“BOOOARR!” screamed Fillan. His face was red, spittle ran down his chin, and his eyes gleamed with mad joy. “BOOOAR! RAM! SMASH! CRASH! BOAAAAAAAAAAAR!”
Dragon moved back again. It hit Cub once more, but Cub shook it off and dashed right back in. But in that moment Dragon had time to regain its balance and it moved its feet—
—and only then did it seem to realise it was on the edge of the cliff.
One back claw scraped desperately at the air where the ground ended. The other dug in as it tried to recover its balance, but Wolf lunged from one side and Dragon had to rear up to defend itself. Cub charged once more and smashed at its legs, again, again, until it stepped back…
The cliff edge gave way, and Dragon fell.
It scrabbled desperately with its front paws, before disappearing. Cub rushed forward and they saw the Construct tumble, crashing against the cliff, scraping and flailing, spinning in mid-air as it tried to control its wings, but it was too late and not enough…
It hit the ground fifty metres below with a BOOM that Coll felt through his feet. Metal and plastic armour plates exploded into the air and scattered with the force of the crash, and there was a sickening crack, like bones breaking all together, and Dragon lay still.
Cub and Wolf stared down. Fillan was panting and his hands were clenched in tight fists, his skin mottled and red and his hair wild. Coll rested one hand on his shoulder and the boy jumped, snarled, glared at Coll and then blinked in confusion.
“Is it … dead?” whispered Brann.
Coll bit his lip. “I think—”
Dragon moved.
It clambered back to its feet. One long ear was torn off, one leg was twisted, and the armour plating on its back was ripped and torn. The Construct lifted its head and stared up at them, and its stubby thick wings fluttered once or twice. Then it took a limping step, and another, and another. And slowly, painfully, it dragged itself away.
Wolf and Cub stared at each other at the edge of the cliff.
Wolf had taken more damage. The armour plating on her left flank was ripped half off and was flapping like a scab. Beneath it, pistons and mechanics dripped with oil, and ribbons of anthryl hung loose. But still, she seemed stronger than earlier. The victory over Dragon would have restored her crew’s faith, and she was riding on that energy. Her sides heaved and her lips were pulled back into a snarl. She seemed to be deciding whether to attack.
“Brann, take us up,” said Coll.
Cub changed shape around them, his wings stretching and flapping, and the little Construct rose until it reached Wolf’s eyeline. Wolf pulled back.
Coll unstrapped his harness and limped forward, rubbing his knee. He stood tall on Cub’s shoulders and waved. At first, nothing happened. Then an armoured panel moved aside near Wolf’s head, and a woman stepped out. She stood and stared at Coll for several seconds.
Then she waved back.
They met halfway between the two Constructs. Alpha, Dolph and Rudy on one side, Cub’s crew on the other. Kevin the Ant sat draped round Fillan’s shoulder, chittering to itself. Alpha’s arm seemed to be the only thing wrong with her, but Rudy’s head was covered in tight wound bandages, and Dolph had brought him a seat. He sank into it and smiled at Coll.
For a few seconds, no one said anything. Alpha studied Coll, her face carefully blank.
Coll wasn’t sure how he felt. He’d spent so long getting back to Wolf, and here they were. And here was Alpha… And yet it wasn’t what he’d imagined. How had he thought she would react?
He remembered the way she’d stared at him from the crack in Wolf’s armour – stared right at him and somehow not recognised him. Because she was Wolf and Coll had been Cub. That was all she’d seen, he realised. She was Wolf’s Alpha. Anything that wasn’t Wolf was nothing. Even…
Even Coll.
He thought about what he’d said to Rieka. A good Alpha. A good person even. She’d provided for him, protected him from a crew who didn’t want him aboard. Used resources – valuable anthryl – to keep him alive. She had cared for him. Did she love him? She loved her crew, and he was part of her crew. Some people could manage more, but some couldn’t. She’d done the best she could.
It was enough.
“Hi,” he said.
“What happened to your leg?” she asked. Her voice was guarded.
Coll shrugged. “I lost it. Still getting used to this one. It’s fine.” It was agony actually, but he tried not to show it. He wished he’d thought to bring a chair himself. Alpha nodded, and then examined Cub’s crew one by one. Rieka, Brann, Fillan, even Kevin – she gave nothing away as she studied them.
“And you’ve … joined this Construct?” she asked. “What is it anyway? Why does it keep changing?” Her lips pursed, as if she found the idea slightly disgusting.
“It’s Cub,” said Coll. “It used to be Raven. We fixed it to come and find you.”
Alpha frowned. “Why?”
Coll opened and closed his mouth. Why?
Behind Alpha, Rudy shook his head and sighed, and gave Coll a rueful smile.
“Because … I wanted to get back to Wolf,” said Coll. “And you needed help. We came to save you.”
“Coll’s our Alpha,” said Fillan.
Coll blinked in surprise and Alpha raised an eyebrow.
“Well, you’re here,” she said. “So. Good timing – we could use the anthryl.”
For a moment, Coll didn’t understand what she meant. At his side Brann bristled. Coll said, “We’re not giving you Cub.”
