‘Eww, maggots,’ said Liska. The grubs smelt of pus and infection. She could see the skin around them was inflamed and sore.

‘Can we pull them out?’ Elowen asked. She prodded one and the wyvern gave a squeal.

‘Not without hurting the poor thing even more,’ said Lug.

‘They look a bit like worms,’ said Liska, an idea beginning to form. ‘Do you think you could use your magic on them? Make them all drop off?’

Lug raised an eyebrow. ‘I think they’re the larvae of some kind of giant beetle,’ he said.

‘Isn’t that wormy enough?’ Liska butted him with her head. ‘Come on. Your powers must be good for something.’

‘Very well,’ said Lug, clearly offended. ‘I suppose I can try.’

Taking slow and very careful steps forward, Lug placed both of his hands on the wyvern’s neck. He closed his eyes and began muttering under his breath. Everyone else stared at the grubs, willing them to shrivel up and die.

At first nothing seemed to happen, but then one of the larvae gave a twitch. Another followed, and soon all of them were jiggling madly.

‘. . . not quite worms . . .’ Lug muttered, ‘. . . but similar structure . . . can feel them . . . talk to them . . . almost . . .’

Beads of sweat broke out on his forehead as he focused harder. Finally, one of the grubs popped free from the wyvern’s neck. It tumbled down, bumping over scales until it dropped on the ground and lay there, quite still. A thin trickle of blood ran from the wound it had left.

‘That’s it, Lug!’ Elowen cheered and clapped her hands. ‘You’re doing it!’

Another grub fell away, then another. Soon they were all twitching free and falling, forming a snowdrift of dead larvae around the wyvern’s head. More began to cascade out from between the baby’s wings and the base of its tail.

‘The dear thing was riddled with them,’ said Elowen. ‘It must have been so uncomfortable.’

When the last parasite had gone, the wyvern let out a noise that might have been a sigh. A trickle of smoke rose up from its nostrils and its eyes half-closed with relief.

‘If we untie it now, do you think it will eat us?’ Lug asked. He took his hands off the creature’s neck and began to edge away, just in case.

‘I’m sure it won’t,’ said Elowen. ‘But maybe you’d better stand clear, just in case.’

She rummaged in her pack and pulled out a clasp knife, which she unfolded. Being careful not to cut the wyvern, she began to saw through the ropes that bound it. One by one they dropped free until the wyvern was able to stand up, towering above Elowen. It spread its wings wider than the biggest oak tree, and gave its head and tail a good shake. Liska expected it to fly away, but instead it bent its neck down towards Elowen, its mouth beginning to open.