Winter of the Ice Wizard - Mary Pope Osborne [17]
“Really?” Jack said sleepily.
“I dreamed we were running through the woods at dawn,” said Annie, “and when we got to the tree house, Teddy and Kathleen were there waiting for us.”
Jack sat up. “I just had the same dream!” he said.
“Meet you downstairs,” said Annie.
Annie left Jack’s room. Jack jumped out of bed, put on his glasses, and threw on his clothes. He grabbed his winter jacket and his backpack. Then he slipped quietly down the stairs and out the front door.
Annie was waiting on the porch. The February air was chilly. Frost sparkled in the grass as the sun rose over the Frog Creek woods.
“Ready?” asked Annie.
Jack nodded and zipped his jacket. Without another word, he and Annie hurried up their street and headed into the woods. They ran through the long shadows of early morning, between the bare winter trees. Then they stopped.
The tree house was back, just as Jack had seen it in his dream! It was high in the tallest oak tree, shining in the cold morning light.
“Wow,” breathed Jack. “Dreams can come true.”
“Yep,” said Annie. “Teddy! Kathleen!”
No one answered.
“I guess only part of this dream came true,” Annie said sadly. She grabbed the rope ladder and started up. Jack followed. Annie climbed into the tree house. “Oh, wow!” she said.
“What is it?” said Jack.
“They’re here!” said Annie in a loud whisper. Jack climbed in behind her. Their friends Teddy and Kathleen, apprentices to Morgan le Fay, were sitting under the tree house window. Wrapped in heavy woolen cloaks, they were both fast asleep.
“Hey, sleepyheads!” said Annie. “Wake up!”
Kathleen blinked and yawned. Teddy rubbed his eyes. When he saw Jack and Annie, he gave them a wide grin and leapt to his feet. “Hello!” he said.
“Hello!” cried Annie. She threw her arms around Teddy. “We both dreamed you were here.”
“Ah, then our magic worked!” said Teddy. “Kathleen suggested we send dreams to let you know we were here, and it seems our magic sent us to dreamland as well.”
“But now we are all awake,” said Kathleen. “And I am very glad to see you.” She stood up, drawing her cloak around her. Her blue eyes sparkled like seawater in the dawn light.
“I’m glad to see you, too,” Jack said shyly.
“Are you taking us on another Merlin Mission?” said Annie.
“Not exactly,” said Teddy. “Merlin has a most important mission for you. But this time, we will not be going along.”
“Oh, no!” said Annie. “What if we need your magic to help us?”
Teddy and Kathleen looked at each other and smiled. Then Kathleen turned back to Jack and Annie. “Morgan thinks you may be ready to use magic on your own,” she said.
“Really?” said Jack.
“Yes,” said Teddy, “but Merlin is very cautious about sharing magic powers with mortals, even with two as worthy as you. He is also wary of magic being used outside the realm of Camelot. Nevertheless, Morgan has convinced Merlin to let you prove yourselves. You will be tested on four missions.”
“But we don’t know any magic,” said Jack.
“Remember what I told you on our last adventure?” said Teddy. “If we all work together—”
“Anything is possible!” said Annie. “But you just said you weren’t coming with us.”
“That is true,” said Kathleen. “And that is why we bring you this.” She reached into a pocket of her cloak and pulled out a small handmade book. She gave the book to Annie.
The cover of the book was made of rough brown paper. Written on it in neat, simple handwriting was the title:
“You made this for us?” said Annie.
“Yes,” said Kathleen. “One line of each rhyme is in Teddy’s language, and one is in mine, the language of the Seal People.”
Annie opened the book to the table of contents. She and Jack skimmed the list of rhymes, and Jack read some of the entries aloud:
“Fly Through the Air Make. Metal Soft.
Turn into Ducks—”
Annie giggled. “These are so cool!” she said. “Let’s all turn into ducks!”
“Not now,” said Kathleen. “You must use these rhymes very sparingly. There are only ten rhymes in the book, and each can only be used once. They are meant to last you for four journeys.”
“Four?” said