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As though now understanding her, Skaldi had turned his glowing green eyes slowly to stare at the new planet. But without Erann, they were unable to communicate. She didn’t know him well enough to understand what his looks meant. If he’d not been so obvious with his interest in the new arrival, she wouldn’t have even suspected he’d never seen it before.

Beside them, Arrow revealed her feelings, offering a long, shrill howl at the interloper, repeating it over and over again. Her cries had echoed around the deserted glacier.

Desperate to be distracted from her fear by anything, Sereh had watched with fascination as the planet caused long snaking shadows of the mountains surrounding Vatna Jokull to sprawl their way across the gleaming glacier. She’s shuddered. The planet had promised warmth by its very brightness but hadn’t delivered.

As the long, lonely night had progressed, she’d felt the ground around her rumble and then roar. Skaldi beat his huge wings and returned to the sky, as confused by it all as she was, she suspected. He’d flown southwards, his elongated shape and momentous wings illuminated from above by the bright planet. She’d marvelled at the sight of him beneath its glow. He’d moved as if made of polished silver. She’d fought back panic as the ground had shaken again and again.

‘I’ve been abandoned. Again,’ she growled, determined not to cry.

Arrow had stayed to comfort her. She’d clutched her faithful friend tightly as the ground had slowly stopped trembling. There’d been ominous groans and the sharp snap of cracks forming in the glacier.

‘Stay with me, Arrow,’ she’d urged the wolf-dog. ‘Stay here. Don’t run.’ She’d spoken more for herself than for Arrow. Her instincts were screaming for her to flee, from this location, towards the summer grazing meadows. But, if she went, she’d never know the truth of where Erann was. There’d been little point in leaving the glacier. The comfort of being close to the towering mountains was no comfort at all knowing the shocks could cause more avalanches.

After what had felt like an eternity, Skaldi had returned as a steadily growing black dot on the deep blue horizon.

‘Skaldi,’ she’d gasped, pleased to have him with her once more. With another shudder of cracking ice, Skaldi had settled back to the surface of the glacier.

‘What is it?’ she’d questioned Arrow, who snarled now, the sound low and menacing, her heckles raised, her tail rigid. Perplexed, she’d peered where her wolf-dog looked, and met the staring eyes of Skaldi.

‘Is Skaldi communicating with you?’ she’d exclaimed, her eyes tracking between the pair. She’d reached for Arrow, as though she’d be able to speak to the dragon if only she held the wolf-dog, but Arrow evaded her, as the snarls faded to little more than whimpers.

When Arrow had turned to her and nudged her hand, Sereh had been aware enough to realise Arrow wanted her to do something. Standing slowly, stiff and benumbed from the icy ground, she’d let Arrow guide her closer to Skaldi, her hand resting on Arrow’s neck.

Arrow had remained uncertain, moving forwards as though against her will.

‘What is it?’ she’d questioned Arrow, but it had taken more unhappy growls before she’d apparently done what Skaldi had wished and stepped even closer to him, seeing herself reflected in his unreadable green eyes.

She’d stood within easy reach of the dragon’s enormous front claws, sharper than knives and glinting viciously in the light from the new planet. Skaldi had clasped his front claws together to form a sort of cage. Arrow had skulked inside it once, and then returned to tug on her sleeve and dragged her in too.

‘Are we going somewhere?’ she’d murmured, allowing Arrow to lead her on, too dulled to refuse. She’d felt the claws snap shut on her and Arrow. ‘Will Erann be there?’ she’d persisted, but of course, Arrow couldn’t tell her, and neither could Skaldi. Yet, although she’d said it, she knew Erann wouldn’t be there. Wherever he was, Skaldi couldn’t find him.

She’d not panicked, too exhausted to care, yawning wildly. It had been a long day and night, and her body was still to fully heal from her exposure.

Grabbing Arrow for balance, she’d been jolted and felt Skaldi rising in the air, a snap of his wings, as the ground grew distant, and she’d wondered what it would be like to fall from such a height. That’s what it would have been like for Pal. She stifled another sob, as Arrow’s ears flattened in fear, still growling.

‘Leave it, Arrow,’ she’d murmured, but had offered nothing else. Wherever they were going, she needed to trust Skaldi, just as Erann did.

She’d swayed hazardously before falling to sit within the dragon’s claw. Through the gaps in his golden coated nails, she’d seen the ground rushing beneath her in an unending flow of sparkling crystal white and blue.

Then she’d been amongst the clouds and closer to the stars than she’d ever been. Her tired mind had thought perhaps Skaldi truly meant to strike out for the new planet. She’d peered at it.

‘Who are you?’ she’d mused, shielding her eyes to see what she thought must be land masses and expanses of sea. Under her hand, Arrow trembled from head to tail. She’d simply been too tired to be scared or amazed. Before the journey had been over her eyes had closed, seeking the oblivion of sleep rather than the numb shock shuddering through her body.

She’d been forced to peel them open on arrival at what she assumed was Skaldi’s home.

Skaldi had unclasped his claws, and she’d stepped hastily onto a thin strip of ledge, the rock black and weathered grey. Arrow joining her, growling still.

‘Where are we?’ she’d asked, entirely unexpecting a reply.

‘Welcome, Sereh, Arrow.’ Emma stepped onto the ledge, while Skaldi manoeuvred himself so he too could perch there. His head low, it was as though he tried to speak to her. But she could hear nothing, and Arrow was no longer as terrified. Although, Sereh was.

‘Stay away from the ledge,’ she called to Arrow. ‘Don’t go near it.’

Emma waited, a strained expression on her face.

‘Do you know where Erann is?’ Sereh thought to ask, and then grimaced. ‘Sorry, Emma, are you well once more?’

‘Thank you, Sereh. It’s unusual to meet one of us here, but you’re welcome. And thank you, I’m much restored, but alas, I don’t know where Erann is. Excuse me for a moment. Skaldi’s communicating with me.’