On Lonely Paths (Earth and Sky Book 2)

by Jann Rowland

  And so it was with Celesta, for though she had marred Terrain’s creation, she believed it was not enough, for to be satisfied was not in her nature.

  Seeing how the Waterweavers offered adulation to Terrain, she turned to the Skychildren, desiring their reverence, which she believed was her due.

  “Oh, my children!” cried Celesta, causing them to quake and quail before her. “I have permitted informality in your address, but it is not meet that the creator of this world should be addressed so. From this day forward, you shall worship me as the goddess of all. You shall spend your days in obeisance to me, that I might remain pleased with you.”

  And the Skychildren fell to their knees and rejoiced, crying out, “Goddess, most powerful of all, rain your blessings down upon us!”

  Celesta basked in their praise as a garm basks in the praise of its master, lapping up all the empty compliments that were poured upon her head. She did not care that the work of the world was Terrain’s; she merely took on his glory as though it were her own.

  CHAPTER

  SEVENTEEN

  Discontent

  The longer she and River continued with the group of strange Groundbreathers, the more concerned Tierra became that they were moving south beyond the traditional lands of her people. Tierra had not traveled extensively in the Groundbreather kingdom; she had gone to the home of her aunt Terrace on occasion, and she had made state visits to various parts of the kingdom, but apart from those large areas ruled over by her father’s barons, she had seen relatively little of her people’s lands.

  That was not to say that Tierra was completely ignorant. She had for some time wished to see more of the world, and that desire had led her to secretly pore over every map she could find as she dreamed of one day traveling to far-off places and seeing amazing sights. Most Groundbreathers would have called her interest foolish—outside the Groundbreather lands were the realms of the Groundwalkers, and what “wonders” could such powerless people create? Such would have been the reaction of most of the people she had known.

  Of course, Tierra had, in part, realized her dreams simply by having seen a portion of the sky realm. But the lands beyond the Groundbreather kingdom were as yet unknown, and Tierra suspected she would soon be leaving the lands she knew behind.

  “These men must be from beyond my father’s lands,” Tierra said to River one night after they had stopped for the evening. “We would surely have heard of them before now if that was not the case.”

  “Knowing that does not exactly help us now,” River said as she watched a pair of nearby Groundbreathers work to set up camp. River had not warmed to any of their captors in the slightest. Even Canyon, who had attempted to be friendly with her, was met with hostility and distrust.

  Of course, Tierra did not trust the strange Groundbreathers any more than River did, but she had attempted to conceal her feelings in part, trying to learn more from these men in hopes that it would assist her in escaping somehow.

  “You are correct,” Tierra said, “but it worries me. If they take us away from Groundbreather civilization, how will we ever find our way home?”

  “You had better hope that your Skychild finds us soon, then,” River said. She paused and looked at Tierra, hope shining in her eyes. “I do not suppose you have heard from him?”

  Tierra shook her head. “I would have told you if I had.”

  With a gloomy air, River returned to her observation of the nearby Groundbreathers. “Of course. It was foolish of me to even suggest you might have.”

  As Tierra was about to try to comfort her friend, Canyon appeared in the darkness and smiled at them. “Please come with me. I have something to show you.”

  Tierra and River exchanged a glance as Tierra rose slowly to her feet. Canyon, sensing her hesitation, looked at River, saying, “You must come as well, River.”

  River rose with obvious reluctance, and the cousins followed Canyon through the deepening gloom, away from the camp, and out into the countryside beyond. For a brief moment, Tierra considered making an escape attempt. She quickly discarded the idea, however, as they would not get far without their horses.

  “Where are we going?” Tierra asked, growing uneasy as they moved further from camp. It was rare for her and River to move out of sight of the other members of the party.

  Canyon paused and looked back at Tierra, watching as she stopped. A faint smile touched his face, and he cocked his head. “You need not worry, Your Highness. I have no desire to hurt you. Surely your opinion of me is not so low as that?” Though his tone was light, there appeared to be concern in his eyes, as though her opinion meant a lot to him. There was not much light to speak of due to the time of day, but she could see his face plainly enough to read the raw emotion it contained.

  “I find it hard to think kindly of my kidnappers,” Tierra replied honestly. She hated to give Canyon pain, but she did not wish to lie either.

  He gazed at her, his dark brown eyes gleaming in the starlight. “You forgave your Skychild suitor, did you not?” His voice was a warm murmur, like the bubbling of batter upon a stove.

  “If you are trying to convince her to dump her fiancé for you, then you can forget it,” River spoke up.

  “River!” Tierra said, feeling her cheeks turn warm in embarrassment.

  “She is bonded to that Skychild by virtue of Terrain’s water, and she shall never be talked out of her feelings for him.”

  “Yes, Terrain’s water,” Canyon murmured. “I had heard that.”

  “Canyon was not trying to woo me, River,” Tierra said in exasperation. “I doubt you would have been brought along with us if he was.”

  “Unless he wanted a chaperone,” River muttered.

  Tierra shook her head and turned to Canyon. “I am sorry for my friend. As you know, she is not taking well to captivity.”

  “No offense taken,” he said. He made a gesture for them to move forward. “Come. It is not far from here.”

  They continued until they came across a large cliff-face.

  “Oh, look, a cliff,” River grumbled. “Completely worth the trip here.”

  Canyon’s mouth twisted into a grin. “It is not the cliff itself that I wished you to see. It is what is to be found behind the cliff.”

  “What, rocks?” River gibed.

  Ignoring her, Canyon lifted his arms into the air. He circled them a few times in the air—dramatics that seemed wholly unnecessary to Tierra—and then the face of the cliff collapsed into the earth, a great pile of dust filling the air. Slowly, the dust cleared.

  A large hole gaped before them.

  “A cave?” Tierra said in surprise. “That was the hidden mouth of a cave?”

  Canyon gave a slight bow. “Indeed. We will be going inside there tomorrow morning.”

  “Inside there?” Tierra said in distaste. She appreciated Terrain’s lands, and the soil of his earth was more precious to her than any gems, but caves were dark and dank. Whatever could this strange group of Groundbreathers want with a cave?

  “Yes,” Canyon said with a smile.

  Tierra raised an eyebrow. “What could possibly be down there?”

  “You will learn that soon enough.”

  “Another cryptic response,” River said. “You cannot expect much more from him, Tierra.”

  “Why can you not answer my question?” Tierra asked.

  Canyon managed an expression of regret. “You are not meant to know at this time.”

  “Because of Quicksilver,” Tierra guessed.

  The male Groundbreather merely tilted his head, not giving a reply.

  “I appreciate your desire to show us what we will face tomorrow,” Tierra said. “I am glad that I know what to expect.”

  He smiled at her. “I did not wish for you to be completely surprised.”

  River coughed, and Tierra gave her an annoyed look.

  Rather than say something caustic, River said to Canyon, “While we appreciate your wish to prepare us for what is ahe
ad, I fear we are ready to retreat to our rough beds upon the forest floor.”

  “If you have found the forest floor to be rough, then perhaps you should manipulate Terrain’s sweet soil to create a softer bed,” Canyon said innocently.

  Tierra snickered, and River gave her a sharp look and said, “I will keep that in mind.”

  “I will take you back to the camp,” Canyon said, his mouth twitching. “Please follow me.”

  As Tierra followed the man back to the camp, her mind was positively frantic. If she and River were taken to Terrain only knew where underground, their chance of escaping would almost disappear. If they were going to make an attempt to flee, they had to do so that night. Time had run out.

  At least Tierra would not have to worry about convincing River. The young woman seemed more upset with their situation by the day. While Tierra could take heart in the fact that Skye would be searching the depths of the earth for her, River had no such assurance. She and her fiancé were on cordial terms, but their friendly affection, as far as Tierra knew, had not been given the opportunity to bloom into love. There was no way of knowing whether River would even see her betrothed again. River’s well-planned life was presently in shambles. It was no wonder she was in such a foul mood.

  When they reached the camp, Canyon took his leave of them, and Quicksilver watched from some distance away, his eyes glittering in the light of the fire.

  Then the man approached Canyon, and they began speaking in low voices.

  Though Tierra wished she could hear what they were saying, she knew her mind was better spent occupied on other things. “River,” she murmured to her friend.

  “What is it, Tierra?”

  So quietly that River had to strain to hear her, Tierra said, “We will escape tonight.”

  It took a moment, and then comprehension dawned on River’s face. “I understand. You need only tell me what to do.”

  Tierra nodded and craned her neck back to look at the stars as she took in cleansing breaths, unable to retreat to the tent shared by her and River quite yet.

  Her eyes found the group of stars shaped like a sword, and she remembered the conversation she and Skye had shared concerning the stars. Her gaze then glided over to a star grouping shaped like a bow, and she thought of how Skye’s constellation as a boy had been a bow. Did he remember the constellation she had claimed? Did he look up at the stars and think of her as often as she thought of him?

  Her heart ached at the thought of Skye. She wished she could reach out just once to feel him. She wanted his arms around her and his lips resting in a kiss upon her hair. She wanted him to rock her from side to side and hum an off-tune song in her ear. She wanted him to sweep her up in the sky and boast of all the wonders of his home realm. She wanted him. Terrain’s great green earth, she wanted him.

  The more she thought of Skye, the greater her resolve grew.

  When River had asked what the plan was earlier that evening, Tierra had promised to think of something. Unfortunately, due to the great length of time in which they had been prisoners, the uncertainty of their location, and her relative inexperience with such a situation, Tierra had not been able to come up with anything she considered would be certain to work. The best she had been able to think of was to steal a pair of horses and flee, hoping to get far ahead of any pursuit. Then, if they could find a town to hide in, they might locate some Iron Swords on hand willing to protect them.

  “That does not sound like much of a plan to me,” River said when Tierra disclosed her idea.

  “I know,” Tierra replied, feeling a hint of annoyance at her cousin’s constant moaning. “But we do not have a lot of options.”

  River grunted and did not comment further. Thus, when the two women bedded down for the evening, they periodically stuck their heads out of the tent and looked to see whether everyone seemed to be asleep. The night seemed to drag on as they waited, and every time a man made a noise in his sleep, Tierra had to suppress a surge of annoyance at the continued delay.

  At length, the camp was quiet, and Tierra felt satisfied that most of the men nearby were lost to their dreams. She leaned close to River and whispered, “Stay here while I deal with the guard.”

  River nodded, and though she appeared frightened, there was a layer of resolve in her countenance. Even if Tierra had decided not to make a bid for freedom, River might have tried to run on her own. It was strange that one who tended to be the voice of reason would become such a bundle of aggravated nerves when thrust into a situation like this.

  As silent as she could manage, Tierra crept through the camp, stopping at times, cautioned by some restless sleeper’s hand rustling his tent or a soft snore sounding in the night. At length, however, she made her way toward the horses, where the sentry normally took his post.

  All was still. Peering through the gloom, Tierra gazed at the majestic beasts, watching them shift in place from time to time, her own Chestnut at the end of the line, dozing with the rest. She wondered what was passing through their sleeping minds. And then an idea came to her, and she grinned. Perhaps their captors would not be so close behind Tierra and River after all. Not if the foreign Groundbreathers had no mounts with which to pursue them.

  With that settled in her mind, Tierra looked around for some sign of the sentry, but the night hid his location from her, cloaking him in the murk and rendering it impossible for her to make out his form anywhere. Feeling around on the ground, she hefted a good-sized rock, reassured by its heavy weight in her hand. Then she began to creep forward, intent on finding the sentry.

  The sudden feel of fingers grasping her wrist induced a small cry from Tierra. A hand went over her mouth, holding her in place.

  “You see, Canyon,” the harsh tones of Quicksilver’s voice sounded in her ears, “I was right. I told you she would try to escape.”

  Tierra tried to go limp in the man’s arms to throw him off-balance, but he just released her, allowing her to fall to the ground. Tierra looked up at him, hate etched on her brow, daring him to say anything further. He laughed, a harsh bark of a sound that held no real mirth.

  “You would do well to accept your fate, Princess. Our god has little patience for one as rebellious as you.”

  Quicksilver turned to Canyon, who had been standing behind him, and said, “You might want to disabuse her of the notion of running. If you have no luck, we can tie her up to ensure she does not try anything. She might benefit from a little discipline.”

  Then Quicksilver turned and walked away, Tierra glaring at him with all the fury in her breast. She had never wished to strike a man as much as she did now, not even when Skye had said those hateful things about Terrain!

  “Come on, Your Highness,” Canyon said, reaching down to help her up. His voice was strangely gentle. “You should return to your bed.”

  “Why can you not let us go?” Tierra pleaded as she accepted his hand and rose to her feet.

  “Because we have been commanded not to,” Canyon said. He gave her hand a light squeeze before releasing it. “There will be no escape tonight. You should sleep, for we still have some distance to travel, and you will want to be well-rested for tomorrow’s journey.”

  Accepting the inevitable, Tierra allowed herself to be led back to her tent. River must have been watching for Tierra, as she was standing outside the tent. River’s glare for Canyon made Tierra’s glare at Quicksilver pale by comparison.

  “Good night,” Canyon told them both, ignoring River’s readily apparent animosity. “I hope you sleep well.”

  Tierra bit back the immediate impulse to thank him, instead merely watching as he walked away. Then she and River went back inside the tent, and Tierra threw herself down on her bedroll with a sigh.

  “Well, that did not exactly work out as planned,” River muttered angrily.

  “They were waiting for me,” Tierra replied, using every ounce of her willpower not to snap back at her cousin. “They must have suspected that we would attempt something tonig
ht since we are going into the cave tomorrow.”

  “Then why show us the cave at all? Was it only to taunt us?”

  Tierra shrugged. “Maybe Quicksilver wanted to demonstrate his superiority by having Canyon show it to us.”

  “I would like to beat him about the head with his superiority.”

  Tierra laughed. She was not certain why. Perhaps to keep from crying.

  “Your Majesty, what do you wish us to do?” the Groundbreather man asked Sequoia, looking worried. “There is at least a company of men.”

  “They likely followed us,” Skye said after swearing under his breath. “They’ve probably been dogging us every step of the way here.”

  “They have been searching for Sequoia, too,” Jasper pointed out.

  “Can we sneak out of here?” Skye asked. “We could carry you on the winds to escape them.”

  “They are too close for that,” Jasper said. “We would have to beat them back before making an escape.”

  “Then I suggest we do exactly that.” Skye turned to Sequoia with a grin. “We’ll beat them back, and when we get the chance, we’ll lift you and Stone up into the air and escape on the winds.”

  “And me,” Jasper inserted. “I will accompany Her Majesty wherever she goes.”

  Skye looked at him and nodded. He was not thrilled about having the other man come along, but he had a feeling Jasper would be useful. Then Skye returned his eyes to Sequoia. “Your Majesty, I suggest you resign yourself to one ride on a griffin. If we can get far enough away from here, we can purchase horses and hopefully lose our pursuers as well.”

  When Sequoia still hesitated, Skye exclaimed, “You must trust me! If we are to work together, there must be trust between us. I will not allow anything to happen to either of you. I didn’t come this far just so I could send you falling to your death. If we don’t want your daughter’s men following us every step of the way, this is the best way to accomplish that.”