On Lonely Paths (Earth and Sky Book 2)

by Jann Rowland

  “This is the height of foolishness!” Cirrus cried out. He glanced around the room for supporters in an almost manic fashion. “You can’t go gallivanting around the countryside with—”

  “I can do it, Sentinel Cirrus, and I will do it. You can’t dissuade me. Nobody can. I won’t return here until Princess Tierra is safe.” Skye swept his gaze across the room. “That is a promise.”

  “Your Majesty,” Cirrus said, his chest heaving up and down in jerks due to his emotional state, “what you need to do is marry some good Skychild girl.” His tone had become pleading. “I realize that what you’re trying to do with the Groundbreathers is intended as a noble endeavor, but deals made with harpies are never wise.”

  “The Sentinel speaks wisdom,” Eagleclaw said. “There are plenty of Skychild women with lineage leading back to our goddess, and they have more than enough beauty to tempt you. Surely you can choose one of them and forget about this Groundbreather.”

  It was not difficult to infer that Eagleclaw was thinking of his own daughter, but Skye was not about to tolerate any further discussion. His sharp glance prompted Eagleclaw to blanch and stilled any further comment he might have made.

  “Take care, Sentinel Cirrus,” Skye growled, returning his attention to his friend. “Thus far, I have been patient with insubordination, but I will tolerate it no further. Princess Tierra and I are bound by ties stronger than any of you can imagine, and I will not simply let her go and marry some ‘good Skychild girl’ when I am already betrothed to a young woman who will not only complement me in every way, but who holds my heart as well. Tierra will be your queen. You had all best accept that fact with as much grace as you can muster.”

  “Skye—”

  “Enough!” Skye roared. He stared stonily at his friend, willing him to cease his protests before he went too far. Though Cirrus obviously wished to continue speaking, he gave a curt nod.

  “Despite whatever friendship you may have with his Majesty,” Bluster said, interjecting himself into the conversation and looking at Cirrus, “it is not a Sentinel’s place to question a royal decision once it has been made, Guardsman.”

  Had Skye not been watching closely, he might have missed the almost virulent emotion which flashed over his friend’s face. Cirrus’s nod at the lord was even tighter than the one he had given to Skye a moment before, but he had the sense to hold his tongue.

  “Your Majesty,” Bluster said, turning to Skye, “I must admit that while I also question the wisdom of this course, I can only applaud your unflagging insistence upon your chosen path. Forgive me, but I feel I must say that I hope we don’t all regret it in the end.”

  “Princess Tierra will be ideal as both queen and consort,” Skye replied. “In her, I have the highest confidence. Her sister, however, is cut from a different cloth. We will meet with nothing but outright hostility with her in charge. Part of the reason I am so determined to find Tierra is so that she can provide an effective resistance against her sister. Wisteria is half-mad and hates Skychildren with a passion.”

  “Don’t they all?” another lord—Quickbreeze—asked. “What is it to us if they hate us? There has been nothing but hate between us from the birth of the very first Groundbreather.”

  “His Majesty has spoken,” Bluster said, his voice raised in warning.

  “Quickbreeze is right, after a fashion,” Skye told them, choosing to address what had been said in spite of his desire to demand silence. “Still, I dare to wish for something better, not only for our people, but for all peoples. We raid and pillage and take that which is not ours, but does that not make us thieves? We disdain the Groundbreathers as savages, but is not our behavior just as contemptible?

  “We can never progress as a people as long as this senseless conflict continues. Let us end it. And if we must fight for it, then I, for one, am willing to do so.”

  Skye’s gaze traveled the room, passing over the assembled lords. His short but impassioned speech seemed to have made an impression on many, though some still appeared to be uncertain.

  “We will follow you, of course, Your Majesty,” Bluster said, resignation coloring his tone. “However, I must note that though you will follow the path of your fiancée down on the ground, you are now king of the sky realm. You cannot go to Groundbreather lands alone and look for her. There is no telling what kind of treachery might be afoot.”

  Skye was unable to keep a tinge of irritation from his tone. “I can move more quickly by myself.”

  “Lord Bluster is correct,” Cirrus said. “You must accept an escort of Cloud Sentinels.”

  There was a rumble of agreement at Cirrus’s words, and Skye, knowing the sky realm had suffered unduly in the past months, begrudgingly agreed to this concession. Of course, he quickly learned that the lords wished him to take more Sentinels than he wished, and most of them offered their own guards as escorts—no doubt in an attempt to keep an eye on him and create a debt of sorts—but Skye insisted on taking no more than five Sentinels from the palace. They would be traveling on griffins, and as Skye suspected he would have to avoid attention as much as possible, it did not seem feasible to take a larger number. The council was not happy, but they were forced to capitulate.

  “Now, I can’t tell you how long I’ll be gone,” Skye said once the escort had been decided on, “but I don’t intend to leave the sky realm leaderless while I am away. In ordinary circumstances, the Seneschal would be tasked with overseeing the sky realm in the absence of the king, but of course, that post is empty due to the actions of the traitor Hawkins.”

  A low murmur passed through the assembled lords, but Skye did not give them time to voice their opinions.

  “After thinking on the matter, I have decided that the best man for this position at present is Lord Bluster. My lord, will you take on this task, so that the Skychildren may be governed in my absence?”

  Bluster hesitated, as Skye thought he might. But the lord possessed a highly developed sense of duty, and he responded as Skye had expected.

  “Very well, Your Majesty,” Bluster said. “I will accept this temporary post, but only on the condition that once you have returned and have taken up the reins of your kingship again, you will appoint another in my stead.”

  “Agreed,” Skye said.

  Then, without further ceremony, Skye dismissed the lords and ladies and left the room, Cirrus following him closely.

  “I’ll pack some gear, and we can get moving,” the guardsman said. “Hopefully, we can sort this out quickly and return.”

  “I won’t be taking you, Cirrus,” Skye replied in a clipped tone.

  Cirrus blinked at him and made as though to clean out his ears. “I’m sorry, Skye, but it sounded like you said you weren’t taking me with you.”

  “Because that’s what I did say,” Skye told him in irritation, unable to handle his friend’s attempts at levity. “I already know that you don’t have Tierra’s best interests in mind, and I think you’ll do more good here.”

  “That’s a load of Groundbreather dung. I’ll do more good here? What sorts of things do you think I’m going to be able to do while you’re gone?”

  “I don’t know, Cirrus. But I’m beginning to wonder how much I really do know about you. I would have expected you to trust me with your search for the Fenik, yet you’ve felt free enough to do whatever you want without concern for me, though I was supposed to be your charge.”

  Cirrus’s face became all solemnity. “Skye, you know I’ve always considered you a friend and never wanted anything bad to happen to you.”

  “Yeah, I know. You’ve been helping me in your own way. I realize that. But this is something I need to do on my own, and I need you to understand that.”

  Cirrus dipped his head. “Is this Groundbreather really that important to you?”

  “She means the world to me, Cirrus. I would do anything for her.”

  “And the matter of these new relations with the Groundbreathers? You’re serious about that, too?
”

  “Absolutely. I believe that will be what’s best.”

  Cirrus looked into Skye’s eyes, and some sort of message almost seemed to pass between them, though Skye could not have said what exactly that message was.

  “Very well,” the guardsman said. He put a hand on Skye’s shoulder and gave it a hard squeeze. Cirrus said no more before walking off.

  Skye stared after him, unable to shake the feeling that he had missed some sort of secret communication. But he could not think further on it. There was too much to do.

  It was Bluster’s task to appoint five suitable guardsmen, so Skye went to his room after sending a servant to summon Gusty. He immediately set to work on making certain he would have everything he needed, and when he heard a knock on his door and bid his visitor enter, he was surprised to see both Gusty and Mista enter.

  “Skye,” Mista said, “we heard that you are going to be leaving soon. Where do you intend to go?”

  Though Skye was not eager to share information with his stepmother, Gusty did need to know, so he gave an honest answer.

  “To put it briefly,” Skye said, “the Groundbreather king is dead, the queen has disappeared, and Tierra has been kidnapped.”

  Mista’s eyes could not have become any rounder. “Somebody has taken Tierra away?”

  “Yes.”

  “Do you know who?” Gusty asked.

  “I’m not really sure, to be honest. Wisteria has taken over the kingdom. I don’t know how I’m going to find Tierra, but I’ll manage one way or another. That’s why I’m leaving. I intend to bring her back.”

  “I wish to go with you!” Mista burst out. “Skye, please! You must take me! Tierra is my friend, and I want to help!”

  Skye tilted his head as he looked at Mista. The woman’s sincere concern for Tierra touched him, but bringing her along was out of the question. “I’m sorry, Mista, but you have to stay here.”

  “Skye! Please let—”

  “Mista,” Skye said sharply. “You’re pregnant, or have you forgotten? Bringing you along on this trip could hurt your baby.” He refused to call the unborn child his brother.

  “Skye is right,” Gusty interjected. He put a hand on Mista’s arm. “You need to stay here, where it’s safe. I don’t think all this travel would be good for you.”

  The woman’s eyes had begun to glisten. “But my friend . . .”

  “We will do all we can to bring her back,” Gusty promised. He then turned to Skye. “You’ll let me come with you, won’t you?”

  Skye smiled. “I was hoping you would.”

  “I’ve always felt guilty about what we did to Tierra to restore our honor. Maybe this will help erase a little of that guilt.”

  “You know Tierra doesn’t blame you in the slightest,” Skye told him. “If she was going to blame anyone, she would blame me. And I rather think she’s gotten over any residual anger at this point.”

  Gusty laughed. “You’re right. But I’m still glad to help her.”

  Mista wiped delicately at her eyes. Somehow, she managed to maintain a semblance of beauty even while crying. “I wish I could help—oh!” A smile jumped to her mouth. “I can help you!”

  “Mista,” Skye began in warning.

  “I will stay here, Skye,” Mista said, waving a hand around. “But I can give you your wedding gift early. I did not think I could wait much longer anyway.”

  Skye lifted an eyebrow. “My wedding present will help me?”

  “Yes, of course,” Mista said, sounding pleased with herself. “I just couldn’t help myself. I kept wondering what to get you, and it always came back to the same thing. I got you a pegasus!”

  Both of Skye’s eyebrows raised this time. “You actually managed to get your hands on one? I didn’t think you would be able to.”

  “They may be rare, but I have my sources,” Mista said with a secretive smile. “As the king is to be the height of nobility, he should be mounted on a creature only used by nobility. Your father never showed any interest in a pegasus despite my suggestions, but I thought maybe you would be more willing to give the sweet creatures a chance. They are so beautiful that I could look at them all day! I do not believe I would ever want to ride one, as they are so big, but you and Tierra are both so fearless that it wouldn’t bother either of you at all!”

  “I had intended to use a griffin like everyone else, but I suppose it could not hurt to use a pegasus instead,” Skye said thoughtfully.

  “In the end, you might be happy you have a pegasus,” Gusty said. “I have a cousin who is a griffin handler, and he is always complaining about how unruly they can be.”

  “A pegasus is a much nobler beast,” Mista added.

  Skye gazed at her in mild shock. The woman was positively smug. Skye had rarely ever seen an emotion from her that did not display her abject stupidity. Could her former daft and subservient behavior have been related to the influence Hawkins had held over her life?

  “They are also much more intelligent,” Mista continued. “Pegasi are cunning and difficult to trap. They are friendly to all, but catching one is difficult, which is why they are so rare. They also can’t be domesticated, and attempts to breed them are doomed to failure, as the pegasus will do anything to escape . . . usually when the captor least expects it.”

  “Then why are they used by nobility?” Gusty asked.

  He appeared interested in what Mista had to say, and in spite of himself, Skye was, too. Pegasi mounts were so uncommon in the sky realm that little was known about them by the general public. Skye had heard that they were plentiful in certain areas, but he had rarely seen one, and he had never attempted to learn more of them.

  “When a pegasus is captured, it considers itself honor-bound to serve its captor. But because they are rare, they can be obtained for a great price, and nobles are typically the ones with such funds to hand. A pegasus will accept only one rider after its capture; the first Skychild to ride it earns its devotion, and it will not accept another rider unless its owner insists. Even then, a pegasus only accepts the new rider as long as necessary, and then it will not carry the person again.”

  “So the pegasus you purchased has never been ridden?” Skye asked.

  “Never,” Mista replied. “If the hunter who captured it had ridden it, the pegasus would have been worthless to him except as an expensive mount. Since pegasus hunters go months or even years between successful captures, the money they make from one must last for some time.”

  “How do you know so much about pegasi?” Gusty asked.

  “In the village I came from, there is a man who captures pegasi,” Mista said. “I enjoyed listening to stories of his captures.”

  As Skye did not know much about Mista’s background, he was tempted to ask more about where she was from, but such talk would no doubt lead to the sensitive subject of Hawkins, and he did not have time for it anyway. Still, for the first time since he had known Mista, Skye felt it would be possible to move past his contempt for her.

  “Thank you, Mista,” was all Skye said. “Your gift is a princely one, and I am grateful for it.”

  “You’re welcome, Skye,” Mista said, her eyes shining with happiness as she clapped her hands like a little girl. For once, her antics did not annoy him, and he watched her, favoring her with an indulgent smile. “I shall go to the stables where your pegasus is stabled to ensure he is readied for you. When your preparations have been completed, please join me there.”

  And with that, Mista left the room, fairly skipping in her excitement. Skye turned a bemused eye on his companion, noting that Gusty was looking out the door through which Mista had departed.

  “Do you think she’ll be all right while we’re gone?” Gusty asked.

  “I can’t think of a better place for her,” Skye replied as he busied himself about his apartments once more. “Bluster will watch over her, and I’ll have a word with the Master Sentinel to make sure she is guarded.”

  Gusty seemed startled. “You don’t
really expect that she’ll be in danger up here, do you?”

  “Isn’t that what you were worried about?”

  Though he paused for a moment, Gusty shook his head. “I was more worried about her feeling lonely at being left behind. She seemed determined to go. I think she really likes Tierra.”

  “Yes, she does, I suppose.”

  Gusty looked at him sidelong for a moment before he said: “You don’t really think she’ll be in danger, right?”

  Pausing, Skye turned to Gusty, a denial on the tip of his tongue. But then he paused as a sense of something almost like premonition welled up within him. Like every other Skychild, he had been taught that true prophecy did not exist, as even the gods could not see into the future. But this feeling was powerful and impossible to ignore.

  It would not hurt to be prudent, Skye thought.

  “I’m sure she will be fine,” Skye said, affecting a jovial tone. “But I will have Bluster make sure she is well-protected.” He gave his friend a grin. “After all, if Tierra and I fail to produce a child, Mista is carrying the heir to the sky realm. That in itself is enough to warrant extra care.”

  Seeming relieved, Gusty smiled. “I will go back to my home and pack a few things. Can I assume provisions are already being seen to?”

  “Just bring yourself and whatever clothing you require,” Skye said.

  He moved closer to Gusty and grasped his hand with a firm grip, thinking of how far the other Skychild had come in the time he had known him. Skye had not thought Gusty would be of much help when he had first met him, but now he was turning out to be the truest friend Skye had ever had.

  The thought brought Skye up short, and his mind turned to Cirrus and the times they had shared. Regardless of any good past experiences, Cirrus had shown himself in recent days to be fickle and insistent upon questioning Skye’s decisions. Skye was not certain whether or not the issue was simply that Cirrus needed to accustom himself to the new dynamic between them—previously, Cirrus, who had been tasked with Skye’s safety and training, had been in the dominant position—but whatever it was, Cirrus needed to amend his behavior promptly.