Chapter Sixteen

She must leave the sea hawk. The young raptor would need to feed, rest, and heal. Thera would not risk her again, yet she was uncertain how to go about what she planned. The last time Thera had left the joining, she had almost lost herself upon the wind. Of course, then the rupture had been sudden and unexpected, and this time Thera would prepare.

Thera took time to compose herself, and then projected herself outward. Quick as thought, she was borne far above the wind-bitten trees of the island, loose upon the wind.

The hawk on her branch keened after her, and Thera sent warm reassurance and thanks.

Thera could sense that the elementals were intrigued and excited about her change of form. She too, was fascinated with this disembodied state. There was danger, however, as already she could feel the urge to dissolve as a warm lethargy washing over her. She must hold to her purpose or she would be lost.

She moved out over the water, faster and faster through the air, as if she were an air elemental herself. With hissing speed she passed the Memteth ship, the elementals so close they were almost joined with her. She marveled at the speed of her flight in this state.

She continued east, back toward Shawl Bay, skimming as far across open sea as she could from the Memteth ship, then slowed and turned. The Memteth sail was a small black speck against the white water of Dog Leg passage.

Teacher had long ago explained to Thera how waves were actually energy moving through the water. Master Petrack’s nephew, Bren, had told her that fearsome furies are unleashed when tidal currents happen to cross the path of waves, or move in opposition to them.

“The tide is ripping at full flood through the Dog Leg now.”

She demanded of Sussara, “Have you ever played on the water, to make waves?”

“Yesss!” Was the wind elemental’s response, “We play to see who can make the biggest wave crash on the rocks.”

The Elanraigh tree elemental sent Thera the equivalent of a grunted laugh. Thera sensed the tree elemental already knew what she hoped to achieve, and it thrummed a grim satisfaction with her plan.

The small wind elemental swirled eagerly, “Therrra, what is it you and tree cousin plan?”

“We are going to make a wave,” Thera explained to Sussara. “As big a wave as we can. I will enter the water, you and tree cousin will stay as close to me as you can, skimming the surface. The riptide is running north through the passage and we will strike the rip and the Memteth ship as they pass in front of the rocks at Dog Leg Island’s north end.”

“But we are so far away from the black ship,” complained Sussara.

Thera swirled thoughtfully a moment. “We are not a very big energy front, little one. We need the distance to gather as much wave as possible. You will see.”

“Sussara,” Thera continued, “are you good at this game you play?”

The small elemental puffed, “I am the bessst!”

Thera expanded with approval. “We must hit the rip, just as the Memteth ship passes in front of those jagged rocks. You must judge for us when is best to start our run toward them.” Thera’s mind voice expressed worry.

The small elemental buffed itself against her and whispered reassuringly, “I can do thisss, Therrra.”

The three of them swirled silently in place, watching the agonizingly slow progress of the Memteth ship toward the tangle of dark rocks that marked the end of Dog Leg passage.

Finally, Sussara hissed, “We go, now!”

Thera dove beneath the water, trusting the two elementals to keep close by her at the surface. Her speed in the water was only slightly less than it had been in the air, though she could now feel a resistance building ahead of her.

“Ssoon now.” Sussara urged her on, keeping their course true. Then their wave hit the riptide, and Thera was thrust into the air on impact. She reunited with the two elementals and they boiled together with excitement.

“Hush now,” urged Thera. “Let us see what we have done.”

The Memteth ship was trapped in an eddy which quickly became a whirlpool, whipping the seven pike-length ship end for end, and tumbling the crew helplessly on the deck. A huge dead-head log breached from its watery grave and crashed down upon the ship. The Memteths’ cries were lost in the groaning and splintering of the wooden hull. As if in death throes, the prow heaved skyward on a swell, only to sink silently into the wave interval.

Thera spiraled over the place. Debris from the deck bobbed in the turbulence. She could hear gull cries again.

“By the One Tree!” Thera’s mind-shout sent Sussara and the tree elemental spinning. There was the Memteth leader, clinging to a remnant of the shattered sitka spar, kicking for the shore of Dog Leg Island. “He lives! “

Thera dove again, but disembodied, and at this close range couldn’t affect his progress in any way. The Memteth spasmed in a shiver, glancing briefly below the water, and then resuming his efficient, thrusting kick, he swam toward the shore of Dog Leg Island.

With horrified fascination, Thera studied him; his teeth clenched, his face in a twisted grimace as he fought to survive. The slash her sea hawk had torn in his face ran from brow bone, past the corner of his eye, to his upper lip.

“It will be a very ugly scar. Could anyone be so tenacious of life!” She swirled closer. He grunted with effort as he kicked behind the log, his eyes steadily fixed on the rocky shore of the island.

Riptide might accomplish what she could not. He may never make shore. It must be enough.

Suddenly, Thera felt an extreme lethargy. So tired. Feeling frayed and thin, she wove slowly upward.

“Therrra! You must not sleep. Stay with usss, and we will take you home. Yesss?”

Her two elementals were worried and swirled around her, creating an eddy to keep her in one piece. She felt them buffeting her toward shore.

When she was once again above Shawl Bay, she saw her body just as she had left it lying on the beach and with the sighting, she experienced again the stunning force of rejoining with her own body.

Her physical pains quickly prodded her to consciousness. Wiping sand off her face, she flinched in pain. Her skin was afire with sunburn on the left side of her face, her lips were so dry and cracked. And oh, the thirst!

Thera moved her stiffened limbs, dragging herself upright. Startled crows fled squalling from their perches on the sitka remains. She swayed dizzily a moment. With her first deep breath, she gagged on the odors rising from the beach.

Nan, Innic and Jon, my dear friends, I do not have the strength just now to build you stone cairns to honor you as you deserve, but it will be done. Tears filled Thera’s burning eyes.

She must get into the shade and the protection of the Elanraigh. Nausea boiled up from her stomach and burned at the back of her throat; she fell to her knees and vomited. Her head pounded. Slowly she rose, and one foot in front of the other; her progress halting and meandering as a drunken soldier’s return to barracks.

As the trail steepened she was on all fours more often than not. The throbbing in her head worsened and her vision blurred. At the last part of the climb, she collapsed, pressing her aching forehead against the seeming coolness of the granite rock.

However, the Elanraigh would give her no rest. “Rise. You Must!” The Elanraigh sent her visions of her dark haven, the hemlock tree cave. The rivulet of cool green water that bathed the hemlock’s roots would soothe her forehead and burned cheeks. It was an irresistible argument. She rose and climbed the last few feet.

Sussara caressed her, twining about her like a cat. “Therraa! Tree cousin is home again, you are home again. Just a little farther.”

Thera remembered nothing more of her staggering progress until she became aware that the tree cave was before her, and with a groan of pleasure she slid forward, elbow deep in the fragrant humus, and buried herself in its darkness.