Chapter 45 #2
He tried to look around, but his body was wedged.
Surely Avice had not followed him down to the Underneath?
Realisation struck. Her voice came from the purple crystal ahead of him.
Trewoofe had not known that when he had made the pendant for Avice, that it meant she could call him through any of the matching-coloured crystals.
He lurched himself forward, pressing his chin to the geode.
“Little witch, I cannot tell you how happy I am to hear your voice.”
“It works!”
His tail lashed happily, banging the walls of the tunnel, dusting him with soil. “Of course it works. You must remember that I called for your help.”
She giggled. “Oh, yes. How is Mary?”
They exchanged a sweet and tender conversation about Mary, the recovering mother, and to Trewoofe’s surprise, the news that the iron poison would no longer be a threat to his Kingdom.
After he promised Avice that he would enquire about Hope and Boarden’s wellbeing, Trewoofe found the courage to tell her that he had not yet slain the Tall One who had hurt her.
Wonderful as she was, Avice said she understood and even showered him with praise that made him feel light as a feather.
Their conversation came to an end as Avice announced she had arrived at her cottage.
“Make sure you rest,” he said. “Sweet dreams. I will miss having you in my arms tonight.”
“Good night, my King.”
Her voice faded away and Trewoofe let out a frustrated growl. He had caught himself between two desires, the first being to keep Avice safe, and the other to do whatever she asked.
Foolish Knucker, you could have told her no. You just did not want to.
He sneezed out the dust that had gathered in his nostrils, the movement rolling down his coils and shaking the entire tunnel.
Ahead of him, a pink crystal fell loose from the ceiling, falling in a puff of dirt.
An idea struck him as he wriggled forward, remembering that the towering geode in the gathering area of Wulver-led was a matching colour.
Perhaps my little witch’s sharp mind is influencing me. He nudged the gem with the very tip of his snout, holding the image of the pink geode and Wulver-led in his mind. “Olwilla?”
A pause, and then the scuffle of claws echoed from the crystal. “King Trewoofe! Is that you? I heard you had returned to the Underneath and that you are courting? Congratulations.”
The Knucker knew that Good Neighbours were salacious gossips, but this was ridiculous. “I have, and I am,” he huffed.
“Is it ‘your’ Avice?” the Wulver Queen teased.
“It is.” Trewoofe knew it was time for a change in subject. “How are your pack? The mourning… I am sorry I could not attend.”
“We howled the songs to send Luc and Palla through the Shimmering Veil,” she said sadly. “But without you, we all would have died. You have nothing to apologise for, Lord.”
Emotions swirled within Trewoofe, sadness at the death of his Wulver subjects, but gratitude at the Queen’s kind words. “How is Boarden?”
She let out a happy bark. “He is wonderful, Lord. Tottering around now, nearly up to my knee.”
Trewoofe swished his tail happily at the image of the wolfish youngling wobbling behind his mothers. “I am glad,” he replied. “I have a favour to ask.”
“Oh? What is it that you need?” she asked.
“I want to bring Avice down to visit my Kingdom, she may even stay. The Tall Ones wrecked my cavern while I was above. I am restoring order currently. Would you mind tidying up for me?”
“You… you want us to tidy up for you?” she confirmed. “You do not mind us entering your cavern?”
“It would be very helpful to me if you did.”
He could practically hear her tail wagging on the other end. “Yes, of course we can, Lord! I cannot wait to meet your female when you bring her down.”
“Thank you, Olwilla. I will leave you now. I am on a mission to—”
“Kill the Prince Consort of the Tall Ones,” the Wulver Queen finished for him.
Trewoofe huffed, not dignifying the interruption with a response. “I will reach out again soon.”
He continued wriggling forward, forcing his long, lithe body through the tunnel. A final push, and he hauled himself free. He straightened his body, sending a ripple down his coils, easing out the stiffness from his limbs.
The cavern he entered was large and dotted with crystals along the walls, with many chimes and colours enveloping his senses. There was no river or lake here, the only hint of water was the vague echo of waves.
Trewoofe’s tongue brushed the air. He caught Orfeo’s rotten scent wafting amongst the salt on the air, emanating from the tunnel he was sure led to the coast. His need to protect Avice and punish the Tall One nearly drove him onwards, but he paused before he continued his hunt, his gaze sweeping to the many crystals embedded in the cavern walls.
Piskie-led has a red geode. He marched over to the closest one, squashed his paw to the gem, and pictured the red geode and Piskie-led in his mind. “Piskies, can you hear me?”
His ears twitched at the scrabbles and chittering that emanated from the crystal. He waited for an excruciatingly long time, fighting the urge to continue his pursuit.
A haughty voice finally answered. “King Trewoofe, is that you?”
“It is. I presume this is Queen Mab?”
“Who else would it be?” she answered primly.
The Knucker rumbled in his chest; she had always been a little proud. “I wanted to ask how Hope is faring?”
“She is wonderful!” she exclaimed, all the haughtiness had left her voice, and was replaced with warmth. “Getting tall now, dashing after the other Piskilings.”
Trewoofe chuffed contentedly at the news. “Thank you, Mab. I must continue with—”
“Slaying Orfeo so you may bring your woman to the Underneath,” she finished for him. “When can we expect more Knuckerlings?”
If Trewoofe was still in his human shape, he would blush. “How do you know about that?”
“The Knocker Queen told me. News spreads like wildfire amongst the Queens, you know,” she replied. “So, when?”
“Whenever my little witch is ready,” he grumbled. “Goodbye, Mab.”
He removed his paw before she had a chance to answer, and pressed his head against the wall, the sweep of his horns digging into the earth.
“Does every Good Neighbour above and below know about that night?” he muttered, eyeing the closest purple crystal embedded into the wall. He shifted over and pressed his paw onto it, holding the sweet image of his little witch and her pendant in his mind. “Avice, are you there?”