Thirteen.  Elly.

Elly turned round to see an old man leaning on a walking stick; she knew at once that he must be Tink, the strange old man Nick had told her about. The one who had helped her the night before. “I hoped I’d see you,” she said. “I wanted to say thank you, I can’t remember much about last night; but Nick told me how you helped me.”

“Were nowt lass, glad ya feelin’ better.”
“I am, thank you.”
“Now, who told ya that there’s no magic? It’s all round if ya know where to look.”
“But that’s silly; magic is just in fairy stories. It’s not real, is it Nick?”

Nick shrugged, “I don’t know, but something strange is going on. All that machinery, it did just vanish in the middle of the night.”
Tink nodded, “Old magic has been at work here; really old magic, the forest don’t like folk meddlin’,” he pointed his stick in the direction of the workmen. “That fella, the one who’s full of bluff an’ wind; what’s ‘is game then?”

“Clifford?” asked Elly, “he owns most of the forest; he’s planning on bull-dozing it all to make way for a quarry. He owns a construction company, there’s lots of money to be made and that’s all Clifford cares about. Money and power.”

“I thought as much,” said Tink, “and ‘ow are you two mixed up in this?”
“My father is on the local council, I think he’s helped Clifford with the planning permission,” said Nick.
“And my Mum was heading the protest against the quarry but Clifford’s made sure she doesn’t interfere in his business any more.”

Tink nodded, “Greed, people ‘ave forgotten too much in their love of money. But no one man can own the forest; it belongs to all. These trees ‘ave seen many come and go, whilst they remain. This ‘ere Clifford ‘ad best be careful; ‘e’s stirring up trouble, that’s for sure.”

Elly felt a tingle run down her back, as he spoke Tink seemed to grow taller; or was it just her imagination? His hair and beard shimmered slightly and the air around them grew sultry and crackled. It felt like a storm was brewing and Elly grabbed Nick’s arm, she didn’t like thunder much.

Large drops of rain splashed onto the ground, it had grown very dark and lightening flashed in the distance followed by a huge clap of thunder that echoed around them.
“We’ve got to get out of here,” shouted Nick. “It’s dangerous under the trees when there’s lightening around.”

Elly turned to say good-bye to Tink but he had gone.
“I hate the way he keeps doing that,” said Nick. “Come on, we’re going to have to make a run for it.” He took her hand and together they ran through the trees to the edge of the forest. Soaked to the skin and teeth chattering they dodged around the work-men and made it to the lane.

“My house is closer,” said Nick, “you can borrow some of my mother’s clothes, you’re about the same size. And while you’re there we can have a poke around my father’s study. It’s quite safe, I know for a fact that he’s got meetings all afternoon. I want to know what was in that packet Clifford gave him yesterday.”
Elly nodded in agreement and the two of them walked quickly, heads down against the driving rain, to Nick’s house.
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