Shadow
Page 19
‘Damn!’ he swore aloud.
‘Don’t worry,’ Shadow told him calmly. ‘We’ll get it on the way back. Keep your focus.’
As they approached the third ring, Pell realised things were not getting any easier. The rings were becoming progressively smaller. When he neatly snagged the third onto his lance he could see the difference in size immediately.
The fourth ring was approaching fast. It was untidy, but with a dramatic lunge at the last instant, he somehow managed to sneak the point into the inside right edge. The ring lodged on the tip of the lance, but didn’t slide safely to the hilt. The weight of the lance was increasing all the time, but by heaving the tip upwards and giving it a quick shake, Pell managed to dislodge the ring and slide it to safety.
Distracted by the need to secure the fourth ring, Pell did not anticipate Shadow’s turn. As she began banking to the right to gain position for her run at the final ring, Pell was taken by surprise. He instinctively tried to grab the pommel with his left hand and cried out from the intense shock of pain that shot up his arm from his thumb. His grip failed and there was a new shock of pain as the cord bit deep into his wrist with the sudden load. Hauling his body back into balance, Pell looked up for the final ring. The ring looked tiny. It took the briefest pause for him to realise this was because it was tiny. Then it slotted onto the tip of his lance. He was not quite sure how he did it. Luck? Instinct? He didn’t know. He had it and that was all that mattered.
‘Well done, Pell! Dirk missed his last one,’ Shadow told him, clearly elated that Pell had managed to secure the final ring. ‘Hang on. I’ll take us back for the one we missed.’
‘Do we need it?’ Pell asked as Shadow began a hard turn to the right. ‘If Dirk missed one as well, that makes four each. If the last test was anything to go by, then the first one back now will win.’
‘Karrok was quite specific,’ Shadow insisted. ‘He said, “Once you have the rings . . .” which means we must get them all.’
‘All right, then. Let’s go.’
They rolled out of the turn. Pell’s arm was aching with the effort of holding the lance. It had not seemed heavy to begin with, but now it felt as if it were made of lead. His right wrist and bicep were burning with the effort of keeping the tip up high enough to prevent the rings from sliding down and off the end.
He looked ahead. There was only one griffin in front of them. The four from whom he had successfully taken rings had flown out of the way. As soon as he saw the ring he knew that he was in trouble. Not only was it bobbing up and down and swinging back and forth from the impact of his lance, now that it was hanging by a single cord, it was also spinning. It was one of the larger rings, but Pell knew it could prove the hardest to collect.
Shadow began to slow down, positioning herself for the run.
‘Don’t slow down,’ Pell urged. ‘Go for it. I’ll hit it, or I won’t, but we still need to beat Dirk back to Karrok.’
Shadow did not need to be told twice. Her head stretched forwards and her wings accelerated them towards the ring with every stroke. The griffin began to loom and the ring swung and spun like a child’s yo-yo on its string. Pell raised the tip of his lance a touch further, his eyes unblinking as they approached. The ring swung towards them and Pell dipped the lance at it even as it twisted. For the slightest instant he thought he had missed, but the familiar tug on the lance as the final cord snapped sent a shock of elation through him.
‘Got it! Go, go, go!’ he urged.
Already flying fast, Shadow accelerated still further as they tore down the valley to where Karrok was waiting. Shadow swooped down and backwinged to a most dramatic landing just a handful of paces short of the griffin. Pell tilted his lance, allowing the five rings to spill along its length and fall to ground by Karrok’s talons. The griffin looked down at the small pile of rings.
A whoosh of air and a whumpf announced Knifetail’s less elegant arrival a few moments later. The griffin looked up.
‘Well done,’ Karrok acknowledged. ‘Both teams showed considerable skill, but Pell and Shadow claim victory in the second task.’
Chapter Twenty-Three
The Knife
As Shadow landed next to Aurora, Pell was awash with emotion. He could almost taste relief at the back of his tongue. He and Shadow had not disgraced themselves in the first two challenges, so he could hold his head high in front of the others. At the same time his muscles were taut with nervous tension as he worried about the nature of the final task. He and Dirk had been sent with their dragons back to their respective parties to rest. Apparently, the griffins had to make preparations for the final test.
‘That was amazing!’ Elian enthused, running to Shadow’s side as Pell dismounted. ‘You and Shadow can really fly! Those challenges looked well dangerous from down here. Especially that mad dive on the first task. How are you feeling?’
Elian’s right hand was extended in greeting. Pell clasped it in his. A rush of warmth at Elian’s genuine enthusiasm took him by surprise. He knew he made it difficult for others to get close. It was an inbuilt defence mechanism that he had developed over the years to avoid hurt and disappointment. His experience was that friendships always led to pain. It was his own fault. His personal ambition and drive inevitably turned people against him. From the beginning of this quest, he had deliberately held his companions at a cold distance, but Elian appeared determined to ignore the barriers.
‘I’ve felt better,’ Pell admitted.
Kira was not far behind Elian and, to Pell’s surprise, he could see respect in her eyes. Nolita stood some distance away. Her eyes watched Shadow, full of terror. She would come no closer.
‘That was some pretty fancy flying, Pell,’ Kira said grudgingly. ‘You did well to beat Dirk on that second task. Those lances are so long, they must be a nightmare to handle.’
‘Thanks,’ he said, not knowing what else to say.
‘Do you know what the final challenge is?’ she added.
He shook his head. ‘We were just told it would take a short while for the griffins to set it up.’
Pell glanced across the base of the valley to where the night dragonriders were huddled around Dirk. Segun was talking very earnestly with them and gesturing. One of the riders – not Dirk – broke away from the group and walked to his dragon.
‘I wonder what that’s all about?’ Pell mused aloud.
‘I don’t know, but it looks as though Segun is up to something,’ Kira observed, her eyes narrowing as she watched the rider mount.
‘Whatever it is, he’s unlikely to do anything to annoy the griffins, unless he’s either very brave or very stupid,’ Elian said confidently. ‘There are hundreds of them up there. Who would have ever thought there would be this many?’
‘I wouldn’t put it past Segun to try to slip something past the griffins’ attention,’ Pell said thoughtfully. ‘But you’re right. Karrok doesn’t strike me as a fool. Come. I need to ask a favour of Nolita.’
Pell strode away from Shadow’s side towards their blond companion. Elian glanced across at Kira, whose eyes had widened with much the sort of surprise that he felt. Until now, Pell had shown nothing but contempt for Nolita. What favour could he possibly want from her? Whatever it was, it looked as though Pell was about to show a degree of humility they would not have believed possible. Neither of them wanted to miss what he had to say, so they hurried after him, slipping and sliding across the snow-covered, rocky ground.
‘Pell.’ Nolita acknowledged his approach with a nod. ‘I’m glad this challenge fell to you. I could never have done what you just did.’
Pell smiled at the admission. ‘I have a feeling that the Oracle chose each of us specifically to face the particular challenges that awaited us,’ he replied. ‘You passed your challenge, Nolita. I’ve got work to do to match your achievement, and I think I’m going to need your help to succeed.’
‘My help?’ she squeaked. ‘I can’t do the sort of things you just did.’
Pell held his left hand out. Nolita winced as she took in the deep, purple-black bruising and the obvious swelling around the base of his thumb.
‘Of course,’ she said quickly. ‘I’m sure Firestorm will help. Perhaps this is what the Oracle meant by working together.’
Pell did not care whether it was what the Oracle meant or not. He wanted to win. If that meant begging aid from Nolita, then he would do it. All that mattered now was beating Segun’s man. If his companions felt he was working with them for the benefit of the Oracle, then that was fine. The truth was, he wanted to poke Segun in the eye for imprisoning him at the enclave. By winning through this series of challenges, he knew he would set Segun’s plans back and undermine his credibility as a leader. What better outcome could there be?
One of the night dragons launched into the air. The whooshing wingbeats sounded loud in the silence of the cold valley, but then gradually faded into the distance, as dragon and rider made for the tunnel that led out of the canyon. Pell kept his focus on Nolita.
‘Firestorm tells me he heard our conversation through my mind and he is happy to heal your hand,’ she said, her eyes going distant for an instant as she communicated with her dragon. ‘Go to him and he’ll do it straight away.’
‘Thank you,’ he said simply.
Pell turned to where the day dragon was crouched. His blue scales looked particularly bright against the white background of the snow. Although he was nowhere near as physically impressive as Shadow, Pell found himself admiring Firestorm’s appearance.
There was something handsome and noble in Firestorm’s bearing that he had never noticed before. But he wasn’t really interested in any dragon other than Shadow. He simply wanted Firestorm’s help.
He walked forwards until he was standing directly in front of Firestorm. The blue dragon eyed him impassively and, for the slightest moment, Pell felt as if Firestorm could see what he was thinking. He clenched his teeth together tightly and fought down the sudden urge to turn and run. Firestorm drew in a deep, slow breath and Pell held out his left hand towards the dragon’s mouth. Then it happened.
Pell had not been conscious the last time Firestorm had healed him, so he had no idea what to expect. In his mind he had imagined the healing flame would be somehow very precise, targeting the area of the wound. The reality was something of a shock. His first instinct was to close his eyes as the great blue nimbus of flame engulfed him, but as soon as he realised that the fire held no apparent heat, he cracked his eyelids open again to watch. The blue flames swirled and danced, causing his skin to prickle and his hair to float about his head like a ball of fine yellow seaweed, gently caressed by unseen currents.
The prickling was most intense around the wound on his left hand, but it did not hurt. Indeed, he could feel the fire penetrating through the skin of his thumb and working its healing miracle deeper and deeper into the flesh. He lifted the hand in front of his face and marvelled at the changes he could see. The swelling was reducing and the darkness of the bruising was dispersing. Once again he felt invigorated, much as he had done when he had awoken after his previous healing. As Firestorm finally ran out of breath and the blue fire died away, Pell was ecstatic.
He bowed to the dragon with what he hoped was suitable respect, turned, and repeated the gesture to Nolita. She blushed a deep crimson, and Pell could see instantly that the effort had not been wasted. Elian and Kira looked as if they were in shock. He had them off balance. Good. They had proved they could be resourceful. If he could manipulate them and use their skills to his advantage, they could prove to be a real thorn in Segun’s side.
As he and Shadow were outlawed, it would not hurt to have allies with such an unusual mix of abilities in future encounters with the night dragon enclave. Kira would be the trickiest to control. Even now he could see the cynicism in her expression. He would have to keep her off balance and play along nicely with the quest for a while as if he really cared. If he worked at it, he felt sure he could win her round.
‘Do you think we have time for food?’ he asked. ‘I’m suddenly feeling really hungry.’
‘I think we could all probably use a bite,’ Elian replied. ‘We could eat some of the cold food.’
The four scattered to their respective dragons and rummaged through their saddlebags. Even as Pell was digging through his bag, he noticed the night dragon returning along the valley.
‘The griffins prevented her from leaving,’ Shadow told him. ‘I sense that Widewing is not pleased. Whatever Segun was planning is unlikely to happen now.’
‘Good,’ Pell responded, his mood lightening even further. ‘Anything that goes wrong for Segun is fine by me.’
He rejoined the others and they brushed snow from some rocks so they could sit down without getting wet. The rocks made cold seats, but the four riders made themselves as comfortable as possible and proceeded to eat their food.
They watched in silence as the night dragon-riders met their returning companion. Pell expected Segun to be furious, but after a quick conference he looked remarkably composed and satisfied.
‘What was that all about?’ Kira mused aloud.
‘Segun looks smug,’ Elian said. ‘You’d better watch yourself on the last challenge, Pell. I don’t like the look of that.’
What the rider could have achieved by flying to the end of the valley and back, Pell could not begin to imagine. One thing was certain – Elian was right. It did not bode well.
It was some time before they finally spotted Karrok flying towards them along the base of the valley. The griffin landed by the metal plinth.
‘Challengers, mount your dragons,’ he called out in a loud voice. ‘Your final challenge will be a test of endurance and speed. You will race out of this valley and follow a series of markers that have been laid out to lead you along a route through the mountain valleys. The first team to return to the plinth having completed the course will claim release of the orb. Griffins have laid markers on the ground at turning points along the route. They will observe the turning points to ensure both dragons complete the whole course. You will see the first marker as you exit the valley.’
Pell was delighted. He felt sure that Shadow was stronger and faster than Knifetail. Unlike the previous challenges, this was one he felt sure they could win. He ran to Shadow and leaped up her side and into the saddle. He could see Dirk settling on Knifetail’s back. It had all come down to a simple race. If the Oracle had told him this at the start, he would likely have laughed. It seemed a ridiculous way to determine the future of dragon-kind.
‘Ready . . . GO!’
There was no further time for thought. Shadow powered forwards with Knifetail matching her, stride for stride, wingbeat for wingbeat. They climbed into the air, but neither dragon climbed more than a few spans. Instead, all power was converted into forward motion as they accelerated faster and faster in a sprint for position at the end of the valley. Each dragon was determined to reach the exit tunnel first. Whoever held the lead there looked set to have the edge for the rest of the route.
The valley began to narrow. Still both dragons held position. Pell glanced across at Knifetail. The dragon seemed to be using her tail as an extra form of propulsion, lashing it from side to side. The motion made her look ungainly in comparison to Shadow, but Pell could not deny that she was keeping pace with them. Pell noticed something else about the lashing tail. On either side of its final span or so, there was a shallow plate-like protrusion of bone that looked flat and sharp. The dragon was not called Knifetail without reason. Pell instantly recognised the lethal nature of such a weapon. If he and Shadow were to fall behind Knifetail, passing her could prove extrem
ely hazardous – and not just for him. The natural dragonbone blade on her tail could potentially slice through Shadow’s armour as well.
‘Come on, Shadow!’ he urged, leaning forwards to the right of the ridge in front of him and flattening himself against her back in the most streamlined fashion he could. ‘You can do it.’
They were running out of room. The valley was narrowing fast as they entered the final bend and the two dragons were all but wingtip to wingtip as they raced around the corner towards the tunnel. The throat of the valley forced the dragons closer and closer together. Pell was watching for trouble, half expecting Knifetail to pull some nasty trick in order to take the lead into the tunnel. To his surprise, the dragon dropped back, allowing Shadow to lead the way out of the valley.
Shadow dipped her wing and turned hard into the exit tunnel. Pell squeezed his muscles against the huge force that crushed him against Shadow’s back as they whipped around the corner on a wingtip. Being flat to her back, the effects of the pressing force were reduced, but he was glad to be able to grip securely with both hands, or he might have slid out of the saddle. They rolled out of the turn inside the tunnel and powered towards the bright opening ahead.
‘Turning hard right,’ Shadow warned.
Suddenly they were in the open. Pell barely had time to register the flash of blue on the ground before Shadow was into the turn and he was being crushed against her back again. They rolled out and Shadow resumed beating her wings with the urgent tempo she had established in the valley.
‘How long can you keep up this pace?’ Pell asked as he glanced over his shoulder at Knifetail and Dirk who had dropped behind by a few dragon-lengths. ‘We don’t know how long this route is going to be.’
‘It doesn’t matter how long the route is, Pell,’ she replied. ‘Knifetail will burn out before I do. I am strong. You know this. We will win this race.’
She was right. In terms of pace, he would bet on Shadow against any other dragon, with the possible exception of Widewing. Segun’s dragon was even bigger than Shadow. Although he would have liked to defeat the night dragon leader directly, rather than one of his lieutenants, Pell was a lot more confident of success than he would have been racing against the formidable Widewing.