The Way to Freedom: The Complete Season One (Books 1-5): An Epic Fantasy Action Adventure (The Way to Freedom Series)

by H. M. Clarke

  “What did you just try and do in there Kalena?” Gwidion’s face had flushed red in fury and the icy look in his eyes stopped the denial that she had done nothing dead on her tongue.

  “I did not do anything bad.” The words spilled out of Kalena’s mouth before she could stop it. But as she heard herself, a plausible excuse came to her mind. “Adhamh tried to speak to me and I thought that it might somehow wake Holm so I cut him off. I did not do it properly.” Kalena looked shamefaced at her feet, that way the Wing Lieutenant would not see the lie in her face. Anyway, it was partially the truth – Adhamh did speak with her and she did cut a mind thread like an amateur.

  “You should have just let Adhamh have his say.” Gwidion shook his head in disbelief. “Letting a psychic backlash like that off near a newly placed crystal can cause permanent damage to its communication properties.”

  Kalena looked up at Gwidion in shock.

  “Is Holm going to be all right?”

  She never really thought that there would be any damage caused from her curiosity. Kalena will need to use more care in future.

  “We won’t know until he wakes up. If he and Motta can still converse together then there was no damage done.”

  “What happens if they can’t talk with each other?”

  “Then Holm will be transferred to Administration and Motta will go to work in the Hatar Infirmary.”

  “I didn’t know. I’ve probably ruined his life!” Kalena felt the shock sink into her body but she fought back the tears that threatened to flood from her eyes. She had promised herself that she would never cry again.

  Gwidion gripped Kalena firmly by the shoulders and Kalena glanced up into Gwidion’s face. The fury was gone, what remained now was the face that Kalena first looked upon when she awoke from the Krytal.

  “Look Kalena, don’t blame yourself. Most probably there was no damage done. I should have thought to warn you but I didn’t.”

  “He will be all right though won’t he?” Kalena asked, searching Gwidion’s face for reassurance. She would never forgive herself if she had ruined Holm’s future with the Hatar Kalar. All thought of the strange searching mind had fled from Kalena’s mind. All that filled it now was thoughts of how stupid she had been.

  “I’ll tell you as soon as I find out Kalena. Now I think that it would be a good idea if you go and rest in your room. I’ll come and see you as soon as they wake up.” Gwidion gave Kalena’s shoulders a friendly squeeze before gently turning her around and leading her back to her room.

  Chapter Seven

  Night Wanders

  Kalena spent the first part of a sleepless night tossing and turning in her bed, her ears straining to hear any commotion outside in the corridor. Adhamh had tried to speak to her several times during the evening but Kalena had shut him out. She did not want to hear his recriminations – or hear his pity.

  After her umpteenth turn and toss, Kalena flung her sheets back in despair and slipped out of bed. There was no chance that she was ever going to get a wink of sleep, not with so many poisonous thoughts running through her head.

  Dwelling constantly on her own stupidity was the main culprit. Her recklessness has most probably denied Holm the experience of talking with a Hatar. That thought then set Kalena thinking. If the same had happened to her after her Krytal, would she lose her inborn talent to speak to and hear the thoughts of others? Or would it just kill the crystal implanted in her head?

  Kill was a harsh word to use on a piece of pretty rock but Kalena had the impression from all the people she had spoken to that the crystals were somehow alive. The one group of people that would know for sure were the Pydarki but Kalena had not met one since her own crystal was implanted.

  Grumbling to herself, Kalena kicked on a pair of rough woolen leggings, and pulled a jumper over her nightshirt. If she was going to stay up she might as well be warm.

  The coals in the brazier had died down leaving the room in near darkness. Kalena hobbled over to it while pulling up her socks, grabbing a small metal stoker and a small flask on the way. Uncorking the flask with her teeth, she wrinkled her nose as the harsh smell of paraffin assaulted her nostrils from the open flask mouth. She then added a dash of the flask’s contents to the brazier to stir a little life back into the coals as she stoked them.

  The smell of paraffin filled the room but the glowing warmth from the now brightly burning coals soothed her troubled mind. Kalena scooped a few more coals from the coal box and added them to the brazier until she was satisfied with the amount of heat before dropping into the chair at her desk.

  What would she do if Holm’s crystal was damaged beyond repair (surely the Pydarki should be able to do something to restore the crystal) and was sent to work in administration? The life of a Quartermasters Clerk was not the most advantageous position to be in.

  If Holm’s crystal turns out to be damaged what punishment would she receive? The worst punishment Kalena could think of was if she was given into Captain Jerant’s keeping.

  The mere thought of his name made Kalena reach up and touch the side of her face where the Captain had slapped her. Kalena fancied she could still feel the stinging imprint of his hand even though it happened months ago.

  Rubbing at her cheek, Kalena looked idly about her room in search of something that would occupy her mind when her eyes fell to a book sitting on her desk. It was one she had borrowed from the Kalar Library weeks ago but had not had the time to read it as she was studying for her exams. Now was a good enough time as any to start. Kalena reached across the table to the book, opened it and started to read.

  Kalena had only just finished reading the second chapter when she felt the presence again. As it touched the boundaries of Kalena’s thoughts she stilled, startled to even feel it again. Kalena’s newly found caution suddenly flared up. The last interaction she had had with this mind got her, and maybe Holm, into a mess of trouble. Part of her self-conscience told her to ignore it and continue reading her book. But if she did nothing to find out who this mind was, Kalena knew she would regret it. Whatever action she took this time should be layered with caution. Instead of hunting for the physical source of the presence, Kalena let her mind sit silent, listening to the thought rhythms of the stranger.

  As she felt and observed the presence, Kalena found that the mind was not really searching for one specific Other. It seemed to flow over and around her like water from a fountain spilling over a stone. The mind’s feelers were not strong enough to topple her natural thought barriers that screened out the idle thoughts of others. It was as if it was just trying to sense who was around it. The strength of the mind thread did tell her that the physical source must be close by.

  A loud thump broke Kalena’s concentration and her eyes quickly refocused to take in the surroundings of the room. At her feet lay the book she had been reading that had slipped from her relaxed fingers to the floor. Silence sat heavily around the room and Kalena could feel the stillness that blanketed the sleeping Kalar barracks.

  The quiet and loneliness of her room bought Kalena to a decision. Now, in the dead of night when everyone should be asleep would be the perfect time to track down the source of the mind thread. And this time she would be careful. Kalena would not be reckless again.

  Kalena leaned down and picked the book up from the floor and placed it neatly on her desk. She then stood up from her chair and started to draw in deep, long breaths in an effort to settle and clear her head.

  Again, she felt the wash of the searching mind flooding around the barriers of her consciousness. But instead of trying to decipher what it was whispering, Kalena stayed behind her barriers and set her efforts to trying to determine where her mind wall was being hit the strongest. This should show Kalena in what direction the physical source lay.

  After long moments of concentration, Kalena suddenly opened her eyes and moved to the door. Her direction sense impelled her to move, as if someone had tied a piece of thread to her nose and was tugging it for
her to follow. Kalena had only tried this once before when she was much younger and was lost and scared in the wood that surrounded Kurst Village. She had begun to think of her mother and suddenly felt a tugging within her head that Kalena followed. The tugging had led her back to her mother.

  Outside her door, the tugging began to pull Kalena to the left. But the left led to the end of her corridor – the only exits were doors to other rooms, all of which are unoccupied except for the last two. The tugging did not pull Kalena to her side of the corridor so the source did not come from Holm Lunman’s room.

  That only left one option.

  The tugging feeling behind her eyes began to get more intense and Kalena felt herself jerked to the right. Her feet moved as if they were independent from her will and Kalena suddenly found herself moving to the end of the corridor. It was as if someone was at the other end of the thread and was reeling her towards them like a fish hooked on a fishing line. This was completely different to what occurred when she used this sense to find her mother that day in the woods.

  What control Kalena had over her mind search began to fray as an edge of fear cut through her thoughts. Whatever Kalena was searching for had grabbed hold of her consciousness and was pulling her desperately towards it. It left her no choice but to follow.

  Her legs moved mechanically one step at a time until they jerked to a halt outside the door opposite Holm’s room. Abruptly, the tugging at her mind stopped and Kalena had to stop herself from falling forward onto the closed door.

  What is going on? Kalena stood stock still, listening carefully with both her ears and her mind. She stood like that for several moments, waiting intently for any sign that the mind would come back seeking her. But she did not feel it come back again. Slowly, she let her body relax and turned her attention to the door in front of her. Whatever was pulling her definitely came from within that room.

  At that moment it occurred to her that following some strange force in the middle of the night, alone, might not be such a good idea. Some might even call it reckless…

  Kalena reached out her hand and carefully turned the door knob. She half expected something horrible and slimy to jump out and grab at her but the door remained closed and silent. Taking a firm hold on her courage, Kalena slowly opened the door.

  Inside, the room was similar to Holm’s room with the area dimly lit by a coal brazier. But in this room, the occupant in the bed was sitting up and was wide-awake staring at her.

  The boy was tall and well built but looked a similar age to Holm. He was clean-shaven and had short black hair with eyes that seemed to catch and reflect the light from the brazier. But Kalena’s eyes were slowly drawn to the large purple birthmark that was splashed across his right cheek and neck.

  Luckily Kalena remembered Gwidion’s words of warning before her visit to Holm – that loud sounds and bright light might cause pain to those who have just under gone the Krytal.

  “Hello.” The boy’s voice was barely a whisper.

  “How are you feeling?” Kalena dropped her voice lower to match the level of his.

  He took a few moments to answer her, and Kalena could sense him mentally checking his physical self to determine what his answer will be.

  “Just a headache.”

  ‘Adhamh – could you tell Jolar to tell Gwidion that Kral Tayme is awake. I’m with him right now.’

  ‘Yes of course. Are you feeling well yourself?’

  ‘Yes I am – just make sure my message is passed on to Gwidion or I will call him myself.’

  ‘All right, all right. There’s no need to do that, I’m doing it now.’

  Kalena turned her attention back to Kral Tayme and the mysterious mind. “What were you just trying to do?”

  “I wasn’t doing anything. I just woke up before you came in.”

  Kalena frowned.

  “So you didn’t lead me in here?”

  Kral shook his head. “Not unless you were following my dreams.”

  Following his dreams? That sentence struck a chord somewhere in Kalena’s mind. Kalena stored it away for later thought; she had to pay attention to what was happening here and now.

  “You’re a little young to be a Hatar Kalar.”

  His soft voice drew Kalena away from her ruminations. “I’m nearly eleven and I’ve been matched to Adhamh for over four months now.”

  “Meaning that I have not even been matched for a day. How long have I been out for by the way?” The sudden change in subject threw Kalena onto the back foot.

  “You’ve been out for less than a day. Your friend Holm is still sleeping it off in the room across the corridor.”

  “He always likes to sleep. Holm is probably enjoying the fact that for once in his life no one will be forcing him out of bed.”

  A flood of guilt surged through Kalena at Kral’s mention of Holm’s love of sleep. She could not help thinking that Holm might be awake now if not for her. Best not think on it right now.

  “The Hatar would know if he was really awake. They have been keeping an eye on both of you. Some of the Flyers have been betting on how long you and Holm will stay asleep.” Kalena walked further into the room as she spoke and sat down uninvited on the chair closest to her. “In fact, one of them is hoping that either you or Holm will break his record.”

  “If anyone can break a sleeping record, that would be Holm,” Kral replied as he knuckled his eyes to clear them of sleep.

  “It’s a pretty big record to break. He’ll have to be out for over a day, though it would be more impressive if he slept for over two days.”

  Kral snorted in amusement but regretted it instantly as it spiked the pain in his head. Kalena watched as he pressed his fingers to his forehead as if he was trying to hold the pain in. After a moment, Kral let his hand drop back to the blanket curled slightly palm up.

  “So what happens now?”

  “I’ve sent a message to Wing Lieutenant Bessal that you are now awake. He should be here shortly to see you. You are all right aren’t you?”

  “I’ll be fine. The instructors have been preparing us for what our symptoms could be after the Krytal. I think I’ve gotten off lightly considering what we were told could happen.”

  Kalena’s ears pricked up at this nugget of information as well as a swell of anger. She was given or told nothing before her Krytal. She was just marched off one morning and that was that.

  “I just had a bit of a headache but I was fine after I’d eaten something.” Kalena did not want to mention her meeting with Captain Jerant soon after her awakening.

  “Food is the last thing on my mind at the moment.” A smile tugged at the corner of Kral’s mouth. “But I could do with a drink of water.”

  Kalena reached across to the water pitcher and cup that sat on the bedside table and poured out a measure of water.

  “Here, take this.” Kalena handed the cup to Kral who took it gratefully and immediately drained it before giving the empty cup back to Kalena.

  “I think I’ll need another.”

  Kalena duly filled the cup and handed it back to Kral. At least this time Kral did not skull it down. He drank it one measured mouthful at a time.

  “We are going to be doing Flight Training together,” Kalena said as she placed the water pitcher back on the bedside table. “Though the Wing Lieutenant said that the training would start tomorrow, but I don’t think that will be going ahead now since you’ve only just woken up and Holm is still sleeping.”

  “It’s nice to see you thinking for a change Kalena.”

  Kalena jumped guiltily from her chair and turned to face the imposing form of Gwidion Bessal standing in the open doorway.

  “Wing Lieutenant. I was just keeping Kral company until you arrived.” Kalena blurted out her explanation for her presence before Gwidion could say anything that might put her in a bad light in Kral’s eyes. Kalena really liked Kral and Kalena hoped that they would become friends; it would be nice to have someone closer to her in age in the Win
g. This made her wish more than ever that Holm would wake unscathed from his sleep and that both boys would never know what a reckless fool she is.

  “That is very nice of you Kalena, but you should be in bed. You still have other lessons to learn, even if Flight Training doesn’t begin tomorrow.”

  “Yes Wing Lieutenant.” Kalena risked a sidelong glance at Kral Tayme who, even with his splitting headache was trying to keep back a smile. He covered this by taking another sip from his water cup.

  “Kalena, I need to speak and prepare Mr. Tayme alone.”

  “Yes Wing Lieutenant.” Gwidion moved away from the door as Kalena scampered through it. She turned back in time to see the door close firmly behind her. She smiled at the door.

  ‘I hope I’ve just made a friend,’ Kalena thought as she contemplated the door and the people who were behind it. As Kalena turned back to her room, she caught sight of Holm’s closed door.

  ‘Though I hope I haven’t made a friendship just to lose it again.’

  With that dreary thought, Kalena headed back to her bed.

  Chapter Eight

  Confessions

  Kalena saw no sign of Kral Tayme or Wing Lieutenant Bessal during her lessons the next day or at dinner that night. As she sat down to the dinner table, Kalena found Ben Ocbar in a happy mood. Looking down the table, she saw no sign of Gwidion, or of Harada for that matter.

  “Kalena, have you heard the news?” Ben Ocbar softly nudged her shoulder with an elbow to get her attention.

  “What news Ben?” Kalena asked around the mouthful of food that was in her mouth.

  “One of the two newcomers has broken my sleeping record. Holt I think his name is.”

  “His name is Holm, Ben. Kral, the other one awoke early this morning and I haven’t seen him or Wing Lieutenant Bessal all day. We had some Wing Lieutenant from Third Wing train us today. Adhamh was not happy about it.”

  “Bessal spent most of the day at the Provost Marshall’s office along with the Wing Commander. Don’t know what they’re there for but I’m sure the rumor mill will spread it around soon enough.” Ben took a drink from his mug.