The Magical Key. Martie Florence
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of the handle.
A staircase, a basement with stacks of barrels, some courtyard near a tower foundation.
Finally they found themselves in a cobble-paved lane inside of the stronghold.
Nobody all around. Deserted streets, shuttered windows of three-storeyed houses, only a wind rotating bronze weather-vanes above reddish tiles of roofs.
They came up to a granite mansion, she fumbled about in her pockets for a bunch of three figured keys and unlocked the carved oaken front door.
"Anybody home?" Lynette called but got no reply. A hall with a marble floor, no fire in the mantelpiece, no candles in gilded chandeliers. Desolate corridors and rooms with white walls, red carpets and curtains, polished furniture.
"They must have departed in haste," Andreas conjectured viewing small wooden boxes scattered on a lacquered dressing-table, near a high mirror with a plain oaken frame and on the parquet in a bedroom, open lids, no jewellery on the pink velvet padding, "however, not forgetting about expensive things."
"My mother even took all my dresses!" she looked into a large wardrobe but found only a pink silk kerchief and a brown comb. "I'm not surprised that my parents left me. They would never miss a chance to remind me that I'm a burden for the family, as I refuse to marry some depraved money-bag."
"By the way, about money," he remarked, "the horde is oncoming. I have got enough to hire a ship."
"Let's do it half-and-half! Mother didn't find my savings," Lynette replied taking two dark-blue velvet pouches from a deep secret drawer, poured gold out of them onto the dressing-table, Andreas added his own coins. She quickly counted, sorted and shoved everything into her pockets.
They left the building and walked towards the embankment. No ships in the port, no boats on the broad full-flowing river surface, only one small yacht standing at the wharf, dark mahogany boards, carved railings at the high stern platform, a streamline bowsprit on the prow. A stocky man in a striped vest and black trousers was sitting on the ladder first stair, the hands supporting the chin dolefully, his face had an expression of an awful offence at all the world, even the old felt hat brims drooped.
"Excuse me, but where are the people of this town?" Lynette asked him. "Could they possibly relinquish the fortress to trolls?"
"I'm afraid, they could! Soldiers, officers, ladies, everybody packed up, embarked and escaped," the man grumbled without anger, "but I am captain Jim, and I stayed. No one believes that a Dwarf can ever be a good sailor. Yes, I'm a Dwarf, so what?"
"We do believe that you can, and we want to hire you, captain!" Lynette pulled the pouch out of her caftan pocket, lightly shook it up on her palm, and a clink of coins became heard, "gold beforehand!"
"Really?! Welcome aboard!" Jim got pleasantly surprised accepting the pouch, his face brightened up, he sprang to his feet merrily, taking the hat off and making an inviting gesture. Lynette and Andreas ascended to the deck. Having untied the thick mooring rope from a low wooden pillar, Jim followed them and got busy with the uncomplicated rigging of the ship, obviously anticipating a new enthralling voyage.
While the Dwarf was tugging cords to unfold the sails on the mast, two trolls climbed up the citadel wall, pushed the chain winch levers and lowered the drawbridge. Roaring triumphantly, the horde rushed inside deluging the town and breaking into houses. Being led by a chieftain, the most loathsome monster with a black tassel on the helmet top, a considerable quantity of them appeared at the wharf tramping heavily.
At the sight of them Lynette ran to help Jim to bind the last rope end, she stayed to tighten the knot when the Dwarf dashed up the wooden staircase to the high stern platform and grasped at the steering-wheel handles.
The ladder was long and narrow, the assailants could try to get onto the ship one by one only. Meeting them at the board, his saber glittering swiftly, Andreas instantly hewed the first monster, knocking him down into the water, then parried the halberd swing of the second brute who lost his balance and got overthrown too.
The third one hesitated to fight and apprehensively stopped blocking the way, the following trolls crowded behind him jamming and pressing forward, but the wooden ladder cracked under their weight and crashed down, the squealing assailants splashed the board up with cascades of drops.
The sails flapped and caught the wind, the yacht began to move away from the wharf. Three or four hurled lances stuck into the deck planks, doing no actual harm, and the monsters bellowed in powerless malice on the embankment.
"Oh, yes, I do like such adventures!" holding the steering-wheel at the stern, the Dwarf exclaimed with a broad smile, confidently leading the ship to the middle of the majestic river scintillating in the late afternoon sunshine.
"Look, this is Iven!" Lynette exclaimed, "let's pick him up!"
Iven waved his hand, standing on a small boat being rowed simultaneously by two other Elves in silvery-green cloaks with hoods. Andreas lowered a rope-ladder when the wide blades of the short oars made equable sweeps and delivered the boat to the very board.
"Do you need an assistant, captain?" having climbed up the rope-ladder easily, smiling Iven stepped onto the deck.
"Dwarf Jim, at your service!" the captain answered cheerfully, "it would be nice to see an Elf in my crew!"
"Our queen sent me to join you," Iven told them. "A troll detachment is pursuing you overland. Maybe, you have something very important for them."
"Any news about the town people?" Lynette asked him.
"An hour ago a whole flotilla sailed away unimpeded," the Elf looked at her, "apparently, the monsters are hunting for nobody but you."
"In the forest they attacked me but let my father and my brothers run away," Lynette pronounced thoughtfully and began to examine the contents of her pockets, pulling out the bunch of keys, the pink kerchief, the comb, another pouch of money, "what can I possibly have?"
"I'll take you to the queen, she can help us to find it out," Iven comforted her and went to the stern, Jim light-heartedly let him hold the steering-wheel.
The declining day flooded the sky above hills with the golden sunlight reflecting in the limpid waters, and the yacht seemed to continue sailing ahead along a liquid amber.
Iven veered into a channel separated from the main river-bed with a long willow-grown island and directed the ship towards a wooden pier where a dozen of Elves had already been waiting for them. Andreas helped Jim to pull rigging ropes, and the sails got folded. Iven threw the mooring hank, the Elves caught it and tied the yacht to a firm pillar.
"Good evening!" one Elf greeted them on their coming down a broad plank they had put across the narrow gap between the board and the pier flooring, "queen Veronica is inviting you for a dinner. I'll show you the way."
He led Lynette, Andreas, Jim and Iven deep into the forest. No path, just a smooth carpet of grass. The last ray of the setting sun faded away, the blue twilight began to shade the thicket, but a small yellow-orange lantern flared up in the hand of their guide seemingly all by itself. Other similar lights flashed between trees, they went in that direction and came out into a not very wide opening. Hanging on branches, garlands of lanterns turned the glade into a mysterious hall. In the middle of it they saw a table laden with food, silver goblets and dishes on a white cloth.
"Welcome!" a pretty woman in a long green dress calmly offered to take chairs. She had a very young but intelligent face, a lily was plaited into her long light-brown hair. Kindness and heartiness in her grey lambent eyes.
"Thank you, your highness!" Jim answered before sitting down, "it's a great honour for us!"
They took silver forks, tasted the dishes amply flavoured with fruit salad and immediately expressed a good appetite. Two Elves, acting as servants, smiled at that mute but sincere appreciation of the cooking and poured some drink from porcelain jugs into the goblets.
"I heard about your troubles, Lynette," queen Veronica pronounced in a while.
"We were going to the dimension of Dryads to make some purchases at their market," Lynette remained calm, as though the placid harmony of the evening subtle charm had assuaged