CITY OF BRIDGES

15

A New Plan

Fully recovered, Leonie still had her task to complete, but Feiron’s condition was an extra delay. A pang of guilt settled over her; Feiron had waited patiently enough for her to recover. Now it was her turn, and she would just have to wait.

She only had a rudimentary idea who Styx was, but surely, he was waiting for someone to deliver this book. It had been unavoidable, but their detour, intriguing as it was, had to come to an end. She hoped they weren’t too much of a burden and getting in the way of their training. Any annoyance or ill-feeling about Feiron’s rescue was short-lived, the wyverns continued with their perpetual antics in and around the volcano smoke.

Phil was rubbing oil into the saddles. Leonie lent him a paw and voiced her concerns.

“Nonsense,” he replied. “Yes, Dorn took umbrage to what he did, but trust me, she is forgiving. We are all impetuous, sometimes for very good reasons which seem ludicrous when you look back on it. Look at me. Here, hundreds of leagues from my home and family, on a dream to return with a swirl of wyverns for our city’s defence. I’m sure, right now, those that I left behind think I’m a complete dill. And most probably dead.”

“You’ve been so understanding—”

“Pahh. We’ll hear nothing of it. But you are lucky we have taught you to fly, though.”

“It was truly wonderful, but why lucky?”

“There are many leagues of extremely rugged terrain surrounding us before you get to the nearest road, and twice that before you get to the closest town. What better way to get to Qelay, other than flying? Surely you didn’t want to sit in that coracle or travel on foot?”

“Oh,” Leonie paused. “I didn’t think of that.”

“As pleasant as it’s been for company, we all knew you would have to leave sooner or later. This is my dream, not yours. You have your quest to fulfil too. That codex is fascinating. I’m certain this rollo is keen to get it.”

“Like many others, it seems. Won’t your appearance in Qelay cause alarm?”

“I dare say three wyverns descending on the fair city would bring on much involuntary bowel movement,” Phil chuckled. “No. I propose we land on the outskirts; probably early morning is best. That way, by the time you get into town, it will be daylight. My understanding is many towns are suspicious of strange folk entering town after dark.”

Feiron, when he wasn’t practising, sat outside watching the wyverns go through their manoeuvres. When the wind picked up, he came inside and rummaged through his pack, studying the scales he had collected; sometimes swapping one for another he had found. His physical recovery was complete, though his shapechanging still required work, but was ever-mindful of Leonie’s mood when needed a change of scenery. On the seventh day of their unusual arrival, when they were together for lunch, he announced his fitness to travel.

“Are you sure?” Leonie asked, turning to Philbert. “We can wait longer if need be.”

“Off course,” Phil added. “I was not lying when I offered you to stay as long as you needed.”

“I’m healthy enough to travel and deliver this tome. By my reckoning, we left Delta about twelve days ago. Our ‘bosses’ would be expecting us to return any day now, and we haven’t completed the main task. My lack of shapechanging is not reason enough to delay longer than necessary. I might add I am also keen to meet this rollo.”

While excited at the prospect of the move, Leonie also had a pang of guilt, hoping Feiron hadn’t overheard her earlier conversation with Phil. “If you say so…”

“I do. What needs to be done?”

“I suggest a brief flight this afternoon. That way we’ll know for certain as to your readiness to travel.”

Take off was far less of a physical jolt, but a far greater jolt on the nerves. Once mounted, each wyvern simply dropped off the outer ledge and spread its wings to capture the air. The acceleration was enough to make the novice passengers gasp for air. In turn, Slana, Faldo and Dorn turned the dive into a huge swoop. They utilised warm air currents to assist in gaining altitude. The updrafts along the cliff face were ideal for this.

Leonie watched the wings move up and down, marvelling at the way they seemed to pivot at the shoulder. They really didn’t look big enough to support the weight of the creatures. Once again, other wyverns gathered to observe the strangers. If there was any mind-talk, it was directed solely to other wyverns.

Blinking back tears caused by the rush of frigid air, Leonie was mesmerised by the sight of the landscape, but now it was from a much greater height. The forest spread towards the east like a map. The changing colours indicated different vegetation. The deep green of the conifers blended into the brighter, more vibrant emerald of the broad-leafed plants along riverbeds and in the lowlands.

Soon she felt heat, and her nose picked up a foul, familiar odour. The wyverns were almost directly over the volcano, staying out of the fumes, as it would make the passengers sick. Blasts of dry heat washed over them. Looking down deep within the crater, Leonie saw a dull orange glow. The lava was a living thing, surging and bubbling, constantly moving. It was incredible to believe it was molten rock. Hell’s Maw was an apt name. She watched other wyverns dart through the fumes, and some even flew into the crater itself.

Further west, and as far as the eye could see north and south, it looked as if the land was broken; the remains swept up in huge piles. There were other volcanoes further inland. Observing the deep ravines and sheer cliffs they’d have to traverse, Leonie was glad Hell’s Maw wasn’t one of them.

They climbed higher, wheeling away from the crater, and the heat. The air grew intensely cold; Leonie became fearful of losing her grip from the numbness it soon caused.

I thought your fur coat would keep you warm. I will not go any higher.

“Thanks, but the fur isn’t as thick as you might think, and I’m used to warmer weather,” she stammered.

Slana began to descend in a broad spiral, sending her intentions to Faldo, Dorn and Philbert. As this happened, Leonie spotted a large sky island far off.

Dorn said to her. Skylands seem to follow the line of the mountains, though why, I know not.

Fascinating as it was, thoughts of the skyland quickly vanished as the wyverns increased their rate of descent. Leonie showed more confidence in her riding, with gradual increases in boldness. She glanced across to see how Feiron was doing. He also appeared confident, but Leonie noticed his body changing shape, billowing slightly like a sail.

They both laughed when the young twins flew in and out of the huge ravines that cut great swathes through the mountains, swooping and diving, banking sharply at the last minute. It became a merry chase, involving most of the wyverns. The sight of so many wyverns wheeling in the air above, with such spectacular scenery, would stay in Leonie’s mind until the end of her days.

After dropping their passengers at the ‘front door’ as Philbert called it, the twins joined the other young wyverns. Leonie and Feiron helped Phil stow the saddles on plinths to the side of the entrance.

“Was that okay?” she asked Feiron as they walked back into the lair.

“Most enjoyable, though I’m more sensitive to the cold now. Why do you ask?”

“You looked funny. When we were diving, you looked like a sail on one of the ships back in Delta harbour.”

“Oh. Yes, I suspect I looked a bit strange. The force of the wind against my skin was far greater than I anticipated. I found by making myself narrower, I had less resistance, much like a ship’s bow cutting through water.”

With the impending departure, Phil tried to make dinner as enjoyable as possible by using his culinary skills and spices to make traditional Tesakian dishes. Afterwards, Leonie recounted their travels and adventures from the earlier portion of their trip; about their troubles with the Brotherhood and how it all started with the assassination of the courier. She told Philbert of Delta and all its goings-on, asking him what he knew about it. Since he was more educated and had been in the company of nobles in Tesak, she thought he may have some knowledge to impart.

The Tesakian confessed to knowing very little about Delta, other than the rumours he’d already shared with them of Zander’s ruthlessness. He then described the forest city of Tesak, built high up in the giant Ironwood Forests.

“It would seem in some instances there are similarities between your Delta and my Tesak,” he said. “Whereas you have many islands connected by bridges, we too have many small communities. Nestled within the boughs of each of the giant trees, they are connected at many levels by walkways suspended hundreds of feet above the forest floor.” His hands and arms were animated as he described the bridges. “It also boasts one of the largest broods of glins’ool on all of Shak’aran.”

“Friends shouldn’t tell each other such tales. Trees large enough to house a community?” Leonie couldn’t bring herself to believe in trees being so large.

“Ah. It is too grand for my inadequate words. You will simply have to visit one day. Then you can trust your own eyes.” He winked at Feiron. “When you pick your jaw off the ground, I’ll accept your apology.”

To arrive at Qelay before sunrise they would need to leave at midnight. No one was in the mood to sleep.

It was a quiet, almost relaxing evening. Philbert then spoke at length of his time here with the wyverns, naming them all, describing each of their mannerisms and traits in detail – with interjections from a few wyverns – and more of his plans to bring them to his home city. As the conversation died down, like the waning fire, he pulled out his lyre and while his voice may not have been as clear as a Bard’s, he made up for it with his antics, jumping around as he sang, threatening to fall and crush his lyre any moment. Wyvern hisses and barks echoed around the lair.

Leonie spoke loudly to Feiron over the din. “I hope his horse-healing is better than his singing.”

The sky was crystal clear, the eastern horizon glowed with the rising of the twin moons halfway through their cycle, and a southerly breeze ensured a swift trip. Dorn, Slana and Faldo were quickly saddled. Apart from the sack of wyvern scales, there was little else to pack since the remainder of their belongings had been left at Swangrove.

“Will you be staying to see Qelay for yourself?” Feiron asked.

Phil was strapping a wooden chest to the back of his saddle. “No. Not at this time. There are still a couple of the youngest wyverns to finish training. I wouldn’t want to jeopardise anything by cutting corners.”

“A shame. Would I be able to come back here? I’d still very much like to write about the wyverns – I feel I owe them that much – and later, any of the other creatures we happen to come across; perhaps hippogryphs or the odd cockatrice.”

“My friend, you are welcome to stay for as long as you can stand my singing. Who knows where this new venture will lead? You might even want to join me in visiting my homeland of Tesak. I don’t know about the cockatrice, but hippogryphs dwell in the Northern Reaches and there are always the l’ith, those fell creatures lurking beneath the Vale of Dromas.” He winked to Leonie.

They were about to launch, when Philbert snapped his fingers and slid off Dorn’s back. He raced back into the lair, returning moments later with a couple of old jackets.

“I hope you’ll forgive my being a bit absent-minded. I set these aside earlier and only remembered. They may not be the best fit, but, warm is warm.” He passed them around. “We’ll follow the mountains north for a few hours. I reckon when the moons are overhead, it will be time to turn east. This way we can avoid most settlements.”

Leonie donned the fur-lined coat as Phil spoke. The coat was slightly large for her, but using her belt, she wrapped it around snugly, sufficient to keep out the wind.

Feiron had little trouble, slipping inside and conforming to whatever size best suited his coat.

The take-off was still a stomach-churner. Instead of leaping into the sky, the wyverns dropped off the edge one by one, skimming down the sheer cliff before snapping their wings out and turning the plummet into a graceful arc to the north.

Leonie thought the night sky was as intriguing to look at as was the darkened landscape. There seemed to be as many stars as there were leaves in the forests below. The jagged peaks of the ranges swiftly drifted by, but there were many more to the north. Lost in their own thoughts, the riders were silent for the majority of the northern leg of the journey. Whether the wyverns sensed the mood, or they too had wyvern-thoughts of their own, the usual jibes between the twins was absent. The head-wind made the journey slower than anticipated.

I propose we rest for a quick meal and to stretch our legs.

Phil’s message jolted Leonie out of her reverie. She acknowledged this message with a thumbs-up signal. As they banked to a gradual spiral, Feiron realised their intent, and he waved to Leonie.

In a small clearing between massive trees, Phil heaved the wooden chest off Dorn’s back and carried it to a fallen tree, which made a good enough place to sit.

The three wyverns took off, quickly disappearing in the dark.

“Don’t be alarmed.” Phil saw the looks on his companion’s faces. “They’ll return soon enough. All this flying has made them hungry. Speaking of which, I have a pleasant surprise for you.” Lifting the lid of the chest he pulled out ceramic jugs with cork stoppers, handing one each to the travellers.

Intrigued by this, Leonie and Feiron reached for the jars with curiosity. To their delight, the jugs were still very warm. Removing the lids revealed hot soup. Inside the chest, rocks radiated heat onto their inquisitive faces.

“I thought you’d approve.” Phil smiled back at them as he handed them each a spoon. “I recall long night-flights can be so cold and monotonous. Also, some interesting news. Dorn has been in contact with the rollos. Qelay is on the north shore of the Lake Urmaq. Styx will meet us near a bridge to the west of the lake.

“That means there’ll be no need to go into Qelay. Once Styx has the codex, we can head straight to Delta.”

“Of course, but we’ll need to collect more provisions with a quick detour back to the lair.”

“How far can a wyvern send messages?”

“Several leagues, I believe. However, in this case, the rollos sensed the wyvern’s minds. They initiated contact.”

As Phil promised, their rides returned in good time. The banter between the twins was back, evidence of their change in mood too now that their hunger was assuaged.

“I suspect they found something nice to eat,” Leonie said to Feiron.

We ate—

“Slana! I don’t need to hear the gory details.” Leonie rubbed her neck.

With spirits lifted, the remainder of the trip seemed far quicker and less depressing.

*

In the pre-dawn light, the lake was bordered by the darker forests on the south and west and the lighter shade of the fields to the north and east. As the sun appeared on the horizon, they glimpsed a bridge below, between large trees, and a strip of rocky ground nearby.

Dorn commenced a wide spiralling descent, the twins following. Just above the treetops, she straightened up and gracefully landed by a small scattering of boulders.

Faldo and Slana landed behind.

“Is this the place? Are we early?” Leonie looked around.

Dorn snorted. We are at the correct place, at the correct time.

“Then where—” She stopped as a boulder rolled forward. She noticed the furrow it left in its trail. It uncurled itself, forming a triangular shape with stubby legs and arms, each ending in short, sharp talons. It was a dark-grey, like slate. She could see no face – no eyes, mouth, or nose.

Greetings. I am Styx, at your service, the squat figure said. And no, Faldo, I do not expect I would taste good.

Faldo! Dorn thumped her tail. How rude.

“Is that who I think it is?” Feiron looked down quizzically.

“I believe it is. Philbert, ever met a hroltahgs before?”

“I have not.” He stepped down from his saddle, joining Leonie. “Very pleased to meet you, Styx.” He took in a deep breath. “I am—”

No need for introductions. I have been expecting you. I am glad Axorg managed to find you in time.

“You sent Axorg?”

I requested. One cannot leave these matters to chance… or coincidence.

Leonie quickly shared the conversation with the Feiron who dripped down to join them.

Forgive me if I am blunt. I am getting used to those who cannot mind-speak, Styx admitted.

“How far is it to Qelay?” Feiron added his voice. “I couldn’t see it anywhere.”

We have several hours of walking as it is on the northern bank of the lake. There are quite a few farms between here and there. This location is a precaution to ensure no cattle is startled, which may hinder the produce of the dairies. Qelay relies heavily on this trade. There is also a swamp.

“A swamp. How lovely.” Leonie’s tail lashed in annoyance. “Luckily though, I have the codex right here.” She pulled the heavy book from her pack and held it out to him. “Now that you have this, my part in this is over.” She was curious to see how the little fellow would carry it.

That you have brought it this far is a marvel. Styx made no move to collect the codex. On behalf of the hroltahgs, please allow me to show our gratitude by inviting you and your illios companion to relax in White Cliffs. Dorn has informed me of your recent travails. I understand you have had some difficulty, and I am at your disposal to render whatever assistance I can.

“By taking the book, our troubles will be over. No one will need to harass us again.” She smiled, relieved and not having to enter a stagnant festering swamp.

I am aware those seeking this codex are relentless. They will continue to seek whatever information they can. If not from the book itself, then from those with the knowledge of its contents. I would feel neglectful by not assisting you in protecting yourself from future assaults.

“Seems I’ve heard similar words before.” Leonie’s smile waned. Obviously, Styx was not going to take the codex. She shoved it back into the satchel, dropped her arms and turned to Phil. “Looks like we’re heading into Qelay after all.” Leonie took off her flying jacket and strapped it behind her saddle. Feiron did the same on Faldo.

“I’m sure it’s for the best,” Phil said in an effort to ease the situation. “Always remember though, you are both welcome to visit any time.” He hugged her briefly and shook the tentacle Feiron’s extended.

Leonie moved to each of the wyverns and rubbed their snouts. “I don’t know how to thank you for all that you’ve done for us.”

There is no need. Dorn inclined her head. Your company has been most pleasant and intriguing, even Feiron’s little escapade.

Phil mounted, and with a last wave, the three wyverns lifted off and turned to the south.

Before they were out of sight, Dorn sent a last message. For whatever reason he had, Axorg chose well.

* * *