Richard Tuttle - Sapphire of the Fairies

“That sounds good,” admittedTedi, “but why north?”

“The bandits you saw in theforest,” beamed Arik. “With any luck at all, they’ll take hercaptive before she gets to the next town.”

“I like it,” Tedi readilyagreed. “I’ll tell everybody down by the quay. You get yourself upto the Fisherman’s Inn and tell Master Tern. He likes you for somereason and the witch has to end up back there sometime.”

Arik dashed up alleys and slid betweenbuildings until he was behind the Fisherman’s Inn. It wasapproaching late afternoon and fairly soon the dinner hour would beupon him, making Master Tern unavailable without entering thecommon room. He still hadn’t figured out a way to get Master Ternto believe his story. Arik quickly slipped in the back door to thekitchen and caught Master Tern entering from the door to the commonroom. The kitchen help didn’t even blink as Master Tern strodeacross the room and swept Arik out the back door.

“What kind of trouble have yougotten yourself into?” demanded the innkeeper. “You should know bynow that the Markel boy is nothing but trouble.”

“I don’t know, Master Tern,”Arik quickly offered. “We didn’t do anything, but that witch meansus harm. I can feel it.”

“This has to do with thismorning and her window, doesn’t it?” Esta scolded.

“I don’t think so, MasterTern,” confided Arik. “Tedi was up on the roof this morning, butshe seems more interested in me and it doesn’t have anything to dowith her window. She’s been stalking us all day and finally trappedus on one of the docks. She threatened us and demanded to knowabout our ages and our families and where we lived.”

“I figured that Tedi would bethe one on the roof this morning,” growled Master Tern. “Sheprobably knows it was a young boy but not what he looks like andshe is picking on you because you look older. It is a very seriousthing to be pushing women into the sea, young man, and I expect tobe talking to your father about this matter.”

“We didn’t push her,” pleadedArik. “We couldn’t push her. We couldn’t even run away, MasterTern. She had us frozen from the neck down with magic. Somebodyelse tossed her into the water and they had to have used magic,too, because there was nobody else in sight.”

“Arik,” sighed the innkeeper,“I am very disappointed in you. Ever since I watched you and Tedifor weeks while your fathers went hunting for your mothers, I’vehad the feeling that you were a very good lad and I’ve grown tolike you, but I will not accept such rubbish from your mouth. Now,you will march inside and sit in the common room until the womancomes back and we will get to the bottom of what you have done toher. I’ll send someone down to the docks to wait for yourfather.”

Esta grabbed Arik by the shoulders andstarted pushing him into the inn.

“No, Master Tern,” Arik almostshouted. “By my mother’s life, I swear that I’m telling the truth.The woman is a witch and she means me harm. I really don’t knowwhy, but I know it well enough to have sent a note to my father tomeet me in the woods and for him not to go home.”

Master Tern stopped abruptly. “I waspresent when your father made you that promise, Arik, and I willact as I know your father would. I will tell you, though, I don’tput much store in stories of magic and you would be the first toadmit that your story seems rather unbelievable.”

“I do understand, MasterTern,” Arik sighed with relief. “I wouldn’t believe it myselfexcept that I felt it. I couldn’t move anything but my head and shestood toe-to-toe with me and demanded to know all about me, and herbreath reeked of onions. I was looking right into her eyes when shewas tossed into the sea and she was very surprised. As soon as shehit the water, it was as if someone untied me. Tedi and I took offrunning.”

“Well, there is no doubt abouther breath,” chuckled Esta. “That woman eats more onions than aregood for a person. I’ll let you go meet with your father, but Iwant to know what is going on.”

“Master Tern,” Arik began,“the reason that I came to you is to lead her away from us beforeshe can do any harm. We know that she has been asking everyone intown where we live and she seems determined to get her questionsanswered. Tedi and I plan to spread the word that we left town tothe north to seek adventure. We hope that she will try to follow usand leave Lorgo.”

“You’re still a bit this sideof a man to be adventuring off,” scolded the innkeeper.

“We don’t plan on reallyleaving, Master Tern,” Arik added quickly. “We’ve had enoughadventure already. We just want to get rid of the witch before shecaptures us or our fathers in that spell again.”

“That cuts pretty close to alie,” admonished Esta.

“It is a lie,” admitted Arik.“I also lied to her about my age. I told her I was fourteen. Idon’t know why, but I get the feeling of just wanting to be rid ofher. Master Tern, I really don’t know what to do about her. I knowshe means me harm and I’ve never done anything to her. I’m hopingthat my father can help me when he arrives.”

“I’m not sure why, Arik,”responded Master Tern, “but I believe you think what you’re sayingis true. I won’t lie for you, though. The woman started questioningme and I refused to answer her. I will do that again. You run alongand meet with your father and tell him that I want to know what isreally going on.”

“Certainly, Master Tern,”replied Arik. “You could honestly tell her that I said we wereleaving town. If she is not really after me, she won’t follow. Iwill go to my father and he will let you know what is goingon.”

Arik hurried down the alleys andbetween buildings to return to the woods at the edge of town justas the sky was getting darker. It could hardly be called a sunsetby a boy who had never seen the sun, but it was the time of daythat the fisherman planned to be back in port. Hopefully, he wouldmake it to the woods without running into the witch.

Konic Clava was a large,square-shouldered man with heavily muscled arms and hard callusesfrom many years of plying his trade as a fisherman. His short brownhair and square jaw gave his face the hardened look of a frontiersoldier. His well-proportioned frame gave the impression of someonewho could handle himself in a brawl without working up a sweat.Yet, for all of his hard looks, Konic’s eyes spoke of a kindgentleness beneath his imposing figure. His gray tunic was accentedat the waist by a broad leather belt with loops and notchesdesigned to hold various implements of a fisherman. The only toolcurrently hanging from the belt was a long, sharp knife. When Konicspoke, his voice was low and gravely, yet his soft, sure tone wassoothing and comforting.

“You lads did right well underthe circumstances,” Konic was saying to Arik and Tedi, “although Iwould prefer a solution that didn’t involve forcing drink on MasterMarkel. Still, your solution did keep him safely away from thewitch.”

“Then you believe us, Dad?”smiled Arik.

Konic eased himself to the ground andleaned his back against a large tree. “Of course I believe you,son. If either one of you ever lied to me, you’d have to spendnights on your belly for a month. Arik, I told you once that if youever used that oath I would believe you without question. I meantit and I know you did, too. Most of the villagers would probablybelieve that you were lying because nobody believes in magicanymore. Most of them have not been outside the town in theirentire lives. When Alan and I were searching for your mothers, wesaw and heard things that we would not have believed possiblebefore. I believe you saw a witch and I don’t think she would riskexposing herself because somebody looked in her window.”