The Last Mayor's Son

by Leslie E Heath

  The two men talked on about the upcoming trip to the ground village until Faruz joined them. He’d spent the day with some of his new friends. Alija seated himself nearby and announced his intention to return to his home that evening after dinner.

  Dalan looked concerned. “Don’t you think you should spend another day or two here? It’s barely been two days since your injury.”

  Alija smiled. “I’m sure. It isn’t a very serious wound, and I’ll be back to normal in no time. In fact, Valasa said it would be fine if I go with you to Kasanto tomorrow.” He beamed as the others gaped at him.

  Aibek shook his head. “That…might…not be such a great idea. You looked pretty worn out after sitting in on today’s meeting.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about! I was fine. I only lay down after the meeting to keep Valasa happy. He told me to take it easy today.”

  I think he’s actually enjoying my discomfort, Aibek thought. Is this a joke? Surely he can’t mean to hike through the forest in the morning.

  “Besides,” Alija added, “We’re just walking to their village, then walking home, right? I’ll be able to keep up, as long as there’s no fighting.”

  Dalan agreed, though his voice was hesitant, “Well, if you think you’re ready, then I guess we can’t stop you.”

  “We won’t think less of you if you take the time to heal. You don’t have to push yourself,” Aibek blurted out. “We already know you’re tough.”

  Alija laughed heartily for a long moment, and Aibek joined in, though his laugh came out awkward and forced. After another moment, Dalan and Faruz dissolved in laughter, too.

  A moment later, Ayja appeared in the doorway and announced that supper was ready. The friends filed eagerly into the informal dining nook and took their seats around the table. They chatted cheerfully through the evening meal, then Aibek excused himself, grabbed a lantern from the table near the door, and slipped out into the night, while Dalan and Faruz accompanied Alija back to his house at the other end of the Square.

  The moons Koviom and Ilodus were bright overhead, and Thrimanca hovered near the horizon. Together, they lit the boardwalk almost as effectively as the sun, and Aibek extinguished his lamp. He made his way across the Square to the house that served as the prison, shoved the heavy door open, and climbed the narrow stair on his right.

  Lanterns lined the wall, casting a bright, cheerful glow over the green-painted stairwell. Aibek climbed to the third floor and tapped on the door at the top of the stairs. The dark wooden door swung open with a slight creak, and the broad form of the guard appeared, silhouetted in the bright light from the room behind him.

  He blocked the way. “Only one visitor at a time.”

  Aibek took a step backward, surprised. “Someone else is here? Who else is visiting the prisoner?”

  “That’s all right, we’re finished,” a soft, feminine voice came from inside the room, a breath before a small form rushed past Aibek and down the stairs. She had a dark cloak pulled close around her face, so Aibek couldn’t tell who the visitor had been.

  “Well, I guess you can come in, then,” the guard said, pulling the door open farther.

  “Do you keep a record of who’s coming to see this woman?” Aibek asked as he stepped into the narrow room.

  He glanced around at the bright yellow walls and high windows. An iron-barred cell covered the length of the far wall, and a woman huddled in the back corner. The fireplace beside the door blazed, heating the room to an uncomfortable warmth, and the odor of sweat and unwashed bodies permeated the space. Aibek suppressed a grimace. Couldn’t they open a window or two? The windows lined the wall along the ceiling, but the tall guard should have been able to reach them.

  “No, sir, no one ever suggested we should keep any records,” the guard said awkwardly, his face flushed. “Do you want us to start?”

  “Yes, that would be helpful.” Aibek marched over to the bars. Someone had placed a chair near the cell for visitors, and Aibek dropped onto it, leaning forward to peer into the small enclosure.

  “Has she been allowed to wash?” Aibek asked the guard, who hovered near his shoulder.

  The burly man cocked his head to the side, frowning. “No, sir. No one’s suggested that, either. I’m afraid I’m not doing a very good job. Tavan’s guards always had this duty. I’ve never done it before this week.”

  “No, you’re doing fine,” Aibek reassured him. “She’s safe and secure, and she can’t get away. Those are the most important things. Could I have a moment to speak with her in private?”

  “Of course, Mister Mayor,” the guard stammered, then rushed out of the small room. The door closed with a creak and a click, and Aibek turned his attention to the woman in the cell.

  “I’ll have one of the women bring you soap and water in the morning.”

  “Don’t bother being nice. I won’t tell you anything,” Tamyr spat.

  Aibek nodded. He’d expected her anger. “Regardless, you deserve to have your basic needs met. I trust you’re getting enough to eat? And plenty of water?”

  She answered sullenly, “They’re feeding me just fine.”

  She sat in the farthest corner from him, her back to the wall and her knees drawn up to her chest. Her skirts hung limply around her ankles, exposing her dirty bare feet to the light.

  “I know you didn’t do it,” Aibek murmured.

  She stiffened, and her eyes went wide before she dropped her forehead to her knees. She sat in silence for a long moment, and Aibek wondered if she would answer.

  He waited a while longer and added, “You didn’t stab Alija, but you know who did, don’t you?”

  She heaved a noisy sigh, then dissolved in loud tears. Her sobbing discomforted Aibek, and he glanced around for something to offer her. He hadn’t brought a handkerchief, and he didn’t see anything else in the room that would be helpful. He frowned at the sobbing woman, trying to figure out if her tears were genuine or a ploy to get him to leave.

  She continued for several minutes until his patience wore out. “All right, that’s enough. You won’t get out of here that way.”

  She sniffed and looked up sharply, her watery eyes finally meeting his. “We both know I’m not getting out of here at all,” she wailed.

  “That’s not true.” He barked a short laugh. “We certainly won’t keep you in this tiny cell forever. We don’t have the manpower to keep you guarded indefinitely.”

  She gave him a hard look and wiped her hands over her wet cheeks.

  “Honestly, I know you didn’t do it, so why don’t you tell me who did, and we’ll get you out of this miserable place and into a nice, hot bath.”

  “Do you really think I’d betray my friends for a bath?” She jumped up and stalked closer to where he sat. “Why should I talk to you? You think since they made you mayor that I’ll just fall at your feet? You don’t belong here, and your friends have no business pretending to rule this village.”

  The venom in her voice surprised Aibek a little. She’d switched from tears to anger with stunning speed. He frowned, recognizing a marked similarity between her attitude and Ahren’s.

  “If you think the council shouldn’t rule, then who should? Who should protect this town and take care of the people?”

  “Helak!” She spat. “Tavan was doing a fine job before those fools interfered. But now he’s dead and everything is ruined!” She slumped back against the wall and dissolved into tears again, though this time she kept them silent.

  Aibek had nothing to say to that. It was the first time anyone had voiced that sentiment aloud in his earshot, though he’d gotten the same message in a note on the night of his welcome banquet. Surely she wasn’t serious. From the stories he’d heard, Tavan had been a brutal governor and a strict taskmaster. Aibek stood and moved slowly toward the door, then turned back to the weeping woman.

  “It really isn’t that bad, if you’d just give us a chance.” She didn’t respond, and he opened the door, nodded to
the guard, then moved swiftly down the stairs and back to Valasa’s home. He’d have to find Valasa and see what could be done about providing clean clothes and soap for the prisoner. They couldn’t keep her locked up without taking proper care of her, even if she had tried to kill off the council.

  ~*~

  Alone in his room a short time later, Aibek tried to remember the events that had led up to his meeting with his father’s spirit. What exactly had he been doing? He desperately wanted to get to know his parents, but he had no idea how to talk to them.

  “Are you there?” He asked the empty room.

  He stood against the wall and held his breath while he waited to hear something. He waited so long the room spun, so he exhaled in a great rush and chided himself for being foolish. He wasn’t entirely sure he hadn’t dreamed the encounter, so standing here talking to the walls probably wouldn’t help. Maybe he could try again once he moved into the new house.

  ~*~

  The next morning, Aibek, Dalan, and Serik waited for the others near the south entrance to the village. The brisk autumn morning made Aibek shiver as a cold wind blew through the trees. The sun shone overhead but did little to warm the air. A few puffy clouds dotted the brilliant blue sky, a lovely contrast to the vibrant yellow and orange leaves of the treetops. They didn’t wait very long before Aibek spotted Alija and Kai walking toward them, each with a sword in hand. Alija moved much easier, and even had a spring in his step as he approached the waiting friends. Aibek realized at that moment that he hadn’t told the others about their decision to go unarmed.

  He welcomed the friends before anyone else could comment. “Good morning. I trust you slept well. Are we ready to head down?” He pulled the lever and released the catch to lower the staircase but stopped when Kai pointed to Dalan’s unadorned waist.

  “Where’s your sword?”

  Dalan fidgeted with his sleeve. “We thought it might be best to go unarmed, so it doesn’t look like we’re expecting a fight.”

  Kai looked around him and glanced from Aibek to Alija before he responded. “Hmm… I hadn’t considered that. I wouldn’t have thought to approach our enemies without a sword, but it does look rather aggressive, doesn’t it?”

  Alija quietly agreed, and both friends removed their swords and placed them under a bench near the entrance. As soon as that was done, the group descended the stairs and headed into the forest. They all whispered among themselves as they followed the same path they had taken to the lake when they went fishing.

  The trees thinned enough there that brush could grow along the path. The colors of autumn were nearly at their peak, and everywhere he looked Aibek saw brilliant reds, yellows, and oranges in the shrubs and trees around them. Trees were rare in Xona, so he had never seen such a display and was impressed with the beauty surrounding them. Before they had gone very far, Aibek realized someone was following them. Twigs snapped in the brush beside the path, and an eerie quiet reigned in the forest: no birds chirped; no small animals chattered. Aibek glanced at Serik, who nodded in encouragement.

  “We know you’re there, and we mean you no harm,” the mayor shouted. “We wish to speak to your leaders on an urgent matter.”

  The group of friends stood still on the path and waited for a response from the enemies hiding in the underbrush. They stood bunched together for a breathless moment until several fierce-looking elves exited the brush and stalked toward them from the north. They wore the colors of the woods, with bright leaves attached to their clothes and hats. One carried a bow and quiver of arrows on his back, and the others bore axes or staffs. Aibek wondered if he had made the wrong decision in leaving their swords behind. He’d left his friends exposed and vulnerable, and now they were surrounded by armed enemies.

  The two groups faced each other for long, tense moments before one of the elves stepped forward. He stood about three feet tall, slender but with well-defined muscles on his bare arms. His bronze skin gleamed in the sunlight, and his leaf-adorned cap hid his hair.

  “Our leaders will see you. We thank you for not bringing weapons since we could not have allowed you to bring them into our village. Please come with us.”

  He spun on his heel and walked to the right, through the brush and to another, narrower path nearby. They continued south, walking parallel to the walkway they had been using, moving in the direction of the lake. Aibek thought this looked like the trail he had been on when he got lost the day of the fishing trip, but he couldn’t be sure. He searched for anything familiar as they moved through the woods.

  Soon, Aibek heard the sound of the waves gently lapping the banks and knew they were near the lake, though he couldn’t see it through the dense shrubbery. Then they turned abruptly west onto another hidden path and continued toward a wall of vegetation.

  Their guides moved aside a curtain of vines, then led them through a gate hidden in the wall. Suddenly, they were in a quaint little town. Most of the houses were small, with thatched roofs and stone chimneys. Little benches sat in front of many of the homes, and the whole place looked welcoming and homey. Aibek felt like a giant, since he was as tall as most of the buildings, and he wondered where they would meet the leaders of this village. He remembered that Serik had described a room, so he hoped there would be a building large enough to hold them all. Everywhere he looked, elves and dwarves gaped at the group of strangers in their midst.

  The party from the treetops waited in the center of town for a short while as the midday sun beat down from overhead. The walk had taken longer than Aibek expected. He tried to smile at the frightened-looking ground folk while he waited but gave up when the locals retreated further behind the trees and buildings. Finally, their guides returned and wordlessly gestured for the friends to follow.

  They followed the elves through a smaller gate at the other end of the village, and toward a door that led into the ground beneath an enormous shadow tree. Aibek looked around at his friends, uncomfortable with the idea of going unarmed into a cave behind their enemy’s village, but Serik looked unruffled and nodded slightly.

  They descended a steep packed-dirt staircase into a narrow tunnel. Torches mounted every few feet along the wall lit small circles of the dirt-floored path, but Aibek thought he heard the distant echo of trickling water. Their chaperons moved swiftly through the dimness and Aibek had to be careful not to trip and fall on the uneven ground. The walls were only a few feet apart, and Aibek experienced the panicky feeling of claustrophobia for the first time. He could touch both sides of the dark tunnel without stretching out his arms, and he had to walk stooped to avoid hitting his head on the rocks above.

  Their guides, oblivious to the visitors’ discomfort, moved at ease through the passageway and soon led them into a large, brightly lit room. The walls and floor were smooth stone that sparkled like millions of diamonds in the lamplight. A small stream wound its way through one side of the space, fed by a narrow waterfall that trickled down the wall opposite the doorway where they stood.

  The visitors stood blinking in the sudden brightness of the room. Once he had adjusted to the unexpected light, Aibek stared mutely at the long, white stone table in the center of the room. At one end sat an elf more plainly dressed than those they had met in the forest. Next to him was a dwarf dressed elaborately in fur-lined purple zontrec. Aibek swallowed against a knot of unease. He took a breath to introduce himself, but the regal dwarf spoke first.

  “I am Idril, the queen of the Dwarves and ruler of Kasanto. Serik I have met before. Who are the rest of you?”

  Aibek stepped forward and gave a brief introduction of each member of their party. They stood awkwardly in the doorway after their guides left them, unwilling to come further into the room without an invitation.

  After a moment, the elf spoke. “We were told you have a matter to discuss with us. I am Turan, the king of the elves. Idril and I rule this village and the ground level of the Tsari Forest. What has brought you to seek our counsel?”

  Aibek stepped farth
er into the room and addressed Turan. “I am sure you are aware that Nivaka has overthrown Helak’s brutal government and has re-established a council.”

  He waited for some response from the smallfolk. When they remained silent, he continued, “I am Aibek, the son of Eddrick, and I have returned to help the village fight for a more permanent peace. Our enemy is sending an army to regain control of our home.”

  He couldn’t help but notice the bored looks on his hosts’ faces. Desperately, he went on, “His ultimate plan is to cut down the Shadow trees and make them into lumber to build a city in the desert. We are here today to ask for your assistance. We would like for you to alert our village when the army enters the forest, so we can be ready to fight. Will you help us?”

  The king and queen whispered between themselves, leaving their visitors standing in the doorway while they discussed the request. Finally, Turan spoke again. “Please, come sit, and we will discuss this matter in detail. We were indeed aware that your village had disposed of the appointed governor and his guards, but what makes you think an army is coming, or that they would want to cut down the forest?”

  This time Dalan answered, walking toward the table as he spoke, “My father is the Gadonu and has received messages from our neighboring villages. The guards stationed in those villages are saying that an army is preparing to enter the forest and re-establish control over Nivaka. As for the rest, Helak’s messengers were bragging to us about how they plan to cut the trees to build a fire-proof city, and how easy it would be to transport because the wood is so light.”

  The visitors all took places at the end of the table farthest from the king and queen. As they were seating themselves at the table, Kai whispered to Alija, who was sitting next to him, “They aren’t going to help us. I knew this would be a waste of time.”

  “What was that you said?” Idril frowned and stared hard at the two Nivakans. “If you believed you were wasting your time, why did you come in the first place?”