Jade and the Enchanted Wood Read online

  “You can’t escape me, you stupid sylph!” King Rat’s voice was slightly fainter now.

  Jade ran harder than ever, following the light.

  “Oh!”

  A moment later she stood rooted to the spot, staring into the frightened eyes of a beautiful girl. Wearing a long white ballet dress of the softest net, she had wings of fine gauze and hair that flowed around her shoulders. She shimmered and glowed, balancing effortlessly on the point of her ballet shoe. Behind her were many more of the graceful creatures dancing. Their white light was like a soft mist between the dark trees.

  Jade thought this was one of the most beautiful sights she had ever seen. But the magic was broken by a mocking sing-song voice. “I’m getting closer!”

  Oh no! thought Jade, panicking. How stupid could she have been, leading King Rat straight to the sylphs! She had to put him off the scent. Right now!

  Without wasting a second, Jade mouthed to the sylph in front, “Don’t worry. I won’t let him find you.” Then she began to run with all her might back in the direction she’d come from.

  A plan formed in her mind. She would lead King Rat away from the sylphs and then jump into the honeysuckle bush. Hopefully, the strong smell of the flowers would mask her scent so that he would run straight on past – away from the sylphs!

  Jade’s breath came in ragged gasps, and her heart pounded. It was such a relief when she finally came across the sweetly scented honeysuckle. She dived into its leafy bushes.

  And there she sat, hugging her knees tightly and trying to calm her breathing. Through the mass of leaves she could only see one small patch of the wood. And apart from a few brittle leaves rustling, all was still.

  Then a gleaming sword came into view from behind one of the trees, followed by a black rat leg. Jade’s hand flew to her mouth.

  “I know you’re somewhere near!” King Rat called.

  Jade’s stomach turned over. She shrank back as the rat came so close to her hiding place that she could have reached out and touched him.

  “I know you can hear me, wherever you are!”

  Jade swallowed, but then something happened to King Rat’s voice. It seemed to falter with his next words. “What’s happening? Hang on! What’s going on? Why is it getting dark?”

  Yes, thought, Jade, looking round, he’s right! The light is fading.

  “Those wretched dancing creatures are responsible for this,” spat King Rat. “Now I can’t see a thing. Well, they needn’t think I’ve finished with them!”

  And with that he went stumbling off into the darkness, his voice becoming more and more distant. “I’ll get rid of the lot of you! Mark my words, I’ll be back!”

  Jade let out a trembling breath. She’d had a lucky escape, and now she had to get back to the sylphs. There was no one else to ask for help.

  Desperately hoping she was going in the right direction, Jade crept out of her hiding place and took a few careful steps. But it was no good. She simply couldn’t see. She hung her head and bit her lip, wondering where on earth to turn now, when suddenly she heard someone calling her name.

  “Jade! Jade!”

  Her name seemed to be floating on the softest breath of a breeze, and each time it was repeated, a little more light grew out of the darkness. Then, sweet lilting music sounded in the distance. Jade found herself drawn to it like a magnet.

  The music grew stronger and the light brighter, and soon she was running. But only moments later, she stopped abruptly, feeling a wave of pure wonder wash over her. Before her eyes, the sylphs were dancing. Their long net skirts gently rose and fell as they wove smooth shimmering patterns, their graceful arms framing their faces. It was the most beautiful dance Jade had ever seen. A lump came into her throat. So this was the magic of ballet.

  The leading sylph danced forwards. “My name is Ava,” she said softly. “Thank you for not giving us away.

  ” Jade swallowed. “I’m… I’m Jade.”

  “You must be from the human world.” Ava nodded and smiled.

  She seemed so kind and wise that Jade found herself gabbling away. “I shouldn’t have rushed into the woods or talked to King Rat like I did. The White Cat was trying to warn me. And now he’s been captured and taken to the dungeons. I’ve got to try and rescue him, but I don’t have a clue where to begin.”

  As Jade had been talking, the other sylphs had silently gathered around Ava, nodding gravely. “We knew something awful was happening when we heard talk of a funfair being built.”

  Jade watched as the sylphs drew in closer still to each other. They seemed to be talking and yet their voices were softer than whispers. Eventually they looked back at her, and Ava spoke again.

  “We sylphs have to live amongst trees to survive. If there is a funfair we will be driven out of the wood and we will die. We must do something.” She frowned. “But what?”

  The other sylphs looked anxiously at each other fluttering their wings.

  “It’s a pity King Rat isn’t afraid of anything,” said Jade. “If we could just scare him then maybe he’d leave these woods – and forget all about building a funfair.”

  Ava stared at her. “But that’s it! That’s a wonderful idea, Jade.” She turned to the other sylphs. “We could scare King Rat by making him think he has seen the magical Sylph-Child.”

  The sylphs surrounding her gasped and nodded eagerly. Ava turned back to Jade. “The magical Sylph-Child is believed to be the sylphs’ supreme ruler, although no one living has ever seen her. Legend has it that she sleeps deep in the heart of the wood. It is said that if she is annoyed, she will awake and cause great harm. If I cast a spell to make you look like one of us, you could be mistaken for the Sylph-Child. Then, if King Rat and his guards saw you, hopefully they would be very afraid. The question is, do you want to take the risk of seeing King Rat again?”

  Jade’s heart beat faster. “Yes,” she whispered. “I just want to rescue the White Cat – and stop King Rat building a funfair if I can.”

  Ava gave her a warm look. “You are very brave. King Rat will have gone back to his castle now. I will use my magic to take you right inside it. You must then find your way to where the White Cat is imprisoned, taking care not to let the guards see you. At the last possible moment you must appear before them, as if out of thin air. Hopefully that will scare them off and give you time to release your friend.”

  Ava smiled and Jade tried a shaky smile back. It all felt like such a big responsibility.

  “Thank you,” she murmured as she stood in the middle of the circle of sylphs as instructed.

  The wings of the sylphs rose up in a single wave, and a pure white mist filled the circle, wrapping around Jade. She felt her feet leave the ground and for a moment she seemed to be floating. Then she landed on cold grey flagstones, and shivered, partly with shock, partly at feeling so alone.

  She looked down. In her long floaty white dress she felt so much more like a real ballet dancer. Her straight hair hung in a heavy curtain down her back, and when she reached behind, she touched silky wings. Glancing around she saw she was inside the great hall of a castle.

  There were pictures of King Rat on the walls and a staircase down that was marked with the word ‘Dungeons’. For a moment, Jade wished she was somewhere – anywhere – else. She took a deep breath.

  “Now concentrate!” she told herself firmly as she moved towards some wide granite steps and began to go down them on shaky legs. The air was growing colder and every ten steps there was a sharp angle that lead to the next ten, like a spiral staircase with no curves.

  The bottom stair led to a dark passage where a single pair of heavy boots could be heard clomping back and forth. At least that meant there was only one guard, thought Jade, her heart hammering.

  She waited, pressing her back against the wall, hidden from sight. Then as soon as she heard the footsteps heading away from her, she stepped into the passage and silently crept up behind the unsuspecting guard. At the very end he turned. And w
hen he saw Jade, a look of terror came into his eyes.

  “Oh, you’re… No, you can’t be… the…“

  Jade felt terrified at that point too. She had no idea how the Sylph-Child might talk. So she just kept silent and fixed her hardest stare on the mouse guard while she tried to imagine that she really was the supreme leader of the sylphs.

  “Yes,” she said, trying to make her voice sound like a sylph. “I am the Sylph-Child. And I command you to release the White Cat immediately.”

  Jade hadn’t rehearsed those words and yet they must have sounded all right because the trembling guard looked very scared. “But… but… if I do, King Rat will have me thrown in the dungeons!” he stammered.

  “If you don’t, you’ll have me to deal with!” Jade told him. She stared at him. “You don’t want to see me angry, do you?”

  To her delight, the guard gulped and began to unclip a heavy set of keys from his belt. “No, Your Majesty… I mean yes, Your Majesty… well, anything you say, Your Majesty.”

  He took a step forward then hesitated, his knees knocking together and Jade realised he was actually too scared to pass her.

  “Thank you,” she said, trying not to grin as she stepped smoothly to one side, then followed him and his jangling keys as he walked shakily down the passage.

  Around a corner, more stairs descended even deeper. Jade let the guard lead the way, trying not to shiver as the ice-cold air enveloped her.

  “This is… the cell,” he stammered, winding his tail round and round in his hands.

  “Unlock the door!” she commanded.

  “Yes, Your Greatness,” replied the guard, which suddenly made Jade want to giggle. But she kept her poise and her powerful gaze in place right up until the White Cat stepped out of his cell and stood beside her.

  “This is the Sylph-Child,” the mouse guard whispered.

  Poor White Cat looked most confused and alarmed himself. “Oh, my ears and whiskers! Oh, my sparkling eyes!” He sank into a deep bow. He didn’t appear to recognise her at all, which was good. It would be terrible if he gave the game away by mistake.

  “Come,” Jade instructed him in her new regal voice. Then she turned to the guard. “You will remain here until you are told otherwise.”

  “Oh, yes please!” cried the guard in relief as he ran into the dungeon, slamming the door shut behind him.

  Silently, Jade led the White Cat up the stairs. It wasn’t until they reached the third flight that she turned to him and whispered, “It’s me! Jade! The sylphs had this idea for me to pretend to be the Sylph-Child and rescue you.”

  The White Cat gave a start as he peered more closely at her, then he gave a miaow and hugged her tight. “Oh, my goodness. You clever, clever thing!!”

  “And now I must fool King Rat,” said Jade, slightly fearfully. “If I can scare him too, I might be able to stop him from going ahead with this funfair idea.”

  “What a brilliant idea!” said the White Cat, patting her arm encouragingly.

  “But what if King Rat recognises me? He’s seen me close up, after all,” Jade said.

  “Well, you managed to fool me!” chuckled the White Cat. “Just act exactly as you did in the dungeon! Listen, he’s coming. I’ll see you outside!” And with that the White Cat leaped through an open window and Jade quickly darted behind a curtain.

  “Guards!” King Rat sounded as though he was in a very bad mood. “Bring me torches and lamps. We’re returning to the wood. I want that girl caught, and to be rid of those stupid sylph creatures once and for all!”

  Jade knew she must act immediately. With her heart beating wildly, she stepped out from behind the curtain.

  A cold fear enveloped Jade as King Rat swung round and saw her there.

  “Who are you?” he snarled, taking a step forward. “How did you get into my castle?”

  Jade tried to ignore the butterflies swarming in her stomach, and concentrated on staying perfectly still. She didn’t waver from his gaze, but fixed him with round, staring eyes.

  “Well?” This time his voice sounded less sure of itself.

  Silence had worked with the guard. So Jade made herself count to ten inside her head, before she began to speak. Her tone was low and even. “I am the Sylph-Child. I am here because you have broken the law of the Enchanted Wood.”

  There was another short silence then King Rat’s eyes suddenly filled with terror. He began hopping from foot to foot like a little child being told off.

  “I… I…”

  Jade lifted her chin. “You what?” she demanded in the coldest voice she could muster.

  King Rat started bowing and grovelling, bending so low his whiskers touched the dusty floor. “I beg you… …have mercy upon me, oh mighty Sylph-Child. Please, please. I’ll do anything.”

  It was all Jade could do not to punch the air, and shout, “Yes, I did it!,” but she knew that if she let her mask slip, even for a second, she would be in grave danger. So she took care to keep her tone steady. “Very well. I will be merciful, if you take an oath!” she went on, wishing she’d had more time to prepare her words.

  “Anything, Your Royal Sylphness!” said King Rat dropping to his knees and holding up his paws. “Oh, please don’t hurt me!”

  “You must go immediately to the Enchanted Wood and take down the sign you hung there,” commanded Jade. “Then you must announce to the people of Enchantia that the wood will remain exactly as it is, for ever.”

  “Yes, yes, oh Majestic One!” the King promised, nodding as hard as he could, his words falling over each other. “I will do just as you say. Exactly as you want. I will, I will, I will!”

  But Jade knew that she hadn’t asked enough of him. She had to be quite sure the wicked rodent would never break his promise.

  “And finally…” she said, taking a step forward and deepening her tone, “if ever it should come to my ears that you have broken this promise, I shall show no mercy. Do you understand?”

  King Rat was positively cowering. “Yes, yes! I understand, Your Greatness!”

  “Then arise and be gone to the Enchanted Wood immediately!”

  He didn’t need telling twice. In a flash the nasty rat was out of his front door, running for his life towards the Enchanted Wood.

  A few moments later, the White Cat and Jade high-fived each other in the grounds of King Rat’s castle.

  “Oh, my glittering eyes!” laughed the White Cat. “I heard it all through the window from my hiding place behind a wall. You did a grand job!”

  Jade grinned happily. “Can you magic us back to the Enchanted Wood? I’m dying to hear what King Rat has to say!”

  “Absolutely,” came the reply, as the White Cat drew a circle on the ground with his tail.

  A moment later he and Jade were whisked away in a shower of silver sparkles.

  “Look, the sign’s already gone!” Jade whispered excitedly as they alighted at the edge of the wood.

  “But listen!” said the White Cat. “King Rat is addressing everyone right now!”

  Jade and the White Cat hid behind a tree. Peeping out cautiously, Jade saw that there were many others gathered round.

  “I have changed my mind about the funfair!” King Rat announced pompously. “A king has the right to change his mind, obviously.” He looked around wildly, as though he feared the Sylph-Child might be listening. “Did you… er, hear that? No funfair or any building at all ever in the Enchanted Wood. I… er… I give you my word!”

  The moment his speech was finished he turned from the crowds and took flight. Jade clapped her hand over her mouth so the giggles couldn’t escape and the White Cat’s eyes twinkled with amusement. Then the wood suddenly erupted with the sound of loud cheering and clapping. And as music filled the air, everyone began to dance.

  The White Cat took Jade’s hands in his paws and spun her round. “You did it! You really did it!”

  Jade felt so happy watching everyone. Whenever anyone looked at her quizzically, the White Cat
explained that she was a special guest from the human world who had helped them in their time of need.

  Then Jade’s back was patted and her hand shaken over and over again by many of Enchantia’s characters. It gave her such a contented feeling.

  “What kind of dancing do you like best?” the White Cat asked her after a while.

  “Oh, I like str…” Jade stopped in confusion. Of course it was true, she absolutely loved street dancing. But now she loved ballet too.

  She never did answer that question though, because people were beckoning her over. “Come and join the celebrations!” they cried, pulling her into the circle. “You too, White Cat!”

  Jade loved every second of the dancing. The white light from the sylphs filtered through the trees and created the most breathtaking atmosphere.

  “You see,” said the White Cat, coming to stand beside Jade after an energetic pas de chat, “the Enchanted Wood really does inspire people.”

  Jade nodded hard. “It certainly does,” she said, with a sigh of pleasure. “You were so right, White Cat. I can feel it myself. I didn’t know what I was talking about before. The bright lights of a funfair are nothing compared to the sylphs’ pure light.”

  “And what about this little light?” smiled the White Cat, nodding his head at Jade’s shoes.

  Jade followed his gaze and saw with a start that her red shoes were glowing brightly. “Does that mean it’s time for me to go?” she asked.

  The White Cat smiled and nodded.

  “It was lovely to meet you, White Cat,” said Jade, feeling suddenly a bit shy.

  “And you too,” replied the White Cat. Then he bowed low and came up grinning. “Thank you once more for your help! Come and see us again soon.”