Part 1 - The Chase



It was a dark, quiet night, with barely enough breeze to rustle the leaves overhead. Heavy cloud hid the stars, and the ground was still damp from the fine drizzle that had fallen earlier in the evening.

From out of the darkness a line of lights emerged, moving slowly and silently across the field, in and out of the sheep that were dozing the night away.



Unseen eyes followed their passing.

‘They should be there before dawn’ said a voice in the dark.

‘Aye’, replied another, ‘but first they have to get past that village without being seen, and I don’t see how they can do that. The Big folk are sure to come when they see the lights. They always do!’

‘Then in that case, it will be up to us, won’t it!’



This was the part of the journey that they had all been dreading, but what choice did they have. To stay and face certain danger, or flee into uncertain danger.

The watchers watched as the line of the Little People carried on doggedly through the night. Only one more night of walking to reach the new home that had been prepared for them. The long abandoned Wisptown of Little Mudhaven would hopefully be better hidden from the eyes of the Big Folk than their last ill-fated home. And now that the long task of making it ready had been finished, all they had to do was move in.

But first they had to get there!



The watchers stayed there in the shadows; silently waiting as the line slowly passed them by, each one lost in their own thoughts. After what seemed an age, the last of the line of lights passed them, and trailed away into the distance.

‘Won’t be long now lads’, said the first voice. ‘Get ready everyone!’

The watchers broke up into small groups, and melted away into the darkness.

‘And good luck.’ Said the voice as he too left to see to his own appointed task.



At the tail-end of that long line of lights Willow plodded on. She was tired and fed up. The only task that she had been given was to carry one of the marsh-lamps that lit the ground for the rest of the wisps as they carried their small bundles of possessions towards their new home. An important job, they had told her. Needs someone reliable who won’t lose it; lamps are not easy to replace these days. And we will need all that we can get once we’ve settled in, and start making charms again. As if any wisp wouldn’t know that, thought Willow. It had been drummed into her from a very early age, when they had been sent out into the marshes to collect the marsh gas for the Charm-Makers. “Marsh gas brings World’s Magic to the surface from deep underground, and our lamps collect the gas. So no lamps, means no gas, means no magic, means no charms. SO DON’T LOSE THEM!!!!!”

They also needed someone who knew the way they had pointed out. Oh yes. She knew the way alright! When they had needed someone to run errands and carry messages to the worker in Little Mudhaven, they were only too happy to send Willow. But when she had volunteered to join the wisps who were even now getting ready to decoy the Big Folk, she was only given the job of carrying a marsh-lamp.

She knew what they really meant of course. They thought she was too small, and too young to do anything dangerous. So she carried her precious lamp and sullenly thought of all the excitement that she would be missing. Her brother, Bufo, would no doubt give her all the details later, in endless repetitions of how he had personally saved the whole wisp nation from destruction by the Big Folk. He was out there now - with the decoys – and she just knew that he was going to be unbearable for months after this.



The night passed slowly for Willow. One dark field looks very much like every other dark field, when you can only see that little bit of ground around that is lit by the lamp that you are carrying. From time to time a buzz passed along the line as news passed from wisp to wisp.

The decoys had headed off one small group of Big Folk, leading them into an area of bogs, and left them there to find there own way out – if they could.

Elsewhere one of the Big Folk had been caught in a bramble patch, and the decoys had used the magic of their charms to wrap him up in prickly briars until he could hardly move.

All around them Big Folk were being stopped before they could reach the convoy, and not only stopped, but also stopped in a way that kept the secret of the wisps. The magic in their charms made the ‘accidents’ look like natural hazards, instead of wisps using magic charms. The Big Folk were completely unaware of what they were really up against. The Wisp Council had decided that Big Folk were not to know what wisps were. They had reasoned that if the Big Folk did not know about wisps, they wouldn’t come looking for them and it would be easier to keep Little Mudhaven hidden.

The plan seemed to be working as they reached and passed the closest point to the village. None of the Big Folk had come near to the convoy. But just as they thought they were in the clear, bad news reached them. Worse than that – terrible news!

Some of the decoy wisps had been cornered, and had been forced to use one of the precious Charms of Power to fight their way to freedom. And not without cost either. Some wisps had been seriously hurt. And others were missing….

The column went quiet for a long time after that grim news, and tired wisps found new energy to hasten forward. At the back of the line Willow started to see occasional bundles of possessions thrown down and abandoned; their owners too tired to care any more, just wanting to get far away as fast as possible.

Everything is going wrong, she thought, and just when we are so close to safety. She did what she could to pick up the sacks and bags, and conceal them in bushes and hedges. They would come back for them another time, she told herself.

Packet after packet. Bundle after bundle. More and more often she was stooping to pick up some discarded items, then look round for a suitable hiding place, push the collection out of sight and hurry on after the plodding line of wisps. Then finding more bundles, which had to be hidden. Over and over again. It was exhausting and demoralising work, and each time Willow was dropping a little further behind the tail-end of the group.

The wisps were now passed the village of the Big Folk, and were finally leaving it behind. Maybe now the worst was over. But Willow was now far behind; she had been so busy picking up and hiding things that she had not realised that the group was so far ahead of her that she could only just see the light of their lamps.

Finally she looked up and noticed the distant lights. Despairingly, she looked down at the armful of bits and pieces that she had picked up. She could do nothing more. Wearily, she carried them over to a nearby hedge, and deposited them into the undergrowth at its base. That’s it, she told herself, anything else will have to be left. She paused to catch her breath, as the last of the wisps disappeared out of sight through the hedge on the other side of the field.

She was just about to hurry on to catch up, when she heard voices. Deep voices. Not wisps, but Big Folk. Willow froze in the dark shadows under the hedge.

“Come on Barry! Keep up! I’m sure I saw one of those lights on the other side of this hedge”, said one harsh voice.

“I’m getting there Albert, but go careful, will you!” whined another. “You saw how badly Cyril and Bob got burned, when that other light exploded”.

“That didn’t look like no explosion to me, and I was nearly as close as Cyril. If you ask me, I would say that flash came from this little bracelet”.

Willow was peering out from her hiding place, and could easily see the two standing face to face. The big one, who must have been Albert, was holding up a necklace of wisp charms, hanging it loosely from one outstretched finger.

“Don’t be daft”, protested Barry. “How can a kiddies bracelet do that. I saw it too. That was marsh gas exploding. Bob was just unlucky that it blew up just as he was reaching down to pick that bracelet up. I don’t reckon he will be using that hand for a long while to come. That is, if he still has one after the Doc has finished with him”.

“I’ve never seen children wear bracelets like this before. Look at those tiny charms hanging off it. There’s something odd about them that I don’t like the look of”. And as Albert held it up to the light for a closer, an icy chill raced down Willow’s spine. She recognised those charms. That was Bufo’s charm necklace.

She didn’t wait to see more. If that big oaf had the necklace, what had become of her brother? She couldn’t bring herself to even think of his fate. For now she just needed to get away.

She was half way across the field, running at full speed towards the rest of the wisps, when she heard Albert’s bellowing voice. “There’s the light”. It roared. “After it!”

Willow realised too late that the precious marsh lamp was giving her away. And that if she carried on, she would lead the Big Folk straight to the unsuspecting wisps as they trudged through the night. Looking round for help, she realised that she was alone; no other wisps were around to come to her rescue. It was going to be up to her to lead them away: the existence of the wisps and the location of Little Mudhaven-under-the-Hill HAD to be kept secret. There was another hedge off to one side, so turning, she ran for it. Weaving from side to side, making sure she was seen, but keeping herself far enough ahead of the pursuers to give herself time to find somewhere to hide. Reaching the hedge, she dived into the thickest part, and shoved the lamp into a hole that she found there.

She could hear the Big Folk calling to each other. Albert was bellowing at the top of his voice as he directed others to search the area where Willow had taken refuge. More of the Big Folk were being drawn to the commotion; she could feel the ground shaking as their heavy footsteps brought them running to the scene. It wouldn’t be long before they had her surrounded, and there was no way she could remain hidden then.

Willow searched frantically through the charms on her own charm necklace – there had to be something that she could use to get her out of this mess. Oh for a good Invisibility Charm, or a single Charm of Power.

She took a few deep breaths, and forced herself to think, and take stock. If she couldn’t use magic to save her skin, she would just have to be clever enough to outwit the Big Folk.

Okay - she thought, as she made a mental list. On the one hand; they know roughly where I am, and have me surrounded. I am in the dark carrying a lit marsh lamp, which I absolutely cannot leave behind. My chances of remaining unseen are just about zero.



Things were not looking good for Willow.

On the other hand though, I am a wisp with a necklace of charms, and you can do just about anything with the right charm…. Which I don’t! She decided as she finished looking through her charms.

She looked out from her hiding place, and saw that the Big Folk were all around her now, and carefully making their way towards her – some more carefully than others. Alfred was still shouting orders to direct the search for the moving light that he had seen.

Of course, she thought, they don’t actually know what they are looking for! And a plan formed in her mind. She chuckled silently to herself as she made her preparations; she would have some fun, and teach them that it is not so easy to catch a Wisp.



The Big Folk were getting close now. Taking a Camouflage Charm, she quickly said The Words, and the World’s Magic flowed over her and made her much harder to see. Only the light from the lamp could not be hidden, and the lamp could not be left behind.

She darted out from her hiding place, lamp held high. Immediately there came a cry as the hunters spotted her. If it had come to a straight race, they would have caught her quickly, but a Wisp is small and light and can run easily where the Big Folk cannot go. And this particular Wisp knew every hole, and hollow, and bog. Especially the bogs. All those tedious errands that she run to Little Mudhaven were going to be useful after all.

She nipped passed one of the men, hopped over a ditch, and through a bramble patch. The splash and cry that followed suggested that he had not noticed the watery bottom or the thorny barrier on the other side until it was too late.

That gave her a head start as she raced over the open ground beyond. Risking a look back she saw the remaining pursuers skirting each side of the bramble patch.

Veering to the left, she headed for a gap in the hedge, and climbed to the top of the fence there. Pausing momentarily, she waved her lamp from side to side to make sure it was seen, then hopped down the other side, and started weaving through the reedy pasture in the next field.

Behind her she could hear the shouts of several Big Folk; the ground shook as their heavy feet brought them charging up to the fence. The timber of the fence creaked as they leapt on it to climb over to the other side. Then there was a dull thud, several muffled cries and a big splash. Willow chuckled to herself. Clearly, they had spotted the small pool in front of the fence. It was a shame that they hadn’t seen the big, low branch over it. A little camouflage magic can go a long way.

Those three weren’t going to be bothering her again; they were still trying to extricate themselves from a tangle of arms and legs in the middle of a shallow, but very muddy pool. The others had passed through a gate further along the hedge, so she resumed her meandering course across the field, always trying to find the wettest, softest ground, the thickest thorniest brambles. Always leading them on, and away from the other wisps.

Willow started laughing as she ran. She was really starting to enjoy herself. The night was dark, the grass was damp and dewy, and the earth soft beneath her toes. What more could a Wisp ask for? Those coming up behind didn’t seem to find it quite so much fun though, judging by the sounds of squelching mud, splashing water, tearing cloth, and the series of extremely colourful oaths and curses.

By the time she had reached the line of pollarded willows marking the banks of the stream there was only one pursuer left. She wasn’t surprised to see that it was Alfred. He had seemed to be rather single minded, even for one of the Big Folk. She could hear him breathing hard as he charged through the undergrowth. His face was scratched, and his clothes torn and tattered, but still he kept on coming.

She could have just crossed there and left him behind, but for Alfred she had a much better idea! He needed to be taught a lesson that he would never forget.

Turning upstream she led him on, keeping to easier ground so as not to discourage him too soon. Then ahead in the darkness she saw what she was looking for.

Noxious Mere it was called by the Wisps. The muddiest, smelliest, foulest pond known to Wisps. Reaching its bank Willow stepped out and carefully started to walk across its surface. Not magic, but an old branch that had fallen across it in years passed, and now lay half in and half out of the fetid, stinking water. An unpleasant route for sure, but for the tiny figure of a wisp, not an impossible one.

The surface of the branch was rotting and slimy from years of immersion; mould and weed made every effort to tip her into a very unpleasant bath, but apart from a wet foot, and slime covered hands she made it across.

Just in time too! As she climbed up to solid ground her pursuer appeared on the opposite bank. Running as fast as he could he didn’t stand a chance. Coming through the bushes he didn’t see the Mere until the bank dropped away beneath him and he arced into the air, legs still pumping furiously, and landed with an almighty SHHLOOOP, feet first into the putrid stinking goo.

As he lay there floundering in the mire, Willow started searching through the Charms on her necklace, until she found the one that she wanted. Then saying The Words, she held the Illusion Charm in front of her, and thought of the image that she wanted to project. Slowly, she walked back to the edge of the pond.

There she stood, a small, thin figure no more than 8 inches high, with a lamp held above her head. What he saw was a monstrous dark figure looming out of the night, with a huge fang filled mouth, and eyes filled with flame.

He stopped flailing, and gawped in terror.

In her thin high-pitched voice, which he heard as deep and booming and full of implied threat, she demanded, “That bracelet that you stole! Give it to me… Now!”

“Wh… wha…. What?” he stuttered. “I don’t understand.”

“You took a bracelet. It is not yours. Give …it. …to…ME……..NOW!

“You mean this?” he said, his voice little more than a croak as he reached into his top shirt pocket and fished out Bufo’s charm necklace.

“Yes” she said. The Illusion Charm turned that into a snarl of awesome terror. Albert shrank trembling into the stinking quagmire; eyes clenched tight shut, and convinced that he was going to be torn limb from limb.

Willow took a Summoning Charm, and called the necklace to her. It shot out of Albert’s hand, and flew through the air directly to Willow. She caught it in her free hand, and quickly inspected it under the light of her marsh lamp. It was definitely Bufo’s. At that point she would’ve quite gladly turned the Mere to acid and let it dissolve Albert to nothing. But she wanted to send the Big Folk a message. One that they would never forget.





So instead, she commanded him, “Pursue me no more!” The Illusion Charm worked its magic, and he heard the words booming in a voice from the deepest depths of Hell, coming from a monstrous being that would haunt his nightmares for the rest of his life

“N…no. Never” he managed to quail. “W-w-w-who are you?”

With a laugh that he heard as thunder demolishing a mountain, she told him. Then she turned and vanished into the night.

Oh yes, they would remember her now. They would remember Willow the Wisp. And hopefully, the next time someone saw the light of a marsh lamp in the dead of night they would be more reluctant to investigate, and Little Mudhaven would remain hidden.



She should’ve felt elated at having defeated the Big Folk, but it was with a heavy heart that she resumed her journey. Little Mudhaven had for a long time been the promised haven; all the wisps had looked towards the day when they could go and live there in peace and safety. Now though, with Bufo lost, it had all seemed to be for nothing.

Slowly, she walked through the night, fingering the charms on Bufo’s necklace; going through them one by one and remembering the tricks and pranks that he had played with them.



Willow reached the entrance to Little Mudhaven just as the first beams of sunlight broke over the surrounding hills. There were still a few wisps at the entrance, waiting for the stragglers, but one figure looked familiar. Sitting there, heavily bandaged, arm in a sling, was Bufo.

With his head bowed, he didn’t see Willow’s approach. It wasn’t until she stood in front of him, and whispered his name that he looked up.

“Willow!” he exclaimed. “I thought that I’d lost you.” He made to get up, but winced with pain and sagged back onto the ground. Willow just threw her arms around him and hugged him.

Clearly he had had adventures of his own, and she was in no doubt that his part in them would grow as he endlessly retold them. She just knew that he was going to be unbearable for months to come. And she didn’t mind a bit
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