Ignoring the wind that threatened to whip her off the narrow ledge, the girl pulled her own cloak up and over her head, feeling her body tingle and ripple with magic energy as it spoke to the animal skin and remade itself.

Even as her bones were melding into paws, even as she felt the wings come alive on her back, she pushed herself offthe rockface, out into nothingness where she hung for an instant, waiting for gravity to grab hold of her and snatch her back to earth.

Her wings snapped out, caught the air and sliced it, and she sailed after her mother, off into the open sky.

*

‘Come on, Liska! Keep up!’

Her mother’s voice came back to her, whipped by the wind, making it hard to hear.

Liska was a hundred metres or so behind, just close enough to watch the ruffling feathers in her mother’s wings, noting how they tilted just so, keeping her soaring as she searched out the currents of warm air that would give her lift. Close enough to see the glowing bands of the stripes that blazed on her forelegs.

Shapewalkers like Liska and her mother were gifted the marks of gleaming colour for great deeds of courage and heroism. Liska hadn’t earned a single one yet, but oh, how she longed to. Seven at least, like her mother. Possibly ten or more, if only she could find enough epic adventures to grant them . . .

‘Stay focused! You’re daydreaming again!’

Liska flipped back to reality with a yelp, realising she had flown into a patch of cold air. She lost height rapidly, had to flap her wings with fast, swooshing beats to stay aloft. The effort pulled at her muscles, making her strain and growl.

‘You’ve lost the thermal! Bank to your left!’

‘I’m . . . trying . . .’ Liska muttered through gritted teeth as she battled back up to proper height. The warmer air began to rush under her wings, helping her rise until she was level with her mother again. She shook her head. Flying was hard . . .

‘That’s better,’ her mother called. ‘Now bring it around. We’re going to head for the Undrentree.’

The distant form of her mother turned, soaring in a gentle curve and beginning to sink gradually lower. Liska raised her left wing, dipped to the right and tried to follow.

Below them lay a circular basin three miles wide, ringed by the towering granite Shield Mountains. A scoop of earth filled from one edge to the other with a flowing sea of green leaves. Tree upon tree clustered together, and in amongst the branches peeped the glow from thousands of lights. Strings of lanterns, candles in windows, street lamps and flickering torches. The place was home to a throng of people; a city among the forest. Arborven.

In the centre stood the Undrentree.

Even though she had seen it thousands of times, it still filled Liska with wonder.