“I’m putting a word in for all of us,” the cleric replied.
“Hadrian,” Theron said, “if by chance I don’t survive this and you do, keep an eye on my Thrace for me will you? And if she dies too, see to it we are buried on my farm.”
“And if I should die and you live,” Hadrian said. “Make sure this dagger I have in my belt gets back to Royce before the dwarf steals it.”
“Is that all?” the farmer asked. “Where do you want us to bury you?”
“I don’t want to be buried,” he said. “If I die I think I would like my body to be sent down the river, over the falls. Who knows, I might make it all the way to the sea.”
“Good luck,” Theron told him. The sounds of night went suddenly silent, save only for the breath of the wind.
This time with no forest in the way, he could see it coming, its wide dark wings stretched out like the shadow of a soaring bird, its thin body curling, its tail snapping as it flew. It did not dive as it approached. It did not breathe fire or land. Instead, it circled in silent flight, arcing in a wide ellipse.
As it circled, they could see it was not alone. Within its claws, it held a woman. At first, he could not tell who it was. She appeared to be wearing a richly tailored robe but she had Thrace’s sandy colored hair. As it circled the second time, he knew it was his daughter. A wave of relief and heightened anxiety gripped him. What had become of the other?
After several circles, the beast lowered like a kite and softly touched the ground. It landed directly in front of them not more than fifty feet away on the site of the now collapsed manor house.
Thrace was alive.
A massive claw of scale covered muscle and bone tipped with four, foot-long black nails surrounded her like a cage.
“Daddy!” she cried in tears.
Seeing her, Theron made a lung forward. Instantly the Gilarabrywn’s claw tightened and she cried out. Hadrian grabbed Theron and pulled him back.
“Wait!” he shouted. “It’ll kill her if you get too close.”
The beast glared at them with huge reptilian eyes. Then the Gilarabrywn spoke.
Neither Theron nor Hadrian understood a word.
“Tomas,” Hadrian shouted over his shoulder. “What’s it saying?”
“I’m not very good at—” Tomas began.
“I don’t care how well you did in grammar at seminary just translate.”
“I think it said it chose to take the females because it would create the greatest incentive for cooperation.”
The creature spoke again and Tomas did not wait for Hadrian to tell him to translate.
“It says: where is the blade that was stolen?”
Hadrian looked back at Tomas, “Ask it: where is the other female?”
Tomas spoke and the beast replied.
“It says the other escaped.”
“Ask it: How do I know you will let us all live if I tell you where the blade is hidden?”
Tomas spoke and the beast replied again.
“It says it will offer you a gesture of good faith since it knows it has the upper hand and understands your concern.”
It opened its claw and Thrace ran to her father. Theron’s heart leapt as his little girl raced across the hill to his waiting arms. He hugged her tight and wiped her tears.
“Theron,” Hadrian said, “get her out of here. Both of you get back to the well if you can.” Theron and his daughter did not argue and the Gilarabrywn’s great eyes watched carefully as Theron and Thrace began to sprint down the hill. Then it spoke again.
“Now, where is the blade?” Tomas translated.
———
Looking up at the towering beast and feeling the sweat dripping down his face, Hadrian drew the false blade out of his sleeve and held it up. The Gilarabrywn’s eyes narrowed.
“Bring it to me,” Tomas translated its words.
This was it. Hadrian felt the metal in his hands “Please let this work,” he whispered to himself and tossed the blade. It landed in the ash before the beast. The Gilarabrywn looked down at it and Hadrian held his breath. The beast casually placed its foot upon the blade and gathered it into its long talons. Then it looked at Hadrian and spoke.
“The deal is complete,” Tomas said. “But…”
“But?” Hadrian repeated nervously, “But what?”
Tomas’ voice grew weak. “But it says, I cannot allow those who have seen even half my name to remain alive.”
“Oh, you bastard,” Hadrian cursed, pulling his great spadone sword from his back. “Run, Tomas!”
The Gilarabrywn rose up, flapping its great wings causing a storm of ash to swirl into a cloud. It snapped forward with its head like a snake. Hadrian dove aside and spinning drove his sword at the beast. Rather than feeling the blade tip penetrate, however, Hadrian’s heart sank as the point of the spadone skipped off as if the Gilarabrywn was made of stone. The sudden shock broke his grip and the sword fell.
Not losing a beat the Gilarabrywn swung its tail around in a sharp snap. The long bone blade on the tip hummed as it sliced the air two feet above the ground. Hadrian leapt over it and the tail glanced off the hillside stabbing into a charred timber. A quick flick and the several hundred-pound log flew into the night. Hadrian reached inside his tunic and drew Alverstone from its sheath. He crouched like a knife-fighter in a ring, up on the balls of his feet, waiting for the next attack.
Once more, the Gilarabrywn’s tail came at him. This time it stabbed like a scorpion. Hadrian dove aside, and the long point sunk into the earth.
He ran forward.
The Gilarabrywn snapped at Hadrian with his teeth. He was ready for that, expecting it, counting on it. He jumped aside at the last minute. It was so close one tooth sliced through his tunic and gashed his shoulder. It was worth it. He was inches from the beast’s face. With all his strength, Hadrian stabbed Royce’s tiny dagger into the monster’s great eye.
The Gilarabrywn screeched an awful cry that deafened Hadrian. It reared back, stomping its feet. The tiny blade pierced the pupil and cut a slice. It shook its head perhaps as much in disbelief as in pain and glared at Hadrian with its one remaining eye. Then it spat out words so laced with venom that Tomas did not need to translate.
The beast spread its wings and drew itself up in the air. Hadrian knew what was coming next and cursed his own stupidity having allowed the creature to move him so far from the pit. He could never make it there in time now.
The Gilarabrywn screeched and arched its back.
There was a loud twack! A wad of rope netting flew into the air like a ball. With small weights tied to the edges that traveled faster than the center, the net flew open like a giant windsock, enveloping the flapping beast even as it tried to take flight.
Its wings tangled in the net, the Gilarabrywn dropped to the hilltop, crashing down with a heavy thud, the impact throwing up bits of the manor house’s stairway banister that flew end-over-end before shattering in a cloud of ash.
“It worked!” Tobis shouted as much in shock as in triumph from the far side of the hill.