Take Back the Skies

by Lucy Saxon

  Cat’s eyes widened; how did a woman have nine children without her body giving out? She hadn’t known anyone in Anglya to have any more than three.

  ‘Have you ever been?’ she asked, having to shout to be heard over the roar of the wind. It whipped at her hair and numbed her cheeks, and she wished she’d brought gloves like Fox.

  ‘Oh no, we can never get close enough, even with Ben’s excellent flying,’ Fox said with a sigh, sounding wistful. ‘I’ve been to Ropastal, though, round the other side of Siberene. The people there are beautiful,’ he added.

  ‘Wow. I’d love to travel to every country one day, and the islands! I’ve read stories and seen pictures in newscasts, but I’ll bet it’s even more amazing in reality,’ she murmured, imagining flying in the Stormdancer all the way across the world as far as the exotic and colourful Kasem, meeting people and seeing animals she had only seen drawings of in her books. She said as much to Fox, who smiled.

  ‘Now Kasem’s somewhere I definitely haven’t been. Harry’s taken me to Mericus and Erova plenty, Siberene the most, and even Dalivia once. But maybe one day I’ll bug Harry and Ben into flying us to Kasem. That would be an adventure.’

  Cat turned, smiling at the infectious grin on Fox’s face.

  ‘It would that. Now, what was it you were saying about tightening the rigging?’

  Tightening the rigging, in actual fact, turned out to be more of a lesson on the different knots used to secure different parts of the ship. It was interesting, and surprisingly fun, though Fox did jokingly threaten to tie her to the mast and leave her there more times than strictly necessary. Cat was just finishing a bowline knot to secure the rigging nets to the deck when Fox whistled sharply, causing her to look up. He didn’t say anything, merely pointed towards the horizon. The dark grey storm clouds she’d spotted earlier were far closer now, and Cat gaped. No wonder most ships didn’t attempt to fly through the Secondary; it was terrifying!

  No one knew how or why the gods had formed the storm barriers where they did, but they were all over the world, and never seemed to move very far. Most seasoned pilots knew ways around the worst parts, and some – like Ben – dared travel through them.

  ‘Time to go in?’ she called, and Fox nodded, the tail of his coat whipping out behind him. Tugging on the running end of the knot to tighten it, she tucked it neatly out of the way and clambered ungracefully to her feet, having to hold out her arms to steady herself as she hurried over to where Fox stood by the open trap. He let her go first, dropping down behind her and stopping halfway up the ladder to fasten the catch on the heavy metal trap.

  ‘So, what do you think?’ he asked, a grin on his wind-flushed face, pulling his goggles down to hang around his neck. Cat didn’t try to hide her delight in what she’d just experienced.

  ‘It’s amazing! I can’t believe how far you can see from up there, and the sea is so fierce!’ she gushed.

  Fox nodded, his expression telling her he understood exactly how she felt.

  ‘Humbling, isn’t it? Knowing there’s all that space out there, all those people in foreign lands, and you’re just one of them. But … it’s beautiful when the sky is clear. Especially when the sun rises and sets – the water glows purple, it’s really quite something.’

  ‘That sounds wonderful,’ Cat breathed. Fox hummed in agreement, glancing over at her, and there was so much awe on his face that Cat’s breath caught in her throat for just a moment. He was beautiful when he wasn’t scowling. ‘Possibly even worth getting up earlier than usual for.’

  Fox laughed, and the moment was gone, leaving Cat feeling strangely bereft. ‘I’d definitely say so,’ he replied. ‘But you won’t see it for days yet – the storms are far too wild for a clear sky. No chance of anyone from Siberene being unlucky,’ he joked. Cat smiled ruefully; in any of the six countries, being born under a clear sky was considered bad luck. Anglya was seeing more and more clear skies, and people were beginning to regard it as a sign that the country was cursed.

  ‘Nice for them. I don’t suppose Alice might make me some tea? I can’t feel my hands all that well,’ she confessed, her numb fingers stuffed deeply in the fur-lined pockets of the coat.

  Fox sent her a somewhat sheepish look.

  ‘I’m sorry. I should’ve told you to grab gloves as well. Remind me next time.’

  She shook her head.

  ‘No harm done. At least, not if I can beg a cuppa,’ she added.

  ‘You’ll find Alice in the laundry room. Go and ask nicely and she’ll no doubt oblige.’

  Entering the galley, Cat timidly knocked on the laundry-room door. Waiting for Alice’s call of ‘Come in!’ she pushed the door open. Alice looked up from a large pile of assorted fabrics that were damp and ready to be aired.

  ‘Hello, poppet, what can I do for you?’ she asked.

  ‘Well, ma’am, Fox just took me up on deck, and I didn’t take any gloves so now my hands are near numb with cold, and I was just wondering would you mind –’

  ‘Putting the kettle on, dear?’ Alice finished for her. ‘Course I can, just let me fold this bolt,’ she said, holding up a large square of thick black wool fabric, ‘and you really needn’t be so formal, dear. Don’t call me ma’am, just Alice will do. I won’t bite.’

  ‘I’m sorry, I just … I’m not used to … women.’ She wanted to say ‘having a mother’, but she wasn’t sure that would go down well. Alice seemed to get her meaning, though, and smiled in sympathy. Setting the folded cloth down in a basket, she crossed to Cat, ruffling her hair.

  ‘You might not have had much of a family in the past, poppet, but you’ll find one here. Matt seems to like you, and Ben likes almost anyone Matt likes. Harry thinks you’re a bright spark, and as for Fox … he might seem a little distant, the poor lad, but compared to how he is usually, he’s practically a new person since you turned up! You’ll settle in soon enough, I’m sure of it.’

  Cat felt a lump in her throat. She’d never had someone want to be her family before, not truly. Her mother loved her dearly, but Elizabeth had been ill for most of Cat’s life, so not really there for her, and her father saw her as something to trade for greater power, not as a daughter to be loved.

  ‘Thank you,’ she said quietly, her voice slightly choked. ‘That means a lot to me. And thank you for letting me stay in the first place.’

  Alice squeezed Cat’s shoulder.

  ‘No reason not to trust you, is there? You’re an orphan, and just by coming to us you’ve put your life in our hands – we could turn you in any day. But we won’t, so long as you keep working as hard as you are. Now, what say you come with me to the kitchen? I’ll stick the kettle on and start lunch and you can sit by the oven and warm up. I don’t know what that boy was thinking, taking you topside so close to the Secondary. You could have been blown right off the deck! Honestly, I wonder where his brain is sometimes,’ she huffed, shaking her head to herself as she led Cat through to the kitchen.

  ‘But it was so pretty, Alice, the storms were incredible! I’ve never seen a storm that close up before,’ Cat replied, a dreamy smile lighting her face. Alice took a long look at her as she filled the kettle, then laughed.

  ‘That’s another one hooked,’ she remarked. ‘You’ll never stay on land for longer than a week from now on. That’s what my Harry is like – the longest he stayed in one place was when he was courting me, and even then he whisked me away after three and a half weeks.’

  ‘Sounds awfully romantic,’ said Cat.

  Alice grinned at her, a reminiscent look in her eyes.

  ‘It was. Especially considering he hardly has a romantic bone in his body. That’s something you should remember, poppet, for when you’re older. The best way to a woman’s heart is romance, plain and simple.’

  Cat ducked her head to hide a grin.

  ‘What are you making?’ she asked as Alice began to pull supplies from cupboards.

  ‘Beef and tomato sandwiches.’

  ‘Sounds brillia
nt! I love tomatoes.’ Cat’s words earned her an odd look.

  ‘You’ve had them before?’

  Cat was perplexed by the question, then remembered that most common people would never have had tomatoes. Even her father had only ever got them off the black market.

  ‘Uh, just once,’ she said hastily. She’d have to be more careful. ‘Friend of mine was in the black market. Is there anything I can do to help?’ she queried, hoping to move on swiftly.

  ‘You can slice the bread for me, if you like. I must say, I’m not used to boys knowing their way around the kitchen. I’ve tried to teach the others, but they’re so hopeless it’s best they stay well away.’ Alice slid the loaf of bread over to Cat.

  Just as she was getting started, the kettle began to whistle, and Alice turned to make three mugs of tea. She set two of them on a tray.

  ‘There you are, dear, take that up to Harry and Ben in the control room. Be careful on the ladder,’ she added with a pointed look.

  Cat nodded, and taking the small tray she hurried from the kitchen.

  It took longer than she would have liked to figure out how to climb the ladder without spilling the drinks, but she managed it, eventually.

  ‘Tea,’ she announced, drawing the attention of both men.

  ‘Fantastic. Thanks, lad. Any idea when lunch will be ready?’ Harry asked, downing half his cup in one go.

  ‘Alice was just putting sandwiches together when I left. How far are we from Siberene now?’ she queried.

  ‘About sixty miles,’ Ben answered. ‘So we should be there in an hour or two. Tell Alice I’ll pass on lunch today, will you? I can’t leave the wheel. We’re only a little way into the Secondary.’

  They left the pilot to his work and as Harry shut the door behind him, he chuckled.

  ‘I bet two coppers that Matt takes his lunch up as soon as he hears Ben’s not coming down.’

  ‘Even I know that’s a fool’s bet,’ Cat retorted, earning a hearty laugh and a clap on the shoulder.

  ‘You learn fast, lad. Then again, a blind man could see those two are joined at the hip,’ Harry conceded, hoisting himself down the ladder after Cat. ‘Actually, I wanted to talk to you. How do you feel about pickpockets?’

  Cat stared at him, confused by the random question.

  ‘They’re not the worst people in the world,’ she answered slowly, remembering how she’d let that boy steal her father’s watch. ‘Why?’

  ‘It’s always good to get a little extra, to distribute back in Anglya. Goods can only have come from one place, but money can come from anywhere so it’s easier to spread around without suspicion. I used to send Fox out – he likes to keep his skills sharp – but he’s getting too big now. You’re small and nimble. Think you can swipe a few purses without getting caught?’

  Cat frowned, thinking it over. She’d never tried to steal a purse before, but she’d stolen things from her father’s office all the time – usually things he’d confiscated from her to begin with – and he’d never noticed. But would anyone in Siberene have a purse worth stealing? According to their news reports, even the upper classes were poor.

  ‘I think I could do that. And I like a challenge,’ she replied boldly, trusting Harry not to make her steal from those already in need.

  Harry pushed the galley door open.

  ‘That’s the spirit! See how you go, but don’t risk it too much. We won’t be able to get you out of jail if you get caught. And, uh, don’t tell the missus. She doesn’t approve.’

  ‘Why’s Cat going to jail?’ Matt asked casually from where he was loading sandwiches on to his plate.

  ‘Pickpocketing in Siberene. And he’s not going if he can help it,’ Harry replied. ‘Oh, Ben’s staying up to get us through the rest of the Secondary. Be prepared for a few bumps, by the way, Cat. It will be a bit of a rough crossing.’ As if to emphasise his point, the ship shunted sideways, and Matt made a frantic dive as one of his sandwiches attempted to make a getaway on to the floor, catching it just in time.

  ‘I’ll take Ben’s up. I’m sure he’d appreciate the company,’ he announced, putting more sandwiches on a separate plate and balancing it on top of his own meal. Harry shot Cat a look, and she grinned back at him as Matt left. She was learning.

  Chapter 6

  ‘Hey, Cat, get your coat and gloves.’

  Cat looked up at Fox, leaning in the door frame of her room.

  ‘We’re here?’ she asked in excitement, and he nodded.

  ‘Landing in ten – thought you might want to be on deck for descent. Get your gloves,’ he repeated, a half-smile tugging at his lips. She hurried to obey, digging through the clothes she’d been given and eventually finding a thick leather pair in the pocket of one of the coats.

  ‘Don’t you have work to do during landing?’ she questioned, bringing her goggles up over her eyes.

  He shrugged.

  ‘Matt won’t mind if I skip out just this once to take you topside. He spent half his first months here on deck every time we took off or landed. He acts like he only ever stays with the engines, but he’s as guilty as the rest of us,’ he confided.

  Seeing Cat was properly attired, he grabbed her by the crook of the elbow, tugging impatiently.

  ‘Hurry up, or you’ll miss all the good parts,’ he urged, practically dragging her from the room.

  The pair ran up to the top deck, Fox chivvying Cat every time she even looked like she was slowing. Emerging on to the deck, Cat raced to the raised section of the bow, scrambled up the ladder and practically threw herself over the railing. Below her she could see the sprawling icy tundra of Siberene. In the centre, enormous white mountains sliced through clouds with ease, and stretching from the coast almost to the base of the closest mountain was the city. Syvana, closest to Anglya, was the biggest of the four Siberene cities – and it looked to be bustling with energy. Cat let out a breathless laugh; the people looked like ants from this height. She could see the shipyard with its sparse rows of berthed skyships, plumes of steam rising where some were getting ready to sail. She wondered if her mother had ever made the journey – perhaps accompanying the queen on royal business – but thinking of her mother made her heart ache, and Cat forced her mind elsewhere.

  ‘You might want to hold on to something.’ She spun on her heel to find Fox standing a little way away, clutching a rigging rope. ‘This part gets a little rough,’ he warned.

  She nodded, glancing around for something to grab, and decided to wrap her arms around a thick railing post. The sails sagged and she could see them getting lower and lower, the buildings getting bigger as they drew nearer. Most of them were quite squat, built plainly with thick slabs of steel and stone; a striking contrast to the towering spires and ornate buildings commonly found in Anglya. The people were all dressed in dark colours, thick leathers and furs. She didn’t blame them, she decided, clasping gloved hands in an effort to keep her fingers from freezing.

  ‘Where are the palaces? All the beautiful buildings from the newscasts?’ she called to Fox, not wanting to turn away from the incredible sights for a second.

  ‘Those are in the South – furthest from Anglya, so furthest from possible attack. Southern Siberene is probably the safest place you can be, mainly because you’ve got to navigate around the mountains to get there, and it holds the biggest military base in the country. Only an idiot would attempt to fly over the Kholar Mountains. The safest way is to ride. Although from what I heard during our last visit, the king was gathering men to create a four-way tunnel connecting the four cities.’

  She let out a low whistle. That sounded like an awfully large job.

  Cat clung on tight to the post, her eyes practically popping out of her head as their descent became steeper and the ship began rocking madly.

  ‘This bit does get bumpy,’ he told her, his grip on the rope tightening. Despite the nonchalant look on his face, there was the smallest curl at the corners of his lips and a sparkle in his eyes that he couldn’t quite
hide behind his goggles. He was enjoying this just as much as Cat was, she could tell.

  They dropped past the lowest clouds, heading for an open landing deck in the shipyard, just on the end, out of the way of the trade ships. Cat immediately noticed that not only were there no Anglyan government ships, there were also no Siberene government ships, and very few trade ships. That could, of course, be because the storm barriers around the country were steadily getting worse, and few people dared to venture through them, yet it was strange that there was no Anglyan presence in the city. Siberene was still under Anglyan rule, wasn’t it?

  Even stranger, most of the ships in port seemed to be pleasure ships, or small-time merchant ships similar to the Stormdancer. There was a large jolt as they hit solid ground, sending Cat pitching forward to hit her head on a post with a thump. She yelped in pain, and Fox burst into laughter. Leaning back and rubbing her sore forehead, she gave him a dark look.

  ‘You’re awfully mean sometimes, you know that?’ she told him.

  ‘I have been told that, yes,’ he replied evenly, still looking amused. ‘We should head back inside, if you’re ready. Harry will be waiting.’

  Cat hummed happily at the warmth inside the ship, frowning when Fox led her to the door opposite the control room, finding the rest of the crew in there with a pile of large crates.

  ‘Enjoy the view?’ Harry asked, and Cat nodded rapidly.

  ‘It was incredible! I can’t believe how huge the mountains are!’

  ‘Yeah, makes you wonder how people dare mine them, doesn’t it? They have to travel for miles through all that snow,’ Matt said with a shudder.

  ‘Right, I want us to be in and out as quick as we can,’ Harry said, his face serious. Everyone leaned in closer, and suddenly, all eyes were fixed on the captain. ‘We need to be past the Secondary by sundown. That means leaving port by six at the very latest. I’d like it if everyone were back by half past five, though, just in case it gets a little tricky. Cat, Fox will take you into the city centre and show you the best way back.’ He glanced at his wife, who seemed disapproving of his decision to send Cat pickpocketing. But she didn’t interrupt. ‘Just do your best, and don’t get caught, because if you’re not back by six, we’ll have to leave without you.’ Harry’s face was apologetic, but Cat knew that regardless of how bad it would make him feel, he would carry out his threat. She nodded resolutely.