Peter lowered his lance to attack position and joined the line of Clan mounts. The riders charged. The blackbirder’s mounts had been exhausted by the chase after Varuk’hat but their heavy moasaurs had more stamina and maneuverability. This moasaur line wheeled to face the clan’s thrust up the slope of a low rise.

The badly matched size of the forces did not appear to worry the blackbirders. They had guns.

Peter slid down his saddle webbing until he stood low against Girl’s flank with his head just over her shoulder. He braced his long lance in the webbing and aimed it at an enemy moasaur. Girl screamed in frustration as bullets from the blackbirders dug divots from her heaving flesh, but she did not slow down. Nor did the other mounts in the line. As they closed with the enemy the Clan mounts wheeled, then raked the front line with their forelegs. This brought their riders’ long lances to bear upon the foe.

Peter’s lance swept across a pair of moasaurs and toppled their riders from their beasts before they could get off another volley of shots, but he lost his weapon in the process. Other riders had kept their lances planted against the bulk of their mount and struck the enemy to the ground upon the points of the weapons. They brought their lances up for another thrust.

Girl ran along the broken line of blackbirders as their force overran the routed moasaurs. Peter scrambled to get up and onto to the opposite side of his mount as the second line of blackbirders began to pepper them with gun shots.

‘It’s an ambush.’ The imp’s voice startled Peter. The imp clung to the side of one of Girl’s saddle bags. ‘Their mounts are not as tired as mine. The blackbirders rally to face you in a flanking attack beyond the crest of this hill.’

‘Varuk’hat. How did you get there?’

‘I jumped. My mount is flagged. But you must heed my warning. The enemy lie just beyond the top of this slope.’

Peter moved up Girl’s shoulders. The Clan’s mounts had run up the moasaur line and now they scattered. The combined force of Clan and klaed now headed to the top of the rolling incline. Peter pulled at Girl to swing her around to the right, to turn across the slope, away from the crest. Girl shouldered her way into the next mount in the line and bellowed a challenge even as Peter shouted.

‘Turn and regroup.’

The Clan line on that side swerved as Girl bullied her way around and the line broke. Half their force turned across the slope, the rest continued up the incline to come to face with a flanking attack of heavy blackbirder moasaurs.

‘How did you know?’ Peter shouted to the imp.

‘I listen to their radio communications. They do not know I can. I learn their orders.’

Peter’s troupe wheeled back across the slope to strike at the ambushing foe from their own flank. As the blackbirder ambush sprung, Clan and blackbirder faced on the crest of the hill, lance against heavy gunfire. Many Clan fell under the onslaught. But the blackbirder moasaurs presented their sides to the full line of Peter’s troupe and they were mowed down by the huge carnivores unexpected wheel.

The blackbirder’s screamed at the surprise attack, some moasaurs threw their riders and ran off as their imprint failed. Other enemy moasaurs turned to face the lancers of Peter’s flanking attack and fell upon the long pointed weapons. Then Clan mounts stomped and chomped their way through the remaining blackbirders who could not bring their guns to bear fast enough.

Khavuraqo struck a final blow against the last of the moasaur mounted blackbirders and rode up to Peter as Clan and klaed mopped up remains of the enemy line. The mounts showed no mercy to the fallen blackbirders as their beasts scattered down the slope screaming and bellowing in fear even as Clan and klaed fell upon them.

‘Well done young human. We were heading for disaster. How did you know to wheel in a flanking turn?’

Peter decided not to tell the manisaur of Varuk’hat’s radio.

‘Girl scented them,’ Peter said. ‘It was all her doing.’

‘Yes. Your beast is a willful animal. You did well to heed her warning. And that the rest of your line wheeled upon her turn.’

Khavuraqo brought his heavy moasaur to the crest of the slope and surveyed the scene.

‘Our work is not yet done,’ he shouted. The manisaur’s caterwaul carried across the battlefield.

Sarah rode up with the manisaur shaman and translated for the Clan. ’Form up. Clan and klaed, rally upon the high ground.’

A Clan herald sounded a complicated signal on a horn and the klaed and Clan troops broke off their pursuit of individual blackbirders. They streamed towards Khavuraqo.

Peter understood then. They had yet to face the blackbirder’s mounts. Somehow the enemy had taken the carnivorous beasts, perhaps from other clan in the far south.

‘Varuk’hat? Any word of what the blackbirders intend now?’

‘Qhorthak is here. He leads them. The mounts have grouped together and ready to attack.’

‘Right. Where are they?’

‘They have projectile weapons.’

‘You mean guns? The mounts don’t like them, but they don’t seem to hurt them too much.’

‘No. Bigger weapons. They are just being brought down from the pass by a new group of blackbirders on fresh mounts.’

‘There’s no time,’ said Peter. ‘We have to press this attack.’

‘What’s that young human?’ said Khavuraqo. ‘Attack? We need time to tend our wounds. The enemy are retreating. We will prepare but our work here is done.’

‘Reinforcements arrive.’ Peter stood on Girl’s head and she rose up as if in defiance of the manisaur militia leader. ‘They’ll soon have bigger weapons. We must attack now before they get them.’

‘We are a reconnaissance force. Not an army. We will retreat.’

’Together we are. The the Clan mounts and grazing beasts, and klaed heavy dhomqari — moasaurs.’

Khavuraqo cocked his head as if listening. ‘Zugalu they are termed in Thaluk young human.’ The manisaur said the Thaluk words mixed amongst the sound of manisaur warbling chuckles. ‘Related to dhomqari but of heavier build.’

‘Fine. Whatever.’

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Peter looked across the scattered Clan force as they returned to their lines. The scattered remains of the blackbirder’s troupe had slipped from view into the snow bound forest. He slapped his arms around himself. Away from the heat of Girl’s body the freezing air of high slopes bit deep into the gaps between his clothes. He refastened his hide covered felt coat.

Already he saw Clan and klaed return to their old groupings. The combined force had been a passing necessity.

‘We’ve got to stay together,’ said Peter.

‘Liruq,’ said Khavuraqo with a sigh. The sense of the Thaluk word for his name overlaid a familiar staccato pattern in the manisaur’s vocalization. ‘Liruq — Peter the Rock. We of the klaed will leave the field. And the Clan with us. We will escort you humans to our mountain lands where you will surely find shelter amongst other refugee humans. Your grazing beasts and fearsome mounts will be welcome in the klaed. Even the Imperials will accept that.’

Girl lowered her head and Peter slipped back to the warmth of her neck. He leaned forward and savored the warmth nestled amongst her fear feather shoulder ruff.

‘Peter. They come.’ The imp rode up to Girl on his mount.

The two huge carnivores bobbed and twisted their heads as they displayed recognition to one another.

‘The new group comes down from the pass,’ said the imp. ‘And will join with the remnants of the blackbirders on mounts.’

‘The blackbirder mounts,’ said Peter. ‘How far are they?’

‘We must flee now,’ said Varuk’hat in Thaluk.

‘Are they close?’ said Khavuraqo.

‘Yes,’ said Varuk’hat. ‘The mounted riders are hidden just within the forest. The reinforcements come on fresh mounts with the heavy guns. We have only moments.’

Both Clan mounts turned their heads towards the slope where the battle had been fought. Bodies still lay on the ground in graves of crimson blood. Snow fell, but even Peter heard the screams now.

‘The blackbirder mounts,’ said Peter.

‘They’re coming.’ The imp tugged on his mounts harness but the great beast would not turn from the challenge.

A yipping cry rang across the slope where Sarah and the Clan mounts had regrouped. The pack of thraqanonkra arrowed away from the large Clan mounts, up the slope towards where the dark forest twisted amongst a ridge of huge boulders.

Peter stared at their target and saw the blackbirder’s mounts break from the forest.

‘Qhorthak’s mounts. The blackbirders attack. Form up,’ shouted Peter to the surrounding klaed on their zugalu — heavy moasaurs. ‘They aim to control the high ground. If they do that, when the guns arrive we’ll never escape their fire in time.’

‘Retreat,’ cried Varuk’hat. But his mount had other ideas. The imperfect imprint gave the mount a mind of its own, and it seemed to want to fight its old masters.

Sarah’s mount ran at the head of the wedge of Clan mounts that pounded after the thraqanonkra into attack.

‘She’s a brave one that,’ said Khavuraqo.

‘And your heart? Is it any less than hers?’ shouted Peter. Girl lowered her head and ran after a protesting Varuk’hat. Peter had little choice but to follow the imp and his precious zharaqsa. But behind him Khavuraqo led the klaed militia in support of his new allies.

The three groups converged in the center of the bowl shaped slope where the snow lay a pristine white. All the while Peter looked for the mounted reinforcements armed with the heavy guns. He could not help the feeling they ran into a trap they would not escape from.

‘But there’s no choice now. We’re committed.’

Sarah’s mount lowered its head as it sprinted across the slope to the blackbirders. As she gained on the thraqanonkra she seemed intent on cutting the ravening beasts off from the blackbirders.

Then he saw. Walt rode on the back of the largest beast. Sarah rode to rescue the boy.

‘Why did you stay on the animal?’ Peter railed. But his voice got lost amongst the tumult of battle cries as the forces met. Sarah’s clan had long blades, arrows, and lances. They struck at the blackbirders without a gun shot fired against them.

Peter understood then. The blackbirders had hesitated to shoot. They not wanted to hit the thraqanonkra but now the beasts jumped up the blackbirder’s mounts and dragged the enemy from their webbing. A ragged scatter of gunfire burst out. Sarah’s mount reared up, lifted its rider high on its head as she shot a arrow from her bow. The preternatural steadiness of the mount’s head steadied her aim even as the mount maneuvered around attackers and defenders. She slid back into the webbing, and dragged a lance into position. By now the rest of the mounted Clan had engaged the enemy. Ravening beasts and Clan mounts fighting the screaming mounts.

But where’s Walt got to?

Some of the carnivores broke away when they lost their riders and the imprint failed finally. They scattered over the slope away from the fighting, but towards Peter, Varuk’hat, and the zugalu-riding klaed militia. A huge boom came from the forest followed by a pack of six or eight or ten, no twelve mounts. Upon their backs rode blackbirders armed with the heavy guns Varuk’hat radio had warned of. This group rode in support of the main force of blackbirders and had their back to Peter and the klaed.

Peter slipped to the opposite side of Girl as she ran at the new enemy. Varuk’hat had disappeared into one of his nount’s saddle bags. The riderless mounts of the fallen blackbirders ran across the battlefield’s slope towards the mounted artillery force. Girl angled to join them in the confusion.

So no gunfire came their way from the new arrivals as Peter’s mount closed the distance. The gunfire seemed to be focussed only upon the Clan as they fought Qhorthak’s mounted but lightly armed mounts.

The thraqanonkra now angled towards the new arrivals, and Walt rode in the lead. The turned-blade thraqanonkra still fooled the artillery force, until they jumped into attack.

Girl and Varuk’hat’s mount had closed the distance, she now brought all her four taloned feet upon the leader of the artillery force. Guns fired and Girl fell as a blast tore into her breast. Peter caught in the webbing rolled clear as his mount died.

No no no.

Only chaotic glimpses of the battle made sense to Peter as he sheltered against the still shaking body of his mount.

The flashes from the heavy guns.

Ravening beasts screaming as they pulled blackbirders from their mounts.

Sarah kneeling as she fired arrow after arrow from the back of her fallen mount.

The klaed force attacking the larger mounts in twos and threes while on foot long blades flashed to hamstring beasts.

Peter shot darts at blackbirder mounts who ran off as their imprinting failed. Pursued by thraqanonkra Peter saw Walt still riding the lead beast who seemed to command the pack rather than enter the attack directly.

Then he saw Sarah jump from her fallen mount onto the back of an mount. Peter shot the mount under her with a dart and the beast wheeled away in confusion even. Sarah hacked at the surprised rider who fell screaming to the ground.

Varuk’hat’s mount barreled up to Peter and he staggered to the side to avoid being trampled.

‘Get on. We have to get away.’

Peter ran up the mount’s muzzle before either he or the mount could draw breath of think of the consequences.

‘We have to get the zharaqsa safe,’ said the imp.

Peter stood on the head of the mount as the beast lifted onto rear legs and trumpeted.

‘What are you doing?’ the imp cried out. ‘You will call attention to us.’

‘Your imprint on the mount is failing. This beast will do as it wants.’ Peter laughed. ‘But look. The zharaqsa is safe.’

Peter grabs the harness and pulled with his mind and his body and wheeled the mount around and back to the ground.

Across the slope the battlefield had been cleared of mounted blackbirders. Several ran for the forest on foot pursued by klaed on zugalu while a pack of thraqanonkra tore at a fallen foe on the ground. Walt struggled to push the pack leader away, but the beast playfully shouldered him aside and joined their pack mates.

Several fallen mounts struggled on the ground, their riders dispatched them with long blades and agonized cries of lament.

‘Varuk’hat. It’s over.’

‘It’s not. There might still be more. The skyship…’

‘Listen to the radio. What do you hear?’

The imp studied the device and listened to an unheard sound. Peter could not see headphones, or ear piece, but the imp’s change of expression showed he heard.

‘Where’s the skyship?’

‘It’s far away in the north. In Qhayuvakham.’

‘Qhayuvakham? I know that place. I’ve been there.’ Peter fell silent as he considered. ‘It doesn’t make sense. But a blackbirder skyship in Qhayuvakham, at this phase of the moon…’

‘It made good time to get so far North,’ the imp said.

The battlefield faded from Peter’s attention.

‘It must have sailed on favorable winds,’ said the imp.

‘If it caught the southerly wind up to coast,’ said Peter. ‘Then across towards the east. But that’s very fast. Only three or four days. But the phase of the moon…’

‘Full moon in three days.’

‘How far are we from Hatunqari?’ Peter said. ‘Can we get by the full moon?’

‘If you rode fast. There is a way over the lower ridges to a pass further to the east. It leads to Hatunqari more directly than north via the klaed.’

The Clan’s mounts cried out long and low. They called a moot as the survivors gathered together in the midst of the red strewn battlefield.

‘Varuk’hat. I have a strange feeling I know this time. I know what comes next?’

‘How can you?’

‘I don’t know. But We have to get to Hatunqari. There will be a huge battle there in two, maybe three day’s time. We haver to be there. All of us. Clan and klaed.’

‘Why?’

‘That’s what happened before. It must happen again.’