The Nivaka Chronicles Boxed Set

by Leslie E Heath

  Kai was silent for a long while, and Aibek wondered if he would answer. Finally, he said, “No, nothing attacked me. Something brushed against me—maybe a fish? It felt like a fish. It startled me, and I tried to get away from it, but I stepped off into deep water.”

  As soon as Kai had recovered sufficiently, the group gathered their belongings, packed the strings of fish into the baskets, and headed into the forest. The day was warm enough, but a cool breeze blew through the woods, and no one had brought dry clothes. The men who had gone into the water were chilled and shivering, so Ahren and her friends wrapped them in some of the blankets they had used for the picnic. The walk home took longer than the walk to the lake because Kai was exhausted from his ordeal and often needed to rest.

  They made it back to the village just as the sun slipped below the horizon. Faruz and Dalan helped Kai to his house, and all of the others wasted no time going home for the evening. Aibek trudged back to Valasa's house, exhausted from the day's excitement.

  The next morning, the village was abuzz with the arrangements for the wedding. Dalan and his sister were to take part in their friends’ wedding, so they were occupied for the day. That left Aibek and Faruz with nothing to do. They agreed to wander on their own for the morning, then return to get ready for the wedding before the afternoon turned to evening.

  As they strolled along the boardwalks, several people stopped to talk to the new mayor and his friend. Not infrequently, the villagers congratulated him for destroying the enemy’s messengers and for saving Kai from drowning.

  The attention made Aibek a little uncomfortable, and he worried that they would try to paint him as a hero. He knew a battle was coming, and he still wasn’t sure how they could win it. He feared letting everyone down more than death and wanted to see them all survive and thrive when it was over. With each handshake, Aibek felt the villagers’ expectations settle more weight upon his shoulders, and he slumped under the burden. He had to fight harder for each smile as worry etched his face.

  How am I supposed to save these people from an enemy we know nothing about?

  Aibek and Faruz spent the entire day walking around and talking with the villagers and had a light lunch with some old men who told them stories of hunting and market days before the invasion. Aibek enjoyed spending time getting to know the people who lived in this lovely place and was starting to feel he belonged there. He was quietly proud that they only got lost twice, and both times managed to find their way back without asking for help.

  They returned to Valasa’s house in time to get ready for the wedding. Aibek had no idea what to expect from the afternoon’s celebration. Maybe it would be like the banquet on his first night here. This time, he intended to join the festivities.

  The whole family had a light snack at the house, then headed to the park at the east end of town for the ceremony. The entire village was there, and all wore their best clothes for the event. The women wore flowing gowns in satin and silk with lace sleeves and lacy accents on the skirts. Aibek was a little shocked—that was the first time he had seen anyone wear something other than zontrec, though he’d noticed a few fur cloaks hanging in the wardrobe. The women pinned their hair up in a variety of unique and complicated styles, and he thought they each looked lovely. The men wore darkly pigmented shirts and pants, which looked similar to their usual attire. Aibek and Faruz both wore dark brown suits Valasa had given them.

  The groom stood next to Valasa, beneath an arch made of colorful autumn leaves, awaiting the arrival of his bride. Aibek felt a stab of sympathy for his friend as he noticed Wayra fidgeting with his shirt cuffs, stepping forward and back again. His obvious nervousness only added to the general excitement of the day. The groom wore a yellow silk suit with a red flower pinned on its lapel.

  Valasa was wearing the robes of his station, which the new mayor and his friend had never seen before. The outer robe was a deep forest green, each layer underneath a lighter shade than the one above it. There were at least seven layers, making the robe a veritable rainbow of green. The innermost layer was pure white, but Aibek only glimpsed an occasional sliver when the Gadonu moved. Pale pink washed the sky as the sun dropped near the horizon.

  Soon after Aibek’s arrival, the musicians began playing, and the bride entered the park. She wore a long, flowing gown of rose silk, embroidered at the hem and the long draping sleeves with white and yellow flowers connected by dark green vines and leaves. She shuffled toward the arch, holding the arm of a much older man whom Aibek assumed must be her father. Her rich brown hair was swept up to the crown of her head, where her curls interwove with little purple flowers. She smiled at her father, then turned tear-filled eyes to Wayra.

  Aibek smiled at the sweetness of the picture they presented, then inhaled the flower-scented evening air. He hoped this was the first of many such celebrations for the people here.

  The ceremony was short and solemn, but very sweet. Immediately after, the newlyweds led their guests to the Pavilion, where the celebration was to take place. The fairies had decorated it with magnificent garlands made of red and orange autumn leaves wrapped around each pillar and strings of lanterns casting a golden glow on the festivities. The lamps, strung along the boardwalks for two hundred yards in each direction, made the entire area look magical. The scent of flowers hung heavily on the humid evening air, mingling near the Pavilion with the scents of fish, vegetables, and cakes.

  The area at the front of the Pavilion, where the long table had been on the night of their arrival, was set up as a huge buffet. On the front table, displayed in ornate, colorful arrangements, were several dishes of fish, the bountiful catch from the day before featured with obvious pride at the center of the room.

  The workers had arranged more tables around the perimeter of the lower space, but they'd left a large area cleared for dancing in the center of the Pavilion.

  Fairies fluttered about the tables, dressed vibrantly once again for the joyous occasion. Aibek wasn’t sure he would ever get used to seeing them; he’d grown up thinking they existed only in the stories his aunt read him as a child. As they approached the celebration, Aibek basked in the noise of merriment drifting from the Pavilion. He smiled at the sounds of laughter and chairs scooting as people found seats for the festivities.

  The bride and groom assumed their position in the center of the dance floor, and the musicians began a slow, lilting tune. They danced in circles, their tempo increasing every few steps as the music sped up. Before long, the couple was dancing furiously as the crowd clapped to the beat of the music and cheered for the newlyweds. By the time the song ended, the bride and groom were both breathless and laughing. They left the dance floor and headed to the buffet, where a line formed behind them. Other villagers filled the dance floor, choosing to eat later in the evening and avoid the long lines at the buffet.

  Aibek and Faruz joined the dancing couples, each paired with ladies they had met over the past few weeks. Aibek struggled to remember the name of the girl he danced with but gave up when he realized in horror that he didn’t know the steps to the dance. He stepped right when everyone else moved left, then stomped on his partner’s foot. He tried to watch the other dancers through the corner of his eye, but they moved faster than he could. When everyone around him twisted into a turn, he bumped into the man dancing near them, then laughingly gave up even though they were only halfway through the song. His companion laughed with him for a moment, then went off into the crowd in search of a more competent dance partner.

  Still laughing, he inhaled the aroma of the banquet mingling with the perfumes of all the dancers and reveled in the sounds of laughter and the clatter of dishes. Looking around, he realized his friend hadn’t fared any better, so he made his way to where Faruz stood alone, next to a pillar by the edge of the dance floor.

  “Well, that was fun,” Aibek shouted over the noise once he had his friend’s attention.

  Faruz made a glum face. “I don’t know if ‘fun’ is the right word fo
r it. We may need lessons on these dances before we try again. That wasn’t the impression I was hoping to make.”

  “Lessons don’t sound like a bad idea, but it’s a bit late for that tonight. Why don’t we get some food?” Aibek tugged his disgruntled friend in the direction of the buffet. There were very few things that couldn’t be made better with a good meal. However, before they made it to the tables, Zifa flagged them down. She had Ahren by the arm and dragged her along.

  “That was a great try at a really tough dance. May I show you the steps?” The dark-haired beauty flashed a shy smile at Faruz, then leaned close to hear his response in the noisy Pavilion.

  “That would be great, but maybe not out in the middle of the dance floor, where everyone can watch me fail.” He smiled and raked his hands through his long blonde hair. “Is there anywhere else we can practice for a bit?”

  “Sure, we can use the boardwalk over here. They lit lamps along the walk, and since everyone is in the Pavilion, we can have a bit of privacy while you learn.” Zifa grabbed his hand and led him off into the night, leaving their two friends standing awkwardly in their wake.

  Ahren made a quiet suggestion. “Well, do you want to go, too? I could teach you the steps at the same time, and that way there won’t be rumors about the two of them tomorrow.”

  Aibek had to strain to hear her words over the din of the party.

  “We can do that, but only if it’s what you want to do. I don’t want to be responsible for you missing the fun.” When he looked up, her crystal-blue eyes met his, and she smiled.

  “I wouldn’t mind helping you a little. It’s only dancing.”

  They followed the path their friends had taken into the lamp-lit night on the boardwalk beyond the Pavilion.

  Within a few yards, they approached the other couple, slowly practicing the steps to the dance near a bench. Ahren stopped several feet away and started walking Aibek through the steps. It took him several tries to catch on to the basics, and before the song ended, they were both laughing at his attempts. When the next song began, she showed him the dance that went to that music. The new one was a bit easier, and he caught on much more quickly.

  Within a few minutes, he swung her easily through the turns of the dance and thought how lovely her eyes were in the lamplight.

  Now that's a dangerous thought. This girl is my host’s only daughter. I don’t need to get any ridiculous ideas about her.

  He needed a clear head to help steer the village through what was sure to be a rocky road ahead. Besides, he didn’t even know where he stood with the lady at the moment. She’d been pleasant enough yesterday, but she hadn’t been in a hurry to dance with him tonight—Zifa had basically forced her into it. As he steeled himself against any thought of attraction, she pressed closer in the dance, and he had to start all over again reminding himself why he shouldn’t try for more.

  When the song ended, Aibek called out to Faruz and Zifa and invited them to join him and his partner for a trip to the buffet. He needed to put some distance between himself and Ahren, and besides, he was getting hungry.

  Aibek and Faruz were finishing their meal at a small table near the front of the Pavilion when screams pierced the night. Aibek jumped up, knocking the wooden chair to the floor in his haste. He tried to push toward the source of the screams but found himself facing a wall of retreating villagers. He squeezed between and around the terrified citizens until he finally broke through the crowd. It took a moment for his mind to process the shock of the scene in front of him. Alija lay on the wooden floor, a puddle of blood growing around him.

  Aibek shouted, “What’s happened?”

  The blood flowed from Alija’s left side. Aibek knelt beside his friend and gingerly turned him over to examine the source of the bleeding. Alija groaned in pain at the movement.

  The back of his shirt was torn and plastered to the bloody gash beside his spine. The wound was deep enough that Aibek could see a glimmer of bone where the weapon had struck ribs.

  Whoever did this clearly had no knowledge of the human body, Aibek mused as he examined the wound.

  The cut was vertical and off-center, slicing through the thick muscle of the upper back. It didn’t look as if the weapon had gone deep enough to hit any major organs, but that wouldn’t matter if he didn’t stop the bleeding.

  Aibek ripped the ruined garment up the middle and folded an end to make a dressing, which he pressed into the wound to slow the bleeding. All the while, his mind raced.

  Who could have done this? Surely someone must have seen something in this crowd.

  They were only a few steps from the newly-empty dance floor. The area would have been packed with people a few minutes before. Aibek looked up and met Faruz’s worried glance.

  “Start asking around. Someone saw who did this.”

  Faruz turned and scanned the faces of the onlookers.

  Where's Valasa?

  Aibek continued to hold pressure to the gash on his friend’s back as warm, sticky blood squeezed between his fingers and ran down his hand. He pressed harder, and Alija grunted. Finally, the bleeding slowed to a trickle, then stopped. Soon after, Valasa came rushing into the Pavilion and knelt beside the wounded man. He scanned the scene and nodded to Aibek.

  “Good work. It doesn’t look like it’s bleeding anymore.” The healer turned his attention to Alija. “Do you think you can stand? We need to get you to my home so I can get a look at you and clean the wound.”

  Alija struggled into a sitting position, waving off Aibek’s attempt to help. “I can walk.”

  He grabbed Aibek’s outstretched hand and gingerly pulled himself to his feet. Aibek stayed close as Alija braced his hands on his knees, then slowly straightened. The wounded man took a few slow, painful-looking steps toward the boardwalk, then stopped to rest. Aibek didn’t think he’d be able to make it all the way to the Gadonu’s home, which also doubled as the town’s hospital, but Alija stubbornly refused to let his friends carry him. Thankfully, he didn’t have far to walk.

  13

  Home

  Eddrick spun his wife in a slow circle as they danced along with the revelers.

  He whispered in her ear. “This is wonderful.”

  “Yes, it is.” Kiri looked around. “But where’s Aibek? I don’t see him anywhere.”

  They stopped dancing, and both looked for their son among the dancers.

  “It seems there’s someone over there on the boardwalk. Maybe he needed some fresh air.” She pointed to a small group in the lights outside The Pavilion, and they drifted closer to investigate.

  Eddrick’s lips widened into a huge grin when he saw his son dancing in a close embrace with Ahren. He wrapped an arm around his wife and spun her into the dance.

  “Let’s give them a little privacy, shall we?” he whispered in her ear.

  “I didn’t think she even liked him,” Kiri replied, then laughed as he suddenly whirled her in the other direction.

  He dipped her low to the ground and answered, “How could she not? He’s really very likable. And they make such a lovely couple.”

  The song wound to a close and the joyful parents watched as their son and his friends left the boardwalk in favor of a meal. They decided they’d seen enough of the party they couldn’t join and headed back to their quiet suite of rooms.

  Eddrick spoke apropos of nothing as they walked toward their own space. “I’m running out of ideas how to get him to see me. I’ve tried every day since our punishment ended, and he doesn’t even notice I’m there.”

  Kiri frowned at her husband. “What are you talking about? Who doesn’t see you? I hope you’re not interfering again.”

  “No, nothing like that. I want to talk to Aibek. He should know he’s not alone.”

  For a moment, she gave him an intense stare. “Oh, it would be lovely to talk to him. I think he saw me the other night during the storm, but I’m not completely sure. He didn’t say anything.”

  Eddrick nodded in understa
nding. “It was easy with Valasa. I just talked to him while he was meditating. Aibek doesn’t meditate though, and I don’t know what else to do.”

  “We’ll just have to keep trying. He should know we’re here for him.”

  * * *

  Aibek waited impatiently in the family room while the healer treated Alija’s wound in the Gadonu’s workroom. Most of the council members, including Wayra and his new wife, were perched on the edges of the chairs in the room. Faruz and Dalan had stayed at the Pavilion to gather as much information as they could before all the villagers went home, and they hadn’t yet returned.

  The room was silent, except for the occasional rustling of fabric as someone shifted position. Valasa and Alija had been in the workroom for well over an hour, and Aibek was growing more apprehensive by the minute. He stared at the door they’d gone through, willing it to open.

  What's taking so long? Was I too late to stop the bleeding? Was the wound more serious than it looked?

  He hadn’t thought the blade had breached the ribs, but in that lighting, he could easily have been wrong.

  Aibek jumped when the front door swung open behind him. He leaped to his feet and spun toward the sudden sound. He gaped at the sight of Faruz and Dalan leading a woman into the room, each holding one of her arms as she twisted and tried to get away.

  The woman wore less finery than most of the villagers had that night; her simple yellow zontrec gown accented only with a pale green ribbon tied around her waist. It impossible to miss the bloodstains on the cuff of the right sleeve. The woman herself was slender and short, the top of her head just reached Faruz’s shoulder. In spite of her small size, the woman had a hardness about her that Aibek recognized from his days in the city—this was a woman accustomed to manual labor. Her strength reminded him of the men and women who worked the rock quarries and coal mines outside of Xona. Her shoulder-length, dark hair tumbled about her face. It was hard to tell what color it was because of the sweat that dampened the heavy curls, sticking a few strands to her tear-stained cheeks.