Brambleheart #2 Page 2

  But as they sputtered through the sea, Lily noticed that their dancing ship attracted dozens of tiny silver fish. The fingerlings darted this way and that around the stern of the ship, like fleeting bits of foil in the green water. She got an idea.

  She went below, into the hold of the ship, and then hauled up all sorts of vines and old twine, heaping them onto the deck and plopping herself in the middle of the pile.

  Then her paws began moving rapidly in sync.

  Basil was perplexed. “What in the world are you doing now?” he asked. “Here we are stuck in the middle of who knows where, and you’re weaving? Are you crazy?”

  “Just wait. You’ll see.”

  Twig was just as puzzled but kept quiet. Before long he saw that Lily, using her knowledge of knots and weaving, had begun to fabricate a long net.

  She worked diligently. By the end of the afternoon, she was finished.

  “Here, hold this end,” she said to Basil, handing him one end of a long coil of vine. “Twig, you take this end.” With Basil and Twig positioned on either side of the stern, Lily tossed the mass of net off the end of the ship.

  The net floated just below the surface and opened up like a flower blossom. They watched as one by one, the tiny silver fish came to the net to explore. Curious, several swam inside the opened end.

  “See?” Lily whispered. “They’re swimming inside.”

  “Then we pull the net onto the deck?” Twig whispered back.

  “Uh-huh, exactly.”

  They surveyed the scene as the small fish continued to swim in and out of the net, getting more and more at ease with the strange object which was looking like a mass of seaweed floating in the water.

  “When do we pull it up?” Basil asked.

  “Just a little more time,” Lily breathed. “When I say now.”

  A dozen of the fish were in the net. Lily nudged her friends. “Now!”

  With much splashing and a frenzy of commotion, they yanked on the ends of the net and pulled it up onto the deck. Most of the silvery fish had slipped away, but several of them thrashed and flipped and sputtered on the planks, eyes wide and gills pulsing.

  “You did it!” Twig cried.

  Lily grinned, blushing.

  Basil was still not in the mood for eating. “What do we do with a bunch of fish?” he asked.

  “They’re not for us, silly,” Lily responded. “They’re for Char!” She picked up one of the slippery, wiggling fish and offered it to the baby dragon. Char greedily gobbled it down and looked for more.

  “Hey! Excellent!” Twig shouted. “Lily, you’re a genius. Char looks excited. He’s feeling better already!”

  Lily proudly offered Char another fish, then another. It was good to see him sitting up, his wings fluttering and eyes a little brighter.

  “Hey! What’s that?” asked Basil, pointing up at the sails.

  Small puffs of wind were massaging the canvas.

  Twig cheered. “Hurrah! The wind is picking up. Finally!”

  “Now maybe we can get somewhere,” said Basil. “This life on the ocean is for the birds. Or the fish, anyway.”

  The breeze picked up.

  They raced around, tightening lines and making sure the sails were ready for the wind. Twig took his place at the wheel.

  “I’ll take crow’s-nest duty,” Lily said as she darted up the ropes.

  The breeze became a bit more brisk, and the Captive began racing across the waves. Lily found herself gripping the railing of the crow’s nest tightly. “Steady as she goes!” she shouted down.

  She looked off to the horizon, and the fur on her neck stood up.

  “Twig! Basil!” she cried out. “We may be in for it!”

  They all looked off to the west. The sky behind them was black and ominous. Dark clouds were roiling and banking. The sun disappeared. A thick blanket of storms was heading right toward the Captive.

  chapter 4

  Just Hang On!

  The canvas sails billowed and flapped as the wind whipped into a gale. Twig gripped the wheel tightly, pointing the Captive with the wind. The ship plunged up and down with the waves, and water began to splash over the deck.

  Char fluttered his wings, his claws scraping and sliding across the slippery planks. Twig glanced back at the dragon. “Basil!” he cried. “Hold on to Char!”

  He was nauseous and green from the tossing boat, but Basil struggled to reach Char, and then flung his paws around the dragon’s neck, holding on tightly. “It’s okay, Char!” he moaned. “This won’t last long . . . I hope!”

  Up in the crow’s nest, Lily squeaked in terror as the mast swayed dangerously low from side to side, then back and forth. Twig yelled above the roar of the wind, “Lily, come down!”

  Lily tried to make her way down the ladder. Her tiny paws slipped on the ropes as the wind tried to grab her and toss her out to sea.

  Then the rain came. A few enormous drops fell at first, and then a pounding torrent. With the blowing sea and the thundering rain, water seemed to fill the air.

  Lily shrieked as she lost her grip and slid down the slick ropes, landing with a thump. Sore and limping, she clung to the railing and moved up beside Twig at the wheel.

  Twig was struggling. His arms were no match for the roaring wind. The wheel spun rapidly one way, then the other. It was impossible to control it.

  “What do we do?” Lily shouted, futilely trying to wipe the rain from her eyes.

  “Just hang on!” He looked back to see Char scraping along the wet, slippery deck, making his way forward. The dragon tucked his wet snout under Twig’s arm, shivering. “It’ll be all right, Char!” Twig comforted him. But the rain slashed at his face and he winced and choked.

  Basil joined them, and they all huddled together, clinging to one another against the raging maelstrom.

  A blue-white flash of lightning was immediately followed by a terrifying crash of thunder. A sudden gust of wind and rain tipped the Captive dangerously to starboard. Instead of righting itself, the ship leaned more and more.

  “What’s happening?” Basil screamed.

  “Char!” Twig grabbed on to the dragon. “Everybody! Hold on!”

  “We’re tipping over!” Lily shrieked as another gust of wind hit the sails. In seconds the boat lay sideways in the water, tossing in the waves.

  They all thrashed and splashed, trying to stay afloat, and then climbed onto the swamped tangle of masts and sails and ropes.

  “Char! Char!” Twig called out as he looked for the baby dragon in the waves.

  Char had found the floating crow’s nest, which had broken off as the ship tipped over. The dragon was bobbing up and down, wings fluttering. Twig made his way over, arms and legs flailing in the water. “Good boy!” he shouted, clinging to the wooden basket.

  Lily and Basil struggled over. They gasped and gulped in between waves.

  The storm raged on. Waves and wind blew the tiny crow’s nest farther from the wrecked Captive. In between flashes of lightning, Twig saw the ship turn over and its hull point to the sky.

  The storm began to lessen as quickly as it had begun. The pounding rain became a steady shower. The raging wind turned into a series of gusts, then a gentle breeze. Off to the east, the storm continued, with distant flashes of lightning and far-off rumbles of thunder.

  Twig squinted in the near darkness. His eyes searched for the ship. “Look!” he shouted.

  They all turned their heads into the breeze.

  The bow of the Captive pointed into the air. Her majestic mast and sails were under water.

  “Oh!” Lily murmured sadly. No one else spoke as they watched the beautiful Captive sink into the sea.

  THEY CLUNG TO THE OVERTURNED CROW’S NEST THROUGH the night, shivering. The moon rose but provided no warmth.

  The three friends were silent, paddling to stay alive.

  Char was still. The others hugged him close in an effort to keep his body temperature up. He was dangerously cold.


  Twig wondered if he would ever see home again.

  Finally it brightened a bit to the east as morning came.

  Twig was chilled to the bone and despondent when he heard a voice.

  “Hello!” someone called out. Surprised, Twig looked across the water to see an enormous turtle staring at him. The turtle was golden and brown, with friendly eyes peering from her glistening scaly face.

  Lily and Basil brightened. “H-hello!” Lily called, her teeth chattering. “H-help!”

  The friendly face disappeared into the water. A moment later, the turtle surfaced right below them, and they found themselves sitting on the turtle’s back. “How’s that?” the turtle called over her shoulder. “Better?”

  “Th-thank y-you!” Twig said, almost giddy with relief. His arms and legs were exhausted, limp from overexertion. He sat up on his elbows. “I . . . we . . . can’t thank you enough!” he said.

  “Now what are you good folks doing out in the middle of the ocean?” the sea turtle asked. “You don’t see many like you out this way.” She looked at Char questioningly.

  “Our sh-sh-ship. It sank,” Basil replied, shivering.

  “Oh! Out on a ship, huh? Yep, big storm last night.” The turtle nodded at Char, who was gray and still. “Your friend all right?”

  Twig covered Char’s cold body with his own. “He’s barely with us. We need to get him somewhere warm.”

  “Sun’s coming up. Gonna be a nice warm day,” the turtle said. “I’ll get you to a good place. Hang on!”

  With that, the turtle began paddling. Strong flippers pushed them across the water with amazing speed.

  “Doing all right up there?” she asked.

  “Just fine!” Twig replied, happy to be in the turtle’s care.

  Before long they heard the sound of surf up ahead, and soon the turtle was dragging her heavy body up onto the gritty shore.

  They hopped off the turtle’s back, and then carefully helped the barely alive Char onto the warm sand. Twig looked at the smiling turtle. “I don’t know how to thank you,” he said earnestly. “You saved our lives.”

  “Yes!” Lily agreed. “How do you say thank you to someone as good as you?” She smiled and brushed some sand from the turtle’s face.

  The turtle grinned. “You are most welcome. Glad to be of assistance. Hate to say it, but you’re on your own now. Be careful. Best of luck to you!”

  With that, she slowly turned her heavy body back into the waves. After a few strokes from her strong front flippers, she disappeared.

  They saw her head bob to the surface some distance out, and she waved. Then she was gone.

  chapter 5

  Sand Dunes

  After days on the water, land felt strange but glorious. The warm sand beneath their toes was solid and steady.

  Char stretched his body out in the sun, looking a little more alert. The radiant sun on his scales was rejuvenating.

  Twig looked cautiously at the sky. Instinctively, he knew the danger of being on an exposed beach. He examined the dunes away from the shoreline. “Let’s get out of here,” he said. “This way.”

  They staggered and scrambled along the wet beach and then the dry sand until they got to the base of a series of enormous dunes. There didn’t seem to be anywhere to go but up.

  “Well, maybe from the top of these mountains we can see exactly where we are.” Twig sighed.

  “Char, do you think you can make it?” Lily asked. She stroked his face with concern.

  “He can do it,” Twig remarked. “Sometimes I think Char is invincible! C’mon, Char.”

  They struggled up the steep, sandy slopes. The sand was loose, and the breeze from the ocean blew it in their faces. Sometimes they lost their footing and slid back down in a cascade of furry feet and sand.

  The going was treacherous, but after much effort they mounted the crest of the tallest dune. They stood on the crest and gazed around.

  Off to the east was the ocean, vast and undulating.

  “We were out there?” Basil gasped, as they finally saw the enormity of what had been their watery world.

  Twig thought sadly of the Captive, lying at the dark bottom of the sea.

  They turned to face west. Before them lay a forest of scrubby pines and shrubs. Suddenly the sand beneath their feet collapsed and they tumbled and slid down the other side of the long, steep dune. Down, down, down they fell, tumbling head over heels until they landed in a heap. An avalanche of white sand continued to fall, nearly covering them up.

  Coughing and spitting sand, Twig dug his way out. “Lily! Basil! Are you all right?” He pulled at the thrashing arms and legs of his friends and spotted Char’s wiggling tail, giving it a yank. Soon they were all shaking sand off and brushing it from their eyes.

  “Everybody okay?” Lily asked, examining the crew. “Char?”

  Char looked a little bewildered but unscathed.

  Twig looked up the side of the dune. “Looks like we found the fast way to the bottom!” He laughed.

  They were all tired from a night in the water. The warm sand felt good.

  “Let’s rest here for a while,” he said. “Regain our strength. Something tells me we’re going to need it.”

  Not far away was a small clump of vegetation. Twig pointed to it. “It isn’t much, but it’s some protection. Let’s use that as a place to catch some sleep.”

  After they nestled beneath the prickly leaves, the extent of their exhaustion hit them. Lily was bone weary. Twig was drained. And Basil was the worst off. He hadn’t eaten in days and was drained of all energy. “I can barely keep my eyes open.” He yawned. In a moment he was asleep, his furry face in the sand.

  Twig covered Char’s tail with the warm sand and made little mounds of it on his back. Char closed his eyes. In minutes they were all asleep.

  TWIG AWOKE. HE WONDERED WHERE HE WAS. IT WAS dark, but he didn’t recognize the fuzzy, prickly leaf that tickled his ear.

  There was sand beneath him.

  Then he remembered; the storm, the sinking, the sand.

  Night had fallen. He was finally warm again after sleeping for hours on the sunbaked dune. He glanced over at his friends. Basil was asleep, although fitfully, and his tail and paws jerked in a dream. Lily stirred a bit. Char was still tucked under his blanket of sand, snoring.

  Twig ducked beneath the prickly leaves and cautiously poked his head out into the nighttime air. He heard, far off, the rhythmic crashing of waves on the shoreline. He sat in the sand and looked up. The stars were shining, brilliant against the black of night.

  The leaves rustled, and Lily emerged from their hiding place.

  They sat and watched the sky. A shooting star zipped across.

  “I see some of the same stars from home,” Lily said at last. There was a wistful note to her voice. “I wonder if my parents are looking up and seeing the exact same stars.”

  “You wish you were there now? Home?” Twig asked quietly.

  “Uh-huh.”

  “Me too.”

  “But this has been quite an adventure.”

  Twig swallowed a nervous lump in his throat. “You sorry you came along?”

  “Nope.”

  “I’m really glad you did.”

  Lily giggled. “I can see you trying to sail the Captive without me. You’d never make it!”

  Twig smiled, and then thought of the beautiful ship, lost forever. “We made a great crew,” he murmured.

  “Yep. She was a great ship.”

  “Question is, how’re we getting back, once we get Char to where he needs to be?”

  “And that’s a good question, Twig,” Lily replied.

  They both curled up in the sand. Another shooting star split the nighttime sky.

  chapter 6

  Lily and the Lasso

  The morning air was filled with the shrill sounds of calling birds. These weren’t the melodious songs of woodland birds that Twig was used to, but raucous cries and harsh squawks. It made it even
clearer that they were in a foreign, unknown environment.

  Under the canopy of the little shrub, Twig shivered. Were the birds overhead friend or foe?

  Basil poked his head out from under the leafy tent. “What is all the racket?” he groaned.

  “Careful, Basil,” Twig said. “Who knows what may swoop down? We don’t know what lives here.” Basil ducked back into the safety of the leaves.

  “Of course,” Twig continued, “we’ll have to find out. We need to find food, as well as find out where we are, and where we go next.”

  He cautiously scampered out of the shrub and glanced around. There were birds soaring and gliding in the sea breeze overhead. Twig made a loud chirping sound to attract their attention, and then readied himself to dodge back into the vegetation.

  He looked up. Several of the birds cast him an offhand glance, but none of them looked the least bit interested. Perhaps he wasn’t considered food in this dune environment.

  “I think it’s okay to explore,” he said.

  They warily trooped out, stretching in the morning sun and shaking off sand. In a moment they realized that they were at the bottom of a deep pit, bounded by mountains of sand. The walls of the pit were steep and on all sides.

  “We’re surrounded,” Basil said. “Sand everywhere.”

  They all tried climbing up the loose slopes, but each time slid back down in an avalanche of sand.

  “We need to get out,” replied Lily. “But not sure how.”

  They debated different ways of getting out. Basil suggested climbing on one another’s shoulders.

  “That’s fine for the first one out,” said Twig. “But what about the last one?”

  “Well, the first one out can be a . . . a scout,” Basil retorted. “And report back to the rest of us.”

  “And who wants to be the scout?” No one spoke up.

  “Okay. Next idea.”