The birds must have sensed the threat, for they tried to wheel away, but they weren’t fast enough. Several rounds slammed into the chest of my target. It faltered, flapping its wings wildly.
The other roc screeched and dove for me. I backed away, not wanting to end up fighting in the water.
Sindari bunched his muscles and sprang into the air. He intercepted the great bird before it reached me, his claws raking its feathered sides as he sank his teeth into the side of its neck.
The one I’d shot bled red drops into the bog, but that didn’t keep it from recovering and landing right in front of me. I fired twice more before it lunged in, its razor-sharp beak snapping toward my face.
I threw myself to the side in a roll. As I leaped up, I holstered Fezzik and gripped Chopper with both hands. The roc leaped into the air and flew at me.
This time, I held my ground. I crouched low to avoid the snapping beak, then lunged in to attack its breast. With a rapid thrust, Chopper dove through feather and into flesh.
An ear-piercing screech hammered my ears. Wings battered at me as the bird twisted, trying to rake me with its talons.
I yanked out my sword and rolled away again to avoid the wings, but not before the roc sliced through my sleeve and into flesh. Hot pain charged up my arm.
Cursing, I whirled to try to come in behind him before he could turn after me. But he was fast, and I slashed toward his beak rather than his butt. He jerked back, springing into the air before I connected.
Wind whipped at my braid as he flapped furiously to gain altitude. A splash came from the bog—Sindari and the other roc were wrestling in the water, the spray making it impossible to see details of the battle.
I was on the verge of running to help but sensed my roc banking to come back at me from above. Like an osprey diving for a fish, he plummeted toward me with his talons outstretched. They were targeting not me but my sword, though they would gouge the hell out of me in an attempt to snatch it.
I ran toward the house and leaped around the corner for cover. He altered his path and continued toward me, but I had time to bring out Fezzik again. I fired into his face this time, one of the bullets piercing his eye.
His feathered head jerked back, and he crashed into the house, knocking off siding and snapping wood. I leaped out from behind the corner and lunged in with Chopper. Before the roc could recover, I slashed down with a great blow and sliced through his neck.
The bird’s head tumbled off, rolling to a stop in front of the door. Gene peeked out, looked at the bloody head, then leaned back inside and closed the door again.
A final splash came from the bog. Sindari strode out, gave me a baleful look, and shook himself vigorously. Water droplets flew in all directions.
“What was that look for? Don’t you love it when I call you to Earth to engage in battle?”
Not in the water. Done shaking, he leveled another cool stare at me.
“You’re the one who sprang out over the bog to attack it.”
So I could bravely and nobly keep it from reaching you.
“I appreciate that, but I’ve seen videos of tigers swimming and frolicking in ponds. I don’t think it’s as bad as you say.” I snapped my fingers. “I’ve even seen you swim. At my mother’s house in Oregon before she moved up here.”
That was on a hot day. This day is wet, damp, cold, and insipid. As is that footwear. He seemed to notice my giant rubber boots for the first time. Why are you wearing those for battle?
“I wasn’t planning on a battle today.” After making sure the second roc was as dead as the first—as promised, Sindari was an apex predator and had done the job as effectively as I had—I removed the clunky rubber boots.
You will have many more battles if you don’t figure out how to remove the beacon from your sword. Is your mate not nearby?
“Zav went home to help his mother. Apparently, being the son of the queen of all of Dragondom involves a lot of political duties.”
Hopefully, he shall return soon. Sindari shook himself off again. I adore pitting myself in battle against enemies, but I fear that too many will come at once for us to survive against.
“I’ll head back to Seattle. Hopefully, Nin, Freysha, or one of Willard’s book-loving agents will know how to make this stop.” I cleaned and sheathed Chopper and headed for my Jeep. Willard should have already worked out the payment details with Gene and would give me my cut later. “It’s good to know people with magical knowledge, right?”
Almost as good as knowing a powerful tiger willing to assist you in battle.
“Oh, I know that. I’m lucky to have such an ally.” I patted him on the back.
Yes.
“And you’re cheerful and appealing company too.”
I am more cheerful when I am not wet.
“I’ve noticed.”
Wind gusted, and heavy droplets of rain pelted down from the sky and onto the top of my head—and the top of Sindari’s head.
His ears flattened. Open the door to your conveyance. I will ride with you to warn you of further threats.
Feeling like a chauffeur, I opened the back door. The seats were always down for him, though he barely fit inside, even with that concession.
Sindari climbed in, used a paw to swat some of my camping gear aside, and sat with his head pressed against the ceiling.
It smells in here again. He gave me another baleful look as I closed the door and went to the front.
“I got a new air freshener.” I put my weapons in the passenger seat and flicked a brownish-purple cardboard tree acquired at the car wash. It dangled from the glove-compartment latch.
It’s dreadful.
“It’s a new scent. Blackberry Clove. I thought you might like it better than the others.”
I do not. Your sword is still pulsing with energy.
“I know.” I could feel it more than ever now that I’d removed the harness. Why did I have the feeling that this new effect wasn’t going to fade away on its own? “The ride back could be fun.”
Doubtful.
3
Rain hammered the windshield as we drove east toward Olympia. I no longer had the feeling that someone was watching me, so hopefully I’d left my possibly imaginary observer back on that farm.
That was good because I didn’t want another fight. I’d made it through the roc attack unscathed, but the cut on my hand still throbbed. I’d bandaged it from the first-aid kit in my Jeep and was afraid to peel the wrap back to look at it. With my fast regeneration, a normal wound would have closed up and been well on its way to healed by now. Whatever this was, I doubted it was normal.
A familiar presence registered to my senses, and some of the tension seeped out of my shoulders. Zav.
There weren’t too many enemies that could stand up to dragons, and I would be safer with my beacon sword if he was at my side. I hoped he could stay for a while.
Knowing his propensity for landing in the middle of the highway, I pulled over onto an unmarked road near the turnoff for Summit Lake.
Your mate approaches, Sindari stated. You should not need my services further if he intends to stay.
It amused me that Sindari called us mates. That summer, Zav had claimed me, in the way of dragons, and he used the term mate too. It seemed to be the equivalent of marriage on Earth, but I wasn’t ready for that level of commitment. I simply told people we were dating.