Chronicles of Nahtan Boxed Set #1: The First Three Herridon Chronicles Books: Mo'ani's Way, Halona's Way, Nahtan's Way

by D. L. Kramer

  Paki realized he hadn't seen any of the three officers the church guards had turned over to the Mo'ani. "What happened to the officers?" he asked.

  "They're still locked down in the dungeon," Rial said with a shrug, then paused as if remembering something. "I suppose I should check on them eventually, those cells are prone to flooding sometimes."

  "Excuse me?" Rena's voice came from behind them and they turned to look at her. She stood several feet away, her cloak pulled tightly about her with the hood up. A few loose strands of brown hair flew about her face. In one hand, she held Paki's shovel and her eyes were pinned directly on him. "You forgot this," she said, handing the shovel to Paki.

  Kile clapped a hand on Paki's shoulder, then he and Lord Valin turned back toward the keep.

  "Thanks," Paki walked back to her and took the shovel. "I'd have remembered it when I went back to the snow."

  "I know," Rena said simply, turning and walking back to the small building.

  Paki sighed and shook his head, trying to get those eyes out of his mind. Walking back over to the pathway Bear was clearing, he began shoveling again.

  "So what's going on?" Bear asked, tossing a large shovelful of snow to one side.

  "They're the family of that BishopLord Kile killed," Paki said, pushing his shovel into a drift. "Lord Valin agreed to let them stay until spring."

  "Won't they cause problems?" Bear asked, pausing to adjust his cloak.

  "I don't think the mother or the daughter will, but the son might."

  "Was he the skinny one?" Bear asked.

  "Yes."

  "No problem," Bear decided. "Let's just make sure if he causes problems we get to him before the captain does."

  "That reminds me," Paki paused to take the ring from his pouch. "This is the lady's, but Lord Valin asked me to keep it safe. The way her son was looking at it, he might try to get it from me." He handed it to Bear, who took it, grinning.

  "It'll really be a shame when you don't have it with you," he said, putting it into his own pouch.

  "I was kind of thinking the same thing," Paki agreed, starting in on the path again.

  Two - "Grab hold and taken 'im in with ye"

  Paki saw little of the BishopLord's widow or children in the next several weeks. Kile worked with both him and Bear for many hours each day. Most of what he taught them were defensive techniques, both with and without weapons. Paki had seen Kile fight in the battle outside Valin's walls, and heard plenty of stories of his skill, but it amazed him each day at how much the captain knew. It seemed there was no question they could ask that he didn't know the answer to, and if he couldn't show them how to use a weapon or move himself, he knew someone who could, even here at Valin Hold. It quickly became apparent to both Bear and Paki why Kile was Mo'ani's second in command.

  Paki also quickly realized Kile was teaching them things well above what any of the students at the Stronghold learned in their first two years, but he didn't say anything. He didn't want to draw attention to it from the few other students Valin had, and didn't want to point it out to Kile in case it was a mistake, though deep down, he doubted Kile would make a mistake like that.

  An early thaw hit Valin, and when most of the snow was gone, Kile moved their practices outside. He often set Paki and Bear to spar against each other and varied the terrain as much as he could.

  One late afternoon, Kile had them by a canal dug off the river. The canal circled through the farms of the villagers, then made its way back to the river several leagues downstream. The canal gates were opened when the thaw started, and was taking some of the runoff from the river.

  Paki and Bear would take turns standing with their backs to the canal. They would lock arms and the one facing the canal would try to push the other one in. They were both pushed in fairly easily at first, and it only took a single dunking to make them fight all the harder to stay out of the cold water.

  This time, Bear was trying to push Paki into the canal and he kept trying to get a foot behind Paki so he could trip him. Paki kept one foot braced far enough behind himself that Bear couldn't push his balance back. As Bear shifted his weight, Paki realized the position also lowered his center of gravity. He dropped suddenly to one knee, twisted around and pulled Bear over his shoulder. Bear was thrown totally off balance and plummeted over Paki and into the water.

  As Bear pulled himself from the water, Kile chuckled from where he stood nearby, watching.

  "There's nothin' stoppin' ye're opponent from suddenly takin' the offensive," he pointed out to Bear. He offered him his hand and pulled him the rest of the way onto the grass.

  "Then what was I supposed to do?" Bear asked. He pulled his hair in front of his shoulder and twisted the water from it.

  "Grabbed hold and taken 'im in with ye," Kile said with a grin.

  "Did anyone ever manage to push you in, Lord Olorun?" Rena was kneeling on the other side of the canal, a pile of clothing beside her. She had a bucket of water in front of her and was washing something in the cold water. Paki was surprised she knew Kile's title as a nobleman, most people just knew him as the Captain of the Mo'ani.

  "Where's ye're watch?" Kile asked, looking over at her.

  Rena pulled a shirt from the bucket and wrung it out. "I'd imagine he's still in the forest looking for me," she answered. "Unless you're afraid I'm going to strangle Lord Valin with Lady Gian's corset?"

  "I'd watch ye'reself," Kile advised.

  Paki was surprised when Rena chuckled. She dropped the shirt back into the bucket, then stood up and dusted off her skirt. She walked to the footbridge just upstream and crossed over. As she neared them Paki was again struck by her eyes, but she passed he and Bear by, walking right up to Kile.

  "I've no love for the Archbishop," she said to Kile. "And you did us a favor by killing that bastard. Lady Gian and Jorrin won't admit how abusive he was, and they still support the Archbishop."

  "And I'm to believe ye?" Kile asked.

  Rena shrugged. "That's entirely up to you," she said. "But I'll tell you we came here because the new BishopLord has already arrived in Valin. Lady Gian tried to win his affections and he turned her out that night."

  "Why don't you call them mother or father?" Paki asked. He and Bear had both pulled their cloaks around themselves, trying to lose the chill from the water.

  "Because they're not," Rena answered, barely sparing him a glance before turning back to Kile. "They were planning another assault on Valin this winter, but when word got back to them that you were here, the BishopLord refused to give the order."

  "Why would that be?" Kile asked.

  Rena shrugged. "Lord Gian was a very accomplished swordsman," she said. "You'd disarmed him, given him his sword back, then run him through in less than three minutes."

  Kile studied Rena for several long seconds. "Please, go on," he invited.

  "That's all I know," Rena said. "Except I'm not leaving here when Lady Gian and her son go."

  "Oh, ye're not?" Kile asked.

  "I'll go on my own," Rena stated. "But I'm not going with them."

  "We'll see," Kile said to her, then turned to Paki and Bear. "Let's get ye two inside and warmed up before ye end up sick," he walked passed Rena and led them back to their waiting horses. Paki gave Rena one last look, but she was already walking back to the footbridge.

  "What was that all about?" Paki asked Kile as he pulled himself up onto Ayita's saddle. "She wasn't very afraid of you."

  "She's not," Kile answered, adjusting his cloak behind him. The gold embroidery noting him as one of those Mo'ani had personally trained gleamed in the morning sun. Kile's cloak was presently the only one with the embroidery. "I remember 'er," he said after a moment. He untied the back of his blonde hair, smoothed it back, then retied it again. "She was about eight when Lord Gian came stormin' up to Valin, insistin' someone come out and fight 'im. She'd followed 'im through the woods."

  "What happened?" Bear asked as they turned their horses back toward the hold.<
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  "Lord and Lady Valin were killed a few months before and Desan hadn't come 'ere yet, so I was the highest rankin' nobleman and officer around," Kile continued. "I walked out of the hold, told 'im he was so drunk the fish could smell it on 'im, then told 'im to come back when 'e was sober."

  "He attacked you," Paki said, knowing he was right.

  "That 'e did," Kile sighed. "But it's in the past now, and it's best to leave it there."

  Within minutes, they reached the hold again and left their horses with the villager taking care of the stables.

  Both Paki and Bear went to change into something dry. After changing, Paki went up to the library. The library at Valin wasn't nearly as extensive as Lord Othon's in the Dwellers' valley, and most of the books and scrolls dealt with various ancestors of Rial's. But the library had the largest fireplace and was often the warmest room in the hold.

  Paki selected a scroll at random and sat down in one of the large chairs in front of the fire. He quickly discovered he was unable to concentrate on reading. Every time he looked down at the scroll, he saw Rena's blue eyes instead. After several minutes, he gave up, returned the scroll to its' shelf, and left the library.

  Bear was sitting in their room, practicing with his Dwellers' flute while Tiimu chewed on a piece of jerky. The fox had attached himself to Bear right after Paki found it in the Wardsman's Woods, and now the two were almost inseparable. Bear's notes weren't quite a sure as Kile's, but Paki guessed it took time to master how to let the gods work through the various melodies. Deciding not to bother his friend, he left to go down to the stable. Getting a brush from the tack room, he went to work brushing out Ayita's mane and tail, then her coat.

  Though he didn't hear her approach, Paki knew when Rena appeared outside the stall. Both Chase and Ayita told him when she entered the stable.

  "You're just going to make the captain mad if you keep wandering around alone," he said, dropping the brush while he picked out a burr with his fingers. He found he couldn't look up at her without feeling uneasy.

  "Lord Olorun's not quite so harsh," Rena said, lacing her fingers together and setting them on the top of the stall door, then resting her chin on them. "He knows I cheered in delight when I saw him kill Lord Gian."

  "He says he remembered you." Paki leaned over to pick up the brush then went back to work on Ayita's tail. "He didn't want to talk much about it."

  "Not surprising," Rena shrugged. A brief silence fell over them as she watched Paki brush the Dwellers' mare.

  "So if they weren't your parents," Paki paused to glance at her. "Why were you living with them?" He didn't really want her to leave and this was the only thing he could think of to say.

  Rena studied him for several seconds before answering. "I don't have a father--at least none whose name I was ever told," she said. "And my mother couldn't take care of me anymore, so she left me in Lady Gian's care."

  "How old were you?" Paki asked.

  "Three, maybe four summers," Rena answered. "I don't really remember."

  "If you hated the Archbishop so much, why'd you stay with them?" Paki asked. "You're old enough, you could have gotten married or something."

  "Maybe I was waiting," Rena's answered evenly.

  "For what?" Ayita stretched her neck out as Paki brushed it.

  "Maybe I was waiting for the Mo'ani," Rena elaborated. "I much prefer Jensina's red to Zared's blue."

  "Zared's blue?" Paki had seen the temples with the red symbols on the outside and he knew they were called 'Jensina's Symbols' though he didn't know what they said. He had never heard of anything referred to as Zared's blue, though he was fairly certain he knew what she was referring to. "You mean like on the Archbishop's pendants?"

  "Yes." Rena reached up and scratched Ayita's nose. "She's a beautiful horse."

  "I guess." Paki paused to look at Ayita. He had recognized her as a Dwellers' horse right away, but hadn't stopped to think if she was attractive or not. Her blaze stood out magnificently against the dark brown of her coat, and her tail and mane looked like fine wisps of hair now that they were brushed out. Ayita stretched her neck out, pressing her nose against Rena's hand. "She seems to like you," he said, not mentioning that Ayita was as close to giddy as a horse could be. He didn't understand what about Rena made the mare so happy, but he wasn't going to argue with her. One thing his stallion had taught him was that horses were excellent character judges.

  "How long have you had her?" Rena asked, rubbing Ayita's nose and smiling then laughing as she rubbed against her hand and snorted into her face, blowing Rena's hair back.

  "She's not mine," Paki admitted. As much as he suddenly wanted the mare to be his, he had to tell Rena the truth. "My horse is an old plowhorse back at Mo'ani's Stronghold." He paused. "He's Chase's sire."

  "Chase?" Rena raised an eyebrow.

  Paki motioned to Chase's dark head stretching over the door of his stall. "Don't open his stall," he warned. "He's been entirely too cooperative lately and I don't want to try to catch him if he gets away now."

  Rena studied the big horse for a second, then walked over and offered him her hand. Chase stretched his head over to her, then snorted and withdrew it, looking at Paki.

  "I think you'd better come away from there," he suggested. "As a matter of fact, let's both get out of here before something happens." He picked up the brush and left Ayita's stall. Making sure Rena left the stable with him, he only paused to put the brush back in the tack room.

  "So how long are you and Lord Olorun staying here?" Rena asked, pulling her cloak around her before the cold wind could hit her. Though the trees were finally budding, there was still an occasional cold day.

  Paki shrugged. "I guess until the captain thinks Valin's safe again."

  "That could be a long time with the new BishopLord here," Rena commented. "Once they think Lord Olorun is gone, they'll try to take Valin again."

  "I don't know what he's going to do," Paki admitted. "I know he'll probably die before he lets them get her though." He turned towards the keep and Rena fell into step beside him. She didn't seem to notice which way they were heading.

  "No," Rena shook her head slowly. "Lord Olorun won't die until it's for Nahtan."

  "Valin's part of that prophecy, though," Paki pointed out. "So are the other holds who are allied with Mo'ani." He paused as her words finally struck him. "What do you know about Nahtan?" he asked. If Rena had truly been raised by Lord Gian and his wife, then she was probably educated by the Archbishop's priests and scholars--and they didn't talk about Nahtan. The Archbishop refused to let any of his followers talk about the warrior king prophesied to claim the throne.

  Rena shrugged. "Some," she answered vaguely. "I've heard about him."

  Paki stopped outside the heavy door and looked at her, studying her eyes. "I think you know more than that," he said.

  Rena met his gaze easily. "I think I've said more than enough," she said after a moment. "You'd best get inside before you catch cold." With a faint curtsey, she turned and walked toward the small quarters Lord Valin had given to her family.

  Paki watched her walk away from him, then shook his head and pulled open the door. The inside of the keep was warm, and the lamps along the entry hallways were lit.

  Heading up the main staircase, he paused by his room long enough to hang his cloak behind the door. Tiimu was curled up on Bear's bed, but Bear was nowhere around. Paki closed the door behind him, then turned down the hall leading to the upper study.

  Rial didn't bother looking up from his book when Paki closed the door behind him.

  "The captain's gone out to the northern woods," Rial said, carefully turning a page.

  "Actually, I was just looking for someplace quiet to think," Paki said. "But if you'd rather be alone, I can go."

  Rial looked up at him. "Think about what?"

  Paki sighed, wondering what he should tell Rial. Rena obviously knew more than she wanted to admit to him, and he didn't know if she could be trusted or not
. He thought she was being honest with him, but because she was raised by one of the Archbishop's governors gave him doubts. "The BishopLord's daughter," he finally admitted, sitting in the chair at the opposite end of the table.

  "Well, her brother's been watching every move you've made since the thaw," Rial said, looking back to his book. "Until you pinned down Bear morning before last that is. He seems to have reconsidered any plans he might have had for attacking you."

  "I'm not too worried about him," Paki admitted. "Unless he gets his hands on a weapon of some kind." Even then, he really wasn't worried. Jorrin wasn't strong enough to wield any large weapon for longer than a few seconds and Kile had taught Paki enough defensive motions that he could easily outlast the BishopLord's son.

  "Jorrin's not that good at avoiding his watch, so I doubt he could get his hands on anything before being stopped." Rial looked back up from his book. "What's bothering you about Rena?"

  Paki shrugged absently. In the year and a half since Paki had pulled him from the river, he had only seen Rial smile once. The young lord's seriousness seemed almost overwhelming at times, but Paki guessed it was to be expected. "It's really nothing," he finally said. "She just keeps slipping away from whoever's watching her." Rial already had a lot of things to think about and Paki figured he didn't need to worry about Rena.

  Rial studied Paki for a few seconds. "And..." he prompted.

  Paki sighed. "Mo'ani's right, you are too smart." He settled back into the chair as Rial kept his level gaze on him. "She knows about Nahtan," he finally said. "And the Archbishop doesn't let his priests or scholars talk about him among themselves, let alone teach the myth to a BishopLord's kids."

  "So why are you worried about it?" Rial asked.

  "I don't know," Paki shrugged. "It just struck me as strange when she mentioned it."

  Rial turned back to his book once more. "Well," he began. "If it were me, I'd want to find out as much about her as I could. Even if it meant becoming friends with her." He paused to turn the page. "Or I'd at least mention it to Lord Olorun." He looked deliberately at Paki before settling back into his book.