Chapter Eight

The Glass House

We collapsed in the tall grass, or rather, Hans sank to his knees and half-dropped me to the ground. Wulf simply threw himself down and tried to catch his breath. I could see blood matting his thick fur over his shoulder, his flank, and his eye. One paw was swelling. A chunk of his nose was missing, and his muzzle was scored by four parallel gashes - the dog's claws. I reached out and touched one silky ear. He whined deep in his throat and licked my arm.

"You look awful," I whispered, my skin cold with fear. Was he going to die? But no, he was limping, and bloody, but that was all. His eyes were too bright and alert for death to be anywhere close by. "Can you walk?"

He gave me a look that might have scoured a grease pot clean. I knew what he meant - that it was foolish of me to ask about his welfare when I couldn't even stand up without help. My ankle was no longer painful, but Scarlet had said to ride and keep off of it as much as possible for a full week from the day we left her cottage.

How in the world was I supposed to-

"Whoa."

At Hans' breathless murmur of wonderment, I looked away from Wulf's crystal blue eyes and realized we were actually in the Garden of the Golden Lilies. No wonder it had enchanted glass walls around it so you couldn't see inside. If thieves knew what lay within these walls, surely they would... well.

The grass we were all resting on wasn't green. At least, it wasn't green the way most grass was green. Every little emerald blade glittered like green crystals in the light. When I licked my finger and stroked one, it hummed like glass. And the flowers... all around us were lilies of the valley, white lilies, maiden lilies that looked like young girls' dresses; spring lilies, lily plum bushes with their purple-edged leaves, little white flowers, and oblong violet fruits; calla lilies, rainbow lilies, and lily roses.

Now, about the lily plums. You've heard me mention thumb plums and winter plums before. Kuetas grows a lot of plums. It's our biggest export, or so my father once told me. Our country makes the best plum cider, plum cordial, plum sauces. And we grow the most varied and unique looking plums in the world - thumb plums, whose fruits are no bigger than a thumbnail; winter plums, which look like they're made out of ice; lily plums, which grow on bushes instead of trees; rose plums, which can only be found in the hearts of the purple and red roses they ripen in. It is even said that in the orchards of Castle Kuetas grow a plum that looks as if it is made out of diamonds and spun sugar - the legendary sugarplums, which are said to grant immortality. I didn't know if that was true, or even if they existed, because I'd never seen one. But plums were the business of Kuetas.

The only plums found in this garden, however, were lily plums. But these were no ordinary lily plums, either. The leaves, edged in purple, looked as if they were made of colored glass. The lilies sparkled like diamonds, and the fruits themselves shone like pale violet jewels.

Everywhere we looked, the plants around us glittered crystal bright.

As we were absorbing the brilliant sights around us, we realized that the darkness of the night had drifted away as we crossed the threshold of the gate. It was now a strange, misty twilight, the sky a faint purple tinged with tangerine and pink. Stars shone faintly like dying candle lights. I couldn't tell if it was dawn or dusk, and neither Hans nor Wulf changed in the least bit as we all got up and began to move again. Hans had to carry me, as Wulf was in no shape to bear my weight.

"How do you know where we're going?" I asked Hans, voice barely audible. As the fear of the Huntsman's dogs and the awe of our surroundings receded from my body, exhaustion took their places. I simply wanted to sleep, but I didn't dare yet. "How do you know we're heading towards the West Wind?"

"I don't," he said. "I'm following the path."

"What path?" I asked, and looked around, curiosity renewing my energy for the moment. When my eyes found the ground beneath Hans' feet, I saw what he meant, for under his bare toes was a glittering path the color of the full moon. How I had missed it before, I didn't know.

After that, there was silence. I was so tired, I didn't mind. What was there to say? Hans needed all of his energy to bear my weight, for I wasn't the lightest person in the world by any stretch; Wulf could not speak in his beast form, and I was far too tired to even move my lips, much less speak coherently. But I felt bad for Hans. When would I be able to walk again?

Finally, we all grew so tired that Hans tripped and stumbled, nearly dropping me. I told him to lie down before he fell down. For once, he actually listened. Wulf followed suit. I settled down as well. The grass, though diamond-like in appearance, was as soft as the meadow around my father's house. It even smelled the same, sweet and earthy and wet.

"Are you tired?" He asked me.

"Yes. You?"

"Yeah."

Then I heard the tinkling chime sound again and sat up. Where had it come from? For as far as I could see - which wasn't far past the rainbow lily vines on their trellises - there was nothing but the crystalline growth all around us. But I could have sworn I heard laughter....

"From the white that is unbroken

I am a road of seven paths

When the sunlight streaming after

Touches earth's springtime baths."

The tinkling voice jingled and jangled like tiny silver bells. I looked around wildly but saw nothing. Wulf tried to rise to his feet. It required a monumental effort. Hans scanned the growth around us, searching for the speaker.

"Answer my riddle, and I will take you somewhere safe," the voice said.

"Aren't the gardens safe?" I demanded, alarmed. These gardens were right outside the doors of Castle Kuetas, which was apparently surrounded by the enchanted walls too, as I hadn't seen it in that vast field.

"Safe, yes, but not cozy. I will take you to the Glass Queen."

"But we need to speak to the West Wind," Hans called. "It's important that we see the Lady Westernesse. Her brother the Lord Eastern sent us. We bring her a gift."

"Answer my riddle and you will see whom you seek."

I glanced at Hans, feeling my weariness protesting violently. More riddles? Surely we were all too exhausted to deal with mind games like that. But we needed to see the West Wind....

"What's the riddle again?" I asked the invisible voice. It was difficult to keep my crossness from my voice. But this could possibly be a type of Faery, and I didn't want to offend him... her... it.

"From the white that is unbroken

I am the road of seven paths

When the sunlight streaming after

Touches the earth's springtime baths."

"White that is unbroken... the road of seven paths...." Hans muttered.

"So, the unbroken breaks into seven paths," I said. An idea was niggling at the back of my brain, but it was difficult to hold onto. I needed to think some more first.

"Is it always seven?" Hans asked.

"I think so."

"Hmmm... when the sunlight streaming after touches earth's springtime baths. I think...." He trailed off for a moment, looking pensive. I wondered if his head hurt. "It's saying the sunlight comes after the springtime baths."

"The sun after the rain?" I hazarded. "You know that old saying, about spring rain washing away winter."

"The sun after the rain... white that is unbroken... the road of seven paths... a rainbow!"

"A rainbow?"

"Yes," he said. "You know!"

I shook my head. I had no idea what he was talking about. The town boy sighed, exasperated.

"I showed you that one time," he said.

What one time? My face must have reflected my confusion because he continued, "With that big hunk of glass from my sister. Remember?"

"Not really, no."

"It made the sunshine into rainbow. A rainbow has seven colors."

Blank face.

"Seven colors - seven paths. One road, seven paths. But sunlight-"

"Has no color," I finished for him, excited now. I would never have thought of that. I still didn't remember what he was talking about, but I also knew in my heart that he was absolutely right about the answer. "White isn't a color, so...."

"Is it a rainbow?" Hans asked the invisible voice, which had been oddly silent throughout our puzzling. How many more riddles might we have to face in this garden? Practically numb with tiredness, there was no chance we could successfully answer another one.

"Indeed, indeed. How clever you children are. Very well. Hold on a moment," the voice whispered, and something cold touched my face. Before I could even turn my head to see what it was, I was asleep.

* * *

I awoke on a bed of glass.

As soon as consciousness returned, I jerked upright and looked around. Our three packs from Scarlet were on the floor beside the bed, along with my red cloak and my boots. Trying to push away sleep, I ran my hand through my disheveled brown hair and scrubbed at my face. We were all right... at least I was, for the moment.

With this realization, calm settled through me. I needed to look around, see where exactly I was.

It was a glass house. The walls were cloudy glass, and the floor was a glass stained so dark red it was almost brown. The ceiling overhead was black glass. The bed I was in was clear, a four-poster with curtains that glittered like they, too, were made of the glittering stuff, a rich, dark green that reminded me of the crystal lawn in the Garden of the Golden Lilies.

Strange, we'd seen plenty of lilies, but no golden ones, so why was it....

With a shake of my head, I shrugged off the question. It wasn't important.

I got out of bed and went to put on my boots when I noticed my splint was gone. My ankle had nearly returned to its original size. The bruises were only green and blue now, not black and purple, as they had been at Scarlet's cottage. Perhaps I could walk on it.

Carefully, I stood up, putting nearly all my weight on my good leg. Well, so far, so good. Taking a deep breath, bracing myself for the pain that I knew would come, I began to put pressure on my other foot.

The pain that shot up my leg was nothing close to crippling. I could walk, if I favored my bad ankle. No more having to ride on my friends' backs. No more being carried around like a sack of potatoes when the lads needed all their energy for themselves. I could walk... a little.

With this in mind, I put on my boots and left my glass room, anxious to find the others. Luckily, it wasn't that hard.

My door did not lead to a hallway, as I had expected. It led outside. Shocked, I looked around, wondering where on earth the rest of the glass house could possibly be. I'd never heard of a house with only one room that didn't at least have a fireplace and a kitchen of some kind. There was only that great, glass bed inside, which was hardly practical for a one-room house.

Then I noticed that there were several little glass houses, identical to the one I had just left, all around me. And lying in front of the door of one, head resting on his huge, russet paws, was a shape I recognized immediately - Hans!

I limped over to him as quickly as I could, stopping only twice to rest and ease the tightness in my bad leg and the wobbly feeling in my good one. I had not truly walked in almost a week. My muscles had grown weak in that time.

"Hans!" I cried, grinning like a fool, and tried to sit down beside him. Unfortunately, all I managed was to introduce my face to the ground. But suddenly there were familiar hands helping me to sit up, and I looked into the clear, blue eyes of Wulf.

He still looked awful, but nowhere near as bad as I'd expected. There were tiny, black stitches on his bare left foot and the bridge of his nose, and bandages at his neck, and around his torso and one upper arm. A nearly black bruise flowered on the side of his face. However, he didn't look pale or thin, and he wasn't sweating. The leather cord with its green stone - which now glowed faintly - was nestled against his chest. Someone had taken good care of him while I was asleep.

"Get enough beauty sleep?" He asked, grinning. One of his front teeth was chipped. It must have been from his fight with the white dog.

"What do you mean?" I asked, puzzled. I'd slept for a night. That wasn't so long.

"You've been asleep for nearly a week," Wulf replied, still smiling, but his expression slipped when horror stole over my face like a shadow. Ice clutched my chest tightly. A week! I'd slept for a week! My brothers, our quest... a whole week wasted....

"Marzipan, what's wrong?"

"Whose house is this? Who rules here? I have to see them now! We have to get going, we've wasted so much time, we have to-"

"Peace, young Marzipan," said a chiming, silvery voice. I turned to see, standing only a dozen paces away, a woman with long, blond hair in a braid hanging over her shoulder and eyes like gray stone. Her skin was the whitest I had ever seen, nearly transparent, and her dress glittered with a thousand beads. "All is well. You must stay with me another day, and then you may go on your way. Understand?"

"No! I need to go now!"

"And would you go to the Faery of the Silver Orchards with nothing to recommend you? Looking like a stray ragamuffin and her companions, a country boy and a beast, you would go before the Regent of our country to ask her to interfere in something as trivial as the saving of a handful of country children, when our ruler is vanished and the war with the rat demons begins to spill over into even the furthest reaches of Kuetas? Surely you, Marzipan, riddle master and wolf rider, know better than this."

My heart sank. She was right, whoever she was, though I hated to admit it. Her words hit me like slaps to the face. There was cold condescension in her tone, so icy it burned me. I had to say something. I couldn't just stand here, blood flooding my face and turning it bright red, saying nothing.

"People, commoners, have gone before the Regent without summons before," I managed to get out from between my clenched teeth. "I need nothing to recommend me. The Regent is the caretaker of Kuetas while the Prince is away. Her duty is to see to the kingdom and its people. My brothers and I are some of its people. It is her job to take care of us when we cannot, and it is my right to demand she do it. I don't know the first thing about magic, other than that it's everywhere and then some. I can't break this spell on my brothers on my own. But what I can do is find someone who knows more than me who's willing to help."

Strength flowed into me as my convictions returned. It was the truth - the ruler of a country had an obligation to care for its people. The Regent may not want to see me, but I would see her. Nothing this woman or anyone else could say could stop me. My brothers needed help. I would find a way to help them.

"If the Regent won't help me, I'll go to the Prince's uncle. He knows about magic, too. I don't know where he is, but someone in Kuetas has to. If the Regent won't listen to me, I'll go to him, and...."

A soft clapping stopped my words. I looked up from the ground at which I'd been staring so fiercely and found the gray-eyed woman looking at me almost... admiringly. Her pale hands stopped clapping, and she smiled, shaking her head. The expression on her face was rueful. Confusion warred with curiosity in the pit of my stomach at the sight. What was she thinking about?

"Hans and Wulf were right," the lady said. "You are a stubborn one. Some would say foolhardy, but I say determined. I admire determination in young people. It's rare, but it's needed in Kuetas these days. Well... still, one day is required, Marzipan. I'm sorry for this, for I know your heart would have you with the West Wind and well away. But there are things you need to know, and things I need to give you, and all is not yet ready. You will leave after nightfall, when Master Wulf is again a beast. So, come and have lunch with me. You've slept a long time. I expect you're hungry."

At her words, my stomach rumbled loudly. Wulf laughed. My face flushed again. With the help of my companion, I made it to my feet, and we followed the lady towards another of the glass houses.

This house was larger than the others, two stories whereas the others had all been one. The glass was clouded, like the other houses, but it was also a different color, a pale yellow like fresh milk in summer. It glittered like a million tiny jewels, reflecting the sun. The door was a deeper color, dark bronze, with a thousand reflective surfaces that caught glimmerings of green and crimson light, making the tiny sparks dance. The lady led us inside.

The room we entered was enormous, the roof seeming to tower over my head. Wulf didn't seem to care. Hans nudged my hand with his nose. I crept forward, shrinking in on myself. This was too much splendor for me. In the little glass house, I'd been too concerned with the whereabouts of my companions to care about how rich everything was here. But now, sandwiched between my friends and this tall, cold woman, the sheer opulence crashed down on me like a wave. My teeth sank into my tongue to keep from saying anything. I didn't want to sound stupid.

The lady - I did not know her name, I realized suddenly - sat us at a table of dark brown crystal. There were porcelain plates painted with silver snowflakes, gold lilies, and glittering, white roses, and cups to match. The knives were bone white porcelain, too. And in the center of the table, in a clear, crystal basket, were white rolls freshly made, thumb plums and lily plums, winter plums and summer plums with their golden sheen, and little round cheeses. The interior of the crystal carafe beside the basket was white with what looked like fresh milk. There was even still some froth on the top. And on a large, porcelain serving dish were slices of cold ham and mutton.

"Does this suit you?" The woman asked us.

"Yes!" I cried, my hunger making me forget my surroundings. Suddenly it felt as if there were a giant hole inside my belly.

"Yes!" Wulf said.

Hans gave a sort of half bark, which I assumed meant yes and which made the lady laugh.

"Then, help yourselves. I will let you vanquish the edge of your hunger before I tell you what you need to know."

Neither of us needed to be asked twice.

It was only when the first bite of ham touched my lips that it fully hit me that not only had seven days passed, but that I hadn't eaten the entire time. How had I been kept alive? Without food or water, surely I would have starved in my sleep. Then I shrugged it off. This place was obviously fraught with magic. Stranger things had happened.

For a moment, my eyes saw Scarlet again, and her silvery blond hair, which often looked ruffled, like duck feathers. Did magic have a lasting effect? Did it always change you? And would I notice if it had changed me at all?

But this was too much for me when I was so hungry. Instead of pondering further when I would only frustrate myself, Wulf and I drank cup after cup of milk. We ate so many slices of meat, we weren't sure there would be enough room left for the bread and fruit, but there was. The rolls were crisp and golden on the outside, and soft and white on the inside. The plums were juicy and sweet. But finally, we managed to slow down enough to listen to the lady who had so generously fed us both.

"You seek the Faery of the Silver Orchards, the Lady Pamela of Viol Province. Truth?"

We nodded.

"Then you have come to the right place, for no one may see the Regent without first seeing her majordomo, Lady Krysta of Vryst. Do you know who that is?"

I shook my head. Wulf munched meditatively on a bright red thumb plum, pausing only to spit out the pit before popping in another one.

"Lady Krysta is the Prince's cousin, the King's niece. She is from the country of Aunders, the island country to the north. She's the second youngest of four and was sent here because she wished to marry the King's Master Windwaker."

I stared. A windwaker was a weather mage. Generally, they lived in the mountains, where they had access to snow and rain, winds and storms, so that they could practice their magic. But the King's Windwaker had a particular job - in times of famine or drought, it was up to him and the other royal mages to keep the people of Kuetas from starving. I hadn't known, though, that the King's Windwaker had married a princess from another land! The King's niece, no less.

"Lady Pamela and Lady Krysta are good friends. And when Pamela travels around Kuetas, in the Vryst Mountains one is never without the other. Krysta will test you hard before she lets you pass on to the Regent. Too many attempts have been made on Pamela's life in recent months."

"Someone tried to kill the Regent?" Wulf cried. "Who?"

"The Rat King," I said absently, thinking. My head was starting to hurt. Rubbing my temples, I added, "It only makes sense for him to do it. Who else could get to us? We're surrounded by water. But the rat demons don't like us."

"True, Marzipan," said our hostess. "Very true. Ever since the War of the Pearls when the King's grandfather slew the Queen of the Rats, the demons have hated our rulers and their people. We earned their enmity for fighting on behalf of the King of Aunders. They sailed in their ships to our shores and have never left. Nor will they until the Prince and the twelve princesses are found."

For a moment, the lady seated with us sounded so wistful and forlorn, I wanted to reach out and hug her. But she was quite obviously noble, and I was just a common shepherd's daughter. There would be no embrace from me.

"Well," she said, shaking her head as if to clear away her melancholy. "But that is not the point. Because of the increase in the attacks on our Regent, Krysta is hard and can sometimes be very cold. I think at times that living in Vryst has turned her heart to ice. If you are to be successful, you will need what I am going to give - a letter of recommendation."

Both Wulf and I perked up at his.

"Sorry if I sound rude, Queen Ilean," Wulf murmured, "but why would a letter from you do us any good?"

"Because," the lady said, "Krysta is my sister. And the Snow Queen and the Glass Queen have always trusted each other. She will heed my words, so long as you do not lose this letter. But Krysta is not your only test. Lady Claire and Lady Loraine will want to test you, as well. Be careful, then. Krysta's test will be easy. A riddle, only. You three are good at riddles," she added, smiling warmly. "But Claire... she has been in a vindictive mood ever since her dear Polichinelles were-"

"The Polichinelles!" Wulf cried, then poked me in the ribs. I squeaked. "Marzipan, remember what Lily said? About the Polichinelles!"

I gasped. In all that had happened, I had forgotten the fate of the daughters of Lady Claire.

"Lily the Witch trapped them in gingerbread cages," I said swiftly, lest something else were to occur and I were to forget all over again. "The woman who cursed my brothers, she trapped the Polichinelles with baker's magic. I don't know where, but I heard her say so."

Wulf nodded vehemently.

"As did I."

For a moment, I thought the Glass Queen was going to strike one of us. A strange, pink flush flooded her pale face. Her gray eyes darkened to razor sharp steel. Wulf and I didn't dare move a muscle. The short, well-kept fingernails tapped on the crystal table like a clock ticking. Then, she relaxed and sighed deeply, as if grieved.

"Gingerbread cages. Well, then... it seems you have your means of getting past Claire after all. Tell her this, and answer her riddle. With the information you have, the stakes of her question will not be so dangerous, I think. But it will still not be easy. Be warned of that. And Loraine... I do not know how you will fair against her. She is wild and unpredictable, and even I can offer you no wisdom on the subject.

"But now I have something to tell you that might affect the outcome of your quest."

At this, my companion and I forgot our food and leaned in, dread in our hearts. What could she possibly have to say to us that made her look so grave and sound so sorrowful?

"Pamela will not know how to break the curse on your brothers that keeps them in the form of swans, Marzipan. More than that, even if she did have the knowledge, she would not be able to do it. Neither would Lord Meier, the Prince's uncle."

No.

No, that was impossible. It couldn't be. Lily had said... I was so sure... the voice in my heart had never hinted... there could be no way... but then... how was I to save them? How was I to save them if neither the Regent nor the Prince's uncle could?

"But... but...."

It was all I could say before this wrenching pain filled my chest and I began to cry. I felt stupid, ridiculous. Yet, I also knew what despair tasted like. While I had been searching for the Regent, I had known what to do. Get to Mount Scaelos. Get help. That was all. How to get there? Find the East Wind, and he would lead us in a round from West to South to North, and the North Wind would take me where I needed to go. But now... now....

"What do we do, then?" Wulf asked. His voice sounded hoarse, as if only sheer will kept him from breaking down as I had. I could see a vague outline of his face through my tears. It was pale as death.

"Pamela does have one unique skill - she can make friends with nearly anyone, so long as evil and darkness does not control their hearts. And she is the only person I know of who is on visiting terms with the Toymaker. If you want powerful magic, magic that can break the curses on your brothers, and Hans - and yourself, Wulf - then you and your friends must get to the Clockwork Hall and beg his help. And only Lady Pamela knows the way."

"The Toymaker?" I asked tremulously. My chin quivered, but I bit my tongue, refusing to shed anymore tears. Here was hope, then. I needed to calm down, right this minute. Breathing deep, my body relaxed.

"Yes. You've heard that at the peak of Mount Scaelos resides a seer and sorceress?"

We both nodded.

"What most do not know is that it is not a sorceress, but a sorcerer. The Toymaker is the most powerful wizard in Kuetas. He created the glass walls of Castle Kuetas, and he is the one who built the Royal Navy and the Royal Army with its clockwork wooden and metal soldiers. He has great and powerful magic, and he loves Kuetas. He especially loves the royal family, and his affection for them will work in your favor. This Lily the Witch has not only cursed your brothers, but the daughters of Lady Claire and Lord Meier. The Toymaker will be most angry. Use this to your advantage."

I nodded, not sure I understood but too confused and upset to articulate what half-formed thoughts I might want to let out. Wulf reached over and squeezed my hand. The feel of the grit and dirt on his hands, so familiar, comforted me.

"So we go to Mount Scaelos as planned," Wulf murmured. "All right, then. Thank you, milady, for this advice."

"Dear boy, you remind me of a friend of mine from when I was a child. For this reason, and for the help you've given to my husband, I've helped you. And for this reason, both of you - and Hans as well - will always be welcome in my house. Now, I must write that letter to my sister, and you must all pack. I've outfitted your packs and given you new clothes. I've included something more formal for your audience with the Toymaker and with Pamela. And you, Marzipan, have a gift waiting in your room.

"Go on, now, both of you. Scat."

We scatted. I was too preoccupied at the time with the idea of her giving me a gift to realize that she'd mentioned a service I'd done to her husband, whom I had never met before.