Read Online A True Princess by Diane Zahler - Free Book Online
Authors: Diane Zahler
Tags: Ages 8 & Up
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boy and the changelings. However, I will grant you only a fortnight to bring the clasp here—a fortnight in human time. And the boy must stay with us until you bring it.”
“Oh!” Karina cried in dismay. I knew she wanted to protest, but I also knew we had no choice. We had to leave Kai there, and we had only two weeks to find Odin’s clasp. We had pushed the Elf-King as far as we could—much further than I would have thought possible, had I dared to consider it beforehand. We had a chance now, and we must take it.
“Come,” I said to Ove. But he did not follow. Instead, he cocked his head, looking from me to Kai and back again.
“Very well,” I said gently. “You can stay and protect Kai.” I petted him, hoping that this was the right thing to do.
I began backing away, pulling Karina with me. Before we had gone far, I stopped and spoke again.
“From whom did you take me, sir?” I asked the Elf-King.
He turned once more to us, and I could see the question play across his face as he searched his ancient memory for the answer. But he did not reply. Instead he began to laugh; and his courtiers, his daughter, and her ladies laughed with him as they disappeared into the trees, gone in an instant, as if they had never existed.
Chapter 6
A True Princess Does Not Gossip
K arina and I turned then and fled. We both wept as we ran, aghast that we’d had to leave Kai and Ove in the thrall of the Elf-King’s daughter. Before long, though, we had to slow to catch our breath, and finally we halted, unsure of what direction to take. I looked around wildly and spied a flash of scarlet that I was certain was not a redbird—for when had we seen or heard any bird but the falcon in that dreadful place? I was sure it was our nisse.
We started out again, trying to catch up with the nisse, but he hurried on ahead of us. When we slowed, he slowed too; and when we stopped to drink at a stream, he stopped as well. We tried walking in another direction, and he just stood where he was, waiting for us to turn back.
At last I lost patience. “Go around to the left,” I instructed Karina, “and I will go to the right.” As the nisse tried to follow our movements, we circled him and turned back, then stood before him, hands on hips.
“Well,” I said. “What are you doing here? Why haven’t you returned to the farm?”
The nisse adjusted his cap and smoothed his long beard. Then he shrugged. “The farm, the people—who’s to say which needed me more? And you have given me treats. I like treats.”
I smiled, remembering the scraps of food I had left out for him. “So you’ve decided to guard us?”
“To guide you,” the nisse corrected me irritably. “Out of the forest. You humans are too stupid to get through on your own. Wolves, elves—it’s hard to believe you’ve come this far.”
“But what if the Elf-King catches you?” I asked. “Does he know you freed us?”
The nisse shrugged again, but I could see that he looked a little uneasy. “He’ll probably have forgotten that by now. He’s lived so long that he remembers only the most important things. And you are my people. It’s my duty to keep you safe, much as I’d rather not.”
“Well, thank you,” I told him. “We are very grateful for your help. . . . Wait, do you have a name?” No one I knew had ever found out a nisse’s name.
The nisse scowled. “Of course I have a name. What a ridiculous question.”
“Well, what is it?” I asked.
The nisse gave me a scornful look. “That, missy, is none of your business. Now, are we going to walk, or would you like to stand here until the wolves come to eat you?”
We quickly gathered up our belongings and set out again. After a short while, the nisse held up his hand and said, “Listen.”
We listened. Faintly, far in the distance, I could hear hoofbeats. Excited, I asked, “Is it the road? Are we near the end of the forest?”
“Stupid girl!” the nisse snorted. “Listen.”
We
“Oh!” Karina cried in dismay. I knew she wanted to protest, but I also knew we had no choice. We had to leave Kai there, and we had only two weeks to find Odin’s clasp. We had pushed the Elf-King as far as we could—much further than I would have thought possible, had I dared to consider it beforehand. We had a chance now, and we must take it.
“Come,” I said to Ove. But he did not follow. Instead, he cocked his head, looking from me to Kai and back again.
“Very well,” I said gently. “You can stay and protect Kai.” I petted him, hoping that this was the right thing to do.
I began backing away, pulling Karina with me. Before we had gone far, I stopped and spoke again.
“From whom did you take me, sir?” I asked the Elf-King.
He turned once more to us, and I could see the question play across his face as he searched his ancient memory for the answer. But he did not reply. Instead he began to laugh; and his courtiers, his daughter, and her ladies laughed with him as they disappeared into the trees, gone in an instant, as if they had never existed.
Chapter 6
A True Princess Does Not Gossip
K arina and I turned then and fled. We both wept as we ran, aghast that we’d had to leave Kai and Ove in the thrall of the Elf-King’s daughter. Before long, though, we had to slow to catch our breath, and finally we halted, unsure of what direction to take. I looked around wildly and spied a flash of scarlet that I was certain was not a redbird—for when had we seen or heard any bird but the falcon in that dreadful place? I was sure it was our nisse.
We started out again, trying to catch up with the nisse, but he hurried on ahead of us. When we slowed, he slowed too; and when we stopped to drink at a stream, he stopped as well. We tried walking in another direction, and he just stood where he was, waiting for us to turn back.
At last I lost patience. “Go around to the left,” I instructed Karina, “and I will go to the right.” As the nisse tried to follow our movements, we circled him and turned back, then stood before him, hands on hips.
“Well,” I said. “What are you doing here? Why haven’t you returned to the farm?”
The nisse adjusted his cap and smoothed his long beard. Then he shrugged. “The farm, the people—who’s to say which needed me more? And you have given me treats. I like treats.”
I smiled, remembering the scraps of food I had left out for him. “So you’ve decided to guard us?”
“To guide you,” the nisse corrected me irritably. “Out of the forest. You humans are too stupid to get through on your own. Wolves, elves—it’s hard to believe you’ve come this far.”
“But what if the Elf-King catches you?” I asked. “Does he know you freed us?”
The nisse shrugged again, but I could see that he looked a little uneasy. “He’ll probably have forgotten that by now. He’s lived so long that he remembers only the most important things. And you are my people. It’s my duty to keep you safe, much as I’d rather not.”
“Well, thank you,” I told him. “We are very grateful for your help. . . . Wait, do you have a name?” No one I knew had ever found out a nisse’s name.
The nisse scowled. “Of course I have a name. What a ridiculous question.”
“Well, what is it?” I asked.
The nisse gave me a scornful look. “That, missy, is none of your business. Now, are we going to walk, or would you like to stand here until the wolves come to eat you?”
We quickly gathered up our belongings and set out again. After a short while, the nisse held up his hand and said, “Listen.”
We listened. Faintly, far in the distance, I could hear hoofbeats. Excited, I asked, “Is it the road? Are we near the end of the forest?”
“Stupid girl!” the nisse snorted. “Listen.”
We
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