13 – Dangerous Waters
Ione Island, Tiraq
“Joe went to retrieve Mungo,” Sam said. The owl standing on his shoulder squawked and flapped its pink wings. Sam lifted a mouselet by the tail and handed it to the bird who snatched and downed it in a blink. “I expected him to join us by now. It’s why we’ve waited instead of pushing the herd toward home.”
Sly Mitchell observed the narrowing land bridge. Every instinct cried Joe was in danger and the inaction tore at his restraint. He loathed this waiting, the wondering, the trepidation grabbing him by the balls. “What do you think?” he asked Saber.
His oldest brother shook his head. “We can’t risk a crossing. The gap between the water is closing.”
“Hold.” Sam took half a step toward the beach. “There’s someone out there.”
“It’s Harriet,” Duncan said.
“Who the hell is Harriet?” Saber demanded.
“Hurry!” Sam hollered and started running toward the water. “Keep going.”
Sly and the others charged after him. As the horse came closer, Sly spied the black cat draped over Harriet’s back.
He and Saber tore along the narrowing land bridge. Sam and Duncan raced behind them. As they neared the horse, the path closed, water swirling around their feet. The farther they splashed, the deeper the water became, slowing their progress.
Sly reached them first and dragged Joe off the horse. Saber was at his side and helped his brother with Joe.
“What are ye doing?” Mungo screamed.
“Mungo,” Sam shouted. “It’s okay. Keep coming. Harriet will swim.”
Mungo sobbed, fear closing up her throat. She’d never been so glad to see Sam. But who were these other men? What if they intended to hurt Joe? She glanced over her shoulder and saw the rapidly approaching men of her clan.
She screamed and kicked.
“Nay!” She battled the strangers until she realized how alike they were to Joe.
A wave splashed over her head and the force of it tore her off Harriet’s back. Only her grip on the reins saved her. She popped above the surface and fought her way back to Harriet. Her arms created splashes as she struggled.
“I’m here,” Sam shouted.
Mungo had never been so relieved to see anyone in her entire life. “Joe?”
“It’s all right. Sly and Saber have him. Concentrate on getting Harriet and yourself to land.”
A huge wave crashed over Mungo’s head, the white water stealing her air. Sam’s strong arms kept her safe. She sucked in a breath an instant before a second wave attempted to tow her under and out to sea. She floundered, gasping hoarsely, popping up and under while the tow of the water flung her to and fro.
“Keep going,” Sam shouted.
Mungo didn’t think she could. Exhaustion turned her limbs into heavyweights. Every muscle in her body protested the abuse. An arm’s length away, Harriet tossed her head, skittish at their position. Desperate, she clung to Harriet’s mane, but a wave tore the beast from her grasp. Then Harriet stood and raced from the water. Mungo tried to find her feet, tried to follow, but the water knocked her over and flung her around until she didn’t ken which way was up or down. The force popped her up. She gasped a breath and sank below the waves again.
This was it. She was gonna die.
Strong arms grabbed her shirt and hauled her above the water. She coughed and spluttered, dragged in a breath. Her feet touched the surface as Sam pulled her to the shore. Her knees trembled. She stumbled and almost fell.
Finally, they reached solid land. Duncan had Harriet and was calming the quivering steed. The two strangers—Joe’s brothers—crouched over his unmoving body.
Sam aided her, helping her to remain upright. Roly spotted Sam and flapped his pink wings in a demand for food.
Whitelight approached and now that the path had vanished, the crash of waves didn’t seem as loud. Over the narrow straight, she spotted her father, flanked by her brothers. Several of the clansmen dragged themselves from the sea and joined her family. A shudder worked down her spine as she imagined her father’s mood.
“What’s wrong with Joe?” The accusation from one of Joe’s brothers dragged her attention from her father.
She swallowed at the blame emblazoned in his harsh expression.
“My brother shot Joe with a poison-tipped arrow. That was—”
“Your brother.” The second dark-haired man kneeling beside Joe nailed her with a glare.
“Is there an antidote? What sort of poison did he use?” He barked the words at her and she retreated with caution while keeping her gaze on him. She edged behind Sam.
“You’re frightening her,” Duncan said. “Mungo, tell me about the poison.”
“I think it’s from the ragwort bush. The berries of the bush are the cure for the poison from the leaves. If we can find them, they should help. I kenned my brother would have berries, but I hoped to discover plants on the way to the land bridge. I dinnae find any.”
Sam cocked his head. “Describe the plant for us.”
“It’s a low bush with bright red leaves and yellow berries,” Mungo said. “About hip-height.”
An arrow flew past Mungo’s right shoulder, missing her by a whisker.
“Saber. Sly!” Sam warned in an urgent tone.
Another arrow gouged her right arm and the instant burn told Mungo poison coated this shaft too. “His arrows are poison-tipped. Grab him and check his quiver for dried yellow berries. He’ll have some.” She groaned and dropped to the ground, clutching her biceps. Blood trickled from the wound and numbness spread down to her fingertips.
Sam, Duncan and Joe’s brother—the scariest one—jumped into action. Sam and Duncan flung off their clothes and shifted while the scary brother sprinted toward the archer.
The archer cried out, but he had no chance of escape or of notching another arrow. From her position on the ground, she saw the two leopards leap at the archer. Her father’s man dinnae move again. The brother who hadn’t changed ripped the Scothage man’s quiver off his back and raced back to Joe.
He rummaged through the quiver, dumping out the arrows. A small bottle fell out, and he plucked it off the ground. He brought them over to Mungo. “I’m Saber,” the man said. “Are these the berries?”
“Aye. Make Joe eat them. They are disgusting but force them down his throat if ye have to. Hopefully, they’ll work fast.”
He glanced at Joe before focusing back on her. “Was the arrow that struck you poison-tipped too?”
“Aye.”
Saber approached her. “How bad is it bleeding?”
Mungo lifted her hand to peer at the wound. A furrow cut across her biceps, and it was still oozing blood.
“You’d better eat the berries too.”
Mungo started, aghast at the offer. Her father would never put her before valuable members of the clan. “How many berries are in the jar?”
“Five,” Saber said.
Not enough for both of them. “Joe needs four.”
“What about you?” Saber’s green gaze prodded for the truth.
“I must eat four too.”
Saber cursed.
“Give them to Joe first. He’s been sick for longer.”
Saber hesitated.
“Please give the berries to him. He doesnae deserve this,” Mungo said.
Saber squeezed her uninjured arm, his eyes bright with emotion. “Thank you. We’ll do our best to get more berries for you, even if we have to fly to your clan and take them by force. Take this berry.”
Mungo sat up, biting her bottom lip against the alternating tingles and numbness in her arm. Her hand trembled as she reached for the berry. The wrinkled yellow fruit rolled back and forth in her cupped palm. She sucked in a quick breath and tossed the berry into her mouth. The flavor—somewhere between a sour fruit tincture, brackish water, and rank meat—exploded across her taste buds. Her stomach heaved, and she kept her hand over her mouth, unwilling to spit out any of the fruit. She couldnae waste the sole berry.
She breathed through her nose in steady inhalations, tears rolling down her cheeks.
“You okay?” Saber asked.
Mungo swallowed again and cautiously removed her hand from across her mouth. She nodded weakly and glanced over at Joe. His twin kneeled at his side. “Make sure Joe doesnae sick up the berries.”
Saber gave her a curt nod and strode over to his brothers.
Duncan and Sam, still in cat-form, wandered over to her. She offered a weak smile while she watched Joe. He thrashed and groaned and made horrid vomiting noises, but his brothers persisted and didn’t relax until he’d swallowed the foul ragwort berries and kept them down.
Finally, the tension left Joe’s body. He slumped and lay flat on the ground. He seemed to drift in and out of consciousness, and that worried Mungo. Guilt slid into her. This was her fault. If she hadnae chased after her coos, Joe might have reached his home by now.
“How long will the berries take to work?” Sam asked.
Mungo blinked at the words. She hadnae noticed him and Duncan leaving her to shift and don their clothes. “Ah, I dinnae ken. I’ve heard they work quickly, but my brother and his friends take them straightaway if an arrow scratches their skin. With Joe, it has been much longer. I dinnae ken what the delay will do.”
Sam rubbed her shoulder. “I’ll bring you a bedroll. Rest now. It will be light soon.”
Once Sam strode away, Mungo tested her arm. It was numb and that dead sensation was creeping across her back now.
Sly bunked down beside Joe. It hadn’t been easy getting the berries down Joe, but his twin was resting easier now, his breathing less labored. Sly studied the girl and smiled. A redhead like Cinnabar. A brave woman. Feisty and courageous. His smile faded.
They needed to find more of those damn berries and fast.
He’d had a chat with Sam and Duncan. They’d told him Joe had wanted Mungo from the first instant he’d seen her. They’d laughed as they said it, so he’d guessed there was more to the story.
“How is he?” Saber asked, his arms full of bedrolls.
“He seems to be sleeping easier. He’s not shivering as much. My uneasiness has subsided so I’m thinking he’s recovering.”
“The girl isn’t doing well. She’s fallen asleep, but she’s moaning and groaning.” Saber’s brow furrowed. “I’m worried about her. What kind of family shoots poisoned arrows at their own? We have to get our hands on those berries.”
“It might pay to add a stock to our medical supplies,” Sly said. “We have no idea if her clan will follow and attack again. The land bridge is fully passable a few days each month. But if they’re determined enough, they can swim across the last part of the crossing.”
“I’m torn. I’m not sure whether to take Joe home or wait until we find more berries to give the girl.”
“Joe won’t want to leave her,” Sly warned. “You remember how it is when you meet your mate. The last thing you want is to let them out of your sight.”
Saber glanced toward Joe’s girl. “I don’t know what happened to her, but she’s covered in bruises. Her arms and stomach.”
Sly’s choked laughter had Saber raising his hands in a halt motion.
“Stop right there,” Saber barked. “I wasn’t doing anything underhanded. Her T-shirt rode up when she was twisting and turning. Christ Jesus, Eva would gut me if I checked out another woman. Not that I would betray my mate,” he added.
“Want to check out the horse?” Sly asked. “It reminds me of a zebra.”
“Sure. I wouldn’t mind seeing your new cattle either.”
“Me too,” Sly said with enthusiasm. “Hell, it’s excellent having my sight back. I owe Liam.”
“He and his cousin have brought the resort a lot of new business,” Saber said. “They’re excellent allies, although you’ve discovered what it’s like to get on their wrong side. Let’s hope it doesn’t happen again.”
“We don’t want that,” Sly said as he led his oldest brother to the enclosure where they were overnighting the cattle.
The chestnut-colored animals had shaggy coats and sweeping horns. Several animals dozed while others sat on the ground chewing their cud.
“They’re in much better condition than I expected,” Sly said. “The journey hasn’t affected them at all.”
“Most of them are in-calf.”
“I noticed,” Sly said happily. “Joe has done well. Hey, Max.”
“You can see?” Max asked in his deep rumble.
“Yeah.” Sly’s voice held joy. “Liam arrived after you took off with Joe and the others.”
Max embraced Sly and slapped him on the back before yawning.
“Grab a quick nap,” Saber said. “Sly and I will keep watch. We’re going to check out the horse.”
“Approach Harriet with caution. She’s been fine with us, but Mungo said steeds—that’s what she calls her—take exception to most people. They’re fussy about who rides them and some have attacked or killed those they dislike.”
Saber scowled at the revelation. “Is it safe to have the horse at the resort?”
Max shrugged. “Sam, Duncan and Joe have ridden Harriet without a problem. Mungo had her when she joined us.”
“I thought Mungo was a boy’s name,” Sly said.
Max’s mouth flattened. “It is. From what she’s told us, Mungo’s father is a prick.” He punctuated this with a huge yawn.
“Go. Sleep,” Saber urged. “It’s still early. You can get an hour.”
“One last thing. If you see any micelets, grab them. Sam’s owl will create a ruckus if it doesn’t receive dinner.”
Saber grinned. “You guys have a regular menagerie.”
Max flashed a return smile. “Have you seen Roly yet? The owl is the cutest thing. It’s pink. Besides, you can talk. You and Eva have Blue.”
Blue was the strange dodo bird Saber and Eva had rescued after a humongous hawk had dropped them on the other side of the island. Blue, named for his color, was a favorite at the resort.
“Well,” Saber said, “let’s check out this horse.”
Half an hour later, they wandered the short distance back to the campsite. Each carried two wriggling micelets.
Sam was already up and making coffee.
Sly’s gaze sought Joe. He halted, fear sliding into his chest and seizing his lungs. An instant later, his breath puffed out. “Where’s Joe?”
Sam pointed, and Sly relaxed once he saw his brother with Mungo. “Joe is awake but he’s groggy.”
“Here. Take these.” Sly thrust the micelets at Sam and strode over to his twin. Saber followed at his heels. “Joe.”
His twin lifted his head, his face pale. “Mungo is sick.”
“One of her clan shot her,” Saber said.
“Bastards. I want to throttle her father.” Joe’s voice was hoarse. “This is all his fault.”
“How are you?”
“I feel as if someone hit me over the head with a hammer. My head is aching and I have a foul taste in my mouth. I remember nothing. Sam said they shot me.”
Sly nodded.
“Do you have transport? Can you take us to the resort?” Joe asked.
“We can,” Saber said. “But we still need to find those berries for your girl. We figured it’s best if one of us flies after the herd while the rest of us search for ragwort bushes.”
Joe frowned. “What are you talking about?”
Sly explained.
Joe let out a curse. “Why didn’t you give Mungo the berries?”
“She said, and she was right, that your need was more urgent. She insisted we treat you first,” Saber said. “Joe, we will do everything in our power to find more berries. I’ve washed out the wound and treated her with an antibug shot. She has eaten one berry.”
“What about the Incorporeal people? Or the replicator machine?” Joe demanded.
“Neither option will work,” Sly said. “We’d need a berry for them to copy or to duplicate in the machine.”
Joe swallowed hard and nodded, but Sly sensed his twin’s pain, the ricochet of panic and fear almost taking him out at the knees. Sly grabbed hold of Saber to maintain his balance.
“If it’s any consolation, she’s doing better than you were. Her color is much better,” Saber said. “We’ll move off shortly. Sly or I will pilot the flymo and you and Mungo can ride in comfort. The rest of us will drive the cattle and scan the countryside for this ragwort berry.”