Blood Red Road

to the ridge that the Hawks jest rode down. See that? Git yerself to the top. Stay outta the way till this is over an fer gawdsake, hang on this time.
    But I wanna fight! she says. You gotta let me stay an fight!
    No way! Heeya! I slap Hermes on the rump an he takes off like a shot. He’ll keep her safe.
    Up on Pine Top Hill, the fight’s over. All quiet. Them twelve Tonton’s eether dead or fled.
    Lyin on the ground below, Pinch ain’t movin. A arrow sticks outta his chest. He won’t be gittin up no time soon.
    Nero calls. He swoops down. I hold up my arm an he lands on it. I stroke his feathers, kiss his soft black head, breathe in his dusty bird smell. Gawdammit, Nero, I says. You sure took yer time.
    He’s a crow that likes excitement, Nero. If there’s somethin happenin, he ain’t gonna hang around. He flaps his wings at me, caw-caws an flies off to watch the action from high above.
    I start runnin. Head fer the thick of the fight. Hawks, western road raiders an my friends aginst the Tonton. Excitement races through my body, speeds my feet.
    I snatch a arrow from my quiver as I run. Load my crossbow. I start shootin the second I catch sight of a black robe.
    Ike’s slashin away on the edge of the action, a wicked lookin longsword in one hand an a studded chain in th’other. Tommo’s at his back, busy with the slingshot.
    Ike grins when he sees me. Now this is what I call a fight! he shouts.
    I wade into the middle of the battle. At one point, me an Jack’s fightin back to back. Then Lugh an me. Then me an Ash.
    Look! yells Ash. Pinch! He’s gittin away!
    I spot him. He’s managed to pull the arrow outta his chest. He’s climbin onto his big white stallion. Slowly, painfully.
    Got him! I says. I run towards him flat out. As he pulls hisself onto the horse, I shoot my last arrow. It hits him in his bad leg an he cries out.
    He tries to wrench the arrow out as he fumbles with the reins. The horse rears up. It squeals an dances as it tries to throw off a rider it don’t trust.
    I make a dive fer him. Grab at his caged leg. He kicks out an the cage catches me unner the chin. I go flyin back an slam onto the ground. Git the air knocked outta me.
    As I drag myself to to my feet, he gallops away. Towards the Hoodoos. I look around me, frantic. Not a horse in sight.
    Then I see Ash gallopin towards me. On the black mustang we took from Pinch’s stable. He goes like the wind.
    Quick! I yell. He’s gittin away! Let me take Titan!
    She jumps down right away. I swing myself on to his back.
    Wait! she says, holdin the reins. We’re winnin, Saba. You got Lugh back. Emmi’s safe. Let him go.
    No, I says.
    What does it matter?
    It matters to me, I says. Let go, Ash.
    Then I’ll come with you, she says.
    This is my fight, I says. Don’t tell the rest of ’em where I’ve gone. Promise me, Ash.
    All right, if that’s what you want.
    She lets go the reins. Steps away.
    I wheel Titan around.
    Saba! Here! Ash tosses me her half-full quiver an I catch it. Good luck!
    I’ll be back. Heeya! Heeya! I dig my heels into Titan.
    An we tear across the plain towards the sharp red fingers of the Hoodoos.

    Titan feels good unnerneath me. Strong an wild. He can feel the red hot burnin in me. It’s burnin in him too.
    Nero flies above, a little bit ahead. He’ll scout the way.
    The Hoodoos rise in front of us. They look even stranger close up.
    Deep channels etched down their high sheer sides. Sharp points. Crammed tight together. I start to see crevasses. A few thin trees cling to the mean red dirt.
    I bin watchin Pinch. He disappeared through a gap in the rocks. I walk Titan through the gap. We’re on a narrow path worn into the earth that snakes its way around the rocks. Right away, I see the prints of Pinch’s horse.
    It’s gloomy here. Like bein in a deep canyon.
    An it’s silent. A heavy silence. Like the very rocks is holdin their breath.
    But there’s alway somethin to listen to, even in silence. Up ahead, a nervous horse whinnies. Stamps his feet. There’s alway somethin to smell. There it is. The faintest whiff. Sour, sweet, rotten. The smell of Pinch.
    Then, a echo.
    I halt Titan. Wait while it dies away. It’s the sound of rocks fallin. An a faint, scrapin sound as Pinch drags his injured leg behind him.
    I slide offa Titan’s back. Wait here, I whisper.
    There’s a couple of Hoodoos rounder an smoother’n the rest. I can see a way up between ’em. I start to climb.
    The earth’s dry an loose