In Deep Dark Wood (13 page)
Authors: Marita Conlon-Mckenna
‘
S
tay down! Keep hidden or the sorceress will see us!’
cautioned
Conrad, hiding the boat in some tall, waving reeds. They moved silently along the base of the castle walls, looking for an entrance or gap that they could squeeze through. The walls were at least three feet thick and towered high above them.
A jet-black crow circling overhead spotted them and began a raucous cawing. Conrad stopped and swiftly drew an arrow from his quiver. Stringing it across his bow, he took careful aim as the bird flew overhead. The arrow sliced through the air and the crow tumbled from the sky, straight into the whirling waters of the lake below. As they watched the crow’s body splash into the lake, they noticed that a section of the lake next to the walls was polluted by filthy, stagnant water.
‘I wonder where that water came from,’ said Conrad.
They both peered over the edge of the bank into it. Conrad
stretched out his hand and plunged it into the water.
‘Look, Rory, there’s a small opening here. We could get through it, I think! It must be an overflow water outlet. Come on! We’ll fit.’
Not knowing what lay on the other side, they waded into the water, pushing their way through weeds and slime, their mouths shut tightly. The filthy ooze and stagnant water staining their clothes was disgusting and made them smell like a sewer. If Bella didn’t see them coming, she’d surely smell them!
They emerged into some kind of huge, stone trough that was in sore need of cleaning, then stepped out into a courtyard, part of which was fenced off.
‘Those are the dragon pens,’ warned Conrad.
Rory was petrified. What if a dragon saw them?
They noticed a group of dragons in the distance, busy preening themselves and licking their skin, which shone in myriad colours against the grey stone. Rory was rooted to the spot in fear and awe. Everything his sister had told him about these magnificent creatures had been true!
Hiding behind a low stone parapet, they waited and waited. Eventually, a stocky girl appeared and went from pen to pen, leaving food on the ground for the young dragons to eat. Squeals of delight filled the air.
‘Let’s follow her,’ urged Conrad.
The girl walked briskly through a narrow, arched doorway, down a stairwell and into a long corridor.
Silently they crept after her, then hid behind barrels and
crates when she entered a room. It was the castle’s kitchen. The dwelf girl began to prepare dinner and soon a delicious smell filled the air and the boys’ empty stomachs groaned with hunger.
A clatter of footsteps moved along the stone floor. Rory gasped when he saw Mia approaching, accompanied by the bird woman! Mia wore a strange outfit, but no chains or ropes bound her. He watched in disbelief as she emptied a pot of green beans into a deep dish and carried it to the table. He wanted to rush out and grab her, tell her he was here and that she was safe now, but Conrad restrained him.
Bella sat at the top of the table. She wore a gown of peacock blue and her white hair was plaited and hung down her back. Mia sat close by her, passing her food and pouring water from a jug into the old woman’s goblet. The dwelf girl sat down too and passed the plates around.
‘We should jump out and snatch her! Do something!’ Rory pleaded.
At that, Bella rose from her chair, sniffing the air like a dog. Her eyes searched the room, then narrowed.
‘I do believe that we have visitors among us,’ she announced sarcastically, ‘or should I say intruders!’
The skin gleamed pale over the old woman’s bony features, her eyes were black as beetles and the dragon-wing marks on her forehead taut as she called to them: ‘Please, gentlemen! Come and join us! You are discovered!’ She laughed wickedly, beckoning them.
Reluctantly, the two boys stepped forward from their hiding
place.
‘Mia!’ shouted Rory, running to the table and hugging his sister. She drew back, alarmed. ‘It’s me! It’s me Rory!’
A look of total bewilderment and confusion passed over his sister’s face as she struggled to release herself from his embrace.
‘Let go of me, stranger!’ she begged.
‘Mia!’ he shouted, shaking her. ‘Mia! You know who I am. It’s me, Rory.’
It was as if Mia didn’t know him at all, or couldn’t understand the language he spoke. She looked embarrassed. What had happened to her?
‘What have you done with the girl?’ demanded Conrad, standing in front of the sorceress.
The old woman smirked. ‘You may join us if you wish, for you both look half-starved. Eat and enjoy, for tomorrow who knows what pleasure I may have in store for you!’
In despair, they sat down at the table, all the fight and spirit gone out of them. Rory knew that their brave quest had been in vain. The old woman must have enchanted Mia with a spell. She didn’t even recognise or remember him! Conrad had started to eat, but Rory just stared at the food, miserable. Now both of them were prisoners of the sorceress too. It couldn’t end like this, he wouldn’t let it. Mia must remember! He’d make her remember! He began to talk, his words filling the silence, and Bella looked bemused. He talked of their mother and father, the fun times they had growing up together in Glenkilty: birthday parties, Christmas, her first Holy
Communion, Granny Rose, Jackie. The old witch began to get irritated as he told stories of Glenkilty and the people in the village and their school. Mia smiled, but he could see she remained untouched, uninterested in what he was saying.
‘Sing!’ whispered Conrad suddenly.
Rory felt stupid, but he tried to think of a song that Mia liked – or used to like. He racked his brains trying to remember songs they had sung back home, sitting round the table.
‘Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday, dear Mia, happy birthday to you.’
Only Gwenda, the dwelf girl, smiled at the strange song.
‘Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way!’ Rory sang frantically.
But his efforts were useless. It was all absolutely hopeless. Never again would he sit round a table with Mia and his Mum and Dad, arguing, his parents giving out to him about his manners … he looked up, Mia was eating some kind of mashed up vegetable, lost in a trance, as if she was in a world of her own. From deep within, he drew a rumbling sound, letting it fill his belly, push up through his chest and slide up his throat. It was one of the biggest belches he had ever done!
A look of deep disgust and dismay flitted across Bella’s face.
Mia’s eyes opened wide. ‘Rory!’
Almost knocking over the table, he rushed over to his sister, pulling her to her feet. ‘You remember!’
She nodded, too terrified to laugh or smile.
‘Run!’ Conrad’s words sent them racing out of the room and
along the narrow corridor. The old witch screeched as she got to her feet. Rory had no idea where to go or in what direction, but he kept a tight hold of Mia’s hand, frightened to lose her again.
‘Keep on running and don’t stop!’ ordered Conrad.
They ran up and down passageways and corridors, as Bella, feet lifting off the ground, began to fly after them.
Mia led the boys, helter skelter, through the castle.
‘In here!’ she said, pushing them into the old banqueting hall.
‘How will we get out of here?’ panted Rory. ‘What are we going to do?’
They all tried to get their breath back and think of some kind of plan.
‘Rory, I’ll try to lead Bella to the other end of the castle so you two can escape.’
‘No, Conrad. You’ve done so much already. I’d never have found Mia without you.’
‘Listen, Rory, I’m well able to look after myself and that ancient old sorceress doesn’t bother me. Give me your red sweatshirt!’
Reluctantly, Rory pulled his hooded sweatshirt over his head and passed it to the other boy, who slipped it on.
‘Make for the boat,’ ordered Conrad, ‘You know where it is. Wait a while for me, but not more than thirty minutes.’
‘I’m not leaving without you!’ promised Rory.
‘Go!’ said Conrad firmly.
They could hear Bella moving along the corridor,
screeching, doors banging open and shut as she searched for them.
‘She’ll find us!’ gasped Mia.
‘Ssshh!’ ordered Conrad. ‘Give me a minute, then move!’
Rory and Mia watched in dismay as Conrad opened the door and began to run. A minute later they took off in the opposite direction.
M
ia and Rory stayed close together, determined not to be separated again.
‘We must get to the stairs!’ urged Mia.
Racing as fast as they could along the corridor, they prayed silently that Conrad had managed to outwit the devious Bella, too.
‘Do you hear that?’ gasped Mia, holding Rory’s arm.
The air was filled with the sounds of yelping and barking as a frenzied pack of wild dogs set about hunting their prey. The witch must have summoned them, and already they were on Conrad’s scent.
‘Rory! We can’t go downstairs, they’ll attack us! What’ll we do?’
‘Back the way we came!’ he shouted, knowing that Bella was gaining on them.
They passed the map room and Mia was tempted to hide there.
‘Come on!’ urged Rory. ‘Conrad can only hold them off for so long, there must be another way to get down to the kitchen.
‘There’s a back stairs, but I’ve never used it,’ said Mia, leading the way.
The door was stiff and they had to force it open. A musty smell assaulted them as they negotiated the narrow, winding, stone steps. There was no rail, and twice Mia nearly fell. They both stopped, frozen with fear, when they heard the door open above them. They hurled themselves down the rest of the way.
‘Bella’s there,’ whispered Mia. ‘She’s waiting for us!’
‘Is there another floor beneath this?’
‘Just the dungeons,’ Mia shrugged.
Rory urged his sister on into the darkness, and they crept deeper below into the depths of the castle.
Water dripped from the walls and it was freezing cold. It was so dark they could scarcely see a thing. Mia jumped as something brushed against her face.
‘Just cobwebs, Mia!’ Rory lashed at the space above and around him Mia was afraid of spiders.
‘It’s okay,’ said Mia. ‘Our eyes will get used to the dark in a moment.’
Rory couldn’t believe it, his little sister was unafraid of the dark, and trying to comfort him!
They both stayed perfectly still, holding their breath as Bella called them from somewhere in the castle.
‘Give yourselves up, children! You know I’ll find you, wherever you are! You will never leave this castle!’
‘I wonder if there is any way out of these dungeons and cells other than the way we came?’ sighed Rory. ‘Others must have escaped!’
Clasping her brother’s hand, Mia followed him.
‘If only we’d a candle or a torch or something,’ he muttered.
‘We do have a candle,’ she remembered, retrieving from her pocket the small cream-coloured candle that the candlemaker had given her. ‘If only it would light!’
The words had scarcely left her mouth when the wick flickered into flame.
The candle sent soft light shadows around the dungeon and its cells, illuminating the black walls and mouldy floors. Holding the candle up, Mia could see a thick layer of spider webs hanging from the ceiling. The black, beady eyes of the spiders watched them from the darkness. She closed her eyes. She’d always been afraid of spiders and now she longed to cry out to Bella to come and rescue her.
‘It’s all right, Mia!’ assured Rory, wrapping her in his arms. ‘They won’t touch you. They’re more frightened of us!’
Mia could see a huge, black spider looking down on them from its vantage point on the ceiling. The spider crept from its hiding place and dangled down on a fine, gossamer thread beside them. Then it dropped to the ground, ran along the wall and slipped out through a crack in the stonework. The same thought struck both children at once: the stones were moveable! They tugged at them and loosened them, eventually revealing a gap big enough for them to slip through.
‘It must be a secret passageway,’ said Mia. ‘Come on!’
The passageway was steep and dark and damp, but the candle cast a comforting glow in the desperate darkness.
They soon realised the extent of the spider’s help: all along the treacherous, slippy passageway the spider had left a trail of her finest webs. Following them, they soon felt the welcome breeze of fresh air and found themselves back outside the castle, near the rocky beach where the little boat lay hidden.
There they waited for Conrad to appear.
Eventually, they could wait no more. There was no sign of the other boy. Rory pushed the small boat out onto the lake. Deep in his heart he knew that the three of them would never have fitted in the dwarves’ small fishing craft, and wondered if that was why Conrad had left them. The water was still and clear, with no sign of the attacking eels.
‘Row!’ he told Mia, as they pulled away from the shore, leaving the witch’s castle behind. He should have been overjoyed at rescuing his sister, but all he could think of was what Bella would do to Conrad when she caught him.
‘What’s wrong, Rory?’
How could he begin to explain the bond that had developed between him and the young woodsman that had saved his life?
Mia rowed, the little craft ferrying them across the lake, each stroke taking them further and further away from Bella, the dragons and the castle. They had barely reached the safety of the shore when Mia spotted a black shadow darkening the sky.
‘It’s Arznel!’ whispered Mia, dragging Rory under cover. ‘He’s searching for us!’
She knew Arznel must be scared, flying on his own as all trace of daylight began to leave the sky. He was probably so busy concentrating on landmarks that he was unable to scout the area well.
‘Will Bella herself come after us, do you think?’ asked Rory fearfully.
Mia wasn’t sure. Who could say what lengths Bella would go to, or what she was capable of?
Once Arznel was out of sight, they quickly tied up the boat.
‘We have to hide!’ urged Rory. ‘Deep inside the wood is safest – the dragons will find it harder to hunt us there.’