But this was different. We were far from safe, and in the power of a creature who seemed just as dangerous as the witches I’d told Bryony about. I didn’t think telling her that kind of story was a good idea now.
‘I’ve got a different kind of story for you tonight, Bryony. It’s a nice one about a handsome prince.’
‘Oh, yes – that would be nice! Tell me a really nice story, Nessa,’ she said. ‘Tell me one where everything turns out happily in the end.’
The last thing I felt like was telling a story, but for her sake I did my best. ‘Once upon a time an evil ogre carried off a princess and locked her in a tower—’
‘What did the ogre look like?’ Bryony interrupted.
‘He was big and ugly,’ I said, ‘with one huge bulging bloodshot eye in the middle of his forehead. But news of the princess’s captivity came to the attention of a prince, who saddled his horse and rode to the rescue—’
‘Was the prince handsome?’ Bryony demanded.
I was finding it hard to concentrate because I could hear the beast moving around outside; I wasn’t much good at telling stories anyway. But at least I had her attention.
‘Yes, he was tall, with fair hair and blue eyes, and he wore a sword with a silver hilt in a leather scabbard.’
‘Did he have nice teeth and sweet breath?’ Bryony asked.
‘Yes, his breath was sweeter than spring blossom.’
‘Better than the beast’s breath then.’ Susan spoke up now. ‘It stinks of rotten meat and blood.’
‘Shhh!’ I hissed. ‘He has sharp ears.’
‘His teeth are really long and sharp too,’ Bryony added.
I took a deep breath and tried to continue with the story, but Susan interrupted again. ‘I’ll tell the story this time, Nessa. Your stories are always so boring and predictable!’
I was too weary to protest so I let her carry on from where I’d left off.
‘The handsome prince rode up to the dark tower,’ she said, ‘and he was lucky because the fierce ogre with long sharp teeth and breath smelling of blood and rotten meat wasn’t at home. So the prince broke down the door and went up to the top of the tower and, after stealing one quick kiss from the beautiful princess, carried her down the steps and lifted her up onto his horse.’
Bryony had giggled when it came to the bit about the kiss and I began to relax.
‘But the ogre had been hiding in the trees behind the tower, and he rushed out and attacked the prince, who drew his sword,’ Susan continued.
‘Did the handsome prince cut off the ogre’s head?’ Bryony asked, almost breathless with anticipation.
There was a pause. I should have seen it coming, but I didn’t, and I was too late to intervene.
‘No,’ Susan said. ‘The ogre opened his big stinky mouth and bit off the head of the prince. Then he ate the horse and finished off the princess for his dessert!’
Bryony screamed and began to sob again, and at that moment the beast lurched into the cave.
‘Be silent!’ he growled. ‘End this foolishness now. You will need all your strength in the morning!’
The fierce way he spoke stunned us all into silence. I lay there for a long time, listening and waiting for the breathing of my two sisters to change as they slipped into sleep. Above it all I could hear the harsh, heavy snoring of the beast. At last I fell asleep myself and began to dream.
The rat is crawling up onto my body now. I can feel its small sharp claws pricking into my skin through the blankets. It is sitting on my chest. Its tail goes thumpety-thump, faster and faster, keeping perfect time with the beating of my heart.
And now there is a new thing, even more terrifying. The rat seems to be growing heavier by the second. Its weight is pressing down on my chest, making it difficult to breathe. How can that be possible? How can a rat be so large and heavy?
THE FOLLOWING DAY we made good progress, but finally it became necessary to kill one of the horses for food.
Despite her protests, I chose Nessa’s mount because I judged it to be the weakest of the three. Of course, when I started to drink its hot sweet blood, the purrai became upset. That didn’t stop them eating the meat once I’d cooked some for them, though. They did what I did in order to survive. So why did they turn from me in revulsion?
From then on, Nessa and Susan were forced to ride together while I carried the youngest purra with me. Nessa protested and offered to ride with me so that Bryony could be with her elder sister, but I refused. I might have to fight again at any moment so I wanted to spare my own horse as much as possible. Bryony was light, and mercifully she didn’t make a fuss about riding with me, though I could feel that she held herself rigid with terror.
Finally, after another week of travelling, we were within sight of Valkarky. It was just after midday, and although at this latitude the sun was still low in the sky, it was a bright clear day and the visibility was excellent.
‘What are those lights?’ Nessa asked, bringing her horse alongside mine. She stared directly into my eyes as she spoke, but her sister clung to her back and averted her face so that she would not have to look at me.
On the horizon there was a shimmering curtain of colour, the whole spectrum of the rainbow. At times it seemed to open, giving a glimpse of what seemed to be utter blackness within.
‘The lights shine from the eyes and mouths of the creatures who are building Valkarky,’ I answered. ‘Soon the walls of the city will be in view. That sight will delight your eyes and fill your hearts with happiness!’
I was proud of our city, but having chosen the vocation of a haizda mage, I lived far away in order to learn and develop my magic. Now, in truth, I was happy to be away from its intrigues and bustle, but it was still good to return occasionally to the place of my birth.
As we got closer, the three sisters found it difficult to look upon the city – it gleamed too brightly; nor could they appreciate the beauty of the industrious sixteen-legged whoskor, which swarmed over Valkarky’s outskirts, engaged in the never-ending task of extending it. The eyes of these creatures swayed gracefully upon long black stalks and their brown fur rippled in the breeze as they spat soft stone from their mouths before working it skilfully with their delicate forelimbs, adding it to the new sections of wall.
We were approaching the southern edge of the developing city. Here the walls were uneven in height, obviously in various states of construction.