Grail of Stars (14 page)

But important things first.

“Where’s Elphin?” she asked, resting a hand on Excalibur’s hilt so she would be able to hear the druid’s reply.

Merlin finally finished preening. He put his head on one side and considered her from
a pale blue eye. “The Avalonian prince is on the Lonely Tor.”

Rhianna breathed again. So Elphin had made it to the Lonely Tor before he fell off. Then the magic that had stopped her using the Crown to find him must have been because they were sailing through the enchanted mists, unless…

“Is he still alive?”

“Of course he’s alive.” The merlin gave her a grumpy look. “Avalonians don’t die that easily, you know that.”

“But what
happened
, Merlin? Evenstar told Alba he’d been chased by a dragon! It was you we saw up at Nimue’s lake when the mists opened, wasn’t it? Is Elphin safe?”

“Safe enough when I left him,” Merlin said. “Don’t worry, he’ll be fine until I get back.”

Rhianna relaxed slightly. “What about Mordred’s bloodbeards?” she asked, glancing at Gareth. “Did you see any of them on the Tor? Is Mordred’s ghost over there, too?”

The druid gave her a sharp look. “Whoever gave you that idea?”

“Me,” Gareth interrupted. “I saw the traitor when his bloodbeards drowned me… and he had both his hands, too!”

Merlin sighed. “Squire Gareth’s still telling tales, I see. Don’t do anything stupid, Rhianna Pendragon. Your Avalonian friend will understand your quest comes first. We must work quickly now if we’re going to bring King Arthur back. I hear you’ve been to the Grail Castle – did you find what you were looking for?”

Remembering her father’s body lying
in the crystal caverns, Rhianna took a deep breath. “Yes… at least, I think so. Show him, Arianrhod.” The maid pulled Nimue’s cup from her pack. It looked quite ordinary again, dull and dented. “Do you know what the Grail of Stars looks like, Merlin? Is this it?”

The druid went very still. He eyed the cup warily. Then he fluffed his feathers and said, “Don’t ask me, Rhianna Pendragon. None of Arthur’s knights succeeded in bringing the Grail back to Camelot. There’s only one way to find out for sure if you’ve got the fourth Light.”

“What’s that?” She gave him a suspicious look. Did he mean she had to drink from the cup again?

“Take it to Avalon and see if it works, of course!” Merlin snapped. “I’ve just got a small problem to sort out over on the Tor. Then I’ll
be back to help you open the spiral path.”

Rhianna set her jaw. “I’m not going anywhere without Elphin! Did he hurt himself when he fell off, is that it? Because if he did, we need to get him into Lord Avallach’s crystal caverns as soon as possible so he can be healed. We can easily take this ship across and pick him up on our way. Show us where you left him.” She lifted her wrist so the merlin could take off more easily.

“I’m afraid that’s impossible,” Merlin said, twisting his head to scan the sky. “You’re right, there
are
bloodbeards on the Lonely Tor, which is why you mustn’t go over there. It’s a trap. Take your ship into the marshes and wait for me there. You’d better hurry – I think I’ve been followed.”

“It won’t make any difference where we
hide if Mordred knows we’re here,” Gareth’s ghost whispered in her ear. “Ask him again if he saw the dark knight on the Tor. He never answered you last time.”

Rhianna frowned at the interruption. But the squire had been right about the bloodbeards who drowned him.

“Is Mordred’s ghost on the Tor?” she asked again, a little chill going down her back.

The druid did not answer.

“Merlin!” she said, giving her wrist a shake. “I know all about you and Morgan Le Fay. Lady Nimue told me. She said Mordred’s your son… is that why you don’t want me to go over to the Tor, in case I find out you’re his father? Because I don’t care about that. If Elphin’s in danger, we’ve got to rescue him as soon as possible. Take me to him, quick!”

Merlin’s talons gripped tighter. “No, Rhianna. I can’t.”

She scowled at the bird, getting suspicious now. “Can’t or won’t?” she said, beginning to suspect there was something else he was not telling them.

Just then a shadow fell across the deck, and they heard large wing beats overhead. The merlin fluttered to the rail. “Why can’t you ever make anything easy, Rhianna Pendragon?” it grumbled. “I told you I’d been followed. Now we’re all in trouble.”

Alba whinnied faintly.
I am frightened. Evenstar lost his rider near here
.

The shadow took on the shape of a dragon. Across the water, a warrior on a ghostly green horse rode out of the mist, raised his axe and shook it at them.

“It’s Uther Pendragon’s ghost!” Gareth warned.

Rhianna’s blood ran cold, and suddenly she knew what Merlin was so reluctant to tell them – if Uther’s ghosts could ride out of Annwn, then Mordred could ride with them.

“Alba!” she called, running to the rail. “Alba! I need you now!”

As she hooked her leg over the rail to mount her mare, the merlin flew at her, flapping its wings in her face and screeching. “Stop, foolish girl! Are you trying to get yourself killed?”

“I’m doing what you can’t do! Hide here on the ship, if you want.
I’m
not afraid of the ghosts of Annwn!” She clenched her fist, ready to knock the merlin out of the air, if she had to.

“I’m not afraid of them, either!” Cai said, ducking under Sir Bors’ arm and running to
the rail after her. “Get Alba to call Evenstar, Damsel Rhia. I’ll ride him like I did before, and send Mordred’s ghost back to Annwn for you.”

“Please don’t go, Rhia!” Arianrhod begged. “What if someone tries to steal the Crown or the Grail while you’re away?”

Rhianna hesitated. “Sir Bors will look after you. So will Sir Galahad – I bet he can fight Uther’s ghosts.” The golden-haired knight grinned and nodded.

“It’s not ghosts you should be worrying about,” Gareth muttered, but in all the excitement nobody took any notice of the dead squire.

Alba and Evenstar galloped up to the rail, snorting and shaking their manes.
Are we going home now
? her mare asked.

“Soon, my darling,” Rhianna promised. “We’ve just got to rescue Elphin first.”

Cai was already scrambling clumsily over the rail and into Evenstar’s saddle. The Lance got trapped between the ship and his leg, and Rhianna held her breath as the second Light began to slide into the water.

Sir Bors reached over and caught the Lance, passing it to Cai with a sigh. “Don’t go getting yourself killed, lad,” he muttered. “Stay on your horse at all times. Don’t accept any duels. And if you find yourself fightin’ more than three of the enemy at once, ghosts or not, forget about knightly code and
run
. Got it?”

Cai grinned. “Yes sir!”

“That goes for you too, Damsel Rhianna,” Sir Bors said.

Rhianna smiled grimly. “Merlin,” she warned, gripping Excalibur. “We’re going to the Tor now to find Elphin. I’m not leaving him
here. I don’t care if you came to help us like you say, or if you’re working with Mordred’s witch-mother like Lady Nimue thinks you are – but if you try to stop me I’ll knock your bird body unconscious.”

The merlin hopped back to the rail. “Wait!” the druid said. “Before you go over there, you should know Mordred isn’t—” But a huge black dragon dived out of the mist, drowning out the druid’s words with its deafening roar.

“WE MEET AGAIN, PENDRAGON MAID.”

Rhianna drew Excalibur and swung her blade at the shadrake as a huge wingtip tore down their sails. Its talons thumped into the rail where the merlin had perched only moments before. Feathers spiralled into the water as the druid took off. He left half his tail under the
shadrake’s claw, but made it to the top of the mast, screeching.

Rhianna couldn’t hear a word in all the chaos. She swung her sword at the shadrake again, and yelled at Cai to get the mist horses away from the ship. Sir Bors pushed Arianrhod flat on the deck, covering her with his body. Sir Galahad and Gareth, being ghosts, simply faded out of sight.

The cup was shining again, as it had done at the feast. Rhianna’s breath caught as the bright silver light spilled out between Arianrhod’s fingers. The shadrake’s head turned and it breathed a plume of ice across the deck, frosting the ropes. Alba misted in alarm. Evenstar nearly misted after the mare, but Cai shouted something, and the little horse reappeared beneath the boy before he fell into the water.

“Did you lead the shadrake here?” Rhianna yelled at Merlin, furious that she’d trusted him.

The druid’s reply was lost in another shriek from the shadrake as it dived after Alba.

HELP!
her mist horse called.

Cai bravely rode Evenstar into the dragon’s path and aimed the Lance of Truth at its belly. The Lance glittered with magic, but the shadrake showed no sign of pulling up.

“Cai!” Rhianna yelled. “Get out of its way, you idiot! You’re riding on water, remember. It’ll freeze you to the spot if you stay still…
ride
!”

She had both legs over the rail now, ready to jump into her saddle. But Alba was too afraid to approach the ship with the shadrake diving overhead.

A harp tinkled in the mist, distracting the
shadrake from its prey. Evenstar’s ears flicked forward. Relief shivered across Rhianna’s neck as she looked round for Elphin. But, of course, it wasn’t the prince playing. Arianrhod had put the Grail between her feet so she could pluck the Avalonian harp. Sir Bors stood guard over her, his sword raised to keep the shadrake away.

The notes sounded a lot sweeter than when Rhianna had tried to play earlier. But Arianrhod had only five fingers on each hand, not six like Elphin, and a string was broken. Instead of making the shadrake sleepy, the music drew its attention. The creature abandoned its attack on the mist horses and swooped across the deck towards Sir Bors and the girl, knocking down the mast with its tail on the way. The broken string twanged as Arianrhod lost concentration.

“No!” Rhianna shouted at the dragon. “Leave my friend alone!”

Alba cantered up to the rail while the dragon was distracted, whinnying for her to mount. Rhianna hesitated, torn between staying to help her friends on the ship, and galloping after Cai.

“Damsel Rhia!” Cai called. “Hurry!”

Rhianna set her jaw. She slid back down on deck and leaped the fallen mast. She tugged at her pack, which had been trapped beneath. Green light spilled out of it. The merlin was screeching at her again, but she had to put down Excalibur to undo the straps, so its words made no sense. She hoped the Crown had not been damaged when the mast fell on top of it.

The shadrake, distracted by the green light, swung its head her way.

“Rhia!” Cai yelled. “Look out…”

The Crown was stuck. She gritted her teeth, braced her feet against the mast and pulled with all her strength. “Come
on
,” she muttered.

Something fluttered past her cheek, and the merlin landed on her shoulder. It pecked her ear and screeched again. “Not now, Merlin, I’m busy,” Rhianna muttered as the dragon’s shadow fell over them. She grabbed Excalibur and swung the blade two-handed towards the diving shadrake.

“…
said
let me take care of this,” the druid finished, gliding from her shoulder to perch on the fallen mast. He pecked at the wood, and the mast sparkled. The Crown of Dreams rolled clear.

Rhianna seized the third Light and jammed it on to her head. She kept Excalibur pointed
at the dragon, while she closed her eyes and reached for the magical Jewel of Annwn that contained the secret of dragon riding.

With a lurch, her spirit jumped into the shadrake’s body. Darkness shifted in her head, and as the dragon dived she had a sickening glimpse of herself kneeling by the fallen mast, looking very small. Her hair frizzed like fire around the Crown of Dreams.

“Shadrake!” she commanded. “I wear the Pendragon crown! I order you to stop attacking this ship and my friends.”

The image of herself, kneeling on the deck with her sword raised, rushed closer. She braced herself for the collision. But just as she thought the stupid creature would impale itself and sink their ship, the dragon back-winged.

“I OBEY, PENDRAGON MAID,” the creature boomed.

Its tail slammed into the deck as it pulled out of its dive. Amidst the crash of splintering wood, Rhianna’s spirit jerked back into her body. She felt its talons brush harmlessly through her hair and lowered Excalibur in relief.

As the shadrake flapped away, she remembered Merlin and looked for the druid. Her heart gave an extra thud. The little falcon lay beneath the mast, its wings twisted and its neck bent at an unnatural angle.

“
Merlin!
” She dropped to her knees beside the motionless bird. The bedraggled little body was still warm, but she could not feel a heartbeat. She stared at the falcon in disbelief. The druid couldn’t be dead.

She had time to hope that Elphin could remember how to use the pathfinder. Then the shadrake flapped back overhead and breathed frost into her hair.

“DO NOT LOOK FOR ME IN THAT LITTLE BODY, RHIANNA PENDRAGON. I HAVE STRONGER WINGS NOW.”

She looked up. Her heart leaped in hope as she remembered how druids could transfer their spirits into different bodies when their old ones died. “Merlin…?”

“YOU WILL NOT BE NEEDING THIS CROWN ANY MORE.”

Before she thought to duck, the shadrake neatly plucked the Crown of Dreams from her head and dropped it into the treasure-pouch between its forelegs. Several strands
of her hair went with it.

“Ow!” she said, remembering they still didn’t know if they could trust the druid. “That’s my father’s crown! Give it back, I order you.”

The shadrake snorted. “YOU DO NOT CONTROL
MY
SPIRIT, RHIANNA PENDRAGON! I SHALL TAKE THE THIRD LIGHT TO TRADE FOR THE PATHFINDER. WHEN YOU GET TO AVALON, FILL THE GRAIL AT THE MOON POOL AND TAKE THE WATER INTO THE CRYSTAL CAVERNS FOR ARTHUR. I SHALL MEET YOU THERE. STAY AWAY FROM THE TOR. I CAN DEAL WITH MORDRED NOW I AM IN THIS BODY. DO NOT FOLLOW ME.”

“Wait!” Rhianna called, determined to get a straight answer before Merlin flew off again.
“How can you deal with Mordred if he’s a ghost now?”