Dragon Rider (Dragon Rider 1)

“Ravens?” asked Ben. “How come ravens? What have they got to do with dragons?”

“Oh, they don’t want the information for themselves.” Gilbert Graytail’s voice sank again. “They’re acting on behalf of someone else, but I haven’t found out who yet. Whoever it is, your dragon had better be careful.”

Sorrel nodded. “The Golden One,” she murmured.

Gilbert and Ben looked at her curiously.

“What did you say?” asked the boy.

“Oh, nothing.” She turned thoughtfully and headed for the gap between the shelves.

“Thanks, Gilbert, and good-bye,” said Ben, following her.

“Give Rosa my love if you ever get back again!” the rat called after them. “Tell her to come and see me again sometime. There’s a ferry quite close to your home, and they don’t put rat poison down on it.”

“Oh, yes?” Sorrel turned back once more. “And what will you give me to deliver your message?” Then, without waiting for Gilbert’s answer, she disappeared between the shelves.

6. Dragon-Fire

“Well, we could have saved ourselves the trouble!” said Sorrel crossly once they were out in the street again. “We come to this stinking city purely to find that stuck-up rat, and what does he give us? Oh, stinking sticky-bun fungus! A map, that’s all. Scribbles on a bit of paper! Huh! I could have found that heavenly brim thing just by following my nose.” She imitated Gilbert’s voice. “‘So, now we come to the matter of my fee.’ I ought to have tied that silly fat podge to his globe with his own tail.”

“Calm down, will you?” said Ben, pulling the hood up over Sorrel’s ears before he led the way along the street. “It’s not a bad map. There are some things your nose won’t tell you!”

“You don’t know anything about it,” muttered Sorrel, plodding crossly after him. “You humans use your noses for nothing but sneezing.”

For a while the two of them walked along in silence.

“When are you going to set out again?” Ben asked at last.

“As soon as it gets dark,” replied Sorrel, almost colliding with a fat man whose dachshund was sniffing its way along the pavement. The dog raised his head in surprise when the scent of brownie reached his nostrils and tugged at his leash, yelping. Ben quickly drew Sorrel away and into the nearest alleyway.

“Come on,” he said. “There’s not so much going on here. Anyway, we’re nearly back.”

“Stones everywhere. Nothing but stones!” Sorrel looked uneasily up at the walls of the buildings. “My tummy’s rumbling louder than those machines with their engines. I’ll be glad to be out of here again.”

“It must be really exciting to go on such a long journey,” said Ben.

Sorrel wrinkled her forehead. “I’d rather have stayed in my cave. Much rather.”

“But just think of going to the Himalayas!” It sounded so exciting to Ben that he started walking faster. “And flying on a dragon’s back! Oh, wow!” He shook his head. “I’d be bursting with happiness! It sounds like a thousand adventures rolled into one!”

Sorrel gaped at the boy, shaking her head. “Don’t be so daft. What sort of adventures? It sounds to me like cold and hunger. It sounds like danger and fear. We were very well off at home, take my word for it! Rather too much rain, maybe, but what does that matter? You know something? It’s all because of you humans we’re going on this crazy journey. Because you won’t leave us alone. Because we have to find somewhere your nasty furless noses will never come poking in! Oh, why do I bother telling you all this? You’re one of them yourself. We’re escaping from human beings and here I am hanging around with one. Now, that really is crazy!”

Ben did not reply. Instead he hastily shoved Sorrel into the dark doorway of a building.

“Hey! What’s the big idea?” She looked at the boy, irritated. “Are you angry with me now, or what? We have to cross the street, right? The factory’s on the other side.”

“Exactly. Can’t you see what’s going on there?” whispered Ben.

Sorrel peered over his shoulder. “Humans!” she breathed. “Lots and lots of humans. And they’ve got machinery with them, too.” She groaned. “Speak of the devil —”

“You stay here,” Ben interrupted her. “I’ll cross the road and find out what’s up.”

“What?” Sorrel shook her head vigorously. “No, that’s no good. I have to warn Firedrake. At once!” And before Ben could stop her she was out in the street. She dodged between the honking cars and clambered over the low wall around the factory yard.

Cursing, Ben ran after her.

Luckily there was so much else going on in the yard that no one noticed the two of them. A couple of men were Standing beside a large bulldozer, talking to each other. Ben saw Sorrel hide behind the big scoop of the bulldozer to eavesdrop. Hastily he ran across and crouched down beside her.