Drift: River of Falcons Book 1

Unexpected Changes

Drift and Ubi stopped above a steep bank with chutes worn into it. "These must be the slides," Drift said, gripping a sapling with one hand and leaning over the bank. "They're kind of muddy, though."

Ubi grinned. "I bet it's fun! You worry too much about being clean."

"Do I really? I hope I'm not as filthy as you are. You could use a dunking. You really could."

Ubi ignored the comment. He was leaning out over the slides. "If it's not too deep to wade, I'd like to try one of these. Can you check how deep it is?"

Drift shook her head. "Wait for Arty to get here. He must have a way to avoid the effects of the spelled water."

"I do," Arty said, coming up behind them. "Any creature that naturally lives in this stream is spared. The spell only affects those who don't belong, like sorcerers."

"Or us," Drift added.

"True," Arty said, "but the elders are going to teach you how to take otter form so you can swim with me."

"I can't swim," Ubi said.

"All otters can swim. You'll see. But don't go in the water until the elders teach you how."

"You could teach us," Drift said.

"No, it has to be an elder, but I can demonstrate if you like."

Drift and Ubi nodded.

"It's easy. You just need one of these little pearls," Arty said, reaching into a leather pouch slung from his belt. "They'll give you your own pouches. You pop one under your tongue, and when you say the verba, it melts and you change. To turn back into yourself, all you have to do is say the resolvo. Like this."

There was a faint popping sound and a smell of shellfish as Arty was replaced by an otter. The otter spun around and dove down one of the slides. He entered the water nose first, legs tucked at his sides.

"Hey!" Ubi said. "Did you see that? That was amazing!"

"It was pretty good," Drift said.

"Pretty good? It's incredible! I want to do it," Ubi continued, his eyes wide. "Come on, let's try!"

*

Several leagues to the north, the flock of crows and ravens was combing the forest. Raucous caws and croaks echoed off the broad trunks of stately trees, scaring the songbirds that nested in them and sending rabbits scurrying for their burrows. The search continued like that until an even louder bird-call drew the flock back to the field in front of Drift's cottage. It was the call of a powerful hawk.

As the flock landed, each bird shimmered into an apprentice and stood in front of Atratus. When the assembly was complete and all was quiet, he gestured toward the cottage and its yard. "You're forgetting your instructions. Don't waste more time searching here," he growled. "The girl has obviously fled. Fan out and fly downriver, covering the woods and fields on either side." Then he leapt into the air, taking hawk form again, and flapped off toward the south, a trail of black birds following him. Among those birds was Jasper.

*

Ubi, his eyes wild with excitement, tugged Drift toward the muddy slide. She stumbled, then got her footing and pulled back, hard. Ubi fell at her feet and rolled over, looking up at her. "Wow," he said, sounding surprised. "I'm so sorry! I don't know why I did that."

"Because you're an idiot?" Drift asked, looking down at him. "Or..."

He scrambled to his feet. "Or what?" he asked.