Below the Peak (Sola)

by Juliet Lili

  Chapter Forty-eight

  “Cannot sleep?” Nara asked in a strange tone.

  “No” Calemir’s voice was low in the dark.

  Nara drummed her fingers lightly on the mattress. “Neither can I.”

  “Do you want to talk about it?” Calemir asked, keeping his eyes closed.

  Nara bit the inside of her cheek, pausing her drumming. “I will if you share too.” She said, before thinking twice about it.

  He shifted beside her, rolling onto his back, folding his hands behind his head. He rumbled “Sure.”

  Nara also flipped on her back too, folded her hands over the grey coverlet below her chest. Although they were a several inches apart, she could feel his body heat. She licked her dry lips and muttered. “I see him when I sleep.”

  “The boy.”

  “Yes.”

  It’s been over four days since the passing of the boy. On the same day, on the same evening, they buried him near the red tree. She was disappointed that she had never asked his name, and thus failed to give him proper farewell prayers. When she had returned to her room after the short burial, she and Izza got rid of the linens and the mattress that had been soiled with the infected blood just to be on the cautionary side and avoid risking of her being infected or catching a disease. As a result, she found herself sleeping again in Calemir’s room while she waited for a new mattress to be brought.

  Her skin shivered with the next words. “Sometimes I dream about him, I see the child dying at the hands of the creatures, and I can’t do anything about it” she licked her dry lips again. “and other times I am among the creatures, and I’m not only killing him but also killing my sister.”

  Her breath left her lungs in an anxious whisper as the silence grew larger by the second. She had shared too much. Nara grimaced. She was starting to regret talking about her nightmares until he spoke. “His death wasn’t your fault. His spirit had given up already long before Finn healed him” Calemir paused then added. “In the end, he chose to die.”

  Nara swallowed hard, sadness laced in her voice. “He was just so young.” She closed her eyes for a second and blinked the emotions away before opening them. “He deserved to live after enduring so much suffering. He should have lived.”

  Calemir continued to look at the ceiling and made a vague response.

  Nara sighed and added “Despite that, meeting him opened my eyes. It showed me the malice that lives in the hearts of many of my people. The power of our kingdom has corrupted our minds and robbed us pure compassion for another.”

  Nara cocked her head and glanced at what she could make of his side profile in the dark. “Enough of my rambling. What is it that bothers you?”

  “It’s nothing of importance” Calemir stated nonchalantly.

  “It is alright if you don’t want to tell me,” Nara said this with good will and not to make him feel any sort of guilt. But still, as if he felt some sort of duty to keep his end of the deal he spoke. “There’s something around. I do not know what it is, but I feel it in the air.”

  “This feeling, is it good or bad?”

  Calemir worked his jaw. “Honestly, I don’t know what to make of it. It is a strange feeling that tells me something is upon us.”

  “Maybe it is something good” Nara muttered in a hopeful tone.

  “Maybe” Calemir repeated.

  Slowly her eyes drifted to a close.

  Chapter forty-nine

  Kalil Kingdom

  Nikolas strode tensely to his father’s sleeping quarters. His face quickly grew tight when he stepped inside the room and found the queen and the General standing by the bed nursing his very ill father. He swallowed hard as he gazed at the king who sat on the bed, pillows supporting his back and head. His father was becoming nothing but a shell. A thin shell of a body as he withered slowly in death. Nikolas shifted his steely gaze at the definition of evil itself. Anger burned in his chest as he glared at Dagny. Nikolas didn’t believe a lick what the royal doctors interpreted of the sickness his father had. Fever Nikolas scoffed in his mind. No fever made a man’s hair fall like dry leaves in autumn, ate a man’s flesh and bones to a weightless sack. His father was being poisoned by the damn woman. Nikolas' stomach knotted as his suspicions grew dark. He felt it in his gut the woman was doing more than poisoning him.

  His attention was drawn back to the man that had been his admiration, his hero. Sadness etched on Nikolas' face.

  “I have summoned you here” Abasi spoke with difficulty. His whole body burned with the fire of pain. The pain pressed down on his skull to the tips of his toe bones. He was dying. He didn’t know when his soul would depart, but he was aware that his time with the living was up. That’s why he had to say it now. He glanced at his son for a long moment, wanting him to see in his eyes that he was proud of him as he was also sorry for everything. His throat ached, words that he wanted to tell him failing to find a voice to carry them. He was also losing his voice. Somedays he could hardly utter a word whilst other days when the pain was merely tolerable, he could string a few sentences. With a labored breath, he moved his eyes to his wife, the queen. “As you can all see my situation I am not fit to rule the kingdom anymore. Thus, until I recover I pass all the throne duties to the queen. She will bear the matters of the kingdom” he stated.

  Nikolas staggered back, his mouth parting with shock only blinking from the shock when Dagny spoke. “My king, please reconsider your decision. The prince is the heir to the throne.”

  “My decision is final, and I’ll have my word decreed to the council” Abasi declared. Slowly he leaned back his head on the mountain of pillows behind him and closed his eyes for a moment to catch a breath.

  “May I be pardoned your Majesty” Nikolas gritted the words, his fists clenched to control his anger. He was speechless. His jaw twitched with resignation. He surrendered his futile hope he’d been holding that his father would see the true nature of the woman. He snorted, drawing other’s attention to him. Shaking his head, he leveled his gaze onto his father, his voice cold and laced with pity. “You wanted freedom for our people? You just brought misery upon them.” With those words, Nikolas dragged himself out of the room.

  He was striding down the hallway when the insulting words woven in that familiar sensuous voice chased him down and gripped his spine with terror. “That’s right, run to her arms.”

  *****

  Chapter Fifty

  Uruloki

  Nara twirled the quill between her middle and index finger, dropping tiny droplets of ink on the sheet in front of her that she had been writing elvish words. She twirled it another minute then decided to put it down on the table and then turned her thought filled eyes to Calemir who was sitting across her diligently drawing. Her eyes raked over his face and falling to the tiny tip of his tongue poking out of the corner of his mouth. That bugging feeling spread over her skin again. The elves have been nothing short but kind to her for the last three months. Indeed, she had argued with the prince one time, but that had been it. Their hatred against human she had been fearfully expecting, she had yet to see. They seemed to prove all the assumptions she had of them wrong. Well, except for their beauty that rivaled the sun. Their actions confused her, especially when she thought of the elf who’d saved her and the boy from the cursed spirits. It had her questioning why people this kind had once tried to annihilate her race. Small doubts of seeds planted in her mind about the truth to the stories she had been told of them. The truth about the Dark War.

  “You are staring,” Calemir said without looking up from the paper.

  Nara blinked, averting her eyes, embarrassed. “Sorry” she muttered.

  “I was told the mattress was delivered this morning” Calemir commented.

  “Uh yes” Nara confirmed, picking up her paper and started folding it.

  “Is it comfortable?” he asked.

  “It seemed fine, but I will surely know by tomorrow” Nara shrugged lightly.

  Calemir lifte
d his head and met her eyes. “If it is not, you’re always welcome back to share my bed with me.”

  Gulp. Nara’s brows flew up. Her skin flushing a soft hue of blush as she gazed back into those green eyes that vividly reminded her what had transpired the last few days when they had slept together. More than twice had Nara found part of her limbs sprawled over him in one form or another. First time when she had woken up in the grey dawn she had been feeling hot. Her back had felt so warm but not scalding warm only to find the source of the heat was him. Somehow, she had rolled to him, or he had but either way, her back was pressed against his firm chest and an arm thrown over her waist. She had tried to quietly as possible move his hand from her so she could get up but his hand on her had flexed tightly and turned her tense until a few seconds later when he had withdrawn his hand after realizing what had happened. It happened another night again reversely, her chest pressed against his back and her hand tucked under his forearm and pressed against his chest. Her face reddened even more. The third time, she had basically been hogging him. Her body twisted and almost entirely sprawled over him with one hand over his torso, face pressed against his bare chest and leg thrown over his thigh. During some point in the night, he had removed his tunic since she clearly remembered seeing him wearing one when he had been getting in the bed. Her knee had been dangerously close to a place that it shouldn’t have been. She’d decided against withdrawing her leg, knowing that even the slightest moven could wake him up. And Nara had had no plan of finding out his reaction when he woke up. She couldn’t go back to sleep even with her eyes shut. She was too wound up with nerves and eventually her knee and back of her thigh had begun to cramp from being in one position too long. Biting on her tongue, Nara had miniscule tried to lower her leg when she’d suddenly felt his fingers sift in her hair. Her muscles still felt the shudder that had coursed through her as she came to awareness he had to awaken.

  “Nara” she had felt the rumble in his chest when he had said her name in a gruff voice. She had feigned sleep as her heart drummed loudly. His fingers dug in her hair one more time before he had pulled his hand back and folded it behind his head. She had heard him sigh before he said again. “I know you are awake.”

  To say it had been awkward when she finally got up would be an understatement. The whole ordeal had turned embarrassing when she had been withdrawing herself from him and accidently brushed her knee on his crotch. She had profusely apologized before she leapt from the bed and made a dash to the confines of her own room to burrow in humiliation.

  Now as Nara looked at him, she could see he was also thinking of the incident. However, she was startled that rather than not wanting her imposing on him again, he was inviting her back. How could he say that with such ease?

  “I believe it will be fine” Nara finally replied then stood up. “I am going to sleep. Have a good night” she wished and quickly made her way to her room, shutting the door behind her. She changed into her night gown and flopped on the bed.

  What game was he playing? She frowned, her body feeling strangely warm and not because of the weather.

  ******

  Part Four

  Chapter Fifty-one

  “What are the pyres for? Nara asked as she climbed the small hill, heading home after spending the afternoon at the military quarters and watching elves train. The last two days she had noticed the large heap of woods gathered in different parts of the town. On her way from her usual rides, Nara had seen elves mounting piles of woods upon woods at the center of the meadow. It was the tallest of all she had seen.

  “We’re preparing for Ithil ivann” Calemir replied.

  “What does that mean?” she asked as they reached the top of the hill. “Is it like a bonfire? A ritual?”

  “Sort of. It means moon harvest. We give sacrifice to Freyr, the god of fertility, peace and wealth.” Calemir rested his hands on his hips as they paused at the door and looked at her. “I would invite you for the hunt tomorrow, but only elves are permitted to participate in capturing the great boar for the sacrifice.”

  “Oh” Nara gave a small pout then said. “It is alright. I’ll be here with Izza anyway.”

  ***

  “You are in high spirits” Nara commented, watching and listening to Izza hum.

  Izza beamed her with a glowing smile and joined her on the porch, sitting on the chair beside her. “It is a glorious day today.”

  Nara nodded. Early in the morning, she had come across Calemir as he was heading out for the hunt. He was garbed in a high collar brown coat, a white shirt beneath, leather trousers and boots with a sheathed sword on his hip. He had curtly greeted her before leaving her standing on the stairs alone. There had been an eagerness to his tone, as though he was anticipating something. It seemed the prince wasn’t the only one worked up for the event.

  “Tell me how it is going to be,” Nara said.

  “I think it is best you wait and experience by yourself” Izza replied.

  “The prince said I cannot participate since I am human.”

  Izza shook her head. “You can’t participate in capturing the great boar, but you are not forbidden to attend the ritual.”

  Nara blinked. “I must’ve misunderstood him.”

  Silence fell between them for the next several minutes. The curiosity of how it was going to be filled her mind. Back in Murisa they also performed offerings to gods and had various festivals. But the events were dull, just people going through the motions. She wondered how different the experience would be compared to the ones she had. Softly like a gentle wind brushing over the fabric of her clothes, goosebumps broke over her skin, the tiny hairs standing.

  “They have killed the great boar” Izza sighed in relief.

  “How do you know?” Nara cocked her head in her direction.

  “The magic, did you not feel it?” Izza gave her a questioning look, then explained. “That gentle wind you just felt is because they’ve completed half of the sacrifice.”

  Nara nodded. She felt it, it tugged at her senses, rousing her.

  Standing, Izza faced her. “I must now go and prepare.”

  Nara glanced at the pinkening clouds in the sky and back to Izza. “I hope I will see you later.”

  Izza’s lips tipped up, her eyes sparkling. “Perhaps.” And took off.

  Not long after Izza left, Nara decided to get inside the house. She had just bathed and was dressing when her ears picked up the far away beat of drums, the tempo same as her heartbeat. It has started, Nara thought. She tied the strings of the white lace sleeve shirt she paired with simple cotton trousers and sandals. Nara listened to the sound as she braided her hair into one lose braid. Done, she walked toward the door to her room, clasping the handle and opened. Her shoulders jerked lightly when she came face to face with Calemir standing outside, one closed fist suspended mid-air. From the look of it, he had been about to knock. He lowered his hand to his side. Nara took notice of his change of clothes, like her, he had chosen to sport white for an upper cloth, wearing a white tunic with a slight slit on the front that showed a sliver of his skin and firm chest. She shifted her eyes back to his face. “Ready?” he asked, his eyes scrutinizing as she had done him.

  “Yes.”

  Her eyes widened the moment they stepped foot outside the house. Rather than it being dark, the land was shrouded in blue mist, with an enormous orange moon hanging in the sky. Staring at the direction they were about to head, sparks of fire from burning pyres flared from the mist. Nara exhaled a nervous breath. Right there, she knew this was entirely different from rituals in Murisa. As though obeying the summon woven in the chilling beat, their feet moved toward it. As they drew closer it the sound grew louder, filling her whole body. She spotted other elves in shrouding blue mist. The magic in the mist wafted into her nose and settled in her knotting stomach. She stole a glance at Calemir when they stopped among large crowd standing around the tallest pyre. His jaw twitched, and his eyes were growing dark green, she could alm
ost feel the energy buzzing in his bones. She peeled her eyes from him when the drumming ceased and focused them on the platform next to the pyre. A woman climbed the stairs and stood at the center. The female elf looked otherworldly with flowers laced in her silver hair down to the flowy mystical dress she wore. “Stay here.”

  Nara glanced back at Calemir. “Where are you going?”

  “Just stay” he ordered then disappeared into the crowd. Although a little irritated he just left her without explanation, Nara stayed put on the spot, returning her attention back to the unnamed woman at the front. It wasn’t long until she knew where he went, he appeared next to the woman.

  This should be interesting, Nara mused as she watched the two elves. It wasn’t until it had become eerie silent when the woman started to sing. Her voice was pure as she sang in elvish. It should have been impossible for her to be heard by the large gathering but the mysterious mist acted as carrier her voice travelled through it as if she were singing in a cave. As the woman sang, the prince’s base humming voice serenaded hers. Several seconds later, the prince began to sing while the woman hummed. The men joined the prince in singing as the women copied the female elf in humming. Their voices blended into a sweet euphonious tune as it peaked then slowly fell to an end. Together Calemir and the woman held a torch and cast it on the dead boar laying on the pyre. The land opened as the fire, and smoke from the pyre rose in the air. Magic flowed in a cycle from the air, soil and the elves. Like a high tidal wave, magic released upon them. Nara repeatedly blinked, feeling dizzy. A pungent sweet scent of rain on dry soil mixed with the smell of blooming flowers sank into her nose, ears and mouth and into her blood. As she tried to get a sense of control, a heavy beat of drums started then followed by a transcendent voice. She lifted her head and at looked at the platform. The woman was all alone, Calemir nowhere to be seen. The woman swayed fluidly, her hands twisting enchantingly with the beat as her voice soared high, sending shivers down her spine. The rest of the elves joined her dancing.