Sir George goes home 8/8

"I wish it could," replied Jennifer Jane with a smile.

Before Lieutenant Moonshine could raise any further objections, a fairy from the Wish Warehouse came towards them carrying a rather dusty box.

"It's a very old spell Ma'am," she apologised, "It's the
only one we have left. We don't get much call for talking animals these days," she explained to George.

George looked at the box carefully and then opened the lid and looked inside. "Naught there," he said in a puzzled voice.

"Oh thick he is, thick as two short planks, of course there's nothing there now, the spell is out and working."

George looked at Jennifer Jane and then at the two fairies. "Who said that?" he asked.

The horse looked at Sir George. "Me," he said, "and from now on I think I should have a fair say in our future actions."

"I’ faith I really can understand every word he says," said George "and what was all that about short planks?"

For once the horse said nothing but just hung his head and looked as embarrassed as he as able.

Lieutenant Moonshine broke the silence before an argument could start. "Abigail is just leaving with another witch and they can fly Jennifer Jane and Sir George to the Witches Home. The horse will have to go by boat and Barnacle Bill has agreed to take him."

Jennifer Jane and George were already waiting with Abigail on the lawn of the Witches Home, as Barnacle Bill's paddle steamer came through the mist towards the quayside.

The horse was standing on the fore deck neighing anxiously. "This is not a civilised way to travel, far too wobbly. I've got four legs so that I can stand very still or run very fast, and here I can't do either. As for him up there in the wheelhouse with his 'ports' and 'starboards' and 'avast you lubbers', well I'd rather have old thicky any day, at least I can understand him."

Sir George laughed. "It would seem that travel by sea does not agree with him."

Before Barnacle Bill could say, "Finished with engines", the horse had jumped ashore.

"Am I glad to see you," he said to George, "Let's go before that goblin comes ashore and tries to belay my fetlocks or something else equally stupid."

Abigail led them all through the Witches Home and out to the castle yard. "Just ride over the drawbridge and if you turn left, you'll soon be over Lurgin’s bridge and back in the village."

George looked a bit uncertain. "I'm not really sure if I should go. No offence of course," he said to Jennifer Jane, "but I think Karg was the last of the old fashioned dragons and there'll be nothing for me do."

"Nothing to do?" said the horse. "Thick he is, thick ... er that is, of course there'll be plenty to do, just get into the saddle and let's ride off, I'll tell you all about our future."

The pair headed toward Lurgin’s bridge and the village.

"Story telling at all the Inns,” the horse was saying, "wonderful stories about carts moving without horses, boxes that talk, why you'll be welcome in every village we go to."

Abigail and Jennifer Jane watched them ride out of sight and then walked back to the Witches Home.

"I wonder how Forget-me-Not is getting on?" said Abigail.