Child of the Cloud. Cameron Stelzer

      For Rachael,

      eagle-eyed editor and enthusiast.

      A big thank you to Tyson, Rachael, Sarah, Jenny and the Conry family for their advice and input into this story. C.S.

      First published by Daydream Press, Brisbane, Australia, 2016

      Text and illustratio­ns copyright © Dr Cameron Stelzer 2016

      Illustrations are watercolour and pen on paper

      No part of this book may be reproduced electronically, verbally or in print without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

      National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication Entry

      Author: Stelzer, Cameron, 1977 –

      Title: Child of the Cloud / by Cameron Stelzer

      ISBN: 9780994248640 (eBook.)

      Series: Stelzer, Cameron, 1977 – Pie Rats; bk. 5

      Target audience: For primary school age.

      Subjects: Rats – Juvenile fiction. Birds of prey – Juvenile fiction.

      Adventure stories.

      Dewey number: A823.4

      Digital distribution by Ebook Alchemy

      eBook Created by Warren Broom

      No one truly conquers Cloud Mountain,

      they merely survive it.

      Anso Winterbottom

      Explorer, Discoverer and Adventurer

      Awakenings

      The solitary figure stood motionless in the deep shadows of the juniper trees. Only the whites of his eyes were visible beneath the hood of his tattered grey traveller’s cloak. Needle-covered branches swayed gently in the light morning breeze, brushing lightly against his shoulders and back. The sound of running water echoed softly in the background. High overhead, a thick layer of cloud blanketed the rising autumn sun, confining the world to a hazy state of half-light.

      Through gaps in the shifting foliage, he glimpsed a patch of grey among the bluish-greens of the trees. Looking closer, he made out a line of stones forming the wall of a small building. He watched and waited, barely daring to breathe, his eyes fixed on a weathered door in the centre of the wall.

      The minutes ticked by. No one entered. No one left.

      Choosing his moment to act, he emerged from the safety of the trees, moving swiftly over the frosty grass. In seconds he was pressing his back against the cold stone wall, preparing for whatever lay ahead. His right paw clutched the handle of his faithful green scissor sword. His left paw, open and empty, moved silently towards a brass doorknob.

      Steady, he told himself as his fingers made contact with the icy metal. He drew a deep breath and gave the knob a gentle twist. There was a faint click as the latch released.

      He paused momentarily, listening for any sounds from within. Hearing nothing, he slowly pushed the door inwards and slipped through the narrow gap, closing the door behind him.

      He allowed his eyes to adjust to the dim light before moving stealthily across the room. A pale glow filtered through a high grated window, faintly illuminating two single beds and a chest of drawers. To the right of the furniture, a vaulted archway led to a second room. Blackened coals lay in the hearth of a central fireplace, still radiating a faint heat.

      A sudden gust of wind whistled through the gap under the door, sending fine clouds of ash drifting across the cobblestone floor. The intruder stopped in his tracks, waiting for the whistling to cease. The roof creaked and groaned as the wind escaped through the high window, then silence returned.

      Tiptoeing delicately past the archway, he made his way towards a small coffee table set against the central wall. Its surface was scattered with books, scrolls and loose sheets of paper. He scanned the contents hurriedly, his eyes darting from one object to the next. In the subdued light, he could just make out the corner of a newspaper clipping protruding from the pages of a black notebook. Squinting harder, he identified several words of a headline.