Wingborn (27 page)

“
There
is no need for this, my lord,” Lieutenant Lyrai said softly,
removing his hand from the earl. “You should be proud to have such
a daughter
.
”

“Proud?” Lord
Kilpapan spat, rubbing his wrist. “How can I be proud of –”

“Our youngest
has always been wilful,” the countess interrupted with a flat
laugh. “So we permit her follies in the hope that she will grow out
of them. Is this not so, Mhysra?”

She forced herself to meet her
mother
’
s cold eyes,
aware that the entire room was watching them now. This was not how
she
’
d wanted to tell her
parents, but as her arm throbbed and Milluqua
’
s hand slipped into hers with a squeeze of
support, she realised the truth was already out. At last.

“I know my
duty,” she replied, licking her dry lips. “It is only right that I
see it done.”

“
Duty
,” snarled
her father, but his wife silenced him with a hand on his
arm.

“
Indeed,” Lady Kilpapan replied, her words clipped. “I am
sure Aquila will welcome you with open arms as you do your
duty.
No Kilpapan has ever turned aside from what is
right.
”

“A fine
sentiment,” Captain Myran murmured. “You have much to be proud of
in your daughter, my lady. Both your daughters.” He nodded at
Milluqua.

“Indeed,” the
countess repeated, her smile not reaching her eyes. “The pride we
take in our daughters is exactly what they deserve. I believe
supper is being served.” She turned her husband away and led the
guests into the dining room. Most departed slowly, glancing back at
the tense group.

“
Gods,”
Mhysra whispered, shivering in her sister’
s embrace.
“
Oh, Gods,
they
’
ll kill
me.
”

“My lady.”
Captain Torven touched her shoulder hesitantly. “Forgive me, I
meant no harm. I did not realise. I had thought they would be
proud.”

“As they
should be,” rumbled Captain Myran. “As any parent should be. There
is no higher honour for a family than to have a child serve in the
Rift Riders.”

“
Our
brother is already a Rider,” Milluqua explained, rubbing
Mhysra’
s back.
“
My father believes his service is sufficient for
the family honour.
”

“But your
sister is Wingborn.” Myran turned to his lieutenants in obvious
confusion, perhaps seeking confirmation.

“
My
niece
is
Wingborn, but
my sister is foolish,” Mhylla confirmed, emerging from the crowd to
take Mhysra from Milluqua and hug her hard. “I’m sorry it came to
this, sweet, but it’s better they know.”

“
I
didn’t want them to find out like this,” Mhysra murmured
.
“
Not so publicly.
They
’
ll never forgive
me.
”

“So dramatic,
cuz?” Mherrin sounded amused as he patted her back. “Is that what
they’ve been teaching you at that school? High drama and tragedy?
Just the thing for the Riders.”

She snuffled a laugh.
“
You pyrefliers are all savages. I
wasn
’
t meaning to be
dramatic.
”

“If they cast
you off, love, come to me,” her aunt said, taking her chin firmly
in hand and forcing her to meet her eyes. “Wrentheria will always
be your home.”

Mhysra bit her lip as her eyes filled with
tears of gratitude.
“
Thank you,
”
she croaked, and turned to Captain Myran, dipping
an awkward curtsey.
“
And
thank you, sir, for defending me. Especially as we
’
ve never met. I
’
m more grateful than I can say.
”

“And I, sir,”
Milluqua agreed, echoed by her aunt and cousins.

Embarrassed, the captain waved a dismissive
hand.
“
You may thank my
lieutenants, since they provided me with all the pertinent details.
And while we
may
not
have met, Lady Mhysra, I
have
heard much
about you. How could I not, with the stir
you
’
ve caused? A female
Wingborn. A miryhl the envy of all my Riders. A daughter of a noble
house who has no need to join us in these troubled times, yet
chooses to anyway. One who spends the entire Choice helping her
friends pick out their miryhls. Oh yes, child, I
ha
ve heard of you.
”

She blushed.
“
You are too kind, sir.
”

He smiled and patted her shoulder.
“
I
’
m never kind for the sake of kindness,
Lady Mhysra. You
’
re one
of
my
Riders now. Chin up, student, you
’
re amongst family.
”
As a tear trailed down her cheek, he
offered his handkerchief and his arm.
“
I believe supper is being served. Shall
we?
”

“I’d be
honoured.” Smiling, she wiped her face and walked into the dining
room with her head held high.

31
^st
Fledgling

D
RIFTING ABOVE THE
mountainside, Lyrai revelled in the
freedom of flying at sunrise. The city below still lay in shadow,
but the sky was warming quickly. Hurricane glided upwards in lazy
circles, tilting his wings in tiny ways to alter their direction
and height. After only two days together, Lyrai felt as though he
had never been without him. Hurricane was perfect.

“What happens
now?” the miryhl asked, passing into the shadow of the
mountain.

“Test
flights,” Lyrai replied. “And those who haven’t chosen will take
another look.”

“Why? What
will they see now that they missed yesterday?”

“Nothing,”
Lyrai admitted, as they drifted back into the light. “Except
they’ll have more room to move today and more experts on hand to
help.”

“Such fuss,”
Hurricane chuckled. “You humans do like making things
complicated.”

Resting against the miryhl
’
s back, Lyrai smiled.
“
We feel more important that
way.
”

As the sun climbed over the Cloud Sea, the
roofs of Nimbys glinted and Hurricane swooped over the stirring
city. It was such a joy to fly again; Lyrai could patrol the same
routes every day for a month and not grow bored.

“Company,”
Hurricane called, drifting back towards the flying field, where
nervous students waited with their families.

One miryhl was already out, swirling upwards
and drawing envious stares. Lyrai smiled as Hurricane glided
closer, attracting attention of his own. The two miryhls were close
in size, but where Hurricane was all marbled shades, the other was
brown with a golden sheen.

“Good
morning,” Lyrai called as Hurricane began a counter-spiral.

“
Morning, sir,” Mhysra replied, lying against
Cumulo’
s back.

Studying the Wingborn pair, Lyrai practised
the role he would soon take up at Aquila. He
’
d never seen such a powerful bond between
a Rider and miryhl. No matter what Cumulo did – flap, glide, swoop
– she was ready. Lyrai felt a twinge of envy as they wheeled off
over the ridge, diving into the shadow. He
’
d never flown so well.

“Young and
foolish, but impressive,” Hurricane murmured. “Wingborn usually
are. He needs a strong Rider to keep him sensible. It’s a good
match.”

“It ought to
be after sixteen years,” Lyrai remarked dryly, watching the pair
reappear.

Hurricane chuckled.
“
In sixteen more years, it will be perfect.
As will ours.
”

Unable to think that far ahead, Lyrai looked
at the busy field below.
“
We should go back. It
isn’t
fair to keep all the fun for
ourselves.
”

Hurricane
swooped around in a wide arc without argument. “I am eager to learn
what a lieutenant does.” Then he tipped into a sharp dive that left
no one in any doubt that they were watching an experienced Rider
and miryhl in action.

“SHOW OFF,” CUMULO
grumbled, as the marble miryhl skimmed across the field.
There was a smattering of applause when Lieutenant Lyrai jumped
down. His new mount preened under the attention. “He’
s
nothing special.
”

Smiling, Mhysra rubbed her miryhl
’
s neck to soothe his ruffled
pride. He
’
d not been
happy to find that the big miryhl had beaten him outside that
morning, and was even less impressed that he was bonded to the
lieutenant. Only the fact that Cumulo was Wingborn – and thus
superior in every possible way – prevented him from acting on his
jealousy.

“
I have
no need for flashy tactics,” he muttered. “A mere glance proves
that I am the better miryhl. And my bonded is superior too.
I’
ll show them.
”

“
Not
today!” Mhysra yelped. “We haven’t time
to play primary
feathers.
”

He tensed, and she feared he would ignore
her, but he opted to glide into a descent instead.
“
As you wish, chickling, though
helping a bunch of incompetents stay astride second-rate miryhls
doesn
’
t seem important
to me.
”

“
You’
re such a snob,
”
she said fondly, and they executed a perfect
landing that proved her miryhl hadn
’
t stopped competing just yet.

“
You
make it look so easy
!
”
Mouse bounded over with
Derrain, Dhori and Corin in tow. They were all
visibly anxious, except the unflappable Dhori. “Is it easy?
Cumulo’
s big, isn
’
t he?
”

Cumulo puffed proudly, sticking out his
chest.

“
Not as
big as Lieutenant Lyrai’
s Hurricane, though. Did you see
him? People say he
’
s the
most impressive miryhl they
’
ve seen in
years!
”

“
Shut
the whelp up before I disembowel him,” Cumulo growled
, and
Mhysra dragged her friend away.

“Nervous,
Mouse?” she asked, jumping into the word flow and swimming against
the tide.

He shot her a sheepish glance.
“
A bit.
”
For a moment there was beautiful quiet. Then:
“
But I
’
m used to it. Hethanon says it
’
s my natural state. He thinks not
even a boulder on the head would slow me down. He says I thrive on
pressure. I
’
m not sure.
I think I
’
d like a quiet
life, but then I look at the miryhls and change my mind. I
can
’
t wait to fly, even
though I know I
’
ll fall
off and end up smashed on rocks, my body ground to mush, forced to
spend the rest of my life being fed through a spout –
”

The exuberant flood of calamities was cut
off when a firm hand was clapped over Mouse
’
s mouth.
“
That
’
ll
do,
”
Derrain said,
somewhat weakly.

“
You’
ll be fine,
”
Mhysra assured them all.
“
Even if you fall, you
shouldn’t
be high enough to hurt yourselves
on all this soft grass.
”

Corin
’
s shoulders drooped.
“
Rub it in, why don
’
t you? You show up flying effortlessly, out on your
own in the wide blue sky, while we
’
ll hardly get off the ground. Why did I think I
could do this?
”

“
Because
you’
re capable, brave and ready for adventure,
”
Dhori consoled her, putting an
arm around her shoulders. Corin
’
s worries vanished under a grin and Dhori raised an
eyebrow.
“
Don
’
t get any ideas. I
’
m just being nice.
”

“
You’
re always nice,
”
Mhysra said.

“Not to me,”
Corin grumbled when he took his arm away. “He never stays still
long enough.”

“
That’
s because Dhori is a very wise man.
”
Harlan had come along to support
his cousin. Sort of. If mostly mocking him and the others counted
as support.

“
Wisdom,
ha!” Corin mocked. “You wouldn’
t know wisdom if it bit you
on the –
”

“
Thank
you,
Corin!” Lieutenant Stirla interrupted, striding over. “I think we
all know your feelings about Harlan by now.” He grinned as she
grimaced. “Play nicely, children, or you won’
t get to fly
the pretty birdies.
”

“
He’
s not a Rider,
”
Corin grumbled, shooting Harlan a glare that
promised retribution.
“
He shouldn
’
t be here.
”

“Nor are you,”
Harlan taunted. “So maybe you should leave.”

“
Thank
you, Harlan,” Stirla interrupted again. “Behave or I’
ll
order you off the field and Mouse
wi
ll have to cope on his own.
”