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Authors: Thomas Wharton
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grandfather are at home.”
Balor sighed.
“According to the rules, which I do try to follow on occasion, I should take you to my superior officer. But I know you’re worried about your friends. Go on, then.”
“Thank you, Balor.”
“Ah, wait, one more thing.”
He drew a short sword from a scabbard on his belt and held it over Will’s head, then brought the flat of the blade down slowly on one of Will’s shoulders and then the other.
“Will Lightfoot,” the wildman boomed, “for thy valour and skill in the field, I do appoint thee a knight-apprentice of the Errantry.”
Will couldn’t help but laugh at Balor’s jest, despite his troubled thoughts.
“We’ll meet again soon,” the wildman said with a grin, and strode away.
A few moments later Will was at the door of Nicholas Pendrake’s toyshop in Pluvius Lane. The old man was a mage of great power and a master of ancient lore, but his daily living came from making children’s toys. For all that most folk in Fable knew, this was all he did, and that was the way he preferred it. For the loremaster had long kept a secret, even from Rowen, about her ancestry, and her own powers.
Will knocked loudly at the door and after a wait that seemed too long, it was opened by Edweth, Pendrake’s tiny but intimidating housekeeper. She peered out suspiciously at first, then her ruddy face beamed with delight when she recognized Will.
“Bless us, look who it is,” she said, throwing the door open wide. “Will Lightfoot. I wondered if I’d ever see you again, my dear. My goodness, come in, come in.”
“Are they here, Edweth?” Will asked.
“Oh, the Master and Rowen,” she sighed. “How I wish. But come in and sit down. I’ll make you a little something to eat and you can tell me how you got here and what’s brought you all this way.”
Brimming with questions, Will kept silent for the moment and followed the housekeeper through the front hall. The shelves were crowded with toys of all descriptions, just as he remembered. In the spick and span kitchen, Will took a seat at the dining table while Edweth busied herself with cups and plates. She asked him what had brought him back to Fable, but he didn’t want to alarm her straight away, not until he had received some answers himself, so he avoided answering.
“So the loremaster and Rowen haven’t returned yet from the journey we went on?” he asked instead.
“No. I did get a message from them, months ago it was. Brought by Sputter. Plucky fellow. Who knows how many miles he’d flown to bring it to me. Anyway, the message said you’d gone home safely, Will, and that the Master and Rowen were staying with the Hidden Folk for a time and that he didn’t know when they’d be back. I haven’t heard anything from them since.
Months
. Hmph. That child has been away from home far too long and I’m worried to death about her. Travelling with these
Fair
Folk
is all very well, I suppose, but there’s no better place for Rowen than her own home.”
“And Shade…?”
The housekeeper shook her head.
“I’ve not heard anything about your wolf friend since the day you left here, I’m afraid.”
Will looked down, struggling with his disappointment. He had found his way back to the Realm, to Fable, and as far as he knew, Rowen was safe with the Fair Folk. But still, she wasn’t here, and there was no way to warn her about the shadow’s message. And Shade could be anywhere. When they parted, the wolf had said he was going in search of other Speaking Creatures like himself. Where was he now? A lump formed in Will’s throat. If it hadn’t been for Shade, he would never have made it home. It was the wolf’s keen senses and unerring instinct, he knew, far more than his own gift, that had brought him safely through danger. Shade had saved his life more than once, at the risk of his own. The wolf had become the best friend Will had ever had. Saying goodbye to him had been as difficult as leaving Rowen.
Balor sighed.
“According to the rules, which I do try to follow on occasion, I should take you to my superior officer. But I know you’re worried about your friends. Go on, then.”
“Thank you, Balor.”
“Ah, wait, one more thing.”
He drew a short sword from a scabbard on his belt and held it over Will’s head, then brought the flat of the blade down slowly on one of Will’s shoulders and then the other.
“Will Lightfoot,” the wildman boomed, “for thy valour and skill in the field, I do appoint thee a knight-apprentice of the Errantry.”
Will couldn’t help but laugh at Balor’s jest, despite his troubled thoughts.
“We’ll meet again soon,” the wildman said with a grin, and strode away.
A few moments later Will was at the door of Nicholas Pendrake’s toyshop in Pluvius Lane. The old man was a mage of great power and a master of ancient lore, but his daily living came from making children’s toys. For all that most folk in Fable knew, this was all he did, and that was the way he preferred it. For the loremaster had long kept a secret, even from Rowen, about her ancestry, and her own powers.
Will knocked loudly at the door and after a wait that seemed too long, it was opened by Edweth, Pendrake’s tiny but intimidating housekeeper. She peered out suspiciously at first, then her ruddy face beamed with delight when she recognized Will.
“Bless us, look who it is,” she said, throwing the door open wide. “Will Lightfoot. I wondered if I’d ever see you again, my dear. My goodness, come in, come in.”
“Are they here, Edweth?” Will asked.
“Oh, the Master and Rowen,” she sighed. “How I wish. But come in and sit down. I’ll make you a little something to eat and you can tell me how you got here and what’s brought you all this way.”
Brimming with questions, Will kept silent for the moment and followed the housekeeper through the front hall. The shelves were crowded with toys of all descriptions, just as he remembered. In the spick and span kitchen, Will took a seat at the dining table while Edweth busied herself with cups and plates. She asked him what had brought him back to Fable, but he didn’t want to alarm her straight away, not until he had received some answers himself, so he avoided answering.
“So the loremaster and Rowen haven’t returned yet from the journey we went on?” he asked instead.
“No. I did get a message from them, months ago it was. Brought by Sputter. Plucky fellow. Who knows how many miles he’d flown to bring it to me. Anyway, the message said you’d gone home safely, Will, and that the Master and Rowen were staying with the Hidden Folk for a time and that he didn’t know when they’d be back. I haven’t heard anything from them since.
Months
. Hmph. That child has been away from home far too long and I’m worried to death about her. Travelling with these
Fair
Folk
is all very well, I suppose, but there’s no better place for Rowen than her own home.”
“And Shade…?”
The housekeeper shook her head.
“I’ve not heard anything about your wolf friend since the day you left here, I’m afraid.”
Will looked down, struggling with his disappointment. He had found his way back to the Realm, to Fable, and as far as he knew, Rowen was safe with the Fair Folk. But still, she wasn’t here, and there was no way to warn her about the shadow’s message. And Shade could be anywhere. When they parted, the wolf had said he was going in search of other Speaking Creatures like himself. Where was he now? A lump formed in Will’s throat. If it hadn’t been for Shade, he would never have made it home. It was the wolf’s keen senses and unerring instinct, he knew, far more than his own gift, that had brought him safely through danger. Shade had saved his life more than once, at the risk of his own. The wolf had become the best friend Will had ever had. Saying goodbye to him had been as difficult as leaving Rowen.
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