Who can hope to be safe? Who sufficiently cautious?
Guard himself as he may, every moment's an ambush.

~Horace

Chapter 14: The Accident.

"Tilt your head a little bit more," Camille was saying, "and – relax. Don't let anything distract you. Remember, when you're dancing your exam, don't keep looking at the judges. Just… Dance."

Skyla laughed nervously and dropped out of her dancing pose. "That's easier said than done," she said as she shook her hands. "It's easy to see their reactions…"

Jade shook her head from her corner and stood up. "No," she said with a smile. "That's the problem. You shouldn't let their reactions to your dance dictate how you present it. You see Princess, what you have to remember is that they want to see you dance. They want to see the way you dance for yourself, not the way you dance for them. That's what makes the difference between good dancers and bad dancers."

Skyla smiled embarrassed and pushed a piece of hair behind her ear. "Probably," she said with a smile and took a deep breath. "Right, you don't mind seeing my routine one more time?"

Angelica, who had been keeping the puppies entertained, walked forward with a smile and shook her head. "Not at all," she said. "We love to see you dance." When she reached her friend she nudged Jade in the chest. "And, so would Slam if he was here…"

Jade glared at her and nudged her back, sitting down again. "Don't be silly," she hissed as Camille started Skyla's music again. "She's older than he is."

Angelica smirked and moved so that she could have a better view of Skyla, dumping Whirl in her lap. "Not here," she said in a singsong voice. Jade grumbled at her and grabbed the white puppy before he flew away. They weren't very good at flying yet, but that morning they had discovered what it was like to have two enthusiastic and energetic puppies try and tug on their hair from the air. It was all very well being careful where you left your shoes, it was a different matter entirely trying to remember where you had hung your clothes.

They watched as Skyla went through her routine, seemingly flawlessly except for a few technical errors that Camille could pick up. Of the three, she had the best eye for detail and it was said that their Dame Skyla was considering starting to use her in some lessons. She already taught a few dance classes at a local prep school some afternoons.

As she had done the first time she showed them her routine, Skyla closed her eyes and was now effortlessly gliding through her steps. It was spellbinding and when she looked up Jade realized that they weren't the only ones enthralled. Both Angelica and Jade stiffened suddenly when they noticed that Skyclone was staring at Skyla from the one door, his eyes hungry as he looked at her. Jade hugged Whirl to her and glanced at Angelica who took a step closer to the door, her face blank. Skyclone's sharp eyes travelled to them and he scowled fiercely. He turned around but suddenly found himself staring right at Faolin who had been standing quietly behind him. Skyclone blinked surprised but then turned his smouldering look on her. Faolin narrowed her eyes but then dropped a small curtsey, just fitting for someone of his status. Jade and Angelica shared a look as Skyclone pushed past her and thundered down the hallway. Angelica moved back to Jade as Faolin walked into the hall, her sharp eyes following Skyla's movements.

"Slam doesn't work him hard enough," Angelica hissed at her friend. "And that woman doesn't have enough work to do."

Jade hissed at her to be quiet as she stood up and went to meet Faolin halfway. Skyla had stopped dancing and was watching the young woman approach. The older attendant didn't look as if she had wanted to talk to Jade and tried to sidestep her tactfully but Jade fluidly stepped in her way. They looked at each other until Faolin sniffed sharply and dropped her head.

"I have a message for the princess," she said. "From the king. May I see her?"

Jade glanced at Skyla for confirmation which nodded with a frown and came closer.

Faolin dropped to a curtsey immediately and waited for the exasperated Skyla to give her permission to get up before she continued.

"King Skyhawk told me to inform you that Queen Alima will be returning tonight," she said in a stoic tone. "And, Prince Skyler asks if you would like to attend the Skeg hunt party." She glanced at the three girls. "With your attendants of course."

Skyla nodded formally, trying hard to remain regal despite the sweat that was pouring down her face. "Sure," she said. "Thank you Faolin."

The woman bowed another curtsey and flew out of the hallway before Skyla could say anything else. Angelica snorted and shook her head.

"She really has a bean pole in the wrong place," she said. "Honestly. What's her job again?"

Skyla sighed and rubbed her neck with a towel that Jade handed her. "Her aunt is one of the queen's Ladies-in-Waiting," she said. "She's not quite as high as that, so she's an attendant. Because the queen is not here the whole time it gives her Ladies-in-Waiting time to go of to their own families. Faolin has to stay here and be on call for when Alima returns. It's not a very challenging job; I use to do it when my mother was away…" She trailed off and sighed, oblivious to the look the three girls shared.

"Tell us of the queen," Jade said before the silence became too awkward. "We've never heard of her."

Skyla raised an eyebrow and blinked surprised. "That's odd," she said. "She's Skyler's mother."

Jade laughed softly. "Naturally," she said. "But, I meant that… she's not really around is she?"

Skyla blinked. "Oh yes," she said as she went to her jug and poured herself a glass of water. "Alima…" She checked herself. "Queen Alima does not live here. She's the watcher of…" She hesitated. "Master Anwar should've told you about this, I'm not sure how much I'm allowed to say." She looked terribly embarrassed.

The three girls smiled and shook their heads. "You don't have to like, tell us in detail," Angelica said. "Just give us an overview."

Skyla nodded thoughtfully and reached out for Twirl. She patted the puppy and then threw him up into the air. She watched him glide down to where his brother was still being held by Jade before she made a vague motion with her hand.

"The queen doesn't live here," she said again. "And, neither do I for that matter, though I'm here more than she is. We live in another place. Which is where I have this dance exam you see." She glanced at the three girls. "She has to take care of the estates there and I lived there with her and my mother. I stayed on after…" She faltered a bit. "I stayed on after my parents died. It was more home there than here at the time." She spoke very matter-of-factly although she didn't look at them but rather at the two puppies as they tumbled over the floor. She didn't see the absolute horrified expressions on the three young women's faces.

"Your parents died?" Jade exclaimed. "We never knew…" She faltered when Skyla gave her a sideway glance. The young princess shrugged and sighed softly, touching her neck.

"It happened a few years ago," she said. "There was a fire on my family's farm. That's why I stay with Alima, she's my ward." There was an awkward silence as they stared at each other. The three Sky Dancers, horrified by the news, didn't know what to say. Skyla noticed this and smiled suddenly in a gentle, calm way.

"It happened," she said quietly with a kind of ageless look in her eyes. "It changed my life significantly, but I won't lie and say that all the changes were bad." She went down on her knees, scooped up the two puppies and when she straightened herself she looked older, much more like the Skyla they knew with her quiet strength and dignity.

"It's one of the reasons I dance," she said. "I feel as if I'm honouring them through it. I loved my parents, and I've decided to hold onto that and the gifts they gave me in life rather than the sorrow of their death. Please, don't be sad for me."

The three looked at her, stunned by the sudden transformation that she had gone to. As one they closed their eyes and bowed to her so that she couldn't see their faces. Skyla looked at them for a long time before she quietly stepped forward and touched each on the shoulder.

"Come on," she said softly. "I have to prepare for the Skeg hunt this afternoon. Come with me, please, I would enjoy your company."

&&&

Later that day they met up with Skyler and Breeze as they were flying towards the throne room. The four Sky Dancers didn't miss the brief smouldering look the two of the two lovers shared. It was as if they could not get enough of each other and the less they were allowed to touch in public, the worst the feelings got around them.

The three girls joined up with Breeze and smiled at him as he shook his head at the pair.

"Did you have a good morning?" Angelica asked her boyfriend as he slid in next to her. Breeze smiled sadly and nodded.

"We were talking about the weather," he said. "And you?"

Angelica briefly reached out and touched his hand. "Giving Skyla a bit of a dancing lesson," she said. "She's doing an exam next week. She's like, majorly stressed about it." She lowered her voice. "We found out that Skyla's parents died in a fire a few years ago!"

The young man gasped shocked. "No way!" he exclaimed, his eyes immediately shooting to the princess. Angelica slapped him lightly on the shoulder.

"Ssh…" she hissed. "Don't make a scene. Where's Slam?"

Breeze snorted and shook his head, still looking at Skyla. "With his other royal highness," he said. "They should meet us in the throne room. He gave Skyclone a lesson on healthy eating today."

Camille fell back to them and rolled her eyes just as they entered the throne room. "I don't know why he bothers," she whispered. "We know it will never work."

Jade sighed and gave her friend a look. "Slam does the best at every task that he is given," she said. "Just because he doesn't like his job, doesn't mean that he won't give his all to do it."

The others couldn't reply as Skyla and Skyler landed beside the king. The older man smiled at the group as did Slam who was already there. After bowing his leave to Skyclone, he made his way to his friends, his face frozen in a smile. Jade gave her three girl friends a meaningful look and went to join her friend, touching his shoulder lightly as she stepped up beside him. King Skyhawk glanced over everybody assembled and cleared his throat.
"We are just waiting for the guards to return from the armoury," he said in general and turned to the five new comers. "Are you enjoying your work so far?"

They all bowed to the king as one and nodded. "Yes, your Highness," Jade spoke up. "You have a beautiful palace."

The king smiled at her and turned to Skyler. "And have you learned a lot today my son?"

Skyler smiled, his eyes shining as he glanced at Breeze. "Yes Father," he said and walked over to Breeze to lay his hand on the young man's shoulder. "I believe that Breeze has wisdom beyond his years. He is a good tutor and I believe we will become good friends one day."

King Skyhawk chuckled. "It is a reassuring thought," he said. "Let's hope they can all pass on their wisdom." He gave Skyclone a meaningful look, who crossed his arms in a sulky fashion and grumbled something underneath his breath. When two guards appeared at the door, Skyhawk turned his attention away from his sons and back to the five Sky Dancers.

"We welcome your wisdom and knowledge," he said. "And I hope that you can pass on as much as they need to learn my sons. Today though, let us hope that your flying skills are as good as your knowledge. The Skegs are like unruly children. They can do a lot of damage and not mean to."

At this, Skyclone snorted and brought his arms to his sides again. "Not enough damage," he muttered under his breath. King Skyhawk didn't seem to hear him and continued undeterred. "So, the plan is to net the Skeg leader and take him to the outskirts of the wingdom and release him. Then, the flock will follow."

The guards brought forth three net launchers and Skyler, being the First Prince, had the first choice. He went over the cabinet and automatically reached for the middle red net launcher but then seemed to decide against it and rather reached for the blue one next to it.

Skyclone stiffened and moved forward to select his. He took the red one, stared at it for a moment or two then turned to Skyler.

"Skyler," he said in a singsong voice dripping with sudden charm. His brother turned towards him slightly surprised. "Skyler," Skyclone said again. "Please take the red net launcher, isn't it your trusty favourite?"

Skyler glanced at the net launcher in his brother's hands then smiled and shook his head. "Thank you brother," he said sincerely. "But the blue's just fine." He patted the machine then looked up when the guard suddenly called for everybody's attention.

"The Skegs!" He shouted. "The Skegs are approaching!"

Skyler's eyes lit up with excitement as he gave his brother a grin. "Race you," he whispered and flew off.

The Sky Dancers glanced at each other and followed him quickly. Breeze looked to where Skyclone was still standing with the net launcher in his arms and pulled Slam closer in flight. "I've got a bad feeling Slam," he said softly. "Let's stick close to Skyler."

They all left the palace and flew up some distance beyond the city. Breeze and Slam flanked the young prince whereas the three girls remained by Skyla's side. The princess' face was flushed with excitement as her eyes scanned the horizon. She was the first to see the Skegs and pointed them out to Skyler.

"Here they come," she said. "They are heading straight for the wingdom."

Skyler's face became serious as he focused on the birds and dived down through the clouds. A few seconds later Breeze and Slam, who had fallen behind, appeared beside Skyla and looked around bewildered.

"I lost him Breeze," Slam said frustrated. They looked around and started searching through the clouds. Meanwhile Skyla remained where she was, knowing that she might be more at risk of being in the way than helping. The three Sky Dancers flew up behind her and smiled at her.

"Where are the boys?" Camille asked.

Skyla made a vague motion in the direction Skyler had flown. "They have gone after the Skegs, I thought it best to stay here – out of their way."

Jade smiled and nodded. "Is it dangerous?" she asked.

Skyla frowned and bit her lip. "It can be," she said quietly. "The Skegs are strong. If they accidentally hit you, or fight you when you try to move them you might well break an arm or loose a wing. But, both Skyler and Skyclone have done this many times. Skyler is a really good shot." The note of adoration was clear in her voice.

The three girls smiled at each other. "When will you two like, get married?" Angelica asked.

Skyla blushed. "Not for another year or two," she said. "I have to finish my studies first. That was a condition that Alima set."

Camille raised an eyebrow. "It was her choice?" she queried.

Skyla nodded. "Of sorts," she replied. "She gave me her title because my family didn't have the right title for me to marry Skyler. They were…"

"Farmers," Skyclone said out of the blue, appearing beside them.

Skyla closed her eyes briefly and sighed softly. "Hello Skyclone," she said. "Where's Skyler?"

There was a flash of something in Skyclone's eyes as he shouldered his blue net launcher. "He's about being the hero," he said. "He's a better shot than I am so I gave him the red net launcher, it is easier to handle than this old thing." He patted the blue one and turned his lecherous eyes on the three Sky Dancers. "Are you three enjoying this?"

Angelica snorted. "We were," she said. Camille gave her a look and continued quickly. "We were just about to say how much we are enjoying it," she said. "Isn't that right girls?" She looked at her two friends who nodded.

Skyclone smiled at them. "If you want a tour of the wingdom you should just say the word," he said. "I'm sure Skyla will excuse you from your duties. She knows how precious it can be to have some private time to yourself in the palace."

Skyla sighed softly and smiled at him. "If they request the time, I shall grant it Skyclone," she said patiently. "Tell me…"

A sudden explosion thundered around them. Skyla looked down as the wind blew the clouds apart just in time to see Skyler and the two boys start to fall.

Her heart froze.

"Skyler!" she yelled as the three girls dove past her. They flew down with a reckless speed and quickly caught the boys. With her heart still feeling as if it was covered in ice Skyla flew towards them and touched Skyler's pale face. There was blood on his chin and he didn't respond to her touch.

'No,' she thought with panic. 'No, not now – I'm happy. Please, don't take him. Please…' The palace guards who had accompanied them on the hunt approached them from behind her. She looked at them but couldn't speak, couldn't think what needed to be done next.

"Quick," Angelica said, cradling the unconscious Breeze. "Get them to the palace!"

The guards responded quickly and Skyla felt herself pushed away from her beloved as he was put in a sling. She watched them leave, unable to think or cope with what had just happened. It was only when they disappeared form her sight that she felt a spurt of panic that allowed her to fly forward. She never even noticed that Skyclone was nowhere in sight.

&&&

To Be Continued…

AN: Safely back in the country of my birth. Sadly, no more adventures. But – at least I have other things to look forward to now like… Buying a horse.;)

Enjoy everybody,


Alyss
3-;--