The Star Shepherd by Dan Haring and MarcyKate Connolly

Author:Dan Haring and MarcyKate Connolly
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc.
Published: 2019-07-19T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty

As they hurried through the forest, Kyro consulted the map he still had in his pack. There were two ways to reach Romvi. They could cut through the Ergsada Valley Desert, or they could travel the steep hills that edged it. The hills were technically the shorter path, but it would take them much longer to cross. The desert looked like it would be their best bet. Thankfully, the Ergsada Valley, while still dangerous, wasn’t anywhere near as bleak or treacherous as the Black Lands.

Kyro sighed. If only Romvi were a port town, maybe Captain Salban could have given them a ride there and made the journey faster. As it was, they should reach Romvi by late afternoon, if they were lucky. But only if they didn’t stop to rest.

Kyro explained the options to Andra, and they decided to press on for the desert without stopping at Kyro’s watchtower to pick up more supplies. Andra had brought a little money (which apparently Salban had guilted her father into giving her), so they could buy food. They’d split the remaining supplies already in Kyro’s pack on the way.

Ever since Doman had told Kyro his father was headed to Romvi, an odd feeling had begun to well up inside him. Kyro had loved Romvi. It was where he and his family had been happy. Back when his mother was still alive. Life had been filled with friends, family, and laughter. In Drenn, all of those things were in short supply. Returning to Romvi only reminded Kyro of what he’d lost. He couldn’t imagine what would take his father there now.

“How does your father know the captain?” Kyro asked. The more he learned about Salban, the more his curiosity grew. Her connections to the Star Shepherds had made her all the more intriguing.

“She said something about hanging out on the docks when they were kids, so they must have known each other growing up. My dad did want to be a sailor for a time before he decided to take over his parents’ bakery.” Andra shrugged. “Who knows? I’m just glad it worked in my favor.” She grinned, and Kyro laughed.

It wasn’t long before the forest thinned, the ground beneath their feet turned grainy and dry, and the plants grew sparser and farther apart. Soon, the yellow sands of the Ergsada Valley were churning in front of them in great sloping waves. Unlike the Black Lands, there were no skeletal remains of long-lost structures clawing out from the ground here. It was smooth, rolling sand as far as the eye could see. It almost looked like no one had ever disturbed the dunes before. Kyro shivered. The Black Lands had been disconcerting, but this seemed so vast, like it might swallow them whole.

Kyro and Cypher paused before the sands, and Andra wrinkled her nose at them. “Are you all right?”

Kyro tried to laugh, but it came out more like a groan. “I was just thinking that I’ve already had my fill of deserts this week.

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