Keeper of the Phoenix (6 page)

She shook her head sadly.

“In this desperate hour, I have nowhere else to turn. I am unable to look for my husband myself and I cannot afford to send anyone else to search for him. I thought and
hoped
that Gwaam, with his magical powers, might be able to find my lord, his son and his men – your father and brother included – and bring them home.”

“But, Lady Belgrave, what can Gwaam do?” Ash replied. “He’s as weak as a newborn chick, despite his wolfhound’s appetite. He asked for
my
protection, so I’m guessing he’s not up to finding lost men.”

“Neither are you, cowherd,” Opal added disdainfully.

Ash tried not to flinch. He knew his clothes proved him to be nothing more than a farmer, but Opal’s words still hurt.

Lady Belgrave glared. “I will not warn you again, Opal. This boy and his friends may be our only hope to find Raymond and your father.”

Opal stuck her lip out petulantly and resumed her skirt swishing. “Yes, Mama.”

“Your phoenix has lived a thousand lives, travelled a thousand lands,” Lady Belgrave addressed Ash once more. “Surely he knows the way to places we know nothing of. Perhaps with his special powers he could find Lord Belgrave for us.”

Before his ma and Lady Belgrave had brought this idea up, Ash hadn’t even considered it. Now he thought they might have a point. Although he wanted to protect Gwaam and keep him safe, Ash couldn’t help wondering what it might be like to be the one who found Lord Belgrave and the others. Maybe this mission was the chance he’d been waiting for to prove his courage?

Imagine his mother’s joy if he found his pa and Duncan. She would be so proud of him!

What if I return a hero? he wondered. No one would ever bully me again. Especially not Morgan.

“What do you think?” Ash studied Gwaam. “Can you help us?”

“Feed me!” Gwaam said. “Feed me!”

Ash shot Lady Belgrave an embarrassed look. “That wasn’t the answer I was expecting. I’m sorry, my lady. He’s a little unpredictable.”

“But only a moment ago he seemed so lucid, so intelligent …”

“He does that, Lady Belgrave,” Ash said. “One minute he’s absolutely fine and seems to know what’s going on. The next he’s like a baby. He’s barely hatched, after all. And he has this incredible urge to eat everything in sight. He’s hungry all the time. May I feed him? Perhaps in a few days we could try again.”

“Master Rover,” Lady Belgrave said, “if you help me, Gwaam may have access to my kitchen whenever he desires. Take him now if you like, and your friends, the boy you left outside included. I don’t care how much you eat, only please agree to help.”

Renshaw Gilking spoke for the first time. “You would do well to heed my lady’s request. Imagine for a moment what this opportunity could bring your family.”

Ash chewed his lip thoughtfully. “If we were to go in search of Lord Belgrave, who would come with us? The squire?”

“Unfortunately, I can’t spare him,” Lady Belgrave said. “He is one of the few able men left in the village.”

“I’m too old to take on a journey like this,” Renshaw added. “And even if I wasn’t, I wouldn’t leave my lady.”

“Is there not anyone else, Renshaw?” Lady Belgrave said.

Before Renshaw Gilking could reply, Rhyll said, “It doesn’t matter, Lady Belgrave. There are three of us. My brother Taine, Ash and myself. We are strong and quick on our feet. We’re used to fending for ourselves. We don’t need any help.”

Ash stood taller and puffed his chest out to support Rhyll’s claims.

Lady Belgrave looked unsure. “But you are still young, child, and innocent in the ways of the world. Not all of Krell is like our wonderful, safe Icamore. You must be certain you’re up to this adventure.”

Rhyll’s chin lifted ever so slightly. “Like I said, we’re used to looking after ourselves. Taine and I have done fine without our mother these last few years. And Ash has been the man of his house ever since his pa and older brother left.”

“Yes, of course.” Lady Belgrave looked embarrassed at the mention of Rhyll’s mother. Her husband was, after all, the one responsible for exiling her. She turned towards Ash. “So it seems you must venture out with only your companions and the phoenix, Master Rover. You shall, however, be provided with mules and ample supplies for the journey. Think about it, will you?”

“Yes, my lady.”

Renshaw escorted Ash, Gwaam, Taine and Rhyll down into the kitchen where he left them to eat and discuss Lady Belgrave’s proposal.

Taine, his appetite fully recovered, gobbled down a good portion of the boiled eggs, ham and cheese offered to them by the cook while the others told him what had happened.

“It’s a dangerous mission Lady Belgrave is sending us on,” he said. “What if we don’t make it back alive? I know the food is good, well, it’s delicious really, but we won’t be here to enjoy it if we’re dead. Can’t she get someone else to find Lord Belgrave?”

“There is no one else,” Ash said. “All fit men of fighting age left with Lord Belgrave. The rest are too old, or too young.”

“Like us.”

Rhyll shook her head. “I don’t understand why anyone would ever want to go to war.”

“It would be for the honour of our country,” Taine replied automatically.

“Face it, Taine,” Ash said. “You don’t really want to be a soldier.”

Taine grimaced. “I guess you’re right. But I’d go if you went.”

“You might not be old enough to fight, but you’re smart,” Rhyll said. “You’ve got a good brain, Ash. I say use it. Accept Lady Belgrave’s challenge and prove to everyone what we’re really worth.”

Ash wanted to say yes. He wanted to show Morgan – show everyone – that he was strong and brave like his father and brother. But he knew what they would want him to do. “Who’s going to look after Ma and the cattle if I go?” he said.

“Gwaam will sleep now,” the phoenix said.

Ash sighed. “We’d better go. Ma will be wondering what happened to me.” He scooped Gwaam up in his basket and strode out of the kitchen, closely followed by Rhyll.

Taine took longer, shoving food into his pockets as he went. When he caught up to the others he said, “I probably won’t be much use, Ash, but if you do decide to go, I’ll come with you.”

“Me too,” agreed Rhyll.

“Thanks.” Ash knew he was lucky to have friends to rely on. “But I’m not going. I can’t leave Ma on her own, so forget about it.”

The three friends were barely out of the village, treading the path towards home, when Rhyll let out a shout. “Look! What’s that?” She pointed to the sky.

Ash glanced up and frowned. The light from the day had suddenly disappeared. Dark clouds billowed across the sky and a chill wind whirled around them. “I didn’t realise it was so late.”

“That’s not night coming,” Rhyll said. “That’s something else.”

Then they heard it. A heavy drone like the swarming of bees filled the air. Next came the slithering of thousands of leathery wings: a sound so dreadful it seemed to send ice through Ash’s veins. Beside him, Rhyll shuddered.

“We must find shelter.
Now
,” Gwaam said.

Rhyll covered her ears against the noise. “What is it?”

“Birds,” Taine said. “Loads of birds.”

“They are not birds,” Gwaam said. “They’re stone gargoyles from Wizard Zadoc’s castle brought to life by his evil magic. He has sent the swarm here to trap us. Soon he will send his Seekers, giant griffins, half-eagle, half-lion.”

“Ah, can you repeat that?” Taine asked, confused. “Half-eagle, half-lion, did you say?”

“Yes,” Gwaam replied.

“Who is Wizard Zadoc?” Ash said.

“You’ve never heard of him?” Gwaam looked surprised.

“No.” Ash shook his head. “Should we have?”

“Zadoc is an evil man who uses black magic. He lives in far north Krell,” Gwaam said. “I don’t have time to explain more now. We must find shelter, I beg you.”

Ash glanced up at the sky. “It looks like those things are heading straight for Icamore,” Ash said. “We’ve got to warn everybody.”

“Yes, we must,” Rhyll agreed. “Papa is there delivering pork to Fyodor Carver. We have to save him. And the others.”

The air began to thicken and pulse as snow, dark as night, rained down from the wings of the creatures that swooped across the sky.

“There is no time,” Gwaam said. “The black snow will freeze you. Hide now, children, or we will all be doomed. Quick!”

“Ouch! It hurts!” Ash batted at his arm. A flake of black snow had landed on his sleeve, searing through the material and burning him with its stinging, wintry tentacles. The pain was incredible, but worse than that was the fear and dread that spread through Ash at the thought of being frozen by the black snow. One look at Taine and Rhyll and he knew they were scared too.

Keep it together, Ash told himself. Help the others. Help Gwaam.

“Gwaam’s right,” Ash said, looking around. He spotted an embankment. “Down there,” he said.

The three friends scrambled down the embankment and threw themselves under the stone bridge that stretched across the river. Huddling together, they beat the black snow off each other, shivering and shuddering in the cold.

Ash’s eyes were wide with fear as he listened to the droning and slithering of the creatures in the sky. “Why are those things looking for you?” he asked.

“Wizard Zadoc seeks me.” Gwaam’s voice was low. “He wants to use me for his own evil purposes.”

“Which are?” Rhyll said.

“He captured me and my mate, Suela, to use us to give him ever-lasting life.”

“There are two of you?” Taine asked.

“Ever-lasting life,” Rhyll said at the same time. “That’s impossible.”

Gwaam gave a bird-like chuckle. “Yes, Taine, Suela and I are the last phoenixes left in the known world. And, Rhyll, ever-lasting life
is
possible. I am living proof of that.”

“How can you help him live forever?” Ash said.

“He has to perform a ritual at precisely the right moment of our development to achieve his evil purpose. It requires blood taken straight from our hearts. It is a ritual we will not survive.”

“That’s terrible,” Rhyll said.

“Zodac wishes the world to live under his rule,” Gwaam continued. “He wishes to keep all others in darkness and despair, working for him to build his power, his wealth. He won’t stop until he succeeds. He’s willing to do anything to get me back. And he’s willing to destroy my mate and I to achieve what he wants.”

“How does he know you’re here?” Ash asked.

“His Seekers followed me to your valley a few days ago, before you found my egg and I was reborn,” Gwaam explained. “These gargoyles are freezing everything in the hope that I will be trapped. Only a phoenix’s heart can be heard beating under the black snow, you see. Soon the Seekers will try to find where I am. They’re immune to the snow and will dig me out and take me back to Wizard Zadoc.”

“What?” Taine gasped. “Are you saying we’re all going to die?”

“Taine, don’t panic,” Ash said calmly. “Gwaam, why didn’t you warn us that this might happen?”

“I didn’t think they would come so soon,” Gwaam said. “We must not talk any more. Soon, I will tell you everything. For now, we must sit quietly so we aren’t found.”

After a while, the droning and slithering moved on, slowly growing more distant. The world fell silent. Not a bird twittered, nor a leaf rustled.

Gwaam cocked his head to one side and listened. “Come, children,” he said. “The creatures have gone. Let us see the damage they have caused.”

Ash and the others scrambled up onto the road, which was covered in a thin layer of snow. They crept warily into the village. The sight that greeted them stopped them in their tracks.

The entire village,
their
village, had been blanketed with black snow. Everything caught outside – people, animals, trees – was frozen solid. Entire houses were iced over. Snow had poured down chimneys and seeped through the cracks in windows and doorframes to fill the buildings up. When they peered through the windows of the houses, shops and barns they saw that everything and everyone inside were frozen too.

Nothing had escaped the black snow.

“We have to help them,” Ash said, rushing forwards.

Taine put a hand on his arm to stop him. “Is it safe?”

“No, it’s not,” Gwaam said. “If you try to free those buried within it, you will also be caught. We must leave now.”

“Papa is here in the village somewhere,” Rhyll said breathlessly.

“And Ma is at home with only Trip to protect her,” Ash said. “I hope they’re all right.”

“Do you think Pa is dead?” Taine said. “Are they all dead?”

“Not yet,” Gwaam replied. “But if we do not break the wizard’s spell in time, they will be.”

“Tell us about this wizard right now. I want to know what’s going on,” Taine said.

“I have much explaining to do,” Gwaam said gravely, “only not now. We must leave before the Seekers come.”

“What should we do?” Rhyll said. “Where should we go?”

Despite the fear and shock that gripped him, Ash’s mind was working clearly. He would have a chance to prove his strength and courage after all. “We need to collect supplies to take with us.”

“Take with us where?” Taine asked.

“To find this Wizard Zadoc so we can make him free our friends and family.”

Taine hesitated. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea, Ash.”

“If Zadoc’s Seekers are looking for Gwaam, why don’t we wait until they find us?” Rhyll said. “Then we can all go together and demand he breaks his spell.”

“The Seekers will not take you,” Gwaam said. “They do not care for you or your village. They will kill you where you stand.”

“So, like I said,” Ash persisted, “our only hope is to escape now before the Seekers track down Gwaam and then try to find Wizard Zadoc.” He waved towards the village. “It’s
their
only hope too. So, first your house, then mine, to get what we need.”

When they arrived at Taine and Rhyll’s cottage they found it almost untouched by the blizzard that had devastated the village. Only tiny patches of black snow sat here and there, some of it already seeping into the ground.

“You have been lucky,” Gwaam said.