The Opal Quest (6 page)

‘This will make a fine sunstone,' Hannes said holding it up to the light and turning it this way and that. ‘Where did you get it?'

‘I found it.'

‘Where?'

‘That would be telling.'

Hannes stared at her for a moment then said, ‘Traders are honest folk, so we'll leave it at that. I'll give you ten marks.'

‘Twenty,' Tia said.

They bargained hard until they shook hands on
fourteen marks then Tia said goodbye and went back into the crowded street. Now she could buy what she needed.

She wandered through the cheerful crowds, trading for a new set of clothes which she rolled up tightly and put into her bag. Then she bought some candles and added those to her bag as well.

The Water Traders were friendly, and a woman invited her on deck to share a meal. As they sat and ate, Tia told her made-up story of losing her parents and asked if there was any news of the land Traders.

‘We haven't seen our land cousins for some time,' the woman said. ‘I heard they're going towards Stoplar. It's a bleak, harsh place but there's good trading to be had there for the land-bound.'

‘I'll look for my parents in Stoplar then,' Tia said. ‘But I'm staying here first, to listen to your storytelling and music.'

The woman smiled. ‘We like to start in the evening when the hardest of the trading has finished.'

‘Is that when the High Witch joins you?' Tia asked.

‘She comes in the afternoon to trade in crystals, and feasts in the evening as we entertain her.'

‘So she isn't here yet?'

The Trader shook her head. ‘Not till the sun tells midday.'

Tia glanced up at the sun. It wouldn't be long now before Yordis was due to appear in the town; that would give Tia a chance to get into the witch's
chambers and from there to the crystal cavern and the opal. She stood up and said, ‘Thank you for the food,' to the Trader.

‘You're very welcome. Good fortune in your search for your parents.'

‘And good trading to you.'

Tia jumped from the boat to the street and ran in the direction of the castle but on her way she came face to face with Halla.

‘What are you doing here?' the washerwoman said.

Tia tried to look small and vulnerable. ‘I was caught by the guards and the Lady Yordis made me her grooming maid.'

‘Why don't you run off now?' Halla said, standing firmly in front of Tia, her arms crossed.

Tia made her eyes round and sad. ‘If I do that, she'll eat one of the other maids.'

‘I see,' Halla said, more gently. ‘Never mind, what's done is done. Let's make the most of the next few days while the Traders are here. Come with me – I'm on my way to join Solay and Magnus. They'll be pleased to see you.'

‘I want to buy some sweet pies first,' Tia said.

Halla laughed and told Tia where to meet up later, and Tia pretended to go to a baker's shop. She didn't like lying to Halla but she had to get into the
castle while Yordis wasn't there. Tia was determined to steal back the opal; after today, Yordis would never threaten the people of Kulafoss again.

When Tia reached the tube she found that the cage was up at the castle entrance. She would have to wait for it to come back down. No-one else was waiting but assembling by the little hut at the base of the waterfall were the chief guard and four men. They were setting down what looked like a bed supported on two poles that ran down its length.

I suppose the bodyguard is going to carry Yordis in that litter
, Tia thought.
But where is she?

She sneaked closer and hid under a mossy overhang of rock and watched as the guards raised a canopy over their heads and marched through the mist and spray and behind the waterfall. After a short while they marched back out again, this time with Yordis sheltered under the middle of the canopy. So this was how the High Witch came and went from the castle to the town! Tia could do that too – and go directly to the crystal cavern.

Once they were clear of the water the guards lowered the canopy and stowed it away in the little hut. Yordis lay down on the litter, the guards heaved it up and the chief guard marched them into town.

Tia waited till they disappeared from view then hurried to the hut. She covered herself in the canopy and followed the narrow, stony path behind the booming waterfall. It was so hard to see with the canopy covering her head that she almost missed a shallow entrance in the cliff. She stumbled inside and instantly the noise that had been pummelling her ears lessened. She dropped the heavy canopy in relief, snapped a flame onto her finger and gazed around.

Some light filtered through the curtain of water but it wasn't enough to allow Tia to see clearly. She lit a flame on her finger and shadows loomed up the wall of a wide cave that sloped downwards as it went deeper into the cliff. Right at the back was the entrance to a tunnel.

I bet this leads to the crystal cavern!
Tia thought.

She was right. After a long winding climb she found herself in the in the cavern standing in front of the smooth sheet of crystal that the collar was hidden behind.

‘Now, where is that panel Yordis slid open?' she murmured.

She pictured the great bear standing on its hind legs and reaching out for the panel. She thought she knew roughly where it was.

Now she could put her plan into action.

She took the candles out of her bag, stood them in a circle round her and lit them with the flame on her finger. She snuffed her flame out; she needed both hands for the next part of her plan.

She picked up her sling and slotted a smooth pebble into the little leather cradle in the middle of the strings. She flicked the sling into the air, twirled it above her head then let go of one of the strings. The pebble flew out and hit the crystal sheet exactly where she thought the panel was; with a splintering sound, a pattern of cracks spread out like a spider's web.

She threw another pebble, and another. On the third attempt the panel shattered and splinters of crystal fell chiming to the ground. Now Tia could see the cavity that held the collar!

She couldn't help whooping with excitement, but she had no time to celebrate. Yordis was unpredictable: she might get bored with trading and come back at any moment to turn into the bear.

Tia took out the crystal she'd tied with leather strips the night before and placed it in the sling. She aimed carefully and slung the crystal into the cavity, hoping the strip would become entangled with the collar so that she could pull it towards her.

But the crystal only hit the collar and bounced back.

At that moment, an ear-splitting wail echoed around the cavern:

‘
I'm being stolen! Rescue me! Thief! Thief!
'

Tia realised with shock that the collar was magically protected. Yordis must have put a spell on it so that it called out to her when it was in danger; wherever she was she would hear it.

It went on calling.

‘
Thief! Rescue me! I'm being stolen!
'

Tia's hands were shaking – she was doomed if Yordis came back and caught her! And Katinka and others would suffer too. Desperately she tried again and again to entangle the collar but she was so frightened she kept missing. If only that collar would stop shrieking!

‘Shut up!' she shouted at it.

It carried on screeching.

Concentrate!
she told herself sternly. She ignored the bawling collar, took a deep breath, swung the sling round her head so fast it hummed, and let fly.

The stone shot to the back of the cavity; she pulled carefully, and felt it catch. She tweaked the leather strip – and the collar came tumbling down. As it
hit the floor it stopped squawking, almost as if the breath had been knocked out of it.

A different screeching came from the tunnel.

‘My opal! Who dares to steal my opal? I'll turn them into bear meat!'

Yordis was thundering towards the cavern, angry and ready for revenge.

Quickly Tia pushed the sling back in her bag and blew out the candles. The cavern was plunged into darkness.

She fumbled the collar over her head, pressed the opal against her neck and wondered what she could turn herself into.

It had to be something that would terrify Yordis; she was still a High Witch and even without the opal she was powerful and dangerous. Images flashed through her mind: a wolf, an eagle, a polecat?

Yordis, soaking wet and wild-eyed, burst into the cavern, her light-ball shining in front of her. It lit up Tia.

Yordis screamed until the crystal vibrated with the sound.

‘A mouse!'

Whiskers twitching, Mouse-Tia advanced on the High Witch. Yordis screamed again and lumbered up the tunnel to the safety of her chambers.

Tia knew it wouldn't take Yordis long to work out that the little mouse was really the opal thief. She turned back into herself, snatched up her bag and hared towards the cave. Just as she reached it a voice shrieked, ‘You!'

Yordis had used magic to skim fast above the ground. She was catching up!

Tia dashed out of the cave, and burst from behind the waterfall – straight into the guards. A big crowd had followed them.

‘What's going on?' the chief guard said, grabbing Tia's arm.

‘The opal's been stolen! Yordis is really angry!'

The man's grip tightened. ‘She's lost the opal? Are you sure?'

Tia nodded.

Yordis stormed into view. The chief guard let go of Tia's arm, and she immediately dashed into the crowd.

‘Stop that child!' she heard Yordis shriek, and the chief guard answered, ‘No.'

‘Do as I say! Or…'

‘Or what?' he snarled. ‘You can't use your power on all of us, not now the opal has gone.' His eyes glittered in triumph. ‘Let's get her, men!' he yelled. ‘Think of our children!'

The crowd surged forwards chanting, ‘Get her!' and ‘Free our children!'

Tia knew that the guard was right: together, the people of Kulafoss were more than a match for Yordis.

The witch cowered as the guards took her by the arms and marched her away. Half the crowd streamed after them and half ran towards the mines to rescue the children.