The Last of the Sky Pirates by Paul Stewart & Chris Riddell

Author:Paul Stewart & Chris Riddell [Stewart, Paul & Riddell, Chris]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Ages 10 and up
ISBN: 9780375892776
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2003-01-01T07:00:00+00:00

Lake Landing

pirits soaring, Rook, Magda and Stob raced down the steep incline, with Hekkle flapping behind them, clucking noisily. ‘Careful, brave masters!’ he called out breathlessly. ‘Not so fast, brave mistress!’

They emerged from the trees onto a track – flattened and hardened by the passing of countless booted feet and wooden wheels – and there in front of them, like some magnificent jewel-encrusted tapestry, were the glades themselves.

Rook’s pulse quickened as he looked round in wonder. In the moonlight, the diverse dwelling places of the numerous Free Glade denizens were picked out in luminous silver and long, sharp shadows. The three apprentices stopped and stared. The air was filled with smells and sounds. The tang of leather, the odour of stale beer, the aromatic scent of spices and herbs. And Rook could hear the buzz of distant voices – joyful voices, and singing and laughter. Hekkle bustled up behind them and tried to catch his breath. The feathers on his neck stood up in a ragged ruff and his thin pointed beak quivered. ‘Over there, that’s where the webfoot goblins live.’ He nodded towards a group of huts floating on shimmering marshland to their left. ‘Great eel-fishers,’ he said, ‘but not too particular in their personal habits. And those,’ he said, pointing over his right shoulder to a tall, steep, pockmarked hill, ‘are the cloddertrog caves. Now, they’re really a sight to see. They say whole clans live in a single cave together; sometimes hundreds of them—’

All at once there was a clatter of hoofs behind them. They turned to see two gnokgoblins on prowlgrins approaching. Both the goblins and their mounts wore tooled-leather armour; the gnokgoblins carried long ironwood lances and large crescent-shaped shields. One stopped and, standing tall in his saddle, scanned the area. The other rode towards them.

‘Advance and identify yourselves,’ he barked.

Hekkle stepped forwards and produced the bloodoak-tooth medallion, which he held up. ‘Friends of Earth and Sky,’ he said.

Rook and the others revealed their medallions, too. The guard nodded. Up close, Rook noticed that the burnished leather of his armour was pitted and scratched with the scars of battle.

Just then a third guard appeared. ‘Hey, Glock, Steg,’ he shouted. ‘Marauders have been sighted up in the Northern Fringes. We’re needed there at once.’

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