Blood Red Road

don’t feel nuthin.
    The wind moans among the red teeth of the Hoodoos.
    The sound of birds above me. I look up at the sky. The vultures is already startin to circle.
    Let’s git outta here, I says.

    As I ride up to the battlefield on Titan, they’re clearin up.
    I spot Lugh. He’s sittin on the ground a little ways off, lookin exhausted. When he sees me, he raises a hand. Jack an Ash is helpin out with a few injured Hawks. Luckily, it don’t look like nuthin too bad. But we lost two Hawks an one of the raiders. They’re bein tied onto the backs of their own horses to go back to Darktrees where they’ll be set on a funeral pyre.
    Emmi rides up on Hermes. She jumps down, goes runnin over to Lugh an throws herself into his arms.
    Everybody else is movin around, gatherin weapons an anythin else that might come in useful. Ike’s bendin over a dead Tonton, checkin to see what he’s got on him. Tommo’s standin beside, watchin him.
    A movement catches my eye. A Tonton. Lyin on the ground not far from Ike an Tommo. He’s raised hisself up on one elbow. He lifts his bolt shooter. Aims it.
    Ike! I scream.
    He straightens. He turns.
    I yank my crossbow around. Snatch a arrow. Load. Fire.
    It all happens at once. It all happens too fast. The Tonton shoots, jest as Tommo throws hisself at Ike. They both go down.
    My arrow hits the Tonton.
    Ike! I scream. Tommo! I gallop over an leap off. I’m there the same time as Jack.
    Tommo’s lyin on top of Ike. I haul him into my arms. He lays there, limp. His eyes is closed.
    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