by Lelia Eye
King Tillman regarded him speculatively. “But you can do none of this if you are a prince who cannot ascend to the throne.”
Skye nodded. “Which brings us to the second point. I can’t claim to know what the Seneschal is planning, but I’m certain that it can’t be good for either of our kingdoms. And if he is trying to find the Fenik, then who knows what he might have in mind? For the future of my people, he must be defeated. If he isn’t, I don’t think it will bode well for your people either.”
“Mother, Father, do you know anything of the Fenik?” Tierra asked.
The king and queen shared a look before they turned back to Tierra.
“We are well aware of what the Fenik is capable of,” Tillman said, “but as to the particulars, we cannot help you. The knowledge of the Fenik did not long survive the beast’s capture.”
“Tierra mentioned that she had heard tales of a fearsome creature in the mountains,” Skye spoke up. “Could that be the Fenik?”
Tillman lifted his shoulders in a shrug. “I am afraid I cannot say. It is possible, but I do not know. The rumors of such a creature only began a short time ago, so if it is the Fenik, then it has recently arrived in the area.”
“No offence,” Skye replied, “but I thought that your ancestors would have tried to keep a careful watch on the Fenik, given what it is capable of doing.”
“And you would be correct,” Tillman said with a sigh. “I believe the Fenik was watched closely indeed for many centuries. We attempted to turn it to our own purposes, and when that failed, we searched for a way to neutralize it. But over the intervening years, either someone decided all knowledge of the creature should be lost, or someone failed to pass the necessary knowledge on to their heir. The creature’s fate has not been known for many generations of my ancestors.”
“Then we’ll have to investigate these rumors,” Skye said. “I have some contacts in the sky realm who will assist me in retaking the kingdom. I will approach those people and put a plan in place as quickly as I can. I also need to go look in the mountains to see if I can find the Fenik. That’s what I was trying to do when Stratus—the Skychild I thought killed your daughter—attacked me. If I can find the Fenik, then Hawkins will have no choice but to return the kingdom to me. If the histories are correct, no one can stand against the Fenik. Provided I can figure out how to control the creature, of course.”
Tillman lowered his head in acknowledgment. “That sounds like a reasonable course of action. While you are gone, Sequoia and I will discuss the precise nature of the aid we will give you to assist with retaking your kingdom. Return here once you have talked to your people, and we shall provide you with assistance.”
“We do not owe him any help,” Sequoia said darkly.
“This is for the sake of our daughter—or have you forgotten?” Tillman said with a warning note in his voice. “If this young man falls in battle, what do you think is going to happen to Tierra?”
That made Sequoia draw up short, and she became silent.
A slight smile tugging at his lips, Skye said, “If it’s all the same to you, I don’t especially relish the thought of bringing any Groundbreathers up to the sky realm. The last time a group of your kind visited my home, the Fenik was stolen.”
“That may be true,” Tillman said, “but I am going to have to insist that you accept a little aid at least. I will admit to worrying that some of my men might not be inclined to help with a battle among Skychildren, but I think Sequoia and I can find men whose loyalty to me is unquestioned. Your fate is now tied with Tierra’s, and it is in my best interest for you to win this battle. Besides, it would be an effective show of common purpose.”
“You’ll have to remember that Groundbreather powers won’t be as effective in the sky,” Skye warned him. “My men will also have to keep a close eye on yours—it wouldn’t exactly help diplomatic relations if your forces were to fall to their deaths.”
“It certainly would not,” Tillman said dryly. “The positioning of my men will obviously need to be considered.”
“What about the ground-snakes?” Tierra said. “Could they be of any use in the sky?”
“I doubt it,” Sequoia said with a snort. “Collared Skychildren are one thing; Skychildren who can fly around in the sky is another. Ground-snakes would be more of a nuisance than anything, and I would rather we not expend such a valuable resource.”
“If I’m lucky, I’ll be able to command the thunderbirds,” Skye said. “I think they’ll be commanded by royal blood, so they should be on my side. I’m not entirely sure, though.”
“Well, we can determine more of the details later,” King Tillman said. “For now, I would like to discuss the terms of the agreement between our two peoples. At a time like this, it would normally be customary to enlist the aid of a slew of advisers over a period of weeks, if not months. Yet with these extenuating circumstances, I think we can make do with those of us who are present . . . and accomplish it in a much quicker fashion.”
“We’ll have to,” Skye said grimly. “I don’t have much time.”
“The primary order of business,” Sequoia said, most likely stepping in so she could have some measure of control over what was happening, “is to ensure that the Skychild raids stop.”
“And of course that you marry our daughter,” Tillman added firmly, earning a sour look from his wife. “I assume that we do not need to discuss a dowry?”
Skye let out a bark of laughter. “Groundbreathers still cling to such ancient customs as dowries?” Then he seemed to catch himself as he noted all the darkened expressions directed his way. “My apologies. I’m afraid I’m still getting used to this, and the idea of formal dowries has not been the custom of my people for many generations. The truth of the matter is that your daughter is worth far more than any dowry you could give with her.” He looked down at Tierra and smiled warmly, and she returned the expression in kind.
Tillman’s expression brightened a little, and he did not seem to miss the exchange, for he spoke more gently. “Learning more about each other will take time. For now, we must take care when speaking of any differences in our customs.”
Skye nodded in response, and the king continued: “Trade will commence between our peoples when the raids stop. Our daughter will be able to read your intentions, so there should be no reason for us to distrust you. We shall expect regular contact with her, however, even if she is living up in the sky.”
“Of course,” Skye said. “You’ll no doubt want to keep tabs on us both.”
Though Tierra did not exactly enjoy being talked about as if she were not there, she knew better than to make a scene over it, so she simply asked, “Are we agreed now?”
“Not quite,” Skye said. “There’s one other important point I must insist upon, and it is non-negotiable. All of the Skychild slaves must be freed.”
“Absolutely not!” Sequoia exclaimed. “You cannot expect us to agree to something so outrageous!”
“Outrageous?” Skye said in disbelief. “How could you possibly expect relations between our peoples to improve when you are holding some of the Skychildren hostage?”
“Many of the slaves we do have are either thieves or people that your kind has cast down out of the sky,” Sequoia countered. “Are you certain you truly desire their return?”
“Yes,” Skye said firmly. “It was a mistake for us to ever exile any of our people from the sky, whether they were dishonored or not. They should all be given the opportunity to regain their honor. The raids will be stopped, and as for any other Skychild foolishness, well, the opening of trade lines between our people should make coming to your land less appealing to thrill-seekers. Any problems your kind has with mine need to be reported to me immediately. I shall be the one to determine suitable punishments for Skychildren. If it requires building prisons in the sky, then so be it.”
“If your people are attacking or stealing from us, you can hardly expect us to take n
o action,” Sequoia said.
“I do not expect that,” Skye said. “But any captured Skychildren must be given to my people to be dealt with as necessary, and only reasonable force should be used in apprehending any lawbreakers. If there are incidents where no Skychildren are captured, then they must be reported to me. I will also institute patrols to help deter misbehavior. At some point, we will likely need to compare laws to determine where there is divergence, yet I think with the most important crimes—such as theft and murder—both the Skychildren and the Groundbreathers can agree that they are crimes, though we may not agree on the necessary punishment.”
“I still do not like this,” Sequoia growled.
“Perhaps, but it is what it is, regardless,” Tillman said. As Tierra looked at him, she found that for the first time in her life, she was proud of her father. He had always tended to simply allow Sequoia to have her own way, but this time, he was putting his foot down.
Sequoia pursed her lips and listened as her husband continued: “Our daughter is tied to this Skychild by virtue of Terrain’s water and must really care for him if she was willing to go to such lengths to save him. What the young man requests is reasonable. Furthermore, he could have asked for a rather large dowry in exchange for taking Tierra’s hand, yet he did no such thing. The young man clearly loves her, Sequoia. You should think about our daughter’s happiness.”
Tierra looked up at Skye and caught the flush on his cheeks. Yet he did not bother denying the assertion. As for her mother, it appeared that King Tillman’s comment had finally served to extinguish her objections. Though she did not appear to be any happier about the situation, she was now at least resigned.
“I suppose that it must be, then.” The queen approached Tierra and gathered her into a loving embrace which Tierra returned with some relief. “I hope you know what you are doing, my daughter. This Skychild had better treat you right.”
“I do know what I am doing, Mother,” Tierra replied, her vision becoming watery with unshed tears. “I already knew what kind of man he was, and our connection has only confirmed it.”
Her mother nodded and then turned to Skye, her expression unreadable. “You will take care of my daughter. She is the one who should be the most precious to you now.”
“She is,” Skye said, giving Tierra a fond smile.
“You may have accepted this . . . sky cretin, but I have not!” Wisteria interjected into the scene. “I cannot believe what this family has come to. You are all betraying Terrain!”
“You will be silent, Wisteria,” Tillman commanded. “What is done is done, and I believe that Skye is correct. The time has come for us to bury the enmity between our peoples. Our gods have not been present to direct us for many millennia. It is time that we begin to forge our own path, and we cannot progress as a people while we continue this senseless conflict.”
“I shall never accept him!” Wisteria exclaimed.
“I do not require you to accept him,” Tillman said. “But you will keep your disapproval to yourself. We will face enough problems without you stirring the pot.”
Wisteria appeared no more cowed by his instructions than she usually was, but Tillman held up a hand to forestall another outburst. “You will obey me in this, Wisteria! There shall be no further discussion.”
Tierra had never seen her father act in such a commanding fashion as he had been that day, and apparently, Wisteria had not either. Whatever further objections she wanted to make died on her lips, and after a moment of staring at her father, she nodded sulkily. Then, with a final disgruntled glare at Tierra and Skye, Wisteria fled in a twirl of her skirts.
Sighing, Tillman turned back to Tierra. “Do not worry, Tierra. She will grow accustomed to it eventually.” Then he turned a speculative eye on the bonded pair. “I suppose that you both will require a little time to speak and to become accustomed to your new situation.”
With a blush, Tierra glanced at Skye. To an outside observer, he would appear calm, but Tierra could sense a mass of emotions roiling beneath the surface, the dominant one still being confusion.
“That would probably be for the best,” Tierra said.
“Just remember that you are not yet married,” Sequoia said sternly. “As such, you are not entitled to those intimacies reserved for the marriage state.” Her face softened, and she gazed affectionately at Tierra. “Though the use of the water is now rare, the couples who do take of it always do so after marriage. Do not misinterpret your situation, Tierra.”
“I will remember, Mother,” Tierra hastened to reassure her, though she was certain that her face had taken on the hue of a particularly bright red apple.
After a few more moments, her parents took their leave, admonishing the couple to use the room for as long as they liked to come to a greater understanding of the changes that had been brought about.
Then the king and queen were gone, leaving Tierra alone with Skye. It was now time to let him know exactly what had happened to him.
“Are you content now, my son?” asked Celesta. A great globe hovered before them, cloaked in the brown preferred by dark-eyed Terrain.
“I want more colors for the moon’s companion,” declared Terrain. “I wish for the globe to reflect the blues and greens to be found in your eyes.”
Celesta was pleased with her son’s words and agreed that they could further improve the moon’s companion. With a mother’s loving patience, she directed Terrain as he formed the verdant plants of the land and the crystalline blues of the seas and lakes and rivers.
When the moon’s companion was finally formed, Celesta smiled upon her great creation.
—The Book of Celesta
CHAPTER
THIRTY-ONE
Preparation
The next few days proved to be busy ones for Skye. Much needed to be done to put the plan to retake the sky realm in motion, and he needed to do most of it himself. The Groundbreathers attempted to be of assistance to Skye, but what he particularly needed was the aid of another Skychild. In hopes of finding such help, he had gone so far as to attempt to speak with King Tillman and Queen Sequoia’s slaves. He had told them they were to be released in the future and had spoken of the changes that were afoot, but the confused looks on their faces had spoken volumes. The news was actually distressing to them, and they expressed their concerns with what was to become of them. Though disgusted that they had identified so strongly with their captors, Skye hoped that when they returned to the sky realm, the customs of the Skychildren would break through their confusion and enable them to finally live again.
Forced to move forward without the help of other Skychildren, Skye had accepted the assistance of a pair of Iron Swords and journeyed to the nearby mountains to search for any sign of the Fenik. The men had accompanied him not only due to the king’s insistence—there were dangers in the mountains, after all, and it was only prudent that Skye should have someone with him—but also because these particular Iron Swords had heard some of the rumors of the creature and hoped to be able to assist him in his search.
Unfortunately, it all came to naught. Not only did they find no sign whatsoever of the creature itself, but the carcasses of animals which were purportedly strewn about the area could not be found either. After a full day of searching the region, Skye decided it was a dead end, and he carried himself and the two Iron Swords back to the castle on the wind. The men who accompanied him were relieved when their feet were back on solid ground; while neither had made any protest, they had obviously not been comfortable flying through the air with him. He thanked them for their help and allowed them to leave. Then he greeted Tierra, who, forewarned by their link of his return, had arrived in the courtyard to receive him.
“Nothing?” she queried, though she no doubt already knew of the fruitlessness of his quest.
Skye shook his head. “I don’t know how those stories came to be, but we couldn’t find anything.”
“That was a waste,” Ti
erra muttered.
Smiling at her, Skye took her hand and began to lead her into the castle. “We needed to check it out. Tomorrow, I’ll head up into the sky realm and make contact with some of the people on the list Nimbus gave me. Hopefully, we’ll be ready to challenge Hawkins sometime in the next few days.”
As Skye and Tierra walked, they chatted amiably and with more ease than they ever had in one another’s company. Even those few short days they had spent in the sky realm had been laced with a sense of uncertainty between them, for despite the fact that Skye had made it quite clear that he did not consider her to be a slave, his father’s words had thrown them both off-balance. Now, they were able to feel each other’s thoughts and speak to one another in their minds. Furthermore, they had finally talked through all their differences. If they had not been an oddly matched pair—one blond and one brunette, one quite tall and the other rather short—no one would have thought them to be anything other than a young couple in love.
That was not to say that the explanation of what had happened and how Tierra had forced her parents to spare him had not surprised Skye immensely. For a moment, he had been tempted to be angry with her.
* * *
“So what is going on here, Tierra?” Skye had demanded once her parents had left the room. “I’m not sure I understand why your parents gave in. And why can I hear your voice in my head?”
Tierra had appeared to be a trifle abashed, and her trepidation had carried over whatever link they shared. “Well, the explanation is a little complicated, Skye.”
“I can do complicated, Tierra,” he said, his voice a bit of a growl. “I need to know what exactly is going on. How in the blazing firmament did I go from facing the chopping block to marrying a Groundbreather princess all in a manner of minutes? What exactly was that water that you put in my mouth when we—” He cut off, feeling his cheeks unexpectedly redden. In his head, though, he finished the sentence: kissed. It had been one of the highlights of his life—yet also one of the strangest things that had ever happened to him. Almost dying, kissing a Groundbreather princess, and then feeling her thoughts and emotions in his head . . . It was no wonder he felt as if he were drowning in a sea of confusion.