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When Stormaway and his contingent arrived in the gully, Ancient Oak still had his hand firmly on Tarkyn’s shoulder with Midnight slumped asleep against his other side. Perched in a branch above them, Tarkyn’s great mountain eagle flapped her wings and snaked her head forward at Stormaway’s approach.
Ancient Oak tapped Midnight on the shoulder to let him know that others had arrived. The little boy sat up with a jerk and without hesitation, threw his green shield over Tarkyn, Ancient Oak and himself, wrapping it around the tree’s trunk. Ancient Oak patted him on the back then pointed. With a sigh of relief, Midnight waved away his shield.
Ancient Oak smiled. “Well done, little one.”
“How is Tarkyn?” asked Waterstone, ignoring the eagle and the shield.
Ancient Oak hesitated as he tri
