Misfits of Aquila (Aquila's Originals 1)

Chapter 17: The Choice, Part 2

TARYN HAD MET Mherrin Wrentherin and the rest of the clan on several occasions, since they were cousins to the Kilpapan ladies. There had been a time when he'd been a very romantic figure in her life, as a wounded pyreflyer struggling to recover from a terrible burn on his shoulder, neck and lower cheek. He'd come to stay at Silver Vale for a while, recuperating from his injuries, escaping the clutches of his well-meaning but overbearing family. Taryn had hung on his stories, dreaming impossible dreams, planning to run away with him when he left.

Except, one, he'd never asked her, and two, she didn't even like pyreflies. It had been a short autumn and an even shorter infatuation. Mherrin had swiftly recovered, by which time Taryn had already rethought all of her plans. Besides if there had ever been an Imercian princess in Mherrin's sights, it had been Hylena. Except Hylena had only had eyes for her baby miryhls at the time and hadn't noticed Mherrin much at all.

Taryn could look back at it now and laugh, able to bat aside Mherrin's flirtation with a roll of her eyes, but for a very short and intense half-moon he had been her world. Thankfully they had all recovered from that autumnal madness. Mherrin was looking particularly well, burns and all. In fact he'd cut his long curls ruthlessly short, the better to show off his dashing scars.

"I don't suppose you hear much news from home nowadays," her charming companion asked, in a less than subtle dig for information.

"Not a word," Taryn lied cheerfully, despite the letter she'd picked up from the front hall of Kilpapan House that very morning. Enamoured with her baby miryhls or not, Hylena never failed to send letters every quarter-moon. Sometimes Taryn even remembered to write back. Still, Mherrin didn't need to hear about how her mother was enjoying the blooming lilacs or how yet another young lordling had temporarily taken up residence at the nearest inn, trying to hook himself a country princess. Hylena found their attempted courtships sweetly amusing; Taryn suspected Mherrin would not.

"Shame. I did enjoy my stay at the Vale. I always think back on it with the greatest affection." The faraway look in his eyes suggested the dashing pyreflier was being serious for once, although sadly it was the wrong princess who remembered that time with equal fondness.

Grateful that she'd outgrown her infatuation with only the smallest twinge of pain, Taryn patted him consolingly on the arm and changed the subject. "So... miryhls?" she prompted, since she hadn't come here today to catch up with him. Especially when she'd seen him only the night before around the Kilpapan dinner table.

He stared blankly at her for a moment, then broke into a rather unnerving smile. "Yes, miryhls!" he agreed, as if they weren't absolutely surrounded by the creatures. "I have the perfect Choice picked out for you. Only the best for Mhysra's little almost-sister."

Taryn raised an eyebrow, uncertain whether that was a good thing or not. "You'd best show me," she said neutrally instead.

Mherrin chuckled and rubbed his hands together. "Right this way, Princess. You're in for a royal surprise."

* * *

VHEN HAD A headache. From the way Keiva, Tenzi and Guro stood clustered around him, they weren't feeling too brilliant either. It was too much. People everywhere, miryhls everywhere, dust everywhere. It was overwhelming. The noise, the sounds, the press of bodies. He'd grown up in one of the greatest cities in the Overworld and spent the last seven months in one of the busiest, but he'd grown used to the quieter pace of the selection school, trotting through Zvenera's streets either too early or too late to meet the crowds. This wasn't a crowd, it was a scrum, and Vhen wasn't quite sure how to handle it.

"We need to get to a wall," Guro shouted over the hubbub.

Keiva nodded and took hold of Vhen's arm. Tenzi grabbed his other side and Vhen realised that as the tallest of their group, he was somehow responsible for leading the way. He scanned the crowds, searching for Rhiddyl, wondering where she'd gone. No one had seen her since yesterday, when the Rider captain had swept them all off the skyship and into the city.