StarDrifter”s mouth watered, and he tried to avoid looking too desperately at the food
bundles. BroadWing and the others did a magnificent job, but it was hard on them. The deeper
Maximilian led his party into the mountains, the further they had to fly every few days for food
supplies. Maximilian did not want them flying into Isembaard. The Tyranny had no contact with
Icarii so far as anyone knew, and Maximilian did not want to put the Icarii into the possibly
dangerous position of being mistaken for flying demons and skewered by a terrified peasant or
guardsman.
“StarDrifter,” said BroadWing, handing the bundle he carried to Venetia. “You look—”
StarDrifter waved away the query. “I am well enough, BroadWing. Just a little tired.”
BroadWing did not need to say anything—the expression on his face registered his
concern well enough.
“We”ll be out of these mountains within two or three days,” Maximilian said. He”d built a
fire, using pieces of the coarse heather that dotted the more sheltered parts of the mountain
passes. The heather smoked horribly, but it burned, and it produced heat, and for that everyone
was grateful.
Maximilian looked at StarDrifter as he spoke, and StarDrifter realized there was a
connection he should be making…some decision he should be announcing. He tried to marshal
his thoughts…oh, yes…
“It will soon be time for you to leave us, BroadWing,” StarDrifter said, smiling for the
man. “Head back into the safety of the north.”
“Hardly „safety,”” BroadWing muttered, sitting down beside StarDrifter. During their
trips back to buy food, the Icarii had heard snatches of gossip about the escalating wars between
the Central Kingdoms. The Outlands had invaded Pelemere, the fighting stretching to the borders
of Kyros. Maximilian was desperately worried about Escator. Although he barely spoke of it, the
others could see his concern in the tightness about his eyes and mouth every time the Icarii came
back with more news.
They were not to know Maximilian also knew of the birth of Kanubai, and lay awake
many nights, going through the Twisted Tower, trying to guess what objects might fill the empty
spots, and what they might mean.
“But you will go,” StarDrifter said. Since his somewhat reluctant acceptance of the title
of Talon, the Icarii scouts had looked to him, rather than Maximilian, for direction. StarDrifter
had initially found that difficult—the years spent as a bitter exile at the Corolean court had
undermined his prior easy acceptance of his status within Icarii society—but very gradually
princely command had returned, and the Icarii”s deference felt less strange.
“Yes, we will go,” BroadWing said. His mouth crooked. “We will stand out a little too
much, I think, for an easy passage in Isembaard. We will go back to Kyros, or perhaps even
Pelemere, and wait for you there. Stars alone knows where you will come out of these mountains
again, once you have rescued Ishbel.”
“BroadWing,” Maximilian said, leaning forward slightly, “if there are any troubles—”
“Then we will let you know,” BroadWing said. “Somehow.”
Maximilian nodded, leaning back. It was the best he could hope for.
Venetia and Serge prepared a meal while everyone sat watching and unspeaking, lost in
their thoughts.
The traverse through the mountains had been difficult and wearying for everyone, not just
StarDrifter and Salome, but it had not been fraught with too many hardships. The mountains
were traversable, it was just that people without benefit of winged companions who could scout
ahead for the best and most direct routes, or who could also fetch and carry for them, tended to
lose themselves within the ten thousand gullies and valleys between the peaks and starve before
they ever managed to find their way out. The FarReach Mountains were a maze of blind gullies
and valleys, difficult to move through and impossible to climb out of.
Without the Icarii, Maximilian was sure they would have found the journey almost
impossible.
He finished his meal, once again grateful to the Icarii for their help, and studied Salome
and StarDrifter.
They looked terrible. Both appeared to have lost weight (although that was difficult to
gauge, given their bulky warm clothing), their faces were pale, and smudged under their eyes
were deep circles of weariness.
What was wrong with them?
“Salome,” Maximilian said, “I want Venetia to have a look at you and StarDrifter. We
need to know what”s wrong.”
“There”s nothing wrong,” both said together, glanced at each other, then as quickly
looked away again.
They had largely traveled as a pair, StarDrifter staying close to Salome and helping her if
she needed. At night they bundled down very close. They did not argue, nor express any
particular emotion toward the other. In fact, they barely passed a word between them.
Maximilian did not know if that was merely a by-product of their exhaustion, or if they had
arrived at some silent companionship that was not friendship, but a resigned acknowledgment of
their ties.
Personally, Maximilian thought it was likely a combination of both.
“Look, Maxel,” StarDrifter said, “I don”t think anything is—”
“If Venetia could look at my back, I”d be grateful,” Salome put in. “The past few days it
has been so sore…perhaps I have pulled a ligament.”
“Then a rub may help it,” Venetia said, moving over to Salome”s side. She tried to aid
Salome in removing her jacket, vest, and shirt while preserving the woman”s modesty, but,
irritable, Salome shrugged off her attempts to cover her chest.
“I doubt anyone here has not seen a pair of breasts before,” she snapped, and StarDrifter
smiled. If Venetia had seen Salome parading about in her completely transparent finery in
Coroleas then she would not have worried about preserving the woman”s “modesty.”
Salome shot StarDrifter an irritated look, and he managed to suppress the smile.
Venetia ran her hands over Salome”s back, frowning. “There”s something wrong with
your back,” she said. “I don”t know…Ravenna?”
Her daughter moved over, frowning as well once she saw Salome”s back.
“Perhaps it is an infection,” Venetia said.
“Venetia?” Maximilian said. “What is it?”
“I don”t think it is an infection,” Ravenna said quietly. “BroadWing, can you…?”
He came over, and leaned down for a look.
“Stars!” he exclaimed, and almost fell over as he stumbled back a pace. “I cannot believe
it!”
“What is it?” Maximilian said.
BroadWing did not answer him. Instead he looked to StarDrifter. “StarDrifter…is your
back troubling you?”
“Yes, but it is just weariness, perhaps, and—”
“StarDrifter,” said BroadWing, “please have a look at Salome”s back.”
“Oh, for all the gods” sakes,” snapped Salome, as StarDrifter sighed and rose. “Just give
it a rub, Venetia, and let me be. I wish I”d never asked you to look at it.”
“Oh, dear gods,” StarDrifter whispered, also taking a step back as he saw Salome”s back.
“What is—” Maximilian began, then stopped, astounded, as StarDrifter literally ripped
his upper clothes off.
He had never seen such a look of sheer desperation on anyone”s face before.
The other Icarii had rushed over by now, and the four of them were standing back,
looking between Salome and StarDrifter with expressions that ranged from the incredulous to the
awestruck.
“BroadWing,” StarDrifter said, his voice tight. “Is…is…”
BroadWing was looking at StarDrifter”s back, then laid a hand softly on it.
“Yes,” he said, and StarDrifter moaned, and sank to his knees, his face in his hands.
“Will someone tell me what is going on!” Maximilian snarled, now also on his feet, and
looking between Salome”s and StarDrifter”s backs.
They did look inflamed, and curiously lumpy, as if something had burrowed under the
skin on either side of their spines.
Suddenly Maximilian knew what was happening, and did not need Broad-Wing”s quietly
spoken confirmation.
“They are regrowing their wings,” he said.
“That”s impossible,” Ravenna said. “I thought you”d both had everything
removed…wings…their roots…everything.”
“I don”t…I can”t…” StarDrifter said, looking up at everyone standing about, tears
staining his face. “I can”t explain…oh, gods, thank you, thank you, thank you!”
BroadWing was weeping as well, and he squatted down by StarDrifter and hugged the
man.
“Wings?” said Salome. “I don”t want wings!”
“Nonetheless,” said SongFlight, one of BroadWing”s companions, “you shall have them
soon enough. See, Maximilian, the wings are forming on either side of their spines, under the
skin.” Her hand traced down Salome”s back, outlining the nascent wings. “They will break
through within a few weeks, and grow from there.”
“No wonder you both have been so exhausted, and so hungry,” said BroadWing. “Your
bodies have been putting most of your energy into the development of the wings.”
“And Salome”s baby?” said StarDrifter, on his feet again. He”d regained some of his
composure, and for the first time since he”d met him, Maximilian had a glimpse of the sheer
charismatic power of the man.
“Well,” said Venetia, “once all the gentlemen here can give us a little privacy, and
Salome and I might manage a bit of peace, perhaps I can answer that for you.”