I’m aware of the wide eyes of the fae women watching me, particularly the ones who were holding the stretcher and the way they’re whispering to each other as I pull the Vandawolf a full five paces toward the bird all on my own.
While the others stay clear of me, including Elowynn, whose lips are pressed into a hard line, Gliss approaches me.
“Carry him up Concord’s wing,” she says, keeping a small distance between us. “The bone along the top of her wing is strong enough and wide enough to create a platform. I will keep Concord calm and make sure she takes you directly to the widest landing pad at the castle.”
“Youwill?” I glance from her to Elowynn. “What about your sister? I thought this washerbird?”
Gliss’s expression hardens. “Concord was our mother’s thunderbird. My sister may have officially claimed her, but Concord is bonded to both of us.”
With that, she heads back to the bird, strokes her hand along its large neck and, when it arches its face to her, she presses her cheek to its cheek.
I assume she’s communicating with it, but it’s impossible to tell for sure.
Across the way, Elowynn has folded her arms across her chest.
I take a deep breath as the bird extends its wing toward me. I identify the edge of it, where the bone must rest.
Breathing out, I tell myself this is no worse than pulling the stretcher up the mountainous incline and I already accomplished that.
I can do this, too.
With another grunt of effort, I step onto the wing, moving backward and crouching as low as I can to find my balance and stop the Vandawolf from sliding around.
All the while, the stillness of his chest drives me onward.
Finally, I reach the saddle. Because the bird’s wing bone is closer to the front seat, I pull the Vandawolf up onto it, fighting desperately to keep him from sliding across and falling off the other side.
The only way to get the Vandawolf to straddle the seat is to sit myself down in the back seat first. While engaging my stomach and thigh muscles, I pull him high enough that I can maneuver his legs to either side of his own seat.
It’s awkward and difficult and nearly impossible.
When one of the fae women on the ground giggles cruelly at my efforts, rage rushes through me, giving me the strength to complete my task.
Finally, I lower myself completely onto the saddle.
It has waist straps and I manage to clip one around the Vandawolf, although I have to let the strap all the way out so it will fit around him. Clipping my own waist strap closed is nearly impossible, but I manage it, only to find that it bites into my injuries painfully.
Blood continues to drip down my right leg, all the way down the outside of my boot and onto the stone below us.
The Vandawolf is now facing the bird’s tail and, as such, is facing me, his upper body leaning against mine while I pray I’m strong enough to support his weight for the time it will take us to reach our destination.
The pull within me toward the metal plastered to his chest is fainter now, as if it’s decreased with his low energy. But the softness of his breath against my neck, the slow and barely perceptible movement of air, reassures me that he’s alive.
I exhale some of my turmoil, finding comfort in holding him. This, at least, I can attempt to control.
The moment I’m settled, Elowynn bursts into action. “Bring me Bethoc’s bird. I’ll ride it back. You two!” She points at two of the women who helped carry the stretcher out of the cave. “Bring that stretcher with you. We’ll need it once we reach the camp. The rest of you, fan out in the sky. We don’t know what might come at us once we’re airborne again.”
She said earlier she didn’t want to linger here. I shiver a little at the possibility of more threats ahead of us.
All of her warriors jump into action, leaving my brother standing still amid a flurry of activity.
Elowynn approaches him. “You will ride with me, Blacksmith.”
He gives her a brief nod and steps away, but he casts glances back at me as he goes.
As soon as the space around us is clear, Gliss cries to the bird, “Fly, Concord. Keep them safe!”
The thunderbird extends its wings and flaps them with acrack!
