Uki and the Swamp Spirit Read online

  ‘I was the only one that survived. But I couldn’t work in the mine again. In fact, I couldn’t work anywhere for a long while. I lost my house … everything.

  ‘Then I left the city and started to wander. I had worked as a blacksmith when I was younger, so I started doing odd metalwork jobs here and there. And I grew to love life on the road – go where you will, nobody being your boss – so I became a travelling smith.’

  ‘Have you been in the Fenlands long?’ Uki asked.

  ‘A good few months,’ said Coal. ‘I’ve just come back from deep in the marshes. Did some work for the Gurdles.’

  ‘One of the feuding tribes?’ Uki said, remembering what Father Klepper had told them.

  ‘Yes. I’ve worked for them a fair bit now. Enough to be under their protection. Those dozy bucks that were bothering you earlier … they trade goods with the Maggitches. The bunch that’s at permanent war with the Gurdles. That’s why they were so scared of me. That, and one of them once had a disagreement with me … and my trusty hammer.’

  ‘You knocked him out? Why?’ Kree asked, giving the heavy hammer a wary look.

  Coal leaned closer to the little plains rabbit and winked his good eye. ‘He was saying rude things about the way I looked.’

  Uki couldn’t help but laugh at the expression on Kree’s face. She was saved from squirming by the arrival of the gumbo.

  It came in a big clay pot, steaming hot and smelling of sweetness and spices. It looked like a dark soup, filled with chunks of vegetable. Coal passed out some wooden bowls and ladled gumbo into them. When Uki tasted it, he blinked. It was fiery hot, with a pleasant warmth that tingled on his tongue. He spooned half the bowl into his mouth and savoured the layers of spice and sweetgrass.

  ‘So,’ he said to Coal, when his bowl was empty. ‘Would you be able to guide some travellers around the fen?’

  ‘Guide?’ Coal gave the three of them a look, turning his head to take them all in with his remaining eye. ‘What do you need to go there for? It’s not a place for sightseeing. Not if you want to walk out again in one piece.’

  Uki bit his tongue. He wasn’t sure how much to tell this stranger. True, Coal had just helped them, but did that mean he could be trusted? Uki had been quick to confide in Jori and Kree when he met them – and that had been a good decision on both counts – but they were children, like him. Adults were much more … complicated.

  ‘You don’t need to know why,’ said Jori. She spoke to Coal as if he was an equal, not a grown rabbit thirty years older than her. ‘We can pay you. Two silver angels a day. In return, you will give us information on the fen and take us to these Gurdles.’

  ‘Two angels? A day?’ Coal rubbed his shredded ears with his hand. ‘That’s a handsome amount. Just for some guidance and information?’

  Jori nodded. ‘And no questions asked.’

  Coal sighed. ‘Very well. But I can’t guarantee your safety once we’re in the fen. The Gurdles will be all right with me, but they won’t take kindly to outsiders like you coming in. If they decide to feed you to the adders, I won’t be able to stop them.’

  ‘We can look after ourselves,’ said Kree, puffing out her chest again. She beamed at Uki, who cringed. He wasn’t as invincible as Kree seemed to think. And he would much rather avoid fighting, even if he could punch a hole in an oak tree.

  Coal sat back in his chair and used a claw to pick his teeth. ‘Then what is it you brave explorers want to know?’

  ‘The fen … the plants, the animals. Have you noticed anything different lately?’

  Coal was silent for a moment. Without fur, Uki could see the blood drain from his face, leaving him pale. When he spoke, his voice was quieter than before, more husky.

  ‘Yes. Yes, I have. But how … ?’ He stopped, remembering Jori’s instruction. ‘There’s been dead fish seen. Floating. And some of the wildlife has … changed. Funny-looking eels. Diseased things. Dragonflies with two heads or too many wings. The Gurdles might be able to tell you more. Although they didn’t want to speak about it with me when I tried. They just told me to make an offering to Lord Bandylegs. To ask him to take away the curse.’

  ‘Who is Lord Bandylegs?’ Jori asked. ‘The head of their clan?’

  Coal shook his head. ‘No, he is their … I suppose you would say god. The story goes that he was once the Lord of Reedwic. Then, when the Empire was formed and Emperor Cinder ordered all Hulstland rabbits to forsake their gods and worship Kether, he refused. He was chased into the fen, where he stumbled into quickmud and was pulled under. The fen claimed him as its own and he became its guardian. Sometimes he appears as a rabbit with a ragged grey cloak and stilts. Other times he is a giant heron. His messengers are the dragonflies. They watch over the Gurdles and take their prayers back to him.’

  ‘If the Gurdles don’t believe in Kether, do they worship the Goddess?’ Uki asked, thinking of his mother and her gentle beliefs.

  Coal frowned. ‘The Goddess? What does a little Hulstland kitten know of her?’

  ‘I told you,’ Jori interrupted. ‘No questions.’

  Coal’s face creased into a smile again and he clapped his paw against his thigh. ‘In that case, I recommend we share a cup of fen ale together before setting off to gather supplies. We can drink to our mysterious adventure.’

  ‘Hooray!’ Kree whooped, jumping up and down on her chair. Uki smiled, but paused when he caught Jori’s eye. He was learning to read her expressions and this one said: Uki, what have you done?

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Bats and Bandages

  ‘What supplies do we need, then?’ Kree asked. ‘It’s not like we’re climbing a mountain or something.’

  They were outside the inn now, back in the bustle of the street. It made Uki nervous, being out here. Captain Needle and her Shrikes could be anywhere, watching them. And what about Necripha and her Endwatch? his dark voice added. They could be out here too.

  No. Uki shook his head. She couldn’t have reached Reedwic so fast. And as long as they got into the fen quickly, they had a good chance of losing her. She would need to find some kind of guide to follow them. Or perhaps she’d just charge in there, unprepared, and get swallowed in a bog. He silently crossed his fingers.

  ‘Fresh water, for starters,’ Coal was saying. ‘The fen water is brackish in places, stagnant in others. Not good to drink. Then you’ll all need walking staves. If we go off the paths, you’ll have to prod ahead of you every step. There’s patches of quickmud all over, and sometimes underwater holes. The Gurdles say they’re bottomless.’

  ‘I don’t want to fall down a bottomless swamp-hole!’ Kree was looking more and more upset with everything Coal said. The blacksmith, on the other hand, seemed to be enjoying himself immensely.

  ‘You’ll need rope, in case you have to pull someone out,’ he continued, ‘and some lavender or thyme oil. Keeps away the mosquitoes. And finally, if you have enough coin, Uki and Kree could do with some leather galoshes for their feet. Being wet and mud-caked for a long time can give you paw-rot.’

  ‘What about Mooka?’ Kree asked. ‘Can you get galoshes for a jerboa?’

  ‘Who or what is a Mooka?’ Coal asked. Kree pulled him around to the stables and pointed out Mooka in his stall. He was nibbling oats and looking a little worried.

  ‘You can’t take that into the fen,’ said Coal. ‘They don’t even have rats in there, let alone … whatever he is.’

  ‘He’s a long-eared jerboa, and he’s coming with us!’ Kree crossed her arms and glared.

  ‘I reckon Mooka will be fine,’ said Uki. ‘He’s got long legs. Surely that will be good for wading?’

  ‘The jerboa comes,’ said Jori. ‘And that’s final.’

  ‘Very well.’ Coal shrugged. ‘You’re the bosses. Just don’t ask me to pull it out of the mud when it gets stuck.’

  Mooka looked at them with his huge brown eyes and gave a sad little neek.

  *

  They decided to split up, to save time. Uk
i still had half a purse of silver, left over from selling one of his crystal pieces in Nys, and he gave the others a few coins each. They spread out amongst the market stalls at the edge of the docks and went hunting for their supplies.

  It was Uki’s task to find the walking staves, and it didn’t take him long to spot a stall full of woven baskets made from reeds and hazel twigs. There were also stacks of broomsticks, brushes and a tub full of lovely, straight staffs. Most of them had a ‘v’ at the top, formed by a natural fork in the wood.

  A little old rabbit was sitting behind the stall, weaving a reed basket with nimble fingers. She looked up at Uki as he browsed and gave him a toothless smile.

  ‘Can oi be helping you, young man?’ (With her strong accent, it sounded like ‘maaaaaaaan’, and for a moment, Uki wondered what she meant.)

  ‘Yes, please. I need three walking staves. For going into the fen with.’ Uki figured Coal would cope with his crutch, and besides, he wouldn’t be able to hold one with his hammer-hand.

  ‘There be some graaaand ones there,’ the old rabbit said, nodding towards the tub.

  ‘Why do they have a fork at the end?’ Uki asked.

  ‘That be for resting your thumb on,’ said the rabbit. ‘And, if’n you comes across a snake, you can trap it against the ground. If you be quick.’

  Uki gulped. ‘Are there many snakes?’ he asked.

  ‘Oh, squillions,’ said the rabbit. ‘Some gurt ones, the size of a longboat. Stick won’t help you none if you run into one of those.’

  Feeling even more nervous about his task than ever, Uki paid for the staves. The old rabbit tied them up with a piece of twine, and he started back to the inn, where they had agreed to meet.

  As he wandered past the dock, he noticed a particularly splendid boat, just about to cast off with a full load of cargo. It was long and broad, the prow and stern sweeping up at either end and carved into the likeness of a dragon’s head and tail. It had a single sail of red and white stripes, and flew a twisting silk pennant of deep purple from the mast.

  Uki watched the sailor rabbits, dressed in brightly coloured tunics with broad leather belts and bandanas on their heads. They leaped about, throwing ropes and clambering rigging, not caring for an instant about all the cold, deep water around them. Uki wondered about their lives and how free they must feel, just sailing from one port to another, not having to chase after ancient spirits or hide from folk who wanted to kill you.

  He was just imagining setting sail himself – heading out into the Endless Sea on a voyage around the coast, into Thrianta and beyond – when he felt someone grab hold of his spear harness and yank him backwards.

  Too surprised to yell, Uki dropped his staves with a clatter. He was shoved into the gap between a market stall and a stack of wool bales, banging up against a wooden post. He looked up to see who had grabbed him and recognised the rabbit that had slipped out of the inn earlier. The one with the purple cloak.

  ‘Don’t make a sound,’ the rabbit said. His eyes were narrowed, his lip curled. In one hand was a knife with a long thin blade.

  ‘What do you want?’ Uki asked. ‘I have some money I can spare.’ He had started to tremble, but then remembered his powers. If this rabbit made a move towards him with that knife, Uki could throw him halfway down the river.

  ‘I don’t want your money!’ The cloaked rabbit spat at Uki’s feet. ‘I want you. You’re the black-and-white rabbit the mistress is hunting.’

  Mistress? Uki realised he meant Necripha. That old, three-eyed witch. She must have put word out, and this was one of her agents. As Uki watched, the rabbit took a squat wooden tube from his cloak. He pulled out the cork stopper with his teeth and shook the contents on to a wool bale beside him. A tiny curl of small brown fur. A mouse? A vole? The rabbit nudged it, and sleepy leather wings unfurled. A bat.

  ‘Fly, curse you!’ The rabbit flicked the poor creature, making it jump. Uki noticed a coloured ring had been clipped to one of its hind legs. It was shaking its bleary head, obviously distressed by the bright daylight. The rabbit flicked it again.

  Uki realised he should probably stop the bat flying, but even as he started to reach out, it wobbled to the edge of the bale and fell off. There was a rustling, flapping sound, and it emerged from the other side, flying in mad spirals as it rose over the river. Uki watched it, willing it to fall or fly off in the wrong direction, but winced as it found its bearings and headed north. Now Necripha would know exactly where they were.

  ‘She will be here soon,’ said the rabbit, giving Uki a smug grin. ‘Until then, you are going to come with … urk!’

  Before he could finish his sentence, a strong paw shot out from behind the wool bales and grabbed the rabbit by the throat. He was lifted up off his feet, where he kicked and struggled. The scarred figure of Coal emerged, his teeth bared in anger.

  ‘You …’ the cloaked rabbit managed to gasp.

  ‘Are you all right, Uki?’ Coal asked. ‘Did this rabbit hurt you?’

  ‘No,’ said Uki. ‘I … I’m fine.’ He had been about to say that he wasn’t in any danger, but then he would have had to explain where his incredible strength came from. Coal wasn’t ready to hear about that. Not before Uki had checked with Jori first.

  ‘What were you doing to this child?’ Coal shouted at the cloaked rabbit and gave him a shake. ‘Why were you hurting him?’

  ‘None of your business!’ The cloaked rabbit managed a strangled squawk, and at the same time slashed Coal’s arm with his knife. The smith cried out and dropped him. With a few leaps, Uki’s attacker was at the edge of the dock and diving into the river. A splash and he disappeared from sight, deep under the water.

  Uki rushed after him and saw the shadowy outline of a figure on the riverbed, long back legs powering it away towards the marshes. There was a rush of bubbles and his cast-off purple cloak floated to the surface.

  ‘Uki! What happened?’ Turning around, Uki saw Jori and Kree running up to him, their arms full of packages.

  ‘That rabbit grabbed me. It was one of the Endwatch. It released a bat before I could stop it … and then Coal saved me.’ He turned to Coal, noticing the slash on his arm. ‘Are you hurt?’

  ‘Just a scratch,’ said Coal. ‘I’m more worried about you. Why did that rabbit want to hurt you?’

  ‘No questions, remember?’ Jori set down her parcels and rummaged in her pack for a piece of rag, which she used to bandage Coal’s arm. The Endwatch rabbit’s knife hadn’t been too sharp, so the cut wasn’t very deep.

  ‘That rabbit …’ Uki said. ‘Did it know you?’

  ‘I’ve seen him in the Greedy Heron a few times,’ said Coal, wincing as Jori tightened the dressing. ‘Don’t think I’ve ever spoken to him, though. I spotted him slinking after you while I was buying the lavender oil and thought he might be up to no good. Then I noticed that bat take off and came to investigate … saw the sneaky ratbag about to knife you. Who carries bats for messages? Don’t they know they can’t fly in daylight?’

  ‘I wish I could explain …’ Uki began, but stopped at a fierce look from Jori. He felt like he should trust Coal – after all, he had just tried to save him – but didn’t want to anger his stormy friend. ‘Maybe later …’

  ‘That would be good,’ said Coal. ‘I like to know what I’m up against.’

  Jori finished her bandaging and slung her pack over her shoulder. ‘Well, if that bat does manage to fly straight, we’ll be up against plenty. If we’ve got all we need, we should head into the fen.’

  ‘Now?’ Coal looked surprised. ‘I think it might be best to wait until tomorrow morning.’

  Uki thought of Necripha, hungry to capture the spirits herself, speeding on her way after catching her bat message. He thought of the Shrikes, prowling around Reedwic like weasels on the hunt. And worse, he thought of Charice, growing and pulsing, sending out her diseased minions as fast as she could spawn them.

  There was no time to lose, even if it meant blundering through the m
arshes in the dark.

  ‘Now,’ he said, his voice small and scared. ‘We have to go now.’

  CHAPTER SIX

  The Perils of Frog Hunting

  To get into the fen, they had to leave Reedwic and head west, following the river. They crept out of the gate, avoiding eye contact with the Shrike guards and keeping their ears pricked for Endwatch agents. Uki was glad to be out of the crowds of rabbits, not having to wonder who was spying on him and who to trust all the time. There was only the quiet bubble of the river on one side and the rolling fields on the other. Part of him wished they could just keep going like this, as if they were simply friends on a camping holiday. But he knew at some point they would have to turn off into the reeds and marshes, where he could sense the menacing presence of the spirit, pulsing like a boil under his skin.

  Uki and Kree had new leather boots on their feet, squeaking and creaking. They were all, including Mooka, daubed in lavender oil, and as they marched they swung their staves in time. They looked like proper adventurers now, rather than a rag-tag gaggle of orphans playing make-believe heroes.

  Finally, when Reedwic was out of sight around a bend in the river, Coal stopped them. He pointed to a log bridge that led across the water to a narrow earthen track on the other side.

  ‘This is a good way in,’ he said. ‘Lots of paths this way. If you know where they are, you can almost get from one side of the fen to the other without even wetting your feet.’

  ‘Is the Gurdle warren on one of these paths?’ Uki asked. Despite his new galoshes, he wasn’t looking forward to wading through a marsh. Especially after what that old rabbit at the market had said about snakes.

  ‘On a path?’ Coal laughed. ‘It’s not even on land. The Gurdles live on boats and floating platforms made of roots and reeds. It’s a moving village – in a different place every week. That’s why the Shrikes can never find it.’