The Twins of Tintarfell

by James O'Loghlin

  ‘Not a chance. If they tried that, they’d get tired and drop you. But I’m pretty sure they’ll make it to the first ledge, and from there you can climb the rest of the way.’

  Edward wandered out of the cave, rubbing his eyes. Gildarin explained the plan to him.

  Edward stared at the cliff. ‘Crows? Are you mad!?’

  ‘It’s the only way to get up the cliff in time to save Bart,’ Gildarin replied. ‘You can leave your horse and pony here.’

  ‘He’s a small horse,’ muttered Edward tersely.

  ‘Are you sure the crows couldn’t take us all the way?’ asked Dani.

  ‘Even if they could they’d only be able to fly slowly and that would make them sitting ducks,’ said Gildarin. ‘Or at least, sitting crows.’

  ‘For what?’ demanded Edward.

  ‘The soarers, of course. Did I not mention them?’

  ‘No. What are soarers?’

  ‘They look like thin, wiry people but with wings, and they soar through the air like bats. They live in caves on a ledge near the top of the cliff. If the crows tried to carry the blanket past them they’d be attacked.’

  ‘But you can communicate with animals,’ said Dani. ‘Can’t you tell the soarers to let us through?’

  ‘Unfortunately, whenever I try to communicate with them, they reply with lots of nasty abuse. Last time one called me a “silly, weak groundy-woman”.’

  ‘That’s not very nice,’ said Dani.

  ‘I was quite upset. They’re unpleasant creatures, but to get to the top of the cliff you need to climb past their ledge. Above it the cliff gets very steep again and the only way to the top is through a tunnel that you enter through one of the caves on their ledge. Then, when you reach the top of the cliff, you turn left and keep going until you see ­Melindarah’s castle. It’s right on the cliff’s edge.’

  ‘Climbing the cliff with Bart will be tricky,’ said Dani. ‘He won’t move unless someone has their hand on him.’

  Gildarin studied Bart. ‘I might be able to plant a simple command in his mind instructing him to do exactly what you tell him.’

  While they ate nuts, fruit and some scrambled eggs, Gildarin punched twenty holes around the edge of a larger blanket, threaded long lengths of cord though them, and laid the cords out in straight lines. When she had finished she approached Bart, placed her hands on his head and stared into his blank eyes. After a while she let him go.

  ‘I have instructed him to do exactly what you say,’ she told Dani, ‘but he’ll only obey you if you say his name first, to avoid confusion when you’re talking to others. And he will only obey you. Try it.’

  Dani looked at Bart. Every time she saw his vacant eyes she felt like crying. She clenched her fists, and urged herself to be strong. ‘Bart,’ she commanded. ‘Follow me.’

  Dani walked away. Bart followed. Dani stopped. Bart kept walking until he bumped into her. Dani took a step sideways, and Bart did the same.

  ‘Bart,’ said Dani. ‘Stop following me.’

  Dani stepped away again and Bart stayed still.

  ‘It works,’ said Gildarin, smiling. ‘We’re nearly ready. Time to meet your guide.’

  Gildarin clapped her hands three times. From the edge of the forest a red fox darted towards them and then leapt onto the biggest rock. ‘Hey there, kids,’ he said in a tough-sounding voice. ‘Don’t cry. I’m here.’

  ‘I taught him to speak,’ said Gildarin. ‘His name’s Boris.’

  The fox looked Dani up and down. ‘Don’t you worry, I’ll take care of you.’ He stared into the distance. ‘Yes, it will be dangerous. Yes, we may get ripped limb from limb by the soarers and die a horrible death, but I say this: is it better to live on your knees or die on your paws?’ He held the pose, looking heroically out to the horizon for a few moments, as if waiting for applause.

  ‘He knows the cliffs very well,’ said Gildarin.

  ‘Oh yes, I know the cliffs,’ said Boris. ‘Every stone is my friend, every rock my cousin, every pebble my, er, great-uncle or third cousin once removed or . . . something. You will be guided by the greatest cliff-knowing fox in the entire thing we live on . . . what’s it called again?’

  ‘The world,’ said Gildarin.

  ‘Exactly,’ said Boris. ‘I know more about that cliff than you know about your left foot.’

  ‘How come?’ asked Dani.

  ‘There’s a little tunnel that goes up there from here, not big enough for you, but big enough for me. So up I go.

  I love the danger, I love the excitement, and most of all I love the raspberries that grow up there. They’re so juicy.’

  ‘Can you guide us safely to the top?’ asked Edward.

  ‘The top? You mean past the soarers?’ The fox’s eyes darted around nervously. ‘Um . . . well, we’ll work something out, I’m sure.’

  ‘I have prepared food,’ said Gildarin. ‘Nuts, berries, bread, cheese, and hard-boiled eggs. Fill your bags inside the cave.’ She handed Dani what looked like part of a hollowed-out elephant’s tusk, about as long as Dani’s forearm. ‘It’s a horn. If you get in trouble, blow it hard.’

  ‘Is it magic?’ asked Edward. ‘What will it do?’

  ‘It’ll make a very loud noise,’ said Gildarin. ‘That’s what horns do when you blow them.’

  ‘What’s the point of that?’

  ‘I might hear it, and I’ll try and think of a way to

  help you.’

  Edward snorted, but Dani tucked it into her satchel.

  They filled their bags with food and their water-skins from the stream.

  ‘Time to go,’ said Gildarin, gesturing to the blanket.

  Dani called, ‘Bart. Follow me,’ and walked onto the blanket. Potjer and Boris the fox followed.

  ‘Bart. Lie down,’ ordered Dani.

  Edward hung back, looking pale. ‘Dani, please. This is madness. We’ll be killed. Let’s get Bart back to the doctor at Tintarfell Castle.’

  ‘You can stay here, Edward,’ replied Dani, ‘but I’m going.’

  Edward hesitated, but finally he forced himself onto the blanket and lay down next to the fox.

  ‘Eww,’ exclaimed Boris. ‘You smell.’

  Edward opened his mouth, offended.

  ‘Only joking,’ added Boris, smiling. ‘And yes, foxes can smile. You see, when people go into battle, and make no mistake, this will be a battle, the best way to break down the barriers and form bonds is to use a little device that I call humour. That’s what I was doing. See, I said, “you smell”, you felt offended, then I revealed it was all a joke and there was a release of tension, resulting in a closer bond between us. And when we get in a tight scrape,

  that bond could be the difference between getting killed and just being really badly injured.’ He lowered his voice. ‘You do smell a bit though.’

  Edward opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted by Gildarin.

  ‘Come,’ she shouted, and hundreds of crows flew out from the forest and landed in lines along each rope.

  ‘If you need to come down, blow the horn three times and I will send the birds back up. Good luck. Tell Melindarah I miss her.’

  The crows gripped the ropes and took off. As the sides of the blanket rose Edward was rolled into the middle where he bumped into the others.

  ‘Hold on, humans,’ shouted Boris. ‘We’re not dying yet. That’s for later. Keep calm.’

  They rose higher. The blanket hid all but a patch of sky above them, but after a few minutes Edward thought he detected a slowing in their progress, and the crows he could see above seemed to be labouring. They travelled sideways, and then the blanket started to descend. Edward’s heart leapt into his mouth. The crows were dropping them!

  Suddenly he felt his back thump into hard ground. ‘Ow,’ yelled everyone except Bart. The sides of the blanket lowe
red and the crows dropped the cords and flew off.

  Edward looked around. They were on a ledge about ten steps wide. Above the cliff was steep, but not as smooth as the bottom section. Climbing wasn’t going to be easy, but he could see hand and footholds, and even the occasional tree and bush sprouting from the rock.

  Dani hauled herself to her feet. ‘Bart. Get up.’

  Bart stood.

  Boris dashed a short distance up the ledge and then came back to them. ‘It’s a big cliff, comrades, but we’re big, too. Big in heart. Am I right, men?’

  Dani rolled her eyes.

  ‘I get it,’ said Boris. ‘This is called a morale problem. Let’s try again. Am I right, men?’

  ‘Yes, fine,’ said Dani. ‘And, by the way, I’m not a man. What’s the best way up?’

  ‘Ha!’ said Boris triumphantly. ‘That’s why I’m here. My detailed knowledge of this treacherous cliff will save your mission from disaster. Yes, being the leader is dangerous. But can I do it? Oh, yes.’

  The fox moved to the cliff and scampered up, leaping lightly from rock to rock without looking back.

  ‘Wait,’ called Edward. ‘We can’t go that fast.’

  The fox stopped. ‘Of course. I almost forgot what an amazingly fast and skilful climber I am. But of course a good leader helps his followers. I will wait. Oh, look, here’s a raspberry bush. Yum.’

  Dani turned to Bart. ‘Bart. Walk.’

  Bart was facing the cliff edge and walked forward towards it.

  ‘Stop!’ shouted Dani quickly.

  Bart kept walking. He was only a few paces from the edge.

  ‘Say his name,’ shouted Edward.

  ‘Bart! Stop!’ shouted Dani.

  Bart stopped, just two paces from the edge. ‘Bart. Come here,’ Bart turned around and walked towards Dani, continuing until his nose pushed against hers.

  ‘Bart. Stay there,’ ordered Dani, stepping back. She turned to Edward. ‘Thanks.’

  Edward nodded, but he was furious with himself. Why did I tell her what to do? If I’d just kept quiet, Bart would have walked off the edge of the cliff and I could have gone home.

  He consoled himself with the thought that there would surely be another chance soon.

  Potjer re-arranged his scabbard so that it hung down the middle of his back. ‘It’ll keep it out of the way, your Highness.’

  Edward nodded and did the same as Potjer set off. Edward hesitated, his heart racing. He really didn’t want to climb, but he couldn’t stay on the ledge. He found a handhold and pulled himself up. It was steep, but he could see more holds. He concentrated on putting one hand ahead of the other, and one foot above the next.

  After they had been climbing some time, Dani called down. ‘I’ve found somewhere to rest.’ She and Bart were on a ledge and Potjer was pulling himself onto it. Edward felt a moment of satisfaction. They must have come quite a way. He looked back over his shoulder. Far below was the ledge they had landed on and, beyond, the huge drop to the forest. Suddenly he realised how high he was and how much danger he was in. All it would take was one slip and he would tumble to his death.

  He heard his name called, but couldn’t pull his eyes away from the drop. His legs felt rubbery and one started to shake. His breath was coming in shallow gasps and his arms had gone weak. He felt one start to slip from the rock.

  A hand grabbed his wrist. He looked up. It was Dani.

  ‘Edward.’ She placed his hand back on a handhold. ‘Look up. Can you climb?’

  Edward’s heart was beating too hard for him to respond.

  ‘Come on. You can do it,’ urged Dani. ‘Go past me.’

  Edward hesitantly reached up, found a hold and pulled himself slowly up.

  ‘Good,’ said Dani. ‘Keep going.’

  Slowly he climbed past Dani, who followed him, encouraging him and telling him where to put his hands and feet. In this way, they reached the ledge. Edward hauled himself onto it and collapsed, panting.

  They rested for some time and then pressed on. Dani suggested Potjer go after Boris, followed by Edward, with Bart and her bringing up the rear. Edward knew she had made the change to try to protect him, and felt both relieved and humiliated. The climbing got steeper, and there were fewer holds. Several times Edward didn’t think he could go on but Dani calmly encouraged him, telling him where to move.

  They continued through the day, stopping to eat and drink whenever they could find a ledge wide enough to rest on. As the sun began to dip they came to a wide ledge where Boris ushered them behind a large boulder.

  ‘We’re close to the soarers’ ledge, friends,’ he said. ‘Let me tell you what I know, and I know a lot. The soarers are thin and can fly. Most creatures that can fly are thin. Except for pigs, of course.’

  ‘Pigs can’t fly,’ said Potjer.

  ‘Exactly,’ exclaimed Boris. ‘Well done. That was a test.’ He pointed to Potjer with his paw. ‘You passed. The rest of you, lift your game. Back to the soarers. Their wings go from their wrists to their ankles. They bite, they punch, they kick and, worst of all, even if you push one off the cliff, they just glide back onto it. But if they throw you off, you fall all the way to the bottom, and smash your head and legs and ribs and –’

  ‘Stop!’ cried Edward. ‘I mean, let’s not get bogged down in details.’

  ‘Of course,’ said Boris. ‘Good comment, lad.’

  Edward peered around the boulder. Above he saw a thin, human-shaped creature gliding through the air, its arms outstretched in front of it. Thin, bat-like wings ran from its wrists to its ankles. ‘Look!’

  The soarer circled lower, following an eagle. The bird dodged this way and that but the soarer covered its every move. Suddenly, the soarer dived at the bird, grabbed its neck with both hands and twisted. The eagle went limp and the soarer glided in towards the cliff.

  ‘Yikes,’ gasped Edward.

  ‘What will it do now?’ asked Dani.

  ‘If it can find an up-draught it’ll glide back up to the ledge,’ said Boris. ‘If not it’ll land lower down, eat the bird and then wait for an up-draught, or climb up.’

  ‘Do they just eat birds?’ asked Edward.

  ‘They’ll eat anything with a heartbeat,’ said Boris. ‘The bigger, the better. They’d love you.’

  Edward wished he hadn’t asked.

  The soarer glided towards their ledge. Dani loaded a stone into her sling, but then the creature swung around and started to rise.

  ‘It’s found an up-draught,’ said Boris.

  They watched it swing around in slow circles, rising until, some way above, it steered back into the cliff.

  ‘That’s their ledge,’ said Boris. ‘Aren’t I great? I know everything.’

  ‘How do we get past it?’ asked Edward.

  ‘Well, if I was on my own I’d run really fast, but you lot are big and slow, so . . . um . . . any ideas, anyone?’

  ‘You don’t have a plan?’ said Edward.

  ‘Well, I’m very clever of course, but on this occasion . . . well not an actual plan . . . More of an . . . um . . .’

  ‘Yes?’ pressed Edward.

  ‘Well, more of a lack of a plan.’

  Edward put his head in his hands. ‘Oh no.’

  ‘What we will find on the soarers’ ledge?’ asked Dani.

  The fox raised his head and puffed out his chest. ‘My friends, we will find fear and danger. But also glory.’

  ‘Thanks for that,’ said Dani, ‘but what does it look like?’

  ‘It’ll look like a battle. It’ll look like victory!’

  ‘What will we see there?’ pressed Dani. ‘How wide is it?’

  ‘Well, I haven’t actually been on it personally, myself.’

  ‘You haven’t?’ said Edward.

  ‘Of course not. Those soarers are vi
cious. You think I’m stupid? I think there’s some caves they sleep in, and then above their ledge the cliff gets too steep and smooth to climb, but there’s a tunnel that leads to the surface. We have to turn right when we reach the ledge, cross a stream that runs across the cliff and the tunnel entrance is in the third cave past the stream.’

  ‘That’s all you know?’ asked Dani.

  ‘No,’ said Boris indignantly. ‘That’s just all I know about this.’

  Edward felt shaky. He tried to pull himself together. ‘If we have to get past them, let’s do it at night. Maybe we can sneak past without them seeing us.’

  ‘What weapons do we have?’ asked Dani.

  ‘I’ve got a sword and a knife,’ said Edward.

  ‘Me too,’ said Potjer. ‘Not the same ones, obviously. I’ve got a different sword and a different knife.’

  ‘I’ve got my sling,’ added Dani. ‘We should each carry a few rocks we can throw.’

  ‘I don’t think I’ll be able to throw rocks at them,’ said Boris. ‘Not having hands and all.’

  Dani turned to Bart. ‘Bart. Collect as many rocks as you can, and stay away from the edge of the cliff.’

  A few moments later they heard a loud grunt. Bart was trying to pick up a boulder twice his size. ‘Bart,’ called Dani. ‘Collect rocks that will fit easily in your hands and make a pile of them.’

  She turned to the others. ‘Edward’s suggestion makes sense. Let’s wait until dark and then try to sneak past. Until then, we should rest.’

  Chapter 16

  The Soarers’ Ledge

  Dani estimated it would be a few hours until it was properly dark. With the others she lay down behind the boulders so the soarers wouldn’t be able to see them and tried to sleep.

  She puzzled over what Gildarin had said about Bart being able to communicate with animals. If it was true, why didn’t she know about it? Could Bart have kept it a secret from her all these years? Had he been kidnapped and his mind drained because he had these mysterious powers? The most important question was, could he

  be fixed? And if he couldn’t be, what on earth would