Chapter 21

The black ships sailed into Ratchet well into the afternoon. The sun was hot, but a cold fog seemed to travel with the two vessels. Ice tinkled off the rigging as the ragged sails were struck, folding like black wings. No hand touched the ropes, and no one stood at the helm, but the ships glided into port just the same.

"At last."

"It was indeed a long journey, Lord Darkhallow," said the necromancer, looking with misgiving at the dusty shore.

"I wasn't talking to you, Gen'dirhil," Darkhallow sighed, adjusting his grip on the hilt of his runeblade. Whitecleaver seemed to echo him, a faint hiss rising from the ornate steel. The blade was enormous, far too large for any conventional scabbard.

"Yes, Lord." The necromancer's voice cringed, though he did not do it physically. He was far smaller than Darkhallow, even discounting the death knight's bulky armor.

Undernourished peasant, Darkhallow thought. A faint mist rose in front of his eyes as the black metal of his breastplate steamed in the sun, rising and falling as he breathed. The hot breeze puffed at his white hair, blowing it back from his face.

"See that the footsoldiers don't attack anyone while we're in town," Lord Darkhallow said. "We have far to go, and little time."

"But Lord, they have not tasted fresh flesh in nearly - "

"So take the smallest ghoul and divide it," Darkhallow said. "There will be plenty of opportunity to feed and recruit once we're clear of Ratchet. See to it."

"Yes, Lord," Gen'dirhil said, and retreated gratefully toward the hold.

The runeblade whispered, many voices just beneath hearing. Darkhollow was never sure if anyone else could hear it. He was not about to ask his underlings, who were either petrified of him or likely to take it as a sign of familiarity.

"We have plenty of gold," he said to Whitecleaver. "That ought to make us more than welcome here, once the goblins realize we carry no plague. For now, at least. Perhaps we could purchase one or two slaves. Would you like that?"

The metal seemed to twist under his hands.

"I would, too," said Lord Darkhallow.

---

"So we're on our way again," Skrch said, shouting to be heard over the wind.

"Apparently so," Eyrilus said. They circled above the travel party, which now consisted of Felwyn Smallfinger and Lrfk, Dev Blackstare, and the warlock Shel'yin, who kept staring covertly at a point in the air behind Felwyn's shoulder. Viri Starwater must be somewhere nearby, but Skrch couldn't see her.

The five krrrahk bobbed and swung in wider circles, admiring their new finery and talking excitedly in the manner of adolescent girls everywhere. It was probably just as well that Skrch couldn't hear what they were currently talking about.

At least the Orcs seem to like them pretty well.

She hadn't gotten to talk to the Chieftain the way she'd hoped, because Felwyn had announced that she was needed back at the Undead camp. Maybe later on. He seems like a reasonable Orc. I'll bet we could work something out.

"Hey, Eyrilus," Skrch said.

"Yes, Skrch."

"You get a feeling we're being followed?"

"Yes," Eyrilus said. "I do."
"I think it's that Glaive Elf. I'll bet we wouldn't be able to see her. Think her and the Huntress are playing hide-and-sneak again?"

"I doubt it. If she does not want her presence known, she will not compromise her invisibility by taunting Huntress Starwater."

"I was meaning to ask you," Skrch started. Then a movement off to the North caught her eye. "Oh, scrrr-ahh..."

"What?"

"Look over there. No, that way," Skrch said. "If you don't look into the sun you can see her… Girls! Stay here and protect the Orcs and the Human, okay?" Skrch wheeled in the air and beat North. The crow pivoted with her, beating his smaller wings hard to keep up.

"Sure," Serrw called from behind her. "We like the Orcs."

"Oh, good," Skrch muttered. "And here I thought Orcs were reasonable people. Scrrr. Eyrilus, I hate to ask you, but..."

"I will watch your daughters," the crow said.

"I'm afraid that's not all," Skrch said. "I noticed you don't seem to like the Orcs much, but I want you to make sure they do right by my girls if I don't come back. Remind them that they owe us, if you've got to."

"I do not think they will forget," Eyrilus said. "They are an honorable people. Do you really think the situation is that serious?"

"Maybe, maybe not," Skrch said. "Thanks, Eyrilus. See you."

---

"Hey, where's she going?" Dev Blackstare said. Daysleeper whined as the wind blew toward them. I don't smell anything. She did see the herd of zhevras off in the distance, scattering as if a demon were at their heels.

The warlock Shel'yin raised his head, squinting. "There is another harpy," he said. "A very large one."

"Red feathers," Lrfk said calmly. She resettled herself on the staff's crossbar, folding her wings tightly. "Another queen."

"So why don't they go help Skrch?" Dev said, staring upward at the fledglings. "Why don't you?"

"Because mother is a queen, too," Lrfk said.

---

"Oh, great," Skrch said, her voice nearly lost in the rush of air. The other queen was big, her wingspan near twenty feet across. Her feather mane was dirty and unkempt, smears of dried blood and grease streaking her face. But under all that she's…

"How old are you?" Skrch shouted as she drew closer.

"Fourteen!" the other queen called back. "I'm Vinnr and I'm way bigger than you. You fly away now and I'll let you live and only eat your krrrahk."

Fourteen, Skrch thought. Gods.

"You're not even laying yet," Skrch said. "Go home and kill your sisters."

"Did that," said the new queen. "Need more space. You've got lots. Tell me your name so I can kill you."

"There's a reason why I've got a territory twenty miles wide," Skrch said. The other queen looked blank. "Don't be stupid!"

"You're the stupid one," the other harpy said. She turned and started to climb, the closest to straight up that raptor pinions can manage. Her tail feathers were ragged, bits of straw tangled in the plumes.

"I'm Skrch!" Skrch screamed after her. She turned to circle toward the ground as the other queen grabbed for altitude. "Well, she's obviously too dumb to live, so that's one comfort," Skrch said. She glanced upward as she pulled up a few feet above the bare dirt of the path. Vinnr was clearly visible, hovering far above. She's not even a hundred feet up. She must think she's going to smash me like a bug.

This suspicion was confirmed as the other queen adjusted her position, folded her wings, and dropped like a stone. Skrch waited. Vinnr shrieked piercingly as she drew closer, a sound so penetrating that Skrch was sure the Orcs must be able to hear it from half a mile away.

"The curse," she said to herself. "Acting like you feel."

Vinnr spread her talons. Skrch twisted her tail feathers and flapped her wings, driving herself hard to the left. There was a massive thud. A small cloud of dirty red feathers floated up, then subsided.

Skrch alighted carefully a few yards away. She waited a few moments before approaching the body. No harpy would be patient enough to fake it for long. She prodded an outstretched wing that lay bent at an unlikely angle. Nothing. Skrch pushed at a shoulder, rolling the wings off Vinnr's head. The other harpy's neck was intact, but her chest was odd-looking, gone concave as the impact stove in the bones.

Skrch heard a whirr of wings. She looked up to see Eyrilus turning into an Elf as he landed.

"How it usually happens," Skrch said. "Stabbed by her own ribs. See that more than you see a caved skull."

"This has happened before," Eyrilus said. Skrch braced one foot on Vinnr's body as she glanced at him.

"Every so often," she said. "Usually it's rogues and wind witches, you know, in a flock. Sisters who've managed to live with each other. It's always the biggest ones who try to power dive. They don't think." She spread her wing talons as she spoke. She was reaching forward when a purple hand locked around her wrist.

"What are you doing? Isn't it enough that she is dead?"

"Let go," Skrch said. "I owe it to her."

The Elf released her. Skrch leaned forward and made a neat cut. Blood welled around her talons. The body was still very warm, the muscles not yet cooled from the tremendous effort it had taken to force wings made for soaring into a sharp climb. Skrch tried not to think about livers as she dug the heart out of Vinnr's chest. It throbbed once as she tore it free, still trying to live. She set it carefully on the ground beside Vinnr's head. The young harpy's face looked puzzled, brows knit like she'd never quite figured it out.

"So long, Vinnr," Skrch said. She wiped her claws on the dead harpy's wing, then leaped into the air. It was a moment before she realized Eyrilus was not following. She turned back.

The Elf stood beside the dead queen, staring down at the body. Skrch watched as he leaned forward and closed the harpy's eyes. Then he turned and started to walk back toward the Orcs and the Human. He did not turn back into a crow. When Skrch's shadow passed over him, he did not look up.

Skrch turned to fly slowly back toward her children.

And here I was thinking I'd won. Stupid, stupid Skrch.