Rebel Heart

The riders is gittin closer.

C’mon, Tracker! I yell. C’mon, Nero, hurry up!

I throw a look their way. They’re three quarters of the way across. Tracker’s still on his belly, froze to the spot. Nero’s sittin on his head, holdin the cord in his beak.

I don’t stop. I cain’t. The rope’s jest about cut now.

If I was you, I’d git a wriggle on! I call. Any time now ’ud be good!

Nearly through. Almost—

Tracker! I bellow. Shift yer gawdamn ass!

There’s a great crackin noise. Suddenly, the bridge sags.

Nero takes off. Tracker leaps. He flies through the air towards me. He jest makes it.

The second his back feet hit solid ground, the rope snaps. The bridge tips. A few slats tumble into the canyon.

On this side of the Gap, the bridge is hangin by one rope only.

I run an start workin on that one.

There’s a big cloud of dust headed this way. Must be a helluva lot of ’em. The red hot’s runnin wild in my blood. I saw away like a demon.

Aaaaaah! I yell, the sound comin from deep in my belly as I hack at this last rope. Aaaaaah! Sweat stings my eyes.

Yellin from th’other side. Hoofbeats. Shouts. Screams.

Saba! Saba!

Voices callin my name. My name? But—

I’m through. The rope snaps. I turn, pantin.

To see the bridge swing down an dangle from the pillars on the far side. Useless.

To see four riders pull up on that same side of the Gap. Lugh. Maev. Tommo. Emmi.

Eyes wide. Horrified.

To see another cloud of dust risin above the forest behind ’em. Rollin this way. The faint sound of drumbeats.

Dust. Drumbeats. The headhunters. They’re comin.

We gawp at each other across the canyon. Then, What the hell you done? Lugh yells. Are you crazy?

How should I know you was right behind me? I says. My heart’s poundin fit to bust my ribs.

Somebody’s chasin us! says Emmi.

Headhunters! I says. It’s me they’re after!

You?! Lugh glares at me over the Gap, red-faced with fury. Who’s stuck on the wrong side of the gawdamn canyon! You know what? That’s yer problem right there! It’s always about you! Well, I’m sick of it!

No time to chat! Maev’s already jumped down, run to the nearest pillar an started reefin out the handrope from the fallen bridge. You got some thin cord there? she calls to me.

Nettlecord! I says.

Tie it to a arrow an shoot it over! she yells. We’re gonna make a rope slide!

I rush to Tracker. Slip the nettlecord from around his neck, fumble to tie it to one of my arrows.

I see what her plan is. The handrope’s still tied firm to the pillar on their side. She’ll tie the end of the handrope to the nettlecord an shoot my arrow back to me. I’ll tie the handrope to one of the pillars on my side. They can slide across to join me.

Maev’s shoutin, Lugh! Tommo! Emmi! Yer gonna hafta hold ’em off while we do this! Take cover! Move!

The three of ’em’s bin sat there in shock. But now they shift. Fast. They leap from their horses an rush to duck behind the rocks that edge the canyon.

The cord’s ready. I nock the arrow. I shoot. It flies over an sticks into the ground, right at Maev’s feet. She grabs it. Starts tyin the end of the handrope to the end of the cord. On my side, Tracker’s barkin his head off. Nero’s flyin back an forth, squawkin an callin.

Hurry up! cries Emmi.

By now, Lugh’s figgered out Maev’s plan too. It ain’t gonna work, he says. The rope’s too heavy. It won’t make it to Saba.

Maev keeps workin as she says, Thanks fer that, Lugh, very helpful. You got a better idea? I thought not. Right, I’m ready here. You ready, Saba?

Ready! I call.

She loads the arrow onto her bow. The cord tied to the arrow. The handrope tied to the cord. Then she shoots. She aims high in the air. It arcs into the clear blue sky.

It so nearly makes it.

But Lugh’s right. The rope’s too heavy. We all watch as the arrow – a whistle shy of makin land on my side – falls outta the sky. I fling myself onto my stummick an lean over the edge. It’s snagged on a bush that’s growin outta the canyon wall, ten foot below me.

I look at them. They look at me. Maev goes to tug at the handrope.

No, wait! I says. Wait! Nero! I whistle fer him, pointin down at the bush. He sweeps down an lands on it. Looks at the arrow, then up at me with his clever black eyes. That’s right, git the cord! I says. Bring me the cord, Nero.

He starts workin the arrow free with his beak.

The ground rumbles. Riders approach. The drumbeats grow ever louder.

They’re here! yells Tommo.

Weapons! yells Maev.

They all load their bows. I scramble to my feet an do the same.

Look out fer the blowdarts! I yell.

Saba! I’m afeared! cries Emmi.

If you are, you ain’t no sister of mine! I shout. Come at me agin!

I ain’t afeared of nuthin! she yells.

That’s more like it!

The headhunters ride into view. A dozen men. But not on horseback.

On bird back.

They’re ridin birds.

Not flyin birds. Runnin birds. Huge. Eight foot tall. With black feathers an short white tails. Long, powerful legs. Big two-clawed feet. Small heads on top of long, stretched necks.

Like their temple firekeeper, these hunters is painted white over their entire body. Black slashes over their eyes an mouths. The rag strips that cover ’em whip in the wind of their ride. On their heads they wear helmets made from human skulls. A long black horsetail hangs down their backs. Some of ’em clutch spears, others ready their blowguns. Hatchets hang from their waists.

The drummer’s at the back, two skinboxes slung eether side of his bird. He urges the hunters on, beatin fast with his heels. When they spot us, they start to make this fearsome noise. A high-pitched, endless yip. Uhluhluhluhla! Uhluhluhluhla!

Aim fer the birds! cries Maev. Go fer the necks!

The hunters race towards us.

Hold! yells Maev.

They’re closer. That crazy war shriekin stands my hair on end.

Hold! she cries.

Closer.

Hold!

Then, Fire! yells Maev.

One, two, three, four. I zing off the shots. Fast. Strong. My bow sings wild an sweet. I’m thirty foot back this side of the Gap, but my bow puts me right there. I bring down a bird. Two riders. They cry out as they tumble to death. A squawk, a flutter, an Nero lands at my feet. He drops the arrow with the nettlecord attached. I haul the string up an grab the rope the second it comes into view.

I got it, Maev! I yell.

I run to the nearest bridge pillar. I loop the rope around, make a slipknot an haul on it till it starts to pull taut. Till it stretches tight over the canyon gap. There’s a little downslope on it. I tie the rope off.

We got us a rope slide.

Ready! I shout.

While I bin fixin the slide, Maev’s bin gettin Em ready. Wrappin her belt around both her wrists, loopin it over the rope slide an bucklin it tight. Now she takes her by the waist, they yell, one, two, three!, an they’re runnin to the canyon’s edge an Maev gives her a shove.

Over the canyon flies Em, screamin all the way. I catch her at this side an set her free.

Keep shootin, Em, I says. We both fire away while Maev sets Tommo on the slide with his belt. He comes hurtlin over the canyon so fast, he almost bowls me over.