Freiyon Fables: The Rochester Runes

Once inside, Robert took the bags off Charles’ and Sarah’s heads and hooted happily.

Sarah could hardly believe her eyes. “Owls?! We were saved by owls, Charles! Thank goodness for good creatures in this weird place.”

Robert snorted. “Hi, sis. Good to see yoo too! Had a good time with the grabbers without me, I see.”

Charles and Sarah gasped.

“Robert? You’re ... you ... You idiot! You were meant to go back home, not follow us as an owl. You didn’t really save us, did you?”

Robert pecked Sarah’s nose hard. “That isn’t very nice, sis. I DID save you, along with several others as well. Including, I heard, our great-grandfather.”

“Too troo, humans! I convinced Robert too go and save yoo from the grabbers. And may I compliment on an especially quick, good job of it too? Well done, too troo! Yoo, Robert, make being an owl special!” Owlfred intervened.

“Oh, what’s the point of saving all of us now? The stones are gone! The Grabbers took them when they searched me!”

Robert shook his head. “Got you there, Charles. I thought ahead. We have all stones, including the one I found at the grabbers camp-fire. Check this out, it has an ‘E’ on it this time. E for enemy or evil, right? So, aside from saving you two, I got all the stones plus a new one, I saved every imprisoned animal or tree there AND I saved great-grandfather Rochester. All just for yoo two!”

Charles was ecstatic. Quite forgetting that the enemy could be outside at that moment, he yelled for joy and hugged Robert regardless of Robert being an owl or his brother.

“Now you have proven yourself to be a worthy Rochester, Robert! Congratulations.”

Robert snorted his trade snort. “Yoo know I still think this is a wild dream, right Charles?”

Charles nodded. “Hey, as long as we are all having the same dream, that’s fine with me!”

Sarah shook her head in shocked amusement. “Boys!” She sighed.

~ ~ ~ ~

Back at the manor, the battle for the manor had been won by the police and Mary was eager to get everyone into the tunnel to search for her kids.

But there was still one small problem. During helping the police after she had read the note, Mary hadn’t kept in mind the awful and evil staring soldier, the one and only statue that hadn’t been destroyed during the fight.

He, or rather IT, knew the only way to keep Mary away from her kids was to stop her from getting into the tunnel. So now it stood in the tunnel entrance, prepared to do anything in its power to stop and maybe kill any who tried to pass.

The staring soldier was on a mission to kill the Rochester family.

~ ~ ~ ~

While the children rest, a creature spotted them. The creature approached Charles carefully, leaning over the top of Charles and thinking about something. The creature had a fox shadow, but since no-one could see it at the time, no-one knew who it was or whose side it was on. The fox creature whispered into Charles’ ear gently while Charles slept. “You will need to know this soon. Micklang is the Warrior of this world. You must remember that! You will see me for real some- day, but for now I must leave you to finish your quest. Fare travels, friend.” The mysterious fox figure vanished back into the forest as morning came around and Charles slowly started to wake up. The sun rose on Charles, Sarah and Robert, and Charles was the first one to respond. He was also the first to hear the ground shaking beneath their feet, as a group of the villainous Grabbers had managed to catch onto the scent of the children, with the help of some nasty hounds, and were coming right for them.

Leaping up and grabbing his bag, Charles woke Sarah and Robert up, realizing only vaguely that it was now morning.

Groaning and complaining before waking up fully, Sarah and Robert tried to figure out why Charles was in such a hurry to leave.

“Robert, get your bag. You too, Sarah! We have to go, NOW!”

“Why? What’s wrong?” Robert asked, still yawning slightly (he was still an owl and owls don’t like the day).

Charles whirled around and then stopped. Above their heads, loud stomping feet could be heard getting closer by the second.

“They’ve found us!” Sarah gasped.

Charles grabbed his brother and sister and pulled them towards the entrance to the hide-out.

“We need to get out of here before they find the entrance to the hide-out, or else we’re dead!”

Robert snorted and smiled cheekily. “Or we could just fly out of here.”

“I like the way you think, Robert.”

The two children and the one owl/human sped out of the hole leading into the hide-out like a blur. The Grabbers’ group searching for them never knew what had happened, only that one minute there had been an empty, life-less countryside and suddenly there was a blur of white and grey and an enormous owl with an ugly, odd shaped back was seen in the sky flying east.

“Where to Charles?” Robert cried, trying to keep his eyes off the sun.

“South, Robert! We’ve got to go south!”

“South? What for? Surely none of the stones are in the sea?”

Charles shook his head. “It’s not the stones we’re looking for now. The wall where the stones belong, that’s where we’re heading now.”

Sarah was confused. “But we haven’t got all the stones yet. We only have five! We still have to find the last two Charles.”

“I’m positive about this Sarah. I just know we have to go there. Besides, if I hadn’t of gotten us out of there, the Grabbers would have caught us.”

Sarah agreed with this and Robert hooted a warning. “Well, wherever we’re going, we’d better be there soon! I’m still an owl, and by nature’s law I am not supposed to like the sun.”

“Go down, Robert!”

Robert obeyed, but the next thing they saw was a huge mountain of ice coming right at them.

“CHARLES!!” Sarah screamed.

“Robert, go STRAIGHT down!”

Robert did as he was told and Charles and Sarah held on tightly as they all plummeted towards the ground.

“What’s that, there near the bottom of the ice mountain?” Sarah pointed.

“It’s a mouse, would you believe. It’s all by itself too! I think I might swoop in for a nibble!”

Charles screwed up his face in disgust and looked at how close they were to the ice mountain.

“Robert, don’t eat that mouse!” Sarah argued, still trying to hold on tight. “You’re not a REAL owl, you know.”

Robert grunted and realized that Sarah was right. “Very well… I’ll just give him a scare.”

Robert sped faster as they got closer to the ground and to the mouse. Charles could see now that this mouse was definitely no ORDINARY mouse. Not unless ordinary mice wore a rapier on a belt strapped around their body and a red and gold jacket that seemed impossibly small.

“Pull up, Robert! Don’t you DARE eat him!”

Robert reluctantly hovered just above the mouse and then landed on a small, unliving tree’s branch.

The mouse, thinking he was under-attack, held his rapier in front of him and pointed it at Robert viciously.

“No closer, owl! I happen to be a good fighter when not in a good mood! What are you doing out in broad daylight, anyway? I thought owls were night creatures.”

“I’m not THAT sort of owl, mouse. You’re just fortunate that my brother and sister convinced me not to eat you.”

The mouse didn’t lose a beat. “Your brother and sister? You mean there are more of you nearby? What do you have planned for me?”

“Well for starters ...” Charles jumped down from Robert’s back. “ ... We would like to know if you want to join us.”

The mouse looked at Robert and then at Charles. “What are you doing on an owl’s back, human child? You know what, I don’t want to know! You work for the Grabbers, and I’m not in the mood to listen to lying murderers.”

The mouse lunged forward and tried to pierce Charles in the leg with the rapier, but Charles simply picked up the mouse by his rapier and brought him to his face.

The mouse struggled angrily. “Don’t you DARE try to break that rapier, you beast! It costs more than your life! Who are you, anyway? If you are Grabbers, which I think you are, then you must have punished a lot more suspects to know that I, Frebilious Cathunter, am a Freiyon mouse.”

Charles pointed at Robert with his free hand. “See that owl, he’s my brother Robert. On his back, my sister Sarah. And I am Charles. We are all from the Rochester family.’

“Ah! The legendary Rochester family! Yes, I do believe I had a short acquaintance with your great-grandfather. Interesting old fellow but very scared. I suppose that’s what would happen to a human that thought they were imprisoned here. How is the old fellow, by the way?”

“Great-grandfather Rochester! We forgot him, Charles!” Sarah exclaimed.

Charles shrugged. “I’m sure he’ll be fine with those Freiyon owls, Sarah. It’s us they search for anyway. They KNOW now that our great-grandfather doesn’t have the stones.”

Frebilious Cathunter looked surprised. “You HAVE the stones? Really? Then you three are our saviors! Oh, thank goodness I found you too! But, um, could you let go of my rapier please? I feel as if my arm will crack off any second now.”

Charles dropped the interesting mouse into his left hand and gave him back his rapier, still in good condition.

“Much appreciated. Now I know you are the Rochester family and that you have the stones, I am totally at your service! I should let you know that I can be the best fighter when I want to be.”

Charles smiled. “I can see that. Now, you said your name was Frebilious Cathunter, is there any other name we can call you?”

“Frebil will be just fine.”

“Ok. Well, Frebil, we are looking for the stone wall where these stones must go and we were wondering ...”

“ ... If I had seen this wall? Why, yes, I have! Interesting thing, this wall. It’s just there, not apparently connected to or used by anything! Very peculiar. Mind you, I don’t know much about human walls. I suppose they would build them in odd places. Especially since it could be a magical wall. I did notice one thing, though. There was already a rune stone there.”

“Really? Could you take us to this wall?”

“Oh ... Well, that’s where it gets bad, you see. I’m afraid this wall is right in the middle of a forest. Talking trees, as you may or may not know, have been known to be sketchy. I only managed to get through because I was just an ordinary looking mouse to them. They obviously are protecting the wall, but I don’t think it’s just from enemies such as the Grabbers, if you know what I mean.”

Charles nodded. “So, they are like guardians of the wall?”

“Uh-huh, you got it! But because I was a mouse and had no need to get to the wall, they ignored me. It will be different with you three, I’m sure. But there is ONE thing. I remember being in this forest and hearing one of the trees mentioning a Sybil Rochester whom, I guess, is related to you. They said that this Sybil told them to protect the wall until the finders of all seven stones came to them and answered questions about both this world and the Rochester family. I’m not sure if that helps, but there you go.”

Robert leapt down from his branch and bounced onto the ground. “Well, we know a bit about our family history, and since we’ve been here we’ve started too learn more about Freiyon stuff. Maybe we could give it a shot. We may not have all seven stones, but we have FIVE of them at least!”

“It’s risky, Robert. But unfortunately it’s the only thing we CAN do. No-one else in the family is here to help us, and the only Freiyon friend we have here now is good Frebil here. We HAVE to give it a whirl.” Sarah pointed out.

Charles nodded and looked back at Frebil. “Take us to this forest, Frebil.”

~ ~ ~ ~

It was now three days since the whole affair started, and ever since that fateful Monday morning that felt like a month ago for the whole Rochester family things had been getting harder and more confusing by the minute. To the north, back in the human world, Mary and the police officers struggled to get past the unruly and inhuman staring soldier blocking their path to the kids. To the east, in the Freiyon world, The Grabbers and their mysterious and evil leader were still wondering if the Rochester kids had gotten ALL stones yet. To the west, in a secret mountain of Freiyon, Lord Libertas issued a flock of swans to go out and collect a certain special package while he waited at the entrance to the hide-out, clutching his stomach and hoping his sickness would be cured some-day. And to the south, both in the human world and in Freiyon, there were two things happening at the same time. Charles, Robert, Sarah and Frebil coming across the entrance to the forest that would eventually lead them to the stone wall they had been searching for all along. And two certain friends of Charles, upon hearing the news about Charles’s mother, coming together to acknowledge their good, adventurous friend and to pray for his and his family’s safety. They were Christians, after all, and they felt it a good idea to do so. They had NO idea that in only a few minutes, they would be whisked away to somewhere completely different to where they were now.

~ ~ ~ ~

Upon reaching the forest where the magical wall was meant to be, eight sentient trees guarding the forest growled and commanded for the kids and Frebil to stop.

“What do the four of you want? An interesting combination you make, I might add. An owl, two human children, and a mouse dressed rather dashingly. What is your business here?” One of the trees asked.

Charles stepped forward. “We have come to restore the rune stones to their proper home!”

“If you have the rune stones, you would already know that there is one already on the stone wall.” A second tree, an Ashwood, announced.

“We are well aware of that.” Frebil grunted quickly.

“And you are also aware that you need six stones to pass, and that you also need to answer our questions?” A Fern tree added.

“We are.” Was the mouse’s firm response.

“Show us the stones so we can believe you. But first, answer me this question. What is it that all slaves seek?”

Sarah didn’t miss a beat. “Freedom, of course. Everyone knows that!”

The tree nodded. “Now show me your stones.”

Charles hesitantly pulled all five stones out of his bag, still unsure whether the stone from the manor was a magic rune stone.

“Interesting, you only have FIVE stones, yet you think you can pass just like that? What else is in that bag of yours, boy?”

Robert pushed the last stone out with his beak, making Charles fall onto the ground and drop the stones onto the ground.

“THERE THEY ARE! AND THEY HAVE ALL THE STONES! GET THEM!” An angry voice announced.

The group stared back in fright, spotting a small group of Grabbers coming towards them.

Charles grabbed the stones and showed them to the trees. “We have all the stones, let us through! Please!”

“We cannot, even if you are in danger! You must answer our questions first if you are to pass.”

Robert turned to Charles. “Yoo answer the questions, Charles, Frebil and I will take care of those guys!”

“But ...”

Robert looked at the trees and then back at Charles. “If we don’t doo this, we’ll never stop the curse. Yoo’ve GOT too get in there!”

Charles nodded as Frebil hopped onto Robert’s back.

“Let’s kick some Grabbers butt!” Robert shouted, jumping into the air and heading straight for the on-coming group.

“Answer me these questions, children, and you may pass. What is the name of the person that made the stones?”

“Sybil Rochester.” Sarah answered, remembering what Frebil had told them earlier.

“Correct. What is Freiyon’s first warrior’s name?”

That was a question that neither kids could answer straight away.

Robert and Frebil struggled to keep the Grabbers away, looking back at Charles and Sarah every now and then to see how they were going.

“We’ve got too get these guys too retreat, and quickly! Frebil, jump onto me!”

Once again, Robert was air-born but only for a short time. He dived back down and grabbed some weasels and rats in his claws, flinging them away into the ice mountain wall.

The Grabbers raised their fists at Robert angrily.

“Haha, yoo twerps! Owls got yoo this time! Get out of here before I crush your butts! Give them hell, Frebil!”

Frebil chuckled as he started throwing pebbles at the rats and weasels, scoring a direct hit each time even though he was on a moving owl.

“For Freiyon! Hahahahahaaa!” Frebil yelled.

“Yeah, for Freiyon and freedom!” Robert agreed happily.

“Well?” The trees wanted an answer, but Charles and Sarah had no idea.

“We can’t guess?” He asked.

“No. Only the right or wrong answer, boy.”

Charles than remembered something, a voice that had whispered to him while they had rested. A calm voice that had told him to remember a specific name. “Micklang Lightning-tail?” He hoped the name had been correct.

“Well done! What do the seven runes of Rochester spell? You cannot look at them.”

Charles looked back at Robert and Frebil, seeing that they were coming back with the Grabbers group following close behind.

“Um ... Err ... Ahh ...”

“It’s Freedom!” He blurted out.

“Correct, you may now pass!”

Charles picked up the stones, turned back and was suddenly picked up by Robert, Sarah was also swooped up as well.

Robert went straight into the forest, figuring that Charles had already gotten the answers the trees wanted.

The ring of trees closed in on the Grabbers, stopping the Grabbers getting to the kids.

“We DID it!” Sarah exclaimed.

“And not a moment too soon, I’m sure I almost lost a wing back there!” Robert complained.

As they headed for the wall, Frebil directed their path carefully and within only seven minutes they had reached the wall.

“There it is, friends! The Stone Wall!”

The wall was built, hence the name, completely out of stone but it wasn’t ordinary stone, it was a type of rock that could float on water, something Charles noted when he saw a stone from the wall bobbing in a small pond nearby.

The wall was rather small in width and in height. The only thing that kept it in its place was the mud at the base of the wall. As expected, the kids saw a rune stone all by itself placed in the fourth hole, where its’ light was small and weak.

“An ‘E’. Would you believe it? E for Empty. Charles, do we know what will happen when we put all the rocks in place?” Robert asked.

Charles shook his head. “I don’t know for sure. I think it has something to do with wishes, but I’m not sure.”

“Well, let’s see, shall we?”

Charles walked forward and placed each stone where they belonged, carefully spelling out ‘freedom’ on the wall.

“F for fish, R for Rats, E for Enemy, Second E for Empty, D For Charles, O for Otter ... and M for Manor. There! All the stones are in their proper place.”

Charles jumped back in fright when all of the stones shun different colours quite brightly.

A long, straight line formed in the wall that circled around the stones as each stone shun a beautiful colour (colours that started with the letter on the stone, just so you know.) and started to spin individually.

The line did a whole circle around the wall, only stopping centimetres from where it had started.

“Check that out! The stones are making a sentence!” Sarah exclaimed.

The stones were indeed forming a sentence. The sentence started as ‘freedom’ then changed to several other words.

“Freedom for all of Freiyon is in your hands make your wishes wisely and good luck to you all.” Charles read.

Frebil was impressed and stunned by this, but not as shocked when he glanced at Robert and saw he was changing back into a human.

“Hey, Robert! You’re changing back to your old self!” Sarah pointed out.

“Hey what’s happening to Frebil?” Robert exclaimed.

Frebil shook his head in surprise. “Huh?”

Frebil was lifted off Charles’ hands as the wall started to OPEN!

“It’s not a wall, it’s a DOOR!” Charles exclaimed, trying to get his voice heard through the strange wind.

Frebil suddenly was thrown towards the wall, taken by the force of the wind.

“HELP!”

“CHARLES!”

“AAAAAHHHH!!!”

“WHAT’S HAPPENING?”

One by one, all of the kids were thrown into the door, screaming in fright.

The last to go through was Robert, who held onto the door with all his strength.

The door started to close again, threatening to squish Robert’s human fingers.

Robert cried and then he, too, was thrown back into dark nothingness.