Brightstorm

by Vashti Hardy

  Arthur swallowed back the lump in his throat and grabbed the locket hanging around his neck. He’d been told before that his father was dead, but he had to keep on hoping, until he knew for certain; until he had proof of death to match his proof of life.

  “But you may find the answers you seek there.”

  “We hope so, and we want more than anything to still beat Eudora Vane to South Polaris.”

  Tuyok growled at the thought of her.

  “What is it saying?” Harriet asked.

  “They’re taking us to the frozen lake.”

  Harriet looked at him with utter astonishment, then a great smile broadened her lips. “It seems luck is back on our side. We need to go back to the ship, get Felicity and Maudie and pack supplies.”

  Tuyok bowed his head. “We will meet you back here.”

  With that, Tuyok leapt through the snow towards the other thought-wolves. Arthur heard a rush of thoughts from the other thought-wolves before they disappeared, as though the wolves could choose who around them could hear their thoughts.

  When Arthur and Harriet arrived back in the clearing, Maudie gave him her death stare and marched right over, finger pointing and yelling at him. “What were you thinking? You could’ve got lost or worse! At least Harriet was quick enough to go after you. You could’ve been eaten by the beasts. Wait – why are you grinning?” She stamped on his foot.

  “OWWW! I’m trying to explain… Maud, we met the beasts, except they’re not beasts, they’re thought-wolves and they’re nothing like we’ve been led to believe. They’re amazing. They speak through their thoughts, and I can understand what they mean. Their pack-leader, Tuyok, spoke to me and said Eudora killed some of them last time. They’ve never harmed a human, so that means…”

  “Stop talking so fast! You’re telling me you’ve spoken to wolves?” She gave Harriet a sideways glance. “He must’ve hit his head pretty hard…”

  “It’s true,” said Harriet. “Incredible, unbelievable, but true.”

  “So the wolves definitely didn’t kill Dad and the crew?”

  He shook his head.

  “And you know this because they speak to you through their thoughts?”

  “They’re sapient creatures, but unlike any sapient creature in the First or Second Continents. They show a higher level of understanding. It’s as though they’ve taken it to a whole new level. They can actually talk to us.”

  “That’s pretty amazing, Arty,” she said, her eyes telling him she still doubted it.

  “And they’re going to take us further.”

  Maudie paused, then shrugged and said, “What are we waiting for?”

  Quickly they packed for the journey. Felicity was more than pleased to be coming along but first insisted on taking Welby through the fine details of how to feed the remaining crew and how to ration.

  “I am well versed in this kind of affair, Madame,” he said raising his great eyebrows.

  Harriet spoke with Forbes, Gilly and the others, giving advice and instructions on what could work, and drawing hurried plans.

  They dressed warmly and packed rations, tools and essentials into backpacks. Parthena circled above, keen to get going. Queenie tottered out from the wreckage of the Aurora. “Prrrwt?”

  Harriet picked her up and stroked her thick fur. “I’m sorry, dearest, but you need to stay here and look after Welby and the others.”

  The four explorers said their goodbyes to the rest of the crew and disappeared into the darkness of the forest.

  Tuyok and his pack were lying together in the snow where Harriet and Arthur had left them, keeping each other warm. When he saw Arthur, Tuyok stood and stretched out his paws.

  Maudie tensed and Felicity grabbed her. “Towering teapots! Are you sure about this, Arthur Brightstorm?”

  “They’re really friendly.” He smiled.

  “They’re really enormous,” Felicity said shakily.

  Maudie frowned. “I can hear thoughts – words – someone else’s, in my head! Well, it’s all a bit jumbled, but that’s weird.”

  “What are you meaning by that, flower? I can’t hear anything apart from my knees knocking,” Felicity said.

  Harriet looked thoughtful. “Interesting – of the four of us, it seems it’s just you two. Perhaps young minds are more open to such things?”

  “Take it slowly, Maud. If it’s too fast, ask them to slow down. It gets easier with every sentence. Sometimes they all talk and it gets a bit confused, and sometimes it’s as though they are able to block everything else out and can direct a thought only to you.”

  “Let’s get going. Do they lead the way and we walk behind?” Harriet asked.

  “There will be no need to walk. You will ride with us,” Tuyok said.

  Arthur and Maudie both grew wide-eyed and grinned.

  “We aren’t walking – we’re riding,” Arthur said. Tuyok dipped the front of his body to the snow and Arthur swung his leg over his great shoulders and climbed on to his strong back. It was soft and warm, like hugging a great carpet.

  Arthur rode pure white Tuyok, Harriet, a muscular, silky brown wolf called Sangilak. Felicity rode Kinapak, a white wolf with grey patches around her eyes like a mask and big padding feet which went well with Felicity’s own. Maudie went with Slartok who was midnight black – they looked a breathtaking pair with their fierce stares.

  “Ready?” said Tuyok, and the instant Arthur thought “yes”, they took off, charging through the great snowy forest.

  CHAPTER 21

  GRAVE NEWS

  Arthur held on as best he could, with his hand clutching Tuyok’s fur, as the thought-wolves ran. After a minute, Tuyok was in his thoughts, telling Arthur to relax and feel Tuyok’s movements. Although it was difficult at first, Arthur began to read the landscape ahead with Tuyok, leaning into the turns and bracing for leaps. After a while they became one. Glimpses of Parthena wove through the treetops as they darted between pines – she flew ahead or above the pack, but keeping low so not to risk being seen by the Victorious.

  They rode through the day into the short night covering fifty miles in one day. The thought-wolves hardly paused for breath, the relentless thud and thrust of their huge paws sending flurries of snow-dust in their wake. As the short night drew in and the sky darkened to indigo, the temperature dropped and large flakes of snow tumbled between the pines. Arthur was glad of being able to sink his hand deep into Tuyok’s fur and share the warmth of his body. The rhythmic pace of the thought-wolf began to make him tired. He couldn’t even remember when he’d last slept. “Rest,” Tuyok thought, and the pack slowed and stopped.

  The humans climbed down from their thought-wolves and stretched out their limbs. Now stationary, the snow soon settled on their fur hoods and eyelids. Tuyok dug snow from the bottom of nearby trees as though looking for something. He settled on a great old pine on the edge of a slope with much of its roots exposed. Tuyok deftly dug out any snow and earth with the other wolves to form an entrance and widened the cavity underneath. while Arthur, Maudie and Harriet collected needled branches to make a canopy roof. Felicity started a small fire then went deeper into the undergrowth with her wolf, Kinapak, who was digging and snouting through the dense vegetation. They had soon gathered a small pile of grubs to cook. Arthur felt so hungry he didn’t even question what they were eating, but Felicity had an extraordinary ability to turn the most unappetizing food into a banquet with a sprinkling of the herbs and spices she had brought along in small vials. The wolves liked their grubs raw and couldn’t see the point of ruining them with heat and bits of leaves. Dessert was honeybread flats, crumbly from the crash but delicious, and washed down with sweet tea which warmed them from the inside out.

  Harriet laughed. “Even now, we have tea.”

  “Well, we’re not animals,” huffed Felicity. “No offence,” she added quickly, stroking Kinapak’s furry white head.

  Exhausted, the humans crawled into the root den, and the thought-wolves became an insul
ating skirt at the bottom of the tree. They drifted to sleep in moments, eight forest creatures snuggled into a nest.

  The dark night was only three chimes long, and Arthur woke to broad daylight and the soft clanks of Felicity cooking, the smell of porridge, and Harriet and Maudie talking co-ordinates. His iron arm was making the skin around his shoulder sore because he’d had it on for so long now, but there was no way he was undressing in the cold to take it off. The snow had stopped and left the trees heavy and the forest floor dense with a fresh layer. Everything sparkled in the morning light.

  “Morning, sleepy, we’ve been awake for ages. The thought-wolves are hunting rodents, but they’ll be back soon,” Maudie said.

  “By ages she means moments,” Felicity said, hugging Maudie to her.

  “Slartok says we’ll be out of the forest by the end of the day,” Maudie said.

  “That’s brilliant. Have I got time to write before we leave?” he said. Harriet said they did, so he took out his explorer journal and wrote several pages on the thought-wolves.

  “You look happy,” Harriet said.

  He was. They were so close to Dad’s ship and the frozen lake now.

  The thought-wolves returned and the humans quickly ate a lucky spoonful of porridge each, climbed back on their wolves, and were soon darting and dashing between pines once more.

  After half a day, the forest thinned and the trees were barren and withered, and were spread wider. The freezing wind picked up and slapped at their cheeks. Arthur rode Tuyok close to his body, burying his face in his fur whenever he could, to keep warm.

  Arthur’s body jolted forward as the wolves came to an abrupt stop. Parthena landed on a treetop not far away and screeched a mournful cry. The thought-wolves talked between themselves in hurried thoughts.

  “Bad snow.”

  “We can’t go.”

  “We go around.”

  “What is it?” Arthur asked.

  A clearing could be seen through the trees ahead. The explorers climbed from the thought-wolves’ backs and the four of them walked closer. There were undulations covered by snow. At first, Arthur thought they were natural mounds, but then he saw they were too regularly shaped and about the length of … a person. His feet rooted to the earth and sickness churned in his throat. They looked like graves. Arthur sank to his knees before the first one, feeling numb. To think one could be his dad, buried in the cold earth with the rest of his crew.

  “Thirteen of the poor things,” Felicity said.

  They sat in silence before the graves.

  “Did you say thirteen?” Arthur said suddenly, looking at Felicity. “The Brightstorm crew had fourteen – and that included Dad.”

  “You’re right, Arty,” Maudie said.

  “It makes sense,” Felicity said. “Someone must have dug these graves.”

  “Then who’s missing?” said Harriet.

  CHAPTER 22

  GHOST SKY-SHIP

  They made wreaths from twisted branches and laid them on the graves. Harriet gave a speech about bravery and finding justice, but Arthur could barely hear because his mind buzzed with unanswered questions. Harriet took a photograph, saying it may be important later, for evidence, and that Arthur should write an account in his explorer’s journal, when he felt up to it.

  As they walked back to the thought-wolves, Maudie whispered, “What do you think happened?”

  Arthur shook his head. “Whatever it was, I’m hoping we’ll find out more on the ship. If it was some sort of accident, why would the crew have been buried here, way out of sight, and not near the ship? Someone was trying to hide them. Eudora Vane thinks she’s stopped us reaching this far. Let’s find out what she’s been trying to hide.”

  They were at the forest edge, the only sound the haunting whistle of the wind through the trees.

  “We are here, cub,” said Tuyok.

  The four explorers shuffled through the last of the trees and stood staring ahead.

  An enormous white expanse spread before them, the late sun giving it a blue appearance – the great Frozen Lake. It was encircled east, south and west by giants of mountains, fearsome and intimidating with great jagged points of razor teeth in tight formation.

  Harriet passed her binoscope to Arthur. “Look.”

  The Victorious was nestled at the forest edge in the east, golden lights shining in its portholes.

  “Not even her great ship can make it over those mountains. No balloon can take the altitude,” said Maudie. “And who knows what lies beyond.”

  Harriet nodded in agreement. “Quite right. They’ll be preparing for the next stage on foot. This is where the competition becomes even, no matter who you are – just you and your ability to tough it through the cold and find a way forward. This is where we gain the upper hand.” Harriet had already taken out her compass and other instruments from her belt and began taking readings and recording them in her book with Maudie.

  Arthur, however, was scanning the great plain, looking desperately for the Violetta. Parthena looped west, then dived from the sky and landed in front of him. “Best stay low now. We don’t want her catching sight of you and giving us away,” he said. She let out a screech and sailed low over the snow, westwards again.

  Then he spotted a curious mound of snow not far from them – he couldn’t believe he’d missed it. “It’s Dad’s ship,” he said, his heart thumping. “Parthena, you were trying to tell us!”

  Harriet and Maudie stopped with their calculations and looked.

  “Well, it will certainly prove a useful shelter,” said Harriet. “The light is fading fast and the short night will be there soon.”

  “We’ll skirt around the edge of the forest a little way, so she doesn’t see us, then move swiftly across to your father’s sky-ship, rest there for a short time and get some sleep. It doesn’t seem the Vane party has left for the mountains yet. Let’s not lose the advantage.”

  “Will you be all right seeing your father’s ship, twinnies?” Felicity circled them in her arms.

  They nodded.

  Arthur couldn’t wait to get there; since seeing the thirteen graves he had one hope in his mind – that Dad had somehow survived and was on the Violetta.

  “There are only ghosts there, cub,” said Tuyok, reading Arthur’s thoughts. But Arthur didn’t want to hear it and pushed the thought away. He had to hang on to the hope.

  “Can you ask how much further the thought-wolves can take us, Arthur?” said Harriet.

  “The forest is our territory. We will take you to the ghost sky-ship, then we must get back to the rest of our pack. I hope you understand,” said Tuyok.

  “You’ve done more than enough, thank you.”

  “Be careful – the lake is restless ice, always changing and moving. Listen to it well. We will stay with you until morning.” Tuyok bowed his head. Arthur couldn’t help but put his arm around the thought-wolf’s great neck to feel his soft fur against his cheek, and wish that he could stay in the protection of Tuyok for ever.

  “You are welcome in our pack any moon,” said Tuyok.

  “The thought-wolves can take us to the Violetta, but they must get back to the rest of their pack at first light.”

  “We understand, thank you.” Harriet patted her thought-wolf.

  Arthur looked at the vast lake ahead and the mountains and felt as though he’d shrunk to the size of an insect. “So South Polaris is beyond those mountains?”

  “Yes,” Harriet said. “We must find a way through.”

  “And just the small matter of getting across this ridiculously unstable, iced-up lake, then,” said Felicity.

  “Yes, but that’s tomorrow’s problem. Right now, we make sure we stay out of sight of the Victorious and get some sleep.”

  They wove back through the trees westward, staying hidden, then the thought-wolves rode them across the short distance to the great white mound. The Violetta was crushed and tilted, frozen into the ground with great walls of snow banked against t
he sides. It looked as though it had become at one with the great white landscape. The four of them looked up at the once beautiful sky-ship. Maudie and Arthur remembered Dad had taken them to the docks when she was being built. Arthur used to run his hand along the rails when visiting the ship; now they were rusted and broken.

  “I’ll climb up and check the top,” said Harriet, clambering up the bank of snow.

  Arthur took a step closer to Maudie.

  “It’s not too bad on the deck. Most of the snow has drifted to the bottom, and I think with a little digging we can get the hatch open,” Harriet called.

  “I’ll go and help; you two wait here a moment.” Near the top of the bank, Felicity took her spoon and scooped snow away from the side to reveal words – The Violetta. She looked down. “She was a beauty and no mistaking it. Graceful shapes – I bet she flew well.”

  Arthur put his hand to his chest and felt for the locket.

  “I’m nearly through. Would you like us to look first? You know … in case?” Harriet asked.

  “Yes,” Maudie said, her voice cracking.

  They waited outside for excruciating minutes, snuggled into the fur of the thought-wolves beside the ship.

  Soon, Harriet and Felicity were back, looking over the side of the deck calling them on board.

  “It’s all right, there’s no one here,” said Harriet.

  Arthur’s heart sank again, and Tuyok opened his emerald eyes and looked at him. “Be strong.”

  “It’s as though everything was abandoned. It’s the strangest thing,” said Felicity.

  Arthur and Maudie left the thought-wolves, who said they would sleep the short night outside the ship, and Arthur felt glad they were staying close for a while longer. The light was fading fast as the sun set. Harriet lit a candle and Arthur drew a long breath before following Harriet, Felicity and Maudie down the hatch and below deck.

  A layer of ice frosted everything. Floorboards creaked in the eerie still as though complaining about being disturbed. Directly on the left, a door was wedged open. It led into a compact galley with a relatively large dining table for the amount of space. It looked as though everyone had left suddenly. Dirty plates were stacked in the bucket sink, and on the table, abandoned bowls with spoons either in them or to the sides, with small chunks of something frozen in them.