Disappointment flared in Aibek’s chest, but he stuffed it down. He still didn’t know exactly what the seed potion would do.
“Go ahead and drink one.”
Aibek handed a vial to Faruz, and they each downed the contents with a quick gulp. Bitterness exploded in Aibek’s mouth and slithered down his throat. He fought the urge to gag and reached for his water skin. Eyes watering, he washed down the disgusting concoction and swiped a hand across his mouth.
Within a few heartbeats, Aibek felt power pounding through his whole body. Strength grew in his arms and legs, and his vision sharpened.
"What do you feel?" the Bokinna asked, peering down at him.
Aibek raised his head. "Everything." He hesitated, but gave in and asked, “Madam tree, will this heal my leg? And Faruz’s?”
A gentle smile lit the Bokinna’s face. “It will help, though not right away, and perhaps not completely. Your injuries are old, and the scarring makes it harder to heal.”
He struggled to define the sensations and emotions warring within. Relief, certainly, at the hope for healing. Worry that he may end up with a permanent limp despite the tincture. His vision sharpened, drawing his mind away from the injury. The pain in his leg faded, and the sounds of scurrying insects carried to his ears.
"Very well," the ancient tree said. "Lay down your sword, and we shall begin. You won't need a weapon at first.
Moving slowly, unsure of how to use his arms and legs with this new strength, Aibek did as he was told. Beside him, Faruz did the same.
Aibek’s leg didn't hurt, but he could feel the weakness in it when he stood.
"Now, do you see those logs over there?" A long branch reached out and gestured to a neat stack of logs at the edge of the clearing. They didn’t have the smooth edges of wood that had been cut with a saw or an axe, but looked splintered and jagged, as if the dragons had snapped whole trees into smaller pieces.
"Yes," Aibek said hesitantly.
"Bring them to me."
Aibek frowned, confused, but moved to comply. His legs moved faster than they ever had before, the speed blurring movements around him. In a blink he and Faruz arrived at the logs.
Wondering how much he could do, Aibek lifted a log in one hand. He moved it easily, but struggled to control the speed and trajectory. Before he knew it, the log flew through the air.
"Look out!" Aibek shouted at Serik.
The old man scurried away a breath before the log flew over the spot where he’d been sitting.
"I'm so sorry!" Aibek stepped away from the logs.
Faruz met Aibek’s worried gaze and glanced down at the pile of logs in front of him. Hesitantly, he reached down and lifted one with both hands. Like Aibek, he flung it upwards, but his second hand shifted the lode backwards over his head where it landed harmlessly in a pile of brush.
"So you see," the ancient tree said, "this will not be easy. You must practice regularly, or you will be unable to control the power when you need it."
"But how do we learn to control it?" Aibek stepped closer to the tree, his hands outstretched.
"Come, sit in front of me. I shall tell you what I know. And then you will have to practice on your own."
Aibek settled onto the mossy ground and waited breathlessly for her to begin.
"It has been more than a hundred years since I have met anyone I believed could handle the power. It takes a great deal of inner strength to control. Without that strength and discipline, you will be a danger to yourself and everyone around you. When the seed powder is in use, you must consider every movement. You must think about what you want to do with any object you pick up, and you must plan for how you will set things down." She stared down at them with gentle green eyes. "I have no doubt you can handle this. But it will not be easy. You do not have much time to learn."
When she said nothing more, Aibek raised his eyes and stared up at her. "Surely there's more to it than that."
"No, child. It is just as simple and just as difficult as concentrating on your every movement. Now, bring the rest of those logs over here." She gestured with a branch to an empty place on her right.
Aibek eased himself to standing, focusing on his every movement as she had instructed. In a few steps, he crossed the clearing and stood in front of the logs once more.
Gingerly, he cupped a hand underneath a log. He held his breath, worried that he would toss this one too. To steady it, he placed the other hand on top and lifted it a hair’s breadth at a time until it was clear of the other logs.
Concentrating on every step, he moved across the clearing and set the log down where the Bokinna had indicated. As soon as his hands were free of the log, Aibek whooped in exultation.
Still grinning, he turned his attention to Faruz. His friend copied his technique and carried his log across the clearing. He set it beside the first and gave a cheer.
"If that's all you're going to have them do," Serik interjected, "I have some chores for them back in Nivaka."
Aibek, Faruz, and the Bokinna laughed.
They spent the rest of the day moving items small and large through the forest. They ran, they leapt, and they focused on picking up the tiniest seeds without crushing them. By the time the sky darkened with the sunset, Aibek was exhausted. His arms and legs were as heavy as the logs they had moved in the morning.
He didn't have the strength left to climb onto Gworsad’s back, so he swallowed his pride and allowed Gworsad’s mate, Tukanli, to lift him off the ground and set him between Gworsad’s wings.
The rhythmic beating of the dragon’s wings nearly lulled Aibek to sleep, but he awoke as the dragon tucked his wings and dove for the village.
They landed in the clearing where they had met the dragons earlier that morning. As soon as Faruz climbed down, he ran over to Aibek, excitement shining in his eyes.
"I think I’ve figured out a way to keep us on the dragons so we can free up our hands for battle."
"Well let's hear it." Aibek couldn't help grinning at Faruz’s excitement.
"What if —" Faurz patted Tukanli on the neck. "What if we use a leather strap to make a sort of harness to keep us on their backs?"
"Like farmers’ horses and oxes?" Gworsad asked, frowning. “That not sound comfortable.”
Faruz shook his head. “No. Nothing like that. Just a couple of straps around our legs to keep us from falling off of your back."
"Oh, yes that good idea." The dragon said.
"Do you think it has to be leather? We don't have very much leather available, and we have more than two dozen people who want to learn to ride the dragons." Aibek’s mind spun through the possibilities. "What if we use the heavy zontrec that we use for the armor?"
Excitement lit Faruz’s features. "That would work, too, and we could make it whatever color we want. Zifa would love that!”
Aibek laughed. "Come on, the sun’s setting. We’d better get home."
They trudged up the broad steps just as the sun’s final rays painted a spectacular vista across the sky. Faruz headed for home and his new bride, but Aibek turned toward Valasa’s home. He needed to update the Gadonu on the day’s events.
He examined the soothing pattern on the outer wall before he opened the door and strode inside without knocking.
Dalan, Valasa, and Ayja sat in the den, reclining in the plush furniture and chatting amongst themselves. Only Valasa stood when Aibek walked into the room.
“Well? How did it go? Come into my study and we’ll discuss your day. You look exhausted.”
The enormous healer didn’t give Aibek a chance to answer between questions but held open the door and waited for Aibek to enter his protected inner sanctum. Aibek kept his eyes down when he entered the narrow room. The rows of vials and books made him uncomfortable, so he didn’t look closer. Somehow this room watched him, judged him, and found him wanting.
The heavy door clicked behind him, and Valasa dropped into the closest chair. “So? How was it? I take it the tincture worke
d?”
Aibek settled into a chair beside the broad healer. “It worked,” he said. “It’s going to take some work to learn to use, though.”
“I wouldn’t expect anything less from the Bokinna.” Valasa laughed and poured them each a cup of water from a pitcher on the table.
Aibek gulped the water down and waited for Valasa to refill his cup. When he’d finished the second cup, he wiped his face with his sleeve. “Is there anything we can do about how tired the potion makes me? It’s great while it lasts, but when it wears off I have no energy left at all.”
“I’ll have to ask the forest about that one. I don’t know how the seeds react with other tinctures.” The large man leaned close and Aibek stared blankly at the droplets of water trapped in his long white beard. “How was it? What did it feel like?” Valasa whispered.
Aibek couldn’t contain a grin. “It was amazing. I was stronger than I’ve ever been before, and faster, too.”
“Is it hard? The few scrolls I’ve found say it’s next to impossible to use because the power takes over everything.”
A harsh laugh escaped Aibek’s lips. “Yes, it’s hard. I nearly crushed poor Serik with a log before the Bokinna told me how to work the magic. I don’t know how I’ll manage that kind of concentration in battle. I’ll just have to keep practicing, I guess.” Aibek paused and cocked his head, considering. “How much of the powder do we have?”
“How many of the vials did you use today?”
Aibek turned out his pockets and counted the empty vials. He placed three full ampules on the table. “Only two each. It lasts pretty long, but four vials a day will use it up in a hurry.”
A long, low whistle escaped Valasa’s lips. “Well, at that rate, you’ll run out within a month of practice. We’ll have to ask the Bokinna if she can make us any more, but winter’s coming up fast, so I don’t know if she can.”
* * *
Eddrick hid in a scrubby tree at the camp’s border. Kiri, Agommi, and Glesni had stayed low, concealed by the scrubby bushes that defined the landscape. They hadn’t found the army in the desert, where it had been for so many months before, but in the tall grasses of the plain south of Xona. The camp against the mountain had been abandoned, the tents gone, the buildings knocked down. The passage into the mountain sat wide open, a gaping, exposed sore on the sheer wall of rock.
Eddrick tried to mimic the birds’ movement, flitting from branch to branch, as he watched the camp below. He hadn’t seen Helak or any of the higher officers among this group, so he worried that the army had split. He and Kiri had to stay together, so a divided army would present new challenges.
The guards strolled through their oval patrol, and when they’d passed his position, Eddrick dropped to the ground beside Kiri. Careful not to make a sound, he motioned the others away from the camp. They formed a circle and held on to each other, closed their eyes, and appeared in the suite of rooms where Eddrick and Kiri spent most of their time.
“Well?” Eddrick asked as soon as they arrived. “Did you see Helak?”
Kiri shook her head, and Agommi murmured a quiet, “No. I haven’t seen him or any of his advisers. Have you?”
Silence was Eddrick’s only answer. Rain lashed against the windows and Eddrick drifted over to watch the storm.
“Where is he?” he muttered.
“What?” Kiri’s hand tapped his shoulder.
Frustration colored Eddrick’s voice, but he didn’t turn to her. “Why can’t I find him?”
“Well, let’s see if we can think through his strategy.” Kiri hovered near the fireplace, a few paces behind her husband. “Part of his army is heading north along the plains. Towards what? What could they be going after? My guess is the rest of the army’s heading south to the forest.”
Eddrick stopped and spun on his heel, turning to face Glesni. “We need to split up. Is there anyone else who could come with us? Or could my father serve as a chaperon to make sure I stay out of trouble?” Bitterness laced his voice at the admission that the ancients didn’t trust him, but he didn’t stop. “We’re no longer watching an army. We’re watching two.”
“Let me consult the others.” Glesni floated to the sofa and hovered above a cushion, closed his eyes, and went completely still.
Eddrick strolled over to Agommi, leaving a wide space around the sofa to avoid disturbing Glesni. “I hope you don’t mind that I offered you up as a nanny. I didn’t think first.”
To Eddrick’s relief, Agommi smiled and pressed a hand on his arm. “Of course not. I’d be happy to tag along with one of you if they approve it.”
“Thank you.”
Silence fell, and Eddrick settled in to wait. Sometimes, Glesni would get an answer from the ancients right away. Other times, they could take days. Either way, he wouldn’t move until they responded to the petition.
9
Group Practice
Two days later, Aibek stood at the center of the broad clearing by the river. The day had turned unseasonably warm, and a gentle breeze carried the river’s mist over the pebbled clearing. Mayors, elves, dwarves, and dragons crowded around, filling the space between the forest’s edge and the swirling water. He stepped up onto a fallen tree and cupped his hands over his mouth so the furthest members of the group could hear him.
“All right.” His voice cracked at the strain of shouting over the river, but he continued. “We’ll spend today doing a series of challenges to see which person fits best with which dragon. Each of you, choose a dragon for the first challenge.”
“How do we choose if we don’t know what the challenge is?” Bartel asked, frowning.
“You’ll need to be able to do anything and everything with your partner dragon, so it shouldn’t matter what the first challenge is,” Aibek shouted back.
Several individuals nodded and they all spread out, each choosing a dragon. Aibek stepped up beside Gworsad. The elves and dwarves moved opposite Aibek’s expectations and each chose one of the largest dragons. He’d sworn to treat them no differently than the other riders, so he resisted the urge to acknowledge their choices.
When each dragon had a person, he climbed onto Gworsad’s back and cupped his hands around his mouth once more.
“Now, when I count to ten, you’ll each need to mount your dragon, fly to the river’s bend, and retrieve a log without landing. Bring the logs back here as quickly as you can. I warn you; this isn’t as simple as it sounds.”
Aibek counted to ten, and he and Gworsad stayed in the clearing as the others flew off into the distance. The Bokinna had given him a series of tasks to make sure the dragons and riders could work together, and he and Gworsad had done each one the day before. Faruz and Gamne waited at the southern bend and would make sure none of the others cheated on this task.
Exhausted from the previous day’s activities, Aibek laid his head on Gworsad’s neck and dozed while he waited for the others to return.
A gust of wind awakened him, and he glanced up to see Marah and Tukanli hovering over the clearing, a huge log clutched in Tukanli’s massive claws.
“Set it at the end of the clearing. We’ll make a pile there.”
They did as directed and landed beside him, Tukanli’s long, narrow feet leaving strange divots in the pebbled ground.
“That’s amazing!” Marah laughed. “I almost fainted when she dove for the log. I thought she would throw me for sure, but then she grabbed it and pulled up and I had to hold onto her collar and I thought I’d lose my breakfast. Where are the others?”
Aibek raised his eyes to the southern sky, where at least a dozen dragons darkened the horizon. “They’re coming. Tukanli’s a bit faster than most.”
A deep rumbling sounded from Gworsad’s throat as the great dragon rubbed his chin along Tukanli’s neck.
“She’s amazing.” Marah patted Tukanli’s front leg, an expression of awe on her face.
The others arrived in a flurry of activity and wind, the dragons’ wings stirring the air into wi
ld currents.
When everyone had dismounted, Aibek shouted over the river’s noise. “Now, each of you must confer with your dragon and decide together whether you’ll do this next challenge with the same dragon or try a different pairing.”
“How can we decide that if we don’t know what the task is?” Someone yelled from the back.
“The task is unimportant. The team is the point here. Discuss with your dragon. Did you work well together? Or would you work better in a different team?”
The murmur of many voices complimented the rushing of the river. Aibek sat on his log and waited for the others to make their decisions.
During a lull in conversations, he cupped his hands over his mouth. “When you’ve paired up with a dragon for the next task, come get a drink of water and a snack.”
Half the assembled riders rushed close, pouring water from the skins Aibek had brought along and filling their hands with nuts.
The dragons drifted to the river and drank from the swirling pools near the bank.
When everyone had a dragon and had finished their snacks, Aibek gave them their next task.
“This time, you’ll fly to the southern clearing, dismount, knock the ‘head’ off your assigned enemy, climb back onto your dragon, and return here. Each dragon has a colored tag. Your enemy will have a matching tag. Everyone, on your dragons!”
The riders scrambled to their dragons and Aibek wished he could participate. This had been his favorite task when he’d done them with Gworsad.
The day passed in a flurry of activity as the riders and dragons performed increasingly difficult tasks together. The groundfolk blended seamlessly into the new division, laughing and joking with the others as if they’d been friends for years. Before the end of the day, the dragons and riders were paired to everyone’s satisfaction.
The dragons took their riders home, each aware that real training would begin the next day.
Soon after sunrise, the group assembled in the clearing once more, and the groundfolk mingled within the groups of villagers. It would be another warm, breezy autumn day.
The Nivaka Chronicles Boxed Set Page 65