//------------------------------// // Chapter 7: Escape // Story: A Goblin's Greed (#11) // by LightningStar626 //------------------------------// Chapter 7: Escape ~Out in the courtyard an anxious Renesmee looked about her. There was no sign of Rarity. Round and round she strolled, until- aware that Ingeus and Crow might be watching from the windows- she made as if it pass through one of the gates leading into other parts of the fortress. At the last minute, she ducked behind the low wall, as Lightning had done, and crept along until she reached the corner. There she got the shock of her life. Rarity and Applejack's faces appeared from the other side of the wall so suddenly that they almost bumped noses. She stifled a scream.~ "Hush," urged Rarity and squeezed her hand. "You made it. Come on, this way." Renesmee hesitated. "Whatever's the matter, darling?" asked Rarity. "I don't know," Renesmee replied. "I don't know what to do." She tried to explain as quickly as possible what had happened to her. "Listen, sugarcube," Applejack said when she had finished. "This all too much for us too. All I know is that this goblin, Ingeus or whatever he calls himself, is evil! If he gets his hands on your Sodal Marble, somethin' terrible will happen. Ya mustn't let him have it. Ya gotta come with us, Renesmee." "I suppose so," Renesmee replied. "But what's the point? I don't know who I am any longer. I feel I want to give up." "But that's just what he's trying to make you feel," Sunset insisted as she appeared from nowhere. "Now, we need to go, before someone catches us." ~With great reluctance, Renesmee followed Rarity, Applejack and Sunset around the wall downstairs into the kitchens. There, they were met by the others.~ "Quick, in here!" Without any ceremony, Lightning shoved Renesmee into the potato store room and pulled the trapdoor open. "Down you go. It's alright. It's quite safe." ~She hesitated a moment before obeying. Lightning followed and closed the door. They were only just in time, as a Zard came past and demanded from Rarity where she had been.~ "We can't find our friend, Lightning, anywhere," she said truthfully. The guard uttered a curse. "That little troublemaker has run off again. Just wait till I get my claws on her." He called to the other guard who was on kitchen duty. "Hey, Gurk, the brat's on the run again. Come on, we'd better catch 'er before 'is Eminence finds out." He turned to the other girls. "And don't you try anything funny while we're gone." ~The seven Rainbooms nodded innocently, but as soon as the Zards had left they began to rush about the kitchen. Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and Twilight spread old sacks everywhere and scattered firewood while Rainbow Dash and Applejack heaved a large barrel of cooking oil on to its side so that it ran all over the wooden floor. They ladled more oil onto the table and splashed over the walls.~ "This had better work," muttered Rainbow. "You ready, guys?" ~They nodded and ran to the door. Pinkie Pie took a stick from the woodpile. She thrust it into the cooking grate until it was well alight. Then she touched a piece of oil-soaked sacking with the flame. For an instant, nothing happened. Then the oil caught. They watched for a few seconds as the flames spread, then darted next door into the potato room. Applejack wrenched open the trapdoor and Sunset held it at an angle while she manoeuvred a sack of potatoes across the lid so that it would be hidden once it was closed. Then they all slipped down to join Lightning and Renesmee. Above them, flames ran across the floor and licked up the walls. Within minutes the kitchen was a roaring beams crackled and sparks flew. Tongues of fire began to spread into the passageway and the door frame of the potato room caught light. Down in the cellar smoke started to curl through the cracks between the floorboards and the girls could hear a sullen roar as the fire grew in its intensity.~ "Oh dear, what have we done?" wailed Fluttershy. ~The first inkling the guards had of the fire was a cloud of thick balck smoke billowing from the staircase that led to the courtyard. They immediately raised the alarm and other Zards came running from all parts of the fortress. Ingeus himself, accompanied by Crow, hurried to find out the cause of the commotion. As soon as he realized what was happening he braked a series of orders to his guards. His mind leapt to the obvious conclusion. The girls had started the fire as a distraction in order to make their escape. He was consumed with a cold fury that this should happen just as the Sodal Marble was within his grasp.~ "They won't get far," he snarled. "Ulris will see to that. Then they will pay dearly for their folly." ~He called out the wolf pack. A panting mass of fierce grey creatures arrived almost instantly, their open jaws slavering and their eyes hard and yellow as they listened to Ingeus' rapid explanation. With a moment's hesitation, the wolves- led by Ulris- raced through the fortress gates to hunt for the scent. Meanwhile, the guards were doing the best they could to contain the fire. There was very little water available in the fortress so they used axes to hack away all the wood surrounding the exits to the kitchens in the hope of preventing the fire from spreading. It was difficult work, because the heat was intense and the smoke suffocating. An almighty crash signalled the collapse of the roof. A fiery fountain of sparks cascaded over the toiling Zards and threatened to set fire to the adjoining rooms. They had to use what water was available to douse the floors. This may have saved the girls' lives, for some of the water flooded across the floor of the potato store and prevented it from catching fire. Grim-faced, Ingeus watched the blaze from the courtyard above. He would show no mercy to those girls when Ulris caught them. The leader came panting back to his master.~ "There is no scent or trail, your Eminence." he growled. "I do not believe they have left the castle." "Then they are hiding somewhere," Ingeus answered. "Search the grounds and every room." ~He himself went down the stairs to the corridor that led to the remains of the kitchens. The two guards who had been on kitchen duty were still fighting the blaze, though it was now burning less fiercely. He demanded to know what had happened. In the darkness of their cellar the girls listened with bated breath as the guards recounted the events leading up to the fire.~ "They have tried to thwart my plans. Well, they shall not escape. I shall burn them alive when they are caught." growled the goblin. "Maybe they've all perished in the fire, sir," ventured Gurk. The goblin spoke with an icy rasp. "If they have, then you shall undergo the same fate," The Zard shuddered, as Ingeus continued. "But I don't believe they have died. The wolves and guards are searching every room. They will soon be found. As for you, I will decide your punishment when they are caught." ~The Rainbooms and the princess heard the sound of the soldiers' rapidly retreating footsteps, followed by the slow thread of Ingeus.~ "I reckon it's now or never," whispered Lightning as soon as all was quiet. "What about the wolves?" asked Fluttershy. "You heard what he said," Rainbow answered. "They're searching the castle. This is probably the only chance we're going to get. We'd better take it." "Right, then, give me a moment to open the trapdoor," said Applejack. ~She groped around until she found the sack of potatoes they had positioned underneath the trapdoor. Balancing herself on it precariously, she pushed up at the flap.~ "It won't budge," she gasped. "It's stuck or something." "Here, let me help," Sunset volunteered. She joined her friend on the sack but she was not tall enough to reach. Nor, for that matter, was the rest. "Oh dear, what are we going to do?" Fluttershy cried. "Renesmee, you're nearly as tall as Applejack. You'd better give her a hand." said Rainbow. The princess sat huddled in a corner, shivering. She did not answer. "Renesmee, where are you?" Lightning demanded. "Over here," she stuttered. "What's the matter?" Lightning asked, impatiently. "I'm scared." "Well, come on, pull yourself together and help us get this open." ~Lightning reached for Renesmee's hand in the dark and pulled her across to Applejack. Somehow, between them they managed to get her onto the potato sack and Fluttershy and Rarity did their best to hold them both steady.~ "Now, push!" gasped Lightning. "Come on, push hard!" ~The trapdoor began to open with their combined efforts and the nine of them were immediately sprayed with a dirty mixture of ash and water.~ "Ugh!" cried Rarity. "I've just got a faceful." "Well, y'all have to put up with it for the moment," said Applejack. "Now, I'll try to hold this open while ya climb out, Renesmee. Alright?" ~She pressed up with all her might as she released her hold and tried to climb through the gap. She scrabbled for a grip while Applejack gritted her teeth, bearing the weight of the lid and, of course, the potato sack that still rested on top of it. She did not activate her super strength. Her back and arms were in agony, and beads of sweat stood out on her forehead. She couldn't last much longer, but Renesmee just didn't have the strength to haul herself out.~ "I can't do it," she gasped in fright. "I'm slipping." "Put your feet on my shoulders," ordered Lightning. "Go on. I'll hold you." ~It worked, and somehow she managed to squeeze out. She was barely in time, for Applejack's strength failed and she collapsed on top of Fluttershy and Rarity. Up above, Renesmee heaved the sack off the trapdoor and soon had it open. Moments later, all nine stood in the smoke-blackened room. They were absolutely filthy because of the water and ashes.~ "Well done, Renesmee," said Applejack. "We'd never have got out without you." She gave her a weak smile through her smudged face. "You'd never have been here in the first place if it wasn't for me." she said, ruefully. "Never mind all that," Sunset interrupted. "We'd better get a move on. Everyone got a sack? Let's get out of here." ~The nine crept steadily along the corridor. They hardly dared breathe and expected to be seized at any moment. Up the short stairs they were able to spy out the land. The courtyard was empty and the side entrance through which they had lugged provisions was unguarded. Though only a few metres away, the open space between them and the gate seemed terribly exposed as they prepared to make a dash for it.~ "You go first, Lightning, then Sunset," ordered Twilight. "You after that, Fluttershy; Applejack, Rarity, protect Renesmee, and Rainbow, Pinkie and I'll come last." ~One by one, with a quick glance to the right and left, they darted across to the shelter of the archway.~ "So far, so good," Lightning panted. "Now, let's make for the coast as fast as we can. We'll have to go through the forest. No use going down the track. Let's just hope we don't meet any wolves." said Twilight. ~They began to descend the steep hillside and were soon deep in the undergrowth. Once under the cover of the trees they felt much safer and before long were scampering from tree to tree with ever-increasing confidence.~ "That was a great plan, Twilight," yelled Rainbow Dash. "Did you see the mess that fire made? Wonder the whole castle didn't burn down." "I wish it had." Lightning called back. "Any idea how we're going to get off the island?" "No, not yet. I just hope we can find a boat somewhere." "Did y'all think we actually got away with it?" puffed Applejack. "It seems too good to be true." added Sunset. "Yeah!" cried Rainbow. "They'll still be searching all over the castle. It'll take them ages yet. In the end they'll probably think we've been burnt alive." ~But she had reckoned without Ulris. The cunning wolf was not leader of the pack for nothing. He was intelligent and quick-witted as well as a ferocious fighter. Leaving the others to search the fortress, he padded back to the remains of the kitchen-and there he found what he was looking for. Footprints in the wet ashes. It took him only moments to work out how the girls had foiled everyone. With a snarl, he bounded up the stairs and leapt into the courtyard where he raised a blood curdling howl of alarm. Wolves came leaping down corridors and through doors in answer to his call. Ingeus leaned from a window.~ "What is it, Ulris?" he demanded. "They have fooled us, Eminence. They were hidden in the cellar and have fled while we looked elsewhere." "Then after them!" cried Ingeus. "But bring them back alive. I wish to supervise their deaths personally. Away now!" ~The wolf pack tore through the gates at his command and were soon hot on the trail. Far below, the girls heard Ulris' alarm.~ "They've found out," cried Lightning. "We have to keep moving!" urged Sunset grimly. Renesmee looked a picture of despair. Fear paralysed her legs and she sank to the ground. "I can't go on," she gasped. "What? No! Don't be ridiculous!" Lightning screamed. "Come on!" ~She grabbed Renesmee's hand and yanked her to her feet so hard that she had no choice but to stumble down the hillside.~ "Faster!" cried Rainbow. "I can hear them." ~The howls of the wolves smeed to fill the air and terror lent wings to the girls' feet. They fairly flew down the hillside. All at once, they broke from the trees into a board clearing, and the ground fell away sharply before the, into a steep ravine. By now, they were running so fast that it was impossible to stop and one by one they slithered and rolled to the bottom of the gorge. Fortunately, it wasn't too deep and, unharmed, they scrambled to their feet and ran blindly on, headless of their direction. It took them a few moments for them to discover that they were trapped. Straight ahead was a blank, grey cliff wall. They came to a standstill and looked wildly about them. On all sides the gully rose steeply. There was no way out.~ "Now what do we do?" cried Renesmee in dismay. ~Before anyone could answer there was a crashing in the trees above them and the fearsome grey form of Ulris appeared on the lip of the cliff. His yellow eyes glinted as he sighted the girls and his jaws drooled with anticipation. He motioned with his head and the pack spread out. They began to wind their way down the ravine towards where the girls stood cowering in defeat.~ "I told you to leave me behind," Renesmee sobbed. "I didn't want to come with you in the first place. Now look what happened." "Oh, stop talking like that," Lightning scolded. "We're all in this together, whether you like it or not." ~Huddled together, they watched as the hungry-looking wolves drew even closer. There was nowhere to go. Twilight Sparkle glanced back at the cliff in desperation, and then did a double-take. To her amazement, faintly etched on the rocky face was the outline of a dove.~ "Hey, what's this outline on the rocks?" she cried. The others turned. Fluttershy gasped. "Of course!" she exclaimed, "I have the turtle dove's tail feathers! He told me they would help me when I needed them! I know what to do!" ~She reached into her jerkin as she ran to the cliff wall. Bemused, the Rainbooms and Renesmee watched as she drew out a long feather and with it swiftly traced the outline of a door on the rock. A moment later, the image of the dove vanished but a faint blue line remained shimmering on the cliff where Fluttershy had drawn.~ "It's a door of some kind!" exclaimed Rainbow as she ran towards it. However, she could see no way of opening it. "We need Merrdom's magic." Rarity replied. "If only we had the mirror or something." "We have something," cried Lightning with a flash of inspiration. "Or near enough. What about your Sodal Marble, Renesmee?" "Oh, that," she sniffed. "All that's done is cause trouble. It won't do any good." "Get it out, anyway," Applejack urged. "Well. alright." ~Renesmee reached into her blouse and drew out the jewel. By now, the wolves were little more than a hundred metres away and were advancing on their prey at a steady lope.~ Rainbow was urgent. "Point it at the outline," she said. Princess Renesmee reluctantly did so, but nothing happened. Lightning was beside herself with exasperation. "Oh, for goodness sake, Renesmee, believe in it, just for a moment." ~They concentrated hard and whether it was the threat of the wolves or something more, Renesmee did manage to believe that the Sodal Marble might have power. At once, a fiery blue beam blazed out from the jewel and struck the faint outline of the door. It sparkled to life with an electric blue flame and before their wondering gaze a stone door swung open. There before them lay a tunnel lit at the far end by a pale ghostly glow.~ "Quick!" cried Lightning. "It worked! Run!" ~Ulris, who was at the head of the wolves and only fifty metres away, saw what had happened. With a snarl of fury, he leapt forwards. The girls sprinted along the tunnel as swiftly as their legs could carry them, but the wolves were gaining. Faster and faster they ran. The howling and panting of their pursuers echoed off the passage walls and they seemed almost at the girls' heels. Hopes that the magic door would keep the wolves out were dashed. The plaelight ahead grew closer and Lightning wondered if it was simply daylight at the other end- in which case all would be lost. But it proved to be more daunting still, for the tunnel came to an abrupt dead end. To their amazement, they saw that the light came from a rapidly whirling pool of water fed by a small waterfall gushing from the roof. There was no way forwards and the wolves were almost upon them.~ "We must have to jump in the pool," gasped Sunset. "It's no good," screamed Renesmee. "We're trapped!" "Get in!" snapped Lightning. "It's got to be right. Come on, it's our only hope." "Hold your breath!" called Pinkie, and with that she jumped without thinking any further. "Wheeeee…!" ~Lightning gave Renesmee a shove and she fell with a cry into the glowing whirlpool, to be instantly swallowed up. The other Rainbooms looked at each other for courage, then plunged in together. Lightning turned to find herself face to face with Ulris.~ "There is no escape for you, girl!" ~Ulris bared his fangs and advanced on Lightning while the other wolves fanned out, which left the girl with nowhere to go. There was only one thing for it. In sheer desperation, Lightning threw herself into a back-flip and plunged into the whirlpool. The water sucked her down at a dizzying speed. She tried opening her eyes for a moment but was dazzled by a kaleidoscope of rushing colours. Her head span in the confusion light and after that she simply lost consciousness. Meanwhile, up above, a defeated Ulris growled with rage and watched as the light went out in the pool. Neither he nor any in his cruel pack dared venture into the swirling black waters that remained.~ ~Lightning stirred slightly and smiled to herself. She gave a contended grunt and snuggled into a more comfortable position on the soft surface. She felt warm and relaxed and half-dreamed she was adrift on a sunlit sea. It was Rarity's shout that made her open her eyes. She gave a small start of surprise, for she found herself lying on sand. Jerking upright, she looked about her to find she was on a gently shelving beach and small waves were lapping at the shore. The sound of splashing water behind made her turn to see a stream pouring from the rocky cliff and soaking away into the sand. Not far away lay the other Rainbooms and Renesmee. Rarity was already sitting up.~ "Lightning, what happened to us? Where are we?" "Haven't a clue." she replied. "Last thing I remember was being sucked down that whirlpool." Twilight groaned. "Me too." Rarity staggered to her feet and stumbled across to them. "Are the other girls alright?" "I'm fine!" Pinkie Pie said as she sprung to her feet. She gave her neighbours a shake. "Sunset Shimmer? Fluttershy?" "I'm awake. I'm up." Sunset groaned in response. "Mmm…" Fluttershy smiled and stretched. "I feel so relaxed! Are we in heaven or something?" "Umm, I hope not. I mean- I don't think so," Lightning replied. "We're on a beach somewhere. I think we somehow got washed down to the shore," she explained, and showed them all the stream. "Well, thank goodness for the feathers." said Fluttershy. "You never told us about that feather," said Rarity, looking intently at the shy girl. "Wherever did you get such a precious, magical item, darling?" Before Fluttershy could explain, Renesmee, Rainbow Dash and Applejack sat bolt upright. "W-where are we? Where are the wolves?" Renesmee asked with alarm. The Rainbooms laughed. "It's alright, Renesmee," Sunset reassured her as gently as she could. "We're safe now. At least, for the moment." ~They studied their surroundings. The food sacks had been washed down with them and by some miracle the food was dry. In fact, even their clothes showed no signs of having been drenched. As far as anyone could see they were still on the island, for the mainland was recognisable across the straits. None of them had any idea how long they had slept, but their stomachs told them lunch was overdue. So, before exploring further they drank from the stream and ate some food. Suddenly, they heard voices.~ "You know, this is all very nice," said one familiar voice. "but we must look around this island. This is the only place we haven't looked." "I agree," replied another voice. "For all we know Renesmee could be here and in so much danger." "Then what are we waiting for?" The third and final voice exclaimed in alarm. "Let's go and find her. I hope she's here." It was then that Lightning spotted three figures to her left and gasped. "Joskye? Swift? Argie?" she called their names. Joskye White turned around to face the voice. He froze. "Lightning?" he cried. "Oh. My. Gosh!" ~Joskye ran forward as Lightning, with her hair flying all over the place, tumbled over to him. They threw their arms around each other and for a few moments they just hugged and squeezed one another for all they were worth. None of them were able to find words to express their relief at being together again. The silence didn't last long and soon they were swapping stories eagerly and asking all the who, what, when, where and how questions they could think of.~ "Lightning! Applejack! Fluttershy! Rarity!" Swift White squealed breathlessly. "It's so good to see you all again!" "You too!" said Fluttershy with a smile. "It's been awhile, hasn't it?" Applejack said. "Wait, what are you doing here?" asked Twilight. "Dalton sent us," Joskye explained. "He needs help finding his sister Renesmee. She's gone missing, you see." "You mean this Renesmee?" Pinkie said with a smug, wrapping her arm around the princess. "You're Renesmee? Oh, that's brilliant!" Swift smiled. "I'm Swift," she then introduced, "And these are my brothers, Joskye and Argie. We are good friends with your older brother, Dalton." "He has told us a lot about you." Argie White spoke up. "He went out with the sprites to look for you up north." "You mean, he's looking for me?" the princess asked. "Of course." "But, since we've now found you, he will be relieved." Joskye said. He turned to Lightning. "Were you sent here as well then?" "Yeah." she said. "We haven't seen anybody else though. We just showed up here unannounced and we came across some- It's a long story, we'll explain it all to you later, right now, we have to get off this island. Somehow I don't think Ingeus will have given up the search." "I agree," Twilight nodded. "For all we know they might be combing this island as we speak. They may even know about this stream." "Then let's find a boat." exclaimed Pinkie. ~The teeangers cautiously trotted down to the seashore in order to obtain a better view, but this part of the island looked completely deserted. The sand stretched monotonously in both directions until it curved away out of sight. Behind them, above the low cliffs, the forest rose dark and forbidding towards the summit. Somewhere just out of sight must be Ingeus' fortress. The sky was clear, blue and empty. There seemed no hope to escape.~ Argie then spotted something. "Hey, look! Out there!" He pointed across the sea. ~For a moment nobody could see what he was indicating. Then they spied the graceful grey and pink creatures leaping through the waves.~ "They're mermaids!" exclaimed Rarity. "And dolphins! Look! There's a dozen of them!" Swift added. "They're coming this way!" yelled Argie with excitement. ~And to their wonder, the beautiful creatures drew right into the shallows. One of mermen, by far the largest, rose out of the water on his tail, as mermaids do, and waved his flippers. The teens laughed. Then he spoke. The voice was unlike anything they had ever heard. They might have expected to hear a high-pitched squeak but instead it was deep and strangely musical and reminded the Rainbooms afterwards of a cello.~ "We have heard your song." he said, or rather he seemed to hum. "Song? What song?" Sunset called, puzzled. "Why, the music of the singing marble. Sweet it was, as the sound of the shimmering sea beneath a thousand stars. Haunting were its melodies, as moonbeams caressing a coral strand on a soft summer's night. How could we resist such rapturous harmony? We come to serve its call." "What is he talking about?" Rainbow whispered to Twilight. "I'm not sure. Maybe it's Renesmee's jewel." she replied. As if an answer to the question, the merman spoke again. "Which favoured one bears the marble?" "Go on, Renesmee," Argie urged. "It must be you." She stepped forward and spoke with some hesitation. "I am Renesmee. I have the marble." she said. The merman flipped beneath the waves and re-emerged with his companions only to repeat the action in a series of splendid dives. "Our delight is boundless." he sang, "What service may we bring?" Renesmee turned to the girls for support. Fluttershy quickly stepped forward. "Um, We need to cross the sea to the mainland," she explained. "but we have no way of getting there. If you could help us in some way we would be grateful." The mermaids and dolphins leapt together in a glistening fan of sleek bodies, and when they surfaced, the largest one answered Fluttershy. "Our dolphins shall carry you to the shore you seek. Come, sit upon their backs. And I, fair marble-bearer, would have your ride with me, if such privilege I may enjoy." ~The teens waded out into the shallows and soon found themselves astride the backs of these magnificent sea-creatures. The journey was enthralling. The dolphins carved effortlessly through the waves, at times leaping in graceful arcs and weaving between one another in criss crossing paths like playful speedboats. The teenagers, soaked to the skin and covered in sea spray, would not have missed the experience for anything. They laughed and screamed with delight at the dolphins' breathtaking antics.~ "The sea is at one at meeeeee!" Pinkie screamed over the crashing waves. ~Throughout the journey each of the mermaids hummed a continuous note which not only seemed just right for the girl he carried but was also in perfect harmony with that of his companions. The music made the teens feel very safe. The approaching shore proved to be a rugged coastline rising at once to high mountains. There was no sign of habitation and before long they came to the shallow waters of a small pebbly bay where they slowed to a halt. The teen slipped from the dolphins' back and thanked them. The leader of the school looked at them with friendly eyes.~ "Farewell, good speed, my friends. Let her music keep your hearts from fear. Maybe someday we shall meet again." ~With that the dolphins and mermaids were off. The teens waded to shore and waved wistful goodbyes as their friends cavorted northwards.~ "You know, that really is some jewel." Joskye said to Renesmee. ~She gave him a weak smile and nodded thoughtfully. The sun was still high, so the first thing they did was to let their clothes dry in its heat. Most of their food was ruined except some fruit and cheese, but nobody was too worried. To be free from the island and Ingeus was sufficient. They lay back, content to do nothing except chat about the mermaids and dolphins and what it felt like riding them. Suddenly, Renesmee sat up, her face turning pale.~ "What's up, Renesmee?" Lightning asked. She pointed to the sky at a black speck in the distance. "I have a feeling that's Crow." she muttered. "Then this isn't a place for us to hang about," Joskye decided. "Let's be on our way. Now!"