Page 67 of Hallow Hill at Halloween: Part Two

Skaresh took a large bite of ramlesh, which was a small pie filled with vegetables, much like a tapa.

“How would I know?”

“Well, I’d allow you to break off one of my antlers. If you chose to do so, you be bound by an agreement to give me your singing voice. No takebacks.”

“What if I’m no longer able to sing well and your antler is nothing more than a piece of dead bone?”

“Rude.”

Skaresh shrugged. “Not as rude as cheating me out of my singing voice.”

“If I was to mislead you about a trade, you could get a witch to curse me. Right?”

Skaresh thought about that. “Right. Hey. Are you being serious about this?

“I’m not standing in a clearing having a conversation with an unpleasant fae for nothing.”

“I’m not unpleasant.” The shadavar stared. “Well, I suppose I might’ve been more courteous.” Skaresh looked at his timepiece. “I need to get back. I don’t want to be left here.”

“You really don’t,” the shadavar said. “It’s dreadful. I think being able to sing beautifully might help. You’d be doing us both a favor.”

Skaresh considered everything he might accomplish if he could actually cause others to do his bidding by playing a wind instrument that used to belong, literally, to a magical creature.He liked singing. But he’d like having others to what he wanted even more.

“Alright. I’ll trade.”

The shadavar’s front hooves left the ground as he jumped in place a few times. “Excellent! Come and choose an antler.”

Skaresh approached. “What’s your name?”

“Why?”

“In case I need to hire a witch to curse you. And don’t think I won’t do it.”

The shadavar chuckled. “ Bozorgmehr.”

“Why couldn’t it be something simple?” Skaresh looked over the Bozorgmehr’s antlers. “Is this going to hurt?”

“Not if you do it right. If you do it right, it won’t hurt and it will eventually grow back.”

“It will grow back? Then you’ll have your horn and my singing voice, too. That doesn’t seem right.”

“Why not? You may reteach yourself to sing and be better than ever.”

“Hmmm,” he said, not really believing that was possible. “How do I do it right?”

“Pick the antler you want, grip in the center, and snap downward.”

Skaresh did as instructed, but the shadavar said, “Ohhhhhhhhhh.” He shook his head. “That hurt.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.”

“If you come across a witch named Ardeshir, please ask her to end my banishment. I hate it here.”

“Ardeshir. Okay. I will.” Skaresh looked down at the antler in his hand, but its appearance had changed so that it was shaped more like a flute complete with holes. When he looked up, the shadavar was gone, but he clearly heard his own singing voice receding into the forest.

He stopped and listened hard, feeling panic rise up in his chest. Perhaps he’d made the wrong decision. After all, he’d gotten a lot of joy from singing, perhaps hisonlyjoy. If that horned thing really had taken his voice…

Skaresh opened his mouth to sing a familiar song, but the sound was an unfamiliar croak. It was clear the shadavar had gotten his part of the bargain. On the way back to the bus, Skaresh decided he’d better make peace with his bargain because it was too late to rethink it.

---