Wingborn (48 page)

She poured him another drink before sitting
down.
“
That
doesn’t sound like
a
compliment.
”

“
It’s
no
t.
”
He sipped
from his glass and scowled.
“
Yet it
’
s
mild compared to what I want to say. Now that you
’
re facing me, student, I would be
gratified to know what you thought you were doing. And
don
’
t say
your
duty
,
”
he snapped,
before she could repeat herself.
“
Your duty is not to get killed. Under the
circumstances, which I admit were unusual, your duty was to rouse
the citadel – as Derrain did. Your duty was to land and stay safe
with the other students. Explain yourself.
”
The long speech ended in another coughing
fit and Mhysra pursed her lips.

“
If
Cumulo hadn’
t fought off the kaz-naghkt above the lake,
Derrain would never have raised the alarm. Sir,
”
she added, knowing her tone was defiant.
Not even Captain Myran had reprimanded her. True, he
was
busy, but he smiled and patted
her shoulder whenever they passed in the corridor. In
Mhysra
’
s book that
counted as praise, especially from the taciturn captain. Stirla
thought she and Cumulo were marvellous and even Willym had kept his
opinion to himself.

It was just this man. The one who had been
wounded but too stubborn to withdraw.

“That was no
excuse to continue fighting once you reached the citadel and more
experienced Riders took over the defence. Don’t you realise the
risk you posed?” His voice grew so raspy Mhysra could barely
understand him. “Your recklessness put not only yourself and Cumulo
in danger, but the life of every Rider who may have been injured by
your inexperience or in trying to save your life when you made a
foolish error.”

“
But I
didn’
t!
”
she
protested furiously. Thanks to his own irresponsible behaviour, he
was lucky he hadn
’
t
passed out from blood loss in the middle of the fight, instead of
moments after Hurricane had reached the eyries. Thanks to his
stubbornness, his injuries hadn
’
t been treated until the majority of the wounded
had been seen to, by which time the puncture marks were infected,
resulting in the fever that could have killed him.

And he called her reckless?

“No one was
injured or killed because of me. If I remember rightly, sir, I
saved your life.”

The lieutenant shifted uncomfortably and
coughed into his fist, murmuring,
“
I believe you did. Yourself and Dhori. Thank
you.
”

“
You’
re welcome,
”
she replied primly.
“
And thank you too. Cumulo and I were in big trouble
until Hurricane
’
s timely
arrival.
”

“
You’
re welcome,
”
he grumbled.
“
But that just proves my point. You
’
re not experienced enough for such
a fight. You didn
’
t even
have any weapons
”

“Well, I
wasn’t the one who fell off my miryhl because I’d lost too much
blood!” she snapped, and clapped a hand over her mouth.

Lyrai
’
s face was red, but whether from anger,
embarrassment or his fever it was hard to tell. His nostrils flared
and he drew himself up, the epitome of affronted aristocratic male.
“
I am a lieutenant and
you are my student. Of the two of us, I believe I have more
experience in these matters. Furthermore, I
a
m charged with your education and welfare
while you remain at Aquila. When I say you shouldn
’
t have been out there at least
have the grace to acknowledge the truth!
”
A coughing fit spoiled his speech.

Mhysra further ruined it by pouring him
another glass of water and supporting him while he struggled to
drink it.
“
All
right,
”
she murmured,
more to calm him than because she agreed.
“
It was foolish. I didn
’
t think. Cumulo didn
’
t think. The citadel was in trouble and we
wanted to help. We knew we could fight, so we did. It was pure luck
that brought us through unscathed, but there was no harm done in
the end. Please, sir, don
’
t kill yourself berating me.
”

Lyrai sank back onto his pillows, lips
curved in a wry smile.
“
Perhaps not,
”
he agreed.
“
And no, no harm was done. You fought well. You both
did.
”

“Have you seen
Dhori yet?” she asked, wondering what the lieutenant would say to
him.

He frowned, confused.
“
Why would I?
”

Mhysra opened her mouth to point out the
obvious, since they were both first-years wading into active combat
for the first time. Then scowled.
“
It
’
s
because I
’
m a girl,
isn
’
t it?
”

The lieutenant glanced away.
“
Nonsense.
”

“
Then
why haven’
t you called Dhori in?
”

“
I
didn’
t see him.
”

She suspected calling her lieutenant a liar
to his face would be insolent, so she gritted her teeth.
“
You said he helped save
your life earlier. It
is
because I
’
m a girl. I knew it! I knew it the first
day in Nimbys, when I moved Cumulo to the eyries. I saw it in your
eyes then and it
’
s still
there now. You
probably
opposed the proclamation too. You don
’
t want girls in the Riders. Well, we
’
re here, sir, and we
’
re not going away. You
’
ll just have to get used to
it.
”

“
That
has
nothing to do with this!
”
he snapped, coughing hard but forcing the words
out.
“
I welcomed the
proclamation. I was one of its strongest supporters. You
’
re wrong.
”
He rolled to his side to cough harder and
Mhysra worried that she
’
d killed him.

When she offered him a drink, he refused,
his face almost purple now. The healer rushed in and pulled him
upright, ordering Mhysra to fetch more water.

There was just enough left in the pitcher to
fill a glass, so she fled on the excuse of refilling it. When she
reluctantly returned she was relieved to find the lieutenant
propped up against a bank of pillows, his eyes closed, face damp
with sweat.

The healer stopped her at the door.
“
Say your goodbyes,
student. I think you
’
ve
both had enough excitement for one day.
”
He left them with a firm nod, promising to return
very soon.

As she placed the jug on the table, Lyrai
opened an eye.
“
It had
nothing to do with you being a girl. I was jealous.
”

“
Of
Cue.” She nodded, having worked that out the day she met him. In
truth, she’d known he wasn’t against the proclamation ever
since
she
’
d seen
him treating the girls exactly the same as the boys at the
selection school in Nimbys. This whole argument was stupid. Why
couldn
’
t he let it go?
She hadn
’
t done any harm
and she was in no rush to repeat the experience. Why
couldn
’
t he see
that?

“
You
frightened me,” he murmured, and she blinked. “Admittedly, most of
you students frighten me, one way or another. The idea of Corin
with a sword or Mouse in unsupervised charge of a miryhl downright
terrifies me.” Lyrai shuddered and she
smiled. He smiled
back.
“
And all right, a
little of it is because you
’
re a girl. I was raised to this life and one of my
first Rider duties is to protect the weak. Women and children
first. I have three sisters. It was a shock to see you fighting as
one of us.

“
I
know.” He held up a hand to stop her protests. “I know you have as
much right to be here as the boys. More than most, given your test
results and the fact that you’
re Wingborn. But it
’
s a big step. It doesn
’
t mean I don
’
t want women in the Riders – it can only
do us good – but it will take some getting used to. Not only are
you female, but you
’
re
my student. I
’
m supposed
to protect –
”
He
coughed, and Mhysra handed him a drink.

“
I make
that a little hard, I suppose,” she sighed, a little grudgingly.
“My aunt encouraged us to be independent, boys
and
girls. And then there’
s Cumulo.
”
She shook her head.
“
Hopefully over the next three
years we
’
ll adjust. We
girls have to fight sometime, sir, or there
’
s no point to us being here.
”

“
I
know,” Lyrai agreed. “For what it’
s worth, I stand by what I
said. And now you
’
ve
reminded me, I
’
ll say it
to Dhori too.
”

Mhysra shrugged, not caring whether he did
or not.
“
Dhori looks
like a Rider already.
”

“Happens,” the
lieutenant murmured, yawning. “Rare, but it does happen.”

“
If he
wasn’
t so nice, I might hate him.
”

Lyrai smiled.
“
If I was in his year, I probably would.
”
His eyes drifted closed.
“
Thank you for coming,
Mhysra. Sorry I lost my temper.
”

“
I’
m sorry I lost mine too, sir,
”
she replied softly, not wanting to wake
him. When he said nothing more, she tiptoed towards the door.

Before it closed, he muttered,
“
Don
’
t do it again.
”

“Finally,
something we can agree on.”

He smiled and settled deeper into his
pillows. Shaking her head, Mhysra turned and almost walked into the
healer.

“Well?”

She glanced back at the
lieutenant
’
s room.
“
He
’
s sleeping.
”

“Peacefully?”

“He was
smiling when I left.”

The
healer smiled himself. “Good. Next time he summons you, ignore it
please. At least until he’
s no longer in my care.
”

Saluting, she left him chuckling and headed
towards the eyries to tell Cumulo all about it.

32
^nd
Thaw

IT WAS THE
last day
of the year and the first fine day for a three-quarter moon. The
residents of Aquila – town, citadel and barracks – filled the Lawn
and practise fields on both sides of the river. Riders and students
wore their dress uniforms and the townsfolk were in light blue.
Each man and woman bore either an armband or a headscarf, woven in
black and gold.

Nineteen white paper boats waited on the
bank, resting on a blanket so as not to get wet before their time.
Each one was covered with ink – messages from friends, families and
loved ones – ready to carry the words to Typhaestus
’
realm. Beside them rested eight
swans, folded from black paper.

Aquila had come to honour their dead.

Deep in the mountain caves, twenty new tombs
had been filled; twelve Riders, one miryhl and seven bonded pairs.
It was not only the kaz-naghkt who had paid a high price for the
attack on Aquila. The burial ceremonies had taken place three days
after the battle, but few could crowd under the mountain to pay
their respects. So now they remembered them.

Dean
Marshall stood on the bank with the priest of Maegla and together
they blessed the boats and swans. “There is no higher service to
Aquila, the Overworld, Maegla and the Gods than that given by those
we remember today,” the dean said, touching
Stirla on the
shoulder.
“
Think well of
them.
”

The burly lieutenant knelt upon the blanket
and lifted a black swan.
“
Go in peace, Miryhl Spiral. May the gods grant you
fast winds.
”
Lowering
his hands into the rushing river, he released the swan and picked
up a little boat.
“
Rider
Cieryn, bonded of Spiral, may the Gods reunite you in peace. Bright
skies, my friend.
”

The paper shapes bobbed gently in the water,
resting against the screen held by the priest. Steadily Stirla
added more swans and boats, murmuring tributes to each of the lost
miryhls and men of his flurry. When he stepped back, four boats and
two swans jostled in the river, waiting to be released.

Next came Lieutenant Willym, who had lost
three pairs and three men. Then Lieutenant Hlen bid farewell to one
pair, one miryhl and four men. By now the floating papers were in
danger of sinking, but this was not a task that could be
rushed.

Lastly came Lyrai, freshly released from the
infirmary, pale and still a little weak. He limped on his bad leg
and knelt with the help of Stirla. Once he was stable, he waved his
friend back and lowered three more boats into the river, speaking
each name with a tribute.