Soptah May in a Burning Town II.: Soptah May and the Petrified Guardian, #3

By Jane Rovis

After the competition Soptah goes to the Frozen country to look for Lucili's light. She needs it to open the library, where she could find records about her family. But when she enters the Frozen country, the borders close and no one can leave this place. She is trapped there. She falls asleep in the train and instead of getting off in the east, she gets to the west. Here she meets Richardsons family and she stays in their house.

Vincent Richardson tells her, there was a man, who was looking for the light, but the witches found out and got rid of him. The villagers don't know where the witches hide.

Soptah needs Francimore's Chronicle, where she could find something about the witches. But how will she get it? Will the dwarves help her? What will she do, when she finds out, no one can open the chronicle, because the witches would punish them?

She has to attend a local school with Nicholas Richardson, Vincent's grandson. Why do pupils have to work in glasshouses? And what secret does the school hide? What happened to Kael?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jane Rovis
• Release date: Mar 9, 2021
• ISBN: 9781393647102

Book preview

Leaving to the Frozen Country

W e can’t let her go there. Jack was pacing in his office and he wildly gesticulated.

Lupine was watching him and thinking. You know, she can’t refuse now. What would the children tell her? How would they behave to her, if she changed her mind? Moreover, she has the right to try it. If she found the light, she could get to the library.

But Kael hasn’t returned from there. Something happened there! I’m sure! – We should go with her! Jack took his suitcase from the top of a wardrobe, threw there all the stuff needed for making his magic potions and he ran out of his office, he didn’t even wait for Lupine’s opinion.

Wait! I’ll go with you! Lupine shouted at him. Jack returned, he put him in his pocket and he hurried to Soptah’s room. She had gone to her room to take all she would need in the Frozen country, so Jack and Lupine hoped they would find her there. The room was quiet and it was a bad sign. Jack knocked at the door and because it was open, he came in. Susan was sitting on her bed, gazing at the floor.

Hello, Mr. Flynn. She greeted him and stood up.

Hello, Susan. - Where’s Soptah? Jack asked.

She’s left. Susan was sad. She got used to Soptah and they became very good friends. Moreover, she was funny and Susan was laughing with her a lot. She didn’t want to be alone in her room again.

Jack ran out of the room and hurried to the Gatley School garden so quickly, he ran into Mr. Quail in the corridor.

Oh, Mr. Flynn! I’m sorry, I didn’t see you. Mr. Quail apologized and checked if Jack was ok.

No worries... I’m in a hurry, ... need to talk to Soptah. Jack didn’t wait for an answer and ran away. But Mr. Quail started calling him.

Wait, wait, Mr. Flynn. Soptah has already left. He called.

Jack came back to him and after he talked to Mr. Quail for a while, he returned to his office.

Yes, Soptah left. Mr. Gatley took her to a place, which looked like a train stop, but there was no railway truck. Just a path and no people there. Only she and Mr. Gatley. She didn’t have a chance to talk to Stever Tylen or Graysen Jones, because they left immediately after the competition. She wanted to ask them about Sholmieni, however, she hoped, she would ask them the next time.

Mr. Gatley gave her a round thing, which was as big as a button on his sweater. She didn’t know what to do with it, but before she managed to ask him, her vehicle came. It looked like a train, but it was divided into several separated cabins. The passengers couldn’t walk from one cabin to another.

You will travel the whole night, Soptah, so you can sleep. Very early in the morning you will get to a place called Silver Hills. Here you’ll get off and you will get on a small train, which will bring you to the Frozen country. Right next to the border you will see a big yellow house. Mrs. Barlow will take care of you. – Tell her, you’re from the Gatley School, ok? – Oh, and use the key to open the cabin door. He pointed at the round thing.

Soptah thanked him for everything, Mr. Gatley wished her good luck and she got on the train. Soptah never travelled by a train, but she saw them, when she was in the circus. And this vehicle reminded her of them. The only difference were the completely separated cabins, which provided her privacy. The furniture inside looked like in a chateau chamber – seats, a red carpet, a picture on the wall, a lamp over the seats... Two comfortable seats with ruby red cloth were so soft. There was a small table with a jug full of water and a glass next to it. Soptah sat down and poured some water in the glass and drank it. She was still very thirsty after the competition. Along the train, as Soptah called it, there were two tubes. Soptah had no idea what it was for, but in about an hour, she found it out.  A long cabin was moving on the tubes. It could stop at each cabin and it did at Soptah too. A man, who was sitting inside, opened Soptah’s cabin and came inside.

Good evening. He said and smiled at her. Something to eat? He put a plate of vegetable soup with noodles in front of her. The smell was amazing, but Soptah had no money. However, he encouraged her to eat it and he gave her one apple and a cup of tea.

If you need something, press this button, and I’ll come to you. He pointed at a blue button on the wall close to the door.

But I have no money to pay you for the meal. Soptah felt embarrassed.

You paid for the ticket, so the meal is free. He winked at her and left.

Soptah ate the soup. It was a great feeling to have warm food in her stomach. She lay back in the seat and she was looking out of the window. It was very dark outside, but she could see some lights in the distance. The lavender tea she was drinking made her fall asleep and she slept way too long...

A Big Trouble

H ey, haven’t you overslept ? The man, who brought food to Soptah in the evening, was standing next to her and gently waking her up with tapping on her shoulder. Soptah opened her eyes, it was still quite early, but it was light enough, so she could see, they stopped in a lowland place.

Where are we? She stood up and smoothed her hair. I should get off in Silver Hills.

The man raised his eyebrows and became serious. We  stopped there several hours ago. We’ll stay in this place for ten minutes and we will continue.

I must get to Silver Hills and from there to the Frozen country. How can I get there?

Now the man was even more surprised. Frozen country? People usually don’t travel there.

He went outside with Soptah and he pointed at a vehicle, which looked the same as the one, she travelled in. But this one had only three cabins. Two men were carrying food in boxes and baskets to the train. Soptah looked around. They stopped in the middle of large meadows, no houses nearby.

They supply us with food, so we could cook meals for our passengers. The man explained to her, when he noticed, she was watching them. They will take you to a town called Newtown. It's very close to the Frozen country and you can get there on  foot. Look! The man showed her a map and explained to her that from Silver Hills, she would get to the east side of the Frozen country and from Newtown, she would get to the west part of the country. Soptah was worried, because Mrs. Barlow’s house was in the east. How would she get there, when it was so far? She hoped she would get there somehow, maybe someone would take her in a carriage.

The man said goodbye to her and the caterpillar – as the train was called -  departed. I don’t know why you need to go to such a place, but you’ll need good luck for sure. He shouted at her from the window and waved at her.

The vehicle to Newtown left in several minutes and she was the only passenger. It was a weird feeling. The way there didn’t take long and when Soptah got off, she could see Newtown. It was a large town with many houses. She noticed the name Frozen country on a wooden pointer, and she decided to go there immediately. Surprisingly, the path she was walking on wasn't covered with a lot of snow and she didn’t sink into it. She ate a piece of cake, Mr. Quail gave her, before she left. At the end of the path, there was something like a dense fog or smoke. Soptah stopped and looked around. Then she walked through the fog and she got into the Frozen country. She made a step backwards and she found out the fog was as hard as a wall. If she wanted to go back to Newtown, it would be impossible.

I’m imprisoned here. She said to herself. Mr. Langley didn’t tell her, no one ever returned from the Frozen country.

Even if winter was in Newtown, in Bluevalley and everywhere around, Soptah could see the difference between these places and the Frozen country. Here she could see more snow, huge icicles, ice on the ground and it was so cold, she started to shiver. Soptah hoped there were some houses in the west of the country, because she couldn’t imagine, she would have to stay outside during the night. She went through a forest and when she got to the edge of it, she caught a glimpse of a small house standing behind a village.

She knocked at the door and after a while an old man opened it.

Good afternoon, I’m sorry, but I would... Soptah wanted to ask him for some food and, she hoped, he would advise her, how to get to Mrs. Barlow.

Oh my! The man interrupted her and pulled her inside the house. It’s so cold today! Do you want to freeze?

Soptah looked around and she saw an elderly woman, who was sitting at the table, watching her in astonishment.

How come you went outside in such horrible weather? The old man asked her. Do you have a family somewhere here?

I came from Newtown.

The man raised his eyebrows. The woman, who seemed to be his wife, stood up and came to Soptah.

Stop with the asking and let her sit down. She reproached to her husband a little and she pointed at a chair. First, you’ll have some soup with bread and some hot tea. You must be hungry.    

Thank you a lot. Yes, I am hungry. Soptah smiled at her.

Your hands are as cold as ice. She said, after she touched her palms. But the tea will make you feel better.

While Soptah was eating the soup, she was watching the room. The furniture was very simple, it was made of wood. But the kitchen was clean and Soptah liked a tiled stove, giving off pleasant heat. Soptah could take off her jacket because she wasn’t cold anymore.

In the silence she could hear a clock ticking.

We live very modestly here. The old man said, when he noticed, that Soptah was looking at every corner of their kitchen. You know, our house is small and there are many of us here. Even my parents lived here. He lifted his index finger.

Tom! Come here, please. The man called.

The door of another room opened and three kids and their parents came in. Soptah greeted them. They answered and sat down at the table, watching her carefully. They never saw this girl here before.

This is our son Tom and his wife Susan and these are our grandchildren - Mark, Peggy and Nicholas. The man introduced his family to her. Nicholas looked the same age as Soptah, but he was eighteen, two years older than her.

And I am Vincent and this is my wife Karla.

What’s your name? Mark asked. Mark and Peggy could be about six years old.

I’m Soptah May.

Soptah May? Mark’s parents repeated her name. Yes, they knew the name. So this was the Soptah May, they heard about... Vincent looked at them strictly. He didn’t want them to spoil anything.

Long time ago we had a relative with the same surname. He quickly told her. I’ll give you more soup, Soptah. He tried to change the subject.

No, no thank you. I’m full. – Could you tell me, where I am?

In Silvertown. – It’s easy to remember, right? You were in Newtown and now you are in Silvertown. Karla told her and touched her hands again to check if they were not as cold as before.

But why did you come here? I hope you don’t want to look for the magic light!  Vincent had many questions for her.

Hmmm, yes.... Soptah said and Karla threw her hands up. Nicholas, who was doing his homework for school, stopped writing and he was staring at her.

Mark, Peggy! Time to sleep! Their father said and Susan went with them to their room. Of course they didn’t want to leave, they felt the adults would talk about something interesting. However, it was useless to persuade their parents.

It’s better like this. Tom explained to Soptah, why he sent the kids to their room. They are too small and they could spoil something. Tomorrow, I’ll tell them, you are our niece and you’ll stay here for some time. – Or won’t you?

I should get to the east of this country and look for Mrs. Barlow. They told me she could help me with looking for the light. I should have gotten off the caterpillar in Silver Hills, but I overslept... Soptah said.

It’s quite far from here, it would take us more than four days to get there in a carriage. And in this weather... Tom was thinking. But forget the stupid idea about looking for the light. It’s dangerous!

"We’ve heard about people, who got here from Silver Hills and