She found a little wooden door behind the house where there was a seated shithole that sounded quite deep. No nasty odors came back out. She wondered if it ended in some other deeper cave that was full of rubbish.
She went back to the house in time to undress and try the warm bath. She blissfully scrubbed her skin and washed her hair. She had missed that commodity. Washing herself in rivers and streams wasn't the same thing.
She wrapped herself in a big towel provided by Taios and left her golden-brown hair loose on her shoulders. It was long enough to cover her scars and even her nipples if they weren't already covered by the towel.
She took her chemise and washed it in the same water, then laid it out on the windowsill to dry. She went to the main room where Erina was restitching her breeches, frowning and muttering to herself.
"You are also a tailor?" Sayla marveled. "You have more skills than I do!"
"Sila aren't known for their skills besides fluttering everywhere and drawing maps," Erina replied grumpily. "They're the most useless of the Magical Races. The most harmless as well."
"Will you show me how to use the crossbow?" Sayla asked, crouching next to the dwarf. Taios was busy putting wood in the oven.
"Don't you think you're asking too much?" Erina snapped. "You're lucky that our children have moved out, or you'd have had to share the bedroom!"
"And I would have shared it gladly," Sayla said. "Can I help any of you with your chores? I'm not the best cook on earth, but I can cook..."
"Then go help Taios," Erina said. "I'll finish fixing your pants, lest they leave you with your ass uncovered at the wrong time."
Sayla giggled. "Thank you, Erina." She cleared her throat and leaned forward. "Would you have any menstrual cloths handy?" she whispered. "I made some with the lower part of my chemise, but they're all dirty now."
The menstruation had arrived when she was already high up, in the eagles' eyrie.
Erina glared at her. "I'm way beyond childbearing age," she muttered. Sayla couldn't tell her age, but since she had mentioned adult offspring, she couldn't be in her prime. "My daughter lives next door," she added quickly. "Go ask her."
"Left or right?" Sayla asked, jumping to her feet.
"We're on her roof."
Sayla nodded and went to the daughter, who had blond hair and two small children. "I'm on the rag, but I don't have rags, can you give me one?" she asked the surprised dwarf who was indeed younger than Erina. The daughter smiled and gave her a folded old cloth.
She thanked the dwarf and went back to Erina and Taios. They had started cooking and set the table with three plates. She went back to the room to dress and put the cloth in to avoid soiling the breeches.
She washed the used cloths cut off from her chemise and laid them on the windowsill to dry out. Luckily the big cavern was very warm and even her hair was almost dry by now.
"Sayla, dinner!" Taios called. Sayla happily joined them. She looked forward to sleeping in a bed again.
***
Keenan watched the fire in the distance and frowned. Night had fallen and it hadn't moved. He had noticed that some people were camped further down the slope, but they didn't seem to get any closer.
Maybe it was the shepherd or some hunters. Whatever the case, they didn't seem to want to reach him. But he checked they were still there every night and tried to keep his own fire behind the rocks, so they wouldn't see it. He had no idea if they knew he was there or not.
Keenan sighed and limped back to his meager dinner. The closest traps had been empty, he'd have to go farther in the morning to place them, or he'd end up hungry. He had managed to catch only a small rodent, so he cooked it and ate it wondering when Sayla would come down from the mountains.
He missed town's life. Having four walls and a roof, a real bed and a bath-tub. He didn't miss the tannery's stench, but the rest, yes. He wondered if he and Sayla could live in a cabin near the woods instead of going back to town.
He doubted his father would want him back in his trade and nobody really liked him in Inex except Sayla. Maybe they should just move on, find another place to live. Her family would surely try to marry her off if she went back, so staying away from Inex was the best bet.
He sighed, wrapping himself in the blanket and looking up at the starry sky. At least it wasn't raining. But he looked forward to leaving. Hopefully he wouldn't have to spend the whole summer on the side of the mountain.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Sayla awoke at the sounds of the dwarves' town – voices, hammers, running water somewhere. The cave being completely underground, the only light came from the bonfires and the lamps scattered throughout the buildings.
She stretched her arms and yawned, wondering what time it was. Hard to tell without the sun.
She got out of bed and found Erina cooking some eggs. Sayla was starting to miss bread, but she didn't say it out loud. Hopefully her next meal would be of Clouds Nectar with the Sila.
"Good morning... is it morning?" she greeted.
"The sun is up," Erina answered with a shrug, pulling the frying pan off the oven. She shoved the eggs on a plate and put it on the table. "Here, eat. Then I'll take you to the Sila nest."
"Thank you." Sayla sat. "Where is Taios?"
"He's gone back on duty with our son. I'll join them for lunch, allowing my son to go back to his family."
"I'm sorry to put you through so much trouble," Sayla apologized. "I disrupted your life and your routine..."
"We don't mind some change every now and then," Erina replied. "It has been years since we saw a maimed Sila trying to go home."
Sayla quickly ate, then went to the bedroom and packed. When she went back to the main room, Erina was ready with a lamp and a staff.
"Let's go, we have some walking to do," she said bluntly.
Sayla followed her. They traversed the cavern and Sayla saw where the running water came from. A tall and thin waterfall came out from high up and crashed in a corner of the cave, vanishing underground.
Erina went around it and headed for another low tunnel. Sayla had to walk hunched over to avoid bumping her head on the tunnel ceiling. Erina walked fast for her age and her short legs, but Sayla didn't ask her to slow down.
The tunnel opened up a little, allowing her to straighten her back. It looked more natural but also narrower. Obviously the dwarves' pickaxes hadn't widened the passage this far.
"Take the lamp," Erina said, stopping where it was too narrow for her plump form. "I don't need it. The tunnel opens up completely a few paces from there. You can squeeze in and at the end of the tunnel, you'll find what you're looking for."
"Thank you." Sayla knelt and hugged Erina before taking the lamp.
The dwarf muttered grumpily and freed herself. "Go, Sayla. May the Immortals be with you."
Sayla smiled and went to the narrow opening. She took off her backpack and threw it on the other side. She had to squeeze in on her side, holding the lamp forward and leaving Erina in the dark.
"Are you sure you don't need the lamp?" she asked through the opening.
"Dwarves have excellent night vision, you silly girl." Erina's reply came as an echo. The dwarf was already down the tunnel, headed home.
Sayla chuckled and turned forward again. She grabbed her backpack and realized that the passage was indeed short, but it was dark because of a steep bend. Daylight hit her as soon as she went around a big protruding rock and she emerged in a wide, irregular shaft that opened under the blue sky.
She was at the bottom of a huge tubular cave and she could see nests at different heights as well as more tunnels opening along its steep walls. And there were Sila. Hundreds of them. She watched awed as the winged beings gathered on the ground around some females with little ones in their arms.
Sayla didn't understand their language – must be the Old Tongue her mother hadn't bothered teaching her, damn it! – so she stared fascinated at the big feathery wings that matched the hair color of the owner. Indeed her wings
were probably like Eagle's, since her hair was golden-brown like Eagle's feathers.
The last participants were gliding down and nobody seemed to notice her as she stared goggle-eyed from the tunnel exit. The Elders – she could tell they were elders because both their hair and their wings were losing color – called for silence and the chatter subsided.
The Eldest, a man, started a soothing song, and everybody joined in with the chorus. The Singers chanted without instruments accompanying them, only their voices humming and singing. The song brought tears to Sayla's eyes – she could almost hear her mother singing with them. Pity she didn't understand the words.
The master of the ceremony recited a piece of prose with his gentle voice, then all bowed their heads in prayer. Sayla closed her eyes as well and prayed that Air's children would welcome her. Surely they spoke the Humans' languages? Otherwise she had no idea of how to communicate with them.
The silence over, family groups started moving around, chatting and going to meet the babies, with their wings still too small to sustain them, almost all of them happily nestled in their mothers' laps.
Sayla tagged along, daring to approach the mothers and observe the babies. She was like that too when her mother had... She frowned and tried not to think about it. She stared at a little winged baby and he smiled, making her forget her loss.
"Hey, you, come over," the mother said. "How did you make it up here?"
She didn't sound hostile, only curious. She had black feathery wings like big raven wings and long black hair that matched the feathers' color. Her olive skin was like Talullah's and she had also the same doe eyes, which made Sayla back away, wary.
"Don't be afraid," the mother said soothingly. "Nobody is going to hurt you. I feel some affinity... who are you?"
Sayla took a deep breath and straightened her back.
"I'm Sayla, daughter of Talullah who was born Winged Talullah in a nest of the Central Massif," she said, determined, looking the winged woman in the eyes.
The woman gasped and others seemed to hold their breath around her. Sayla concentrated on the mother seated in front of her with a long gown while the other Sila females wore tight-fitting clothes with breeches.
"My mother is still alive?" the Sila marveled. "I'm Winged Elaliah, I was born on the Central Massif too, a few years before she was taken from me. I was told her wings had been cut off and she had probably died."
"Um, no, she survived and married a Human and had two children, my brother and myself," Sayla said hesitantly. "Uncle Winged Ashras used to come and take her to Dankotago every year. Or so she told us."
"Winged Ashras lives in another nest." Winged Elaliah sighed. "I wonder why he didn't tell me that she was alive." She smiled again. "She's been living with Humans, I take it?"
"Yes," Sayla answered. "I was born in Inex. I thought I had a Human father until my mother told me I was born with wings."
Winged Elaliah raised her eyebrows, skeptical.
"You may still be a half-blood. They sometimes come with wings."
"My brother doesn't have them."
"That's what I'm saying. Sometimes. Mating with Humans gives half-bloods that can have wings or not. You eat earth food, don't you?"
"Because I grew up with it. My mother has lived another twenty-five years after her maiming with earth food! I don't think she gets to taste much Clouds Nectar since she lost her wings."
"Might be."
"And my brother was sick after tasting the Clouds Nectar. I enjoy it very much."
"Mm. That's more telling. How did you get here?"
"A young golden eagle took me to a dwarves' entrance and they showed me the way."
"If a young golden eagle could carry you here, you must have the Sila bones too – but you'd have them anyway if you were born with wings."
"Fine, I'm half-blood." Sayla shrugged. That was what she had thought her whole life anyway. "But I belong to the Sila."
"Yes, you should have been called Winged Sayla. How come your mother hasn't taken you to Dankotago yet?"
"I think she's ashamed." Sayla pondered. "For what she did."
"And what is it she did?"
"She cut my wings at birth."
Winged Elaliah looked both impressed and pained.
"So, you're my little sister! Do you know what Dankotago is?"
"I'm not sure and Mother didn't teach me the Sila language," she muttered.
Winged Elaliah chuckled. "We're all here to welcome the arrival of a new brood after the latest Parigha Flugo."
"The mating flight."
"Yes. Last spring was again very propitious and we thanked the Immortals for that. How old are you, Sayla?"
"Nineteen. I was born in winter, like your baby." She assumed the little winged baby was a few months old. Since mating flights were done in spring and the Sila expected for nine months like Humans, all the little ones of Dankotago were a few months old.
"Strange." Winged Elaliah mused.
Sayla sat next to her, eager to learn more about the Sila. Since her mother had been so reticent to talk about her peers, Sayla was starving for knowledge. And Winged Elaliah proved to be less harsh than her mother and punctuated her explanations with many sweet smiles.
Sila didn't marry, they simply mated. Every ten years it was a necessity, known as Parigha Flugo. Not that they had to wait ten years, Sila could mate when they wanted if they met their Destinito – and those were called Sort-infano. These were rare, and sometimes even half-blood. Sort-infano were more precious than the others, but they didn't receive a public ceremony like Dankotago.
Often parents, even Destinito, had other children outside of that bond. Winged Elaliah and her elder brother Winged Eneck were all results of Talullah's mating flights.
That was the way of the Sila, bonded through their heart with no need for ceremonies or pieces of paper or special blessings. Only Air was responsible for relationships and could turn a Parigha Flugo into Sorto.
Because the families were so open, they had different ways to call those offspring. Winged Elaliah, Winged Eneck and Sayla were duonfrato, since they had only one parent in common. Same with Winged Ashras and Winged Talullah. But others had both parents in common, and they were called plenfrato.
Sayla could listen for hours to the Sila. Here was Winged Elaliah with a baby and no man behind her and nobody blamed her for having a child outside of marriage. There wasn't even such a thing among the Sila! Sayla knew now that her mother had humored Myckim with the wedding ceremony.
Winged Elaliah invited her to spend the night with her and her baby. She shared her Clouds Nectar with her duonfrato and showed her how Sila slept, lying on their belly with their wings folded.
The baby was between them when Sayla rolled belly down next to Winged Elaliah and closed her eyes. She imagined her wings and folded them, slowly drifting off to sleep.
***
Keenan went to the stream to fill his waterskin and saw his face reflected in the water. He badly needed a shave. He should actually shave, lest Sayla came back today. He knew she didn't like hairy men.
He sighed and looked up at the peaks. A full week had gone by. Where was she? When would she come back down? Eagles soared up above, but they didn't seem to carry anyone. The sun was warmer and summer was coming.
Camping out might be fun, but not alone. Not when worried about the other camp down the slope. During daytime the campers were nowhere to be seen. Maybe they went back to the forest to hunt, but why did they camp in the open if they were hunters?
Keenan settled on the stream shore and pulled out his shaving knife. Time to get rid of his facial hair. Then he had traps to set up and maybe he could have a closer look at that camp.
CHAPTER EIGHT
The Sila had been more welcoming than Humans, but soon enough most left the tubular nest. Only a few families stayed all year, namely the mothers with babies or small children who couldn't fly very far yet. Some nests held couples, others a single parent. Sayla noticed
that sometimes it was the father only who looked after his winged child and she wondered if the mother was dead or what.
"You should come with me to the Central Massif," Winged Elaliah said. "But I can't carry you that far. Not this year, nor the next."
"How come you're here?" Sayla asked.
"Because Winged Rilsay's father is from here. We met over the northern plains, had our flight and then parted. But I wanted him to meet his son."
The baby cooed and smiled, waving his little arms at Sayla. She had seen the father, a tall Sila with brown hair and wings who had taken her to the high nest where Winged Elaliah lived and then had left with his Destinito and their offspring. She was still puzzled by how open relationships were with the Sila. She wasn't sure they had actual families – not in the Human sense.
"Do you want to hold him?" Winged Elaliah passed her Winged Rilsay. She touched the small wings, making him giggle.
"You're tickling him," Winged Elaliah said, amused.
"Sorry," Sayla apologized. "I was wondering if I was born like this too."
"Probably."
"And why did my mother cut off these little wings? I wasn't her firstborn, she knew what newborn wings looked like!" Sayla frowned. "She said the wings were malformed and would never sustain me. I think she lied."
"Probably." Winged Elaliah sighed. "Losing wings is the worst thing that can happen to a Sila. She might have lost her mind along with them."
"She said that I wouldn't miss what I didn't know," Sayla said gloomily. "But I do miss flying. She didn't even teach me the Old Tongue or how to manipulate air!"
"You're half-blood. Maybe she didn't want to lose you."
"Well, she has lost me now," Sayla muttered. "I'm not going back to Inex. Ever."
"So what will you do with yourself?" Winged Elaliah asked, amused, taking back her son to nurse him. "Do you really want to live in this nest, without tasting Human food ever again?"
Keenan's face flashed inside her. She missed him. She looked forward to seeing him and telling him about her adventure.
"I guess my destiny is to stay on the ground," she said, thoughtful. She stared at her winged half-sister. "But I can come back any time, can't I?"
Quests Volume One Page 19