“Exactly,” said Jack. “It’s about half-way up the mountain, isn’t it? We’re pretty high already.”
So they were. Although the mountains still towered above them, the valley below looked a very long way down. The wind blew again and Nora shivered.
“Golly, I believe I shall be too cold now!” she said, with a laugh.
“Oh, no — it’s only the sudden change from tremendous heat to the coolness of the mountains that you feel,” said Ranni. “Are you tired? You will want a good rest before tea!”
“Oh, isn’t it nearly tea-time?” said Mike, in disappointment. “I feel so hungry. Look — we’re nearly at that fine flight of steps. I’m going to get off my pony.”
The caretakers of the castle had been looking out for the royal arrivals. They stood at the top of the flight of steps, the big, iron-studded door open behind them. The children liked them at once.
“That is Tooku, with Yamen his wife,” said Pilescu. “They are people from the mountains here. You will like to talk to them sometime, for they know many legends and stories of these old hills.”
Tooku and Yamen greeted the children with cries of delight and joy. They were cheerful mountain-folk, not scared at the thought of princes and princesses arriving, but full of joy to see so many little children.
It seemed no time at all before the whole company were in their new quarters. These were not nearly so grand and luxurious as those the children had had in the big palace, but not one of them cared about that. The castle rooms were small, but with high ceilings. The walls were hung with old embroidered tapestries. There were no curtains at the narrow windows — but, oh, the view from those windows!
Mountains upon mountains could be seen, some wreathed in clouds, most of them with snow on the top. The trees on them looked like grass. The valley below seemed miles away.