Page 48 of Dragonbound

There was a large boulder balanced precariously on a rocky ledge further up from the cave. He wondered whether it would be enough to clear the cave entrance if he caused it to fall. Then, the woman, and hopefully Erann, would be able to escape.

Flying to the boulder, he snapped his wings shut, concerned by how noisy the action was, and leaned against it. It was enormous, but no match for his bulk. Skaldi felt movement, and the black boulder slowly rolled down the mountain and landed exactly where he’d hoped.

He felt a spark of awareness as the crash of the rock momentarily awakened Erann from his delirium. A distant scream and then nothing. Craning his long neck over the ledge, his front claws gripping for balance, wings extended, he peered into the cave. There wasn’t much light. He dipped his tail down to brush the snow away.

He heard an exclamation of surprise and stayed where he was, as he watched the woman stagger outside into the afternoon sun. He felt nothing further from Erann and realised, belatedly, the avalanche must’ve separated them, which was why she felt such guilt.

She emerged blinking into the sunlight, her wolf by her side. Skaldi could see her frantically searching. She climbed unsteadily onto the pile of snow not far from the entrance to the cave and started to dig with her hands, sobbing and repeating Erann’s name over and over again. She was joined by her wolf, who also began to dig, albeit with a little more skill.

Skaldi watched her closely.

If only he could help. He knew he’d be able to dig more efficiently than she could, but how could he do it so she was unaware of his presence? He needed her to stay because she’d care for Erann, yet he needed her to leave so he could dig instead of letting her ineffectually scrape around with her hands.

Go away, he thought desperately. Go away. The woman looked up at the naked mountainside. She shook her head and resumed digging. Had he imagined it? He tried again. Go away, go away. She glanced up again, scanning the scene in front of her apprehensively before returning to her task.

The wolf’s bark caught his attention. That was it.

Go and dig near the cave, he told the wolf, sending an image of the cave with the words. Bark and go and dig near the cave. He received a confused response from the wolf’s mind, before it did exactly what it had been told.

‘Arrow, what have you found?’ The woman sat back on her haunches, staring at the wolf. The wolf – Arrow – dug furiously into the snow.

Skaldi looked on in excitement as the woman ran to where the wolf was digging and fell upon the snow.

As silently as he could, Skaldi stretched out his wings and glided over to where the woman had been digging. He hovered above, calculating how best to approach this.

Watching her scrape uselessly at the ice, he descended as soundlessly as he could onto the glacier behind her. Far beneath him, the ice cracked under his weight, and he kept his wings half extended in case the ice gave completely. He began to dig, scooping away the packed snow and ice far faster than human hands ever could. The wind masked the scrape of his claws, but still, Skaldi nudged the woman’s attention away, any time she shifted or glanced about.

A sudden crack split the frozen drift as part of the ice shelf collapsed beneath his claws and Skaldi pushed himself into the air with a sharp snap of his wings. The woman lifted her eyes anxiously toward the mountainside above her, searching for the source of the sound. But she didn’t look towards him, although the wolf did. Could the wolf talk to the Other? He didn’t believe so.

Skaldi peered into the hollow he’d uncovered and felt a surge of relief. Erann lay at the bottom of the cleared space, unmoving but breathing.

He flew back to his perch and then reached out to the woman. Come back. He sent the thoughts to Arrow as well. She seemed more open to his images.

He watched as first the wolf and then the girl hurried to the hole that he’d created. She looked around in shock before leaping down next to Erann and gently touching his face. Tears streamed down her face as she carefully ran her hands over him. Then she looked about uncertainly.

Relieved Erann was no longer trapped, Skaldi decided to wait before he flew off, even though he knew there was no chance of her seeing him. Somehow, he felt it would be safer.

He’d interfered enough for one day.

PART IV

31

ERANN

He felt someone call his name, rather than heard it. It was a strange sensation.

‘I’m here,’ he whispered. He struggled to open his eyes, focusing on the voice. ‘I’m here, I’m alive.’

But his mouth was so dry it came out as little more than a harsh rasp. He coughed, sending pain lashing up and down his entire body. When it subsided, he opened his eyes and took in his surroundings in the small glow lighting the hollow he occupied. The avalanche. The mountain of snow on top of him.

Was someone looking for him, or had he imagined the sensation? Would Sereh even be able to find him? He felt hope flare inside his chest, but it fizzled as soon as it came. No one was going to be able to find him, let alone dig him out.

He licked his lips with his parched tongue. He needed water. He reached up and broke a piece of ice from above his head. He tensed in anticipation of a further ice or rockfall. When nothing happened, Erann brought it to his mouth and sucked thirstily on the frozen ice. He wondered why he was bothering when there was no hope of survival.

He thought of Sereh. Of his last sight of her. At least, he consoled himself, she’d survived the avalanche.

He felt something brush against his mind. He tried to grasp whatever it was, but instead found himself once more spiralling down into blackness.