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It took them almost all evening to reach the top of White Valley. By then, it was almost sunset and the sky was a brilliant, reddish gold color. The sun’s light made the winding river below look like a crimson line of blood trickling from a deep wound. No wind broke the still of the late evening. Small birds flew home through the fading light, their quick eerie cries somehow sounding foreboding.
“There would be no use going down into the valley now, Lady,” said Baldo, looking down the thick-treed valley of white trees. “It will be dark soon.”
The Lady glanced at Orleo, then nodded to the General.
“We’ll shelter by yon bushes,” said Baldo. He turned to Salter. “Boy, I could use your help in hunting for some food. Is that creature of yours good at tracking?”
Salter grinned and nodded. He was tired, but he was delighted the General had asked him for help. He had ridden beside Baldo almost the whole journey. The General hadn’t spoken to him.
As Baldo, Salter and Spar headed into the high thick bushes to hunt for food, Orleo, the Lady and Feverfew began to unpack what little provisions they had.
As Feverfew was tying the unicorns to a small tree, everyone heard a roar. The sound seemed to come from their left. Worrying about Baldo and Salter, Feverfew hurried over to the Lady and Orleo.
“They’ll be fine, Feverfew,” said the Lady smiling, then turned to look into the bushes. At least I hope so, she thought.
Moments later, all three were sitting at the edge of the bushes looking down into the darkness.
****
Meanwhile, Spar, growling low, had stopped.
“He senses something,” whispered Salter, bending lower. Beside him, Baldo slipped one of his knives from its sheath, then slowly and quietly they followed Spar through a narrow path in the bushes.
They were just peering through the bushes, when the thing suddenly dropped out of the sky on top of them. Though startled, Baldo just managed to stab upwards. With a raucous scream, that was heard by the Lady and the others, the thing leapt away. Now, with blood running from the slash on its head, the thing- a bird, only a hundred times bigger than an eagle, with piercing, dark eyes and a wicked, curved beak, strutted towards Baldo and Salter, screeching like a banshee. Its attack was halted, when from out of the bushes leapt Spar. Rolling on the ground, screeching and spitting, bird thing and Spar tore at each other.
Horrified, Salter watched as his pet fought for its life. Both the General and Salter could see that Spar was no match for the monster bird. The fight only lasted a minute. With blood gushing from its body, Spar, breathing heavily, lay dying. Now, with blood dripping from its beak, the monster turned to Salter and the General.
“Get behind me boy,” hissed Baldo, waving his sword about in front of his body.
Immediately, the monster attacked. Horrified, Salter watched as the General and the bird monster rolled over and over. Suddenly the General's sword flew into the air and landed almost beside Salter. When they parted, blood was gushing from a wound on Baldo’s left arm. The side of his face was torn badly, but one of his knives was buried deep into the bird monster’s chest.
Almost at once the monster attacked again. With the loudest piercing screech yet, it leaped at Baldo again. But with an equally loud cry, Baldo rolled along the ground under its body. In an instant, he had picked up his sword, turned and swung the blade at the bird monster, ripping a hole in its feathered chest. This halted the monster’s attack briefly, but seconds later it was attacking again.
Thirty seconds later, Baldo lay helpless beneath it. Just when the monster was about to rip his throat out, a flash of magic burst into its back. Turning, the shocked badly injured bird monster saw the Lady. Forgetting about Baldo, it screeched with anger and hopped towards her. The magic blasting from the Lady’s hand ripped its chest open. As its heart was exposed, more magic burst upon it. With a stunned silence the monster stopped breathing and fell over, almost on top of Baldo. It was dead.
When the Lady was checking Baldo, to see if he was badly injured, they heard Salter crying. When they looked, they saw the small boy hugging Spar. The big creature was dead.
“See to the boy,” grunted Baldo, trying to get to his feet.
“Baldo, you’re badly injured. I’ll have to repair you quickly or infection will set in. There’s nothing we can do for Spar.”
****
When Orleo and Feverfew arrived, they saw magic flowing from the Lady onto the deepest of Baldo’s injuries.
Seeing Baldo was all right, Orleo and Feverfew hurried over to Salter. They could see Spar was dead.
Gently, Orleo helped the crying boy to his feet. “He’s gone,” whispered the old elf. “There’s nothing we can do for Spar now.”
Salter stared at him. “He tried to save us, but... but... ” And suddenly he was crying bitterly into Orleo’s shoulder.
With tears in her own eyes, Feverfew walked over to see how the Lady was getting on with Baldo. The General seemed to be in a trance, as magic continually flowed from the Lady all over his body, healing him.
When she was finished, Feverfew noticed the Lady looked paler than usual.
“It will take a short while before my power can build up again,” explained the Lady. “Baldo will be fine, though he will have some scarring.” She smiled when she heard the General groan then open his eyes.
A while later, they were all heading back to the shelter in the bushes.
****
Later still, when Salter eventually fell asleep, the Lady, Orleo and Baldo discussed what they were going to do.
“He can ride behind me, Lady,” volunteered the General, who appeared to have recovered completely, though deep lacerations in his arm and along his face were blood red. He smiled. “He’s a brave boy. If it had not been for his mount, we would both be dead.”
The Lady sighed. “It all seems such an impossible task doesn’t it.”
“Lady, we’ll make it,” whispered Orleo, reaching to touch the sleeve of her cloak.
“Will we, Orleo?” asked the Lady, looking now at Feverfew, who was almost asleep. Her head was nodding as she tried to keep awake. “We still have to face the dragon.”
“Yes,” whispered Orleo, gulping, as he stared into the darkness. “The dragon.”
A short while later, everyone, but the Lady, who stood guard near a tree, was asleep.
****
Two hours before sunlight, Feverfew woke. Looking around, it took her several seconds before she remembered where she was. Looking over at the Lady she saw she was sleeping. General Baldo was standing with his back to them, on guard. It was then Feverfew saw it appear in front of her, swirling lights that quickly formed into the figure of a woman, dressed in a flimsy white garment. Feverfew’s eyes widened with wonder when the woman moved closer. She spoke in a soft voice that only Feverfew could hear.
“Feverfew, you will be meeting the dragon, Palaber soon. He will be asked to take you all to the Silver City. He will not be able to do that. Only three of you may go with him. You will know who the third will be.”
Feverfew tried to speak, but she couldn’t tell the woman, that she didn’t know who it would be. The woman continued, “Palaber will not harm you. He cannot. Do not be afraid. If you show fear, it will block his feelings for you. He must be allowed to understand who you are. Show fear, and he will not be able to know what power is within you. Remember, Feverfew, do not fear the dragon.” The woman looked over at the Lady. “The Lady will never betray you. There will be one who will. But it won’t be the, Lady.” Now the woman smiled. “Good fortune in your quest for the amulet. Listen to Palaber’s advice. His wise counsel will help you.”
Suddenly the thin swirls of light that made up the substance of the strange woman, began to leave her. In seconds she was gone. Her last words to Feverfew were, “Remember, you must not fear, Palaber.”
For almost an hour, Feverfew lay awake thinking about all the woman had told her. Who was going to betray her? She thought now about the third who would go into the Silver City with the Lady and herself. As she drifted off to sleep, she thought about Ferol.
****
The Lady woke her, just as the sun was rising above the valley, lighting up the white trees with its pink glow. After a light breakfast of hard nuts and pieces of meat torn from the bird monster and cooked late last night, and a drink of cold clear water, everyone felt refreshed enough.
As they headed down into the valley, Feverfew decided not to tell the Lady about the strange woman. She wondered for a while if she had imagined her.
****
It was a while later, with Salter sitting in front of Baldo, that they reached the bottom of the valley. Here, in a wide, flat, gravelly area along the bank of the river where it was warmest, they headed straight on.
When they were almost at the far end of the bank, they stopped and turned right. A few hundred meters further on, they saw it, a huge cave near the foot of a low hill. The entrance to the cave was wide enough to take a B17 bomber plane. As they dismounted, they heard the loudest roar.
The sound sent shivers running up and down Feverfew’s back.
Salter let out a terrified cry and jumped closer to Baldo.
But now Feverfew remembered the woman’s words, ‘You must not fear, Palaber.’ I’ll try, she thought, as the Lady indicated she wanted everyone to wait.
Everyone watched as the Lady strode fearlessly to the entrance of the cave. There she took a deep breath.
“Palaber!” she screamed. “Palaber!”
The roar that followed her scream, was ten times louder than the one before that. The sound seemed to shake the whole valley. Now a sliding, slithering sound was heard, as the monstrous dragon, named Palaber, slowly emerged from the cave, blocking almost the whole entrance to it.