‘So, can you help us?’ Vivian asked a lounging Dixie, her feet up on the table as she carefully studied the three children in front of her.

  After deciding to ask Dixie, they had quickly headed to the Secret Bookshop to settle their payment with the fairies. Miss Vyn was an emotional conundrum, switching rapidly between relief that they had made it out safely from the incident in the woods, and righteous anger toward Irie for his neglectful behaviour, who was cowering behind a stack of books, foolishly hoping they could shield him.

  They did not.

  Once they had handed over the fairies’ share of the profits, they left for the marketplace, hoping to do some browsing for Bruz’s gift. After hours of wandering and long discussions, they finally settled on buying him a silver flute, an instrument he was quite adept at playing, according to Aiden. They all pitched in for the gift, their freshly earned money being put to good use. They wandered around for a few more hours, buying a few treats along the way to munch as they walked through the crowded streets, before heading to Aiden’s house for an early supper.

  Bruz turned out to be another emotional conundrum, happy to see them and loathed to serve them. It was a mixture that only Felix seemed to enjoy. They waited until after supper to present him with the flute.

  ‘For all you’ve done for me,’ Aiden said as he held it out, a small genuine smile on his face. ‘For us.’

  For once, the goblin was speechless, no witty comeback or snarky remark falling from his lips. He took the flute with a sort of reverence, his hands slightly shivering as he ran his hands over the smooth surface of the flute. His eyes looked moist, but he quickly cleared his throat, his professional mask slipping back on.

  ‘Thank you,’ he said. ‘It is a truly thoughtful gift. I will treasure it always.’

  As they left, Bruz was still holding the flute, the hint of a smile still lingering on his face as he bid them farewell. The setting sun painted the sky in a splash of brilliant colours as they wandered back to the market district. The crowd had now shifted from the shops to the inns and taverns. They passed by the Clumsy Ox tavern, which was presently forbidden ground for children such as themselves. Which is why they found themselves standing in front of Dixie, asking her to purchase a few bottles of wine for them.

  ‘You made the right decision coming to me instead of Cyrus,’ Dixie said, lifting her legs off the table and standing up, her childlike form coming up to Vivian’s chest. ‘It would’ve been a hard no if you asked him.’

  ‘So, you’ll do it?’ Felix asked hopefully.

  Dixie tossed back her blonde pigtails and grinned. ‘Of course I will. Piece of advice, swirl the glass before you drink. Releases the aromas. And take small sips. Let the taste really linger in your mouth.’

  ‘… It’s not for us,’ Vivian said after a stunned pause.

  ‘Oh, it’s alright. You don’t need to lie to me.’ Dixie gave them a very conspicuous wink. ‘Your secret is safe with me.’

  ‘No, I’m serious. It’s a gift for Peri and Sith.’

  ‘Sure.’ Another wink. ‘A gift.’

  Vivian glanced at Aiden and Felix. ‘A little help?’

  ‘She isn’t kidding Dixie,’ Aiden said. ‘It really is just a gift.’

  ‘Though, if you’re offering-’ Felix was interrupted by a swift kick to shin by Vivian. ‘Right, right. It’s not for us.’

  ‘Oh…’ Dixie’s face fell. ‘Well, that’s disappointing.’

  Vivian was past incredulous at this point. ‘We’re… sorry?’

  Dixie glanced over the three of them. ‘Well, I suppose you three are too young to be drinking… but a little wine never hurt anyone. You sure you don’t want to try it?’

  ‘… We’re sure,’ Vivian replied, unable to come up with another response. ‘So, you’ll do it?’

  ‘While I loathe to do anything for that fleabag, I suppose I could grab a few bottles for you.’

  ‘Uh…’ Felix gestured up and down Dixie’s current childlike form. ‘You’ll change before you go right?’

  ‘Oh relax.’ Dixie rolled her eyes. ‘It’s not the first time I’ve bought wine. I know what to do.’

  Apparently, she did, for just a few hours later she was handing them two bottles of what she claimed to be the best wine on the market. She hadn’t even changed forms before she entered the Clumsy Ox. It was clear she was a regular, as the owner of the tavern, a burly dwarf named Hunson, had called out a greeting as soon as she entered, along with several other patrons in the place. They had tried to follow her in, but they moment Vivian placed one foot inside, Hunson’s eyes snapped towards her, a clear warning in them.

  Vivian cleared her throat nervously. ‘Um, we’ll just wait outside.’

  It took Dixie twenty minutes to emerge from the tavern, smelling of booze and a little flushed. In her small arms she held four bottles of wine, the liquid sloshing around violently inside as the childlike figure holding them swaggered towards them.

  ‘I’m pretty sure we only asked for two.’ Vivian grabbed two bottles before they slipped out of Dixie’s grasp. Aiden made to grab the other two, but Dixie clutched them tightly to her chest.

  ‘No! These are mine!’ She looked like a petulant child, angry about having to share her favourite toys.

  ‘Alright,’ Felix said slowly. ‘How about we drop you off at the inn before we head off?’

  ‘Don’t touch them!’

  Felix held up his hands in a peaceful gesture. ‘I’m won’t, I swear. Let’s just go.’

  They managed to safely return Dixie to her room, where a very annoyed Cyrus was waiting for her. While Aiden and Felix hauled her into the bed, Vivian quickly explained what had happened. Cyrus nodded curtly, his lips pressed into a thin line of displeasure.

  ‘Those bottles better make their way to Sith’s and Peri’s hands,’ he warned in a soft voice. ‘I will be sure to follow up on it.’

  Before they left, Vivian quickly pulled out her coin purse and paid back the money she owed him for her clothes. He gave her a small smile, a slightly proud one.

  ‘Do you remember how worried you were on your way here. Looks like you’re fitting in just fine.’

  Vivian grinned. ‘I had help… a lot of help.’

  After bidding Cyrus and an already snoring Dixie farewell, they left for the cottage. The sun had fully set by this point, so they had move slowly and carefully as they made their way out of the city and into the dark fields. The wind nipped at their ears and crickets chirped loudly as they wove their way down the winding path. The lights of the cottage shone brightly in the distance, acting as a beacon in the darkness. They hurried as much they dared, quickly climbing onto the front porch and knocking loudly on the door before pushing it open.

  Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  The living room was empty. So was the library, the dining and the kitchen, though there was a pot of delicious smelling stew bubbling away over the fire pit. The three of them immediately gathered around the warmth of the fire, allowing the heat to leach into their skin.

  ‘Where are they?’ Aiden took the bottles from Vivian and placed it on the table.

  ‘Must be upstairs.’ Vivian rubbed her hands together to warm them up quicker. ‘Wouldn’t have left food on the stove if they weren’t.’

  ‘Should we just wait for them down here?’ Aiden asked.

  ‘Nah, let’s go find them,’ Felix said. He left without waiting for a reply, causing Aiden and Vivian to quickly follow behind.

  As they climbed up the stairs, they could hear whispered voices talking in worried tones. They stopped, wondering if they should interrupt the conversation. If her hearing had been as sharp as it had been during her awakening, she might have been able to make out the words, but as it was, she had to settle for straining her ears to catch a few snippets of the conversation.

  ‘... sending children into... dangerous... the council... insanity...’

  ‘Sounds like Sith’s talk with the Council didn’t go well,’ Aiden noted. ‘I think we should be worried.’

  ‘I had a feeling it would come to this.’ Vivian shrugged. ‘They were very hesitant about letting me stay. The fact that I could explore the Druscan woods was the only reason they did so.’

  Felix shrugged nonchalantly. ‘Oh well. We’re all going to die... Anyone else hungry?’

  ‘We just ate,’ Aiden pointed out.

  ‘Yes, but the threat of death has made me a bit peckish.’

  ‘You don’t know if we’ll die,’ Aiden said defensively. ‘We survived the last time.’

  ‘Do you really believe that miracle will happen twice?’ Felix snorted. ‘If we’re looking to you to put a positive spin on things, the situation is truly desperate.’

  ‘You don’t have to come with me,’ Vivian suggested. ‘This is my problem, not yours.’

  Felix rolled his eyes. ‘Yes, of course. You’re right, we should go,’ he said, sarcasm heavily intoned in his speech. ‘We stuck with you through the lake explosion and the mad mage’s attack just to abandon you now.’

  ‘Would you have walked away if it was either of us?’ Aiden asked quietly.

  Vivian smiled and shook her head. She opened her mouth to respond but was interrupted by a voice from upstairs.

  ‘If you three are done eavesdropping, you can come upstairs now,’ Sith’s voice called out.

  The three of them exchanged looks before climbing up the rest of the way. Peri was sprawled out on one of the armchairs, his legs dangling over the side, while Sith stood stiff and tensed next to the tall, glass windows, her arms folded across her chest and her fingers drumming a rhythm against her arm.

  ‘So...’ Vivian started. ‘They didn’t go for it?’

  Sith sighed. ‘Sit down you three.’

  The three of them sat down on the sofa, back straight and tense as they waited for Sith to speak. Peri on the other hand looked like he didn’t have a care in the world, swirling a glass of wine in his hand.

  ‘I’m afraid that despite the danger, the Council has decided against us.’ Sith fixed her gaze on Vivian. ‘You must continue your work if you wish to remain in Mirran.’

  ‘So that’s it, we’re dead.’ Aiden leaned forward trying to reach for the wine bottle on the table, but Peri snatched it away before he could so much as touch it.

  ‘Hands off, brat. You’re too young to be drinking.’

  ‘And since when have you been the responsible kind?’ Aiden raised an eyebrow. ‘You just want it for yourself.’

  ‘You can have more than one reason for doing something.’ Peri tucked the bottle behind him. ‘Besides there’s no need to jump straight to the bottle. We haven’t told you everything.’

  Aiden scowled, his eyes still fixed on the hidden bottle. ‘What else is there?’

  ‘Well, firstly.’ Sith looked at Felix and Aiden. ‘This doesn’t have to involve you two. You can leave.’

  Aiden rolled his eyes. ‘Not this again.’

  ‘We’re not leaving,’ Felix said with a sense of finality.

  ‘I know.’ Sith smiled. ‘But it wouldn’t be right if I didn’t even mention it.’ Sith moved away from the windows, her arms finally dropping from their tight fold across her chest. She sat down in the last empty armchair opposite to Peri, her straight held back a direct contrast to Peri’s apparently boneless figure draped over the other armchair.

  ‘We couldn’t get them to stop, but we did manage to get a temporary stay order.’

  ‘How long?’ Vivian asked.

  ‘Up until school starts,’ Peri replied. ‘Which is in six weeks.’

  She frowned. ‘Why that particular date?’

  ‘Well, up until now there are only rumours of a commoner staying here,’ Sith explained. ‘Sure, you’ve met some nobles, but once school begins, you will be working alongside them every day, and it will no longer be a rumour. It’ll only be a matter of time before someone protests your presence, and we need a reason to give as to why you were allowed to stay when they do.’

  ‘After all, they are paying quite a bit of money to study here, while you are not,’ Peri pointed out unhelpfully.

  ‘So, we got a stay order,’ Aiden said. ‘How does that help us?’

  ‘It’s not much, but it would give us time to prepare. We have a plan.’ Sith leaned forward, elbows on her knees and hands clasped together. ‘The next time you step into the woods, Peri will accompany you.’

  All three of the children’s heads snapped towards the famously lazy man.

  ‘You agreed to this?’ Vivian asked incredulously. ‘You?’

  Peri fixed her with an annoyed look. ‘I have better things to do with my time than being a nanny. But unfortunately, you are my ward.’ Peri made a disgusted face. ‘Which means I have to take responsibility, as it were.’

  ‘Something tells me you didn’t volunteer for the position,’ Aiden commented dryly. ‘Out of curiosity, what are the chances that you’ll just abandon us in the middle of the woods.’

  Peri stretched his arms above his head. ‘Small, right now, but don’t tempt me.’

  Felix, on the other hand, did not share Aiden’s trepidation. He was so ecstatic that he was bouncing at the edge of his seat. ‘This is incredible! We get to spend more time together.’ He grinned widely at Peri. ‘I always felt like there was this distance between us.’

  ‘That was by design,’ Peri replied.

  Felix ignored him. ‘Now we can get to know each other better. Ooh! I know! Let’s get matching outfits. I already have one in mind. We can just match yours to mine!’

  Peri glared at him. ‘... You’re tempting me.’

  ‘He’s just joking,’ Vivian said, ever the mediator.

  ‘I don’t think he is,’ Aiden added, ever the unhelpful commentator.

  Sith cleared her throat. ‘May I continue?’ The three of them nodded. ‘If it does come down to a confrontation Peri will engage with the mage, but he might not be able to protect you while he does. So, you need to carry your own weight. Aiden, Felix, you two had already begun your training back home. We are going to pick that up again. And Vivian, you’re going to start from the basics. So-’

  ‘Wait a minute,’ Felix interjected. ‘You’re going to train us to fight? Against that madman?’

  ‘We have no other options,’ Sith explained patiently. ‘I know six weeks is not long enough; we’re not expecting any miracles. But at the very least you can learn how to escape a confrontation, if it comes down to it.’

  Vivian let out a deep breath. ‘This is a lot to take in at once.’

  ‘Then let me summarize it for you.’ Peri finally sat up straight. ‘Either learn to fight or die. Your choice.’

  A moment of silence followed his words.

  ‘I choose fight,’ Vivian said.

  Aiden nodded. ‘Same for me.’

  ‘Same here.’ Felix grinned. ‘Who knows? This might be fun.’

  Peri fixed him with a steely gaze and a smile that promised pain. ‘Oh, it will be fun... For some of us.’

  ‘Great!’ Sith clapped her hands together. ‘We start tomorrow.’

  .........

  That night, Vivian ascended the steps to her attic to find Ebion waiting for her right where she left him in the morning. The black cat raised his head up from her pillow as she climbed the final steps into the room.

  Mrow, he mewled in greeting.

  ‘Sorry Ebion. Did I wake you?’

  He lazily got to his feet as she approached, his back arching as he stretched. Vivian knelt down to scratch him behind the ears. He purred in delight, tilting his head to give her better access. Vivian was enjoying watching him twist this way and that in attempt to guide her fingers to the right spot, when she noticed the smell of burnt fabric that hung in the room.

  ‘Ah right.’ She reached out and grabbed the clothes she had changed out of that morning, the ones that were now a burnt testament of what happened in the woods the day before. ‘Forgot about these.’ She examined the clothes, the charred edges and the loose threads. There was no salvaging them.

  ‘Well, I’m never wearing these again.’

  Ebion hissed at the clothes in her hands, his teeth bared, and his back arched.

  ‘You think so too?’ Vivian stood up, waddling the clothes up into an untidy bundle and throwing it into the wicker basket in the corner of the room. ‘Maybe I can use it as cleaning rags or something after I give them a wash.’

  Ebion still stood with his back arched, hostility still apparent in his small frame. His yellow eyes were fixed on the basket. He jumped down from the bed and pawed at the basket in an attempt to knock it over, but his small form didn’t so much as make it wobble.

  ‘Leave it alone,’ Vivian said as she climbed into bed and blew out the candle, sinking the room into darkness. ‘I said I’d take care of it.’ She was so tired. It had been a long, long day. A lot had happened, and she wanted nothing more than to sink into her mattress and let sleep take her. So, ignoring Ebion’s mewls of protest she closed her eyes and quickly fell into a dreamless sleep.