“C’mon!” she rasped. “It’s the Witch of the Wreing! Let’s go, now!”
Jahrra forced Phrym into a full trot, with Gieaun and Scede right on her heels. Scede’s heart was beating out of his chest and Gieaun looked as pale as death, but they kept up with Jahrra as she and Phrym tore across the fields in the direction of the stables above the Castle Guard Ruin. By the time they got there, Gieaun was close to fainting and Scede was shaking violently. Jahrra, however, looked as calm as Lake Ossar on a windless day.
Once he caught his breath and found his voice, Scede gasped, “What happened back there?! Jahrra, how are you even still alive?”
Gieaun had to cover her mouth to keep from getting sick.
Jahrra took a deep breath, the fear that had dominated her eyes long gone. She glanced down the slope at the Ruin to make sure Hroombra hadn’t seen them. She had a lot to explain and she wasn’t ready to let her guardian in on what she’d been doing today.
“You have to promise not to be angry,” she finally said.
“Angry?” Gieaun whispered. “How could we be angry, you’re alive! The witch almost had you, but you escaped!”
Jahrra dropped her eyes and fiddled with Phrym’s reins guiltily. She took a deep breath and released it.
“There is no witch.”
“What!” Scede barked. “Did you not see that, thing, chasing you!?”
“She’s not a witch.”
“Alright, hag then. Jahrra, that wasn’t your imagination this time, it was real. We all saw it, right Gieaun?”
Gieaun gave a short nod, looking sick again.
“No, she’s real,” Jahrra continued carefully. “Only she’s not a hag, or a witch. She’s a Mystic and her name is Archedenaeh.”
Both Gieaun and Scede stared at her looking completely aghast. It was a while before either of them spoke and Jahrra had to fight hard not to squirm as she waited.
“What?” Scede managed.
Jahrra gritted her teeth and looked both of them in the eye. “I’m going to tell you what happened, but you have to promise not to tell anyone, alright?”
They both nodded, looking more confused than frightened now. They all slid from their horses, their legs still wobbly from their ordeal. As the three horses lowered their heads to eat field dandelions, Jahrra closed her eyes and began her tale. She told them how she had found Denaeh’s garden and how the woman had surprised her. She told them about how she was a Mystic and knew who Jahrra was before she introduced herself. She told them about Milihn and the acorn and even about how Denaeh could transform from an old woman into a young woman in the blink of an eye. Then she told them about their plan.
“You see, I told Denaeh all about the dare and how I had to bring back proof to Eydeth. Then she got this idea. Why not pretend like she really was the witch? Why not act like I had gone into the Belloughs and angered her, and then have her chase me all the way back here? Wouldn’t that be proof enough?”
Jahrra was afraid to look up. Not once had Gieaun or Scede interrupted her. She had no idea what they could be thinking right now. Probably really angry with me for terrifying the wits out of them. She braved a peek and met Scede’s hard expression, impossible to read. She glanced over at Gieaun and found the same look on her face.
“I, I’m sorry,” she attempted. “I didn’t want to scare you two, but it was the only way to make sure our plan worked. And look at it this way, now we can have Lake Ossar back!”
“Who cares about Lake Ossar!” Scede shot venomously. Jahrra cringed, shrinking against Phrym’s shoulder. “Jahrra, we thought you were dead! In fact, we were about to come in after you!”
Jahrra had never seen Scede so angry, and Gieaun’s silent observance was even worse. Scede marched over to a gopher mound and kicked it fiercely, sending a cloud of sand into the air, startling the horses. Jahrra just stood silently, afraid to move from Phrym’s side. Scede kept kicking at the gopher mound until it was leveled to the ground. By the time he was finished, he was panting and shaking. Jahrra wanted to go over and talk to him, but she was afraid he would lash out at her. Instead, Gieaun abandoned her place next to a grazing Aimhe and walked over to her friend, looking her up and down. Jahrra flinched, waiting for her tirade.
“Your hair looks terrible,” she said quietly. “Did it get that way on its own or was that all part of the act?”
Jahrra’s jaw dropped. Of all the things she was waiting to hear, that wasn’t one of them. Gieaun’s voice wasn’t angry or frightened, but calm.
“Aren’t you mad at me?” she asked.
Gieaun contemplated this. “Yes, but I’m more relieved that the witch, or whatever she is, didn’t kill you.”
Jahrra sighed deeply and smiled. She was so glad at least one of her friends didn’t want to pummel her.
“Come on, Scede. You’re going to forgive Jahrra, right?”
Scede glared over at them, but it didn’t take long before his face softened and his anger passed. He walked over to his sister and his friend, grumbling the whole way.
He looked up at Jahrra, still not completely done with being angry at her, and said, “I guess so. But you owe us big time for scaring us like that.”
Jahrra grinned. “Oh, don’t worry, I know.”
Gieaun let out a tiny yelp and threw her arms around Jahrra and Scede.
“Gieaun! What are you doing?!” Scede muffled past his sister’s hair.
Jahrra simply gave in and hugged both her friends right back. Scede squirmed.
“Girls!” he grumbled, rolling his eyes.
Gieaun finally released Jahrra and her brother and held them at arms’ length. Her green eyes were bright and she smiled widely.
“Well, it isn’t noon yet. We have the whole day ahead of us, what should we do?”
Jahrra shot a wry glance at Scede who returned a smug grin. “I know. Let’s go to Wood’s End Ranch and pack a picnic. I happen to know of a nice little island that won’t be visited by a certain brother and sister today.”
Gieaun squealed in glee and Scede laughed out loud. They snatched up their horses’ reins, jumped in the saddle and turned them up the dirt road leading south and eventually to Lake Ossar.
As they lazed on their tattered quilt spread over the soggy earth of Reed Island, Jahrra, Gieaun and Scede talked and laughed until they had stitches in their sides and tears in their eyes. Jahrra was overjoyed at the twins’ reaction to her trick and Gieaun and Scede were fascinated by Jahrra’s description of Denaeh and her garden.
“I still can’t believe it worked! It seemed impossible when Denaeh suggested it,” Jahrra admitted, trying to keep her eyelids from drooping.
“Trust me, it worked!” Scede insisted. “I’ll be surprised if the twins ever leave their house again!”
Jahrra smiled, hoping what Scede said was true. Her eyes drooped again, but she forced them to stay open. She heard one of her friends yawn next to her and decided it was no use fighting her fatigue. She had been up early and had spent half the day scared to death, so she might as well give in to a short nap. She only knew she was sleeping when she sat up and found herself in a cool orchard cloaked in mist.
Jahrra sighed and smiled, knowing that she would soon see the stranger who stalked these dreams so often. The last time she’d seen him in her dreams was several years ago, right after the death of her parents. Jahrra frowned, hoping her dream wouldn’t suddenly turn into one of the nightmares she’d experienced during that awful time.
A faint glowing light began to unfurl near the eastern edge of the orchard, so Jahrra knew her friend was coming soon. Friend? She rolled this idea around in her mind, wondering why it hadn’t occurred to her before. Well, I guess he is my friend, whoever he is. She stood up, feeling strangely stiff and groggy, and moved toward the inviting light. The hooded figure hadn’t shown up yet, but Jahrra knew it was only a matter of time. She trudged through the thick, dew-drenched grass, but before she reached the place where the hooded man would inevitably arrive, something moved in the corner of her eye.