"I am so sorry, Fred!" she whispered. She quickly set him down and unwrapped her tail.
Fred bent over and coughed as air returned to his lungs, but managed a smile at her. "Not as sorry as I am," he joked.
Ruth gently set her hands on his shoulders. "Is something the matter? Should you not be resting?"
He shook his head and straightened. "Just couldn't sleep, that's all."
The gargoyle frowned. "You could not sleep last night," she reminded him.
Fred shrugged. "I guess I don't like to sleep in Kite," he replied.
"That's a pity. Kite is a large region," a voice whispered. The pair spun around toward the cave and found no one.
"The other way." They whipped around toward the trail and found Ned seated on a large rock on the opposite side of the narrow road. He smiled at them and used his staff to tap two shorter rocks close beside him. "It's a fine night to stargaze," he commented. Fred and Ruth glanced at each other. They both smiled, shrugged, and joined Ned among the rocks. Ned leaned his head back to gaze at the stars twinkling above them. "There are some interesting stories about the stars."
Fred slouched and frowned, but Ruth perked up her pointed ears. "What stories?" she asked him.
Ned smiled at her wide eyes. "It is said that each star is a soul at peace. They fly up and settle in the sky to watch over all of us."
"But what if the soul isn't at peace?" she wondered.
Ned's face fell. "Then they wander the world searching for peace so they can join the stars in the sky."
"You mean ghosts?" Fred spoke up.
"That is one of their forms. Like the Boo, they can also take the shape of a cat and haunt the living in that form," Ned added.
"The Boo?" Ruth repeated.
"The Boo is a friendlier name for death," Ned explained.
"Are we going to do this every night?" a voice spoke up. The three turned to see Pat standing in the entrance to the cave. She tapped her foot on the ground and her arms were folded across her chest.
"Ah hope not," Canto quipped. He came up behind her squinting his sleepy eyes at the others. "What are ya all doing up at this hour?"
"I, too, would like to know the answer to that question," Percy chimed in. He staggered out with Sins striding behind him. Fluffy stuck his head up from where he lay with the horses.
Ned chuckled. "We all seem to have insomnia this night."
Pat rolled her eyes and threw up her arms. "Enough stories and enough wandering. We need to sleep or we'll be useless in String," she scolded them.
Ned slid off his rock and walked over to pat one of her shoulders. "You're quite right, my dear Pat." He glanced over his shoulder and pointedly stared at Fred. "No more wandering around during the night for us." Fred didn't miss the hint.
The companions returned to their bedrolls, dirt pile, and watch, and all slept soundly.
CHAPTER 5
The next morning the group shuffled from their cave and into an early gale. Ned breathed deeply and inhaled a heavy layer of dust. "A fine day for a ride," he choked out. A great gust of wind blew past them. "Judging by the severity of the wind we should reach String by late afternoon."
"Then what are we waiting for?" Canto spoke up.
The party pressed onward down the narrow canyon trail. The wind came in gusts and breezes, sometimes tearing at their clothes and other times cooling their cheeks. They took turns being leader so no single steed had to bear the full, unrelenting brunt of the unpredictable weather. A few hours later the trail opened and ascended from the canyon to a plateau surrounded by high cliffs. Percy was in the lead and he stopped his horse so suddenly it caused a chain reaction of bumper to fender collisions.
Fluffy and Fred were at the rear, and in the rear of Pat's horse. They both ate horse tail, and Fred spat his tasty treat out to glare at Percy. "Why'd you do that?" he yelled at the other young man.
"Because we may have a problem. Look." Percy pointed ahead of them, and the group moved forward to stand side-by-side to see the sights.
"Oh dear," Ned replied.
"What in the name of Phaeton?" Pat wondered.
"Are there supposed to be this many people here?" Ruth asked them.
People was indeed the problem for the group. Spread out before them was the long, wide city of String nestled between high, dry, orange-colored cliffs. The city stretched for miles, and the eastern part abutted the bases of the cliffs and there were niches carved into the hillsides that looked like balconies. The buildings on the western end were twenty yards away from the cliffs and the space was littered with fallen rocks. Wide, dusty streets ran north to south the grid-like blocks with alleys running east to west, though the eastern portion of the city devolved into a mangled mess of small squares surrounded by rundown buildings. The buildings rarely stood more than one story tall, but they made up for the lack of height in width and depth. The houses encompassed a great deal of square footage, and the largest ones occupied an entire city block.
There was a single large, domed building that occupied much of the northwestern corner of the city and towered over its shorter neighboring structures. The building was made of a white marble that glistened in the sun and columns held up the covered front entrance. The roof of the front half of the building dazzled their eyes with its glass dome. Everyone unfamiliar with the city guessed that was the Senex of which Ned had spoke.
What caught their attention, however, were the crowds of people who thronged the streets. Large crates stacked like steps littered the streets, and people stood on the boxes or sat on the edges of the roofs with their legs dangling over the sides. The spectators congregated in open doorways and some even stood on the top of the western cliffs. What they all had in common was their heads were tilted backwards. Some held large pieces of glass to their faces, and others talked amongst themselves and pointed upward.
Ruth followed their gazes upward and her eyes lit up. She pointed her hand at the sky. "Look!"
Her companions looked up and saw colorful triangular shapes floating in the sky along the eastern cliffs. The triangles drifted through the air and swooped above and below each other. The party witnessed one of the kites dive close to another and the higher kite was pulled down. It wobbled, tipped over, and fell from the sky. The crowd gasped and some in the audience screamed. The kite headed toward the crowd, but at the last moment pulled up and landed on a rooftop.
Ned smiled and clapped his hands. "An admirable landing," he applauded.
"What madness is this?" Pat asked him.
"The madness of the aviators," Ned replied. He gestured to the triangles still in the air. "Each of those holds an aviator. Their aim is to pull down their opponents by cutting the line of their competitors and causing them to lose their guiding rope and fall to the ground."
Canto scoffed. "If humans were meant to fly they would all be castors," he quipped.
"These normal humans have made up for that deficiency with a flying contraption," Ned replied.
"And they set themselves in the air in an attempt to kill each other?" Percy wondered.
Ned chuckled. "The sport of commoners, and the spectator-sport of kings."
"We have more important matters to discuss than flying fools," Pat interrupted them. She swept her arm over the city. "How are we to find the stone in those crowds?"
"And the treasure," Canto reminded them. "We don't know where that's hidden, either."
"Did the castors perhaps hide the treasure with a friendly group?" Percy asked Ned.
Ned shook his head. "None that I'm aware of, but we could perhaps use one of the machines to propel ourselves above the city for a look."
"I would rather use Ruth." Pat turned to Ruth who sat behind her, but found the girl's attention was still on the skies. "Ruth?" She received no response. "Ruth!"
Ruth jerked back and whipped her head to Pat. "I'm sorry. What were you saying?"
Pat sighed. "Come nightfall we need you to fly over the city to find the stone," she tol
d her friend.
Ruth smiled and nodded her head. "I would be glad to help."
"Now that that's decided, what do we do while we wait for night?" Percy wondered.
"We find lodgings. It may take Ruth more than a day to search such a large city," Pat replied.
They rode on and reached the outskirts of the city. Even the streets far from the center of the city were crowded with onlookers. A guard in uniform stood at every entrance to the streets.
Pat tried to guide her horse into the streets, but the guard held up one arm and stepped forward. "Halt! You can't ride those things in here! Not during the tournament!"
Canto turned to Ned with a smirk on his face. "The tournament's always on time?" he wondered. Ned shrugged.
"This isn't the fall tournament," the man spoke up. "This is the tournament to decide who will be the first aviator to swear the oath on the changed Swearing Stone, and men from all over Kite have come to win that honor."
"Changed Swearing Stone?" Ned repeated.
"A month ago an outer casing fell off the stone and showed a bright yellow core. The aviators wanted to know if something special would happen if one of them swore on the stone, so the Senex is allowing this tournament," the guard explained to them. The man pointed toward where the remaining kites as they landed on the eastern tops of the cliffs. "What you just witnessed was the last practice flights of the day by a few of the aviators. The winds aren't as good at night, so they hang up their kites around sundown."
Pat frowned. "But that stone is-" Ned hurried forward and slipped his hand firmly over her mouth.
"Is anyone allowed to enter this tournament?" he asked the stranger.
"Anyone," the man replied.
"Even women?" Ned persisted.
The man sneered and shook his head. "Anyone but them. Women can fly all they want outside the tournament, but not in it."
Pat grumbled through Ned's hand, but Ned held tight to her. "When does this tournament start, and can anyone still join?" Ned continued.
"It begins the day after tomorrow in the late afternoon, but the sign ups are closed. The final day for the practice flights are tomorrow, too. It's a required flight for all the aviators," the man answered him.
"Excellent. One last question and we won't bother you further. Is the castor licensing office open?" Ned wondered.
The man's friendly disposition transformed to suspicion as his eyes narrowed and he glanced over the group. "No, it's closed for the tournament. Why do you want to know?"
"Merely for curiosity's sake. Is there something wrong with the office?" Ned asked him.
The man shook his head and spoke slowly. "I'm not at liberty to say, but I am required to ask if any of you are illegal castors."
Ned chuckled. "No, we are not," he assured the guard.
The guard visibly relaxed. "Very well. Do you have any more questions?"
"No. We thank you for your kind help, and we'll be sure not to ride our animals in the city," Ned reassured him. The man bowed and turned his attention to a brawl close inside the crowded city. He hurried away.
Pat ripped off Ned's hand and scowled at him. "What is this about unlicensed castors?" she asked him.
"A mere formality. Castors must acquire a license before they're allowed to use their abilities inside the city," he told her.
"Do either you or Fred have a license?" she wondered.
"I do, but I hoped to acquire one for Fred. It seems that isn't possible," Ned mused.
"Was it wise to lie to the guard?" Percy spoke up.
Ned chuckled. "I didn't lie. He asked if any of us were illegal castors. No castor is illegal, merely unlicensed."
"That's a use of words they might not appreciate," Canto commented.
Ned waved aside their concerns. "Nonsense. We will be sure to avoid using our magic, and acquire the stone in another, less explosive fashion."
Pat scowled at him. "What are you planning, castor?" she growled.
Ned smiled, and there was that mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "Merely a nonviolent method of gaining access to the stone."
"Ya weren't thinking about sending one of us up in one of those contraptions, were ya?" Canto asked him.
"Actually, that was exactly what I was thinking," Ned replied.
"But none of us knows how to fly those strange machines," Ruth pointed out.
Ned turned to her and looked the young woman over. "You're quite right, but one of us does know how to fly."
Ruth blinked for a moment, and her eyes widened when his plan dawned on her. "You wish for me to enter the tournament?" she gasped.
"And win," he added.
Ruth shook her head. "But I know nothing of these machines. I would surely lose," she protested.
"And she must remain in her human form during the day," Percy reminded them.
"A gargoyle never forgets how to fly, even when they're human," Ned argued. He chuckled. "Besides, what do we have to lose from trying?"
"Ruth, for one," Canto mumbled.
"Have more faith in our resident gargoyle," Ned scolded his companions. "I am sure she will out-fly even the best of their aviators."
"You're forgetting one thing," Pat spoke up. "The man told us no one else may enter the tournament. How will Ruth join it?"
Ned stroked his beard and shrugged. "I'm sure we will find an answer to that problem."
"Are we going to talk here all day or find a place to stay?" Canto asked the group.
Ned turned to him with a raised eyebrow. "You're very eager to stay here. Did you hear of a place where we might find a room?"
Canto grinned and stroked his beard. "Ah did. It's a nice little inn out of the way of these mess of crowds. They've filthy rooms hardly fit to sleep in, but it's cheap and the help is good."
Percy chuckled. "Would the help be in the form of some very well-endowed ladies?" he guessed.
Canto scowled at him. "No, it wouldn't be. There's only one lady."
Pat rolled her eyes. "What's the name of this place?" she asked him.
"Hugh's Tracts of Land," Canto told them. Sins stiffened, but the action was noticed only by Ned and Percy.
Pat raised an eyebrow. "Tracts of Land?" she repeated. "What sort of a name is that?"
"A terrible one," Sins spoke up. Everyone turned to him with their jaws dragging across their saddle horns. Sins had never spoken unless spoken to.
Ned smiled. "Do you happen to be familiar with this place, Sins?"
Sins readjusted himself in his saddle. "Vaguely," was his vague reply.
"Any objections to our staying there?" Ned persisted. Sins turned his head away and didn't reply.
"Then if nobody else wants to be ruining my fun, let's get going," Canto insisted.
"Do you happen to know where this place is in this large city?" Percy asked him.
"Aye. In the eastern part of the city against the cliffs. It's a bit rough in there, but that'll mean we'll get rooms," Canto replied.
"If we want rooms there," Pat rephrased.
CHAPTER 6
The party dismounted and squirmed their way through the thick crowds. Wheeled food carts lined many walls, and Fred kept a firm grip on Fluffy's reins to keep the cantankus from repeating the chicken adventure in Galaron. People were packed against each other and more than one fight broke out over who shoved who. The people of String had a curious way of resolving disputes, and Fred stopped to watch one of the strange resolutions. A fight broke out between two men over prime real estate atop a large crate.
"Get off! You've had enough time on it!" one of the men protested.
"I found it, it's mine!" the one atop the crate protested. The first man dragged the second from his fine perch and fists flew between them. A large crowd gathered around them and cheered on the brawl.
A third, and larger, man stepped between them and pushed the pair apart. "You settle your differences with the twinners!" the large man shouted at them. He took hold of the collars of both men and glanced over the crow
d. "Is there a twinner around?" he yelled over the shouting and jostling.
"Here comes one!" someone shouted.
All heads turned to a side street where emerged a robed figure. The person was short, about a head taller than Canto, but walked straight and stiff. He wore multicolored robes that dragged the ground several feet behind him. His face was covered by a long, thick hood so that no one could tell which way his head was turned. The sleeves spilled over the man's arms and the cuffs scraped the dry dirt. Every few steps the robed figure tripped and waved their sleeved hands in the air to balance themselves. The strange man made it to the three men only because the crowd parted for the funny figure.
The robed person coughed into their sleeve and whipped their hooded head from one fighter to the other. "What is the problem, fellow citizens?" the robed man asked them.
The large man shoved the pair ahead of him. "They was fighting over a crate."
"Who had the crate first?" the robed man asked the pair.
The appropriate man held up his hand. "I did," he replied.
"Then share and let your fellow citizen have a chance at the crate," the robed man decided.
The large man turned to the initial occupant of the crate. "The twinner's decided, so get off with you!" The loser scowled and scurried away. The assembly broke up as quickly as it had come together, and the street resumed its normal chaos.
Ned stepped up beside Fred. "What do you think of their twinner trial?" he asked the young man.
"Twinner?" Fred asked him.
"The twinners are winners of past tournaments who are given positions as circuit judges in the city. They walk the streets settling disputes," Ned explained.
Fred glanced at the dust trailings of the twinner's robes and shrugged. "It's a little strange," he admitted.
The Unwilling Aviator (Book 4) Page 3