The River Clan’s fortifications spread over the promontory overlooking the river. In the other direction lay the steep sided mountains shrouded in trees and snow. Away from the river a long slope stretched down to a wide plain with marshes next to the river. Peter could see how this would be a good place for a settlement. Well watered, defensible, and close to rich river soils.

Grey led his group of riders, together with Sarah and Peter, to the edge of the promontory. He revealed a rope that allowed them to climb down onto a narrow ledge. The shadowed scene hid as much as it revealed.

I wish I’d not opened my big mouth.

The moonlight lit the deadly fall to the river far below before the moon dropped too low to shine into the chasm. The danger distracted him from other thoughts as he stepped down the rocks holding the rope. But once on the ledge, as he watched the rest of the River clan fighters step off the cliff. It struck him.

Why did Thorn want Sarah to come?

He imagined she scowled next to him, but the light shifted and he saw she directed her glare a head, at Grey. Peter signed inwardly.

Thorn wants to set her up with Grey. And she doesn’t like it.

‘I wouldn’t like it either,’ Peter said in English.

‘Like what?’

‘Being set up with that dickhead.’

‘He is leader of the River Clan.’

‘Yeah. Makes him no more likable though eh?’

As Sarah stared at him he felt a sense of confusion.

Does she like the guy or not?

‘I should be honored,’ Sarah said.

‘But you’re not.’ Peter meant it to sound like a question but it came out more like a statement.

‘Don’t you tell me what I want or not.’

‘I didn’t mean…’

Sarah turned away and moved along the ledge after the first of the Rivers. Grey led them down and along the cliff even as the slope got steeper.

I really don’t understand girls. And pretty girls are the worst.

Not that Sarah could be considered pretty. The moon had passed below the line of the trees and everything had become shifting shadows so he could only see Sarah as a silhouette against the lighter rocks. But he remembered her strength, her broad shoulders and proud posture. And how she controlled her mount with that personal presence. When she did not frown her high rounded forehead contrasted with strong cheek bones and a full mouth. Even when she glared her eyes had an intelligent intensity that drew him to her.

No. Sarah is not pretty. Not even close. And she’s not a girl either. Need to stop thinking of her like that, she’s my age now. A woman. And she’s just the most beautiful… Of course Grey would trade his clan’s winter supplies for her.

Peter grinned.

Better to be hated than ignored. I can work with that. Except. She hates Grey too.

He shuffled forward, closer to her, even as she leaned away. She swung him a loop of rope back to him. He had no choice now but to lean out with his feet planted on the sheer side of the cliff to step around a bulge in the cliff. On the other side he found Grey in a crevice.

‘Don’t think I won’t kill you witch,' said Grey. 'Just give me an excuse. And if you tell anyone about this way into the Riverhome I’ll personally gut you and all your family.’

Peter nodded. ‘I understand.’

‘I don’t like how your words get into my head. Shut it. Don’t speak unless I ask you to.’

Peter grinned and got a glare in reply.

‘Get inside,' said Grey. 'I’ve got your back.’

‘I bet.’ But Peter grunted this in English. A laugh came from ahead, Sarah. He felt warm for a moment until Grey shoved him forward.

‘Shut it. I mean it,’ said Grey.

Peter kept quiet. But all he thought was how could he make Sarah laugh again?

The crevice narrowed until the moved on hands and knees. Peter began to panic. He tried to tamp it down, but the close air, the dark, the confining space made it hard. He closed his eyes but the dark seemed absolute. He bumped into Sarah.

‘Watch it,’ she said in the clan tongue.

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‘It’s Peter,’ he said.

She swore and her foot hit him on the shoulder. ‘Keep your distance. Or I might kick you on purpose.’

‘I’ll keep that in mind.’

Thinking about which part of her he had hit eased his panic, though it didn’t slow his heart rate.

The moved on until the crevice squeezed them to a stop again. Peter waited as the Rivers got through the squeeze, then he took a deep breath, eased it out and wriggled his way through and around the curve.

He had grown a lot since he had first come to Eoth. A lot taller at 290 centimeters, or around 6 foot 3 like his aunt liked to say. And while his shoulders had broadened, he remained skinny at 85 kilograms. He never had the patience to go to the gym, and thought the bulked up weight trainers wasted their time. He kept fit sailing, and riding his bike, or swimming. Now his slimmer physique meant he could get around the squeeze. If he lifted one shoulder, dropped the other, and sucked in breath. For some reason the squeeze did not trigger a panic as he slipped passed the smooth rock, warmed by the bodies of the rest of the group.

He had just twisted upright, with a little more space to move, when Sarah fell, her foot hit him on the face and he cracked his head against the rock.

‘Sorry,’ Sarah said in the dark. Her thigh pressed against his face. ‘Peter? Are you okay?’

‘Yeah. Though I can see lots of stars in here. Or are they glowworms?’

‘I said quiet,’ said Grey. He shoved at Peter’s foot. ‘Move it.’

Peter took hold of Sarah’s foot and raised it onto his shoulder.

‘Step up. I’ve got you.’

Without a word Sarah eased up and away. Peter followed, careful to press his back and legs against both sides of the shaft as he inched upwards. Then faster as the sound of Sarah’s movements drew away.

Then hands dragged at him, pulled him onto a flat surface. And he could sit up. He rubbed the sore parts of his body and prodded at his face.

‘Glad you've got soft boots Sarah,’ Peter said.

‘Next time I’ll wear high heels,’ she said.

Peter smiled. He realized he could see shadows now. A door opened a crack and a dim grey light shimmered into the space. He smelled wood smoke and dust.

‘Through there is the basement of a guild-house,’ came the hushed tones of one of the Rivers.

’Stay here. Stay silent,’ Grey whispered. ‘Let me check this out. Amber?’ He drew one of the woman warriors to his side. ‘You. With me. The rest. Wait for my word. No one leaves here unless we need them to. We may need more than one attempt to get the gate open.’

The two slipped out, the door eased closed, and darkness fell again.

‘We should not hide in here. We need to know what is happening,’ said Sarah.

Peter couldn’t argue with that, so he didn’t. Instead he moved towards the door.

‘Grey said to stay put,’ one of the Rivers said.

All Peter could see of them were dark shapes sat against the wall. Weapons glinted across their knees.

‘He also said to listen for his signal,’ said Peter.

‘How can we do that stuck in here with the hatch closed?’ Sarah moved next to Peter and he felt the heat of her closeness. ‘Three of us should stay hidden here, the rest need to listen for Grey’s word.’

Peter stepped to ease out the hatchway.

‘Not you,’ said Sarah. ‘You stay here.’ Sarah pointed. ‘You two, with me.’

‘And who put you in charge?’ said one of the Rivers.

‘I’m not. Grey is. But we should keep the strongest fighters in reserve, don’t you think?’

She’s flattering them. Smart.

‘Then the witch goes with you.’

‘No. He stays,’ Sarah pushed Peter away.

‘I’m not going to stay in the dark with the evil-eyed devil,’ said one of the Rivers.

‘They’ve voted,’ said Peter. ‘You’re stuck with me after all.’

Sarah grunted and they moved through the hatch door into the basement. The River with them led the way out of the basement and into a workroom.

‘Upstairs? Or outside?’ said Sarah.

‘Upstairs, then outside,’ said Peter. ‘Get some height but choose a spot where we can escape away again if we see any problem.’

The guildhall had a meeting room on the ground floor, and offices above. They made their way up the stairs along a passageway onto a balcony.

‘We should have told the others where we intended to go.’

They squatted low and looked out onto a plaza area and over the rooftops beyond. Blackbirders paced back and forth. Peter strained his ears to hear what they said but could only hear snatches of their guttural warbles. In the distance more human voices argued or cries. But he could not understand their words. He looked at Sarah and saw from her hard eyes that she understood too much.

A troupe of blackbirders walked past, then stopped below. Peter held his breath and listened intently.

‘We should attack them now.’

‘We wait for morning. The humans will be tired.’

‘They will be rested more like.’

‘With our guns that will not matter.’

‘It will be good to hunt.’

‘Yes. This place did not provide such sport.’

‘Be content. There are enough here for many days of hunting.’

The blackbirders moved on and Peter slumped down the wall.

‘They’re holding back. Toying with us,’ said Peter. ‘They have more than enough weapons to kill us and the Snow Clan.’

‘What did they say?’ Sarah dragged at his arm and stared intently at him. Enough of the moon’s light lit the high clouds, but all hint of silver had bled away. Only dark and darker surrounded them, gave form to the shapes, and put pain in Sarah’s eyes.

‘They rest. They have many weapons like the one that killed Cloud. Guns Sarah. They have guns not the lances and arrows of the clans. And in the morning they will begin a hunt.’

‘What do you mean? A hunt?’

‘It is a ritual for them. They pick off victims, give them hope of escape, but run them down like animals.’

‘And how do you know this?’ Sarah said.

Peter saw her wide attentive eyes and dropped his gaze. ‘Blackbirder aliens have hunted me before. I won. But they never gave up the hunt for me. Blackbirders are relentless once you're chosen, they like a challenge, but not too much. They are impatient beasts. We can use that.’

‘How?’ said the River warrior. Her lithe movements graceful despite her small size.

‘I don’t know. But I escaped them before,’ Peter looked up. ‘They are not used to those they hunt turning the tables on them.’

‘What? I do not understand.’

‘The hunted can become the hunters.’

‘This is all bravado,’ said Sarah. ‘You talk Peter. Talk but no action,’ said Sarah. ‘We will look for Grey. Warn him. We can not delay. If they have these guns then to attack is to be killed.’

‘Grey would not hesitate,’ said the River.

‘Then he would die,’ said Sarah. ‘And even I would not welcome that. We need everyone in this fight.’

Peter stood and looked across the village rooftops. Something nagged at him. As the mist and clouds swirled on a stir of breeze he saw a black shadow outlined against the lighter foggy air.

I didn’t imagine it.

He stood and climbed up onto the railing of the balcony and stared at the shimmer of mist and cloud. The shape resolved.

‘Get down,’ Sarah hissed in English. ‘You’ll be seen.’

Peter slipped into the dark where Sarah sheltered from view.

‘We can not open the gate. To attack from the front would be to die. We can not wait, they will come out and hunt us down, and not wait until the Snow Clan is gone as well.’

‘So. We can do nothing,’ said Sarah. ‘Except take as many as we can.’

‘No. We can still attack them. From above.’

‘What? How?’

‘They have a skyship. Let’s steal it.’