“I went to survey the condition of the support trees, then the village. I never went beyond earshot of the entrances, but I didn’t hear anyone call me.” He shook his head as images of rotting trees and crumbling supports filled his mind. “It’s bad, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it is.” The Gadonu dropped his gaze to the floor. “Hopefully Faruz returns soon with the fruit.”
Aibek pulled a small leather pouch from his pocket.
“What’s that?”
"Someone gave me this before I left on my journey. Serik used some when I was injured, but there's still quite a bit here. I thought you might be able to use them since I don't plan to be out in the forest again–at least not for an extended time."
He handed the pouch containing the herbs to Valasa. He had carried it in his pocket all day to give to the healer. Valasa had never trusted Tamyr, so he kept the herbs’ origin to himself as he handed off the neat packet. If Valasa knew she had given them to him, he would discard them immediately, even if they were useful.
The healer tucked the herbs into a pocket and turned back to Aibek. “So, tell me how you managed to return on a dragon? I think we’ve discussed everything but that since you came home.”
Laughing, Aibek shrugged. “Well, we stumbled into his cave, escaped for a short while, then he captured us. I thought he was going to have us for dinner when he surprised me and turned into an ally.”
“What? That doesn’t make sense at all!” Valasa erupted into ear-splitting laughter, and Aibek couldn’t help but join in. They laughed until tears rolled down their cheeks and Aibek’s stomach and cheeks hurt from laughing so much.
After a long while, they sobered, and Aibek wiped his face on his sleeve. He had been gone for a mere two weeks, but he had missed his friends. It felt good to laugh with Valasa, even though serious problems still lay ahead.
His grin faded as he regarded the religious leader. “What do we do about the trees, though? The whole corner by the south cistern is collapsing. We’ll have to re-home all those people within the next few days, and we don’t have that many empty houses.”
"Nonsense." Valasa waved a dismissive hand. "We managed to house enough people to form an army. There's space in all the houses along the Square, and five are empty and ready to take in families with just a bit of cleaning."
“That’s true enough.” Aibek cocked his head, considering. “How long do you think we can keep them there?”
“At least until Faruz gets home. He should return before Thrimanca is full again.”
Aibek’s mouth dropped open. “But that’s weeks from now! Thrimanca was full just four days ago. How can we keep those people away from their homes for a month?”
"Easily. The people who live in those homes are accustomed to hard work and simple living," Valasa smiled. "They'll still have to do their jobs, of course, but they'll enjoy having conscientious servants to care for them."
Aibek’s mind drifted back to the miners in Xona. The women had been hard workers, and had reacted with resentful glares whenever he tried to help them carry their burdens.
“Do you think they’ll enjoy it? Or do you think they’ll be annoyed that someone else is doing what they’re used to doing for themselves?”
“That’s a good point.” Valasa nodded. “We’ll have to give clear instructions for the servants to allow them access to the kitchens if they wish to cook. The houses along the Square don’t have laundry facilities, though.”
Aibek shrugged. “They’ll either have to let the wash-women do their laundry, or they can take their clothes to the wash house and clean them on their own. Some concessions will have to be made on both sides, but they certainly can’t stay where they are. I don’t know how much longer the supports will hold.”
They agreed and left together to speak to the citizens in question. That corner would have to be evacuated until Faruz arrived with the fruit that would cure their beloved forest.
25
Evidence
Eddrick led the way as they ducked between shadows toward the row of five low buildings. On previous spying trips, this had been where the highest-ranking officials, including Helak, had lived. These buildings stood apart from the others, built flush against the side of a mountain and constructed of rough-hewn stone. The rest of the camp consisted of a few shabby wooden buildings and hundreds of painted canvas tents. The tents would burn to the ground if a stray spark touched them.
Soldiers huddled around low fires between the tents, and the spirits darted toward the deep shadows between the wooden buildings while the militiamen focused on their breakfast. They had a perfect view of the doors to the stone structures, as well as the entire lane.
Holding up a hand, Eddrick held the others in their alcove. He could not risk explaining himself, and shook his head when Glesni opened his mouth, a question written on his papery face. Eddrick pointed to the door across a narrow alley from where they hid. The leaders stayed in that building and would emerge any minute.
He watched and waited, arms outstretched to keep the others behind him in the shadows. They waited until the door opened and seven officers emerged. They wore pristine military finery, their crisp yellow coats a sharp contrast to the worn, dirty uniforms the soldiers sported. The last man to exit the building towered over the others. He possessed the olive skin and dark hair of the mountain tribes, but his mangled face never failed to make Eddrick flinch. Deep, silver scars ran across his face, his nose a gaping hole and the left eye an empty socket. Behind him, Glesni and Agommi drew back, hiding deeper in the shadows. Eddrick remained frozen, waiting for the leaders to round the corner so he could follow at a safe distance.
Once Helak and his men were out of sight, Glesni and Agommi stepped up beside Eddrick, questions written on their faces.
Agommi spoke first. “Which one is Helak? And what happened to that last one?” Anxiety had raised his voice, and Eddrick placed his fingers over his lips.
Eddrick kept his own voice to the softest whisper. “The last one is Helak. I haven’t been able to find out how he got those scars, but I’m almost certain it has to do with that building over there.” He pointed to the broadest building at the center of the row of stone structures. It merged seamlessly into the mountain, where the others stood a few feet in front of the sheer rock face.
“What’s in there?” Agommi moved toward the low building and looked back at Eddrick. “And what makes you think it has anything to do with his scars?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never been able to get past his guards to get into the building.” He paused, considering his next words. “Whenever he goes in there, he always touches his face. I’ve never seen him do that–”
He cut off, shuffling back into the deeper shadows as a patrol moved toward them. Breathless, he watched as the soldiers marched down the narrow lane and turned into the building the leaders had exited.
Seeing his chance, he searched the alley and waved the others forward, darting to the wide building’s entrance. He didn’t bother opening the door, but rather slipped through the thick wood. The action felt odd to him. Though he had been a ghost for two decades, he had always used doors and windows correctly and so had never gotten used to drifting through solid objects.
Inside, the darkness was absolute. Eddrick paused and waited for his eyes to adjust. A tiny sliver of light streamed through the crack under the door, giving just enough light to make out the rough walls of the small room. They were in a foyer. One door marked the center of each wall. He startled as someone grabbed his elbow. Kiri clutched his arm, eyes wide with terror.
“I think we should leave,” she whispered. “I don’t like this place.”
He ground his teeth together. There was an uneasy quality to this building that he hadn’t sensed from the outside: something was very wrong here. In his gut, he wanted nothing more than to run, to get as far away from here as he could. Instead, he moved toward the mountain. The sense of dread increased with every inch he moved, accompanied by
the certainty that he had to know what secrets this mountain hid. They didn’t have much time. Helak entered this building every day after breakfast, and he would have just started his meal.
As he stepped up to the door, Agommi shook his head.
“I have to agree with Kiri. I don’t think we should be here.”
“No, Eddrick is quite correct. We must see what is in there. I sense something…wrong in this place.” Glesni drifted over to stand beside Eddrick. Kiri made a face, but joined them, and Agommi followed her.
Eddrick waited, listening. Had anyone within heard their whispered conversation? No light showed beneath the door, but that didn’t mean the space was empty. He had seen several spirits lingering around this building on previous visits. When only silence reached his ears, he pressed his face through the door, ready to withdraw at any hint of danger.
Only velvet blackness greeted him on the other side. His eyes adjusted and a faint blue light lit the space, emanating from a corridor cut into the mountain. He pulled the rest of his body through the thick wooden door and waited until the others joined him. The sense of foreboding choked him, and he fought the urge to escape the way they had come.
Eddrick drifted down the stone corridor without a sound, fighting the desire to leave with every movement. Kiri clung to his arm, pulling back as if to stop his progress. The choking dread enveloped him, drowning out every urge except the will to flee, and he hesitated. Glesni drifted past him, taking the lead and moving toward the source of the strange blue light. Intricate tapestries covered the jagged stone walls and absorbed all sound, leaving a suffocating silence.
They crept along, following the sloping floor deeper into the mountain’s heart, the light growing brighter. After an eternity of dark, dreadful quiet, they emerged into a small cavern. Unlike the chiseled stone corridor, the cave was a natural part of the mountain; smooth outcroppings of stone jutted up from the floor and down from the ceiling, in some places meeting to form pale stone pillars. Off to the right sat a broad, raised platform. This was the source of the blue light, blinding in intensity. The light streamed upward from cracks between the platform’s stones, illuminating a crystalline cube that hovered above the dais.
Unable to proceed, Eddrick froze at the entrance to the cavern and gaped at the floating box. Dark shapes he couldn’t identify hovered at the center of the crystal case, but he wouldn’t step closer to get a better look. They had found the source of the repellent dread. As he stood rooted to the spot, Glesni moved into the room and drifted toward the platform. His lips moved as if he spoke.
He must be communicating with the ancients.
They had said Glesni would be their eyes. Perhaps one of them would recognize this design and give them some guidance on how to proceed.
Moving quickly, Glesni strode up to the platform and circled it. Without warning, he stopped, gestured to the dark corridor, and ducked behind a broad stalagmite. In a breath, Eddrick understood. They had lingered too long. Bright light shone from the hall as the building's owners entered. He grabbed Kiri and dove behind a wide pillar, glancing up as Agommi vanished into the dimness on the other side of the doorway.
No sooner were the trespassers out of sight than Helak strode into the room. He hung his lantern on a hook beside the door, removed his shoes, and padded toward the platform and the strange, suspended cube.
Eddrick shifted to get a better view as the pillar came between him and the disfigured man. As he watched, Helak raised his hand, tracing his scars with his fingertips, and dropped to his knees before the unusual structure.
“I’m so sorry it’s taking so long, love,” he murmured. “They promised it won’t be much longer now. The forest is dying, so the tree will have to give up her fruit, or perish. I’ll have you back before spring, and we’ll do all the things I ever promised.”
A tap on his shoulder startled Eddrick, and he clamped his mouth closed to keep from shouting in alarm. Glesni hovered behind him, gesturing to the door. Now was their chance to escape. Eddrick nodded and ushered Kiri out in front of him. From the corner of his eye, he saw Agommi rushing toward the exit behind him.
They floated toward the building at the cave's entrance, careful not to touch anything along the way, and paused in front of the door. Likely guards were waiting for their leader beyond that door.
“Hey!” Someone yanked the door open and shouted.
Spirits rushed toward them through the open door, the bright light blinding after the cavern’s dimness.
Eddrick grabbed Kiri’s hand, then Agommi’s, and waited for Glesni to close the circle before they all closed their eyes and flew to the hill outside the City of the Ancients.
The bright morning sun blinded him as Eddrick worked to calm his frayed nerves. Kiri threw herself in his arms, trembling from mingled terror and relief.
“We had better get back to Ghindamia Hall. The others are waiting.” Glesni took off toward the city gates, leaving the others to follow. Eddrick glanced behind, worried the spirits might have chased them, but none appeared nearby.
Keeping an arm around Kiri, Eddrick raced toward the city and the uncertainty of another meeting with the ancients. Their visit to Helak’s camp had left more questions than answers. What was in that cube? And what did Helak’s words in the platform room mean? He wanted the forest to die, but what would he do with the fruit if he got it? And what fruit was he looking for? He had to mean something from the Shadow Trees, but the only product Eddrick had seen them produce were the deep brown seeds the villagers used to make their favorite beverage, famanc.
His mind whirled, seeking answers, as he raced behind the papery figure toward the demon-guarded city.
* * *
Ahren stepped into the cold night air and glanced up at the sky. The wind whipped her hair into her face as she crossed the empty Square and stopped at a newly-occupied house. She gave a soft knock and shivered. The night had turned cold, the heavy clouds warning of snow. She would keep her visit brief. Reaching into her pocket, she touched the small packet once more as the door swung open.
A young boy beamed a toothless grin. She returned his smile and swept into the warm foyer.
“How d’ya like our new place, miss Ahren?” The boy spoke with a lisp, and Ahren’s grin stretched wider.
“I think it’s wonderful. It’ll keep you safe and warm and comfortable until we can get the forest back to normal.” She ruffled his black hair and searched the faces in the room. “Is Tamyr around? I need to speak with her.”
His head bobbed before he scurried through the arched hall. As he ran, he shouted, “Tamyr! Tamyr! You have a visitor!”
While she waited, Ahren strolled into the great room and exchanged pleasantries with the adults gathered there. They perched on the edges of furniture and stepped around rugs, their discomfort in the opulent surroundings on full display. Their worn, dirty work clothes stood in stark contrast to the lush decorations.
Ahren smiled and chatted and tried to ease the residents into their surroundings by pointing out how easy to clean the overstuffed sofa was and how soft the rug felt under her feet. It didn’t help. No one relaxed into the chairs or stepped onto the carpet except the children, who lounged as if they belonged there.
The minutes stretched as Ahren made small talk and waited for her friend. She had begun to worry that Tamyr hadn’t moved with the others when the washwoman strolled into the room, tying her dripping hair back as she walked.
“There you are! I was starting to wonder.” Ahren smiled and met her friend halfway into the room. “Is there someplace we can talk?”
“Sure. I have my own room here, so we can talk in there.” She spun on her bare heel and returned the way she had come, leading Ahren down the long hall and into a small bedroom at the back of the house.
The room was cozy, about half the size of Ahren's bedchamber, with rich brown and red curtains that matched the rug and the heavy quilt on the bed. A fire crackled on the hearth in front of two brown chairs. They
sat and absorbed the warmth.
“Please, thank your father for finding us such a wonderful place to stay. This is so much better than anything we expected.”
Ahren nodded. “I will. He was worried you wouldn’t feel comfortable here, and the others look like they’re afraid to touch anything.”
“Yeah, they’re having a tough time settling in, but it’s only the first day.” Tamyr grinned and stretched, burrowing into the puffy chair. “I don’t think it’ll take them long. Everything’s just so comfortable!”
With a heavy sigh, Ahren leaned forward and grabbed Tamyr’s hand. Ignoring her friend’s confused expression, she pressed the packet of herbs into the open palm and withdrew her hands.
“What’s this?” Tamyr turned the leather pouch over in her hands, frowning. “How did you get this?”
“Did you try to poison the mayor? Aibek gave this to my father for safekeeping, and it won’t take him long to figure out what these are.” She pointed to the dried herbs nestled in the folds of paper.
Deep lines appeared between Tamyr’s brows as she examined the packet. Anger flushed her cheeks when she spoke again.
“Who did this? I gave him medicinals in case he or the others got hurt or sick–and I heard Serik used something to help heal the mayor when the emrialk nearly killed him.” She shook her head and tossed the paper-encased herbs on the table between the chairs. “Who would have changed out the herbs and replaced them with poison?”
“Are you sure you didn’t give him these? That’s your handwriting, and you made no secret of the fact that you hoped he wouldn’t return.”
Tamyr examined the packet again. “Yes, it’s my writing. I gave him a packet of herbs before his trip, but not these. I…I…I’m being framed–again!”
Tears welled in her eyes, spilled over, and ran down her cheeks. “You have to believe me. You do, don’t you?”
Ahren shook her head, unsure what to believe. Her mind drifted over Tamyr’s reactions when they had thought the party had perished in the forest. She certainly hadn’t mourned them like the rest of the village. In fact, she’d been downright joyful over the prospect of a new mayor.
The Nivaka Chronicles Boxed Set Page 53