by Jann Rowland
“I’m not sure what to make of how he has been acting, to be honest,” Griffin said. “He’s a good Sentinel, and he knows his job. I’ve never known him to be this vocal before. He usually follows orders without comment.”
“He seems to think he’s in charge now,” Skye muttered.
Griffin paused a moment, thinking of the situation, before he nodded. “He likely does, and he might be right, though I’m not certain. I hold the same rank as he does, and with Vesper a rank below us, the role of leadership would fall to one of us. Nimbus does have a slight edge in seniority, though that doesn’t always mean much in the Cloud Sentinel. Yet he may believe it’s his right to speak for us now.”
“Is it not common practice for the chain of command to be determined before a mission begins?”
Ducking his head in embarrassment, Griffin said, “You are correct, Your Majesty. Nimbus and I have worked together for so long that we don’t usually think about that. But since he’s already taken the lead, I’ll follow him without question.”
“That’s fine, Griffin,” Skye said, “but you had better talk to him. This constant questioning of every decision I make must stop. The command structure of the Sentinel has no effect on me. I am in command, and though I welcome constructive opinions, when the order is given, the time for discussion is over.”
The hard look that accompanied this directive caused Griffin to grimace, though he agreed immediately. Skye thought it likely that Griffin, who was usually a happy sort, was unsettled by this strife. Hopefully, Griffin would be able to make Nimbus see reason.
After speaking a few cautionary words to Strix and then asking Vesper to once again look after the bird, Skye turned to Jasper. He attempted to smother his irritation, but it no doubt leaked through into his tone. “Lead the way.”
It was not long before Gusty and Skye, following Jasper, had arrived in the village where Sequoia was supposed to be hiding. It was a small, dirty town, nestled up against a hill of some prominence. The lack of any cover in the area was a source of concern for Skye, as he had not seen a strand of woods since the previous evening when they had stopped for the night.
The village was so small that the normal bustle was absent, though there were a few denizens here and there, going about their business. The normal laughter of playing children was also missing, as there were only a few running about, engaged in a game that involved flinging balls of soil at each other. The area was clearly remote, likely on the edge of Groundbreather territory, far from most of their centers of civilization. In other words, it was the perfect place for a former queen on the run to hide from her traitorous daughter.
When Skye and Gusty were spotted by the first of the residents, the Groundbreathers stopped what they were doing and watched as the two Skychildren walked along behind Jasper. Skye could not determine whether these villagers were friendly or not, as the stares were not accompanied by any particular emotion. In this small location, it was likely they had rarely seen Skychildren, as there would be little of worth to draw the attention of any raiding parties.
“Has the news of Wisteria’s cancellation of the treaty made it here?” Skye asked quietly as they walked.
“I am not even sure news of the treaty ever made its way here,” Jasper replied. “These simple folks do not care much about conflicts carried on for eons. I have not even seen any Groundwalkers here, as they tend to congregate in the larger Groundbreather settlements.”
Nodding, Skye turned his attention back to their surroundings. The village consisted of a single street that stretched from one end to the other, with the far end of the street seeming to stop at the edge of the hill beyond. Jasper led them to the last house on their left with the confidence of one who had walked a certain path many times over. Skye did not miss the fact that several hard-looking men watched the approach of the small group. No doubt they had been assigned to protect the queen.
When Skye walked into the dwelling, which was dimmed by drapes hanging over the windows, the first thing he noticed was a high-pitched whine. Then he looked down on a pair of wide eyes belonging to a large white garm who snuffled at him and licked his hands in greeting.
“Stone,” Skye said in amusement. Though he was not pleased to have his hands coated in saliva, he knew Tierra was fond of the garm, and seeing the creature heartened him. He had not expected to find Stone here.
“I will never understand his fascination with you.”
Skye turned to see Queen Sequoia standing near a wall.
Gone were the trappings of wealth. The well-tailored dresses made of fine fabrics were nowhere in sight, and the shoes that had been painstakingly crafted and designed by a cobbler had been ruined by constant use and wear. The loose dress Sequoia wore would not have looked out of place on one of the village women outside. Her brown hair, while not a frazzled mess, nonetheless bore indications of her situation, with pieces that had escaped the binding pulling the bulk of it back, and no silver circlet or crown in sight. She had an almost domestic look to her appearance. Had Skye not been struck by the tragedy of the situation, part of him—the part that remembered how he had been physically beaten time and time again—might have felt pleasure in seeing how far she had fallen.
As it was, however, he felt sorrowful at the sight, and though a sharp intellect still gleamed in those dark brown eyes, Sequoia had changed. She was a tree that had been bowed down by the torrential winds and rains of a sudden squall, and though she had not broken yet, it seemed as if all it would take was one more sorrow to cause her to snap completely. Did she know what had happened to Tillman and Tierra? Did she know of Wisteria’s part? It was possible she knew far more than Skye did, yet it was also possible she knew little at all.
“Your Majesty,” Skye said while bowing in greeting, his bottom lip curving upward slightly. He felt the muscles in his back relax as relief seeped into his veins. For better or worse, this part of the journey, at least, was complete.
“Skychild,” the queen returned.
Turning his eyes back to Stone, Skye said with some amusement, “I think your pet knows a good man when he sees one.”
Skye glanced down, and Stone, who was gazing upward intently, whined and pawed at Skye’s leg. Skye bent and scratched behind one of Stone’s ears. A tongue dropped down out of the contented garm’s mouth.
“Why are you here?” Sequoia asked. Her voice was strangely emotionless.
Skye straightened and looked at her in surprise. “I should think you would know.”
“I do,” she said, her eyes searching his. “But I need to hear it.”
Skye could not begrudge her the need for reassurance, and he answered the question with solemnity rather than irritation. “I am here because I wish to find your daughter and because I think you will be able to help me. I am willing to search on top of every cloud, underneath every rock, and inside the very ocean itself if necessary to find her. I will even . . .” He paused and swallowed, his back and neck stiffening. “I will even bow down before you if it means you will help me. Such is the desperation of my mission.”
Skye felt Gusty’s hand at his elbow but remained focused on Sequoia. Her face went through a variety of expressions—first, surprise, then amusement, and finally, a strange sort of joyful tenderness. “There shall be no need of that, Skychild,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “I wish to find her just as much as you do.”
“I would have been here sooner, but my party met with some delays. I have . . . I have lost some good men along the way. You are not an easy person to find, Your Majesty.”
“That was the idea,” she said. Her eyes glided over to Gusty, and she gave him the barest of nods in greeting. It was more than Skye would have expected, and it induced him to give a slight smile.
Stone whimpered, and Skye moved to give him further attention behind his ears.
“He is restless,” Sequoia said, staring down at the garm with sad affection. “A white garm is too conspicuous, so if I am to keep him
, he must remain inside most of the time. It has not been easy for him. It has not been easy for me either.”
Jasper moved to stand beside Sequoia. He gave her a brief glance of concern before turning his face into a mask and looking at the Skychildren before him. There was a stiffness to his stance that seemed to indicate he was ready for a battle at an instant’s notice.
“You two aren’t the only ones who have had a difficult time,” Skye said.
His voice must have been too unsympathetic, as Sequoia’s anger flared up suddenly. “Do you know how hard it is to hide away and wait? I have always been a woman of action, and I have been wishing to do something. But I have been waiting for you, and it feels as though an eternity has passed. At times, I wondered whether you would actually come, and I was beginning to believe you would not.”
“You had to have known I would come,” Skye said, feeling the pressure of irritation well up within him as a geyser wells up within the earth. “Have I not proven my feelings for your daughter to you by now? I am not some fickle suitor who dallies with a new woman as often as he changes clothes. I am tied to your daughter by virtue of time, by virtue of love, by virtue of battle, and by virtue of your vaunted god’s water!” Skye could barely refrain from shouting at this point, as his irritation had transformed into full-fledged anger. “I know you have never liked me on account of my race, but I have never given you any reason to doubt the depth of my devotion to Tierra. Put aside your petty prejudices and see me for what I am. I am your ally in the search for your daughter. I am willing to do anything to bring her back, and I will plow through any obstacles that stand in the way of finding her.”
Jasper had placed himself in front of Sequoia once Skye’s tone had become heated, but Sequoia pushed him aside and took a few steps forward.
“It is difficult for a parent to entrust the welfare of a beloved daughter to another,” she told Skye. “This has been a test of your love for Tierra, and you have passed. While I would ordinarily feel required on principle to be less yielding, we have no time for squabbles. Your presence here is indication enough of your feelings for her.”
“Good,” Skye said, unbalanced by her unexpected concession. “Now, can you tell me what happened when she was taken?”
“I wish there was more to tell. The sitting-room was invaded by a large group of men dressed as Iron Swords. Tillman stayed behind to allow Tierra and me to flee. We ran, and we nearly escaped. But when we were almost free of the castle, Tierra was hit in the back of the head and collapsed. I tried to . . . to return to her, but she . . . she shouted for me to run and used her abilities to shove me outside.” Sequoia’s voice became broken up, and when she spoke next, it was like a sob. “I left my daughter behind. I abandoned her there, and I ran. Sweet Terrain’s earth, I could not . . . I could not protect my baby.”
The raw emotion in the queen’s voice and face threatened to chip away at Skye’s dislike for her, and he knew they were united in this, above all things. He was not the only one willing to face the gods themselves to bring Tierra back.
“You did what your daughter wanted you to do,” Gusty said quietly. He had been silent thus far, but he likely had no reservations when it came to comforting the queen. After all, Gusty had never despised his Groundbreather captors as Skye had.
Compelled to comfort Sequoia as well despite himself, Skye said, “Gusty’s right. Tierra wanted you to run. If you’d been caught as well, then you would not be here now to help me. You will be saving her.”
“If I fail, I shall never forgive myself,” Sequoia whispered. By now, Jasper had moved closer to her and put a hand on her back. Surprisingly, she did not disallow the presumptive movement. Stone had also moved to stand by her, whimpering at the realization that his mistress was out of sorts.
“You will not fail, Your Majesty,” Jasper said firmly. “With or without these Skychildren, you will be able to find and save your daughter. I have told you that all along.”
Sequoia fixed him with a grateful smile. “Thank you, Jasper. You have always been a caring friend, and I appreciate your support.” She paused and looked past him to gaze directly at Skye. “But you are wrong, Jasper. We will need the support of this Skychild to find Tierra. He is joined to her by the water, and the final search will be his. We merely need to get him close enough to converse with her.”
Though Jasper gave no response to Sequoia’s words, he once again took his position behind and a little to the side of her, and Skye felt the man’s eyes studying him. No doubt Jasper found Skye to be unworthy.
Skye gave the other man a hard look before returning his attention to Sequoia. “I do not want to ask this, but I feel that I must. Is it true about King Tillman?”
Sequoia dropped her chin, the emotion swelling in her face as she fought to contain her sorrows.
Jasper answered for her. “According to our sources, it is true. His Majesty has passed from this life.”
“I was hoping it was not true,” Skye said quietly. “He was a good man.”
“Yes,” Sequoia said in a strangled voice, “he was.”
“His sacrifice was not in vain,” Skye said. There was more that could be said, but they did not have the time. “You are safe, and together, we shall save Tierra. We should go now so that their lead does not grow larger. The rest of my company is waiting outside in a concealed area. I suggest we meet with them and take stock of where to go.”
“The rest of your company?” Sequoia asked, pulling herself together. “You said you lost some good men. Are there still more of you?”
Skye gave a tight nod. “I have a group of Cloud Sentinels accompanying me. Three of them were lost in a combined Groundbreather and harpy attack a few nights ago.”
“A combined attack?” Sequoia echoed with a frown. “Groundbreathers have no congress with such hideous creatures.”
“Perhaps I misspoke. The attacks occurred almost simultaneously, so I suspect the Groundbreathers we fought merely used the appearance of the harpies as a distraction, hoping to finish us off while our attention was on those hideous monsters.”
Though she appeared to have questions, Sequoia pursed her lips and said only, “We will need to purchase some horses.”
“We can move great distances faster in the air. We have griffin mounts enough for you and Jasper.”
“I will not ride on a creature of the sky,” Sequoia declared, her voice almost a growl.
“It would not be seemly,” Jasper said, looking disgusted at the idea.
“Your Majesty,” Skye said with exaggerated patience, “if we are to work effectively together, we need to put aside our enmity, including our distaste for each other’s worlds. I have admitted time and again that there is good in the ground realm and in many of the Groundbreathers. Can you not do the same when it comes to things of the sky realm?”
The woman looked at him with what appeared to be grudging respect and agreement. That did not make her any less adamant, however.
“You are correct, and I apologize. I do not think, however, that you have thought this out properly.”
“Oh?”
Exasperated, Sequoia said, “How do you think we will track them? Do you mean to fly over the ground realm and find where Tierra went with your hawk-like Skychild eyes? Jasper is one of the best trackers in the ground realm; all we need is some sign of their passing, and he will be able to follow their trail. Stone will also be able to help him, as he is trained to follow any path. Stone’s familiarity with Tierra will be a particular help.”
Skye nodded slowly. “And if we fly, we will not be able to take Stone along very easily.”
As if able to understand their conversation, Stone whined and padded up to Skye, looking up at him with beseeching eyes. Skye smiled at the garm and once again scratched beside his ears, watching as Stone leaned into his hand.
“Exactly. Your flying creatures might be able to cover more ground, but they will be useless in the actual search for my daughter.”
“Do you know where we might find some horses?”
“Of course,” Sequoia said, smiling thinly. “We can journey the way we are until we come to a town some distance from here. There we can purchase some horses and be on our way.”
Skye looked at Gusty, who shrugged and said, “Griffin or horse—there can’t be all that much difference.”
Sequoia actually laughed. “You will find out, Skychild.”
“I will keep my pegasus mount, of course,” Skye said, ignoring her words.
Though she appeared to be prepared to protest, Sequoia evidently thought better of it, as she gave a tight nod. It would work out for the best. Stardust would assist Skye in patrolling the skies above the party whenever necessary, giving them a bird’s eye view of the land and any dangers nearby, and his presence would prevent Skye from tiring himself unduly.
“Then let us be off,” Skye said, motioning toward the door. “Do you have any leads on where to search for Tierra?”
Sequoia nodded and began to gather up a few items into a small pack for their journey. “I have not been idle while waiting for you here. One of my men discovered some rumors of a party of strange Groundbreathers visiting a temple that is situated not far from here. It is believed my daughter was among them.”
“Then that should be our first destination.”
Skye was about to say more when one of the Groundbreathers stationed outside slipped in through the door and approached Sequoia. Skye was instantly on his guard; the tension in the man’s face and stance practically screamed danger.
“Your Majesty, there are armed men approaching the village. They have been sent by your eldest daughter.”
It is the way of all living things slothful and malicious to find contentment only for a brief season. It is the way of all living things that they must work for their bread, and even gods and goddesses must have occupation, lest they turn to mischief and evil.