The Lord of the Plains

by Sarah Chapman

Chapter 69

  If Aerlid had been hoping Riley would leave the Plains when he delivered his news he was sorely disappointed.

  She listened quietly. Somewhere in his tale her interest sharpened and she became very businesslike, asking pointed questions, preparing plans. But she did not panic and she brushed aside his suggestion of leaving.

  ‘Less than a year.’ She mused. ‘Where will they come from?’

  ‘I don’t know. Somewhere.’

  At Riley’s unimpressed look he added, ‘I’m sorry. When the city returns I can ask the valkar there, I think they’d have a better idea, though I really can’t say.’

  ‘Alright. We’ll prepare as if they’ll turn up here then. Do you know their numbers?’

  ‘Last time the ehlkrid were here they reduced civilizations to ashes. They sent the few humans that survived running to the caves. I imagine it would be the same this time.’

  ‘Alright.’ Riley responded, and thought briefly of the ruins they’d come across during their travels. Even with this extra knowledge, the ruins were of no more interest to her than before, and her thoughts moved on from them quickly. ‘How much stronger are they than the gemengs?’

  ‘Well, they aren’t all the same, but it’s safe to say most would be stronger than any gemeng around here, except you.’

  ‘Aerlid,’ she began slowly, ‘do you remember that man back in the first village we went too?’

  ‘Yes, I think I do.’

  ‘You remember how he broke the ground?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘I’ve never seen any other gemeng do that. Can the ehlkrid do things like that?’

  ‘That… what he did requires the ability to affect things with your will. It’s how I usually heal things. It’s what Karesh will need to fly. Among gemengs it’s very rare, and if it’s present it’s usually weak. Olef’s ability ought to have made him powerful among the gemengs of his land… perhaps he was weaker in other ways…’ Aerlid mused, before returning to the matter at hand, ‘among ehlkrid… it’s common enough to be unremarkable.’

  ‘Alright.’ She was silent for a moment as she mulled that over. ‘Are they like the gemengs?’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘Are they violent, refuse to work together, that sort of thing?’

  ‘Oh, definitely, even more so I would say.’

  Riley smiled grimly. ‘Alright. That’s something. Is there any chance we could talk to them-’

  ‘No. If you try you’ll get your head bitten off. These things eat each other, Riley.’

  Riley looked more thoughtful than worried, and that made Aerlid worried. ‘Riley-’

  ‘Wouldn’t you have said the same thing about the gemengs?’

  Aerlid gazed at her coldly. ‘You’ve never met these creatures. I have.’

  Riley nodded, but still, Aerlid felt she was keeping her options open- at least in her head.

  ‘Do they have a leader?’

  ‘Yes. You remember I said the valkar are stronger than the ehlkrid, with a few exceptions?’

  ‘I do.’

  ‘Well, the Ehlkrid King is the exception.’ Aerlid did not say anything else, but he didn’t need to.

  Riley held his gaze. Her green eyes were sharp and determined. ‘You mentioned another problem.’

  ‘Yes… but it may not be a problem. We may all be dead a thousand years before that becomes a problem.’

  Riley waited.

  ‘But we might not be.’ he sighed. ‘Eventually the ehlkrid will be chased away, back to their home.’

  Riley frowned. That didn’t sound like a bad thing.

  ‘The people who will do the chasing won’t be very careful in how they do it. At least, they never have been before. It’s entirely possibly they’ll kill all of us in the process.’

  ‘Who are they?’ she asked.

  Aerlid looked away. ‘I’m not quite sure. Their leader is as different from his people as the Ehlkrid King is from his. If it weren’t for those two, they would not be so dangerous.’

  ‘Their leader, who is he?’

  ‘His name is Andalla.’ A dark look came to Aerlid’s eyes. ‘He and his kind were here before the valkar. He makes all sorts of claims about who he is, but I have no reason to believe them. The valkar have their own theories.’

  ‘Which are?’ Riley pressed.

  Aerlid looked at her in surprise. ‘You’re interested?’

  ‘Aerlid,’ she said briskly, ‘If we’re going to be fighting these people, I need to know as much as I can about them.’

  Aerlid paused, after a moment he shrugged. ‘Alright. Let’s see… the ehlkrid and Andalla’s… people… are much weaker than their leaders. So one theory says they’re not related. That is, the Ehlkrid King isn’t an ehlkrid and just came and took them over. Another says that the King and Andalla are just the strongest representatives of their people. If this is the case it suggests the ehlkrid and Andalla’s people are, or were once, the same. There are other things that support that… but… then there are others like Andalla and the King, which would mean that they are also part of that group…’

  ‘Others?’ Riley exclaimed, ‘do I have to worry about them too?’

  ‘No! Well, I wouldn’t think so.’ he glanced away. Then he said quickly. ‘And don’t even think about asking for help. They’re all as bad as each other.’

  She sighed. ‘Alright. This Andalla, can I talk to him?’

  ‘No.’

  At Riley’s insistent look Aerlid continued, ‘Riley, that man used to run around getting humans to build temples for him and claiming he created them. He’s attacked my own people for the sole reason that most humans think we look more… strange, than he does.’

  Riley didn’t know what to make of this.

  Aerlid saw her expression and tried to back track. ‘Andalla looks like a human. When humans see him, they think he’s human. When humans see valkar, mostly they can tell we’re not human. That upsets him. And it’s his own fault,’ he muttered, ‘he can change how he looks.’

  Aerlid looked like he was about to go on so Riley quickly interrupted.

  ‘So you can’t arrange a meeting?’

  ‘Riley!’

  ‘I understand.’ Riley said, standing.

  ‘I could.’ Aerlid said bitterly. ‘But I don’t know that I will.’

  ‘That’s fine, Aerlid.’ Riley calmed him. ‘We’ll discuss this more later.’

  Later that day Riley made an announcement to her tribe. She told them a war was coming to them. She did not go into details, but she assigned tasks. First, she sent people out to scout the lay of the land. They needed to find somewhere with more cover to hide. Out on the plains they’d be sitting ducks against a more powerful foe. They’d need to store food, water and supplies. They also needed to train and improve their coordination- that might be the only advantage they had over the ehlkrid. And she needed to warn the other tribes- give them time to prepare.

  And if they wouldn’t listen, she needed to subjugate them and make them listen.

  Riley was very busy from then on. She was expanding her kingdom, setting up a command structure- since it was getting far, far too big for her to handle everything personally, integrating her new conquests into her tribe, having them trained, overseeing the exploration of the land around the Plains, keeping her growing tribe fed and so on.

  So it was that she was the last person to see Karesh’s new wings.

  Riley surveyed the new additions to Karesh’s back with interest. For once, he was not wearing a heavy cloak. Karesh was instead beaming and happily twirling around to show off his now un-deformed back.

  He opened and closed his wings, flapping them and then pulling them close to his body. ‘Look! I can move them! They both work!’

  It had been a few days since the last operation, but he was still giddy with excitement.

  ‘Can you fly?’ Riley asked.

  ‘I don’t know yet.’ Karesh looked over his shoulder at her (he had turned aro
und again). ‘Aerlid’s going to try and teach me. He says I might be able to glide, he’s not sure about flying. But even if I can’t glide, it’s fixed! I can still use it for other things!’ and he beamed.

  ‘So do you think you’ll be able to work now?’

  ‘Work?’ his smile faltered.

  ‘There are some things I’d like you to do, if you have the time.’

  ‘O-of course.’ he went still.

  Riley frowned. She had worked hard to make the gemengs fear her, she could hardly complain about it when faced with her success. ‘You would still have time to practice flying- or gliding.’ Riley added, hoping that would ease him.

  Karesh still did not reply.

  ‘Karesh, if you don’t want the job you can say no.’ she said briskly.

  In that cautious way he had he said, ‘what job do you want me to do?’

  ‘I need a second in command.’

  His eyes wide he said, startled, ‘you want me to find one?’ then he added, ‘I thought Gakra was your second.’

  ‘Perhaps I should change his title,’ Riley muttered. A more fitting title would be ‘champion’, but she didn’t know if the gemengs would take that to mean she couldn’t fight for herself. ‘No, he’s not in command of anything. He just fights people who challenge me so I can get work done. And no, I don’t want you to find one. I want you to be my second in command. You’re the only half reasonable gemeng I’ve met here.’

  ‘Everyone else has challenged me to a fight, at least once.’ She’d had some difficulty explaining to the newcomers that they had to go through Gakra if they wanted to fight her. ‘Most have challenged me more than once. They won’t work with me. I can’t trust them, or even talk to them.’

  ‘You trust me?’ he replied, surprised, as if he was having trouble with the concept.

  ‘I don’t know if I do. I hope I can.’ she corrected. ‘I can’t do this without trusting someone.’

  Karesh stared at her, his face slack.

  ‘Will you take the job?’

  He frowned, ‘what do you expect me to do?’

  Riley beamed. ‘Oh, come with me, I’ll show you!’

  Karesh spent about an hour each morning with Aerlid (and often, Adila) trying to fly. Then Riley gleefully (unfortunately, that was the most apt description…) assigned him a whole lot of things to do before rushing off to see to a whole lot of other things.

  He was aware he was under close scrutiny, but he didn’t really mind. Mostly, he didn’t know what to make of his new position and just did as she bid him. He figured she’d grow tired of it soon and fire him.

  The work ranged between boring and simple to challenging and death defying. Riley mostly spent her time training the gemengs to fight in groups and to respect the authority of their team leader- whether he or she was physically stronger than the rest of the team or not. Her work in that regard meant the gemengs mostly, if grudgingly, accepted his authority. And it wasn’t as if he was the only person Riley had assigned authority to either. Still, the word was mostly, not always. Too many of the new gemengs had seen her fight but never kill. They were held in line by the thin thread of she couldn’t be lord of this many gemengs unless she was incredibly ferocious and dangerous. She was working on it, but…

  Right now, that was hard to tell as a fiery, young, arrogant gemeng male was trying to stare him down.

  ‘You expect me to take orders from you?’ he drawled lazily.

  Karesh eyed him cautiously, in that way he had. ‘No, your master expects you to take orders from me.’

  ‘Hah.’ he scoffed, though some of his bravado had leached away. Was it enough?

  It turned out, it wasn’t.

  When Riley stalked onto what had quickly become a battlefield, Karesh felt more than a quiver of unease. She had been very, very specific about fighting.

  He glanced down at the moaning and bleeding gemeng.

  At least he’d had enough thought to stab him in the guts, not the neck. He wasn’t used to trying not to kill people.

  Riley’s green eyes were narrowed dangerously. She quickly scanned the scene and the quietly observing crowd.

  It had not been a difficult fight for Karesh. He didn’t even have a scratch on him. The man had charged at him, Karesh had quickly snapped his wings open. The man was distracted for one precious second. And then a spear of stone was stabbed into his stomach.

  ‘You there!’ she called to a random gemeng in the crowd. ‘Go fetch Aerlid for me.’ she turned from the gemeng, not waiting to see if she was obeyed. ‘What happened?’ she asked Karesh, her tone softer.

  ‘He attacked me.’ Karesh shrugged cautiously.

  Riley didn’t say anything to that. Instead she looked down at the wounded gemeng. In one smooth movement she reached down and snatched his trophies from him.

  She threw the trophies on the ground. ‘Worthless!’ she cried, loud enough for everyone to hear. ‘I am told only warriors wear these, and yet foolish children parade about in them! I will see no more of them!’ She raked the crowd with a blistering gaze. The gemengs, uncertain, began removing their trophies.

  She looked at Karesh. Her voice was cold. It carried above the crowd. ‘Challenges do not go through you, they go through Gakra. If anyone attacks you it is not a challenge, it is a cowardly attempt at murder. I expect you to kill the next person who does.’ Then she paused. ‘Better yet, bring them to me, and I will kill them.’

  The next day the trophies were gone from Riley’s tribe and a ceremony was held.

  She personally handed out knotted arm bands to those she considered warriors. Nothing else would signify being a warrior. Once again, the definition of ‘warrior’ was changing. It was just another small step towards changing how the gemengs viewed the world.

  Karesh looked over at Riley cautiously. He was eating with her and Aerlid. They did not try and stay outside the tribe anymore. Riley had a separate tent- larger than all the others, in the middle of the camp. Aerlid had a smaller one next to it.

  Riley was gazing moodily at the fire. In her hands she was quickly making another band. As he watched she added it to the growing pile and began work on another. She was not the only one making the bands. Aerlid’s students, Aerlid and Karesh helped, and Adila had also participated. They were simple bands of woven grass, which were wrapped around the upper arms of those lucky enough to receive one. Some of the bands were dyed different colours to signify rank. Gakra had two- which he was very proud of- one to show he was a warrior, another to show he was Riley’s second. There had not been enough bands to give to all who had been warriors. That had been dealt with by Riley simply declaring they would have to prove their worth to her. She handed the bands out personally- all authority, respect, power, came only from her.

  ‘Why the change?’ Aerlid asked, breaking the quiet.

  ‘Hmm?’ Riley responded.

  ‘Why have you suddenly decided to start executing people?’

  ‘It’s getting too big to manage.’ she murmured. ‘The new ones don’t fear me. I need to be able to control them. I can no longer be so lenient, not if I want the tribe to stay together.’

  ‘May I ask,’ Karesh began timidly, ‘what actions would lead to execution?’ it was strange, the effect her pronouncement had had on him. He hadn’t realised it before, but despite his wariness of her, he had felt oddly safe. In a way, he had trusted her not to kill him. He had feared her, yet not feared she would kill him.

  ‘Trying to kill, or killing someone else. There’s a difference between a challenge and murder. Well, there should be…’ she looked up in surprise. ‘Why?’ she asked, ‘are you worried?’

  ‘N-no!’

  She sighed and looked down at the band. ‘I would prefer not to kill anyone, Karesh. I don’t know, I don’t like killing things, not if my survival isn’t at stake. You can question me and disagree with me, you can refuse to carry out an order if you think it’s wrong, you can even leave. I won’t harm you for that. But I need to be a
ble to assign people duties and have them be able to carry them out without every gemeng in earshot trying to start a fight about it. I need… more authority. And I need to make this place safe…’ She looked up at him, the fire reflected in her eyes. ‘I want to change this place, Karesh. I want to make a world where people don’t have to be afraid all the time, afraid of someone hurting you or killing you just because they’re stronger than you.’ She dropped her gaze. ‘But I don’t know if this is the right way.’ she mumbled. ‘I don’t know any other way.’ she sighed again. Then she stood, as if shaking off her doubts.

  She glanced at them, said her goodbyes, and walked briskly off to patrol her tribe, every step declaring her confidence in her own power.

  ‘Soon?’ Aerlid asked, pleased.

  ‘Yes.’ Adila confirmed.

  ‘Soon for us or soon for them?’

  ‘For you. I was quite clear.’ Adila had been the Judgement Master a long time. When it was necessary, she could get a quick reaction. ‘You have questions. I can’t answer them, and it would be better if you got them sooner rather than later.’

  They were of course, speaking in Valkar.

  ‘I’ll tell Riley.’

  Riley was with her recently formed council. They were sitting in a circle, a large space between them and the rest of the tribe. Riley had asked for quiet, and the council was giving it to her.

  Karesh and Gakra were with her, as were the seven other members of the council. It hadn’t been too difficult to choose the other members- trying to train the gemengs quickly revealed those willing, or able, to change and think and those who weren’t. The group was a mix of ages, genders, and strength.

  ‘You understand?’ Riley was asking.

  ‘I see what you’re saying.’ A young man was saying, cautiously but also bravely- it was a manner reminiscent of Karesh. He had passed the Warrior’s Trial a few years ago, but was one of the weaker members of the tribe. He was a circumspect, observant man, who chose the moments to show his strength carefully. ‘But the warriors need a way to test their strength against each other. Perhaps other challenges could be allowed, aside from those directed at you.’

  Currently, Riley was trying to set up a loose system of laws. There would be rules that would govern everyone, even her. Eventually, she hoped the council would become responsible for such things, without her. At the moment they really just gave her advice. She handled disputes and problems personally. That she was seen to consider and follow their advice was important though. It was a start.

  ‘I will consider that.’ Riley said seriously. ‘Are you all agreed?’

  There was a round of nodding. She gazed intently at Karesh. He seemed more nervous than usual. Despite that, he nodded.

  She glanced up, about to say something else, when she spotted Aerlid hurrying over to the group.

  She looked back at her council. ‘Alright. Make the announcement.’ She stood and walked over to Aerlid. ‘What is it?’ she asked.

  He had a curious look on his face. It was hard to pin down- happy, concerned, excited, grim.

  ‘The City of the Valkar.’ he said. And then he looked up.

  Riley looked up too. And she stayed looking up.

  ‘Yes, that’s it.’

  ‘I see it. When did it get here?’ she finally looked down. ‘Surely we would have spotted it coming.’

  ‘It hides well. But it came here by normal means.’

  ‘Through the sky?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘That’s a normal way to travel?’

  Riley was vaguely aware of noise behind her:

  ‘Challenges may only take place by permission of our lord. They will take place within the challenge square. Only those related to the challengers, or members of the council will witness the challenge. A challenge cannot take place without at least three witnesses.’

  ‘Comparatively, yes.’

  ‘Alright. Can you reach it?’

  ‘Oh, easily. Yes. But… Riley, I would like you to visit the city, though I’m afraid I can’t take you. You’d have to reach it alone.’

  Surprised, Riley blinked. ‘Why?’

  ‘It’s one of the protective measures on the city. No one can bring anyone else to the city, so humans can’t capture and force any valkar to take them there.’

  Riley gazed up at the thing above. It was hard to pick out details from here. It was a vaguely shoe shaped blob in the sky. It cast a shadow, like a cloud, on the ground. It was mainly green, as if it was covered in forest. But it was also brown, as if it was a piece of earth, forest and all, floating in the sky. Some parts of it caught the light and shone and flashed.

  ‘How am I to get up there?’ she asked, more than a little sceptical.

  ‘It would be best if we did it at night. Even if you can’t make it, you won’t die.’ he said seriously. ‘If you fall you’ll reach the ground safely. It won’t be dangerous.’

  ‘…any other fighting will be considered an attempt at murder. An attempt will be punished by servitude to the victim until…’

  ‘And why is that?’

  ‘Valkar… they do not easily kill.’

  Riley frowned. She didn’t think she killed easily. ‘And you’re certain?’

  ‘If I’m wrong about the stairs, Adila or I, or someone else in the city can catch you.’

  ‘Are you certain about that?’ she said with some emphasis.

  ‘…a successful attempt will be punished by death…’

  ‘I am.’

  Riley looked down at him. Her frown was still there. Then she looked back up. ‘How am I to get up there?’

  ‘It will be easiest to show you at night.’

  ‘Alright. Tonight then.’

  The city was not right above the tribe, so Aerlid and Riley walked some way from the tribe until they were beneath the city.

  Adila had already left. Riley hadn’t seen her go.

  The moon was shining brightly in the dark, star-dotted sky. The night was humid, but a cool breeze made it pleasant. Light and laughter and cooking smells drifted from the camp. The grasslands were quiet, except for the sound of the wind.

  Aerlid was gazing at the sky. Whether at the moon or the city, Riley didn’t know.

  He looked down at her. He had a frown on his face, it bordered on sadness.

  ‘Watch me.’ he said softly. ‘You can’t sing, but your humming should be enough.’

  He looked away.

  And then he sang, one pure note. As he sang the moonlight shimmered and changed. It coalesced, and in front of him, gathered. Aerlid stepped onto the moonlight, as if it was a stair. And he sang again. And the moonlight gathered in front of him, a little higher. Again, he stepped up.

  The notes came together, became a song. And he was singing and climbing through the night, up the glittering stairway.

  Riley stared. He had ascended, far above her. Her eyes latched on to the first stair. It was still there.

  And so she tried to step on it.

  It was like stepping on air.

  Perhaps the valkar could do that, but she couldn’t. Her foot hit the ground.

  Alright then, she thought. Riley moved a little way away from Aerlid’s staircase. He was still climbing above, in a straight path.

  Riley began humming, one of the moon songs Aerlid sung. Nothing happened. The moonlight stayed where it was.

  She gazed around, still humming.

  Minutes dragged by. She did not look up at Aerlid. She just hummed and looked around for her staircase.

  And slowly, slowly, she saw. Light was moving sluggishly, but… it was less moonlight, what was moving for her could easily have been mistaken for mist. Well, shiny mist, but certainly not light. Even so, she started in surprise, her humming catching. The mist-light quickly began falling apart, dissipating.

  Quickly, Riley began humming again. And it came together, into a lumpy lump. It was not quite in front of her, as Aerlid’s had been. Riley took two steps so she was in front of her lump. Sh
e was still humming.

  She stepped up onto it. Her foot began to sink. Her heart joined it. But then it stopped. She stood, both feet off the ground, and sank a little more. Aerlid hadn’t done that. But at least she was standing on her first step.

  She kept humming. She couldn’t describe it, but she had a better idea of what to hum now, of what tune the moon wanted. Though it wasn’t just the moon. She had a sense of another presence, the city. It was part of this song too. The next step came quicker than the first. Again, it was not quite in front of her. She had to stretch to reach it. It was like the first, not quite solid.

  Out of the corner of her eye she could still see Aerlid’s staircase, solid and gleaming and formed out of light. But she did not think of that. She hummed. And climbed.

  The steps came quicker, though not nearly as quickly as Aerlid’s. It did not take long for her to realise she could not hold more than two steps at a time. As soon as she began humming the third the first began disappearing.

  A tremor of unease passed through her. The city was high, and her staircase didn’t fill her with confidence.

  But Aerlid had said he would catch her.

  So she didn’t wonder how far she would fall before that happened.

  She hummed and climbed into the night.

  Aerlid gazed down from the city, his heart in his mouth.

  Riley took a flying leap through the sky. She landed on the next step. Stood, looked around.

  ‘Is there something wrong with her?’ a man standing next to him asked.

  Aerlid was not in the mood for talking. Riley was still standing on her stair. It took her about a minute to form each step, and then they were too far apart, and even worse, weren’t heading directly towards the city.

  ‘Do you beat her around the head every night before bed, Aerlid?’ the man continued curiously. ‘Because it doesn’t take Tagalid more than a seventy fifth to get up here, and he’s a rock!’

  ‘I know who Tagalid is!’ Aerlid growled. A seventy fifth corresponded to about thirty minutes. It had taken Aerlid about twenty. Riley had been climbing for five hours. If she managed to keep the path straight she could be in the city in about… well, considering how long it took her to make a step… it would be under an hour. Considering the way her path was going, she’d be lucky if she ever got here. ‘Go away, Dearlid,’ he pronounced it dee-ar-lid, ‘I don’t want to talk.’

  Of course, the man ignored him. ‘Have you lobotomized her?’ he asked. ‘You know, I’ll go get Aela,’ this was pronounced ay-ee-la, ‘I’m sure she can tell you what’s wrong with her.’

  ‘There’s nothing wrong with her! And who is Aela?’ The fact that he didn’t know her probably meant she’d been born in the city.

  ‘A Moonsinger, she heals too.’

  Aerlid snorted.

  ‘Much better than you, I’m sure. Otherwise you’d know what was wrong with her.’

  The night was fading, chased away by dawn. The horizon was glowing gold, the sky a lighter blue. But where they were, it was still dark. At least for a little while.

  Aerlid supposed it could be worse, as he gazed up at her. Riley had spent the last three hours circling the city. At least if she fell now, she’d be falling down onto the city. Though… considering the city’s defences, he didn’t know if that would end up with her being here or on the ground.

  The situation appeared to be improving. The path was winding down, bringing her closer to the city. She was no more than ten meters above the ground.

  Aerlid was tired. And hungry. And he’d spent the whole night being worried.

  Finally, Riley jumped down off her last step, and she was in the city. She waved and smiled at him. He hurried over.

  ‘Are you alright?’

  She shrugged, tired. ‘Do you have anything to drink?’ she asked, her voice hoarse.

  ‘Of, course.’ he took her arm gently. ‘Sit down.’

  ‘Aerlid.’

  ‘Yes?’

  ‘I won’t have to do that to get down, will I?’

  ‘No, no, I can leave with you.’

  She sagged in relief.

  It was not long before a group of valkar came over to see them. Notably, Dearlid was with them and a young Moonsinger.

  ‘I’m here.’ the Moonsinger said, in Valkar. She hurried forward. ‘Let me see what’s wrong with her.’

  ‘There’s nothing wrong with her!’ Aerlid growled, standing in her path.

  ‘She took all night to get here, Moonsinger.’ The woman said briskly. ‘Clearly, she suffers from some severe, debilitating defect. Do you know what’s wrong with you?’ She leant around Aerlid to ask Riley.

  Riley, who could understand Valkar but not speak it, just stared. She said in Plains speech, ‘I’m very thirsty.’

  ‘Oh! Why is she doing that? Can’t she talk?’

  ‘What were you doing up there?’ another valkar was asking her. ‘Why did you sing your way up there?’

  ‘She can talk fine!’ Aerlid said.

  ‘I didn’t have much control. But I also wanted to have a look. Please, can I have some water?’

  ‘Ah, you wanted to look.’ the man agreed. ‘Aela, maybe she’s not as broken as she looks.’

  ‘Really, you wanted to look? Well, that’s alright. But are you sure you can see? If you’re a mute perhaps you’re blind too. Are you blind?’

  ‘She’s not blind or mute!’ Aerlid was exclaiming.

  ‘I think she must be very old.’ Dearlid was saying. ‘Perhaps she’s just aging.’

  ‘Old! Really? I thought she was just ugly.’ Aela said.

  ‘You’re right, Aela, it’s not age. It’s unattractiveness. I remember, she can’t be more than a hundred and thirty two.’

  ‘I’m seventeen. Please, I need some water.’ Riley said.

  ‘Seventeen!’ The man exclaimed. ‘Why! You can’t possibly be seventeen!’

  ‘She’s using a lunar calendar, you damned ground lover!’

  ‘Seventeen lunar cycles?’

  ‘Noo!’

  ‘You said lunar calendar!’

  ‘Seventeen lunar years!’

  ‘Well that’s what I said, a hundred and thirty two!’

  ‘Moonsinger, get out of the way-’

  ‘And you know being a ground lover is better than having your head stuck in the clouds all day-’

  And so on.

  It took nearly half an hour for them to realize Riley had walked off.

  Morning had come by the time Riley wandered away from the group. The city was unlike any place she’d ever seen. Astar was a city of grey blocky buildings and paved or dirt roads. Coastside was lovely and warm, but it was still stone and rock covering the earth beneath. This was more… it was more like walking down a mountain side. The ground was grassy and flowery. The few paths were more like game trails through a forest, they were not roads. And the city was slanted, as if it had once been part of a mountain side. Plants and trees grew in abundance. There were natural dips and hollows in the earth- it had not been smoothed and made into a nice, easily traversable path.

  All this was not to say there weren’t any buildings, though they did not seem like buildings people would live in, or shops or bakeries or… Riley couldn’t really tell what function the buildings served. She saw a lovely fountain, small and delicate, no higher than her shoulder. Yet when she approached to try the water it faded into the sunlight, as if it was made of dust motes dancing in the light. She saw what looked like a giant sea shell made out of clouds sitting on a lovely, sunlit meadow. She saw a tree house and a spindly tower made entirely out of sticks no thicker than her finger. As she watched it swayed in the wind. The only thing in common between all the… things, was that most of them had a small light in front of them, like a firefly. Mostly the lights were green, but she saw a few yellow. She did not know what they signified.

  Riley crossed a small stream. It was a very strange stream- it tumbled over the rocks and pebbles and looked so shallow she wouldn’
t have been able to scoop any into her hands to drink from it. And yet she saw large, brightly coloured fish swimming around in it. Riley gazed at the stream for some time. She could not make the two images reconcile, so instead she put her hand in the stream. She could feel the pebbles, only her fingertips were wet, and at the same time her arm was wet up to her elbow, deep in a cold ocean, the place the fish were. Her stomach ached at the conflicting information her senses were giving her.

  Riley stood and shook her head. She didn’t feel like trying to drink from that stream. So she turned from it and continued walking down the slope. Ahead she saw what look like a dome made out of mud with an opening in it, like a door, with a curtain made out of long grass. As she passed it she suddenly noticed a valkar climbing it. Riley stopped and watched as the man who looked like a cloud sat on top of the dome. He looked around a bit. And then he slid down the dome and started walking away.

  ‘Hello!’ Riley tried to catch his attention. ‘Do you have anything to drink?’

  The man looked at her, he blinked, as if trying to clear his eyes. Then he shook his head.

  ‘Do you know where I can get some water?’

  He pointed upwards, at the clouds.

  Riley looked up too. When she looked back down, confused, he was gone.

  Her mouth dry as dust, Riley looked around. He was nowhere to be seen.

  The cloud man was not the only valkar Riley had seen. But they had all been too far away and been walking too fast- or perhaps ignoring her. It was easier to see them from far away. That was, you could almost pretend they were normal. You wouldn’t have to try work out how a stream or wind or sun or a particular type of rock or plant could have gotten itself into a human shape. The only similarity between them was that they all went barefoot and had their hair unadorned and unbound.

  Thirsty and annoyed, Riley continued down the slope. She had not gone very far when suddenly everything went crazy. The whole world flipped upside down, her stomach with it. Bewildered and disoriented, Riley suddenly realised she was staring at the ground far below. Her stomach lurched. Her eyes drifted over the scene, not quite understanding how this could be. She spotted her tribe- a conglomeration of tents spread out over the plains. She looked down at her feet- grass and dirt. She glanced to the side- the city, upside down. A valkar was walking towards her. The woman glanced at her as she passed.

  The woman walked on and did not fall to the ground.

  So Riley, gathering her courage, slid back a step. And the world flipped again. Dizzy, Riley plomped down on the ground. She looked around. Everything was how it should be; the sky above and the ground below.

  It took a while, but eventually she stood up again. She decided to turn around and take a different path. Even if it was safe, it was extremely uncomfortable.

  Every step she took from then on she took with some trepidation, prepared for the world to flip.

  On the new path Riley passed a hollow stone cube. Cylindrical holes had been carved out of the inside walls and filled with dirt- flowers were growing out of them. A tree was growing out of about five of the cylinders and curling around the building. The floor was dirt. There was a light in front of this building as well. It was yellow. Most of the buildings she saw had had green lights in front of them.

  As she watched, a woman who looked like a river walked up to the cube garden and knelt down. When she rose the dirt floor was a pool of sparkling water.

  Riley hurried over to the woman. In Plains speech she said, ‘can I drink that?’

  The woman raised her eyebrows and said in perfect Plains speech, ‘how would I know?’ and turned to walk away.

  ‘Wait!’ Riley kept pace with her, ‘would you mind?’

  ‘I don’t know that I would mind. You should ask the pond if it would mind.’

  Riley paused only a moment, ‘would the pond mind?’

  ‘Why don’t you ask?’

  ‘I don’t know how.’

  The woman stopped. After observing Riley for what seemed an age her gaze drifted past her, to the pond. ‘The pond doesn’t mind.’ she said. ‘But the tree thinks you asked the wrong question.’

  Riley frowned slightly, though she continued on as if this was a perfectly normal conversation. ‘What’s the right question?’

  ‘Oh, I wouldn’t know. I don’t often talk to trees.’ and she walked away.

  Riley walked back towards the cube garden. She knelt down and looked sceptically at the water, then up at the tree.

  Riley stayed there for a few moments, then she stood. Perhaps she should find something else to drink.

  Riley continued walking. The ground was not so sloped anymore.

  Eventually, she came to a place where the world shifted again. This was different than before, and yet in a way more unsettling. She did not feel as if she was upside down- she felt she was the right way up. But as she looked up, she saw the ground was above her. Looking out across the city, she could see the sky was below. Unsettled, Riley decided to continue forward. She slid one foot forward, and then another. When nothing catastrophic happened Riley went a bit quicker. Eventually, the world switched back. She shook her head. The sky and ground were in the right place once more. She kept walking.

  Extremely thirsty, tired, and hungry, Riley did not feel particularly hopeful when she came upon another group of valkar.

  There were three of them. They were all gathered around a buzzing purple moth about the size of Riley’s hand. She noticed then a large, grey animal with a horn coming out of its face standing near them.

  ‘Hello.’ Riley said as she approached the group, she glanced at the animal and then at the moth. She saw that the moth’s top side was green. Startled, Riley took a closer look at the moth. A tiny house was resting on the moth’s back, and the green was starting to look more like grass than moth fur.

  The valkar stopped talking and all looked at her.

  ‘Hello.’ one of them said in Valkar. This man looked like a rock.

  ‘Don’t do that!’ one of the others said, one who looked like a river, ‘she won’t understand you!’

  ‘How do you know?’

  ‘Well she’s not talking Valkar, is she?!’

  ‘You’re making an assumption that that means she can’t. You there,’ the man who looked like a rock said to Riley, ‘do you understand me?’

  ‘Yes.’ Riley said. ‘Please, I need something to drink. I’m very thirsty.’

  They all stared at her.

  ‘Well,’ the river man said, in Valkar, ‘what do you drink?’

  ‘Water. Please.’

  ‘What sort of water?’

  ‘Fresh water.’

  ‘Obviously she drinks the same water the humans do.’ said the third, the first he had spoken. He looked like the wind.

  ‘I don’t know that that’s obvious at all.’ the rock said.

  ‘I do.’ Riley interjected. ‘I drink what humans drink. Please.’

  The river was staring at her intently. It was a bit unsettling.

  Suddenly, Riley got a very strange feeling. She coughed and shook. It was as though she was filling up with water. She couldn’t speak to say, ‘not like that!’

  Then the feeling was gone, and she was no longer thirsty.

  ‘T-thank you.’ Riley said, a bit uncertainly. Now that her thirst was gone her hunger pangs hit her hard. But she was afraid to ask about that, Aerlid had been very strange about food around Adila.

  ‘Perhaps you can help us.’ The wind said. ‘We’re having some problems.’

  ‘What is it?’ Riley asked.

  ‘We’re trying to get this rhinoceros into Caralid’s garden.’ the rock said.

  Riley gaped at the large, grey, horned creature. She’d never seen anything like it. And then she looked at the buzzing, fluttering moth.

  ‘You’re right,’ the river said apologetically, ‘it’s not much of a garden, but Caralid insists on calling it that.’

  ‘It won’t fit.’ Riley stated, stunned.
>
  ‘It will be dreadfully crowded.’ the river agreed.

  ‘I think it’s more a matter of weight.’ the wind said. ‘Look how Caralid is struggling just with that little house! Why, he won’t be able to fly at all once we get the hornosaur on his back!’

  Riley looked again at the moth. Frankly, the idea that the moth was a valkar was no stranger than what they already looked like.

  ‘The exercise will do him good! And we should use the human name, otherwise she’ll be confused.’

  ‘What do you prefer, hornosaur or rhinoceros?’ the wind asked Riley expectantly.

  ‘Well, that’s where he wants it delivered.’ the rock said obstinately, before Riley could answer. ‘He wants it in his garden.’

  Riley looked at the rhinoceros/hornosaur again, then at the house.

  ‘He hasn’t been very cooperative.’ the river nodded at the rhino. ‘We asked him nicely to get up there and he just ignored us. Even after Caralid got down nice and low so he could just step up.’

  ‘Perhaps he doesn’t like the garden.’ Riley ventured.

  ‘You know, maybe if we put a female rhino up there he’d be more cooperative.’

  ‘How are we going to get a female hornosaur up there!’ the wind demanded.

  ‘And you’re making an assumption.’ the rock added. ‘Maybe he doesn’t like female rhinos. Maybe he wants to be a single rhino.’

  The river frowned.

  ‘Perhaps if he just thinks there’s a female up there.’ Riley said. ‘You could trick him.’

  The river beamed, ‘that’s brilliant!’

  ‘You’re still making an assumption!’ the rock demanded.

  ‘It’s blatantly obvious,’ a cool and familiar voice said, ‘that that garden is far, far too small for a rhinoceros, or even a small cat.’

  Riley beamed at Aerlid, who was busy glaring at the three other valkar.

  ‘And why,’ he said, ‘are you trying to get a rhinoceros up there anyway?’

  ‘That’s where Caralid wanted it delivered.’ the rock replied. ‘And I don’t think it’s obvious at all!’

  Aerlid’s eyes locked on to the moth. ‘Either grow yourself Caralid, or shrink the beast. And do I want to know where you got the beast from?’

  ‘It used to be a fish.’ the river said brightly. ‘I asked around and this one said he wouldn’t mind a change of pace.’

  Aerlid sighed heavily.

  ‘I know.’ the wind said suddenly. ‘We need a very pointy stick.’

  ‘Oh, that would definitely work.’ the river said. ‘But where would we get a stick pointy enough?’

  Suddenly the world went dark and Riley was buffeted by a strong wind. She looked up, bewildered, she saw the sky was covered by a giant purple moth.

  ‘Come on!’ Aerlid yelled over the sound of the flapping to Riley. He took her hand and dragged her away from the moth.

  Once they were far enough away that light had returned, Aerlid muttered ‘Never ask why with these people.’

  ‘Aerlid.’ Riley interjected. ‘I’m very hungry. And tired.’

  Aerlid looked surprised for a moment, then he said, ‘of course you are. But that presents a problem. Hmm, alright, we’ll go to the Queen’s Garden. I wanted to take you there anyway.’

  ‘Is there food there?’

  ‘Maybe. How did you get down here, anyway?’

  ‘What do you mean?’ she asked, suppressing her disappointment at Aerlid’s answer.

  Aerlid stared at her. ‘You’re on the underside.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘The bottom of the city.’

  Riley confused, looked around. The sky was above, the ground was below. Everything looked normal.

  ‘Don’t trust that.’ Aerlid sighed. ‘They do all sorts of things with the perspective here. You know, this place was much more normal when it was on the ground. At least the sky was always above you. Come, I’ll show you. The Garden is on the top of the top side.’

  Confused, Riley followed Aerlid. They took a different path, and eventually, Riley realised what he meant by being on the bottom side.

  They came to a place where the perspective didn’t switch. It was more as if their feet became glued to the ground and they were walking up the side of a wall. It was then that she realised they were walking from beneath the city, around the side (buildings and plants grew on the sides as they did the bottom and top) to above. The city had apparently been in the sky long enough that what had previously been within the earth had been built upon.

  Aerlid held her arm tightly. ‘Are you alright?’

  ‘It’s a bit strange.’

  ‘That’s one word for it, yes. Be careful when you walk around. There are places you don’t stick to the ground.’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘I mean you’ll fall- not all the way, but partly.’

  Riley’s eyes widened.

  ‘Look.’ Aerlid pointed into the sky. Riley didn’t know what at. And then sunlight sparkled off something in the air, like a spider web forming translucent netting in the sky. ‘You’ll fall into that, or something else. It depends.’

  ‘But that’s up.’

  Aerlid just looked at her.

  ‘Riley,’ Aerlid began cautiously as they made their way through the city towards the Queen’s Garden. ‘If you could, would you want to meet your mother?’

  Riley, surprised by the question, shrugged.

  His mouth quirked down in mild irritation. The word ‘mother’ simply meant nothing to Riley. Logically, it should not have been surprising, considering her upbringing. Yet still, Aerlid wished she cared. And even more… her mother… delicate, was perhaps the best word to describe her. Introducing her to a daughter who didn’t care one way or the other about her… Aerlid could only see it ending in her getting upset. And so he wasn’t certain what he should do…

  He looked at Riley again and sighed. Well, she was never going to learn to care about her mother if she never met her. And wasn’t this partly, mostly, her mother’s fault too? She could have come and visited her if she’d wanted. Not that he was going to point that out to her.

  ‘Do you see?’ Aerlid said, coming out of his thoughts. He pointed to the Garden, rising into view before them. It was surrounded by a wavy fence made out of something white and iridescent, like pearl. The fence was low enough to hop over in some places, but taller than Aerlid in others. Over the top a lush garden and tall trees were visible. The sound of birds twittering came from all around, and especially from the garden.

  Riley nodded. ‘That’s a big tree.’ her eyes were instantly drawn to the tallest tree, its branches spread high above the rest of the garden.

  Aerlid glanced at her. ‘Yes,’ he sighed. ‘You can climb it.’

  ‘I need to eat first.’ she replied, tiredness coming into her voice.

  ‘Yes, of course.’ The fact that she would put off climbing up a giant tree told Aerlid how very tired she was, even more so than her tone. ‘Wait a moment…’ and he touched her arm. She stopped and looked at him. ‘We must talk first.’

  He looked at her, glanced at the garden and back again. ‘Your mother… she is in there.’

  Riley did not look surprised this time. She glanced at the garden. Her expression changed for a brief moment, too fast to catch.

  ‘It’s… her garden.’

  Riley looked back to him. As what he’d said sunk in her eyes widened in alarm. Her mouth opened.

  ‘Yes.’ he said hurriedly. ‘The Queen.’

  Riley looked back at the garden, then at him. She closed her mouth. Her brow furrowed for a moment. Then she focussed on him again. ‘Aerlid, what does this mean for me?’ she said forcefully.

  ‘Oh, nothing, nothing.’ He said, surprised. Riley sighed in relief as he went on. ‘No, Queen doesn’t quite mean the same to the valkar as it does to humans. But besides that, Rilodana- that’s her name- already has two other daughters. And you’re not a valkar.’

  Riley was relieved mo
re than disappointed. She didn’t seem aware of the uncomfortable silence that had settled over Aerlid.

  ‘I mean,’ he said, ‘you’re only half valkar.’

  Riley’s eyes flicked to his. ‘They’re not comfortable around humans.’

  It was not a question.

  ‘No.’ Aerlid replied, somewhat stiffly.

  ‘Even half humans?’

  Aerlid shook his head. ‘No, not even half humans.’

  Riley gazed towards the garden critically. ‘She didn’t want me, did she.’

  Startled, Aerlid replied, ‘why do you say that?’

  Her eyes were on his as she said, ‘her other two children are here, aren’t they?’ he hadn’t said it exactly, but the way he’d said it… she wasn’t certain, but she thought she might be right.

  ‘Yes, they are.’ he sighed again. ‘But maybe… maybe that’s not the right way to put it.’ he looked around and gently took her hand. They sat on some grass on the side of the path that was not really much of a path. ‘Rilodana is… she’s not always aware of what’s happening. She… she’s not all there. Being separated from the earth… what led to this… it was too much for her.’ he looked at Riley meaningly, hoping she understood. Her green eyes were locked on his.

  ‘Her other children are here, but she doesn’t always remember them. It’s not that she doesn’t care for you… Riley,’ his tone changed a bit, as if he was changing tactics, ‘you know how many of the gemeng children turn out?’

  She nodded.

  ‘Yes, well, human-valkar children turn out like that, only much worse. You may have noticed… but valkar are very different to humans. We always try, healers always try very hard to make the children survive. But… if there isn’t something physically wrong with them it’s usually mental. Even with all our help, I think you are the only one who has lived past fourteen.’

  She stared. She was only seventeen.

  ‘But we tried even harder with you Riley. Rilodana would have been devastated if there had been something wrong with you, and she’s already so… delicate. So we tried even harder. She may not always remember you, but she does love you.’

  ‘Aerlid, am I going to die?’ she demanded, alarmed.

  Aerlid was momentarily caught off guard by the question, that wasn’t what he had meant to tell her. He recovered quickly. ‘I honestly don’t know how long you’re going to live. Frankly, I think you should worry more about being eaten by one of those damn cats you’re so enamoured with.’

  His attempt to lighten the mood did not help. ‘Aerlid,’ she pressed.

  ‘You’ll know.’ he said grimly, ‘it won’t be sudden, Riley, you’ll… experience the symptoms of aging, sort of what humans go through.’

  She relaxed slightly. ‘How long?’

  ‘I’m not sure, but I would say you’ll live to between thirty or forty years old.’

  From the look on her face, he could tell it did not seem enough time.

  ‘I’m sorry Riley, I should not have brought it up, it slipped out.’ He reached out to touch her arm. ‘You’re only seventeen, you have plenty of time. And I’ll be there, perhaps I, or one of the other valkar can make it better. We put a city in the air, extending your life should not be too difficult. Please, don’t think about that now. You wanted something to eat?’

  Riley let him help her to her feet. As they walked the rest of the way up to the garden he tried to take her mind off what he’d said. Perhaps it was what he was saying, or maybe the walk itself, but by the time they reached the garden she’d mostly recovered herself.

  Riley had never thought about how old she would live. Thirty or forty. She had never thought of being that old. That was about half the expected life span of an Astarian. Suddenly she thought, for a submariner, that’s ancient. And her thoughts went to Vann.

  Suddenly thirty or forty seemed very old.

  And she decided not to think about it anymore

  Inside the garden it was a little cooler. Aerlid walked ahead of her, his eyes darting around.

  He did not go very far before he stopped, Riley with him.

  ‘She knows someone has entered her garden. She’ll come now, we will go no further without her permission.’

  And so they waited.

  Riley was too hungry and tired to think of anything except eating. Time seemed to pass slowly.

  And then… it was hard to explain, but Riley became aware of someone’s presence before she heard or saw anything. It was as if the garden took a breath and held it. A woman, a valkar, came towards them from between the plants and greenery.

  Riley stared. She had seen many valkar in the short time she had been in the city. Rivers and air and clouds and moons and plants and suns… but nothing like this creature.

  It was as if the essence of life itself had formed itself into a woman’s shape. It was impossible to describe. She understood then, what the Queen meant to the valkar. Love. Reverence. Awe.

  Aerlid glanced at her and smiled when he saw her expression. He inclined his head imperceptibly, as if in agreement.

  As the woman drew closer Riley noticed something else. There was a certain vagueness to her gaze, a dream like quality to her movement. Riley had a sense there was something missing, and she felt a moment of sorrow. The feeling was not dispelled when the woman spoke.

  She spoke in Valkar, of course. She was difficult for Riley to understand, far more so than any of the other valkar.

  Riley frowned slightly. She thought she must be hearing wrong.

  ‘Mother, the birds do so well, but the trees are feeling cramped. Has something happened to the mountain?’

  Riley glanced at Aerlid. Suddenly he looked so very tired.

  He spoke softly to her, ‘she thinks you’re her mother. Ah, I suppose to the valkar you look old. Let me speak to her.’ Louder he said, ‘Rilodana, do you know me?’

  The woman’s attention drifted to Aerlid. ‘Why, Moonsinger, yes!’ She came forward and took his hands in hers and smiled. ‘Yes, did you know I have had a daughter, finally? Mother is so pleased! Everyone can relax now!’

  ‘That’s wonderful news.’ Aerlid managed.

  Rilodana had already moved on to Riley. She grabbed her hands like she had grabbed Aerlid’s. ‘Come, Mother, you must meet her! I’m afraid she took such a long time to find her soul, I can’t imagine why. Please don’t be mad at me, Mother.’ and she began dragging Riley deeper into the garden.

  Riley looked back helplessly at Aerlid. He followed at a close distance and whispered, ‘Don’t upset her, just nod and smile, don’t say anything.’

  ‘Rilodana,’ Aerlid said louder, ‘your mother has been travelling a long time. Why don’t you bring her something to eat?’

  ‘Of course, you’ll be so proud. But first let me show you? And then you can name her with me!’

  Rilodana moved quickly through the garden. It was not long before they came to a clearing. Though judging from how tense Riley was it had been far too long.

  Ferns, trees and flowers surrounded and shaded a grassy space where a young valkar woman sat. Riley was stunned for a moment as she looked at her. She was like Rilodana. Life.

  In another second she realised this was one of Rilodana’s other children.

  The woman looked up as they approached. Her eyes almost immediately went to Riley. Surprise lit her features.

  ‘Mother, this is her!’ Rilodana finally let go of Riley’s hands and rushed to her other daughter’s side. A long suffering look came to her face. She said nothing as Rilodana continued, ‘isn’t she the most beautiful child you have ever seen? What shall we name her?’

  Riley stared.

  Aerlid felt far worse than Riley. He knew Rilodana and her daughters. The young woman sitting on the ground was Rilodana’s eldest daughter. She was far, far older than Riley (though by valkar standards a young woman). She had been born and named long after Rilodana’s mother’s death. And yet where was the second child? But he knew- she had to stay away. Her prese
nce, when Rilodana did not remember her, would have greatly upset her.

  As Riley remained quiet Rilodana’s smile faltered.

  Aerlid quickly stepped in, ‘we discussed this on the way, Rilodana, your mother feels you should name your daughter.’

  ‘Oh, oh, really? May I?’ she beamed, ‘I have been thinking so hard! I think I shall name her Rilodana!’

  The young woman on the ground closed her eyes.

  ‘What about Ladana?’ Aerlid suggested.

  ‘Oh,’ her face fell again. ‘No, no, I don’t like that name.’

  ‘Well, let’s think on it later.’ Aerlid smiled sickly. ‘You must be very tired, why don’t you go rest?’

  ‘Oh, yes. Having children is very hard work, Moonsinger. Yes, I’ll go rest.’ She made as if to try and pick Ladana- for that was her eldest daughter’s name- up.

  A look of consternation passed across her face.

  ‘Ah, why don’t you leave your baby here? I’m sure your mother would like to spend some time with her.’

  ‘Oh…oh, of course. Mother, do you know how to look after a baby?’ Rilodana looked worried for a moment.

  ‘Yes, of course she does.’ Aerlid said, ‘Please, you look so tired, go rest.’

  ‘Oh, yes, alright…’

  It took some time but eventually Aerlid convinced Rilodana to leave.

  The young woman, Ladana, sighed. She stood and smoothed off her dress. ‘You handle her well, Moonsinger. You’re the man who took the mixed girl?’ she spoke in Valkar. After Rilodana’s mixed up voice, Riley found her very easy to understand.

  Aerlid stiffened. ‘Your half-sister, yes. And she understands Valkar well.’

  The woman’s eyes moved to Riley. They stayed there for some time.

  ‘She appears ill.’ she said after a long pause. ‘Have you taken good care of her?’

  ‘Of course I have. And she’s not ill.’

  ‘I see.’ Ladana had a slow, meditative way of speaking that was soothing after Rilodana’s mixed up flightiness. ‘And why have you brought her here?’

  ‘I wanted to introduce her to her mother and her sisters.’ Aerlid said coolly.

  Riley remained mute.

  ‘Very well,’ Ladana turned slightly. ‘Ralana, you may come now. Mother is gone.’

  It did not take long for another young woman to appear from the greenery. She was shorter than Ladana, but not as short as Rilodana- who was a small woman. There was a wide eyed curiosity to her that Ladana lacked.

  Ladana turned to look back at Riley. ‘This is the mixed girl. The Moonsinger who took her wishes her to meet us.’

  Ralana’s eyes widened. Riley was surprised to see fear flash there. Riley turned to look at Aerlid. ‘I still haven’t eaten.’ she reminded him.

  ‘Oh, of course. Mm, would either of you be able to get something for Riley to eat?’

  Ralana nodded quickly. She darted away into the greenery.

  Ladana looked at them as she said, ‘so, you have met us.’

  Aerlid could not entirely hide his anger.

  Despite her gnawing hunger, Riley felt there were things she needed to ask. It seemed the valkar were as much a part of the world as gemengs and humans. She could not just ignore them.

  ‘You have a problem with humans?’ Riley asked.

  Aerlid was surprised at the way in which she asked this, as if she were merely collecting data, it was not an accusation.

  ‘Yes.’ Ladana’s eyes widened ever so slightly, as if surprised by the question. ‘They are monsters.’ she stated.

  ‘All of them?’

  Ladana nodded.

  ‘And me?’

  She nodded again.

  Riley frowned. ‘I’ve never done anything to you.’

  ‘No.’ Ladana agreed, though it almost sounded like not yet. ‘Humans enslaved and killed many of my people. Even those we thought were our friends. Humans cannot be trusted. They are the reason I cannot, and have never, walked on the ground.’

  Aerlid did not necessarily disagree with Ladana yet still he seethed on Riley’s behalf.

  ‘I see. And yet I’m half human. How did that happen?’

  ‘Mother disappears.’ Ladana shrugged. ‘She wandered off one day and found a human. She gets confused easily. I don’t know what she saw in him.’

  ‘But she went to the ground.’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘So couldn’t you as well?’

  Ladana suddenly glared at her. ‘Yes, and you’ll go walking around the ehlkrid land, will you?’

  ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you.’

  Ladana’s glare subsided. ‘It’s alright.’

  ‘He calmed her down.’ Aerlid interjected suddenly. ‘Rilodana did care for your father, Riley. But you have seen how she is, she forgot about him. But perhaps that’s for the best… he died not long after.’

  ‘Ah. Is Ralana coming back soon?’ Riley asked.

  Ladana glanced behind her. ‘You’re very impatient.’

  At the look Aerlid shot her, Riley managed to keep her mouth shut.

  Luckily, Ralana returned not long after. To Riley’s abject disappointment, she returned with one, round piece of fruit.

  Ralana handed it to her, pleased and afraid at the same time.

  In less than a minute, Riley had finished it. It was delicious- juicy and tangy, but not nearly enough.

  Aerlid glanced at her. ‘Well, this has been lovely. Riley, shall I take you back down now?’

  ‘Please.’

  The goodbyes were swift and clean.

  Aerlid quickly took Riley to an edge of the city. It was still daylight, so the journey down would probably be very unsettling for Riley, but less so than starving up here.

  He was just about to begin when he heard a commotion behind him. He turned, mildly irritated.

  A group of valkar approached. But no, he realised. One woman was approaching them, the rest were just her entourage.

  She had a sure stride and a ramrod straight back. She did not look as though she smiled often.

  He already knew who, or what, she was.

  Her hair and lips, the colour of rose petals. Her hair went just past her shoulders, it was unadorned, like all of the valkar. Her fringe was long enough that it looked like she almost didn’t have one, it was parted and fell easily to either side of her face, leaving her features unhidden. She was lovely. And yet… her thorns were obviously displayed in her expression. She wore a long dress, her bare feet just visible beneath the hem. Her dress looked like it had been made out of the petals of a very large rose. It wrapped around her waist tightly, two pointed ends of the petals going over her shoulders, like straps. The skirt was looser, leaving her more freedom of movement.

  Rose.

  The woman’s eyes swept critically over Riley, and then landed on Aerlid.

  It was then that Aerlid realised what was missing. ‘Where is the cape?’ he demanded, startled and outraged at the same time.

  Rose lifted her chin up and gazed down at him haughtily, though she was shorter than him. ‘That is what Sunsingers wear. I am the Judgement Master, but I am not a Sunsinger. I will not wear it.’

  Aerlid was about to argue when he spotted Adila, some way behind Rose. She shook her head ever so slightly at him.

  ‘Very well.’ he managed through gritted teeth. ‘But consider,’ he began, his tone relenting slightly, ‘I only ask because I recognize you as the Judgement Master.’

  She paused, somewhat mollified, though when she spoke again her tone was not gentle, ‘why have you brought a mixed here?’

  Aerlid had to fight down anger that was once again rising. He bit back the urge to ask how long, exactly, had she been the Judgement Master? ‘Is the Queen’s daughter not welcome here?’

  ‘Do your people not deserve a moment’s consideration before bringing a girl with human blood into the city?’

  ‘I am so sorry.’ He bit out acidly. But he said no more. He trembled with the effort, but he sai
d no more.

  Adila did not step forward to say anything. It was not out of cowardice or anything like that. Aerlid knew she would speak to Rose- or perhaps already had- in private.

  ‘The city has been brought into sight, in a populated area, for you. That requires a very good explanation.’

  Aerlid wondered if Adila had arranged this for him behind the new Judgement Master’s back.

  ‘And I will give you one.’ he bit out. ‘But right now, I am leaving with the mixed girl. Is that to your liking?’

  Rose looked at Aerlid in a way that would have made him cringe if he hadn’t been so aware of Riley, so close and understanding everything that had been said. ‘It is.’ she replied.