Welcome to the latest Tom and Louise story. When my children were growing up they loved listening to stories. And some of their favourite stories were the ones I made up, featuring them as the heroes in magical tales based on their holidays with grandparents in Cleethorpes and Mablethorpe and with us in the Lake District.

I keep getting pestered to write them down. It is thirty years or more since I first told these tales. So, with a failing memory and fresh imaginings here goes. New readers may want to read the earlier stories first.

In this story Tom and Louise are back in the Lake District. If they are going to help the dwarfs and elves they will have to journey underground.

Chapter 1

It was half term, and Tom and Louise were back in the Lake District. Mum and Dad had driven to a music festival in a valley surrounded by craggy mountains. The road to the campsite was long and narrow. Sometimes they had to stop for other cars to squeeze past. And once Mum had to reverse to the passing place to make room for a bus. The children were tired, but they woke up when their magic wands began to tingle.

On their last visit to Lakeland they met a fire fairy who took them on an adventure into Fairyland. Tom and Louise helped to save the fire fairies and, as a reward, they were named as Fairy Friends and presented with magic wands which let them visit Fairyland whenever they wanted. Now they were back, and the wands were telling them that there was magic in the valley!

When they reached the campsite the children went to explore while Mum and Dad put up the tents. They had their torches because it soon got dark when the sun set behind the mountains and, of course, they had their magic wands. The children walked back along the road until they came to the spot where their wands had started to tingle.

They looked around for an entrance to Fairyland but could see nothing at all. It was beginning to get dark, and they could see the headlights of a car coming towards them. They stepped off the road onto the verge and saw a faint path. Switching on their torches, they made out a narrow bridge that crossed an ancient stream. The stream disappeared under the road and the path disappeared as it joined a curve in the road. Tom and Louise decided to go back to the campsite. They would return and investigate in the morning.

Back at the campsite it was getting crowded and noisy with all the festival goers. Mum and Dad asked their children if they wanted to go to the festival tent for the evening concert. It was fun at first: burger and chips from one of the food stalls, washed down with cola; watching mum and dad doing daft dancing to the music; running around and meeting lots of other kids going wild together. Then they started to feel tired and asked if they could go back to their tent.

“You have your torches, and you know where the tents are? Good. We will just see you across the road and then you can follow the path back to the campsite. We won’t be long.”

Mum and Dad both looked flushed with happiness. Tom and Louise thought they might be long. But they did not mind. The campsite felt safe and there were lots of other children around to keep them company. In the end they were glad to get into their tent and crawl into their sleeping bags.

Tom switched on his torch to read. It flickered and went out. Louise switched on her torch to go and look for spare batteries in the parents’ tent. It went out as well. Suddenly the campsite was a very dark and lonely place. So they took out their wands and conjured up stars. They drew patterns on the roof of their tent and remembered all their other adventures in Fairy Land. Was there another adventure waiting for them under the bridge?

Under the bridge the adventure had already begun. A magic creature lived there. When the children first stood on the bridge he had felt the power of their wands. Fresh magic in the valley! He needed to find it and see if he could use it for himself. He clambered up from under the bridge and followed the magic trail to the campsite. And the trail led him to a tent where stardust sparkled all around!

Just then Mum and Dad came back. The creature turned and crept away as the campsite filled up with laughing, talking adults. When Mum and Dad looked in on their children the tent was in darkness.

“What happened to your torches?”

“The batteries ran out and we could not find any spare batteries in the dark”

“Have you forgotten? These are wind-up torches. The batteries are just for back up.”

Tom and Louise were soon able to snuggle down in their sleeping bags with fresh batteries and fully wound-up torches to read by. But not for long. They were already fast asleep when Dad popped in to say good night, so he switched their torches off.

Chapter 2

Next morning Tom and Louise made their plans. There was nothing on at the festival until the afternoon so they asked if they could go and explore the valley.

“We will keep to the footpaths and not go on the road.”

“Well, mind you stay in the valley and do not go through the fell-gate up into the mountains. And don’t be late for lunch. Have you got the watches that Grandad gave you?” said Dad.

The children nodded and Mum gave them their backpacks with some snacks and drinks. They also had their torches – it would be dark under the bridge – and their magic wands of course!

The valley was broad with gently sloping sides and fields divided by dry stone walls. Higher up the mountains were steep and rocky. Tom and Louise would not be going there today. They crossed a field and took the path leading down to the road. It followed a stream that disappeared under the road where the children had discovered the packhorse bridge.

These were very old bridges and just wide enough for a horse to cross over. In the olden days the path would have carried on down the valley. It was lost when they built the new road. The bridge was nearly lost as well, hidden by bushes, and overgrown with ferns. But Tom and Louise had found it and now they stood upon the bridge. Holding hands, they pointed their wands down to the stream and stepped off.

They expected to land in the stream. Instead, they passed through the water and the pebbles of the stream bed. This was the gateway to another magical realm and the children were falling through the earth. Still holding hands, they squeezed to slow themselves down and gazed in wonder as the soil gave way to rock and the rock hollowed out into an underground cave where they finally stopped.

It was totally dark, so they switched on their torches and looked around. The cave was so big their torchlight did not reach the sides. So, they used the light from their wands to see further. There were tunnels going off in all directions and in some of the tunnels they could see dim lights that were getting brighter as they came closer.

It was a very scary place, so the children held hands and pointed their wands back up the way they had come. The wands sparked and sizzled. Then they fizzled and went out. Nothing happened. They were stuck! They put the wands away and switched their torches back on.

“Lights Out!” The creature came out of the tunnel just as they switched their torches back on, and it was dazzled by the light. Tom and Louise gazed at what looked like a very tall fairy with one hand raised to shield its eyes. His other hand was holding a lantern that had a warm orange glow that was nowhere near as bright as their torches.

Tom and Louise lowered their torches but did not turn them off and introduced themselves.

“We are Tom and Louise. We are Fairy Friends who come with love in our hearts and bid you welcome.”

The strange looking fairy was joined by dozens of others coming out of the tunnels. Their orange lanterns lit up the cavern. Tom and Louise looked at each other in surprise. Unlike the fire fairies and the water sprites, these fairies had no wings. And they were very tall, so tall that they had to bend over to scamper through the tunnels before they could stand up straight in the cavern.

The first fairy spoke. “We know nothing of fairy friends down here in the dark. Love in your hearts? There was no love in the hearts of the men in the stories, who chopped down our trees and drove us underground. And now you follow us down into the dark and mock us with your bright lights. Grab them!”

The elves grabbed Tom and Louise and nabbed their torches. They were half dragged and half carried down a winding tunnel to a small cave-like prison cell and locked in. Lucky for them the fairies had not taken their backpacks, and they still had their wands.

“What’s the use of wands with no magic in them?” Tom was angry and afraid all at the same time and took out his wand to throw it away. But as he held it up, he felt its magic and it lit up their cell. Louise took out her wand and its magic had come back as well. The light was dimmer, like the orange from the fairy lamps. But at least they had a chance now. Suddenly they both felt very hungry and tucked into their snacks before curling up in the cold and dark, surrounded by the orange warmth from their wands. They woke up suddenly when they heard a sound. With wands ready they waited nervously in the dark.

Chapter 3

The sound came closer and then a tiny creature, no bigger than them, appeared at the entrance to their cell. He had big eyes for seeing in the dark and arms with strong muscles and big hands. In one hand he held a stone axe, and in the other a shield made of slate. When he saw the wands pointing at him, he held up his shield and called out, “Hello Tom and Louise, Fairy Friends. I am Drumlin, last of the Dwarfs and Lord of the Mountain. I bid you welcome.”

Now it was Louise’s turn to feel angry and afraid. “I don’t think much of your welcome. Your fairy guards have locked us up and stolen our torches. That’s not very friendly.”

“They are not my guards. And they are not really fairies. They are wood elves, and I have already told you that I am a dwarf. And will you please stop pointing your wands at me? You nearly zapped me before when I followed you under the bridge. Lucky for me I had this shield. Your magic bounced off it and kept me safe. Then, when the elves took you away, I followed to see if I could help you.”

The children quickly lowered their wands. So that was why the wands had stopped working. They were glad they had not zapped Drumlin. But those elves were big and angry. Tom and Louise just wanted to magic themselves away, back to the valley. First, they listened to the rest of Drumlin’s story.

Many years ago men had come to the valley. Their axes were sharp and made of iron, and they chopped down the trees in the valley to make space for their farms. Of course, the elves had tried to save their beloved trees. There had been a terrible war. But the elves had lost and escaped underground. That was when they met the dwarfs. They had never seen folk like Drumlin and his people who lived under the mountains. Just like Tom and Louise they were angry and afraid all at the same time and there had been another terrible battle. This time the dwarfs lost, and Drumlin escaped to live under the bridge all alone.

Louise stopped being angry and felt sorry for Drumlin. “How long have you been alone?”

“It must be a thousand years since men came with their axes.”

“And the wood elves? Are they as old as you?” Tom asked.

“Oh no. We dwarfs are ancient like the rocks. The wood elves are young like the trees.”

Tom was thinking. The trees seemed ever so old to him. He had read about trees that lived for 500 years. And this dwarf was at least 1000 years old. That was really ancient. Tom wasn’t even ten years old, and Louise was younger than him!

“Lord Drumlin, sir.” Tom was doing his best to be polite and Drumlin smiled. No one had called him ‘sir’ for a thousand years. “Why don’t the elves leave your kingdom and go back to the forest now the trees have grown again?”

“Hmm. Good question.” Drumlin stroked his beard and thought a while. “Remember I told you how rocks are older than trees and dwarfs are older than elves? Well, these are young elves. They have never seen a tree. They were born down here. All they know are the stories their grandparents told them and a life of darkness under the ground.”

“Perhaps it is time they heard the truth,” said Louise.

Chapter 4

At that moment they heard a scuttling sound and saw the glow of orange light coming towards them. The elves appeared, looking even more angry than before. Drumlin hid in the shadows. He was so still he looked like a rock and one of the elves sat on him! This was the leader. He shouted at them.

“Fairy friends? It’s just a made-up story like the ones our grandparents used to tell us. There are no trees and there is no magic in these lights. Our lanterns may not be very bright, but they never go out.” And he flung their torches through the bars into the cell.

“That’s because you do not know the magic words,” said Tom. He nodded to Louise and they both began to wind up the torches while Tom chanted, “Windy, Windy. Light to blind me. Wind it tight and shine it bright!”

They switched on the torches and the light was so dazzling that none of the elves could see. Tom and Louise put down the torches and took out their wands. “By the power of our wands we command you to set us free!” The wands sparked into life but then fizzled back to an orange glow like the elves’ lanterns.

Louise whispered to Tom. “It’s the rocks in this cave. They are slate. Our magic won’t work down here.”

The leader of the elves laughed. “So much for fairy magic. It is no better than elf magic. But now I know the magic words I will take back those lights of yours.”

He stood up. At least he tried to stand up, but two enormous dwarf hands unfolded from within his rocky seat and held him tight. Then Drumlin spoke.

“I am Drumlin, Lord of the Mountain, and King of the Dwarfs. And you are Silva, Lord of the Forest. You have stayed too long in my kingdom. It is time to go back to your roots, to stand up tall and feel the rustle of the wind in the leaves of the trees!”

Drumlin’s voice had echoed through the passages and caves and all the elves had heard him speak. Their voices rustled like the leaves in the wind as they murmured to each other. “Leaves and trees? Are they real? It’s not just a story?” Their voices twined together into a mighty chorus: “Silva, Silva! Take us home!”

In truth Silva did not know the way home. Drumlin had been right. All he had were stories from the past and a life lived under the ground. Silva blustered and flustered. “How can I take you home when I’m trapped inside this rock? This is dark magic.”

“Perhaps our bright magic can help,” Tom suggested. “But only if you let us go,” added Louise. Drumlin joined in the game. “I am Drumlin, Lord of the Mountain, King of the Dwarfs, and I am also Master of Dark Magic. Did I forget to mention that before? Listen to Tom and Louise and follow their brightness. It will take you back to the trees. I will now release Silva so you can all follow the light away from my dark magic.”

The elves released Tom and Louise. Drumlin released Silva. The children used their torches to light the way back to the great cavern under the bridge. Silva followed the children, and the wood elves followed him. Drumlin followed behind them all, keeping his distance.

Back in the cavern they reached the spot where Tom and Louise had arrived at the start of their adventure. Tom and Louise switched off their torches and took out their wands. In the orange light of the elvish lanterns Silva looked worried.

“It’s OK Silva. Now is the time for real fairy magic. Tell your people to gather round” Louise took Silva by the hand. Tom took his other hand. They pointed their wands skywards and squeezed. Up they rose with Silva and all the elves followed them through the rocks, the soil, and the stream, out from under the bridge and into the valley.

The daylight was brighter than anything under the ground: brighter than the orange lamps; brighter than the children’s torches; even under a cloudy sky. It took the elves time to get used to it. Then the sun came out from behind a cloud. Wowzer! The elvish lamps turned from orange to green and their light shone towards the forest. The elves followed the green light, growing taller and stronger with every step. As they entered the forest the branches rustled and murmured with joy to welcome them, and the elves found their true magic in the life of the trees.

Silva was the last to enter. He stopped and turned to thank Tom and Louise. “Please forgive my unkindness and thank you for saving my people. Thank you for saving me. Tom and Louise – not just Fairy Friends – now you are Forest Friends.” He reached into his hair, which was now green and bushy, and produced two golden acorns. “I have no magic wands to give you but have these seeds of friendship. Keep them safe and think of me.”

Then he was gone, and life was back to normal again, well almost. “What time is it?” said Tom. They looked at their watches. It was nearly lunchtime, but it had seemed liked days had passed underground. Drumlin came up to them and explained. “You know how fairy time runs slower than people time? Well underground, the rocky timeline is even slower than that. I see that Silva has given you his friendship. Here is my gift to you. These are two of my finest slates. They don’t have any magic power but if ever somebody tries to use bad magic against you, they will stop you from being zapped.”

Then Drumlin left them, and the children headed back to the campsite. Over lunch Mum said, “We thought we might stay and have a proper holiday after the festival. There’s lots to do round here, even an old slate mine that is open to the public. How do you fancy going underground? Won’t that be exciting!”