Aibek agreed, and they returned to the camp and the odd burn marks on the ground near the fire.
As they sped south, the temperatures dropped, and the wind whipped their hair and clothes around them. Aibek shivered and struggled but pushed onward except for brief rests at night.
They moved swiftly over the next four days, and before the sun set on the fourth day, they reached the swamp’s edge. Remembering the stench and muck, Aibek suggested they spend the night on the dry ground and enter the bog with the morning’s light.
Near the swamp, wood for fires was more plentiful, and they had a roaring campfire before darkness fell. Aibek, Kai, and Bartel scooted close to the fire, but Pagi hung back, keeping to the shadows. They snared two rabbits and cooked them over the fire.
A wintry wind blew over the camp, flinging sparks out into the night sky. Aibek shivered and longed for his cloak, which he’d left in the tiny shack beside the abandoned mine.
“Why have you come here, with danger close on your heels?”
The voice carried on the wind and brought the hairs on Aibek’s neck to attention. He jerked his head up, searching for the source of the whispered words. His friends carried on stirring the fire and enjoying their supper. Only the old man had sat up and looked around.
Aibek stood and walked a few steps away from the meager camp.
“Madam Saethem?” He whispered. “We need your help.”
“And what makes you think I would help you, even if I could?”
This voice was so much harsher and angrier than the Bokinna had ever been, and Aibek faltered.
“Please, Madam, I beg of you. I cannot lead the spirits back to the camp, or we’ll have our enemies on our heads by the end of the day. I didn’t know where else to go.”
“I despise repeating myself, but I’ll ask one more time: why should I help you?”
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t introduce myself. I’m Aibek, the one your sister sent to defeat the army that poisoned her. You’ve met my friend and captain, Faruz.”
“How do I know you are who you say you are? What proof do you bring?”
Aibek considered. Faruz had brought the ancient amulet with him into the swamp. Realization dawned, bringing a slight smile with it. “I have this.” He pulled the necklace out of his shirt and held it up to the swamp.
“Interesting. What is it?” That wasn’t the Saethem.
Aibek spun to face the direction the voice had come from. Pagi stood a step behind him, his eyes fixed on the locket Aibek held aloft.
Startled, Aibek tucked the necklace back into his shirt. “It’s nothing for you to worry about. The Saethem knows what it is, and that’s all that matters.”
“Indeed, I do. I shall consult with my sister while you sleep. I’ll have an answer for you when the sun crests the horizon.” The voice faded into the distance, leaving Aibek with the same sense of loneliness he associated with the Bokinna’s absence.
Aibek cast a wary glance at the old man and strode back to the camp without another word. He spent an uneasy night, waking frequently to dreams of Pagi and others like him stealing the locket and its precious contents.
At long last, the first blush of dawn lit the horizon, and Aibek sat up and stretched. Bartel sat with his back to the fire, watching the road they’d traveled to the swamp’s border. Nearby, Kai snored softly. Aibek didn’t see Pagi anywhere.
“Where’s the old man?” He asked Bartel.
“I think he was going to fetch us something to eat. Why?”
“I don’t know. He seems nice enough, but I’m not sure if I should really trust him or not.”
“Well, he’s helped us so far, hasn’t he?” Bartel turned and dropped another log on the dwindling fire.
Aibek sighed. “He has. I don’t know. Maybe I’m being paranoid. I’ve been jumpy since we left the city.”
He wished he could consult with his parents or Valasa or Serik or anyone with more knowledge and experience than he had. He stared up at the brightening sky. The first and brightest moon, Koviom, hovered at the edge of the sky, ready to end its nightly trek from the eastern horizon to the west. The other two moons lit the western sky. Illodus was close to full, but Thrimanca was only at half-moon. Before all three were full again, the battle — and probably the war — would be over. Nervous anticipation built in Aibek’s stomach. He hadn’t exactly won the battle for Nivaka. In fact, without his parents’ intervention, he would have lost everything. This time, he wouldn’t be able to count on anyone else to come to his aid. He hoped all the training and practicing they’d done would be enough.
Finally, the sun crested the eastern horizon, casting the sky into pink and orange light and beginning a new day. Aibek stood and stretched. He nodded to Bartel and walked closer to the swamp, eager to hear the Saethem’s decision and hopeful that she’d be less angry with the dawn.
He stood straight-backed, with his feet planted firmly and his hands clasped behind his back in the standard military stance and waited. Birds chirped. Something splashed into the water beyond the swamp’s border. Small creatures rustled in the underbrush. Aibek kept his eyes fixed on the trees at his eye level. The sun climbed higher, and he considered calling for the Saethem. The memory of her harsh manner the night before kept him quiet.
“My sister confirms you are on her errand.”
With his focus on the forest, the words startled Aibek, and it took a moment before he could respond. “Yes, madam. Will you help us?”
“I will, but I must warn you. When I shield you from the spirits, the ones from which you flee will follow your parents instead. You will be unable to call one without summoning the other.”
Disappointment flared in Aibek, but he nodded. “I understand. What do I need to do?”
“Bring your friends to my border, but do not enter the swamp. My waters are nearly frozen, and you are not dressed for winter. I will shield you while my sister summons her servants to retrieve you and take you back to your camp.”
“Thank you.”
Aibek sprinted back to the camp, where Pagi had strung three squirrels over the fire. “Put it out. We’re going now. We need to get back to the others.”
Bartel and Kai cast him incredulous looks, but Pagi quietly kicked dirt over the fire. He didn’t even attempt to save the partially-cooked meat.
“Am I going with you?” The old man asked when he’d extinguished the flames.
Aibek froze, undecided. “I don’t know. I…”
The Saethem answered for him. “You may accompany them. They may well need your peculiar type of assistance.”
Well, Aibek thought, at least I know Pagi’s trustworthy if the Saethem wants him to go along.
“Come. The day grows bright and you have much to do.” This time, even Kai and Bartel heard the whispers on the wind.
Together, they stepped into the swamp’s shadows and stepped carefully onto the bog’s frozen path.
“That’s far enough. Any further and you’ll fall through.”
Aibek stopped so abruptly that Kai walked into his back. Bartel chuckled, and Kai spun on him.
Aibek grabbed Kai’s arm. “Save it for later.”
Kai jerked his arm away from Aibek and straightened his linen shirt. He turned his back on Bartel, though, which was enough for Aibek.
The wind whipped around them as they waited for whatever the Saethem had planned. Aibek shivered and thought again of his warm cloak. He hoped no one had disturbed his little shack. Who had taken over in his absence? He should have appointed a second in command before he went into the city. He’d make that a priority as soon as he got back. The wind whistled through the barren branches overhead.
“They cannot follow you now,” the Saethem whispered. “Follow the path to your right until the sun is directly overhead.”
Aibek wished the ancient tree had allowed them breakfast but didn’t voice a complaint. Instead, he did as she’d ordered and moved quickly and carefully along the trail. His stomach grumbled,
but he didn’t stop until a familiar rumbling echoed through the trees.
He peered into the sky, searching for Gworsad and the other dragons. When he spotted them, he broke into a sprint, racing toward a clearing large enough for the creatures to land.
The dragons’ wings stirred the icy air and blew Aibek’s hair into his face. He laughed and pushed it back before he rushed over to Gworsad.
“I’ve missed you.” He patted the dragon’s moss-draped shoulder.
“I scared they catch you,” Gworsad answered. “Others came back, not you.”
“We were captured, but we got away, then we had to come here to lose the trackers Helak set on us.”
“I am good to see you.” Gworsad rumbled happily and Aibek’s smile broadened. “But we go back to camp. Your people scared for you.”
Aibek nodded. “You’ll have to ride with me,” he told Pagi.
He helped Pagi up and climbed onto the dragon’s back behind the odd little man. Aibek longed for the straps he and Faruz had fashioned to secure riders onto the dragons, but he’d have to hold on as he had the first few times he’d ridden on Gworsad’s back. He leaned forward and showed Pagi to grab a handful of the mossy collar around Gworsad’s neck. A heartbeat later, before Aibek had a handhold for himself, the dragon spread his massive wings and lifted them into the air. Aibek wobbled and clutched at the collar beside Pagi. He closed his eyes as the wintry wind bit into his cheeks and whipped his hair out behind him.
19
Missing
Eddrick’s shoulders slumped as his son vanished. “Well, I guess that’s it.”
“We’ll see him again soon enough.” Kiri slipped an arm over his shoulder. He drew strength from the determination in her voice. “For now, we have work to do if they’re going to have any hope of a fair fight.”
With a heavy sigh, Eddrick straightened his shoulders and nodded. “You’re right. Let’s go.” He grabbed Kiri’s hand in his right and Agommi’s in his left. Glesni linked hands with Agommi and Kiri.
“Let’s go home,” Eddrick muttered.
The frozen swamp swirled around them, swallowed by the windy darkness that marked the passage of time and distance.
When he opened his eyes, the warm familiarity of home greeted him. A fire crackled on the hearth in the sitting room he’d shared with Kiri in life, though he couldn’t feel its warmth. He squeezed Kiri’s hand and let go of his father’s. He drifted to his favorite chair and dropped into it, weary, but not sleepy. He hadn’t slept in twenty years. He missed it. He considered the bed wistfully for a moment and turned back to the spirits filling the room.
“Well, I guess we’ve got a lot to learn.” He met Glesni’s eyes. “You said you can teach us to make a barrier — a wall of some sort to keep the spirits away from the living?”
“Yeeeeesssss,” Glesni drew the syllable out. “But is this really the best time?”
“If we wait any longer, it’ll be too late.” Kiri threw her hands up. “Are you going to teach us, or do we have to try to figure it out on our own?”
Glesni closed his eyes and held his breath. Eddrick paced the floor between the fireplace and the chairs. The spirit’s silent conversations with the ancients could last for hours.
The sky had turned dark and moonlight streamed through the window when Glesni looked up. “They say it is time. If we don’t begin now it will be too late.”
Eddrick stopped pacing and faced Glesni. “Well, we’ve been ready for hours. Let’s get to it.”
* * *
Ahren launched herself into constant target practice — she had become a rather good shot with her bow. When she wasn’t at the archery range with the other bowmen, she let her aching muscles relax while she carved more animals from the carpenters’ scrap wood. While she’d been in Kainga, an old man had shown her a new technique for working fur and feathers that had vastly increased the level of detail in her projects. She rested her head against the back of the sofa and dropped the half-completed hawk into her lap. Her shoulders burned and her back ached.
But no amount of physical exhaustion could erase that kiss from her mind. The heat of it warred with the strength of Aibek’s arms around her that night on the bench outside the Pavilion. How could she want both? How would she ever choose?
She needed to talk to Tamyr. She wished she could see Aibek.
Her muscles burned as she pushed herself off the sofa and tucked the palm-sized hawk into her pants pocket. The soft zontrec folded around it, protecting and concealing the little shape.
She strode out the front door before her nerves could stop her. Ignoring the ache in her legs and back, she marched through the village toward the southern edge, where Tamyr lived in her wash house. The icy wind whipped at her hair and clothes, but Ahren ignored that, too. The cold air brought tears to her eyes, but she refused to wipe them away. They left frozen trails down her cheeks as they fell and dripped onto the boardwalk behind her.
When she spotted the wash house, she paused and smoothed her windblown hair and wiped her palms over her tear-stained cheeks.
The door opened before she stepped close enough to knock, and a group of wash women spilled out into the afternoon sun.
A woman with brilliant red hair smiled at Ahren. “Oh, are you looking for Tamyr?”
“Yes, is she inside?”
“No, we haven’t seen her in a few days. Is she expecting you? Maybe she’ll show up for your appointment.”
“Well, if she does, you tell her she’s in a heap of trouble.” A woman with dark gray hair and weathered features scowled at Ahren. “She’s got some talking to do if she wants her job back this time.”
Ahren swallowed against the sinking feeling in her gut. “Yes, ma’am. If I find her, I’ll let her know.”
She waited until the women had cleared the doorway and made her way up to Tamyr’s room. She already knew what she’d find. All of Tamyr’s things were gone. Ahren’s eyes lingered on the bare mattress, the quilts folded neatly at the end of the bed. Curiosity grabbed her, and she drifted to the chest of drawers beneath the small window. She paused there, her hands on the drawer pull, and watched a little green bird flitting from branch to branch outside the window. What would she do if Tamyr was truly gone? Had she met up with the ousted mayor again? Ahren hoped not.
The bird flew away and Ahren dropped her gaze back to the drawers. She slid the top one open, hoping for a note or… or, something.
Nothing but a small sachet occupied the drawer. Its sweet lavender scent drifted up to Ahren and brought fresh tears to her eyes.
She slammed the drawer closed and yanked open the next one. Empty. So was the next one. And the last. Unable to help it, Ahren knelt on the bare wooden floor and peered into the dimness beneath the chest. Nothing but a tiny fleck of dust waited there.
Ahren grunted and pulled herself back to her feet. Her back and legs screamed in pain at the unusual movement. Fury, betrayal, and hurt battled in her chest. She crossed the room in a few strides and yanked the door open. She’d have to talk to Tamyr’s family. Maybe one of them knew where she was. She ignored the little voice in the back of her mind that whispered she knew exactly where her friend had gone. She didn’t want to believe it. She just couldn’t.
Her mind reeled as she wandered out of the wash house and down the boardwalk to Tamyr’s family’s home. Ahren hesitated outside the door, her hand poised to knock. She already knew what they’d tell her. She shook herself and brought her hand down harder than she’d intended, pounding on the thin wooden door. The house wasn’t as well-constructed as the ones at the center of town. Gaps showed between the walls and the door that allowed the warm air within to flow out and whisper along Ahren’s face.
An older man with a stooped back and graying hair opened the door and glared down at Ahren. She smiled up at him and hoped he’d remember her, though she’d only met him once before.
“I’m sorry to bother you, sir, but I was wondering if Tamyr was here. I…” she trailed off w
hen the man’s face flushed scarlet.
“Why are you looking for her? Why can’t you all leave her alone?”
“I… I’m sorry.” Ahren stuffed her hands in her pockets to ward off the winter wind and her fingers brushed the hawk. The tiniest spark of an idea grew in her mind. “I was working on something for her, and I wanted to make sure she liked the overall design before I spent any more time on it. Is she around?”
Tamyr’s father heaved a great sigh and held the door open. “She’s not here, but I can send for her, if need be. What is it you’re working on?”
Ahren made a show of searching the room for Tamyr’s other family members. When she was certain they weren’t home, she pulled the hawk out of her pocket. “It’s for her mother’s birthday next month. I just wanted to make sure I had the right design, since the feathers take so much work.”
He gave a low whistle and took the hawk from her. He examined the half-carved animal and handed it back to her. “I think she’ll love that. There’s no need to call Tamyr back for that.”
Ahren stuffed the hawk back in her pocket. “Do you know where she is? I’m worried about her. She’s been upset these last few weeks.”
“I do. She’ll be home before the battle. You’ve been a good friend to her.” He pulled the door open and waved her through it. “I’ll let her know you came by.”
Ahren pulled her cloak tight around her shoulders and swept out into the bitter afternoon wind.
Restless and tense, Ahren hurried home to grab her bow. She needed the physical outlet of target practice to settle her whirling mind. Half an hour later, she drew the string back and let the first arrow fly. It hit dead center with a satisfying thwack. She didn’t pause to enjoy the perfect shot, but instead nocked another arrow and let it fly. Another perfect shot. She repeated the process until she ran out of arrows and waited for those around her to finish their rounds, too. As a group, they climbed down the stairs and went to retrieve their arrows. One of the leaders followed her to her assigned target and watched her yank all her arrows out of its center. Distracted by the news of Tamyr’s disappearance, she didn’t look to see who it was.
The Nivaka Chronicles Boxed Set Page 77
