Part 9 (1/2)

On the Edge of the Savannah.

Tab jumped out of the vessel before it had even landed. Her feet sunk into the soft surface. When she sprinted across the sand she swung her arms, trying to haul out her half-buried feet with each step. Warm sand slid over the tops of her boots and slipped in between her toes.

Tears poured down her cheeks. She grunted, trying to breathe, but her chest felt full and heavy.

As she drew nearer she could see two shapes. The larger was Melprin, but tucked in underneath the dragon's wing Tab could see the hatchling. It trilled a welcome in her mind, but she could feel that it was weak. The trip to the world below had taken a lot of energy. It rested its head on its mother's shoulder so affectionately that Tab almost choked on her tears.

There was a spear through Melprin's neck, and several arrows buried in her rump. Tab knelt down next to her friend, trying to blink away her tears so that she could see.

She looked over her shoulder to see Verris approaching cautiously. Back in the vessel the others waited and watched. Verris drew his sword.

*Put that down!' Tab shouted. *How could you?'

*Dragons are hard to kill, Tab,' he said gently. *And if she isn't dead a' He paused. *Maybe it would be better for her if she were.'

*Get away!' Tab screamed. *I won't let you!' She fell to her knees and collapsed into sobs.

Melprin's scales were warm under Tab's fingers. She pressed her cheek against the dragon's side. She should have come down here sooner. All this time her friend, who had saved her life three times now, had been lying in the sand, alone and slowly dying. Tab had done nothing to help. She'd been having a picnic and gorging herself with thickleberry tarts. It was all her fault. She had been selfish.

>>>Not Tab sat up. *Did you say something?' She put her hand on her friend's side and felt it rise a little.

>>>Not alone. Hatchling a most beautiful Tab laughed. *You're alive!' She called over her shoulder. *She's alive!'

>>>Name her *Her?' Tab called over her shoulder again. *The hatchling! It's a her! A she. I mean, it's a girl!'

>>>You really want me to name her?>>Goodness! I don't know. It needs to be something strong. Let me think >>>Don't think >>>Aventurine >>>Aventurine Melprin rolled ever so slightly.

*I can take those arrows out,' Verris said. *But it will hurt. At least it would hurt a human. Can you tell her that?'

Tab translated Verris's offer.

Melprin inclined her head.

Verris put his sword back in its scabbard and drew out his dagger. He reached into his waistcoat and pulled out a flask, pouring the alcoholic liquid onto the blade. *She'd better not torch me,' Verris added.

Tab crawled around to the front of Melprin and placed her sand-encrusted snout on her lap. *There now. If anything happens it will happen to me.'

She looked back over the sand to where her friends stood next to the scout's vessel. Fontagu was gesturing wildly, hopping up and down. Eventually Amelia punched him in the arm. Tab faintly heard her shout, *Fontagu! Shut up!'

Verris crouched down over Melprin's wounds. He started to press and dig, gingerly at first but then with more vigour. Melprin's breath was hot on Tab's arm, making her sweat. The dragon made the sound like gla.s.s in a barrel again, which Tab remembered meant that she was hurting.

*Let me tell you about when Aventurine hatched,' she began. Then she told Melprin about how the roofie had caught the egg and taken it to the council chamber. She laughed out loud when she thought the part about Tash Morley scrambling away as the egg rolled toward him.

Tab felt a rumbling in Melprin's throat. She hoped she was laughing too. Verris had extracted one of the arrows. He was examining the tip. Blood dripped from his hands and down Melprin's side.

*Now I know how the arrowheads are shaped the next one will be easier. It should not hurt as much.'

>>>Are you ready?

>>>Do it Tab nodded to Verris. He doused his dagger again and slid it under Melprin's scales.

Tab told Melprin about being thrown into the dungeon a” about how little Aventurine had punched through the wall. She talked about the Loraskian attack, the screeching, and how they looked like giant moths.

Verris placed another of the arrows on the ground.

Next she explained about how Aventurine had scampered through the Barrenlands and escaped over the Drop-off.

A third and a fourth b.l.o.o.d.y arrow now lay on the sand.

>>>You're doing very well>>He's nearly finished Tab felt the rumble again and this time a plume of smoke emerged from one of Melprin's nostrils.

*Last one,' Verris said, holding up the nasty looking arrow. His face was glistening with sweat. He shuffled around so that he could see the spear through Melprin's neck. First he inspected the spearhead, then he pressed at the wound. He wiped his face with his sleeve, panting. *We will have to break the spearhead off, and then slide the shaft back through the wound. I can't do it by myself, but Vrod should be able to split it. It will really, really hurt. Can you explain that?'

>>>Do it Verris called for Vrod. When the troll approached, Verris explained what he wanted.

Vrod knelt down. He took the spear in his two ma.s.sive hands, poking out his tongue as he focused. His knuckles went white.

Snap! The spear broke in two. Melprin's head jerked and Tab gasped. She looked down to see blisters bubbling on her arms.

>>>You burned me!

>>>Trying to hold it inside. I couldn't *Tab! You're burnt!' Verris said, moving around the dragon's body.

*We can fix it later,' she said. *We must help Melprin first.' She winced against the pain, feeling a cold sweat spring up on her forehead, and a sick churning in her stomach. *Besides, it doesn't hurt that much,' she lied.

Verris and Vrod discussed how to draw the shaft of the spear from Melprin's neck, their faces grim with concentration. Verris looked at Tab, frowning. *We're set to go.'

>>>Are you ready?

Melprin still had her eyes closed. Verris and Vrod grasped the shaft. Tab felt herself tense. If Melprin burned her again she wouldn't be able to stay conscious. It might even kill her, but she didn't want to abandon her friend either.

*Wait!' Tab said. *Let me try something.'

She wanted to show Melprin the moment when Aventurine hatched. She closed her eyes and created the pictures in her mind, the way Tattoo had shown her a” paying attention to every detail.

>>>Can you see it?

>>>I can see *Now!' said Tab through gritted teeth.

Verris and Vrod pulled, and the shaft slid through Melprin's flesh and out the other side.

When Tab opened her eyes again, a tear slid down Melprin's face and then disappeared in a waft of steam.

Vrod and Verris fell back in the sand, panting.