Lady Sarah, on the back of Greyquill led the way, rising almost two hundred feet into the sky before levelling off. From there, she had a vantage of a wide area around her. Behind her, Brightcrest flapped his wings as he raced to join them, Erin crouched low on his back, wide smile on her face.

  There was a joy to flying that no amount of fear could rob from her, and she laughed with delight as she levelled out behind Greyquill.

  Below them, families were rushing towards the settlement from the outlying farms, while soldiers were racing between the braziers to light them ready for the darkness to come. On the palisade walkway, soldiers and sailors were gathering and preparing for the fight ahead.

  A flash of light caught Erin’s eye, and she craned her neck to see the wizard standing on the parapet, head tilted back as he watched her fly by.

  “Fly safe, little bird.”

  The whispered words were for her alone, she knew, and her brow furrowed as she stared back at him. A moment’s hesitation and she raised her arm in gesture to him. For a moment she thought she saw a smile, before his head tilted and his hood covered his face.

  Putting aside thoughts of the strange wizard, she turned her attention to the forest in the distance. It stretched as far as she could see from east to west in a wide arc around the settlement and the farms.

  Foresters had cut jagged teeth into the forest’s edge, stacking logs in the open areas they made ready to be transported back to the settlement. There was an unease that came to her as she stared at that forest and she heard the soft coo from Bright as he looked back, sensing her unease.

  She patted his back. “I’m alright, boy.”

  Unconvinced, Bright turned his beak towards the forest and Erin leaned back, pulling on his reins as Greyquill slowed her flight ahead of them.

  Her wings spread wide; she glided on the air currents as Lady Sarah reached into her saddlebags. She made a point of waiting until Erin was watching, exaggerating her motions as she pulled out a flare and the matches.

  Hunching over the matches to shield the flame as best she could, she struck it against the saddle pommel and quickly lit the fuse of the flare before the flame was blown out.

  It worked.

  Moments later, a bright glowing orb fell from the gryphon to land in the cleared land below. It flickered and shone, illuminating the trees and ground around it in the shadows cast by the sun’s descent.

  Lady Sarah jabbed her arm out, pointing first at Erin, and then off to the right. She repeated the motion, pointing at herself and then off to the left. Erin nodded, lifting her arm to wave, and pulled on Bright’s reins.

  He banked, turning sharply and then flapping his wings to pick up momentum. Erin glanced back and caught sight of Greyquill as he flew in the opposite direction. Then she returned her gaze to the forest below, a shiver running through her as she realised that she was flying fully alone for the first time.

  Above her the sky was darkening, clouds filling it as far as she could see as the sun slipped ever closer to the horizon. All too soon she would lose the light and with no moon or stars to provide any, she would be in utter darkness.

  A glance back to the settlement offered some reassurance, there was light aplenty there.

  She leaned back, and Bright spread his wings, slowing his flight as he began to glide. Erin reached back and pulled out the matches and a flare. She copied Lady Sarah’s motions, holding the flare in the crook of her arm as she hunched over the match.

  It flared to life as she struck it against the saddle pommel and died just as quickly from the wind.

  Cursing, she tried again.

  This time it caught, and she held the flame to the fuse until it began to spark. She pulled the flare out from beneath her arm and held it at arm’s length until the fuse burned down and it burst to almost violently bright light.

  Then she dropped it.

  The flare fell onto the wet grass below and she sighed before continuing on. Three more flares were dropped in quick succession, her confidence growing. She began to feel more at ease. The clothes she wore kept her warm, and the glass lenses protected her eyes from the harsh wind.

  Bright was powerful beneath her, and she knew she was safe on his back, protected from all the dangers below.

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  She whooped, throwing out her arms and laughing, the fear and danger forgotten.

  Another flare dropped and she twisted in the saddle to watch it fall.

  Bright screeched and he banked sharply!

  Erin grabbed at the reins, her stomach lurched, and the world spun at the sudden movement. She twisted in the saddle, head swivelling as she searched for the source of danger.

  Another shriek, and a howl of pain. Bright shuddered below her and she leaned forward over the saddle, searching his body for signs of injury.

  There it was!

  She pulled free the sword and swung it carefully over his side, reaching under his wing for the eel-like creature clamped on to his side. Blood seeped out from around its fang-filled mouth as the Skyfang fed.

  “Blast it!” Erin snarled, eyes shimmering as she tried to reach it.

  Beneath her Bright was bucking and twisting, trying to dislodge the creature as more burst from the trees below.

  “God’s below, a nest!” Erin cried. She gripped tight with her legs as she used her free hand to reach back and unbuckle the harness holding her to the saddle.

  It fell free and she was released. She gripped quickly to the pommel and leaned further forward. Freed of the harness restraints, she could lean out further than was safe. The sword sliced easily through the slim body of the Skyfang, bursting the gas sac that kept it aloft.

  The creature fell and then Erin almost followed as Bright rolled, slashing at the approaching Skyfang’s with his talons.

  Erin gripped the saddle pommel with all her might, knees clamped to the saddle with feet planted firmly in the stirrups as she clung onto his back. Then he was right side up and rising fast, screeching his outrage as he left the Skyfangs’ behind.

  Hand shaking, Erin sheathed the sabre and quickly buckled the harness back on, fingers trembling and fumbling at the buckle.

  She had to lift the goggles on her helm to brush the tears from her eyes and pulled back on the reins, easing Bright’s panicked rise.

  For a moment, they hung almost suspended in the air as she sucked down deep breaths. With numb hands, she retrieved a flare from the saddle bag and lit a match. The flare took the flame, and she dropped it over Bright’s side, watching it as it fell, while she stroked his trembling shoulders.

  “It’s okay, boy,” she said, hoping he heard and was comforted by her words. “It’s alright.”

  She pressed her heels gently against his side as she leaned forward, and he set off again. Erin directed him lower, back to around two hundred feet by her best estimation, though it was difficult to tell in the dark.

  Another flare was dropped, and then another.

  Bright grew reluctant beneath her, slowing his pace as the wind picked up.

  “The Edge,” Erin breathed, pulling on the reins. Bright banked, and wheeled, turning until Erin could see the line of flares she had left. “Go, boy. Back the way we came.”

  Brightcrest was eager to comply, and they raced along the route they had come, following the line of flares. Erin kept low over his sadly, eyes scanning the ground. She glanced to her left, towards the settlement, but there was no sign of danger there.

  She pushed on, searching with little result.

  A cry sounded from up ahead and she pulled back, slowing as she caught sight of the shadowed form of Lady Sarah atop Greyquill.

  “Anything?” she heard Sarah shout above the rushing wind.

  “Nothing!” Erin called back, shouting as loud as she could to be heard.

  “Another pass.”

  Without waiting for a reply, Lady Sarah wheeled Greyquill and set off back towards the west. Erin breathed a sigh, and did the same, pulling Bright around and setting off east.

  She counted the flares as she passed, knowing roughly how many she had dropped before passing the nest of Skyfang and wanting to give them a wide berth. She had counted to five before the crack of a musket shot came to her and she twisted in the saddle, looking back towards the settlement.

  Another shot, and then another.

  A barrage.

  Racing across the open fields, their dark forms seen only as they flashed in and out of the brazier’s light, were the Shadowbeasts.

  “No!” Erin cried, pulling hard on Bright’s reins. “Go, boy! Hurry!”

  The gryphon almost leapt through the air beneath her, hearing the urgency in her voice. Despite the bite on his side, he was eager to reach the enemy. His powerful wings tore at the air as he raced back to the settlement.

  Men were shouting, muskets fired, and a cloud of noxious smoke covered the palisade, blown back by the wind. Shadowbeasts were done, some dead, others injured and dragging their wounded bodies across the open ground towards the wooden palisade.

  Too many of them made it to the walls and they leapt, claws digging into the wood that splintered beneath them. They propelled themselves up and then they were in amongst the soldiers and sailors, claws slashing and teeth snapping.

  Men screamed.

  Blood misted the air.

  Swords cut at the Shadowbeasts bodies and more of the foul monsters died.

  But it was not enough.

  Erin reached for the pistol and cursed, there was no way to fire it without hitting one of the men. Instead, she pulled free the sabre, feeling the weight in her hand. The curved blade was sharp along one side only and weighted towards the tip to aid when slashing down.

  A fact Erin appreciated as she put Bright into a steep dive.

  Bright screeched. Blood spattered his chest and belly. A Shadowbeast died as men ducked beneath the powerful wings.

  Erin pulled back on the reins and Bright spread his wings wide, gliding and turning, eager for the fight.

  He raced back towards another of the monsters, but it leapt, claws raking his side as Erin slashed at it. The creature’s claws sank deep into her leg and the sword fell from her hand as it reached for her with its other front paw.

  It clung to Bright as he twisted and bucked, trying to shake it free.

  Erin screamed with pain as the claws sank deeper into her thigh, and Bright screeched, the hind paws of the Shadowbeast raking his side. Its jaws snapped at her and she pulled back, reaching for the saddlebags.

  Her fingers curled around the hilt of the pistol, and she pulled it free. She jammed it at the creature’s open maw and pulled the trigger.

  Foul black blood burst from the creature’s skull and its eyes, blacker than anything she had ever seen before in her life, went still.

  Then it fell.

  It crashed to the ground and Erin had a moment to see it land before Bright banked.

  Blood was flowing freely from his sides, and from Erin’s leg and she pressed her hand to the wound, trying in vain to stem the flow of blood.

  Beneath her, men were dying, their screams filling the night air.

  A chilling sound.

  The last she heard, as she collapsed into darkness.