With all the help, all the defences, all the magic and all the good-will there should not have been any doubt in anyone’s mind that things were going to be all right, that nothing and no-one could get the better of them and yet…. there was no certainty and anything could happen. The outcome could swing either way and the consequences were unthinkable.
Zia decided that every one had been under tremendous pressure and even the Halloween festivities could not take the facts away but right now it was late. He was tired and wanted to go to bed and hoped things would be better in the morning.
Come the morning things had certainly changed…whether they were for the better or not was a matter of opinion. There was communication in his head as soon as he woke…in fact it may well have been receiving it that woke him. He was up washed and dressed in minutes and rushing down the tunnel to the Great Hall where all the witches, wizards and The Others were arriving, mumbling and taking their places at the huge table.
Zoe was not there yet but the three Viddy Cat’s were seated on stools near Grace who was looking about her as if something or somebody was missing.
“Can we have order please?” she asked tapping the table with her Knobbly Stick. “Please, take your seats and let us begin. We have a great deal to discuss and many decisions to make.”
There was instant quiet followed by the scraping of the heavy chairs as they were pulled out and pulled in. Nobody spoke a word and all eyes were on Grace. She was sitting with her head bowed as if dozing but everyone knew that was not the case and soon she stood as tall and straight as she could and addressed the gathering.
“You may not all be aware why we are here so I will ask Talik to give you a brief run down on what has happened and then I would like you all to add any thoughts or suggestions you may have.”
Talik stood, leaned forward with his hands on the table and then he drew himself up and put his hands behind his back. He didn’t rush to speak. It was as if he were trying to think of the best way to put whatever it was he was going to say. In the end he cleared his throat, took a sip of water from a goblet on the table and said,
“We have been warned by the Wanderers that the Searchers are very close and may well know where we are but are waiting for instructions from their masters, The Enemy. The Squitons have had to tackle two of them when they found them very close to the entrance of Dark Cave and as you all know Squitons are very, very capable of defending themselves and us, should the need arise.
One of the Searchers was er…dispatched, shall we say, and the other injured but it managed to escape, unfortunately. We imagine that the injured one will have reported our position back to The Enemy and that an invasion could happen at any time. What we don’t know is how many Searchers there will be in an attack or….. how they intend to gain access to Dark Cave. Before we go any further Grace would like to hear if you have anything to say on what you have heard so far.”
Everyone looked at everyone else until a hand was raised and Lord Tupol raised himself up and spoke loud and clear.
“We all have known how much danger we could be in if these monstrous vermin, the Searchers and their masters ever came looking for us and I do mean us…The Others,…for it is us that they want and although I am not suggesting for one moment that we should give up and let them take us without a fight it has been suggested to me by Zia that maybe it would be right to get the Mine Minders to a place safer than here. We have all our defences in place and have more than enough supplies of everything. To have more people here than is absolutely necessary would be foolish.
There is time to get them away from here on flight wagons….tonight”
Zia felt his colour rising as all heads turned toward him. Just then Zoe, who had arrived a little late and had been standing by the entrance came and stood beside his chair. That made him feel better.
“What had you in mind when you said this?” Grace asked Zia.
“Well, we in the Dark Cave Community are the target for attack and as such we have to fight, I know that. But the Mine Minders are not equipped to fight or to defend themselves, so stand far more chance of being injured or killed when the Searchers do make their move. I just thought that with so many other good strong Communities in places away from here, say in Wales, Scotland or even France where they would be safe for now and where decisions could be made to hide them if The Enemy were to invade further afield, then it just seemed that it was the best thing to do, to protect them. We can manage without them for as long as is necessary and they will be extra hands to work for the other Communities they are with.” Zia shrugged his shoulders, “I just thought they must be as safe as possible.”
“Zoe what do you think about this? Will it work? Can we make it happen in time? Can your teams cope with the extra work when they have all worked so hard since this threat started?” Grace put all the questions at Zoe and the answer was immediate,
“We have to do what ever is best for the Communities and the Teams will work as hard and as long as is needed. I think it is the right thing to do. We don’t want to lose any members of the Dark Cave or any other Community and the Mine Minders are such valuable contributors to the workforce that I think we must do all we can to keep them safe.”
“Well spoken, I agree. It sounds easy but it will take a lot of organising in the short time we have, so I will ask Talik and Calda to assist in the evacuation of all Mine Minders within an eighty mile radius. That should be distance enough but do not put the Mine Minders from this area with any Community that is closer than one hundred and fifty miles, just in case we have to extend the evacuation zone later,” Grace said looking very thoughtful. “I will contact all available Communities and see how many Mine Minders they can take but it must be a wagon load to each place or it wont be worth going. You can’t be stopping to drop off two or three here and there. No, this has to be done as quickly and efficiently as possible. When can you be ready for your first trip, Zoe?”
“Well, if we cancel all deliveries from now on and I call in the day and night teams to rest up for a while before we go….I reckon we could have three teams with Flight Wagons ready to leave by this evening. It will be dark by six o’clock. We could aim for then, IF you can find Communities to take the evacuees,” Zoe said.
Having done some very quick calculations Zoe decided that she would need to have three teams of seven Zoedledoodles, which was enough to pull twenty Mine Minders and their belongings in each wagon. There were at least sixty to be evacuated from Dark Cave Community and about forty from each of the others. There were eight Communities within the range to be cleared and that would mean seventeen full Flight Wagons. Each load would have to be collected and then taken to the designated destination and with some, many hundreds of miles away, it would take at least six nights. There was no other way they could do it. Zoe gave orders,
“We will have to start with three full loads from here tonight and then work outwards away from the attack zone. The Mine Minders further north will go to the Communities furthest away and those more southerly to placements nearer home. That will even out the length of the journeys for the Teams as it will be very tiring work and There will be no time for breaks until they get back here. Grace, can you let me know as soon as possible where tonight’s destinations will be, please?
We have only a few hours, so Calda, Talik and Zia, would you each take a Level and tell every Mine Minder, individually what is happening? No passed on messages. I want a list of each one you speak to and they and their luggage of one suitcase each are to be at the station by six o’clock this evening. Any questions?”
There were none and the three messengers went on their way discussing, as they went, who was going to which Level. It was decided that Zia take the Lowest Level, Talik take the Lower Level and Calda was to do Dark Cave, the sleeping caves, the dining area and the recreation area. Zoe was going back to the station so would pass the message there. She had to inform the Zoedledoodles what was happening and instruct the day shift to stop work now and rest and when the night shift woke they were to eat and be prepared to leave as soon as everything was ready.
With Pog also leaving it would be up to Zia, Calda and Talik to see to the Teams, along with the harness and wagons, for the next frantic few days. There would be no room for mistakes and no time to rest.
Grace had brought down to the Station, personally, the information about where the Teams were to go with their first loads. One load was to go to the Shetland Isles, one to a Community in the Scottish Highlands and one to the Black Mine in Wales.
As soon as the ‘messengers’ were back with their lists of Mine Minders, Zoe set about allocating who would go in which Flight Wagon. With such extensive knowledge of what work was done in each of the Communities, Zoe was able to place the Mine Minders where they would be best suited and of course with family if they had any. Nip was going to be with his parents and one or two others were to go where they had relatives but no special allocations could be made if family was not where the Teams were going. It was all the luck of the draw.
At six o’clock sharp, with the wagons hitched to the Teams, Zoe stood and called out names and wagon numbers one, two or three, and as each of the Mine Minders climbed aboard they were magically down sized so that there would be room for them all and their luggage which included a pack of sandwiches and a blanket. They were already warmly dressed and wearing waterproofs, just in case of rain or snow!
The first Wagon to leave was the one going to the Shetland Isles, then the one to the Highlands and lastly the one to Black Mine. As there were Leaders on board the wagons, as passengers, the journey was just as any other Night Flight would have been and by six thirty pm all were on their way and it was time for those left behind to gather together to eat and discuss the next step in their plan. This day had been very trying on everyone but had gone without a hitch, although everyone left behind was exhausted.
The Others now had no helpers and their work would still have to continue. Zia and Zoe had to prepare for the return of the teams and once they were back Calda and Talik would be there to help with removing the harness and then checking the wagons for the flights that night. Grace and several of her witches were organising the Communities that could take other Mine Minders and when and where everyone was to go, writing lists and contacting the Communities to be evacuated, giving them instructions on what to take and when to be ready.
All this, and still having to be on their toes where the Searchers were concerned. So far they hadn’t heard any thing new from the Wanderers, which was good news but they needed to be able to concentrate one hundred percent on the advancing threat of attack and they couldn’t do that until all the Mine Minders were away to safety. This was a very worrying time for everyone.
The fist team came home, minus its passengers, at three a.m, the next at six a.m. and the third totally exhausted, came in at seven thirty, with Pog still on board. They had all had straight forward journeys but with no Leaders for the journey home, and as tired as they all were, it could have been risky, so Pog had taken it on himself to travel back with his Team, which had been the one to travel the furthest. At least he could help his team home safely and he was pleased that he would be able help with one of the nightly trips in future. Once he explained why he was there and had not stayed behind in the Shetlands, Zoe was in full agreement with him and was cross with herself for not having thought of the safety issue for the Teams on the way home.
Without help with air brakes and guidance the Teams would not be able to travel as fast as they should and that had proved to be the case with the homeward trip and with no Leaders to help the Zoedledoodles to work the wagons, what would it be like on the other Flights with no one that could help the Teams at all, going out or coming home? They would take far too long to complete their journeys and could be in danger of making mistakes when they were over tired.
“This won’t do, Zia. From now on you will have to go with the Teams and so will Calda or Talik.
There must always be someone that can handle the wagon in flight. Pog will be able to take one wagon and you another and I will fly with which ever wizard will go on the third, so that I can instruct him on the handling of the brakes etcetera. This could have been a disaster, what ever was I thinking of? I could have been the cause of losing all the wagons and teams, I am so pleased they are all home safely. We must be grateful for that and just make sure that I don’t overlook anything like that again,” Zoe said, blaming herself for what could have happened.
“Zoe, please forget about it. We will all be on our guard against anything that may be overlooked in future but as my Mother used to say….A miss is as good as a mile….nothing did go wrong so there is no point acting as though something did,” Pog said wisely patting Zoe gently on her back.
With all the Teams and Pog safely in bed, having a well earned rest, it was time to set to work preparing the wagons and harness for tonight. There was one wagon to go to Launceston to collect twenty Mine Minders and then on to Norfolk with Zoe and Calda to deliver their cargo and two to Blisland on Bodmin Moor that were then to head for Ireland. Pog and Zia were on this trip.
Everything was arranged and the first Team was due away at six p.m. sharp with the others following immediately behind. The weather was not reported to be as good as the previous night and this was the cause of some concern with the trip to Ireland.
The Irish sea could be very prone to high winds and heavy rain. It was decided to use covered wagons which were a little slower but provided more protection for the passengers. Ireland was a very long journey and anything could happen. Pog had done the trip several times before and it was always difficult and tiring and a relief to be back home, come morning. Zia asked lots of questions about the journey but Pog didn’t say too much, he didn’t want to put Zia off and anyway, everything may well run smoothly and then it would seem as though he were trying to scare his team-mate.
“Just be sure and take food and a hot drink ...or two…and maybe an extra set of clothes…and maybe a compass and some energy biscuits for the Team. Oh! and m……”
“Hang on, Pog. There won’t be room for passengers at this rate. Are you really that worried about going?” Zia said as he polished the harness, huffing on the brass buckles and giving them a shine on his knee.
“Me, concerned? No. No. What ever gave you that idea? No, no, I was joking that’s all!”
The sickly grin, that went with Pog’s assurances, did nothing to convince Zia that there was nothing to worry about.
“Well that’s good but I will collect one or two things to take with me on the wagon….just in case.
I can remember the trip back from The Black Mine Community. That was bad enough and no where near as far as the trip to Ireland. What’s it like over there? Will I see any leprechauns do you think?”
Zia asked excitedly.
He was secretly hoping that they would. He had never seen one of the ‘Little People’ of Ireland and wondered if they were like himself and the rest of his family of Little Folk.
“You don’t want to be talking of meeting up with those rascals. Why, they are no better than pixies and worse than elves. Our Cornish pixies only lead you astray down the paths BUT those Irish ‘Little People’ will lead you to goodness knows where if they get half a chance, they are full of mischief and magic….. No, you don’t want to be going looking for those trouble makers….we may never see you again if they lead you astray!!” Pog’s eyes were wide and he shook his head.
“But I expected them to be almost kin to us. You are Little Folk aren’t you Pog?” Zia asked, surprised at how upset his friend had been at the mention of leprechauns.
“You are not kin to them in any way and be grateful for it. I, on the other hand am .…..sort of kin to them….a little bit…not much but enough to understand how they work and think. There is no real intention to hurt any one in the things they do but they are so full of mischief that the tricks they play can be and often are dangerous. You just stay away from them,” Pog said, as he busied himself getting things ready for the trip.
“Can you tell me a bit about where we are going with our passengers? The name of the place and what the Community do there, how many live there and what sort of place is it they live in? I’d like to know what to expect. How many Communities are there in all of Ireland, Pog?”
“Questions, questions. I have never met anyone like you for asking questions. I suppose you aught to know some of the facts but we have work to do, so lets get on with it and then when we go for a break before we fly out… I’ll try and answer your questions or some of them anyway. Is that a deal?
To work then and don’t forget anything…we can’t turn around and come back once we have left!”
Pog and Zia worked steadily getting the wagons ready. The covered wagons they were to use were just the ordinary ones they used every day but with a top fixed on, not very high as the extra weight and wind-drag, would slow them down too much and that was why they were not normally used. A tarpaulin could do the same job for cargo but wasn’t really an option for people! Cushions were placed on the floor to make it more comfortable for the passengers during this long journey and there was a door at the back that could be shut in case of very bad weather.
“That seems to be all we can do for now, Zia. Lets go and eat and then dress for the journey. I want to give you a map so that if we do get separated you have a chance of finding your way to our destination. The Team will know where they are going but if you should get blown off course it may help,” Pog said as they walked to his office where a meal was waiting for them.
Zia felt even more apprehensive now. All these ‘maybe’s’ and ‘if’s’ and ‘but’s’. Still the job had to be done and if it was really that dangerous surely Grace wouldn’t be sending them, would she? Once they were sat down Pog started to answer the questions Zia had asked him earlier,
“We are going to a place called Ballybadrot in southern Ireland and the Community there are unusual in as much as they are nearly all wizards, with just a handful of witches. It is situated in the middle of a bog for safety and as such is unlikely to ever be a target for the Searchers as they can’t function in water. Its a large community and has some of the oldest inhabitants anywhere, so it stands to reason they are some of the most knowledgeable and wise. As for what they do…..well I don’t rightly know. Some say they have dragons in their dungeons and some say that it is the place the Wanderers go to and come from when they are not wandering around but whenever we take a wagon there it is usually full with supplies and it’s rare that we bring anything back. So, I don’t think they actually make anything but they are very respected by our witches and wizards. They must be important. What else did you ask?…..Oh, yes. How many Communities in Ireland? Only a handful dotted all over the place but they have bigger numbers in them than we are used to ...up to a thousand, I am told and in some very odd places…One is in a series of tunnels dug under the sea, a bit like a mine we have down west in Cornwall but this one is huge. Its been extended over hundreds of years and has Expulsion Tubes under the sea that fire the Witches out on their brooms.
We don’t go there very often but maybe we will have to make the journey with some Mine Minders.
We shall just have to wait and see.”
“Can we have a look at the map you have for me so that I will understand it a bit?” Zia asked.
Pog pulled out a stiff roll of paper which he spread on the table.
“Here it is and here we are,” he said, pointing to a place on the map, “and over here is where we are going. I have marked out the route to within fifty miles of our destination and put in some land marks but over the sea, or in the case of fog, you will have to use your compass, the Teams expertise or the stars, along with good fortune to guide you. But try to stay close to me and we should be all right. We must take the shortest route and fly as fast as the conditions will allow us in order to allow for a short break once we are there. It’s hard flying and the Team will need to rest and to eat but we must be home by seven thirty tomorrow morning, at the latest. Any more questions?”
“No, that’s fine but it must be time for us to make a move. I’ll get dressed and meet you at the station as soon as I can.”
Zia rushed back to his cave leaving Pog to get changed for the journey.
The Teams and wagons were ready to leave on time and set off, one after the other, heading north to collect their loads of Mine Minders. When Pod and Zia headed in to land on Bodmin Moor, Zoe and Calda waved farewell and continued on to their destination.
The passengers were waiting, all lined up with their suit cases and as they stepped on board they were reduced to Small Size which left plenty of room in the two covered Flight Wagons for their luggage, sandwiches and blankets. The Mine Minders thought it was great fun and were their usual happy smiling selves, all chatting and making jokes. Zia hoped they would still feel the same when they arrived at their destination!
In a short while they were lifting off into the night sky. At the time the weather was still good and the Teams made good progress, flying north west to the coast. That was the good part… very soon they were over the sea and things started to deteriorate. The wind was coming from the north west also, so they were flying into it and there was no moon. It was pitch dark but at least it wasn’t raining. On and on the Teams raced, making good time considering the weather conditions.
Zia received a communication from Grace asking how they were getting on and found it very comforting to think that he could send back his thoughts to let her know they were all OK and where they were, as far as he could tell, which was about two thirds of the way across the sea to Ireland. He had forgotten that he could now manage to keep in touch no matter where he was and hoped he wouldn’t need the help of her spells, which reminded him to check that he had his Woandip safely attached to his belt. It was there and he smiled to himself to think that he had more than the stars, compass, map and good fortune to help him in whatever he did. He now had wonderful new powers to put to the test and his funny little Woandip to get him out of trouble. He didn’t feel at all worried now as he stood on the wagon and helped the Team control the load in the rising wind. It had now started to rain. They had been travelling for about three and a half hours and Pog assured him that they were doing very well and on schedule.
The wind was now blowing the rain almost horizontally and it stung Zia’s face. He had his waterproofs pulled tightly around him and was shielded from the worst of the weather by the wagon. He leant down to peer through the window in the back door of the wagon and could see the Mine Minders, by the light of glow worm lanterns, eating their food and swaying with the movement of the wagon with no apparent worries bothering them.
As they approached land and were lifted higher by the thermals over the cliffs, Zia could see tiny lights below them and guessed them to be villages. The Community they were heading for was called Bog Bottom, Pog had told him. It was not marked on the map for fear that if the map was lost then someone finding the map could cause trouble, but with his incredible Memory Power, Zia could visualise the exact place Pog had pointed to on the map, which was just as well, as with the atrocious weather conditions, taking out the map to look at it would be useless. Pog indicated that they had about one hundred miles still to go. Zia reached inside his jacket and pulled out a large chewy bar to eat. He was hungry but not feeling too bad in other ways. The Team must all be exhausted but just kept racing on into the harsh conditions.
Fifty miles to go and Zia was looking forward to reaching the bog which was their destination.
He urged the Team on and guided them in, close to Pog’s wagon. He didn’t want to lose his companion at this stage. Pog was a wonderful Leader and despite his advancing years he had never complained or seemed to tire. He just smiled across at Zia and waved shouting,
“Not long now. Just about twenty minutes then we can all rest.” His words were whipped away from him by the wind but Zia managed to catch what was said and nodded and smiled back. He had been very lucky to have such good teachers as Zoe and Pog and at times like this he was glad they had taught him so well.
Following Pog’s lead, Zia braked to bring the Team lower and slower. They were now in pitch black darkness. The wind was much less powerful and as they came into land on the flat and slightly spongy surface, Zia saw the outline of four large, tall wizards waiting for them.
“So glad to see you,” they said to Pog, “Lets get you all inside, out of this dreadful weather.”
They were stood together and when one of the wizards tapped his foot on a stone they were all quickly lowered into the ground, just as though the bog had swallowed them. There were shock sounds from the Mine Minders in the wagon ‘Oooo! Ahhh! Whooops! My stomach turned over!’
They were all fine when the back door was opened and they stepped out…still smiling and clutching their luggage and each one returning to Big Size as their feet touched the floor.
“Welcome. I’m Patrick. It sure is good to see you all. Everything is ready for you. My fellow wizards here will show you where you will be living. For sure, its a pleasure to have you to stay with us. We don’t have any Mine Minders here but later you can meet our Bog Boys. They are rather like you all, indeed they are.”
The bewildered Mine Minders followed the three other wizards out of the entrance area and along a passage. Each one of them looked back waving ‘goodbye’ to the Teams and Leaders that they knew they might not see for some time and wondering what their new life here would be like. It was a big day for them but they knew they would be safe and that the Bog Community would treat them well or Grace would never have sent them. Still they were all a little apprehensive.
Zia and Pog immediately started to unharness the teams, who had all been to this Community before. They knew where to go to get dry and warm and after a good shake to remove most of the water from their coats they all disappeared into one of the surrounding tunnels, which were well lit with glowing peat torches.
“That’s enough now. You just leave everything as it is and come along with me. We have a room ready for you as usual, where you can get out of those wet clothes. For sure you are both wet through and cold as yesterdays dinner. That will never do. Direen will be after me if she thinks I have neglected you in any way and we don’t want that now, do we?” Patrick was a jolly type and Zia liked him at once.
He led the way and showed them each a warm and cosy room, small but with everything they would need.
“I will get one of the Bog Boys to dry your clothes, so when you have changed come to my room.
Pog you know where that is, don’t you?”
They were soon much warmer and dry and set off to find Patrick’s room. He was waiting for them and had food and hot drinks ready, he pulled out chairs for them.
“Sit down both of you and tuck in, you must be famished, for sure, but its a long journey and in this weather, eat up and then I want you to tell me all you can about the Mine Minders. Grace didn’t have time to explain very much except the urgency of getting them to safety.”
They ate well and took it in turns to tell Patrick all they could about each of the Mine Minder they had brought with them and Patrick took copious notes and assured Pog and Zia that they would all be taken very good care of.
They talked about the problems with the Searchers back at Dark Cave and the protective measures they had in place to repel any intruders. Patrick listened intently and asked endless questions. They were one of the few Communities that had not taken delivery of any defences made by The Others. Patrick explained that they were so remote and with the sea between them and England and the wet bog they lived in, it was most unlikely that they would be attacked.
“Our only problem comes from the Leprechauns and Goblins and that is nothing compared to what you are having to contend with. No indeed. We only have to keep one step ahead of those little mischief makers and we have the fairies to help us with that, indeed we do.”
“Fairies? Real fairies? Will you tell me about them? I have heard tell of them but never seen one…or a Leprechaun or a Goblin come to that. Everything seems very different over here.” Zia was having a job to keep his eyes open but he did so want to know about these strange little people.
“Well, now. Let me see. How can I sum them up quickly?…. The Leprechauns are everywhere in Ireland and play the most awful tricks, leading people into bogs with dreadful consequences. They steal anything they can carry, change road signs, appear and disappear without trace, change their appearance and generally make life as difficult as possible for everyone. Now Fairies on the other hand can be quite different, that’s if you can be sure they are fairies and not Leprechauns playing tricks. It can get very complicated but if a fairy has pointy ears and a gap in her front teeth then she is not a true Fairy but often by the time the victim figures this out it is too late and they are in real trouble. Real Fairies are fine little darlings, to be sure they are, and will do all they can to help any unfortunate victim of the Leprechaun’s to find their way out of trouble. The problem is that most people don’t believe in Fairies and if you don’t believe then you can’t see them and if you can’t see them then they cant help you now, can they? You see Leprechauns don’t actually kill anyone but they put people in situations where they panic and in no time at all, begorah!, they are gone, never to be seen again. Now, Goblins are another problem they can be quite frightening but they don’t bother you UNLESS…you wander into their territory and then they are monsters and will do unmentionable things to any trespasser that persists in meddling with their property. We have them as neighbours here and it can be a concern if we happen to tunnel too near their lands. We still tunnel you see, to get peat. We sort of mine it rather than dig it on the surface and this is what the Bog Boys do…among other things,” Patrick told Zia who was listening and memorising everything.
He thought it all sounded fascinating and yet different to what he was used to.
It soon became apparent to Pog that if he didn’t get some sleep soon, Zia would fall asleep where he was. They went back to their rooms for some rest. It should be easier going back home with the wagons empty and the wind behind them. Five hours should be time enough to get them home, providing there were no problems. That meant they could sleep for a couple of hours only. They were both asleep in no time and when the Wizards came to wake them neither felt like getting out of their beds but they found to their surprise and relief that the Teams were already harnessed and hitched to the wagons, looking refreshed and relaxed and ready for the homeward journey.
Zia went and did a quick check just to make sure that everything was in order and asked each of his Team if they were ready for the trip. They were, and once Pog arrived they took off, having already said their farewells to the Bog Wizards. They never did get to speak to the Bog Boys, Zia thought as they levelled off across the moors. The weather was still windy but the rain was far lighter and they were going along at a fast pace when there was a yelp from one of the lead Zoedledoodles in Zia’s team.
He couldn’t see what had happened to cause the yelp of pain but immediately left his post at the back of the wagon and flew to see what the problem was. Zinza a strong handsome tan and white Team member had blood pouring from a hole in his hind leg and was in obvious pain.
“What happened. Are you all right. Did you see what caused this?” Zia asked frantically.
“I think it was a shot from something but I didn’t hear the sound of a gun, so I don’t know. I’m feeling pretty sick and a bit light headed,” replied Zinza. His eyes were showing the pain he was in.
“Hold on for just a moment while I talk to Pog. We will have to land and see what we can do to stop the bleeding and to put you in the wagon.”
Zia put a comforting hand on the injured Zoedledoodle then flew over to Pog who was looking on anxiously.
“What on earth has happened?” Pog asked, thinking that ‘on earth’ wasn’t the best way to put it, seeing that they were flying but he said nothing as he listened to Zia’s explanation.
“I have never had anything like this happen before in all the years I have been a Leader. What do you think has done this?” Pog asked.
“I think he has been hit with a cross bow bolt or something similar. We were only just above tree height and that would be possible. Whatever it was, we have to get him down and into the wagon, I don’t think I can unharness him up here…hang on and I will see if I can. If he is strong enough to fly he may be able to make it back into the wagon and I can put some pressure on the wound to stop the bleeding. We have a first aid kit under the seat.”
Zia could see before he got to the team that he could do nothing while they were hovering as by this time Zinza was almost unconscious. They would have to land as soon as possible. He shouted across to Pog and gave instructions to the team as he flew beside them, trying to help support the injured Zoedledoodle. Once on the ground, which was a short distance from where the shooting had taken place, it dawned on Zia that they were in real danger.
Pog helped unharness Zinza and they both helped him, almost unconscious stagger into the wagon. Zia was very pleased they had the cover on to afford protection to the injured passenger.
Both teams kept a close watch for any danger while the two Leaders dressed the nasty wound and made Zinza as comfortable as possible with the cushions that were left from the outward flight.
“I must communicate with Grace if I can. She must be told and advise us what to do. This may not be a good place to stop. Something did this to Zinza and what or who could still be out there waiting for us. Maybe we will have to go back to Bog Community. Its such a long way ho…..”
Zia broke off in mid sentence as he heard some thing coming through the woods toward them.
“Quick, Pog. Get your Team into the cover of the trees. I can hear something coming this way.
Hurry, Teams. Head for cover and keep as still and quiet as you can.”
Zia was leading the way and trying to get through to Grace at the same time but his concentration was not as good as it should and would have been if he were not trying to do several things at once.
When they were all in the thick bushes that surrounded the woods he was able to try really hard to make contact and in a few moments he was getting thoughts back from Grace…and Calda. Grace told him first to have his Woandip at the ready at all times and to continuously communicate to her all that was happening.
Zia told her all about Zenza and his injury and what he had been told about Goblins, Leprechauns and Fairies. He reported that they were now hiding in the bushes because they had heard noises coming in their direction and they hadn’t been able to take off as they were afraid that who ever shot Zinza may be close by and shoot again. Another wounded Team member would be disastrous.
Pog was hoping that they were hidden well enough to escape detection. The noise was getting closer and although Zia’s hearing was increased due to his Powers he thought the movement in the woods to be no more than a hundred metres away. Not knowing what they may be facing was the frightening part. It sounded big and clumsy ...rather like he imagined a Searcher would sound.
Grace told him she would first send a Ring of Light Spell to light up what ever the ‘Thing’ was, then as soon as she got his feedback she could assess the situation and send more help. All Zia had to do was communicate and point his Woandip at whatever was causing the noise.
Zia told Pog and the Teams, in a whisper, everything that Grace had told him so that they would be aware of what was happening or going to happen…maybe!! Right then there was a rumbling noise and a sort of growl….the Zoedledoodles wanted to have their harness off so that they could defend themselves better but there was no time. Zia concentrated on communicating and pointing the Woandip at the place the noise was coming from. There was a ring of light right around the ‘thing’.
It was now quite obvious what was caught in the ring of light. It looked like a Squiton….but this was a ….DRAGON!!! No doubt about it……it was big and didn’t look very happy. The ring of light seemed to hold it captive. It was making that loud growling noise they had heard earlier but as the teams and the Leaders were still hidden in the thicket the dragon had not seen them yet.
“Do you think it was this dragon that hurt Zinza?” Zia asked Pog, who was staring through the brambles and branches.
“Shhh!! Quiet. Let me see. No. This dragon has come to find us I think. It looks like one from the Bog Community but I cant be sure. It could be a trick to get us out into the open. Keep still….. Zia, can you contact The Bog Wizards?”
“I can try but I have never tried to contact anyone out side Dark Cave.”
Zia tried and tried as hard as he could but nothing….no thoughts at all came from the Bog Wizards BUT he was getting some thing from .…the dragon!!!
“What should I do Pog? The dragon is saying we must stop the Illumination spell and go to him.
Is it a trap do you think? It does sound a bit suspicious. Do any of you Zoedledoodle recognise this creature?” Zia asked, not imagining why he would think the Teams might know.
One by one as they stared into the circle of light their expressions changed.
“Its OK, Zia. Tell Grace to remove the spell, this really is a Bog Dragon. Thank goodness.
They’re a bit like our Mine Minders or the wanderers and patrol the area to see what is around that shouldn’t be. You can tell by their eyes. They have round blue eyes and all other dragons have narrow, oval, orange eyes.”
Zia contacted Grace and she quickly removed the spell, telling Zia to do just as the Bog Dragon asked. They still didn’t know what had attacked them but if they took off and flew there was no saying that the attacker wouldn’t strike again. They went to the dragon and it did a little bow to them and the Teams returned its strange greeting.
“Hello, Melanda. Sorry about the spell but we have an injured team member and were forced to land so that we could treat him and get him in the wagon. Something attacked us,” explained Zeus.
“Don’t worry about that,” Melanda said, “I know what has happened and who did it. I had to find you before I found them in case they came after you and caught you unawares. It was the Goblins that did it. They have never attacked before unless someone ventured onto their property, you were high enough not to cause them any problem, I will have to see what has upset them, and soon, or you won’t be safe to make any more deliveries to the Bog Community. This is very strange and totally out of character for goblins as they always give a warning before they attack.”
Melanda was looking around as he spoke and Zia was listening intently and trying to use his enhanced powers to see and hear anything that was a likely threat. Then Grace was communicating with him again and wanted him to fly home with the teams if it was possible. She was worried that they would be trapped by the daylight if they stayed any longer. She was going to send a Sedation spell to help slow down all of Zenza’s body so that his condition didn’t deteriorate any further.
“You can’t take off here. You will have to get away from the goblins property overland. If you dare to take off they will be likely to injure more of you. They won’t come near me, so be quick now and follow me closely.”
The dragon started to move away in front of them but after a few steps he hesitated and Zia knew why as he could also hear the Goblins a short distance in front. Melanda raised his head high and breathed fire then bellowed in his great voice,
“Let us pass without trouble Goblins or I will have to deal with you severely. Go home and don’t bother us again. These visitors mean you no harm.”
More fire and a great growl came from the dragon. Zia could hear quite clearly what the Goblins were saying and it puzzled him. The dragon could hear them as well and he answered loudly but now his voice had lost it’s anger,
“If you have been attacked it was not by those that are with me, I give you my word on that. They have been on a mission of mercy and goodwill. I will listen to your grievance and try to help but you must allow them to take off and fly safely over your domain.”
Zia heard the reply and knew they were free to head for home and this was verified by Melanda,
“Go now, as fast and high as you can and I will deal with this problem. I hope we meet again some day ...in better circumstances.” Melanda did his bow of respect.
This time Zia and Pog responded along with the Teams in returning his action.
Soon the teams were high and flying with all speed towards the sea and home. With the wind in their favour they made good time. It was not an easy journey. Zia was very worried about Zinza. He was lying so still, not making a sound. It was only his breathing indicating that he was alive. Once back over the mainland they ran into a thunder storm. It made the last two hours of the journey dangerous and frightening. The Teams were flying with all their skill, and speed to get home safely.
As dawn was breaking they were still flying and had to go higher to avoid detection. The Zoedledoodle’s were tiring and Pog was shouting encouragement to them and a very tired Zia,
“Nearly there. What an adventure we have had. Keep going. Not far now.”
He kept this up, at intervals, until they were ready to make their way down to the Station and safety.
Many anxious faces watched as they came to a standstill and many hands helped unload the injured Zinza and attend to the Teams, all of which were near exhaustion, including Zia and Pog.
The witches and wizards were helping as there were no Mine Minders and The Others were filling the role of Chief Cooks and Bottle Washers.
Everything at Dark Cave was in order and every thing was taken care of. There had been far more spells used than normal but even so the Community had formed themselves into different task forces to cope with the work caused by the loss of the Mine Minders.
Zoe and Calda were waiting and very concerned. They had been told about the problems the other Teams had. Zoe’s Team had been ordered to rest as they would be out again that night and they would have the longest trip to fly.
At this stage no one knew whether or not the Teams that had just come in would be fit to fly tonight. They were very tough and good food and plenty of sleep could work wonders. One thing was for sure…Zinza would not be able to fly for some time, although he was expected to make a full recovery.