A Necklace of Fallen Stars by Hilgartner Beth

Author:Hilgartner, Beth [Hilgartner, Beth]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2015-08-24T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

"Kaela," Kippen's voice reached into her sleep. "Kaela, wake up."

Kaela opened her eyes. She had been asleep with her head against his shoulder as he held her securely on the back of Alyngon.

"You're safe, Kaela," he said quietly. "Come! Look about with me."

He slid off the great horse's back and lifted her down. The sky was turning from black to pale gray and the birds were wakening. Kaela did not at first follow him to the lip of the little hollow Alyngon had set them down in. She went instead to the head of the proud animal and solemnly kissed his silken nose.

"Thank you, king of air," she said softly, stroking his neck.

"You are welcome, princess of Visin," the great animal replied. "And may the winds of your times never be harsh." Without waiting for a reply from the startled girl, Alyngon flexed his wings and leapt lightly into the air. She watched him until he dwindled in the dawn. Then she turned and followed the minstrel to the lip of the dell.

She found Kippen standing beneath the branches of a flower-laden apple tree. The rising sun caught on the petals as the gentle breeze shook a few loose, like snowflakes, about Kippen's head. He saw Kaela and extended his hand to her.

"Come," he said gaily. "Look upon the land that bred me." He took her by the hand and gestured first to the east. "In that direction lies the Khorakh River—and Fytria beyond that. To the south are some of our richest farmlands, the province of Borbal, where the famous Borbalan Horses are bred. Over there," he waved westward, "lies Tychat, the capital of Cyrnyl; it is there we are heading."

"Why? Why to the capital, Kippen?" Kaela asked urgently.

He hesitated for an instant. "Well, it is to the west that all the great cities lie: Tychat, Pyltal, Karafe, Cyran, Ganhal and furthest to the south, Byfke. The rest of Cymyl is rural, tiny farm villages with no living to be had for minstrels and storytellers."

Kaela felt a sudden chill but she did not speak of it. Instead she shaded her eyes and gazed about. "What's that?" she asked. "It looks like a river."

"No doubt it is," he said with a smile. "Surely you have heard Cymyl called the 'country of six rivers'? That's probably the Samtali—at least, I hope we're no farther east than that. Tychat is two or three days' journey at any rate."

"What's the hurry?" Kaela asked. "We've the whole summer before us, haven't we?"

Kippen merely shrugged and handed Kaela her knapsack. "Shall we walk the sleep out of our limbs before we break our fast?"

Kaela slung the knapsack over her shoulders and took her staff from him. They set out without speaking. Kaela felt an odd foreboding that darkened the brightness of the morning, and Kippen was lost in memories, drinking in the sights and scents of his home. She began to lag behind, for she had ceased to pay attention to the business of walking.

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