Misfits of Aquila (Aquila's Originals 1)

Chapter 24: Lessons, Part 2

"URGH." CAELO WASN'T the only student who left the eyries holding her hands out to the sides, she was just the most vocal about it. "There's so much of it. I can't even bend my fingers. Urgh!"

Taryn wiped the last bit of muck off her hands with her handkerchief and passed a spare one to Orla. "I told you not to dunk your hands in the bucket first."

"But you didn't tell me why," Caelo whined, shaking out her hands to absolutely no effect. The dust and grime she'd picked up from her miryhl's feathers was sticking fast to her wet skin. "Why didn't Tutor Mhysra warn us?"

"She did," Zett pointed out, using his handkerchief to clear the muck from under his nails. "She said, whatever you do, don't dunk your hands before you start. You'll mess up the drinking water and -"

"Blah, blah, blah," Caelo interrupted with an impatient sigh. "Can I borrow your handkerchief?"

"And you wonder why no one tells you anything," Vhen murmured, pausing to dip his scrubbed hands in the fountain that chuckled in the centre of the courtyard between the eyries and the infirmary.

It was a beautiful spot, especially when it was bathed in sunshine. Afternoon shadows were already creeping down the mountainside above, but here the sun still shone. Healers clad in white and green strode briskly along the walkway, while convalescing patients sat and dozed in the shade. Taryn dipped her hands, breathing in the scent of the herb garden and smiled as her brother strode out to meet them.

"Not so fast, students," the former lieutenant called, just before Jylana and her clique could disappear back inside the citadel. "Your day isn't over yet."

"But it's almost dinner time," Caelo protested, since their first lesson in miryhl care had run extra long. It had been worth it, Taryn thought, since Pinwheel had started the afternoon a trembling mass of nerves and ended it a purring heap of contentment.

"There will still be food after we're done," Lyrai promised, heading for the eyries. "Wouldn't you rather fly first?"

The grumbling students perked up immediately and ran back to the eyries in an excited wave. Lyrai held open the door and grinned as they rushed inside. He raised his eyebrows when Taryn approached.

He tilted his head in silent question.

She shook hers. No, she hadn't told anyone who he was or that he was related to her. Apart from Rhiddyl, but she didn't count.

He smiled in a not entirely friendly way and nodded for her to get inside. Taryn stepped back into the hazy mix of sunshine and feather dust and sneezed. Her brother followed, the door thudding shut behind him.

"Before any of you get on your miryhl's back," Lyrai began, sounding uncharacteristically cheerful as the eager students hung on his every word, "first we need a lesson in tacking up."

The students groaned.

"Not another lesson," Caelo once again voiced what everyone was thinking.

Lyrai chuckled. "Poor little students, haven't you figured it out yet? Aquila has a lesson for everything, and you, my little chicks, are going to learn them all."

More groans, but no one argued as Lyrai waved them towards the tack room, where grinning Riders were waiting to help them out.

* * *

ORLA AND MILK stared at the bundle of leather lying on the floor between them. They knew it was supposed to go on the miryhl somehow, but had no idea where to begin.

"I'm afraid I wasn't paying attention when I wore it before," the white eagle admitted bashfully. "I was too excited."

Orla waved her apology aside. "It can't be that hard." Riders tacked their mounts up all the time, swiftly and competently, often at speed. It couldn't be too difficult. "We just need somewhere to begin."