have to get going again, Ollie,” he was arguing. “I’m a Traveller. I’m getting fat on all this good cooking. Not enough exercise. I can’t stay here forever.”
“Neither can I!” said Ollie. “OK, it was good of old Ange to take us in, and we couldn’t have camped out this winter, but I’ll go MAD if I have to stay in this place for much longer. Winter’s just about over. Can’t I come with you? Honestly, I am old enough! You wouldn’t have to protect me, or anything stupid like that. I can fly fast and keep going. Why not?”
“Are you sure you’ve got over that fright in the summer, when the Humans captured you?” Des stared seriously at Ollie. “That was enough to panic any dragon.”
“Course I have!” Ollie lied, crossing his tail, and not admitting that he still dreamt about his ordeal and woke in the night, sweating and terrified. It was a good thing Tom, who shared his cellar room, was such a sound sleeper! He changed his tactics. “You’ve got to admit I did a good job of getting rid of those Human kids. And they haven’t been back, so I must have REALLY scared them.”
“True. Though I seem to remember I helped!”
“PLEASE, Des! I’m sure Dad will agree if you ask him, and then we can talk Mum round. Old Ange would be glad to see the back of me. She’d like you to stay, though,” he added, sniggering. Angelica’s persistent flirting was a source of great embarrassment to Des and amusement to everyone else.
Des ignored this. “I’ll think about it. I was planning to take a short trip to get my wings in trim, then to come back here to pick up Duncan and Gwen for the trip north. See them all safe to their cave. Duncan’s not quite ready for such a long flight yet, but I know he’s longing to get back to their glen. He may need to take it slowly with his mended wing, and he won’t be up to giving Tom a lift if he needs one.”
Ollie beamed. “A short trip. Just us two! Sounds perfect for a start. Where shall we go?”
“I haven’t said yes! It’ll be hard on Tom if you take off.”
Ollie scowled. “He’s OK, but he’s just a kid. I can’t be expected to stay and look after him. You’ll be expecting me to babysit Georgie and Lily next!”
Des laughed at the thought, and clapped Ollie with one wing. “OK, I will think about it, I promise. But only if your parents agree. I’m not having you sneaking off again, even with me. Once was enough!”
A call from below brought the discussion to an end, and they headed down for food. As far as Ollie was concerned, the matter was decided. He couldn’t wait to tell the others!
Chapter 2
A Hint of Trouble
Whenever the dragons gathered together, the kitchen felt very crowded. Angelica often took her meals up to her room when the children were particularly noisy. But today the young dragons found a serious mood prevailing. Strangely, everyone seemed to be worried about Gwen, Tom and Emily’s mother. Since their arrival some weeks before, concern had centred on their father, Duncan, with his broken wing. Now that he was feeling better, it was a major problem for him to remember to be careful of it, and not risk a second break. But this time, Duncan was not the chief worry.
Gwen had eaten very little, and was sitting with drooping wings looking miserable and close to tears. When they had finished supper, the grown-ups gathered round and persuaded her to say what was troubling her. Emily, pretending she was telling her little sister a bedtime story, hid in a dark corner with Lily so that she could listen, while Alice joined Ollie and Tom down in their cellar.
“It’s Nan and Edward,” Gwen said in a shaky voice, sounding tearful. She was talking about her Welsh parents. “I’ve been wondering for a while how they’ve coped in this hard winter, but this morning I woke up with an awful feeling that they’re in trouble. I can’t get Nan out of my mind. It’s as if she’s calling to me. I just know there’s something wrong.” She stopped and sniffed, and two big tears rolled down her nose. Emily, who was very fond of her Gran, was horrified.
“What sort of place do they live in? Would they have enough shelter in the snow?” asked Alice’s mother, Ellen. She had liked Nan and Edward when they had visited their family in the summer.
“It’s a good place they’ve got,” answered Des; he had known them when he was growing up in Wales. “A really deep cave halfway up a cliff on the coast. Humans can’t easily reach it, and it goes back a long way. It wouldn’t get snowed up like yours in the glen. I’m sure they’ll be all right, Gwen. They’ve lived there a long time. They know all the dangers.”
“They’re getting old!” Gwen refused to be comforted.
“They seemed pretty fit to me,” said Oliver. “Look how far they flew in the summer.”
“Pity they’re not in Huff range,” Duncan said. “We’re nearer here than when we’re at home. Could we try Huffing them, Des?”
Des shook his head. “No. There are mountains in the way.” They all fell silent, wondering how best to comfort Gwen.
Old George, Alice and Ollie’s grandad, had so far said nothing. He seemed to be almost in a dream, thought Emily, peering cautiously from her corner. He was a wise old dragon, and she wondered what he was thinking. When he spoke into the silence, everyone listened intently. His voice was low, and sounded somehow far away. “She calls to me too,” he said.
There was a shocked silence. Emily held her breath. Unfortunately Lily, who was getting bored, chose that moment to prod her sharply with her tail, and that made her let out a shocked, “Ow!” Duncan turned and peered into the gloom.
“Emily! I thought you were downstairs with the others. Come on, Lily – bedtime.” He scooped the protesting Lily from her hiding place with his good wing and Emily followed reluctantly. She looked at the still figure of Old George and then at her mum, who managed a watery smile.
“I’m probably imagining things!” she said. “I’m sure the Gramps are fine. Don’t worry, Emily. Tell Tom not to be too late in bed when you go down.”
Emily realised that she would learn nothing more from the circle of grown-ups. She said goodnight, gave her mother an extra hug and made her way down the steep steps to the cellars, where she and the others slept. She needed to talk to them right away!
The four young dragons gathered in a huddle in the girls’ room and listened in silence while Emily related all she had heard. When she had finished, Ollie and Alice looked at one another.
“Grandad’s said things like that before,” Alice said seriously. “He seems to sense things that nobody else can.”
“And he’s usually right,” Ollie added. “I don’t understand it. I never feel things that way. Perhaps it’s some power you get when you’re old.”
“Mum’s not that old!” Tom objected.
“I don’t think it’s old age. I think it’s the kind of person you are,” said Alice thoughtfully. “I don’t get these feelings either. Do you, Emily?”
“I don’t think so,” Emily said doubtfully. She was remembering the way she and Gran
