The Last Of The Sky Pirates Part 12

The black banderbear hesitated. The female turned to him and pressed her large, furry face up close to his.

aWura-wuh-wurl!a My heart cries for mercy. Spare him. aWuh-wuh. Weera-weeg.a I thought he fell to the poison-sticks. But he lives.

aWurra-woor-wuh,a Rook explained quietly. I was indeed struck, yet my heart beat on. I carry the scar. He opened the front of his shirt and pulled it back.

The black banderbear traced a claw delicately over the knot of healed skin. aWuh-wuh. Wurrh!a he cried. It is true. You bear the mark of the poison-sticks. He placed Rook down on the ground. You risked your life for one of us?

aWuh-wurrel-lurragoom,a Rook explained. I have loved banderbears from my first breath and will defend them to my last. I gladly risked my life in the Foundry Glade!

The gathering of banderbears grunted softly and muttered beneath their breath.

aWuh-wulla,a said Rook. Believe me, I am a true friend of the banderbears!

All at once, rising up above the general babble, a voice rang out. aWuh-wuh!a Out of the corner of his eye Rook noticed a third banderbear approaching. She was old and stooped, her fur, silvery grey.

aWurra-looma-weera-wuh,a she said, her voice cracked and frail. I sense he speaks the truth. He is a friend of banderbears.

The crowd, intrigued, turned and watched her walk up to the young intruder. A low murmur spread out through the ranks of attendant banderbears. The old, grey female leaned forwards and wrapped her great arms around him.

Rook smelled the warm, mossy scent of her fur, and felt her heart beating close to his. The sensation was extra ordinary. He felt safe, protected, and found himself wishing that this comforting hug would never end.

At last, she released him and stared into his face, her dark eyes crinkling with affection. aWuh-wulla, wegeeral,a she whispered. Friends until the last shadow of that final night.

The surrounding banderbears grunted their approval. The black banderbear raised his great head. aWura-galuh-weer!a he proclaimed. Gala, oldest of the old and wisest of the wise, has spoken. This is good enough for me. aWuh-wurra-lowagh.a We welcome you. You shall be Uralowa a" he who took the poison-stick.

The crowd of banderbears roared all the louder. Rook quivered with happiness. aThank you,a he said. aWuh!a The black banderbear nodded earnestly. aWurrah-woor. Wuh-wuh.a You are special. No others have witnessed our Great Convocation a" save for one a Just then Rook sensed a movement behind him. He glanced back over his shoulder to see the great crowd of banderbears parting. A long, narrow pa.s.sageway opened up between them and, as Rook peered down it, he saw a figure emerge from the other end and walk slowly towards him.

aWhat thea"?a Rook whispered.

He stared at the figure, with his stooped shoulders and long, white matted hair and beard. His jerkin, trousers and boots were made from wild-leather, and st.i.tched together with strips of thong. His threadbare hammelhornskin waistcoat flapped in the rising breeze. As he approached, Rook looked into the newcomeras face.

The skin was leathery and lined, every crease and every scar hinting at an episode in the strangeras past. But the eyes! Rook had never seen such eyes before. Marsh-gem green and crystal clear, they twinkled brightly in the moonlight, like the eyes of someone much younger.

He stopped in front of Rook. I believe this is yours,a he said.

Rook looked down to see his treatise-log clutched in the strangeras calloused hands. He reached out and took it gratefully. aTh-thank you,a he said. aBut a who am I thanking?a aMy name is Twig,a came the reply. aI used to be a sky pirate captain, a defender of Old Sanctaphrax. Now, like you, I am a friend of banderbears aa He smiled warmly, his eyes twinkling brighter than ever. aPerhaps youave heard of me?a t was a glorious morning, Rook. Iall never forget it. A morning which, after the ferocious storm which had raged throughout the previous night, many of us thought wead never live to see.a Twigas eyes became dreamy; he shook his head slowly from side to side. aI can scarcely believe that fifty years has gone by since then.a Rook looked at Twig thoughtfully. Fifty years. That would make the sky pirate captain nearly seventy years old. So much had changed in the Edge in that time.

aThe old days a" oh, the stories I could tell you of the old days,a Twig was saying. aBut that is for another time. With the pa.s.sing through of the great Mother Storm, the waters of the Edge were rejuvenated and the glistening air that morning pulsated with hope for a bright new future.a Rook nodded. From the texts and scrolls in the Great Storm Chamber Library he had learned about the birth of the new rock and the subsequent founding of New Sanctaphrax. And how Vox Verlix had taken over from the first High Academe a" an obscure youth, not up to the task a" and built the foundations of what was later to become the Tower of Night. Now, speaking to this strange, ragged old sky pirate captain, the dry accounts head read came vividly to life.

aMy work there finally done,a Twig continued, aI boarded the Skyraider and prepared to depart, for it was time for me to set a course for the Deepwoods, to collect those faithful members of my crew who were still at Riverrise, awaiting my return.a aRiverrise,a Rook breathed.

aAye, lad,a said Twig. aThat was where Iad left them. There was Maugin a" the best stone pilot that ever tended a flight-rock. And Woodfish, a waterwaif with powers of hearing that were truly remarkable, even by waif standards. And Goom.a He smiled and looked round. aDear Goom, the bravest banderbear a captain could wish for. I promised them faithfully that I would return for them a" and, on that fine morning so long ago, that was just what I intended to do.a Rook and Twig were sitting side by side on the log of a fallen tree at the edge of the valley clearing. Before them, the Great Convocation was in full sway, with the vast crowd of banderbears mingling and chanting and sharing their knowledge of the Deepwoods, one with the other, as the first blush of dawn tinged the edges of the sky.

aI had a good crew to aid me in my quest,a Twig went on. aI can see their faces almost as clearly as I can see yours now. There was Bogwitt, the flat-head goblin a" just the type to have fighting by your side in a battle. And Tarp Hammelherd, the slaughterer I had rescued from the drinking dens of Undertown. And my quartermaster, Wingnut Sleet a" his face hideously scarred by a lightning bolt.a He sighed. aAnd the others. Teasel the mobgnome a" good with ropes, I recall. Stile, the cook, with his twisted spine and awkward walk. Old Jervis, the gnokgoblin a" not much use, but a cheery soul. And, of course, Grimlock. Who could forget Grimlock!a aGrimlock?a said Rook.

aA giant of a brogtroll,a said Twig. aNot the sharpest arrow in the quiver, perhaps, but strong as a team of hammelhorns.a He smiled to himself. aAnyway a Where was I? Ah, yes. Pausing only to bid farewell to the Most High Academe and wish him luck, we set forth, with the wind in our sails and hope in our hearts.a He turned to Rook, his eyes twinkling brightly. aI can still remember how warm upon my back the sun was, as we soared off over the Mire and on towards the Deepwoods.a He smiled broadly. aAnd how high my spirits flew a Riverrise! I was returning to Riverrise!a Rook smiled with him, caught up in the enthusiasm of the old sky pirate captain.

aOf course,a Twig continued, his expression becoming serious, aI knew it wasnat going to be easy. The voyage would be long and difficult. But I also knew that I needed to trust both my instincts and my senses.

Woodfish would be calling to me. I had to keep my mind focused so that I could follow his call.a Twigas eyes had a faraway look in them as he went on. aWe sailed for several months,a he said, asoon leaving woodtroll villages and goblin settlements far behind. Each morning I scanned the horizon and cleared my mind. All about us, the great Deepwoods stretched as far as the eye could see; dark, forbidding and endless. But we kept going, ever onwards, into the deepest, darkest places where the forest was so dense that no light penetrated. The air above it boiled with black, turbulent clouds and festering storms which buffeted and battered the Skyraider until it was as ragged and frayed as our nerves.a Twig fell still. He put his head in his hands.

aWhat happened?a asked Rook. aDid you hear the waifas call? Did you find Riverrise?a Twig looked up, his eyes glistening. aNothing,a he said. aI heard nothing but the taunting howl of the storms as they ripped through our sails a" and the mocking silence of the Deepwoods during the lulls between.a He shivered. aAnd worse aa aWorse?a said Rook.

aThe scream of Wingnut Sleet as a storm swept him from the quarterdeck, the last gasps of poor old Jervis, crushed by a falling section of rigging, and the incoherent babble of Teasel as he lost his mind and jumped from the mast into the blackness below. Stile, the old cook, died soon afterwards a" of a broken heart, or so my crew said. And yet still we continued, because I couldnat give up, Rook. I couldnat. None of us could. You must understand.a Rook patted the old sky pirateas tattered sleeve. aI understand,a he whispered.

aDo you?a said Twig. aDo you? Sixteen years we sailed, Rook. Sixteen long, lonely, frightening years, growing ragged, weary a defeated. And it was all my fault. I couldnat find my way back to Riverrise.a He looked up, his eyes shot with pain. aI failed them, Rook. My crew a My friends aa aYou did your best,a said Rook.

aBut my best just wasnat good enough,a said Twig bitterly. He shook his head. aAt last there were just four of us left. Bogwitt, Tarp Hammelherd, Grimlock a" and myself. Flying the sky ship without a stone pilot had been difficult enough before, but now, with so few hands on board, it was all but impossible. To continue our search for Riverrise I needed to take on extra crew. So I turned back and set a course for a place Iad heard talked of in the woodtroll villages and rundown goblin hamlets we had pa.s.sed through on our travels a" a place that was said to be a beacon of hope in the darkness of the Deepwoods, offering a welcome to the weary and a haven to the losta"a aThe Free Glades!a Rook exclaimed. aYou visited the Free Glades!a aThat we did,a said Twig. aNew Undertown was no more than a collection of lufwood cabins back then, and the woodtroll villages were only just being established. But we did indeed find a welcome, at the Lake Landing Academy, from a young librarian by the name of Parsimmona"a aParsimmon,a Rook broke in excitedly. aHeas still there. Except heas the High Master now. He taught me.a aThen you had a wise teacher, young Rook,a said Twig. aI remember that evening well. We limped into the Free Glades and moored up at the Landing Tower. Caused a bit of a commotion, we did.a He smiled at the memory. aI suppose we must have looked quite a sight to those young librarians, Parsimmon amongst them, who greeted us. Our clothes were no better than rags, and the poor old Skyraideras hull was pitted and scarred, its sails in tatters. But they gathered round us and gawped, open-mouthed, until Parsimmon stepped forward and introduced himself.

aHe said we looked as if we could do with a good meal and rest, and that we must dine with them in their refectory; and that he wouldnat take no for an answer! It was over supper a" tilder stew and oakapple cider, as I recall a" that we heard the terrible news, and realized why they were so surprised to see us.a aWhat news?a asked Rook.

aWhy news of stone-sickness, of course,a said Twig. aParsimmon told me all about it. Both league ships and sky pirate ships were dropping out of the sky like stones, he said. Not a single flight from Old Sanctaphrax had reached the Free Glades for more than a year.

aThe sickness had, it seemed, spread out from the stricken New Sanctaphrax rock. It was highly con tagious, travelling from sky ship to sky ship like wild-fire. As the flight-rock of one sky ship crumbled, so the crew had to find work on another a" infecting the flight-rock of the new ship as they did so. aThe First Age of Flight was at an enda a" those were his very words, and as I heard them I realized the awful truth.

aThough we had come to the Free Glades in desperate need of more crew-members, I could not risk taking anyone on board who might be contaminated. We had only escaped until then because wead been out in the furthest parts of the Deepwoods for so long. I leaped up from the table, hurried back to the Skyraider, and departed at once.

aI called the crew together as soon as wead left the Free Glades safely behind, and explained our situation. Tarp clapped me on the back, Bogwitt shook my hand and Grimlock almost broke my ribs with a great banderbear-hug. They all agreed they would stay with me in my search, even though, with just the four of us, it would be backbreaking work. Dear brave fellows, they were,a he said wistfully. aLong gone now, of course.a Twig looked into the distance for a long time, saying nothing. At last Rook asked, aWhat happened?a Twigas face grew sad. aIt was a stupid thing really. But deadly. You see, we needed provisions. So, not daring to venture into villages or settlements for fear of con tamination, we scavenged in the Deepwoods themselves a" for tilder and woodhog meat, fruits and roots we could dry or pickle, and twenty barrels of water which Grimlock, being so strong, managed to collect in a single afternoon.a He shook his head miserably. aIt was the water which was to seal our fate, for poor, stupid Grimlock a" Sky rest him a" ignored that most important Deepwoods law of all. Never drink from a still pool. Grimlock had filled every single barrel with the same tainted water a But it was my fault, not his!a he said, his eyes blazing. aI was the captain. I should have checked; I should have known a aBefore long, all of us had gone down with blackwater fever. I staved it off a while longer than the rest, but soon I too was held in its terrible grip. I vomited till my stomach was empty. I lost consciousness. How many days and nights I lay there on the deck, while the Skyraider drifted on across the Deepwoods unchecked, I will never know. Tossing and turning as the fever raged on, burning up one moment, shivering with bitter cold the next.a Rook nodded sympathetically. He knew only too well how terrible a raging fever could be.

aIt was daybreak when I finally came round. I sat up, my head spinning groggily, my stomach grumbling. A cold, damp mist swirled through the air. It clung to my clothes, my hair, my skin, and had covered every surface of the Skyraider with a fine coating of slippery wetness. I struggled to my feet, looked around.

aThere were no trees beneath us now, only rock; a vast, greasy-grey expanse, broken up into broad, flat slabs with deep cracks between them. I knew at once where I was, and my heart filled with dread. The Edgelands; an eerie wasteland of mists and nightmares.

aIt was in the Edgelands, many years before, that I had come face to face with a horror I can scarcely bring myself to share with you. For me, you see, Rook, the Edgelands hold a particular terror, for it was there that I met the gloamglozer a" and lived to tell the tale.a Rook gasped. aThe gloamglozer! But how? When a?a aOne day Iall tell you the whole story,a said Twig. aBut suffice to say, I survived, and vowed never to return to that accursed place. Yet, as fate would have it, it was to the Edgelands that the poor, battered old Skyraider had carried me. I looked around.a Twigas eyes grew sad. aThe Skyraider seemed deserted. My crew! Where were they? I hadnat seen or heard any of them since wakening. I called out, but there was no reply. I left the helm and dashed to the fore-deck. And a and there they were. All three of them a aOh, Rook,a he groaned. aThey were dead. Bogwitt. Tarp Hammelherd. Even poor Grimlock, great, powerful brogtroll that he was, had proved no match for black a" water fever aa His voice faltered. aTh-their bodies were sprawled out on the cold, wet deck, rigid in their death throes a" arms reaching out, faces twisted with fear and horror. Each one of them had died a terrible death aa He swallowed hard. aI performed the funeral rituals as best I could. It was the least I could do for a fine, loyal crew who had served me and the Skyraider so well aa He fell still, and Rook watched as the tall, rugged sky pirate captain wiped a tear from his eyes. A lump formed in his own throat.

aYou see, Rook, I had finally failed. There was nothing for it aa Twig took a deep breath. aSailing back to the Deepwoods was not an option. I could never have sailed the Skyraider single-handed,a he said. aAnd so I tethered her to a great rocky outcrop that jutted out from the cliff-face, like some crouching demon, black against the sunrise, and left.a aYou mean, the Skyraider is still there!a gasped Rook.

aAye, lad,a said Twig. aIf she hasnat rotted away or succ.u.mbed to stone-sickness in the meantime, then she is still there. A fine drizzle was falling the morning I bade her farewell. Despite what shead been through, she looked magnificent, floating above that barren wasteland, a cruel reminder of all that had been lost.a He paused. aThe last sky ship aa Again Twig fell silent until a" with a small sigh a" he continued. aThree days it took me to cross the treacherous Edgelands, and another two weeks before I chanced across a band of itinerant cloddertrogs who gave me food, drink and shelter. And I have wandered the Deepwoods ever since.

aAlthough there is now only me, and I am old and weary, I have never truly given up hope. I look for Riverrise on the horizon every morning when I wake, and I think of the friends I left there every evening when I lay myself down to sleep.

aI see their faces, Rook. Goom. Maugin. Woodfish. They are not angry with me. Sometimes I wish they were. The look of hope and trust in their eyes as they gaze upon me is a thousand times worse. I let them down, Rook,a he said. His voice broke. aThey believed in me a My poor, lost friends aa He held his head in his hands. aIam haunted by memories of all those I have known. The living and the dead, cl.u.s.tered together. Faces Iall never see again. My father. Tuntum. The old Professors of Light and Darkness. Hubble. Spooler. Spiker aa He shook his head. aAnd the Most High Academe of Sanctaphrax, the way he looked on that morning so long ago when my quest began, as he waved us goodbye aa Rook nodded. The captainas tale had come full circle.

aThe excitement, touched with apprehension, in his smile. The pride in his stature. The hope in his eyes. He had once been my apprentice, and now he was the new Most High Academe of Sanctaphrax! How proud I was of him aa He shook his head. aPoor, dear Cowlquapea"a aCowlquape?a said Rook, startled. aBut I know that name.a aYes, Cowlquape Pentephraxis,a said Twig bitterly. aMurdered long ago by that tyrant, Vox Verlix. I learned the news at Lake Landing.a With a shock, Xanthas words came back to Rook. I am as much a prisoner of the Tower of Night as my friend Cowlquape, to whom I must now return. Despite the fever raging at the time, he was sure that was what Xanth had said. It was Cowlquape who first filled my head with stories of the Deepwoods, and his adventures with Twig the sky piratea Rook leaped to his feet. Twigas friend and Xanthas prisoner were one and the same.

aSo young,a Twig was saying, aand I left him to rebuild Sanctaphrax on his own, to go on this failed quest. If only I had got to Riverrise, I could have returned to help him and perhaps head still be alive todaya aBut he is!a shouted Rook, unable to keep quiet a moment longer. A couple of banderbears glanced round curiously in mid yodel. Rook seized Twig by the arms. aHeas alive!a he exclaimed. aCowlquape is alive!a The colour drained from Twigas face. His jaw dropped. aAlive?a he gasped.

wig stared at Rook in astonishment. aBut how do you. know heas still alive?a he demanded. aParsimmon said a Let me see a Yes, even after all this time, I can remember what he told me. When I asked after Cowlquape the High Academe, he shook his head and said, aVox Verlix is the Most High Academe now. Cowlquapeas name has been stricken from the records. Murder, plain and simple, so it was a" though youall find few in New Sanctaphrax who dare say as much.a Those were his very wordsa"a aBut he is alive,a said Rook. aA prisoner in the Tower of Night. A friend aa He paused, a sudden twinge of pain in his chest. aAt least, I thought he was my friend,a he murmured. aHe told me that he had seen Cowlquape in the Tower of Night a" and that he was very much alive. He even said that Cowlquape spoke to him of you, Twig, and the adventures youad shared.a aHe did?a said Twig. He was on his feet now, clutching both Rookas hands and staring hard into his eyes. Around them, the banderbears were falling silent in the light of the new dawn, as Twigas excited voice echoed round the valley. aWhat is this Tower of Night you speak of?a Rook shook his head. aYouave been out here for a long time, Captain Twig,a said Rook. aMany things have changed since you left. Parsimmon told you of Vox Verlix becoming Most High Academe, but that was only the start.a aTell me,a said Twig. aTell me everything you know!a Banderbears were crowding about them now, great mountains of fur topped by twitching ears.

aWhen Vox Verlix became Most High Academe, he ordered the construction of a tall tower on New Sanctaphrax, even as the rock began to crumble with sickness. From what Iave heard, and read in the library, he claimed stone-sickness was a sign that the academics had grown soft and complacent and that he, Vox, would do something about it.a aThat Vox!a snarled Twig. aHe was a bad lot when I first knew him as a young apprentice in Old Sanctaphrax.a aIt gets worse,a said Rook. aYou see, Vox founded a sect of Knights Academic, whom he called the Guardians of Night. They enslaved Undertowners and forced them to work, not only on his accursed tower, but on his other great schemes as well. The Great Mire Road. And the Sanctaphrax Forest that props up the sick rocka"a Twigas eyes blazed. aSlavery?a he said angrily. aIn Undertown?a aYes, I know,a said Rook. aIt was a terrible betrayal of the principles which Undertown was founded upon, and there were many who resisted. But the Guardians of Night were brutal. They ensured that the schemes were completed. Those Knights Academic who disagreed with Voxas plans split away and joined with the earth-scholars to found the Librarians Academic.a He paused. aWe live in hiding in the sewers of Undertown aa aLibrarians living in sewers.a Twig shook his head sadly. aThat it should have come to this. Vox Verlix the bully, master of New Sanctaphrax!a aNot quite,a said Rook. aThereas a twist in the tale.a aGo on,a said Twig.

aWell, Vox didnat realize what a monster head created when he established the Guardians of Night. Soon a leader emerged from their ranks, one Orbix Xaxis, who declared himself the Most High Guardian and took over the Tower of Night. Fearing for his life, Vox fled to an old palace in Undertown. The shrykes seized the opportunity to take full control of the Great Mire Road, and Vox was forced to rely on goblin mercenaries to hold on to what little power he had left in Undertown. These days, if the rumours are true, he spends his entire time alone in his dilapidated palace, too obese to leave his bed-chamber, drinking himself into a stupor each night with bottle after bottle of Oblivion.a aWell, I, for one, am not in the least sorry for him,a said Twig. aBut tell me, Rook, what more do you know of this Tower of Night in which Cowlquape is held captive?a Rook sighed. aI know this much: they say no-one ever escapes from the Tower of Night. It is a vast, impenetrable fortress, with spiked gates and barred windows, rock-slings and harpoons, and great swivel catapults mounted on every jutting gantry. Iave only seen it once myself, and that was from a distance, but Iave heard stories from librarian knights who have seen it close up. Once, the great Varis Lodd even attacked it with a fleet of skycraft a" but they proved no match for the toweras weapons.a aSkycraft?a Twig said. aThose little wooden things? I saw them at Lake Landing. No wonder they failed. Why, itad be like woodmoths attacking a hammelhorn!a aArmed guards patrol every corner of the tower,a Rook continued without a breath, aeach one trained to kill first and ask questions afterwards. The Tower of Night is impregnable. To attack it from the ground, youad have to go through Screetown.a He shuddered. aThey say itas inhabited by strange, glistening creatures that constantly change their shape a" rubble ghouls, theyare called. And rock demons a And if you survived all that, thereas the Sanctaphrax Forest a" a ma.s.s of timber scaffolding that holds the rock up. Itas infested with rotsuckers and razorflits, terrible creatures by all accounts. No, the only way to attack the tower is by air and, as you say, a skycraft is just too smalla"a aBut a sky ship isnat,a said Twig.

aA sky ship,a Rook breathed. All around them, the banderbears listened closely.

aOh, Rook, lad,a said Twig, ait would be like the old days when I sailed with my father, Cloud Wolf, on raids against those great over-stuffed league ships. The trick was to go in hard and fast, I remember, and be off again with whatever loot they had stashed away before they knew what had hit them. And thatas what we shall do, Rook a" in the Skyraider!a aThe Skyraider?a said Rook. aBut, Twig, we donat have a crew.a Just then there was flurry of movement behind them, and Rook turned to see the great female from the Foundry Glade, Wuralo, stepping forward. aWuh-wurra Tw-uh-ug-wuh,a she said, and raised a great paw to her chest. I shall go with you, Captain Twig, friend of banderbears.

Twig leaned forwards and clapped the great beast on the shoulders. aWuh-wuh,a he said, and swept his hand round in a languid arc. Welcome! Friend!

A second banderbear a" a huge male with a deep scar in his shoulder a" stepped up beside her. aWuh. Weega. Wuh-wuh.a I, Weeg, shall also go with you. aWurra-wuh!a He pointed to the skies, touched his scar and raised his head. I served upon a sky pirate ship long ago, in the old days of which you speak.

aWuh-weelaru-waag!a boomed the giant black bander-bear. I know nothing of flight, but I am strong! They call me Rummel: he who is stronger than ironwood.

Rummel was immediately joined by three others: Meeru and Loom a" twin males who had once tended timber barges a" and Molleen, a wiry old female whoad worked long ago as an a.s.sistant to a stone pilot. Her lopsided grin revealed several missing teeth and only one chipped tusk.

aWuh-leela, wuh-rulawah,a she yodelled softly. I can tend your flight-rock, Captain Twig, if youall have an old bag of bones like me.

aWuh-wuh,a said Twig. Welcome, Molleen. She who is a friend of stone. He took a step backwards, and raised his arms. aThank you, friends,a he said. aFrom the bottom of my heart, I thank you all. But we have enough volunteers.a He turned to Rook. aI think weave found our crew.a aWuh-wuh!a came an insistent voice, and Rook turned to see Wumeru forcing her way through the crowd of banderbears. Take me! Take me!

Twig smiled. aAnd what experience of skysailing could you possibly have, my young friend?a aWuh,a said Wumeru, her great head hanging low. None. But my youth is my strength. I am powerful and eager a aThank you, young friend,a Twig began, abut as I said before, we now have enough volunteersa"a aWuh aa Wumeru faltered. She looked at Rook forlornly, imploringly. aWuh aa Rook turned to Twig. aWeall need a shipas cook,a he said. aAnd Wumeru is an excellent forager, I can vouch for that.a aWumeru?a said Twig. aYou know each other?a Rook nodded. aWe are friends,a he said.

Twigas face crinkled into a warm smile. aFriendship with a banderbear is the greatest friendship there is,a he said, pulling a pendant a" a discoloured banderbear tooth with a hole through its centre a" from inside his hammelhornskin waistcoat, and looking at it thoughtfully for a moment. aI know.a He turned to Wumeru. aWelcome aboard,a he said. aBut I give you due warning. If you should ever serve up pickled tripweed, I shall have you sky-fired!a Just then the rising sun broke through the high ridge of trees surrounding the valley and shone down brightly on the small group of waiting banderbears. Twig raised his head. aCome, then, my brave crew,a he announced. aLet us delay no longer. The Skyraider awaits us in the Edgelands.a A roar of approval resounded all round the Valley of a Thousand Echoes, and the cheering a.s.sembly of bander-bears stepped aside to let Twig, Rook and the seven volunteers pa.s.s between them.

aCowlquape, my young friend,a Twig muttered under his breath, aI have lived too long with failure. This is one quest that will not fail!a They made excellent progress through the Deepwoods. Never resting up for longer than an hour at a time, they travelled by both day and night, orientating themselves by the sun and the East Star as they headed north a" always north a" through the deep, dark forest and on towards the treacherous Edgelands.

Back in the saddle of the Stormhornet, Rook flitted through the trees above Twig and the banderbears as the group pressed on. The great creatures were speeding through the forest silently and swiftly. And unlike Wumeru who, as if in a trance when she was answering the call to the Great Convocation, had battered her way through the undergrowth leaving a trail of destruction behind her, the banderbears left not a single sign of their pa.s.sing. Rook could only marvel at their agility, their deftness, their stealth.

It struck him as strange that banderbears were such solitary creatures, for together they worked so cohesively and well. They each took it in turn to lead, falling back to be replaced by another when they tired; each kept an ear open and an eye out for any potential danger. Intrigued, Rook approached Wumeru during one of the short breaks they took to forage and take their bearings.

aWhy do you live apart from one another?a he asked. aYou should form tribes. Work together. Youare good at it!a Wumeru looked up, ears fluttering wildly. aWuh-wuh. Wurra-waloo.a She slashed her paw through the air and tossed her head. You are wrong. Banderbears can never live together. Together, we invite the fiercest predators. Alone, we can live longer, for we attract less attention. She looked about her and smiled, her tusks glinting. aWeeru-wuh!a Though to be in a band like this, I almost wouldnat mind dying sooner.

aWug-wulla-wuh,a said Twig, approaching, his arms spread wide. Donat speak of death, young Wumeru a" though I am honoured to be facing it with you at my side.

There was a rustle in the undergrowth and the huge figure of Rummel emerged, his arms full of branches of hyleberries. aWuh-wuh!a he grunted. Quick, eat, for we must keep moving.

They continued through the forest, Rook scouting ahead on the Stormhornet until, with a tug of the pinner-rope, he would twist elegantly round in the air and fly back the way head come, checking every inch along the strung-out line of banderbears. Weeg was currently leading the group, the great scar on his shoulder glinting in the half light. Meeru and Loom, walking side by side, followed some way behind. Shortly after them came Wuralo, her mottled shoulders hunched, and after her, the ma.s.sive Rummel, with his strange, loping gait. There was then a long gap before Rook came to Wumeru who, though young, seemed to have less stamina than the others. Finally, after another long gap, he came to the stragglers: Molleen, who was older and slower than the rest, and Twig himself.

As Rook swooped down, the old sky pirate captain waved to him. Rook waved back, proud of the great captainas acknowledgement. And as he soared back into the air, he heard Twig murmuring words of encouragement to Molleen.

Not long now, old-timer. The flight-rock awaits your expert touch.

Darkness fell, but the banderbears a" with Rook still up in the air above them a" kept resolutely on. Through the night they journeyed, never easing up on their relentless pace, never making the slightest sound. The moon rose, crossed the sky and set far to their left. The sun came up, heating the damp, spongy earth and sending wisps of mist coiling up into the bright, glittering air.

All at once there came a yodelled cry from up ahead. It was Wuralo, now at the front of the line. The Edgelands! We have reached the Edgelands!

Twig yodelled back. Wait for us. Weall soon be with you.

Impatient to see the notorious Edgelands for himself, Rook gave full head to the skycraft sails and darted forward. Beneath him, the trees grew fewer and the undergrowth thinned. Silhouetted against the pale yellow sky ahead was Wuralo, looking back. She spotted the approaching skycraft and waved.

Rook signalled back and, shifting the weight-levers and sail-ropes, swooped down towards her. As he flew lower in the sky, the rising mist swirled around him, chilling him instantly to the bone. He landed on a flat slab next to the waiting banderbear, jumped down and wrapped the tether-rope round his hand.

aWuh-wuh,a Wuralo greeted him. aWulloo-weg.a She hugged her arms tightly round her great stomach. This place fills me with dread.

Rook nodded as he looked around the broad expanse of greasy, grey rock. He had never been anywhere that made him feel so uneasy. Even the endless tunnels of the Undertown sewers, with their muglumps and vicious piebald rats, were nothing compared with the barren Edgelands.

It howled and sighed as the chill wind swept in from beyond the Edge and whistled along the cracks and gullies in the sprawling granite pavement. It clicked and whispered. It hummed and whined, as though it was alive. A sour, sulphurous odour s.n.a.t.c.hed his breath away. His skin turned to clammy woodturkey-flesh as the coils of fetid mist wrapped themselves around him. The wind plucked at the Stormhornet, bobbing weightlessly by his side.

He saw Wumeru emerging from the woods, followed closely by Rummel, with Weeg and the twins a" Meeru and Loom a" behind him. Like Wuralo, they seemed deeply troubled by the eerie atmosphere of the bleak Edgelands, and cl.u.s.tered together for warmth and safety.

Twig and Molleen reached the desolate rockland last. Twig clapped a hand on Rookas shoulder. Rook could see he was trembling.

aI never thought Iad return to this terrible place,a said Twig, looking around uneasily. aBut somewhere out there the Skyraider is waiting for us. Follow me,a he said. aAnd search the horizon for the great black demon crag!a Twig strode off into the mist, with Rook by his side a" the skycraft bobbing behind him as he slipped and slid over the treacherous rocks. The group of banderbears, still huddled together, followed close behind.

The wind continued to whine and whisper in Rookas ears and, as he trudged on, trying hard not to listen, wispy fingers of mist seemed to caress his face and stroke his hair.

aUgh!a he groaned. aThis is a terrible, terrible place.a aCourage, Rook,a said Twig. aAnd keep looking for the crag.a Rook strained to see through the dense, coiling mists. Ahead of them, the flat pavement seemed to stretch on for ever.

aWait for the mists to clear,a said Twig. aThey will, if only for an instant a" but thatas all weall need to spot our goal.a He pressed on. The wind howled round his ears, and strange voices seemed to sn.i.g.g.e.r and jeer.

As Rook stumbled after him, the little skycraft at his side twisting and turning in the oncoming breeze, he could only pray that Twig was right. The mist closed in, blurring his vision and m.u.f.fling his ears. aIs everyone still here?a Twig called back. aWuh!a the banderbears replied with one voice. We are all together.

Occasionally, sudden squalls of turbulent air blew in, slamming into Rookas face and pitching him off balance. He would drop to the ground, clutching on tightly to the tether-rope, and wait for the wind to subside. The last time it happened, the air had cleared and, for the briefest of moments, he thought he caught a glimpse of the Edge itself. But then the mist had closed in again, and head been plunged back into whiteout blindness. aI canat see a thing!a he called out nervously.

aItas all right, Rook,a said Twig. aTrust me.a Just then the mist thinned again, and Rook glimpsed the cliff-edge a second time. Far in the distance a dark shape loomed. The mist thickened, and Rook lost sight of it. aDid you see it, Captain?a he said excitedly. aThe crag!a aI saw it,a said Twig. There was an odd catch in his voice. aBut I didnat see the Skyraider.a They forged ahead in the face of the gusting wind and swirling mists, struggling to see more than a few feet ahead.

aI donat think I can go much further,a gasped Rook as he battled with the Stormhornet. Twig looked stooped and exhausted; the banderbears around him, bedraggled and miserable.

aWeall stop for a few moments,a shouted Twig above the howling wind.

The banderbears formed a huddle round Rook and the old sky pirate, offering a shield from the gale. Rook shivered unhappily. If only those mocking voices would stop, he would at least be able to think.

aWeare lost, arenat we, Captain?a he said.

Twig didnat seem to hear him. He was gazing straight ahead. The wind had died down momentarily and the mist was rolling away. aLook,a he said simply.

And there, looming above their heads, was the largest sky vessel Rook had ever seen. Its great battered prow alone was the size of twenty Stormhornets, its pitted, scarred hull as big as an Undertown tavern, while its mast towered up into the sky like a great ironwood pine. A mighty anchor chain descended to the black crag ahead, its dark bulk shielding the vessel in its lee.

aSheas magnificent!a gasped Rook, then shook his head sadly as a thought struck him. No matter how wonderful it was to have created a wooden skycraft, the Stormhornet was, he realized, nothing compared with the Skyraider. The so-called Second Age of Flight, of which the librarian knights were so proud, was the merest shadow of what had existed before. So, so much had been lost.

aCome on, lad,a Twig called him, awe have no time to lose. We must leave this accursed place! Take your sky-craft and board the Skyraider. Throw down the rope-ladders and weall climb aboard. Quick, now. Before the winds pick up again.a Hurriedly Rook climbed onto the Stormhornet and took to the air. In moments, he was level with the battered bal.u.s.trade of the mighty shipas foredeck. He secured the Stormhornet to the mast and jumped down to the deck. With trembling fingers, he untied the coiled rope-ladders and let them down. Instantly, the bander-bears began clambering aboard, followed at last by Twig himself. As he set foot on the sky ship, the old sky pirate captain fell to his knees and kissed the deck.

aThank Sky!a he whispered. aI thought for a moment that Iad lost you.a He sprang to his feet. Suddenly, he no longer looked stooped. The years seemed to fall away, and a youthful glint came into his eyes. aCome!a he cried. aLetas get the Skyraider airborne!a As one, the banderbears dispersed. Twig went with them. Rook was left on his own. He scuttled round the Skyraider, snooping into cupboards and locker-rooms, peering down below deck and watching the banderbears as they hurried this way and that, busily making the great sky pirate ship skyworthy Wumeru headed for the galleys below deck. Rummel unfurled the mainsail, checking it and double-checking it for any sign of major rents in the material. Wuralo saw to the ropes. Meeru and Loom climbed over the bal.u.s.trades a" one on the port side, one on the starboard side a" and clambered round the hull-rigging beneath, ensuring that the hull-weights and rudder-wheel were all secure and in alignment. Weeg scaled the mast, inspecting the great wooden shaft for any trace of wood-rot or the tell-tale hairline fracture of timber fatigue as he climbed right up to the caternest at the very top.

From behind him Rook heard a hiss and a soft roar. Curious, he followed the sound, and stumbled across Twig himself a" his head between the bars of the central cage a" staring intently at the surface of the flight-rock. Beside him, adjusting the flames of the now blazing torches, was Molleen.

aIs it all right?a Rook asked.

Twig pulled away from the flight-rock and looked round. aIt shows no sign of the sickness,a he said.

aBut thatas wonderful news!a said Rook. aWe can fly!a aIndeed we can,a said Twig. aBut we must make haste. For I fear the unseen sickness may already have struck.a Rook frowned. aBut how?a he said.

Twig swept his arm round in a wide arc. aThrough the crew,a he said. aYou heard what they said. Most of them have had experience of life on board a sky ship. The danger is that one a" or all a" might be carrying the terrible sickness.a Rook trembled uneasily. aBut how can we tell?a he said.

aWe canat,a said Twig. aMaybe the flight-rock has already been contaminated. Maybe not. Certainly, the closer we fly to the crumbling Sanctaphrax rock, the greater the risk. Make no mistake, Rook, this is a one-way voyage. The Skyraider wonat be coming back. We must just hope and pray that it holds out long enough for us to make it to the Tower of Night.a aEarth and Sky willing,a said Rook, his face pale and drawn.

aBut cheer up, lad,a said Twig, clapping him on the shoulder. aThis is the beginning of a great adventure. Come with me.a He turned away and, leaving Molleen to tend to the flight-rock, hurried round the narrow skirting-deck and up a short flight of stairs to the helm. He seized the great wheel and released the locking-lever. Then he tested the individual bone-handled flight-levers, one after the other, making sure that the ropes moved smoothly; raising and lowering the sails and hull-weights in preparation for take-off.

As he did so, the yodelled cries of the banderbear crew filled the air as, one by one, they announced that the various sections of the great sky pirate ship were just about in working order. When the last a" Weeg a" called down from the caternest that the mast was skyworthy Twig clapped his hands together with glee.