The Nivaka Chronicles Boxed Set

by Leslie E Heath

  The dragon cocked its head to one side, then the other, watching Aibek through curious orange eyes.

  Without hesitation, Aibek repeated the rhyme. His voice rang through the cave, echoing off the distant walls.

  Again, the dragon turned its head on its side, staring hard at Aibek and his friends.

  “Where you learn that rhyme?” Its voice was a deep, gravelly rumble that reverberated through the small space.

  Aibek schooled his face into a military mask, hiding his surprise from the creature.

  “The Bokinna sent me to you. You are the Dodonni, right? The one called Gworsad? She gave me the rhyme so you would know I came with her blessing. Please believe we would not have bothered you if she had not sent us.” He spoke pronouncing each word precisely.

  “She send me dinner?”

  A nervous laughed bubbled from Aibek’s lips. “No, she didn’t send us for you to eat. She sent us to ask for your help.”

  "Help? How I help scared little people?"

  Aibek nodded, ignoring the barb. "The forest is in trouble. We need your help to save it."

  "Trees are sick." The dragon pronounced the words carefully, slowly, like someone struggling to learn a new language. Aibek cocked his head, watching the creature. How often did he speak to humans?

  “Yes, the trees are sick.” He nodded again. “We’re working on that. That’s not what I need your help with, though.”

  “What help?”

  “An army is coming. A big one. They will cut down all the trees and kill the forest if we don’t stop them. The Bokinna promised to move the Shadow Trees to block out the invasion, but only if you will help defend them. Will you help us?”

  Had he said too much at once? The dragon stared for a long while. Did he understand the problem? Aibek opened his mouth to explain, but closed it again when the dragon replied.

  “I help you. I ask other Dodonni, too.”

  Others?

  “How many Dodonni are there?”

  “Many,” the dragon rumbled, and Aibek couldn’t tell if this was a question or an answer.

  Before Aibek could say anything more, the creature turned back to his fire.

  Rubbing the tender spots on his head, Aibek cleared his throat. “Um… Excuse me?”

  The dragon stretched his long neck around, turning his face to Aibek without moving his body. His branched left horn scraped along the roof of the cave, and the grinding sound sent a chill down Aibek’s spine. Had that been how he’d broken the right horn?

  “What?” A puff of smoke coughed out.

  “Well, sir, I…Could we get our packs? We have dried meat for food. We can give you some. Are you hungry?”

  The dragon rumbled deep in his throat and turned to the discarded packs. He lifted them in one enormous fore-paw and tossed them to the travelers. Aibek’s dropped to the ground in front of him, as he stared at the oddly shaped dragon. The creature’s paw–foot–looked like a tree trunk, complete with long roots extending from each toe. Those feet matched the strange prints on the trail.

  “Hungry,” it said.

  Aibek grabbed his pack and jerked open the strings. He held a hunk of jerky up for the dragon, but the creature only rumbled again. It sounded like it was–could it be–laughing?

  “I thought you might want this…since you’re not going to…um…eat us, right?”

  The rumbling grew louder.

  "I not eat you." It lowered its head to him again, and sniffed, the action creating enough wind to pull Aibek's cloak forward. "You smell bad, like sick trees and fear. I eat this." He stretched his neck out of the cave and turned back to the travelers. A dead elk dangled from its massive jaws, blood dripping down the dragon's neck. Aibek stifled a gag and stuck the jerky in his own mouth.

  * * *

  A heavy, palpable darkness filled the cave, and Aibek wondered how much time had passed. What moons were out now? He didn't dare step outside to see. The dragon had left the cave soon after it finished roasting and devouring its dinner. The elk cooking in the flames of the beast's fiery breath had smelled divine, but it hadn't offered to share, and Aibek wasn't brave enough to ask. Most animals could become aggressive if someone threatened their meal.

  An orange light flared, flickered, and grew into a steady glow, shocking Aibek back to the present and blinding him with its brilliance. When his eyes adjusted, he scrambled back against the farthest wall of the cave, gesturing for his friends to stay close. Three dragons filled the entrance to the large space: Gworsad and two smaller dragons.

  Gworsad had used his flame to light a pile of sticks near the cave’s entrance, and the three dragons pressed close to the fire, rumbling and chirping. The noise stopped, and all three beasts turned to the travelers pressed against the back wall.

  Pinned by the glowing gazes, Aibek straightened his spine and worked to quiet his racing heart. These were friends; he reminded himself. Without a sound, they turned away from the travelers and resumed their rumblings. The deep sounds vibrated through Aibek's chest.

  “What do you think they’re doing?” Kai whispered.

  Aibek shook his head. “I’m not sure. It looks like they’re talking to each other.”

  “What could they be saying? What if they’re discussing having us as a late-night snack?” Aylen’s voice rose to a squeak.

  Serik held up a steady hand. “He promised to help us. Let’s not discount his word so soon.”

  The others nodded, and silence descended. The low chirrups and growls from the dragons blended into a soothing lullaby, and Aibek drifted to sleep against the cold stone.

  * * *

  Something hard thumped against Aibek’s shoulder, and he jolted awake. Gworsad’s face hovered inches from his own, watching him with those unnerving orange eyes.

  “You are leader, yes?”

  The close vibrations tickled Aibek’s stomach, and he smiled despite his unease.

  “Yes, I’m the leader.”

  “Dodonni leaders talk to you.”

  Aibek nodded, stood, and brushed at the dirt caked on his clothes.

  Outside, the faintest blush of dawn touched the sky, providing enough light that Aibek could see to avoid tripping in the large dragon prints dotting the ground. He followed the dragon halfway across the clearing, keeping his eyes on the uneven soil.

  When they stopped, dragons of every size imaginable, from some the size of a farmer's dog, to some that reached halfway up the trees. Gworsad was one of the biggest dragons; only two were taller. All of them watched Aibek with glowing eyes of various colors, some blue, green, orange, and even gray. Gworsad pressed his nose to Aibek's back, nudging him toward the largest dragon.

  He’s here to help, he’s here to help, he’s here to help.

  Aibek repeated the phrase like a mantra as he approached the largest of the Dodonni, who had lowered his head to gaze directly into Aibek’s face.

  His head was broad, almost twice as wide as Gworsad’s, and black smoke wafted from nostrils large enough for a man to fit inside. He examined Aibek with luminous green eyes and rumbled to the assembled dragons. They returned the sound and stared at Aibek.

  Unsure what else to do, Aibek waved. “Um…Hello. It’s nice to meet you all.”

  The leader dipped its head in a nod, bent its legs, and settled so it was lying on the open ground.

  “I am told you want our help.” The creature’s deep voice resonated through the forest, yet there was kindness in its tone.

  Aibek nodded. “Yes, my friends and I came here to get help saving the forest from an enemy who would destroy it.”

  The great beast nodded again. “I have spoken with the Bokinna. She likes you. If you can save her, we will help you.”

  A loud grumble went through the assembled dragons. The leader's sharp chuff silenced them.

  “She also tells me you are needed in your home. When the sky is bright, my friends will carry you and your companions back to your caves. When you have the fruit that will save us,
you will tell the forest, and we will carry you to her.”

  Struggling to understand the dragon’s meaning, Aibek paused. What did he mean–they were needed at home? Had something happened? Another question popped into his mind.

  “If you can carry us to our village and back,” he said slowly, “could you take us to the swamp to get my friend and the sister’s fruit? We could heal the forest much faster with your help.”

  The enormous dragon chirped, rumbled, and shook his head. “Our purpose is to protect the Bokinna at all times. We cannot leave her boundaries.”

  “Not even to save her?” Aibek’s head throbbed, and he struggled to understand this new information.

  “Never,” the dragon said.

  With a sigh, Aibek nodded. “Thank you for your help. We are most grateful.”

  The beast rumbled again, raised himself to standing, and lifted off the ground with a few beats of wings so broad he couldn’t stretch them out within the clearing.

  The abrupt wind nearly knocked Aibek over, and he stumbled backward before he regained his balance. The other dragons dissipated into the forest, leaving Aibek alone with the one the Bokinna had called Gworsad.

  “Thank you.” Aibek grinned at the beast. “But how exactly are you going to get us home?”

  “We…” The dragon rumbled and chuffed. “How say…carry little ones on back.” He jerked his head toward the moss-covered space in front of his wings.

  His words were halting, careful, and Aibek realized the creature struggled with the language. His earlier assumption had been correct: the dragons didn’t likely speak to humans very often.

  “All right. Let me wake the others.”

  He spun on his booted heel and started back toward the cave. Inside, Serik, Aylen, and Kai stood illuminated in the light of the fire. How much had they seen? Aibek hurried toward them, limping as quickly as he could over the dimpled ground.

  20

  Hope

  The setting sun painted streaks of red and orange across the sky, and Faruz settled back against the trunk of the large tree and sighed. He wasn’t warm, exactly, but the shivering had stopped, and the blankets draped over his shoulders warded off the worst of the cold. His wet clothes hung at the end of the branch, drying in the breeze. Peeling them off in the bitter cold had been torture, but the warmth of dry clothes had been worth the misery.

  “Has anyone thought of a way to get more food?” He asked, peering into his pack.

  Wayra and Dalan shook their heads, but Hekma stared up into the sky as if he hadn’t heard the question.

  "We could use some twine to snag one or two of those bullfrogs we keep hearing," the dwarf offered. Hekma kept his eyes on the colorful sky but shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know how we'd cook them, though."

  A frown creased Faruz’s brow, and he nodded. “I’ve thought about that. There’s nowhere to build a fire here, so anything we find will have to be eaten raw.”

  The others grimaced but nodded.

  Faruz cleared his throat. “Depending on how things go tomorrow, I’ve considered asking the Saethem where we can find food. Surely she knows what’s edible in this swamp.”

  A humorless laugh came from Wayra’s direction. “That’s assuming she doesn’t kill us on sight for injuring her pet. Did you see that thing looking at us?”

  Faruz laughed and let the joke pass. It was no less than he had thought earlier in the day.

  “I’ve been thinking…” Faruz shifted and tried to find the right words. “Maybe we shouldn’t post a watch tonight.”

  Wayra dropped something that landed on the branch beneath him with a dull thud. “What? Why?”

  Faruz had expected that response.

  “Well, we know she’s watching us, and we know her pet is watching us–” He broke off when Dalan dropped to the branch in front of him.

  “Those are good reasons to double the watch. Did you spend too much time in the water today or what?” Dalan frowned and examined Faruz’s face, squinting and leaning forward as if looking for signs of illness.

  Faruz laughed under his friend's perusal. "Not at all. I thought that we should show a little faith: show her we trust her to take care of us. She's in control of this swamp; nothing will happen to us unless she permits it. Besides, if she does decide to get rid of us, we won't have much of a chance, now will we?"

  Dalan’s face fell. His shoulders drooped as he peered down into the darkening swamp.

  “You may be right about that.”

  Faruz gentled his voice. “Maybe we should all get a good night’s sleep, and hopefully she’ll agree to help us in the morning. If not, we’ll have to spend the day figuring out how to find food–I just finished the last of my jerky.”

  “Me, too.” Hekma nodded. “Sleep sounds good to me. Better than staring into the darkness and wondering what’s out there, anyway.” He pointed out into the vast tangle of branches that stretched as far as the eye could see.

  Settling back against the broad trunk, Faruz pulled his blanket tighter and closed his eyes. “Well, let’s get some sleep, then.”

  * * *

  The bright light of morning opened his eyes, and Faruz stretched out his stiff legs. How had he slept so late? He sought out his friends, waking them one by one. They dug out the crumbs that had fallen to the bottom of their packs and climbed down. Tired of ending the day with damp blankets, they slung their packs over high branches to keep them out of the water.

  They rushed through their morning routine and soon stood in the icy water in front of the Saethem. Hopefully, she wouldn’t hold their tardiness against them.

  The moment he entered the clearing, Faruz could tell something had changed. There was a breathless energy to the swamp today that hadn’t been there before. He stepped forward, unsure whether to expect an ambush or a warm welcome. He fought the urge to tap his foot under the ankle-deep water–it would only splash and get him wet.

  Drawing himself up to his full height, he inhaled and opened his mouth to greet the tree. Before a sound escaped, the face appeared in the bark once more, that same disapproving expression cutting into him. He wilted like a child under her glare and snapped his mouth closed.

  Everything stopped. The wind ceased rustling the branches, the frogs halted their calls, and silence echoed through the vast swamp.

  “You are either very brave or extremely foolish, and I have yet to decide which.” The words were curt, coming in clipped tones that Faruz struggled to interpret. The silence grew, and he realized she waited for his response.

  “I…I’m not sure what you mean.”

  A gust of wind whipped his hair until it stung his face. He brushed it back and waited for the tree’s decision.

  “I trust you slept well without anyone to watch over you?”

  Faruz smiled. It had been a gamble, not setting a watch, but the unbroken sleep had been worth it.

  "Yes, I slept very well, thank you for asking." He bowed low and straightened. His smile faded. "I realized there was no real point to a watch since you are already in control of the swamp. Nothing could attack us without your consent, and if you chose to kill us all, we would be quite unable to stop you."

  Moss-green eyes glowered in the broad tree. The wind howled through the clearing once more, but this time Faruz was ready. He held his cloak at his side and tossed his hair back. He stepped back, stumbled, and almost fell when the wind held aside the branches on the tree beside him, revealing the serpent’s face in the moss. He could have reached out a hand and touched it. He stepped away from the venomous creature and turned back to the ancient willow.

  “Will you help us?”

  Stillness settled over the clearing, and a long branch moved toward him. The amulet hung at the end of the bough, close enough for Faruz to grab. His fingers twitched, but he kept his arms pinned to his sides.

  A soft breeze swung the pendant on its branch. “Go ahead. It is yours. My sister confirmed she sent you. She is weak, indeed. I will help you save h
er, but it will take time. You have come after the growing season. It will take much work to grow fruit for you now.”

  Relief rushed over Faruz in a wave. His knees nearly buckled as all the air rushed from his lungs. He raised his eyes sharply as the tree’s last words sunk in. The season had crossed his mind as a potential problem, but he had assumed the Bokinna would not have sent them here if it were hopeless.

  “How long will it take?” His voice came harder than he had expected, and he dropped his gaze and softened his voice.

  “I have no problem waiting, of course, but we have run out of food.” He grabbed the amulet and slipped it over his head, tucking it safely beneath his shirt. “We will need to find something to eat if we are to wait more than a day.”

  “Ah, of course.” The words came on a sigh. “It will take me eight days to grow and ripen the fruit. You may follow the current upstream to find fish and berries, as well as dry ground where you can build a fire.”

  A dozen more questions swirled in Faruz’s mind, but he held his tongue. The face had vanished from the tree, and he was alone with his friends and the serpent. The latter dropped out of the tree and disappeared into the murky water, and Faruz backed out of the clearing toward the others.

  He led the way back to their tree, where the travelers gathered their packs and prepared for the journey. The Saethem hadn’t said how far they would have to follow the current, but it would have to be far enough to exit the swamp if they were to find dry ground. Eager anticipation filled Faruz’s mind as he slung his pack over his shoulders and turned to face the others.

  "Ready?" He grinned. Maybe they could build a fire and get warm, at least for a short time. He worked to keep the disquieting thoughts away. Walking in still water had been challenging enough. How would he manage to fight against the current long enough to find the berries and fish the tree had promised? He kept those worries to himself and trudged back toward the clearing, the easiest place to locate the current.