As they were finishing up, Kylen and Zax came across from the house of Brandicant. Their father was deep in conference with Leodra and Thorlberd and they had been let free for the day. Zastra eyed them silently. She had not forgotten the argument of the previous day.
Kylen greeted Zastra self-consciously, as if she too was thinking of yesterday. She asked Zastra if she wanted to practise hand-to-hand fighting again. Zastra still felt sore from the previous day’s punishment and had no desire to be repeatedly tossed on her aching backside. However, she didn’t want to be rude and so she suggested they try archery instead, asking Martek for permission to use the crossbows and the range.
‘Remember to be safe,’ he said, winking at Kylen and Zax. ‘You’ll be in good hands. Zastra has the most natural gift with crossbow I’ve ever seen.’
Zax stared in undisguised admiration as Zastra hit the centre of the target again and again, especially when he had a try, and realised how difficult it was. Kylen was less easily impressed, but was willing to try something new. She put her full effort behind the task and after a while was able to hit the biggest target with some regularity. She appeared to have forgotten her previous argument with Zastra as she concentrated on her activity.
‘Not bad, for a beginner,’ said Zastra.
‘As long as I’m attacked by a large, circular beast, whose main strategy is to stand still, then I’ll be fine,’ remarked Kylen. ‘Although I’m amazed at how quickly you can load these up. I’d always thought that by the time you could string the crossbow and ratchet it back, an enemy would have lopped your head off, but you can do it quick as blinking.’
‘It’s this lever – a special design of Martek’s,’ explained Zastra proudly. ‘See, you can pre-load three bolts. With practice, it only takes a moment to set each of them before firing.’ To demonstrate, she fired off three shots in quick succession. Kylen loaded up her bow and tried to repeat Zastra’s effort. One of her bolts hit the outer rim of the intended target, but the other two sailed off to the left and embedded themselves in a nearby tree.
‘Oh, that’s rubbish,’ she sighed.
‘Don’t be so hard on yourself,’ said Zastra, with a grin. ‘You never know when you might be attacked by murderous trees. Have another try.’
However, the young Sendorans had had enough. As they were putting away the equipment, Kylen put her hand on Zastra’s shoulder and said quietly, ‘Father told us what happened yesterday.’
Zastra glanced up at the fair-haired girl, unsure how to respond.
‘Why didn’t you tell them it was me that hit Rastran? If anyone should have been punished, it was me,’ Kylen continued. ‘I’m sorry you got the blame.’
‘It didn’t seem right to tell tales,’ said Zastra. ‘Anyway, I’d probably have hit him eventually if you hadn’t, so don’t be sorry. I’d have got into trouble sooner or later.’
‘Well, thanks,’ said Kylen shortly, ‘although I would have taken the punishment gladly. We are taught to stand by our actions in Sendor. Why did your cousin blame you? It doesn’t really make sense.’
‘I think he enjoyed getting me into trouble.’
‘I’d watch him, if I were you. There is something particularly nasty about him.’
‘I’m not scared of Rastran,’ said Zastra, stoutly. ‘Anyway, I don’t think he’ll bother us again, not unless he wants another bloody nose.’
Kylen couldn’t suppress a grin at this.
‘Look,’ she said, hesitantly. ‘About what I said yesterday – the coward thing. I’m sorry, I was wrong.’
‘It’s all right,’ Zastra replied. ‘I’m sorry about what I said too – you know, about savages. I didn’t mean it at all; it was a horrid thing to say. Besides, I think you Sendorans have the right idea about things. Like the way you dealt with Rastran – the look on his face was brilliant.’
They both laughed. Catching their mood, Zax sprinted around them in a tight circle, whooping and waving his arms. Kylen shook her head in disbelief as he rushed towards them and collapsed dramatically at their feet.
‘We have to take our fellgryffs out for a run,’ Kylen said, tilting her head to one side. ‘You want to come?’
Zax sprang to his feet and laughed. ‘Bad idea,’ he said. ‘You know what terrible riders the Golmeirans are. She’d only get hurt.’
Zastra bridled at this. ‘I’ve been riding horses since almost before I could walk!’ she exclaimed.
Kylen and Zax chuckled. ‘Horses?’ said Kylen. ‘Those great slow lumps? A baby could ride one.’
Zastra was not to be put off. How hard can it be? she asked herself.
After they had taken a quick lunch, the children went to the house of Brandicant stables where the fellgryffs were housed. Up close, Zastra was even more impressed with the creatures. They were untidy and ugly looking, but an intelligence shone in their deep brown eyes. Their horns really did look deathly sharp. Kylen had a quiet word with a scruffy young groom, who came over and introduced himself as Moltas.
‘Your parents know you are here?’ he asked.
‘No,’ said Zastra, downcast. That was clearly the end of that. She couldn’t see her parents allowing her to ride a fellgryff, especially her father in his current mood.
‘Well,’ said Moltas, looking at her disappointed expression. ‘D’you accept the risks involved and agree to do as I say, without question? Your life could depend on it.’
‘Yes,’ said Zastra, hardly daring to believe she would be allowed to try.
‘A’right then. Come outside to the paddock. Watch Kylen and Zax. See how they hold on with their hips and knees and use their feet to guide the fellgryff. There’s no saddle and no bridles. You must hold on to the nape of the neck, here. Balance is everything.’
At a nod from Moltas, the two Sendoran children sprung onto their mounts in one fluid movement. The instant the beasts felt the children land on their backs, they bucked and leapt sideways with an amazing spring, high into the air. Zastra gasped, but Kylen and Zax were not at all troubled, and the fellgryffs were quickly under control, although they still skittered around the grass paddock.
Zastra tried not to show how impressed she was. She was suddenly concerned with how her aching backside would manage the bucking gait of the fellgryff. However, it was too late to back down now without losing face. She sighed inwardly, summoning up courage as Moltas gave her instructions.
‘Put this on,’ said the groom, giving her a thickly-padded tunic. ‘This should protect your main organs against the horns if they try to spear you. We are going to use one of the oldest, steadiest fellgryffs we have. Don’t take it the wrong way, we always do this for beginners.’
Zastra was far from insulted. She reckoned she would need all the help she could get.
‘There are only a few rules, but all are important,’ said Moltas with intense seriousness. ‘First, you must engage the fellgryff by holding his gaze before you even try to mount. If he don’t like the look o’ you, then don’t even bother. You must mount in one movement, not stepwise like you do on them great lumbering horses. Otherwise he’ll be away afore you know it, and that’ll be an end on it. Once you are on, feel the balance, hold the nape for dear life, but trust your legs, they’re what’ll keep you on. If he throws you, and probably he will throw you, try and land on your feet and get away, fast as you can. I’ll have this noose round his neck. Me and Stertle here’ll drag him away from you, but we can’t be sure we’ll be quick enough. Ready?’
Zastra swallowed, her mouth suddenly very dry. It seemed a great deal to remember all at once. Stertle, a large, strong-looking man, led a fellgryff towards them.
‘Now, hold the eyes. Don’t flinch,’ ordered Moltas. Zastra did as he instructed. The deep brown eyes gazed back at her aggressively, seeming to look inside her, but she returned the stare and eventually the fellgryff bobbed its head by the slightest increment. The movement was so small that Zastra thought she had imagined it. However, Moltas recognised the sign of submission.<
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‘Good!’ he exclaimed. ‘Up you go!’
Zastra drew a deep breath and sprang up boldly, crashing down on the saddle. Her legs gripped the sides of the animal just in time, and she maintained her seat as the animal swung round. The fellgryff bucked viciously, jerking her up into the air. The world spun, and she landed heavily, her midriff smacking against the backbone of her mount The tunic provided some protection, but she was momentarily winded. The next twist loosened her grip, and with final flick of the animal’s back legs, Zastra was thrown off, thudding to the ground. She heard a shout as she jumped to her feet and just managed to wrench her body away as the fellgryff charged at her. It passed so close that its left horn grazed her padded tunic.
‘Run!’ shrieked Zax, and she obeyed, leaping to safety over the paddock fence. She turned to see the fellgryff stamping towards her, slowed by the two men who were tugging with all their strength at the noose round its neck.
‘Are you all right?’ asked Kylen in concern.
‘I think so,’ puffed Zastra, dusting herself off. ‘It all happened so fast.’
Moltas came over.
‘Not too bad,’ he said grudgingly. ‘Most don’t even get on first time, let alone hold the first leap. Do you know what you did wrong?’
Zastra thought for a moment. ‘I didn’t cushion the impact of the leap,’ she said. ‘When I came back down I got winded – that’s what did me in.’
‘That’s right,’ he said. ‘Do you want to try again?’
‘Yes,’ she said, eager for a chance to salvage her bruised pride. She headed towards the fellgryff, preparing to make eye contact.
‘No, not that one,’ said Moltas sharply. ‘Once you’ve fallen off a fellgryff, they won’t ever respect you. You’ll never have a chance o’ riding this one again.’
‘Oh,’ said Zastra, crestfallen. ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’
‘It puts extra pressure on, so we usually don’t the first time,’ Moltas said. ‘We have one more old and quiet one for you to try.’
‘If that was old and quiet, I don’t want to meet one that’s young and frisky,’ muttered Zastra under her breath. She made eye contact with the next animal as it was brought out.
This time as she leapt on the beast she had a better seating and despite the violent efforts of the fellgryff to dislodge her, she hung on. After what seemed like an age, the beast calmed. Zastra puffed her cheeks out with relief.
‘Jump off!’ commanded Moltas. Her legs buckled as she landed but she was filled with delight.
‘Well done,’ said the groom. Kylen came over and patted her on the back.
‘Not bad for a Golmeiran,’ she said.
‘Yeah,’ agreed Zax. ‘We’ve had three Golmeiran ambassadors that I can remember and only one of them ever managed to ride a fellgryff. I heard she had to try about twenty before she could. They had to give her a lame one in the end.’
‘Have a breather,’ said Moltas, ‘and then you can take this one out with Kylen and Zax.’
The second mounting was almost as difficult as the first, but the fellgryff took less time to calm under Zastra’s hand. The Sendorans showed her how to guide her mount. As they proceeded around the castle grounds, she had to keep all her concentration to stay seated. At irregular intervals, the fellgryff would, with no warning, buck and leap. She began to recognise the tell-tale twitch that preceded these events and at last began to feel she had some control over the animal. She noted how steady her fellgryff was compared to the others, but as she dismounted at the end of the ride she was still pleased with herself, although her muscles and her aching backside were complaining bitterly.
‘Could I come again, please Moltas?’ she asked.
‘You’d be welcome anytime,’ he said, with a polite half bow, and Zastra went back to her rooms flushed with happiness.
Chapter Fourteen
Some distance beyond the castle walls, concealed by the densely packed trees of Highcastle Forest, two men huddled over a small fire. Behind them was a tall pen, triple-lined with thick wooden posts. Inside, a large, low shadow slunk back and forth.
‘It gives me the creeps,’ said one of the men, glancing nervously at the enclosure. A snuffling growl made both men flinch.
‘It’s nothing compared to what they’re breeding in Waldaria,’ said the other man, rubbing his upper arms for warmth.
‘Should I feed it? It sounds… hungry.’
‘Here. Give it this bit o’ fellgryff leg. Not too much, mind. You know our instructions.’
‘Why don’t they send the signal? I can’t wait to be rid of it.’
‘Just keep an eye on the top of that tower. Now that Mendoraz is here, the signal must come soon.’
They both stared towards the upper ramparts of Golmer Castle.
Chapter Fifteen
It took Zastra’s sore body a few days to recover from the fellgryff riding, but then she was eager to try again. The old fellgryff became easier to manage as it learned to recognise and respect her, although the ride was never smooth and always required a good deal of concentration. Zastra enjoyed spending time with the young Sendorans. Once Zax had overcome his initial shyness, he revealed himself to have a stout heart and playful nature. Kylen was teaching her new throws and tactics in hand-to-hand combat that she couldn’t wait to try out on her friends and teachers. In return, she continued to tutor her new friends in the art of the crossbow. Kylen in particular was very quick to learn. Like Zastra, she had a natural aptitude for physical challenges. Best of all, they managed to avoid seeing Rastran the whole time.
A half-month after the arrival of the Sendorans, Zastra went down to the combat grounds a little later than usual. At the end of a long and energetic session with Martek, Kylen and Zax had not yet appeared, so she sat in the shade of a tree and waited. The sun was rising to its zenith and it became uncomfortably hot. Bored, she began to practice her mind blocking tricks. She wasn’t sure how much time had passed before she heard a snap of a twig and sensed rather than saw a small shadow behind her. She sprung up, whirling around to find Zax tiptoeing towards her in an attempt to surprise her. Kylen was not far behind.
‘You’ll have to be quieter than that, Zax,’ Zastra said, amused by the young boy’s crestfallen expression.
‘I told him he wouldn’t be able to catch you out,’ said Kylen. ‘He insisted on trying, but a thunderstorm makes less of a racket. We can never take him hunting - he scares everything away.’
‘I do not,’ the boy protested stoutly.
‘Well Zax,’ said Zastra, ‘it’s a bit hot for hand-to-hand but how about some archery? I asked Martek to move the targets back ten paces since you were getting so good. We could see if you can hit the swinging target this time.’
‘Oh, yes, let’s!’ Zax raced towards the shooting range.
Kylen and Zastra followed him and they all kitted up. Zastra went to set the swinging target in motion. As she turned to return to the others, she heard a deep, terrifying snarl. A dark movement flickered in the corner of her eye. Swivelling her head, she made out the crouching form of a huge caralyx, creeping stealthily out of the cover of a small mess of shrubs. It headed towards Kylen and Zax, whose fair hair flashed like two golden domes in the sunlight. They had also seen the creature, and stood transfixed. For a brief instant, Zastra thought that it was a mindweaver trick, but the tell-tale pressing on her mind was absent and no one else was in sight. She realised in horror that it was all too real. Everything suddenly seemed impossibly clear and sharp. The dark-haired caralyx, barely sixty paces away, bared its sabre-like teeth. There was no cover, save a tree, a seeming infinite distance away – a cool shadow of possible sanctuary in the sun-baked grounds. Zastra’s breath caught as some instinct told her the caralyx was about to launch itself towards the Sendorans. She sprinted towards Kylen and Zax, gesticulating frantically.
‘The tree! There! Behind you!’ she yelled, and they had turned and started running in a flurry of arms and pumping legs as she
overtook them. She sensed rather than saw a dark blur moving to intercept them on their left flank, keeping her focus on the tree. Air rasped against her throat and fear gave her speed she never knew she had. She found herself up on the first branch of the tree next to Kylen without really understanding how they got there. They turned to see Zax’s small white hand slip from the branch that was too high for his little hand to grasp properly. The young boy fell to the floor, the beast almost upon him.
Zastra acted instantly, instinctively jumping down in front of Zax. Somehow her crossbow found its way from the harness on her back onto her shoulder. She pointed it forwards, flicked the lever to set the bolt with a fluid movement and fired. There was almost no need to aim, the hot, wet maw of the beast was impossible to miss as it sprang towards her. She thought she saw the bolt land at the back of its throat, but the caralyx did not pause, rearing up with a terrible snarl in a blur of movement. A wet, heavy impact knocked her over and pinned her to the ground. She was overcome with horror, expecting any moment to feel teeth tearing into her skin. Writhing in panic, she struggled to release herself, backing away from the beast on quaking legs. The caralyx lay on the ground, blood foaming from its mouth. It twitched sickeningly and then was still. Zastra sank down on one knee, trembling uncontrollably, her legs unable to hold her up. She became aware that Kylen, ashen-faced, was behind her, shielding her terrified brother with her body and holding a small twig defiantly in front of her. Zastra nodded towards the pathetically thin twig.
‘Fat… lot …of use… that… would be,’ she puffed. A slightly hysterical laughter caught them both as the relief of their escape hit them.
They became aware of people rushing down from the guardhouse. Moltas, the Sendoran groom, was first to reach them, breathless in his haste.
Tales of Golmeira- The Complete Box Set Page 7