StarWind turned and strode off to gather her own gear, leaving the youngsters to ponder their fate as they hefted their packs and cautiously carried them to the waiting chokas. Syman in particular had a hard time approaching his choka and SkyDancer came over and strapped the packs on for him.
“It will not harm you now,” she instructed. “It knows that it is to carry you and it will do so peacefully.”
SkyDancer helped Syman mount before leading the procession out of the clearing and through the dark fargi forest. The column traveled in silence as they had done the other days. HawkShadow was again absent from the column and Goral rode directly behind the three youngsters. StormSong rode behind SkyDancer while MistyTrail and StarWind rode at the rear of the column.
Well before high sun, they emerged from the fargi forest and saw rugged mountain peaks rising vertically up before them. They were so close to the base of the mountains that Lyra could not see the tops. SkyDancer led the procession up a steep mountain trail, which was littered with scraps of rock and fallen debris. They climbed steadily for the rest of the morning and the air took on a chill, which was brisk and sharp. Lyra felt the sting of the cold air as she inhaled, but strangely it invigorated her and the weariness she had awoken with dissipated with each breath.
High up the mountain trail, but well short of the summit, SkyDancer turned onto a ridge that ran deeper into the mountain range. The birds moved swiftly over the rocky terrain with a surefootedness that Lyra knew a horse did not possess. Below the ridge a narrow canyon wound through the mountains and Lyra spied clova foraging for food below.
The ridge ended and SkyDancer turned up another mountain trail and they climbed higher, working their way around the peak. The stark beauty of the mountains thrilled Lyra as she caught glimpses of peaks stretching away towards the horizon in every direction. Some of the peaks were still snow covered while others were naked pinnacles of stone. She thought about the last of the Sakovan people living hidden in this cold inhospitable region and shivered. Instead of thinking of her own fate, she found herself dwelling on the fate of the Sakovans. She felt sad that the peaceful Sakovans had been forced to live in hiding and ashamed that it was her people who had forced them to it. Slowly the rationalization that the Sakovans had been forced to accept regarding intruders wormed its way into her mind. She was filled with fear for herself and her friends, but she was also able to see things from the Sakovan viewpoint now.
SkyDancer led the way through a small canyon and again they climbed higher into the mountains. As each successive mountain grew higher than the preceding one, so did the trail take them higher and higher until the chill of the air began to bite at the exposed flesh.
They moved silently and swiftly through the endless mountains as the sun began slowly to lower in the sky. Suddenly, the column rounded a corner and SkyDancer disappeared off the trail into the mouth of a cave.
“Where did she go?” Antello whispered.
“Into the cave,” Lyra answered without thinking, earning a harsh glance from StormSong as she turned and glared at the young girl for speaking while on the trail.
Soon the youngsters also entered the cave and the darkness enveloped them. The Sakovan column kept up their swift pace through the blackness and the sound of the choka claws echoed off the walls along with the sound of distant dripping water. They traveled on in complete darkness and time lost meaning for Lyra. She found herself thinking of what she would tell the Sakovan leader. What could she tell him? She knew precious little about who wanted them and what they really wanted. She became afraid that she would disappoint the Sakovan with her scant information and be condemned to death along with Antello and Syman. Even if she wasn’t killed, what life could they expect living with the Sakovans for the rest of their days?
A circle of light appeared ahead and snapped Lyra out of her contemplation. She stared ahead as the circle grew larger. Soon they emerged out of the tunnel and onto a short trail, which led down to the valley floor. She looked in wonderment at the large valley spread out before her and the city rising up out of it. She felt as if she had stumbled into a magical realm of beauty and splendor as the setting sun cast its rays upon the bright shining buildings creating a mosaic of reflected colors. She turned and saw the smiles upon the faces of the Sakovans behind her and wondered about the grand feeling of returning home after being absent for a while. It was a feeling that she would never experience, she realized sadly. Even if she was allowed to leave StarCity, there was nothing for her to go home to. The Academy was finished. Should Master Malafar ever find his way out of the clutches of those who held him, he could never restart the Academy. She doubted that her father could even live within those walls again after the massacre. She certainly never wanted to.
SkyDancer led the party along a wide road through the fields of corn and watula towards a large wood and metal gate. The gate stood open and they proceeded through it and onto a wide paved street. The citizens of the city all stared at the column, some waving their greetings while others gazed in open puzzlement. Flowers grew everywhere and Lyra could see a huge beautiful garden, its entrance just off to the side of the gate. Tidy shops and stalls lined the street with floors above, presumably for living quarters. Lyra noticed that horses were in use in the city as were wagons and she wondered how trading goods made their way into the city. Some of the goods for sale looked identical to the wares of Omungan traders and she pondered whether trade existed with Omunga in some clandestine manner.
The citizens grew more plentiful as the group approached the center of the city. Lyra gazed ahead and saw a massive stone palace blocking the road. Looking down the cross streets, Lyra could see other streets and they appeared to be converging on the palace. All of the citizenry appeared armed, but she was surprised by the lack of guards. Even the palace entrance was devoid of any type of security personnel.
SkyDancer passed through the palace gate and turned to the left, paralleling the wall and the column followed quietly. After proceeding a short distance, Sakovans ran to greet them and relieve them of their chokas. The group dismounted and hefted their packs as StarWind led the way into the palace itself. Lyra gave up trying to remember the route as StarWind meandered the corridors and eventually ended up in what appeared to be a guardroom of sorts. The room had several benches and rows of tidy footlockers.
“Please remove your weapons and store them in one of the footlockers,” StarWind instructed. “You will be staying within the palace walls and you will have no need for weapons here. All of them please,” she added.
The youngsters complied, drained at the thought of trying to fight the Sakovans within their stronghold. StarWind led them up a flight of stairs and along some more corridors until she stopped in front of a wooden door.
“Lyra this room will be yours,” StarWind stated. “For tonight, you will not leave it for any reason. In the morning you shall meet with our leader. After that, he will decide the degree of freedom you shall be allowed.”
StarWind started to lead the two boys down the hall and stopped. “I shouldn’t have to warn you, Lyra,” she said, “but it will not be my group ensuring you obey the rules here in the palace. I implore you to follow instructions precisely. There is a bell within your room that you can use to summon someone if needed. Good night.”