Drift: River of Falcons Book 1

Surprise Attack

Drift drained the boiled eggs and set them on the table along with a bowl of steamed greens. She set two plates, two forks, and two knives down and took her customary seat. That was when it hit her, quite unexpectedly. She began to cry.

"Um, are you all right?"

Drift squeezed her eyes shut. "Sorry," she said. "It's nothing. Just that you're sitting in my grandmother's seat."

Ubi got up, but Drift waved him back. "It's more comfortable than a stool," she said. "I'll be okay."

He sat down again. "Do you want to speak to the Spirits before we eat?" he asked. "That's probably what she does, right?"

Drift nodded and muttered a chant, then said, "Go ahead."

Ubi held an egg up. "There's something on it." He pointed at a W-shaped pattern of light blue dots on the black shell.

"Stars."

"I thought so. This one looks like Cassio, the constellation," he added as he turned it over in his hand.

"Does it?" Drift was staring out the window.

"Are you paying attention? It looks just like it." Ubi shelled the egg and took a bite. While he chewed, he turned the other eggs over in the bowl. "Do they all look like constellations?" he asked.

"Maybe," Drift said, still looking out the window.

"Cassio was the head of some famous sorcerer's guards. They think it's a good sign to see him in the sky."

"Good for them, not for us," Drift pointed out.

"Well, yeah." Ubi pushed the fragments aside. "But the egg tastes good."

Drift shook her head in frustration. "We should've turned around and gone home. We went straight into his trap."

"I did warn you," Ubi pointed out. "You don't look so good," he added. "Are you still upset?"

"Don't be stupid. Of course I am." Drift eyed him, then shook her head. "Sorry. I'm not mad at you. Except for your smell. It kind of takes away my appetite."

"Does that mean I can eat your eggs?" Ubi asked.

Drift shrugged.

"What's this one?"

Drift glanced at it. "Aquilla."

"Which means?"

"It's an eagle," Drift said.

Ubi put it down and picked another up. "This one looks like a weasel or something."

"Lutra Minor, the little otter."

"What do you think they mean?"

"I don't know. Maybe an eagle and an otter are going to appear once the sun sets," Drift said.

"Really?" Ubi asked. "Oh, that's a joke. Ha." He picked up another egg. "This one looks like the Scythe," he announced.

Drift was looking out the window again.

"The Scythe points to the North Star," Ubi continued.

"Falcis, the Scythe. How do you know about that?" Drift turned to look at him.

"Travellers use it to find their way. I spent a summer with them. We lived in a wagon."

"Really?"

"Yeah, my mum's part Traveller I think. She used to go see them up north on the edge of the Wastelands, but she usually left me in town with my grandparents."