“For the love of Gryphus, Arren, what are you doing here? What in the world gave you the idea that you could fight that thing on your own? Are you mad?”
Deanne put her hand on her companion’s arm. “Not now, Kryn, please. The boy’s in shock. Get him a blanket, would you? And a clean tunic if you can find it.”
The third griffiner brought a blanket, and Arren pulled it around himself gratefully. He’d only just realised how cold he was. The blanket warmed him, but his shivering didn’t stop. He blinked, puzzled. His hands seemed to be shaking. He tried to make himself breathe deeply, and then before he knew what was happening he had started to gasp for air, his chest heaving. His vision started to go grey around the edges, and lights flashed before his eyes. He clutched at his chest, wide-eyed. His skin had gone deathly pale and clammy, and the shaking got worse. The three griffiners were there at once. They dragged him to the fireplace and made him lie down in the warmth, laying the blanket over him. Deanne took hold of his hands and squeezed them tightly. “Arren, Arren! Look at me!”
Arren’s eyes turned toward her, fixed and bulging.
Deanne patted his face. “Yes, that’s right, just look at me. Keep looking. Just breathe deeply. Breathe!”
He started to calm down, and the shaking decreased, but tears were running uncontrollably down his face.
“It’s all right,” Deanne said softly. “It’s all right, Arren. Just keep looking at me. Breathe deeply. In . . . out . . . in . . . out . . . yes, just like that. That’s right. You’re fine. You’re all right. You’re all right . . .”
The sound of her voice soothed him, and he slowly relaxed into a faint. When he woke up a few moments later, Deanne gently helped him to his feet.
“There. Careful, steady there . . . All right, just sit down and I’ll get you something to eat.”
Arren huddled in the chair, letting the fire warm him. He felt a lot better, physically at least. “What . . . happened?” he managed.
“You went into shock,” Kryn explained. “It’s like a panic. It happens when something very sudden and violent happens to someone. Do you feel better now?”
Arren nodded. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—”
“No need to apologise. The same thing would’ve happened to—well, it’s not your fault.”
Arren looked at him with a terrible, hopeless expression. “What am I going to do?”
The third griffiner came over, carrying a clean tunic. “Here, put this on. You just rest, all right? We’ll take care of everything. There’s some more people coming to the village right now by road—we sent them on ahead of us. They’ll be taking the griffin back to Eagleholm on a wagon, and we’ll all go back home with them.”
Arren took the tunic and held on to it as if he had no idea what it was for. He started to speak and then fell silent and looked away. Deanne brought him some food, but he didn’t take it.
She put it into his hands. “Here. Come on, take it. You need to keep your strength up.”
Arren started to chew listlessly at the cheese and dried apple. It was poor quality, but he didn’t really notice.
“That’s better,” said Deanne.
Arren looked away and finished his food. It made him feel a little better.
“Now then,” said Deanne. Her two companions had left, probably to go and supervise the completion of the cage, but she stayed where she was, her eyes on Arren. “Tell me, what were you doing here?” she asked.
Arren stared into the fire. “I came to fight the griffin. Catch it, if I could. For the reward.”
“On your own?” said Deanne. “For Gryphus’ sake, Arren, what were you thinking? Do you know how dangerous a wild griffin is? You never go after one on your own, even if you are a griffiner! Who even told you about it?”
Arren looked up, confused. “It was—” He paused, remembering his promise. “Someone told me about it. He said—well, I have a debt to pay, and someone said I could get some money by catching this griffin, so—”
“Who was it?” said Deanne.
“I—I’m not allowed to say.”
She frowned at him. “Why in the world not? Whoever this person is, what did they tell you? Didn’t they advise you to take some help?”
“They said I could do it alone,” said Arren. “I—I had some poison. To put on my arrows. That’s how