Page 99 of Tiger's Trek
“The staff. I lost the other half. I was here, but...”
She pulled out the half that was still there, but found it was no longer a half. She kept pulling and pulling until the entire staff emerged from the pocket. “I don’t understand,” she said. “It was broken.”
“May I take a look?” asked Zakhar.
Handing it over, Stacia crouched down and stirred the porridge, coaxing Zima to eat.
“I found the break,” Zakhar said. “See here? It’s a very thin line where it was reattached. To me, it looks like clear glue or...”
“It’s ice,” Stacia said.
“Ice? But wouldn’t that crack easily?”
“I don’t know. Let’s check.”
Before he could stop her, Stacia took the staff and bent it over her knee, trying her best to snap it in two. If anything, it was harder than before. “Whatever it is,” she said, “it’s not ice.”
Zakhar touched the fur on the cloak, then the jewels on the sleeve. “This belonged to Father Frost?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“And he just... gave it to you?”
“Yes. No. He asked for food. I told him he could have a biscuit.”
“Then this is your gift,” said Zima. “It’s magic. It fixes things.”
“I-I suppose it does,” Stacia said.
“I should like to draw it,” Zakhar said. “Perhaps if we have time.”
“Maybe later. Right now we need to get to that mountain.”
“Yes. You’re right. Such things can wait until later.”
* * *
They quickly ate and broke camp, then they called for the birds and were underway. By the late afternoon, they could tell they were headed to the right place. The air was filled with the cries of cheers and the clash of battle. Even from a distance they could see several trails up the mountainside, each filled with travelers. As they approached, the sky also appeared to be peppered with flocks of various huge birds or winged contraptions.
One suchbirdbroke away from its pattern of circling the mountaintops and headed toward them. As it got closer, they realized it wasn’t a bird at all but a dragon! Zakhar didn’t know what to do. He asked if they should turn around or run, but Stacia said to hold their course. Soon they saw the dragon had a rider.
“It’s a bogatyr!” cried Stacia.
“But don’t they usually fight and slay dragons?” asked Zakhar.
“Perhaps not in the dreamworld.”
The bogatyr pulled up alongside them and introduced himself. “Privet!” he called out. “I am Dobrynya Gorynych. Are you here to compete or to observe?” he asked.
“Observe,” Zakhar said. “Definitely observe.”
“Otlichno. Then if you will kindly show me your invitations.”
Zakhar began patting his pockets as if that would produce anything.
Meanwhile, Stacia could see the bogatyr’s smug expression, his grip on his spear tightening, and the fresh columns of steam coming from the nostrils of the dragon as it angled its head in their direction. She knew the man meant to destroy them.
“What my master means to say,” Stacia intervened, “is thatIam competing, andheis observing.”
