The air was colder on the hillside where the hut perched. Below the tussock, the ground, made up of peat, was wet and cold. The wind gave Ieuan’s hair a playful tug, but Ieuan was not in the mood for games. He pulled his hair back, his eyes fastened on the direction Zane had taken.
This is bad. It seemed to Ieuan that Zane was taking his time. Offended by Cedifor’s pride? And Cedifor has more need of his pride now than ever. I do not think he will give it up. And Zane… Ieuan bit his lip. Zane was strong. Too strong? He is a solid, unmoving cliff of a man—evidently Cedifor’s preference—and Cedifor the storming ocean. How can they meet? The more Cedifor storms, the more Zane will resist. And I do not think either of them will be happy like this.
There was a flash of bright green in his peripheral vision, but nothing when he turned his head. Ieuan stayed still.
His patience was rewarded. A green head poked out of the tussock to his left, regarding Ieuan with intelligent eyes. The bird hopped forward, paused to consider Ieuan, and approached again.
“Bold indeed!” Ieuan had only ever seen the parakeets at a distance. The fearlessness of the bird delighted him. “What do you imagine me? Am I a human come to conserve you? Or do you think I am some strange plant?”
The parakeet tilted its head.
Ieuan mimicked the bird’s gesture. “You must want something. Or perhaps I do you a disservice. You may simply be curious.”
There was a crunching noise.
Ieuan looked up to see Zane approach in the distance. He let go of his hair to wave. “It is about time! Look well, bird, for you are about to see what a man looks like.”
The parakeet spared Zane only a quick glance. Its attention was focused on Ieuan’s hair, sliding loose over his shoulder. As the wind teased it into the air, the bird moved. It seized a beakful of hair and tugged.
Ieuan threw his hands over his mouth to muffle his yelp. He jumped to his feet, swinging blindly at the bird. The pain made his eyes stream with tears.
The parakeet gave a second tug just as Ieuan jerked his hair away. He darted into the air, taking with him several strands of stolen hair.
“Thief!” Ieuan sunk to his knees in the peat. He could not yell for fear of waking Cedifor. A whisper was strangely unsatisfactory. “You try that again and I’ll—”
“Ieuan!” Zane arrived suddenly, out of breath. “Are you okay?”
It was gratifying to see him worried. Ieuan held a finger to his lips. “Cedifor sleeps—really sleeps,” he whispered.
Zane relaxed, adopting Ieuan’s lowered tones at once. “Well, that’s good… But you?”
Ieuan glowered, looking about for the parakeet. “A vicious bird robbed me of my hair!” He gathered it protectively to his chest. “A thieving bird, all of green… Bold with no shame whatsoever.”
Zane frowned. “Did you stand?”
“What?”
Zane motioned. “From where I was, it looked like you were standing, just for a moment.”
“You are mistaken. We cannot stand on land.”
“But that’s what it looked like.”
Ieuan crossed his hands. “I did not come out here to wait for you so that we could rehash this old argument again.”
“You were waiting for me?” Zane crouched beside Ieuan, putting them at eye-level.
Ieuan nodded. “I wanted to explain because I know Cedifor will not. He needed my help—my song—to sleep and is too proud to want you to know it.”
Zane took a deep breath.
“It is not that he doesn’t regard you,” Ieuan said hastily. “It is more he has too much regard—”
“I know. It’s—it’s Kate all over again.” Zane looked down.
Ieuan tightened his fingers around his hair, afraid to ask.
“She called me her rock. Said I was her strength. She never told me how bad it was. Till right at the end…” Pain flashed over Zane’s face, an old pain that deepened the lines of his face, making him look older suddenly. “All that time, she was fighting alone because she didn’t want me to see her struggling. Wanted me to remember her as she was.”
“She was your—wife?”
Zane nodded. “She was a nurse. You’d think if anything that’d be a protection. She had patients with breast cancer, knew exactly what to look for… But it did nothing. Actually, it made it worse. She knew exactly what was ahead of her. Me…” Zane shook his head. “The boat— It was our dream. We’d been planning it for years. Designed it together, and I built it in my spare time. We were going to make this trip together. It’s really a two-person vessel.”
“Women may be sailors?” Ieuan raised an eyebrow. “I thought humans were very particular about that.”
“Times change. Kate was worth two men—brought up in boats. Probably a better sailor than me.” A faint smile softened Zane’s face momentarily, but it was fleeting. “She was the only crew I’d ever want.”
“So you made the journey alone?”
Zane reached for a piece of tussock, twisting the end in his fingers. “I accepted it was dangerous, knew I might not make it back. It was more important that I make the journey in our boat.”
Ieuan was unimpressed. “You do not seek death?”
“No! Of course not!”
Ieuan sighed in relief. “You are so strong that when you hold your feelings in reserve, I do not know how to guess at them.”
Zane exhaled, pushing the tussock away. “I’m afraid to go to pieces again. Losing Kate…wasn’t good.”
Ieuan bit his lip. Zane wasn’t thinking of Kate now, he was sure of it. But like Kate, Cedifor valued Zane’s good opinion. Are they doomed to hurt each other? Cliff and sea… Either one must crumble or the other must exhaust himself before they can meet… He combed his fingers through his hair. Perhaps it is for the best that Zane must leave even though it will grieve us to lose him…
“Ieuan. Have a morgen and a human ever hooked up before?”
Ieuan blinked. “You do not speak of fishing?”
Zane grimaced. “I mean romantically.”
“Oh!” Ieuan pretended to be very busy with his hair. “Do you remember I spoke of Edenvert?”
“Cedifor’s friend, the prince?”
Ieuan hummed, pleased that Zane remembered. “He became enamoured of a human woman and left his people to live with her. This was before the curse. It would have been difficult else.”
“Of course. But still, royal precedent. That’s got to be a good thing.”
Ieuan winced. “The story does not end well. Better not to mention it, I think.” Tucking his hair out of his face, Ieuan peeked at Zane.
The horizon had personally offended him, judging by the scowl Zane sent in its direction. The muscles in his jaw clenched, his profile that of a man who was entirely unrelenting.
Ieuan wasn’t fooled. He is not all rock. There is softness, too. His question about Edenvert had given Ieuan an insight into Zane’s thoughts. Cedifor needs to see this softness. But how?
The wind blew Ieuan’s hair into his face, and he impatiently pushed it aside, only to pause. “Zane? What do you know of hair?”
“Of hair?” Zane turned to face Ieuan, his confusion obvious.
Ieuan nodded. “Of combing it and braiding.”
“You’re kidding, right?” Zane motioned to his own trim hair. Even a few days of castaway life had not produced much growth. “Look at me.”
Ieuan patted the ground beside him. “It is time you learnt.”
“Absolutely not.” Ieuan fixed Zane with what he hoped was a strong imitation of Cedifor’s commanding look.
From Zane’s raised eyebrow, Ieuan had a lot of practice ahead of him. “I’m just saying. From the perspective of a guy who spends most of his time under the water, long hair is just not practical.”
“Who said anything about practical? It is my hair, and if I do not want to cut it—”
Zane held up his hand. “Hold that thought.” He got to his feet opening the hut door a crack. “Cedifor? Did you call?”
Cedifor’s reply was dry. “I am awake. So if you imagine that you aid my recovery any by sitting outside and squabbling like gulls, you are sadly mistaken.”
“It is time enough that you woke up!” Ieuan waved Zane’s hand aside, preferring to scoot himself into the hut. It was easier to propel himself backwards, dragging his legs behind him, than to move feet first—even if this posed some difficulties.
“Chair at twelve-o-clock. Whoops—you found it.” Zane shut the door behind them.
Ieuan gave him a withering glance and rubbed his arm where it had collided with the chair. “Next time, perhaps you should warn me.”
Zane bit his lip. He raised his face towards Cedifor, and Ieuan saw his expression flicker indefinably. Ieuan quickly turned his head.
Cedifor had discarded self-pity entirely, along with the blanket. Making no attempt to hide either his wrecked face or his bandaged wound, he met both of their gazes squarely, only a tightening in his jaw indicating the effort it cost him. Pity me, his expression said, and I will make sure you regret it.
Ieuan didn’t think he’d ever seen Cedifor look finer.
“Feeling better?” There was a note of appreciation in Zane’s voice.
Cedifor’s mouth twisted. “Much. Howel’s barb missed its target. I will recover my strength in time, but he will never have the power to hurt me again. Nor will I do his dirty work. I am truly free.”
Ieuan smiled, unable to find words to express his relief.
“That sounds like cause for celebration,” Zane said. “Let’s see what we’ve got by way of supplies.” He took a step towards the box of canned goods and paused. “You did some redecorating while I was out?”
Ieuan tossed his hair over his shoulder. “The radio is an eyesore.”
“So you threw a blanket over it.”
“I think it a vast improvement.”
Zane shook his head but didn’t argue. He stepped around the blanket to start rummaging in the box. “Tuna, tuna—you’ve got to be kidding me. There anything in here that isn’t fish?”
“Listen to how he repays our hospitality.” Ieuan shook his head, clambering onto the chair beside Cedifor’s bunk. “After all the effort you went to, catching fish for him.”
Cedifor gave Ieuan a frown. “It was not so great an effort.”
“And I’m not knocking it! Just saying that some variety would be nice.” Zane set two cans on the floor beside him. “So far the choice is between canned tuna with lemon and cracked pepper, or tuna in spring water.”
“We have spring water of our own.” Ieuan reached for Cedifor’s hair. “We will take the…other one.”
Cedifor gave him a look. “Zane has more need of these supplies than we do.”
“Like I said before, celebration.” Zane peeled the lid off one silver tin and found a fork for Cedifor. “And speaking of spring water, I found the river you restocked my water bottle from. Cheers.”
Cedifor accepted the tuna can with a nod. “We would hardly let you die of thirst.”
“Well, tonight you can relax knowing the drinks are on me.” Zane set the water bottle down on the table.
Ieuan nudged Cedifor with his elbow. “After taking care of Zane for so long, it makes a nice change to be waited on, does it not?”
Cedifor narrowed his eyes. “What are you plotting?”
“Plotting?”
“There is something in your manner,” Cedifor said. “I don’t know that I trust it.”
“You think too much.” Ieuan ran his hand over Cedifor’s hair before separating out a section to work on. “For once, just enjoy.”
Cedifor gave his a second glance but with his hands full, evidently decided the battle was not worth fighting.
Ieuan looked away quickly to hide his smile.
In the window glass, he saw Zane pull a seat up to Cedifor’s other side with a can of his own. “Ieuan’s gone an entire twenty-four hours without a disaster. If that’s not cause for celebration, I don’t know what is.”
“How cruel you both are! Cedifor accuses me of subterfuges, Zane of troublemaking. Truly, I do not deserve this.” Ieuan’s fingers floated deftly over Cedifor’s hair.
“Didn’t I come back to see you picking a fight with a protected bird?”
“If that is how it behaves, it is in need of more than protection!” Ieuan retaliated hotly.
“What is this?” Cedifor tilted his head.
“A bird, no bigger than this,” Ieuan paused his combing to hold out his hands, “with feathers of brilliant green. Do not be fooled by its harmless exterior. It is cunning, the equal of any gull. Only instead of fish, its object is hair.”
“Making a nest perhaps? I do not think you can begrudge it that.” Cedifor relaxed.
Ieuan shot Zane a look over Cedifor’s head. “You see how you like having your hair stolen then!”
Zane took his cue. “Just be glad there’s no kea here. Those birds wouldn’t stop at stealing hair. They’d take the whole hut out from under you.”
“Surely you exaggerate.” Cedifor shook his head.
“Only slightly. Kea are smart, mountain parrots with more curiosity than is good for them—or anyone else.” Zane set his can of tuna down as he got into his story. “I went tramping with a couple of friends. There were signs everywhere, telling you not to feed the kea, right? No one told the kea that. They were waiting for us.”
Ieuan held his breath. He carefully lifted the section of hair he worked on and smoothed it out, stroking his hand over Cedifor’s hair. Just as smoothly, Zane stretched out his hand, gathering the next section together just as Ieuan had taught him.
“They’d learnt all the spots where people generally stop for snacks and that, right? So they’d be ahead of us, waiting at the benches, hoping for a snack. We were ready for them, kept our bags shut and an eye on our food. Problem came when Tony decided to take a photo.”
“A photo?” Cedifor asked.
He hadn’t noticed. Ieuan flashed Zane a triumphant grin.
Zane didn’t meet his eyes, focused on his task. “A photo’s a type of picture. You take it with a camera—a machine. You point it at something, hit a button, and it records a picture of whatever you’re pointing at. Very useful. Anyway, the view at this point was amazing, so Tony stopped and whipped his camera out. He didn’t think twice about leaving his bag undone—he was only going to take a minute, and he wasn’t even thinking about food.”
“But the kea were?” Cedifor turned to look at Zane and paused.
Zane continued as if it were the most natural thing in the world for him to be braiding Cedifor’s hair. “They must have planned it. One knocked the bag over, the other two grabbed the first things that fell out and pulled them. They managed to yank out at least half his gear in their search for food.”
Cedifor shot Ieuan a look. “They sound like troublesome creatures.”
Ieuan smirked at him, lowering himself back onto the floor. “I am not convinced the parakeet is any better. I will check the bird is truly gone.”
He leaned against the outside of the hut, humming happily. A good day’s work! Zane had gentled himself, and Ieuan did not think even Cedifor’s pride would stand up long against that. They are alike, even in their faults. They cannot help but meet.
Idly, he gathered his hair over one shoulder, looking down the hill slope to where the clear skies allowed him an uninterrupted view of the ocean. How do you kiss someone with a mouth of barracuda teeth? Ieuan imagined the logistics. There would have to be a lot of tongue, he decided at last. Or perhaps, Cedifor and Zane will spend their time on other things…
Ieuan only had a few moments to be pleased with this conclusion.
A slight sound, steadily growing louder, worked itself into his consciousness until he suddenly became aware of it. The steady thrumming did not reassure.
Ieuan wriggled under the nearest tussock. The air-beast returns!
The hut door opened. Zane stood in the doorway, his expression flat. Together he and Ieuan watched as the helicopter appeared in the sky, working its way towards them.
“Look! It descends.”
“It’s spotted my boat. That’s torn it.” Zane stepped out of the hut. “No way they’re not going to investigate now.”
Ieuan bit his tongue. He remembered too well the effort Cedifor had expended to ensure Zane’s rescue, but he could not help but share Zane’s sentiments. “This is too soon!”
“I thought we had longer.” Zane raised a hand in the air as the helicopter approached.
Ieuan flattened himself even further against the swampy soil. Above him, the thundering of the air-beast’s blades grew to oppressive levels, the tussock tossing about as if a storm raged. Ieuan’s heart squeezed tight. We are doomed! On land, Cedifor and Ieuan had no means of defending themselves…
Incredibly, the pressure lifted. The storm died away, and the noise receded. Ieuan lifted his head and saw the helicopter drawing away into the distance. “It departs?”
“Nowhere to land. It looked Navy. There’s probably a boat nearby.” Zane released his clenched fist. “Time’s up.”
Ieuan raced through the water, senses straining for any sign of the boat Zane anticipated. He heard it before he saw it, a wide humming that came from no living throat. Every sense he possessed told him to dive, to hide in the deep and wait for the intruder to pass. He grit his teeth, forcing himself towards the unnatural sound. What sort of scout am I if I hide from the very thing I’ve come to find?
An immense metal hull cut through the swells with ease, as if they were the gentle waves of a balmy, tropical sunset. The vessel was a dull grey, propelled by heavy blades. It left a faint trace of metal and oil behind it in the water, along with a prolonged silence—the ocean creatures liked the boat as little as Ieuan did.
It is big! Ieuan paused a moment to stare. Twice, no, three times the size of any whaler! It charged ahead, faster than any wind could propel it.
I have seen enough. Ieuan turned, seeking the currents. He would need their help in addition to his own speed if he was to reach Zane and Cedifor ahead of the boat.
He surfaced in the bay nearest the hut, in time to see Zane, Cedifor on his back, reach the shore. “It comes! Fast, so fast I barely outdistanced it. We do not have long—perhaps another five or ten minutes before it is upon us.”
Zane said nothing. He did not need to. The conflict within him was only too clearly reflected on his face.
Cedifor touched his uninjured arm. “This is a good thing. You’ve put far too much strain on your arm. It is not healing as it should.”
Zane snorted, jarred into movement. “Excuse me for not being some super-healing magical creature. Seriously, the pair of you are beyond belief.” Despite his words, he waded into the water with excessive care so Cedifor could climb off his back. “You’re sure you’re—”
“Fine.” Cedifor trod water experimentally, then with growing confidence. “Get out of the water. At this late stage, you should not tempt fate.”
“Too late. You two took care of that already.” Zane hesitated.
“You should not regret rejoining your people.” Cedifor’s tone was gentle. “Nor worry about us. Ieuan and I are strong and resourceful. We will be fine.”
“I know,” Zane said, and Ieuan pulled himself up onto a rock to get a better view. Zane ran the fingers of his uninjured hand over his skull. His hair was longer now than at their first meeting, but what Zane had lost in sleekness, he’d gained in familiarity. Ieuan felt a lump in his throat. “It’s just—it’s gonna take years for me to get another boat.”
“We can wait—” Ieuan started.
“No.” Zane was definite.
“Not in these waters,” Cedifor agreed. “It is too dangerous to tempt fate where Howel is concerned.”
“But how will Zane find us again?” Ieuan looked between his companions. “We cannot simply say goodbye!”
He watched Zane’s fist clench on empty air, the muscles in Cedifor’s neck tightening as he swallowed. Desperately, Ieuan thought of any solution. It cannot end like this!
“It is in my mind,” Cedifor said, “that it was no ordinary chance that united the three of us. It is still no ordinary chance that we have escaped many dangers to speak here now.” He lifted his face, his eyes clear as the sky above them. “I do not doubt that this chance will lead us together again. Not in these waters, but elsewhere—either in your home, Zane, or ours.”
Zane tilted his head. “You’re going back? To your land?”
Cedifor nodded. “No matter where we live, our king’s curse will make things difficult,” he said. “But there was one who was able to resist even our cruel king—”
“One who was—” Ieuan gasped. “You speak of the Witch on the Cliffs? But the witch is the enemy of our people!”
“The witch is the protector of the people of the peninsula,” Cedifor said. “And so the king’s greatest foe. We are not Zane’s enemy, so who knows but that the witch might help us. And if not she… Well, let us find what friends remain.”
Zane nodded slowly. “Witches and kings. And that’s not even the craziest thing about this.” The boat was visible now, a dark blot on the horizon. “We’re a long way from Europe. You’re sure you can find your way?”
“We will find it,” Ieuan assured him. “Even the dullest whale knows how to navigate back to the waters of its birth. Why shouldn’t we?” He placed his hand on Cedifor’s shoulder. “Have no fear for Cedifor,” he promised. “I will care for him as if I were you.”
A smile flashed sharply over Zane’s mouth, and he held out his arm.
Ieuan rejoiced in the hug even as he mourned their parting. I will make sure Cedifor does not forget or doubt you, he promised silently. I will remind him of your strength as much as I can.
With a sigh, Zane released Ieuan. “Thanks, Ieuan. Cedifor—”
“Zane.” Cedifor met his gaze with one of his own. “This is no goodbye.”
Ieuan swallowed, feeling his cheeks light up with heat.
The look between Zane and Cedifor was intimate, far more intimate than any hug. He wanted to give them privacy, but he couldn’t look away. The electricity in the air around him had him bound, just as it had captured his companions.
Ieuan saw Zane draw Cedifor close, feeling his heart beat as though he was the one embraced. Cedifor is right. I do not think any power could prevent them from meeting again.
There was a discordant clatter behind them. Ieuan glanced back and was shocked to see that the boat had approached near enough to the shore that it had lowered a smaller vessel. “There’s no time!” He took Cedifor’s arm. “We have to go now.”
Cedifor still didn’t look away. He held Zane’s gaze right until the moment they dived beneath the waves.
The water was clear, even though the surface waves were choppy. Ieuan and Cedifor sheltered beneath the rocky cliffs, looking up as Zane was welcomed aboard the smaller boat.
“He will be fine,” Cedifor said. “He is with his people, and even more than that, he is a survivor.”
Ieuan glanced at him. It was not Zane he worried about, but Cedifor’s certainty was hard to doubt. “You…?”
“I am also a survivor.” A dark shadow travelled across the ocean floor, and Cedifor floated out to meet it. “Come, Ieuan. We cannot be seen so long as we stay in the boat’s shadow, but we can at least see Zane into friendlier waters.”
Who would have thought Cedifor had such a soft streak? Ieuan hummed as he followed.
“Why do you smile so?”
“No reason.” After a moment, Ieuan repented. “Zane is rescued, we are free, and after so many hundreds of years, we are going home at last. Why should I not be happy?”
“Why indeed?” Cedifor laid his hand on Ieuan’s arm. “There is much ahead of us that we do not know, but the strangest of all might be this—that this is only the start.”