Lulah loosed three arrows quickly, and one of them found its mark. As Ramus saw more detail of the lead creatures—two sets of webbed wings folded as they dived, vicious curled claws trailing behind, fur rather than feathers lining their chests and backs, narrow heads and long hooked beaks slung low and ready to attack—the arrow pierced one of the creatures' shoulders and broke its wings on that side. It shrieked, a terrifying sound reminiscent of a sheebok being slaughtered, and then veered to the left as its good wings folded under the pressure.

The others came on, seemingly unfazed by their companion's fate.

Lulah tipped sideways on her horse and hauled it to the left, and Ramus did the same to the right. The birds—if that word could be applied—screeched as they flapped by, and Ramus felt something score across his upraised arm. Blood splashed the air and he smelled it, combined with the rank stink of wet fur.

Trying to sit up on the horse again he overbalanced, falling to the ground and kicking his feet from the stirrups. He rolled onto his side, raised the crossbow and fired at the birds as they swung around for another pass. The bolt missed, but Lulah was already firing arrows again. She took down two more of the creatures, and when the last two came in again, they were higher than before, more cautious.

Ramus primed the crossbow and fired directly up as a thing passed overhead. He heard rather than saw the bolt rip through a wing, and the creature swayed in the air for a beat before finding its balance again, wings flapping harder than before to keep it airborne.

Ramus ran to his horse and remounted, guiding it close to Lulah.

The birds were flying back the way they had come, silent and seemingly unconcerned about their missing companions.

“What the piss were they?” Lulah said. She was breathing hard but her eyes were wide, her face flushed with excitement. She's a warrior, Ramus thought, though she's had little chance to fight so far.

“Weird and angry, that's what they were.” Ramus looked down at his left arm and felt immediately queasy when he saw the gash there.

“Let's dress that,” Lulah said. “I'll clean it first. No saying what illnesses those things carry.”

Ramus almost laughed, but thought better of it. She was right. He may be dying, but there was no need to let complacency kill him quicker.

WHAT IF THERE are hundreds of those things down here? he thought. What if they roost on the Divide and we can't even get close? And what of the tumblers that Ten mentioned; we haven't even seen one of those yet.