Second Hand Curses by Drew Hayes

Author:Drew Hayes [Hayes, Drew]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-07-16T22:00:00+00:00

The Tale of the Enslaved Elves

Jack was in a mood. That wasn’t to say his ever-present smile had vanished, but it had taken on a slight twist near the corners of his mouth that Marie and Frank had both learned to recognize as a sour sentiment taking hold over him. Although he’d worked hard to hide it, the dark cloud had settled over him since they’d returned to Pinocchio and received the Blue Fairy’s message, if one could even call her scant smattering of words by such a term. It had barely been a sentence, let alone a real indication of what she wanted, but it technically qualified as a lead, which made it all the stranger that Jack was in lessened spirits.

My path will take me through the lands of Summerly.

That was all the Blue Fairy left behind, the small smattering of words that told them little more than the next place they might find a clue to follow her. Summerly, as it turned out, was a town even further north. From what Marie had gathered talking to people in Collodi, it was a small hamlet of relatively minor importance to its kingdom. . Truth be told, their journey was taking them further north than she was entirely comfortable with. While Summerly wasn’t quite within the borders of her own kingdom, it was closer than Marie might have preferred. The nearer they drew to her homelands, the greater the chances of being recognized. A cloak and a haircut would only conceal so much.

They were still a good ways from Summerly, drawing near the thriving merchant town of Sagan, when a rustling in the trees caused Marie’s ears to prick up. She let out a short spurt of a whistle, quick enough to be mistaken for a bird’s song, to alert Jack and Frank. Both men slowed their horses, with Frank turning his dragon’s eye to the trees and searching. After several long moments, he held up a hand with his palm open, silently telling Marie and Jack no attack seemed to be coming. That could always change but, for now, they were to play things peacefully.

Seconds later a small form came tumbling out of the branches, somersaulting end over end until it was snatched from the air by Marie’s quick fingers. She held the creature at a distance, taking a careful measure of it, ready to hurl it away if it bit or scratched her. She’d been expecting an animal of some sort, perhaps an enchanted squirrel or a gopher cursed with confusion. Instead, she found herself looking at the diminutive form of a tinker elf. They were notorious through the lands for their skill at crafting items both mundane and magical, although she was surprised that one had allowed itself to be seen so easily. Her only experience with viewing a tinker elf up close was when Jack had taken her to one of their shops to get her enchanted shapeshifting clothing. It hadn’t been cheap, but where

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