Riddle Of The Owl - YA Fantasy

Chapter One

Years later, on a sleepy Wednesday afternoon, a pounding at the front door tore Alleria away from the book she had been reading. She heard the clatter of dishes as Da was startled in the kitchen and a rustle of papers when Mam spilled ink all over the document she had been writing.

Alleria was the first to get the door. It was only the mailman, a breathless and red-faced Mr. Henmering, waiting outside. As Mam and Da both stumbled in behind her, she cocked her head to one side trying to decide what it was he was doing here of all places.

"Miss Alleria! A phone-call!" he cried excitedly, hopping from one foot to the other. "Someone calling from the city, asking for you. Told them I'd go'n fetch you. Hurry! They'll be a-calling in ten minutes."

"For me?" Alleria couldn't hide the wonderment from her voice. A call? In the telephone? There was only one telephone in the village and a telephone call was a strange, mysterious and rare occurrence. This could only mean one thing and yet... she was reluctant to let herself hope.

"Aye, miss, for you."

"But..."

"Hurry, miss, there's no time."

Alleria shot a glance over her right shoulder to look at Da and then over her left shoulder to look at Mam. She gave one nod and pointed up her chin decidedly before stuffing her feet into her sandals. Mr Hemmering broke into a trot the moment she stepped outside.

Her parents were right behind her when they raced through the gate — which Da stopped to close — and up the single street of the village. "Tried to tell them I'd be needing more time to get you," Mr. Hemmring said in between gasps for air. The way to the post-office was uphill. "Bloke wouldn't hear of it.... Said it's urgent... Was mighty rude about it too. But I thought to meself... only one reason for them to be... a-calling... asking for you. Nearly tripped over me own feet... trying to get to you on time."

"Lerry, where are you all going? What's going on?" cried a familiar voice from over at Felmarn's grocery shop. Alleria only just managed to catch Tara's eye as she was drying her hands on her apron.

"To the post office, I'm going to receive a phone-call."

"A phone-call?" Tara fell into step beside her, her long brown braid bouncing on her back as she jogged to keep pace. "Who from?"

"From Callivar," Mam intervened.

"A phone-call from Callivar?" It was the voice of Mr. Devmund, the carpenter, coming from somewhere behind Alleria. "For whom?"

"For Alleria," said Tara.

"Alleria has a phone-call from the city? Why, I'll be... I didn't know phone calls could call that far." That was Auntie Berla, the cattle-farmer's sister and she had the loudest voice in the entire village. All along the street, heads peeked out of windows and doors were thrown open. Alleria was joined by the baker on one side and the butcher's son on the other, behind her a crowd of barefoot children ran onto the middle of the street and even farther behind — she quickly glanced — a group of grannies hobbled along.

Up the hill, then down — more people joined them; Mr. Faldric, Mrs. Urmen with her four daughters, the milkman, Dr. Poltrin, Constable Ekelle and even Mr. Drake, the village drunk. They talked excitedly that maybe this was the thing no one thought would happen, no one dared imagine possible. Alleria was strange, but one of their own, and could such good fortune happen in such a small place?

Mr. Hemmring pulled out his pocket watch and clutched his heart. "Twenty second, Miss Alleria!" he called. "In twenty seconds comes the call!"

The post-office was just in view and they both sped up their run from a light jog to a full-out dash. After them came everyone, as if life and death hung on the telephone line.