DEEP WATERS

CHAPTER 16 - Lost

After target practice, Sergeant Svir gathered all the imps and fairies into the Great Hall. That was unusual, and the elves wondered what was going on, but they knew they’d hear soon enough. Most of them drifted onto the Concourse, but Ace and Will went inside the deserted mess. They felt like a bit of peace. Ace stretched, and relaxed, then felt in his pockets and brought out a bit of shiny black plastic and some pieces of steel.
“What’re you making?” yawned Will.
“A penknife. Don’t laugh, I needed one yesterday, when you weren’t there. Gran wasn’t very impressed. Says we rely on each other too much.”
“Oh, I don’t like the sound of that.”
“Neither did I, and I told him why not. But he said a good thing, he said he wouldn’t let anyone split us up - unless we asked him to. Let’s have a look at your knife, Will. How do they swing open?”
“Here you go. It’s just a rounded hinge, see…no, you do it,” said Will, sitting back. “He’s quite right. We ought to think for ourselves a bit more.”
“Exactly. I can do this, if I think about it. We have to remember, that’s all, and tell each other, do it yourself.”

“Mmm. Have you seen Gran today? The general, I mean.”
“No. I wonder if he’s heard about what happened. You don’t think he’d take Gran Starheim’s side, do you, with them being namesakes, and both Norwegian?”
“No, I don’t. I was just wondering about that weird thing with the messaging. Wondering if he’d worked out why.”
“I’d forgotten about that, with all this other stuff! Have you had any ideas?”
“Yeah, a couple. Pretty far-fetched, but it’s a far-fetched thing to happen.”
“Go on, let’s hear them.”
“Well, it could be that we did it because we didn’t know we couldn’t. Neither of us knew the other was off the mountain.”
“Hmm. I see what you mean. But wouldn’t that have happened before, to other people?”
“Probably. My other idea was, it’s a leftover from the trouble we had when Clover was injured. It’s left some permanent mental link, that nothing can break.”
“Hey, that’s a thought. I like that one, it rings true.”
“You feel that? So do I. But if it’s that, then it must have happened before - to those two in 17-something.”
“They might never have told anyone. Why would they? Would you tell anyone?”
“No, they’d only think you were swanking.”
“Exactly. I wish we knew their names. I feel very curious about them, don’t you?”
“I’m not sure I want to know too much. Suppose they were the same trees, or something spooky like that?”
“I’d still like to know. I wonder…”
Ace looked up as the door opened, and a blade of sunlight shot into the room.
“Go away, Kiefer,” he said.
But Kiefer didn’t go away. He just walked over to them, and said,
“I’m sorry.”
He looked it. His face was full of remorse, pleading with them to be friends again.
“I lost my temper, and I didn’t stop to think. I should have known you’d never…I really am sorry.”
“I do that too,” said Ace, “so I’ve got no room to talk.”

This was totally different to Gran’s apology, they could both see he really meant it. Ace got up and gave him a hug, and so did Will.
“Thanks,” said Kiefer. “Captain Dolfawr’s looking for you. Shall I tell him you’re in here?”
“Is he?” said Ace, alarmed. “I hope it’s not about how loud we were playing last night. No, we’ll come out to him.”
But it wasn’t. When the captain spotted them, he just handed them a message, with a smile, and went back to his work. It was an official Signals form, thin yellow paper folded over and sealed with wax. On the outside it said their names, and ‘Urgent. To be delivered, sealed’.
“Wow,” said Ace, and tore it open, and they read it, heads together. It was from General Herdalen.
Had to go to Spain, it said. Could take quite a while. Remember not to tell anyone about what happened. Suspect it may have happened before - in 1785. If anything odd happens, tell Major Inari. You can trust him as you would trust me. Be good!
“Major Inari?” said Will. “The old duffer with the lemming?”
“P’raps it’s cover,” said Ace thoughtfully. “Maybe he’s not as daft as he looks. But Gran thought the same as you, Will. That proves it, as far as I’m concerned.”
“Something good coming out of something bad, again,” said Will. “It’s the pattern.”


The imps and the fairies were coming out of the Great Hall, all shrieking excitedly. Ace shoved the message in his pocket and they went to see what was going on.
“The first of us all to be given a real mission!” Crocus was saying proudly. “Something has to be delivered somewhere urgently, and all the Messengers are busy. Sergeant Grybow wouldn’t send second years, they’re too near the end, it wouldn’t be fair on their teams. So they’re sending first years!”
“Sergeant Svir called us all to tell us who she’d chosen,” Sizzle was telling Kiefer. “Jenny’s one of them! And the others are Revebjelle Koster, Margherita Stazzema and Rose Moseley.”
“Where are they going?” asked Kiefer.
“No-one knows. But they’re going straight away - yes, there they go!”
Everyone looked up as the four fairies streaked across the sky, heading west.
Will went straight to find Clover.
“Come on,” he said. “Come and sit down. That was a bit of a shock, wasn’t it?”
“It was at first. But really, I’m not surprised. She’s brilliant, Will, I don’t think any of you realise how good she is at flying. Anything technical, she’s perfect.”
“It’s hard to see from the ground,” said Ace, joining them and perching on the table. “You always said she was good, but I didn’t realise she was that good.”
“What’s up, Clover?” said Will. “You look worried.”

“I am,” she admitted. “It sounds awful to say so - like I was jealous, and I’m not - but I don’t think they’ve made a very wise choice. Lilje,” she called, as one of the Swedish fairies went past. “Come here, will you? Are you as worried as I am?”
“I can’t believe it. They don’t know what they’ve done. Do you think we should have said something?”
Clover shook her head.
“We’d have been slapped down for being cheeky. The trouble is,” she told Ace and Will, “we always work in pairs, like you do. Lilje is Revebjelle’s partner. Margherita has a partner from Italy, Jenny has a partner from Switzerland. Rose has me. What they’ve done is pulled the better flyer out of the best four pairs. But none of those four can read a map.”
“Revebjelle can get lost over the mountain,” said Lilje. “I’m afraid I’ll never see her again. But they’re not all as bad as she is. Rose is the best of them, for sure.”
“Oh, dear,” said Ace.


Lounging around outside their hut, enjoying the cool evening, the team were trying not to worry. Ace and Will were on the roof, flicking bits of pine cone at each other. Bella and Stella were sitting in the open windows, and the others were on the grass outside.
“It might be all right,” said Bella cheerfully. “No-one knows where they’ve gone. It might be somewhere really easy.”
“That’s true,” said Stella. “And you don’t know, really, what you can do until you have to. They may do very well, when they realise they’ve got no-one to rely on but themselves. Sergeant Svir may have sent them just for that reason!”
“You’re right. I’m not going to worry,” said Clover firmly. “This’ll be the making of her, you’ll see. And it’s very nice not to have to worry about points any more, as well. I can be as lazy as I want, and it doesn’t matter.”
“Oh, no you can’t,” grinned Ace, lobbing a pine cone in her direction. “We still have to do our best.”
Clover stuck her tongue out at him, and Fran said,
“D’you know what? Even now, we’re not last. Corporal Lavall told me. I think he was trying to cheer me up, but I thought it was quite sad, really.”
“How come?” said Will. “You mean someone’s on minus points?”
“Yes, that’s it. He didn’t say who, but it’s pretty obvious.”
“Poland,” said Ace. “You’re right, Fran, it’s not funny. Poor old Zoza, he does his best.”

“We could have a bit of fun here,” said Betch. “We’re not trying to win any more, so we could try to help Poland. Not obviously…just slip them ideas, show them how to do things. Imagine everyone’s faces if Poland won a few things!”
“Oh, that’d be fun,” chuckled Hogweed. “There’s a lot of very nice goblins on that team. It’d be great to help them.”
“Who else have they got?” said Ace, his eyes sparkling with mischief. “There’s two other elves, I know.”
“Dub and Lupa,” said Fran. “They’re not Polish, they’re Czech.”
“And Carda, “ said Dan. “Ratzo’s friend. She’s my flying partner.”
“What’s she like, Dan?”
“Staunch, true, thick as a plank,” said Dan. “I’d trust her with my life, but not with anything important.”
“They have to use what they’ve got, not what they haven’t got,” said Wayne shrewdly. “Same as the rest of us. They may not have much brains on that team, but they’ve got strength, all right.”
He got up and stretched.
“Time I was off,” he said. “I’ve spent far too long with you dreadful pro-human types today.”
Ace jumped down simply so he could pull Wayne to his feet. He didn’t say anything, but he didn’t have to. The look he gave Wayne was full of admiration and encouragement.


A few days later, the first years were all on the Concourse, listening to Sergeant Olt, when it started to rain heavily, and the sergeant sent them into the mess to make their plans.
“No point getting soaked, going to your huts,” he said. “This’ll be over by the time you’re ready, it’s only a shower. Just don’t start brewing tea!”
With a couple of meaning glances, Ace got his team to gather near Zoza’s team, and they all listened to their discussion.
“This is too difficult,” said Ratzo. “I wish it was football practice.”
“No, have a think,” said Zoza. “There must be something we could do…stop messing about, Dub, we haven’t got time for that!”
“Ooh, sensible Polish,” cackled Dub. “I’m playing a game!”
“This isn’t the time or the place,” muttered Zoza, trying to ignore the shuttlecock being batted over his head. “Come on, fairies, can you think of anything?”
“What’ve we got to do?” said Carda.
Zoza held his head in his hands, and Ace winced in sympathy.
“This is dreadful,” he whispered. “I’ve got it so easy, with you lot.”

He started talking in a voice that was just a shade louder than it needed to be.
“Think what we’ve been learning lately. Team exercises often seem to mean using new things you’ve learned.”
“We started learning the heave, in throwing,” mused Fran, loudly.
“And those relay races,” said Will. “They were fun!”
“We did that too, in the air!” shrieked Bella.
“And however we do it, we have to keep out of sight,” said Ace. “That comes into so many things. You can see why - when we’re on active service we’ll have to do things without being spotted by humans. They don’t want us getting careless because it’s so safe here.”
“We have to get a solid steel barrel from the top of the hill down to the Concourse, as fast as possible, out of sight of the corporal who’ll be watching from the roof of the Great Hall. And the whole team must touch it,” said Dan, thinking.
“So why don’t we just spread out along the route, and throw it to each other?” grinned Will.
“Throw it!” said Peter. “I’d have a job lifting it!”
“Peter!” said Stella. “Don’t be so thick. No-one said we couldn’t shrink it!”
“Oh!”
“That’d be good if we were all strong enough,” said Ace, his lips twitching a bit. “But just think of all the open spaces. Only Hogweed could clear the distance between our hut and Classroom One. For the other gaps, we’ll need something more ingenious.”
He glanced up, and caught Zoza’s eye. Zoza was looking at him with a strange, thirsty expression. Ace winked and gave him a quick nod, as if to say, go on, it’s all yours. Zoza’s eyes lit up. He grabbed the shuttlecock, slapped Dub around the head, and started talking fast to his team.


Sergeant Olt was extremely pleased to see that no-one was trying to carry a barrel up the hill. They’d all had the sense to shrink it.
“Very good listening!” he beamed. “The teams will take it in turns. Sergeant Svir is at the finish, she’ll time you all with a stop-watch.”
Most of the teams used a combination of heaves across open spaces, and top-speed flying where there was cover. The other corporals were watching too, to make sure each one of a team had touched the barrel. But not all the throwing was accurate. Agava’s heave for Italy went through the roof of Classroom One. That meant Lauro had to come out of cover to get it, and had a whistle blown at him. He’d been seen. France went next, and Alnus’ team were laughing so much at what had happened to Italy, they could hardly throw straight themselves, and slowed themselves down badly.

It was very hard for the Alpine team. They had no-one who had a chance of clearing the big gap, but Kiefer and Sizzle did their best, throwing together from a sling. Ace’s team did a good smooth job. No-one fumbled or missed a catch. Bella and Stella flew down through the trees, holding the barrel together, and passed it to Clover, who flew a shorter distance alone, then rolled it across a bit of level ground to Fran, behind the eastern gatehouse. He heaved it across to Will behind Poland’s hut, and the elves all passed it along to Hogweed. He cleared the big gap easily, and Dan picked up the barrel. She flew to the finish at 150, too fast to be seen, even by another sprite. All the fairies gasped at that. Only Dan could carry such a weight at that speed.
Ace was very proud of them. They’d done the fastest time possible with the people they’d got, he was sure of that, but he was very interested to see what Poland would do. They had the chance to go even faster, if they didn’t mess it up. He jumped over to the finish to watch.

Half Zoza’s team were behind Classroom One. But then Ace saw their barrel flying down the hillside, then up again in the air, being heaved all the way, as their seven goblins passed it from one to the next. As Ratzo caught it, behind Classroom One, the three elves and four fairies simply touched it, and Ratzo heaved it to the finish, to land smartly at Sergeant Svir’s feet.
“9.3 seconds!” she gasped. “Extraordinary!”
Germany finished off with good steady work, and as they came rushing over from their positions, Sergeant Svir was checking the times.
“Some very good work there!” she said, pleased. “Some very intelligent placing, and some excellent throwing. I liked your sling, Kiefer and Sizzle. That was a very ingenious solution to your difficulty. And Dan! I know I’m always on at you about style, but I don’t think anyone else could have done that! But Poland - magnificent! You had the advantage, today, but how well you used it! First place, congratulations!”
Zoza’s team just stared. They simply couldn’t believe their ears. They’d been hoping that today they might manage not to come last - but they’d won. When it sunk in, they all started cheering, and everyone gave them a clap.

“Different teams will have different advantages at different times,” the sergeant remarked pointedly, looking at Gran. “They are there to be used. It all evens out in the end.”
Everyone knew what she was talking about, and Ace was glad of it. He knew Will had been blaming himself for what had happened, and you couldn’t have had a clearer sign than that, that he’d done nothing wrong.
“Brilliant,” he whispered to Will. “Told you.”
“I know you did,“ Will whispered back. “Good to hear it though. But Ace, what about Zoza! Leaving it to the goblins, and the rest of them just touching the thing! That was clever, and they thought of that for themselves!”
“All they needed was a bit of confidence, and away they go!” said Ace, delighted.


Sergeant Olt and the corporals joined them at the finish, and they praised Poland’s work too. They’d all been worried about this team, and wanted them to have every encouragement.
“That was great,” said Ratzo. “Can we do it again?”
“Not just now,” said Sergeant Svir. “You can all go to the canteen, except Gran, Ace, Sizzle and Lauro.”
Ace had that one worked out in a second.
“Oh no,” he cried, “they’ve got lost, haven’t they?”
“Of course not,” said Sergeant Svir in amazement. “Are you suggesting that any of my fairies can’t read a map, you silly elf?”
“Er, no, ’course not, Sergeant,” faltered Ace, wondering if she’d flipped.
“You are quite right though, we do have a small problem. Come into my office, please.”


It wasn’t a separate hut, like the generals had, just a room in General HQ, next door to Sergeant Olt’s.
“Squeeze in,” she said. “As Ace guessed so quickly, I want you because you’re their team leaders, our missing fairies.”
“Missing!” said everyone.
“Yes…they won’t have got lost - how could they, a simple flight down the fjords to Stavang and back - but some other catastrophe may have occurred. I am most worried. I’m sending out a party to find them and bring them home. A unit from Norway 1 are on their way here now, and I want one of you to go with them. Norway 1 are highly skilled, tough, intelligent elves, and the fairies with whom they mix are equally talented. They may have forgotten how first year fairies think. That’s why one of you is going. Now, which one? Do you all want to go?”
“With Norway 1?” said Sizzle. “No. 1st Regiment are sniffy about imps. Let one of the elves go.”
“Well, not all of them, but I take your point. All right. Now, how to make this fair…Gran, how long have you known Revebjelle?”
Ace breathed a sigh of relief.
“Only since we came here, Sergeant,” said Gran.
“Lauro, how about you and Margherita?”
“Since the Italian rendezvous, to come here together, last December.”
“Ace?”
“All my life. Twenty-seven years.”
“Ah, then it’s easy to be fair. Ace, report to Lieutenant Bessheim at 1st Regiment HQ at 1500 hours. That will be all.”


“On a mission! With Norway 1!” yelled Will. “You lucky…oh, that’s brilliant!”
“I know! They’ll only have got lost! But she thinks something awful’s happened to them!”
“So you get the chance to go stonking around with one of the top units in the whole army! Oh, it’s not fair, I wish I was going too.”
“So do I,” said Ace. “D’you want me to tell them I don’t want to go?”
“What, and let Gran or Lauro have the fun instead of you? No chance. ’Sides, everyone’d think we were soft if we couldn’t handle a few days apart. They don’t understand…how hard it is.”
“No. Only Gran.”
Their eyes met, and they were quiet for a moment. It was nearly time.
“So, get it over and done with,” said Will bravely.
Ace flung his arms round him and hugged him hard.
“See you soon, Will,” he said.
“See you, Ace. Take care.”


Will couldn’t have described the feeling it gave him, sensing Ace moving further and further away. He just knew he didn’t like it, it made him feel miserable. He went to find Clover, in case she was worrying about Rose and needed cheering up. He was very touched to realise that she had great confidence that Rose would soon be home, not because Norway 1 were looking for her, but because Ace was. And she seemed to understand how he was feeling. She knew very well that they’d never been so far apart in their lives, and she could guess, if anyone could, just how bad that felt.
“Will, dear, you’ve simply got to find something to do,” she told him. “Something where you need to concentrate. Now you’ve finished those maps you were doing, there must be loads of inputting that’s been waiting for you.”
“You’re right. I’ll go and see General Széchenyi.”

The general was very pleased to see him, and dumped a huge pile of reports in his arms. Intelligence had swamped her with data before being replaced by Search and Rescue, while Search and Rescue were clamouring for the information that would help them focus their activities. He set to work, and worked solidly without a break until the batteries packed in. By then, it was dark,
and the camp was going quiet. With a sigh, Will took the batteries out so he could salvage the parts for new ones, and slipped cautiously outside. He wandered across camp, not to the barracks, but north-west, as far as the perimeter fence, and leaned on it, staring into the night.
This is unbearable, he thought. I feel as if I’ve been chopped in half.
Then he remembered Gran saying that, and the thought of his much greater suffering made him stop feeling sorry for himself. All the same, he wasn’t going to bed. He couldn’t tell exactly how far away Ace was - about twenty miles, he thought - but he was still moving.
Even Norway 1 will have to stop sometime. And when they do, he’ll try to get through.

He had to be ready for that, concentrating. This wonderful thing they could do, messaging direct both off the mountain, was no help here. They’d still been less than a mile apart when they did that. This was distance, and everyone said it took years before you could do distance. They’d all seemed very sure that that was why none of the lost fairies had been in touch. But Will was pinning all his hopes on something General Herdalen had said to Ace - even twins can’t message direct, both off the mountain. Even twins…surely that meant all twins could do more than average, between themselves. He was desperately hoping it meant the miles between them would count for nothing.
The harder he concentrated, the clearer it was getting.They were slowing down; looking for a good place to camp for the night, he hoped. They’d stopped. They’d light a fire, probably; make a drink, make a blanket to roll up in…yes. He heard him, as clearly as if he’d been standing beside him.

This is it, then. Oh, please say you can hear me.
Oh, thank goodness. Yes, I’m here. How’s it going?
This is horrible, Will. You feel so far away!
Not too good, is it? How far have you gone?
Miles and miles…over twenty, I think. Good grief, they don’t stop! That lieutenant just took one look at me and said, ‘I hope you can keep up’, and I was thinking, huh, you wait, ’course I can keep up, but it was hard. My knees are still shaking.
But you did it. Good for you. Are they being nice to you?
Not so’s you’d notice. They weren’t too keen on being pulled off goblin hunting to do this, so first years are a nuisance, and that includes me. But they know what they’re doing , all right. Rose and the others left in the early evening, if you remember. They knew exactly how far they’d have gone before dark, and guessed just where they’d have stopped. We found the remains of their camp fire.
You’ll pick up a lot of useful stuff with a unit like that.
You bet, I’m taking it all in. But oh, Will, I’m so tired.
That’s a first. You’d better go to sleep, we don’t have to natter.
No. Just to know you’re still there, that’s so good.
Makes all the difference. Good night, Ace.
’Night, Will.

Will gave a great sigh of relief, and smiled happily. He turned to go back, walking cautiously over the rough ground. It was very dark now. Then he froze, as he heard footsteps coming towards him. Suddenly a torch was shone in his face, and a voice rang out.
“Who’s there?”
“Oh, hello, ma’am,” said Will. “It’s only me. Just talking to Ace.”
The Commander switched her torch off.
“Sorry to startle you. But where’s Ace gone?”
“With Norway 1, to find the lost fairies.”
“Oh, I see. I knew Sergeant Svir was sending a first year, but I didn’t know who she’d chosen. Is he all right?”
“Yes, ma’am. Just very tired!”
“So will you be, if you don’t go to bed. Off with you!”
“I’m going. You doing General Herdalen’s patrol for him, while he’s in Spain?”
“Just keeping an eye on things,” she smiled.
She watched Will go, then frowned to herself. She didn’t like Ace being off camp, not at all. But they hadn’t broadcast the news that five of the first years had Special Brigade after them.
If you tell everyone, the wrong people get to hear, she thought. And if you don’t, you get well-meaning people like Arda Svir sending them into danger without knowing it. Still, he should be safe enough with Norway 1.


Ace forced himself to his feet, as it grew light. His blanket was soaked with dew, and the muscles in his legs were agony. But he was certainly the youngest here, and he’d be expected to get the fire going and put a kettle on, he knew that much. As quietly as he could, he arranged the wood as he’d seen them do it last night, so the smoke trailed away gently, not straight up in the air. Then he took the kettle to the nearest stream, to fill it, and by the time the others got up, he was sitting on a rock quietly combing his hair.
“Good timing,” remarked the lieutenant, as the kettle came to the boil. He threw Ace a tin of tea from his backpack, and Ace quickly made the drinks and passed them round.
“We can reach Stavang by tonight if we get a move on,” said the lieutenant. “Across country to Forde, that’s only another twenty kilometres, then hitch rides on cars along the road.”
“Can we do that?” asked one of them, and Ace felt sure he’d glanced towards him, meaning, can he do that?
“Ace,” said the lieutenant, “do you think you could jump onto a moving car?”
Ace thought fast. He wanted to show them they shouldn’t underestimate him, but without swanking. He kept his face very straight, like Will did.
“I don’t know what speeds your cars do in this country,” he said, “but the fastest I’ve done was going eighty miles an hour.”

Everyone sat very still, and Ace knew then that none of them had done such a speed. Suddenly, he lips twitched and he burst out laughing.
“I’m sorry,” he gasped, “but your faces, honestly! It’s no big deal, I was born near a motorway. Grew up with it.”
“Good,” smiled the lieutenant. “There’s more to you than meets the eye.” He was beginning to see why Sergeant Svir had sent him this tiny sycamore with long hair. “Let’s get cracking. Are you very stiff?” he asked, seeing that Ace winced a bit as he got up.
“I’ll say,” said Ace. “But it doesn’t matter.”
The lieutenant nodded.
“Keep going through the pain,” he said. “It’s the only way. It’ll get easier.”
“Yes, sir,” said Ace. Twenty kilometres, he thought. How many jumps is that?
Will could have worked it out in a second, but he was on his own now.
It’s not that difficult, he told himself. Say ten metres for a jump, times ten makes one kilometre, that’s 100, times twenty, good grief, two thousand! I’ll try to count them, see if I’m right.
He lost count very quickly. It was just too much hard work. It wasn’t just the effort of jumping, it was the rough ground, too. You really had to concentrate so you didn’t land in a stream, or break an ankle in a hollow. After ten miles, he was really struggling. The pain was getting a bit too much. But then, without stopping, the others changed their pattern. He’d been lagging behind a little, despite his best efforts; now two of them fell back, behind him. They were shepherding him into the middle, and drawing him into their unison, to help him.
That’s kind, Ace thought gratefully.
He relaxed, and accepted the help, and slowly it grew easier, as he could rely on the shared strength.


When they reached Forde, Lieutenant Bessheim called a halt on the outskirts of the town, and explained what they would do next, while they all drank from a stream.
“Most cars down here will go to Stavang,” he said. “But if the one you pick doesn’t, don’t worry, just get another or head across country. We’re going to the air force base on the coast. The Intelligence Squadron are holding an important meeting there, and that’s where these fairies were going, to deliver something from General Széchenyi.”
Will’s maps! thought Ace. So that’s what they were taking!
“Meet up there,” said the lieutenant. “We need to speak to the officers who met them, and see if they can give us any clues. It’s an underground base,” he told Ace. “Look for a bent hawthorn on a cliff, between the road and the sea.”
One by one, they jumped onto cars, and finished their journey in style. Ace wasn’t very impressed with the lumbering old Landrover he got, but he was very glad of the chance to rest his legs, and sat on the rear number plate, happily watching the road unwinding behind him. He chose a good place to jump off, a grassy bank on a curve, and he had no trouble finding the right tree. The lieutenant was quite impressed that Ace had got there so easily, but he didn’t say so. But he took Ace with him when he went down inside the cliff, to ask for the officer who’d taken the delivery. They waited while she was sent for, feeling a bit out of place with fairies whizzing about above their heads. Then a major from the Intelligence Squadron landed neatly beside them, and Ace smiled. It was Heather.

She spoke to the lieutenant first, expanding on what he already knew.
“They arrived here on 17th. It was late in the day, so they spent the night here. I had a long talk to Ace’s friend Rose,” she smiled, “because we’d met before. We talked mostly of mutual friends. The only thing I can think of that might help you is something she said just before she left, next morning. ‘Backwards’, she said, ‘I’ve never had to do backwards’. So from this we know Rose was navigating, and also that she was a little concerned at having to trace her route in reverse. I wish now that I’d gone over it with her, but I didn’t like to fuss.”
“Do you feel they simply got lost, ma’am?”
“I think they probably did. But I don’t think they can still be lost. They’d have worked out where they were by now. I’m afraid that getting lost drew them into some danger. They can’t have got as far as the glacier, can they?” she worried.
“If they did, they would surely have turned south again,” said the lieutenant.
“Those four are excellent flyers,” said Heather. “Averaging eighty on a long flight, that’s about eight miles an hour. Yet it took them two days to get here, so you can be sure they’re stopping frequently, no doubt to look at the map, and think.”
“Thank you, ma’am,” said the lieutenant. “That’s very helpful.”
Privately, he was wondering where to start.
They could be anywhere! he thought. What a bunch of twits!
“And how are you, Ace?” said Heather. “Still doing that loud singing?”
“Certainly am, ma’am,” said Ace. “I’m fine. I’m so glad I came.”
“Good! You must tell Will, too, those maps were wonderful! We’ve never had such detailed information to work from. Rose will fill you in on all the latest news when you find her. Do you want us to put you up for the night?”
“No, thank you, ma’am,” said the lieutenant. “There’s still some daylight left, we’ll get searching.”


They joined the rest of the unit out on the grass under the tree, and the lieutenant got his map out.
“I don’t know,” he said. “They should have flown across country, here…should we assume they started off right?”
“No,” said Ace. “Starting off will be where they went wrong. Can I hold that map a minute?”
The lieutenant handed it to him, and Ace turned it upside down.
“She was going south. First thing she’d do. But she knew she was going backwards, that was worrying her. Yes…that’s it. They’ve gone north-east instead of south-east. Backwards must mean opposite to what you did before.”
“She’s really that stupid?”
“She’s a top flyer,” said Ace loyally. “And absolutely cracking at some things. But maps do confuse her, there’s no denying it. Eikefjord, that’s where they’ve gone.”
The whole unit looked alert, exchanging knowing glances, and Ace felt a throb of excitement.
“What is it?” he asked. “What do you know?”
“That’s goblin country. Thick with them. Renegade colonies that don’t even pretend to keep the law. Police are too scared to go there. This is getting interesting.”


Ace didn’t know which was filling his mind more, worry about Rose and the others, or excitement at the thought of seeing some real action. It stopped him feeling quite so tired that night, even though they travelled miles towards Eikefjord before they camped. As soon as everyone had settled down, Ace lost no time getting through to Will.

Oh, brilliant. Hang on while I nip outside, the noise in here would do your head in.
You still in the mess? This late?
Just helping Poland celebrate their latest victory.
Oh, nice one! What did you do?
It was easy, we had to make tents, so all we did was talk loudly about how we were going to do it, size, and shape, and all that.
And theirs were best?
They were. One of those goblins is very nifty at transforming, once he knows what he’s got to do. Ours weren’t too good, though. We knew what to do, we just didn’t do it too well. I don’t know, Ace, everyone gets their act together a bit sharper when you’re around. We missed Rose, too; her work’s so neat. Still, that doesn’t matter. What’s the news? Any clues yet?
Well, we saw Heather, at this air force base. She said to tell you the maps were brilliant - but she also said Rose was worried about doing the route backwards. So I stuck my neck out and said she’d have gone in the opposite direction, and that leads to a place called Eikefjord. We’re at the head of it now, and tomorrow we’re going through it, searching for them, because apparently it’s swarming with hostile goblins.
Right - so they could have blundered into their territory?
Could be a rescue job!
Oh, groaned Will enviously, how lucky is that?
Do you mind? asked Ace, uneasily. Come on, Will, the truth. No secrets.
I feel very jealous, said Will frankly. But no, I don’t mind. You’ve earned this. Just be careful, OK? Don’t get reckless when I’m not there to patch you up!
That’s a point. OK, I’ll remember. But d’you think I’m right, Will? That they’ll have gone in the opposite direction?
This Eikefjord’s north-east, is it, instead of south-east? Yes…it beats me why, but that’s exactly what she’d do.


The elves had a long, hot climb next morning, getting sticky and tired as they moved up through the forest that covered the steep fjord-side, where the trees grew too thickly together for jumping. They were aiming for an open ledge of rock the lieutenant had spotted. It was just the right distance from Stavang for a full day’s flying, and exactly the sort of place fairies would choose for a campsite.
“Why can’t we jump through the canopy?” grumbled one of the unit.
“Save your breath,” said the lieutenant. “We’re not taking any chances. Yes, I know, if there are goblins on this slope they’ll be living round on the shady side, but that doesn’t mean they don’t patrol their borders.”
“Do they expect to be attacked, then?” said Ace.
“Yes - by other goblin colonies. You get that, here and there. They herd together, and then start squabbling. Look, it’s getting more open - levelling out a bit, too - jump the last bit, we’re nearly there.”

Ace was very relieved to see the remains of a camp-fire on the rock. His instinct had been right, to lead them to this fjord, and so had the lieutenant’s, to hit on just the spot they’d have landed. But he wasn’t a bit relieved to see what else was there. The fairies’ map, a spilled kettle, a little white training shoe.
“That’s Rose’s!” said Ace. “They’ve been taken, then! Which way next!”
“Just you hang on a minute,” said the lieutenant. “Spread out, and move into the forest. Quietly, carefully. Look for their track, they always trample things. Whoever finds it, whistle low, then move together. I’m hoping to get to their base unseen, but if they jump us, just go for it. Get ready now, before we move off.”
One of them tightened his boots, another rolled his sleeves up. Ace tied his hair back and put Rose’s shoe in his pocket.
“Do you want a knife?” the lieutenant asked him, as Norway 1 stuck theirs in their belts.
“No thanks,” said Ace. “I’m not used to them.”


They moved off; it didn’t take long to find the tracks, the leaf-mould was all scuffled, and ferns were crushed and broken. They followed the tracks for half a mile, curving round into a north-facing slope. It was cooler here, in deep shade, and the lieutenant knew they were nearly there. He called a halt.
“Climb again,” he whispered. “I want to come down on their base from above.”
He led them up, and round, keeping in close cover, using every tree and boulder. Silently the elves edged round the goblin base, until they could see it spread out below them, a collection of rough shacks, decorated with litter and surrounded by mud and dirt. There were a lot of flies.
“Not too many of them about. These will be the oldest and laziest. The youngest will be out scavenging or patrolling. Two by the front gate…some in this hut below us, snoring…one by the fire, he’ll be the boss, surely, look at his great big chair.”
As they watched, a goblin came out of one of the huts and approached the one sitting by the fire. His humble attitude made them even surer who was the boss. A huge, white goblin, with bulging muscles and a cruel face, he looked very annoyed as he heaved himself out of his chair and followed the other back to the hut.

“I bet they’re in there,” said the lieutenant. “Won’t do what they want, so they’re calling in some help. We must move fast before he hurts them.”
Quickly, he gave his orders, then together they leaped down into the goblin base and surrounded the hut. As Ace landed, he grinned to himself, because he suddenly heard Rose’s voice, loud and clear.
“No I won’t!” she said. “You want your smelly camp cleaning, do it yourself! Do you think fairies are servants, or something?”
“Yes,” snarled the goblin boss. “Do as you’re told, or I’ll make you.”
“You can’t frighten us,” sniffed Jenny. “You think you’re so scarey, but you’re not.”
Even the lieutenant was laughing at that one.
“Grrr! I’ll cut your wings off!” growled the boss.
“Oh, very clever,” said Revebjelle sarcastically. “Then we’ll fall over. And then how can we do your stupid cleaning?”
“On a count of three, demolish the hut,” whispered the lieutenant. “Ace, free the prisoners before anything else. One, two, three, go!”

The wooden walls clattered down into heaps of scraps, and the goblins inside turned in amazement. When they saw elves with knives, they pulled out their own weapons and grinned. Ace dived between them.
“Hi, Rose,” he said casually, as he pulled off blindfolds and untied the ropes that were binding them together.
“Ace!” shrieked Rose. “How on earth…? Never mind! Come on, get some ammunition and get airborne,” she told the other fairies, and they grabbed stones and flew up fast, pelting the goblins who were running from all over to join in the fight.
Ace was grabbed from behind, but he managed to bite the arm around his neck, and break free. He jumped onto the roof of the next hut, so he could jump down on the goblin and flatten him, but as he jumped, his hair came loose, and floated around him in a golden cloud. He knocked the goblin over, but the goblin had lost interest in fighting. He stared, then pushed Ace away, scrambled to his feet and ran, out of the base and away down the fjord-side.

Ace let him go, there were plenty of others to worry about. Another one was coming for him, and this one had a knife. As he lunged, Ace jumped aside. This felt very strange, but he was enjoying it, making the goblin waste his energy and his temper, darting about, teasing him. Then he managed to nip under his arm, and lash out with his foot. The goblin was off-balance, and he stumbled and fell. Ace jumped across and put a foot on his throat.
“Keep still,” he said, “or I’ll jump. Then you’ll never speak again.”
Ace got a chance to watch as the lieutenant finished off the goblin boss. Their knives were clashing together, the patterns almost too fast to see. It was skilful stuff, Ace had to admit. He still hated knives, but he was beginning to think they might have their uses.
The lieutenant got in a crafty blow across the goblin’s knuckles. It made the nerves in his hand judder, and he dropped his knife.
“Break it off,” he growled sullenly, and every goblin who was still fighting surrendered at once.
They were tied up with their own ropes, while the lieutenant made blindfolds and set time-limits on them.
“Maybe your friends will free you,” he said. “It doesn’t bother me. But if they don’t, you’ll be free in six hours, anyway. We’re leaving now, with our young colleagues.”
As he went to blindfold the goblin boss, the lieutenant stared at him coldly.
“Don’t mess with the army,” he said, then turned and waved at the elves and fairies to follow him. Up the fjord-side they went, and down again, heading south-east, heading home.


They covered another forty miles before night, and camped on the quiet shores of Vassatevatnet. The fairies thanked the lieutenant profusely for coming to their rescue. He told them not to worry about it. They were so young, he realised, so tiny, so pretty, and so full of enthralled comments about the beauty of Norway that he didn’t have the heart to tell them off. Ace felt no such constraints, however, and really let them have it. The lieutenant was chuckling to himself as he listened to the first years talking to each other.

“Detention, that’s what you’ll get,” Ace was saying. “For attempted desertion. What other explanation could there be for flying off in the opposite direction to home?”
“You know we weren’t deserting, Ace!” said Jenny. “We got in a muddle, that’s all!”
“Got in a muddle! You didn’t even start off right! Didn’t it occur to any of you to look for Fjaerland on the map, first? If you had, you might have noticed that it happened to be in totally the opposite direction to the one you wanted to go!”
“I’m sorry, Ace,” said Rose, in a small voice.
“It’s Will you should be saying sorry to, you dim-witted dog-rose. Hours he’s spent with you, explaining maps! And you don’t remember the first thing he told you! Always locate your destination!”
“I won’t forget again,” she shuddered.
“No, I don’t suppose you will,” said Ace, relenting. “And it wasn’t just you, you’re all as bad as each other.”
“I feel so stupid,” said Margherita. “It was so difficult, I just left it to the others. But I’m really going to work on it now.”
“And that’s just what Sergeant Svir wants,” said Ace. “She wants her best flyers to be good navigators, too. Probably knew all along that you’d get a nasty shock, and that would do the trick.”
“It was nasty, too,” said Jenny. “I was very scared.”
“Well, you didn’t show it,” said Ace. “I think you were all really brave. But it’s over, now. Two more days’ journey and we’ll be home.”
Home. Back to Will. He couldn’t wait. He’d really missed him today. It hadn’t felt right, going into action without his twin at his side, it hadn’t felt right at all. A wave of loneliness swept over him, and he rolled himself up in his blanket.
“Anyway, shut up now,” he said. “I want to talk to Will.”