―I…‖
―Do you not sing the Flight Song to your children as they lay nesting in their shells?‖
―Flight Song…?‖
The sparrow spat in disgust. ―Listen…‖ And he trilled a simple song, paused, then trilled
it again. ―Repeat it.‖
His surprise giving way to a small tingle of excitement, CrimsonStar repeated the tune,
stumbling over one or two of the phrases, but correcting himself instantly.
The sparrow laughed. ―You are my son, CrimsonStar. Now go home and lay beside
EverHeart and sing her the Song. Run your hands down her back, rub, probe, encourage, and
soon she shall have movement again. Soon she will soar free from her prison-bed and let the sky
ring with her laughter. Teach her the Song, and let her minister to you as well. And when she
swells with your child, then place your hands on her belly and sing to the child what I have
taught you. It is my gift to my children, CrimsonStar.‖
―Thank—‖
―Do not thank me, CrimsonStar. Not until after the pain has faded, for you are both late in
age to spread your wings. Besides, for the knowledge I have imparted and the gift I have given I
must curse you.‖
CrimsonStar waited, sure the curse would match the gift.
―Oh, it will, it will, CrimsonStar. Listen to me now. You and EverHeart will be the first
among the Icarii to spread your wings and fly into the heavens. But for this there is a price. I
name your family SunSoar, a regal name, for your feathered backs must bear the burden of the
sins of the Icarii. Wait…there is more. As you and EverHeart can consider no other love save
that you bear for the other, so no SunSoar will love beyond the SunSoar blood. Never will you
and yours find happiness save in each other‘s arms. Do you understand?‖
CrimsonStar nodded soberly, considering the implications.
―Then go down to your wife, CrimsonStar. And then to your people…and tell them the
heavens wait.‖
The fire had died down, and Drago‘s face was lost in shadow.
―StarDrifter told me that,‖ he repeated, ―and he also told me that somehow the story must
have been corrupted by the Seneschal, for how could the proud Icarii be born of a sparrow?‖
Faraday managed a small smile. Poor StarDrifter. No doubt he preferred to think that the
Icarii race was fathered by one of the stars themselves, falling down the ladder of the Star Dance
to impregnate the Enchantress.
―It is no myth, but truth,‖ said Urbeth quietly, her eyes fixed on some distant point in the
roof beams. ―For I am she who lay with the sparrow, and I am she who mothered the three
races.‖
As Drago and Faraday stared at her, Faraday motionless with shock and Drago silent with
understanding, Urbeth—the Enchantress—rolled over on her belly and bared her teeth at them.
―Noah sent you to me to learn, Drago, and there is a lesson in what you have just related.
Shall we speak of it?‖
38
The Sunken Keep
Zenith sat at the table and tried not to listen to the conversation. StarDrifter and
EvenSong were chatting happily about their long-gone life in Talon Spike. All Zenith could
think of was that EvenSong was her aunt…and how could she sleep with her aunt‘s father?
Zenith suppressed a grimace. She was becoming obsessed with guilt, and yet all she and
StarDrifter had ever done was share a kiss or two!
Zenith looked at the table, trying to find something else to think about. The table held the
most splendid platter-ware—the richest crimson-gilded Corolean manufacture—but it sat
horribly bare. That noon they‘d lunched on dried biscuits and a single apple apiece.
The only thing they had in abundance was wine. The cellars of the palace had always
been well-stocked, and whether it was the accessibility or the peace of mind it gave Zenith did
not know, but over the past few weeks she had begun to avail herself of it a little too freely.
She had not been able to resolve anything regarding StarDrifter. He remained warm,
loving and patient. She wanted desperately to please him, to thank him for his belief in her, and
had come to the conclusion that if she was unable to bring herself to sleep with him, it was
nothing but her fault. There was no reason to feel such repulsion…was there?
Perhaps RiverStar had been right to taunt her. Maybe she should have taken lovers well
before this. Maybe she was nothing but a prim bitch with a hall as cold as any in this complex.
Why was she such a prude?
She crumpled a napkin in one hand, and felt like screaming. All Zenith wanted to do was
escape…escape from this chill-chambered prison, and from her own confusion and guilt. In the
next instant, escape was handed her.
StarFever bustled in the door, and behind him came WingRidge CurlClaw, Captain of the
Lake Guard, with SpikeFeather TrueSong at his side.
StarDrifter gaped at them an instant before he remembered that Drago had sent them off
to find Sanctuary. He stood and took a step in their direction. ―Have you…?‖
―Well,‖ WingRidge said, one eyebrow raised in amusement, ―SpikeFeather thinks he
knows where it is.‖
―But we need your help,‖ SpikeFeather said.
Both birdmen remembered their manners as they caught sight of FreeFall, and they
bowed low, sweeping their wings behind them.
―StarDrifter has spoken of this Sanctuary,‖ FreeFall said as he rose and walked slowly
over to WingRidge. ―He has also said that you trust implicitly in Drago. Is this correct?‖
―Talon FreeFall,‖ WingRidge said, holding the birdman‘s eyes. ―If I say that I believe in
Drago, then what I mean is that the Lake Guard believes Drago…and trusts Drago.‖
FreeFall stilled, his back very straight. He knew as well as any other that the Lake Guard
dedicated their lives in service to StarSon. ―And so now you aid Drago,‖ he asked. ―You do as he
asks?‖
―I can do nothing else,‖ WingRidge said. ―The Guard can do nothing else.‖
FreeFall rocked slightly on his feet as the implications of what WingRidge said sank in.
The Lake Guard acknowledged Drago as StarSon.
He looked at EvenSong, their love and many years of closeness allowing them to know
what the other was thinking, even if they had never had the benefit of enchantments with which
to share thoughts.
FreeFall breathed deeply, trying to accept it, but finding it hard. Why had no-one told him
before now?
―The Icarii starve in this cold-halled hell,‖ he said to WingRidge, and walked back to his
place at the table. For the moment he did not want to think about accepting Drago as StarSon.
―And the Avar can hardly feed themselves, let alone us. Every day we are inundated with more
refugees from the plains to the west. StarDrifter could tell me little about this Sanctuary…can
you add to that meagreness?‖
FreeFall sat and indicated two stools, and the two birdmen took them, tucking their wings
neatly against their backs. Briefly SpikeFeather spoke about what they knew of Sanctuary. It was
not much.
―Drago knew nothing of it himself,‖ SpikeFeather said, ―save that it exists and that it is
within the Underworld. He tasked WingRidge and myself with the burden of looking for it.‖
―And of course,‖ WingRidge said, managing to combine both sarcasm and affection into
his tone, ―despite all SpikeFeather‘s knowledge gained from the Ferryman, he could not cast a
gleam of light upon this mysterious Sanctuary.‖
―Nevertheless,‖ SpikeFeather said firmly, throwing the captain of the Lake Guard an
irritated glance, ―I now know where it must be.‖
He told his four listeners of his and WingRidge‘s hunt through the ancient maps of
Sigholt.
―And you found evidence of Sanctuary?‖ Zenith said. For the first time in weeks she felt
a surge of optimism…and sheer relief in being given something else to think of other than her
problematical relationship with StarDrifter.
―Not quite,‖ WingRidge said, his eyes firmly on SpikeFeather.
―What we found,‖ SpikeFeather continued, ―was an ancient map of Tencendor that
showed the Sacred Lakes and their accompanying Keeps. All four Lakes, and all four Keeps.‖
―But…‖ EvenSong said and shared a glance with her husband, father and Zenith.
―Quite,‖ SpikeFeather said with evident satisfaction. ―Now there are only three Lakes
with Keeps, or Towers. Where is Fernbrake Lake‘s Keep? It was there on the ancient map, but
now? Gone.‖
He grinned and waved his hands about as if his discovery had magically solved
Tencendor‘s every last problem.
―My friend does tend to be slightly over-enthusiastic on what can only be sheer
supposition,‖ WingRidge said.
―But surely he has a point, otherwise you would not be here with him,‖ Zenith said.
―Zenith is right,‖ StarDrifter said slowly. ―Tell me, have you searched for this lost Keep
in the waterways?‖
SpikeFeather nodded. ―Of course—but we found nothing. Besides…would not the
Charonites have found something before now if it were in easy view?‖