“Let’s go,” he said.
They set off. Brann was still angry at Coll’s comments, and it affected Cub – his head was down, his footsteps stomped, he kicked at stones as he walked. They carried on that way for an hour before Brann suddenly said, “This is stupid. Scrambling along the ground like bugs; this is stupid!”
“We’re not flying,” said Coll.
“But we could,” insisted Brann. “We could. I could show you!”
“No!” shouted everyone, even Fillan.
“But look,” said Brann.
Cub had just reached the top of a hill and was heading down the other side. And as he did so … something happened.
Coll felt as if there were two versions of Cub in his mind. One was the half-wolf, half-puppy they were used to. But the other was … thinner and wider, his nose longer and sharper, almost like a beak, and there was something growing out of his sides, long wide flat panels that caught the wind and lifted Cub up, and now his front feet were partly off the ground and his steps were like long gliding jumps, and then…
“Argh!” cried Coll.
Cub glided through the air for five metres or more, lifted by a gust of wind, and for a horrible moment the world was far below them and they were flying!
“Brann, stop!” shouted Rieka.
Brann ignored them, her eyes tight shut, her mouth in an obstinate line.
“We’re a bird!” said Fillan, staring around them, holding Kevin the Ant tight.
Coll clung to his seat in horror. “Stop!” he cried.
Cub lifted again and now he was twenty metres up or more. He curved in the air.
“See!” shouted Brann triumphantly. “We can be Raven! Raven! CAW, CAW, CAW!”
“Brann, you can’t do this!” snapped Rieka. “You can’t maintain this form all by yourself; it’s not safe!”
But then Fillan pointed. “Look, there’s something there!”
“I’ll bring him round!” said Brann. “He’s not quite like Raven yet, hang on. I’ve got him. I’ve— Oh, wait—”
Cub wheeled in the sky, but his shape wasn’t right. The thin wings weren’t enough to carry his weight and one wing suddenly twisted and they plummeted downwards.
Rieka and Coll screamed, as Fillan shouted, “Wheee!”
“Hang on!” said Brann. “Hang on, I can fix it. I can—”
Cub tumbled out of the air, twisting and half cawing, half yelping. He smacked against the side of a hill and slid down through bushes and small trees. Part of him tried to flap his wings, part tried to brace his paws and he morphed and changed before landing at the bottom with a thud. Coll, loose from his harness, was flung backwards, out past the weird half-wolf-half-bird tail, then yoinked back by his tether, colliding with Fillan.
Everyone screamed.
Then there was silence.
Coll dragged himself upright and staggered towards Brann, who was shaking her head groggily. He reached for her, but Rieka stepped in between them.
“Calm,” she said in a warning voice.
Coll bared his teeth. “That stupid bird girl nearly killed us!”
Brann shouted, “I was doing fine! We were flying!”
“We are Wolf!” shouted Coll. “Understand? Not Raven, Wolf!”
“This was Raven!” shouted Brann. “It’s my Construct, and she was Raven!”
“Tell her, Rieka!” shouted Coll.
“Tell him!” shouted Brann.
“Enough!” snapped Rieka. “I’m sick of being in the middle of this stupid fight. You’re both idiots!”
Coll and Brann fell silent, both glaring at Rieka.
In the pause, Fillan said, “Please don’t fight.”
Coll glanced down. Fillan’s face was pale. He was trying to smile, but he looked scared. Kevin was cowering behind him. Coll wanted to snarl that it was Brann’s fault, but… He clenched his teeth together and said nothing.
Rieka spoke. “Brann, trying to change a Construct form mid-travel against the will of the others is as dumb as mud. Are you smarter than mud? Are you? And, Coll, try speaking to Brann instead of just bellowing orders. And I am not here to separate you like squabbling puppies, so sort yourselves out!”
Brann looked like she was about to shout something, but instead she subsided.
Coll turned away.
