Page 64 of Dragonbound

He hobbled to her, dragging his wounded leg behind him.

Arrow looked on patiently, as he reached his previous perch and sank gracelessly. She eyed the cooking pot.

‘If I feed you, will you tell me where she is?’ he bartered, swinging the pot his way. He refilled the bowl. With the fire burning again, the aroma of the food was enticing.

‘It’ll be hot, girl,’ he warned, placing it on the floor in front of her.

The heat was no deterrent. The wolf-dog gobbled the food. She lifted her head and tilted it to one side, imploringly.

‘Still hungry. Here, have some more.’ He refilled the pot and returned it to her.

When she’d finished, Arrow came and put her head in his lap. Her yellow eyes were flooded with sorrow. His hand caressed her ears.

‘Come on now, what is it, girl? Where’s Sereh?’

Arrow stood at the sound of Sereh’s name and tugged on his arm, gently, with her mouth.

‘Is Sereh in trouble?’ he questioned Arrow. She tugged more insistently.

‘So something has happened to Sereh?’ He bit back the rising panic. He needed to focus on something practical, otherwise it would consume him. ‘I’ll search Emma’s supplies. She’ll have something in there that will help Sereh. I’ll get that ready. And I’ll try to reach Skaldi. He’ll be able to get to Sereh faster in the air than we can on foot.’

Arrow released her hold on him, her eyes straying back towards the cave entrance. Erann swallowed. Sereh was out there on her own. She needed him.

If Skaldi wasn’t here soon, he would go out to rescue her himself.

He grabbed his walking stalks. He’d get more snow. He’d rebuild the fire. He’d find whatever Emma had been using to heal him. Then he’d find Sereh.

43

ERANN

Erann? I am here. Erann could hear the dragon’s voice. It was faint. He must still be far away. Erann reached with his mind to answer.

Skaldi! Sereh is injured, wounded somewhere. Can you find her?

Something like a yes flooded his mind. He tried to see what Skaldi was seeing, but the dragon had broken the connection.

Next to him, Arrow whined. Her ears were pricked, looking for instructions.

‘Skaldi will find her.’ Arrow laid her head in his lap. He stroked behind her ears. She huffed. Images from his dream replayed in his mind. He sensed Arrow grow rigid beneath his touch, and banished the thoughts. She grew less agitated. He made a connection. Was it correct? Had he seen the wolf-dog’s thoughts? How was that possible?

He looked at her curiously and then allowed his mind to clear.

The journey the wolf-dog and Sereh had made together came to him in quick flashes, like his dream. Arrow’s contentment changed to a growl, and she stiffened again, but remained still. She didn’t pull away, even though she clearly didn’t like what was happening.

Sereh was a presence in every one of the flashes, and the sight of her determined, defiant, and so vulnerable filled him with sorrow and longing. They had been heading towards the Western Quarter. Arrow’s feeling of unease and resignation grew the further they travelled. The ice wasn’t safe, but Sereh pushed on and so Arrow followed.

Arrow whined, her distress growing. They were on the ice and then Sereh vanished. Erann gasped in horror as, through the wolf-dog’s eyes, he saw Sereh lying crumpled at the bottom of a steep crevasse.

Arrow yelped, then shot to her feet. She licked his face and sprinted out of the cave.

Erann felt his breath catch in his throat as the wolf-dog disappeared. She knew where Sereh was. She could lead Skaldi to her.

Sereh lived. He was sure of it.

44

SKALD DREKKI