The Opal Quest (3 page)

This was Yordis, High Witch of Kulafoss! She'd used the power of the opal to turn herself into a monstrous bear.

Although Tia was terribly afraid of the gigantic animal looming over her, a plan quickly formed in her mind. Because the bear was really Yordis, it would be able to understand human speech, but it wouldn't know that Tia understood animal language. So, as it drooled on her jacket, Tia said, ‘If I'm going to be eaten I'm glad it's by the most magnificent bear on Tulay.'

The bear blinked and cocked its head to one side. Tia tried to sound mesmerized with wonder as she said, ‘My people have told me stories of the great Skrimsli Bear but no one said how majestic and… and… beautiful you are.'

She didn't really think the bear was beautiful: its breath smelt terrible, its teeth were dirty and its fur was mangy.

It sat down with an undignified thump and mused, ‘This morsel of Trader child amuses me – I may spare it.'

Tia risked standing up. ‘Not so fast,' the bear said, planting a massive paw on her shoulder and forcing her down.

Tia dropped to her knees and muttered, ‘I hope I haven't offended the great Skrimsli Bear somehow, as Prince Kaspar did in the old story.'

The bear scratched its rump. ‘I like stories.'

That gave Tia a lead. She said sadly, ‘I wish I could do what Prince Kaspar did and tell tales to this wonderful creature. It would be such an honour. What a pity she can't understand me.'

‘I want to hear these tales,' the bear snuffled. She stood up and waved a paw. ‘Oh, get up – you grovel like a grooming maid.'

Tia pretended to be astonished. ‘I think the Skrimsli Bear wants me to stand in her presence!' She got to her feet and bowed. ‘O great and mighty one, it is an honour even to be in your shadow.'

The bear grunted, turned and lumbered off, the thud of its huge flat feet echoing through the trees. When the sound had died away Tia's legs folded and she slid to the ground.

Loki flew down.

‘I'm not sure what you just did, but it was very clever,' he said.

‘That was the High Witch Yordis,' Tia said.

‘I thought it might be.'

‘Then why didn't you help me? She was going to eat me!'

‘I'm a bird – what could I do against a bear? Besides, there was no point in our both being eaten.'

Tia couldn't argue with that. ‘I haven't got time to go back and tell Finn about Yordis. Will you take a message to him for me?' she asked the jackdaw. ‘You'll have to come back to town with me first.'

Loki agreed and Tia wearily fetched the sledge and began to haul it back to Halla.

Halla was annoyed with Tia. ‘What took you so long?' she demanded.

Tia told her about being chased by the bear. Halla gave her a big hug. ‘You were very brave – and lucky! Here, sit down and eat while I get on with my work.'

Tia munched her way through bread and cheese while Halla stacked the wood under huge cauldrons
of water and snapped her fingers to spark fire. While she waited for the water to heat up, she sat and made Tia tell her about the bear again. Tia described how the bear had caught her and then let her go.

‘I think the bear might have been the High Witch,' she said cautiously. ‘It wore a collar with an opal in it. Do you think it might be one of the DragonQueen's jewels of power?'

Halla nodded reluctantly. ‘If the Lady Yordis is interested in you, it's best you get away from here as fast as you can.'

That wasn't what Tia had planned at all! ‘Can't I stay another night?' she asked, trying to sound tragic. ‘I'm so tired.' She yawned.

‘All right, you can help with the washing today – that'll keep you out of sight – and be off tomorrow in case Yordis's guards do a sweep of the town.'

‘Why do they do that?'

‘To collect people to work in the mines, or worse, in the castle.'

Tia wondered how working in the castle could be worse than in the dangerous crystal mines but Halla had spoken so grimly she didn't dare ask.

When Tia had finished helping Halla she went to the stable room, exhausted from hauling hot washing in and out of the big tubs. Loki was waiting for her on the window ledge.

‘Have you done that message you want me to take to Finn?'

‘Not yet.'

She rummaged in her bag for her silver-tipped pen and wrote in her green book. She tore the page out, folded it small and knotted it to Loki's leg with a piece of leather strip.

‘Finn's on top of the valley side,' she told the jackdaw. ‘He'll be glad to see you.'

‘We won't be able to talk,' Loki grumbled. ‘You know dragons and birds don't understand each other.'

‘Never mind, I'll come and talk to both of you when I can.'

Loki fluffed his feathers in annoyance then dived neatly out of the window and soared up into the sky. Tia flopped on the straw and was deeply asleep in no time. She didn't even stir when Halla brought in the animals.

After breakfast next morning Halla sent Tia on her way.

‘Go to the end of the valley,' the woman said, ‘and follow the river. After several days you'll reach safety.'

‘Thank you,' Tia said and set off. She waited until the washerwoman went back inside her house then scrambled up into the trees and doubled back towards the waterfall.

She looked up past the booming wall of water and wondered how she was going to get into the castle; there weren't any steps or ramps leading up to it. The only link between the gate and the ground was a large metal tube made out of criss-crossed bars of iron. There was an open archway at the bottom.

Tia didn't see how the tube could help her get into the castle – she certainly wasn't going to climb up it!

She wandered nearer to the waterfall in case there was a way in behind it. Close to, the water thundered so loudly she didn't hear the metal tube begin to rattle and clank as a rickety cage cranked down it.

She came to a little hut tucked away in a cleft of the rock. She looked inside but it was empty except for what seemed to be a very large, curled-up flag in one corner.

She followed a narrow, rocky path that led behind the waterfall but as a dense, freezing mist sprayed over it she decided not to explore any further until she could find something to cover her clothes so they didn't get soaked. She turned, and took a step backwards in fright as she came face to face with four men in uniform.

‘Look at this, lads,' one said as he grabbed Tia's arm. ‘Our little bird's flown
into
the trap – this is going to be the quickest sweep I've ever done!'

‘Sweep' – these men must be the guards that Halla had told her about.

The man pushed Tia inside the cage. ‘You carry on with the rest of the sweep,' he told the other guards, ‘and I'll take our sparrow here to the Lady Yordis.'

He pulled a handle and the cage began to jerk its way upwards on a cable, swinging and banging on its way. ‘Hope you're not going to be sick,' he said, grinning.

Tia couldn't speak for terror as the ground dropped away under her and the cage lurched up to the castle entrance. There was nothing between her and the ground except for a lattice of bars! She was so frightened that when they reached the castle entrance she felt as though her legs had turned to water: the guard had to support her as he marched her out.

Kulafoss castle was grimmer than Drangur, and so dark Tia found it hard to memorise where the guard was taking her as they sped through winding corridors.

Eventually he stopped outside a thick wooden door and banged on it.

‘Oi! I've got the Trader girl – let me in.'

The door swung open and the guard pushed Tia forward.

‘She's all yours, Katinka. I'm off to report to the Lady Yordis,' he said to the girl inside and left.

Katinka was a few years older than Tia.

‘You're very small,' she sniffed. ‘And your clothes are ridiculous.'

Tia bristled. She thought her Trader clothes were very practical and she liked the bright colours.

Katinka went over to a cupboard and pulled out some clothes including a skirt, a top and a jacket, all in a faded pink. ‘You can have these. Give me yours and I'll take them to the laundry.' She sniffed again. ‘You smell like you've been sleeping among animals!'

Tia glared at the girl but obediently went behind a screen and threw her clothes over it to Katinka.

‘There's hot water in the basin by the fire. Get washing while I go to the laundry.'

Tia scrubbed away using the same kind of Traders' soap as she had in Drakelow where she lived with her DragonMother, Freya. Tears came into her eyes as she felt a pang of homesickness. But there was no time to feel sorry for herself. She plunged her head into the water and rubbed hard at her gritty hair.

By the time Katinka came back Tia was washed and her hair stood up in damp, red-gold spikes. But she'd rummaged in the cupboard and found clothes she liked better than those Katinka had given her.

‘You can't dress like that! You look like a boy!' Katinka said.

Tia looked down at the grey tunic and trousers she'd swapped for the pink garments. ‘I don't care,
I'm not wearing that horrible long skirt – I keep treading on it and falling over.'

Katinka pushed Tia outside and along yet more corridors till they came to grand door with a carved surround. The girl knocked timidly.

A loud roar came from inside. Tia knew it was the bear saying, ‘Enter.' So Yordis was still in her animal form! Tia would have to pretend to be surprised at not seeing a human. Hesitantly Katinka, who'd only heard the roar and wasn't sure what it meant, opened the door. She led Tia through a central chamber into a bedroom where she curtsied to the bear slumped in front of a fire.

Tia gave a gasp of astonishment and bowed extravagantly. ‘I didn't expect to see you, O great Skrimsli Bear!'

The bear ignored her and grunted at Katinka, who ran towards a table and hurriedly picked up a tray of brushes.