As Una picked her way down the steep river path, she heard the familiar calls of the willow-whistler and chiff-chaff.As she drew closer to the river, she left the path, avoiding the stinging nettles and the little white anemones and marsh violets hiding among the roots of the trees.Una carefully stepped over every one, landing on the creeping jenny, which she knew would not be harmed, and would flower brightly next month even if trampled.
Una had known all the birds and flowers of the dale as a child, but it had been Aunt Emily who had given them their names.She had also encouraged and praised Una’s wavery attempts at drawing them—so inferior to Pip’s way of capturing light and shadow with a bit of lead!But Aunt Emily had said it was what the drawings did forUnathat mattered, not for anyone else.
Una was not thinking anymore, it was just the poem and the birds and the fading light, and the lines of the flowers which she had learned to see with her pencil, and this was a gift from her aunt, she knew.
Green leaves a-floating,
Castles of the foam,
Boats of mine a-boating—
Where will all come home?
Just like Violet, she thought.But she shook it away and thought instead of where she would go to rest and listen to the river.It was a quiet place near the falls where an old, twisted willow stretched out a wide and accommodating arm.From it, she could watch the surface of the river for a familiar, smooth head with trailing greenish tendrils that looked like river weeds to ordinary people.
Una was nearing the place when she heard someone shout in frustration from the bushes on the other bank.It gave her a horrible, cold jolt, because it was her sister’s voice.
“Sodding nettles!”it bellowed.
Una dodged behind a tree trunk.The last thing she needed at present was a chat with Violet.
Una picked out Violet now, struggling through a patch of nettles and brambles in her old brown dress and cardigan.
Una would have liked to wait for her to pass and forget about her.She was headed in the direction of Drake Hall.Did she intend to go and stay there after all, with Edith and Simon?Could Una hope for such a reprieve?
But as soon as Violet disentangled herself from her unnecessary and prickly detour, she looked round quickly.It was an expression and a posture that Una recognised all too well.
This was no social call—it was one of Violet’s dreaded escapades.
Una swallowed, sick to her stomach.For it had come to her with frightening clarity exactly how she felt about her sister’s sudden return, when she realised that—once again—she would have to be the one to stop Violet from doing something insane.
She was furious.
Violet had slipped away as soon as she could be sure of no one seeing or following her.Bloomers would be better for what she planned to do, but they were still being laundered, so she chose the skirt with the most yardage to it.She could hike it up if necessary, and who was there to see her underthings but sheep?Besides, she’d shown a good deal more leg than that and been none the worse for it, as far as she could tell.
It was strange to put on the clothes of two years ago.They smelled of another life, another time—she hoped it would reassure the dragons.
A skirmish with a handy bramble-and-nettle patch gave her dress a nice patina of local mud and prickles, which also increased her chances.
She patted her bulging pockets with satisfaction.
Violet whistled softly for the dragons as she approached their pen.She climbed up on the stone wall and sat with her legs hanging inside, then held out both palmfuls of sugar expectantly.
Cariad came first, nuzzling Elfed behind her once more, and Violet had a small moment of doubt when her huge golden creature’s shadow fell over her.She remembered how Edith had described Cariad picking up a full-grown man and throwing him across a clearing, very nearly killing him.
Violet closed her eyes and waited.She had faced death more than once over the last two years.Death by dragon was not the worst way to go, by far.
A great, gusty breath warmed her hand, and the sugar cubes were gone.
Cracking open an eyelid, she saw Elfed push his head under his mother’s, looking for the sugar in her other hand.She kept still, hardly breathing.
“Stop!”came a shriek from behind her.
The sky whirled over her and Violet found herself gasping on her back, cast out once again.
A pounding of feet and her younger sister peered down at her, dark against the dim sky.
“Are you hurt?”Una asked.
