The Golden Heart
Chapter 7
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"There's too much stupid frill and lace around 'ere!" came the grumbling deep voice of Glomgold as he walked into the kitchen. His comment was widely ignored.
Scrooge, Fenton and Launchpad were currently eating breakfast and drinking coffee as the early morning rays of the sun pierced through the foggy sky outside. Toby and Caleb had provided them with a gentle wake up call by knocking on their doors. Evidently Scrooge had asked ahead of time if they could be woken early since none of them had thought to bring an alarm clock. Toby had been more than happy, clearly being a morning person; chipper and positive and way too enthusiastic for that time of the morning.
A bedraggled Glomgold joined them at the large round table, sitting between Launchpad and Fenton and looking as though he would murder anyone who spoke to him before he had his coffee, which was promptly brought to him by Caleb.
Being one who loved breakfast more than any other person there, Fenton had asked for pancakes and some french toast.
"Hold on: is French toast just called 'toast' here? I mean, we're in France" he asked out loud.
Scrooge shook his head at him disapprovingly while Glomgold rolled his eyes and muttered something darkly. Launchpad only blinked around at the table, wanting to know the same thing.
Toby laughed from where he was standing nearby. "You're funny!" He fixed his apron by tightening the tie behind him as he explained, "Actually, the very first reference of French toast is a Latin recipe."
"Latin? Then why is it called 'French'!?" inquired Fenton. He gulped down some of his orange juice before adding, "I mean, that's a bit misleading."
Toby gave a careless shrug as Caleb came by and poured Launchpad and Fenton more orange juice. They both quietly thanked him. "Who knows? But I've read that there have been different recipes throughout history, so it is perhaps the french recipe that is most known throughout the world. I also know the usual French name for it is 'pain perdu', or 'lost bread'."
"Lost bread? Heh, doesn't look so lost to me!" guffawed Launchpad before he ate his own piece of toast.
Toby laughed once again, his chuckle rumbling alongside Caleb's, who was now standing beside him. Caleb spoke up, "That is simply a way it's described in history. Just the term that's used."
"Would everybody just stop talkin' about French toast already?" growled Glomgold.
Both Toby and Caleb crossed their arms and glared down their noses at the angry duck. "Feel free to leave any time you like, Mr. Glomgold. Toby and I can assure you, neither of us appreciate your company." With that, both of their hosts turned and walked into the kitchen.
Caleb's comment only angered Glomgold more. "See what yeh've gone and done, McDuck?"
Smirking behind his paper, Scrooge lowered it just enough so that he could look over at his rival. "Oh, I can't take the blame fer that! That handy work is all yers! Yer the one who went and angered them by devastatin' their nearby farmland!"
Scrooge and Glomgold both went back to having their beaks buried in the local newspaper; as usual, wanting to stay informed on the worldly news as much as possible.
Fenton turned and looked out the nearest window, seeing the sun trying to peek through the dense fog that was clinging to the hills of the landscape outside. He hummed before breathing out and saying, "Ahh, it looks so nice and sunny out there!"
His good mood was shining brighter than the sun in Scrooge's opinion. "Fenton" began Scrooge after a beat. He flipped to the next page. "Why are yeh always so chipper in the mornin'?"
The accountant gulped down a mouthful of pancake, squeaking as he nearly dribbled syrup into his lap. He wiped his beak with his napkin; cleaning himself up. "I don't know! Just am! I've always been a morning person and I guess breakfast is my favorite part of the day!"
Gulping down part of his own breakfast, Launchpad asked, "Is your mom a morning person? Maybe you get it from her. I get being a night owl from both my parents. Heh."
Fenton scoffed. "Ha! No. But I'll bet she would be if better soap operas played earlier in the morning!" He squeaked again when more syrup threatened to fall into his lap again.
"What about your dad?" asked Launchpad next.
It was an innocent question, though it was one that instantly gained Scrooge's attention. He'd known Fenton for several years now and not once had he heard a single word about his dad from Fenton's lips. As much as the accountant spoke of his ma'ma and how much he talked about everything else under the sun and moon, it did come off as odd.
Fenton's carefree attitude did a complete u-turn, his expression going blank and his smile turning into a frown. "What about him?" He stabbed his fork into another piece of pancake with more force than was needed for the soft textured food.
Scrooge raised an eyebrow, perplexed by the abrupt change in his boyfriend.
Launchpad, taken aback by his friend's sudden mood change, shrugged. "Uh, well, is he a morning person?"
"Wouldn't know" he deadpanned quickly. He motioned for Scrooge's attention. "Could you pass the butter, please, Scroogey, my love?"
Caught off guard by the request, it took Scrooge a second to comprehend what he'd been asked. He was so focused on Fenton's reaction to the question that he didn't even notice the nickname and endearments he preferred keeping between them. "Oh, eh...sure, lad." He grabbed the little dish of butter and handed it to the other duck.
"Got daddy issues, Crackshell?" leered Glomgold.
Scrooge kicked him hard in the leg from his spot opposite him. Glomgold growled in annoyance.
Fenton glanced up at the second richest duck, his expression unreadable. "I do not!" he shouted before abruptly standing up. "Who's ready to go and find treasure!? Cause I sure am!" He grabbed his glass of orange juice and drank nearly the whole thing in one gulp, practically choking on it before gulping it down loudly and slamming the glass back down on the table.
Launchpad, Scrooge, and Glomgold had all flinched and leaned back to stare up at Fenton when he'd suddenly stood up.
Concern curled up in Scrooge's stomach and left a bad taste in his mouth, watching as Fenton acted out. He'd never handled the unknown very well; it was why he studied and learned as much as he did. Scrooge liked to stay with facts and numbers but sadly he couldn't do that with Fenton. He was in uncharted territory and it left him feeling vulnerable and exposed.
So, it was out of complete uncertainty when Scrooge asked, "Are yeh okay, laddie? Ignore Glomgold. It's what I do."
Glomgold growled at the other duck's insult.
"I'm fine! I'm ready to go and find your treasure, my lovely dearest!" replied Fenton. His expression was still unreadable as he avoided the gazes of everyone. He coughed a couple times, the orange juice having gone down his throat wrong. They watched as he tried to step away from the table, but his legs were trapped between the chair and table. At a loss, Fenton stood up on the chair and hopped off it; finally free. "Come along, apple of my eye! The sunshine in my sky!" He then promptly left the kitchen and most likely left to go upstairs to their room.
With raised and skeptical eyebrows, Scrooge figured there was no point in denying the fact that he was itching to get a move on things. He wanted to find that treasure and there was no point sticking around the B&B any longer.
"Boy!" whistled Launchpad once Fenton was out of earshot. "Talk about an important meal! Breakfast pretty much had Fenton bursting with energy! He'd been a zombie like the rest of us a couple minutes ago!"
Scrooge grimaced as he walked beside Launchpad towards the stairs. "I don't think t'was breakfast that did that, Launchpad. Somethin' bothered him."
"Heh" grumbled Glomgold from behind them. "He's got daddy issues, like I said. Lad went loony after I mentioned it. He's cracked! Just like his last name implies!"
Scrooge rounded on him, twirling around at the base of the stairs on his heel. He jabbed a finger in Glomgold's face. "Shut yer gob, Flintheart, before I shut it fer yeh!"
This only made the second richest duck smirk wider. "Yer just upset cause yeh know I'm right! Forget that boy, Scroogey, he's not worth yer trouble!"
This only enraged Scrooge further. "Oh, I'LL decide what is and isn't worth my time, Flinty! But I'll tell yeh now, you most certainly AREN'T! Feel free t'leave anytime yeh please can I can assure yeh, yeh aren't welcome here!"
Without waiting to see what else Glomgold had to say, Scrooge pushed past a startled and confused Launchpad and stormed up the stairs. Glancing at Glomgold, who was just glaring up the stairs, Launchpad quickly scampered up behind him without a word.
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The sun was trying its best to pierce through the dense fog of the morning air; the shadows of the hills stretching for miles and growing smaller and smaller as the sun slowly rose. The air was brisk and chilly but the sun's warmth kept it from being too unpleasant. The wind gently rocked the grass lazily back and forth as dew drops formed on the tips of the grass blades.
Toby had given them instructions on the best way to get to the old castle ruins that lay in the middle of Scrooge's newly bought property. There was no road that lead to it, so through the crunchy wet grass they had to go.
The four of them each had a back pack of their own slung over their shoulders, their breath coming out in white cloud puffs with every time they breathed. Along with their back packs, they also carried supplies like rope, climbing gear, provisions, and sleeping bags, just in case. Launchpad carried the most since he was carrying the shovels and pickaxes.
Scrooge was unsurprisingly in the lead, a small eager smile on his beak and his top hat standing tall and proud of his head. Having the most energy, and also the map, Scrooge led the way with Launchpad and Fenton close behind and Glomgold taking up the rear once again.
They all wore heavier jackets than their usual attire; Fenton of course wearing his new green jacket. Along with his gear, he also carried his small sleek gizmoduck suitcase, trying to be as discreet as possible with it.
Once everyone had gotten back into their rooms, everything had settled down. Scrooge has attempted to broach the subject about Fenton's father once more, making sure the younger duck knew he shouldn't feel bad about not wanting to discuss him, yet Fenton still ignored the whole thing. It was clear Fenton didn't want to talk about his father and therefore Scrooge found it best to let the subject drop. He was quite happy to see that Fenton's excitement and drive to find the treasure had not died down in the slightest. In fact, it was all Fenton had wanted to talk about and the old miser wasn't about to fuss over that.
So now they were making their way through the foggy moors of Sitka.
"Uh, gee, Mr. McDee...You had made it sound like it wasn't all that far" huffed Launchpad after they had reached the top of a particularly high hill. "Eh...Not that I'm complaining...it's just...I'm most likely gonna get horribly lost once we get there to drop this extra equipment off. Cause ya still want me to go to the airport after we get there, right?"
Scrooge hummed in thought, his eyes never leaving the map he was holding. "Well, yes, that had been the initial idea. Pe'haps it'd be best if yeh stuck with us after all, Launchpad. I suppose the plane can get fixed later."
"Or he could go fix it NOW" groused Glomgold. He set his back pack down on the ground with a grunt. Standing next to Scrooge, it was too obvious how out of shape he was, what with the way he was panting and holding onto his side like he had numerous muscle cramps. "That way when we do find the treasure, he can get out of this wretched place faster!"
"Hmm...Did yeh hear anything just now, Fenton?" asked Scrooge, feigning ignorance towards his nemesis.
Fenton blinked at him, listening hard to everything around him. "Umm...No? Unless you count the creepy sounds the wind is making. Is this place haunted, by chance? By, you know, dead villagers or maybe the dead King himself?" At the notion, Fenton visibly shivered and glanced worryingly around them.
"Of course not, yeh dingus. Yer a fool t'think otherwise." Knowing his point had been missed entirely by Fenton, Scrooge shook his head and turned back to Glomgold. "No one asked fer yer opinion, Flintheart. Launchpad might as well stay with us. Let's face it, he's got the most brute strength out of all of us."
"Oh, hey look, guys! A butterfly! Never seen one with those colors before!" exclaimed Launchpad happily, pointing several yards away where a blue and black winged butterfly was fluttering around in the tall grasses of the hill.
Fenton was the only one who seemed at all impressed as he smiled over at the little creature the pilot had spotted. Scrooge and Glomgold on the other hand just stared at him with judgement written all over their faces.
Scrooge sighed. "Not the sharpest tool in the shed, mind, but we may need him."
Glomgold rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Let's just get a move on!"
Their continued their march as Scrooge continued to lead them. They took a small break to have a snack and quick drink from their supplies before pressing forward. It was roughly a half hour later they found themselves in the midst of remnants of a village. Buried and half under overgrown weeds and bushes and grass were rotten pieces of wood that once stood as the foundation of houses. They walked along broken cobblestones that once formed a walkway through the town square, taking in the sights around them.
Despite the morbid setting, Scrooge was grinning from ear to ear. "Hee hee ha ha!" he began to cackle. "This is it! This is the old castle town that surrounded the castle itself! We've done it, lads! We've found the kingdom that the Golden Heart resides in!"
"Gee, this place has certainly seen better days" commented Launchpad as he walked past a mound of dirt and grass. On closer inspection, he could see that underneath all that was actually a collapsed and rotten roof to a small house. "Eh, I take it realistate isn't too great around here either, eh?"
His joke went unheard as there was a sudden motion just ahead of them. They all flinched and became alert when they heard sudden movement. There was a rustle in the grasses and suddenly a large brown rabbit bounded out of its hiding place and ran for its life.
All four of them breathed a sigh of relief when they saw it was simply a harmless rabbit ducking for cover. Fenton placed a hand over his heart. "Ugh! My poor nerves can't handle that sort of thing! It's bad enough this place is probably haunted!"
"It is not haunted!" snapped Scrooge.
Glomgold smirked, seeing his chance, and walked up beside Fenton and wrapped an arm around him. He lowered his voice. "Ahh, laddie. Ignore him. It t'is possible there are some lingerin' spirits about. But don't yeh worry. I'll watch over yeh."
Fenton tensed the moment Glomgold touched him, his eyes widening as he looked over at the older duck. "Thanks? But you should really worry about yourself. You're not exactly as spry as Scrooge, Launchpad, and me..."
Scrooge burst out laughing. "Ha!" He enjoyed watching Glomgold's face contort into an angry sneer. Glomgold removed his arm from around Fenton immediately and the accountant was quick to side step away from him. "Oh, sometimes yer bluntness comes in handy, laddie!"
Fenton shrugged, huddling closer to Scrooge and continuing to watch Glomgold warily as the surly Scottish duck stood there looking as though he'd just sucked on a lemon. "I'm not blunt, Scroogey! I just state what I see!"
Deciding not to argue that that was the same thing, Scrooge cackled a moment more before he started walking over to what looked like a large towering mass of tree limbs, shrubbery, and vines roughly fifty yards before them. "Now, onto more important matters. If my understand' of this 'ere map is correct, that just over there should be the castle."
Fenton moved to stand beside the richest duck and squinted at the sight before him. "You mean on the other side of this river?" He pointed to the green sludgy and moss covered water in front of the crumbled cobblestones Scrooge had pointed out.
Scrooge rolled his eyes. "That's not a river, its a moat! It surrounds the castle! Obviously its rotted and decayed the same way as everything else around here."
Fenton hummed in thought at the correction, looking at the moat in fascination.
Launchpad scratched the back of his neck, dropping his back pack down on the ground beside him. "Uh, ya sure this is a castle, Mr. McDee? To me, that looks like one of ol' Bushroot's failed experiments. Look, it's got tree roots and bushes and everythin'. If I didn't know any better, I'd say he's been here."
"Oh! I remember Bushroot" piped up Fenton as he stepped over towards the pilot. He regarded the old castle and moat remains curiously. "I see what you mean. It could also have be a hideout of his!"
Scrooge harrumphed; unimpressed.
"Tell me again why these two are here, McDuck?" groused Glomgold.
"First, remind me why YOU are here" was the snappy comeback.
Fenton immediately raised his hand as though he was a student answering a teacher's question. "Oh! I know! It's cause he tricked me!"
Scrooge blinked at him incredulously, not having expected his rhetorical question to be answered. Meanwhile Glomgold simply crossed his arms and scoffed. "Fer the last time, I didn't trick yeh! I was tryin' to be helpful, laddie!"
"Oh, go soak yer head, Flintheart! Now enough tongue waggin'! We're in the right spot! Now, accordin' to the legend, we must find the King's pool of tears" intervened Scrooge before things could go further. It was getting on his nerves that everyone was forgetting that fact that they were on a treasure hunt! "Does anyone here see the castle's drawbridge? That would be the best way in."
Launchpad shrugged. "What's the drawbridge look like? All I see is dead vines and tall grass."
Setting his back pack down on the ground and rubbing at his temples, Scrooge breathed in slowly and let it out. "What do you THINK a drawbridge looks like, Launchpad?"
The pilot thought about that for a long moment before replying brightly, "A bridge?"
"Yeh've got t'be joshin' me" growled Glomgold, stepping up to jab a finger in the pilot's face. "It's a bridge that opens and closes, like a gate! The castle can draw it down across the moat to let outsiders in! Is that small enough words for you, laddie?"
"Hey!" cried out Launchpad, insulted.
"That's enough, Glomgold!" hissed Scrooge. "Yer not helpin' matters!"
Fenton tapped his chin. "So, changing the subject, did we ever figure out why the King cried so much?"
Glomgold, who was trying to look over Scrooge's shoulder and at the map in the other's hands, glanced up. "What's this about cryin'?"
Seeing that Glomgold was so close, he elbowed Glomgold and stepped away, causing the second richest duck to gasp for breath and rub at his chest where he'd been hit. "He's talkin' about a part in the legend that speaks of his Queen dyin'. She passes when the kingdom falls." He dropped his gear and began walking along the moat, his eyes scanning the area.
Fenton's eyebrows scrunched up in deep thought. "Now, hold on, the Kingdom didn't fall until after the Queen passed."
"Aha!" exclaimed Scrooge from where he had wandered. Fenton's comment went ignored as Scrooge found the drawbridge. He quickly walked back to where his back pack and gear were and grabbed them before making his way back. "I've found it lads! The drawbridge!"
Scrooge walked closer to the castle entrance remains and began pulling at some of the bushes that were overgrown around the bridge. Turned out they refused to budge. He quickly pulled out a pair of gardening shears and began hacking at the obtrusive plants. He cut through them faster than any of the others could imagine, not giving them a chance to at least offer any help.
Once the drawbridge had a small pathway going across it, Scrooge leaned back and wiped at his brow.
Fenton walked up beside him, hearts in his eyes. "Oh, you're so amazing when you're determined my darling Scroogey!"
Scrooge smiled at his younger boyfriend, appreciating the compliment, but the moment was quickly over. His smile was quick to turn downward as he put his shears away.
Remembering Fenton's earlier question, he said, "Why are yeh worryin' about the Queen, laddie? It's the King we should be worried about. It donnae matter how the Queen died. Fact is, she did and the Golden Heart is hidden along with his pool of tears. Which is what he need t'find!" He grabbed hold of a nearby vine and placed one of his spat covered feet up on a stone that was close and began to pull with all his might.
Scrooge groaned as he pulled and after a long moment, the vine finally began to give and pull away, making the pathway even clearer. Scrooge shouted out in alarm and jumped back when several things happened at once. Turned out, the vine had been holding up most of what was left of the concrete walkway and without it, the edge of the moat slid down via a mini land slide. the moat splashed loudly and the water under the moss rippled violently before evening out.
"Well done, McDuck. Destroy the ground that allows us to get to the drawbridge" grumbled Glomgold.
"Oh, go bother someone else, Flintheart. I don't see you providing any sort of help!" Scrooge hissed. He gestured for Fenton to start walking across the draw bridge. "Go on over, lad."
Fenton paused in his place, causing Scrooge to bump into him when he thought the accountant was walking. "It's sideways." He pointed to the drawbridge which was leaning to the side and collapsed on the left side.
"Aye, so avoid that side of the bridge" persisted Scrooge. He grabbed Fenton's shoulders and pushed him along.
The four of them made their way across the drawbridge as carefully as they could. Despite all the overgrowth covering it and the one bad side, the bridge was in fairly decent shape. The bridge creaked and reminded them just how rotten it actually was, but they managed to walk across it.
Once they made it across safely they all breathed easier. "Huh, this wasn't a very big castle" remarked Launchpad.
Giving him a deadpan look, Scrooge scowled, "Launchpad, we just walked through the gate keep." He gestured the open area around them. It was just like the rest of the foggy moors, empty and overgrown with plants and decay. "Just what to yeh suppose all that is back up in there!? D'yeh not see all that? This is simply what I suspect t'be the ward. Look there!" He pointed a ways up the large hill where there was a tall towering curving wall of stone.
"Ahhh, I gotchya" chuckled Launchpad. "I was gonna say. All this fuss over a tiny little place like that!?" He jutted a thumb towards the gate house.
The next half hour was spent exploring the inside the inner curtain wall of the castle, searching for anything that remotely looked like a pond or pool.
Glomgold complained loudly how much of a waste of time it was while Scrooge adamantly ignored him. Fenton and Launchpad made sure to stay out of the cross fire whenever the two richest ducks began shouting at each other and over the maps. Glomgold began demanding that he start reading the text and scrolls regarding the legend, yet Scrooge continued to counter that he had every chance to do so before Glomgold 'so kindly' gave them to Fenton.
It was shortly after another round of arguing between the two when Fenton walked up behind Scrooge, giving him a hug from behind. "Scroogey, my love..." he sighed, his beak down turned into an exhausted pout. "We've been searching this castle area for almost an hour now..."
"Aye..." prompted Scrooge. The older duck peered around an old stone column to see another empty and grass filled corridor that led to the guard house.
"What I don't understand is...if we're still looking for a pool of tears, why don't we find the back of the castle? Isn't that where it'd be?" suggested Fenton.
Scrooge slowly turned his head, his cheek right up against Fenton's since the other's head was still on his shoulder. "How do yeh figure?"
Fenton shrugged, his chin still on Scrooge's shoulder. "I don't know. It's just, when I think 'pool' I think backyard. I even think fountain or something. I don't know. May I see the scroll with the legend on it again? It still really bothers me that you can't read the whole thing."
Scrooge pulled his bag close and pulled out the right scroll before handing it to Fenton. Staying close so that Scrooge could look at it too, Fenton opened it up and began skim reading it. "Didn't it say something about three tree saplings?"
"Aye, that was simply what the faerie had asked of the King" was the reply. Scrooge thought about it for a moment. "Yeh know lad, yeh might be onto somethin'."
"Really?"
Scrooge nodded, a grin gracing his beak. "Aye. Come along. I believe back this way is where the court yard should be." Adjusting his top hat, Scrooge stepped forward, making sure to step over old brush and weeds and stepped into the decaying remains of the corridor. The roof had long since fallen and the sunlight poured down inside, illuminating the path. As they made their way through the brush and briars, they could hear Launchpad calling from behind them.
"Hey!" His voice echoed. "Mr. McDee! Wait for me!" The pilot fumbled his way down the same path, dodging briars by sucking in his gut and attempting ninja-like moves.
They could hear Glomgold begin to curse as he started making his way. "OUCH!" They turned back to see Glomgold rubbing his behind and scowling at a particular thick patch of sharp briars.
Scrooge and Fenton held up the front and made their way through until finally they reached an opening. Judging by the sizeable hole in the otherwise thick stone wall, this was not originally a doorway but they were using it as such since everything else was caved in.
It was indeed the courtyard they had found and with the sun shining down on them and the fog slowly beginning to disappear, it truly was a breathtaking sight. Flowers were blooming around the edges and climbing up the few stones walls were left. Instead bushes and short trees were blocking the majority of the courtyard in. Three enormous oak trees framed a small broken well in the center of the courtyard. There were no leaves on the oak trees since they were long since dead, but somehow the sun still managed to make their intricate branches beautiful.
Fenton sucked in a breath as he and Scrooge walked through tall grass and flowers until they were up to the well. "Oh, wow, Scroogey" he cooed lovingly. He clasped his hands together and looked to his paramour with affection. "This place is so romantic!" He began to lean towards Scrooge, but the old miser was too busy inspecting the well.
Scrooge peered down inside the well and grunted incredulously when he saw that the well had been sealed up. It was only about four feet deep. "Ha! Figures!" he muttered. "We're looking for a pool and instead he find a closed up well!"
Fenton frowned, having hoped for a kiss. He glanced with disinterest at the well and saw what his love was speaking about. "Well, maybe there's more to this courtyard? I mean, this is better than where we were before."
Scrooge shrugged, turning at the sound of Launchpad crashing into the courtyard. He looked over to find the tall pilot fighting against some vines that were tied around his foot.
"I got it! I got it!" Launchpad was saying, reaching over with his leg in the air, trying to untangle himself. "I got it-" He got himself free, only to fall backards. "Ow ow ow Owww! These are briars, Mr. McDee! BRIARS! Owww! I DON'T LIKE BRIAR PATCHES!"
Scrooge and Fenton both winced in sympathy for their friend before turning their attention back to the well and the oak trees.
Sliding his hand along the edge of the well and looking up into the sky under the dead tree branches, Fenton commented, "Sure is strange how these three oak trees were planted here. I mean, this courtyard is pretty big but its just odd. And why I well. I thought for sure there'd be a gorgeous, elaborate fountain back here like in the movies!"
Adjusting his spectacles, Scrooge was busy scanning over the scrolls and answered distractedly, "Well, this isn't the movies, laddie."
"Why don't you ever call me by any pet names or endearments?"
Caught off guard, the older duck looked up and gaped at Fenton, his face getting a tad warm. "I beg your pardon?"
With a sad, dejected look on his face, Fenton found himself unable to look his paramour in the eyes. He swallowed thickly. "I mean, I call you 'dearest', and 'my paramour', and 'my love'..." he paused, as though to convince himself to keep going. "All you ever do is call me 'lad' or 'laddie'. You call Launchpad and even your own nephews that! I mean, we're dating! Shouldn't I get something more than just 'laddie'!?"
Scrooge sighed. "Fenton- I told yeh from the start not t'get yer hopes up with this. I'm giving this a chance, la-Fenton." He shook his head, catching himself. "I'm just not the type for that such drivel.I DO really care for yeh."
Fenton's shoulders slumped as he leaned against the side of the well. "Yeah, I know..." he mumbled. "I just...feel like such a disappointment most of the time. I'm always flubbing and messing things up. Like the other day when I wore your jacket to work. I'm still sorry for that! Or like letting myself get tricked by Mr. Glomgold!"
Scrooge nodded in understanding. "Aye, laddie..." he winced and Fenton looked away. "Sorry. Callin' yeh that is habit I suppose. But Fenton, I agree, yeh do have a bad habit of makin' me look bad and makin' a fool of yerself, but that's just who yeh are, I suppose. Right?" The older duck tried to smile, hoping to lighten the mood.
"So, you're saying I'm just a screw up..."
"Yes!" exclaimed Scrooge. Then Fenton's words sunk in and his eyes went wide. He quickly placed his hands on the other duck's shoulders. "Err-NO! I didn't mean it like that-Look, la-Fenton. Let us just find the Golden Heart and when we get back to Duckberg, I swear t'yeh, I'll try harder. Okay?"
Fenton didn't answer at first, his chin practically touching his chest it was down so low. Eventually nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, that's fine. I'm sorry."
Not knowing what else to do and completely out of his element, Scrooge awkwardly pulled Fenton close and hugged him. Fenton, of course, greedily accepted it; it was so rare for Scrooge to give out free hugs. When they finally broke apart a moment later, Fenton sniffled.
They could both hear Launchpad and Glomgold fighting past the briars and both shouting and cursing. Well, Glomgold was cursing. Launchpad was simply shouting over his cursing in hopes to calm him down and help him.
In the quiet of their moment, Fenton casually commented, "Not the best place to be having a heart to heart, I guess. When really, the only heart you want is the Golden Heart." He nervously pulled out at the collar of his jacket. He leaned further onto the side of the well, practically half sitting on it.
Scrooge turned around and watched as Launchpad managed to get Glomgold free of the briars and vines.
"Heyo, Mr. McDee! We finally made it in one piece!" Launchpad called over to them.
"Speak for yerself!" snapped the shorter duck beside him. "McDuck, yer the one with the best shears and yet here yeh are not even sharin'!"
Scrooge turned back to Fenton and looked at him reprovingly. "Yeh see what I mean? Now is not the best time for all this. I know yeh were excited about the idea of some romantic getaway vacation, but the fact of the matter is, we're here for a reason. Yeh messed up big time by invitin' Glomgold along-"
Fenton's shoulders slumped and he turned away. "I said I was sorry, Scroogey!"
Scrooge quickly nodded, placing a reassuring hand on the accountant's shoulder. "Aye. Yeh did." He pulled out the scrolls that told the legend of the Golden Heart. "Here, let's look at this once again. We're in the right place, we just have to figure out the puzzle."
Grateful for the change of topic and distraction, Fenton leaned forward and looked them over with Scrooge. Glomgold and Launchpad made their way over, dropping their gear at their feet.
"Did'ja guys figure anything out?" inquired Launchpad.
Scrooge shook his head, letting Fenton hold onto the scrolls. He looked up at Launchpad. "Nae. This is the old king's castle, that's fer sure. But we need to find the King's pool of tears and all we've found is a fake well. Not a drop of water that could be called a pool of any kind."
"I swear, McDuck, you're losin' yer touch!" goaded Glomgold. "Yeh shoulda headed my warnin' when I told you this was nothin' but dead land!"
Scrooge crossed his arms and glared at his rival. "So you say, yet yer the one who was so determined to come along on this trip. What aren't yeh sharin'. You know something about the legend, don't yeh?"
Glomgold's eyes widened. "I am not! Save for that little bit of text that's too faded to be read, we have all the information we could need t'find it! Trust me, do you really think I want to be wastin' my time fighting through weeds and briars in the middle of nowhere with the likes of you!?"
At the mention of the faded legend text, Fenton turned to the right page and looked at it again. He ignored the two old misers as they continued to bark at each other. Launchpad had found himself a quiet place to sit among the tall grass and flowers, simply enjoying the sun as he waited for something to happen.
That was when Fenton found what he had been looking for. He mumbled the writing out loud as he read it, "'-in the center of those three saplings, which are now very large old dead oak trees, is a well. The well is where the queen died once the King got his protection and tripled fortune. The well was built to symbolize all the King's tears he shed after her passing.'"
Hearing Fenton reading aloud, Scrooge stopped insulting Glomgold mid-sentence to turn back to his boyfriend. "Eh? What was that?" He waited, hoping that Fenton might be onto something.
Fenton looked up from the scroll and took in their surroundings. He looked around at each large oak tree that encircled the well. Glancing back down at the text to be sure, he raised a finger before saying, "In the center of three saplings..." He trailed off before pointing to Scrooge, who looked at him in confusion. "Scroogey! Three saplings!"
Not sure what he was getting at, Scrooge nodded slowly. "Aye, what about them? There are no saplings here..."
"He's a nut case, Scroogey. I don't know why you waste yer time with him" scoffed Glomgold as he turned away from them.
Fenton was shaking his head. "No, but these three oak trees have got to be here for a reason!"
Catching on to what the accountant was saying, Scrooge's eyes lit up with excitement. "The legend is old! It happened centuries ago- which means-!" He didn't finish, now eyeing the old dead oaks himself.
"These oak trees are those saplings!" crowed Fenton.
Glomgold rolled his eyes. "Aye. It says the pool of tears is surrounded by three saplings. But there is no pool here."
Launchpad piped up. "Gee, I was under the impression from what Fenton had told me that you hadn't read the scrolls, Mr. Glomgold."
His face going red from being caught, Glomgold scowled at the pilot. "Yeh got yer facts wrong!"
"No, he doesn't. Yeh told me the same thing, Flinty" smirked Scrooge. "Seems t'me yeh ARE just here to cause trouble! Not that I ever doubted it." However, Glomgold had a point. He turned back to Fenton. "He's right though. There's no pool. Just a sake well. "
Both Scrooge and Fenton looked between themselves and the well. The idea popped into their mind at the same time. Completely in sync, they both cried out together, "Unless the pool is hidden underneath the well!"
Without waiting another moment, Fenton and Scrooge were both digging through the bag of gear Launchpad had been carrying since it had been the largest and he was the strongest of all of them. They quickly found the shovels they had brought while the pilot and second richest duck watched in surprise.
"Wait, what'd I miss?" questioned Launchpad in confusion. He grabbed his own shovel.
"Quick lads! Start tearin' apart this well!" commanded Scrooge.
The next twenty minutes was spent of grueling back pain as they all heaved and shoveled shovel full after shovel full of dirt. They dig all around the base of the well until the cobble of the well came loose and began to break apart. Next it was lifting and throwing away large stones and clearing around the area. Fenton began whacking the tall grass around them with a weed wacker and cleared out the immediate area so they had more room to work.
Before long they had torn apart the top portion of the broken well and Launchpad slammed a large sledge hammer into the bottom of the well and after several hits, the stone broke loose, crumbling and caving inwards and revealing a large deep hole.
"Aha!" exclaimed Scrooge once Launchpad was finished. "This is it! It must be it! A hidden cave under the well!"
"Cheese and crackers!" shouted Fenton. "Boy, I would sure hate to fall in there without a flashlight!"
All four of them gathered close, all wanting to peer down the hole they had found.
In their excitement, none of them noticed the grassy soil begin to sink and crack and before anyone could react, they were sinking down and falling into the deep hole; their shouts of alarm and panic echoing behind them in their wake.
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