I come with another medieval fantasy AU for you all. This one is a lot more fantasy based, kinda fairytale like. I hope you enjoy. If you have any AU suggestions, please put them in a review. All reviews will be appreciated!
Disclaimer: I do not own the Hardy Boys
Once upon a time, there lived a sheriff. He was a just and noble man and people came for miles around to ask for his help in ensuring justice was done. He lived in a castle with his wife and infant son and was happy. Soon his wife fell pregnant with a second child. Just as the joyous news broke, the mother to be was struck down by a terrible illness that threatened her life and that of the unborn child. The sheriff was inconsolable. He travelled the land, pleading with every doctor he could find to try and save his wife and baby. None could. It seemed as though all hope was lost when the sheriff was approached by an old peddler woman who promised she could save the wife and unborn babe. When she insisted there would be a price for the miracle, the sheriff assured her no prize would be too steep. She spent a night and a day brewing a potion. No sooner had the potion touched the wife's lips did her recovery begin and within a day she and the child were fully recovered. The sheriff thanked the old peddler, telling her whatever she wanted, she could take. The moment the words left his lips, the peddler revealed she was not truly a peddler at all. Rather she was the Witch of the Eastern Wood and she demanded that, at sundown on the boy's eighteenth birthday, the Sheriff's firstborn son be given to her as price for the treatment. Aware he had been tricked but unwilling to risk the life of his wife and unborn son, the sheriff agreed. He spent every second from that day looking for a way to free his eldest son from the sentence that hung over him, travelling across the kingdom. His sons remained at home, raised together, aware of the eldest's fate but sure their father would find a solution. But the sheriff found no solution and at sundown on the boy's eighteenth birthday, the Witch of the Eastern Wood came to collect her prize. The sheriff and his wife fell into a terrible despair. Their youngest son vowed that he would take up his father's search and not stop until his brother returned home with him.
The house Joe Hardy found himself before was small and quaint, nothing like the house he had imagined finding himself on the doorstep of. As he tied his horse to a post in front of the remote house, he wondered if he might have come to the wrong place. Still, he had come this far and this was the only address he had. Even if he was wrong, he might be able to get new information or convince the owners to give him a meal.
He had been searching for months. The gold he had left his father's castle with had long ago run out. He occasionally took on jobs - helping unload a wagon, taking messages to the next village as he travelled - to get him a little bit of coin. Mostly he lived on charity or foraged. He knew Frank would say it wasn't worth the hassle or the danger of travelling alone across the kingdoms - that he wasn't worth the hassle - but Joe disagreed. He was going to find his brother. He was going to get the Witch to return him to his family.
Joe knocked on the wooden door, hand hanging near his concealed dagger. He'd stumbled across bandits twice, almost been killed by both. He wasn't taking risks.
The door was unlatched and swung open by a figure wearing a long black cloak. Their hood was pulled forward, their head bowed so Joe could make out nothing of their face but shadows. Dark gloves covered their hands and they silently gestured Joe into the house.
"Oh, thank you," he said, offering them an awkward smile.
He entered, keeping his hand close to his dagger.
The room beyond was more of what he was expecting. There was a warm fire crackling in the hearth, something bubbling in a large pot above it. Every wall was covered in shelves that were straining under the weight of books and scrolls and records of all manner. A table in the centre of the room was covered in books too with two small workspaces left clear. As Joe watched the cloaked figure sweep through the room, he became aware of a cabinet behind himself full of jars of all manner of ingredients that Joe didn't want to look at for fear of losing what little food he had in his stomach.
"Are you him? The Deal-maker?"
There were many legends about the Deal-maker. He was a brilliant man who people came to when they had an issue with the many magic or fay folk. He helped them find loopholes in the deals they had been tricked into striking or negotiate new deals that would earn them some freedom from their fate. If there was anyone in the realms who could help Joe get Frank back from the Witch of the Eastern Woods, it was the Deal-maker.
The cloaked figure turned to Joe. He felt intelligent eyes playing over him, analysing him. When no answer came, he assumed he was right. Before him stood the Deal-maker.
"My name is Joseph Hardy, son of Sheriff Fenton Hardy. You can probably guess why I'm here. My older brother, Frank, was enslaved by the Witch of the Eastern Woods months ago. There was a deal struck. I want to see what I can do to get it reversed."
There was a pause.
"Reversed?"
It was the first time the cloaked figure had spoken and Joe found the voice was not at all what he had expected. It was quiet, higher than he had thought it would be. But then the cloaked figure was shorter than him. Perhaps that helped in some way, tricked the magic folk into underestimating the Deal-maker. Perhaps it was a sign he was part fay folk himself.
But Joe considered the question all the same. To reverse the magic would be a death sentence not only to himself but to his mother. If it had just been Joe's life on the line, he would have considered reversing it. Without magical intervention, he had been fated to die. He was willing to accept that fate if it saved Frank. But he wouldn't let his mother die.
"No. I… I need a new deal," Joe said. "One that gives my brother his freedom. I'm willing to do anything. But I won't trade the lives of those I love. Frank would never accept that."
"Your own life?" the figure said.
"Frank might not accept that one either. But I would," Joe confessed.
The cloaked figure nodded. They swept across the room, moving towards one of the bookcases. They produced a thick scroll and unfurled it, refusing to let Joe see. He stared, feeling awkward in the silence as the figure read.
"I uh… You weren't what I expected," Joe remarked. "I guess I was expecting someone taller."
Also, he was sure he had heard a physical description of the Deal-maker - handsome with greying temples and keen eyes. It seemed strange to him that he would wear a cloak when people had seen his face. Feeling unsettled, Joe moved his hand from where it lingered near his concealed dagger. He rested it upon the hilt of his sword, a clear threat. The universal symbol for 'I don't trust you'.
The figure seemed to regard him out of the corner of their eye.
"No need for that," the figure said.
"You're not the Deal-maker," Joe returned.
The figure shifted about, seemingly impressed. Then a gloved hand reached up and caught the edge of the hood. Slowly it was pulled back. Locks of red hair were revealed, falling loose. Blue eyes shone out at Joe. A beautiful face was revealed. Joe stared at the young woman before him, jaw hanging open. She smirked back at him.
"I'm the Deal-maker's daughter," she announced. "Nancy Drew."
"Nice to meet you, Nancy," Joe spluttered. "Um… Why the hood?"
"My father's work means he has enemies. It wouldn't be the first time someone has shown up to do us harm. The cloak stops people from realising who I am immediately and trying to attack."
Joe could see the logic. In the brief periods of his childhood when his father had been home, he had often taken the boys out hunting. He had told them they could wear their noble clothes if they accompanied him hunting but that he felt far safer knowing they would disguise themselves as common children if they went out hunting alone. People kidnapped the children of nobles - particularly the children of sheriffs. They weren't all that interested in the children of farmers or stewards.
"When will your father be back?" Joe asked.
"He will be gone a long while. A princess in the next kingdom has found herself in some trouble."
"Oh. Anything I can do to speed him up?"
Nancy raised an eyebrow.
"Your brother is not worth more than the heir to a throne."
"He is to me," Joe replied. "Please, I will do anything. I will pay anything. You name your price and I will get it. Frank is only in this entire mess because of me and…"
Nancy cut him off with a look before saying that his attitude was the exact sort that would end with him being enslaved too.
"You go to the Witch of the Eastern Wood pleading and she will take everything from you. It's the exact same mistake your father made."
Joe looked away. He went to speak but Nancy continued. She crossed over to a large book and heaved it from its space on the shelf. Then she carried it over to a desk, resting it on her hip as she cleared space for it. She dropped it onto the desk and opened it. Joe saw it was a list of names and curses, no doubt some sort of client list the Deal-maker kept. He strained to see what was listed but Nancy wouldn't let him. She rolled a finger down the page, looking over every name and turning to a new page when she didn't find what she was looking for. Then, with a cry of triumph, she circled a name with her finger.
"Your father came here before, you know," Nancy said. "Very early on in his quest to save your brother. My father was unable to help him."
"My father is scared to make a deal with the witch. He fears he might lose me but I can't live knowing Frank is suffering for my sake."
"You want to make a deal with this hag?" Nancy questioned.
Joe could hear the disapproval in her tone but knew there was really no other option.
"It's my fault Frank's been taken. Even if it's a straight trade, me for him: I have to do something."
Nancy chewed on her lip before pointing out that she had some idea of how to negotiate deals, that she had watched her father work enough times. Joe's face lit up. He asked when they should leave.
Nancy had only been into the Eastern Wood before and never as deep as she was going with Joe. Her father had always warned her to be careful of the place. Even if you failed to stumble across the Witch, there were more than enough dark creatures about that would happily devour, enslave or curse the unprepared traveller.
Still, Nancy could see the desperation in Joe's blue eyes, could see the guilt in them, and knew that if she hadn't joined the young man on his journey through the woods, he likely would have gone alone. And then the Witch would have more than likely ended up with both Hardys enslaved.
"Keep your eyes forward," Nancy reprimanded as she sensed Joe's attention drifting to the shadows once more.
She had told him that they were more likely to be left alone if they kept themselves to themselves. They would stay on horseback until they reached the Witch's house. They would speak only to each other. They would not look around.
"Do you think she'll let me see Frank?" Joe asked.
"I don't know," Nancy replied. "But you shouldn't ask. We make one deal. Frank's freedom or nothing."
Joe hummed his agreement. He went to say more but Nancy raised a hand to warn him off speaking. She could see wooden planks through the trees and dared not discuss their plan within earshot of the Witch. She silently pushed her horse on, watching as the trees fell away and more of the house was revealed.
"That's… quaint," Joe said, staring up at it.
And it was quaint. It was a small wooden cottage, just managing two short stories. The walls were made of wood and the roof was tiled with weathered black stones. A misty smoke was rising from a chimney and a small wooden hut was built at the side. There was already one horse inside and space for more. Nancy hopped off her horse and walked over to the open stable, aware of Joe doing the same. She knew the house was meant to look inviting, that her father had warned her witches did such things to make people relax their guard and fall into their webs. But she had expected something to feel wrong about the building, something to make her skin itch or her stomach churn. She had expected to feel like she was being lured into a trap by some sweetly smiling crocodile.
"Do we knock?" Joe asked.
He had already tied his horse and turned his attention back to the house. He didn't give her time to answer, already rapping his knuckles against the wood. The moment he brushed against it, the wood began to swing open. He stared into the room.
"Whoa," he whispered.
And then he disappeared inside. Giving a strangled yelp of horror, Nancy raced over to the door. She thought of the millions of things that could ensure Joe never left the house, all the spells and curses that could imprison him and lingered in the doorway.
And stared.
The house was empty, utterly empty. It was just a shell. There wasn't even a second storey, just a void from ground to roof. Joe stood in the space, lit by a single flaming torch. He was staring at a trap door on the floor that looked remarkably like a copy of the front door had been laid into the ground.
"I guess we go downward," he said.
Nancy frowned. She raised an arm, closing her eyes to see if she could sense any sort of magical barrier. Sensing nothing, she entered the hollow house. She continued to look around. She could see a small fire set into a metal box below the chimney, the cause of the smoke they had seen from outside. Clearly, the Witch had something to hide.
Nancy looked down at the door. Joe knelt beside it, playing with the handle.
"It's not locked," he whispered.
Nancy frowned. She pulled up her hood, using the fabric to shield her face. She instructed Joe to use some fabric to cover at least his nose and mouth. Joe reached into his bag, pausing for a moment as his hand closed about a scrap of fabric. He pulled it out and Nancy stared. It was a handkerchief, very clearly intended for a woman. And not one of the status that the second son - now heir apparent - of a sheriff should be consorting with. The light blue fabric was a little tattered and stained but Nancy recognised it for what it was: a favour, a gift given to knights as a token of good luck by the young ladies they loved.
"What's her name?" Nancy asked as Joe tied the handkerchief around his face.
"Iola," Joe whispered. "She's a farmer's daughter. She's… She's the best girl I've ever met. Thinks I'm mad for doing this. But she understands too."
He looked away and Nancy let him take a moment for himself. Then she gestured to the trap door.
"When you open it, try to look away. There could be all sorts of potions and powders rigged to go off."
"You think she'll try to kill us?" Joe asked, gripping the handle.
"She doesn't need to. We're visiting unannounced. She'll know we came to make a deal. She gets us with something that makes us tired, makes our minds slow even for a bit and she'll have the upper hand."
Joe nodded. He told Nancy to step back and then pulled the trap door open, looking away. Immediately a cloud of golden powder filled the air. Nancy stared, watching as the powder dissipated into the air. Joe went to untie the handkerchief around his neck but Nancy told him to keep it on until they had left the room. She looked down at what the trap door had revealed, a set of stairs descending into the gloom below.
The steps seemed to go on forever and yet they seemed to end all of a sudden in a large room. It was a warm and cosy room, the stone walls covered in tapestries and flags. A table was near a large fireplace, a green fire crackling in the hearth. Enormous bookshelves took up most of the space and Joe could see a set of stairs disappearing deeper into the ground on the far side of the room.
Nancy and Joe stood in the doorway, staring. There was someone in the room, a young man, returning books to their slots on the bookcase. Joe's heart leapt as he recognised the dark hair, the dark eyes; Frank. The clothes were different to what he was used to. He normally saw his brother in a great deal of splendour but this Frank was dressed in an ill-fitting white shirt and ragged trousers. There were golden cuffs secured tightly around his wrists and they seemed to pulse with a dangerous energy that Nancy didn't like.
Joe didn't care.
"Frank!" Joe cried.
He raced across the room, tackling his older brother. He wrapped his arms around him, the impact of Joe slamming into his chest almost knocking Frank down. Soon shock and confusion were overcome by joy and Frank was grinning, his own arms wrapped tightly about his brother, laughter falling from him.
"I can't believe you're here!"
And then, like someone had flicked a switch, Frank's face was overcome with fear. He released Joe, pushing him away.
"No, you can't be here. Joe, you can't. If she finds you, she will make you stay. She won't let you leave. I… I can't protect you. Not from her."
Joe shook his head. His blue eyes were growing watery. Nancy got the feeling that being pushed away by Frank had hurt him more than any wound ever could
"I am not leaving without you. I came all this way. I brought help. I'm not going to…"
Frank glanced over Joe's shoulder, his eyes fixing onto Nancy. He gave her a nod of the head as a greeting but then turned his attention back to Joe.
"Please, Joe, I need you to leave. I need you to get out of here. You have to go now. Go home and live the rest of your life and forget about…"
"Forget about you? Frank, you're my brother!"
Frank had a response, Joe could sense it, but he didn't have the time to say it. Instead, there was clapping from a nearby doorway. Joe turned sharply, staring at the woman standing there. He recognised her instantly as the Witch of the Eastern Wood. She was tall, roughly the same height as Frank, with long black hair peppered with silver. Her lips were blood red and her skin was pale. Joe had always heard people say witches were ugly, vile looking things but he had been startled by how beautiful she was when he had first seen her on the night she had come to collect Frank.
Although it was little more than a step to the side, everyone noticed how Frank moved between the Witch and his younger brother, shielding him from her. Amusement flickered over her face and she made a dismissive gesture.
It shocked Joe how willingly Frank stepped aside, confused him until he saw the glassy look in his brother's eyes. Although Joe was not the expert Nancy was, he knew enough to recognise the signs of a spell, that the Witch had done something to his brother.
Furious, Joe turned to the Witch.
She was sweeping through the room, walking towards the table. She gestured toward it and it took Joe a moment to realise that the silent order had been for him and Nancy. Joe stormed toward her, not wanting to sit, wanting to shout and rave and drag Frank to safety. Nancy caught his arm and wrestled him to take a seat on the opposite side of the table to the Witch. Frank slowly, eyes still glassy, moved toward the Witch's side. Joe couldn't help but note that while he, Nancy and the Witch were all sitting, Frank was left standing.
"I know what you have come here for," the Witch said slowly. "And, while I am not all that happy about your willingness to try and snatch your brother from me, I am willing to negotiate a deal," the Witch said slowly.
"Joe, no. I don't think this…"
Joe's attention snapped onto his brother. The glassy look had disappeared. Frank's pleading expression was his own. The Witch raised a single finger, the gesture alone silencing Frank. Joe tensed his jaw, furious that the Witch had reduced his brother to it. He sensed Nancy urging him to keep calm. They were playing a dangerous game and any show of emotion would show their hand, let the Witch see how truly desperate Joe was to get his brother back.
"Name your price," Joe ground out.
"You are clearly very talented in finding lost things. The fact you managed to track me down is proof of that. I am looking for a particular relic."
She clapped her hands and Frank was moving, the glazed look appearing in his eyes once more. He crossed over to one of the heaving cabinets and opened a drawer, pulling out a scroll. He landed it to the Witch who in turn handed it to Joe. Joe spread it flat on the table in front of him. It was a beautiful drawing of an ornate dagger, the leather sheath black and patterned with golden lines that formed constellations.
"The nightfire blade," Joe read aloud from the name written beneath.
The Witch nodded.
"If you are able to hand me the nightfire blade before the first day of the approaching spring, I will grant your brother his freedom without reversing the magic that saved you and your mother."
"That's all I have to do: find this dagger for you?" Joe clarified.
He was looking for tricks or traps, looking for some way the Witch would trap him. Witches like her preyed on desperation, made deals with people who they knew they could manipulate. Collecting the dagger seemed too simple. Even with a time limit, Joe was sure he would be able to do it. It was only just approaching the harvest. That gave him almost half a year to track down one relic. It had taken him less time to find the Witch.
"Yes, but the blade has been lost for many generations and I have no doubt it will be guarded by some terrible beast or powerful villain. Finding it may play to your talents. Securing it might not."
Joe hummed his agreement and Nancy cleared her throat to bring all attention onto her.
"A time limit implies consequences if we fail," Nancy said, raising an eyebrow.
Joe glanced toward Frank, hoping to see his brother's reaction to the terms. Frank was just staring at him. It had been months since they had last seen each other but it felt like decades.
"Yes, well, young Frank here has proven to be quite the talented servant. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to complete the set. If you fail to bring me the nightfire blade by the first day of spring, I will take the two of you as my slaves."
Frank's face fell. He mutely shook his head, pleading with Joe to do the intelligent thing and walk away. The idea of his younger brother in shackles beside him sent a terrible pain through Frank, made his heart break. The only thing that had kept him going through his months of enslavement was the knowledge Joe was free and healthy and able to live a good life.
"You said you wanted to complete the set," Joe said. "Miss Drew isn't part of that set. Why would you want her?"
The Witch pursed her lips.
"Miss Drew's father has caused quite a lot of trouble for me over the years. It would be rather useful for me to have some leverage over him."
Joe chewed on his lip, considering his answer. He glanced towards Nancy who grabbed his wrist.
"Could we have some time to discuss the terms outside?" she asked.
She was pulling Joe to his feet before the Witch had even answered.
"So those are the terms of her deal," Nancy breathed.
Joe nodded his head. He considered each one. He regretted bringing Nancy. He should have asked her for advice, not asked her to accompany him. She would have warned him to look out for time limits, to question every part of a deal made. Then it would only be his freedom on the line if he failed. And while being the Witch's prisoner would be terrible, it would be made bearable if she even allowed him a moment with Frank each day.
"I can't ask you to risk your freedom for my brother. Would she listen if I ask for a new deal?"
Nancy brushed her knuckles against her palm as she thought.
"She probably would. But the deal we have now is extremely kind. She is unlikely to be so merciful if you turn her down."
Joe grimaced but asked what sort of things she might ask for all the same. If there was anything he could do to keep Nancy safe while getting Frank back, he was willing to.
"She might ask for your immediate enslavement. She might ask that you marry some evil queen. She might ask you to wage war on your own father. She could ask you for anything. And I know you are tempted to play her game and go for another deal but she will play you and Frank like fiddles. You sacrifice yourself for him and he will come back here and do the same thing for you. This deal is a chance for you both to get free of her."
"And a chance for her to enslave me and you," Joe said.
Nancy shrugged dismissively and said the Witch wouldn't offer something so precious if the stakes weren't high. Joe turned away, trying to consider everything. He tried to think of how Frank would consider the deal, what sort of questions he would be asking. One sprung to mind.
"If our part of the deal is to bring her the nightfire blade, how do we know she won't trick us? She uses us to find the knife and then has some ogre snatch it from us so we weren't the ones who actually brought it to her? Or she purposefully delays us when we're travelling back with the dagger so we don't get it to her by the first day of spring? Then she gets the dagger, us and Frank."
Nancy chewed on her lip, going to answer.
There was the sound of the door creaking open.
"I suspected you might ask that question," the Witch said, standing in the doorway. "Honestly, Joseph, I am not the sort of person who breaks my deals. Other witches might be willing to to ensure they get what they want but I honour my word, even if I am a trickster. I will not attempt to hinder you in your search for the nightfire blade, nor will I have it stolen from you or your progress back with it delayed if you do succeed in finding it. In fact, as a sign of my good faith, I will allow your brother to accompany you on your search. He must remain wearing the shackles, of course, but if I attempt to betray our deal in any way, the shackles will break and he will have his freedom."
She paused for a moment.
"But that will come with a second part to our deal. If you attempt to remove the shackles from your brother's wrists, you and your brother will be transported back to my house where you will both live out the rest of your days as my slaves. Do we have a deal?"
"Deal."
The word had left Joe's mouth before he had even fully registered it. Nancy grimaced. She wished she had had time to probe that extra part of the deal. But at least they had secured the promise that the Witch would not make a move to betray them. Joe glanced towards Nancy apologetically. But the idea of having until the first day of spring with his brother - it had been too great an offer for him to pass up.
The Witch grinned. She looked between the two of them. There was a terrible triumph in her eyes, one that made Joe's skin itch.
"It will be so brilliant to have both of Sheriff Hardy's sons as my servants. Your brother has so missed you, Joseph. I did tell him it was only a matter of time before you did something stupid that allowed me to add you to my collection."
"You have to respect the deal, allow us the chance to collect the dagger," Nancy reminded her.
"And I will. I just don't believe the three of you will be able to get your hands on it."
It had taken them a while to set off, mostly because Frank and Joe had argued over who rode on the back of the horse and who walked beside it. Although Joe had been insistent Frank should ride on the horse, he had eventually relented to say they would swap halfway through the forest and find a third horse when they started on their journey.
Nancy didn't think anyone would fail to see how devoted the brothers were to each other. Even with Frank sitting on the back of the horse, Joe kept glancing back at him, checking he was okay, checking he was still there. And Frank was constantly checking Joe didn't want to swap early.
Still, what they didn't say rang in their ears. Joe went to ask about what it had been like living with the witch but Frank's expression had stopped him. Joe didn't ask. He was forced to take Frank at his word that he was okay. But Nancy could see Joe's determination to save his brother from the Witch was doubling with every second of subdued silence from his older brother.
"I can't believe Mom and Dad let you do this," Frank said after a while.
Joe looked away guilty.
"Let is a very strong word."
Frank raised an eyebrow at his brother in a look that comically asked a thousand questions. Nancy had to bite back a laugh.
"If we have to go home, there is every chance I will be arrested and locked in a very tall tower until some handsome prince comes to rescue me," Joe said, looking away. "Unless I bring you home and then I get lauded as a hero and Mom and Dad lock me in a very tall tower for a week or so."
Frank looked away, rolling his eyes. Joe playfully accused him of taking their parents' side to which Frank pointed out that Joe had run away from home and made a deal with a very powerful witch that could ultimately end in him being enslaved.
"But we are going to fix this. All we have to do is to find the nightfire blade, get it back," Joe said, grinning at Frank. "and start preparing the party to celebrate your return."
Frank shook his head.
"No, once we find this dagger, we need to work out why the Witch wants it and put a stop to whatever scheme she intends to use it for."
Nancy rolled her eyes fondly.
"If I had known you two went looking for trouble like this, I wouldn't have agreed to help you two in the first place."
So there you go, a different medieval fantasy AU. I will try to mix it up next time and go with something a little different. I hoped you all enjoyed it all the same. Adding Nancy Drew in just felt right and having her father's job be going around negotiating deals for people - considering he is a defence lawyer - I thought it was fun. Hope you all enjoyed. Please leave a review.