“You’re getting really good,” he said when she’d replaced her arrows in her quiver. “Would you be interested in more of a challenge?”
Something akin to excitement pushed against the rage and hurt in her, and Ahren glanced up to see who had spoken.
“Faruz! I…” The sun blinded her when he shifted and she trailed off. She wanted to meet his eyes, but couldn’t with the glare. “I didn’t realize you were personally overseeing the practices. What kind of challenge?”
“I need another dragon rider. Zifa’s convinced me to add her to our flying force, and she needs someone to train with. Do you think you could shoot like that from a dragon’s back?”
“I don’t know. I hadn’t really considered joining the dragon riders. I…” She paused to consider. “You said Zifa’s joining? I thought she was ill?”
Faruz swiped a hand over his neck. “Not exactly. She’s been feeling better these past couple of weeks.”
“Oh, well, I’m glad she’s improving. I should come over and see her.”
“She’d like that. So what do you think? Will you try flying with her?”
Ahren nodded. “I’ll try it, but I’m not promising anything just yet. There’s a reason I didn’t volunteer in Kainga.”
“That’s all I’m asking.” He glanced over his shoulder. “I think they’re waiting for you, and I need to see how the spear-men are doing. You should come by tonight. Zifa’d love to see you now that her headaches are gone. I think she feels bad about pushing everyone away while she felt so bad.”
“I’ll come over after supper tonight, then.” Ahren slung her quiver onto her back and climbed the stairs. She’d stood still too long, and the stiffness had settled back into her legs.
Faruz followed her up but kept walking into the village. Ahren spent another hour practicing before she headed home to rest and eat.
She inhaled the venison and root vegetables for supper without really tasting them. Hunger clawed at her stomach, strengthened by the physical exertion of target practice. She shoveled the food into her mouth without pausing to join the conversation that swirled around her. Nothing mattered but the food.
When she’d finally eaten her fill, she leaned back in her chair and tried to figure out what her family was talking about.
“If he doesn’t come back soon, they’ll have to rethink their entire strategy,” her father said.
Her mother shrugged. “I’m sure he’s fine. He knows that city better than anyone else. He’s probably just being extra careful to make sure he’s not followed.”
“I hope so,” her father answered.
Silence fell as her family turned their attention to the meal. Ahren struggled to decode the little bit she’d heard. Surely, they weren’t talking about Aibek? But of course they were. No one else in that group knew anything about the city. She longed to know how long he’d been gone, but decided she’d ask Faruz when she went to visit her friend.
She cleared her dishes and carried them to the washbasin in the kitchen, complimented the cook, and headed out into the cold night air.
The wind whipped her unbound hair into her eyes. Ahren stopped to tuck it down into her collar before she dashed across the abandoned Square to Faruz’s house. Zifa yanked the door open almost the instant Ahren knocked, and the warmth from the fire chased away the evening’s chill. Ahren settled onto the couch beside her friend and examined Zifa’s pale, skinny face. She’d lost even more weight since Ahren had last seen her.
“Are you well? Faruz said you’re feeling better.”
Zifa flushed and smiled. “I am. I can finally eat without feeling sick all the time.”
“Did you figure out what’s causing it? The poison’s been gone from the trees for weeks now.”
Zifa looked startled. Her eyes darted to Faruz. “He didn’t tell you?”
“Tell me what? He just said you were finally feeling up to having visitors.”
“I thought I’d let you tell her,” Faruz murmured.
“Tell me what?” Ahren repeated, her voice a bit louder this time.
Zifa smiled, her face lighting up with joy. “I’m going to have a baby.” She met Faruz’s eyes. “We’re going to have a baby.”
Ahren’s smile mirrored Zifa’s. “That’s wonderful!” She grabbed her friend in a tight hug but pulled back in alarm. Zifa’s shoulders had grown so skinny and frail it was hard to believe she’d have the strength to walk, let alone fight from a dragon’s back.
“Faruz said you’re planning to fight?”
Zifa laughed. “Yes, I am. We’ve talked about it nearly every day. He tried to convince me to evacuate to Kainga, but I can’t. I have to know what’s happening to my home and my family. And if I’m going to be here — and I am — then I may as well fight.”
Ahren opened her mouth to object, but Zifa cut her off.
“Now that I’m feeling better, I’m getting stronger every day. I even ate all of my supper tonight.”
“Are you sure, though?” Ahren didn’t want to hurt Zifa’s feelings, but she looked so frail.
“I am.” Zifa settled back against the cushions. “Really. I’m stronger than I was, and we have some time to train. Faruz said you’ve agreed to train with me?”
“I said I’ll try it,” Ahren said, though her convictions against flying were wavering. There was no way she’d let Zifa train or fight alone, not with as weak and skinny as she was. “I’m not convinced those beasts are safe.”
“Faruz took me up with him a couple of times. It’s magical. Just try it and I’m sure you’ll love it. Besides, Faruz said he’s got a couple of smaller dragons for us, but he swears they’re just as fast as the others.”
Ahren smiled again at the excitement in Zifa’s voice. If it meant that much to her friend, she’d swallow her fears and learn to fight from the sky.
“Was your father all right with the idea?” Faruz asked.
“Oh, well, I didn’t exactly ask. I, uh, missed most of the conversation at supper.”
“That’s all right. We have a council meeting in the morning, right? We can bring it up then. I’m sure he’ll be fine with it.”
“Speaking of my father, he said something tonight that had me worried. Is Aibek missing?”
Faruz sighed and leaned back in his chair. “Yes. He never came back from a spying expedition into the city. He has a few of the men with him, but the rest of them are getting nervous. I’ve told them Aibek knows how to escape the prison, but they’re not as confident. If he doesn’t turn up in the next few days, I’m afraid they may mutiny and come home.”
“How do you know all this? When you were in the swamp, we couldn’t get any information about you at all, but you seem to know everything that’s happening all the way up at the city.”
“When I went to the swamp, I didn’t have the Bokinna’s protectors with me. She can communicate with the dragons no matter where they are, so they pass messages back and forth between me and the dragon riders.”
“But no one’s heard anything from Aibek? How long has he been gone?”
“Excuse me just one minute.” Zifa stood up and hurried out of the room.
“Is she really all right?” Ahren asked Faruz as soon as Zifa had turned the corner. “She’s awfully skinny.”
Faruz pressed his lips into a line. “She’s doing better, and she is filling out a bit more now that she’s eating again, but I worry. I wish she’d agree to evacuate with the others, but I understand why she won’t. She’d go crazy sitting there waiting and wondering what’s happening here.”
“I can see that. Do you think the dragons will be safer than the fighters on the ground, though? What if she falls off?”
“That’s why she needs a lot of training. We’ve designed a strap to keep the riders from falling off, but she needs to learn to handle the strain of flying. You’ll stay close to her, right? With you as sniper, you should be able to keep her in the air and out of danger.”
Ahren nodded. “I’ll stay w
ith her.”
“Thank you.” He smiled brightly when Zifa strolled back into the room.
“Sorry. What did I miss?”
“Not much. Ahren has agreed to be your training partner, so we’ll start tomorrow afternoon if you’re feeling well enough.”
“Perfect.” Zifa sat on the sofa and sank into the cushions. She closed her eyes and her pallor struck Ahren again.
“Well, I’m exhausted.” Ahren stood and grabbed her cloak from its hook beside the door. “If I’m going to get near a dragon tomorrow, I need to get some sleep.”
“Thank you for coming,” Zifa said. “Don’t be a stranger, all right? Now that I’m doing better, I want to spend time with my friends again.”
Ahren nodded and ducked through the door. The temperature had dropped further, and the wind took her breath away. She ran the distance home and hurried to her room.
The next morning, Ahren headed to the archery range after breakfast. She’d lain awake most of the night, and what sleep she’d managed to steal had been plagued by nightmares of dragons and fire. Her hands shook at the thought of climbing onto the back of one of those giant beasts, but she couldn’t back out now.
She drew and nocked an arrow even before she’d taken her place in front of the target. Pushing away the thoughts of dragons and flight, she drew the string taught and focused on the target. Someone had replaced hers with a much smaller one. The center circle was now smaller than a hummingbird’s head. Ahren smiled at the challenge, adjusted her grip, and let the arrow fly. It hit a hair to the left of the new, smaller center circle.
Ahren sighed and drew another arrow.
“What do you think? Is it more challenging now?” The low voice sounded close behind her.
Ahren started and lowered her bow. In the same smooth movement, she swung around to see who had spoken.
“Faruz! You startled me. You shouldn’t sneak up on people like that.” She grinned and glanced around. Several other archers had stopped their practice and were watching her with interest. She slid her arrow back into the quiver and stepped away from the practice line.
Faruz lowered his voice. “Zifa’s eager to get started. We have a council meeting this morning, but we can leave after the noon meal if that’s all right with you.”
“I…” Ahren choked on her answer, cleared her throat, and tried again. “Today? I, I guess that’s all right. I didn’t expect it to be so soon.”
“I don’t think we have much time before the enemy reaches the forest. The sooner you start training, the better.”
“You’re probably right. Have you found dragons for us already, then?” Ahren worked to keep the quiver out of her voice. Her fear wouldn’t keep her friend safe, but training might.
Faruz nodded. “They’re young, smaller than most of the others, but quick and agile. I think you’ll get along well.”
Ahren couldn’t think of anything to say that wouldn’t betray her terror, so she simply nodded.
“We’ll meet at the south entrance after luncheon, then?”
She nodded again.
Faruz strolled off in the direction of the Square, and Ahren turned her attention back to the tiny target. She willed her hands to steady, nocked an arrow, and shot one arrow after another until her quiver sat empty. Every one hit the target. Only one landed outside the two center rings. When the other archers had finished their round, they all headed down into the forest together to retrieve their arrows and reset their targets. Ahren repeated the exercise until the sun’s position in the sky told her it was time for the meeting.
The council met in the Meeting Hall for a quick review of the villages’ plans for the battle. Everything had already been settled, so they finished their business in less than half an hour. Afterward, Ahren returned to the practice field and shot arrow after arrow until her stomach growled.
The cool wind blew across her sweat-soaked face, chilling her and cooling the flushed skin. She unstrung her bow and headed toward home and what she was sure would be her last meal. Maybe she’d live to see supper, but she doubted it. Dragons weren’t known for being the friendliest creatures in the forest — at least according to the lore she’d read in her father’s library.
She barely tasted the cold rabbit and potatoes. Distracted and worried, she finished her meal and went to her room to change into a warm pair of leather pants and leather cloak. She was sure the wind would be cold, even if the dragon decided to cook her with its fire breath.
Without a word to her family, she left to meet up with Faruz and Zifa. When she reached the village entrance, though, she froze. All the dragon riders in the village had met there, and they stood in a cluster laughing and talking amongst themselves. She tried to find the nerve to stroll up and join them, but her legs refused to move.
Finally, after what felt like hours, Zifa’s laugh drifted to her on the afternoon breeze. Ahren spun, searching for her friend, who strolled toward her beside Faruz.
“Are you ready? I can’t wait!” Zifa’s excited grin and flushed cheeks were almost enough to ease some of Ahren’s terror. Almost.
Unable to force a reply, Ahren nodded. She was as ready as she was likely to get.
Faruz walked over to the assembled warriors and raised his voice. “We’ve got a couple of new riders to train today. I’m going to have you all show them how to do the drills before you carry on with your own training.”
A chorus of cheers and excited babbling followed the announcement, and the group expanded to envelop Ahren and Zifa.
Their smiles and welcoming hugs eased some of Ahren’s nerves. These people had spent weeks with the dragons, and none of them had been eaten. She drifted along with the group until they reached the stream. Her fears redoubled at the rumbling sounds above. The dragons had arrived. The experienced riders stood just inside the trees and waited for their dragons to land. Small groups of three or four dragons landed and waited while their riders mounted, then lifted off again and were replaced by the next few dragons. Ahren’s knees shook and her breath came in shallow gasps.
At last, all the riders had departed and only Ahren, Zifa, and Faruz waited in the forest. Three more dragons landed, one huge one and two that were about half the size of the big one. Faruz strolled up to the largest, patted it on its great, long neck, and murmured something Ahren couldn’t hear. The beast grunted a reply, and Faruz turned back to the women.
“Zifa, this one is Ekys.” He walked over to the middle dragon. It had a thorny collar, brilliant green eyes, and an eager expression that set off warning bells in Ahren’s mind. “She’ll be your partner dragon. She’s as eager to join the warriors as you are.”
Zifa walked up to the beast and talked to it softly. Ahren hung back, afraid to interfere in their initial bonding.
“Ahren, this one is your partner. Her name is Chyndri. She’s a bit afraid of humans, but is eager to learn to work with us. Just be gentle with her, and I’m sure you’ll get along well.”
Ahren’s mind worked to process the warning. How could such an enormous animal be afraid of her? What could she possibly do to threaten it?
“H— hello,” the dragon chirped. The shy, hesitant voice made Ahren smile.
“Hello, I’m Ahren.”
The dragon named Chyndri lowered her head to the ground and examined Ahren. “You’re so tiny,” she said at length.
Ahren patted the long, graceful neck extending above the dragon’s shoulder and tried to slow her racing heart. Hundreds of leaf-like shapes covered the dragon’s shoulders and back, making her look like a walking pile of dried autumn leaves.
“I am. I’m one of the smallest people in my village.” Ahren ran her hand over the smooth, cold scales covering the dragon’s leg. Each scale was the size of her palm, and each was a slightly different shade of green. The effect was a dazzling, shifting shine that made the dragon fade into the background. “Do your leaves turn green in the summertime? Or do they stay these lovely colors all year round?”
The
question slipped out before Ahren could call it back. She held her breath and waited for a response, hoping she hadn’t offended the dragon.
“Oh, they change to match the forest. I like them better in the summer. They’re so sad and drab like this.”
“All right,” Faruz interrupted. “We’ll have more time to get to know each other later. Let’s get you mounted up.”
Terror filled her stomach, and Ahren gulped and stared wide-eyed at the dragon’s shoulders, more than an arm’s length above her head.
“Here, I’ll help you.” Faruz’s voice was soothing, as if he were talking to a frightened child.
The tone crashed over Ahren like a bucket of ice water. She squared her shoulders and brought herself up to her full height. She ran her hands over the dragon’s smooth scales, searching for something to grab onto. Nothing. Frustration budded in her mind. She tried stepping up onto a downed log, but that didn’t help any at all.
After several eternal moments of searching, she gave up. Her shoulders slumped as she turned to Faruz for help.
His cheerful laugh didn’t help her mood any.
“Don’t look so put out.” He laughed again when she rolled her eyes. “No, really. We all needed a bit of help our first time or two. At least Chyndri’s not picking you up by your pack and dropping you into place like Gamne did me.”
Ahren cast a glance at the dragon’s dagger-like teeth and silently agreed she’d rather have Faruz’s help.
Swallowing the bitter taste that rose in her throat, she turned and stepped into Faruz’s cupped hands. He lifted her foot as she reached upwards, and the combined movement was enough to swing her up onto the dragon’s back. Or rather, onto Chyndri’s neck just in front of her shoulders. If Ahren had sat any further back, she’d have to splay her legs straight out to the sides, and she didn’t think she was quite that flexible.
Faruz flipped the end of a long black strap up to her, and she held it tightly while he wound it around Chyndri’s chest and shoulders, looping it over Ahren’s legs and around her waist as he went. When he’d finished, she tucked her end under the part across her leg and pulled it tight. That finished, she waited while Faruz tested the strap with a series of sharp tugs. She kept her eyes carefully trained on the dragon’s neck in front of her. She worried if she looked anywhere else, she’d lose her nerve and run screaming back to the village.
The Nivaka Chronicles Boxed Set Page 78
