[The White Raven, Chapter 4, Silver Clouds] There's no clock in the room, I don't how much time has passed, and my wrist implant isn't working; they must have deactivated them when we entered. I'm scared. No, I'm beyond scared. My hands are trembling. The boy at the desk next to me has put his head down on his desk with his arms folded under his head. He was holding his pen when he put his head down and his hand opened and it fell to the ground, it was the loudest sound I've heard. Everyone stiffened at the moment it struck the floor and then everyone feverishly returned to their exam. I don't think the boy is breathing. I'm trying not to look at the pen lying on the ground, but it's right there at the edge of my vision. My heart is beating so fast I think it's going to burst. If I flick my eyes to the right I can see his hand too, opened but slightly curled. Oh Ancestors, please, I'll be good, I'll never argue with Papa ever again. Mama, why did you send my here? I'm going to die. I've never been subjected to Daraian natural selection before. My whole life has been aboard our families Cargo Ship. I never understood what it meant when Papa talked about it. How do the other Sparrow kids handle this without going insane? I know I've got the first two problems wrong, and I don't know what the answer is to the third problem. If I get three problems wrong the test is over for me. The test is over for the boy sitting next to me. I haven't started the third problem yet, I can still correct the second problem, if I knew the answer. I can hear Papa's voice in my head; Breathe, Pesa, breathe, you have to stay calm. I want to throw my pen down and run out of the room. I know that would end the test for me, but I'm nearing panic. Another pen hits the ground and someone squeaks a quick scream. The girl in the first row up front has put her head down on her desk, and isn't moving. Okay, okay... breathe... there was twenty-six of that started the test. Two are gone. I remember the statistic, I looked it up last week, every test averages 8.6% losses, that's 2.3... no... 3.8... no wait... yes, that's right... one or two more and then the averages are in my favor. What am thinking? These are people, not statistics. Is this what it takes to get through the Sparrow Academy, always thinking about the averages and statistics, and trying to beat them? I need a plan. I don't have a plan. Yes, yes I do. I don't have to work the problems in order. Maybe if I can finish a few I know the answer to I'll calm down. Number four, yes. I know the answer to that one, it's the TDS equation... distance... time... space... seven dimensions... okay, I have this. I finish problem number four. I'm not dead, so I must have gotten the right answer. Number five is even easier, it's just fuel ration consumption. I can do this one in my sleep. I flip the pages of the exam booklet to the back page. The last problem is ridiculously simple. Oh my gosh, the problems are in reverse order of difficulty. I'll just start working from the last problem, that will boost my confidence and maybe warm me up for the one I don't know. I work slowly and carefully but steadily, there are a lot of problems to work. A sudden noise and I nearly jump out of my skin, a girl from the back of the room is making a break for the door. She can't be finished with the exam, it's too soon. The Priestess makes no move to stop the girl, and then maybe six steps from the door the girl stops running, takes two more steps, and quietly sits on the ground. Everyone is watching the girl, she looks around as if confused, and then puts her chin on her chest. The others in the room go back to their exams, but I watch the girl for a few more seconds. Her hand opens slightly and her pen rolls out onto the ground next to her. I don't think she suffered, and I don't think the other two suffered either. At least the Sparrows are kinder about it than others I've heard about, like the Ravens and Hawks. I go back to my test. Next problem... next... next... next. My eyes are a little blurry, I have two more pages left. I need to close my eyes for a moment, I'm so tired. Just for a moment and I'll do the next problem... my head bounces slightly and I bolt straight up in my chair. My heart is racing a thousand beats a minute. Oh no, no, no. Am I dying? Did I get the problem wrong? I check my last answer. No, it's correct. I'm just tired. I'm breathing so fast I think I'm going to pass out. Maybe the Sparrows aren't any kinder than the Ravens and Hawks. This is cruel, horrible, I think a blade would be kinder and quicker than this horror. Okay, two more pages. I'm going too fast, I know it, but I can't slow down. I want out of this room one way or another. I don't care anymore. Just finish. I rush through the last two pages and stop at the last problem. I still don't know the answer. Papa, what do I do? Think, Pesa, think. You're a Sparrow, the smartest of all the Daraians, think. I look at the boy next to me, his head on his desk and his pen lying on the floor. I look at the girl in the front row, her head resting on her arms and her pen lying next to her on the floor. I look at the girl sitting next to the door, her chin on her chest and her pen lying next to her. Beware the pen, Pesa. That's what Papa told me. Beware the pen. Oh Ancestors! I drop my pen on my test booklet and stare at it. That's how they do it? I glance at the boy's hand next to me. Then I notice it. Why didn't I notice before? Because I was scared and not thinking. There is a small trickle of blood on his hand. The lethal injection is inside the pen! How do I finish the test? Think. And even if I could figure out where the needle is, would they let me get away with it? Would the Priestess hold me down and inject me with a poison that will make me go to sleep forever? I don't know, but I'm not weak. I've moved cargo my whole life. Okay, figure a way to defeat the pen and then if they want to come for me... I'm ready, let's fight. Yea, I'll go down fighting. I'm a cargo jockey, and we don't die so easy! I'm not scared anymore, I'm mad. All I need is a way to make sure the needle can't get me, there has to be a way. Oh... of course. Mama! Thank you, Mama. You WERE watching out for me. I take the soft leather scarf off and carefully wrap the pen in the scarf, and then carefully pick it up. I still don't know the answer, but I don't care. I write out my answer with my awkward contraption. The answer is wrong, but I can't help that. I close my test booklet and stand up. The Priestess is watching me, and so are the other candidates. I'm the first one done. I walk to the front of the room, still holding the pen wrapped in the scarf and set the whole thing on the desk in front of the Priestess; she makes no move, just watches me. I turn and walk to the door. My shoulders are tensed—waiting for the attack, but it doesn't come, and I push the door open and walk outside. The sun is warm and bright. I think it's mid-afternoon. I check my wrist implant, it's working again. Four hours.... I was in there four hours, it seemed a lot longer. I'm outside for maybe ten minutes and a boy comes out of the test room... and umm... he's not wearing a shirt. I've never seen a boy with his shirt off before and I turn bright red, and look away. "Hey there, thank you," says the boy stopping in front of me. "My name's Tonae." "Umm... I'm Pesa... thank you for what?" "I didn't know the answer to the first three problems, but when I saw you wrap your pen up, I figured out it was the pen that... you know... and I figured you must not have known the answers either and then the Priestess just let you walk out." "I didn't know if she would, I was ready to try and fight my way out." "Yea, you looked mad." "Umm... I guess you used your shirt to wrap your pen?" The door opens and another boy walks out, he doesn't have a shirt on either. "Yea, all the boys used their shirts... and... umm..." The door opens again and two girls exits the test room and hurries to their packs to retrieve a spare shirt to put on. "Everybody?" I ask shocked. "Yep, nobody else had a scarf, smart you wore that." The other candidates are pouring out the door now, the girls rushing to their packs. One boy is gawking and that makes me mad. "Look away," I shout. "What's wrong with you?" The offending boy turns red and turns away, and the other boys follows suit. Once everyone has started to recover, and find fresh shirts, they start coming up and patting me on the back and thanking me; I wasn't the only one terrified during the exam. The Priestess comes out and claps her hands to get our attention and we gather around her. "You have successfully completed the exam, congratulations," says the Priestess. "Excuse me, Priestess, I thought umm... you know... three questions wrong and..." I ask, unsure where my sudden burst of braveness is coming from. "No candidate has ever gotten any of the first three questions correct in the history of the Sparrow Academy," explains the Priestess. "But... then why did you..." I start to ask. "You will face many questions in your lives that the Universe has to present to you," the Priestess says. "Many of which will defy your ability to answer, and many of those questions can and will be lethal. The ability to face those questions and use cleverness and innovation to survive is as much a hallmark of a Sparrow as intellect is." The whole thing was a setup to test us on several levels. I don't know whether to be furious or sit down and cry. "The twenty-three of you will form Host S74 for the duration of your time at the Sparrow Academy," continues the Priestess. "Pesa, you will be this Host's Forum Leader. You may now select a name for this Host." "Ummm... I don't know," I reply confused. "It is traditional to choose a name based on the Host Leader's family occupation," explains the Priestess. "Your family is Heavy Cargo Resource Specialists?" "We just call ourselves Cargo Jockeys," I reply. "Very well then, Host S74 will be designated 'The Cargo Jockeys'," declares the Priestess. "You may now return to your families. Report to the Sparrow Academy in one month." The other candidates turn and stare at me. "Sorry," I shrug. "Seriously? The Cargo Jockeys?" says Tonae grinning. "Why couldn't your family do something like install lightening rods, or build fighter jets, or maybe even work at a nuclear power plant?" ***** Gini is up in the gun turret scanning for... well, I don't know what she is scanning for. I seriously doubt I am about to be attacked by a hostile air force. The two men that accosted me were frightening, but I don't think they would have really dragged me away. The hatchlings are making the most of the situation and crawling all around the small Dart Ship. Cala is pushing every button he can find, but thankfully none of the buttons seem to be doing anything; perhaps Gini or Clap deactivated the control panels back here. I should like to know where they are taking me, but Gini is busy with her guns, and Clap is flying the ship. I close my eyes and perform a calming meditation ritual, though I find it difficult to obtain an sense of calmness. I have never had to try and meditate under these conditions. The Dart Ship banks several times and then I can feel the ship climb, then descend, then climb again. The hatchlings have begun a new game. Kata is blocking Cala from pushing anymore buttons and Cala is trying to get around her to push a button he must find particularly tempting. They seem content to amuse each other, as it should be, there will likely be long periods they will only have each other for companionship. My plan was to make it to Sparrow Temple before the first snows and remain there until the frost. The library at Sparrow Temple is renowned for it's accuracy in events that have long been warped or forgotten by time. I have borrowed several books in the past, having had them brought to me to be read. Young Sparrow Priestesses always accompanied the books, and waited as I read them, and then taking them back with them when I was finished. But, the thought of the prospect of reading scores of books in the Sparrow Temple's Library was exhilarating. I am getting angrier as my Guard whisks me away to someplace I did not intend. I will certainly have worlds with Moeth once we arrive at our destination. I am nearly livid with fury by the time the ship begins to descend. The flight didn't take long, but long enough for us to be a fair distance from where I want to be. I may even have Moeth reassigned, how dare my Guard interfere with my plans. Gini jumps down from her gun turret and moves to the ramp. I feel the ship bump slightly and then it's still. "We're here," says Gini and pulls a lever and then pushes a code on a key pad. Of course, there was a lock on the control panel to keep Cala from doing an damage pushing random buttons. The ramp lowers and Gini motions that I may get up. The hatchlings run down the ramp first, and I follow. We are in the mountains, and... "What is this? I turn to Gini and ask. There are hundreds of hatchlings running around. Some are playing, some sitting in circles around adults, and others performing chores. Primitive cabins are built between the trees, many of them. I smell food cooking. This is a small primitive town. "We're at the cabins," says Gini. "Moeth is landing now, she'll explain." "Who are all these hatchlings?" I ask. "Moeth will explain," insists Gini. "Tell me now," I demand. "Yes, White Raven," says Gini bowing her head. "These are Raen's orphans." "I've never heard of such a thing," I see the ship Gini indicated. It lands and the ramp lowers and Moeth heads towards us. Raen follows a moment later. "Greetings, White Raven," says Moeth. "Welcome to the Cabins." "Where did these hatchlings come from?" I ask. "I have never heard of this before." "No, White Raven, you wouldn't have," says Moeth. "During those few years I was bent on revenge against Colton Cyness, Raen secretly spent his time collecting all the orphans he could find in the Province and brought them here." "Does the Temple know of this? And where is here?" "No, Priestess," says Raen walking up. "This is a secret, I will not allow any other orphans to freeze or starve to death, or be pressed into Temple service, as I was." "This is Clapper Province," adds Clap walking over with the others of the Moeth Alliance. "My father gave me this mountain to use, and we've been building these cabins to shelter the orphans wandering around the Provinces." "We also have a Dining Hall to feed them, a school to teach them, a small hospital cabin, and we currently employ thirty-five adults to run the place," says Raen. "Is Lord Clapper paying for all this?" I ask. "No, we pay for it, or we did until you had us reassigned to your Guard," adds Moeth. "I don't understand?" "Custom's Patrol is a lucrative business," says Raen. "You take bribes?" I ask shocked. "Of course we do, we're Ravens, it's expected," says Moeth. "Everything we earn goes into running this place. But food is expensive, and clothing, and medical supplies, and wages for our employees, and that's why we brought you here." "What can I do?" "You're searching for the Eagle," says Raen. "You were headed to the Temples, but the Temples have already been searched, and all established schools, and nearly every House. The sooner we help you find the Eagle, the sooner you release us so we can get back to earning money to pay for all this." "How am I supposed to find the Eagle here in the mountains?" "As Raen said, everywhere has been searched," explains Moeth. "Except one; the countless abandoned orphans wandering the mountains. And you need to start with one, not quite orphaned, but very important hatchling." "Who?" "The Herald," says Moeth. "We know the Eagle has hatched, but we lost The Herald when your first egg died during your trip to Pyra," I gently remind Moeth. "The report we gave the Temple wasn't exactly true," says Raen. "I gave our first egg to someone I knew would love and protect her, instead of use her as the Temple intended." Moeth points and I turn to look. A human man is walking towards us holding the hand of a small hatchling female. I know the man from many Vids and photographs; it's Weston Cain, the Marshal General of the Gunslinger Order. "Greetings, White Raven," says the Marshal General. "I would like you to meet Cassie, The Herald." ***** The train takes my new class, I mean Host, back to the airport terminal. I guess they call them Hosts at the Sparrow Academy. I didn't know that, nothing I read gives any details about what happens at the Academy. We dropped everyone off at their gates to catch transports back to our families. The others that came on the transport with me were met by their families and will be leaving straight for Darai. I'm heading back to my families Cargo Ship and will catch a transport later at the Space station. There's no other passengers except one here yet. The transport won't be leaving for another two hours. The other passenger is sitting over in a corner, he almost looks like he's trying to hide in the shadows. I can tell he's a Daraian, he has wings. I've been thinking about going over and saying hello, he looks so lonely. I'm going to do it. I take a deep breath and walk over. He's just a boy, a few years older than me... and oh my gosh, he's so cute. "Hi, I'm Pesa. I guess we are the first ones here for the transport." "I'm not waiting for a transport," says the boy. "Why are you here?" I sit down on the chair next to him and pull my knees up to my chin. "Nobody else was here, and I needed to think." "Do you have a name?" I smile and try to make him at ease, he looks kind of scared. The boy glances around nervously before speaking again. "My name is Jaco." "You're a Raven Temple Jackdaw, huh?" I blurt out. "I bet you're on a secret mission." The boy glances around, his eyes look so haunted, and lonely. "It's okay, you don't have to say," I tell him and smile. "Want to hear about my day?" The boy nods and smiles, and I almost melt off my chair. I think I'm in love. "I saw three people die today, it was horrible. I've never seen anyone die before." I rattle on and on and tell the boy about the exam, and everything that happened, and then about my life on the Cargo Ship. I even tell him I don't have a mate because I've lived with just my Mother and Papa and was never on Darai long enough to get one. "I don't have a mate either, she died," says Jaco. "Oh, I'm sorry." "It's okay, bad things always happen to me," says Jaco. "And yea, I am on a mission, but I'll probably die trying to do it." I put my hand out and lay it on Jaco's hand. "I have to sneak onto a Gunslinger Base," says Jaco. "I'll get caught eventually, then they'll kill me." "No, you're not going to die, I know it, I can feel it," I say. "You promise me you won't die." Jaco smiles again. "I promise." We talk and talk and talk. He tells me everything about what happened to him at the Temple. I can't help it, but I cry when he tells me about a thing called 'The Chair'. The Ravens are so cruel, how could they do that? We talk about everything, we have so much in common. He even tells me he doesn't even want to be a Temple Raven, he wants to open an Antique Business. I think that is so perfect, I'm a Cargo Jockey, we match perfectly. Before I know it a Gate Attendant is calling for passengers to board. "Jaco, my family has a house on Darai, we aren't there very often, but I'm going to the Sparrow Academy, and Papa said I can stay there on breaks. You come visit me when you get back to Darai." "I don't know," says Jaco. "You promise me," I insist. "And write me at the Academy, you're a Raven, you can find my address, can't you?" Jaco pulls out a tablet and shows me. "I have one of these, yea, I can find your house, and your Academy address to write letters." "So you promise, you swear?" "I promise, I'll write you. You better go, they just called last boarding," says Jaco. I give Jaco a quick hug, and then run to the gate. I didn't want Jaco to see me turning red, it was the first time I ever gave a boy a hug. I feel like I almost float into the transport. I know I've found my mate. It'll work out, I just know it will.