Chapter 21
After a few weeks, it seemed as if the camp was finally settled. Almost everyone who was going to come had, and were settled into their routines. Puck took great delight in waking the entire place up with a single shout every morning, calling them all to their various duties of the day. The construction continued, now aided by the witches.
The wizards had managed to lay much of the ground work for the majority of the buildings, but it was the witches who assembled it. Directed by a team of architects, they placed beams and walls, carving windows with a single incantation.
A giant garage was built for all the vehicles, next to the stables, which were filled with battle-trained horses. A line up of trucks, cars, and motorcycles were carefully placed within, all inspected by a resident mechanic, who ensured that they were ready to move at the first sign of need.
This could only mean that it was time to start training.
Puck was almost demonically gleeful. If Sabrina had thought he was hard on her, she had no idea what he would do when faced with a whole group of people who had no idea what they were doing. Her lessons looked almost lazy compared to what the full-grown Everafters faced.
One of Puck's favorite practices was an obstacle course, set up with a mud pit, his disgusting grenades, hurdles, a jump rope, and a slick wall to climb.
"Bet you can't do it." Puck had smirked at her one day when she came out of the armory, arms piled with armor padding that needed put through the washing machine before it got up and walked itself there.
She raised an eyebrow at the course. "How much?"
"Let's say…" He paused, then nodded. "If you manage to get through in ten minutes, I'll stand up on the table at dinner and tell all the mud-monkeys that you're the most awesome person in the room."
"Fifteen minutes, and you're on."
"Thirteen, and not a second more, Grimm." He countered.
"Sure." Sabrina set the load of clothing down and stretched. "Start the clock… Now!"
She bolted, slogging through the thick mud, towards the minefield of grenades. She tripped, and fell face first, but kept going, dodging the undoubtedly horrible minefields by zig-zagging and leaping.
The hurdles were easily cleared with the help of a fallen and forgotten staff (the owner was sulking in the bath, having met the end of his short-lived run by stepping on and subsequently getting splattered by a horseradish and dog crap grenade) before she took a running leap at the wall, plastering herself to it with the sticky mud and scrambling upwards, only to leap off the top and into a filthy swimming pool.
"How long?" She resurfaced, treading water.
"Ten minutes, twenty-seven seconds." Snow read off her stop watch.
"Ha-ha!" Sabrina punched the air, grinning as she paddled to the end of the pool. "You owe me!" She pointed at Puck.
"You look disgusting." He retorted sulkily as she heaved herself out of the brown water and wrung out her hair
She grinned, ignoring the mud smudged across her face and her now brown hair. "You're trying to get out of it."
"You're more dirt than person." He retorted.
"And yet, I'm more awesome than you." She pushed her dirty hair out of her face. "I have to get back to work. Hey, Snow? Don't let him pout all day." She grinned as she made her way back to the laundry waiting for her.
~Sisters Grimm~
Puck did his sworn duty that night, standing up on the rough-hewn table, throwing his arms wide, and declaring Sabrina to be the most amazing person in the room. "But eleven others beat her time." He added. "So we have to honor them too, or else Mustardseed will have my head."
"Indeed." The younger Faerie nodded, sipping his tea.
The incident soon developed to honoring a resident every night. It would depend on Puck's mood who got it, though, and he proclaimed himself the greatest more often than not.
Titiana remained blissfully unaware of her son's crude behavior, tending to stay in her room much of the time, writing letters and organizing duty rosters. She was only seen once in a while, usually sweeping off to someplace. No one ever asked where to, terrified of her wrath.
Magical training was implemented, surprising Sabrina with the amount of Everafters who never came in contact with it.
"Seriously? They're magical beings and they've never so much as touched a wand?"
"Magic is harder to come by than you would think." Mustardseed replied. "It's usually hidden away pretty well, for fear that the humans might find it."
Jake grinned. "Of course, there are slip-ups. I found the wand of Merlin at a yard sale three years ago. But most people wouldn't have looked twice at it."
Some of the Everafters were clearly allergic to magic, although not on the same scale that Sabrina was. Puck wrote their names down on a list, and put it, along with a picture of each of them, next to the doorway of the magic storage. They weren't allowed in without a note, signed by Mustardseed.
As for Mustardseed, he mostly stayed in his office, venturing out for meals and meetings with various people. He was often seen walking through camp, clipboard and pen in hand, muttering under his breath as he scribbled notes and numbers.
One day, as he ventured past Puck's training arena, Puck shouted out to him. "Hey, Mustardseed!"
The prince changed direction and came over to his brother. "Yes?"
"I need to show these wimps how to fight with knives." Puck grinned, throwing a sheathed set to him. Mustardseed caught them in one hand, raising an eyebrow at his brother as he set down his paperwork on a stump.
"Seriously?" Mustardseed sighed, withdrawing the blades from their cases. They were long, with a thick, curved blade. Switchblades, then. Not his usual, but still… "You know I like daggers better."
"Yeah, yeah. Less talking, more action." Puck smirked, his own pair in hand. He twirled his wrists, setting the blades tightly in his closed fists.
"I hate you." Mustardseed grumbled, sliding into position and raising his own knives.
It was a long match. Puck was used to longer range weapons, his reach usually extended a good two or three feet from his arm. Mustardseed had trained for a long time with shorter weapons, which were more easily concealed under ornate ceremonial clothing. While he had never really mastered swordsmanship the way his brother had, he had attempted to make up for it by learning with stealthier weapons. They suited him better.
"Come on, little brother, is that the best you can do?" Puck goaded him on, jumping back to avoid Mustardseed's swipe as the younger prince attempted to break through his brother's guard. Puck had always had a better offense than defense, and if he managed to break through it, he'd win.
"Certainly not. I'm simply going easy on you." He replied, neatly divesting Puck of one of the knives, before lunging forwards, only to pause, the blade of his knife an inch from Puck's hoodie. "I think the identity of the winner of this match is obvious enough."
"Pretty good. But look behind you." Puck smirked, unconcerned by the blade hovering over his heart.
"That trick worked once, two thousand years ago." Mustardseed snorted, stepping back to free him.
"Can't blame me for trying." Puck shrugged, grinning.
"But I can call you an idiot for it." Mustardseed snorted, inspecting the sharpened edges for nicks. There weren't any, so he wiped them off on his pant leg and set the blades back into their sheathes. "Now I have to get back to work, if you don't mind." He bent over to pick up his clip board. "Your defense could use some practice." He shouted over his shoulder as he strode away. "It's getting worse."
~Sisters Grimm~
"I brought something with me." Relda stood at the beginning of the next Council meeting. "I believe you may find it useful."
Mr. Canis trudged into the room, a sheet covered object tucked carefully under one arm. He set it down in the corner, and pulled the sheet off to reveal an antique mirror.
"It's a magic mirror." Snow breathed.
"It's extremely helpful." Relda agreed. "It has more magic in it than even I know, and I've had some years to explore its contents."
"And we can't use it." Mustardseed stood up. "We know the Scarlet Hand is using a magic mirror, and that there are ways for the guardian to contact the outside world."
"I promise you, this one is trustworthy." Relda attempted.
"No." Puck shook his head, rising to stand beside his brother. "We can't take the risk. Thank you for your thought, but it would be an unnecessary risk to take such a risk."
Relda nodded, draping the sheet back over the mirror. "You would know better than I. I believe I shall return it to my room, if there is no need for it here."
"That would be best." Puck nodded.
The meeting continued, Four reading a list of the soldiers' complaints. Sabrina tuned him out, instead thinking about the weapon they weren't supposed to use.
~Sisters Grimm~
Sabrina glanced around the hall, checking to make sure she was alone, before sliding the door to her grandmother's room open and slipping in. She tugged the door shut behind her.
The mirror rested against the wall, still covered with the sheet. Sabrina stepped forwards hesitantly. This wasn't something she was supposed to be doing, after all. She shouldn't be snooping into people's private property, especially whenever the object in question was a known threat that the two head generals had both banned immediately.
But… She was curious. She wanted to know what was so dangerous. And the part about being a separate dimension? That couldn't be true, could it? A small voice in the back of her head whispered that curiosity had killed the cat. She ignored it.
"WHO GOES THERE?" A voice, deep throated and outraged, demanded from the mirror. Sabrina yelped and jumped backwards, away from the threat. "WHO DARES TO DISTURB ME?"
Sabrina licked her lips nervously, and started forwards again. "Um… Me. Uh, Sabrina." That was a stupid thing to say. How could he know who she was? Her name was useless to him.
"Is that name supposed to mean something to me?" The voice demanded, but it was more quiet this time, more amused and less threatening. That was… reassuring.
Heartened, Sabrina stepped closer. "I guess not."
"You don't sound all that important." The owner of the voice chuckled. Sabrina crouched down and lifted the sheet up.
A bodiless head stared back at her from the depths of the mirror, a storm brewing around behind him. Lightening flickered, shining against the bald surface of his head. "I'm not. Not really." Sabrina nodded. "Just wrong place, wrong time."
"Well, I can't say that my own worth is very high, either. My name is Mirror." Whatever the head was, it was smiled at her. "Will you come in? It's always awkward to meet people when I can't shake their hands."
"I can't go into a mirror." Sabrina snorted. Was it- he -mad? She wasn't an Everafter. There was no way for her to simply walk through glass. She didn't even know of any Everafter that could do that, come to think of it.
"Sure you can. I'll prove it. Touch the surface."
Sabrina hesitated.
"Oh, I don't bite." Mirror assured her. "And it won't hurt. Scout's honor."
Sabrina reached out, her hand flat to press against the glass. Instead, it reached through, with a sensation like pushing her hand into a waterfall: slight resistance and fluidity. Her mouth formed an "O" of surprise as she withdrew her hand, staring at it.
"Well, come on." Mirror was apparently getting impatient at her inability to understand.
Slowly, Sabrina stepped forwards, into the mirror. The feeling of stepping through was disconcerting as reality rippled around her, bending to change into a separate world, replacing a bedroom with a great hall of stone.
A short, balding man in a pinstripe suit greeted her on the other side. "Hello again." He smiled. He extended his hand to shake her's.
Sabrina gaped. An unending stone corridor stretched ahead of her, carved columns rising up thirty feet into the air over her head. Ornate doors stood between each set of arches, each with their own sign centered on it.
"Impressive, isn't it?" Mirror shoved his hands in his pockets, gazing at the ceiling. He didn't seem all that pleased by it. Then again, he had spent his whole life there. Of course it wasn't amazing to him.
"Yeah." Sabrina breathed. "Very." She took a step forwards, squinting into the distance in an effort to see the end of the hall. Mirror chuckled.
"There's more to it than this, you know." Mirror grinned, the corners of his eyes crinkling. "I can show you. It reaches on for… Well, miles. Even I don't know how far. But I have reached the end."
"Will you show me?" Sabrina asked. Amazing possibilities and wonder were open to her, a whole world to explore. A chance to learn more about Everafters and their world. She was going to take it.
"I wouldn't have offered if I wasn't willing to do it." Mirror smiled, ushering her forward into the corridor of wonder.
~Sisters Grimm~
After that, Sabrina found herself visiting Mirror almost daily, slipping away to talk with him when everyone was distracted. It was fairly easy at first. There was too much to be done for someone to keep an eye on an insignificant blonde teenager, after all. But the more she did it, the harder she found it to avoid Puck.
She doubted that he'd approve of her visits. She also ignored thee niggling feeling that he had a good reason to disapprove of her actions. If the two princes were right, and the Scarlet Hand was using a Magic Mirror, she couldn't trust Mirror. Not really.
At the same time, she knew it was impossible for Mirror to work for the Scarlet Hand. He was trapped, completely obscured from the world in his "Hall of Wonders". And, anyway, her grandmother had thought that he'd be a use to their cause. So she must trust him, too. And it wasn't like Sabrina was telling him anything important, just things about her missing family, or Puck's latest antics (she had woken up one morning to find all her socks all over the camp.)
So she wasn't doing any harm. She was just confiding in someone who would listen. That wasn't wrong, or harmful. She was safe. The camp and their effort against a war that was so slow in coming, was safe.
But if she was safe, the voice in her head whispered, why didn't she tell anyone what she was doing? Why didn't she tell Puck about everything tucked away in the Hall, and how it could be used to help the army?
He wouldn't understand. There was no way that he'd approve. So she didn't tell him.
~Sisters Grimm~
"Our intelligence officer thinks they've found the Scarlet Hand." Mustardseed announced at the beginning of the next meeting.
"He believes they're coming in on the West flank." Puck stated, tracing a path on a map. "As of now, they're thirty miles away."
"It doesn't sound as if though he's even certain it's them." Beast pointed out.
"It's a group of armed trolls, Goblins, and five witches." Mustardseed reported. "We've got no more expected fighters for the next three days, and they're supposed to be a group of the weaker Everafters."
"Goblins are not weaker Everafters. Obviously." Puck added. Goblins were twelve feet of green, oozing flesh, coupled with sagging guts and thickly muscled limbs.
"We can't say for certain yet that they're hostile, but it is a definite possibility." Mustardseed explained. "It is better to err on the side of caution, I believe."
"Besides," Sabrina pointed out, "The camp isn't fully enclosed yet. Wouldn't it be a bad idea to attack them if we're not prepared for a counter-attack."
"The human is right." Titiana agreed. "It would be more prudent to ensure that we remain safe than it would be to use valuable manpower to attack those who may not be hostile."
"So, what? We let them wander around aimlessly until they figure out where we are?" Four demanded. "No, Ah say we keep a close eye on them, and when they prove to be the enemy-"
"Then we strike." Derek agreed.
"Agreed. We'll keep a pixie squadron on them for now, and rely on their reports." Mustardseed scribbled a note out on his notebook.
Sabrina glanced at the council members. A few were frowning, but most at least seemed to be in agreement.
"However, it is likely to be the Scarlet Hand." Mustardseed continued.
"And if it is, we will attack." Puck was writing furiously in his own notebook. "Patrols should continue as usual."
"I disagree." Snow stated. "They ought to be increased, both in number and in size."
"She has a point." Charming stuck up loyally for his wife. "If we believe that the enemy is closing in, then we ought to take precautions so as not to be caught off guard."
"We don't want to cause alarm in the ranks." King Arthur was stroking his chin again.
Robin Hood snorted. "If our soldiers can be spooked so easily by something they knew they were signing up to fight, we wouldn't last a month." The green clad archer was tilted back on two legs of his chair, but now he sat forwards, letting all the legs thump against the floor. "It would be preferable to keep them informed, to show our trust in their strength." A few heads nodded in agreement with his words.
"Every hand is needed to complete the enclosure, though." Chicken Little clucked nervously.
Sabrina glanced at Puck. He was frowning, leaning forward to hear every opinion. He needed a haircut. His bangs were flopping in his face.
"There is an easy solution for that." Charlie Weasley proposed. "All the witches and Warlocks ought to be pulled from training for a few days to build your wall. A few days training doesn't make much difference, and it would solve your dilemma."
"We could use this as field training." Charming agreed. "And it wouldn't be completely a waste of manpower anyway."
"The Council is in agreement, then, that patrols should be increased?" Mustardseed asked.
"Agreed." Puck raised a hand. "Better safe than sorry."
"Famous last words." Someone muttered.
~Sisters Grimm~
"You're a Magic Mirror, right?" Sabrina asked Mirror the next time she visited him.
They were sitting in his favorite room, a library filled with squashy chairs and spell books. There was always a kettle of tea waiting for them on one of the little tables, and a fire in the grate. Sabrina had been visiting him for almost three weeks now.
"What clued you in, Starfish?" The little man's eyes crinkled in amusement.
"No, just, well… Can I ask to show me someone, and you will? Like in Snow White?"
"That is the story I'm from." Mirror nodded in agreement.
"Can I- Can you show my family?" Sabrina asked, hope flaring in her chest. She hadn't seen them in a year. She was beginning to forget things, like the shine of the sun on Basil's hair, or the way Daphne's teeth were slightly crooked, but not enough to be worth the effort of braces.
"Are you sure?" Mirror asked. "Are you certain you want to see them?"
"Absolutely." Sabrina nodded. Her heart felt squeezed, torn between dread and excitement. A year of not seeing them, a year away from them. She was desperate to find them.
"Alright, then. Close your eyes." Mirror reached out as she shut her eyes, and she felt his fingers touch her forehead.
Instantly, she saw them. It was like looking through a foggy window, the image slightly distorted and cloudy. There were two beds, Daphne and Basil lying peacefully side by side on one, her parents on the other. They all had their hands folded over their chests, and Sabrina could just make out their deep breathing before Mirror pulled away.
"They're alive!" She gasped. They were alive! Not only that, but they seemed healthy. There were no bruises or signs of ill-treatment. They were just sleeping. "Do you know where they are?" She demanded breathlessly, hopefully. "Can you tell me where they are?" She was so close. If only Mirror knew, she could have them back within days.
"Sorry, Starfish." Mirror shook his head regretfully. "My power doesn't extend that far, I'm afraid. I can only see them."
"Oh." Sabrina frowned, her euphorbia wearing off. "There's nothing you can do?" Her hope crashed in her stomach, leaving her with an ache in her chest.
"No." He looked regretful, and reached out to touch her hand. "But at least you know they're safe, right?"
"I guess." Sabrina nodded, tears welling in her eyes. They were so close, but so, so far away. It wasn't fair at all. "I have to go." She mumbled, looking down at her watch. She had been here for a half-hour. Any longer, and people would start to look for her.
"Of course." Mirror nodded. "Come back soon?"
She nodded, and managed a smile. "Sure. I'll bring a puzzle book or something, if you want."
"I'd love that." He smiled, leading her to the mirror frame. "It gets boring in here, you know."
"I'm sure it does." Sabrina nodded. She ducked out of the mirror, back into her Grandmother's room. Relda was almost never there, choosing instead to spend her time almost everywhere else.
She carefully shut the door behind her as she left, turning the lock and putting her hand against it to silence the thump as she pulled it closed. She turned around, ready to go back to her chores, and came face to face with the Faerie king, leaning up against the wall.
Sabrina yelped, and sprang backwards, knocking her back against the doorknob. "Ouch!" She yelped.
"So… You were in there an awful long time." Puck stated, crossing his arms.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know I was being timed." Sabrina hissed.
"I was wondering where you were disappearing to every day." Puck shrugged. "Tell me you're not in that Mirror."
Sabrina felt the heat rising in her face and turned angrily away. She didn't owe him an explanation, and she certainly didn't have to answer him.
"Damn it. You are, aren't you?" Puck asked, falling step behind her.
"What if I am?" Sabrina asked. "What exactly are you going to do?"
"Well, for one, I'm going to change the lock on that door so that you can't get in. For another, I'm going to tell Relda. And for a third, if that doesn't stop you, I'm going to superglue a pixie to your head."
"Why?" Sabrina turned to face him. "What does it matter if I talk to him? He's lonely!"
"Everyone's lonely, Grimm." Puck reached out and grabbed her shoulder. "You know the risks. He could be part of the enemy. He could be feeding them any information that you drop, even if you do it accidentally."
"He's not like that, okay? He's a person, too. And he's trapped in a situation much worse than your's. He's trapped in that mirror until someone destroys it, and then he dies with it."
"Don't you think that would make him desperate to get out? Enough to promise his loyalty to some group of nut cases?"
"He showed me my family." Sabrina gripped Puck's arm. "They're alive."
"And that makes him trustworthy?"
"No." Sabrina shook her head. "But I like him. Can't he have a friend, too?"
"Not when he's on our top suspect list, no!"
"Well, I'm not going to stop visiting him." She jutted her chin out. "And if you'd trust him, you'd know he can help us defeat the Scarlet Hand."
"Or he can help destroy us." Puck shook his head. "I know betrayal, Grimm. And this guy? He fits the description of your typical traitor to a t."
"Maybe. But I'm going to believe him."
"I can't let you keep visiting him." Puck warned.
"And you can't stop me."
"Yeah, I sort of can."
~Sisters Grimm~
Hey, guys. I hope this was worth the wait.
Ohh… Fighting. Not a fan of that. What do you think is going to happen next? Stay tuned!
Anyway, review replies!
Guest: Yeah, Relda! She's awesome, isn't she? I'm glad you liked the chapter.
Quillandspindle: I'm glad you approve! I thought I'd start giving them all a little confusion and worry. And after a year of tutoring under Puck, who is widely acknowledged as one of the best, well, Sabrina ought to be good. I mean, the guy defeated a dragon with a wooden sword (Which is not talked about enough. I mean, it was over within minutes. How cool is Puck?).
FABULOUSGIRLFOREVER5555: I have a really hard time writing battle scenes, so I don't know that you'll get very many more of them. As for your kissing idea… Maybe later. I like it, and I might use it later. As for your praise of my writing: I wasn't always this good. Go read my first Sisters Grimm fanfic. I think it was "Things in the Lives of the Grimms". It's pretty bad. So you keep writing! Practice is your best teacher.
IAMAGUEST: Congratulations. I've never had a guest with that name before. Mustardseed is one of my favorite characters too. As for who's going to die… I haven't decided yet. Someone is going to bite the dust pretty soon, though. I'm glad you enjoy the story!
Arabella Quinn: Unfortunately, I cannot make a real boyfriend like Mustardseed for you. If I could just spirit characters to life, I definitely would. And I'm glad that you're in love with this story! As for Doctor Who… Moffat! He keeps ripping my poor heart apart. I don't know if I watch it because it's good, or because I enjoy getting emotionally traumatized over fictional characters. Anyway, enough of my rant. Thanks for reviewing!
Okay, guys, I have to go. Love you all, keep reading.
'Til next time!
-The Irish Lass