Wingborn (35 page)

“A time of
changes,” Dean Marshall said.

Roumn shrugged.
“
I
’
m glad
to be out, if it
’
s all
the same. My penance is paid. Time to take my lambs into the wild,
for all the good it
’
ll
do.
”
He raised his drink
in a mocking toast.

“
Indeed,” Marshall murmured, closing his ledger carefully.
“You may depart at any time, captain. Sutherall and South Imercian
are in desperate need of your relief force. Everyone else,
m
ake yourselves at home. Lieutenant Lyrai, Lieutenant
Stirla, I trust that you
a
re satisfied with your assignments?
”

They both nodded. At first, Stirla had been
sulky over his practical studies appointment – teaching students to
survive in the wild, cooking, hunting and so on – compared to
Lyrai
’
s as flight
instructor. Both were equally important, but there was glory in
teaching others to fly. Since the test flights, though, Lyrai was
the one feeling hard done by. Still, there were worse things to
teach. Probably.

“Good. Myran,
are you happy to resume your history duties? We have Lieutenant
Willym for politics and Fredkhen has agreed to undertake geography.
His other junior lieutenant, Hlen, will teach arithmetic, with the
usual tutors for the rest. The senior lieutenants will be allocated
as well on their arrival.”

Lyrai raised his eyebrows at Stirla and
smiled. He doubted their old friend Willym had been happy with the
political history post. He
’
d always fancied himself as a better flyer than he
actually was. Hlen was quiet and studious, but Lyrai
didn
’
t envy him his
assignment. Not that the dean was really asking for their opinion.
They were Riders who
’
d
been given a task, and so they would do it.

“For now,
gentlemen, have something to eat and reacquaint yourselves with the
citadel and catch up on the gossip. Oh, and lads,” he added,
causing Lyrai and Stirla to pause at the door while the captains
continued without them. “Welcome back. It’s good to have you
home.”

BY THE TIME K
ilai
reached the girls
’
dormitory, Mhysra was yawning. Climbing up and down two flights of
winding stairs had reminded her that she
’
d not slept properly for several days. The
walk across the citadel and up another three levels had only made
things worse. When Kilai left, all she wanted to do was pick a bed
and fall into it.

A clamour of excited yips ended that idea:
it seemed that more than just her luggage had been delivered. She
eyed Bumble balefully as the pup shimmied up to her, wriggling in a
way that said she might like to go outside. Soon. Sooner than soon.
Or there would be puddles.

“Corin, save
me a bed,” Mhysra grumbled, opening the door and shooing her dog
through it.

After a long trek along empty hallways, she
finally found someone to direct her outside. Since it was still
raining, she then had to haul Bumble onto the grass and hold her in
place to prevent her from diving back into the dry. Looking
pitiful, the pup went about her business before they dripped back
inside. Now thoroughly lost, Mhysra wandered until she found more
servants to direct her.

“We’ve got to
find an easier way out,” Mhysra told the damp pup as she walked
through the dormitory door.

“Open the
window,” Corin suggested, pointing to a bed in the corner beneath
said window where Mhysra’s bags had been dumped.

Stepping on the mattress, Mhysra peered out
at the storm-thrashed darkness. A flicker of lightning confirmed
how high up they were.
“
She can
’
t fly yet.
”

Corin raised her eyebrows and Mhysra had to
smile, albeit wearily, since Bumble was currently flitting around
the dormitory ceiling in a haphazard style, dripping over all the
beds.

“Nakkies are
lazy,” Haelle yawned. “They need an incentive to fly.”

“I know,”
Mhysra said, changing into her sleeping things, “but pushing her
out of a third-floor window seems a little extreme.”

“She’ll
bounce,” Corin promised, collapsing onto her bed. “Ooh, nice.
Feather pillows and a wool mattress. I could get used to this
luxury.”

“
I
don’
t care if it
’
s stuffed with rocks,
”
Mhysra groaned, flopping facedown on her own.

“
Puh.
Her first night in Aquila and all she can think of is sleep,” Corin
scoffed. “Some Rider you’
re turning out to be.
”

“
Ask me
again in the morning,” Mhysra advised, shoving Bumble away as she
tried to lick her face and crawl under the covers with her.
“I’
ll be thrilled then.
”

“
I’
ll believe that when I see it,
”
Haelle chuckled, but Mhysra ignored her.
Burrowing beneath the blankets, she cuddled her pillow and closed
her eyes. When that wasn
’
t enough, she pulled the blanket over her head and
the world went away.

15
^th
Harvest

“WHAT DO YOU
want to see first?” Kilai grinned at Mhysra and her
friends, all of them wearing identical blank expressions. “Oh, come
on, breakfast wasn’
t that bad.
”

“Easy for you
to say,” Derrain muttered, and the others grumbled their
agreement.

Breakfast had been a noisy, chaotic
nightmare. Despite having been woken at dawn by the deafening
clatter of bells ringing right above their dormitory, Mhysra and
the other girls had still been excited about their first day at
Aquila. Until they followed their guide into the mess that was the
dining hall.

Riders were everywhere, along with students,
servants, attendants and all manner of folk that Mhysra
couldn
’
t put a name to.
It was chaos. No one sat on the benches, preferring to use the
tables or to stand. A debate rapidly turned into an argument in one
corner, needing outside intervention to prevent it from becoming a
brawl. Elsewhere a game of handball was played with bread rolls,
while a pack of nakhounds rampaged at will.

Having heard so much about the vaunted
discipline of the Riders, the reality was a little shocking. Haelle
hadn
’
t been the only one
to decide that she wasn
’
t hungry after all, while the rest grabbed what
they could and ran. The escaping girls had tripped over the
retreating boys and collectively decided there was safety in
numbers. Which was when Kilai had found them.

“
Breakfast is always hectic,” he explained, laughing at
their dismay. “
Students have high spirits, Riders coming in
are light-headed from lack of sleep and the ones going out need to
eat fast. You
’
ll get
used to it. Come on, let
’
s visit the eyries and see how your miryhls are
doing.
”

Happy to get away from the chaos, the
friends trailed after Kilai. As they walked, he pointed frequently,
saying things like,
“
Armoury, practise halls and bath
caverns,
”
or,
“
Kitchens, gardens,
servant quarters. Never go down there unless an officer asks.
Anyone else is tweaking your tail.
”
Taking a narrow passage, he led them down a steep
staircase and out into the glorious morning.

“
This is
the Lawn,” he explained, stopping to let them look around. “In
summer it’
s packed, but a little rain, as you see, is enough
to drive any Rider away. Mud is not a good look and Riders are so
vain.
”
He patted his
black-clad hip and winked at Haelle, who blushed.

The Lawn was a strip of grass running along
the east bank of the river, wedged between the fast-flowing waters
and the citadel. The wider field on the far side lay empty too,
used for flying and weapons-practise if the targets were anything
to go by. Curving around it all, the citadel towered up and back
along tiered terraces. The base of the valley was dominated by the
river, cascading between two spurs of rock. A broader valley was
visible beyond and Mhysra itched to go exploring. Tethered to her
wrist, Bumble strained to do the same.

“
That’
s the lake,
”
Kilai explained, seeing what held his
sister
’
s attention.
“
Wait until after the
Storm Season to visit. You don
’
t want to be caught out by the rain, and at this
time of year it either already is raining or is just about
to.
”
He held out his
hand as a gentle mist drizzled down.

Mhysra looked up, confused, since the sun
was shining. The peak was shrouded in cloud and their little shower
had drifted away from the main mass. She sighed and tugged Bumble
to heel.

“Come on,”
Kilai urged, walking across the Lawn.

Here were yet more wonders, and Mhysra
wasn
’
t the only one left
staring at the sprawling giant of the citadel. Towers backed
against the mountain, while cloisters and porticos kept watch along
the terraces. Weather-bleached stone glowed in the autumn light and
the clean, simple lines soothed her. There was nothing fussy about
Aquila, nothing complicated or elaborate. It was the home of the
Rift Riders, defenders of the Overworld, and it was beautiful. But
it was the bridge over the falls that stopped the students
short.

Realising he was alone, Kilai turned and
smiled.
“
Quite
something, isn
’
t
it?
”

What had merely been a port in the storm for
Mhysra the night before was entirely different by daylight. The
white curve of the bridge leapt from bank to bank, arching over the
thundering falls. No longer blinded by rain, she counted three
levels beneath the roof and blinked. Most of the bottom row was
open to the elements and supported by pillars, leaving a clear view
straight through. As she watched, a group of Riders walked across
it.

The second level was a blank wall, where
Mhysra guessed she had landed yesterday. Above it the third row was
marked with more hatches, all of which were closed on this side. A
peaked roof covered with slate tiles, glistening after the rain,
perfected the image.

“
The
eyries,” Kilai said needlessly. “For students and two flurries. The
rest are in the town, since it would be impractical to cram them
all in up here. It’
s impressive enough for what it
is.
”

He set off again, awestruck students
pattering along behind him, and at last Mhysra felt a frisson of
excitement. This was what she had come for. This glory, this
magnificence, this beauty. Here was the real Aquila. Not even the
steep stairs up to the bridge were enough to dim her spirits. This
was Aquila and she was going to visit the eyries. Laughing with
glee, she pounced on her brother and hugged him hard.

Kilai chuckled.
“
It gets to us all in the end.
”
Opening the door, he led them back
inside.

“DID YOU BRING FOOD?” C
umulo muttered, basking by a hatch, surrounded by dozing
miryhls.

“
Haven’
t you had breakfast yet?
”
Mhysra asked, glancing at her brother who
was greeting the miryhl beside hers – his bonded, Cirrus.

“
Is that
what he’
s complaining about?
”
Kilai chuckled and removed a stray feather from
Cirrus
’
chest.
“
The miryhls get fed
before we do. They
’
ll
get more at midmorning, noon, mid-afternoon and around dusk.
That
’
s the new
ones,
”
he added, when
Cirrus nudged him.
“
When
miryhls first arrive the attendants feed them little and often, in
case of delicate constitutions.
”

Cumulo snorted and shifted, throwing Mhysra
and Kilai into the shade. His stomach rumbled and Mhysra grinned.
“Poor boy. Not used to short
rations, are you?”

“
The
Wrentherin birds always feel the pinch when they arrive,” Kilai
said, running his hands through Cirrus’
feathers, making her
purr with contentment.
“
Aunt Mhylla overfeeds them.
”

Cumulo glared at him, grumbling to Mhysra,
“
Is he calling me fat?
Do I look fat? I
’
ve been
living with the Riders for months, why am I not being fed like
one?
”

Someone chuckled. Standing on tiptoe, Mhysra
peered over Cumulo
’
s
back at Hurricane. He was dozing in the sunshine and eavesdropping.
After a moment, he opened an eye and winked at her, before settling
again.

“Made a new
friend, Cue?” she asked innocently.

Cumulo didn
’
t reply, though their proximity was answer enough.
No dominant male could bear the sight of another unless peace had
been established. Mhysra sighed with relief. She hadn
’
t relished the arguments if Cumulo
had decided to be difficult.

“
That
bird is a brute,” Kilai murmured, and Mhysra raised her eyebrows.
“
Hurricane. Unusual colours, but the size of him.
”
He whistled in approval.
“
Can
’
t wait to see him and Lyrai in action. The
Riders really felt his loss when Froth had to retire. Good to have
him back.
”