by Linda McNabb
‘StarFire will be able to tell,’ Eagan assured him. He leaned slightly to the side so he could see the dragon mark on Rem’s forehead. It was black so they weren’t anywhere near the night-shadow. He figured that if they found the black cat, then they’d also find Seth and the child. He hoped his theory was right as he had no other ideas on where to look.
‘And I will know when Oran is around,’ Darius added dryly.
Eagan knew he should be a little unsettled at the thought of leaving his apprentice-in-waiting behind. Travelling without Peiter was a risk but oddly enough Eagan felt much better for not having the over-eager guard shadowing him. Confronting Ryker and Oran would be a problem though as Darius had so little magic left they wouldn’t be able to use any at all without Peiter nearby to take over if needed.
It was only ten minutes later that Darius broke the silence that had fallen over them all.
‘Oran is nearby,’ he said in a stone cold tone that showed he was not only unimpressed, but a little afraid. ‘And if I can sense him…’
He left the rest unsaid, and Eagan gulped back a knot of fear that rose in his throat. He leaned a little to the side and swept the land below for any sign of Seth, a black dragon, or a night-shadow.
‘Perhaps we should ask at the town if anyone has seen Caden,’ Waide suggested and pointed to where a slim column of smoke rose from an area of cleared forest. A cluster of buildings and brightly coloured awnings announced quite clearly that this was a market place.
‘Good idea,’ Eagan said as he wondered if it really was. He had no desire to meet up with Ryker after their last clash well over a hundred years ago. ‘Rem, would StarFire be so kind as to take us to the town market?’
Rem did not reply, she just patted the neck of her white dragon and leaned into the arc as the dragon changed direction. Those sitting behind her had to follow suit quickly or risk being unseated.
It only took a minute to reach the market and from the way the crowd scattered instantly, but without huge amounts of screaming, Eagan knew they’d seen a dragon recently. StarFire landed at the edge of the market and her passengers slid to the ground. Rem stood next to the dragon and made no attempt to follow as Waide and Eagan headed into the marketplace.
Outwardly it was almost impossible to tell that Eagan was scared, unless someone saw how his eyes darted around the empty marketplace.
‘I will stay in the staff. There is less chance of Oran noticing us then.’
Eagan didn’t even have time to nod in agreement before his long-time teacher was gone. He didn’t blame the wizard either, for if he had a chance he would rather be somewhere else as well.
Eagan had been to this market town many times over the last several hundred years and he knew every stall holder by sight and every narrow alley in the back streets. In his head he was recalculating an escape route with every street he passed. He nodded a greeting to the men and women as they peered out from their hiding places. He felt a small sliver of hope that Ryker and Oran weren’t around as the empty streets would make it easy to see the apprentice. Surely Ryker hadn’t run to hide like the rest of the town? One townsperson after another edged out into the open as they recognised Eagan. They looked surprised as they took in the familiar face of the travelling entertainer then looked over at the huge white dragon.
‘Have you seen my brother? He looks about four years old with curly black hair and green eyes.’
Waide was wasting no time hurrying up to the stallholders to find Caden, holding his hand up at waist height to show how tall his little brother was. Each one was shaking their head and then turning their attention back to the white dragon. Eagan could have told him that he was wasting his time. If the boy was here, then Seth would be as well, and Eagan doubted the boy had stolen the child just to bring him to a market.
A baker came forward to speak to Eagan. He was wringing his hands in his white apron and glancing around at the sky as if he expected a dozen dragons to descend at any minute.
‘It doesn’t seem angry like the other one,’ the baker commented with a hopeful lilt to his voice.
‘You’ve seen the black one recently?’ Eagan asked. ‘And the young man who flies with it?’
The baker nodded and flicked his gaze over to Rem. ‘I’ve seen the dragon, but it flies alone. I’ve never seen a boy with it. It near burned the town down.’
‘Have you seen it today?’ Eagan prompted. He didn’t like the sound of the black dragon flying free without anyone near to control it. He glanced around at the market place. It didn’t show any signs of being burnt recently so the man must be exaggerating.
The baker shook his head but a young girl peered out around the man’s apron and pointed to the sky.
‘I saw it about ten minutes ago.’
Eagan knelt down and took a deep breath to calm himself and project a calm and happy expression. It was much harder than he thought but he smiled at the girl and she smiled back. ‘With a boy and a child… Just two people?’
He felt a chill run through him as he considered what would happen if Seth took up with Ryker. But when he thought about it, there really only two possible scenarios. Seth needed someone to hatch the egg and he actually preferred this one. The only other option was Seth bonding with the wizard in the staff he stole and that one gave Eagan more than a chill!
Waide had seen Eagan talking to the child and hurried over just as the girl replied.
‘There wasn’t a child. Just one person.’
‘Are you sure?’ Waide asked as he pushed Eagan out of the way in an attempt to get closer to the girl. Eagan put one hand on the boy’s arm and shook his head to tell him to back off a bit. The girl retreated behind her father a step and peered out nervously.
‘Which way was it heading?’ Eagan asked, smiling as if it he were simply asking directions to the next town.
The girl didn’t answer but pointed beyond Eagan. The apprentice didn’t need to turn to see where she was pointing as the only thing behind him was the mountains.
‘I need to get back to my stall before the forest beggars steal all my food,’ the baker said, pulling his daughter close to his side.
‘Just one more question,’ Eagan said as he pushed himself slowly to his feet and rubbed his knee. He was far too old to be kneeling on the hard ground. ‘Have you heard of a man named Ryker?’
‘Lord Ryker?’ the man asked in surprise. ‘What would he have to do with dragons and missing children?’
‘Lord Ryker?’ Eagan echoed. He hadn’t asked after Ryker in a hundred years and was surprised that the apprentice was still going by his own name. He wasn’t really trying to hide at all! How many times had Ryker been nearby when Eagan visited this town over the years? Darius had never mentioned being able to feel the presence of another wizard so perhaps Ryker and Oran had only been here a short time.
‘That’s what I said,’ the baker replied. ‘You’ll find him at Arrow Castle off yonder. He was here in the market not half an hour ago so you might even catch him on the forest road.’
The baker picked up his daughter and hurried off before Eagan could speak again. The townspeople were beginning to resume their daily routine although they were all casting glances in Rem and MoonFlame’s direction every few seconds.
‘So where is my brother?’ Waide asked impatiently as he spun around to look at the crowds again.
‘Well he’s not here,’ Eagan replied. He doubted the black dragon would let anyone ride alone if it wasn’t Seth. So if Seth was heading to the mountains why was he going there and what had he done with the child?
‘Where do we look next? We have to find him. Mother will be so worried by now,’ Waide said, and his voice got louder and louder.
Eagan waved one hand in a downward motion to get him to calm down. He turned to look at the mountains that towered over the trees in the distance. ‘If he was heading that way then I know who would have seen him. They will know if he had a child with him.’
Chapter Eight - A Cl
ose Call
Eagan felt a sudden tingle from the staff a minute later as they flew over the forest. Even though his master stayed hidden he knew what Darius was trying to tell him. Ryker and Oran were nearby.
He glanced down and saw a narrow road in a gap in the trees. As he looked, a coach came into view then vanished a few seconds later. It was Ryker, there was no doubt, and what worried Eagan even more was that the road was heading in the same direction as them. He leaned forward and put one hand on Rem’s shoulder. He felt a pang of hurt and regret as she pulled away instantly and glared back at him.
‘Can we go any faster?’ he asked.
Her eyes narrowed a little as if she could see the terror lurking behind his eyes, barely under control. She turned and leaned forward to speak to the white dragon. A heartbeat later the dragon lurched forward at a pace that almost unseated them all.
South Gate looked very different from above. Eagan had to look away as StarFire descended towards the courtyard as it made him feel ill to see the ground rushing up towards him. The tower blocked most of the view of the fortress and it looked as if they would crash into it.
The courtyard was almost deserted and Eagan dismounted with a little too much haste. He felt the world spinning as he waited for his senses to adjust to being on firm ground. Waide slipped to the ground as well, but Rem remained motionless, looking around attentively. One young guard came running up to them, holding his hat up to keep it off his eyes. His entire uniform was far too big for him, or he was too small, as he appeared to be the youngest guard Eagan had ever seen. He looked barely out of his childhood years.
‘Where is everyone?’ Eagan asked and looked around. He knew they didn’t have long before Ryker arrived, for there was really no other place the apprentice could be heading.
‘They’re down in the pass where the black dragon and the big cat were,’ the boy replied with wide eyes and a wary glance at StarFire.
‘Did Seth have a child with him?’ Waide almost yelled at the boy.
The young guard stared at Waide as if he didn’t understand and looked at StarFire again. ‘Will it eat me?’
Eagan took a deep breath to calm himself. So the night-shadow and Seth had both been here. He looked at the innocent, scared expression on the young guard’s face and knew there was little point in asking any more questions. He had been left behind for a reason.
‘To the pass,’ Rem said in a firm tone, sounding very sure of her dragon’s willingness to obey. StarFire leapt into the sky again and both of them vanished over the wall and down into the pass, leaving Eagan and Waide staring after them.
Eagan swore softly under his breath, and then took off at a run towards the main gate. He heard footsteps behind him that told him Waide was following. He was out of breath by the time he reached the first of the guards at the entrance to the pass. It looked as if the entire population of South Gate, except the lone child-guard, were in the pass.
The guards recognised Eagan and fell back to let him pass but blocked Waide’s passage.
‘I’m with the old man!’ Waide protested loudly and his voice echoed down the pass.
Eagan paused briefly to turn and wave his agreement then sucked in some air and continued on. It only took Waide a few strides to catch up and overtake. Eagan had never felt quite this old before and by the time he reached the canyon he felt like collapsing to the ground. He leaned heavily on his staff and bent forward as he tried to catch his breath. He briefly wondered what would happen if he died of natural causes before handing over the staff to a new apprentice.
The canyon was almost identical to the one at High Gate and most of it was an illusion as well. This one, however, wasn’t holding up as well as the one back up north. He could see parts of the stone wall that shimmered and faded and one guard was poking at it with his sword and it was vanishing up to the hilt as if it were cutting butter.
It was also full of guards, and just one dragon – StarFire. There was no sign of the other dragon, or the night-shadow and as Eagan skimmed the faces around him he knew already that Seth and Caden were not there either. Havan, the head guard hurried over towards him.
‘Where is the night-shadow? Why was the warning drum not sounded?’ Eagan tried to bellow but it came out as a hoarse whisper as he was still out of breath. ‘And where is the black dragon?’
‘Guardian, we are sorry,’ the guard said, bowing low and shaking his head. ‘But the orders state that we sound the drum when a night-shadow is attacking. This one was going the other way.’
Eagan bit back a retort. Havan was right. There was nothing to cover the situation at hand.
‘Ask him about the child,’ Darius said, shimmering into view and stepping several paces away from the white dragon.
‘Did the dragon have a child with it and where did it go?’ Eagan asked, finally recovered enough to speak normally.
‘Only Seth was with the dragon. The child was riding the black cat that Seth was chasing,’ Havan replied sadly. ‘We could not save him.’
‘Clear the canyon,’ Eagan ordered.
The head guard looked dubious and paused as he looked at Eagan for clarification.
‘The night-shadow won’t be coming back,’ Eagan replied quietly. ‘It has what it wants.’
Waide spun to look at him and the boy looked devastated.
‘So where is Seth?’ Rem asked as she slid to the ground. The canyon was almost empty now and only a few guards hovered near the entrance looking ready to be called back if required.
‘He is through there,’ StarFire replied and looked at the rock wall. ‘Well, the other dragon is. I feel her presence.’
Rem did not hesitate and Eagan would not have attempted to keep her back, but he felt a twinge of worry as the fierce-looking young lady stormed right into the wall and vanished. He wasn’t sure it was a good idea for her to be going anywhere near the east.
‘Come on, Waide,’ he said, tugging the boy along with him and catching up to StarFire as the dragon followed Rem into the illusion. It faded away as if it was just a veil of smoke and Eagan didn’t even shrug in concern. He knew he had no magic left to fix it even if he wanted to.
Rem was already striding along the path and Eagan saw her vanish around a corner. He hurried along as the white dragon also disappeared from sight ahead of them.
‘Is Seth here?’ Waide asked, drawing his sword and holding it ready to attack.
‘I doubt it,’ Eagan replied. There was no sound from the path ahead and he was sure he would have heard if Rem had found Seth.
As they rounded the corner they drew to a stop. Up ahead were the two dragons and Rem. The dragons filled most of the path and Rem was attempting to get past them.
‘You can’t get through. There is a barrier,’ MoonFlame said. The white dragon looked at the black one with only mild interest, as if she weren’t worthy of the attention. Then StarFire tried to walk through the barrier and hissed out a blast of flame when he could not pass.
‘Then where is Seth?’ Rem asked.
‘He went through. I could not follow,’ MoonFlame replied and hung her head as if she had somehow failed.
‘I cannot feel nor see a barrier,’ Rem said. Then she began to walk forward at a pace that would definitely hurt if she ran into something solid.
‘Wait for me,’ Waide called, hurrying up and took hold of Rem’s shoulder to slow her down. She took no notice of him and kept walking, forcing him to hurry after her, still holding onto her shoulder.
Rem looked puzzled as she and Waide walked straight past the place that had stopped the dragons, and on for another dozen paces.
‘It must only stop dragons. We will search for a way through,’ StarFire said, lifting into the air and was quickly followed by MoonFlame. ‘We will join you when we find a break in the barrier.’
‘How did they get through?’ Darius asked, floating up to the invisible barrier. ‘I cannot pass.’
‘Nor I,’ Eagan said slapping his palm against what felt
like a solid wall, then called out to the others. ‘Rem. Waide.’
Rem ignored him, but Waide let go of her shoulder and hurried back towards Eagan. As he approached, he ran into the invisible barrier and bounced back, falling to the ground and sending his sword flying.
‘What happened?’ he asked as she got up and dusted himself off, then collected his sword.
‘You went through one way easily enough,’ Eagan said, working it through in his mind. The boy’s voice sounded as if he were a long way off.
‘I was touching Rem’s shoulder when I went through so it must be something to do with her,’ Waide suggested. ‘Rem, will you come and bring Eagan through? I wonder if she could bring the dragons through as well.’
Before Eagan had a chance to think through the situation Darius floated back down the pass and hurried back.
‘We have company.’
Eagan heard Ryker before he saw him. He was still looking at Rem and Waide who stood on the other side of the barrier. Rem appeared to be considering the advantages of helping him go through to the east. Eagan’s face went white at the sound of Ryker talking to the invisible Oran.
‘Well, well, what have we here,’ Ryker’s voice announced that he had turned the corner and could now see Eagan. ‘We’ll just have to finish him off for good this time I think.’
Eagan turned and held a brief hope that the dragons would return to protect him but there was no sign of them. Eagan’s back was pressed up against the barrier and took a deep breath to calm himself. There was nothing he could do to defend himself.
‘Thanks for the friendship, Darius,’ Eagan said and nodded at the wizard who stood next to him, frantically flicking through his large leather book for a spell.
‘There must be something I can do. I have enough magic for one small spell,’ Darius insisted but Eagan raised one hand to stop him.
‘No, you barely have enough for me to pass the staff on – even if there was anyone to pass it to,’ Eagan said calmly. He looked over to where Waide stood. The youth was the only possible option for a successor and he couldn’t reach him. Waide fought to get through the barrier, sword drawn, ready to defend Eagan.
