I closed my eyes again and thought of the beach she used to help shed her old scales. One end of the bay had grainy sand, perfect for exfoliating dead skin. The other had powder-soft sand for burnishing her new scales till they shone. She had been overly vain about the brilliance of her dark-green scales.
The waves breaking at the base of the sand dunes boomed as they curled on themselves and pounded the shore. High tide. Not the right time for a dragon to come.
‘Perhaps she’s migrated.’ Aethan still held my hand as we stared out over the lonely ocean.
‘What?’
‘Like a bird. Maybe she moves with the seasons.’
Maybe she did, but that didn’t explain why I couldn’t contact her.
He tugged on my hand. ‘We have to go.’
‘I know.’ I let him take us back to the cave and woke up as Brent was shaking my shoulder.
‘Izzy,’ he hissed. He must have been shaking for a while.
‘All right, all right,’ I mumbled, scrubbing my eyes with my fists. I couldn’t believe it had been a couple of hours already.
‘Goblins are coming.’
I sat bolt upright. So it hadn’t been a couple of hours.
‘How far?’
‘About a mile. But they’re heading straight for this area, and they’re moving fast.’ He moved on to wake up Wilfred.
Wolfgang and Isla were already up, throwing their saddles onto their horses.
I packed up my stuff and swung my sword into its position on my back. Then I saddled Lily and secured my bags. She snuffled at my hands, looking for a biscuit. ‘Not yet lovely,’ I murmured.
‘We need to get out of the cave,’ Aethan said.
If it was their destination, the cave was a death trap. Were they planning on camping here, or did they know we were here? Either way it didn’t bode well for us.
We coaxed our tired horses back outside and waited for Luke to come back from his scouting. When he did, he was running hard.
‘They’re almost at the start of the path,’ he said as he swung up into his saddle.
As quietly as we could, we rode the horses further along the path. It twisted and turned and within moments we were out of sight of the cave entry. But we hadn’t gone far before the path began to thin. The trees loomed on either side as they pressed closer and closer and then suddenly the path disappeared. We were trapped.
The sounds of goblin feet slapping the hard rock resonated on the cool night air. I held my breath and prayed to the Dark Sky that they would stop at the cave. The marching seemed to go on forever. How many of them were there? Twenty? Fifty?
Finally the marching stopped, and their voices became muffled as they entered the fissure into the cave. Aethan slid off Adare and crept back along the path, disappearing from view round the corner.
He reappeared a few minutes later and jogged back to Wolfgang.
‘No sentry. We can sneak back past them,’ he whispered. ‘What can you do?’
My breath froze and my heart started to pound. Sneak back past them? I looked around at the forest. There was no way we would get through it with the horses, and if they realised we were there we would need the horses.
‘I can muffle our noise,’ Wolfgang whispered back.
He raised his hands and the air around us thickened. It moulded itself to us like a thick blanket. Lily threw her head up and I placed a reassuring hand on her neck. ‘Shhh,’ I said to Scruffy. I didn’t know if the spell would prevent the goblins from hearing us if he started barking.
We moved back towards the cave entry, the strange air clinging to our every move. With each step we took, my heart beat faster, till it felt like it was mimicking a hummingbird. My breath came in short, sharp pants as I reached over my shoulder and loosened my sword in its sheath.
Aethan rode in the lead with Wolfgang right behind him, one hand in the air as he held the spell intact. Isla and I rode in the middle with Brent and Luke behind us and Wilfred in the rear.
I felt like I had a huge spotlight on me as I rode past the entry to the cave. I stared at the crack, unable to blink as I willed it to remain empty. All it would take was one goblin to poke his head out. One goblin to raise the alarm.
The hair on the back of my neck stood on end and my hands sweated onto the reins. I felt like a hundred eyes were boring into my back as I headed for the path leading out. I gritted my teeth and took deep breaths, resisting the urge to kick my heels into Lily’s sides.
I’d fought goblins before, I know, but never in such a dire situation, or with such bad odds. If they realised we were here before we were all past the opening, they would split our group in two. There was no way we would win that fight.
We had almost made it when I heard Isla gasp, ‘My bow.’
As if on cue, a goblin yelled from inside the cave and the rest of them followed suit. We could hear then heading back down the crack towards us. Isla had left her bow behind, and they had just found it.
‘Go,’ Aethan yelled.
They knew we were there. Silence was no longer any protection. Now we needed speed.
I kicked Lily’s flanks and urged her after Isla down the long and windy path. We had to break free of it to have any speed advantage over the goblins on foot. I heard Wilfred yell, and the clash of metal-on-metal, but didn’t dare stop. I would only make things worse. I had to pray the big man would make it out of there.
We burst from the edge of the forest onto a plain, and raced away from the goblins. A look over my shoulder showed me Wilfred, clutching his arm as he leaned low over his horse’s neck.
A horn sounded behind us, ringing out in the night, and a band of goblins broke from the trees to our left. Aethan swore and changed direction. I cradled Scruffy between my arms as I leant low, urging Lily on with my hands and my legs.
An arrow buzzed through the air and I threw an arm up. A couple more clattered off the shield that formed in front of my outstretched fingers. I held it to the side as we outdistanced the goblins.
More horns rang out in front of us and to our rear. Aethan shifted course again, away from the horns, heading north towards the border. We had to hope we could outdistance them before we reached the river or we would be trapped.
Lily’s breath was coming in laboured pants, froth flying from her mouth before we were able to drop back to a trot. The horns still sounded but from behind us now. It was possible we were going to make it.
I dropped back beside Wilfred but Isla beat me to it. She tut-tutted as she looked at the gash on his arm. Then she dug around in her bag and pulled out a bandage, pulling her horse in close enough to wrap his wound.
‘Seems like I’m going to have to keep a closer eye on you,’ she said. ‘Can’t have you getting yourself killed now can I.’
The look on his face was going to keep a smile on mine for a very long time.
We trotted for a while longer before Aethan considered it safe enough to walk.
‘What were you thinking?’ he hissed at his sister.
‘It wasn’t me that picked the hidey-hole with only one exit.’
‘I knew I should have left you at home.’
A goblin leapt from behind a tree and swung an axe at Isla’s head. I screeched, throwing an arm toward him. Lightning burst from my fingertips and hit him square in the chest. He crumpled to the ground with a hole the size of a fist where his heart had been.
It was just like when Emerald and I had fought the goblins, but I still didn’t have a clue how I’d done it. A score more goblins appeared from the direction the first had come, loosing arrows in our direction. I threw my hands at them but nothing happened. This instinctual magic thing was starting to get old.
‘Wolfgang,’ I yelped.
‘Got it,’ he said and a shield flickered into being.
As we kicked the horses back into a gallop, horns sounded from all directions and drum beats reverberated in the night.
‘Great. Drums,’ I muttered. ‘Always with the freakin’ drums.
’
Every time we tried to head south, goblins would appear, running towards our tiring horses. Again and again we tried to break through, but instead we were forced further north.
‘They’re herding us,’ Wilfred yelled.
‘Towards the river,’ Aethan added.
Towards a trap.
The edge of the Livia River cut deep into the earth off to our right, and goblins massed to our left. We were about to be pinched between a rock and a very, very hard place.
The goblins’ cries became triumphant as we turned and raced along the river bank. The water roared as it tumbled deep within the ravine it had cut. Faster and faster the horses ran, fear pumping adrenaline into their muscles as the enemy raced to pin us against the cliff edge.
Wolfgang hurled fireballs that smashed into the goblin lines, exploding with enough impact to take out three or four at a time. But the goblins behind clambered over the charred remains and within moments it was as if Wolfgang had done nothing.
‘On my call,’ Aethan yelled.
I realised that the rest of them, except Isla, had nocked their bows. No mean feat while galloping. I grabbed mine off the pommel of my saddle and notched an arrow.
‘Fire,’ Aethan yelled once they were within range.
We released volley after volley, most finding marks, but as with the fireballs, within moments the goblins behind surged forwards to fill the gaps. It was as if all the arrows in the world couldn’t stop them. We were going to have to rely on our speed to outrun them.
I slung the bow back over the pommel and leant low over Lily’s neck. We were almost there, almost free of the head of the goblin line but they were closing the distance fast – fearsome warriors racing each other to kill us. Their battle cries were deafening as they wielded spears and axes.
All my attempts to hurl lightning came to nothing, and my attempts to shield were useless. I swore and pulled my sword from its sheath on my back. I was going to have to do it the old-fashioned way.
A hand grasped my ankle and I hacked at the wrist, severing it with my sword. I screamed with rage and struck out again and again, forcing them away from Lily. But they crowded around us, pushing us back until escape was no longer possible.
Murderous black eyes, lips curled in rage, a sea of arms reaching out to swamp us. Aethan glanced over his shoulder, a look of determination on his face.
There was only one option, one way we might survive.
‘The river,’ he yelled.
Wolfgang threw another fireball into the goblins. I shoved my sword back into its sheath and swung Lily around. It seemed we all jumped as one. Away from the goblins, away from their weapons, tumbling down, down into the cold, dark waters of the Livia River.
4
Out Of The Frying Pan And Into The Fire
Lily plunged into the river beneath me and I gasped as the cold water closed over my head. I could feel her moving, struggling to break free of the river’s grasp.
My weight was not helping. Holding Scruffy’s collar, I slid free of Lily’s back and immediately started to sink. The weight of my sword dragged me towards the bottom of the river. I reached my free hand up to remove it, but my shirt floated over the top of the sheath. I batted at the fabric, but couldn’t find the pommel of the sword.
Kicking my legs, I stroked with my free arm, but now I didn’t know which way was up. My lungs started to burn and I had a moment to feel rage at the unfairness of it – that I had gone through everything I had, only to drown, that my sweet, naughty familiar was going to die with me, and then the reins jerked tight around my forearm, pulling me up, up, up to the surface of the river.
I shoved Scruffy ahead of me, but when my head broke free his eyes were still closed. ‘Scruffy.’ I shook him and squeezed him and he took a shuddering breath and vomited up a torrent of water. ‘Thatta boy,’ I said, stroking his head.
When he had finished, I rolled onto my back and settled him on my chest so that his front paws hooked over my shoulder. Then I looked around.
Lily towed me behind her as she swam. Her nostrils were wide and her ears flicked from side-to-side and I was guessing that this wasn’t the best night of her life either.
‘Aethan, Wilfred, Isla.’ I swivelled my head but couldn’t see anyone else. ‘Brent, Wolfgang, Luke.’ Even though I yelled, my voice was soft over the roar of the river.
‘Isla.’ Aethan’s voice came from behind me. ‘Will.’
It was stupid, but even now, when our lives were in danger, I felt chagrin that it wasn’t my name he was calling.
‘Aethan.’ I turned and yelled toward him.
‘Isadora?’
‘Yes.’
I tried to pull Lily back so that we could swim towards him, but the current had us in its grip. We were going to end up where the river wanted us to.
Where were the others? Were they alive? I pushed my concern for them aside and concentrated on swimming.
The cold seeped into my bones and my teeth started to chatter. Scruffy cowered against my body, his ears down as he trembled. He whimpered and I wrapped my arm further around him, trying to give him some warmth. The problem was that I didn’t have any left to give. If we didn’t get out of the river soon it would be hypothermia that got us, not goblins. But either way, dead was dead.
It felt like we swam for hours before the river took a sharp right bend. The water swirled in an eddy, swinging us round and round in a whirlpool against the left bank of the river. I could feel myself starting to get sucked under again, and then Lily had her legs beneath her. She heaved herself out onto the edge of the river, dragging Scruffy and me behind her.
I slid out of the water onto my belly and lay there panting till I had the strength to pull myself to my knees and stagger to Lily’s side. She stood with her head down and her legs wide, sucking in big lungfuls of air. Her eyes were wild as I placed a hand on her head, but she let me pat her until her trembling stopped and her breathing calmed.
We were cold, we were wet and we were totally alone. It was up to me to save us.
‘Come on.’ I picked up her reins and led her away from the water’s edge. We needed fire if we were to survive, and we needed it now.
I had hoped that the walking would warm us, but a cold breeze blew off the river, amplifying my tremors to teeth-chattering proportions. Finally, I found a suitable spot – a large stand of trees that blocked the wind, and would hopefully mask my fire. A clearing, more than large enough for the three of us, lay snug in the middle of the trees.
We were in enemy country – giant country if what Isla had said was correct – but I had to deal with the most imminent problem first. I rummaged through the undergrowth till I had enough kindling to light the fire. A small depression in the middle of the clearing was going to have to suffice as a fire pit. The shovels had been with the packhorses.
Where was everybody? Had they made it out of the river?
I sucked in a big breath and concentrated on not crying. Self-pity would get me nowhere.
I dug through my saddlebags till I found my matches, thanking the Dark Sky that they were still secure in their plastic bag. Wet matches would have been a disaster.
My trembling hands broke the first few without producing a spark. Lily whinnied and pushed her nose into my back.
‘I know, I know,’ I said, striking another match. This one lit and, holding my breath, I placed it beneath the kindling. Flames licked over the dry leaves and suddenly we had fire.
I placed a few sticks over the top, being careful not to smother it, and went looking for more firewood. We were going to need it to get us all dry. Once I had gathered a large pile, I led Lily over to the fire and took off her saddle and blankets. I rubbed her down the best I could with handfuls of dry leaves, and then did the same to Scruffy. Then I dug through the saddle bags and pulled out the biscuits. Even wet they were still rock hard. I fed a few to Lily and shared some of the dried meat with Scruffy.
After she had finished her piti
ful meal, Lily let out a snort and lay down near the flames. Scruffy joined her, pressing up against her body. I perched on a log and unbraided my hair, running my fingers through it to help it dry. The problem was, my clothes were still wet and cold. They were never going to dry on me, and I was already starting to itch.
I pulled my shirt and pants off and hung them over sticks near the fire to dry. Then I pulled everything out of the saddle bags. Before long the clearing looked like a laundry, blankets and clothing hanging over a large, broken branch.
The heat radiating from the fire was wonderful against my skin. I sat on the ground between Lily’s legs and lay back against her belly. I knew I should have been more alert, but I had been tired and cold and scared for so long that the warmth wound around me and before long I felt my eyelids drooping.
It wouldn’t hurt just to snooze for a minute. Surely…
Scruffy let out a little bark and my eyes snapped back open. A man stood on the other side of the clearing. Wet, black hair plastered his forehead and blood dribbled down his cheek. He took a step towards me before his eyes rolled up and he fell to the ground.
‘Aethan.’ I jumped up from Lily’s side and rushed to him.
Please, oh please don’t let him be dead.
‘Aethan.’ I rolled him onto his back and pressed my ear to his chest. His heart beat was strong. I blinked back tears and ran my hands over his head. Blood coated my fingers. A large gash darkened his scalp.
A nicker made me stare past him into the dark. Aethan’s stallion, Adare, stood there with one of the packhorses. I grabbed their reins and moved them closer to the fire but that was the best I could do for them until I had dealt with Aethan.
I lay my blanket, which was almost dry, next to him and rolled him onto it. Then I dragged it back to the fire. I grabbed my dream-catcher and placed it near his head. The last thing we needed was to have him wandering through Trillania unable to wake up. One of my long-sleeved shirts with the arms tied underneath his chin did as a pressure bandage. I undid his fur vest and wiggled it out from behind him, then took off his boots and pants and hung them out to dry.
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