Of Bone and Thunder (58 page)

VORLY STOOD LOOKING AT
a map of the valley drawn by the longbowman. It was pinned to the wall of Vorly's tent and fluttered and moved like a living thing with each takeoff and landing of a rag.

SFC Minter, along with Breeze, the blind thaum Rathim, and the shield leader for Red Shield, stood around in a semicircle. All, save Rathim, stared at the map as Wraith explained what he'd seen the night before.

“They meet here, in this clearing.”

Minter leaned closer. “I know that area. We could hit it no problem in the daylight, but in the middle of the night? Not a chance.”

“It only works if you hit it when they're there,” Wraith said.

“Why not use the cats?” Shield Leader Carny said. “They've got the range.”

“But not the accuracy,” Wraith said, tapping the map. “These slyts are fast. The moment they heard the first cat fire they'd scatter.”

“You tracked them,” Vorly said, amazed the soldier had. “Couldn't you lead your shield there and then hit them when they show up?”

Wraith shook his head. “I barely tracked them, and they almost got me. They'd hear the shield a mile away.”

“I want to help,” Minter said, “but I can't do it at night. Our rags are skittish enough as it is. Flying them in the dark in this valley would be a nightmare. I'm sorry.”

Breeze tapped Vorly on the arm. He turned to look at her. She raised her eyebrows but said nothing. Vorly understood. He turned back to Wraith. “You're sure? Absolutely sure that they meet here every night?”

Wraith paused before speaking. “No, but I'll go out again tonight, and as many nights as is needed to confirm it.”

Vorly nodded. “What did Weel say?”

At this, Wraith and his SL shared a look. “About Weel . . .”

“You didn't tell him,” Vorly said. “I understand. Right, as it happens, we have flown at night, and while it's not our favorite thing, it can be done. We won't be able to see that clearing though. We'll need it marked, and that'll mean someone has to be there to light the marker.”

“I'll be there,” Wraith said.

“Wraith, wait a flick,” Carny said. “Even if this works according to plan, you're going to be in the middle of a lot of slyts with rag fire pouring down.”

“If I put the marker right in the clearing, you can hit it?” Wraith asked, turning and looking at Vorly.

Vorly nodded. “Aye, we can.”

Wraith shrugged his shoulders. “Just tell me how many more times you want me to watch them then.”

Vorly reached out and placed a hand on Wraith's shoulder. He got the immediate impression that he shouldn't have, but he kept it there. “Son, we'll go tonight. Every day those slyts watch us they learn more.” He turned to Carny. “You all right with this, SL?”

Carny looked at Wraith and then back at Vorly. “Not really, but Wraith's sure, so he has my blessing.”

“Then it's settled, we launch tonight.”

JAWN HELD ON
to Breeze's arm as she led him back to his quarters. “Why'd you bring me? I had nothing to offer.” He knew he sounded like a petulant child, but he didn't care. Breeze had made him look like a fool.

Breeze stopped suddenly. “And whose fault is that? You just stood there like a lump on a log.”

Jawn raised his hands. “Breeze, I'm blind. I can't see a damn thing.”

“I know, but you can slide between planes. You can feel your way through the aether in a way I can't. I want you on plane tonight when we launch.”

Jawn finally understood. “I'll aid you in whatever harmony you need, of course.” He turned, expecting her to start walking, but she remained standing. “What?”

“That's not what I meant. If this goes as planned, a lot of slyts are going to be dead, and their command is going to be wondering what happened. If they have thaums—”

“Then they'll be on plane searching to see if thaumics were involved,” he said, finishing her thought. A glimmer of pride welled up in his chest.

Her hand squeezed his arm. “You have value, Jawn. You can help—just believe in yourself.” She started walking again.

They walked in silence. Jawn still wanted to be upset at Breeze, but she'd given him something to do that was real. It wasn't out of pity. No one could do what he did on plane. He lifted his head as an idea began to take shape.

Yes, there is a way forward.

CARNY DIDN'T BOTHER
to watch Wraith leave Iron Fist as the sun sank behind the western peaks. Only a few people knew what he was doing, and Carny preferred it that way. Not that he suspected spies, but the less Weel knew, the better.

“You don't need to fly with us,” Flock Commander Astol said, coming around the far side of Carduus and patting the rag's head as he did. Carduus rumbled and closed his eyes. Carny supposed that was purring. “It's not going to be like a day flight. Rags aren't great in the dark, especially with mountains around.”

“One of my men is risking everything tonight. I'm coming,” Carny said. He looked over at Knockers and Wiz. “And they're coming, too.”

Vorly shrugged. “We have the room. We launch in a sixteenth, so don't go anywhere,” he said, turning back to Carduus.

Carny turned to Knockers and Wiz. “Last chance to change your mind.”

Knockers shook his head. “He'll be in the jungle alone. We have to
make sure he doesn't get left out there,” Knockers said, staring hard at Carny.

“No one's being left,” Carny said, surprised at Knocker's intensity.

“I know,” Knockers said, adjusting his crossbow slung across his chest.

Carny looked at Wiz.

“If something goes wrong, I need to be there,” Wiz said. He lacked Knocker's suppressed energy, but it was clear his convictions were just as strong.

“Let's hope it doesn't,” Carny said.

WRAITH CHOSE A
tree a hundred yards to the left of the one he'd been in the night before. It offered a good view of the clearing while giving him ample cover within its leaves. He didn't climb it right away but circled around the entire clearing, searching for signs of a trap or any indication that the slyts knew what had happened the night before. They obviously knew one of their scouts was missing, but if he was prone to going out on his own like Wraith they wouldn't be too worried yet. Assuming they hadn't found his body.

He had a short debate with himself on whether to check on the body or not. In the end he decided there was little to be gained and so didn't. He'd know soon enough if the slyts had changed their routine.

Satisfied no slyts were in the vicinity, he approached the tree. He scattered a few twigs around the base before climbing. If any slyts did come looking he hoped he'd hear them.

He settled into a crook of three branches, bringing his bow up to ensure he could shoot without getting caught on anything. His quiver was filled with six star arrows.

The number of things that could go wrong was immense, but Wraith saw no point in worrying about them. This was their best chance to disrupt the slyts in advance of whatever they were planning.

The whisper of paws on a branch was the only warning Wraith got before the marbled cat leaped onto his lap. Its claws dug in and Wraith winced.

“We're friends now, are we?” Wraith whispered, reaching out and petting the animal. It twisted its head to the side and closed its eyes as Wraith rubbed the inside of an ear. “You're going to want to get out of here soon,” he said, but didn't try to shoo the cat away. He appreciated the company of another hunter.

“I'm going to call you Ugen,” he said, leaning back in the tree to wait.

THE COOK FIRES AND
lanterns visible in Iron Fist and the fortresses dotted across the valley proved invaluable as Vorly urged Carduus into a spiraling climb. Without them he wasn't sure he would have been able to orient himself. Volunteering to fly this mission had been rash, and as they leveled out at six thousand feet he wondered why he'd done it.

Minter had been wise to pass. The man knew the limits of himself and his rags and had turned it down. Truth be told, Vorly wasn't all that convinced Carduus was any more suited to flying at night, but the rag had done it, which meant he could do it again.

Vorly reached behind him and patted the rucksack on his back. Breeze had insisted they pack supplies in case something went wrong. Vorly appreciated her concern, but if something did go wrong a couple of mangoes, an extra water skin, a loaf of bread, and a small wheel of goat cheese wasn't likely to rescue the situation. Still, there was some comfort in having along two well-armed soldiers and a wizard.

“All clear on plane,” Breeze said, her voice coming through the tube at little more than a whisper. “Black Star is reporting a clear plane as well.”

Vorly clicked his tongue twice to acknowledge her. Yet one more thing they'd refined. He turned in his saddle and looked past Breeze to the three soldiers accompanying them. He had to remember to pass along his condolences. They'd lost two shield leaders in a matter of weeks, both charked. The new one seemed solid. Vorly hoped he lasted.

There wasn't much thermal to catch so Vorly put Carduus into a series of slow climbs and long glides. It kept wing noise down to a minimum. Most important, however, was that it would keep Carduus calm and cool. The beast knew something was up. His chark meal had been huge, double
what he'd normally get for a flight. Rags weren't the sharpest pricks on a rose, but they'd learned that extra chark meant some kind of break from the norm. The warmth coming up through the heat blankets was tolerable, but only just. Additional blankets had been tacked to Carduus's sides to hide the glow, and Pagath had even painted a thin layer of pitch on Carduus's wings over the major arteries to dull the light of the rag's molten blood. Vorly and Breeze wore sparker uniforms loaned to them by Minter's crews. Extra layers of protection would shield them from the worst of the heat. Additional heat blankets had been provided to the soldiers to wrap themselves in.

A movement by Vorly's elbow made him turn. Shield Leader Carny crouched down beside him. He moved around on Carduus with a lot more assurance than he had on his first flight.
The boy might have a little mule in his bloodline.

“I thought I saw lights,” Carny said. “North and east, other side of the mountains.”

“Villages maybe? There are a few around here,” Vorly said.

“Maybe,” Carny said, though he didn't sound convinced. “If there's a chance, I'd like to check it out after.”

“Let's focus on one thing at a time. If this does work, every slyt in fifty miles will be up. Might get a bit unhealthy up here.”

Carny nodded and went back to the other soldiers. Vorly thought about swinging Carduus a little wider on the next turn so he'd be a little farther east but then quashed it. He needed to be as close as he could to the clearing when that soldier fired those stars.

Vorly brought Carduus around in a wide, lazy turn and began his next run up the eastern side of the valley. The jungle appeared as a ruffled black blanket below.

The clang of a hammer on sheet steel rang out, marking the midnight candle. Carduus growled, his head turning toward Iron Fist. Vorly snapped the reins and brought his head back. He looked at the lights below and calculated they were about two thousand yards out from the clearing.

Vorly gave Carduus the glide kick and the rag immediately stretched out his wings. As he started to drop, Vorly flicked the reins and Carduus
rumbled, dropping his head as he picked up speed. So far, so good. Now it was all up to one soldier on the ground. If the slyts were there, he'd fire the stars.

WRAITH COUNTED FIFTY-THREE
slyts in the clearing. That was more than the night before. He looked down at the newly named Ugen curled in his lap and nudged it with his hand. Ugen lifted his head to hiss, then dropped it back down. Wraith tried again with the same result. Finally, he grabbed one of the star arrows and poked Ugen with the tip. The cat sprung up hissing. Wraith held up his hands.

“Sorry, but it's time to go,” he whispered. “You don't want to be around for this anyway, trust me.”

The cat flexed his claws, digging in a little deeper into Wraith's thigh, then proudly hopped off his lap onto a nearby branch and trotted into the shadows, his tail held high.

Wraith made sure he wasn't sneaking back, then turned his attention to the clearing. Now all he needed was the midnight candle to sound. He held his bow in his left hand while his right held the first star. He was no more than thirty yards from the clearing, close enough that he could put a star into a slyt, but he decided against it. If this worked, the rag would take care of the slyts.

He wiggled his butt on the branch and focused on his breathing, slowing it down to a nice, even pace. He thought of it as a big, slow waterwheel. In for ten . . . hold for ten . . . out for ten . . . hold for ten . . .

Thoughts and distractions faded. His world narrowed to the group of slyts ahead. He practiced notching the star in quick, fluid motions, making sure his elbow didn't hit anything on the draw.

The first clang of the midnight candle rang out. They'd agreed that on the seventh clang he'd fire. By then the rag would be approaching the clearing, needing only the light of his stars to guide it in the rest of the way.

Wraith notched the star. Weighing five ounces, it was almost twice as heavy as a standard arrow and so required the shooter to aim higher to compensate for the extra weight.

As they had the previous night, the slyts paid no attention to the distant clangs and chatted softly among themselves. On the fifth, Wraith drew back on the string. Unlike a longbow, the draw on this smaller bow was light and didn't require massive effort.