“Was it good?” she asked.
“It’s fine; it’s edible. I didn’t exactly have high hopes for the cooking of an old country doctor.”
The village doctor at Balkram was a kind man, and he had agreed to let Anne and the others stay even though he didn’t know anything about them. No matter how suspicious they were, he’d said, he couldn’t turn an injured person away.
“…Um, actually, I made that,” Anne admitted.
“Well, I didn’t have high hopes for some teenager’s cooking, either.”
“Sorry for being a teenager.”
Anne sulked, but she was relieved to see the lupine strength in Reginald’s voice and expressions steadily returning.
Alongside that feeling of relief, Anne was increasingly worried about Hugh’s safety. That fear had been smoldering in one corner of her heart all this time, and now it was growing stronger. She wondered what was happening to him now that he had helped Reginald escape.
Hugh had been prepared to accept all the responsibility himself.
Anne didn’t know what she could do with no power or authority of her own. But she felt she had to return to Northern Blow, scope out the situation, and find some way to help. She wanted to save him.
I can’t afford to dawdle.
The more time passed, the more precarious Hugh’s situation became, and the more danger he was in.
“Mr. Stowe. Let’s tell the leaders of the Fairy Merchants Guild that you’re here. It would be better for you to move to a safe location together with your guild mates. I’m sure if we ask at the village post office, they’ll send a letter for us.”
Reginald cast a sharp glance at Anne with his gray eyes.
“And then? What will you do afterward?”
“I will go back to Northern Blow to help the Silver Sugar Viscount.”
“What can you do?”
“Probably nothing. But the Viscount is the guardian of us candy crafters and of sugar candy. Right now, Hugh is the only person suited for the job. So…I’m going to do my best.”
Reginald held his tongue and thought. With a grim expression, he turned to look out the window beside the bed.
“There’s a pen and paper on the side table,” said Anne. “Go ahead and write a letter to the Fairy Merchants Guild. I’ll take it to the village post office today. Then I’ll return to Northern Blow.”
She stood up with the tray in her hands, then headed to the kitchen to clean up the dishes.
She was planning to go back to Northern Blow, but she couldn’t take Challe with her. His life was still under threat from the Earl of Downing, so she wanted him to go someplace safe.
She couldn’t depend on Challe, who had been her protector ever since their first meeting. The thought made her anxious and scared, like she was stepping barefoot into a thicket of briars.
But Anne had to go. There was no way she could abandon Hugh.
She headed for the barn. Quietly sliding open the door, she peeked inside.
At one end was the wagon with the coffin in it. At the other, hay was piled up against the wall with Challe stretched out on top of it. When he saw Anne’s face, he sat up. Bits of hay fluttered off his hair and shoulders, glowing beautifully in the light.
Anne climbed up the mountain of hay and sat down in front of Challe. Just then, Mithril popped his head out from Challe’s breast pocket.
“Hey, Anne!”
The sight was heartwarming. The two fairies had grown so close.
“You look like a parent and child,” she said.
Challe and Mithril both seemed disgusted. Even as he remained smartly settled inside Challe’s pocket, Mithril clamored, “I don’t want a guy like this for my child!”
“Why would I be your child?” asked Challe incredulously.
“Isn’t it obvious?! Because you’re the childish one… Tch! ”
Before Mithril had even finished speaking, Challe had plucked him out of his pocket and tossed him down off the mountain of hay. Mithril let out a shout and tumbled down the pile, getting covered in hay as he went, his eyes spinning wildly.
“Challe! How could you do that?!”
Anne went back down the pile of hay briefly and picked Mithril up. Then she climbed back to Challe and gently laid the dizzy Mithril down on top of the hay.
“I wonder if he’s all right… Oh, Challe, aren’t you supposed to go easy on him?”
“I was going easy on him. He’s just dizzy. If I were serious, I would have crushed him to death. Anyway, what is it?”
“Oh, right.”
Anne looked around the barn aimlessly. She didn’t know how to broach the subject. Then her eyes fell on Lafalle’s coffin, and she remembered that other fairy—the one who had said he would take Lafalle with him. He had called himself Erril Fenn Erril.
“That boy, Erril Fenn Erril—he’s one of your brothers, isn’t he?”
Challe’s expression turned melancholy. “He is.”
“It seemed like he was trying to wake Lafalle up. Do you think he’ll come here?”
“He probably will. If he does and tries to wake Lafalle…I’m going to fight him.”
Anne felt like a cruel fate had been set aside specifically for Challe. He would have to fight his brother fairy, the one person who probably understood him better than anyone else.
Anne didn’t want to see Challe and Erril fight. As she’d thought, it would be best to leave as soon as possible.
“So listen. About Mr. Stowe. I thought we could contact the Fairy Merchants Guild and tell them he’s here so they can come get him.”
“That’s a reasonable idea.”
“And then I’ll head back to Northern Blow as early as today.” Anne was relieved she’d been able to say it smoothly and calmly.
“Why?”
“I’m worried about what’s happened to Hugh… I just want to see what’s going on.”
“You just want to see? There’s a good chance the Earl of Downing has arrested him. If Downing finds you, are you going to tell him you were only following orders from the Silver Sugar Viscount?”
“Well, I was…planning to.” Anne faltered for a moment, then looked up with determination. “That’s why I’m leaving today. I’ll rent a wagon from the shop in the village. You and Mithril Lid Pod can stay here. Once I’ve checked things out, I’ll come right back,” Anne said with a smile.
Challe sighed. “Liar. There’s no way you’ll let Hugh take all the blame. You’re planning to go back to help him despite the danger, aren’t you? That’s why you want to leave me and Mithril Lid Pod behind.”
“I won’t. It’s fine. Once I see how things are going, I’ll come right back…”
Anne tried to hurry down the mountain of hay, but Challe grabbed her right wrist.
“I won’t let you go. If you go, I’m going, too.”
“But, Challe, it’s dangerous…,” she began before quickly stopping.
“There, you confessed. Let me remind you, since you seem to have forgotten. I vowed to protect you, and that is what I will do. If you forget again, I’ll say it over and over, every time.”