‘Ready?’ he asked quietly and she nodded. Keeping a firm hold of her hand he stepped up to face the waiting soldiers and allies, joining Rashid and Belsesus.
Rashid addressed the crowd.
‘We march to the Ardari Caverns and should reach them by nightfall. There have been rockvorhn sightings so keep alert. Remember, if you survive the fight, the ships are instructed to leave after a month so don’t waste time getting back.’
The soldiers nodded and started moving to the long boats.
‘Cat!’
Ignatius turned too. Kassandra and Rumal stood with the two griffons, fully clad in armor.
Rumal smiled at Cat and beckoned her over.
‘Come on, we need you to lift Loushka off.’
He kept a straight face at the flint eyed glare from Ignatius when Cat shook off his hand and trotted over. Kassie stepped forward and embraced her and when they separated Rumal caught Cat in a hug. The mail suits with the rapthna plating made it a stiff embrace; he glanced down at the redhead.
‘Hey. How are you?’
She pulled back and gave a sharp nod, her expression fierce.
‘I want to be there already. I want her dead!’
Kassie laughed humorlessly.
‘We all do, Cat.’
‘Shall I toss you up?’ Rumal offered and at her nod, bent. Cat stepped into his hands, her hands on his shoulders and with an easy heave he threw her up into the saddle.
‘Don’t bother with the straps,’ Ignatius called. ‘You’ll be on Belsesus.’
The proprietary tone annoyed Rumal.
‘Don’t want her too far out of your sight now,’ he snapped.
Ignatius glared. ‘The girls ride the centaurs as agreed. That’s why they were assigned Aswaran bodyguards.’
Rumal gave the Lieutenant a long look and Iggy’s jaw twitched before he turned and marched off. A light touch on the arm made Rumal glance down. Kassie stood next to him staring after Ignatius.
‘I don’t think I’ll ever really like that man,’ she muttered, glancing sideways to Rumal.
‘I have yet to warm to him. Ready?’
‘Kiss me first,’ she demanded, her eyes twinkling.
‘Ready?’
‘Go for it.’
Closing my eyes and ignoring the noise and anxious energy from those still onboard I drew a bubble of energy around Loushka, then opened them, smiling in pleasure at the ease of it. The bubble, hair thin and sheer, flickered with flames that smoothed over the sphere’s surface, just visible to the naked eye. I looked at the shore and saw several long boats landed and a couple more moving back to the ship for their next loads. Watching them I absently lifted the bubble, floating us higher and higher until we cleared the masts.
‘About to release.’
‘Excellent!’ Loushka sounded thrilled.
The instant the bubble vanished she flicked her wings open, the fan shaped metal greaves sounding like blades unsheathing. I sensed Kassie and Kerak coming up beneath us.
‘We better move.’
‘Hold on!’
Wrapping the saddle straps around either arm I flattened myself to the leather when Loushka rocketed into the sky. We burst through clouds and she climbed higher then in a slow, indolent arc, turned.
‘Dive time!’
The ability to shriek vanished when my stomach dropped with the heart stopping midair turn and the air whooshed from my lungs at the plummet. Loushka tucked her wings in tight while we hurtled toward the water. The griffon screamed, a high penetrating note that dropped into a resonant, bellowing roar. The grief and sorrow in her cry pushed past the fear I felt at falling and I sucked a deep breath before joining her, utilizing my long unused soprano voice for the highest note I could manage. It tore at my throat and I knew I’d feel it later but for the immediate I felt a sense of relief. The ground rushed toward us and the faces of those waiting flashed past when Loushka abruptly pulled up. We shot over their heads and around the ships. I saw flashes of dark and light feathers mixed with the glint of armor when Phroma, Nesha, Kerak, and Tomiar, joined us, then the glitter of scales when Sito caught our trail. Too soon we dropped back to the shore, landing beside the waiting Lieutenants.
The show the griffons and dragon put on while they swooped around the ships and each other impressed Loi. She hadn’t seen Tomiar fly so recklessly before. Loushka landed first, right beside Rashid and Ignatius. Sabyn grabbed Loi’s hand.
‘Come on.’
Gredel, Daron, and Rumal joined them and they walked over to the griffon whose armor gleamed in the sunlight.
‘Cat,’ Sabyn called up, offering to catch her. Loi watched when her friend swung a leg over and slid down to him. No jealousy caught her this time while Loi watched Sabyn hug his cousin tight, just sorrow and when he released Cat, Gredel stepped up to embrace her and then Daron.
Hey, kitty cat, Loi thought. I want to hug you but the guys are in the way.
Cat’s eyes met hers and once Daron finished his hug Cat made her way over, the other griffons and Sito landing behind her.
‘Hey, you,’ Cat said as Loi reached for her.
‘I’m so sorry, sweetie.’
‘Not your fault,’ came the gruff reply, and then Cat pulled back and made an effort to smile. ‘Not too much at the moment, I’m not meant to cry.’
Loi rolled her eyes and yanked Cat back in for another tight hug.
I completely understood my friend’s demonstrations of support and love but it was the last thing I wanted before I had to hop on a centaur and look stern. My throat thickened when Loi hugged me tight and I blinked rapidly, just holding the tears back. When she let go I gave her arm a squeeze.
‘We’ll catch up proper tonight.’
‘We better.’
Nodding, I turned and walked to Belsesus who waited outside the group. He offered an arm and seizing it I swung up onto his back.
‘Hey!’
The centaur twisted to look at me, that deceptively simple motion reminding me again that centaurs were a species of their own. He turned his upper body—the ‘human’ looking portion—ninety degrees so to glance sideways at me.
‘What?’
‘What’s with the saddle shape in your armor?’
The molded shape meant my legs and backside slotted in easily with little fear of falling.
‘Why didn’t you tell me your armor had this?’
He laughed.
‘And miss watching the newest Princess of the Blood face planting? Now where would be the fun in that!’
I swatted the back of his head when he turned back, making him laugh more.
‘You suck!’
Around us everyone moved into formations, the griffons and Sito flanking the sides and the back of the line. Some goblins rode centaurs but not all would fit. They didn’t need to ride but I threw a thought to Loushka anyway.
‘Loushka, would you and the others mind divvying up the rest of the goblins?’
‘What, to snack on?’
I snorted in laughter and Belsesus’ ears flicked back to me.
‘Just chatting to Loushka,’ I explained, then tuned back into the griffon.
‘Feeling good today?’ I teased.
‘Finally stretching my wings felt fantastic. I’m not looking forward to the caverns.’
‘I hope we fit. Now, the goblins?’
‘Sure, Cat, no problem. Tell that leech Ignatius to send them over and if the guys moan at sharing I’m blaming you.’
‘Wow, you are feeling good.’
She barked in laughter and I called out to Ignatius; he in turn let the goblins know. Sito lay down so a number of them could climb on his back too, then we set off. With the girls on their backs, Oomoth, Larvaste, and Chaieth joined Belsesus and I at the head of the line with Leseach, Ignatius, and Rashid walking alongside us. One of the Medanga centaurs blew on a huge curved tusk of a horn and at the loud, low note everyone started to march.
Again the exhilaration of being pa
rt of a convoy hit and Sian bounced in the saddle.
‘You right back there?’ Chaieth asked.
‘Super! Just playing off-roading.’
‘…okay.’
Sian chuckled and twisted in the saddle, looking for her guys and a flush of pride ran through her when she spotted Daron. The man sat at the front of the saddle on Nesha’s back, a hand on either thigh while he moved with the griffon’s rocking gait. His handsome face looked calm but Sian saw the signs of tension, the alert readiness if he sighted anything. The goblins behind him all clung to the saddle and armor with excited expressions vastly different to Daron and Sian grinned. Bet it’s their first time on a griffon, she thought. Those on Sito looked excited too and one, having scrambled up the dragon’s layered neck armor, sat perched on his head. The pointed helmet offered a good hand hold by the look of it.
‘Sito, he’s not bothering you is he?’
‘Nope,’ responded the dragon. ‘New friends are fun!’
With a smile she turned back to the front and studied the landscape. Chaieth started up a gravelly rise and Sian leaned with him. There was no deliberate path but enough of a rough track to follow. The terrain only appeared to get steeper and one side of the track dropped away while they kept climbing. Ragged sparse trees lined the track they followed and the air smelled crisp.
‘Does it snow as low as this?’ she asked Chaieth, leaning further forward when the centaur climbed a natural step in the track.
‘No. But it might be snowing at the castle.’
He didn’t sound out of breath at all and the track grew narrower, continuing its steep climb. Concerned, Sian twisted back looking for the griffons and Sito.
‘You guys okay?’ she thought to Nesha and Sito.
‘I’m grateful for the armor,’ Nesha thought sourly. ‘I hate bush-bashing. Griffons are made to fly.’
‘Sito?’ Sian thought.
‘Hi friend,’ came the happy reply.
‘What are you so chipper about,’ Nesha grumbled.
‘New friends! Off the ship! Get to go caving!’
A loud yell from the back of the group made everyone twist.
‘Don’t swing your tail!’ yelped Nesha.
They paused and a number of quick shouts travelled from the front to the back of the group, establishing that no-one had been injured by Sito’s enthusiasm.
The dragon sounded embarrassed.
‘Whoops.’
‘It’s a narrow trail, Sito! No wagging unless all is clear, or it’s the enemy,’ Nesha scolded.
Sian laughed and turned back.
*~*~*
Chapter Eleven
Loi leaned forward and clenched tight with both thighs to rise in the saddle. Not quite a saddle, she thought, bracing herself on the molded pommel but it allowed a better seat—if you weren’t wearing chainmail. Thighs of steel at this rate, Loi thought, bracing herself when they rounded a corner. The focus to keep her balance stopped her hearing the odd murmurs at first and when she rested back in the saddle, the track leveling out, the voices chimed through again.
Welcome Earth one.
We’ve been waiting for you.
‘Did you hear that?’ Loi twisted to glance at the others.
Beside her on Oomoth, Kassie asked in a confused voice, ‘Hear what?’
‘A murmuring?’ asked Cat from the other side of Loi. Sian on Chaieth, in front of Belsesus, leaned back to look past Cat at Loi with a quizzical expression. Exchanging concerned glances the centaurs all stopped and Larvaste threw an arm up, the line behind them drawing to a halt.
‘Yes,’ Loi said to Cat. ‘Voices, they said they waited for us.’
The Lieutenants gathered around the girls tensed.
‘A trap,’ hissed Rashid, drawing his sword and the others followed suit.
‘Wait!’
We wish you no harm, Elemental. We’ve waited for your return.
My return? Loi thought back.
Yes, we were here when you came eons ago.
Who are you?
Cat gasped and sat straighter when the leaves and plants around them rustled though no breeze blew.
We are part of you.
We live within you.
‘The trees, the plants,’ breathed Loi aloud.
Yes. Welcome home.
I couldn’t make out all the words but the sense of them came through.
‘Home?’ I said in astonishment. Loi sat slack-jawed on Larvaste while everyone stared at her. The rustling of the leaves with the lack of wind felt a little creepy.
Loi stammered, ‘I…I think I was born here.’
‘Wow,’ said Kassie softly, a hint of envy in her tone.
‘Let’s keep moving,’ ordered Rashid. ‘We need to reach the caves.’
With a low sharp whistle he started the line moving again. I reached out to the girls in my mind. We linked easily and I listened in fascination while the plants around us spoke to Loi; they seemed delighted to see her.
So bizarre, I thought and the three of us listened while Loi communed with them. The centaurs kept climbing and the terrain grew steadily steeper and rougher, the trees growing sparser in numbers and tangled low bushes appeared. Around mid morning everyone paused for a drink and I hopped off Belsesus’ back, needing to walk and stretch my aching thighs. The couple of weeks with little exercise on the ship meant my leg muscles felt it now and I walked with that uncomfortable cowboy walk. Loi laughed at me when I tottered then went quiet, her eyes vague and the touch of a smile as she talked with the plants.
They remember the last time we were here, she thought to us.
We’ve never been here before, Kassie pointed out.
No, they remember the previous Elementals. They regard us as the same.
So much for being special, Sian thought in a wry tone.
But most these plants can’t be that old, I protested. How can they remember?
The earth itself remembers and welcomes us back. The plants are part of it.
Weird, I thought to myself then turned at Leseach’s query. She offered a strip of dried meat to each of us. While I chewed mine I climbed the steep side of the path we followed to get a better view. The other side of the path fell away and you could see all the way out to the ocean in a breathtaking view. I couldn’t see the inlet where the ships were moored but we’d walked so far already this morning that I wasn’t surprised. In the distance before that glimpse of ocean, bare and craggy mountains with sparse forest scattered below the snow line filled the gap. The snow at the tops wasn’t thick with visible areas of sheer rock face and I shivered, imaging the freezing wind. I liked climbing mountains about as much as I enjoyed caving and neither of them rated high on my list of fun things to do. Tramping in beautiful bush like in New Zealand was a challenging pleasure; scrambling around on rocks hundreds of meters above or below ground, didn’t excite me. I made a face at the mountains.
‘Who are you scowling at?’
I turned away from the stunning view and peered at Loushka further down the track.
‘The mountains and the thought of the caves.’
‘Humph. Try being this size and having wings when stuck in a cave.’
‘Guess we’ll both be glad to reach the castle.’
‘Right. From one hell hole to another.’
‘Good mood gone, huh?’
Loushka didn’t answer and I left her to it, watching all those on the track below me. The General Guard soldiers mingled with the allies and centaurs, crowding close to the griffons and Sito. By the sounds of the ribbing those on the griff’s were getting, I guessed they would switch with others for the next stretch.
Sian slid down from Chaieth after wolfing down the strip of meat, belly already demanding more, and made her way through the crowd of soldiers to Daron, Nesha, and Sito.
‘Hey guys,’ she said, smiling up at the goblin laden creatures.
Daron grinned and stepped over to embrace her.
‘Hey, Pix.’
> The goblins hooted at the couple and they broke apart from their kiss with a laugh. Leaves crunched behind and Sian twisted in Daron’s arms to smile at Loi when she walked over to Sabyn and Tomiar.
What a view from up here, she thought, and pulling loose from Daron’s arms, walked to the edge and peered down.
‘Don’t fall,’ warned Sito.
‘I won’t.’
The unusual formations in the rock faces and mountains were different to any she’d seen before. Lengthy hexagonal columns that looked carved into the rock but formed that way naturally, evident from the variations and positions. The hill they climbed wasn’t made of the same rock and when she balanced on the edge, looking further up, she could see steep shingle shoals fanning down from the track all the way to the narrow valley floor.
‘Pix,’ growled Daron.
Sian stood neatly back onto the solid path.
‘What?’ she asked innocently. His brown eyes narrowed and he reached an arm out for her. The chainmail covering his arm shimmered and she ran a hand down it then giggled.
‘Your hair pokes through!’
Daron gave her a look when he pulled her in, rolling his eyes.
‘Porcupine,’ she sang teasingly.
Daron tugged her pony tail.
‘Brat. Why haven’t you got your hood on?’
‘Do I need it?’
‘You never know when you’ll need it. Is it on Sito?’
‘No, on Chaieth. I’ll go grab it.’
Daron nodded then stood taller, peering over at Cat and Kassie and then gave Sian another of those exasperated looks.
‘Tell the girls to put theirs on too.’
Rumal and Oomoth conversed quietly when Sian came skipping up. Kassie couldn’t help smirking at her blond friend. That flirty little skip in a full suit of chainmail with the dark red rapthna leather plating made the perfect contradiction to her petite form and delicate features; and Sian knew it. She delighted in doing that sort of thing on Earth too, like when she bought a white Hilux fully kitted out for proper four wheel driving and zoomed around town in it like it was a tiny three door hatch with reckless disregard for the famously obnoxious pedestrians in Wellington.
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