Lewis repeated. He peered at her. “Hang on, I recognise you. You’re Shona Gilhooley, the woman that runs the aerobics class Mum goes to on Tuesday night.”
The Valkyrie drew her sword. “You mock me at your peril, whelp! I know nothing of this
aerobics class
you speak of.”
“Look, we’re not going any place with you,” said Greg, “feasting or no feasting.”
“Cease your prattling, you witless fool,” said the Valkyrie, pointing the blade directly at him. “You cannot outrun my roadsteed. You will come with me now, either as my prisoners or as trophies.”
“Come with you where?” Lewis asked.
“My master demands your presence,” Shona Gilhooley answered, edging her mount closer. Its eyes narrowed and a thin sliver of steam drifted from its snout.
“Look, if Mr Hawkins sent you,” said Lewis, “tell him we’ll get back to school as soon as we can.”
“Right,” Greg agreed, “you can push off and leave us in peace.”
The Valkyrie laughed a rich, lingering laugh.
“She’s not talking about Mr Hawkins,” Greg surmised.
“Good guess,” Lewis agreed.
“Yonder come my sisters,” Shona announced.
The boys looked around and saw five more Valkyries closing in on them from different directions, all riding roadsteeds.
“You’ve got the wrong guys,” Greg said desperately. “You’re looking for Hansel and Gretel, or the Babes in the Wood, or the Brothers Grimm.”
“Enough!” the Valkyrie snapped. She leaned forward to take a swipe at Greg with her upraised blade, coaxing her mount forward as she did so.
At that precise moment Lindsay materialised in midair right in front of her. The roadsteed pulled up short and Lindsay reached out and yanked the Valkyrie’s helmet down over her eyes.
“Run!” she urged the brothers, swooping along behind them as they took to their heels.
They heard the engine roar of the other Valkyries revving their roadsteeds for the chase. The boys dashed into the trees, only pausing for breath once their pursuers were out of sight.
“Thanks, Lindsay,” Lewis said. “You’re a life saver.”
“Yes, thanks,” Greg mumbled.
“You weren’t very nice to me, Greg,” Lindsay said huffily, “but I still wasn’t about to let those Amazons get their hands on you.”
“Valkyries, actually,” said Lewis, pointing behind them through the trees to where two of the warrior women were riding in their direction.
“Look out!” Lindsay squeaked.
Another Valkyrie erupted from the greenery, scattering the three of them as her mount reared up, its eyes ablaze. Lindsay shot straight up in the air while the boys split off to the left, racing through the foliage for all they were worth.
Luckily the transformed park was thickly wooded, making it difficult for the Valkyries to manoeuvre their roadsteeds. The boys zigzagged right and left, crouching low to make themselves less visible.
All at once Lewis realised he had lost sight of Greg again. He groaned, frantically imagining what sort of a scrape his brother was going to get himself into this time. Something about what had happened to Greg at school was nagging at the back of his mind, like an itch he couldn’t reach to scratch.
Before he could give it any more thought, he heard someone hiss at him. Greg was scrunched down in the bushes to his right, waving him over.
He scurried to his brother’s side and squatted down next to him. “What happened to Lindsay?” he asked.
“Like it matters!” Greg snorted.
“She did save us just now,” Lewis reminded himsharply.
Greg could see he was upset and spoke in a conciliatory tone. “I just meant she can always twinkle out of
trouble.”
Lewis harrumphed to show he was still irked with him.
“Never mind about that just now,” Greg said. “We need a place to hide and there it is.”
He pointed through the bushes at a long wooden building on the edge of the lake.
“It looks like a boathouse,” said Lewis.
“It’s only a quick dash away,”
The Valkyrie drew her sword. “You mock me at your peril, whelp! I know nothing of this
aerobics class
you speak of.”
“Look, we’re not going any place with you,” said Greg, “feasting or no feasting.”
“Cease your prattling, you witless fool,” said the Valkyrie, pointing the blade directly at him. “You cannot outrun my roadsteed. You will come with me now, either as my prisoners or as trophies.”
“Come with you where?” Lewis asked.
“My master demands your presence,” Shona Gilhooley answered, edging her mount closer. Its eyes narrowed and a thin sliver of steam drifted from its snout.
“Look, if Mr Hawkins sent you,” said Lewis, “tell him we’ll get back to school as soon as we can.”
“Right,” Greg agreed, “you can push off and leave us in peace.”
The Valkyrie laughed a rich, lingering laugh.
“She’s not talking about Mr Hawkins,” Greg surmised.
“Good guess,” Lewis agreed.
“Yonder come my sisters,” Shona announced.
The boys looked around and saw five more Valkyries closing in on them from different directions, all riding roadsteeds.
“You’ve got the wrong guys,” Greg said desperately. “You’re looking for Hansel and Gretel, or the Babes in the Wood, or the Brothers Grimm.”
“Enough!” the Valkyrie snapped. She leaned forward to take a swipe at Greg with her upraised blade, coaxing her mount forward as she did so.
At that precise moment Lindsay materialised in midair right in front of her. The roadsteed pulled up short and Lindsay reached out and yanked the Valkyrie’s helmet down over her eyes.
“Run!” she urged the brothers, swooping along behind them as they took to their heels.
They heard the engine roar of the other Valkyries revving their roadsteeds for the chase. The boys dashed into the trees, only pausing for breath once their pursuers were out of sight.
“Thanks, Lindsay,” Lewis said. “You’re a life saver.”
“Yes, thanks,” Greg mumbled.
“You weren’t very nice to me, Greg,” Lindsay said huffily, “but I still wasn’t about to let those Amazons get their hands on you.”
“Valkyries, actually,” said Lewis, pointing behind them through the trees to where two of the warrior women were riding in their direction.
“Look out!” Lindsay squeaked.
Another Valkyrie erupted from the greenery, scattering the three of them as her mount reared up, its eyes ablaze. Lindsay shot straight up in the air while the boys split off to the left, racing through the foliage for all they were worth.
Luckily the transformed park was thickly wooded, making it difficult for the Valkyries to manoeuvre their roadsteeds. The boys zigzagged right and left, crouching low to make themselves less visible.
All at once Lewis realised he had lost sight of Greg again. He groaned, frantically imagining what sort of a scrape his brother was going to get himself into this time. Something about what had happened to Greg at school was nagging at the back of his mind, like an itch he couldn’t reach to scratch.
Before he could give it any more thought, he heard someone hiss at him. Greg was scrunched down in the bushes to his right, waving him over.
He scurried to his brother’s side and squatted down next to him. “What happened to Lindsay?” he asked.
“Like it matters!” Greg snorted.
“She did save us just now,” Lewis reminded himsharply.
Greg could see he was upset and spoke in a conciliatory tone. “I just meant she can always twinkle out of
trouble.”
Lewis harrumphed to show he was still irked with him.
“Never mind about that just now,” Greg said. “We need a place to hide and there it is.”
He pointed through the bushes at a long wooden building on the edge of the lake.
“It looks like a boathouse,” said Lewis.
“It’s only a quick dash away,”
Similar Books
