INTERVIEW WITH A SKYSTEED
I’m excited
to have this opportunity to chat with N’Rah, one of the heroes of Polly
Holyoke’s new fantasy novel Skyriders. I should mention in passing that
N’Rah happens to be a flying horse, or skysteed, as his breed is known in the
Empire of Prekalt. I also happened to know that this particular skysteed has a
real fondness for honey and apples.
So,
N’Rah, can you tell us a little bit about you and your human’s exciting work as
sky couriers?
My human and
I are very proud of the work we do flying the mail across the vast lands of
Prekalt. Because I am mountain born and bred, I am happy to fly courier routes
through the high peaks. I grew up dealing with the kind of strong winds and
thunderstorms that can frighten other couriers, but not my skyrider. Kie trusts
my judgement and my flying abilities when it comes to extreme weather.
Please
tell us about the human you are bound to, Kiesandra Torsun.
My human is
very brave, kind, and stubborn. I think she spends too much time by herself,
caring for her family’s apple orchard. Her father died a year ago, and her
mother left her when Kie was only six. Her Uncle Dugs lives with us, but he is
so frail now, she looks after him more than he looks after her. The other
students were awful to her at school because she was so shy and had problems
learning to read. It is hard for her to trust others, but I am proud that she
is gradually gaining good friends and a herd of her own.
I hear
her Uncle Dugs was always pestering you two to practice skyfighting.
That is
true, and now it appears to be a very good thing that he did! We would spend
hours learning how to shoot targets that represented the three hearts of the
chimerae, a terrible three-headed monster that once almost destroyed all of
Prekalt. We also learned how to use triwires, a weapon made up of three razor-sharp
wires that are four feet long, weighted with metal balls at the ends and joined
at the center with a small wooden handle. Skyriders throw triwires at a chimerae hoping
to damage its wings or bind its wings to its legs.
How do
you feel about the chimerae?
At first, I
hated them, and I was shocked when they reappeared. Now I understand they were
created from a terrible, dark binding magic that forced three separate creatures--
sand dragons, blood goats and lions-- into the same body. Mostly I feel sorry
for the Foul Ones, but I will not let them harm my skyrider, or our world.
How did
you come to have such an important role in saving Pedarth, the capital city of
Prekalt?
Kie’s uncle
and his skysteed were terribly hurt fighting chimerae after the monsters
returned. He made Kie promise that we would take his great grandfather’s manual
on ancient skyfighting tactics to the capital and persuade people in power there
to read it. That was such a difficult mission for a shy thirteen-year-old
girl from the fringes of the Empire. But with my help and the help of new
friends she made in Pedarth, I am proud to say my human was successful.
What do
you think is next for you and your brave skyrider?
We
desperately need more help in fighting the chimerae, so I think someday we may
have to ask the wild skysteeds to join us in this struggle. Someday, too,
someone will have to discover who is creating chimerae in this time and causing
so much pain and suffering. That human needs to be stopped!
Thank you
for taking the time to talk with me today.
My pleasure.
Now, about those apples and honey cookies you mentioned?
Polly Holyoke is the award-winning author of the middle grade sci-fi Neptune Trilogy (Disney/Hyperion) and the new children’s fantasy series, Skyriders (Viking Children’s Books). A former classroom teacher, Polly loves doing school visits and getting students excited about writing.
From the author of Blue Skies comes a lively middle grade novel set in 1960s Texas about a young, alien-loving girl trying to clear her grandmother’s good name in this mystery that has humor, hijinks, and heart in equal measure.
