Tilly headed to her window and climbed down the tall tree outside of it. If any of the maids or butlers saw her out of bed they'd be sure to tell Baileywick who would send her back to bed, or worse, tell her mother she'd been faking her cold.
Hiding behind bushed and columns, Tilly scampered over to the tower that belonged to someone she knew she could trust.
"Mr. Goodwin?" Tilly called as she entered his cheery workshop at the top of his tower. "Are you in here?"
"Hello, princess," a voice remarked from above Tilly's head.
She jumped and looked up to see the great sorcerer floating over her head. His cheery face was twisted into a smile that stretched beneath his curly black mustache. Graying black hair stuck out of his pointed midnight blue hat that matched his star covered robes. Dangling from his chubby chin was a small black goatee and his eye were sparkling with mischief.
Tilly smiled, knowing he would never tell anyone she'd been out of bed. He rarely left his tower so he probably didn't even know she should be in bed.
"What can I do for you?" Goodwin asked as he floated back to the ground, landing in front of a large portrait of his wife and children, Cordelia and Cedric. Cedric was Roland's age and Cordelia was a year younger than Tilly. They all were rather good friends.
"I need to find something. A magical grove of apple trees that are constantly moving," Tilly replied.
"Ah, the Arabella Orchard," Goodwin mused, straightening his robes. "You seek its apples?"
"Yes. I need them to help Father with the Villager's Ball," Tilly explained.
"Well then, I have just the thing for your quest!" Goodwin exclaimed, walking over to the tall cabinets lining the back of his workshop. He pulled out one drawer and pulled took out a blank piece of parchment.
"How does this help me?" Tilly wondered as Goodwin handed it to her.
"Oh, Princess. Not everything is always what it seems," he chuckled. "This is a Locus Pocus map. Simply ask and it will show you the way to anything. Now ask it. Nicely."
"Uh, Locus Pocus map, can you show me the way to Arabella Orchard?" Goodwin gave her a look. "Please?"
Suddenly the parchment began to shimmer. Black lines spread across it, leading straight to the orchard.
"It's in Merroway Cove!" Tilly exclaimed. She quickly embraced the sorcerer before she started running out of the tower. "Thanks, Mr. Goodwin!"
Tilly flew overhead on the back of her cream-colored flying horse named Athena. Her mother had put her on the back of a flying horse before she could walk and made sure her children knew how to fly.
As the sun climbed to the highest point in the sky, Athena and Tilly landed on the glittering pale shores of Merroway Cove. Her family normally took the floating palace out on the blue waters during the summer for a vacation. Now, though, it was quiet and empty.
Tilly pulled the map out of Athena's saddle bags and scanned it.
The orchard is a little ways into the jungle. There's a path a down the beach that looks safe. I'll try that first.
She set off across the sand, leaving Athena tied to a tree with some shade in case she needed to go somewhere her horse could not. The sand slipped under her boots as she searched for the path Goodwin's map promised. To her right was the dark blue sea, crashing against huge dark rocks. She'd never been to this part of the cove; it was too dangerous to swim near the rocks.
As she walked she suddenly began to recall her family trips to Merroway Cove. How her mother always helped her and Roland build a sandcastle that looked like there castle. How Roland would drag Tilly all across the cove looking for mermaids. How her father would even come. Yes, he'd be doing paperwork, but occasionally he'd look up at them and smile.
She remembered how nice it was to swim with her family in that glittering water. How easy it was to float away…
Tilly, so focused on her memories of how good the water had felt, didn't notice she'd stopped walking forward. She turned to the water and its crashing waves and rocks.
If only Father had joined us. Then it would have been perfect. It'd be so nice for us all to be here. As a family.
Tilly walked closer to the water, imagining. Imagining her family happy and together. Imagining them with her at that very moment.
And then suddenly, there they were! Roland was laughing in the surf, the gentle waves lapping around his ankles, his baggy blue swim trunks cinched at his waist. Further out was her mother, floating on her back, the sunbeams bouncing off her skin. And furthest out stood her father, waist deep in the glittering blue water, motioning for her to swim out to him.
It was so good, seeing them there, seeing her father wanting her. Tilly began to cry with joy and waded into the water. It was warm from the sun and felt better then it ever had. Roland splashed her as she passed him and she eagerly splashed him back. She waded further out, her boots getting sucked into the wet sand underfoot.
Tilly was nearly to her mother, her peaceful mother, when she felt something try to pull her back. Confused, she glanced down. But all she saw was glittering water, rolling past her, already up to her knees.
"Come on, Matilda!" her father yelled, waving her over.
Tilly's heart soared at his voice and she tried to go to him. But something was wrapped around her ankles, keeping her in place. She reached down into the water and felt around.
Seaweed. It was tied tight around her ankles, keeping her from going forward. From going to her father.
"Get off," she muttered, tugging at the leaves. "Let me go!"
The seaweed did not listen.
"Please! Let me go!"
But it only tightened its hold on her.
"Come on, Matilda!" King Roland called. "Come to me, daughter!"
"I'm trying!" Tilly screeched, bent over, tearing at the plant. "Let me go! Just let me go!"
But then the seaweed began to whisper to her, only saying one word.
'Listen.'
"Listen? To what?" she demanded.
'Listen.'
"Will you let me go if I listen?"
'Listen.'
"Ugh! Fine!"
Tilly straightened up and listened. There was Roland's laughed, the sound of the waves gently hitting the shore, and…singing. A haunting melody, barely able to be heard.
"What…what is that?" Tilly gulped. Something about the song disturbed her to her core.
'Illusion.'
"Wait…" Tilly grasped her amulet. "I wish for silence!"
Roland's laughter died and the singing fell away. The world was quiet. And in the silence, the illusion disintegrated. Her family vanished, the waves became stronger, pushing against tiny Tilly, smashing to the shore behind her. The sharp rocks appeared just where her father was and atop the them was a feminine figure. She wore a dark red top and a crown of seashells. Her raven hair framed her sharp face and her dark eyes were desperate as she clawed at her long throat.
But what was most startling about her was her scaly black fish tail. Tilly stared at her in awe.
"What are you?" she called.
But the creature just sneered at her, baring her sharp teeth, before she dove back into the water.
'These waters are full of sirens. Leave now,' the seaweed warned before releasing her.
Tilly didn't need to be told twice! She ran out of the cold water, back to the Locus Pocus map that she'd left on the shore. She'd read about sirens before in school; nasty creatures who sang sailors to their death.
Can't believe I thought that was real. As if Father would really go swimming with us.
She quickly shook away the thought, ignoring her dripping clothes, and continued to the path. She still had her mission to complete, after all.
The path was a little overgrown, but the plants moved as Tilly walked. Tall trees towered over her, their wide leaved providing her with ample shade. Mushrooms and other fungi grew underfoot and the sound of buzzing bugs and screeching animals rang out. Occasionally, a brightly colored bird would fly by or a monkey would wing through the trees overhead.
"Not much further," she murmured to herself. "Wait. What's that sound?"
She walked a little further and found a huge chasm with a roaring river at the bottom. Luckily, the chasm was lined by trees covered in vines.
"A little help?" she asked.
The vines leaped off the trees at the sound of her voice and began weaving together, stretching across the chasm. Some vines grabbed fallen tree branches to add to help with durability. When they finished, a green bridge spanned the chasm.
"Thank you!" Tilly called as she crossed it.
Nearly there.
Tilly pushed her shaky legs to carry her up a steep and rocky hill. According to her map, the Arabella Orchard was right on the other side of it.
Thump.
The ground suddenly shook and Tilly fell to her knees. She tried to stand again
Thump.
No use. The thumps seemed to be getting closer, making it impossible for her to stand.
Suddenly, she heard something, like an animal in distress. Tilly quickly climbed up the hill on all fours. There, down on the other side of the hill was a grove of apple trees, their sweet smell drifting on the jungle air.
But standing in her way was a huge elephant, bigger than any she'd ever seen. It was stomping in circles, clearly in distress. Tilly began to creep down the hill when she noticed something different about his particular elephant. Its skin was dust free and seemed to be glittering in the sun. When it turned, she gasped at its face. Its long tusks were made of gold and gems were inlaid in his face in intricate swirls and shell patterns.
"What is that?" she whispered, creeping closer to the beautiful beast.
'A Jeweled Elephant,' the trees around her whispered. 'Very rare and going extinct.'
"He's beautiful. I wonder what's wrong with him." But then Tilly realized something else. "I'll have to sneak past him to get to orchard. And sneaking past an angry elephant seems very hard."
Tilly slowly began drifting to the right, staying low so the thundering elephant's steps wouldn't knock her over again. She moved silently, using her amulet's power to ensure it.
As she passed by, nearly to the orchard, she got a closer took at the animal. It was huge, nearly as big as a house. And its eyes were full of panic.
Finally, Tilly passed it. She began to dash to the orchard….
'I wish I could find my child.'
Tilly stopped right in her tracks.
The elephant…her power.
Slowly, she turned around. No wonder it was panicking. It had lost its child. She glanced back at the apples, but the princess's mind was already made up.
"Locus Pocus map, please show me where to find this Jeweled Elephants baby," she said.
The images on the parchment began to shift, revealing the path to the baby elephant. It wasn't far. Maybe she could find it and get the apples.
Tilly ran through the jungle as fast as she could. Nature dove out of her way, practically making room for her. She climbed steep hills and swung across rivers on vines.
Soon enough, she was there, at a small valley. Well, more pit than valley. Rocky cliffs surrounded it, too steep to climb. And sitting at the bottom was a small elephant identical to the one she'd just seen. It seemed sad, occasionally raising its trunk and giving a soft wail.
How am I supposed to get him out?
But she needn't have worried. The vines of the trees were already stretching down and wrapping around the elephant. It flailed around in fear but the vines were strong. They stayed tight as they pulled the elephant out of the pit. It softly landed on its feet and the vines uncoiled. The moment it was free, the elephant began to run. Tilly dashed after it, catching glimpses of its glittering silver skin between the trees.
The baby seemed to know right where to go and ran all the way back to its parent. Tilly stood back as the great elephant trumpeted in joy and embraced its child with its trunk. Tilly smiled as she watched them disappear into the jungle together.
'The orchard.' Tilly flinched at the tree's urgent whisper. 'It won't stay much longer.'
Tilly ran forward and into the orchard. The scent of apples surrounded her and she could hear the trees whisper softly to each other. Tilly pulled out a brown cloth from her pocket and unfolded it, laying it on the grass. Then she began picking apples. The trees' branches bended lower so she could reach them, even telling her what tree to pick from next.
Soon the cloth had a small pile on it. Tilly pulled the corners and tied them together so it could hold her treasure.
As she left the orchard, the trees began to vanish until they all were gone, off to find a better place to grow.
