Deltora Quest: The Shifting Sands Part 1

Deltora Quest.

The s.h.i.+fting Sands.

Emily Rodda.

The story so far a Sixteen-year-old Lief, fulfilling a pledge made by his father before he was born, is on a great quest to find the seven gems of the magic Belt of Deltora. The gems a" an amethyst, a topaz, a diamond, a ruby, an opal, a lapis lazuli, and an emerald a" were stolen to open the way for the evil Shadow Lord to invade Deltora. Hidden in fearsome places throughout the land, they must be restored to the Belt before the heir to the throne can be found and the Shadow Lordas tyranny ended.

Liefas companions are the man Barda, who was once a Palace guard, and Jasmine, a wild, orphaned girl of Liefas own age who they met in the fearful Forests of Silence.

So far they have found three gems. The golden topaz, symbl of faith, has the power to contact the spirit world, and to clear the mind. The ruby, symbol of happiness, pales when danger threatens, repels evil spirits, and is an antidote to venom. The opal, gem of hope, gives glimpses of the future.

On their travels, the companions have discovered a secret resistance movement made up of people pledged to defy the Shadow Lord. But servants of the Enemy are everywhere. Some, like his brutual Grey Guards, are easily recognized. Others keep their dark loyalty well hidden.

The three companions are lucky to have escaped the City of the Rats alive. But now they are stranded on the barren plain that surrounds it, having lost all their supplies. The opal has given Lief a terrible vision of their next goal: The s.h.i.+fting Sands.

Now read on a It seemed to Lief that they had been walking beside the river forever. Yet only one night and part of a day had pa.s.sed since he, Barda, and Jasmine had left the City of the Rats in flames. The faint smell of smoke hung in the still air, though the city was now just a blur on the horizon at their backs.

They had long ago discarded the heavy red garments and boots which had saved them from the rats. Walking was easier now. But hunger and exhaustion were making the journey seem endless, and the fact that the landscape never changed did not help. Hour by hour the companions had trudged over bare, baked earth hemmed in on both sides by the waters of Broad River a" waters so wide that they could barely see the far banks.

Though all of them badly needed rest, they knew that they had to keep moving. The plume of smoke staining the blue sky at their backs was like a signal to their enemies. It was a sign that something of great importance had happened in the terrible place where the third stone of the Belt of Deltora had been hidden. Should the Shadow Lord become aware that the stone had been taken, his servants would begin searching for the thieves.

And how easily they would find them on this bare plain.

Barda plodded beside Lief, his head lowered. Jasmine walked a little ahead. Now and then she murmured to Filli, who was nestled on her shoulder, but her eyes were fixed on the horizon. She was watching for Kree, the raven. Kree had flown off as dawn broke to survey the land ahead and to look for food.

He had been away for many hours. This boded ill for them. It meant that food and shelter were far distant. But there was nothing to do but keep moving. There was no direction to take but the one they were taking, for the Plain of the Rats lay in a bend of the river, and was bounded on three sides by deep water.

For centuries the rats have been trapped by the river that curves around their plain, thought Lief grimly. And now we are trapped also.

Suddenly Jasmine gave a high, piercing cry. A faint, harsh sound came back in answer.

Lief looked up, and saw a black speck coming towards them through the distant blue. With every moment the speck grew larger, and at last Kree was soaring down, squawking harshly.

He landed on Jasmineas arm and squawked again. Jasmine listened, expressionless. Finally she turned to Lief and Barda.

aKree says that the plain ends in a broad band of water that is almost as wide as the river itself,a she said.

aWhat?a Appalled, Lief slumped to the ground.

aThe plain is an island?a growled Barda. aBut it cannot be!a He sat down beside Lief, with a heavy sigh.

Kree ruffled his feathers, and made an annoyed, clucking sound.

aKree has seen it with his own eyes,a snapped Jasmine. aA bar of water joins the two arms of the river. It is very broad, he says, but perhaps not too deep for us to wade. It seemed paler in color than the river, and he could see schools of fish not far from the surface.a aFis.h.!.+a Liefas mouth watered at the thought of hot food.

aHow far?a he heard Barda ask.

Jasmine shrugged. aKree thinks that we could reach it by tomorrow, if we move on through the night.a aThen so we will,a Barda said grimly, hauling himself to his feet. aAt least we cannot easily be seen in the dark. And we have no food, after all. We have no shelter, or anything to sleep upon but the bare earth. So what comfort is there in stopping? We might as well walk till we drop.a So it was that in the pale dawn of the following day they found themselves at the end of the plain, staring, with eyes that p.r.i.c.kled with weariness, at a gleaming sheet of water that blocked their path.

aSurely this is not a natural channel,a Lief said. aThe banks are too straight and even.a aIt was dug by human hands,a Barda agreed. aLong ago, I would guess, as a barrier against the rats.a Kree soared above them, squawking excitedly.

aOn the other side there are trees,a murmured Jasmine. aTrees and other growing things.a Without hesitation she stepped into the water, her eyes fixed eagerly on the ragged line of green ahead.

aJasmine, take care!a Lief called after her. But Jasmine waded on without pausing or turning. The water rose to her waist, then to her chest, but no further. She began moving steadily towards the opposite sh.o.r.e.

Barda and Lief hastened after her, splas.h.i.+ng into the cool stream. aWhen it was my task to keep you out of trouble on the streets of Del, Lief, I thought that you were the most impulsive, troublesome young pest in creation,a muttered Barda. aI apologize. Jasmine is just as bad a" or worse!a Lief grinned, then jumped and yelled as something brushed softly against his ankle. He looked down into the water and saw a flurry of sudden movement as several large fish darted away into the shadows.

aThey will not hurt you,a called Jasmine, without turning around.

aHow do you know?a Lief called back. aThey could be feeling as hungry as I am. They a"a He broke off as Kree cried out and plummeted towards them, skimming the surface of the water and then soaring up into the air again.

Jasmine stopped, alert, then swung around to face Lief and Barda. aSomething is coming from the sky!a she called. aKree a"a Screeching, the black bird dived towards them once more. Plainly he was terrified.

aWhat is it?a Frantically, Lief scanned the sky, but could see nothing.

aSomething huge! Something very bad!a Jasmine s.n.a.t.c.hed Filli from her shoulder and held him up into the air, a tiny bundle of grey fur, chattering with fear. aKree!a she shrieked, aTake Filli! Hide him, and yourself!a And at that moment Liefas straining eyes caught sight of a black spot on the horizon. It was growing larger by the moment. In seconds Lief could make out a long neck and huge, beating wings.

aAk-Baba!a hissed Barda. aIt has seen the smoke.a Liefas blood seemed to chill in his veins. His father had told him of the Ak-Baba a" giant, vulture-like birds that lived a thousand years. Seven of them were the servants of the Shadow Lord. It was they who had carried the gems from the Belt of Deltora to their perilous hiding places.

Obeying Jasmineas command, Kree had s.n.a.t.c.hed up Filli in his claws and was speeding with him to the other side of the band of water. There they could both conceal themselves in the long gra.s.s or shelter in a tree.

But Lief, Barda, and Jasmine had nowhere to hide. Behind them was the bare earth of the plain. Before them was a huge sweep of water, glittering in the dawn.

They floundered forward a few steps, but all of them knew it was no use. The Ak-Baba was flying with incredible speed. It would be upon them long before they could reach safety.

Already it could see the smoke of the burning city. When it saw three ragged strangers escaping from the plain it would know at once that they were enemies of the Shadow Lord.

Would it attack them? Or would it simply plunge down, s.n.a.t.c.h them up in its huge talons, and carry them away to its master? Either way, they were doomed.

The only possible hiding place was under the water. And yet Lief knew that this was no hiding place at all. From the air, the Ak-Baba would be able to see them as clearly as Kree had seen the schools of fish.

aIt has not seen us yet,a Barda said rapidly. aIts eyes are fixed on the smoke from the city. Lief a" your cloak!a Of course! With wet, clumsy fingers Lief pulled at the strings that fastened his cloak around his throat. At last the cloak floated free.

aDown!a Barda hissed.

All of them took a deep breath and sank below the surface of the stream, holding the cloak over them like a canopy. It drifted above their heads, almost invisible in the water.

They had done their best. But was their best good enough to hide them from the sharp eyes of the Ak-Baba? If it had been dusk, perhaps. But surely, in this bright dawn light, the beast could not fail to notice that one patch of water looked a little different from the rest. Suspicious, it would circle above the place, watching, waiting a And for how long could Lief, Barda, and Jasmine hold their breath? Sooner or later they would have to rise, gasping, to the surface. Then the monster would strike.

Liefas fingers felt for the clasp of the Belt he wore under his s.h.i.+rt. The Belt of Deltora must not be captured with him. If necessary, he would unloose it and let it fall into the mud at the bottom of the stream. It would be better for it to lie there than for it to fall into the hands of the Shadow Lord again.

Already his lungs felt tight. Already his body was telling him to rise to the surface and breathe. Something nudged at his shoulder and he opened his eyes. Fish were moving all around him a" big silver fish, their gla.s.sy eyes staring. Their fins and tails buffeted his head and face. They were closing in on him, crowding him.

Then, suddenly, it grew dark. A huge shadow was blocking out the sun.

The Ak-Baba was overhead.

Lief fought down the panic that threatened to engulf him. The shadow of the Ak-Baba had turned the water black. He could no longer see the fish, but he could feel their weight. Dozens were now swimming above the cloak, cutting the companions off from the surface, pressing them down, down a Liefas head was spinning. He began to struggle, his chest aching with the need to breathe. Desperately he pushed at the cloak above his head, but the fish were cl.u.s.tered together so tightly on top of it that they were like a living, moving ceiling, impossible to break.

His struggles became more and more feeble. He could feel himself losing consciousness, his mind drifting away from his body.

Is this, then, how it ends? he thought. After all we have faced a A picture of his mother and father at home flashed through his mind. They would be breakfasting now, in the forge kitchen. Talking of him, perhaps, and of Barda.

They will never know what became of us, Lief thought. Our bones will lie in this mud forever, and with them the Belt of Deltora.

Dimly he became aware of urgent nudges on his legs and chest. The fish were b.u.mping against him. They seemed to be trying to push him upwards. And a" the fish above his head were moving aside.

With the last of his strength he forced his trembling legs to straighten. His head broke the surface and he took huge, grateful gulps of air.

At first he could see nothing. The cloak was still draped over his head, clinging to his face. Then it fell away and he was left blinking at Barda and Jasmine, who were as gasping and bedraggled as he.

In terror he looked up. But the Ak-Baba was well past the channel, flying steadily over the plain towards the plume of smoke on the horizon.

aIt did not see us!a he croaked, coughing. aIt pa.s.sed us by.a He could not believe it.

aOf course,a Jasmine grinned, gathering the drifting cloak into a bundle. aWhen it looked down at the water it saw nothing but a school of fish. Fish that it had seen a hundred times before.a She patted her hands on the rippling surface. aAh, you were clever, fish,a she laughed. aYou hid us well.a The fish swam about her, lazily blowing bubbles. They seemed pleased with themselves.

aI thought they were trying to drown us,a said Barda. aAnd all the time they were disguising us from the Ak-Baba. Whoever heard of fish coming to anyoneas aid?a aThese are no ordinary fish,a Jasmine a.s.sured him. aThey are old and wise. They had no love for the rats who turned the plain on one side of their river into a wasteland. And they have no love for the Shadow Lord or his servants, either.a aThey told you this?a asked Lief, amazed.

The girl shrugged. aThey are no ordinary fish,a she repeated. aThey would speak to you, too, if only you would listen.a Lief stared at the shapes beneath the water and concentrated with all his strength. But all he could hear was rippling and the sound of bubbles.

aI should have known we would not die in the river,a he murmured. aOn the plain the opal showed me a vision of myself standing in the s.h.i.+fting Sands. If I am to die anywhere, it will be there.a He felt Barda and Jasmineas eyes upon him. aDoes the opal tell what will be? Or only what might be?a asked Barda abruptly.

Lief shrugged. He did not know.

Kree called from the other side of the channel.

aWe must move on,a Jasmine said. aThe Ak-Baba may return this way.a With the fish swimming ahead of them to make their way easy, the companions waded on across the channel. When at last they had reached the opposite sh.o.r.e they turned and bowed their thanks.

aWe owe our lives to you, fish,a Jasmine called softly, as Kree flew down to perch on her arm. aWe thank you for your kindness.a The fish ducked their own heads, then slowly swam away, their tails waving as if in farewell.

Kree squawked and took flight once more. Lief, Barda, and Jasmine followed him as he fluttered towards a tree that grew beside the water, its long, feathery green branches bending and sweeping the ground.

They pushed through the greenery and found themselves in a small clear s.p.a.ce surrounded on all sides by drooping branches. It was like a little green room with the treeas gnarled trunk in its center. Filli sat there waiting for them. He scuttled over to Jasmine and leaped onto her shoulder, chattering with pleasure.

Groaning with relief, the three companions sank to the ground. A thick layer of soft brown leaves cus.h.i.+oned their aching bones. Above them was a roof of green. Around them were walls that whispered in the gentle breeze.

aSafe,a murmured Jasmine. But for once there was no need for her to explain what the tree had said. They all felt its peace.

In moments, they were asleep.

When Lief woke, he was alone. Birds were calling above his head. It was cool, and the light was dim.

The sun is going down, he thought, s.h.i.+vering. I have slept the whole day through.

Where were Barda and Jasmine, Kree and Filli? Lief crawled over to the hanging branches that curtained his shelter, parted them cautiously and peered out. With a shock he realized that the sun was not setting, but rising. He had slept not just through the day, but through the following night as well!

Jasmine and Barda were coming towards the tree. He guessed they had been searching for food and hoped they had found something. His stomach felt hollow. It seemed a very long time since he had eaten. He pushed through the leaves and ran to meet them.

aApples!a Barda called, as he approached. aRather wizened, but sweet enough, and strangely filling.a He threw an apple to Lief, who sank his teeth into it ravenously and soon finished it, core and all.

aIt is said that stolen fruit tastes the sweetest,a Barda laughed, tossing him another.

aStolen?a asked Lief, with his mouth full.

aThose trees over there are an orchard,a said Barda, pointing behind him. aJasmine helped herself without troubling to find the owner and ask permission.a Jasmine tossed her head. aThe trees are groaning with fruit,a she snapped. aThey are anxious to be picked. And you can see how withered the apples are. Who could object to us helping ourselves?a aI am not complaining,a said Lief cheerfully. aThe last time I had an apple a"a He broke off, the sweet fruit suddenly dry in his mouth. The last time he ate an apple he was in Del, feasting with his friends. It had been his sixteenth birthday. It was the day he had said goodbye to childhood, the life he had known, his home, and the parents he loved. How long ago it seemed now.

Jasmine was looking at him curiously. He realized that his expression had grown sad and quickly he turned away. Jasmine had lived alone in the Forests of Silence, with only Filli and Kree for company. She had seen her parents taken away by Grey Guards, and braved terrors without number from her earliest childhood. He was sure that his homesickness would seem a weak and childish thing to her.

He took another bite of his apple, then jumped as a high-pitched voice rang out.

aThieves!a Lief squinted against the s.h.i.+mmering dawn light. Something was rolling through the long gra.s.s towards them, shrieking. As it drew closer he realized that it was a little old woman. She was so plump, and so wrapped and bundled in shawls, that she seemed completely round. Thin brown hair was screwed up into a tiny topknot on her head. Her face was creased and crinkled all over like a wizened apple, and red with anger. She was frowning furiously, shaking her fist.

aThieves!a she shrieked. aVagabonds! Give them back! Give them back!a The three companions stared at her, open-mouthed.

aYou stole my apples!a the old women shrieked. aYou stole my beauties while my guards slept. Where are they? Give them to me!a Silently, Jasmine pa.s.sed over the three apples that remained in her hands. The woman clasped them to her chest and glared.

aCheat! Where are the others?a she shouted. aWhere are the other six? Every apple is numbered. Every one must be accounted for. How else can I fill my quota? Nine fruit you took, and nine must be returned.a Barda cleared his throat. aI am very sorry, madam, but we cannot return them. I fear they are already eaten.a aEaten??a The old woman seemed to swell, and went so red that Lief feared she might explode.

aWe a" we beg your pardon,a he stammered. aWe were so hungry, and a"a The old woman threw back her head, raised her arms, shook her shawls, and gave a terrible, high-pitched cry.

Immediately she was surrounded by a dark, whirling, humming cloud.

Bees. Thousands of bees. They had been riding on her back, cl.u.s.tered under her shawls. Now they were swarming in the air around her, waiting for the order to attack.

Lief, Barda, and Jasmine stumbled back. The cloud of bees surged this way and that, making patterns in the air behind the old womanas head. Their buzzing was like the threatening growl of a great animal.

aYou thought I was unprotected, did you?a screeched the old woman. aYou thought you could steal from me without fear. My guards are small, but many, and act with one mind. You will suffer death by a thousand stings for what you have done.a Jasmine was desperately feeling in her pockets. She found what she was looking for and held out her hand. Gold and silver coins gleamed in the sunlight.

aWill you take these for your apples?a she asked.

The old woman gave a start. Her eyes narrowed. aIf you have money, why do you steal?a she demanded. But her wrinkled hand shot out and took the coins.

aNo!a Lief exclaimed, lunging forward without thinking. aThat money is all we have. You cannot take it all for a few dried-up apples!a The bees surged at him, buzzing dangerously.

aSoftly, boy, softly. Gently, gently!a cackled the old woman. aMy guards do not like sudden movements, and are easily angered. Why, even I must use smoke to calm them when I take their honey from the hive. Even I.a She made a soft sound and the cloud of bees behind her shrank and disappeared as the creatures returned to the folds of her shawls. She tucked the coins carefully away and scowled at the companions.

aLet this be a lesson to you!a she ordered. aAnd tell all your fellow vagabonds that the next thieves who come here will receive no mercy.a Lief, Barda, and Jasmine hesitated.

She shook her fist at them. aGo on!a she shrilled. aGet back to the road where you came from.a aWe did not come from the road, old woman! And we are not thieves, either!a Jasmine cried.

The woman grew very still. aIf you did not come from the road, then where did you come from?a she murmured after a moment. aThere is no other way to my orchard. Except aa Suddenly she reached out and grasped the edge of Liefas cloak. Feeling its dampness, she gasped and slowly raised her head to look across the water and away to the horizon where a faint drift of smoke still rose over the Plain of the Rats.

A look of dread crossed her wrinkled face.