Shadows of the Redwood (8 page)

Bella Matera smiled. “I was most anxious to meet you.” The tree’s gaze fell on Keelie again.

This was creepy. Keelie had seen trees walk and talk, and she had seen one, Alora, grow from a seedling to a mighty oak queen in just weeks, but she wasn’t quite sure what to make of Bella Matera. All forests were different. She just wished there was one rule book that all of the forests followed.

“We have been summoned to the Globe.” Bella Matera said this as if it was an invitation to Sunday dinner.

“You mean the Globe Theater on the festival grounds? Aren’t you afraid the humans will see you?” Norzan asked.

“It is a customary meeting place for us, ever since the town was founded. We are so inspired by William Shakespeare, who the townspeople revere. We’re redwoods, after all, not like the other trees. Since the coming of the humans, they have performed the Shakespeare plays, and we have learned much about humans from them. Now they flourish, and we enjoy watching the performances.”

“You leave your tree body”—Keelie couldn’t think of what else to call it—“as you have tonight, and then you float into town and watch
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
?”

“The humans do not see us. We take the form of fog, and because of the ocean mist, we blend in perfectly. “

“Aren’t you afraid of the humans discovering your presence?” Norzan asked.

Bella shook her head. “You know the humans would panic if we took our tree forms. Besides, the fog adds a certain ambiance to the mood of the play. The
Los Angeles Times
’ arts critic always complains about it being foggy when he attends. Of course, he seems like an unhappy man and a soul who likes to complain about everything. Master Oswald said so once.”

Keelie liked Bella Matera. She seemed like a fun but very smart tree. Who knew? Trees liked Shakespeare.

“Now we must go to the Globe. Bloodroot has called a meeting.”

Bloodroot? That was definitely not a tree name. Keelie couldn’t shake the sound of the Red Cap’s laughter from her thoughts.

“Bloodroot the tree called a meeting. Huh.” This was a different kind of place. “The trees in the Dread Forest don’t call meetings.”

“No, but they attend meetings,” Grandmother said. She didn’t seem to think there was anything weird about this place.

Bella Matera floated over to Grandmother. She looked down at Keelie, and her ghostly, sticklike fingers touched Keelie’s face.

The child is tired. Let her sleep.

Keelie felt warmth, then cold, eddy through her. It was sort of like being filled with hot cocoa, then having a woodsy whip cream sprayed on top. She stared at the tree spirit. Awe and a deep respect for this Ancient One filled her. The tree smiled.

Bella Matera held out her branchlike hand and blew. “May the stars send you dreams and let you hear the songs of the spheres circling the sun.”

Keelie could hear a soft melody forming in the back of her mind, along with images of shooting stars and planets swirling around one another like in a planetarium show. It was so lovely; the musical harmonies touched the core of her magic, which sparked, then glowed like a banked fire. Her energy faded, and suddenly she simply wanted to go to sleep.

“I am tired.” She tried to suppress a yawn.

Bella Matera began to dissolve into a gaseous mist. The mist floated toward the open window, and a disembodied voice floated in the room.
’Til tomorrow, sleep dreaming of the stars.

Drowsy, Keelie thought of Grandmother and Norzan meeting with Bloodroot without her. Did Bella Matera want to keep her away? She wanted to see the forest at night. She fought to wake up, feeling the tree’s magic around her like a comfy spiderweb. The lovely music faded a little, but held.

“So powerful,” she murmured.

Then burning pain slashed across her ankle, and the dreamy moment vanished—leaving only the drone of Knot’s purr.

The last sleepy bits of the tree’s song lingered as Keelie sat up, screaming. Her ankle bled from two long furrows cut deeply into her skin.

Knot licked his toes delicately, claws out, watching her.

“Thanks, Freddy Krueger Cat. I’ll let you know if I need stitches.” Keelie stood up. “I’m going to have to buy a whole emergency kit.”

“You shook away the tree’s blessing.” Grandmother’s mouth turned down.

Keelie grinned. “Don’t want to miss the big tree meeting. Are you ready to go?” She held back a yawn and limped toward Sariela, who was holding out a wet washcloth.

Kalix frowned, looking at Knot. “The cat takes his role as guardian too far.”

“He is dedicated,” Grandmother agreed.

Fifteen minutes later, the group was gathered at the base of their tree, Wena, the glow of the sap travel fading. Wena’s spirit form stood to one side, watching them but not coming close. The tree’s roots were large and went deep into the ground.

Keelie felt the other trees of the forest pressing in and around her, seeking entrance into her mind. A thrum of deep magic surged under her feet, the energy of the Earth. She touched the rose quartz at her belt, using Earth magic to give herself the extra power she needed to block out the redwoods. She shrugged, feeling a little more in control. She was getting better at balancing the magic. But Keelie’s head was still reeling from the trip down the tree. She hoped someone would teach her how to travel the sap herself—she couldn’t rely on Kalix to be her elevator operator every time she wanted to come or go.

Norzan smiled at her. “Exhilarating, isn’t it?”

She swallowed. “If you say so.”

Knot was trotting beside Keelie. He seemed to be in a jovial mood, ready for a jaunt in the woods, probably searching for some poor unsuspecting
feithid daoine
as a midnight snack. No such luck. There weren’t any here.

The motley crew of elves started walking. Keelie realized she was turned around—she’d thought the highway was in the other direction, but within moments they were in the festival parking lot and Keelie could hear the sea, its waves pounding against the rocky shore on the other side of the highway. The soothing sounds of the waves calmed her unease, and she smiled when she remembered the huge sea lions sunning themselves like sunbathers on the beach.

As they followed the path leading into the festival grounds, the fog thickened and the sounds of the ocean faded. Keelie thought about the water sparkling in the daytime, the tide pools filled with different marine life. The beaches here in Northern California were different from the L.A. beaches, with their swimmers and surfers in the golden California sun. Here, in Juliet City, driftwood was scattered everywhere and huge rocky outcroppings sprouted out of the water.

In the distance, Keelie heard thunder rumbling. A storm was blowing in. She wished she had an umbrella, but Grandmother seemed oblivious to the fact that it might rain. She was acting like this was a field trip, walking fast like a giddy school girl. Around them, sounds of the festival at night rose and fell. The smell of cooking wafted on the sea breeze, along with the faint rhythmic pounding of a drum circle.

The Globe Theater stood alone on the edge of the festival grounds, near the town of Juliet City. The long-ago actors had started performing here when the highway was just a dirt path, and the festival had grown up around it. As the elves walked toward it, more and more tree spirits drifted down to join them. Surrounded by the ghostly figures, Keelie felt uneasy. Once again she could hear the waves crashing on the beach, and she saw a flash of red and green in the distance. Probably some player, still in costume. Some of these guys were in character day and night.

Norzan, with staff in hand, strode with a determined gait and observed all that was going on. Keelie liked him; he reminded her of a wise shaman. Seeing Norzan looking so sage and powerful, she couldn’t help but wonder about the missing Redwood Tree Shepherd. How strong was his magic? He must be powerful to deal with these super trees.

The thunder rumbled again. Whatever this meeting was about tonight, Keelie hoped they finished before the storm let loose and they all were soaked to the bone.

They climbed up a tall hill to the Juliet City Globe Theater. It was a circular, two-story, half-timbered building, and looked just like the pictures Keelie had seen of the original Globe Theater in England. But this one was draped with a banner proclaiming “
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
, Preview Tomorrow!” You could see it from the road.

Keelie felt like she was living her own version of Shakespeare’s play tonight, except hers would be called “A Midnight Promenade of the Redwoods.”

A fog seemed to be drifting in. As Keelie watched, a thick patch of ground-level clouds floated in from the sea, merging with the ghostly trees around the Globe. Keelie now knew how the trees were able to camouflage their spirit-walking when among humans. Fog could hide a lot of secrets. She remembered when she’d first seen her Uncle Dariel in the Dread Forest. He’d been a vampire then, and had been able to turn into fog. She shivered and hurried to walk next to Grandmother, who was strolling serenely, as if they were in a parade.

The Globe was full of humans rehearsing the play. The elves stood by the theater doors, watching Master Oswald in the middle of the action, surrounded by people holding pages in their hands. A woman with glasses resting on top her head was reading something out loud. Keelie picked up on the “thee’s” and “thou’s.” What would they think of the elves showing up to chat with a bunch of tree spirits? She wasn’t sure the actors could even see anything, and if they did, they’d probably think it was the mist coming in from the ocean.

Bella Matera appeared, spiraling out of the mist until she was in her pseudo-human form. Her branches looked like real arms, and her hair seemed to be made of leaves.

Other tree spirits appeared and swirled around them. Bella waved her arms in greeting, like a goddess welcoming worshipers. The trees’ powerful energy pressed on Keelie’s mind, making her head pound. She felt for her rose quartz and pulled on more Earth energy to block them. Grandmother stood close to Keelie, protectively.

Norzan joined them. “This is strange indeed. Even in the lore of tree shepherds, this has never been seen.” His voice was cautious but held undertones of wonder.

Surprised, Keelie turned to the Northwoods tree shepherd. “I thought you, of all elves, would know about this.”

He shook his head. “Each forest has its own culture and secrets.” He pointed his staff toward the tree spirits. “Keelie, now I am certain that all is not as it should be in the Redwood Forest.”

“I agree.” Grandmother tilted her head upwards and then to the side as a face formed in one of the ephemeral tree shapes.

Greetings, Shepherds.

Goose bumps dotted Keelie’s arms as a menacing premonition prickled her mind.

As if on cue, the creepy jester wearing the red and green harlequin suit stepped onto center stage. Was he the flash of red and green she’d seen near the beach? Keelie wondered how he’d gotten back here so quickly, if so. With his jangly hat perched at an angle on his head, the jester looked like something you’d see at a medieval circus. He was engaging in a dangerous, Tony Soprano kind of way. All eyes in the theater were riveted on him as he spoke Puck’s lines in a hypnotic voice.

“That’s Peascod.”

Keelie looked up. It was Bella, who was floating above them and pointing toward the stage. “We enjoy his performances and find them inspiring, but sadly we must end tonight’s entertainment to prepare for our Lord Bloodroot.”

Norzan cut his eyes over to Keelie. Something in his expression told her to be careful.

Bella must have sensed the tension in the air. “Come now, tree shepherds, our shifting can’t be that alien to you. Why, Keelie alone is strong enough.”

“Milady, I have to be honest. I find it disconcerting.” Norzan leaned on his staff. “Viran never revealed this particular talent you possess.”

Bella gave a gossamer laugh, light and airy. “My dear Northwoods Shepherd, we’d hoped you’d find our way enlightening. Although our beloved shepherd is missing, something good has come from our misfortunes. We have met you, and the Ladies Keliatiel and Keliel. We look forward to an exchange of culture and magic.”

Norzan nodded, but his bright blue eyes were shadowed. “What do you hope to gain in such an exchange?”

“It may be your gain. I’m sure your trees in the Northwoods can’t do this.” She gestured. “Nor this.” Bella waved her hand once more and the air around them grew heavy, as if green condensation hovered, thickening the atmosphere. Then the air lightened and the wetness evaporated.

All of the actors became silent, their faces vacant. The directors and crew also stood there, motionless and quiet.

Master Oswald suddenly stood up, jerkily. Keelie thought he’d shaken off the spell, but then he waved his paper, his hand flapping like a puppet’s. “Good gentles and ladies, our play is over. Now.” He left the stage, staggering a little as he went down the stairs to the open pit of the dirt floor.

The other actors began to follow him, silently lining up without jostling, like zombies leaving a baseball game.

Keelie walked down the ramp, toward the stage, looking into the players’ faces as they passed her. They were all somewhere else. She tried standing in front of one of the women, but the woman just stepped sideways and continued on as if Keelie had been a wall or a piece of furniture. No eye contact, no focus, no life. It horrified Keelie that trees could do this. But according to Bella Matera, they did it all the time.

The weird jester dude who played Puck was coming toward her. Again, he made Keelie feel uneasy. As he passed, his eyes flicked toward her and she caught a sinister glint in his gaze. This guy was pretending. He was not under the tree spell, but Keelie didn’t want to give him away. What would the trees do if they found out? And what was different about him? If there was anything to be cautious about in the festival, it was this guy. And of course the trees.

“He comes,” Bella said in a whispery, scratchy voice.

“Who?” Keelie pulled her gaze away from Peascod.

“Our Lord Bloodroot.”

Bella drifted down to center stage and stood with the other tree spirits.

Norzan stepped closer to Keelie. He smiled. “I think we’re about to be allowed to see an ancient ritual.”

Keelie felt a tingle shimmy up her spine at the thought of seeing an ancient tree ritual. Excitement warred with apprehension at the thought of what she would see. She wondered if Dad had ever witnessed anything like this.

Norzan leaned closer. “We must be careful. I’m very concerned about Viran, but until we find the answers, trust no one, not even the trees and the redwood elves. I think it wise to keep our counsel among ourselves.”

Surprised, Keelie nodded. Good advice. She liked Norzan, and she trusted him.

Grandmother joined them, her face transfixed with wonder. “It’s not like the real Globe, but it’s a very good replica.” Keelie knew Grandmother was old, but put in this context … holy cow!

The air suddenly became chilled, and the wind kicked up. Keelie had to push her curls out of her face. Floating toward center stage was a large, dark cloud. All was quiet, as if everyone and every tree was holding their breath, expecting something big to happen.

And it did. A green bolt of lightning flashed in the sky.