

### THE SECRETS OF THE BOGGY MARSH

### THE ADVENTURES OF PADDY AND SEAMUS PART 1

Published by Barry Dunn at Smashwords

Copyright 2013 Barry Dunn

Cover art and character concept art by

David Brown from David Brown Airbrushing & Design

To find out more about this book and its characters please visit

http://www.paddyandseamus.com

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

This book is dedicated to my wife and children,

Kathryn Dunn,

James Dunn,

Bayley Dunn.

Thanks Kath for putting up with my moments of vagueness, as I visit my imaginary world and friends and for encouraging me to write it all down.

And thanks to James and Bayley for providing the inspiration to make up stories to make you laugh and gasp.

Thanks also to true friends Chris and Karen Robertson, who read the book and had the courage to provide their friend the tough love and honest feedback that I needed to hear.

Thanks must also go to new friends and creative collaborators,

David Brown, illustrator and visual consultant,

Stephen Thompson, editor.

David, thank you for the beautiful book covers and character illustrations.

Stephen, thank you for your words of wisdom, humor and guidance. I love getting your edits back and working through them.

# Table of Contents

Pronunciation guide for names and places

Excerpt from the Aelfin Oracles

Chapter 1: Damanta Mallaithe

Chapter 2: Two Months Later

Chapter 3: The Rainbow

Chapter 4: The Guide

Chapter 5: Betrayed

Chapter 6: Hag Head

Chapter 7: The Task

Chapter 8: The Guardian

Chapter 9: The Scream

Chapter 10: Escape?

Chapter 11: Secrets Revealed

Chapter 12: Two from One

Chapter 13: The Hunt

Chapter 14: The Race for Home

Chapter 15: Crossing the Line

Chapter 16: Home

Chapter 17: Flash Back: What really happened in Boggy Marsh

Chapter 18: The Next Day

Chapter 19: A Bit of History – Part 1

# Pronunciation guide for names and places

Name Phonetic pronunciation

Siocháin she-a-kawn

Aelf eye-ilf

Aelfin eye-il-fin

Paddy pad-dee

Seamus shay-mus

Mody mow-dee

Damanta Mallaithe da-man-ta mall-eye-th

Bajii bah-gee

#  Excerpt from the Aelfin Oracles

Two from one shall come  
With little grace  
With little favour  
Three lives lost  
Will be returned  
By unknowing saviors

As evil's hand  
Walks the land  
And covets rebirth's keys  
Chance and luck  
Will bow to them  
To service nature's pleas

When all seems won  
And friends are gone  
Beware, the end is near  
The binding life  
Will start to wane  
And magic disappear

The She will call  
And they will come  
To lands in need of nurture  
For all the peoples  
Two from one shall come  
To unlock the future

# Chapter 1: Damanta Mallaithe

Paddy and Seamus walked at a steady pace through the fields of a place they didn't know. They had left the Great South Road that morning, choosing to cross the countryside rather than following the road.

The two boys had been travelling for months and had passed through many villages and small towns on their journey. The treatment they had received at each of these places had been the same. They had been allowed to stay for one night, before being encouraged to move along.

While growing up in their own village, they had often wondered why only their own people lived there and why there weren't other types of people living there too. What they had discovered, as they'd travelled, was that all villages and towns were like that. Each place allowed only people of the same race, breed or color to live there. Visitors and traders were welcome, but only for very short periods.

The boys walked up a gently sloping hill, but were stopped dead in their tracks when they saw what was on the other side. Where they had been walking, the land was covered with beautiful lush green grass and splendid trees, many of them bearing edible fruits. What they saw on the other side of the hill couldn't have been more different.

Before them, stretching into the distance as far as the eye could see, was a misty swamp. Blackened, sickly trees poked up through the mist in many places, but at no point could the actual ground be seen through the mist.

"That's odd," Seamus said, taking in the view. "It's a beautiful summer's day, but that swamp is still all misty and foggy. You would think the sun would have burnt off the mist by this time of day."

Paddy shivered. "I don't like the look of that place, Seamus. I vote that we go around it."

"Agreed," Seamus said, with a nod. No matter how hard he looked, he couldn't see anything through the swirling mist.

The boys turned and walked along the ridgeline of the hill, keeping well away from the edge of the swamp. After another hour of walking, Paddy nudged Seamus, pointing away from the swamp at something he spied in the young, healthy trees below them.

"Is that a house down there?" Paddy asked.

"I think so," Seamus replied. "Let's go down and see."

The boys walked cautiously down the slope towards the house among the trees. They had learnt the hard way that not everyone welcomed visitors.

"So, what are youse blokes s'posed to be?" a voice said loudly, from behind them.

Paddy and Seamus turned quickly in surprise. They hadn't seen another person for days and they hadn't heard anyone coming up behind them.

Standing, leaning on a stout staff of dark polished wood, was a person of a type that neither Paddy nor Seamus had ever seen before. He was much taller than the boys, and looked to be strongly muscled. While his head was, what Paddy thought of as normal looking, the person's neck was covered with bright red hair. Paddy also realized that what he had first thought was checkered brown and blue clothing was, in fact, fur.

"We're Leprechauns," Seamus answered.

"Youse don't look like no Leprechauns I ever heard tell of," the person responded. "Aren't Leprechauns s'posed to be dressed in green suits and hats? And where are your beards? Every story I ever heard about Leprechauns always banged on about the beards."

Paddy and Seamus shared a knowing look. They had experienced this sort of stereotyping before. For Leprechauns of their age they were slightly taller than most, yet they were both quite physically immature. Neither of the youngsters showed any sign of growing the beards that Leprechauns were famous for, and rather than being dressed in green suits, they were dressed in sensible Lincoln green shirts and mottled brown travelling trousers.

Common stories about Leprechauns typically describe them as dressed all in bright green suits and wearing green top hats. This amuses Leprechauns greatly, as they actually prefer shades of red and brown as a color for their clothing. Not knowing where the stories came from, but tickled with the idea of continuing the myth, Leprechauns would often choose to wear 'the greens' when dealing with strangers.

Paddy gave the stranger a friendly smile. "The green suits aren't practical for travelling. They're more of an 'about town' thing."

"And we haven't started growing beards yet; we're still a bit young for that," Seamus added.

The man ran a hand through his mullet-style hair, as he looked the boys over and considered what they had said. "Right-o. What's it you want 'round here, then?"

"Is there a town or a village nearby?" Paddy asked, politely.

"We're looking for somewhere to stay for the night," Seamus added. "Is there an inn or something like that around here?"

"There's a village, sure enough," the man replied slowly, "but there aint no inn."

"Is there somewhere else we could stay the night? Do any of the villagers take in travelers, or allow them to sleep in barns, or the like?" Paddy asked.

"You'd have to be talking to the Respected Mother about that," the man replied. "Glute's the only one who can say if youse can stay or not."

"Very good. How do we find this respected Glute person?" Seamus asked.

The man chuckled in a way that made Paddy feel like they had just made a mistake of some sort. Closing his eyes for a moment, the man stood very still and seemed to be concentrating. Opening his eyes again, he said, "Wait here. Glute's on her way. She'll deal with you from here."

"Thank you," Paddy replied, uncertainly.

The man turned and walked away from the boys. "Keep those good manners working for you and youse will do ok," he said, over his shoulder with a grin.

Seamus waited until the man had disappeared among the trees and then whispered to Paddy, "Was it just me, or did that seem weird to you?"

"Yeah, I wonder what this Glute is going to be like," Paddy answered.

The boys didn't have to wait long to find out. As they turned to look back to where they had seen the house, a six-foot long slug slimed its way out of the trees, heading towards them. The sight of the approaching monster made Paddy's and Seamus's eyes widen with fear.

"Please do not be alarmed," a warm and motherly voice sounded in the boy's minds. "I am Glute and I oversee this village."

The slug slimed to a stop in front of the boys, the upper part of her body rising to face them.

Paddy and Seamus had never seen a slug this size before. It was just like a normal slug only much, much bigger. Unlike normal slugs, this slug had a face and while it wasn't hideously ugly, it was the type of face only a mother could love. The eyes were a watery, musty yellow and the mouth looked like it had been flattened by a Giant's fist.

"Hello. My name is Seamus and this is Paddy," Seamus said, remembering what the strange man had said about manners.

"There was a man here who said we needed to ask you if there was a place to stay in this village," Paddy added, nervously.

"There is no accommodation for visitors in Damanta Mallaithe," the warm voice said in their minds. "And the people who live here are very fussy about maintaining their privacy, so you won't be offered a room by those who live here."

Paddy shrugged uncomfortably. He could hear Glute's voice in his head, but when she spoke, he noticed her mouth didn't move. "Oh well," he said, thinking that he and Seamus should move on quickly and get away from these strange people.

"There is, however, an unoccupied three-room hut that no one is using at the moment. You could stay there for the night," Glute advised.

"Thank you, Glute. We've been on the road for quite a while and we'd enjoy having a hut for the night," Seamus replied, happily.

"Very well. Please follow me and I will take you there," Glute's voice said, in their heads. She seemed genuinely pleased that they would be staying. "Oh, in case you haven't met a Heebee Geebee before, you need to be aware that my slime is a strong acid that stuns living things. When you follow me, walk to the side of my slime trail and make sure you don't get any slime on you."

The giant slug lowered her torso to the ground with a ripple of her skin and glooped away.

Paddy and Seamus exchanged a worried look and then followed Glute, taking care not to step on her slime trail.

Paddy leaned close to Seamus as they walked, and whispered, "Did you notice the way her eyes didn't seem to be looking at us when she talked to us? I wonder if she has trouble seeing?"

Glute's voice sounded in the boys' heads. "I can see just fine boys. I just see things a bit differently from the way you do, the same way that I can hear you with no ears," she said, clearly amused.

Seamus punched Paddy on the arm and glared at him. "Mind your manners," he mouthed silently.

"Glute, we haven't heard anything about the village of Damanta Mallaithe. What is it like here?" Seamus asked, wanting to move past Paddy's embarrassing moment.

"Damanta Mallaithe is far from a normal village," Glute said, her voice echoing in the heads of both boys. "Oh it contains most of the usual shops that folk might want to purchase goods from. We have a butcher, a baker and, yes, even a candlestick-maker. The nights in Damanta Mallaithe are as dark as they are anywhere else and most folk like a little light in the evenings."

Glute undulated around a tree and veered to the left. "Where Damanta Mallaithe differs from most normal villages is in the nature of the folk who live here. The folk who live in Damanta Mallaithe like their privacy, and they like to keep their distance from their neighbors."

Paddy and Seamus followed Glute through some trees. They passed a solitary house. In fact, the more they walked the more the boys realized that all the houses stood apart from all the other houses; no other hut, house or dwelling of any sort was in clear sight of any other. Usually villages were communities where houses clustered close together and neighbors were friends and were part of each other's lives. This was very different.

"Are all the people here like the man we met?" Seamus asked. He was worried about how a village full of people like that man would treat them.

Glute's voice was soft and reassuring. "Oh no. He is a Bogan. He and his wife are the only Bogans here. The other Bogan people live way out to the west and never come this way." Glute changed direction and led the boys deeper into the village. "This village is unique. It is the only village where people of different races live together."

Paddy and Seamus eyed each other skeptically. How could that possibly work, they wondered?

Glute guided them through more trees and wobbled to a stop near a well-made hut. "This is it," she said, rearing up to face the boys. "You are welcome to stay here. The hut is clean, and you will find it has most of the things you need. If you want fresh food, just follow your noses and you will find villagers happy to sell or trade what they have."

"Thank you, Glute," Paddy and Seamus said, together.

"Make yourselves comfortable and I will check in on you tomorrow," Glute said, as she turned and slimed away.

⚔

The next morning, Paddy and Seamus woke before the sun had risen. They'd had their best night's sleep since leaving home. The hut was everything Glute had said it was, and more. Two of the rooms had comfortable beds and the main room combined a fully kitted out kitchen with dining and living spaces.

As the sun came up, the boys left the hut and did as Glute had recommended. They sniffed the air and followed their noses. The smell of fresh baked bread lured them through the village until they reached a house that had to be a bakery. The front door was open and delicious smells sailed out to greet them.

Paddy and Seamus entered and found the biggest man they had ever seen standing behind a counter bagging bread rolls. The man was well over 6 feet tall, heavily muscled, with medium length, shocking white hair. Paddy made a discreet coughing noise to get the man's attention.

The man looked up and smiled invitingly when he saw the boys.

"Hello. You must be Paddy and Seamus. Glute told me you might come by today," he said, putting a bag of rolls to the side.

"Hello," Paddy replied. "Yes, we are Paddy and Seamus. We're looking for the baker."

"Well, you've just found him," the big man said, with a grin, as he came out from behind the counter. "I'm Frosty," he said, sticking out his hand.

Seamus took the offered hand and shook it firmly. "Hi, Frosty, I'm Seamus."

"Which makes you Paddy," Frosty said, turning to shake Paddy's hand. "What can I do for you boys today?"

"We'd like to buy some of your baked goods," Seamus said, taking an instant liking to the big man.

"And if you could tell us where to go to get some other supplies, that would be much appreciated," Paddy added.

Frosty the baker turned out to be much nicer than the Bogan they had met the day before. He let the boys sample a variety of his goods and sold them what they wanted at fair prices. He also gave them clear directions on how to find the other supplies they needed.

After spending the early part of the morning shopping, Paddy and Seamus returned to the hut and prepared the first fresh meal they'd had in days that didn't involve picked fruit. They were just finishing their food when they heard Glute's voice in their heads.

"Hello, boys, is now a good time to talk with you?"

Paddy and Seamus pushed their empty plates aside and hurried outside to see Glute. The giant slug was waiting for them by the front door.

"Hello, Glute," they said, together.

Glute's skin quivered, as she rose to face the boys. "I hope you had a good night and that you were treated well by the villagers this morning."

Paddy nodded to Seamus, as if to say that he should speak for them. "We want to thank you Glute. The hut is comfortable and the villagers were very helpful. In fact, we were wondering if we could stay for a couple of days?" Paddy asked, politely.

"We've been travelling for months and this is the first place we've been made to feel welcome. It would do us good to spend a few days resting up in the one place." Seamus added.

"We have money and we're willing to pay for the use of the hut," Paddy said, hopefully.

"You are welcome to stay as long as you like, and payment for the hut won't be necessary." The tone of Glute's voice gave the impression that she was pleased at their request. "However, there are some things you need to know and some rules that you must promise to follow, if you want to stay, even for just a few days."

"That sounds more than fair," Paddy said, happily.

"You may change your mind when you hear what I have to say," Glute replied, her voice taking on a serious quality. "Damanta Mallaithe is not what it seems."

"We met some of the villagers today and they seemed all right," Seamus replied. "And the baker, Frosty, was especially nice to us."

"Well, it might surprise you to find that the people who live in the village of Damanta Mallaithe have all been cast out by their own races, tribes and villages. Damanta Mallaithe is the home of the homeless, a place where those who will find no welcome anywhere else can live in peace." Glute paused to see how the boys responded to this news.

Paddy frowned. "You said there were rules?"

"Yes, there are three," Glute replied. "The first is the most important. You must never ever ask another villager where they came from, or what they did before they came to the village. Each person living here has come from somewhere else, and their reasons for coming are their own. Respect the privacy of the other villagers and they will respect yours."

"What else?" Seamus asked.

"The other two are like the rules of any other village. You must not cause harm to anyone, and if the need arises you must help to protect the village from attackers."

"Sounds reasonable," Paddy said, nodding his acceptance.

"We can do that," Seamus agreed.

"Very well," Glute sounded pleased again. "You must give me your oath that you will obey the rules and pledge to respect the privacy of the other villagers."

Paddy and Seamus gave Glute their solemn promise.

Glute nodded, accepting their pledge. Her body rippled, as she turned to glide away. As she did so, her voice echoed in the boys' heads. "Oh, there is one more thing you should know: Damanta Mallaithe has a dark history, and that history is responsible for its name. In the old language, Damanta Mallaithe means Damned."

# Chapter 2: Two Months Later

Days had turned to weeks, weeks had become months, and Paddy and Seamus were still living in the village. The boys had followed the rules and honored their pledge to respect the privacy of the other residents of the village. This didn't stop them from wondering what their neighbors had done to be outcast in the first place. It was, after all, natural to wonder about such things.

Despite their wondering, Paddy and Seamus found life in Damanta Mallaithe to be pretty good for the folk who lived there. They enjoyed living in the village and they liked several the other residents. The young Leprechauns had reasons of their own for not wanting to talk about their past and they had been pleased to learn that the rules of the village protected their privacy as much as anyone else's.

Before arriving at the village, Paddy and Seamus had learnt that being an outcast and a reject was a very lonely prospect. The boys had been exiled from their own village, and had been told to move on from all the other villages they had visited. But when they looked at their neighbors in Damanta Mallaithe and knew that they too were unwanted, it gave them a feeling of belonging, and forged a unique bond that came from their shared unhappiness.

It was now two full months since Paddy and Seamus had arrived at the village. The boys were up early, as usual, and were heading out the door of their hut for their morning walk. This particular morning was special to the two friends. Paddy and Seamus were sharing their 16th birthdays.

Paddy paused after closing the door to their hut and spoke a few words while holding the doorknob. He gave the doorknob a twist, when it refused to budge, he grinned, the smile spreading easily over his youthful sun tanned face. He turned away from the door flicking his long, darkly-streaked hair off his face.

Seamus was standing in an open spot a few feet away enjoying the new morning's sunshine. He absent-mindedly waved a hand in front of his face, shooing away a bothersome bug that kept diving into his short sandy hair. His bright blue eyes crossed slightly, as the bug dived and bounced off his slightly crooked nose.

Paddy laughed at the sight of Seamus slapping at his lightly freckled face, as he tried to wave away the annoying bug. Seamus's nose was already bent slightly to the right, having been broken as the result of a misadventure when he and Seamus were younger. The same misadventure, Paddy reflected, was the cause of his own strangely streaked hair coloring and almost obsidian black eyes.

Paddy strode forward, his hand flicked out catching the dive-bombing bug, as it made another dive into Seamus's hair. He casually threw the bug into a near by bush. "Come on Seamus, no time to be playing with your friends," he chuckled.

Seamus frowned and then laughed good-naturedly with Paddy, appreciating how amusing his battle with the bug must have looked. Side by side they stepped away from their home and walked at a quick pace through the trees that surrounded their hut. As they walked, Paddy and Seamus chatted quietly, speaking to each other with the ease that comes from a long-standing friendship.

"Later today we must finish repairing the boots for the Snerglers," Paddy reminded Seamus. "Remember they said they would have something special for us if we got the boots back to them today."

"Aye, and they said if we did a good job on the boots they would have other repair work for us," Seamus said.

The two boys had been learning cobbling skills before being forced to leave their home. They hadn't completed their apprenticeship, but they had been close to finishing, and their teacher had been impressed with their skills. When the villagers of Damanta Mallaithe had learned what Paddy and Seamus could do with shoes and boots, they had queued up to get their damaged footwear repaired. The boys now had a solid line of work repairing and making shoes, and this provided them with a means of trading with the other villagers.

Paddy and Seamus made their way quietly through the village, not wanting to disturb anyone. As they passed Mr. Elf's Adventurer's Supplies, they caught a whiff of deliciously fresh baked goods coming from the back of the shop.

"Smells like the Aelf has been to Frosty's bakery for his breakfast," Paddy said, with a grin, as they rounded the corner of the adventurer's supply shop.

Seamus took a deep sniff and nodded. "We should stop in at Frosty's on the way back from our walk and get some fresh bread."

Paddy and Seamus headed towards the eastern edge of the village. As they started up the hill that led away from the village, Glute slithered out onto the path in front of them. Her skin rippled and pulsed, as she turned to face the Leprechauns. "Good morning youngsters," the greeting sounded quietly in Paddy's and Seamus's thoughts.

"Good morning to you, Respected Mother," Paddy and Seamus thought back. "How fare your younglings this morning?"

"They are well, but hungry, as usual. I am going to dig out some breakfast for them," she said.

Paddy and Seamus shivered involuntarily. Since arriving at the village, the boys had found out that Heebee Geebees were an unusual and feared creature. They secreted a highly poisonous slime that put their victims in a comatose state, before they killed them. The slug creatures would bury their victim and wait for it to ripen before eating it. They had learnt that Heebee Geebees were not fussy about what they ate either. Any creature showing disrespect or rudeness was usually a good candidate for a quick slime coating and a rapid burial in a slug tunnel.

Glute had lived in Damanta Mallaithe for longer than anyone else and was the head of the village council. She had a cocoon of six young slugs to provide for. If she was going to get some breakfast for her young, it meant that something had been killed and stored in a tunnel to ripen.

Glute slithered forward leaving a glistening trail behind her. Half of her six-foot long body rose off the ground, her murky, yellow eyes blinking slowly. "Be careful when you are out and about boys. There have been some strange comings and goings around the village." The thoughts wafted gently into Paddy's and Seamus's minds. "And there have been a few bodies turning up. Still, I can't complain. If someone wants to go leaving food lying around, it saves me the effort of having to hunt."

"We'll be extra careful, Respected Mother, and thank you for the warning," Paddy thought back at the slug.

With that, the slug turned, slithered across the path and into the bushes.

"What in the name of The She would cause a Heebee Geebee to be cast out?" Seamus whispered, to Paddy.

"Stop it; she'll hear you," Paddy whispered back. "We certainly don't want to offend her; you know what happens to those who offend a Heebee Geebee."

Seamus shivered and then thought very loudly, "No disrespect intended, Respected Mother."

"None taken." Glute's thought was tinged with a hint of satisfied amusement.

"Come on then, let's be about it," Paddy said, carefully stepping over the slug's trail.

Seamus followed Paddy and they strode purposefully up the hill side by side. "You know this is the first birthday we've had without O'Shanna," he said, sadly. O'Shanna was the boys' care mother and they loved her deeply. She had been heartbroken when the boys were forced to leave their village. O'Shanna had given the Leprechaun village elders a strong earful, but had been unable to change the outcome.

Paddy and Seamus could never forget the day that they had been cast out of the village that they had lived in for the whole of their short lives. The village elders of the Leprechaun community had summoned them to a council meeting and had strongly suggested it was time for them to leave.

This turn of events had not surprised Paddy or Seamus in the least. In fact, they had been expecting something like it to happen. This had not been the beginning of their troubles. The two boy's problems had started years earlier.

⚔

_Flashback (9 years ago, on Paddy's and Seamus's 7_ th _Birthday)_

_Paddy and Seamus were at home alone. They sat together at the small table in the living room of the small three-room house they shared with their care mother. The boys were playing a game of boxes, entertaining themselves, while O'Shanna was preparing something special for their supper_.

It was early in the evening and the sun had just gone down. The door to the house opened and a pleasant looking, tidily dressed Leprechaun woman bustled into the room.

Paddy looked up from the game with a welcoming smile on his face. "O'Shanna?"

" _Yes, Paddy?" she asked, as she moved to the table and put down the brown bag she was carrying._

" _Thank you for today," Paddy said, affectionately._

Seamus looked up from where he had been studying the game. "The waterhole was wonderful today. The water was just right for swimming in."

" _You're welcome, boys. I hope you enjoyed your birthday. The waterhole was my favorite place to go when I was your age," O'Shanna said, warmly._

" _Was it the same back then?" Paddy asked._

" _What, way back when I turned seven?" O'Shanna teased._

" _Well I don't know about the 'way back' bit, but did you really go there on your seventh birthday?" Seamus asked._

" _Yes, I did," O'Shanna said, happily, "and to answer your question, Paddy, yes, it is much the same now, as it was then. Most Leprechauns don't like to swim, so very few people go there, and it has had no reason to change."_

" _That makes it even more special," Paddy said, getting up from the table. He threw his arms around O'Shanna and gave her a hug. "We're really lucky to have you as our care mother."_

O'Shanna returned the hug and ran one hand through Paddy's sandy brown hair. "Speaking of luck, I have a present for each of you." Reaching over, she pulled something out of the bag she had put on the table.

" _What is it, O'Shanna?" Seamus asked, eagerly._

O'Shanna placed a rolled up green cloth on the table and unrolled it gently. The cloth opened to reveal two identical gold shamrocks on delicate gold chains. "These are special four leaf clover shamrocks that have been preserved in gold leaf," O'Shanna informed them.

" _They're beautiful," breathed Paddy._

O'Shanna smiled. "The four-leaf clover is very special to the Leprechaun people. Each leaf represents something. The first leaf is for hope, the second for faith, the third for love and the fourth leaf is for luck."

O'Shanna handed each of the boys one of the chain-held shamrocks and took great pleasure in watching them examine the gifts.

Paddy and Seamus were thrilled; their sun browned faces flushed with excitement. They had never been given such a fine gift before and they marveled at the delicate and exquisite detail of the shamrocks.

Paddy suddenly looked worried. "O'Shanna, these must have cost a lot. We can't really keep them."

" _Now don't worry about that," O'Shanna said, with a cheeky smile. "Us Leprechauns have ways of getting gold, you know."_

Paddy and Seamus chuckled.

" _Here, let me put them around your necks," O'Shanna said._

The boys obediently lined up in front of their care mother.

O'Shanna gazed into the expectant faces of the boys and leaned forward to put the first chain around Paddy's neck. "Whatever may come, remember, there is always hope."

The chain slid over Paddy's shoulder-length hair and settled on his shoulders, with the shamrock resting on his chest.

" _Have faith in yourselves and be true to your hearts," O'Shanna said, as she picked up the second chain and turned to Seamus. "Love your people, the land and The She," she intoned, as the chain slid over Seamus's head._

Standing back from the boys she examined them standing there with the shamrocks hanging from their necks. "And when you need it most, may luck find you and work in your favor."

The two beaming boys moved as one, throwing their arms around O'Shanna, smothering her in hugs.

" _This has been the best birthday ever," Seamus said, bursting with emotion._

" _Good!" O'Shanna replied, wiping a small tear from the corner of her eye. "Now, help yourself to the other treats in the bag, while I get ready."_

" _What do you need to get ready for?" Paddy asked._

" _When I was out getting the treats I saw Arianne. She told me there's a village council meeting tonight and I need to attend."_

" _What's that all about then?" Seamus asked, while rummaging through the treat bag._

" _Oh it's probably nothing special," O'Shanna replied. "If the council want to change something in the village they need to have a certain number of villagers present to get it approved."_

" _Sounds pretty dull to me," Paddy said, faking a yawn. "Have you got time to tell us a story before you go?"_

" _Yes, we have time for a short story."_

O'Shanna settled herself into her chair and proceeded to tell the boys one of their favorite stories about the times when the Aelfin were still active in the land.

The boys enjoyed the treats while O'Shanna retold the tale about the mad dwarf who challenged a whole Aelfin village to battle, because they had made fun of his cousin. When she had finished the story, the boys made ready for sleep and went to their beds.

O'Shanna stuck her head into the boys' room. "The council meeting won't go on for too long," she said. "I'll be back before you know it."

" _Goodnight, O'Shanna," both boys said, at the same time._

" _Goodnight, boys," O'Shanna replied, warmly. She watched them in their beds for a moment, with a smile on her face, then turned and quietly left the house, making her way to the council meeting._

Paddy and Seamus were like other children their age in that they were curious about the affairs of grown-ups. Soon after their care mother had left they rose quietly, slipped on their day clothes and boots and snuck out. The pair of young Leprechauns made their way through the darkness, taking a path that led out and around the village. They certainly didn't want to be caught out and about when they were supposed to be sleeping.

The boys arrived at a copse of trees, just beyond the council meeting hut, in time to see the village's headman enter the hut. Sharing a quick mischievous grin, the two boys tiptoed silently to the back wall of the meeting hut and settled down to listen. Paddy and Seamus could hear the voices of the occupants clearly through the wall of the hut.

The first voice they heard was that of Merle, the headman of the Leprechaun village. "All right, this is an unpleasant business, so let's get right to the matter. O'Shanna, those two that you're caring for are causing great concern in the village."

O'Shanna responded calmly, but firmly. "They are just children, Merle. There's no harm in them,"

Another voice intruded rudely. "They are not normal! There's something not right about them, I tell you!"

" _Now, now, Theresa," Merle said calmingly._

" _Don't you 'now, now' me, Merle Hagen!" snorted Theresa. "I will say what everyone else is thinking. Those two look exactly alike. That, in itself, is strange, but if you use your Leprechaun perceptions you can see they don't just look alike, they are exactly the same!"_

Paddy and Seamus examined each other in the dim light outside the rear wall of the meeting hut. They both wore shocked and hurt expressions on their young faces. They'd had no idea that the council meeting was to be about them.

Theresa continued. "They have the same energy and aura. For the love of The She, they even smell the same!"

Following this statement there was a moment of silence. That silence was broken by their care mother's sobs. "For pity's sake," she cried, "they're just children."

" _O'Shanna, please," Merles voice sounded sad._

" _No! Don't you dare, don't any of you dare!" Now O'Shanna's voice was strong and determined. "Those boys were given into my care as newborns. I love them, as if they were my own."_

" _It's not your love that we're questioning, O'Shanna," Theresa said. "On top of their other strangeness, they're failing to learn some of the simplest Leprechaun magic. Yet they can do things that no other Leprechauns can. How is it that they always know where the other one is? And why, when one gets hurt, does the other also feel the pain?"_

O'Shanna responded to Theresa with strong contempt in her voice. "Yes, they are different, but that doesn't make them bad. They have done nothing wrong!"

A new voice, that of Bannion, the village protector, spoke next. "People talk, O'Shanna. News spreads. And when news of those two spreads it will bring nothing but harm to us and ours."

O'Shanna didn't miss a beat. "You should all be ashamed of yourselves!" she scolded. "It is our way to protect and care for the young. While I live, I will allow no harm to come to the children."

Paddy and Seamus felt a simultaneous welling of love and pride for their care mother.

Merle began speaking quietly and the boys had to listen carefully to hear his words. "Help us to understand, O'Shanna. Just tell us what they are."

A heavy silence hung for a moment, and then Paddy and Seamus heard O'Shanna's voice. "They are brothers."

Paddy and Seamus squinted at each other through the darkness and something inside them clicked. Where each had been happy as friends, they now understood their deeper bond. Where they had always thought that they had no real family, they now truly belonged to each other. Brothers!

" _Abominations!" Theresa's voice was shrill. "The She will have no mercy with us for harboring such as them."_

" _Now you're just being ridiculous, Theresa," came the voice of Arianne, the village healer. "The She is the nurturer of all living things. We will have no trouble from The She over providing for the wellbeing of children."_

O'Shanna drew an audible breath. "Thank you, Arianne."

Paddy and Seamus had heard enough. They knew that if Arianne was prepared to speak for them, then their care mother would be fine. They nodded to one another and made to move away from the hut.

Merle's voice stopped them dead in their tracks.

" _Where did they really come from, then?" Merle asked. "That story about you finding them abandoned in different places was never very convincing."_

Paddy and Seamus froze where they were. This might get even more interesting they thought.

" _Nudge brought them to me," O'Shanna replied._

" _Nudge the Gatherer?" Arianne asked._

" _Yes, Arianne," O'Shanna confirmed. "He appeared in the wee hours of the morning banging on my door. When I opened the door, he thrust the babies at me and said, 'These are the most precious gifts this world has ever seen. Keep them safe for me and tell no one where they came from. I'll be back soon.'"_

" _And?" Theresa asked, now very interested._

" _And then he disappeared. One minute he was there and then he simply vanished right before my eyes. I never saw him again. I waited and waited and hoped he'd return, but he never did. After a while, I stopped hoping. And then I fell in love with the babies and didn't want him to come back for them."_

" _Oh, O'Shanna, why didn't you say something?" Arianne asked compassionately._

Paddy and Seamus moved as one and crept stealthily away from the meeting hut. They were sure that they had heard everything that was important and that they needed to hurry to get back to the hut they shared with O'Shanna. They desperately wanted to talk about what they had just overheard, but they knew that once Arianne took a stand, the rest of the village would do as they were told. O'Shanna would be on her way home soon and they needed to be in their beds when she got there.

_Paddy and Seamus slipped into their hut, changed back into their nightclothes and_ snuggled down into their bed sheets _. They whispered excitedly to one another about what had been said and they made plans for their future._

Now they were aware of how the Leprechaun community felt about their differences, they would be very careful not to bring attention to themselves.

A short time later, they heard O'Shanna return to the hut, and they pretended to be asleep. O'Shanna looked in on the still forms of the two boys. She could tell by the nature of their breathing that they weren't asleep. She smiled to herself and went to her own bed.

# Chapter 3: The Rainbow

Paddy and Seamus continued to follow the path leading away from Damanta Mallaithe up towards a grassy hill in the distance. As they walked they thoroughly enjoyed the sunshine and light breeze blowing across the hill.

When they got to the top of the hill, they looked out over Boggy Marsh. The mist filled swamp stretched away as far as the eye could see, to the north, east and south. Away in the distance, in the middle of Boggy Marsh, Paddy and Seamus could see a startlingly bright and beautiful rainbow.

"Now, do you see that, Seamus!" Paddy exclaimed.

"What's that Paddy?" Seamus asked.

"That rainbow out in Boggy Marsh," Paddy said. "That's a real beauty that one is. You do know that there's a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, don't you?"

"Of course I know about the pot of gold. What sort of Leprechaun would I be, if I didn't know about the pot of gold?" Seamus stated, in a flat dry voice. "Now then, did you know that the brighter and more beautiful the rainbow is, the bigger the pot of gold is?"

"I never," Paddy stammered. "Really? Truly?"

Paddy turned and looked again at the rainbow. "That's the most stunningly beautiful rainbow I have ever seen. What do you think, Seamus?"

"Aye, it's a rare one all right. The pot of gold under that one would be worth going after," Seamus said.

"Yes, yes, it would," Paddy replied, thoughtfully. "The only problem is that it's right smack dab in the middle of Boggy Marsh."

They both studied the swirling mass of fog and mist that perpetually cloaked Boggy Marsh and felt like it was absorbing their gaze, drawing them into the nothingness. Here and there the withered and blackened branches of sickly looking trees jutted up out of the mist. Every now and then they thought they saw something moving in the mist, but neither of them could be sure if was real or imagined.

Boggy Marsh was the home of the evil folk. The evil folk consisted of a mixed group of Trogs, Goblins, Urks and a lesser variety of other very bad things. Luckily for everyone Trogs didn't like Goblins and Goblins didn't like Urks. The Urks didn't like anybody. They'd had a hard time in the past where poor leadership had let them down once or twice. Now, the Urks were fending for themselves and were worse tempered than they'd ever been before.

The boys' attention switched from Boggy Marsh back to the rainbow, which glowed brightly and sparkled with an energy that mesmerized the two young Leprechauns. They felt a persuasive pull at the very core of their beings, as the rainbow pulsed and called to them. Whether that was their Leprechaun blood lusting for the pot of gold, or something else entirely, Paddy and Seamus could not tell, but in that moment, a fateful decision was made.

Paddy and Seamus dragged their gazes reluctantly off the rainbow, their eyes alight, both with thoughtful expressions on their faces.

Paddy spoke first. "It won't be easy, you know?"

"It's never been done, that's true enough. Nobody who has ever gone into Boggy Marsh has ever come out again," Seamus replied, searching Paddy's face for any sign of doubt.

"That really is a very beautiful rainbow," Paddy sighed, wistfully.

Seamus continued to stare at the rainbow. "Hmmm," he said, dreamily. "I've never seen anything quite as breathtaking as that. We'll need swords," he said, in the same dreamy voice. "And other provisions too: ropes, torches, cooking things, food, you know, an adventurer's kit."

"What!" Paddy exclaimed loudly, snapping out of the hypnotic trance the rainbow had caused. "Are you mad? You can't seriously be thinking of going into that," he said, pointing into Boggy Marsh. "Besides, how do you even know the rainbow will still be there when we get there?"

"Anchored to a pot of gold that big? That rainbow isn't going anywhere," Seamus replied, confidently. His voice had lost the dreaminess and was now strong and confident. "So, are you coming with me, then?"

Paddy contemplated the swirling fog and mist intently. "You're right; we will need swords." He turned to Seamus and said, "We'd better go see the Aelf. He'll most likely have everything we need in that shop of his."

They hadn't had much to do with the Aelf who owned the adventurer's supply shop. The Aelf was one of those who kept mostly to himself and only dealt with the other folk of the village when business required it.

Paddy and Seamus hurried along, chattering excitedly about their plans to get the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. They soon arrived outside the adventurer's supply shop, where a recently painted sign hung over the door. The sign simply said, 'Mr. Elf's Adventure Supplies'.

"Now then," Seamus said, "be calm and don't let the Aelf know what we are going to do, we don't want him telling anyone else about our plans."

"All right, Seamus, you do the talking," Paddy agreed.

⚔

Mr. Elf's Adventure Supply shop had been open for business for just over two years. Most of Mr. Elf's customers were people passing through the village, or those newly arrived at Damanta Mallaithe.

Paddy and Seamus had only been in the shop once before. It had been shortly after they'd arrived in the village. In addition to the adventurer's supplies, Mr. Elf also stocked items necessary for setting up a home.

Like most of the residents of the village, Mr. Elf lived in rooms at the back of his shop, and if he was home the shop was considered open for business.

On this particular morning, Mr. Elf was just finishing his breakfast. He had already been out to see the baker and had bought a couple of his favorite fresh baked rolls from Frosty.

For some reason that he couldn't understand, he was feeling very happy this morning. He felt that some huge burden had been, or was about to be, lifted from his life. This feeling was making him happier than he had been in a very long time.

Outside the shop, Paddy and Seamus nodded to one another, entered the shop and moved confidently up to the counter for smaller sized folk. There was no one else in the shop.

"I'll be with you gentlemen in a moment," they heard the Aelf say, from the room at the back of the shop.

"How does he do that?" Paddy whispered.

"Shhh," Seamus said, quietly. "The Aelf always knows when someone's in his shop."

Everything in the shop was neatly arranged on shelves around the walls. In the middle was a table, also neatly arranged, with a sign above stating 'Pre-Loved Adventuring Equipment. Special prices negotiated'.

"Good day to you, little folk," the Aelf said, cheerfully, as he came through the door at the back of the shop. The Aelf's face was creased with a happy smile that made his normally inhuman face very pleasant to look at.

"Good day to you, master Aelf," Seamus replied, politely.

"What can I help you gentlemen with today?" the Aelf asked.

"We need a couple of swords with a wee bit of magic about them," Seamus started.

"And a couple of adventurer's kits, too," Paddy added.

Seamus gave Paddy an angry look and said, "Now Paddy, I thought we had agreed that I would do the asking."

"So, swords with a wee bit of magic about them and adventuring kits," the Aelf smoothly interrupted. "I don't get too many of the little folk wanting swords, especially ones with a wee bit of magic," he said, with a twinkly smile.

The Aelf turned, flicked his shoulders and shook out a pair of fine and delicate looking wings. Giving them a couple of gentle flaps to loosen them up, he looked back at the Leprechauns and was satisfied with their surprised expressions.

Mr. Elf smiled broadly, brushed his black hair away from his eyes and flapped his wings more quickly. He rose gently into the air and flew over to a high shelf to one side of the shop.

He hung there for a couple of minutes, wings flapping, muttering as he sorted through some items in a big wooden box. "Ah ha, here they are," he said, floating lightly back to ground.

The Aelf carefully folded his wings back into place and stepped forward, placing two sheathed Aelfin swords on the table in front of the Leprechauns. "I've had these tucked away for some time."

Paddy and Seamus looked doubtfully at the swords, and Seamus said, "Ah, good, master Aelf, I don't wish to sound rude, but those swords are too big and heavy for us. You wouldn't have something more suited to our size, would you?"

"Hmm, ah yes, one moment please," the Aelf said, moving behind the shop counter. Mr. Elf felt that he had to have some way to make it possible for the Leprechauns to take and use the swords. He ducked down out of sight, and again the Leprechauns heard the Aelf muttering and the sounds of searching. A minute later the Aelf popped back up with an old and dusty book in his hands. Carefully placing the book on the counter, he started turning the pages, obviously looking for something in particular. "This," he stated "is a book of magic spells. It has a section on transmutation; that is, on changing the shape or size of objects, while keeping to their original properties. Here it is," he said, stopping at a certain page. "I don't do much magic anymore, so I'm a bit rusty at it. It might be best if you look the other way for moment."

Paddy and Seamus quickly moved away from the Aelf and looked towards the door of the shop. They were a bit worried about Aelfin magic, particularly the rusty kind. They heard the Aelf start a slow harmonious chant and felt the tell-tale tingle that comes to a Leprechaun when magic is being used. When the chanting and the tingling sensation stopped, they turned and looked back at the Aelf.

He stood with a smile on his face, with the two swords now reduced to a size that the Leprechauns would be able to use. The Aelf waved a hand at the now Leprechaun-sized swords. For reasons he couldn't begin to understand, he felt immensely relieved and happy that he had succeeded in making it possible for Paddy and Seamus to take the swords. Yet somewhere in the back of his mind an alarm was going off.

Paddy stepped forward and picked up one of the swords. He carefully slid the sword out of its scabbard. "Sure, and it's as light as a feather," he said, swishing the sword around a few times.

Seamus moved to the table and picked up the other sword, examining it carefully. "Light as a feather and beautifully crafted," he said, quietly.

"Gentlemen, you have the pleasure of holding Grace and Favour, a matched pair of Aelfin-made swords," the Aelf said, proudly. "Now, of course, they are of a suitable size to serve you as swords and, as requested, they have a wee bit of magic about them. As you have noticed, they are magically light and perfectly balanced. The other magical powers they have will serve you equally well. Whenever there are evil folk about, the swords will glow to warn you of the danger. Also, when used to cut, or stab one of the evil folk, they will be frozen in place for a few minutes, giving you enough time to finish them off, or get well away before they unfreeze."

"Nice, very nice," Seamus said, swishing Grace about.

"Do they do anything else?" Paddy asked. "They don't make cups of tea, or turn things into gold, do they?" he added, hopefully.

"No, no, nothing like that," the Aelf laughed. "If they could do things like that, I wouldn't be thinking of loaning them out. Now, about the rental price," he said, rubbing his hand together. "Swords like these aren't cheap, even on a loan basis, how were you planning on paying for them?"

"What do you want for them?" Seamus asked, bluntly.

"The rental cost will be one quarter of the gold from the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow," the Aelf said, smoothly.

Seamus and Paddy looked at each other with worried expressions. "I didn't tell him what we were doing," Paddy said, defensively.

"I know that, Paddy, I've been here with you the whole time," Seamus replied, angrily.

Paddy and Seamus both glanced at the Aelf suspiciously.

The Aelf grinned at them and said, "Don't be getting upset, now. When two of the little folk come looking for swords and adventurer's kits, it's not hard to figure out that they are going after gold somewhere. So, what do you say? You can take the swords and two fully stocked adventurer's kits, for one quarter of the gold?"

Paddy and Seamus weighed up the swords in their hands and then said together, "Done."

⚔

Mr. Elf watched the Leprechauns leave his shop and felt an overwhelming sense of happiness and peaceful gratitude. This feeling did not last for long, however.

As he turned to return to his private rooms at the back of the shop, he suddenly didn't feel peaceful or happy. "The swords!" What in the name of The She had come over him? He had just handed the two most valuable items in the land, to a couple of gold hungry Leprechauns.

Then the worst part of it hit him. They were going to take the swords into Boggy Marsh. He had given up everything he had ever cared about in his life for those swords. Why had he been so happy to give them away?

Mr. Elf was now feeling something very close to panic. He had to get the swords back, before they went into that hellhole and never came out again. The Aelf broke into a sweat, as he hurried to his private rooms. He quickly gathered the things that he would need – his bow and arrows, his sword and his own private adventure kit. These things were always kept ready in case he needed to leave in a hurry.

He didn't want to have to hurt the Leprechauns, but he had to get Grace and Favour back, whatever the cost. He had his hand on the doorknob of his back door when he felt the warning tingle that let him know someone had entered his shop.

Maybe the two Leprechauns had returned. Maybe they had come to their senses and decided not to go into Boggy Marsh. The Aelf quickly put his eye to a peephole in the wall and peered into his shop, hoping beyond hope that it was the Leprechauns. What he saw froze him and made his heart start thumping faster in his chest.

No, not them! Not now!

Standing in his shop, looking around with contemptuous expressions, were two Aelfin, and not just any Aelfin. He knew these two quite well; they were the king's sons, Maple and Cricket.

Mr. Elf couldn't believe he could have that much bad luck dumped on him, all in the space of one short morning. He had to get away, and fast. Maple and Cricket had never been this close before and Mr. Elf knew he was going to have to do something drastic to get away this time.

Tiptoeing silently to the back door, he opened it as quietly as he could and let himself out. He didn't bother closing the door; instead he flicked his shoulders and loosened his wings. With a backward glance at his shop, Mr. Elf launched himself into the air and flew towards the hill leading to Boggy Marsh.

⚔

After leaving the Adventure Supplies shop, Paddy and Seamus had wasted no time and had headed straight back to the hill to check that the rainbow was still in place. They now stood together at the top of the hill looking out towards the rainbow. They had their new swords in scabbards on their belts and the adventurer's kits on their backs.

"Still there," Seamus stated.

"Still beautiful beyond compare," Paddy replied.

"Right then, let's go," Seamus said, determinedly.

Together, the two Leprechauns crept slowly down the hill towards the shifting mists of Boggy Marsh.

"One moment," a voice said, from behind them.

Paddy and Seamus spun about, pulling Grace and Favour from their scabbards as they turned.

Mr. Elf stood calmly looking down at them from the top of the hill. "Now, now, there's no need for that," he said, moving forward to join the Leprechauns.

"What are you doing here?" Paddy asked, suspiciously.

"Dressed for travel and adventure, no less," Seamus added.

The Aelf was indeed dressed for travel, with a bow and a quiver of arrows over one shoulder and an adventurer's pack over the other. He, too, had a fine Aelfin sword slung on his hip.

"I have decided to come with you, to make sure that I get my share of the gold," Mr. Elf said, pleasantly.

Paddy and Seamus shared a quick look at each other, as if trying to see what the other thought about the Aelf's bold statement.

Then Seamus smiled and said, "Why not. You were going to get your share of the gold anyway, you might as well share in the work to get it."

"Good," said the Aelf. "I was hoping you wouldn't make a fuss. Let's be off then, shall we?"

The three companions started back down the hill, with Paddy and Seamus feeling much better, knowing they would have an Aelf with them for the trip through Boggy Marsh.

As they were engulfed by the edges of the mist, they felt a faint tingle across their skin. Suddenly, each of them felt an overwhelming need to return home, to get out of there, but when they spun around, they could see no way out. The mist had cut off their escape.

Seamus stumbled back, but hit an invisible barrier. He felt along the barrier, first in one direction and then the other. "Well, now we know why nothing ever comes out of Boggy Marsh," he stated.

Paddy and Mr. Elf took turns at feeling along the invisible barrier.

"Wait here a moment," Mr. Elf said, as he flicked out his wings. Flapping strongly, he flew up into the mist, along the edge of the barrier, following it to where it curved up out of the mist.

A moment later he returned, landing gently next to Paddy. "It's solid all the way up and around," he advised, folding his wings neatly against his back. "I suppose we can worry about how we get out when we have the gold. Come on, let's get going."

Mr. Elf strode forward into the mist. Paddy and Seamus shared a worried look, then hurried to catch up with the Aelf, before he was lost in the swirling mirk.

⚔

Back on the hill, in the bright sunshine, Cricket and Maple stood at the very spot where the Leprechauns and Mr. Elf had stood moments before entering Boggy Marsh.

"What in the name of the king does he think he's doing!" Maple exclaimed, shaking his head with frustration. "Even he should know there's no way of getting out of that place."

"You can be the one who tells the king. His majesty is going to be very put out about this," Cricket said, with a shudder. "Remember what he did the last time we had to tell him bad news?"

"I don't think we should go to father with this just yet," Maple said, cautiously. "Maybe he'll find a way out of there on his own."

"Damn him! Just as we find him, he goes and does this. If he doesn't come out of there, father may very well send us in to get him out, and we don't want that. I suggest we go and search for him in the mountains for a while. Let's give him a chance, before we go and tell the king anything."

"We could go watch the Dwarf and the Giants for a while. They can be entertaining at this time of year," Maple suggested.

Cricket nodded in agreement. The two Aelfin turned and headed off towards the mountains to the west.

⚔

A tall, powerful figure wearing black robes and a hood stepped out of nowhere, strode to the top of the hill and watched the place where the three adventurers had entered the mist. He stood there for a few minutes deep in thought, stepped forward, as if to enter the mist. Stopping abruptly, he shook his head angrily, turned and followed the Aelfin, who were now already out of sight.

# Chapter 4: The Guide

Paddy, Seamus and Mr. Elf stepped cautiously down the hill into the mist. When they reached the bottom of the slope they paused to look around.

"This place is gloomier than I would have thought," Paddy said, quietly.

"Aye," Seamus replied. "It is a grim and ugly place, to be sure," his voice was almost a whisper.

Mr. Elf brought them out of their dark thoughts by saying, "So, there's a question that I've wanted to ask you two."

"What's that, then?" Seamus asked.

"Which end of the rainbow is the pot of gold under?"

Paddy and Seamus looked at each other with confused expressions on their faces. "What do you mean?" Seamus asked.

"Well, a rainbow has two ends, each touching the ground. That's what makes it a rainBOW," Mr. Elf said, demonstrating what he meant by making the shape of a rainbow with his right arm. "So, which end of the rainbow is the pot of gold under?" he asked again.

"We don't know," Paddy stammered.

"You mean to tell me, you hadn't even thought about where to go once you came into this awful place," the Aelf said, in a low voice. "I assumed, that at the least, you would have a map showing the way."

"We're awfully sorry," Seamus said, "but the truth is, we don't have a map. We didn't know it mattered which end of the rainbow you went to."

"Of course it matters," Mr. Elf stated, in a slightly annoyed voice. "That's why everybody talks about, 'The pot of gold at the _end_ of the rainbow' and not 'The _pots_ of gold at the _ends_ of the rainbow'. There is only one pot of gold!"

"Oh...," Paddy and Seamus said, together.

Mr. Elf looked back over his shoulder to where they had come into Boggy Marsh, wishing he could have avoided this somehow.

"Well there's Leprechauns for you. Love the gold so much they don't even see the obvious." He gave Paddy and Seamus a withering look, and his sharply pointed ears twitched with annoyance. "Nothing to be done about it I suppose. We'll just have to head for one end of the rainbow and hope it's the right one."

Paddy smiled hopefully at the Aelf and said, "That sounds like a good plan."

Mr. Elf's ears twitched more agitatedly, as he shook his head and mumbled quietly, "Oh, what have I done to deserve this?"

Recognizing that self-pity and negativity were not going to help, the Aelf shook off the impending funk, and added in a louder and more positive voice, "All right then, we're here now, let's just get on with it, shall we? As I remember, the closest end of the rainbow is over in that direction," he said, pointing off to the right and into the mist.

"We're off," Paddy said, taking a large stride forward.

⚔

The three companions made their way carefully through the mist, scrutinizing everything around them, and becoming more aware of the nature and feel of the swamp land.

Boggy Marsh was a truly ghastly place. Pools of dirty brown water were spread out everywhere, making it difficult to pick a dry path through the swirling mist.

As they wandered through the swamp, they could see the blackened trunks of sickly trees probing up through the mist. The tops of the trees were lost to view in the thick swirl above them.

Now and then, they would hear odd noises coming through the mist – plops, splashes, gurgles and the occasional shriek or squeal. But no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't correctly guess exactly which direction the noises came from.

"What do you suppose is making those noises?" Seamus asked.

"It could be any manner of very bad things," Mr. Elf replied.

"That doesn't make me feel much better," Paddy whispered.

"Look!" Seamus hissed. "What's that?"

Off to their right, a tall wingless bird examined the three companions with undisguised interest. It had a red-feathered body, with a white oval patch on its back. Intelligent blues eyes stared at them, from a white head, that housed a sturdy looking beak. It was a striking sight, in the almost uniform gray of Boggy Marsh.

Suddenly, the bird's feathers bristled and a wobbly comb of hair on its back rippled. With a look of mild annoyance, the bird stretched its long, graceful neck, to peck at its bottom. Then, having chewed whatever it was that had been crawling through its feathers, the bird's head swung back to study the companions.

Mr. Elf took a small step towards the bird with his hands out in front of him, "Hello there. What are you doing here?" he said, with a friendly smile.

"You can see me, can't you," the bird chirped, in a little voice.

"Yes, we can all see you," Seamus replied.

"That's strange," the bird said, "none of the other things around here seem to be able to see me."

Paddy and Seamus edged forward to get a better look at the strange bird. Because of its long neck, the bird was equally as tall as the Leprechauns and could easily look them straight in the eyes.

"Who are you and how did you get here?" Mr. Elf asked.

"I am Mody," the bird replied. "At least, that is what I think my name is. I'm really not sure at all. My egg hatched not too far from here, and I've been looking for my mother ever since. Have you seen her?"

"So you're alone?" the Aelf prompted.

The bird sighed. "Yes, I am alone. There are many, many other things in this awful place, but they are all ugly and they scare me. You are the first that I've been able to talk to."

"My name is Paddy and this is Seamus," Paddy stated, pointing to Seamus.

"You can call me Mr. Elf," the Aelf said.

"Why are those things glowing?" the bird asked, peering intently at the swords hanging from Paddy's and Seamus's belts.

Mr. Elf quickly hoisted his bow off his shoulder and had an arrow nocked in the blink of eye. "Beware!" he warned. "Something evil is coming our way. Judging by the weak glow of the swords, whatever it is, isn't too close yet."

Paddy and Seamus pulled their swords from their belts and noticed for the first time that they were indeed glowing, giving off a faint pale yellow light.

"Oh my," Mody said, worriedly, taking a tentative step back and away from the sword wielding Leprechauns. "Please don't hurt me!"

"We won't hurt you," Mr. Elf was quick to reassure. "Mody, let's see if we can avoid any trouble. Can you lead us somewhere safer than this, and quickly?" he asked.

The bird studied them for a moment, as if making up her mind whether to trust them, or not. "Yes, I know a place, come this way," she said, turning and walking down a dry path.

The companions followed Mody through the mist. The bird was quick and sure in her choice of paths and the companions soon found themselves at the base of a big, ugly, black tree. The swords were glowing more brightly now.

"Come on, we can hide in here," Mody said, ducking her long neck and disappearing into a hole near the base of the tree.

Mr. Elf looked around nervously. "Quickly boys, cover the swords, their glow will give away your hiding place."

Paddy and Seamus shrugged in unison and then, as one, slid the swords carefully into the right legs of their trousers, and shuffled very carefully after Mody, into the dark center of the blackened tree.

Paddy and Seamus immediately took up positions at either side of the entrance and peered out to see what would happen next.

Mr. Elf flicked his shoulders, shook out his wings and flapped lightly up to a low branch in the tree. He perched there with his bow and an arrow ready, staring worriedly into the mist.

He didn't have to wait long. The swirling mist parted and two sickly, slightly bent green forms emerged from the edge of the mist. The creatures wore no clothing and carried no weapons.

"Goblins!" Mr. Elf hissed, under his breath.

The two green Goblins looked up from the tracks leading to the black tree. They smiled in anticipation of an easy feed, thinking they had their prey trapped inside the tree. Their hungry smiles revealed hideous, razor sharp, brown teeth.

One of the Goblins extended an arm and pointed at the hole in the center of the tree. "See, came this way, they did," he growled.

"Ugh!" the second Goblin grunted, flexing the sharp and deadly claws at the end of its stumpy fingers.

The two Goblins skulked cautiously towards the tree. They knew from the tracks they had been following that their prey were small creatures. Still, Goblins weren't particularly brave; until they knew what they were tracking they tended to be cautious.

Goblins, as a rule, are not very bright or intelligent beings, so it never occurred to them to look up into the tree. All their attention was on the hole in the tree the tracks led into, and they had not yet spotted Mr. Elf, perched above them on a high branch.

Paddy and Seamus watched from the hole in the tree and saw the ugly green creatures tentatively approaching their hiding place. They grasped the hilts of the swords in their trousers tightly, both wondering how quickly they could whip them out if they had to.

Perched up in the tree, Mr. Elf knew the Goblins would soon find his companions and was trying to decide what to do.

Quite by accident, one of the Goblins happened to look up, after a leaf fell on his nose and made him jump, and he spotted the Aelf among the branches.

Knowing he had been spotted forced Mr. Elf into action. The first arrow released from his bow hit the stunned Goblin in the shoulder before it could make a sound.

The Goblin spun sideways from the force of the arrow hitting him and bumped roughly into the other Goblin.

"Hey, wotcha doin', stupid!" exclaimed the startled Goblin.

"Ouch!" said the Goblin, with the arrow in his shoulder. He was lying on his back clutching at the shaft sticking though his shoulder. "Nasty Aelf shot me!" he spat.

The second Goblin spun around and looked up into the tree, to see Mr. Elf with another arrow already set to his bow.

"Nice Aelf not shoot me?" the Goblin asked hopefully, while cringing and putting his hands above his head.

"Help your friend to get up," Mr. Elf said, quietly.

"Yes, yes, do what nice Aelf says, I will," the Goblin said, helping his friend to his feet.

"Now turn around and go back to wherever it was you came from," the Aelf said. "And don't think of following us, or sneaking up on us again. The next time I use this bow, I won't be aiming for your shoulders," he finished, menacingly.

"Nasty Aelf!" repeated the Goblin, with the arrow in his shoulder.

"Come, come," the second Goblin said, helping his friend to walk back into the mist. "Not worth the trouble. Aelf not taste that good anyway."

Mr. Elf waited a couple of minutes and then fluttered lightly to the ground, landing next to the hole the others were hiding in. "I think it's safe for you to come out now," he said.

Paddy, Seamus and Mody came out of the hole, peering worriedly after the departing Goblins, who were fading into the gloom.

"It's all right now, the Goblins have gone," Mr. Elf said, reassuringly.

"Goblins!" Seamus exclaimed, nervously. "Is that what they were?" he asked, as he and Paddy carefully removed the swords from their trousers.

"Yes, two hungry Green Goblins. Luckily, Green Goblins aren't very clever, nor are they very brave," Mr. Elf replied.

"Are you sure they've gone?" Seamus asked.

"Look at your swords. The glow is fading, so we should be safe for a little while. Still," the Aelf added thoughtfully, "we should get moving. They may have some friends nearby, and they might decide Aelf doesn't taste too bad after all."

"Why did you shoot the Goblin?" Paddy asked.

Mr. Elf chuckled. "Stupid Green Goblins need a strong message that's easy to understand. I simply encouraged them to find something a bit less dangerous for their dinner."

Mody coughed quietly to interrupt the conversation and asked, "So, what are you going to do now?"

"Now we keep going to the end of the rainbow," Seamus said.

"Oh, which end of the rainbow are you going to?" Mody asked.

"We were hoping to find the end that has the pot of gold," Mr. Elf said, raising an eyebrow at Paddy and Seamus.

"That would be the end with the guardian then," Mody said.

"Guardian? What guardian would that be?" Paddy asked.

"Well," Mody said, "I've seen both ends of the rainbow in my travels through this place. At one end, there is nothing. At the other end is a gigantic beast. It was sleeping when I saw it and I really didn't want it to wake up."

"That makes sense," Mr. Elf said. "If nothing was guarding the gold, someone would've taken it already."

"Can you take us there, Mody?" Seamus asked. "Can you take us to the end of the rainbow, where the guardian is?"

"I don't want to go back there," Mody said, shaking her head. "I want to keep looking for my mother and I already know she isn't there."

"I'll tell you what, you show us how to get to the end of the rainbow, and when we get the gold, we'll help you look for your mother," Seamus said, hopefully.

"We know what it's like to want to find a mother," Paddy added, solemnly. "Seamus and I promise that we will help you find your mother, if you help us."

Mody nodded her head excitedly. "Yes, all right then. I get so lonely wandering around here on my own. It will be nice to have someone to talk to, who will help me."

"Right you are then," Mr. Elf said. "Something's finally working out for the better on this trip. Now then, you three just wait here for a moment, while I get my bearings."

Mr. Elf flapped his wings and flew up through the mist into the tree tops. He was back almost immediately. "The rainbow is still there, over in that direction," he said, pointing off into the mist.

"I could have told you that," Mody said, already moving in the direction the Aelf had indicated.

"Yes, I'm sure," Mr. Elf replied, with a half-smile. "All right, Paddy and Seamus, you follow Mody and I'll follow you. Keep checking your swords; they'll warn us of any danger when they start to glow."

# Chapter 5: Betrayed

Mody led them through the swirling mist quickly and confidently. Paddy and Seamus followed a few paces behind Mody, with Mr. Elf tagging along behind them. The wary Aelf kept his bow in his hands and an arrow at the ready. He spent almost as much time peering back into the mist, as he did watching Paddy and Seamus.

The mist was thicker in this part of Boggy Marsh and the companions could only see for a couple of feet in any direction. Paddy and Seamus talked quietly, as they walked.

"Seamus, why did you say we'd help Mody find her mother?" Paddy inquired.

"Well, she seemed so lost and helpless, I thought it was the right thing to do," Seamus replied.

"Aye, it is a very noble gesture. Do you have any idea where to look for her?" Paddy asked.

"No," Seamus said, shaking his head, "but I have a feeling that something will help point us in the right direction."

"I thought we'd agreed to stay out of other people's business. Don't you remember what happened the last... Hey!" Paddy exclaimed, loudly.

Paddy and Seamus were so caught up in their conversation they failed to notice that Mody had completely disappeared into the deep swirling mist.

To make matters worse, both Paddy and Seamus had walked right into a giant spider web and were now stuck fast in the thick, sticky strands of the web.

Mr. Elf caught up with them quickly when he heard Paddy's shout. "What's this then, and where's Mody?"

"We're stuck in a spider's web!" Seamus shrieked. "Get us out. Quick!"

Paddy and Seamus were both struggling to get out of the web. This sent shivers rippling through the web and alerted its owner that lunch had arrived.

Up in the mist, out of sight, something hissed in approval and started moving slowly down towards the trapped Leprechauns. The swords, still hanging at Paddy's and Seamus's belts, were glowing fiercely.

"Get your swords out and cut the web," Mr. Elf instructed quietly, as he backed away from them. He was looking intently up into the mist, with an arrow set and his bow held ready. Whatever was coming down the web was about to receive a deadly surprise.

Paddy and Seamus desperately drew their swords and started hacking furiously at the strands of web that were holding them tight.

"Seamus, watch where you're cutting, would you!" Paddy said, angrily. "You almost cut my hand off then."

"Help, it's coming!" Seamus shrieked, flailing madly with the sword at the strands of web.

Sensing its lunch was about to escape, the spider rushed forward. It was huge, easily as big as Mr. Elf.

Mr. Elf saw the giant black and purple spider rush down out of the mist and let fly the first arrow. A second arrow was on its way before the first had hit its mark. The arrows flew straight and true, each one blasting into a large purple eye.

The spider let go of the web and shot forward, plunging headfirst into the ground with a loud splat. The impact forced the arrows through the spider's head, to protrude from the back of its skull.

Mr. Elf approached the spider with his sword in his hand. He poked the still form forcefully a couple of times, to satisfy himself the spider would be no more trouble. "Didn't think there were any of these left anywhere," he mumbled.

Paddy and Seamus finally cut themselves free from the web. "Spiders aren't uncommon," Paddy said, stepping forward to get a better look. "But I'll admit, I've never seen one this big."

"I hate spiders," Seamus said, shivering as he picked the last strands of web off his shirt. "More than anything else in the world, I hate spiders!"

"This is no ordinary spider," Mr. Elf stated. "This is a Spider Wraith. Filthy things they are," he said, with a barely repressed shudder of his own. "Spider Wraiths don't just eat the things they catch in their webs. If their victims have any magic about them, they will keep them alive and feed on their magic first. Then they lay their eggs inside them. Spider Wraiths require a magical host for their eggs to grow in and hatch."

Hearing this, Seamus turned very pale and sat down in the damp earth with a plop.

Mr. Elf, with his sword still in his hand, ready for action, scanned the trees, as if expecting more trouble. "Where's that dratted bird?" he asked.

Something flickered in the corner of his vision. He focused on what was just an outline, blinking disbelievingly as he did so, and watched, as Mody darkened into view right in front of him.

"Hey! How did you do that?" Paddy asked, also not sure of what he'd just seen.

"How did I do what?" Mody asked, sounding confused.

"You weren't there and now you are there," Seamus said, angrily.

"I don't know what you mean," Mody replied, nervously. "I've been here the whole time."

"You really don't know, do you?" Mr. Elf said, quietly, his ears twitching gently.

Mody looked worriedly at Paddy and Seamus. Both were clutching their swords tightly and both looked very angry indeed.

"Please," Mody beseeched, "don't look at me like that. You look like you want to hurt me."

"Don't worry, Mody," Mr. Elf said. "Nobody is going to hurt you. We do need to have a talk and figure some things out, though. Why don't you start by telling us what you did when the boys here walked into the spider web?"

Mody sat down on the ground with a sigh. "I was leading you through the mist, when I spotted the spider's web. I moved to the side to go around it. Paddy and Seamus were talking to each other and didn't see the web. They walked right into it."

"You could have warned us," Seamus blurted. "That thing might have eaten us, or worse," he added, with a shiver.

Mody squirmed uncomfortably and her head bobbed on the end of its long neck, as if she was shrugging. "Everything happened very quickly, I didn't know what to do, so I just waited."

Mr. Elf had a thoughtful look on his face, as he said, "So, you boys didn't see Mody waiting?"

"No," Paddy and Seamus said together, shaking their heads.

Mr. Elf stared at Mody and said, "You knew that Spider Wraith was here, didn't you?"

Mody dropped her gaze to the ground and nodded. When she looked up she had tears in her eyes. "The Spider Wraith has been trying to catch me."

"What!" Seamus exclaimed. "You led us right into that web?"

"I had to!" Mody wailed. "I was very scared and I knew that you, with those glowing swords, would be able to take care of it."

"That's not right," Paddy said, shaking his head. "You should have told us. We still would have helped you."

Mody was crying openly now, with big tears rolling down her feathery face.

"Now, boys, you shouldn't be too hard on young Mody. She is very young and she couldn't have known we would help her," Mr. Elf said, taking pity on the sad bird. "It all makes sense now," he continued.

"What does?" Paddy asked, sounding confused. None of this made any sense to him.

"Why Mody seemed to disappear and then reappear, and why the Spider Wraith would have been trying to catch her," Mr. Elf said, with a satisfied smile.

"This should be good," Seamus muttered, still angry at nearly having been fed to a Spider Wraith.

"Mody is an Invisibility Bird," the Aelf said. "I thought there was something familiar about her when we first met her."

Both Paddy and Seamus were looking at Mr. Elf blankly. "What's an Invisibility Bird?" Seamus finally asked.

Mr. Elf looked quite smug, as he spoke. "Invisibility Birds don't have wings, so they can't fly. They can't run very fast either. In fact, they have no way to defend themselves at all. What they do have is a very powerful magic that makes them turn invisible when they're in danger. It's what's known as passive magic. They don't even know they're doing it."

"Good trick," Paddy said, looking at Mody with a new level of respect.

"A very good trick indeed," added an impressed Seamus.

Mr. Elf bristled at the interruption, but continued nonetheless. "I'm not at all surprised the Spider Wraith would have been doing its best to catch her. Mody here would have been a perfect host for the Spider Wraith's eggs. The strong passive magic that makes her turn invisible would have fed the Spider Wraith and her young for a good long time."

Hearing this, both Paddy and Seamus shivered, as they imagined what would have happened if poor Mody had been caught by the Spider Wraith.

Paddy had a frown on his youthful face. "Hang on a minute. If Mody turns invisible when she's in danger, how could the Spider Wraith have seen her, to chase her?"

Mr. Elf nodded understanding Paddy's point. "Those weird looking purple eyes the Spider Wraiths have help them to detect and hunt magical creatures. If they are to find hosts for their young, they need a way to tell magical creatures from non-magical creatures," he explained.

"So when Mody's invisibility kicked in, it would have been easier for the Spider Wraith to see her and chase her," Seamus added, nodding in understanding. "How did you manage to get away from the Spider Wraith, then?" he asked.

When Mody spoke, there was a soft quiver in her voice and tears filled her eyes again. "I was running away from the spider when I came across a group of ugly creatures. They didn't see me and I just went through their group. The spider ran straight into them."

Mr. Elf chuckled. He had a very good idea about what had happened next.

"I kept going," Mody said, with a shudder, "but I heard them fighting, as I ran away. The sounds were horrible to hear, and they scared me."

Mr. Elf grimaced with distaste. "Leading a hunter to other prey can be a good way to save yourself, particularly if you can't fight for yourself. Just don't do it to us again!" he finished, sternly.

"I'm sorry for being angry with you, Mody," Seamus said, understanding that the young bird only did what it need to survive.

"Me too," Paddy said.

"It's all right," Mody said, between sobs. "So long as you will still be my friends."

"Of course we will," Paddy and Seamus said, together.

Mr. Elf just smiled.

"How is it that you know so much about Invisibility Birds?" Seamus asked Mr. Elf.

"When I was a boy, living in Aelfinholme, a flock of Invisibility Birds would sometimes come past our home. Invisibility Birds live in flocks and move around all the time."

Mody suddenly looked very happy. "So you know where I can find others like me?" she asked, hopefully.

Mr. Elf frowned. "The Invisibility Birds only come past Aelfinholme once every few years. And it's been a very long time since I've been in Aelfinholme, but I suppose they could still be around there somewhere."

"Goody!" Mody exclaimed. "Maybe that's where my mother is. Will you take me there?"

Mr. Elf suddenly seemed very uncomfortable. "Wait on," he said. "Aelfinholme is a very long way from here, I don't see how your mother could be there, if you're as young as you appear."

"Oh," Mody said, sadly.

"We said that we would help you find your mother, after we find the pot of gold," Paddy volunteered.

"Yes, we did," Seamus added. "If we don't have any luck around here, maybe we could take you to look for the other Invisibility Birds. They might have some ideas on where to look for your mother. What do you think, Mr. Elf?"

"I knew that getting involved with Leprechauns was going to be more trouble than it was worth," Mr. Elf muttered. "You two were the ones that offered to help Mody; I just came along for my share of the gold," he finished grumpily.

"But you know where the other Invisibility Birds might be," Paddy said, not understanding the Aelf's reticence.

"We could all go there together," Seamus put in. "It would be like going off on an adventure. It could be fun," he said, getting excited by the idea.

Mody bobbed her head excitedly. "Oh, yes. Please Mr. Elf, will you help?"

If Mr. Elf had seemed uncomfortable before, he now looked positively worried. "Go back to Aelfinholme? To help an Invisibility Bird find her mother?" Mr. Elf stared at the hopeful look on Mody's face and took a deep breath. "Let's wait and see how things turn out. Maybe we'll find your mother around here somewhere."

"And if we don't, it's off to Aelfinholme," Paddy said, enthusiastically.

"Hmm," Mr. Elf said, sounding unimpressed. "Before we move on, I just want to get some of these." The Aelf drew his dagger from its sheath, bent down to the deceased spider and started to shave thick dark hairs from the spider's legs.

Seamus looked on with revulsion at what Mr. Elf was doing and was almost sick. "Is that some weird Aelf thing, shaving the legs of things you've killed?" he asked, swallowing hard against the bile rising in the back of his throat.

"No," Mr. Elf replied. "The hairs of a Spider Wraith have some unusual and useful properties. They're too rare to just leave behind."

After quickly shaving all eight legs clean, Mr. Elf put the shaved hairs in a small pouch and tucked the pouch into his pack.

Paddy, Seamus and Mody had moved a short distance away to wait for Mr. Elf to complete the strange ritual. The whole thing turned their stomachs and they preferred not to watch.

Finished, Mr. Elf walked towards them beaming happily. "It's not every day you get a chance to gather something as usefully as that," he said, with a wide grin.

# Chapter 6: Hag Head

The mist swirled about the companions teasingly, as they made their way through Boggy Marsh. The stagnant pools of brown water they passed plopped occasionally and gave off a nasty smell of rotten dead things.

Mody wove her way around the pools of muck that were a constant feature of the marsh. Carefully avoiding soft patches and sucky mud, Paddy, Seamus and Mr. Elf followed cautiously, not altogether trusting their colorful guide.

Seamus suddenly stopped. "Do you hear that, Paddy?" he asked, quietly.

"I don't hear anything," Paddy said, grumpily, also stopping.

"That's my point exactly," Seamus replied, looking about nervously. "Ever since we came into Boggy Marsh, we have heard lots of strange noises. Now everything is quiet and still."

"Seamus has something there," Mr. Elf whispered, from behind. "I too just noticed everything has gone quiet."

Mody trotted back to them. "Why have you stopped?" she asked.

"There's no noise," Seamus said. "No sounds at all."

Mr. Elf looked hard at Paddy and Seamus, a worried frown creasing his angular face. "Your swords aren't glowing and we can still see Mody, so we should be safe enough. Still, it does seem strange."

"There are quiet places and quiet times here in the marsh," Mody said, quietly. "I never really thought about it before, but now you've pointed it out, it does seem odd."

"Probably no stranger than anything else about this miserable place," the Aelf replied, shaking his head. "Well, let's keep going, shall we? I don't see any point in wasting time here."

Mody led them into the mist once more, following a path only she seemed to be able to see. Minutes passed, as they walked on through the silence, each of them carefully scanning the mist for any signs of danger.

After the constant noise, which they had grown used to, the new total silence seemed sinister and frightening.

Suddenly, the mists cleared and the companions found themselves looking at a small house made from white stones. The house had a tiled roof, a single door and a single window. A light plume of white, wispy smoke drifted lazily out of a small chimney and blended into the mist, which was still visible above the house.

Standing near the door of the house was the ugliest old woman any of the companions had ever seen.

"Oh my!" Mody exclaimed.

"By The She, but that is the foulest thing I have ever seen," Seamus breathed.

"Ugh," Paddy added.

Mr. Elf turned and spoke sharply to Mody. "Is this another of your tricks, bird? So help me if it is, I'll...,"

The old woman gave a loud cackling laugh that sent shivers down the spines of the companions. Still cackling, the old woman took a couple of shuffling steps forward, aided by a blackened stick she used to help her walk. Her dirty, moss colored robes shimmered and shifted, as though they were a living part of her.

The face that peered at them, from under a shock of straggly grey hair, was a sickly green color. Her eyes squinted, as she looked over each of the companions. A wrinkled and ancient hand, that looked like it could have been made of green wood, reached out of the sleeve of her robes to rub thoughtfully at her long pointed nose.

"Hmmm, Aelf, Leprechauns... and what have we here?" she said, in a dry raspy voice, while staring intently at Mody. An evil smile crossed the ugly creature's face, and the companions saw she had a mouth full of sharp brown teeth.

"What do we do?" Paddy asked, not taking his eyes off the ugly old woman.

"Run!" Mr. Elf shouted.

Paddy, Seamus and Mody did just that. Almost as one, they turned and bolted, as fast as they could, back into the mist.

Mr. Elf had the bow off his back in a flash and loosed an arrow straight at the ugly old woman. Without waiting to see what happened, the Aelf turned and ran into the mist after his friends.

Mr. Elf caught up with the others quickly and took the lead in their flight through the mist. As a group, they burst through the mist into a clear area and then skidded to a stop. Paddy, Seamus and Mody slid straight into Mr. Elf's legs, knocking him to the ground.

Right in front of them was the house and the ugly old woman. The ugly creature let forth a loud cackling laugh. She seemed truly amused at the sight of the companions sprawled on the ground in front of her.

"Now then...," she said, in her raspy voice.

"Aghh!" Paddy shouted.

"Quick, back into the mist!" the Aelf yelled, as he untangled himself from the others.

Shooing the others in front of him, Mr. Elf guided them hurriedly back into the mist.

"How did she do that?" Seamus asked, between panting breaths.

"Magic, obviously," Mr. Elf said, in a grim voice. "Keep moving, but don't run this time. Let's see if we can sneak out of this."

"I didn't feel anything," Paddy said, shakily. "Normally when magic is used we can feel it."

"There are many different types of magic," Mr. Elf replied, quietly. "You Leprechauns can only feel the types of magic you are attuned to. This woman must be very powerful indeed."

"What is she?" asked a frightened Mody.

"I was hoping you might be able to tell us," Mr. Elf said.

"I haven't seen anything like her before," Mody said. "And I don't want to see it again."

"Why can we still see Mody?" Seamus asked, rubbing his arm where it had hit Mr. Elf's leg. "And why aren't the swords glowing?"

Mr. Elf stopped and looked at Seamus, as if seeing him for the first time. "I didn't even notice. Something about that woman scrambled my thinking; all I wanted to do was run away."

"That's just the way I felt," Paddy said.

"Me too," Mody said.

"Good trick to have, if you live in here and want to be left alone," Seamus said, thoughtfully.

"Yes indeed," Mr. Elf agreed, considering the implications, "a very good trick."

"So what do we do now?" Paddy asked.

"Mody, do you think you can still lead us to the rainbow? I've lost track of the direction," Mr. Elf admitted.

Mody shook her head. "No, I don't know which way to go now."

"Right," Mr. Elf said, as he shook his wings out. "Wait here a moment."

Mr. Elf gently flapped his wings and flew quietly up through the mist. The others waited in the silence of the mist, not saying anything, but peering intently around them, hoping nothing would come at them.

Mr. Elf fluttered back down beside his friends. "The rainbow is over there to the left of us," he said. "We've been turned around a bit, but we're not too far off now."

"Any sign of that house?" Paddy asked.

Mr. Elf frowned. "No, no sign of anything different anywhere around us. I think we should keep going for the rainbow. Mody, would you like to take the lead again?"

"No, thank you," Mody replied.

"All right then, let's go," Mr. Elf said, shaking his head and taking the lead position.

Mr. Elf led them confidently towards where he had seen the rainbow. After a minute of walking, the mist cleared again and there was the little house and the ugly old woman.

"Enough of this foolishness!" the woman said, angrily, all trace of her earlier amusement now gone. "You cannot get away from me, so stop trying."

The ugly creature shuffled toward them poking her stick into the ground angrily, and again her earthy robes shimmered and shifted, as though they were a part of her.

"And you can put those things away, my fine young Leprechauns," she cackled.

Paddy and Seamus had pulled their magical swords from their sheaths, fully expecting to have to fight the ugly creature. Mr. Elf gave them a stern look and they sheepishly put the swords away.

"Now that you are prepared to behave yourselves, we can get the introductions out of the way. My name is Hag Head, the witch."

Hearing the word 'witch _'_ attached to her name almost made the companions turn and run back into the mist.

"What is it you want with us?" Mr. Elf asked, evenly.

"All in good time, Aelf," Hag Head replied, in her raspy voice. "There are only a couple of hours left before it gets dark. Were you planning to stay in Boggy Marsh overnight?" she asked.

"We had hoped to be out of here before it got dark," Mr. Elf replied, honestly.

"The truly nasty things that live in Boggy March come out to feed at night," Hag Head said, with a small chuckle. "You won't be able to get out before darkness falls. How were you planning on avoiding the Urks, Wraiths and other night feeders?"

"Mody has been in the marsh at night and she's been ok," Seamus said, defiantly.

Hag Head looked at Mody and smiled. "Can you all go invisible without thinking about it?" she asked, quietly.

"Well...," Seamus started.

"No, of course you can't," Hag Head interrupted. "I think it would be for the best if you all stayed in my house for the night."

"Why should we trust you?" Mr. Elf asked.

"Yes, how do we know _you_ won't eat us?" Mody added, her head bobbing.

"I will promise not to eat you, nor to harm you in any way," Hag Head replied, waspishly. "Do you think the others in the marsh will be as thoughtful, hmmm? My house is protected from unwanted visitors by my magic. You will be safe enough."

"And what do you want from us?" asked a concerned Paddy. "Why do you want to help us?"

"Ahh Leprechauns," Hag Head breathed, shaking her head. "Always looking for a way to negotiate for something more. Enough of this," she said, sternly. "The offer has been made. Do you accept?"

The companions exchanged questioning looks.

To Paddy's senses the witch woman was certainly ugly, uglier than any living thing he had ever seen, but she didn't feel evil. Trusting in his feelings, he said, "We accept," surprising everyone with his quick answer.

"Hang on a minute," Mr. Elf said. "Don't you think we should talk about it first?"

Paddy turned to the witch. "If we try to leave now, what will happen?" he asked.

"You will find yourself back in front of me," Hag Head replied, evenly, a small smile creeping onto her hideous face.

Paddy nodded thoughtfully, while trying to ignore the sudden churning in his stomach. "So you won't just let us leave?"

"No, I won't," Hag Head said, the smile spreading and becoming truly repulsive.

"But you need us to accept your offer to stay, don't you?" Paddy said, bravely clenching his buttocks, as his bowels loosened. "Whatever it is you want can't happen if we don't accept."

Hag Head nodded, letting the smile slip from her face. She was gaining a level of respect for this Leprechaun. "The magic that protects my house will not allow anyone to enter, unless they have accepted an offer from me."

"I don't see that we have much of a choice," Paddy said to his friends, quietly relieved that whatever had been upsetting his stomach, seemed to be settling quickly. "We can't leave. Even if we could, it sounds like it would be too dangerous, what with night coming so soon. The swords aren't glowing and we can see Mody. I think we should accept her offer."

"If Paddy says he accepts the offer, that's good enough for me, I accept too," Seamus advised.

"You do promise you won't eat us?" Mody asked, skeptically.

"I do," Hag Head replied, solemnly.

"Then I accept," Mody replied.

Hag Head looked expectantly at Mr. Elf.

Mr. Elf scowled, his ears twitching violently. "It would appear the decision has been made," he said, grumpily. "I have no choice, but to accept. So, I too accept the offer."

"Good," Hag Head muttered. "Follow me then, and be welcome." The witch woman shuffled towards her house, her leafy robes shimmering, as if stirred by a gentle breeze. The companions followed slowly.

"I still don't feel right about this," Mr. Elf said, quietly.

"It might be easier to accept, if she wasn't so awful to look at," Paddy replied.

"Did you notice the big wart on her nose, with hair growing out of it?" Seamus asked. "She could do something about that, surely."

"Shhh, now," Mr. Elf said, as they neared the door. "I think you two should be careful not to upset her. She has an awful lot of very strong magic about her. It would be unfortunate, if she decided to turn you into frogs."

Paddy paused and watched, as Mr. Elf entered the witch's house ahead of him. "And I was just starting to like him," Paddy said, under his breath.

Mody heard the comment and stopped next to Paddy. "I think that's his way of showing he likes you."

"How would you know about that? You only hatched from an egg recently, didn't you?" Seamus asked, as he headed to the door. He didn't understand how a hatchling would be capable of such an observation.

Mody considered the question with a puzzled expression on her face. "I have no idea," she answered.

# Chapter 7: The Task

Paddy entered Hag Head's house and immediately bumped into Seamus, who had stopped just inside the doorway. Seamus shuffled forward a bit to allow Paddy room to enter.

"What were you thinking, just stopping in the doorway like that?" Paddy asked, angrily. Then he got his first glimpse of the room. "Oh, oh my, this room is beautiful," he breathed.

The room they had entered was spotlessly clean. A small table with four chairs sat in the middle of the room and a large vase of beautiful fresh flowers sat on table. Through a large window on one side of the room, oddly hued sunlight flooded in. The walls were freshly painted and a couple of pictures hung on them, showing scenes of beautiful forests. On the far side of the room two closed doors could be seen.

Hag Head, however, wasn't in the room.

Mr. Elf was gazing around the room with a surprised expression on his face. "Well, well," he said, "this isn't what I was expecting at all. There's obviously more to Hag Head than I first thought."

Mody walked over to the large window. "What's that blue stuff and the big warm bright thing?" she asked.

Seamus joined Mody at the window. "That's the sky and the sun," he answered, with amusement. "But it's different from the normal sky and sun. There is something decidedly odd about it."

"Oh," Mody said. "I haven't seen anything like that before. Sunlight like that doesn't get through the mist in the marsh. So, what's all that green stuff out there?"

"That would be grass and bushes," Mr. Elf said, joining them at the window. "The real question is, what happened to Boggy Marsh?"

The view outside the window was of a lovely sun drenched meadow, with long lush grass. Strangest of all were the bushes, which were in the shapes of animals at play. Nowhere through the window could they see any sign of Boggy Marsh.

Hag Head chose that moment to enter the room through one of the two doors. "This room is where you will spend the night. Do not, under any circumstances, leave this room until I tell you it is safe to do so. I would hate for you to get lost, and I don't have the time to come looking for you."

"Where are we and where is Boggy Marsh?" Seamus blurted.

"Neither of those questions is important. What is important, is that while you are in this room, you will be safe. Do you understand?"

The companions all nodded solemnly.

Hag Head waved her claw like hand towards the window and suddenly it was night outside. At the same time, various candles around the room burst into flame, providing light in the now darkened room.

"I will leave you for the night. In the morning, I will return and we will discuss what happens next. I have prepared an evening meal for you. Eat what you will, and then I suggest you get some sleep." With that said, Hag Head simply disappeared.

"But... oh...," Paddy said, when he realized Hag Head had gone. "I wanted to ask some questions."

"Wow, look at this!" Paddy exclaimed. The table in the middle of the room was now covered with plates of various types of food. "Whatever else you might want to say about Hag Head, she certainly knows how to feed her guests."

Seamus hurried over to the table, sat down on a chair and examined the plate in front of him. "Urgh!" he exclaimed. "Don't be too sure about that, Paddy. This bowl has nothing but seeds in it."

Mr. Elf chuckled. "I think that bowl is intended for Mody, Seamus."

"Ah, yes of course," Seamus said. "Sorry, Mody, I didn't think about what you might like to eat." Seamus shuffled over to the next seat where the food was more appealing.

Mody climbed up onto the chair Seamus had vacated and sniffed at the bowl of seeds, nodding happily.

Mr. Elf and Paddy settled themselves down for their meal, each choosing a plate of food that seemed to be suited to their preferences.

"What do you suppose she wants with us?" Mody asked, between pecks at the seed.

"I can't begin to imagine," Mr. Elf replied. "She is without a doubt the most powerful magical being I have ever met. I find it hard to believe there is anything we have that she could want."

"If she really is that powerful, why doesn't she do something about the way she looks," Seamus stated. "This place is lovely and the food is very good, but really, I've seen more attractive Ogre's bottoms."

Mody squeaked loudly and looked around the room with a worried expression. "Please don't be saying things that might make her angry. How do you know she isn't listening to us now?"

"Mody's right, Seamus; whoever, or whatever Hag Head is, she is definitely someone you don't want to upset," the Aelf stated, between bites of his food.

"Don't the Aelfin have the most powerful magic?" Paddy asked Mr. Elf.

Mr. Elf fidgeted, as he answered Paddy's question. "As a group, the Aelfin are very strong with magic; as individuals, the level of magical power depends on a whole lot of different things."

"Have you seen any Aelf with as much magic as Hag Head seems to have?" Seamus asked.

Mr. Elf squirmed uncomfortably. "I can't really answer that question; we're not supposed to talk about Aelfin magic with the other peoples."

Paddy finished his food and examined the room with renewed interest. "So what do you think is on the other side of those doors?" he asked.

"I don't know, and we're not going to try to find out," Mr. Elf stated firmly. "Hag Head told us to stay in here, and that is exactly what we are going to do."

"Mr. Elf is right, Paddy. We're not going to do anything to make Hag Head angry with us," Seamus confirmed, with a yawn. "I'm quite tired now anyway. I suggest we all get some sleep and wait to see what happens in the morning."

Mr. Elf quickly tidied up the plates and stacked them neatly at one end of the table. With that done, the companions settled down for the night.

⚔

The next morning, just as the first rays of sunlight were starting to creep in through the window, Mr. Elf awoke. The first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was Hag Head sitting at the end of the table watching him.

"You have been away from the Aelfin for far too long," Hag Head stated, disapprovingly. "You should have awakened as soon as I entered the room."

Still half-asleep and caught completely off guard, Mr. Elf mumbled an apology.

"Hmmm, a time is coming when your people will need your unique outlook and your guidance. I suggest you rejoin your people, and very soon if you are to be of any use," the witch said, quietly.

Mr. Elf was now wide-awake and completely confused. "Who are you to be saying such things to me? And what do you mean 'if I am to be of any use'?"

"I am who I am, and I can tell you I have very little patience with young Leprechauns who pretend to be asleep, so they can listen to others talking," Hag Head said, staring challengingly at Paddy and Seamus.

Paddy and Seamus both sat up looking suitably embarrassed at having been caught eavesdropping. "Sorry," they said, at the same time.

Mody walked across the room to stand at Hag Head's feet. "Good morning," she said, politely, to the witch. "Is there anymore of that seed I had last night, it was very good."

"So this is what it's like to have a house full of children," Hag Head muttered under her breath. The witch woman made an impatient wave with her left hand and breakfast appeared on the table. "You all might as well eat; you're going to have a busy day."

Hag Head sat and watched quietly, as the companions ate their breakfast. Eventually, Mody asked the question they were all dying to ask. "What do you mean: we are going to have a busy day?"

Hag Head smiled, which was an awful sight up close. Each of the companions felt their stomach's grumble and lurch in response to the smile. "I have a task for you, and you must complete the task before you will be able to leave Boggy Marsh."

"What sort of a task?" Paddy asked, trying not to stare at the wart on Hag Heads nose.

"I want an egg," the witch woman stated, quietly.

Seamus looked hopefully at Mody. "You couldn't help out, could you, Mody?"

"No, I certainly could not," Mody said, sounding very offended.

"Invisibility Birds can't start laying eggs until they're at least two years old," Mr. Elf interrupted. "And even then, they don't start until they have a mate."

"The egg that I want is a very special egg. I want a Dragon's egg, and I want it from a particular Dragon," Hag Head said.

"Oh no, I don't think so!" said a very alarmed Mr. Elf. "I am not about to try and take an egg from a Dragon. I may have been silly enough to get mixed up with these Leprechauns, but I'm not _that_ foolish."

"Ah, I don't want to do it either," Paddy stated, boldly.

"That's fine," Hag Head said, suddenly seeming to be uglier and bigger than she had been moments before. "Because you will be staying with me while your friends fetch the egg. When they return to me with the egg, I will allow you to leave."

"You can't do this!" Mody squeaked. "It's mean."

Hag Head laughed her dry cackling laugh. "Mean or not, I want that egg and I shall have it."

"What do you want to do with the egg?" Seamus asked.

"None of your business," Hag Head snapped. "All you need to know is that the egg is with the guardian at the end of the rainbow. I believe you were on your way there for the gold anyway. So, just collect the egg, as well as the gold, and I will let you all leave Boggy Marsh."

"We won't do it," Seamus stated, flatly.

"Oh, but you will," Hag Head cackled. She gave an imperious wave and the door opened behind them.

Seamus, Mr. Elf and Mody all slid towards the open door. Paddy, however, found that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't move a single muscle.

"Once you have possession of the egg, call my name and I will come to you," Hag Head called, as the three friends slid out the door into the waiting mist.

Paddy let out a load shout of, "Nooooooo...!" and then the door slammed shut.

# Chapter 8: The Guardian

Seamus, Mr. Elf and Mody were back in Boggy Marsh. The mist swirled around them and they could see no sign of Hag Head's house.

"Paddy, oh my Paddy, where are you?" wept a sad and shocked Seamus.

"What do we do now?" Mody asked, despairingly.

Mr. Elf ran his hands through his long dark hair, inspecting their surrounds with a grim face. "This is not working out the way I had hoped," he mumbled.

"We have to get Paddy back!" Seamus cried. "We can't just leave him with the witch; we don't know what she'll do to him."

"Of course we have to get Paddy back," Mody affirmed. "He is our friend. We won't just leave him, will we, Mr. Elf?"

Mr. Elf made a visible effort to get his thoughts under control and then nodded. "Seamus, we will do what we must to get Paddy back. Hag Head made it clear we won't be able to leave Boggy Marsh, until she has what she wants. We don't have a choice. We must get the Dragon's egg."

"Why!" Seamus wailed. "Why can't she get the stupid egg herself? She's much more powerful than all of us put together."

"I don't know, Seamus," Mr. Elf said, placing a comforting hand on Seamus's shoulder. "This whole situation is just too strange. I don't understand any of it."

"Do you really think she will let Paddy go, if we get her the egg?" Mody asked hopefully.

"I think we have to believe she will," Mr. Elf replied, with a sad smile. "It's the only hope any of us have of seeing Paddy again, and of getting out of here."

Seamus stood up straight, a determined look on his face. "Let's go and get that egg," he said.

Mr. Elf nodded and shook out his wings. "Stay here and keep quiet. I'll fly above the mist and see where the rainbow is."

Seamus and Mody huddled together and watched, as Mr. Elf disappeared into the mist. He soon reappeared, landing gently and folding his wings back into place. "It's over in that direction," he said, indicating behind Seamus and Mody. "And it's not far off; we should get there soon."

"What are we going to do when we get there?" Mody asked. "The guardian is very large, easily as big as Hag Head's house."

"I don't know yet. We'll have to come up with a plan when we see what we have to deal with," Mr. Elf replied. "Come on. The sooner we get started, the sooner we get Paddy back."

Seamus stopped his companions and said, "Thank you, both of you. You don't know what this means to me. Paddy is my brother and we share a very special link. We haven't been separated before and I'm very scared for him."

"Brother?" Mr. Elf said, sounding surprised. "But you both look to be about the same age."

"Yes," was Seamus's only reply.

Mr. Elf waited, hoping that Seamus would say more, but he didn't.

Mody broke the silence. "Shouldn't we be going?" she prompted.

"Of course, yes, let's get moving," Seamus agreed.

Mr. Elf shook his head, wondering just what he'd gotten himself into. Things were becoming more and more complicated; at a rate, rate he could barely keep up with.

Mody turned and headed in the direction the Aelf had indicated. Seamus and Mr. Elf followed her silently into the mist.

⚔

"There," Mody whispered. "Do you see it?"

"The She preserve us!" Seamus whispered back. "That thing _is_ as big as a house. It's no wonder the rainbow is so beautifully bright. That's enough gold to power every rainbow the world over."

The companions were peering out from behind a blackened, dead tree. When the mists moved, they could catch glimpses of a huge golden shape looming in front of them.

"I take it that is the guardian," Mr. Elf said, under his breath.

"Yes. There's a hole underneath it. I stayed to watch once and I saw the hole when it went to eat the food."

"Where did the food come from?" Mr. Elf asked.

"Some of the other things that live here bring food to it."

"Great," Mr. Elf said, disbelievingly. "This just keeps getting better. Not only is the guardian a Gold Dragon, and a big one, but now we also have to worry about the creatures that feed it."

"I've never seen a Dragon before," an awestruck Seamus said.

"That's probably why you're still alive," Mr. Elf teased. "Gold Dragons tend to be a bad-tempered lot, at the best of times, and they're not too fussy about what they eat. Although, you wouldn't even make a decent snack," he added, with grin.

As they watched through the mist, from their hiding spot, the Dragon lifted its backside off the ground, squeezed with concentration and a pile of golden pellets erupted from its bottom.

The Dragon turned its head to look at its droppings. A small and tightly controlled flame came from the Dragon's mouth, fanning over the golden droppings making them glow with a golden light.

When finished tempering the droppings with its fire, the Dragon reached down and gripped one of the golden pellets between two claws. Holding it up to her right eye, she examined it closely, turning it this way and that. Satisfied, she dropped the pellet back with the others and used her great tail to sweep them into her nest.

"So that's where Dragon gold comes from," Seamus whispered. "That's kind of gross, and kind of neat at the same time."

"Even a small handful of those things would be worth a fortune to the right buyer," Mr. Elf whispered. "Make sure you grab a few, if you get a chance. Don't forget, you still have to pay me for the swords."

"So what do we do now?" Mody prompted.

"Stay here while I have a look around. And don't do anything to let Goldy know you're here."

Mr. Elf moved off quietly into the mist. Seamus and Mody waited for what seemed like a very long time, but, quite suddenly, Mr. Elf was back with them. "All right, I have a plan," he whispered. "This is what we're going to do."

⚔

Seamus snuck cautiously through the ever-moving mist. Now that he was all alone he was really scared.

A range of sounds came from all around, from strange chirping noises to quick and violent sounding snarls. He hurriedly glanced back over his shoulder, but could see nothing unusual; nothing unusual, that is, for Boggy Marsh.

Reminding himself he was doing this for Paddy, he continued his forward course. As he went, he counted silently under his breath. When he reached 150, he changed direction slightly, towards where he thought the Dragon should be.

Sure enough, there in front of him was the silent golden mass of the Dragon. He scanned around for a large boulder and found one that would meet his needs. Tiptoeing to it, he checked his sword, which as expected, glowed brightly.

It wasn't long before he heard Mr. Elf call out, loudly and rudely, "Hey, you there, Dragon!"

The Dragon lifted its huge head sleepily and swung it toward the voice.

"Yeah, you, you great lummox," Mr. Elf shouted.

Two large, green, catlike eyes blinked in confusion, as the Dragon peered through the mist, trying to find the source of the annoying shouts.

"May The She help me, but it's true, Gold Dragons are the stupidest, slowest creatures in all the world," the Aelf yelled, now thoroughly enjoying himself.

The Dragon blinked again, not quite able to believe some rude creature had woken her up, just to shout insults at her.

Without warning, an enormous blast of fire shot out of her mouth, aimed directly at where the rude noises had come from. The ever-present mist evaporated, as the Dragon fire roared through the damp air.

Seamus could suddenly see clearly for some distance.

The Dragon peered intently in the direction of her fire, to see if there were any cooked remains that could be eaten. The mist, however, quickly filled the clearing and she could not see anything interesting. Letting out a loud sigh, she set her head back to her resting position, quite sure the situation had been dealt with.

Seamus waited patiently, watching the Dragon to see what would happen next. He didn't have to wait long.

An arrow shot out of the mist and bounced off the Dragon's left ear.

Now an arrow isn't going to hurt a Dragon; it isn't going to get through the very tough plated skin. The Dragon, however, was not impressed.

This really was just too much; first some rude thing had shouted at her, and now there were arrows bouncing off her head. The Dragon roared in anger and got up from her sitting position, just as another arrow bounced off her nose.

Seamus had to try very hard to suppress a nervous giggle, while at the same time marveling at how quickly a creature the size of the Dragon could move.

The Dragon shot another burst of flame, this time aimed in the direction the arrows had come from. As the Dragon fire evaporated the mist, the Dragon rushed forward, searching this way and that for the source of her annoyance.

Seamus heard Mr. Elf laughing loudly, from a point much further away. The Dragon roared loudly in frustration and set off after the sound of the laughter.

"Come on, Goldy, you can do better than that," Seamus heard Mr. Elf shout.

Seamus snuck forward until he could see the hole Mody had talked about. He watched, as a large egg rolled out of the hole and wobbled away from the direction the Dragon had taken.

A loud chirping noise made Seamus turn and stare intently through the mist, searching for the source of the noise. Seamus quickly realized if he stayed where he was, he wasn't going to be able to see what was making the noise, before it saw him. Hurrying back to the boulder, he hoped the egg would be gone, by the time the chirping thing arrived.

Seamus made it to the boulder, just as two strange creatures walked by, seemingly wafting through the mistiness. Ducking for cover, he peered around the boulder to observe the two creatures waddle stiffly toward the Dragon's nest, chirping as they went.

Seamus had never seen creatures like these and he wondered what they might be. They had bodies shaped like balloons, with bloated arms and legs that looked like they had been just jammed on to the bodies. And the creatures had no necks; their heads were joined directly to their bodies. Seamus thought this would make it easy to sneak up on them, as the creatures couldn't possibly turn their head, without turning their whole body.

The loud chirping noise came from the short, rotund legs of the creatures, as their thighs rubbed together when they walked.

The creatures didn't notice Seamus, as they hurriedly waddled past his hiding place. Seamus held his breath, hoping the egg was now out of sight.

Unfortunately, one of the creatures spotted the egg, just as it rolled through a shallow pool of water. The creature gave a loud shout. "Hey!"

Seamus didn't hesitate; he had his sword out in a flash and dashed across the open ground towards the creatures. As he reached the first creature, he stabbed it in the back of the thigh, just below its bottom. "That's for Paddy!" he said, as he pulled the sword back out.

The other creature tottered around clumsily, with a look of surprise on its round face. Seamus lunged with the sword, stabbing the creature in the front part of its leg. "And that's for making me have to do this," he said.

Both creatures were completely frozen, in the exact positions they had been in, when the sword had stabbed them.

Seamus looked them over, feeling surprisingly calm and confident. "Boy, you guys are really ugly," he said, to himself. The sword in his hand glowed fiercely. "Thank you, Grace," he said, to the sword. "But, if you wouldn't mind terribly, could you not glow quiet so brightly? You're very easy to see when you glow like that, and I need to be able to hide."

To Seamus's utter astonishment, the sword dimmed down to an almost feeble glow. "Wow!" Seamus exclaimed, "That's a neat trick."

The sword gave a quick pulse of light, as if acknowledging his words.

Mr. Elf chose that moment to flap down through the mist and land next to Seamus. Flicking his shoulders to settle his wings, he turned and examined the frozen creatures. "Urgh! Fugglies. I didn't know there were any of those still alive. Boggy Marsh really has been the dumping ground for the worst of the peoples." Pulling out his own sword, he gave each one a quick bang on the back of the head with the hilt. The Fugglies, however, didn't fall to the ground, or even move; they really were frozen in place.

"Just to be sure," Mr. Elf said, seeing Seamus frown. "We don't want them unfreezing on us too soon. So, is the egg on its way?"

"It is," Seamus replied.

"Right, we best get the gold and get out of here quickly. The Dragon will be back any moment," the Aelf instructed.

Seamus and Mr. Elf ran to the hole and, sure enough, there was the biggest pile of gold Seamus had ever seen.

# Chapter 9: The Scream

Seamus pulled a medium sized hemp bag from his backpack and scooped the golden Dragon droppings from the nest.

Mr. Elf kept a look out for the Dragon. "Hurry up and grab as many as you can," he whispered. "Just fill the bag, boy. That Dragon gold is worth so much, that even a handful would make you rich beyond most people's dreams."

"It still seems odd. We came for gold and here I am scooping up poop," Seamus whispered back.

"Just get on with it," Mr. Elf replied. "That Dragon is going to be seriously angry, when she gets back and finds her egg and some of her gold missing."

"The bag's full! Let's go get Paddy back," Seamus said, through a nervous grin. "Will you be able to find Mody in this mist?"

"No problem," Mr. Elf said, moving confidently away from the Dragon's nest. "Follow me."

Dragon fire raced towards Mr. Elf and Seamus, evaporating the mist, as the magical fire rolled towards them. Seamus reacted quickly, grabbing Mr. Elf and dragging him backwards into the hole in the middle of the Dragon's nest.

The Dragon fire stopped short of the hole. The Dragon roared its frustration.

"Phew! That was close," said a worried Mr. Elf. "Let's try the other direction." Grabbing Seamus by the coat, he dragged the young Leprechaun out of the hole and away from the nest. For this to work, he needed Seamus to be right there with him. "I could really use a diversion about now," the agitated Aelf shouted, into the mist, as he and Seamus ran away from the furious Dragon.

The Dragon scuttled forward, certain she was about to have a nice mid-morning snack.

Mody's high-pitched voice sang out, "Yoo hoo. Hi there. You big, dumb, slow Dragon. I'm over here."

The Dragon's head swung around to the direction the voice had come from and sent Dragon fire flaming in that direction.

Mr. Elf and Seamus used the moment of distraction to run off into the mist.

The Dragon cast about, sniffing the mist for some trace of the things that had ruined her morning. She lumbered forward again, heading back to her nest. Just what had those annoying things been doing? She reached the hole at the center of her nest and noticed that the egg she'd been guarding was gone. She raised her massive head to the sky and screamed.

The sound was like nothing Mr. Elf and Seamus had ever heard before, and it froze them in their tracks. Both stopped where they were, throwing their hands over their ears to drown out the sound.

The scream contained all the heartfelt pain and loss the Dragon felt, and she poured her anguish and Dragon magic into it.

Mr. Elf tried to move forward, but found he couldn't move a muscle. Slightly behind him, he heard Seamus give a little gasp of fear.

"Mr. Elf, I can't move. I'm stuck."

"I'm stuck, too, Seamus," Mr. Elf replied, straining to get free.

"By The She that scream was awful," Seamus panted, also straining to move his legs. "Did you know Dragons could do that?"

Mr. Elf continued to struggle. "There's an old legend about Dragons that says something about a Dragon's grief being able to freeze time. I guess there is some truth to it."

The Dragon, meanwhile, had been using the time freeze period to search for the thieves who had raided her nest. She first came across the two Fugglies, Seamus had jabbed with Grace.

The Fugglies, were of course, just as frozen as Mr. Elf and Seamus. They too had heard the Dragon's scream. Even as the effects of having been jabbed with Grace, and having been whacked on the back of the head, were wearing off, the scream of the Dragon had frozen them anew.

The great Gold Dragon lowered her head to look over the frozen Fugglies. Her cat-like eyes blinked lazily; after all, she had all the time in the world now. She scanned around the two frozen Fugglies. No egg! She examined the Fugglies closely, and noticed that they both had wounds in their legs, and dried blood on the back of their heads. Her eyes narrowed, a look of annoyance spreading over her cold evil face. Her morning had been ruined, and several some ones were going to have to pay.

The Dragon leaned forward and took one of the Fugglies in her mouth. At the first bite, the Fuggly exploded in her mouth with a load pop, spraying Fuggly guts all through the Dragon's mouth. She loved it when they did that. There wasn't another food group that was quite as much fun to eat. After three chews, to crunch up the arms and legs, she threw back her mighty head and swallowed the Fuggly.

She recognized these Fugglies. They were the ones responsible for bringing her food. Not only had they failed to bring her food, they had allowed thieves to raid her nest. The Dragon scooped the second Fuggly into her great mouth. This one popped in a very satisfactory way too, and tasted just as good as the first. She took her time to chew her food properly and enjoy the taste of the very fresh meal.

Refreshed and ready to track and punish the thieves, she turned and tasted the mist with her tongue. Ahh yes! There they are. The mist coming from her left had the slightly tangy taste of fresh food.

What the great Dragon tasted was the 'fear of the frozen', a side effect of the scream.

The Dragon stalked off through the mist towards her prey.

⚔

Seamus was really scared, and was tired from struggling against the 'scream freeze'. The thought of being char grilled by Dragon fire and then eaten, kept him struggling and fighting to get free.

Mr. Elf, on the other hand, was still and calm. "Seamus," Mr. Elf said, quietly. "You must relax. Don't struggle or fight against it."

"How can you say that?" panted a nearly exhausted Seamus. "Any minute now that Dragon is going to get here, and Paddy will never know what happened to us."

Mr. Elf took one clumsy step towards Seamus, and then another. "Seamus, forget about being frozen. Think about getting Paddy back. Be still and think about nothing else but getting Paddy back, and how that makes you feel."

"But how did you move?" asked a stunned Seamus.

"I'll explain later, just think about Paddy and being together with him again." Mr. Elf's voice had taken on a soft dreamy tone. He took another step forward to stand next to Seamus. "Relax and let yourself feel the joy, the happiness."

Seamus closed his eyes and pictured his reunion with Paddy. He felt the joy of being close to his brother again. He pictured Hag Head being so pleased with getting the egg, that she magically transported them all back to Paddy's and Seamus's hut in Damanta Mallaithe. His heart swelled with happiness. He pictured Paddy and him hiding the Dragon's gold in their secret hiding place, with their other gold. He experienced a surge of satisfaction that can only be achieved in dreams.

"Now take a step forward." Mr. Elf's voice softly intruded into the elated emotion Seamus was experiencing, and without thinking he took a step forward, and then another.

"That's right, just keep your legs moving," Mr. Elf whispered. "Another couple of steps, and you can open your eyes."

Seamus took two more steps, then opened his eyes. He turned to stare at Mr. Elf with a newfound respect. "How did you do that?"

"No time for explanations now," Mr. Elf said, looking worriedly into the mist. "That Dragon should have got to us by now. I wonder what held her up?"

⚔

The great Gold Dragon stopped, confused, and tasted the mist again. The taste was gone! Impossible! How could this be? The Dragon cast her head about, tasting the mist in all directions. Nothing! Not even a hint of fear. Rage blossomed in her bones, and she inhaled deeply to scream again. But wait. She suddenly remembered the scream would not work twice on the same victims, an annoying limitation to an otherwise very strong piece of Dragon magic.

While puzzled at how the thieves could have escaped the effects of her scream, she realized they must have indeed escaped. Had anything else happened to them, she would have felt something. She exhaled gently, letting forth a small and controlled burst of Dragon flame.

The mist evaporated where the Dragon fire went and the Dragon noticed footprints on the ground heading away from her location. Two sets of prints, both quite small. The Dragon grinned. In Boggy Marsh, there were very few places one could go, and not leave footprints in the soft, damp ground. The thieves may have escaped the scream freeze, but the Dragon knew quite well there was no way out of Boggy Marsh. The thieves were trapped here, just as much as she was.

The Dragon breathed another burst of controlled fire. She scanned the ground carefully. There! The footprints were deeper and showed signs of struggle. This was where the thieves had been frozen. The mist gently closed in again, covering the scene. Another controlled burst of her fire and she could see the tracks moving away into the mist. The smile on the Dragon's face was both cunning and hungry. It was only a matter of time before she tracked down the thieves, recovered her egg and taught them a very painful lesson.

⚔

Seamus and Mr. Elf moved through the mist carefully, with Mr. Elf leading the way. Mr. Elf deliberately changed directions several times to ensure the following Dragon didn't catch up with them by predicting where they would go. He had seen the glow from the Dragon's fire through the mist, and knew they were still in danger of being caught, by the not so stupid Dragon.

"Come on, tell me, how did you get us unfrozen?" Seamus whispered, as they dodged under the branch of an old and droopy tree.

"Not now," Mr. Elf hissed, agitatedly. "That Dragon is tracking us by following our footsteps in the mud. Stay quiet. We need to get further away, before I make us disappear."

"Where are we going anyway? I thought we should have met up with Mody by now," Seamus whispered, ignoring Mr. Elf's request for quiet. "And how are you going to make us disappear? And if you can make us disappear, why didn't you do it earlier?"

Mr. Elf stopped suddenly and turned to Seamus. "All right, this will have to be far enough," he exclaimed, loudly. "Here, put this in your mouth and bite down on it." Mr. Elf handed Seamus a white handkerchief rolled up into a ball shape.

Seamus stared at Mr. Elf, as if he had gone mad. "Shouldn't you keep your voice down!" he asked, frantically. "There is a large angry Dragon after us, you know." Then he looked at the rolled-up handkerchief and asked, "Is that magic? Is that what's going to make us disappear?"

Mr. Elf smiled and said loudly, "It will certainly help. Now put it in your mouth and bite down hard. Then try to be as quiet as possible."

Seamus looked doubtful, but did as Mr. Elf asked, and put the handkerchief in his mouth and bit down hard. Mr. Elf had been pretty smart about getting unfrozen from the Dragon scream effect, so Seamus reasoned he must have a good idea about this too.

Mr. Elf squinted in the direction of where the glow from the Dragon fire could be seen flaring up. It was getting uncomfortably close now, and he knew he was going to have to do something incredibly risky, something that could cost him his life. He called out loudly, "All right, let's head for the boundary."

Seamus was quite shocked at this and started to say something. As he had a handkerchief in his mouth, though, it came out as a muffled questioning noise.

Mr. Elf leaned in very close to Seamus and whispered, "For this to work, it is very important that you make no noise at all, until I tell you otherwise." Mr. Elf shook out his wings and wrapped his arms around Seamus. "Now wrap you arms around my waist and hold on for all you're worth."

Seamus did as he was instructed, wrapping his arms tightly around Mr. Elf. With a quiet whisper of beating wings, Mr. Elf and Seamus rose into the mist.

⚔

The Dragon knew she was getting close now. The thieves were being tricky and kept changing direction, but the Dragon was big and moved quicker than the thieves. Up ahead, in the mist, she heard a voice speaking loudly, then a shout, "All right, let's head for the boundary."

The thieves were heading for the boundary. Well she would certainly catch them long before they got there. The Dragon blew another burst of fire and followed the footsteps further through the mist. Then she stopped, examining the ground disbelievingly. The footsteps ended. They just ended.

She scanned all around, carefully blowing Dragon fire, first in this direction, then in that. But no matter how hard she searched, she couldn't find any trace of the thieves.

Finally, in disgust, she spread her great wings and launched herself into the air and flew towards the boundary.

# Chapter 10: Escape?

Mr. Elf flew straight up through the mist, with his arms wrapped tightly around Seamus. He was very glad he wasn't going to have to carry Seamus far, as the extra weight was a major strain on his delicate wings.

Seamus was breathing hard, in and out through his nose. As Mr. Elf rose above the mist into the clear sky above, Seamus's eyes nearly bulged out of his young face. Even though he was scared out of his wits, he didn't dare make a sound. If anything made Mr. Elf let go of him now, he knew he wouldn't survive the fall to the ground hidden in the mist below.

Mr. Elf slowly spun back to face the nearest end of the rainbow and tilted himself and Seamus in that direction. The beating of his wings slowed fractionally, and he and Seamus dipped back into the mist, slowly heading in the direction of the rainbow.

A few minutes later, the Dragon broke free of the mist and flew rapidly in the opposite direction.

Mr. Elf and Seamus half flew and half dropped through the mist. Mr. Elf's wings were never intended to carry the weight of an extra body and he was tiring fast. If Seamus weren't a young and light Leprechaun, Mr. Elf would never have been able to fly with him.

In truth, Mr. Elf's plan had never included this action, but the Dragon had proved smarter and more persistent than he had expected. Flying into the mist carrying Seamus was an act of utter desperation, and a last-ditch attempt to throw the Dragon off their tracks, before meeting up with Mody.

A large tree branch suddenly loomed up in front of the descending pair. Mr. Elf made a slight adjustment to their flight direction and landed on the branch with the startled Seamus still clinging tightly to his waist.

"You can let go now," Mr. Elf panted, while his wings folded neatly back into their non-flying position. "Oh, one more thing: don't _ever_ tell anybody about this."

Seamus unwrapped his arms from around Mr. Elf, making a "nnngghhh" noise, while pointing at the handkerchief in his mouth.

Mr. Elf leaned against the trunk of the tree and took several deep breaths to recover from the exertion of the flight. He smiled at Seamus, nodded, and said, "Yes, you can take that out now. Just talk quietly and we should be ok."

Seamus pulled the handkerchief from his mouth and took some deep breaths of his own. He carefully handed the handkerchief back to Mr. Elf. "What magic does the handkerchief have that helped us to disappear?" he asked.

Mr. Elf smiled, as he put the handkerchief back in a pocket. "It stopped you from talking and asking more questions. I needed you to be dead quiet, so I could try to trick the Dragon into going in the wrong direction."

"Oh," Seamus said, slightly disappointed. "It's not really magic, then?"

"Oh, I don't know about that. It seems to have worked, and that's what matters," Mr. Elf replied, still smiling. "Now, we won't have much time before the Dragon comes looking for us again. We have to get Mody, and get that dratted egg to Hag Head."

"I'm all confused," Seamus said. "How are we going to find Mody?"

Mr. Elf leaned forward and called down to the bottom of the tree, "Mody, are you down there?"

Mody's high pitched voice came back immediately through the ever-present mist. "Yes, I am here, as you instructed me to be."

"Is the egg safe?" Mr. Elf called down.

"Yes, I have been keeping it warm by sitting on it," Mody said, her voice floating up through the mist. "Can we go now? That Dragon scorched some of my feathers and I don't want to meet her again."

"How did you know Mody was there?" asked an awestruck Seamus. Mr. Elf just seemed to have everything under control.

"Easy," Mr. Elf said. "Mody does what she's told. I told her to meet us back at the bent tree where we made our plans. And sure enough, she is just where I needed her to be."

"I do as I'm told," Seamus muttered, under his breath.

Mr. Elf chose to ignore this. "Go on, climb down to Mody," he said, to Seamus. Then he tried to shake his wings out to fly down. Instead of his wings opening, as they normally would, a lightning bolt of pain shot through his body, making him gasp audibly.

Seamus was at his side in a second. "Mr. Elf, what's wrong? Are you ok?"

Mr. Elf straightened up, as the pain subsided and took some deep breaths. "I appear to have strained my wings by flying with you wrapped around me." He gave Seamus a weak smile. "Looks like I'll have to give away the flying until they heal. Come on, let's climb down to Mody and get going."

Seamus watched with a worried frown, as Mr. Elf moved stiffly to the main branch of the tree and climbed down.

"I said come on!" Mr. Elf said, with a hint of annoyance in his voice. "That Dragon won't stay fooled for long. She'll be back, and she'll be angrier than we have seen so far."

That was enough for Seamus. He moved quickly to the main branch of the tree and shimmied to the ground.

When Seamus stepped off the tree, Mody was there with a huge grin on her face. She slid off the egg she was sitting on, stepped over to Seamus and rubbed her head affectionately against him. Seamus threw his arms around Mody and gave her a big hug.

"Ok, time enough for that later," Mr. Elf said. "It's time to get away from here."

"How do we find Hag Head again?" Seamus asked.

"She said to call her name and she would find us," Mody replied.

Mr. Elf shrugged and called into the mist, "Hag Head! Come to us, Hag Head, we have the egg!"

Seamus waited expectantly, "Well? Where is she?" he asked, impatiently.

"She didn't say how long she would take," Mody replied. "She just said to call her name and she would come."

"She better not take too long, or that Dragon will be back, and I'm in no shape to do much about it," Mr. Elf said, wincing, as he sat on the damp ground.

"Shouldn't we get going?" Seamus asked.

"Which direction would we go in?" Mr. Elf asked. "I can't fly up out of the mist to check our direction, until my wings heal."

"What about you, Mody? You've been able to navigate around Boggy Marsh without too much trouble," Seamus asked, hopefully.

"I had never seen Hag Head, or her house before," Mody replied. "I think if we went looking for her house, we wouldn't be able to find it. I have a feeling it moves about, probably to keep the things that live here from sneaking up on her."

Seamus decided to use the waiting time to ask Mr. Elf a question that had been bothering him. "Mr. Elf, just how did you know how to unfreeze us after the Dragon scream?"

Mr. Elf suddenly became subdued and uncomfortable. His face creased into a look of suppressed anger, and his answer was rudely spoken. "I am of the Aelfin, boy. The Aelfin know many things about the other peoples of this land."

Seamus cringed at the roughness of Mr. Elf's response. "I'm sorry if I offended you, Mr. Elf. I didn't mean to break the rules of Damanta Mallaithe. If you tell the village council I was prying into your past, they will kick Paddy and me out of the village. After all we've been through, I thought we'd become friends and you might not mind a few questions."

Mr. Elf let out a loud and long sigh and his whole body relaxed. "No, Seamus, it is I who should apologize. You're right, we have become friends, and I should treat my friends better than that. The Aelfin are a secretive people and we guard our knowledge jealously. Old habits die hard, I suppose."

"Were you frozen after the Dragon scream?" Mody asked, with interest. "I was frozen while sitting on top of the egg. I was really worried, but then something changed and I could move again."

"Yes, we were frozen and scared," Seamus said. "Mr. Elf did something that released us. That's what I was asking him about." He glanced at Mr. Elf to see what his reaction would be.

Mr. Elf drew in a big breath. "My father is the Lore Master for the Aelfin people. I was studying under him to become a Lore Master, myself."

"What's a Lore Master?" Mody asked.

"The Lore Master keeps the knowledge, prophecies and secrets of the Aelfin people," Mr. Elf replied. "The Lore Master must always have an apprentice, so that the knowledge can be passed on if something happens to him or her."

"So something you learned during your apprenticeship told you how to escape from the scream freeze?" Seamus prompted.

"Yes," Mr. Elf replied, now quite relaxed. "There is an old legend about the Dragon scream that gave me clues on how to break the freeze effect. It all has to do with the fear induced by the scream. If you can remove all traces of fear and replace them with happier emotions, then the freeze effect can be broken."

"What was the legend about?" Mody asked. She was finding this very interesting.

"Well, there was an insane Dwarf called Nokey, who used to like baiting Dragons. It was said he was so raving mad, he could feel no fear...,"

Dragon fire exploded through the mist, rolling in a huge wave towards the three companions. The Dragon had flown to the boundary and, finding no trace of the thieves, had returned to her nest. She had then heard the voices of the thieves by the old blackened tree. Not wasting any time, she had rushed forward and unleashed the biggest blast of Dragon fire she could muster. The thieves would be roasted and eaten, and that would be the end of it.

Mr. Elf, Seamus and Mody saw the wave of Dragon fire racing at them. They felt the fearful heat being pushed forward by the fiery wave. They watched in horror, knowing there was nothing they could do to avoid the Dragon fire.

# Chapter 11: Secrets Revealed

Just before the Dragon fire reached the three companions, it struck an invisible barrier. The flames shot skyward, blasting a hole in the mist. For the first time, in a very long time, the sky could be seen from the ground and sunshine hit dirt in the Boggy Marsh.

The Dragon was furious. "Now what!" she thought to herself. Every time she got close to giving the thieves what they deserved, something got in the way. For the first time, she could see the thieves clearly, an Aelf and a Leprechaun. Mody, of course, had gone invisible and couldn't be seen. And there, sitting behind them, was her egg. The Dragon moved forward, content she would at last see an end to the silliness of the day.

Hag Head, the witch, chose that moment to step out from behind the blackened tree, with Paddy right behind her. "I claim these lives as mine, to do with as I will!" Hag Head called to the Dragon, as she bent and scooped up the egg.

The Dragon blasted at the group with another wave of Dragon fire and moved forward to attack. The Dragon fire struck the invisible barrier and again shot into the sky.

"Hold where you are, and stop with the fire already," Hag Head called out. "I'm in control here and you will do as you are told."

"I think green is my favorite color now," Seamus shouted, running over to embrace Paddy.

Hag Head's witchy cackle laugh made the hair on the back of Mr. Elf's neck tingle. "Now where's that bird that was with you?" Hag Head asked.

"I am right here," said the still invisible Mody, from on top of the egg Hag Head was holding.

"That will do nicely. Gather round, the rest of you. Now, each of you take hold of an arm."

Mr. Elf, Paddy and Seamus quickly did as they were instructed.

Through the mist returning to fill the gap evaporated by the Dragon fire, the Dragon stared at the small group with a look of undisguised hatred.

"Hold tight," Hag Head instructed. "We must be off quickly. Out here in the open, even that small use of my power to shield us from the Dragon fire, will draw unwanted attention."

Everything blurred, then went gray, and then totally black. The grayness returned, and then the companions were standing outside Hag Head's white brick house.

"There now," Hag Head said, giving a slight shake of her arms to indicate the others could let go. "You've had a busy day, just as I said you would. The sun will be going down in about an hour. Let's get inside and get settled for the night."

As Paddy led Seamus towards the house, and a now visible Mody followed them closely, Mr. Elf hung back, examining Hag Head closely. Paddy, Seamus and Mody chattered away excitedly about the escape from the Dragon and didn't notice that Mr. Elf and Hag Head had not moved yet.

"Just who are you?" Mr. Elf asked Hag Head, quietly. "You created a shield against the Dragon fire of a Gold Dragon. The magical power to create a shield of that strength is hard to conceive. And you said you only used a small part of your power," he finished, with awe in his voice.

"I suggest we get inside," Hag Head replied, ignoring the question and moving towards the door to the house. "We can play questions and answers then, Apprentice Lore Master to the Aelfin." Hag Head placed a special emphasis on the title she gave Mr. Elf.

Mr. Elf groaned. He had never intended for anyone else to know of his past. He knew that Seamus and Mody would keep his secret, but what would Hag Head do with the information?

"Coming, Aelf?" Hag Head asked, looking back to where Mr. Elf was still standing, with a confused and pained look on his face.

Mr. Elf considered the house. Paddy, Seamus and Mody were now inside. Hag Head stood at the doorway holding the door open, watching Mr. Elf intently.

Mr. Elf shook his head and resignedly and crossed the distance to the door. The one thing he was sure of was that they would need Hag Head's help to get out of Boggy Marsh. If that Gold Dragon couldn't get passed the boundary, there was no way they could do it, without help.

Mr. Elf entered the house, noting the smile on Hag Head's sickly green and ugly face. His stomach heaved unexpectedly and he found himself swallowing hard to keep from vomiting.

Hag Head took one last glance at the mist swirling around her home, then turned abruptly and entered her house. The door closed behind her, with an ominous 'click'.

⚔

The great Gold Dragon sat on her nest and brooded and fumed. Her egg was gone! A small pile of her gold was gone! Her feeders were gone! And that witch had interfered in her affairs again. All in all, a very bad day. Perhaps the worst she'd had since she'd been trapped in Boggy Marsh.

Still, all was not lost. If she was trapped in Boggy Marsh, then so were the thieves. She just needed some help in rounding them up. She'd heard one of the thieves mention the village of Damanta Mallaithe. She considered this, and thought it likely they would head for the boundary on the western edge of Boggy Marsh. That would take them the closest to the damned village. First, she would contact the Fugglies. She needed new feeders for a start. The Fugglies lived in the area of Boggy Marsh nearest the western edge, and they would hunt for the thieves for her. Then there were the Urks. They lived in the area slightly to the north of the Fugglies, and they too were easily controlled, and would hunt for her.

She briefly considered the Wraiths, but they lived too far to the east and were difficult to control. The last time she had tried to control Wraiths, it had turned out badly. What about the Goblins? she mused. No, Goblins might be easily controlled, but they were far too stupid. They didn't even taste good, she thought contemptuously.

The Fugglies and the Urks would have to do. It would be dark soon and the night feeders would be out and about. She just had time for a short nap, before organizing her hunting parties.

⚔

The inside of Hag Head's house was exactly as it had been before. Paddy and Seamus were still chattering at each other excitedly and swapping stories of their time spent apart. Mody saw the sun shining in through the single window and went to have a look. She stared in wonder at the sun-filled meadow and the animal shaped bushes. She had, of course, now seen the sun, when the Dragon fire had blasted away the mist in the Boggy Marsh, but she still found it new and inspiring. She smiled at the bushes, the animal shapes were now in different positions and different poses than they had been, when she had first looked out the window.

"Hag Head?" Mody said, to get Hag Head's attention.

Hag Head was poking the fire in the fireplace with an iron poker. "Yes, Mody."

"The animal bushes have moved, and there are even some different animals there now. And the sun is a slightly different color to the one I saw, when the Dragon fire cleared the mist," Mody stated.

Paddy and Seamus went to the window and saw Mody was right. They turned to Hag Head enquiringly.

"Time moves differently there," Hag Head said, from next to the fireplace. "Things that are actually moving quite quickly appear to be standing still from here."

"Neat," Seamus said. "Where is that place?" he asked.

"There is no point asking Hag Head those sorts of questions," Paddy responded, before Hag Head could reply. "I spent the whole day with her, and she got quite grumpy with all of the questions I asked. At one point, she asked me to open my mouth. I did, and she filled it with a solid block of air, so I couldn't speak anymore."

Mr. Elf couldn't help himself and burst out laughing. When he stopped laughing enough to speak without snorting, he addressed Hag Head. "I don't suppose you could teach me that spell? It would come in quite handy, if I am to continue traveling with these Leprechauns."

Seamus's face went bright red, as he remembered the handkerchief Mr. Elf had put in his mouth.

Hag Head smiled menacingly, showing her sharp brown teeth.

Mr. Elf's stomach grumbled loudly, "I guess not," he said, somewhat more soberly.

"Enough of this childish chatter," Hag Head said, roughly. "Before I feed you, there are some things I want to get straightened out."

"Before we answer any of your questions, I want to know what you are going to do with that egg?" Mody said, bravely, nodding at the Dragon egg sitting on the table. "I was an egg myself not that long ago, and I want to make sure you aren't going to eat it, or hurt it in any way."

Hag Head seemed to swell in size slightly, and her eyes took on the dangerous look of someone about to do great violence. Then she changed and settled back to her normal hideous looking self. "I suppose there's no harm in telling you that much," she said, scratching thoughtfully at the mole on her nose.

Seamus noticed the large hair that had been growing out of the mole, was now missing. He wisely decided this observation was one he would be better off keeping to himself.

"This Dragon egg was stolen from its rightful mother and given to the Gold Dragon for purposes that go against my desires. It is my intent to return the egg to its mother, along with a strong lecture on how a mother should protect her young," Hag Head stated. "Mody, you might find it interesting to know, the one responsible for this egg being with the Gold Dragon is also responsible for your egg being in Boggy Marsh. Don't ask me why; I haven't got to the bottom of that yet," she added.

"So you must leave Boggy Marsh to return the egg to its mother?" Mr. Elf probed.

"What do you really want to know, Aelf?" Hag Head asked.

"You have a way to get out of Boggy Marsh, don't you?" Mr. Elf asked, quietly.

"Yes," Hag Head replied. "I alone in Boggy Marsh have the ability to come and go as I please."

"Can you help us get out?" Paddy asked hopefully.

"The real question is, will she help us get out?" Mr. Elf asked, staring at Hag Head challengingly.

"It currently suits my purposes for you to leave Boggy Marsh," Hag Head conceded.

Paddy, Seamus and Mody gave a cheer; things were working out well after all.

"I don't have time to help you directly, but I can influence things to provide a means for your escape," Hag Head said, reassuringly. Then she added, "Now it's my turn to ask some questions."

"What could you possibly want to know about us?" Seamus asked, sounding puzzled.

"Mr. Elf," Hag Head said, sounding as if she was testing the name. "Apprentice to the Lore Master of the Aelfin, just how long have you been away from your people?"

Mr. Elf locked eyes with each of his companions, one by one, silently asking their understanding that what was about to be said was not to be repeated. "Close enough to 85 years," he answered, honestly.

Hag Head looked stunned. "With the Aelf king's permission?" she asked.

"No, not quite," Mr. Elf replied defensively.

"When did you undergo the Aelfin conditioning ceremony?" Hag Head asked, changing the direction of her questions.

Mr. Elf's face went white and he took a deep breath before answering. "I haven't been through the Aelfin conditioning ceremony." He paused for a moment to stare at the floor. When he looked back up, there was strength and determination on his face. "I was encouraged to leave Aelfinholme, before being put through the ceremony."

Hag Head nodded her ugly green head, as if something suddenly made sense to her. She then turned to Paddy and Seamus. "You two, where did you get those swords?" she barked, roughly.

Before Mr. Elf could say a word, both Paddy and Seamus blurted, "Mr. Elf shrank them and loaned them to us for a share of the gold from the end of the rainbow."

"Two from one shall come," Hag Head muttered, under her breath, "with little grace, with little favour." Hag Head shook her head slowly, seeming to be in a world of her own, talking to herself. "I always wondered what that part meant."

Mr. Elf was really worried now. Hag Head was reciting parts of an ancient Aelfin prophecy.

"Aelf, are those what I think they are?" Hag Head demanded, moving menacingly toward the startled Mr. Elf. "By what right do those two carry objects of such importance? And you had the gall to shrink them!" Hag Head hissed, at the now very confused Aelf.

"Hag Head, why are you so angry about our having the swords?" Paddy asked, trying to drag her attention away from Mr. Elf.

"A long time ago, even by Aelfin measure, The She made a gift to the Aelfin people of a powerful magical artifact," Mr. Elf said, drawing everyone's attention back to him. "The Aelfin were to guard the object, for the coming of a time of great need. The Aelfin did as they were asked, and for thousands of years the Aelfin guarded the object. The current Aelfin king, however, decided to increase the security of the object by changing its form. He wanted to bring about the time of great need, by creating a situation that fulfilled an ancient Aelfin prophecy. And so, he had the object melted down and forged into the swords Grace and Favour. And two from one shall come," he finished, quietly.

"Yes, and what happened next, Aelf?" Hag Head demanded.

"The She was furious with the Aelf king, when She found out what he had done. Legend has it that the object entrusted to the Aelfin was in some way sentient, although the Aelfin records never gave any indication of it being so," Mr. Elf said.

"What does sentient mean?" Mody asked.

"It means that it had intelligence and a personality," Hag Head snapped, annoyed by the interruption.

"Anyhow," Mr. Elf interjected, "The She and the Aelf king had a huge argument, and The She has not communicated with the Aelfin since. The Aelf king, in turn, withdrew the Aelfin people from the affairs of the world. And it is still so today," Mr. Elf said, with a tinge of sadness.

"So why does all of this make you so mad, Hag Head?" Mody asked. "What do you care if Paddy and Seamus have the swords?"

"Yes, what do I care, indeed," Hag Head replied, in a more normal tone of voice. All the anger seemed to have flooded out of Hag Head, as she listened to Mr. Elf's telling of the falling out between The She and the Aelfin.

Hag Head turned and waved her hand at the waiting table and food appeared, as it had before. "Eat and then sleep. I have much to think on. I will return in the morning and see you on your way," Hag Head muttered, as she headed for one of the doors.

"But there are some more questions I want to ask," Seamus piped up.

"There will be no more questions answered by me," Hag Head said, as she opened the door to leave the room. She turned to face the companions and reminded them not to leave the room until she returned.

# Chapter 12: Two from One

Paddy, Seamus and Mody wanted very badly to hear more about the events between The She and the Aelfin, but Mr. Elf steadfastly refused to share any more stories with them. He told them that they had heard too much already, and that what they had heard could cost them their lives, if the Aelfin ever found out.

Over dinner Paddy told them what had happened while he had been left with Hag Head. As soon as the companions had been magically shoved out of the house, Hag Head had produced a glass ball filled with a milky smoke.

"Hag Head told me to sit at the table with her," Paddy advised, with a shiver. "I really didn't want to get close to her, because she had been so mean and she scared me. She just laughed at me with that horrible laugh of hers. Then she sat down and put her hands on the glass ball and said 'show me the Aelf and his companions'."

"I wouldn't have wanted to sit near her either, after what she had just done," Seamus said, understandingly.

"So what did you do?" Mody asked.

"Hag Head ignored me and just stared into the glass ball. From where I was standing, I could see small versions of you going through the mist. I moved closer to get a better look. I was watching over her shoulder, when Hag Head said 'sit and you can watch your friends with me'. So, I sat down and, together, we watched you make your way to the end of the rainbow. When you split up, Hag Head cursed something fierce," Paddy said, enjoying being the center of attention. "She said you would send Mody after the egg, and that's just what you did. It was weird when Mody went invisible, and all we could see was the egg rolling around in the mist."

"If you were watching us the whole time, why did she take so long to come and get us?" Seamus asked.

"If she had been one second later, we would have been cooked," Mody added.

"She said she had to wait until you were all together again, before she could risk going after you," Paddy advised. "She mumbled something about the enemy watching, and not being able to risk using her power. I asked her what that meant. That was when she put the air gag in my mouth, to stop me from speaking."

"I still wish she'd teach me that spell," Mr. Elf muttered, quietly to himself.

"As soon as she saw you were back together, she hurried to get to you as fast as she could. She seemed genuinely concerned about your safety," Paddy said.

"She was probably just concerned about the egg," Seamus said.

"No, I don't think so," Paddy replied. "She kept changing what we could see in the viewing stone, between the egg and what was happening with Mr. Elf and Seamus. If all she wanted was the egg, she could have gone and got it, while you kept the Dragon entertained."

"Yes, indeed," Mr. Elf said. "There's a lot more going on here than we understand. I suppose we should just be thankful she still intends to help us get out of Boggy Marsh."

Mody gave a big yawn, ruffled her feathers and shuffled away from the table. She had finished her seed and was very tired. "I think I will go to sleep now," she said.

"I think it would be a good idea if we all got a good night's sleep," Mr. Elf said. "It sounds like we'll have to get through Boggy Marsh on our own tomorrow."

"Why can't Hag Head just magic us out?" Seamus asked.

"Hag Head seems to be working under some constraints of her own," Paddy answered. "She was greatly concerned about some enemy detecting her using her power. I think Mr. Elf is right, we're going to have to make our own way out of the marsh."

Seamus yawned and stretched. "All right, then, I don't mind an early night after the day we've had."

The companions settled down to sleep for the night.

⚔

Mr. Elf sat still and quiet at the table in Hag Head's house. Paddy, Seamus and Mody were still asleep and Mr. Elf could hear their soft, sleepy breathing noises. Mr. Elf was not going to let Hag Head catch him sleeping again, and he wanted to have a private word with her. He had been thinking and planning this conversation all night.

The door that Hag Head had left through opened and the witch woman entered the room.

"Good morning," Mr. Elf said, quietly, not wanting to wake the others.

Hag Head nodded to Mr. Elf and walked passed him to look at the three sleeping forms. "Good morning, Aelf. Glad to see I didn't catch you sleeping this time. There may be some hope for you after all," she said, with a hint of amusement in her voice.

Mr. Elf allowed himself a small smile. "Did you know that they are brothers?" he asked, quietly, while Hag Head watched the sleepers.

"Don't be ridiculous," Hag Head whispered. "Leprechauns can only have one child every 10 to 15 years. Paddy and Seamus are clearly the same age."

"Look at them closely, Hag Head," Mr. Elf said.

Hag Head inspected them closely and then let out a gasp. "No!"

Mr. Elf braced himself, for he wasn't entirely sure how Hag Head was going to react to what he was going to say next. "I suspect the Aelfin prophecy isn't about Grace and Favour. I think the Aelfin have misunderstood that part of the prophecy. I think that Paddy and Seamus are the 'two from one'."

Mr. Elf sensed the tingle of magic in the air. Hag Head almost shimmered with the power she was radiating. Mr. Elf had to force himself to stay still, while his every instinct told him he was in great danger.

"I have placed a spell of waiting over those three to allow us to speak in private," Hag Head informed Mr. Elf.

Mr. Elf noticed Hag Head's voice had changed. In place of the usual rough, raspy voice, her voice was now smooth and soft. She continued to scrutinize the sleeping trio, with her back to Mr. Elf. "Remember when I said you should return to your people soon?"

"Yes, I remember," Mr. Elf replied carefully. This was not how he had expected the conversation to go.

"It is now even more important that you return to your people. _They_ are going to need your wisdom and help. If Paddy and Seamus are who I think they are, the Aelfin are in for a _very_ rough time."

Mr. Elf nodded to himself. His suspicions were being confirmed. Just a bit more of a push and he would know for sure. "Nudge told me I couldn't return to Aelfinholme, until I was instructed to go there by The She!"

Without any warning, Mr. Elf's world disappeared and was replaced by a void of impenetrable black. He flicked his head this way and that, trying to fathom where he was, but there was no light, no sound, no smell and no movement of wind; even up and down had no meaning in this place.

A light pulsed in front of Mr. Elf and a soft, sparkling woman's voice came to him through the blackness. "I have already told you twice, it is time to return to your people."

"I had guessed as much," Mr. Elf said, quite smugly. He was feeling quite satisfied with himself. "I just needed to be sure Hag Head was who I thought she was."

"I am not Hag Head and she is not me," the voice said.

"Oh?" Mr. Elf said, not quite so sure of himself now.

"Hag Head is an aspect of my nature, more an agent of my will, but she most certainly is not me."

Mr. Elf considered this and decided that while he didn't totally understand what it meant, it didn't matter. He was now with The She.

"Am I right?" he asked. "About Paddy and Seamus, I mean."

"Yes," The She replied. "They are what is known on other worlds as twins. Two children carried in the womb, at the same time, by the one mother."

"But that's not possible," Mr. Elf stated. "The Aelfin histories are clear on the point that the magic of the Binding Life prevents such abnormalities on this world. To keep the bloodlines pure and strong, only one child can ever come of a mating union."

"Their coming is a sign that the Binding Life is failing," The She said, sadly. "The time of great need is fast approaching."

"What are you going to do?" Mr. Elf asked.

"I cannot interfere in this, until certain actions have been completed. The enemy and his agents are looking for me all the time now. They, too, know that the time of great need has come."

Mr. Elf steeled himself to ask the most important question of all. "What are you going to do with Paddy and Seamus?"

The She laughed. Mr. Elf felt as if the sun had come out and felt a deep sense of peace, even though he was still in the blackness. "I am not going to do anything with Paddy and Seamus. They must be allowed to go about their lives as they see fit," The She answered. "I was recently reminded of how badly wrong things can go, if I interfere in events too soon. The last time I took direct action, it cost me a great deal. A much better question is: what do _you_ plan to do with Paddy and Seamus?"

This confused Mr. Elf. "What do you mean?" he asked, puzzled.

"Any Aelf who finds out who and what they are would kill them without hesitation. They are the biggest threat the Aelfin people have ever faced," The She said.

"Beyond getting them out of Boggy Marsh, I have no intentions towards them at all," Mr. Elf stated, firmly.

"You are involved in this now, and you know too much to be able to just walk away. Just what are your feelings towards the boys?" The She asked, mildly.

Mr. Elf thought about this. What were his feelings towards Paddy and Seamus? "I think I rather like them," he stammered uncertainly. "They can be a bit annoying and they ask an awful lot of questions, but I sense they have good hearts."

"It is because you have not been through the Aelfin conditioning ceremony, that you don't feel a desperate urge to end their lives," The She informed him.

Mr. Elf nodded in understanding. "So what am I to do?"

"As I have said already, you must return to the Aelfin," The She advised. "You must find your father, the Aelfin Lore Master, and get him to share more of the Aelfin prophecy with you. Your education is incomplete. When you know more, you will be better placed to help the Aelfin."

"And what then of Paddy and Seamus?" asked the concerned Aelf. "Do you really intend to just let them wander off?"

"What do Paddy and Seamus intend to do when they get out of Boggy Marsh?" The She asked.

"They made a commitment to Mody that they would help her find her mother. They were planning to go west, toward Aelfinholme, and look for the Invisibility Flock,"

In the blackness, the light of The She pulsed more brightly. "The solution, then, is clear."

"I should travel with them and see them to the migration path of the Invisibility Flock," Mr. Elf said, nodding his head.

"Good! You accept you have a part to play, then?" The She asked.

"I don't understand a lot of this, but I will see them that far," Mr. Elf confirmed.

"One more thing," The She said. "Why did you give Paddy and Seamus the swords?"

A frown crossed Mr. Elf's face. "I... I'm not really sure," he stammered. "Paddy and Seamus came into my shop and asked for swords with a wee bit of magic about them. I suddenly felt that giving them the swords was the right thing to do and that it would make me enormously happy."

"And yet you say the swords never gave you any indication of being sentient?" The She asked, in an amused voice.

"Oh," Mr. Elf said, suddenly understanding. "I was influenced by Grace and Favour to give Paddy and Seamus the swords."

"So it would seem," The She conceded. "The thing I don't understand is: why?" The light of The She pulsed brightly. "What is of the utmost importance now is that Paddy and Seamus must know nothing about any of this. They must be free to make the decisions that need to be made," The She advised. "Tell them nothing of our meeting, and do what you can to keep them safe."

"I am your servant, my lady. I will do as you ask."

Mr. Elf blinked and shook his head. He was back in Hag Head's house and Hag Head was turning to face him.

"Well," said a pleased Hag Head, "it's been a very long time since anybody offered to be my servant, or called me 'my lady'," she cackled loudly, in her rough, raspy voice.

"What time is it?" asked a sleepy Paddy, sitting up and rubbing his eyes.

"Why in the name of The She did you offer to be Hag Head's servant?" Seamus asked, getting up and stretching his way to the table.

"Never mind that," Hag Head said, sharply. "It's time for you to be on your way. Somebody wake up the bird. You need to get moving."

Paddy hurried over to wake up Mody.

"What about breakfast?" Seamus asked, hopefully.

"You don't have time. It will take you the better part of the day to get out of Boggy Marsh. You must be out before night falls again," Hag Head advised.

Paddy and Seamus gathered their things and, with Mody, shuffled to the door that led out to Boggy Marsh.

Mr. Elf gave up trying to figure out Hag Head's relationship to The She and asked, just before he closed the door, "Have you any advice for us, to help us get through the marsh?"

"Yes," Hag Head cackled. "Avoid the others who live here, and don't get eaten."

# Chapter 13: The Hunt

Mr. Elf sighed at the sight of Boggy Marsh. The ever-present mist swirled lazily around the edges of Hag Head's house. He stepped out onto the damp soggy earth, with Paddy, Seamus and Mody following right behind him.

"How will we get across the boundary?" he called back to Hag Head.

"A way will present itself," Hag Head's voice echoed, as if from far away, although it also seemed to come from within the house. "Good luck to you all," she said.

Out in the mist, something screeched. All four companions shot worried glances in the direction the noise had come from. When they turned back, Hag Head's house was gone.

"That didn't sound good," Seamus said. "I suggest we don't go in that direction."

"Which way should we go?" Paddy asked. "How do we get back to Damanta Mallaithe?"

"Mr. Elf, can you fly up and see which direction to go?" Seamus asked.

Mr. Elf flexed his wings and grimaced with pain. He wasn't going to be able to fly for some time. He turned to Mody. "Do you know where we are, or how to get to where we want to be?"

Mody shook her head. "I don't know where we are, and I don't know where we are going."

"But you were able to lead us through Boggy Marsh before," Paddy said.

"That was different," Mody replied. "I don't know where Hag Head's house has left us. If I come across something I recognize, I may be able to help, but even then, I don't know where we are going."

Mr. Elf was still recovering from the meeting with The She and the sudden ejection from Hag Head's house. This was all moving too quickly, he thought. There were so many things he had wanted to talk about with both The She and Hag Head, including how to find their way to the boundary. "Looks like we'll just have to do this the old-fashioned way," he said. "We know it's early morning, so the sun will be in the east. Damanta Mallaithe is on the western boundary of Boggy Marsh." The Aelf peered through the mist, turning slowly in a full circle. "Soooo,... there, the sky is brighter in that direction. That must be where the sun is, and that means we need to go that way," Mr. Elf said, pointing into the mist.

"Suits me," Seamus said. "That's away from where that screeching came from."

Mr. Elf bent down to Mody. "Mody will you please walk in front of us. If there is anything evil, you will turn invisible and that will be our warning. Paddy, Seamus, keep an eye on your swords, if they start to glow let me know."

The four companions headed into the mist, with Mody leading. Paddy and Seamus followed close behind and Mr. Elf came last. As they made their way through Boggy Marsh, they had to make small detours around stagnant, filthy pools of scum-covered water. Frequently, the water plopped, giving off bursts of foul smelling gas. Mr. Elf kept them all moving at a steady pace, and made sure they kept the sun behind them.

Then it started to rain.

"Oh, now that's just great!" Paddy exclaimed. "As if it isn't hard enough getting through this muck as it is."

Mr. Elf frantically searched for a clue as to which direction the rain was being blown, in relation to where the brighter patch of sky had been. But it was hopeless. The rain was coming straight down, and there was no way he could tell direction anymore.

"It can't really get any worse, can it?" Mody asked, hopefully.

In response, the rain doubled in strength, from a light drizzle to a heavy downpour.

"Now what do we do?" asked a completely soaked Seamus.

⚔

The four companions were not the only ones who were unhappy about the rain.

A Fuggly search party was returning from searching the area assigned to them, when they came across tracks matching the description provided by the great Gold Dragon. The rain started, just as the Fugglies discovered the tracks.

The head Fuggly watched with rising frustration, as the torrential rain washed away the footprints. He turned to his second in command. "Quickly, find The Gold One and tell her we have sighted tracks. The thieves are headed for the western boundary, as expected."

The Fuggly nodded once before running off into the mist, his stumpy little legs chirping as he went. The head Fuggly motioned to the rest of his group to follow him, and their wet, little legs clacked like a castanet orchestra, as they waddled in the direction the tracks had been heading. They might not be able to see the tracks, but they had a good idea of where the thieves were headed.

⚔

The rain continued to pour down, soaking everything. The ground was one great puddle now, and it was impossible to tell safe ground from stagnant pool. The companions huddled together miserably, as they tried to work out what to do next. When the rain had started, they had quickly put on the rain shield coats from their adventurer's pack. However, the raincoats were never intended for this sort of rain. Mr. Elf made a mental note to upgrade the adventurer kits he sold in his shop with better raincoats.

They broke out some of the dry food from the packs. The food was in the form of dirty brown, compressed, dry blocks. They didn't look particularly appealing, but they did taste quite good. The companions nibbled at the blocks, while they considered their predicament.

Mr. Elf was very grumpy. He was wet, cold and altogether lost. He grimaced at Paddy, Seamus and Mody, all of whom were eying him expectantly. "What?" he said, rudely.

"Well?" Paddy asked. "What do we do now?"

For the first time, in a long-time, Mr. Elf was stumped. He didn't have a clue what to do.

Seamus felt a tug at his hip. He looked down at where Grace was hanging in the scabbard on his belt. The sword pulsed once faintly. "What is it, Grace?" he whispered, to the sword. The sword swung a little to Seamus's right and tugged twice. Seamus frowned and stared in the direction the sword indicated. "Do you want us to go in that direction?" he asked the sword. The sword pulsed again in affirmation.

"Who are you talking to?" Mr. Elf asked.

Seamus's face went red. "Umm... Grace," he stammered.

"Why?" Paddy asked.

"Grace and I can communicate, in a simple sort of way," Seamus advised. "It first happened when I froze the Fugglies, when we were going after the Dragon's egg. I asked Grace not to glow so brightly and Grace responded. I think Grace wants us to go in that direction," Seamus said, pointing in the direction the sword had tugged towards.

Mr. Elf studied Grace in the scabbard at Seamus's hip, and saw that it was indeed tugging gently in the direction Seamus had indicated. In all the 85 years Mr. Elf had been carrying Grace and Favour, he had never seen either sword behave in such a manner.

More than that, in all the time the Aelfin people had cared for the swords, there had never been any indication they could communicate. Then he remembered, the object the swords had been made from was supposed to have been sentient.

Not being one to look a gift horse in the mouth, Mr. Elf reacted to this change of events quickly. "Right, let's go where Grace wants to lead us. Seamus, get Grace out of the scabbard and lead the way, with Mody beside you. Paddy and I will follow."

Seamus did as he was instructed, and Grace gently tugged him in the direction the sword wanted to go.

Paddy got Favour out of its scabbard, examining it suspiciously. "So, can you do that, too?" he asked, not expecting a response. Favour pulsed gently in response.

Mr. Elf shook his head in amazement. Caught between a sense of disgust and a sense of wonder, he chuckled to himself. This just kept getting better and better. He had no idea what the meaning of the sword's actions was, but he was sure it would only lead to more trouble for him.

Seamus led the companions steadily through Boggy Marsh, with Grace tugging him gently, zigzagging on a seemingly random course. Mr. Elf was somewhat reassured that none of them suddenly sank into a deep pool of filthy water.

The rain gradually eased and then finally stopped.

"I'm getting tired," Mody said, to Mr. Elf. "How much further do you think we have to go?"

Mr. Elf was starting to formulate a reply, when he noticed Mody was beginning to fade.

Paddy and Seamus spoke at the same time. "Mr. Elf, trouble is coming." The swords were glowing in response to something evil close by.

The companions stopped where they were, each searching the swirling mist for signs of danger, or attack. Soon, a feint chirping noise came from behind them. It started quietly, but grew gradually stronger, as something approached through the mist.

"Fugglies!" Mr. Elf exclaimed, "and they're coming straight at us. Quick, get behind those tree stumps," he ordered.

The four companions scurried and sloshed their way to a series of blackened tree stumps. The stumps were quite wide and the tops were lost in the mist swirling slowly above.

"Why are all the trees in this place black" Paddy whispered, to Seamus.

"They all look like they've been badly burnt at some point," Seamus whispered back. "Can't see how that's possible, though, given how wet it is in Boggy Marsh."

"Would you two kindly shut up!" Mr. Elf said, in a low voice. Mr. Elf moved up behind Paddy and Seamus; if there was going to be trouble, he wanted to keep them close by. "Where's Mody?" he asked, casting around for some sign of the bird.

⚔

The leader of the Fugglies had kept pushing his group hard through the rain. He knew this part of Boggy Marsh very well. They knew the safe paths through the marsh, and could move at a speed the companions could not possibly achieve. He and his group had kept to the major paths leading towards the western boundary, and in doing so had made good time. The leader was excited; he knew very well that the Dragon would greatly favor those who captured the thieves for her.

The Fuggly leader stopped, raising a hand to signal the group. The group stopped. The leader drew a deep breath and scanned the bushes. The mist, as always, made it difficult to see very far. Off to his right, he saw a clump of blackened tree stumps protruding through the mist. He knew from that landmark, the western boundary was less than an hour away.

"What now, group leader?" asked one of the Fugglies, with a high-pitched, girl-like voice.

The Fuggly leader scratched his soaking head, while thinking. "The boundary is less than an hour away. I'm not sure whether we should keep going, or double back and check some of the lesser paths." He also spoke with a high-pitched whine. All Fugglies had high-pitched feminine voices. It came from having no neck.

⚔

Paddy, Seamus and Mr. Elf hid behind the blackened tree stumps. They heard the chirping of the Fugglies' thighs rubbing together, as they came closer. Then the chirping stopped.

Mr. Elf snuck a quick look around the tree stump, and saw a group of ten Fugglies. The lead Fuggly looked right at the tree stumps the companions were hiding behind.

Mr. Elf froze. He knew if he moved, the Fuggly might notice the movement and come to investigate.

"What now group leader?" they heard one of the Fugglies ask, in a high-pitched voice.

Paddy slid around the other side of his tree stump to see what was going on. He saw the lead Fuggly scratch his head.

"The boundary is less than an hour away," the lead Fuggly said.

Mr. Elf smiled grimly. They were a mere hour away from safety.

"I'm not sure whether we should keep going, or double back and check some of the lesser paths," he said.

Paddy couldn't help himself. Hiding in terror, behind blackened tree stumps, in a misty swamp, hearing high-pitched voices coming from the neck less Fugglies, was just too much. To Paddy the whole situation was suddenly, ridiculously funny. Despite his fear, and the very real danger they were in, he started to giggle.

# Chapter 14: The Race for Home

Seamus reacted quickly, by wrapping his arm around Paddy and firmly clamping his hand over Paddy's mouth. But it was too late. The damage was done.

All the Fugglies turned toward the muffled sound coming from the group of blackened tree stumps. The lead Fuggly smiled and signaled his group into formation. He was already picturing the reward he would ask from The Gold One.

As a group, the Fugglies drew their short fighting spears and moved forward toward the group of tree stumps.

Mr. Elf couldn't believe what had happened. They were so close to their goal, and Paddy had to go and stuff it up.

"Remember, The Gold One wants the Aelf alive. Kill the others!" the lead Fuggly shouted in his high-pitched girly voice.

Paddy totally lost it, bursting into hysterical laughter. He was laughing so hard, Seamus couldn't keep the noises under control.

The lead Fuggly heard the laughter in response to his shouted command and frowned. Were they mocking him?

Mr. Elf had his bow out in a flash, and had an arrow nocked and ready. "Get yourselves under control," he hissed, to Paddy and Seamus.

"It wasn't me," Seamus said. "I tried to stop him."

"Paddy, what's so funny about them wanting to kill you?" Mr. Elf asked, trying to get Paddy to understand how much trouble they were in.

"Charge!" the lead Fuggly shouted, his voice even higher and more strained. The Fugglies all started to run towards the blackened tree stumps, chirping loudly.

Paddy grabbed his sides, as he gave way to fits of loud hysterical laughter.

The outraged Fugglies charged ahead, determined to make the laughter stop.

Mr. Elf shook his head disgustedly and snorted. He was sure they were as good as dead, but he wasn't going down without a fight. Turning away from Paddy, he stepped out into full sight of the oncoming Fugglies, and loosed an arrow.

The arrow flew straight and true, hitting a Fuggly right in the middle of his stomach. The Fuggly instantly exploded, spraying his group with yellow Fuggly guts, and bits of arm and leg.

The other Fugglies ignored the mess and continued to run at the Aelf. They were used to this sort of thing happening in battle. The Fuggly's digestive system produced a lot of gas. This was why they always looked very round in the middle of their bodies. It was also why they were considered a special treat by hungry Dragons.

Paddy saw the Fuggly explode and flinched, as if he felt a great pain. The giggles were gone and the laughter stopped. A look of sad determination replaced the smile that had been stretching his face.

Seamus watched the change wash over Paddy, pleased that he had stopped laughing, but worried about what the change would bring. "Mr. Elf needs us. Are you going to be able to fight?" he asked, worriedly, watching Paddy's face for clues to how he was feeling.

"We've had to fight before," Paddy answered, firmly.

"And we must fight again," Seamus responded, nodding towards the Fugglies.

Moving determinedly, Paddy hurried around one side of a tree stump, while Seamus jogged around the other side. Together they stopped, facing the approaching Fugglies with Grace and Favour drawn and ready.

Another arrow sped through the mist and another Fuggly exploded.

The front four Fugglies saw Paddy and Seamus emerge from the side of the tree stumps to their right, and changed direction slightly to meet them head on. As they ran, they gave off ridiculous, high-pitched battle cries.

The Fugglies rushing at Paddy and Seamus tripped over something unseen, and crashed face first into the muck right in front of the boys. Paddy and Seamus darted forward, jabbing each of the Fugglies in the thigh, freezing them where they lay. They had seen what had happened when the Fugglies took a hit to the stomach, and they didn't want to get coated in Fuggly guts.

A third Fuggly had exploded, due to another one of Mr. Elf's arrows. This left three angry, gut covered, Fugglies to deal with. Two of the Fugglies attacked Paddy and Seamus, while the third took on Mr. Elf.

This was the first real sword fight that Paddy and Seamus had ever been in. The truth was, neither of them had any clue about how to fight with swords. As the angry Fugglies advanced at them, spears at the ready, Paddy and Seamus gripped their swords tightly, not sure what to do.

The Fugglies darted at Paddy and Seamus, lunging at them with their spears. Grace and Favour flicked up at just the right moment to deflect the vicious attack.

"Relax," Paddy and Seamus heard a male voice in their heads. "Just let us handle this," the voice added, reassuringly.

Mr. Elf was concerned for Paddy and Seamus. He had been in battles before, and knew how easy it was for an inexperienced fighter to get badly hurt, or killed. He also knew Paddy and Seamus were not fighters; they were shoemakers.

He didn't have time to do anything about it though, as the lead Fuggly was rushing at him with his spear. Mr. Elf dropped his bow, drawing his sword, just in time to side step and deflect the spear charge.

Mr. Elf used the momentum of the rushing Fuggly to his advantage, kicking the awkward creature in its bottom as it passed. The Fuggly tripped over some unseen object, and splashed head first into the mucky, rain soaked ground.

The Fuggly struggled to push himself up out of the mud, but an invisible Mody whacked the Fuggly hard on the back of its head. The Fuggly slumped unconscious to the ground and lay still.

"Thanks, Mody," Mr. Elf said, as he spun to help Paddy and Seamus. Mr. Elf couldn't believe what he was seeing. Paddy and Seamus were fighting like seasoned professionals. Cutting and parrying, blocking and attacking. The young Leprechauns were slowly out-classing their opponents. Every attack by the Fugglies was cleanly blocked.

The Fuggly attacking Seamus over-reached on his next thrust, leaning in too close. Seamus took advantage of this, and kneed the Fuggly in his stomach. He promptly wished he hadn't, as the Fuggly let forth an ear-splitting fart. Before he could be overwhelmed by the stench, Seamus jabbed the Fuggly in the arm.

Paddy lunged, with Favour, at the Fuggly he was facing. The Fuggly used the wooden shaft of the spear to block the attack, and force it to the side. The Fuggly recovered quickly, and took a swing at Paddy's head, using his spear in a batting type attack. Paddy ducked, just avoiding what would have been a knockout blow, as the spear whistled over his head. Favour flicked up and into the exposed stomach of the overextended Fuggly. Paddy's eyes widened in horror, as he realized what was going to happen. The Fuggly exploded, spraying yellow guts and stomach gas in all directions. Paddy caught the full blast of the explosion, and was coated in the foul-smelling gunk.

Boggy Marsh was suddenly still and quiet. Mody shimmered back into view next to the unconscious Fuggly, she had whacked on the back of the head, with her hard beak.

Seamus stood, panting from the exertion of the fight. Mr. Elf joined the Leprechauns and patted Seamus on the back. "Where did you boys learn to fight like that?" he asked.

Paddy was busy scooping handfuls of water from a puddle, trying desperately to wash the Fugglies guts off.

"Grace and Favour did all the work," Seamus replied. "We just had to relax and go along with their moves."

"They spoke to us," Paddy added. "They told us what to do."

Mr. Elf was not ready to hear this, but then he hadn't been ready for most of what had happened since entering Boggy Marsh. "This is something we should talk about, when we are some place safe," he said. "Seamus, will Grace continue to lead us to the boundary? We don't have far to go, if we can believe what we heard from the Fugglies."

Grace tugged Seamus gently in response to Mr. Elf's question. "Yes," Seamus said, "Grace is ready to go now."

"Did you hear what the Fuggly said, about the Dragon wanting me alive?" Mr. Elf asked.

"Yes," Paddy and Seamus said, together.

"Those Fugglies were specifically hunting us," Mr. Elf said, worriedly.

"The Dragon must be really annoyed to go to that much trouble," Mody said, sidling up to them. "What else might she have in store for us?"

"What else, indeed?" Mr. Elf mused. "Give me a couple of minutes to prepare a little something, and then we can be off."

Mr. Elf hurried around the blackened tree stumps and found a large boulder sticking up out of the mud. He took a pouch out of his adventurer's pack and checked the contents. Surprisingly, the contents were still dry. At least the 'stay dry' spell he had placed on the pouch had stood up to the rain.

Mr. Elf rummaged through his adventurer's pack. "Ah here it is," he said, pulling out a rolled-up object. He laid the dry roll of troll hide on a flattish surface of the boulder. Working quickly and carefully, he poured the contents of the pouch onto the dry troll hide, and proceeded to dice the contents finely.

When he was satisfied the contents of the pouch had been cut finely enough, he carefully scraped and poured the results back into the pouch. He returned the pouch to his pack, and turned to find the others watching him.

"What is that?" Mody asked curiously.

"A little something, in case we run into more trouble," Mr. Elf replied, with a grin. He rolled up the troll hide and placed it back in his adventurer's pack.

"Can we go now?" Seamus asked. "I've had enough of this place, and enough of adventures. I want to get home."

Mr. Elf gave Seamus a reassuring smile. "The boundary is one hour away. Lead on, Seamus, let's get out of here."

"What about them?" Paddy asked, indicating the frozen Fugglies.

"Just give them another quick jab. That should keep them out of our hair for long enough," Mr. Elf said.

Paddy quickly went around and jabbed each of the Fugglies. He was careful to avoid their stomachs.

Seamus led the way and the others followed. Again, Seamus, influenced by Grace, led them on a meandering course through the marsh.

⚔

We are close now, thought Mr. Elf. They had been traveling through Boggy Marsh for close to an hour, since the fight with the Fugglies. So far, they had not encountered any other creatures of Boggy Marsh, and for that he was extremely grateful.

Seamus still led the way, with Mody close behind. Paddy and Mr. Elf brought up the rear.

Mody started to shimmer and then was gone. Grace and Favour glowed strongly.

"Stop, everyone," Mr. Elf whispered, urgently. "I'd hoped we would get out of here without any more trouble."

"What do we do?" asked a concerned Paddy.

"Mody, we can't see you. Where are you?" Mr. Elf asked.

"I am right here," Mody said, from right in front of Mr. Elf.

"Mody, will you go and see what's waiting for us?" Mr. Elf asked. "We can't see you and neither can they. We'll wait here for you."

Mody thought about this. "We are nearly there now, aren't we?" she asked.

"Yes," Mr. Elf replied. "We are almost at the boundary. We should be bumping into it very soon."

Mody nodded, though nobody could see her do so. "I'll be right back," she said, as she slipped off into the mist.

# Chapter 15: Crossing the Line

Mr. Elf, Paddy and Seamus waited for Mody, off to the side of the main path. A rough pile of broken boulders jutting out of the damp marsh provided a good place for the three friends to hide, while they waited.

For once, Paddy and Seamus were still and quiet, neither one asking a single question, or making comments on the matter at hand. Mr. Elf accepted their silence gratefully, but also worried about their sudden change in behavior.

The normally boisterous and energetic Leprechauns were hunched quietly next to broken boulders. Every now and then, they would look across at each other. When they did, they looked like they were seeing each other for the first time.

Mr. Elf observed them intently from where he leaned against the remains of a particularly large boulder. Something in Paddy and Seamus had changed. They seemed more confident and less child-like. He wondered what effect Grace and Favour were having on his young friends.

"Hello, I'm back," Mody's disconnected voice said.

"Thank The She!" Paddy exclaimed.

"What did you see, Mody?" Mr. Elf asked, cutting straight to the heart of the matter.

"I walked for a while, and then I saw the things you call Fugglies. They were all lined up, stretching from mist to mist, like a barrier."

"How many were there?" Paddy asked.

"Well, I walked up and down the line. It was a long walk," Mody said.

Mr. Elf understood. Mody was still not long out of the egg, and she lacked the learning and experience to express big or difficult concepts.

"Mody, if the Fugglies were frozen, and if we went in a straight line toward the Fugglies, how many would we have to climb over to get to the other side?" Mr. Elf asked.

"Oh, only three or four," Mody said. "The line is long, but the line is thin."

Mr. Elf's mind was racing. What did he have to work with?

The contents of the pouch, his bow and arrows, Mody, Paddy and Seamus, Grace and Favour. And what else? Mr. Elf's thoughts cascaded through options. He needed a way to get the contents of the pouch to the waiting Fugglies. And then there was the Dragon. The Dragon had to be around somewhere. Yes! The Dragon! But, how to get the Dragon to do what he needed her to do?

Mr. Elf motioned for Paddy and Seamus to come closer. "Grace and Favour, I need you to do something to help us get away from this place. Do you understand?"

Grace and Favour both gave a pulse of light.

"That means yes," Seamus offered.

Mr. Elf smiled. "I need you to go out there, close to the Fugglies and make some noise. Here's the plan," he said, confidently.

⚔

Paddy and Seamus headed out into the mist towards the waiting Fugglies. Mody slipped silently through the mist with them, her job was to guide Paddy and Seamus to a safe spot. Mr. Elf watched them go and silently made the old plea, only quoted by the Aelfin in time of desperation, 'She help us, for we are in need'.

For the plan to work, the timing of events was going to be critical. This one aspect of the plan worried him the most. Mody's information had been simple at best, and the plan would require a large element of luck to succeed.

Mr. Elf prepared himself for his tasks. He checked his bow and bowstring and selected his best arrow. He ran through the spell he was going to use. It was a simple 'flash and noise' spell that would attract attention. And, finally, he took the pouch with the finely diced contents out of his pack and secured it to his belt, for ease of access.

It was time.

Mr. Elf took a deep breath and exhaled. He closed his eyes and relaxed his mind, inhaling slowly. As he exhaled again, he reached inside himself and drew on the ancient Aelfin energies that were available to all Aelfin.

He released the energies as a ball of light and sound that exploded high above his head. He inhaled deeply again and opened his eyes. Now it was up to Paddy, Seamus, Grace, Favour and Mody.

⚔

Paddy, Seamus and Mody arrived at a suitable spot, just short of where they could be seen from the Fuggly line. As they turned back to face where they had left Mr. Elf, a bright flash and a loud bang went off high in the mist.

They waited, straining their ears for the sound that would signal it was time for Grace and Favour to do their bit. Suddenly, they heard huge Dragon wings flapping, as the Dragon flew to investigate the magical fireworks display.

Paddy and Seamus faced each other, raising Grace and Favour above their heads. They held the pose, waiting for the right moment to arrive.

"Now!" a voice sounded in their heads.

Paddy and Seamus lowered Grace and Favour until their tips touched. A brilliant flash of blue light shot from the swords, up into the mist, to explode against the inside of the boundary shield.

Then they ran.

They ran back to where Mr. Elf was waiting to execute the last part of the plan. They ran as fast as they could, because their lives depended on it.

⚔

Waiting nervously by the black trunk of a twisted tree, Mr. Elf looked up hopefully, as he heard the Dragon's wings flapping high above him in the mist. The first part of the plan had worked. He had successfully lured the Dragon to the spot where he needed it to be. He hoped the others had heard the Dragon, too. If they didn't do their bit at the right time, he'd be Dragon food. Then he felt the magic made by the swords and saw the intense blue light shoot into the mist and explode against the boundary wall.

The Dragon felt it as well, and she saw the blue flash explode against the invisible boundary wall. What was that? she wondered. Whatever had caused something like that, had to be strong magic.

Hidden way down in the mist below, Mr. Elf tuned his hearing to focus on the flapping of the Dragon's wings. Blocking out all other sounds, he could recognize the moment, when the flap of them, told him the Dragon's attention had been captured by the blue flash. He was ready. He had his bow in one hand and the pouch in the other. Stepping away from the tree, to a spot clear of branches, his arm arched back, and he threw the pouch with all his strength. The pouch flew up and out, towards the spot where the blue flash had exploded.

Faster than should be possible, he nocked an arrow and shot, wincing at the stab of pain in his shoulders. The arrow sped through the mist, hitting the pouch with full force, just as it was about to start falling back to the ground. The pouch popped and burst open, spraying its contents into the mist.

Mr. Elf held his breath and listened. The Dragon was still hovering above him, flapping her wings gently, while facing the boundary wall. As he listened, the Dragon flew slowly and cautiously forward. Mr. Elf could have screamed with joy at that point, but he knew he had to stay quiet.

The Dragon was concerned. That blue flash meant something, as powerful as her, was in Boggy Marsh. She wasn't going to rush into a confrontation here. Something flashed through the mist just in front of her. There was the sound of a soft pop, as something burst. Her curiosity increased and she slowly flew forward to see what it was, unwittingly doing exactly what Mr. Elf needed her to do.

The pouch Mr. Elf had shot, contained the hairs he had shaved from the legs of the dead Spider Wraith. The hairs contained the strong poison the spider used to immobilize its food. In death, the poison congealed and strengthened to the point where a small amount would totally stun any living thing.

Mr. Elf had finely diced the hairs so they would be light enough to float in the misty swirl of the marsh. Anything breathing the hairs would be stunned into unconsciousness, and would be out of action for some time. The only problem with Mr. Elf's plan, was how to get the diced hairs to spread out over the Fuggly line? The Dragon was unknowingly providing a solution to that problem, by producing a wind from her wings that was pushing the hair-contaminated mist, straight at her Fuggly army.

The Dragon kept moving forward slowly, beating her wings strongly to stay aloft. What was going on here? She wondered.

The finely diced Spider Wraith hair was now well dispersed into the mist and, thanks to the Dragon, the hair-infected mist was rolling into the front ranks of her Fugglies.

Paddy, Seamus and Mody arrived back at Mr. Elf's position, and skidded to a stop. They stood panting like dogs, looking at Mr. Elf for some sign of how things were going. They could still hear the Dragon flying above them, and were smart enough not to speak.

Mr. Elf smiled. As the Dragon moved further away towards the boundary and her Fuggly army, Mr. Elf felt it was safe enough to talk quietly. "Quick, now," he said. "The plan is working. Get a cloth and make sure it's good and wet, then tie it over your face. It will stop you from breathing in the Spider Wraith hair."

"Come over here, Mody, and I'll tie a cloth over your beak," Paddy offered.

"I hope Hag Head has a way for us to get through the boundary," Seamus said, "because if she doesn't, we're doomed."

Paddy retrieved a pair of cloth squares from his pack and dipped them in a puddle on the ground. Mody nudged him gently with her invisible head to let him know where she was. Folding one of the cloth squares in half, Paddy put his arms around Mody's neck, tied the corners into a knot, and settled the larger part over her beak.

"We'll just have to have faith in Hag Head, boys," Mr. Elf stated, as he tied a wet cloth over his face. He was confident she wouldn't let them down.

"How much longer should we wait?" Mody asked. Mody was still invisible, but now they could all tell where she was, because of the wet cloth that appeared to floating in the air.

"We should be good to go now," Mr. Elf said. "The Spider Wraith hair will work very quickly. Paddy and Seamus, make sure you have Grace and Favour ready to freeze anything that gets in our way."

Paddy and Seamus checked each other's cloths, and nodded that they were ready to go.

"Follow me," said the floating cloth, that was really Mody.

⚔

The great Gold Dragon continued to fly slowly towards the point where the blue flash had come from, driving the infected mist in front of her with every beat of her massive wings. The Fugglies in the direct path of the infected mist started dropping like flies, stunned by the Spider Wraith poison.

Those Fugglies who were not directly affected, saw their companions drop lifelessly to the ground, for no visible reason. Fearing some invisible enemy, they panicked and started yelling and pushing against Fugglies further up the line, as they tried to avoid the mysterious fate of their fallen friends.

The poisoned mist plan had worked much better than Mr. Elf could have hoped.

⚔

The Dragon heard the commotion from her Fugglies below, and dropped slowly through the mist to a point where she could see what was happening. What she saw upset and frightened her greatly.

She landed in the heart of the melee. In front of her lay the inert bodies of many Fugglies. To her left, other Fugglies were running around wildly, pushing up against Fugglies further up the line. As she watched, the Fugglies continued to drop one by one, to lay still on the damp ground.

The infected mist had hit the boundary and started rolling back and up the length of the barrier in both directions. A cloud of the infected mist rolled straight back over the great Dragon, who felt the change in the mist, and tasted the dampness to see what she could learn from it.

The great Gold Dragon's cat like eyes opened wide in horror, understanding of what she had tasted, coming too late. And then she too slumped to the ground, her great head crashing into the swampy earth, causing a fountain of mud and dirty water.

⚔

Mody led the companions confidently through the mist. Up ahead they could hear panic and mayhem. Something was happening to the Fugglies. Whatever it was, it was moving away in both directions along the boundary.

Mr. Elf hoped the Spider Wraith hair would put enough Fugglies out of action, to give them time to get to the boundary. Once there, he was certain Hag Head would have a way out arranged. He had no way of knowing, just how successful his plan had been.

Mody stopped so suddenly that Paddy and Seamus walked into her. Mr. Elf crept up to stand next to the floating cloth. The great Gold Dragon's huge head rested on the ground, her eyes wide, staring right at them.

The Dragon opened her mouth, but only a weak steam of fire dribbled out. Then the Dragon's eyes closed, and her body sank further into the bog.

Mr. Elf gave a satisfied nod at the Dragon's still form, lying in a large pool of dirty water, then said, "Let's go."

The companions sloshed their way around the house-sized Dragon, and then stopped again. In front of them, and stretching out in both directions, lay the unconscious bodies of hundreds of Fugglies. The mist swirled and eddied weirdly around the still forms.

Mr. Elf again nodded in satisfaction.

"Are they dead?" Paddy asked, in a quiet, respectful voice.

"No," Mr. Elf said, with a hint of disgust in his voice. "They've simply been stunned by the Spider Wraith venom. The venom works to keep the victim alive, so the spider can have its food fresh. They'll wake up with very bad headaches, though."

"And the Dragon?" Seamus asked.

"The Dragon will be fine, too," Mr. Elf said, reassuringly. "But we need to get going. The poison is stronger when taken from a dead Spider Wraith, but I don't know how long it will last, after being mixed in this mist."

The companions surged forward as one, carefully picking their way through the mass of lifeless Fugglies, until they were clear.

Then they hit the boundary.

# Chapter 16: Home

Glute slimed her way along the ridge of the hill. It was late afternoon, and she was heading back to her burrow in the village. Behind her followed six young Heebee Geebees. It was their first day out of the cocoon, and Glute had taken them to one of her food stores in the forest for their first outing.

Glute stopped, probing with her telepathic senses, down the hill into Boggy Marsh. There'd been a lot of movement along the inside boundary of Boggy Marsh today, and that was unusual. Those who lived in Boggy Marsh usually avoided the boundary.

Extending her senses, she probed the boundary area nearest her. Her telepathic ability picked up traces of thought types familiar to her.

"Come, children," she called telepathically, to the six baby Heebee Geebees. "We have friends in trouble."

The baby Heebee Geebees had been slithering around, seeing who could make the best slime ball. They now slithered behind their mother, as she made her way down to the edge of the boundary.

⚔

"Well, we're here," said a now visible Mody. "What now?"

Mr. Elf felt along the boundary, hoping there might be a gap they could slip through. Despite his trust in Hag Head, he was beginning to wonder just how they would get through the barrier.

"Hag Head said a way would be provided," Paddy said. "Why can't witches ever just come out and say what's actually going to happen?"

"Yeah," Seamus added. "They always have to be mysterious, and they only give you enough information to get you into trouble. Just why is it you have so much faith in her, Mr. Elf?"

Mr. Elf mumbled something under his breath the others couldn't quite catch.

Paddy and Seamus were still holding Grace and Favour, in case anything came at them through the mist. They were surprised when both swords suddenly gave off a strong pulse of blue light.

"What does that mean?" asked a worried Mr. Elf.

Paddy and Seamus were already deep in silent conversation with the swords. Seamus spoke, as though from somewhere else. "Grace and Favour say it is time to go now, and we should hurry."

"Great," Mr. Elf said, somewhat sarcastically. "Can they offer anything remotely more helpful than that?" What was the point of telling him to hurry, when he didn't have a clue where to hurry to?

"They've just finished telling us what to do," Paddy advised.

Paddy and Seamus stepped in opposite directions along the invisible boundary. When they were three yards apart they stopped, and faced the boundary. With carefully timed movements, they plunged Grace and Favour into the base of the boundary.

The boundary shimmered and pulsed between the blades. Mr. Elf and Mody edged to the section of the boundary that was shimmering, and tried to push through. The boundary however, resisted and pushed them back.

Behind them, in the mist, the first group of Fugglies stirred. The effects of the Spider Wraith poison was wearing off.

⚔

Glute saw a section of the boundary shimmer and pulse. She spoke telepathically to her friends and, between them, they found a solution. Now, Glute's children were lined up and ready to go.

"Now, children," she thought to her six youngsters. Together, the six baby Heebee Geebees slid effortlessly up and over the shimmering, pulsing section of the boundary wall.

The sinking afternoon sun's rays hit the slime trails left by the babies, making them sparkle colorfully, like a speckled rainbow.

The baby Heebee Geebees slid off the invisible boundary back onto solid ground. As soon as the last baby had left the invisible barrier, the previously shimmering section cleared and opened, and the four companions dashed through.

Six Fugglies, the first to have fallen to the Spider Wraith hair, were more recovered from the effects of the poison than the rest of their group. They saw the rainbow door open, and they saw the thieves run through and escape Boggy Marsh. Here was their opportunity to escape from Boggy Marsh, as well. Lurching forward, they stumbled through the rainbow door after the companions.

Paddy, Seamus, Mr. Elf and an invisible Mody, all turned, ready to fight for their lives. They had made it out of Boggy Marsh; they were not going to let a small group of Fugglies stop them now.

Glute saw the Fugglies come through the door and quivered with anticipation. "Look children," she thought at her offspring. "Look at the rewards for helping friends. Go quickly and feed."

The Fugglies were largely blinded by the late afternoon sunshine. They had been in Boggy Marsh for years, and had not seen the sun in all that time. They didn't even see the baby Heebee Geebees sliming towards them.

"I wouldn't watch, if I were you," Glute thought at the companions. Paddy, Seamus and Mr. Elf all knew how Heebee Geebees fed, and they turned away, not wanting to see. Mody, however, kept watching, right up to the point where the baby Heebee Geebees started to slime their way onto the Fugglies, then she too looked away with a shiver.

"Hadn't you better close the door?" Glute thought at Grace and Favour.

The swords pulsed, as Paddy and Seamus took up positions on either side of the opening. The boys pointed Grace and Favour at the bottom points of the rainbow door. The swords glowed brightly and a golden light shot from the tips of the swords. Paddy and Seamus slowly guided the golden light along the slime trails, until the lights met at the top of the rainbow door.

The full force of the boundary barrier slammed back into being, once again sealing off Boggy Marsh.

⚔

The four companions sank exhausted to the ground. They tried very hard to ignore the sloshy sounds made by the baby Heebee Geebees feeding on the unfortunate Fugglies.

"Thank you, Glute," Mr. Elf said. "How did you know how to help us?" he asked.

"I heard my friends' thoughts in Boggy Marsh," Glute answered. "When I spoke to them, they told me of your need, and we worked out how to make a door for you."

"I didn't know that you had become so friendly with Paddy and Seamus," Mr. Elf replied.

"I was talking about Grace and Favour," Glute replied, her telepathic voice tinged with amusement. "Paddy and Seamus are nice enough boys, but I have been friends with Grace and Favour ever since you arrived the village."

Mr. Elf felt very annoyed. He had carried Grace and Favour around the world for nearly 85 years, and not once had they ever spoken to him.

He sensed the increased amusement in Glute's next thought. "Did you ever speak to them?" she asked.

"No, not until we were in Boggy Marsh," he admitted, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"They communicate telepathically, like I do," Glute said. "Every time I went passed your shop, I would have a quick chat with them. They have quite a wicked sense of humor."

Mr. Elf nodded. "Well, thank you again for helping us get out of Boggy Marsh. It looks like we have a few things left to sort out," he said, looking at Paddy and Seamus.

"Can we go home now?" Paddy asked, impatiently. "I still smell like Fuggly guts. I really need a hot bath and some hot food."

"Paddy does smell pretty bad," Seamus agreed. "And I'm starving."

"Do you mind if we leave you, Respected Mother?" Paddy asked.

"No not at all," Glute replied. "You boys hurry along home. I will call on you tomorrow to see how you are. I want to get some Fuggly, before my children finish them off. I haven't had fresh Fuggly in such a long time," she said, wistfully, undulating towards her feeding children.

The companions trudged tiredly up the rise away from the boundary. Mody, however, was excited. She had never seen the world outside Boggy Marsh.

Glute stopped and turned to observe the retreating figures. Rearing up to her full height, she focused her thoughts directly to one of the figures. What she had to say next was for him alone. "Mrelf!"

Mr. Elf froze where he was. No one had called him by his proper Aelfin name in nearly 85 years. He took a deep breath, and focused his reply to Glute. "Yes, Glute?"

"Your family has been in the village asking about you."

"You mean others of the Aelfin?"

"Yes," Glute replied. "Your family!"

"What have they been told?" Mr. Elf asked, with a worried edge to his thoughts.

"The usual," Glute replied. "They were told other people's business is their own, and they should move on and not cause any trouble."

"Thank you, Glute," said, a relieved Mr. Elf. He knew the villagers of Damanta Mallaithe were as fiercely protective of their neighbor's privacy, as they were of their own. The Aelfin, however, could be very persuasive.

"After the village council told them to move on, they left and went to the west," Glute advised him.

"Thank you again, Respected Mother," Mr. Elf said, with a smile. He knew he still had some time left.

"Mrelf, remember, it is time that you returned to your people," Glute said, quietly, closing the link to his mind.

That wiped the smile off Mr. Elf's face. "So people keep telling me," he muttered, as he hurried to catch up with Paddy, Seamus and Mody.

Glute slimed forward to where her children were feeding. "Oh what good children," she thought at them. "You saved me one. I do so love it when they burst."

⚔

When Mr. Elf caught up with the others, he still had a worried look on his face.

"What's the matter?" Seamus asked.

"Nothing much," Mr. Elf said. "Glute just reminded me, I have some business to take care of."

"Does that mean you won't be coming with us to help Mody find her mother?" Paddy asked, worriedly. He had come to enjoy having Mr. Elf with them.

"As it turns out, I need to head in that direction very soon myself," Mr. Elf advised, with a reassuring smile. "So I will be able to go some of the way with you."

Paddy nodded, accepting that any help Mr. Elf offered was a good thing.

"I need to rest up, and get my wings healed before we go," Mr. Elf said, as they reached Paddy's and Seamus's home.

They stopped at the door to their hut, and Paddy and Seamus suddenly felt uncomfortable.

"We had better give you your share of the gold," Paddy said, quietly.

Mr. Elf looked thoughtful. "That's an awful lot of Dragon gold for me to look after," he said. "Everyone knows there is nobody better at hiding gold than Leprechauns. Why don't you hide my share with yours, and then I know it will be safe."

"No problem," Paddy said. "I promise it will be kept safely for you."

"And what of Grace and Favour?" Seamus asked, uncomfortably. This was the real issue. Mr. Elf had only loaned them the swords for the time required to go into Boggy Marsh and get the gold.

"Yes, Mr. Elf, we've grown close to the swords," Paddy said, unbuckling his scabbard, preparing to hand Favour back to Mr. Elf.

"Why don't you look after Grace and Favour for a while longer, too," Mr. Elf said. He strongly doubted that the swords would allow him to take them from Paddy and Seamus anyway.

"Great!" Seamus exclaimed, happily.

"So when were you boys thinking of starting the trip into the mountains?" Mr. Elf asked, changing the subject before he changed his mind.

"Yes," Mody said. "When will we go?"

"Like Mr. Elf said, we'll need to rest up, and then get prepared for the journey," Paddy answered. "How does a couple of days sound?"

"That sounds just fine," Mody replied, happily. "I am very lucky to have found such good friends."

The companions said their farewells to each other, and Mr. Elf hurried off to his shop, leaving Paddy and Seamus to look after Mody.

# Chapter 17: Flash Back: What really happened in Boggy Marsh

Hag Head stepped out of her house into the mist of Boggy Marsh. Her front door swung closed, clicking softly behind her. She paused for a moment and adjusted her robes, shifting the Dragon egg she carried so it was hidden from sight.

Paddy, Seamus, Mr. Elf and Mody had just left and were heading back to their village. She knew she had to hurry on this errand; they were going to need some help getting out of Boggy Marsh. As much as she might have liked to help them more directly, she was worried about drawing attention to them.

Hag Head shuffled forward and then disappeared. She reappeared, instantly, but a long way away from Boggy Marsh. She shuffled on, in her bent and painful way, her walking stick tapping on the solid rock beneath her feet.

With a few cracks and clicks, Hag Head straightened her body. Her ugly walking stick shimmered and changed appearance. The once blackened and gnarly stick was now an impressive, highly polished, black staff, the type a powerful magic user might own.

Her next steps forward were strong and confident. When one was dealing with Dragons, it was a good idea to appear powerful and strong. Showing weakness in front of Dragonkind was not a good idea, it usually ended with them thinking of you as nothing more than a snack.

She arrived at a giant, cavernous space in the mountains, where the Dragon she sought lived. Making no attempt to hide her presence, Hag Head approached a huge, female, Red Dragon who sat watching her with an annoyed look on its massive face.

Hag Head stopped, well within range of the Dragon's fire breath, but beyond biting reach. She didn't want to be eaten, before stating her purpose for being here.

"It is not often food serves itself up to me so easily," the Dragon's thought sounded in Hag Head's mind.

"I have come with a gift," Hag Head replied, politely.

"And what does 'the one who is not She' want in return for this, gift?" asked the Dragon, rudely.

Hag Head stiffened slightly at the insult, but responded as though it was what she had expected. "It is a gift, given freely and without price," she answered, smoothly, holding out the Dragon egg that had been hidden in her robes.

The Dragon's massive head moved forward and its giant, blue eyes narrowed dangerously. "My egg! You were the one who stole my egg?" The Dragon's thought was furious, and carried the threat of immediate doom.

"No," Hag Head replied, quickly and strongly. "The Hand was responsible for the theft. I am returning the egg to its rightful place."

Stepping forward, she carefully placed the egg in front of the massive Dragon.

The Dragon sniffed gently at the egg, suspicious. "No harm has been done; the egg will hatch," she thought to Hag Head, while carefully maneuvering the egg under her body. "Still, The Hand has been responsible for much pain and damage. I think I will hunt soon, and see to this problem of The Hand."

Hag Head nodded, as she backed away. "I will leave you now. I have urgent matters to attend to elsewhere." With that said, Hag Head spun away, her leafy robes rippling around her.

"Hag Head," the Dragon's voice sounded in her mind, "thank you for returning my egg." The Dragon's voice was now soft and motherly.

Hag Head smiled one of her truly ugly smiles. "The time of need is coming. The two from one have come, and the other signs are falling into place."

The Dragon's great eyes opened wide. She had not expected any of this.

"Will Dragonkind be ready?" Hag Head asked, without turning.

"We will," the Dragon confirmed.

Hag Head vanished from the cave, reappearing back in Boggy Marsh, outside her house. Her walking stick was once again a charred and blackened branch. Walking with her normal stooped shuffle, she entered her home.

With a casual wave of her hand, her viewing stone appeared on the table in the room. Sitting at the table, she rested her hands on the stone. "Show me the apprentice Lore Master of the Aelfin and his companions," she commanded the stone.

The viewing stone's milky interior shifted and swirled, and Hag Head was suddenly able to see Mr. Elf and his friends, as they trudged through Boggy Marsh. "Good," she thought, "I still have time to help them."

Closing her eyes and concentrating on a specific thought, she reached out with her mind. "Glute?"

"Hello, Hag Head?" Glute's questioning reply came back immediately.

Hag Head smiled. "Hello, Glute. Some of those under your care have wandered into Boggy Marsh."

"Oh dear, who was it that was so foolish?" Glute asked, her thought tinged with concern.

"The Aelf and the Leprechauns," Hag Head advised.

"I can understand the Leprechauns, they're young and adventurous, but the Aelf?" Glute's thought carried the strong impression she was shaking her head with disapproval.

Hag Head cackled. "None of them had any choice in the matter; they were compelled."

"Do you intend to keep them?" Glute asked, with a hint of worry. Glute knew the rule better than anyone, 'those who go in, don't come out'. Boggy Marsh was Hag Head's domain, and no-one crossed Hag Head.

"Actually, I want them out of here as quickly as possible. Can you arrange a door for them?" Hag Head asked.

"Certainly, Hag Head, if that is your wish," Glute responded.

"They are on their way to the boundary now. Everything being well, they should arrive before the sun goes down," Hag Head said.

"We'll be ready."

"Oh, one more thing, Glute. They have an Invisibility Bird with them. The bird can leave with them," Hag Head said, while scratching at an itch on the end of her nose.

"Understood," Glute replied.

"Thank you, Glute. For your help, you may have anything that follows them out. Now, please excuse me, I need to check on their progress." Hag Head shut down the mental link to Glute and returned her focus to the viewing stone.

Some Fugglies had caught the companions and a fight was underway. Hag Head watched silently, as the companions defeated the attacking Fugglies. Each time a Fuggly was killed, Hag Head winced, as if the death caused her discomfort or pain.

Hag Head continued to watch, as the companions made their way toward the boundary. Probing ahead of the companions with her senses, Hag Head scowled. What was this? An army of Fugglies was taking up position along the boundary line. This had to be the work of the Gold Dragon. Damn and drat that creature. She could ruin everything.

Hag Head's first reaction was to leave her house to go clear a path for the companions. But she knew The Hand was out there, and such an act would not only draw him to her, it would also bring the twins to his attention. She would just have to trust the Aelf would find a way through.

Hag Head watched with rising concern, as the companions separated, with Paddy, Seamus and Mody leaving the Aelf behind. _What were they up to?_ She watched over his shoulder, as Mr. Elf prepared a packet of something from his pack, checked his bow and selected an arrow. Interesting, she thought.

There was a sudden, huge energy surge out in Boggy Marsh, near the boundary. The power of it made Hag Head's skin tingle and itch. It could only be the swords. That could attract all sorts of unwanted attention.

In the viewing stone, Hag Head saw the Aelf squinting up into the swirling mist, waiting for something. Then he threw a packet up into the air. Without pause, the bow was in his hands, and an arrow was on its way. She noticed the Aelf flinch in pain when he released the arrow.

Hag Head knew instantly the arrow was going to miss the packet. She reached out with a tiny part of her power, and shifted the packet, just enough that the arrow slammed through it, spraying the contents into the misty air.

This was bad! No Aelf, worthy of the name, would have missed that shot, not even by the small amount that Mr. Elf had been off. Something was seriously wrong with him, but what? Hag Head replayed in her mind everything she knew about Mr. Elf, everything he had done and said. With growing understanding, her eyes widened. How could she have been so stupid? She had seen exactly what the Aelf had done, but had been so caught off guard by it all that she hadn't realized the importance of that one event.

The Aelf had flown with Seamus to get him away from the Gold Dragon. She had watched him do it through the viewing stone, with Paddy standing at her side.

From the very beginning, the Aelfin have one restriction, one rule that must not be broken. Under pain of death, the Aelfin must not fly, while carrying another living thing.

Mr. Elf was Broken, dying, and it would be a slow and painful death.

Broken! Hag Head considered this word. It had meaning for her. She recalled an old and obscure section of an untrusted thread from the Aelfin oracles. 'The Broken shall lead the way.' It had not been trusted, because The Broken never lived longer than three days. And the last day was usually spent unconscious.

Drawing a deep and raspy breath, Hag Head returned her attention to the viewing stone. The companions were looking at the Gold Dragon lay on the ground in front of them. The Dragon raised its great head and blew a pitiful trickle of fire at them, then its head flopped ungracefully back to the ground.

She had to hand it to the Aelf; he was quite resourceful and clever. Hag Head nodded her approval, as the companions made their way past rows of sleeping Fugglies to arrive at the boundary. There, the twins and the swords worked at the boundary's invisible wall, and a passageway opened for them to escape through.

Hag Head stepped away from the viewing stone. The image of the companions, as Glute welcomed them, faded into a milky swirling fog. 'The Two' and 'The Broken' were together. She had been correct; the time was very near, but only if the Aelf survived long enough to play his part.

What to do? What to do? Hag Head fretted and worried. Eventually she closed her eyes and allowed her consciousness to drift into the 'no space'. "Have you been paying attention?" she asked, abruptly.

In the pitch black of the 'no space' the light of The She glowed into existence, "What do you want?" The She asked, quite rudely. "I've been busy. There's a lot of work left to do!"

Hag Head smiled one of her especially ugly smiles. "That Aelf you spoke with is Broken." She did so enjoy these little chats, especially when she caught The She off guard.

The light of The She pulsed brightly. "How?"

Hag Head grimaced. "The usual way: he flew, carrying one of the twins. It is most likely he saved the lad's life."

The glowing light flickered. "But he must have known."

"Yes," Hag Head agreed. "He is the apprentice Lore Master for the Aelfin. He certainly should have known what the result of that action had to be."

The light dulled and then brightened. "A leap of faith, perhaps?"

"Maybe, or maybe he just didn't know," Hag Head replied.

"Watch him. If you get the opportunity, do what you can to help him. And have Glute send another one of the villagers with the twins when they leave the village."

The She's voice contained more worry that Hag Head would have expected. "If he is the one the oracle speaks of, something will happen and he will survive it," Hag Head offered.

"And if not, another will provide the way." The light of The She flared and then was gone.

Hag Head was back in her room. She would just have to let this play out, and wait for an opportunity to help. With a deep sigh, she sat down at the table and placed her hands on the viewing stone. Fog swirled inside the stone, cleared, and she saw Mr. Elf and the companions move about the village. She felt a moment of sadness when she saw the Aelf wince in pain, as he lost control to a hacking, raspy coughing fit that had him spiting out thick phlegm.

That night she checked on the Aelf again, and she watched him toss and turn in his bed, unable to sleep, or even to get comfortable. The Aelf was following the way of the Broken. He didn't have long to live.

# Chapter 18: The Next Day

The next morning, the sun rose on a cool day. The season was turning, and the snows would be falling before too much longer.

Mr. Elf was up early, as was his habit. He hadn't slept, even though he was exhausted from the escape from Boggy Marsh. His wings had ached all night, and no matter what he did, he couldn't get comfortable.

He stood in front of his bathroom mirror, dressed only in his trousers, examining the damage. He turned his body and angled his head, to get a better view of where his wings attached to his back.

He grimaced at the angry, red and purple bruising around the area where his wings joined to his body. The bruised area was large, and it looked to Mr. Elf like the bruises would continue to spread.

He flicked his wings experimentally and immediately wished he hadn't. Excruciating pain shot through his spine, causing all the muscles in his back to spasm. He bent over his bathroom sink, gasping for breath and coughing a wet phlegmy cough. Staying that way for a good few minutes, he focused on controlling his breath and breathing through the pain. When the pain subsided enough for him to move again, he finished dressing and returned to his kitchen.

The condition of his wings worried him greatly. He knew he would require the assistance of a special healer to repair the damage he had done while flying with Seamus. The only problem was, there was no healer living in Damanta Mallaithe. Healers, because of their nature and skills, were much sought after, and didn't tend to get kicked out of where they lived.

Mr. Elf sighed and resigned himself to having to travel to a village with a healer. An Aelfin healer would be best, but he knew he wasn't going to get much in the way of help from his own people.

Pulling his shirt over his head, he reached to where his travel cloak hung on the back of a chair, wincing, as another bolt of pain lanced through his back. He stood rigid until the spasms went away. Shrugging off the annoyance he felt, he donned his travel cloak, and left his shop, quietly closing his door behind him. He set off through the village, his body well wrapped, but his face wearing an ingrained scowl.

Knowing Paddy and Seamus would also be up and about at this time of morning, Mr. Elf made his way directly to their hut. There were several things he needed to discuss, and he was in the mood for getting some answers.

As he approached the hut, he heard rustling in the bushes. Glute slimed on to the trail in front of him.

"Good morning, Respected Mother," Mr. Elf greeted the Heebee Geebee in the appropriate formal manner.

Glute's body rose, and she regarded him with her watery eyes. "Good morning, Mrelf. If you are looking for Paddy and Seamus, they have taken Mody to show her around the village."

"Thank you, Glute. I need to ask them, and Grace and Favour, some questions."

"You know if you want to ask them about their past, you have to present your reasoning to the village council first," Glute chided, gently. She could sense Mr. Elf's frustration and impatience, and didn't want him making any mistakes he would regret later. "If the council approves, then you may approach them and ask if they are willing to answer your questions," Glute advised.

Mr. Elf nodded; he knew and appreciated the steps taken to protect the privacy of the villagers of Damanta Mallaithe. "Glute, you do know I wouldn't be asking, if it wasn't important. When we were in Boggy Marsh I was summoned by The She."

"The She spoke to you directly?" Glute's thoughts revealed how startled she was.

"Yes. And She told me of some things I must do, and Paddy and Seamus are part of it," Mr. Elf said, shaking his head, as if he didn't believe it himself.

Glute quivered. She knew from her telepathic communication that Mr. Elf was telling the truth, not that she thought he would try to lie to her anyway. "This will require some thought," she said, to Mr. Elf. "You shouldn't have to carry this burden alone. Just don't be hasty in your choices. I can sense you are uncomfortable, and that it is making you impatient."

"Can I at least ask Grace and Favour a couple of questions, before the council get involved?" Mr. Elf implored. "I need to get some idea of what I'm dealing with."

Paddy, Seamus and Mody chose that moment to return to their hut. When Mody saw Mr. Elf and Glute, she gave an excited bird chirp and scampered over to them, her body waddling from side to side.

"Good morning, Mr. Elf, and hello to you, Glute," Mody said cheerfully. "This village is wonderful. It's so much nicer than Boggy Marsh."

Paddy and Seamus strode up and exchanged polite morning greetings with Mr. Elf and Glute.

Glute turned her head in Paddy and Seamus's direction, "Mr. Elf would like to ask Grace and Favour some questions. Would you mind if we helped him with this?" she thought to them.

Paddy and Seamus exchanged uncertain glances. Paddy spoke for them both. "Won't that break the village rules, Respected Mother?"

"We can ask Grace and Favour what they think. If they're happy to talk, then there's no problem. After all, they've not been officially accepted as residents of the village."

Paddy glanced at Seamus, who nodded that he agreed.

Mr. Elf smiled reassuringly. "I already know a fair bit about their history, so I won't be asking too much about the past."

"I suggest we go and have this chat in the village meeting hut," Glute said. "Paddy and Seamus, why don't you take Mody on ahead; there are a couple of things Mr. Elf and I need to discuss on the way."

As Paddy, Seamus and Mody ambled on ahead, Glute sent a private thought to Mr. Elf. "Grace and Favour want to talk to you."

"How do you know that?" Mr. Elf asked.

"Really Mrelf, you're going to have to start thinking a bit quicker than that. They were right here with Paddy and Seamus, and they told me," Glute answered, slightly amused.

"Why is it they won't talk to me directly?" asked a frustrated Mr. Elf.

"They do," Glute replied. "You just can't hear them. They told me The She put a block on the Aelfin people, preventing them from hearing the object that was entrusted to them. It seems the block held, even when your king had them melted down and turned into swords."

"That isn't very helpful," Mr. Elf complained. "But at least now I understand why they haven't communicated with me for all these years. I suppose I'll just have to communicate with them through Paddy and Seamus."

"Even that will be difficult," Glute advised. "Paddy and Seamus can only get a basic idea of what Grace and Favour want to communicate. And so far, the communication has been clearest when Paddy and Seamus are in a heightened emotional state."

Mr. Elf stopped walking and turned to Glute. "Will you help me put my questions to Grace and Favour?" he asked hopefully.

"You can put your questions to them yourself. You only need my help to get the complete answers," Glute replied, sliming around a corner on the trail.

Mr. Elf considered this for a moment, and then hurried to catch up to Glute. When he rounded the corner, he saw Paddy, Seamus and Mody waiting outside the village meeting hut.

Glute slimed up to the waiting trio. "Go on inside," she thought to them. "We'll be in soon. I have one more thing to discuss with Mr. Elf."

Paddy, Seamus and Mody entered the meeting hut chattering away to each other about their plans to help Mody find her mother.

Glute sent a private question to Mr. Elf. "Did The She say anything else of importance to you?" Glute's question was very direct, and somewhat out of character with her usual strict enforcement of the village's privacy rules.

Mr. Elf, however, was happy and relieved to have someone to share this with. He had been alone for a very long time. "The She indicated the time of great need was approaching fast, and that Paddy and Seamus are somehow central to events."

"And?" Glute prompted.

"And they should be kept ignorant of the fact that they are special and have such importance. I suspect they may be central to certain Aelfin prophesies about the coming of the time of great need."

"I see," Glute's thoughts seemed weak, perhaps distracted. "You're going to have to be very careful about the questions you ask in front of them."

"I know," Mr. Elf replied, worriedly.

"It would be better not to ask Paddy and Seamus anything. Do you really think anything they may reveal about their past will help you?" Glute asked.

Mr. Elf frowned. "Probably not, but you just never know, they may unknowingly have important information."

"Can you risk it? Think hard on this before you act," cautioned Glute, sliming towards the door. "Come along, let's not keep them waiting any longer."

Mr. Elf followed Glute into the meeting hut, being careful not to step in her slime trail. Paddy and Seamus were sitting on chairs, with Grace and Favour out of their scabbards and in their laps. Mody was chasing a bug that had chosen a bad time to cross the floor of the hut.

Mr. Elf closed the hut door behind him, and smiled encouragingly at Paddy and Seamus.

"Are you ok, Mr. Elf?" Paddy asked, sounding concerned. "You don't look well."

Mr. Elf was surprised by the question. "I'm just a bit worried by something. I'm hoping Grace and Favour can help by answering some questions."

Seamus was looking suspiciously at Mr. Elf. "It's your wings, isn't it? You're stiff when you move, and you look uncomfortable."

"What's the matter with your wings?" Glute asked, with genuine concern.

"Please," Mr. Elf said, "let's not worry about that now. Boys, has Grace or Favour spoken to you since we got back to the village?" he asked, wanting to change the subject.

Paddy and Seamus looked at each other and shook their heads. "No, they only talk to us when they need to," Seamus replied.

Mr. Elf glanced at Glute, and then addressed the swords. "Grace and Favour, I have a need to understand, will you help me?"

Both swords pulsed a golden glow in response to the question.

"That means yes," Paddy offered, helpfully.

Mr. Elf nodded and smiled. So far, so good. Now he was going to push it. "Grace and Favour, what is your purpose?"

The swords pulsed through an arrangement of dark and violent colors, too quick to keep up with.

Paddy's face was a mask of confusion. "I didn't get any of that, just a feeling of great anger."

Mr. Elf cast a querying eye at Glute.

"They said, and this is the exact wording, 'We want to be whole, we want to be one, and we want to be free. Only then can we serve our purpose.' Your question triggered great pain for them," Glute said, with a quiver that ran the length of her slug body.

"What does all that mean?" asked a curious Mody.

Paddy and Seamus shifted in their seats uncomfortably, both shrugging their shoulders.

Mr. Elf's face was thoughtful. "I think I understand the wanting to be whole, and the wanting to be one parts. That obviously means they want to be put back to their original form, but I haven't a clue what the wanting to be free part means."

"Don't be so quick to put those two desires; wanting to be whole and wanting to be one, together," cautioned Glute. "Grace and Favour clearly stated them as separate requirements. The feeling I got from them about wanting to be free, is that they can only fulfill their purpose, if they are free to choose to do so."

"That still doesn't make anything any clearer for me," Seamus grumbled.

"Good," thought Mr. Elf to himself. "And what is their purpose?" he asked Glute, out loud.

Grace and Favour flashed angrily.

Glute reared up to her full height, quivering agitatedly. "Do not ask that question again. They either can't or won't answer it. In their current state, it causes them great grief."

"Can swords feel grief?" Mody asked, with genuine concern.

"The Aelfin king caused them great pain, when he separated them by forging them into swords," Glute replied.

Mr. Elf recoiled in a state of surprised horror. "I am so sorry, Grace and Favour, for what my king did to you. It was not my intent to cause you more pain or grief." He started to pace stiffly across the room. "And I don't understand why the king did that to you," he mumbled to himself, as he ran his hand through his long, dark hair. Turning back to face Paddy and Seamus, he asked, "Why now? You've been with my people, and then with me, for such a very long time. Why start to communicate with us now?"

Grace and Favour pulsed a radiant, golden color simultaneously.

"They have been waiting," Glute answered for the swords.

"What have they been waiting for?" Paddy asked, before anyone else could.

Glute's answer though caught them all by surprise. "They have been waiting for the call of The She."

Mr. Elf was suddenly worried about where this was going to lead.

"They say that The She has called, and they have answered the call," Glute finished.

Mr. Elf was now very worried. Here were more references to ancient Aelfin prophecies. 'The She will call, and they will come'. Perhaps he was wrong about Paddy and Seamus. Perhaps the prophecy was about the swords after all.

While this thought went through Mr. Elf's head, Seamus asked, "How did The She call to them?"

The swords pulsed and glowed warmly. Glute rippled and swayed. When she stilled herself, she thought the answer to all of them. "They said the call was obvious to them, as it should be to all others."

"That's a bit cryptic, isn't it?" Paddy said. "Can't they be a bit more open than that?"

The swords flashed a dirty orange color. Paddy and Seamus sensed that Grace and Favour were unhappy in some way.

Mr. Elf sensed that Glute was holding something back, and decided to help her, by changing the topic of discussion. "Grace and Favour, what do you want us to do for you?" he asked.

The swords pulsed a sulky orange color again. This time there was a short wait before Glute answered. "They want to go with Paddy and Seamus to see Mody back to her people."

Mr. Elf nodded; he had thought the swords would want to stay with Paddy and Seamus.

"And then," continued Glute, "they want Paddy and Seamus to make them whole, make them one, and set them free."

"How are we supposed to do that?" Paddy and Seamus asked, at the same time.

"They don't know," Glute replied. "They just want you to say you will try."

Mr. Elf held his breath, and wondered if this was one of those choices The She had said was so important for Paddy and Seamus to make on their own.

"Well, I don't have a clue how we are supposed to do those things," Seamus said.

"But, if we can come up with something, we will certainly do our best to help Grace and Favour," Paddy added.

"Yes we will try," they finished, together.

Mr. Elf released his breath gently, as Grace and Favour pulsed warmly again.

"Mr. Elf, Grace and Favour are quite insistent you go along with Paddy, Seamus and Mody," Glute added.

"You will come with us, won't you, Mr. Elf?" Mody asked, earnestly.

"Yes, Mody, I will come with you. If Grace and Favour think it is the right thing for me to do, then I will do it," Mr. Elf said, smiling at Mody. He suddenly had that happy content feeling again, and idly wondered, if he was being influenced again. It didn't matter anymore. He had no intention of letting Paddy and Seamus go off with the swords on their own.

Glute's next thought came to them with an enveloping warmth. "Grace and Favour are content for the moment. They say this is as it should be." She slimed over to Paddy, Seamus and Mody, from where she had been resting. "Can you three please go and ask Frosty and Lyric, if they could join Mr. Elf and I, here in the meeting hut. Grace and Favour have nothing more for us today, but Mr. Elf and I have some other business to discuss with the village council."

"Sure thing, Glute," Paddy said, getting up and sheathing Favour. "I'm really happy that you'll be coming with us, Mr. Elf," he said, beaming happily.

"Me too," Seamus and Mody said, together.

Glute and Mr. Elf watched the three friends leave the meeting hut silently. When they had gone, Glute sent a private thought to Mr. Elf. "Grace and Favour told me what the call of The She is."

"Go ahead," Mr. Elf said, nervously.

"They said that Paddy and Seamus are the call of The She, and they answered the call by getting Paddy and Seamus to take them into Boggy Marsh."

Mr. Elf shook his head, "Why?"

Glute's skin quivered gently. "Grace and Favour wanted The She to know that they have Paddy and Seamus!"

# Chapter 19: A Bit of History – Part 1

For those who want a bit more

(16 Years Ago)

The sun had just set on the village of Siocháin. The darkness had fallen quickly and completely this night, as the clouds of a dark and terrible storm rolled over the village.

The village was an orderly and clean place, comprised of neat rows of similarly shaped and sized huts. Normally it was a bustling hub of activity, but today it was quiet and still. The pathways and common areas should have been filled with people chatting and sharing the happenings of the day. However, on this day, the communal fire pits and cooking hot plates lay cold and unused. There was no sign of life.

Lightning flashed, striking a thatched hut near the center of the village. The roof of the hut burst into flames that popped and crackled, as the flames spread quickly, too quickly, even with the wind fanning and feeding them.

The flames moved with a life and purpose of their own, rising high and illuminating the village with a fiery orange glow.

A violent explosion of thunder crashed immediately behind the lightning flash, delivering a blast of force that shattered windows and sent loose items rolling.

The flames of the fire reached the edge of the hut, flared stronger, split and jumped to the next hut. Two huts were now burning fiercely, and still there was no movement, or sign of life, in the village.

"That was a close one!" said a voice, in the dark branch of a nearby tree. The tree was the hiding place for two very tired and weary Aelfin. The two Aelfs had been searching for an enemy of their people, a criminal responsible for stealing items of unimaginable value to the Aelfin. The long search had led them to this small village.

"Yes, it's no wonder the villagers left, when they saw the storm coming," replied the second Aelf, in a fatigued tone. "You don't have to be an Aelf to know this lightning isn't natural."

The Aelfin trackers had encountered the people of the village some miles away. The people were fleeing, running for their lives from the storm they'd seen approaching their village from the south.

The villagers had told the two Aelfs that a faceless man in dark robes, accompanied by a heavily pregnant woman, had arrived at the village ahead of the storm. The man had been fierce and angry, and had frightened the villagers. He had told the villagers a battle was to be fought, and had convinced them to leave if they wanted to live.

The description the villagers gave of the faceless man in the dark robes, matched one of the criminals the Aelf trackers were looking for. Not wanting him to get away, the Aelf trackers had hurried to the village and had snuck in unnoticed, as dusk had settled.

"How long do you think before that fire reaches _the_ hut?" asked the first Aelf.

"I would guess a couple of hours, if the rain picks up a bit," replied the second Aelf.

As if on cue, the rain suddenly poured stronger and the wind fanning the flames died down to nothing.

"Cricket, was that you? Did you do that?" asked the first Aelf, worriedly.

"No, Maple, it wasn't me. I mean, I could have, but I don't want to let him know we're here."

The sound of a woman screaming shredded the stillness.

"Come on, it's time," declared Maple.

The two Aelf stretched on the branch of the tree, and flexed their shoulders. Delicate, yet sturdy wings flicked out, flapping strongly.

The wings were a very special part of the Aelfin people. An attribute the Aelfin proudly claimed made them superior to flightless elves. The name Aelfin, loosely translated, meant 'angels of the earth'.

Maple and Cricket launched themselves from the tree and flew silently towards the point of the scream. Lightning blasted into a hut near the scream, causing the thatch to burst violently into flames. The resulting thunderous shock wave, blasted the two flying Aelfs sideways, and downwards into the side of a neighboring hut. They lay still where they had crashed, oblivious to the pouring rain, and rapidly spreading fire.

The flames on the now fiercely burning hut scuttled across the thatch, as if following some invisible instruction. Two sections of the flames split from the main fire, jumping to new huts, one in the direction of the scream, and the other onto the hut where the two unconscious Aelfin lay.

⚔

Lightning exploded again, and yet another hut burst into flame. Nearly half the huts in the village were now blazing merrily, despite the heavy rain and total lack of wind.

A black robed figure emerged from the burning hut that was the source of the scream. In his arms, he carried two tightly wrapped newborn babies, one carefully balanced in the crook of each arm. Glancing around, he took in the fiery destruction raging about the village.

A snarl escaped from the figure, when he saw the sprawled, winged bodies lying against the wall of a nearby hut. "You two! You choose a very poor time to catch up."

The robed man adjusted his grip on the babies. One of them responded by giving a very healthy wail. Looking down at the baby's face, a sad smile crossed his dark, scarred face. "Yes, you have every right to cry," he whispered.

The robed figure made cooing noises to the wailing baby, took one more look at the pair of fallen Aelfin, and then vanished.

⚔

The two unconscious Aelfin lay still against the wall of the hut. Above them, the fire crept steadily and hungrily towards them, as if stalking prey.

The robed man reappeared in the same spot that he had vacated only moments before, but minus the babies. He scanned around the village, quickly assessing the situation.

The robed man's name was Nudge. Nudge knew Maple and Cricket were hunting him, and he felt at least partly responsible for them. While it is true the Aelfin considered Nudge to be a criminal, he had no bad feelings towards the Aelfin, and he certainly didn't want these two to be killed.

The flames on the hut that Nudge, and the babies, had emerged from, flickered in anticipation, and made ready to leap onto his back.

"Not this time," Nudge said, determinedly. In a dramatic gesture, Nudge flung one hand towards the fire that was about to consume the pair of unconscious Aelfin, his other hand reached for the flames making ready to jump at him.

Nudge had an impulsive tendency towards quick action, and was a bit of a show off. He liked to be dramatic and impressive. It often helped in his line of work if people were somewhat in awe of him.

On the ground, Cricket groaned and rolled over. His eyes opened, focusing slowly on the man in the dark robes.

Nudge stood with his legs and hands spread, as if commanding the flames to come to him. In the fiery glow from the burning huts, Cricket could see the man was totally dry, despite the pouring rain.

As Nudge glanced at the fallen Aelfin, the opening in his hood became visible to the now conscious Aelf. A grey mist swirled within the hood, concealing the owner's facial features.

The eyes of the now fully conscious Cricket narrowed, an angry scowl crossing his angular face. "You!" he shouted.

The flames on both huts flared brightly, flashing eagerly across the gap towards Nudge, and the two Aelfin.

Nudge grinned within the mist of his hood. He was pleased Cricket had regained consciousness in time to see this. His hands, dark and scarred, came together in a clap, that was almost as loud as the thunder. The flames winked out of existence mid-jump, as did all the other fires on all the other huts.

Pain creased Cricket's face, and he slumped back against the wall, unconscious once more.

A distinctly angry and inhuman scream rent the air.

Nudge scanned the village with a satisfied smile. The owner of the scream hadn't expected his 'Chasing Fire' to be snuffed out like that. It would have caused him a great amount of pain, to have so powerful a spell, be broken so rudely.

Gathering his dark robes around him, Nudge knelt next to the unconscious Aelfs. Despite his little misunderstanding with the Aelf king, he couldn't leave the two Aelfs helplessly lying around, while the enemy was about.

He leaned forward to gather them into his arms, but before he got close to touching them, he vanished.

⚔

Pitch black, total darkness.

A soft, ethereal female voice broke the silence in the darkness. "Where are they?"

"Put me back, I wasn't finished there," Nudge replied, angrily. He hated it when The She summoned him in this way. It showed no respect at all.

"First things first, where are they?" the female voice asked, more firmly. "You were supposed to bring them to me".

"They're safe, now put me back. There were Aelfin back there and we both know that shouldn't be possible."

"Really? Aelfin? Are you sure?" the voice of The She sounded half concerned, half amused.

"I'm positive. And not just any Aelfin. These two are the king's sons, and they're in trouble."

"Well, the Aelfin are not short of being able to help themselves," The She said, a bit huffily.

"The enemy was throwing around that extra powerful lightning, and using the Chasing Fire," Nudge replied. "Put me back now, they need my help!"

"My, my, you really have annoyed him this time, haven't you?" The She said, impressed. "First, tell me what you've done with _them_?"

"Don't worry, I put them somewhere safe. Somewhere even you won't be able to find them. You said things would work best if no-one meddled with them. I figured that included you."

"You figure too much. Bring them to me now; they will need my protection," The She demanded.

"No!" Nudge replied. "I don't trust you entirely either. If you hadn't trusted the Aelfin in the first place, we wouldn't be in this mess now. This way, there can be no interference, and that's how it's supposed to work."

"Hmmmm," The She mused. "Maybe, just maybe, you are right in this. The only problem I have, is that you know where they are. What's to stop you meddling?"

"You'll just have to trust me," Nudge said, feeling he now had the advantage in the matter.

"Oh I think not." A white light suddenly glowed in the darkness, and a delicate female hand appeared out of the center of the light. Before the startled Nudge could react, the hand touched him gently on the forehead. "There, that should do it." The hand pulled back, the light faded, and total darkness returned.

"What have you done?" Nudge demanded.

"Evened things up a bit. I don't know where they are, and now neither do you," The She replied, smugly.

"What!" Nudge exclaimed.

"Go on. Try to think about where you put them. Go on," The She really did sound quite pleased with herself.

"What have you done to me?" Nudge asked, worriedly. "I can think about them as a concept, but I can't remember anything else about them. My mind is a blank."

"I could have used a simple block, but the enemy is out there, and he is definitely angry with you. If he got his hands on you, he wouldn't be as gentle as I am. He would rip the information out of you, and leave you drooling like a baby sucking an orange. I have permanently wiped any recent knowledge of them from your memory."

Nudge shuddered. "They are truly on their own, then?"

"They are for now. Help will come to them, as prophesied, as will hardships and enemies," The She replied, with certainty.

"And what of the Aelfin?" Nudge asked. He knew that if The She desired it, time had no meaning in this place. He still worried, though. The She's grasp of time was a little flakey. If he were to save the two Aelfin from a fiery death, The She would have to put him back at the exact point in time, from where She had taken him.

"Yes, what indeed? Whatever are they up to? They withdrew hundreds of years ago, and have kept themselves totally removed from events. Their king was so against his people getting involved."

"I should at least go and make sure they're safe," Nudge said.

"After your last encounter with the Aelfin, do you really think it wise? Hasn't the Aelf king declared you the number one enemy of the Aelfin?" The She chided.

"We both know that was necessary. If I hadn't acted, _you_ would have had to find another way. I don't like taking the blame, but there was no other choice, at the time."

"Yes, well, off you go, then. It wouldn't do for the king's sons to fall into the enemy's hands, at this point in events. Just one more thing...," Again, the white light glowed brightly in the darkness, and again the delicate female hand emerged to touch Nudge on the forehead. "Forget them completely, and forget this meeting."

⚔

Nudge shook his head, as some vague thoughts slipped from his grasp, like sand through open fingers. Try as he might, he couldn't remember what he had just been doing. Glancing around he saw the two unconscious Aelfs slumped against a burning hut. An enraged scream pierced the night air, jolting him back into the moment. The Demon Lord was here, and he sounded very put out. He needed to get the Aelfin away from here.

The ground shook, as something huge landed on a nearby hut. The hut exploded into kindle, blasting Nudge through the air, to fall next to the unconscious Aelfin.

A monstrous figure uncoiled from the debris of the shatter remains of the hut.

This wasn't the first time Nudge had battled the Demon Lord, and he knew it probably wouldn't be the last. He also knew he didn't need to stay for a fight. While the details were fuzzy, he knew he had done whatever it was he needed to do here. He could and should, just leave.

Nudge's face contorted with hatred, as he stared into the fearsome face of his old enemy. "You ugly, pig faced freak," he spat, venomously. Rolling over to the unconscious Aelfs, he threw an arm around each of them, and triggered his travel trick. All three vanished with a quiet whuff.

⚔

As far as Demons went, Bajii was a large one, perhaps the largest. He was red scaled, and had a pig like tusked face, with a human torso and goat's legs. He stood as tall as a house, and was as angry as a Demon can get.

The Demon Lord, Bajii, stretched out of the wreckage of the hut, and bellowed in unearthly rage. He had chased Nudge, and the mother to be, for many weeks. Yet, somehow, Nudge had kept one step ahead of him. Bajii scoured the remains of the village, seeking signs of life. They had been here; he could smell them.

Bajii snorted in disappointment, there was no life left here. Raising his arms, he made an angry gesture. In response, Demon fire sprayed in all directions, igniting every hut with hissing and spitting flames.

⚔

Nudge dropped the pair of unconscious Aelfin in some bushes, near the outskirts of the ancestral home of the Aelfin people, Aelfinholme. They would wake up with sore heads, which they would no doubt blame on him, and add to his list of crimes.

Nudge sighed. Sadly, Maple and Cricket would never know he had saved their lives. He had pulled them out of there just in time. The Demon Lord had arrived in person, something he almost never did. Bajii normally threw things from a distance, or forced one of his underlings to do the dangerous work.

Now that the Demon Lord was out and about, Nudge couldn't just leave Bajii free to roam this world. He had a responsibility to send the Demon back to his own realm. Reminding himself that this was how he served The Purpose, he prepared himself mentally, and made the jump back to the village.

⚔

The Demon Lord turned and grunted, as a blast of frozen air smacked into his backside with the force of a lightning bolt. Sprawling forward on hands and hooves, Bajii howled with rage. Another blast smashed into the Demon Lord's rear, knocking him onto his stomach.

This really was too much for Bajii to take. He was, after all, the foremost Demon of the Second Circle. He was a king amongst Demons, and he was the most feared being in his realm.

Waves of blistering heat rolled out from the Demon Lord, as he staggered back to his hoofed legs. The remaining huts, until now spared damage from the Chasing Fire, exploded outward in a fire flash of blinding strength. Standing shakily, Bajii searched the now completely flattened village for some sign of his attacker.

A blast of blue, frozen air streaked downwards, striking the Demon Lord on the top of the head, eliciting another bellow of rage. The force of the blow smashed the Demon Lord into the soaked ground, burying his goat legs up to the knees.

Nudge appeared, as if from nowhere, about twenty yards from the Demon Lord. His disgust and hatred of the enormous and hideous Demon surged through him, enflaming his lifelong ambition to destroy the beast, who had been pillaging his realm for decades.

Bajii struggled against the constraining earth, striving to get his hairy legs out of the mud.

Striding forward, his robes flaring, Nudge readied himself for the killing blow. "Well...," he stared his farewell speech.

A purple imp, a sort of minor Demon, hopped up behind Nudge, smacking him in the back of the head with a huge bone.

Nudge fell forward lifelessly, splatting into the soggy ground. The rain that had been falling in a steady torrential downpour, suddenly stopped.

The purple imp danced a little jig. "Got him for ya boss!" he squealed. "Got him, real good!"

Bajii let out a triumphant roar, followed by a deep chuckle. Pulling his legs painfully out of the mud, he strode forward quickly to grab the imp. Without any hesitation, the Demon Lord lifted the imp to his mouth, and bit its head off.

While chewing contemplatively on the imp's head, the Demon Lord sized up Nudge, who was lying face down on the soggy ground. A huge smile spread across his ugly pig face. Nudge was still breathing. The imp hadn't killed him.

The imp still had to die, though. If the imp had told any of the other major Demons what had happened, Bajii would have to spend the rest of his time fighting his own kind, to prove his continued strength.

Nudge had hurt the Demon Lord badly, and Bajii had expended a vast amount of energy in crossing into this realm, to chase Nudge and the woman across the countryside. It would be a few years before he would be able to build up enough strength to return to this realm again.

The woman was dead. Bajii could sense her body in the remains of one of the huts. She had given birth, but the offspring were no longer here. He had failed to capture the prize that would ensure his victory in the coming confrontation, but as luck would have it, the solution to that particular problem lay at hand. The Demon Lord scooped up Nudge in one huge hand, walked to the middle of the now flattened and burned out village, and vanished.

⚔

Silence hung over the destroyed village. Nothing moved. There wasn't even a hint of a breeze.

A faint light suddenly glowed, where Nudge had lain. The light pulsed gently and moved about the burned-out village, as if looking for something. The light found the spot where the Demon Lord had disappeared and stopped.

A soft female voice, with more than a hint of worry in it, said, "Oh dear, that wasn't supposed to happen."

The End of Part One

The Adventures of Paddy and Seamus continue in The Broken Angel
