Silver Hill (17 page)

‘Of course she’ll let you stay,’ said Jack, ‘and I know Charkle will be overjoyed to see you both. As soon as they’re back you’ll be able to have your freedom.’

Motley coughed loudly.

‘Aren’t you forgetting something Jack? We’ve had some most distressing news, most distressing. Needs immediate attention, don’t you know.’

‘I’m sorry, what’s wrong?’

Motley walked over to the lanterns.

‘These two here have valuable inside information but it’s not good news, not good at all.’

Jack looked at the dragonettes then back at Motley and then at the rest of the Night Guard. No one spoke.

‘Will someone explain?’

‘Too upsetting for any of us to say,’ replied Motley and promptly went over to the rest of the rats and sat down next to Raggs.

Jack looked at the dragonettes.

‘Camelin asked us about the monster, you know, the train,’ began Snook. ‘It runs from the top of Stonytop to the bottom of Silver Hill but it doesn’t have an engine, it rolls down its own tunnels until it comes to a stop at the terminus.’

‘How does it get back up without any power?’

‘Bright boy, bright boy,’ interrupted Motley.

Norris sighed before continuing.

‘The last carriage is a cage and it’s full of what the Spriggans call
pullers
. Once all the passengers are off they harness them to the back of the last carriage and they pull the train all the way back to the top of the other hillside.’

Jack tried to visualise the distance between Silver Hill and the crags.

‘That’s a long way to haul a train. How big are the pullers?’

Snook looked at Motley before answering Jack.

‘The
pullers
are rats, the strong ones. All the small or weak ones go for
eaters
.’

Fergus and Berry gasped and the rest of the Night Guard winced.

‘That’s awful!’ said Jack. ‘We’ve got to do something to help them.’

‘We’re not going back to Silver Hill again tonight are we?’ groaned Camelin.

‘No, not tonight, but I’m sure when Nora gets back she’ll think of a way we can rescue them. As you say Motley, Norris and Snook will have lots of valuable inside information. I’m sure between us we’ll be able to help them.’

‘Wait till you hear why the train was full of Hags,’ chuckled Camelin.

Jack gave him a look. It didn’t seem right to be having a laugh when the rats were so upset. Jack looked at the two dragonettes.

‘I’d forgotten about the Hags,’ said Timmery. ‘There were lots in the train we saw.’

‘Hags have been coming into Silver Hill over the last two days,’ explained Norris. ‘The train’s been going up and down every hour. There are two passenger carriages and the last one’s where the r…’

‘Yes, yes, yes, we know what the last carriage is full of,’ interrupted Motley.

‘So how many come down from the crags at a time?’ asked Jack.

‘Eight,’ croaked Saige as she hopped out from behind Nora’s umbrella stand.

‘I wish she wouldn’t do that,’ complained Camelin. ‘You never know where or when she’s going to turn up.’

Jack did a quick calculation.

‘That’s a lot of Hags. I didn’t think they liked each other’s company. Why would they be visiting the Spriggans?’

‘It’s for the banquet, for the
Candleless Feast
, the one they were going to roast us at,’ explained Norris. ‘They’re celebrating because they don’t need candles any more.’

Snook picked something up from the bottom of his lantern and tossed it through the bars towards Jack.

‘All the main tunnels have these. It’s because of the new lights that we aren’t needed any more, they never go out, not like the candles used to.’

Jack picked up the crystal. It looked familiar but he couldn’t think where he’d have seen anything like it before, apart from the tunnels inside Silver Hill.

‘And the Hags?’

‘They’re the choir,’ said Norris. ‘They’re going to sing at the banquet. We’ve heard them. They make a dreadful noise.’

Jack wondered what the little dragonettes would say if they heard Camelin sing but now wasn’t the time to mention it, his own singing hadn’t been too good either today.

‘If they’re having a banquet, why didn’t they use you two to help barbecue the food?’ asked Jack.

‘No need,’ replied Snook, ‘they’ve got a barbecue pit in the big cave at the bottom of the mountain. They wouldn’t have much use for us two when there’s a dragonair down there.’

‘You mean the legend’s true? There really is a big dragon at the bottom of Silver Hill?’ asked Jack excitedly. ‘The dragon must be
the big one
the Spriggans were talking about.’

Norris nodded and shook his wings till he was comfortable.

‘It used to be known as Howling Hill but that was a very long time ago. When the Spriggans first captured the dragonair it used to roar and stomp around. It used to make the whole mountain shake. I heard one of the Spriggans laughing once and saying it kept the
nosies
away. He meant people.’

‘Or Bogies,’ suggested Camelin.

Norris and Snook exchanged looks.

‘There’s a Bogie moved in not so long ago. They wouldn’t normally let one in but this one’s been getting them things they need in exchange for gold. He’s the one who showed them where to get the crystals from,’ explained Snook. ‘They call him
Pig Face
behind his back.’

‘We know who that is, his name’s Pyecroft,’ said Jack. ‘We’ve had dealings with him before.’

‘He’s been doing a lot of bossing about recently and there’s a lot of Spriggans down there don’t like him,’ explained Norris.

‘I wonder if Peabody knows where his brother’s living?’ said Jack.

Motley coughed to get everyone’s attention.

‘Podge, your report please, speak up now lad so we can all hear.’

The roundest rat, with the darkest fur and longest tail stood up. He took a couple of steps towards Jack before speaking.

‘I’ve been watching the area northwest of Ewell House, commonly known as Newton Gill Forest. Nothing suspicious to report; Peabody’s been home for weeks and hasn’t left the forest. He’s not had any visitors either.’

Jack nodded to Podge before speaking to the Night Guard.

‘I’m sorry but I’m not going to be able to do anything tonight, I’ve got to go now. We’ll just have to wait until Nora gets back. She’ll know what to do but I promise I’ll help you rescue the rats in Silver Hill.

Camelin let out a great sigh.

‘I suppose that means I’ll be helping too.’

Jack smiled.

‘I suppose it does, but that shouldn’t be too hard for a brave raven like you.’

For once Camelin didn’t reply. Jack got up and stood by the kitchen door, everyone except Camelin waved goodbye to him. Jack walked down to the hedge alone. He wasn’t too worried if Camelin was annoyed with him, it meant he’d at least get an undisturbed night’s sleep. Jack ran all the way back to Grandad’s house.

NEWS FROM ANNWN

Jack woke to sunshine streaming through his open curtains. He’d been so tired he’d forgotten to draw them before falling asleep. He remembered telling Grandad he needed an early night and lying down on the bed but that had been last night and now it was morning. He squinted at his clock. It was nearly six o’clock. Grandad wouldn’t be up for at least an hour. Jack took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He’d not had time, over the last couple of days, to stop and think. Everything had happened so quickly. He wondered if Nora and Charkle were back, if they were they’d already know that Norris and Snook were safe. Jack smiled. He wished he could have seen Charkle’s face when he saw his brothers again. Jack went over to the window and looked out at the trees surrounding Ewell House. He stood lost in thought for a few moments and was just about to go back to bed when a high-pitched squeak above his head made him look up.

‘Timmery?’

Jack grabbed his wand and came back to the window in time to see a long tail with a pointed end unfurl from the upside down bat.

‘Charkle! When did you get back? Have you…’

‘I come to thank you, to thank you from the bottom of my heart. My brothers send their thanks too.’

‘You need to thank Camelin, Timmery and the Dorysk too, without them we’d never have rescued Norris and Snook. Have you had a chance to speak to your brothers yet?’

‘Not really, we got back this morning at first light. Nora’s released Norris and Snook from the lanterns and they’re sleeping now. She didn’t want me to disturb them. She said we’d have lots of time later to catch up but I couldn’t wait to come and thank you. Nora said it would be alright as long as I didn’t wake you, she said you’d probably be exhausted. She knows all about the rescue and how brave you’ve all been. Everyone’s asleep now so I came over to wait until you got up.’

‘Was it Camelin’s version of the rescue that Nora heard?’

‘Partly, but Timmery was there too and so were the Night Guard so Nora knows everything that’s happened since she’s been away. I couldn’t believe my eyes when we got back and saw Norris and Snook on the table. Thank you so much Jack Brenin, you truly are a friend to us all.’

Jack didn’t know what to say. He didn’t want to change the subject but he desperately wanted news of Elan.

‘So what’s the news from Annwn?’ he said as casually as he could.

‘Oh Jack, they’ve got an awfully big problem, bigger than even Nora, Elan, Gwillam and the whole Blessed Council can solve.’

‘What kind of problem?’

‘A desperate one. Nora summoned me to try to melt a hole into the ice sheet, the one that seals the front of the Caves of Eternal Rest. Do you remember when we went and looked at the caves when we were in Annwn?’

Jack nodded.

‘I don’t understand. Why would they need a hole in the ice?’

‘Gwillam’s been dream messaging with Mortarn, the Gatekeeper of the caves. Most of the Druids want to be woken so they can help the Queen put Annwn to rights. Gwillam arranged for the Blessed Council to meet and perform the wakening ceremony.’

‘Wakening ceremony? That’s a lot of Druids to waken at once.’

‘They use a ritual to awaken the Gatekeeper first. He then goes and turns the big diamond-shaped crystal, it’s the key to the caves and melts the ice that seals the entrance. Once the cave is open the Druids can be woken. The ones who wish to leave can, and those who wish to remain sleep again when the cave is resealed. The Gatekeeper can never leave the caves. He has to stay there for eternity.’

‘That still doesn’t explain why you needed to make a hole in the ice.’

‘When the Blessed Council got to the cave entrance it was so dim inside they could hardly see anything. They couldn’t wake the Gatekeeper and nothing they did would unseal the entrance. They’re all very worried. Something dreadful must have happened for the light to fade.’

‘Is that why Nora left for Annwn in such a hurry?’

‘It is. Elan tried to help but none of her magic was strong enough. She thought if everyone tried together they’d be able to at least make a hole in the ice and let some air in.’

‘But isn’t there plenty of air inside the cave?’

‘There was when the crystals were working properly. They not only give out light but they also keep the Druids alive. Without the light from the crystals the cave will become a tomb. That’s why Nora needed me to try to melt the ice. Even a little hole would have helped but it was impossible. The magic seal is too strong. Unless Mortarn wakes and turns the crystal key all the sleeping Druids inside the caves will die.’

‘That’s terrible. Do you think if you went back with Norris and Snook you might be able to melt the ice? Three dragons breathing fire together would be better than one.’

‘I already suggested that to Nora this morning but she says we’re going to need a much bigger dragon.’

‘I know where we can find a bigger dragon.’

‘I presume you mean the one inside Silver Hill.’

‘Yes. Does Nora know about it?’

‘She does now. She’s waiting till Norris and Snook wake up so she can get as much inside information as possible. Camelin wasn’t pleased when Timmery suggested we rescue the dragon but Nora seemed to think it was a good idea.’