Quest for the Sun Gem (9 page)

The cavalcade of Sedahs marched down onto the beach at Goldcoin Cove. At the front was a young soldier carrying a fluttering black and red flag. Behind him marched Governor Lazlac and Captain Malish, followed by hundreds of soldiers in black armour. In the middle huddled farmers and foresters, men, women and children, whimpering and sobbing, their eyes wide with hopeless terror.

Lord Lazlac smiled in satisfaction at the sight of the menacing black warships anchored in the cove, surrounding the lone crimson Tiregian ship.

‘Get the prisoners on board, on the double,’ he ordered. Captain Malish turned to bark this order at the men behind him.

‘Any news from Sniffer yet?’ Lazlac asked, his eyes hooded and dangerous.

‘Not yet, sir,’ replied Captain Malish nervously. ‘I expect a report at any time.’

‘Make sure you let me know as soon as he comes in.’ Lazlac swatted a fly, crushing it with his black-gloved hand. ‘Our friend Mortma is very anxious about that princess.’

At that moment Sniffer was in the clearing where the children had slept for a few short hours in the early morning.

He noted the five flat patches where bodies had lain. He stirred the wet embers of the extinguished fire and then smelt the damp ashes. He measured the four sets of bare footprints running in the wet sand on the river bank – Saxon’s large and broad, Ethan’s slightly smaller, Roana’s narrow with a high arch and Lily’s small and sturdy.

He found the dried twists of grass, sticky with horse sweat and matted with horsehair – one white, two chestnut and one darker brown. He examined the hoofprints.

Finally he surveyed the piles of greeny-brown horse dung. He knelt carefully beside one and pushed his finger down into the heart of the dung pile. It was still lukewarm.

Sniffer snuffled softly in delight. He stooped at the brook to rinse his hand and take a deep draught of water. Then with a quick grin he loped off back up the track following the hoofprints.
This is just too easy
, he thought.

Saxon and Lily led the four horses, skirting the eastern clifftops for twenty minutes, keeping a sharp eye out for boats and Sedahs. Aisha bounded along beside them. Saxon seemed to know this section of coast quite well. Finally he found a sheltered copse of trees off the track where they could safely tether the horse; then he led Lily and Aisha back to the cliffs.

‘There is another little cove down here,’ Saxon whispered. ‘It’s little more than a crack in the cliff but I am sure the smugglers use it from time to time.’

‘Sax, this cliff doesn’t look like anyone would go down there – smugglers or anyone else,’ Lily argued.

‘Come on – we might as well take a look,’ Saxon replied obstinately.

There was no path leading down. Aisha slithered down first in a tumble of falling pebbles and sand. Saxon and Lily had to climb down a thin cleft in the cliff, gripping onto rocks and ledges and shrubby roots.

At last they landed safely on the small sandy beach at the bottom. At first glance there was nothing to see except waves surging around the cliff base, piles of rotting seaweed and a mass of huge boulders. A flock of white gulls flew screaming into the air. Crabs scrabbled sideways over the boulders.

‘Sax, let’s go,’ Lily called. ‘There’s nothing here, and definitely no boat.’

‘Wait – I was so sure …’ Saxon poked around for a couple of minutes, scrambling among the rocks at the base of the cliff.

‘Lily, look,’ he hissed. Saxon pointed to some scratch marks on a huge boulder and a tiny scrape of black.

Lily frowned. ‘So?’

‘It’s paint. Black paint,’ Saxon replied.

Saxon poked around more, then tugged aside a curtain of hanging greenery. Behind the vegetation was a small cave above the high tide mark, perfectly hidden behind boulders. The entrance was little more than a low hole just large enough for a small rowboat to be stowed.

Saxon wriggled into the dimness. Lily followed hesitantly. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the darkness, but then she saw the outline of a small black boat and, beyond, a number of crates stored on a rock ledge.

‘Lily, look,’ Saxon cried in excitement. ‘Ropes, lanterns, candles and weapons – daggers, swords and cutlasses. There’s even some long black cloaks and knitted fishermen’s caps, which will help to hide us in the darkness. I doubt any smugglers will
be wanting these tonight with all the invaders about. No doubt they’ll be laying low – that’s if they haven’t been captured and taken aboard the ships already.’

‘It’s perfect,’ Lily replied, rummaging through the pile. ‘Let’s send Aisha to fetch the others and bring them here. We can tie a note to her collar. I don’t fancy trudging all that way back to find them.’

Lily found some paper in her pack.

‘We should write it in code just in case anyone finds it,’ Saxon said. ‘Here, I’ll write it.’ He scrawled a quick message.

Lily peered over his shoulder. The note said:

Ylil dna xas. Evoc niocdlog fo tsae setunim

ytnewt evoc llams eht ot ahsia htiw emoc.

Taob a dnuof evah ew. Nahte.

‘What does it say? Where did you learn the code?’ Lily asked curiously.

Saxon laughed. ‘Ethan and I made it up so we could write notes to each other like, “Come to the treehouse and don’t tell Lily”.’

Lily punched Saxon on the shoulder. ‘No, really, how does it work?’

‘I’ll show you,’ Sax promised. ‘But first let’s tie the note onto Aisha’s collar and send her off to find Ethan.’

Aisha galloped off eagerly.

She found Ethan and Roana scouring the western cliffs for likely hiding places.

‘Good girl, Aisha,’ Ethan praised. ‘What are you doing here?’

She wagged her tail furiously and licked Ethan’s face. He found the note rolled up into a tight little spiral under her collar and unfurled it.

‘Ylil dna xas. Evoc niocdlog fo tsae setunim ytnewt evoc llams eht ot ahsia htiw emoc. Taob a dnuof evah ew. Nahte,’ he read.

‘What strange language is that?’ asked Roana in surprise. ‘I thought I knew all the major languages, but I have never heard that one before.’

Ethan laughed. ‘It’s a very simple one. It is simply written backwards. Sax and I always used to send each other little notes like this.’ Ethan pointed his finger to the last word and started reading backwards.

‘Look, this is what it says: “Ethan. We have found a boat. Come with Aisha to the small cove twenty minutes east of Goldcoin Cove. Sax and Lily.’

‘Ingenious,’ marvelled Roana. ‘A secret code could come in very handy!’

Half an hour later, Roana and Ethan clambered down into the secret cove, carrying their packs.

‘I think we should make plans and preparations first then have a good sleep,’ said Ethan when they reached the others.

‘Good idea,’ agreed Saxon. ‘I’ve been thinking about our options and think we should approach the ships from the seaward side.’ He sketched out a quick map in the sand with a twig. Aisha sniffed at his map inquisitively, her eyebrows twitching in curiosity. She started to dig a hole in the sand, following his example. Saxon pushed her away impatiently.

‘Approaching from the sea might help us because if they’ve set a guard, they are likely to be watching the beach. They probably won’t be expecting anything to come from the seaward side. We will need to row as silently as we can and head for the bow of the
Glory of Sedah
– the biggest ship. I think that’s where they’ll be holding everyone.’

The others nodded thoughtfully, seeing the sense in Saxon’s plan.

‘We should leave here on the ebbing tide, just before low tide,’ Saxon expanded. ‘Then we will have the outgoing tide to help us on the way out, and the incoming tide to help us on the return trip. That’s also good timing because the tide takes roughly twelve hours to do a full cycle from low tide to high and back again, and it’s roughly an hour later each day. That means tonight, low tide should be at about three o’clock in the morning, when everyone should be in their deepest sleep.’

‘We should go barefoot so our boots don’t make any sound on the deck,’ Ethan suggested.

‘We’ll need to be camouflaged as well as silent,’ Lily added. ‘We need to darken our skin to make us less visible in the dark – I can use some charcoal to do that. The black cloaks and fishermen’s caps should hide us really well.’

‘Luckily the boat is black – that will make it hard to see,’ said Saxon. ‘I guess it suits the smugglers to be invisible as well.’

‘You seem to know an awful lot about smugglers,’ joked Lily, poking Saxon in the ribs with her elbow. ‘Any particular reason why?’

Saxon just grinned cheekily, shrugging his shoulders.

‘Well, thank goodness for the smugglers – all this stuff will come in very handy,’ said Ethan. ‘Especially the daggers. We should each take an extra, so we have a spare dagger in case we need it. We won’t take the bows – they don’t like getting wet, and they might be a bit cumbersome when we’re sneaking around on boats.’

Roana blanched at the thought of needing a couple of daggers but simply nodded in agreement.

The four continued to discuss the planned strategy, each adding in their own ideas and suggestions.

‘So it’s settled,’ Lily said firmly. ‘Let’s get to work.’

Roana and Saxon used a couple of the smugglers’ cloaks to wind around the rowlocks to muffle the sound of the oars.

Lily charred the end of a stick, using the tinderbox to make a small flame. She used the
charred end to smudge black charcoal over everyone’s faces and hands to camouflage their pale skin.

Roana wrinkled her nose in disgust. ‘Yeek. I smell like a chimney sweep.’

‘You look pretty foul too,’ Lily giggled, adding a dab of black paste to Roana’s aristocratic nose. ‘Ahh, much better!’

Ethan sorted through the stockpile of weapons and chose swords and extra daggers for everyone. He stowed a couple of thin, strong ropes in the boat. Aisha sniffed around curiously, generally getting underfoot.

‘Oh, Aisha, I know you’re only trying to help, but can’t you help everyone by staying out of the way?’ scolded Lily, running her fingers along Aisha’s golden flank.

At the back of the cave, Ethan found some thin black shirts, made of silk.

‘Why don’t we all wear one of these silk shirts?’ Ethan suggested. ‘They’ll be a lot less visible than our white ones and they’re loose and easy to move in.’

When everything was ready, they tossed a coin to see who would take each watch.

‘Roana shouldn’t be on watch,’ whispered Ethan to Saxon. ‘She’ll probably just fall asleep and ruin
everything. It would be better if we three share it.’

Saxon nodded. ‘We won’t tell her, though, or she’ll probably make a fuss.’ In a louder voice he said, ‘So Ethan goes first, then Lily, then me, and Roana goes last. Now, everyone except Ethan, try and get some sleep. We’ll need it.’

Ethan took first watch, his hand resting gently on his bow, while the others slept, curled up in the long black smugglers’ cloaks. The cloaks smelt a bit musty and faintly fishy, but they blocked out the sunlight and made a cozy bed on the soft sand.

Sniffer found the small clearing above Goldcoin Cove where the children first saw the sea. He found the flattened grass where his quarry had lain down to spy on the Sedah fleet below, torn grass where horses had grazed, and the four sets of tracks, splitting and heading both east and west.

Which way should he go? Sniffer looked up at the sun – it was now late afternoon. He scanned east, then scanned west, thinking quickly. He made a decision. The trail to the west showed two sets of boots – one larger and wider, the other small and narrow, with a rounded heel that dug
deeply into the sand in a slightly uneven print.

It was a girl wearing high heels, who was limping slightly. It must be the injured Princess Roana with the older boy. The trail was sometimes smudged over by pawprints following – that dog! Sniffer polished his dagger lovingly, keeping it ready in his hand.

Sniffer followed the trail west, towards the sun, with the sea to his left. It was harder to follow the tracks on the stony cliff tops. At last he seemed to lose the trail altogether. Sniffer continued walking, searching for clues – a kicked stone, a print, a broken twig, anything.

Sniffer moved on slowly, his nose furrowed in concentration, breathing deeply. His fingertips brushed the tops of the stones, as if he could read something there with his fingers.

At last he had to admit he had lost the trail. Patiently, he retraced his path until he found signs of his quarry again. Sniffer searched carefully. Then he found it.

The quarry had doubled back to the east, taking a more direct route, slightly inland. Sniffer picked up pace now. This trail was easier to follow. He snuffled happily as he trotted back to the east, away from the setting sun. Close, so close now.

It was nearly dusk when Sniffer arrived back above Goldcoin Cove. The light was dimming rapidly. He looked out across the water to where the ships were moored, lanterns burning merrily on the rigging. Should he follow the trail to the east and risk losing it again in the growing darkness? Or should he report to Captain Malish with everything he had discovered so far?

Sniffer thought about the flattened patch of grass in the clearing above the cove. The quarry did seem very interested in the ships. Why had they doubled back to Goldcoin Cove? What were they doing here?

Sniffer thought of his options. Perhaps he had better report to Captain Malish and Governor Lazlac. They did get unreasonably impatient. These things take time. Even a tracking genius like himself, with an almost perfect tracking record, needed time to find all the clues. A tracker needs infinite patience, which Sniffer did indeed possess.

Sniffer made his decision. He would report to his superiors. He had a strong feeling that his quarry would be returning to Goldcoin Cove very soon. And he would be waiting.

Sniffer entered Governor Lazlac’s sumptuous cabin in the stern of the
Glory of Sedah
, following Captain Malish. Lazlac sat at his large desk, writing a report with a black feather quill, surrounded by charts and papers.

The cabin was brightly lit with lanterns and several golden candelabra. A wide bench, covered in crimson leather upholstery, ran along the back wall below the windows. The berth was wide and comfortable, with soft cotton sheets and red velvet curtains, a far cry from the rough canvas hammock that Sniffer had slept in during the long voyage to Tira, down in the airless hold.

Sniffer stood silently, his face impassive, until Governor Lazlac deigned to notice him. This took several minutes.

‘Aaah, Sniffer,’ Lord Lazlac sighed. ‘Where are these troublesome brats? Please do not tell me that you have failed to find them. You know how much I detest failure.’

Sniffer bowed hurriedly.

‘My lord. There are four of them, riding horses, with a dog,’ Sniffer replied. ‘It seems the infidel princess is one of them – she is limping. By dusk I had trailed them to this very cove. They were spying on our ships, and they seemed to be searching for a
hiding place nearby. I suspect they may even be planning to return to the cove this evening.’

Lord Lazlac laughed, a harsh, guttural sound that was totally lacking in mirth.

‘Do you really mean to tell me that four snivelling children and a mongrel dog have been
spying
on the finest warships of Sedah? Do you think they mean to board us and seize our ships! I hope not. They may pollute my deck with snot.’

Lord Lazlac grimaced at his own joke. Captain Malish chuckled ingratiatingly.

‘Captain Malish, prepare a welcoming party to be waiting on the beach. Remember that Mortma wants his precious princess preferably unharmed. I don’t care what you do to the rest … as long as it is very painful.’ Lord Lazlac grimaced again.

‘Yes, my lord. At once, my lord,’ barked Captain Malish, bowing low.

‘Sniffer. You had better get some rest,’ Lord Lazlac added. ‘If those brats don’t turn up as suggested, then I want you to find them first thing in the morning, and bring them to me here. They have already wasted enough of my time.’

Sniffer bowed low and scuttled after Captain Malish, before Lord Lazlac changed his mind and made him search all night.

It was completely dark and very cold when Ethan woke Lily for her watch. She sat huddled in her cloak, eyes staring into the darkness, stomach clenched with nerves. She stroked Aisha’s sleeping body beside her to give her courage and nestled closer to her for warmth.

The time seemed to crawl by. Lily made up stories in her head to help the time pass. She tried to avoid thoughts of home, her parents or the night raid ahead.

Instead she thought about the forest where she lived and the animals who lived there – the gentle deer and rabbits, snuffly hedgehogs, and the dangerous wild boar and wolves. While she did not like shooting animals, she loved tracking them and watching them play.

Suddenly a soft splash caught her attention.

Aisha woke immediately, her head raised, hackles up and her ears pricked, listening for the source of the sound. A soft growl rumbled in her throat. Lily put her hand on Aisha’s neck to calm her.

Adrenalin rushed through Lily’s blood, making her scalp tingle and her heart thump. By this time her eyes were quite used to the total darkness. She
crept forward away from her sleeping companions, with Aisha stalking beside her.

At the water’s edge she paused, searching the darkness. There was nothing to be seen except the distant glimmer of white surf outside the cove and the soft shimmer of stars overhead. Shadows loomed large and strange in the gloom.

Her ears could detect nothing except the constant rumble of waves on rock. Then Lily heard a new noise, a soft eerie sound almost like music, yet like no music she had heard before. A haunting, piping melody, only half heard above the waves. The music made Lily’s heart surge with love, happiness and inexplicable longing. She moved closer.