Sam took a deep breath and smiled at Nalia as he continued to paddle in a steady, rhythmic cadence. Her smile told him that she was enjoying the beautiful landscape as well. The soft burbling sound of the paddles entering the water, moving through it, and emerging was relaxing and almost hypnotic.
“It’s so peaceful here,” Ix said, breaking the near-silence. “It makes it hard to believe that we’re fighting for our lives and our freedom.”
“Yes,” Rindu said. “It is as one hapaki said to another as they rested in their den, ‘Surely there is not a care in the world, nothing that can intrude on our peaceful world.’ So, too, like the hapaki, we cannot see the turmoil in the world for our sheltered, peaceful surroundings.”
When the Zouy did not continue, Nalia rolled her eyes as she looked at Emerius. Sam strained to keep from laughing, mostly unsuccessfully, but Rindu didn’t notice. Apparently, he thought he had made his point and was scanning the shoreline.
During the day, Sam saw several different examples of the local wildlife. Deer and elk were a common enough sight, but once he caught a glimpse of a small brown and red fox stalking some other animal further into the trees. A black bear and her two cubs looked up from where they were drinking from the lake to watch the strange procession go by. There were many types of birds, from bright blue jays to some type of dark-colored bird with white stripes on its wings and tail. He liked seeing animals in the wild, as long as they weren’t predators looking back at him as if he would be tasty.
They paddled up the long lake, much bigger north to south than it was east to west, for three days. Then they headed up the river that fed it. Two more days of paddling got them to a much larger river.
“I once saw a map with this river on it,” Sam said. “It goes for hundreds of miles to the north. We can follow it until we are near where we will head to the east to get to our destination.”
The paddling was not easy, and at times they had to exit the water and travel on land to avoid the rapids in the swiftly moving water. Still, they made good time, better than if they had to try to go through the foliage and rugged terrain.
During their rest breaks, during which they came ashore, Sam and Rindu would find a small clearing or meadow and practice what Sam started referring to as “rohw combat.” It consisted of exercises to generate large amounts of energy and then to use them offensively with the other person. Of course, the one being attacked would be using his own energy to try to defend—and to counterattack as well, of course—so in effect the two were sparring but doing so either standing or sitting still. He knew it was a strange sight to the others, especially when one of Rindu’s attacks would get through his defense and either knock the breath out of him or actually cause his body to be thrown aside.
“You learn quickly,” Rindu told him. “I am rarely able to successfully strike you with the same attack.”
“Thank you,” Sam said, wiping the sweat from his forehead. Why did Rindu never sweat when they sparred or did exercises? It was unnatural. “It feels more comfortable now, though I still have to focus. I haven’t reached the point where my rohw activates and defends me all by itself as you spoke of.”
“It will come, with time and practice. Do not be impatient. You are making marvelous progress.”
Rindu convinced Nalia to take a turn with Sam. She was proficient at this type of combat, too, but not nearly as unbeatable as she was with physical combat. While he still wasn’t able to strike her a solid blow, he felt like he had her pressed hard and scrambling to deflect or block some of his attacks. It was the closest he’d ever been to actually getting through her guard.
“I must practice my rohw combat more,” she said. “You are more capable than I would have thought possible after so short a time. I would not want you to beat me. You would never stop talking about it. It is better for everyone if I continue to pummel you relentlessly when we spar. Yes, better for all.” She smiled at him when she said it, but she showed entirely too many teeth. If Sam didn’t know better, he would say she was making fun of him.
Ix watched the combat carefully. Sam knew that she didn’t really see anything, just two people motionless with looks of concentration on their faces. Perhaps the occasional grunt or movement of a body when an invisible blow landed.
“Would you teach me something of how to use the rohw, Master Rindu?” she asked one day after Sam saw her chewing her lower lip and darting her eyes as if she was nervous. He waited for Nalia to object or to make a cutting remark, but it did not come. When he looked at her, she was merely looking toward her father, waiting for what he would say.
“Yes,” the Zouy said. “It is desirable for everyone to know about the rohw. With your heritage, I am sure you have an affinity for it. I can sense in you an ability greater than most people. It is the same with Bao Ling. I have great expectations for that little girl. She will do well.”
“Thank you,” Ix said, bowing and saluting the monk with her right fist cradled in her left palm held out in front of her chest. “She will be a good example to my clan. To all in Zhong, to tell the truth. We have never had one of our people become a Zouy.”
“It will be advantageous to all concerned,” Rindu said, returning the salute. “The first thing we must do is to determine your sensitivity and improve upon it. Please come here and sit in front of me.” He suited his own words by sinking into the familiar cross-legged position. When the assassin took the same posture in front of him, he began. “The rohw is all around you and all through you. The name comes from…”
Sam smiled and turned toward the others. His smile grew when he saw Nalia wore a similar one herself. Maybe she was finally starting to trust the assassin. That would be wonderful, one less worry.
Rindu and Ix only worked on rohw sensitivity for fifteen minutes before they rose and came over to the rest of the party.
“I know we must continue on, so I made it short this time,” he said matter-of-factly. Turning to Ix, he said, “We will find time to train more properly. I will work it into the schedule Sam and I already keep.”
Ix seemed happy for it. “That would be wonderful, Master.” She went toward the canoe she and Emerius shared. He said something Sam couldn’t hear, and she just shrugged and started dragging their boat back to the water. The big hunter looked toward the others, so Sam heard it when he mumbled, “…and soon everyone will be doing magic…”
As the party went farther north, the mountains became higher and sharper. The jagged stone precipices made a sharp contrast to the sky and the soft, drifting clouds. Snow still covered most of the slopes, though on some bare places the white blanket had slid off the sharp pitches.
“Avalanche country, if ever I saw it,” Togo Cairn said, his eyes never staying in one spot. He scanned the peaks, especially those closer to where they paddled through the water. “It’s better being here than moving around on land just below the slopes, but I still don’t like it. I don’t relish the thought of being buried alive in snow.”
Sam gulped. Looking more closely, he saw how thick the snow was on some of those mountains. One bare patch above them clearly showed how much of the packed snow had fallen. The remaining snow ended abruptly in a wall of white that had to be thirty feet deep. He thought he agreed with the tracker and wondered if there was anything they could do to make things safer.
As if reading Sam’s mind, Cairn said, “There’s nothing much we can do about it, though. No matter which way we go, we’ll have the same problem. This mountain range goes on for hundreds of miles, by the look of them. We can try to be quiet. I’ve seen avalanches start with some fool yelling. The sound makes the snow vibrate, I suppose, and that shakes it all loose.”
“It is true,” Rindu said. “As with the rohw, the voice causes vibrations that can be powerful enough to set things in motion. In this case, those things would be massive piles of snow.”
Sam had an idea. “Would it be better if we projected some rohw and caused avalanches in front of us so there would n
ot be the danger of the snow falling on us?”
A look of horror crossed Togo Cairn’s face. Rindu spoke before the tracker did, though. “No. Do not forget that we are not the only ones in the world. There may be people in these trees and there are definitely animals. We do not have the right to set off such a catastrophe for them. Many will lose their lives. It is better if we pass through without incident, trying to remain quiet, and hopeful that the melting and settling of the snow does not cause it to drop on us.” Cairn nodded vigorously.
“Oh, right,” Sam said, loosening the collar of his shirt to help to cool him down. Why did it get so hot all of a sudden?
After five days, they finally ran out of unobstructed water in which to paddle. The river continued on, but it became too dangerous to try paddling upstream.
“Well,” Sam said. “It looks like it’s back to traveling on land, at least for now. I hardly think that bodies of water will be more thawed out as we go north. I’m expecting them to be frozen solid. Still, it was good while it lasted. I think we made up some time.”
Sam was sad to have to teleport back to Whitehall to leave the canoes there, though it was good to see the rested rakkeben when he searched them out. Oro seemed happy, too, seeming to understand he would be reunited with Emerius. Feather, Ix’s manu bird, stared blankly ahead, occasionally pecking at Sam for any treats he may have.
They could travel three more hours before it became dark outside. They would not attempt to travel at night, not in the terrain they were in. It was dangerous enough during the daylight. Doing it at night would be insane.
“I think we’re getting close to where we need to cut across the mountains to the east,” Sam said as the party was eating their dinner in one of the dining halls. “At least, according to the map Lahim drew us. We’ve had it pretty easy, sticking to the valley that goes due north. I’m relieved, but I’m also a little apprehensive. We don’t know where Dal is. He may be close to where we’re at. What will we do if we get to the artifact at the same time?”
“We’ll probably get into another fight,” Emerius said. “Based on what’s happened with the other artifacts.”
“Yeah,” Sam said with a sigh, “you’re probably right.”
“Do not dwell on what may be, Sam,” Rindu said. “It is sufficient for us to think about obtaining the other artifact, finding its hiding place. We can think about the other issues if and when they occur. ‘Each day is sufficient for its own problems,’ after all.”
“Was that a quote from the Bible?” Sam asked.
“It was listed in one of the books you gave me and attributed to someone named Matthew.”
Sam shook his head. He knew the Zouy was correct, but he still felt anxious. He was looking forward to meditating before bed to clear his mind and regain his balance. All the anxieties about their quest and what may happen had him tense. He didn’t like it.
The next day started their full days of travel on land again. It was more difficult than ever, even using the skis. Sometimes they would get lucky and find an animal trail they could ski through, but most often, they had to take the skis off and hike through the thickest undergrowth and trees Sam had ever seen.
It was miserable and slow. At times, it seemed as if he was playing Twister with the entire forest, branches reaching out and trying to grab him at every turn. Whenever there was a small clearing, even some spacing in between trees, he thanked whatever power might be for his luck.
It wasn’t just him, though. The rest of the party seemed frustrated with their slow pace as well. All except Rindu, that is. He may have felt frustration, but no one would have ever known it from his face.
They were in one of the small clearings when the entire world seemed to shake and fall apart.
Chapter 24
The first thing that registered in Sam’s mind was that everything had gone still and silent, as if all of the universe was waiting for something to happen. A few seconds later, there was a rumbling sound. No, not just a sound. There was a rumbling that he could feel through the ground, up to his feet and throughout his whole body. He thought at first that it was an earthquake.
He looked around, wide-eyed, and saw that the others were as shocked as he was. Shocked and confused.
It was several more seconds until he understood what was happening. The crashing, breaking sounds that accompanied the rumble were really what made him understand, allowed his mind to finally grasp what had been eluding him: they were in the path of an avalanche.
Sam didn’t know how long they had. He knew that avalanches could travel at over two hundred miles per hour—though they more commonly went at just under half that speed—but even the slower “wet snow” avalanches about twenty miles per hour, faster than they could run. The party had seconds to do something or they would all be buried to suffocate, if the snow itself didn’t crush them instantly.
Eyes darting, Sam looked around for any kind of shelter. There was none. They were in the midst of the same trees and shrubs they had been traveling in all day. There was a promising pile of boulders less than twenty feet away, but they wouldn’t provide enough shelter to withstand the wave of snow and ice plummeting toward them. Still, it was a start.
“Get behind those rocks,” he yelled. His voice seemed to snap the others out of their own thinking. He wondered if any of them had a better idea. They would never be able to touch Ix’s skin so she could teleport them away in time, not with all the confusion and the heavy clothing she wore. If they did, they had better say something, because otherwise they had only seconds left to live. They all sprinted to where he had indicated. He joined them there.
The first thing to hit them was a strong wind, like a storm wind, strong enough to knock them down if they hadn’t been pressed against the downhill side of the boulders. If the wind preceding the avalanche did this, what hope was there to withstand the snow itself? Sam’s mind was spinning. There was something he was missing, something he should know. He desperately reached for anything that could save their lives. It was up to him, it seemed. The others were wedged against the rocks, but by their faces, they knew they were doomed. Even Rindu, whose face rarely showed emotion, had a distant look in his eye, as if he was calling on all his vast experience to help. Nalia was gripping Sam’s hand, bravely facing upslope as if to defy the avalanche by sheer force of will.
Just as the wind turned to snow spray at the leading edge of the main body of the mass of frozen water, Sam found what he had been groping for. He had only time enough for half a breath before he dug into not only his own rohw stores, but also into the rohw of the surroundings, including the other party members. Snapping his mind into focus, he desperately projected the energy out from himself.
He had done many things with his body’s own aura since he had first started learning about the rohw. It was a useful method for visualizing and feeling the energy that surrounded him. He had used it to “see” in total darkness; used it to sense things intruding on his space—like attackers—and he had used it to push things away from himself, widening his energy field and using it like a shield. This last he had only done with small things: butterflies, small twigs or stones thrown at him, and the like. He knew that a weak shield like that wouldn’t help them here.
As he poured every bit of energy he had into his bubble of rohw, he was vaguely aware of Rindu turning his head sharply in Sam’s direction. He wasn’t sure, because his vision was starting to blur, but he thought he saw the Zouy smile slightly and nod his head. He immediately felt an infusion of more energy. It was Rindu feeding his own rohw into Sam, bolstering him and strengthening him. A few seconds later, he felt another burst of energy from Nalia, not so strong as from her father, but still significant.
With their energy combined, Sam pushed harder, forcing his body to not only act as a conduit for the rohw from the other two, but burrowing into his own body and extracting every bit of energy he could steal from himself.
It reminded him of the pulmonary function t
esting he used to have to take for work. The purpose was to find out how much air could be pushed from the lungs to determine if he could safely wear a respirator while working. He had to blow into a tube, a big burst at first, but then a sustained exhalation for ten seconds. After two or three seconds, it required him to tighten up his stomach muscles and push air from his lungs that didn’t seem to be there, forcing the last tiny bit of it from his body. It was uncomfortable, even painful. This was worse. It literally felt as if he was pouring his own life into the shield he was creating.
After an eternity, the rumbling died and the world became silent. Not the silence he experienced shortly before. Not the silence of the land holding its breath. It was the silence of the tomb, of death, the complete lack of sound that he imagined only occurred when one was buried alive.
The party waited, silent as their surroundings, for five seconds. Five of the longest seconds of Sam’s life. Throughout those five seconds that lasted a hundred years each, he continued to force himself to push outward with his rohw. Spots danced in front of his eyes, and darkness started to close in from the edges of his vision. He knew if he continued to exert himself for much longer, he would pass out.
After the five seconds, he tried to gradually release the pressure he was exerting, but instead, his concentration shattered and his aura-shield simply disintegrated. Staggering, he thought he would be crushed instantly. He had given it his best try, but it just hadn’t been enough. He waited for his death.
Another five seconds passed, and then ten. He was dizzy, had somehow fallen to the ground, but he was alive. He hadn’t been crushed. Why?
Nalia was next to him, her arms around him. Had she caught him when he fell? He couldn’t remember. Things were hazy, dream-like. He couldn’t seem to think clearly.
Resonance: Harmonic Magic Book 3 Page 20
