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IT IS LATE IN THE EVENING; there is an eerie silence that fills the house. No noises or presence can be heard only an almost deafening witch's silence as her family call it. Nina reaches to close her bedroom window. Staring, for a moment her eyes glisten as a sad internal feeling clings to her thoughts. Considering the cold night as if wanting something or someone to look back, Nina is never afraid of the dark, more curious that something is out there. The sky is dark with the blue and black colours that highlighted the cold distant stars, which seem to twinkle as soon as Nina's eyes glance at each one as if communicating with her. I wonder if any witches live on the other worlds and look up to our home, she ponders. Feeling alone and ambivalent towards the world. She is on her own, a solace or a witch’s burden, helping others, only the world does not know her for her true self.
Her thoughts break. ‘Time for bed.'
Mother shouts from downstairs, prompting her daughter to turn in for the night, Nina smiles thinking her mother must have eyes everywhere. But something inside Nina festers, it eats away at her, which makes her feel indifferent. She Looks over to the vacant perch where her best friend usually sits. 'He's safe at the order,' Nina says to herself.
‘I'm with you’. These words are spoken out loud to the night hoping her best friend will hear her assurance.
Unexpectedly a message from the order comes through the mirror, distracting her thoughts. A scroll drops on her bedroom floor. Opening it as she sits on her bed, she reads it out. ‘You must seek the under-bed trolls.' Is that it she mutters? Even so, Nina excitedly jumps up from her bed, puts on her favourite pink star jumper and jeans and grabs her witch's pouch. Leaving her room, she opens the door to Mother and Father's room. They sit reading in bed and turn their head to greet her. Father notices she is dressed raising his eyebrows and Mother gives her, the discerning mother look with a smirk.
Mother speaks.
‘I was just about to come to wish you goodnight, but you seem to have other plans! Where do you think you are going, child?'
‘The order sent a message I must seek the under-bed trolls.' Nina said, looking excited.
Her parents ponder whether this is appropriate so late at night.
Mother reluctantly agrees.
‘I suppose so,' Mother says, with a worried look on her face.
‘Don't go anywhere without telling us, it's dangerous out there she warns.'
Nina looks muddled, further guessing Mother's thoughts as if she must know something that worries her and Father so. Nina says her goodbyes and kisses Mother and Father as she walks back to her room to the mirror.
Checking she has some shrinking potion left she stands looking at the empty perch, she misses her Friend. Looking in her wardrobe for a thick coat considering the weather conditions of the highlands. She lifts her witch's bag, gets out her wand and touches the mirror.
‘Mother nature hears my cry; I offer you the wing of the bat, tail of a rat. Through time and space send me to the under-bed trolls'. Sprinkling the magic dust from her witch's bag, she touches the mirror and with a swish and swoosh and a spark of her wand she disappears.
Out of sight, Nina's Father waits until she leaves, touches her bedroom mirror and whispers to the unknown. There is a side to Father Nina doesn’t know. What is said and what plan he sets, only he knows. Returning to bed Mother looks on at Father as if confirming the safety of their precious daughter.
Arriving in the highlands at the edge of a forest where the under-bed trolls dwell, the sky is alive with stars, a moon so bright the ground is lit in pale white. There is a stillness, a warmth in the air unusual for the highlands, a magical array of light from fireflies hovering around the vegetation, confirming a scene described previously by Relck.
She takes a breath of warm air; she is uncomfortable in winter gear. 'Ha,' she says aloud, 'typical' as she opens her thick coat to let herself breath. The highlands are a cold, hard place. Built by anger, with stone, fire and ice that once arose from the ground in the form of volcanoes. Then mother nature touches it with her gentle hand making it green and fertile. However, the hardness shows itself still in the flowers it grows. A deep purple flower grows, with a strong dark green stem, beautiful from a distance but sharp to the touch. It's called a Scottish Witch’s Pike.
Nina steps from a puddle with which she travelled, composing herself she lifts her wand, and she casts a spell and makes her offerings for the magic to light the way.
With every step, her presence sounds, footsteps echo through the trees with a crunch and crack of dried branches strewn on the floor.
A short path into the trees something stands in the dark. The shape and size are a troll and Nina's acutely aware of her mother's warning. Stopping at a distance Nina lifts her light. There in the dark stands an under-bed troll, and it's on guard! The armour is black tipped with a golden rim that shines golden bronze. She wonders why a troll waits for her?
‘Blooming Eck,' the troll cries out hiding his face from the light.
‘You were trying to blind me, Nina?' he says, with his gruff tone.
‘Oh, Sorry I didn't recognise you.' She replies with a warm smile.
‘Well yes, best to introduce yourself in the dark, because strangers get the chop,' he grunts, then chuckles. With a deep roar, he swings his axe into the thistles.
‘If you ever get into trouble my clan will help you, Nina. We are the Black-Iron Clan, tougher than the other clans; you should choose us to help you.'
Nina is puzzled but smiles in agreement at his offerings of support.
‘Come I will take you to the Queen, she wants to see you secretly.'
Following the troll, she lights the way with magic. Even in the dark Nina remembers this path that leads to the field of mushrooms. Ahead is a mushroom she had not noticed previously, it has a twisted trunk.
'This place must be the entrance to the secret place where they are to meet the Queen,' she thinks. The troll stops and stands on point, letting Nina speak to the Queen on her own. She must touch the doorway, and through it, she will go. So, wincing her face as she takes a sip of her magic potion, she becomes so small, enabling her to travel without effort through the door. It is light inside, with a tiny room, table and chairs. Noticing the Queen, Nina smiles and in return is greeted with a smile, full of warmth and kind. The Queen gets up and greets Nina with a shake of her stumpy green hand; she offers Nina a seat with a gesture from her other hand. They both sit.
‘Thank you for coming I know it's late, but it's urgent, you must know. My magic net remains with the creature who cursed us and kidnapped me with it, they can see peoples' dreams. They are looking for something or someone, but we don't know what or who. If it is the ice Goblin’s then their reputation for being malevolent and with immoral practices, using the dark side of magic is frightening. But this is all I know, my thoughts remain fuddled you best speak to the order and see what you can do about this, those owls are clever magical creatures. On a happier note, the clans want to meet you; they are how should I put it, enthusiastic. But we will be quick, as it is late, come', taking Nina by the hand. They leave through a secret door behind an empty bookcase that leads into the main hall. The laver flies glow and flutter about the candles of the passage they walk. The walls have changed from her previous visit. Moss and flowers cover the wall; the atmosphere has changed somewhat. The Queen notices Nina's smile: ‘Our home is back to normal thanks to you,' says the Queen. The flowers and laver flies have returned in all their splendour.' They look at the room in all its new life. Some of the candles even stand as high as the trolls, the uncomfortable smell of burning fills her nose.
Reaching the hall, it is full of trolls all different but similar in some way. A few rushes over to greet them, bowing to greet the Queen, their attention turns to Nina. 'We are champions of the trolls,' said one, dressed in a red tartan kilt. We have great magic. He pulls out what looks to be a small bomb with a fuse protruding from the top. One of the other clan trolls dressed in blue tartan shouts at him urgently. 'Watch what you're doing, don't harm the Queen and Nina!' Two other trolls pull him back to get the bomb from causing harm. Suddenly, a small puff of smoke fills the air from the bomb he holds as the other troll’s mutter and raises their voices in concern. ‘You and your bloody magic will get us all blown up.' Laughter fills the air with arguments coming from the different clans. The iron clan with its black and gold armour barges its way forward, belittling the other clans. What Nina presumes is the head of the clan, kneels before them. 'Our clan will protect Nina from harm,' putting his axe in the ground in front of them. The arguments became more of a free for all as the crowds gather with raised voices. A loud bellow from some out of tune bagpipes sounds. Everyone stops. Taking their leave, they bow to the Queen and run towards a stage where the King stands. Nina thinks this strange and smiles as she lets out a giggle at what was a few moments ago, a strong, forthright mass of purposeful trolls, which had now become a hoard of dancing and cheering misfits. The King is lit up by a beam of light as he begins to sing, the crowd pauses in awe of his voice. The Queen takes Nina's hand and leads her back from the doorway, from which they originally came. 'And one final thing,' says the Queen, 'Nasharie, is now forbidden from leaving the glen. If you ever see her where she's not meant to be, please send her home. If she is captured by the ice Goblins, we will be devastated'.
‘I will; I do miss her'. Nina wants to get to know her more.
‘Off you go it's late,' the Queen reiterates. ‘The guard is waiting outside for you, thank you for all your help,' she says with a grateful smile.
‘I will consider the matter in the order and get something done. Nina smiles. There seems to be uncertainty over these strange happenings.' The Queen nods in agreement as she hugs Nina farewell. ‘You be careful Nina, my friend, our guard will protect you until you are on your travels,' she says softly. Nina leaves through the door she came in, and the guard takes her to the puddle. Once home it is late.
As Nina steps onto her bedroom floor, she hears her parents moving around in their room. She walks onto the landing, and the door is ajar. The shadow of her parents is active. She opens the door quietly not to frighten her Mother and Father. They are tucked up in bed reading, much to Nina's surprise.
‘Who's moving around?' Both parents look at each other confused. ‘No one my dear, why?' Nina explains, ‘I thought I saw you moving around the bedroom, well goodnight nothing much to tell. Let you know if I find anything out at the order tomorrow'. ‘Goodnight my sweet girl,' Father says. They all hug goodnight. No sooner had she got dressed for bed, and Nina is fast asleep.