Chapter 10 #3
“That’s brilliant—thanks, Franklyn.” I glanced at Garran. “Have we got any more information about what forces remain on Jakarra?”
“Most of the birds and riders that were initially encamped there have moved on, and last night there were only two riders doing the flyover checks.”
Two riders was definitely better than two dozen. Two we could easily cope with. Unless, of course, there were more and the Jakarran scouts just couldn’t get out to a suitable position to see them. “And foot soldiers?”
“An estimated two hundred or more are currently bunking down in Illistin’s remains, and six boats are anchored in the harbor. There were eight, but two left yesterday.”
If they were heading for the barges we’d seen, it made sense they’d only send a couple at a time. With the birds already using them as a waystation, there wouldn’t be a lot of room left for a massive influx. “Did they mention men being shipped out in baskets at all?”
“No, just that there’s a steady stream of men coming and going.”
“Suggesting they’re using Jakarra as a holding for the regular soldiery in much the same manner as they’re using Ezu for the riders, rather than a jumping-off point.”
“That’s what Katter believed.”
Katter being Garran’s uncle on his father’s side and the current administrator. “Did he have any idea where the ships go after leaving Jakarra?”
“They sailed through the Zergon channel.”
Meaning they were heading north, likely for either K’Anor or the barges.
The fact they were using the channel—which was angled toward the Sheer—also gave us a very good pointer as to the latter’s possible location.
I couldn’t imagine them risking the channel, with its often wild seas, unless it saved them a good amount of sailing time.
“I still can’t see the point of lifting men onto the Sheer,” I replied. “The birds I understand, but whichever way you look at it, it wouldn’t be an easy task to move regiments of men quickly enough down from that point to be of any practical use.”
“It could be they were planning a pincer movement, with the Mareritt being the distraction fodder, the encampment you destroyed near the Blue Steel Mountains being one arm, and the men on the Sheer being the other.”
“Which would make tactical sense if there was an easier way to get down from the Sheer if you don’t possess wings. Even if they do intend to use the baskets to get those men here, it’s not like they can do it all at once and that we won’t see them coming.”
“It’s also not like they’ve been playing by any regular military rule book we understand,” Garran replied flatly. “And it could well be that some of the men up there are mages who have found a way of using the lava tubes to get here.”
Possibly. The whole range was riddled with them, after all, and it wasn’t like I’d explored every one of them.
Just because I believed there were none near the Sheer didn’t mean I was right.
I wrinkled my nose. “Maybe we should do a flyover check when we get back, just to ensure they’re not still building their numbers up there. ”
“Let’s get through this mission before we start worrying about others.”
“I can worry about multiple things all at once. I’m versatile like that.” I glanced up again. The smoke barrier was almost ready. “We should roll one bin into place so it’s ready for drakkon pickup and move the others to the sides.”
We come now? Kaia immediately asked.
The smoke wall isn’t entirely covering the cliff face yet.
We fly near. Come in when is.
Fine. It wasn’t like I could stop her anyway, given the determination in her mind.
I stepped back as the smiths carefully maneuvered one bin into the center of the courtyard and the other two out of the way.
Behind us, the gates opened, and the rest of our kin arrived.
Unsurprisingly, Kele was with them, though one half of her face remained heavily bandaged.
It was also wrapped in what looked to be sliced-up strips of oilskin coat, no doubt to help protect the bandages from the weather.
“Didn’t the medics order you to stand down from this mission, Captain MacCaa?” Garran said, casually returning their salutes.
“Aye, Commander,” Kele replied. Her speech was slurred, suggesting the muscles and tendons in her cheek hadn’t all successfully healed. “But that’s my drakkon you’re sending on what could be a suicide mission, and she’s not going without me. I’d rather die on her back than in a hospital bed.”
“I’d rather no one dies, given the scarcity of drakkon and kin,” he replied, then glanced at me. “Your call, Commander.”
“She flies.”
Neither Kele nor Yara would forgive me if I made any other decision. Besides, I would have done the exact same thing had Kaia and I been in their position.
“I’m beginning to suspect a severe lack of self-preservation is another necessary trait for becoming kin,” Garran commented dryly.
“You could be right.” I glanced up again. Fingers of fog were now reaching the height of the cliff, and the bulk of it was in the process of condensing. It wouldn’t be long now....
The sound of steps had me looking around; Candra and a couple of her kitchen helpers approached, carrying eight food sacks between them.
Candra stopped beside me, her gaze searching the skies. “The drakkons not here yet then?”
“No, but if you and your people want to step to the edges of the courtyard, you’ll see them in a couple of minutes.”
“Oh, excellent. What do you want me to do with these?”
She raised the two larger sacks she carried.
I’d dropped into the kitchen on the way out, asking her to put together flight rations for everyone.
The larger food sacks were for Halka and Miri.
They’d been in the aerie all night and wouldn’t have had much more to eat than whatever rations they’d been carrying during their flyovers.
“Leave those two and one of the smaller ones with me, then hand out the others to my team.”
She and her people did so, then retreated to the edges of the courtyard, their excitement palpable, something that made me think it was going to be easier to make Esan’s general population believe drakkons were a benefit rather than a menace than I thought.
I glanced at the smoke again, then across to the palace roof. A heartbeat later, Damon appeared at the parapet. “Call them in.”
I immediately reached out to Kaia, asking her to send Kiko and Lura first, then picked up the three sacks and moved back. “Everyone who is here to watch the drakkons, brace yourselves or be sent flying.”
The two younger drakkons swept over the peaks and arrowed down, the scales gleaming with bloody fire in the midday sunshine.
They banked as one, then landed on either side of the first bin, their wings still fanning, sending large gusts scurrying around the courtyard.
This time, everyone had heeded the warning, and no one was sent tumbling.
“Hannity, you want to grab the right chain and drag it across to Kiko?”
I tossed the meal sacks up to Halka and Miri, then grabbed the other chain—which was damnably heavy, thanks to its thickness and length—and hauled it under Lura.
She lifted her claw without being asked and carefully gripped the chain.
With that secure, I ducked under her wing and tossed the rope that was attached to the release chain to Miri.
Once she’d secured the chain and burned away the excess rope, I shouted up, “When you’re both clear of the courtyard, tell your drakkons to switch to a two-claw grip. It’ll be less taxing.”
They both gave me the affirmative signal, then, once Hannity and I were both clear, rose slowly, taking up the chain’s slack.
There was an audible grunt from Kiko as the weight of the bin hit, then she and Lura rose, the bin swaying a little too enthusiastically between them before they got the hang of working in tandem.
Send Yara and Aarvi in next, Kaia. We’ll fly with Taitia.
Cansu and Rua?
They can be our guards and lookouts. When we hit Ezu, they can come in behind us and light the whole place up.
Like this plan.
Of course you do , I said, amused.
We repeated the process with the next two drakkons, then it was Kaia and Taitia’s turn. I picked up my food sack and handed the last one to Garran. “Can you drag the other chain to Taitia? Jassy will ask her to raise a foot once you’re close.”
“Sure,” he said, and immediately moved in her direction.
I hauled the other one to Kaia and, once she’d grabbed it, scrambled up her other leg and clipped on, attaching myself via the fresh rope I’d fetched earlier.
Garran reappeared from under Taitia, slung me the release rope, and gave me the thumbs up.
“I’ll see you soon,” I called out.
“You’d better, or I won’t be happy.”
I secured the chain, burned away the excess rope, and then gave Kaia the order to rise. We did so, slowly at first, so Kaia and Taitia could get used to the weight of the bin and flying in coordination.
My gaze went to the palace rooftop. Damon stood to one side of the fire, one hand shading his eyes as he stared up at us.
We’d said our goodbyes earlier, but I blew him a kiss anyway.
I doubted he actually saw the movement, but he nevertheless reached out, plucked the imaginary kiss from the air, and held it close to his heart.
Once again melting mine.
I sucked in a deeper breath and tore my gaze away. I couldn’t afford sentimentality, no matter how enticing. I needed to concentrate on our task, on getting through this with everyone alive.
Which way we go? Kaia said as we flew over the peak and swept down the other side toward the circling drakkons.
We’ll need to hit Ezu before Jakarra and decimate their forces on the smaller island.
Have no fire liquid left.
No, but we’ll hopefully still have eight drakkons, and that should be more than enough to kill the riders that remain on Jakarra and erase their foot soldiers.
Plan.