The Opal Quest by Gill Vickery, Mike Love Page B

‘Push!’ Tia waved at Finn, in a gesture that meant,
Come and help
.
    He glided down on silent wings, hovered and dug his claws into cracks in the stone. He pulled hard just as everyone pushed. The rock swayed to one side.
    â€˜Push again!’ Tia shouted. They heaved, and Finn strained at the boulder tugging as hard as he could. He flapped his wings fast for balance and a whoosh of air swept over the group round the boulder. Some people looked up, startled, but then Solay shouted desperately, ‘Push!’ and the strange draft of wind was forgotten as shoulders and hands shoved at the stone. With a mighty effort Finn wrenched it away, and Magnus tumbled out into Solay’s arms. Finn let go of the great rock and soared up to the top of the valley, out of Tia’s sight.
    Halla clapped Tia on the back, almost knocking her over. ‘You were right, Trader girl – thanks to you, we got Magnus out.’
    â€˜It was working together,’ Tia said. That was true, but only because Finn had been on their team.

    â€˜You’re on your own then, while you look for your parents?’ Halla said.
    Tia nodded. She was tired, and hoped she wouldn’t make a mistake if Halla started questioning her.
    The big woman hugged her. ‘Come back with me for a meal and a bed. You’ll have to sleep with the animals but as you’re a Trader you won’t mind that.’
    After Solay had thanked Tia, the exhausted women and children made their way back to the town of Kulafoss, trudging down a stony path halfway up the valley side.
    As they went further into the valley and through the trees Tia heard a muffled roaring sound. ‘What’s that noise?’ she asked Halla.
    The woman laughed. ‘Wait and see!’
    One by one the women and children left the line to enter small houses built into the hillside. Soon only Halla and Tia were left. ‘Not far now,’ the woman said. They walked on and the roaring noise grew louder.
    â€˜Look.’ Halla pointed towards a steep cliff forming the end of the valley.
    Tia gasped in astonishment at a white sweep of waterfall thundering down the cliff into the foamingriver below. A moonbow stretched from side to side in a shining silver arc. Tia stood rapt until clouds drifted over the moon and the moonbow faded.
    â€˜Come on, girl – I’ve not got all night,’ Halla called. Tia hurried after her into a little house set amongst trees.

    What was that noise?
    Tia yawned and opened her eyes. A bright sunbeam shone into the tiny room. The noise that had woken her sounded like a rushing wind.
    It’s the waterfall
, she thought and sat up.
    â€˜Mind your elbows!’ a voice said.
    â€˜Sorry,’ Tia apologised to the young goat she’d accidentally prodded.
    The goat looked at her in astonishment. ‘You understand me!’ he said.
    â€˜Oh!’ Tia’s hand flew to the emerald she kept on a chain under her shirt. The magic jewel allowed her to speak to animals but she wanted to keep it a secret.
    Another goat got to her feet. ‘She’s probably a witch like Halla,’ she said.
    â€˜I’m not a witch,’ Tia insisted. She hated the fact that her birth mother was one of the High Witches who’d stolen the DragonQueen’s jewels of power.
    â€˜You must be,’ the nanny goat said, ‘or you wouldn’t be able to talk to us.’
    â€˜Just a minor witch,’ Tia mumbled reluctantly. Minor witches could only do simple magic like sparking fire or charming warts; they weren’t dangerous, so no-one took any notice of them. If Tia pretended to be one, it would stop the goat wondering how she could talk to animals.
    She brushed straw from her clothes and crossed to the window, carefully avoiding a curled-up little sheep and the mice scurrying from under her feet.
    She leaned out of the window and the thundering of the waterfall sounded even louder. Halla’s house overlooked