“Do you mean the birds haven’t spotted her?” Lyra asked. “I thought they were able to find any intruder.”
“The Sakova is large, Lyra,” MeadowTune answered. “They can not possibly find every intruder. That is why we always have patrols out as well. Besides they would not alert us to StarWind as they know her. She belongs in the Sakova. We could send a message to her though and the birds would actively look for her.”
“Do it,” ordered Lyra. “If you find her, send someone out with chokas for her party. I will feel better when she has returned to StarCity. I like the idea of a meeting and I want her input at it.”
Temiker smiled as he watched Lyra assume the heavy burden of being the Star with a healthy attitude. She was not afraid to make a decision, but she did not leap blindly into making one either. With experience under her belt, she would make a fine leader, he thought with pride.
“Before I go, there is another report with bad news,” continued MeadowTune. “Someone had been killing wasooki around Breele. They have been using Sakovan stars to kill the animals. As happened in Campanil, the Mayor is calling for help from the army. It is but another piece of proof to them that the Sakovans are getting aggressive. Pretty soon the entire country of Omunga will be screaming for our death.”
“We cannot continue to do nothing,” murmured Lyra. “If we do, Omunga will definitely attack and soon. MeadowTune, let me know the minute you can accurately estimate StarWind’s return. I want that meeting as soon as possible and I want her there.”
“Should I put that in the message I send to her?” inquired MeadowTune.
“Yes,” Lyra replied. “Temiker, you will have to decide how to react to Malafar soon. I want very much to see him, but I do not want him disrupting things here. I am counting on you to make sure nothing happens.”
“I will do my best,” the mage from Alamar sighed. “What about Lord Marak?”
“Lord Marak will have to wait,” Lyra decided. “As much as I would like to talk with him, our survival comes first.”
“I do not think he will appreciate that,” MeadowTune stated.
“Let him attend the meeting then,” instructed Lyra. “I am sure when he grasps what we are up against, he will not feel slighted at taking an inferior position to our survival.”
“I do not think he would react that way,” chirped MistyTrail as she crossed the dining room. “I am sure that he would understand the problems of ruling and handling emergencies.”
“MistyTrail!” exclaimed Lyra. “You made excellent time. I didn’t expect you until later in the morning.”
“I was anxious to return and our guests obliged me an early departure this morning,” she smiled.
“What is he like?” asked Lyra. “The fact that he made it to StarCity at all is promising. ”
“You will like him,” grinned the short Sakovan with pointy ears. “He is not what any of us expected. I have StormSong showing him and his men to their quarters.”
“StormSong?” quizzed LifeTender. “We probably don’t have to worry about them then. She will lock them in their rooms.”
Lyra dismissed the light-hearted banter. “It suddenly occurs to me that I have no idea how a Star is supposed to act,” admitted Lyra. “Everyone here just accepts me as I am, but a foreign Lord surely will not and he is probably anxious to see me.”
“I didn’t want to mention it before,” interjected LifeTender, “but some of the seamstresses have been making you a formal gown to wear at ceremonies. Perhaps I can inquire if it is done yet.”
“I do not think this Lord stands on ceremony,” MistyTrail interrupted. “We had trouble believing that he was a Lord. I would suggest just talking to him as you would to one of us. If the timing is bad, I can take him on a tour of StarCity. That would gain you some time, but I do not think he requires a formal dress.”
“A good idea, MistyTrail,” agreed Lyra. “I will see him in RavenWing’s office at high sun. Can you keep him busy until then?”
“Not a problem,” grinned MistyTrail. “He is very curious about everything and that small amount of time will go quickly. We will take turns escorting him so that we may all brief you on what we know of him from the trip. That way you will not be surprised by anything.”
“Excellent idea,” complimented Lyra. “I think you do well as a group leader, MistyTrail. Were there any problems?”
“No,” beamed MistyTrail. “It couldn’t have gone better.” Even if HawkShadow had been leader, she thought to herself with pride.
“Good,” Lyra said with finality as she rose and ended the meeting. “I will be in RavenWing’s office when anyone needs me.”
Lyra turned and walked out of the dining hall and maneuvered the corridors to RavenWing’s chambers. She did not bother knocking as she knew he could not rise to answer the door since the attack by Mekin had left his legs useless appendages that no longer functioned. She opened the door and strode in and stopped abruptly with a grin on her face. Antello and Syman were scurrying to get RavenWing back into bed and under the covers.
“Caught you,” she laughed.
Her friends' faces turned beet red with embarrassment while RavenWing joined her in laughing at their reaction. “We thought it might be LifeTender,” sighed Syman. “She would skin us alive if she caught us.”
“She probably would at that,” nodded Lyra. The boys stood to leave and Lyra signaled for them to wait. “I have something I want you two to do for me, but I wish to speak with RavenWing first. Can you wait outside for me?”
“Certainly, Your Holiness,” smiled Antello.
Lyra turned with a scowl on her face that could have frozen the sun. “I can still whip you two in a fair fight,” she growled at them. She could not contain herself for long however and broke out laughing again. “One more Holiness out of you and I’ll prove it,” she chuckled.
She shook her head merrily as they scampered out of the room and turned to RavenWing. “I have had a hard time getting used to using your office,” she admitted. “I guess I still look at it as yours and I feel as if I am trespassing. Would you be upset if I had the boys remodel it? Nothing major just moving the furniture and replacing the wall hangings. I guess if it looks different, I will feel better about it.”
“Your problem, Lyra,” nodded RavenWing, “is that you think of it as my office. It is the office of the leader of the Sakovans. That is no longer my task but yours. Certainly you should change it to suit your needs and desires. If there are things of mine in there you wish, you may have them with my blessing. I have no need for any of that anymore.” He squinted his eyes as he watched Lyra and frowned. “That is not the real reason for your visit,” he surmised. “What is really bothering you?”
Lyra sighed and sat on RavenWing’s bed by his feet. “Where do I begin?” she asked rhetorically. “It is almost certain now that the Omungans will attack us. There have been more incidents of carnage, which was supposedly Sakovan, and the general population is starting to scream for a military strike. The Khadoran Lord arrived this morning and Master Malafar will be here shortly. I just think that I am in over my head. I do not know how to handle all of this.”
“Tell me what actions you have taken,” RavenWing suggested.
Lyra closed her eyes briefly and calmed herself before turning back to RavenWing and smiling sadly. “I have MistyTrail and crew taking Lord Marak on a tour until high sun so that I can be prepared to meet him in your office. My office,” she corrected. “I have asked Temiker to keep a leash on his brother. I am sending chokas to StarWind’s party so they can get back here quickly because I want to hold a meeting and hear other people’s viewpoints on what we should do. That was my main reason for coming here. I would like you to attend. I know that moving is difficult for you but I value your advice greatly.”
“And you think that you are in over your head?” grinned RavenWing. “I was chosen by the people of Sakova to lead them, not by Kaltara as you were, and I could not do better than you are doing. Why do you doubt yourself?”