[Invade, Friend]

  We left the tower about midnight, farmers are usually early to bed people. Hopefully these farmers aren’t night owls. I’d planned on just Lu, Paula and myself but Daisy insisted on coming, so I stuck her bone in my skirt pocket. Our plan was to try and find evidence that a crime was planned, then force Burgomaster Valen to send all four guards to collect the evidence and hopefully arrest the suspects.

  Fortune favored us, it was a cloudy night with just enough light to travel the road without needing extra light that’d surely draw attention. When the farm and mansion came into view we made our way off of the road and started across and through the fields towards the barn.

  The barn looked fairly new, the mansion looked pretty old, not decrepit, just created in a style that hadn’t been built in a long time. The door to the barn was locked, but the expert way Paula picked the lock, it might just as well have been left open. The interior of the barn was pitch black. I pulled out the wand and spoke solas, the dim light was plenty to have a look around the barn. The only animals in the barn were horses, three work horses and a very expensive looking stallion, who was also very high strung. The stallion started kicking up a fuss as soon as it saw the light, so we quickly moved away from their stall.

  We checked the loft, and found only bales of hay. It looked like we weren’t finding anything in the barn as we moved back towards the door we entered by. Lu noticed a ring pull mounted on the floor, it might be there to tether an animal or it might be a trap door to a basement.

  Once we were close we could see the clear outline of a trap door, Lu tugged but it wouldn’t budge. Then Paula started examining the door edges and found two small locks. I could hear the locks click and Paula motioned for Lu to try and lift the door again. This time it swung up effortlessly, it was pitch black down there. I thrust the wand into the doorway and it revealed a set of stone steps.

  I was about to descend but Lu took the wand, held it over her head and started down, Paula right behind her. I brought up the rear. There were two rows of cells, one row on each side of a stone corridor. All the cell doors were open except for one. A young girl was all the way in the back corner of the cell, clearly terrified. We looked around for the keys but none could be found so Paula started picking again, I thought due to the size of the lock it’d be harder to pick. Apparently it was the opposite because as soon as I had the thought Paula had the cell door open. We were quietly trying to reassure the girl we were here to rescue her. Her leg was also chained to the floor so again Paula showed us what a professional spy could do with locks.

  We were going up the stone when I heard the first voices, Lu hurried up the stairs Paula followed quickly behind. The girl and I brought up the rear Lu handed me the wand, she and Paula had wicked looking pitchforks in hand.

  The door to the barn swung open and three burly farmers entered two carrying clubs and one a torch. Lu and Paula both charged the men, pitchforks at the ready. The farmers had no choice but to back out the doors they’d entered. Lu kept right on charging as she didn’t want us trapped in the barn. Not that I knew that at the time she’d charged, only later explaining her strategy, Paula saw what Lu was doing and immediately grasped the strategy and followed. I told the girl to stay behind me and also exited.

  The three men formed a half circle with us pinned against the barn wall. When suddenly large stones started flying through the air directly at the men. One stone struck one of the farmers square in the chest with a hollow thudding sound. Another struck the farmer carrying the torch on his temple, he went down. I don’t know if he was dead, but the other farmer who’d been hit dropped his club and pulled the downed man away from the fire that was now spreading like a flash, the barn was sure to go up, if those farmers didn’t deal with the fire, they’d lose their barn along with the four horses.

  I saw another man come running from the mansion, Lu grabbed the girl we’d rescued and the four of us flew across the field following the same route as when we’d made our way to the barn. We were soon back on the road. At the gate I told Verges what had just happened and said that four desperate men may soon attempt to catch us. Don’t worry about us, we're going right to the tower. Four men or Four hundred couldn’t breach that. But Verges be careful they don’t attack you.

  A few minutes later we were in the tower, using the ‘elevator’ to portal to the third level, where a tired Lu finally set the girl on her own feet.

  “Hi, I’m Rose, The woman who carried you is my girlfriend Lu.” Lu waved at her. “This is Paula Becker.’ Paula smiled and waved at her. “Are you hungry?”

  She nodded yes.

  “Do you like stew, you look a little cold and stew might warm you up?

  She nodded yes.

  I went to the sideboard and said. “Large bowl of stew.”

  Lu and Paula got some tea and cookies and sat with the girl.

  “I’ll be right back, I just have to get something.”

  I came back with Doug, already warning him how fragile this girl was.

  “Okay first I have two more introductions to make first this is Doug, he’s a friend and my librarian.”

  “Hello young lady, it's nice to meet you. If you’d like a book just give me the title and I’ll give it to you.”

  I put the bone on the table. “This is Daisy, the reason we were there at the barn looking for you. She did three things that allowed us to save you. First she heard those men plotting to kidnap you in the library. Told us so we started looking. Second, she and Lu were looking for you this afternoon when she identified those farmers as the plotters from the town library. Third, which I’m mostly sure of but I haven’t heard from her yet. She picked up those stones off the ground and peppered those men with them to give us the chance to escape. Am I right Daisy?”

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  “Yes, she said you were right, Rose.”

  “Daisy, thank you very much for saving us.”

  Finally the girl found her voice. “Thank you Daisy, thank you all, I was so worried. I thought I was going to die in that barn.”

  “What’s your name sweety.”

  “Ilina Valen”

  “Ah, your father, Burgomaster Valen, asked me to look into it. He seemed desperate they must have been watching him. We’ll bring you to town hall first thing in the morning. Would you like more to eat, Ilina?”

  “No thank you.”

  “Would you rather have a bath or go to bed?”

  “Could I have a bath please.”

  “Sure just come with me, Lu would you please make another bedroom.”

  “Sure Rose.”

  “Fill Tub, steaming water.”

  “I’ll be right back, Ilina, with something for you to wear and some towels.”

  Lu came into the bedroom and said a guest room had been created, just a couple doors down. Ilina came out of the bathroom just a little while later. Lu and I took her to her bedroom and wished her a good night’s sleep.

  The next morning came quickly. Probably not for the Burgomaster, who must be worried sick about his daughter. Ilina was sound asleep, so I gently shook her arm. Asked her if she wanted to get dressed and go to see her father. I put the cleaned shift on the bed, closed the door so she had some privacy.

  “You didn’t have to launder my shift.”

  “I didn’t honey, when we moved in I found out if you left dirty anything on the sideboard it was magically cleaned in a few minutes. I haven’t done laundry since finding out.”

  “You’re a wizard?”

  “I’m a Bibliomancer, a book wizard, what’s your favorite book?”

  “Alice in Wonderland”

  “That’s a fantastic story, I loved that so much when I was your age. Ask your father to bring you to see me and I’ll take you into the book and introduce you to the Madd Hatter. Would you like that?”

  “Okay let’s get going, we’re going to use a portal muffin to get to city hall just in case those farmers try anything funny. Have you ever used a portal muffin before? That’s alright just watch. Town Hall.”

  The portal demon opened a portal I stepped through then Ilina, Lu and Paula were right behind, just in case.

  The Burgomaster assistant was at his desk, but jumped up when we arrived.

  “Come with me, he’ll be so relieved.”

  We all barged into the Burgomaster’s office but he had tears of joy, hopped up from his desk hugging Ilina so tight.

  “Get the guard now, all of them.”

  “Yes, Burgomaster.”

  The assistant sprinted out.

  “Rose, where did they have her?”

  “She was being held on the farm with the newish barn and the older mansion.”

  “Was anyone hurt when you rescued her? Where’s Dogberry?”

  “One of the farmers who was holding her was struck rather forcefully in the head with a stone.”

  “Father it was the ghost, and Rose and Lu and Paula that saved me but it was the ghost that did the most. She threw the stones so we could get away. Her name is Daisy and she doesn’t talk but the mirror talks and tells Daisy’s story for her. Rose promised she’d take me to Wonderland to meet the Madd Hatter if you’ll bring me. Say you’ll bring me father.”

  “Of course I’ll bring you Ilina, of course. But not for a few days I’m sure your mother isn’t planning to let you out of her sight for at least that long. Where’s Dogberry, he wasn’t hurt was he?”

  “We didn’t tell him, as technically we broke into the barn where Ilina was being held, we didn’t want to put him in that position where he had to choose to break the law. We’d just planned to scout for her then report to you and let the guard deal with it. But we couldn’t let her sit in that dungeon one second longer so we grabbed her and ran to the Grandmasters tower where we knew she’d be safe until morning.”

  “They all live in a magical tower if you want stew you just say stew and there it is and the bath it fills itself with hot water, when you say fill.”

  Twenty men in Guards uniforms rushed into the room. The Burgomaster told them the farm where his daughter was held, ordered everyone on that farm be brought in for questioning. Lu and Paula offered to go with the guard. But the guard thanked them but said they’d handle it. Which I was grateful for I didn’t want either of them to risk any more than they already had.

  “So the lie about the council disbanding the guard. Why?”

  “After Ilina was kidnapped, I received a ransom note demanding a large sum of money but more importantly the additional demand I disband the guard, as a cost saving measure. I had no choice but to comply.”

  “They had at least twelve cells out there Burgomaster, I think their plan was to kidnap Ilina, get you to shut down the guard. Then kidnap eleven more children of wealthy families and then ransom them back. That’s why Ilina was taken first, to have the guard eliminated. After your guards round up the farmers, you should have them go to Pinewood Academy, I have no proof but I’d bet my last nickel they are somehow involved. One last thing Burgomaster, it was Dogberry that gave us the idea to look into the farms. I brought him and Daisy to every stable in the city, because Daisy smelled horse manure on the conspirators. I naturally thought of stables. Dogberry asked why we checked all the stables, I told him and he said farmers smell of horse manure, they spread it on their fields. So he was instrumental in finding your daughter, as was the library ghost Daisy.”

  The next day the Burgomaster came to the book shop.

  “Rose I wanted to tell you personally, the guard rounded up everyone on the farm. The one with the stone to the head lived, but was still unconscious when the guard arrived on the farm, one other farmer was there and they both named their two accomplices, the one farmer who fled in the night and the owner of the farm and Pinewood Academy, Matthew Russell who has also been arrested on conspiracy and kidnapping charges. Also I promoted Dogberry, told him it was based on your testimony, so he also thanked you. If you meant it I’ll bring Ilina to see you soon, she can’t stop talking about her trip to Wonderland, your tower and You.”

  “Of course I meant it, I’m actually looking forward to it myself. Ilina said it was her favorite book and it was mine too when I was her age. Tell your wife to come along if she’d like to. Eldara and I were talking at our book club about having a little party for the kids on Samhain at the library so you or your wife should bring her that.”

  “Would you consider letting my wife join your book club? She loves to read.”

  “Sure, just have her stop here at the store and I’ll give her all the details. Our next book is the Fellowship of the Ring.