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.For Amgarad was not the naked, pimpled bird that Clara had gathered in her arms a mere ten minutes before, nor was he the foul, evil-looking monster that had attacked her at the well in Holyrood Park.Amgarad was an eagle — a fabulous, glorious eagle.Amgarad, it seemed, couldn’t quite believe his good fortune either.He stretched one talon and then the other, examining his sleek, feathered legs.He then looked down at his chest, stretched his great wings and finally realized just what had happened.His black eyes glistened with happiness and the call that rang out from the battlements was not the dreadful cry of the bird he had been, but the pure call of the eagle.Clara went to pieces, she was so happy.Shaking with emotion, she sobbed her heart out in Lady Ellan’s arms and didn’t see Rothlan’s delight as Amgarad flew from his arm and circled the battlements triumphantly.“Father!” Lady Ellan blinked as the MacArthur materialized from his carpet, followed by some of his men.Clara turned away, rubbing her eyes, as Lady Ellan moved forward to greet her father.The MacArthur then strode towards Rothlan, hand outstretched.Rothlan stepped forward and took it.“Well, Alasdair!” said the MacArthur, “nice to see you again.How’s the fishing these days?”Lord Rothlan’s eyes gleamed in amusement.“Pretty good,” was his reply, “the rivers are full of trout.”“And do ye still have that rascal of a ghillie? Whit was his name?”“Ye’ll be meaning auld Duncan!” interrupted Hector Mackenzie, who had just arrived on the battlements.“Hector Mackenzie!” the MacArthur shook his hand vigorously.“Ye havena changed a bit! There’s something I was aye minded to ask you …”Amgarad, resplendent in his new feathers, swooped to perch on his master’s shoulder as, deep in conversation Rothlan, the MacArthur and the rest of the men made their way through the narrow door that took them down to the main reception rooms of the castle.Clara and Lady Ellan looked at one another and burst out laughing.“Isn’t that just typical!” Ellan remarked.“Get them started on the fishing and you can’t get a word in edgeways!”30.DragonsleepLady Ellan and Clara were just about to follow the men downstairs when Jaikie and Hamish materialized on the battlements.“Lady Ellan!” Jaikie called, running over to her.“Jaikie!” she smiled delightedly.“And Hamish! How nice it is to see you both.But tell me, how is Archie? I hope he wasn’t badly hurt?”“Archie! Hurt?” Hamish said in a horrified voice.“I didn’t know that! When did it happen?”“Why, when Arthur attacked the castle! Archie was hit by an arrow.”“Hit by an arrow?”“Didn’t Arthur fly back to you? It was just before Rothlan called up the storm carriers.”“Jaikie,” questioned Clara, suddenly afraid.“Neil is with you, isn’t he? I haven’t seen him since we left Arthur’s Seat.”Jaikie and Hamish looked at one another and Hamish shook his head.“We haven’t seen him since we left Edinburgh either,” he confessed.“I thought he was with you!”“Where on earth can he be?” whispered Clara.“Do you think he might have been injured when we hit the shield,” hazarded Jaikie.“He … he might have fallen off his carpet and be lying injured somewhere.”“No, no, he wasn’t injured,” Clara was quite sure of that.“He was fine; he shouted to me to see if I was all right but his voice sounded far away.He wanted my carpet to fly closer to him.”“He might have broken through the shield with Arthur,” ventured Hamish.“If they’re all missing then they’re probably still together,” said Ellan.“Remember, I was only able to see Arthur and Archie.Neil would be invisible on his carpet.”“We’ll get a search party together.What do you think, Jaikie?”Jaikie nodded.“You tell the MacArthur and I’ll get the men organized.”A far off shout from the shore sent them to the battlements.At the edge of the loch, soldiers were swarming round a dilapidated boathouse.“Carpet!” snapped Jaikie, clapping his hands.“Something’s happening over there! Let’s go!”As if sensing their urgency, the carpets took them over the loch at a tearing speed that brought tears to Clara’s eyes.Jumping off, they ran towards the boathouse where an officer greeted them with relief.“It’s Archie and the boy, Neil! They were in the boathouse when we went to check it over.The thing is, sir, we can’t wake them up!”“They’re not … not …?” Clara couldn’t utter the words.“No, Miss Clara,” the soldier assured her, “just asleep!”The soldiers guarding the boathouse parted to let them through and in its damp recesses they saw Archie and Neil lying fast asleep.Clara gasped and put her hand over her mouth at the sight of the arrow that pierced Archie’s arm.Hamish and Jaikie looked at one another grimly as Ellan bent over them and put a hand on their foreheads.“Dragonsleep!” she pronounced.Hamish gestured to the officer.“Have them taken to the castle!” he ordered.“Dragonsleep!” echoed Clara, as some soldiers entered and lifted the still bodies onto stretchers.“What does that mean? Will they be all right?”“Arthur has the power to send people to sleep.It depends on how long he’s put them out for!” Ellan looked at them considering.“Personally I’d say it’ll be some time yet before they wake up.”“They’ll be all right.Don’t worry about that,” Jaikie assured her, seeing that Clara still looked alarmed.“It’s Arthur that won’t be all right, for when I get my hands on that dragon I’ll … I’ll …!” He waved his hands in the air, unable to decide on a suitable fate for Arthur.“Give over, Jaikie!” snapped Hamish, “We’re wasting time! Let’s try and work out what must have happened!”“Well, Arthur was here for a start,” said Clara, sniffing the air.“I can smell his smell.”“Yes, yes, he must have been here.But where has he gone? And why would he put them to sleep and leave them?”“Especially as Archie was wounded,” agreed Clara.“They probably came here to shelter from the storm.I doubt if they’d take on the storm carriers,” decided Ellan [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]