Page 10 of Must Love Scones and Secrets
The boy smiled widely and then looked at Smoke. “Sir, your wolf is on fire!”
I chuckled. “He’s a firewolf. The flames are merely an enchantment. It’s magical fire, not dangerous unless he means it to be. He merely…sparks.”
The boy grinned widely, staring at Smoke. “Wow. Okay, come with me.”
I handed a coin to the dockmaster and followed the excited child. The boy had folded the paper into the shape of a bird. With a flick of his wrist and a whispered incantation, causing a purple spark, the paper bird floated into the air, its paper wings flapping as if it were alive. It flew ahead of us, turning its tiny head back to check that we followed.
“It’s a compass bird,” the boy explained proudly. “It’ll lead you anywhere you want to go. Do you like it?”
“That is very handy magic,” I replied.
“We gnomes always make useful magic,” the boy said with a grin.
The compass bird led us to Elder Thornberry’s house—or rather, estate.Housewas hardly the correct term for the grand structure. The home was a massive wooden construction with ornate beams, stucco siding, and many balconies adorned with flower boxes overflowing with blooms. It sat at the edge of town, overlooking rolling fields and vineyards. A flower-dotted pond sat before it. Waterfowl with sapphire-colored feathers, their heads crested with plumes of silver, called to one another as they swam in the tranquil water. Behind the house, I spotted a stable. Fields of bloomberry vines, the bright pink berries glinting in the light, rolled on the slopes beyond the stately home.
“The elder lives here. You should have the compass bird,” the boy said, handing me the paper bird. “It will help you find your way around Moonshine Hollow. All you have to do is tell the bird where you want to go, and it will lead you on your way. Except in the rain. Don’t use it while it's raining.”
“Thank you very much,” I said, taking the paper bird from him. “What is your name?”
“Fisk,” the child replied with a grin. He was missing his two front teeth.
“A pleasure to meet you, Fisk,” I said, bending to shake his small hand. “And thank you for the warm welcome to Moonshine Hollow.”
“You’re very welcome!” Fisk quipped before dashing off.
Smoke barked once in his wake, causing the child to look back and wave before heading off again.
I folded the bird carefully and tucked it into my pocket.
“You ready to meet the elder?” I asked Smoke, who wagged his tail.
Taking a deep breath, I approached the front door of the house and knocked.
The door opened, and a woman in a bright pink dress appeared.“May I help you?”
“I am Bjorn Runeson. I’ve come to see Elder Thornberry about the unicorns.”
She eyed me over, then smiled. “Oh, of course, of course, from the Frozen Isles! Come in,” she said, glancing nervously at Smoke.
“He’s housebroken…and fireproof, I assure you.”
“Oh, how very enchanting,” she said, then gestured for me to follow her inside. “Elder Thornberry is meeting with the other elders. Let me go and tell him you’re here. I know they’ll all be excited to meet you. Everyone’s been so worried about the unicorns.”
She led me down the narrow halls decorated with beautiful paintings, the images thereon moving: the clouds rolled across the sky, the trees shook, and the flowers bent in the breeze. The wooden trim within the house was elaborately carved with intricate leaves, flowers, and swirling designs. We finally went to a waiting room with a wide fireplace, cozy-looking chairs, and a large window.
“I’ll let them know you’re here. Have a seat,” she said then opened a door, slipping into an adjoining room. Within, I saw several people seated at a round table.
As I waited for the elder, I went to the window overlooking the vista behind the magnificent house. The hills behind the manor rolled with bloomberry vines. As well, there were vast stretches of green hills dotted with wildflowers where horses grazed. I smiled at the sight, vastly different from the frozen waters and icy tundra of the mountains around Frostfjord. I exhaled deeply, feeling something unknot inside me, releasing a tension I felt like I’d been holding my entire life.
Beside me, Smoke whined happily and then pawed my hand. “You feel it too?”
The door opened behind me, and a man appeared. A halfling man crossed the room, his hand extended. He was finely dressed, wearing a handsome brocade robe and a small, pointed cap with a tassel hanging from its end.
“Bjorn Runeson, is it?” he said, smiling broadly as he shook my hand vigorously. “Well met. Well met. I am Elder Thornberry. It’s a great pleasure to meet you here, far from the frozen north. It has been quite a journey for you, hasn’t it?”
I took his hand in a firm shake and gave a slight bow. “Sir. Indeed, but I was delighted to leave the cool winds behind and be greeted by your warm summer breezes.”
Elder Thornberry laughed heartily. “We’re grateful to King Ramr for sending you,” he said then looked at Smoke. “And you are?”
