Privateers in Exile (Privateer Tales Book 16) by Jamie McFarlane

Author:Jamie McFarlane [McFarlane, Jamie]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Tags: Science Fiction
Goodreads: 43039074
Publisher: Fickle Dragon Publishing LLC
Published: 2018-11-29T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 15

Energy Weapons and Crystal Grottoes

After a rapid exchange of words between Thabini and Nothando, we were off again. Apparently, Thabini had made the decision to leave the healer behind to tend to the dying Bongiwe. Having stopped for a few minutes made my knee feel even worse and I leaned heavily on Hambo. He made no complaints and oddly, always had a quick, reassuring smile when I looked at him. I found myself wondering if he'd volunteered for the duty or had been assigned.

Shuffling back through the underground passage, we exited the same way we'd entered. I'd counted roughly forty men and women in the large room where Bongiwe had been taken. It was the second such room I'd seen and I wondered how many other secret rooms they might have. While I had a limited grasp of the Scatter language, I was good at reading body language. I knew two things for sure about this group: each person knew what they were doing was dangerous and they all trusted Prince Thabini as their leader. Their faces showed determination, a trait I found common amongst humanoid species, especially when doing the right thing under difficult conditions.

The morning sun was still an hour off, but dawn was breaking as we exited onto the street. Across the canal, a few Scatters moved about. I held my breath as I waited to discover if they'd seen us. They were either the least observant people in existence or purposely ignored our presence. This idea was reinforced when Thabini let loose a loud whistle, that to me seemed to say – here we are, come and get us. Hambo grinned widely, observing my wide-eyed expression as I shuffled back into heavy shadow.

"Qinani," Hambo whispered, pointing low over the horizon.

I strained to see what he was pointing at and for a minute, I couldn't find anything. Hambo moved closer so I could more easily sight along his finger. It was then I saw the unmistakable silhouettes of giant golden eagles flying directly at us. Even though it was mostly dark, the great birds flew where the sky was the lightest, dragging with them the approaching dawn. They were magnificent. Having ridden one, I'd become a life-long fan and relished the idea of once again being allowed to ride. It almost made my broken ribs and twisted knee worthwhile. Almost.

A familiar whistling sound cut through the air just before the eagles landed on the stone railing that separated the canal waters from pedestrians. The birds were ridden by Scatters in the subtle uniforms all the riders wore. Dismounting, the three gathered around Thabini, who spoke quickly and with an authoritative yet friendly tone.

With little hesitation the three removed both their crystal lens goggles and dark, hooded cloaks. The largest in the group, a man significantly smaller than me, adjusted goggles on my face as Hambo helped me struggle into the cloak.

After one more quick exchange of words, I was led to the side of an eagle.

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