The Bright Black Sea (125 page)

'Oh, we're in a shallow cave with some deep woods for
cover. The Cims say the talon-hawks will find us eventually but we
can defend ourselves for some time, so if you can get here in the
next half an hour, we shouldn't be in any danger at all.'

'I'll be there in five minutes...' I said reaching
the island. I dug my claws in as I raced along the path towards the
cavern mouth and
Raven
, fifty meters away. I could see
Molaye on the bow line, working to disengage the latch that secured
the anchor cable around a thick vine.

As I reached the island end of the stern line, I
signaled my crew, 'Who are we waiting for?'

'Just you Captain. Everyone's aboard except Lilm and
Lili who are aboard the
Guardian
, and Riv and Sar on the far
end of the island,' replied Illy.

'Right. I'm clearing this line and will be aboard
directly. I'll take the
Ghost
for Riv and Sar,' I said as I
turned to tackle the clamp that held the loop around the tree-sized
vine.

'Can I help, sir?'

I looked around to see Sub-Captain Tri'n pulling up
behind me. Well, she was my first mate now, so I suppose she felt
her post was on the
Raven
.

'Tri'n. Good. We need to undo this clamp,' I said,
'It can be a bit of a struggle,' I muttered, making way for her to
lend a hand. The latch and clamp were not made to release easily.
We braced ourselves and pried open the clamp, releasing the looped
cable.

'Thanks, Tri'n, now get to the ship. I'm right behind
you.'

'Aye, sir,' she said, and started up the nearly freed
mooring line, hand over hand. I stayed to try to clear the cable
from the vine trunk it was wrapped around.

'Captain, get in here, now!' bellowed Molaye. I
glanced up to see her standing on the upper hull, her pirate piece
drawn and following a target above and behind me.

I looked back to see a very large, red feathered
bird-like beast, not fifty meters soaring over the headland of the
island. Catching sight of Tri'n and me, it screeched in delight and
make a swift sweeping motion with its wide, talon tipped wings
sending it diving for us. I reached for my darter, but before I
could get it clear, the talon-hawk was engulfed in a blaze of blue
flame from Molaye's shots. She hit it several more times, just to
make sure, and it plunged past us, trailing smoke from its
smoldering feathers. I took Molaye's advice and started racing up
the line hand over hand, following Tri'n. The
Raven
could
easily rip the line clear, I decided.

Tri'n had just reached the hull, when Molaye called
out again, 'Behind you Captain!'

I twisted around, reaching for my darter, only to
find half a dozen gaping, crocodile jaws shooting towards me – the
sentry snakes, mom and offspring – coming at me with their wiggle
and feather puffing method of flight. I hadn't time to react before
they brushed past me. I heard Tri'n yell to Molaye to 'Let'em in,
they're harmless!' And, as I watched, they disappeared into the
darkness of the engine room airlock.

I reached the ship, and the three of us hurried
across the hull for the airlock, all eyes to the skies around
us.

'Thanks, Molaye. Seal the ship and move it off.
You're in charge of the
Raven
. Tri'n, follow me,' I gasped,
breathless, caught up in the necessity of action, which, at least,
kept my black fears and forebodings at bay.

I raced through the engine room, and up the long
central passageway to the boat deck where the
Ghost
was
accessed by a short tube. I shooed Tri'n ahead, closing the hatch
behind me and dove for the cockpit, indicating to Tri'n to take the
other pilot's seat. I strapped myself in, and touched the access
button with my id-implanted finger to bring the boat to life. I
called up the full array of viewpanels, that swept around the
cockpit, since we'd be flying mostly on visual and with a quick
check of the boat's status, said, 'We're off,' to Illy over the com
link.

'You're clear, Captain,' she replied.

I gave the steering rockets a little blast to get us
clear of the
Raven
's hangar, and fired the main engines to
get under way. The
Ghost
was a hybrid boat designed for
either atmospheric or space travel, so it had short wings and a
tail with steering flaps for maneuvering in the atmosphere, making
it far more handy than the long boat, which could only be steered
with steering rockets. I used the main rockets and the wing and
tail flaps to soar up and over the
Raven
and
Indomitable
, both of which were getting under way.

'We're on our way, Riv,' I said, bringing up the com
unit. 'We'll be there in two or three minutes.'

'That's good news, Skipper. We've already seen some
of the beasties through the trees. However, you won't be able to
reach us where we are now, on account of the fern trees. They come
right up to the cliff wall and reach our cave. The best place looks
to be a long clear scar at the base of the cliff, a kilometer away
or so inland. If you think you can find it, we'll start out now and
meet you there.'

'Sub-captain Tri'n is onboard. I'm sure she knows the
island. If you can give me directions, we should find it.'

'All I can tell you is that we're on the far end of
the island. There's a rocky spine that rises out of the woods. If
we follow the edge of the cliff towards the base, we'll come to the
open scar, a meadow clear of trees. You shouldn't have any trouble
finding it.'

I translated Riv's directions for Tri'n.

She nodded. 'I know the spot.'

'Right. We'll meet you there.' I replied and turned
the
Ghost
for the far end of the island.

We'd just put the
Indomitable
out of sight
around the curve of the island when I saw a figure racing across
the vine mat towards the base. And a second talon-hawk.

Talon-hawks actually look like overgrown hawks rather
than just another dragon, sporting bird-like wings, a broad tail
and a beak. Their bodies are broad chested and beak to tail, some
four meters in length. They're clothed in a coat of feathers
ranging from a rusty orange chest to their deep blood-red wings and
backs. Unlike our familiar hawks, the edges of their beaks are
serrated with short, sharp teeth. Their wide, true wings – boasting
a wingspan of more than four meters – are, like most of the beasts
of the Pela, equipped with two long talons at the wingtips, which
the talon-hawk uses to hold its prey while it rips it apart with
its powerful beak and taloned rear legs.

The talon-hawk spied the runner at the same time we
did. It must have screeched as its beak opened and the runner
stopped and looked up. Driven by a lightening flash of its wings,
it dove at the runner, its wings folded alongside its body and its
taloned rear legs extended forward and tucked close to its body,
very much a bird of prey.

The runner drew his weapon and holding it with both
hands, cooly took a second to aim, and fired several times, bathing
the talon tiger in blue flame. A darter. That made him one of
Vinden's crew. The smoldering carcass of the talon-hawk landed
within five meters of him. He turned, and seeing the
Ghost
overhead, waved. I recognized him – it was Vinden himself. I left
him behind.

'That was Prince Imvoy,' said Tri'n, looking at me
with a startled expression. 'Shouldn't we take him onboard?'

'No,' I said bitterly. 'I believe he had my prisoner
kidnapped, and may well be coming back from murdering her. The
talon-hawks are welcome to him.'

Tri'n gave me an unreadable look but didn't
argue.

'Besides, he's only a few minutes from base, and
looks to be quite competent with a darter. He's in no danger,' I
added, which was, unfortunately, very likely, true.

We reached the clearing a minute later, but the
vanguard of the horde was now arriving in force, I could see half a
dozen in the forward facing viewpanels, and there were probably
just as many aft. They seemed to consider the
Ghost
as some
sort of dragon, and fair game, so on sighting it, they'd veer and
attack, striking it with their taloned legs only to skid or bounce
off the smooth hull of the boat, when their talons didn't find a
hold as expected. They'd just circle and try again. And again. I
was concerned that they might damage the steering flaps, so I tried
to evade as many attacks as possible, while we waited for Riv and
the others to make their way to the clearing below. Despite the
ineffectiveness of their attacks and my efforts to evade them, they
continued to attack, and if anything, with greater vengeance. They
didn't discourage easily. If at all. And their numbers grew.

'Thanks for keeping the beasties amused,' said Riv
via the com unit.

'Our pleasure. How soon can we pick you up?' I
replied as I swooped and dodged over the island in a swarm of angry
talon-hawks.

'We're still five minutes away. Just keep'em amused
and we'll let you know. Once we're in position, if you come in low
and slow enough, we'll provide enough covering fire to kill a few
of them. I'm told the beasties are not particular as to who they
eat, so a few dead one's will draw their attention away from you so
you can land and pick us up.'

'Right, I'll try drawing them off and see if I can
loose'em for the pickup. Let me know when you're in place,' I
replied, as I set a course away from the island, just fast enough
to keep ahead of the enraged beasts until Riv signaled.

When he did, I spun the boat around and raced back to
the island, leaving the pursuing talon-hawks astern, screaming in
frustration. I slowed and brought the
Ghost
in slowly from
the far edge of the field, giving them a clear line of fire since
we had already picked up half a dozen new ones. Riv and the gang
quickly picked them off as I came in, so that by the time I reached
their end of the clearing and swung about to present the side hatch
to them, the talon-hawks I'd lead astray were streaming back and
fighting each other for their share of their less fortunate mates.
Tri'n was waiting at the hatch when I settled the boat down and
opened the side hatch. Tri'n jumped down and covered the gang as
they emerged from the underbrush to race the five meters to the
hatch, one at a time – the ones in the underbrush continuing to
provide covering fire against any talon-hawks that hadn't given up
on the
Ghost
. Each of the gang carried a carboy on their
back which they flung into the boat, and stood with Tri'n under the
cover of the raised hatch firing at the few talon-hawks that
continued showed interest in the
Ghost
. They were all
standing around the hatch by the time I arrived, so I told them to
get the Neb onboard and quit fooling around. Cimmadarians hate
talon-hawks and like nothing better than to get them fighting and
killing each other, which, I gather, isn't hard in these great
packs. I'm told that these large packs or hordes are uncommon, but
if you're caught on an island in their path, you – and just about
every other living thing, are unlikely to survive without a lot of
steel between you and them.

So, with the bloody slaughter taking place overhead,
they climbed onboard, in roaring good spirits too – I'd no doubt
what was in the carboys they'd brought along with them, or the fact
that they'd been sampling their work. Fighting their way back to
base would've sobered them up fast enough, but this, well, this was
a lark for them. I should've been angry, but having dodged another
tragedy, I let it ride, though my black despair and anger were just
below the surface.

I didn't return to the
Raven
directly, but
made a slow, wandering circuit of the island, on the off chance
there might be others caught in the open, while shaking off
continued talon-hawk attacks. It seemed unlikely we'd find anyone –
we were being constantly attacked – but having failed to take
proper precautions once already this round, I wasn't about to take
the slightest chance of failing again for lack of trying. I
strongly suspected there were people unaccounted for...

'Are the sentries safe, or do you think we need to
pick them up?' I asked Tri'n as we drifted over the waving tree
tops.

'The watch posts are near old weapons emplacements
which will provide adequate shelter, They have sturdy steel doors,'
she replied, adding, 'I think everyone alive is now behind steel
doors and grating.'

She likely deduced who I was looking for, but went
along with it without objection. We had almost reached the base end
of the island – though on the side opposite the cavern – without
seeing anyone or any signal, when we came upon a large cluster of
fiercely contending talon-hawks. They were fighting over pieces of
other talon-hawks in a pink cloud of blood and feathers. I brought
the boat to a halt just over the tops of the tall fern trees,
searching the ground below for some sign of life since it seemed
possible, if not likely, that some of the dead talon-hawks had been
killed by darter or gun fire from below.

'They wouldn't have started that on their own, would
they?' I asked her, using the boat's cameras to scour the
underbrush and rocks below, without results.

She shrugged. 'They might, if they're hungry enough,
It doesn't take much for them to set upon each other. They may have
clans or family groups that fight... Oh, look,' she added, pointing
to the viewpanel that I'd focused on the pink cloud of thrashing
talon-hawks above us. I zoomed in and saw what looked like twisted
shreds of fabric amongst the feathers and torn hunks of
talon-hawks.

Armored clothing is very hard to tear, but with sharp
enough talons and a savage will, it could be ripped to shreds. I
identified a boot and a torn coat sleeve, but most of the pieces
were too twisted and shredded to be identified, much less offer a
clue as to who had worn them. Still, there was little doubt that
the talon-hawks had eventually overwhelmed the people who had
started the feeding frenzy. We'd know who, once the talon-hawk wave
had passed and I was pretty certain I already knew why. It was a
shame that Vinden had either left or had not reached his men before
the bugles sent him scurrying back to base. The sight did little to
relieve my anger or my guilt. I'm not even sure Vinden's death
would've done anything to do that. It was a mistake that could not
be undone.