Fugitive of the Sky

Chapter Forty-Two: Reunion Night

"Are you ready for tonight?" Trill asked gently as she helped Aqie into the bright blue, green, and yellow-embroidered dress she'd found and tied the gauzy festival ribbons into her hair.

Aqie fiddled with the long streamer around her wrists and looked up with a nervous smile. "I think so." But the mountain was full of whispers and words and laughing and there were going to be so many Larkwings in the big sanctuary tonight. The chasm ached, bringing a lump to her throat. "I wish Mom and Dad were here."

Trill paused her sash tying and wrapped Aqie in a tight hug. "Of course you do, girl. But things are what they are, and I'm sure Adonai has blessed them and you'll do wonderfully tonight."

"But will everyone like me? I don't have my kaprae and I still have to go through the kranaisanith." Aqie tugged on the sash, trying not to think about the way the Farwing elders had looked when she refused to give up her kaprae and join them. "What if they refuse to let me in?"

Trill pulled back and tapped her nose. "Why should you care what other Larkwings think? Adonai told you to do it, so you did. And Umakai's family and I will vouch for you if Elder Chirp has any problems with it. Don't waste your time worrying."

Aqie swallowed and tried to let her nervousness fly away. "And what about the rest of the family? I haven't really met all of them yet."

"You'll do fine. That's what tonight is for, anyway. Reunions and family get-togethers and acknowledging the new members of the tribes. There. We're all dressed up now." Twirling a little to let her red and gold streamers flash in the torchlight, Trill ran a hand through her hair and dress and gave Aqie a little smile. "Ready to meet your people?"

Aqie looked down and shuffled her feet. She'd never felt ready, even all the way back in the valley before the hunters had killed her parents. But after spending a year running and wishing she didn't have to make her way in the world alone, it felt silly to be nervous about attending the Feast. "I guess so."

"Then let's go." Trill took her hand and led her out into the hall, which was already crowded with Larkwings streaming to the feast. Aqie held on tight, feeling like she was the only one anywhere who wasn't wearing a kaprae. Several Larkwings waved at Trill, but nobody stopped, chattering and laughing and pressing on to the sanctuary.

Everyone spilled out and slowed like the mouth of a river as they entered. Aqie almost stopped, mouth open as she saw the room during the festival for the first time. She'd already been with Trill several times for the morning song, but now that it was nighttime, everything looked different.

The giant cavern arched above their heads with echoes thrumming everywhere at once. Gauzy banners and ribbons decorated every head and arm, more colored cloth than Aqie had seen Mom make in a lifetime. Somebody had even flown up and draped big banners and hung tapestries from them, so that there were decorations even by the ceiling. Torches and bonfires and bits of glowing cave moss were everywhere, lighting up the darkness and shining brightly without fear of any hunters seeing and coming to shoot them down, even though half the room was open facing the east.

The floors and walls were smooth, unlike most of Larkhold, and they sloped away from each other like mirror reflections of the same bowl. Scraps of promises from Adonai's Scrolls were carved along the walls and had been accented with colors and inks sometime since this morning. She couldn't find usual markings for voice and tribe in between all the decorations and people everywhere.

Groups of Larkwings clumped all around the room, more or less by tribe, Trill said. Kids squealed and played a tag game above the tapestries, and a small crowd in the corner were singing songs she'd never heard before. There were tables with different kinds of drinks and colored rocks for all sorts of board games and even sheets of parchment for drawing or writing or composing or transcribing bits of wisdom from the Scrolls. Everyone was smiling or laughing or singing and Aqie had no idea where even to begin.