Blood Red Road

I spot Lugh. He’s sit in on the ground a lit le ways o , lookin exhausted. When he sees me, he raises a hand. Jack an Ash is helpin out with a few injured Hawks. Luckily, it don’t look like nuthin too bad. But we lost two Hawks an one of the raiders. They’re bein tied onto the backs of their own horses to go back to Darktrees where they’l be set on a funeral pyre.

Emmi rides up on Hermes. She jumps down, goes runnin over to Lugh an throws herself into his arms.

Everybody else is movin around, gatherin weapons an anythin else that might come in useful. Ike’s bendin over a dead Tonton, checkin to see what he’s got on him. Tommo’s standin beside, watchin him.

A movement catches my eye. A Tonton. Lyin on the ground not far from Ike an Tommo. He’s raised hisself up on one elbow. He lifts his bolt shooter. Aims it.

Ike! I scream.

He straightens. He turns.

I yank my crossbow around. Snatch a arrow. Load. Fire.

It al happens at once. It al happens too fast. The Tonton shoots, jest as Tommo throws hisself at Ike. They both go down.

My arrow hits the Tonton.

Ike! I scream. Tommo! I gal op over an leap of . I’m there the same time as Jack.

Tommo’s lyin on top of Ike. I haul him into my arms. He lays there, limp. His eyes is closed.

No! I sob, shakin him. No, Tommo!

With a shudder, he comes to. His beautiful brown eyes stare up at me, dazed. I hug him to me, hold him tight to my chest.

Jack’s rol ed Ike over. He kneels beside him, feelin his neck. Dammit, Ike, he says softly. He looks at me an I know.

Ike? says Tommo. Where’s Ike? I want Ike! I hold him even tighter as he tries to struggle free of me. I don’t want him to see. I don’t want him to know.

I feel it the moment he spots Ike. His body stil s. I let him go. He stands. He walks over to Ike, sits on the ground beside him an takes his hand. No, he says. Don’t leave me, Ike. Not you too. Great tears start to rol down his face. He rocks back an forth, pressin Ike’s hand to his heart. Sayin it over an over an over agin.

Don’t leave me, don’t leave me, don’t leave me.

We build a pyre in the middle of the bat lefield. A fine one, fit fer a warrior. We lay Ike on it.

Jack says a few words. Good words. About friendship. Other things too, but mainly friendship. Then him an me an Ash set the pyre alight.

We stand in silence. Al of us an al of the Free Hawks an al of the raiders from the western road. We watch while the ames lick up the wood, catch on his clothes an start to burn.

Tommo’s by hisself, a lit le ways of . He won’t let nobody touch him. Won’t be comforted.

Lugh puts his arm around Emmi. She cries.

Fearless, kind, funny Ike. With his big laugh an big heart. I think of Mol y Prat , the most glorious creature that ever drew breath. She’l stil be waitin fer him. He wanted her to meet Tommo. He had a notion he might turn out to be a good family man.

An I cry too.

As we send Ike back to the stars.

I shake his hand. Creed. Skinny, wild-haired, tat ooed. Barefoot leader of the raiders from the western road. Maev’s new friends an al ies.

Thanks, I says. We couldn’t of done it without you.

He sweeps me a deep bow an kisses my hand. It was fun, he says. He jumps onto his horse. Gives me a big, white-toothed grin. Lemme know the next time you wanna rumble, he says.

He digs his heels in an, with a yip-yip-yip, him an his raiders go tearin of across the plain.

Sure you won’t come with us? Maev says. We always got room fer one more.

I’m sure, I says.

It’s good of you to take the kid, she says. She looks over to where Tommo’s helpin Lugh git the horses ready to go.

Jack says Ike would of wanted it that way. An he’l be good company fer Emmi. Listen Maev, I says, I dunno how to thank you. None of us

’ud stil be here if it warn’t fer you.

I should of listened to Jack, she says. Come with you in the rst place. But, like I said, bet er late than never. She swings herself onto her horse an nods at Nero. He’s perched on Emmi’s shoulder where she’s givin him a good beak rub.

You should thank that bird of yours, she says. He’s quite somethin. If you ever git tired of him, I’d be happy to take him of a yer hands.

I don’t think I wil , I says. I turn to Ash. She smiles. I feel tears prick at my eyes. Ash, I says. I pul her into my arms an we hold each other tight. Thank you, I says.

She don’t say nuthin. We stand there fer a moment. Then she steps away. Stay out a trouble, she says.

I’l do my best.

Lugh gives her a boost an she swings up behind Maev. With them leavin three of their horses fer us, she’s hitchin a ride back to Darktrees.

Lugh holds up his hand. Maev takes it. Thanks, he says. Fer this an … fer helpin Saba and Emmi. Maybe we’l see you agin sometime.

You never know, says Maev.

They look at each other. My hand, she says. He’s stil got hold of it. He lets it go slowly an steps back.

G’bye, says Ash.

See you around, says Maev. She wheels about an they gal op away to join the Free Hawks waitin fer her on the ridge. When they git to the top they pause to look down. Then Maev rears her horse in farewel an they’re gone.

Lugh’s stil starin after them. She’s quite the girl, I says. Don’t you think? Lugh?

Huh?

Maev, I says. Quite the girl.

Oh, he says. Yeah. She seems nice. He sets about git in the Hawk horses ready to go.

Maev, nice? I mut er. Nice.

So, says Lugh, where’re we headed?

So, says Lugh, where’re we headed?

What about Crosscreek? I says. It’s so beautiful, Lugh, you wouldn’t believe it.

No way. Lugh shakes his head. That’s goin backwards. Far’s I’m concerned, that’s in the past. We had enough of livin in the past with Pa.

We got a move on, right?

Right, I says.

I say we head out west, he says. To the Big Water. There’s rich land there. They say the air smel s like honey.

Who told you that? I says.

He shrugs. I cain’t remember.

I jest want us to be together, I says. Somewhere far away from here. Somewhere safe. The Big Water. I like the sound of that. Whaddya think, Em?

Sounds good to me too, she says.

Tommo? I says.

He nods.

Then west it is, says Lugh. No point in waitin. Let’s head out.

Wait, I says, lookin around, where’s Jack got to? Anybody seen him?

Tommo points. There! he says.

Jack’s ridin away.

Across the plain on his white horse. They’re headed east.

Anger rips through me. Panic. Heats my blood. Oh no, you don’t, I says.

I jump onto Hermes’ back, dig my heels into his sides an we take of like the wind. Nero streaks along above us.

Saba! Emmi shouts. Tel him to come with us!

I catch up with him jest after the Hoodoos. He turns when he hears us comin. Stops. Waits.

I pul up in front of him an jump down. I go over an grab his horse’s bridle. The blood’s rushin in my ears, my breath’s comin short. My heart pounds in my chest. Git down, I says, glarin at him.

Not if yer gonna kil me, he says.

I said … git down!

Al right, al right, he says, swingin hisself of . There … I’m down.

Nero caws as he set les on a nearby bush. I see you brought backup, says Jack.