Aurora (5 page)

Kira could not see the Oracle’s cave from this angle, but she could see where it was situated. As she stared intently at the area around the cave mouth, she began to pick out the night
dragons. From so high up, they were difficult to make out, but the longer she looked, the more dragons became visible. Her caution had paid off. She was not sure what Segun had seen when she had
used the orb to spy on him before, but it seemed unlikely that the night dragonriders would spot anything at this distance.

Making a rough tally, Kira withdrew and returned to her body, placing the orb back into her saddlebag.

‘Well?’ Elian asked. ‘Is Segun there? What did you see?’

‘We’re in trouble,’ Kira replied, her lips tightening into a thin line. ‘I counted at least fifty night dragons in the valley outside the Oracle’s cave. I
didn’t get close enough to do an accurate tally, but once I’d got to about thirty I realised it was irrelevant. Segun has set up a blockade and it won’t be easy to get
through.’

‘Fifty!’ Elian gasped.

‘I imagine there will be more coming, too,’ Pell observed, his voice emotionless. ‘He’s probably sent word for the entire enclave to gather there. Unless we get in, he
wins. The Oracle will die.’

‘Can’t you just get Fang to camouflage and sneak past them?’ Nolita suggested.

‘It’s not that easy,’ Kira said, shaking her head. ‘That’s exactly what Segun will be expecting. He knows our abilities now. That’s why he’s brought in
so many riders. It looks as though he’s given up on beating us to the orbs. Pell’s right. He’s attempting to set up an impenetrable perimeter around the Oracle’s
cave.’

‘What about a diversion?’ Pell suggested.

‘What sort of diversion?’ Kira asked. ‘It needs to be spectacular if it’s to have any hope of drawing away enough of the night dragons to make any difference.’

‘I’m not sure yet,’ Pell admitted. ‘I thought maybe Elian and I could draw them off while you sneak in and deliver the orb.’

‘You’re not leaving me alone,’ Nolita said, her voice cracking with a squeak of fear.

‘No one’s leaving anyone alone,’ Elian said firmly. ‘We need some time to think. If we make a wrong move now, the quest will fail. Whatever we do, it’s likely that
we’ll only get one chance. The chances of all those dragons just happening to be in the vicinity of the Oracle’s cave right now are too remote to be considered. Segun devised this
blockade some time ago. He’s thinking ahead. We need to do the same if we’re going to outwit him. Let’s set up camp while we make our plans.’

It was a good place for a campsite. The hulking peaks of central Orupee dominated the western skyline with their snowy caps, but the dragons would have to fly for an hour or more before they
entered the range. They had landed in an idyllic green vale next to a small lake. The evening was warm and the air was alive with the sounds of insect life. There was a constant low-level buzz of
flies, while butterflies fluttered on silent wings and an occasional bee meandered in dancing flight across the green surface.

A light breeze brushed through the leaves of a nearby stand of mature trees that offered plentiful resources and a great location to build their shelter. The water in the lake tasted fresh and
harboured a potential source of food.

Elian noted rings on the surface of the water where fish were rising. He had a coil of fine cord in his pack that had been there since he left home, but he had not considered using it until now.
His father had shown him how to fashion hooks the previous summer.

After the bleak windswept landscape around the Castle of Shadows and the freezing conditions of northern Isaa this place seemed like paradise. It had been easy to forget that although midsummer
had passed, autumn was still some way off. The leaves were still a rich green, with no sign of turning. If it had not been for the pressing nature of the quest, Elian would have been more than
happy to enjoy the weather and relax. The prospect of basking next to the lake with a fishing line in his hand was most appealing, but other priorities called first.

It took less than an hour for the four riders to build an impressive shelter under the trees. Armloads of ferns made for a soft bed under the cover of a lattice of branches. On top of the
lattice they arranged more layers of ferns, with the tips pointing downwards and the shiny side of the leaves uppermost, to encourage any moisture to run down the pitched surface.

The sun was still high in the sky when Elian sat down at the bank with his coil of fishing cord and his assortment of swiftly fashioned wooden hooks. He selected one, tied it to the end of the
line and baited it with a small piece of meat. He tied the other end of the line loosely around his wrist. It had been tempting to fashion a pole, but Elian had no intention of messing about
playing with the fish. He would settle for hauling them onto the bank to cook over the fire later.

To his delight, the fish were all too happy to oblige. The first offering of meat was snatched before it had barely sunk below the surface. Elian gave a sharp tug to set the hook, but he was a
little too enthusiastic – the hook was not strong enough to take the sudden load and he felt it snap.

‘Damn!’ he cursed.

‘Problem?’

Elian started. Kira was standing right behind him. He had not heard her approach. Even through the ferns, she moved without making a sound.

‘I wish you wouldn’t do that,’ he grumbled. ‘You’re for ever making me jump.’

Kira flashed him a mischievous grin. ‘It’s my favourite pastime,’ she said. ‘Pell doesn’t bite the way you do and Nolita is so twitchy that she usually sees me
coming. How are you doing? I’ve never tried fishing.’

‘Well if that first cast was anything to go by, I should catch something,’ he replied, pursing his lips as he examined what was left of his hook. ‘I just pulled a bit hard,
that’s all.’

‘Show me.’

Kira sat down and watched as Elian cut the shaft of his hook from the line and tied another in its place. He baited it again, feeding the meat onto the hook so that the sharp point was free to
do its work. Standing up, he whirled the bait on the cord and then released it in a lob that carried it a good way out over the surface of the water. It splashed down with a gentle
plop,
sending concentric ripples outwards from the point of impact.

Elian took up the slack in the cord, watching the line as the bait sank slowly. Again the bite came swiftly. This time Elian was more careful in his response. He gave a slight jerk on the line
to set the hook into the fish’s mouth and was surprised at the strength of the pull he felt as it responded. Whatever he had hooked was not small and it raced away beneath the surface, the
line zipping through the water. Before he had a chance to think about what was happening he felt the second hook snap as well.

Elian was tempted to curse again, but he resisted the urge.

‘Looks like you’re going to need a stronger hook,’ Kira observed innocently.

‘Really?’ he responded. ‘You don’t say!’

‘Here,’ she said. ‘Try this.’

Kira pulled a little leather pouch from her pocket. Reaching carefully inside, she took out a metal hook. It had been fashioned with a tiny loop at the end of the shaft to make it easy to attach
to a line.

‘Where did you get this?’ Elian asked, fascinated. ‘It must have been incredibly difficult to make.’

‘The man who made weapons for our tribe gave it to me as a gift before I left,’ she said with a slight shrug. ‘He liked to fish in the river near our village. I never thought
I’d use it, but I’d be happy to watch you try.’

‘That’s amazing!’ Elian said. ‘I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a delicate piece of metalwork. It’s finer than a piece of jewellery. I’d be
terrified I might lose it.’

‘Don’t worry,’ Kira assured him. ‘I’m not likely to miss it if you do. Go ahead. Let’s see if you can catch something. I quite fancy fish for dinner
tonight.’

Although for a piece of metal it was incredibly fine, the hook was considerably larger than the wooden ones Elian had fashioned. His father had told him that fish could be wary of a big hook
but, given how fast they were biting, Elian did not imagine that would be a problem today. Taking care to fasten it securely to the line with a self-tightening knot, Elian baited the metal hook and
stood up to make another cast. A minute later he lifted the first fish onto the bank. A sharp rap to the top of the its head with a large stone stopped it flapping around.

‘It’s twice as long as my foot!’ he exclaimed excitedly. ‘I don’t think I’ve ever seen a fish this big before.’

Kira smiled at his enthusiasm. ‘There’s enough meat on it to feed us all,’ she agreed. ‘But if you could catch another, then dinner will be a feast.’

Elian was more than happy to try. It did not take long. The second fish was not quite as large as the first and he was tempted to throw it back and try again, but common sense prevailed. Even
given the ease with which he had caught these fish, there was never any guarantee that the fish would continue biting. Catching more than they could eat was wasteful so, with one last wistful look
at the water, he lifted his knife to cut the metal hook from the cord.

‘Keep it,’ Kira said, gently placing a hand on his wrist to stop him from making the cut. ‘You’re more likely to use it than I am. I’m too much the hunter to be
bothered with fishing. It’s yours.’

‘Really? But it was your leaving gift . . .’

‘And now it is my gift to you,’ she said firmly. ‘I’m not blind, Elian. You enjoy the thrill of hunting the water as much as I enjoy stalking a deer. You’ll gain
far more pleasure from the gift than I will.’

‘Thanks, Kira. I wish I could give you something in return. I’ll do my best never to lose it.’

‘I know you will, Elian,’ she smiled. ‘I think that’s what I like about you. You’re so practical.’ She paused for a moment. ‘I’ve been thinking
about what you said earlier and you were right.’

‘About what?’

‘We’ll only get one chance to get past Segun’s blockade,’ she said. ‘One chance, not two. We still have to get the last orb, Elian. I’m not sure we should try
to take the Orb of Vision to the Oracle just yet.’

Elian did not answer straight away. He finished coiling the line and wrapped it back into its leather wallet. Hooking a finger through the gills of each of the two fish, he picked them up and
began walking slowly back up towards the campsite. Kira walked silently by his side. He could not help thinking that Kira might be addicted to wielding the orb. If so, then the longer she kept it,
the more dangerous the orb would become.

‘Go on,’ he prompted finally. ‘What do you have in mind?’

‘I think it makes sense to find the last orb first and then run the blockade with both of them. The final orb might also have a power that we can use to help us.’

‘It might,’ Elian replied, his tone wary. ‘Then again, it might not. I’m concerned about keeping the third orb any longer than necessary. You saw what the first orb did.
I saw the effects of the second as well. Neither of the orbs brought good to their rider. I’ve got a horrible feeling that we’ve not really seen the full effects of what this orb can do
yet either.’

‘It helps us see at distance,’ Kira said. ‘What’s wrong with that? I admit that I don’t understand it totally, but the power it has is useful. Look at today, for
example. Without the orb’s power, we’d be flying into Segun’s trap right now.’

‘True,’ Elian agreed. ‘I don’t deny the benefits. I’m just not convinced we’ve seen the full effects of carrying the orb yet. A chill runs down my spine every
time I think of the ghost dragon that guarded the orb in the Castle of Shadows. He warned us against using the orb in case it betrayed us.’

Kira frowned. It was clear to Elian that she was not convinced about this. Did she not believe the ghost dragon had been telling the truth, or was the power of the orb seducing her?

‘However,’ he continued. ‘I’ve also been thinking about Segun’s blockade and I think Pell had it right. We need a diversion – a huge diversion. Pell and I
could never hope to draw the attention of more than a handful of the night dragons. We’re going to need help for this.’

‘Help?’ Kira asked. ‘What sort of help?’

‘Well, I was thinking that the combined help of the entire compliment of the day, dawn and dusk dragon enclaves would probably draw their attention.’

Kira stumbled and stopped. She looked at him with wide eyes.

‘You’re talking about all-out war!’

‘Not necessarily,’ he countered. ‘I’m talking about a show of strength that would hold their attention while we sneak in and deliver the orbs.’

‘Orbs?’ Kira leaped on the word. ‘So you agree with me?’

Elian nodded reluctantly. ‘I think it’s the only way.’

Chapter Five

‘You’ve got to be joking!’ Pell said, his eyes flashing with anger. ‘I’m not going to babysit Nolita while you two go adventuring through the
other world to find the last orb.’

The evening light was dimming fast, but the flickering orange flames from the fire illuminated the faces of the four companions. Despite the dragons settling down some distance away, Elian could
see that the fear in Nolita’s eyes was stronger than ever. He felt sorry for her, but he knew he could not back down in the face of Pell’s attitude. He had waited until everyone had
eaten their fill of fish before explaining his idea. His father, Raim, had always claimed people were more accepting of bad news when they had a full stomach.