‘Really? And how – exactly – do you mean to proceed?’

She had no idea. But she wasn’t going to tell them that.

‘You’ll find out. Tomorrow.’

‘What happened to the young lady?’ Tomos asked suddenly, as if he had been thinking over the story. ‘The one who asked for the rose?’

The Crow scowled. ‘She married a farmer. And I dare say she deserved it.’

5

The green pen

Come to the party. Come to the Ball.

Come and see a girl not there at all.

Deep in dreams of a garden where roses sang sweet songs, Seren was woken by a sharp peck on her ear.

‘Ouch.’

‘Seren! Wake up!’

‘Go away.’ She rolled over sleepily and plunged back into a new dream of walking trees and talking snowflakes.

‘Seren. Seren! Open your eyes at once!’

There was a horrible, insistent weight on her shoulder, then another peck, this time harder. It’s Them! They’re here!’

Her eyes snapped open. She sat up so suddenly that the Crow toppled off into a heap on the bedclothes.

‘Where? Not inside the Plas!’

‘No.’ The Crow scrambled up, breathless. It held up a wing. ‘Listen.’

She kept absolutely still.

‘Hear that?’

It was a warm night, and her bedroom window was open. The room was shadowy. A few moths flitted and bumped against the dim ceiling.

‘I can’t…’

‘There.’

Yes! She could hear it now! The softest and strangest of sounds. Like a swarm of bees far off.

‘What is it?’

‘Voices.’ The Crow took off and swooped to the window. Its dark head was silhouetted against the panes. ‘Their voices.’

Seren slid out of bed and ran after it. She crouched down and peered cautiously over the sill. A bright shaft of moonlight glinted in on her fingers.

The lawns below were silvery, the trees masses of darkness. But there were lights. Small, eerie, greenish sparkles, hundreds of them, down by the lake.

‘Glow worms,’ the Crow sniffed. ‘Cheap sort of magic.’

Among the lights, figures moved, shadows flickered.

‘They’re dancing,’ Seren breathed.

Now she could almost hear the music, that beguiling faery music that made you tingle all over with fascination. It was so beautiful she wanted to stay there forever, but the Crow put both wings over her ears at once. ‘Close the window!’

‘But…’

‘Do what I say, you silly girl!’

Scowling, Seren slammed the window down. At once the music stopped. The eerie lights vanished. The moonlit lawns of the lakeside were empty.

She felt empty too.

The Crow paced, agitated. ‘I don’t like this! Why are They celebrating? What’s going on to make Them so happy? I mean, They don’t need much excuse for singing and dancing but… Has anything unusual happened?’

‘I don’t think so.’

The Crow shook its head, unsatisfied. Its jewel-bright eye glittered. ‘Something’s not right. There’s trouble. I can smell it.’

Hopping to the door, he said, ‘Come on. Bring a candle.’

Seren lit the candle hurriedly. Then she opened her bedroom door and peered out.