Sarabande: River of Falcons Book 4

28. Arnica's Pursuit

Arnica could see the white gull up ahead of her as she took off. She knew Onuma well enough to be able to pick her out from a flock of gulls with ease, even at a distance, but she doubted the sorcerers would be able to tell the difference. It was more in the way she carried herself on the wing than anything else, Arnica thought. Onuma was firm and decisive in her wing-strokes, especially when she was on a mission as important as this one.

Arnica was pleased to see that Onuma had gotten in front of the big fishing-boat with its escort of a dozen or more sorcerers. However, the boat, its sails taught and straining, was moving faster than Arnica normally flew. She turned and crossed behind it, aiming for a forested point of land that forced the river into a big curve, her plan being to meet the boat, and Onuma's gull, on the other side of the curve.

As she passed astern, someone on the deck pointed at her, and she wondered if she had been recognized. Confirmation came in the form of a dart of lightning that almost caught her tail-feathers. Spirits! Arnica thought. Now I'm in trouble!

There was shouting from the deck of the fishing-boat, and more people began to shoot at her. The lightning bolts were not as well aimed as they would have been back in the time before Drift destroyed the rune-stones. However, even without magical stabilization, a lightning bolt is a dangerous thing, and there were enough people on deck to send quite a lot of them her way. Arnica let out a loud squawk of terror and dove toward the riverbank, aiming for the woods.

The lightning attack made quite a lot of noise, and Onuma looked over her shoulder just in time to see a duck that looked a lot like Arnica dodging a bolt. She made a tight turn and swooped back.

"It's that same gull we chased earlier!" someone shouted from the deck, and a barrage of lightning bolts came her way. She skimmed along the riverbank, taking advantage of the attraction lighting has for water (bolts shot low over the river tend to be drawn down into it before reaching their target). As she raced down-river she spotted Arnica, back in human form, sitting in the long grass, holding one arm. She looped back and landed next to her.

"They got my wing," Arnica said. "Just a glancing blow, but I can't fly. I'm sorry, Dear. Go on without me. I can lose them in the woods."

Onuma helped Arnica up and guided her into the nearby trees. "I can't leave you here," she said. "They're bound to track you down."

"But you've got to get to the Palace," Arnica protested, wincing as she felt her sore arm again.

"First I have to make sure you're safe. Come on, let's try those fir trees up ahead. I can cast a concealment spell there. It's perfect for a hiding place."

As they approached the thicket of trees, someone laughed. They stopped abruptly.

There was a shimmering and Abdera appeared on the edge of the thicket. "I knew you'd aim for these trees."

Onuma frowned. "Be on your way. We mean you no harm."

"Yes, but it so happens that I mean you harm," Abdera replied, picking up a broken branch and aiming it at them. With a guttural chant, she sent a dart of lightning flashing toward them.

Onuma deflected it with a chant of her own and the lighting bounced off into the trees, splintering a number of branches as it went.

"After we take the Palace, we're going to take the Garden back, too," Abdera said. "And you, Onuma, will be executed for your wrongful assumption of the Old One's position. If you live long enough to make it to your trial." She sent a second bolt of lighting at them.

This time, Onuma used a misdirection spell and the lightning passed just over her shoulder, heading out toward the river.

"They'll see the lightning and be here any moment," Abdera said. "You can block my attacks, but you won't be able to hold all of us off."

"No she won't," Arnica said, walking resolutely toward Abdera. "That is why I'm going to stay here with you while she goes on." And then, before either Abdera or Onuma (both of whom looked startled) could say anything, Arnica chanted an invocation spell and summoned a dozen orange and brown moths which flapped rapidly out of the trees and started to circle Abdera.

Abdera raised her stick and shouted a curse, but nothing happened.

"Go, my Dear! Get to the Palace as soon as you can. I'll hold her here while you get away."

"But what will you do then? I can't have them capture you."

"The warning is more important. Get to the Palace and alert the Queen. I'll take care of myself. Please hurry! I can't hold these Catocala Spirits around her much longer. It takes a lot of effort."

Onuma embraced her tightly and said, "I'll come back for you, I promise! And as for you," she said to Abdera, "If you harm one hair on her head, I swear I'll make your life a living hell."

Abdera raised an eyebrow. "Not quite the harmonious thoughts an Old One is supposed to have. Arnica is especially important to you, isn't she? I can't wait to have a chance to torture her."

Onuma took a threatening step toward Abdera, her face flushing angrily.

"Go, my love, and don't let her words bother you," Arnica whispered, holding her back by one hand. "The Queen is depending on us."

Onuma squeezed Arnica's hand quickly, then turned and shifted again. However, instead of the gull, there appeared a Goshawk which swooped close over Abdera and scratched her on the forehead as it raced off. As Abdera swore and wiped blood away, the Goshawk wove expertly through the thick stand of fir trees and disappeared from sight.

Abdera dabbed her forehead with her sleeve, then glared at Arnica. "Your summoning is very clever, I admit," she said. "How did you bring so many Spirits so fast, and how are you forcing them to block my magic?"

"I summoned them, but I didn't make them block your magic. They're doing that because they want to. You should know you can't force the Spirits to do anything unnatural to them. That is not our way, or theirs. But you are no longer on their path, Abdera. You were shooting lighting! You damaged the grove of trees these Spirits live in. They are unhappy with you."

Abdera laughed. "The Spirits have little power compared to the forces we are going to use," she said. She tried to take a step toward Arnica, but seemed unable to push through the ring of moths. "My allies will be here in a moment," she added. "If you hide, we'll find you. And then I'll show you what real pain is. Onuma will soon be doing exactly what we tell her to, just to save you another round of torture."

Arnica frowned. "The angrier your grow and the more you threaten, the more unhappy the Spirits are," she said. "Your powers are a gift from the Spirits. You shouldn't abuse them. Goodbye." She turned and walked resolutely into the thicket of fir trees.