the top step broke loose I would plunge with the ladder to the rocks below. I cried out in terror and closed my eyes as I began to fall. It seemed to happen slowly, so that falling felt almost as I imagined flying might feel. And I had time to think to myself, most regretfully, Oh, if only I had known I was to die like this, I wouldn’t have struggled so hard against Sleep!
8
Of a Sailor and a Storm Cloud
I heard Luna scream as I tumbled down. Then, all at once, I jerked to a stop. I felt a firm grasp around my waist, like arms holding me up. I opened my eyes and saw the rocky beach below, where Luna stood gazing at me. Above me was the cliff. I floated in the air between the two, my skirts waving in the wind.
“Aurora!” Luna shouted. Leaping up as high as she could, she grabbed the bottom of my skirt and yanked me downward. As if something suddenly let me go, I fell to the ground.
After a moment Luna helped me to stand, and we gazed up at the cliff. A ray of sun pierced the thin clouds, which were tinged pink by the sunset. In the rosy light a figure gradually became visible. It hovered in the air, wavering and indistinct at first, then growing clearer. I could make out the shape of a man, a handsome face, a mouth open and laughing. Then, as the clouds covered the sun’s ray again, the form disappeared.
We were completely speechless.
“You there!” a voice cried, startling us. “Are you all right?”
I turned to see a boy rushing toward us, moving nimbly among the rocks. He was about my age or a little older, dressed in a patched and shapeless wool tunic. He had long, sun-streaked hair and wore an old knitted cap.
He drew up to us, panting, and asked again, “Are you all right? I saw the ladder fall, and then—” He broke off and pointed at the spot where we’d seen the apparition.
“You are surpassingly lucky, miss,” he said to me. “If that lutin had not been near—well, I hate to think of what would have happened to you!”
“A lutin? What on earth is a lutin?” Luna demanded.
“Why, it’s an imp,” the boy replied, as if she were an idiot for not knowing. “Have you never heard of lutins?”
Luna shook her head, but I remembered reading about them. “I thought they were only in folk stories,” I said. “Are they real? Are you sure?”
“Aye, miss, they’re real enough,” the boy said. “Lucky for you! They can fly through the air without wings and swim through the water without gills, and enter through closed doors and windows.” He grinned, a funny, lopsided grin. “They’re immortal, and invisible as well, when they wish to be.”
Luna was intrigued. “But are they good or wicked?”
The boy shrugged. “Neither—or both,” he replied. “I think they act as they please. I’ve heard of one who saved a maiden from robbers, and another who nailed a man to a wall by the ear.”
“Oh my,” I said faintly. “This one, I suppose, was good, for he surely saved me. If he hadn’t caught me . . .” Then I wobbled a bit, and Luna took my arm.
“We must build a fire and brew the tea,” she said urgently.
The boy looked surprised, but he said, “I have a fire lighted close by, and I was just going to cook some fish I’d caught.” He pointed to a sack that he’d dropped onto the sand when he ran toward us. “I can make tea as well. Will you eat with me?”
“We would be thankful to share your fire and your catch,” I said gratefully. The boy slung the sack over his shoulder, and we started down the strand together.
“I’m Symon,” the boy said as he walked sure-footedly among the rocks. “I’m a fisherman by trade.”
“My nose tells me that,” Luna murmured under her breath. I was too shaken and tired to scold her.
Stumbling after him, I said, “I am Aurora, and this is—” I broke off as Luna interrupted me.
“I am her brother Louis,” she said firmly, touching the cap on her cropped hair.
“Glad to make your acquaintance,” Symon told us.
8
Of a Sailor and a Storm Cloud
I heard Luna scream as I tumbled down. Then, all at once, I jerked to a stop. I felt a firm grasp around my waist, like arms holding me up. I opened my eyes and saw the rocky beach below, where Luna stood gazing at me. Above me was the cliff. I floated in the air between the two, my skirts waving in the wind.
“Aurora!” Luna shouted. Leaping up as high as she could, she grabbed the bottom of my skirt and yanked me downward. As if something suddenly let me go, I fell to the ground.
After a moment Luna helped me to stand, and we gazed up at the cliff. A ray of sun pierced the thin clouds, which were tinged pink by the sunset. In the rosy light a figure gradually became visible. It hovered in the air, wavering and indistinct at first, then growing clearer. I could make out the shape of a man, a handsome face, a mouth open and laughing. Then, as the clouds covered the sun’s ray again, the form disappeared.
We were completely speechless.
“You there!” a voice cried, startling us. “Are you all right?”
I turned to see a boy rushing toward us, moving nimbly among the rocks. He was about my age or a little older, dressed in a patched and shapeless wool tunic. He had long, sun-streaked hair and wore an old knitted cap.
He drew up to us, panting, and asked again, “Are you all right? I saw the ladder fall, and then—” He broke off and pointed at the spot where we’d seen the apparition.
“You are surpassingly lucky, miss,” he said to me. “If that lutin had not been near—well, I hate to think of what would have happened to you!”
“A lutin? What on earth is a lutin?” Luna demanded.
“Why, it’s an imp,” the boy replied, as if she were an idiot for not knowing. “Have you never heard of lutins?”
Luna shook her head, but I remembered reading about them. “I thought they were only in folk stories,” I said. “Are they real? Are you sure?”
“Aye, miss, they’re real enough,” the boy said. “Lucky for you! They can fly through the air without wings and swim through the water without gills, and enter through closed doors and windows.” He grinned, a funny, lopsided grin. “They’re immortal, and invisible as well, when they wish to be.”
Luna was intrigued. “But are they good or wicked?”
The boy shrugged. “Neither—or both,” he replied. “I think they act as they please. I’ve heard of one who saved a maiden from robbers, and another who nailed a man to a wall by the ear.”
“Oh my,” I said faintly. “This one, I suppose, was good, for he surely saved me. If he hadn’t caught me . . .” Then I wobbled a bit, and Luna took my arm.
“We must build a fire and brew the tea,” she said urgently.
The boy looked surprised, but he said, “I have a fire lighted close by, and I was just going to cook some fish I’d caught.” He pointed to a sack that he’d dropped onto the sand when he ran toward us. “I can make tea as well. Will you eat with me?”
“We would be thankful to share your fire and your catch,” I said gratefully. The boy slung the sack over his shoulder, and we started down the strand together.
“I’m Symon,” the boy said as he walked sure-footedly among the rocks. “I’m a fisherman by trade.”
“My nose tells me that,” Luna murmured under her breath. I was too shaken and tired to scold her.
Stumbling after him, I said, “I am Aurora, and this is—” I broke off as Luna interrupted me.
“I am her brother Louis,” she said firmly, touching the cap on her cropped hair.
“Glad to make your acquaintance,” Symon told us.
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