Greyfur asked.
“It’s a long story,” I started to say, just as Eneirda said, “They ate muskberries. Sssst!” That disgusted sound was back in her voice.
I didn’t understand why she was making such a big deal about this. “Aleena said they were okay.”
They drew back from us, hissing.
“What?” I asked. “What’s wrong with eating muskberries?”
Greyfur sighed. “Muskberries help us connect to our magic.”
“Why don’t you want us to connect to your magic?” I asked.
“ Sssst! Humans harm magic! But you saved Godren. You are welcome here. Sit. We will bring food.”
We sat by the river. I rolled up my pants, and washed my leg. My calf was covered in dried blood, and a long gash was still oozing.
Greyfur drew Eneirda and Arnica away from us, and they chattered and whistled to one another. Finally, Arnica lifted Godren out of my hoodie, and she and Eneirda swam with him across the river. I tugged my hoodie over my head. It was still warm from Godren’s body.
We watched Arnica carry Godren into one of the caves, followed by two otter-people. The rest gathered around Eneirda, and she spoke to them briefly. Then the otter-people scattered into caves and the forest. Soon they were back, swimming across the river with food balanced on large leaves. They spread a feast before us: small blue berries, icy water from the creek in a bark cup, mushrooms. Raw fish. Bugs laid out on leaves. A dead frog.
Eneirda squatted near us and gestured for us to eat. Our hands hovered over the food, trying not to offend, but not sure what to eat. I thought the berries would be safe. They were tasteless and filled with gritty seeds. We had a handful each, then drank water to wash them down. The cold water hurt my teeth.
Greyfur watched us. “ Tss . You do not like our food?”
Maddy struggled to be polite. “It’s very nice of you, but we don’t eat bugs, or raw fish, or…or frogs.”
Greyfur nodded. “We forget. Humans cook food,” he told the others. “Light fire to cook. Chrrrr .” His purr was deeper than Eneirda’s, a lower rumble.
Soon we were gulping down grilled meat. I was careful not to ask what it was. After more berries for dessert, we were full.
That’s when Greyfur squatted in front of us, ready to talk. “Eneirda told of ring. What ring?”
“She was mistaken,” I said. “There is no ring.”
Greyfur gazed at me with large, dark eyes. It felt like standing in front of Mom, denying I’d done something wrong. I could never do it. I sighed. “Maddy, show him the ring.”
She looked at me, puzzled. I nodded. Maddy slipped her hand into her pocket, then stretched it out to Greyfur, the ring on her finger. The otter-people peered at it, then drew back, hissing.
Greyfur spoke sternly. “ Sssst! How do you have this? It is nexus ring.”
“It’s a long story,” I said. “We found it.”
Maddy poured out the story. “It was the troll’s, then Aleena found it. She left it out to trap him, and I picked it up, and now she wants it back. The troll wants it too. But he’s frozen into stone near the Spiral Tunnels, and Aleena is trapped with him.”
The otter-people hummed and chattered, then turned back to us.
“Nexus ring harms our magic . Sssst!” Greyfur said. “You must leave now.”
“Eneirda brought us here. We just want to get home!” I said.
“What of ring?”
“What about it? Do you want it, too?”
“We do not want it. Sssst! You must not keep it.”
“What should we do with it?” I asked.
“Ring must go to giant at Castle Mountain,” Eneirda said. “ Chrrr . Only giant can keep it safe.”
“Could you help us get home, then take the ring to the giant?” asked Maddy. She slid the ring off her finger and held it out.
Eneirda leapt back as if it would burn her, and the others hissed. “ Sssst! I will not touch it. You must take it. You must set this right.”
“Us?” we both squeaked. “To a
“It’s a long story,” I started to say, just as Eneirda said, “They ate muskberries. Sssst!” That disgusted sound was back in her voice.
I didn’t understand why she was making such a big deal about this. “Aleena said they were okay.”
They drew back from us, hissing.
“What?” I asked. “What’s wrong with eating muskberries?”
Greyfur sighed. “Muskberries help us connect to our magic.”
“Why don’t you want us to connect to your magic?” I asked.
“ Sssst! Humans harm magic! But you saved Godren. You are welcome here. Sit. We will bring food.”
We sat by the river. I rolled up my pants, and washed my leg. My calf was covered in dried blood, and a long gash was still oozing.
Greyfur drew Eneirda and Arnica away from us, and they chattered and whistled to one another. Finally, Arnica lifted Godren out of my hoodie, and she and Eneirda swam with him across the river. I tugged my hoodie over my head. It was still warm from Godren’s body.
We watched Arnica carry Godren into one of the caves, followed by two otter-people. The rest gathered around Eneirda, and she spoke to them briefly. Then the otter-people scattered into caves and the forest. Soon they were back, swimming across the river with food balanced on large leaves. They spread a feast before us: small blue berries, icy water from the creek in a bark cup, mushrooms. Raw fish. Bugs laid out on leaves. A dead frog.
Eneirda squatted near us and gestured for us to eat. Our hands hovered over the food, trying not to offend, but not sure what to eat. I thought the berries would be safe. They were tasteless and filled with gritty seeds. We had a handful each, then drank water to wash them down. The cold water hurt my teeth.
Greyfur watched us. “ Tss . You do not like our food?”
Maddy struggled to be polite. “It’s very nice of you, but we don’t eat bugs, or raw fish, or…or frogs.”
Greyfur nodded. “We forget. Humans cook food,” he told the others. “Light fire to cook. Chrrrr .” His purr was deeper than Eneirda’s, a lower rumble.
Soon we were gulping down grilled meat. I was careful not to ask what it was. After more berries for dessert, we were full.
That’s when Greyfur squatted in front of us, ready to talk. “Eneirda told of ring. What ring?”
“She was mistaken,” I said. “There is no ring.”
Greyfur gazed at me with large, dark eyes. It felt like standing in front of Mom, denying I’d done something wrong. I could never do it. I sighed. “Maddy, show him the ring.”
She looked at me, puzzled. I nodded. Maddy slipped her hand into her pocket, then stretched it out to Greyfur, the ring on her finger. The otter-people peered at it, then drew back, hissing.
Greyfur spoke sternly. “ Sssst! How do you have this? It is nexus ring.”
“It’s a long story,” I said. “We found it.”
Maddy poured out the story. “It was the troll’s, then Aleena found it. She left it out to trap him, and I picked it up, and now she wants it back. The troll wants it too. But he’s frozen into stone near the Spiral Tunnels, and Aleena is trapped with him.”
The otter-people hummed and chattered, then turned back to us.
“Nexus ring harms our magic . Sssst!” Greyfur said. “You must leave now.”
“Eneirda brought us here. We just want to get home!” I said.
“What of ring?”
“What about it? Do you want it, too?”
“We do not want it. Sssst! You must not keep it.”
“What should we do with it?” I asked.
“Ring must go to giant at Castle Mountain,” Eneirda said. “ Chrrr . Only giant can keep it safe.”
“Could you help us get home, then take the ring to the giant?” asked Maddy. She slid the ring off her finger and held it out.
Eneirda leapt back as if it would burn her, and the others hissed. “ Sssst! I will not touch it. You must take it. You must set this right.”
“Us?” we both squeaked. “To a
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