announced. ‘She is bonded this day with Strategist Thita. They are bonded on this the 119 th day of the 700 th year of the Age of Astors.’
Sarlice stepped forward, accepted the sashes and put them on. Thita shivered with delight at her touch and fluttered happily around her head when she was finished. The tiny sash fell off his neck and Sarlice gave an embarrassed squawk and hurried to reaffix it. Escotia smiled at her and waited. When my guide was finished, the interpreter resumed her serious expression and spoke in a voice that boomed loudly in my skull.
‘Finally, I give you Talon the Astor, bonded with Emperor Ciera. They are bonded on this the 119 th day of the 700 th year of the Age of Astors.’
I accepted the blue sash for myself and carefully wrapped it around my body and over one shoulder. The sash for Ciera was as wide as a bed sheet, twice as long and very heavy. I marvelled at the amount of work that would have gone into its weaving. On one side of it was a gold-painted leather strap and the other was stitched with links of gold. Gems dangled from the links in such a way that they would become like a chest adornment on Ciera. With a grateful nod to its bearer, I hefted the material and threw it over my Sleffion-kin’s lowered neck. I fastened it using the inbuilt hooks and eyelets and patted Ciera’s thick, furred neck.
Ciera howled my name in a triumphant roar. Without a word to me he hoisted me off the ground with one clawed hand, set me on his back and launched into the sky. I scrabbled for a handhold, gasping for air. My stomach lurched and my heart drummed as I struggled to find a secure position on my knees. It was nothing like riding a horse—because of the keltoar’s size, straddling his back was impossible. Desperate for purchase I grabbed Ciera’s fur with both hands.
‘You’ve got it,’ Ciera reassured me, sensing my near-panic.
We ascended slowly as Ciera’s wings beat hard against the winds rising from the canyon. It seemed impossibly difficult—there had to be some kind of magic involved in keeping so large a creature in the air.
We rose slowly but steadily until we reached a dizzying height. I shuffled forward so I could grab the gold strap, wishing there was something holding me on. Ciera laid his wings flat and plummeted down towards the canyon. My insides gave a sickening, yet delicious, lurch. The hair on my arms stood up. At the last possible moment Ciera curved in an arc and used his momentum to carry him upwards. Sensing my fear turn to thrills he gave a whoop of delight. The crowd cheered. Devlan and Gieri and their Sleffionkin, Rinshock and Annaseld, flew up to join us.
Ciera swooped down and up again. It was a magnificent feeling, bringing back the faintest memories of being swung around someone’s head as a child, smiling and laughing.
‘I don’t know what’s taking Thita so long,’ Ciera said.
The orange skyearl shot suddenly into the air and a trail of cloud followed him. He flew up and around in many loops until the sky was knotted with shrouds. Sarlice put her foot on the first solid substance inside the shroud and climbed. Thita had made a kind of white stair inside his shroud.
Rinshock, Annaseld and Ciera danced through the air, weaving around Thita’s loops and coming dangerously close to Sarlice’s head.
Once she had climbed to the top, Sarlice ran the length of Thita’s shroud and peered excitedly over the edges when they came into view. Thita played tag with her until she could run no more. Ciera gave a great laugh of affection.
‘Sarlice will never ride the back of her Sleffion-kin, but Thita is skilled with the shrouding.’
Without warning, Sarlice dived off the edge of the shroud into the vast expanse of sky beneath her. Dread stabbed me so hard that it made Ciera flip around. His wings made a slapping sound as the wind buffeted us. Thita zipped beneath Sarlice’s falling body. A layer of shrouding appeared beneath her. It seemed to be
Sarlice stepped forward, accepted the sashes and put them on. Thita shivered with delight at her touch and fluttered happily around her head when she was finished. The tiny sash fell off his neck and Sarlice gave an embarrassed squawk and hurried to reaffix it. Escotia smiled at her and waited. When my guide was finished, the interpreter resumed her serious expression and spoke in a voice that boomed loudly in my skull.
‘Finally, I give you Talon the Astor, bonded with Emperor Ciera. They are bonded on this the 119 th day of the 700 th year of the Age of Astors.’
I accepted the blue sash for myself and carefully wrapped it around my body and over one shoulder. The sash for Ciera was as wide as a bed sheet, twice as long and very heavy. I marvelled at the amount of work that would have gone into its weaving. On one side of it was a gold-painted leather strap and the other was stitched with links of gold. Gems dangled from the links in such a way that they would become like a chest adornment on Ciera. With a grateful nod to its bearer, I hefted the material and threw it over my Sleffion-kin’s lowered neck. I fastened it using the inbuilt hooks and eyelets and patted Ciera’s thick, furred neck.
Ciera howled my name in a triumphant roar. Without a word to me he hoisted me off the ground with one clawed hand, set me on his back and launched into the sky. I scrabbled for a handhold, gasping for air. My stomach lurched and my heart drummed as I struggled to find a secure position on my knees. It was nothing like riding a horse—because of the keltoar’s size, straddling his back was impossible. Desperate for purchase I grabbed Ciera’s fur with both hands.
‘You’ve got it,’ Ciera reassured me, sensing my near-panic.
We ascended slowly as Ciera’s wings beat hard against the winds rising from the canyon. It seemed impossibly difficult—there had to be some kind of magic involved in keeping so large a creature in the air.
We rose slowly but steadily until we reached a dizzying height. I shuffled forward so I could grab the gold strap, wishing there was something holding me on. Ciera laid his wings flat and plummeted down towards the canyon. My insides gave a sickening, yet delicious, lurch. The hair on my arms stood up. At the last possible moment Ciera curved in an arc and used his momentum to carry him upwards. Sensing my fear turn to thrills he gave a whoop of delight. The crowd cheered. Devlan and Gieri and their Sleffionkin, Rinshock and Annaseld, flew up to join us.
Ciera swooped down and up again. It was a magnificent feeling, bringing back the faintest memories of being swung around someone’s head as a child, smiling and laughing.
‘I don’t know what’s taking Thita so long,’ Ciera said.
The orange skyearl shot suddenly into the air and a trail of cloud followed him. He flew up and around in many loops until the sky was knotted with shrouds. Sarlice put her foot on the first solid substance inside the shroud and climbed. Thita had made a kind of white stair inside his shroud.
Rinshock, Annaseld and Ciera danced through the air, weaving around Thita’s loops and coming dangerously close to Sarlice’s head.
Once she had climbed to the top, Sarlice ran the length of Thita’s shroud and peered excitedly over the edges when they came into view. Thita played tag with her until she could run no more. Ciera gave a great laugh of affection.
‘Sarlice will never ride the back of her Sleffion-kin, but Thita is skilled with the shrouding.’
Without warning, Sarlice dived off the edge of the shroud into the vast expanse of sky beneath her. Dread stabbed me so hard that it made Ciera flip around. His wings made a slapping sound as the wind buffeted us. Thita zipped beneath Sarlice’s falling body. A layer of shrouding appeared beneath her. It seemed to be
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