Cymru - Chapter 6

AERONA

The first Saxon was running low. She kicked him in the face. Two more appeared to either side; she used the face of the first as a launch pad and somersaulted back, drawing her daggers as she did so. The two new Saxons ran at her, and she launched herself at them, twisting her body neatly in the air so that her dagger met the throat of the one and her heel the throat of the other. Before she could land, the first, nose bloodied and broken, leapt at her. Her second dagger stopped him.

As she landed, a few more Saxons hit the ground to her left, and Aerona realised that Briallu had entered the fray of her own accord. Her hooves clove a pair of Saxon helms in two, and her wings flattened a group of others. Without thinking, Aerona jumped off of a Saxon corpse to land neatly astride Briallu’s broad back, and spun the mare to face the enemy.

Which was nearly a mistake. Aerona was feeling too territorial, and hadn’t yet fastened the flying harness – a losing combination. Briallu picked up on her mood and reared up defensively, spreading her wings wide to either side in a classic display of meraden intimidation and forcing Aerona to grip her long mane hurriedly to stay on. Forty Saxon faces peered at her through the trees in front of them, momentarily at a loss. They were eyeing the Saxon corpses lying in front of them, and Aerona could almost see the hesitation in their eyes as they marked that a single Rider had already done all that.

Behind her, the airbus began to lift slowly off the ground, and the Saxons hefted their swords, bursting out of the forest. Aerona kicked Briallu at those closest to the airbus, desperate to keep them away. She was vaguely aware of the children shouting inside – Bronwen was trying vainly to restore order, while Morgan’s voice had become a stream of noise. As Aerona felled two more Saxons she shouted back to them without looking.

“Morgan, sit down on that seat and get your belt on! If there’s not quiet in the next thirty seconds there’ll be trouble!”

The Saxons snarled something, their language incomprehensible and guttural. Out of the corner of her eye, Aerona saw more of them emerge from the trees, running madly, and she wondered what had spurred them on until three arrows hit the backs of the Saxons in front of her, and she looked up.

Wrexham’s Alpha Wing swept overhead, armed and ready. The Saxons in front of her turned and ran, heading back frantically for the cover of the trees. The children were cheering, led by the driver, and Aerona had to fight the urge to cheer herself, which would have been a terrible example to set. The airbus cleared the ground at last, its ascent steadily gaining speed, and Aerona took off with it, Saluting the Northriders as they repositioned. Madog Saluted back, and flew in close.

“Get them home safely,” he told her, his expressionless face hard. “We’ll deal with these.”

“Thank you,” she said back; and then he wheeled away, rejoining the Wing in a perfect sweep. Dylan Saluted her, and then they were gone amongst the trees. Aerona pushed Briallu up and peered inside the airbus windows, belatedly fastening her harness as she did so. Ten faces were staring out at her in wide-mouthed admiration, all pressed against the windows. As she drew level, Siona seemed to remember the seatbelt order, and hastily leapt back into her seat. It acted as a catalyst for the others, who all did the same in a scramble of activity.

“Hey!” Aerona demanded, putting on her Cross Face. “I told you all to be sitting quietly and properly belted in!”

“You weren’t wearing your harness, Miss,” Morgan supplied.

Bugger. No, she hadn’t been. Mentally, Aerona cursed six-year-old acute ingenuity.

“That’s neither here nor there,” she said sternly, and they all looked remorseful. “I’m a trained Rider and I gave you all an order! You don’t ever disobey a Wing Leader like that, or you’ll never make Riders.”

They looked positively crestfallen at that, which made Aerona feel instantly guilty. Briallu snorted loudly.

“Good shelters before we were interrupted, though,” she said cheerfully. “Now, let’s try and have a quiet return ride, eh?”

“Miss?” Carys put up her hand.

“Yes, Carys?”

“Miss, that was amazing! The way you fought those Saxons, and you reared and it was really cool and – “

Inwardly, Aerona groaned. It was never going to be a quiet ride. What had she been thinking? They were six years old. They’d be doing this for days.

Still, she may not be there for days. She had to find Awen somehow.