Skye Light

by A R Maloney

  Changing subjects, I announced, “I'll make breakfast!” I set the skink on the ground and began pulling the eggs from my tunic. Cooper began cleaning my scaled catch and I thanked him. Digging through my satchel I found the package of bread my mom had baked the day before. I unwrapped it from the heavy cloth it had been packed in and held it to my nose, breathing in the smell of yeast and berries. My heart tore briefly as I thought of the generosity of my mother and I held a tear back. I didn't let my fingers shake as I prepared our food. About a half hour later we had a delicious meal of bread, eggs and meat, seasoned with herbs and salt.

  Niera had returned from her climb reporting that the path was cleared and safe for us all. We ate well, the others joking back and forth. The three agreed that I would be allowed to cook any meals in the future. I laughed, suggesting they were just trying to get out of cooking...then offered to cook so long as they did the cleaning. Our spirits were high. I enjoyed watching them banter and smiled to myself as I doused the fire, stirring the coals until they were out.

  “We ready?” I heard Roman call out. Nods came from Niera and Cooper. I glanced hesitantly at them, then at the high cliffs above, wondering if I should admit to a sudden fear of heights.

  I didn't need to say anything, the color had drained from my face. “You climbed that tree so easily to reach those eggs,” Cooper reminded me.

  Continuing to look upwards I said, “That was not so far to fall.”

  Roman spoke this time. “You'll be fine,” he assured, “we'll make sure everyone makes it up together.”

  I tightened the straps of my pack and heard Niera begin chanting softly. I felt myself relax as the power of her spells slid over me. Immediately once again, my feet felt lighter. I began feeling swifter, stronger, and more focused than ever before. I was more aware of everything around me. I took a deep breath, mustering my confidence and inner strength as we began to trek forward.

  Niera led the way on our ascent. I followed behind her, trailed by Cooper, and Roman watched our backs. The path rose steeply before us and soon we found ourselves climbing the tall rock wall. The stone was rough on the palms of my hands and I could feel my fingernails chipping and tearing as I pulled myself up length by length. Up we climbed the hand and footholds secure, the path clear—just as Niera had promised.

  My muscles were burning, and I breathed a grateful sigh as we came to a small ledge about halfway up the face of the rock wall. There was enough room for us all to stand together. I turned from side to side, stretching my arms and legs. Cooper opened a water skin and we all took turns passing it between each other. I calmed my breath and turned to look out over the lush green top of the forest canopy which was now spread out below us. I gasped in amazement, spellbound. I could see farther than I've ever seen in all my years, the world stretched out below me as if it had no end. “Wooooah!” I exclaimed, “Is this what it's like to fly?”

  “Noooo!” said Niera, “Flying is much better!” The others nodded in agreement. I had a brief flash of vertigo and was once again reminding myself of just how human I was. I turned back around and busied myself by rechecking the straps on my pack as I steeled my mind again.

  About a half hour later we reached the clifftop, once again taking a few minutes to rest, stretch, and wet our throats. Then we resumed our trek through the upper edge of the Espencheid Forest. “If we make good time, we can be to Ridott Village by nightfall,” said Roman. I was eager to reach our destination. I had never been to a city before, but at the same time I was afraid of what would come. Who is Riven? Will she be nice? Maybe she won't even be a she. I'd never known anyone else who could use magic like I could... and this was supposed to be one of the strongest magic users in Arden.

  It was long into the afternoon when we came to a real road. We began passing cabins and small farms here and there. I could smell meats and breads cooking, the fragrant smoke wafting through the air made my stomach growl again. Children could be seen tending livestock and playing from time to time. Eventually the trees gave way to wide open fields. Corn, wheat, and other grains were growing tall under the summer sun. Heavy cattle and pigs cooled themselves in streams and small ponds, covering themselves with thick coats of mud.

  We came to the top of a large hill on the outskirts of the town when we met someone on the road. He was tall, freckled and his fair skin was more of a red than tan from working in the sun. His hair was a rowdy mess of bright copper curls, some of which was tied behind his neck with a loose leather cord. He wore a plain white tunic and loose pants woven of soft linen fibers. An orange belt was tied around his waist, leaving him looking oddly thin. He looked us over and gave a wide gap-toothed smile. He reminded me of a very happy pumpkin.

  “Welcome, Roman!” he said happily, “I heard you would be passing through here soon!”

  Roman gave him an equally large grin and the two clasped forearms. “My old friend! How long has it been?”

  “A long time...not since Sweet Haven.” The new man looked at me and with a nod said, “My name is Torres. You must be Skye, the magus we've heard so much about.”

  I shifted uncomfortably, not used to the attention and nodded silently, overcome by a sudden shyness. I can use magic, but magus? The term itself implied a much higher level of skill than I was willing to admit to.

  Torres noticed and nodded with happy eyes, “Please don't be alarmed, but we've been expecting to see you for some time now. There has not been a magus of your talent from this area for some time. Praise the sun! So many will be eager to meet you.”

  I was skeptical, and again I didn't feel at all qualified for such accolades, but I managed to bow politely and respond, “It's my honor to meet you, Torres.”

  He babbled on talking to the four of us, and I tried to keep up with his banter, giving polite nods and smiles when appropriate. I was feeling a bit overwhelmed by the attention.

  Cooper noticed my unease and nudged me with his shoulder and smiled. He cupped his hand to my ear and whispered, “He's a very enthusiastic one, but he's okay.” I slowed my steps, letting Roman and Torres pull ahead slightly. Niera stepped back with Cooper and I and we walked together, enjoying the slower pace.

  Roman and Torres continued walking ahead, carrying on a conversation between themselves for some time. After several minutes they paused, turning back to us. Roman said, “We are very close to Ridott Village, but Torres has offered to share his home with us tonight. It is only a short way from Plano. Riven will be already awaiting your arrival for sure, but once you get there it will be difficult to say when you will get any real free time again.” Roman looked at me and continued, “This is your last chance to relax, at least a little, and you may not be able to find much quiet time once the magus starts with you. I'll let this be your decision.”

  I thought about this. I didn't want to keep Riven waiting, but I didn't want to offend Torres either. Additionally, it seemed that Roman might enjoy time to catch up with his friend. Honestly, I wouldn't mind one more night to settle my nerves and clear my head. Finally, I nodded, saying “Thank you for your hospitality, I'm very grateful. I would be happy to accept your generous offer.” I smiled at Torres and looked to the others who smiled and nodded approvingly at me.

  Torres clapped his hands together loudly and sang out, “Wonderful! I will send a messenger to Riven and let him know. He will be quite pleased to hear you are finally arriving! We have a lamb roasting. I hope you are all hungry!” He began leading us through the village to his large home which was made of stone. “You will all stay here tonight; tomorrow we will take you to the barracks where you will be staying while in Arden. For now, Niera will take you to the armorer and the bathhouse. I'm sure you would like some time to clean up and relax. When you're ready, meet us in the fields behind my home.” He turned to continue his conversation with Roman. I could hear them both chatting happily to each other.

  Cooper turned to go his own way and Niera led me through the gates of an encampment. The space of the compoun
d was generous, and in the center was a large building made of wood. We passed through the door and I found myself in a marketplace, filled with many merchant stalls. There were tailors, armorers, a blacksmith, a weaponsmith, as well as stalls containing vegetables, fruits, nuts and a variety of other necessities.

  Niera directed me to a particular storefront and explained that this is where I would be getting all of my clothing from this time forth, at least while I was here. These clothes would identify me as a Protector of Arden. I sucked in my breath again, was I expecting some sort of ceremony? No.

  I stepped forward and was greeted by a short, petite woman with greying hair. It was piled up in a neat bun on the top of her head. She appraised me silently for a few moments, circling me with a look of deep scrutiny. She then nodded, “One moment,” and exited into another room.

  When she returned, she was carrying a small pile of clothes. She handed me a tunic and pants, very similar to what Torres was wearing, though the color was an earthy light brown. There was a wide cloth belt which had the insignia and was crafted in the same silver-blue color of the sentinels. Soft leather boots, a creamy light brown which would lace up to just below my knees followed.

  The lady placed her small hands above and below my bundle and began whispering under her breath. I recognized this as a spell of protection as her hands bathed the clothing in a soft golden light. “These should do nicely,” she stated with a smile. I thanked her and Niera led me to the bathhouses.

  We walked into the long wooden structure and I was amazed to see a large, steaming hot spring. There were baskets on the walls of the building which held brushes, and towels were folded on tables at all corners. I quickly removed my clothing and sat on a stool along the wall. I pulled a sponge from a bucket of water and washed the dirt and sweat of my journey from my skin and lathered myself up with fragrant soap. I scrubbed harder than I probably needed, then rinsed quickly. My skin was bright pink from the scrub, but it felt great. Finally, I stepped down through the steam and into the water. A soft sigh escaped my lips as I sank deeper into the hot water. I closed my eyes, feeling the warmth seep into my muscles. It was wonderful after two days of hard climbing and running. I was so relaxed I could have drifted off to sleep, but I resisted the urge and reached to pick up a brush. After my body and hair were scrubbed clean again, I stepped out from the small pool, feeling quite refreshed.

  I quickly dressed and left the room to find the others. I exited the building and looked across the huge field that filled the back of the property. Cooper waved me over. He looked so different, having changed from his heavy armor to a light shirt and leather pants. “You clean up pretty well!” I said brightly.

  He tilted his head in his peculiar manner and smiled in return, saying, “You don't look so bad yourself.” I thought I saw him blushing before he turned away and called over his shoulder, “Roman will be back shortly; apparently Riven will be joining us here tonight. I thought perhaps you would like to see the town.” It was a statement more than a question, but I nodded my head and stepped in beside him.

  Chapter 4—Wine and Candles

  A LIGHT BREEZE DANCED across the tops of the trees, through the green leaves and over the roofs of the homes and stores. We walked together at an easy pace. There was much to see. Cooper pointed out the weapons shop and a butcher shop, a bakery was on a corner across from a small park, and the smells from different breads and pastries, sweet and yeasty, filled my nose. I inhaled deeply and almost groaned with hunger. Around the next corner was an inn with a pub below. Music from the songs of noisy patrons spilled out the doors into the street. We came to the bottom of a large hill which climbed high into the distance. As I looked to the top, I could see guard towers which stood tall, and behind them were even much larger buildings.

  Cooper looked up the hill, and then to me, “That’s Plano up there. The capitol city of Arden.”

  “I didn't realize we were already here,'' I said softly. A pang of regret came over me as I realized I would soon be leaving my companions. “Will you be staying on here long?”

  “I'm not certain. I go wherever they send me, though I'm sure I won’t return to Dusk Fortress until they say I'm healed fully, but who knows where I'll be until then,” he responded.

  “Have you had to pick up any others? Others like me?” I asked, turning to look across the field at the edge of the large hill.

  With that he stopped and turned to me. Cooper's eyes grew a darker shade of gray and he stepped closer to me. He leaned over and his voice grew softer as he murmured, “There's no other like you, Skye.” I caught my breath as I gazed up into his eyes. He smelled of musk and leather. I shuddered involuntarily despite the cheesy line, and whispered back, “Surely you’ve met many more exciting than me.”

  Cooper reached out to me, gently pulling at one of my dark braids and then running a finger down my neck and shoulder, resting his hand on my arm. “I wish that were true, but for many years all I've been concerned with is war. You are not like others I have ever met or known.” He was staring into my eyes, his face held a peculiar expression, a mix of curiosity and....

  “Hey slackers!!” Dinner should be starting soon! You'd best not be late!” Niera called out, coming around the corner.

  I coughed lightly, clearing my throat and took a step back, coming to my senses, but still very much aware of the man next to me. I gave a weak smile to Cooper and turned to greet our chantress friend. “Hey Niera!” I responded.

  Niera smiled, “Look at you, all official and such. The recruit look suits you.” She looked from Cooper to me and cocked her head questioningly. I shrugged and tried to look casual.

  Cooper shrugged his shoulders and called for Niera to wait. We walked to Torres' large home together. There were several humans and sentinels inside the large dining hall. Roman was standing near a long table with two men. One appeared much older than the others, with his hair and long beard gray from old age. His eyes shone a pale blue and his skin was weathered from many years of work. The other seemed to be closer to Roman's age. He had short brown hair which lay in wavy tousles just over his ears. The younger man's eyes were mossy green and his skin was pale and smooth compared to the elder. Roman waved me over and spoke, “Skye, please let me introduce you to Ian and Riven. You will get to know these two very well I'm sure.”

  “I'm very pleased to meet you,” I said, bowing my head to each man.

  Riven spoke first, “I'm pleased to see you all made it back so swiftly. We have much work to do, and we will begin tomorrow at dawn. Niera will escort you to the training fields.” I looked over Riven attempting to cover my surprise; I wasn't expecting to see someone so young.

  “I'll be there,” I responded.

  “Please enjoy yourself tonight. You are Torres' guest here tonight; you will see that he is quite a gracious host.” With that Riven bowed and turned, then moved on to speak to another guest.

  Ian took my hands into his and gave a firm squeeze, “I will be speaking with you after dinner, my dear.” His blue eyes sparkled brightly as he continued to hold my hands in his. He looked deep into my eyes and smiled brightly, “Yes! We will have much to discuss very soon, I am quite sure of it!”

  Just then Torres called us to take our seats at the long tables. Large trays were brought into the hall. When they were finally in place, I could see they were piled high with sliced roast lamb, casseroles, baked squashes and potted crab, many jams for breads and braised roots with savory sauces. There were jugs of sweet wine on each table. We all piled our plates high and spent the next hour eating, drinking and laughing. When we had all finished eating the food was cleared away and more jugs of wines and ales were brought out.

  I had never drunk anything stronger than my mom's weak cider before and I found myself becoming very relaxed. My nose and face began to tingle, and everything started getting quite loud. Cooper came over and rested his arm on my shoulder and quietly reminded me, “You'll need to be on that practice field bright and ear
ly. You may want to watch how much you drink.” He looked beautiful...I reached my hand up to trace the jagged scar which ran from his left cheek to his ear. I knew he was talking to me; his mouth was moving but the words weren't sinking in.

  “You smell really nice.” I was leaning my head onto his chest as I emptied my glass and reached for the jug to refill it. His hand beat mine to the jug holding the sweet wine and my hand covered his. For some reason I couldn’t lift it to refill my glass. I looked up at Cooper, frowning.

  I heard him chuckle in response and moments later he was helping me up saying, “Okay, my lady, let's set down the grog and get you some air.” I let him lead me towards the door, the room spinning and slogging from side to side with each step. He opened the door and helped me through. I stumbled over my feet and his, bouncing off the frame and against his side as we found our way to the patio.

  The night air was clean and crisp. Cooper helped me to a stone bench looking out over the great field and we sat. My head started clearing a little with the fresh air, away from all the noise. “Thank you, Coop. Ya know, you are okay.” My words were slurring but I didn't notice at all.

  “There's some mint tea near the hearth, I'll go get you a cup.” Cooper said, glancing at the door behind us. “It will help.” He gave my shoulder a light squeeze as he stood up and I could hear him speaking softly to someone behind us. “She's not holding the drink too well.” he explained. I could hear a low rumble of laughter and turned my head to see Ian approaching. Cooper flashed a brilliant smile at me, “I'll be right back.”

  Ian shuffled up beside me and asked to have a seat. I nodded and he sat beside me. I searched the moonless sky for something unknown while crickets sounded off in the fields surrounding the patio. “You have been having the dreams.” He stated plainly. I glanced over at him, not sure what he was referring to. “Riven is not the only one who has been waiting for you. I've known your face for some time now. You are so very much like your parents.”