Stolen Magic(50)

“Master Erick, do not delay. The mountain is not reliable. Spread your cloak over me. Sit on it. You will not be cold. Do not touch my scales when—”

The ledge they stood on trembled.

“Hurry!”

Master Erick scrambled up.

IT flapped ITs wings, but Master Erick was heavy! IT was still on the ground when the ledge collapsed beneath them.





CHAPTER FORTY-NINE



Johan-bee stopped at the stricken high brunka and rocked on his heels. His sword vibrated. “Is she better?”

Phew! Elodie thought. He isn’t leaving. Then why the sword and longbow?

“No,” Mistress Sirka said.

Goodman Dror, still standing at her side, chimed in. “She could die because of you, you clumsy clod.”

Ursa-bee added, “Ludda meant no harm before. She can’t help her sharp tongue.”

Hoping to do some good, Elodie said, “I think it was unkind of her.”

Johan-bee headed toward the door, where they were standing.

Oh no!

“Marya didn’t want people to leave. Stand back.” He had appointed himself armed door guard.

“We’re not leaving,” Albin said, making room for him. “Lady El persuaded me to stay.”

“Step away. I don’t want help. People call me useless, but I can do this, and I need little sleep.”

What about when he wanted to use the garderobe?

Elodie and Albin moved a few feet to the side.

“Farther.”

They obliged.

“That’s a rare ability,” Albin said encouragingly, “being able to stay awake. Do you really need the weapons? You can just shout and I’ll help you. Someone else may get hurt.”

“Only if they try to force their way through.”

With Johan-bee’s luck, he might stab himself—or his arrow might bounce off something, come back, and end his sad life. Or he might injure someone else, not meaning to, as he’d already hurt High Brunka Marya.

“Ursa-bee,” Mistress Sirka said, “a drink of broth may do the high brunka good.”

“I’ll fetch it.” She hurried to the kitchen.

“Where is everyone?” Elodie asked.

Johan-bee said, “Most of the bees are searching. Master Uwald and young Master Robbie are in their room, and Master Tuomo is in his.”

Preparing to leave? Elodie thought.

“Ludda is cooking,” Goodman Dror said. “She says the last meal was ruined.”

Elodie had to hold herself back from laughing. While a brunka was insensible, while people and a precious ogre and dragon might be dying, while a mountain was on the point of exploding, a spiteful cook fussed over pottage and cabbage and beets. Why didn’t she help with the search?

Because she was a thief and knew where the Replica was?

Just as Ursa-bee emerged from the kitchen with a mug of broth, the door to the corridor opened. Master Tuomo, carrying a satchel in each hand, marched in, followed by Master Uwald, similarly burdened. Master Robbie lagged behind, bearing a large velvet sack in one hand and a small burlap one in the other. His eyes sought Elodie.

“Only Master Uwald may leave.” Johan-bee’s right hand rested on the hilt of his sword; his left held his bow. His rocking slowed. “He’s no thief.”

No one could leave! Elodie thought. What to do?

Master Tuomo halted but didn’t put his satchels down. His face reddened to scarlet.

“And Robbie.” Master Uwald continued toward the door.

“Only you, Master Uwald.”

Master Robbie stopped in the center of the great hall.

Master Uwald stopped, too, his face regretful. “I’ll come back for you, son.”

Elodie thought, Albin would never leave me behind. IT had, but IT was a dragon, and IT was hoping to save everyone.

What to do?

“If Marya awakens,” Master Uwald added, “she’ll let you come to me.”

But the high brunka seemed far from waking. Mistress Sirka had to hold her mouth open to dribble in a thin stream of broth. “There you go. Isn’t that good?”

“Johan-bee, what will he accomplish that I can’t?” Master Tuomo’s gruff voice was pleading. “He doesn’t have sons on the mountain.”

“Just Master Uwald.”

“Because he was kind to you? I never teased you, did I?”

Johan-bee didn’t answer.

The steward turned to his master. “What will you do when you leave, Uwald?”

“First I’ll go to Brunka Keld and—”

“He’ll be helping on Zertrum.”

Keld was the brunka on Svye Mountain, just to the south of Zertrum.

“You’re right.”

Elodie felt one of ITs Mmms bubble up. Master Uwald hadn’t thought out what he’d do when he left here?

He went on. “I’ll stop at the first cottage and tell them to go to Poldie.”

Poldie was the brunka on Bisselberg, the mountain Elodie and her friends had passed on their way north.

“He’ll come with bees who can search outside here and bring food. Then—”

“High Brunka Marya already has bees looking outside,” Elodie broke in. “She said so. They’re also taking care of the dog who came with us.” You don’t have to go for that reason, she thought.