 
# The Keeper and the Rune Stone

_ _

by Paige W. Pendleton
Smashwords Edition

Copyright __ © 2012 by Paige W. Pendleton

Pig Wing Press

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in articles and reviews.

The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

# Table of Contents

Dedication

Acknowledgements

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty One

Chapter Twenty Two

Chapter Twenty Three

Chapter Twenty Four

About the Author

About the Artist

Appendix

# Dedication

_The Keeper and the Rune Stone is dedicated with love_

_To my own E and F, and their father._

# Acknowledgements

Without the kindness and support of many this book would still be a vexing idea.

My sister, Hillary, who immediately made reservations for us to go out and celebrate when my first draft was complete. She always has the best ideas. I love you. Toad Thief.

Thank you, Wilder Oakes, SP. Thank you for your joyful companionship, and for being the creative inspiration you are every day.

Terri Mackenzie, most tolerant friend and the first person not compelled by blood or marriage to read my first draft. She held a trembling sparrow and her gentle hand encouraged that weak bird to grow and become stronger.

Harvey Ardman. Lie? Lay? Thanks for being on call, Harvey. And then some (a lot of some).

Jeff Foltz. Your thoughtful critiques, encouragement, and constant support were so helpful. Thank you, she said.

Jen Blood. I am very much going to enjoy watching your ride. Thanks for helping me with mine.

The kindness and support is global. From the many, many contributors on Authonomy, but especially Alexander De Witte, Patricia Vandenburg, Suzanna Burke, and Rebecca Hamilton (who created a smashing trailer for The Keeper and the Rune Stone).

To those special first members of HP's writers' group: You know who you are, and you rock. You can't call me Paigeless anymore, and I am honored to join the ranks. Sharpie especially, for a gift that keeps on giving.

To the professionals who guided and shaped, gently: Nora Cohen, Judy Beatty, and Robb Grindstaff. Thank you. Very much.

To the professionals who contributed:

Cheryl Fallon, thank you for allowing me to use your masterpiece, Murderous Silhouette, when my poor work needed a face. I smile every time I look at it.

Thomas Block, cartographer extraordinaire. Thank you so much.

Audrey Lane, my target audience Beta Reader and a crackerjack critquer. I look forward to the books you will write.

Apryl, Shelly. Always in my corner Yes, let's. Anytime, and often.

Richard Gray, even if he's only in it for the pony.

Vern. The late night feed. Satie. The darkness. The laughter. This work knew all of those, often all at once. Tap, tap, tap, man. Thanks.

Brion Sausser at BookCreatives.com. Thank you.

And finally, I thank, deeply and with love, my husband Richard and my wonderful daughters, Ellie and Frances. My husband for his unfailing encouragement and steadfast support. For sitting down when I handed him the first draft and not moving until he'd read the entire MS. My daughters for waiting for me to finish a sentence, for their enthusiasm, and their ruthless critiques. For being. Without their input (and good coffee) this book would still be flopping around in my mind like a dead mackerel.

# Prologue

Even knowing he was dying, Lorik was strangely detached from the pain and the fear. He felt a fleeting sense of gratitude for this small mercy.

Fangs ripped and tore at his neck, devouring flesh and blood in the frenzied feed. Red-rimmed eyes rolled in sunken sockets, glazed over in the ecstasy of the kill.

The Dwarf's struggles were futile and he stopped fighting. Oddly transfixed, he watched his strength and life slip away with each swallow. Somehow he knew adrenaline and fear would have sweetened the taste of his blood, and there was victory in denying the monster that pleasure.

A last thought slid through his mind. No one would know what had happened to him, and he regretted this thing would be empowered by his carelessness.

As his hand relaxed in death, the treasure he clutched fell to the ground.

# Chapter One

Eleanor walked faster, taking deep breaths of the damp, salty air. Clouds flew across the flat gray sky and trees bent in the strong gusts. There was a storm coming in. Somehow it seemed fitting.

Home. A new home. Not home to the pretty little house on Pleasant Street where she'd lived all of her life. No, from now on the walk home would be much longer. Through the town of Camden, up the hill, and all the way out to the creepy old house perched at the end of Black Point. That was home now. As of today.

Eleanor had only been in the house once, right after her parents had signed papers, and she hadn't been impressed. Empty for thirty years, the house was grimy, cold, dank, and gloomy. Her parents had chirped and chattered about plans and renovations. The four Driscoll children had shared doubtful looks behind their backs. Eleanor had been relieved when they'd finally left. That was six months ago, right before Christmas. Then the workers began the renovations: plumbing and wiring, repairs, and painting. And cleaning--lots and lots of cleaning. Her mother hadn't let any of them see it. It was to be a surprise, she said.

Until today. Their first night in their new home, and everyone else was already home.

Eleanor's brothers had both been released from school earlier that morning, and Flora had complained of a stomachache so Eleanor's mother let her stay home. Eleanor had an upset stomach this morning, too, but she'd had to go to school. Nevertheless, Flora was the baby, or as Mum said, "She's only eight, you know."

_Hmm._

Eleanor reached the stone pillars and paused to read the inscription on the moss-covered plaque. _Black Ledge._ She looked up at the house, huge against the dark sky, and the wind moaned. Eleanor shivered. She clutched her coat tightly around her and started up the drive.

As she approached the stone steps, the front door blew open.

"Eleanor! What took you so long?" Flora ran down the steps, grabbed Eleanor's arm, and pulled her through the arched doorway into the foyer. She didn't wait for Eleanor to answer, but rushed on, "Wait until you see our bedrooms--they are on our own little hallway--Mummy says it's an _alcobe_ --with its own doors--and we have our own bath--we don't have to share with the boys. Come and see." Flora turned and hollered, "Eleanor's home."

Rob beckoned from a doorway down the hall. "Hey, Eller. We're down here. Jack, too. In the library. We already have a fire going. You're not going to believe what Mum's done with this place."

"Come on, Eleanor." Flora tugged on her arm.

Eleanor's mother stepped into the foyer. "Girlth ... hold on," she paused to remove the nail between her teeth and set down the hammer. "Welcome to our new home, Eleanor. What do you think?"

Eleanor stood back and looked around. It certainly wasn't the same house she'd been in six months ago. Though still huge, bright and cheery had replaced dark and gloomy. French doors led onto a flagstone terrace on the waterside of the house, letting in lots of light even on this gray day. In the foyer, a vase on the round claw foot table overflowed with spring flowers. The warmth and scent of lemon oil replaced the musty dampness she remembered. It smelled like home.

She hugged her mother. "I think it's great. I wish Katy could see it." Eleanor's best friend spent summers with her father. She'd left right after school to catch her flight.

"Katy will be back before you know it," her mother assured her.

"Come onnn!" Flora grabbed Eleanor's arm again and dragged her down the hall.

"Tell Jack to stay off the ladder," their mother called after them.

They entered a room with more French doors overlooking the terrace, but bookshelves lined the other walls, floor to ceiling. The dark wood glowed from the fresh polish and the light from the fireplace.

Her brother Jack, halfway up a ladder with wheels, rolled along the length of the wall. He grinned at her. "Hey El, check this out. It glides without making a sound." When the ladder stopped at one end of the room, he shoved off and rolled back toward the other. "Where you been, anyway? We've been waiting _and waiting_ for you to get home so we can check this place out. It's beyond cool. Nine bedrooms, and that's not even counting the wing! Each set of bedrooms is in its own alcove with their own bathroom. Rob and I have one set. You and Flora have another. Mum and Dad have the big corner room, and Dad has the room across from it for a study. And ... there are still guest rooms, too."

Flora added, "And our bedrooms have fireplaces! All of 'em!"

"How do you know all of this if you waited for me?" Eleanor asked.

"Well, okay," Jack said. "We checked out our rooms. But that's it. Rob made us wait 'til you got home."

She should have known Rob would. At fourteen, he was the oldest, and considerate. Not that Jack wasn't, but at twelve, sometimes his enthusiasm outweighed his patience, especially when waiting for his sisters. What patience he did have, he afforded Flora--he did not have as much for his older sister.

Squashed between Rob and Jack, sometimes Eleanor wished she could swap places with Flora. Have some sibling breathing room. Rob liked to lecture, and Jack liked to pester, but Eleanor just wanted to be left alone. At least now she'd have her own room.

Their mother appeared in the doorway. "I'll be in the kitchen. I'd prefer you stay inside because it's getting nasty out. Get _off_ the ladder, Jack!"

A sharp gust of wind punctuated her words, and the old doors rattled as they struggled to keep the storm out.

"Let's start upstairs," Flora urged.

They climbed the grand staircase, stopped on the middle landing, and looked out the window. All were quiet, each absorbing that this huge old estate was really their new home. But just for a moment. Then they grinned at each other, and ran the rest of the way up the stairs.

"All the way down to the left is Mummy and Daddy's room. These are Jack and Robby's rooms." Flora sounded as if she were giving a guided tour of a museum, pausing at the doors to welcome them in with a sweep of her hand.

Set into a keystone-topped archway, each door revealed an alcove with three more doors: two bedrooms and a bathroom in between. Eleanor poked her head in each room. Both bedrooms had twin four-poster beds, two bureaus, and a desk between the windows.

In Rob's room, shelves had been built under the windows for his books. His old typewriter held a spot of honor, displayed on an antique table, but a new laptop and printer sat on his desk.

"Awesome," he murmured.

Jack's room was similar, but instead of bookshelves, a workbench ran under the windows for his models and contraptions. Special shelves and bins held his tools, glues, wire, and nuts and bolts. Wouldn't matter, though. They'd be all over the place as soon as Jack settled in. Eleanor's mother knew this, too. She'd placed a heavy canvas mat underneath to protect the wooden floors.

A new laptop sat on Jack's desk, too, which amused Eleanor. He wouldn't use it. He'd holler his questions to Rob.

"This is so cool," Jack said. "And did you see the size of the bathtub?"

"All the tubs are like that," Flora told him.

Eleanor sniffed. "Jack, do us a favor and get in the tub once in a while, would you? I am _so_ glad I don't have to share a bathroom with you anymore."

"Look who's talking, Smellanor," Jack said.

Rob started down the hallway. "Come on, you guys. Let's check out the girlies' rooms."

They passed a large bedroom overlooking the front drive. It was furnished, but there were no personal possessions in it. Obviously a guest room.

Beside that room was a bank of doors. Eleanor opened one and found shelves for sheets, blankets, and towels. She tried the next and found it locked. Eleanor jiggled the knob, in case it was simply stuck, but it didn't budge. She looked around for a key. Nothing. Strange. Nothing had ever been locked in their home, not even her father's study.

"C'mon, El!" Flora called.

Eleanor frowned, but followed the others down the hall.

Like the boys' rooms, Flora and Eleanor's possessions had been unpacked.

Flora's books and toys lined her shelves. Her stuffed animals sat at small table with an old-fashioned teapot and cups, waiting for Flora to serve them.

Eleanor's room had a specially designed desk with a section that folded up to be an easel. All of her art supplies were there, as well as many new ones: charcoals, paints, brushes, and sketchbooks. And a new laptop, too, which unlike Jack, she would use.

Eleanor wanted to stay behind to check out her room, but the boys were already moving back into the hall.

"It sure doesn't look like the same place we saw before. Now I understand why everyone's so excited about Dad's new anti-viral drug." Jack grinned, rocking on his heels. "Basically it means we're rich."

Rob frowned and took a deep breath. "No, it doesn't _just_ mean we're rich."

Eleanor smiled to herself. Here comes the lecture.

"Dad's discovery will affect every aspect of modern medicine. _That_ is what all of the excitement is about. Dad has been working on this for years. It turns all of that research and work into something real that will affect real people's lives. A breakthrough like this has huge implications, Jack."

"Been memorizing the company press releases, Rob?" Jack said. "Whatever. I'm happy for Dad, I'm happy for modern medicine, and I'm happy we're rich. Come on, let's check out the wing." He turned around and stumbled over a book. He picked it up. "Hey. How did that get there?"

Rob grinned. "Watch your step, Grace." He headed down the hall.

The others followed him through a doorway. Once through, the appearance of the house changed. The hall was narrower, the bedrooms smaller. The plain trim around the doors and windows was more sufficient than decorative. Still, the seven small bedrooms and three small bathrooms which lined the corridor were clean and pleasant.

"Mum said it was originally for the servants," Jack said.

"Will we have servants?" Flora asked.

"You aren't serious?" Jack laughed. He pretended to look over his glasses and imitated his father. " _Chores build character_." He pulled her braid. "But have heart, they bought a new vacuum."

Eleanor said, "One with a big arrow that says, 'On/off button _here_ , Jack'."

Rob ignored them and told Flora, "Mum said Dad may invite a few of his students from the university to stay over school vacations and get some practical experience. He thinks this will give him the best chance to lure the best students to Driscoll Pharm before other companies get their hooks into them."

"Oh, baloney," Eleanor said. "Daddy likes having someone around to discuss stuff with."

"That too," Jack said. "But Mum'll appreciate having someone else around for Dad to discuss all that boring stuff with. Mum is taking some time off, too. At least the summer, while we get settled."

Eleanor's mother was a forensic odontologist, and worked for the medical examiner. Maybe dinner conversations would be more like normal families this summer, but Eleanor doubted it.

"She won't last the summer," Eleanor said. "Bet she agreed to be on call."

Rob laughed. "She _did_ agree to be on call!"

"Told you," Eleanor said.

Flora glanced wistfully out the window. "I wish we could go outside."

Rob said, "We can. Tomorrow. Let's go back down to the library and check the fire. I promised Flora I'd finish the chapter we were reading,"

He headed back through the doorway to the main part of the house. Jack and Flora followed and Eleanor brought up the rear. As she reached to shut off the hall light, she paused to examine the old two-button switch. She played with it for a moment, pushing the buttons off, and then on, their action interesting. As she turned the light on again, she caught a quick movement out of the corner of her eye.

She turned, but nothing was there. A shadow from the wind moving branches outside the window? Must've been.

She clicked the light off and hurried to catch her brothers and sister.

# Chapter Two

Even in her sleep, Eleanor was aware of her new bedroom. The wind was louder, the shadows were different, and Flora wasn't a few feet away quietly snoring. Yet when she woke in the morning, she felt rested and content, and couldn't wait to explore more of their new home.

The house was still quiet, though, so Eleanor burrowed farther down into her bed and looked around her new room. She smiled, pleased with her mother's choices. Much more sophisticated than the pink floral bedroom in their old house. Moreover, it was all hers. Privacy. Finally _._

Her door opened and Flora hurried in, holding her stuffed bunny, Bumper. "Oh good, you're awake," she said before she actually knew whether Eleanor was awake or not. "Let's get up."

"Do you realize almost everything you say starts with _let's_?" Eleanor said.

"Yeah. Let's go," Flora said.

Eleanor got out of bed, started to go to her bureau for clothes, and wasn't sure where her clothes were. Mum had organized well, though, and she quickly found her tee shirts and jeans where she expected.

She brushed her teeth and hurried to join Flora, who waited at the top of the staircase. They ran down and followed the sound of voices to the dining room. Their parents were seated at the table.

"Morning, girls." Dr. Driscoll smiled over the glasses on the end of his nose. His _newspaper in the morning glasses_ he could never find, so Eleanor's mother bought several pairs and placed a basket in the kitchen. If anyone saw glasses lying around they knew to pick them up and place them in the basket. Jack pointed out that this enabled bad behavior. Everyone else just did it.

"Ha! We beat 'em!" Flora said, not seeing her brothers at the table.

"I'm afraid not, dear. They're already down on the beach. Have a little breakfast and then you can join them. They promised they wouldn't disappear on you."

Eleanor and Flora each ate a muffin, washed them down with milk, and still swallowing, shoved their chairs back from the table and ran out onto the terrace.

Eleanor took in the view in front of her. Across the harbor, boats bobbed gently on their moorings. The water was still, and everything smelled fresh from the rains during the night. She spied the boys on the beach. "Hey!" she shouted and waved.

"About time you guys got up," Jack hollered. "What took you so long? Come on!"

"If you can't sleep late on the first day of summer vacation, when can you?"

"When you're dead," Jack said. "We've been waiting and waiting. Come _on_!"

Eleanor and Flora ran down the stone steps from the lawn to the beach. Rob waded around, studying little tide pools. Jack stood in front of a pit in the rocky sand.

"Place your bets, folks. Pick the fastest crab." He swept his hand over the pit. Inside the shallow hole were about ten green crabs.

"Neat. Where'd you get those?" Flora scooped one up to study.

"Careful. Hold it from behind so you don't get pinched." Jack took the crab and repositioned it in her hand. "They're under the seaweed next to the rocks. This one's name is Crabble-rouser. He's ornery. He picks fights."

Eleanor picked one up. "This one have a name?"

"Crabmatic. Not much of a fighter--he's too busy studying everything around him. Get it? Pragmatic? I suppose I could have named him Rob."

Eleanor grinned.

Flora dropped her crab back in the pit. "Let's build a sandcastle,"

"Sandcastles are for girls," Jack said. "Let's get some of the driftwood lying around and build a fort in the rocks."

"Sandcastles are for girls?" Eleanor said. "Evolve already."

Jack, however, had already started down the beach, so Eleanor and Flora followed.

"You coming, Rob?" Flora asked.

Rob didn't look up. "Nah, you guys go ahead. I'll catch up."

The beach in front of the lawn had a sandy swimming area, but to the sides, great ledges rose upward, worn smooth by centuries of wind and water.

The kids climbed the ledges and followed the rocks down the beach. Pockets in the rocks sprouted goose grass and delicate beach roses, and the crevices were filled with odd shells and beach glass from extra high tides over the years. Eleanor turned to climb down into one of the larger spaces between the ledges. As she did, she glanced at the house and saw her father in an upstairs window. She waved for him to come down, but he didn't seem to see her. She waved again, but he'd disappeared from view.

"Hey! Hey guys! Come check this out," Flora yelled. "Hey Rob, come here!"

Eleanor scrambled back up. Flora, a few hundred feet away, waved frantically. Eleanor waited for Rob to catch up, and they hurried over to Flora. Jack was nowhere to be seen.

"Where's Jack?" Eleanor asked.

"In there," Flora said, pointing at the rocks. "He found something. Some sort of cave."

Rob looked all around, puzzled. "I don't see anything."

"I know. It's sorta hidden. You have to walk completely by it to see it. Come on!" Flora said. She took a few steps down the beach, against the rock face, and disappeared.

Rob and Eleanor followed. Barely noticeable, even if one was looking, was a space in the rocks. They squeezed through the opening into a narrow stone corridor and followed it a few feet farther. The corridor widened to a large cavern faintly illuminated in soft silvery light.

"What is this place?" Eleanor whispered.

"I don't know," Jack said. His voice echoed throughout the stone space.

The rough stone walls rose straight to a ceiling of smoother rock. The floor of the cavern was hard-packed sand, and although the faint sound of running water echoed, it was dry. As their eyes became accustomed to the shadowy interior, they noticed a strange pearly, iridescent rock covered the walls.

"How did you find this?" Eleanor asked.

"I don't know," Jack said. "I walked right by it the first time. Then I turned around to see where Flora was, and I noticed the crack in the rocks. If I hadn't been standing right next to it, I would've missed it. The outer rock conceals it almost completely. Let's see where it goes."

"Do you think it's safe? What if the tide comes in?" Rob glanced toward the entrance.

"The tide's high now, and this place is pretty dry," Jack said. "Maybe the girls should stay here, so if we don't come back they can tell someone what happened to us."

"Nice try, Jack," Eleanor countered. "I'm going with you guys, and I doubt Flora wants to stay here all by herself. Why don't you leave your sweatshirt outside the entrance? In case someone comes looking for us."

"You training to be an Eagle Scout or something?" Jack asked, but he pulled his sweatshirt off and slipped back through the stone corridor. He reappeared a moment later. "Okay, let's go."

The cavern narrowed slightly toward the rear. They didn't speak. The quietness of the cavern, much like an empty church, made one want to whisper. The soft light illuminated their way. At the rear of the cavern, they discovered a large flat rock with writing carved onto its face.

Rob read the inscription slowly to the others.

Know all ye

who enter here

to pass this stone

without fear

Ye must navigate

a humble quest

revealing thy honor

and truth possessed

If ye prevail

ye may pass

if ye fail

take heed, alas

The heavens will darken

thunder will roll

the bowels of earth

will claim your soul

Rob swallowed as he read the final line. They stared at the stone, silent for several moments.

Eleanor found her voice first. "What does _that_ mean?"

"Nothing. It just keeps nosy Humans away," an amused voice answered.

# Chapter Three

Startled, the children looked around the cavern. On a narrow shelf of rock above their heads sat an odd little man. He had curly dark hair, and brown eyes twinkled in his lined face. He was only about a foot tall, and dressed in old-fashioned clothes: breeches and boots, with a long, elegant cloak over his shoulders.

Without warning, he levitated from the ledge and floated down before them. As he descended, he grew in size until he was Rob's height, and two small wings protruding from his back became visible. His wings moved back and forth lazily until he reached the ground, and then stilled. A pulse of light thrummed through them every moment or so, much like a fine ribbon of liquid tinsel. Then his wings disappeared with a small _POP_.

They stared at the diminutive man, stunned.

The little man stared back at them, amused.

Eleanor whispered the first thing that came to mind. "Are you a fairy?"

"Gracious, no!" He laughed, as if she'd asked if he was a trout. "I'm a Keeper."

"What?" Jack said.

"I'm a Keeper," he repeated. "Of the Realm. My name is Camedon."

"Ah, yeah." Rob pulled Flora to him. "Come on, let's get out of here."

The man held his hands in the air to stop them. "Let me explain--"

As Jack followed Rob and Flora, he imparted a warning over his shoulder. "This beach is private property. You better be gone by the time our parents get here."

"You must be Jack," Camedon said.

That stopped the kids.

Jack turned, eyes narrowed. "How do you know my name?" He looked around the cavern as if he expected someone to jump out at them. "Is this some kind of prank?"

"No prank," the man said. "I told you, I am a Keeper of the Realm. I know all about you. Each of you."

"Yep. Uh-huh. Let's go, you guys. Get Dad." Jack turned toward the entrance.

But Rob hesitated. "Hang on, Jack."

Rob's struggle played across his face, which Eleanor recognized because she was having the same one. Her better judgment told her to leave, but she couldn't dismiss what she'd just seen, either. She waited to see what Rob would decide.

Rob looked around the cavern again, frowning as his eyes passed the cryptic warning, and the strange Being--who'd just _flown_ --before them. He studied the Keeper, unflinching and hard. There was nothing threatening or dangerous about him. At all.

The Keeper didn't push, but allowed Rob to make up his mind. Camedon stepped back and leaned against the wall. A tiny glowing star appeared in his hand. He bounced it idly from one fingertip to another.

Rob's curiosity won. "What's a Realm?" he asked. "What are you talking about?"

Eleanor let out the breath she didn't realize she'd been holding.

Jack rolled his eyes, disgusted with both of them.

The Keeper straightened, and the star on his fingertips disappeared with a tiny _POP_. "Human Beings are not the only intelligent life in the world." He smiled. "They just think they are."

Jack sidled closer to the conversation. "What else is there?"

"All sorts. You've heard of many in fairy tales. Elves, Dwarves, Fae, Water Sprites ..." the Keeper's voice trailed off.

"How come Humans aren't aware of this so-called Realm?" Jack pressed.

"They used to be--they used to be _part_ of the Realm," the Keeper said. "Thousands of years ago. Most of your myths are stories from that time."

"What changed?" Rob asked.

"As science and technology advanced, Humans pulled away from the natural order. Eventually all interaction ceased to exist, and with it, awareness. Memories and stories of the Realm became nothing more than fairy tales." The little man held out his hand. "Let's try this again. My name is Camedon."

The kids looked to each other. The silence became awkward, but Camedon simply waited.

_Take his hand._

Eleanor cautiously extended her hand. "I'm Eleanor Driscoll, and this is my sister Flora, and my brothers, Rob and Jack."

Jack stayed Eleanor's hand before it connected with the man's. "Wait. Camedon? What kind of name is Camedon, anyway? It sounds like the name of a ... _our_ town."

"Yes," the man admitted with a sheepish smile. "You'll have to excuse an old man's lack of imagination, and perhaps a touch of vanity. The town needed a name. I was here. No one else was yet, and I thought, why not? Over the years, though, it became Camden--easier to say, I suppose." He didn't appear to approve of the name change.

Jack raised his eyebrows. "Riiight." He turned to leave, guiding Flora with him, and said to Rob and Eleanor, "Let's get out of here."

Rob followed.

Eleanor stood, eying Camedon's offered hand.

_Take it!_

She shoved her hand forward into the Keeper's.

As their hands touched, a cool tingling started at her fingertips and moved up her arm. The pleasant sensation continued past her shoulder, radiated through her body, and up to her head. As it passed her eyes, she blinked, and everything changed, as if someone had turned on a light.

Crisper and clearer, everything had much more detail. The colors of her brothers' and sister's clothes radiated with a depth and richness Eleanor had never seen. She could hear better, too. It was as if, until now, she'd had a fuzzy radio station, and finally found a clear signal. She frowned at Camedon, puzzled.

He smiled back, nodding in encouragement and reassurance.

Rob turned to make sure Eleanor was behind him and saw the silent exchange. He strode back to Eleanor. "What just happened? What did you do to her? Jack!" He reached out and pulled Eleanor's hand from the Keeper's.

Eleanor winced. Much louder, Rob's voice hurt her ears. "I'm not ... sure," she said.

"Eleanor is fine. When she took my hand, it reawakened the gifts her soul has forgotten," explained Camedon. "She's regained Sight and Sound. Her Voice, too."

Rob grabbed Eleanor's shoulder and started to pull her backward, but Flora ducked under his arm. Jack reached to stop her, but he wasn't fast enough. Flora grabbed Camedon's hand with her own.

"Ohhh," she exclaimed as the feeling washed over her.

Rob and Jack watched, alarmed.

After a few moments, Flora gave Eleanor a broad smile. "Cool."

Eleanor nodded, smiling, too.

Camedon said to Jack and Rob, "See? They're fine." He extended his hand to Rob.

Rob glanced at Eleanor, and she said, "It's okay. Really. Go on."

He reached for the Keeper's hand and then hesitated. He turned to Jack, still unsure. Finally, Jack shrugged.

Each boy took the Keeper's hand, cautiously, and shook it. Puzzled frowns replaced suspicion as their senses were awakened and the strange new sensations washed over them, too.

Rob spoke first. "What is this place?"

"This cavern's a magical spot, and seeing as you found it so quickly, it seemed a good place to awaken your senses."

"You used the word 'gifts' before," Jack pointed out.

"Senses, gifts--same thing, really. Heightened senses are the Humans' special gifts. You will see how powerful they are as you learn to use them."

"I don't get it," Jack said.

"It's been so long since Humans needed or used their heightened senses, those senses have become dormant. Humans miss most of what goes on around them. But yours are restored now. You can see and hear an entire reality you were oblivious to yesterday. You need to learn how to control them. If not, you'll have sensory overload when you step out of this cave. It takes practice, but it's the difference between glancing at something and studying it closely."

"And if we decide we don't want heightened senses?" Rob asked. "What if we decide we liked life better before?"

"No problem. Poof, and it's goodbye to your awakened senses, your knowledge of the Realm, and any memory of this meeting. But I don't think you are going to prefer your life before. I think you are going to like being _aware_."

"Aware?" Eleanor asked.

"We call Humans who've senses have been awakened, who know about the Realm, _aware_."

"So you _are_ a Fairy?" Jack insisted.

"I'm not Fae. I'm a Keeper," Camedon said. "Think of it as a diplomatic position within the Realm. We keep the peace, protecting the harmony of the Realm. It's why I'm here with you. We had to decide whether or not to reveal our presence to you. We've been watching you for a while, and we think you can be trusted with the knowledge of our existence. We made the decision to awaken your senses, but we never thought you'd discover this cavern so quickly. Well, the others didn't. I'm not surprised by your speedy discovery. And I must say, I'm glad you did. Saves time."

"But why us?" Rob asked, exchanging a look with Jack. They both had the same thought, and it showed on their faces. They weren't sure they liked the fact they'd been watched.

"You live here," the Keeper explained. "The point of land your home, Black Ledge, sits on is a special place, hallowed ground, if you will. There are places where the lines between your world and ours are easy to cross. There aren't many on the earth, but this cavern is one."

"And our home just happens to sit on it," Rob said.

"Your house was _built_ on it. I, on behalf of the Realm, gifted this land to two Humans in gratitude and appreciation. Hazel Harkins and Oliver Black. They built your splendid home, Black Ledge, and lived a happy life here, raising their daughter Charlotte. But that's another story for another day. We are pressed for time."

Eleanor interrupted. "Wait. Is Hazel and Oliver's daughter Mrs. Bradford? The lady at the library who tells all those great stories? I knew the house was in her family--" Eleanor paused as pieces fell together. "Hey, you aren't saying all of those stories she's been telling at story hour all these years are real, are you? The ones about Hazel and Oliver. About ... those of the Realm?"

Camedon nodded, pleased Eleanor had made the connection. "Yes. Charlotte Bradford was indeed Charlotte Black until she married, and the stories Charlotte has entertained children with for thirty years are true stories. Very good. Anyway, the Realm owed her parents, Oliver and Hazel, a profound debt of gratitude, and that's how Black Ledge came to be on this particular spot. And yes, Charlotte Bradford is _aware_ of the Realm. She grew up _aware._ "

"What did they do?" Flora asked.

"The story needs more time than I can give it right now. I still need to teach you about controlling your senses."

"One more question," Jack said. "Why?"

Camedon tilted his head. "Why what?"

"Why awaken our senses? I don't get it. What's in it for you?"

Eleanor cringed at his rude questions. "Jack."

Camedon merely smiled and waved his hand. "It's fine. Jack's candor is refreshing. I realize this is quite amazing to all of you." Camedon was thoughtful for a moment and then admitted, "And Jack is right. This isn't just a _welcome to the neighborhood_ visit."

# Chapter Four

Jack shot Eleanor the superior look. "I knew it!"

"Will you two simmer down?" Rob said. He turned to the Keeper. "What do you mean?"

"I hoped to keep this simple today--introduce myself, awaken your senses, and help you to begin using them. There will be time later to explain everything to you."

Jack started to speak but the Keeper silenced him.

"No, Jack, I insist. There's a Gathering of the Elders tomorrow, and they'll want to meet you. I know this all seems strange and confusing now, but I promise everything will make more sense later. Right now we must stay on track. Before you leave this cavern, you must be able to control your senses. I have a couple exercises which will teach you to focus. Help you learn how to control the input. Let's see now ..." Camedon took a smidgeon of dust out of his waistcoat pocket. He sprinkled it into the air before him and murmured, " _Clavario venio_."

A diminutive grand piano appeared, suspended in the air next to Camedon. The kids drew a collective gasp of surprise.

"Lovely, isn't it? In a minute, I'm going to command this piano to play. I want you to hear the music, but not _listen_ to it, if you know what I mean. It will be hard, because it will sound lovelier than any music you've ever heard. However, here's the thing. I want you to concentrate on a different task while it is playing. Are you ready? All right, _Psallo_ ," he commanded the instrument and it started to play softly.

Music resonated throughout the cavern. Richer, clearer, each note alone captivated, but combined the notes became something entirely different. The music ebbed and flowed, grew and changed, almost as if the composition itself was alive. It's magnificence consumed Eleanor.

Camedon let them experience it for several moments, and then spoke. "Now, I want you to think of an animal whose name begins with the first letter of your own name and draw it in the sand. Focus."

He watched as they concentrated on the assigned task. Flora bent over and began her drawing first. It took several minutes for the others to concentrate and decide, let alone scratch a rudimentary stick figure, but they did.

"That was harder than I thought," Eleanor said. "Hey, nice bunny, Jack. Oh, wait, maybe it's a Jabbit? Brilliant." She laughed.

"It's a jackrabbit, Einstein." Jack pointed at her drawing. "Is that an elephant, or a flying boat? Hey, check out Flora's fish. Nice."

Then Jack burst into laughter at Rob's picture.

Rob shrugged. "I couldn't decide between a rat and a rhino."

"Don't be surprised if Flora has an easier time with this than the rest of you," Camedon said. "The younger children are when they're made _aware_ , the easier it is for them to become accustomed to their heightened senses. Similar to learning a new language, I'm sure. Rob, you'll have to practice more, but you'll be fine. Let's try something else." He waved his hand, and the piano disappeared. He took another pinch of dust from his waistcoat and sprinkled it in the air.

" _Lumina Venia,"_ he intoned.

A mirrored disco ball appeared above Camedon's head. "I love these things. Now, this time I want you to recite the nursery rhyme, 'Mary Had a Little Lamb.' Hold on," he twirled his finger in the air and the ball started spinning. A thousand shimmering lights reflected on the walls, lighting up the cave with every sparkling color imaginable. "Ready? Please begin."

Flora's voice rang out, "Mary had a little lamb. Its fleece was white as snow."

One by one, her sister and brothers joined in, although they couldn't help but stare at the spinning globe, captivated. Eleanor had a fleeting vision of deer in headlights.

"Well done, well done. See? It gets easier every time. Let's try another task, shall we? A little trickier, I think. All right, now. A round of 'Row, Row, Row Your Boat.' Three rounds, please. Flora, you start. Then Eleanor, then the boys together."

"Row your boat?" Jack sounded pained. "What's next? Kum-bah-ya?"

"Rounds are great for concentration. And besides, I like them." Camedon beamed. "Now Flora, whenever you are ready."

"Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream," Flora sang.

Camedon turned to Eleanor.

"Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream," she echoed.

Camedon pointed to the boys with one hand while he kept his other hand in the air in front of the girls, conducting in an exaggerated fashion.

They sang in a less-than-enthusiastic mumble, but they did sing. Jack tried to mess Rob up by singing Flora's lines, but he messed himself up instead, and the song turned into a garbled mess of laughter.

"You see, singing is good. Now again, but focus. Flora?" Camedon pointed to the littlest Driscoll.

They made it through all three rounds with only a few mistakes and much less giggling. They faltered a few times, but Flora carried them, and they managed to continue.

"Very good!" Camedon clapped his hands in approval. "I think you're getting the hang of it. One more time!"

The kids just looked at him. Even Flora. They were done with the rounds.

"Oh, well. I suppose you have the picture. It's going to be overwhelming when you leave this cave. The colors will be brighter, the sounds richer. You'll have to practice focusing your attentions. Practice, practice, practice and then practice some more, because there are other aspects of your particular gifts to show you, and you must have command of your senses before we can move on. Tomorrow night, I'll collect you for the Gathering of the Elders."

"So at this meeting of the Elders," Jack said. "You'll answer all of our questions?"

"Yes, all will be explained to you. Ordinarily, your introduction to the Realm would be at a leisurely pace. Something grave has happened, however, and time is not a luxury we can accommodate. Tomorrow night, be on the beach at eight-thirty."

With that, he threw some dust over his head and disappeared in a shower of sparkles and a loud _POP_.

The kids stared at the spot where Camedon had stood a moment before.

"What just happened?" Rob asked.

_POP._ The Keeper reappeared. "One more thing. You will likely meet other Beings, even here on the point, but you are quite safe," he said, and then added, "on the point." _POP,_ and he was gone again.

"What about _off_ the point?" Rob said, frowning.

None of the others had an answer.

"Come on. Let's get out of here." Jack started toward the mouth of the cave. The others followed, Eleanor holding Flora's hand.

When they stepped from the cavern, sunlight twinkling on the surface of the water blinded them. Crashing waves thundered in their ears.

"Focus," Eleanor instructed. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The scents of the salt and the beach and the roses growing in the ledges filled her head.

"Wow," Rob whispered.

"Everything is so crisp and clear." Flora skipped off toward the house, not as affected as the older three.

"Hold up there, Flora!" Jack called her back. "We need to decide what, if anything, we are going to say about this. If we go up there, talking about small, winged men, Mum and Dad are going to ship us off to a mental hospital. I say we keep this to ourselves."

"You're right," Rob said. "They'd never believe us anyway. Let's wait and see what happens. Agreed?" He looked at his brother and sisters in turn.

Jack and Eleanor nodded their agreement. As usual, Flora ignored their conversation, but they knew she'd heard, and would do whatever the three older siblings decided. While Flora was younger, and appeared oblivious to what went on around her, she was utterly reliable.

A cackled voice screeched from the branch of an old spruce tree on the edge of the beach. "There's that assortment of waifs and strays that moved into the old house. Nasty little group of urchins. Our time of peace is over. Troubling times are on the horizon."

Another voice responded from a taller tree down the beach. "Sound the alert. Kids in residence. Boys. Boys. Boys and rocks. Boys and pellet guns. Spread the alarm." A crow rose from the tree and flew toward the woods, her voice fading into the distance.

"Did you hear that? Were those crows _talking_?" Rob started toward the tree without waiting for an answer.

Flora ran ahead. "Excuse me, oh, excuse me. Ma'am? Were you just talking about us?" Flora yelled up into the tree.

"Lord love a crow. You're special ones." The crow squinted her beady eyes, studying them. Then she turned her head back to the woods and cawed loudly, "Enid, come on back. They're _aware_. False alarm. False alarm. Enid!" She stared off into the distance for a few moments, her head at an angle. Finally she ruffled her feathers, settled back onto the branch, and returned her attention to the kids. "Sorry about that, I didn't know. I am assuming, because you're _aware_ , you're not dangerous. My name is Agnes. Do not disappoint me. No rock throwing. No pellet guns. And some food periodically in the winter would be nice." She cackled again. "Well, well. What is this? First time you've understood us, heh?"

Jack didn't care for the crow's lecture. "None of us have ever thrown a rock or a stick at an animal."

"Touchy little cuss, aren't you? Well, time will tell what you're made of. In the meantime, look sharp. Trouble's upon us." She flew off toward the woods.

"Why didn't Camedon mention this about our heightened senses? Imagine, being able to understand animals!" Eleanor couldn't keep the excitement out of her voice.

Delight spread across their faces as it occurred to them what this really meant. What life would be like now.

"I thought it would be fun for you to discover it yourselves." Camedon sat on the branch the old crow had just left. "Good advice, too. Agnes is always to the point. Look sharp. I'll see you on the beach tomorrow night." He disappeared with another _POP_.

"All of these cryptic words, and then, _poof_ , gone," Jack said. "Could drive you a bit nutty."

Rob started across the beach. "We might as well check out the rest of the old place. I'm intrigued now. But I'm hungry. Let's stop at the house and make some sandwiches to take with us."

"Hungry? Again? You just had breakfast," Eleanor said.

"No, _you_ just ate breakfast. We ate hours ago," Rob said.

Flora peered into the dark forest. "Better pack some extra sandwiches."

# Chapter Five

Rob placed their dishes in the sink. "So what'll it be? Barn, carriage house, woods, or boathouse?"

"Let's check out one of the buildings," Flora suggested.

"Which one?" Jack said dryly.

They all grinned. Which one, indeed.

"Let's check out the rest of the house," Eleanor said. "We can start in the basement and work our way up. I am looking for a box of my stuff, anyway."

"I don't want to look for your stuff," Jack said.

"It'll only take a minute. Come on."

"How do you _get_ to the basement?" Rob asked.

"There's a door by the kitchen. Maybe that's it," Eleanor said.

Flora spoke up. "That goes to a wine cellar. You have to go outside to get to the real cellar. The big one."

Jack raised his eyebrow. "How do you know?"

Flora grinned. "Yesterday? When I stayed home? Mum sent the movers down with the empty boxes."

Jack tugged her braid. "Oh! The day you faked sick. Yeah, that's right."

"I wasn't faking," Flora said, sticking her chin out.

"Of course you weren't. Faker," Jack said.

"Come on, you guys. Show us, would you, Florie?" Eleanor asked.

"Yeah, c'mon." Flora led them from the pantry, through the kitchen, and out the door. She headed to a wooden door by the corner of the house. When she opened it the kids saw a set of cement steps that descended to another wooden door. She paused and peered into the shadows, checking the ceiling.

"Whatcha doin'?" Rob asked.

"Checking for spiders," Flora said, eyes big.

Jack pushed past her. "Girls."

"Shut up, Jack," Eleanor said, and followed. She glanced up as they went down the stairs.

At the bottom, Jack wrestled the old wooden door open and looked around for a light. One bare bulb hung on a chain a few feet inside the basement. He stepped forward and, standing on his tiptoes, pulled it on.

The ceiling wasn't very high, but the cavernous space under the house yawned out before them. The widest part was under the main part of the house, but to their left another piece ran under the kitchen and the wing, forming a Y. Every few feet, a light bulb hung from a chain.

"The box I want probably has my name on it," Eleanor said.

Jack grinned. "So we are looking for a box labeled--"

Rob cut him off. "Why don't Eller and I take this side? You and Flora search this side."

Taking in all of the old furniture and packing boxes, Jack muttered, "Great. The side with all the junk."

"Meet in the middle," Rob said.

Rob started checking the first pile of empty boxes. Eleanor checked behind the furnace, not expecting to find anything, but she checked anyway.

Someone belched.

"That was gross, Jack," Eleanor said.

"Wasn't me. Excuse yourself, Florie."

"Don't blame your revolting behavior on Flora," Eleanor said.

Before Jack could argue, Flora shrieked.

Eleanor spun around. Flora pointed at an old sofa, holding a tattered blanket in her other hand. She backed away from what she'd just seen.

"Did a mouse jump you, Florie?" Jack chuckled and walked to the sofa. Just before he reached it he lurched back. "Holy Hell!"

Rob and Eleanor hurried over. On the sofa, partially hidden by old newspapers, lay a small body.

"What is it?" Rob asked.

No one answered. Without warning the small form gave a gargling snort, and rolled over. Its eyes never opened.

"I think it's a man. Is it another Keeper?" Eleanor asked.

"Doesn't really look like the other one," Rob said. "This one looks like a ... bum. A short one."

"Whatever it is, it's sleeping. I think." Jack crossed the cellar and grabbed a lacrosse stick. He came back and gently prodded the prone form.

The man swiped a hand where Jack had poked him, but didn't wake. Jack prodded him again, a bit harder. This time he sputtered and woke.

He didn't appear pleased. Eleanor moved Flora farther back.

"I say! No need to wake a fellow. Best be a fire, sonny," he said, and pulled himself to an upright position. Shaggy, uneven bangs fell in his eyes. He fumbled around in the sofa until he found a cap, which he promptly stuffed on his head.

"Not proper, catching a man undressed and all," he muttered. He pulled a flask from the waistband of his grubby pants and took a long haul. A bit dribbled down his chin, which he wiped away with the back of his hand and scowled. "Who're you?"

"We live here. I think the better question is, who are you?" Jack leaned on the lacrosse stick.

The odd fellow looked around the cellar. " _Here?_ Huh. Funny we ain't never met afore. Well, you git yer own sofa. This here's mine."

Jack rolled his eyes. "Not _here_ , here." He pointed up to the house above them. "Up there. This is our house."

"Ahhh. Well, good 'nuff. Plenty room fer us all." The small man made to lie back down.

"Wait! You can't stay here," Rob said.

"Don't see why not. I was here first, right?"

"But we live here," Rob said.

"Greedy, ain't ya? Well I ain't leaving," the small man said, crossing his arms over his chest.

Jack tried a different tact. "How long have you been here?"

The scruffy little man frowned and thought for a moment. "Oh, must be nigh on thirty years now. The little lady gave me the boot, good and proper, right? Been here ever since."

"But our parents aren't _aware_ ," Eleanor pointed out.

"Oh, that ain't no problem. Humans can't see us Halflings unless they have _the knowledge_ , right? Don't you worry none. They won't bother me a bit."

Jack snorted. Eleanor and Rob exchanged glances. They weren't worried about their parents bothering him.

"What's your name? And what _are_ you, anyway?" asked Jack.

"My name is Ralph, right? I'm a Goblin. Not to be confused with them uppity Hobs. I tend the gardens 'round here." His eyes narrowed. "Who wants to know?"

"I'm Rob, and these are my sisters Eleanor and Flora, and my brother Jack," Rob said.

"You stay outta my gardens, and off'n my sofa, an' we'll git on jes' fine," Ralph said. "Now, if you'll 'scuse me, I was havin' my nap." He lay down and rolled his back to them. The pointed toe of his worn shoe caught a hole in the cushion, and he thrashed for a moment before he freed it. A few pieces of batting wafted into the air.

Jack turned to Eleanor. "Do you really need that box? Today?"

"No. Not really."

"Let's get out of here," Rob suggested.

They shut off the lights and headed out, carefully closing the door behind them.

When they reached the lawn at the top of the stairs, Jack said, "Now what?"

"Let's check out the barn," Eleanor said.

"Oh yay. What a brilliant idea. Let's go see what's living in the barn," Jack said.

Rob frowned at him.

"Well, isn't anyone else just a _bit_ concerned?"

Eleanor didn't care if a ghost lived in there. She wanted to see if it was ready for horses. She headed around the house. Rob and Flora followed. Jack grumbled, but he followed, too. They walked down the front drive, past the carriage house to the barn.

Eleanor wondered what manner of Being they'd find around the barn, and she suspected the others had the same thought because their pace slowed as they approached the front.

The outside looked okay. Eleanor reached for the large sliding doors, and they opened with surprising ease and little sound. The inside was dimly lit. Shafts of sunlight streamed through the windows in the loft and illuminated bits of dust floating in the air. The barn was swept clean and smelled of fresh hay. Stall doors stood open, ready for occupants, with fresh shavings on the stalls' floors. There were twenty stalls in all, ten down each side, and a tack room and stairs to the loft toward the rear.

"Hey, check it out," Rob said. "Very cool."

"Can you imagine?" Eleanor's excitement grew. " _Imagine_ having a horse you can talk to?"

"That even makes me want a horse," Jack said as the boys started up the stairs to the loft. "But I want a dog."

"Hey Eleanor, check this out!" Flora called from the rear of the barn.

"You needn't yell, Florie. I can hear you perfectly. Now." Eleanor walked over and saw Flora crouched beside a basket with a magnificent cat.

The feline lay proudly, her square head at an angle, examining the girls. She had thick, gray-striped fur and green eyes. Her ears were grandly tufted in darker fur, and the impressive ruff under her chin glinted silver. The cat was so striking, Eleanor wondered if the cat would appear as extraordinarily magnificent with the duller sight she had before she was _aware_. She suspected the cat would.

As Eleanor moved closer, she saw four fat kittens around the cat.

"Hello. I'm Flora, what're your names?"

"I'm Patters Felis Catus, Maine Coon. You may address me as Patters. These are my kittens," she said. "When did you learn to speak?"

"A few hours ago." Flora plopped down on the ground and held her hand out, coaxing the kittens over. Patters eyed her, but didn't stop her kittens from approaching Flora.

"Why are you here?" the mother cat asked, not taking her eyes off Flora and her kittens.

"We live here now. Ah, our parents bought this house from Mrs. Bradford," Eleanor explained haltingly. She was speaking to a cat!

"I live here now, too," the cat informed her. "Charlotte Bradford brought us over this morning and told me that I was in charge of this barn now. She said things would be getting lively here, but there was no cat in charge. She told me you were good children. We'll see. My kittens' names are Bing, Kipper, Fossie, and FatMackerel."

Eleanor had no problem identifying FatMackerel. "Do you have everything you need?" Eleanor asked.

"Yes," the cat said. "A pretty woman met Charlotte when we arrived--she must be your mother--and left fresh water and some food. This basket is mine, but she brought another blanket and some toys for the kittens. Everything is satisfactory, but too quiet. When will the other animals be arriving?"

"I didn't know there _were_ any arriving," Eleanor answered the cat, studying the barn thoughtfully. It did appear ready for something. Hayracks held green roughage. Could it be? It was too much to hope for.

"It better be soon. There aren't even any mice to catch. You need grain to attract mice. Oh, and would you open the loft windows for the swallows? Just enough for them to come and go? They are driving me crazy with all of that inane chatter. The windows should be cracked for air, anyway. Haylofts are stifling in the summer." Patters held down a struggling kitten with her paw and washed it thoroughly.

Eleanor had been dismissed.

She left Flora on the floor with the kittens and went up to the loft. The boys were busy moving bales of hay around, making a fort. Eleanor climbed onto one of the big beams framing the top of the barn, and scooted carefully to the first window in the center of the peak. She wasn't afraid of heights, but she was careful not to look down, either.

Swallows flew back and forth, making a terrible racket. They were speaking so fast Eleanor could not understand them. They sounded the same way birds had sounded before to her. Once, though, she thought she caught the word _invader_. She climbed down from the beam, and several flew out to freedom.

Hmm, no _thank you_ there.

She walked to the other end of the loft, and did the same thing again. The air started moving through the barn immediately, and it felt good. Patters was right. It was hot up here.

Eleanor's mother came into the barn. "Oh! You've already found my surprise."

"Hey, Mum, what's all the fresh hay for?" Jack called down.

Eleanor hurried down the stairs--she wasn't going to miss the answer to that question.

"It's a surprise. They'll be here any min--actually, here they come now."

Tires crunched on the stone and a shiny black truck with a long trailer pulled up the drive. Eleanor's heart pounded. The trailer was a horse trailer. It really was!

# Chapter Six

The truck, with the letters 'BLACK LEDGE' painted on the side, stopped in front of the barn. An older man hopped out of the driver's side as the big diesel engine shut down.

He didn't pause, but walked to the back of the trailer as he spoke to Eleanor's mother. "I'd have been here sooner, Virgini, but they're paving south of town, and traffic was backed up. Two miles of single lane traffic! Fools at the highway department only schedule work on the roads after tourist season starts." He moved in a quick, jerky gait, as if he had spent too much time on a horse himself.

He climbed into the trailer and untied the horse closest to the ramp.

"Come on, that's right, back it on up now, there's a girl," he crooned to the leggy black mare as he backed her down the ramp. "Here, Virgini, come and get her. Steady now, she's restless after that long trip."

Eleanor's mother stepped forward to take the horse. "I'll make introductions and explain after we get the horses unloaded. Rob, you'll find clean water buckets in the tack room. Fill six of them with water from the spigot there. Eleanor, take the next horse from Nickerson."

Eleanor moved to the trailer.

"That's it, boy. Easy now. Back." Nickerson guided another horse back carefully.

"Maybe I could if someone would move his fat _arse_ out of the way," the horse grumbled under his breath.

As if reading his mind, Nickerson reached out and gently pushed another horse over. "That's a good boy. Give us some room here."

He brought the Appaloosa gelding down to Eleanor. "This here is Ringo. Put him in the first stall there. He likes to see what's going on."

"Yes, sir." Even as Eleanor took the lead rope from his weathered hand, he was already headed back into the trailer for the next horse. "Come on, Ringo, we've got a nice stall ready for you."

The horse stopped short. "You can speak? In our language?"

"Yep. Come on," Eleanor whispered. She led him into the box stall and turned him around carefully before unclipping the lead rope from his halter. "We'll explain later." She closed the door and headed back to the trailer for another horse. Smiling. She'd just spoken to a horse. It was almost too much to stand.

She stepped out of the way to let Flora, leading a silver pony with velvety brown eyes, pass. The little girl and pony were engrossed in conversation. Neither her mother nor Nickerson appeared to notice.

Her mother then took a palomino mare the color of a freshly minted penny into the barn, and Nickerson handed Rob a large, dark brown gelding. His coat was so dark it was almost black.

"A gentle hold there, boy. This one knows his own head. He just needs his room."

"You would too," the horse muttered in a proper British accent, "if you'd spent the last three hours in a tin can with your face in someone else's posterior regions."

Rob grinned, but did not dare answer him.

"Down we go, Mack." Nickerson led the last horse, a handsome chestnut gelding, down the ramp. He handed him to Eleanor.

She led him into the barn and to a stall. "Mack? Nice to meet you, I'm Eleanor Driscoll. Welcome to Black Ledge." She turned him around in the stall and removed the leather lead.

"So you're one of those. Well, that's something." He moved over to the water bucket and took a long drink.

"Yeah, but my mother isn't." She closed the stall door and walked out to the front of the barn where everyone stood.

"And last but not least, this is my older daughter, Sam," Eleanor's mother said. "Eleanor, this is Sam Nickerson. You may call him Nickerson. Nickerson was my riding instructor when I was your age. He is going to be living here now, in the carriage house, and be in charge of the barn. What do you think of my surprise?"

None of them quite knew what to say, but the smiles on their faces spoke for them. Eleanor threw her arms around her mother. "I can't believe it! Thank you, Mum!"

Nickerson spoke up. "I'd say you've managed well, Virgini." He assessed the stable with a keen eye.. "It'll do."

"Do? Of course it will do! And after our own horses are settled in, we'll take in some boarders. Nickerson will give lessons to anyone interested--we'll have a nice stable, maybe an equine rescue. But before anyone gets any ideas, Hala is my horse and mine alone." She walked over to the Arabian mare's stall and rubbed her nose. "Isn't that right, girl? The rest of you can get to know the horses, and we'll decide who suits whom. Of course, I did pick out Willow with Flora in mind."

Nickerson jerked a thumb to the truck. "Where do you want that freight train parked?"

"Just back it into that little turn around. The kids can clean it while I show you the carriage house and get you something cold to drink."

"I can hose out the trailer, Virgini," Nickerson said.

Eleanor's mother dismissed his offer with a wave. "They're fine. This isn't the first trailer they've washed, Sam."

The spry man swung up into the truck and started it up. It came to life with a roar and he neatly backed the trailer into the space Eleanor's mum indicated. It looked as if it belonged there. He hopped out of the truck with his jacket and a canvas bag.

"Okay. Clean it up well, and leave it open to dry," their mother instructed. "Having horses of your own means helping care for them, and helping with the chores. Nickerson isn't going to do it all. We'll turn the horses out after lunch." She took the old man by the arm and led him toward the carriage house.

Jack uncoiled the hose on the side of the barn and pulled it to the truck. "El, see if there's a brush and soap in there--maybe the tack room. Rob, help me pull these rubber mats out of here. Flora can put those away." He indicated a pile of blankets, buckets, and hay bags in the front of the trailer.

Flora grabbed an armful and headed back into the barn.

"This is more like it," Patters purred to the girls, rolling with delight on a bale of hay.

"Excuse me. Hello, dear. Yes, you," the Arabian nickered softly at the girls as they walked by, tossing her head up and down. "My name is Hala. What is the name of this place, and where it is we are?"

"I'm Flora, and this is my sister, Eleanor. The name of your new home is Black Ledge, and this is Maine. Did you come from very far away?"

"Maine? This place called Maine is very different from Kentucky. I cannot smell the grass--there is a different smell on the wind. One I've never smelled before. Cool, damp, and salty, but clean."

"It's the sea." Rob came in with the bucket and the brush. "Jack's almost through. He'll be in in a sec."

"I'm right here," Jack said, coming through the door.

A newly familiar voice interrupted. "Perfect. Perfect. All assembled. Wonderful. Greetings and welcome." Camedon appeared on the bale of hay next to Patters with a _POP_. "Hello, Patters. You're fine, I trust." He reached over and patted her lightly on the head.

"I'd be better if you would stop popping in on top of me," she said, but leaned into his hand for more scratches. "And what do you mean by 'all assembled'? What's going on, Camedon?"

"All in good time, dear Patters. First, I think introductions are in order."

"I'm Mack." The big chestnut gelding nodded over his stall door, adding, "I came here from the South Shore."

"Fine to meet. The name is Ringo. I'm from Texas," the Appaloosa gelding offered.

"Ginger and I are from the North Country of Cal-i-for-niiiia," the pony whinnied. "Do you know if we'll get to go outside soon? I've been in a trailer for three weeks now."

The other horses nickered, agreeing.

The hunter's imperious voice rumbled forth from deep in his broad chest. "I am Sargent and I'm from Virginia. As I know I came north, dare I hope it is cooler here?"

"Oh, it'll be cooler." Patters snorted. "It hovers right around a balmy ten degrees in January and February."

"Oh," Willow said.

Flora rubbed Willow's neck. "Don't worry, the barn will be warm, and the snow is so pretty," she assured the young pony.

Eleanor went to the palomino's stall. "Hi."

The horse didn't answer her, but extended her head to Eleanor's outstretched hand.

"Ginger can't speak. She understands, though," the pony said.

Uncertainty showed in the palomino's large brown eyes.

Eleanor placed her hand on the side of the mare's face. "No matter. We'll get on just fine."

"Now then. Right. My name is Camedon. Welcome to Black Ledge. Too much time has passed since this barn had life, and you are welcomed with enthusiasm."

"So you're a Keeper, are you, my good man?" Sargent asked. "Heard of you, but I've never met a Keeper, personally. Few of you about these days. We had folk in the forest, Fairies and Sprites and the like, and a Pyske infestation in the stable, but no Keepers. Or Humans who were _aware_ , either."

"Yes, we're spread a bit thin," Camedon acknowledged. "Lot going on in these modern times. I'm here because Black Ledge, your new home, shares hallowed ground with a cavern which is a Passage of the Realm. These children were made _aware_ in that cavern, this morning, in fact. Seems to have worked out to be a most fortuitous circumstance." Camedon made the last observation more to himself.

"I've never really understood what a Passage is," the silver pony piped up from behind her stall door. She was too small to peer over the top.

"A Passage is just a fancy name for a magical gate, portal, a doorway to other places on earth. We guard it carefully, especially tomorrow night, as the time to come together is upon us and it will be open." Seeing the puzzled expressions on their faces, he explained, "There will be a Gathering of the Elders tomorrow night. Here, on this point. Haven't had one of those in almost one hundred years." He was lost in his own thoughts for a moment. "Time does march on, doesn't it?"

"Why a Gathering now?" Ringo, the Appaloosa gelding, asked.

Camedon gave his head a little shake, snapping out of it, and turned to him. "I'll explain at the Gathering--of course, the kids will have to fill you in afterwards. I'd rather not say too much until then. No need to start an unnecessary panic."

"Panic?" Jack and the chestnut gelding, Mack, exclaimed at the same time.

"Well, maybe panic is too strong a word," Camedon said quickly, his tone placating. ""But you know how gossip travels. Faster than good news every time. Especially if that gossipy crow Enid gets a hold of it."

The kids and horses waited for him to elaborate, but he did not.

Eager to end the turn the conversation had taken, Camedon forced cheeriness into his voice. "So. There we are. Busy time. Other details to which I need to attend. I'm sure you're all going to be happy here at Black Ledge. I'm off."

His departing _POP_ left puzzled expressions and silence in his wake.

The big hunter was the first to break it. "You all know how to talk _and_ ride? Fine developments, indeed," Sargent said. "You, Robert, you said? Acquaint me with the conditions of the surrounding countryside. Plenty of places to ride, I hope. Fields, forests, trails ..."

"Yes, sir," Rob said. "We are out on a large point, about a mile from the center of the town of Camden. No one else lives out here. We just moved into the house, Black Ledge, yesterday, but we've always played around these woods--all the kids do. The point is big, and we are next to the Camden Hills State Park. You have to cross Route 1 to get to it, but it's huge. Miles and miles of trails. Of course, some of them are mountainous and not good for trail riding, but there's a lot of nice country around to enjoy. You'll like living at Black Ledge."

Eleanor added, "There's another stable just a few miles away with lots going on. Shows, organized trail ride and hunts, an equine therapy program. It's where Mum rode, and lots of the kids around here ride there."

"My mother is in charge of the barn there," Patters interjected.

"Miles of trails? Brilliant." Satisfied, the large hunter pulled a mouthful of hay from the rack.

"That's all well and good, but I'm more interested in what this Camedon fellow is about," Mack said. "There are often small meetings between the Elders, but not a proper Gathering. Something substantial must be afoot to warrant drawing _all_ of them together."

Sargent turned to the little tiger cat. "Patters? You and Camedon are acquainted. What can you tell us about him?"

The cat stood, carefully so as not to disturb her kittens, and stepped out of her box. She arched her back into long stretch as she did so and walked to the center of the stall doors, clearly pleased to be consulted. "As he told you, Camedon is a Keeper. And he's been the Keeper here for hundreds of years."

"Hundreds of years? How old is he, anyway?" Rob asked.

"I couldn't say," Patters answered. "Keepers live for a very, very long time. Most assume Keepers are immortal, but Camedon assures me they aren't. Of course, they're magical, so it's difficult to kill one, but they can be mortally injured. However, barring injuries, most enjoy a long time here on earth before they decide to move on to the next realm."

"What is the next realm?" Eleanor couldn't help asking.

Patters shrugged. "I've asked Camedon. Of course, we all wonder about those sorts of things, don't we? He always manages to evade me with a vague answer, though. I don't know whether he doesn't _know_ , or whether he won't _say_."

Agnes flew through the great barn doors and landed on a stall door. She gave an all-over shrug and settled her feathers. "Time is a different concept to Keepers than it is to us. Think of all of the different life spans of all of the different Beings. Humans are at a bit of a disadvantage. Beings still within the Realm know these things from the earliest age."

"But hundreds of years?" Jack sounded doubtful.

"Maybe longer," Patters said. "Camedon is rather tightlipped about those things. The point is, you've been made _aware_ , and there is a Gathering tomorrow night." The cat looked around the barn and lowered her voice. "I'm wondering why."

# Chapter Seven

The kids hurried through chores the next morning. After they fed the horses and cleaned the stalls, the horses were groomed and properly fitted with their tack.

Jack saddled Ringo in the center aisle. Freestanding, as Jack didn't bother using the crossties. "This is so cool. I say, _Ringo? Stand here for a moment while I get your tack_. And Ringo says, _Okay, Jack._ Because he can."

Ringo turned his head back toward Jack. "Ringo actually says, _That girth could be tightened up, buddy_. _It feels loose._ "

Eleanor and Flora laughed.

"Where're we headed, anyway?" Rob called from the front of the barn, Sargent's reins in his hand.

"How about the old logging road in the park?" Eleanor said. "It goes along the river."

"I like that road," Jack agreed. "I hope no one's cleaned up the big tree that fell this winter. It'll be cool to jump."

"Can Willow and I get over it?" Flora asked, leading Willow out.

Eleanor and Jack, leading Ginger and Ringo, joined them."Yeah, you're fine, there's plenty of room to go around it," Rob assured her as he mounted Sargent. "You guys ready?"

"Yep." Jack settled himself into the saddle and adjusted his reins.

Ringo tossed his head, his curb chain jingling.

"Flora? Eleanor? You set?" Rob asked.

"I'm set," Eleanor answered.

"Yes, we're ready, aren't we, girl?" Flora, holding her bunny in one arm, patted the pony's neck with her other hand.

The horses headed out the gravel drive and onto the point road.

"Mind if we tag along?" Agnes called from above, Enid behind her.

Enid clutched something in one claw that caused her to fly in a strange fashion.

"What have you got, Enid?" Eleanor asked, amused by the aerial antics of the foolish bird.

"Isn't it lovely?" She tried to stick out her claw to show her treasure to Eleanor, but became unbalanced in flight and dropped several feet before she righted herself.

"What is it?" asked Jack.

Eleanor swore Agnes snorted. Could crows snort?

"It's my lucky button," Enid said with pride. "I found it."

"Your lucky button is going to get you killed," Agnes said. "Why don't you put it in your nest like other birds who steal shiny things?"

"I did not steal it! And if I leave it in my nest I might miss the good luck when it comes along. You're just jealous you don't have a lucky button, Agnes."

"It's lovely, Enid," Flora assured the crow.

"Where are we going?" asked Enid.

"The state park," Eleanor said.

Enid flew down by the horses. "State park? Wouldn't you rather see where the Gathering is going to be?"

"Let's do that on the way back," Jack said. "These guys want a good run, and the old logging road is perfect for that. It's cooler now, too."

They waited for a lull in the traffic and crossed to the field at the beginning of state park land. Cars slowed at the sight of four kids on horseback with two crows flying overhead.

"Hey Agnes," Jack called. "Maybe you'd better go ahead. People are starting to notice you and Enid." Then he muttered under his breath, "Especially Enid."

On the backside of the field, an old road led into the woods. The kids ducked, single file, under the branches concealing the entrance. Once past, the road widened, and they straightened in their saddles and spread out.

A thick canopy of leaves filtered the sunlight. The forest was dim and quiet, even with heightened senses.

"If anyone wants to run, this is as good a place as any," Eleanor said just as the sound of rushing water became audible. She heeled Ginger into a canter, and the other horses followed.

The horses ran faster and faster, racing each other. Hooves thundered, and the horses ran in a tight pack, but Eleanor didn't once think to slow them down or worry about Flora. The horses weren't going to spook or throw one of their riders. Communicating with the horses transformed the pleasure of riding to a joy she'd never experienced. The thrill of danger didn't compare to the thrill of trust.

They galloped along the road, sailing over the fallen tree, even Flora and Willow.

Overhead, Enid flapped and grumbled, trying to keep up.

Necks damp with sweat and snorting, the horses naturally slowed as they came around the bend where the river came into view. The rushing water roared, high from the spring rains and the melting snow from the mountain.

"Is the water good here?" Ringo asked, eyeing a sandy spot beside the river.

At Jack's nod they stopped and the kids slid off their backs. They removed the bridles, and the horses took long drinks from the river.

"I still can't help but wonder about this business Camedon alluded to," Sargent puzzled aloud, water dripping from his muzzle.

Ringo was matter-of-fact. "Nothing to be done until we know more about it."

Jack opened the leather saddleback on the back of Ringo's saddle. He removed muffins.

"You brought food?" Eleanor said.

"Of course I brought food." He handed muffins to Rob and Flora. Eleanor shook her head.

The hunter continued, in his clipped Etonian voice, "I've never met a Keeper. Seems a good sort, but this business with a Gathering, so close to the Summer Solstice. Busy time of year. They wouldn't be calling a proper Gathering unless something serious was afoot."

"You keep saying that," Jack said, mouth full of muffin. "And what do you mean, close to the solstice? What's special about the solstice?"

The four horses lifted their heads with surprised expressions.

"What?" asked Jack

"Ahhh, that's right, Humans don't typically take note of that sort of thing now, do they?" Ringo said.

"Do you know what the Summer Solstice is?" asked Willow. "What it marks?"

Rob swallowed and answered. "Well, yes. The Earth tilts on its axis as it rotates around the sun. Half of the year, the northern hemisphere is acclimated toward the sun, and the other half of the year, the southern half is acclimated toward the sun. The Summer Solstice marks the longest day of the year because the hours of daylight outnumber the hours of darkness. It's in June in the northern hemisphere. But, following the Summer Solstice, days become shorter. Daylight diminishes as the sunlight touching us reverses direction and moves back toward the southern hemisphere, which ends their winter, and begins ours, progressively. The spring and fall equinox mark the halfway point, when daylight and darkness are equal. Right?"

Eleanor and Jack shared a smirk behind Rob's back. Right? Of course it was right. Most children entered kindergarten knowing the ABCs. Rob entered kindergarten with questions about E=mc2.

"Precisely," Sargent rumbled. "It's more to the natural world, though. It affects everything. Animals begin to breed in the spring when their biological clocks register that the amount of daylight is right, so by the time they have their young, it's the right time of year for survival. Plants are affected by the amount of daylight, too. At some point, they stop growing the structure of the plant, and start nourishing their fruit, or seeds--"

Ringo cut him off. "Y'all have holidays, right? Well, this is a holiday to folks of the Realm."

"Some people still celebrate the Solstices," Eleanor said, embarrassed that Humans failed to recognize, with any significance, something of such import to the natural world.

"Earlier societies did recognize the solstices, even after they left the Realm," Sargent said. "They planted their crops around the movement of the sun, and held festivals celebrating those times of the year, such as harvest festivals on the fall equinoxes. The concept of time was born. So you see the importance to the natural world, of which Human Beings are part, but they have forgotten in their self-reliant arrogance. Present company excluded, of course. No offense intended."

Rob waved off Sargent's last comment. "None taken. Are there celebrations and rituals marking these occurrences?"

"Yes," Willow said. "Especially the Summer Solstice. It's always been my favorite, as it's summer."

Jack broke in. "But what does this have to do with the Gathering Camedon called? If it's because he has a problem, it must be a big one, because he's magic."

Agnes cocked her head. "Not necessarily. I think it's been called because of you."

"Us?" Eleanor asked.

"Yes. Four Human Beings new to the Realm is of import to all," Agnes explained.

Jack was done with this. "You know what? I'm all about being on a need-to-know basis. Let's enjoy that we _don't_ know right now." He grabbed another muffin.

Eleanor took the muffin from him. "I haven't even had one, thanks. But you're right. Until we know, there's no point in worrying about it." She broke the muffin in half and handed him back a piece. She approached Ginger with the bridle. "Do you mind wearing this very much? We should use them, for appearances' sake."

The mare dropped her head for Eleanor.

Eleanor replaced the bridle, taking care not to bang the mare's teeth, put the reins over her head, and Ginger followed her back to the side of the road. The others did the same, and everyone mounted.

"This road goes on forever," Rob said. "It winds along the bases of these mountains, with trails branching up to the different peaks. Some we can ride and some are only for hiking and climbing, like the crags of Mount Megunticook behind Mount Battie, and Maiden's Cliff."

"Yeah, you can see the lake, too," Jack added. "And there's a neat bridge farther ahead."

Flora sucked in her breath and pointed, halting. "But what's that?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

# Chapter Eight

A crumpled figure blocked the path.

Eleanor moved first. She swung off Ginger's back and hurried to it.

Rob followed her quickly. "Careful, El!" He motioned Jack to stay back with Flora.

"Oh!" Agnes landed on the ground next to the body. "It's Baelhar. Enid, go for help."

"Is he alive?" Enid peered over Agnes' wing.

"I think so. Quickly. Find Camedon."

"Baelhar? Who is Baelhar? _What_ is Baelhar?" Rob leaned in cautiously and studied the form on the ground.

"Jack!" Eleanor called. "Take my saddle pad off of Ginger. I want to put it under his head."

"Baelhar is a Light Elf," Agnes explained.

"And that is?" Rob asked.

"I guess Camedon didn't get that far in your introduction to the Realm," Agnes said, not taking her eyes off the body. "He's bleeding."

The crow was right. A puddle of liquid pooled under his head. It was a different red than human blood. Softer in color. Eleanor looked for something to stanch the flow.

"We better not move him until help comes, El," Rob said. He looked uncomfortable with Eleanor touching the Elf, tensing as she reached out and took his slender hand.

"He feels cold."

"Lay the blanket over him," Rob suggested. "I know it's important to keep injured people warm. I don't know about Elves, but it can't hurt, can it?"

Camedon appeared beside them, concern evident on his face. "No, it can't, Rob. Well done, both of you."

Rob's words didn't fool Eleanor. She knew by the distance he kept and the way he eyed the Elf he was worried the Elf would wake and attack. The blanket would slow the Elf down, but she didn't correct the Keeper.

"Camedon," a voice said behind them.

Two women formed and stepped from a shaft of sunlight breaking through the trees. They approached the group and the prone figure.

"Whoa," Jack whispered.

"Sehlis. Azathela," Camedon greeted the women. "What happened? Is he saying? Can you hear him?"

One of the women nodded. "Yes, he is speaking to me in our way." She laid her hand on the chest of the Elf. A soft glow moved from her hand to his body, surrounding it before fading.

After a moment, the stricken Elf took a deep breath and opened his eyes, staring into the sky. He sat upright, slowly, and assessed himself for several moments before standing. He reassured the assembled group he was fine, but quickly turned to the Keeper. "Camedon. We have trouble."

While the three Elves were focused on Camedon, Eleanor studied them. Even if she hadn't been _aware_ of the Realm she would have known something was strange about the three standing before her. They were completely human in appearance, but each radiated a perfection, an exotic beauty, which arrested. Their clothing was different, too. All wore sleeveless sheaths that came to the middle of their thighs. The fabric was light and sheer without being revealing. Similar to silk, but even more delicate. Baelhar's shirt was shorter, and he wore close-fitting breeches. The most human-looking thing they wore was the soft leather boots, and even those were different than any boots Eleanor had ever seen.

Camedon's voice pulled her attention back.

"What happened?"

The Elf didn't answer for a moment, but frowned, as if what he was about to say amazed even him. "It was the Noctivagi."

The Keeper and the other Elves were taken aback. Agnes ruffled her feathers.

"Are you sure?" Sehlis asked.

"I'm sure. No mistaking that smell. She reeked of death."

"She? Did you recognize her?"

"I never saw her face--I only heard her voice. You realize what that means, don't you? They don't have it. They want it--desperately enough to risk the light of day--but they don't have it. I don't think they even know it's missing. They think it was moved."

"What are you talking about?" Rob asked. "Are we in danger here?" His gaze moved to Flora.

Flora appeared more interested in the Elves than the conversation, but Eleanor noticed she clutched her bunny tightly.

The Elves' attention was drawn back to the kids. One shook her head, answering Rob's question, and said, "I apologize. My name is Azathela. This is Sehlis and Baelhar. We are Light Elves. Ljósálfar, in our language. Baelhar was attacked by a Noctivagus."

Jack looked at Camedon and the Elves as if they were nuts. "What?"

Camedon considered the kids for a moment before he spoke. "I understand how strange this all is, Jack. So much to explain." He turned to the Elves. "Go on ahead. Tell Solvanha I will be along shortly."

The Elf called Sehlis nodded. "Good. Queen Solvanha will be wondering. We should get back immediately."

A shaft of sunlight broke through the canopy of leaves overhead, and the three Elves stepped into it and faded from view. Then the beam disappeared as if a cloud had moved in front of the sun.

The Keeper returned his attention to the kids. "I intended to let you have some time to get used to your awakened senses, get to know your new friends," he indicated the horses, "and visit later with a little historical homework for you before the Gathering--"

"Homework?" Jack said. "School just got out."

"Shut up, Jack," Eleanor said. She pressed the Keeper, "What kind of homework?"

"Start with some Maine history. Look up the 'The Red Paint People' and the Vikings. It will give you a little background."

Rob asked, "Who's Queen Solvanha?"

"Solvanha is the Elven Queen."

"Where is she?" Jack looked around.

"She doesn't live here. There are Elves all over the earthly world and beyond. She resides in Elven kingdom Álfheimr."

"And that's?" Rob urged Camedon to explain, echoing Jack's frustration.

Camedon thought for a minute. "Do you suppose an ant can imagine the world as you see it?" he asked.

"No," Rob said.

Eleanor suspected she could see where this was going, but she let Camedon go on.

"When you stand, you can see much more than what the ant can see is his immediate world. In Álfheimr, one can see much more than you can see here in this immediate world."

"So is she some type of goddess?" Eleanor asked.

"No, although in some Norse mythology she's called one. Back then, things that people did not understand were thought to be acts of gods and goddesses. And I'm ashamed to say some encouraged those beliefs for self-serving reasons. I apologize for the inadequate explanation. Time is short. And considering what happened to Baelhar, you should return to Black Ledge for the day. You're safe there, but the park is another story right now. Everything is unbalanced. Agnes, watch them, won't you?"

A look passed between the Keeper and the crow. She inclined her head ever so slightly.

_POP_ , and he was gone.

"Nice to see you. Don't be a stranger," Jack called after him. Then he paused. "Did he just compare us to ants? Really?"

Rob ignored him. "We should head back." He looked around the forest, concerned.

Eleanor caught Flora watching Rob's nervous glances. Eleanor suspected Flora would sleep with her that night.

"It's ..." Eleanor struggled for the right word, " _unnerving_ to realize how oblivious we've been to all of this."

"If I may?" Sargent hesitated.

"Yes?"

"No one expects you to know these things," the horse reminded them, kindly. "Humans are just like every other species, and that includes the whole spectrum. Good, bad, productive, unproductive, tolerant, intolerant. Being of the Realm affects that not at all."

"He's right, you know," Agnes added. "It isn't ignorance. And, if it's any consolation, Humans are doing just fine without any of the gifts they once relied upon. Says a lot, if you think about it."

Impatient, Jack swung onto Ringo's back. "Let's get going. It's going to take us a little while to get back." He gathered his reins and Ringo stepped off.

The others mounted and followed. Their departure was at a much slower pace than their arrival. No one spoke. The forest was strangely quiet but for the sound of the river behind them. A creepy unease had infiltrated, and instead of trees, rocks, and undergrowth, Eleanor saw sinister places for something to hide.

Judging by the tight expressions on their faces, Rob and Jack did, too. They'd boxed Flora in between them, and glanced into the forest frequently. All of the horses' ears were forward and alert, and Agnes brought up the rear, flying low.

Flora held her bunny and occasionally reached down and patted Willow's withers. Eleanor caught herself twirling a small piece of Ginger's mane.

"Okay," Jack broke the silence. "Tell me about the Noctivagi."

Agnes lowered her voice as if she were worried someone, or something, might be listening. The kids and horses strained to hear. "I wonder if Camedon should be the one to explain about them." She hesitated, and went on. "It's a long story."

"We have a long ride," Jack said.

Agnes began, "Baelhar was attacked by a Noctivagus, apparently, which is disturbing as they cannot walk in the sun."

"What do you mean?" asked Jack.

"Their domain is below ground, and the dark night. We call them the Night Vagrants. There aren't many in the world. They tend to be in mountainous areas, similar to here, the Pacific Northwest, and mountain ranges in Europe and Russia like the Scandinavian, Carpathian, and Urals. They especially prefer northern climates. This is mostly due to fewer hours of daylight and cooler temperatures, even if it's less densely populated."

"But why do they stay below ground?" Flora asked.

Agnes thought for a moment before answering her. "The Noctivagi and the Night Elves were once Light Elves--long, long ago."

"Like the Elves we met?" Eleanor asked.

"Yes. Originally, there were two kinds of Elves. Dökkálfar and Ljósálfar. The Dökkálfar are more commonly called Dwarves, and Ljósálfar are more commonly called Light Elves. Each had--has--special gifts of creation. Elves have a magic with living things--especially healing. Dwarves have the ability to forge magic into non-living things." Again, Agnes paused and looked around nervously.

"Are there still Dwarves around, too?" Rob asked.

"Yes," Agnes said. "But they're proud Beings, and keep to themselves. There's a Dwarf Kingdom, similar to Álfheimr, but called Dökkálfaheimr. It is of the earth, a huge kingdom of stone where the Dwarf King, Vitr, resides. Not all live in the Kingdom of the Dwarves. There are other communities of Dwarves called boroughs, but Dwarves are earth dwellers. Always. The materials they work with are of the earth, and Dwarves tend to gravitate toward places rich in metals and gems."

"Do they dwell near _here_?" Jack asked.

"Yes. There are Dwarves here. The King visits often," Agnes said.

"So many names," Eleanor said, frustrated trying to remember all of it.

"There are really only two. Each have other names, but we mostly refer to them as Elves and Dwarves."

"And where do the Noctivagi come in?" Eleanor asked.

"I'm getting to that." Agnes looked around and continued in a lower voice, "So originally, there were Elves and Dwarves. But there are always those who seek power, and there were some among the Elves who coveted the gifts of the Dwarves. They felt if they possessed gifts of the Dwarves, as well as their own, it would make them more powerful than either Being was individually. So, they did something horrible--so horrible, in fact, few talk about it."

Sargent twitched his head to the side, indicating Flora. "Ahhh, perhaps now is not the best time to be too graphic."

"Suffice it to say," Agnes thought for a moment, choosing her words with care, "they performed a magical ceremony involving a sacrifice," Agnes said, making exaggerated eye contact with the three older children. "But something went horribly wrong, as things tend to do when you go against the laws of nature, and they became, well, they became parasites. Their very lives were dependent upon existing off others. _Literally_ ," the crow spoke slowly to capture the attention of the older kids. " _existing_ off others. I think I'll let Camedon explain the details of that to you later." Again, she looked pointedly at Flora.

Eleanor glanced at Flora and was relieved she did not seem to be catching the undertones of the conversation surrounding her.

"Because of the magic they'd dallied with," Agnes continued, "they took on some of the traits of the Dwarves, but corrupted. They could no longer walk in sunlight without pain ... death, even. But they weren't truly earth dwellers either. So they became night creatures, able to be above ground after sunset, but seeking the solace of the earth during the day, lest the sun's rays turn them to ash. That's how they got their name. Noctivagus means night vagrant. The plural form is Noctivagi. Night vagrants."

"Hang on! You know what they sound like?" Jack exclaimed.

"Yes, Jack." Agnes nodded. "That is what they are."

"Huh?"

"What?"

The others looked confused.

"Vampires," Jack blurted.

"Shh!" Agnes and the horses all said at once.

"Vampires," he repeated in a lower tone to his siblings.

Rob sat forward. "You aren't serious?"

"Yes, that's exactly what they are," Agnes confirmed, her tone weary. "We call them the Noctivagi, but the vampire legends, or most of them, are based on the Noctivagi."

"So there's really such a thing?" Eleanor asked.

"Yes."

"How accurate are the myths?" Rob asked.

"Well, it's true they're dependent upon the blood of their prey. They are evil. They're creatures of the night and must seek shelter when the sun is up."

"So how did one attack Baelhar during daylight hours?" Eleanor asked.

"I don't know. I'm sure Camedon and the Elves are discussing that very thing right now," Agnes said.

"Have you ever seen one?" Jack asked the horses.

"No. Texas is not a place one encounters the Noctivagi," Ringo said.

"Nor Virginia," Sargent said. "Too warm and longer days than here, even. I wondered if they still even existed, or if they'd eventually succumbed to the very situation they themselves brought about."

"Why here?"Eleanor asked. "Aren't vampires from Transylvania?"

"Camedon can explain this much better than I."

"I'd say that's why he wanted us to research Maine's history," Rob said.

"Yes, Camedon has a good reason for starting you there," the crow told them, but she looked toward the road as they'd almost reached the end of the field. "I am going to fly on ahead now. No need to draw attention. You'll be fine the rest of the way."

The horses tossed their heads in salute, and the crow flew off.

"Hey, I just realized Enid never returned," Flora announced. "You don't suppose anything happened to her, do you?"

"Nah, she's fine," Jack said. "I get the impression that bird isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer."

"I'm sure she's okay," Eleanor said. "Really. She must've made it to Camedon because he was there quickly."

"Heads up," Jack said. "That car's going to let us go."

They crossed, waving to the driver as the horses looked ahead and ignored it all, as horses are supposed to do.

"So now what?" Jack asked.

"I want to look some stuff up," Rob said. "And I want some help from you guys. I always get stuck with the looking-up stuff."

Jack wasn't sympathetic. "But you _like_ looking things up."

"It won't kill you to do a little bit of reading. It isn't like it's math homework or something. This stuff is cool." Rob couldn't hide his growing enthusiasm.

Eleanor looked at them as if they were crazy. "Yeah, sure, real cool. Vampires have always fascinated me. Hoped I'd meet one."

Jack agreed with his brother. "You know what? They _are_ cool. Kind of like great white sharks're cool, but they're cool. This is all wicked cool."

"Good. Then you'll help," Rob told him.

"Heeeeyyyy," Hala whinnied to them as she and Mack galloped up to the fence separating the pasture from the road. "How was your ride?"

"Walk in the park," Ringo said.

# Chapter Nine

"Okay, the Lost Red Paint People. Here we are." Rob sat with his laptop at a table in the library. Jack read over his shoulder.

Eleanor had hers at another table. Flora had fallen sound asleep in the corner of the sofa, clutching her bunny. Eleanor wished she could do the same.

Rob looked over the results of his search and clicked on one. "PBS actually did a TV special on them, on NOVA, years ago," he told Jack and Eleanor. He read, " _They were a tribe of people who lived in New England and Canada between 2,000 and 6,000 years ago_. Give or take a thousand years, I guess. They were called the Red Paint People because _they used Red Ochre to decorate things, including bodies when they buried them. Archaeological sites have been uncovered in New England and Atlantic Canada - like Labrador_. Cool! One of the sites, the Turner Farm site is on North Haven, right out here in Penobscot Bay!" He read on, " _Evidence at these sites, like swordfish bones and barbed hooks, suggest they had developed deep water navigational skills and were avid seafarers."_

Jack sat forward. "Swordfishing? They were out pretty far if they were catching swordfish! In birch bark canoes? I still don't get why this is important, though."

"Hang on. I think I can answer that." Eleanor didn't look up. " _Similar archaeological sites have been excavated in Norway. Eerily similar. The remains of the people at the sites in Norway show they also used red ochre in burial practices, and apparently, both peoples used it to decorate their stone tools. Their tools showed they were made by similar techniques of chipping edges, too. In addition, both peoples used skin boats_. Yuck. _Some believe these ancient peoples were certainly capable, and brave enough, of crossing the Atlantic._ Man, can you imagine? This says _trans-Atlantic travel by these primitive societies has not been accepted in any way by the academic community, but the argument won't go away._ "

"I guess if people could fish far enough out in the cold waters of the North Atlantic to be catching swordfish, they could certainly cross it. Cool, listen to this. _The Maine Coon Cat is closely related to the Norwegian Forest Cat --"_

"Patters is a Maine Coon Cat," Jack said. He moved over to Eleanor and peered over her shoulder.

"Mmmm," Eleanor agreed, still reading. _"Some Algonquin Indians have a DNA gene from Northern Europe._ And _many Native American legends share similarities with Norse legends, indicating a Norse presence and influence very early on_."

"But the Red Paint People were here before the Vikings, weren't they?" Jack asked.

"Yes," Robb said, scrolling through web pages. "Maybe the Vikings followed them on one of their trips back. Hang on, I'm looking. Yeah, okay, it appears there's a ton of stuff here about Vikings coming to America, too. Mostly the Norwegian Vikings. Boy, archaeologists can't agree on anything. Timelines place the Viking age between the late eighth and the early eleventh centuries. The first recorded Viking attack on England was in 789. But, Vikings carved these stones, called rune stones, and carbon dating has many dating far earlier than that." Rob clicked back and forth between open windows too fast for Jack to follow along.

"Rune stones have been found in America, too. All over the place, even in states along the Mississippi! These old guys got around. There are other things, too. A silver Viking penny was found in Maine, and something called monks caves."

"But what does this all have to do with vampires?" Jack asked again, impatient. He turned and stepped toward the sofa but bashed his shin on the edge of the coffee table. He grunted and then muttered, "That wasn't there."

Eleanor looked up. "Huh?"

"Nothing." Jack slid the coffee table back where it belonged. He moved to the sofa, eyeing the coffee table suspiciously.

Rob continued, "Noctivagi were originally Light Elves. Hang on. Yep. _In Norse mythology, Light Elves, Dwarves_ , blah, blah, blah. Okay, that's why Camedon wanted us to look this stuff up. It explains why we have Noctivagi--"

"Vampires," Jack insisted.

"--in Maine." Rob ignored Jack's interruption. "Follow the bouncing ball here. The Red Paint People crossed the Atlantic thousands of years ago ... Old Norse mythological Beings ... they must have come here either with, or because of, the Red Paint People, or the Vikings, or both," Rob concluded.

"So that's why we have Norse mythological Beings on the coast of New England? They came back with the Red Paint People a few thousand years ago?" Jack concluded. "He couldn't have just _said_ that?"

Still reading, Rob ignored him. He stretched, trying to settle in the chair.

Jack grinned at Rob and Eleanor. "They're cool, though, huh? This is all wicked cool."

"Yeah, cool," Rob said thoughtfully, still staring at the computer screen. He looked up, and his gaze on Flora. "We need to talk about something else. While she's asleep. I don't want her to go tonight. She's too young."

"How are we going to keep her from going?" Eleanor asked. "She's sleeping now. She'll be wide awake later."

A loud _POP_ interrupted their conversation.

Camedon materialized by the fireplace. "She must come."

"You know, a little warning would be nice," Jack said.

Camedon smiled. "That would take all of the fun out of it. What did you find?"

Rob closed his laptop. "We looked up the Red Paint People. Lots of stuff here. I'm assuming you wanted us to follow how Norwegian Elves came to be on the coast of Maine."

Camedon moved to the sofa. He pulled the quilted throw over Flora's shoulders, taking care Bumper's head wasn't covered, and sat on the edge of the table. "Yes. There are things you will need to know. History is a lot more complex than human archaeologists yet know. The Realm, though, has longer memories, and you need to understand where things come from and how they came to be. The people who lived here thousands of years ago were smart, brave, strong people. They had families, beliefs, and dreams, and they left a legacy. Their travels altered history and left a chain of events that brings us where we are. Brings us to where _you_ are. We need your help."

Eleanor sat forward. "What do you expect a bunch of kids to do to help when you possess _magic_ , and ... you've got Elves and stuff?"

"Ah, yeah. I've kind of been wondering the same thing," Jack agreed, and Rob nodded.

"It's pretty straightforward, really. Nothing mysterious, or even dangerous. Agnes said she told you a little bit about the Noctivagi. You should have more time to absorb all of this information, but Charlotte--Mrs. Bradford--insisted you be made _aware_ so you could participate in this year's Solstice Ceremony. But we have a problem, so it all may be for naught."

"What kind of problem?" asked Jack. "Vampires? Yeah, I can see where vampires might throw a wrench into things."

"Agnes told you a little about the Noctivagi. It's important to understand how this all came to be."

Rob interrupted. "Agnes actually didn't go into much detail about that, because of Flora. Would you tell us what happened? I'm confused about the difference between the Light Elves, Dark Elves, Night Elves, and Noctivagi."

"Originally there were two kinds of Elves. Light Elves and Dark Elves. Light Elves are attuned to the sun. Their kingdom is of light. They walk the earth and enjoy the day. Dark Elves, or Dwarves, are Beings of the earth. Their kingdom is the structure of the earth, like caves, and they really only walk the earth at night. Both Elves and Dwarves have their own gifts, skills," he paused searching for the right word, " _magic_ , representative of where they are from. Elves have a magic with life, and Dwarves have a magic with things, materials. They craft and forge. Long story short, a small group of Light Elves sought to add the gifts of the Dwarves to their own."

"She said they performed some sort of ritual involving a sacrifice, and it went wrong," Eleanor told him.

"They did. They'd planned this for a long time. They studied ancient texts, scrolls, and writings containing the Olde Magyk, the magic of the earth, heavens, and seas. They planned their own sacred ritual based on their interpretations of those ancient writings. They were meticulous, even studying the astrological calendar, wanting to perform the ritual at the right time of year to ensure power and success. They picked the northern spring equinox as the day had equal amounts of daylight and darkness, fancying they'd be equally at home in the Elves' world and the Dwarves' world. Anyway, after all their careful planning and preparation, they performed the ritual, and it was ghastly."

Jack wanted the gory details. "What'd they do? Agnes didn't tell us 'cause Flora was with us."

"Part of the ritual--and I'm glad Agnes spared Flora--but part of the ritual involved sacrificing an Elf and a Dwarf, mixing their blood together, and drinking it. Or so they thought. They interpreted the word "essence" in the ancient texts to be blood. It wasn't, and what they did was a crime against nature. The result of the ritual was not what they expected, and was dreadful." He paused, seemingly lost in his memories.

Shuddering, he continued, "Oh, they ended up attaining some of the Dwarves' characteristics, but because of their arrogant mangling of the Olde Magyk, one in particular went awry."

"Which one?" asked Rob.

"Dwarves get their strength from iron, and they always wear an amulet crafted of iron. It is a great source of strength to them and forges their bond with the earth. So, because of the ritual, these Elves became dependent upon iron as well. No amulet, however, would ever suffice. Because of the nature of the ritual they participated in, they needed to ingest it. From the blood of others. I'm assuming you know blood has iron in it. They hunger for it constantly."

"Human blood?" Eleanor asked.

"Any blood. Blood is pretty much the same." Camedon shrugged and explained, "Even among the different Beings of the Realm: Elves, Dwarves, Fairies, animals, monsters, it all contains iron."

"Monsters?" Jack exclaimed.

"Yes," Camedon said. "But I am more concerned with bringing you up to snuff on the history of the Noctivagi and the Solstice Ceremony."

"So, the solstice ..." Rob urged.

"Yes, well, as I said, they made a horrible mistake, and as often happens after people make bad choices, they regretted it. Or some of them did. After the ritual, most of the Elves dearly regretted their actions. It was a horrible time. Light Elves and Dwarves were furious, wanting to avenge the murders of the Elf and Dwarf who had been sacrificed. Especially the Elves. They were bent on vengeance. They saw this as a betrayal of the worst kind. They united with the Dwarves, and in their combined misery sentenced those they called the Betrayers to death. They worried though, and correctly, that killing one would be no easy task. While the Olde Magyk had corrupted the very cores of the Betrayers, it left some protections, too."

"Like?" Jack urged the Keeper to explain.

"Their physical remains must be completely destroyed, or they can heal themselves and rise again. Burning to ash is the preferred method. Especially by other Elves." He paused. "Anyway, some of the Betrayers regretted their crime. Were so horrified at the consequences of their actions and their new existence, they requested a Gathering of the Elders. They suggested an Accord be sworn at a ritual which would be held on the Summer Solstice, and renewed every year--as that was when the days would begin to shorten and they would grow stronger--good faith effort on their part, if you will. They offered to vow a sacred pledge stating they wouldn't kill while feeding. In turn, they asked that part of the oath they swore would contain some Olde Magyk ensuring that as long as they upheld their pledge, their very compliance would help to alleviate their cravings to feed."

"On blood?" Jack rubbed his throat.

"Yes." The Keeper nodded. "They'd still have to feed periodically, but less often, and they would not be driven by that lust to kill which was trying to conquer their very souls. They also did not have to go to ground before the sun rose, or wait until the sun set to walk the earth. They would never walk in the bright noon sun, but they would feel its warmth on their faces. The Accord repaired their fractured souls. With scars, but repaired all the same."

"And everyone agreed to these terms?" Eleanor asked.

"At first? No. Some of the Elves and the Dwarves wanted justice, and in their eyes, anything less than a death sentence was not justice. Moreover, not all of the Betrayers regretted their actions. They embraced what they now were. It was a horrible time. After much diplomatic effort, however, an Accord was finally reached. And the Accord has been renewed every year since then on the occasion of the Summer Solstice at dawn. But even the ones who've faithfully abided by the Accord are still outcasts, shunned by their own kind. We call them Night Elves."

"So they're ... _half_ vampire?" Jack asked.

"I suppose you could say that. They maintain their souls, whereas the Noctivagi have lost their souls to the darkness. And if the Night Elves were to break the sacred pledge, they too would be left to their own end--an unquenchable thirst, an insatiable craze to feel the heady rush of the kill, and a soulless existence being hunted and pursued by those of the Realm, living forever in darkness."

"What happened to the Betrayers who didn't want to participate?" Eleanor asked.

"They didn't participate. They are the Noctivagi, living the life I described, feeding from the kill more than the blood itself. They are exactly what the vampire myths describe."

"But they usually aren't around here, right?" Eleanor asked, hoping the Keeper would say Baelhar's attack was the first in hundreds of years.

"They don't often come here," Camedon assured her. "Mostly because of the number of Night Elves who chose to remain part of the Realm--they avoid those they see as cowardly traitors. They travel the globe, never able to rest or sate their hunger. Always on the move, as unexplained deaths in an area quickly alert those of the Realm to their presence, and a force is sent out to render final justice."

Rob said, "So every year on the solstice, the Accord is renewed, and the Betrayers who choose to participate and remain part of the Realm are called Night Elves. The ones who are completely evil entities, killing while they feed, are called the Noctivagi. What does this ceremony involve?"

"The ritual takes place as the sun dawns on the solstice," Camedon said. "The ceremony is on an Älvkors, more commonly called an Elf Cross. The Rune Stone is the center of the Älvkors, and must be placed during the ceremony. Do you know what an Elf Cross is?"

At the puzzled expressions on the kids' faces, he explained, "They are ancient figures, star-shaped with five points, called _Älvkors_. There are seven participants in the ceremony. A representative member of each of the Elements, a Light Elf, a Dwarf, an Undine, and a Djinn stand on points of the Älvkors. A Night Elf stands in the center and pledges to renew the Accord. The others pledge to uphold the Accord, and I officiate and pledge to enforce the Accord. A Human, specifically because their gift of language ties them to all concerned parties, places the ancient Rune Stone--with the terms of the Accord inscribed on it in the ancient language--into the center of the cross as the sun's first rays illuminate it."

"Aren't five-pointed stars called pentagrams?" asked Jack. "Don't witches and devil worshippers use those?"

The Keeper nodded. "Yes, pentagram is another more recent name, and being an ancient symbol, people do also use them in ways such as you describe. In ancient times, though, people believed differently. People associated the pentagram with the five Elementals of the Olde Magyk. The lower points represented the four Restoratives, Earth, Air, Fire, and Water, and supported the uppermost point, the Elemental Time. People believed pentagrams have protective properties," he paused and appeared thoughtful for a moment.

He had the children's undivided attention when he continued. "You have to remember, and it doesn't matter what you're talking about, but tools, symbols, magic, or beliefs even, are only as good as the person using them, the person who holds them, or the purpose they're being used for. Guns are a physical example, but religion is an intellectual one. Anything can be used for good or evil, and anything can be corrupted to justify actions. Throughout history, we've seen atrocities committed in the name of religion. We still do. Doesn't mean the religion is bad. _Anything_ can be used for good or evil, and _anything_ can be corrupted."

"Sounds like a good time, everyone hating each other and all," Jack said.

"Oh, the first few ceremonies were horrible. You've got that right. The animosity was palpable. That was a long, long time ago, though, and while it hasn't been forgotten, much of the emotion has eased. Anyway, you're on the right track, so I'll leave you to check on other things. I've cancelled the _official_ Gathering tonight, but a few of us are still going to meet. Queen Solvanha, King Vitr, and Charlotte. I'd like all of you, including Flora, to attend. I'll meet you in the cavern at eight-thirty."

"Is that where Gatherings are held?" Rob asked.

"No. But we will use the passage to travel there."

A thought occurred to Eleanor. "I thought Hazel and Oliver Black were the first Humans whose senses were awakened. What did you guys do for a Human before them?"

"They were the first, around here, in a very long time, but there've always been Human Beings who were _aware_ --sometime I'll point a few out in your history books. We'd import one for the occasion." He winked, and with a _POP_ he was gone.

# Chapter Ten

"I still can't get used to his popping in and out," Eleanor said.

Jack grinned. "It cracks me up."

Eleanor stood. "You know what? I want to talk to Mrs. Bradford. Do you think we have time?"

Rob checked the time at the bottom of his computer screen. "Yeah, if we hurry. We need to be back by five to put the horses in, but I think so."

"Flora." Eleanor reached over and gently shook her little sister's shoulder.

Flora just sighed in her sleep and rolled over.

Eleanor tried again. "We have to go to the library, Florie. Do you want to go, or stay here?"

"Stay here," she mumbled.

"Okay. We'll be back in a while."

"Mmmm." But she was already asleep again.

"I just want to put this in my room and grab a sweatshirt," Rob said. "I'll be right back."

"Yeah, me too," Eleanor said.

"Five minutes," Jack told them as he stepped into the hallway.

Eleanor entered her room and found her bed made, and a sweatshirt folded at the foot of the bed, waiting for her. Eleanor's mother expected them to make their own beds, but Eleanor hadn't this morning. She certainly hadn't left a sweatshirt there. She grabbed the sweatshirt and ran down the back stairs to the kitchen.

"Hey, Mum?"

"In here," her mother called from the pantry.

"We're going into town. Flora's in the library, asleep. We'll be back by five to put the horses in."

"Your bikes are in the garage. Be careful," her mother reminded her.

"We will," Eleanor said, and then added, "and thanks for making my bed."

"I didn't make your bed, El. Perhaps Flora did," her mother said without turning from the cupboard into which she was reaching.

Huh. __ Eleanor didn't think so. Flora had been waiting impatiently for her to get dressed. She'd have to ask her later.

She headed out the kitchen door and cut across the patio, and saw Ralph standing at the edge of the garden. He stood back to, both hands in front of him, and Eleanor stopped short as the horrifying realization hit her that he was peeing. In the garden.

"A- _hem_!"

After a moment the Goblin turned around. "I'll be a Hob's head on a stick. I didn't know you were there."

"Ralph! Were you ... peeing? In the herb garden?"

"Just got up. Had to go."

"Ralph. Don't pee in the garden."

"I always pee in the garden. Makes the plants grow. Right?" He pointed, and sure enough, new green shoots poked through the dirt in front of her eyes. "Goblins have green thumbs. Other things, too." He pulled his flask from his pants.

Rob banged out the kitchen door, saving her from having to respond. With a troubled glance at Ralph, Eleanor followed Rob to the garage.

Jack had the doors open and a huge grin on his face. "We even have new bikes!"

"And they're Treks. Nice! Whose is whose?" Rob pointed at one. "I'm claiming that silver one. It's the biggest."

"Hey, El." Jack shoved a tricycle at her. "I'd say this one is yours."

"You know, you aren't half as funny as you think you are." Eleanor pushed past him and grabbed a blue bike. "Sweet. I've never had a new bike. I always get stuck with yours, and you need duct tape to hold it together." She wheeled it out into the sunlight.

The boys joined her, checking them out and comparing. "Smoking tires."

"We don't have a lot of time. Let's go," Rob said, and took off.

They coasted downhill all the way to town. The ride home would be agony.

The library sat at the head of the harbor, overlooking the village's main street. They put their bikes in the bike rack, and ran up the granite steps to the door.

High ceilings and ornate woodwork graced the old building, giving it a timeless feel. Every time Eleanor entered she felt a little thrill of excitement, as if she were going on an adventure. When she was little, she'd fancied the library to be a station, or lobby, between worlds. Her world and the worlds she traveled to in books. As the familiar feeling overcame her, she stilled. She'd been more right than she knew.

Mrs. Bradford sat at the counter scanning returns into the computer, and looked up at their approach. "Ah, I know why _you're_ here," she greeted them in a hushed tone. She pushed her glasses on top of her head, and they promptly disappeared into her curls. Though some silver snuck in here and there, and Eleanor knew Mrs. Bradford had babysat Eleanor's mother, Mrs. Bradford never changed. Eleanor's mother said it was because she hadn't any children. She was usually looking at Jack when she made that observation.

"Yup." Rob said. "We have some questions."

Her smile broadened. "Of course you do. I can't help you with those here, though, and I have story hour in a minute. I'm off tomorrow morning. Why don't we discuss it when I see you at the Gathering tonight? You are going?"

"Yes," Eleanor said. "That would be great, Mrs. Bradford."

"How's the house?" she asked in a slightly louder voice for the benefit of the other people.

"Over the top," Eleanor said. "It's awesome. Wait until you see it."

"Your parents invited me over for dinner next week. I understand the stable has life again, too. Excellent. Houses don't like to be empty, and barns absolutely languish." She studied them for a moment, and her eyes became a little misty. Then she appeared to remember something. "I have something for you." Again, she raised her voice. "I have a book your mother requested." She got up and went in the back room. She returned with small canvas bag in her hand and passed it to Eleanor. "It's not really for your mother."

Eleanor took it, resisting the temptation to look. She followed the librarian's lead and answered in a slightly louder voice, "Thanks, Mrs. Bradford. I'll see she gets it."

"You might want to stay for story hour. One of my favorites today. Interesting yarn." She gave them a look which belied the casual invitation. The story was something important she wanted them to know about the Realm.

"Really?" Rob asked.

"Oh, yes. Today's story is about the Red Paint People. Shall we?" She started for the children who'd already gathered.

Jack looked desperate. "Aren't we a little old for the reading circle?"

Mrs. Bradford smiled, understanding. "Tell you what. I need these envelopes stuffed. You sit at that table and listen while you do it." She pushed a stack of papers and envelopes across the desk. "You might learn something."

"Thanks, Jack." Rob grimaced at the stack of papers and envelopes.

"You wanna get caught in story hour?" asked Jack. "Maybe by some of the guys on the team?"

Eleanor ignored them and took the stuff to the table.

Children wiggled and squirmed, waiting for the librarian. Eleanor remembered the feeling. As a child she'd loved the librarian's stories about the Realm, a make-believe world of wonder.

But it wasn't a make-believe world. It was real. Really real. Eleanor's stomach did a little flip.

The librarian walked over and sat in the faded armchair that had been there as long as Eleanor could remember.

Once she started speaking, the children's eyes never left her.

"Many, many years ago, before you were born, before your parents were born, and before their parents were born, even before the Great Pyramids in Egypt, there was nothing here but land. No towns. No buildings, no cars, no stores. Have any of you ever explored the woods around your homes, or a place where there is no sign of people at all?"

Several children waved their hands in the air.

She nodded, acknowledging them, and continued. "That is what the world was like here then. Our story today is about a boy named Abi. Abi is a little bit older than many of you here. He is seven when our story takes place. Abi lived with his family and his tribe in a village on the Maine coast, in a time most of us have forgotten, long, long ago. Abi's tribe often traveled, moving with the seasons. At the time of this story, they'd just returned from a trip across the big water in long boats."

Mrs. Bradford held a book up to show the children a picture of a large canoe, with many people, fighting the waves.

"Abi didn't have toys. Or books. The only possessions his family had were the tools they used to live. Abi's parents and the other adults in the tribe were very busy setting up the tribe's new home before the cold winter. Shelters had to be constructed. Food had to be gathered. Game was hunted, fish were caught, and berries and fruits were picked and dried. The women of the tribe made clothes and soft shoes from the skins of the hunted animals. Men made more tools to build each family's shelter, repair the long boats from the sea's damage, and chop down trees for lumber and firewood. Daily survival required the efforts of everyone in his tribe to work together. Even the children had chores every day."

Mrs. Bradford held the book up so the children could see the illustrations. On one page, a small settlement of rude shelters in various stages of completion dotted the shore. The opposing page showed a little boy leaving the village and entering the great woods.

"Abi's chore was to gather firewood from the ground for his home hearth. Every day, he went deeper and deeper into the woods searching for branches and twigs. It is on one of these days that we begin our story," the librarian said, and began reading:

Abi was searching for wood one day when a sound broke the silence of the forest. Tap, tap, tap. He turned in the direction from which the noise had come, but he did not see anything. Tap, tap, tap. Again he heard the noise, but this time from the other side. He turned quickly and caught sight of the Great Wolverine moving through the trees about him.

Abi followed the spirit of the wood deeper and deeper into the forest, falling farther and farther behind as they went.

Soon Abi found he was all alone. He sat down and was sad and afraid.

"Why do you taunt me, sharp--toothed one?" Abi asked.

No one answered him.

Abi heard a small cry. He looked all around, but he did not see anything. He heard it again and he looked up.

On a branch, far above his head, was an owlet which had fallen from the nest high above.

Abi forgot all about being alone and afraid, as often happens when you meet someone more alone and afraid than you are. He climbed high in the tree and reached the little owlet. He placed the baby owl in his shirt, close to his chest to keep it warm, and continued to climb the tree, called Spruce with Many Limbs. Higher and higher he climbed, and finally he reached the nest. He carefully set the baby owl back in with the other owlets.

Abi watched them for a moment before he climbed back down the tree. But the good feeling of saving the owlet was soon overshadowed by the gathering darkness deep in the wood, and again he felt lost and alone.

Suddenly, the Great Wolverine appeared before him, but before he could be afraid, the wolverine turned into a beautiful woman. She was dressed in animal skins unlike any he had ever seen, soft and flowing, and she had a kind face.

She sat beside him. "Abi, you are a brave and kind boy."

"Who are you?" he asked.

"I am many things and have many names. Sometimes I am Lox, the Trickster, and sometimes I am Loki, the Great Wolverine, but always I am Lo of the Forest. It was Loki who brought you to this spot, and Lox was the little owl you saved. But always it was me. I am pleased with you, Abi. You have proven you are worthy to walk this wood. You may tread here without fear, for as you watched over the littlest creature, I will watch over you."

She picked Abi up in her arms and flew across the land to the edge of the forest by his tribe's village.

"I give you a gift for your kindness. Here is a basket to carry your sticks. No matter how heavy your burden, it will never make your arms weary." She patted him on the head, turned, and walked back into the forest, disappearing into the darkness like a spirit.

Abi took his new basket filled with sticks to his home hearth, and he took his new friend in this new land to his home heart.

"The End." Mrs. Bradford closed the book and set it on her lap.

The children were silent, mesmerized by the magical story. Eleanor remembered the feeling.

The librarian smiled. "What is interesting about this story is that Lo of the Forest is named by both the ancient Norse from far across the big waters, who called her Loki, and the Abenaki here in Maine, who called her Lox. Both peoples, in places very far away from each other, knew her and identified her as the trickster of the forest. Perhaps it was because Lo, all those many years ago, had come to Maine from Norway with Abi's people on one of their return trips."

Rob, Jack, and Eleanor knew this information was especially for them, but the other children sat silently, pondering ancient journeys across oceans as well.

Mrs. Bradford continued, "We have a special craft for you to make today to go along with today's story about Abi. We're going to weave our own magical baskets to carry our own burdens, so that they never make us weary. Eleanor, maybe you and the boys could take those papers over to my desk so the children can have the table."

"We're all done, Mrs. Bradford," Jack said quickly, relieved. He scooped up the box with the extras, and Eleanor and Rob grabbed the stacks they'd completed.

"Excellent. Thank you. Please don't forget the book for your mother." She gave them a little wink none of the other children caught.

They left and paused just outside the door.

"Great, now what?" Jack said.

"That was kind of cool." Eleanor said. "It's been a while since I listened to one of her stories. Abi's a new character."

Rob pointed to the park across street. "How about we sit on the hill and see what this is?"

"How about we ride home and take it to the barn, so no one overhears us?" Eleanor suggested.

"She's smarter than she looks," Jack said to Rob.

"Shut up, Jack."

Rob ignored them and nodded. "Yeah, you're right. Someone might see us here. Let's go."

They grabbed their bikes and started for home.

After a little ways, Rob said, out of breath, "I miss the horses. This hill is a killer."

"It isn't as bad as I thought it would be," Jack said, clicking through the gears. "The gears help."

A dog ran out from a yard barking viciously. "I'm gonna rip yer leg off, dumb kid," he snarled.

Jack stopped short, throwing his hands up. "Whoa there, fella. Easy. I'm not going hurt to you."

Eleanor barely avoided running into him.

The dog froze, too. "Uh?"

Jack grinned. "Never had anyone answer you?"

The dog sat down hard. He didn't answer Jack.

"It's all right. You aren't crazy. We're _aware_." Eleanor spoke in a low, soothing tone. She held her hand out tentatively.

"Jasper, come here!" a woman yelled from the house. "Sorry. He won't hurt you. His bark is worse than his bite."

The dog sniffed Eleanor's hand, got up and walked to his owner, not taking his eyes off the kids the entire time.

"Talking kids. That ain't right," he growled.

His owner chastised him. "Jasper. Bad dog. No!" She let him in the screen door and waved as she closed it behind him.

Jack laughed as he pushed off. "That was worth losing my momentum on this hill. Did you see the look on that dog's face?"

It was too hard to laugh and ride, and the hill got the better of them, but they made it, panting, to the top and the point road.

"Agnes! They're back! Agnesss!" Enid screeched.

# Chapter Eleven

"I'm right here, Enid," Agnes answered from a tree close by. She cocked her head at the kids and asked, "How did you make out? Did you see Charlotte? Is she going to attend tonight?"

"Yes, but we couldn't really talk to her. Not there," Eleanor gasped.

The boys were still trying to catch their breath.

"Is she going tonight?"

Eleanor nodded.

"Has Camedon told you where the Gathering is?" Enid asked.

"No. Where is it?" Jack asked.

"I don't know. Only those who attend know where it is," Enid told him.

Eleanor frowned. "Oh, I assumed everyone knew."

"No," the crow said, as if Eleanor was foolish.

Jack looked confused. "I thought you offered to show it to us."

"Well, I thought you knew where it was." Enid cocked her head, as if it was obvious.

Jack was amused and shared a look with Rob. "Ahhh. Of course."

Impatient to check out what the librarian had given them, Eleanor glanced at her watch. "Hey, we should get the horses fed," she reminded them.

They rode the rest of the point road, veered toward the barn, and parked their bikes out front.

"Who left the grain room door open?" Eleanor asked. She walked over to close it and jumped back when a dark shadow fell across the doorway.

Nickerson stepped out. "Sorry to startle you. Just putting the grain in their stalls before I put them in for the night." He held coffee cans of grain in each hand.

"We were coming to help," Rob said.

Nickerson jerked his head toward the room where the feed was kept. "There's a piece of paper tacked over the grain bins that says how much each horse gets. Morning and evening." He loped from stall to stall, dumping grain into each of the feed bins. "You could fill their water buckets, and throw a couple sections of hay in each rack." He paused to give Patters a pat on the head. She rubbed against his hand.

"A little to the left," she purred, and winked at Eleanor.

Rob grabbed the water buckets and Jack opened a bale of hay.

"We'll bring the horses in if you want," Eleanor offered.

"Yep, go ahead," the old man said.

The horses were waiting at the paddock gate, and the kids climbed through the rails of the fence.

Willow, Hala, and Ginger pushed to the front. "Ladies before gentlemen," Hala nickered.

Rob, Jack, and Eleanor each took a horse by the halter, but there were still three waiting.

For the benefit of Nickerson, Rob spoke to the horses in the old tone he used to use for animals. "Hang on, fella. Have to wait your turn." He pushed gently on Ringo's chest.

The horse nudged him. "Make it snappy."

Jack laughed.

"Impatient, isn't he?" Nickerson said.

They led the horses into their stalls and secured the sliding door latches.

Jack was anxious to send Nickerson on his way so they could check out the book, and he wasn't very subtle about it. "We'll shut the lights off and make sure everything is secure before we go."

"Don't forget to check all the stall doors, and the grain room, too," he reminded them as he headed off.

"Nope. We won't," Rob said, making a show of checking the latch on the grain room door.

Jack handed Eleanor a piece of baling twine, and she dangled it for the kittens to bat at and chase. They stalked it, crouching down, wiggling their fannies in the air before pouncing. Eleanor laughed, reached down and scooped one up. It was Bing, and he squirmed, wanting to chase the end of the twine.

Jack peeked out the barn door, keeping an eye on Nickerson's progress. As soon as the man neared the house, he ran out and grabbed the bag. Jack plunked down in the middle of the floor, opened the canvas bag, and pulled the book out. He examined the old leather, running his finger along the binding and worn spots.

Eleanor was just about to strangle him when he finally opened it and said, "I think it's a journal. An old one."

"And?" Rob urged him to go on.

"It has nice handwriting," Jack concluded.

Rob took an exasperated breath. "That isn't what I meant. What does it _say_?"

"Hang on," Jack replied. "It starts off with sketches and symbols, and notes jotted on the side. They kind of look like hieroglyphs. And there's a map. It looks like a map of the state park--yeah, that's exactly what it is," he said, studying the pages, flipping them ahead, and then back again. "Here's a map of the point, the beach, the cavern, with a sketch of the rock with the warning. There's something called the Lee, and there are sections of the park, landmarks like the river, brooks, and the peaks, and some personal stuff. Yeah, this is someone's notebook, or journal. Here's a sketch of Camedon."

Jack studied it for a second and then continued to flip through the pages. "It's divided into sections. Here're sketches of different Beings. An Elf--no name. And a Night Elf, I'd say. A Dwarf. A Fairy. A Pixie. Some Native American mythological creatures--don't ask me to pronounce them. Cool! There's a dragon in here! And a Troll, and a Giant, one nasty looking snake, a wolf." He was flipping through the book, and paused on one page. "This section has things, like jewelry, and a tall cup--maybe it's a _vase,_ " Jack said, pronouncing it snootily, as vazz. "Ha! This is funny. There is a page with the label 'Invisibility Cloak', and it's blank!"

"Seriously?" Rob peered over Jack's shoulder.

"Yeah. Notes and labels in the margin. There's old weaponry. A hammer, a page with a bunch of different swords, a spear. All of these have names, too. Here's a helmet. A belt. A shield. Some gloves. This section has some sort of old sailing vessel." He kept flipping pages. He shook his head. "A statue of a boar. And there're some drawings that look architectural. This one, labeled the Nave, looks like the Jefferson monument--without Jefferson. It has a blown-up insert of a sketch of the nails used to decorate the columns ... called re-gin-aglar? Yeah, Reginnaglar. You'll like these sketches, El. They're pretty cool."

Eleanor was dying to check out the notebook, but it was pointless to try until Jack was done with it. And Rob. She sighed, impatient.

"Start at the beginning," Rob urged.

"Okay. There's a name here on the inside of the cover. Hey, this belonged to Mrs. Bradford's father, Oliver Black."

"I figured it might," Eleanor said.

"Yeah, like you knew that," Jack said.

"Well? Who else around here would know about this stuff? Mrs. Bradford gave it to us. I figured it might belong to her or her parents," Eleanor said.

"We need someplace to keep this. Someplace safe. It's all about the Realm."

"Oh, I know!" Patters offered. "There's a place under the floor in the tack room. It's boxed in."

"There is?"

"I found it hunting. There must be a way to access it." The cat stood, stretched, and walked over to the door. Her kittens followed her.

Rob opened it and they went in.

"It's right around here." She walked to the floor beneath the window and sniffed around. "Yes, try here."

Rob bent and examined the floor. "She's right." He stuck his finger into a knothole and lifted. It resisted for a second, and then a section of the floor came up, revealing a box built into the floor stringers. There were a bunch of items already in it.

"Looks like we're late to the party," Jack said. "Someone is already using this spot."

"Or used to. This stuff is kind of dusty. Hey, check this out. Initials." Rob pointed at the underside of the piece of floor he had pulled up. Carved into the wood were three sets of initials. H.H., O.B., and C.B.

"Hazel Harkins, Oliver Black, and their daughter, Charlotte Black, now Charlotte Bradford, our librarian?" Eleanor said.

Rob nodded and took each item out one by one. There was a set of old skeleton keys, a few tarnished coins, some sea glass, a gold ring, and a magnifying glass. There was also a flat oval piece of what looked to be gold, but had a shimmery bluish-green tint, and something long and shaped like a fang. There was a scroll of paper sealed with wax, and two scrolls of paper tied with old frayed ribbon, an old compass, a couple of rocks, and a spool of faded ribbon.

There were also two star-shaped pendants on intricate chains. Rob picked one up, carefully cleaned the dust off it, and examined the star. The pendant was finely crafted. It appeared to be gold, but the center was stone. It even had miniscule carvings on the stone.

"Cool." He handed it to Eleanor to examine.

It shocked her. "Ow." Her hand thrummed.

"Is it sharp? You get cut?" Rob asked.

Eleanor handed the pendant back to Rob and rubbed her hand. "No. Static. That hurt, though."

"Think this journal is safe enough here? You don't think any mice will chew it, do you?" asked Jack.

"There won't be any mice allowed here," Patters stomped out of the tack room. The kittens followed, tails stiff in the air.

"Didn't mean to make her mad," Jack said.

Rob took the journal from Jack, placed it into the box, and replaced the boards. He smoothed his hand over the top, studying it to see how obvious it was to the eye. It wasn't.

"Okay," Rob said. "It must be getting close to dinner. We need an excuse for Mum and Dad 'cause it's going to be almost dark when we have to meet Camedon. Any ideas?"

"We could tell her Flora wants to catch lightning bugs and we'll be in the pasture," Eleanor offered.

Rob shook his head. "Naaa. Won't take enough time. We don't know how long we'll be."

"We could tell them the aurora borealis is supposed to be good," Jack suggested.

"You don't think they'd think something was strange when you showed an interest in the aurora borealis? That you know the words aurora borealis?" Rob said.

"You could suggest it."

"Still no good. They might want to watch it."

"They won't want to watch it from the pasture--too damp and cold," Jack said. "We'll just tell them they might be able to see it from the terrace, but we want to get away from artificial lights."

Eleanor agreed. "Yeah, he's right. That'll work."

"Okay."

"You guys all set for the night?" Rob asked the horses as they stepped out of the tack room.

"Yep," Ringo answered.

Sargent nodded his head. Mack picked his head up from his water bucket, water dripping from his muzzle. Eleanor paused in front of each stall door and stroked the noses of each of the horses. She opened Willow's door and gave her a pat, as Willow was too short to peek over the top.

"I'm going to ask Mum about replacing this door with one of those nets so you can see," Eleanor told the pony.

Jack started to close the barn doors, and Sargent called, "Perhaps you should leave those open until sunset so the rest of the swallows can get in for the night. They make a terrible fuss."

"I opened the windows in the loft," Eleanor said.

"They'll only fly _out_ through those," Sargent said. "If they try to fly _in_ they hit the glass and knock themselves out."

"Then they fall and I eat them," Patters said.

"Nice," Jack said.

Eleanor told the horse, "I'll ask Nickerson to do it after dinner. We'll be down in the morning first thing. Night."

"Night," the horse answered after he finished chewing his mouthful of hay and swallowed. The other horses nickered.

They put their bikes away and continued on to the house. Their mother stood at the door. "I was just going to call you. Dinner's ready. Wash your hands."

They did and hurried to the table.

Their father and Nickerson were already seated.

"Now that you've had a day to explore, what do you think?" their father asked, peering over his glasses.

"Incredible, Dad," Jack said as he reached for the salad bowl.

"Bumper loves it," Flora told him, popping imaginary bites of food into her bunny's mouth.

"Good," their father said, smiling. "It pleases your mother and me that there's no longer a line for the bathroom. The same rules, however, apply. You have all the same chores you had at our old house. More, actually. With a larger home come larger responsibilities, like a larger lawn to mow. All of these fireplaces need to be stocked with wood. Every day. I am not going to keep reminding you. If you see it's low, fill it. Furthermore, you'll have barn chores every day. Your mother and Nickerson will work out the details of those, but for starters, the stalls are your responsibility."

"Honeymoon's over," Jack said. "We know, Dad. We've already been helping."

"Excellent. I hadn't realized."

"Will we have students stay with us over the summer?" Rob asked.

"Not this summer, but maybe next year. And I'm going to be around more. No more going back to work after dinner. Well, not very often, anyway. I will, however, be traveling once in a while."

Her mother set a bowl on the table and took her seat. "And I have decided to give up private practice. For a while. I'll have three days a week at the Medical Examiner's office instead, starting in September."

"So we'll have to--gulp-- _buy_ toothbrushes now? And ... floss? Like regular people?"

"You don't use it anyway, Jack," Flora said.

"Yeah, but she does," he said, pointing to their mother. "She uses it for everything. I was eight before I realized other kids' mothers tie bows of ribbon on their presents. Ours are tied with floss. Mint for Rob and me. Bubblegum for you two. The Teflon floss is a stinker to get into, too."

"Oh for heaven's sake."

Jack was on a roll. "Why don't you write a book? '1001 uses for Dental Floss,' by Virginia Driscoll--"

" _As I was saying_ ," their mother interrupted. "Your father and I are going out this evening. It won't be a late evening, and the rules are the same. Rob's in charge."

"There's supposed to be a good aurora borealis display tonight. We were going to check it out from the pasture where it's darker," Rob spoke into his plate. He hated lying.

"Northern lights? In June?" Dr. Driscoll asked.

"Yeah, Dad," Jack saved Rob floundering for an answer. "That's why we want to check them out."

"Okay," Father said, still skeptical. "Just keep an eye on Flora, and don't stay out too late."

"Peter," their mother admonished him gently. "You know how protective the kids always are with Flora."

Eleanor felt a guilty stab at her words. How safe they could really keep Flora tonight?

# Chapter Twelve

Camedon waited by the cavern entrance on the beach. "Good, you're early. Any problems with your parents?"

"Nope, they have plans tonight," Eleanor said.

"Rob's in charge," Jack mimicked their mother.

Rob shot his brother a superior smirk.

"Good thing they're going out tonight, too. The fog is rolling in, makes our northern lights excuse to get out of the house useless."

"Good, then. We're going to go through the cavern." The Keeper hopped off the rock he'd been sitting on and walked into the narrow opening of the cave, his cloak floating behind him. The kids followed.

Eleanor couldn't keep a little gasp from escaping. It had been daylight the morning before, but now, as darkness approached, the walls glowed, bathing the cavern in shimmering silvery light.

They followed the Keeper all the way into the back of the cave, where he paused.

"Now, we all need to clasp hands. Flora, I'll hold yours, and Rob will hold your other one. Do not let go. It might feel strange for a moment, but do hold onto each other's hands firmly," he advised.

Eleanor took Rob's hand, and Jack took her other one. Camedon checked that everyone was ready and stepped right through the rock face underneath the ledge he'd been sitting on the morning before. Flora followed without hesitation, and the others had no choice but to do so as well. To their amazement, they stepped right through the hard stone.

It felt cool for a split second, and a little bit _thick_ to Eleanor, as if passing through a wall of water, but that sensation passed quickly. They stepped out into the damp evening air.

"Unreal," Jack whispered.

It was beginning to get dark, but Eleanor could see they were in a stand of beech trees, surrounded by massive granite boulders. "Where are we?"

"We're still on the point," Camedon said. "We always have Gatherings on the point as it's hallowed ground and therefore safe."

"Why is it considered hallowed ground?" Rob asked.

"Halloween ground _?"_ Flora piped up. "What's that?"

Eleanor ruffled Flora's hair. "Not _Halloween_ ground, Florie. _Hallowed_ ground. It means holy and special. Often blessed."

"A couple of reasons," Camedon explained. "Mostly because the Passage is in the cavern, so the point has protections and blessings placed on it, but because of that, it seemed a fitting final resting place for the Elf and the Dwarf sacrificed."

"So no Noctivagi?"

"No. Not even the Night Elves who respect the Accord. Unfortunately, having violated the laws of nature, even once, centuries ago, they will always pay a price for their betrayal, and not being able to tread on consecrated ground is one. You are safe here."

"Why didn't we just walk from the house?" Rob asked.

"I wanted you to experience moving through a passage. Even if it was only a short distance."

A thought occurred to Rob. "So the Solstice Ceremony must be somewhere else if Night Elves cannot come here."

"Yes, it is. The Älvkors, or Elf Cross, I mentioned earlier? It is carved into the stone peak of Mount Megunticook," Camedon said. "It's also the best view of the sun as it rises."

Jack said, "There isn't anyone else here."

"We're early. I thought you might have questions. Follow me." The Keeper walked between two massive rocks rising from he ground into a naturally sheltered space. It reminded Eleanor of a protected stone grotto. Great granite slabs and boulders surrounded the area, towering above their heads, but it was open at the top and afforded a vast view of the night sky.

"I can hear the surf," Eleanor said. "We must be on the other side of the point."

"The rocks are so big," Flora whispered.

"You don't have to whisper, Flora," Camedon chuckled. "Yes. I call it the Lee, because it's protected, both by nature, and by magic. Something that's in the Lee is in a protected place, like from the wind. And you're right. We're on the north side of the point. There isn't a beach on this side, it's mostly ledge--that's why you can hear it so well. The waves crash against them and the stone makes it echo. Hang on. I have to light a fire."

Camedon walked to a natural depression and a pile of old ashes on the far side of the enclosed space. He held his hand over it for a moment, and a pile of wood appeared, instantly crackling with flames.

"Nice," Jack said. Then he frowned as something occurred to him. "You used magic dust from your pocket to perform magic when we met you."

"I'm out," Camedon said. He walked the remaining perimeter, pausing every so often and raising his hand to conjure a flaming iron torch on the rock wall. The stones radiated the warm light, and bits of quartz on the face of the stone twinkled. Finally, he moved to the center of the area, waved his hand, and a large round table and chairs appeared.

Jack was quick to claim a chair.

"Who'll be here tonight?" Rob asked.

"After what happened to Baelhar today, I all but cancelled this Gathering. A few of us do need to meet, however, to discuss what happened. As this mostly pertains to the Solstice Ceremony, the Elven Queen and the King of the Dwarves are the two most interested parties. I don't know if they'll bring anyone with them. I'm also expecting Charlotte, and two other Keepers, Astrid and Gladstone. They arrived today, concerned about the Rune Stone being missing--"

Eleanor, who'd been about to take a seat next to Jack at the table, stopped. "The Rune Stone you use in the Solstice Ceremony is _missing_?"

"Yes, though I have no idea how _they_ knew it was missing." He paused and went on, "I'm keeping this meeting small, much to the chagrin of many other Beings. Word's leaked out about you and curiosity is high, but there will be time for all of that later. Hopefully, at the Solstice Ceremony, we'll have a proper celebration." He tried to sound optimistic, but it came across more as guarded.

"But what does it mean, to the Realm, that the Rune Stone is missing?" Eleanor asked.

"The actual Accord is inscribed on it, and its placement in the center of the Elf Cross seals the oath. We cannot have the ceremony without it, which would leave the Night Elves with no protections. You can imagine the ramifications ..." Camedon's voice trailed off.

Jack whistled. "Holy mackerel."

"So someone took it?" Eleanor asked, dreading the answer.

"Or something. Yes. The Rune Stone is kept in a safe place. Or so we thought. We discovered it was missing two days ago, and we assumed the Noctivagi had taken it. But Baelhar said, and I tend to agree, that the one who attacked him obviously doesn't have it as they were trying to get information from him."

"Ah, here's Charlotte now." He smiled at the librarian as she stepped into the Lee. "I'm not surprised you're early." He grew in stature as he approached her until he was the size of an adult man.

"And what's up with the size thing?" Jack asked, indicating different heights by moving his hands, and no small amount of admiration. Eleanor elbowed him, but Camedon just smiled.

The librarian squeezed the Keeper's shoulder then turned to the kids. "Hello again, Driscolls," she said.

"Hi," Eleanor and the boys said simultaneously.

Flora ran to her and threw her arms around the kindly woman, presenting her bunny at the same time.

"Ah, yes, Bumper. You're well this evening?" Mrs. Bradford bent and addressed the bunny in Flora's hand. Flora absolutely glowed.

The older kids had always been fond of the kind librarian, but seeing her outside her usual haunt found them tongue-tied. Flora found no awkwardness in any of it. Mrs. Bradford was Mrs. Bradford, no matter where she was.

The librarian straightened and admired the sheltered space. "I see I'm the first-- besides you all, of course. Agnes told me what happened to Baelhar, Camedon. I was shocked to hear of the brutal attack. Is he all right?"

"Yes. Azathela, the Elven Healer, assisted him. We'll discuss that tonight, of course. Perplexing, though, during daylight hours and all. Moreover, while the Rune Stone is missing. I don't believe in coincidences. I'm certain it's all connected."

"Camedon!" a strong but lyrical voice interrupted in greeting.

They all turned, and an Elf strode into the Lee. She was dressed almost exactly as Sehlis, Azathela, and Baelhar had been, but a golden circlet crowned her head. The ring of tiny four-petaled flowers sparkled with diamonds in the centers of each. Matching gold armbands adorned her upper arms. They gleamed as she threw her arms wide in greeting.

Camedon stepped forward. "Queen Solvanha. Welcome." He led her to the table and introduced the children. "And these are the Driscolls: Rob, Eleanor, Flora, and Jack."

Jack quickly rose and joined Eleanor, Rob, and Flora.

A delighted smile broke on the queen's face. "Ah, our heroes. And heroines. I hoped you'd be present this evening. Baelhar told me of your kind assistance. All of my kind join me in thanking you, and welcome the newest Human ambassadors to the Realm." They all smiled politely, but were too nervous to speak.

Eleanor had noticed the other Elves were attractive Beings, but they paled next to the Elven Queen. She was beautiful, dramatically so. Her aristocratic face might have been severe if not softened by the smattering of freckles across her nose and her relaxed smile. She wore her thick auburn hair in a loosely pulled knot, which then fell over one shoulder in waves. It was her eyes, however, that arrested one's attention. They seemed too large for her face and were a deep, clear blue.

She turned to Mrs. Bradford and tipped her head slightly, but regally. Exactly the way Eleanor would expect a queen to tip her head. "Charlotte. You are well?"

"Yes, Solvanha, I am. You? It's been too long." Mrs. Bradford held her hands out to the Elven Queen in greeting. The queen clasped them and held them for several moments, saying nothing.

Mrs. Bradford laughed. "Couldn't resist, could you?"

"No need for pain, Charlotte," the queen said.

The exchange confused the children.

"I just got a touch of the _Heila_ ," the librarian explained. "It's the healing power of the Elves. My arthritis aches on these damp nights."

"Everyone's here? Excellent," a deep voice interrupted. The one who spoke entered the Lee accompanied by others, but his broad, muscular frame drew all attention, as he towered over the other adults present. He had fair skin, ruddy cheeks, and piercing eyes below his bushy eyebrows. His dark blond hair was thick, curly, and unruly, meeting a great beard that reached to his collar. Massive arms were bared by a thick leather vest adorned with iron grommets and trim. As large and formidable as he appeared, however, his expression was jovial and his eyes were bright. He wore an impressive pendant on a chain around his neck and a thin crown barely visible among his wild hair. This obviously was the King of the Dwarves, but Eleanor thought he more resembled a Viking who'd stepped from the pages of a history book. He'd be fun to draw.

His pendant and crown were a combination of different metals fused together in an intricate design of links, interlocking and woven tightly together. The metals glinted in the firelight inside the Lee.

Camedon approached him with a broad smile and his hands extended. They grasped each other's forearms in a ritual welcome. "Welcome, King Vitr." Camedon turned and greeted the other two. "Ahh, and Gladstone and Astrid."

They were human-sized, but looked small behind the King. The irony of the Dwarf _dwarfing_ them wasn't lost on Eleanor.

Dressed in a similar fashion to Camedon, the two Keepers sported ornately decorated and richly colored cloaks over their shoulders. Astrid was slender and fair, with pale blonde hair and icey blue eyes. Gladstone was shorter and portly, with a ruddy complexion and a bulbous nose. A large gap could be seen between his splayed front teeth.

Camedon invited the adults to sit with a wave of his hand, but indicated the children should stand with him. "Thank you for coming, all. Please be seated. Much to discuss. In the interest of time, I'll forgo the usual formalities. Around the table, children, we have Solvanha, Queen of the Ljósálfar of _Álfheimr_. To her right, you already know Charlotte, of course. Next, we have Gladstone, Keeper of the British Isles, and Astrid, Keeper of Scandinavia. And finally, to the right of Astrid we have Vitr, King of Dökkálfar, or Dwarves, as you know them."

"What's the protocol with kings and queens?" Eleanor whispered to Rob out of the corner of her mouth.

He shrugged.

But Camedon continued, not allowing awkwardness. "Please, children, sit so we may address the urgent reason for our coming together this evening." He pointed to the empty chairs with a wave of his hand. As Flora sat, the legs on her chair became longer so she was more comfortable at the table. She didn't seem to notice, as if chairs regularly readjusted themselves for her.

"I'll get straight to the point," the Keeper began as he found his own seat next to Queen Solvanha. "You are all aware the Rune Stone is missing. We'll get back to that, but there have been other developments, and we have to assume they're related." The Keeper paused and looked around the table. "We have two missing members of the Realm. A Gnome and a Faun. No one was concerned by their absence, but after the attack this afternoon on Baelhar, it's obvious we have a problem. There are Noctivagi in the area."

"I knew it!" Gladstone shot Astrid a superior look.

"Look, Camedon--"

"There's more," Camedon continued, ignoring Gladstone's interruption. "Good news and bad news, as they say. First, the good news. It would appear the Rune Stone is not in the possession of the Noctivagi. They're searching for it, and according to Baelhar, quite desperate to find it, so while that doesn't answer the question of _where_ it is, it seems we can at least rule them out." He paused. "The bad news, however, is that the one who attacked Baelhar has figured out how to be above ground when the sun is up."

Horrified, Astrid asked, "They've circumvented the restrictions of the Olde Magyk? How can this be?"

"After the attack, I met with Queen Solvanha and a few of her most trusted advisors. We have absolutely no idea," he admitted, weariness and worry in his voice.

"It never occurred to you, with two missing members of the Realm, that you might have Betrayers in the area?" Gladstone asked as if he were addressing an idiot.

"Noctivagi," King Vitr corrected.

"Same thing." Gladstone was dismissive. "I am assuming you've let everyone know," he added with an air of assumed superiority.

"No, they are _not_ the same thing, Gladstone." Camedon's voice took on an edge.

Gladstone flipped the edge of his cloak back. "The Olde Magyk sees them as the same. They are unable to tread on hallowed ground. They are unable to tread on this point."

Eleanor caught the "I told you so" look he leveled at Astrid.

"So is there no purpose in renewing the Accord?" Camedon asked.

"I didn't say that."

"Good, I'm glad. Now, as I was saying. Queen Solvanha immediately sent messengers to alert the Elders of the other Beings to the presence of the Noctivagi. Of course, there isn't much we can do for Humans until something happens, but the rest of the Realm has been alerted, and there are groups on guard."

Gladstone sneered, dismissing Camedon's last words. "The Humans will be hard pressed to differentiate between anything the Betrayers do and the atrocities they commit on each other."

Eleanor was taken aback at the contempt in his voice. Rob frowned and Jack raised his eyebrows, and they all sat up straighter, engrossed by the discussion.

"That's neither here nor there, Glad," Camedon corrected him.

The tension between the two regarding the subject of Humans was increasingly evident as an uncomfortable silence stretched.

"Still, Camedon, this is most concerning," Astrid said through pinched lips. "How can it be possible the Noctivagi are able to be above ground during daylight hours? Are they growing more powerful? Have they no limitations now?"

"I'm afraid I might know how that is possible," King Vitr offered quietly.

# Chapter Thirteen

King Vitr rubbed his eyes, gathering himself for what he had to say. "The rest of you are aware of this already, but allow me to give our guests some background." He turned to the children. "Dökkálfar, or Dwarves, have the innate gift of design and fabrication. Metal is the popular medium, as it endures, but we have masters of many different pursuits. In fact, who we are is visible in the very way we live. Every single day." The king paused, the pride he felt for his people obvious.

After a moment King Vitr went on. "Our greatest gift is the ability to infuse magic and magical properties into our creations. An area of interest, a specialty if you will, that intrigues some of our artisans is creating items that are protective of the one wearing them. One house, in particular, is renowned for their skill and accomplishments in this area. For some time they have been working to perfect magic that would protect the wearer from the very effects of magic, including the Olde Magyk."

Queen Solvanha and Camedon exchanged a look.

The King shrugged. "Tricky work, manipulating magic to negate the effects of magic. I'd been interested, but didn't expect much to come of it. I should have paid more attention. Their house is one of the most reputable houses of Dwarves, and I never thought to consider their work might be compromised in any way." He turned to the children and explained, "We tend to be guarded by nature, especially about our work."

"But how would this fall into the hands of the Noctivagi, if it did?" Queen Solvanha asked the king. "No Dwarf would give them such a thing."

"True," King Vitr replied. "But one of the artisans of that particular house, a Dwarf named Lorik, has been missing. He left his borough to visit his family, who reside beneath the hills of Wales, but never returned. The head of his house wasn't initially alarmed by Lorik's delayed return and only recently brought this to my attention. He discovered, however, that what Lorik had been working on also appears to be missing. You see, Lorik had been working on protections from magic, including the Olde Magyk. An unlikely coincidence. I'm quite concerned."

"I don't understand. What's the connection?" Rob asked.

"If the Noctivagus had Lorik's work in his possession, it might be possible to surmount the restrictions of the Olde Magyk."

"All of them?" Charlotte asked.

King Vitr nodded, caution and concern etching a frown. "We have to assume that's possible."

"Is this something you can look into further, Vitr?" Camedon asked. "Would the leader of his house know the details of his work?"

"We're working on it," the Dwarf King assured the Keeper.

"But that still leaves the initial quandary of the missing Rune Stone, even if it's not in the possession of the Noctivagi," Mrs. Bradford reminded them.

Camedon let out a long, weary sigh. "If we can truly eliminate them as the thieves, I have no idea why anyone would take the Rune Stone. Who _could_ take the Rune Stone. Obviously it's one who can manipulate the protections that guarded it, and that shortens the list."

" _Obviously_ ," Gladstone mimicked Camedon's tone, "if the Betrayers are able to surmount the restrictions they have lived with, the protections on the Rune Stone were no challenge."

"Noctivagi, Glad," Camedon corrected him.

Queen Solvanha interrupted, her firm tone taking charge and diffusing the tension. "We still have a few days until the solstice in which to find it. And we must find it--there is no other acceptable alternative. I can mobilize whatever help is needed."

"And I, as well," King Vitr agreed.

"I appreciate that. But perhaps it would be wise to contain this news to a select few. I'll have to tell the other Elders, of course, but I'm concerned just the news of this will throw the Realm into chaos. I don't want the Noctivagi to be emboldened by the situation, either."

"I agree," said Astrid.

Gladstone frowned at her. "Are you going to share this with the Night Elves?" Mrs. Bradford asked. "Have you met with Gunnr?"

"Yes. It affects the Night Elves most of all, and we need their help. If not for the protections placed on this point, Gunnr would be included in this counsel. He is committed to the renewal of the Accord, and I trust him as I do you."

"We have no choice but to include him," Queen Solvanha said, though her expression was guarded.

"Gunnr? Who is Gunnr?" Eleanor asked. She knew she sounded impatient, but really. Elves, Dwarves, Night Elves, Night Vagrants? It was hard keeping names and Beings straight.

"He is the Elder of the Night Elves who abide by the terms of the Accord," Queen Solvanha informed them in a carefully neutral tone, which was so purposely neutral Eleanor could tell her tone belied her true feelings. "I agree, Camedon," King Vitr said. "He must be told. I share your confidence in Gunnr and strongly support that position."

"I concur, as well. Gunnr should be included," Charlotte said.

"I'm meeting with him after this," Camedon said.

The other two Keepers remained silent. Gladstone's scowl revealed his opinion, but he opted not to state it.

"Let's go over what we do know. When did you realize the Rune Stone was missing?" King Vitr asked.

"Yesterday. I know it was safe the day before. So we're talking less than forty-eight hours."

"Excuse me." Agnes landed on the ground between the two entrance stones of the Lee. "I apologize for the interruption, but I have a message of some urgency."

"It's fine, Agnes. Come in," Camedon invited the crow.

The crow flew to the back of Rob's chair, next to the Keeper, and spoke in a low voice. "It's Gunnr. He needs to see you. Now, instead of later."

"Urgent, you say?"

"Yes, he apologized for interrupting, but it can't wait."

"That's fine. We were just about finished anyway." Camedon looked around the table for agreement, and everyone indicated theirs. "Charlotte, would you accompany me?" he said as he stood. "Queen Solvanha. King Vitr. I appreciate your input and your willingness to coordinate efforts." He bowed in turn to each, and then addressed the crow. "I wonder if I could trouble you one last time this evening to let me know the children made it home safely, Agnes."

"Of course," she reassured the Keeper.

"And thank you, children, for being here. Much of what we discussed you already knew, but I did want to introduce you to Queen Solvanha and King Vitr, and to Gladstone and Astrid. We've all been eager to welcome our newest Human ambassadors to the Realm."

"Yes, sir," Rob spoke for them.

The other adults around the table nodded. All but Gladstone. He picked at a hangnail.

"Agnes will show you the way to the road, and see you to the house. You'll forgive my need to know you make it home safely. We must all take extra precautions. I include you in that, Charlotte," Camedon instructed the librarian. She grimaced, but nodded.

Agnes flew through the opening in the stones, and the children quickly said good night and followed her.

Though the moon was half-full, it was hard to see. The fog had settled, thick and enveloping. Trees took on strange shapes and Eleanor saw sinister forms in the shadows.

Agnes flew just above the children as they crept through the trees. Their feet were silent on the damp forest floor. The only sounds in the fog-enshrouded woods were the occasional droplets of moisture falling from the branches.

Eleanor couldn't shake the feeling that someone, or something, was watching. She held Flora's hand tightly and told herself her imagination was getting away from her, but by the way Jack and Rob kept glancing around, they were unnerved, too.

As they neared the point road, Agnes said quietly, "Hold up a moment."

She flew ahead and quickly perused the road, making certain no one was around.

"Right, come on out," she told them in a low voice.

Eleanor was relieved to see the lights of the house ahead.

No one spoke as they moved toward the house at a quicker pace, and everyone jumped when Enid's grating voice broke the silence.

"So, did we have a lovely time?" She was perched on a limb above their heads, and her voice was loud in the quiet night.

"It was hardly a cocktail party, Enid," Agnes said. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be roosting in your tree for the night? And why are you still carrying around that foolish button?"

"I told you, it's my good luck charm," the crow replied.

"It's a very nice button, Enid," Flora offered.

Jack rolled his eyes at Eleanor.

"Such exciting times. Did you see the queen?" Enid asked. "Is she as beautiful as they say? I would be nervous to meet her. Some queens are mean, you know. Especially magical queens, like in fairy tales. They feed children poisonous food. Like apples that put them to sleep for a hundred years. And some queens bake four and twenty blackbirds all in a pie. Are crows blackbirds, Agnes?"

"The queen is nice, Enid," Flora assured the crow. "I wouldn't worry about her baking you in a pie."

"Enid, enough," Agnes sighed.

Enid blathered on, ignoring Agnes. "Was she pretty? What did she wear? Was anyone with her? What did you talk about? What does one discuss with a queen? Or maybe she was busy with others. Who else was there? Any other royalty?"

"Enid! The children are tired and they need to get home. Shoo." Agnes flapped her wings to emphasize her point.

"Hmph. No need to get all bossy." She flew off.

"My goodness. Sorry about that," Agnes said. "She is a kindhearted thing, but she's a bit dense. I think she fell out of the nest as a hatchling and landed on her head."

"She cracks me up," Jack chuckled.

"Funny, I wonder why she was waiting there," Agnes said. "Oh, well. Here we are."

Carefully, so as not to squish any of the flowers, Agnes landed on the edge of the cast-iron urn by the front door. Each of the children said good night as they trooped past her. She twitched her head, acknowledging each. Following the Keeper's request to the letter, she did not fly off until she saw them safely inside the house, and Rob locked the door behind them.

# Chapter Fourteen

Jack sat in the middle of the barn floor the next morning. "King Vitr and Queen Solvanha seemed fine. Can't say I had much use for Brimstone, or whatever his name was."

"Gladstone," Rob corrected, but he grinned. He was filling water buckets and Eleanor was in Ginger's stall brushing her. Flora dangled a piece of straw for the kittens to bat while Patters looked on, drowsy in a patch of sunshine.

"He was kind of a jerk, wasn't he?" Eleanor agreed.

"Kind of?" Jack asked.

"I'd say he doesn't have much use for Humans," Rob said.

"You think?" Jack snorted.

"Why do you say that?" Mack asked.

"They were discussing the attack on Baelhar by the Noctivagus yesterday, and Gladstone didn't seem to care about any human victims that might be in danger," Rob told him.

"There is some disdain among those of the Realm for Humans." Sargent chose his words with care. "There are some--many, in fact--who feel that as Humans left the Realm, they should be left to fend for themselves. Obviously, Camedon is not one of those, but it would not surprise me to learn that not all Keepers have the same fondness for Humans."

"In all fairness, I can see where Humans have played a role in fostering that attitude," Rob said to the horse.

"Yeah," Eleanor mused, smoothing the soft brush over Ginger's flank until it gleamed.

"Oh, please," Jack said. "In front of us? It was rude."

"I doubt we'll be seeing much of Gladstone anyway. Didn't Camedon say he was from Great Britain?" Rob asked.

"So who else was there?" Mack asked.

"The Queen of the Light Elves, Solvanha, and the King of the Dwarves, Vitr," Jack said. "Man, he is a big boy. Good thing he seemed nice enough. I'd hate to have him mad at me." He shook his head.

Flora poked him. "You never care if anyone is mad at you."

Rob gave Flora an approving smile. "Besides us, the king and queen, and _Brimstone,_ there was Mrs. Bradford, and another Keeper named Astrid from Scandinavia. The discussion was mostly about the attack on the Baelhar, and the significance of it happening during the day. Probably the most important thing discussed, though, was the missing Rune Stone."

Patters looked up, agitated. "Missing? How can it be missing? They need it for the Solstice Ceremony."

"Ah, yeah, and no clues about who has it or why," Rob said. "How big is this thing, anyway? Do you know, Patters?"

"It fits into the center of the Elf Cross, couple of feet, maybe. No one put it into their pocket and walked off."

"Where was it kept?" Jack asked.

"I don't know," the cat said. "This is where it all began, and this is where the Accord is renewed every solstice, so it was probably kept somewhere around here. One would assume right on this point because of the protections."

"Perhaps it's still here somewhere," Eleanor said. "Supposedly, the Noctivagi don't have it."

"But who would take it--"

A commotion interrupted Patter's question. Through the barn doors, sideways and fast, exploded a bomb of black feathers. Enid landed in a heap at their feet. She stood, shook her feathers, and righted herself. "Good morning!"

Jack mumbled something about dingbats.

"I say, crow, doesn't that button make it rather hard to fly?" Sargent asked.

"A bit," Enid answered. She dismissed the horse with another ruffle of her feathers and addressed the children. "Now then. How was the Gathering?"

" _There_ you are." Agnes flew neatly in the door and landed without incident.

Enid turned snippy. "Oh, hello, Agnes."

"Still miffed, are you? Oh for heaven's sakes, Enid. And leave that foolish button in your nest. You are going to hurt yourself." Agnes turned her attention to the kids. "Everyone sleep well?"

"Yes," Rob said. "We were just discussing the Rune Stone. Patters said it was kept around here."

"Ah, right. The Stone. And I have a message from Camedon. He asked that you ride to the park this morning. He'll meet you there," Agnes informed them.

"What about the Rune Stone?" Enid asked. "Is it pretty?"

Agnes disregarded her. "Oh! I almost forgot. Charlotte Bradford is going as well. Is there a horse she can ride? She's on her way over here now."

"But what about the Rune Stone?" Enid pushed. "I'd love to see it. Can't we go there first?"

"There is no _we_ , Enid. You need to find something to do this morning. I'll be back later. Why don't you see if any pretty pretties washed up on the beach? We had high tide last night." Agnes tried to sound patient, but she didn't quite manage.

"Fine. I can tell when I'm not wanted. You all just have your little adventure." The crow sniffed. She took several hops, but the button weighed her down. On the third attempt, she managed to get some air under her wings and took off, but at an odd angle and flapping desperately. She muttered the whole way.

"Right. Sorry about that. Enid tends to perseverate about things," Agnes explained. "She also tends to repeat everything she hears, so be careful what you say in front of her. Unfortunate, but there it is."

"Let's tack up while we wait for Mrs. Bradford," Eleanor said. "She can ride Mack."

"Oh, you'll like her, Mack," Flora told the big gelding. "She's lovely."

The kids busied themselves grooming and saddling the horses, but left the bridles off until they were ready to go.

Their mother and Mrs. Bradford arrived in the midst of it.

"Oh, good. You were right, Charlotte. They're ready and waiting. Why didn't you mention you'd asked Mrs. Bradford to go riding this morning?"

"Sorry, Mum," Rob answered for them. "We planned it at the library yesterday."

"Oh, it's fine. Gives Mack some exercise. I wish I could join you, but I have a meeting this morning."

Thank goodness, Eleanor thought.

"Well, then. You have fun," their mother said. "Turn Hala out before you go. Sam is running errands this morning and won't be back until this afternoon." As she made her way to the door, she stopped and scooped up one of the kittens, snuggling him under her chin. It was Kipper, and he squirmed. She set him down and continued on her way. "Have a lovely ride," she wished them, pausing to kiss Flora on the top of the head as she departed.

"See you later, Virginia," Mrs. Bradford called after her. "Thanks again."

"Bye, Mum," the kids echoed.

She waved over her shoulder, but kept going.

"Handy you guys rode together," Jack said to the librarian.

"Isn't it?" Mrs. Bradford smiled. "Camedon wants us to meet up with him. This seemed to work all around. Glad you were here. It might have been awkward if I had shown up with that excuse and you were nowhere to be found."

"We don't start sailing until next week. We're pretty much _around_ ," Jack complained.

"Ignore him," Eleanor advised. "Jack lives for sailing all year. The week between school ending and sailing starting is agony for him. And us."

"Sorry. The sea calls." Jack didn't look sorry.

"Have you had a chance to look at the book I gave you?" Mrs. Bradford asked.

"Yes. It was cool. It was your father's?" Eleanor asked.

"Yes, it was his notebook." Mrs. Bradford smiled, remembering. "He was artisitic, like you, Eleanor, and he usually carried a sketchpad. My mother was indulgent, and accustomed to being late, but at times he exhausted her patience."

"We put it in the hidden box in the tack room for safekeeping," Rob said.

Mrs. Bradford smiled. "Ah, you found the hiding spot, did you? You have been busy."

"Patters found it," Flora said.

"That is as good a place as any to keep it. We'll look at it later. We should get going. Camedon will be waiting."

Flora led the chestnut gelding out of his stall and handed the reins to the librarian. "Mack, this is Mrs. Bradford."

"Hello, Mack. Oh, and _Mrs. Bradford_ is fine at the library. I wish you would call me Charlotte when we're not there."

"That will take some getting used to," Eleanor told her.

"Yeah, you've been Mrs. Bradford our whole lives," Jack said. "Like, for _everrr_."

She laughed. "I'm not exactly Methuselah, Jack. Nice to meet you, Mack." She rubbed the side of the horse's head.

"Pleasure's mine, ma'am," the gelding said. He turned sideways, an invitation for her to mount, and she obliged, swinging onto his back cleanly and gently. The others did the same, and they were off.

Hala trotted along the fence accompanying them down the road. As the pasture ended, they waved to her.

They rode down the rest of the point road, Agnes flying above them. Soon they came to the place where they had exited the woods last night on the way home, and they could make out a faint path they hadn't noticed before.

"That's the path to the Lee," Rob informed the horses.

"Are all Gatherings held there?" Willow asked.

"Yes," the librarian answered. "I have suggested moving it. Gunnr can never attend, and I feel he needs to. Camedon and King Vitr agree. But there is still great distrust and unease between him and Queen Solvanha."

"Camedon told us the Elves felt great shame at the betrayal by their own," Rob said.

"Well, it goes a bit deeper than that," Mrs. Bradford explained. "Gunnr, you see, is Queen Solvanha's younger brother."

"Whoa!" Jack exclaimed at that revelation.

All the horses stopped.

Jack laughed when he realized what he'd said, and explained to the horses, "The plot thickens."

"Queen Solvanha sees what Gunnr did as the ultimate betrayal," the librarian said. "A betrayal to the Elves, to her family, and especially to her. They were very close. I am not certain she will ever forgive him."

"We forget you are unaware of all of this," Sargent said. "These are just stories to most of the world, but we've heard them. It's strange, though, to be in the thick of things I've only just heard about."

"I'm sure," Rob acknowledged the horse. "It would be like suddenly finding ourselves in a book we all know."

It was hard to imagine being angry with her brothers for such a long time, and Eleanor asked, "So, do Queen Solvanha and Gunnr speak to each other at all?"

"When necessary," Mrs. Bradford said. "I know their fractured relationship hurts both of them greatly, especially Gunnr. Elves, however, are so very proud. Queen Solvanha is unlikely to bend, and Gunnr is just as unlikely to ask for her forgiveness. Of course, neither would ever let their true feelings show."

They crossed Route One, and the horses broke into a light canter to cross the field. As they approached the branches concealing the entrance to the old woods road, they slowed and entered single file, each rider ducking under the sweeping limbs, even little Flora.

Again, as they entered the woods, it struck Eleanor that it was as if they were entering a different world. An older, more natural world. "This is a beautiful place," Mack observed.

"I like the smell of the ocean nearby," Willow said.

"Yes, Maine is beautiful. I can't imagine living anywhere else," Mrs. Bradford added.

Camedon appeared ahead of them with a _POP_.

"Me neither."

# Chapter Fifteen

Camedon was suspended in mid-air, his wings visible behind him. The riders started at the Keeper's sudden appearance, but to the horses' credit, they didn't flinch.

"Sorry," he apologized. "No way around it."

"You're flying? Think you can keep up?" Agnes asked.

"Yes." He waggled his wings at her. "Smashing morning for a flight." He turned his attention to the children. "I rather think you'll enjoy where we're going."

"Where?" Jack asked.

"Patience, short questioning one."

Everyone laughed. Except Agnes. Her disapproval of Camedon's banter was evident. "For someone who has such a disaster on his hands, you are in quite the good mood this morning."

Camedon just smiled. "Why yes, I am, aren't I?" He didn't elaborate. "We have a ways to go. Let the horses have a drink, and then we can pick up the pace."

"You know, we could remove these bridles altogether in here," Eleanor said as the river came into view. "Why don't we hide them behind a rock and get them on the way out?"

"No need to hide them." Camedon waved his hand and the bridles disappeared.

"What did you do with them?" Jack asked, suspicious.

"Let's just say they're waiting around for you sometime in the future," Camedon said.

"Nice," Jack said.

"Where exactly are we going?" Eleanor asked.

"A ways." The Keeper was vague.

The riders dismounted and the horses took turns at the small inlet beside the river. They drank their fill of the cold water, stepped back onto the path and waited for their riders to mount again.

"Remind me where we are going," Jack pushed.

"Onward, my good man." Camedon's wings hummed, glowing as he set off, Agnes soaring behind him.

The small group stuck to the old woods road that ran along the river for quite some ways. It wound around the base of Mount Megunticook, traveling deeper into the state park, and the Keeper checked periodically to make certain the horses weren't tiring. On the contrary, they were eager to follow where he led. A feeling of anticipation seemed to spur them all on. Oddly, Eleanor almost felt as if she knew which paths Camedon would take before he took them.

Eventually, they took one of the paths that hugged the steep face of the mountain, and they followed it single file. It forked a few times, but finally, Camedon stopped in a clearing against a face of stone and ledge.

Camedon settled to the ground, grew to normal size, and his wings disappeared with a _POP_. "The horses will be happier waiting here as we are entering the mountain. Why don't you remove their saddles so they can have a break? Agnes, would you stay with the horses? I'm expecting the Elven Guard to join us. If they show up, tell them we'll be out shortly."

She quirked her head, agreeing, and flew up to a tree limb.

"We won't be long," Camedon said to the horses. "Around the next bend is another stream if you're thirsty, and no Humans are about. No concerns of being seen lingering here." That thought appeared to amuse him. "No loitering."

"Right-o," Sargent said.

As soon as the children and Mrs. Bradford had removed the horses' saddles, Camedon approached the steep rock face. He moved his hands in a strange pattern, and the stone adopted the appearance of a hologram. There, but not. An elusive blur. He stepped through, and the librarian and the children followed. Eleanor felt the same sort of "thick" feeling she'd felt moving through the passage in the cavern.

They stepped into a great tunnel of stone with a vaulted ceiling. They followed it a short way, and it opened into a cavernous area with an even higher ceiling and six other tunnels leading off it. Carved stone columns rose up to meet the stone ceiling on either side of each tunnel, ringing the vast and eerie cavern as if they were a periphery of sentinels. The floor was uneven with slight dips and rises, but the stone itself was worn smooth, giving it the illusion of a rolling ocean surface.

"This looks like the drawing in the notebook," Jack whispered to Eleanor. "The one like the Jefferson monument? Remember?"

"Yeah, you're right, it does," she said, looking around the cavern. It was a magnificent space, and her fingers itched to sketch it.

In the center of the cavern, the stone rose to form a natural platform. On this a lone figure sat, waiting.

# Chapter Sixteen

No one had to tell Eleanor he was an Elf. The human clothes he wore couldn't mask the striking Elven features. He was tall and lean, with black hair and a strong face, but it was his eyes that made Eleanor pause. They were the same strange color as Queen Solvanha's--that dark, very clear blue.

There was something more, though. Eleanor couldn't quite name it, but it radiated. She hung back, allowing the others move forward.

He rose to meet them, greeting Camedon as King Vitr had. They grasped forearms in the ritual warrior welcome. As they did, a gold band on his left thumb glinted in the light.

"We made it safely and without incident," Camedon told the Elf. "Gunnr, may I present the Driscoll children: Robert, Jack, Eleanor, and Flora."

Eleanor's eyebrows went up at the Keeper's words. _Present_. Not _introduce._ Camedon's demeanor was even more formal than when he'd introduced them to King Vitr and Queen Solvanha. He obviously held this Being in high regard.

"Welcome, Driscolls," he said, tipping his head. "I've heard much about you."

Rob stepped forward to shake his hand. Rather bravely, Eleanor thought. She wouldn't have.

Gunnr took Rob's hand and studied him for a moment. Finally he said, "Foresight and protection are your gifts. Much wisdom here, also. Gather knowledge, and it will serve you well." He nodded, seemingly to himself.

Eleanor couldn't place an accent, but his manner of speaking was precise. Each letter perfectly enunciated.

He looked at Jack next, and smiled. "Your reputation precedes you, young Jack. Easy to see why. Humor surrounds you. It's a force, and a good one. The ability to laugh is a strong bravery, and the ability to make others laugh has solved many of the world's troubles."

Gunnr then turned to Flora, stooped, and gently took her small hand in his. "The kindness in your soul surrounds you much like a glow surrounds a flame. Feed that flame, and in turn it will warm your life." Flora gazed at him in awe, mesmerized by his words.

Lastly, he turned to Eleanor. As his gaze met hers, an intense, aching sadness stabbed deep in her heart, so fast and so strong that for a second it was hard to breathe. She couldn't bring herself to look away, though, and break the connection between them.

But she did take a step back.

"That answers that, doesn't it?" he said, studying her. In spite of his kind smile, weariness lingered in his eyes. "You feel the emotions of others. A heavier burden for one with a Healer's heart, but you'll provide greater comfort because of it."

He took her hand in his own, and the ache in her heart, an ache that somehow she knew was actually his, eased.

Eleanor pulled her hand from his. This wasn't talking to animals. This wasn't sprinkling magic dust and conjuring sparkly disco balls from thin air. This Being was different. An aura of intense, leashed power radiated. He was assessing them, one by one. Critically and accurately. For what, she couldn't help but wonder.

He gave her a half smile. As if he understood. And regretted it.

He turned to Camedon and the librarian and asked, "Have you told them?"

"Not yet," Mrs. Bradford answered for them both.

"Told us?" Rob asked.

"Last night, Charlotte and I met with Gunnr after we were together." At nods from the kids, he continued. "The Rune Stone is no longer missing. Gunnr found it last night."

Jack's eyebrow went up, and he said, "That's convenient." Then he realized he'd actually said it aloud and looked slightly sheepish.

Camedon didn't seem to notice. "Yes. He stayed with it. So we could see where he found it and to check for any clues, and to observe if anyone came for it. No one did. And no one has, yet."

"Do you have any idea who may have taken it?" Eleanor asked the Keeper. "Or why?"

Gunnr answered for the Keeper. "Ideas? Yes. Specifics, no." Though his tone was light, when he looked at Eleanor, his look penetrated.

"Such as?" Jack urged after a minute.

Gunnr didn't answer him immediately, but continued studying Eleanor.

There was more going on here. The others were accepting all of this at face value, but somehow Eleanor knew they weren't just here because of the Rune Stone. He'd wanted to meet them. What she didn't know was _why_. And darned if she didn't think he knew that she knew.

When he did finally drag his eyes from Eleanor, and speak, his tone was serious. "Before I answer your question, there is something I need to say to you in front of Camedon and Charlotte. I realize you've only recently been made _aware_ , and have been inundated with aspects of the world you never dreamed existed. Camedon said you know how the Accord came to be."

At their nods, he continued, "I have sworn to uphold the Accord. I will honor that oath, whether it is renewed on this solstice or any other. Even without the protections doing so affords me. You are, right now, and always will be, safe in my presence. From me and anyone else. If I were ever to doubt that, I would seek the eternal solace of the sun."

None of others knew how to respond to his statement other than to acknowledge it with an uncomfortable nod. Jack and Rob looked relieved to have him address what he was, and Eleanor found that mildly amusing. His words had been unnecessary. Oh, she had questions, and while this Being was many things she didn't understand, his honor was easy to recognize. Eleanor suddenly realized that was the sadness she'd felt moments before. He regretted the pain his youthful and foolish betrayal had caused those who loved him. The burden showed in his eyes. For her, it had been a burden almost too great to bear for a moment. He felt it all the time.

He would rather end his existence than betray his honor again.

"Your words are unnecessary, Gunnr," Mrs. Bradford assured him.

"For you, Charlotte, but they need to hear them. From me. There is danger about, and by bringing them fully into the Realm we have exposed them to that."

"I agree with Gunnr," Camedon said. "They've been thrust into a new world overnight. While it's helpful for them to know who we consider trustworthy, they must make up their own minds independently. It's the real reason I cancelled the Gathering of Elders. Too many new faces at once. Plenty of time for the rest after we figure out what is going on."

"Could we get back to the Rune Stone for a moment?" Rob asked.

"Of course."

"Where _was_ it?"

"Close to here, actually," Gunnr said. "The Rune Stone has a power about it--a strong magnetism, if you will--which is felt by those affected by the Accord. Someone disguised and concealed it with dark protections, but they couldn't mask its power, and I was drawn to it when I passed near. Whoever hid it used Elven magic, but that's doesn't mean it was an Elf, or something that was once an Elf."

"Gunnr is right. The Noctivagi have the greatest motivation for seeing the Accord broken, but we can't rule anyone out," Camedon added.

"But I don't understand," Jack said. "Why do they care about the Rune Stone? They are what they are, and it doesn't affect them."

"But it affects others, and they strive for power. More of them would give them more power. Without the protections of the Accord, the Night Elves might succumb to darkness."

Rob frowned. "More? Of the fifteen Elves who participated in the ritual, only a few of those did not participate in the Accord. How many can there be?"

"Originally there _were_ only six Noctivagi. Now?" Camedon paused, glancing at Flora and considering his words with care. "Others have been turned. They are the same soulless entities, regardless of what they were originally, killing while feeding, and feeding from killing."

"You're not serious?" Jack blurted, the first to react as the ramifications of what Camedon said hit him.

"Unfortunately, yes, I am." Camedon rubbed the back of his neck and adjusted the collar of his cloak, as if it was heavy.

"Hang on a second," Rob said. "If the Accord affects only nine, that's all well and good, but what about the Noctivagi and those they've turned? Not that I'm dismissing it. I am not talking about you," he said to Gunnr, hoping the Elf understood what he meant. "But this is larger and more dangerous than we," he included his siblings with a gesture, "understood. This swearing of the Accord hardly seems ... adequate."

Gunnr studied Rob. "I understand. What good is an Accord that affects only a few against that sort of evil? But it is. It unifies those on the side of the light, even those who are only in the light figuratively, like me. This affects every Being of the Realm, not just Dwarves and Elves. Few are safe from them--though animals seem to be, but only because they haven't figured out any real purpose for turning them."

Jack shook his head. "Man."

"Yesterday you mentioned sending out forces to render final justice," Eleanor said to Camedon. "You have to destroy these things, don't you?"

"Yes, and it isn't easy. These creatures are not immortal, but they are powerful, both physically and magically. It's difficult."

"How do you kill them?" asked Jack. He wanted the gory details.

Camedon glanced at young Flora, "There are ways. And their remains must be completely destroyed. Incinerated to ash. Each group of Beings has certain members who specialize in this task. They are our Warriors, and are among the most respected members of the Realm. These battles are to the death."

"But you still just need someone to place the Rune Stone in the Älvkors, right?" Jack reminded them.

Rob snorted, and said to Gunnr, "You said something about bravery earlier?"

"Yes," Mrs. Bradford assured Jack, smiling. "As Humans, our only role is to place the Stone. It's getting a bit heavy for me, even with Camedon's magical _help_."

"None of us have any intention that this should touch you--even indirectly--but you need to know, be aware of the circumstances," Gunnr told them.

"So where's the Rune Stone now?" Eleanor asked.

"Here. But you are taking it with you when you leave," Gunnr answered.

"Great, the lucky stone," Jack said.

Eleanor ignored him and asked Camedon. "Where are we supposed to take it?"

"Well, that's what we need to decide, where the safest place for it is. I would trust Gunnr with it. Or Queen Solvanha, or King Vitr, but until we figure out exactly what is going on, it isn't a matter of trust."

"What do you mean?" Mrs. Bradford asked.

"The fewer people who know it's been found, the better. Safer for everyone, and, perhaps the person who took it will show his hand."

"Can't you just do what you did with our bridles?" Jack asked. "Hide it in time or something until it's needed?"

"Ah, you're quick, Jack. No. I was just teasing about that. We don't dabble with Time. Not even Keepers. There can be disastrous consequences. Things happen for reasons none of us understand. However, even if I were inclined to try it, the Rune Stone has the Olde Magyk protecting it so strongly that magic, like I am able to use, can only surround it, not touch it. I don't know if that makes any sense to you, but in time you will become more knowledgeable about Magyk, and magic."

"Will _we_ be able to do magic?" Jack was unable hide the excitement in his voice.

"Nope," Camedon said. "Not your gift. But being part of the Realm, you will need to understand the laws of magic."

"Oh."

Rob looked disappointed, too.

"In the meantime, we need to find the safest place for the Rune Stone, and I'm thinking somewhere on the point, which is another reason I brought you today. We will have the Elven Guard escort us back, but once we reach the point, I would prefer it was just you children, Charlotte, and I who know its new location."

"Us?"

"Someone needs to know besides myself or Charlotte in case anything happens to one of us, but no one would ever assume _you_ would know, so it's perfect, actually. The assumption of your ignorance is, in fact, excellent protection for the Stone. As well as your own safety." Camedon seemed pleased with his reasoning.

Eleanor wasn't sure she shared his confidence, but she kept her doubts to herself. She felt Gunnr's gaze on her, and she met his eye. Her expression must have revealed her thoughts because he gave her the slightest of smiles.

"Alllrighty then," Jack said.

"This way." Gunnr led them toward one of the tunnels that ringed the chamber. As he entered it, the torches on the walls burned brighter.

"Hang on." Jack jogged back to the tunnel's entrance and dropped his sweatshirt.

Eleanor remembered discovering the cavern. It seemed weeks ago.

Jack paused, counting the tunnel entrances surrounding the stone chamber so he was certain he knew which one they were entering.

"Smart boy," Gunnr said.

They continued once Jack rejoined them. In spite of being made of stone, the tunnel more resembled a hallway in a grand house. An elaborately woven carpet ran the length of the tunnel. Paintings in elegant gilded frames hung on the stone walls, and Eleanor was surprised to see flowers on one of the tables.

They passed several wooden doors on heavy iron hinges before Gunnr stopped. He moved his hands in a series of motions, much like Camedon had done at the rock face, and then opened the door. As with the tunnel, the light grew until the room was warmly lit. They found themselves in a large room, similar to their own library at home. Gaily colored oriental carpets covered the floors, and there were several long, low sofas. Bookshelves lined three of the walls from floor to ceiling. The fourth wall displayed a series of portraits which captured Eleanor's interest. She recognized Solvanha in the third one.

Gunnr walked to a low table between two of the sofas and gestured to what rested upon it. The Rune Stone.

# Chapter Seventeen

The kids knelt beside the table, examining the pentagon-shaped Stone. Worn smooth, the granite had the rich patina of great age. The symbols inscribed on it were stark, yet fascinating. The stone completely covered the top of the table on which it rested.

"This is the center of the Elf Cross, the heart of the star," Camedon said.

"Yeah. That has been bugging me," Jack said.

"What's that?" Camedon asked, as if he already knew what Jack was going to ask.

"Why is a star called a cross?"

Camedon smiled. "Elf Cross is the closest translation of the ancient word _Älvkors_. The star representing the five Elements is a sacred shape to those of the Realm. The symbol evokes a reverence, not unlike the image of the cross does to many today. But it also pertains to the relationships between each Element. The balance. Crosses have balance."

"May I touch it?" Flora asked.

"Of course," Mrs. Bradford answered. "The symbols are runes. That's why it's called a Rune Stone."

Flora traced one of the runes with her small finger and smiled.

Eleanor could not resist the urge to do the same. The runes were fascinating in their simplicity. As she touched the stone, she felt the slightest thrum of energy, and she realized she could read the ancient writings.

Two combined and consumed

In the creation of the Beast

Exact an Accord sworn freely

By five in the light

The congregation formed

Eases three who suffer

And wrenches one from the darkness

Mending the fractured soul

With thick coarse scars

Hunger allayed

Grief assuaged

Alliances renewed

Serve the fare

Of the Realm

"Cool," Eleanor whispered.

"What?" Rob asked.

"I can read it. Touch the stone," she told the others.

"That's the gift of Humans, Jack, and it's a powerful one," Gunnr said. "Understanding the languages of others is the key to understanding others. It's a magic all its own."

"Exactly," Camedon concurred.

"This is a pretty substantial slab of stone," Rob said. "How heavy is it?"

Camedon grinned, waved his hand, and murmured, " _Levavi_." The stone rose slowly into the air and hung, suspended.

"Cool!" Jack said. "I want to be able to do that. Think hay, guys. And firewood."

"We need to be on our way," Mrs. Bradford reminded them all. "The Elves will be waiting."

"I have something for you." Gunnr went to the desk, opened one of the drawers, and removed a handful of items. He rejoined them at the table. "I made these. They are all the same."

Gunnr handed a star-shaped pendant to each.

As soon as Eleanor touched it, she felt the same thrum of energy she'd felt in the Rune Stone.

"Hey, these are like the ones in the tack room," Jack said.

"Those must be the pendants I made for Oliver and Hazel," Gunnr surmised.

"They are," Charlotte said.

"This is beautiful." Eleanor examined the pendant's intricacies. The replication of the Rune Stone was exact. Carvings and all.

"I have one as well." Mrs. Bradford pulled hers from the collar of her shirt to show them."

"It's more than a pendant representing the Älvkors," Gunnr said. "It's magical, and I wear one, too. It enables you to speak in the way of the Elves, but only to me. If you have need, hold it tightly to you, concentrate, and reach for me. I will know. You will also know if I need you."

Jack, Rob, and Flora all nodded. Eleanor doubted this ancient, powerful Being would have need of their help, but she put the pendant around her neck. If nothing else, it was pretty.

"All set, then?" Camedon moved toward the door, and the Rune Stone followed him.

Jack grinned and followed behind it with his hand just underneath as if he were carrying it on the tip of his finger.

Rob grabbed Bumper and set the bunny on top of the stone as if he was surfing. The levity made Flora giggle, so Eleanor refrained from telling them to grow up.

They left the room and followed the hall back to the cavern. Jack's sweatshirt looked out of place lying on the floor, and he tried to scoop it up without drawing attention.

Gunnr escorted them to the wall at the end of the tunnel from which they'd first arrived. He waved his hands and it appeared transparent, but thick and blurred as if they were looking through a wall of water.

"I'd feel better accompanying you," Gunnr said.

Camedon shook his head. "Better that you don't. Too much attention. Solvanha's Elven Guard will be with us, and we'll be quite safe."

The Night Elf turned to the kids. "If you have need of me, remember the gift imbued into the pendant."

"We don't know how to communicate in the way of the Elves, though," Rob said.

"Hold the pendant close to you and concentrate. Picture me, speak to me, listen for me, and you'll find me." Gunnr looked at Jack suddenly, and smiled. "I sleep during the day. Try not to practice at noon. I'm usually up by three p.m."

Jack liked that.

"Thank you." Rob extended his hand to Gunnr, and Eleanor got a quick glimpse of the man of strength and gravity Rob would grow to be.

Jack followed his example, and shook hands. Camedon gripped Gunnr's forearms in the way he had greeted King Vitr.

Gunnr laid his hand on Mrs. Bradford's shoulder, and Eleanor saw he gave it a slight squeeze. The librarian smiled, reached up and patted his hand.

Gunnr's gaze rested on Eleanor. "It was nice to meet you. Finally."

It was an odd thing to say. She looked up, and again, as her eyes met his, she became lost in them. The intensity of his sadness swamped her, yet she heard genuine sincerity in his words. He reached for her hand, and as he took it the weariness ebbed and hope grew. Gunnr raised his eyebrow at her with a slight smile. Eleanor suspected he credited this to her, but she knew it was him.

He startled her by saying, "It is both of us. The result of our connection."

Eleanor's head snapped back. "You just read my mind!"

"Yes." He did not elaborate.

"You can read our minds?" Jack exclaimed.

"Only Eleanor's. We have a connection as her heart is one of a Healer." He glanced back at her. "I will not intrude if I can help it," he assured her. "When we touch, I cannot help it," he added with an apologetic smile. He released her hand.

"The Elves are waiting," Camedon urged them, and moved through the wall, the Rune Stone in his wake. The others accompanied him, and Gunnr indicated Eleanor, too, should go. She followed them through the thickness and emerged to sunshine. She turned, but the stone face of the mountain had solidified.

# Chapter Eighteen

The horses had been joined by Baelhar and four more Light Elves. Eleanor recognized Sehlis. Camedon spoke with them, and the others went about greeting the horses and getting their saddles.

"You've met Baelhar and Sehlis. This is Handrven, Maethoron, and Sigildnor." Camedon indicated each of the Elves in turn. All were dressed as Baelhar and were armed with swords on wide belts that rode low on their hips.

The Elves acknowledged the introduction with nods and greeted Mrs. Bradford.

The kids hoisted their saddles and walked to the horses.

"How did that go?" Mack asked.

"Fine." Eleanor busied herself saddling Ginger, smoothing the pad beneath the saddle where the girth came up.

"What's Gunnr like?" Willow asked in a low nicker. "Were you afraid?"

"No, not at all," Flora said.

Eleanor thought for a moment, picturing the Night Elf as she'd first seen him, sitting alone in the domed cavern. "The words that jump to mind are honorable--and troubled."

"Troubled?" Sargent asked. "But Baelhar said we have the Rune Stone for the Solstice Ceremony."

"But we still don't know who took it, or why," Rob said.

Ginger turned her head and looked at Eleanor, questions in her soft brown eyes. The mare was wondering about Gunnr more than the Rune Stone Rob and Jack were discussing.

"Sad," Eleanor said without thinking. But it was the right word. She tried to explain to the mare. "I saw portraits of Elves in his study. I assume they're his family. He must miss them terribly." Eleanor watched her brothers and Flora as she said this, and felt a stab of sadness and loneliness.

She ran her hand down Ginger's neck, then to the saddle, and swung onto the horse's back.

"Ready?" Rob asked, mostly checking Flora. At her nod, they all stepped off.

The Elves, like Camedon, flew beside them.

Flying Elves. With swords. Eleanor shook her head, attempting to make some sense of it, but of course there wasn't any to be made. So that's what surreal meant. Kind of like the word headache. Once you had one, you knew exactly what it was.

She envied Flora's innate ability to accept. She understood now what Camedon had been trying to explain in the cave. For the first time in her life, Eleanor felt older, and worried. Life no longer seemed simple, as it had before they had become _aware_ of the Realm.

The boys kept Flora and Willow between them. The Rune Stone floated along behind, and Mrs. Bradford and Eleanor brought up the rear. Camedon stayed close, but the Elves spread out around all of them. Eleanor could tell they were aware of everything around them paying little attention to the riders.

They were confined to a walk until they reached the woods road. The horses, though, sensing the importance of the task, moved briskly, and there wasn't much conversation. They spread out, moved into a light canter, and quickly reached the river. One by one, the horses stopped and drank. As they finished their bridles reappeared, the reins in the rider's hands. This delighted Jack, and Eleanor caught Camedon grin at him.

"How are you going to conceal it," Jack jerked his head in the direction of the Rune Stone, "when we get out in the open?"

"Magic, of course," Camedon said.

They cantered to the field bordering the park, and just as they broke through the branches and into the sunlight, Camedon, the Elven Guard, and the Rune Stone vanished from sight.

But they could hear someone whistling right beside them.

Mrs. Bradford smiled. "You are off-key, Camedon."

"Hey! Is that the Harlem Globetrotter's theme?" Jack asked, impressed.

The whistling stopped. "Yes. Also known as 'Sweet Georgia Brown,' immortalized by Brother Bones and his Shadows for the Harlem Globetrotters, but I'm quite fond of Louis Armstrong's version," the disembodied voice on their left answered him, and then picked up where he had left off in the song.

"Huh?" Flora asked, confused.

"The Harlem Globetrotters are this fantastic basketball team, and they're comedians too. Their games are really performances," Jack explained. "And that's the music that plays when they come on the court. Their theme song."

It eased the tension immediately. Eleanor wasn't sure if their Elven Guards approved of Camedon's silliness, but she appreciated his efforts when she heard Flora giggle. The horses jogged across the field and waited for a break in the traffic to cross the busy road.

Camedon took the opportunity to address the horses. "We will not reappear. I would urge you not to speak of where we went today, or what we brought back to anyone. Not even Patters, or Agnes, and especially not Enid. The fewer who know the Rune Stone is on the point the better--the safer everyone will be."

"Yes, sir," Sargent answered.

"That Enid is 'bout as sharp as a mashed potato," Ringo commented, his Texas drawl thick.

"Slower 'n molasses," Mack added, and the boys laughed.

Camedon's disembodied voice continued, "You all head to the barn and unsaddle, and then we'll decide the best place for the Rune Stone. Agreed?"

Everyone nodded.

They crossed the road, and once they were on the point road, the horses broke into a canter again.

A ways down the road they heard, "Agnes, they're back! Agnesss!" Sure enough, Enid sat on a limb clutching her silly button.

Jack mimicked the horses and muttered in a fake Texas accent, "Dumber 'n dirt that one is."

Rob laughed. "She's knitting with one needle."

"Shh, you guys, she'll hear you," Flora whispered furiously at them.

"Hi! How was your ride? Where did you go? Did you see anyone important? Any more royalty?" The crow asked her questions so fast no one could have answered her even if they'd wanted to.

"No, just a ride. How was your day?" Flora asked her kindly.

Eleanor snorted, and muttered, "Take a lesson, boys. You've just been outclassed by an eight-year old."

"Oh, lovely, just lovely," Enid was saying, not hearing Eleanor's words. "I am sure you had a much more exciting day. Tell me about it. You didn't see anyone? Not even an Elf, a Fairy, or an Imp?"

"No," Eleanor said. "Just a lovely ride."

Enid flapped along above them.

"I thought you were meeting Camedon," the crow pressed.

Rob shrugged. "He never showed."

They neared the barn and everyone dismounted. Their mother was in the ring next to the barn riding Hala, and their father leaned on the fence, watching."Hey, how was your ride?" their mother called.

"Nice," Mrs. Bradford called back.

"Good," Rob answered.

"Bring down a few bales of hay for Nickerson before you take off, would you?"

"Yep," Jack answered for them. In a lower voice he said to the librarian, "You're going to have to keep them talking."

Charlotte nodded.

They all dismounted. Charlotte handed her reins to Rob and headed toward the corral.

They led the horses into the barn and to their individual stalls to unsaddle. No one else was about, not even Patters or the kittens. Anxious to meet Camedon and the Elves, the kids hurried through rubbing the horses down and taking them back to the pasture.

Eleanor and Ginger were last, and Eleanor could tell Enid was not going to be easy to shake. The crow hopped along, following as Eleanor led Ginger to the gate.

"So. What are we going to do now?" Enid asked.

Out of the corner of her eye, Eleanor kept an eye on where the boys had disappeared behind the barn. Not wanting to get stuck with the crow, she gave Ringo a frantic look.

"That sure is a shiny button, Enid," the Appaloosa said, trying to engage her. He put his head down, took a bite of grass, and stepped in the opposite direction. "I don't think you ever said where you got it."

"Eleanor," Flora asked in her littlest girl voice. "I think I dropped Bumper on the road. Would you walk up and help me look for him? The boys are being mean and won't come with me."

"Sure," Eleanor replied.

"I'll help too," Enid offered, hopping up and down.

"Oh, it's fine, Enid," Flora said. "No need. I'm sure he's right there. Why don't you wait here for us? We'll be right back." The firmness in Flora's young voice, which left no room for argument, amused Eleanor.

"Maybe then we could do something?" Enid insisted. "I still want to hear all about the queen. What she wore. What she said. Was she pretty? Was she nice? You promised."

"Sure," Flora said, pulling Eleanor away. "Let me find my bunny and we'll tell you all about it."

When they got outside Flora whispered, "The boys are waiting in the woods."

Eleanor realized Flora really didn't have her bunny. "Where _is_ Bumper, anyway?"

"He's in the tack room. He's fine."

"Hey," Jack whispered from behind a group of trees.

Eleanor kept walking. "Enid's hot and heavy on our trail. Go ahead. Flora and I will play decoy."

"Okay." He slipped back into the woods, out of sight.

"Bumper, where are you?" Flora called out in a louder voice for Enid's benefit. Eleanor took the hint and examined the ditch on the other side.

They ambled along the road pretending to look for the stuffed bunny.

"Any sign of Enid?" Eleanor asked without looking up.

Flora risked a quick look. "Nope, I think we're good. Keep walking, though."

"What did you think of Gunnr?" Eleanor asked.

"I thought he was nice."

"I thought the same thing," Eleanor said. "He was teasing Jack, but I wonder if he really sleeps."

"Well, I'd imagine," Flora said. "We all have to sleep sometime."

"Does it bother you that he is a Night Elf?" Eleanor asked. "That he participated in the sacrificial ceremony?"

"Nope. It was a long time ago. If Mrs. Bradford trusts him, so do I. And everyone has to eat something. We eat meat. Or, I did. I am not so sure I will ever be able to again, though. It bothers me now."

"Well, even animals eat meat. Patters certainly doesn't have any qualms about hunting."

"Yeah, I know. Somehow it kind of turns me off. I keep thinking about talking cows."

That hadn't occurred to Eleanor yet, and she wished Flora hadn't pointed it out. Fish? Maybe fish. Somehow, she doubted it.

"Do you think it hurts?" Flora asked. "Having someone take your blood?"

Eleanor smiled. Flora didn't sound frightened. She sounded fascinated. She was growing up. "I have no idea. In the movies they put you into a trance and you don't know."

"Did you see the picture of Queen Solvanha in his study?"

"I did. I wonder who the others are. They must be other members of his family."

"I think we're going to have to tell Mum and Dad about all of this," Flora said.

"Yes. We are. I don't know if they're going to believe us--even if Mrs. Bradford helps us. This is going to send Dad's logical view of the world into orbit. Maybe Camedon would agree to meet them. We need to ask Rob what he thinks."

"Rob will know what to do. He always knows what to do."

"No one _always_ knows what to do, Flora, though Rob does usually have a better idea than the rest of us. I think it comes from being the oldest."

"Nope. It's just Rob," Flora said. She glanced toward the woods. "How long do you think we need to give 'em to hide the Rune Stone?"

"Let's walk to the end of the road. Anyway. Hopefully they'll find us when they are done."

"What do you think Mum and Dad will say?" Flora asked. "About all of this?"

"I think they'll say we're nuts." Eleanor grinned.

But Flora didn't answer, and Eleanor looked over. Flora stood, pointing into the ditch, all color drained from her face.

Eleanor ran over. In the mud, unmoving, was a crow.

"Oh, no. Please, no." Eleanor scrambled down and picked up the bird, gently.

It was Agnes, and she was still and limp. Eleanor cradled her in her arm, and the bird opened her eyes a crack, but her wing was at a funny angle, and she had blood on her head. She tried to speak, but didn't have the strength.

"No, don't talk," Eleanor pleaded with the crow. "There are Elves near us. Hang on."

"What should I do, Ellie?" Flora didn't sound so grown-up anymore.

"I don't know. I don't know what to do." Eleanor looked around frantically. She didn't know whether she dared yell for Camedon or the Elves because of the Rune Stone.

"Is she dead?" A familiar voice sounded from above, and Enid landed beside them. She sounded different. Serious, not dingy.

"No." Eleanor hesitated. The bird didn't look well at all. She was still alive, but Eleanor was afraid she was dying.

"She will be," Enid said. "Soon enough."

# Chapter Nineteen

Eleanor whipped around, shocked by the crow's words and cold tone.

As she did, Enid began to change. For a moment Eleanor thought her eyes were playing tricks on her.

Enid stretched and grew. Taller, longer. Black feathers faded to paler skin. Her wings changed into arms, and her head reformed, becoming a face.

Enid's crow features were gone. Before the girls stood an Elf.

Sort of.

Eleanor could tell she'd once had amazing physical beauty, but no longer. Her black hair hung in limp clumps, and her skin was sallow and gray. The sharpness of her features was glaring on the flat, scaly skin. Though larger, her beady black eyes were similar to those she'd had as a crow, but now they glittered with malevolence.

A sneer revealed receded gums and bloodstained fangs with bits of gunk in them. She was extremely tall, but rather than being slender and strong like the Elves Eleanor had met, she was skinny and gaunt.

She clutched the button in her bony hand.

The button!

Eleanor's mind raced. The button was what had been crafted by the Dwarves to resist the effects of magic! The button was the work that had been in the possession of the Dwarf Lorik who hadn't returned from his travels! This was the Noctivagus who'd been able to attack Baelhar in broad daylight because the button enabled her to walk in the sun! To be standing here, on hallowed ground!

"Enid ..." Eleanor was at a loss for words.

The Noctivagus smirked. "Actually, it's Eilvain."

Eleanor knew she should have been petrified, but holding the dying Agnes in her arms, she felt nothing but anger. "What do you want?"

"The Rune Stone."

"I don't have it."

Eilvain was no longer smirking. Her expression turned menacing, and she took a step closer to Eleanor. "Don't get smart with me, little girl. Where is it?"

"I don't know."

"You're lying."

"I told you. I don't know."

"Then tell me who does."

Eleanor eyed her, trying desperately to think.

"Go on, call them," the Noctivagus challenged. "Call them to help her. Before she dies. You are running out of time."

"Heal her," Eleanor demanded. She held Agnes out, but in a protective hold in case Eilvain tried to hurt her.

"I don't think so," Eilvain laughed. "Old busybody. She's been driving me crazy."

"Heal her or I won't tell you anything about the Rune Stone." Eleanor was amazed her voice sounded so steady.

"I couldn't heal her even if I wanted to, you little simpleton. I exchanged that pathetic gift for a more powerful one. The ability to kill. And you _will_ tell me or, I'll show you how powerful my gift is. On your _sister_." She took a step closer to Flora, and her eyes glittered with intensity. With insanity.

The air was thick with the smell of putrid flesh, and Eleanor struggled not to gag. She tasted the stench every time she inhaled, and she forced herself to swallow the saliva pooling in her mouth.

Eleanor edged between Flora and the Noctivagus, and thrust Agnes into her little sister's arms.

"I don't think so. If you hurt Flora, you might as well kill me, too, because you won't find anything out." She was terrified, but she lifted her chin and stared the evil thing down, calling her bluff.

"Oh. _Guts_. How charming," the foul Elf sneered.

Eleanor tried to remember what Camedon had said about the protections on the point. She turned to Flora, and hissed under her breath, "When I yell 'now' you run with Agnes as fast as you can, and scream as loud as you can."

"I can hear you, you silly fool," Eilvain smirked. "What are you going to do, hit me?"

"No, that would be foolish," Eleanor said, placating the Noctivagus with a conversational tone. "I am going to make a deal with you."

"And why would I be amenable?"

"You don't have any other options."

"Why do you say that?"

"You wouldn't be here if you did. So here's the deal. You let Flora go, and I tell you what I know about the Rune--NOW!" she bellowed at Flora and launched herself at Eilvain.

Flora took off, yelling for their brothers, Willow, Camedon, their mother, father--everyone Flora could think of.

Eleanor focused her strength on wrenching the button from the Elf's grip. She knew it was hopeless but hoped if Eilvain tried to protect it, and herself, Flora would have more time.

Eilvain slapped her head, repeatedly and hard, but Eleanor resisted the urge to protect herself and fought to free the button with both hands. The force of each blow rattled her teeth, the slamming pain making her weak.

Still, she hung on, hoping it would buy more time for Flora. The Elf's thick yellow fingernails raked her face and throat, and each gouge burned as if acid had been poured into them. The blood tickled as it dripped down her neck, and Eleanor could barely stand it. The sensation was worse than the pain from Eilvain's blows..

Having only her feet free, she kicked, thinking ridiculously that Jack would make fun of her for kicking in a fight and call her a girl. Somehow she connected and the Elf hissed in pain. She did it again and again, as hard as she could.

"You little beast," Eilvain spat. "You'll pay for that." She slapped Eleanor so hard Eleanor's head felt as if it would explode.

Eleanor wasn't sure how much more she could take, but she clung to the hand holding the button with everything she had. She started to weaken and grabbed the front of Eilvain's tunic, but the fabric was slippery, and she felt herself falling.

Camedon thundered, "EILVAIN!"

Eleanor was so relieved, she almost let go of the Elf, but Eilvain held her tight.

Camedon stood a few feet away, and barely resembled the jovial man she'd come to know. He was furious and huge, and Eleanor knew she would never ever want him looking at her like that.

"Let her go!"

Eilvain laughed. "Oh, look, the _Keeper_ has arrived. Guess you didn't _keep_ your new little pet very safe, did you, old man?" She grabbed Eleanor by the collar of her shirt, and held her high. "Come and get her."

Eleanor's world faded around the edges. She shook her head to keep the darkness at bay, and saw the Elves, swords drawn, behind Camedon. Her brothers stood farther back, holding Flora.

"Where is the Rune Stone, Camedon?" the Elf demanded.

"The Rune Stone is protected."

"We'll see about that." She laughed and gave Eleanor a shake. "It would be so easy to snap her neck or slit her little throat."

One sharp fingernail dug into the skin under Eleanor's chin.

Eilvain laughed and licked her lips. "Such a shame to waste even a drop. The young ones give such a rush as they die in your arms. But that'll have to wait. If I kill her, I have nothing to bargain. So here's the deal, Keeper. She comes with me. You decide if she lives or dies."

"Give her to me," insisted Camedon.

"That's hardly in my best interest right now. You have the Rune Stone waiting for me on Maiden's Cliff tomorrow an hour before sunrise. Eleanor will be with me. If I'm able to take the Rune Stone without interference, I'll leave her somewhere safe after I move it. If I have a problem, if I even _think_ I have a problem, I'll kill her and throw her off the cliff, and we'll try this again with someone else."

Camedon didn't answer.

Eilvain threw him a victorious smirk, launched herself into the air, and flew off holding Eleanor by the collar.

The blackness closed around the edges of Eleanor's vision, and this time she let it take her.

# Chapter Twenty

Eleanor kept her eyes shut. It wasn't hard; she didn't have the strength to open them. She smelled dampness and dirt and she swallowed the urge to retch. It was quiet, and she was cold. Everything ached, and her head felt as if it would split open if she moved. If she even breathed too deeply.

Eleanor lay still, listening. She heard nothing, so she listened harder, flexing her awakened hearing. Sounds she associated with the night reached her: insects, leaves rustling in the wind, and coyotes yipping as they ran something to ground. But the noises were far in the distance and muffled. But no talking, no footsteps, or even breathing. She was alone--unless Noctivagi didn't breathe.

But there was no stench.

She dared crack her eyes, but she wasn't able to open them. Panic rose before she realized they were stuck shut with dried blood. She breathed, calming herself, not wanting to draw Eilvain's attention by rubbing them. Instead she scrunched her face and wiggled her nose, hoping the Noctivagus was not close. Finally, she was able to work her eyes open. They stung and watered as if they had strong soap in them, making it difficult to see, but she was able to ascertain she was alone.

It was dark. A torch burned on the wall of what appeared to be a narrow cave.

Carefully, she tried to move parts of her body. She flexed her leg muscles, and they felt okay. Sore, but okay. She did the same with her arms, and they too were sore, but responsive. Her head felt as if a hatchet was buried in the back of it, and the furrows gouged in her cheeks by Eilvain burned and stung.

Flashes of Agnes's limp body haunted her, and Eleanor prayed that somehow Camedon and the Light Elves had been able to save her. She knew it was unlikely, and her heart hurt.

Eleanor closed her eyes again and lay still, trying to calm the splitting pain in her head and the sadness in her heart. For how long she didn't know, but eventually she heard approaching footsteps.

A foot kicked her hip, and she bit her lip to keep from crying out.

"Wake up. This isn't the Hilton."

She opened her eyes. Eilvain stood there with a nasty smile. She held another Being by the arm. Eleanor had no idea what it was, but she could see the fear on its face.

"Oh, yay, a party," she forced herself to say. Was that croak really her voice?

"Yes. A party. For me, not you. Get up."

"I can't."

" _I can't_ ," Eilvain mimicked. "Get up!" She yanked Eleanor off the ground, and the sudden movement made Eleanor retch.

"Stop that!" Eilvain backhanded Eleanor, sending her reeling.

Eleanor lay where she landed and heard the other creature whimper in sympathy. Eleanor took a deep breath and gathered herself. Her legs felt weak and shaky, but she pulled herself up again and faced the Noctivagus.

Eleanor mustered anger and contempt. "You ... _parasite_." The alternative was to succumb to the pain and fear and curl up in defeat. "You can't seriously think anyone is doing anything except planning your execution."

"My execution?" Eilvain smiled. "Take a number, there's a long line."

"What time is it?"

"Ten o'clock. I brought a little snack so I'd have some energy when we leave." Eilvain threw the creature into the corner, and it landed hard. Eleanor made her way over to it, slowly, not taking her eyes off Eilvain, but the Elf had already dismissed them. She walked to a stack of cushions and flopped down.

"Comfort each other while you can," the Elf advised, her shrill voice cutting through Eleanor's head like a machete.

Eleanor knelt beside the Being and whispered, "Are you okay?"

It looked at her with huge eyes, and nodded. It appeared to be male but Eleanor was uncertain. His hair had been hacked short, and he was small, much smaller than Flora. His crudely stitched clothes were ill-matched and ill-fitting.

"What are you?" Eleanor asked.

"I am a Do-gakw-ho-wad," he whispered, his voice tremulous.

Eleanor had no idea whether that was a real word, or whether he was so scared he couldn't speak. "A what?"

"Never heard of the Do-gakw-ho-wad?" Eilvain asked, feigning surprise. "My little sense of humor. They are Abenaki creatures--little men--who supposedly prop the jaws of animals open with sticks to avoid being eaten. Can you imagine something so dreadful? I thought I would let him try it on me."

The Being shrank against the wall of the cave.

"What is your name?"

"Simo," he whispered.

"We'll be fine, Simo," she assured him. "There are people searching for me. Right now. Even as we speak."

It occurred to Eleanor her parents must be frantic. She pictured their horror as Camedon tried to explain what was going on. With a pang, she prayed the Elves had healed Agnes in time. Perhaps Queen Solvanha, King Vitr, or even Gunnr would join Camedon.

Then it hit her. Gunnr. The pendant!

She faced the little man so Eilvain couldn't see what she was doing, and slowly reached to her throat. She felt it around her neck and relief flooded her.

"I need to lie down. I'm hurt," Eleanor announced, but did so without waiting for permission from Eilvain. She faced the wall with her back to the evil Elf.

The little man frowned at her, but Eleanor didn't dare speak because of Eilvain's heightened hearing. She winked at him and closed her eyes.

She slid her hand under her shirt, hoping she appeared to be wrapping her arms around herself to stay warm. Closing her hand around the pendant, she clutched it so tightly the points of the star dug into her hand. She wasn't sure what she was supposed to do, so she tried visualizing Gunnr and concentrated as hard as she could.

Nothing happened. Her head hurt, and it was difficult to hold the image of him, so she started talking to him, in her mind. Praying.

**_"Can you hear me? Please say you can hear me. Please, please talk to me. I don't know where I am. I need help."_**

**_"I hear you, Eleanor. We've been waiting for you to find the mental path."_**

She gasped and almost spoke aloud to him, but caught herself.

**_"Gunnr! This thing --she calls herself Eilvain, but she was the crow, Enid, in disguise. She was using a button crafted by the Dwarves to help with her disguise."_**

**_"I know. Are you okay?"_**

**_"I think so. I hurt, but I can move. You need to find us. Someone needs to find us. We're in a cave,"_** she told him. **_"She has someone else here, too. Someone she brought to feed on. I don't know what he is. He's a Being of the Realm._** "

**_"It's okay, Eleanor, we'll find you. Listen carefully to me. I need to see through your eyes. Relax, and allow me to look,"_** he urged in a calming voice, and she felt his reassurance and strength.

**_"Hold on, I'm facing the wall,"_** she told him, and turned over, which was difficult as she was afraid to let go of the pendant. She positioned herself so she could see most of the cave, as well as Eilvain lying on the large cushions.

**_"Okay,"_** she said when she was ready.

She tensed, waiting.

**_"Gunnr! Are you there?"_** The panic crept back into her voice.

**_"Yes. Sorry. I recognize that cave. We're coming, Eleanor. Hang on."_**

He'd looked through her eyes? She'd felt nothing. She couldn't think about that right now.

**_"Listen to me. Do nothing to draw her attention to you. Do you understand?"_**

**_"Yes."_**

**_"Hang on. Just a little longer. You aren't far from where I am. We figured she wouldn't take you far, that you were somewhere in the park."_**

**_"Okay. Just hurry. Please hurry."_**

**_"I am. We're connected, Eleanor. You aren't alone anymore. I am almost there. Don't be startled at my arrival. I want the element of surprise. As soon as I can see you, I will throw a protective shield over you."_**

**_"Okay."_**

**_"I can see the mountain. I am streaming through the air as mist. Did you know I could do that?"_**

He was trying to distract her, keep her calm. Fine. As long as he kept the connection.

**_"What else can you do?"_**

**_"Ah,"_** he said. **_"What can't I do? That is a better question."_**

**_"So you can change your shape? To what?"_**

**_"Anything."_**

**_"Can all Elves do this?"_**

**_"Yes. Our magic affects living things, including ourselves. This I did not lose."_**

**_"How much longer? Are you almost here?"_**

**_"I am here."_**

# Chapter Twenty-One

Gunnr materialized at the mouth of the cave. His eyes sought Eleanor and Simo first. He gave them a quick reassuring nod as he raised his hands and wove protections to cover them. Eilvain remained oblivious to his presence.

"Good evening, Eilvain," he greeted the Noctivagus with the casual courtesy one greets an old acquaintance.

Eilvain's head jerked up. "Gunnr," she simpered, surprised and pleased. She leapt to her feet and brushed her scraggly hair from her face in a coquettish fashion. Eleanor might have found the gesture humorous in another situation.

"What are you doing here?" he asked in a mild voice, as if he'd bumped into her at the market.

"I came for you. To free you from this terrible curse that binds you in each world and yet allows you in none."

"I don't need to be freed. I am where I choose to be. You, on the other hand, have been sentenced to death for your crimes."

"Such silly foolishness," she scoffed. "Who will dare try?"

Gunnr looked around and shrugged.

"You?" she laughed, but nervously. "Gunnr. Think for a minute. We can have it all, you and I. The world would bow at our feet."

"I don't want the world to bow at my feet. I never did. Is that why you are here? Is that why you want to destroy the Rune Stone? Because of me?"

"I am sick of waiting for you to come to your senses. You have no idea what you are missing living this pathetic half-life."

"And your life? You aren't so powerful. You have more limitations than I do. You need a button to even be _out_ in daylight."

Angered by his mockery, she became nasty. "The restrictions of the Olde Magyk are shackles imposed by the fearful! The weak. Sniveling wretches. Fortunate occurrence, stumbling across the Dwarf Lorik when I did. I just needed to feed, but then he started blathering about the button he'd created, and its properties, hoping to trade it for his life. I took both." She smacked her lips. "Iron-rich Dwarf blood hits the spot like nothing else."

"Where is the Dwarf you stole it from?"

"Does it matter? He won't need his button back."

"So why did you attack Baelhar if you'd already taken the Rune Stone?" Gunnr asked.

"I don't have the Rune Stone. I was trying to figure out how to remove the protections and I thought that old fool Camedon had moved it," she said. She sidled closer and urged him in a wheedling tone, "Gunnr. Come with me."

He glanced at Eleanor, and Eilvain's eyes followed his.

"Ahhh. Is that the way the wind blows? Still have that Galahad complex, do we?" Her voice turned nasty again. "Never could resist a damsel in distress. She's a bit young, don't you think? No matter." Eilvain waved her hand, lifting a boulder from the side of the cave.

" _Put the rock down._ " Gunnr's voice changed, layered with compulsion to obey. Eleanor caught herself moving to set down something she didn't even hold.

"Don't waste _voice_ on me, Gunnr. I am not affected by it," Eilvain said. She flung the boulder at Eleanor.

Eleanor flinched, but the boulder glanced off the protective shield in a shower of sparks and disintegrated.

Simo cried out, terrified, but Eleanor placed a restraining hand on his leg. "We're fine--watch," she said without looking at him. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the scene in front of her.

"Temper, temper," Gunnr mocked Eilvain.

The Noctivagus let out a shriek of rage and frustration, and flew through the air at him. He sidestepped her attack smoothly, but reached out and raked two jagged slashes down her side as she flew by. She landed hard and turned around. She seemed unaware of the blood gushing down her side and leg. Her red-rimmed eyes glowed in a killing haze. Her noxious blood steamed and sizzled when it hit the dirt floor.

"I'll rip your throat out for that," Eilvain snarled, revealing her bloodstained fangs. She waved her hands, and a writhing mass of hissing, hooded snakes boiled out of the ground and went straight for Gunnr.

"Snakes? Please, Eilvain. We did that as kids." He threw a ball of fire at the snakes and they burned so quickly the ash held their shape for a moment before crumbling.

Eilvain raised her hands, pulling lightning from the sky in a fiery bolt, and threw it at him with everything she had. He moved easily from its path. It hit the rocks behind him, leaving a smoking scorch mark.

She was beyond furious she'd missed, and she attacked again, lunging at him in a snarling rage and snapping at his neck like a crazed dog. He grabbed her by the throat, and wrenched. Her neck cracked.

Eleanor was sickened at the sound, and again Gunnr's eyes sought her out.

**_"Turn away."_**

Eleanor shook her head. "No." She wasn't sure if she actually spoke aloud, or said it to him in her head.

Eilvain wailed in pain and fury, her head cocked at a grotesque angle as she tried to pull herself to her feet again. A vicious smile crossed her face, and she changed direction, clawing her way toward Eleanor and Simo, hatred driving her. Gunnr's face hardened, and he picked her up and threw her against the stone wall. She landed so hard the cave shook.

Eleanor could see Gunnr was done with this now. Disgust and weariness were written across his face. He cupped his hands a few inches apart, and a ball of light-energy gathered there. It grew whiter as it intensified, and Eleanor had to shield her eyes.

Eilvain started to sob and crawled toward him again, pleading, "I'll leave, Gunnr. You won't ever see me again. You don't have to do this."

The scene sickened Eleanor, but still, she could not take her eyes off Gunnr. Power radiated from him, almost disturbing the very air around him.

Gladstone was wrong. There was no mistaking these two Beings. One was wholly evil and one was wholly good. Fearsome in all that he was, but good.

While he never raised his voice, his words resonated in the stone cave as he said, "Eilvain, the Realm has sentenced you to death. As a Warrior of the Realm, I carry out this justice. May God have mercy on what used to be your soul."

He hurled the ball of energy at her, incinerating her in a flash of awesome light and heat. Eleanor closed her eyes, but the heat blasted against her, even through the protective shield.

He stood for a moment, gazing at the pile of ash with distaste. He shook his head and strode to Eleanor and Simo. Removing the protections with a wave of his hand, he knelt beside her. "Are you all right?"

She nodded, afraid if she tried to speak she would cry.

He reached out and picked her up, and the tears leaked, much to her embarrassment.

"I know," he said, patting her back. "It's okay. It's over. I'm sorry you had to see that."

"Sorry I had to see it? Are you serious? Can you teach me how to do that?"

Gunnr raised his eyebrows, taken aback. Then he smiled and set her on her feet. "What? Kill monsters? You sound like Jack."

He turned to the Being who still hadn't said a word. "Are you all right?"

The little man nodded.

"Oh, thank heavens!" A voice sounded behind them. Queen Solvanha and the Elven Guard materialized at the mouth of the cave.

"Is she all right?" Queen Solvanha asked her brother, examining the cave as she spoke. Her eyes settled on the pile of ashes that had been Eilvain. She turned to Gunnr, assessing what had just transpired and his role in it.

Eleanor stepped from behind Gunnr to answer the Elven Queen herself. "I'm fine, ma'am."

"Sigildnor, please return to Camedon and the others and tell them she is all right," she instructed one of the Elven Guard. She strode over to Eleanor. "You brave, brave girl. We are so very proud of you." To Eleanor's amazement, the queen drew her into a tight embrace.

When Queen Solvanha let go, she dropped to her knees and held Eleanor at arm's length, studying her. "For heaven's sakes, Gunnr, you couldn't heal her? We can't take her back to her parents like this."

"I hardly had the chance, Sol."

The queen held Eleanor's face in her hands and Eleanor felt warmth flow through her. She looked questioningly at Gunnr and a vision of herself, as he saw her, entered her head. Queen Solvanha was right. She was a frightful mess. Eleanor knew if her mother saw her, she would be horrified. She was covered in dirt and dried blood, and her face was particularly battered; three ragged furrows gaped and both eyes were blackened. But even as she saw herself, Queen Solvanha drew the ball of light over her. The bruises faded, and her head stopped pounding.

The queen then touched each of the furrows with a small soft glow of light, drawing the stinging poison out of them. They closed and faded. Solvanha tsk-ed the entire time, smoothing her hair and straightening her clothes. She leaned back and studied her efforts. "There simply isn't any way around it." She waved her hands in the air and passed them over Eleanor, and Eleanor felt the stiffness from the blood that coated her disappear, and she could see, through Gunnr, that it was gone from her hair and her clothes. She felt much better, too. Her bruises and aches were gone. It was as if she had soaked all day in a deliciously hot tub of steaming bath water.

"Thank you, your Highness."

"None of this 'your Highness' foolishness," she said, exasperated. "Please address me by my name." To Eleanor's amazement, the Elven Queen drew her into her arms for another fierce squeeze.

"Stop, Sol, or you'll have to heal her again," Gunnr said.

"How did you find her?" Solvanha asked her brother.

"Show her, Eleanor."

Eleanor drew the pendant out of the top of her shirt. Queen Solvanha lifted it to examine it closer, "Did you make this?"

He nodded. "Mmm. New gifts, and all that," he said, wryly. He continued, "Eleanor actually doesn't need it. Not any longer. She has a touch of the _Heila_ , and we have a connection, Sol. I would be surprised if she didn't share one with all Elves. She only needed it for her to find our mental path the first time. Her brothers and sister have different gifts, however, and it will help protect them."

"Well, isn't that something?" Queen Solvanha murmured as she gazed at Eleanor, lost in her thoughts.

"I'd like to keep the pendant, if I may," Eleanor spoke up, afraid the queen would want it to study.

"Of course," Queen Solvanha assured her. She turned back to her brother. "It was Eilvain?"

"Yes, but she isn't the one who took the Rune Stone, and she didn't know who had. We still have a problem."

"Are you certain?"

"I'm certain. Baelhar?" Gunnr turned to the other Elf for his input.

The Elven Guard nodded. "Gunnr's right. Eilvain didn't have it when she attacked me--no one can fake that sort of desperation."

"Not exactly tied neatly up in a bow, is it?"

"Excuse me, but is Agnes all right?" Eleanor couldn't stand wondering anymore.

One of the Elves stepped forward. Eleanor couldn't remember his name. "She's fine, Miss. Healed her myself. Just in time. You saved her life."

"Thank you. Thank you so much." Relief tightened Eleanor's chest, and tears threatened to return.

Queen Solvanha must have seen because she said, "We must get her home. And this gentleman, as well."

All eyes turned to Simo, who still hadn't said a word, and he shrank under their scrutiny.

"This is Simo," Eleanor said. "I can't pronounce what he is."

"He's a Do-gakw-ho-wad, an Abenaki man. Am I right, Simo?" Queen Solvanha asked the diminutive figure. "Well, no need to linger in this awful place. One of the Guards will be happy to take you home--wherever that may be."

Simo just nodded, in awe of the tall, regal woman. He walked to Eleanor and Gunnr, and paused. "Thank you." He bowed low.

One of the Light Elves, Eleanor thought it was Maethoron, scooped him up, and stepped out of the cave. She heard Simo let out a squeal as the Elf took to the skies.

"Do my parents know what's happened?" Eleanor asked.

"Yes, Charlotte and Camedon are with them," Queen Solvanha assured her.

Eleanor frowned, still concerned.

"What's the matter, Eleanor?" Queen Solvanha asked.

"What did they say? About all of this. The Realm, the situation? Are they mad?"

Queen Solvanha smiled. "No, dear, they aren't mad. They arrived and saw Eilvain fly off with you in her arms. They were too shocked to be angry. They were horrified. Charlotte and Camedon were with them, and I'm sure Camedon handled it well. Camedon has been in similar situations before. This is not the first time the Human world and the Realm have collided." Queen Solvanha patted Eleanor's shoulder. "No, I wouldn't worry about their anger. They want their daughter back, safe. The rest we'll deal with."

Queen Solvanha began to walk toward the mouth of the cave, and then she turned back to Gunnr. "I'm assuming you'd like to take Eleanor as far as the point."

"Yes." He was surprised by her offer, but quickly accepted the olive branch she offered.

"I will meet you at the end of the road."

Queen Solvanha paused by the chalky pile of ashes, studying them. She reached down, and pulled something from the pile.

"Gunnr?"

When he turned, she tossed what she'd retrieved from the ashes. He caught it, looked into his hand, and smiled. He held it up for Eleanor to see.

The button.

# Chapter Twenty-Two

Holding Eleanor before him, Gunnr took to the air. The beauty of the night from above thrilled her. Up the backside of Mount Megunticook and back down the other side, he soared through the forest. Between trees and over rivers, they flew through the park toward the sea.

They skimmed the top of Mount Battie so close it startled her and she laughed, but when they crested the peak, she saw the entire bay illuminated by moonlight. The sight overwhelmed her.

"Oh," she murmured.

"The night is an exile I can live with."

Eleanor could hear the satisfaction in his voice. His world, and he'd shared the magic and mystery with her.

"That was ... Thank you." She struggled for the right words, but he understood.

They landed gently at the end of the point road.

Queen Solvanha stood waiting. "I'm sure the button still works, Gunnr."

"I was going to give it to Vitr," he said.

"You can. Later. I think you should deliver Eleanor into her parents' care first." Queen Solvanha smiled at him and then took off.

Gunnr watched her, frowning. Then he got it. "Stand here for a moment, Eleanor," he told her and walked onto the road.

Nothing happened. Nothing at all. With the button on his person he, like Eilvain, was able to tread on the hallowed ground of the point.

A look of satisfaction crossed his face. He strode back and scooped Eleanor into his arms. They flew down the road so fast her eyes streamed with tears. He slowed before the house, allowing her to catch her breath and wipe her eyes. She had a feeling their flight home was the first spontaneous and carefree thing he'd done in many, many years.

He set her down on the grass a ways from the house.

"You've been through a lot tonight, Eleanor."

"I'm fine," she assured him.

"You're in shock, but that will wear off--"

"I'm fine," she repeated, cutting him off. Annoyance replaced the happiness of moments before. She didn't need the 'let's talk about it' chat.

"Let me finish. When you mull this over you should share your feelings with someone. Your parents, your brothers, Charlotte, Camedon--you can even reach out to me in your mind."

"Yup," she said, ending the conversation and turning toward the house.

He reached out and stopped her. "You're angry."

"Of course I'm angry," she said. "She could have killed Flora, me, Simo, and I couldn't fight back. She knew it, too. I'm happy that filthy thing is dead. I suppose that's wrong, but I am. Yeah, I'm angry."

Her intensity eased his concern. Anger was better than fear. Anger was better than night terrors. "It isn't wrong to be glad she's dead. It's sane."

**"** ** _Where are you? Is there a problem?"_** __ Queen Solvanha spoke to him in the way of the Elves. His chest tightened. His sister hadn't used their mental path in so long.

"We need to go," he said to Eleanor. "Your family is waiting for you."

"I think yours is waiting for you, too," she said.

"You heard that?"

She nodded. "Your hand is on my shoulder."

Gunnr removed his hand and studied her, eyebrow raised, thinking what? She had no idea. After a moment, he turned toward the house.

She followed then stopped. "Wait. What was that thing you did with your voice in the cave? When you ordered Eilvain to put the boulder down."

"Elves have the power of suggestion, or compulsion, in our voices," he explained.

"It didn't work on her."

"No. Eilvain was an Elf, and a powerful one," he said. "Such a waste." He continued toward the house.

As they stepped from the shadows of the old birch trees, the front door swung open and Flora tumbled through it in a blur. She flung herself into Eleanor's arms.

"I'm all right, Florie. Hardly a scratch." Eleanor squeezed her back, so very glad she was safe.

"Eleanor!" Her mother rushed out and threw her arms around her, her father close on her heels. She was teary, examining every inch of Eleanor, looking for damage.

"She's fine, Ginny. Fine." Her father gently pried her from her mother's arms, but then bent to examine her for himself. When he was satisfied she was okay he held her tightly to him. She could smell the wintergreen Lifesavers he kept in his pocket and she was never so happy to be home.

Her mother turned to Gunnr. "How can we ever thank you? Ever?"

"Mrs. Driscoll--"

"It's Virginia, and this is my husband, Peter, and I believe you've already met our children. Come in. Come in. You must be absolutely frozen." Her mother pushed them through the door.

"El." Rob and Jack were waiting, and they looked so relieved to see her, she almost laughed.

"I'm fine. Really, I am fine," she repeated.

Behind them, she saw Mrs. Bradford and Camedon. Mrs. Bradford dabbed her eyes and Camedon nodded, visibly relaxing when he saw her.

Everyone's scrutiny and the bright lights of the house suddenly overwhelmed, and Eleanor felt awkward. Her mother must have sensed it because she herded them all into the living room. Everyone had been waiting here for quite a while. Empty mugs of hot chocolate sat on the tables, and her mother busied herself pouring one for Eleanor. Gunnr declined.

Remembering what he'd said to Solvanha, Eleanor tried speaking to him in her mind on her own, without using the gifts imbued in the pendent. ** _"No hot chocolate?_** "

**_"Not my drink of choice_**. ** _"_**

**_"Bloody Mary?"_** __ It slipped out.

He raised an eyebrow. **_"Is this gallows humor some sort of post-traumatic hysteria Humans are prone to?"_**

**_"Someone I know recently told Jack the ability to laugh is bravery in and of itself."_**

Gunnr's chuckle echoed in Eleanor's mind. ** _"Yes, the ability to laugh. Not the ability to imitate Jack's irreverence."_**

Her short laugh drew her mother's attention. Eleanor remembered where she was and composed herself.

"I'm just glad you are home," her mother said. "Plenty of time for questions later--I'm going to wake up tomorrow morning and think perhaps I dreamt this. _Wish_ I dreamt this."

"I know, Virginia. It must be terribly upsetting." Mrs. Bradford patted her mother's shoulder.

Camedon said, "We'll have Guards placed on the point. The children won't be in this kind of danger again."

Eleanor dared ask, "So you know?"

"Know what?" her mother asked.

"About the Realm?"

Eleanor didn't know what she expected, but it wasn't her mother's amused expression. "Well, of course, darling. I've known about the Realm since I was a child. Charlotte _was_ my babysitter. I spent a lot of time here growing up."

Eleanor looked toward her father, who confirmed her mother's words with a guilty shrug. Eleanor turned to Rob and Jack.

"They're _aware_ , too," Rob said.

"Yeah, we can't even make them sing dumb songs or draw pictures in the sand," Jack said.

"I can't believe it!" Eleanor said. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"We wanted you to discover the wonder of Black Ledge on your own," her mother said. "In hindsight, that may not have been the wisest decision."

" _Wisest_ decision?" Eleanor was incredulous. She glanced at Flora and thought of the danger Flora had been in. A flash of anger coursed through her. She immediately felt Gunnr's presence in her mind, calming her. Did speaking in the way of the Elves include emotions? She'd figure that out later.

Her mother came and sat beside her. "We saw what happened--what had you. We saw the Elven Guard go after you. Somehow Camedon and Charlotte convinced us to come back to the house and give them a chance to find you. Of course, what other option was there?" Her mother shook her head at the absurdity of it. "You were gone several hours, Eleanor--they were the longest hours of my life. Camedon offered to remove our memories upon your safe return. You children, too. Rob, Jack, and Flora wouldn't have it--wouldn't even have the conversation until you were found. Of course. But we all decided the decision is yours to make, and we'll abide by it."

Jack started to say something, and her mother silenced him with a ferocious look.

Peter Driscoll spoke, "It's a serious decision. Living with knowledge of the Realm will change our lives. Forever. How do you feel about that?"

"Not being _aware_ won't change the danger. It's still there." Eleanor thought about Gladstone's disdain for the danger the Noctivagi posed to Humans. "No, I want to remain _aware._ "

"You're sure?" Camedon asked.

"Yes. I'm sure."

Rob and Jack smiled. Even Flora looked relieved.

A tapping on the window captured everyone's attention. Her father opened one of the French doors. Agnes flew in and lit on the arm of the sofa by Eleanor.

"Not the brightest thing you've done, young lady." Agnes gave her hand a little peck for emphasis.

"Ow! What was that for?" Eleanor rubbed her hand.

"For being foolish. You could have been killed."

Eleanor stroked the crow, so relieved she was alive and well.

Agnes made a funny sound that sounded suspiciously as if she wanted to say more, but couldn't. She flew over and landed on the mantle next to Camedon.

"I say, I hate to dampen the moment," Camedon addressed the room at large. "But whoever took the Rune Stone is still at large, and we don't know who or what they are. We must _all_ be extremely careful, and no one is to go anywhere alone. Ever, and not for any reason."

"And your mother and I have a few rules beyond that," their father added, making eye contact with each of his children to impress the severity of his words.

Flora yawned.

"I know. I'm exhausted," Mrs. Bradford said. "Camedon, would you be good enough to take me home?"

"Yes. It's that time, isn't it? Gunnr, Peter, Virginia. Children." He took Mrs. Bradford's hand and they disappeared with the Keeper's usual _POP_.

Eleanor's father's mouth dropped.

Jack laughed. "You'll get used to that."

Gunnr cleared his throat. "I must be taking my leave, also."

"I'll walk you out ... or ..." Dr. Driscoll's voice faltered, and Jack and Rob laughed again.

"The door will be fine," Gunnr said. He tipped his head. "Good night, all. Ma'am. Jack, take it easy on your parents. Care to join me, Agnes?" He left, her father seeing them out. Agnes followed along at shoulder height.

Eleanor caught the expression on her mother's face watching the crow fly down her elegant hallway, and went to her. She wrapped her arms around her and buried her head in her mother's shoulder. "I'm so glad to be home, Mum. I'm sorry I frightened you."

"We'll discuss it all tomorrow," her mother said, hugging her back.

"El, can I sleep with you tonight?" Flora asked.

"Yep--I would _love_ that, Florie," she said to her little sister.

"Are you certain you are all right, Eleanor?" her mother pressed.

"Yes, Mum. I'm fine. Honest."

"What happened, anyway?" Rob asked her.

Her mother cut the conversation off with a look toward Flora. "Plenty of time for that tomorrow."

"Yeah, guys, I'm exhausted," Eleanor said. And she was.

# Chapter Twenty-Three

The next afternoon they ate lunch on the flagstone terrace, and the terror of the night before had faded to a bad memory. For Eleanor. She doubted her parents were there yet by the looks her mother kept shooting her way.

"So, Mum," Jack said, casually. Too casually. He wanted something.

"Stop tipping in the chair, Jack. What?"

" _Now_ what do you think about getting a dog?"

"Don't start." Eleanor's mother cut him off without even looking up.

Agnes flapped in and landed on the patio table. "You better get to the Lee," she told the kids.

"What's going on?" Eleanor asked.

"It's Gladstone. He's called a Gathering challenging Camedon's right to remain Keeper here. He says Camedon's incompetence unnecessarily endangered a Human Being."

"Since when does Gallstone care about Humans?" Jack asked.

"He doesn't," Agnes said. "He wants to be Keeper here. He's always been envious of Camedon because the Accord is renewed here."

"Envy?" Rob asked. "Keepers jockey for better _posts_?"

"Oh, yes," Agnes said. "Gladstone was put out that Camedon was allowed to stay here after the sacrifice of the Elf and the Dwarf. You better hurry. It will begin as soon as the other Keepers arrive, and Camedon needs all the support he can get. I've alerted Gunnr and King Vitr, and he sent someone to inform Queen Solvanha. I am going to tell Charlotte now." She stepped to the edge of the table and raised her wings. "Don't dally," she said, and flew off.

"We'll meet you there," Eleanor called after the crow.

The kids got up.

As Jack stepped away from his chair he slipped, just catching himself before he crashed into the table. He bent, and picked something up from the flagstone. It was a marble. "These are dangerous, Florie. You need to be more careful about leaving them around."

Flora took the marble from him and looked at it. She handed it back. "Not mine."

Jack held it up to Eleanor and Rob, but both shook their heads. He frowned, and put it in his pocket.

Eleanor's mother pushed her chair in and made to join them.

"You're coming, Mum?" Rob asked.

"Of course," she said. "Where are we going?"

"Oh," Flora assured her, "we're staying right on the point."

Within minutes, they were on the path that led through the beech trees to the Lee.

"I never noticed this," their mother said, examining every detail.

They approached the massive rocks and paused at the threshold.

Camedon gestured them in. "Please join us," he invited. He was cheerful and completely relaxed, unlike Gladstone, who sat at the table looking haughty and severe. Astrid, the Keeper of Scandinavia, was at the table, too, looking fretful. Several others the children did not recognize were also seated around the table. Eleanor assumed they were Keepers as they were dressed similarly to Camedon, Gladstone, and Astrid, wearing ornate cloaks over their shoulders.

Camedon was not seated, nor did he invite them to sit. He made his way around the table greeting the other Keepers. Eleanor and her family moved to stand at the rear of the chamber.

The table was now larger and had more seats than the night of the Gathering. It was still round, but Gladstone had managed to seat himself so it appeared he was at the head, and his posturing annoyed Eleanor.

King Vitr and Gunnr walked in together and joined the children and their mother. Gladstone got up and came to greet King Vitr, but he ignored Gunnr and the Driscolls.

"We're just waiting for two other Keepers to arrive," Camedon explained.

Queen Solvanha strode in with Charlotte.

Gladstone's irritation with the growing support for Camedon showed on his face. His nod to Queen Solvanha was chilly, and he didn't spare Mrs. Bradford a glance.

Finally the two awaited Keepers arrived and took their seats.

Before anyone else had the chance, Gladstone seized control and addressed those at the table. "Thank you for coming today. I apologize for the short notice, but we have an acute situation which necessitates attention." He paused for dramatic effect before he continued.

"Some of us seated here today," he indicated Astrid and the Keeper beside her, "have had concerns for quite some time regarding Camedon's attention to his duties here. Given recent developments-- _of which he has not seen fit to share with any of us, but I found out about by circumstance_ --I ... _we_ decided a Gathering should be convened to address Camedon's ability to carry out his duties with competence. Perhaps it's time someone else was appointed Keeper in this location." Gladstone's voice dripped with righteousness and sanctimony.

"Wonder who he has in mind?" Rob muttered.

Jack snorted, and Gladstone's head snapped toward them. A flash of unbridled fury crossed his face.

A woman with a thick Russian accent spoke up. "Zat iz a zerious accuzation, Gladztone. You'd bezt explain exactly to vat you are referring."

"Sveta," he acknowledged the woman, his demeanor calm again. "I'm referring to the Rune Stone being missing. Missing! And apparently the Noctivagi," he shot a disdainful look at Gunnr before he continued, "have somehow gained the ability to be above ground during daylight hours. Camedon has not seen fit to inform any of us of this even though it affects everyone within the Realm!"

This news was received with expressions of concern and alarm, and audible murmurs and gasps. Gladstone made eye contact with each seated at the table, nodding piously.

Gladstone's sanctimonious tone irritated Eleanor. And so did his big dumb gaping teeth. Camedon did not appear perturbed, though. He simply waited for Gladstone to finish, the same unconcerned, benign smile on his face.

Gladstone didn't say anything more, and the Russian Keeper turned to Camedon. "Vould you care to addrezz Gladztone's ztatement, Camedon?"

"I would, indeed, Sveta. Thank you. But first I must correct Gladstone. Night Elves have _always_ had the ability to walk in the sun. Gladstone insists upon lumping Night Elves and the Noctivagi together. That being said, he is referring to an attack made on a Light Elf the other day by a Noctivagus-- _not a Night Elf_ --when the sun was at its peak. And we know how that particular Noctivagus was able to circumvent the restrictions under which they are forced to exist. I can assure you it was a unique circumstance. The Noctivagi are _still_ restricted by the Olde Magyk, and _must_ rest below ground between sunrise and sunset."

"But how do we know for certain, Camedon?" Gladstone challenged. "Isn't that only one possible explanation? Shouldn't you have consulted with the rest of us before dismissing the possibility?" He spoke to Camedon as if he were a child, his tone syrupy and patronizing.

Gunnr cleared his throat, and heads turned toward him. There were some expressions of dawning realization, and Eleanor was amused many were just figuring out that Gunnr was, in fact, a Night Elf.

"Afternoon," he said, leaning against the wall.

"What is he doing here, anyway?" Gladstone demanded, the syrupy tone gone.

"I invited Gunnr. I thought his presence might illuminate the situation better than I could, but I am also pleased to welcome him to this chamber for the first time. Ever." Camedon obviously had taken a page from Gladstone's notebook and paused for effect before continuing. "As most of you are aware, this entire point is hallowed ground. Not even Night Elves who adhere to the Accord's terms are allowed to tread here. As the Olde Magyk does not have reason or emotion, it can never decide when someone has been punished sufficiently for an offense committed so long ago now few of us can even recall it clearly. Gunnr is able to join us only by using with the same artifact that enabled the Noctivagus to be above ground during daylight hours. Gunnr?"

Gunnr lifted his hand and held up the button for all to see.

"What's that?" Gladstone demanded.

King Vitr spoke, his voice booming in the enclosed space, "That is a button one of my Dwarves crafted. It has the unique ability to protect the wearer from the effects of magic, including the Olde Magyk. It was stolen from us by the Noctivagus known as Eilvain. Camedon could not have consulted with you regarding this as I only told him about it the night before last. I believe you were present, Gladstone."

The annoyed Keeper ignored the last statement and demanded, "Then how does this exiled Elf have it? How do we know he is not working with the other? What is the name of this supposed Noctivagus? Eilvain? Which brings me to my next point. Was not a Human Being abducted by this Noctivagus? Has your negligence not endangered life?"

"Gunnr rescued Eleanor Driscoll last night and destroyed Eilvain. The button was retrieved by Queen Solvanha from the pile of ashes."

"So _he_ says, and I'm not inclined to simply accept the word of his sister that his account of the situation is true," Gladstone argued.

Queen Solvanha straightened and started to speak, but Eleanor interrupted. She'd had enough of Gladstone. "Pardon me."

All eyes turned to her.

"May I say something?" she asked Camedon, ignoring Gladstone. Camedon nodded. "Last night I was taken by the ... that monster, who demanded the Rune Stone as ransom. Is anyone here under the illusion she would have left me alive? She wasn't planning to. When Gunnr rescued me, I _personally_ witnessed him destroy her--as did another member of the Realm named Simo."

"Thank you, Eleanor,' Camedon said. "For those of you who do not know, Eleanor Driscoll and her family are the newest Humans _aware_ of the Realm."

Gladstone looked furious.

Another attendee at the table spoke up. "That addresses the issue to my satisfaction." Others around the table nodded at his words. "But there's still the issue of the Rune Stone being missing," Astrid pointed out.

"The Rune Stone is not missing," Camedon countered.

"It most certainly is." Gladstone was incredulous. "You told us so the other night."

"Did I?" Camedon asked mildly.

"Yes, you did! Astrid was there."

"Ah, yes. Now I remember. Then apparently I _did_ consult with others in regard to this, did I not?"

"Don't be coy." Gladstone's face flushed in anger. "Do you think this is amusing?"

"Hardly," Camedon replied in a flat tone, his displeasure showing for the first time.

"The missing Rune Stone is a grave matter. Obviously the protections you placed on it were not adequate."

"The Rune Stone has been found, and is adequately hidden and protected," Camedon informed him.

"How can you be certain?" Gladstone demanded, his voice rising. "You thought it was protected before, and it ended up in the park! Concealed by dark Elven magic!" Gladstone banged the table.

"I don't believe I ever said where, or in what condition it was found," Camedon said. He leveled a penetrating gaze on Gladstone, and allowed his words to sink in for those seated at the table. Allowed Gladstone to realize he had just given himself away. "We haven't spoken since the meeting the other night. By your own words, you just learned it was found. And while those details are correct, one wonders how you knew them. Furthermore, I've wondered since you arrived, which was shortly after the Rune Stone was discovered missing, how exactly _you_ knew it was missing."

Gladstone looked blank for a moment, and then insisted, "Obviously the Night Elves were involved."

"Obviously, they weren't," Camedon said. "On the contrary. I think it's obvious who was involved."

Touché, thought Eleanor.

_"Touché, indeed,_ " she heard Gunnr in her mind. She tried not to smirk. Rob and Jack didn't try.

The Russian Keeper, Sveta, stood. "In regardz to the chargez Gladztone haz leveled at Camedon, I zink ve're done here."

All of the Keepers around the table nodded, including Astrid and the one seated next to her.

"Ve'll adjourn until an appropriate courze of action can be dezided upon. Camedon, thank you for addrezzing these chargez. Gladztone, I wonder if you vould accompany me," she addressed the Keeper from Britain. It was not a request.

Gladstone stared blankly off into space, pale and quiet, but he nodded. Sveta took his hand firmly in her own, and they disappeared with a _POP_.

The other Keepers seated at the table stood and in turn approached Camedon apologetically, but with well wishes and farewells before they, too, disappeared.

Astrid waited until all had left and approached Camedon.

"Can you forgive me for doubting you?" she asked.

"Of course, Astrid. Nothing to forgive."

She looked embarrassed and relieved to leave, and did so without lingering.

All that remained were Camedon, Mrs. Bradford, Gunnr, Solvanha, Vitr, and the Driscoll family members.

"Alllrighty then," Jack said.

Eleanor was still angry. "What a worm."

"I'm certain Gladstone thought he was doing the right thing for the right reasons," Camedon tried for diplomacy.

By the expressions on the faces around the table, no one was inclined to be as generous.

"What will happen to him?" Rob asked.

"He'll be de-cloaked." Camedon shook his head, looking solemn. "It's never happened before. Exile is the ultimate shame within the Realm."

# Chapter Twenty-Four

They'd gathered in the darkness to welcome the dawn on the peak of Mount Megunticook.

The summit was a solid stone table, and the Elf Cross was carved into the center. Tall torches bathed the area in flickering light. Eleanor could make out only vague shapes in the shadows beyond, but she knew a great group had amassed by the shuffling of feet and whispers.

When a glow became visible on the eastern horizon, Camedon stepped forward and began to speak.

"I would like to welcome each of you joining us on this Summer Solstice. As we celebrate another renewal of unity between Beings of the Realm, it gives me great pleasure to do so by welcoming the Driscoll family." He paused and there was some muffled applause, but the mood was somber and respectful.

The sky continued to lighten, and Camedon continued.

"At the suggestion of Queen Solvanha, I've asked one of the Driscolls, Eleanor, to place the stone in the center of the cross. Some of you may be aware that a Noctivagus recently threatened the unity of the Realm. Young Eleanor, with courage that belies her years, fought to protect her family, other members of the Realm, and the Rune Stone. She fought to protect that which we have come to cherish above all else. Our harmony."

Face flaming at the Keeper's praise, she would have preferred to crawl under a rock.

"Please, let us move into our positions to greet the dawn with our promise of unity. I address each here, as well as those standing on the Älvkors for the purpose of the renewal."

King Vitr, Queen Solvanha, and another Being also took their places at each of the remaining points. Gunnr stood in the center. Eleanor held the Rune Stone, but with Camedon's magical lift, it wasn't any heavier than a dinner plate. As the Keeper opened his mouth to address the assembled, another form materialized at the last point. Eleanor thought it was a woman, but her outline was blurry. No one gave any indication they noticed the hazy apparition.

Camedon began to speak. "Do you, as representatives of your kind, sincerely and solemnly swear to renew the terms of Accord, observing the terms faithfully, on the occasion of this solstice? Will you uphold the harmony of the Realm, above all else, in word and deed?"

Those standing on the star-shaped Älvkors stated solemnly "I do" for all to hear, and an echoing "I do" moved through the surrounding crowd in a haunting whisper, giving Eleanor goose bumps.

The sun broke the horizon, a ball of bright fire rising from the sea. It illuminated the morning and the purples of the dawn faded away.

Camedon continued, "I swear I will fulfill my duties and obligations, as Keeper of the Realm, to witness and enforce the terms of this Accord."

" _Now_ , dear," Queen Solvanha whispered to Eleanor and nodded to the center of the Elf Cross.

Eleanor bent and fit the stone into the carved depression as the first rays of the rising sun touched it. She let it go, and it sank into place with a dull thud. The seams lit with a brilliant glow, bathing each of the participants in a soft light that lasted for several moments. Slowly, it died away. The bottom of the rising sun cleared the horizon line and took its place in the sky for the day, the longest day of the year.

The silence remained for several moments as the crowd enjoyed the sun's assent and pondered the meaning of the ceremony they had just witnessed.

"I know everyone is anxious to begin a proper day of celebration, but before we disperse, I'd like to invite you to meet the Driscoll family. Please join me in welcoming them to the Realm."

Camedon moved to the edge of the Elf Cross and gestured to Eleanor's family to join him. Eleanor caught a look of dismay between Jack and Rob, but they made no protest. Her mother would have killed them.

Beings formed a line in front of Camedon to meet the family. She saw more Elves, Dwarves, animals, what she assumed were Fairies, and other Beings she hoped someone would identify. Simo was in the line. He caught her eye and waggled his fingers.

Queen Solvanha, King Vitr, and Charlotte came and stood beside Eleanor, and Gunnr joined them. He looked ill at ease.

_"Is something wrong?"_ Eleanor asked.

_"No,"_ he said automatically, but he wasn't really listening. He continued scanning the crowd.

_"What is it?"_ She touched his arm to get his attention. The tension in him zapped her much like an unexpected shock of static electricity.

He felt it, too. It startled his attention back to her. _"Nothing is wrong, but your presence here changes things. The Realm is curious about your family."_

_"They'll get over that."_

_"They will, but until then we're not letting you out of our sight. Solvanha is keeping the Elven Guards on Black Point."_

_"That's silly. We don't need guards."_

_"No, it isn't. She can hardly look your parents in the eye after what happened. She did the same thing with Charlotte when she was little. Had to. Charlotte was a magnet for disaster."_ Gunnr smiled, remembering.

The reminder of his age gave Eleanor pause. Moreover, she suspected that was why he'd said it. She was quiet for a moment, and stared out over the bay at the brightening sky while she considered his words. Then she smiled. _"Nice sunrise. Bring your sunscreen?"_

He gave a short laugh, and Rob eyed them, suspicious.

Gunnr reached into the neck of his shirt and pulled out a chain. The chain held the button.

_"Vitr seemed to think I should keep this,"_ he told her. Then he smiled. _"It was Solvanha's idea."_

# About the Author

The secrets of the Red Paint People have haunted Maine for 7000 years.

Paige W. Pendleton is busy writing those tales.

# About the Artist

Tom holds a degree in art education from the University of Southern Maine and was an art teacher in mid coast Maine for over 37 years. He has exhibited watercolors, sculpture, oils and mixed media in various locations through out New England. Tom's most recent book illustrations includes, _Togus_ , _A Coon Cat Finds a Home_ by Don Carrigan and _Baxter in the Blaine House_ by Paula Benoit.

_ _

# Appendix

**_Älvkors_** \- Elf Cross carved into the summit of Mount Megunticook. Star-shaped. Each point represents the four Elements, Earth, Air, Water, and Fire. The uppermost point represents Time.

**_Rune Stone_** \- The heart of the star-shaped Elf Cross, on which the terms of the ancient Accord between the Beings are inscribed.

**_Solstice Ceremony_** \- The ceremony on the summer solstice on which the terms of the Accord are renewed.

**_Black Point_** \- Point of land overlooking Camden Harbor. Protected as the Passage is on the point. Gifted to Oliver black and Hazel Harkins when they married.

**_Black Ledge_** \- The home built by Oliver Black and Hazel Harkins.

**_Red Paint People_** \- Maine's indigenous people who inhabited New England and Maritime Canada 2,000 to 6,000 years ago. Archeological remains in Maine and Norway suggest Trans-Atlantic travel.

Human Characters

**_Peter Driscoll_** \- Father. Scientist. Owns Driscoll Pharmacology.

**_Virginia Driscoll_** \- Mother. Forensic Odontologist.

**_Rob Driscoll_** \- Age 14

**_Eleanor Driscoll_** \- Age 13

**_Jack Driscoll_** \- Age 12

**_Flora Driscoll_** \- Age 8

**_Charlotte Black Bradford_** \- Librarian. Daughter of Oliver Black and Hazel Harkins.

**_Oliver Black_** \- Father of Charlotte Black Bradford. Deceased.

**_Hazel Harkins_** \- Mother of Charlotte Black Bradford. Deceased.

**_Sam Nickerson_** \- Lives in carriage house. Takes care of horses at Black Ledge Stable.

Realm Characters

**_Keeper_** \- Diplomatic position in the Realm, identifiable by ornate cloak.

**_Ljósálfar_** \- Light Elves

**_Álfheimr_** \- Kingdom of Light Elves

**_Dökkálfar_** \- Dark Elves, or Dwarves

**_Dökkálfaheimr_** \- Kingdom of the Dwarves

**_Betrayer_** \- Those who participated in the sacrificial ritual. Are now dependent upon the consumption of iron from blood.

**_Night Elves_** \- The Betrayers who choose to return to the light, and the Realm. They renew the Accord on each Summer Solstice.

**_Noctivagi_** \- The Betrayers who embraced the darkness. Wholly evil. The basis of Vampire legends.

Keepers:

**_Camedon_** \- Keeper of the Realm

**_Gladstone_** \- Keeper of British Isles

**_Astrid_** \- Keeper of Scandinavia

**_Sveta_** \- Keeper Russia and other Eurasian territory

Light Elves:

**_Baelhar_** \- Member of Elven Guard

**_Sehlis_** \- Member of Elven Guard

**_Azathela_** \- Elven Healer

**_Handrven_** \- Member of Elven Guard

**_Maethoron_** \- Member of Elven Guard

**_Sigildnor_** \- Member of Elven Guard

**_Solvanha_** \- Elven Queen. Sister of Gunnr.

Dark Elves, or Dwarves:

**_Vitr_** \- Dwarf King

**_Lorik_** \- Dwarf murdered by Noctivagus

**_Betrayer_** \- Those who participated in the sacrificial ritual.

Night Elves:

**_Gunnr_** \- Member of the Elven Royal family and brother to Queen Solvanha. Acknowledged Elder of the Night Elves, and a Warrior of the Realm.

Noctivagi:

**_Eilvain_** \- One of the original participants of the sacrificial ritual.

Haflings:

**_Ralph the Goblin_** \- lives in cellar of Black Ledge. Tends the gardens and grounds.

Do-gakw-ho-wad:

**_Simo_** \- Abenaki man captured by Eilvain

Animal Characters

Horses:

**_Sargent_** \- Large dark brown hunter recently moved to Back Point from Virginia.

**_Mack_** \- Chestnut gelding from the South Shore

**_Ringo_** \- Appaloosa gelding from Texas

**_Hala_** \- Black Arabian mare from Kentucky

**_Ginger_** \- Palomino mare from California. Mute.

**_Willow_** \- Silver pony from California.

**_Agnes_** \- Crow who resides on Black Point.

**_Enid_** \- Crow who resides on Black Point.

**_Patters_** Felis Catus - Maine Coon Cat. Resides in Black Point Stable with her kittens, Bing, Kipper, Fossie, and FatMackerel.

**_Jasper_** \- Surprised Dog
