The Golden Acorn - Catherine Cooper [35]
Elan laughed. ‘Nora gives them breakfast but don’t tell Camelin. He’d only get jealous.’
‘I won’t,’ promised Jack. He could imagine exactly what Camelin would say if he knew. ‘Motley said he thought the Spriggans would be back. What do you think they were after?’
‘Oh anything and everything,’ replied Nora. ‘We haven’t had a Spriggan problem for a long time. They’ll think twice about coming back to your house after last night. They don’t like magic.’
‘But they do like to sneak around looking for anything valuable,’ explained Elan. ‘They prefer precious stones, silver or gold, but they’re just as likely to steal your dustbin.’
‘Of course they don’t see it as stealing, just taking back what they think belongs to them. Like Gnomes they have underground kingdoms. Whatever comes from the earth they consider is theirs,’ continued Nora, ‘but it looks like they were hunting rats last night and they won’t be very pleased to have lost such a valuable one.’
Jack was relieved they hadn’t been after Nora’s golden acorn.
‘The Spriggans were arguing over Orin. One of them said she was for Him, and Motley said she’d be for their chief. Do you know who he is?’
‘That would be Chief Knuckle. He’s the oldest but probably not the wisest Spriggan. They say he has a cloak made from the fur of pure white rabbits. I imagine he’d have loved a white hat to match. Rat pelts have a built-in candle-holder, which is very useful for a Spriggan.’
‘Motley explained that to me last night. They were roped together. Is that so they don’t get lost in the tunnels?’
‘Oh, goodness no!’ exclaimed Nora. ‘That’s for safety; a Spriggan left on it’s own turns into a giant and that could be dangerous for anyone close by. A gigantic Spriggan could crush anything in its way without even knowing what he’d done. They’re not the brightest of creatures.’
‘Nasty little creatures if you’re talking about Bogies,’ said Camelin as he shuffled into the kitchen.
‘We were discussing Spriggans,’ Nora informed him.
‘Ergh! They’re even worse. You’d recognise one immediately, covered in dirt, great wide mouth, always grinning and at what I’ve no idea. You can usually smell them first. I swear they never have a bath.’
‘Jack saw three last night in his kitchen,’ continued Nora.
‘He was brilliant,’ interrupted Elan. ‘Saved Motley’s little sister and sent the Spriggans back to where they’d come from.’
‘Why didn’t anyone tell me? Why do I always miss all the good stuff?’
‘Probably because you spend too much time in that basket of yours in the loft,’ laughed Nora.
‘You should have sent me a signal,’ Camelin said to Jack. ‘Can you do an owl?’
Camelin threw back his head and hooted loudly.
‘That’s the call of the raven owl; at night it means there’s a problem. We’ll practice it sometime. Any more trouble and I can come and sort it out for you.’
‘Thanks,’ Jack replied, ‘I wasn’t alone last night. The Night Guard were with me.’
‘Fat lot of good they’d be if there were Spriggans around. Bet their little legs were shaking like jellies.’
Camelin started to laugh and wobble his spindly legs until he saw Nora’s face.
‘Any more of that and you can go back to your loft,’ she said sternly.
Jack thought he’d better change the subject.
‘I came to ask you what time I should arrive tomorrow night. It didn’t say on the invitation. Grandad says I should ask if I need to wear my best clothes.’
‘It doesn’t matter what you wear,’ replied Nora.
Camelin began to snigger and everyone looked at him.
‘He won’t need any clothes at the Raven’s Bowl.’
‘You’re not being very helpful,’ Nora said and gave Camelin another stern look. She turned to Jack. ‘It’s more important that you’re ready for the ritual.’
‘Don’t forget to bring the golden acorn with you,’ added Elan.
‘Is it your birthday tomorrow?’ Jack asked.
‘No,’ she laughed. ‘We just needed a good excuse to invite you to stay.’
‘Can we go now?’ asked Camelin.
‘Go where?’ enquired Nora.
‘Upstairs. There’s something I need to do with Jack before tomorrow.’
Nora and Elan