First Queen of the Gryphons (Ishtar's Legacy Book 5)

by Lisa Blackwood

  He still did not like taking her into a fight…

  “We will fight,” he agreed at last. Eyes narrowing, he pinned his ears and added, “But we won’t fight alone.”

  Hillalum released a roar, followed by the deep, guttural speech of his kind.

  “What was that about?” Amata asked.

  “A king summoning his people to fight interlopers encroaching upon our territory.”

  ∞∞∞

  As Hillalum winged his way closer to the village, Amata glanced around, looking for the approach of other gryphons. She hoped they would be friendlier and more useful than the last group they’d encountered. If not, then she might find herself fighting both raiders and gryphons, and she wasn’t at all sure she could summon the amount of magic she’d need to win such a battle.

  Perhaps sensing her disquiet, Hillalum purred softly to her.

  “All will be well, my Blade. I know my people, and I know the gryphons in this area of the mountains. They are all mature pairs with a well-established hierarchy and have acknowledged my claim over them.”

  Hillalum’s ears perked and his neck feathers fluffed, reminding her of a lion’s mane. If she wasn’t mistaken, her gryphon king was excited at the prospect of going into battle with his gryphon kin at his side.

  “They will fight for us,” he continued. “Besides, the raiders have likely been tracking through the mated pairs’ territories. The gryphons will be more than happy to help repel them now that I’ve given them leave to attack humans.”

  As they drew nearer to the village, Amata spotted two pairs of gryphons approaching in the distance, coming from different directions.

  “How many can we expect?” she asked without taking her eyes off the newcomers.

  While she trusted Hillalum’s judgement, she still wouldn’t relax around other gryphons for a long time to come.

  “There are only four mated pairs living within range of my call, but a few of their adolescent young are likely on their way.”

  Amata's one brow arch nearly to her hairline. She remembered the stories the elders told around campfires, about how once, not so long ago, gryphons had hunted humans.

  “Have you explained the differences between raiders and villagers?”

  “They already know the differences. It’s why the village was allowed to establish here at all.”

  “Well, then. I guess that’s comforting.”

  Chapter 15

  Hillalum’s estimate of how many gryphons would show up was correct. And by the time the village came into view, ten gryphons flew in formation behind her gryphon partner, five per side. The sight of so many of the beasts in one spot would likely have terrified raiders and villagers alike had any of them looked up at the sky.

  Not that any of them would, Amata acknowledged. Both sides were too busy. The villagers were being dragged from their homes while the raiders pillaged.

  As she scanned the scene, Amata spotted the largest cluster of raiders fighting another group of armed men.

  “There,” she pointed to the spot. “Those are mercenaries in employ to a merchant’s caravan. If we take out the raiders clustered around them, they will be able to help dispatch the rest of the invaders.

  Hillalum nodded and then communicated her plan to his people in his language. After he was finished, he turned one dark eye toward her. “The two juveniles will dispatch any stray raiders attempting to escape back into the wild lands.”

  Amata nodded. It was probably wise to keep the younger gryphons out of the thick of the fighting. While they were as large as the adults, Hillalum had explained they weren’t as in control of their hunting instincts yet. Blood lust might overwhelm them, and he didn’t want any of the villagers getting hurt or killed by one of his people.

  When they were almost directly over the village, the two juveniles peeled off to circle the area, waiting until they were needed. Then Hillalum dived, the other gryphons following close on his tail.

  Amata drew her bow and released an arrow. It struck the target she’d picked, and the big, musclebound raider she’d pegged as the leader dropped dead before he even knew death was coming for him.

  The sudden death of their leader distracted the other raiders enough the mercenaries were able to gain ground. It wasn’t until gryphon wings blocked out the sun and cast the skirmish in shadow that fighters on both sides looked up.

  Glittering black talons were the last thing many of the raiders saw.

  The gryphons, who had been silent up until now, released blood-chilling screeches as they dragged the bodies of their raider victims back up into the sky. Below chaos broke loose, but Amata merely continued to target the enemy, taking out one after another with her arrows.

  The gryphons broke formation and began individual dives to pick off more of the enemy.

  By the time the gryphons swooped in for the third round of attacks, villagers and mercenaries began to understand they weren’t the beasts’ targets. As Amata had expected, the mercenaries gathered themselves and took advantage of the chaos created by the gryphons to cut down the startled raiders.

  Soon the raiders were on the run, realizing they had no chance against the gryphons.

  “Hold Tight!” Hillalum bellowed a moment before he dived sharply to the left.

  Only days of being on his back allowed her to keep her seat.

  But then Hillalum was on the ground placing himself between three raiders and one of the juvenile gryphons. It was the male with the reddish fur and dark brown feathers. He’d taken an injury to his wing, unable to get back into the air.

  Hillalum lunged forward to meet the raiders, slashing at them with his powerful front paws. He beat his wings, leaping into the air before dropping back down to attack again and again.

  Amata began to understand the pattern of his attacks and drew her sword; the bow useless in this type of battle. When a raider tried to circle her gryphon, she lashed out at the man, blocking the raider’s strike from landing a blow upon Hillalum.

  Her partner lunged forward and landed on two of his targets, ripping into them with beak and talons. In moments there was only the one enemy left, and he turned and ran, making for a narrow alley between two of the mudbrick houses.

  “Hold,” Amata ordered Hillalum.

  There was no way she was letting him run into such a narrow space where his movement would be so greatly hindered.

  “We can’t let even one of the raiders escape to carry news of our attack from this place,” Hillalum cautioned. “If the main force learns of it, we will lose the element of surprise and our mission will become even more dangerous.”

  Amata gave him a wolfish grin. “Who said anything about letting him escape?”

  Sheathing her sword, she switched back to the bow and nocked an arrow. As she watched the man run, she pushed aside any hesitancy about shooting him in the back. The blood of countless innocents covered his hands. If she let him escape, he’d only take more innocent lives.

  Bracing herself, she released the arrow and watched it fly, taking the man in the back. He crumpled forward into the dirt. He didn’t get up again.

  Looking around, she watched as the gryphons and mercenaries cut down the last of the invaders.

  Once the last raider fell, Hillalum called out to his people in their guttural language. The nine gryphons still in the air beat their wings harder. Climbing higher into the air, they soon broke formation and headed deeper into the mountains, returning to their home territories she realized.

  Her gaze turned back to where the juvenile male had been standing only a moment ago. But now he was bolting from the village, heading back toward the wild lands beyond.

  “Will he be alright?” she asked Hillalum.

  “Yes. He said his wing is only bruised. He'll be back in the air in a couple of days. Do not worry; he'll still be able to hunt while grounded.”

  Amata nodded and then looked back toward the village.

  Some of the villagers were gathering in the center s
quare, where they were bringing the injured to be seen by the healer. Others stood in tightly clustered groups, whispering amongst themselves. The surviving mercenaries were gathering around two men and a woman. Amata assumed one was the merchant, the others perhaps his wife and son.

  “I think we should go,” Amata said suddenly. They’d done what they’d set out to do, but Amata was no elder wise in the ways of statecraft. She didn’t want to stick around to explain the lofty plans of a goddess.

  “If that is your wish. I’m still flight worthy.”

  His words caught her attention. As she looked him over, Hillalum limped up to her and gently nuzzled her side. It wasn’t until that moment, when her blood had cooled enough after the battle, that she became aware of what her magic had likely been trying to tell her for some time.

  “You’re hurt! Why didn’t you say something sooner?”

  He shifted his shoulders in a gryphon equivalent of a shrug. “It is nothing.”

  “I smell blood. That’s not nothing.” She moved around him, blocking his head with her hand when he would have made to move with her. When she got to his right side, she spotted a bloody furrow running down the length of his front leg. “That. Is. Not. Nothing!”

  He huffed in humor. “It’s nothing more than a scratch. But if it will set you at ease, I'll allow you to tend my wounds, minor though they are."

  “Good. I’m going to bathe the wound and dress it with an herbal poultice. Then we’re staying until tomorrow, maybe the day after, to give you a chance to rest and heal.”

  Hillalum chuckled again. “Your eyes just flashed in a challenge. I should warn you that gryphons love to answer a good challenge.” He arched his neck and rubbed his head against her shoulder in affection. “However, I think I’m suddenly looking forward to being pampered by my fierce Blade.”

  She was sure if he'd been in his human form, he’d have been grinning. “Incorrigible male.”

  Hillalum’s response was cut off by motion back at the center of the village. The merchant accompanied by his mercenaries and the surviving village elders were approaching.

  “I can still fly away with you if you’d like,” Hillalum offered.

  It was tempting, but she would face down these people because her gryphon partner needed healing and rest, and this was likely the best place to find the supplies she would need.

  She placed a hand upon Hillalum’s shoulder and turned fully to face the approaching group.

  Chapter 16

  Hillalum stood silent and unmoving at Amata’s shoulder the entire time his Blade explained to the group of village elders and mercenaries why she’d come and who she served. He could have said it in a much more eloquent manner than his unschooled Blade, but there was still something very commanding about her presence that held the other humans in awe of her.

  And he thought it was more than just the fact she’d flown into the thick of battle on the back of a gryphon. Even when Amata wasn’t summoning the power of a goddess, there was still something of Ishtar in the way she stood strong and proud, her hand resting almost possessively on his shoulder.

  At last, she finished explaining the task set to them by Ishtar.

  Once she’d finished her tale, the elders and even the merchant bowed to Hillalum and his Blade. There was a chorus of ‘Ishtar is merciful' that lasted until he grew tired of the bowing and scraping. At which point, he gently nudged Amata forward, and she demanded a place where she could tend to his wounds.

  The village elders nearly tripped over each other with offers of hospitality. Though it was the merchant’s offer she accepted.

  ∞∞∞

  Once they were alone in the best room in the village tavern, Hillalum prowled around the area and found it was too small to satisfy a gryphon’s need for wide open spaces. But it was the best they would find here, so he settled down on the large bed.

  “Why did you take the merchant’s offer over that of the village elders?” he asked while she was still unpacking the supplies the merchant had obtained for her.

  “Because he is well off and can afford to be generous without having to worry about going hungry later.”

  Ah. That made sense.

  Soon Amata returned to his side with a bowl of steaming water and a rag. After a short pause, she climbed up on the bed. Soon she was gently cleaning away the dried blood matting his fur.

  “Once you’re healed, we have to continue our journey. We’ll need to keep ahead of the rumors,” Amata said as she bent over his injury. “That merchant was in awe of us for saving his life. And I think he’s doubly in awe of you, my King. I'm sure once he continues his journey, he'll carry the tale of the gryphons and the raiders far and wide.”

  “You are probably correct.” But it was difficult to summon the appropriate amount of concern when Amata’s gentle fingers were working through his fur. He loved her touch even in this task.

  All too soon she'd finished cleaning and dressing his wound. But she didn't move away from him like he'd thought she would. Instead, she unlaced her fur-lined vest and tossed it on a nearby chair. Then she wiggled out of the leather flight pants until she was only wearing the long cream-colored linen shirt that hung to midthigh.

  “Are you hungry?” she asked suddenly.

  For food? Because it wasn’t food he wanted.

  Aloud he said, “No.”

  “Good, because I’m tired from the last few days. We can eat later.”

  She crawled higher up the bed until she snuggled next to him. Then she wrapped an arm around as much of his large ribcage as she could manage. Her head came to rest on his uninjured foreleg.

  “Rest well, my Blade,” he whispered into her hair as he placed his injured leg over her upper body and tucked her closer to his belly.

  “You, too, my King,” she whispered softly and then soon drifted off to sleep.

  Touched by her absolute trust in him, Hillalum felt adoration for his Blade flow through his soul.

  With a happy little purr, he soon drifted off to sleep as well.

  ∞∞∞

  The sky outside the window was darkening, the stars just beginning to come out for the night when Hillalum woke. It took a moment for him to discover what had stirred him to consciousness when he still felt so relaxed and willing to sleep.

  Amata moaned softly, her body thrashing and twitching in a dream. Nuzzling her hair, he offered her what reassurances he could as he held her tight and crooned softly.

  When that didn’t work, he gently shook her, freeing her from the nightmare.

  Amata jerked awake, her eyes wide, the remnants of the nightmare still visible in her panicked gaze. As she blinked at him, two tracks of tears flowed down her face.

  “Hillalum?” she asked softly.

  “Yes.”

  “You’re here?”

  “Where else would I be?” he questioned gently.

  She sniffled and rubbed at her eyes. “Can’t believe I’m crying. I never cry. I thought… I dreamed you were dead.” Her voice cracked.

  “Dreams can seem very real,” he agreed with another gentle nuzzle.

  “Don’t ever die on me, you big brute!”

  She hugged him then. His female was fierce and strong.

  And he’d be lying to himself if he said he didn’t enjoy everything about this moment.

  She was beginning to see him as a partner. And perhaps more than a partner. He was coming to mean a great deal to her. His heart swelled with his love for her.

  She was everything he’d ever imagined.

  Thank you, Ishtar, he whispered in the depths of his mind. I am most pleased with your choice.

  After all, he’d already been more than half in love with Amata from watching her all these years, but now he could release the last little nagging bit of doubt that kept whispering that she would never accept him, that a human could never love a gryphon, not even one with the ability to shapeshift.

  Now he knew that doubt was ungrounded.

  Amata
was already starting to fall in love with him.

  Their mating, when it happened at last, would be glorious.

  Let it happen soon, Great Ishtar.

  Chapter 17

  Their third day of travel since the village was ending, and they still hadn’t found a good place to camp for the night, but the sun would soon slip behind the mountain peaks. Amata leaned forward and tapped Hillalum on his shoulder. The gryphon tilted his head enough to watch her with one large, dark eye.

  “We’re going to lose the light,” Amata shouted to be heard over the wind. “There isn’t time to find a better place to spend the night. We must sleep out in the open. Down in the valley will be better than exposed on the slope even if there are more predators along the river.”

  Hillalum nodded agreement. “There is a storm brewing. We’re about to get hit with a late-season snowstorm.”

  Great, Amata thought to herself. Just what she needed. The farther north they’d flown, the colder it had gotten. Just when her body had stopped aching from learning to ride a gryphon, she now had to battle the cold. It already felt like the chill had dug deep into her bones. And this far into raider territory, they couldn’t risk building a fire that might draw unwanted attention.

  Their plan required stealth to work. If they betrayed their location, they’d lose the element of surprise and then there would be no guarantee of success. A bone-deep chill was better than giving up the element of surprise.

  Hillalum swooped lower and soon followed the river. The banks to either side were blanketed in waist high grass. It would provide better cover than the barren slopes. Eventually, he came in for a landing where the river curved sharply. The grass here was the tallest of any in the valley. The place didn’t have much else going for it.

  But there was nowhere better. Amata dismounted and looked around. Even though there were no trees in the immediate area, other storms had carried debris and driftwood downstream to this shallower part of the river. The current had eventually forced the deadfall up onto this little sandy shore.