by Mark Robson
Finding the confidence to lean down to the left was far easier. With her right hand secured in the right stirrup, Nolita was quick to secure the left. It felt strange to have her legs dangling loose, but surprisingly comforting to have her hands twisted into the leather loops. The stirrup straps were not long enough to allow her to put her hands back on the pommel, so she gripped the leading edge of the saddle instead.
‘That feels a lot safer,’ she told Fire. ‘I would prefer to have the stirrups as well, though. It feels strange to have my feet dangling loose. When we next land somewhere close to a tanner, I’m going to get some leather loops sewn onto the pommel. I feel so much safer with my hands secured like this.’
‘Good idea,’ he replied, skimming around the mountainside and into the mouth of the wide valley beyond. ‘You never know, you might start a trend.’
‘Where’s Shadow gone?’ Nolita gasped, noticing for the first time that the enormous night dragon was no longer beside them. The mountainside was racing past to their left, but there was no sign of Shadow to their right and she had been leading the way ever since they had first detected the other night dragons.
‘She’s directly behind us, covering our backs,’ Fire told her. ‘Segun’s men are getting very close. If my wings weren’t so tired, I’d feel more confident of outmanoeuvring them. I know a few tricks that should hold them off for a while. Shadow is strong and will fight bravely, but I would give a lot to have Aurora and Fang here now.’
‘So would I,’ Nolita muttered. ‘So would I.’
Elian thought he was dreaming at first, but there came a point when he knew he had crossed the boundary from sleep into a conscious awareness of his surroundings. The sensation was almost like floating in warm water. He opened his eyes. It took a moment to remember his injuries. The blurriness did not seem as bad as before. Colours appeared more discernable and he felt he could make out more detail of his surroundings.
‘Are you awake? How are you feeling?’
It was Kira. He did not know how to answer. Nothing felt real. Everything was still fuzzy, but the ringing in his ears had receded to a bearable background buzz – annoying, but no longer a major problem. He could not decide if he had heard her voice in both ears, or just in the left.
‘All right, I think,’ he mumbled eventually. ‘What time is it?’
‘Early afternoon,’ Kira replied. ‘You’ve been asleep for more than a day.’
‘No wonder I can’t feel my back,’ he said sleepily. ‘I never oversleep. It must be something to do with the injury. I still feel groggy.’
Every word brought him more in touch with his surroundings. Kira was sitting on a chair beside his bed. He could not make out her expression, but there was a note of relief in her voice. How long had she been sitting there watching over him, he wondered?
‘Haithan gave you a sleeping draft to keep you unconscious while he took the metal fragment from your leg,’ she said. ‘Do you remember anything of what he did?’ Something in her voice told Elian that her respect for the healer had grown.
‘Not a lot,’ he admitted. ‘Where is he now?’
‘Neema and Shimmer took him back to his village. He said there was nothing more he could do for you at the moment, but Neema tells me that Shimmer has been talking to Aurora. He’s keen to try using his inner fire to heal you further once you’re able to move to him. Apparently both Shimmer and Blaze were amazed to learn they had powers of healing. The archives here do not mention this ability.’
‘What about the others?’ Elian asked.
‘What others?’
‘The other dawn dragons, of course.’
‘There are no other dawn dragons, Elian,’ Kira replied. ‘Shimmer, Blaze and Aurora are the only three dawn dragons in Areth who have riders at the moment. We happened to catch them both at home because Blaze wanted to lay her clutch of eggs somewhere comfortable, but the enclave is often empty for years at a time.’
‘Only three!’ he exclaimed. ‘I had no idea. I mean, I always knew that Ra was special, but I didn’t realise dawn dragons were that rare. Any idea how many there are without riders?’
‘No, I didn’t think to ask.’
‘What about the orb?’ Elian asked, feeling suddenly excited and a lot more awake as he remembered why they had come to the enclave. He propped himself up on his elbows as he continued. ‘Is it here? Have you found any clues?’
‘No,’ Kira sighed. ‘Nothing. I’ve had a good look around the enclave, but there’s no sign of it. The enclave is tiny by comparison to the homes of the day and night dragons. Neema and Blaze’s rider, Tarl, don’t know anything. Neither do their dragons. I don’t think the orb is here.’
Elian thought hard for a moment. This was a blow. Things were not going as he had expected. Until now, the path of the quest had led them from one orb to the next, laying itself out before them in an obvious path. Despite their best efforts, though, time was running out. They could not traipse all over Areth looking for clues. He had expected to find something here that would at least give them a lead on where to look next.
‘What about using the dusk orb to help with the search?’ he asked.
‘I tried.’ There was a strange inflection in Kira’s voice. She sounded distant, as if she were reliving the experience. ‘I sent my vision into every nook and cranny in the caves here, but I found nothing. I even snuck in to look around the hatching chamber, but somehow Blaze knew I was there. She got very agitated and I didn’t want to upset her or Tarl, so I didn’t stay long. There was little point. The chamber was bare. Aside from Blaze and the eggs, there was nothing but stone – floors, walls and ceiling.’
‘Secret passages, or chambers?’ Elian mused.
‘I’m not sure,’ Kira admitted, ‘but I don’t think so. When I’m using the orb, my sense of vision is enhanced. I think I’d know if there was something there.’
Elian slumped back, disappointed. His mind was racing, but while he was unable to see properly there was little he could do. Much as he hated to admit it, he was stuck here for as long as it took to get better.
Chapter Ten
Dangerous Manoeuvres
‘Split now!’
Shadow rolled hard to the right, simultaneously powering upwards as she veered away from Firestorm’s tail. But Darkhorn had followed. She was really close now and Pell gasped as he saw the dragon’s mouth open wide. With a sudden surge, the night dragon lunged forwards to bite Shadow’s tail.
‘SHADOW!’ It was all the warning Pell could formulate.
Whether it was instinct on Shadow’s part, or whether she had been aware of the intention of the other dragon all along, Pell did not know. One heartbeat her tail was gently undulating with the natural rhythm of flight, the next it whipped into a tight arc to the left, swiping at the lunging night dragon and giving it a mighty slap across the head.
Darkhorn screeched with anger. Her head reared slightly and she lunged again, only for Shadow to arc her tail the other way and deal her another slapping blow. The rhythm of Darkhorn’s wingbeats seemed to falter momentarily and she dropped back a short distance. Pell felt a fierce burning in his stomach and his hands gripped tighter than ever on the front of the saddle. He could see that further back, the two remaining dragons had split, one following Shadow and the other tracking Firestorm.
‘Darkhorn and Longtail have decided to follow us. Deepshade is going after Firestorm,’ Shadow announced.
‘What will Firestorm do?’
‘I don’t know,’ she replied. ‘But Firestorm and I agreed that splitting up is the best course of action.’
They had given Nolita and Firestorm a bit of breathing space, but it seemed this was the best he and Shadow could do for now. Pell did not fancy Firestorm’s chances against Deepshade, but there appeared little hope that he and Shadow could deal with Darkhorn and Longtail and catch up with Firestorm in time to assist. He was pleased the dragons had made the decision. Normally he liked to lead, but his promise to Elian t
hat he would get Nolita to the day dragon enclave was fresh in his mind. It had felt like he was abandoning that promise less than a day after making it, so his guilt was eased by the dragons taking charge.
Shadow headed for the high valley to their right and Pell had an idea that rapidly developed into a plan. Shadow’s choice of route was not suitable for the trap he had in mind, but Pell knew what to look for now. He could feel that Shadow was confident she was stronger than their two pursuers. She was aiming to stretch the two chasing night dragons beyond their limits. If she could, she would force them to give up the chase. If not, she hoped to weaken them enough to swing a fight in her favour. With the immediate odds down to two against one, things were beginning to feel slightly better and Pell was sure that with a little bit of luck, things could swing to their advantage.
‘Are you sure you can climb fast enough to make it over that pass?’ Pell asked, looking up at the tight ‘V shaped valley.
‘There’s only one way to find out,’ Shadow replied, her voice set with determination. ‘But I’ll make it. Trust me. If I have to land and run the final bit, I’ll still beat Darkhorn and Longtail to the other side.’
Despite the steepness of the valley, Pell believed her. They had been flying at speed for hours, yet Shadow still had strength in reserve. So powerful were her downward strokes it felt as if she was stamping up a flight of stairs. The nearest of the night dragons, Darkhorn, was beginning to drop behind, but Longtail had been quick to respond to Shadow’s tactic. She had started her climb from further back and did not have to climb at such an extreme rate.
Pell’s head was beginning to spin as he kept looking forwards and back, forwards and back. It was hard to decide where the biggest danger threatened. The rocky pass ahead was narrow and steep. The two dragons behind looked angry and determined. The temperature was dropping as they climbed and soon the air would thin, making it more difficult to breathe. He knew Shadow was intending to descend again as soon as they were over the crest so he was not worried about breathing becoming impossible, but thinking was more difficult in this environment and he was keen to keep his mind alert.
The walls of the valley closed in on either side of them as Shadow hurled all her strength into the climb. The jagged rocks beneath gradually drew more and more of Pell’s attention as they reached up towards him with teeth every bit as deadly as those of the attacking dragons. How Shadow thought she could effect a landing here, Pell did not know. Their crash landing on the ridge when the dragonhunters had chased them was vivid in his mind. Then he had been thrown clear into soft heather. There was nothing soft to land on in this valley.
‘We will not crash,’ Shadow assured him.
‘Glad to hear it.’
Despite her assurance, they were getting closer to the rocks and Shadow was already putting her all into climbing as fast as she could. Pell tried to project their trajectory ahead to see where they were going to impact the rocky slope, but he could not quite see far enough. The valley twisted gently to the left ahead.
Tucked down in the narrow valley, they were no more than fifty spans clear of the rocks below and had about double that to either side. A night dragon screeched behind them. Pell wanted to look back, but was fixated on the ground ahead.
‘Darkhorn was forced to land,’ Shadow said, her voice sounding smug. ‘She and her rider are unharmed, but she is not happy about having to climb the rocks to follow me.’
‘How can any dragon land here?’ Pell asked, amazed to hear the dragon and rider managed to do so without injury.
‘Carefully,’ Shadow told him. ‘It is not so hard for a healthy dragon, but it is easy to make mistakes when one is tired. Look! We’re nearly at the top.’
Shadow was right. They were just rounding the slight turn and the top of the pass was no more than a few hundred paces ahead. They were only about fifteen spans above the rocks now, but the gradient was decreasing and Pell could see they were going to reach the crest without having to touch down. Secure in this knowledge, Pell glanced back over his shoulder. Only one night dragon was in sight. It was Longtail. Pell’s eyes lingered on her for a moment. Her wings were beating hard and deep, but her labour was paying off. She would also make the top of the pass without having to land.
The change from climb to descent was abrupt. For the briefest instant, Pell felt lighter than air as Shadow coasted over the top of the pass and dipped into a steep dive. Another wide valley between lines of mountains was a welcome sight. He scanned left and right for any sign of a likely place to lose the night dragons.
‘I think we’d do better to turn left along this valley when you can, Shadow,’ he suggested. ‘Take us deeper into the range. We should have more chance of losing them there.’
‘I agree,’ she replied.
Shadow initially followed the line of the pass on the other side of the ridge, giving several powerful accelerating beats to stretch her lead on the night dragons. She stayed close to the surface, skimming across the rocky terrain as she converted every span of height into forward momentum. Pell looked back and was surprised to see Longtail did not follow their lead. Instead she cruised out over the top of the ridge, maintaining her height, choosing to keep the advantages of visibility and potential energy rather than commit to a low-level chase.
As soon as Shadow realised what the other night dragon was doing, she made a deliberate turn to the left and eased away from the surface, converting some of her speed into height, but doing her best to fly fast enough to stay ahead.
‘Longtail is wily,’ she observed. ‘I was hoping to draw her into a straight chase, but she’s outmanoeuvred me and gained the advantage. I’m afraid we could be in trouble here.’
‘I’ve got an idea that could tip the balance in our favour,’ Pell said. ‘We need to find a narrow box canyon. Preferably one with no room to turn around without landing.’
‘What do you have in mind, Pell?’ Shadow asked, curious.
Pell told her.
Shadow did not reply for some time. Pell could feel her thinking his suggestion through. When she did finally speak, her response was not quite what Pell expected.
‘It is terribly risky,’ she said slowly. ‘If we’re too close to Longtail when we try it, we could all get killed.’
‘Surely everything’s risky, isn’t it? It’s two against one. This gives us the element of surprise.’
‘You’re right,’ she agreed. ‘I doubt there are many dragons who would attempt it. My hesitation stems from my inability to decide if your plan demonstrates boldness or insanity!’
‘There’s a night dragon right behind your tail . . . and it’s not Shadow!’ Nolita gasped. With her body flat against Fire’s back and her hands wound through the stirrups, the only way Nolita could look behind was by raising an arm slightly and peering underneath and back along the length of her dragon’s body.
‘This is where flying starts to get really interesting,’ Fire replied. ‘Hold yourself tight to my back and try not to be afraid. We’re going to have to turn hard and often.’
‘Where’s Shadow gone?’
‘She’s drawn off the other two night dragons,’ he replied. ‘She and Pell are heading over the high pass to our right. The dragon behind us is called Deepshade. We’re one against one now.’
Nolita was horrified. Pell had left her. She was alone with her dragon. That held more significance than the fact they were under attack. The familiar wall of black terror began to rise. Her breathing quickened and she could feel her heartbeat accelerating. Her dragon’s fatigue was making every sinew in her body ache in sympathy, yet from somewhere she could feel him summoning strength from a seemingly impossible reserve.
‘Turning right,’ Fire told her, simultaneously snapping into such a vicious turn, he appeared to be pivoting around his right wingtip.
A brutal force, far greater than any she had experienced before, crushed Nolita’s body against the saddle. Nolita screamed. She could not help it. A deep inhalation swelle
d Fire’s back beneath her. He arched his head on his long neck and blasted a stream of fire past her at the closing night dragon. She knew that he could breathe far hotter fire, but this blast seemed to cost him more than any she had felt before. Deepshade screeched, though Nolita could not tell if it was through pain, or rage.
‘Turning left.’
The transition was so fast that her head spun with the speed of the rolling motion. For a brief moment, the force pressing her against Fire’s back eased, only to return an instant later as he wheeled hard in the opposite direction. There was a slight bump, like a jolt of turbulence and the turn smoothed again.
‘That was close!’ Fang exclaimed. ‘Deepshade turns faster than most night dragons. I’ve not got the energy to drag this out. We must take them down quickly, or they will kill us for sure. I’m going to try something I saw one of those flying machines do in the other world.’
Nolita was struggling to focus on what Fire was telling her. She did not know what had just happened, nor what he intended to do, and she was too scared to ask. Her fingers were gripping the leather of the stirrups so hard that she could feel her nails cutting into her palms. She screwed her eyes as tightly shut as she could and, stifling a scream, gritted her teeth together so hard that the muscles on either side of her jaw bulged fit to burst.
The rolling motion this time, as Fire reversed the turn, was not so severe. But instead of the crushing pressure decreasing as he rolled, it increased slightly and then very gradually decreased until it disappeared altogether. As the force decreased, so did the noise of the wind rush and Nolita began to feel a curious sensation, as if she was about to float free of her dragon’s back. Still the steady rolling motion to the right continued. Was it never going to stop? What was Firestorm doing?
As gradually as the force holding her against Fire had eased, so it began to build again. Nolita no longer had any idea which way was up, but she did not dare to open her eyes. She could feel Fire brewing another jet of flame as his back swelled beneath her. The pressure forcing her against the saddle continued to build, pressing harder and harder. Firestorm loosed another roar of fiery breath, drawing a second screech from Deepshade. This time, curiously, the sound originated ahead of them, and there was no mistaking it for anything other than a cry of pain.
