The Morrow Secrets (22 page)

It was Benedict who stirred first. Staring down at him were two pairs of bright eyes. He screamed and grabbed Neeps who shot bolt upright.
‘What the devil? I must have dozed off. Who are you?’ demanded Neeps.
The Cave-Shroves pointed at Esmerelda and chuckled. They had smaller features than the shroves at Winderling Spires and were altogether much more cheerful.
‘Ernelle and Pester, am I glad to see you!’ cried Esmerelda shaking hands with the Cave-Shroves.
‘These are my dear friends, the ones who took care of me. They won’t bite. Will you, my pointy-eared friends?’
‘We’re here to help you,’ said Ernelle gravely.
She turned to Pester and whispered something in shroveling. Esmerelda could tell from their twitchiness that they were alert to approaching danger.
‘You must follow us to Raven’s Stones and then to our village. The Groats are hunting you,’ said Pester, her face twitching in the gloom.
‘We’ve laid a false scent to put the Groats off our trail but it won’t fool them for long,’ said Ernelle. ‘Come, hurry now.’
They followed the Cave-Shroves through a series of wet, sloping tunnels that went deeper into the belly of the mountain. Icy-cold water dripped down, soaking their hair and the ground was slippery underfoot. The Cave-Shroves were cunning little creatures and their ability to see in the dark made the route seem easier. The path twisted and turned under the red veined walls and at regular intervals one of the Cave-Shroves scampered off down a side tunnel to leave a false trail for the Groats.
At last, there before them was the path up to the Raven’s Stones Ring.
‘Come,’ said Pester, ‘we must pass through the ring of stones, then onward to our village.’
Tallitha pulled Tyaas to one side and pointed at the carvings at the foot of the stones.
‘Look, it’s those ravens again. They’re the same carvings that were in Winderling Spires.’
Tyaas shrugged his shoulders, he couldn’t remember. Tallitha ran her fingers over the outline of the raven carvings.
‘Come, hurry now,’ said Ernelle.
The Cave-Shroves disappeared behind a fissure in the rock. When Tallitha squeezed herself through she saw Ernelle standing below a dark shaft, calling out in shroveling.
‘What’s she doing?’ asked Tallitha
‘Shhh,’ said Esmerelda, ‘just watch. I’d forgotten about this, it’s really something.’
Suddenly a large basket landed with a thump at Ernelle’s feet and Pester climbed inside.
‘Tyaas, you get in. There’s room for two,’ explained Esmerelda.
Once Pester and Tyaas were tucked inside, the basket began stuttering up the shaft, hauled by a team of Cave-Shroves peering down from above.
‘This is one of our secret entrances,’ whispered Ernelle, pushing Tallitha and Benedict in next.
The Cave-Shroves inhabited a secure world, protected from their enemies in the heart of the cave system. Once at the top Esmerelda was warmly welcomed by an elderly cave- shrove named Snouter who fussed over her long lost friend. Cave shroves were smaller than the shroves at Winderling Spires, with sharper more quizzical features and a kind disposition.
‘Well, you’ve led us a merry dance. We’ve been tracking you for days but the Groats got to you first.’
Esmerelda turned to her host, ‘Snouter, these are my friends. Snouter knows everything there is to know about these caves,’ said Esmerelda, putting her arm round the grey haired cave-shrove.
Snouter chuckled and led the way to the communal hall. The village was built into a series of caves, hollowed out from the side of the rock face with ladders leading up to each dwelling. The sight before them was a welcome one to the hungry travellers. The table was full of bread, cakes, pies and buns, fruit and nuts and a selection of skewered grilled rat and baked blindworm puddings. The Skinks devoured the steaming puddings and the tasty rat but Tallitha and Tyaas shied away from eating the unusual fare.
‘They aren’t used to these delicacies so forgive them,’ explained Esmerelda, a little embarrassed. ‘But it’s a long time since I tasted these puddings and they’re a welcome treat.’
Esmerelda tucked in and ate three chunks of roasted meat and two hot puddings in quick succession. When the others had finished eating, Snouter wiped the meat juices from her lips and pushed her plate to one side.
‘Now then, why have you returned after all this time? Is it to look for your cousin?’ asked Snouter, passing round sweet delicacies.
‘I’ll never give up,’ said Esmerelda dabbing her mouth.
The Cave-Shroves exchanged glances.
‘The dooerlins are vicious hunters and you’ll have to pass through their territory next,’ said Snouter gravely.
‘Dooerlins!’ said Tallitha laughing. ‘But surely they’re make-believe?’
‘They’re far from make-believe,’ exclaimed Pester. ‘You prob’ly know them as the Murk Mowl.’
Tallitha gasped. So maybe it was true, what Cissie had told them, about children being secreted away in the middle of the night. Tallitha shuddered at the thought of the Murk Mowl roaming Wycham Elva at the dead of night, or even entering Winderling Spires itself.
‘It’s dangerous in their domain. There are few who make it through alive,’ said Snouter, playing with the crumbs on the table.
‘What else have you discovered since I was last here?’ asked Esmerelda. ‘There is something, isn’t there?’
‘We’ve heard things, and if what we’ve heard is true, it might not be worth the perilous journey ahead.’
Esmerelda drank her ale and motioned for Snouter to continue.
‘After Asenathe was taken by the Groats she was handed over to the Swarm. She was a prized possession given her connection to the Grand Morrow and at first the Thane intended to ransom her back to Wycham Elva, but he was persuaded into another course of action.’
Benedict pushed back his hair and excused himself. He looked decidedly odd.
‘Mind if I have a lie down, I feel a bit queasy,’ he said, quietly rubbing his stomach.
‘There are sleeping spaces over there,’ said Pester, indicating a mezzanine level at the side of the cave.
‘What’s up with him?’ asked Tyaas, watching his cousin disappear up the ladder.
Ruker stared after Benedict. There was something decidedly odd about that boy, something she couldn’t put her finger on.
‘What happened next?’ inquired Tallitha.
She was more interested in hearing about Asenathe than Benedict’s indigestion.
‘She married the Thane’s son, Arden Morrow.’
Esmerelda gasped. ‘What! But who persuaded the Thane to change his plan?’
‘Queen Asphodel had a hand in it. She didn’t want Asenathe to return to Wycham Elva,’ said Snouter cautiously.
‘Asphodel again,’ said Tallitha under her breath.
‘Surely Lord Frintel and Asphodel could have secured a huge ransom for Asenathe,’ said Ruker.
‘It’s a strange turn of events. Asenathe left Winderling Spires to escape one arranged marriage and she ended up being forced into another one,’ said Esmerelda sadly.
Ernelle and Pester became twitchy and looked to Snouter to take the lead.
‘Well that’s not what we heard. The marriage wasn’t arranged,’ said the elderly cave-shrove.
‘What do you mean?’ asked Esmerelda, perplexed.
‘It was a love match. Arden and Asenathe persuaded Lord Frintal to let them marry. Asenathe is no longer a prisoner, as far as we know. She stayed in Hellstone Tors because she wanted to,’ explained Snouter.
‘As far as you know... but how did you hear this?’ exclaimed Esmeralda.
‘Our spies overheard it from the Groats,’ explained Pester.
‘I don’t believe it!’ Esmerelda gripped the edge of the table. ‘After all this time I must see her. If she’s happy and wants to stay in the Tors, it must be of her own free will, not because she was forced into marrying this Arden. Am I right?’ she said looking at the others.
‘We can’t give up now. We’ll never know the truth and I don’t trust something third-hand, no offence,’ said Tallitha.
‘Particularly coming from those sources,’ said Ruker.
‘Very well, but your journey will be extremely dangerous. The Murk Mowl have formed a pact with Asphodel so they will work with her to capture you. News will reach her of your escape from the Groats so her spies will be everywhere. It’s the second time you’ve outwitted them, they won’t like that,’ said Snouter turning to Esmerelda. ‘It was never intended that you should survive. The plan was to kill you when Asenathe was taken, but that failed and you escaped,’ explained Snouter.
A shadow flitted over Esmerelda’s face as the implication of Snouter’s words sank in.
‘You mean Asenathe’s kidnap was planned?’
‘That’s also what we heard,’ said Snouter.
‘B-but I thought we were just unlucky, when we got lost in the caves,’ Esmerelda said quietly as her face turned ashen. ‘But that means someone from Winderling Spires must have betrayed us, all those years ago.’
‘Who would do a thing like that?’ asked Tallitha anxiously. ‘Think back Essie‒who first told you about the marriage between Asenathe and Cornelius Pew?’
Esmerelda knew only too well who had told her. She averted her eyes from Tallitha.
‘Essie‒what is it?’
Esmerelda swallowed hard. ‘I’m afraid it was your mother. It was Snowdroppe.’
The colour drained from Tallitha’s face.
‘Mother!’ cried Tyaas, ‘but why would she do that?’
‘She said she was helping us at the time, but have you ever known Snowdroppe to help anyone but herself?’
Tyaas jumped up from the table and lashed out at Esmerelda. ‘How dare you accuse our mother of such a thing? Tallitha, tell her it can’t be true!’
Tallitha looked crestfallen. ‘But Essie’s right. Our mother doesn’t care for anyone and father is no better. I’m sorry, Tyaas, but maybe there’s something to this story. Mother would only do this to gain something. But what?’
The assembled company waited for someone to say what was obvious to everyone except Tallitha and Tyaas. It was Esmerelda who finally spoke.
‘She would achieve great power from this change in fortune.’
‘What do you mean?’ asked Tallitha, apprehensively.
‘Through the children she would have, eventually. You’re the heir Tallitha, now that Asenathe is gone. It’s through you that Snowdroppe will rule Wycham Elva once Agatha is dead and then Winderling Spires will be hers.’
Tallitha peered out from underneath her dark lashes. There were tears in his eyes. It must be true. Tallitha’s mind was swimming with ghastly images of her mother betraying the Morrow family.
‘But why did she do it? What’s her connection with the Tors?’ asked Tallitha.
Pester shrugged, ‘We don’t know, but Marlin, Grintley and Florré are all involved somehow.’
Tallitha bit her lip. Oh no, not them again‒the Winderling shroves were always involved somehow.
‘The shroves must have been reporting back to Snowdroppe all the time,’ added Esmerelda.
‘But how do you know the shroves at Winderling Spires?’ asked Tyaas.
‘We have links going back for generations. Grintley and Florré were visitors here but we banished them from Raven Stones many years ago,’ said Ernelle.
‘Now Grintley works for Snowdroppe and Florré works for my mother and Aunt Edwina. The old sisters discuss the family all day long. The shroves at Winderling Spires must have been eavesdropping for years. I feel sick with the thought of it,’ said Esmerelda, her voice rising in despair.
‘But why were they banished?’ asked Tallitha.
‘We discovered they were being paid for passing closely guarded shrove-secrets to Asphodel, so we expelled them from our community. At first they went to the Dark Reaches then we heard they had left OutOf-The-Way-Mountains for good.’
‘I can’t bear to think of our mother doing this. Is she really this wicked?’ asked Tyaas, his voice cracking with emotion.
Tallitha went over to Esmerelda and nestled into her side as the horror of what she had been told began to sink in.
*
The next morning the Skinks were busy planning the route to Old Yawning Edges.
‘I’m afraid we can’t enter Murk Mowl territory with you. It would put our village in danger,’ said Pester.
Esmerelda nodded, ‘I understand. Which way shall we go?’
‘Pass through the Ravens’ Stones Ring, then round the top of Old Yawning Edges avoiding the Murk Mowl. There’s a small winding tunnel at the back of Ravens’ Stones,’ explained Snouter. ‘It’s hidden behind a boulder. You’ll see it once you’re in the second cave along from the ring.’
‘Not another tunnel!’ said Benedict, ‘I’m getting tired of this.’
‘Stop it!’ shouted Tallitha who was still brooding about their mother’s betrayal.
Benedict pulled a face and took himself back to bed to sulk.
It was Esmerelda who broke the silence. ‘Maybe Snowdroppe didn’t act alone. She was young and had just married your father. Perhaps the shroves...,’ suggested Esmerelda trying to soften the blow.
Tears fell down Tallitha’s cheeks.
‘It was mother, and it doesn’t matter, she still betrayed you,’ she said, her voice faltering. ‘There’s always been something distant about her. She doesn’t love us.’
Tallitha bit her lip and wiped her eyes.
‘Come and sit next to me,’ Essie offered.
But Tallitha shook her head. It was too much to bear. Their mother didn’t love anyone, including her own children.

Early the next morning the travellers began their journey. Ruker located the winding tunnel that would lead them over the top of Old Yawning Edges.

The entrance hole was small, dark and wet. Benedict took one look inside the narrow tunnel and shook his head.
‘I’m not going in there,’ he said flatly.
The others stared at him.
‘We’ve no idea where it leads. I’m staying put,’ he said stubbornly.
‘Do come on Benedict, stop being tiresome,’ said Tyaas, sharply.
‘There isn’t a choice. We can’t go back, this is the only way,’ insisted Neeps.
‘I’ve had enough.You can’t make me,’ said Benedict finally.
Tallitha raised her eyes in frustration. ‘Come on, Bumps,’ she said cheekily.
‘Shut up, just shut up!’ shouted Benedict thunderously.
He was behaving worse than usual. Ruker knew she could not persuade him.
‘Once we’re through I’ll come back for you. Then you’ll know we’re safe,’ she said trying to placate him.
Benedict pouted and sat down to wait.
The others struggled through the winding tunnel, crawling on their hands and knees, eventually making it to the other side, wet, exhausted and bitterly cold. Almost immediately the air smelt fresh. Way below them, the pitted rim of Old Yawning Edges leered up at them with its gaping, terrifying mouth. Down through the cavernous gap they could see hundreds of Murk Mowl, the size of worker ants, going backwards and forwards about their odious business.
‘I’ll go back for Benedict,’ said Ruker.
She quickly departed leaving the others to peer anxiously down into the jaws of the deep pit that waited hungrily before them.