Tia felt herself snatched up in strong scaly forelegs.
‘Hold on,’ a familiar voice said as she was carried swiftly away through the air.
‘Finn!’ Tia cried.
‘Not so loud – we don’t want that witch to know what’s happened.’
Finn had made his skin the colour of night, all spangled with stars. Tia clung on tightly and tried to forget how Andgrim had dropped her: but though Finn was small he was strong, and carried her safely to the forest.
As soon as he landed he let go of her and she sighed with relief.
‘Thank you for saving me, Finn,’ she said. ‘You were so brave coming all that way in spite of the spell. It must’ve been very hard.’
Even by firelight Tia could see Finn turn pink all over with embarrassment. ‘You were away a long time and I’ve been practising my camouflage skills,’ he said, ‘But you’re right, it was hard.’
Tia wanted to ask where the emerald was, and Loki, but she was stopped by a tremendous yawn. Finn nudged her towards the cave. ‘Go and sleep – we’ll talk again in the morning.’
Tia stumbled into the cave and was asleep in seconds.
A delicious smell woke Tia late the next morning. She came out the cave to see Finn roasting food over the fire and Loki perched on a nearby log, preening his feathers.
‘Come and eat,’ Finn said. ‘And then you can tell us all about your adventures.’
Tia sat on the log next to Loki and tucked into the best meal she’d had for a long time. When she’d finished, Loki pecked impatiently at her hand.
‘Ouch! What did you do that for?’ she said.
Loki stared at her.
‘Oh, you can’t understand me without the emerald! Where is it, Finn?’
Finn pulled a stone away from the entrance to the cave and delicately extended one of his claws into the hole behind it. ‘This seemed a safe place until you came back.’
He hooked the ring from the hole and gave it to Tia. In the forest light it shone greener than ever. Tia slipped it on and twisted the stone into her palm. At last she was able to talk to Loki again.
‘Thank you, Loki,’ she said to the jackdaw. ‘I’m sorry I didn’t trust you.’
‘You’ll know better next time,’ he said.
‘How did you find Finn?’
‘You said that he was on the edge of the forest by a small cave. I was hatched here and I know the forest well. I tried a few places that seemed likely and I knew I’d found the right one when I smelt dragon.’
Tia couldn’t help laughing.
‘Finn wouldn’t believe me at first, but I managed to convince him and guided him to the turret to get you.’
‘You were both very brave,’ Tia said. She smiled at Finn and reached out to stroke Loki’s feathers but as she did so the ring slipped off her finger. She hurriedly put it back.
‘That’s such a nuisance,’ she said. ‘I’m afraid of wearing the ring in case I lose it but if I don’t wear it I won’t be able to talk to you, Loki.’
She thought for a moment. ‘I know!’ She took off the chain round her neck, slipped the ring onto it next to the locket, then put it back under her shirt where it couldn’t be seen. She felt the emerald resting against her skin. ‘Now I can talk to you,’ she said.
‘It’s a good thing Malindra magicked the emerald smaller so she could set it in the ring,’ Loki said. ‘Otherwise it would be dragon-sized and too big to put on your chain.’ He ruffled his feathers and shook out his wings. ‘Bah. I don’t like talking about HER.’
‘Are you going to stay with us?’ Tia asked.
‘I have to go and tell my family I’m safe. But I think we’ll meet again. Tell your DragonBrother goodbye for now,’ said Loki.
Tia told Finn what the jackdaw had said and he rumbled a farewell.
Loki launched himself into the sky, flew away over the trees and disappeared.
‘D’you think we’ll see him again?’ Tia asked.
‘Who knows,’ Finn said. ‘They’re unpredictable birds, jackdaws.’
‘Then it’s just you and me.’ Tia smiled at her DragonBrother. ‘I’m glad you came on this adventure with me, Finn; it’s much more fun with the two of us!’
‘I’m not sure I’d call it fun!’ Finn said. ‘But I’m glad too.’ He puffed out a smoke ring. ‘Can we go home now, and take the emerald to the DragonQueen?’
‘No,’ Tia said firmly. ‘I’m going to get all the jewels back first.’
She felt for the emerald on her chain and her fingers rested for a moment on the locket. One day she would have to take the black pearl from her own mother.
‘Which one are we going to steal next?’ Finn asked.
‘The opal; it was taken by Yordis, the High Witch of Kulafoss and that’s the nearest town to Drangur. We’ll set off tomorrow.’
Tia leaned against her DragonBrother and thought about the next adventure. She could hardly wait for tomorrow to come.