“But you were brave,” Alex reassured him. He pocketed his instrument and reached out to touch Diggory’s shoulder. “And you were smart. Sometimes in a fight, the best thing to do is retreat. You kept yourself and your parents safe, even though I’m sure it must have been a little scary to run into the dark all alone.”
Diggory nodded and looked at him with wide, hopeful eyes.
“Doing that took guts,” Alex continued, “and quick thinking to find a place where the soldiers couldn’t find you. I’m sure your parents will be proud of you.”
“Do you think so? Even though I was scared?”
Alex swallowed, his stomach clenching at hearing the fears spoken that were so similar to the feelings he himself had felt when facing his own enemies. He made himself speak confidently. “I know it. How about we help you get home? I’m sure they’re probably worried about you by now.”
The little gnome hesitated. “Do you think it’s safe? Those bad soldiers won’t be looking for me?”
“We’ll keep you safe,” Celesta said, smiling brightly. “In fact, Alex here is probably a better fighter than all of them combined. Do you see how strong he is?”
Diggory tilted his head and looked at them thoughtfully. “You’re the ones they were asking about, aren’t you?” Before they could answer, he jumped up from the ground and wrapped his small fingers around Alex’s right hand. “Don’t worry; I’ll make sure they don’t find you.”
Alex couldn’t help but smile at the look of serious determination that filled the boy’s face. It seemed that the idea of protecting a fellow being from danger was all it took to restore his confidence. He followed as Diggory led him through the maze of building materials and back towards the road. Celesta skipped beside him.
“I was right,” she said in a quiet, sing-song voice.
He raised his eyebrows at her. “About what?”
She gave him a saucy wink. “Youdolook much more handsome with a smile on your face.”
Alex’s surprise at her unexpected remark and flirtatious comment caused him to misstep, and he nearly tripped. He narrowed his eyes at her in mock anger, but before he could respond, Diggory tugged on his hand.
“Look! What’s that!”
He followed the tiny finger pointing to a pile of discarded pieces of stone. Glittering on the ground in front of it was a piece of broken glass. Celesta hurried to pick it up.
She held it over her head victoriously. “Another one!”
Diggory looked between them in confusion. “Another what?”
Celesta tucked the shard carefully into her knapsack before giving them both a beaming smile. She took Diggory’s other hand. “We’ll tell you all about it on the way. It’s the reason why it’s so important that we stay away from those soldiers. You see, they serve an elf called Stahlmaus, who is really the regent of the Winter court, though he likes to think of himself as king. Anyway, he’s been working really hard for a long time to try to take over all of Faerie…”
Nine
TheyweremetbyDiggory’s family with effusive and heartfelt gratitude. Not only was it common for extended gnome families to live together under one roof, they were apparently quite physically affectionate, and Alex found himself thoroughly hugged, squeezed, patted, and kissed until he was red in the face from embarrassment and discomfort. He did his best to smile in return, nodding and reassuring the numerous aunts and uncles and cousins that it was really nothing and that he had been happy to walk little Diggory home.
The tallest of the gnomes came no higher than his elbow, and all the men wore their hair shorn close to the scalp with clean-shaven faces. The woman had theirs coiled tightly in braids around the top of their heads. They had pale skin and large, dark eyes, and long, bony arms and legs. Like Diggory’s, their clothes were in various stages of disrepair, though Alex could see that their patches were used almost as embellishments, chosen in complementary colors or sewn in quilt-like shapes or patterns.
To Celesta’s delight, mugs of steaming coffee were pressed into their hands as soon as the greetings were over. She insisted that he try hers, and though he silently admitted that the combination of cream, spices, and the rich, bitter flavor of the coffee complemented each other well, he still found it much too sweet for his taste.
Celesta practically glowed with happiness, speaking with each new family member as if she had known them all her life. She talked animatedly, relating how brave Diggory had been for standing up to Stahlmaus’ soldiers and how he had led them away from his family to keep them safe. The little gnome, sandwiched between his mother and grandmother with an arm from each wrapped around him, beamed at her praises.
Alex found himself transfixed. He had seen the way Celesta had been treated by Gareth, and he had not been blind to some of the sidelong glances she had been given as they walked through Arboris. He had read between the lines as she told her story, and though she spoke of her childhood and upbringing with little more than a shrug, he was sure that being discarded and then usurped by her only surviving family member had to hurt her a great deal.
But rather than close herself off for fear of further pain, Celesta was someone who loved fully and freely. She spread warmth and sunshine wherever she went and wore her heart on her sleeve.And, he thought with an amused huff,if she didn’t show it on her face, she would be sure to tell you about it before long. Probably in great detail. Though he had found it annoying at first, there was something endearing about the way she talked through her thoughts. It was amusing to hear the way her brain hopped about from one topic to the other–her thoughts just as active and energetic as her body–and, though he hated to admit it, there was a relief found in knowing that he could just let her chatter away without being expected to respond. He had wished for silence before, but now the thought of being without Celesta’s steady stream of lively commentary made his heart twist uncomfortably with loneliness.
Celesta met his eyes from across the room, and Alex quickly looked away, feeling the heat rising in his face at having been caught staring. He paid attention to her words now and realized that she was giving a glowing description of his musical performance. His face felt even hotter, and he looked about him for an escape.
The gnomish grandfather seemed to realize his distress, for he stepped towards the door and motioned for Alex to join him outside. Alex welcomed the sharp bite of the autumn wind as it hit his heated cheeks.
“Ferrys,” the grandfather stuck out his hand for Alex to take. “We were never actually introduced.”
“Alex,” he responded in kind. Ferrys had a firm grip, and the calluses on his fingers and palms spoke of long, hard work with his hands.
“I couldn’t help but notice you seem to be favoring that left arm. I have some experience treating breaks and sprains; would you like me to take a look?”
