you something, Eric,” began William shamefully. “I … I can’t cast spells.”

  “But why did you tell Oden you didn’t need to show off?” asked Eric, confused.

  “I didn’t want to make you look bad after you had already told him I didn’t need to prove myself to him,” replied William, seeing Eric’s face look saddened.

  “Thanks, thanks a lot!” yelled Eric, and he ran off down the street, teary eyed.

  “I didn’t mean to hurt his feelings,” said William to Sarah, feeling guilty.

  “I know you didn’t, William,” she replied. “It’s probably best he finds out now rather than later.”

  “How come you’re not upset?” he asked, bewildered.

  Sarah smiled. “I could tell you didn’t know any magic the moment I saw you.”

  “How?”

  “Let’s just say it was intuition.”

  “Hey! For the second time, get over here and bring Albert down,” shouted Trevor furiously, now dangling from Albert’s foot in a vain attempt to pull him down.

  Sarah pointed her hands at Albert and said the reverse spell, “Releviarnus.”

  Instantly, Albert crashed down, landing flat ban
g on top of Trevor.

  “That’s the last time I ask you to do anything,” bellowed Trevor, his head sticking out from underneath Albert’s rump.

  “I didn’t know he was going to fall so suddenly,” replied Sarah innocently, and she gave William a wink.

  After getting back to their feet and straightening their ties, the Twins glared at William.

  “This is all your fault,” said Albert, pointing accusingly at William.

  “Why? What did I do?” asked William.

  “If you would’ve let us have a proper breakfast, we could’ve come up with a much better plan, which wouldn’t have resulted in the mess yours did,” replied Albert.

  “That’s absolutely right,” agreed Trevor.

  William didn’t feel up to listening to the Twins have their usual whine.

  “If you’ve finished, I’d like to continue to the potion shop,” he said impatiently.

  “Yes, we’ve finished, and we’ve finished following you around Camelot, too!” shouted Trevor. “We’re heading back to the castle.”

  Before William could say anymore, Albert and Trevor walked off in the direction of the castle, their noses pointed skyward.

  “Well, that just leaves us, then. Shall we be off?” Sarah asked William.

  William sighed. “Yeah, let’s go.”

  The potion shop was only a short distance from where they were, and it didn’t take long before William could see it. The shop was small and inconspicuous, but there was something unusual about it. Green coloured smoke rose from one of its many chimneys. Sarah commented that, going by the smoke, it looked like the Potion Master was making a fresh cauldron of Toad Wart soup. William didn’t feel he had the stomach to ask exactly why they called the soup that, but if his guess was right, it was the grossest thing ever.

  As William and Sarah walked through the shop’s door, there was the familiar sound of a dinging bell. Behind the front desk, William could see into an untidy room. In it, he saw a short, hooded individual hunched over a boiling cauldron, the Potion Master.

  “Ah, if my ears do not deceive me, two customers have entered,” said the Potion Master, who, William now realised, was an old woman. “Today’s special is Rumpkin Pumpkin. One spoonful and you’ll look five years younger.”

  “Sorry, we’re not here to buy any potions, Eveador,” announced Sarah. “I’ve brought the Chosen One, William Wright, to see you.”

  “Ah, the Chosen One, the boy who will protect Camelot from disaster, the boy with untapped power,” murmured Eveador, and she began filling up a small wooden bowl with the soup she had been tending.

  “Is she alright?” whispered William to Sarah.

  “She’s just a little eccentric, nothing more,” replied Sarah quietly.

  William wondered if the fumes coming off the boiling potions had got to the Potion Master’s brain, but he thought it best not to say anything about that to Sarah. She seemed protective of the old woman.

  “Please, come closer so that you can warm yourselves next to my cauldron,” said Eveador, her back still to William and Sarah as she ladled the soup.

  Being careful not to knock over the potion bottles sitting on the shelfs or touch the dried bat wings hanging from the walls, William and Sarah walked deeper into the shop.

  “Ah, so let me have a look at you,” said Eveador, as she turned around to face William.

  William was shocked when he saw the face of the Potion Master. He expected to see the face of a wrinkled, toothless woman with big warts on her nose, but it was the complete opposite. She had a kind hearted face with bright green eyes.

  “So, this is the boy that I will need to teach my knowledge of potions to,” she said, smiling. “Are you hungry? I’ve just finished cooking a fresh pot of Toad Wart soup, and I believe it’s one of my tastiest.”

  Eveador offered William the wooden bowl she had just finished filling up. The soup was green and William swore he saw a frog’s leg bob to the surface for a split-second.

  “Err, no, not really,” replied William awkwardly.

  “Oh, not feeling hungry? I’ll put it away for later, then,” she said, placing the bowl down on a table. “So, if we’re to talk, let’s find some place more comfortable, shall we? Follow me.”

  Eveador led William and Sarah into an adjoining room where they all sat down next to a fireplace.

  “It’ll only take me a moment to get the fire started,” said Eveador, as she reached up and grabbed a bottle from above the fireplace.

  Eveador emptied the red coloured liquid from the bottle over the wood in the fireplace. There was a moment’s pause, and then, whoosh! The wood burst alight.

  “I didn’t know you could do that with potions,” remarked William, astounded.

  “Oh, there’s more to potions than you could imagine,” replied Eveador, slowly sitting down in a chair facing them. “Yes, there’s a huge amount one can do with potions … much more than just make you look younger.”

  Eveador talked to William and Sarah for hours about all the different potions she had made over her life. It all sounded very interesting and William was captivated by her stories.

  “Potions can do amazing things,” said Eveador. “Sometimes, however, the ingredients required for the potions are so rare you can’t make them.”

  “Is that often a problem?” asked William.

  “Yes,” she replied. “Take for example the potion required to cure Black Leech poison, a poison fatal to its victim. The ingredients needed for that potion have long since vanished. The only known way to cure the poison is by venturing into the lair of a huge dragon. Legend has it a solitary bottle of Scarlet rests with its treasure, the cure of Black Leech poison.”

  “Why does a bottle of Scarlet rest with the dragon’s treasure?” enquired William.

  Eveador smiled. “Ah, I see the interest on your face. You’re not planning to venture into a dragon’s lair, are you?”

  “No way,” replied William, shaking his head. “I’m just curious about how the bottle got there.”

  “Well,” began Eveador darkly, “because it is widely known that dragons always store a wealth of treasure in their lair, many greedy sorcerers have tried to enter the lair of the dragon. All died in their foolish attempt to steal the treasure, including a dark sorcerer.” She spoke in whisper. “It was said the sorcerer always carried around a bottle of Scarlet for self preservation.” She smiled. “Don’t look so worried. You won’t have to worry about Black Leech poison. It’s as rare as the cure itself.”

  “That’s a relief,” said William.

  “I’ve been talking for hours, haven’t I?” asked Eveador shamefully. “Maybe it’s time for a little break. Shall I go and warm up your soup?”

  “Oh, err, no -- no, we’d better be off. Sarah’s still got a lot to show me of Camelot,” stammered William, rising from his chair.

  “Are you sure you don’t have time for a little soup? It wouldn’t take long to warm it up,” said Eveador.

  “Umm … as tempting as your soup is, I’m sorry, but we really need to be running,” replied William anxiously.

  “Well, I suppose it doesn’t matter. We’ll make time in one of your lessons with me to have a good pot of soup together.”

  “Yeah, I’m sure,” mumbled William. “Come on, let’s go, Sarah.”

  “Bye, Eveador. I’ll come and visit you another time,” said Sarah.

  Eveador waved goodbye to them, and they headed off through the streets of Camelot.

  “Why did you want to leave so suddenly? We could’ve stayed a bit longer,” questioned Sarah.

  “What, and eat some of that Toad Wart soup. No, thank you,” answered William, already feeling sick just thinking about it.

  “Do you consider Toad Wart soup to taste bad?” asked Sarah, dumbfounded.

  “Yeah, of course I do. Why else would it have such a yucky name?” replied William.

  Sarah laughed. “It’s called Toad Wart soup because Mrs Toadwart came up with the r
ecipe. Mrs Toadwart is renowned for making fantastic soups, and Toad Wart soup is her best.”

  “Oh …”

  The rest of the walk around Camelot was enjoyable. Sarah showed William the town water fountain and the wizard school she and Eric go to for their magic lessons. By the time William had seen everything, the sun had begun to set.

  “Thanks for showing me around, Sarah,” said William, “but could we go see Eric before I go back to the castle? I’d really like to say sorry to him, you know, for what happened today.”

  “Sure,” she replied, “home is not far from here, and I’m positive that’s where he’ll be.”

  Sarah was right. After walking around a few corners, they arrived at a simple town house, her home.

  “You’d better wipe your feet on the doormat,” Sarah told William, as they walked up to the door. “Mom’s pretty strict with cleanliness.”

  Hanging above the doorway, there was a small golden bell. Sarah rang it. Almost instantly the door flung open and Mrs Turner, a tall stringy woman, made her appearance.

  “Do you know what time it is, young lady?” she asked crossly, unaware that William was waiting to the side, just out of view. “Eric came home a good two hours ago. Why didn’t you?”

  “Didn’t he tell you I was still taking William around Camelot?” said Sarah.

  “No, he just went straight to his room,” answered Mrs Turner. “He looked a little upset, I might add.”

  “Yes, that’s my fault,” announced William, stepping into view. “I let him down today.”

  “Y-you’re the Chosen One. Oh my, oh my, it’s an h-h-honour,” stammered Mrs Turner, as Sarah rolled her eyes in embarrassment. “Please, c-come in and grace our home with your presence. I’d feel so g-grateful if you just let me make you a cup of tea.”

  William smiled. “I’m not sure if I’ve got time for tea. I really just wanted to talk to Eric and head off.”

  “Oh, there’s plenty of time for tea,” replied Mrs Turner. “Come in and meet my husband. He’d love to say hello.”

  “Ooops, I should’ve wiped my feet,” said William, as he walked into the house. “Sorry, Mrs Turner.”

  “Oh, don’t worry about that. The very dirt that clings to your shoes is honoured in this home,” she answered, in a way that made William think twice about his decision to walk in.

  As he entered the house, William noticed that everything inside was extremely neat and tidy: paintings on the wall were perfectly squared up, the carpet was spotless and the candles along the hallway were all the exact same height. Mrs Turner obviously had a thing for order.

  “This way, umm … William sir,” said Mrs Turner, leading William down a long hallway. “My husband’s always lounging in the library room.”

  Upon entering the room, William saw a well rounded man sitting in a soft chair reading a book. No doubt, it was Mr Turner.

  “Look, Rodney darling, look who’s decided to pop in and say hello,” said Mrs Turner.

  “Well, I’ll be a witch’s wart -- if isn’t William Wright himself,” replied Mr Turner cheerfully. “Come sit down and tell us what you think of Camelot.”

  “I will, but could I see Eric first?” asked William.

  “Oh, you can see him at dinner,” answered Mr Turner. “You are staying for dinner, right?”

  “I, umm … I don’t think I could. Merlin will be wondering where I am if I’m not back soon,” said William, noticing the sun was almost set through the window.

  “Don’t worry about that,” said Mr Turner, “I’ll just get a fairy to tell him you’ve decided to stay with us the night.”

  “The night?” questioned William.

  “Yes, of course,” he replied. “It’ll be dark soon, and you wouldn’t want to be walking back in the dark, would you?”

  William thought for a moment about the message scratched into his bedroom door.

  “No, I guess not.”

  With that settled, Mr Turner looked over to a fairy resting on the windowsill. It was the same little girl fairy William had met during breakfast.

  “Isabella,” he said politely, “could you come here for a moment?”

  The fairy fluttered over, and he told her what to tell Merlin. Soon, she had left through an open window for the castle.

  Mr Turner patted a seat and looked up towards William.

  “So, come and sit down,” he said, “tell me about your trip around Camelot.”

  “Yes, and I’ll make a start on supper,” announced Mrs Turner, looking very happy. “Come on, Sarah.”

  Sarah left with her mother for the kitchen, leaving William alone with Mr Turner. William felt a bit uneasy and didn’t really know what to talk about. Mr Turner, however, did, and he quickly started babbling about life in Camelot and the High Wizard Council. William learnt that not all the wizards on the council were equal, and it depended on your magical abilities to set your voting power. By the sounds of it, some people had a knack for magic and others didn’t. Mr Turner, it seemed, didn’t.

  “Dinner’s ready,” called out Mrs Turner, ringing a small bell.

  “Come on, let’s eat,” said Mr Turner, rising from his chair. “Sarah, sweetheart, could you go up and bring down your brother --”

  “I’ll go,” said William, seeing this was his opportunity to talk to Eric.

  “Sure, if that’s what you want?” said Mr Turner. “It’s the third room on the left upstairs.”

  William left for the staircase. Once at Eric’s bedroom door, William knocked, but there was no reply.

  “Ah, Eric … it’s me, William,” he began softly, standing beside the door. “I’m sorry about what happened with Oden today. I shouldn’t have lied. I’d just like to say thanks for backing me up when it all got pear-shaped.” He spoke with amazement. “It’s pretty rare to see someone show so much bravery, and that impressed me. I’ll probably even tell King Arthur about it.”

  “You’ll tell King Arthur about my bravery?” asked Eric excitedly, answering back from behind the door.

  “Absolutely,” replied William

  The bedroom door opened and out came Eric with a big smile.

  “Come on, let’s go down and have some dinner,” said William.

  Eric had become William’s friend again, and they joked about Oden and his goons during supper. The supper that was served was delicious, and it seemed Mrs Turner was trying hard to impress William. After the meal, Mr Turner told stories of great wizards who had travelled to Evermist in search of treasure but had never returned.

  “Oh, is that the time,” said Mr Turner, glancing towards a huge clock. “It’s best we head to bed.”

  “Yes, I’m feeling pretty tired,” yawned William.

  After saying goodnight to the Turner family, William walked into a spare bedroom and went to bed, its soft sheets sending him off to a restful sleep, a sleep he would more than need for the next day.