The Nivaka Chronicles Boxed Set

by Leslie E Heath

  Aibek inhaled the fresh, earthen scent of the forest and reveled in the river’s gentle mist on his face.

  “All right,” Aibek shouted.

  The group gathered close.

  “Today we’re going to see what we can do. Our practice enemies are set up in the clearing again. I trust you all brought your weapons?”

  Steel flashed in the growing sunlight as the fighters drew swords and held bows aloft.

  “Excellent. Use the weapon you’re most comfortable with. Kill your assigned enemy only. Work on communicating with your dragon. This is harder than it sounds, since you’ll be shouting over the rushing wind. The woodsmiths are working on speaking trumpets to make this easier, but they won’t be ready for at least a week.”

  Several riders groaned. Aibek continued as if he hadn’t heard them. “And Faruz has been working on a way to keep us on the dragons so we’ll have our hands free, and he’s going to show us all how it works now.”

  Faruz grinned and held a long, undyed zontrec rope up over his head. “I have enough rope here for each of us. Come get one so you can do as I do.”

  When everyone had a rope, he walked them through the steps of winding it over and around the dragon’s front legs so they would have something to attach their legs to the dragon without impeding the dragon’s movement.

  Aibek watched with pride as his friend demonstrated his idea. He’d spent hours working with Gamne, his dragon. Together, they’d come up with a solution that worked for both members of the team.

  Some of the riders were still extremely timid around their dragons, but Aibek hoped the day’s exercises would put them at ease. He tied his own rope onto Gworsad and climbed onto the dragon’s back.

  He watched and waited while the others all did the same. As soon as the last rider was mounted, Gworsad spread his great wings and lifted off, the pressure creating a giddy rush in Aibek’s chest.

  Marah and Tukanli lifted off next and flew beside Aibek to the clearing. There, when Aibek and Gworsad swooped in to attack his practice enemy, Marah pulled out a lightweight bow and loosed several arrows in quick succession. Each one struck its mark, and arrows protruded from the dummy’s chest and head in seconds.

  Distracted by Marah’s marksmanship, Aibek forgot to follow through on his swing and nearly dropped his sword. Gworsad circled around again so he could try again, and that time he didn’t miss. His sword sliced easily through the dummy’s wooden neck and sent its stuffed head rolling down the hill.

  They’d outpaced the other dragons again, so Gworsad and Tukanli landed at the north end of the clearing to wait for the rest of the teams.

  “That was amazing!” Aibek grinned at Marah as soon as she’d dismounted. “I had no idea you could do that!”

  Pink color heated her cheeks, and Marah smiled. “My father taught me. He was one of our village’s best hunters. I used to love going with him to find food when I was little.”

  “Well, I’m certainly glad he taught you. I’ve never seen anyone shoot like that before.”

  Aibek tossed caution to the wind, grabbed her, and pressed his lips to hers.

  The warm welcome of her kiss heated him within, and his hand tangled in her hair. He nudged her lips apart and delved deeply into the heat of her mouth, exploring the velvet secrets within.

  Her arms wrapped around his waist, holding him close as she kissed him back.

  His breath came in shallow gasps when he broke off the kiss. At her confused look, he pointed to the treetops. “Sorry. The other’s’ll be here any second. I shouldn’t have done that.”

  She only shook her head and smoothed a hand over the curls that had escaped her braids.

  The pairs arrived in clusters and groups. Some wielded their weapons easily and dispatched their pretend foes, while others struggled to stay upright on their dragons’ backs. Several looked as if they’d passed out during the flight.

  When all the foes had been vanquished, Aibek mounted Gworsad. “Again! There’s another practice army in the northern clearing.”

  Without another word, he and Gworsad took off, leaving the others to follow.

  The day passed in a flurry of flights, weapons, and teamwork. By the time the dragons deposited their riders at their respective villages, Aibek thought even the shyest riders had become more comfortable with their enormous fire-breathing friends.

  Aibek longed to spend time in his meditation room with his parents, but the week’s activities had left him completely drained. Instead, he devoured every morsel of the roast foul and root vegetables his cook prepared and fell into bed at the first opportunity.

  * * *

  Ahren kept her eyes on the target in front of her. All the other archers had run to see the dragons when they’d heard the rumblings overhead, but she didn’t have any interest in the beasts. If she were honest, she’d rather stay as far away from them as she could. She’d heard too many stories of people being attacked by dragons, and dozens of Tavan’s soldiers had returned with deadly burns that could only have come from the forest’s protectors.

  The bowstring creaked under her pull, and another arrow flew into the forest. The wind carried it further right than she expected, and she completely missed the target. Booted feet clomped up the stairs behind her, but she didn’t turn her head. The dragon riders had returned, and the archers would soon get back to their practice.

  Ahren waited until the dragons’ rumbling faded into the distance before she pulled out another arrow and took aim. Again, the wind took it, and it landed in the moss beside the target.

  “Would you like some help?” A kind, feminine voice asked from behind her.

  Ahren twisted, keeping her feet planted toward the rail. A tall woman stood watching her, with blonde curls in a riot around her head. A handkerchief hung limply around her neck. Dust and grime covered her brown zontrec pants and matching shirt. She looked friendly enough, and she had to be good if she was shooting arrows from a dragon’s back. The thought made Ahren shudder.

  The woman cleared her throat, and Ahren realized she hadn’t answered and was staring at the woman like a fool.

  “Oh, um. I guess. I don’t know how to keep the wind from carrying them off. I’m pretty new at this.”

  “That’s all right. We all have to start somewhere.” The blonde held out her hand. “I’m Marah.”

  “Ahren.” She shook Marah’s hand once and grabbed an arrow. She suddenly remembered where she knew this woman from. “You’re one of the mayors, right?”

  Marah smiled and nodded. “Now, you have to figure out where the wind is coming from first, and how hard it’s blowing.”

  Ahren tried to focus, but all she could see in her mind was this woman luring Aibek into her dark room in Kainga, and her brothers nearly beating him to death a few hours later. Of course, no one was supposed to know about that, so Ahren pushed the images out of her mind and focused on what Marah said. Her tips made sense, and Ahren’s next arrow hit the center of the target.

  “Great! One more time.” Marah grinned and watched Ahren nock another arrow. Again, it struck the center, just beside the first.

  Ahren couldn’t fight a grin. “Thanks!”

  Marah smiled back and ran a hand over her wild curls. “I’m supposed to be meeting with Aibek and Faruz and a few other dragon riders to talk about strategy. If you’re all right here, I’ll head over to the meeting. They’re probably wondering what’s happened to me.”

  “Thanks again,” Ahren said. “I’m going to shoot a few more rounds and call it a day.”

  * * *

  Noral stepped over a bearded mountain man sleeping in the walkway in front of his house. He made a face at the man and continued into his home. He dropped onto the comfortable sofa and pulled off his boots. An instant after the second boot hit the floor, Ira swept into the room from the kitchen. Her hair was a riot of silver-streaked chestnut curls and something brown smudged across her cheek.

  “You’re home early.” She dropped onto the couch
beside him, wiping her hands in her apron. It had once been the purest white, but years of use had stained it red in patches, blue in others. He’d offered to replace it several times, but she’d always laughed and said it still worked just fine.

  “I finished the new cart axle for that farmer a bit ahead of schedule, but it’s too late in the day to start anything new, so I came on home. How was your day?”

  “Quiet. I’ve almost finished the quilt for Aibek. It certainly does get cold there, doesn’t it?” She twisted in her seat, gazing up at him with soft brown eyes. “Do you think the cook and housekeeper will want to go with us? I haven’t asked them yet. I’m not quite sure how to broach the subject.”

  “Go with you where?” The housekeeper picked up Noral’s boots and set them on the mat by the door. “Are you planning another trip?”

  “Well, yes. And no.” Ira frowned.

  “Which is it? Are ye takin’ a trip er not?”

  The housekeeper’s diction only slipped when she was irritated, so Noral decided to step in. “We’re planning to move south when the winter breaks down in the forest. Would you like to come with us?”

  “Really?” A huge grin spread across the older woman’s face. “I’ve heard it’s lovely in the forest, but I’ve never left the city. I’d love to go. I don’t have any family left to keep me here.”

  “Then it’s settled.” Ira stood and put an arm around her favorite servant’s shoulders. “You’ll have to come with us. Aibek has an enormous house there, though we’ll only stay with him until we have our own place.”

  “That sounds wonderful! I’ll have to start going through my things. Oh, how exciting!” The housekeeper bustled out through the hall door and Ira smiled up at Noral.

  Glancing out the front window, Noral startled and turned back to his wife. “Before I forget, I don’t want you going to the market alone until these mountain men leave the city.”

  She laughed. “Whyever not? I’ve been going to the market by myself since before we married.”

  “I know. I just don’t trust them. I think they’re planning something.” He grabbed her arms and stared into her wide eyes. “Promise me you’ll stay away from them. Promise you’ll lock yourself in the house if fighting starts outside.”

  “All right. I promise. You’ve never steered me wrong before.” She leaned up and kissed him lightly on the lips. “Now, I need to check on our dinner.”

  Noral watched until she disappeared around the corner, then flopped back into the plush sofa. He considered the previous week’s meeting with Cadwy and hoped the army would be back in the city in time to fight whenever the time came.

  Worried, he crossed to the hearth and grabbed his sword. He hadn’t sharpened it in months. Grabbing a whetstone and cloth, he settled back onto the sofa and ground a razor’s edge onto the blade.

  * * *

  A night and a day passed before Glesni moved. When his eyes opened, Eddrick sat up straight and leaned close, eager to learn the ancients’ decision.

  “They have denied your petition. You have enough time to move between the two camps and watch both, while keeping everyone together in a group.”

  Eddrick’s shoulders slumped under the weight of his disappointment, but he knew better than to argue. “Well, we’d better get to work searching for that second army, then. We’ve wasted almost two days.”

  Extending both arms to the sides, Eddrick moved to the center of the room and waited for his father and wife to take his hands, and for Glesni to close the circle. When they were all connected, Eddrick searched for the cold spark of intuition that would tell him where to find Helak. Like the other times he’d tried recently, it didn’t come. Instead, he thought of a specific soldier, one he hadn’t seen in the north group. He was taller than his companions and kept his uniform clean.

  There.

  He followed that spark, and the world around them vanished. Wind whipped his hair. Eddrick smiled at the strange sensation. He’d been dead for two decades, and the winds on the ground blew straight threw him. The wind stopped. Eddrick opened his eyes.

  Disoriented, Eddrick blinked. Tall, leafless trees surrounded them. The ground sloped gently away from him. Late afternoon sun illuminated a rocky path.

  “They’re close. Keep quiet,” he whispered to the others.

  Kiri leaned in until her breath tickled his ear. “Where are we?”

  A warning shiver traveled up Eddrick’s spine, and he shook his head rather than answer. They needed to get off the trail.

  He pointed up toward the branches of the broad oak tree beside them, and they floated up off the ground. The new height offered a better view of their surroundings.

  At the crest of the next hill, an army milled around a sprawling camp. Eddrick recognized the soldier he’d used as his focus—the tall, clean one. He squatted beside the first embers of a fire. His crisp yellow uniform stood out amongst the dingy mustard colors his companions wore. The fire flared and he stood. Others rushed in with pans and a spit of rabbits, and Eddrick turned his attention elsewhere. He had no interest in watching the soldiers cook their dinner.

  Where could Helak be?

  He gestured to the others that they needed to move closer but used his arms to signal that they should circle the camp from the treetops. Kiri, Glesni, and Agommi nodded their understanding.

  The group moved slowly from tree to tree, keeping behind the trunks as much as possible to avoid being spotted from below.

  When they’d traveled a quarter of the way around the sprawling camp, Eddrick stopped. The black entrance to a cave enticed him. Three tents stood near the cave, each triple the size of the soldiers’ tents.

  This had to be where Helak was hiding. He moved closer to the largest tent, but halfway down, he hit something solid. He backed away, shaking off the disoriented feeling, and examined the site again. He couldn’t see what he’d hit.

  Agommi followed him down, tested the barrier with a hand, and shook his head. Without a word, he moved back into the treetops and held out his hands.

  Eddrick held his questions as they formed their circle, closed their eyes, and waited for the wind to carry them back home.

  The wind dissolved into stillness. The scent of Kiri’s perfume filled the room.

  Eddrick’s lips were moving before he opened his eyes. “What was that? How do we get through it?”

  “It’s a shield.” Glesni gave Eddrick a knowing look. “It’s the same sort of magic we plan to use to draw the spirits away from the living during the battle.”

  “How do we get through it?” Kiri moved to stand beside her husband.

  Agommi grunted. “We don’t. We’ll have to watch them from outside that shield. If we try to break through it or take it down, we might as well wave a banner and announce our entrance.”

  “All right.” Eddrick rolled his shoulders, as if to release the tension gathering there. “Are we allowed to tell Aibek that the army has split in two? I think that’s something he should know.”

  Glesni went still and closed his eyes. A heartbeat later, he said, “No. We know nothing useful yet. We will continue to watch and wait.”

  10

  Accident

  The days flew by, each filled from dawn to dusk with one-on-one battle training with Gworsad, practicing with the tincture, group training sessions with the other riders, and Aibek’s usual responsibilities as Nivaka’s mayor.

  Serik went along for each day of the magic practice, but Aibek suspected the old man was less interested in his mastery of the art the Bokinna called Kurim, and more interested in spending time in the Bokinna’s presence. Aibek didn’t blame him. As the forest had healed from the poison, the Bokinna’s strength, wisdom, and compassion had been more and more evident.

  “Are you ready?” Aibek asked Serik. It was a scheduled Kurim day, but the elderly mentor wasn’t dressed when he came to Aibek’s rooms for breakfast.

  “Oh, are we going into the forest today? Yes, that’s right. Just give me
a minute and I’ll be ready.”

  Aibek watched Serik dash out of the room, then turned his attention to the tray of famanc and heavy cakes the servant had left behind. He wouldn’t eat without his friend, but he poured himself a mug of steaming famanc and savored the beverage while he waited.

  He’d managed to steal several more moments alone with Marah during the group training sessions, each more intense than the one before. Just the thought of her took his breath away. He was going to have to do something about her, and soon. He needed to either marry her so he could have her close every day or end the relationship so she couldn’t distract him at every turn. He didn’t know which was the right choice.

  Whenever she was near, he got a nagging feeling she was hiding something. He couldn’t put his finger on why, but something in her manner hinted at a deep secret she didn’t want known.

  That worried him, but only when she wasn’t around. Her scent clouded his thoughts until he could think of nothing else when she was close.

  Serik burst into the room, out of breath and wearing mismatched zontrec clothing. His bright blue shirt and dark red pants would have been comical if he hadn’t looked so panicked.

  “What’s wrong?” Aibek stood and met his mentor at the door.

  “Nothing, nothing. I just couldn’t find my leather pants, so I had to put on the first thing I found. I thought you might leave without me. The dragons will be waiting.”

  Aibek sank back down into his chair. “I wouldn’t leave you. I know how much you enjoy spending time at the Heart of the Forest. Eat your breakfast, and we’ll go out to the dragons together.”

  Half an hour later, they strolled out together. They headed down the east entrance stairs and met Faruz in the forest below.

  Aibek had to re-orient himself each day since the forest had begun to rearrange itself in preparation for battle. That day, the stairs set them down on the banks of the narrow stream they’d had to cross to get to Nivaka from the city. He held Serik’s arm as they stepped onto the rocky soil and jumped over the stream. The dragons waited on the other side.