"What?" She stared at him, goggle-eyed.
He looked around. "Go and wait for me on that meadow. I'm getting something to use as a rope at the camp. Be right back."
He jogged back to camp and rummaged through their things. They didn't have a rope, but they did have spare string for their snare traps. Chuckling to himself, he took them and jogged back to the meadow.
Sayla looked around with a worried frown. He put the string around her thin waist and unrolled it so he'd have some leeway.
"Keenan, what are you doing?" she asked.
"I told you, be a kite. Like kites take flight." He winked.
She brightened, realizing what he meant.
"Ready to fly?" he said, keeping his side of the string in his hand. "Run!"
He started off on the almost flat meadow and she followed, opening her wings. Soon enough she rose from the ground and started climbing. She didn't flap her wings, but screamed with delight. He stopped running and watched her catch the wind.
He let go of the string on his side and watched her rise. "I'll be here when you're done!" he shouted.
"I love you, Keenan!" she shouted back, going further up. Soon she was just a dot high up in the sky.
He sighed and slowly went back to camp.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Sayla couldn't believe she was flying. Eagle's wings were carrying her again. Between manual adjustments and air manipulation, she managed to reach the top of the mountains and kept climbing, leaving the wind current that drew air up the side of the range. Sustained by a cool, dry wind, she saw the plains opening beyond the forest, and the Central Massif down south. It looked both close and far. She could fly there... but that would mean leaving Keenan behind. No, she'd walk there with him.
He who had given her wings. She laughed out loud as she pirouetted in the air and soared through the sky. She saw a lone cloud and went there to eat. She found the Clouds Nectar and then she made the cloud solid enough to close her wings and rest her arms. The winds were friendly, but maneuvering by hand was tiring.
She took off the string still hanging from her waist and coiled it into a skein, putting it in the external pocket of her new breeches. Maybe she could have started her flight simply running and flapping her wings. She'd have to try that when they were in the plains. It was all a question of trial and error.
She looked down from the cloud again, the green and brown land dotted with cities and villages. She understood now how the Sila did their maps. She compared what she saw to the maps she had seen and everything made sense.
Less than a week to reach that town on the river. Then they could go down, pass those hills, reach that other city near that other river and then up the hills that led to the Central Massif... It would probably take them all summer, but it was feasible.
She was about to go back down when she heard wings flapping and looked up. She gasped at the sight of the gorgeous young Sila male who was gliding towards her. She held her breath as he reached her cloud and sat next to her with a smile on his face.
"Hello," he said. "I'm Winged Yerash."
"Sayla," she managed to answer, forgetting she had wings.
He seemed to notice the strappings and the fact that the wings were slightly too small for her frame.
"Golden eagle wings?" he asked, puzzled.
"My wings were cut off at birth," she answered, admiring his blond wings.
He had Keenan's hair color, but androgynous features and those big feathery appendages... Sayla's heart pounded in her chest. Could that be the call for a mating flight? That wasn't why she'd come up, though. She loved Keenan.
Winged Yerash was the most beautiful being she'd ever seen, but she wasn't ready. When he touched her cheek, she jerked away, jarred. He smelled funny, something unfamiliar mixed with feathers. Like a bird but not like a bird but not human either.
"So young and already maimed," he whispered, awed. "How did you get these?"
"My friend Keenan adapted Eagle's wings for me."
"A Human helped you?"
"A Sila maimed me," she snapped.
"Wait, you're Sayla, daughter of Talullah?"
"Yes... you've heard of me?"
He smiled. "News flies. You were at Dankotago this year."
"Mm, yes. I'm going to the Central Massif now."
"In that case, I hope to see you there soon," he said with a bright smile. "Have a safe journey, Winged Sayla!"
And he took off, leaving her a little upset. Maybe if he showed up again in a few months, she'd mate with him. But now she only wanted to go back to the ground and curl up in Keenan's arms, to thank him for allowing her to fly.
***
Keenan had watched Sayla climb the airwaves with Eagle's wings, then had gone back to camp with a sigh. He had placed traps all around the clearing they had elected for the night, and now he was doing the rounds of the snares.
Two rabbits and even a fox. He quickly finished one of the rabbits that hadn't been strangled by the noose and took all three back to camp. The fox fur would be useful, and maybe they could smoke some of the meat for when they went to the plains.
He was skinning the prey when rushed steps and the flutter of feathers announced Sayla's return. Her hair was wild and her eyes wide with excitement and she crumbled breathless next to him.
"It was awesome, Keenan, thank you!" she said, hugging him.
The wings encumbered her now that she was walking again, though, and he helped her take off the harness.
"I saw everything from up there," she continued as he resumed the skinning and she folded the wings, caressing the golden-brown feathers. "I think I really know the way now!"
"Good. We might soon start meeting guards and we'll have to tread more carefully," he said, trying not to calm her enthusiasm too much.
He'd been thinking about what awaited them. He had heard things were different away from Inex, an independent city-state with its own town council. But in the plains, a kingdom was growing, engulfing cities and villages in its expansion, and the capital itself was probably on their way.
Sayla drew a crude map on the ground covered with pine needles.
"There are two big cities that I could see, but we'll pass only this one by the river," she said, thoughtful, pointing at the map. "You think we should avoid it?"
"No, but I think we need to have a purpose for wandering," he answered. "If the king's guards ask our business, I doubt they'd go for we're just going to the Central Massif to find her father."
"Oh. You're right." Her shoulders sagged in disappointment. "We can be peddlers. What can we sell?"
"I think we'll run out of things to sell in the plains. There won't be much meat available. We could offer our services as couriers, and transport messages and packages on the way to the Central Massif."
"Wouldn't that mean running for miles?" she wrinkled her nose. "Maybe we can barter our skills for food and shelter in villages and towns. I can use a bow and do some of the women's chores, and you're a tanner and a shoemaker and..."
"Maybe there will be herders heading for the local cattle fairs. We're not really in a hurry. It doesn't matter how long it takes us to reach the Central Massif, although I'm afraid it's impossible to climb it in winter."
Sayla pursed her lip. "We'll travel all summer and stop wherever we're at when it gets too cold to continue. Do you think we could survive a winter in a town, for example?"
She stared expectantly at him. He smiled. Her faith in him was warming.
"I think we could both find work if necessary," he said. "You could draw maps and we could sell them."
"True!" She brightened. "I'll need parchment or vellum. I can make my own ink and quill..."
"I will clean these rabbit skins so well, you'll be able to jot down maps," he promised with a wink. "And if we catch a mountain goat before we leave these mountains, you'll have even more material."
She grinned. "Love you, Keenan! I'm glad there's two of us on this adventure."
"Even if alone you could have flown there?" he asked, amused.
"Alone I wouldn't have had wings to fly there," she replied with an impish smile. She quickly kissed his cheek and grabbed the first skinned rabbit. "Let me make dinner now. I ate up in the air, but I bet you're starving..."
***
When they reached Cinnae, they had a batch of furs and a few maps. The town was somewhat large, with stone walls that had several large gates. It had been built around several springs and the guards waved them in without question.
The locals looked slightly suspicious of outsiders, so it wasn't easy to find the shops where they could sell their wares. Another mining town – mostly opals – that had mining shops at every corner, but there were less fur traders and not one shop that sold maps.
"We know our surroundings and we don't care about the rest of the world," seemed to be the town's motto.
The streets were very noisy and the buildings kept their doors closed, which made them feel unwelcome and unwanted. But after more than a week in the wild, they really wanted to have a bath and sleep in a real bed.
The sale of the furs gave them some coins to afford dinner at the cheapest inn of the town. The quality wasn't so high, but better than nothing. They still had the maps to sell at the next stop.
"I don't think we should stay here," Keenan said, thoughtful. "There's no work for us. Let's keep going. Maybe the villages out there are more welcoming than this town."
"Agreed," Sayla answered as they prepared for bed. "Tomorrow morning we're out of here. Even though I'd have loved to go to the public baths, I don't like these people and I'd rather wash myself in the river than give them back the money they gave us."
"We'll see tomorrow morning. Good night, my sweet Sayla," he said before briefly kissing her. They'd better get some sleep under that roof. They'd have time for more sex in a more hospitable place.
Leaving Cinnae behind, they managed to set up traps on the way through the forest and catch a few more furbearers. A lone farm actually gave them food and shelter for helping the farmer's family to catch the foxes that were preying on their livestock.
Keenan and Sayla slept in the barn and ate with the farmer's family in the main room. After two nights a pair of foxes' skins were packed with the rest and the two young people kept going. They saw the walls of a town ahead, but Sayla thought it wasn't on the right track, so they headed south, leaving it to their right.
One week after they had left Cinnae, they ran into a toll booth at a road crossing. Only two buildings – a tavern and the customs – where three damaged roads met. One road must lead to the town Sayla had seen far away, one went east and the other south.
Two bored guards asked them their business, informing them that they were now entering the Blackmore Kingdom. Whether they wanted to go to Raddanmor or to Xendaria, there was a tax to pay, unless they went towards Maxwetria on the eastern sea.
Sayla and Keenan had no idea if there were shrines ahead so they could pretend to be pilgrims, therefore they said they were journeymen – both of them, since Sayla wore breeches – looking for experience in the towns between the north and the Central Massif.
They obviously weren't merchants or peddlers, so the guards asked for a minimal toll for whoever traveled on foot across the border. Luckily they still had some coins from Cinnae, but it felt like robbery since they had nothing left afterward.
They had no way to pay for food and shelter, so they slept under the stars that night.
Days went by, traveling from sunrise to sunset. The roads were rocky and full of dirt under the sun. When they had nothing else to eat, Sayla shot her arrows and killed rabbits or pheasants. They washed in rivers and streams and camped under the stars.
The summer reached its full swing and they kept going. There was a limited number of inns outside of towns and not all the farms and villages were friendly. Hospitality was common practice also in the Blackmore kingdom, but not everyone wanted two more mouths to feed or trusted two young strangers enough to give them shelter.
A small village at the top of a hill bought one map and gave them a message for another village. A hamlet with no tannery and no shoemaker gladly took Keenan's work, paying with copper coins that were better than nothing.
They stopped a couple of days in the hamlet and Keenan had time to make sandals for them, since their boots were all used up and it wasn't so cold anymore. Sayla was very happy that he was good at both things – working leather and making shoes. She was very proud of his skills and loved him more and more.
Sometimes she tried on her wings and went high up to see how far they'd gone. She was becoming proficient with the running and flapping technique, especially if there was a hill to jumpstart her. She didn't like playing the kite.
After a little over a month of travel through the plains, following a line of low hills, they joined a group of herders who were taking their animals to the capital of the Blackmore Kingdom for the yearly fair. Thus they found work by helping take care of the cows and sheep moving towards the city.
It was fun to join other young people and their dogs in trying to lead the animals to their destination. Camping with them at night was more fun even if they had to take turns to watch out for predators and had no intimacy. But those strangers were more welcoming than their childhood companions – as long as they helped get the job done.
And finally the capital came into view. Sayla and Keenan stopped to watch from the top of the last hill, holding their breath. Coming from a self-governing town, they had no idea of what it meant to have a king looking after the towns and villages. They wondered if it was bigger than Inex and how the king handled all the land they had traveled through up to now. The influence of Inex was very limited around the town, they certainly didn't have a territory as vast as the Blackmore Kingdom!
Xendaria was a town of square stone houses with tiled roofs, a few multi-storied palaces and a high, crenelated stone wall surrounding it. The main gate was constantly watched and the square keep was at the center, with all the other buildings, including a small temple, surrounding it. Square towers were built at the walls' crossings.
It looked bigger than any town they'd seen before, a city of wonders where noblemen and merchants mingled with artisans. A gush of wind brought a whiff of tanneries, but their traveling companions said they were on the other side of the town, outside the walls, of course.
Besides being the capital, Xendaria was a trading town, a major center for herd animals. It was built on a river shore, therefore there were also fishermen and artisans. The animal pens were outside of the walls too, and the slums were on the river shore, not currently in sight.
Keenan and Sayla said good-bye to their new friends who gave them some copper coins for their help and went inside the town. The streets were paved with bricks and the buildings were beautifully built.
Locals passed by them quickly, apparently very busy with their lives. The very tall, furtive young man who just left a building. The well-dressed, sullen young man walking on crutches. The sandy-haired, distraught girl who just emerged from an alley. The slightly plump, wide-eyed boy chasing after a cat. The overweight, panting girl walking her dog. The well-built, serious man haggling with a street vendor. The willowy, grouchy young man walking while reading a book.
Keenan ended up asking a beggar to show them the way to the public baths. The man had brown eyes, pierced ears and a squat build. He seemed the only one patient enough to listen to them and answer their question, although he squinted to look at both. His shaky finger pointed towards another street and they gave him a coin to buy himself something – knowing he'd spend it on wine or ale.
Finding the right building, they checked the prices of the baths. This time they took a small private room and bathed together. They washed each other and had sex in the warm pool, loving each other a little more moment by moment.
Then they went looking for an inn to rest before looking for some kind of job and exploring the Blackmore capital.
The Noble Nightmare Tavern was large and looked decently clean. The drink pricing was fair, the food overpriced and of poor quality, but they had rooms of all sizes and almost all vacant.
Keenan requested a double room. They dropped their backpacks upstairs then went back to the very crowded main room. The noise level was loud and cheerful, and the crowd seemed mostly law-abiding, since no dark corners were occupied. Most patrons were sober and only some were openly armed.
There were dancing girls as an attraction and Sayla elbowed Keenan who was staring at them too much.
"Should I buy a gown and join them?" she chided. "You know I'm not that good at dancing."
"Not on the ground," he replied with a chuckle. "But in the air you're the one and only dancer."
She slapped his arm. "You're the best dancer between us."
"You want to dance? After I've eaten, I'll take you to dance!"
"No!" She suddenly felt conscious of her breeches and her braided hair. She looked more like a boy than a woman. "Let's just eat and retire to our room. I'd rather you did other things than dance."
He squeezed her hand across the table. "My lady's wish is my command," he answered with a grin.
Sayla blushed. No matter how intimate they'd become, when he stared at her adoringly like that, he still gave her butterflies in her belly. She looked forward to getting naked with him again.
CHAPTER TWELVE
"Look! Archery contest!" Sayla pointed excitedly at a big parchment glued to a wall across one of the main squares. She saw Keenan squint and try to read it, so she dragged him forward until even he could properly read the rules.
"Prize is gold, silver and copper for the first three positions?" Keenan said, incredulous.
"Well, it's the capital, if the king is sponsoring this..." she said.
"True, true." He pondered. "Maybe it's his way to find archers for his guard."
"No, it's a competition for pure fun." A voice startled them. A blond young man slightly older than them grinned at them. He had a blond neatly cut beard and handsome features. He also had a quiver and an unstrung bow. "I'm Owen," he said offering his hand. "Last year's champion. Where are you from?"
Quests Volume One Page 22