On Lonely Paths (Earth and Sky Book 2)

by Jann Rowland

  Finished with his comments, Skye turned away, only to let out a whuff of surprise when Mista flew into his arms, her eyes leaking great teardrops.

  “You are a good man, Skye,” she said, though her sobs made her difficult to understand. “Find Tierra and bring her home. We will watch over the sky realm in your absence. You don’t need to worry about us.”

  Skye awkwardly patted the woman’s back as she cried into his chest. “Thanks, Mista. Between you and Bluster, the sky realm’s in good hands, right?” he said in a jesting tone of voice. Truthfully, he sincerely hoped that Mista would not be utilized in the running of his kingdom. He might have to reconsider his journey if that were the case. “As long as you’re here, I have nothing to worry about.”

  “You’re right,” Mista proclaimed as she pulled back and wiped her eyes with a handkerchief that she produced from a pocket. “We will keep everything in order for you.”

  Skye gave her a slight smile. “Goodbye, Mista.”

  “Goodbye, Skye,” she said with a sniffle. Her eyes moved to rest on Gusty, who had come to stand nearby. And then she launched herself into the other man’s arms, clinging to him as if she feared she might fall through the clouds.

  Gusty gave Skye a startled look before turning his gaze back down on the woman embracing him. “It’ll be all right, Mista,” he murmured, his voice oddly tender. “We’ll be back before you know it. You’re going to be in good hands here.”

  “I’m not worried about me,” she said. “I’m worried about you and Skye and Tierra. What if something happens?”

  Skye, who inexplicably felt as though he were intruding on a private moment, stepped away and moved toward his pegasus. Stardust was already watching him and kept a close eye on Skye as he stepped closer.

  “What is this . . . leave-taking nonsense?” the pegasus asked, seeming bewildered.

  “Nothing more than a ritual among my people,” Skye replied in amusement.

  Stardust watched them for several more moments, but he did not say anything further, though Skye did see a shake or two of the pegasus’s head. He grinned. Many sky creatures, though intelligent, were often mystified by the actions of those who walked on two feet.

  But even though Skye was attempting not to listen into the conversation between Mista and Gusty, he heard the teary Mista say: “The three of you are my everything, Gusty. The three of you . . . are all I have.”

  Gusty’s response was also audible to Skye: “You’ll have a baby soon, too. That baby will be a big part of your everything.”

  “Maybe,” Mista murmured, sounding unconvinced.

  Trying to block them out, Skye reached out to pet his new mount’s nose. “Stardust, I hope everything they say about pegasi and luck is true—you know, ‘I hope a pegasus crosses your path,’ and all those expressions of good luck. I could use any good fortune you have to offer right now.”

  Though Stardust did not respond, his ears twitched, and he moved his head to nibble on Skye’s hair.

  “Cut that out,” Skye said with a chuckle, pushing the pegasus’s nose away. “The wind will wreck enough havoc with my hair, and besides, there will be better things for you to eat on our journey. Now, let’s get ready to go.”

  Skye took a quick moment to study Stardust’s limited tack. Bridles and reins were not exactly feasible for high-speed flying, so Skye would be required to guide his pegasus through the use of his legs, but Stardust had been equipped with a slender saddle that would not result in any significant reduction of speed. The saddle was leather, with intricate designs patterned across the sides, and it fit snugly against the base of Stardust’s wings, which were situated close to the stallion’s neck.

  Skye placed a hand on the saddle and studied his mount. Despite Stardust’s earlier words, Skye thought it prudent to watch for any indication that someone might have ridden the pegasus before. But though the winged horse’s head was turned in interest, no sign was given of disapproval, so Skye hoisted himself up with a slight boost from the wind and settled in. A slight shiver went through Stardust’s body, and then the pegasus became still. Skye tensed up, prepared to fling himself away with a gust should his new mount object to his presence, but Stardust only snorted and pawed at the ground, as though eager to take to the air.

  Skye relaxed as he realized the stallion was merely acclimatizing himself to having a rider. Then, remembering his lessons in griffin-handling, Skye grabbed onto the white mane before him and gently tapped his heels against Stardust’s side.

  The stallion moved forward as Skye shifted his weight around to guide him. They moved closer to the griffins, which were eyeing Stardust with beady eyes.

  “Is everyone equipped and ready?” Skye asked, addressing Nightwind.

  “Yes, Your Majesty,” the Sentinel said. “We are prepared to leave when you are.”

  The girl holding Strix came up to Skye and offered him a falconer’s glove. Skye put it on and then took the bird from her.

  “You can fly on your own power,” Skye murmured to Strix, “but you need to stay close by in case I need you.”

  “Very well,” was the bird’s only reply.

  “Stardust, this is Strix,” Skye told his pegasus in a low voice. “Just consider him an extension of me. He’ll ride you sometimes as well.”

  “Your Majesty, are you certain you wish to bring your . . . avian companion on a mission such as this?” Nightwind asked uneasily.

  “I have use for Strix and expect him to be kept safe,” Skye said. “That is all you need to know.”

  “Yes, Your Majesty,” Nightwind said with a grimace.

  Skye turned to see Gusty approaching an unmounted griffin as Mista walked away, and after the other man rose up onto the griffin, Skye looked at Nightwind once more. “Give me one more moment, and then we can depart.”

  Skye guided Stardust to stand in front of Cirrus, who looked at him impassively.

  “Take care, my friend,” Skye said in a quiet voice.

  Cirrus’s face softened, and there was a sadness in his eyes as he tilted his head to take in Skye, who towered above him on Stardust, his shadow falling upon Cirrus and partially obscuring his face in darkness. “Goodbye, Skye.”

  Skye wished to say more. Could this be how two great friends parted? And yet what more was there to say? Had they not said all they could at this juncture? Skye cared deeply for his friend, as he always had, but they were moving in different directions. Skye knew what sort of path he was on, yet he had no idea what path Cirrus intended to take.

  Dipping his head in farewell, Skye moved the pegasus away to provide room for stretching his wings. And then Skye reached out to one of the wings in front of him, gently caressing the soft coat beneath it before leaning his weight back in the saddle and clutching the end of Stardust’s mane. “Let’s be off!” he shouted to his men as Strix left his glove and Stardust extended his bright white wings. “Follow me!”

  And then Skye and his band all took to the sky, leaving Cirrus, Bluster, and the others behind them. Skye was not certain why, but he felt as if Cirrus’s eyes remained upon him, even when he dipped down beneath the clouds. But while Skye moved closer to the earth, Cirrus remained far above him.

  For a time, Terrain took thought. Pandemonium was not Terrain’s will, for everything must have order.

  To bring tranquility to all, a great globe would be fashioned. Everything would have a purpose. Everything would have a place.

  But order is not solitude. The power to create belonged to Terrain alone, but others could assist, sharing in the power and majesty of Terrain’s work. Their assistance would render glory to what he had made and ease his burdens.

  Terrain brought forth the other gods, breathing life into them: Slate, the god of the mountains; Cascade, the goddess of the lakes and seas and rivers; Arboran, the god of the forests; Savanna, the goddess of the plains; Blaze, the god of metals and stones; Lotus, the goddess of the flowers; Thunder, the god of the weather; Autumn, the goddess of the season
s; Arides, the god of the deserts; Celesta, the goddess of the skies; and still others. And when he had brought them into being, he instructed them all to aid him in the formation of this great blessed globe, to aid him in bringing order to chaos.

  Every goddess had her place; every god had his duty. Terrain reveled in creation.

  CHAPTER

  TWELVE

  Aid

  Soaring through the air on the back of a pegasus was almost as exhilarating as flying on the winds. It did not elicit the same sense of freedom from restraint—that feeling of being unrestricted and weightless on the winds. However, the powerful beating of Stardust’s wings and the pure beauty of the beast’s effortless flight through the air was something Skye had never experienced before, even on the back of a griffin. Though griffins were proud and majestic, the pegasus was something more, though Skye had no words to explain it.

  Skye flew at the head of the procession, leading the way down from the sky realm with Strix circling overhead. He had noted the heavy cloud cover hanging over the ground realm earlier in the day, which was why he had decided to change the descent to before nightfall.

  As they dipped below the clouds, the air became cool and damp, and within moments, their clothes were dripping wet from the moisture in the air. Stardust snorted, shaking his mane and sending droplets spraying about to fall toward the ground world below, mingling with the rain. Skye smiled grimly; it was as he had suspected. Few Groundbreathers would be out looking for Skychildren descending from the clouds.

  Leading the party, Skye guided the pegasus, setting the animal down in a clearing that he thought was not far from the one in which he and Tierra had spent the night together all those weeks ago. Given everything that had happened in the intervening months, it seemed almost as though years had passed.

  Skye dismounted, waiting for his escort to settle on the ground about him. The griffins, unaccustomed to enclosed spaces, screeched in protest at the sight of the surrounding trees. Stardust, by contrast, only stamped and dug one hoof into the soft, loamy ground, giving no signs of being upset with his location.

  “We are not meant for such places!” one griffin screamed as it clawed at the air. “Return us to the skies!”

  The stupid griffins will simply have to get used to confined spaces, Skye thought with determination as one of the Sentinels—Vesper, if memory served—dismounted and immediately attempted to calm the fractious creatures.

  Ignoring these proceedings, Skye lifted a gloved hand up in the air and braced himself as Strix set down none-too-gently on it. He then transferred Strix to the front of his saddle, ignoring the bird’s grumblings.

  “I’m putting Strix on you,” Skye warned Stardust. “But it is only temporary, so do not worry.”

  The pegasus turned to regard him with one eye. “Why should it matter to me if your bird companion rests upon me?”

  “I thought you accepted only one rider.”

  With a snort and a toss of his mane, once again shaking water droplets free, Stardust said, “It is true I will only accept you as a rider, but I have no objection to your noble avian companion alighting on me. You two-legs may not pass me around among you at your pleasure. I am a friend and a mount, not a beast of burden.”

  “Why are we stopping here, Your Majesty?” Nightwind asked, no doubt perplexed at the shortness of their journey.

  Skye turned to look at him. “The information given to me by the guards at the Groundbreather castle was not enough. We need to investigate further. Otherwise, we’ll just be flailing in the dark, hoping to catch a star with nothing but our bare hands.”

  The leader of the guards considered that for a moment before he nodded his head, though his expression still spoke to his skepticism. “How do you intend to accomplish that, Your Majesty?”

  “I will go look for one of the Iron Swords,” Skye replied. “There are many who are not happy with Wisteria’s rule. I should be able to persuade one of them to speak to me.”

  Nightwind frowned. “I don’t think that is a good idea, Your Majesty.”

  “Your objections are noted, but that is what we will do regardless. Our options are limited, as are the number of contacts on the ground world who we can trust.”

  Nightwind seemed to sense that Skye was not about to be moved, as he signaled toward his men. “Then you will take an escort.”

  “I will, but it will be Gusty.”

  “Your Majesty—” Nightwind began, but Skye cut him off.

  “I am sorry, Nightwind, but we’re going to do this my way. Gusty has lived among the Groundbreathers, and he knows how to speak with them. Furthermore, he likely knows more about their tricks than I do. Don’t worry. I can handle myself. You’ll have to get used to the fact that I am running this mission and that I will make the decisions. If you can’t follow orders, then you might as well head back to the sky realm now.”

  Though he knew he was being harsh, Skye was not about to give way. Finding Tierra was paramount, and he would not allow this man’s cautious ways to divert him from his goal.

  “Very well, sir,” Nightwind replied unhappily. Fortunately, he did not protest further.

  Giving a curt nod, Skye beckoned for Gusty to step forward. Then he turned toward the squad leader again. “Do you think you can keep an eye on Strix for me?”

  “I can watch over him,” the female Sentinel said, speaking up. “I enjoy the company of avian creatures.”

  “Your bird will be safe here, Your Majesty,” Nightwind said. “Vesper will take care of him.”

  Skye detected a hint of exasperation in the other man’s voice and frowned. But he did not pursue the matter any further. For all Nightwind knew, his king was simply taking an exotic bird on a dangerous journey. Perhaps he thought it would be the kind of capricious thing that an eccentric king would do.

  “Thank you, Vesper,” Skye told the young woman before returning his attention to Nightwind. “There’s no need to worry about us. I don’t think we’ll be gone long. Still, you need to be careful. The Groundbreathers know this area well, and they might be on you before you even know they’re there. We’ll leave as soon as I’m able to learn anything useful.”

  Then Skye turned away, and he and Gusty lifted themselves into the air and departed.

  They made good time toward the castle, and they soon approached the town at its base. The castle looked much as it ever had to Skye’s questing eyes—squat and solid and dependable. There was little movement to be seen at such a distance, and the rain appeared to be keeping most of the town’s denizens indoors. A large bead of water ran down Skye’s back under his shirt, and he wished fervently that he and Tierra were together in his rooms in the palace or lounging about on the soft grass that grew in the sky.

  “Do you see anything?” Skye asked Gusty, focusing his attention on the present.

  “Not much,” his companion replied. “Just a few guards and some people going about their daily business. I doubt we’ll find anyone willing to discuss Tierra with us.”

  “Then we’ll need to convince them,” Skye said.

  “Maybe we should—”

  Gusty cut off at the rustle of underbrush behind them and spun. As Skye twisted around, he drew his bow and nocked an arrow. An Iron Sword in a grubby uniform stepped out from the trees.

  “Your Majesty,” the man greeted, “we have been waiting for you.”

  Skye studied the man suspiciously. He thought he recognized him from the castle, but he was not certain. “You expected me?”

  The man responded with a slight smile. “There are those of us who have seen you and Princess Tierra wandering around the castle, captivated by each other. We thought you would not be willing to abandon her to her fate.”

  “I have no intention of doing so,” Skye said, his cheeks warm. “Not only is she now my betrothed, but Terrain’s water makes it impossible for me to even consider simply deserting her.”

  The man nodded. “Unfortunately, the path ahead is more difficult than you
had imagined.”

  “How so?” Skye asked warily.

  “I do not know what you have managed to learn, so forgive me if I retread familiar ground, but Princess Wisteria engineered the takeover of the ground realm with the assistance of foreigners, and despite our best efforts, we cannot determine anything useful about them. All we know is that they are many in number.”

  “Are you sure you do not know anything else about them? You say they are foreigners, but where are they from exactly? Who do they report to? Do they have certain abilities or information that gives them an advantage when it comes to other Groundbreathers?” Skye, more impatient than he had ever been, wanted to tug at the other man’s clothes and lift him in the air—anything to drag out even the slightest sliver of information that might help save Tierra.

  But the Groundbreather merely gave a helpless shrug. “I am sorry, but we are not in possession of much information about them. They have been opaque as to their motives. If not for Princess Wisteria’s involvement, I doubt they would have been so successful, even with their large numbers, but the death of the king has thrown everything into disarray, and nobody knows what to do.”

  “Can you tell us where to find Princess Tierra?” Gusty asked from Skye’s side. “Do you have any information about her?”

  “We do not know where Princess Tierra is,” the Groundbreather said, “but we believe Queen Sequoia has taken refuge in a small village some days from here. I am afraid this is the only lead we have. It is possible that Queen Sequoia had access to intelligence concerning these newcomers that we in the guard do not possess. The Sword of Terrain might have known something as well, but he is dead and cannot help us. We are at a loss. We have no one to guide us except for Princess Wisteria, and many of us do not wish to obey her.” The guard’s head sunk in despair.