The Nivaka Chronicles Boxed Set

by Leslie E Heath

  She sat without moving or blinking and waited while Faruz strapped Zifa onto her dragon and climbed onto his own. When he’d finished, he gave a shout and her stomach fell into her toes. Dizziness assailed her as the cold wind buffeted her face. Ahren clenched her eyes shut against the rush of icy air and tried to hold her breath. The dizziness hit her like a wave of misery and she fought against the rising nausea. Worried she was about to either pass out or vomit, she opened her eyes and drew a deep, gasping breath.

  The sound and movement drew the dragon’s attention, and the creature swung her broad head around to peer at Ahren through one brilliant green eye.

  “You all right? Your color… wrong.” Chyndri chirped something more, and Ahren had the impression the dragon was trying to convey her concern.

  “Yes, I’m fine. Really,” she added when the green eye narrowed. Sun glinted off the facets of the lizard-like iris and glowed back from unfathomable depths, pinning Ahren in place. “Really.” Ahren dropped her gaze to the black strap cutting across her thighs and hoped the dragon hadn’t seen how unnerved she was.

  Somewhere nearby, Zifa whooped with joy. The sound drowned out Ahren’s discomfort and a fresh wave of shame washed over her. She really hadn’t given the dragon or flying a chance.

  Slow inch by inch, she pulled her gaze away from the scales around the black strap and raised her head until the horizon came into focus. Her vision swam, and she blinked away the wind-blown tears and tried again.

  If she deliberately kept her gaze away from the ground, the beauty of the forest stretching away to the river and beyond took her breath away.

  From that moment on, Ahren tried not to blink. Instead, she stared in wonder at the landscape flying past below her, though she couldn’t look straight down without experiencing a wave of dizzy nausea. The minutes flew by with the trees, and soon they slowed and circled over a wide clearing on the banks of the churning river. One by one, the dragons folded their wings and dove into the empty space at breakneck speeds. They slowed and adjusted at the last second, so they landed softly instead of crashing into the stony ground.

  Ahren gulped and fought to slow her ragged breathing. Blackness edged her vision, and she clung to the straps over her legs.

  Chyndri swung her head back to meet Ahren’s terrified gaze. “You ready to land?”

  Unable to force words out of her dry mouth, Ahren nodded. They had to land eventually and waiting would only make it worse.

  The dragon tucked her massive wings and dove. Ahren’s vision swam and her stomach lodged firmly in her throat. Ahren couldn’t get a breath with the icy wind buffeting her face, but that only kept her from screaming. A heartbeat later, dizziness hit her again as Chyndri spread her wings and set her feet on the ground.

  Ahren couldn’t move. It was all she could do to breathe. Her hands shook too badly to undo the straps, so she sat motionless atop her dragon and waited for further instructions.

  A shout pierced the air, followed by a laughing scream. Zifa’s dragon landed beside Ahren an instant later. Zifa’s face was flushed, and a joyful smile lit up her features. Ahren worked to hide some of the terror that must have been written on her own face.

  Before Ahren could say anything to her friend, Faruz stepped into the center of the group and shouted his instructions. “We’re going to start with some basic drills today, because we have two new archers among us. I need you to show them the drills and how to work with the team.”

  “Aren’t you going to introduce us?” A man shouted. Ahren couldn’t tell which rider had interrupted.

  “Later. For now, we need to get started. Archers, your targets are set up on the north course. Spearmen and swordsmen, you’re going south for now. I’m going with the archers to make sure our new riders catch on.”

  Right. Archery. Ahren had forgotten about the bow and quiver strapped to her back. She reached back and ran a finger over the bow’s smooth wood but didn’t pull it from its strap. From what Faruz had said, they’d be flying somewhere else for that.

  Small groups of two and three dragons took off side-by-side and vanished over the treetops. They split in two directions, but Ahren kept her eyes on the ones with bows. None of the archers had their bows on their backs like hers. Some had a modified quiver attached to the strap over their legs, while others held theirs across their laps. All had their bows already strung.

  Ahren pulled hers loose and wrestled the string into the notch at the end of the wooden limb. It took her several minutes, and by the time she’d finished, only she and Zifa remained beside the river. Chyndri chirruped once and took to the sky, but this time, Ahren was ready. She closed her eyes while the dragon climbed so she wouldn’t get dizzy from the trees rushing by. When they leveled out and flew in one direction, Ahren opened her eyes and watched the forest glide by.

  The ride ended far too soon when the line of dragons they followed dipped below the barren canopy. Ahren watched the first two dip and cocked her head in confusion when they reappeared above the trees a heartbeat later. The other dragons followed suit, and Ahren strained to see what the challenge was.

  Too soon, it was her turn to swoop into the forest. Four targets had been set up around a narrow clearing, each the size of an average man.

  Ahren froze. Are they wearing armor?

  The dragon drew closer and she realized it was only paint, but all the arrows sprung from the unpainted parts of the targets. Those represented the areas a real foe would be vulnerable to an arrow shot from above.

  The wind whipped her hair into her eyes, but she brushed it aside. She nocked an arrow and pulled the string back to her cheek in one smooth movement. She released it an instant too late, however, and the arrow landed harmlessly in the brown grass beside the dummy. She scanned the area, searching for any other stray arrows, but saw none and cursed under her breath. Before she could reach for another arrow, Chyndri flapped her great wings and pulled up out of the forest and back into the line of dragons circling above.

  Leaning forward, Ahren stretched her arm out and touched Chyndri on the side of her neck. The dragon swung her head around and met Ahren’s gaze with her unfathomable gold-flecked eyes.

  Before she could lose her nerve, Ahren blurted out, “Could we get closer? I want to see how they do it.”

  Chyndri rumbled and chirruped, and nearby dragons repeated the sounds. Ahren watched, her head cocked to one side as the dragons conversed — she couldn’t think of anything else that could be happening. They had to be discussing her request. They hummed and chirped and rumbled until Ahren’s insides vibrated from the noise.

  Without warning, Chyndri dipped and dove beneath the treetops, whipping through the branches and back toward the clearing so fast that Ahren had to duck to keep from being slapped by branches. She settled onto the ground a dozen paces from the center target. From that vantage point, Ahren could see all the targets and would be able to tell where the archers were when they let their arrows fly.

  The dragons swooped into the clearing at breakneck speed, and their riders shot their arrows with deadly precision. It happened so fast Ahren missed the archers’ movements the first two times. She narrowed her eyes and focused hard on the spot the dragons had descended from, waiting impatiently for the next archer to shoot.

  That time, she saw the exact moment when the dragon reached the bottom of its descent and the rider loosed her arrow. It flew true and hit the target in the unprotected neck. Ahren settled back and watched the next several archers repeat that technique.

  When she was certain she knew when to shoot, she murmured, “Let’s give it a try.”

  Chyndri didn’t make a sound, but stretched her wings and lifted Ahren into the sky. She drew an arrow and held it lightly to the bowstring, but her fingers twitched in anticipation. She held her breath and her arm taut until her dragon dropped into the clearing.

  The first release point passed before she could react, but she let loose on the second and her arrow hit in the center of the che
st. It stuck straight out of the dark brown, painted breastplate. A thrill of excitement shot through her at the same time as a pang of disappointment. Yes, she’d hit the target, but that hit wouldn’t have had an impact on a real foe. Faruz had been right. This was much more challenging than target practice from the boardwalk. She ran through the steps in her mind until it was her turn to try again. That time, she hit the dummy in the shoulder.

  Better, but not quite up to the others’ standard, yet. She tried to remind herself that this was only her first day, but she’d been among the best of the ground archers and she wasn’t used to being behind. Frustration mounted as she practiced. She didn’t seem to be getting any more accurate at all, though she did hit the target every time.

  By the time the dragons left the clearing and headed back to the beach where they’d originally assembled, Ahren’s back, legs, and arms ached and shook from the effort of staying on the dragon. The straps helped, for sure, but when Chyndri dove and turned, she felt herself slip a bit to the side and clamped her legs down on the dragon to hold tight.

  Faruz waited at the tree line and stepped forward when Chyndri landed. He helped Ahren undo the straps and held her arm while she climbed gingerly off the dragon. After so long astride the dragon, she wobbled when her feet hit the uneven ground. She staggered for a couple of steps before she righted herself and walked three steps to a small boulder. Her knees wouldn’t hold her any longer and she collapsed down onto it. Someone chuckled nearby, but Ahren ignored it. Elation finally won the tug of war with frustration and a huge grin split her face. She’d ridden a dragon! And she’d successfully hit a target from a dragon’s back in flight! She’d have more time to practice and would get the hang of aiming quickly, she was certain.

  20

  Camp

  Early the next morning, Gworsad swung far west of the camp and circled back down from the north. Aibek said nothing. He just assumed the dragon knew where the enemy watches were, while he’d been away too long to know anything of the enemy’s movements.

  While they flew, he worried. What exactly would Pagi’s role be in his army? How would he keep the strange little man from getting killed in the approaching combat?

  He glanced down at Pagi’s face, filled with wonder and split with a wide grin, and turned his attention to what he’d find when he arrived back at the camp. How had his warriors managed with their leader gone for so long? Sure, he had a chain of command in place, but he’d brought his next two leaders with him into Xona. Vayna was strong, both as a man and as a leader, but what if the others wouldn’t follow him? He’d have his answers soon enough, he decided. He shoved the worries aside and watched the golden landscape pass beneath him. The tall grasses moved like the sea in the gentle morning breeze.

  As they’d flown north, the air had warmed, and he’d stopped shivering for the first time in days. He held on tight when Gworsad dove toward the cave and wished again for the straps that held him in place during tough maneuvers during battle training. His heart fluttered when Gworsad came to rest on the stony ground outside the abandoned mine they’d chosen as their camp.

  “Aibek! You’re alive!” Vayna’s voice boomed from the mouth of the cave a breath before Aibek saw his friend.

  Since he didn’t want his grand entrance to include falling off the dragon, Aibek didn’t answer until he’d dismounted and landed firmly on his feet.

  “We’re alive.” He helped Pagi off Gworsad’s back and gestured to the other dragons approaching. “This is Pagi. He’s with us now.” He paused and added, “Thankfully, my professors at the academy made sure all their students knew how to escape from that prison.”

  Vayna slapped him hard on the back and laughed. “We’re just cooking before we get some training in. Have you eaten?”

  The scent of cooking meat wafted out of the cave, and Aibek’s stomach rumbled loudly.

  “I’ll take that as a no.” Vayna put an arm around Aibek’s shoulders and pushed him into the cave. A glance told him Pagi had followed close behind. Each person they passed shouted a welcome. Several left the cave to welcome Kai and Bartel back to the camp.

  Aibek paused just inside and waited for his eyes to adjust to the dim light. As soon as he could see well enough to distinguish faces, he scanned the room, searching for Marah. He checked every shadowed nook but came up empty.

  “She’s out flying overhead, looking for you,” Vayna said.

  Aibek tried to mask his disappointment, but he must have failed, because Vayna blurted, “Don’t worry. She’ll be back soon, since the local farmers are usually getting up right about now.”

  Heat flushed his face at the realization that he’d been so obvious, and Aibek shifted his attention to the fire. “What’s for breakfast? I’m starved.” He stared at the skillets sizzling above the fire, and his eyes widened. “Is that fish? What’s the occasion?”

  With a laugh, Vayna waved him over to the fire and settled down before it. He handed Aibek and Pagi chunks of steaming fish on wooden plates before he answered. “It’s easier to fish here than hunt. We’ve been eating more fish than anything else since you’ve been gone.”

  Unable to think of a suitable response, Aibek took another bite of fish. He’d missed this staple of life in the north and wouldn’t complain if he had fish all three meals every day until he returned to the forest.

  Halfway through his meal, Aibek noticed that Pagi hadn’t settled onto the ground, but had instead crouched near the fire. His stance made him look ready to run at the slightest hint of danger.

  Aibek shifted closer but kept his voice down. “Are you all right? You don’t look very comfortable.”

  “I can’t hear the trees here. There’s no Zirvesi, no forest, no whisper on the wind.”

  “I know.” Aibek put an arm out, beckoning the little man closer to the fire. “It makes me uncomfortable, too. The dragons can still hear the Bokinna, though, and they pass messages between us. That helps a bit.”

  Pagi turned to stare at the enormous dragons that filled most of the cavern.

  A commotion at the entrance drew Aibek’s attention. Kai’s laugh announced that the others had landed. The rest of the warriors drew Kai and Bartel to the fire, where they dropped to sitting and dug into their breakfast of fish with exclamations of surprise. Aibek watched quietly, happy to be back with his friends.

  “Aibek! You’re back! I knew you’d come back!” Marah’s shrill voice brought a wide smile to his face.

  Aibek turned in time to see her before she collided with his chest. She clung to him with a strength that surprised him and buried her face in his neck. In that instant, Aibek realized he hadn’t bathed in nearly a week, and he gently pulled back.

  “It’s good to see you, too.” He glanced around, heat flushing his face when he saw every face turned to watch their reunion.

  “Is the little shack still private?”

  Marah’s grin hit him like a fist in the gut. “It sure is. Vayna wouldn’t allow anyone in there until you came back.”

  “As eager as I know you are to welcome him back, Marah,” Vayna broke off with a cough that sounded a bit more like a stifled laugh. “Aibek needs to meet with the rest of us first. He needs to know what we’ve learned since he’s been gone, and we need to come up with some plans.”

  Disappointment surged within him, but Aibek sighed. “He’s right.” He dropped his voice to a whisper. “We’ll have plenty of time later.”

  His stomach fluttered in anticipation, but he turned back to Vayna and settled back down beside the fire. He tried to hide the little thrill of delight that went through him when Marah followed and sat between him and Kai.

  The discussion went longer than Aibek had anticipated. His friends had spent their time wisely and had gained insight into the daily lives of those within the city, but they hadn’t managed to learn anything about the enemy’s plans or timeline. He spent the rest of the day training with Gworsad, though he stopped at the stream to wash before heading back to camp.
He finally dragged himself to his shack as the sun sunk below the horizon. Exhaustion made his legs heavy, and he trudged up the incline from the cave to the shack with his head down.

  He sank onto the straw mattress and pulled off his boots, but before he could lie down, all the worries and fears he’d ignored for days assailed him. His friends were counting on him to lead them into battle, but he’d gotten captured on his second attempt to spy in the city. He stood and paced the floor, trying to piece together a plan.

  Doubts leaked through, despite his efforts to focus on workable tactics. He longed to talk to Serik, but the thought of his friend ripped an aching wound open in his chest. He sank onto the bed, gasping for breath. He’d give anything to hear Serik’s voice telling him what to do, reminding him not to do anything stupid, or just helping him think through a battle plan. Cradling his head in his hands, he struggled to stem the tide of memories flooding his mind. Serik had always had faith in him, even when he hadn’t deserved it. And the old man had beamed like a proud father after the battle for Nivaka’s freedom, even though Aibek essentially lost that battle. Only the last-minute intervention by the ancestors had kept the villagers from being slaughtered by Helak’s army.

  A knock on the door brought Aibek out of his memories and off the bed. He drew a shaky breath, attempted to wipe some of the emotion from his face, and crossed the tiny room to the worn wooden door. Marah’s blonde curls picked up the orange light of the sunset, making them look like flames dancing around her face. Her amber eyes held concern.

  “Are you all right? You look upset.”