It was fleshy and looked like its name, except for its color, which was a reddish-purple. The plant grew on tree trunks, so it looked as if the trees had ears and were listening: an eerie sight. Perig cut them off, using a knife. The cut ends did not bleed, a relief to Ahl.
On the far side of the island was a moor, covered with low vegetation. The birds there were large and heavy, like the halpa which people raise on many parts of our home planet. Like halpa, they flew when startled, but only for a short distance. Then they dropped down and tried to run.
"This can't be called a sport," said Cholkwa and shot one.
Seen close, it was covered with glossy brown feathers, except for its legs and feet, which were naked and bright blue. There were areas of bare skin on the head, circling the animal's round yellow eyes, so it seemed to wear spectacles, though this image would not have occurred to Ahl. In her age spectacles were rare, and it's likely that she never saw a pair.
"What do you think?" asked Cholkwa.
"It looks like a halpa," said Perig. "Except for the blue skin. Maybe it's a relative. If so, it ought to be tasty, especially in a stew with my ears."
They spent the midday killing birds. All had the same areas of blue skin. So it wasn't a disease, a thought which had occurred to Ahl. When they had enough, Perig found a long straight branch. They fastened the birds to it by their bright blue feet and carried them back this way, Cholkwa at one end of the stick, Ahl at the other. The wind had died. Ahead of them a trail of smoke rose into the cloudless sky.
"They must be heating pitch," said Perig. "The ship was taking on water, the captain said."
"How could it not ?" asked Cholkwa. "If I had known what kind of trip this was going to be --"
"We couldn't stay in Sorg," said Perig. "Nor return to the north; and we have survived the journey."
"Wait till we've reached our destination before you say that," replied Cholkwa.
They reached the inlet in late afternoon. The ship's cook, a burly man with gray-brown fur, descended on them and seized their birds. Perig followed with his ,sin ears.
Dinner was roast bird. The cook would use the ears tomorrow, Perig said. "The men are hungry. A stew takes time; and tsin ears require special preparation. I have to say the birds taste fine roasted. I'm almost certain they're related to halpa."
"How did they get here?" asked Cholkwa. "They could hardly fly."
"Maybe they've been here all along," Perig said. "Placed by the Goddess when she made the world."
"Or maybe people left them," said Ahl, licking her fingers.
"That's possible," Perig admitted.
Most of the sailors stayed on shore that night, as did Perig andCholkwa. Ahl suspected the two men were interested in sex, now that they were safe and could get away from their female companions. Nothing could be done in the cabin. No self-respecting male would do anything so intimate in a room containing women.
But on a dark beach, surrounded by other men -- She envied them and went back to the ship.
The next day the Taig captain said, "I'm tired of your comrade's laziness. What is his excuse today? Sickness? An unlucky omen?"
"He still hasn't recovered from the storm," said Ahl.
"Nonsense," said the captain. "He will go on shore. You said he's a good hunter.
We need food, and he clearly needs exercise and fresh air."
Argument was impossible. Leweli went with Ahl and the actors, though she looked unhappy and began complaining as soon as they were in the forest.
"Merhit is a good witch," said Ahl. "I'm confident her magic will keep the child safe. We have no choice, cousin. A captain must be obeyed."
THIS TIME the birds were harder to find, but at noon they came on a flock, all grouped together in an open space on the moor, scratching with large blue feet and pecking. It was easy to kill as many as they were able to carry. Laden with their prey, they returned to the beach.
The pitch pot was turned over, and a black pool of pitch lay next to it. Bodies, the Taig sailors almost certainly, lay scattered on the sand.
"Bad luck!" said Perig.
Could they flee? Ahl glanced around. The forest was close, but not close enough.
Ragged strangers moved toward them, holding bloody swords.
Perig stretched his arms out to the side. His hands were open and empty.
"Obviously we can't fight you. But I ought to mention if you kill us, you will be killing a pair of women."
"What do you mean?" asked one of the men. His accent was thick, but Ahl could understand him.
Perig gestured. "Those two are women."
The man frowned. "They don't look it."
"Ahl, pull off your tunic," Perig said.
She did as he asked, dropping the tunic and unfastening the band that held her upper breasts. The moment she was bare, the men looked down. This was encouraging. In spite of being pirates, they had not lost all sense of right behavior.
"Put on your tunic," said one of the men in a stifled voice.
She picked up the tunic and pulled it on.
"There is a baby on the ship," Perig continued in his usual pleasant voice. "The other woman, the one holding the stick with birds, is the mother. I assume you're planning to kill us or maroon us. But you can hardly kill women or maroon them with unrelated men."
"How do you know what we can do?" asked the man who had spoken previously. Most likely he was the leader.
The men around him looked uneasy. One said, "Jehan," in a nervous tone.
"And why are these women traveling in disguise with men who aren't relatives?"
added the man named Jehan. "I know foreigners lack self-respect, but this seems worse than usual."
"Why don't you disarm us, which is the obvious next step, and then we can talk,"
said Perig. "If you've left the Taig cook alive, you might give the birds to him."
Jehan swung his sword. Perig fell.
"Goddess!" cried Cholkwa, falling to his knees beside his lover. Ahl was certain now. She heard love in the young man's anguished voice.
Perig sat up, feeling his head.
"I used the flat," said Jehan. "But if he keeps talking, I'll use the edge."
"He'll be quiet," said Cholkwa and stood, helping Perig up. His hands, on the older man, seemed as careful as if he were holding a fragile treasure: something made of glass and gold.
"Now," said Jehan. "Give us your weapons."
They went down the beach, still carrying their birds, surrounded by pirates. Now Ahl could see beyond the Taig ship. There was another ship, somewhat smaller, outside the harbor entrance, blocking escape. Obviously it belonged to the pirates. Squinting against the glare of sunset, she tried to make out details, but couldn't tell if there were pirates on the Taig ship.
Clearly they held the beach and the remaining sailors on shore: a group of seven, two injured, one badly. The Taig cook was wrapping an already-bloody bandage around his chest. Guards stood around the prisoners, holding weapons that had belonged-- Ahl was almost certain-- to the Taig.
"Are the rest dead?" asked Ahl.
"Some," said the cook in an angry voice. "Most were on the ship, repairing the rigging. They are still there, guarding it against capture."
One of the guards said, "My cousin Jehan thought it would be a good idea to attack from the land. That's where you seemed to be, if your smoke was any indication. If we came sailing in from the west, you'd see us and make preparations. Better to circle to the south -- the island would hide us – and land a party in the little southern harbor, then come through the forest and take you by surprise."