White Horse Talisman (11 page)
Mischief whickered softly as the other ponies left. She ambled over to Adam and butted him in the back. He gave a half laugh, half sob and threw his arms around her neck.
“Oh Mischief, what now? It's all real
I think.”
Adam tried to sort out his thoughts. He was in a mess.
A gigantic mess. What was he going to do with the talisâman? Chantel mustn't have it. She was only a little kid. It was powerful. Really powerful. So was the dragon. He and the dragon were going to use it to fix things.
Suddenly Wayland's words echoed in his head. “Take heed you find not that you must not seek!”
Why, oh why, did he think of the dragon when he heard those words? He knew all about Chinese dragons. They brought good luck. He'd been to the Dragon Festival in Edmonton's Chinatown. The Chinese even had a year of the dragon. So why did this English dragon make him feel guilty and uncomfortable?
He rubbed his cheek against Mischief's warm neck. He was so mixed up. He needed to concentrate, to remember eveârything that had happened in the tunnel. Then he could use the information to get power. He must not forget one word that Wayland had said. He whispered the verse under his breath:
Those you seek are running still,
Though hidden now, beneath the hill.
What lies below is seen on high.
Seek them where the magpies fly.
That must be a clue to finding the red mare. They must have to look from a great height or something.
Seek them as small shadows, cast
By the sun when noon hath passed.
Red like white in slumber lie,
The talisman within the eye.
So the talisman was in the eye. Hmm, that would make sense. That's where Chantel said she found the first half.
Then came the warning, “Take heed you find not that you must not seek!” And the command, “Seek one that bears my name.”
“Guess I have to look for someone called Wayland,” Adam sighed out loud.
He could think no more. He was on overload. He un-knotted the reins and tried to mount Mischief. She moved around him, making him hop with one foot in the stirrup.
“Quit it, Mischief,” he muttered. But, sensing that she had the upper hand, Mischief lived up to her name. Finally Adam gave up, walked her over to the gate and mounted from there.
He surveyed the beech grove one last time and gave an awkward salute. “Bye, Wayland,” he whispered. He turned his back and urged Mischief to a trot. “Come on, Mischief, we'd better catch up with Holly and Owen.”
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Holly and Owen rode slowly towards home.
“Do you think Adam made everything up?” asked Holly.
“Dunno. Why would he do that?” Owen answered.
“Because of all the attention Chantel is getting.”
Owen thought for a moment. “You think he could have made up the story about Wayland because Chantel told us about Alin and the red mare?”
Holly nodded.
“Naw. Adam couldn't make up stuff like that.”
They rode on for a while. Then Owen broke the silence.
“Why is all this happening to them anyway? They don't even live here. They're from Canada. We know more about the White Horse than they do.”
Holly shrugged again. “I suppose it's the Magic Child stuff, because Chantel saw the shooting star and did the spell. But it doesn't seem fair. Nothing ever happens to us. We're just hanging around.”
“Let's change it,“ said Owen eagerly. “Let's do something. Why don't we take the talisman to Mr. Smythe? He knows loads about the White Horse, and I bet he'll know if there is a red horse around here. Let's go and see him this evening. To heck with Adam.”
“Adam won't agree.”
“Who cares? He doesn't have the talisman anymore!” Owen jiggled something in his pocket.
“You have it?” Holly's eyes widened.
Owen smirked. “Yup. It fell out of his pocket when we were fighting. I figured it was our turn to look after it!”
CCC
“Hi.” Adam paused in the stable doorway, holding Mischief's reins.
Holly stopped brushing down Harlequin and looked at him over her pony's back. She waited for him to say more.
Owen, Batman's saddle in his arms, kept walking towards the low beam on the far side of the stable. He slung the saddle over it and hung up the reins before turning. The two of them were obviously waiting for Adam to say something.
Adam considered his options. He needed their help to decode Wayland's words and get the rest of the talisman. He'd better apologize.
“Look ⦠I didn't mean to ignore you, or embarrass you. I just ⦔ Adam spread his hand out in a gesture of despair. “I don't even know what's happening to me. Weird things are going on and I can't stop them. Please help me.”
“If you want our help, you're going to have to trust us, not get mad when we suggest something,” said Holly.
Mischief thrust her nose between Adam's body and the stable doorway and rudely pushed him against the wall. Everyone burst out laughing.
“Yes, Mischief, Adam's an idiot,” said Owen, chuckling.
“Settle your pony, Adam. We'll talk after.”
“And we'll tell you why we're going to show the talisman to Mr. Smythe,” added Holly.
Adam's hand went to his pocket. His face blenched.
“It's okay.” Owen held up the talisman. “I've got it. It fell out on the grass while we were fighting.” His bright eyes challenged Adam. “I'll look after it for a while. See if Holly and I can have some adventures like you Canadians!”
Adam stiffened. A wave of anger swept over him, so intense that he saw Owen through a red haze. How dare you, he thought, clenching his fists.
That's good. Feed your anger. We can use its power. Let
the anger build.
The dragon's voice spoke in his mind.
The anger burned deep inside him. He could feel it.
Yes, he would use it! He would watch and wait, and get the talisman back when Owen wasn't looking. Then he'd meet the dragon again, and everyone had better watch out!
Adam forced himself to grin at Owen. He spoke carefully. “I guess that's fair. It was kind of given to all of us.” He led Mischief into her stall. “Just you wait,” he muttered under his breath. “I'll pay you back for this. Just you wait.”
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“Something's wrong,” said Myrddin. “I feel it.”
Equus flicked his ears and Ava cocked her head on one
side. They concentrated.
“The Dark Being approaches, but she is still a long way
off,” murmured Ava.
“No, the disturbance comes from much closer, from
Gaia,” insisted Myrddin.
The three gazed down at the misty blue planet.
Equus nodded. “Yes ⦠I feel it too. The Old Magic is
waking. It has disturbed the Dark Magic.”
Myrddin nodded sadly. “Light and dark, the never-end
â
ing struggle.”
Equus flicked his ears again as he listened intently. “There
is dissension among the children. The dragon has spoken.”
“I feared this moment,” Myrddin groaned. “Humans can
â
not withstand the dragon. He speaks with honeyed tongue
but causes great anger and feeds on the results.”
“Do not give up hope,” soothed Ava. “Human children
have hidden strengths. But be ready, Equus. Go as soon as
you are summoned.”
“I am always ready,” said Equus. “I will call for your
help if the dragon's Dark Magic grows too strong.” He gave a
great sigh. “We should never have surrendered our tools.”
“Hush,” soothed Ava. “What is done was done for a
purpose. By giving up our magic freely, we weakened the
Dark Being's power for eons.”
“But Equus is right,” said Myrddin. “Our situation is
dire. A people who have long forgotten us guard our tools,
yet we cannot intrude in their lives without their invitation.
Only one small child believes in Equus. Without more believ
â
ers we cannot retrieve our tools. This time the Dark Being
may conquer all.”
“Never,” said Ava with conviction. “Give the children time.”
Owen and Holly rushed down the hospital corridor and burst into Chantel's hospital room. Adam followed. Owen tossed the talisman into Chantel's hand and leapt on the end of the bed.
Hands flew out to protect her leg.
“I was being careful,” he said defensively.
“So ⦠did something happen?” asked Chantel eagerly.
“It did to Adam,” said Holly. “It's a really weird story.”
Chantel looked across at her brother. She grinned with relief. “If weird things are happening to you too, then I'm not crazy.”
Adam shrugged. He slouched down on the chair, embarârassed at being the center of attention.
“Well? What happened? Tell me!” Chantel demanded.
Slowly, Adam began to relate what had happened to him at Wayland's Smithy.
Chantel smiled at her brother. “You were brave, Adam. You hate dark tunnels.”
Adam twitched with embarrassment and glared at Owen, daring him to comment.
Chantel's finger traced the horse design. “So Wayland showed you the completed talisman and there are two horses on it. Just like the ones I saw in my dream last night.”
“Another dream?” said Owen.
Chantel nodded. “The White Horse took me into the past and I saw a carving of two horses on the side of a hill, in a place called the Vale of the Red Horse.”
“I've never heard of the Vale of the Red Horse,” said Holly. She turned to Owen. “Have you?”
Owen shook his head. “Could be an old name that got forgotten when the horses disappeared.”
“But how could the horses disappear?” asked Adam. “The White Horse carving is still there. If the red horse was carved into the hillside, why isn't she still there?”
Holly and Owen shrugged.
“The red mare and her foal were carved in the hillside. Just like the White Horse,” said Chantel positively. “I saw them, and watched King Alfred's coronation. And I heard the Horse King telling Ethrelda where to put the talisman after the bishop broke it.” Chantel described her latest dream about Alfred.
“We've got so many bits of information from the dreams and Wayland,” said Owen. “I think we should go over them before it gets too confusing.”
“It's kind of like doing a jigsaw.” Holly grinned. “I'm good at jigsaws.”
“Okay.” Owen took charge. “Fit everything together no matter how daft it sounds.” He held up a finger. “One, Chantel promises to help the White Horse find his mate the red horse and her foal. Right?”
Chantel nodded. “And I find half the talisman.”
“Yeah ⦠you promised to look for that too, I guess.” Owen frowned. “It's getting complicated already.”
“No, it's not. It's just two parts of the same thing,” argued Holly. “So the next thing is when the White Horse gives Chantel dreams. Clues are in the dreams.”
“Like Alin's hill carving. That's what we're looking for,”
Chantel said.
“And it's carved in red clay, so it's not on the chalk downs,” Owen added.
“And we know what it looks like because Adam saw it at Way-land's Smithy and I saw it in my Alfred dream,” Chantel said.
“What about all the magic things, like the Blowing Stone?
That was in one of the dreams,” interrupted Adam. “If I hadn't blown the stone I don't think Wayland would have spoken to me.”
“You're right. We're going to have to notice everything,”
Owen agreed.
“Like the magpies,” added Holly.
Everyone stared at her.
“Haven't you noticed the magpies?” Holly sounded surprised. “Every time something happens to one of us or Chantel dreams something, the magpies are there ⦠like in the fortune-telling rhyme.” She grinned and chanted.