Wood Sprites(203)
They weren’t going to be able to force-march these kids through virgin forest twenty miles to the edge of Pittsburgh where they might find safe shelter.
“Jillian! We need the mules in here!” Louise called to her twin.
“Stupid birds!” Jillian grumbled, earning hard looks from the nestlings. She waved toward the ostriches, which trooped in behind her, inspecting everything as they slowly followed the luggage mules. “Them! Them!”
The hostility turned to confusion and slight fear as the huge birds strutted over to eye the nestlings closely.
“I sent some mice out to the gift shop to keep watch!” Nikola reported and saluted.
“Good work.” Louise indicated the two unresponsive nestlings. “We need dry clothes and blankets for them, and see if you can find a healing spell that might help.”
Jillian’s eyes widened and she saluted too. “Yes, Commander.”
Louise returned the salute. If that was what Jillian needed to keep it together, then that’s what she’d get.
Crow Boy moved to freeing the last of the nestlings. It was the English-speaking girl, Arisu, who had tried to buy the snow globe for a fellow nestling. Once freed, Arisu hugged him tightly.
“I knew you’d get free and save us!” Arisu cried. “I knew you’d come!”
Crow Boy glanced to Louise, guilt on his face. He obviously felt that the twins should be given credit for the rescue. All of the nestlings, though, were cringing away from the twins—and the mice and ostriches and the big robotic dog wearing a hat. Not that Louise blamed them; it was a bit much even for her.
He pulled free of Arisu to fumble with his belt pack. “I have candy,” he announced loudly.
Instantly Joy, who had been God knows where, appeared on his shoulder. “Oh, candy! Gimme!”
The nestlings went wide-eyed and still with amazement.
Crow Boy gave the baby dragon a large jawbreaker. “This is Joy,” he said in Mandarin. “And these two girls are her Chosen. They are clever and wise as Wong Jin. You’re to listen to them closely and do what they say.”
The nestlings eyed the twins with awe and curiosity, but at least not with fear.
Louise swallowed down on the automatic desire to hide from strangers’ gaze. Now was not the time to be shy. “We took out three guards outside,” Louise said in Mandarin, earning a surprised look from Crow Boy. “Are there more? Where are they?”
The nestlings eyed the hogtied prisoners and counted on their fingers.
“That should be all that have been guarding us since we were captured.” Arisu kicked two of the bound male elves. “Those two went through the pathway earlier and set up a shield spell on the Elfhome side. Nothing to keep a determined force out, but something strong enough to deter a stray saurus or black willow.”
“So it’s safe to cross through?” Louise asked.
“They made sure there were no strangle vines or steel-spinners or anything,” Arisu stated. “There are no oni in the immediate area either. They wanted to avoid oni encampments until they could connect with Kajo and find out what has happened since the last Shutdown.”
“They’re waiting for the Unmaker,” one of the male nestlings added. “He’s to arrive soon.”
Louise’s breath caught in her chest. None of the guards so far looked familiar; they weren’t from the mansion. If Yves brought everyone from Alpine, it could be a virtual army. She closed her eyes, focusing on the future. How can I keep my family and the nestlings safe?
“We’ll seal the entrance.” Louise pointed back toward the gift shop. Toward danger. Toward disaster. “There’s no other way into these caves.”
“Doesn’t that mean there’s no other way out?” Jillian slowly asked as if doubting the logic of the move.
“There’s the pathway to Elfhome.” Louise pointed deeper into the caves and knew it was the right way to go. “Once we seal the entrance, we’ll have time to do whatever we need to succeed.”
* * *
While two of the older nestlings worked with Jillian at applying magical and non-magical first aid to the wounded, Louise put the others to work unloading the luggage mules.
“Get dressed in something warm first,” she instructed as she found the black hoodies. One of the warehouse employees had written “midget ninja outfits” in marker on the outside of the package. Obviously their employees—soon to be ex-employees—had been mystified by the weird assortment of items they had drop-shipped. “You’re all on the verge of hypothermia.”
She followed her own instructions, putting on one of the hoodies and handing one to Jillian. “Drink some water and eat something.” She pointed at the case of water and boxes of power bars. “Then get one of the backpacks, fill it with as much as food and water and camping gear as you can carry.”