our own iron rivets, can’t we? How about this?’ I sniff away the sticky ice inside my nose. ‘Somehow, after moons and moons, the three Opals were thieved from the castle and scattered, setting grave danger loose on the world. Sneaking ice tiptoed ahead of the winter, and the seas threatened to freeze and trap the whales. Trianukka was at risk of ripping apart altogether. But heart-luck was waiting to save the day, in the form of a girl. One Hunter’s Moon, this girl – who was the best at longbow shooting, amongst other things—’
‘No bragful boastings!’ yelps Sparrow.
‘– aye, she’d packed most skills under her belt as it happens. Well, she found a note telling her to find the scattered Opals and to take them to the golden crown before the world turned to ice. And – get this – the girl found the Sea-Opal, right under her nose.’
Crow splutters. ‘I think boasting might be putting it mildly, mate.’
My heart clangs, whooshing blood into my cheeks – I’d reckoned him still asleep, and I ent certain if I want him to know all that stuff yet. Grandma always did say my big mouth would be the end of me. ‘Shut it, you.’
‘Interesting how you make everything about you, ain’t it? And you do realise the whole thing’s just a kids’ bedtime story?’ He sniffs loudly.
‘You’re wrong, I reckon!’ pipes Sparrow.
Crow scoffs.
I tug my cloak tighter around me and will Sparrow not to utter another word. If the wrecker boy thinks it’s just a story, I’ll let him think that, for now.
But Sparrow thumps my arm weakly. ‘When you gonna tell the bit of the story that’s about me?’ he croaks.
Mememe, croaks Thaw-Wielder, feathers trembling with wanting to be part of the story, too.
Then one of the icebergs looms through the sea-mist and the terrodyl dodges, then pulls higher into the sky. Some of the bergs are so tall their heads are lodged in the clouds.
‘Hold tight!’ I scream. I grab Sparrow’s hands and pull his arms tighter around my waist. When the terrodyl’s finished climbing his wings settle again into a steady, whooshing beat. The air’s thinner up here and my lungs suck at it greedily.
We keep flying east, taking it in turns to nap, until another thin, wintry dawn cracks the sky from black to grey to white.
I stare down at the last iceberg, on the very edge of the forest. Then it’s behind us and there’s just a blend of grey-white sea and sky, before clouds seal us in. My belly gurgles loudly. Me and Crow ent munched a morsel or glugged a drop since we sailed to the Bony Isle to save Sparrow – and the gods only know when he last filled his boots. Then a low rumbling spreads through the terrodyl.
Hungerhungerhungerrrrr, empty belly, he chatters mournfully.
Maybe we could land, and Thaw and the terrodyl could catch some fish for us all? Fear-Beast, Thaw-Wielder, land to catch food? I ask. Thaw hoots her approval.
First time Crawler not utter soft-shell babblings. The creature’s spines ripple happily as he starts to drop lower in the sky. Through a cut in the clouds I glimpse a flash of dark, rocky earth.
‘I can’t be doing with those weird noises that bubble outta your throat when you talk to the thing,’ Crow calls. ‘What did you say to it?’
I roll my eyes. ‘He’s a he,’ I shout back. ‘Least I think he is. He ent a thing, anyway. He’s gonna catch some fish to eat.’
‘Why’s it going to bother doing that, when it can just crunch us up and spit out our bones?’ he yells.
I twist to look at him, laughing. ‘Calm your fright-blubber, this one’s just a bab.’
Crow glares at me with contempt so thick it’s like he’s slapped it on with a tarring brush.
Sparrow’s hands feel cold and sweaty. Keeping hold of them tightly in one of mine, I lean right, along the terrodyl’s hairy wing. I reach out slowly, towards the icicles hanging underneath it, until I can touch one of them with a fingertip.
‘What d’you think you’re up to?’ bellows Crow.
Ignoring him, I lean out a smidge further, wrap my first two fingers around the ice . . . then fright tingles in my chest as Sparrow’s hand starts slipping from my grasp.
‘Sparrow! ’ I lurch back into my seat, making the terrodyl sway and flap for balance, and grab Sparrow’s arms with both hands. ‘Nonononono! Don’t you dare fall!’ His filmy eyes roll back as he passes out and slumps over the left side of the creature’s back.
I swing the other way off my perch, too fast, grabbing hold of the spine in front of me just before I topple into thin air. Blood rushes to my head as I hang almost upside down.
‘You’ll get our bones smashed to splinters!’ Crow yells.
‘Shut your face and grab Sparrow!’
He gives me a stare like death, but he stretches to grab my brother.
‘Don’t let him slip out of his cloak!’
‘I know !’
Sparrow’s arm drops from my waist. I grab his hand, but he slithers further to one side, eyes sunken and blackening. ‘No! ’
Thunderbolt squeals, plucking strands of his hair in her fists.
We’re all leaning heavily over the terrodyl’s left side. Sparrow’s hand turns hot in mine, and a smell of burning weaves into my nose.
‘Pull him back into the middle!’ shouts Crow.
‘What do you think I’m trying to do?’ I hiss through gritted teeth, fighting not to let go of my brother as painful shocks zap into my palm. I squeeze my knees hard against the terrodyl and clench my belly to stay on its back. Purple lightning flickers at the ends of Sparrow’s fingers. Last time I saw it, he was having a shaking fit. Hell’s teeth – please don’t let him have one now!
The beast panics, flapping in circles. Crackle-bolts throw off throw off get to nest-home!
Steady, steady, brave beast! I yell.
The lightning stabs into my wrist and I curse, moving my grip from Sparrow’s hand to his arm.
It’s the one he’s been cradling since we rescued him. There’s a loosening, and a gruesome crack-thunk as the arm flees its socket. Sparrow slides heavily off the terrodyl’s back and I grab for his other hand but miss. My blood thrums in my ears as I fight to keep hold of his arm. I hate the world for letting this happen when I’d almost got my brother safe. I swore to Ma that I’d always protect him, and I ent about to break my promise now.
The terrodyl flails wildly, plunging lower in the sky. I haul at Sparrow as hard as I can. Crow wedges a hand into his armpit and slowly starts lifting him up.
Sparrow’s almost back in the middle. The terrodyl rights itself, grumbling. It’s gonna be all right. It’s gonna be fine.
I’ve just let out a pinch of breath when a golden beam slices through the air, thumping into one of the beast’s huge wings. The wing crumples with a sickening crunch.
Then we’re plummeting; one screaming tumble-blur of arms, wings, teeth and legs.
The beast is falling.
Falling.
The world drops away.
Purple