Just One Summer---A Fablehaven Fanfiction

Chapter One

"You wanted to see me?" Seth asked, pushing open the door to his Grandpa Sorenson's study.

Grandpa looked up from where he was scrutinizing several documents. "Ah, Seth. Glad it finally suits your schedule to come."

"What do you mean?" Seth asked innocently, even though he knew full well what Grandpa meant. Seth had intentionally taken his time coming here. Whenever Grandpa wanted to see him, it was never a good thing.

Ever since the Dragon War, Fablehaven had started to seem a little boring, despite his ability to adventure far and wide over the preserve. It seemed that nothing here could match up with facing down dragons. So lately, Seth had been making his own fun. And it typically wasn't the kind of fun that his family approved of.

Most of his days involved creating and executing primitive plans with the satyrs Newel and Doren to get some sort of treasure from a species. More likely than not, he got caught and grounded. Not to mention the missions always included some risk.

Seth didn't mind—he missed the risk. He missed the high stakes. He missed the adventure. During the Dragon War, he'd been in his element. And if he could regain a taste of that every once and a while? He jumped at the chance. And it definitely didn't hurt that he got treasure out of it---when the missions succeeded, at least.

So that was why he was pretty sure what he had been called here about.

"Seth," Grandpa began. "I wanted to ask you—"

"The troll isn't a big deal, Grandpa," Seth interjected. The previous day, he and the satyrs had botched one of their treasure-hunting plans pretty badly. The attempt to get a chest of gold and jewels from a troll's hut had inadvertently freed the troll to chase him all around Fablehaven to receive the gold. Not the kind of thing Grandpa was usually into.

So Seth figured that maybe he'd get a lesser punishment if he actually told the truth this time instead of trying to lie his way out of it, like he usually attempted to do.

"Seth—" Grandpa tried to speak again.

"Sure, I freed it to leave its domain and rampage all over Fablehaven," Seth said hastily, "I take full responsibility. But you can re-bind it, right? I'll help, and—"

"Seth!" Grandpa said, more forcefully this time. His gaze, previously calm, was quickly turning stormy and stern. "Slow down. Do you mean to tell me that you went on another irresponsible treasure-stealing mission with the satyrs? After I specifically told you not to?"

For a second, Seth couldn't speak, frozen in surprise. "You mean you didn't know?" he cried at last. He couldn't believe it! He'd actually gotten away with one of his failed adventures, and he'd blurted it all out to Grandpa like a little snitch! What had he been thinking? "That's not why you called me here?"

"No, Seth," Grandpa said, frowning angrily. "But now I'm curious. Is there a troll running wild around Fablehaven right now? Tell the truth."

"Yes," Seth muttered, kicking the ground and wishing he could kick himself for being so stupid. "I'm sorry. I won't do it again."

Grandpa eyed him sharply. "That's what you said last time. And the time before that."

"This time I mean it," Seth said pleadingly, crossing his fingers behind his back and praying that Grandma or Kendra didn't walk in at that moment and see him doing so. Luckily, they didn't---but it didn't seem to matter one way or another to Grandpa whether Seth was being sincere or not.

Grandpa folded his arms as if contemplating things. "I'll have to ask Warren and Vanessa to catch the troll tomorrow and restore its domain. Not to mention smooth over some hostilities. That's quite a bit of work to do just because of a careless thirteen year old. You owe them both an apology for wasting their time. You hear me, young man?"