The Griffin's Feather (Dragon Rider 2)

‘A wise rule,’ Barnabas agreed. ‘And I understand very well why you do not want to be a king. But may I say that you would have been a good one?’

‘I’m not so sure of that!’ replied Shrii. ‘Do you know that our kings have to sit on their thrones without moving for hours every day? I’m afraid that after a week I’d have been as cruel as Kraa!’

Shrii did not change his mind.

When Ben visited the island a few years later, with Winston, Shrii was living on the other side of it with a family of very colourful sons and daughters. But Roargh and the other griffins had disappeared, and Kraa’s royal tree was inhabited by a colony of gibbons who had chosen TerTaWa as their leader. The stone figure of Kraa still stood in front of his throne, now weathered by wind and rain, and the frescoes on the outside of his nest looked as if they were hundreds of years old. But The Hands had added a new picture to the interior. It showed two dragons with human boys on their backs, a man with glass eyes, a rat in a flying suit, and a jenglot in very strange clothes standing fearlessly on the head of the petrified Kraa.

CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

Time to Leave

Everything has to come to an end sometime.

L. Frank Baum, The Marvellous Land of Oz

Ben was standing outside Kraa’s nest with Firedrake, looking out at the jungle as it slowly filled with the light of a new day. They had said goodbye to TerTaWa and Shrii, to Me-Rah, Patah and Kupo. And they had promised to come back again.

Barnabas was already on his way to the beach with Hothbrodd. But they didn’t have the sun-feather with them. Tattoo was going to take it to MÍMAMEIÐR. Even Hothbrodd’s wonderful plane was slower than a dragon in flight, and if Twigleg’s calculations were correct, there was hardly a day left until the foals would be too large for their eggs. Sorrel was busy feeding Tattoo moonlight-flowers so that he could fly even in daylight, and as well as Winston and Berulu, Lola was going with their party as a pilot. After all, neither Tattoo nor his two dragon riders had ever been to MÍMAMEIÐR, and Ben… Ben would be setting off with Firedrake to the Rim of Heaven.

To his relief, Barnabas had taken his decision calmly, although he hadn’t been able to hide his sadness.

‘I understand. You were a dragon rider before we met,’ he had said, giving Ben a hug. ‘But if you feel you’d like to be with humans, don’t forget that you’re a Greenbloom too!’

How could he ever forget that?

Ben glanced at Firedrake. He had made the right decision – hadn’t he? Twigleg, up on his shoulder, heaved an unhappy sigh. Firedrake lowered his head until he could look into Ben’s eyes.

‘I am honoured that you want to come with me,’ he said quietly. ‘You know there’s nothing I wish for more. But the Rim of Heaven isn’t the right home for you. Ask the homunculus if you don’t believe me.’

Twigleg nodded to the dragon gratefully.

‘You belong with your own kind, master!’ he stammered. ‘Believe me, I know what I’m talking about. You’d be very lonely in the valley of the Rim of Heaven. In spite of Firedrake!’

‘True,’ agreed the dragon. ‘And you’ll be much more useful at MÍMAMEIÐR. That’s what life is all about, isn’t it? Being useful. And the Greenblooms need you, just as you need them.’

But I need you too! The words were on the tip of Ben’s tongue, but he didn’t say them. He knew Firedrake was right. If only he wasn’t so tired of doing without him.

Tattoo and Sorrel came out of Kraa’s nest. Winston and Berulu were already sitting on his back, and of course Lola had tied herself into her place between his horns. There had to be the spice of a little danger, even if the crazy rat said she’d chosen that place so that the dragon could hear her better.

‘I think you’re going to have another rider too, Tattoo,’ said Firedrake.

Winston smiled at Ben, but his smile showed that he already understood how difficult it was for a rider to be parted from his dragon.

‘Boletus and mildew fungus!’ murmured Sorrel as she climbed on Firedrake’s back. ‘I wish I could say the same of myself. It’s so much nicer in MÍMAMEIÐR.’

But Ben stood where he was, and couldn’t move towards Tattoo.

‘Do you have the scale safe?’ Firedrake nudged him in the chest with his nose.

Ben felt for the locket. Yes. And now and then, when he wanted to be with Firedrake too much to bear, he would hold the scale. Just to send the dragon his love.

‘Off you go, then. We’ll see each other soon. Tattoo will bring you with him when he comes back,’ said Firedrake. ‘After all, you have to see our young dragons.’

Tattoo! Yes, of course. From now on there would be two dragons who could take him to the Rim of Heaven. Tattoo would be flying back!

Ben’s heart felt so light – almost as light as the feather that they would be taking to MÍMAMEIÐR.

‘Right!’ he stammered. ‘Right! Then… then maybe I’ll fly to MÍMAMEIÐR first. Guinevere will need me to help her. I guess that three Pegasus foals will give us a lot of work! If the feather works!’ he added.