He closed his eyes and emptied his mind, listening only to the sounds of the forest around him. The birds and squirrels chirped and chattered, and a soft breeze rustled the fallen leaves on the earthen path. Aibek took a deep breath, opened his eyes, and began walking again.
As he meandered through the silent wood, he considered Turan’s warning. He hadn’t given much thought to the idea that Nivaka was setting an example for the other villages, but of course, the elf king was right. If their enemy regained control, it would send a strong message to the others that a revolt was futile and would strengthen Helak’s hold on the forest. What would Noral say about Aibek’s success today? He felt elated, but at the same time breathless with fear. Even with the warning, it would be difficult for the villagers to fight off a trained army.
“Father? Are you there?” Aibek asked the wind as it whispered through the trees.
He tried to let his mind go blank while he waited impatiently for an answer. He stared up into the heights of the treetops and wondered if he had dreamed that miraculous visit. Here in the loneliness of the forest, it seemed impossible that his father could have spoken with him from beyond the grave. He felt a few fat raindrops pelting his back and shoulders through the branches and decided it was time to return to the village.
Once there, he hurried along the boardwalk through the falling rain and found the newly formed army practicing in small groups under the roof of the Pavilion. Aibek searched out the council members and gathered them together, then told them of the morning’s success. Kai and Alija had been uncomfortable with the idea of the mayor visiting Kasanto without the other members and again voiced their distrust of their enemies on the ground. They had little privacy for discussion in the crowded space, so they agreed to delay the debate and carry on with their training for now.
Aibek spent the rest of the day helping Faruz train the groups of swordsmen, then collapsed, exhausted, into bed at the end of the day. He fell immediately into the welcome oblivion of a deep, dreamless sleep.
20
Moving
In the week that followed, the army gathered each morning at the Pavilion for training and drills. Faruz and Aibek closely monitored the practice and Aibek was impressed with how quickly their fighters learned the new skills.
While the citizens were learning how to defend themselves and their homes, Valasa and the council spent time each morning exchanging messages with their neighboring villages and the ground folk. Aibek and Serik made two more trips to the underground room to discuss their tentative truce with the rulers of Kasanto and gained assurance that the elves and dwarves would not attack those who were traveling to Nivaka from the other villages.
In between his other responsibilities, Aibek visited the prisoner, Tamyr, three more times, but each time she sat silently staring at the floor of her cell. She refused to look at him or in any way acknowledge his existence. Aibek’s frustration with the woman was growing. He was confident she hadn’t stabbed Alija, which meant the attacker was still free. Would that person strike again? Whom would he or she target this time? Thankfully, the army-in-training was practicing with dull weapons, so Aibek could walk among the practicing villagers without fear of a sword in his back—at least for now.
Meanwhile, work on the homes along the Square continued, and the workers completed the repairs faster than Aibek had believed possible. Less than a week following the town meeting, the workers announced they’d finished the mayoral home, and Aibek, Faruz, and Serik moved their meager belongings, supplemented by the wardrobes provided by their hosts, to the newly renovated home.
Aibek’s room was down the hall from the one which had been his parents’, and the workers had transformed their chamber into a peaceful chapel and meditation room. Deep blue curtains hung from the windows, and cushioned benches lined the walls. The parental bed had been removed and replaced with a table and four chairs. The original paintings hung over the hearth and on the walls, and Aibek felt closer to his parents in this room than anywhere he had ever been before.
Faruz chose his room from the guest chambers. He picked the largest one on the same hall as Aibek’s room. It was a generous space with dark green and gold décor that he felt suited his personality, though he lamented the fact that it had polished oak floors instead of the lush carpet he had enjoyed at Valasa’s house. Serik reclaimed the room that had been his two decades before. Though the workers had repaired it, they’d made no significant changes to the style or design of the room. The trusted servant told Aibek it felt like home when they toured the space on moving day. The friends agreed to continue their routine of meeting in Aibek’s sitting room to begin each day.
Late that night, after everyone had finished exploring and had begun to get settled into their new home, Aibek walked the short distance down the hall to his new meditation room. He sat quietly in the dim light of a single candle on the table. He stared into the flickering flame and tried to let his mind go blank.
“This is a bit creepy, don’t you think?” Faruz asked from the doorway. “You should at least light a lamp.”
Aibek jumped and turned to face his best friend. “You scared me half to death.”
Faruz crossed to the table and dropped into a chair. “What are you doing in here? And why is it so dark?” He looked closer at his childhood friend. “Are you all right?”
Aibek answered with a short, self-deprecating laugh. “I’m fine. I just feel close to them in here. I thought I’d spend some time here every day. Valasa said I should start meditating.” He bit his tongue to keep from blurting out that he wanted to visit with his parents’ ghosts. Faruz would think he’d gone mad.
“Do you want to be alone? I thought you might need some company for your first night here.” Faruz stood and lit a lamp on the mantle, then returned to his chair at the table.
Aibek stared at the painting on the mantle. The flickering light made it look like the fairies were dancing. “You can stay…” He jumped again when Faruz interrupted.
“You know… if you’re hoping to talk to their spirits, sitting alone and silent in a dark room might not be the best way to go about it.”
Aibek jerked around towards his friend. “What?”
“Look, I talk to my grandfather from time to time,” Faruz explained, “and I know you’ve had a couple of spirits hanging around you for years. All you have to do is talk to them if that’s what you’re trying to do. They can’t hear your thoughts though, so you have to talk out loud.”
Aibek chuckled and looked up at his friend. “So you don’t think I’m crazy?”
“I know you’re crazy,” Faruz laughed. “You left your home on a moment’s notice to come play at being a mayor in some little jungle village that’s about to be attacked by an army from the desert.”
Aibek smiled. “I’ll admit that sounds a bit far-fetched.”
Faruz’s smile faded, and he added, “Wanting to talk to the parents you never got to meet isn’t crazy at all. I’d call it completely normal. Do you think they’ll show up if I’m here? I’d love to meet them, too.”
Aibek rearranged the flowers in the vase on the table. “I don’t know. I haven’t had much success on my own.”
“I don’t have anything against meeting you,” Eddrick said from the other side of the room. “You’ve been a great friend for my son.”
Aibek gasped and stared at the spirits. He was sure they hadn’t been there a moment ago.
Faruz grinned and nudged his friend. “See? I told you it was easy.” He looked at the ghosts who were approaching the table. “Thank you, sir. What should I call you?”
“You can call me Eddrick, and this is my wife, Kiri,”
The woman didn’t acknowledge the introduction at all—she was completely oblivious to everything but Aibek. She sat in the chair next to him and smiled.
“I’ve waited so long for this,” she whispered.
Aibek gawked at the lovely redhead and realized he had her eyes. “I wish I’d known it was
possible.” He raked his hands through his hair.
Faruz frowned at his friend. “Hey, we’re not going to get all weird and emotional now, are we?”
Aibek laughed and looked around again at his best friend and his parents, who had seated themselves in the remaining chairs at the table.
“Who’s emotional? This is amazing.”
The four of them talked and laughed late into the night, remembering funny things that had happened as the boys grew up. Aibek was surprised by how many details his parents knew and accepted that as proof they had been there throughout his life. When they finally separated for the night, he went to bed feeling more at peace than he ever had before.
~*~
Before the sunrise brightened the sky in the morning, and before the friends had even dressed for the day, the new housekeeper ushered a small cloaked figure into Aibek’s sitting room. As he and Faruz watched in disbelief, Ahren shrugged out of her heavy cape and crossed the room to sit on the sofa across from Aibek. He regarded her with unveiled shock on his face, realized he was staring, and glanced away. Why on earth had she come? Something picked at the edge of his consciousness, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. There was something about the way she’d looked as she huddled into the room that was eerily familiar, though he didn’t think he’d ever seen her dressed for the cold before.
She shifted uncomfortably on the new furniture for several minutes as Aibek waited expectantly to hear the reason for her visit. As she opened her mouth to speak, Serik burst through the door carrying a tray with their breakfast. He set the tray on the table in the center of the room, then looked up and noticed the young woman.
“Oh! Hello, miss. I didn’t expect you this morning. I’ll get another mug and plate.” Before she could object, he bustled out of the room.
Ahren stared after him and shifted in her seat again. As soon as the servant was through the door, Aibek jumped up and hurried to get her a mug of famanc and a muffin.
“I’m sorry,” she choked out. “I didn’t mean to interrupt your breakfast.”
“You aren’t interrupting anything.” Aibek handed her the hot drink. “Please… have a muffin or some fruit. We always have more than we can eat.” He deliberately ignored the fact that this was his first morning in his new home and therefore didn’t know how much they would have.
“Thank you.” Ahren chose a fruit-filled cake from the tray.
Before Aibek poured his drink, Serik returned with a smaller platter. He placed it carefully next to the first one, the edges of the trays just touching, and poured himself his morning beverage. They ate in silence until they’d finished off the food, then Aibek looked to their guest again.
She swirled the last drops of liquid in her cup, placed it on the table and arranged her heavy skirt around her on the sofa.
“I’m so sorry; I didn’t expect you to all be here. I thought I could talk to you privately.” She lifted her eyes to Aibek’s.
He frowned. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? It hasn’t worked out well in the past.”
Ahren stood and sighed. She toed the pattern in the plush carpet. “Look, I just wanted to apologize for the way I acted last week. I know it wasn’t your fault the council went to Kasanto. I was wrong… again.”
She spat the last word, then spun and ran through the door. Aibek blinked in disbelief, glanced at Faruz, who looked equally dumbfounded, then jumped up and ran after her. He caught up with her in the hallway, where she was leaning against the wall, apparently trying to steady herself.
“I have to admit… I’m more than a little confused. What is going on?”
She glanced down the hall, and then looked at the closed sitting room door. “I feel terrible about the way I acted after the council meeting. I shouldn’t have been so quick to blame you.”
Aibek’s expression softened as she spoke. “There’s a room down the hall where we can talk if you want a bit more privacy. They’re probably listening at the door.” He hitched a thumb at the closed door behind him.
“That would be great.”
He ushered her into the dark room, then felt his way across the wall to the hearth, where he knew there was a lamp. After several tries with the flint, the new wick finally caught, and he made himself comfortable in a richly upholstered pale green chair near the empty fireplace. It was a cold morning, and the unheated room was chilly. Ahren wrapped her cape tightly around herself and sat in a chair near him. Aibek realized he could see his breath and wished he had brought a blanket or a cloak.
Even as he waited to hear what she had to say, his mind worked to unravel what had triggered that prick of memory when she’d entered his room. He’d tried not to pay much attention to her during the weeks at Valasa’s home, but he was certain he’d never seen her wear that cloak before. Still, for some reason, it looked awfully familiar.
“I don’t know what else to say…” she began slowly, dragging him back to the moment. “I’ve acted like a fool since you arrived. I’m not normally like this. I can’t even explain why.”
“You’re worried about your family and friends. I understand that. I know several villagers who said they thought I was an impostor sent by Helak.”
Ahren nodded. “That’s part of it. Truthfully, I don’t even know why I’ve been so awful to you.” She paused and heaved a long sigh. “You’ve never been anything but nice to me in return. I hope you can forgive me.”
“Why don’t we move on from here?” His tone was gentle. “As I said before, I would really like to call you a friend.”
“Thank you; I think I’d like that, too,” she whispered.
“Now, let’s get another cup of famanc. I’m freezing.” Aibek stood and gestured to the door, then followed her through it and back to his sitting room.
He wanted to be happy that she’d finally accepted him, but for some reason, he had trouble trusting her motives. Something felt off about this visit, and he wished he could remember whatever was niggling at the edges of his thoughts.
Faruz and Serik greeted them with curious looks, but both men resisted the urge to ask about their conversation. They were perfectly polite as Aibek seated himself and poured another cup for the visitor, though Aibek knew the questions lurked just beneath the surface. He wasn’t sure what he would say to Faruz later since he hadn’t told his friend about the arguments he’d had with Valasa’s daughter.
Ahren stayed for another hot drink, then excused herself and hurried home. As soon as she was gone, the men dressed and left to spend the day training with their teams. The warriors were making improvements every day, but they still had a lot of work to do.
Within another week, the workers finished the repairs on the rest of the council members’ homes along the square, and their new owners moved in and settled quickly. The four remaining houses along the square were repaired and readied for the visitors expected from the other villages. Valasa exchanged daily messages with those neighbors who had agreed to come and help Nivaka and told the council he hoped visitors would begin arriving soon.
Two of the largest, most comfortable inns in Kainga were prepared to receive the evacuees, and the villagers had made travel arrangements for those who were unable to fight. Aibek thought the townsfolk had accomplished a dizzying amount of work in a very short time and was proud to call himself one of them.
Late one morning while the army was training, a watchman interrupted the council meeting.
“Excuse me, sirs, there’s a group of people at the East entrance. They say they came from the southern edge of the Tsari and are here to help us fight.”
The mayor, Valasa, and Dalan went with the watchman to meet the newcomers and verify that they were friendly.
When they arrived at the East Entrance, Aibek immediately saw a group of eight men dressed in brown and green zontrec, each wearing a sword and carrying either an axe or a bow and quiver of arrows. They stood at the base of the stairs, murmuring among themselves. When Aibek appeared at the top of the staircase,
their leader, a brawny auburn-haired man with an axe slung over his shoulder stepped forward.
“Greetings friends. We’ve come to answer your call for help. I’m Vayna.” He bowed to his hosts.
Aibek looked to Valasa, who nodded once. These visitors were expected. Aibek bowed in return. “Welcome. We’re extremely pleased you’ve come. Come along, and we’ll show you where you can stay while you’re here.”
“We want to hear all about how you managed to rid yourselves of your governors. We’ve been very curious about that,” the man called Vayna said as he turned to follow his host. Their path took them past several groups of Nivakans training with swords, spears, and staffs.
“Let’s get you settled in your rooms and then we can talk more,” Aibek suggested. “How did you manage to bring such heavy weaponry with you? I didn’t expect your governor to allow you to arm yourselves.”
Vayna shrugged. “We told them we couldn’t travel through the forest without being able to defend ourselves from the elves, dwarves, bears and such.” He looked at the activity around them. “They argued at first, but eventually agreed it would be foolish to travel unarmed.”
The guests fell in line behind their leader as he followed Aibek through the village, eyeing the groups of Nivakans training in the parks as they passed.
As the council had planned, they gave the visitors rooms in Valasa’s house. When more came, they would fill the Gadonu’s home, then the mayor’s and the rest of the council’s homes. When the hosts’ houses were full, they would use the empty houses along the square. Aibek was a bit disappointed that the first group was so small, and wondered if they would have enough people to mount an effective defense.
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