13
THE MISSION
It was dark when Ash and Rhyll made their way back to the camp. Taine had lit a small fire that glowed orange in the night. When Taine saw them step into the firelight, he jumped up to greet them. Ash couldn’t help thinking that he seemed relieved to see them.
“How did you go?” Taine said. “Catch anything worth eating?”
“Rhyll did a great job,” Ash said. “Look at what she caught.”
Rhyll held up two dead rabbits.
“You’ve done well, sis,” Taine said. “Usual size too. All the better.”
Rhyll laughed. “At least some things are normal in this place.”
Ash tossed some yams at Taine. “I managed to scrounge these up. Found some berries too. We’ll be eating well tonight.”
“It’s about time,” Taine said, licking his lips.
After cleaning and preparing the rabbits, Taine set them up on roasting sticks. The three friends settled into the pine bedding Taine had arranged near the fire and watched the meat cook.
Gwaam fluttered his wings and hopped onto the basket handle. “Smells delicious. I’m very, very hungry.”
“They’ll be ready soon,” Ash said. “Here, have some berries while you’re waiting.”
“Thank you.” Gwaam gulped the berries down.
“Anything interesting happen while we were away?” Rhyll asked.
“Actually, I did hear some sounds in the forest. You know, leaves rustling and a twig snapping.”
“Probably just animals,” Ash said.
“Hopefully small ones.” Taine scanned the dark forest. “This place is spooky at night.”
“Only if you let it be,” Rhyll said.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing. You just get yourself worked up sometimes, that’s all. Is that food ready yet?”
Taine checked the rabbits and the yams. “My esteemed lady and gentleman, dinner is indeed ready.”
Taine took the meat and yams from the fire then split it into four portions.
The phoenix’s appetite was as strong as ever. He gulped down the food. Afterwards, Gwaam seemed to have grown larger and his feathers radiated silky blackness in the firelight. He became more alert and even had the energy to practise flying, standing on his tiptoes and flapping his wings as if trying to take off.
“How much longer before you’re fully grown?” Ash asked.
“A lot more food yet,” Gwaam replied.
“Can’t you wish for some food to appear or something?” Taine said. “Does your magic work like that?”
“I do not possess those types of powers. My kind usually rely on our chosen Keepers for food,” Gwaam explained.
“What about Wizard Zadoc? Did he feed you?” Taine asked. “Was he your Keeper?”
“Suela and I never chose or accepted Zadoc as our Keeper,” Gwaam said. “He forced himself upon us. While we are young and weak he makes us eat by using his magic. We have no choice.”
“Have you always needed Keepers to survive?” Rhyll asked.
“No. Once we phoenixes roamed our own land as nature intended. But over the centuries humans killed us, drove us from our home, sold us and mistreated us for their own gains. Only two of us remain now and we’ve lost the skills nature instilled in us, so we must rely on humans to keep us alive.
“Many years ago some good humans formed an alliance called the Keepers to protect us. They passed the secrets of our care, and our powers, on to others when it was time. Now the Keepers are all gone. The last one was killed by Wizard Zadoc when he captured Suela and me.”
Ash frowned. “How long before we reach Zadoc’s castle?”
“Two more days at most,” Gwaam said.
“What do you propose we do once we get there?” Taine asked.
“Free Suela, defeat Zadoc and release the curse on your village, of course,” Gwaam said.
“Oh, of course.” Taine rolled his eyes. “I should have known.”
“Indeed,” Gwaam said drily. “I am tired and must rest. Thank you for the meal. Gwaam will sleep now.” With that the phoenix tucked his head under his wing and fell fast asleep.
“I don’t like the sound of this,” Taine said.
“I wish there was a way we could help our families without taking on Zadoc.”
“The only way to free Icamore is to break the spell,” Ash said. “But this mission is about more than just saving our families. We have to help Gwaam and Suela too. We can’t let Zadoc kill them.”
“I’m scared,” Taine said. “What else is waiting out there for us?”
“We have to do the right thing and save the phoenixes,” Rhyll said. “Wizard Zadoc sounds utterly evil. Look what he did to the forest creatures we’ve met along the way. Not to mention how easily he plunged our village into that black snow. He could do that to the entire kingdom if he wanted to. Maybe he will. Who knows what evil things he’ll do if he has eternal life?”
“I’m afraid too,” Ash admitted. “But we can’t give up. Not when so much is at stake.”
“This is all Gwaam’s fault,” Taine said. “He endangered the village, he’s endangering our lives by asking us to take on Zadoc. When you think about it, it’s his fault Trip was killed. If you ask me, it’s Gwaam we’ve got to be careful of, not Zadoc.”
Ash shook his head. “Taine, you say some dumb things.”
“What? I’m being honest, aren’t I?”
“Without Gwaam, we can’t find Zadoc,” Ash explained. “And if we don’t find Zadoc, we can’t release Icamore from the black snow.”
Taine picked up a twig and snapped it in half. “So now you’re calling me dumb. Maybe you don’t need my help on this quest after all.”
“I never said that.”
“Not in so many words. But maybe it’s the truth.”
“Taine,” Rhyll said. “You’re not making any sense.”
“Now you’re ganging up on me, are you?”
“We’re not against you,” Ash said. “We’re in this together.”
“Maybe you and Rhyll are. You’re both useful and smart and brave. I’m none of those things.
I don’t know why I came along in the first place. You’d be better off without me. Admit it.”
“Keep your voice down.” Ash was trying hard not to get angry. He didn’t want to fight with Taine. “We don’t want the Seekers to find us. And don’t be silly, we wouldn’t be better off without you. We need you.”
“You’re just saying that,” Taine insisted.
“I know I’ve been useless to you. Otherwise you’d have taken me hunting, not left me to make the fire like an old woman.”
“It wasn’t like that,” Ash said. “And you know it.”
“You always take Rhyll’s side,” Taine said. “You’re always doing things with her. Why don’t you just say you prefer her to me?”
“That’s not true,” Rhyll said. “I’m always the
outsider. I’m the girl, remember? Today was
the first time Ash hasn’t treated me like I was your little sister tagging along for fun.” Rhyll leaped to her feet. “You’re really getting under my skin, Taine. I’m going for a walk.” She strode off into the dark.
Ash and Taine exchanged glances.
“I’d better go after her,” Taine said.
“No, I’ll go.”
“Yeah, right. I’ll keep the fire going,” Taine muttered.
Ignoring him, Ash slipped into the forest after Rhyll. He found her leaning against a tree, staring up through the branches at the night sky. “Are you okay?”
“Go away.” Rhyll turned her back to him.
Ash saw her shoulders tremble. He hesitated, not sure what to do. “Um, don’t cry. Everything will be all right.”
“I said, go away.” Rhyll’s voice was muffled and tearful.
Ash put his hand on Rhyll’s shoulder. She spun around and threw herself into his arms, sobbing.
“I’m sorry.”
Rhyll sniffed into Ash’s shirt. “I don’t normally cry. I’m just exhausted and frightened and being silly.”
“That’s okay. I think we all feel the same.” Ash let her cry for a while then said, “Come on. We’d better get back.”
Rhyll nodded, bowing her head to wipe her tears away. When Ash turned he saw Taine watching them. Without a word, Taine marched back to the fire, threw himself on his makeshift mattress of pine needles and went to sleep.
14
ACROSS THE RIVER
It was raining. When Ash woke, he found himself cold and damp. He’d been dreaming about giant spiders and Trip. When he realised Trip wasn’t there, the memory of his death came rushing back to him.
Shivering with cold, he pushed the sad thoughts from his mind and set about starting the fire, relieved the kindling was still dry enough to burn.
Rhyll heard him moving about and sat up. “Morning. Where’s Taine?”
Ash shrugged. “Call of nature?”
Rhyll glanced over at Taine’s sleeping place. Her forehead creased in confusion. “His things are gone.” She leaped up and paced around the fire. “His pack, his water. Everything.” She stared at Ash for a moment then ran into the trees. “Taine! Taine! Where are you?”
Ash strode up behind her. “I’ll go look for him. Stay by the fire with Gwaam and keep warm. Someone should be here in case Taine comes back.”
Ash searched the forest, looking for Taine. After a while, he had to admit defeat. He couldn’t find his friend anywhere.
How am I going to tell Rhyll? Ash wondered. She’ll be beside herself.
Rhyll jumped up from her seat by the fire as he walked back into the clearing. “No luck?”
“None. I did find these dove eggs though.” He sat them on the ground near the fire. “But no Taine. He’s gone.”
Rhyll paced back and forth. “Where did he go? And why?”
“I’ve got no idea. All I know is that we can’t wait here to find out. We have to keep going.”
“We can’t leave him,” Rhyll said. “It’s too dangerous.”
Rhyll’s right, Ash thought. This forest is dangerous. And what sort of friend would I be to leave Taine? But we have to keep moving. Almost three days have passed. Time is running out.
“This isn’t an easy decision to make,” Ash said. “I hate the idea of leaving Taine, but we have no choice. We have to save Icamore. I don’t know why Taine left, but hopefully he’s alive and well and he’ll find his way out of the forest and maybe even home.”
“What if someone came and took him in the night?”
“Why would they take just Taine? Besides, the only tracks around here are ours. I checked.”
“I’m not leaving him.” Rhyll sat down in protest with her legs crossed and her arms folded.
“Look, Rhyll, I want to keep searching too, but I don’t think we’ll be able to find him. He may have taken off back home because of our argument last night. He’s probably got several hours head start on us. We’ve no hope of catching up to him.”
Rhyll cradled her head in her hands. “It’s all my fault. I said things last night I shouldn’t have. I didn’t realise he’d take them to heart.”
“We all said things we shouldn’t have,” Ash said. “We’re all freaked out by what’s happening. I guess that’s natural. But it’s no excuse for Taine to disappear. He should know better.”
Rhyll stared at the ground.
“We have to keep going,” Ash said. “Your father, my mother, the entire village is depending on us.”
Rhyll nodded, her head still bowed.
“Good. We’ll eat then get moving. With any luck Taine might come back before we go.” He squeezed her shoulder. “Don’t worry. I’m sure Taine can look after himself.”
“What if he’s lying hurt somewhere?” Rhyll persisted.
Ash sighed. “I hope he isn’t hurt, I really do. He took his pack, Rhyll. He’s not coming back.”
Ash cooked the dove eggs and shared them with Rhyll and Gwaam. As usual, the phoenix ate greedily. Rhyll sat in silence, picking at her meal while she fretted for her twin.
They soon packed up their camp and put out their fire ready to leave. Ash scanned the forest one final time. There was still no sign of Taine. He felt sick in the stomach having to leave his friend, but there was no way around it.
Ash picked up Gwaam’s basket, checking to make sure the phoenix was all right. Something told him he was doing the right thing, that he must fulfil his duty as Gwaam’s Keeper. The thought made him feel a little better.
Shouldering his pack, Ash set out, hoping Rhyll would follow him. She did, although reluctantly at first.
After several hours Ash and Rhyll left the forest behind them. The rain still fell, making them damp and cold.
“Are we heading in the right direction?” Ash asked Gwaam.
The phoenix glanced up at Ash. He seemed to have grown again. Ash was sure he was heavier too. Soon he would outgrow the basket. The food had done Gwaam good. But they would soon need to find more.
“Follow that trail.” Gwaam nodded at a narrow track snaking down into the valley towards a river. The grasslands on either side of the river were stripped of trees, giving Ash a clear view of the valley.
It looks deserted, Ash thought. Hopefully that means it’s safe.
Ash and Rhyll followed the trail until they came to the river. The track swerved and continued alongside the riverbank, although there didn’t seem to be a way across.
“We must get to the other side,” Gwaam said.
“How deep do you think it is?” Rhyll asked.
Ash squinted through the rain, studying the swirling water. “Over our heads.”
“We could swim.”
“The water’s moving too fast and you never know what might be in there.”
“I’m game if you are. It looks like the only way across.”
Ash scanned the riverbanks again. “Hey, look. A bridge.”
Rhyll frowned. “It wasn’t there before.”
“Maybe we couldn’t see it in the rain. It can’t have appeared out of nowhere.”
“Probably not.” Rhyll looked uncertain. “Still, we could always wait for a boat to come by and get a ride across.”
“I don’t see why we can’t use the bridge.”
“Even if it did suddenly appear out of nowhere?”
“We’ll only cross if it’s safe. Let’s have a closer look.”
Ash hoped with all his heart that the bridge was safe. They didn’t need further delays.
When Ash and Rhyll reached the bridge they saw it was made of timber, old yet sturdy. Ash stepped warily onto a beam, testing its strength. It was solid under his foot. He took another step. Still fine.
Ash smiled. “See, nothing to it.”
Gwaam sat up in his basket, looking around him. “Safe so far.”
Rhyll tiptoed uncertainly onto the bridge after Ash. They had almost reached the other side when a group of ragged strangers materialised out of the rain in front of them, blocking their way. They were short and grubby, their hair lank and knotted, their eyes huge in their dirty faces. They looked human, but not one of them stood taller than a five year old, and all carried spears. Rhyll inched closer to Ash.
“Halt!” one of the strangers said. “We are the clan of the trogs. If you use our bridge, you must pay the fee.”
Ash wrinkled his nose. He didn’t like the smell of these strange little creatures. And there were so many of them. Ash knew he and Rhyll didn’t stand a chance of escape.
“What is your fee?” Ash asked, trying not to sound scared.
“Five thousand dracoons,” the trog said.
“I don’t even know what a dracoon is,” Ash said, “and we certainly don’t have five thousand of them. We don’t have any money at all.”
Another trog stepped forwards. Ash realised this creature, with his protruding belly and white unruly hair, was the leader.
“If you do not have the
fee, you will have to come with us.” The trog chief’s grey eyes bored into Ash’s blue ones.
Suspicious of the trog chief’s intentions, Ash pushed Gwaam down lower in his basket and hid it behind his back.
The mob cheered, surrounding Ash and Rhyll and propelling them across the bridge. Ash’s heart sank; it was no use resisting for they were greatly outnumbered.
“Where are you taking us?” Ash demanded.
“Those who cannot pay the fee,” the trog chief said, “must face the great Mozar.”
“What does that mean?” Ash asked.
“You will soon see. Now keep moving.”
Feeling the sharp point of a spear in his backside, Ash decided not to argue.
15
UNDERGROUND
The trogs led Ash and Rhyll across the bridge and through the grass to a cluster of rocks, which resembled any other, dotting the landscape. One of the trogs bent and pushed a large flat rock to the side, revealing a deep hole in the ground. The trogs at the front filed down into the hole, while those at the back waited their turn.
“I can’t go down there,” Rhyll whispered to Ash. “I hate small spaces.”
Seeing Rhyll frightened, Ash knew he had to be the brave one.
“Don’t worry,” he said, biting down on his own fear. “I’ll be with you.”
A spear pressed against Ash’s arm. Rough hands pushed him down the ladder after Rhyll. More rough hands reached out for him in the dimness below. Ash felt Rhyll shaking beside him.
“Stay calm,” Ash whispered in her ear, trying not to show that he was also afraid. “Everything’s going to be all right.”
As Ash’s eyes grew accustomed to the light, he saw they were standing in an underground cavern. Oil lamps secreted into pockets of rock provided light. The smell of cool earth and dust filled Ash’s nostrils. The distant sounds of voices chanting and drums beating thrummed through the air.
Gwaam squawked and flapped his wings. “This is not a good place. We must leave here.”
“Stay quiet,” Ash whispered. “I don’t want you to be noticed.”
“What’s all that noise?” Rhyll shuddered.
Ash shrugged. “No idea. But I guess we’re going to find out.”
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