Princess in Disguise (8 page)

“You think he might have run into the army? I can't imagine that they would do anything to him,” said Annie.

Liam shrugged. “We don't even know why they're in Treecrest or anything about their king. There's no guessing what a complete stranger would do. I just want to make sure my father is all right, that's all.”

“Then after we talk to Moonbeam, and we know she's going to go help my family, we'll head straight to Dorinocco to see your father,” said Annie.

“Good,” Liam replied. “I can live with that. Here, you lie down on the blanket. I don't think the moonflower stalks are strong enough for me to lean against, so I'll prop myself up on our knapsacks.”

“I don't think you need to keep watch tonight,” said Annie. “This place has its own kind of magic. I can hear a very faint melody, and the tapping of the moonflowers is part of it. People are safe when they're here; I'm sure of it.”

“Really?” said Liam. “Because I can sit up and—”

“There's no need,” Annie told him. “What you need to do more than anything is get some rest. Tomorrow we have to look for someone who can tell us where to find Moonbeam.”

Liam was reluctant to lie down, but when he did, he was the first one to fall asleep. Annie lay on her back, gazing up at the moonflowers, thinking how glad she was to have Liam in her life. She could handle just about anything when he was by her side. As soon as they found Moonbeam, they'd go check on Liam's father, then deal with King Dormander. After that, they could finally get married and … Annie fell asleep, listening to the magic of the moonflowers.

It was only a few hours before dawn when Annie woke. The sound had changed, but she couldn't identify what had happened until she looked up and saw that the moonflowers had opened to catch a gently falling rain. Because the edges of the petals overlapped, the flowers caught most of the rain. As far as Annie could tell, very little moisture actually reached the ground. She fell back to sleep a few minutes later, lulled by the rain's patter.

“Where should we ask about Moonbeam first?” Annie asked Liam the next morning. They had already eaten a breakfast of apples, and Otis was ready to go.

“I thought we'd cross over the rainbow bridge and head for Gruntly Village,” said Liam.

Annie was surprised. “You want to ask the ogres?”

“They're the only people we know of who live around here,” Liam said, shrugging. “If we see anyone else, we'll ask them.”

“Then I hope we find someone soon,” said Annie. “I know we've met some nice ogres, but most of them are awful. I'd really rather talk to someone else if we can and avoid the ogre village altogether.”

“We'll see who we can find,” Liam said as he undid the hobbles on the horse's legs. “But first we have to get Otis through the cave behind the waterfall. He's been calm enough up until now. Let's hope he stays that way.”

Annie and Liam walked side by side with Liam leading Otis. The horse seemed interested in where they were going, aiming his ears forward and flicking them at every little sound. When they left the Moonflower Glade and entered the forest, he began walking a little faster, as if eager to see what lay ahead. They were among the trees a very short time before the path took them to a sheer rock wall. The path continued on into a cave that led back into the hill. After the first few feet, the cave was cool and dark.

“Hold on a minute,” Liam said at the entrance. Digging into his pocket, he took out some crumpled moonflower petals. “I found these on the ground and
wanted to see if they still glowed. You carry these and I'll walk with Otis.” Handing the petals to Annie, he let her go first and turned to rub the horse's neck.

Annie studied the petals, which were brown and crumbling around the edges. She doubted they would work, so was pleased when she stepped into the dark and the petals began to glow. They weren't as bright as the living petals had been the night before, but their light was enough to help her navigate the turns in the tunnel that led beyond the cave.

At first Otis seemed reluctant to step into the deep shadow, but at a little urging from Liam he shook his head and kept going. With Annie leading the way, they walked around jutting rocks and found their way through the tunnel, coming out behind the waterfall. The roar of the waterfall made Otis nervous, but Liam soothed him enough that they were able to move past the tumbling water and through the underbrush that concealed the tunnel entrance. Everyone was relieved when they came out the other side, especially Otis, who hurried down the path, practically dragging Liam.

The horse didn't stop until they could no longer hear the waterfall. By then the path had taken them to the bank of another stream, slower and gentler than the first. Otis nickered when he saw the water, so Liam led him to the pebbled shore and filled the waterskin while the horse drank. When they were finished,
Annie and Liam climbed on Otis's back and rode the rest of the way to the rainbow bridge.

It was a beautiful bridge, made of alternating bands of ruby, sapphire, amethyst, emerald, and topaz that filled the air above them with color. Normally, Annie would have stopped to admire the bridge, but now she eyed its smooth surface, remembering how it had become slippery when she crossed it the last time, making her fall off into the water. “Do you think we should ride over it or walk Otis across?” she asked Liam.

“We'll ride across,” said Liam, urging the horse forward. “And go as fast as we can.”

“But what if it becomes slippery while we're on it? Maybe I should get off and let you ride across.”

“Stay right where you are!” Liam said as Annie began to wiggle off. “We're doing this together.”

Otis had already progressed from a walk to a trot, but Liam wanted him to go faster, so he kicked his heels as hard as he could and the gelding shot across the bridge as if he were a racehorse. He was still galloping when the path angled away from the stream and ran alongside a pasture fence. Liam had just gotten Otis to slow his pace when the bellow of a bull in the pasture beside them startled the horse and sent him galloping again. He almost overshot the path when it turned a corner following the fence line, but Liam had him under control and they sped along the edge of the path, kicking up clods of dirt and mowing down wild
daisies and buttercups. When Otis finally slowed to a walk, Liam patted his neck and praised him.

“You know,” said Liam, “Otis isn't just a cart horse. I think he was once a gentleman's horse. He has a lot of heart and is very well mannered.”

“And he can gallop with the best of them,” Annie said, slightly breathless herself. “Look, there are the minotaurs. And there's someone on this side of the fence. Maybe he'll know something about Moonbeam!”

Otis seemed to be too tired to notice the minotaurs, and plodded toward the man with little urging. Liam called out “Hello!” as they approached him.

The man looked up from scratching the nose of an adolescent minotaur and glanced at Annie and Liam. He nodded at them before turning his attention back to the young half man, half bull.

Annie tried to ignore the man's rudeness. “We were hoping to ask you a question.”

“I figured there was a reason you stopped,” said the man. “Don't get many strangers out this way. What do you want to know? Yes, they are minotaurs. And no, you can't pet them. Big Daddy back there would be happy to gore anyone who touched one of his youngsters, except me, of course.”

Annie looked toward the trees where most of the herd was resting. The big male minotaur was watching them and she remembered how agitated he had become the last time they approached his fence.

“Why do you have minotaurs?” Liam asked. “What do you raise them for?”

“People like to have them guard their labyrinths,” said the farmer. “You'd be surprised how many people have labyrinths these days.”

“We didn't really stop to ask about your minotaurs,” said Annie, “although they are very interesting. We were hoping you could tell us how we could find the fairy Moonbeam. She isn't in the Moonflower Glade and we don't know where to look next.”

“Now, I don't know the answer to that one. I've never had much to do with Moonbeam. She keeps to her side of Rainbow Creek and I keep to mine. The one you should ask is Footrot. He takes care of the glade when she isn't around. I expect she tells him where she's going and when she's going—if she tells anyone, that is.”

“And where could we find this Footrot?” asked Liam.

“If he isn't in the glade, he's probably in Gruntly Village. Spends most of his free time in the tavern.”

“Which tavern would that be?” asked Liam. “I seem to recall that there are two, both with birds on the signs.”

“Then it would have to be one or t'other, now wouldn't it?” the farmer said, looking at Liam as if he weren't too bright. When the farmer turned back to the young minotaur, Annie and Liam knew that they'd been dismissed.

Within minutes of leaving the farmer, Annie and Liam rode into Gruntly Village. It was much as Annie remembered it, with tall buildings, strange angles, and windows in odd places. There were two taverns—one at either end of the only street. The first tavern had a sign that bore the picture of a duck lying on its back with “X”s over its eyes and the words THE DEAD DUCK underneath. Annie and Liam were about to dismount to go inside when they noticed a small sign nailed to the door. CLOZED FOR REPARES, read the sign in thick black letters. Battered and dirty, it looked as if it had been reused more than once.

“At least we won't have to look for Footrot in both taverns,” Annie said as they continued on.

When they saw that the other tavern was open, they slipped off Otis's back and tied him to a post. The horse pinned his ears back and lifted his leg as if to kick the ogre walking toward them. Seeing this, the ogre changed direction and made a wide berth around Otis. Annie glanced up at the sign as they stepped onto the porch. The picture on the Foolish Finch showed a small bird squashed flat by a departing wagon wheel. Somehow, it was even less appealing than the dead duck on the other sign.

The sun was shining when they stepped across the threshold, but inside the tavern, it was cool and dimly lit. As her eyes adjusted to the light, Annie saw that the room was filled with tables, many of them propped
up on makeshift legs. A cage holding a single bedraggled finch rested on the table by the door. Deep gouges scarred the floor and walls, although some of them had been filled in and sanded over. As they stepped into the room, Annie saw that the center of the room was empty, the surrounding tables pulled well back. There were at least twenty ogres in the room, crowded around a few tables, and all were so intent on what they were doing that they failed to notice Annie and Liam.

“Let's watch awhile,” said Liam, “and see what's going on.”

He led the way toward the tables until they were close enough to see. At one of the tables, a group of ogres were drinking from flagons while watching three slugs inch across a slab of wood. Although they were laughing and talking about all sorts of things, their eyes never left the little creatures. Listening to their comments, Annie decided that they had bet on which slug would reach the end first.

At another table, the ogres were comparing two stripes of paint, one red, the other blue. At least Annie thought it was paint, until she realized that they were betting on whether paint would dry faster than blood. She wondered who had contributed the blood sample.

The ogres at the third table were just finishing negotiations when Annie and Liam walked up. Two of the biggest ogres stood and shook hands before stalking to
the middle of the room. Another pair of ogres handed them knobby clubs, while the rest jockeyed for seats.

“What are they doing?” Annie asked Liam.

“Bludgeoning contest,” said an elderly ogre seated at the table where the slugs were still racing. She recognized him as the ogre who had given her and Gwendolyn directions when they'd visited Gruntly Village before. He had been the only ogre to talk to them in a nice way, chasing off some of the rough young ogres who had been pestering them. When she looked around the room, Annie saw those three ogres there as well, avidly watching the ogres wielding the clubs. She decided right away to stay clear of them.

Annie shuddered when the two ogres in the middle of the room started hitting each other, with the clubs. The resounding thwacks filled the room, but as they continued to fight, the other ogres started talking again, giving the combatants only occasional glances. “How long will those two fight?” Annie asked the elderly ogre.

“Until they get tired of it or one knocks the other out,” he replied. “They won't really hurt each other, though. Footrot and Nose-wipe are best friends. They do this at least once a week for fun. Those two love their contests! Look! They're quitting already. Now comes my favorite part—the tooth-spitting contest! My friend Fleemer here is the village champion. But he doesn't compete anymore, do you, Fleemer?”