Once In a Blue Moon (26 page)

“Okay, I am picking up traces of a scent I really don’t like.”

“That’s the one,” said Hawk, pointing at the cave mouth.

“Yes,” said Fisher. “It is.”

“It would be,” said Chappie. “No good will come of this. You mark my words.”

But he still followed them along the precarious side of the mountain as they headed straight for the mouth of the cave.

•   •   •

T
he surface beneath their feet grew increasingly treacherous, with loose rocks that just gave away when stepped on and fields of shifting scree, tiny rocks that moved like water and did their best to carry Hawk and Fisher out and over the edge, while the cold wind blasted and beat at them unmercifully. But Hawk and Fisher picked their way carefully across the slope with calm, thoughtful skill, while Chappie brought up the rear, leaping and scrambling and cursing them both under his breath. He was never in any real danger, but he had no intention of being taken for granted. Finally, they all ended up before the great cave mouth, a massive hole set well back into the mountainside. They stood and stared into the darkness, and the darkness stared back at them. The entranceway on its own was big enough to drive a carriage through and not even come close to touching the sides.

“Do you think there are bats?” said Chappie. “Don’t like bats.”

“No bats,” said Hawk. “Not where we’re going.”

Fisher produced a salamander ball from her backpack and shook it hard. A fierce golden light blazed between her fingers as she held the ball up, pushing back the dark, so they could all see a great cavern leading back into the depths of the mountain. Hawk and Fisher stood very still.

“It’s going to be dark in there,” said Hawk. “I mean, really dark.”

“We’ll manage,” said Fisher. “We did last time.”

“I wish we could have afforded more than just the one salamander ball,” said Hawk.

“They’re expensive,” said Fisher. “But then, you only get two to a salamander.”

They shared a smile. They could stand the dark when they were together.

“What is that
smell
?” said Chappie. “I’m getting sulphur, and metals and mushrooms, and something so potent it’s raising all the hairs on my back. Which I am here to tell you is a very uncomfortable experience. I’ve never smelled anything like this . . . I don’t like it.”

“You could stay here till we come out, if you like,” said Hawk. “But trust me on this: there is something in there you’re really going to want to see.”

“But, Chappie,” said Fisher, “when we get where we’re going and find what we’re looking for . . . whatever you do,
don’t run
.”

“You are not making me feel any better,” said Chappie.

Hawk and Fisher strode into the cavern mouth, with Chappie padding nervously along after them. Fisher held the salamander ball high, spreading the light as far as it would go. Hawk’s hand hung down by his axe, but he didn’t touch it. He had his pride. He made a point of leading the way into the dark. It was a hundred years since he’d first entered the Darkwood, but all the Wild Magics and all the Rainbow’s blessing hadn’t been enough to remove its touch. He was scared of the dark, and always would be. He just didn’t let it stop him. He picked his way carefully forward, across the rubble-strewn cave floor, as the first cavern opened up into a much larger cavern, just as he remembered.

The great open space grew larger all the time, rising up and spreading out into a massive cathedral of stone, with golden veins running through the walls. They shone brightly in the salamander light. Soon enough there were wide mats of phosphorescent fungi, clinging to the walls and ceiling, glowing every colour you could think of. They could all see quite clearly now, and didn’t need the salamander ball, but Fisher wouldn’t put it away. She wasn’t the trusting type. They pressed on, into the immense high-ceilinged cavern, heading deep into the heart of the mountain. Huge stalactites hung down from the ceiling, like so many jagged teeth in a stone mouth, while moss-smeared stalagmites thrust up from the cavern floor, many of them taller than Hawk and Fisher. Chappie made a point of pissing on several, just on general principles. Hawk and Fisher stared about them in open awe and wonder at this huge natural amphitheatre that no other human being had ever seen. It appeared even bigger than they remembered. Their every footstep seemed to echo forever.

Chappie didn’t like any of it. This was an old place. He could tell. Older than any of the human Kingdoms. And he was becoming increasingly sure that they weren’t alone in the cavern, and that Hawk and Fisher knew that. Had always known it. That . . . was why they were here.

They finally rounded a sudden corner and found their way blocked by a huge dark green wall that rose up to fill the side tunnel from floor to ceiling. Hawk and Fisher stopped and smiled at each other. Chappie eased carefully up to the green wall, gave it a good sniff, and then retreated rapidly with his tail tucked between his legs.

“That’s it! That’s what I’ve been smelling all along! It’s alive . . . and it’s big, I mean really big, so big I can’t even get my head around how big it is!”

“Will you calm down?” said Hawk. “It’s not that big. There’s nothing here to be scared of.” He knelt down beside Chappie and hugged him round the neck till the dog stopped shaking. “Do you really think I would walk you into danger, in the dark, for no good reason? This is a friend, Chappie.”

“An old friend,” said Fisher.

“Well,” said Chappie, “if you say so.”

Hawk let go of the old dog, rubbed the animal’s head briskly and pulled at his ears, and then stepped forward and addressed the great green wall in a loud and carrying voice.

“Dragon! Time to wake up!”

His voice rose up and up through the great cavern, riding on the echoes, seeming to strengthen all the time, rather than fade away. And the great green wall shifted, slowly. Hawk and Fisher clasped hands, both of them grinning broadly. Chappie hid behind them. Hawk laughed aloud as the wall slowly turned and uncurled, and a great green-scaled face appeared in the side tunnel mouth. The blunt bony head moved forward on an extended neck, emerald green scales gleaming in the light, and huge golden eyes opened unhurriedly. Hawk and Fisher and Chappie backed quickly away as the dragon came out of its den. It was thirty feet and more in length, with sweeping membranous wings that wrapped around the creature like a ribbed green cloak, clasped together at the chest by wickedly clawed hands. A long spiked tail swept back and forth in the background gloom. The dragon smiled on them all, showing dozens of very sharp teeth.

“Rupert,” said the dragon, in a deep, booming voice that filled the cavern and rattled everyone’s bones. “And Julia. My dear, dear friends. I always knew I’d meet you again.” He looked past them, at Chappie. “And you’ve brought me a waking-up snack! How thoughtful!”

Chappie was immediately out from behind Hawk and Fisher, glaring up at the dragon and showing his teeth. “I am not a snack! I am their companion! Hawk, tell this oversized gecko that I am not a snack!”

“He’s not a snack,” Hawk said solemnly. “He’s with us, Dragon. Please don’t eat him. No matter how irritating he gets. And these days I am called Hawk, and this is Fisher.”

The dragon nodded slowly. “Names,” he said. “Dragons don’t need names. We know who we are. How long have I slept? How much time has passed since we faced the Demon Prince in his place of power?”

“A hundred years,” said Hawk.

The dragon looked at him, and then at Fisher. “You’ve aged well, for humans.”

“You look tremendous!” said Fisher, still grinning.

“Just shows you the benefits of a good long nap,” said the dragon.

Fisher laughed aloud and ran forward to throw her arms around the dragon’s neck and hug him tightly, pressing her face against his smooth green scales.

“Oh, Dragon! I’ve missed you so much . . .”

“Hold everything, go previous,” Chappie said sternly. “Let me get this straight.
This
is the actual dragon who fought beside you in the Demon War? The one in all the myths and legends? The one who did all those amazing things? All right, none of them can agree on exactly what they might have been, but . . .
wow.
Just
wow
!
An honour to meet you, sir Dragon. Please don’t eat me. I’d be very bad for you.”

“An honour to meet you, sir Dog,” said the dragon. “You must be special too, to be in the company of Hawk and Fisher.”

“So,” said Chappie, looking at Hawk and Fisher, “if this dragon’s still around, does that mean there are other dragons here? Sleeping in the caves of the DragonsBack ridge? Just waiting to be awakened?”

“I’m not sure,” said the dragon.

“What?” said Hawk.

“You never said there were other dragons, when we brought you here!” said Fisher.

“All this time I’ve been sleeping, I’ve been dreaming, reaching out,” said the dragon. “And it seems to me I felt . . . Never mind. Another matter, for another day.”

Chappie looked accusingly at Hawk and Fisher. “He . . . is supposed to be dead! You said so, way back when! It’s one of the few things all the songs and stories agree on!”

“Never trust a minstrel,” said Hawk. “No, he never died. Came bloody close, but the Rainbow brought him back from the edge. We just said he died so no one would disturb him while he slept and healed. He knew it would take years, maybe even decades, to get all his strength back. And you are looking good, Dragon. How do you feel?”

“Young,” said the dragon. “I feel young again!”

“We’re heading back to the Forest Land,” said Fisher. “We’d really like it if you could come with us.”

“Of course,” said the dragon. He paused for a moment. “It’s the Demon Prince, isn’t it? He’s back. That’s why you have awakened me.”

Fisher stopped hugging his neck and stood back, staring steadily into the glowing golden eyes. “Are you really healed, Dragon? I won’t take you out of here if you’re not ready.”

The dragon put his huge face right in front of Fisher’s. “Julia, I’m ready. What is it you need from me?”

“We need you to fly us across the Forest Land,” said Hawk. “We’ve a lot of ground to cover, and not much time to do it in. First we have to find our children, Jack and Gillian. And then their children, Mercy and Nathanial. The Demon Prince threatened them.”

“Children and grandchildren,” said the dragon. “I have been asleep a long time.”

“Fly?”
said Chappie ominously. “No one said anything about flying! I’m not getting on that thing. He doesn’t even have safety straps!”

“I could always carry you in my mouth,” said the dragon.

“Right,” said Chappie. “I am leaving now. Try to keep up.”

“You’ll love flying on his back!” said Hawk. “I’ve done it lots of times. It’s a life-changing experience.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” growled Chappie.

Hawk looked at the dragon. “Are we going to have to travel all the way back to the cave entrance, or is there another way out of here?”

“What do you think?” said the dragon, grinning. “You don’t think I chose this exact spot by chance, do you? There’s a wide-open shaft not far from here that goes all the way up to the sky. An old volcanic shaft, I think. Perfectly safe, if we don’t hang about inside it too long. But once we’re up and out, I won’t be able to fly you very far until I’ve had something to eat. Quite a lot of something. Nothing like sleeping for a hundred years to build up an appetite.”

“I think I may have found a kindred spirit,” said Chappie. “Do you also like to roll in dead things?”

“Only after I’ve killed them,” said the dragon.

He backed away into the side cavern and showed them a great hole in the ceiling. Fisher stood under it and waved her salamander ball around, illuminating the smooth, gleaming sides of the opening. The dragon positioned himself carefully underneath the shaft and then spread out his wings. Hawk and Fisher clambered onto his back, half encouraging and half dragging Chappie on board with them. And when they were all settled, more or less comfortably, the dragon flapped his wings. Captured compressed air boomed beneath them, and the whole cavern shook to the sound. The dragon laughed joyously and launched himself into the air, blasting up the shaft on great beating wings. Hawk and Fisher hung on tight, and Chappie dug his claws into gaps between the scales, his eyes squeezed tightly shut. Fisher whooped happily as the dragon sped upwards, heading for the circle of light at the top of the shaft. Hawk laughed aloud, and clung to Fisher and Chappie. And then they burst up and out of the mountain and soared off through the bright blue skies, with DragonsBack ridge far below them. The dragon flew away from the mountains and over the Forest Land, where the great green woods stretched for miles. Hawk and Fisher leaned out, for a better look. Chappie thrust his head under Hawk’s arm, so he wouldn’t have to look.

“Dogs are not meant to fly!” he said in a somewhat muffled voice.

•   •   •

T
he dragon flew steadily on, across the Forest Land, over vast stretches of wild woods and cultivated land, long, winding rivers and vast lakes, and great chequerboard displays of fields and crops. Over towns and villages and scattered farm buildings . . . and miles and miles swept past in moments. Hawk stared eagerly about him, checking for familiar landmarks. And even though he didn’t care to admit it, being back in the Forest did feel like coming home again. The dragon flew on . . . until finally his hunger caught up with him. He spotted a suitable clearing and spiralled down to land. At the last moment he spread his great wings full out, cupping the air beneath them, and landed right in the centre of the open grassy clearing, as delicately as a bird.

Hawk and Fisher jumped down from his back, stretching and easing their cramped muscles, while Chappie clambered down, taking his time. They’d arrived in a great expanse of green grass, surrounded by a perimeter of tightly packed trees. Probably a cultivated area at one time, and then abandoned and allowed to just fall back. Birds sang on all sides, and one could hear a pleasant lazy buzz of insects and the occasional furtive rustle of small wildlife going about its business. The dragon waited till all his passengers were well clear, and then he charged across the clearing and plunged into the surrounding woods, and was gone. Hawk was sure he’d heard the dragon mutter
Time for a little something . . .
as he rushed past. The dragon’s sudden disappearance was followed immediately by the sound of things being chased. And caught and killed and eaten. A large hunk of hot, steaming meat flew out of the trees and landed with a thud right in front of Chappie. The dog fell on it, ripping and tearing and growling happily. Another, somewhat larger haunch of meat appeared, flying through the air to land very accurately at the feet of Hawk and Fisher. Hawk set about building a fire, and a spit, while Fisher produced various useful things from her backpack, including a nice rug to sit on, some basic cutlery, and a bottle of wine.