Daughter of Ninmah

by Lori Holmes

  “I’m not an ‘elf’. I am of the Ninkuraaja.” Nyri reminded him.

  “Yes. That’s a bit of a mouthful.”

  She grinned softly. “It took you a long time to teach me how to say it properly.” She waved a hand at his reproachful frown. “Never mind.”

  “Thank you.” It was a sincere sentiment.

  “You’re welcome,” Nyri smiled warmly. She felt warmth on her forehead and experienced a jolt as she realised it was the light of Ninmah touching her. She had to go. She had lost track of time. Baarias would be awake at any moment, if he wasn’t already.

  It tugged at her heart to leave, she felt closer to him now than she had since she had first found him again. He was undeniably different from the Juaan she had known and she was slowly accepting that. She herself had changed from the girl she had been. Their relationship was beginning anew for better or worse.

  Juaan was still studying his hand, a brooding expression on his face. “Thank me for that by not trying to escape again,” she admonished.

  He glanced up and raised his eyebrows at her mildly. Nyri might not have seen him since he was a boy, he may have lost all the memories of his childhood, but she could still read that expression as readily as her own. “I mean it. Please promise me you’ll stay here and keep quiet. I wasn’t lying when I said the Elders had posted extra watch. They may patrol around close by. You cannot do anything to attract their attention. Please, for me, stay quiet and wait for my return. I will not leave you to die. Trust me.”

  Nyri could not guess why he should do that. All she had done was heal his hand and bring him scraps of food. She was still the one keeping him prisoner here, frightened and uncertain, and yet, something about her impassioned plea seemed to stir something deep within his soul.

  He fought it for a moment then gave up. “What is it about you, elf?” he grumbled begrudgingly, then he met her eyes. “I promise.”

  “Thank you.” Nyri had needed to hear it otherwise she wasn’t sure if she could have left him. “They will kill you if they find you and I could not bear it if they did.” She reached out a hand, ignoring him as he flinched back, and touched her fingers to his cheek, letting her emotion flow. She did not know if he would feel it. “I can’t lose you again. Ever. You mean too much to me.”

  He blinked at her in wide-eyed surprise as he pulled back from her touch. Nyri could not hold his gaze. Embarrassed, she tore herself away.

  32

  Selfish

  “Kyaati, why don’t you join Nyri and go and fetch me some more haarif herbs. You need air. You have been sitting in here for days.”

  Kyaati looked at Baarias sullenly. Nyri was careful to keep her head down and out of the way. “Do you really think air is going to cure me, master akaab?” Her mouth twisted.

  Baarias’ words were firm. “Nevertheless, I wish for you to go out. Nyri, do not go far. Some of the herbs are growing near Imaani’s tree. I saw them a few days ago.”

  Nyri nodded and rose to her feet. She staggered as she did so, the world taking a few moments to right itself. It had been two days since Imaani had caught her in the store tree and denied her extra rations.

  Baarias caught her arm. “Are you well?” His face was awash with concern as she felt him probe along the edges of her consciousness. His lips turned down as she raised her defences. She cringed. He knew she was hiding something. “Have you eaten?”

  Yes, about two days ago, Nyri thought to herself. Irritated by her lapse, she shook him off a little more sharply than she intended. She needed to be stronger. “I am fine, Baarias. Please don’t fuss.”

  His frown deepened and she realised her outburst had only made things worse. She rarely snapped at him. She had to get out before he insisted she explain or her thoughts gave her away. Her concentration was deteriorating rapidly.

  “How much do you need?”

  “A basketful should do.”

  She grabbed one from the corner of the chamber. Then more gently, she took Kyaati’s hand. Her friend did not resist. “Come on,” she beckoned. “We won’t be long. Baarias is right. You need to get out.”

  Wordlessly, Kyaati let her lead her from the healer’s tree.

  The herbs were not hard to find and they both set about gathering what was needed. A face caught Nyri’s eye from above. Umaa was looking down from her tree. She scowled and then disappeared back inside. Nyri sighed. Imaani and Umaa had not given up on their suspicion either it seemed.

  “Have you seen Daajir lately?” Kyaati’s voice was dull. It was clear she didn’t really care about the answer, only making a lackluster effort to talk. Baarias must have been lecturing her.

  “Y-Yes,” Nyri answered. She did not know if she should mention to Kyaati that Daajir was helping her every day to get her tree prepared for a new occupant. She wondered whether Baarias had told her of the new arrangement. She decided not to risk Kyaati’s wrath if not. “Though he disappears a lot. He believes he has a plan to repel the Woves. He won’t say what it is, though,” Nyri laughed mirthlessly, “you know Daajir. All wrapped up in his own self-importance. It is not for the likes of us to know.”

  She had hoped Kyaati might join her in the disparaging assessment of Daajir’s ego but she did not. She lapsed back into silence, obviously satisfied that she had made enough of an effort to interact for one day. The emptiness in her soul sucked at Nyri’s dwindling energy.

  It was a relief to finally return to Baarias’ tree. As Nyri took her leave, Baarias halted her at the door.

  “How soon do you think you will be finished readying your tree?”

  Nyri thought about it. “We only need to line the new bower. Daajir and I should be finished by tonight.”

  Baarias nodded his approval. Nyri could taste his relief; she knew he was hoping the stay with her would have an effect on Kyaati. “Very well. I will inform Kyaati you will be taking over her care from tomorrow.” The wind picked up around them. Icy and ominous. Baarias hunched his shoulders. “You better hurry. I fear there is a storm coming.”

  Nyri looked to the rippling canopy above and shivered. She had not missed the drop in temperature. The wind was gathering its strength.

  Baarias disappeared back inside and Nyri was overcome by another wave of dizziness. She doubled over and braced herself on her knees fighting down the queasiness brought on by her empty stomach. It had only been two days and she was failing already. The next ration would have to be hers.

  “Nyri?” Daajir’s dark eyes were anxious as he appeared at her side, misreading her pale and ragged appearance. “What’s wrong. Is Kyaati-?”

  “Kyaati’s well,” she told him, straightening up quickly. Alive at least. “Come on. We need to finish the bower before this storm hits.” She had to focus on something, anything. He acquiesced silently, glancing towards the healer tree before Nyri lead him away.

  Daajir predicted that they would need several trips to fill the bower and so they wasted no time moving out into the forest beyond the eshaara grove. The sentries let them through when Daajir explained their purpose.

  “Any signs?” he asked Javaan in passing.

  “No,” the older man replied. “The forest is quiet, you are safe to go out. They have not stepped from their camp in days. But… stay on your guard. There is something out there that sends a chill down my spine.” He shuddered. Nyri stared determinedly into the thick trees beyond and tried to quell the thrill of apprehension she felt at his words.

  “The animals are acting very strange lately, too,” Javaan pondered on. “Just this morning, a flock of birds chased me from my watch. The others have experienced similar incidents. I’d say there is definitely some Wove mischief still afoot.”

  Ah, Nyri thought, keeping her eyes down. Woves had nothing to do with it.

  “And…” Javaan continued. “There is a new call that I cannot place. I thought I knew the voice of every bird in this forest but this one is new, I have yet to sight it. No doubt it has been driven here by Ninsiku’s increas
ing hold.”

  Something tugged at Nyri’s memory as she listened to this but could not place it inside her hazing mind.

  Daajir patted Javaan’s shoulder. “Keep sharp. Their darkness will linger for a good while yet until we can drive them from our borders.” He and Nyri walked on. She shivered as the light grew dim, dark clouds gathering above the canopy.

  “What’s wrong?” Daajir asked once they had left Javaan behind and were alone. Nyri fought through the increasing haze of dizziness and tried to ease the tension in her shoulders. “Nothing. I just don’t like the thought that a Wove could be close by, watching us. Makes me edgy.”

  To her surprise, Daajir put a protective arm around her shoulders. Nyri fought the urge to shrug it off. Such an action would ruin her charade of vulnerability. It was so easy to play on Daajir’s ego.

  “They will not trouble us for much longer, Nyriaana. Trust me. I promised the Elders I had found a way to defend us, and that is exactly what I have done. They will not sit on our borders tormenting us when they have a taste of what I have in store for them.”

  Right, Nyri fought the urge to roll her eyes. She was grateful when the conversation lapsed as they searched the groves, this time for moss and leaves rather than food; the trees were bare of edible offerings. The tribe and the rest of the forest inhabitants had stripped them in preparation for the Fury.

  As Daajir had predicted, it took several trips to fill Kyaati’s new bower. There were anxious moments when their foraging took them worryingly close to the Pits. Nyri tried to keep her furtive glances towards the area to a minimum. Thankfully, Juaan seemed to be keeping his promise and the Pits remained still and silent.

  The effort of travelling back and forth, however, took a heavy toll. It was during the last trip when Nyri’s strength finally gave out. She was foraging near a fallen tree and had bent to fill her nearly full basket when the ground lurched uncontrollably beneath her feet. Falling to her knees in the undergrowth, she tried to clear the dark spots that swam before her eyes. She had to get up, she could not let Daajir see! But her body refused to obey, her empty stomach retched dryly.

  As she battled the darkness sucking at the edges of her vision, her eyes focused on something beside her on the ground. At first she thought she was seeing things. A gathering basket should not be lying around on the forest floor this far from the tribe. And not just a gathering basket, but a gathering basket stuffed with food.

  Now she knew she was hallucinating.

  Nevertheless, her need was such that she could not help extending her fingers, wishing for the vision to be true. A jolt shot up her arm when instead of passing straight through the vision as she expected, her fingers came up against cold, solid fibers. She gasped. Real!

  Her hands dove into the woven net, pulling out the first thing she could reach. She stuffed the berries into her mouth, groaning in relief as they hit her empty stomach. She pulled out another piece and another, unable to stop until her belly was full and could take no more. Satiated, she lay unmoving, just savouring the feeling of strength returning to her limbs. Her vision began to clear.

  As she recovered, her thoughts untangled. She forced herself to sit up and saw with a thrill that there were actually two gathering baskets lying next to her, hidden away in the undergrowth. Where did they come from?

  The answer struck like a bolt of lightning. They were hers. These were the baskets she had dropped when the grishnaa had attacked Omaal. Nyri descended on them with sudden hope and looked inside. Most of her gathering was still there, untouched. She couldn’t believe it.

  She had assumed when she hadn’t returned for them straight away, that maamits would have stripped the unprotected contents bare. Then Juaan and everything that had happened since had driven them from her mind. Ninmah Herself must have been watching over these baskets and presented her with a gift in her greatest time of need.

  Or a test.

  Nyri looked quickly for Daajir but he was a long way off, absorbed in gathering the moss from a tree for Kyaati’s bower. He hadn’t detected anything amiss with her.

  Nyri turned back to the gathering baskets. She knew the right thing to do; her people needed this food desperately. She saw Haana’s broken face in her mind’s eyes, begging Baarias for her starving daughter’s life. Every day drew them closer to the brink. She should alert Daajir and carry these gathering baskets back to the tribe in triumph. And yet…

  A selfish thought flickered through her mind. She was failing. She and Juaan could not survive much longer on the single ration she was allowed. If she hadn’t found these baskets she would have succumbed right here on the forest floor. And if she succumbed, then so would Juaan. The vision of the green-eyed girl bearing the mark of the Kamaali danced before her eyes. Sefaan had said she must find her and she could not do that if she died of starvation-

  “Nyri!” Daajir’s voice broke into her deliberation. “I’ve got as much as I can carry. Are you coming? That storm is about to break.”

  “Yes!” Nyri called back. She made her choice. Staggering to her feet, she kicked the undergrowth hastily back into place over the baskets and rushed to where Daajir stood waiting.

  “What were you looking at?” he asked.

  “Nothing,” Nyri said.

  He looked at her quizzically then shook his head, amused. “You are getting very strange, you know.”

  Nyri forced a laugh, shrugged and walked on. They started back towards the tribe with their baskets of collected bedding. The other two baskets and their infinitely more precious load fell behind.

  33

  The Branch and the Mountain

  Nyri did not sleep that night. The storm that had been promised came. It lashed fiercely against her tree, the wind tore through the branches. But the noise had nothing to do with her wakefulness. Her guilt raged louder than the storm. She turned over fiercely in her bedding.

  She was frightening herself; her list of crimes marched relentlessly through her mind. She was disobeying her Elders, she was committing a sin against the Holy Creator herself, she had lied to Baarias and everyone she cared about and now she was withholding vital resources. Nyri shuddered, wondering just how far into Ninsiku’s damnation this path would take her.

  As soon as the storm had blown itself out, she rose. She could not remain alone with her inner demons any longer. She needed to see him. She needed to look into his eyes and be reassured once again that what she was doing was right. That it was all worth it.

  A chill mist had settled over the ground. Nyri’s fingers grew instantly numb as she emerged from her tree and moved stealthily into the forest. She waited for the first sentry but wasn’t surprised when she found no one in place. The storm had driven everybody under shelter. They hadn’t yet returned.

  The trees dripped mournfully as Nyri made her way through, their branches hanging low. Even they seemed judgemental as she passed. She hunched her shoulders and hurried to where she had left the baskets. It was hard in the blanketing mist but she finally found them. Nyri figured they would keep Juaan supplied for a good while. She would no longer have to starve herself to keep him supplied. Her conscience took a fresh battering. Her people were starving. By rights, these baskets should be in the stores.

  Nyri picked them up and carried them with her. They weren’t as full as she remembered. No doubt they had been raided by maamits. She would have to smuggle them back to her tree and keep them safe from further pilfering.

  Juaan had been oddly careful with her since she had healed his fingers and Nyri felt awkward at how much emotion she had revealed to him on that visit. He avoided her eyes as she handed him his food. The time passed in almost silence. At least he seemed pleased by the increased ration.

  “I have to leave now,” she said finally as the sky turned grey. “I’m not sure when I can return. Things are about to get a little complicated.” She still hadn’t figured out the problem of having to look after both Juaan and Kyaati.

  She fancied she saw a fla
sh of disappointment in his eyes but Nyri knew that was probably just a figment of wishful thinking.

  “Why?” he asked.

  She paused, hesitant to speak; even now it was almost too hard to bear. She didn’t know if he would even care. “My… kinswoman lost her baby on the night your clan came-”

  His frown interrupted her. “The girl who fell from the tree?”

  “Yes,” Nyri bit out, trying to push away the images his words evoked. She was amazed when she detected another flash of remorse, maybe he did care. She drew a breath. “I have been bound by my teacher to take over her care because she cannot yet be left alone, she is grieving too deeply.”

  “Your teacher?”

  “Yes. In the art of healing. Baarias-”

  Nyri broke off when his gaze sharpened. “Baarias? That is his name?” he asked, almost demanding.

  Nyri was taken aback by his reaction. “Y-yes. What of it?” She felt a sudden stab of resentment. He remembers Baarias but not me? The evil spell that the Woves had cast over him worked in strange ways indeed.

  He simply shrugged and began running the fingers of his left hand back and forth across the finger that had been broken, deep in thought. “He must be a skillful master.”

  “Yes, he is,” Nyri murmured. She was confused by his behaviour but knew from his expression that she would get no further, not today. She had to leave. “I promise I will come back. Wait for me.”

  He did not answer, still lost in deep contemplation.

  Nyri left him and hurried towards home, hefting her two baskets upon her back. It was time for her to take over Kyaati’s care and all the difficulties that would entail. She had to run some of the way, still being careful not to be detected. All the more important now because of the damning baskets she carried.

  When she reached the borders of her home, her heart dropped. Everywhere she probed, sentries were hidden, waiting for anything that might approach or pass them by. Around and around Nyri circled, looking for an opening in their defence.