‘The alien’s are coming here,’ shouted Peter. ‘They ride mounts. And will attack soon. Get the Clan into a defensive position.’

‘Why should we believe you?' said Grey. 'It is just as likely that they attack you and we should drive you off.’

‘Why would they attack me if I’m working with them? Get your story straight.’

Grey and his riders had formed a semi-circle in front of Peter and Girl when they rode up to the Clan. Jan and Walt ran out to greet them but were pulled back by Clanfolk and he lost sight of them. Peter saw the two had carried food their hands. And hopefully their pockets.

It’d be cold dried jerky or sausage but that would be enough.

‘I do not pretend to know the way of the aliens,’ said Grey. ‘But the treachery of a man I do know. You bring them to attack us perhaps.’

‘You’d know though,’ said Peter. ‘Or have they stopped talking to you?’

‘What do you want? Why did you come?’

‘You were the ones who camped next to us. We were here first, and then the storm hit. What are you doing bringing the Clan up to cross the pass just before a storm?’

A few muttered words of agreement came from the gathered Clan.

So people disagreed with him.

‘How many grazing beasts died in the night?’

‘Too many,’ a voice called out from the crowd.

‘Then you have food enough to feed my mount. And us.’

‘Be gone,’ said Grey. ‘We ran you off before. We do so again.’

‘Without food? You condemn us to starve on this mountain?’

More muttering from the Clan. Peter knew then that Grey had lost some of his initial support, or perhaps his opposition had grown bolder.

‘I came here to warn you of the aliens,’ Peter said. ‘They are coming. Prepare your defenses,’ said Peter. Girl danced on her rear legs as if she looked for where an attack might come from. ‘And I come for Jan and Walt.’

‘What do the aliens need from us? They took everything. Our land, our homes.’ The voices in the crowd rose now.

‘We should turn back to the south,’ said one woman. ‘The aliens are leaving to the north. Why should we follow them?’

‘This is not all of them,’ said Grey. ‘These are but a small portion of the flood that is coming.’

‘Yes,’ another voice shouted out. ‘That’s what Rock said before. Now you use his own words.’ The same male heckler. Peter searched the crowd for them.

‘So you believe him over Grey.’ A rider rose to stand on their mount as they continued. ‘We ran Rock off because he brought the aliens upon us. He does so again.’

‘Do you?’ said Grey. ‘Do you bring the aliens here? What do you and they want?’

‘Perhaps some food would be good,’ Peter said.

‘That is their right,’ another voice shouted out. ‘No one denies another food in winter.’

‘If they are Clan,’ said a rider.

‘And Rock is not Clan,’ said Grey.

‘Perhaps not. But if you want the aliens to leave you alone. Barter them with this.’ Peter tossed the zharaqsa crystal to Grey.

Grey let it land in the snow. One of his riders picked it up and after passing through several hand their leader had to take it. Peter saw his reluctance though.

Does he know what zharaqsa is?

Sarah rode up then. Jan and Walt sat on her mount behind her.

She’s given them protection. Again.

Sarah remained silent. Then, just when Peter thought he had regained some support, if not trust, the ravening beasts caught up with them and jumped about under Girl. The crowd surged away from them.

‘Ah. Yeah,’ Peter said with reluctance. ‘About my friends here…’

‘Those creatures?’ shouted Grey. ‘You bring the alien’s fiends into the Clan? There are children and grazing beasts close by.’

But Walt had slid from behind Sarah and got to the ground. Now he ran up to one of the monsters as it gamboled. The crowd gasped when Walt slipped onto the beast’s back. It began to run in circles, then dodged at speed to the left and back to Girl.

‘I didn’t know you could do that,’ said Peter.

‘You were too busy worrying and moping,’ said Walt. ‘She gave me a ride last night when you set up the snow shelter.’

A group of riders raced up to Grey. Their beasts sides heaved as they recovered their breath in the thin mountain air.

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‘The alien invaders. They’re here.’

‘Walt. Get the thraqanonkra away. Hide them. The blackbirders will take them, turn them into monsters again.’

The boy climbed back on the thraqanonkra and urged her away. The other four creatures hesitated as Walt rode away down the slope to put the Clan between them and the blackbirders. The attackers had just passed the rock cairn.

‘Leave. Go with her. Hide,’ Peter said to the creatures. He realized he had fallen back into English and yet they understood.

We go… We hide… Be safe…

Peter puzzled at that last. Did a thraqanonkra just wish him to be safe? For a wonder they obeyed him and disappeared.

Peter looked around. Grey had ridden his mount towards the blackbirders. The rest of the Clan stared in awe of Grey’s bravery.

Tiz gripped Peter’s shoulders as he turned Girl to follow.

‘I’d forgotten you were there,’ Peter said. ‘Want to get off?’

‘What are you planning on doing?’

‘He’s scheming with them. Time to mess him up.’

Grey pulled up his mount in front of the blackbirders. The huge beasts formed a heads-in circle, though the blackbirders tried to resist them, the mount’s nature asserted itself.

Girl bulled between Grey and another blackbirder. Peter stared at the large Arthan opposite him. An uneasy disquiet came from the mounts and they swayed and grumbled to each other.

The imprinting they use on the beasts. It’s a fragile thing.

But that made him wonder at Girl’s connexion with him.

How had it happened?

Grey looked sidelong at Peter and Tiz, and grinned. But Peter saw fear and doubt, not humor.

‘Human,’ said the blackbirder leader. A large manisaur that sat easy no his mount. ‘Why so you use the device we gave you for treachery? Why do you speak with out enemy?’

Grey scrambled to find the translator radio within his clothing.

But Peter understood the blackbirder speech well enough. Tulanvarqa still gave him understanding when close enough he could hear and see the speaker.

‘Lord,’ said Grey. ’Forgive me. I do not understand your words.’

He frowned at Peter and Tiz then looked at the imposing blackbirder.

Peter studied the dark aura that gave the Arthan blackbirders such a sinister appearance in comparison with manisaurs. A subtle flicker flitted across it. Annoyance.

‘I should kill you now for speaking with the Aeth creature. You use our gift to plot against us.’

The blackbirders wore fur-feather felt cloaks like the ones Peter and the others had taken from the portal. They still looked cold though. Arthans were not suited to the cold of the south, or of the mountains.

So why did they come here at all?

‘I don’t know what you mean,’ said Grey. ‘I have done only as you asked of me. You have your skyship.’

‘It is grounded in the snow beyond the pass. You gave us a craft without the means to fly it. You conspired with the Aeth creature to carry off the gravity crystals. We heard you speak to it.’

‘I do not know any of this. I am just a simple man of the Clan. Please let us be on our way. I did all as you asked Qhorthak.’

The Arthan studied Grey and then regarded Peter and Tiz. Peter regretted letting Tiz stay with him.

The blackbirder’s aura darkened. ‘And this one?’

‘I blamed all that befell my people on him,’ said Grey. ‘He is nothing. He serves your purpose by being punished by the Clan.’

Peter got a creeping feeling he knew this blackbirder.

Qhorthak? Did I see him at the portal? Probably. But… When did I last see…

He had it then. Long ago.

I fought this skyship captain in the northern port city. Qhayuvakham. He commanded the blackbirder skyship that I rescued the mantas from. How did I not realize before?

’You lie. We detect gravity crystals here,’ said Qhorthak. ‘Why is that?’

Captain Qhorthak pulled a touch panel from a pouch on his webbing and examined it.

‘Shoot him,’ The blackbirder captain said without looking up at Grey.

Grey squawked in alarm as the translation came from his radio and the other blackbirders lifted their weapons.

‘No. No. I have something. Perhaps it is what you seek.’ He pulled the zharaqsa crystal out and held it for the captain to see. ‘I kept it. Such a pretty thing. But I give it to you willingly.’

He tossed it to the blackbirder who snatched it from the air.

The captain hissed. ‘You are a fool to hide this from me.’

‘I am sorry. I give it willingly now as proof I keep to our bargain.’

‘You are greedy Greyman, and you can be bought. You have been a useful lesson for me, and for this I will spare you. Though perhaps I will kill this one in your stead?’

The captain swung a gun to point at Peter.

‘What say you?’ said the blackbirder. His voice sounded tinny the echo of his translated words came from the radio device. ‘Why should I not kill you. If everything is a negotiation with you humans, what will you sell for your life?’

Peter spoke in Clan. He dared not let them know he had tulanvarqa and shared understanding with them. The radio cackled the guttural Arthan tongue back to Qhorthak.

‘Shoot me, and the Clan will know Grey made a bad bargain. It would be as if he shot me. They would ask, why do they kill me but spare Grey. They will question Grey’s power. The power you give him now.’

‘Perhaps you lie. I do not pretend to understand humans well. But well enough. Alright. Then you shall be witness to this one’s abject submission to Arth, but he will sell it to his people as triumph.’ The blackbirder’s aura flashed amusement.

‘The truth is we will come to control Eoth,’ Captain Qhorthak said. ‘I see now how easy humans are to divide, to conquer. Lies, tribe, and greed are enough to splinter you humans into pieces we can control as easily as we imprint Eothan quevantaqi. Humans alone can do nothing. But humans together fight one another over petty concerns. So I will spare you Greyman. But be sure to do as we say, bring these your people north. We will reward you as you deserve.’

The Arthan pulled his mount back, but swung his piercing gaze to Peter.

‘That I have come to understand humans as much as this is reward enough for me today. You too will live. The rancor you bring if you tell tales of what we speak of will only weaken these humans further. They will either not believe you and so punish you better than I can. Or they will break apart and fight one another. Instead you shall be witness, and so despair will be your punishment. I regret I will not witness the fruits of my scheming.’

Four of the thraqanonkra rushed in at that moment. Now they ran amongst the Arthans. Their mounts reared up and the blackbirders struggled to control them. Peter brought his gun out, pointed it at the captain’s mount, and fired. In the commotion no one noticed as the blackbirders shouted alarm.

‘The lost ones. Catch them before they escape.’

Peter gasped then too. Walt raced on the back of his favorite beast.

The blackbirders wheeled around in an attempt to follow the fast moving creatures. Suddenly a figure reared out of the snow where he had hidden. The man pulled Walt from the back of his beasts as it cavorted about. He dragged the boy off, and ran clear of the melee, where the beasts teased and harassed the blackbirders.

‘Dusty,’ Peter called out. ‘Get Walt back to the Clan.’ But he needn’t have said anything as the blackbirders moved off to leave the humans free to escape.

The blackbirders organized themselves even as Peter called out in the Clan’s tongue to the thraqanonkra. ‘Lead them away. Let them chase you.’

And the thraqanonkra ran off towards the pass. Peter laughed when the captain got thrown from the back of his mount and just escaped being rolled upon. The other thraqanonkra ran past the cairn, and disappeared into the snow while the ragged group of blackbirders chased after. The Captain’s dignity had been dented but he swung up behind one of his men and led the chase.

Peter looked for Grey. The Clan leader had urged his mount onto rear legs to run at Dusty and Walt. Peter understood then.

The bastard’s going to do Dusty in. Because he’s a witness.