The search for Merlin Homes 2/15

“I’m sorry I don’t understand. I’ve only been in a cottage once before when it moved and everything went alright then.”

Morwenna was looking increasingly worried as she spoke. “We should have arrived by now, are sure you haven’t done anything silly?”

“I don’t see how I could have done! I’m afraid I have no idea how these things work, Esmerelda would never let me into the secret.”

Morwenna gave a rather strained laugh, “I don’t suppose she really knows herself. I spoke to her at that rally and she said her cottage had only just been put into proper working order again. Apparently it hasn’t been working correctly ever since one of her grandparents owned it. In any case, every cottage has its own secret code for making it move, so that nobody can steal it, not even another witch. It might be just a case of opening the back door before you wish to go to another location, or maybe shutting the front gate will do it followed by slamming the front... Oh blast! I opened the front window to zap you didn’t I, it was my fault after all, I shouldn’t have done that!”

“Are we going to be stuck here for long?”

“I don’t know, I can’t remember ever hearing about it happening before, I suppose we might arrive somewhere other than where I intended, or perhaps even stay here for a very long time!”

“Well while we’re waiting, would you please explain why you want to try and ruin Sir George?”

“Quite simple really, he killed my mother and I want my revenge. Just killing him isn’t really good enough, I want to make him to suffer for the rest of his life.”

“But I don’t understand, he was trying to kill a dragon that your mother had enhanced to have much longer flaming range than usual. Then she made him terrorise the locals and when George turned up to try and put things right, she tried to make the dragon kill him as well.”

“That’s fair enough, but then George was given a magic sword that got longer when he used it and that’s against the rules!”

“That sword wasn’t magic! My dad designed it to protect George; it was made in the blacksmith’s at Lurbridge.”

Morwenna looked a bit taken aback. “Are you sure it wasn’t magic?”

“Of course it wasn’t, Abigail wouldn’t allow it. The blade slid out along a rod fastened to the hilt and was kept in place by a spring when it wasn’t being used. I saw the plans and then the sword itself being made.”

Morwenna sat for a moment with a thoughtful look on her face. Then she stood up looked out of the back window.

“If we ever get back, then I think I’m going to owe everyone an apology! However that doesn’t get us out of this mess, I’m sure I don’t know what to do to put things right. Come along let’s have one of your clever ideas!”

Jennifer Jane held up her hands and tried to wiggle her fingers. Morwenna laughed and removed the spell, Jennifer Jane noticed that it was a simple cancellation and not anything very special. For a moment there was peace and quiet, broken suddenly by very loud purring from Moggy.

“Good, I hope you two can be friends now,” he said and jumped up onto Jennifer Jane’s lap asking to be rubbed behind his ears.

“Assuming that we’re really not going to get anywhere, I think we ought to go into the back garden and see what the country behind your back wall looks like. At least if we go through the door we’ll be somewhere where magic works and perhaps we can find some one to help us.”

The three of them walked out to the wall and Morwenna opened the spy hole and looked through.

“I’ve never heard of anyone going through their wall before. I suppose it’s alright, after all the door must be there so that it can be used. It all looks quiet enough anyway. Oh well, there’s only one way to find out, come on kid, let’s go through and see what happens!”