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Authors: Allan Stratton
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pysanka case is safe in its pocket, but take care it doesn’t fall out in the river’s rush.’ She stood on her hind legs. ‘Right, then. Last one in and so forth.’ She leapt into the well and disappeared in the racing current.
Milo glanced at Olivia. ‘If we don’t survive, thank you for saving me from those guards. This is a much better way to die.’
‘You’re welcome.’ Olivia clutched her bundle of cloak. ‘And thank you for . . .’ She suddenly realised she had nothing to thank Milo for at all. But it seemed rude to say so, so instead she said, ‘Thank you for being nice.’
And jumped.
Olivia heard the rush, the splash. Then silence as she plunged beneath the surface. She felt herself spun around, tumbled, carried far from the well. Where was up? Down?
For a second, her head bobbed above the water. She gulped a breath. The world was black as pitch – and cold and wet and –
‘Milo?’
Her cry was lost in the din. The current pulled her back under. Sucked her down feet first. Or was she falling? Spinning down underground rapids?
Water shot up Olivia’s nose. She coughed, gagged – and suddenly was spewed into an underground pool. Where? Some place where the torrent slowed at least. She sank beneath the surface and touched bottom with her toes. Pushing off, she bobbed forward.
The water was now no deeper than her neck. Good. She hadn’t drowned. Yet. She thrashed forward. Soon, the water was down to her waist. But where to go now? ‘Hello?’ she called out.
‘Olivia?’
‘Ephemia?’
‘I’m over here, on top of a boulder,’ the mouse said. ‘I can see starlight on the water ahead. It’s the mouth of the marsh.’
‘Where’s Milo?’
‘Whoah!’ There was a splash behind her as Milo shot into the pool.
‘Milo, over here, it’s shallow,’ Olivia called out. ‘Follow my voice. Ephemia’s found the way out.’
Olivia waded towards her guardian. By the glimmer of light, she saw the silhouette of Ephemia’s rock where it broke the surface. When she reached it, she put down a hand. Ephemia scurried to her shoulder.
Milo joined them. ‘We made it.’
‘What did I tell you?’ Ephemia tsked.
They sloshed their way to the opening, a low overhang of rock and root. Bulrushes grew along the outer banks. Forging through, they scrambled onto muddy ground.
‘I need to get home, let Mama and Papa know I’m all right,’ Milo said. ‘Come with me. You can hide with my family. The soldiers don’t know where I live.’
‘The Dream Witch does,’ Ephemia said, shaking the wet from her haunches. ‘Lead us to your house. I’ll check if she’s lurking. When I give the all-clear, you and your parents must flee.’
‘And you with us.’
‘No,’ Olivia said. ‘Ephemia and I have to head to the forest. I need to face the Dream Witch by dawn.’
‘She’ll kill you.’
‘Better that than her grinding up the kingdom’s children. I’m the reason they’re in trouble.’
‘I should go with you.’
‘No,’ Olivia shook her head. ‘I won’t put anyone else in danger. Besides, you need to be with your parents. They’ve already lost you once. I wouldn’t have them grieve twice.’
‘My home’s in the cornfields near the forest,’ Milo said softly. ‘Mama and Papa can give you some food.’
‘Food.’ Ephemia rubbed her paws. ‘What are we waiting for?’
16
Reunion
Milo led them to the far side of the marsh. From there, they crept along the ditches that led to his family’s home. Starlight lit the shapes of fields and fences, but Milo’s feet knew the way. The nearer they got, the faster he went; soon he was running. ‘It’s just over that hill.’ He and Olivia laid low as Ephemia scouted through thistles and brambles to the hill’s crest. She ran back.
‘Is the Dream Witch near?’ Olivia whispered.
‘No.’ Ephemia wrung her tail. ‘But Milo. Oh, Milo, I’m sorry.’
‘What do you mean you’re sorry?’
Ephemia could say no more.
Milo
Milo glanced at Olivia. ‘If we don’t survive, thank you for saving me from those guards. This is a much better way to die.’
‘You’re welcome.’ Olivia clutched her bundle of cloak. ‘And thank you for . . .’ She suddenly realised she had nothing to thank Milo for at all. But it seemed rude to say so, so instead she said, ‘Thank you for being nice.’
And jumped.
Olivia heard the rush, the splash. Then silence as she plunged beneath the surface. She felt herself spun around, tumbled, carried far from the well. Where was up? Down?
For a second, her head bobbed above the water. She gulped a breath. The world was black as pitch – and cold and wet and –
‘Milo?’
Her cry was lost in the din. The current pulled her back under. Sucked her down feet first. Or was she falling? Spinning down underground rapids?
Water shot up Olivia’s nose. She coughed, gagged – and suddenly was spewed into an underground pool. Where? Some place where the torrent slowed at least. She sank beneath the surface and touched bottom with her toes. Pushing off, she bobbed forward.
The water was now no deeper than her neck. Good. She hadn’t drowned. Yet. She thrashed forward. Soon, the water was down to her waist. But where to go now? ‘Hello?’ she called out.
‘Olivia?’
‘Ephemia?’
‘I’m over here, on top of a boulder,’ the mouse said. ‘I can see starlight on the water ahead. It’s the mouth of the marsh.’
‘Where’s Milo?’
‘Whoah!’ There was a splash behind her as Milo shot into the pool.
‘Milo, over here, it’s shallow,’ Olivia called out. ‘Follow my voice. Ephemia’s found the way out.’
Olivia waded towards her guardian. By the glimmer of light, she saw the silhouette of Ephemia’s rock where it broke the surface. When she reached it, she put down a hand. Ephemia scurried to her shoulder.
Milo joined them. ‘We made it.’
‘What did I tell you?’ Ephemia tsked.
They sloshed their way to the opening, a low overhang of rock and root. Bulrushes grew along the outer banks. Forging through, they scrambled onto muddy ground.
‘I need to get home, let Mama and Papa know I’m all right,’ Milo said. ‘Come with me. You can hide with my family. The soldiers don’t know where I live.’
‘The Dream Witch does,’ Ephemia said, shaking the wet from her haunches. ‘Lead us to your house. I’ll check if she’s lurking. When I give the all-clear, you and your parents must flee.’
‘And you with us.’
‘No,’ Olivia said. ‘Ephemia and I have to head to the forest. I need to face the Dream Witch by dawn.’
‘She’ll kill you.’
‘Better that than her grinding up the kingdom’s children. I’m the reason they’re in trouble.’
‘I should go with you.’
‘No,’ Olivia shook her head. ‘I won’t put anyone else in danger. Besides, you need to be with your parents. They’ve already lost you once. I wouldn’t have them grieve twice.’
‘My home’s in the cornfields near the forest,’ Milo said softly. ‘Mama and Papa can give you some food.’
‘Food.’ Ephemia rubbed her paws. ‘What are we waiting for?’
16
Reunion
Milo led them to the far side of the marsh. From there, they crept along the ditches that led to his family’s home. Starlight lit the shapes of fields and fences, but Milo’s feet knew the way. The nearer they got, the faster he went; soon he was running. ‘It’s just over that hill.’ He and Olivia laid low as Ephemia scouted through thistles and brambles to the hill’s crest. She ran back.
‘Is the Dream Witch near?’ Olivia whispered.
‘No.’ Ephemia wrung her tail. ‘But Milo. Oh, Milo, I’m sorry.’
‘What do you mean you’re sorry?’
Ephemia could say no more.
Milo
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