by Moira Young
Not on yer life, she says. Then, Ash! she yells. With me! The rest of yuz, go!
The three of us wheel our horses around, give ’em the heel an head straight towards the Desert Swan at a full gallop.
Keep in tight! Maev says. We pull up close together, ridin so’s our knees almost touch. Maev on my right, Ash on my left.
Bows! Maev yells. We pull our crossbows round an load ’em up.
Vicar Pinch clings to the mast. His robes billow behind him. Rooster works the sails. The Cage Master steers. Miz Pinch is tied to the front railin, beside the Cage Master. She’s aimin a crossbow at us. She shoots.
The arrow comes straight at Ash.
She’s lookin away, yellin somethin at Maev. I fling my arm in front of her head. She turns, startled. Th’arrow pierces my armband, sticks in the thick leather pad. I yank it out.
That would of had me! Ash says. Thanks, I owe you.
Ready, aim, fire! yells Maev. We let fly with our arrows.
Miz Pinch ducks. But the Cage Master’s too slow. Two of our arrows catch him direct in the chest. He cries out, lets go the steerin bar an goes tumblin over the railin. He falls unnerneath the Swan. As the wheels hit him, the landboat fishtails wildly. The right back wheel snaps off. The one I helped Rooster fix. I guess we didn’t fix it too good. It goes bouncin an rollin off.
The Desert Swan’s outta control. Jackknifin all over the place.
Look out! shouts Maev.
Her, me an Ash scatter outta the way.
Rooster works the sail ropes madly. The Swan tips. It rolls. Once, twice, three times, four. Real quick. Like a tumbleweed. Miz Pinch gits thrown out. She flies through the air an lands hard. She don’t move. The landboat skids across the ground, upside down, throwin up a great dustcloud. It comes to a stop an it’s all quiet.
Me, Maev an Ash ride over. Maev goes to git down, but I says, No, let me do it.
I dismount an crouch to peer unnerneath the Swan.
Rooster dangles head down. Trapped by the steel beams of the crushed hut. His eyes an mouth is wide open. He looks surprised. Vicar Pinch lies on the ground, his curly long hair in a heap beside him. He’s completely bald, with ugly lookin open sores all over his head. Blood covers his face. His right leg splays out at a strange angle.
I wait fer a moment, my heart bangin in my chest. Silence. Neether of ’em moves. Neether of ’em’s breathin.
They’re dead, I says. The King’s dead! That means that Lugh’s safe. They won’t have no reason to kill him now.
Good, says Maev.
Then I ride over to Miz Pinch. Looks like her neck broke when she hit the ground. She lies on her back. Her open eyes stare up at the sky. They’re full of fury, even in death.
I dismount. Stare down at her. I fit a arrow to my bow. Take aim. This is fer Emmi, I says. Then I shoot her in the heart.
Nero flaps down an lands on her chest. He spreads his wings an caws. Plucks at her shirt with his beak. Pecks at her hand.
That’s enough, Nero, I says.
Let’s go. He flies onto my shoulder. I pull Hermes round an turn his head towards the mountains.
The mountains an Lugh.
We ain’t gone more’n a league.
We’re pickin our way over a big rocky outcrop when Ash glances over her shoulder. Here they come, she says. She wheels her horse around an me an Maev follow her to the edge of the outcrop. From here, we can see over the plain back to the fires an smoke of Hopetown.
We can also see the Desert Swan. An the little group of Tonton riders, maybe ten in all, headed towards it.
Better not hang around, says Maev.
Not when you got a brother to find, Ash says to me.
DARKTREES
JEST BEFORE MIDNIGHT, WE RIDE INTO THE FREE HAWK summer camp at Darktrees.
Nero flies on ahead to tell ’em we’re comin. Emmi runs up the moment we ride into view an runs an skips along beside the horses.
Saba! Yer here!
You should be asleep, I says.
What took you so long?
We got here soon as we could, I says.
I swing myself down offa Hermes’ back. She leaps at me, wrappin her arms an legs around my waist an neck.
Are they dead? she whispers. Did you kill ’em?
You don’t need to worry about ’em no more, I says. How’m I s’posed to do anythin with you hangin on like a leech?
I give her backside a swat an she slides down. She follows at my heels while I rub Hermes down, water him an send him off into the trees to join th’other Hawk horses an ponies to graze on the scrubby grass in the forest clearins.
She chatters on, about Epona an how we’re gonna sleep in the same bunkhouse as Maev, but all the time she keeps hold of the edge of my tunic an sticks close.
I turn an jest about trip over her. I kneel down an take her hands. They’re tremblin.
Hey, hey, Emmi, I says. It’s okay. I’m here.
No you ain’t, she says. Yer leavin to find Lugh. An it could be dangerous. You said so yerself.
I’ll be fine, I says. I’ll be back before you know it. An I’ll be bringin Lugh with me.
Yer sure I cain’t come with you?
I’m sure, I says. I promised Pa an Lugh I’d keep you safe. I ain’t done a very good job so far.
You done okay, she says.
Hey, I says. I dunno about you, but I’m startin to feel mighty tired. Why don’t you show me that bunkhouse you was talkin about?
Okay. Hey … Saba?
Uh huh?
Would it … would you give me a pickaback ride to the bunkhouse? She says it shy-like, not lookin at me but at the ground where her boot’s tracin a line in the dirt.
I ain’t never let Em ride pickaback on me in our whole lives. Lugh was the one who played with her like that. He’d grab her by the hands an swing her around till they both fell dizzy on the ground. Or she’d jump on his back an he’d gallop around an leap while she squealed with delight. I never used to like it when he spent time with her. Or anybody else fer that matter. I always wanted him all to myself.
I look down at her. At the back of her neck, scrawny an grubby. She always was small fer her age.
She’s only nine, Saba. You might try bein nice to her fer a change.
A pickaback? I says. I thought you’d never ask.
Human sacrifice. Maev frowns. That’s … crazy.
Her an me’s sittin on a log in the cool mornin shadows of the clearin where the Free Hawks camp is. I check to make sure Emmi ain’t in earshot. She don’t know none of this an I don’t want her overhearin. But she’s over by the bunkhouse with Nero. They’re playin some countin game with twigs laid out on the ground. Nero loves to count things.
I know, I says. But that’s what Helen said.
An you believe her, says Maev.
I do, I says.
An she says it was the Tonton took Lugh to this place … Freedom Fields.
Deep in the Black Mountains, I says. That’s what she said.
I wonder what goes on there, says Maev.
Helen got killed before she could tell me everythin. But from what she said, it’s all to do with chaal.
Everythin’s to do with chaal, she says. An the Tonton’s right in the middle of it.
We’re silent fer a minute, then I says, You know, Maev, when Vicar Pinch saw my birthmoon tattoo, he looked like he’d seen a ghost.
Whaddya mean?
What I mean is, I don’t think it was the first time he seen it.
Where’d you git it anyways? says Maev. I ain’t never seen one before.
It was my pa, I says. He tattooed me an Lugh. Midwinter twins.
You think that’s where he seen it? On Lugh?
I’m certain of it. What else could it be?
Well, Pinch is dead now, so it don’t matter. They won’t be goin ahead with, you know … the sacrifice.
We cain’t be sure of that. An when they find out what happened to their King, they might be so mad the
y do somethin to him anyways. He won’t be safe till he’s outta there. I gotta git goin.
I stand up.
Oh no. She stands too, puts a hand on my arm. You ain’t in a fit state. Look at you. You need to rest an eat. We need to see to them bruises. Epona worked you over good in the Cage.
It don’t matter, I says.
Yes it does. You don’t know what you got ahead of you. You gotta be strong.
Leave me alone, I says. But I know she’s right. I’m dog-tired an I ache all over my body.
C’mon, Saba, she says. I ain’t yer enemy, I’m yer friend.
My friend, I says.
That’s right. Yer like me. Yer a survivor.
I’m jest stubborn, I says.
I’m sorry to hafta say this, she says, but bein friends an all, it gives me the right to say … when was the last time you had a wash?
I realize I cain’t remember. I dunno, I says. A while back, I guess.
A long while back, I’d say, she says. She pushes past me, heads down the path further into the woods. I got a surprise fer you, she says. This way.
We step outta the darkness of the forest into the shock of bright sunlight. We’re standin on a narrow shelf of bare rock that juts out into thin air. Straight across from us, water roars outta the side of a mountain. It rushes an tumbles down the rocks till it plunges into a deep pool below, where the sunlight dances an sparkles.
Maev disappears over the side of the rock.
I stare at the waterfall. It’s beautiful. Clean. Pure.
Are you comin or not? Maev hollers. Her voice echoes offa the canyon walls.
I follow behind as she picks her way over the rocks to the bottom. I ain’t bin swimmin fer such a long time. Me an Lugh used to swim in Silverlake all the time when we was little. Back before the lake dried up an everythin went wrong.
I’ll take one dive into that cool water. Jest one. It’ll help clear my head. Then I’ll be able to think.
Maev jumps down onto a big flat rock at the side of the pool. She shimmies outta her clothes quick an then she’s naked as the day she was born. Golden freckled skin, long strong legs, a tangled mane of copper hair. She takes a runnin leap, her legs an arms flyin, an disappears unner the water. She breaks the surface, a big grin on her face.
It’s fantastic! she yells.
I realize I ain’t never seen Maev smile before. She looks young. Like a kid.
Maev kitted me out this mornin, everythin from shirt to skivvies. At first, I didn’t wanna take their stuff, but she said the Free Hawks is by way of bein highway robbers an that’s where it all comes from. When she told me that, I should of said no thanks. I know that stealin things is bad. But my clothes was nuthin but dirty rags an my ideas about what’s right an wrong ain’t so fine as they used to be.
I take off my stolen clothes an fold ’em in a neat pile on the warm rock. Then I dive in.
The icy cold water shocks my eyes wide open, slams into my heart. I shoot to the surface, gaspin. Maev’s laughin her head off.
You rat! I yell. It’s freezin cold!
It’ll do you good!
I duck myself, over an over, in the sparklin cleanness till the filth of Hopetown’s washed from my body. I pull a handful of needles from a low hangin pine tree an rub ’em over my skin. Then Maev starts to chase me around an we splash an dunk each other.
After a bit, I realize I ain’t thought about Lugh fer the past few minutes. Not even once.
Right away, I turn an swim back to the rock. Maev follows. I pull myself out an gather my clothes.
What’s the matter? Maev climbs out.
I ain’t got time fer this, I says. I cain’t stop till I find Lugh. I promised him.
Oh, not this agin! She grabs the clothes from me. What, you promised him you wouldn’t wash? Or eat? Or sleep? Don’t be stupid.
Gimme them clothes, I says.
She holds ’em away. No, she says. It was a wash an a swim. It ain’t like you was dancin an singin. Now siddown an jest be quiet fer three minutes while we dry off.
No. Gimme my clothes, Maev.
Gawdammit you stubborn mule … siddown! She roars it at me. She grabs my arm an pushes me down. I’m so surprised, I don’t even try to git up. She drops the clothes an sets herself down beside me, holdin tight to my wrist. Now, she says, we’ll jest sit here fer a bit an be quiet.
Maev—
Shhh!
I jest—
She holds a finger to her mouth. She lays back, closes her eyes an raises her face to the sun. I lie beside her, starin at the sky. After a bit, I’m feelin warm, a little drowsy. My eyelids is heavy. They start to close.
I don’t unnerstand it, I says.
Unnerstand what? she says.
I cain’t believe you never heard of Freedom Fields. This is yer territory. You must of bin all over the Black Mountains.
Not all over, she says. Hawk Territory ends a day’s ride north of here. You don’t keep what you cain’t defend an there’s only forty of us.
But you meet people, I says. You must talk to ’em when yer … you know … robbin ’em.
We don’t ezzackly stop to chat, she says.
Even so, I says, I cain’t believe you never heard anythin about it, ever, not even the slightest hint.
Well believe it, she says. Cuz I’m tellin you, I ain’t never heard of Freedom Fields.
A man’s voice comes from behind us. Deep. Husky. That’s because they don’t want you to know about it, he says.
Neether of us stop to think. We roll offa the rock an into the water. Maev races away, but somethin stops me followin her.
A familiar heat’s crawlin over my skin. Shudderin up my spine. It’s the heartstone. It’s hot an no matter that the water’s freezin. I bob to the surface.
Jack, I says.
He stands there, his arms crossed over his chest, his hat down low over his eyes. He smiles his lopsided smile. My stupid stummick does a flip.
Fancy meetin you here, he says.
Maev’s head pops up over by the waterfall. What’re you doin? she yells at me. Are you crazy?
It’s okay, Maev, I says. This is Jack.
Jack? she calls. Who’s … oh … Jack!
I flush even redder. Maev knows I went into the burnin cellblock to git him out. Ash told her about it.
Are y’all right, Saba? says Jack. You look kinda warm.
Too much sun on my head, I mutter. I swim back to the rock. Maev joins me. We hang onto the edge an look up at him.
Jack nudges our pile of clothes with his foot. Grins. Well, ain’t this an innerestin sitchation? he says. Two girls naked in the water an me with all their clothes.
Turn around or I’ll rip yer heart out, says Maev.
Bloodthirsty, says Jack. I like that in a woman.
Turn around!
Ain’t it a bit late fer that? he says. I mean, I already seen all there is to see.
But he turns his back while we scramble outta the water an into our clothes.
What’re you doin here, Jack? I says.
How’d you git past the Hawks? says Maev.
He shrugs. I asked where I could find you. Ash said to try here.
You got past Ash? says Maev.
Uh huh, he says. She took a bit of … persuadin but in the end she came round. Nice girl.
Nice girl? says Maev. Are you sure it was Ash you met?
Listen, he says, I know it ain’t my business, but you might wanna have a word, tighten up yer security.
Yer right, she snaps, it ain’t yer business. See you back at camp, she says to me. She brushes past him an disappears into the forest.
He turns around as I’m pullin on my boots. She likes me, he says. I can always tell.
D’you rile somebody every time you open yer mouth? I says.
Pretty much, he says.
You didn’t answer my question. What’re you doin here, Jack? I frown. Are you followin me?
My my, he says, you do have a high opinion
of yer charms. No, I jest … happened to be passin by is all, an I remembered you sayin somethin about hookin up with the Free Hawks. I jest wanted to make sure you got here okay an … all that. So. Is … everythin okay?
Uh huh, I says.
You found yer sister okay?
Yup.
Good. That’s good. Did I mention I always wanted a sister?
Yup.
He folds his arms over his chest. Smiles at me. I stare at him. Finally he says, I know the way to Freedom Fields. I can take you there.
Every bit of my body tightens with excitement when he says it. But right away there’s somethin nigglin at me, so I says, It’s mighty strange, Jack, you jest happenin to turn up here an you jest happenin to know the way to Freedom Fields.
I told you before, he says. It’s fate.
An I told you I don’t believe in fate, I says. How do I know I can trust you?
You can trust me, he says.
You would say that. How do I know you ain’t lyin?
You don’t. But I ain’t.
I feel the blood rush to my head. I throw up my arms an yell, You are the most infuriatin person I ever met in my whole life! Talkin to you’s like talkin to a eel!
He gives me that crooked, cocky smile.
An don’t look so pleased with yerself, I says. It ain’t a compliment.
So, he says, d’you want a guide or not?
Tell me, Jack, I says. What’s in it fer you?
Instead of answerin my question, he takes a step closer to me an says, Why’d you come after me?
What?
Why’d you come after me? he says. Back at Hopetown. That cellblock was on fire. You’d hafta be crazy to go in there. But you did. You risked yer life to save mine an you didn’t even know me.
The heartstone’s almost burnin a hole right through my skin. I sure ain’t gonna tell him that sorry yarn Mercy spun me, about it turnin warm when you stand in front of yer heart’s desire. You wouldn’t think a grown woman could be so silly.
I cross my arms over my poundin heart an stare down at my feet. I dunno why, I says, I jest did.
An I dunno why I’m here, he says. I jest am. I mean, it ain’t like I don’t have better things to do. I got people to see. I got … business interests.
