Chapter 1

Hank heard his friends voices, and heard Diana suddenly shout 'Hank!'

He turned, just in time to avoid the Orc out to grab him. He ducked fast, and swung his leg out, tripping the Orc up and sending it onto its ugly, flat nose.

He took a quick glance onward. More Orcs were on their way and he couldn't see Bobby anywhere.

'Hank, c'mon!' shouted Diana. 'Quickly!'

As much as he hated to run away, the Ranger realised the ambush was too well planned, and he turned and rushed back to the others.

Ahead, his freinds were waiting for him, at the trunk of a huge, gigantic tree. Close by he heard another voice. He turned to see the Thief running from some more Orcs. She saw him look, and winked.

'I'll catch up with you guys later!' said Sheila, pulling up her hood just as an Orc lunged at her. Confused at the sudden disappearance of its prey, the Orc tripped and fell ignominiously to the ground. Hank gave a broad smile. She was getting very good at that!

Confident that Sheila would be safe, Hank ran on at top speed. A basket was coming down from the branches above.

'Why didn't you tell us you had an elevator?' asked Presto.

'You didn't ask!' replied the Bear with a shrug.

The other two got in, and the elevator started to rise.

'Hey, what about Hank!' shouted Presto, pointing down.

It jerked to a stop then descended quickly. He jumped up, fortunately getting a good grip on the side. His friends helped him in as the elevator rose again. They were just in time, as Orcs jumped up, trying to pull him down.

'Ok, together now!' shouted Diana, 'Heave!'

The Orcs below missed him by inches, and the basket continued upwards unhindered. They were taken up, into the clouds high into the trees. Hank was breathing heavily from the sprint.

'Where are you taking us?' Presto asked the Couldbear.

'I take you home,' the Bear said.

'Yeah, where's that?'

'Guys! Look!' said Diana, pointing upwards. They all looked up.

There was a huge city in the trees, domes on the trunk, and platforms, and lots of lights and torches with clouds lapping at the edges. They were pulled up slowly, allowing plenty time to admire the city.

'Wow!' murmured Hank as they reached the top. 'That's amazing!'

The female bear was standing there waiting for the elevator, along with another bear who obviously the Chief. He was older than the others, his fur was darker and he had a small golden crown on his head.

'These are friends, King Kamala,' said the female. 'They helped us escape Green Ones!'

The old bear nodded as Hank stepped forward.

'So be it, the Cloud Bear colony welcomes you.'

Hank bowed stiffly in response.

Uni stepped forward and licked the old King's nose. Kamala was surprised, but didn't seem to mind. Behind him, the other two bears were giggling.

Hank was about to ask a suitable question when there was a sudden loud bang from below.

'What's that!' shouted Presto.

Hank saw Kamala pull out his telescope and peer down. Beside him, the female was frowning fiercely.

'It is the green ones!' he said. 'They attempt to cut down our tree!'

'We've gotta stop them,' said Hank firmly. He turned round to his friends.

'But how, we have no weapons.'

'But WE do!' said Hank, raising the Bow.

'Well, what do you have?' asked the Acrobat. 'Anything that could help?'

'Only fruit and nuts' said a bear.

She looked at Hank, and he nodded. Not even the Bow could cope with all those Orcs.

'Bring them,' he said. 'I'll hold them off!'

Hank loosed some arrows into the clouds below. Within a few minutes, the Cloudbears reappeared, carrying baskets of food. Everyone grabbed some. Hank was still firing.

'OK, said Diana, 'Bombs away!'

The splatting noises from the impacting fruit were just audible even way up in the tree. Louder were the howls of anger from the Orcs. The kids and the bears didn't give up, and eventually, under the relentless assault of arrow s and flying fruit, the Orcs retreated.

Hank gave a sigh as the last of the Orcs vanished into the undergrowth. It took time, but they were all OK. The kids looked round at each other, grinning.

Suddenly, Presto's smile vanished.

'Where's Eric?' asked Presto.

Hank looked round, muttering under his breath. The Magician was right, it had been far too quiet, Eric wasn't here!

'He must have gotten himself captured,' said Hank with a familiar sinking feeling. That goddamn Cavalier couldn't stay out of trouble if his life depended on it!

'Either that or his hiding down there somewhere,' suggested Presto. 'It might happen!'

Diana gave the Magician a look, and Presto shrugged.

'I did say "might"!'

'Shall we go check it out?' asked Diana, looking up at Hank.

The Ranger hesitated. Bobby was already captured, Eric was missing and Sheila was off scouting out the camp. The thought of splitting up the gang even more was not good, and the Bears also needed their help. He shook his head.

'Sheila'll find him,' he said with a smile. 'Don't worry!'

They waited for a long while for Sheila to reappear. The Cloudbears waited with them, mostly in silence. Hank and the other kids stayed near the elevator, his mind racing, trying to think up ways of saving Bobby, getting rid of the Orcs (and finding Eric!). At last, the female bear that had tried to take his Bow appeared at his side with a few small pieces of food, that they'd saved from the bombardment earlier.

'So what are you doing up here?' Presto asked the King as he came over.

'We have lived many centuries in these trees,' said Kamala. 'Our home were made by ancestors.'

'We guard forest from evil,' he scowled. 'From One-Horned Evil who tries to destroy us!'

'Venger?' asked Hank. 'What does he want with you?'

'We do not know,' said the female quietly. 'He sends Green Ones to cut down our trees and take stones.'

Hank glanced at the dull red stones that hung round each of their necks. They were pretty enough, but not really Venger's style!

'What would Venger want with these?' he murmured.

'What are they?' asked Presto.

'These are Heart Stones,' said Kamala. 'They protect us from evil. They are gifts from Cloud Spirit.' Each of the Bears gave a tentative glance upwards, and the kids did likewise.

'Cloud Spirit?' asked Hank. 'Who's that?

'The Cloud Spirit is our guardian,' said the King seriously.

The kids gave each other looks, and the conversation stopped.

Hank knew he should be thinking about the Thief and the Barbarian and the Cavalier, but instead he found himself wondering about the Cloud Spirit, and those funny little red stones the Bears wore.

King Kamala was looking down through his telescope, checking on the Orcs at intervals. After a long silence, he gave a quiet grunt.

'They're still hiding, they seem to be waiting for something,' he said in surprise.

'Well, we're all out of ammunition,' said Presto. 'If they attack again, it'll just be up to Hank!'

Kamala wasn't listening properly. He was squinting through the telescope.

'I can't quite see through the clouds,' he murmured. 'Wait! Wait! Lower the elevator! At once!'

He rushed off. The kids took one glance round at Hank, then followed.

A Bear was pulling the elevator up slowly. The Ranger fidgeted with his Bow. Perhaps this was one of Venger's tricks. Venger was capable of anything!

The waiting wasn't made any easier by the morose bleats of Uni.

As the elevator rose, Hank recognised a familiar figure standing there on his own.

It was Eric!

'It's Eric! He got away!' said Diana, he voice full of surprise. Hank was extremely surprised too. Who'd have thought Eric could get himself out of trouble!

Eric was standing very still, his head bowed. The Shield was on his arm, but he looked shaken.

'Are you all right?' asked Diana as the Cavalier stepped off the elevator.

He nodded stiffly. But Hank didn't move forward to greet him like the other two did. There was something off about the Cavalier. He was standing hunched over, as if he had indigestion, and he was hold the Shield on the wrong arm, something he only did when he was upset. It was as close as the Cavalier got to throwing it away in a tantrum!

'What happened?' asked Presto. 'And where's Bobby?'

The Cavalier walked along the platform, for once finding it hard to talk, and Hank's worry increased once more.

'The Orcs took Bobby and me to their camp,' he said. 'I managed to escape.' His voice grew low. 'Bobby couldn't.'

There was a swish from behind them. Hank turned to see Sheila de-cloak. He recoiled from the venomous look on the Thief's face.

'That's a lie!' she hissed, her pretty face covered in tears. His heart lurched at the sight of the Thief in so much distress.

'Sheila! What's the matter,' asked Diana.

Eric was staring at her in horror.

'I went to the Orc camp,' she said, her voice wavering. 'I saw Eric, he was talking with the Orcs. They were planning our capture!'

She drew a shaking breath and pointed at Eric.

'He's working with them now!'