FYI: this story interrupts chapter 20 (Visitors from the wrong side of the forest) in Inkspell, by Cornelia Funke. Meggie is in the marketplace with Ivo and Despina.

Chapter 1, imagination

Meggie stood in the castle Marketplace with Despina and Ivo. The two children clutched Meggie's hands and chatted endlessly. They each had a sweet cake in their sticky hands. Meggie wiped the honey onto her dress and looked scornfully at the sweet goo stuck to Ivo's little face. She wiped it off with the hem of his shirt and laughed quietly. It's hard to believe that only 5 years ago, I was Ivo's age… Thought Meggie, smoothing out the child's black hair. Despina tugged at Meggie's sleeve.

"Listen, Meggie! What d'you s'pose that is?" She asked in her quiet, mouse like voice.

"What, Despina?"

"LISTEN!" Despina paused with a funny expression on her face. The little girl was straining her ears. "D'you hear it? It's horses!" Despina's brown eyes widened on her small face. "Is it the Adderhead again?"

"Despina, I…" Meggie heard it to, the thundering of hooves and the clank of metal armour and spurs. Suppose it was the Adderhead… Meggie heard the gate open, and the horses with the Adderhead's men rode in. Fear gripped Meggie's heart like an iron fist.

Nothing moved in the outer courtyard now and Meggie drew Despina close. Two men rode at the troops head, Meggie recognized them instantly. Firefox, a slender redhead wore a cloak draped with fox tails, while the Piper wore a green robe flecked with silver. However, what everyone noticed about him was not the robe, but his nose. Unlike ordinary noses made of flesh and blood, his was made of silver.

"Look at that couple! What a team!" Fenoglio whispered to Meggie, as the men halted their horses. The Adderhead himself was the last to ride in. His eyes darted like a salamander's on every thing in the courtyard, yet he reined his horse in front of only one person in the crowd.

"Well, well, so here's the king of the strolling players! Last time I saw you, your head was in a pillory in my castle courtyard. And when are you going to honour us with another visit?" the Adderhead's voice rang out through the silent Marketplace. It sounded very deep, as if it was coming from the black interior of his stout body. Meggie shifted restlessly as the Black Prince replied. She wasn't listening. Her eyes lingered on the Handsome Firefox and the Piper, astride their horses side by side.

As the Black Prince's bear reared up, and placed his enormous paws on his master's neck, Firefox's horse spook forward, revealing the rest of the Piper's horse. Meggie squeaked. The Piper was not the only one astride his horse. A woman, around the age of 20, sat behind the Piper. She was the most beautiful person Meggie had ever seen. She had very short blonde hair. Meggie had never seen a woman with hair that short in the Inkworld before. The longest strands came to her jaw bone. The woman had skin as fair as moonlight and dark blue eyes that resembled a dove's. Her face curved into a beautiful angle, leading to her slender neck. Meggie frowned slightly as she eyes rested on the red gag tied around the woman's mouth. Her hands were also tied behind her back, away from the knife hanging at her side. Her poorly cut black shirt revealed her toned stomach, the top of her breasts and her arms. The woman had a curious scar on her right arm, one almost identical to Mo's…

When she noticed Meggie's gaze linger on her, her eyes shot into action, pointing to the ropes binding her arms. She looked so helpless, Meggie's heart shot out for her. The woman was wearing riding breeches similar to Firefox's…strange for a woman… Her eyes begged Meggie again and again, but Meggie looked away, not sure what to do.

What am I supposed to do? She thought. Does she really expect me to run over to her and cut her free? Although it was a crazy idea, it gave Meggie the chills to imagine herself rescuing that beautiful woman. While her imagination permitted, she imagined herself looking just as beautiful as the woman she was rescuing. But instead, the clank of metal brought Meggie back to reality. The woman shot Meggie another look of helplessness, and kicked the Piper firmly in the back of his leg. Meggie laughed as the Piper jumped in surprise and nearly fell off of his horse. The woman winked at Meggie as she shoved the Piper completely off his horse with her torso. Meggie doubled over with laughter when the woman blinked innocently at the Piper. Her beauty seduced him, and he just remounted, casting her a warning glare.

"Who's that, Fenoglio?" she whispered when the Adderhead's men has vanished behind the wall.

"I-I-I don't know….she sure is beautiful! I don't think I would have been able to invent some thing that divine…" Fenoglio voice was strangely uptight. Meggie wondered if it was the woman's beauty or the Adderhead's quarrel with the Black Prince that made it so. "Listen" he told the 2 children, "you'd better stay here. Don't eat to much cake. And don't go too close to the fire eater, because he's useless at his job, and leave the Black Prince's bear alone. Understand?" The two of them ran straight to the nearest cake stall, but Fenoglio took Meggie's hand and strode past the guards with her, his head held high.