"Stop worrying so much. Here, come sit by me." Kiri shifted on the couch and patted the space beside her.
"I'm not worried. I'm just ready to get this over with so we can get back to Nivaka." Eddrick's shoulders slumped, and he trudged over to the couch and flopped onto the soft cushion.
“Sure, you’re not.” She laughed and set her knitting aside. “You only pace when you’re nervous.”
“I’m just ready to go home. What do you think we’ve missed?”
“Probably not much. It’s been pretty quiet there since last winter.” She met Eddrick’s gaze, concentration marring her brow. “I think Faruz was supposed to get married last week. I’m sure it went well, though; he and Zifa make such a great couple.”
“You’re right–they are a great match.” He paused and gazed out the window at the river of spirits flowing through the street below. “I wish Aibek would find a nice girl and settle down. It would be wonderful to see babies in the mayor’s house again. Do you suppose he’ll get anywhere with Valasa’s girl? They’d make some pretty babies.”
Kiri laughed. “He’ll settle down when he’s ready.” Her smile faded, “I’m not sure about Ahren, though. I don’t think she’s quite right for him…She’s a bit…Umm…” She trailed off and stared out the window at the fading sunset.
"I don't know what you're talking about. Ahren's a pretty little thing, and she'll calm down a bit as she matures. Now that I think of it, she's not much different than you were at that age." He smiled, slinging an arm around her slender shoulders and brushing a lock of long red hair behind her ear.
Kiri smiled up at her husband. “Flattery won’t work this time. I know she’s not the right one for him. He’s my son–it’s my job to know these things.”
He leaned in for a kiss, jerking back when the door to their chamber flew open. The translucent spirit that had served them in the clerk's hall the week before stood in the corridor staring at them. Her lips set in a stern line, her pure white eyebrows lifted as if in expectation.
“Your appointed hearing time has arrived. Please, follow me.”
She disappeared down the hall, leaving Eddrick and Kiri scrambling to keep up. They rushed out the door after her.
They wound through endless identical corridors until Eddrick lost track of the turns. Left, right, right again, and left once more. Even the paintings on the wall repeated every ten paces or so. The maze of halls left him disoriented and confused, and he had to work to hold on to the feeling of urgency that had possessed him just a few minutes before.
After wandering for most of the afternoon, their guide stopped in front of a simple wooden door. Eddrick drew himself up to keep from running into her back. He wasn’t sure if he would touch her, or travel straight through her transparent form.
He didn’t want to find out, so he grabbed the wall to steady himself as he came to an abrupt halt.
“They’ll call you momentarily. Until then, please wait here. Good day.”
She vanished in a puff of air, leaving them alone in the ancient hall.
Eddrick pressed his ear to the heavy door, straining to hear his name. Instead, he heard a roar of voices, the pounding of a gavel, and the irritated voice of an ancient spirit.
What’s happening in there?
The din of raised voices traveled through the closed door, and Eddrick worked to make out the words. The gavel pounded again. Once. Twice. Thrice.
“We are finished here. Bring forward the next case.” The voice was stronger than the others, and Eddrick’s breath caught in his throat.
“Eddrick and Kiri, of Nivaka.” Silence stretched. “Are they present?”
His head spun in anticipation as he placed a hand on the brass handle and grabbed for Kiri’s hand. With a gentle pressure, he pressed the door open and stepped into the crowded chamber beyond.
9
Traveling
The amulet hung cold and heavy around Faruz's neck. He tucked it under his shirt and gasped at the shock of the frozen metal against his skin. By the time he recovered, Aibek, Serik, and Valasa were well ahead, and he had to rush to catch up. He hated to push his injured leg so fast at the beginning of the day; hopefully, it wouldn't hold him back later.
He struggled to make the leg bend with each step. What had he gotten himself into? Would he be able to keep up, and more importantly, would he be able to carry his weight without endangering his friends? He would have to. The time for second thoughts had passed.
Determined, he limped behind Aibek and Serik to the east entrance, where it appeared every warrior from Kasanto had assembled. Heavily armed elves and dwarves stared up at the travelers, their number obscuring the paths beyond the stairs. Tamping down the dread rising in his gut, he worked his way down the stairs with Wayra, Dalan, and Amiran, his teammates for the expedition. Dalan and Wayra had volunteered during the council meeting, and Amiran had come along as a protector at Valasa’s request. His size and strength could come in handy on this journey. Besides, Faruz had come to like the man during their planning sessions.
Once he reached the ground, he met Aibek’s eyes. “Good luck, and I’ll see you soon.” Faruz clapped his friend on the shoulder and turned north.
“Good luck. Look out for bats.”
A nervous laugh bubbled out before he could stop it. That was one of his favorite travel memories, though it hadn’t been pleasant at the time.
Turning back to the path, he limped deeper into the forest. He had only taken a few steps when a sneering voice brought him up short.
“Not so fast, tree-dweller. I’m going with you.”
Faruz glanced around, trying to locate the speaker. A dwarf stepped forward, dressed in furs and thick leather boots and carrying an ax. He tugged his fur-lined hood farther over his face, a meager protection against the wind and rain. The heavy brown fabric cast odd shadows over the chiseled features, giving him a menacing look that made Faruz step back. A tangled chestnut beard fell to his waist.
"Queen Idril has decreed that any group leaving Nivaka shall have an escort and has assigned me to the group of scum heading north."
Dalan drew his sword, but Faruz placed a restraining hand on his arm.
Grinning, Wayra stepped between Dalan and the dwarf. “I don’t see any problem with him coming, as long as he promises not to cut us down while we sleep. He’ll be one more person to share the watch, so we can all get a bit more rest.”
“All right. You may come along.” Faruz nodded, pasting a friendly smile on his face. “I suspect Wayra’s right; an extra person will be helpful. May we have your name?”
The dwarf slung his ax into a holder strapped to his back and stepped toward the group. Villagers and ground folk formed a tight circle around them, watching.
“I am Hekma, son of Ikaika and servant of Queen Idril.” He glared at Wayra. “My purpose is to ensure you aren’t doing anything that will harm the forest. I will take my share of watches, but I won’t tolerate your insults.”
Wayra threw his hands up. “I meant no insult. The animosity from your rulers is no secret. I just want to make sure we’re not walking into a trap.”
“I’m the queen’s servant, and she has instructed me to watch you, not to harm you or instigate a war between our villages.”
Faruz stepped onto the trail, cutting off Wayra’s response. “I’m pleased to meet you. I am Faruz, Captain of Nivaka’s army and leader of this expedition. This is Wayra, Dalan, and Amiran. They travel with me.”
They each nodded in acknowledgment, and Faruz waved them forward. They needed to leave if they planned to make it to Kainga before nightfall.
Waving to his friends, Faruz followed his crew away from the village he now called home. Hopefully, he would live to see it again. He shook his head against the melancholy thought and willed the heaviness out of his chest.
They traveled in silence until they reached the edge of the forest. There, Hekma stopped and dropped his pack to the mossy ground.
“I don’
t think we’re supposed to leave the Tsari. Here, the trees watch over us, protect us, and care for us. Out there…”
“I have to continue north.” Faruz shrugged. “But you’re welcome to remain in the forest if those are your orders.”
The dwarf looked confused but shook his head. "I'm to stay with you until you return to Nivaka."
“Well, we’re not going back until we finish our task, and to do that we have to go to the swamp north of Kainga.”
Hekma shook his head again, staring out into the blinding light beyond the shadows of the trees.
Stepping forward, Dalan lifted the pack and tossed it at Hekma. “Look, dwarf, we have a job to do, and we’re not going to stop every time you get scared.”
Grabbing for his ax, Hekma stepped toward Dalan, and the pack fell to the ground at his feet.
“Enough. We’re not going to fight about this.” Faruz met both their tempers with his. “You can stay in the forest or come with us. I don’t care either way, but we don’t have time to wait for you to make up your mind.”
Without waiting for a response, he turned and limped out into the bright light of the prairie. A few scattered trees offered a break from the wind, but they faded into the scrubby brush and tall grass of the plains. They weren't far from the river; the smell of water and fish reminded Faruz of the first time he'd passed this way, before he'd seen the village where he planned to spend the rest of his life.
He pushed himself onward, though his leg already throbbed. It was another mile to the river before they could catch the ferry to Kainga. Most of the villagers had made the trip to the city over the past year for shopping and to begin to reestablish trade, but Faruz had always stayed behind, waiting until his leg had healed. He had made a great deal of progress over the year, and now he would see the city once again.
Dalan and Amiran chatted about the weather and hunting prospects, their voices a pleasant hum in Faruz’s ears as the group made their way north across the golden plain.
Faruz tucked his hands into his pockets and pulled his cloak tight against the bitter wind, wishing for a tree or rock nearby to rest against. His leg screamed in protest, and his breath came in ragged gasps, but he pushed onward.
Halfway to the river, Faruz could go no farther. They had climbed over several obstacles to get through the forest, and now his leg throbbed beyond his ability to ignore it. He dropped to a sitting position in the middle of the trail and pulled out his water skin.
Dalan lowered himself to the trail beside Faruz, a worried expression on his slender features.
“Can you go on?”
Faruz answered between ragged breaths. “I just need a short break, and we’ll be on our way. We may need to stay in Kainga tonight, though.”
“I thought that was the plan anyway. We’ll need to gather some supplies before we head out onto the open plains to the north…” Heavy clouds swirled overhead. “Especially a tent.”
“We made it without a tent when we came south.” Shaking his head, Faruz made a face.
"You traveled that road in the summer when you were less likely to freeze to death at night," Wayra said.
Faruz shrugged; he couldn't argue with that point. Instead, he leaned back on his hands and faced the soft gray sky. He heard his friends stand but didn't care where they were going. The stabbing pain above his knee obliterated every other thought.
As the pain in his leg abated, he looked down, seeking the other members of his group. Dalan rested on his heels a few paces away, but where had the others gone?
There.
He spotted them a dozen yards off the trail, examining something hidden among the tall grass. He craned his neck, trying to get a better view, but couldn’t see what they had found.
Amiran looked up, waved, and ambled over to where Dalan and Faruz sat on the trail, something cupped in his hands. Wayra followed close behind, holding his shirt front like a basket.
“Here, sir. We found some berries.” Amiran offered a handful to Faruz. They’re sweet and fresh, not slimy like the ones by the lake.”
When he took the berries from Amiran, Faruz's eyes widened. Scratches covered Amiran's arm, some of them deep enough that blood soaked his sleeve. Alarmed, he glanced over to Wayra. His arms were even worse, with bleeding scratches evident through the torn fabric up to his elbows.
“What happened to you?”
“It’s nothing. There’s a few thorns on the berry bush, but they weren’t enough to stop us,” Wayra boasted, stuffing more berries into his mouth.
"I told them to be more careful." Hekma pointed to the wounds. "We don't have anything to clean that. What if you catch a fever? With this weather, it wouldn't surprise me."
Amiran shook his head. “It’s nothing. Look, it’s starting to rain. We can just leave it open so the water can clean it up.”
He was right. The icy rain stung his exposed face and hands like needles, so Faruz pulled his cloak tighter and shoved himself to his feet. They needed to reach the river where they could find shelter from the wind and rain. The angry, black clouds warned of more than a passing shower.
“Come on, let’s get to town.” He waved for the others to follow and limped toward the river city.
Soon, the tall masts of the ferry jutted into the darkening sky, catching Faruz's eye. Good. They wouldn't have to wait. He willed his aching leg to move faster and called to the others to hurry.
“Please, I need to stop for a minute.” Wayra’s voice was weak and shaking.
“Can you make it a little farther? We’re nearly to the ferry.” Faruz dropped back to walk beside the tall, skinny man. Wayra’s face was pale, and his arms were red and swollen. Frantic, Faruz craned his neck to find Amiran. He wasn’t faring much better than Wayra, though he was still walking. What kind of thorns had they gotten into that could cause such a reaction so quickly?
“I can’t. I need to rest.”
“What if we help a bit?”
Faruz braced one of Wayra's arms over his shoulders to support him and nodded for Dalan to do the same.
"Amiran, can you make it a bit further?" Faruz couldn't support both men. Amiran nodded, and they moved toward the river. Wayra leaned heavily on his friends but kept putting one foot in front of the other. The fresh, earthy scent of the river urged Faruz onward, and he ignored the fire burning in his leg. They were close.
The screaming pain in Faruz’s leg intensified with the added weight, and it took all his will to keep moving. It was slow going, but they made it to a rickety shack that served as a ticket booth. A skinny old woman with no teeth handed them five worn bits of parchment.
"You'll have to hurry; they're about to shove off." Her clouded eyes raked over Amiran and flicked to Wayra, who drooped onto his two friends. "You need to get them to a healer, and quickly."
"Yes, ma'am. Thank you."
Faruz nodded to the woman, and they resumed their painful progress toward the enormous flat-bottomed vessel. The tops of the masts disappeared into the low clouds, and deckhands worked at the ropes on the dock. They had nearly finished releasing the lines; only two held the massive ship in place.
"Wait! We're coming!" Faruz waved his empty hand over his head.
Dizzy relief rushed through him when one of the workers waved back and signaled the others. They all stopped and watched as Faruz and Dalan half-dragged, half-carried Wayra toward the ferry, with Amiran stumbling close behind. Hekma trailed several paces after Amiran.
How would they get Wayra up to the deck? He wouldn’t be able to climb it on his own, but the stairs were too narrow for anyone to go up beside him. And Amiran was in much the same condition; he had kept his feet beneath him, but wobbled with each step. Faruz’s leg had gotten weaker with the strain of supporting Wayra. He didn’t have the strength to haul his friend up those steep wooden steps.
"Put him on here then, and you can climb aboard. You, sit here beside him." The deckhand spoke in a thick accent. He pointed to a platform attached to pulleys and gest
ured for Amiran to lay beside Wayra.
Faruz and Dalan helped Wayra onto the platform and watched as Amiran dropped to the wooden slats. The workers raised them to the covered level of the riverboat, and the rest of the travelers rushed up the stairs.
Voices carried up through the stairwell set at the front of the vessel and over the deserted upper deck. Faruz followed the sound and descended into the lower deck, where a few people milled about, perhaps a dozen individuals in all, in the enclosed space. The odor of animals and unwashed people floated through the cavity. Several questionable stains marred the bare wood floor. Faruz searched the room for his ill friends and found them lying on the platform by the far wall, both deathly pale, and their arms swollen to twice their usual size. Clear fluid drained from the scratches along their arms. The old woman was right; they needed a healer as soon as possible, or they may not survive this. Wayra's breathing had turned rapid and shallow, and sweat beaded on his upper lip. Guilt churned in Faruz's gut. If he hadn't stopped to rest, his friends wouldn't be ill.
Please don’t let them die, he begged silently. They can’t die because of me.
The ferry lurched and tossed on the churning waves. Faruz swallowed the rising nausea and tried to focus on wiping Amiran’s pale, sweaty face with the stained rag one of the deckhands had given him, alternating the treatment between his two friends. Hekma and Dalan sat to either side of the ill men. Hekma’s skin had taken on a green hue from the rocking of the boat. Dalan stared, unblinking, into the small crowd of travelers.
The Nivaka Chronicles Boxed Set Page 38