A Tale That Dawned [Book 4 of Selvina's Tale series]

Chapter 42: Rockets and Fairy Dust

Once two lines were formed, their aim to head directly alongside the Avalonian main line, there was a great silence as both sides waited for one to strike first. Jack understood that, despite outnumbering and outgunning the smaller fleet, the Avalonian captains wished for it to move first. Trying to sail a ship into the wind while at battle was not a task many captains wished to undertake.

Jack furrowed his brows in puzzlement as he noticed several tiny ships, sloop-sized with wide decks and few sails, drifted ahead of the enemy lines. They formed into a horizontal row, ten in all, and furled their sails about two hundred yards ahead of the enemy fleet. Jack watched curiously, having no idea what was happening.

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Selvina paced about in her room, frustrated with being quite literally imprisoned in it. When she asked to be taken to a proper bathroom, the guards laughed and fetched her a clean chamberpot. She even tried faking being ill, working her magic with makeup to appear sickly, but the guards didn't believe her. When Tinkerbelle tried to attack them they lowered their full-faced helms and chuckled beneath their plate armour. She tried to squeeze into one of their eye slits but had to dart away as the guard slapped at her, his armoured glove smacking the helm rather heavily. The feisty fairy still believed she could get into their helms and cause some damage but Selvina didn't want to risk it.

"There has to be a way through those guards," Selvina groaned. "I can't stay in this room all day. We have a chance to stop Iktarosh from being reborn and I don't want to lose it!"

Amalthea, seated on the same chair Queen Svala had sat upon, sighed. "I admit that I was caught up in the excitement yesterday when we said we'd put a stop to Iktarosh but we are all forgetting one significant detail."

"What detail?" Selvina asked, turning sharply.

"The entrance, dear Selvina. Without Rhiannon to work the locks there is no way to enter the chamber."

"Ah, crap," Selvina spat with a stomp of her foot. "Damn it! How could we forget that?"

"I could maybe work the plant lock," started Tinkerbelle, "but I can't conjure fire or lightning."

"Neither can I," added Amalthea sadly. "I am sorry, Selvina, I should have remembered sooner."

"Don't be sorry," Selvina said as she leaned against the wall. "We all forgot about those stupid locks. Do you think there's another way in?"

Amalthea shrugged. "It is possible, but we haven't the time to search for one, or the ability to..."

Selvina could hear bells ringing outside, sounding the noon hour. A thought came to her, then. Her eyes bulged as she realized she might just have a solution to their problem. She pushed herself away from the wall, slid the window door open, and hurried onto the balcony. "I might know someone who could show us another way in."

"Who?" Tinkerbelle asked as she buzzed by Selvina's ear.

"Accolon!" Selvina cried out excitedly. "I don't think he knows about Rhiannon's plan to bring back Iktarosh and maybe once he does he'll want to put a stop to it."

"Or he might think she's doing the right thing," reasoned Tinkerbelle as Amalthea appeared at Selvina's other side.

"We have to convince him that she isn't."

Tinkerbelle placed her miniscule hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow, hovering in place. "How do you think you're going to do that stuck in here?"

"I go meet him!"

Tinkerbelle and Amalthea exchanged bewildered glances, neither knowing what Selivna was up to.

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