‘What’s the creature going to do?’ said Vale. ‘Such a small thing against twenty of the blackbirder aliens, and almost as many of the ravening beasts.’

Their three mounts had dropped to their bellies and slid forward across the snow pushing with their rear feet. They kept as much scrub between them and the blackbirders attacking the Snow Clan. Like the older Snows, Peter pressed himself against the flanks of his mount, just enough to put his head over Girl’s shoulders.

The slinky movement of ht huge beast reminded Peter of a cat stalking a bird.

An elephant sized carnivorous monster trying to hide.

Peter watched Varuq'hat who had run on all fours along a snow covered bank to hide from both the Snow Clan and the attacking blackbirders. The imp pulled something from his webbing, and went from black to white and so merged into the snow. He had become a faint shadow as he slipped towards his quarry.

‘A snow cape.’ Dusty said. ‘Though how he hid that when he wears no clothes, nor carries a pack, is a wonder.’

‘I knew another imp once before. But this one is as smart as a man. Smarter perhaps,’ said Peter. ‘That other seemed more like a well trained dog. Or a badly trained dog. But they share a sense of mischief.’

‘If this one can cause mischief to these invading fiends then I will be pleased enough,’ said Vale.

The sounds of fighting between the Clan and the blackbirders came from across the snowy river plain. Even the blowing wind that lifted spindrift in a haze of snow could not hide the battle that raged just beyond sight.

‘They harry the clan, but do not attack,’ said Vale.

‘They play with them,’ said Peter. ‘On a hunt it is the chase and the sport of it they like. This is not war for them. But a game.’

‘Better a fair fight than this cruel game,’ said Dusty. ‘There is no honor for either side in this.’

They fell silent.

How can there be any honor in any fighting? No one should have to die to prove a point.

Peter grew impatient suddenly, his heart began to race. ‘Somethings about…’

A spray of snow erupted to one side of where the fighting would be. Then another.

‘Go,’ said Peter. ‘That’s the signal.’ Without an obvious command from him, Girl burst from her crouch, a movement that jolted him as he clung to his perch. He swung up into the saddle webbing and held on as the mount piled forward.

Vale and Dusty’s mounts surged up behind him, but he could hear nothing of them. Just the wind rush of the pounding movement, Girl reared on her hind legs and issued a thundering cry lost in the wind. Snow flung into the air spat at him. He looked up from under his brow, his hood pulled low, to see his way. But he could not shield his face, his hands clutched the webbing and reins in a desperate grip. Instead now he leaned his shoulder forward, his arm across his face to ward off the snow’s cold bite. He wished he had wrapped his face as Vale and Dusty had.

Then the scene of the attack burst upon him. Chaos and confusion everywhere as Snows and blackbirders and Thraqanonkra battled with fierce determination. Then Girl got amongst her enemy. She lashed at a blackbirder stunned by her attack from his rear. It didn’t even raise a weapon as the mount flung the alien across the snow.

Bow and arrow? No guns?

He knew he had been right. The blackbirders had been on a Hunt.

Sport not tactics. Pleasure not purpose.

His hate for the blackbirders rose them and he let Girl have her head as she ran at her next victim.

The blackbiders pulled themselves into a defensive group as the Snows and Peter’s group gained the upper hand. Many blackbirders had fallen without obvious wound. Varuq'hat had shot them as he had created confusion with his explosions and flares.

Peter saw it then. The Thraqanonkra turned from fighting the Snows and instead attacked the blackbirders, both the fallen and then fighting. Somehow the control that they used to keep the ravening beasts in their power had failed.

The clan fell back and watched as the beasts rounded up their masters and harried them even as the blackbirders shot arrow after arrow at the devilish carnivores. Peter had been hunted by these creatures, he had been right to fear them then, and when they had finished with the blackbirders he knew they would turn again on the Snow Clan.

‘Shoot the beasts,’ he called to Vale. ‘Kill them.’

‘But they do our fighting for us,’ said a strong voice.

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

‘Thorn. They will turn on us too. Take them while they are distracted. While they take revenge on their masters.’

And so the shooting began. Arrows and spears rained upon the Thraqanonkra and then all the blackbirders had fallen and the beasts turned on the Clan. Five remained, and then four.

The beasts ran off then. Another fell to a lance from a charging mount. Dusty had got his fair fight.

‘Don’t let any escape,’ cried Varuq'hat. He raised his gun but his aim got spoiled as he dodged a spear thrown by a Snow. The imp yelped, climbed up Dusty’s webbing, and clung to the surprised old man.

‘Oh leave the critter be,’ Dusty said with a laugh. ‘This is a good one. Such a wondrous victory it has brought us.’

‘We will regret letting those go,’ said Varuq'hat. ‘We should go after them.’

But no one took any notice. Even Dusty. The remaining mounts drew into a circle. Many clan climbed onto the backs of the mounts behind the riders to take part in the moot on the red stained snow.

Varuq'hat joined Peter. He slid down Dusty’s mount, and made a wary retreat to Girl. The mount purred and lowered her head for the imp. He strode up her muzzle and onto her head as if the mount was his.

‘These Arthan’s are truly evil. The vileness they do to these creatures.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘They made them these killers. Control them with fear and imprinting. It is right to release them.’

‘What?’ Peter gripped the imp’s shoulder. ‘You did something to them?’

‘I broke the imprinting. I will not kill, but the stain is on my conscience still. I knew the creatures would turn on their masters.’

‘That was your plan all along? And the explosions?’

‘A distraction to allow me to get close to them so I could shoot enough of them to break the imprint. Then I let their nature do what it will.’

‘You’re a sneaky evil imp Varuq'hat.’

‘I know. And it saddens me.’

Peter gripped the imps shoulder then released him. The imp slid back until he pressed into Peter’s chest. The imp’s musky aroma took him back to a tropical island and the girl he had called friend. He had watched her die an old woman. The sadness of that merged with the feelings from Varuq'hat and both sat still, quiet in their thoughts.

‘Peter!’

He looked up from his memories.

‘Jan.’

How did I forget you?

‘You came for me,’ the young girl said.

‘Yeah, I guess I did. Can’t have evil alien’s enslave you.’

Jan stood at Girl’s side and craned her neck. ‘How do I get up?’

Girl purred and lowered her head. The conversation between the clan stopped at this sudden movement of one of the mounts in the circle. But Jan gamely scrambled up Girl’s muzzle until she reached the head where she saw Varuq'hat for the first time.

‘Oh. What’s that? It’s cute. Can I have him?’

‘Ah. Well. Varuq'hat a he and his own person. He might be your friend if you’re lucky.’

‘She’s lucky,’ said Varuq'hat.

‘Quiet!’ Thorn’s voice rang out. ’Cease your yammering. We are grateful for your help, but we are in moot.’

Jan did not understand but seemed to get the idea. She slipped behind Peter and to her delight Varuq'hat joined her.

‘Sorry Thorn. I have tamed my family. You honor me with your thanks. But all we four wanted to do was be reunited with the Snow Clan. But we bring news.’

‘You speak Clan tongue now shaman?’

‘I’m a quick study, and Dusty is a good teacher.’

A laugh rippled through the clan. ‘Then why don’t you speak with his old timer ways?’ another shouted out.

‘I’m a quick study, but have a poor ear for accents.’

More laughs until Thorn called for attention again. ‘So then Peter. Tell us this news.’

‘Vale should speak for us.’

So Vale spoke of how they had realized the Snow Clan would be next to be attacked by the blackbirders and had taken chase.

‘And so you left my Sarah with the River Clan?’ said Thorn. ‘And allied yourself with this alien creature? And gave the Rivers the floating vessel, and all we won together at the Clanhome?’

‘It all made sense at the time,’ said Dusty. ‘But when you put it…’

‘And it is well we did all these things,’ said Vale. ‘The Snow Clan is delivered from the blackbirders, and we have forged an ally in the Rivers. You too see this old friend. You lead the Snow Clan to the north.’

‘Away from attack by the invaders. Though we did hope to send out searchers to connect with the River Clan and the floating vessel. This skyship.’

Thorn used the Thaluk word Ziyaqa, though Peter had begun to this of the skyship as more a naval vessel. A fighting ship.

‘And so we should now,’ said Vale. A murmur of agreement came from the rest of the moot, including the watchers on the backs of the beasts.

‘These blackbirder aliens were on a Hunt,’ said Peter. ‘A ritual. They had matched their weapons to yours to improve their sport.’

‘Aye. It is true,’ said Dusty. ‘I said it first. They fought a cruel game not a fair fight.’

‘They will not be so easy to beat when they use their guns and other tools,’ said Peter. ‘And they will know these ones have fallen.’

‘Shall we join with the Snows?’ said Thorn. ‘I call for a decision.’

The circle reared almost as one. The two clans would come together.

‘In the morning we will send out a party. Now though, we bury our fallen, and dispose of these others.’

Vale broke from the circle first and began to organize the Clan, and Peter saw who really ran things, even if he did not have the voice and power, all looked to Vale to get things done.

The camp took form in a tight circle a few hundred meters from the site of the battle. Already black birds had dropped from the sky and pecked amongst the red stained snow, but the dead had been buried in solid ground where scavengers could not get to them. Even the blackbirders.

Jan came up to Peter and showed him her tent, though Peter had already decided to sleep with Girl. The old Italian man had taken Jan in hand. They did not share a language but got by on a few shared words and gestures. Happy Jan had found safety he sat on a pile of fur-feathers leaned back against Girl where she had settled for the night after he had stripped her of the saddle webbing and scratched her under her eyes.

Dusty joined him, squatting to bring his eyes level with Peter’s.

‘You know the way of the beasts then? You have come a long way.’

‘You don’t know the half of it.’

‘I know enough. You will go on the party seeking the skyship tomorrow?’

‘I will,’ said Peter. ‘I need to get back to the boys, Tiz and Walt. I will take Jan with me.’

‘Follow your heart and you will find your destiny,’ said Dusty.

Peter nodded, but sleepiness prevented him from really understanding the old man’s double meaning. Dusty showed him to the rider’s tent that lay amongst the center of the mounts, where a brazier burned, and they passed around cups of hot beer, and tall tales. Peter did not remember drinking much but the warmth of the tent and the company put him to sleep soon enough.

Uneasy dreams came to him with visions of the skyship and River Clan surrounded by blackbirders. Where Sarah captained a ship she barely understood, but where he knew his destiny. One, if he could only hold onto it until morning, it would be worth finding.