Raven Girl

Chapter 25

Elias had never particularly liked boats, but he had to admit that once they reached the Great Fjord, they made good progress. Gylfi had steered them to a little cave half-concealed by ivy, and they hid inside as their pursuers – the police from the station – sailed past looking for them. Then they'd emerged and continued on their way. Elias had thought, grumpily, that they'd have to row the whole way, but with the current and the wind on their side, they just had to maintain the sails and steer. And the fjord was breathtaking – bordered on either side by cliffs or mountains, the water was a stunning shade of blue or sometimes green.

"Onward to Blackthorn Fortress," Gylfi kept saying, with fake cheer.

They all continued trying to act like Nadine hadn't existed. Even Regina stopped mentioning her name.

One morning, Elias woke with the hairs on the back of his neck prickling. He sat silent through their hasty breakfast and kept glancing around as he and Gylfi rowed – the breeze was only faint.

"Something's different today," he said in a low voice.

"Are your assassin senses tingling?" Gylfi replied.

Elias glared at him. "I'm serious, I – what was that?" He'd seen a flash of dark movement out of the corner of his eye. He turned. Regina watched him from beside the tiller where she was yawning, puzzled.

Something whizzed out of the cliff and struck the deck, quivering, in front of Gylfi. Elias leapt to his feet. "Knife. We're under attack!"

Men burst from cliff ledges and swung towards the boat on ropes. Gylfi and Elias unsheathed their blades as Regina screamed.

"Shrikes," Elias said, as the men hit the decks and advanced. He recognised one of them – a scarred man with close-cropped hair – but he could tell who they were by the way they moved. They were used to combat. He sliced and stabbed with his scimitar, ducking and whirling to avoid their attacks. Because they were good, but he was better.

"Elias!" Regina screamed, and he sighed before lunging towards the men surrounding her. If only this was a solo mission. Worrying about other people put him at a disadvantage. He drew his scimitar across the necks of Regina's attackers and they collapsed. Then he whirled, not waiting for her thanks, standing in front of her to face the remaining gang members.

He instantly saw that there were too many. "Gylfi." They'd have to abandon ship.

"No!" Gylfi snarled, his sword a blur of movement where he was backed against the mast. He knew Elias's tone – knew what he was implying. A captain never abandons his ship, Elias thought. Foolish.

Elias sighed again and kicked out, his foot crunching against a nose, before turning to Regina. Shadows sliced over them as the boat moved beneath a high cliff. "We can't fight them. Time to escape."

"What –?"

He swept her off the Stormdanser and into the fjord.

Elias made to dive after her as she hit the black waters, but a hand grabbed the back of his jacket. Elias twisted with his scimitar, but another shrike's sword caught it, and the blade was jolted from his hand. He hissed as it clattered along the deck. One shrike each grabbed his arms, pinning them behind his back. Elias twisted against them. He would not be taken in so easily. He kicked behind him, aiming for the groin, and the shrike released him with a grunt. He twisted and drove his elbow into another's face, before spinning and diving for his scimitar.

Another shrike bowled him over. A boot crushed his outstretched hand. "I don't think so."

Elias snarled, but stiffened when he felt the bite of a blade pressed against his neck.