boulders did you see?”
“A whole lot!” said the snake.
“Can you give me a number?” Audun asked. “You can count, can’t you?”
“What does that mean?” asked another snake.
“Never mind,” Audun said. “You just stay here and keep your eyes on the bird. Don’t let anything happen to it.”
“But we need to stay with you!”
“Not this time,” said Audun. Rising up on his toes, Audun filled his lungs with air until he couldn’t hold any more. After giving the baby bird a gentle pat, he backed down the tunnel so his tail would be toward the boulders. When he reached the plug, Audun moved his tail to the side, rested his weight on his front legs and kicked hard with the back ones. One kick shifted the boulders, making debris swirl around him. It took two more kicks before the boulders shot out of the tunnel, startling a school of orange and white striped fish.
Some of the sea snakes had followed him despite what he’d said. They cheered, writhing in joy. “Now you can get out!” said a snake, twining around his ear.
“Not yet,” Audun said, and he hurried down the tunnel. There was very little water left in the cave when he arrived and Audun wasn’t sure he’d be able to get the bird out, but when he touched it, the water in its belly sloshed around, changing the bird’s shape enough that he thought he might have a chance.
The bird was so big now that Audun could no longer get a grip on it. Instead, he rolled it toward the tunnel, letting the little bit of water left in the cave support some of its weight. When he reached the entrance to the tunnel, he had to push and squeeze, pinch and shove the bird through the narrow opening. He thought the bird was stuck at the point where the tunnel changed direction, but a little more pressure on one side and its round, spongy body squished through.
Audun was relieved when the baby bird popped out of the tunnel like a cork out of a bottle. Although he was no longer afraid that the bird might drown, he was worried about what would happen to it out in the ocean where the volume of water was so huge. He didn’t have much air left himself, after working so hard to get the bird out of the cave.
There hadn’t been enough space in the tunnel for the sea snakes to help him much, but once in the open ocean they gathered around, waiting to be told what to do. “You can help me push it to the surface,” he said.
With the snakes pushing alongside him, Audun was making good headway when the fish with the pointed face appeared from the direction of the sea witch’s wreck. Audun wasn’t afraid of the fish, but he could already feel the tightness in his chest from lack of air.
“Shark!” hissed the snakes, moving away from the bird to place themselves between the dragon and the fish.
“I know you want to protect me,” said Audun, “but I need some of you to push the bird to the surface while the rest go find my amulet. It’s a piece of gold on a chain that the sea witch took from me.”
“We can find it,” the snakes replied, and a moment later half of them were swimming back toward the bottom of the sea. Audun watched to make sure that the remaining snakes were indeed pushing the bird, albeit more slowly, before he turned to face the shark.
“Why are you here?” Audun asked, trying to ignore the tight feeling in his chest.
“I’m hungry,” said the shark. “I want to taste that thing you were pushing. Get out of my way or I’ll eat you instead.”
“Just try it!” Audun snarled, baring his fangs.
Suddenly, Audun felt the overwhelming urge to inhale. His air was gone. He’d have to surface or drown. Either way, he wasn’t going to be able to help the baby desicca bird any longer. If only . . .
And then the shark was there, jaws snapping and teeth grazing the scales on Audun’s neck. The dragon fought back in a desperate frenzy. His fangs pierced the rough skin of the shark even while white lights exploded in the darkness.
The
“A whole lot!” said the snake.
“Can you give me a number?” Audun asked. “You can count, can’t you?”
“What does that mean?” asked another snake.
“Never mind,” Audun said. “You just stay here and keep your eyes on the bird. Don’t let anything happen to it.”
“But we need to stay with you!”
“Not this time,” said Audun. Rising up on his toes, Audun filled his lungs with air until he couldn’t hold any more. After giving the baby bird a gentle pat, he backed down the tunnel so his tail would be toward the boulders. When he reached the plug, Audun moved his tail to the side, rested his weight on his front legs and kicked hard with the back ones. One kick shifted the boulders, making debris swirl around him. It took two more kicks before the boulders shot out of the tunnel, startling a school of orange and white striped fish.
Some of the sea snakes had followed him despite what he’d said. They cheered, writhing in joy. “Now you can get out!” said a snake, twining around his ear.
“Not yet,” Audun said, and he hurried down the tunnel. There was very little water left in the cave when he arrived and Audun wasn’t sure he’d be able to get the bird out, but when he touched it, the water in its belly sloshed around, changing the bird’s shape enough that he thought he might have a chance.
The bird was so big now that Audun could no longer get a grip on it. Instead, he rolled it toward the tunnel, letting the little bit of water left in the cave support some of its weight. When he reached the entrance to the tunnel, he had to push and squeeze, pinch and shove the bird through the narrow opening. He thought the bird was stuck at the point where the tunnel changed direction, but a little more pressure on one side and its round, spongy body squished through.
Audun was relieved when the baby bird popped out of the tunnel like a cork out of a bottle. Although he was no longer afraid that the bird might drown, he was worried about what would happen to it out in the ocean where the volume of water was so huge. He didn’t have much air left himself, after working so hard to get the bird out of the cave.
There hadn’t been enough space in the tunnel for the sea snakes to help him much, but once in the open ocean they gathered around, waiting to be told what to do. “You can help me push it to the surface,” he said.
With the snakes pushing alongside him, Audun was making good headway when the fish with the pointed face appeared from the direction of the sea witch’s wreck. Audun wasn’t afraid of the fish, but he could already feel the tightness in his chest from lack of air.
“Shark!” hissed the snakes, moving away from the bird to place themselves between the dragon and the fish.
“I know you want to protect me,” said Audun, “but I need some of you to push the bird to the surface while the rest go find my amulet. It’s a piece of gold on a chain that the sea witch took from me.”
“We can find it,” the snakes replied, and a moment later half of them were swimming back toward the bottom of the sea. Audun watched to make sure that the remaining snakes were indeed pushing the bird, albeit more slowly, before he turned to face the shark.
“Why are you here?” Audun asked, trying to ignore the tight feeling in his chest.
“I’m hungry,” said the shark. “I want to taste that thing you were pushing. Get out of my way or I’ll eat you instead.”
“Just try it!” Audun snarled, baring his fangs.
Suddenly, Audun felt the overwhelming urge to inhale. His air was gone. He’d have to surface or drown. Either way, he wasn’t going to be able to help the baby desicca bird any longer. If only . . .
And then the shark was there, jaws snapping and teeth grazing the scales on Audun’s neck. The dragon fought back in a desperate frenzy. His fangs pierced the rough skin of the shark even while white lights exploded in the darkness.
The
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