Wingborn (38 page)

“Practise,”
Corin suggested. “We just need more practise.”

“
Sixteen
years or so,” Mouse grumbled as Cumulo swirled around the flying
field, making the flag in Mhysra’
s hand unfurl with a snap.
“
I
’
ll never be that good.
”

“
Few of
us will,” agreed Haelle, who had inched her way through the course
already. Her black female, Thunder, was one of the most impressive
miryhls in their year, but her pale eyes and watchful air made
Derrain nervous. “As long as I can stay on in reasonable comfort,
I’
ll be happy.
”

“
I’
m aiming a little higher than that,
”
Corin said, watching Cumulo land.
“
But I
’
m not a fool.
”

“
You’
re next, Corin,
”
Honra called, and she smiled weakly at her
friends.

“Start
counting,” Mhysra chuckled, when Cumulo strutted back into
line.

“Why?” Haelle
asked.

“I bet Wisp
finishes the course faster than anyone. Before or after.”

“Including
you?” Mouse was convinced no pair could rival her and Cumulo.

“Definitely,”
Mhysra and Derrain said together, grinning.

Mhysra ruffled her miryhl
’
s feathers.
“
Cue was too busy showing off to go fast.
”

“Hurricane
started it,” Derrain pointed out, making Cumulo chuckle.

“
Don’
t encourage him.
”

“Hey, look!”
Mouse pointed at where Wisp was already landing. “I barely saw them
move.”

“
Wisp of
the wind,” Dhori murmured. “There won’
t be many who can
catch them.
”

“Good for
her.” Derrain flinched when Honra called his name. “Wish me
luck.”

“Luck!” his
friends chorused as he eased Zephyr forward.

“
I
won’
t drop you,
”
the miryhl murmured soothingly, taking off.
“
You can trust me.
”

“
I
know,” he replied. “It’
s me I don
’
t trust.
”

Chuckling, she circled, waiting for Derrain
to give the signal. Lieutenant Lyrai waved them on and Derrain
leant forward.
“
Go,
”
he
whispered, and she angled into the wind.

Derrain
’
s heart hammered as cold air struck his face and
they dropped to barely three feet from the ground, then lifted up.
The moment of weightlessness made his stomach clench, as Zephyr
tucked her wings in tight, then flapped again. They were through
the first hoop. Another lift, pause, then catch and the second was
done. The third took them higher, the fourth low again, but by then
Derrain was used to the sensation of his stomach trying to fly
free.

After that he relaxed. They hopped over and
ducked under the horizontal bars and wove between the poles with
ease. Zephyr took it gently, her flight so smooth that
Derrain
’
s body naturally
followed wherever hers led. As he reached for the flag, it seemed
the most natural thing in the world to sit up. Chuckling, Zephyr
took a victory lap before landing and giving him a chance to plant
their flag.

“
Good,”
Lieutenant Lyrai praised, and a warm glow gathered in
Derrain’
s chest.

He waited for Zephyr to hop back into line
before he leant forward to ruffle her luxurious feathers.
“
Maegla blessed me the
day She sent you into my life.
”

Turning shy, Zephyr ducked her head and
nudged his boot.
“
I like
you too.
”

“Not bad for a
beginner.” Corin grinned, still excited after her own flight.

Derrain rolled his eyes and smiled. For the
first time he felt he might manage this. It wouldn
’
t be easy, but flying
wasn
’
t impossible
either. Not with a miryhl like Zephyr.

“
You’
ll do,
”
Mhysra assured him softly.
“
We all will.
”

“
Maegla
witness that,” Dhori agreed, just as Mouse tumbled off
at
the poles.
“
Of course,
She may have to help some of us more than others, but
She
’
ll do her
best.
”

“
And
it’
s up to us to do the rest.
”
Mhysra winced as Mouse fell off again.

“
Nothing
like a miracle to start off our training,” Derrain said, leading
the cheers as Onyx landed, a flag waving triumphantly in
Mouse’
s fist.

“
Anything’s possible,” Dhori said. “Even miracles.
We’
ve got three years, after all.
”

“
Cheer
us up, why don’
t you?
”
Mouse burbled, bouncing in his saddle as Onyx
rejoined them, clearly ecstatic to have only fallen off twice. Some
miracles might take more work than others, Derrain thought, but
they
’
d be worth it in
the end.

AFTER EVERYONE HAD
completed the course, Lyrai made them fly laps while he conferred
with Honra. Mhysra and her friends eyed them warily, wondering what
they were up to, but thankfully the bell sounded before any nasty
surprises could be sprung. Dismissing them to the eyries, the
lieutenant warned that he
’
d see them again the next afternoon.

“
We have
to fly
every
day?”
Mouse groaned, when they reached the eyries for their first lesson
in miryhl care, thanks to the eyrie attendants.

“
Every
day,” Corin agreed with far more enthusiasm – but then she
hadn’
t fallen off.

“
You’
ll get used to it,
”
Mhysra promised.
“
Once your body adjusts.
”

“
I’
m not sure my body was built for those kind of
adjustments,
”
Derrain
grumbled, wincing as he straightened his breeches.
“
I
’
m too old for these fun and games.
”

“
Positively ancient,” Dhori agreed, the oldest amongst them.
“But what’
s the point of joining the Riders if you
don
’
t fly every
day?
”

“Precisely,”
Mhysra agreed, kissing Cumulo’s beak and taking his harness to the
tack room to show the attendants that she did indeed know what she
was doing.

It was a sorrowful bunch who winced, limped
and groaned their way through the citadel a little while later, as
the bell summoned them to another lesson. Guided by an attendant,
they headed up the mountain terraces of the western citadel, where
all the classrooms, libraries and study rooms were. Three steep
staircases later, they dragged themselves across a courtyard
flooded with autumn sunlight and in through an open door.

The other half of Myran
’
s students already occupied the back of
the room, while the captain waited at the front. The new arrivals
were too desperate for rest to care where they sat. By the time
they
’
d settled in the
sunlit room, Mhysra found herself beside a stranger. She only had
time to smile at the red-headed boy before Captain Myran stood
up.

“Good morning,
students.”

“Good morning,
captain,” they chorused, proving that they learned fast.

He limped around his desk to lean against
the front of it, smiling faintly.
“
Are you enjoying your first day? I trust my
lieutenants are treating you well.
”

The half that had been in survival studies
with Stirla nodded, while the rest groaned.

The captain chuckled.
“
Those of you feeling the effects of your
first flying lesson be comforted to know that your fellows will
feel exactly the same by the day
’
s end.
”
Half the class perked up, while the other grew alarmed.
“
But that
’
s for later. Now you
’
re with me. After yesterday I hope you all
know who I am, but in any case I
a
m Captain Myran Mylanri, from a little known
province in the Lowlands. I
’
ve been a Rift Rider for more years than I care to
remember, twelve of those as captain. And to get it out of the way,
yes, I have a limp. It was gained on active service, some ten years
gone. No, it does not impair my abilities as a Rider.

“And yes,” he
added, noticing Mouse squirming in his seat, “it was a gift from
the kaz-naghkt. I hope that sates your curiosity but, if not, I
will allow time at the end of the lesson for questions. But first,
we have other things to discuss.” Reaching across his desk, he
turned over the sand timer. “While at Aquila, I am not only your
captain, but your teacher too. I will instruct you on the finer
details of history – general and military, alternating the subjects
on different days. We begin with military, specifically the Rift
Riders.

“Can anyone
tell me how the Riders began?”

There was a long pause. Everyone knew how
the Riders began, but that didn
’
t mean any of them wanted to be the first to speak
up, Mhysra included.

Dhori smiled.
“
Maegla made us, sir.
”

Captain Myran motioned for him to stand.
“
Dhoriaen,
isn
’
t it? From
Nimbys?
”

“I prefer
Dhori, sir.”

“
My
lieutenants have told me about you, Dhori. Please
continue
.
”

Dhori twitched his shoulders and took a deep
breath.
“
The people of
the Overworld were dying. The coming of the clouds had changed life
beyond all recognition. There was a risk that humans would die out.
A deserved punishment some said, but Maegla intervened. She spoke
with the dragons and together they created the first miryhl. The
dragons made other winged creatures, but the miryhl was the only
one in which the Goddess played an active role. As such, they are
precious to Her. With bullwings, pyreflies, horsats and doelyns to
act as beasts of burden, Maegla wanted something more for Her
miryhls.

“And so She
created the Rift Riders. Protectors and guardians of the Overworld.
They would ensure that humans did not repeat the foolish mistakes
that had created the Cloud Curse in the first place. Above all,
they would be Hers. Forerunners of the storm, swearing oaths of
allegiance, honour and servitude to Her above all others. They
would dedicate their lives to defending the helpless.”

Captain Myran smiled as Dhori sat down.
“
Thank you, Dhori, a
most comprehensive answer, and one I hear rarely. Yes?
”
he asked, as another student
raised her hand.

“I heard that
the kings of the Overworld created the Rift Riders.”

“Stand up,
please,” Myran urged the girl. “I’m sorry, I don’t know your
name.”

“Lerya sa
Nanya, sir, from Scudia, sir.”

“Please
continue, Lerya.”

“
Well,
when the clouds came, humans struggled to survive. When things got
desperate, they sent to the gods for help. That’
s where the
miryhls came from, and pyreflies, horsats and so on.
”
She nodded at Dhori.
“
But wars were fought for control
of these creatures, pitching mountain against mountain, range
against range, all vying to own these marvellous beasts. Things
became desperate, people were dying and the dragons refused to
breed more winged animals, so the kings came together in a grand
treaty.

“
The
Rift Riders were created to oversee the Overworld, owing allegiance
to all, but to no single nation.
Maegla became the patroness
because of Her role in the creation of the miryhls. Leastwise,
that
’
s what I was
taught.
”

“Thank you,
Lerya.” Captain Myran motioned for her to sit. “So we have two
versions – one concerning Maegla’s direct involvement, the other
unnamed kings from long ago. Has anyone else heard
differently?”

He smiled as hands went up all over the
room. As each of them were given a chance to speak,
Mhysra
’
s head began to
pound. There seemed to be a different story for each region and
three versions from Imercian alone. They varied between the people
asking for help – or kings, or war chiefs, or religious leaders –
to a lone hero venturing into the Dragonlands to steal the secret
of the miryhls from their closely guarded nests.

The debate grew heated as students rushed to
defend their versions from the encroachments of others. Ancient
rivalries and grudges between ranges were stirred up; those from
the east ganged up against those from the west; the individual
Greater West nations fought amongst themselves; Lansbrig residents
sneered at the Mistrunans; the Sutheralli dismissed everyone. Even
Mhysra grew annoyed as her Lowland version was dismissed by some of
the Storm Peaks students. Voices rose, insults flew and the lesson
teetered on the brink of chaos.

Until Captain Myran lifted his hand and
said,
“
Enough.
”
He didn
’
t raise his
voice, but the room still fell silent anyway. Red-faced students
sat down, waiting to be chastised.

Settling back against his desk, Captain
Myran smiled wryly.
“
I
believe a point has just been proved. I
’
d ask if anyone could tell me what, but I fear what
I might get.
”
The
students chuckled and his smile warmed.
“
Clearly you all know how the Rift Riders
began. Unfortunately, you don
’
t all believe the same story.