Witi Ihimaera - Sky Dancer

“Oh? Is it really necessary to withdraw some of my troops? Everyone’s needed at the front. Are you sure it’s not just a hen thing?”

Skylark glared at Kotuku. “What do you mean?”

“You’re not just doing this to show Arnie you know better?”

“No,” Skylark answered. “I’m really serious about this mission. Whose side are you on anyway?”

“Okay.” Kotuku nodded, not quite convinced. “But there are no sides in love, Skylark. You’re going to have to learn not to win all the time. If you can’t do that, try at least to pretend to lose.”

With that Kotuku yelled out to The Great White Egret, Te Arikinui Huia, Te Arikinui Karuwai and Te Arikinui Korimako. “Can you all keep the manu moana busy? Skylark and I have something to do, okay?”

“Go,” Huia answered, her eyes wide with anxiety. “But don’t be too long.”

Kotuku signalled eight of her fiercest troopers to follow her. “Kra- aak ! Kra- aak ! We are under Chieftainess Skylark’s command.” She turned to Skylark. “Where are we going?”

“To the offshore islands,” Skylark answered.

“Let me through, kik-kik-kik- kik —”

Arnie headed for Chieftain Kahu. All around him were astonishing displays of aeronautical prowess as landbirds clashed bills and struck claws in duels across the sky. Arnie himself had fended off a fulmar here, a southern giant petrel there, and had almost been gutted by a particularly dexterous frigate bird, which came up behind him, its long, angular tail opening and closing in a menacing scissor action. Luckily for Arnie a whirling pigeon and a prion intervened in battle between them, and the petrel sheared off, screaming with anger at being denied its kill.

Kahu just had to be right in the thick of it. His beak was covered in blood and when, from the corner of his right eye, he saw what he thought was another seabird closing on him, he whirled and struck with his left claw.

Arnie danced out of the way. “Easy, chief,” he said. “I’m on your side, remember?”

“Oops!” Kahu smiled, relieved. “So how goes it, my young warrior from the future?”

“The battle hangs in the balance,” Arnie said, “but I fear the worst. Although the odds have gone down, we are still outnumbered. Even if we win, the seabirds from the future are still coming through the ripped sky.”

“We will never be taken by the seabirds,” Kahu cried, “never. Even if they enslave our world, we will escape to the mountains and carry on reprisals. We will never submit to their rule.” Kahu cocked a curious eye at Arnie. “You’ve got something on your mind, Chieftain?”

“I’m going after Kawanatanga,” Arnie said. “But he’s surrounded by his own personal guards and they’ll kill me before I get within spitting distance of him. Could I borrow you and your hawks for a while? If they can keep the guards engaged, you and I will be able to get past them. If we do that, I want you to engage Kawanatanga, pretend you’re wounded, and decoy him away from the battle. Can you do that?”

“Consider it done.”

Kahu nodded and gave three piercing whistles. Immediately three of his sons came flying down with the wind. “Yes, Dad?”

“Follow after us,” Kahu said. “Leave Kawanatanga to me and Chieftain Arnie, but do what you like with his guards —”

Arnie turned and looped low, looking for Kawanatanga. Kahu and his boys moved in on either side of him. Arnie used his binocular vision, found Kawanatanga and zeroed in.

Further over on the far side of the battle, Arnie saw a slight movement. White feathers sparkled in the sun, drifting down Manu Valley, beating seaward.

In front was a small brown bird.

Was that Skylark?

“Are we being followed? Surely the seabirds are after us.”

Skylark was gliding the offshore winds, afraid to look back. If she did so she might see that Kawanatanga had noticed her and Te Arikinui Kotuku slipping away. He would guess what she intended to do and would send seashags, like avenging harpies, to stop her.

“No,” Kotuku answered. “We’ve got away undetected.”

Skylark followed the coastline, hoping to blend in with the landscape. Who knew what scouts Kawanatanga might have left on guard of the outer islands? Or maybe Kawanatanga felt so confident of victory that he had left the door wide open. Well, if he did, she intended to fly right through it.

“Are we not going straight to the islands?” Kotuku asked.

“No,” Skylark answered. “Not yet.”

The islands were like three jagged teeth jutting out of the glistening sea. Skylark recalled Arnie’s description of them. The closest island was the late Karuhiruhi’s pah, a jagged crown of tall crags and eyries fortified by military parapets and launching pads. The two outlying islands were nurseries, one low-lying with nests scattered over a high plateau, the other high with holes in cliffs for mollymawk chicks. Above and around them, Skylark could see female seabirds wheeling and circling in the bright sky. Now what had Arnie said?

By the way, Skylark, did I tell you there’s oil down there? The stuff is just oozing out of the ground.

Okay, so where was it?

Kotuku gave a slight grunt of distaste. She had guessed where their mission was heading. “Just follow your nose, Skylark dear,” she said. Already, the sharp acrid smell was permeating the air.

“Oh no,” one of young troopers said. “That place is evil. To fly over it is to lose consciousness and fall into the bubbling black mire beneath. Once you land in it, you are trapped there forever. Must we go there?”

“I want to create a diversion,” Skylark answered. “But to do it, I need some straw.”

“Straw?” Kotuku asked.

“The stuff you make your nests with.”

“Would abandoned ones do? There’s bound to be plenty of those on the beach.”

“Perfect,” Skylark said. She followed Kotuku down to the sand dunes. “Can you carry one in each claw?” she asked the troopers. “Okay? lets go.”

The mission took off again, heading for the place where the oil seeped and boiled above the ground. Skylark skirted the black sludge, but even from a safe distance the toxic fumes affected everyone as large bubbles of gas were expelled. Caught in one of them, Kotuku started coughing and vomiting.

Skylark saw a small outer pond where landing looked safe. She signalled the mission to go down. “Soak the nests in the oil,” she instructed. “Now, take them with you, fly a safe distance away and wait for me. I’ll be with you soon.”

“Why are you staying behind?” Kotuku asked.

“There’s something else I want to do before I join you,” Skylark said.

“Then I’ll stay with you,” Kotuku answered.

“No,” Skylark ordered. “I said go, and I mean go.”

Skylark’s head was reeling from the toxic fumes. “If I can set the oil alight,” she said to herself, “the smoke is sure to bring the seabirds back.” She tried to light a match. “But what if I catch fire myself, or don’t leave enough time to get away?” She tried again. Still no flame from the match. Worse, she felt herself being overcome by the fumes, becoming disoriented. She sank down on the sand, her head whirling. “I’ve got to do it,” she gasped. “I’ve —”

There was a whir of wings as Kotuku returned. “Why do you think you always need to do things by yourself?” she asked.

“Oh don’t get me started,” Skylark coughed. “Can you hold this box firmly for me?” She took a match in her beak and struck it against the box. Again the match failed to flare.

“Give it to me,” Kotuku said.

She took the match from Skylark’s beak and struck it against one of her claws.