The Ruby Quest (5 page)

She'd wait until Vanna, Gunnar and Frida were asleep then creep out and tell the Traders what she knew.

When the moon shone brightly through Tia's window she crept into the town. The revellers and night-hawks were too busy enjoying themselves to notice her as she sped to the Traders' camping ground in the shadow of the city walls.

‘No!' She stared aghast at the deserted ground. Only moonlit rings and lines of squashed grass showed where the Traders had pitched their tents and tethered their horses. They'd been wise enough
to leave early, perhaps in fear of Hyldi's anger over the bronze horse.

Tia wasn't the only one taken aback by the empty spot. Bragi was there with a band of mounted men.

‘They travel slowly with their waggons,' he snarled. ‘We can catch them up in the Alda valley – they always go that way to Roornhof. We'll ambush them where the valley turns and narrows. It's the perfect place.'

The bandits wheeled away.

Tia could think of only one thing to do. She headed for the stables.

‘Yufa?' she called outside the box-stall.

The mare's head jerked up in surprise. ‘What's the matter?'

Tia hurriedly explained. ‘We have to help the Traders,' she said.

‘Of course!' Yufa scraped at the ground. ‘We can't let bandits hurt them.'

Tia opened the stall and took down the reins. ‘We have to overtake the bandits and reach the Traders before they do. Then we can tell the Traders about the ambush and they can get ready to defend themselves.'

Yufa danced in excitement. ‘We can run like a comet through the night!'

Tia calmed the excited horse and led her through the streets. They kept to the shadows so that Yufa's golden hide didn't gleam too brightly in the magical lights of the town. Tia let out a sigh of relief as they passed safely through the gates.

She mounted Yufa. ‘The path's stony, we need to go carefully until we pass the volcanoes and reach the valley. Then we can gallop along the grass and overtake the bandits.'

Yufa picked her way carefully and steadily down the moonlit track.

‘Wait!' Tia hauled on the reins.

There, sitting in the middle of the path ahead, invisible except to Tia's witch-sight, was Finn. He looked very pleased with himself.

‘Oh no!' Tia groaned.

Finn's face fell.

‘What's the matter?' Yufa asked.

‘I've seen something in the road. Wait here.'

Tia slid from Yufa's back, dropped the reins, stooped as though she were examining the ground and made her way to Finn. His camouflage was perfect. From the moon-washed, milky white path to the shadows of bushes and rocks, he matched his background exactly. If Tia hadn't been a witch-child he'd have been invisible to her too.

She crouched in front of him and pretended to prod at the road. ‘What are you doing?' she whispered. Even though she was pleased to see her
beloved DragonBrother, she was still angry that he'd put himself in danger by passing through the spell boundary for no good reason.

‘I'm practising my disguises,' he whispered back. ‘I didn't expect to see you.' He nudged Tia with his nose and blew a faint wisp of sweet smoke over her. ‘I missed you, DragonSister.'

‘I missed you too.' She had her back to the horse, so she was able to stroke Finn's nose without Yufa seeing her do it. ‘But you have go back. If you make even one tiny mistake the spell will catch you.'

‘I won't…'

‘You might,' Tia insisted. ‘Go back.'

‘All right,' Finn agreed. ‘But first tell me what you're doing outside the town at night. That's dangerous too.'

Tia thought that was fair. She told him quickly, prodding the ground all the time as if she were muttering to herself about something she'd found there.

When she'd finished, Finn told her he'd seen a band of men riding towards the western side of the valley. ‘You'll need to hurry if you're going to catch up with them,' he whispered.

‘I will.' Tia quickly kissed Finn and stood up. ‘And now you have to fly away.'

‘All right.' Finn took off, his scaly skin changing to match the starry sky as he rose.

Tia went back to Yufa.

‘Did you find anything?' the horse asked as Tia grasped a tuft of the white mane and pulled herself onto Yufa's back.

‘Yes – the bandits left signs as they went. I know which direction they're going in now.'

Yufa accepted what Tia said and trotted steadily down the road. They soon reached the wooded valley – and the end of the spell boundary. It shimmered across the top of the valley, as delicate as spider silk and just as dangerous.

‘The bandits have gone along the west side of the valley,' Tia said. ‘The Traders have followed the track down the middle. We'll ride along the eastern side.'

Yufa broke into a canter, then a gallop. She raced along the grassy top of the valley so fast that Tia's cap flew off and went whirling away.

At last Tia spotted the line of bandit horsemen, their dark shapes outlined in moonlight.

‘We've caught up with them, now let's pass them,' she urged the little mare. Yufa flew along faster than before and soon left the bandits behind. She caught up with the Traders just as they were nearing a bend in the valley far below.

‘That's where Bragi and his band are planning to attack,' Tia said.

‘Then let's go and warn them!' Yufa turned down the sloping side of the valley without waiting for Tia to guide her. As soon as she was sure of her footing, she galloped. Tia gripped hard with her knees and lay along Yufa's neck. She was certain the mare was going to stumble as she careered down the valley, dodging bushes and trees, slithering on the damp grass. But Yufa was sure-footed as well as fast and they arrived at the head of the train breathless and unharmed.

Tia reined Yufa in.

‘Bragi and his bandits are on their way to attack you,' she told the astonished Traders. She pointed into the narrowing curve of the valley. ‘They plan to ambush you there. I heard them plotting. Hyldi's hired them.'

The Traders took in Tia's clothes and the little horse and didn't stop to question her. They quickly began to organise themselves. Most of them disappeared into the shadowy trees; others drew their waggons close together and told the children to stay hidden inside. Two Traders unfastened a wheel from beneath a waggon and propped it up against the side.

‘We're pretending we've stopped to replace a broken wheel,' a man told Tia grimly. He drew out a short sword. ‘But when they come down on us, we'll be ready for them – thanks to you, whoever you are.'

‘I'm Nadya,' Tia said without thinking.

‘Ah, the girl the High Witches want so badly,' the man said. ‘The bandits will try to catch you and claim the reward. You must go before they get here.'

It was too late for that. Blood-curdling yells split the air, hooves thundered and blades glinted in the moonlight as Bragi and his bandits charged on the Traders.

The men by the waggon wheel spun round, swords at the ready. Others ran out from the trees to attack the bandits from behind. Men and women yelled and swords clanged as the fight went back and forward. First the Traders were winning, and then the bandits.

Tia saw the Trader who'd told her to leave grappling desperately with Bragi. The Trader held off the bandit chief and shouted, ‘Go, girl, now!'

Bragi turned in surprise to see who the Trader was calling to. The Trader took advantage of Bragi's loss of concentration and knocked him to the ground.

With a yell of, ‘I've got their chief!' the Trader roped Bragi and hauled him to his feet.

The other bandits panicked and tried to run but the Traders overpowered them. They soon had them tied up and bundled into an empty waggon with their chief.

The Trader leader took hold of Yufa's reins. ‘It's not safe for you to go back to Askarlend town,' he said to Tia. ‘Why don't you travel on with us to Roornhof?'

Tia shook her head. ‘I have things to do there.'

‘I see.' The Trader let go of the reins. ‘Then good fortune go with you.'

‘Thank you.' Tia turned away from the Trader train and began to make her way back to Askarlend.

The volcanoes smouldered ominously in the dawn light as Tia rode towards Askarlend town. Their red glow reminded Tia of the ruby.
I'm no closer to stealing it
, she thought gloomily. She didn't even know where Hyldi kept the comb when she wasn't wearing it.

As Yufa plodded towards the town walls, Tia's gloom deepened. She wasn't any nearer to reuniting the little mare with Shandor either.

A clatter of hooves jolted her out of the dark thoughts. The stable hands were riding the horses out for exercise.

As usual, Kettil was leading the string on the chestnut, Folski. He reined in when he saw Tia. ‘Where've you been?' he demanded.

‘None of your business.'

Tia tried to ride by but Kettil snapped his fingers and the stable hands surrounded her and Yufa. She scowled at Kettil.

‘It's you – that thief on the posters!' Kettil's eyes glittered with excitement and greed.

Tia's hand flew to her hair. She'd forgotten that her cap had fallen off before the fight with the bandits. And the poster showed her scowling. No wonder Kettil had recognised her.

‘Ragnar, go and tell the Lady Hyldi I've captured her jewel thief,' Kettil ordered. One of the boys dug his heels into his horse and galloped into the town.

Tia tried desperately to force Yufa out of the circle of horses but they pressed in so closely that Yufa couldn't kick out or back up.

Kettil and the stable hands forced Tia into the town. They stopped in West Gate Square, in front of the troll statue. Loki was perched on its shoulder.

He can't help me now
, Tia thought.

People poured excitedly into the square as news of ‘Nadya's' capture spread. They jostled and shouted, startling the horses into breaking the circle round Tia. Hands grabbed her, dragged her from Yufa's back. The little mare, eyes rolling wildly, kicked out.

‘Get out of the way!' Vanna's loud voice ordered, and her strong arms lifted Tia up. Gunnar grabbed Yufa's reins. She reared.

‘It's all right – stay with the man!' Tia called, and Yufa stood trembling, her hide twitching.

Voices shouted, ‘Make way for the Lady Hyldi!' The witch's guards forced their way through the crowd to Tia. The High Witch stormed after them.

‘So,' she snarled at Tia, ‘you are the little thief. I see it clearly now. Where are my sisters' jewels – the emerald, the opal, the topaz and the sapphire?'

‘I haven't got them,' Tia said.

Hyldi beckoned and Tia felt herself magically jerked forwards, step by step till she was face to face with the witch.

Hyldi grabbed the front of Tia's shirt and her chain spilled out revealing the emerald, shining a vivid green in the morning sun.