high-pitched squeak. Again and again they called until a banging on the door made them stop.
‘Keep the noise down,’ the guard shouted as he unlocked the door.
Timmery flitted up to the roof, Camelin tried to hide in the corner and Jack stood still in the centre of the room.
‘Out of your net are you? Not eaten your dinner?’
The guard thrust the lighted torch he was carrying into the room then froze. He struggled to speak: ‘What… what are you doing in here? Where’s the other bird gone? This is going to have to be reported. Looks like we’ve caught ourselves a shape-shifting spy as well as a thieving raven. His Lordship will be pleased.’
The door slammed once more and darkness returned.
‘Now’s your chance Timmery, if the guards are going to the Citadel you’ll be able to get out,’ whispered Jack.
There was no answer from the little bat.
‘Timmery?’ called Camelin.
‘I think he must have gone. Let’s hope we get some help soon.’
They sat in a silence broken only by the sound of bird food being stirred around the bowl by Camelin.
Jack woke with a start. The loud snoring coming from the dark shape by his side told him Camelin was asleep. He’d no idea what time it was or how long they’d been in the cell. He wondered where Timmery was and if help was on its way. There wasn’t any point in waking Camelin; probably the best thing he could do was to try and sleep again. He shut his eyes then thought he heard someone calling his name. He listened hard and there it was again.
‘Jack, Jack.’
This time it was closer.
‘Camelin, where are you?’
‘Charkle!’ cried Jack, ‘in here.’
A tiny bat with a long tail flitted in through the bars.
‘I’ve been looking everywhere for you.’
‘How did you get in?’
‘Let’s have some light in here first,’ said Charkle as he breathed a small flame, which promptly went out when he saw Camelin.
‘Who’s that? Where’s Camelin?’
‘I am Camelin.’
‘But…’
‘I know, I’m a boy. We haven’t got time to go through all that; tell us what you know and how you got in. And more importantly, can we get out?’
‘Wait a minute,’ said Jack. ‘Didn’t you find a candle near those sacks? At least we’ll be able to have a bit of light now.’
Charkle’s flame gave Camelin enough light to find the candle again. When it was lit they sat around it.
‘So, can we get out?’
‘Not without help. I knew you were in trouble when I heard the call but I didn’t imagine you were in this kind of trouble. How did you end up in the dungeon in the first place?’
Camelin coughed.
‘It’s a long story and we haven’t got time now. Can you get out again and go and find Nora?’
‘I’ll go and wait by the door. I got in when someone went out. It’s bound to be opened again sometime soon.’
‘Did you see Timmery?’ asked Jack.
‘No, but I wasn’t looking for him.’
‘Find Nora, tell her where we are and beg her to come and get us out of here,’ said Camelin.
‘Where should I go and look?’
Camelin spread out one of the sacks and started sprinkling birdseed on it until he’d outlined some of the places they’d seen from the hill. He pointed to one of the piles of seed. Charkle sat on his shoulder and watched.
‘Do you remember that tree near the mountains?’
‘The Mother Oak?’
‘Yes, that’s where Nora and Elan were going first. When they’ve been there and collected the acorns they’ll go and see Gwillam, over here by the Northern Gateway.’
‘How do you know she’ll go to Gwillam’s? She’s got to go to the Crochan tree hasn’t she?’ interrupted Jack.
‘The Crochan tree is in Gwillam’s garden and even if she didn’t have to get the acorns she’d go and see him anyway. He is her brother after all.’
‘Brother?’ said Jack and Charkle together.
‘I haven’t got time to explain family trees now, we’ve got far more important things to worry about. Now, do you think you can
‘Keep the noise down,’ the guard shouted as he unlocked the door.
Timmery flitted up to the roof, Camelin tried to hide in the corner and Jack stood still in the centre of the room.
‘Out of your net are you? Not eaten your dinner?’
The guard thrust the lighted torch he was carrying into the room then froze. He struggled to speak: ‘What… what are you doing in here? Where’s the other bird gone? This is going to have to be reported. Looks like we’ve caught ourselves a shape-shifting spy as well as a thieving raven. His Lordship will be pleased.’
The door slammed once more and darkness returned.
‘Now’s your chance Timmery, if the guards are going to the Citadel you’ll be able to get out,’ whispered Jack.
There was no answer from the little bat.
‘Timmery?’ called Camelin.
‘I think he must have gone. Let’s hope we get some help soon.’
They sat in a silence broken only by the sound of bird food being stirred around the bowl by Camelin.
Jack woke with a start. The loud snoring coming from the dark shape by his side told him Camelin was asleep. He’d no idea what time it was or how long they’d been in the cell. He wondered where Timmery was and if help was on its way. There wasn’t any point in waking Camelin; probably the best thing he could do was to try and sleep again. He shut his eyes then thought he heard someone calling his name. He listened hard and there it was again.
‘Jack, Jack.’
This time it was closer.
‘Camelin, where are you?’
‘Charkle!’ cried Jack, ‘in here.’
A tiny bat with a long tail flitted in through the bars.
‘I’ve been looking everywhere for you.’
‘How did you get in?’
‘Let’s have some light in here first,’ said Charkle as he breathed a small flame, which promptly went out when he saw Camelin.
‘Who’s that? Where’s Camelin?’
‘I am Camelin.’
‘But…’
‘I know, I’m a boy. We haven’t got time to go through all that; tell us what you know and how you got in. And more importantly, can we get out?’
‘Wait a minute,’ said Jack. ‘Didn’t you find a candle near those sacks? At least we’ll be able to have a bit of light now.’
Charkle’s flame gave Camelin enough light to find the candle again. When it was lit they sat around it.
‘So, can we get out?’
‘Not without help. I knew you were in trouble when I heard the call but I didn’t imagine you were in this kind of trouble. How did you end up in the dungeon in the first place?’
Camelin coughed.
‘It’s a long story and we haven’t got time now. Can you get out again and go and find Nora?’
‘I’ll go and wait by the door. I got in when someone went out. It’s bound to be opened again sometime soon.’
‘Did you see Timmery?’ asked Jack.
‘No, but I wasn’t looking for him.’
‘Find Nora, tell her where we are and beg her to come and get us out of here,’ said Camelin.
‘Where should I go and look?’
Camelin spread out one of the sacks and started sprinkling birdseed on it until he’d outlined some of the places they’d seen from the hill. He pointed to one of the piles of seed. Charkle sat on his shoulder and watched.
‘Do you remember that tree near the mountains?’
‘The Mother Oak?’
‘Yes, that’s where Nora and Elan were going first. When they’ve been there and collected the acorns they’ll go and see Gwillam, over here by the Northern Gateway.’
‘How do you know she’ll go to Gwillam’s? She’s got to go to the Crochan tree hasn’t she?’ interrupted Jack.
‘The Crochan tree is in Gwillam’s garden and even if she didn’t have to get the acorns she’d go and see him anyway. He is her brother after all.’
‘Brother?’ said Jack and Charkle together.
‘I haven’t got time to explain family trees now, we’ve got far more important things to worry about. Now, do you think you can
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