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Jasper just stood and stared. There were at least a dozen people in the three wagons and the townsfolk were keeping a good distance away. They were going about their daily business and avoiding eye contact with the unfortunate people trapped in the cages.
It seemed entirely unreasonable for people, of any kind, to ignore such an awful thing.
‘I’d say that they’d end up in worse trouble for trying to free them,’ Dekon said from next to him. ‘I heard the yelling and wondered if you’d got yourself in trouble again.’
‘Me?’ Jasper asked, then let the matter drop. The warf was quite right to assume it had been him.
‘I had no idea that there were so many being taken prisoner,’ Dekon said, shaking his head in dismay. ‘It doesn’t seem possible that all of these elves and terrans made the mistake of using their magic in front of the guards.’
‘How else would the guards find them?’ Jasper asked. It seemed that the drift theory would make it hard to pinpoint just who the guards should be looking for. ‘They couldn’t tell it was me back in Bellfort so how can they be sure these people have magic? They’re not likely to just own up to it and get in the cage.’
‘That’s a good point,’ Dekon said but shrugged instead of answering the question.
‘Can’t they just use their magic and get out of there?’ Jasper was full of questions and he saw no need to hold them back as there was nobody near enough to hear him.
‘The guards have a type of bracelet that stops the person using magic. Only the queen can remove it once it has been put on.’
Jasper peered across the road and could just make out a silver band around a young man’s arm. He was reaching out through the bars and trying to get the attention of passers-by.
‘We should get moving,’ Jasper pointed out. He wanted to wait for the promised offer of bakery from Leo but he didn’t think the risk was worth the reward.
‘We’re not going anywhere until they move,’ Dekon said. ‘By my calculations east is down that way. I’d check with the map but I don’t think that’s wise right now.’
Just then the desperate youth caught sight of them lurking by the corner and yelled over to them.
‘Free us! Save us from the tyranny of the evil queen!’
Jasper shrank back a little but didn’t back away entirely. A guard looked in his direction and he figured slinking out of sight would probably make him seem worthy of a second look. Dekon wasn’t in the guard’s sight which was something to be grateful for. Jasper looked away as the youth continued to yell.
‘It’s not fair. I wasn’t even using magic. I haven’t used it since I was tiny. I know it’s not right. I wish I could take this off and was back home...’
Jasper gulped so slowly that he wondered if the world had slowed down for a few seconds. He didn’t dare to look up as the youth’s voice cut short.
‘Where did he go?’ A guard yelled and Jasper saw a silver bracelet land on the dust in the road. ‘How did he get that off?’
More guards came running and they looked at each other in panic. Clearly this wasn’t a normal occurrence.
‘I wish all of our bands were off,’ an older elven woman said sadly from where she sat leaning against the bars of the same wagon.
Jasper began to back away as band after band clattered to the floor of the wagons. Clearly those inside were indeed magical as all of a sudden there was magic everywhere. The bars were broken open, guards went flying and now-free elves were running in all directions.
Within a dozen heartbeats there was just one elf left in sight of the now destroyed cages. A young elven girl who looked about six years old. She just sat by the side of the road crying. Everyone had run off and left her and Jasper could well imagine her despair. Stuck in a town she didn’t know and not a friend in sight.
The guards were beginning to recover and the first one stood up groggily. He saw the empty cages and went a very pale shade in horror. No doubt he was considering what would happen to him for losing them.
‘Come on,’ Dekon said, tugging at Jasper. ‘We should leave while we can.’
‘But that little girl,’ Jasper said, catching the little girl’s gaze. ‘She needs to wish herself home.’
‘You want her to use your curse?’ Dekon asked and looked confused.
‘What’s one more after all that?’ Jasper said with a shake of his head. ‘It’s unlikely that they’d be able to tell one drift from another at this point. And it’s the queen that senses it isn’t it? Not the guards.’
Jasper moved closer to the girl who backed away as if he were about to take her back to the cage.
‘I just want to go home,’ she sobbed quietly.
‘Wish it,’ Jasper urged.
The girl looked up and appeared confused but it had stopped her crying. Jasper nodded to encourage her. The girl didn’t speak but a second later she vanished. Jasper was left leaning on the wall of the local tavern with one of the guards staring at him suspiciously.
Jasper was half a dozen steps from the corner now and he could see Leo coming from the other direction with a large bag of what could only be baking. The old elf looked horrified at the scene that greeted him and he veered off around the corner to the wagon. There was no sign of Dekon either and Jasper couldn’t blame him.
‘You! Terran! Wait there!’
Jasper froze. Three of the guards were now up and all of them were heading towards him. He wished he could wish himself away but instead he just stood there and waited. He didn’t regret it though as nobody should have been in those cages, especially a small child.
‘What’s the problem?’ Jasper asked, trying to look as innocent as possible. ‘They all ran past me.’
‘Did you do this?’ the first guard demanded as he reached Jasper.
‘Me?’ Jasper queried with a laugh as if it were a huge joke.
‘Check him,’ the second guard snapped.
Check him? Jasper felt a small frown dip his left eyebrow as the third guard fumbled in his pocket for something. Jasper saw a small silver object and the guard held it against Jasper’s arm just above the leather glove.
‘He’s fine,’ the guard said, removing the small round object and pocketing it before Jasper could work out what it was. ‘Let’s get the others rounded up. I am not going to tell the queen we lost a dozen captives.’
The guards immediately lost interest in Jasper and headed off to the nearest alley in search of the fleeing prisoners.
Jasper headed back around the corner as fast as an innocent person would do so and he reached the wagon without any further problems.
‘What in the name of Zena did you do?’ Leo demanded as he came out from behind the wagon.
Jasper just sighed and shook his head.
‘Can we get moving now?’ Dekon said, popping his head out the small door near the front driving seat.
‘They had some sort of silver thing they used to see if I was magical or not. It said I wasn’t so I guess it doesn’t work too well,’ Jasper told them.
‘I wish I had a nice drink of ginger ale,’ Dekon snapped then looked at Jasper as he held up empty hands. ‘You used up the last of it for now by sending that child home.’
‘A silver scarab,’ Leo said in a monotone voice. ‘No wonder they gather so many now. Even the obsidian wouldn’t have been enough to save them.’
‘You should come with us,’ Jasper suggested. He didn’t like to think of the elderly elf being stuck in a cage and taken away.
‘I have more than a few tricks up my sleeve to keep me safe. Don’t worry about me,’ Leo assured them. He threw the obsidian to Jasper. ‘It won’t hide much but I think you need it a lot more than I do.’
Jasper caught it and held it in cupped hands. It was more than generous considering they had only just met.
‘I will return it to you,’ Jasper said. As soon as they found the Well of Wizdom and found a cure he would not need it any longer.
‘I have a feeling I’ll be seeing a lot more of you two,’ Leo said. ‘Your bread is in the back. So long for now both of you. Stay clear of towns for your own sake if you can. I’m off to see if I can find any of those on the run and hide them.’
Dekon nodded a farewell and shut the small door, then Jasper climbed up to the driving seat and nudged the horse forward. She responded easily and the bread-wagon moved off around the corner and past the broken cages. In just a few minutes they were on the edges of the town and Jasper let the horse free to run her own pace. He relaxed back against the wagon and let the tension slowly ease from him. He was sure that, if he ever got home, the gunmen back in his own world would be nothing after his experiences here.
They travelled out into the countryside for half an hour then Jasper pulled the wagon over to the side of the narrow track that served as a road.
‘We should check if we’re heading in the right direction,’ Dekon said, joining Jasper on the driving seat. He unrolled the map and it was still showing directions to Riverdale.
‘Map. Directions to Well of Wizdom.’
The map was silent.
‘Please.’
Still nothing.
Jasper and Dekon exchanged a look that said neither knew what to do.
‘Map. Current location.’
The map went blank then a squiggly line showed going out of Riverdale an x showed a very short distance along it. Still the map said nothing.
‘What’s wrong with it? Shouldn’t it talk to us?’ Jasper asked.
‘Map. Speak!’ Dekon said.
‘Current location. East road, Riverdale.’
‘I guess when I told it to be quiet it listened,’ Dekon said with a shrug.
‘Map. Directions to Well of Wizdom... please,’ Jasper asked.
‘That location is classified.’ The map sounded annoyed and a little petulant. ‘Please choose another destination.’
‘Really?’ Jasper queried. ‘You showed it to us before.’
The map said nothing.
‘Well, we’re not likely to find it without the map,’ Dekon said with a shrug, not looking terribly bothered as he put his hand in his pocket. ‘It’s just as well I brought this along.’
Both of Jasper’s eyebrows shot up as Dekon opened his hand to reveal the blue stone from the library at Dragon Tower. How could the warf have it when he had stolen it? He reached into his own pocket and drew out a stone but it was one of the plain grey stones that had been used to hold down the map.
‘You stole it?’ Jasper asked.
‘Looks like we both had the same idea, but I got to it first,’ Dekon said with a grin. ‘You’re not the only one that’s good with sleight of hand.’
The warf laid the map down on the seat between them and placed the blue stone on top of it. As before, the stone glowed and the foot-high elf appeared.
‘What can I help you with today...?’ the blue-robed elf queried then his voice trailed off as he looked around. His face drained to a ghostly white as he saw where he was and he glared at Dekon. ‘What have you done? Why have you taken me from the library?’
‘We knew we would need your help along our journey,’ Dekon said, and looked a little taken back by the elf’s anger.
‘You need my help? What help will I be if the black queen finds me?’ Arlo had balled up his hands into fists and looked as if he were restraining using magic. ‘The library kept me safe but out here she will see the drift.’
‘Oh, maybe I can help there,’ Jasper offered, and took out the small marble-like obsidian stone. He showed it to the elf and placed it on the map. He was even more convinced now that this elf wasn’t just a magical charm to help read scrolls.
Arlo stopped his tirade and stared at the stone. It was black again but small grey swirls were appearing. He appeared shocked and relieved. ‘You have a drift stone.’
‘The map won’t show us the way to the well,’ Dekon told Arlo. ‘If you could just ask it then there’s no reason for you to have to stay out here.’
‘Map!’ Arlo turned his temper to the map under his feet. ‘I told you before to show the well.’
The directions to the well reappeared on the map and the x that marked their position was a lot closer than it had been the day before. Jasper couldn’t be sure but the location of the well didn’t look to be the same as it had yesterday. Clearly his memory wasn’t great as a well wasn’t likely to have moved.
‘How did you get so far south in just one day?’ Arlo asked as he walked up the map and traced the path.
‘There was this transport thing. I don’t really understand it,’ Jasper explained.
‘A transport?’ Arlo looked shocked. ‘Are there still some working? I wouldn’t trust those with a donkey, let alone a person.’
‘Well, we appear to have survived,’ Dekon said.
Arlo looked at the black marble again and shook his head when he saw more grey swirls. ‘Good luck with the quest then. Let me know how it goes.’
As before, the blue-robed elf vanished. Dekon picked up the stone and put it in his pocket then handed the obsidian back to Jasper.
‘Well, it looks like we’re going the right direction but it could be a few days at least I think,’ Dekon said as he traced the dotted line with his finger. ‘I don’t see another transport line. Map. Time to destination please.’
‘On foot or by wagon?’
‘Wagon.’ They both spoke at once.
‘Time to Well of Wizdom by wagon is two days and two hours. Then on foot for eight hours. Wagon cannot reach destination.’
‘Thank you, Map,’ Jasper said, hoping that if they spoke nicely it might become easier to deal with.
Dekon looked at Jasper as if he were mad for thanking a piece of paper then rolled the map up and put it away.
‘Are we there yet?’ A voice made them both jump and turn around. The small door into the wagon was open and a young girl’s face looked out at them hopefully.
Jasper just stared. It was the girl from the wagon-cage.
‘How did you get in our wagon?’ Dekon asked in a gentle voice that seemed odd in such a heavily muscled warf.
‘He told me to wish.’ The girl pointed at Jasper as if it was all his fault.
‘I told you to wish to be home,’ Jasper corrected her.
‘I wished for someone to take me home,’ the girl said with a shrug. ‘Are we there yet?’