The Icefire Series 01-03 Omnibus by Patty Jansen

Author:Patty Jansen [Jansen, Patty]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Patty Jansen
Publisher: Capricornica Publications
Published: 2014-02-13T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 22

* * *

IT WAS A GLOOMY circle of faces that gathered in the wood when the sky began to darken. A cold breeze whistled through the pine trees, blowing any heat from the fitful fire away.

It was amazing how quickly Carro had become used to the mildness of the Chevakian climate. He liked it.

“I found this,” Jeito said, holding up a wet and bedraggled bird. It had the orange legs and white feathers of a southern gull, and the red paint on the beak to show that it was a bird belonging to the Eagle Knights. A baleful light blue eye blinked, but that was the only sign of life it displayed. “Found it flapping about in a puddle of mud next to the creek.”

Carro recognised it. This was the same bird they had released to fly to the City of Glass with messages for Rider Cornatan, and questions for instructions. They had been away for more than ten days now, and not one bird had reached them with further orders or updates on how the Knights coped with the Queen’s absence.

Jeito untied the note it had tied to its leg. It was the same note he had attached to the bird a few days ago, except now it was dirty and wet. He crumpled it in a white-knuckled hand, and let it fall in the grass.

“What has happened?” Farey asked, his face in expression of shock. “We’ve never had any birds fail to reach their destination.”

It was the first time Carro had seen Farey worried.

“Maybe the bird was blown off-course,” Carro said.

Jeito and Farey gave him dirty looks.

“A few options,” Jeito said, his voice low. “Either the bird fell ill, it got lost, or it somehow couldn’t reach the City of Glass. Apart from being wet, the bird looks healthy enough, so that leaves the other two.”

“I’m not liking either of those,” Farey said.

Carro struggled to make sense of it. The birds used icefire to navigate. They were much more sensitive to it than humans, and could detect it even in Chevakia. They always knew their way back to the City of Glass. It was where nature told them to go in summer, after having spent the winter on the Aranian shores.

“What could have happened?” Jeito asked.

Farey shrugged. “Bad weather?”

“Maybe,” Jeito said, but they all knew the underlying truth: bad weather of the type that disturbed animals’ navigation involved the release of icefire. Not only that, they had seen a flare.

“What do we do now?” Nolan asked.

“Stick to our orders,” said Farey. “Find the highest in command.”

“Go back to the City of Glass?” Carro asked. He didn’t want to go back to the City of Glass. He didn’t want to face his father, or any of the Knights, or, for that matter, Korinne.

Farey nodded, slowly.

* * *

The hunters packed up the camp at first light.

Carro was nervous, looking about him for an excuse so that they could stay.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.