My Envied Lady: Chapter 14

Chapter 14
After leaving Dame Barbara with the healer at the castle, Johan and Peewit wasted no time on their way to Smurf Village. Peewit wanted to stop by the kitchens for a bite to eat after his harrowing morning, but Johan refused, as he always did.

Again they were going on a rescue on an empty stomach! When they were safely in the forest, Johan confided that he wanted to take the drugged rag to the Smurfs to see if they could identify what the dizzying substance was and help them find the girls. Peewit was still upset about not getting to have dinner, but decided to take his mind off food and the danger the girls were in with a song, one about love and cake. Johan actually appreciated the distraction, though this was quite possibly the most awful thing Peewit had ever composed.

Meanwhile, Brainy, Smurfette, Tracker, and Clumsy smurf were busy searching for a rare spring-blooming orchid that Papa Smurf needed for a spell he was working on.

"Now remember to not smurf a flower until it's begun to wither, or the plant will not be able to smurf back next year," said Tracker.

"I know what a withered flower looks like Tracker, Papa Smurf showed me exactly what to smurf for…"

"Oh, Brainy, let Tracker smurf the flower, he knows what he's doing. We don't want to smurf out any pretty orchids!"

"…I don't think that I can take it 'cause it took so long to bake it and I'll never have that recipe again, Oh, No0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o0 o0o0o…."

"That sounds like Peewit!" they all said in unison.

They ran in the direction of the terrible singing until they came upon the two humans. After the Smurfs learned what had happened to Sabina and Maenad, they abandoned the search for the rare orchid and led the humans to the village immediately.

The news was not taken well in the village. Papa Smurf went to examine the rag with Brainy immediately, and the other Smurfs went to work doing whatever they could to aid in the search. Handy and Hefty in particular came to Johan dragging a large narrow sack, many times their own size.

"We were saving these for Drusillia, uh, Maenad, but we want you to have them. They might be able to help you." Johan picked up the bundle and saw it was full of seven arrows with narrow metal heads, like the kind used to pierce mail.

"Arrows?"

"Silver-gilt tipped. I also gilded her sword with silver. Papa Smurf doesn't want us smurfing any weapons unless it's a matter of life or smurf, but she was adamant, and anyway, Papa Smurf put a spell on these so that they don't pierce unless used to defend someone in peril. Maenad doesn't know about that part, though."

"I think these will help wonderfully!" Said Johan. He was unaware Maenad had been "supplementing" his training. Luckily, he had also brought her sword along, still wrapped in his cloak.

Peewit insisted Greedy Smurf make him some food while they waited for Papa Smurf. Johan tested the craftsmanship of the silver arrows. He fired one at a tree, and it bounced off. At least the spell on them was working fine. The bow was made for someone Maenad's statue, more like a child's bow than the ones he was used to, but it would have to do. He hoped they hit their mark when Sabina and Maenad needed it. Papa finally came out of his laboratory, and the other Smurfs gathered around him eager for an update.

"It does look like there's a potion on this rag, one that causes sleep and dizziness when a Smurf smells it. It's made with some hard to find components, it was probably very expensive to make. Unfortunately, that's about all I can tell you about it."

"Speaking of smelling, maybe I could get the scent of Drusillia and the Princess" offered Tracker, who had been intrigued by the quest.

"Why do you keep calling Maenad Drusillia?" asked Peewit.

"Worry about that later, Peewit. Here, Maenad used this sword recently, Tracker, her scent is probably in the leather of the hilt." Johan unwrapped leather-wrapped hilt and offered it to the Smurf. He had the scent with a quick sniff, and declared they could be off as soon as a party with provisions was assembled. While the Smurfs decided who should go along, Johan gathered Maenad's sword, bow and arrows. Peewit loaded up on food.

Tracker and Papa were the two Smurfs who decided to come along, and Papa addressed the village before they left.

"It occurred to me that if Drusillia was smurfed by werewolves, she is still bound and locked into human form, with all the drawbacks. That spell cannot be unsmurfed unless the one unsmurfing it is familiar with casting it, so I feel I mus be the Smurf to come along with Tracker. It's too dangerous for the rest of you."

They said their farewells and set off in the direction if the setting sun, with Tracker leading the way. The scent led them through forest and river marshes, which slowed their progress considerably. They crossed paths with a large number of hoofprints - the King's army, going in a northwest direction, away from Tracker's directions. Perhaps they found the marshes too difficult to navigate and took a different way. The group could only speculate. The land became rocky again as they followed the river upstream, until they saw craggy bluffs on either side. Even this early in spring, they were lush and full of life, with vegetation growing on the cliffsides wherever it could. The ground became rough and rocky, and the humans were forced to dismount, tether their mounts, and follow the Smurfs on foot. Frogs sang all around, muffling their descent, and the air was thick and muggy.

"Down there," said Tracker. He pointed down a steep ravine at a creek that disappeared into a bluff. The four crept silently down the hill. By that time, it was getting very dark. Tracker was the first to wade into the icy creek. He swam straight up to the bluff and disappeared under the small swamp willows that grew there.

"It's a cave!" He called. "But be quiet, there are others here. Humans, and wolves." The King in fact did try and follow the trail through the swamp, but turned back not only because it made travel too difficult, but because they had a stroke of luck and captured a straggler there, a soldier who bore the standard of Prince Lothar. After questioning the man, Pepin and his knights decided to make haste to Lothar's castle, a journey of several days.

This was just as Lothar had planned when he sent the soldier to go and distract the King. He decided to go take one last look at his caged prize before setting off for home himself, where he would feign innocence and shock at her capture, then offer to help the King in his search for her. How many of the other princes were willing to go to such lengths? After everyone was suitably awed by his devotion to duty and Sabina, he would order for her to be sent to him. Fenris could do what he wanted with his stray wolf, so long as he didn't lay a finger of the Princess, as was their agreement. Lothar was giddy; his plan working so smoothly! Nothing could go wrong now!