Elf Killers (9 page)

"Good point," said Oisin, relaxing his bow. "I've certainly never bagged one before. Who knows what he'd do..."

"You could see Carraig Faire?" said Olloo.

"Yea,” said Kieran. “But it's not where it's supposed to be. It's 'way north.”

"How far would you reckon?" said Oisin.

"How would I know? Two league? Five league? One long way piggyback, if these shawkyn spooghey are supposed to be out and about."

"So what do we do about this one in the grass?" said Olloo. "I don't trust him."

"I don't either," said Oisin. "We simply have to stay together. All of you wait here while I go escort everyone behind us to catch up."

He set off back down the path at once. He hadn't gone far when he thought he heard Olloo or Kieran jogging up from behind. He looked back just in time to see the young strike falcon in the path coming right for him. As he wheeled about drawing his bow, the huge bird vanished into the grass. To his vast relief, the others arrived at his feet very wide-eyed and out of breath the moment he turned about once more to go find them.

They wasted no time getting to where Kieran had spotted Carraig Faire. Sure enough, it lay almost straight north. Doona began squirming in confusion as she awoke and had to be set on the ground. "Can you walk?" said Olloo.

"Will you please tell me why I was sleeping on Kieran's back?" 

"See that rock yonder?"

She nodded. "Is that it?" she said, snapping to.

"Yea. Do you think you can make it there as fast as the rest of us without talking?"

She nodded again.

"Well, I'll tell you all about it when we get there."

Chapter 7

At last the sun rose flame red beyond the reaches of the sea of grass, setting aglow the red sandstone of Carraig Faire. A meadowlark called from one end of the great rock and took flight. The party of Elves paused in the grass not two furlongs away, catching their breath. Rory was squirming and stirring, but not really awake yet. At a nod from Oisin, everyone got to his feet and made a run for it.

"This looks like we might be able to manage our way to the top right here," he said, catching his breath when they got there. "Olloo, you and Kieran run around opposite sides of the rock to see if there mightn't be a better climb than this. For Fates' sake, keep your eyes on the grass. I'll have my bow handy and wait here with everyone else."

Directly, Olloo had made it all the way around. "This is one huge rock," he said, jogging to a halt. “I'd reckon it to be a good twenty rod long." He caught his breath for a moment and shook his head. "There's no better way up than right here."

Kieran came 'round the other way, shaking his head. "I'd get to climbing," he said. "There's one other place, but this one looks 'way better from down here."

"Let's pair up with the little ones," said Oisin. "Some of that up there looks like it needs long legs. Let's get off the ground, out of shawkyn spooghey reach. Once we've done that, we can take all the time we need for the ones above us to climb out of our way."

"Let's grab a kid and move!" cried Doona.

Soon, nearly everyone had clambered onto the rock. Oisin waited at the bottom, ready to carry little Sorcha as soon as he had helped each one of the others reach the first good foothold. As he was helping lift the last of them, Sorcha spied a purple cone flower in the grass and dashed off to get it.

Oisin heard her squeals of terror and wheeled about, drawing his bow to find the young strike falcon, bounding out of the grass, nearly upon her. He loosed his arrow and immediately dropped the huge bird. He raced out to where it lay, kicking, flapping and straining for breath. He chopped off its head with his claymore, scooped up Sorcha and sprinted for all he was worth, back to the foot of Carraig Faire. When he had climbed to well beyond the reach of any sort of beast or terror bird that he could think of, Sorcha wriggled free. "I'm big enough to walk," she said, remembering to give him a fleeting hug as she planted her feet on the sandstone. "And, oh yea. Thank you for saving my life, Oisin."

"Are you all right?"

"I had you put me down, didn't I?"

"Well yes, but I'm still..."

"You know what, Oisin?"

"What?"

"That big shock spoofy is bigger than Vorona's big old rooster. And you know what? I know we were in a great big hurry, but I didn't get to put my hands in his feathers, Oisin. Did you want to?"

"What?"

"You know what, Oisin? I don't think you're listening very well."

"Well I'm sorry, but I'm a-watching where you're walking, and it's a very long way down..."

"Yea?" she said, swinging her arms. "Well this is fun, 'way up here. And you know what? You grown-ups sometimes don't see that we little people can..." Suddenly she let out another squeal as her feet went out from under her on the crumbly sandstone.

Oisin grabbed her wrist in a panic, nearly losing his balance.

"Oh thank you, thank you for saving my life!" she cried as she got her footing. "I'll love you forever. Here. You need a hug." She threw her arms around his neck. "You know what, Oisin? That's two whole times you saved my life this morning."

"You know what, Sorcha?" he said, watery-eyed in spite of his youth. "You're one tough young lady."

Sorcha smiled serenely but no longer pranced about. She held his hand tightly, staying faithfully by his side the rest of the way to the top. Once aloft, she was a very sober young miss, staying quietly by his side, speaking only when spoken to.

Oisin gave Sorcha a quick hug about the shoulders and sat down with a sigh to look out over the vast countryside. He felt guilty for doing so.
"
With all that we have to get done, there's surely something I'm neglecting,
"
he thought. An upland plover landed on its customary spot at the far end of the rock, stopped in the middle of its first call and flew away.

"Look how far away the mountains are," said Sorcha, squinting at the distance. "That's the longest I've ever, ever, ever walked, I think. Must be."

"I'm sure it's the furthest I've ever walked."

"Well," said Doona with a smile as she came over with Lilee and sat, "now all we have to do is plan out the first things we need to do to rebuild our lives."

"It sounds so simple put like that," said Oisin, "but who knows what it's going to turn out to be."

"Are you having doubts?" she said, brushing aside her flaming red hair.

"
My word she's gorgeous!
"
he thought. Sorcha gave him a nudge. "Oh!" he said. "I beg your pardon. I'm exhausted. No, I'm not doubting us, really. It'll be a very hard, dangerous struggle, but, we've already gotten through more than I'd ever imagined. I've a hunch that we've already been through the worst of it..."

"Oisin!" cried Olloo as he came running. "We've got to help Kieran!" He paused for a couple of pants. "Lulach slipped over the side of the rock. Kieran has her, but he can't manage to pull her up. He may have hurt his leg. Come on!"

Oisin sprang to his feet. They found Kieran stretched out on his belly on a narrow ledge, down the face of the east side, straining to hang onto Lulach's wrists. "If I can get down there feet first, I can lean back against the rock and pull her straight up," he said. "You go down at the same time, right over there and help him up."

Olloo gave a nod. "Hoy, Kieran!" he hollered. "We're on our way down!"

Soon Lulach was sitting in Doona's lap, shuddering with leftover sobs. Doona looked up for a moment with an admiring smile for Oisin.

"It'll be a struggle," he said, staring out across the grass.  “Tea would be nice. We've got to find water first thing..."

"Look!" cried one of the older boys as he waved to everyone and pointed off the south end of the rock. "Two shawkyn spooghey, right where we climbed up. They're trying to get up to us."

"Don't worry, Mayl," said Olloo as he peered over the edge. "They may be long legged, but they can't climb rocks..." Suddenly he fell silent at the sight of two enormous black and white birds, twisting and yanking with their black-crested heads as they ripped off and swallowed great chunks of meat from the carcass of the young strike falcon Oisin had shot.

"Looks like they forgot all about us, aye Olloo?"

"I'll bet not," he said with a shudder.

"Is there more than one kind of shawk spoogh? They're 'way bigger than the one they're eating."

"No Mayl. The one they're eating is just a young one.”

"But that means that they're eating their own kind. What sort of bird would do that?"

"One we'll have to be right careful with, is all I know."

Dyr was awake just before the shivering owl outside the Hooter Cave gave its first call of the evening. He threw back his quilt of Elf scalps and shuffled outside to the fire pit. He gave a glance about at the heavens. "Tonight we-go jump-bite grab-up-squeakers-at the endless eye-sting-water," he said with a decisive nod. "This-time maybe they no-be hee-hee-gone." He returned to where Fnarry-irrny still lay sleeping and yanked away the quilt, making her sit up with a gasp.

He knelt over her as she grabbed for the cover. "Aah!" he said, pointing to his open mouth. "Aah!"

"Has anyone whump-whumped the fire yet?" she said, turning away from him to wrap herself with the quilt.

"No," he said as he thrust his face at her collarbone, pushing her off balance.

"If that be your-face, it snuff-snuff like old bird-egg-smears and old-old rump," she said as she shoved him away with her foot. "I need fire for your grab-up-squeaker-meat..."

"I'll whump-whump the fire," he said as he grabbed her by the hair and licked her neck, "but I be Thunder-man and I can make you see stars." He tramped out to find anything easy which he could toss on the coals.

Fnarry-irrny thrust out her tongue at his back.

Dyr stayed out by the fire, pitching in sticks and fuming until sows from further back in the Hooter Cave began arriving with larger pieces of wood to add. He stepped up onto his rock, folded his arms and ignored Fnarry-irrny as she went about muttering to herself, hopelessly scorching the roast.

"You have diggy-fingered your nose at Dyr more than he can ever hum-de-dumdle, Fnanar," said Fnarry-irrny as she furtively looked out the mouth of the Hooter Cave. "Either giggle-grab one of your old humper-sows and move-out (we've got piles-and-piles of beads for-this) or head-smash Dyr and new-be Thunder-man. You be quick-quick scratchy-head. He'll be-back to thunder-thump you all to head-smash, anytime."

Fnanar rumbled beneath his beetle-brow. "Old humper-sows no-be swell-out

milk-sows!" he roared, flinging out his arms and slinging spittle. "No one can thunder-make me giggle-grab ho-hum-sows!"

Fnarry-irrny stumbled into the cave wall to catch her balance. "Then jump-bite him all to head-smash. Set-loose all Dyrney. New-be Thunder-man and have sows-and-sows right-here, even big-big milk-sow. I'll scoot my-mat and my-beads right-over here. Dyr's rock will-be your rock."

"Yea!" he said as he snorted, twisting up his face to make believe he was wringing Dyr's neck. A smile spread over his face as he shared a look of understanding with Fnarry-irrny.
"
She rocky-arm huggy-holds me more than Dyr or even Fnana-fnyr!
"
he thought. 
"
I always rolly-eye scratchy-chin, but now I big-head-nod.
"
He threw out his chest and pummeled it as the hairs on his arms bristled. "Ooot-ooot, ooot-ooot, ooot-ooot!" 

He froze wide-eyed at the clink of one small stone being rolled against another. He raised a finger to his lips and tiptoed to the mouth of the cave. Suddenly he had Fnana-fnyr by the neck on the floor.

"All right rump-jaws!" cried Fnana-fnyr. "I'm all floppy-arm. You can let-go."

"You need-be gag-twisty eye-pop for hollow-head hee-hee-sneak!" snarled Fnanar, showering him with spittle.

"Fnanar!" cried Fnarry-irrny. "Dyr could jump-bite you before you get-up.”

"Yea?" said Fnanar, sitting back on his haunches to point at Fnana-fnyr. "Well-then keep him all hunker-down and snuffle-shhhh until I head-smash Dyr.”

"Head-smash Dyr?" cried Fnana-fnyr, getting up on an elbow. "Dyr be your da!"

"I be your fmoo," said Fnarry-irrny as she tramped him flat again with her heel. "And I say stay out-of this."

"But that be hee-hee-sneak!" cried Fnana-fnyr.

"And so-be this-one!" roared Fnanar as he knocked Fnana-fnyr cold with a furious punch in the temple.

"This is where we must part ways," thought Radella to everyone as she gave a deep curtsey. "This is the very spot where we left your young ones. If all went well, they'll be at Carraig Faire making their first efforts to survive the Great Strah."