Page 65 of Dragonbound

His wings beat high in the air. Below him, the wolf ran ahead over the snow.

Skaldi wasn’t flying as fast as he could or he’d have left the wolf far behind. Instead, he glided above her, knowing it was far easier to follow the wolf than to try to interpret the wolf’s animalistic thoughts.

He still wasn’t sure why he was acquiescing to Erann’s demands. Admittedly, Erann’s thoughts were too intense to ignore. Erann needed the girl in a way Skaldi didn’t fully understand. From a young age, he’d known he’d always end up alone, no matter how many siblings his parents provided him. He had never formed any close bonds with anyone other than his family. He’d always understood he would need to be independent to survive in his position. The intensity of Erann’s feeling for Sereh made him reconsider. As did his growing connection to Erann.

Below, the wolf had come to an abrupt stop. She looked up at him, and then turned her head downwards. Skaldi lowered himself quickly to the ground with a snap of his wings. The wolf had found where Sereh was, either through following Sereh’s scent or from memory.

Arrow ran to him. She gave a short howl that tapered into a whine. Skaldi couldn’t see Sereh anywhere. He looked around for any sign of her. And then Arrow was gone too.

Skaldi rushed forward and stepped straight into the hole in the snow, his wings instinctively unfurling to keep him steady. How had the woman managed to fall down the only small hole on the entire mountainside?

He stepped back and slowly lowered his head to look inside the crevasse, wings keeping him balanced. Down below, Sereh lay in an awkward position on a tiny icy ledge, which dropped steeply away on one side. On the other side, there was a sheer rock wall littered with tiny, sparkling icicles. There was no way he’d be able to go down there. He couldn’t even get his entire head through the hole. It was only large enough for him to place one eye over it to enable him to see.

Moving back, he extended his front claw through the fissure, but could grab only air. She was too far down.

He refocused his eye. Arrow whimpered silently at Sereh’s side, but Sereh didn’t stir. She looked feverish. Her face was sheened in sweat. Her skin was snow white. A tormented groan escaped her mouth. Not dead yet, but it surely wouldn’t be much longer.

Arrow looked up at Skaldi questioningly. Skaldi stared back, at a loss. He couldn’t reach her, let alone get her out. He thought this to Arrow.

A howl pierced the air. He understood. She mourned her friend.

Skaldi realised he had no choice. He’d need to get Erann here. He didn’t know how, but he couldn’t let Sereh die when Erann and Arrow might be able to rescue her.

I’m going to get Erann, he thought to the wolf, I want you to stay by Sereh’s side. Keep her warm till I get back. The wolf understood because she lay down and pressed her body against Sereh’s, her head on her chest, her intent eyes watching the woman, as though daring her to stop breathing.

Skaldi stepped away from the fissure and, with a loud crack of his massive wings, took to the sky once more, wishing it didn’t fatigue him so much to take to the sky from the ground. He needed to stay strong. He needed to aid the woman. Only then could he finally rest.

45

ERANN

Erann worked to prepare the cave for Sereh’s arrival. He rebuilt a huge fire using more of Emma’s wood – he’d have to ask Skaldi to bring more inside. He filled all the available pots full of snow to melt and brewed some tea, to warm her with the healing remedy. He even put some of the furs by the fire to warm and heated a stone, which he placed in her bed, wrapped in pelts.

He’d need to pay particular attention to her nose, toes and fingers. He didn’t want her to lose them.

He was unsure how long Arrow and Skaldi had been gone, but he was surprised when he felt Skaldi in his mind. She can’t have been as far away as he’d feared, despite her two days’ head start.

He moved as fast as possible towards the cave entrance on his crutches and almost fell over Skaldi’s huge, twitching, golden tail. There was no Arrow or Sereh. Before he could panic, he felt a reassurance in his mind and looked at Skaldi.

‘Where is she?’ he demanded. ‘Where are they?’

‘You weren’t too late?’ Just saying the words sent an icy shard to his heart. Grief like nothing he’d ever felt before washed over him – worse than when his father had gone, when his sister had left. When he’d realised his mother was slowly dying of a broken heart.

No, Erann. A sense of reassurance pushed at the grief. He looked at Skaldi. A hole. Ice. Too deep. So cold. Too far to reach. You have to come. The dragon’s thoughts were incoherent, but Erann understood. He pushed himself upright and was moving once more, dragging his broken leg behind him. Pain shot through him and left him momentarily breathless once more, but Erann brushed it off. All he could think of was Sereh.

He grabbed things as he went – furs, bandages – and stuffed them into his backpack. He thrust his feet into his boots, grimacing, and stared at his bound leg. The trouser was ripped, but he had no other clothes, and it was well protected with bandaging.

He needed anything he could use as a rope, and he hurriedly pulled everything from Emma’s basket that might be of some use.

In a matter of moments, he was back with Skaldi, backpack on one arm, his sticks under the other. He stopped for a moment, wondering how they were going to accomplish this.

I will carry you. You cannot climb onto my back. Skaldi delicately extended one massive front claw. It is the only way, but I have not done it before.

The claws shimmered sharply in the sunlight. They were more deadly than ice, Erann was sure of it, but he allowed himself to be enclosed within them.

He was far from convinced flying was something he wished to experience.

You will be well, Skaldi promised. I will not let you go.