How to Be a Hero by Cat Weldon

Author:Cat Weldon
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pan Macmillan UK

Lotta the swan spun in the air, trying to avoid the dragon’s fiery breath, and she squawked as Whetstone gripped on tighter. The bird opened her wings and they sped downward, heading towards the ground in dizzying spirals.

The dragon shouldered its way past the few surviving branches and sprang out of the tree after them, its enormous leathery wings opening wide, hiding the tree from view.

Whetstone risked a glance behind them and immediately wished he hadn’t. The dragon was following, blowing out bursts of fire. Lotta was forced to duck and weave to avoid being roasted mid-flight.

A large sign dangled from one of the branches ahead. Picked out in silver letters were the words: Welcome to Midgard – please leave it as you found it.

The ground raced up to meet them, brown and boggy with a scattering of familiar wooden buildings.

‘YES!’ Whetstone cried, the wind whipping through his hair. ‘Over there, towards that boulder.’

Lotta flattened her wings, trying to slow down, but it was too little, too late. They hit the ground with a painful bump, tumbling head over heels through the bracken and wet grass. Whetstone rolled to a stop in a jumble of arms, legs and clothing. He lay breathless, tangled in a thorn bush. He checked carefully: all the bits seemed to be his, and he seemed to have all his bits.

He rolled away from the thorns and lay on his back, staring into the sky. The dragon circled above, twisting its long neck to glare around for them. It spat out a sticky fireball, setting alight a clump of long grass, apparently out of spite.

Lotta – no longer a bird – sat up and brushed ash off her clothes. ‘We need to get out of here.’ Her armour was singed, her dark face caked in soot along one side. A thin line of smoke wisped up from her curls.

Whetstone got to his hands and knees. Everything ached, even his eyebrows. He crawled towards the Valkyrie. Lotta patted herself on the head, putting out the last of the smouldering embers. Nidhogg looped overhead, his wings momentarily blocking out the sunlight.

‘Are you all right?’ Whetstone whispered.

Lotta wiped soot off her face. ‘I’m fine. Just as long as Flee and Flay haven’t been unfrozen and told Scold about us yet.’

Whetstone grinned. ‘Nah, what sort of person would be crazy enough to do that?’

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