Free The Snowy Tower by Belinda Murrell

shoulders noncommittally.
    Saxon and Roana were untied and given roast rabbit to chew. A few moments later a bedraggled, wounded Aisha limped into the camp site, her ears and tail drooping. Roana and Saxon cleaned her cut with water, stroking her head and soothing her with loving words.
    ‘Do not fret, Aisha. We will find Lily andEthan and rescue them, as soon as we can,’ Roana promised. Aisha whimpered in answer, too despondent to eat.
    Roana looked worried. ‘I wish I had some of Lily’s ointments to dress Aisha’s wound. It looks nasty, and quite deep. I hope she will be all right.’
    Aisha lifted her ears slightly at the sound of her name, but slumped back uneasily. She shivered. At last Aisha slept, but Roana could hear her whimpering and twitching in her sleep.
    ‘So, now we know we are on the same side, but what about the Sedah?’ asked Sam, resuming his questioning. ‘Why are they chasing you, and do you think they will come after you two as well, now that they have caught your friends?’
    Saxon thought carefully. He was certain that Sniffer would come after them as soon as he realised Ethan and Lily did not have the gems, and he knew from bitter experience how skilled Sniffer was at tracking. But how much to reveal to the rebels? He needed to ensure their help, but their true quest must remain secret.
    ‘I am sure the Sedahs will come after us, and soon,’ Saxon replied. ‘Their leader is Sniffer, an expert tracker. They are after us because we offended Lord Lazlac trying to help Tiregian.’
    Sam looked skeptical, glancing at the two dishevelled children.
    ‘Ethan and Lily helped dozens of prisoners escape the Sedahs at Kenley,’ confirmed George, beaming proudly at the memory.
    ‘That was the other children,’ Sam said. ‘What about you two? Why do the Sedahs want you as well?’
    Everyone stared at Saxon and Roana expectantly. Roana took a deep breath.
    ‘May we speak with you privately, in the greatest confidence?’ requested Roana.
    Sam, George, Roana and Saxon withdrew into the shadows outside the circle of the fire. Roana drew herself up tall.
    ‘I am the Princess Roana,’ she announced. ‘The Sedahs wish to capture me, like my mother, the queen, and my brother, Prince Caspar.’
    Sam and George gasped with amazement. George glanced at Saxon for confirmation, who nodded gravely.
    ‘I thought you looked familiar,’ cried George. ‘I mean, sorry, your highness.’ He ducked into a clumsy bow, followed by Sam.
    ‘Your highness, of course we’ll do all we can to help you,’ Sam promised. ‘I’d love to teach those Sedahs a good lesson.’
    Together, Roana, Saxon, Sam and George sat up around the fire planning strategies until late in the night. At last, Roana curled up gratefully in her cloak, surreptitiously feeling the precious lumps in the hem. She finally fell asleep, listening to the soft sounds of the forest in the dark.

The Sedah troops cantered easily through the early morning forest, fingers of sunlight poking through the tree canopy. It was a fifteen-minute ride back to the clearing where they had found the children.
    Sniffer led the way, Captain Malish and Lord Mortimer at his side. In the clearing they found everything as they had left it. Under the trees were abandoned saddles, blankets and weapons all covered in dew. Ethan’s bow lay in the middle of the clearing, and a dagger lay down near the stream.
    Sniffer did not pause but continued to the west, following the clearly marked trail where the fivehorses had galloped away into the forest. Sniffer’s quick eyes noted smears of dried blood on some ferns, and some large uneven paw prints. Good, that blasted dog was seriously wounded. Hopefully it is dead already , Sniffer thought.
    The trail was easy to follow, with cracked branches, crushed ferns and scuffled leaf litter indicating the way. It twisted and turned for a couple of kilometres as the horses had tried to forge a path through the forest. At last Sniffer saw