A Change In The Weather

Chapter 23: The aftermath

18 January, 2008 – 7:15 pm

Scarlet was still trying to come to terms with yesterday’s events and Torfang’s tale about the history of her family. Her family! To think that she and Thomas were part of some secret royal line that went back hundreds and hundreds of years was almost unthinkable to her. She still couldn’t quite be sure that they weren’t the subjects of a giant hoax. She didn’t like doubting things, and she didn’t like the feeling of being the centre of attention.

They’d both took a long walk in the wood to try to come to terms with the information. What would it mean to them? And how would this knowledge change their lives? As they made their way back to the cottage, both eager to see their mother and father, they desperately longed to tell them everything.

But after all that had happened, they knew that they couldn’t. Who in their right mind would believe them?

She’d put the ivory flute in the ring box and safely hidden it under her bed. She would find a better hiding place for it later when everything had calmed down, but for now all she wanted to do was think about things at home with her family. Danger wasn’t a word that affected her, but now her everyday life seemed to pale into insignificance compared to all that had happened to them over the last few days.

Scarlet and Thomas clambered over the little fence at the end of the garden, and came face-to-face with a policeman.

‘Hello there, and who might you two be?’ he said.

Scarlet was taken by surprise, but managed a reply.

‘Erm, Scarlet. This is my brother, Thomas. We live here,’ she said worriedly, trying to get a view past the body of the sergeant.

‘Please follow me,’ he said, gesturing towards the kitchen.

‘What’s happened?’ she said, feeling herself go weak at the knees. ‘Tell me!’

‘Calm down. There’s absolutely nothing to worry about,’ the policeman said, trying to reassure her the best he could, and failing.

‘Calm down? How can I?’ she said. ‘Tell me what’s happened!’

The policeman gave up, sensing Scarlet’s concern.

‘There’s been a break-in.’

Scarlet looked desperately at Thomas. Somehow they knew that whatever had happened was related to the events that had happened to them over the last couple of days. She felt the colour drain from her face, and started to feel nauseous.

‘Really?’ she said, swallowing hard and trying to disguise her reactions.

The policeman nodded.

‘Oh no, where’s mum and dad?’ she asked, suddenly very concerned. ‘Has anyone been hurt?’

‘No. They’re inside, answering some questions.’

They followed the sergeant into the cottage, where a couple more police officers were taking down a statement.

As soon as Scarlet’s mother, Jane, noticed them, she broke off conversation, and knelt down to give them both a big hug.

‘Oh, where ever have you been?’ she said. ‘We’ve been worried sick! We’ve had the police look for you!’

‘We’ve been out playing in the wood.’ said Thomas, unconvincingly.

‘Where’s dad?’ asked Scarlet.

‘He’s in the garage, checking to see if anything’s been taken.’

‘And has anything?’

‘That’s the strange thing. I can’t find anything that’s been taken,’ she said, holding up a smashed cup and dropping it in the bin. ‘Although, there’re plenty of things that are broken.’

Scarlet suddenly remembered the box under the bed.

‘Have you checked our rooms?’

‘No, I didn’t think to. Why, do you think something’s been taken? Most rooms are a complete mess. I swear, if I get my hands on whoever did this. We were in the garden all day, and then came in and found the cottage like this. This must have happened right under our noses!’

She shook her head.

‘We can’t find Nimrod either…’

Her mother’s words rang hollowly inside Scarlet’s head. Instead, she ran past her mother and the mess in the kitchen and down the hall.

Thomas looked down, and noticed a few specks of black liquid on the floor. Instantly, he remembered the goblin blood from the fight they were involved in. He grabbed Scarlet’s arm and pointed to the stains on the carpet.

‘Guess who’s been in here then…’ he said.

Scarlet ran off, not stopping until she reached the door to her bedroom. It was closed. Maybe nothing had been taken, she thought, clinging onto blind hope.

She closed her eyes and pushed the door open.

‘Please let it still be here,’ she whispered.

When she opened her eyes, she was greeted with a picture of devastation.

The dragon mask lay in a crumpled heap at her feet, her bed had been completely trashed, and the one thing that she’d hoped hadn’t been discovered, lay in shattered pieces by the bed. She fell to her knees will tears welling up in her eyes.

After a while, her mother entered the room, there was a policeman with her.

‘Are you ok, love?’ she asked. ‘Has anything been taken?’

Scarlet quickly wiped the tears from her eyes, making sure that no-one saw, and turned around with a brave smile.

‘Oh, erm, no, mum,’ she said, trying to sound normal. ‘I don’t think so.’

‘Good. Well, if you do find anything missing please tell the policeman,’ she said, and headed back to the kitchen.

‘And don’t go running off. There’s a lot of clearing up to do…’

Thomas stood by the door.

‘So, the ivory flute’s been taken then,’ he said. ‘What’s the betting those hooded creeps have got their hands on it?’

Scarlet nodded.

‘I dread to think. If the Fiery Brand have got it, they could summon Torfang. They could do anything…’

Thomas picked up the crumpled dragon mask.

‘We’d better tell Hillary.’

Posted in A Change In The Weather |