Snowbone

by Cat Weatherill

  The others waited in the wagon. They were supposed to be hiding, but Filizar couldn't resist peeping out between the flaps. The airfield was such an extraordinary place, with people arriving from every part of the world. Affluent traders, stylish in velvet and fur. Prospectors and trappers with weather-beaten faces and horny hands. Adventurers and dreamers with holes in their boots and hope in their hearts.

  “There's Stellan!” he cried suddenly.

  “Don't let him see you,” said Figgis. He dragged Filizar away from the opening.

  “Why?” said Filizar. “Stellan's OK.”

  “Said the rabbit as the wolf went by,” said Snowbone, instantly angry. “There's no way I'm flying back on the Stormrunner. N o way! I wouldn't care if it were the last machine on this earth, there's no way I'd—”

  “Shh!” said Tigermane, peering through a hole in the canvas. “Oh! Stellan's seen us! He's coming over!”

  Suddenly the flap was pulled back, and there was Stellan, looking them over. “Hey!” he said. “I didn't expect to find you here!”

  “If we are here, it's no thanks to you,” said Snowbone.

  “Nay, wait a minute!” protested Stellan. “I wasn't there, remember? Skua sent me on an errand. By the time I came back, you had gone. I was mortified! Skua had done some bad things over the years, but that was outrageous. I left him, there and then, and I haven't seen him since. On my honor! You must believe me! I thought you were legal. Skua said you had Papers.”

  “Papers?” said Figgis.

  “Ya, Papers. To show you are freeborn. Nay?”

  Figgis was shaking his head.

  “Have you never traveled?”

  “No,” said Figgis. “I walked as far as Kessel once, but other than that … no. There was no need.”

  “Ah!” Stellan smiled ruefully. “I wish I had known! If you are an Ashenpeaker and you want to travel, you need Papers. Legal papers that show you are freeborn, not a slave. You get them in Kessel. It's easy. There's an office by the harbor. They don't cost anything. But you can't travel to the Nova Land without them. Well, you can, but … you know what can happen! Anyway, what are you doing here? Do you need a flight?”

  “No,” snarled Snowbone.

  “Yes,” said Figgis. “We do.”

  “Well, you have one!” said Stellan. He grinned broadly. “My friends, you will not believe what happened to me after I left Skua.”

  “No, but I think you're about to tell us,” muttered Snow-bone.

  Stellan flashed her a smile, though it turned to a frown as he studied her eyes. He decided not to comment.

  “I stormed into town,” he said. “Found a bar. Had a few drinks. Started talking to an old guy sitting next to me. Star sailor, he was. Told me he wanted to retire but didn't know what to do with his machine. So we talked, and we drank, and we talked some more—and then he gave her to me! Well, that's not quite true. I have to pay him off, out of the profits. But she is mine. And she's a beauty! Really fast. The Comet she's called. And you know, I feel bad about what Skua did. I want to put things right, I really do. So I'll fly you wherever you want to go. No charge. Anywhere in the world.”

  “Anywhere?” said Tigermane.

  “Anywhere!”

  And so the friends returned to Ashenpeake. They arrived back on the dampest of days. The Comet descended through a wet fleece of cloud and landed at Spittel Point airfield. The boy with the terrible teeth tied the mooring lines fast and the friends gathered their scant belongings. It felt as if they had never been away.

  “Stellan,” said Figgis, “you're a perfect gentleman.” He shook the young man's hand warmly. “The trip couldn't have been better. The Comet is a grand piece of machinery!”

  Stellan smiled. “I like to think so.”

  “Right, then!” said Figgis, turning to the others. “Let's get going! It's a long way to Butterbur's house.”

  “Wait!” said Tigermane. “There's something I have to say. I'm not coming with you.”

  “What?” cried everyone at once.

  “I'm not coming with you.” She smiled. “I have had the best time, with the best people. And I am so proud of what we've done. But now it's over … I want more! I want to see the world. There's so much out there, waiting to be discovered. I've spoken to Stellan and he's been very kind. He's offered me a home and a job, for as long as I want.”

  “On the Comet?” said Blackeye.

  “Yes! I'll be mending the feather blades, fixing the rigging, cooking, cleaning—whatever needs doing. We're going to fly to Kessel first, so I can get my Papers, and then we'll be off.”

  “That's great news,” said Manu. He kissed Tigermane on the cheek and gave her a cuddle. “We're going to miss you, though.”

  “I'll miss you,” said Tigermane. “Oh, this is the worst bit! Saying good-bye. Give me a hug and be on your way!”

  And they did hug her, even Snowbone. Then they walked away, feeling as if they had left a little bit of themselves behind, like a sock under the bed.

  We'll have to get used to saying good-bye, thought Snowbone. Tigermane was the first, but she won't be the last.

  She was right. Five of them would arrive at Bogey Bridge but only one would stay.

  Chapter 76

  he friends barely recognized Butterbur's house. Without the snow, it looked a completely different shape. And no one could be sure, but there seemed to be fewer chimney pots and many more windows.

  Blackeye rang the doorbell and they waited.

  Snowbone shifted uneasily. Butterbur was a good woman— Snowbone knew that. She wouldn't poke fun at her blindness, or say I told you so. And perhaps Figgis was right, and Butterbur would be able to help her. And yet … it wasn't a good feeling, standing on the doorstep like a blind beggar. It was hardly a hero's homecoming.

  Inside the house, feet came running. The door was opened.

  “Two Teeth!” cried Blackeye. “You're still here!”

  “I am,” beamed Two Teeth. “Fudge is here too. We've been working for Butterbur, building a new herb garden.” He ushered them into the sitting room.

  “It's great to see you, buddy,” said Blackeye. “We've got so much to tell.”

  “Then it will have to wait until supper!” said Butterbur, sweeping in.

  “Aunt!” cried Figgis. He sprang across the room and kissed her on her cheek.

  Butterbur smiled indulgently. “Well,” she said, gazing at the company. “This is a surprise! And here's a new face.”

  “This is my brother, Filizar,” said Manu.

  “You are very welcome, Filizar,” said Butterbur warmly. “So! How are you all?”

  She had noticed Snowbone the second she entered the room. How could she not? Snowbone was perched on the edge of the sofa, silent and lost, her milky eyes looking but not seeing. Compassion kicked Butterbur like a mule, hard, angry, right in the chest. She wanted to gather Snowbone into her arms. Hug her. Hold her. Promise to help. But she didn't. She hid her worry well, and her welcome never faltered.

  “Two Teeth, will you tell Fern we have guests? Good lad.”

  Two Teeth scampered away.

  “He's a joy,” said Butterbur. “He's so happy, all day long. And Fudge—I've never known anyone who works so hard! I was amazed when they turned up on the doorstep with a wagonload of sap, but they have been wonderful company. You couldn't have sent anyone better.”

  “Do you still have the sap?” said Figgis.

  “I do,” said Butterbur. “It's quite safe.”

  “If everything goes to plan,” said Manu, “there won't be any more sap. That wagonload is the last of it.”

  “Is that so?” said Butterbur, raising an eyebrow. “Then we're lucky to have it.” She glanced at Snowbone. “Well now! You all know where the guest rooms are. Why don't you get yourselves cleaned up and we'll meet for supper in, say, an hour's time?”

  The friends readily agreed and, with a scraping of chairs and a gathering of bags, they headed upstairs.

 
“Not you, Snowbone,” said Butterbur lightly as Blackeye guided her by. “It's OK, Blackeye. I'll see to her.”

  Snowbone nodded and Blackeye followed the others.

  “We've got some work to do,” said Butterbur, and she took Snowbone by the arm and led her away.

  Chapter 77

  nowbone breathed in deeply. Herbs, hay, spices … they could only be in Butterbur's surgery.

  “Make yourself comfortable,” said Butterbur. She eased Snowbone into a soft armchair. “I won't be a moment. I just have to fetch something.”

  She moved away. Snowbone heard a rug being kicked back. Then a grunt: Butterbur was pulling something heavy. Footsteps, tip—tip—tip like a tap left dripping. Silence. Footsteps again.

  “Can you lean back for me?” said Butterbur.

  Snowbone obeyed.

  “I'm going to put a few drops into your eyes,” said Butterbur. “Try not to blink.”

  “Will it hurt?”

  “I don't know. I've never used this before. I hope not, but I can't promise anything.”

  Snowbone sighed and opened her eyes wide.

  Plip … Plip! Plip! Ooh! Snowbone tried really hard not to blink, but her left eye was stinging.

  Plip! Plip! Plip! Ooh! The right eye now! Snowbone opened her mouth and stretched her face, trying to keep the drops in there, working.

  “Any better?” said Butterbur.

  “No, not yet.”

  “Let me try again.”

  Plip! Plip! Plip! Plip! Plip! Oh! This was horrible!

  Plip! Plip! Plip! Plip! Plip! And still nothing. Snowbone felt her hope shriveling inside her like a salted snail.

  “Anything?”

  “No.” Snowbone was glad her eyes were running. She'd be crying now.

  “I'm going to try a compress,” said Butterbur.

  “No … wait,” said Snowbone. “I think something's happening.”

  “Can you see?” said Butterbur.

  “No,” said Snowbone. “It's still black. But it feels better.”

  “Relax,” said Butterbur. “Don't fight it. Let it happen.”

  Snowbone tried to relax further. She could hear Fudge outside, laughing in the garden, but she shut him out and listened to her own breathing. In, out. In, out. And suddenly the black was moving. There were shadows, shapes. Tiny bits of fuzzi-ness. And a faint redness, as if the black were rusting away.

  “Anything?” said Butterbur.

  “I'm not sure,” said Snowbone.

  “Take your time.”

  Snowbone settled back into the armchair and kept her eyes closed. She still couldn't see anything, just the strange ruddy glow. But suddenly it was fading … pulling back like a curtain … and she could see a forest. A lush, vibrant forest. She felt she was walking into it. The trees towered above her, their leaves fluttering silver like moths. She could feel their vigor; hear their sighs as they worshiped the sun. The grass beneath her feet was soft, springy like a mattress, astonishingly green. And she could hear it growing. Every blade of grass was whispering to its neighbor, urging it on.

  There were butterflies, candy-bright. She could hear the powdery rustle of their wings as they flitted by. Hear the flowers humming as their nectar was sipped.

  She walked on.

  Whoo-whoo-whoo-whoo. A sound, somewhere behind her. A downbeat of wings, growing louder, louder. Oh! She ducked as the bird flew over her head. It sounded like an eagle, but it was only a thrush. It landed on a branch ahead of her and began to sing. And as the notes tumbled from its throat, Snow-bone saw them dancing in the air like dust motes, thick and brown and warm as the speckles on the bird itself.

  Suddenly the forest began to thin. The sunlight trickled through the leaf canopy like pear juice: thick, golden, luscious. And when Snowbone stepped out into the sunshine, she found a rainbow. A jubilant shout of light that tethered the earth to the sky, shimmer-shining, close enough to touch. And she stepped off the edge of the world and into the rainbow. Kaleidoscopic colors thrummed and flashed around her. She could taste the red, sweet as strawberries. The yellow, creamy as custard. The blue, tangy as blueberries. And far, far below, she could see the rainbow's end, buried in a corduroy carpet of earth.

  Snowbone slid down the rainbow to the fertile land. On her hands and knees, she started to dig, deeper and deeper, searching for the pot of gold. But the smell! The ground was rotten. Hot. Wet. Icky.

  “Snowbone! Snowbone!”

  Snowbone felt herself being shaken roughly by the shoulder. She scrunched up her eyes and shook her head. Everything went black. Then slowly she opened her eyes … and saw a pig. A pale pink pig with a bandaged ear and a mucky mouth. And when she sat up and looked around, she found she was in Butterbur's animal hospital, on her knees, rummaging through the straw in the pigpen.

  “Snowbone?” said Butterbur anxiously. “Are you all right?”

  “Yes,” said Snowbone, beginning to laugh. “I'm fine. In fact, I'm better than fine. I can see everything. It's brilliant!”

  “You gave me quite a fright,” said Butterbur. “And poor Sausage here didn't know what to make of it.” She patted the pig affectionately. “Why anyone would want to root in her poo is beyond her!” Butterbur helped Snowbone to her feet. “Let's get you cleaned up.”

  They returned to the surgery, and there Snowbone saw something so unexpected, her heart skipped a beat. On the table stood an opened leather flagon, with a dropper beside it.

  “Did you use ashen sap?”

  “Yes,” said Butterbur. “This is one of the flagons Two Teeth brought up.”

  Snowbone couldn't believe it. Tarn and her gang had brought untold misery to countless people, Figgis included, but without their villainy she might still be blind. This is crazy! thought Snowbone. Tarn is dead and I am the one benefiting from her crime. It's mad. Mad!

  Mad but true.

  Chapter 78

  he meal the friends shared that night in Butterbur's house was the best ever. It wasn't just the delicious food. It was the laughter and the sense of belonging that made it perfect. And the knowledge that it would be their last together added a special flavor all its own: a warm, subtle hint of spice that lingered on the tongue long after the meal was over.

  Between them, the travelers recounted the whole adventure while Two Teeth and Fudge punctuated it with a no! here, and a wow! there, and an oh, you never! thrown in for good measure.

  Butterbur listened intently, saying nothing but memorizing it all. When it was over, she said, “I'm so glad you've used your shadow-sight, Blackeye. It's such a rare and precious gift. It needs to be nurtured.”

  “Torbijn had shadow-sight,” said Filizar.

  “Really?” said Blackeye.

  “Yes. I forgot to tell you. Skua was wrong to say he was just a mapmaker. Torbijn was much more than that. He had extraordinary powers. He was a shaman, a healer. He could definitely shadow-fly. That's how he drew his maps.”

  “Ah!” said Figgis. “Now that is interesting! Stellan showed me a Torbijn map and it was incredibly precise. We couldn't work out how he was doing it long before flying machines were invented. Well, now we know!”

  “I'm so jealous of you all,” said Fudge. “I know there were times when it got hairy, but you've had such an adventure. You're heroes. Real heroes.”

  “I don't think I'm a hero,” said Snowbone. “Though when we first set out, I thought I would be. I thought it was my destiny. But it didn't work out like that. I played a very small part in the adventure. Nothing I did was particularly brave.”

  “You led the attack against the slavers,” said Two Teeth. “You led the attack at Barrenta Bay.”

  “That wasn't bravery,” said Snowbone. “That was bravado! There's a difference. Bravado is instinctive. You're so fired up, you just storm in. You don't really think about what you're doing. That's me! But bravery—real bravery—is when you understand the danger you're facing, and you feel afraid—yet you still go in. Manu ran back to save Filizar in the vol
cano. Tiger-mane risked capture to return to the quarry. Blackeye risked his life to save me from the tower. That's bravery. No, if you're looking for the real hero in all this, it has to be Blackeye. Without him, we wouldn't have won.”

  Blackeye shook his head. “Snowbone, you're not being fair to yourself. You are a hero. You're my hero. Without you, I wouldn't have done anything. I would still be on the beach at Black Sand Bay, building a tree house! You took charge. You spurred us on. It was your energy that kept us all going. Y our energy, your belief and your commitment. Without you, we were nothing. If you could have seen us sitting in the workshop in Farrago—miserable, completely at a loss what to do— you would know that!”

  Snowbone smiled. She didn't know what to say.

  “If we're talking heroes,” said Figgis, “then I didn't amount to much at all! What did I do? I made tea and washed a few pots.”

  “You found the black-haired man and the blue-eyed lad,” said Manu. “You sorted the flight to Farrago.”

  “That's all!” said Figgis. “You could have left me behind at Spittel Point and not noticed the difference.”

  “No,” said Blackeye. “That's not true. You kept us going, just as much as Snowbone. You made sure we had food and water and somewhere safe to sleep. You were like a mother to us.”

  “I'm the only mother you'll ever have,” said Figgis.

  “I couldn't ask for better,” said Blackeye.

  “You wouldn't want mine!” said Filizar, and they all laughed.

  But Manu, lying in bed later, felt his heart harden as he thought of his stepmother and her scheming.

  And Figgis, lying awake in the room next door, felt every muscle tense as he thought of the fight in the warehouse. He hadn't told anyone about killing the black-haired man and he wasn't going to. He would lock away the memory in the darkest chamber of his heart and throw away the key. “Some secrets aren't for sharing,” he told himself, punching his pillow to make it more comfortable. “And dead men don't tell tales.”