RISE of the EARTHBORN (Chapter Twenty-Seven)

Decide

He will show him the way he should choose.

Psalm 25:12

“How long do we have before Pip tires?” Sem asked, his breath tickling her ear.

“With me, he can fly three, maybe three and half hours at a quick pace,” Sambeth replied and tugged a strand if her hair as she thought, “I don’t know how long he can go with the two of us. I’d try an hour and a half and see how he goes.”

“We need to head north,” he said. 

Sambeth nodded and he noticed the shimerith adjust his direction.

The shimerith was flying along smoothly. Sem noticed the change in his flying pattern when they changed course. Before must have been a cruising speed because now, instead of an easy, undulating movement, the wing beats were much faster. The shimerith set his head and neck as straight as an arrow, dropped his shoulders a little and sped through the air.

“Keep a sharp eye out for aerial predators,” Sambeth called over her shoulder, “as well as the Fallen One.” 

“I’ll watch this side,” he indicated to the right.

Sambeth scanned the sky behind, ahead and all around but still the beauty of the land falling underneath took her breath away. The sun was riding high overhead, their shadows falling straight beneath them. 

Sambeth had imagined the forest was an unending, limitless expanse of trees with few breaks but now, from above, she saw that this countryside changed continually.  There were vast stretches of thick, unbroken jungle but then a series of enormous meadows would unfold beneath them, dotted with many herds and different kinds of animals both familiar and unknown. She drank in the sight of gently undulating hills with beautiful clear streams springing between them. 

In a low place, sat a great lake. Many streams fed into it. It was crystal clear. The shapes of big and little fish as well as large aquatic beasts were easy to see in its tranquil waters. Sambeth had never seen such a vast stretch of water. As they flew along, she and Sem pointed out to one another different, interesting things but apart from that they were silent. Each locked in their own thoughts.

Every so often, Sambeth closed her eyes and pressed a hand to her face. Pip was warm underneath her. She savoured the texture of his fur. Sem was a solid presence behind yet still she felt terror and sorrow try to engulf her and fought it back. In less than a week she had seen her mother, the only person that cared for her, killed. She lost her home, found a refuge and lost it also.  She recalled Noesh’s idea to establish herself in Aresisia. That plan must stand. It was a beacon of hope, she clung to it grimly and prayed Proximus would not find her. 

“Sambeth.” 

She felt him squeeze her arm slightly.

“We’re veering off course.” 

Sem’s face was drawn. He pointed to the sun and then off in a direction different to their current trajectory. She frowned but he pointed again, leaning forward, his chin almost resting on her shoulder. 

“We should be going in that direction,” he insisted. 

She leaned forward and spoke to the beast. 

“Pip, veer right,” she called compellingly, tapping him on the right side of his neck and holding her arm in the direction. The shimerith cocked its head very slightly, a glint from his eye reaching her. Then he straightened out again and continued without altering course.

Sambeth turned her chin. Sem bent his head close to hers in order to hear against the rushing wind.

“He’s not listening, Sem.”

His eyes narrowed in worry as he gazed down the length of the enormous creature carrying them. 

“We’ve got to get to Tabun’s Cave. Ask him again,” he ordered. 

Sambeth stiffened, resenting the tone, and leaned away from him. Reluctantly, she did as he bid. 

“Pip, we need to change course. We must go that way.” 

Greater urgency coloured her voice. This time the shimerith dipped its head in annoyance. The deadly pronged tail lashed from side to side. The two on its back clutched onto the deep fur to avoid slipping off.

“Okay. Okay, Pip!” Sem cried and the undulating of the animal ceased.

“It’s no use,” Sambeth said calmly, “once he’s made up his mind, he won’t change it. We’ll just have to trust that he’s right.”

“He’s taking us miles off our course,” Sem fumed, worry causing him to speak more harshly than he meant to, “that’s bad, bad news for us.” 

Sambeth gave him an enigmatic, slanted glance from the corner of her eye. She gritted her teeth, lips set. The burn of resentment rose in her throat.  She remained silent. There was no point arguing about it.

They returned their full attention to scanning the skies. They were full of birds, thousands of them. Most of them were small, flitting here and there in clouds. The bigger birds were not so numerous, but they were there, frequently. Fortunately none of them showed any interest in the shimerith flying past except to sound a faint alarm.

She glanced at Sem a couple of times as she scanned far back on her side. He looked tense. The bile in her stomach settled. He would be anxious about his family, did they live or were they dead.  Being off course would be sending him over the edge. She forgave him. She would be harsh and more than that if she were in his place. 

Agnor was still tucked in tightly around his master, his head thrust through the crook of Sem’s arm. Why had Agnor, the most companionable of hounds, been running in the forest alone, she wondered. She thought of Sem’s parents. They would be worried sick about him, if they were alive.  Cold slashed a line down her cheek as a solitary tear slipped down and blew away in the wind of their passage.

She thrust away thoughts of Rija, who had trusted her to keep her safe. She and Rija had sworn to stay together, to be the family that neither of them had, but now Rija was far behind and Sambeth had to throw down the thought that she truly might not see her ever again.

“Are you okay?” 

A voice spoke in her ear, jolting her out of the dark jag of her thoughts. 

“I don’t know,” her voice was thick and clogged with unshed tears.

Sem turned her face, one finger under her chin. 

“I felt that,” he said, tracing the path of that one tear.  

Her eyes gazed into his, so full of fear and sorrow that his heart turned over.

He put his hand on her cheek, his long fingers curling around the back of her head.

“Trust me, Sambeth. We will be alright.”

She dashed the tears away savagely, holding her lips tight to stop them quivering.

” I’ve lost my mother and my home. And now Rija. Pip could fly away and never come back. Altor will definitely catch me one day. If I make it to Aresisia, I will be all alone.”

She twisted away, “I don’t know if I can do this.”

 He looked up in front of them. Her head was so much lower than his that he saw right over the top off the gleaming strands of hair. 

They both felt a shift in the shimerith, a change of pace.

“We’d better find a place to stop and rest,” she said, “Pip’s slowing a little. I think he’s tiring.”

“We need clear ground to land and to light a pretty decent fire to keep the animals away,” he replied. 

“Surely that’s too visible,” she protested, “Altor could find us or the Fallen One.” 

“Let’s find a clear spot to land safely and then see what we can find.” 

She nodded in agreement. 

Finding a clearing proved difficult. They were flying over dense forest. The trees were giants. Their trunks were massive in girth and the boughs as broad as a road. Pip began to circle making wide sweeping turns. There were no breaks among the great blanket of trees. Neither Sambeth nor Sem could see the ground through the clustered foliage.

“Is it worth landing in the trees?” Sem spoke in Sambeth’s ear. 

She jumped. She’d been so intent on looking for a landing spot. Pip decided for them. He straightened up out of his curving sweep and flew onward some minutes. The shimerith snaked his head down and from side to side. Then he swooped, his passengers clinging on tenaciously. Moments later he settled gently on a narrow strip of grass beside a deep, swiftly flowing river.

A quick look around the clearing showed nothing dangerous. It was picturesque with the rushing gurgle of the river and the lush green grass.

“We won’t be able to hear much with the noise of that river in our ears.” Sambeth said. 

Sem slipped off the shimerith in one smooth move. Immediately Agnor jumped down beside him.

“Clever Pip!” 

Sambeth stroked the shimerith where the long neck joined the sturdy, muscular shoulder. 

“This is a nice spot but are we safe here?” 

She spoke to herself. She was busy scanning the forest beside them as well as beyond the river. She hadn’t yet dismounted.

“There are no animal tracks leading up to the water,” she called to Sem. 

Sem was walking around the clearing, scanning the ground, looking around for signs of large predators, possible camping spots and food. Agnor followed one pace behind, wherever he went.

“Sambeth, I don’t think we’ll have any unwelcome visitors. I can’t see any animal signs at all. It’s a bit odd really.”

She didn’t want to leave the warm safety of Pip’s back. He, too, was highly alert. His dark eyes flickered from side to side. She noticed that his wings were not folded down, tucked neatly in their resting position. Instead they were held slightly out from his body, poised and ready for a quick lift off. He lifted his head suddenly higher, nostrils wide, sniffing the air. A tremor ran through him. Should she dismount, seeing as Pip was unsettled, she wondered?

The strong neck curved up and Pip peered around and beyond the line of tree tops.

“Sem,” she called as Pip trumpeted an alarm. 

“Get down. Get off quick!” Sem yelled the urgency in his voice prompting an intense fear response in her.

Without hesitating, Sambeth slipped off Pip’s back and ran toward Sem. He raced toward her, Agnor close behind. In two heartbeats they met in the middle of the clearing.  He gathered her in, against his side and pulled her back to safety.  She turned back to Pip.

Pip’s whole body was taut and quivering. His eyes searched the sky. Then she saw them. Two, three, four, five shimerith flying in a V formation. They screamed when they spotted the four on the ground, whether at their fellow shimerith or because of the humans, Sambeth was unsure. Sem grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the trees. 

“Come on,” he cried.

The wild shimerith banked, screaming again and this time Pip flung himself upward in one mighty thrust. The wind from the beating of his powerful wings tumbled them forward into the underbrush.  They sprawled on the ground. Sambeth looked up through the tops of the tall grass waving above her. She saw the strange shimerith swerve and dip. Pip flew across their path and they altered their course and met him in the sky. For a moment they reared up, suspended in mid-air. Then as one they wheeled about and flew off into the distance.  A pang of sorrow bit into her heart as she watched Pip, her shimerith, streaking off into the distance with them.

“Did he just leave us, or save us?” Sem whispered.

She turned her head, still flung out in the grass, and met Sem’s eyes. A great huff of dog breath filled her nostrils as Agnor thrust his nose in their faces, checking they were alright.

“I don’t know,” she said bleakly. Without Pip she felt vulnerable in this vast, unknown wilderness, “I must find him. I must go back and get Rija. I must–“

“Shh,” he laid a hand across her mouth for a moment. 

The warm, clean smell of his skin drifted over her. He lifted himself up on one elbow and gazed deeply into her eyes.

“Sambeth, come with me,” he pleaded, searching her face with dark, intense eyes, “I swear I will take you far from here, far from Arca and all who seek to hurt you.”

She blinked and swallowed, thrown by his nearness and keenly aware that she lay stretched on the ground beside a stranger. How could she trust him when so recently the question of her heritage had caused him to recoil in horror?

She scrambled up and he leapt to his feet also. Now she had to crane her head to see his face.

“I don’t know what to do,” she said fiercely, “your family is everything to you and they have rejected me.”

“Trust me,” he urged, echoing the throbbing question in her mind, “come with me to Aresisia. Rija will be there and the people will thank you for their lives. I know it.”

He took her face in his hands, urging her to agree, “We will survive the Forest and Pip may return to you along the way.”

She swayed, caught by the intensity in his gaze. Over his shoulder she saw the last shimerith vanish out of sight. Without the shimerith, there was no choice for her. She sighed and looked back at the urgent dark eyes of the man in front of her.

“I’ll come,” she said huskily, “I’ll come with you, Sem.”

She gazed after Pip and dashed a tear from her eye. Beside her, strong and capable, stood the youngest son of the fabled Noesh. If anyone could help her escape Altor and make her way to Aresisia safely, it would be him.

They both searched the sky, willing the shimerith to return. A faint noise reached their ears. A stirring, rushing sound that was faint but quickly grew louder. It took Sambeth right back to the clearing where she shivered in terror, hidden under a prickly bush, as Altor took the Sacrifice belonging to his father. The hair on her arms rose.

“Oh no,” Sambeth whispered. 

She drew back, edging her back into the foliage and crouched low until ferns nodded over her head and she was completely concealed. Beside her, Sem did the same, holding Agnor close. They kept utterly still, watching. Overhead, something rushed by, outlined by a faint glow. It was moving fast and in the direction of the vanished shimerith. Proximus, the Fallen One, searching for them. Strong fingers wrapped around her hand and held it tight until the Fallen One was gone. She glanced at Sem. Without another word they slipped back into the dark tangle of the Endless Forest.

͠

Hello dear Reader,

Thank you for reading this book!  I loved writing about this girl and plunging through the forest by her side.  After the difficulty of losing her mother and finding shelter with people who abhor Earthborns, she still has no option but to flee with Sem to try and rejoin them. In the next part of the story, Sem is unable to hold off an enemy and Sambeth is taken by them. She experiences rough Qtreatment in the hands of the Panther People and their Kandace and is marked for death.  

Fear of the Earthborn

In the talons of the panther…
Journeying through the Endless Forest with Sem and the faithful Agnor, Sambeth is desperate to reach the city of Aresisia where Sem’s people are. They will know if her friend, Rija, survived the Earthborn attack on the hidden fortress. 

Panthers lurk in the forest as well as a people who worship the Panther spirit. They believe Sambeth is chosen by the Panther and seek her life. Suffering in their hands, Sambeth must think quickly or she will end up as a sacrifice to their god and never reach her destination.
https://www.amazon.com/Fear-Earthborn-panther-Sambeth-Primordial-ebook/dp/B091YRKXTG

 Reviews – sharing your reading experience by posting a review on Amazon or Goodreads would be a massive assistance in getting Sambeth’s story out into the wide world and I’d be forever grateful ;).
 

Kind regards – Emma.

RISE of the EARTHBORN (Chapter Twenty-Six)

A People With No Home

He led his people through the wilderness.

Psalm 136:16

The secret exit came out miles from Tetrahin.  Once outside the tunnel, Noesh paused and surveyed the strained group around him.  

There are too many of us, he thought despairingly. The mothers with young children worried him the most. They would find any journey, whether it be to Aresisia or Arca, taxing, frightening and dangerous.

One approached him, her young face pale under its already pale skin. A baby peeped over her shoulder through the thick mane of red hair. Three others clustered around her legs, gripping folds in her loose clothing. He recognised her as the recently widowed Setta. 

“Where are we going, Noesh?” her quiet voice was determined. 

He tried to look calm and confident. His face was kind as he spoke.

“We must go far away, Setta.” 

“Why, lord? Why so suddenly and quickly? I’ve no food or clothing for the children,” she gazed around the forest nervously, “what will we do out here?”

T’ajar stepped closer to Setta, putting a hand on her shoulder. Noesh cleared his throat.

“We’re heading for the Tabun’s Cave. We must go as fast as we can. No telling how close the intruders are on our tails.” 

His brows snapped together in a sudden frown alarming the young woman waiting for assurance in front of him. T’ajar, in a quiet aside, urged Setta to keep near them for help with her children.

The frown remained, heavy on his brow. The betrayal of Tetrahin was a terrible blow. The lives of so many innocents now rested in his hands.  He ground his teeth thinking of his nephew. Ah yes, Amis that son of a difficult and abrasive woman. He wondered how sweet T’ajar could have such a horrible tartar for a sister but why had she betrayed them all?

Jaffith and Ajalon appeared in front of him.

“Father.” 

Both were breathing hard. 

Noesh pushed his heavy thoughts from him and lifted his eyebrows enquiringly. 

The two exchanged a brief glance, the one so tall and fair, the other dark and lithe. 

“Rija didn’t come back,” Ajalon said quietly. 

“Something prevented her from returning,” Jaffith corrected his brother, looking at his father anxiously. 

Noesh stared at them unspeaking, a stricken look around his eyes. Jaffith reached out a concerned hand and gripped his shoulder.

“Father,” he said tentatively, “are you alright?”

Noesh’s mouth worked, he cleared his throat and whispered hoarsely, “Get me Jared.”

Jaffith kept his hand on his father’s shoulder but Ajalon turned and ran. Noesh’s thoughts were spinning. The girl had gone back to her chamber to collect her things. Why hadn’t she returned. Had the enemy already been within the walls of Tetrahin?

Ajalon returned, Jared close behind. Noesh took a ragged breath and looked at the worried face of his loyal, reliable Jared.

“Jared…” his voice was still hoarse. 

The man nodded respectfully. 

“We’ve lost another…” Noesh’s voice trailed off. 

He couldn’t bring himself to say it. His beloved, vivid son Sem, that vulnerable, very young girl, Sambeth and now it seemed that he, Noesh, had also lost a princess.

He closed his eyes, a wave of despair washing over him. He felt the pressure of Jaffith’s broad, long-fingered hand on his shoulder. He reached up and grabbed it, giving a grateful squeeze in return.

Jared confirmed his worst fears. In their well-trained efficiency, the men of his household guard had sealed all doors in order to slow down the enemy. They had believed all persons to be gathered with Noesh and the people. Jared was appalled and shaken when he realised what had happened. He had trapped a young woman inside Tetrahin. She was alone to face the enemy.

“Father,” Jaffith spoke quietly, his voice coming from above Noesh’s head, “can we send someone back?” 

Noesh knew who Jaffith had in mind and shook his head.

“I’m sorry, son, we can’t–“

“But, Rija?” Jaffith’s voice cracked over her name. 

Noesh gripped Jaffith’s arms, his faces inches away from that of his tall son. The heaviness of grief drew deep lines on his face.

“If there were any way,” Noesh rasped, “but there are many here that need your leadership.”

Jaffith lifted his eyes toward Tetrahin.

“So, that poor girl will be taken by that wicked aberration after all?”

His throat worked and he dashed a quick hand across his eyes.

“Maybe,” Noesh laid a hand on Jaffith’s arm, something stirring in his soul, “but have faith. I’m sure she was brought to us for a reason. She may evade Altor yet.”

Jaffith dragged his eyes from the distant rocky outcrop that marked Tetrahin’s location and fastened on his father’s face.

“Do you really believe that, father?” 

Noesh met his gaze squarely, “I don’t know it but something tells me I’m right.”

Jaffith finally nodded. He became aware that the people were milling around them, uncertainty and fear written all over their faces. 

“The people need you,” he said to Noesh.

After a minute the old man’s eyes cleared and he looked up at his son, determination returning.  He nodded to both his sons and set about putting courage into the hearts of the people.

Jaffith and Ajalon had already pulled off a marvellous feat by rounding up every person – young, old and mischievous. They had organised what supplies and weapons they could in the few moments before leaving. Then they had rallied and chivvied frightened and reluctant clans people up the dark and dusty, unused tunnel leading out from underneath Tetrahin, far, far out into the frightening, Endless Forest.

Now Noesh put them in charge of two groups. Ajalon and a handful of the men would guide the group of mothers and children, the women and supplies to Tabun’s Cave. Ajalon was imposing and tolerated no nonsense, handy for keeping children in line. 

Jaffith and the other men would shepherd the old men and women and equipment. Jaffith was steady and kind.

Reluctantly, Noesh put T’ajar into her middle son’s care.

“Stay with Ajalon, my dear. He will need your assistance with the women and children.” 

She nodded calmly, “And you?” 

“I will go ahead with my men and see if the path is clear.” 

She reached forward and hugged him hard. She knew he took the most dangerous task. For all that he was of great age, Noesh was as fit and hardy as any man. His eyesight was still keen and his hearing undimmed. She smiled at him with pride.

“Go, my love,” she said, “and we shall meet you there.” 

He straightened under the obvious warmth and confidence in her eyes.

A loud explosion split the air. Every eye turned in stunned alarm. Far behind them, where their home lay hidden, a plume of thick, dark smoke climbed steeply up into the air.

“Ajalon!” Noesh called. 

He was at his side in a moment. 

“What do you think?” 

Noesh watched the keen, intelligent face turned toward the billowing column. Ajalon stared for a moment.

“Something has torn up Tetrahin, or someone. I had heard rumours in Arca, that the army had the power to cause a building to disintegrate in a cloud of dust.”

“Mmmm,” his father responded absently and Ajalon waited. 

“I’d say it is the Fallen One,” Noesh said at last.

He spun around, then paused and turned back to his son.

“He won’t find all of Tetrahin, son, her tunnels run deep. Our most precious secrets will remain hidden,” a bitter smile curled his lips, “and they don’t have the power to destroy entire buildings…yet.” 

His gaze was enigmatic, enough to make Ajalon pause and realise that the depths of his father’s intelligence eclipsed his own.

Noesh became aware of weeping sounds all around him. With a start he realised that the women were crying for their home. Sorrow tinged his heart again.

“Father,” Ajalon’s voice was terse, his hand gripped his father’s arm. He nodded toward the trees and pointed, “someone approaches.”

Noesh swung about, squinting. An exclamation burst from his lips.

“It’s Reuben and Resus!” 

Two mounted figures emerged from the forest, leading a horse behind them. It’s saddle was empty.

“But no Amis.” 

The men swung from the saddle and surged forward to Noesh.

“My lord,” they bowed, “did young Amis find you?” 

Noesh shook his head, mystified.

Reuben was grave, “He entered Tetrahin by a secret way. He said you showed it to him.” 

He looked at Noesh for affirmation and the old man nodded again.

“When?” 

“We saw the battle. Many wild creatures emerged from the forest and almost wiped Altor out. We saw Sem and Sambeth flying.” 

Reuben swallowed, the memory of that vision too difficult to retell.

“On a shimerith?” Ajalon leaned forward, his tone anxious. 

Reuben looked from Ajalon to Noesh straitly.

“They were on a flying beast, my lord. They were fine until the Fallen One attacked them.” 

Noesh swayed. He stood, tense and pale, supported by Ajalon as Reuben told of the great feats he witnessed in the sky.

Reuben looked at Resus, who nodded. Reuben turned his head and resolutely fastened his eyes on Noesh.

“There is still more, lord, and it sounds impossible.”

“Go on,” Noesh ordered.

“We saw Altor and his war band heading straight for Tetrahin. We were helpless to do anything to stop them. Then we felt a ripple, a something I cannot describe, like a wash of air passing through the forest and over us and that’s when they appeared on all sides, out of nowhere.”

“Who?” Noesh was hoarse.

“The animals, lord. All manner of beasts, great and small. They threw themselves upon Altor’s men until it seemed the Earthborn would be torn to pieces. Just as suddenly, the animals froze and melted back into the forest.”

Reuben looked down and kicked a tuft of grass. His eyes flickered away from Noesh and colour surged in his cheeks.

Noesh put his hand to his chest and closed his eyes. 

“Thank the Other. He bought us time,” he breathed out a long, shaky gust of air. 

“You believe us, lord?” Reuben’s mouth hung open but he looked relieved.

Noesh gave a short nod, his mind already racing ahead to other things, “What about Proximus?”

Reuben shook his head, “I don’t know. He was wounded by Sem and suffered the flame of the shimerith but he was whole. One moment he hung in the sky, the next he was gone.”

“Ehyeh preserve us,” Noesh whispered, “Proximus will be hot after us. We must move!”

Reuben nodded and saluted before he raced away to help Jaffith.

“Amis must have entered Tetrahin and met Rija,” Ajalon spoke in his father’s ear. 

“Unless they were both captured,” Noesh replied, his eye dropping on Jaffith talking to his mother.

“Say nothing, father, until we know for sure,” Ajalon’s dark face was serious and Noesh found himself agreeing. 

“We must take the people to Aresisia and pray Sem finds us along the way.”

It was Ajalon’s turn to look thoughtful, “And if he shows up with that Earthborn girl, what will you do?”

“I will beg her forgiveness for our treatment of her and inquire of the Other what His plans are for her.”

Ajalon frowned but he took a deep breath and gazed at his father with sincerity in his eyes, “Very well, father. This time I will listen to you.”

RISE of the EARTHBORN (Chapter Twenty-Five)

Far Away From Here

Take your journey into the wilderness

Deuteronomy 8:40

“Which way is Aresisia?” Sambeth called over her shoulder. 

The sun was rising higher in the sky now. The air was dense and rich. The light shone pinkish across the sky. Sem glanced at the sun and twisted back to look at the direction of Tetrahin, falling further and further behind them. 

“Look!” Sambeth cried. 

Sem followed the direction of her arm and spotted a familiar greyish-brindle shape slipping through the trees and out into an open stretch. 

“Agnor!” 

Sambeth flinched at the loud bellow blasting next to her ear but she saw the dog start and look around. 

“Can we–?” Sem began.

“Yes,” she answered. 

Without prompting, Pip slowed drastically and slipped down low to skim slowly across the ground. Sem called out again to the giant hound. Agnor saw his beloved master and stopped, peering uncertainly but he trusted Sem and held his ground.

As the shimerith passed Sem called, “Now Agnor.” 

The dog raced and sprang as Sem leaned far over. He hooked an arm around the dog’s neck and drew his head up on his lap at the same time he swung Agnor’s body behind him. There he was, in one neat move, sitting behind Sem with his head still tucked under his master’s arm.

The shimerith climbed steeply, levelling off as he surpassed the tree tops. Sambeth was concentrating on keeping a tight grip.

“Did you get him?” she called back.

She heard Sem say yes but she couldn’t quite believe it until she looked around and saw for herself. 

There that dog lay, leaning in tightly, curving around his master’s back, head poking through the crook of his arm. Her eyes met Sem’s, eyebrows raised. 

“How did you do that?”  

“He often leaps up behind me on the horse,” Sem explained, “he’s done it ever since he was a young pup and got tired on the hunt. We can even gallop like this.”  

She turned back around and leaned over Pip’s shoulder, laying along the long neck, “Fly, Pip. Fly. Take us far from here. Proximus is out there somewhere and he’ll be back.”

RISE of the EARTHBORN (Chapter Twenty-Four)

Rija & Amis

The day of their calamity is at hand.

Deuteronomy 32:35

Rija watched Noesh giving his orders with calm efficiency. 

I wonder what he is going to do about Sem. 

Looking at him, so smoothly organising the evacuation of an entire people, she could believe his missing son was the furthest thing from his mind. He turned his face and his deep set eyes caught hers. For a second, she saw it, raw emotion held back by an iron will. His mouth hardened and once more he was the superb leader, saving them all.  

‘Please let Sem have found her,‘ she prayed silently. 

Sambeth was out there, alone in the forest, unless Sem had caught up with her and who knew if he had or not?

‘I will not leave,’ she told herself but simultaneously she acknowledged that it was a stupid and reckless idea.  

The Noeshiri were leaving, Altor would probably find Tetrahin and if she remained she would be captured.  She wondered if she should allow herself to be captured so these people could get away safely.  An image of Altor, tearing those innocent girls to pieces, rose before her. No! She could not become the woman of a monster like him.

“I’ll quickly fetch some items from my chamber,” she called to T’ajar. 

The woman nodded distractedly and turned to leave, Noesh by her side. 

A hand fell on her arm. It was Jaffith.

“Rija, be quick, don’t delay,” he said, his breath warm and sweet on her face. 

She stared back into his concerned eyes, conflicted by the urge to go with him and the need to stay at Tetrahin for Sambeth.

“Okay,” she agreed, “I’ll hurry.”

She would leave with the people but she would look for a way to find Sambeth, she swore silently.

Ajalon stood by the open doorway.

“Don’t be long, Princess,” he mocked, “Noesh has ordered us all to leave and I’m to throw you over my shoulder if you refuse.” 

Rija gave him a flat, disdainful look and slid out the door.

She hurried down the deserted corridors.  She must change her clothes, pack a bag and get her knife. The chamber felt eerily empty. A quick search told her what she already suspected, Sambeth had put all her survival gear in the pack that Rija glimpsed under her chair. 

She had planned to go Outside. Rija swallowed, feeling the sting of tears at the back of her eyes. Had Sambeth planned a solitary walk or had she planned to leave without her?

Rija shook her head.

‘Get a hold of yourself,’ she told herself sternly, ‘and have a little faith in your friend.’ 

In moments she was dressed in forest gear and had everything she needed stowed in her own pack.

“Come on, Rija. Hurry,” she whispered and flung out of the chamber letting the heavy door fall shut by itself. 

From the shadows, a dark figure stepped out and stood in front of her. She let out a small exclamation of fright, straining to see the face looming above her. He bent down a little.

“It’s me, Rija,”  Amis said quietly.

“Amis!” she exclaimed, “How did you get into Tetrahin – without the war band seeing you?” 

A sudden hope rose. If Amis slipped in past them, maybe Sambeth could too.

“There is a way into Tetrahin that not many know about.”

“We got your message, Amis,” she searched his face carefully, “and everyone is leaving, “Quick, we must get back to the others.”

“Yes,” he said urgently, “I need to tell Noesh something very important.” 

A quiet feeling of alarm tickled at the back of her mind. She studied him consideringly. She didn’t know if he had betrayed Tetrahin or if he was, as he claimed in his message, innocent.

“What is it?” she asked.

Her stomach tightened in a coil of alarm. A dark thread of suspicion rose in her mind.

His face set as he recognised her train of thoughts and darkened in anger. It would always be like this. The poison dropped by his mother would remain, clouding his reputation and standing amongst the Noeshiri.

“Rija, I saw the war band. It’s close and I also saw Sem and Sambeth.” 

He bent down closer so that Rija could see his eyes. They were earnest.

“They were riding the shimerith.”

He ran a hand through his hair distractedly, a move like that of Sem. She remembered they were close, like brothers.

She gasped as the full import of his words hit her.

“You mean they were together?” 

He nodded.

Rija’s heart pounded. Sambeth was alive and she wasn’t alone. If Sem was with her then most likely she hadn’t intended to leave Tetrahin for good. Rija was filled with renewed determination.  There was something about Sambeth. She had a superstitious feeling that as long as she stayed with her the Earthborn Altor would always be defeated. 

Amis was speaking, “The shimerith flew off with them in the wrong direction, not the way to Aresisia. I must speak to Noesh, to tell him this and work out a plan to catch up with them.”

“You mean Sambeth’s shimerith was flying in the wrong direction?” she said slowly. He nodded and she continued, “but perhaps they simply veered back around, corrected course and will meet us at the Cave.”

Amis began to turn away, shaking his head.

“That’s not an assumption I’m prepared to take. That shimerith could have taken them anywhere. I have to try and find him.”

She believed him. She watched as his strides lengthened and realised she was still rooted to the spot. She hurried after him.

“How will you find them?” she called.  

“I’ll find a way,” he said over his shoulder.

Weaving through the corridors, she had to half run to keep up with his swift pace. They were almost back to the others when they reached a closed door.  Amis pulled up sharp and tugged at the handle. Puffing slightly she stepped up beside him, wondering why he had stopped. He rattled the door handle again, twisting it roughly. An exclamation in frustration slammed balled up fists against the heavy wood. Her mouth dropped open as she saw the evidence with her own eyes.

The door was not going to open.  Jared and his men had already sealed it fast.   She and Amis were trapped on the wrong side.  

“No!” Amis shouted, “This can’t be happening.” 

He kicked the door savagely and tugged at the knob again. 

“Ugggghhh!” he kicked the door again.

Leaning his back against it he drove both hands into his hair and slid to a sitting position on the ground. His breath rasped deep in his throat. Tight-lipped, he remained still, deep in thought.

“Well, we are totally stuffed now,” he said finally and climbed to his feet.

“They didn’t wait for me,” she said in disbelief, “Jaffith himself told me to hurry back before Jared sealed the doors.”

“Then he’s going to be extremely upset,” Amis grinned, casting her a knowing glance. “I’d hate to be Commander Jared when Jaffith realises.”

Rija coloured and a pain in her chest settled and refused to shift. A surge of panic knifed through her.

“What will we do now?” she said, a picture of Altor’s beautiful, cruel face appearing in her mind’s eye. 

He was close now. He would find Tetrahin and then he would find her. Her breathing became ragged and she dropped into a defensive crouch unknowingly.

“Hey!” Amis whispered softly, “We’ll try the way I came in.” 

Rija remained still, so he stepped forward and shook her arm lightly.

“Come on, Rija! This way.” 

Slowly she straightened up. Amis gestured for her to follow him.

“Let’s go,” he said briskly, “I’ve got to keep you safe. I don’t want to face an angry Jaffith either.” 

His attempt at humour fell flat.

“Amis,” she said quietly and he stopped, “will we be able to rejoin the others?” 

He looked down at her sombrely, a crease between his brows. She noticed his jaw clenching and unclenching. 

“Will we?” she persisted.

He shook his head. 

“The others are heading down a tunnel leading to a cave many miles away.  Our way out is going to put us on the other side of Tetrahin, with that army in between us and the way to the cave.”

“So, we’ll either get caught or lead the war band right to the people?”

He nodded. 

“Well, we are stuffed then,” she said with uncharacteristic coarseness. 

She sucked in a deep breath and brushed the hair back from her face in a quick gesture.

“What’s the plan, then?”

Amis tapped his fingers absently against his thigh and made a quick decision.

“We’ll travel through the forest, the long way around. It will take us longer to reach Tabun’s Cave but it may also take us across Sem and Sambeth’s path.”

A thunderous explosion sounded. It shook the air around them.  

“Looks like the enemy has found the front door,” he said, “let’s go.” 

He set off at a run. Rija followed him through low doorways and around narrow passages. Finally, he stopped in front of a floor to ceiling cupboard set back in the rock of the wall.

To Rija’s surprise, he pulled the cupboard door open. It was deep and it was empty.

“In here.” 

Gingerly, she followed him inside. The cupboard was a big one. She and Amis fit comfortably.

He leaned past her and shut the door. The blackness was complete.  A small light flickered and Amis set a flame at the top of a small torch. At the back of the cupboard, he poked one long finger into a jagged knot in the wood and pressed. Rija heard a click and the wooden panel swung ajar. In front of Amis, a black tunnel yawned. 

He took her arm and pulled her through. 

“Here, hold this,” he thrust the torch into her hand and pushed the wooden panel shut. 

He dropped a heavy bar across the door and then another.  Even if the back of the cupboard were tapped, no telltale echo would alert the invaders to the presence of a secret tunnel. 

“I can’t believe Noesh doesn’t know about this,” she said faintly.

“He does,” he replied and swooped the torch deftly out of her hand. 

He paused and shot her a significant glance.

“How do you think I know about it?”  

“Do Sem and the others know?”

“Only me.”

Without another word, he set off down the sloping tunnel leaving Rija to mull over a multitude of questions.  Why had Noesh showed him this tunnel and not his own sons?  

She shook her head to clear her thoughts. 

That Noesh, he was an enigma.

“Plans within plans,” she said aloud. 

Amis was too far ahead of her to hear.  Looking at his shadowy back, Rija couldn’t believe that again, she was walking into the dangers of the Forest with a virtual stranger. And Amis was either the saviour of the Noeshiri or a traitor to them all.

RISE of the EARTHBORN (Chapter Twenty-Three)

Altor

…they were the terror of the mighty in the land of the living (the Nephilim).

Ezekiel 32:27

Altor strode over the bloodstained field. A deathly hush hung over the broken and battered bodies strewn about. 

‘Cark…cark..caaaaark…’a solitary crow hopped nearby. 

Altor snarled at it, daring it to come closer. The crow hopped closer again. It cocked its jet black head to one side and fastened a shrewd, milky eye on Altor. 

I’m not afraid of you, it seemed to say. 

Altor’s expression changed. A frisson, like a chill, started at the nape of his neck, tingling down his spine. He did not recognise the sensation at first then it dawned on him. It was fear.

The animals had come, stealing through the forest on padded paws, others swung through the trees with fierce intent. The brush of heavy bodies made the wild jungle whisper and sigh. The birds cried in alarm and then in fury. The roar of lions and bears swelled, the scream of the mighty boar-like Atedin joined in and the ground shook with thunder of their feet. Without hesitation the animals threw themselves upon Altor and his men.

Altor’s army defended themselves with everything they had but no weapon or shield could withstand the forest creatures, maddened with an unearthly rage.

That crow knew, and so did Altor, that the attack of forest animals, great and small, had not been defeated on this battlefield. At the crescendo of the fight, every animal paused and lifted their heads high, listening. An unearthly voice, felt rather than heard, called them and in a moment all were gone, slipping away into the thick, fastness of the forest.

A handful of men were left standing, bewildered at the sudden disappearance of their foe and the strange quiet had fallen. Now only the crow stared out of his bold, beady eyes and Altor was discomfited.

“Aaargghhh!” 

A shout tore from his throat and he shook his massive head, sending the waving hair dancing over his shoulders. He lifted a fist and thrust it high in the air, staring up into the sky.

“You will not win!” 

The echoes screamed back at him, amplifying his voice as if mocking him. 

From all directions across the gruesome field a remnant of men streamed toward the towering Earth-Born. He was at his finest, gathering them in with a nod, a handshake, an acknowledging grunt. A gleam of pleasure lit his face when Ittai led his muscled horse to him and wordlessly handed him the reins. The magnificent black animal was miraculously unharmed.

“Follow me,” Altor was short and sharp, “we will go forward to find the fortress.” 

There was some protest but Altor would not have it. 

“We did not come thus far to turn back now. We have spilled our blood on the battlefield and lost our friends and brothers. To turn now dishonours both them and us.”

Ittai gazed at the bloodied, dirt stained faces around him. No one dared to nay say Altor, even now. They all knew that something other worldly had happened and had no clue what it was. Fear stalked every survivor. They were afraid of what lurked in the deep forest and afraid of Altor too.  Ittai felt pity for them. As second under Altor, he felt responsible for them and since most of this small band of survivors were of his own tough, hardy tribesmen, that feeling doubled.

Silently they all followed Altor up the rise and over. Curiously, it seemed as if a trail had been deliberately left for them. The trackers found the entrance easily although, without the deliberate trail, Ittai was doubtful if they could have uncovered the Fortress. It was cunningly embedded in the rocky hillside.

They stole along empty, echoing passages, investigating every room and corner, until they reached the heart of the fortress. Looking into a room, Altor came to a dead halt. Ittai saw the muscles in his back and shoulders bunch and stand out. Altor bounded into a stately room and yelped. It was a strange sound and brought Ittai to a wrenching halt.

There, lounging comfortably before a fireplace sat the arresting figure of Proximus. To say Altor was astonished was truly an understatement. He stared at his father and it was moments before he could speak. The pungent scent of burnt feathers filled the air.

“F…father.” 

He faltered, the passion and excitement coursing through his entire body along with the sudden shock caused him to stutter. 

“Altor,” Proximus said languidly, merely flicking a short glance at his son from the corners of his eyes. 

He returned to staring at a portrait on the wall, ignoring his third-born son. 

“I see you understood the trail I left for you and had the wits to follow it.”

“Father! How did you come here? Are you hurt? Where is she? Do you have her?” 

Altor plunged forward. He flung himself on one knee at his father’s side, gripping his hand and bringing to his lips. Proximus left it there a moment then deliberately disengaged. 

“Tsch, Altor,” he murmured. 

Curiously, the small sound brought colour surging to the smooth, arrogant cheek of the son. Altor leapt to his feet and stood straight, hands behind him. A short silence stretched between the father and son. 

“Father, I lost sight of you when the shimerith attacked. How did you come here? Were the rebels in situ when you arrived? Do you have her? 

Ittai hovering in the doorway signalled to his men to gather and wait. Who knew what poisonous and deadly men Proximus had posted throughout the rebel fortress.

Proximus sighed and turned his eyes upon Altor. 

“No, my son. They had made their escape before I penetrated the outer entrance to this fortress.”

“But how, Father, did you know where to find it?”

“A very useful spy,” Proximus drawled, “hell hath no fury like a vengeful, ambitious woman.” 

He laughed quietly and the sound echoed eerily.

“Father, what is this place?” Altor asked. 

Proximus looked briefly around the room and back at the portrait on the wall, tapping one hand on his thigh. He sighed and looked at his son.

“It belongs to someone I have wanted to find for a long time,” he pointed to the finely painted picture on the wall. 

A trick of the eyes made it seem that they followed the viewer around the room.

“Noesh,” he finished. 

Ittai, waiting at the door, gasped in shock. The name Noesh was familiar to him. It seemed that Altor had kept pertinent information from him. A cold feeling gripped the pit of his stomach and he was profoundly relieved that they had found no one at Tetrahin. 

Proximus swung around at the slight gasp and stared at Ittai, still standing guard at the door. With a wave of his hand he made it clear that Ittai was dismissed. Nodding, Ittai withdrew and started to pull the massive door shut. Altor’s men were to protect him but not from his father and they were never permitted to listen to the Fallen One’s plans.

Ittai hoped the Fallen One would give up and return to Arca. He shivered. If not, Noesh was in terrible danger and he, Ittai, would be caught up in the middle between a master he hated and a friend he would be ordered to kill. 

As the door settled into place he heard Proximus speak.

“I must leave you to chase after your beauty, Altor. To find Noesh, I must find the other girl. She will try to rejoin him. The sky trail of the shimerith is still fresh.”

RISE of the EARTHBORN (Chapter Twenty-Two)

The Enemy Comes

At the noise of the tumult the people shall flee.

Isaiah 33:3

T’ajar met Noesh at the door of the dining hall. 

“Thank goodness you’ve come!” she rushed unto his arms. 

She looked so stressed that he paused. Gripping her upper arms, he held her away searching her face.

“Sem told me about Sambeth’s dream and Ajalon’s gracious reception of it.”

She flipped her hand to the dining room behind her.

“It did sound overly dramatic,” she confessed, “I couldn’t help but agree with Ajalon.”

She was thrown when her husband failed to echo her sentiment. Dropping her arms, Noesh strode into the room, tension and displeasure radiating from him.

“Where is she?” he demanded, looking around at each startled face turned up to his. 

Rija and Jaffith looked as though they were doing their best to ignore the tense atmosphere. Ajalon had returned. He leaned back insouciantly in his chair, a half eaten stick of bread held in one hand.

He looked startled when Noesh stood in front of him, bristling.  He cleared his throat.

“Er…she left.” 

Noesh bent a stern eye on his middle son and let the silence draw out. Ajalon’s colour changed and he shifted uncomfortably under that piercing gaze.

“She left?” Noesh looked truly horrified. 

Nobody said a word. He glanced back down at Ajalon, who had at least shown enough grace to straighten in his seat.  

“You’ve certainly outdone yourself today, Ajalon,” he snapped, “go and find her. Bring her here. I want to hear – no, I need to hear everything she said.” 

All the assembled faces; Jaffith, Rija, Ajalon and T’ajar, looked stunned. Nobody stirred. 

“Move!” Noesh bellowed.  

Ajalon rose from his chair slowly, an odd look forming on his face. “Father, I–“

His father threw up a hand, cutting off Ajalon’s words.

“You went too far today,” he said with uncharacteristic coldness. 

Ajalon dropped his eyes, “I just–“

Noesh cut him off again.

“You’ve made it your business to be as obnoxious as possible to that girl ever since she arrived here.” 

Now they were all staring at Noesh open mouthed.

“…and I hope you haven’t endangered us all by not listening to her this morning.”

Ajalon held his father’s gaze steadily as he spoke. When he paused, Ajalon swung out of the room.

“I’ll go find her,” he said in a clipped voice.

Noesh gritted his teeth, the muscles in the jaw clenching as he watched his son leave the room. He swung around to Rija, Jaffith and T’ajar.

“Where is Sem?” he said, a sudden dread gripping him.

T’ajar and Jaffith exchanged puzzled glances.

“I thought he went to find you,” Jaffith said quietly and his mother nodded. 

“He did,” Noesh said, “I was finishing up something and he left. I thought he was coming back here.”

“Perhaps he saw Sambeth and is with her,” Rija said innocently, “she was pretty upset when she left.”

The expression of dismay on Noesh’s face was mirrored on T’ajar’s. Rija puzzled over it for a minute, then her eyes fell on Jaffith’s face. He was looking at his parents, a knowing expression on his face.

“I’ll go and find him,” he said, getting up off his chair with the easy, muscular grace of a panther. He gave them a slanting smile as he passed.

The minutes lengthened uncomfortably until a full half an hour passed.

 “Maybe I should return to our chamber. Perhaps Sambeth is there,” Rija suggested tentatively. 

She was seated, listening but not participating in the sporadic, stiff conversations between the pent-up husband and his puzzled wife. Noesh drummed his fingers on the table and from time to time rose to pace the room.

His brows twitched together when she spoke.

“No. Please stay,” he said, “they will return any moment and I think you should be here.” 

She nodded without saying anything else.

Into the silence came the sound of many feet approaching. Noesh and T’ajar rose to their feet and Rija found herself doing likewise. To their surprise it was Jared, Noesh’s steward, and several of his men. Jared ordered the men to wait in the corridor and stepped inside. Noesh, T’ajar and Rija were held riveted by his ashen face.

“My Lord Noesh,” he began in an unsteady voice. He paused as first Jaffith and a heartbeat later, Ajalon pushed through the door back into the room. 

“What is it?” Noesh demanded looking at Jared keenly. 

The man simply held out a tiny scroll, no bigger than his finger, “This just arrived by pigeon. You must read it immediately.”

Noesh took it from his fingers. He exclaimed as he spent a minute reading first one side of the missive and then the other. His eyes rested momentarily on T’ajar’s face. He turned back to the others.

“It is from Amis,” he said, breathing through pinched white nostrils, “they’ve betrayed us after all.”  

“What? Who?” Ajalon cried. 

He leaped forward and snatched the note from Noesh’s slackened grip. Jaffith leaned over his shoulder reading.

 “I can’t believe our aunt could be so wicked,” Jaffith said. 

“What is going on?” T’ajar demanded. 

Her husband put his arm around her shoulders.

“This note is from Amis. It seems that Rian, Norea’s henchman, has been talking to some important people in Arca.” 

T’ajar quivered but he went on.

“Altor knows the location of Tetrahin. He is coming.” 

His eyes fell on Rija sitting frozen, dark hair spilling across the front of her chest and fear leaping from her white face. Pity stirred in his breast. 

“He’s coming to get Rija.” 

Rija remained still, staring blindly but T’ajar trembled all over. Only the strong arm of her husband kept her from falling.

“How did she know?” she burst out, “How did Sambeth know?” 

Her voice dropped dramatically.

“Noesh, she came to the table speaking of warning dreams and other dangers. She said we all must leave Tetrahin.” 

T’ajar’s eyes filled with tears, “We didn’t listen to her!  And Ajalon was so unkind.”

She rounded on Ajalon and Jaffith.

“Did you find her? Did you find Sem?” 

Jaffith shook his head.

“That’s why I took so long,” he said seriously, “I looked everywhere I could think of but found no sign of  him.”

Ajalon remained quiet. Every eye focused on him. He shifted uncomfortably unwilling to meet anyone’s gaze.

“Well?” Noesh said quietly.

“Sambeth is not here,” he said.

“What do you mean, Ajalon?” 

His mother stepped forward putting a hand on his arm.

He looked down at her and answered a little roughly.

“She went Outside, mother. She went into the forest. Bethe saw her leaving and then Sem went after her.”  

Noesh turned grey and T’ajar’s face was filled with fear.

“You mean you drove her out there,” it was Rija. She faced Ajalon, in a tumult of fury, “You hard-hearted monster!” 

She stopped abruptly and turned away, a sudden thought stopping the hot words bubbling in her throat.  She glanced at Sambeth’s chair seeing in her mind’s eye Sambeth casually placing  her forest pack under it. Rija’s throat hurt as she swallowed. Sambeth had planned to leave.

“I didn’t mean for her to go off out there alone,” Ajalon spoke, a touch of defiance colouring his voice.

“I guess that’s exactly what you did,” she began untruthfully but pulled herself up.

T’ajar gasped, “They’re out there in the forest with our enemy approaching Tetrahin!” 

She turned to Noesh and hid her face against his shoulder.

“How can we warn them?” her voice was muffled and full of tears.

Noesh stared into the distance. A second warning. First from the Other then by Sambeth’s dream. A remarkable and curious girl, he thought. He castigated himself for not spending time with her.  

He had allowed his prejudice and fear to cloud his reason and block out the whispers of the Other.  He had known Sambeth’s coming was significant and a sign but she was a fugitive, hunted from Arca and almost certainly one of those cursed earthborn hybrids. His face was tight. Earthborns…they were dangerous, unpredictable creatures at best. His eyes fell on the faces of his sons, manly and attractive. He hadn’t wanted an abomination anywhere near them.

He became aware of T’ajar tugging at his sleeve and returned his gaze to her desperate face.

“What shall we do, my love?” she asked. 

“There is no question about it,” he said crisply, “our window of opportunity is here. We must leave at once.”  

T’ajar gasped, “Do you mean we must leave Tetrahin? Can we not defend it? What about your building materials…the boat–“

“No my dear,” he replied gently, “you see, I too, had troubled dreams last night and an urgent warning from the Other. Proximus is coming.”

She looked at him forlornly but only for a moment. Her shoulders squared and she took a deep breath.

“Is it the Aresisia plan then?” 

He looked at her steadily.

“It is.”

Jared spoke from beside Noesh’s elbow.

“We can be ready to leave in one hour, my lord.” 

“Begin sealing the inner doors,” Noesh ordered and Jared strode away instructing men as he went.

Noesh spoke again, “Any sign of Sem?”

 The response was negative. Noesh clenched his jaw, a muscle twitched in his cheek.  There was no time to send out a party to look for him and the girl. He could only hope that they wouldn’t be surprised by Altor or Proximus and that Sem would remember the plan to flee to Aresisia.     

Jaffith and Ajalon approached their father. Noesh noted that Ajalon was having trouble meeting his gaze. Jaffith reached him first and they embraced.

 “Sem will be okay, Father,” he said as he stepped back. 

Ajalon also embraced him with a murmured, “Father.”

“Sons, we have no time to lose,” Noesh said. 

In the back of his mind he pondered how to relieve Ajalon. That boy had always required special handling. He would be loaded up to the eyeballs with guilt over his rough treatment of Sambeth, yet he would be as bristly as a porcupine at any suggestion he did wrong. He would be out of sorts until the matter was thoroughly thrashed out. 

This time Noesh would indulge him.

“What are you going to do about Sem?” he demanded, staring searchingly at Ajalon. 

Out of the corner of his eye he saw that Rija was watching them. Her normally calm face was angry and set giving her face a stern beauty. 

Jaffith shot a quick glance sideways at Ajalon, “We will go out and do a quick search for them.”

Jaffith always said the best things that he could about his two younger brothers, Noesh thought warmly. Unlike Ajalon. 

The lines in Noesh’s brow deepened. Seeing it, Ajalon took a deep breath.

“It is all my fault, Father,” he said, “Sambeth came to the breakfast table talking about warning dreams and that we all must leave Tetrahin at once. Well, it all sounded like such a lot of nonsense to me that I…well..I grilled her about it pretty fiercely. Sem was really mad at me for doing it. I guess he saw her going Out and went after her.” 

A stricken look came into Ajalon’s dark eyes and he continued, “They haven’t returned. What if…what will we do if they don’t come back soon and we have to leave without them?  It will be my fault.”

Ahhh, Ajalon, Noesh thought, just when he seemed beyond reprieve he would display an unexpected caring. His thought was interrupted by Rija.

“I will wait for them.” Her voice was quiet but it contained a touch of whiplash in it. They all jumped at its intensity. 

“We will wait as long as we can,” Noesh assured her, “but they may not be able to get past the invaders.”  

“Sambeth saved my life. She tried to warn you all, to save your lives. The least you can do is give her a chance,” Rija replied.

Noesh’s man came running into the room. 

“My lord, you must leave now!” he cried. 

He turned and ushered through two men half lifting, half dragging another man between them. Noesh recognised his fastest runner panting and heaving in between them. 

“What news?” 

They lifted the spent runner closer to Noesh. He tried to speak. 

“Give him some water,” Noesh ordered. 

Ajalon was there before he finished speaking, holding a glass to the man’s lips. The man drank deep and, struggling free from his helpers, drew his hair back from his face with a trembling hand. At last he spoke in a hoarse whisper.

“My lord, a war band approaches not more than two leagues hence. They seem to know exactly where we are. We must hurry.”

“Right, let’s go,” Noesh barked. 

He swept his wife out of the room and toward the secret exit. A hand caught heavily on his arm. Half turning he saw that it was Ajalon. 

“What is it?” he said impatiently.

“It’s Rija, Father. She refuses to leave.”

“Then compel her,” Noesh answered shortly. 

Ajalon nodded and swung around, not before Noesh observed the look in his eye. He will enjoy the compelling part, he thought ruefully. Ajalon was always the practical joker, the tease who enjoyed the uproar when he stirred things a little too far.

“What of the traitor – what of Amis?” T’ajar asked, raw pain tinging her voice, as they walked briskly. 

Noesh was quiet for a moment.

“He warned us, T’ajar. I sent some of my men after him as soon as Queen Norea sent him off to Arca. It was obvious that Norea had changed her heart toward us but I thought maybe, just maybe Amis might be caught up in something and not be able to extricate himself.”

“You think of everything,” she said admiration in her voice, “did he betray us too?” 

He gave her a rueful look and shook his head.

“I don’t know.”

“But Amis knows our emergency plan,” he added, “let’s hope he didn’t pass that on to Norea or Altor.”

T’ajar flinched but her face remained inscrutable. 

“Does he know how to get to Tabun’s Cave and to Aresisia?” 

“He does,” Noesh replied briefly, “and he has Reuben, our best forester, with him.” 

Noesh didn’t say anymore than that. If Reuben had survived the disastrous trip to Arca, then Amis would be alright. Reuben was one of Noesh’s most capable, trusted men and between he and Amis, there wasn’t much to know about getting out of tight corners and surviving in the forest.

As the people of Tetrahin fled down the long, dark tunnel, Noesh’s thoughts turned again to Sem. He was somewhere out there, in danger from an Earthborn psychopath and from its unearthly father – far from any help from the family. He felt something nudge him in the back of his leg. 

Looking down, he met a pair of big, brown eyes gazing at him speakingly. It was Agnor, the brindle hound of  Sem’s. He was looking at Noesh as if he were trying to tell him something. 

“Come on, boy,” he said. 

He slapped the side of his thigh, encouraging Agnor to move along with them. He followed and a few steps later he thrust his nose into the back of Noesh’s knee again. 

It was quite a clunk from that long, broad snout and it brought Noesh to a sudden stop. 

“Ouch, Agnor! he exclaimed, “What is it?” 

Again the hound fixed a penetrating stare upon him, gazing deeply into his eyes. A quick picture of a fluttering pigeon crossed Noesh’s mind and one of himself extracting a note from its strapped on vial. An idea began to form in his brain. He let out a brief, “hah!” and gave Agnor’s head a pleased pat.

“Good idea, boy.”

Minutes later he spotted Jaffith and called him to his side. 

“Run ahead with Agnor to the nearest exit. Set him loose and give him the command, ‘Seek! Find Sem.'”

He showed Jaffith the vial strapped on Agnor’s broad leather collar. The vial sat snugly at his throat concealed amongst the thick fur.  Understanding dawned in Jaffith’s eyes but Noesh drew a finger across his lips.

“Shhh. I don’t want to give your mother any false hope.” 

Jaffith nodded and disappeared ahead, Agnor running at his heels.

Noesh watched them go.

“Ehyeh be with you, Agnor,” he muttered in his beard. 

He hoped he would see him again with Sem, at Tabun’s Cave or ahead in Aresisia.

RISE of the EARTHBORN (Chapter Twenty-One)

Shaken But Alive

I have escaped by the skin of my teeth.

Job 19:20

For a long time Sambeth was too shocked to speak. 

“You escaped the Fallen One again,” Sem wrapped his arms tightly around her, “are you okay?”

“I think so.” 

She relived the moment when Proximus’s gaze drilled into her own, seeking and plumbing the depths of her soul. Was it her imagination, or did the cold angelic eyes search her face? Did he seek to find some resemblance to his own?

Her fingers were nerveless and her grip on Pip’s fur had loosened when the Fallen One tore her away. Guilt ripped through her. She hadn’t resisted him and Sem had made a foolish and dangerous leap to save her.

“I’m so sorry, Sem. I’m so, so sorry. I should have–“

“Stop,” he touched her lips briefly and his hand, warm with heat of human blood, blocked out the chill of the wind, “you couldn’t have done anything different, Sambeth.”

She nodded wordlessly and after a moment he loosened his grip but kept his arms firmly around her.

Pip was flying fast, the location of the fortress would be reached in moments. Her eyes searched the terrain.

“We get back into Tetrahin,” she called over her shoulder, “I’ve got to tell Rija. We must warn all of them.”

Sem was quiet, his brow knotted in a fierce frown. She was right but the enemy were too close. Sem placed a hand on her shoulder. It was heavy. Sambeth turned looking at him wide-eyed.

“We can’t,” he said simply. He saw the irises widen in the depth of those eyes as she searched his face.

“There’s no way we can get to Tetrahin safely now, Sambeth.” 

He was deep in thought, his face stricken and Sambeth panicked. 

“What do you mean?” she demanded, her voice high with alarm, “We’ve got to get to them before Altor gets there.”

“We can’t–” he began but she flung up a hand, silencing him with a gesture.

“We have to,” she insisted, a sob in her voice, “we can go by the secret entrance where you first brought Rija and me.” 

She had twisted right around, loosening her grip on Pip and clutching Sem’s sleeve. As Pip undulated and slipped through the air, only Sem’s grasp held her fast. He felt her panic and rising hysteria. 

“Sambeth, we can’t get in that way. The conflict is happening right at that very spot. The other entrances are too far away.” 

The light faded from her eyes. There was a look of disappointment in her gaze that bit deep. 

“I promised Rija we’d stick together. I can’t let Altor find her or the others. He will kill them all.” 

He looked her square in the eye.

“Don’t think I’ve abandoned them. I would never do that,” he said flatly, “you don’t know everything, Sambeth. We have contingency plans for a time such as this and I know them well.”

The sting in his voice caused colour to surge into her face. 

He ignored it and continued relentlessly.

“My father has Jaffith and Ajalon there. Those two will do everything in their power to help him get everyone out. They are most likely escaping down our most secret tunnel out of there.”

Sambeth shrank at the hard cutting edge in his voice and the angry glitter in his eyes.  She turned to face back the other way, her heart hammering. 

“But how will they know he’s coming?” 

Sem sighed heavily, “I’m sure that after your warning they would be on alert. ”  

Sambeth’s insides felt shrunken and heavy. Bereft. Gone was the amity they’d enjoyed before. She tightened her lips. That’s what you get for insulting someone’s loyalty to their family and their courage.  

She leaned forward.

“Keep flying, Pip!”

She felt the answering ripple that ran through his body. ‘Oh Rija,’ she thought desperately, I hope Altor doesn’t get you.’

Again Sem’s hand lifted to her shoulder. Half nervously she turned to meet his eyes. They were a shade rueful as he looked down at her.

“She will be alright, Sambeth,” his tone was serious, “we had an emergency plan in place if something like this should happen and you did warn them.  I didn’t tell you before but I spoke to my father before following you out of Tetrahin. He was much struck by your dreams.  I’m sure he acted upon them.”

“What do we do now?” 

“We have to go north to Aresisia. We have contacts in there. We must make every effort to meet my father and the people, either there or along the way.”

RISE of the EARTHBORN (Chapter Twenty)

What Amis Saw

I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came. 

Job 3:26

Unseen by the war band or the riders on the shimerith, Amis watched from among the trees.

“Sem,” Amis whispered to himself.

It was Sem on that creature.

In his mind’s eye he saw the plummeting figures of Sambeth and Rija hit the waters of the lagoon and replayed Sem’s efforts to revive the unconscious girl. A great fear rose in his chest. If Sem fell, there was no water beneath and no rescuers standing by. 

The men sidled beside him and looking up, gasped in a mixture of awe and dread.  All three pairs of eyes watched the Fallen One zero in on his prey.

“I can’t watch,” Amis said, his voice faint.

“You must,” Reuben was firm, “Noesh must hear it from you. Whatever the outcome.”

The shimerith swooped above them.

“He has her. Sem is falling.”

“Wait.” 

Droplets of sweat beaded on Amis’s forehead. He held himself utterly still, following the drama in the sky.

He tore his eyes away to examine the war band. They were led by an immense blond figure. It must be the Earthborn, Altor. He was on a great black beast and shouting loudly at the Fallen One hovering in the sky. Proximus could not hear his son’s warning. Altor gave a howl of rage when the knife flashed in Sem’s hand. When the shimerith attacked his father, he fell silent never taking his eyes off the sky.

“The Fallen One let them go,” Reuben said softly. He looked at Amis, his eyes alight, “can we still get into Tetrahin before that war band?” 

Amis turned from the scene of confused men in front of them. 

“There is one way,” he said, “known only to Noesh and I but we must hurry before Tetrahin is completely surrounded.” 

Reuben turned smouldering eyes on him, “It depends just how much that traitor, Rian, told them.” 

Amis said nothing. Rian was just a pawn in Queen Norea’s plot. He couldn’t bring himself to exonerate Rian to these men and implicate his own mother as a kin traitor. 

“Rian definitely doesn’t know about this entrance,” he was emphatic.

Amis scanned the sky again. That mighty creature had disappeared, carrying away Sambeth and Sem. He wondered where it was taking them. Now there was a war band, a giant Earthborn and a singed Fallen One to thwart if those at Tetrahin were to be saved.

With a final look over their shoulders, the three men turned their horses away and melted into the forest. 

RISE of the EARTHBORN (Chapter Nineteen)

Attack

My adversary sharpens his gaze on me

Job 16:9

Warm, golden pinkish sunlight washed over them. Below the forest stretched out blanketed in ethereal mists. Beautiful, old trees, thickly clad in knobbly bark and velvet mosses tangled with vines rushed past. Sem glimpsed mysterious valleys and hidden glens. On grassy knolls herds of wild horses and deer fled, startled at the flying shadow of the shimerith. Further along they spotted a lone, sword-beaked samata skimming along. The two humans held their breath but it took one look at Pip and changed course off to the north.

Sem tried to take it all in. The vast panorama below. The circle of the earth. The curving horizon. Cold air whipped his face. 

“Look!” 

He pointed to the enormous pale disk of the moon slipping away around the curve of the sky.  Strands of gold hair tickled his cheek and the warmth of the creature carrying them contrasted with the cool air whooshing past. It was a moment in time.

He bent his head close to Sambeth’s ear. Her scent was warm and clean.

“This is incredible!” he exulted. 

Her smile answered his. She nodded and pointed.

“Tetrahin is over there.” 

He followed the direction of her arm and spotted the stretch of rocky outcrops that marked the hidden fortress. Many, many leagues farther to the south lay Arca. Too far to be seen. He felt the muscles in the girl’s back stiffen. A rush of air whistled as she gasped? The shimerith flung its head up in response.

“What is it?” Sem shouted.

She pointed, her cheek white. Following the direction of her hand he spotted them slipping through the trees; six, seven perhaps eight riders. Pale upturned faces showed that they also had been seen.  

“Altor!” she cried, the streaming air ripping the words from her reddened lips. 

“And a war band.” 

He bent forward to peer through the trees.

They passed overhead too fast for the whistling arrows to reach them.  A rippling mass of birds rose up from the forest in a huge disturbance. A concerted roar floated through the air toward them. A golden outline appeared, crashing through the tree tops. It coalesced into solid form and Sambeth couldn’t stop the scream bursting from her mouth.

The Fallen One streaked toward them.

Sem’s hand gripped her shoulder, “What is it?” 

“Proximus! Heading this way,” she leaned forward, urging Pip to fly faster, “Hang on tight!” 

Pip banked steeply away and thrust mightily upward through the air. The broad wings stretched, tendons cracking. The unaccustomed extra weight on his back slowed his pick up speed. The Fallen One gained on them.

Pip climbed higher, gathering speed but the Fallen One had too much momentum.

“Here he comes,” Sem called, alarm roughening his voice. He was high in the air, unarmed with an implacable enemy bearing down on him.  

The Fallen One slammed into the shimerith’s side.  Pip faltered, dropping suddenly. The riders clung.  Proximus ignored Sem, grabbing at Sambeth. Sem flung up a hand against the fearsome buffeting of his wings. He groaned as his body took the main force of the jarring blows.

Through the tangle of golden feathers, Sem reached forward and snatched the knife from Sambeth’s belt just as Proximus gained his hold and plucked her from the shimerith’s back.

“Pip! Sem!” she cried as the Fallen One dropped away.  

Taking a deep breath, Sem leaped. Fortunately for him, Proximus wasn’t watching as a simple evasion would see Sem swirling through the air to plummet into the ground. It never occurred to the Fallen One that a human would act heroically.  For two sickening heartbeats, Sem was suspended between the wide sky and the bulk of earth below.  He landed on Proximus’ back with a thud. The angry roar of the shimerith boomed behind them. Sem could hear shouting from below.

The wings of the Fallen One snapped out either side of Sem, compensating for the sudden weight. The shimerith, way ahead, circled about and came straight for them. Sem lifted Sambeth’s knife and struck with all his might. 

Proximus stiffened and let out an echoing cry of rage and pain. He saw the shimerith coming and Sambeth slid from his arms. Sem heard her scream as she fell through the air. Pip roared again coming toward Proximus head on. Sem saw the smoke billow from his nostrils and leaped off the Fallen One in Sambeth’s direction. A jet of flame streaked toward the startled watcher, licking around the Fallen One and scorching Sem as he fell away. The smell of burnt human hair filled his nostrils. He realised it was his own. 

He rolled slowly over and over until he spread his arms, righting himself. Sambeth was below and to one side. Counting on the shimerith’s intelligence, Sem pinned his arms to his sides and manoeuvred toward the falling girl. The air whistled past his ears.

Above, the Fallen One hovered seemingly unscathed.

The shimerith gave one enormous crack of his wings, then tucked them into his sides and arrowed through the air toward Sambeth.

Sem could see the earth rushing up to them. It got closer and closer. He reached Sambeth and grasped her hand as Pip positioned himself to fly under them. In a cleverly executed whoosh he swooped under them with perfect timing.  Sem grasped the long fur and pressed Sambeth hard into the shimerith. Pip levelled out. He could feel the riders clinging to him and settled into smooth, even wing beats.

Filled with a deadly rage, Proximus watched them speeding away. He was scorched by the flames and he felt the pain of the deep knife wound in his back. He hung in the air, swiftly weighing up his options, trying to control the ravening desire to fly, fly, fly until he caught his prey and feasted on their flesh. He was too weak. He knew that. He took a shuddering breath and forced back the anger that clouded his thoughts. Finding Noesh was far more critical to his plans than catching that girl for Altor.

A faint smile stirred his icy lips. Perhaps it was true. She could be a daughter of his. Well, he would tell Altor it was up to him to finish this family feud himself.

He, Proximus, must find Noesh and destroy him before Noesh could fulfil the prophecy and end the reign of fallen angels on earth. He folded his wings and flashed back to his waiting son.

RISE of the EARTHBORN (Chapter Eighteen)

Sem & Sambeth

Let us stand together.

Isaiah 50:8

When Sambeth stepped out, a thick moisture shrouded the forest. The sun, climbing higher, sent golden fingers shining through the silver mist. Every branch and leaf, every blade of tall grass glimmered with crystal droplets in a breathtaking display of nature’s glory.

Sambeth delighted in the hushed beauty around her. Rapidly, she scanned the forest. A gentle breeze brushed her cheek. It was heavy with floral scents and the fresh, earthy smell of the forest.  No danger here.  Birds twittered, fluttering here and there peacefully. There were no flocks screaming and shrieking a warning as they fled across the sky. Good. She started forward. She would find a quiet, safe spot to sit and soak up her surroundings. Maybe Pip would come.

She lifted a hand and pinched the bridge of her nose, easing the tension there. It hadn’t been an easy couple of days. She needed to think. She needed to plan. Rija wouldn’t let her go alone to Aresisia but Rija would be too vulnerable in that city. However, she, Sambeth, could not stay. Not with such hostility from Ajalon.  Not with the knowledge that Noesh and T’ajar couldn’t contemplate living with her kind. 

A slight noise, like a limb brushing carefully past a branch, sounded behind her. Her hand flew to her knife. She whirled around, knees bent, poised on the balls of her feet. 

Sem held up his hands with fingers spread wide.

“I’m unarmed,” he said with mock seriousness.

“What are you doing here?” she straightened slowly, tucking away her knife, “You scared me half to death.”

She peered past him, back the way he had come. There was no one there.

“I could ask the same thing of you,” he said and he wasn’t joking. Sambeth stood at a loss.

“Oh.”

 “Where are you going?” he asked with a funny look on his face. 

It dawned on Sambeth that he thought she was slipping out of Tetrahin and leaving.

She grimaced and rolled her eyes sideways, “Things got nasty after you went to fetch Noesh.  I needed some air.”

“I need to speak to you about something,” he said brushing an arm across his face, looking worried, “don’t trust that girl, Bethe. She is more Queen Norea’s than ours.”

“She indicated that she was more yours than anyone else’s,” Sambeth said without thinking. She coloured and bit her lip, “I’m sorry. That’s none of my business.”

He laughed. It was the first time she seen him laugh since he and Amis stood beside the lagoon and ushered them through the forest toward Tetrahin.

“Bethe and I?” 

He shook his head, still grinning.  

Sambeth was mesmerised. Sem looked like a different person from the grim man that stalked around Tetrahin.

“It’s just lucky that I caught a glimpse of you slinking away and followed,” he was serious again.

The responsibility he felt for her wellbeing was clearly genuine. A warmth stole into her heart. Another friend. He and Rija were the only people to show her the basic decency of kindness. Such a pity Ajalon had to be there, spoiling any chance she had to fit in.

Ajalon was so overtly hostile.  At mealtimes Sambeth felt his eyes upon her. When she looked up and caught his glance, his eyes burned, black and menacing, suspicious and probing trying to unveil the secrets of her soul. 

As for Rija and herself, their escape from Altor had bonded them.

Her thoughts returned to Sem standing in front of her and a sudden smile chased away the grave expression on her face. 

“Would you like to come further out in to the forest with me?” she said, “I may meet someone special.”

His face darkened in sudden suspicion, even horror and Sambeth shuddered at the play of expressions across his face. They so clearly demonstrated his inner thoughts. She threw up a hand almost as if warding off a blow. 

“Hey, I think you’d like to meet him.” 

She turned toward the forest. For a moment Sem’s expression remained troubled. Then his face cleared and he stepped forward to walk beside her.

“The shimerith?” 

He was reasonably quick, she acknowledged.  She liked that. 

Once they stepped into the forest proper, both concentrated on their surroundings. For Sem the forest this close to Tetrahin was a familiar place. Although most animals kept away from the area, caution was still necessary.  For Sambeth, habits kicked in. Her best times had been out here but to enjoy the forest one had to be sharp and alert all the time.  This was new country. She didn’t know its rhythms or the habits of its animal occupants.

Instinctively, she veered toward higher ground. Shimerith liked the sort of places where creatures of their bulk and weight could take off in flight. A high hill or large trees were their favourite places.

A sudden flapping sounded at their right. A small flock of five parrots took wing, shrieking through the thick foliage above. Sambeth scanned around them, looking for a potential threat. 

She glanced at Sem and frowned, “I guess we just proclaimed our presence to all.”

“We need to move more carefully,” he said shortly.  

He dropped back a pace to walk behind her. She could feel his eyes on her back, watching everything she did. Assessing how capable she was in the forest. The last time she had been out here with him she’d been barely upright.

He watched her for a moment. To him she looked awfully small and fragile to be stepping out into the savage forest. However her step was firm and sure. From experience, he knew her reflexes were catlike. 

A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth at the thought. She was dressed for foresting. Brown leather boots neatly encased her small feet. She wore dark leggings matched with a thigh-length, muted green tunic, topped with that strange, supple leather vest firmly belted at the waist. A soft leather pack bulged on her back. That long, blonde hair was wound up tightly and gathered up at the base of her small head, some of it falling down her back.  She was all business, he thought, almost ruefully. 

“You seem to know what you’re doing out here,” he said. 

She murmured a nothing reply and kept moving. The land was rising. They were getting high enough to be in shimerith territory.  Her thoughts were bent on finding Pip.

“Were you taught by Rija’s people?” he tried again.

“No,” she replied briefly, “it was my mother.”

“You speak of your mother, Sambeth. What about your father?”

“Officially, my father is the High Priest of the Asherah,” she gave him a reproachful look. 

“Oh,” he replied, feeling inane, “I assumed you were Rija’s companion.”

She gave him a mocking look, “Servant. That’s what you were thinking, weren’t you?”

Sem shuddered and she wondered why.

She stopped suddenly.

“Why did you do that?” she asked searching his face. 

She was higher on the slope than he and they were almost eye to eye.

“I guess it was the mention of the Asherah,” he said reluctantly, “as well as the thought of Proximus and then your dreams.”  

He turned troubled eyes to hers, “You’ve certainly got a lot on your shoulders.” 

Her sigh was from the depths of her bones.

“Yet I never asked for any of it, to have either of them, an Asherah or Fallen One,” she gave a hollow laugh, “a child would choose neither as their father.”

“Sadly, the choice is never theirs,” he said. 

Sambeth growled softly, heaviness engulfing her, “For some children it would have been better to never have been born.” 

She turned quickly to hide the quick sting of tears and resumed climbing. Although it wasn’t terribly steep, her breath quickly deepened. The short time in Tetrahin had seen her lose some hardiness.

Every so often she paused to let out a piercing, shrill whistle. It wasn’t very loud but carried a long way. She was warm and lightly perspiring when they reached the summit. It was a beautiful place. In front of them was a large, flat topped rock.  Scrambling up, she could see the country for miles around.

She sat down, legs dangling over the edge and Sem dropped down beside her. The rock was warm and smooth. The height, the panorama and beauty around her filled her senses. She breathed deep, stretching her arms and lifting her face to the sun. Sem looked around, a long knife across his legs, carefully scanning the countryside.

They remained unspeaking and waited. The treetops spread out before them like a bright green, undulating carpet. Birds of every colour swooped and darted from tree to tree and their calls set the forest buzzing. For the two sitting, straining to hear every predatory noise, it was a joyful, deafening cacophony of sound. Meanwhile, nothing substantial moved in the sky.

Sambeth glanced over at Sem. He’d given up watching the countryside, although the knife still rested on his lap. Instead, he had thrown himself down comfortably, soaking up the sun. A hint of irritation rose momentarily but she threw it off. He was the sensible one, taking a rare opportunity to enjoy being outside. He opened his eyes briefly and saw her glance.  One corner of his mouth lifted slightly. She looked at him, waiting for him to explain.

“What are you smiling at?” she asked eventually.

“Oh,” he replied airily, “I was just thinking.”

Curiosity roused, she turned her attention from her surroundings to focus on him properly.

“What were you thinking?” she prompted.

He half sat up on his elbows, long legs still stretched out lazily.

“I was thinking that usually I’d be out here on such a day with my ugly cousin, Amis.” 

He smiled again and lay back down, shooting her a wicked glance before closing his eyes. He settled himself comfortably before continuing. 

“Yet, here I am, out in the forest on a superb day, with a pretty girl on one hand and an adventure on the other.  Bliss!”

She realised with a shock that he was teasing her. She shot him a severe look, shook her head sternly and returned to scanning the horizon. However she caught a quiet smile curling on her lips. 

“You should be on the alert,” she admonished, “for predators.”

Where could Pip be, she wondered. Most times, when she sat quietly and wished for him, he appeared quite quickly. Shimerith had an uncanny ability and intelligence. She didn’t know how he knew when she was in the forest or how he located her she just knew that he did. Perhaps being in such different territory had confused him. Perhaps he had finally chosen to live exclusively with his wild brethren. Perhaps he was dead.

Then she heard a faint thrilling call. A shimerith call. It was soft and very close. A heavy rustling sounded in the massive trees behind the rock where she and Sem sat. She looked around and Sem sat up quickly.  At first glance, the huge trees behind them were empty. Sem saw the branches and leaves, with the glimpses of sky in between strangely shimmer. They blurred and seemed to go out of focus. He dug his knuckles into his eyes and squinted. Now he could make out a large shape. In an enormous tree behind them perched the massive bulk of a shimerith. Its famously reflective coat providing an clever camouflage in the foliage around it.

They had not seen him fly up or heard him glide in to land on the tree branch. Or heard any rustling of branches. A cold finger of fear prodded Sambeth’s heart. What other creature could have passed by close without her knowing? 

Pip shifted his weight on the massive bough beneath him. He eyed Sem suspiciously. 

“Hello Pip,” Sambeth called, gladness in her voice.

“Come down,” she coaxed, “this is Sem. He’s a friend.”

Pip cocked his wedge shaped head, poised on the supple length of the serpentine neck. His great, glittering eye turned first toward Sem, the nostrils flared and Sem braced involuntarily waiting for the flames to engulf him. The shimerith turned his head toward Sambeth. He softened as he gazed at his mistress. Without further attention to the stranger, he leaned forward and slipped through the air to the ground. With utmost care he folded his wings, settled his legs under him and stretched his head to Sambeth.

In a moment she had that fearsome head, with its fire-breathing nostrils in a close embrace. 

“My boy,” she crooned, “I’ve missed you.” 

She pulled back and they gazed at one another for some time. Sem stood and watched in utter amazement. Shimerith were terrible, vicious animals. They held a fearsome reputation among many fearsome creatures. They combined strength, speed, aerial manoeuvrability with fire-breathing and a wonderful intelligence. Sem had never heard of a tame one.

“He’s not tame,” Sambeth said and Sem jumped. Was she able to read thoughts? 

“He’s not tame,” she repeated, “he just loves me and allows me to ride on his back. I don’t own him. I don’t control his coming and going.”

“And when you’re on his back flying?”  

“He listens to me and goes where I ask, unless he has a better idea,” she smiled, “it’s happened before and he’s always right!”

She kept one arm curled around the shimerith’s neck as she talked to Sem. He could see the creature was listening to the sound of her voice. He heard a faint rumbling noise emanating from deep in the massive chest. Sambeth laughed. 

“He’s happy,” she said laying her head against his lowered neck, “he’s purring.” 

She straightened up and twitched her fingers beckoningly at Sem.

“Come on, let’s go.”

Sem stepped slowly. He wasn’t exactly scared but no one in their right mind would walk smash up to any strange animal let alone a lethal one. Sambeth was gazing into Pip’s eye again, talking to him. 

“Pip, let’s go for a ride! I want to bring my friend along. Is that okay?” 

She continued telling the animal that he, Sem, had saved her life and sheltered her. 

Was it his imagination or did the creature actually look at him consideringly and then with a much softer eye?

Sambeth made a running jump and, grabbing handfuls of thick, shaggy fur, scrambled up the shimerith’s side. She settled herself down in a dip just behind the shoulders, far above Sem’s head and looked down at him expectantly.

He wanted to live up to the look in her eyes.  Sem took a step toward the shimerith. His heart pounded in his chest. He fought to keep his breathing even. He took another careful step and tried to look confident. The shimerith’s nostrils quivered again. It lifted its head high to stare at him intently. Unnerved, Sem wondered if it could smell fear seeping out of the pores of his skin. Perhaps it could actually hear the thump of his heart.

“Come on,” Sambeth urged, reaching down a hand to him. 

Her eyes blazed in the small, thin face. Sem could see the crazy excitement gripping her. An answering thrill rose up in him, conquering the fear. He took a leap forward, grabbed her offered hand and swung up behind her.

A ripple went through the great beast under them. It crouched a little and the wings flicked out sideways bursting open like sails on a big ship. 

“Hang on,” Sambeth cried and he saw that her fingers were buried in the long fur.

He slung one arm around her waist and leaning forward grabbed a thick seal-brown tuft of shimerith fur, with the shimmering tips with his other hand.

Just in time. The shimerith bounded forward in a sudden leap. Air caught and lifted under the outspread wings and they were aloft. Sem gasped as the air tugged at his hair and cheeks. He was jerked backward then forward in time with the beating wings. The forest rushed up then fell away beneath him.