Blood Red Road

by Moira Young

  No! I sob, shakin him. No, Tommo!

  With a shudder, he comes to. His beautiful brown eyes stare up at me, dazed. I hug him to me, hold him tight to my chest.

  Jack’s rolled Ike over. He kneels beside him, feelin his neck. Dammit, Ike, he says softly. He looks at me an I know.

  Ike? says Tommo. Where’s Ike? I want Ike! I hold him even tighter as he tries to struggle free of me. I don’t want him to see. I don’t want him to know.

  I feel it the moment he spots Ike. His body stills. I let him go. He stands. He walks over to Ike, sits on the ground beside him an takes his hand. No, he says. Don’t leave me, Ike. Not you too. Great tears start to roll down his face. He rocks back an forth, pressin Ike’s hand to his heart. Sayin it over an over an over agin.

  Don’t leave me, don’t leave me, don’t leave me.

  We build a pyre in the middle of the battlefield. A fine one, fit fer a warrior. We lay Ike on it.

  Jack says a few words. Good words. About friendship. Other things too, but mainly friendship. Then him an me an Ash set the pyre alight.

  We stand in silence. All of us an all of the Free Hawks an all of the raiders from the western road. We watch while the flames lick up the wood, catch on his clothes an start to burn.

  Tommo’s by hisself, a little ways off. He won’t let nobody touch him. Won’t be comforted.

  Lugh puts his arm around Emmi. She cries.

  Fearless, kind, funny Ike. With his big laugh an big heart. I think of Molly Pratt, the most glorious creature that ever drew breath. She’ll still be waitin fer him. He wanted her to meet Tommo. He had a notion he might turn out to be a good family man.

  An I cry too.

  As we send Ike back to the stars.

  I shake his hand. Creed. Skinny, wild-haired, tattooed. Barefoot leader of the raiders from the western road. Maev’s new friends an allies.

  Thanks, I says. We couldn’t of done it without you.

  He sweeps me a deep bow an kisses my hand. It was fun, he says. He jumps onto his horse. Gives me a big, white-toothed grin. Lemme know the next time you wanna rumble, he says.

  He digs his heels in an, with a yip-yip-yip, him an his raiders go tearin off across the plain.

  Sure you won’t come with us? Maev says. We always got room fer one more.

  I’m sure, I says.

  It’s good of you to take the kid, she says. She looks over to where Tommo’s helpin Lugh git the horses ready to go.

  Jack says Ike would of wanted it that way. An he’ll be good company fer Emmi. Listen Maev, I says, I dunno how to thank you. None of us ’ud still be here if it warn’t fer you.

  I should of listened to Jack, she says. Come with you in the first place. But, like I said, better late than never. She swings herself onto her horse an nods at Nero. He’s perched on Emmi’s shoulder where she’s givin him a good beak rub.

  You should thank that bird of yours, she says. He’s quite somethin. If you ever git tired of him, I’d be happy to take him offa yer hands.

  I don’t think I will, I says. I turn to Ash. She smiles. I feel tears prick at my eyes. Ash, I says. I pull her into my arms an we hold each other tight. Thank you, I says.

  She don’t say nuthin. We stand there fer a moment. Then she steps away. Stay outta trouble, she says.

  I’ll do my best.

  Lugh gives her a boost an she swings up behind Maev. With them leavin three of their horses fer us, she’s hitchin a ride back to Darktrees.

  Lugh holds up his hand. Maev takes it. Thanks, he says. Fer this an … fer helpin Saba and Emmi. Maybe we’ll see you agin sometime.

  You never know, says Maev.

  They look at each other. My hand, she says. He’s still got hold of it. He lets it go slowly an steps back.

  G’bye, says Ash.

  See you around, says Maev. She wheels about an they gallop away to join the Free Hawks waitin fer her on the ridge. When they git to the top they pause to look down. Then Maev rears her horse in farewell an they’re gone.

  Lugh’s still starin after them. She’s quite the girl, I says. Don’t you think? Lugh?

  Huh?

  Maev, I says. Quite the girl.

  Oh, he says. Yeah. She seems nice. He sets about gittin the Hawk horses ready to go.

  Maev, nice? I mutter. Nice.

  So, says Lugh, where’re we headed?

  What about Crosscreek? I says. It’s so beautiful, Lugh, you wouldn’t believe it.

  No way. Lugh shakes his head. That’s goin backwards. Far’s I’m concerned, that’s in the past. We had enough of livin in the past with Pa. We gotta move on, right?

  Right, I says.

  I say we head out west, he says. To the Big Water. There’s rich land there. They say the air smells like honey.

  Who told you that? I says.

  He shrugs. I cain’t remember.

  I jest want us to be together, I says. Somewhere far away from here. Somewhere safe. The Big Water. I like the sound of that. Whaddya think, Em?

  Sounds good to me too, she says.

  Tommo? I says.

  He nods.

  Then west it is, says Lugh. No point in waitin. Let’s head out.

  Wait, I says, lookin around, where’s Jack got to? Anybody seen him?

  Tommo points. There! he says.

  Jack’s ridin away.

  Across the plain on his white horse. They’re headed east.

  Anger rips through me. Panic. Heats my blood. Oh no, you don’t, I says.

  I jump onto Hermes’ back, dig my heels into his sides an we take off like the wind. Nero streaks along above us.

  Saba! Emmi shouts. Tell him to come with us!

  I catch up with him jest after the Hoodoos. He turns when he hears us comin. Stops. Waits.

  I pull up in front of him an jump down. I go over an grab his horse’s bridle. The blood’s rushin in my ears, my breath’s comin short. My heart pounds in my chest. Git down, I says, glarin at him.

  Not if yer gonna kill me, he says.

  I said … git down!

  All right, all right, he says, swingin hisself off. There … I’m down.

  Nero caws as he settles on a nearby bush. I see you brought backup, says Jack.

  Whaddya think yer doin? I says. Runnin off like that. Sneakin off like a … like a … no g’bye, no see you later, no nuthin. Jest … gone.

  He frowns. I’m comin back, he says.

  I go still. I stare at him. What? I says.

  I’m comin back, he says. But I got some business to take care of first.

  Business, I says. What kinda business? I thought you was a thief.

  Oh! Charmin! I never said that. There’s … a couple of things I gotta do. An Ike’s got somebody waitin fer him. She’s bin waitin a long time. She needs to know what happened.

  You mean Molly, I says.

  You know about her.

  Ike told me.

  But after I see her, I’ll be comin back. That’s the plan.

  Because … because I saved yer life, I says. Three … no, two times. From the fire an then from the hellwurm. An yer the one that said it, when you save somebody’s life two times—

  It’s called the rule of three, he says, not the rule of two. I should know, I made it up.

  I knew it!

  Look, he says. Two times, three times … this ain’t about obligation. That ain’t why I’m comin back.

  It ain’t?

  No. It’s about you. You. He takes a couple of steps towards me.

  Yer in my blood, Saba, he says. Yer in my head. Yer in my breath, yer in my bones … gawd help me, yer everywhere. You have bin since the first moment I set eyes on you.

  My heart turns over. I don’t dare breathe. The heartstone’s burnin into my skin.

  I seem to remember, he says, that first time we met, you said … what was it you said to me?

  I said that … you ain’t my type, I says.

  Would that still be … yer opinion?

  I look at Jack. A
t his strange silver eyes that go from moonlight to granite in a instant, at his crooked nose, his top lip with the little dip in it. An I says, That would … not … still be my … opinion.

  He gives me his lopsided smile. C’mere, he says.

  No, I says. You c’mere.

  He steps in close. He smells of sage, summer skies an somethin that’s jest him. Jest Jack. Now what? he says.

  Now, I says, you kiss me.

  He wraps his arms around me an hauls me up tight aginst him. He kisses my lips, my eyes, my face, my lips. An I kiss him. I breathe him in like he’s air. Drink him in like he’s water.

  At last he pulls away, holds me at arm’s length. I gotta go, he says.

  You could go later, I says. We could go together when—

  No, he says. I gotta go now. He starts to walk backwards while he talks. He’s lookin at me all the time.

  But how’ll you find me? I says. We won’t be here. You don’t even know where we’re goin.

  Yer headed out west, he says, to the Big Water. They say the air smells like honey. He swings hisself onto his horse.

  Wait. Take this. I run over to him, fumblin fer the heartstone. He leans down. I put it over his head, around his neck.

  It … it’ll help you to find me, I says.

  I don’t need no stone to find you, he says. I’d find you anywhere. He kisses me agin. Till I’m dizzy. Till my legs go weak. Then, See you, he says.

  He tips his hat, wheels his horse around an trots away. As he goes, he starts to sing.

  Oh I’ve roved an I’ve rambled all o’er the wide world

  And kisses a-plenty I’ve tasted

  But it’s her wine-sweet lips that I’m still dreaming of

  O hard-hearted Annie, cruel Annie my love.

  Saba! It’s Lugh’s shout. Him an Emmi and Tommo ride to meet me.

  Are y’okay? says Lugh.

  I nod.

  Didn’t you ask him to stay? says Emmi.

  He had somewhere he needed to be, I says.

  I swing myself onto Hermes’ back. Nero flaps over to ride on my shoulder.

  Are we ever gonna see him agin? says Emmi.

  One day, I says.

  One day soon, says Tommo.

  I hope so, I says.

  We turn our horses’ heads to the west.

  Oh! I nearly fergot! Emmi pulls Lugh’s slingshot from her pocket an hands it to him. I bin keepin it fer you, she says.

  He reaches over an ruffs her hair. Thanks. I’ll teach you how to use it.

  You don’t need to, I says. She’s a good shot.

  Well, whaddya know? says Lugh. Guess I’ll hafta find somethin else to teach you, Em.

  Or maybe I’ll teach you somethin, says Emmi. You dunno everythin. You jest think you do.

  Lugh shakes his head. I definitely bin away too long, he says. I can see you need takin in hand, Emmi. Talkin to yer elders an betters that way …

  I drop back a bit. I listen while they chatter on an Lugh makes us laugh. He always does.

  We’re together agin.

  Lugh goes first, always first, an I follow on behind.

  An that’s fine.

  That’s right.

  That’s how it’s meant to be.

  Lugh turns around. Smiles.

  Hey, he says, what’re you doin back there? I ain’t got a clue where we’re goin. Git on up here an lead the way.

  So I do.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  This book would never have been written without Sophie McKenzie, Melanie Edge, Gaby Halberstam and Julie Mackenzie. To each of them, my ever grateful thanks.

  Thanks also to Julia Green, John McLay, Gill McLay, Lisa del Rosso and Roma Downey for their support and encouragement.

  Thanks to Gillie Russell and Marion Lloyd for their expert guidance.

  And special thanks to Elizabeth Hawkins, who showed the way.