Chapter 6

Thick smoke rose in the distance, and soon another column of dirty gray smoke joined it. Kel'nar carefully moved some of the embers from the cooking pot and piled them around the troll. Then he added more wood until the troll was engulfed in flames.

The water in the huge cauldron was just warm now, and Zaknafein stood soaking his scratched arm in it. The water felt soothing, and finally the scratches didn't burn anymore. A branch cracked behind him, and he jumped, then spun around, arm dripping.

Kel'nar was already facing that way, but he stood easily, his muscles relaxed.

Mum and Violet entered the clearing.

Zak's shoulders sagged with relief. It wasn't another troll.

"Zaknafein Do'Urden!" Mum exclaimed. "If you ever sneak off into the forest like that again …" She left the threat unfinished, rushed over to him, and hugged him tight instead.

"What's this?" Violet said from the edge of the clearing.

Zak looked at her over Mum's shoulder. "The troll's camp."

Kel'nar nodded. "Don't worry. I haven't heard any more trolls moving about."

Violet hadn't stepped into the clearing. Maybe she didn't want to see the burning troll from close up. But she hadn't seemed to mind seeing the other three.

"Oh, Zaknafein." Mum's voice cracked.

"I'm all right, Mum," Zak reassured.

Violet crouched down at the edge of the clearing and picked up an amber-colored bottle, half hidden behind a tree. She pulled out the loose cork, lifted it to her nose, and sniffed. "Mmm, smells sweet." Violet put the bottle to her lips.

"Violet, no!" Kel'nar shouted. He dashed toward her.

Violet swallowed and looked up. "But Kel'nar, it tastes nice." Then she began to shrink.

Violet looked at her family. They were all staring at her with wide eyes. And they all seemed to be growing taller. The bottle in her hand felt bigger and heavier too. She could hardly hold it. Violet giggled. "You're all taller!" Finally everything stopped moving. Violet giggled again. She had to tip her face up to see her family. "You're giants!"

Kel'nar stepped toward her. His face looked serious. The top of her head only came up to his weapon belt. "No, Vi," he said gently. "You got smaller."

Violet blinked up at him.

He crouched down and wrapped his long fingers around the bottle neck.

Violet gripped it with both hands and held it against her chest. "Mine! My drink!" Why did her voice sound so babyish? And it felt hard to think straight. She just knew she wanted a drink, and Kel'nar was trying to take her sweet treat away. She turned her shoulder to wrench the bottle from his grasp.

Kel'nar's grip was firm, and so was his voice. "No, Vi. This isn't a drink. It's a dangerous shrinking potion."

Dangerous? It was so sweet and cool. He probably just wanted it for himself. Violet scowled. She ducked her head and put her mouth on the top of the bottle they both still had their hands on.

Kel'nar pulled it away. "No."

She blinked up at him. His stern voice made her eyes fill with tears.

Kel'nar sighed. "Look, Violet." He dumped the rest of the drink on the ground in front of her, and the little green plants he poured it on began to shrink until nothing was left of one but two tiny green leaves. A second plant got smaller and smaller until just a little seed lay on top of the ground. "See?"

Violet frowned at the spilled drink and the ground. Then she burst into tears. "I thirsty, Kel'nar! I thirsty, and you spilled my drink!"

Mum came closer and rubbed her back. "Sweetie, it was a bad drink. A yucky drink. Kel'nar wants you to be safe."

"Not yucky!" Violet hollered, twisting away from Mum's hand. "Not yucky! Nice. Sweet. I want! I want it!"

Kel'nar and Mum looked at each other above her head.

"She doesn't understand," Mum said. "It's like she's actually two years old again, not just smaller."

Kel'nar nodded.

Violet balled her hands into fists, tipped her head back, and wailed.

Kel'nar scooped her up and settled her on his hip. "Hush now," he said. "I'll get you a drink." His warm hand rubbed her back.

Violet sniffled and let her head drop against his shoulder.

Zak was still staring at her, and she stuck her tongue out at him. She was getting carried, and Zaknafein had to walk. So there!

Zak looked over her head at Kel'nar and Mum. "Is she … Is it going to wear off?"

Kel'nar gestured toward the trampled trail with his chin and started walking.

Mum and Zak followed.

"I think so, Zak. It didn't last with the troll, and Violet only had one swallow."

Mum reached over and tousled Violet's hair. "Let's hope it wears off. I don't know if I can handle starting over from two again."

Violet whimpered. This walk was taking so long. "I thirsty!"

"I know, Vi. Almost there. Then we'll get you a drink."

She looked over Kel'nar's shoulder at Zaknafein, trailing along behind. "Zakky's crying." Violet pointed.

Zak scowled and quickly wiped his face with his sleeve. "I am not!"

Mum turned and put her arm around him. "We all want her back to normal," she said. "Let's ask Mielikki for it to be soon. The troll you saw changed back."

Zak kicked a rock on the path. "But we don't know how long that lasted."

Kel'nar turned to look at him too. "She only had a sip, Zak. Let's not lose hope."

Violet didn't understand what all those words meant. She was hot and tired and thirsty. She understood that. She started wailing again.

"Soon, Vi," Kel'nar said in her ear. Then he looked at Mum. "And as soon as she's back to normal, we're going to have a very stern talk with her about not drinking unidentified liquids."

Mum nodded. "I couldn't agree with you more."

Violet wailed louder at the frowns on her parents' faces.

Zak put his fingers in his ears.

"Not happy looks!" Violet hollered. She sobbed and pounded one small fist on her father's shoulder. "Want happy looks! I want happy!"

Kel'nar pulled her closer. "Hush now, Vi. Let's ask Mielikki to help us be happy soon."

Kel'nar set Violet on her feet when they reached the campsite.

She immediately turned toward the old plow horse they'd rented to pull the wagon. It was picketed in the tall grass some distance away.

"Stay here, Violet," Mum called.

Violet stopped walking.

Mum turned to Zak. "We need to pack up. Can you watch her?"

"Me?" Zak looked past her to his little sister, who was heading toward the horse again. "Violet, come back!"

She didn't listen. "Horsie. Nice horsie."

Mum hurried after her. "Leave the horsie alone, Violet. It might kick you." She scooped Violet up, and the little girl howled and kicked her feet in the air.

Mum marched over to the wagon and set Violet inside. "You can play in here."

Violet jumped up and down in the wagon box. "I high up!"

Mum closed the end gate. "Zak, could you keep an eye on her, please? Your father and I are going to pack up."

Kel'nar was already carrying an armload of bedrolls from the shelter.

Zak frowned, but he nodded.

"Thanks, Zak." Mum patted him on the back.

"I want drink!" Violet hollered from the wagon.

Kel'nar dropped the load of bedding into the cart. He snagged a tin cup from the dishpan of clean dishes and filled it with fresh water from the water pail. He handed Violet the cup.

She took it with two hands and stared into it.

Zak hopped up on the center of one wagon wheel and grabbed the sideboard.

Kel'nar squeezed his shoulder as he walked past. "Ready for me to pull up the tarp pegs?" he asked Mum.

"Nearly."

Violet put the cup to her lips and gulped a few swallows. Then she scowled at Zaknafein, who was closest to her. "It not sweet!" She flung the cup at his head.

Zak ducked, and the cup bounced across the ground, landing near Mum's feet.

Mum frowned and picked it up. "No, Violet. Don't throw yer cup. See how it's dented now?"

Violet pouted and hid her hands behind her when Mum offered the cup back with fresh water. "Don't like! Not sweet."

Zaknafein pulled himself up to sit on the edge of the wagon box. "We don't have anything else to drink right now, Vi."

Mum sighed and handed the rejected cup to him instead of Violet. "Ye can't reason with a two-year-old," she said, "but maybe ye can keep her occupied. Yer father and I want to be packed as soon as possible in case any other trolls are about."

Zaknafein watched their shelter fall to the ground as Kel'nar untied the main support rope. "To go to a safer campsite, right?"

Mum shook her head. "I think we'll just head home, Zak. It'll be easier than stayin' out here now that Violet's small. We'll camp some other time."

"But I don't want to go home yet," Zak burst out. A lump formed in his throat, and it was hard to talk. "It's not fair! This was supposed to be our special camping trip."

Mum sighed. "I know, Zak. We'll try ta make it up to you when things are back to normal."

Zak blinked hard and looked away.

A/N: In progress. Poor Zak, I know. If anyone's reading, I'd love it if you'd take a moment to let me know what you think of the story so far.