Chapter 12

The mood in the settlement was sombre as the populace went about their daily tasks while the huge ship loomed over them. Crewmen were working with the settlements carpenters to brace the ship, using logs that had been destined for the palisade, in an attempt to stop it from shifting and toppling over.

Chickens roamed the small gardens behind the houses, while dogs stood watch. Women tended the gardens or hung clothes on washing lines. The sound of a smith's hammer on metal floated above the general noise of a settlement at work.

Mud pulled at Erin's boots as she walked, and cats were everywhere, hunting birds or sunning themselves on the eaves of houses she passed.

Mary led the way towards the gap in the palisade where the fight had taken place the night previous, and as curious as Erin was about the creatures the soldiers had been fighting, she bit her tongue, sensing that her guide was in no mood to talk.

At the barricade, Lady Sarah stood, hands on hips as she oversaw the men dragging away great fearsome beasts. She gaped at them. Their long limbs ending in all too human-like hands tipped with claws. Their lupine faces reminded her of dogs.

Broad of shoulder and narrow of waist, the legs were short and bowed, ending in human-like feet. Their skin was rough, almost like scales, and a grey so dark it was almost black. Sightless eyes stared at her as one of the creatures was dragged away by two men, dark pits of absolute black that made her shiver.

"What are they?" she asked, without thinking, and looked guiltily at Mary, who shrugged.

"We don't know."

Sarah turned at their approach, smoothing her expression and managing a smile, though it was strained.

"Good morning, ladies." She waved at the men moving the beasts. "We shall be done here shortly."

She turned back to watching the men work, and Erin exchanged a brief look with Mary, who gave the smallest shrug of her shoulders and turned to look out through the gap in the palisade.

Sensing the smallest thawing in Mary's demeanour, Erin leaned in close, keeping her voice low as she cast anxious glances at the back of Lady Sarah.

"Will more of them attack?"

"Not for a few days," Mary replied without turning her head to look at Erin. "Usually come every four to six days."

Which was strange behaviour and something Erin had never heard of any creatures doing before. There had been plenty of tales of the Wall, and the islands that floated there filled with all manner of creatures from a thousand different realms, all thrown together and clustered on the edge of the void by the Shattering.

But she had never heard of the likes of these Shadowbeasts.

Despite their obvious weariness, the soldiers worked hard, hauling away the dead creatures. The men wore red coats facings on cuffs, lapels and collars in regimental colours, with brass buttons. Shirts of white linen with a high collar, and grey trousers with long black gaiters that covered the knee. 

A tall, black, cylindrical cap with a brass badge affixed to the front and a leather cross belt that held their bayonet and leather ammunition satchel at their hip. Each man bore a musket that they had set aside while they worked.

Many of them bore bandages covering minor wounds taken in the fight, and there was no laughter or banter as they worked, just the grim expressions of men who knew their fight was not done.

Erin shivered, seeing an acceptance of their fate in their expressions; a deep-seated knowledge that they would not win but they would fight on regardless.

"They look so sad," she murmured, and Mary turned to glance quizzically at her. She followed Erin's gaze to the soldiers and shrugged again.

"Every beast they kill will return, while their numbers only drop with each fight." Her voice was filled with bitterness. "This place is cursed, why would they know joy?"

A frown marred Erin's forehead as she took that in, wondering what Mary meant by that. How could they return? And if they did, that would explain the soldier's grim fatalism. They were fighting a battle they could never win as they saw their mates fall beside them.

"Enough, Mary," Lady Sarah said without looking around. "Go and help Josias. Inform him we shall be along shortly."

"Yes, milady," Mary said, offering a slight bow before turning and heading away without a backwards glance.

Erin watched her go and then went back to watching the soldiers. A barrel-chested man, head shaved bald, the only hair the thick mutton chops on either side of his face, approached. He saluted Lady Sarah, and stood to attention in front, and just to the left of her, as he waited for her response.

"At ease, sergeant."

"Yes, milady."

His stance didn't change, or at least Erin couldn't see it if it did.

"The dead?"

"Waiting at the Edge." He hesitated. "Will his lordship be attending?"

Sarah inclined her head. "He shall, as will I."

The sergeant's eyes flicked to Erin and then back to Lady Sarah. "The men will be heartened."

Lady Sarah's smile was sad, her eyes reflecting her sorrow. "The final tally?"

"Five dead, three will not be fit to fight for some time, and six wounded to the point of light duty only." Another hesitation, tongue darting out to lick his lips before he continued. "Two missing."

There was no immediate response other than a slight stiffening of her posture, and then Sarah inclined her head, acknowledging the words.

"Very well, sergeant. Once you have finished here, find Cartwright and have him finish this palisade."

"We've four days at least, milady." Sergeant Hayes glanced up at the large presence on the edge of the settlement. "There's a need to secure the ship first before it capsizes."

"It won't," Lady Sarah said firmly. "The sailors know what they are doing and will finish that themselves. I want this palisade finished. Do I make myself understood?"

Sergeant Hayes stiffened, eyes flashing, but snapped a smart salute. "Aye, milady."

Without another word, Lady Sarah turned away, dismissing the sergeant who went back to shouting at his men. She approached Erin and gathered her up with a glance, storming along through the mud-choked streets as Erin hurried along behind.

"Keep up, girl," Sarah snapped without looking back at the struggling Erin.

Easy for her to say, Erin thought. Yesterday's aches and pains were catching up with her and despite the hot breakfast, she found her energy flagging as she fought the thick mud. But, with the thought of seeing Brightcrest fixed firmly in her thoughts, she pushed on.

Soon they came to the Roost, a wide, round building of wood and stretched hide that formed a tall dome. There was a wide ramp leading up to an arched opening that had large leather flaps in place of a door.

Inside, the darkness was broken by the soft glow of lumina orbs sat in bronze sconces hanging from the wooden frame. Straw covered the floor, with two large piles at opposite sides of the chamber for the gryphons to sleep upon.

Bloody bones littered the floor, the remnants of the gryphon's breakfast, and leather harnesses and saddles hung from rails beside the entranceway. There was a strong odour to the place, not entirely unpleasant, but musky and almost overpowering.

A few grey feathers lay amongst the straw, fallen from the grey wings of the gryphon that Lady Sarah marched straight towards.

Smaller than Brightcrest, though not by much, still as large as any horse that Erin had seen. Her head was sharply defined, a raptor-like skull with keen, amber eyes and a hooked beak that could tear through flesh with ease. Tufts of feathers extended from the back of her heard, offering a slight resemblance to that of an eagle or a hawk.

The body was lion-like with thick, layered feathers that insulated the forequarters, providing natural armour, before transitioning into sleek, feline hindquarters.

Her wings were enormous, the span longer than Bright's by about a foot. They would be capable of rapid turns and powerful bursts of speed, when she beat them. Making her faster, perhaps, than Bright, which rankled at Erin for some reason she couldn't immediately understand.

The front limbs were raptor's talons, with curved, razor-sharp claws, while the hind legs were feline but elongated, with powerful haunches that allowed her to leap into flight. Her tail was long, whip-like, and tipped with a fan of stiff feather aiding her balance and mid-air manoeuvrability.

She was fearsome to look at, her colouring tending to grey, which was where she came by her name, while Bright's feathers were black, with a green shimmer as they caught the sunlight.

Lady Sarah stroked Grey's neck as Erin hurried over to where Bright lay curled upon his pillow of hay, wings folded and head lifting to watch her as she came. She didn't hesitate to approach, reaching out to run her hand across his beak as he pressed it towards her, chirping happily.

Mary stood stone-faced beside an older man, Josias. He scratched his stubbled chin and then ran his hand over his bald dome. The little hair he had, was greying, and circled his head, but had deserted the top.

"He likes you," Lady Sarah said, rubbing Grey's beak as her gryphon leaned her head against Sarah's chest, seeking affection. "That's good. The bond is strongest when there is love, rather than just respect."

Erin had no idea if that were true, and she was just happy that Bright seemed to share the affection she had for him. She smiled happily as she rubbed his beak, whispering soft words to him.

"You've flown already, but without saddle," Lady Sarah continued. "Which is good, for there is little time for training." She turned her head to look back at the handler. "Josias, the saddles, if you please."

"Yes, milady," Josias said, bobbing his head. He nudged Mary with his elbow and went for Grey's saddle.

With a sour look, Mary lifted a second saddle and threw it over her shoulder before heading over towards Erin. She flashed a glare at Erin when she reached for the saddle, and instead, lifted it onto Bright's back herself.

The saddle sat between Bright's wings, positioned over the feline portion of the back and extending slightly forward to allow for control over the forequarters. The seat was slightly elevated, to keep the rider clear of the powerful shoulder muscles during flight.

A wide strap, the width of Erin's hand, ran beneath the gryphon's chest with an articulated harness to prevent chafing during movement. The secondary strap was looser, crossing in front of the wings and ensuring the saddle stayed forward without impeding wing movement.

Hip anchor straps wrapped gently around the hindquarters, preventing the saddle from slipping backward, while a reinforced metal band sat across Bright's chest, distributing the weight evenly.

Bright accepted the saddle without complaint, the long months of training with it by Geoffrey having gotten him used to wearing one.

At an irritated gesture from Mary, Erin climbed up into the saddle. Unlike before, her legs sat in stirrups behind the wing joints, keeping them free of the powerful downstrokes that had so bruised her legs previously.

Her legs were slightly forward, as she sat, back straight. There was a raised pommel and cantle to prevent her from sliding forward or backwards, and a slim, leather harness attached that she could buckle around her waist to hold her in the saddle.

She gripped the reins in her hands and looked across to where Lady Sarah had mounted Greyquill.

"A short flight," Sarah said. "No need for vest or gloves, we'll do a quick circuit of the farms."

"Yes, milady," Josias said. He gestured for Mary and they both moved to the entranceway, each of them lifting one of the leather flaps to allow the gryphons exit.

Erin pressed her heels gently against Bright's side and he walked forward, following closely behind Greyquill. She ducked as they crossed through the entrance, and leaned back as he cantered down the ramp, his talons clicking against the wood.

She breathed deeply of the morning air, excitement hammering in her breast. She was about to fly again!

Lady Sarah, glanced back, a smile forming on her lips. She could see Erin's excitement, and she felt a touch of it herself. Even after years of flying, she got a thrill every time she took to the air.

"Stay close," she called. "Try not to fall."

With that, she leaned forward in the saddle and dug her heels against Grey's sides. The gryphon leapt into the air and Erin watched her, mouth hanging open.

Bright chirped, looking back over his shoulder at her, and she sensed his eagerness to be off. She grinned as she copied, Lady Sarah's movements. Bright bunched his legs, powerful muscles rippling beneath the soft fur.

Then he leapt, launching himself upwards as he spread his wings, beating them in powerful motions.

For a moment, the world spun, and then Erin laughed with delight, as the settlement fell away beneath her.