Cyrus LongBones Box Set

prow. The pontoonsbounced and jostled.
“Quick, hop in,” Edward said, from his shoulder.
Cyrus threw his body over the side and into the craft. Then he clumsilyfound his seat, grabbed an oar and began to paddle. The surf foamed andfrothed. His hands felt tender gripping the damp wood. His back strained witheach stroke. He looked out into the sea, felt it roil beneath him. A sense ofhelplessness began to creep into his bones.
Once they were beyond the chopping waves, he looked down at the floor ofthe boat. There was a small pool of water from where the waves had crashed over,but the craft itself seemed watertight.
“It works,” Edward said, “The boat works.”
Cyrus exhaled a tense breath. He continued to row the craft towardstheir destination, Myrkur Island.
Besides Virkelot, Myrkurwas the only other island around for as far as the eye could see. It was muchsmaller than Cyrus’ island, yet shared its same dome-like shape. Because it wason the forbidden side of the fence, the villagers considered it cursed andhaunted and ignored its very existence. The only true evil Cyrus had evercrossed was waiting for him at home.
“Cyrus, the sails.”
In the commotion, the sails had become unraveled and were half blowingin the wind. Cyrus threw the oar to the floor of the boat and started to untiethe mainsail and jib. The two sheets floundered helplesslyas waves chopped against the craft. Cyrus controlled the mainsheet and rudderand turned the boat into the southern wind. The sails began to flap and flail.He started to doubt their design.
Fwump!
The sheets filled to their full girth. The boat jerked forward as ifbeing pulled by a pod of whales. Cyrus felt electricity tingle through hislimbs. Freedom! The craft bucked through the whitecapsand started to veer off course. He began to panic. He forced himself to relax.He had seen his friend use the wind many times to float his web from one branchto the next.
“Edward, what now?”
“Hard right,” the spider replied, running from one shoulder to the next.
Cyrus cranked the rudder left, steering the boat right. The sails beganto flutter and fade.
“Duck,” Edward shouted.
The wind caught the starboard side of the mainsheet. Like an axeman’s blow, the boom swung portside. Cyrus hunched.The boom clipped a few strands of his hair. He pulled hard on the mainsheet.The sails caught another belly full of wind. He had to hold back his excitementas he reestablished control over the ever-rushing craft.
The two trespassers sailed through the dawn with sea spray in theirfaces and briny air strengthening their resolve. They zigzagged their waytowards Myrkur Island with only the seabirds aswitnesses to their bold endeavor, or at least that is what Cyrus thought…
FROM THE DISTANT SHORE, keen eyesand a sharp wit stalked the newcomers. It watched with deep interest as the twointerlopers neared its forsaken island.

Chapter 5


THE SECRET STAIRS
TWENTY MINUTES LATER, Cyrus andEdward reached Myrkur Island. Cyrus draggedthe boat up the beach and into the cover of the woods. The scent of dried kelpclung to the shore like a fog.
“We made it,” Cyrus said, exhaling a shaky breath.”
“What now?” Edward asked, brushing sand from his fur.
“We scout the island,” Cyrus replied, “We’ll make our way to thesouthern shore. If all seems safe, we stick to the plan; head back to Virkelot, steal supplies and leave for good in the morning.”
They hid the craft under several branches and fern leaves and began toexplore the forest. The trees and undergrowth looked very similar to Hekswood, and ifCyrus had not known better, he would have sworn that they were still on Virkelot.
“Look,” Edward hissed.
He crawled along Cyrus’ shoulder and pointed a shaky leg at a nearbyfootpath.
“How is that possible?” Cyrus asked, “No one’s supposed to live here.”
The path led into the woods and was overgrown with vines and poisonouscreepers.
“You hear that?” Edward asked.
Crack!
The sound came from the trees. Cyrus froze. Barely audible under thewash of the tide, he heard twigs snap and pop underfoot, and branches scratch against skin… Or was it fur? Then it was gone.
“A wild pig maybe,” he said, trying to fight back the fear, “I thinkwhatever made this path is long gone. It hasn’t beenused in years.”
Edward’s hair stood on end, andhis eyes were wide and searching. Cyrusfound a stick and began to bushwhack their way along the neglected trail.Scavenger birds squawked from tangled trees and rats scurried through raggedshrubs.
“It’s weird,” Edward said, “the animals here don’t seem to be asfrightened of me.”
“The animals are no more afraid of you here than anywhere else,” Cyrusreplied.
But that was a lie. There was a strange absence of rodents and seagulls near Edward’s tree, and the one timethat Cyrus had tried to sneak his best friend home, the forest creatures howledand fled as if a storm approached.
Cyrus saw movement through the woods to his right. At first, he thoughtit was his shadow, for the dark shape too seemed tall and slender. His pulsequickened. A deer maybe? It wastoo small. He began to track the figure out of the corner of his eye. Itsmotions were slow and graceful, like a cat through grass.
“Watch out!” Edward screamed, digging his legs into Cyrus’ arm.
Cyrus turned and found himself at the edge of a chasm.
“Holy Sea Zombie!” he gasped, teetering onthe verge.
The rent was about four feet wide. It cut across the path, delving deepinto the forest on either side. His legsfelt numb. Stumbling, he stepped back from the pit, loosening a patch of gravelfrom the edge. The pebbles rained into the chasm. Several breaths passedbefore…
Sploosh!
“Edward, you okay?” Cyrus asked, his breath labored.
“It sounds like another underground lake,” Edward said, panting, “likeunder Virkelot. The cavern’s roof must be starting tocave in.”
Cyrus looked about for the thing that had distracted his attention. Theshadow seemed to have disappeared.
“You’ve got to keep your eyes on the trail,” Edward said.
“I know. I’m sorry.”
The two continued deeper into the woods. The smell of mud and forestcabbage blanketed the earth.
By late afternoon they arrived at the southern tip of Myrkur Island. There, the forest receded into the island’swhite, stone foundation; then rolled off into a steepcliff. The bluff