'TWO! I CAN SEE TWO ships!'Lieutenant Patel looked up from the spread of maps across the table to see the Rodhite lookout officer galloping down from the cliff edge that hung over the shore meters below.'Are they ours?' he demanded, moving a paperweight on top of the maps before ducking out of the tent and walking toward the centaur.'They look right.' The officer offered an arm to Patel who seized it, swinging up onto the centaur's broad back. Around them the thickly spread cavalry all shifted positions, trying to get a better view. At the cliff edge the officer turned sideways. They stared out. The two ships appeared as if suspended on the horizon, perched at the edge of nothingness. Patel took the offered telescope and lifted it to his eye. It brought the ships into sharper perspective though not enough to state for sure either way.'Can you tell?' asked the officer.'Not yet,' Patel answered with a growl of impatience. 'Come on! Put up the sail!'The other soldiers gathered
'KASS.'Kassie twisted in Rumal's arms to stare over at the other ship sailing parallel to them.'Kerak's awake,' Rumal said, the words rumbling beneath her ear pressed against him.'And wanting off.' Kassie yawned, the cold air making her wish for her snug bed on Earth with its multiple layers of thick feather duvets.'Morning, Kerak. Or should I say good afternoon?''Morning, can you lift us off?' Kerak sounded restless, she could see movement on the deck that looked like a hungry griffon pacing.'Who else is there?''Loushka, Tomiar, Nesha, and Phroma.''Are ALL of you still there? What a bunch of lazy bones,' Kassie teased. 'Pft. Have you seen Sito?''He's off exploring a sea cave with Sian and Daron.''Oooo, I wonder if he'll bring back lunch.' Kerak sounded excited at the possibility, while Kassie hoped that if the dragon brought back something, he kept it to the deck over there! They conversed a little longer before Kassie instructed him to get all the others up and
'OFF ALREADY?' ALEK THOUGHT, CLIMBING the stairs to the hatch, ducking his head before coming out into the afternoon sunlight.'Yes. We thought we might see if we can reach the land.''Don't tire yourself out too much.'He felt her laughter at that and smiled, watching as the three griffons wheeled around the masts then swooped off, across the ocean. Turning, he paused at the sight of Leseach, not far from where Cat stood with Rashid and the other men. The Northerner wore an impassive expression but gripped the rail she leaned back against tight with both hands.Not in the manner of one nervous of heights but like one who fought against anger.Sprawled at her feet, its large eyes watching her, the ardwyr whined low and long, its whiskers vibrating. Leseach didn't appear to notice, eyes staring off into the distance.An unsettling sensation rose in his gut.Why did Leseach kill Ignatius, he suddenly thought; I'd assumed it was to protect me but I heard what she said to Cat and wh
'LIEUTENANT, WHERE SHOULD WE SET up the stage?'Patel turned from watching the two ships and that purple banner flaring out. The rest of the sails appeared furled; the ships anchored though they looked ridiculously close to each other. It gave him a wild hope that perhaps the other girls had survived. I'm sure Sian or Kass could manage such a feat, he thought.The cavalry soldier cleared his throat.'Oh! As close to the water front as the high tide will allow. It needs to have enough open space around it for the survivors to witness the crowning and for the cavalry to gather around.' He motioned to the soldier, and they walked toward the water. The camp teemed with activity, soldiers trotting back and forth with freshly cut trees, others stripping the branches and levelling the lengths to ready them for use. Half the Medanga soldiers worked at cleaning and polishing all the armour and weapons while several dozen Rodhite centaurs cantered off to shoot and catch enough food for a suit
KASSIE CHOKED MID-LAUGH, ALMOST inhaling the mouthful of seared fish she'd just taken. Coughing, she turned away from the table face flushing as she struggled to take a breath. When it cleared, she sat up, still red faced and laughed even harder as the two desert goblins continued acting out the moment between Rashid and Leseach in the caves, with reckless disregard for their own safety. Both Rashid and Leseach eyed the two with dour expressions. A fluttering at the edges of her mind caught her attention. She watched the moment in time via Cat's mind as she showed Alek, the whole thing so sharp it almost felt like her own memory. Cat knew she watched and winked at her from across the table. The two allies finished their dramatic interpretationa fair bit raunchier than the actual event, Kassie thought in amusement, artistic license muchwith everyone applauding heartily. During the pause between performances the chefs clanged on their pots again. Everyone stood with their plates in hand
A SERIES OF THUDS AND muffled shouts woke him. Alek twisted in bed, body tense. Beside him Cat sighed and turned her head his way, eyes glassy.'Noisy lot aren't they,' she commented.He relaxed, reaching a hand to cup her face. 'They are. It's an exciting day. Lots to do.'A tentative smile touched her lips but no more. 'Hmmm.'A brief flash of annoyance made him shake his head before leaning forward to press a firm kiss to those pouting lips. 'C'mon, let's get up. This is the day I've been waiting for since my father died!'Cat scrambled out of the bed after him but he ignored her for the moment, wanting to call back the elation he'd woken with. Anxiety wafted through her energy crawling up his spine in a way that made him shudder.'STOP IT.' He twisted, an arm swinging out in an unexpected defensive gesture as the tension rose making his chest tight. Cat froze. In an instant it increased, clapping shut around his body. He couldn't breathe or see, body and mind screaming.It s
WE COULD HEAR THE TRUMPETS. I wouldn't have thought it possible with the distance but the still morning allowed the rich noise to carry with ease. The cool air made my skin prickle as I watched soldiers lower another of the longboats, the soldiers within it spreading their feet to keep balance. The centaurs had it easy when it came to balance but their size meant the boats could carry just twelve. Eight of the other soldiers (the two-legged variety) slotted in around them to man the oars. Still, the ship had ten long boats so only half that many would need to make a return trip. The reminder of how few of us returned made me close my eyes for a moment, breathing deep. The salt air felt even sharper than usual as if it would sandpaper the inside of my nose which I wrinkled, resisting the urge to sneeze. No sneezing allowed, doesn't look serious at allI looked down to the main deck, meeting Loi's teasing gaze with the hint of a smile.Thanks for that. Nervous? You're up next.Not a
NOW.Sian closed her eyes for a moment, following Cat's thought to where she stood in the longboat. Running through Rashid's instructions she relaxed, letting the change flow through her. Both Kassie and Loi shifted as she did, Cat's energy chiming in a moment later. It sucked her in, the Elemental side sweeping through her mind. The delicious sensation of water flooding through her limbs, of the vast ocean absorbing her being snatched her away.Sian?Sian-Siiiaaannnnnnn-SIAN!With a jerk she snapped out of it, her friends' voices loud in her mind. Sorry! Got distracted.We noticed, came Kassie's thought. Very pretty under there but please stay on track.The longboat wasn't yet visible through the thick fog. Sian could sense Kassie working at keeping the fog in place, to make the reveal as spectacular as Rashid was determined to have it. With her mind on that, Sian called to the currents swirling beneath the boat. They answered back with voices of joy, almost pulling her ba