Mickey Reichert - Flight of the Renshai

Tae thought he could make it to the rail, barely, if he did not slow; but he would not leave Imorelda behind.With hardly a thought to his own survival, he snatched at the hatch and jerked it open.

Imorelda emerged, puffed up and hissing. Her mind touched Tae's for an instant, then disappeared as she noticed the crowd bearing down upon them.

Saving her proved Tae's downfall. He twisted as he moved, trying to minimize himself as a target. A sword stroke meant to decapitate him gashed through his right shoulder and slammed against bone. The impact hurled him leftward, saving him from a skewering from a second blade but sending him tripping over the hatch, into an uncontrolled spin toward the port stern. *IMORELDA!* Tae screamed, not caring if she had them on alsona level. Without solid wood between them, she should hear him.*Grab on, and don't panic!* Easy advice, impossible for either of them to obey. Another blade carved a crazy arc across Tae's back, partially protected by the resilience of the garment he wore. *Imorelda!*

Appearing out of nowhere, the cat flung herself at Tae's chest. He caught her without slowing, flinging himself desperately toward the rail. The hammer of footfalls, the shouts of the soldiers and sailors, the lap of the ocean all blended into one indecipherable noise. Then, Tae found himself airborne, falling in a spray of salt water and his own blood. Arrows whizzed around him. One nicked his ear. Another crashed into his back, piercing deep through muscle and into his chest. *Got him!* someone crowed.

I'm dead, Tae realized. The peace it brought put the world in slow motion. He heard nothing but a toneless buzz, saw only the vast blueness of the ocean rushing up to claim him, felt nothing but the cold kiss of sea air against his skin. Then, he hit the water with a slap that brought everything back into focus. A mass of arrows fell around him, slowed to a crawl by the thickness of the water, except for the one that pierced his left thigh.

Still clutching Imorelda, Tae dove, watching the water turn scarlet around him. The cat went crazy in his arms, clawing, biting, twisting in a berserk attempt to free herself from the enclosing depths. The more she fought, the tighter Tae winched her, forcing his legs to move. They had to come up in a different spot or risk another hail of arrows or worse. He hoped they would not be able to follow the blood trail. They may not, but the sharks eventually will.

In the shadow of the bow, Tae finally dared to surface, still grasping a sodden and deadly ball of fur.

Once she filled her lungs with air, Imorelda finally gained enough composure to speak.*You stupid, stupid two legs!You tried to drown me!*

Tae's every breath was agony. Bloody froth bubbled from his mouth, and his shoulder ached so badly he could barely move. He wanted nothing more than to close his eyes and surrender to darkness, to let death quietly take away the pain. Imorelda, he reminded himself. You have to get her home. The only thing firmly settled in Tae's mind was that he would not allow a loved one to die for his folly. Imorelda deserved to live, and Matrinka needed the cat for her sanity.*Imorelda, just listen.* Tae let his head sink backward, allowing the ocean to bear its weight.*Tell Matrinka they have five generals and one magical leader.*

Imorelda climbed onto Tae's uninjured shoulder, shaking out the water.*Tell her your damned self.*

Tae appreciated that the mental conversation did not require breathing. He could never have gasped out that many words.*Imorelda, just listen. Five generals and one magical leader.The whole force will come directly against Bearn. Can you tell her that?* *No, you cat drowner. I'm not telling her anything.* *Imorelda.* Tae did not have the energy to argue, even in his mind. He dared not move from beneath the bow for fear of another attack. *Quiet!* Imorelda commanded.

Tae obeyed gladly, the cat balanced on his shoulder. Her wet fur seemed ten times heavier than normal.

A moment later, Imorelda reappeared in his mind.*They're convinced we're dead.*

Anyone who had seen the arrow pierce him, who noticed the sheer volume of blood in the water, could come to no other conclusion. They're half right. I won't make it, but I'm going to get you home safely. Tae kept that thought to himself.*Hang on, Imorelda. I have to tear these clothes. If I don't stop the bleeding, the sharks will come.* The prospect seemed impossible. Tae felt his consciousness fading, and the idea of getting devoured did not seem so bad. At least, the pain would disappear.

Imorelda jabbed Tae with a claw.*So start ripping already.What are you waiting for?*

"I can't," Tae whispered.

Imorelda swiped her paw across his face hard enough to feel like a slap, though she kept her claws sheathed.

Tae opened his eyes; he did not remember closing them. *Get that bleeding stopped. I don't want to be eaten.*

As long as the sailors did not make a habit of shoveling fish entrails over the side, Tae knew he had a bit of time before the sharks found them. He just had to stay well away from the man he had killed to buy more time. I have to do this. For Imorelda. I can't let Imorelda die. Tae unfastened his one-piece garment and tried to tear it, without success. The sturdy, diagonal double-weave made it nearly impossible. He turned his attention to the shoulder area, where the soldier's sword had cut through the fabric. There, he found better leverage and managed to tear it in half. Cold ocean water seeped over every part of him, reviving and strangely soothing.

Maddeningly slowly, Tae managed to make long strips, which he first stuffed into the hole in his thigh. It felt like torture. Sharp pain racked his entire leg, but he finished the job before winding cloth around the wound to hold the pieces in place.

As he worked, Imorelda shifted around to keep from falling into the water. Apparently, she examined Tae as she did so.*Your shoulder looks like rats have been chewing on it. And there's an arrow sticking out of your back.Want me to try to pull it out?*

Tae could not answer quickly enough.*No! Don't touch it.* He knew what might happen. Moving the shaft could cause the tip to shift, possibly into his heart. He would die instantly. And, even if the worst did not occur, removing it would result in more blood than they might be able to staunch.*Is it bleeding at all?*

Imorelda shifted cautiously.*No.* *Better to leave it, then.*

Imorelda finished the sentence,*Until trained healers can get to it?*

Tae nodded, without real consideration. It did not matter if they ever removed it; he was essentially already dead. He only had to survive long enough to get Imorelda to shore. *Your ear's bleeding, too; but not a lot.Want me to direct you?* *Please.* Tae set to the shoulder first, winding material around it in a bundle. Although the thick sturdiness of the cloth had made it difficult to tear, he now appreciated that it also did a better job of staunching and covering the bleeding. He moved delicately, as much to maintain consciousness as to accommodate the cat. Have to get Imorelda home. The thought became an inviolate chant, the only thing keeping him going long after he should have surrendered. *Now the ear,* Imorelda prompted.

Tae wound his remaining strip of cloth around his head, binding the right ear tightly against his skull. As he did so, he started looking for pieces of wood, a bit of flotsam, anything to which he might cling. It did not take him long. The pirates had destroyed many Western ships, and hunks of broken hull haunted this part of the sea. Tae threw his arms over a generous hunk of nailed-together boards and steered them toward shore.