Chapter Twenty-Four

Arabella’s contentment was broken by Mavie screaming. She broke away from Denrisi and ran into the edge of the forest. Stig had Mavie pinned to the ground. She was screaming at the top of her little bird lungs.

“Stig,” Arabella shouted. “Let her go.”

“No,” he growled through gritted teeth. “Tell Arabella what you just told me.”

“No,” Mavie shook her head. “No, no, no.” Stig gave her a good shake.

“Mavie tell her or I will rip you head off,” he said seething with anger. “Then I will suck out your blood.”

Mavie whimpered and struggled to get away. Denrisi put his head over Arabella’s shoulder to see what was happening.

“Do I break it up?” she glanced at Denrisi helplessly. Mavie started screaming again. Stig had her head in his mouth terrorizing her. “Stig, please give her a chance,” Arabella said. She did not move to stop Stig. She trusted him and he had not let her down yet.

“Talk bird!” Stig demanded. Little tears streamed out of Mavie’s eyes.

“No, she will never forgive me,” she squeaked.

“Come now little one,” Denrisi said smoothly. His voice was almost hypnotic. “Tell us what is wrong.”

“I. . . No,” Mavie shook her head. ‘No I can’t. Arabella will be so angry with me.”

“Stig,” Arabella said. “Let her go.” As Stig released Mavie, Arabella captured the little bird in her hands. She held her gently with both hands cupped around her back. Mavie’s head poked through the ring formed by Arabella’s thumbs. “Mavie, honey,” she said softly. “Please tell me what this is about.”

Mavie was shaking and Arabella could feel her heart beating rapidly. She still did not talk.

“She’s Orinda’s spy,” Stig blurted out.

“What?” Arabella and Denrisi shouted together.

“Is this true?” Arabella asked Mavie. The little bird nodded. “Oh Mavie, how could you?”

“I was only trying to protect you,” she squeaked.

“What, by telling her mother and that nasty fire breathing monster where to find her?” Stig shouted. “Unbelievable!”

“Mavie, why?” Arabella asked gently. Mavie was still crying little tears.

“I have always taken care of you,” Mavie said. “Ever since you were little. I’ve cooked and cleaned and brought you things that you needed.” It was as if a light went on inside Arabella’s head.

“You were one of the invisible servants,” she said in wonder. “How could you do all those things? You are just a little bird.”

“I was human once,” she said. “Once upon a time, I was a beautiful woman. Every man who saw me wanted me for their own.” Stig snorted. “It’s true! Your mother saved me when I was in trouble and I swore to serve her. She made me swear to serve and protect you when you were little.”

“Mavie, my mother enslaved you,” Arabella said. “She has turned you into a little bird.”

“That is so I can get around quicker,” Mavie said. “It only took me an hour to get to her the first time.” Arabella looked at her. “You know when you fell off the cliff. She sent the fire dragon to save you.” Arabella slowly uncurled her hand and Mavie hopped onto the palm of her hand.

“Don’t do that,” Stig growled. “She’ll get away.”

“Mavie, that fire dragon tried to kill Denrisi,” Arabella told her. Mavie looked shocked. “He stabbed him in the heart. He is evil and vicious.”

“Oh,” Mavie said. “Maybe that is why your mother had me warn King Waldemarr that the fire dragon might attack his camp. She was so worried that King Waldemarr was going to be hurt.”

“I do not know, Mavie,” Arabella said. “The fire dragon is doing some bad things and my mother is following him. They are doing bad things together.” Arabella felt she was talking to a child not a grown woman.

Mavie ducked her head down and started crying again.

“Mavie, please stop crying,” Arabella crooned at the bird. “It will be okay.”

“You are not mad?” Mavie looked at her.

“No I am not mad. You did not know,” she said.

“Please forgive me,” Mavie whispered. “I did not mean to do wrong. I thought that I was protecting you.”

“I know, sweetie,” Arabella said. “Of course I forgive you.”

“Oh please,” Stig wrinkled his nose. “She is a little traitor.”

“I am not,” Mavie yelled and fluffed up her feathers. “At least, I did not mean to be.” She looked down at Arabella’s hand.

“Mavie,” Arabella said. “I want you to promise me that you will not do anything as foolish as that again. Do you swear?”

“I swear it,” Mavie said. “I promise to do whatever you tell me from now on. My first loyalty lay with you Lady Arabella.” Mavie gave a thrill.

“Good,” said Arabella. “I am glad that is settled.”

“I still think you should have let me eat her,” Stig grumbled. “If I ever catch you helping Arabella’s mother, I will swallow you whole.” He stuck his nose close to Mavie’s face. “I wonder just how long you would stay alive in my belly.” Mavie squeaked and flew up into a tree.

“My lady,” she said. “I have to tell you something.” She made sure she was out of weasel reach. “While you were on the ice, I went and told Lady Orinda where you were. I thought she would send help.” Stig growled up the tree at her.

“Stig, please stop. She did this before she swore her loyalty to me,” Arabella said. “I think we now have a problem. Neither she nor Koaner is going to let me sneak away with you Denrisi.”

“I am honored that you were thinking of running away with me,” he said. “But I was just going to take. I do not really care who knows it.”

“Denrisi,” she said. “Please, I would rather not fight my mother or Koaner.”

“This sucks,” Stig stomped his feet. “I wish we still had that magic sword. We could have used it on Koaner. He would look really sweet trapped in a hunk of ice.”

“Sword?” Denrisi asked. “What sword?”

“We found a magic ice sword on our travels,” Arabella said. She looked worried. “It fell into the river that we were swimming across.”

“Hey,” Stig said excitedly. “That river isn’t there anymore. It disappeared when we broke the fairy’s spell. We should be able to find it. It will be near that poisonous cave.”

“You will have to tell me all about this later when we have more time,” Denrisi said. “Arabella what did the sword look like. Please, this is important.” Arabella wondered why Denrisi’s tone sounded excited.

“It was silver and cold to the touch,” she said, “extremely sharp.”

“Yeah, and it had these spikes sticking out of the handle,” Stig broke in.

“Oh, and it had a bird’s head at the end of the handle,” Arabella looked at Denrisi. “Why?”

“Remember that thing Koaner stole from me,” he said. “He took my magic and bound it up in a sword. I just did not know where to look for it.”

“Well he dropped it on top of a mountain,” she said. “We found it in an ice wall. I thought that the fairies had used it to create the wall.”

“No,” Denrisi said. “I think that the sword knew that you were the one that could bring it to me. If that sword is part of my magic, once I am joined with it I should be whole again.” He excitedly flapped his wings.

“Well then, let’s go get it,” Arabella said. She threw her arms around Denrisi’s neck in a quick hug.  “Stig do you want to ride?” she offered.

“No, that’s okay,” he said. “I’ll keep the sack and you two go. I’ll keep up. Don’t worry. We will meet by that smelly cave. Come on you little bite on wings.” Stig took the sack in his mouth and disappeared.

“That’s not nice,” Mavie yelled chasing after him.

“Our turn, sweetheart,” Denrisi flapped his wings and reached out. He gently clasped Arabella around the waist. They were above the treetops in no time. Denrisi flew over where the boiling lake was and the ridge where they had lost the fairies. Arabella wondered if maybe he was looking for them. He turned and took her over the meadow. She spotted Stig blinking in out among the flowers. He headed straight for the trees. Denrisi took the hint and flew over the top of the small forest.

The area looked strange to Arabella. Without the river, the ground was a bunch of rippling valleys and hills. The tops of the hills were once the islands that dotted the river. She looked down and Stig blinked out again.

“There,” Arabella shouted. When Denrisi looked at her, she pointed at a small gash in the ground that was emitting steam. The steam rose in clouds. Denrisi made a better landing this time.

“Phew,” he said. “That is foul. It smells like the heart of a volcano.” Stig popped into sight beside Denrisi’s front foot.

“Is it poisonous?” he asked.

“Yes, highly so,” Denrisi said.

“I knew it,” Stig said. “Those fairies were trying to kill us.” He looked at Arabella.

“They did not know we would enter the cave,” she said.

“Yeah, well that monster would have chewed us up if we hadn’t,” he said.

“This keeps getting more and more interesting,” Denrisi said.

“The sword should be this way,” Stig said as he teleported away. Mavie fluttered up to Arabella.

“We have trouble,” she said. Arabella had thought that her mother would have arrived on her whirlwind and with a dramatic clap of thunder, but she came riding on the back of the fire dragon. Hardly any noise was heard when they approached.

“Oh no,” Arabella said and laid a hand on Denrisi’s shoulder. She felt him quivering with rage. “Please,” she implored him. “Stay with me.” He nodded and they waited quietly as the two approached. Koaner did not land, he hovered overhead and her mother just step off his back. She rode her whirlwind down to the ground. She heard Koaner laugh.

“I thought I killed you last time, weakling,” Koaner shouted down to Denrisi. “The girl is mine, because you are not strong enough to keep her.” Denrisi’s head snapped up and he growled.

“You are nothing but hot air,” he called to the dragon above them. “Even this little bird here can command the flame better than you.”

“You worm,” Koaner shouted. “You should crawl back into your hole in the ground.” Denrisi stayed silent but his shaking was worse. Arabella gave him a worried glance. “I see you are cradle robbing old man, got a taste for virgins.” Koaner winged higher, laughing at his own wit.

“You incestuous lying demon spawn.” Denrisi yelled up at him. “The egg you hatched from was spoil in the foul gases of the underworld.” He suddenly sprang up into the air.

“No,” Arabella yelled. “Denrisi don’t!”

She was too late. Denrisi had taken the bait and soared after Koaner. They disappeared over the tree line. Once the air dragon had left, Orinda approached Arabella. She looked her daughter up and down. Her face was one of distaste.

“I rush all the way here to save you from those horrible women, and what do I find?” she said. “I find you consorting with an air dragon.” She shook her head at her. “Does he know that you have fire dragon blood running through your veins?” Arabella shook her head. “I thought not. He will turn away from you once he learns the truth. In fact he will probably try to kill you, my poor child.”

Her mother opened her arms to her. Arabella just stared at her. Something was odd. Her mother almost never hugged her. Arabella started when she heard the roar of dragon echo down the valley. She glanced worriedly at the sky.

“Arabella come here,” her mother said. “I’ll take you home. Let your father deal with this upstart air dragon.”

“No,” Arabella stamped her foot. “No, I am going where ever Denrisi takes me. I am not going home.”

“You ungrateful girl,” her mother started shouting at her. “I give you everything that a young girl could want and all you give me is grief. How could you Arabella? You are such a wicked child. I am going to have to lock you up in a tower and keep you there like a pet bird.”

“Mother,” Arabella said. “All I ever wanted was to be like you, but now that I have grown up I know that I never can. I could never do the things you do, and ruin peoples’ lives like you do. I do not understand you any more.” Orinda glared at Arabella.

“You are such an evil thing,” Orinda said. “Come to me Mavie. We will force Arabella to come with us.”

“No, my lady,” Mavie chirped. “I have given my life to Arabella.”

“What?” Orinda shrieked. “Your life was not yours to give. It is mine and will always remain mine even after you die.” Arabella watched as her mother’s face turned red with rage. There was a soft pop beside Arabella.

“Dealing in necromancy now, Orinda?” said the blue fairy. Orinda lost all color in her face. She stepped backwards.

“Oh you evil creature,” said the green fairy. “You trespass on our territory and think that you can get away with it.”

“Kill her,” said the white fairy. “She deserves to die. It should be her punishment.” Arabella opened her mouth to speak but her mother summoned her whirlwind. She was off, flying in the air. She raced westward towards Cardew. The three fairies flew up into the air. They rode on a storm cloud that shot out lightening towards her mother. Soon they were out of sight. She heard another soft pop beside her. It was Stig this time.

“I found the sword,” he said. “It is too heavy for me to teleport with though.”

“Arabella,” Mavie fluttered in front of her. “Don’t worry about your mother. Once she reaches Cardew the others will not dare follow.” The roar from a dragon snapped Arabella into action.

“Mavie,” she said. “Go and watch the dragons. Once I get the sword, I will have to get it to Denrisi. When you see me with it, you will have to guide me to him.”

“Fly safe, brave bird,” Stig said. Mavie looked flustered at Stig’s words. She darted up into the trees.

“Come on,” Arabella said to Stig. “Let’s get that sword.” He nodded and race off down the side of the hill.