Crossover Fanfiction
Canons: A Wizard of Earthsea (Le Guin, 1993; 1968) and The Man in The High Castle (Dick, 1982: 1962)
Rating: K
New Character: Barfinda, a wizard who, through indulging in the darker side of magic, conjured an entity that took possession of him and transformed him into a wizard-eating bad guy.
Total number of words of Fanfic below: 1040
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Yarrow looked round the tidy kitchen. A smile touched her lips. Everything was in its place, just as she liked it. She walked to the window where the harrekki was lying on its back in the sun.
“Vetch should have been home a week ago,” she said, tickling the little dragon on the stomach. “If Sparrowhawk was with him, I wouldn’t worry so much. But Sparrowhawk had another dragon to subdue, one much larger than you, my little friend.”
“Vetch should not have gone to Zeltmathu alone!” a voice bellowed.
Yarrow spun round to see a man standing in the open doorway. “Who are you?” she asked, alarmed.
“Name’s Frank,” he said, stepping into the house. “The I Ching told me to come. The oracle says you must save your brother otherwise a catastrophe will happen in my world.”
“What’s happened to Vetch?” Yarrow asked.
“Barfinda of Zeltmathu has him captive and will devour him –”
“Eat Vetch?” Yarrow said, horrified.
“That’s how Barfinda sustains his power over wizards. You must go at once. You’re the only one who can save him.”
“But I’m too stupid! I wouldn’t know what to do,” Yarrow wailed.
“Only a female relative can save Vetch,” Frank insisted. “The oracle said so.”
“Aunty will know what to do. She lives in the next village,” Yarrow said hopefully.
“No, I’m sorry, not anymore. Barfinda told Mairers to kill your aunty,” Frank explained. “They’ll come here next,” he warned. “If you die, Vetch dies and thousands die in my world. Nazis have killed millions already . . .”
Yarrow gulped. Nazis sounded far worse than Mairers. “What must I do?”
“Enter Barfinda’s lair. Shout ‘Vetch is free, Brooo, Braae, Breee!’ It’s not potent wizard magic, or inferior witch magic, but magic I read in the appendix of Other Magic.”
Three hours later, Yarrow was well on her journey to Zeltmathu. She felt scared and was alone, the I Ching having sent Frank on other business. She’d never set foot beyond the town boundary before. She’d heard stories of the shaggy Barfinda whose lair was lined with the bones of wizards. Wizards who had gone there to test their magic against Barfinda or to set Barfinda's captives free. She hadn’t heard of any returning alive. Yarrow repeatedly said the ‘other magic’ Frank had told her, sure she would forget what to say.
Suddenly, she heard terrible screeches and saw Mairers, fern-like beings, chasing her down. Yarrow ran as fast as she could along the dusty road. She came to an intersection and saw a woman, a knife in one hand.
“I’m Juliana. You’ve met hubby already,” she said, and with flashing, slashing strokes, slaughtered the Mairers. “Frank didn’t think you’d get this far. That’s a test of courage passed. I’m to see you to Barfinda’s lair. You must save your brother for all our sakes.”
And so it was, come mid-morning the following day, they were standing outside Barfinda’s lair.
“Go save Vetch,” Juliana instructed. “I cannot enter, I’m not a relative.”
“I’m scared of the dark, caves, bats, enclosed spaces, adventures and Barfindas,” Yarrow wailed.
Juliana lit the torch they had brought with them and passed it to Yarrow. “There comes a time when every girl must develop a backbone. In you go!”
“Yes,” Yarrow agreed, and went into the foul-smelling cave. Fear must be overcome. Vetch was depending on her.
Soon, Yarrow entered a chamber where sunlight filtered down from a hole overhead. And there waiting for her was her biggest fear. Barfinda.
“I’ll eat you, little girl.”
Yarrow trembled, she was so scared. “Where’s my brother?”
“Yarrow? Is that you? You’re stupid to have come!”
“Oh, yes, I know! Vetch?” Yarrow called, peering into the shadows.
“I can’t release the puzzle lock, Yarrow.”
Barfinda laughed. “No wizard-mind can!”
Yarrow tried to pass Barfinda, but he was quick on his hairy feet. Then Barfinda’s large hands encircled Yarrow’s throat. She could not remember the ‘other magic’ and was slowly falling into a faint.
“Yarrow!” Vetch yelled.
“Vetch is free, Brooo, Braae, Breee!” she croaked, his voice having awakened her.
Barfinda suddenly stood as still as a statue, allowing Yarrow to ease the hairy fingers from her throat. Wasting no time, she found Vetch in a metal cage.
“I can’t escape. Wizardry doesn’t work in Barfinda’s lair.”
“You mean this little lock?” Yarrow asked, working at the puzzle lock. Soon the cage door stood open.
“My stupid sister outthinks a wizard?”
Yarrow smiled coyly. “It was too simple for you, that’s all.”
Barfinda groaned.
“The ‘other magic’ is wearing off,” Yarrow wailed.
Barfinda moved a hand and then a foot.
Vetch picked up the torch and grabbed Yarrow by the hand. Together they fled the cave. Outside they found Juliana standing guard, three dead Mairers nearby.
“It’s on days like these I wish I had my I Ching,” Juliana said. “I’ve grown too far from the Tao.”
“Let’s get out of here,” Vetch said, hearing Barfinda coming after them.
But soon Barfinda caught up with them.
“Vetch, do something,” Yarrow screamed, hiding behind him.
Barfinda laughed. “He’s been inside the cage. His wizardry’s gone until I’m dead.”
“Then have my knife!” Juliana said, stepping forward to slit Barfinda’s throat. But Barfinda easily flung her into a bush.
“Vetch, do something!”
“Fight Barfinda without wizardry? Only a stupid person would do that! Run!”
Too tired to run, Yarrow, lighting the torch, backed away from the predatory Barfinda. Then he lunged at her, his great mouth open, ready to devour her. She jumped aside and shoved the flames into Barfinda’s shaggy, rubbish-laden coat. Flames leaped and so did the screaming Barfinda.
Then she helped Juliana out of the bush and the three hurried on their way, leaving the dying Barfinda behind them. Back at the same crossroads where they had met, Yarrow said her farewells to Juliana.
Finally, Yarrow and Vetch reach their hometown. It seems word of their courageous adventure had gone ahead of them. Everyone was waiting for them, to congratulate them for killing Barfinda.
“Wizards are safe now because of Yarrow,” a woman said.
“Oh, no, it wasn’t just me,” Yarrow replied. “It was also ‘other magic’ brought here by a man and his I Ching.”
