Born of Embers

by R A Lewis

  She and Leif had decided to send the Valdir to the small mountain camp where they had replanted the Emberweed. It was remote but the valley floor had plenty of room for them to make camp. Winter would be descending soon, and she hoped with all her heart that the Emberweed was ready for them to try. If it worked, then it would give their dragons a huge advantage in the war.

  The mountain valley where they landed was just turning to dusk, the sun having dipped below the high mountain walls that seemed to hem them in. Kalina stepped down off of Maska and stretched, her muscles aching from a day of flying and from the last day or so of not sleeping. She desperately wanted to lie down on the soft ground beneath her feet and sleep but the small cries of her new baby brother made her straighten.

  She hadn’t looked at him when he’d been born but Eira approached her now, the baby held in her arms. Kalina swallowed and held out her arms as Eira set the bundle in them.

  Kalina had never seen anything so beautiful in her life. Not even Calla’s daughter Issa stirred emotions like this within her. The baby boy, no matter who his father was, was her half-brother and carried a part of Cherise in him. And Kalina loved him for that. He opened his tiny dark blue eyes and looked at her, his face scrunching as if he was about to cry, but he didn’t. It struck her suddenly that he must be hungry and she looked up at Eira in alarm.

  “Who is going to feed him?” She asked, looking around for a goat or a cow to milk. Eira chuckled and stepped closer, smoothing the baby’s few wisps of blonde hair.

  “Babies don’t need to eat right away. He will be fine until morning. I heard that Hilde finally had her baby. She has plenty of milk for them both.” She smiled at Kalina. “Have you thought of a name?”

  Tears came to Kalina’s eyes unbidden. She and her mother had sat talking of baby names for hours. They had decided on one name. It was Cherise’s father’s name. Her grandfather’s name.

  “Osian Natan Stanchon,” she breathed.

  “Osian. Interesting.” Eira raised an eyebrow before cracking a smile. “Will he be raised among the Valdir?”

  Kalina frowned. She hadn’t thought that far ahead. In the entire flight here she’d only been thinking about her mother, not what she would do with her brother.

  “I don’t know. He might be better off being raised here, where he’s not in danger. But I know how that feels: being shipped off somewhere to be kept safe yet never really feeling like you belong. I’ll let him choose, when he’s older.”

  Eira nodded and took Osian from Kalina’s arms just as Leif approached. They stood and watched as Eira took the baby down the small valley and towards the partially erected camp her people were setting up.

  Kalina’s eyes roamed the valley. A small patch of tilled up earth caught her attention and she gasped.

  “Where is the Emberweed?”

  She began running, ignoring Leif’s shouts for her to stay, to slow down. She raced towards the patch of ground, where a few months earlier she had planted a seedling. They couldn’t all be dead, could they? Finally, she tripped and fell over the first row, sending her to her knees in the dirt. She dug her hands in, searching desperately for something, anything.

  Strong hands pulled her back and briefly she scrabbled at the air, not understanding. Dimly she began to listen to Leif’s words through her panic filled haze.

  “They have been harvested! The Emberweed is safe!”

  She sagged in relief, turning to bury her now tear streaked face in his chest. They had worked so hard for this. They had lost so much. And she was so scared of losing what little advantage they had. Finally, her breathing slowed as Leif traced circles on her back. She took a step back, shifted, and looked around.

  Some of her people had looked over curiously, but they went back to their tasks as she straightened and wiped her cheeks clean. She finally turned back to Leif who stood patiently waiting for her. Maska and Arikara had followed them down the slope to the garden patch. She made eye contact with Maska, letting him know she was alright and then motioned for Leif to show her the way.

  He led her to the smaller of the two permanent structures in the valley: the hut the farmer and his wife lived in. Leif knocked before entering and Kalina followed, a bit of shame leaking in at her outburst.

  The hut was cramped, full of a table and chairs, a large bed in one corner, hidden by a partially drawn curtain, and a fireplace for warmth along an entire wall. It was cozy and smelled of wild mountain sage, woodsmoke, and a smell Kalina could not place, somewhere between a crackling fire and burnt cinnamon. It was a spicy scent and as she took in the rest of the room, she saw drying racks along one wall. They contained small, pale green shriveled leaves.

  “Are these them? The first crop?” She said, as she stepped forward to inspect them.

  The farmer and his wife stood in the corner; their hands clasped behind their backs. The old man stepped forward.

  “Yes, your Majesty. We harvested them just over a week ago, just before the frost set in.”

  “What about the seeds?” Kalina asked.

  “Collected and put into those jars.” His wife stepped forward and pointed to the jars along the mantle place. There seemed to be enough seeds in there to plant twice as many plants next spring.

  “Excellent. This is all rather amazing,” Kalina said as she finally picked one dried plant up. The leaves were green and broad with red veins travelling throughout. She wondered if it would do what all the stories said it would and allow the dragons to breathe fire and began walking outside. Leif quickly apologized to the farmers and followed her.

  Night was descending swiftly as she approached Maska and Arikara. Her green dragon looked almost black in the darkening night, but she could still see his beloved face.

  “Maska. I have some dried Emberweed. Will you try it, and see if you can breathe fire?” Maska leaned down and sniffed the leaves in her palm.

  “It smells strange, like something I once smelled long ago and have only forgotten.”

  He took another whiff, and then delicately plucked it off her hand with his large claws. He dropped it into his mouth without another word, just as Leif caught up with them, the farmers in tow, their own dragons coming from their shelter to join. Maska chewed thoughtfully, swallowing hard.

  “How does it taste?” Kalina asked.

  “Like fire and brimstone. Like hot stones after sitting in the sun all day. Like sunshine and growing things,” he said, rather cryptically, and suddenly Kalina wondered if Emberweed made dragons poets as well as able to breathe fire.

  The thought was so funny she had to keep the smile from spreading across her face, but she couldn’t. Suddenly she was laughing, the hilarity bubbling up from some strange and desperate place within her that needed to find something good and pure to laugh at. Leif began to smile, and soon all those around them were laughing too, including Maska.

  Abruptly, he gave a loud burp, and a jet of flame flew from his nostrils. He reared back startled, and everyone around him screamed and ducked as the fireball flew over their heads. Kalina was the first to stand up and look at her dragon, who stood there sheepishly with his jaws clamped shut.

  “Try that again,” she encouraged.

  Maska eyed her skeptically and let out a second burp, but this time he aimed high into the sky, away from anyone else. It didn’t really sound like a burp, more like a dull roar but it was short, in a small burst. Kalina jumped up and down clapping and hugging Leif who was equally joyous.

  “It works!” She yelled, feeling utterly triumphant.

  Now, they had a chance at taking back Ethea. Now, they had a chance to avenge her father and mother.

  Chapter 30

  Two days went by in the high mountain valley. Kalina didn’t sleep well, but there were no hallways to wander, only a crowded valley. She spent the nights sleeping out under the stars with Maska, her mind never ceasing to race. She struggled to quiet it as the various scenarios of what had happened back at the mountain in the Wastes played th
rough her mind. Had Jormungand managed to thwart the attacking armies? The image of her mother lying dead in her bed also continued to haunt her dreams, often speaking to her, although her words never made any sense. Her mother’s ghostly image often spoke of ice and snow, but Kalina had never experienced a winter harsher than a bit of snow on the ground.

  The couple who lived in the small house had offered to let Kalina stay there but she refused. She might be queen, but she was used to roughing it. Leif slept nearby, curled up beside Arikara. Both dragons used their wings to shelter their riders from the ever-present wind and the chill that was unmistakable here. The first morning when Kalina had awoken, the ground was covered in a thick frost, her breath visible in the chilly mountain air. She thought it would worry her, since her winters at the Abbey had been mild in comparison, but it didn’t. Instead she felt invigorated by the cold air. Her people were already in full swing, cutting trees for cabins to live in during the winter and smoking meat. Bjorn sent out hunting parties into the mountains and soon they were coming back with stacks of animal pelts and meat. Kalina and Maska spent their first day helping to haul logs from a nearby tree-studded valley.

  The second day she and Maska flew with Leif and Arikara to a nearby warning outpost, high atop a mountain. The air was thin here, and once Maska landed on the landing pad carved into the side of the mountain she was forced to climb a set of stairs that snaked up to the flat top, just large enough to house a small hut and a large pyre of logs and brush. Her breath was coming out in gasps as they reached the top and she let Leif do the talking as she surveyed the mountain range around them, catching her breath. Finally, she followed the two Valdir who lived there into their hut for a cup of hot tea which helped her feel a bit better. Her head had begun aching their first morning in the mountains and had not stopped.

  On the third morning as Kalina sat sharpening her axes, watching her people work on erecting buildings, a cry rose up over the valley. She put her axes back into their scabbards along her back and stood, searching for the source of the outcry. Finally her eyes found the small dark dots on the horizon that flew towards them.

  Leif joined her as they waited for the dragons to land but as they came in close, Kalina recognized Jormungand and his red dragon, Shania. When they landed Kalina tried to count the numbers of soldiers left. Of the eighty that had volunteered, fewer than twenty remained.

  “So many lost,” she said, trying to keep her voice from shaking.

  How many more were going to die in this war for her crown? How many people was the king willing to kill just to get to her? She had been an unknown orphan less than a year ago and now she was the most wanted person in the kingdom.

  For a moment, she was overwhelmed by the idea that she might never find peace, that her people might all die before she found freedom from this man. She trembled as Jormungand dismounted in front of her. Leif saw her discomfort and came to stand by her side, sliding one hand to the small of her back. His touch helped ground her and by the time Jormungand had organized his men and was approaching to report, Kalina was standing tall once again.

  “Your Majesty,” Jormungand said, bowing deeply.

  Kalina clasped his hand warmly.

  “What happened?” She searched the faces of those still living, finding only pain and sadness etched there.

  “They attacked within minutes of you leaving,” he began. “Askor’s force was small compared to Ethea’s. I don’t think they expected much of a fight. We lured them high into the mountain, fighting as we went. Then we fled, just as they realized it had been a trick.” Jormungand knelt before her suddenly, making Kalina take a step back. “I disobeyed your orders, your Majesty.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Leif took a step forward, placing a hand on his sword. Kalina put out a hand for him to wait. She wanted to hear his explanation.

  “After we left the mountain we flew east, to the coast. There we cut off Askor’s escape, setting light to their ships, destroying their supplies, and killing their guards. They won’t know they’ve been stranded until their main army makes it back across the Wastes to the bay.” He looked up at her, a tentative grin on his face. “They will have nowhere to go, no way across the wastes, no food, no water. Their forces will die, your Majesty.”

  Kalina almost sat down at his words. This was a mighty blow at Ethea’s allies. It was both a good thing and a horrible thing he had done.

  “What will Askor do when they find out what happened?”

  Jormungand’s face fell at the question.

  “I didn’t think of the long-term repercussions. Only what I could do to cripple them.”

  “Clearly. Askor has armies twice the size of the entire Ethean force. Do you think they will just back off if we kill a few thousand of their men?”

  Jormungand shook his head at her words. Kalina began to pace back and forth. Kari and Rangvald had come to join them.

  “We need to attack now. While their army is still returning from the Wastes. While the capitol is unaware of our ruse, and vulnerable.”

  Kari all but cheered beside her, a grin spreading across her face.

  “I’m ready when you are,” she said.

  Kalina gave her a strained smile. This was her least favorite part.

  “I’m calling a council meeting.” She turned to Leif. “Please inform the farmers we will need their hut.”

  She walked off in search of Eira and Osian. She wanted to feel her baby brother’s weight in her arms and smell his hair before deciding to jump into battle to take back the throne. The throne was his if something happened to her.

  The small hut was cramped and hot, despite the plummeting temperatures outside, as the sun began to set. Kalina looked around at them all, trying to decide who to take with her. Kari spoke up into the silence.

  “I think our best bet is to take a force and fly straight into Ravenhelm. Take them by surprise before they are able to mount any defenses. Kill the king, take the throne, and dismantle those damned catapults.”

  She emphasized her point by slamming her fist with a loud smack on the roughhewn oak table. Kalina smiled in response to her cousin’s vehemence.

  “I think we need more stealth than that. We don’t want to terrify the people, put every soldier and guard within a hundred miles on alert. I think it would be better if we sneak in, leaving the dragons in the forest nearby, and quietly take over. We can force the King to renounce his throne and I will ascend it.”

  Kari snorted at Kalina’s plan and she shot the woman a glare before continuing.

  “It has minimal loss of life.”

  Leif nodded in agreement, scratching his chin.

  “It could work. But how will we sneak in? How will we avoid the guards? Our hair alone makes us stand out,” he said.

  “Easy. We wear head scarves to cover our hair until we get inside,” Kalina supplied. She hated doing it but it would work.

  “What about when the King refuses to abdicate?” Jormungand asked.

  “Then we take it by force. I’m sure there is proof somewhere of my birth. We can even bring Father Martin to the capitol to testify on my behalf-” she trailed off.

  What about the dark stranger, the one she had met in the Abbey? He had admitted to being the one that had brought her to Hywell Abbey originally? Who was he? Could he prove her parentage? He had told the High Father at Hywell that he’d been following the wishes of her parents, so surely, he could prove who she was? But she had no idea how to find him.

  Eira stepped forward.

  “You look just like your father, Kalina. But you also look like Cherise. If anyone who knew her saw you, they would know.”

  Kalina frowned. Surely that wasn’t true. Then how did the king not know who she was all those months ago? Perhaps because her hair wasn’t silver, and sometimes you only saw what you wanted to see. He saw a scullery maid or a scribe. Not a princess. Not a queen.

  “Fine,” Kari said, propping her feet up on the table. “Who�
�s going with you?”

  Chapter 31

  “I want Kari, Jormungand, Rangvald, and Leif with me. Eira, I leave you in charge of our people,” Kalina said as she made eye contact with each person.

  They were her inner circle. She surprised herself when she’d included Jormungand in that group but she realized that he was. She trusted him now to have her back. They all nodded in return. Asta, Arvid, and Ingvar all seemed resigned to the situation. She might value their opinions, but they had never been close to her.

  “We leave at first light.”

  Dismissed, the council members filed out of the small cabin, leaving Kalina and Leif alone. Kalina eyed him from where he leaned against the small kitchen table. She didn’t really know where they stood, what they were to each other, but as the crown of Ethea loomed ever closer, she struggled with wanting to cling to him for support and comfort, and to push him away in case it all went awry. She supposed it didn’t matter now. They would leave in the morning.

  “Leif-” she trailed off, unsure where to begin. Then she took a deep breath and continued, wringing her hands before her. “If I don’t make it through this. If he takes me-” she couldn’t finish the sentence. She shuddered slightly. She couldn’t let herself think that way. She couldn’t go down the path of panic and fear. She had to remain strong. Osian needed her, as did her people.

  Leif crossed the space between them and enfolded her in his arms, his hands gently stroking her back. She buried her face in his leathers. This was her favorite place to be, in his arms, smelling his leather and sweat and mountain air smell. The mountains seemed to suit him.

  “Nothing’s going to happen to you. I’ll make sure of it,” he said reassuringly.

  Kalina sighed and looked up at his handsome face and grey eyes.

  “If something happens. I want you to be King.” Her voice was soft but she meant it. “You know these people better than I do. They trust you. And you can raise Osian to be a good person.”