\u201cIt\u2019ll turn out well enough,\u201d Thordin rumbled, interrupting his thoughts.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re all as prepared as you can hope to be, and seems to me that you\u2019ve got more ability to reason than whatever monsters Cariocecus has recruited to his aid.\u00a0 Of course, that assumes that I\u2019m not soundly mistaken about the ability of\u2014what did you call them, Phelan?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCamazotzi<\/i>,\u201d Phelan supplied, staring down at his plate.<\/p>\n
\u201cAye, well.\u00a0 Unless I\u2019m soundly mistaken about their<\/i> abilities, the advantage is yours.\u201d\u00a0 Thordin frowned, glancing between them.\u00a0 \u201cThe claws don\u2019t cause the same kind of problems the dirae<\/i>\u2019s do, do they?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot that we\u2019ve noticed,\u201d Matt said, finally sitting down near the fire and letting Tala foist a plate onto him.\u00a0 His guts had turned to lead in his belly, but he\u2019d eat anyway, if only to make sure he had a source of energy that wasn\u2019t adrenaline and fear.\u00a0 \u201cHonestly, they seem to do a little more damage throwing us around than with their claws.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEither way, it\u2019s not going to be a problem because they\u2019re not going to get close enough for that,\u201d Phelan muttered.\u00a0 \u201cThe wards are going to hold and we\u2019ll just shoot them until they decide to quit the field and move on.\u201d<\/p>\n
That\u2019s the plan, anyway.<\/i>\u00a0 Matt frowned at his plate.\u00a0 I hope it works.<\/i>\u00a0 \u201cWhat if they just\u2026fly over us?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThese things can fly<\/i>?\u201d\u00a0 Thordin asked, looking between Matt and Phelan.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot really,\u201d Tala said, turning away to tend the frying pan over the fire.\u00a0 \u201cSeems like they ride updrafts and downdrafts.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow do you explain what happened to Drew and Care and Jay, then?\u201d\u00a0 Matt asked, glancing up at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey never actually saw them fly, now did they?\u00a0 Just gliding.\u00a0 No flapping, just gliding.\u201d\u00a0 She shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019d be hard for something that big to be as heavy as they are and still somehow manage to fly.\u00a0 The wingspan isn\u2019t big enough to support it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Matt just blinked at her.\u00a0 How the hell does she know this shit?<\/i><\/p>\n
She gave him a knowing smile.\u00a0 \u201cI do my homework on this crap, Matt.\u00a0 Not like I\u2019ve got a lot that I can be doing other than hanging around here.\u00a0 There\u2019s a lot of books that came out of that library.\u00a0 Someone ought to read them, right?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cR-right,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cI guess I didn\u2019t think about that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cApparently not,\u201d she said with a smile, then glanced toward Thordin.\u00a0 \u201cSo in final answer to your question, no, they probably cannot fly unless some kind of magic<\/i> lets them do it.\u00a0 Their apparent physiology indicates that they can\u2019t fly on their own.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat are we talking about, now?\u201d\u00a0 Thom asked as he joined them by the fire, his leather jacket unzipped and his sword belted around his waist.\u00a0 \u201cSomeone see something I should know about?\u201d<\/p>\n
Tala snorted and started fixing another plate.\u00a0 \u201cJust your brother-in-law and I arguing about whether or not the camazotzi <\/i>can fly.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thom just stared at her.\u00a0 \u201cWhy aren\u2019t you below yet?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd let you people try to fend for yourselves when it comes to food?\u00a0 I don\u2019t think so.\u00a0 I want all of you to be alive<\/i> to fight today.\u201d\u00a0 She thrust the plate at him.\u00a0 \u201cWhen you guys blow the whistles, I\u2019ll round up Angie and head on down, my promise to God.\u201d<\/p>\n
He gave her a hard look.\u00a0 Phelan laughed.<\/p>\n
\u201cGive it up, fear fiach<\/i>.\u00a0 This isn\u2019t a fight you\u2019ll win.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thom gave a little growl as he accepted the plate that Tala offered him.\u00a0 \u201cI guess I shouldn\u2019t complain too much, since you\u2019re the one feeding me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cProbably not,\u201d she agreed.\u00a0 \u201cWhere\u2019s Marin?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cChecking on Jay, Neve, and Cameron,\u201d Thom said as he started eating.\u00a0 \u201cShe was going to see if they needed help getting below, since they probably will and that\u2019s not something we want to be scrambling to take care of at the last minute.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGee, that sounded like a hint,\u201d Tala said.\u00a0 \u201cNext time, I won\u2019t make you breakfast.\u201d\u00a0 She was grinning, though.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m not helpless, Thom\u2014not yet, anyway.\u00a0 I can still run and dodge.\u00a0 Maybe I\u2019m a little rounder than would be safe in a fight, but I could even do that if it came to it.\u00a0 So quit your worrying and eat your breakfast.\u201d<\/p>\n
Matt choked on a laugh right alongside of Phelan.\u00a0 Thordin choked on his bacon, coughing.\u00a0 Thom glared at all of them and hunkered down to eat his breakfast.<\/p>\n
\u201cThink my sister needs help?\u201d\u00a0 Matt asked as he wolfed down his breakfast.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe might.\u00a0 Why?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cJust trying to think of reasons not to go back outside for a little bit longer,\u201d Matt admitted.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m still getting feeling back in my hands.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou need better gloves,\u201d Tala said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll have to worry about that later,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cUsually it\u2019s not a problem.\u00a0 I\u2019m usually wearing those heavy welders since I\u2019m working up at the forge.\u201d\u00a0 He finished up with his plate and tucked it into the wash bucket.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll go see what I can do to help her.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSend Care to me after she\u2019s got Jay settled,\u201d Thom told him.\u00a0 \u201cJac, too, if she\u2019s there helping, too.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSure thing,\u201d Matt said, then turned to go, leaving the warmth of the fire behind him.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u201cIt\u2019ll turn out well enough,\u201d Thordin rumbled, interrupting his thoughts.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re all as prepared as you can hope to be, and seems to me that you\u2019ve got more ability to reason than whatever monsters Cariocecus has recruited to his aid.\u00a0 … Continue reading