History With a Twist -- page 4425

He elbows you

The boy suddenly elbowed you hard in the ribs, so that you recoiled sharply.

"What on earth was that for?" you hissed, outraged.

"Get into the forest! There are more of them," he whispered in your ear. Glancing in the direction of civilisation, you saw a man and a woman strolling over the stretch of grass towards the healing-man's house, having a raucous natter along the way. Heaving the boy over your shoulder again, you stumbled into the forest, and hid behind a tree on the denser side.

The boy slid off your shoulder and to the ground as you peered at them, both leading magnificent horses along.

"How do you know that they are one of 'them'?" you asked the boy quietly, keeping your eyes on them. He stiffened.

"You wouldn't understand," he replied, all superiority. You turned your eyes to him, annoyed.

"If I wouldn't understand, then why did you give me the medallion? I'm not even involved in this whole affair, for Pete's sake!"

He gave a little start at your language, and you felt a vindictive pleasure at his discomfort.

"Well? Speak!"

He shifted.

"The medallion...... hosts powers that can enable anyone to reach the Otherworld."

"The Otherworld?"

"The world of witches, celestial beings, dragons, phoenixes. And demons," he added in a low voice. "I am part of an organisation that keeps the medallion hidden and revolving, so that the Darklit - THEM - will not be able to seize the powers of it and harness the demon's dark powers, or become one themselves. If they do, it means that the Otherworld's creatures will have unlimited access to this world, and vice versa. Someone told me to give this to you," he added. "They said..... that you were one of us." With that, he gives you a suspicious and thoroughly mistrustful glance.

You shrug at him. Well, you certainly weren't about to say that you WEREN'T.

"I don't think we can go to the healing-man for help now that he is occupied," the boy said, glancing at the cottage half-hidden from view. "Perhaps it's best that we go back to headquarters. It's inside this forest.... if you don't know."