In Deep Dark Wood by Marita Conlon-Mckenna Page B

that!’ insisted a man with a mane of roaring red hair and a long beard. ‘The boy must be mistaken.’
    ‘Longbeard Huge, you do well to express your doubts, butthe boy recognised the Dragon Woman in our Chronicles only a few days ago.’
    ‘The dragons are dead, sky protect them,’ murmured a huge woman who towered over Bran Bigg. ‘Good ones and bad ones, all gone.’
    ‘His sister saw dragons, only babies mind you,’ interrupted Birch’s mother. ‘She told the boy about them but he didn’t believe her, more’s the pity! The Shadow Hound brought him this far, so I reckon the least we can do is help.’
    A mutter of disbelief and objections filled the air.
    ‘I saw a dragon!’
    Everyone turned to see who had spoken.
    ‘I saw a dragon, a black one, flying skywards out beyond the Boundary two days ago,’ declared a plump-faced boy about Rory’s own age.
    ‘Why did you not tell someone, young Nilo?’
    The boy giant looked nervously across at his father, Longbeard. ‘Because I knew no one would believe me and I’d get into trouble.’
    ‘Trouble?’
    ‘Aye, trouble, for not being at school and for going outside the Boundary.’
    ‘What was this dragon like?’ asked an elderly giant who was sitting near the fire and toasting some bread for himself.
    ‘At first, I thought it was just some kind of strange bird blown off-course. But it cast a black shadow across the ground, and when I saw that, I knew what it was. It was definitely a dragon! I was scared. I ran and hid in an old ruin till it flewpast.’
    ‘So, there be dragons again!’ said an ancient giant who balanced on crutches made of two tree trunks. His head was covered in wispy white hair and his front teeth were missing. ‘And the sorceress, Bella, has returned and will regain her powers, and she will try to rule the four territories of Aland! She will use the dragons to quell resistance. Her magic will grow more powerful, day by day. We giants may be in grave danger.’
    ‘Bran says it was the Shadow Hound who brought the stranger here,’ said the ancient giant, looking around the campfire. ‘We should remember that it was the noble Shadow Hound who also brought the first giant across the filthy swamps, when he lifted Hugo Long from the battlefield where he had been left to die and brought him to the safety of Giants’ Cave many years ago. He has now brought the boy to us, perhaps to warn us, or simply knowing that we would help him!’
    ‘Aye! We should help the boy!’ agreed a chorus of voices. ‘We owe it to the Shadow Hound.’
    The giants talked long into the night, devising a plan to take Rory to where the dragon had been seen. Bran Bigg would go with him, and young Nilo would lead the way.

Chapter 15
The Swamp
    B efore they set off the next day, the giant’s wife served them an enormous breakfast of porridge, crumpets, honey and cherry juice. She filled Rory’s backpack with food for the journey : a dried fish, some oatmeal biscuits, strips of charred beef, baby potatoes and a human-sized loaf of fresh bread that she had baked early that morning especially for him. There was also a flask of spring water and a sealed pitcher of juice. Birch cried all morning, begging him not to go.
    ‘Stay with us here, Rory, and I could be your sister!’ she pleaded.
    Rory shook his head, thinking of Mia and how scared and alone she must be.
    Birch squeezed him tight as he was leaving, and he almost felt dizzy!
    ‘What about a hug for me?’ Nilo teased Birch. Birch blusheddeeply, as usual.
    Eventually, all the farewells were made and it was time to leave Giants’ Cave. Bran led the way down the hillside. Rory slipped and stumbled as the heavy rocks and stones moved beneath his feet. He was thankful for the giant boy beside him, who many a time lifted him up off the ground and stopped him from falling. He knew that he was slowing them up. But soon they reached the acres of green pasture land. They walked along, sometimes talking, sometimes