The buggies could not carry much in their buckets at the back, which was just as well for Petal was threatening to include an extensive wardrobe. Danique was forever advising on the matter.

"Two pairs of shoes only," she said, noticing an array of footwear Petal was musing over as they planned their adventure.

"One for walking and one for dancing?" she said hopefully.

"Both for walking, one to replace the other when wet," came the wise advice. This left colour combination queries that might have lasted days if Danique had not grabbed a pair of grey flats and some soft blue boots that looked waterproof and tossed them in the bucket. "There, that should do it," she said.

"What about the sandals I'm wearing now?" and Petal waved a foot in the air.

"Buggy wear," was all the Evernight girl replied in such a manner it sounded like she was being rude so Petal refrained from further comment except for one very tiny little unheard dig.

"Furrypants," she muttered very quietly.

There had been no objection to the girls going off on a jaunt around the district controlled by her father with Baron Airan as the overlord for there were many inns they could stay at, often run by distant cousins, so they planned a three day trip but were deliberately vague as to the route they would take.

"There are so many amazing things to see," Petal declared, waving her hands in great sweeping circles to keep herself from blushing at the slightly underhand way she was explaining matters. Her two pleasant aunts watched these windmill impersonations complacently enough.

"Mind you eat and drink properly," one said.

"And don't speak to any strange boys," the other warned.

"Oh auntie," the girl replied, blushing a little now. "I'm eleven, extremely well brought up, and know precisely how to conduct myself," she beamed happily, glancing at her friend with the dark hair, pale face, and disconcerting gaze.

"What? Hem," Danique coughed. "Me too, what she said," and she nodded vigorously. "Right let's go, it's a lovely morning," she quickly added, rubbing hands together to speed things along.

"Helmets on dears," the aunties said as the two revved their machines and coasted them around the complex paths next the main farm house towards the high road. The two duly obliged and were waved off by an assembly of family and farm workers with cheers and good wishes on their adventure.

Off they roared, Danique in the lead of course, and once they creasted the first major rise and saw the settlement disappear behind a daisy spangled hill the dark-haired girl discarded her confining headgear, before speeding even more quickly along the wide, grassy track that led to some rocky formations. Petal watched in horror as she diappeared into the shadowy gorge but found her waiting for her at the top of the nearest pass.

"Are you going to continue wearing that stupid helmet?" Danique said. "You look like a kindergarten escapee."

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With a pout Petal carefully removed her headgear and stowed it in the buggy's hold.

"You have to promise we go at a safe pace from now on. The helmets can save lives you know," she said sullenly.

"As I don't know the way anywhere," Danique said, "I am totally at your mercy on the matter. We'll go as slow as you want, and you can be tourist guide. You can talk and steer at the same time I hope?" This was said with a provoking smirk.

"Of course," Petal replied with a sniff and drove her buggy further along the gorge until it opened out into a splendid valley of wild flowers and scattered trees. "This," she said in a tourist guide voice, "is Wonder Vale. Once fought over by three barons in the Dark Divide, a period in Greenvale history when land divisions were at their fiercest."

"Are skeletons still in the grass, I mean where dead soldiers were left after battles fought?" Danique asked.

"No! How horrible," and Petal looked at the lovely rolling hills and colourful blossoms in a different way from then on. Wonder Vale had become Dead Body Vale in an instant. "Let's move ahead, we want to be across the border into Gladsom by lunch time," she said and speeded her buggy along at an impressive rate, hair flying in the wind. Danique whooped and raced after her with glee.

As they hurtled along through the undulating landscape, with great cliffs and mountain scarps drifting past, the Evernight girl could not help noticing how a dark mass of heavy rock seemed to tower above them, sometimes on their right and then on their left as they made their winding way through the lower passes of the borderlands.

"That's Castle Vortex," Petal said, noticing her frequent glances. "Where the ruler of Gladsom lives. Picturesque, isn't it?" she shouted over the rumbling sound of bouncy tyres tearing along the mountain track right beneath the outer walls of the great building. They turned from it then, leaving its menacing presence behind as another pleasant valley opened up below. A silvery stream cascaded down the hill next to them and joined a great river at the valley's bottom and Danique could see a cluster of buildings surrounded by trees that appeared to be their destination.

A great wheel turned with a discordant creak and squeak as it dipped in and out of the wide, swift river and Danique halted her buggy to watch. It was attached to the side of a rough stone house with thatched roof and some boys were plunging into the river, seemingly allowing themselves to be dragged under by the great paddles of the wheel only to emerge the other side, riding upwards until at an impressive height to dive off and repeat the process.

"I suppose school's out for these kids too?" she said, hearing Petal halt next to her.

"You're not thinking of giving wheel jumping a go are you?" she said nervously.

"Please," Danique laughed. "That is for children."

There was a sudden shriek and the girls thought an accident had occurred, but their attention was drawn by the sight of a tiny figure racing out of a building laughing while a bustling plump woman holding a mop endeavoured to catch the errant child.

"You come back and finish the dishes, you little scamp!" the lady said to no purpose. The tiny figure, in a rough mauve frock that had seen better days and boots several sizes too big for her was climbing some rocks near the river's edge with great agility, disappearing over the top and away to higher ground.

"That's our inn," Petal said, ignoring the incident. "Time for lunch."

The lady had seen the new arrivals by this time and discarded her weapon, replacing it with a welcoming smile.

"Parking's round the back," she said with a gesture. "You're just in time for the house special. Treacle fritters and honey bread." This made Petal's eyes light up with pleasure and Danique to shake her head, fearing for every single one of her teeth.

As they tucked into the generous helpings in the low-ceiling dining hall of the inn the little girl sneaked back, putting a finger to her lips as she tiptoed into the inn. The girls smiled at her, but a sudden clatter made them jump.

"Jinthia Darry! You get into the kitchen this minute. There's a mountain of crockery here needing a good scrubbing," came an angry voice from within the depths of the building and the girl scampered away to do her chores.

Petal and Danique stared at each other. They had found the lost scholar, just like that.