Barnaby the Wanderer

Chapter 12: On Stage: Thunder, Alarum, Battle

Everything that happened afterwards, occurred in one long sequence. Like a great clap of thunder that shakes the sky, rolling steadily from East to West.

Val dropped her harp, drew long knife. Moving towards the woman so obviously her mother, making exactly the same sideways steps the other made towards her.

With that halting of the harp, there came a scream from the treasure vault. Magic song no longer protecting Matilda, she found herself of a sudden in darkest nightmare.

"Michael, help Matilda," Barnaby shouted. He had no time to see what followed. The flame-mouthed boar rushed upon him. Barnaby stepped aside with a swiftness that surprised boar and boy alike. The boar went rushing past, grunting.

Barnaby expected the creature to wheel about, but it continued running straight up the wall. grunting. Nor did it slow as it came to the ceiling. It continued running upside down.

Fascinated by this magical feat, he missed the charge of the goat. It butted him hard, sending him flying. He tumbled, rolled holding tight to his axe, came upright again with back to the wall. The goat gave a bleat of triumph, lowering its head for a second attack.

Just as the goat charged, the boar dropped from the ceiling. Barnaby dodged sideways, again with a swiftness that surprised his enemies and himself.

The goat swerved just as the boar dropped from the ceiling, landing upon the goat. The two witch-spawn tangled in a storm of grunts and bleats, horns and tusks. Barnaby took breath, found stance and swung Dragontooth through the tangle.

There came a burst of green fire, a flash of red flame. The two creatures disappeared, leaving a cloud of foul smoke.

Barnaby choked for breath, looking about. Bodkin now chased the Squire and Mother Miller around the room with his sword. They cursed him, while he laughed, slashing at their butts.

A sight more astonishing than any mere magical boar running across the ceiling.

Dark Michael strode across the room, indifferent to battle, holding a twitching Matilda in his arms. He stepped over Agat lying upon the floor, bound tight in cobwebs of white. Periwinkle the Spider danced upon her chest, waving his blue clusters of eyes.

Beyond the bound Agat, Jewel and Hemp faced one another. Jewel held her snake scepter high, new cape waving in a wind only magic cloth could feel. Streamers of violet fire flowed from out the scepter, circling ever closer about Hemp. The witch beat at them with a wand. Whenever wand touched streamer there came a purple flash; but evermore streamers reached out.

Hemp retreated as Jewel advanced. Till the older witch stood in range of Cedric's staff.

"Do it," said Jewel.

"Do what, you little upstart?" demanded Hemp.

In answer, down came Cedric's staff with a crack! upon Hemp's head. Then down went Hemp.

At which Jewel threw back her head and laughed. A laugh to make the chamber shake. Barnaby had never seen her so happy, and so absolutely self-assured, and so obviously a denizen of the Witches' Wood. The sight slightly frightened. Even Cedric stepped back.

In reply to the laugh, a screech sounded across the shadows. Barnaby dashed forwards fast as thought. At the far end of the chamber he found Val and her mother circling one another, knives dripping. At every third breath they tangled so fast the eye couldn't follow. Then they stepped back, new blood upon one or both.

Seeing Barnaby approach, Val's mother scowled. Her face so like to her daughter's he felt hurt by the look. Jewel and Cedric followed to take stand beside him.