Blood Red Road

Maev?

Uh huh?

If … if anythin was to happen … if fer some reason I don’t come back—

Oh no, Saba, don’t—

If anythin happens to me, promise you’l take care of Emmi. Raise her up proper. Please. I got a know she’l be okay.

Maev looks at me a long moment. Then, Al right, she says. I promise.

Thanks, I says. She don’t like to wash. Make sure she does. I heave my pack over my shoulder. Bet er go load the horses, I says.

She touches my arm, stops me as I pass. Listen, she says, if you ever git the itch to join up with a bunch of thieves an no-goods, we’d be glad to see you back here any time. You’d make a damn fine Free Hawk.

Jack slings saddlebags over his horse’s back. On his way out a Hopetown, he managed to steal hisself a big white stal ion—he cal s him Ajax

—that turns out to have a bad temper an a bite to go with it.

He looks over to where Emmi’s drawin circles with a stick in the dirt. Her head droops down like a wilted wild ower. Are you real y gonna leave her behind? he says.

Of course, I says. I slip the net lecord bridle over Hermes’ head, x the bit in his mouth. She’s jest a child. It’s too dangerous. Anyways, she’d only slow us down.

Jack knows why I got a git to Freedom Fields before midsummer eve, how important it is. Last night I told him everythin I know, everythin that Helen told me before she died. He listened but didn’t say nuthin, jest grunted a couple of times.

Lugh ain’t jest yer brother, he’s Emmi’s too, he says. Don’t you think she’s got as much right to go as you?

No I don’t, I snap. An mind yer own business. Maev said she’d look after her an that’s the way it’s gonna be.

If you say so.

I do.

Jack sticks his fingers in his mouth an whistles. Emmi’s head shoots up. He motions her over an she comes runnin.

Yer sister don’t want you to come with us, he says. She says you’l slow us down.

Jack! I says.

I wouldn’t slow you down! says Emmi. I’m a good rider. I rode on Nudd al the way from Mercy’s al by myself an then I rode him al the way across the desert to find Saba. We nearly skeered her to death.

Is that right? Jack lifts a eyebrow at me.

It ain’t jest that, I says to Emmi. Things could git dangerous. I don’t want nuthin to happen to you.

I can take care of myself, says Emmi. I can fight.

No you cain’t, I says.

Can too!

Here. Jack unhooks his slingshot from his belt. See that shimmy? He points at one of the shimmer discs the Hawks got hangin from a tree to keep the rooks from roostin. Let’s see if you can hit it right in the middle.

C’mon, Jack, I says, this is a complete waste of time. She ain’t never shot nuthin in her life.

Ignore her, he says to Em. He hands her his shooter. You give it a try.

It’s okay. Emmi untucks a slingshot from the back of her britches. I got my own.

It’s okay. Emmi untucks a slingshot from the back of her britches. I got my own.

Since when did you carry a shooter around? I says. Hey, wait a minute … that’s mine.

No it ain’t, says Em. It belongs to Lugh.

Al right. But I thought the Pinches bartered al our gear at Hopetown.

They didn’t take this, says Em. I snuck it when they warn’t lookin an kept it in my secret hidin place. I’m keepin it fer Lugh. I’m gonna give it to him when I see him.

Wel , if that ain’t a nice sisterly thing to do, says Jack. That’s real thoughtful of you, Emmi. Now, go on. Let’s see you try an hit that target.

She lifts the slingshot, aims an shoots. She hits the shimmy dead center.

She beams.

I don’t believe it. Em lined that shot up an took it like she’s bin shootin every day of her life.

She’s got a good eye, Jack says to me. Close yer mouth, you’l catch flies.

Where’d you learn to do that? I says.

She shrugs. I watched you an Lugh. Then I practiced an practiced til I got it right.

I didn’t know that, I says. Why didn’t you tel me?

You never liked it when I talked to you, she says. You always told me to shut up an go away.

I never! I says. But I feel my cheeks go al hot because we both know it’s true. It sounds so awful when she says it like that, that I never had no time fer her, but she’s right. I didn’t. Not when I had Lugh. When we’re together he’s al I need. An that’s bin the way of it since the day we was born.

So let’s see, says Jack, she can ride, she can shoot an she’s got guts. Did I leave anythin out?

What you left out is, she’s nine year old, I says.

He’s my brother jest the same as he is yers, says Emmi.

Good point, says Jack. An she was sisterly enough to save his slingshot.

They look at me.

No, I says, glarin at ’em. No, no, no!

They don’t say nuthin. Jest keep lookin at me.

Don’t look at me like that! I sigh. Aw hel . Al right, you can come. But you got a do what I say an you bet er not gimme cause to regret this cuz if you do, Emmi, there’l be trouble an no mistake.

I’m talkin to myself. The second she hears the word “come,” Emmi starts whoopin an her an Jack’s shakin hands an then she’s huggin me an lookin at me with shinin eyes. I ain’t never seen her so happy an excited.

I won’t let you down! She skips an jumps her way to the bunkhouse, cal in as she goes, Epona! Hey Epona! Guess what?

I point at Jack. If anythin happens to her, I says, I’l know who to blame.

He grabs my hand. His eyes is hard as stone, cold as a gray winter sky. His hand’s warm. His skin’s rough. A tingle runs up my arm. You don’t fool me, he says.

Is that right?

Yeah, he says. I see it in yer eyes. Al you care about’s yer precious brother.

That ain’t true, I says.

If it’d bin Emmi they took, he says, Emmi an not Lugh … would you of gone after her?

I take in a breath to say of course I would but the look on his face stops me. There ain’t no point in lyin when he already knows the truth.

He leaves go of me an steps back. I thought so, he says. Yer sister’l be safer with me than she could ever be with you. You jest ride along on yer high horse an leave her to me.

Gimme yer hand. Maev says it in a low voice, so’s nobody else can hear. She slips a gold ring onto the middle nger of my right hand. If you ever need me, she says, if you need the Hawks, send Nero with this an we’l come. Wherever, whenever … you send this ring an we’l be there.

She steps back.

My heart swel s in my chest. From Hermes’ back, I look down. She smiles at me.

You got us out a Hopetown, I says. Saved our lives. You gave us clothes an food an horses … the chance to nd Lugh. I … we owe you so much, I don’t see how I can ever repay you, but once we—

Friends don’t owe, she says. Friends don’t repay. Go wel . I hope you find yer brother.

G’bye! Emmi leans down an hugs Epona around the neck.

You do what Saba an Jack tel you, says Epona.

Keep ’em safe, Jack, says Maev. If you don’t, we’l hunt you to the ends of the earth. An when we nd you, we’l rip out yer guts an feed

’em to the jackals while you watch.