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down the corridor.
    Tia opened her door carefully and peered out. There was no sign of the bear.

Chapter Seven

The Secret Passage
    For the next few days Tia continued telling Prince Kaspar’s story to Yordis, who didn’t seem to mind that the tale had no ending. She was never left alone in the witch’s rooms and when she wasn’t storytelling or grooming the bear, Katinka kept a close eye on her.
    At night Tia explored and mapped the castle. She got to know its tower rooms, its cellars, its hall, kitchen and workrooms. She explored the weaponry and practised swinging heavy swords and lifting spears. She decided she preferred the sling she kept in her pocket: it was lighter and easy to hide.
    By the time she finished her map she could find her way around the castle without any difficulty.
    In the daytime, when she wasn’t busy with Yordis, she chatted to the other servants and the guards inthe big kitchen where they gathered in their spare time.
    Two things puzzled Tia: firstly, how did the bear come and go from the castle? It was far too enormous to use the cage lift. Even in her human form it would’ve been difficult to fit Yordis
and
her bodyguard into it. Yet she somehow managed to enter and leave the castle without anyone seeing her.
    The second puzzle was where Yordis kept the collar. Tia quickly learned people didn’t like talking about it. One afternoon, when she spoke to the chief guard, he looked around furtively then answered in a low voice, ‘You ask too many questions about things that don’t concern you. It’ll get back to the Lady Yordis if you’re not careful, and she won’t be happy to know you’re interested in the opal. She keeps it hidden – even I don’t know where it is.’
    Though he was fierce, it was clear he meant well.
    â€˜Thank you,’ Tia said. ‘I was just curious but I won’t mention it again.’
    The guard patted her shoulder. ‘You remind me of my little girl, Laufey. She’s about your age. I don’t see her so much now she’s down the crystal mines.’
    He sounded very sad.
    â€˜Why do you let her work there?’ Tia blurted out.
    â€˜The Lady Yordis wished it – and if I had refusedshe would’ve… done something very terrible. As she will to you if you continue to ask questions. Now, I see Katinka wants you.’
    The maid had just finished filling a pail with corn and scraps; she pushed it at Tia. ‘I’m too busy to feed the hens – you do it.’
    Tia’s heart beat a bit faster. The hens were outside in the courtyard; she might see Loki there. She took the pail and sauntered off, trying not to look too eager. ‘Stay in sight!’ Katinka warned her.
    â€˜All right,’ Tia called back, though she didn’t see how she could escape from the high-walled courtyard unless she grew wings.
    The yard was busy with servants running about or gossiping and guards practising sword-fighting. The hen coop was open and the chickens were scattered about, rooting for food. Tia scanned the towers and the walls. There was a bird perched on top of a flagpole, looking down into the courtyard. She was almost sure it was Loki.
    She rattled the pail and called loudly, ‘Here chickens – food!’
    At the sound of her voice the bird turned in her direction and the hens surged towards her, squabbling and gurgling, with the cockerel scolding them to behave.
    The bird flew down and perched on top of the roost. ‘Hens are stupid creatures,’ he said scornfully. It
was
Loki.
    Tia scattered the feed as far away as she could and when the hens ran after it she slipped behind the wooden coop; the fowls wouldn’t hear her and Loki talking there.
    â€˜I’ve been hanging around this castle for a week,’ Loki complained. ‘You disappeared from the washerwoman’s, and there was no sign of you in the town, so I decided the witch had got