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  A group of men dressed in boiled leather with large circular shields stood beneath the canopy of trees and the platform. Gryphon’s people. The Ram. A volley of Raven arrows soared down to meet them, but the Ram linked their shields in perfect unison to deflect the attack. The fluidity of their movements startled him. He never realized how precise, how beautiful the dance of war could be. The moment the arrows stopped, a spear—like lightning—launched from the shields toward Gryphon’s chest.

  Gryphon flattened himself against the wooden boards, the spear jetting only inches above his head. The Raven answered again, only this time Gryphon didn’t squander the cover their arrows provided. He stood with spear in hand and sprinted the remaining twenty yards across the chasm, numb to the deadly drop below.

  The arrows stopped. The Ram retreated back into the cover of the trees.

  “They’re climbing!” Craw called from his place on the platform. He reached for his knife and began to saw at the Lion’s Silk.

  Orders from the Raven soldiers surrounding Gryphon had the men running in all directions, reloading their quivers, and scrambling for position. Arrows launched toward the base of the tree but flew blind through the thick foliage. Craw sawed through a strand of Lion’s Silk, rendering one side of the horizontal ladder limp.

  Gryphon clenched his fist around the spear in his hands, willing Craw to work faster at the second strand of Silk than he had the first. Gryphon saw a flash of metal at the edge of the platform. The Raven archers must have as well—at least fifteen bolts soared in that direction.

  Gryphon relaxed some, knowing the Ram would not be foolish enough to attack the platform with a host of Raven providing cover. But Craw couldn’t stay there forever, and eventually one of Gryphon’s compatriots would brave the platform for the glory of the kill.

  Craw stopped his sawing just before the spindles of the woven Silk broke. He ran and dove onto the ladder, catching it in mid-air as he flew across the chasm. With deadly speed, he swung into the side of the island cliff, somehow managing to hang onto the lowest rung of the ladder with one hand.

  The Raven crowed victorious. But Gryphon knew better than to underestimate his own clan. He checked his grip on the spear and scanned the tree line for Ram. What was a mess unit doing here now? Barnabas wouldn’t want the Raven to learn about his planned attack until the full Ram force was present.

  “They targeted you.” Gabe stepped up next to Gryphon. The Wolf had been so quiet on their journey Gryphon forgot he was even there. “They didn’t attack until you were on the ladder.”

  But why?

  Craw neared the top of the ladder. Gryphon knelt on the edge of the cliff and extended his hand to the Raven leader, surprised by the relief he felt for the man. Craw reached up and clasped Gryphon’s forearm. The Raven smiled, his breath labored. “Not bad, little lamb.”

  A spear flew from the edge of Gryphon’s vision. Time slowed. Gryphon pulled with all his strength to lift Craw to safety, but the spear struck the Raven in the back. Craw’s mouth and eyes each formed a circle, shock frozen on his face that slowly melted into agony as his body hung limp in Gryphon’s grasp.

  Gabe and the others helped Gryphon pull Craw’s body onto solid ground.

  “Gryphon, son of the deserter!” Zander’s voice boomed from somewhere in the trees across the chasm.

  Gryphon might have called the man a friend only days ago. Now he wanted nothing more than to return his spear. He should have assumed Zander hadn’t giving up on tracking him; it wouldn’t suit the mess leader’s ambitions to return to the Gate without his prize. But that meant Ajax was there as well—his best friend, the man who’d freed him, but also the man who’d killed Zo. His heart ripped in half: one half cared for Ajax and his young, struggling family, and the other despised him in the darkest, blackest way possible.

  Zander yelled, “We will hunt you down with the rest of these Birds. You are a traitor and a coward to leave your mother to bear your shame along with your father’s.”

  Gryphon growled and ran to the edge of the cliff. He hitched up his front leg before launching the spear in the direction of Zander’s voice. It shot across the ravine and into the trees. A man cried out in pain and a sense of dread filled Gryphon. Whom had he hit? Was it Zander? Ajax? A different mess brother who was simply following orders?

  Gryphon turned back to the crowd of Raven warriors. Those who weren’t bent over Craw’s lifeless form stared at him in wonder—likely marveling at the powerful throw directed at his own people.

  Craw gagged and bucked on the ground. His own men gathered around him, pushing Gryphon and Gabe to the back of the crowd.

  Standing out on the edge of the cliff, Gryphon looked across the divide to the trees that hid Zander and his old mess unit. “I will kill him,” he said. “I will kill him.”

  Zo gaped at Joshua. “Don’t say that.”

  The thought of Gryphon loving her had sounded too wonderful. Too sweet. Joshua didn’t know that with his words he was offering poisonous berries to a starving person—a painful lie.

  Talon pulled his shirt over his head to show Zo and the others a crescent moon tattooed on his back. The symbol of the Allies. Zo bore the same mark.

  “We were sent by our chief as ambassadors to Commander Laden. Our clan has been invited to join the Allied forces, though we do not believe our chief will accept Commander Laden’s offer. Our people endure the northern climate and the close proximity to the Ram because we are tied to our land. It’s deeply woven into our heritage. Many of the Elders believe if we leave the land, our people will lose their souls.”

  “But with the coming invasion, your chief will reconsider,” said Zo.

  Raca picked up a rock and weighed it in her hands. “I doubt it.”

  Zo couldn’t help but think of the night her parents died in a Ram raid. The fear that engulfed her as she and Tess squeezed into baskets to hide in a corner of their home. The chilling sound of the Ram war horn blaring in their ears as people were slaughtered.

  “You need to help convince your chief. If your people don’t evacuate, hundreds will die. The Ram have pledged that they will not discriminate between a Raven warrior and his family. The children … ”

  Talon’s expression hardened in the low light of the dying fire. “You do not need to remind us to consider the children of our clan, Wolf.”

  Raca reached out and placed a placating hand on Talon’s arm. “She’s only trying to help, Brother.” Raca turned to us. “His wife and two small children are anxiously awaiting his return.”

  Zo reeled, her mouth dropping. She wanted to catch up to the Ram forces and hold them off with her bare hands. “What will you do?” She shivered against the cold.

  “We will run,” Talon snarled. “All night and all day until we reach our home.”

  Talon and Raca secured their packs and Zo embraced each of them, silently muttering a blessing of vitality and courage. She frowned when the familiar tug of energy didn’t come. They would need all the help they could get if they were to reach the Raven stronghold before the Ram.

  “Safe travels,” said Zo.

  Raca leaned in and pressed her cheek to Zo’s. “May you find your Gryphon,” she whispered.

  Zo swayed on her feet. Her head throbbed.

  They were gone before Zo had the chance to correct the woman. Even if Gryphon were still alive, he had never been her Gryphon.

  That night Zo took the first watch. In spite of her exhaustion, she didn’t think she could sleep. Not after their encounter with Raca and Talon. She sat awake watching the trees while her imagination took hold. Every rustle of leaves was an enemy approaching, every cricket chirp a distant scream. She clutched her knife to her chest and stayed in that position until the first signs of dawn were upon them.

  She reached over and shook Eva awake.

  The Ram looked confused by the dim light coming from the Eastern sky.

  “I couldn’t sleep, so I didn�
��t wake you for your watch,” said Zo. “I think I’ll try and rest now though, until the sun is up.”

  Eva rubbed her eyes and nodded.

  Just as Zo curled on the ground next to Tess and Joshua, Eva whispered, “You need to tell Joshua what happened to Gryphon today. He can’t go on thinking that everything is fine. He deserves to know.”

  Zo lay still with her back to Eva and her eyes closed. “What if I can’t tell him?”

  “Then I will.”

  Chapter 8

  “Where is my brother?”

  The voice carried over the gathering crowd of Raven.

  A man wearing several rows of feathers walked forward. The Raven bowed as they stepped out of his path.

  The chief knelt next to Craw and reached for his hands, then paused, seeming to think better of it. His expression darkened as he turned away from his brother. “Cover him and prepare him for burial.” The chief’s voice was void of emotion.

  As two of the chief’s men stepped in to remove Craw, Gabe leaned over and whispered to Gryphon. “They fear the body. They believe if they outwardly mourn for their dead, the deceased can never be released to join their ancestors in the underworld. The chief loved his brother, but he will not weep for him.”

  Everyone turned away from the body as it was taken to be readied for burial. The chief, who Gryphon knew was called Naat’áanii, or Chief Naat, stood and looked out across the cliff toward the mainland. His lips moved as though he was speaking but no words came. When his silent prayer ended, he turned a cold eye on Gryphon and said, “Feed the Ram to the sea. Let the fish and birds eat his rotting carcass. His presence desecrates the land of our ancestors.”

  Craw’s men who had escorted Gryphon to the Nest shifted feet. Gabe stepped forward, bending into a bow with arms raised like wings at his sides. “Please, Chief.” Gabe stared at the ground while holding his bow. “I represent Commander Laden and the Allies. I ran with Craw and his men outside Ram’s Gate and was taken prisoner by the Ram. I escaped with Gryphon’s help days ago. We’ve come to deliver a warning.”

  Gabe held his awkward position, waiting for the chief to cut him off. When he didn’t, Gabe pressed forward with his plea. “Ram soldiers captured one of your scouts and broke him for information regarding the location of your clan.”

  Gryphon squirmed. He and Ajax had been the ones to capture the scout. Gabe had actually told him about the enemy camp where they found the young Raven scout in exchange for Zo’s protection inside Ram’s Gate. The Raven Chief wouldn’t appreciate that little detail.

  “Gryphon has forsaken his clan to help us. He initiated a rebellion that allowed hundreds of Nameless slaves to flee Ram’s Gate and now has traveled here with me to warn your people that at least two hundred Ram warriors are marching toward the Nest as we speak. We expect them to arrive in less than two days’ time.”

  More and more Raven joined the crowd, creating a half circle around Gryphon and Gabe.

  “How do I know that this Ram,” he spat the word, pointing at Gryphon with a furious hand, “isn’t still loyal to his clan? What if he intends to have us evacuate our homeland so that his people might slaughter us in our escape? Or at the very least, pillage our grain stores?”

  Gryphon said, “You have my word that—”

  The leader leapt at Gryphon, a hatchet somehow materializing in his hand. He held the blade to Gryphon’s throat, breathing hard, prepared to drag it across skin. “Your word means nothing to me, Sheep.”

  It took all of Gryphon’s self-control not to fight back. Striking a chief was the surest way to foul the situation. Gabe stepped in and slowly rested a hand on the Raven leader’s arm. “Please, Chief. You must listen to us. For the sake of your children and clan.”

  “My brother is dead.” For an elderly man, the chief’s hold on Gryphon was solid, his skill wielding the hatchet apparent. “I will hear nothing more from you or this beast.” The Raven Chief pressed the blade into Gryphon’s throat, forcing him to step backward toward the cliff’s edge.

  “Father, stop!” A boy no older than Joshua pushed his way to the front of the crowd. He wore a leather braid around his forehead with long black hair flying loose about his face. Something about the youth seemed familiar to Gryphon, but he couldn’t place it.

  “You cannot kill this man,” the boy said plainly. He folded his arms in front of his chest and looked Gryphon directly in the eye, hardly blinking.

  “Not now, Sani.”

  “This man spared my life, Father. If you kill him, you kill me.” He hesitated only a moment, filling his chest with air and letting it out slowly. “I am his ‘Atiin.”

  The Raven leader loosened his hold on Gryphon and looked at the boy beside him as if he were seeing him for the first time. “You’re mistaken, son. Many of the Ram share this man’s look.”

  And then Gryphon remembered. It was the day he’d first been named Striker and Zander’s second. A flock of Raven warriors had attacked them while they were scouting for Raven grain stores not far from this very spot. Gryphon had been launched into the flock of retreating Raven with orders to kill. When he discovered the young Raven boy struggling to string his arrow he was reminded of Joshua. He’d intentionally missed the mark to spare the child. His conscience didn’t permit killing the innocent.

  Gryphon studied the boy before him with new eyes. He was short but carried himself with calm pride rarely found in one so young. Very different from Joshua’s easy smiles and desperate desire to please.

  “I was with your son when we attacked the Ram mess,” Gabe said. “I add my witness that this is the Ram soldier that spared the boy’s life. He is different from the others, Sir.”

  Gryphon flinched. He might disagree with Barnabas and other leaders in his clan, but at his core, he still considered himself a Ram. Without his clan, what was he but an untethered castoff? A Clanless.

  The Raven Chief lowered his hatchet but mistrust still stained his expression. “Bind him, and bring him to the Gaagii Court. The Elders will determine his fate.” Then to a man at his right with an impressive collection of feathers he added, “Send out a team, your best, to hunt down those Ram. They’ve seen the Nest.”

  Chief Naat leaned in to Gryphon, staring him directly in the eyes. “Whatever heathen gods claim your allegiance, you might want to start praying to them. The Elders will not be merciful.”

  “I’m meeting with the chief and the elders first. When you’re asked to join us, don’t say anything they can use against you.” Gabe spoke out of the corner of his mouth as they passed a sweeping village built into a network of redwood trees.

  “They should be making preparations to flee this island,” Gryphon hissed back. “The Ram know their location. What am I compared to ten approaching mess units? These people will be slaughtered.”

  As Gryphon, Gabe, and their Raven escort walked through the village, women gathered their children and rushed up ladders leading to homes built high in the trees. A statue of a carved wooden bird with outstretched wings guarded the base of each tree.

  “They’re meant to scare evil spirits away from our homes.” The boy, Sani, appeared as if out of nowhere. “My people believe birds carry power on their wings. Power strong enough to protect them even from men as mighty as you, Ram.”

  Gryphon nodded, grateful for his young guide, but still restless with the need to get these people moving. “Wooden birds will not save your people from Ram spears.”

  Gabe squeezed Gryphon’s shoulder. His brows pulled together, and his lips formed a hard line. With only the slightest movement, he shook his head.

  They approached a wall of thin wooden logs bound together to create a large circle. Mud plaster filled the gaps in the wood, making it impossible to see inside. Just outside of the circle stood a small square platform. An engraved plaque hung on a tall frame of wood. Gryphon still didn’t know how to read, and wished Joshua had taken time to teach him. From the frame dangled two lengths of
thick rope with slipknot loops to serve as handcuffs.

  “You will await your judgment here,” one of the guards ordered. Gryphon stepped onto the wooden platform. When the guard moved to place Gryphon’s hands into the cuffs, Sani waved him off. “It is my right to attend to this man.” Though small in stature, Sani carried himself like a grown man. The guard bowed and backed away from Gryphon to make room for the chief’s son.

  Sani held up the cuffs, only slightly flinching when the Gryphon willingly raised his hands.

  Gryphon glared at Gabe. “We don’t have time for this. They don’t have time for this.”

  Gabe scratched the back of his blond head. “I’ll do my best.”

  “Be sure that you do. I didn’t leave Joshua and … ” Gryphon swallowed hard, stunned to realize he’d forgotten that Zo was actually gone. His whole body rejected the idea that he would never see her again. It didn’t feel right. “I didn’t leave them to die along with the Raven. If these people don’t agree to leave, our efforts are for nothing.”

  Gabe nodded and walked into the plastered circle of logs along with a number of elderly men who all carried a stone the size of their fists.

  “Why did you spare my life, Ram?” Sani asked. The boy pulled on a rope connected to a pulley, raising Gryphon’s cuffed hands high above his head. The rough fibers of the rope cut into his skin as the slipknots tightened around his wrists.

  “Had I known you were the chief’s son, I might not have.” Gryphon groaned against the strain on his wrists.

  Sani’s eyes were deep, black, and haunting. He regarded Gryphon with such intense focus that Gryphon feared he’d tumble into those eyes and be lost forever. “I don’t believe you.” The boy tilted his head to one side. “I think you view your mercy as weakness. That is why you are so sad.”