Winter of the Ice Wizard (8 page)
Read Winter of the Ice Wizard Online
Authors: Mary Pope Osborne
Merlin smiled. “There is no Frost Giant,” he said.
“What?”
said Kathleen and Teddy.
“Sure there is,” said Annie. “We heard his breathing!”
“He nearly froze us to death!” said Jack.
“At night, the wind often swirls through the Hollow Hill like a cyclone,” said Merlin. “You experienced one of those storms.”
“But what about the Norns' story of giving the wizard's eye to the Frost Giant as a gift?” said Jack.
“Many ancient peoples believe that the forces
of nature are actual giants or monsters,” said Morgan. “The Norns are the last of their kind. They hold to the idea that the Frost Giant is a living creature who haunts the Hollow Hill. In truth, the Frost Giant never accepted their gift because there is no Frost Giant.”
Jack shook his head. “We believed what the Norns believed. They told us we'd freeze to death if we looked directly at the Frost Giant.”
“And we believed what the wizard told us, too,” said Annie, “that the wolves would eat us if they caught up to us!”
“People often try to convince us that the world is scarier than it truly is,” said Morgan.
Right now the world didn't seem at all scary to Jack. Everything was calm and bright. Soft, rose-colored light was breaking through the morning clouds.
“Today is the first day after the winter solstice,” said Morgan. “Today the light starts to return. The days will grow longer.”
Jack turned to look at the sun. He caught sight of the tree house sitting on top of a snowdrift, not far away.
Jack tied a knot in the wind-string. He tied three more, and the sleigh came to a stop at the foot of the snowdrift.
Merlin looked at them. “On the winter solstice, you showed great courage,” he said. “You endured storms and terror and extraordinary cold. You reunited the Ice Wizard and the swan maiden. And perhaps most important, you retrieved my Staff of Strength. I thank you.”
“Sure,” Jack and Annie said modestly.
“You have done much for the kingdom of Camelot on your last four missions,” said Merlin. “On your next adventure, you will have a mission back in your worldâin real time, not in the time of myth and magicians.”
“We will call for you again soon,” said Morgan.
“Great!” said Annie.
Jack and Annie climbed out of the sleigh. They looked back at Teddy and Kathleen. “I hope you will help us with our next journey, too,” said Annie.
Teddy smiled. “If we all work together, we can do anything, aye?” he said.
“Aye!” said Jack and Annie together. Then they turned and trudged up the snowdrift. At
the top, they climbed into the window of the tree house. Once they were inside, they looked back.
The sleigh was gone.
“Bye,” Annie said softly.
Jack picked up the small gray stone from the floor. He pointed at the words
Frog Creek
in the wizard's message. “I wish we could go there,” he said.
The wind started to blow.
It blew harder and harder.
Then everything was still.
Absolutely still.
Jack opened his eyes. They were back in the Frog Creek woods. No time at all had passed while they'd been gone. It was almost twilight. Snowflakes fell like tiny feathers outside the tree house window.
Annie shivered. “I'm cold,” she said.
“Hereâtake my scarf,” said Jack. He pulled off his scarf.
“No, you need it,” said Annie.
“No, take it. I'll be okay.” Jack put his scarf around Annie's neck. “What will you tell Mom when she asks about
your
scarf?” he asked.
“I'll just tell her the Sisters of Fate took it as payment for telling us how to find the eye of the Ice Wizard in a hole in the Hollow Hill,” said Annie.
“Right,” said Jack, laughing.
“We'd better get home before dark,” said Annie. She started down the rope ladder. Jack followed her.
As they stepped onto the ground, Jack remembered the wind-string. “We forgot to give this back,” he said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the string. “I guess Merlin's magic took the sleigh back to Camelot.”
Jack and Annie looked at the string for a moment. “Untie a knot,” Annie whispered.
Jack took off his gloves and untied a knot. He held his breath and waited. Nothing happened. He gave Annie a little smile. “I guess in our
world, it's just a piece of string,” he said.
Jack put the string back in his pocket. He and Annie started walking over the snowy ground between the trees. As they walked, Jack looked for Teddy's and Kathleen's footprints. But they were completely gone.
Jack and Annie moved out of the woods and down their street. They saw Christmas tree lights sparkling in people's houses and candles shining in windows.
Their boots squeaked as they crossed their snow-covered yard. When they got to the stairs of the porch, Jack stopped. He stared in astonishment.
Annie's red woolen scarf was draped over the railing of the porch.
“I don't believe it!” said Jack.
“I do!” said Annie.
They hurried up the stairs and Annie grabbed her scarf. “Look!” she said.
She held up the scarf to show Jack. There
was a tiny picture woven into it: a picture of him and Annie and two white wolves.
Jack was speechless.
“Cool, huh?” said Annie. She gave Jack back his scarf. Then she tied her scarf around her neck. She tucked the part with the picture under her jacket collar.
The front door opened. A delicious smell wafted out from the house.
“Hi!” said their mom. “The cookies are ready. Come inside and get warm!”
Some time ago I wrote a book called
Favorite Norse Myths.
In that book, I retold the myths of the Viking people, who lived long ago in the icy, rugged lands of Scandinavia. While I was working on
Winter of the Ice Wizard,
several elements from the Norse myths inspired the plot of my story. For instance, the Norse myths tell about a god named Odin who traded his eye for all the wisdom of the world, and they tell about Frost Giants, who represent the most brutal forces of nature. There are also three sister goddesses known as the Norns who decide the
future. (In Greek mythology, three sisters called the Fates determine the future.)
While doing further research on the old legends of Nordic lands, I came across the swan maidens, women who could turn into swans, as well as wind-ropes (or wind-strings). I found out that wizards sold ropes with knots of wind to seafarers to help their ships sail across the ocean. Wind-strings are also mentioned in Hans Christian Andersen's story “The Snow Queen.” The reindeer in “The Snow Queen” says that he can “twist all the winds of the world together in a knot. If a seaman loosens one knot, then he has a good wind.”
Winter of the Ice Wizard
closes this quartet of Merlin Missions. On these four missions, Jack and Annie find magical treasures for Merlin: water from the Cauldron of Memory and Imagination, the Diamond of Destiny, the Sword of Light, and the Staff of Strength. These four
things were inspired by the Four Hallows of Camelot, which, according to Irish legend, were the four most sacred gifts of the ancient Celtic people.
Â
Magic Tree House #33
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(A Merlin Mission)
Carnival at Candlelight
Available now!
Excerpt copyright ©
2005
by Mary Pope Osborne.
Published by Random House Children's Books,
a division of Random House, Inc., New York.
D
awn was breaking in the Frog Creek woods. Jack saw a light shining up ahead. He ran toward it. He ran so fast, he couldn't hear his feet hitting the ground. He couldn't feel the frosty winter air.
As Jack got closer to the light, he could see the magic tree house at the top of the tallest oak. A girl and boy were looking out the window. The girl had dark, wavy hair and sea-blue eyes. The boy had tousled red hair and a big grin on his face. As the two kids waved at him, Jack felt incredibly happy.
“Jack, wake up!”
Jack opened his eyes. His sister, Annie, was standing beside his bed. She was wearing her winter jacket. It was barely light outside.
“I just had a dream about the tree house,” she said.
“Really?” Jack said sleepily.
“I dreamed we were running through the woods at dawn,” said Annie, “and when we got to the tree house, Teddy and Kathleen were there waiting for us.”
Jack sat up. “I just had the same dream!” he said.
“Meet you downstairs,” said Annie.
Annie left Jack's room. Jack jumped out of bed, put on his glasses, and threw on his clothes. He grabbed his winter jacket and his backpack. Then he slipped quietly down the stairs and out the front door.
Annie was waiting on the porch. The February air was chilly. Frost sparkled in the grass as the sun rose over the Frog Creek woods.
“Ready?” asked Annie.
Jack nodded and zipped his jacket. Without another word, he and Annie hurried up their street and headed into the woods. They ran through the long shadows of early morning, between the bare winter trees. Then they stopped.
The tree house
was
back, just as Jack had seen it in his dream! It was high in the tallest oak tree, shining in the cold morning light.
“Wow,” breathed Jack. “Dreams
can
come true.”
“Yep,” said Annie. “Teddy! Kathleen!”
No one answered.
“I guess only part of this dream came true,” Annie said sadly. She grabbed the rope ladder and started up. Jack followed. Annie climbed into the tree house. “Oh, wow!” she said.
“What is it?” said Jack.
“They're here!” said Annie in a loud whisper. Jack climbed in behind her. Their friends
Teddy and Kathleen, apprentices to Morgan le Fay, were sitting under the tree house window. Wrapped in heavy woolen cloaks, they were both fast asleep.
“Hey, sleepyheads!” said Annie. “Wake up!”
Kathleen blinked and yawned. Teddy rubbed his eyes. When he saw Jack and Annie, he gave them a wide grin and leapt to his feet. “Hello!” he said.
“Hello!” cried Annie. She threw her arms around Teddy. “We both dreamed you were here.”
“Ah, then our magic worked!” said Teddy. “Kathleen suggested we send dreams to let you know we were here, and it seems our magic sent
us
to dreamland as well.”
“But now we are all awake,” said Kathleen. “And I am very glad to see you.” She stood up, drawing her cloak around her. Her blue eyes sparkled like seawater in the dawn light.
“I'm glad to see you, too,” Jack said shyly.
“Are you taking us on another Merlin Mission?” said Annie.
“Not exactly,” said Teddy. “Merlin has a most important mission for you. But this time, we will not be going along.”
“Oh, no!” said Annie. “What if we need your magic to help us?”
Teddy and Kathleen looked at each other and smiled. Then Kathleen turned back to Jack and Annie. “Morgan thinks you may be ready to use magic on your own,” she said.
“Really?” said Jack.
“Yes,” said Teddy, “but Merlin is
very
cautious about sharing magic powers with mortals, even with two as worthy as you. He is also wary of magic being used outside the realm of Camelot. Nevertheless, Morgan has convinced Merlin to let you prove yourselves. You will be tested on four missions.”
“But we don't know any magic,” said Jack.
“Remember what I told you on our last
adventure?” said Teddy. “If we all work togetherâ”
“Anything is possible!” said Annie. “But you just said you weren't coming with us.”
“That is true,” said Kathleen. “And that is why we bring you
this.”
She reached into a pocket of her cloak and pulled out a small handmade book. She gave the book to Annie.
The cover of the book was made of rough brown paper. Written on it in neat, simple handwriting was the title:
“You made this for us?” said Annie.
“Yes,” said Kathleen. “One line of each rhyme is in Teddy's language, and one is in mine, the language of the Seal People.”
Annie opened the book to the table of contents. She and Jack skimmed the list of rhymes, and Jack read some of the entries aloud:
“Fly Through the Air Make. Metal Soft.
Turn into Ducksâ”
Annie giggled. “These are so cool!” she said. “Let's all turn into ducks!”
“Not now,” said Kathleen. “You must use these rhymes very sparingly. There are only ten rhymes in the book, and each can only be used once. They are meant to last you for four journeys.”
“Four?” said Jack.
“Aye,” said Teddy. “Merlin has agreed that if you can use our magic wisely on four missions, he will teach you the secrets that will allow you to make magic on your own.”
“Oh, boy!” said Annie.
Jack put the book of magic rhymes in his backpack. “So where are we going on our first mission?” he asked.
“This research book from Morgan will tell you,” said Teddy. He took out a book and handed it to Jack. The cover showed a bright, colorful city surrounded by water.
Jack read the title aloud:
.
“I've heard of Venice,” said Annie. “Last year Aunt Gail and Uncle Michael went there on vacation.”
“Aye, 'tis a city that has long welcomed travelers,” said Teddy. “But you and Jack will travel to the Venice of two hundred sixty years ago.”
“What will we do there?” asked Jack.
“Merlin has prepared careful directions for you,” said Teddy. He pulled a letter out of a pocket in his cloak and gave it to Jack. “Read this when you get to Venice.”
“Okay,” said Jack. He put Merlin's letter and Morgan's research book into his backpack.
“Wait a minute,” said Annie. “If we take the tree house to Venice, how will you guys get back to Camelot?”
Teddy and Kathleen smiled and held up their hands. They each wore a ring made of pale blue glass. “These magic rings belong to Morgan,” said Kathleen. “They will take us home.”
“Remember,” Teddy said to Jack and Annie. “Follow Merlin's directions carefully. If you prove yourselves to be wise and brave helpers, he will call for you again soon.”
Kathleen nodded. “Good-bye now,” she said to Jack and Annie. “Good luck.”
Kathleen and Teddy raised their glass rings to their lips. Together they whispered words too softly to be heard, then blew on the rings.
Before Jack and Annie's eyes, the two young sorcerers began to fade into the cool morning air. In an instant, they had disappeared completely.
“They're gone,” breathed Jack.
“I guess it's time for us to go, too,” said Annie.
Jack took a deep breath. Then he pointed at the cover of the Venice book. “I wish we could go there!” he said.
The wind started to blow.
The tree house started to spin.
It spun faster and faster.
Then everything was still.
Absolutely still.