Ventus by Karl Schroeder

Karl Schroeder / Ventus / Page 701
where they'd set down, then returned. It landed on a mosscushioned
log not three meters away, and folded its wings.
"Beautiful," whispered Marya. "Ka," said the hawk. "So
you found a way off world, Axel."
"Uhn," said Axel. A bird was talking to him.
"It's me, Jordan," said the hawk. "Can you hear me?"
"Jordan?" He peered at the hawk. "How are you doing
this?"
"My servant hitched a ride on this hawk. He's talking to
you for me. I haven't changed myself into a hawk, if that's
what you're thinking."
"No, of course not." Axel sidled closer to the hawk,
looking for a speaker or antenna somewhere on it. "You seem
to have come up in the world, Jordan."
"You could say that." Jordan Mason's voice held a wry
tone Axel had never heard the boy use before. "Hello, Lady
May."
Axel looked over his shoulder. "Oh. That's not
Calandria. I know it looks like her. It's... rather hard to
explain."
"Not Calandria? Where is she?"
"She's not with you?"
"No." The bird fell to calmly grooming its wing,
seemingly indifferent to the human voice issuing from its body.
"Listen," said Jordan, "if that's all of you, you've got to get
moving. Come meet me and I'll explain everything."
"You know what’s going on here?" asked Marya.
"Yes. Are you a friend of Axel's?"
"Yes. I've heard a lot about you, Jordan. I'm very
pleased to meet you."
"Well, we haven't met yet, and we won't if you don't get
moving. The soldiers are almost on top of you."