Free Guardian Dragons by Catherine L Vickers Page B

scampered up, it was Frizzle and wherever he was
then Heather was never far away. Heather was not moving with any
great speed but he knew how keen she was about this secret meeting,
she had never before tried the ‘Changeling’ magic.
     
    * * *
     
    Deep in the seabed a small huphin Princess, a huge Queen
whale and her baby had taken
refuge in a large school of dolphins as a mass of savage sharks
circled the entire group. The brave dolphins chose to protect the
whales only because a huphin’s life was at stake. The whale called
out a cry for help to her own kind, but alas no reply. How long
these bold dolphins would remain so, with their own young at risk,
was not something that Princess Bryley wanted to contemplate. It
had been her idea to ask them for help when the sharks had suddenly
pounced out of nowhere, unexpectedly, and the baby whale had taken
a small injury from one of the attackers. The sharks would not give
up so easily now they had the scent of blood drifting in the sea
currents. The dolphins, for their part, had sent out signals to
obtain help from their nearest neighbours. They waited, but not
without fear. The sharks may reconsider and decide a couple of baby
dolphins would suffice for their meal, or even a young huphin. Princess Bryley would
not give up hope but she watched despondently as the sharks
tightened their trap. They were going to eat something, but who was
to make their meal was what she feared. They were clearly angry
with her for interfering. She longed to be with her parents. At
least the baby whale would die by its mother’s side. She was to die
alone.
    * * *
     
    Gadon made a slow upward stroke to look out of the
waters and observed Leon still
waiting near the large green tree. He was about to reach out to
Leon’s mind when he noticed another human arriving. The dolphins
started to screech at him, trying in turn to get his attention but
he just ignored their noisy twittering and swam away, indicating to
them that he did not wish for their company anymore. None dare to
defy his instructions for privacy. Instead, they went into an
excited frenzy that just made the Prince push them away all the
more. Aware of the little Princess’s true danger, they desperately
wanted his attention but none would dare to challenge
him.

 
     
     
     
    Chapter 14
Changeling
     
    M oving with a little
more haste, Heather and Leon carefully made their way down the
steep, narrow sandy path leading to a red gritty beach. On one side
of the path, bright yellow petals of the healing herb Danlon
carpeted the ground. The seeds protected within the golden petals
could be ground into a healing powder. To the other side were
scatterings of prickly dark green bushes and bushy brown shrubs
that dangled with bright red berries. The hidden wildlife was wise
to the tasty looking fruits that could poison instantly. Unknown to
passersby, the luring shrubbery concealed the closeness of the
cliff’s edge that led to a dangerous sheer drop down to the
crashing waves. The path had originally been walked by fisher men,
who had once used this beach to trawl small boats, carrying their
day’s catch up the path to go on and trade at the market in
Beldroth. The Royal City, since those times, has expanded its
harbour and so the fisher men now take a more direct
route.
    The end of the path lay decayed and
crumbled causing Leon to leap his long gangly legs a good distance
and thump down on to the gritty sand. He turned to assist Heather,
not that she needed help but she liked him to act the gentleman and
servant to her, whenever it suited.
    Landing on the baking hot sands scorching the soles of
their feet, they hurried towards a cluster of flat red rocks hidden
under a tall looming cliff. A
long dark shadow thrown out by the cliff kept the rocks cooled.
Jumping onto the shaded rocks soothed the bottom of their feet.
This was only a small bay and not many bothered to clamber down the
track any more. It was because of the seclusion of