Chapter 141 Knights of the Air
Over the bridge of the royal road.
White Stockings flew in wide circles above the army of Aurelio. Her rider saw thousands of soldiers south of the river, but thousands more waited to cross. He could see piles of corpses in a field near the bridge. He did not know who they were, but they had held up the army. Aurelio was at least a day farther north than the count believed.
Floriano: My beautiful girl, can you fly close to the range of the crossbows? I want to try something, but if it is too dangerous, do not try it.
After an exchange of images and words, the Pegasus flew directly over the archers, who were in a large encampment far from the bridge. She descended slowly and carefully. The two watched, waiting for a signal that they were preparing to shoot.
White Stockings: I see a group. We are close.
The young man quickly turned his head to look for other groups. But it seemed that only they were holding their crossbows.
Floriano: Wait for them. You know how fast arrows fly.
The archers fired a volley of thirty arrows at them simultaneously. The man thought it was very likely that one of them would strike. But the Pegasus knew immediately that they would fall before that. She waited until they were close and lowered one wing as if an arrow had pierced it. She rapidly decreased altitude and flew directly southwest over the archers. Floriano heard shouts and saw many of them brandishing their weapons.
On a small hill.
Aurelio: Where are we?
Pascual: A third of the army is on this side. It will be pitch black when everyone is gathered on this shore.
Aurelio: One more day for the bastard to get ready. Fine, tonight, food and rest. We will leave early in the morning.
Many voices: Pegasus!
They saw the Pegasus flying quite low above them and the large tents. A second later, they heard cries of pain from nearby men and horses. They walked toward the source of the sound and saw that many arrows had fallen near their camp. It appeared that many horses and some men were wounded.
Aurelio looked at the falling arrows: Ours?
Pascual sighed: Yes.
Aurelio: Choose a captain of missileers. Kill him very slowly and very loudly. Idiots.
In the air above Colina Verde.
The queen had to give him a direct order before Corsino left his Pegasus. He was in the saddle behind the priest. Her wings were so strong that the weight of the small men did not bother her. The young rider prayed that Red Sunrise would survive and become a Pegasus as big and strong as ths one.
Danilo shouted: Rider! I need you here in mind.
Corsino came to the present: I am sorry! Fly over that road south of the castle. When we are close, point at the walls and hit me to get my attention.
The priest: I know not what I am doing.
The rider: They do not know that.
The man communicated to her as well as he could and gestured for a few minutes. He noticed many soldiers watching him. Some tried to decipher what the rider was pointing at. Others shouted at the smiling servants watching. Some simply watched the black Pegasus soaring gracefully through the blue sky.
Corsino: Do you have a name for her?
Danilo: Yes. I know they do not like having names, but I thought of one almost immediately. Shadow Dancer.
The young man: What a beautiful name!
They spent half an hour circling the specific areas the Count of War had indicated. Each location was a good target for attack. Below them, the captains told their commander everything they had seen. The commander began to reorganize his troop positions to protect these areas.
Corsino: Fly south of the gate of hunters. I want to see it and the south gate but in a less obvious way.
Danilo: I understand. Give me a minute to let her know.
During a single flight near the defensive gates, the rider recalled positions and defenses with images in the manner of the Pegasi. The two men would be questioned for an hour by the count and the captains. The details about the gates were important to their plans. Corsino described defenses in great detail. Their mission was more important than they could have imagined.
In the air, north of the royal road.
Snowfall: Lots of movement to the east. Large animals.
Hernando: Fly closer. It is important to see what it is. It could be part of the royal army.
Pegasus turned east through the soft snow. It was easy to see the animals moving through the snow. Hundreds of them moved at great speed, creating white clouds in the air.
Snowfall: Many animals with two horns pulling things that are full of bipeds.
Hernando: Rams?
Snowfall: Larger and with thick hair.
The rider shouted: Bison!
The young man knew little about the animals of the north. But he knew that no one, except the tribes, used those giants for domestic tasks.
The rider: Fly lower. I want to see them. If they are from the tribes, they are much farther to the south than normal.
In the chariot of Arkady.
Tatiana was a great hunter. Her eyes caught the slightest movement around her. But Arkady, who had killed a polar bear at twenty, was better.
The bear: Pegasus!
Tatiana gazed at the sky filled with gray clouds and snow. After a moment, she spotted the gray Pegasus with white spots. Her heart skipped a beat. She opened her mouth to ask him to stop when her uncle sounded the horn twice in quick succession. The sounds were long and unchanging. In fifteen minutes, the mounted force halted in a safe place.
The warriors and knights fed their animals and themselves immediately. People from two incredibly different societies performed virtually identical actions. They were men and women of war. They cleaned hooves, inspected saddles, and rested when they could. The warrior and her uncle waited on a level field while the Pegasus landed.
The rider stood before a woman taller than the tallest man in his family. Beside her was a man who looked like a giant from a story for children.
Hernando: Lady, Lord.
Tatiana: I have many questions for you. I suppose you have some for me.
The rider: Your husband is safe, and the queen too. There is much to tell.
The Puma knelt and spoke in a northern language: Thank you, Father Sky, for protecting him.