down Skylar’s spine. The things were
creepy enough without also being on a mission to find someone. He didn’t want
to think about what they would do once they found whoever it was.
“But who would they be looking for, and who would send
them?”
“Who knows,” replied Rolander. “But I intend to catch one
and find out.”
“How—”
Skylar cutoff. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed some
movement nearby. He turned to look.
It was Kendyl, smiling, and walking in their direction.
“Hi Skylar,” she said, stopping in front of his desk.
She smiled at him and tucked a loose strand of hair behind
one ear.
“Can I sit here?” she asked, leaning toward the seat next to
him, her dazzling blue eyes looking at him expectantly.
A sense of elation coursed through Skylar’s entire body. His
fingers and toes tingled with it.
Of course. I’ve been saving it for you , he thought
about saying. Or, wherever you want, as long as it’s next to me.
All that came out of his mouth was a stammered, “uh,
yes…yes.”
He cringed inside at how pathetic he sounded. Why couldn’t he
say something smooth or clever?
As Kendyl took her seat next to him, he taxed his brain for
some comment that would redeem him. Nothing came.
He was vaguely aware that Professor Valenkr was calling the
class to order.
Later. He would talk to her later.
He had forgotten entirely about his conversation with
Rolander. All his thoughts now swirled around the pretty little red-head seated
next to him, and how he could impress her.
After school Skylar and Kendyl walked together. Now that
Skylar had his jetwing again, he could fly home. Ordinarily he would have.
Today, he happily walked.
The searing heat of the midday sun bore down on them as they
went along. They wound their way down the southern face of the Gorge, Skylar
taking furtive glances at Kendyl as often as he dared.
She wore a simple white tunic, with a sharp v-shaped neck
line, loosely laced together near her slender neck. The hem of the tunic was
midway down her thighs. Beige leggings, tall boots, and a broad leather belt
around her waist completed the outfit.
“I don’t suppose you’ve heard anything from Rasbus, have
you?” she asked.
“No,” said Skylar. “And I don’t expect I will. Rasbus is not
one to change his mind. When he said two weeks, I’m sure he meant it.”
“That’s too bad. You must be getting bored. I know I would
be.”
Skylar shrugged. “I do miss it. But I’m glad to at least be
back at the Academy.”
“I'm glad you're back, too,” she said, smiling at him and
blushing noticeably.
Skylar swallowed and laughed awkwardly.
“So,” he said, not knowing how to respond to Kendyl’s
flirtatious comment, “what do you do for your apprenticeship?”
Kendyl’s expression immediately changed, and she let out a
little grunt of annoyance.
“Uh, did I say something wrong?”
A faint trace of Kendyl’s smile returned. “No…no. It’s just
a sore topic for me. I’ve always wanted to work in the mines. I love the idea
of exploring immense caverns hidden deep underground, digging deeper and deeper
into the heart of our planet. It seems so exciting.”
Skylar was taken aback. Kendyl looked too delicate, too
feminine to do a job as grimy and labor-intensive as mining.
“But,” she continued, “females aren’t allowed in the mines.
We’re not allowed to apprentice as dockhands—for that matter. It’s so unfair.
All that a girl can do on this miserable planet is learn to weave, sew, bake,
wash, or grow food. Which is fine enough. But I’d like a little excitement,
too—some adventure.”
She sighed heavily. “I suppose there is not much I can do
about it, though.”
“I didn’t realize you weren’t allowed to do those things,”
said Skylar. “I just thought girls weren’t interested in things like mining.”
“Hmm! Well, not all of us are the same, Skylar Lancewright,”
she said. “You probably think I couldn’t
creepy enough without also being on a mission to find someone. He didn’t want
to think about what they would do once they found whoever it was.
“But who would they be looking for, and who would send
them?”
“Who knows,” replied Rolander. “But I intend to catch one
and find out.”
“How—”
Skylar cutoff. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed some
movement nearby. He turned to look.
It was Kendyl, smiling, and walking in their direction.
“Hi Skylar,” she said, stopping in front of his desk.
She smiled at him and tucked a loose strand of hair behind
one ear.
“Can I sit here?” she asked, leaning toward the seat next to
him, her dazzling blue eyes looking at him expectantly.
A sense of elation coursed through Skylar’s entire body. His
fingers and toes tingled with it.
Of course. I’ve been saving it for you , he thought
about saying. Or, wherever you want, as long as it’s next to me.
All that came out of his mouth was a stammered, “uh,
yes…yes.”
He cringed inside at how pathetic he sounded. Why couldn’t he
say something smooth or clever?
As Kendyl took her seat next to him, he taxed his brain for
some comment that would redeem him. Nothing came.
He was vaguely aware that Professor Valenkr was calling the
class to order.
Later. He would talk to her later.
He had forgotten entirely about his conversation with
Rolander. All his thoughts now swirled around the pretty little red-head seated
next to him, and how he could impress her.
After school Skylar and Kendyl walked together. Now that
Skylar had his jetwing again, he could fly home. Ordinarily he would have.
Today, he happily walked.
The searing heat of the midday sun bore down on them as they
went along. They wound their way down the southern face of the Gorge, Skylar
taking furtive glances at Kendyl as often as he dared.
She wore a simple white tunic, with a sharp v-shaped neck
line, loosely laced together near her slender neck. The hem of the tunic was
midway down her thighs. Beige leggings, tall boots, and a broad leather belt
around her waist completed the outfit.
“I don’t suppose you’ve heard anything from Rasbus, have
you?” she asked.
“No,” said Skylar. “And I don’t expect I will. Rasbus is not
one to change his mind. When he said two weeks, I’m sure he meant it.”
“That’s too bad. You must be getting bored. I know I would
be.”
Skylar shrugged. “I do miss it. But I’m glad to at least be
back at the Academy.”
“I'm glad you're back, too,” she said, smiling at him and
blushing noticeably.
Skylar swallowed and laughed awkwardly.
“So,” he said, not knowing how to respond to Kendyl’s
flirtatious comment, “what do you do for your apprenticeship?”
Kendyl’s expression immediately changed, and she let out a
little grunt of annoyance.
“Uh, did I say something wrong?”
A faint trace of Kendyl’s smile returned. “No…no. It’s just
a sore topic for me. I’ve always wanted to work in the mines. I love the idea
of exploring immense caverns hidden deep underground, digging deeper and deeper
into the heart of our planet. It seems so exciting.”
Skylar was taken aback. Kendyl looked too delicate, too
feminine to do a job as grimy and labor-intensive as mining.
“But,” she continued, “females aren’t allowed in the mines.
We’re not allowed to apprentice as dockhands—for that matter. It’s so unfair.
All that a girl can do on this miserable planet is learn to weave, sew, bake,
wash, or grow food. Which is fine enough. But I’d like a little excitement,
too—some adventure.”
She sighed heavily. “I suppose there is not much I can do
about it, though.”
“I didn’t realize you weren’t allowed to do those things,”
said Skylar. “I just thought girls weren’t interested in things like mining.”
“Hmm! Well, not all of us are the same, Skylar Lancewright,”
she said. “You probably think I couldn’t
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