The Emerald Quest (7 page)

Tia stumbled into the cave and was asleep in seconds.

A delicious smell woke Tia late the next morning. She came out the cave to see Finn roasting food over the fire and Loki perched on a nearby log, preening his feathers.

‘Come and eat,' Finn said. ‘And then you can tell us all about your adventures.'

Tia sat on the log next to Loki and tucked into the best meal she'd had for a long time. When she'd finished, Loki pecked impatiently at her hand.

‘Ouch! What did you do that for?' she said.

Loki stared at her.

‘Oh, you can't understand me without the emerald! Where is it, Finn?'

Finn pulled a stone away from the entrance to the cave and delicately extended one of his claws into the hole behind it. ‘This seemed a safe place until you came back.'

He hooked the ring from the hole and gave it to Tia. In the forest light it shone greener than ever. Tia slipped it on and twisted the stone into her palm. At last she was able to talk to Loki again.

‘Thank you, Loki,' she said to the jackdaw. ‘I'm sorry I didn't trust you.'

‘You'll know better next time,' he said.

‘How did you find Finn?'

‘You said that he was on the edge of the forest by a small cave. I was hatched here and I know the forest well. I tried a few places that seemed likely and I knew I'd found the right one when I smelt dragon.'

Tia couldn't help laughing.

‘Finn wouldn't believe me at first, but I managed to convince him and guided him to the turret to get you.'

‘You were both very brave,' Tia said. She smiled at Finn and reached out to stroke Loki's feathers
but as she did so the ring slipped off her finger. She hurriedly put it back.

‘That's such a nuisance,' she said. ‘I'm afraid of wearing the ring in case I lose it but if I don't wear it I won't be able to talk to you, Loki.'

She thought for a moment. ‘I know!' She took off the chain round her neck, slipped the ring onto it next to the locket, then put it back under her shirt where it couldn't be seen. She felt the emerald resting against her skin. ‘Now I can talk to you,' she said.

‘It's a good thing Malindra magicked the emerald smaller so she could set it in the ring,' Loki said. ‘Otherwise it would be dragon-sized and too big to put on your chain.' He ruffled his feathers and shook out his wings. ‘Bah. I don't like talking about HER.'

‘Are you going to stay with us?' Tia asked.

‘I have to go and tell my family I'm safe. But I think we'll meet again. Tell your DragonBrother goodbye for now,' said Loki.

Tia told Finn what the jackdaw had said and he rumbled a farewell.

Loki launched himself into the sky, flew away over the trees and disappeared.

‘D'you think we'll see him again?' Tia asked.

‘Who knows,' Finn said. ‘They're unpredictable birds, jackdaws.'

‘Then it's just you and me.' Tia smiled at her DragonBrother. ‘I'm glad you came on this adventure with me, Finn; it's much more fun with the two of us!'

‘I'm not sure I'd call it fun!' Finn said. ‘But I'm glad too.' He puffed out a smoke ring. ‘Can we go home now, and take the emerald to the DragonQueen?'

‘No,' Tia said firmly. ‘I'm going to get all the jewels back first.'

She felt for the emerald on her chain and her fingers rested for a moment on the locket. One day she would have to take the black pearl from her own mother.

‘Which one are we going to steal next?' Finn asked.

‘The opal; it was taken by Yordis, the High Witch of Kulafoss and that's the nearest town to Drangur. We'll set off tomorrow.'

Tia leaned against her DragonBrother and thought about the next adventure. She could hardly wait for tomorrow to come.

Tia's adventure continues in

The Opal Quest

published by A & C Black
February 2013

First published 2012 by A & C Black,
an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
50 Bedford Square
London WC1B 3DP
This electronic edition published in October 2012
www.bloomsbury.com

Copyright © 2012 A & C Black
Text copyright © 2012 Gill Vickery
Illustrations copyright © 2012 Mike Love

The right of Gill Vickery and Mike Love to be identified as the author
and illustrator of this work has been asserted by them in accordance
with the Copyrights, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

eISBN 978-1-40817-443-2

A CIP catalogue for this book is available from the British Library.

All rights reserved
You may not copy, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means (including without limitation electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, printing, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages

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