“Umm, not much, I think. I usually only have one cup.” His voice squelched, and he couldn’t manage to form the words. It wasn’t a lie–exactly. He usually did only have one cup. He just couldn’t remember how many he’d had with dinner.
Had he drunk too much? Maybe. The fairies had refilled his cup after he had choked, and possibly more after that. He ducked under the wall at the edge of the Pavilion, pitched forward, and stumbled. It took him several steps to right himself.
“Let’s sit down. You’re not quite steady.” She led him to a bench, and he flopped down.
“What did you do to the mayor? I haven’t seen him that wobbly since he got knocked in the head right after he showed up here.” Wayra sauntered over and sat beside Aibek with a grin.
Marah shook her head. “I think he had too much wine. I know I saw them refill it at least twice. Can you get him home? I need to get back to my brothers.”
Wayra laughed, and Marah strolled back into the Pavilion.
The rest of the night passed in a blur of colors and scents. The comfort of his mattress provided sanctuary from the dizzying confusion, and he fell to sleep without ever quite knowing how he had arrived there.
2
Hangover
Eddrick flopped down onto a soft patch of grass. “We’ll never find it in time.”
The city sprawled out in the valley below, mocking him with its neat rows of buildings, each one exactly like every other–at least from that distance.
“Of course, we’ll find it.” Kiri flipped her red hair over her shoulder and lowered herself to the ground beside her husband. She busied herself, spreading her skirt in neat folds around her legs. “Agommi said he’d meet us there, right? So, we just have to go to where he is.”
"I'd considered that, but he also said he was meeting with the ancestors before our hearing. I don't want to barge in on their discussion by mistake." Eddrick stroked a hand over his chin. He had never seen such a large city before and had no idea how to navigate this one. Hiraeth was stunning in its organization and dimensions. The streets ran in a perfect grid even with the undesirable aspects of the narrow valley and the steep hills on either side, but he didn't have time to be impressed; he had a meeting to attend.
Standing, he surveyed the city below once more. He reached down, helped Kiri to her feet, and considered. There had to be an easy way to find…
What had Agommi called it again?
An eagle screeched overhead as he searched his memory for the term.
Ah, yes. Ghindamia Hall.
“Well? Where should we start?” Kiri’s voice dragged Eddrick’s attention back to the moment.
“I have no idea. Should we start at the end closest to us and work our way north?” He tried to break the metropolis into sections, so they’d have an idea of where they had been once they began their search.
Kiri placed her hand in the crook of his arm and waited until he met her eyes. “Shouldn’t we just ask someone once we’re in the city? Surely the citizens would know where the Hall is.”
“We might not have a choice; we’re running out of time.” The sun climbed higher in the sky, lending credence to his words.
He grabbed her hand and nodded; they disappeared from the grassy cliff, moving through the fabric of space and reappearing an instant later on the road just outside the city gate. They couldn't enter Hiraeth directly but had to pass through the security of the gates at one end or the other. Some form of ancient magic covered the city and prevented anyone from traveling in or out on their thoughts–Eddrick's favorite way to travel. He referred to it as flying. In his twenty years of afterlife, the wonder of it had never worn off. He worried the button on his sleeve as they waited behind a silent throng of spirits for their turn to enter.
The white stone walls stretched out to either side until they disappeared into the mountainside. Spaced evenly along the walls' expanses, round battlements rose high into the air. Monstrous patrols perched on the stone above the city, watching over the travelers who sought entrance. Eddrick squinted into the sun at the creatures on the wall, but the glare kept him from making out details. They resembled winged dogs.
As they approached a heavily armed guard, Eddrick pulled Kiri close and stood as tall as he could.
What is that thing?
It resembled a demon from the ancient mythology, but real and breathing. Its glowing red eyes stared straight through him, and the rest of the world disappeared. He couldn’t take his eyes off the creature; the noise of the crowd faded into the background. His entire being focused on the burning gaze of the guard until it nodded and waved a winged arm toward the gate. Eddrick’s stomach turned in restless anticipation. If the guard was an ancient demon, what would they find within these walls?
He squeezed his wife as they passed under the fearsome spikes lining the bottom of the iron gate.
Inside Hiraeth, spirits crammed the streets hurrying about their business. Only a few spirits lived here–the ancestors who ruled the afterlife. They monitored all the souls and handed down punishments, accolades, and assignments for those under their jurisdiction. There were a limited number of spirits in the world, and every century each would be sent back to earth to live another life in a mortal body. When that mortal life ended, they would return to the spirit realm. They could monitor the lives of their descendants but were not allowed to interfere in the lives of the living except under specific situations.
It had been two weeks since Eddrick had spoken with Aibek, but he couldn't help that now. The ancestors had summoned Him and Kiri to the City of the Dead, so there they were. The sun beat down, and Eddrick felt sick. They had very little time left. How would they find Ghindamia Hall?
He tried to catch the attention of the spirits bustling along the dusty street, but no one glanced in his direction. Desperate, he stepped into an elderly man's path, but the spirit passed through him as if he were made of air.
"That's not going to work." He nudged Kiri, hoping she had another idea, but she wasn't looking at him. She stared mouth agape, at the scene around them. Demon guards roamed the street, watching the city with unnatural eyes. Spirits moved like rivers of people, never stopping to notice the two newcomers.
Grabbing Kiri’s shoulders, Eddrick gave her a shake. They didn’t have time for sightseeing. “Do you think we can fly within the city? We’re running out of time. What do you suppose will happen if we’re late?”
“I don’t know. Let’s try it. What was the name of the place again?” She placed her hand in the crook of his arm, something they did to keep them from getting separated while they traveled through space.
“I think it’s called Ghindamia Hall.”
“Yes, that sounds right. Okay, let’s try it.”
Eddrick closed his eyes and concentrated on the name of their destination, but nothing happened. They would have to travel the streets like everyone else.
“Which way should we go?” Kiri stared into the masses of spirits who moved in two directions.
The ones moving to Eddrick’s left had concerned expressions, as though late for something. The ones moving right looked bored and sad.
“Let’s try that way. Those people look like they’re going someplace important.”
Kiri nodded but didn’t take her hand off her husband’s arm.
Taking a deep breath, Eddrick stepped into the throng and allowed himself to drift with the flow of spirits. He found it easiest to lift his legs and float a few inches off the ground, like riding the current in the river. Hopefully, this flow of spirits would carry them to the hall to meet the ancients.
* * *
Aibek strolled into the council meeting late, rumpled, and unshaven. Ashamed of his appearance, he kept his head down as he walked to the empty chair next to Kai. What an entrance for the mayor to make the day after his best friend’s wedding. He should have been able to hold his head high and demonstrate his pride in the feast and celebration that had–thankfully–gone off without a single prob
lem.
“What happened to you?” Kai’s voice echoed off the walls in the empty hall. “You look awful. You do know better than to have more than one or two cups of fairy wine, right?”
“I do now,” Aibek lowered himself into the carved wooden chair.
He raised his eyes to the concerned faces of his friends. Kai stroked his beard and watched Aibek through narrowed eyes. Zifa dropped her gaze to the worn wood table and stifled a smile. Ahren glared at the nearest window, avoiding him.
Aibek shifted in his seat. “So…um…did I miss anything?”
“Nah,” Dalan laughed. “We just took bets on how late you’d be. Pay up, Wayra.”
He stretched a hand out to the tall, slender councilman across the table.
“All right, you win, but don’t tell Zyanna. I was supposed to use this to buy a new wolf figure for the nursery.” Wayra winced as he passed several silver coins into Dalan’s open hand. “I knew you’d get me in trouble.” He winked at Aibek and tucked his coin pouch back into his pocket.
The jingling rattled Aibek’s skull, and he pressed his hands to his tender ears.
“How is the little one?” Kai asked. “I trust she’s recovered from her bout with Usartma.”
“We all know Calolli’s fine—we saw her last night. You’re just stalling.” Dalan grinned and stretched his arm, palm up, in front of Kai.
"Wait a minute; you took bets on how late I'd be?" Aibek frowned. He couldn't keep up with his friends' cheerful banter. "Why?"
Everyone laughed, the noise jarring Aibek’s overly-sensitive ears.
"We've all had too much of that stuff at least once or twice." Wayra's voice was soft. "We know how hard it can be to walk when the walls won't stay put and you feel like someone's replaced the blacksmith's anvil with your head."
Aibek struggled to find a suitable response. He nearly fell over when the door flung open and banged against the wall. Valasa strode into the room, an uncharacteristic scowl darkening his broad features.
Before Aibek could regain his equilibrium, Valasa’s booming voice rang out, “We have a problem to address.”
Wincing, Aibek dropped his head into his hands. When would the Gadonu learn to use a normal volume indoors?
“I know,” Wayra groaned. “Someone has to do something about the visiting mayors. They keep taking over our meetings and judging our citizens by their own villages’ rules.”
Valasa nodded. "That is a problem, but I was referring to something bigger: There's something wrong with the forest. I've been trying to contain and cure this illness for several months now, but over the past few weeks, it's gotten much worse, and it seems to be speeding up. There are green patches on the white bark of the Shadow Trees, and the leaves aren't turning yellow–they're just drying up and falling off. They're too brittle to use for anything but kindling."
He closed the door and crossed the room, coming to stand at the head of the council members’ table.
“I’ve never seen this many Shadow Trees sick and dying at the same time. I don’t know what it means, or what to do about it.”
“Well...” Kai frowned. “With all due respect, this is sort of your area of expertise, right? You are the Gadonu, after all. If you don’t know what to do, how are we supposed to fix it?”
Wayra nodded. "We could help you research it if that's what you need. You must have hundreds of books on the Trees in your study."
At the incredulous looks the others shot his way, he said, "What? I saw them when I was visiting Alija after that crazy lady had stabbed him in the back."
“Wayra!” Dalan admonished. “You know better than to speak ill of the dead!”
Dalan’s sharp tone helped clear some of the fuzziness from Aibek’s mind. He’d never heard Dalan speak with such authority before. Maybe the young man had inherited some of his father’s leadership abilities.
“That’s enough,” Valasa said. “Right now, I need you to be aware that there’s a problem and watch for any new signs of trouble. I’ll be in my study, searching the ancient texts for some indication of how to heal the forest. In the meantime, you should discuss those other problems you mentioned and figure out how best to solve them.”
He turned and placed a hand on the wooden doorknob but paused. “You might consider asking the other mayors to join you here for a meeting. You could establish etiquette rules for mayors visiting in other villages. That way, they get to be involved in solving the problem, which could help prevent some ruffled feathers.”
“That’s an excellent idea,” Kai smiled. He reached over and clapped a hand onto Aibek’s shoulder. “Don’t you think it’s a great idea?”
Aibek winced.
Is Kai deliberately being loud?
His head swam a little, and he tried to focus on the question. "Yes, I think it is a good idea," Aibek mumbled. "We should invite all the mayors in to discuss their behavior here, and ask how they think we should behave when we visit their villages."
Dropping his head into his hands once more, Aibek waited for the spinning to subside before he spoke again.
“What other business did we have for this morning? Is it anything that cannot wait until tomorrow–or afternoon at the earliest? I think I need to lie down.”
The room erupted in raucous laughter, but Aibek rested his pounding head on the table and fell asleep.
* * *
Aibek woke in his own bed and pushed himself up in tiny increments to keep the spinning at bay. When the walls stayed where they were supposed to, he let out a relieved sigh. The blue light of dusk streamed in between the curtains.
Is it dusk already? Or dawn? Could I have slept through until morning? Maybe. How did I get home from the council meeting?
Trying to remember was like peering into the mist: the harder he tried, the more the fog obscured his memory.
Tossing the covers aside, he swung his feet to the floor. Why was he still wearing his shoes? He wished he could remember how he'd managed the short walk across the Square. Had his friends carried him home like they had the year before when the falling staircase had whacked him in the head? He'd have to ask Serik at breakfast…or dinner.
What time is it, anyway?
One gentle movement at a time, he rose and made his way to the window. On the wide boardwalk below, several clusters of villagers strolled along, laughing and talking amongst themselves.
All right, it must be evening. The villagers woke before the sun, but they didn’t leave their homes before dawn, a habit they’d formed during Tavan’s brutal reign.
The rest of the evening passed in quiet solitude as Aibek struggled to return to his usual self. His mind and movements were sluggish, leaving him frustrated and weary well before his usual bedtime.
He snuggled down into the pile of blankets on his bed and sighed. Hopefully, he'd be able to accomplish something the next day.
* * *
The morning dawned clear and bright, and Aibek awoke refreshed and alert. Good. He couldn’t go around dazed and sleepy all the time; he had a village to run. He had dressed and settled into his favorite chair in his sitting room when Serik pushed through the door carrying a breakfast tray. A smile stretched across his weathered features when he saw Aibek.
“Are you feeling better, sir?”
He set the tray on the table between their chairs and seated himself beside Aibek.
“Yes, much better. That looks delicious.”
Serik poured them each a mug of steaming hot famanc, the morning beverage of choice in Nivaka, which the villagers made by steeping the seeds of the Shadow Trees.
Closing his eyes, Aibek savored the smooth flavor along with the warmth of the mug in his hands.
“Would you like a cake this morning?”
Aibek grinned. “Of course! These are my favorite.”
He bit into the cake with all the abandon of a child tasting sweets for the first time, the warm cake crumbling into his mouth and releasing berry and lemon in a burst of flavor. The conversatio
n came to a halt as he inhaled all the food Serik had brought.
When he had finished, he leaned back in his chair and frowned. “Serik?”
“Yes, sir?”
“How did I get home from the meeting yesterday? I don’t remember anything at all, but I woke last night still fully dressed–even down to my shoes.”
Serik laughed, full-bellied. Aibek hadn’t heard that often from his stoic mentor. Smiling, Aibek waited for an answer.
“Well, you needed a bit of help, but you mostly made it here under your own power. You only leaned on the boys every other step or so.”
“Oh, no.” Aibek shook his head. “Who helped me get home?” His friends might not ever let him hear the end of this.
“Wayra and Kai walked you home, but all the others followed to make sure you got home safely. I wouldn’t worry too much, though. They’ve all been there a time or two, and they made sure none of your guests saw you staggering and stumbling across the Square.”
Well, that’s something, at least.
Aibek finished his famanc in silence, thanked Serik for the meal, and went out to spend some time meditating in his private courtyard. It had been too long since he’d done that.
3
Council
He stepped out into the sunlight, inhaling the crisp autumn air and taking in the colorful foliage. Hadn't Valasa said something yesterday about the trees being ill? He examined the nearest Shadow Tree. Its colors weren't as bright as they had been the year before. In fact, the leaves were brown, with only the barest hint of the brilliant yellow that had dominated the previous autumn. The other trees displayed their colors: the elms and birches, the maples and oaks–not the precious Shadow Trees. Valasa must be right: something was wrong here.
Closing his eyes, Aibek strained to hear the whispers of the forest. The trees would tell him how to fix this if he could only hear their message. He'd been working on that for the past year with Valasa's help, but though he could make out the unique voices of the forest, only rarely could he pick out the actual message.
The Nivaka Chronicles Boxed Set Page 32