Guardian of the Green Hill by Laura L. Sullivan

Author:Laura L. Sullivan
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)

Who Must Do the Hard Things?

IT’S LIKE OLD TIMES, Meg thought as they ambled home. Old times of a scant few weeks ago when they were all safe in Arcadia, traipsing through its quads, dodging college students intent on Frisbee playing or love affairs or anything but their studies, trudging up the steep hills only for the joy of running breakneck down them again. With the excitement behind them (how little Meg knew!), she felt the preternatural calm that follows unexpected action and unexpected success.

Only a pebble in her pocket remained of her adventure. Was that me, she wondered? Was it Meg Morgan to whom a monster paid homage before all those amazed eyes? She, who hated to be before a crowd, had suddenly known the power of leadership. No, she told herself, I will not be the next Guardian. But the power was intoxicating, not so much for itself but for the things she could do with it. That one distinction separates the tyrants from the good kings.

Why, she had saved her sister, and apparently a baby fairy (which she still had to get to the bottom of) and Dickie. That man turned tail when he saw her with the bunyip, and she knew it was not just the monster but her own ease with the monster that made him run. It was true: she hadn’t been frightened of it, really. And Fenoderee, poor simple Fenoderee, had been saved from base trickery, his tormenter justly punished. She had done all this in a few minutes. What could she do to heal the world, or Gladysmere at least, as the Guardian? There were people and fairies who needed her help and protection.

“Where’s Rowan?” Meg asked. “I hope he’s not in trouble too. How is it that every single one of us had an adult who wanted to hurt us? Why was Gwidion chasing you, Finn?”

He glanced up at Silly and Dickie. Silly, as usual, was too restless to walk slowly and skipped and capered ahead. Dickie, who wanted to talk to her about the little green fairy, struggled to keep up.

“Well, after Gwidion hit me I—”

“He hit you?” Meg asked, aghast. “When? Why?”

He looked at her oddly. “Don’t you remember? Didn’t you see? When we were having our first art lesson?”

“There was … something. You got mad and left. He hit you? Really?”

Finn described the incident.

“And I was there? I swear I don’t remember any of it. Gwidion kind of gives me the creeps, though, and I don’t think he likes me, but I don’t know why. I guess it’s because I don’t have any talent. Rowan does, though. They took to each other right off.”

“Figures,” Finn began, and was going to say some unpleasant things about Rowan until he remembered that Meg might have some soft feelings for her brother. “Anyway, after you left me in the wagon, Gwidion and his goat showed up and…” He told her what he’d seen, “And that’s no ordinary goat. I think I heard him talk.

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