when he was just an angry young partisan.
She shivered a little and reached inside her cloak. She’d drained dry the bottle she’d lifted from the nice people. What would happen now? She pushed the books away, leaned back in her chair, and, against her will, remembered…
[CHAPTER 13]
-PAST -
A little girl sat on the steps of the vast skyscraper in which all the men and women who had some sort of abnormal ability were housed, crying bitterly.
An older boy came to sit next to her. She knew him, of course. He was called Little Hawk now, but the rumors had started to fly around that he might soon be the new Sky Cadet. The old one had died in a fall only weeks before, much to his guardian’s distress. Sky Ranger hadn’t spoken to anyone since.
The boy, perhaps soon to be heir to the entire Union, walked with the easy, confident swagger of someone who has never wanted for much.
"Why are you crying? Do you miss your parents?"
"I don’t remember them," the girl sobbed. "I can’t even remember my name!"
"Your name is Silverwing," he said calmly. "That’s what your badge says."
"But it—it isn’t really my name," she managed, sniffling. "I can’t remember what my momma called me… I have to think…" She started crying again.
The boy put his arm around her. "Don’t cry. Your old name meant nothing. It was just words. My name was Robbie. But I don’t care—it doesn’t mean what Little Hawk does. And whatever your old name was, it isn’t as good as Silverwing."
She wasn’t really reassured, but she wanted Little Hawk to like her, so she tried to stop crying to show him he'd helped. After a few sniffles and hiccups, the tears slowed. "You really think so?"
"I like Silverwing," he said. "Did you make it up?"
She shook her head. "Triad did."
He nodded. "She likes making names. She does a good job. She did Crimson Cadet’s. His is really cool."
She agreed that it was. Everyone envied Crimson Cadet. He was big, good-looking, and fun to be around.
"How long have you been here?" Little Hawk asked.
"Three years," she said, feeling the tears well up in her again. She tried to fight them back.
"That’s not too long. Maybe you’ll feel better in a while. Hey, what can you do? I can fly, and I have extra strength and speed."
She smiled, a genuine smile this time. "I fly, too."
"Want to go fly for a bit?"
She shook her head, surprised. "We’re not allowed!"
He grinned cockily. "I can do whatever I want. Who’ll punish me for it? C’mon. Race you to the top of the tower."
"Okay." She stood and lifted herself a few inches off the ground. He did likewise.
"Ready? Go!" They arced upwards, twisting and whirling around the edges of the tower.
Silverwing was easily twice as fast as Little Hawk; she saw it immediately. She checked her speed a little, letting him keep up. She glanced over at him, and saw a look of incredible strain and concentration on his face. It looked like flying for him was work . She flew without effort.
He touched the top of the tower a split second before she did. "Yeah!" he called out to the sky. "Yaaaaah!" He beamed at her. "You’re good."
She shivered with delight. Supposedly, Little Hawk was one of the fastest fliers. Not even bearded, mysterious Sky Ranger could quite outmatch him. Was she so much faster than anyone else? She smiled secretly and looked down. Below was the street, separated from the tower by a high steel fence. Only a slim, covered walkway connected them to the outside world.
But who could control the sky? The world lay open before her, the clouds beckoning. Who would stop her if she decided to leave?
She had a vague feeling that she ought to fly south, maybe towards a beach. But what was there? Who would she recognize? She drifted slowly to the ground, thirty stories below, peeking in windows as she passed. Inside, children learned, LED members trained, doctors studied charts and diagrams, and people simply lived. The Tower was a
She shivered a little and reached inside her cloak. She’d drained dry the bottle she’d lifted from the nice people. What would happen now? She pushed the books away, leaned back in her chair, and, against her will, remembered…
[CHAPTER 13]
-PAST -
A little girl sat on the steps of the vast skyscraper in which all the men and women who had some sort of abnormal ability were housed, crying bitterly.
An older boy came to sit next to her. She knew him, of course. He was called Little Hawk now, but the rumors had started to fly around that he might soon be the new Sky Cadet. The old one had died in a fall only weeks before, much to his guardian’s distress. Sky Ranger hadn’t spoken to anyone since.
The boy, perhaps soon to be heir to the entire Union, walked with the easy, confident swagger of someone who has never wanted for much.
"Why are you crying? Do you miss your parents?"
"I don’t remember them," the girl sobbed. "I can’t even remember my name!"
"Your name is Silverwing," he said calmly. "That’s what your badge says."
"But it—it isn’t really my name," she managed, sniffling. "I can’t remember what my momma called me… I have to think…" She started crying again.
The boy put his arm around her. "Don’t cry. Your old name meant nothing. It was just words. My name was Robbie. But I don’t care—it doesn’t mean what Little Hawk does. And whatever your old name was, it isn’t as good as Silverwing."
She wasn’t really reassured, but she wanted Little Hawk to like her, so she tried to stop crying to show him he'd helped. After a few sniffles and hiccups, the tears slowed. "You really think so?"
"I like Silverwing," he said. "Did you make it up?"
She shook her head. "Triad did."
He nodded. "She likes making names. She does a good job. She did Crimson Cadet’s. His is really cool."
She agreed that it was. Everyone envied Crimson Cadet. He was big, good-looking, and fun to be around.
"How long have you been here?" Little Hawk asked.
"Three years," she said, feeling the tears well up in her again. She tried to fight them back.
"That’s not too long. Maybe you’ll feel better in a while. Hey, what can you do? I can fly, and I have extra strength and speed."
She smiled, a genuine smile this time. "I fly, too."
"Want to go fly for a bit?"
She shook her head, surprised. "We’re not allowed!"
He grinned cockily. "I can do whatever I want. Who’ll punish me for it? C’mon. Race you to the top of the tower."
"Okay." She stood and lifted herself a few inches off the ground. He did likewise.
"Ready? Go!" They arced upwards, twisting and whirling around the edges of the tower.
Silverwing was easily twice as fast as Little Hawk; she saw it immediately. She checked her speed a little, letting him keep up. She glanced over at him, and saw a look of incredible strain and concentration on his face. It looked like flying for him was work . She flew without effort.
He touched the top of the tower a split second before she did. "Yeah!" he called out to the sky. "Yaaaaah!" He beamed at her. "You’re good."
She shivered with delight. Supposedly, Little Hawk was one of the fastest fliers. Not even bearded, mysterious Sky Ranger could quite outmatch him. Was she so much faster than anyone else? She smiled secretly and looked down. Below was the street, separated from the tower by a high steel fence. Only a slim, covered walkway connected them to the outside world.
But who could control the sky? The world lay open before her, the clouds beckoning. Who would stop her if she decided to leave?
She had a vague feeling that she ought to fly south, maybe towards a beach. But what was there? Who would she recognize? She drifted slowly to the ground, thirty stories below, peeking in windows as she passed. Inside, children learned, LED members trained, doctors studied charts and diagrams, and people simply lived. The Tower was a
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