“I suppose you’re right.” Aibek sighed. “It’s hard to argue when you put it like that.” He remembered the stories his aunt had told him of a well-loved king and his round table. Perhaps that kind of equality didn’t work in situations like this.
He stepped back and examined the uneven line of buildings. “All right. We’ll keep that one for a meeting space.” He pointed to the largest hut. “And I’ll take that one as my quarters.” He moved his arm a tiny bit and gestured to the much smaller building beside the first.
“The mine looks secure enough,” someone shouted. Aibek turned to face the voice.
Vayna strode toward him, grinning widely. “There’s even a big open area just inside, where the dragons can sleep, and there are little holes in the roof that’ll work well to disperse and hide smoke. We can probably make fires without anyone seeing.”
Aibek tried to picture it but failed. “Show me.” He strode toward his friend, leaving Bartel staring at the buildings.
The cool darkness enveloped him when Aibek stepped into the mine shaft. He followed Vayna into the cavern. Someone had scattered several lamps around the space, so he could see how wide and open it really was. Iron supports kept the roof from collapsing down into an area the size of Nivaka’s largest park. The dragons and all the warriors could stay there and be completely protected. He tipped his head back and saw the faint light of dawn shining down through dozens of air holes the miners had drilled in the roof.
Aibek didn’t know much about the business of iron mining, but whoever had built this space had thought of everything. The holes were spaced far enough that men could sleep there without getting wet if it rained, but close enough to safely vent any fire smoke to the outside.
“We’ll all sleep in here today, and we’ll figure out the rest tomorrow.” Aibek smiled. This cavern would be easy enough to defend if trouble showed up, and it would conceal their cook fires from any unwelcome eyes beyond the valley.
They rested, hunted, and ate all day and all night. It took some time for the warriors and dragons to recover from the long journey. The six women in the group banded together and made their beds near each other. As far as Aibek could tell, they’d become fast friends during the trip.
By the next morning, Aibek felt the walls closing in. He had to get away from the mine. He needed to try to get into the city. He chose three men who he hoped wouldn’t stand out in a crowd of travelers and set about preparing to walk into Xona.
Aibek appraised their clothes and remembered how he’d stood out on his first day in Nivaka. After a bit of deliberation, he gave Bartel, Dorrel, and Gwynn his extra linen shirts and leather pants, so they could blend into the throng at the gate. At least their cloaks were heavy wool or leather, which wouldn’t be remarkable in the prairie city.
Once they’d all changed clothes, Aibek examined them closely. Bartel looked like any other archer, with his hair pulled back on one side and leather bracers on both arms. He would blend into the city’s throng easily enough.
Dorrel’s coppery beard stood out as a contrast against his dark hair and would be too memorable. “Could you shave it?” Aibek made a face. “I don’t want to get people talking about our group.”
The tall spearman grumbled but took off for the stream with Bartel’s shaving kit. Aibek turned his attention to Gwynn. He was tall, almost the same height as Aibek, and wore his chestnut hair short. His most distinctive feature was his brilliant, emerald-green eyes.
When Dorrel had finished shaving, Aibek led the group out of the cave and stopped in front of his quarters. “We’ll leave our weapons here.” He set his sword on his blankets.
“We don’t want to draw attention to ourselves,” he explained when Bartel complained. “Besides, they’ve always taken weapons at the gate, and I’m sure that hasn’t changed.”
The men expressed their discomfort but removed their weapons.
Marah clutched his arm before he could leave the camp. “You shouldn’t put yourself at risk like this. Let the others go without you. What do we do if you’re captured or killed?”
“I’m the only one here that knows my way around that city.” He peeled her fingers off his sleeve, squeezed her hand, and let it drop. “Besides, I need to find out if my aunt and uncle survived, and I need to check on Faruz’s parents, too. No one else knows where to find them.”
He turned his back to her before she could try again. “Are we ready?”
The faint blue light of dawn had brightened into swaths of pink and orange. Aibek breathed in the morning chill and stepped onto the rutted gravel path that had once been a busy road. Bartel, Dorrel, and Gwynn fell in behind him. Tall grasses swayed to either side, seeming to follow their movements on the abandoned trail.
Aibek’s leg throbbed before they’d made it halfway to the city, but he pushed onward. His slow pace infuriated him, but he couldn’t move any faster. Fear that he’d find his friends and family dead dampened his eagerness to reach his childhood home.
The sun had made it halfway to its peak when Xona’s sparkling walls appeared on the horizon. Aibek’s strength surged at the sight, and he moved faster than he had all day. Within an hour, they stood shoulder to shoulder with the hundreds of merchants and travelers waiting to be admitted into the city.
As they moved closer to the gates, Aibek hunched deeper into his cloak. He couldn’t shake the worry that the city guards might recognize him, though he had no reason to think they would. Why would they remember an academy dropout? Still, he had gained some notoriety during his years there, and many students had challenged him to sparring matches because of his skill with the sword. Still others would remember him for the hours he’d spent tutoring the younger students in swordsmanship and battle tactics.
At last, it was their turn to go through. The guards made them lift their cloaks and show they were unarmed, then waved them through. Relief washed over Aibek, but he steeled himself against it. That had been the easy part.
Aibek let the crowd drag them along toward the grand market on the east side of the city. His aunt and uncle lived a few blocks from there, and that would be his first stop. His heart pounded and his hands shook when they turned off the main streets and onto the quiet neighborhood road. The cool wind dried the sweat on his face, but he kept his hood up. When he reached the simple iron door, he hesitated. It felt strange to knock on the door when he’d grown up in that house, but he didn’t think it would be wise to enter unannounced. Nauseous, sweating, and weak from anticipation and fear, he raised his hand and tapped softly on the cold black metal.
He couldn’t breathe, couldn’t speak, and almost couldn’t look up from his shoes when the door finally opened. A firm hand grabbed his arm and pulled him inside. He raised his eyes, braced for the worst, and his knees buckled. He landed hard on the couch. Ira’s worried face smiled down at him.
“Aibek?” She held out a hand to help him up, but he stood and wrapped his aunt in a joyful hug.
“You’re alive,” he whispered again and again.
The housekeeper stepped into the room, squealed, “Oh! Aibek’s home!” and ran off into the kitchen.
She returned a heartbeat later carrying a tray of food and tea, which she plunked down onto the side table. Relieved of her burden, she wrested Aibek’s cloak off of him, waited for the other men to remove their heavy cloaks and boots, and welcomed them all into the comfortable sitting room.
“Tell me everything,” Aibek demanded as soon as they were seated.
Tears filled Ira’s soft brown eyes. “I haven’t seen or heard from—” her voice caught, and Aibek reached across the narrow space between their chairs and put a hand on her shoulder. “Your uncle since it happened. I don’t know if he’s…” She trailed off and mopped at her cheeks. “Or if he’s joined the faction of the city guard that’s trying to organize a revolt against this new governor.”
Aibek nodded and clung to that tiny shred of hope. If his uncle had survived the invasion, he would certainly hav
e joined whoever stood in opposition to the invaders. “I promised Faruz I’d find out about his family. Have you heard from them?”
A smile lit Ira’s face. “Yes, they’re doing well. Vebro took a fever a few days before the invasion and was in bed with the shakes when it all happened. They passed the sickness around, but they’re all better now. He’s complained constantly about being ill when his skills were needed, but we’re all happy to have him here to keep our little corner of Xona safe. Is Faruz with you? Wherever you’re staying, I mean?”
“No, he stayed to help prepare the forest for battle.”
They chatted and ate as if this were any normal visit, but Aibek knew he couldn’t return frequently, so he allowed himself to enjoy his aunt’s care and company. After a long conversation about Ira’s plan to move to Nivaka in the spring, Aibek glanced out the window. The day had flown by and the sun hung halfway to the western horizon. Koviom’s pale light climbed in its wake. Aibek stared at the moon and sighed.
“We have to go if we’re going to make it back to the camp tonight.” He stood and retrieved his boots, signaling the others to do the same.
Tears shone in Ira’s eyes as she bade them farewell, but she didn’t try to stop them.
“We’ll come back as soon as we can,” Aibek promised. The latch clicked behind him, cold and final. He hoped he’d be able to keep his promise.
They hurried back to the camp but took a less direct route. Aibek doubled back several times to cover their tracks, worried that the enemy might have set someone on them to see where they went. The sun had disappeared beyond the horizon, though darkness hadn’t completely taken over, when Aibek stepped into the old mine shaft.
The warriors had gathered enough sticks and brush to make a small, smoky fire at one side of the cave, and several birds and rabbits roasted on spits over the diminutive flames.
When Aibek retreated to his quarters, he said a silent thanks to Vayna for pushing him into claiming the hut for himself.
As soon as the door closed behind him, he whispered, “Father? Are you here?”
Eddrick and Kiri materialized beside the bed. “Of course.”
“Have you found Uncle Noral yet?” Aibek sank onto the mattress that someone had stuffed with fresh straw while he was gone. “My aunt says she hasn’t seen or heard from him since the invasion. Do you think he’s joined the opposition?”
“I don’t know. I can’t find him anywhere. Normally, I can sort of feel where someone is. He’s always been to find before now. I’m afraid… he probably didn’t survive the invasion.”
A sad, faraway look crossed Eddrick’s face, and Aibek changed the subject. “How am I going to keep this camp hidden? I think someone followed us out of the city today.”
Eddrick hesitated. He whispered something too soft for Aibek to hear. The silence grew heavy and Eddrick waited for some cue that Aibek didn’t understand. His voice was stiff and stilted when he replied. “I can tell you only of the army’s general movements, not of any individual soldier’s behavior.”
“All right.” Aibek weighed his words. Clearly, someone was watching his parents. He’d never sounded so stiff and cold before. “Can you give me advice on how to train with the seeds here without the forest to hide me or the Bokinna to direct me?”
Irritation flickered on Eddrick’s face during the pause that followed Aibek’s question.
“Your dragon friend, the one called Gworsad, can communicate with the Bokinna no matter the distance.” Eddrick spoke stiffly, as if repeating someone else’s words verbatim. “He can be an intermediary between you and the ancient one. You can find a wide open, abandoned space to the north of here, but be careful. Kurim is powerful and takes a great deal of time and practice to master. The ancients do not believe you have enough time to learn to control it before the coming battle.”
Aibek nodded, remembering Serik’s pale face leaned against the Bokinna. “I have to try.” Pain shot through his leg and he propped it up on the bed, massaging the overworked muscle.
Exhaustion weighed him down, and he fell back into the lumpy mattress.
“You should rest. You’ve had a hard few days.” Kiri brushed a lock of hair from his forehead, her touch a cold wind across his face.
Sapped of the strength to do more than nod, Aibek closed his eyes and drifted to sleep.
Heavy clouds hid the sun and threatened rain. Aibek and Vayna had spent several hours working out a training schedule so the dragons and riders could continue practicing for battle. Each pair would have at least two hours every other day, but they couldn’t come up with a way to safely put all the dragons in the air at once.
Gworsad and Tukanli had scouted the area Eddrick had suggested and found an area large enough to fly without any risk of anyone seeing them.
As soon as the dragons returned, Aibek looped his straps around Gworsad and climbed up. Memories of his last training session flooded his mind, but he blinked them away. He had to learn to focus.
The cool wind whipped his hair and droplets of rain stung his face as they circled higher and higher. Aibek kept his eyes open and peered down at the flat, grassy landscape. Rare, scrubby trees dotted the ground below, the only break in the endless sea of grass. Gworsad landed near a little copse of trees and waited for Aibek to drink the tincture.
Power surged through Aibek’s arms and legs. He closed his eyes, turning his attention inward. Slowly, he lowered himself to a crouch and opened his eyes. There, he found a tiny kitten hiding in the grass beneath the squat tree. It cowered at his nearness, but didn’t run away.
An idea struck Aibek and he stretched out a hand to the creature. It shrank away but couldn’t run. Long tendrils of hunter’s twine had tangled around the animal’s leg, tying it to the tree. How long had it been there?
His hands shook with mingled power and terror. A moment’s distraction would be enough to crush the kitten between his fingers. He concentrated on every movement as he lifted the kitten and cradled it in his palm. Slowly, he unknotted the twine and slipped the loops over the animal’s skinny foot. The creature’s ribs poked into his hand and he wondered again how long it had been trapped. When he removed the last of the twine, he set the kitten back on the ground beneath the tree. He dug a bit of jerky from his pack, broke it into pieces, and set it in front of the cowering animal. It sniffed, then devoured the jerky. When it had finished, he poured a bit of water into his hand and held it out to the kitten. It lapped at the water gratefully, though it shied away, ready to run at the first hint of danger. It finished the water and peered up at him for a heartbeat before dashing away into the tall grass. He caught a glimpse of what looked like a larger cat hiding nearby and smiled. The kitten was back with its mother. Satisfied that he’d managed to help the tiny creature without crushing it under the weight of the seeds’ power, he stood, beaming.
“Bokinna says you do good. Says gentleness is sign of great strength.” Gworsad rumbled, sounding pleased.
“I never would have believed that before now. What’s next on the agenda?”
He spent the rest of his training time practicing leaping from the dragon’s back and climbing back on as quickly as possible. He kept his mind focused stubbornly on the task at hand, though his thoughts tried repeatedly to return to the feel of the fragile kitten cradled in his palm. When the strength dissipated, he directed Gworsad back to the camp, satisfied that he’d finally learned to control the crazy power.
14
Visitor
The days passed in a blur of training, planning, and dull administrative work that left little time for the things Faruz wanted most, like spending time with Zifa and daydreaming about the son or daughter they’d have in the summer.
An emrialk’s screech pierced the air, sounding closer than ever before. Faruz winced and tugged Zifa closer. He wrapped an arm over her shoulders and ushered her to Valasa’s house.
“Why won’t you take me with you? I’m stronger now. I won’t fall off.” Faruz smiled and ki
ssed her forehead.
“You’re the toughest woman I know. I have no doubt nothing could peel you off the dragon’s back.”
“Then why?”
Faruz squeezed her shoulders. A cold wind pressed his hair into his face, and he shook his head to clear his vision. He was running out of excuses for why Zifa couldn’t or shouldn’t ride the dragons or watch his practice with the seed powder, but something held him back.
“I just want to make sure you’re safe.” He didn’t know what had made Aibek lose control that day when Serik…
He shook his head again, this time to clear his mind of the worry for the elderly servant. He still hadn’t woken, though he stirred enough to swallow a few spoonfuls of broth a few times a day.
Faruz stopped and turned to face her. “Look, I won’t stop you if you really want to go. It’s an amazing feeling, flying above the forest. I just worry. I’ve heard of awful things happening to women while they… I just don’t think we should take any unnecessary risks.”
Zifa laughed and stepped past him. She knocked on Valasa’s door, eager to get more of the concoction that had stopped her vomiting. “You worry too much. Besides, I’d think it would be better for me to go now, before I start to show.”
The door swung open and Faruz ushered his wife inside, grateful for the opportunity to drop the subject. He hovered nearby while the healer checked Zifa’s pulse and looked inside her mouth.
Valasa nodded and grunted, apparently satisfied with whatever he found. He disappeared into his study without a word and emerged holding a dark ceramic bottle stoppered with a chunk of cork.
“A spoonful before bed should be all you need.” The healer’s booming voice echoed in the large room. “If you start feeling bad again, come see me. And don’t forget to let me know a few days before you run out so I can make more.”
The Nivaka Chronicles Boxed Set Page 71
