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ADVENTURES WITH LIO
The wind still howled when Freya opened her eyes to darkness. She wondered what had woken her. With the kitchen windows covered, there was no light to aid her as she peered around. Had she heard something? It was hard to tell, as the wind and rain continued to hammer the windows. She staggered to her feet. There was a warm body beside her, suggesting her mother or sister had also taken refuge in the kitchen. Her groping hand found plaited hair. Mum, then. Tammy’s hair was too short to plait.
She felt her way into the hall. Unexpectedly, the front door hung open, letting in the rain.
“Tammy? Are you out there?” Freya called. There was no answer. But as Freya’s eyes adjusted, she saw a flicker of movement out on the road. She approached the door with caution.
“Who’s there?”
Peering into the stormy night, Freya was half-blinded by the torrential rain. Her clothing was instantly soaked. Unexpectedly, a voice spoke in her ear.
“Don’t put yourself out on account of me.”
She jumped. There was a smile in the voice, wholly unwarranted in Freya’s opinion.
“What are you doing?”
“Just your friendly neighbourhood rescue service.”
Freya squinted into the darkness. As she did so, something warm and wet pressed against her hand.
“Ugh!”
The owner of the voice laughed.
“Don’t worry, it’s just the hounds saying hello.”
“Lio, what are you doing here? And what are you, anyway? You’ve never said. Are you a sprite?” she demanded suspiciously. He might have rescued her, but she had no idea of his intentions otherwise. She had never known that, really, but she found herself more suspicious these days.
“I am visiting with intent to please. But no, I’m not a sprite. Ghastly fellows. I am simply myself.”
“Well, what are you, yourself, doing here then? Rescue accomplished, thanks and all that, but it’s the middle of the night, I’m being rained on and I want to go back to the pile of rags I’m currently calling a bed.”
Lio laughed again, a rich amused sound which was drowned out as a flash of lightning was immediately followed by a deafening rumble of thunder.
“You don’t fancy a midnight stroll with me then? I can show you all sorts of interesting things.”
“No thanks. I don’t go walking in the night with strangers, or near-strangers either.”
“I’m hardly a stranger, though. We’ve met at many times on dark and stormy nights. I thought we were friends. I even looked for your cat, which is in fact why I am here. Ah well, I’m not one to push in where I’m not wanted.” He looked towards the house windows, mostly covered with cardboard and wire - though Freya was sure he couldn’t see the wire.
“And I can see I’m not wanted here.” He sighed deeply. “Such mistrust.”
“My cat? What about my cat? Do you know where he is?”
“I do in fact. And I have the scratches to prove it. It is both fortunate and unfortunate that I have acquired hounds. They enabled me to find Mr Fluffbum,” he began, before Freya interrupted him.
“Where?”
“In a deserted house near the shore, as it happens. Though I don’t believe it had been deserted long. There were signs of recent occupancy by trolls, as I had feared.”
“But is my cat alright? Do you have him?”
“I did have him. He is alive. But as I said, it was also unfortunate that I have hounds now. They don’t get on with cats. I’ve been waiting on a storm that brought me near you - I hoped that you would be on the coast again. But just after we drove off those were-foxes, tonight, Mr Fluffbum escaped me. He hasn’t appreciated my hounds in the least. I had planned to follow you and present him to you, but he ran off. I’ve been scouring the streets for him ever since. By the way, did you know there’s a large gathering of were-foxes in the town square?”
“Wait, what? Around the oak tree there, by any chance?” Despite her concern for her cat, Freya was distracted by this news.
“Ah, you do know.” Lio started to turn away and Freya put out a hand to stop him. His arm was uncovered, wet with raindrops. Freya wondered for a moment if he ever wore an anorak.
“Do you know what they’re doing there?” Had they planned to meet Freya there all along, prompted by the note she’d been given at school? What if they’d appeared at her house? Suddenly, the broken front windows seemed a much greater safety hazard than before.
“No idea. I avoid large gatherings of potentially violent beings on principle. If my brothers didn’t automatically fall into that class, my policy would work better.”
“You have brothers?”
“Is there one direction to the wind? Of course I do.”
Freya was momentarily distracted. Apparently Lio was a wind sprite, or maybe a wind demi, after all. She remembered that he hadn’t been alone when she first met him, though the weeks he’d brought fish for Mr Fluffbum, his companions hadn’t showed up. But those weres... and Mr Fluffbum!
I can’t believe Mr Fluffbum is still alive. But where is he now? In a storm in a town full of were-foxes, that can’t be healthy.
“Do you think you could help me distract the weres? I got asked to meet someone in the town square at midnight, and they know where I live. But most of all, I want to find Mr Fluffbum. I’m guessing foxes are nearly as bad as trolls when it comes to cats.”
“That’s quite a rescue you’re asking for.”
“Well, are you able for it? You’ve got dogs and thunder, don’t you?”
“Hmm. I can but try, since you ask so politely.” Lio’s sarcasm was thick enough to cut with a knife.
Freya stepped into the rain and closed the door behind her.
“Come on then, let’s go,” she said.
Lio and Freya set off together in the direction of the town square. Lio’s dogs tugged at their leashes, first one way then another as they sniffed at each interesting spot along the way. The rain assailed them as they half-walked, half-jogged through the town.
“Are we safe out here?” Freya asked. Lio didn’t answer. That was not reassuring. “Well?”
“It depends on whether the elves turn up, I suppose,” Lio answered reluctantly.
“What, the small beings who help humans grow things? That doesn’t sound worrying.”
“No, those are pretty much a myth these days. I’m talking about weather elves. They usually stay above the clouds though, like sprites, so I guess we’re good.”
Freya saw Lio looking up at the storm clouds which roiled above them. She shivered.
“Are your brothers up there?”
“Probably. It doesn’t matter though, they have their own plans. As I said, I try to avoid them when I can. Let’s find those weres and see what they’re planning. And find your cat, while we’re at it. I haven’t been plundering the ocean to feed him for a month, only to lose him to foxes. You have no idea how hard it is for someone like me to keep a cat.”
“If we get him back in one piece, you have my endless gratitude.”
“Well, that’s something worth trying for, I guess.”
They slowed as they reached the streets surrounding the square. The wind was stronger than ever. Given that the square opened onto the seaside promenade, Freya wondered if this was the most sensible place to be. Then again, she would have stayed at home if she was being sensible. The dogs tugged at their leashes impatiently. Was it because there was a cat nearby, or the presence of were-foxes, that had them excited? At least they didn’t bark, and give away their presence.
“What’s the plan? Freya had to raise her voice to be heard over the rain. Maybe it wouldn’t have mattered if the dogs barked. Though it would scare a cat. Lio looked her way.
“Let’s see how many weres there are, first. My dogs and I can only take so many. But we’ll have to be careful not to be seen.” Lio stopped suddenly and held up a hand to indicate that she should stop too.
“They’re close.”
Freya wondered how he could tell. She could barely see two feet in front of her, now. She stuck close to the railings beside the tall houses here. Lio paused beside a low shrub, crouching so that he was no taller than it. His dogs growled low in their throats, till he turned his head and gave each one a stern look. They subsided.
Well, at least they are well trained. I wish I had Mr Fluffbum, though. He never growled at anyone.
Freya brightened a little, at the thought that her cat was still alive somewhere.
Lio peered around the shrub then shrank back. Leaning close to her ear, he whispered loud enough to be heard over the storm.
“There’s a big gathering. Too many to take all at once. We’ll have to get them to separate.”
“How?”
“If it wasn’t raining, I’d run a scent trail. As it is, I’ll have to bait them. Lucky thing I’ve always loved running.”
“What-”
But he was gone, racing the wind as he tore around the square and off along the wave-battered promenade, dogs beside him. Freya started up as though to run after him, realised there was a square full of weres around the corner, and decided against it. She didn’t want to risk a second mugging. As she hesitated, she thought the sounds of the storm were changing. Was the rain getting harder? A sudden surge of water drenched her feet as it careened off the edge of the building beside her. Before she could react, it drained away again, only to be replaced by another wave.
The sea - it’s overtopped the promenade!
But as walls of water went, this was more of a garden edging. She could handle it. The tide must be in, she realised. And the storm pushing it even higher, flooding the low-lying land. But if she was getting wet back here, what was happening in the square, which fronted directly onto the sea?
She risked a look, peering through the darkness, on her hands and knees despite the wet. Whatever Lio had done, a lot of the weres must have followed him. There were just two figures remaining. One was in the tree. The other one seemed to be trying to persuade the tree-hugger to come down. As she watched, another wave surged through the square, making the one on the ground stagger. Surely, she could deal with these drenched individuals? She stepped forth boldly.
As soon as she turned the corner, Freya was buffeted by the wind. She staggered backwards a step before leaning into it and making her way forward. She got quite close to the figures before they noticed her. As she neared, she recognised Gareth from school as the were up in the tree. The other one was a girl who looked vaguely familiar; she had distinctive blue hair.
I’m sure I’d remember that hair.
Maybe she wasn’t a were after all? At least she wasn’t one of Freya’s attackers from earlier in the evening. Freya relaxed a little, but then fought to keep her feet as the next wave made its presence felt.
No relaxing around here. What am I doing? I can barely walk in these conditions.
Gareth’s eyes widened when he saw her. He made frantic ‘go-away’ gestures with his one free hand - the other was holding him in place. What was going on here? Had Freya misjudged the situation? Lightning flashed, and Freya saw the thunderheads outlined in a blue-tinted white light. Bizarrely, there was no answering roll of thunder. Blue-haired girl noticed Gareth’s waving hand, and looked around. She spotted Freya and stalked towards her. Freya backed away, unsure what to expect from this new player. She bumped into the railing that surrounded the house.
I guess this is where I’ll stand, then.
“Cool dye job,” said Freya randomly.
“It’s not dye.”
Well, that’s probably not the best start to this conversation.
Freya wished she could take another step back.
“Why are you hanging around with these weres?” the blue-haired girl asked in an aggressive tone.
Freya had to laugh.
“I can’t think of anything I’d rather do less.”
“What are you doing here then? This is not the time or place for children to hang around.”
“I am not a child. And what business is it of yours where I hang out? It’s a free country.” Freya refused to be intimidated by this stranger - so long as she wasn’t being physically attacked.
“Sure, you’re free to be mauled, drowned or struck by lightning. What’s your preference?”
“How about a civil conversation?”
“At midnight during a storm? No chance.”
Another wave swirled through the square. This wave was knee-high. The storm surge was getting worse. Freya stayed in place by clutching the rails behind her. The blue-haired girl lurched sideways but kept her footing.
“OK, why do you look familiar then?”
Blue-hair looked askance at her.
“I’ve never seen you in my life.”
Freya squinted through the gloom.
“You remind me of someone - Lio!”
Lio was indeed looming behind Blue-hair. The girl turned to look at Lio. Lio’s dogs were nowhere to be seen.
“Oh, it’s you,” she said. As they looked at each other, Freya could see the similarities in their faces. They must be related. No wonder the girl had looked familiar.
“Nice to see you too, Nik. Still bothering my land dwelling friends, then?” said Lio. He was acting casual, but Freya noticed that he sauntered between her and the blue-haired girl, Nik. Was she dangerous, then?
“You never told me you had sisters, Lio. Do they all come out in storms? I thought you were worried about elves, not sisters.”
Lio looked at Freya, a frown on his face. The effect was spoiled as another wave swept past them, tugging at their legs.
“She’s my cousin. And though she affects blue hair, she’s a wind demi, not an elf. Luckily. Not to say harpie, of course.”
Nik raised a fist at Lio.
“Never let that word cross your lips again, cousin or not.”
Lio ducked away from the fist.
“Well then, never threaten my friends. Easy.”
“Excuse me, are you going two to argue all night? Because while I don’t think I can get any wetter, I actually came to see who was meeting here at midnight,” Freya interrupted.
“Vermin,” spat Nik.
“Not unless the laws have changed,” corrected Lio. The weary tone of his voice suggested that this was not the first time he’d said it.
“Still arguing? What about the kid in that tree? He’s from my class at school. Schoolkids are usually not classed as vermin, no matter how hateful they are. Even if they are weres.” Freya might not know how to make friends in this place, but she refused to be cowed by this stranger.
“I have no idea what he’s doing, other than dangerously antagonising my cousin. If I were you, I’d leave him to his fate.” Lio ignored the teasing. “Freya, Nik here is someone you should avoid. Maybe even more than those weres.”
“Don’t be rude, Lio, it doesn’t suit you,” Nik said.
Lio ignored her.
“Those weres, by the way, are now scattered all over town. No more ambushes should happen tonight.” He looked proud of himself, now. “My dogs have taken care of that.”
“Well, thanks for that, anyway. I wasn’t keen on a repeat. But I think I should check on Gareth anyway. He’s the one who dropped the note on my desk.”
“As you wish, then. Nik, can you leave off torturing that were-kid for a few minutes?”
Nik, who had been alternating her glare between Lio and Freya, now turned fully to Lio.
“What’s in it for me?”
“I could tell you where I left the rest of them.”
Nik smiled, a feral grin that made Freya uncomfortably certain that no matter how wild the weres in this town, there was always something wilder.
“It’s a deal.” The pair conferred briefly before the blue-haired Nik set off across the drenched square at a splashing run. As she reached the edge of the square, there was another blue-edged flash of lightning, and she disappeared.
“Strange relatives you have, Lio.” Despite her desire to find out what the school bully was doing up a tree being tormented by wind demis, Freya was quite prepared to give the wind demi in question a wide berth.
“Tell me about it. Just be glad it was my cousin, not my brothers.”
“You are not making me keen to meet those brothers of yours.”
“Hopefully you will never need to. They’re not as pleasant as me. And they are more powerful, too.”
“Times like this, I feel like I was behind the door when the demi-talents were being given out.” Freya was sick of feeling like the most broken demi in the box.
“Cheer up, you’re probably just missing the obvious.”
Freya glared at Lio. She wasn’t in the mood to be fobbed off with platitudes.
“Anyway, what is your weird cousin doing, going after the were-foxes? Not that I mind, of course.”
“Playing, I would guess. She doesn’t play nice though, never has. Like I definitely didn’t say, harpie. I avoid her, too. Gave me quite a shock when Nik swooped in while I was playing chase with were-foxes. So. Let’s go see that fox-kit you were so concerned about, before any older were-foxes slip back past my cousin.”
Freya allowed herself to be guided, this time. Gareth the were-fox had begun to climb out of the tree, but he stopped when Lio and Freya approached.
Probably wants to keep the higher ground. This had better not turn into a fight.
Freya decided to try to keep the initiative.
“Care to say why you chose a gang meeting, in what is probably the storm of the century, as a good spot for an evening hangout?”
Gareth looked away and mumbled something unintelligible. Freya continued the offensive - as much as she could while clinging onto the tree to keep her feet. The sea wasn’t draining out of the square, now.
“And perhaps you can share why there were dozens of your hairy acquaintances here as well?”
Gareth looked at her properly this time. It was hard to tell in the dim streetlight, but she thought he was blushing.
“My big brother’s idea. He found out I was coming here, and he brought his friends. But then him-” he pointed at Lio - “and that weird blue chick turned up and started making threats. At least the girl did, that guy just chased everyone else away with some vicious dogs.”
“So why did you invite me out here anyway?”
“...”
“That’s all you have to say?”
“I just - I’m not - I have a reputation to keep up at school.”
“One that involves insulting newcomers? You might want to do some work on yourself.”
Gareth looked away and mumbled something. It might have been an apology. Freya gave up on needling him. It seemed unlikely to improve matters anyway.
“Well, I for one want to get out of the storm. I guess I’ll have no choice but to see you round. But if I were you, I’d leave now too.” So much for the exciting midnight assignation. While there had been plenty of excitement, seeing the school bully grovel wasn’t what she had hoped for. She was about to turn away from the tree when she noticed a movement higher up in it. In the dim light, she couldn’t see much, but there was a flash of white fur. “Mr Fluffbum?” Freya asked incredulously.
Unexpectedly, Gareth spoke.
“My big brother and his friends had treed a cat when I arrived here. They sent me up after it, but I didn’t want to bring it down for them to hurt. It went too high, anyway. Do you know how hard it is to hold onto a tree in a storm?”
“Not something I’ve tried. But is my cat alright?” asked Freya.
“I don’t know whose cat it is, but it’s definitely in one piece. My brother couldn’t get up the tree either, he’s too big. And I’ve been between him and the cat the whole time. So yeah, the cat’s fine. Probably wetter than I am, though. If it’s not rain, it’s waves. If I ever try and meet someone again, it’s not going to be down here, that’s for sure.”
“Good. Now hurry up and get out of the way, I want my cat, and he’s not going to move while you’re there.”
To her surprise, Gareth finished climbing down the tree without further argument.
“See you at school,” he mumbled, as he sloped off in a different direction to the way Nik and the other were-foxes had gone.
Freya was focused on Mr Fluffbum. She called him enticingly, and to her joy, the cat she’d thought was dead scrambled down the tree and leapt onto her shoulder. She staggered briefly but managed to keep her feet. She tried to pat him, but her hand stuck to his wet fur. She was sure he was purring, though, even through the noise of the wind and waves.
“Oh, Mr Fluffbum. I’ve missed you so much. Come on, let’s get you home.” She glanced over at Lio, remembering that he’d said her cat had run from his new dogs.
“Lio, what happened to your dogs? I hope they’re not mauling people somewhere. Or drowning.”
“I thought you didn’t like those weres?”
“Doesn’t mean I want anyone mauled.”
“Just as well I tied the dogs up back there then.”
To Freya’s astonishment, Lio led the way away from the square, around one corner, and a little way up the hill and there were his dogs. Their bedraggled tails waved frantically as Lio approached. Freya tightened her grip on Mr Fluffbum. She didn’t want a repeat escape, not when she’d just been reunited with her cat. Damp fur tickled her nose.
“Well. I guess that’s alright then.”
“Home time?” Lio asked.
“It certainly is for me,” Freya said with emphasis. The square behind them was thoroughly flooded and seemed likely to get more so. She was beginning to feel sore again, too, now that the excitement was over. The wind helped them up the hill. Freya was pretty sure the gusts were getting stronger. She wondered if Lio’s unseen brothers had anything to do with that, but decided she’d rather not know, just now.
At home, Freya farewelled Lio at the door and retreated inside. She considered her wet clothes ruefully. In the end, she stripped them off and left them in a sodden pile on the hall floor. She locked the door and put out her hand to help find her way back to the kitchen, where she rolled herself in blankets once more. Mr Fluffbum kneaded the blankets beside her, and Freya patted him happily. She was thrilled to have a cat to curl up with once more. Now it would be easier to sleep through the storm.
***
