The Land in the Sky

Chapter 1

She glided silently through the maze of tents. The material shelters moved past her line of vision in a coloured blur of pale blue, faded rose, deep indigo and striking green…

The colour that caused awed stares and hurried whispers to follow.

"Did you see? Did you see?"

"That was her!"

"Could it be?"

"Sorceress…"

"Witch."

"Our saviour."

"She looked this way!"

"Can you see her eyes?"

"They were green…"

As far as Aeriel was concerned she was just as unremarkable as those anonymous voices that barely reached her ears. As mingled and undefined as the wind. Yet their words still bothered her.

"Our saviour."

Aeriel had been raised, as all slaves were, to be invisible. She had always been told that she had been inconsequential and now…

She was expected to be so much.

So much that she could never hope to be.

Even her presence at the meeting she was now travelling to seemed to be a joke. What could she possibly have to contribute?

It would only be a little while longer before she arrived

Maybe, Aeriel mused, it wasn't her new found position of power that she feared so much; as having to see her 'husband'.

Irrylath…

And then Sabr.

Together.

Even though Irrylath had only met his cousin the previous year, the bandit queen had been allowed to bond with and know the former darkangel in ways his wife could only dream of. It was now quite common to see the two of them strolling together, discussing strategies, sharing meals and even having the occasional spar, all the while seeming as close and contented with each others' company as the closet of friends.

Or lovers.

Aeriel knew that Irrylath couldn't be betraying her in a physical sense, his ties to the White Witch made it impossible for him to lie with any woman while her hold on him remained. The pale girl also understood that with Irrylath and Sabr being of kin and having such similar characters they were bound to be, pardon the pun, as thick as thieves. Yet she only wished that Irrylath would be more willing to share his company with her on occasion as well as Sabr.

Aeriel loved Irrylath, she had loved with all of her previous heart, the one that now beat in her husband's chest and also with his former heart, which now beat in hers.

She loved him so much that even with the chaotic and worrisome business of preparing for war, Irrylath still occupied most of her thoughts throughout the day.

And she loved him so much that it felt that her soul was ripped in two every time he turned her away in favour of spending time with his troops or Sabr. Every time his eyes would focus onto the horizon, the tents, his sword... anywhere but on her.

Aeriel was so lost in her thoughts that she was startled to find herself already standing in front of the canvas flap that separated the meeting tent from the outside world. She hesitated for a moment, remembering all her previous doubts as to how essential her presence would or rather would not be.

But finally, the burden of her unwanted role and duties weighing heavily on her heart, she gave a defeated sigh and stepped inside.

"Aeriel, dear heart." The Lady Syllva greeted warmly as she took her daughter-in-law by the arm, "I'm so glad your finally here. Please come inside."

Both to Aeriel's great joy and dread, Syllva lead her to a place next to Irrylath at the table. Heart fluttering wildly in her chest, Aeriel offered her husband-in-name a weak smile. This he rewarded with a polite but brief nod, before facing forward again.

Sabr was sitting on his other side.

The pale girl noted with some embarrassment that she had been the very last to arrive at the meeting. Irrylath's six half brothers were already there, sitting across from her and chattering loudly about sword fighting techniques with Aeriel's own brother Roshka. Her dear friend Talb, the duarough was also there, talking respectfully to Pendarlon. As if sensing Aeriel's unnatural eyes on him, the dwarf looked up and winked at her. Pendarlon was not the only lon present; Bernalon the wolf-guardian of Bern and Zambulon the great, winged cat, were also in attendance.

"Aeriel!"

It seemed like the so-called sorceress, was not in fact the last to arrive, her dear friend and companion Erin had only just pushed through the tent flap, panting heavily. With the islander's dark, dark skin it was impossible to tell whether or not her face was flushed but Aeriel could only assumed that if the other girl's skin were as pale as her own her cheeks would be bright red.

"Aeriel!" The islander repeated, louder this time, her voice clearer, not quite so breathless. She was grinning wildly, the whiteness of her teeth incredibly striking against the jet background of her face.

Despite her melancholy mood, Aeriel couldn't help being moved by her friend's obvious good cheer.

"Yes, Erin?" She managed a small smile, that, while unable to rival Erin's was still full of warmth and affection.

Aeriel's smile mustn't have been too half hearted, because the dark girl's only got brighter in response. "Can you come outside for a minute? There's something that I want to tell you."

She immediately rose to go meet her friend but Aeriel's movement was impended by a long, elegant hand that swiftly grabbed hold of her sleeve and pulled her back into her seat.

"The conclave is about to begin." Irrylath's tone was quite cool but Aeriel still found herself filled with joy at the sound of his voice. Her husband spoke to her so rarely these days, that it was a blessing to have his attention for a moment; even if it was only chastisement.

"I'm sure it's nothing so important that it can't wait until afterwards."

No, Aeriel realized, Irrylath's voice wasn't completely devoid of emotion, there was a touch of annoyance to it. She wondered what she could have done to rile him but soon realized her husband's irritation wasn't directed towards herself.

He was glaring at Erin.

"Although if you had had the decency to arrive on time, or Ancient's forbid, early," The agitation in his voice had increased, "Then maybe you would have had time for private discussions but for now I'll have to ask you, to take your seat."

"And may I ask what right you have to order me around, your majesty." Erin spat, unwilling to back down from the prince. "I arrived only a little later than the set time, and I have my reasons."

"Oh?" Irrylath inquired, sarcastically, "And what are they, pray tell?"

"I don't need to explain myself to you…You prig!!"

The other occupants of the tent could only watch with astonishment as the islander and prince's quarrel deteriorated into a shouting match.

"What did you call me you worthless---"

"Oh? Are you deaf as well?"

"I'm not, but you will be once I—"

"Violent brute!!!"

"Savage wench!!!"

"Arrogant ba----"

"STOP THAT!!! YOU'RE BOTH ACTING LIKE CHILDREN!!!"

Irrylath and Erin froze simultaneously, mouths still hanging open, ready to deliver their next insults.

This outburst had, surprisingly enough, come from the normally good-natured Lady of Isternes. Her violet eyes dark and scolding, Aeriel was, for the first time, aware of her husband's resemblance to his mother.

Silently, Irrylath and Erin took their seats; Irrylath returning to his that had been abandoned during the argument and Erin slowly sinking into her place beside Aeriel.

She grinned again at the pale girl but Aeriel didn't notice. She was too busy staring at Syllva, who was once again looking as sweet and collected as she always did.

Noticing the line of Aeriel's gaze, Hadin leaned across the table to whisper conspiratorially, "How else do you think she managed to keep all of us in line when we were younger?"

Despite the softness of his tone his mother had still heard Hadin's words. Irrylath-glare once more in place she stared her youngest son down for a moment before breaking into giggles.

"Well thank goodness you all aren't that young any more!" Her smile was brilliant as she leaned one pale cheek upon her curved palm, "You can behave yourselves now."

Now it was Sybil's turn to whisper to Aeriel, "She doesn't know about the revels!"

"I know a lot more than you think I do." Syllva smirked at her Istern born-sons' horrified faces. "Now, now….Don't look so scared. I understand that while you are all no longer children you are still young and have a right to enjoy yourselves…"

"Ah….I'm sorry to interrupt, Lady, but shouldn't we focus are attention back to the matter at hand?" The Pendarlon growled gently as he gestured to the map on the table with one razor tipped claw.

Instantly the easygoing, informal atmosphere vanished from the tent vanished as battle strategies and war plans flew across the table and Aeriel fond herself struggling to keep up and make sense of all that was said…

"If the lons attack in this formation…"

"Can you make more of those arrows?"

"But what about the Witch's illusions? We need to find a way to…"

Even Erin, who had only recently been chosen to lead the newly recruited Islanders in the war, and who couldn't possibly have had any previous experience with combat training, seemed to be keeping abreast of the situation and was throwing in her suggestions just as quickly as everyone else.

'No, no, no! Even an army of babes wouldn't be deceived by that tactic!"

"Maybe we should wait another few months and train the troops befor…"

Aeriel's head was aching from trying to understand it all. It seemed everyone was shouting constantly and the voices overlapped and over rode each other so much that eventually they all blurred into once constant throbbing mix of anger and passion…

"But!"

"What if…"

"Sorceress?"

After a few moments the pounding in Aeriel's head paused long enough for her to realize that one of those shrilling voices was taking to her. It was Sabr.

"Yes?" She replied, a little weakly.

"Do you have anything to contribute? You seem a little quiet."

Aeriel wondered if it was her imagination or if Sabr truly was smirking at her. She tried to say something but found her throat was too dry for even a single word to escape from it.

With that uncanny ability that Erin seemed to posses to instantaneously realise Aeriel's desires, the dark girl nimbly plucked a half filled flagon of water off the table that was previously being used to weigh down one corner of the map. Aeriel gratefully accepted it as it was passed to her and was just about to sip it. When something caught her eye.

"Aozora?" She pointed to the region of the map that had been covered by the flagon, "I've never heard of that land before..."

To be continued

Well that the first chapter, sorry nothing much happened. Hopefully the pace will pick up a bit more. Aozora is Japanese for 'blue, empty sky'. Well at least that's what my dictionary told me. So if you that together with the title you can probably guess what this story is going to be about ^_^