by Gill Vickery
‘You were in the Drakelow Mountains?’ the boy said, his eyes wide and bright. ‘Did you see any dragons?’
Finn sniggered and the pony jumped nervously.
‘What was that noise?’ the boy said looking straight at where Finn lay on the grass.
Tia was amazed he couldn’t see Finn. She could easily see the shape of her DragonBrother, even though his colour matched the ground, but it seemed as though he was completely invisible to the boy.
‘I didn’t hear anything,’ Tia lied. ‘I’ve seen lots of dragons – we trade with them all the time. Haven’t you ever seen one?’
The boy shook his head. ‘No, because of the great spell the High Witches cast to keep them away. I’d like to see a dragon someday.’
‘They’re not as special as you’d think,’ Tia said. ‘The young ones can be very stupid. Tell me, the great spell, where does it start?’
‘Where the forest ends. As soon as you step out of the forest and on to the grass, the spell boundary begins.’
‘Thank you,’ Tia said and the boy trotted away.
Tia hurried to Finn. ‘Don’t change colour!’ she said. ‘Just come with me quickly.’
Back at the cave they talked about what the boy had said.
‘He must be wrong,’ Finn said. ‘The spell says, “If the jewels of power see a dragon walking warily on the lost lands of the six towns – the spell will toss them away, tumbling like a leaf in a storm.” I walked on the grass verge and nothing happened.’
Tia frowned and silently marched up and down in front of the cave, thinking.
‘That’s it!’ she said at last. Her eyes shone with excitement. ‘The warning says, “If the jewels of power see a dragon …” The jewels couldn’t see you because you’re camouflaged, just like that boy couldn’t see you!’
‘But you can see me,’ said Finn.
‘Maybe that’s because I know you so well?’ Tia guessed. ‘It looks like you’re invisible to everyone else, even to the spell.’
‘I still can’t come to Drangur with you – it’s too hard to camouflage myself for very long,’ Finn said. ‘I’m sorry. But I will practise!’
Tia left him practising looking like a fallen log and set out on the road to Drangur – alone.
Chapter Six
Into the Town of
Drangur
It was a long walk to Drangur and Tia didn’t reach the town until almost midday. The nearer she got, the more people she met on the road. They walked quickly and silently with their heads down. Tia did the same.
She passed through the towering town gates and onto crowded, winding streets lined with houses and shops, inns and workshops. The streets were built in a series of rising circles that led up to the castle.
Tia walked up and up, wondering why the town was so quiet. She’d never seen so many people in one place. But they didn’t often talk, and when they did they looked around as though they were frightened of being watched.
Tia was so lost in thought that she almost stepped on a brindled dog sitting in the road.
‘Sorry, dog,’ she said and stretched out her hand to pat it. It snarled, showing its pink gums and pointed teeth. Tia jumped back. The dog slunk towards her, growling.
‘Come in here, girl,’ a voice said from behind her and Tia found herself dragged backwards into an inn.
A big, grim-looking woman had pulled Tia inside and now she was pushing her onto a bench at a table by an open window. She gave Tia a lump of cold meat. ‘Throw that out to the dog and if you’re lucky it’ll forget about you.’
Tia did as she was told and the dog snatched up the meat and ran away.
‘Thank you,’ Tia said. ‘I’ll pay you for the meat.’ She gave the woman a bronze coin. ‘Is that enough?’
‘More than enough,’ the woman said. ‘It’ll buy you a meal as well. I’ll bring it to you. And don’t speak to anyone while I’m gone.’
Tia nodded, and glanced round. The customers all sat alone, staring down at their meals. Nobody smiled.
The woman returned carrying a tray of bread and cheese, a sweet pastry roll and a glass of water.
‘There you are,’ she said putting it on the table. She sat opposite Tia. ‘Suppose you tell me what you’re doing in Drangur,’ she asked softly. ‘I can tell you’ve never been before – you don’t even know to beware of the beasts.’
Tia’s mind raced: could she trust this woman? ‘I’m a Trader…’ she began.
‘Careful!’ the woman said. ‘Don’t look as though you’re telling me something important; a creature might be watching to take back information to HER.’ She jerked her head in the direction of the castle that loomed above them.
Tia looked round. ‘I can’t see any animals.’
The woman smiled grimly. ‘There are cats, there are mice, there are birds that can hide anywhere. You never know what’s spying.’
Goosebumps rose on Tia’s arms and the back of her neck prickled as though someone – or something – was staring at her from a secret place.
The innkeeper leaned forward and asked softly, ‘What are you doing here all alone, child?’
‘I’m lost,’ Tia whispered. ‘I was separated from my people in a fog over the great plain. I’ve walked and walked. I’m meant to be going to Iserborg town but I’ve come the wrong way.’
‘You have indeed. Iserborg’s a long way from here.’
‘My parents will come and find me, but what can I do till then? I need to work for my keep.’
The woman shifted uneasily. ‘You could always try up at the castle. No-one likes to stay there for long so there’s always work to be found, especially in HER menagerie.’
‘What’s a menagerie?’ Tia asked.
‘It’s where SHE keeps wild animals in cages and makes them perform. It’s horrible – wolves and bears made to dance, lynx and snow leopards to do tricks. And when she’s tired of them she kills them.’ The innkeeper shuddered.
‘That is horrible,’ Tia said. ‘But I need work.’
‘I understand.’ The innkeeper patted Tia’s hand. ‘When you’ve finished just go up to castle and say you’re looking for work. And I’ll prepare you a bed here for the night.’
‘Thank you,’ Tia said and finished off her food in silence.
The innkeeper was right; there was plenty of work at the castle, and Tia was sent to the Beast Master of the menagerie. The huge man looked Tia up and down. ‘You’re very small,’ he said.
‘I’m strong,’ Tia said. ‘And I can work hard.’
‘The last assistant annoyed Malindra. You aren’t foolish enough to do that, are you, girl?’
Tia shook her head.
‘Good, because you know what happens to people who annoy Malindra, don’t you?’
Tia shook her head again.
‘Maybe it’s just as well,’ the man grunted. ‘What’s your name?’
‘Nadya,’ Tia said.
‘I’m Tryg. Come with me.’
Tryg led Tia down corridors and up steps. Though Tia was used to winding tracks in the Drakelow Mountains she was confused by all the twists and turns and flights of stairs in the castle.
Eventually she found herself on a long balcony overlooking a stone-flagged courtyard with cages around the walls. The big cages held snow leopards, wolves and bears but smaller animals were kept in tiny cages piled on top of each other at the far side of the courtyard.
Tia had only seen wild animals roaming around freely and couldn’t help saying, ‘They look so sad!’
Tryg caught her arm, swung her round and shook her. ‘Don’t ever talk about HER animals! Especially like that. You never know what might be watching or listening. Now come on.’
Tia followed him down steps leading from the balcony to the courtyard. She rubbed her arm and wondered how such a huge, strong man could be so very scared.
Tryg showed Tia how to feed and clean out the animals. They snarled and growled when she approached them. Maybe, she thought, they’ll trust
me once they’re used to me.
She worked hard all afternoon and when she’d finished Tryg gave her two bronze coins. ‘I’ll give you a silver mark at the end of the week if you carry on working well,’ he said.
Tia was just about to thank him when the animals began to howl and roar. The wolves and leopards circled frantically in their cages and the bears pressed themselves against the walls as far away from the bars as possible.
‘SHE’s coming!’ Tryg said. ‘Stand to one side, keep your eyes down and whatever happens, don’t say a word. Understand?’
Tia nodded. It must be Malindra. At long last Tia was going to see a High Witch. A High Witch… and her aunt!
Chapter Seven
Malindra
Malindra was very beautiful. She was tall and blonde-haired and held her proud head high. She wore a white dress covered by a thick green cloak edged with black-tipped ermine. A wolf pelt wound over her shoulders as a collar and the head hung down over her right shoulder.
Perched on her other shoulder was a jackdaw. He had a thin gold chain fastened to one leg. Malindra held the other end.
‘How are my animals?’ Malindra asked Tryg.
The Beast Master bowed and said, ‘Well, Lady.’
The High Witch lifted her hand and Tia saw a flash of green. It was the jewel of power that enabled anyone who touched it to speak to animals. Malindra had combined this power with her magic so that she could command creatures to do as she wished. She wore the emerald in a ring which she had twisted round and the stone lay in her palm.
She pointed at a snarling snow leopard wearing a heavy collar. ‘Be quiet!’
The leopard stopped growling and fell into a crouch.
‘Bring him to me, Tryg,’ Malindra ordered and the Beast Master unlocked the cage, attached a chain to the collar and led the crawling animal to the High Witch.
‘Now bow down to me,’ she said.
The leopard lowered his front legs until he was crouching with his head between his paws.
It was so undignified and sad that Tia couldn’t help letting out a gasp of protest. Malindra whipped round. ‘Who are you?’ she demanded.
‘I’m Nadya, Lady,’ Tia said in a very small voice.
Malindra looked Tia up and down. ‘You have Trader clothes and a Trader name but you look more like a Tulayan. How is that?’
‘The Traders found me after a storm, Lady.’ Tia furiously worked out her story as she went along. It might’ve been fun if she hadn’t been so frightened. ‘My parents were killed and the Traders took me in.’
‘Where were you found?’ Malindra asked, suddenly using the language of the Traders.
‘Harvin village, near to the town of Kulafoss,’ Tia replied in Trader speech. She was very glad that her friends had taught her their language and told her tales of the towns and villages of Tulay.
Malindra tugged on the chain and the jackdaw looked down at Tia.
‘Shall we believe her, Loki?’ she asked the bird. The jackdaw cawed. ‘Very well.’ The witch turned her back on Tia and went to inspect the rest of the animals.
The Beast Master gave Tia a little push and said quietly, ‘Go now. The town gates will be locked soon and you don’t want to get caught in here at night. I’ll expect you first thing tomorrow.’
Tia slipped out of the castle and sprinted down the winding streets, thinking about Malindra as she ran. She touched the place where her locket lay under her shirt. Malindra didn’t look like the picture of her mother. Just for a moment Tia was sure she could remember her mother’s arms around her, making her feel safe and happy. It couldn’t be – she was sister to Malindra who tormented animals for amusement and killed them for fur to decorate her clothes!
Tia ran faster. No wonder the dragons – and everyone else in Tulay – hated the High Witches. It made Tia ashamed to be related to them. By the time she reached the inn she was more determined than ever to take back the jewels, starting with her aunt Malindra’s emerald.
She was very tired that night but after she’d eaten she took out her rune book and silver point pen and sketched some maps of the castle. It was so huge and the corridors were so complicated that Tia wondered if she would ever learn how to find her way around it. But I must if I’m going to steal that emerald, she thought as she settled down at last to go to sleep.
Tia worked hard at the menagerie, cleaning out the cages and feeding the animals. After a while they came to trust her and be soothed when she talked to them.
‘You’re good with the animals but don’t get too fond of them,’ Tryg warned. ‘It’ll only make it harder when SHE has them taken away.’
Tia didn’t want to think about that. She thought instead about how to get the emerald back. She listened to what Tryg and the other servants said about Malindra. The witch had rooms on the third floor of the castle, one of them a laboratory where she worked her magic when the moon was full. When she made magic she took off the ring so that it wouldn’t be affected by the potions and poisons she used.
I could steal the emerald when Malindra’s busy with magic, Tia thought, until she learned that while Malindra worked at her magic, the great jewel was watched over by a guard who never slept. Now Tia couldn’t work out how to steal the ring.
But then something happened that made her realise she had to do it soon.
Tia was sweeping out the courtyard when two men came in carrying a cage. In it were two frost-foxes. ‘Oi, Tryg,’ one of the men yelled. ‘We got some new customers for you.’
It was the fur trappers that Tia had fought in the forest! She hid behind a stone column and watched as the men handed the cage to Tryg. The Beast Master took it and told them to collect their pay from Malindra’s steward.
When the trappers had gone Tia rushed up to the frost-foxes. They were the little cubs Tia had helped escape. ‘Oh, you silly things,’ she said. ‘Why didn’t you run far away from those horrible men?’
‘You’d better put them in one of the cages next to the lynx,’ Tryg told her.
Tia made the foxes as comfortable as she could. ‘I’ll have to give you names,’ Tia said. ‘You’re Lalli,’ she told one, ‘and you’re Torfi,’ she said to the other.
‘I told you not to get fond of the animals,’ Tryg said. ‘SHE wants these for their fur. SHE’s going to be down here any minute, inspecting them for their pelts.’
At that moment the other animals began to roar and howl and pace up and down. Malindra was coming!
This time Tia knew what to do, and she stood respectfully to one side when the witch appeared, demanding to see the cubs. Tryg bowed and took her to the cage. Malindra’s eyes lit up greedily.
‘Very nice. I’ll add them to the fox furs I’ve already got and they’ll make a beautiful border for my new cloak.’ Her free hand stroked the grey wolf fur round her neck and the emerald glittered on her ring.
Tia had to bite her lip to stop herself from shouting out. Malindra didn’t notice but Loki the jackdaw did. He peered at Tia from his perch on the witch’s shoulder. Tia made herself calm and looked down at her feet. That jackdaw was dangerous – he might report her to Malindra if she wasn’t very careful.
‘Keep the cubs for a week, Tryg. Get the fur in tip-top condition ready for my cloak,’ the witch said.
Tryg nodded and Malindra left after one last greedy look at the little white cubs.
‘Tryg we can’t let her do that!’ Tia clutched at the Beast Master’s arm.
‘We’ve got no choice.’ Tryg pushed a broom into her hand. ‘Get back to the sweeping,’ he said angrily.
Tia knew he was angry because he felt helpless against Malindra. Tia was angry too and brushed furiously to help get rid of her temper. She wasn’t helpless – she was going to take that emerald so Malindra couldn’t use it to control the animals!
Tia brushed and brushed until she felt calmer, and then she began to plan. By the time the day was over she knew what she had to do.
Back in her room at the inn, Tia got o
ut her book and went over all the diagrams and maps she’d drawn. Tryg often sent her on errands and she’d been careful to remember everything she saw. She’d even delivered messages to Malindra’s rooms.
There was only one way she could think of to get into the castle at night – she’d have to hide in the castle at the end of the day and then, when everything closed down for the night, she could creep to the third floor. Malindra made her magic under the light of the full moon. That was tomorrow night.
If Tia was going to save the fox cubs she had to go to Malindra’s rooms tomorrow and find the emerald.
Chapter Eight
The Magic Laboratory
The castle was dark and full of shadows as Tia crept up the winding stone stairs to the third floor. She was using the servants’ stairway and it was narrow and cold. The only light came from the moon shining through window slits in the walls.
Tia climbed steadily up till she reached a door that opened onto the third floor corridor. Flames in globes burned dimly, giving her just enough light to see her way. She stopped outside Malindra’s living chambers, carefully opened the door, and slipped in.
The grand room she found herself in had a door set in each wall. To the right was Malindra’s sleeping room, to the left was her dining room. And straight ahead was her magic laboratory. Sitting in front of it was a lynx. Its tufted ears were pricked up in Tia’s direction and its yellow eyes glinted.
Tia reached inside her jacket and drew out a packet. She crouched down, put the packet on the carpet and opened it. The lynx crept warily to the parcel and sniffed.
‘It’s all right,’ Tia whispered. ‘It’s meat I saved from my dinner in case I met an animal like you.’
The lynx began to gobble the meat down. Tia stood up slowly. The lynx took no notice and carried on eating as though it was famished.
Tia darted to the closed door, opened it a crack and shivered as a gust of freezing air billowed through.