The Golden Acorn - Catherine Cooper [64]
‘Nora can’t get the car up here so we’ll have to meet them down there in the car park,’ Camelin explained.
They flew down and landed on the branch of a large oak tree.
‘This was once a Hamadryad like Arrana,’ Camelin explained. ‘Nora used to visit her before, but now it’s just a hollow tree.’
The hollowness of the tree made Jack feel sad. He thought about Arrana’s plight.
From their position they could see the Morris Traveller winding its way along the country roads. It stopped next to a densely wooded area. Nora and Elan, with Charkle on her shoulder, got out and disappeared into the trees.
‘That’s where the Westwood Roost is,’ explained Camelin, ‘but there’s not much point flying over there. They’ll be back in the car before we arrive.’
It was a beautiful morning. The bright sunshine made Jack’s eyes smart. He closed his eyes and almost fell asleep.
‘Here they come,’ croaked Camelin as he nudged Jack in the wing. ‘We’ll go and say goodbye to Charkle on our way home, give him a bit of time to see all his family again.’
It wasn’t long before Nora drove into the deserted car park. Jack heard a strange noise as they got out of the car. It was Charkle. He was on Elan’s shoulder, engulfed in steam, sobbing his heart out.
‘What’s wrong?’ croaked Jack and Camelin together.
Charkle couldn’t speak.
‘They’ve gone,’ explained Nora. ‘His whole family has disappeared without a trace.’
THE WESTWOOD ROOST
Jack and Camelin fussed around Charkle.
‘What happened?’ they both asked.
‘Gone!’ was all Charkle could say and began sobbing again.
‘We found the roost without any problem but as soon as we entered the cave we knew Charkle’s family wouldn’t be there,’ explained Nora.
‘The smell inside made your nose curl,’ interrupted Elan.
‘What kind of a smell?’ Camelin asked.
‘Hag smell,’ replied Elan.
‘Ergh!’ Camelin croaked as he turned his head to one side and coughed several times.
‘Hags!’ exclaimed Jack. ‘You mean like witches?’
‘Not quite,’ continued Nora. ‘Hags don’t like sunlight and tend to live in dark places. They’re not very big, about your size.’
‘As a boy?’
‘No, as a raven. You’d know one if you met one and you couldn’t mistake their voices.’
Camelin thrust his head forward and made a strange high-pitched sound, then continued describing Hags in the same voice as he circled round Jack.
‘They’re really ugly, got great beak like noses, long claw like hands and feet, a mass of purple-black hair, which reaches the floor and they’re grossly messy.’
Charkle choked back another sob.
‘Are there Hags still in the cave?’ asked Jack.
‘Hag,’ replied Elan. ‘They live alone, don’t get on with anyone. We think this one might be Finnola Fytche. FF is scrawled on the entrance to the cave.’
‘She might be able to tell us what happened to the Westwood Roost and where they went,’ said Nora kindly as she smiled at Charkle before turning towards Jack. ‘You ought to eat something after your long flight.’
‘Great. I’m famished,’ said Camelin.
‘I wasn’t talking to you. I didn’t think you’d need any encouragement to eat. Let’s go further up the hill before we unpack the food. Elan can go over to the roost and try to find the Hag. I’ll go and talk to the Dryads in the forest. Someone has to know something about Charkle’s family.’
‘Can I come with you?’ Charkle asked Elan.
Nora scooped Charkle up in her hand and brought him close to her face.
‘You can come along with everyone later. Stay with Jack and Camelin for now.’
Once the picnic was laid out Nora turned again to Jack.
‘Make sure you eat something.’
Camelin had already got too much in his beak to speak. Jack wondered how Elan was going to get back to the Westwood Roost. It would be a long walk. It was only when she raised both arms and began turning slowly that he realised she was going to shape shift. With each rotation her body got smaller and began to reform. He’d expected to see the chestnut ferret but instead a beautiful eagle owl appeared. She shook herself. Jack was amazed at how big she was, at least three times bigger than Camelin.