3Author's Note: Hello, hello! Welcome to Chapter 8 of A Different Kind of Inkheart! I'm really excited for this one! I woke up with a burst of inspiration and pumped it out over the course of about 5 hours! And I feel like it's some of my best writing! I'm really proud of it! So I hope you're all looking forward to it!
Also, I finally have copies of the books now so I'll work real hard to make sure everything is as accurate to the books as possible. Except for the Piper's nose not being silver in Fenoglio's Inkheart because come on, that's like the most recognizable part of his character!
Anyway, hope you enjoy the chapter!
The Black Prince's Army
It was a warm night, as all Summer nights tend to be, though the slight breeze chilled the air somewhat. The crickets were still chirping this late into the night and an owl sounded in the distance, calling out between the deep, green trees whose dark trunks blended into the night.
But Elinor only had ears for one thing.
"I can't believe this!" She shouted, as they walked through the forest of tents. "Mortimer and Teresa need us now! We can't possibly stop here overnight! Who knows what this crazy Adderhead of yours could be doing to them at this very moment‽" Though the Black Prince had informed him that a fire was lit in the camp every night, the flame that burned in the little stone pit in the center was very nearly burnt out. The tents were doused in a dim light that created large, black shadows and tinted everything a deep orange, so dark it was almost red.
"I don't know for sure," the Black Prince said sternly. He walked beside his bear, who sniffed at the grass and rocks as they strolled through the night. "But I have some ideas. And I assure you none of them involve death or torture."
Elinor simply snapped, "Yeah, right!"
"I'm serious, Elinor," The Black Prince said. "The Adderhead has kidnapped Silvertongue and Teresa because he needs something from them. Something he can't get by killing them. I assure you that much."
"Alright, so the Adderhead isn't going to kill them," Elinor said. "But we can't exactly expect them to be a hospitable host either. If he's as terrible as you say, then why stop here? Would they not be exposed to more suffering this way?"
Elinor spoke with a voice so mean, a tongue drowning in black, poisonous venom and it made Dante cringe for the Black Prince and implored him to defend him. "I'm sure the Black Prince has a point to all this!" Dante urged, trying to convince his great aunt. "He wouldn't have brought us here for no reason, that's for sure."
"Dante is right," The Black Prince said, smiling softly at the boy. "My army is small but it is also quite capable and facing the Adderhead's men with them would be far preferable than facing him on our own. Speaking of which…"
A soft murmuring had begun to fill the air as the little group had walked further and further towards the end of the camp. They were almost at the edge of the clearing now in a place where the dim fire light didn't quite reach. Ahead of them was a tent, far larger than the others and lit with lanterns so that the forest green polyester could be seen even in the late-night darkness.
"Our main hub," the Black Prince explained as they drew closer. "This is where we have most our meals and some of our strategy meetings."
"Strategy meetings?" Dante echoed, his voice sounding of boyish wonder. "It's like a real army base!" Elinor rolled her eyes but said nothing.
Up ahead of them, a single head peaked out between the tent's bright green flaps. He seemed to be a boy, although Dante couldn't see for all the darkness. He squinted his eyes hard.
"Well, look at that. They already know we're here," The Black Prince shook his head, a small smile on his face. "To this day I've never been able to sneak up on them."
Just as suddenly as it appeared, the face in the green tent darted back out of sight. It was only gone for a split second before it emerged with two more faces which burst from the tent and ran through the warm night.
"The Black Prince!" One shouted by way of greeting. His pale, dirty face was grinning wide, his green eyes shining behind a pair of silver round glasses which had been haphazardly taped together. He turned back to the large tent, cupping his hands around his mouth. "Hey, guys! The Black Prince has returned!"
The Black Prince chuckled in response. "Well, you all are quite excitable," he said to the boys.
"Well, can you blame us?" asked another boy with olive skin and greasy, dark hair. When he spoke, Dante saw many of his teeth were cracked. "That Adderhead's been pushing our buttons all week!"
"Did you know they captured Silvertongue and her wife?" asked the third boy. He was notable to Dante because he had a cigar which moved restlessly in his large mouth. "The Adderhead still wasn't happy though. Because those fools managed to nick the wrong book!"
As the boys continued to speak, more and more of them accumulated, emerging from the green tent, and swarming the Black Prince or petting the bear, filling the once quiet night with the sound of their voices. How old did they look to be? Thirteen? Fourteen? Fifteen? Old enough to intimidate Dante and drive him away from the loud gaggle of older boys. Elinor stood on the sidelines with him, scowling and shaking her head.
"Good Heavens!" Elinor shouted. "Look at them all! They're practically boys! Some army this is…"
Meanwhile, the Black Prince was attempting to restore order. "Alright, alright, everyone," he said with an indulgent chuckle. "I'm glad to see you all as well. I take it things have been busy while I was away?"
"Very," said the boy with round spectacles. "The Adderhead's been hard at work as always, extracting riches and weapons from every village nearby."
"Not to mention, they've got almost all copies of the book now!" said another boy with silver eyes. "Or at least that's what they claim."
"But his soldiers last night didn't bring the right book," yet another boy chimed in. "And boy did the Adderhead let them have it."
"I'm well aware of that last thing," The Black Prince said. "But we'll discuss that later. For now, where's my second in command?"
As if on cue, one final boy emerged from the large, forest green tent. His skin was quite dark, Dante realized, a deep brown, though definitely not as deep as the Black Prince's. His eyes were much closer to the color of the Prince's skin and they looked quite annoyed, as if he'd been interrupted by his leader's return.
When he spoke to the Prince however, Dante could find not a trace of resentment in his voice. "Your Highness," he said bowing ever so slightly, his dark curls bouncing just enough so that it was barely noticeable. "You've returned. And thank goodness! I am at my wit's end with these boys!"
A cry of indignation came from the gaggle of young boys but the Black Prince merely chuckled. "Well, you can't exactly blame Farid," he said. "You all are quite spirited young men."
"I take it they've all told you what's been going on since you've left?" asked the brown boy whose name was apparently Farid.
The Black Prince smiled. "Yes, they have. And they've told me all about Silvertongue and the book. In fact, that's actually why I've returned…"
For the first time since the boys had emerged the Black Prince addressed Dante and Elinor. "I'm sorry for all of the excitement you two, but as you can see, we have quite the excitable band of boys with us."
"This is my army, and though they may look young," The Black Prince trained his dark eyes on Elinor's skeptical expression. "They're all very capable young men with many skills and lots of knowledge on how the Adderhead and his men work and operate. I assure you that there is no better crew to rescue Silvertongue and Teresa than these guys."
"My army, these are my dear friends Dante and Elinor. They're the ones who protected the book from the Adderhead and are family to our poor friends Silvertongue and Teresa. Be kind though, they're very young and very old respectively."
"I'm not that old," Elinor snapped but Dante smiled shyly when the Prince mentioned his name. Watching all the older boys gaze down at him, he felt a little nervous. He had always looked up to older boys, but he didn't know how older boys felt about him.
The boy called Farid was the first to speak. "So, you're Dante, are you?" Dante nodded. "Well, I'm Farid. And I'm kind of the one in charge here. It's nice to meet you." Farid held out an arm for Dante to shake who took it. His hand was strong, but also gentle and warm, like the quiet Summer night he'd found himself in.
"Hey, wait a minute!" Said the kid with the big mouth. His accent was strange, as if he came from some far away city. "You're not in charge! You answer to the Black Prince!"
"Well, I was in charge while he was away, wasn't I?"
"Whatever." The cigar kid rolled his eyes. "I'm Buzz. Nice to meet you, Dante." Dante smiled and shook Buzz's hand as well. It didn't feel as nice as Farid's.
From there, introductions continued a mile a minute. Dante learned that the ginger boy with the glasses was named Arnold and the boy with olive skin and greasy hair was known as Fish-Bone.
"That's an interesting name," Dante observed and Fish-Bone laughed, exposing his rotten teeth.
"What can I say? I'm an interestin' lad."
"Look at all this!" Elinor said disparagingly. "It's more like a boy scout camping trip than a real military installation! Where do you find these kids anyway?" She asked, wheeling on the Black Prince.
The Prince's answer was quite vague. "They come from many places. But they all came to be in the Adderhead's service at some point. And hated it. Each one of them has defected to join my side in the fight against him." A chorus of cheers came from the boys, as if they were congratulating themselves and each other on their escape from the Silver Prince's tyranny.
"I see…" Elinor began. "Not only are they boys, but they're boys who have worked for that Adderhead character. A real good sign to me, that."
Dante, however, was far more optimistic about the Black Prince's Army. He approached the small troop of boys, eyes alight with wonder and curiosity. "So, you guys escaped from the Adderhead? That's so cool!"
"Isn't it?" Farid smiled proudly. "And since we've got experience with the Adderhead, we know all his secrets! There's no advantage he's got on us!"
"Well, he's still got more manpower," Arnorld said, correcting his fellow soldier in a matter of fact tone. "And weapons. And silver. The Adderhead loves his silver…"
"Oh yeah…" said Fish-Bone. "Not even old Hook could imagine having as much silver as the Adderhead does."
Huh. I guess Captain Hook would have quite a bit of silver, Dante thought. He didn't have to read Peter Pan to know that.
"What else do you guys know about the Adderhead?" Dante asked, his curiosity piqued. "You all must know a lot if you used to work for him."
Farid's already bright face became even brighter. Dante even thought he could see his face flush in the deep darkness. "Oh, you bet we do! We'll tell you all about it! Or…" Farid smirked, suddenly struck by an idea. "Why don't we show you!"
The boys immediately voiced their agreement. "Oh, that's a wonderous idea!" Arnold said. "Yes, I do believe an in-depth explanation of the Adderhead's activities are in order."
"Well, then come along!" Without warning, Farid took off running, pulling Dante forward with him. They were heading to the forest green tent which the Black Prince had designated as home base. Many of the boys followed him eagerly, laughing and smiling all the way. Dante couldn't help but smile too. What a welcoming and merry crew these older boys were! But how could he have expected anything different? How could the Black Prince have attracted anyone but the most pleasant of people?
Inside, the tent was propped up on a platform of rough wooden planks, creating a makeshift hardwood floor. Lanterns cast a dim light over three short rows of tables and benches where Dante guessed the boys ate their meals. At the back of the tent was a rickety old table with various books and documents on it. The books bore titles such as The Art of War, On War, or The Direction of War (Why don't Mom or Dad or Elinor have any books like these, Dante thought), while the documents mostly consisted of maps of strange villages and foreign forests.
Farid pointed to one of the maps with a triumphant finger, a hand drawn image of a small village, much like the ones Dante, Elinor and the Black Prince had passed earlier on their way down South. It was one of the only clean ones, for most of the others had arrows and dots scribbled on them in various colored markers.
"The Adderhead's village!" Farid announced. "It's his base of operations! At least down here in the South. It's where he lives, and where all his men live and where he keeps every ounce of silver he owns."
"What's it like?" Dante asked, to which many of the other boys grimaced.
"It's like a nightmare, that's what it's like," said Buzz. For the first time since Dante had met him, he took the cigar out of his mouth. He held it between his middle and index finger and let out a ring of smoke. "All run down buildings and snakes each way you step…"
"Not to mention all the guards everywhere," one boy volunteered.
"Yes," Farid nodded. "It wouldn't do to forget the guards."
"Man," Dante whispered. "You mean my parents are being kept in a rundown village?"
"Oh, yes!" Arnold said, his green eyes going wide. "Dante, I forgot about your parents. Yes, I'm afraid they're probably being kept there, but if the Black Prince's words about Silvertongue are true, then the guards are probably keeping him and your mother safe from the snakes. Not to mention, there's lots of cute cats there as well!"
"All the cats are strays," Buzz answered simply. He'd put his cigar back in his mouth.
"Well, yes but-"
"And they ain't cute. They all nasty with chipped ears and matted fur. And they scratch and bite and kick."
"Yes, well-"
"Oh, forget it!" Farid said, shutting down Arnold and Buzz's debate. "It won't matter anyway, because we're going to work on saving Silvertongue and his wife first thing tomorrow."
"First thing tomorrow!?" Dante echoed. "Man, that's wonderful! I can't… wait to see them again." Dante yawned then, a big, loud one that could be heard by every boy in the tent. Fish-Bone smiled kindly.
"Well, we all know what that means. Time for you to get to bed, lad."
"Oh, but I'm not tired." Dante yawned again. "We gotta talk about the Adderhead some more!"
"We'll discuss him more in the morning," Farid said. "But now you've got to go to bed before you spread those yawns to us, for I have a feeling we'll be staying up late tonight.
"Let me talk to the Black Prince. I'm sure he can set up a tent for you!"
The fire was nothing more than a pile of dimly glowing coals by the time Dante emerged from the large tent at the head of the clearing. Farid was forced to use a flashlight as he led him and Elinor through the small camp, to the place where the Black Prince had laid out a tent for them both.
"How long have you been in the Black Prince's Army?" Dante asked Farid as they walked through the dark night. It had grown considerably colder, and the crickets had stopped, though he could still hear the owl from somewhere in the darkness. Bright, white stars hung in the sky like thousands of shining beetles.
"Why do you ask that?" Farid said. He was looking up at the stars and their vastness had been captured in his dark eyes as they reflected the little pinpricks of light. The sky looks a bit better reflected in his eyes, Dante thought.
"Well, I don't know…" Dante said, twiddling his thumbs. He looked down, but he could hardly see his feet amongst the grass. "It's just… you must have been with the Black Prince for many years if you're his second in command."
"Well, you're right about that!" Farid commented. "You're actually pretty smart, Dante!"
Oh, really!" Dante felt a rush of warmth come to his cheeks. A bead of sweat rolled down his neck. "Thank you!" Man, it sure is hot tonight…
"Yes, I joined the Black Prince many years ago, after he saved me from the Adderhead. The Silver Prince doesn't take too kindly to men who make too many mistakes. And I was still getting used to this world then-"
"Getting used to this world?" Dante echoed.
"Well, uh… getting used to Italy," Farid said. He gestured to himself. "I don't know if you've noticed, but I don't exactly look like your typical Italian."
Dante laughed. "Oh, I've noticed. But there was a boy I had in my year one class with skin like yours."
"Really?" Farid asked. His eyebrows rose in interest. He had nice, feminine eyebrows.
Dante felt the heat in his cheeks again.
"Mhm," he said nodding. "But tell your story! I wanna hear you tell your story!"
"Well, alright. So, whenever I messed up, I'd get locked in the dungeons. And it got to a point where I was getting put in there so long and so often that I was getting thin and malnourished. That's when our friend, the Black Prince came, and he rescued me and took care of me. And when I was well enough, he suggested we do something about the Adderhead and his tyranny. So, we started this army! And I've been here ever since."
"What a cool story!" Dante exclaimed. "Every word I hear about the Black Prince just makes him better and better!"
"Well, he is an amazing person. Ah! Here we are!" Farid had stopped in front of a small, blue tent. It was illuminated, indicating that someone had already been inside and placed a lantern in there, and maybe some sleeping bags as well.
"Oh, cool!" Dante exclaimed, as he climbed in. Sure enough, there were two sleeping bags on either side of the tent, in between which was an old lantern, lighting up the entire tent. "It's like we're camping!" Dante looked to Farid with a big, wide smile.
"Camping…" Elinor grumbled as she climbed in after Dante. "Even in my youth I'd never been a fan of the outdoors but now that my limbs and ankles are all old and wrinkled the thought of roughing it is unbearable!"
Elinor sat down on the sleeping bag across from Dante, rubbing her knees with a cross expression. Farid peeked through the flap and smiled apologetically at her.
"Sorry, we didn't have anything better. But as you can see, we tried to make it comfortable for you both."
"I think it's lovely, Farid," Dante said. "Thank you."
"No problem! Now, the Black Prince wanted me to tell you some things. What was it?" Farid tapped his chin in thought. "Oh, yes! Breakfast is served at first light, though we'll leave yours out, so you don't feel forced to wake up so early. Drinking water's in the well, bathing water's in the pond and if you ever need help, just call for the Black Prince and me. Got it?"
Dante nodded. "Got it! Thanks so much for everything, Farid! And tell the Black Prince thanks too!"
"Got ya!" Farid gave Dante a thumbs up. "Good night, Dante. Good night, Elinor." Then Farid left and Elinor grumbled something unintelligible after him.
"Oh, what a nightmare!" Elinor shouted when he had gone, throwing her arms into the air. "First Teresa and Mortimer are kidnapped by this strange man whose minions made a mess of my house and my books! Next, I'm forced to drive a bear around in my car and now I've got to sleep in a tent on the dirty grass."
Elinor, who had flopped her lied down on the sleeping bag, pushed herself upright again. "Oh, Elinor. Be careful what you wish for! Isn't that what they always say? But you never listen to them. Oh, I'd like to go on an adventure. Oh, my life is just so boring, if only I could be like the heroes in all of my books, right. Well, I've finally gotten my wish, haven't I? I'm on an adventure with a prince and his whimsical pet and his whimsical gaggle of boys against a proper villain! And it's terrible, isn't it? Look at me, lying on the dirt! This is why people should never ask for their heart's desires!"
Finished with her rant, Elinor flopped back down again on her sleeping bag with a soft thud. Dante, who had been lying beside her had listened to her rant quietly and patiently. He could understand why she was so upset, for Elinor; stuffy, uptight, Elinor, seemed like the exact opposite person than the one who would enjoy this sort of adventure.
"Well…" Dante began, still thinking about what to say. "Well, I can understand why you'd feel-"
"No, you wouldn't understand!" Elinor cut him off abruptly. "You're eight years old! Not to mention you're having the time of your life! You've certainly cozied up to that Black Prince anyway! And now you're threatening to get friendly with that Farid boy, too!"
"I'm not having fun!" Dante retorted angrily. For the second time that night, he felt heat rush into his cheeks, though it wasn't the same type of heat that he'd had for Farid minutes before. "How can I when my parents are here with some strange, scary man who hordes silver endlessly and refuses to feed his own men! Everybody says they're safe, and I believe them because I want to! But even I can't avoid thinking the worst! Just because I'm a kid doesn't mean I don't know what's going on!"
Elinor seemed to deflate at Dante's anger, so much so that he felt himself deflate as well. She looked so tired, putting her face in her hands and the sight filled Dante
How could he talk to her that way?
"I'm sorry…" he whispered, laying his head back down. But Elinor said nothing, just kept her face buried in her hands. A feeling of dread crept its way into Dante's heart, like claws threatening to pull it down to his stomach. "Elinor?" he asked timidly.
Uh oh. Was Elinor going to cry? He hoped not. Dante hated when grown ups cried. He had seen his mother do it, when no one showed up to his sixth birthday party which she had meticulously planned for him and seeing the tears in her eyes hurt more than having no one there to celebrate with him.
"Elinor?" Dante said sitting up. He crawled over to his great aunt's sleeping bag and sat beside her. "Elinor, please don't cry. I'm sorry."
"Oh, don't worry about me, Dante." Elinor moved her hands from her face and gave Dante a weak smile. "I'm not crying. Sorry to worry you."
"It's okay…" Dante said. "I'm sorry…"
Elinor heaved a big sigh, wrapped her arms around her grandnephew. "Don't apologize, Dante. You were completely in the right to yell at me. You're a kid and you all grieve differently than us grown-ups. It was wrong of me to imply none of this mattered to you."
"Well, that's okay," Dante said. "I'm all still sorry about what I said to you. Do you accept my apology?"
Elinor gave him a sad smile, stroked his dark hair. "Yes, I forgive you, Dante. I accept your apology."
Dante smiled at Elinor and rested his head on her shoulder. The two sat in silence for a while, listening to the owl hoot outside of their little tent. He wondered what the Black Prince's army was doing. What Farid was doing…
Farid. What a lovely sounding name…
"You're not totally wrong about me having fun, though," Dante confessed at last. "I do like the Black Prince. And his army."
"And Farid," Elinor interjected.
"Farid‽" Dante echoed, rearing away from Elinor as he felt the heat rush to his face. "Well… well, yeah, I do like him. But I like all of the Black Prince's other men, too. Fish-Bone, Buzz, Arnold. They're all great!"
"I'm sure you think they are, Dante," Elinor said. "But Farid's special, isn't he?"
"Special‽" Dante spluttered. "Well… well, yes but… but only because he's second to the Black Prince!" Oh, how his cheeks were burning!
Elinor saw this, and though she smirked, she relented a little. "Well, alright, Dante. I'll drop it for now. But you ought to get some sleep, now. I'm not certain, but I can guess that the two of us will have a big day tomorrow!"
"You're right, Elinor!" Dante said, crawling back to his own sleeping bag. He lay down, staring at the tent ceiling with a smile. "And who knows? Perhaps the Prince will save my parents from the Adderhead tomorrow. And all of us can go home safe and sound real soon!"
"Yes, I would like that…" Elinor said as she drifted off to sleep. "Yes, I think I'd like that very much…"
Me too, Dante thought, as his eyes became droopy as well and soon, he had closed his own eyes, and drifted off into an uncertain, but hopeful sleep.
Author's Note: Thanks so much for reading! Hoping to get the next chapter out soon! Have a lovely day!