The Nivaka Chronicles Boxed Set

by Leslie E Heath

  The room spun around him, and Aibek dropped into the closest chair. What did all this mean? It would be much easier to think it all through if the room would stay put.

  “You need rest. Off to bed. We’ll figure this out once you’re feeling better.”

  Valasa ushered Faruz back to his room, and Aibek basked in the comfortable silence of his empty chamber. He sank into the mound of blankets on his bed, balled himself in the center of the enormous cushion, and shivered. He wished he could get warm and wondered why he was sweating and freezing at the same time.

  While Aibek shivered under the covers, his parents appeared just inside his bedroom door. As soon as they noticed their son huddled in bed, they rushed to his side, and Eddrick laughed.

  Kiri swept Aibek’s hair off his sweaty, spotted brow “That’s right, you never got any of Nivaka’s childhood illnesses, did you? It never even occurred to me before now.”

  Her son shivered harder at the icy touch, so she pulled back and sat on a chair by the fire.

  He wrapped the largest blanket around himself and sat on the edge of the bed. “I’ll be fine. Valasa said this only lasts a couple of days. What did you find out? Can you help us?”

  Eddrick’s expression fell slightly, and he drifted to the chair before he spoke. “We… we can help. We’ve already found Helak’s army, and we spent some time watching and listening to their conversations.”

  They all looked up as Serik entered the room with a tray. The elderly servant placed the tray on the table, then handed Aibek a steaming mug of broth.

  “This will help you feel a bit better.” He turned to the spirits. “Do you have good news for us?”

  “Well… we have news,” Kiri answered, “but not all of it is good. We were just saying that we located the army. They’re moving slowly because they are bringing a huge number of fighters with them—“

  Aibek interrupted, “How many? Do we have a chance?”

  “Yes.” Eddrick frowned. “But only because of their strategy. They plan to send half their force in, then the other half several hours later once your warriors are already exhausted. It won’t be an easy win, and you have to convince your army to save some reserves for the second wave.”

  “There’s more,” Kiri interjected when her husband paused for a breath. “We overheard one of their officers saying they plan to kill everyone in the village. He said they want to send a message to the other villages not to try the same thing.”

  They were all silent for a moment as the warning reverberated in the small space. Finally, Aibek looked up from his broth. “Well, we knew they’d be angry. I guess I’m not surprised they want to make an example of us. Do you know when they’ll be here?”

  Eddrick replied grimly. “They’ll likely be here by the end of the week.”

  They sat in silence for a long time as everyone considered the implications of this information. Eventually, Serik stood and gathered the dishes onto the tray. “Do you want me to call a council meeting, sir?”

  Aibek nodded. “Yes, thank you - immediately. They need to know this.”

  Once Serik was gone, Kiri drifted over and kissed her son on the forehead. He felt it as a cold whisper of breath on his face. Of course, they couldn’t stay for the meeting.

  “Are there any rules I should know about? Am I allowed to tell them I talk to you?” He asked his parents before they could vanish.

  His mother replied, “You can tell them… if you think they’ll believe you. Otherwise, tell them whatever they need to hear to believe the truth of what we said.”

  Aibek wrapped his blankets tighter around him as another chill came over him, and when he looked up again, he was alone. He wondered if he had time for a nap before the others arrived. The conversation with his parents had left him feeling weak and tired. He lay back on the bed and hoped it would be at least an hour before anyone else disturbed him.

  When he woke again, the sun shone through the windows at a different angle, and he realized it must be afternoon. He thought he’d heard someone knock on the outer door, so he pushed himself to a sitting position despite the dizziness and tried to prepare himself for visitors.

  As Aibek expected, Serik led the council members into the sitting room, where Aibek joined them.

  Kai laughed. “You look terrible. That color red isn’t becoming on you at all.”

  “Thanks.” Aibek chuckled, then grew serious, “I got an update this morning that we should discuss.”

  They all leaned in to hear what he had to say. Aibek spoke softly because of his headache, and the council members leaned close to hear his words. He relayed all the information he had received from his parents without revealing his source. He wasn’t sure how they would accept the thought that the new mayor was talking to the dead.

  He kept the meeting short and to the point. The evacuees had left that morning, so only those who would fight were left in the village. They would instruct each division to save arrows and energy for the second wave of Helak’s warriors, and make sure to complete all the final preparations by the end of the week. The council members agreed they didn’t need to divulge the rest of Helak’s plan to the combined army. There was no need to create panic in their fighting force.

  Thankfully, no one asked where he had gotten his information. They accepted that as the mayor, he had sources they didn’t need to know about.

  The discussion finished and the visitors filed out of Aibek’s room. He immediately retreated to his bed and was asleep in moments. Before he drifted off, he thought it was probably a good thing he was too sick to worry about the approaching army and the new situation with Ahren. That was a serious mess… He might never figure it out.

  * * *

  As Valasa promised, the spots were gone when Aibek awoke late the next morning. However, the shivering chills continued to rack his body. He was so thirsty; he gratefully drank the vile broth Serik brought. He didn’t ask what it was made from. He suspected he didn’t want to know, anyway.

  Before long Faruz joined him, wrapped in a fluffy robe to ward off the chills. They sat quietly for a few minutes, choking down more of the rancid brew Valasa kept sending them.

  Finally, Aibek broke the silence. “Well, the party was a bit of a disaster, wasn’t it?”

  Faruz grinned. “It certainly ended badly. I had a great time with Zifa before the commotion, though.”

  “I saw you dancing together. You looked like you were having fun. Did you get any time alone?”

  “No, we were walking to a bench to catch our breath when the screaming started,” Faruz lowered his eyes, a disappointed look on his face. He raised an eyebrow. “What about you? I saw you getting close to Ahren. Did she have a change of heart before she tried to kill you?”

  “Ha. Ha. Ha. Yes, we spent a little time together on a bench beside the Pavilion, but I don’t know what it meant to her. I’m not sure she tried to kill me, either.” He sighed, then yawned. “I’m reserving judgment on the whole situation until I have a chance to talk to her."

  “That’s fair.” Faruz grinned again. “Zifa was incredible, though. I have no idea how she keeps going through dance after dance like that. I was out of breath after one, but she wouldn’t stop for a break!”

  Aibek smiled as his friend chattered on. He wasn’t at all surprised to hear that Faruz was falling head over ears in love with Zifa.

  “Hey, what do you think?” Faruz blurted after a pause in the conversation. “Is ‘captain’ a high enough title to earn a home? It wouldn’t have to be on the Square. You know I love staying here with you, but it would be great to eventually have my own place.”

  “Let’s get through the next few weeks; then we’ll ask the council. You really want to stay here, then?”

  “Of course. Who wouldn’t want to stay here? It’s a perfect place to build a life.”

  23

  Signals

  Aibek spent the rest of the day alternately napping and chatting with Faruz. As the day wore on, some of the fati
gue and achiness of the illness started to diminish, leaving him alert and hungry. It became more difficult to suppress the frustration with his weakness, and he yearned to venture into the village once again. At the same time, he worried about the needed preparations for the coming battle and longed to resume his daily checks of the battlements and reinforcements.

  By the time the sun set, Aibek was hungry for something besides broth, so he asked Serik to fetch a dinner tray. The simple meal smelled delicious; the steam rising from the roasted meat, root vegetables, and toasted nuts made his stomach rumble painfully. He devoured every morsel, then soon found himself nodding off in his chair. As he prepared for bed, he hoped he would be free of the fever when morning came.

  Aibek slept until the dawn lightened his bedroom window. He felt stronger and thought the fever might have passed. He enjoyed a long, soaking bath, and was curled up in his favorite chair, sipping famanc by the fire, when Faruz joined him in his sitting room.

  They were halfway through their breakfast of famanc and muffins when Serik said, “You look as if you’re feeling better today, sir.”

  Aibek smiled. “I am. A lot better. I think I’ll get outside today. I’ve missed checking on the army and watching them train.”

  Faruz had just stuffed a whole muffin into his mouth, but he nodded his agreement.

  They sat quietly for a few more minutes, then Aibek cocked his head. “Serik, do you think our enemies have ever been exposed to Usartma?”

  Serik frowned. “I’m not sure. I guess it would be reasonable to think not since it doesn’t seem to have spread to the city. Why do you ask?”

  “I was wondering if we could find a way to spread our illness to the enemy’s army… It knocked me down for a full three days. If even a fraction of the army fell ill, it could help us gain an advantage.”

  Faruz agreed, “Or, it could slow them down if they have to stop and let their men recover. That would give us a few more days to prepare.”

  Serik nodded. “And how do you plan to spread this disease to the enemy, sir?”

  “Well… I was thinking maybe my parents could take some of the rags we’ve used and plant them in the enemy’s tents. Do you think they’d do that?”

  Eddrick appeared next to the fireplace. “I think that could be arranged.”

  Aibek gasped in surprise and turned toward the unexpected voice.

  His father stood there, calmly handling a small carving of a deer that had been on the mantle. “Your mother learned how to move things from place to place years ago, so she could knit scarves and hats for the orphans in the city. It kept her busy and made her feel useful while you were growing up. We could easily put some cloths in their tents. I was coming to warn you that they’re getting close.”

  “Thank you, Father.” Aibek rose and gathered some of the dirty cloths, including his pillow cover, and placed them in a pile near his chair. He hoped this would work. He wasn’t quite sure how Usartma spread, but it seemed reasonable to think the linens would carry it to the enemy.

  Eddrick gathered the linens in his arms and vanished just as suddenly as he’d appeared.

  With a loud sigh, Faruz stood and stretched, then pointed to the faint light coming through the window. “We should go watch the sun come up. I’ve spent too much time indoors these past three days

  “That sounds perfect.” Aibek led the way into the courtyard behind his home.

  A few visiting warriors were already outside, lounging on benches and talking softly among themselves. They greeted Aibek and Faruz and emptied a bench for the recuperating men. Aibek sat quietly next to Faruz and enjoyed the bright pinks and oranges that washed across the sky as he watched the sun rise over a frosty morning. Before long, the morning sun warmed the courtyard, and Aibek thought it was late enough to venture out.

  He turned to Faruz. “Where should we go first? Should we check on the army? Or try to talk to Ahren or Tamyr?”

  “Let’s check on the army. They’re closest. You can talk to Ahren and Tamyr after the morning’s council meeting. And I want to see Zifa. I haven’t been able to talk to her since the banquet. I hope she’s handling everything all right. Ahren’s her best friend.”

  Aibek sighed. “That’s true.”

  He wanted to believe Ahren was innocent, but the witness from the banquet had called her the attacker. He picked up his pace a little as they walked toward the Pavilion. The sooner he met with the division leaders, the sooner he could see Ahren. He wanted to hear her side, even if the evidence contradicted her.

  They found the division leaders at the Pavilion, waiting for the remaining soldiers to join them for the morning’s training. Aibek was pleased to learn that the training and preparation had continued full-force in his absence, though he’d expected nothing less. As he’d requested, the archers had put the fairies to work making arrows, so now they had more than twice what they thought they should need.

  Everywhere Aibek looked, the village was abuzz with activity as the army prepared for the imminent battle. Men and women trained together with ferocious energy but still managed to laugh and enjoy a warm comradery. At this point, it was difficult to tell who was native to this village and who was visiting from elsewhere in the Tsari, because they had grown so close during their time training.

  Aibek walked through all of Nivaka beside Faruz, watching the army train and verifying that their orders had been carried out. They discussed their strategy as they walked, and conversed with division leaders and fighters who approached to express their joy at seeing their leaders well again. Aibek hoped he wasn’t leading these good people to their deaths. He examined each face and hoped to see that person uninjured after the battle was over.

  Aibek and Faruz declined to join in the training, but Aibek was happy to be out of the house and among the people again. He reveled in the sights and sounds of a training army. The soldiers wore matching leather and steel armor over colorful, reinforced zontrec, and the clanging of metal practice swords filled the wintry air. He shivered a little and wondered how much colder it would get—the winter was just beginning.

  * * *

  The council meeting was short and to the point; each council member gave an update on the activities of the past three days, then they adjourned to spend their time training. The army would arrive any day now. Aibek didn’t feel well enough to train, but he had other matters to attend to. First, he wanted to question Tamyr. Maybe she’d be more willing to talk, now that the other members of her group had shown themselves.

  He climbed the stairs to her room, though it took him longer than it should have. He quietly cursed his illness as he stopped to rest halfway. For some reason, there was no guard outside the girl’s door. Aibek scowled at the breach, then knocked and entered the room. The guard was sitting on his chair just inside the room, a surprised look on his broad face. The girl sat on a small chair, holding an empty plate and a fork. An empty cup sat on the floor next to her chair. She looked neat and clean, though her dress was worn and faded.

  The guard rose awkwardly from his chair. “Good morning, Mister Mayor, I didn’t expect to see you today. I mean… it’s good to see you up and about.”

  “Do you normally sit in the room with the prisoner? Wouldn’t that make it rather easy for someone to sneak up on you?”

  The guard flushed and rushed to answer, “No, sir. I only just came in here to give the girl her breakfast. I have to stay until she’s done so I can take her dishes out. We can’t leave any potential weapons in the room, sir.”

  Aibek nodded. “I guess that makes sense. I’ll stay in here with her for now. I need to ask her a few questions.”

  The guard ducked out and pulled the door closed. Aibek lowered himself into the chair the man had vacated and regarded the young woman. She sat with her head down, toying with the fork in her hand.

  She began abruptly. “You sure took your time in coming. I was starting to think you’d forgotten about me.”

  “I’ve been ill. I wanted to ta
lk to you days ago, but I couldn’t leave my room.” Aibek explained, then stopped himself. He didn’t owe this woman any explanations. “I guess you’ve heard about what happened at the banquet?”

  He struggled to keep his voice gentle but accusing.

  “Yes. Valasa came and told me the next morning - after Ahren woke up.” She kept her head down, still refusing to meet his eyes.

  “What do you know about what happened? I haven’t talked to Ahren, yet.” He waited for a response, but Tamyr stayed silent. After a moment, he added, “All I know is that the witness at the celebration said she saw Ahren with the knife, then Ahni tackled her. Why did Ahren have a knife at the banquet?”

  “Why should I tell you anything?” She spat the question with a venom he hadn’t seen since the first time he’d questioned her.

  “I’ve done my best to see you properly cared for, rather than left to rot in that upper room like a common criminal. I’ve ensured you have clean clothes and proper meals, and I’ve honestly tried to get to the bottom of the whole situation. I know you hate me and the council, but I still don’t think you stabbed Alija.” He shifted slightly in the hard chair, leaning back against the wall for more support.

  “So, you think because you treated me decently that I’ll tell you everything? That’s not much of a strategy.” She gave a humorless laugh.

  “I’m not one for strategy when it comes to people. In my experience, kindness and honesty goes further.” He leaned forward again, silently willing her to meet his gaze. “Please, tell me what you know about Ahren. Was she trying to kill me? Or one of the other council members?”

  Finally, Tamyr looked up. Her soft brown eyes met Aibek’s, stunning him with the depth of her sorrow and pain.

  “Ahren is innocent.” Tears streamed down her face as her words flowed faster. “She never, ever, wanted anything bad to happen to anyone, and she wasn’t sorry to see Tavan overthrown. She just talked to me about how she thought a local should have had your place. No outsider should have a role in running this village.”