The Emerald Quest (6 page)

Inside was a plinth of black wood topped with a red velvet cushion. Resting on it was the gold ring set with the emerald that shone as green and mysterious and secret as the deepest ocean. Tia wanted to reach out and take it, but she didn't dare – the guard was in the alcove.

It was Loki. He sat on a perch, his shoulders hunched, his eyes closed. The gold chain fastened him to the plinth. Was he really asleep? Tia held her breath, reached out and slowly took the ring, her fingers touching the jewel.

‘Unfasten the chain, set me free, and you can keep the emerald,' a voice said softly but quite clearly.

Tia jumped and almost dropped the ring. The jackdaw's bright black eyes stared into hers. ‘You can understand me because you're touching the emerald,' he said. ‘Now, are you going to free me or not?'

‘I don't know how to,' she whispered.

‘There's a key in Malindra's pocket. Get it and undo this.' The bird held out his leg so that Tia could see the lock.

‘I can't! She'll wake up and catch me!'

‘Not if you're careful,' the jackdaw said. ‘She's deep in her magic trance. And if you don't do it I'll raise the alarm and she'll catch you anyway.'

Tia glared at Loki – but he'd given her no choice. She crept towards the witch. As she tiptoed closer, she felt colder and colder, and when she touched Malindra's pocket, the cloth of her dress was icy. Trying not to shake with fear and cold, Tia slid her hand down into the pocket, gripped the key and drew it out. Her numb fingers dropped it, and it rang as it hit the stone floor.

The witch's eyes flickered. Tia kept perfectly still though her heart hammered so fiercely she was sure Malindra would hear it and come out of her trance.

The witch's eyes misted over again.

Tia slowly bent down, picked up the key and crept back to Loki. He held out his leg and she slotted the key into the lock and turned it. The lock clicked open.

To Tia's surprise Loki hopped onto her shoulder. She put the ring on her finger. It was too big and she twisted it round and gripped it in her palm.

‘Take the key and let's go!' the jackdaw ordered.

‘Why?' Tia hissed.

‘Don't argue!' Loki spread his wings in alarm. ‘She'll wake up in a few minutes. We have to go!'

Tia ran and pulled open the door. The lynx barred her way, crouching and snarling.

‘Let me through,' Tia said.

‘I can't,' the lynx said. ‘SHE's got my mate and our kittens in the menagerie. If I help you, she'll take them for their fur.'

Loki pecked Tia's ear. ‘She's coming round. The magic will hold her for a little while but we've got to go now!'

Tia looked around wildly. ‘There's no way out!'

‘You'll have to go through the window. Now!' Loki said.

Malindra's eyes were slowly clearing. Tia pelted past her to the window and onto a balcony. She tried hard not to look down as her stomach churned and her head swam. ‘Now what?' she hissed at Loki.

‘There's a creeper growing under the balcony. Climb down that to the ground floor. Then you can go to the menagerie and use the gold key – it opens all the cages.'

Tia was terribly afraid of what Malindra would do if she caught her, but she was just as afraid of being up so high. She couldn't make herself move.

‘Follow me.' Loki hopped onto the edge of the balcony and showed Tia the best way to go. She took a deep breath, then clambered over the balcony
and gripped the creeper hard. ‘I can do this,' she muttered.

‘Of course you can,' Loki said.

You don't know how frightened I am of falling,
Tia thought.
I feel just like I did when Andgrim dropped me all those years ago.

She squeezed her eyes shut and began the long, long climb down. By the time she reached the ground her legs were shaking so much she could hardly stand.

‘Quickly,' Loki ordered. ‘There isn't much time!'

‘All right!' Tia snapped and ran to the menagerie. Tryg was safely asleep in his room nearby and Tia went from cage to cage, releasing the animals.

As the last creature loped free, a shriek rang through the castle: ‘My emerald! My emerald has been stolen!'

‘Malindra!' Tia cried.

‘We have no need to be afraid of her now,' a snow leopard growled. ‘Brothers and sisters, shall we take back our freedom?'

‘Yes!' the animals roared, and they ran out of the courtyard towards the outer doors of the castle. At the end of the stream of angry animals Tia saw the two frost-fox cubs running by the side of a mother lynx and her kittens.

Z
ing! An arrow bounced off the wall next to Tia. Zing! Zing! came two more. She dodged behind a pillar.

Malindra's soldiers were firing at her from the balcony. If she tried to escape with the animals, she would be out in the open – the soldiers would shoot her!

‘Follow me!' Loki sailed over Tia's head.

She ran after him to the big hall crowded with servants trying to find out what was happening. Loki was wheeling above the crowd, near to a stairway. She wove through the mass of people and slipped up the stairs unnoticed.

Loki was waiting impatiently on the top step.

‘Come this way and you can escape back to your DragonFriend.'

‘How do you know about him?' Tia asked, astonished.

‘Just before you arrived in the castle two trappers came to tell Malindra about their fight with a mighty dragon and a warrior girl. SHE didn't believe them but I could smell dragon fire on them. You have the same smell, and you are a girl who can fight.'

‘I don't smell!'

‘You smell of dragon,' Loki said firmly. His bright black eyes glittered. ‘You are with a dragon and you've stolen the emerald. You're planning to steal back the jewels of power for the DragonQueen, aren't you?'

Tia was too amazed to do anything but nod.

‘You freed me from my chain so I'm going to help you.' Loki cocked his head to one side. ‘What's your real name, DragonChild?'

‘Tia – and my DragonBrother's called Finn. He's waiting for me by a low cave on the edge of the forest…'

‘Stop!' A soldier was behind them, aiming his crossbow.

Tia and Loki fled up a winding stone stair. Up and up, round and round Tia went until she thought she
had no breath left. At the top she burst through a small door and stumbled after Loki onto the top of a turret. She slammed the door shut and leaned on it while she caught her breath. ‘We're safe for now, but we're trapped,' she panted.

‘I'm not,' Loki said. ‘Give me the emerald.'

‘No!' Tia was shocked; Loki wanted to steal the ring! After all the fine things he'd said about wanting to help her!

The door burst open. It was the soldier. ‘Stay where you are!' he ordered.

Tia darted behind a flagpole in the centre of the turret. She snatched her slingshot out of her belt, slotted in a pebble, whirled it round and let the stone fly. It sent the soldier tumbling backwards through the doorway and down the stairs. Tia raced to slam the door shut again. This time she saw a bar propped against the wall and slotted it into place across the door.

‘Yes!' She leapt into the air, waving her arms in excitement, and the too-large ring shot from her finger. Loki swooped down, caught it and flew away over the castle walls.

‘Loki!' Tia shrieked. It was too late. He was gone. The jackdaw had stolen the ring and the soldier would report to Malindra as soon as he could.

Tia really was trapped now.

She shivered. It was still early in the night time and it was growing colder. She hauled the flag down from the pole, wrapped it round herself and huddled against the wall. What was she going to do?

‘Nadya!'

The voice woke her.

‘Nadya!'

Of course
, Tia thought dreamily,
I told everyone my name is Nadya. I wonder who's looking for me?
She opened her eyes and saw the silver moon struggling to shine from behind dark clouds. Where was she and why was she so cold?

She remembered! She scrambled to her feet, fingers and toes numb. She had no idea how long she'd been asleep.

There was a hammering at the door. ‘You may as well open it, Nadya. If you don't, my soldiers will break it down.'

‘Malindra!' Tia whispered.

The door shuddered, then smashed as the soldiers
battered it down. Two of them advanced with Malindra in between them. She was white with rage and her pale blue eyes burned like ice. ‘Where is my emerald?' the witch snapped.

‘I don't know,' Tia said truthfully.

‘Bring her to me,' Malindra ordered the soldiers

Tia ran for the flagpole and shinned up to the top. ‘I haven't got your stupid ring!' she shouted.

‘Fetch her down,' Malindra commanded.

The soldiers aimed their arrows at Tia.

‘Don't shoot, you fools! I want her alive,' Malindra shrieked.

The soldiers tried to climb the pole and grab Tia's feet but she kicked as hard as she could and they slid back down.

‘Idiots!' Malindra cried. She began to chant a spell, her eyes rolling back into her head till they showed only the whites.

Tia had never felt so alone and so frightened. The flagpole swayed and tilted over the castle walls. It was a long way down into the darkness. She closed her eyes. Malindra went on chanting.

She wouldn't try to hurt me if she knew who I am
, Tia thought.
Perhaps if I tell her I'm her niece, she'll stop…

Tia opened her eyes and saw Malindra, arms raised, the wolf's head on her shoulder looking up.

No,
Tia decided.
I'd rather die than be like HER.

Something landed with a soft thud on top of the pole. It was Loki! In his beak he had a piece of bark with runes scratched on it. Tia snatched it from him and read:

Trust loki

Finn

Tia nodded at the jackdaw to show she understood. Loki hopped onto the top of the turret wall and swept his wings out in a gesture that meant,
Come here
.

Below Tia, Malindra was chanting faster and Tia felt a magical tug that pulled her a little way down the pole. Loki hopped frantically, flapping his wings. Tia felt another tug.

She took a deep breath and leapt for the top of the wall.

‘Catch her!' Malindra shrieked.

Tia ran round the turret wall, dodging the hands of the soldiers. One climbed on the wall and blocked her way. This time there really was no escape.

Loki dug his claws in her hair and pulled so hard that she tottered backwards. ‘What are you doing?!' she yelled, trying to regain her balance.

Loki pulled her hair again. She felt her feet go from under her.

‘Nooooo!' she cried as she fell backwards into the darkness.

T
ia felt herself snatched up in strong scaly forelegs.

‘Hold on,' a familiar voice said as she was carried swiftly away through the air.

‘Finn!' Tia cried.

‘Not so loud – we don't want that witch to know what's happened.'

Finn had made his skin the colour of night, all spangled with stars. Tia clung on tightly and tried to forget how Andgrim had dropped her: but though Finn was small he was strong, and carried her safely to the forest.

As soon as he landed he let go of her and she sighed with relief.

‘Thank you for saving me, Finn,' she said. ‘You were so brave coming all that way in spite of the spell. It must've been very hard.'

Even by firelight Tia could see Finn turn pink all over with embarrassment. ‘You were away a long time and I've been practising my camouflage skills,' he said, ‘But you're right, it was hard.'

Tia wanted to ask where the emerald was, and Loki, but she was stopped by a tremendous yawn. Finn nudged her towards the cave. ‘Go and sleep – we'll talk again in the morning.'