Kai peered up at Zifa from where he sat perched on the edge of a chair “Well, what ideas do you have then?”
Zifa shrugged but remained quiet as she settled farther back into her chair.
Dalan let out a loud sigh. “Look, we don’t have to come up with all the ideas today, or even by ourselves. What if we put it out to the citizens at the meeting and see what they come up with?”
Aibek grinned for the first time. “That’s a great idea. I’d thought about that at our last meeting, except I didn’t think to ask them. I just hoped they’d pitch in and help us generate some plans.”
Valasa explained, “They’ll never speak during a council meeting unless you ask. Before the invasion, the meetings were open for spectators, but they had to keep quiet. There are enough people still here that remember the old rules that I doubt any would try to interrupt a meeting.”
Aibek nodded thoughtfully. “That makes sense. Do village meetings work the same way?”
“No,” Valasa continued, “Those meetings are designed to allow citizens to voice their concerns and opinions, so they’ll be more vocal there.”
“Perfect. Then we’ll have a village meeting today and ask for input from the citizens,” Aibek said. He frowned and looked around at the other council members. “As long as we all agree, that is.”
Valasa called for a vote, which was unanimous. Aibek wished he could ask Alija for his vote before they proceeded, but there wasn’t time. They would hold a village meeting that afternoon. The council members spent the rest of the time trying to come up with an agenda for the village gathering and preparing for likely questions. Meanwhile, Valasa went down to spread the news and prepare the Meeting Hall for the assembly.
* * *
What the new mayor hadn’t considered was the reaction of the townsfolk when they heard that a secret, emergency council meeting had been called. In a town of only eight hundred individuals, it wasn’t long before everyone knew that the six community leaders had gathered in an upstairs room in Valasa’s home, rather than in the designated place at the meeting hall. Within half an hour of their assembly, the villagers gathered outside the house, demanding to know what was happening and why they were meeting in secret.
Ayja did her best to keep the growing crowd calm, and once Valasa emerged, she dispatched several individuals to spread the news that they would hold a town meeting in two hours’ time. That news appeased some in the group, and they wandered off to wait. But for every one who was satisfied, two others refused to leave without knowing what was happening in that room upstairs. While Valasa prepared for the meeting, his wife took it upon herself to feed the more willful Nivakans cookies and famanc to keep them calm and happy while they waited.
14
Meeting
The small woman strode past the guard with hardly a glance. “I’m here to question the prisoner,” she announced in an authoritative tone.
Amiran stood aside but didn’t leave the room. He’d been alternating guard duty with one other man since the night before, with each guard taking two-hour watches. He was nearing the end of this turn and was beginning to look tired, at least to Tamyr’s weary eyes. Tired or not, he kept his keen, unwavering gaze on the rumpled prisoner in the cell as her visitor approached.
Tamyr could have wept—again.
What’s my pretty friend doing, coming to this dirty prison? Why has she come?
The woman turned to Amiran with a pointed question. “You don’t think she’s going to talk with a guard listening, do you?”
“Of course not, madam.” Amiran nodded and ducked out the narrow door.
Tamyr assumed the guard would wait just outside the door, probably with an ear pressed against the wooden barrier, so she spoke as softly as she could. “What’re you doing here?” A single tear ran down her cheek.
“I had to make sure you were all right.”
The woman pressed her face between the bars and inspected her friend through narrowed eyes. Tamyr cringed under the silent examination. She must look terrible after a day spent in the cell without even a chance to wash her face.
“You look tired. Didn’t you rest at all?”
Tamyr swiped a hand over her face, her fingers lingering over her eyes. She knew they must be red and swollen from a seemingly endless and miserable night.
Why did I ever agree to help this woman?
The headmistress of the washhouse had come by early in the morning and informed Tamyr she’d need to find a new place to live and work. They didn’t want someone like her living with young, impressionable girls.
“I slept a little. I’ve had a lot to think about,” she said after a pause.
The young woman knelt next to the bars, stretching a hand toward Tamyr. “I heard they put you out of the washhouse. What will you do?”
“I don’t know yet. I’m hoping my father will believe I’m innocent and take me in, at least for a time.” Tamyr moved away from the outstretched hand. She wrapped her arms around herself and turned away from her visitor. It was getting harder to think of the young woman as a friend. The girl had turned Tamyr's life upside down but had managed to remain free of suspicion so far.
Tears welled in Tamyr’s soft brown eyes. “I have to find a way to clear my name somehow.”
“How will you do that? You’ll keep my secret, right?”
Tamyr jumped and spun toward her friend as the door flung open. Amiran and the other guard walked in together, nodding in deference to the young visitor.
"That’s a long enough visit for now. The Gadonu wants her brought to his place for questioning,” the new guard announced.
“I’ll come back soon,” the young woman promised before she ran out the door.
Tamyr listened to her quick steps on the stairs and looked up at the guards. Her day was about to become much worse. She’d never actually met the religious leader, but she’d seen him across the room many times. He was nice enough most of the time, but she’d heard he could be harsh if he got angry. She took a deep breath, drew herself up to her full height, and followed the guards out the door.
* * *
Finally, it was time to leave for the town meeting. Aibek, pleased that the council members had agreed to ask the villagers for input and ideas, worried about their reaction to the news that Helak was forming an army. Widespread panic would be difficult to avoid, even though this wasn’t unexpected news.
The council emerged together from the small room and trudged to the meeting hall without a word spoken among them.
When they arrived, they found the entire village already assembled, everyone in their predetermined seats and waiting expectantly for the arrival of their mayor and council. Aibek shrank under the weight of every gaze as the villagers watched the council members walk down the aisle toward their seats. He took a deep, calming breath as he lowered himself to his chair, deliberately keeping his eyes off the empty chair at the table. Alija should be at this meeting.
Once the council members had taken their places at the front of the room, Valasa called the meeting to order.
“Today, as part of my regular duties, I received communications from several neighboring villages, all with the same basic message. Helak is gathering a large battalion of warriors to regain control of Nivaka. We’ve called you here this evening so we can work together to devise a plan to defend our homes.” As he spoke, the villagers began to shift in their seats and murmur to their neighbors. By the time he finished, his voice was barely audible over the dull roar of the villagers exclaiming over the announcement.
Aibek rapped his knuckles on the table to regain the attention of the assembled people. After a moment, they quieted with expectant looks at their mayor. Aibek nodded to Valasa to continue.
The Gadonu went on to explain that they had time to formulate a plan and train their own army, but they would need everyone’s help. When he finished, he asked the assembled citizens if anyone had a suggestion on how best to defend their homes.
A hus
h fell over the room as the people looked at each other. After a long moment, a frail, elderly man in the middle of the room stood and raised his hand. His voice trembled but was clear and loud enough to be understood by the council members.
“I don’t like this talk of fighting. It certainly didn’t work the last time.” He stopped and took a deep breath, then balled his weathered hands into fists and shouted, “Why don’t we save ourselves the trouble and the bloodshed, and send Helak notice of our surrender? His rules were strict, but life was peaceful and predictable.” When he finished, the old man sat down and lowered his head.
Wayra stood and addressed the old man and the assembly. “Thank you for your input, Eder. You lost a great deal in the last attack when your son and his wife were killed, and again in the revolt, when your nephews both died. Fighting means we could lose much more. Your idea has some merit. How many gathered here are in favor of a rapid and peaceful surrender?”
Nearly two dozen hands went up around the room as the council members gave the villagers time to consider and respond to the question.
When it appeared that no more hands would go up, Wayra asked, “And how many think we should defend our home in battle? We’ve had a few months of freedom. Who wants to remain free?”
Nearly every person in the room raised a hand, including some of those who had voted for surrender. Several stood and shouted their votes, and Aibek sighed in relief. There wouldn’t be anything he could do but return to Xona if the citizens voted to give the village back to Helak.
Aibek gestured for those standing to sit and addressed the assembly, “We will fight, and we will win!”
He waited for the loud cheers to die down before he continued, “Every successful battle begins with a plan. We'll escort anyone who wishes to evacuate to the river town of Kainga. I have been there recently, and they have well-apportioned inns where our citizens will be welcomed.”
At this, a few murmurs went through the crowd.
“Does anyone have any ideas for a plan to defend ourselves? Any strategies to help us defeat this enemy?” Once again, the room was silent as the gathered villagers looked around, waiting for someone to speak.
Eventually, Serik stood. “I think we should ask our neighbors for help. There was a time when the people from all the villages would gather together regularly to mingle and celebrate. I don’t see why they would hesitate to help us now. They could greatly increase our numbers and our chances of success.”
Valasa responded quickly, “Thank you, Serik, that’s an excellent idea. Let’s have a vote. How many are in favor of asking our neighbors for help?”
Nearly every hand in the room went up, so the Gadonu continued, “Wonderful. I’ll send messages to the other villages first thing in the morning.”
This started the flow of ideas, and the meeting continued late into the evening. Many ideas came out, most of them immediately discarded for one reason or another. One individual even went so far as to propose moving the village, arguing that Helak’s army couldn’t defeat them if they couldn’t find them. They rejected this idea as impractical; it would be impossible to move an entire village during daylight hours, let alone quickly enough to avoid this assault. Several villagers proposed useful ideas, however, and Aibek thought they would have enough to begin fortifying the village.
At last, the villagers, tired and hungry, called for an end to the meeting. The crowd dispersed in haste, and most rushed home to their dinners.
When the noise of chairs scraping and neighbors talking had quieted in the emptying hall, Wayra turned to Aibek, smiled and rose to his feet. “That went better than I expected.”
Kai hopped to his feet and nodded. “I agree; I thought it would be a riot.”
The others nodded as they stood and stretched. They walked together to the door.
Aibek yawned and made a suggestion. “We should meet again in the morning to finalize our plans, maybe at Valasa’s house so Alija can join.”
Dalan slapped him on the back. “That’s a great idea. We’ll meet in that upstairs sitting room an hour after sunrise if that’s all right with everyone.”
They all agreed and parted outside the building, each heading in the direction of home.
Before Aibek had made it very far from the meeting hall, a tiny old woman with bony hands and paper-thin skin pulled him to the side of the boardwalk. She held him with a surprisingly strong grip for one so small and frail. She spoke in hushed, quick phrases. “I didn’t want to talk in there because most of them won’t like my suggestion. There have been times during our history when Nivaka has partnered with the ground folk.”
His eyebrows shot up as she grabbed his hands and peered into his eyes.
“You will be much more successful in defeating this army if you have the support of the elves and dwarves.” She dropped his hands and sighed. “They will help you only if it serves them, and they cannot be trusted not to use any opportunity to attack our people.” She pointed down the boardwalk in the direction his friends had gone. “Your servant knows how to bargain with them. Talk to him, and he will tell you how it is to be done.” When she had finished her speech, the little old lady walked quickly away.
Aibek frowned and stared after her for a long moment as he considered her advice. He decided to do as she said and ask Serik what he thought of the idea, then walked as slowly as he could toward Valasa’s house. This had been an eventful day, and he needed some time to digest everything that had happened. Had he really talked to his father’s ghost? It felt like a dream, though he knew it wasn’t. He wondered what his father would say about tonight’s meeting and again worried that the village faced an unwinnable war.
Besides that, there was still someone in the village who was trying to kill the council members. Aibek was confident that the woman in the cell was not the person who had stabbed Alija. Valasa had planned to question the woman today. Aibek wondered absently if he’d gotten any information from her. He’d have to ask about it in the morning. Tonight, he needed to unravel the old woman’s advice and find out what Serik knew about the ground folk.
15
History
An unusual quiet reigned at the dinner table that evening, though Aibek was so distracted he barely noticed. He did take note of Ahren’s empty chair.
She must be indisposed again, he thought.
She’d had several headaches that had kept her in her room for days.
When they'd finished the meal, they each retreated to their separate rooms, instead of gathering in the den as they normally did. Aibek checked on Alija and found him sleeping soundly, then trudged up the stairs on leaden legs. He wanted to ask Valasa what information he’d gotten from the prisoner, but he didn’t have the energy. He’d have to make a point to talk to the Gadonu before the council meeting the next morning.
Serik followed Aibek to his room and began laying out clothing for the next day. Meanwhile, his friend sat in one of the large chairs by the fireplace, staring into the flames as if the answer to his problems could be found there.
The old man laid a hand on the mayor’s shoulder, startling the younger man out of his reverie. “Is there anything I can do for you, sir? You’ve had a rough day.”
“I don’t know what I’m doing, Serik. How am I supposed to lead these people? Is there any way I can help them win? Maybe the old man was right, and it would be better to give in peacefully.” He took a deep breath and knotted his fingers together. “The first battle this village fought would have been a massacre if that had been the invaders’ intent. This time they’ll be angry.” He raked his hands through his long auburn hair and cradled his head in his hands, then whispered, “What if they aren’t as merciful as the last time?”
His confidence had been growing steadily over the past several weeks as he began to understand the roles and traditions of this community. That day, Aibek had realized again that he didn’t have the knowledge or experience to guide them. He’d been shocked when the first suggestion from the
villagers had been surrender. He’d trained his entire life to become an army officer but had expected he would be taking orders from officers above him in the chain of command until he had learned enough to earn a higher rank and more responsibility. He wasn’t ready to take on the leadership of such a large-scale battle plan, especially with so much at stake.
The two friends were quiet for a long while. Eventually, Serik sat down next to his friend, patted him on the knee, and asked, “Have I ever told you the story of the night of the invasion? I know you’ve heard bits of it all of your life, but do you know the whole story?” His voice was nearly as soft as Aibek’s had been.
“I… don’t think so. I only know you evacuated with me when you realized we wouldn’t win, but that has nothing to do with now. I’m not leaving this time.” He didn’t want to waste any time thinking about that long ago battle. He was too consumed by his worries over how to lead the village to victory this time.
“It was the day of your naming ceremony,” Serik began, his voice just above a whisper. “The day had been perfect. Everyone turned out to celebrate your birth.” He looked up and met Aibek’s eyes. “You were a long time coming. Anyway, the celebration was still in full swing at the Pavilion, but your parents brought you home to put you to bed just before sunset. I think they were hoping for some rest, too.” He turned and stared into the fire. Aibek could tell that his friend’s mind was transported back in time to that awful night.
* * *
The servant entered the room with a tray of snacks for Eddrick and Kiri, who were caring for their new baby and getting ready for bed. The fire, burning brightly, had warmed the room just enough. It cast a warm light across the chamber. Paintings of fairies and elves danced in the shadows cast by the flames.
The Nivaka Chronicles Boxed Set Page 17