Chief Ali had arisen early. He had been despondent, for he could not help but think of how his people had been made captives. Each year more of them were taken by the Winged Raiders. Only two nights before, the Shadow Wings had taken three more of his most promising people and slain two of his best warriors.
He sipped slowly at a cup of water, thinking of how little hope there was ahead for his people. Abdul came to sit beside him, and for a time the two talked of the problems that had beset the tribe.
“I had hoped that the Sleepers, as they are called, might have helped us,” Chief Ali said.
Ali looked downcast. “I, too, had confidence in them, but they are beyond hope now. They've either fallen to the Shadow Wings or to the Winged Raiders of Chief White Storm. In any case, no one escapes either of them.” The two men sat silently, and finally Ali rose slowly. “We will have to take our bands out, away from our homes,” he said finally.
“We cannot leave our homeland, Chief Ali,” Abdul protested.
Pain was in the chief's eyes. He stood there, a tall figure, his skin burned to the color of old copper and set off by his white hair. “We have no other choice. We must leave here, or we will all be the slaves of the Winged Raiders.”
All that day, Chief Ali wandered, looking up often at the sky as had become his custom. The Raiders never made a direct attack on the camp, for there were armed men there ready to protect the Desert People. It was the wandering bands and the isolated families that got too far away whom they made their captives. He finally turned wearily and headed back toward the camp. Even as he turned, something caught his eye—something overhead.
Instantly he shaded his eyes with his hand. It might be only a bird, but there was always the chance it was one of the Raiders.
As soon as he looked, he murmured, “It is not a bird.”
Almost he lifted his voice to cry aloud, but he did not. “There is only one of them,” he said. He quickly removed his sword from his sash and stood waiting. He could not believe that a Raider would come alone. Yet still, as he watched, he saw surely it was a flying man, not a bird.
Closer and closer the form came. At first, only a dot, then growing larger. Ali realized that he had been seen. He planted his feet and gritted his teeth. “Come to me,” he whispered, “I will feed your body to the jackals of the desert!”
The wind whistled, drowning out his words. He kept his eyes fixed steadily on the Winged Raider and saw that he was dropping straight toward him. Planting his feet, he said, “Now, we shall see.”
Steadily the Raider dropped. Then the huge wings suddenly spread, and Ali held his sword in the guard position.
“Chief Ali, it's me, Jake Garfield.”
Chief Ali Shareef had never been so shocked. He knew, of course, that the Winged Raiders wore wings that were made, not grown, but still . . .
“Is it you, my son?” he gasped and ran forward to meet Jake. He stared at the young man stopping in front of him and shook his head in wonder. “How is it that you fly? Are you now one of the Winged Raiders?”
“No, never that,” Jake said quickly. His eyes were tired, for he had had a long flight. He had been afraid that he would lose his way over the trackless desert and indeed he had, but he had received good instructions from White Storm and now, though he was tired, he said, “I bring you good news,” he said. “Goél is with us.”
Chief Ali stared at the young man. He could not help examining the wings curiously and asking, “How did you learn all of this? How is it you are not a slave?”
“There's no time to explain right now,” Jake said wearily. He lifted his shoulders, and his body almost ached with the effort he had made. Flying was harder work than it looked. It took constant adjustments to change the flight to meet the different changes of the wind. He said quickly, “We must go at once to the Citadel, you and all your armed men.”
Chief Ali stared. “What is this?” he asked quietly. “Tell me what has happened.” He stood listening as Jake recounted his adventures, and his eyes grew wide with wonder. Finally he interrupted to ask, “What does it all mean, your coming here? If the others have wings, why could they not escape too?”
“Because there's a war between the Shadow Wings and the Winged Raiders.”
“They're all the same to me,” Chief Ali snapped. “Those who come out of the sky never bring anything but evil to my people.”
Jake had thought about this on his long journey. He had also planned a speech. “There is a difference, Chief,” he said quickly. “The Shadow Wings are the servants of the Dark Lord, whereas White Storm and his band are not. What we must do is to assist the Winged Raiders to defeat the Shadow Wings. Then we can arrange a peace between your people and the people of Chief White Storm.”
Chief Ali listened as Jake outlined the plan. He had difficulty accepting what the young man told him, but Jake became very persuasive. At last he said, “You'll find Chief White Storm a man of honor even as you yourself are. If you could only sit down and talk to him, the two of you would learn to respect one another.”
“I can hardly believe that,” Chief Ali said. “Nevertheless, if there is any hope, I am willing to try. Tell me more of this plan you have come with.” He continued to listen and, when he had heard it all, he took a deep breath and stood impassively, his eyes fixed on the face of the young man.
Jake could not read beyond the features of the chief. He thought at first Ali meant to refuse, but then the chief nodded, saying, “We will try it.” He hesitated, then said, “We will see if Goél is with you or not, my young friend.”
* * *
All around the camp there were stirrings as the Winged Raiders prepared themselves for the battle to come. Ever since Jake had come back and held a secret conference with Chief White Storm, all knew that great things were underfoot. The chief at once gave the order that all warriors were to be prepared, but he gave no details.
Jalor stood watching as the warriors worked on their arrows, sharpened their swords and daggers, and balanced their spears carefully to be sure they were true. Sure Flight, the chief's second-in-command, would lead the attack. He came now to stand before Jalor. His dark reddish hair gleamed in the early morning sunlight, and he demanded, “Well, Jalor, will you fight with us?”
Instantly Jalor nodded. “Yes, I will be honored to be among the ranks of the valorous Raiders.” He smiled, but as soon as Sure Flight turned and left, he also moved away.
He was walking along the edge of the huge cliff staring out in the direction of Shadow Wing territory when he heard footsteps. Turning, he saw Darkwind approaching. “Were you able to discover the plan?”
“No, they will tell me nothing,” Jalor snapped. “That is your responsibility; you are one of them. You should be able to uncover the strategy.”
A snarl curled Darkwind's lips upward. “I have tried, but the chief will say nothing, nor will Sure Flight. We are told simply that we will leave the Citadel, and tonight we will be told the final battle plan.”
“White Storm is a wise battle leader,” Jalor said slowly. “No chance of a leak that way.” He fingered his dagger thoughtfully, murmuring, “We will have to make our plans as we go. As soon as we find out the plan, I will slip away and alert our friends on the other side.”
The two men parted then, and Darkwind went at once to his unit. Jalor wandered among the warriors, studying their faces and wishing he knew what was in the mind of Chief White Storm.
Jake looked around the circle of his friends and said, “Well, this is it—our last chance. If we fail, I think we'll all be executed. Chief White Storm has given us this one chance, but he's still not totally convinced. Only a victory will do that.”
Josh looked over his shoulder. They had been released from their confinement and were to join in the attack, for Sure Flight believed in them, and the Winged Raiders needed every warrior they could get. “What is the plan, Jake?” he asked. “All the warriors are a little confused. I don't think it's usual to go to a battle without knowing how they're going to fight.”
“That was my idea,” Jake said, then grinned. “Well, not really. It was Goél's idea. He said to let no one know the battle strategy until just before the attack. But I can tell you.” Even though the nearest Raider was fifty feet away, he lowered his voice and whispered, “You see, the Shadow Wings have never been attacked except from the air. In the last war with the Winged Raiders, that was what it amounted to. The Shadow Wings live like the Raiders, on a high peak. It takes a great deal of skill just to get up there. But there is a way.”
Reb said, “I know, just like Old Stonewall Jackson. He was always sneaking around and coming at the enemy from behind. He done that at Chancellorsville.”
“You're right, Reb,” Jake nodded. “What we will do is make what we call a feint. The Shadow Wings will be looking up at the sky, expecting the enemy to come from there. They won't be looking behind them at the passes. They'll have every warrior they've got right on the front line. So we'll draw them off, draw them away from safety, and as soon as they leave, Chief Ali and his men will come up the slope and take the ground.”
Dave exclaimed, “And they won't have any home base to go back to!”
Abigail said, “It was like that in one of the wars in Oldworld when they had aircraft carriers. Once a group of pilots left the deck they had no place to go. If the carrier was sunk, they were lost.”
“That's it. Pretty simple.” Jake nodded. “The timing is the tough thing. Chief Ali can't move up the slope until we draw the Shadow Wings into battle, and we can't move the Winged Raiders into battle until Chief Ali is ready.”
“Sounds like a hard thing to me,” Wash said. Then his white teeth flashed. “But I guess you can handle it, Jake.”
Jake flushed. “We all know better than that,” he said, “but it's our one chance. All of us are going,” he said. “Not that some of us are any good as warriors, but at least we add numbers, and that's what we've got to do—impress the Shadow Wings with our force.”
“Well,” Josh scratched his head thoroughly, worry in his eyes, “I'll do anything to get Sarah back. We all will. Let's agree here that once the battle starts, our job is to find Sarah and Swiftwind. Goél won't let us down. We'll find them.”
* * *
An early dawn attack was the plan. The force had left the Citadel after dark so that no spies from the Shadow Wings could see them crossing the skies. Sure Flight led them in a roundabout direction, and they spent the night on a peak not five miles away from the mountain where the Shadow Wings had their camp.
Now all the warriors were gathered around, listening as Sure Flight gave them their instructions. The wind was cool, and the Sleepers stood huddled in a bunch, listening carefully.
“We will attack at dawn,” Sure Flight said. “We must allow ourselves to be seen. That way we can draw the enemy's attention to ourselves.”
Instantly Darkwind cried out, “Why should we allow ourselves to be seen? I say always we want to surprise the enemy.” His eyes met those of Jalor across the way, who nodded shortly. “I say the battle plan is bad.”
Sure Flight raised his voice. “You're not the battle chief of the Raiders, Darkwind. Not yet. There is more to this battle plan than you know, and now the time has come to reveal it. We have allies in this battle.”
A murmur went around the warriors, and Jalor asked the question they all had. “And who are these allies, sir?”
Sure Flight kept his eyes fixed on Jalor and said evenly, “The Desert People—they will fight with us against the Shadow Wings.”
“They are our enemies,” Darkwind cried in astonishment.
“Not any longer,” Sure Flight said firmly. “It is our only hope. We will draw the Shadow Wings into the air. Chief Ali and his troops are waiting at the foot of the mountain, well hidden. When the Shadow Wings take to the air to pursue us, the Desert People will charge up the slope and take the base. And then there will be no place for the Shadow Wings to return to. They will be trapped.”
Sure Flight gave firm instructions. “You will come in squadrons. I will lead the first. We have two purposes: one is to defeat the Shadow Wings, but more important, we must rescue the son of Chief White Storm. We must have Swiftwind and the Sleeper Sarah.”
Jalor said smoothly, “I believe I can help with that. I know something about these people. I believe I could find the captives if you would permit me to pursue it.”
Sure Flight hesitated. He knew that Jalor had some knowledge of the Shadow Wings. This had been the flaw in the plan. He and White Storm and Jake had all considered the possibility that the Shadow Wings would kill the captives before allowing them to be retaken. After a moment's hesitation, he nodded. “Very well. You will take the Sleepers and lead them to the prison and set the captives free.”
Jake leaned over and whispered to Josh. “I don't like that much. I'd rather we just hunted and found them ourselves. I don't trust that guy.” But there was no time, for Sure Flight was calling out for an instant departure.
“The sun will be up. See, already it turns the eastern skies red.” He lifted his fist and shouted, “We will win this battle! The Winged Raiders will defeat their enemies! Come, by squadrons—”
None of the Sleepers ever forgot that flight! The sky seemed filled with winged men led by Sure Flight and the other squadron commanders. Jake and the other Sleepers flew in the last wave, and he could see as they looked down that they had been noticed.
“Look, they're coming up! They must have been ready!” Jake called to Lareen, who flew close to his side. She had elected to come with the Sleepers despite her father's objections.
“Yes.” Lareen clasped a bow in her hand and notched an arrow. She called out, “We will stay as far from the fighting as we can.”
Jalor, who was close by, said, “As soon as the fighting starts, we will slip away and come in from the easterly direction.”
The battle began at once. It reminded Reb of movies that he had seen of air war. The Shadow Wings were indeed as black as night. They came furiously, and soon the air was filled with arrows and with a clash of sword on sword. Warriors grappled, fighting fiercely with daggers. Jake saw two of them drop toward the ground fighting until one of them slipped away limply to fall to the earth. There were screams and cries of battle and such confusion that the Sleepers could make nothing of it.
At that moment Jalor said, “Come, this way!” He soared off to the right, and the Sleepers followed him. Soon they were out of range of the battle sounds, and Jalor made a swooping turn. “This way!” he cried.
The little group landed on an open space in a wooded plateau. “The prison is that way,” Jalor said. He looked at Jake. “Garfield, you lead the force. I will cover the rear. That is where the trouble will come from.”
Jake was glad to be rid of Jalor. “Where is it?” he said. They all listened as Jalor gave the simple instructions, then turned and ran across the rock. Jake's heart was beating like a trip-hammer, and he looked across to see that Wash was panting hard too. “Don't fall behind, Wash,” he said. “We've got to stick together.”
Reb and Dave led the attack. They found the entrance to the cave guarded by only two warriors. The Shadow Wing guards let out a cry, but both young men had brought their bows. They loosed an arrow apiece, and both guards went down.
“Come on!” Reb yelled and uttered a wild, screeching cry. “Let's get them Yankees!”
“They're not Yankees,” Dave said. “They're Shadow Wings.”
“Oh, yeah, I forgot.”
Then they were inside the cave. It was dark, but they made their way to a large steel door. Reb had brought the key from the belt of one of the guards and unlocked the door.
At once Sarah burst out. She threw herself at Josh, who grabbed her to keep her from falling.
“Sarah,” he said, “are you all right?”
“Yes, I'm so glad you've come. I knew you would.”
“Come on. We've got to get out of here. Are you all right, Swiftwind?”
Swiftwind stared at Jake, his face wearing an odd expression. He was silent for a moment, then nodded. “I see now that the servants of Goél are faithful, and so it must be that I will serve Goél. I and all my people when I am chief.”
“No one is serving Goél.”
They all whirled to see Jalor standing there, and behind him a group of Shadow Wings all carrying swords. Jalor grinned triumphantly. “The plan has failed,” he announced. “Now all of you are my prisoners.”
What happened at that moment triggered what would later be called the Battle of the Cave.
The smile on the face of Jalor infuriated Lareen. “You traitor!” she cried and threw herself forward, pulling the short sword out of her belt.
Jalor, caught off guard by the audacious young woman, managed to draw his own sword, but her blade caught it and sent it spinning. At the same time, Jake yelled, “Sleepers, fight for the honor of Goél!”
Fortunately Jalor had brought only four armed men. They attacked, but two of them died at once as Reb and Dave loosed their arrows. The other two went down as Wash, Jake, Abbey, Josh, and Sarah threw themselves forward. Ordinarily it would not have been possible for young people to overcome these warriors, but the fury of their attack overwhelmed the Shadow Wings.
Lareen held the point of her blade to the throat of Jalor who began crying, “Don't kill me! Don't kill me!”
“You're a traitor,” she said. “We will let the chief decide.” Then she turned to Swiftwind, who had joined in the attack and said, “Now we will see what Goél can do for our people. Come. Let us see how the battle goes!”