Discovering Bravery by Emma Brade

Author:Emma Brade [Emma Brade]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: 2014-09-05T00:00:00+00:00

The wolf looked up at her, obviously proud of the world he had created. This was the happiest Ruka had felt for a long time. All traces of loneliness and shame had vanished. She wished this day could last for ever. But she knew that soon, she would have to go home and tell her parents about the test. She would have to return to the place where she was bullied every day, the place where she wasn’t important or special or the ruler of an entire world, however small.

Feeling a sudden rush of love, Ruka knelt down and threw her arms around the wolf, burying her face in his fur. It was soft and warm and she could feel the steady tick of his pulse next to her ear. The wolf’s tail wrapped around her and he nuzzled her shoulder with his nose.

“Thank you,” Ruka whispered, her voice wobbling slightly. The wolf gave a little whine in response and playfully licked her cheek. She laughed and hugged her new friend harder.

But then … the spell was broken.

Everything around the pair suddenly vanished. The snow, the giants and even the crown on Ruka’s head.

A sound of heavy footsteps grew closer and closer. The wolf went tense and every muscle beneath his fur seemed to strain. A shadow fell over her and Ruka felt awfully small. Shaking, she turned to face … a monster.

A warty, slimy face stared down at her. Yellow eyes with black slits for pupils met her own. The skin was a murky grey colour and was covered in deep scratches. Its body was huge and covered in mud. The only clean-looking thing about its appearance was its bared teeth; gleaming white and deadly sharp. A goblin.

Ruka just managed to scramble out of the way before it struck her with its claws. With a roar of frustration, the goblin leapt at her again. Once more, Ruka threw herself to the side, dodging the monster’s grasp.

Panic was flooding her thoughts. She cried out for someone to help her, but of course, nobody could hear. Only the wolf – but he seemed strangely calm. She looked down at him, searching for anything in his expression that might tell her what to do. The animal looked back at her with a determined gaze and Ruka thought she saw him nod his head. There was something strikingly familiar about the way he did so.

Be brave for me.

Those words flashed in Ruka’s memory like a bolt of lightning. Time seemed to slow down around her. With a quivering hand she brushed away the tears in her eyes and tried to steady herself as she heard a quiet voice in the back of her head saying, I know you can do it.

The goblin was coming closer, its claws and teeth prepared to strike. Ruka tried to ignore the sick feeling in her stomach as she reached out with her arms. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

There it was again. That tingling feeling.

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