The groundling had dark green fur and its body was shaped like a treeling, but it had a bag slung over its shoulder and hammered on the bone with an ax-like tool. Holes all over the ribs indicated this activity had been going on for some time. Mining, Moon realized, cutting into the bone for the dried marrow inside it. He saw more movement in the tangle of greenery at the skeleton’s base; there must be more groundlings at work down there, maybe a camp, or some means to transport the marrow.
Astonished and caught unaware by the craft’s silent approach, the climber stopped hammering to stare as the flying boat drew even with its position on the rib. It lifted its free hand hesitantly in greeting; Delin lifted a hand in return as the boat drifted past.
The groundling continued to stare after the boat, leaning down and angling its head for a better view of the underside of the hull. Moon watched it until the skeleton vanished into distance and twilight; it was a reminder that other peoples were depending on them to destroy this Fell flight, whether they knew it or not.
For her part, Ivory had scrupulously done nothing to annoy Moon or to pursue her interest with him. She never stood too close to him on deck, stepped aside to let him go through doorways first. This should have been reassuring, but it had the effect of making him acutely aware of her presence at all times. Moon didn’t think it was unintentional.
Leaning against the rail, Celadon watched Moon regard Ivory with deep suspicion, and said in exasperation, “I don’t know what Indigo Cloud is like, but neither Malachite nor Onyx would ever tolerate the kind of behavior you seem to expect from Ivory. We weren’t raised that way.”
Perversity made him ask, “Did Malachite beat you for misbehaving?”
“Hah. If you had to sit in front of her and Onyx, explaining exactly what you were thinking when you decided it was a good idea to pick a fight with one of your clutch cousins, you’d wish for a beating instead.”
Moon found himself mentally storing that tactic away for use on Frost, and reminded himself his future at Indigo Cloud was anything but secure.
Night settled over the ship. They were close enough to the ground to hear the hum of the evening insects, but not close enough to be troubled by them. A wary Saffron brought an invitation for Moon and Celadon to eat with Ivory. Moon told Saffron he wasn’t hungry and went to hide below decks.
Ivory’s and Celadon’s warriors had divided up the duties of the boat and of standing guard, so there wasn’t much for the Indigo Cloud warriors to do. They all ended up with Moon in one of the smaller sleeping cabins.
“This is frustrating,” Floret muttered, as she settled on the floor near the doorway. “They’re doing all the work. We look like useless hangers-on.”
“There’s still the Fell to worry about,” Song pointed out, as she pushed Root over to make room for her blanket. “If we’re lucky, we’ll have a chance to fight.”
“You’re both insane,” Chime told them. “We’ll be lucky if we never see a Fell again.”
Moon agreed, but he didn’t think it was likely to happen. There was more grumbling, and complaints, but eventually they all settled down. The wood of the deck was soft and springy, and it made a good bed. With Chime cuddled against him and surrounded by the others’ familiar scents, sleep came quicker than Moon would have thought.
Sometime later Moon jolted awake, accidentally elbowing Chime. “Umf?” Chime asked, blearily.
Moon shushed him. None of the others had moved, but he could see Floret’s eyes were open. Moon whispered, “Did you hear that?”
“Yes.” Moving carefully, she pushed herself up on one elbow. “Something just below us?”
“I heard it too,” Song whispered.
Root began, “I didn’t—”
It happened again—Moon felt it more than heard it— a surreptitious scrape on the wood below. On the underside of the hull, he thought. Chime hissed. Moon leaned down close to the planks and took a deep breath, tasting the air. But the hull was too thick here and all he could scent was Raksura.
Moon pointed up to the deck and said softly, “Move quietly. One at a time.” He climbed slowly to his feet. Stepping carefully around Chime, he picked his way silently across the floor to the doorway. He shifted, then scaled the doorframe to the ceiling, hooking his claws in the narrow bands of wood, and swung out into the hall. One of Ivory’s warriors, a big female named Fleet, was on guard in her shifted form, hanging from the doorway. “What—?” she started to ask.
“Quiet,” Moon hissed. “There’s something underneath the boat. Warn the others.” He climbed up the stairwell to the deck.
It was night; a cool breeze blew across the bow, scented of green grasses. There was no hint of Fell in it. Lamps hung on the bow and at the steering cabin. Delin, Celadon, and Lithe sat in its doorway, talking softly. Delin was making notes in one of his books. One of Celadon’s warriors crouched atop the cabin, keeping watch.
They glanced up as Moon appeared, and Celadon’s spines lifted as she sensed his tension. He crouched down beside her and said, low-voiced, “There’s something on the bottom of the hull. We heard it move.”
Celadon hissed under her breath and uncoiled to rise soundlessly to her feet. Lithe’s eyes widened and Delin calmly closed his book and pushed it inside the cabin door. Chime, Floret, and the other warriors crept quietly up from below. Ivory and her warriors followed.
Celadon motioned them all to come close, and whispered, “Ivory, take your warriors out along that side of the boat and get ready to climb down. My warriors come with me.”
Moon started to follow Celadon, but she added, “Moon, stay with Lithe.”
Moon grimaced, but obeyed, retreating to the cabin. Lithe stood in the doorway, bouncing nervously. “Do you scent Fell?” she asked. “I can’t.”
Moon shook his head. “No. It may be something else.”
Chime, Floret, Song, and Root gathered around the cabin, all shifted and braced for trouble. It was a clear night and the moon was nearly full, silver light shining down on grassland broken by clumps of rock, some wrought by weather into smooth rounded shapes, like the towers of a ruined city. Several flying islands of various sizes dotted the sky above, their shapes blotting out the stars. Moon had a flash of memory, of the furred groundling hanging from the giant rib bone, leaning down to peer under the ship’s hull. He cursed under his breath. It wasn’t just curious, it saw something down there.
“What?” Chime whispered nervously.
“Nothing,” Moon said. Then he heard Celadon’s voice, getting louder as she climbed up the side of the boat. “…You little idiot! I can’t believe this!” She swung herself over the rail onto the deck. “What is Malachite going to say to you? What is she going to say to me?”
A dark shape followed her, and Moon heard rather than saw it shift. Then another familiar voice said, “It’s not your fault.”
Shade. Moon clapped a hand over his eyes and hissed. Malachite was going to go insane. They would be lucky if she didn’t order them all back to the colony the instant she saw him.
Chime said, “Him? Uh-oh.”
Lithe said, glumly, “Oh, this isn’t good. Malachite is going to be very upset.”
“No kidding,” Moon muttered.
“But who is this?” Delin asked, peering into the darkness.
As Lithe explained who Shade was, Moon shifted to groundling and went to the group at the railing.
The warriors gathered around as Celadon demanded, “What did you think you were doing?”
“I wanted to help.” Shade sounded embarrassed, at least. He was in his groundling form now and had clearly prepared for the trip with a small pack over one shoulder. This hadn’t been a last moment impulse, then. He said, “Hello, Moon,” and added to Celadon, “I’ll make sure Malachite knows it was all my idea.”