Free The Emerald Quest by Gill Vickery

Prologue
    T he little village of Hamar had never heard such a tumult! A great roaring echoed round the houses and a hot wind shrieked through the narrow streets. People hurried to see what was happening.
    â€˜Stay inside the house,’ Tia’s father ordered as he ran to join the other villagers.
    Tia scrambled onto a chair so that she could look out of the window. In the fields on the edge of the village was a huge red dragon, bellowing and spouting flames.
    Tia had seen lots of dragons, but she’d never seen one lose its temper before. Why was he in Hamar? And why was he so angry?
    She wanted to find out. She scurried out of the house and ran to the corn field. There, she hid behind a hedge and watched as the red dragon turned round and round, churning up the corn.
    â€˜Where is Ondine?’ he roared at the villagers.
    Tia’s father stepped forward and bowed.
    â€˜I am Elio, mighty one,’ he said. ‘Ondine is my wife. What do you want with her?’
    The dragon hissed, hot little flames licking his cruel mouth. ‘She is one of the scheming thieves who have stolen our jewels of power!’
    The villagers gasped in horror.
    â€˜No! Ondine would never steal from the DragonQueen!’ Elio said.
    â€˜Then why isn’t she here?’ roared the dragon.
    â€˜She went to the DragonQueen’s Keep to bring a gift – a swan’s down coverlet for her new eggs.’
    â€˜And there she stole the jewels of power! Where is she now?’ the dragon demanded.
    â€˜I don’t know!’ said Elio desperately.
    â€˜You lie!’ The dragon thundered towards Tia’s father, the ground shaking with his angry steps, and snatched up Elio in his claws.
    â€˜Stop it!’ Tia burst from her hiding place and ran towards the dragon.
    â€˜No, Tia! Run!’ Elio cried.
    Tia took no notice. She beat at the huge scaly foot holding her father.
    â€˜Leave my Papa alone!’
    The dragon roared again, dropped Tia’s father,and grasped her. She screamed and kicked at the iron-hard claws.
    â€˜Enough!’ the dragon growled. He turned to Elio. ‘Ondine helped take our jewels of power, so I will take your witch-brat.’ He gathered himself into a crouch and sprang up and away into the sky.
    Far below, Tia saw her father cupping his hands to his mouth.
    â€˜I’ll find you, Tia!’ he called. ‘I’ll find you and bring you back. Remember!’

    His voice faded and the village of Hamar grew smaller as the dragon flew up and up, his huge wings beating with a steady rhythm that boomed in the air.
    All of sudden and from out of nowhere, a great blast like an invisible storm sent the dragon spinning over and over in the sky. He flapped his wings frantically in an effort to stay in the air – and he lost his grip on Tia. Down and down she fell, the wind rushing past her, whirling her closer and closer to the ground.
    Through her screams, she heard the dragon roar. He was hurtling down towards her, but he was flying again, not falling.
    Just as she was about to hit the earth, the dragon scooped her up.
    â€˜It was a spell!’ the dragon thundered. ‘The High Witches have used magic to drive us away from our lands.’ He was angrier than ever. He tightened his grip on Tia, wheeled around in the sky and flew swiftly towards the distant Drakelow Mountains.

    It was dusk by the time the red dragon landed at the ancient Keep where the dragons had gathered for safety.
    â€˜I could not find Ondine, but I have her child,’ he said and opened his foot. Tia stumbled out; even though she was tired and afraid of the huge creatures towering over her, she kicked the dragon as hard as she could.
    He prodded her forward. ‘Bow to the DragonQueen,’ he ordered.
    Tia bowed solemnly to the golden-green dragon.
    â€˜You’re very small,’ the DragonQueen said. ‘How old are you?’
    â€˜Old enough not to be scared of