Luck in the Shadows

Teukros screamed all the way to the bottom when they threw him off. Will you?"
    Beside him, Seregil heard Alec's tiny, choked groan. If surrender offered even the sliver of a chance—
    Leap, dear boys!
    NySander's shout jolted them both like a war cry, though it was obvious that no one else had heard.
    "My lady commands your surrender," Illester barked.
    "Did you hear?" hissed Seregil.
    "I can't!" Alec whispered back. He was white with fear, eyes wide in disbelief.
    "Enough of this," snarled Kassarie, eyeing them with growing suspicion.
    "You must!" Seregil pleaded, his own belly lurching at the idea.
    "No—"
    Seregil, Alec, leap! It must be now!
    "Seize them!" cried Kassarie. "Take them alive!"
    "Alec, go!"
    "I can't—"
    Now, Seregil, for the love of Illior!
    "Now!" yelled Seregil. Flinging his sword aside, he seized Alec around the waist and heaved him over the parapet. Trying not to hear the scream that fell away into the blackness, he vaulted after him and launched himself into the abyss. Kassarie's sardonic laugh lashed out after him.
    For a horrifying instant Seregil simply fell, eyes squeezed shut, the insubstantial wind beating up into his face.
    Then the magic struck.
    A swift, wrenching sensation shot through him, as if his soul were being pulled from his body. This was followed a splendid lightness, though he was still falling, dragged down by some entangling thing. Opening his eyes to, a wondrous blaze of stars, he struggled free of his tunic and flung out his…
    Wings.
    Lovely, powerful, striped wings that sliced into the air and found purchase there. Leveling out into a glide, he looked down with his new eyes and saw another bird floundering awkwardly up toward him, hooting wildly all the way. He wouldn't have thought it possible for an owl to look flabbergasted, but
    Alec did. Their empty clothes tumbled into the darkness as they winged up and over the keep.
    Kassarie had moved to the parapet overlooking the road and was gesturing at a body of riders thundering up the road toward her gates. Torches streaked and veered in the courtyard below as her people scattered to meet the attack.
    The wind sang deliciously through their feathers as Seregil and Alec spiraled down to meet the riders. Alec let out another excited hoot as his sharp eyes made out the insignia of the Queen's Horse Guard. Klia rode at the head of the party, flanked by Myrhini and Micum.
    Diving in low, Seregil flew in front of Micum.
    "Seregil, is that you?"
    Seregil swooped down again and landed on Micum's outstretched arm, feeling the roughness of chainmail grating under his talons.
    "Is it him?" Klia asked as the large horned owl flapped for balance.
    Seregil bobbed his head and winked one great yellow eye.
    "It's him!" cried Micum. "Is Alec with you?"
    Seregil bobbed again as Alec winged by.
    "Go to Nysander," said Micum. "He's back down the road with Thero and Beka. Wait, what's this you've got?"
    Micum lifted the ring that hung against the owl's buff breast. The loop of string had held, though Seregil had not noticed the slight weight of it as he flew.
    Micum pocketed it for him and Seregil spread his broad wings and flapped off to join Alec.
    Following the road, Alec soon spotted a small fire below. Nysander and Thero sat cross-legged beside it, watched over by several uniformed riders.
    Landing was a far trickier business than flight, it turned out. After several unsuccessful attempts to copy Seregil's smooth descent, he finally ended up in an ungainly heap at a soldier's feet.
    "Alec?" asked a familiar voice.
    Beka knelt and set him upright, then smoothed his feathers gently. Spreading his toes out for balance, Alec blinked up at her and gave a soft hoot.
    Something moved under his foot; it was the silver Aurлnfaie ring, still around one feathered toe. Raising his foot, he hooted at Beka until she took it.
    Seregil, meanwhile, had settled gracefully on Nysander's upraised arm.
    "Thanks to the Lightbearer! We were not certain the spells found you in time," Nysander told him, looking utterly exhausted.
    "We were lucky to locate you at all," added Thero. "We nearly didn't, you know, with all your dashing around. Shall I change them back now, Nysander?"
    "If you would. I—am quite depleted."
    This transformation occurred as swiftly as the first, and with the same momentary disorientation.
    After an instant's dizziness, Alec found himself standing naked in front of Beka.
    "You might want this." Beka handed him her cloak, doing