Aurora (20 page)

‘They have not arrived yet,’ the man said. ‘But if they were on their way, then I imagine they will get here in due course. I am Barnabas, the senior rider here at our enclave.
You do not need to be afraid. I know of your part in the Great Quest. Indeed, I crave news of how you have progressed. Did you secure the Dark Orb?’

‘I did, sir . . . Barnabas.’

‘Just Barnabas is fine. We do not stand on formality here,’ the old man smiled. His blue eyes sparkled under his white brows and his impressive moustache twitched with amusement.
‘Then you found the Valley of the Griffins,’ he continued. ‘Good. Very good. Yet you and your dragon are still intact. If the heart required was not one of yours, then where did
it come from?’

‘The heart that formed the orb was ripped from Knifetail, a senior night dragon of Segun’s inner Council.’

‘Really?’ Barnabas chuckled. ‘I imagine young Segun was not too happy about that. And the Orb of Vision?’

‘You seem to know as much about our quest as I do,’ Pell observed, his suspicion growing fast. Accepting Barnabas at face value would be a mistake. The man looked like a favourite
old grandfather with his tidy white beard, white hair and twinkling eyes. But Pell knew all too well that appearances could be deceptive. ‘How do you know about the Orb of Vision?’

‘I solved the riddle poem after your fellow questors left with the first orb,’ Barnabas answered with a shrug. ‘The Great Quest has been a part of my life for many, many years.
I have studied its history for longer than you’ve been alive. It is hardly surprising that I, of all people, should solve the riddles.’

‘And the final orb is . .
.
?’ Pell asked.

‘An egg, or an embryo,’ Barnabas said thoughtfully. ‘I’m not completely certain, but I imagine it to be a dragon egg, for no matter how I twist it around, I cannot see
another solution to the first line –
“Life after death from death before life”.
Death before life – most would say that life begins when you are born or, in a
dragon’s case, hatch.’

‘But a dragonet is alive in the egg, so how can it be a death before life?’ Pell asked, unconvinced.

‘You’re quite right,’ the old rider agreed. ‘The rhyme is not technically correct, but it does fit with the nature of the other riddles. Each has required a personal
sacrifice of one form or another. What could be a greater sacrifice than that of a life that has not had a chance to really begin? The greatest of orbs is a dragon’s device – an egg is
the most amazing thing a dragon can make. A life’s sacrifice – an unborn dragon for the rebirth of the Oracle – life after death.’

‘If you’re right, then the chances of success are pretty slim,’ Pell observed. ‘Dragons don’t clutch that often, do they?’

‘I wouldn’t worry about that,’ Barnabas said with a smile. ‘If my answer is correct, then there’ll be eggs somewhere for you and your colleagues to find. The Oracle
would not have initiated the Great Quest unless all the orbs were attainable. Come. Let me get you some refreshments. You have no doubt had an arduous journey.’

‘Is this Barnabas genuine?’
Pell asked Shadow silently.
‘He seems too good to be true.’

‘I sense no word of a lie in what he has said so far,’
Shadow responded.
‘He is either telling the truth, or he is extraordinarily good at masking his true
intentions. I think you can trust him.’

‘Your dragon will find somewhere comfortable to rest at the end of that passage over there,’ Barnabas added, pointing to one of the larger tunnels. ‘My dragon, Wiseheart, will
meet her and show her where to go.’

Pell nodded and thanked him.
‘Wiseheart!’
he exclaimed through the bond to Shadow.
‘Tell me he’s joking! If she lives up to her name, these two are some
pairing.’

‘Riders do tend to take on something of the nature of their dragons over time,’
Shadow replied.
‘Some say the reverse is true as well, though I’m not so sure
about that. Go with Barnabas. I sense no threat in him. I will see you later.’

‘Why do I feel like a fly in a spider’s web?’

‘Relax,’
Shadow told him.
‘The day dragons and their riders are notoriously noble. Barnabas has invited you to eat with him. According to the day dragon customs that
makes you like his brother until sundown.’

‘And then?’

Shadow did not answer.

Pell remained unconvinced, but he did as his dragon had suggested and followed Barnabas into what proved to be a maze of tunnels. Every one looked the same. Within a couple of minutes he had
totally lost track of where he was and could only hope that Shadow’s assessment was right.

Barnabas led him into a large dining hall. The chamber with its long rows of tables was empty as it was neither time for lunch, nor dinner. They sat down at one of them and a serving girl
appeared with a large jug of ale and some bread. Barnabas spoke quietly with her for a moment and she bustled away quickly.

‘Now,’ Barnabas said, placing his elbows on the table in front of him and meshing his fingers together in an arch. He looked into Pell’s eyes, his own eyes dancing with
anticipation. ‘What can I do for you?’

‘You’re serious, aren’t you?’ Pell replied, still seeing no deception in the old man’s features. ‘I don’t understand why you’re so willing to help
a night dragonrider. Day and night dragons have opposed one another for centuries. Why this co-operation?’

‘You’re not like the other night dragonriders,’ Barnabas replied steadily. ‘You’re different.’

‘I don’t see how.’

‘The Oracle chose you for the Great Quest. That, in itself, makes you different. Come. What is it that you want?’

‘I want you to lead your entire enclave to the Oracle’s cave and help us deliver the final two orbs.’

‘Why on Areth would I need to do that?’ Barnabas asked, his eyebrows drawing together into a frown. ‘You have the combined resources of every type of dragon amongst your group.
What could possibly stop you from . . . unless . . . Segun?’

‘The night dragons are blockading the cave,’ Pell confirmed. ‘When we left Orupee there were upwards of fifty night dragons there with more arriving by the day. I
wouldn’t be surprised to find the entire enclave waiting for us by the time we return, which is why I need the day dragons to answer in kind. If you can distract the night dragons –
draw their attention from the Oracle enough that Kira can slip past and deliver the final two orbs . . .’

‘If the day dragons come in large numbers, we risk sparking a conflict between dragons on a scale that has not been seen in millennia,’ Barnabas said, shaking his head. ‘It
could be disastrous.’

‘If you don’t then, without a miracle, the Oracle will die and Segun will bring that conflict to you anyway,’ Pell pointed out. ‘He talks about “The age of
dragons” that will begin when the Oracle is no more. I’m certain he intends night dragons to control all of Areth before the year’s out. I assume you would be opposed to that
happening.’

Barnabas clenched his fingers together tightly, his knuckles whitening as he considered his answer carefully. His eyes lost their sparkle and his face seemed to age.

‘Dragon has not fought dragon for a very long time,’ he said gravely. ‘What you’re asking carries too great a risk. The Oracle chose the four of you because you have the
combined abilities to solve the riddles and overcome the odds to get the orbs to the Oracle in time.’

‘You are wrong,’ Pell countered, his voice cracking slightly in his passion to prove his case. ‘Dragon
has
fought dragon. Shadow and I have been banished from the night
dragon enclave for causing the death of another night dragon. We fought two more, injuring at least one, and possibly both, not five days ago. Firestorm fought another, leaving it stranded with a
huge hole burned through its wing. Conflict is coming, Barnabas. Conflict is here. We need your help. I messed up by letting Segun know about the quest. I’m trying to balance that mistake,
and I don’t know any other way of doing it. I’m here – a night dragonrider on the Great Quest, trying to make sure we don’t fail dragonkind and deprive it of a
future.’

The serving girl arrived with a steaming plate of food and placed it in front of Pell. Barnabas thanked her absently, lost in thought. The smell of the food rising from the plate was delicious,
but Pell did not move. His focus remained fixed on the old man.

‘There are one hundred and forty-seven day dragons here in the enclave at the moment,’ Barnabas said slowly. ‘How many night dragons do you think Segun will use to blockade the
Oracle’s cave?’

‘A lot more than that!’ Pell answered fervently. ‘Using the Orb of Vision, Kira saw night dragons arriving from all directions, but the main bulk from the enclave had not yet
arrived. We can expect to face upwards of three hundred night dragons by the time we get there.’

‘The day dragons will be outnumbered by two to one and that is not a good way to start any negotiation,’ Barnabas said, his eyes distant and his lips pursed. ‘And certainly not
good odds if it comes to a fight. Segun is much like his predecessor. If he feels he has the upper hand, he’s unlikely to back down.’

‘Elian and Kira hope to bring the dusk and dawn dragon enclaves to help.’

‘Which might add another fifteen to twenty dragons at best,’ Barnabas said, shaking his head. ‘That will not significantly change things.’

‘We could gather more along the way,’ Pell suggested, trying not to sound desperate.

Barnabas regained his focus.

‘I hate to admit it, but I fear you’re right, young man,’ he sighed, drawing a deep breath and straightening his back. ‘It seems we can and we must if we are to prevent
Segun from destroying the future of dragonkind.’ He paused and suddenly looked deep in thought. ‘Indeed,’ he resumed, ‘it seems our numbers are set to increase to one
hundred and forty-eight as we speak. Wise has just informed me that Firestorm is approaching from the South.’

‘With Nolita?’ Pell asked, his eyebrows rising. He watched as Barnabas communicated the question to his dragon and received the reply.

‘Yes,’ he said. ‘Nolita is with him. Is there any reason why she might not be?’

Chapter Nineteen

‘What do you think, Husam?’ Tembo whispered. ‘Is it a rogue?’

‘I don’t know,’ he replied, shaking his head slowly. ‘I can’t be sure. The villagers say it is, and the dragon doesn’t appear to have a rider. That’s
good enough justification for hunting it. But I’ve got shivers running up and down my spine. Something’s wrong. I’m beginning to wonder if I’ve lost my nerve.’

The two dragonhunters huddled down behind the bushes again. Tembo took a long, careful look at his friend. Husam was showing no outward sign of fear, but he had always been good at concealing
his feelings. His eyes were still their normal shade, which was a relief. Ever since the spirit creature that had possessed Husam was forced from his body at the Castle of Shadows, Tembo had
worried that it might try to return. Where had it gone? Had it died when it was driven out of Husam? He hoped so, but something deep down in his gut told him it was still alive somewhere –
hunting for a new body to possess.

The night dragon they were currently stalking was a large male that was not showing much sign of intelligence. It had foolishly chosen to rest in a narrow box canyon, which had made the
hunters’ job easy. The people in the nearby village claimed it had been eating their sheep and cows, but there were no eyewitnesses. All of the evidence was circumstantial. They claimed
livestock had been disappearing both during the day and at night, which made Tembo suspicious. Night dragons rarely ate during the daytime and almost exclusively hunted by night. The only exception
to this was when a night dragon hunted food for his rider, but Tembo could see no evidence of a rider, so that seemed unlikely in this case.

‘Shall we leave?’ he asked softly. ‘Say the word and we’ll go.’

‘Yes . . . no . . . I don’t know!’ Husam replied, a tormented look in his eyes. ‘What do you think?’

‘I think there is something very strange going on here,’ Tembo whispered, giving a noncommittal shrug. ‘The villagers’ claims don’t add up, but I see no reason why
we shouldn’t kill the dragon. They’re convinced it’s a rogue. No one will question the hunt. My thought is that we
need
to do this, Husam. We’ve already spent nearly
all the money we got from selling the spare horses on the new dragonbone weapons. If we don’t make a kill soon, we’ll have to consider giving up hunting altogether and find a new
trade.’

‘You’re right,’ Husam said, his resolve hardening. ‘We’ll do it. I never was much of a farmer. So, what’s the plan?’

Tembo found it strange that Husam was asking him for instructions. Husam had been the natural leader until their visit to the Castle of Shadows. This change of roles was a measure of how deeply
his friend had been affected by this recent experience. Tembo thought for a moment. The bodies of night dragons were so heavily armoured that it was impossible to guarantee a mortal wound, even
with dragonbone weapons. The most vulnerable area was the torso area just beneath where the wing attached to its body, so their best chance was to attack from the side and strike there, then the
dragon would not be able to fly away, and finishing the beast off would become relatively easy.