Arrows of Time - Kim Falconer [147]
I’m not food! She fumed. With so many, she’d be stretched to death in a tug-of-war before they ever shut up and listened to her. One of them stabbed its thick black beak into the blood-soaked ground by her face. Before it could stab again, a ripping sound cut through the air, followed by a loud thwack. The crow shrieked and the whole murder took flight. She forced one lid to open wide and saw two yellow-scaled legs, magnified by their proximity. They were covered with a pale ginger wash of feathers, lightly barred in smoky grey bands. Not a crow, obviously. What, though? That little Barbary she’d heard? He came back? Is that you, little Barbary?
The legs swaggered towards her.
Great. Now she’d be eaten by a cheeky little falcon. At least he’d dispatch her quickly, as was their way. He filled her vision, inches from her face. Wait! Talk to me! She tried to communicate, pushing her energy towards him, looking for a way inside its head.
He let out a shrill Kak-kak-kak.
That’s it? Kreshkali queried the creature. That all you can say?
It made a softer whistling sound, an exhalation.
I was hoping for a more articulate conversation, especially if this is to be my last.
The legs took a step back and his head dipped down, meeting her eye to eye. As she focused she saw a brown-capped face, huge dark eyes with white rims and a rusty red-napped neck. His ivory beak was half open.
Kak-kak-kak. It blasted the sound at her like a tiny trumpet.
You don’t have to be afraid, she said. I’m no threat like this, but I’m no lunch either.
A call came from the distance—another whistle, this time human. She noticed the jesses when the Barbary took flight, flapping hard to gain altitude. The ground beneath her vibrated with the triplet beat of cantering horses. As a last attempt she struggled to be free, but the binding held fast. A dog’s nose poked her feathers. Now I’m to be mauled by dogs? What in the name of the Watchers has a hold of me? She struggled harder, screaming into the clearing.
‘Zap! Roma! Get behind. Good boys.’ She heard a man calling his dogs. The voice was strong, smooth and easy. The dogs responded immediately, backing away, but she could still hear their panting, and the occasional whine.
‘What’s this?’ A woman’s voice. Horses approached, boots hit the ground.
‘Demons!’ It was the man talking now. ‘Take Marley, will you?’
There was a pause before a black steel-capped boot came into view. A man crouched down, his grey hair tied back in a ponytail, his brown eyes enormously kind. A wash of relief went over her. She relaxed. This was a good man. She felt it in her bones. She was safe, for now.
‘What trouble have you found, my lady?’ His voice was soft. He pushed the yellow dogs back. ‘It’s a black falcon, Lil. Some demon soul’s bound her…’ The rest of his sentence was a string of profanities.
Kreshkali couldn’t muster the energy to reply. It was enough to let the warmth wash over her. His voice was an enchantment, rich and deep. His hands gentle. A knife came out and sliced the bindings that ate at her legs. Instant respite.
‘She’s lost blood. We need to get her straight back.’
‘Who would do such a thing?’ The woman’s voice was edged with aggression.
‘I don’t know, but I’ll curse them if I find out.’
There were panting tongues again.
‘Settle, Zap.’ He pushed the larger dog away, snapping his fingers towards the horses. ‘We’re taking this one home. No more hunt today.’
‘I’ll do more than curse them,’ the woman said. She whistled to the dogs. ‘Get over here. The poor queen’s had enough terror. She doesn’t need