Peter had not yet reached the deck when the shouting erupted.

‘Thraqanonkra, they’re attacking the skyship.’ Peter scrambled down the last few meters and ran towards the stern. Not only had Grey exposed them to danger by landing, but he had opened the rear cargo doors.

‘We’re defenseless without mounted riders to fight off the ravening monsters.’ Peter sprinted for the stern of the skyship where the crew had all gathered. ‘Fools, we should be getting the zharaqsa lit, we should be taking off.’

But the shouts had turned to cheers. Peter pushed his way to the railing. The pack of thraqanonkra had begun to gyre around a victim, their screeching and yipping chilled him.

‘Who is it? Who have they caught?’ Peter shouted above the cries.

‘The imp. He’s in there under all of that.’

Peter’s heart lurched. He did not want anyone to fall to the claws and jaws of the beasts.

‘No no. Not the imp.’ Varuq'hat reminded him too much of Breeze, and he liked the rascal for him self.

The pack burst out of its gyrations and ran off as a group. The cloud of dust settled. Peter expected to see a smear on the ground, but instead the imp bounced up and down in happiness.

‘Varuq'hat!’ Peter shouted. ‘What happened?’

‘The imp rode in on one of those fearsome creatures,’ said Sarah. ‘Then they seemed to go crazy mad all of a sudden.’

‘Not possible,’ Peter said. The Thraqanonkra could not be tamed, even the blackbirders had showed that. What had Varuq'hat done to them.

‘Damn you Varuq'hat,’ Peter said later. ‘Couldn’t you have been a bit slower? So I could have seen?’

The rest of the Clan had come to a halt now and arrayed themselves in an arc around the stern. Grey walked out of the cargo doors and held his hands up in greeting.

‘Welcome Rivers, welcome Snows. Together. Now. We stand as people of the Snow River. Finally. As one. United. And I bring you the Ziyaqa Hope, our skyship. Captained by a Snow, Sarah. And led by me. A River. This skyship is a symbol of our union. We have stores onboard for all. Together we will journey north. Braving the Teeth of the World where the sun-warmed land will welcome us. Where we will be free to live without these two-thumbed invading demons. Welcome. Tonight we will feast our union.’

‘Ah, about that.’ Peter turned to Sarah and brought his lips to her cool ear. ‘The north. You know. It’s not empty land. And few of the people there are humans.’

‘What?’ Sarah pulled away to stare at him. ‘You never told us that.’

‘It didn’t seem important. At the time.’

Sarah pulled him to the side and out of earshot of the rest of the crew.

‘You said the promised land lay beyond the mountains,’ she said.’And that you knew the route through the Teeth of the World.’

‘Yeah. I did sort of say I knew the way through the mountains. And I do. Mostly.’

‘And the promised lands of warmth?’

‘Well they are hot. That’s for real.’

‘What’s north of the mountains Peter?’

‘The Empire of the Quevantaqi.’

‘And Empire of what?’ Sarah’s anger had mounted but she still kept her voice low. The effect scared Peter rigid. ‘You know I don’t understand that language. Tell me in English.’

‘Quevantaqi — two thumbed… I guess.’

‘Demons? The invaders? The north is full of these blackbirders and their monsters.’

‘No. Not them. The blackbirders really are alien invaders from another planet. Arth.’

‘Then who are these two-thumbed creatures?’

‘Well they look the same as blackbirders. But they’re just a lot nicer.’

‘How much nicer?’

‘Um. The Empire rounds humans up instead of killing them. Then they put the humans in reservations… sort of. Move them into human lands.’

‘That’s nicer?’

‘The Snow Clan’s shaman, Kituqarup. They’re quevantaqi, and not so frightening, right? And some of my best friends were quevantaq. They resisted the Empire and all that.’

‘Were? When was this?’

‘Four years ago. When I was in the North. But time works different here. Guess I don’t really know when.’

Sarah stormed off. Peter turned to look at the happy clan. In rescuing the clans from the ravening beasts somehow the imp had become a hero.

‘I’ve a feeling I’m about to become the zero in this equation.’

Peter ran after Sarah. He caught her on the way down to the hold.

‘It’s still the right way to go. There are humans there too. There are places we can go. I know there are.’

‘You just said you don’t know what time you’re in. You don’t know what lies to the north.’

‘It’s warmer there.’

‘We have a life here.’

‘Until the blackbirder alien Arthans came.’

‘But see what you have done Peter?’ said Sarah. ‘You’ve got all the Clans heading into the unknown. But now you say if we go north we’re all destined to be sent into reservations like we have some sort of disease.’

‘It’s not like that,’ Peter said. ‘It’s the blackbirders that are doing that in the north.’

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

‘You said there were no blackbirders. Do you tell more lies?’

‘No. The manisaurs — the quevantaqi, it is their land. But somehow they too have been invaded and the Empire changed. Blackbirders do not like humans.’

‘Yeah, that’s true here at least. They have terrorized and kidnapped and killed so many of us. Taken our lands. Capturing this skyship is our first success against them. But then we have to run to keep it.’

‘Most quevantaq are good fine people. Human Thaluk and their warbling language are sort of the same, equivalents, but with different sounds. Tulanvarqa — the connexion, allows all to speak and understand each other.’

‘Sounds like two different languages to me.’

‘I don’t quite know why, but that’s how it is.’

‘You said you spoke it.’

‘Yes. I do understand Thaluk. And somehow when I speak it here most of the Clan understand my words too. It’s like the language that lies under all who were born on this planet. And it is somehow the same between quevantaqi and humans.’

‘You don’t make a lot of sense. It’s no wonder we misunderstood you.’

‘So you believe me when I say I didn’t lie?’

‘I’m not sure what I believe. Leave me alone Peter. I do not like keeping secrets from the Clan, from Thorn and Vale and the rest. Just leave me alone.’ Sarah walked away.

‘Damned if I tell the truth. But telling lies does not help even a little bit.’

‘What lies would those be?’ Varuq'hat said as he climbed up on the railing so the imp could look Peter in the eye.

‘Telling lies does not help anyone, anytime,’ Peter said. ‘And I find that tulanvarqa almost doesn’t allow it.’

‘Ah yes, this is true, so to speak.’ Varuq'hat cackled in amusement.

‘It’s not funny. What the heck did you do to those monsters? I missed the best part. Your famous ride. But I did see you get away from that pack untouched. How though?’

‘The pheromones have somehow changed them. We saw this from the first. At the Snow Clan camp, and again when we drove off the Arthans. Then later when you climbed to the skyship, the beasts turned on them.’ Varuq'hat bobbled his head. ‘I do not understand it, but I used it. So when next the monsters attacked I shot several with the pheromone, and sent more into the air. I guess the imprinting the Arthans used to control them breaks down. A very interesting development.’

‘Why did you even have the pheromones?’

‘It is why I am here. I was tasked with testing it on quevantaqi.’

‘Quevantaqi?’ Peter stared at the imp. ‘Whatever for?’

‘To try to break the control the Arthans have over the people of this planet.’

‘Imprinting? You can break imprinting?’

‘I do not know. But it does something effective to the Arthan monsters. Very useful.’

‘So you want to get to the north too?’

‘Yes. That is why I hid on this skyship.’

‘You weren’t hiding when I found you were you?’

‘No. They found me, then you did. Thank you for that. But now we all go north. Yes?’

‘Maybe.’ Peter grew quiet before he spoke in a lowered voice again. ’I know telling the truth is a good thing. Except, I think should probably have lied this time.’

Tiz and Walt found Peter with Jan in the hold of the skyship where most of the mounts had been moved. Vale led a group on patrol, ranging around the skyship looking for danger. Looking for blackbirders.

The huge belly of the skyship had enough space for the mounts, as well as the gharumal that had towed the skyship before the blackbirder’s had caught up and attacked. And still room for the River Clan’s stores. Peter wondered how large that store of food and goods could really be. That all the wealth of the Clans lay in the grounded skyship dwelled on his mind.

Have I really told the Clans the wrong thing? Are they heading into disaster?

‘I always wanted a horse,’ said Jan. ‘But this is next level.’

Girl had locked her gaze on Jan, she held her head stationary even as the beast’s body moved back and forth in interest.

‘I’m not sure how the imprinting thing works,’ said Peter. ‘But this is not some friendly horse that anyone can ride. I think I have to be present, or nearby to keep her under control.’

‘How can you say that? Look at her. She’s excited to see me.’

‘She might be excited for a snack,’ said Tiz. ‘Look. Her mouth is watering.’

Jan stepped back.

‘Stop teasing Tiz.’ Peter laughed. ‘You’re right though, we’ll have to get her fed sometime soon.’

‘Vale said there’s not a lot of grazing for the grazing beasts here,’ said Walt. ‘We can’t stay here.’

‘Thorn’s put a stop to this feast that Grey announced,’ said Tiz. ‘Says it’s too early to celebrate.’

‘I bet that put Grey in a good mood.’ Peter scratched Girl under her eye. A patch of skin there, free of fur-feathers, seemed to be her sweet spot. The huge beast began to rumble deep in her chest and twitch her body back and forth in evident pleasure.

‘Peter. You need to get back on deck. Grey and Thorn and the Snows and Rivers…’

‘It’s getting messy,’ finished Walt.

Peter led the way on deck. Varuq'hat had made himself scarce. ‘That’s one complication we can avoid right now.’

‘Who are you to tell us what we Rivers can do with our food?’

‘It’s not about that at all,’ said Thorn. ‘We can’t stay here. There is no forage for our grazing beasts. Our mounts need to feed so we’ll stay long enough for that. But we have to move on. We would not have stopped except for you landing the skyship here.’

‘Is that all the thanks we Rivers get?’

‘Grey. You said it. We need to work together. We are but two of the Clans. We should send out to speak with the others now we are not in immediate danger.’

‘I call for moot,’ said Grey loud enough for all on the skyship to hear. ‘We Rivers will decide what we do with our stores, our skyship…’

‘As the first act of union, we should first declare that there is no River claim on the skyship alone.’

‘It has always been in our possession.’

‘Yes. The River Clan were prisoners until Snows rescued them. Sarah and Peter and the rest. We led…’

‘Together…’

‘That is my point,’ said Thorn. ‘And together we must decide. I call moot. But of all Snow and Rivers.’

Grey considered this. ‘There are more Snow riders than Rivers. There always has been.’

‘As I have said. We. Together. All Clan. Not by riders, and not by clan.’

‘I do not agree,’ said Grey. ‘As River Clan leader in possession of the skyship, and all the stores on it, have decided. We will fly north. You may follow if you wish.’

‘And the moot?’ said Thorn.

‘It is not required. This skyship is River Clan. Where it goes, so does the River Clan. I do not care what you Snow Clan do. Follow if you wish. Go if you wish. Stay is you wish.’

Thorn stared at Grey and spoke. But not to him. ‘It is a new time. Together we can move to new pastures in the north. Apart we will fail. If you go north it is because we all wish this.’

Peter saw how things had played out. Both Clan leaders wanted to go north together. The stores on the skyship meant that no other way could be considered. Snows had the larger force of riders, the larger grazing herd. The balance between them equalled out.

But both wanted the same thing, but they wanted the decision to be seen as their own, and for the other to follow.

Sarah stepped up to Peter then. ‘They’re both fools, but the Clans still follow them.’

‘It’s dumb. There is only one place to go. Fighting over who decided what to do is stupid.’

‘I know staying here makes no sense. We need to move forward,’ Sarah bumped shoulders with him and he staggered to the side. ‘I just don’t like being lied to.’

‘That’s just it. I told you the truth about how things are to the north.’

‘I know. I realize that. I’m beginning to trust your decisions. But don’t expect me not to question you about them.’

‘I hope you do,’ Peter bumped her shoulder back. ‘I want you to.’

‘There is something we could do about this.’ Sarah nodded to the posturing clan leaders. ‘Before this breaks into hostilities and a test of loyalties.’

‘What?’

‘Without us the skyship cannot fly. Without the stores we cannot go anywhere. In a way, we’re in charge. Not these arguing men.’

‘Peter laughed. ‘You’ve a devious mind.’

‘Do you think the catalyst will float Hope again. It will, won’t it?’

‘Probably. Like you say. It’s would to be bad if it doesn’t. They would have to share the stores out around the clan. And this leadership struggle will come to a head.’

‘Yes. the problem is this argument, right now. We’ve got to do something.’ Sarah began to move towards the bridge where the arguing Clan leaders stood, both trying to show leadership and control.

‘So,’ said Peter keeping up with her. ‘You think we should still go north, all together?’

‘Yes.’ Sarah turned to him, her eyes fierce again. ‘We will not be slaves to anyone. But if there are humans there we can help them. Especially if we have this skyship.’

‘That’s what I’m thinking too.’

‘But we need to get the decision making out of the hands of these two. That might defuse the argument. Defer things until the Clans get used to working together.’

‘Except both Grey and Thorn will hate us. We’d be undermining them.’

‘They deserve it. Don’t you think?’

‘So what do we say?’ Peter frowned. He knew he could lead a small group of friends, a crew. But he could not say anything to the Clans. He remained an outsider, shaman, and under suspicion.

‘Leave it to me,’ Sarah said in the voice that Peter had come to know well.

‘Sure thing,’ he said. ‘You’ll get no argument from me.’

‘I know.’

Peter grinned. ‘These two men have no chance do they?’

Sarah laughed.

I really don’t want to get on the wrong side of Sarah again. Never ever.