He wished he’d been able to see the towerhouse one last time.
Lizinia, it seemed, had a different idea. As quietly as she could, she drew one of the star arrows from her quiver and nocked it in her bow. She pulled back the string, aimed for the closest spriggan, and loosed it.
The arrow lodged itself in the spriggan’s chest.
The spriggan kept moving.
“Trix, you and Lizinia get on Sassy,” Peregrine said as he leapt up onto Betwixt’s back. “Saturday and I will hold them off long enough for you to get away.”
Betwixt nudged Saturday in the back with his nose, but Saturday pushed him away. “Go. I’ve got this.”
“I. Am. Not. Leaving. You.” Peregrine repeated, with even more defiance than the first time.
Trix held a hand out to his golden companion. “Lizinia, come on!”
Lizinia aimed and shot another arrow into the spriggan. And another. The star-heads disappeared inside its shadow-rock torso, but they did not slow it down.
The urgency to leave was so strong inside him now that Trix felt ready to burst. “Lizinia!” he cried.
And then the spriggan exploded.
The stars from the arrow heads shot out of its belly in different directions, each heading for a different spriggan. The stars sank into the shadows and exploded into more stars, again and again until every single one of the spriggans had dissolved into nothing.
Trix and Saturday and Peregrine yelled cheers at the golden girl. Betwixt reared up on his hind legs and whinnied mightily in appreciation. Lizinia stood silently, staring into the space where the closest spriggan had been. The sparkling explosions drifted to the ground like drunken fireflies and the light began to fade.
“I didn’t know…” she started.
She did not finish because the wolf had leapt from the shadows and clamped its jaws around her throat.
7
The Leprechaun
Saturday threw her body upon that of the wolf, knocking it backward off Lizinia’s prone form. Its teeth slid ineffectually across Lizinia’s golden neck, and Trix thanked the cats for their ridiculous favors.
Saturday put herself between Lizinia and the wolf, sword raised. Unlike ghost giants, this beast could be harmed just as easily as any other. Trix had a clear shot with his bow. He aimed, pulled back the string…and remembered what the Stag had said.
Whatever weapon the Spirit Sister gives you, you must promise not to hurt any living animal.
Trix clenched his jaw as he looked down the arrow’s shaft to the wolf beyond: its beady yellow eyes, its sharp bared teeth, the curl of its nose as it snarled, the drool as it growled. Wild fur stuck out all over its body, gray and brown and red and blond and…
Trix lowered the bow. “It’s Wolf.”
“What?” Saturday yelled as the animal lunged at her again. She dodged the attack, but once she was out of the way, the wolf made a move for Lizinia again. Saturday pulled the wolf’s tail. When it spun around, she smacked it in the haunches with the flat of her blade. This made the wolf back up a few paces, but it did not stop his attack. Nor did it make him any less angry.
“We must be close to the Hill,” said Betwixt. “The fey magic has drained from him and left the wild animal magic behind.”
This time, it was Saturday who growled. “FINE. I won’t kill him. But someone has to stay here and hold him off. For the last time, all of you, get out of here.”
Instead of arguing with her again, Peregrine rolled his eyes to Trix. “Do you think Sassy could carry Lizinia?”
Trix didn’t know Old Sassy’s exact age, but he did know exactly how much of a burden all of Lizinia’s gold could be. “No,” he said truthfully.
“The pain has subsided,” Lizinia told him. “I can run.”
“Then run,” said Peregrine. “Betwixt and I will help Her Royal Stubbornness drive Wolf in the opposite direction. Once we subdue him, we’ll meet you at the Hill.”
The attacks were coming faster now. Wolf had given up on the golden girl as a target and now seemed to be eyeing Sassy’s neck. The horse neighed and stomped nervously. Saturday held Wolf back with her sword, meeting every one of his growls with a growl of her own.
“But…” Trix started, but he knew Saturday could handle herself, and the Faerie Queen needed him.
“Go!” yelled Peregrine.
Bows in hand, Trix and Lizinia turned away from the ruined wagon and did as Peregrine bade. Clouds rolled in and hid the moon, but it didn’t matter. Wisdom’s tooth lit enough of the forest around them with its pale light, and Trix felt the pull of the Faerie Queen like elfrope wrapped around his heart. To him, the direction was clear.
“He’s gone,” Trix heard Lizinia cry as they ran. “He’s gone.”
“He is not gone,” said Trix. “We will fix the magic. And we will fix Wolf.”
They ran in silence after that, not stopping until they came upon a stream. It did not occur to Trix that he was thirsty until he saw water. Together they fell to their hands and knees on the bank.
“Is it safe to drink?” Lizinia asked between gasping breaths.
“We’re about to find out,” Trix said, scooping up a handful of water and drinking deeply.
Trebald nosed his way out from beneath Lizinia’s hair and hopped the short distance to the ground, careful not to touch the black spot on her sleeve where the spriggan had touched her. The dark circle seemed to suck up the tooth’s magic light.
After the brownie slaked his thirst, Trix expected him to inquire about the status of their food stores. There was so little left in their packs that Trix had combined the contents into one, which he still carried, for all the good it did them. His stomach growled, half with hunger and half with the need to keep moving.
But Trebald did not mention food. Instead, he hung his nose to the ground. His notched ear drooped forward. “I’m sorry,” he said to Lizinia. “I didn’t know Wolf as well as you, but he was your teacher, and he taught you well. Take pride in that, and remember him any time you use that skill.”
Lizinia patted Trebald gently with a golden hand. “I liked him,” was all she said.
Trix was just beginning to like Wolf too, abrasiveness and gruff manner and all. It had taken Trix longer than it should have for him to realize how much Wolf was like Mama Woodcutter: stern, but kind. Wolf most likely pushed people away on purpose, to protect them from the brute force of which he was apparently capable. Much like Mama. In fact if things had gone differently—if his Aunt Rose Red hadn’t been more stubborn than Saturday—Wolf could have been his uncle.
Save us, Trix Woodcutter. Save us all.
Trix shook his head. If they hurried up and got to the Hill, Wolf could yet be part of the Woodcutter family. “We can’t talk about him that way. I can fix this. We can fix this.”
Lizinia nodded.
Trix was a little jealous of her perfect stoicism. She didn’t weep. She didn’t look tired or thirsty. She didn’t break a sweat, or smell bad. As heavy as he knew that gold was, she’d kept up with him the whole way. Her labored breathing was the only thing that gave her away. And when she lifted Trebald back to her shoulder, her golden hand trembled a bit.
“Are you all right?” Trix asked calmly.
“I’m fine,” she said.
Trix had sisters. She was not fine in the slightest.
Lizinia touched the rain-bow she’d set on the bank beside her, and then pulled her knees in to her chest. “I killed the spriggans, Trix. I killed them all.”
Save us, Trix Woodcutter. Save us all.
The cadence of her words brought back the Faerie Queen’s vision-chant louder than ever, but he forced himself to concentrate on Lizinia. Trix put one of his hands over hers and waited until her amber eyes met his. “The spriggans were ghosts, Lizinia. You can’t kill a ghost. I dare say you put them to rest. And you saved us.”
Lizinia stared at her knees. “I’m worried about Sassy. Wolf is her friend. Was her friend.” She looked back up at Tr
ix again. “Is her friend.”
“What happened to Wolf is exactly the problem we’re trying to solve,” said Trix. “We just need to get to the Hill and find the Faerie Queen.” He helped Lizinia to her feet and handed her the rain-bow. Trix turned a small circle until he felt the Faerie Queen’s pull again, and then took a step.
“I wouldn’t go that way if I were you,” said a voice.
Trix’s hand dropped to the golden dagger at his belt. Trebald slipped beneath Lizinia’s hair once more. Lizinia had the rain-bow drawn and ready in the space of a breath. Wolf had taught her well. “Who’s there?” she called into the shadows beyond the tooth’s magic light.
“Victkor’s the name. My friends call me Vick.” From the underbrush emerged a man so small that his head came up only to Trix’s waist. He had a cropped white beard and long white hair that flew about his head in a wild halo, but he did not look particularly aged. The hooded shirt he wore had been white at one time, and a small hammer hung at his belt.
Trix had never before encountered a leprechaun in person, but he’d heard accounts from Papa and the animals. Leprechauns were known for hoarding gold and causing trouble. They were also known for their long white beards. Perhaps this leprechaun had decided to be more fashionable. In a dirty shirt.
Leprechauns were not known for having friends. “Vick” held his hands up, palms outward, to show they were empty. Lizinia did not drop her bow.
“I have friends here,” said Lizinia. “I do not count you among them.”
“Friends?” the leprechaun said curiously. “The boy and…?”
“My bow,” said Lizinia. Trix silently complimented her quick thinking. Leprechauns couldn’t be trusted even when the magic of the world was in balance. There was no need to announce Trebald’s hiding spot and play their hand all at once.
“And a fine bow it is,” said Vick. “Well, as lovely as it’s been to meet you, Miss Archer. If you’ll excuse me, I’m just going to continue getting as far away from the Faerie Hill as possible. I suggest you do the same. Toodle-oo!”
Trix reached out with his own bow and hooked the leprechaun’s hood before he could scamper off. “It’s the middle of the night,” said Trix. “Do you think traveling is wise?”
“Wiser than staying in Faerie one more minute? Yes,” said the leprechaun. “Have fun at the Hill.”
But Trix hadn’t yet released him. “What’s at the Hill?” asked Lizinia.
“Death. Destruction. Chaos. Savagery. Claws and teeth and blood. Fun for the whole family! Bring a picnic. Sneak in the secret entrance and you might live for a whole ten minutes longer.” The leprechaun reached back to unhook himself from Trix’s bow and then tugged at a stray white forelock. “Good evening.”
Trix hopped around to block Vick’s path.
“We need to know about this secret entrance,” said Trix.
The leprechaun scowled at him. He turned to the left and walked straight into Lizinia.
“It’s of dire importance,” she said pleasantly.
Vick bared his teeth at her and growled. Compared to the ferocity of Wolf at full animal strength, the effect was almost laughable. Thankfully, Lizinia had the good sense to look surprised, if not actually afraid. The leprechaun spun on one foot, feinted left, and then jogged right, just as Trix had anticipated. He stuck out his foot and the overeager leprechaun fell sprawling to the ground.
The leprechaun pushed himself to a sitting position, spitting dirt from his mouth and wiping his face with his less-than clean sleeve. His eyes shot daggers, a move that paled in comparison to…pretty much everyone of Trix’s acquaintance. “If I tell you, will you get out of my way?”
Trix grinned with great enthusiasm. “Most definitely.”
The leprechaun took a great deal of time collecting himself. He stood and brushed the soil—some real and some imagined—from his clothing. He patted all of his pockets, checked the security of the hammer at his belt, and patted his pockets again. He smoothed his hair one way, and then the other. He pulled at his short beard, as if the act itself might make it longer. He looked from Trix to Lizinia, and then back again. Finally, he shook his head.
“You seem like such a nice boy. And a girl entirely made out of gold! Tsk. What a waste.”
“I’m Trix,” said Trix. “This is Lizinia.”
“Dead Meat and Hunk of Junk. Got it.”
“That’s not what he said,” said Lizinia.
“If I lead you into that Zoo of Death, it won’t matter now, will it? Please. Come with me. Save yourselves.”
“But we have to save Faerie,” said Lizinia.
Vick threw his hands up in the air. “Says who?”
Trix folded his arms across his chest. “Says the Faerie Queen.”
The leprechaun rolled his eyes and muttered something about no-good raven-haired magic-meddlers, women, and timing, but Trix couldn’t quite make sense of it all. “Okay. So if you’re facing the main entrance to the Hill—you can’t miss it, it’s framed by large rocks—”
“The spriggans,” said Trix.
Vick eyed him sideways. “Yes. Them. Face the spriggans and head”—he waved his arm as if he couldn’t think of the direction—“left. You’ll want to go a ways…”
“‘A ways?’” asked Trix.
“These directions don’t seem incredibly helpful,” said Lizinia.
“Look here, goldenrod, the way out’s a lot more recognizable than the way in, or it wouldn’t be very secret now, would it?”
Trix stomach growled with hunger and impatience, a measure of degrees louder than the leprechaun’s feeble attempt. Vick was too close now for his bow to be of any use, so Trix brandished his dagger instead. “Enough. Her name is Lizinia.”
“I’ll be sure to tell the engraver of her headstone. Hey, that is a nice dagger. Would you be willing to sell it? I’ve got a shiny gold coin with your name on it.”
“Why would you trade gold for gold?” asked Lizinia.
“I’m about to give him a shiny black eye,” said Trix.
“Stay calm, Trix. We only have to put up with him for a few minutes longer.”
“A few minutes…or as long as I let him live.” Trix didn’t have the first clue what had gotten into him. He seemed to be channeling Saturday…and he liked it. Even better, the leprechaun was starting to look nervous. His bulbous nose twitched, but his lips remained a tight line beneath that white beard. The scamp wasn’t ready to give in yet.
As Trix and the leprechaun stood there, locked in their battle of wills, a second round of fireflies began to rise from the grass and emerge from the trees around them. They brought with them a low, soothing buzz. Lizinia stretched a hand out to touch one.
“Er…you don’t want to touch that.”
Lizinia snatched her hand back and gave Vick a sideways look. “Why not? They’re just fireflies.”
“Those aren’t fireflies,” said Vick. “Those are spunkies. Bumble bugs.”
“Fireflies are bugs too,” Lizinia pointed out.
“A rag doll for the clever girl,” sneered the leprechaun. “Trouble is, sweetheart, these bugs bite.”
Trix was familiar with many of the bugs in the Wood, poisonous and otherwise, but he was beginning to realize that the Wood in Faerie was in many ways drastically different from the Wood he’d known all his life. It was hard to believe these bumble bugs could do harm to anyone. They looked so peaceful, floating about as if they had no particular place to go.
Trix leaned in as close as he dared without touching. The bumble bugs were more like wisps than insects, with no uniform body shape, nor any arms or legs to speak of. They did have wings, though, and teeth, shining like rows of needles by the light of their brethren. He quickly leaned away from the bug, rethinking his stance on the bumble bugs’ capacity for damage. “Are they poisonous?” he asked.
“They’re only poisonous if you’re allergic to death or misfortune,” said Vick. “And as much as you hated the thought of following me a mom
ent ago, I strongly suggest that you walk in this direction now, slowly. Any faster and they’ll sense your heartbeat on the wind.”
Trix and Lizinia exchanged glances before obediently followed the leprechaun, moving deeper into the Wood. Lizinia’s foot snagged on a fallen branch but Trix caught her before she plummeted headfirst into a cloud of cheerfully lit death and misfortune. As she caught herself, they hear a distinctive crunch. A foul stench filled the air.
“Oops.” Lizinia lifted her golden shoe. Smashed against her sole was the glowing remains of a bumble bug.
“That’s done it.” Vick unceremoniously grabbed Lizinia’s foot and used a leaf to remove what he could of the dead bug without touching it. “They’ll be coming for the dead one now. The smell will draw them. I suggest we move along. Quickly.”
Trix turned to see the luminescent cloud of bugs drifting toward them. “How quickly?”
“A brisk walk,” said Vick. His considerably shorter legs had to work twice as hard to match Trix and Lizinia’s pace, but he had no trouble keeping up. Nor did the bumble bugs.
“Or perhaps a nice jog,” said the leprechaun, and they began to move faster through the trees. The bumble bugs stayed behind them.
And so they ran.
Wisdom’s tooth continued to shine, and so they continued to follow the leprechaun, Though whether Wisdom was supporting their guide or simply the act of not running in the darkness, Trix couldn’t decide. When there was no more stench and no more evidence of the bumble bugs, Vick stopped.
“We can part ways here,” he said breathlessly. “The Hill is that way.” He pointed into the trees beyond.
Trix knew from the pull of the Faerie Queen that the leprechaun was telling the truth. “Much obliged,”
“I’m headed this way.” He pointed in the opposite direction. “Last chance to wise up and join me.”