The Unwilling Apprentice (Book 2) (9 page)

Pat gestured at his staff which was once more a broken stick. "If you're going to be using that thing than maybe you'd better start knowing."

Fred winced. She was right, he had been reckless using that earthquake move when he didn't know how he did it or how to cancel it out. Pat led the gargoyle girl along the rooftops, and Fred slowly followed behind. In a few minutes they reached the end of the houses and the open area before the castle gates. They ducked down over the peak of the final roof and looked out on their final hurdle. The gates stood open in case of an emergency evacuation, but all but a scarce contingency of the guards were in the city directing the housing and rescue effort.

Even with so few guards they had no way of sneaking the gargoyle inside without being caught. Lady Luck proved to be on their side, or rather Lady Martley. She came out of the castle and had a word with the guards. To the surprise of the three, the guards lined up and marched down into the city. Martley folded her arms across her ample chest and waved them off. The moment they were out of sight of the castle gates, Martley's eyes turned to the hidden companions. "All clear," she whispered to them. The three looked at each, and none of them moved. Martley's voice told her impatience. "Hurry! More may come, and I can't distract them all."

Pat frowned. "She could if she took off all her clothes," she muttered.

"She helped me once before, so let's go," Fred replied. He took hold of the gargoyle girl's hand and guided her down off the roof, with Pat at the rear. They hurried across the open area and into the relative safety and seclusion of the castle courtyard.

Martley smiled and bowed her head at the group. "Good evening, young people. Quite an interesting night, isn't it?"

Pat shoved her way to the front of the group. "How did you know we were out here?" she questioned the older woman.

Martley smirked. "It must have been a lucky guess," she replied in a sweet voice.

"Lucky guess my foot. You knew we were out here so-"

Martley held up her hand and pointed behind the companions. They turned and saw shadows dancing on the walls toward them. "You may want to hurry inside before your friend here is found," Martley suggested.

Fred grabbed both girls by the wrists, bowed his head at the Lady, and dragged the pair into the castle. They shut the doors behind themselves and tiptoed over to the nearest column, where they hid. Fred peeked around the side toward the kitchen while Pat looked around the other.

On Pat's end she heard many frantic voices in the large dining hall, and the king boomed over them. "Quiet now! I tell you there is nothing more to worry about. All has been taken care of by Lady Martley, and our lives are in no danger whatsoever."

"Lady Martley?" Pat repeated in bewilderment.

"But what about the monster?" a frightened woman asked him.

A fist pounded against a hard table. "Damned be that monster! It's probably just a child dressed as a creature to scare the light of heart."

One Fred's side he heard a pot rattle and many noises down the hall. They would have to concoct another distraction to get the cooks out of there. Fred felt a tug on his sleeve and turned to find it was Pat. "Let's get her upstairs for now. After everyone's gone to sleep we can help her get back to the cavern," she suggested.

Fred nodded, and they guided the gargoyle up the stairs and onto the balcony. When they neared the opening to the hall that led to their bedrooms, the door to the dining room burst open and the king stomped out. "I shall prove to your doubting eyes that all is well!" he screamed at those still in the room. A retinue of well-dressed people followed behind him like lost chicks, and the three companions squished against the wall and slid down to the floor to avoid detection.

Fred could see through the rungs of the balcony banister and noticed a familiar face among the group. It was Lord Sturgeon of Tramadore, and his son Percy followed close at his side. The pair were less troubled with the city's problems than the other guests, and paused at one of the columns while all the others went outside.

The doors shut behind the other guests, and Percy turned to his father. "Has King Stephen told you what plans he has for Lady Lamikan?"

Sturgeon raised an eyebrow. "Lady Lamikan? She is no more a lady than that fool is a king," he snapped, and gestured to where Stephen had gone.

"If you insist, father, but have you perceived his intentions toward her?" Percy insisted.

Sturgeon frowned and shook his head. "I can't get any information from him, but now is hardly the time to speak. Let us talk further in my room."

They turned toward the stairs and the companions slunk into the hall. Once out of sight they rushed down the hall and came to the intersecting passage. Pat and Fred turned to her bedroom, but a servant girl was in a room not far down the hall. Thinking quickly, Fred grabbed the gargoyle and guided her to the room he shared with Ned. Pat noticed them halfway down the hall.

"Not that way!" she hissed, but hurried to catch up.

The three slipped into the room and Fred closed the door behind them. He leaned against the wood and wiped his sweaty brow. "That was close," he muttered.

Pat was in his face in a moment while the gargoyle stood back and watched them. "We need to take her to my room!" Pat hissed.

Fred rolled his eyes and gestured around the room. "She'll be just as safe in here! Nobody comes here except Ned and me," Fred snarled back.

Pat scowled, and grasped one of the gargoyle girl's arms. "What about that chambermaid that told us about the cavern? She came in here." She pulled the girl toward the door, but Fred grabbed her other arm. He yanked them back

"Only to make my bed. She won't come back now, but you'll have a bunch of girls in there helping you get dressed tomorrow," he replied.

Pat yanked at the poor girl, and Fred pulled back. "Tomorrow? How long do you think either of us can hide her? We need to get her back to her father before he's driven mad with worry!" she pointed out.

"Pull any harder and you may have a problem in all of your hands," a voice quipped. All three of their heads swiveled around to the doorway, and Ned stood there with a smile on his face.

Fred and Pat looked at each other, then back at their gargoyle friend. Her face showed the pain of their tug-of-war with her arms. They dropped her stretched arms, plastered wide, fake smiles on their faces and stepped together so their shoulders pressed against each other. That didn't quite hide the gargoyle girl behind them.

Ned chuckled and leaned on his staff as he looked the three over. "I suspected you two had something to do with tonight's chaos, but the gargoyle is a nice touch to the surprise."

"Um, you didn't hear anything about this from us," Fred told him.

Ned smiled. "In this case seeing is believing," he replied. He stepped over to the young gargoyle and bowed his head. "Good evening, young miss. You look very much like a fellow I used to know. I believe his name was Sampson."

The girl's eyes lit up. "You know my father?"

Ned chuckled. "Well, well, indeed I do, and I'm glad to hear he's still alive, but where is he and how did you come to be here?"

"We reside in a cavern deep beneath the castle," she told him. She blushed and looked at the ground. "And I am the one who caused the trouble this night. If I hadn't been curious to see the fireworks than none of this would have happened."

Ned kindly smiled and walked between the two youngsters who guarded her. He put a gentle hand on the gargoyle girl's shoulder, and she gaze into his wise old eyes. "Don't trouble yourself too much, young miss. I have yet to hear that anyone was seriously harmed, though there are reports of several being slightly mauled by a cantankas." Fred cringed. That was partly his doing though he had little control over the beast.

Pat glared at Fred. "Did you let that beast out to attack the citizens?" she scolded him.

Fred scowled back at her. "I didn't let him do anything, he crashed through the wall and saved Canto and me from the mob."

"I'm sorry." The small voice interrupted them, and the pair turned to the gargoyle girl. Tears pooled in her eyes and her shoulders shook. "I'm so sorry. I didn't want any of this to happen, and it's all my fault that you two are fighting and the city is in such ruins."

Ned clucked his tongue and shook his head. "Now look at what you're arguing has done. You've frightened her." He led the girl over to the bed, sat them both down, and took one of her hands in both of his. "Where are my manners? I haven't yet introduced myself. My name is Ned." The two youngsters looked at each other and blushed; through all that trouble they hadn't even gotten her name.

"My name is Ruth," she replied with a sniffle.

Ned smiled. "That's a very pretty name. Is this your first adventure outside the caves?" She nodded. "Do you want to go back to your father?" She surprised all of them when she shook her head. Ned raised an eyebrow. "Why is that?"

Ruth glanced over to Fred and Pat. "I owe them my life. If they hadn't come to rescue me I don't know what would have happened. A life-debt must be paid with servitude, or I save their lives."

Fred blinked, but Pat vehemently shook her head and stepped toward the girl with her hands up and waving. "It was nothing, really. You need to go back to your father and the others. It's much safer-"

Ruth stood stiffly and stared Pat straight in the eyes. "A life-debt can't be forgiven, and I can't return to my people until I have fulfilled my debt."

Ned chuckled. "Not even to inform your father of your debt?" he pointed out.

Ruth cringed and blushed. "Perhaps it would be wise to do that."

"I imagine that isn't easy, or my two bold companions here would have sent you back already," Ned commented.

"The secret entrance is beneath the kitchen," Fred informed him.

"We planned to take her down there later tonight," Pat chimed in.

Ned pulled at his beard and shook his head. "Sounds risky, especially as I heard the guests for your birthday party have insisted on doubling the guards inside and outside the castle."

Pat threw up her arms. "Then do you have a better plan?"

Ned jumped up onto his feet and pointed his staff toward the gargoyle. "Actually, yes. Just hold still, Ruth, this won't hurt a bit."

Before any of them could argue, particularly Ruth, a beam of light shot from his staff and struck her on the head. It exploded into a million dazzling glitters of light that rained down over her entire body. Each small piece of glitter touched her skin and changed the color from dark to pale. Her pointed ears lowered and morphed into human ears, and her tail and wings completely dissolved. The feet flattened and split into ten toes, and her clawed hands developed long, slender fingers. The only gargoyle aspect of her that remained the same were her red eyes, though the color dulled. Ruth looked down at herself and screamed. Fred, Pat, and Ned jumped forward and clapped their hands over her mouth. Pat glared at Ned. "What the hell have you done to her?" she hissed at him.

He sheepishly grinned. "Not quite the thanks I was expecting, but you will be able to take her through the castle without any problems."

"And how is she supposed to turn back?" Pat asked him.

Ned scrunched up his face, dug into his cloak with his free hand, and pulled out a small, golden necklace with a round piece of glass in the center. Inside the glass lay the colorful sparkles like those that had changed Ruth. "This should do the trick. A rub on the glass and she transforms right back. At least, I think it will."

"You think it will?" Pat repeated.

Ned shrugged. "It's been a number of years since it's been tried, and the results were, well, not satisfactory." Ruth's eyes widened in horror, and Pat growled.

"What the hell does that mean?" Pat questioned him.

"Well, let us just say that the gentleman in question later gave birth to five healthy children."

Ruth squealed, and Fred noticed her face turn a terrible shade of blue. "Guys, I think we're suffocating her."

Ned and Pat turned their heads and noticed the gargoyle was too terrified to do anything but listen to their conversation. They pulled their hands from her mouth and, by habit, she took a deep, gasping breath. She turned her pleading eyes on Ned. "I'm not trapped in this human form forever, am I?"

Ned pursed his lips together and slid the trinket over her neck. "There is only one way to be sure."

Ruth took the necklace in her shaking hands and pressed her fingers against the glass. She lightly rubbed the surface, and a bright light shot out of the center. It engulfed her in a rainbow of colors for a few seconds, and sucked back into the glass just as quickly to reveal Ruth back in her true form. She looked down at herself and her face lit up with a bright smile. "It worked!" she exclaimed.

Pat looked over to Ned and narrowed her eyes. "It better have or Ned would have had some explaining to do to Sampson," she grumbled.

Ned coughed and straightened. "Yes, well, a happy ending is a happy ending. Rub the glass to revert to your human form, and no one will be the wiser." Ruth rubbed the glass again, and the transformation worked as before only quicker and with less flare. She laughed and switched between her two forms in a swirling mix of colors and an amalgamation of gargoyle and human. Ned jumped forward and put his hand over the trinket. He stopped on her human form. "Best not switch too quickly. You may become permanently stuck between both forms."