“Lodie, I am waiting.” IT shifted ITs gaze to High Brunka Marya. “Madam, no doubt you have more information than Lodie, but I cannot trust you to be honest.”
Elodie answered in a rush. “It’s a sculpture of the island. I’ve never seen it, but I’ve heard it’s not much longer than my hand and even narrower. It’s heavy because it’s made of gold and dotted with jewels. Harald, the first brunka to set foot on Lahnt, who knew a few spells, had it made along with a marble stand to hold it. He put an enchantment on both. When he and his companions came to Lahnt three hundred years ago, Zertrum—that’s the middle mountain, the only one with a volcano—had just spewed. He fell in love with Lahnt as soon as he saw it, so he—”
“Is this the case, Madam? It is more than legend? As long as this Replica remains on its stand, the volcano is quiet? Or must the pedestal be taken as well?”
High Brunka Marya shook her head. “Only the Replica, Masteress. It can be taken off briefly to show people. However, the two must not be separated for long. It was stolen—just once, thirty years ago—but we got it back the next day. On the first day, the day of the theft, Zertrum may have rumbled, but so softly no one could tell. A little more on the second day. There were two brunkas on the mountain then, and they felt and heard it. When we placed the Replica back on its pedestal, the mountain quieted.”
Masteress Meenore blew a puff of white smoke. “For how long will the protection dwindle before it vanishes entirely?”
Elodie jumped in. “Brunka Harald extended the protection as long as he could, but even he didn’t know how long it might last. He thought three days at the most, and near the end it will be very bad—awful.” She quoted Brunka Harald: “‘The volcano will light the darkness.’”
“That’s right, lamb,” High Brunka Marya said. “Harald wished he could have sealed the volcano forever without a replica and without danger to anyone, but he didn’t know any spells that were powerful enough.” She shook her head sadly. “He was just a brunka who had memorized a few enchantments.”
“Masteress”—Elodie balled her gloves in her hand—“my mother says the explosion will be the worst ever because the mountain has been quiet for so long.”
“Irrelevant, Lodie. Alas, you mistakenly recited my rates for when I am at home in Two Castles. Elsewhere, High Brunka Marya, my costs and my inconvenience are greater. For finding this—”
High Brunka Marya pointed at the oxen and burst out, “Are they ogres, too?”
“I’m the only ogre.” His Lordship’s voice sounded pained.
Elodie’s throat tightened in sympathy.
“His Lordship may be lying, Madam.” ITs smoke tinted red with irritation. “All the oxen may be ogres, and their fleas may be ogres, too. You may be harboring a hundred ogres. How fortunate for you if you are. A flock of ogres to shape-shift into birds and fly to Zertrum Mountain and give the alarm. Many ogres to help people off the mountain. More ogres to transform into herding dogs to bring the sheep and goats and geese to safety.”
The high brunka looked up at the ceiling, seeming to calculate. “Are they, Masteress?”
“No.” Enh enh enh. “But His Lordship may be kind enough to fly and warn the mountainside. I could do it, but I will be otherwise engaged.”
“Would you, er, Your Lordship?”
Count Jonty Um favored High Brunka Marya with his smile. Elodie’s shoulders relaxed. At the least, the high brunka would see his beautiful flat—not pointy—white teeth. And she couldn’t miss the sweetness of his smile, the blaze of his goodness gleaming through.
High Brunka Marya blushed, which IT was unable to resist commenting on. “Madam, you do well to regret your defamatory assumptions about our friend.”
“I’ll fly as a Lepai yellow-feathered swift for speed,” (Lepai was the kingdom Lahnt belonged to.) “While Meenore and Elodie are seeking the Replica, will Nesspa be looked after?”
“Of course,” the high brunka said.
“Tell me where to go.”
She gave him directions to Zertrum Mountain. “The peak looks like the gaping mouth of a fish. The brunka house, which is made of stone blocks with a slate roof, is on the north slope. You’ll know it by the two chimneys.”
Poor farm cottages like Elodie’s parents’ had thatched roofs and only one chimney.
“A stable is attached as well. The brunka who lives there with four bees is Arnulf.” She opened her cloak—green wool like her cap, tight weave, excellent quality, though not as rich as His Lordship’s—to get at her purse.
“Don’t pay me!” Count Jonty Um boomed, sounding loudly horrified.
“If you show this”—she pulled out a gold medal on a brass chain. Stamped into the medal was an image of High Brunka Marya’s face—“Arnulf will believe you.”
“Wind it around my neck.”
The high brunka looked confused. The chain was much too short.
“The bird’s neck,” Elodie explained. “Your Lordship, can you fly in snow?”