Blood Red Road

by Moira Young

  Jack! I shout agin. Jack! Where are you?

  No reply. I go forwards. Call out agin. Take another couple of steps. Then another.

  The sound of a heartbeat. My heartbeat. Over an over. So loud. It fills my brain, my head.

  He must be in here. But what if he ain’t? What if that guy was wrong? What if somebody else told the Hawks he was in the Cooler an they found him an let him out? If they did, he’ll be long gone. I curse myself fer not askin Ruby.

  I cough. The smoke’s burnin my throat. It’s gittin hard to breathe. He ain’t here. If he was, he would of heard me an shouted out. I need to git outta here. I cough agin. My breath comes short an shallow.

  Panic grips me. I turn in circles, blind.

  Jest like in the dream.

  I’m bathed in sweat. It’s so hot in here. I’m startin to feel funny, kinda dizzy. I need air. Gotta git outta here an find the door. I should go back to the door.

  Another voice. Whisperin. Mercy’s voice.

  The heartstone lets you know … the heartstone … heartstone … hurry, Saba …

  Heartstone. My hand fumbles unner my cloak. There it is. An it’s warm. Strange. It’s always cool. Even on the hottest day, next to my skin, it stays cool. It was only warm twice. An both times, I was standin in front of him. Warm heartstone means … it means somethin, Mercy said so but I cain’t … remember … cain’t … think …

  The heartstone … lets you know …

  My fingers clutch it tightly. One last time. I’ll shout fer him one … last time. I take a couple of steps forwards. I feel the heartstone git warmer.

  Jack! Jack! Where are you? I call out.

  I wait.

  Nuthin.

  I turn to go.

  Then.

  I hear it.

  Poundin.

  A faint voice.

  He’s here.

  Strength floods through me. I stumble ahead, my eyes streamin, squintin through the smoke. My toe hits the edge of somethin. The trapdoor to the Cooler? I fall to my knees. Feel around. I touch hot metal. Yes! The door. I wrap my hand in my cloak an pound on it to let him know I’m here. He pounds back.

  Jack! I yell. Hang on! I’m gonna git you outta there!

  Keys. Quick. I feel the keys on the ring in my hand. My heart stops. There’s gotta be ten keys on here. All the same size.

  Jack! I yell. I got the keys! I jest gotta find the right one!

  He thumps to let me know he heard. I run my hand over the trapdoor. There it is. The keyhole. Try the first key. Gotta work fast. Faster. Too fast. Fingers clumsy. The key slips an slides past the keyhole.

  Fer each key I try, I hold the fingers of my other hand aginst the keyhole to guide it in. Then I snatch it away as soon as I know the key ain’t the right one. I grit my teeth.

  My hands is slippery with sweat. It’s runnin down my face, into my eyes. My heart’s poundin. Time’s runnin out. Once the roof timbers burn through, this ceilin’s gonna come down an that’ll be it.

  Hurry, hurry, hurry, I mutter.

  The second to last key slips in. I turn it. Leap to my feet. The second I touch the handle of the trapdoor to pull it up, I snatch my hand away, cursin. The metal’s hot. I throw my cloak over my hand, grab the handle an haul the door open.

  I reach down in the darkness. His hand shoots up, grabs mine with a strong grip. I lean back an help him climb out. He’s coughin. I pull my cloak over both of us.

  This way! I says. We head towards the door of the cellblock. To the outside an fresh air.

  The groan of creakin timbers splits the air. The roof! I says. It’s gonna go! Another groan an, then, at the door end of the cellblock, the roof collapses with the most almighty crash. Dust an dirt mix with the smoke an billow towards us.

  We’re trapped! he says.

  Go back! I says.

  We turn around, head back the way we jest come.

  Think, Saba, think. You an Ash went in through the tunnel. How did Ruby git in here? The same way?

  A tunnel! I yell. I think there’s a tunnel in the wall at the end!

  We feel our way to the back wall of the cellblock. Run our hands up an down an along the bricks, searchin fer a hole.

  There ain’t nuthin here! he says.

  There’s gotta be! I drop to my knees, my fingers fumblin, feelin all along the bottom of the wall, down near the ground, then over to the corner an—

  Here! I says. C’mon! I git down on my belly an start crawlin through it. He’s right behind me. The tunnel’s filled with smoke. I go as fast as I can go. There ain’t no sound but our shallow breathin, our gasps fer air. Then the tunnel starts to widen, the ceilin’s higher an we can crouch an run along. The smoke starts to thin out.

  I can see light ahead! I says.

  Then we’re at the end of the tunnel. A rusted metal ladder. A pale golden light beams down. I scramble up the ladder. He’s right behind me.

  There’s sackin laid over the hole at the top. I push it up, real careful. Bits of straw drift down. I peer out. Straw all around. I lift the sackin a bit more.

  The tunnel comes up into a fenced yard between two shanties. Straw on the ground, three pigs snufflin in the corner. Besides them, nobody in sight.

  In the distance, screams an shouts fill the air. The smell of smoke’s strong.

  It’s safe, I says. Let’s go.

  We climb out, vault over the fence, run along a little alley an peer around the corner.

  Looks like Maev an the Hawks’ve done theirselves proud. Smoke’s billowin high into the air. A hotwind’s sprung up to help spread the fire through the town from the direction of the cellblocks. It catches up sparks an bits of burnin wood an blows ’em onto rooftops an inside the flimsy buildins.

  People hurry through the streets, headed fer the main gate, all loaded down with what valuables they can carry. They’re pullin bulgin samsonites behind ’em, clutchin lumpy bundles to their chests an pushin handcarts loaded up so high they cain’t see over ’em.

  Follow me, says Jack. He dives into the crowd an I follow him as he dodges in an out among all the people. There’s a little kid wailin with fright, red-faced, as he’s hauled along by the hand.

  The Angel of Death’s a bit too well-known here, says Jack. His hand shoots out an next thing I know, he’s nicked a hat offa some man’s head an crammed it down on mine. That’ll help, he says.

  I gotta find Ash, I says, scannin the crowd. An the rest of the Hawks. They got my sister.

  I always wanted a sister, he says. So this is the Hawks’ doin. Very nice.

  You know ’em? I says, still lookin fer anybody I can recognize.

  I heard of ’em, he says. I travel a fair bit in my line of work. C’mon, this way! He grabs my hand an heads down a alley to the right. At the end we turn left, then right agin. There ain’t nobody left in this part of town at all. It’s all quiet. Jest the faint sound of shoutin in the distance.

  He checks inside a shanty. Nobody home, he says an pulls me after him through the door.

  He dumps a pile of clothes on the table.

  Where’d you git all that? I says.

  Lesson number one, he says. Best place to steal anythin is in a crowd. Specially a crowd in a hurry to be somewhere else.

  He pulls off his shirt. When I see his bare chest I git a jolt, deep in my gut. Three long scars—pink, twisted, puckered—run from his right shoulder all the ways down to his left hip. Claw marks. I ain’t never seen the kinda beast that’ud leave marks like that.

  He pulls the new shirt over his head. Starts to undo the top button of his britches.

  What’re you doin? I says.

  What does it look like I’m doin? If yer the shy type, I’d advise you to turn around.

  Oh! I turn my back on him quick.

  Lesson number two, he says. Even if yer in a hurry, go fer the best boots you can find. Don’t compromise on quality. Here, these should fit you. He tosses me a pair of boots. Well go on, he says, try ’em fer size.

>   I sit on the ground an pull ’em on. Jump to my feet an give ’em a stamp. They fit, I says. That’s amazin.

  I got a good eye, he says. Right, that’s me done. You can turn around now.

  I do. We stare at each other. His face is streaked with soot an ash. His teeth flash white in the gloom. You know my name, he says. What’s yers? Yer real name, I mean.

  Saba, I says.

  Saba, he says. I like it.

  I gotta git movin, I says. My sister’ll be waitin with the Hawks an—

  Before I know what he’s up to, he grabs my hand.

  Hey! I try to pull it away but he holds it even tighter.

  Saba, he says, I dunno what happy star sent you lookin fer me but I’m mighty thankful it did. If you hadn’t of turned up, I’d be dead by now.

  Then he brings my hand to his lips an kisses the back of it. While he’s doin it, he looks straight at me with his silver moonlight eyes. I can smell the smoke on his skin. That an dried sweat an—faint, like a whisper—sage.

  Thank you, he says.

  Heat washes over my chest an up my neck. Rushes into my face. I snatch my hand away, shove it unner my armpit an glare at him. What’d you do that fer? I says.

  I was thankin you, he says. I was bein polite.

  I ain’t never seen polite like that before, I scowl.

  Oh that ain’t nuthin, he says. I can be a lot more polite than that. He grins. A cocky, jimswagger grin like he’s king of the world. Then he bends down to pick up a crossbow an quiver that he must of took at the same time as the clothes.

  I need to find my sister, I says. She should be with the Hawks.

  Always good to have a plan, says Jack. Where you meetin her?

  At the gate in the northeast corner, I says.

  There ain’t no gate there, he says.

  There will be by the time I git there, I says. Nice to meet you, Jack. I turn to go.

  Wait! he grabs my arm. I ain’t in no particular hurry, he says. I’ll tag along. Make sure you find ’em.

  I duck down the side streets an alleyways, headed fer the northeast corner of Hopetown at top speed. Jack’s right beside me.

  We swerve an leap as bits of burnin buildin crash to the ground. Roof timbers, a door. The metal shanties twist an buckle an groan in the heat.

  Ever heard of the rule of three? he shouts as we run.

  No!

  If you save somebody’s life three times, their life belongs to you. You saved my life today, that makes once. Save it twice more an I’m all yers.

  I’ll jest hafta make sure that don’t happen, I says.

  We shoot out onto open ground an there they are. Emmi, Maev, Ash an a bunch more Free Hawks waitin fer us with horses. They’ve cut out a big section of the tall palisade fence big enough fer us to git through. A back gate, jest like Maev said.

  Jack grabs both my arms. Turns me to face him. It’ll happen if it’s meant to happen, he says. It’s all written in the stars. It’s all fate.

  I don’t believe in the stars, I says. Not no more.

  We’ll see about that. G’bye Angel. Before I know what he’s up to, he pulls me to him, gives me a quick hard kiss an then he’s off an runnin back the way we jest come.

  I hold my hand to my tinglin lips an stare after him.

  Saba! Emmi runs to me an I sweep her up. She throws her skinny little girl arms around my neck.

  You all right? I says. She nods. Buries her face in my neck an squeezes so tight she jest about chokes me.

  Where’s Nero? I says.

  I dunno, she says. I ain’t seen him fer ages.

  Saba! yells Ash. C’mon! We’re outta here!

  They’re all climbin onto their horses. Maev’s holdin the bridle of a fine chestnut stallion with a broad chest. His name’s Hermes, she says to me. He’s fast.

  I swing myself onto his back. Then I lean down an pull Emmi up to sit in front of me.

  I see you found yer friend all right, says Maev. She hands me a pistol crossbow an a quiver. Leather armbands. Gives me a sly little smile.

  Yeah, I says. I feel my face flushin hot. I busy myself strappin on the armbands an slippin the bow over my head. Sorry, I says, I didn’t mean fer it to take so long. Listen Maev, thanks fer—

  You can thank me later, she says, cuttin in. Let’s git outta this hellhole first. Heeya! She heels her horse in the flanks. Heeya!

  Hold tight, Em, I says.

  We stream through the gap in the palisade at a gallop an head north. Maev rides on my right side. Somebody pulls up on my left. It’s Epona. She shoots me a grin, her eyes sparkin.

  Glad to see you made it, I says.

  Likewise, she says. That was a nasty moment. Who’d of thought they’d change the gauntlet run?

  Once we’re well away from Hopetown, we pull up the horses an look back. Streams of people pour outta the burnin town through the Gate. They’re all headed south. Nobody’s comin this way, nobody’s followin us. The sky’s filled with great clouds of gray smoke.

  The Hawks break into cheers an pound each other on the back.

  We did it, I says. I reach over an grab Maev’s hand. You got us all out. I gotta tell you, I didn’t think you could do it.

  I know you didn’t, she says. But yer gittin out alive warn’t nuthin to do with me in the end. She tilts her head back an looks above us. You need to thank that crow of yers, she says.

  Nero swoops down over our heads, cawin an callin out in his hoarse voice.

  I will, I says. I wave a arm at him.

  He does one last swoop down then soars up high. He likes a good view.

  I ain’t never seen a creature like that before, she says. He’s so smart, he’s—

  More like a person than a bird? I says.

  Yeah, she says. That’s it.

  Whatever you do, I says, don’t tell him that. I’ll never hear the end of it.

  We head due north, in the direction of the mountains that cut across the plain. They look to be a good five or six leagues off.

  Is that the Black Mountains? I says to Maev.

  That’s jest the beginnin of ’em, she says. Foothills, I guess you’d call ’em.

  My brother’s in a place called Freedom Fields, I says. Deep in the Black Mountains. D’you know it?

  She shakes her head. Never heard of it, she says.

  My heart sinks.

  Come with us, she says. To our summer camp at Darktrees. It’s half a day’s ride from here. Once we git there, you can rest up. We’ll git you kitted out, help you make plans to find yer brother.

  I ain’t got time to rest, I says. I gotta git there before midsummer.

  She looks at me. That’s less than two weeks from now, she says.

  I know, I says. I’d be glad of some clothes an food if you got any to spare.

  I think we can help with that, says Maev.

  An I’d like to leave Emmi with yuz, I says. Emmi looks up at me. She’s bin ridin in front of me the whole time, not sayin a word. She looks away quick.

  Jest till I git back with Lugh, I says. I got no idea what’s at Freedom Fields or what I’m gonna hafta do to git there. I need Emmi to be safe.

  We’ll take care of her, says Maev. Whaddya say, Emmi?

  Okay, she says.

  Ash gallops past. Hey Maev! she shouts, jerkin her head back towards Hopetown. We got company! She rides on ahead to catch up with th’other Free Hawks.

  Maev an me turn to look over our shoulders.

  Holy hell on earth, says Maev. What’s that?

  A cloud of dust’s comin at us from Hopetown way. It’s movin fast.

  That ain’t no horse, says Maev. Not travelin that fast. Let’s git the lead out.

  In the pit of my stummick, I know what’s inside that cloud of dust. The wind’s picked up. Perfect conditions fer a landboat.

  Hang on, Em! Heeya! I yell. Heeya! I dig my heels into Hermes’ sides. A quiver of excitement ripples through him. It’s like he’s jest bin waitin fer me to give the word. He st
retches his neck out. Then he shoots off like a arrow from a bow, his hooves thunderin on the dry ground.

  I look behind. The dust cloud’s gainin on us.

  Whatever it is, it’s movin too fast! shouts Maev. We got no chance of outrunnin it!

  Up ahead, Ash has catched up with th’other Free Hawks. Told ’em what’s goin on. They all turn in a wide arc an start racin back to join us.

  I look back agin. The dustcloud’s even closer. Now I can see what’s makin it. An it’s jest like I thought. It’s the Desert Swan. With this fierce wind behind it, the sails is billowin.

  Maev whistles. Friends of yers? she says.

  No, I says. Not friends. Not at all.

  Emmi looks up at me with big eyes. It’s the Pinches, she says.

  They’re after me, I says to Maev.

  Right, she says.

  The Hawks thunder up.

  Keep Saba an Emmi in the middle! yells Maev. They move to surround us, takin up positions to the front, the sides an the rear. Nero flies jest overhead. We’re still headin fer the mountains, with the horses at full stretch. Epona’s ridin right beside us.

  Don’t be frightened, Em, I says. I ain’t gonna let ’em hurt you.

  I ain’t afeared of them! she says. From her quavery little voice, I can tell she’s terrified. I give her a squeeze.

  They’ll hafta git through me first, Epona calls over, with a smile. I don’t take kindly to people who try to do that.

  Jest then, the Free Hawks at the back of the pack start yellin. We look back. The landboat’s comin at us, full speed.

  They’re gonna run us down! I yell.

  Break out! says Maev. Break out!

  The pack breaks apart an behind us the Hawks scatter in all directions.

  Epona! I yell. I pull on the reins, start to slow Hermes down. Take Emmi!

  Right away, she pulls in tight beside me. I wrap a arm around Emmi’s waist an swing her over to sit in front of Epona.

  Take her to Darktrees! I says. I’ll meet you there!

  Epona nods an they race off towards the mountains with a few of the Hawks.

  I rein in Hermes. He rears an squeals an dances. Maev turns her horse too. This is my fight, I says to her. You done enough already. Leave me to it.