She began motioning with her hands to the boy. Since making the decision to come to her people for help, she’d ceased seeing any need to teach Aiden her language. When would he ever have need of it again? Still she sensed his immediate, undivided attention and she loved him the more for it.
The boy turned to the older man and spoke to him. Naia followed the movements of his lips, making sure he understood her. Then she shifted her eyes to Aiden’s face. He was so charged with energy, more energy than she’d seen in a long time, and he seemed buoyed with expectation.
‘Light fire and they come?’ he motioned.
Often she didn’t quite catch all of his muddled hand signals, but his general meaning was usually clear. His lack of finesse was tempered by his willingness to try. It was more than she could say for the rest of her people.
She nodded and bent, picking a few sticks from the pile and laying them in the fire pit. She lifted her hands to answer him. ‘Make fire, they come.’ She picked up a pycantra starter from the small basket kept on top of the sticks and struck it over a fluffy piece of floss. It took a few tries, but she finally managed to keep some sparks alive long enough to ignite the tinder. She grabbed a handful of loose hair, held it to her shoulder, bent over the tinder, and blew until she had enough flame to lay it beneath the twigs.
Sitting back she watched it catch and spread, then held her hands out to the warmth. Lifting her eyes, she regarded the steep slopes of the Maze as Aiden had done. It had been a long time since she’d been captured by the slavers. A lifetime really.
She sensed the change in herself, but couldn’t pin any specifics on it. She knew Aiden and Le were responsible in part, but mostly it was her sense of survival when all odds had been against her. She wondered how she’d just step back into her old life, accepting everything that was laid before her as if she had no other choice, as if she were grateful for it. Could she be? Could she be satisfied after tasting what it was like to be free?
She felt a sudden tension in Aiden and Le.
Looking up, she saw that they were ringed by Nazarien warriors. She’d seen this done so many times from the opposite side. Yet being on the receiving end of it, she realized what an intimidating display it was. The hair on the back of her neck rose and prickled eerily. Although she knew how her people appeared out of the very air to surround anyone on the signal rock, she was still awed by it.
She rose to her feet again and lifted her chin, regarding the familiar warriors.
No one moved.
She sensed the warriors were as stunned as her companions. Surely they had considered her as good as dead all these weeks. For her to suddenly appear on the signal rock was close to a miracle, a resurrection of sorts.
It was Zander who moved first, picking his way to the top of the rock, never taking his eyes off her or her companions. He held his weapons loosely in his fingers, but he still held them at the ready, not necessarily a sign of welcome.
Naia’s eyes shifted from his bow to his face and back again. He was just as she remembered. Dusky brown hair cut short and neat away from his face, his deep set blue eyes clear and intelligent. Once looking at him had sent her heart to fluttering – now it was just good to see a familiar face.
‘Naia?’ He made the motion awkwardly, trying to work it around his weapon.
‘Yes.’
He blinked at her, forgetting to watch her hands. Suddenly he remembered himself and slung the bow over his shoulder.
‘My mother? Shandar? My brother?’ she signaled, stepping closer to him.
He shook his head in confusion.
Naia urged Le to come to her aid.
He translated for Zander, then began signing as the Nazarien warrior answered. ‘Your brother and Shandar are missing. They went in search of you.’
Naia gasped. Amaroq had never left Tirsbor before. Missing? What did that mean? She’d hoped he’d come after her, but she hadn’t thought the Nazarien would allow it. Now he was missing? ‘How long?’ she signaled.
‘Weeks,’ Le translated. ‘They can’t find any trace.’
Naia lifted her eyes to Aiden, her expression pained. Zander noticed him for the first time. As the two men talked, she tried to make sense of it. Amaroq had never left Tirsbor. He’d spent his entire life in the sheltered valley. It was hard enough for him in the caves, where the emotions of an emotionless people bombarded him, but out in the open – how would he survive it?
Zander touched her arm.
‘I can't believe you’re here,’ Le translated for him. ‘The people will never believe you’re alive, Naia. And Tovan? Wait until he sees you.’
She smiled, but the gesture didn’t reach her eyes. Tovan was the commander of the Tirsbor Nazarien. He’d shown little interest in her all these years. She didn’t really believed he’d even noticed her absence.
‘What’s being done to find my brother and Shandar?’
‘We sent to Chernow. We have no other leads. How did you escape?’
She shook her head. She didn’t care about that right now. All she could think about was her brother, out in the world somewhere, and Shandar. Shandar was an old man. What had he been thinking? She pointed to Aiden and Le, making the necessary introductions.
Zander turned to Aiden again. As the highest ranking warrior, it was his duty to make introductions and offer assistance. Still, he kept his body shifted so that Naia would be able to read his lips. This gesture created a warmth in Naia that she’d forgotten.
Zander might never have taken her part in front of the other warriors, but he’d always acknowledged her, looked at her as if she were a person. Besides her own family, he had been the only one to show her the slightest bit of kindness.
“We had word that you were missing,” he told Aiden. “How did you come to meet up with Naia?”
Aiden gave her a warm glance. “We were chained together by the slavers.”
Although she couldn’t hear the hiss of surprise from the warriors around them, she felt it like an electrical current.
“You were on a slave line?”
“Yes. I was taken from my room, knocked unconscious, and sold into slavery. It’s a long story and I’m not sure I even understand how it all happened, but it did and now I’m here and I need some assistance.”
Zander took a moment to absorb all of this information “And the boy?”
Naia interjected. ‘Was also chained with us. Zander, this is Le, lately of Sarkisian.’
Zander shook the boy’s hand, then took a step back, crossing his arms over his chest and regarding the three of them. “I just don't believe it,” he said, then gave Naia a rare, small smile. It vanished almost as quickly as it appeared, too quickly for Naia to make anything of it.
‘Zander, Aiden needs our help. He has no idea what’s happening in his kingdom.’
“Neither do we, but we’ve heard Kalas Eldralin is searching for him and the Nazar is on his way here. Once he arrives, Tovan and the Nazar will be able to offer a better idea for our next course of action.” Bending down, he covered the small blaze with dirt and then patted it down with his foot to make sure it was out. “We were on patrols. We saw you approach the signal rock and waited to see your intent.”
Naia nodded. They’d appeared rather quickly.
“There are horses waiting within the draw,” he said, pointing behind him. “We’ll have to ride double.”
Aiden blew out air. She could see how relieved he was. A good meal, a bath, and warmth awaited them – things so long denied they were almost forgotten. Safety also awaited them. Since escaping from the slavers, none of them had lost that furtive look, that animal intensity – the fear of being caught again.
“I’ll bet you’d like to see your mother,” Zander said to her.
‘More than anything,’ she motioned.
Zander indicated they should follow him. She started after him, but in a motion that surprised her, he placed a hand under her elbow, helping her to climb off the signal rock. She saw hi
m looking at her tattered clothing and her ragged shoes. When their eyes met, she saw pity and wonder and pride...and something more.
Aiden and Le followed behind her. When Zander released her to lead the way, Aiden moved to her side and their eyes met. Sadness swamped her. She couldn’t think about their time together or the future without him. She was doing this for him, going back to a place she dreaded so that he could regain his lost past. She knew she was giving up her freedom, but what else could she do. Aiden and his life were more important to her than anything else.
She looked away, fighting tears, trying to swallow the lump in her throat. When he finally left, would he ever think of her again?
They entered the towering walls of the maze and found the horses. Zander turned and looked at her expectantly. The glance lasted a moment, then Zander began giving orders. She caught only snatches of them since he kept turning to look at the warriors in question, but finally he turned back to her, speaking so Le could translate.
Two of the smallest warriors would ride double, taking Aiden and Le behind them. Naia would ride with Zander himself. At this information Aiden seemed distressed and Le looked at the Nazarien captain with obvious suspicion. Naia had to admit the decision seemed strange to her also. Her position with the band had always relegated her to the lowest status. She didn’t know why he shouldn’t have her ride behind the newest, most inexperienced warrior.
Zander reached into his saddlebags and pulled out two blindfolds. “Anyone not of Nazarien descent must wear a blindfold when entering the maze. You likely would never be able to find your way a second time, even without the blindfold, but we can’t take any chances.”
“Fine,” said Aiden, “Whatever we need to do.” He accepted the blindfold good naturedly. Le wasn’t so convinced.
“I’ll close my eyes.”
Zander shook his head. “I can't depart from the rules in this.”
“But I don’t like it.”
“I’m sorry.”
“How can I ride if I can’t see?”
“Your guide will not let you go astray.”
Naia took the blindfold from Zander’s hands. ‘Please, Le,’ she motioned, tucking the cloth away under her arm to speak, ‘Do as they ask. It won’t be long and I’ll be beside you.’
The boy studied her a moment in silence, then allowed her to tie the blindfold in place. Both he and Aiden were helped to mount behind a grim face warrior, and then Zander directed her to his own horse.
Wrapping his hands around her waist, he helped her onto the animal’s back, swinging up in front of her with practiced grace. Then he kicked the horse into motion. The quick pace and the sway of the beast forced Naia to clutch him. He looked over his shoulder at her and flashed another small, rare smile. Naia returned it, but her eyes shifted away to watch Aiden and Le.
She wanted to ask more about her brother, but her position at Zander’s back prevented it. Amaroq had left Tirsbor to find her. How many times had she hoped he’d come for her, but she’d never believed he’d actually do it. Why had Shandar agreed? She and her brother were close, but leaving Tirsbor seemed drastic.
Despite her misgivings about returning, she was anxious to see her mother. She hated that her family had experienced any grief on her part. Her mother had suffered enough because of her. She’d given birth to a girl child and the child had been defective. Dryden, her father and the Kazden Cult commander, had never forgiven Naia’s mother. Such an effrontery rarely happened among the Nazarien, and when it did, the child was usually disposed of discreetly. Naia’s mother had done neither. She’d kept the child and she’d demanded her child be given full rights as a Nazarien. Of course the latter could never be.
For the first time in her life, Naia questioned that reality. Aiden and Le found her worthy, Amaroq had always believed she was no different from him, even Zander had treated her as an equal most of the time. Did she want to accept that she wasn’t again just to fit in where she’d never belong anyway? The answer to that question had always been so easy. It wasn’t now.
* * *
Aiden rode behind the Nazarien warrior, lost in his cloak of blindness. He didn’t like being blindfolded, but he understood. If this was the only obstacle these people put before him, he’d consider himself a lucky man.
Without the Nazarien help, he’d never get back to Dorland, and he’d never know what was happening in his kingdom. For the first time in a long time he thought of his brothers, his wife, and Lyell Vito. Were they doing well or had the kingdom fallen on difficulty?
Of course his mind immediately shifted to Naia. He’d felt her anxiety and reluctance about coming to her people for help. The fact that she’d put her misgivings aside for him was also obvious. He would make sure she never regretted that decision. He had no intention of allowing this beautiful, intelligent woman out of his life ever again. If she wouldn’t return to Dorland with him, he’d turn the kingdom over to Adison, Eldon protect him, or let the people decide. But either way, he’d go wherever Naia decided she wanted to live. And as long as Aiden was able, Le would also have a home.
He’d felt jealous when the brown haired warrior had appeared. The man had looked at Naia with obvious desire. His relief had been evident. Was he the reason Naia was so reluctant? Was there a past here that might complicate things?
He knew about the Nazarien. They never took mates, unless the attraction between two people was so strong it interfered in their work. Before Jarrett Trauner had become Nazar, Nazarien participated in fertility rituals where Nazarien men chose the women they wanted to bear them a child. Often the same man chose the same woman over and over again, and a sort of unspoken bond was built between them. People who shared a common child also had a bond.
But Jarrett had outlawed the rites a number of years before, and the Nazarien no longer practiced them, so Aiden didn’t think that was the reason for the possessive feelings he’d sensed coming from Zander. But he couldn’t be sure that something more hadn’t developed between them over the years. Somehow Nazarien found a way to continue procreating after the rites were abolished. In fact, the way this Zander touched her and looked at her almost confirmed this suspicion.
Suddenly, Aiden became aware of a change in the landscape. He could hear water off on his right side and the sun was frequently interrupted by shade. Soon he heard the murmur of voices and the everyday sounds that came with civilization – the clang of cooking pots, people calling to one another, the pounding of a hammer. The horses slowed and Aiden heard Zander call out in Nazarien. He knew only a handful of words in this tongue, but most Nazarien spoke Nevaisser.
The horses slowed even more and finally came to a stop. There were a few shouted answers from a distance and Zander called again. He felt the warrior before him shift.
“You can remove the blindfold.”
Aiden lifted his hands to the knot behind his head. He worked it free and lowered the piece of cloth. Blinking his eyes in the bright sunlight, he stared around him in amazement.
He’d heard the Nazarien stronghold of Tirsbor was magnificent, but he’d never imagined quite what he was seeing. He found himself in an enormous box canyon. Off on his right side was a wide, fast moving stream. The banks of the stream were covered with lush vegetation and grasses. Many women were washing clothing in the stream, but had stopped to stare at the strange visitors.
At the farthest end of the canyon were fields, filled with crops. From his position behind the warrior, he could only make out corn for certain, but he knew there were many others. More women and young men worked in the fields, hoeing and plowing.
Aiden’s eyes shifted to the left side and he sucked in his breath. Here the cliffs rose steep and stark, but were pocked in a multitude of places by caves, each with a leather hanging concealing the interior. Built into the cliff walls and spanning from end to end were wooden planks that served as walkways from one cave to another. Ladders were positioned to assist people in climbing to the various levels. Even now Nazarie
n women, men and children were scurrying down the ladders and across the walkways to get a look at the newcomers.
The warriors dismounted to greet them, so Aiden swung off the horse’s back and landed nimbly on the ground. He watched the approaching people as he wound his way to Le’s side. The boy was staring with mouth agape and Aiden smiled down on him.
“It’s something. No wonder they’re so concerned about protecting it.”
The boy glanced at Aiden and returned to studying their surroundings. “How did they make all those caves?”
Aiden shrugged. “Maybe they didn’t. Maybe they were always there and they only enlarged them.”
Zander moved up beside them, followed by Naia. “Many were. We made others as our band grew.”
Aiden smiled at Naia, but she looked away, scanning the people approaching them with her blue gaze. Aiden’s attention was captured by a woman picking her way among the throng toward the arrivals. Naia caught sight of her and dashed from Aiden’s side. The woman saw her and broke into a run to meet her, catching her in her arms and holding her close.
The woman was nearly the same delicate, diminutive size, but her hair was more brown than black. She stroked Naia’s hair, holding her away from her, motioning with her hands, and then catching her close in an embrace.
“Her mother,” said Le quietly at his side.
Aiden looked down, surprised by the expression of longing on the boy’s sharp features, then he understood. Le had no mother to welcome him home.
Zander nodded. “Her name is Kaelene.” He glanced at Aiden. “She was brought here with Naia’s brother and Naia from Kazden. Shandar, Talar Eldralin’s brother, escorted them and he stayed, becoming one of us.”
Aiden met the warrior’s blue eyes. “You mentioned that at the signal rock, but I didn’t completely understand before. Shandar lives here permanently?”
“As Kaelene’s mate.”
“And Naia’s father? Who is he?”
“He’s the Kazden Cult Commander, Dryden.” Zander gave a grim shake of his head. “He couldn’t accept he’d produced a child that was less than whole.”
The World of Samar Box Set 3 Page 119