On Lonely Paths (Earth and Sky Book 2)

by Jann Rowland

  She elbowed him gently in the ribs. “I am not the only one demonstrating unusual qualities for one of a particular race. I seem to recall you admiring some of the flowers in the castle gardens down in the ground realm. Some of your people might view that to be just as heretical.”

  Skye snorted but did not comment. Tierra knew he was well aware of the fact that his opinions of the ground realm had undergone an almost miraculous transformation. Somehow, she had broken through his barriers without even realizing she was doing it. And she was so glad that she had, for his soul had become irrevocably bound to hers in a way she had never imagined possible.

  They were quiet again for a few moments before Tierra asked, “Do you remember my constellation?”

  His chuckle brought a smile to her face, and he raised an arm to point. “Of course I do. That crass sword over there has your name written right on its hilt.”

  “And yours is that primitive old bow over there,” Tierra responded in kind, nodding toward a small grouping of stars. “An absolutely useless weapon for a battle.”

  “It wasn’t that useless when Cirrus used it to save your neck in our battle with the Fenik,” Skye countered.

  “Mmhmm,” Tierra said. She was glad Skye could now speak more lightly of the battle and her role in it—he had admitted to having nightmares about it that centered on losing her—but she was less than pleased to owe something to Skye’s friend.

  Though Cirrus would be all smiles and joviality when it came to Skye, his expression always took on a disapproving cast when he focused on Tierra. She had considered asking Skye to talk to his friend, but Skye seemed so glad Cirrus was alive that she did not want his happiness to dim even a whit. So she held her tongue, hoping Cirrus would eventually realize that her motives were pure when it came to Skye. In marrying him, she was not seeking to be a queen; she was seeking love and companionship. And she knew she would have it in ample measure.

  “You know,” Skye said, twisting and propping his head up on an elbow while he draped an arm across Tierra’s stomach, “I still can’t believe you disguised yourself as a soldier so you could participate in a fight with an enormous beast.”

  As he began to draw circles on Tierra’s side with his fingers, she had to fight the urge to shy away from the ticklish sensation. “How could I have known what we were to face? At the time, you were on your way to confront an unstable usurper, a man dangerous in his own right, but hardly a fabled destroyer of the world.”

  “If you had known, would it have stopped you?”

  “No.”

  Skye laughed, his amusement seeping through their mental bond. “That’s my little Groundbreather.”

  Tierra raised an eyebrow. “Your little Groundbreather?”

  “That’s right,” he said, wrapping his arm tightly around her. “Mine.”

  “I ought to imprison you in a ground cage and teach you what your place is.”

  “Probably. But then you wouldn’t have someone to take you star-gazing.”

  “I would simply have to find another Skychild to serve as my personal form of transport. I cannot imagine Mista would protest.”

  “You’re probably right. But I think her fear of insects and becoming dirty might hamper her willingness to partake in such outdoor activities as reclining on sky soil. And that’s not even taking into account her insipid personality, which I think would be the more important factor when considering whether to use her as your transportation.”

  “Skye, you know she has a good heart.”

  “I still don’t know what you see in that woman,” he grumbled, shaking his head.

  “As I told you before, I find her innocence refreshing. But come—you cannot tell me you brought me up here to complain about your stepmother, now, can you?” Her lip quirked. “I am certain you had something more interesting in mind if you were willing to brave my mother’s wrath. She is still angry that I snuck away from the castle to help with the battle against the Seneschal. If she knew how often you brought me to the sky realm, she would have our hides hung up outside the castle walls.”

  “I think your mother would like my hide regardless. If it weren’t for the water connecting us . . .”

  “Yes, Terrain’s water has indeed brought us great good,” Tierra said with a smile, reaching up to touch Skye’s lips as she thought of their first kiss. “Because of his gift, our two peoples have been drawn together at last.”

  Skye’s face softened as he gazed at Tierra. “There truly are good things to be found with both our peoples. Perhaps we could . . . meditate together?”

  Tierra recoiled at the idea of participating in such Skychild worship, drawing her hand back and giving Skye a look of distaste. “I would rather not.”

  He reached out and grasped her hand, pulling it to his chest. She could feel his heartbeat thrumming against her fingers and marveled at the warm strength found there.

  “I understand your feelings,” he said softly, “and I won’t ask you to worship Celesta. But meditation usually helps settle me, and it’s something I’d like to share with you, even if just once.” He gave her a wry smile. “I’m not asking you to praise Celesta and speak of her glory. Meditation can be nothing more than centering yourself and seeking peace during a chaotic time. Even then, you don’t have to be facing the chaos of the world for it to be of benefit.”

  As he brought her hand up to his lips and pressed a kiss against it, she felt her resolve weaken. Terrain take this Skychild and his deep blue eyes! All Skye had to do was gaze at her like a garm pup to make her do whatever he asked.

  Still, it was not so bad, she mused as he continued to caress her hand, eliciting all sorts of feelings for which she had no name. He had allowed her to have something she wanted more than a few times. She sometimes saw a hint of indulgence in his gaze and manner when he agreed with her, yet it was not the indulgence given by an adult to a child, but rather, the indulgence given by a man to the woman he loved for the sake of her happiness.

  Tierra truly was fortunate. It was strange to think that three months ago she had been facing a future made up of a dull, colorless existence, a future in which she would have married a baron who, regardless of whether he loved her, would never have allowed her the freedom to see the world and actually live as she had always wished to. Skye would never deny her something about which she felt strongly. Furthermore, he had shown her a completely different world among the clouds and had given her a new perspective on the world she had already known. For that alone, she could not thank him enough.

  “Very well,” she said, watching as his eyes lit up. “What do I need to do?”

  “First, you need to get comfortable,” he said, facing her and settling into a seated position with his legs crossed. “Attempting to meditate when you are uncomfortable is not exactly useful.”

  Tierra raised an eyebrow. “Is this some sort of mystic ceremony? Should I sit and reflect on the earth and stars, the sun and moon, life and death?”

  Her teasing prompted a smile from her companion. “No ceremony whatsoever. You can actually meditate from any position. I often do it in bed before I go to sleep. The important thing is that you meditate in a relatively quiet place. Celesta taught my people that letting go of our conscious thoughts was a good way to worship her, and that’s best done without distractions.

  “But you can meditate for any reason,” Skye said quickly, seeming to sense her distaste for his having linked meditation with worship in Skychild culture. “If you feel out of sorts, for example, meditating can help you center yourself. I’m not always worshipping when I meditate. I’m often simply attempting to find calm after a stressful day or trying to understand more about myself. There are many applications for meditation.”

  Tierra smiled to herself. Skye sometimes took on the characteristics of an excited child when explaining something that held great meaning to him. Though they had not been together long, she already knew him well, and this was one of the things she loved best about him. Seein
g him let down his barriers was a privilege. It was something he seldom did.

  “Shall we, then?” Tierra asked.

  Skye nodded and smiled. “All right. Close your eyes, and we can begin.”

  Tierra did so, thrilling in the feeling of absolute trust and love she felt from this man. She could sense these things not only through the connection created by the waters of Terrain, but also through the observation of her own eyes, the sense of a shared heart with shared emotions. Tierra knew she was loved, and she knew that Skye was aware of her own feelings for him. There was nothing greater than the communion between two hearts beating in counterpoint with one another.

  “When teaching young Skychildren the proper way to meditate,” his soothing voice came, “we try to help them understand the importance of finding your center. There are many ways to accomplish this. But while it is not necessary to empty your mind of all thoughts, it should be your goal to push those thoughts to the side so that you can commune with yourself.

  “Some attempt to visualize something within themselves that will calm them and help push their thoughts to the side, while some imagine a void where nothing exists and all is calm. It doesn’t really matter how you do it. It’s more important that you learn to concentrate your senses inward and ignore the thoughts constantly fighting for your attention.” Skye paused and chuckled. “It is only when you meditate that you begin to understand how chaotic our thoughts can be.”

  The sound of Skye speaking had a calming effect on Tierra, and she was soon able to immerse herself in the sweet tones of his voice. Never having attempted to control and ignore her thoughts before, she had never understood how difficult it was to shunt them aside. She was concentrating on finding her center when the extraneous thought of their wedding and one of the myriad details that needed to be completed popped into her mind, and her eyes came open. Skye was still speaking softly, though his eyes were closed, and Tierra gazed upon his fine features with unabashed interest before she remembered what she was supposed to be doing.

  In time, his voice quieted, and Tierra found that thinking of her own god allowed her to maintain some semblance of control over her mind. Terrain was not precisely a god to be loved, though the Groundbreathers revered him. For Tierra personally, she fancied she had a more personal connection to him through the inspiration he had given her to save Skye by the use of the Pool of Terrain.

  She remembered the circumstances as well as if she had just lived them. Despairing over her inability to effect Skye’s release and save his life, she had turned to her god, saying a brief prayer, hoping against all hope that he would take pity on one of his worshippers and help her save the life of the man she loved. And in the stillness of the room containing the pool, she felt something drawing her to the water. When the remembrance of the purpose of the spring had come to her mind, she had realized that it was the only way to save Skye, and she had grasped at that knowledge as a woman about to fall over a cliff grasps desperately at a branch close to hand.

  The thought of being bound to Skye forever had not fazed her; by that time, she knew she could not love anyone like she loved him. From there, it had been a simple matter to obtain a small flask, scoop up some water from the pool, and then wait for the right moment to take some in her mouth and share it with Skye.

  All of this had been brought about by Terrain’s inspiration. She knew how difficult it was for Skye to revere Terrain; he found it to be just as difficult as it was for her to reciprocate with respect to Celesta! But she would always be thankful to Terrain for helping save her love. That alone was worth all the worship in the world.

  “How do you feel?”

  The sound of Skye’s voice brought Tierra’s attention back to him, and she opened her eyes to see him smiling at her, a tenderness on his face that was meant all for her.

  “I feel very good,” she said in response. “Perhaps there is something to your heretical teachings.”

  A grin met her saucy statement. “I acknowledged the beauty of your dancing. The least you can do is admit that some of the things I believe in have merit.”

  Tierra laughed. “I certainly can do that.”

  Eyes smoldering with passion, Skye scooted next to her and took her in his arms, gentle as a spring breeze, yet aggressive and forceful. He gazed down at her and, in a quick motion, lowered his face down to her, nipping at her lips most delightfully. And in the midst of these ministrations, he murmured, “I love you, Tierra. Celesta, how I love you!”

  “I love you, too, Skye,” she told him in between kisses, smiling against his mouth and feeling his grip on her tighten. “I love you so much it hurts.”

  He chuckled as he ceased paying attention to her lips and began to trace his way down her neck. “If it hurts, then let me kiss it and make it better.”

  She laughed and put a hand on his cheek, pushing his head upward so she could stare into his eyes. “I will always let you kiss me to make me feel better.”

  He gave her a wide smile with no small amount of mischief in it. “And I’ll kiss you anywhere. You just say the word.”

  But there was no more need for words; instead, she pulled his head down and let him kiss her lips once more, deeply, passionately, lovingly. The beginning of their lives together as a couple was glorious indeed.

  Time is the enemy of the gods, for mortals’ lives are temporary and fleeting, and mortals must thus be filled with purpose for the short season in which they live.

  The gods know no such boon as death, and they look upon their creation each day, never changing, never aging. As the years went by, Terrain’s heart grew heavy. He knew he could not guide the Groundbreathers forever, as their growth as a people would stop if they relied on him always and did not learn to fend for themselves.

  Yet he wanted to give his people a lasting gift, a way to tie them together ever tighter while also increasing their strength. And so he created a great pool in the mountains that he called “the Pool of Terrain.” And he gave its stewardship over to the king of the Groundbreathers on the surface of the world.

  “When two people partake of this water together,” said Terrain to the king, “it shall tie their life-forces together and strengthen their powers. They will be able to hear each other’s thoughts, and they will be much stronger together than they would be apart. But when one dies, so shall the other die, for it is only meet that two such intertwined souls should not be forced to separate.”

  And the Groundbreather king thanked Terrain for his foresight, falling to his knees and praising him.

  CHAPTER

  TWO

  Gift

  “You came home rather late last night,” River commented, causing a flush to suffuse Tierra’s face.

  The two young women were sitting in the royal gardens and escaping the bustle of the castle. The summer day was hot, with the sun glaring down at the ground realm so fiercely as to intimidate many Groundbreathers into staying indoors, but River and Tierra were seated on a bench beneath a shady tree, and a gentle breeze moving through the gardens helped take away some of the heat’s bite. Still, they would likely go inside soon. Perspiration already dotted both their brows.

  Tierra looked away, trying to compose herself before she responded to her friend. She did not wish for her face to grow any redder.

  “Late evening is often one of the best times for me to speak with Skye,” she said at last, taking pride in the fact that her voice sounded level. “With all the coronation and wedding preparations, he is not allowed a lot of free time, you know.”

  “Yes, I do know. You keep complaining about it at every opportunity.”

  Tierra’s face became even hotter as she met her companion’s eyes. “I am sorry, River—”

  “Relax, Tierra,” the other young woman said with a smile. “I am only teasing you. Sometimes, you make it too easy.”

  Tierra tilted her head. “Well, Skye and I are not the only ones distracted by wedding preparations. I know it is still some months before your weddi
ng, but I have seen you eyeing cakes and other desserts with unusual zeal.”

  River laughed. “I have been caught apparently. Who knew that something could actually penetrate the love-induced fog surrounding your brain?”

  “Just because I am deliriously happy does not mean I am completely oblivious to my surroundings,” Tierra said, crossing her arms with a mock-pout.

  “I shall never understand your love for that Skychild, but I am glad you are happy.”

  “And you, River? Do you think you will be happy once you are married? Are you not afraid? I know you have seen your fiancé many times, but I still feel you scarcely know each other.”

  “You need not worry about me. I have never been a fanciful one, as you well know. I shall be perfectly content with my marriage . . . and with my feet fixed firmly to the ground. I can still barely believe you will be married to a Skychild king. Wisteria must be beside herself with disgust. Of course, it may just as well be envy. After all, I cannot imagine she would enjoy looking up at the sky and knowing that you are there above her. Furthermore, she has never been attended on by as many Skychildren as will meet your every need.”

  Though River was trying to make light of the situation, Tierra grimaced. If there were any feelings of jealousy, Tierra had not witnessed them in Wisteria; the only emotion evident had been disgust. Though Wisteria had always tried to make Tierra’s life miserable, her dark looks and sniping remarks had risen to unprecedented heights. Even their parents found it difficult to restrain Wisteria, who viewed Sequoia and Tillman as traitors to the Groundbreather race for allowing such a wedding to take place.

  River gave Tierra a sympathetic look. “I am sorry to have ruined your mood by mentioning her. She does not deserve a second thought from you, Tierra. I may not agree with what you are doing, but as I said, I only want you to be happy.”