Turan and Idril leaned close together, and Aibek couldn’t make out what they whispered to each other. When they straightened, Turan wore a resigned expression, but Idril’s face was as cold and unreadable as ever.
“You have our attention. State your demands.” Idril’s voice mirrored the coldness in her features.
“I have no demands, only a request,” he paused when Idril whispered something to Turan. “And a warning,” he added when she’d turned back to him.
The dwarf queen drew her self up as straight as she could without standing, anger flashing in her eyes. “You dare speak to me of a warning? What kind of meeting did you suppose this would be? Three of you — unarmed — surrounded by my guards?”
Aibek smiled. “I did not threaten you, fair queen. My warning is not of any danger from me or my warriors. The Bokinna has agreed to move the shadow trees—”
“What?” Turan’s sharp exclamation echoed within the chamber. “She hasn’t moved in over a thousand years!”
Aibek continued as if he hadn’t spoken, “ — to the perimeter of the forest to strengthen our defenses and make it harder for the enemy soldiers to enter the forest.”
The guards pointed their spears and axes at Aibek, as if to ward off the surprise of his words.
“That means landmarks will be changing, and creatures that rarely come near our villages may become a threat. That is my warning to you.
“My request is leniency. Because of the very things I just said, I’m afraid my hunters may get lost and wind up wandering close to sunset. If that happens, I ask that you point them in the right direction rather than attacking outright. Any who refuse your aid will be fair game for your warriors.”
Silence grew in the chamber as the rulers took in Aibek’s words. After a long pause, Turan leaned close to Idril and murmured something in her ear. She replied immediately, her clipped tones betraying her irritation. Aibek kept his face carefully blank. If the queen detected any hint of emotion in him, it could lead to disaster.
While the rulers conferred, Aibek settled back into the plush chair. He feared he’d pay for his impulsivity in giving up the seat when he had to walk the trails back to Nivaka without sufficient rest.
Idril and Turan spat whispered retorts between themselves for a long while, and Aibek’s anxiety increased with each passing moment. When he couldn’t stand it any longer, he glanced over at Serik, who smiled and nodded in encouragement. Aibek took a deep, calming breath and settled back to wait out the agitated rulers. Every few seconds, Serik cleared his throat or coughed, and Aibek worried about his friend’s health.
“Excuse me,” he interjected after what had to have been an hour of deliberation.
Simmering rage shone in the queen’s eyes when she directed her glare at him. “What more could you possibly want?”
Aibek tipped his head in Serik’s direction. “My companion isn’t as young as the rest of us. Would it be possible for him to get some water while we wait for your decision?” He bowed low as he finished his request, and act of deference he had resisted up to this point in the meeting.
The queen nodded to a guard and continued her heated conversation with the king. A heartbeat later, the guard appeared with a pitcher of water and three unadorned stone cups. Aibek gratefully gulped down the tepid liquid and handed back the cup. The soldier didn’t offer to refill it but placed it atop the pitcher and waited for Serik and Faruz to finish their drinks.
When the guard disappeared through the entrance the rulers had used earlier, Aibek sat back and fought the urge to fidget while he waited.
An eternity passed in the windowless cavern, but eventually the king and queen leaned forward and turned their attention back to Aibek.
“We’ve discussed your… ahh… request.” The faintest hint of pink colored Turan’s cheeks. “I do apologize for the long delay.”
Aibek sat up straighter, eager to hear their decision.
“Your demands are unusual,” Idril said, fluffing her daffodil-colored skirts. “But that is due to the extremely rare circumstances that require them. We will do as you ask and allow some leniency in the deadline for your hunters to be back in the trees, but we will not hesitate to capture or kill any who refuse our aid. These coming months may prove very trying, indeed.”
Turan raised a hand, and Idril fell silent. “We will accept your offer to put ten of our warriors into the division of dragon riders you’re building. As you pointed out, you did not have to offer us any such positions, and ten is a generous number. We will have a list of names to you before the week is out.”
With that, the king and queen stood and exited the cavern, leaving Aibek, Serik, and Faruz to make their way through the earthen corridor. Aibek held his silence until the friends had ascended the stairs into Nivaka.
“I can’t believe that worked!” He grinned, weak with joy and relief and hunger. Noon had come and gone while they’d waited below ground for the rulers’ decision.
“That was perfect,” Faruz said, clapping Aibek on the shoulder. He stepped away, moving quickly toward his house before Aibek could respond.
Serik said nothing until they’d entered their home. “Well done,” the old man said softly. “But be careful not to treat them so casually again for quite some time. You rattled them. They won’t respond kindly if you do it again.”
“Thank you. I don’t think I’ll need to be so bold with them again. I was terrified it would blow up in my face like the black powder we studied at the Academy.”
Once they’d traded their boots for the slippers they wore in the treetops, they went straight to the kitchen for an early supper.
8
Training
Water hissed and steamed, spitting against the glowing metal. Noral dunked the new cart axle again, cooling and tempering the iron. He stood and stretched, pulled the iron out of the water, and set it on his worktable. He went through the motions of cleaning up his shop, but his mind wandered. The recent visit to Nivaka had left him homesick for the village of his youth, and the city felt more cramped and crowded than ever.
Distracted and sad, he stepped out into the afternoon sun and made his way to the market. He’d been searching for a gift for Ira, something to cheer her up a bit. She’d been tearful and quiet since they’d returned from their trip.
“Maybe she’s right,” he muttered, ducking into a shop with colorful baubles lining the shelves.
His wife had been pushing him to sell his shop and move back to the forest in the south, where they could be close to the young man they’d raised for twenty years. Before their visit, she’d assured him she’d be content with regular trips to see Aibek, but since their return she’d talked of nothing but the lush forest and the friendly villagers.
He chose a bright green pendant shaped like a leaf, then selected a fine silver chain that would shimmer against Ira’s golden skin. He paid for the gift. While he waited for the shopkeeper to wrap it up, he scanned the crowd bustling through the streets outside.
His eyebrows drew together at the sight of so many mountain tribesmen. With their long, tangled beards and worn leather clothing they stood out amongst Xona’s clean, linen-clad citizens.
“What do you think all these travelers are doing here, Owein?” Noral gestured to the window and accepted the freshly wrapped package.
“I don’t know. They’re certainly strange, but they haven’t done any harm, far’s I know. I say leave ‘em be. They’ll probably move on once the mountain snow melts away.” The shopkeeper turned his attention to a pair of earrings he was mending, and Noral stepped out into the street.
He kept his head down but focused his attention on the snippets of conversation around him as he strolled toward home.
“…almost time…”
“…new city…”
“…a little longer…”
“…Helak…”
The words and phrases chilled him to the bone, and Noral picked up his pace. He sighed when he stepped through t
he door to the little home he shared with Ira. He leaned back against the door and smiled at Ira’s flour-dusted face when she rushed in from the kitchen.
“You’ve been harassing the cook again?” He brushed a white streak away from her eye with his thumb.
She smiled up at him, and his heart swelled. “I’m not harassing anyone. I thought I’d teach her how to make those lovely cakes we had in Nivaka. I made sure to get the recipe from Aibek’s cook before we left.”
He squeezed her tighter, then pulled back and drew the package from the pocket of his linen shirt.
“What’s this?”
“I saw this in Owein’s shop and thought you’d like it. Go ahead. Open it.”
She untied the string and delicately peeled back the layers of brown paper. He fought the urge to take the gift from her and rip it open.
When she finally reached the pendant, her eyes went wide. Noral lifted the delicate chain and fastened it around her neck.
“It’s beautiful.” Confusion shone in her eyes. “But what’s the occasion?”
“I’ve decided you’re right. When winter breaks in the south, we’ll move down to Nivaka to be close to Aibek.”
The smile that lit her face took his breath away. “Oh, that will be perfect! There’s so much to do! Will we have enough time? Spring’s only a few months away.”
With that, she kissed him on the lips and rushed off into the kitchen, presumably to tell the cook and maid they were all moving to the forest.
Ira chattered like a schoolgirl throughout supper, her joy contagious. Noral listened and smiled but said very little.
When they’d finished eating and clearing the dishes, he donned his jacket. “I have a quick errand to run,” he told Ira. “I’ll be home soon.”
Huddled forms lined the darkened streets, a sign that the travelers had overflowed all the inns in the area and had spilled out into the alleys and onto porches.
Noral kept his eyes on the uneven cobblestones, dimly lit by occasional lamps along the roadside. He hurried along the familiar path to the army academy where Aibek had spent so many years as a student.
Self-consciousness nearly overwhelmed him as he approached the family entrance, and he turned toward the large, pillared porch. He tugged on the two-story doors, opening one just enough for him to slip inside and pulling it closed behind him.
His heels clacked against the marble floor, the sound echoing through the abandoned entryway. The residents would be either in the dorms or the dining hall at that hour. Ignoring the press of memories that threatened to overwhelm him, Noral strode toward the administrative offices at the rear of the entry hall.
A head poked out of a door, and Noral picked up his pace.
“Noral? Is that you? What are you doing here so late? Come in, come in. How’s Aibek doing?”
Noral shook his friend’s hand and stepped into the cluttered office. Stacks of papers lined the heavy iron desk, and a half-filled page sat in front of the abandoned chair. Bright tapestries lined the stone walls, dulling the sound within the narrow room.
“Cadwy, it is me. It’s great to see you again. Aibek’s doing well. The people in Nivaka love him.”
“You’re looking well. How’s the wife?” Cadwy settled into his chair and waved Noral into an empty seat across from him. The silver streaks lining his temples had grown in the months since Noral had seen him last, but his yellow officer’s uniform was as crisp as ever.
“Ira’s doing well,” Noral answered. “But I didn’t come just to catch up. We’ve got a problem.”
Cadwy’s weathered brow wrinkled. “What kind of problem?”
“I don’t know how much you’ve been out in the city recently—”
“Not much. The new students just started a few weeks ago.”
Noral nodded. “Well, in the past several weeks, hundreds, maybe thousands, of mountain tribesmen have moved into the city. They’re coming in groups of three or four, so they’re not being stopped at the gates, but I’m concerned.”
“Is that all?” Cadwy laughed. “I’m sure we have nothing to fear from a group of mountain hunters escaping the winter freeze.”
“I’m not so certain. I’ve been listening to their conversations.” Noral raised his head and met Cadwy’s eyes. “They work for Helak, the same man who ordered the attack on my son’s village, and who has threatened to overthrow all of Azalin.”
“What harm could they do? We have a fully trained army in the city, and eight more battalions within a day’s march. They don’t stand a chance here!”
“They’re coordinating somehow.” Noral stood, desperate to make his friend understand the danger. “If they have several thousand men inside the city walls, closing the gates won’t save us. And most of Xona’s army is camped outside the city right now.”
“All right. I’ll give you that. We’re not prepared for an inside attack.” Cadwy pressed his palms flat against his desk and leaned forward. “I’ll pass along your concerns. You’ve never been one to overreact or exaggerate a warning. We should at least be keeping tabs on these travelers while they’re here.”
Relief flowed over Noral, weakening his legs, and he sank into the chair. “Thank you. It might not be a bad idea to call the army back from their training outside the city, too.”
“That’s above my station, but I’ll pass along your concerns. Since I took the position here, I don’t seem to have as much pull in the army as I used to.”
Noral nodded. “So, how’s your daughter doing? She must be getting close to old enough to come out, right?”
The two old friends spent the next half hour catching up on each other’s lives, and finally Noral made his way home, satisfied that his worries would make it to the highest generals in Xona’s army.
* * *
“Are you ready?” Faruz grinned, poking Aibek in the arm. “Let’s go, already!”
Aibek swung his pack over his shoulder and worked to hide his nervousness. “I’m ready.”
In his years of military training, nothing had prepared him to fight on a dragon’s back. This would be his first training session, both with the dragon and with the tincture Valasa had made from the Saethem’s seeds. The Bokinna had given very specific instructions on how to grind and mix the seeds with fairy wine and shadow tree sap to make a thick, oily tincture, but she hadn’t said what it would do. Instead, she’d instructed Aibek to bring the mixture to her, so she could teach him how to use it. She’d agreed to allow Faruz to participate only on Aibek’s continued pleading.
He tucked the precious vials into his pocket and stood.
Side by side, Aibek, Faruz, and Serik left the village. “Are you sure you want to go?” Aibek asked Serik as they descended the broad stairs at the east entrance.
“I wouldn’t miss it.” Serik smiled and patted Aibek’s arm. “I’ll just sit with the Bokinna while you train with the dragons. I’m too old for your potion or battle. When the time comes, I’ll stay with Valasa and help with the injured, instead.”
Aibek nodded and strolled with his friends to the clearing nearby where they’d agreed to meet the dragons. His leg throbbed from the previous day’s activity. A large storm had blown down several large branches, and he had joined the party that had prepared the wood for storage in the low warehouses near the edge of the village.
Deep down, he hoped the tincture would heal his leg, though he was trying not to get his hopes up too high. The stories Ira had read him as a child had spoken of magical potions that could cure all manner of illnesses and injuries, though those stories had proven somewhat unreliable in the past year. Yes, fairies and emrialks and dragons were real, but they were nothing like the stories had made them sound.
Rumbling and chirps rang through the forest. Aibek picked up his pace, eager to see the friendly dragons again. The stories had been wrong about them, too. They were nothing like the blood-thirsty beasts he’d expected.
They kept their greetings short and climbed onto the dragons’ backs
for the trip to the Heart of the Forest.
This time, Aibek kept his eyes open and his head down as they flew, watching the trees, streams, villages, and lakes drift past below Gworsad’s leathery wings.
A mixture of excitement and anxiety fluttered in his belly. He had no idea what kind of magic to expect from the potion but knew it must be powerful for Helak to want it so badly.
The flight lasted only a few minutes, and soon Gworsad tucked his wings and dove into the forest. Aibek’s heart lurched into his throat, and he clung to the dragon’s neck with all his might, smashing Serik between his chest and the dragon’s mossy frill. He relaxed when Gworsad pulled up and set himself gently on the ground. Aibek climbed down and helped Serik to the soft ground.
Faruz whooped as his dragon dove through the trees. Aibek and serik stepped into the space between two large Shadow Trees so they’d be out of the way for Gamne and Faruz to land.
When all the friends were on the ground, they stepped together into the Bokinna’s inner sanctum.
“Ahh, you have come,” the great tree whispered. “I must thank you for helping me heal myself and my shadows.”
When no one moved into the clearing, she added, “You may approach.”
Aibek and Faruz did as they were told, but Serik sat against a tree at the edge of the clearing to watch.
Clear green eyes stared down at them from the middle of the great tree’s trunk, and Aibek dropped to a knee under her watchful gaze. Beside him, Faruz lowered himself to his knees.
“You have brought the seed powder?” The Bokinna’s voice carried on the wind and vibrated through Aibek’s chest.
“Yes, I have it. Valasa prepared it exactly as you ordered.” Aibek pulled the tiny vials out of his pocket and held them up for the Bokinna to see.
“Excellent. They will give you no abilities you do not already possess but will increase the abilities you have. You must be careful not to harm yourself or others while you’re learning to control the power.”
The Nivaka Chronicles Boxed Set Page 64