Brambleheart #2 Page 5

  “Good-bye!” Basil called, laughing. “Don’t let the sea hawks get you!”

  Twig and Lily struggled, rolling in the sand and trying to squirm out of their bindings. It was no use; they were tied tightly with strong honeysuckle and greenbrier vines. The greenbrier cut into their paws and wrists, and gagged their mouths.

  Lily’s eyes were full of panic. Even though Twig couldn’t understand her muffled squeaks, he knew exactly what she was thinking: What do we do?

  Twig tried to speak through his gag, too, but it was useless. Poor Char! he thought. They’ll make a prisoner out of him. We need to think of some way to get out of here! And if we don’t think of something soon, we may be stuck on this island forever!

  chapter 13

  A Giant Shadow

  Lying on his side, Twig wiggled over to Lily and began to chew at her bindings. It took a while, but eventually her paws were free and she could untie Twig and remove their gags.

  “They were idiots to think I couldn’t chew my way out of some silly honeysuckle vines,” Twig said.

  Lily spit out some bits of vine. “Twig, what if they run off with Char and the rest? How can we stop them?”

  “Haven’t figured that out yet. It was tough enough getting out of this pit the first time.”

  They looked up at the steep incline. Loose sand slid down the slopes.

  Lily paced and fretted. “I can’t stand the thought of Burdock and Basil with the dragons. They don’t know how to care for them!”

  “I know. We have got to get out of this pit. Come on, let’s try again.”

  Repeatedly they attempted to scale the slope, falling back to the bottom in a pile of white sand.

  “If only I hadn’t already used the last bits of vine,” Lily moaned.

  “We’d still need a boost of some sort. It’s no use, Lily. We’re trapped. And no food or water.”

  Just then a shadow fell over the pit. It grew and grew until it covered them.

  They instinctively dove headfirst into a sandy pile. “Hide, Lily!” Twig squeaked. “Cover yourself up!” The two of them dug into the pile of loose sand and scrambled to conceal themselves.

  “It think it’s a sea hawk, or some other huge bird,” Lily shakily whispered through the sand. “It’s something big . . . the shadow it cast was enormous.”

  “Let’s hope it decides to fly away. We’re trapped. Can’t escape. Don’t move!”

  With a BOOM! the giant creature swooped down, shaking the ground and crumbling one side of the pit. Part of the rim of the pit collapsed as the sand cascaded down.

  Twig and Lily burst out of their sandy hiding place. They looked around frantically, then saw the only possible out: in a flash they scrambled up the newly created incline.

  Sand was flying from beneath their feet as they reached the top. But the shadow was still hovering over the pit.

  Twig was nearly crippled with panic. He looked up. Whatever was creating the shadow was backlit against the bright sun. It was huge. It wasn’t flapping or soaring. That was when Twig saw that it wasn’t a bird at all.

  It was a giant dragon. Towering, colossal, mountainous.

  Twig and Lily gasped in unison. “W-what now?” Twig sputtered. Lily turned to race around the pit, and for a second glanced back down into the pit. Then she realized something. “Look. The pit!” she exclaimed. “Now I see! The pit is a . . . a giant footprint!”

  They stared in shock at the huge print. The three giant toes and the shape of the foot in the sand seemed very apparent now. They had been so close they hadn’t seen it. Now it was obvious: they were in the shadow of a very large beast.

  They turned slowly to look up at the adult dragon.

  Its large yellow eyes, flecked with gold, as high as a tree, stared back at them. Several hornlike nibs, purple and shiny, formed a crown on top of its head. Two turquoise wings, so much like Char’s, but a much bigger version, undulated and fanned the air in broad swooping flaps. Bits of sand blew as the tips of the wings traced across the ground.

  The dragon’s scales were creamy white in front, and soft green down the back. Each green scale was decorated with a tiny gold dot, except for the scales down its spine, which were ridged and bumpy. The bumpy scales ended in a long tail that flicked and coiled and twisted through the air.

  Twig and Lily were transfixed. Any attempt at running away seemed futile, so they crouched there in the shadow, paralyzed. Twig tried to speak, but could only stammer. “I-it’s—it’s—it’s—”

  “It’s beautiful!” Lily whispered.

  chapter 14

  Guitar to the Rescue

  Twig and Lily grasped each other as the giant beast lowered its huge head. It peered at them, first with one eye, and then the other.

  “H-hello!” Twig ventured.

  A sudden puff of smoke furled out of its nostrils, making Lily jump. “W-we are your friends!” she said nervously.

  Twig found his courage. “Yes! We have been taking care of one of your babies!”

  Lily ventured a smile, and waved. “He’s been a good baby dragon!”

  The dragon gave a huge snort, and more puffs of smoke jetted out.

  “Uh, you may be really hungry,” Twig continued bravely. “But we think maybe your babies are in danger!” He gestured with his paws for the giant dragon to follow. His tailed flicked with urgency.

  “Yes! This way!” Lily exclaimed. She pointed and started to head down the slope into the underbrush. The dragon stood still, its tail waving and flicking.

  Lily hesitated. “Do you think it understands?”

  “I hope so. One way to find out. Let’s go!”

  With that, Twig and Lily darted off in the direction of Burdock and the dragon babies. They looked back over their shoulders to see the large dragon bounding after them.

  They scrambled quickly through the dense tangle of vines and underbrush, leaping over fallen branches and prickly greenbrier, racing like they’d never raced before.

  The dragon had no problem keeping up, but followed them as if it knew where they were leading. The sand around them trembled as it bounded along. Twig could feel the heat on the fur of his tail, emanating from the giant dragon’s nostrils.

  They got to the little clearing. The baby dragons were nowhere to be seen. Twig noticed signs of a struggle, and several burned places. “Look. See that? I bet Burdock upset the dragons. They probably tried to shoot flames at him.”

  “I hope he got burned in the process!” Lily replied. She looked up at the giant dragon. “It’s okay. We’ll find them!”

  “Let’s try the beach,” Twig suggested urgently. “They may already be trying to leave the island.”

  They headed across the now worn pathway to the dunes. Beyond, they could hear the roar of the surf. At the top of the last dune, they could look down onto the sandy beach.

  “There they are!” Twig pointed. Near the edge of the surf were Burdock and Basil. Char and the little troupe of baby dragons were being loaded into the guitar ship. Their snouts had been tied shut, and their tiny wings pinned tightly to their sides with strong vines.

  The giant dragon lifted its head and let loose a loud, piercing bellow, then raced across the sand, Twig and Lily close behind.

  Burdock looked up in horror to see the giant dragon, angry and still trumpeting its fury, galloping across the beach. He shoved the last of the dragon babies into the hold of the guitar boat, and then he and Basil began to frantically push the boat out to sea.

  “Hurry, Basil!” he shrieked. “That must be one of the parents. We need to get out of here fast!”

  “I don’t think we can make it, Uncle Burdock!” Basil shouted back.

  Burdock’s eyes were wide with fear. The huge dragon was nearly upon them, with wings spread menacingly and streams of smoke trailing from its nostrils.

  “There’s nowhere to run now,” Burdock shouted back. “Our only way out is across the ocean. Keep pushing this thing into the water! Push!”

 
But the huge dragon wasn’t going to let them get away. It towered over them and began shooting streams of fire. Burdock and Basil abandoned the guitar boat, and then took off down the beach, streaking across the sand in terror.

  With a few flaps and leaps, the dragon blocked them, and the two weasels skidded to a stop. The dragon bellowed again, and its tailed flicked and bobbed.

  At the same time, Twig and Lily raced to the guitar boat. Char and the other little dragons were huddled inside. Twig yanked at Char, pulling him out onto the sand, and began to nibble and chew through the vine bindings.

  Once free, Char began to squawk and flap. He saw the giant dragon and, with excited squeaks, scampered down the beach toward it.

  The mother dragon turned away from Basil and Burdock and saw Char for the first time . . . with Twig racing behind. To the dragon, it looked like Twig was threatening her baby. Enraged, she turned her attention to Twig.

  Hissing and bellowing with fury, she raised her head and neck high, preparing to shoot a blast of fire at the little chipmunk. She spread her wings. Twig, frozen with fear, could only prepare for the worst.

  Suddenly little Char scurried in front of Twig, facing his mother. His wings fluttered rapidly and he trumpeted a series of little toots and squawks.

  “Gruk!” he croaked, again and again. “Gruk! Gruk!”

  The mother dragon roared with excitement, sniffing and nuzzling Char and vibrating her giant wings. Char returned the affection, racing and skittering around the enormous feet of the mother dragon, flapping his wings and tooting.

  Twig, relieved, looked over to see Lily at the guitar boat, smiling broadly at the reunion. “We did it, Twig!” she shouted across the sand.

  But Burdock slithered up behind her and pushed her aside. “Out of my way!” he hissed. He quickly looked down into the guitar. The other baby dragons were sitting wide-eyed and bound. With the mother dragon distracted by Char, the two weasels pushed and pulled at the guitar boat, getting it closer and closer to the surf. A few moments later they had it out into the water and were hastily paddling it out to sea.

  “They’re taking the babies!” Lily shouted. “They’re getting away!”

  The mother dragon turned from Char and looked at the little boat bobbing over the swells. Steamy puffs of smoke snorted out of her flared nostrils.

  This was not a happy mommy dragon.

  chapter 15

  Home at Last

  Incensed, the mother dragon sloshed through the surf. Her wings postured and spread threateningly. She towered over the little guitar boat.

  Burdock lifted his paddle and swung it at the dragon. “Paddle harder, Basil!” he screamed. Basil tried to maneuver the boat in another direction, away from the menacing mother dragon.

  But her huge head dropped in front of the boat. Burdock swung at her with his paddle, but the dragon took no notice. Instead, she began pushing the boat back toward the beach, nudging it over and over.

  The bottom of the boat scraped into the sand. In a panic Burdock and Basil crawled out onto the neck of the guitar, and watched as the mother dragon gently pulled her babies out one by one and dropped them safely on the beach.

  Then she again turned her attention to the two weasels.

  With one toss of her head she flipped the boat end over end back into the surf. Burdock and Basil spilled into the water and floundered in the frothy waves, thrashing and spitting.

  The dragon coiled back and shot a giant blast of fire that scorched the guitar. It smoked and smoldered in flames, and then, with a black hissing sputter, it sank to the bottom of the sea.

  The two weasels frantically struggled back to shore. They were fairly good swimmers, but the mother dragon caught them in no time. With a flick she tossed them onto the shore, where they sat, sandy, salty, and breathless.

  The mother dragon turned to Twig and Lily. The hair on Twig’s spine stood up as he saw her approach them, wings extended. For a second he thought she would scorch them, too, but she lowered her head and nuzzled them, pulling Char and her other babies under her protective wing.

  Char had found home, at last.

  chapter 16

  Good-bye, but Not Farewell

  Twig sat on top of the giant dragon’s back. The bumpy scales made great knobs to grip on to, and both he and Lily hung on tightly. It was exhilarating to be high atop the back of the enormous reptile. The beach was far below.

  Char was back with his family, at last. Twig and Lily laughed as they watched him race with the other young dragons, flapping his tiny wings, running in circles and frolicking at the edge of the surf.

  Twig figured a storm, or perhaps several storms, had raged through the area and separated Char’s egg from the rest. The tough shell was resilient, and survived undamaged. Lily supposed that Char’s mother took frequent trips to hunt, and that Char’s siblings had been tucked away on a separate island for safety.

  And now Twig and Lily, atop the giant dragon, were ready to head back to the Hill.

  They looked down. Char sat on the beach below, gazing up at them, his tiny wings fluttering and beating with agitation. “I think he knows we’re leaving,” Twig said.

  “Yes . . . he looks so tiny!” Lily sighed. “I’m going to miss him so much!”

  Twig nodded. “He’s taken us on quite an adventure. Think of all the things that have happened . . . running away . . . sailing a ship . . . surviving a storm, and all because I found an egg one day on a muddy hillside.” Twig felt his heart fill with tender affection for the little reptile. It was all worth it, just to see Char with his family, happy at last.

  Twig felt proud. He had returned the baby dragon to his home.

  He hadn’t done it alone. He and Lily had been on an adventure that guaranteed a lifelong friendship. They had memories they could share forever, memories that no one else would understand or appreciate.

  Yes, there were big memory events, like hiding Char from the Guild, and refurbishing and sailing the Captive. But there were little memories, too: sharing a secret over a mug of sassafras tea, watching Char chasing a butterfly, or studying the stars on an astonishingly clear night.

  Maybe that’s what friendship is, Twig thought. Sharing things. The big, and the little.

  He glanced over his shoulder at Lily and smiled. She was waving good-bye to Char. He could see she was trying not to cry.

  “Don’t worry, Lily,” Twig said. “He’ll come see us. As soon as his wings are strong enough.”

  Lily laughed. “I hope so!”

  Twig patted the giant scaly back of the mother dragon. It was time. “Let’s go!”

  The huge wings lifted and flapped in broad, sweeping strokes. Twig and Lily pitched forward, then backward, their paws grasping the dragon’s back. They rolled to one side as the mother dragon circled once over the beach.

  They saw Char and the others racing under them, far below, until the ocean surf stopped them.

  The dragon flew along the edge of the beach, following the curve of the island, and then swooped for a moment above a small cove. Burdock and Basil were sitting on the sand below, and looked up.

  “We’ll be back for you!” Twig called down. He saw Burdock’s face darken with anger.

  Lily laughed. “Well, maybe we’ll be back!” she shouted.

  The wind blew through Twig’s whiskers. He looked ahead, over the dragon’s head. The pang he felt in his chest was quickly turning into excitement. Heading home!

  It wasn’t long before they saw the hazy green line of land far ahead of them, and then the broad expanse of a bay, and the silver rippling of a river. Twig tried to wave as they passed over the sturdy beaver dam. “Hello!” he called out.

  The river narrowed, and the deep green of the Woods enveloped them. Twig began to smell the familiar scent of forest and soil.

  They were home.

  BACK AD

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  HENRY COLE is the illustrator of many beloved books for children, including his own A Nest fo
r Celeste, Jack’s Garden, Unspoken, and Brambleheart. You can visit Henry online at www.henrycole.net.

  Discover great authors, exclusive offers, and more at hc.com.

  BOOKS BY HENRY COLE

  MIDDLE GRADE

  Brambleheart: A Story About Finding Treasure and the Unexpected Magic of Friendship

  A Nest for Celeste: A Story About Art, Inspiration, and the Meaning of Home

  PICTURE BOOKS

  I Took a Walk

  Jack’s Garden

  On Meadowview Street

  On the Way to the Beach

  Trudy

  CREDITS

  Cover art © 2017 by Henry Cole

  Cover design and hand lettering by Heather Daugherty

  COPYRIGHT

  Katherine Tegen Books is an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

  BRAMBLEHEART #2: BAYBERRY ISLAND. Copyright © 2017 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

  www.harpercollinschildrens.com

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  ISBN 978-0-06-224551-9

  EPub Edition © April 2017 ISBN 9780062245526

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