Arri- June 25, 2004

June 25, 2004
Dear Keish,

I just got your letter this morning. I’m so glad you had a good time in Cruxholm! I had a chance yesterday to ask Taty about the rumors and she said told me the Fly-by reported you were sent to Cruxholm by the king to investigate a sorceress already living in the ruined castle. Apparently a lot of people have disappeared in the village and there is a strange flock of solid black seagulls with the exact same number of birds as missing people. Taty thinks the Fly-by has a wonderful imagination.
I wonder what Imato was doing with magic. He has always played a little with magic. He can make a bouquet of flowers last a lot longer than it normally would. When he was fifteen he made father very angry by dying his hair blue. He only changed it back when the academy threatened to expel him. But that was a long time ago and he hasn’t done anything so rebellious since. His spells are always small and simple. I wonder what Liop was doing that made the spell so complicated.
I wonder why Brooksby is avoiding you so much.  It’s rather strange. It sounds like you have a lot to keep you busy. I think it’s only been a year since you moved to the new tower and now you have to change everything again. I guess you won’t have to move again though.
It’s a beautiful idea, tending Mother’s garden. Mother could make anything grow. I can plant and tend a bit, but I don’t have nearly as much talent as she did. When I was little Mother used to try to teach me weeding and I would throw fits at the thought of pulling a living plant out of the ground, even if it was a weed. Maybe one day I will be able to tend the garden, but not now. In some ways I kind of like it how it is, wild and growing.
Poor Gretel. It sounds like she will be very glad when the wedding is over. I think Imato will be glad too. Formal weddings are a lot of work. I wish I could be there to help, although I’m not sure what I would be good at.

Hermes and Clotho’s babies fledged on the 20th and now they are darting around the park with great enthusiasm. They’re very wild still and won’t land on my hand yet, no matter how many acorns I offer them. It’s sad that they’re such rare birds. I’m told there used to be great flocks throughout Elcaro. I’m going to give them to Tulson so that he can add them to the royal aviary. The naturalists there are working very hard to increase the population.

Later

We thought we were so safe. Liop would turn eight in just over three weeks and all the danger would be past. And the fairies really wanted you or me, so wouldn’t they leave Liop alone?

Liop is gone. The fairies grew a ring in the park across the street and he ran right into it. I was standing right there, but I hadn’t noticed the ring. I was trying again to get the fledglings to eat from my hand. Liop was running over to join me when he veered off suddenly in a different direction. There was a flash of light and he was gone. I didn’t even have time to realize what was happening. I screamed and ran to the spot where he disappeared. The ring was small, barely three feet in diameter. I wanted to pull it up, to destroy the mushrooms one by one, but I stopped myself. I remembered the story in my fairy book and stopped. In the center of the ring was a large bullfrog, but I didn’t try to speak to it. I ran back into the house.
When I told Nysa what happened she put her head in her hands and didn’t say a word.
“What can I do?” I demanded, “you’re a fairy. What can I do?”
She just shook her head and let her hair fall over her face. She didn’t try to speak to me. It was early afternoon and Uncle Winthrop was still at the alchemistry shop mixing more fireworks to replace all the stock he sold in Adya. He couldn’t help me anyway. I knew that. I must go to the cave and talk to Trena, the Lioness.

She wasn’t in the entrance cave waiting for me. I ran out into the connecting tunnels calling for her. I ran straight into her. The feel of feathers in my face startled me and I fell backwards.
“They took Liop!” I shouted, “The fairies took Liop!”
The Lioness didn’t say anything. She didn’t look at all surprised, or even angry. She ought to be furious, I thought, she ought to be as angry as I am.
“Why didn’t you warn me he could still be taken?” I demanded, “we could have done something like Mother did for me or Ellean did for Keish!” I paused for breath. “Don’t you know what the fairies are planning? You helped Mother stop them from taking me! Couldn’t you have helped me stop them from taking Liop?”
“One child from every generation,” said the Lioness, “that decree has never been broken. With you, Imato, and Keish protected, Liop was the only one they could take.”
“But they don’t want him!” I cried, “He has only a little magic. They want me! Why didn’t they take me?”
The Lioness frowned a little and didn’t answer.
“Why didn’t you stop them from taking Liop?” I was running out of breath. I couldn’t shout anymore.
“These caves are neutral ground,” said the Lioness.
I hit her when she said that. I hit her in the head as hard as I could and she fell backward from my touch like a doll. Then she roared. The sound filled the caves until I thought my head would burst. I fell backwards and scraped my hands against the stone walls that surrounded us. Trena the Lioness lay down, put her head on her paws, wrapped her tail around herself, and closed her eyes. She looked old and sad and tired. I knew I hadn’t hurt her physically. Old as she was, she was still much stronger than me. The roar echoed from deeper recesses of the caverns for several minutes. I put my head down and let tears drip down my cheeks. Eventually there was perfect silence.
When I raised my head, the Lioness’s eyes were open. She regarded me with sad interest. She didn’t speak. When I spoke, my voice echoed slightly and sounded odd and painful.
“Will you take me to the fairies as you took my mother?” I asked.
“What will you give me?” asked the Lioness. She raised her head stiffly.
“I don’t know. What do you want?”
“You must make me an offer. It must be something of real value and a true sacrifice. This bargain is part of my magic. Do you understand?”
I didn’t understand entirely, but I nodded anyway. I stood up.
“Be brave, Arrietta,” said Trena.
When I returned to the apartment it was dark and empty. I assumed Nysa had gone to get Uncle W., but where they were didn’t matter. I didn’t want to talk to them.
I left immediately, renting a horse from the nearest stable. It was a black gelding of no particular breeding, but the owner assured me of his stamina and so I took him and in a moment we were galloping into the night with a full moon to keep us on the path.
The horse was not as swift or steady as Glory would have been, but I was careful not to overwork him and he carried me to Odsreq in very good time. When we arrived at the edge of the city, I turned him into the forest and rode up behind the Westridge manor. There I waited until after midnight. When the manor was quiet, I led the gelding around to the back gate. The magic wards I encountered the first time I tried to break into the Westridge manor had not changed. I passed through them silently, my more powerful magic smothering the warning that Mendel should have received. I put the gelding in an empty stall, rubbed the sweat from him and covered him with a blanket. Then I scribbled a note for Mendel. Every moment I expected someone to stop me, but not even the horses seemed disturbed by my presence.

When I returned to the entrance cave, Trena was waiting.
“Can you make the cave open out onto the prairie like you did the day I went running?” I asked.
Trena nodded. We walked out into the corridor and it immediately opened outside onto a scene of the summer prairie, bright and peaceful. The scene was just like the one in Mother’s book. The Lioness even had a helmet by her paw.
I walked a little ways away to a dip in the ground and led out Moonstone with her soft cotton halter. As we approached the cave, I saw Trena’s eyes widen in surprise. Then they narrowed and became very serious.
“Lioness,” I said formally, “I will give you this foal in exchange for taking me to the land of the fairies. She is seven-eighths trakehner and of the finest bloodline in all Elcaro.”
Trena’s eyes seemed to glow and she stepped outside of the cave.
“I accept your offer,” she said. She stepped forward to Moonstone. Their heads were at the same height when Trena reached out to touch noses with the little foal. Trena made a puffing sound and Moonstone vanished.
I felt numb. I followed Trena back into the cave where she collapsed, breathing heavily.
“When will you take me?” I asked.
“I cannot,” said Trena, “I do not have the strength I had when I carried Jezreel and Ellean. My grandson will carry you. He will be at your command for the remainder of your life. You need only call him.”

I am leaving now for the land of the fairies. I will write again when it’s possible.

Love,
Arri

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