The Topaz Quest (6 page)

‘I don't know,' Tia said truthfully. ‘I haven't got them, really I haven't.'

‘Liar!' Luona raged. Outside lightning split the dark sky, and thunder boomed in the gathering storm.

‘The harvest, Lady!' Asta said. ‘The saffron will be ruined!'

‘Do you think I care? This, this…
deceiver
has stolen my sisters' jewels and refuses to give them to me!'

‘I can't give you them!' Tia shouted. ‘I don't know where they are!' She tried frantically to think of a way to convince Luona that it was all a terrible mistake.

Luona shook with fury and torrents of water crashed against the windows. ‘Why did I think you resembled my beloved sister? She would never have betrayed me as you have done.'

That stung Tia – saying she was worse than her thieving mother! It was too much for her to ignore. ‘You betrayed the dragons when you stole their jewels!' she shouted at Luona.

The wind howled and battered against the windows till the glass bulged under the strain.

‘Please, Lady!' Asta fell to her knees. ‘You will destroy Stoplar. You will lose everything.'

Luona closed her eyes, breathed a juddering breath in and a slow, calm one out. She stroked the topaz gently and the storm subsided. She opened her eyes again.

‘Asta, put this, this
robber
back in her Trader rags. My guards will parade her through the streets so all my people will see exactly what she is – a common thief. She is to be taken to the ice prison and left there as an example to all who would disobey me.'

The High Witch swept out.

Asta brought Tia her Trader clothes and she changed silently while Asta stood by, her face cold.

There was a pounding at the door and two huge guards marched in.

Asta hastily stepped back and the guards took Tia away.

The march through Stoplar town that evening was terrible. Among the watching crowds was the Outsider woman who'd stolen Tia's badge. She was weeping. Further on, Tia saw Yonas between Hawkon and Jofranka; all three were white-faced. The rest of the walk to the ice prison passed in a blur.

When she reached it, at the bottom of the narrow lane made from black rock, Luona was waiting. She pointed to one of the tiny cells carved in the stone, coated with blue ice and jagged with icicles. The guards pushed Tia inside.

The High Witch grasped the topaz, waved her other hand and sealed the entrance with a sheet of clear ice.

For a while Luona watched Tia shivering, frost forming on her eyebrows and lashes, her breath coming in cloudy gasps. When she slid to the frozen floor Luona smiled and walked away.

As soon as she was sure the High Witch and her guards had gone, Tia sat up. She had pretended to be weaker than she was, in the hope that Luona would go away while she still had some strength. But she was afraid it was already too late – she was so cold! If she didn't get warm very soon she'd freeze to death. She tried to snap her fingers to make fire. They were too numb and she was shivering too much. She tried again and again. It was hopeless and she was so tired.

If I go to sleep, I'll never wake up
, she thought.
But I need to rest, just for a moment
...

She sank back against the icy walls and felt a chill seeping deep inside her. Her eyelids drooped shut, her head fell forward and she began to drift off to sleep.

A dark shape beat against the sheet of ice. ‘Tia! Wake up!' it called.

Tia's eyelids fluttered open and she saw Loki frantically flapping his wings against the ice. Something green glittered in his foot – the emerald.

‘Tia – don't go back to sleep!'

With a rush of determination she lifted her frozen hand and breathed on her icy fingers. She tried to click them again. One tiny red spark flashed. Another click and more sparks flew. They warmed her fingertips just enough for her next click to be a strong one. Flames danced in her hand and warmth flooded back into her body.

‘Move away, Loki,' she warned and snapped the fingers of both hands, hard.

A fierce spout of fire shot from them. The sheet of ice instantly melted into steam, and she stumbled through it into the road where Loki waited with the emerald ring.

Tia stroked his grey head. ‘Thank you, Loki.'

‘I wasn't going to let that witch and her cats beat us,' he said. ‘And you will keep getting captured.'

Tia didn't mention that she'd had to rescue him from the cats.

‘I suppose you want this ring back now?' the jackdaw said.

‘Yes please.' She threaded it on her chain and tucked it under her shirt.

Loki fluttered onto her shoulder. ‘I thought you were a strong witch,' he said. ‘Now I've seen you make fire like that, I know for sure.'

‘Please don't tell Finn,' Tia pleaded. ‘He might not like me if he knew I truly am a witch-child.'

‘He'll always like you, but I won't say anything. Though you'll have to tell him one day.'

Tia didn't want to think about that for now, although she knew Loki was right.

‘You're the cleverest, bravest jackdaw there ever was,' she said instead.

‘I know,' he said smugly.

‘And now I need you to help me get the topaz from Luona.'

Loki's sharp black eyes shone. ‘I was afraid you were going to say that.'

Tia made a small fire and warmed herself thoroughly while they made plans. She decided to get her bag first and they slipped through the night to Jofranka's house.

Tia crept into the garden and climbed into her room through the open window. Her bag was still in the chest. She took out her book and pen and wrote:

I'm going to steal the topaz and open the pass. If you join with the outsiders you can overpower Luona and be free, like the people in Drangur and Kulafoss
.

I'll return the silver marks one day. Thank you
.

Nadya
.

She tore the page out and went into the kitchen. She left the message on the table then went back into the bedroom and climbed out of the window.

‘Now for the next part of the plan,' she whispered to Loki and they made their way to the palace. Two soldiers stood on guard at the entrance. Tia fitted a pebble into her sling and let it fly.

Clang! The stone hit a soldier's helmet and he crouched, hand on sword.

‘What was that?' the second guard said.

Tia flung another pebble, this one further away down the road. The soldiers spun round. Tia's third pebble had them running down the road waving their swords.

As soon as they disappeared from sight Tia and Loki sneaked into the palace and stole through shadowy corridors to Luona's chambers. Inside, the High Witch was deeply asleep in the bed chamber with a cat curled up at her feet.

Tia tiptoed to the metal cabinet and Loki glided to the top. ‘Hurry,' he hissed, ‘there isn't much time. It'll be daylight soon.'

‘I don't know the right way to do it,' she hissed back.

‘It doesn't matter – you're a witch, use magic!'

‘It's not as simple as that!'

‘Yes it is,' the jackdaw insisted. ‘Trust your ability – and be quick about it.'

Tia glared at Loki then turned to the symbols and stared hard at them. Nothing happened. She went on staring; she concentrated so hard that prickles of sweat stood out on her forehead. Still nothing happened.

A noise from the bed behind her made her glance round; the cat was dreaming, its whiskers and paws twitching. It might wake at any moment. Tia turned quickly back to the symbols, determined not to let Luona and her cats defeat her.

‘Show yourself!' she ordered softly but firmly. A wisp of magic flickered over one of the symbols. She pressed it and the faint glimmer danced to another symbol and then another. Guided by the magic, Tia pressed each one in turn. The door clicked and swung open. The buckle lay inside.

Tia snatched it up and ran out, Loki zooming
overhead, and almost trod on a white cat. It went back on its haunches and spat, ‘But you're in the ice prison!'

‘Not any more!' Tia said and pelted for the entrance leaping over cats that appeared from everywhere.

‘Halt!' The guards were back on duty. She dodged past them, cats swarming after her down the steps, tripping up the guards.

She soon outran the cats as she raced down streets faintly lit by the dawn. She passed the green house in Brekka Street and saw Hawkon, holding her note, talking to a group of people gathered at the door. They watched in astonishment as she sped by.

At the end of the town she reached the entrance to the pass where the ice-storm raged and wailed. Skidding to a halt she held up the buckle, the topaz cradled in her palm. She felt its power and thought of sunshine, warmth, blue skies.

Gradually the wind dropped and the ice crystals melted away in the warm air. The storm had gone.

‘Hey!'

It was the guards. Tia had meant to run into the pass and seal it behind her before they caught up with her but now she didn't have time, even though they'd stopped to stare in astonishment at the open pass.

‘Where's the ice-storm gone?' one asked.

‘Don't know,' the other said, ‘but it's none of our business.' He pointed his sword towards Tia. ‘We've got to get her back to the Lady Luona.' The men advanced.

Tia gripped the topaz and felt its magic flow into her. Who did these puny guards think they were? She could freeze them on the spot if she wanted to, or zap them with lightning. Furious, she held up the buckle, the topaz fizzing with power.

The soldiers skidded to a halt. Tia laughed at the fear in their eyes – and then stopped, horrified at herself.

What am I doing?
she thought. She was no better than her aunts!

She lowered her arm just as Hawkon and his friends appeared, pointing excitedly at the pass.

‘Be a good girl and come with us,' one of the guards wheedled.

Instead Tia gripped the topaz lightly and thought of wind. A spout of spinning air appeared in front of her and she sent it whirling towards the soldiers. It gathered them up, spun them onwards and dumped them in front of Hawkon and his friends who promptly overpowered them.