find them?’
‘I hope so, I’m sure Nora will have you out of here in no time. I’ll be back with help as soon as I can.’
Charkle flitted through the grill in the door and was gone.
‘What now?’ asked Jack.
‘We wait.’
‘I’m getting hungry.’
‘Me too, but I’m not eating birdseed. Go ahead if you want some.’
Jack shook his head. He wondered how long it would be before help arrived.
The creaking of a door in the distance broke the silence inside the dungeon. Jack and Camelin strained to listen for footsteps. A key turned in a lock a long way off.
‘Do you think Charkle got out?’ asked Jack.
‘Oh he did, he did,’ an excited voice said from the other side of the grill.
Timmery flittered into the cell.
‘We didn’t get chance to say anything but I saw him and he saw me. Is he going to get help?’
‘We hope so,’ said Jack.
‘Why’ve you come back,’ asked Camelin.
‘I had to, I thought you’d want to know what was going on. It’s not good, not good at all.’
‘Oh thank you,’ grumbled Camelin.
‘Never mind him, just tell us what you found out.’
Timmery fluttered around their heads. Jack could see something had upset him.
‘You’re in deep trouble, both of you. The guard went up to the Citadel and got taken to a big chamber. This important looking man came in, the guard bowed and I nearly fell out of his hood…’
‘Never mind the details, just tell us the important stuff. How much trouble are we in?’ asked Camelin.
‘I’m coming to that. The guard called the man Sire . I thought you only called a king Sire?’
‘You do,’ agreed Jack.
‘Well who was he?’ asked Camelin.
‘His name is Velindur.’
Camelin looked puzzled.
‘Annwn’s never had a king, something’s not right.’
‘He’s the one who’s in charge,’ continued Timmery. ‘He was furious when the guard told him one of the ravens in the dungeon was now a boy. He shouted, called you a shape-shifting spy and said you’d have to be interrogated.’
‘What about me?’ asked Jack, ‘what did he say about the other raven?’
‘They think you stole the food; he said you were a thief and would have to be tried. He’s going to call the Blessed Council together. He said they’d decide how you’re both going to be punished.’
‘This isn’t good,’ sighed Camelin. ‘We really are in deep trouble. If we’ve got to stand trial Nora won’t be able to do anything. The Blessed Council will decide our fate. It’ll be even worse when they find out we came through Glasruhen Gate…’
‘… and uninvited too,’ added Jack. ‘They’ll say we’ve trespassed, won’t they?’
‘They will.’
‘What will they do to us?’
‘I don’t know, but I’m not in any hurry to find out.’
INTERROCATION
‘What’s that?’ asked Timmery as a low rumbling noise made him jump.
‘Camelin,’ explained Jack.
Timmery looked at Camelin.
‘Sorry, it’s that piece of charcoal. It’s really upset my stomach.’
‘You don’t think it might have anything to do with the piece of fudge and seven sausages you ate?’ enquired Timmery.
‘How d’you know it was seven sausages?’
‘Jack told me.’
‘Thanks Jack.’
They sat in silence except for the occasional rumbling of Camelin’s stomach. A jangling of keys gave them a start.
‘On yer feet, nice an easy, don’t want no trouble,’ the guard said as he unlocked the door.
Jack could see Jed and Teg behind their jailor.
‘Ready with the net Teg?’
‘Ready.’
Teg jumped into the room holding what looked like a large fishing net. The guard held the flaming torch towards Camelin while Teg netted Jack.
‘Hold yer hands out boy,’ said Jed.
Camelin did as he was told. Cold iron bracelets were clamped shut on both wrists. Jed tugged at a chain attached to each cuff and pulled Camelin towards the door.
‘His Lordship wants to interrogate you.’
The guard pointed at Jack.
‘The bird too?’
‘Yep, the bird too.
‘I hope so, I’m sure Nora will have you out of here in no time. I’ll be back with help as soon as I can.’
Charkle flitted through the grill in the door and was gone.
‘What now?’ asked Jack.
‘We wait.’
‘I’m getting hungry.’
‘Me too, but I’m not eating birdseed. Go ahead if you want some.’
Jack shook his head. He wondered how long it would be before help arrived.
The creaking of a door in the distance broke the silence inside the dungeon. Jack and Camelin strained to listen for footsteps. A key turned in a lock a long way off.
‘Do you think Charkle got out?’ asked Jack.
‘Oh he did, he did,’ an excited voice said from the other side of the grill.
Timmery flittered into the cell.
‘We didn’t get chance to say anything but I saw him and he saw me. Is he going to get help?’
‘We hope so,’ said Jack.
‘Why’ve you come back,’ asked Camelin.
‘I had to, I thought you’d want to know what was going on. It’s not good, not good at all.’
‘Oh thank you,’ grumbled Camelin.
‘Never mind him, just tell us what you found out.’
Timmery fluttered around their heads. Jack could see something had upset him.
‘You’re in deep trouble, both of you. The guard went up to the Citadel and got taken to a big chamber. This important looking man came in, the guard bowed and I nearly fell out of his hood…’
‘Never mind the details, just tell us the important stuff. How much trouble are we in?’ asked Camelin.
‘I’m coming to that. The guard called the man Sire . I thought you only called a king Sire?’
‘You do,’ agreed Jack.
‘Well who was he?’ asked Camelin.
‘His name is Velindur.’
Camelin looked puzzled.
‘Annwn’s never had a king, something’s not right.’
‘He’s the one who’s in charge,’ continued Timmery. ‘He was furious when the guard told him one of the ravens in the dungeon was now a boy. He shouted, called you a shape-shifting spy and said you’d have to be interrogated.’
‘What about me?’ asked Jack, ‘what did he say about the other raven?’
‘They think you stole the food; he said you were a thief and would have to be tried. He’s going to call the Blessed Council together. He said they’d decide how you’re both going to be punished.’
‘This isn’t good,’ sighed Camelin. ‘We really are in deep trouble. If we’ve got to stand trial Nora won’t be able to do anything. The Blessed Council will decide our fate. It’ll be even worse when they find out we came through Glasruhen Gate…’
‘… and uninvited too,’ added Jack. ‘They’ll say we’ve trespassed, won’t they?’
‘They will.’
‘What will they do to us?’
‘I don’t know, but I’m not in any hurry to find out.’
INTERROCATION
‘What’s that?’ asked Timmery as a low rumbling noise made him jump.
‘Camelin,’ explained Jack.
Timmery looked at Camelin.
‘Sorry, it’s that piece of charcoal. It’s really upset my stomach.’
‘You don’t think it might have anything to do with the piece of fudge and seven sausages you ate?’ enquired Timmery.
‘How d’you know it was seven sausages?’
‘Jack told me.’
‘Thanks Jack.’
They sat in silence except for the occasional rumbling of Camelin’s stomach. A jangling of keys gave them a start.
‘On yer feet, nice an easy, don’t want no trouble,’ the guard said as he unlocked the door.
Jack could see Jed and Teg behind their jailor.
‘Ready with the net Teg?’
‘Ready.’
Teg jumped into the room holding what looked like a large fishing net. The guard held the flaming torch towards Camelin while Teg netted Jack.
‘Hold yer hands out boy,’ said Jed.
Camelin did as he was told. Cold iron bracelets were clamped shut on both wrists. Jed tugged at a chain attached to each cuff and pulled Camelin towards the door.
‘His Lordship wants to interrogate you.’
The guard pointed at Jack.
‘The bird too?’
‘Yep, the bird too.
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