Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

INTO NORSONIA

Lilly followed Morii into the cave, it soon became as dark as night and there were sounds of running and dripping water all around them.

The cave narrowed at the back and there winding upwards were roughly hewn steps of rock. Morii turned to Lilly and said, ‘Here be the five hundred steps I told ye of. Can ye manage the bags Lilly, some of the steps be slippy and ye must take heed’.

‘I’m fine thank you Morii, I’ll go slowly and be careful’ Lilly answered.  The thought went through her head, maybe this is where the Hall of the Mountain King came from…she smiled, remembering what she’d said to her dad.

With that they began the upwards climb and were soon both puffing with the extra effort it took them.

Morii was telling her about the time that three marauding Tarken had captured a miller’s son and taken him back with them to the Drylands.

‘They wanted him to make the special Storbvin that only the millers know how to make, he be a grown man by now o course’. He said.

‘How dreadful for him’ replied Lilly.

‘Yay, that be true. There be a few Norsonian folk held by the Tarken. We don’t know anything about the Drylands, or maybe we could fetch them home’ said Morii thoughtfully.

‘Hasn’t anyone ever been there?’ asked Lilly.

‘Some have tried, that be true but they wern’t never seen again.

Them Tarken see ye coming I believe and do send out their warriors and the tisks. There be too much sand and dry places…there be no water for ye to drink. No… we need to find another way… I hope ye can help us there Lilly’.

Lilly said nothing, but she was thinking…maybe there was a way. She would talk to Morii later.

Suddenly, Lilly heard a squeaky little voice in her head…‘Pel be scare illy…Pel lone’

‘Hang on Morii…I think Pel’s down the steps’ she said. ‘Pel…where are you?’ she called out down the dark stairway.

‘What be that Squib doing of, following ye?’ exclaimed Morii as he tried to hold the torch so Lilly could see back the way they had come.

‘Pel ere, Pel foll illy…Pel ike illy food’ said Pel scampering up the steps to join them.

Lilly shifted the two bags onto one shoulder and put her arm out to lift Pel up. Pel jumped up and put his small arms around Lilly’s neck. He sat there looking round, his big eyes shining red in the light of the torch.

‘Pel a right now’ he informed them clinging onto Lilly.

‘Ye reckon ye do not have magik power Lilly?’ said Morii with a huge grin…‘I never seen a Squib be so friendly afore’.

Lilly was more than pleased, she had thought Pel a delightful little creature back at the clearing and was thrilled to have him snuggling up to her.

‘I’ll look after you Pel, but you have to hold tight…ok?’ she told Pel.

‘Pel old tight’ Pel replied and did.

After another ten minutes Morii told them they were almost at the top. Lilly was extremely glad to hear it…she was exhausted, specially as she was now carrying a Squib…a fairly well fed Squib at that.

As they reached the top steps, light flooded in from the opening in the mountain side…Norsonia side.

Pel squiggled, jumped down and ran off somewhere outside the opening.

The sight that greeted Lilly’s eyes was one of such sheer beauty that Lilly was completely speechless. She had thought that the lake was vast and amazingly beautiful, but this place…she bent forward with her hands resting on her knees trying to get her breath back, just gazing at Norsonia in the evening sunlight.

After a few moments, Morii broke the silence. ‘Does Norsonia please the Lady Lilly?’ he enquired.

‘Oh Morii, it’s…like nothing I’ve ever seen, it’s so amazing’ the wide eyed Lilly managed.

They had come out of the mountains high above a lush and wooded green valley that stretched for miles in front of them. In the sky above and around all of Norsonia were rainbows or colour bows criss-crossing from all sides of  the mountains forming a constantly changing pattern, a sort of crown over Norsonia thought Lilly.

In the distance she could see the beginning of the great lake that Aunt Alex had drawn on the map. There were small villages here and there, and windmills standing among reed beds all across the valley floor.

Lilly thought that she and Morii must be as high as an airplane.

They were now inside the raining ring and surrounded by the mountains which went in both directions like a city wall.  Lilly could see strange stone towers built at regular intervals of about a mile apart. ‘What are the towers used for?’ she asked Morii.

‘They be the ‘beacons of light’ and ye will see what they do soon enough my Lady’ replied Morii.

To their left was the Norsonian side of the water fall which cascaded down in several separate falls and was actually much prettier than the other side and not quite as noisy thought Lilly. It fell into a silver sliver of river that weaved its way through the wooded glades at the bottom of the valley. 

To the right of them was a short, steep bank with a dozen stone steps leading up to a small ridge. On the ridge was a wooden cabin, with carved flowers and dragons above the doorway, wooden shutters for windows and a reed thatched roof. It looked right somehow…standing there looking over all Norsonia.

Morii did a small bow and gestured for Lilly to go up.

Lilly went up the steps and stood at the door, Pel scampered up with her.

‘If it please ye go in my lady’ said Morii.

Lilly pushed the door open and was really surprised. The cabin interior had been hung with a cream coloured material all over the ceiling and three of the walls, so that it looked more like the inside of a very posh tent!

A wooden painted, gold and blue low octagonal table with piles of silky cushions and fur throws on the floor around them stood in the middle of the room. Ornately carved brass lamps hung from the ceiling on brass chains and put out a soft patterned light.

The floor was covered in thick woven rugs and several woven willow baskets stood around the edges of the room. On the only ‘bare’ wall was a large open fire place which was also carved with dragons and other mythical beasts and next to that a door, set back slightly in an alcove of the wooden paneled wall.

Pel went in and curled up on a cushion, looking like he’d lived there all his life.

Morii walked in and put his things against the fireplace wall. ‘Here lady Lilly, put ye bags down if it pleases ye’ he told Lilly. He had reverted to calling her ‘my lady’ Lilly noticed, but thought maybe that was right now they were in Norsonia. Things did seem different somehow.

Lilly did as Morii suggested and put her bags next to his.

Morii then asked her, ‘Will ye be wanting to wash and change yer clothes for something more befitting ye, my lady Lilly?’

‘Well...er…yes that would be great if there is somewhere…thanks Morii’ said Lilly, thinking that maybe there was a stream or something nearby.

Morii was grinning again as he said, ‘Ye look in them baskets Lilly and I be back shortly’.

Lilly looked at Morii with a quizzical stare, ‘What are you going to do?’ she asked him.

‘Oh Lilly…just ye be doing as I ask ye…and ye will see all’ replied Morii as he disappeared through the little door.

Lilly looked at Pel and said, ‘I much prefer it when he calls me Lilly…what do you think Pel…shall I do as I’m told?’

Pel blinked his big golden eyes and said back, ‘Do told illy’.

Lilly shrugged and went over to one of the baskets, lifted the lid and pulled out several differently coloured soft silk dresses - they were a strange design. Four sort of floaty panels came down from a fitted top with short sleeves. They were beautifully made and quite plain.

Lilly looked in another basket and found several pairs of trouser type garments, which narrowed at the ankles and fastened with shell buttons. They were made of the same silk material and were colours to match the dresses.

By the time Lilly had looked in the other baskets and found various ribbons, sashes, scarves and slipper type shoes and some things she thought must be a sort of muslin underwear, Morii was back in the room.

Lilly held up what she had chosen (and now realised was probably the Norsonian style), which was a pale blue outfit, with some lilac coloured sashes and shoes. She noticed that Morii had washed and brushed his hair and was now wearing a dark green silk material short sleeved jacket and trousers with a pair of the slipper shoes.

‘My lady Lilly do choose well’ said Morii kindly, ‘I warmed ye a pool bath of water from the mountains. It be there if it pleases ye’ he said pointing to the little door.

Lilly was amazed, ‘a warm bath? That do please me well Mori’ she replied trying hard to use ‘Morii speak’ as she now thought of his way of speech.

Morii held the door open for Lilly. It gave onto another large room with an identical fireplace. Actually, thought Lilly, it was the other side of the fire in the other room, which had logs glowing in the hearth. Above the hot fire was a metal rack with huge flat stones lined up on it and a large pair of tongs stood beside them for lifting them out.

There was a low table with all sorts of brushes, pots and jars of pastel coloured liquids. In the middle of the floor was a kind of natural pool in the rock floor, Lilly could see some of the hot stones in it.

There was a natural sponge from the sea and a bundle of leaves from some plant lying next to the pool.

At the other end of the room, in one corner was a carved metal dragon head with water running out of its mouth, a curtain across an alcove, then a chest with four drawers and a bench seat in the other corner with lots of folded cloth on it.

‘This is so cool..’ said Lilly forgetting herself in the excitement of seeing what was in effect a bathroom.

‘That be true Lilly’ said Morii laughing, ‘If it please ye, there is soap plant’ he said pointing to the bundle of leaves, ‘and…for yer teeth…’ he had picked up a small wooden stick with a frayed end from the table and made teeth cleaning motions.

‘I was wondering about that..how to clean them’ said Lilly, ‘it’s all fantastic thank you’.

Morii went over to the pile of cloth, ‘for drying’ he said, he turned and pulled the little curtain aside, ‘a ground hole’ he added cheerfully. Lilly saw what looked like a small wooden seat with a hole in it.

‘Oh…an indoor toilet!’ she exclaimed.

Morii looked amused, ‘yay, I remember the fair lady Alex would ask if Norsonia had a toy- let’ and we did wonder at the start what she meant. In Norsonia ye have to ask for a ground hole’ he explained.

‘I shall try to remember that, said Lilly laughing herself.

Morii turned to go out of the room, ‘I will see what there be for eve food’ he informed Lilly and left, shutting the door after him.

Lilly put her new clothes on the bench seat with the ‘towels’ and began to explore everything. The water was soft and warm, the soap plant leaves softened and bubbled away once in the water and the ‘toothbrush’ was excellent. Lilly found that if you chewed a bit of the soap plant, which smelled and tasted of mint, it worked very well. The running water from the dragon head fountain in the corner went under the ground via a kind of metal grid set in the rock floor and, Lilly realised ran on through to the bottom of the ‘ground hole’. How clever thought Lilly, a constantly flushing loo!

After a lovely long soak and a good wash, Lilly put on the new clothes, wrapped her long hair in a cloth and went to join Morii.

Mori sat cross legged on one of the cushions trying to tempt Pel with a piece of fruit.

‘Lilly…ye look very well’, he said getting to his feet. ‘come sit ye down and eat’.

Lilly looked at the small table with wonder, it was covered with plates of cold chicken, bread, fruit, a stone jar of honey and what looked like a dish of yogurt. There was a stone jug of juice and two silver cups.

‘Thank ye Morii’ she said and sat down, ‘Where did all of this food come from, I didn’t see it when I was looking round?’

‘There be a food keeper outside at the back’ explained Morii. ‘It be colder here high up as we be and Lodda did help bring it here from the Kort’.

‘Is Lodda a friend of yours?’ asked Lilly as she bit into a piece of delicious chicken.

‘By Gamray no Lilly, he be a Kort worker. He be glad to help bring supplies for the lady Lilly. There be much excitement at yer arrival, that be true. He have gone on to prepare ye a room at the Kort’ explained Morii as he ate.

Lilly picked up the jug and poured some juice. ‘Is this the famous Storbvin?’ she asked as it smelt of melon. ‘Not Storbvin…but tis the juice of storbs, it be very much the same but do not make ye as merry as the Storbvin, that be for the jolly times only’ said Morii, smiling.

‘Well it tastes delicious’ Lilly said drinking another big mouthful. It was sweet and refreshing.

After they had eaten and Pel had fallen asleep, Lilly asked Morii if he would like to hear her idea she’d had on their journey through the mountain.

‘That I would Lilly, that be true’ he told her and got himself comfortable to listen.

‘Ok…well you know I have the ability…power… to fly’, Morii nodded.

‘I thought I might try and go to the Drylands and check it out…you know see what’s going on in their camp…the one we saw today from the tree look out’. said Lilly, hoping that Morii would agree to the plan.

Morii looked thoughtful, ‘I do think that be a dangerous thing Lilly, they would see ye and…well they would shoot ye down or worse’

‘No they wouldn’t see me…I’m quite certain that my flying body is invisible…they wouldn’t know I was there and I could listen to what their plans are’, Lilly explained.

‘Are ye sure Lilly…ye be not seen…are ye certain? Morii said with concern. Lilly nodded and he added, ‘If it be so, tis a good plan, that be true and I do wish I could be with ye’.

‘How do we know that you couldn’t?’ said Lilly, ’I’ve never tried to take someone else with me, so it may be possible…oh Morii let’s try…tonight, please say yes’

‘We could try, if ye are willing to. What should I do to make ready?’ asked Morii excitedly.

Lilly thought for a moment and said,  ‘Well…we don’t have to do anything special, just relax and let your mind empty…when I feel I’m going I’ll get hold of your hands, if I can and ‘think’ you with me and see what happens’.

Morii agreed with this and asked Lilly if she would like to go outside and watch the passing of Gamray’s daughter. ‘That be a good way to becalm yerself’ he informed Lilly.

‘That’s a really good idea Morii, let’s do just that’ replied Lilly happily. She had a feeling that the plan had a very good chance of working.

They went out of the cabin just as Gamray’s daughter was setting over the western desert, and watched the last rays disappearing behind the mountains. As they sat there Lilly could see little pin pricks of light appearing here and there as the folk in the valley lit whatever lights they used at night.

‘What do you use as light when it’s evening?’ she asked Morii.

Pel came and sat between them, looking from one to the other as if he were listening to every word, which he probably was!

‘Folk do use the tallow sticks or they do burn a lightin bush’ he told her.

‘I think I know what tallow sticks are’ she replied, ‘I think we have the same thing but we call them candles…but what is a lightin bush?’

‘That be a small bush that do grow in plenty on the edge of the marshes and if ye do dry it right, ye can light a bundle of it…it must be tied proper mind ye…and that will burn bright for half an eve’ explained Morii.

‘Do you have electricity?’ asked Lilly

‘I know not of that’ said Morii, not even attempting to say the word.

Lilly felt a bit stupid for asking. In a place like this, that was so calm, vibrant and clean, the Norsonians obviously didn’t have electricity, or gas or anything else that would lead to pollution and the bad ways of her world, she thought.

It was quite dark now, and Lilly was feeling so relaxed she thought she may fall asleep before she had chance to try out her plan, so she suggested they go inside.

Lilly got herself comfy on the cushions and told Morii to do the same. ‘Don’t worry if you fall asleep’ she told him, ‘I don’t think it will make any difference as to whether I can take you with me or not’.

‘I do hope ye plan works for the love of Gamray’ said Morii.

They both settled down to think themselves into nothingness. Within moments Lilly could hear Morii’s regular breathing and knew he’d fallen asleep. She lay there thinking about all the amazing things that had happened just in the last two days…it seemed much longer than that…Lilly had just started to wonder where Pel had got to when…

Up she went, floating gently towards the draped ceiling. Lilly made her self turn over and saw Morii asleep on the floor.

MORII she thought as hard as she could… nothing happened. MORII…she tried again, this time he moved his arm. MORII…please come to the Drylands with me, she thought at Morii  and floated down beside him.

She put out her hand to see if she could touch his and  a strange thing took place, she saw a sort of thin shimmering image of Morii’s hand rise up, leaving the real one where it was. She reached for that and hurray…she could hold it!! Lilly pulled at Morii as hard as she could and up he came with a sort of faint pop.

Now there was a shimmering faint version of Morii floating beside her, he was blinking and looking around in disbelief.

Lilly thought at Morii, ‘are you ok…can you hear me?’ Morii nodded and grinned, he thought back, ‘Ye have done well Lilly, I tell ye I did not think this would be…ye be magik and that be true’

Lilly held onto Morii and thought them outside, they flew up to the top of the mountain and then over the waterfall, they felt little drops of water splashing up at them as they passed it. Lilly headed for the far side of the lake looking over to Morii to make sure he was ok. Morii’s eyes were wide open in amazement as he tried to get to grips with his first flight. He looked at Lilly and pointed to his head with his free hand. ‘What is it Morii, is anything wrong?’ she asked holding on to him tightly. ‘I be trying to talk to ye but I don’t know how to…I think ye have to think at me first… so I can catch yer mind’ said Morii.

Lilly thought she understood, Morii couldn’t communicate with her unless she was thinking at him. Perhaps he would learn how to later she thought.

‘Don’t worry…I’ll keep asking you what you think and like that you’ll be able to say things to me…ok?’ Lilly thought at Morii. ‘That will do me well Lilly. We need to go towards that ridge over yonder…that be where them tents were’. Morii thought at her.

Lilly flew towards the ridge and as they got closer, they could both smell an awful stench of something burning. There were fires burning, but this smell was like… burning hair…thought Lilly. ‘I do think so…tis a smell most bad…can ye get closer Lilly?’ thought Morii back to her.

As they approached the Tarken camp, Lilly floated them down so they were just above the tent roofs, they went slowly now towards a group of six Tarken sitting round the stinking fire. They could see the cause of the smell, they were burning a dead dog like creature. ‘What do you think that is?, Lilly asked Morii. ‘Tis a dead Tisk…they did most likely kill it for fun… tis what Tarken do’ he replied.

They could hear the Tarken talking now;

‘Tark…thar Tisk will not be whingin no more…tark…he be one devil beast…tark…thar wont be wi us come the breakin of Narsonia..tark.

‘Tark…tis not be many eens til we be breakin in…yers ken see yonder rainin ring be broke up…tark.’

‘Tark…tis waitin til tark…King Trock…machine be ready…tark…tis then we be in and get…tark…the runes…tark’

‘Tark…King Trock be more wiley…tark…then thar Tisk…tark…he be takin them Norsies…tark…on the surprise attack…tark.

Lilly stared at Morii, Morii stared at Lilly, what were they hearing? In between all the ‘tark’ noises that was!

Lilly thought at Morii, ‘They’re planning an attack...what do you think they mean...about King whatever his name is?’  Morii replied, ‘Let us listen more, ye can mardle over this when we get back to Norsonia’.

‘Tark…machine be death to all Norsies…tark…float it in on barge…tark…aye King Trock be wiley’

‘Tark…listen ye well…tark…ye don’t be killin too many of yer Tisks…tark…if ye wants em a bitin and a tuskin…tark…on them Norsies…tark…and don’t ye be a feedin them neither…tark…keep em hungry…tark’

‘Tark…I don’t be feedin my Tisks…tark…no more than ye do…tark…so don’t ye be telling Gorin…tark…how to feed his Tisks…tark’

‘Tark…do ye be wantin a fist…tark…in yer beak…tark…ye be getting mine…tark…Gorpa do like a fist fight…tark’

At that the first Tarken, Gorpa leapt up and jumped on the second Tarken Gorin and began punching Gorin in the beak, feathers were flying and the other Tarkens in the little group started jeering and cheering.

Lilly thought at Morii, ‘Are they always like this?… Shall we go back or further into the Drylands?’ Morii shrugged, ‘The Tarken be stupid and short fused…we can go further if ye feel ye can?’ Lilly floated them up to a good height and looked for any more signs of life further into the Drylands. ‘Can you see any more lights or anything Morii?’ Morii looked around and shook his head, ‘No Lilly, ye best get us back for now, maybe we can try another eve’.

Lilly thought, ‘just one thing I’d like to try before we leave, can you wait a minute?’

Morii nodded, wide eyed.

Lilly closed her eyes tight and concentrated. She made an image of spears and axes flying around the Tarken camp site in her head. When she opened her eyes she saw spears from a stock pile by one of the tents rising into the air, pausing for a moment and hurling themselves in all directions. Battle axes flew, spiralling through the air above the fighting Tarkens heads. The two Tarken stopped fighting immediately and fell flat on their stomachs, others ran for cover into the tents. An axe crashed into the fire and sent a plume of sparks flying up into the night sky. Tarkens were squawking and running all over the place.

Lilly grinned, turned around pulling an amazed Morii with her and flew them back to the cabin.

As they went in through the wall of the cabin, Lilly thought at Morii, ‘You need to get above your sleeping body and I will let you down gently, otherwise you will wake yourself up, and that’s not good! We will mardle over this in the morn Morii…thank you for being with me…I think the Tarken are gross…’ she smiled at Morii, he thought back, ‘I thank ye Lilly saviour of the Rune stones…I will do as ye bid and be with ye in the morn, good eve Lilly’ . With that Lilly floated Morii to just above his sleeping body and very gently pulled him down and let go of his hand. The shimmering Morii sank into the sleeping Morii, who turned over with a little grunt and was sound asleep.

Lilly went to her own sleeping body and gently lowered herself…she had never been happier to get back.