“Aibek has arrived safely. He has learned a valuable lesson with the Kurim, and turned a corner in his training. Drink your tincture now, and we will proceed with your training once the seeds take effect.”
Faruz did as he was told and waited until the wild power coursed through his body. “I’m ready.”
The Bokinna’s raspy voice still sent shivers up Faruz’s spine, even after working so closely with her for so many weeks.
“Today, you will work on speed and accuracy. You’re getting faster, but you must not let speed make you careless.”
They worked through hours of drills against the dummy armies, and before lunch, Faruz’s arms and legs screamed for rest. He climbed down beside the river and drank from the icy water.
“You are finished for today. You may return home.”
Faruz frowned and stood. “Excuse me, Madam Bokinna.” Faruz hesitated, unsure whether questioning the ancient tree was allowed or not but decided to give it a try. “You said you know that Aibek has arrived, and that he’s learned something important, but do you know whether he’s learned anything of my family?”
A knot of tension and worry tightened in his belly. He held his breath and waited for the Bokinna’s response, half fearful she’d reprimand him for questioning her, and half terrified she’d tell him his parents were dead.
The wind blew through the treetops, rustling the few dried leaves that hadn’t yet fallen. Somewhere nearby, foxes chittered and chirped.
“Your family is well. I do not know specifics, only that Aibek is relieved that your loved ones are unharmed.”
Something in the ancient being’s choice of words brought Faruz up short. “Do you know anything of his aunt and uncle?”
A long pause made Faruz’s uneasiness grow. “Aibek is less at ease about his own family. Please understand that I cannot speak with him directly, but only through my protectors who are with him. His comments about his own family are mixed. Some are safe, perhaps, and others are missing. He is confused, sad, and relieved all at once.”
Faruz swallowed against the sudden tightness in his throat. “Thank you,” he whispered. He felt the moment the ancient being turned her attention away from him. Loneliness clutched at his chest, and he became aware of the dozens of animals stalking through the underbrush.
Suddenly cognizant of his aloneness, he crept closer to the river. He skipped stones across the churning surface until the wild power faded from his limbs. He climbed onto Gamne’s back, tired and relieved. His parents were safe. That knowledge brought him strength. His mother would be ecstatic at becoming a grandmother.
He shook his head, smiling. Zifa would be an amazing mother, too. She’d spent enough time helping Zyana with the babies that he had no doubts at all. He hoped he’d be a passable father. He’d never considered a family when he’d made his grand plans for his life. Of course, his plans had veered wildly off course the day he’d decided to put his education on hold and follow Aibek into the forest.
15
Secrets
“You’re coming over for supper tonight, right?” Ahren shifted the basket of clothes on her hip and picked up the pace. The wind had grown colder during their afternoon’s work and now bit into her face.
Tamyr hesitated. “I don’t think I’m going to make it after all. Sorry.”
“Oh.” Ahren stopped and set the basket on a nearby bench. She occupied herself by refolding the shirt on top of the stack. “Is something wrong? You’ve been avoiding me lately.”
“I’m not avoiding you. I’ve just been really busy, that’s all.”
“Busy with what?” Ahren fought to keep the suspicion out of her voice. “I know the wash house hasn’t had any extra business. We haven’t had any visitors in weeks. Well, unless you count that weird one.”
“No, not the wash house. I’ve been helping my father collect and catalog herbs since the trees are moving us into different parts of the forest.”
Ahren accepted that and picked up the basket. She’d only gone a few steps before the cold wind bit at her nose and she stopped. “Herbs? It’s winter. All the herbs are dead until spring.”
“We’re gathering roots and seeds. There’s plenty of those still around and my father’s a genius at spotting the right plants without leaves.”
A hint of defensiveness crept into Tamyr’s voice, but Ahren pretended not to notice. Instead, she changed the subject and chatted about Zifa’s condition and the number of babies at their most recent gathering.
When they parted ways, Ahren walked toward home until she turned the first corner. There, she waited until a couple passed out of sight and scampered up the nearest tree. Tamyr’s father had been injured the week before and had been visiting Ahren’s house daily so her father could bandage the wound. He wouldn’t be making any treks into the forest for at least a few weeks, which meant Tamyr was up to something she didn’t want Ahren to know about.
Ahren crept along the branches above the wash house and waited until Tamyr emerged. She followed, keeping out of sight behind tree trunks and heavy branches, and remained high above when Tamyr left the village via the south entrance.
Her hands shook as she climbed out over the ground, but Ahren kept her friend in sight. Visions of falling tugged at the edge of her mind. Her father wasn’t nearby to catch her this time. She drew a ragged breath and shoved the memories aside.
Below, Tamyr checked over her shoulder and ducked through the bushes onto the groundfolk’s hidden path. Ahren stifled a gasp. The visitor Faruz had escorted out of the village was there, waiting.
Fragments of their conversation drifted to Ahren on the wind, but she couldn’t get close enough to hear better.
“camp…not far now…”
“…more than expected…”
“…take us in…”
Tamyr checked the path every few seconds, clearly nervous about being caught. Ahren hoped the bits of conversation she heard didn’t paint an accurate picture of what the two were planning. If it did— well, Ahren didn’t want to get ahead of herself.
Careful not to make a sound, Ahren crept back to the village and climbed down to the boardwalk as soon as she found an empty spot. The climb had unnerved her more than she’d expected, and she wiped her damp palms on her cloak. Upset by her friend’s deception, she hurried toward home. She decided not to mention Tamyr’s rendezvous to anyone until she’d had a chance to confront her. She didn’t think she’d be able to hide her distress, so she told the housekeeper she had a headache and couldn’t handle the noise of a family supper.
Alone in the plush surroundings of her room, Ahren dropped her cloak onto the vanity chair and sank onto the chaise.
The next morning, Ahren set out at dawn for the wash house. Since they had collected all the linens from the houses on the Square the day before, the wash women would begin the process of boiling, scrubbing, and rinsing early. The laundry would have to stay hung up for a full day to dry in the wintry weather.
The smell of steam and soap carried on the icy wind, promising warmth in the morning’s cold mist. Ahren hesitated at the door, unsure how to proceed. She steeled her will and pressed the door open, letting the cold wind blow into the overly-warm room.
Women crowded around great steaming pots set over wide fire pits in the center of the room. Each held a long staff, which they used to stir the linens in the pots. Ahren searched their faces, waved to those who acknowledged her, and continued on into the house. The second room mirrored the first, and again Ahren found friendly faces — just not the one she was looking for.
Frustrated, Ahren worked to remember what Tamyr had said the day before. She’d mentioned something about a promotion.
Of course! Ahren pulled open the door to the dye room and stood in the doorway, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the blinding light. She blinked twice and squinted until her eyes stopped watering.
“Ahren! You’re up early!” Tamyr wiped her hands on the dingy apron at her waist, leaving deep blue str
eaks where her fingers touched.
The door swung closed as Ahren stepped into the room. The pungent scent of vinegar burned her nose, making her eyes water. She gagged once, coughed, and pulled her cloak over her face.
“Do you have a minute to talk? Maybe outside where I can breathe?” Tears blurred Ahren’s vision so she couldn’t see Tamyr’s reaction.
“Of course. I’ve gotten used to it, but the smell is pretty intense. Come on.” She grabbed Ahren’s arm and led her out into the broad spaces where women boiled and rinsed the laundry.
Instead of going back the way Ahren had come, they continued on through the building and exited through the back door and into the little courtyard where the wash women went for their breaks.
“Why does it smell like that?” Ahren asked the first question on her mind. She had time to work into the bigger questions.
Tamyr winced. “The vinegar activates the dye and helps it set in the fabric. It does smell awful, though, doesn’t it?” She chuckled, and Ahren joined in.
“It certainly does. You said it’s a promotion, though? How do you like it?”
A huge smile lit Tamyr’s face. “It’s a big step up, and it shows they’re starting to trust me again. You have to earn a spot on the dye team, because one mistake could ruin a load of linens and cost us a fortune.”
Ahren wrinkled her nose. “I guess that makes sense, but I don’t know if I’d be able to handle that smell for very long.”
“You get used to it faster than you’d think.” Tamyr dropped onto the nearest bench and patted the spot beside her. “Now, what has you out in the cold so early this morning? I know you didn’t come to see what the dye room smells like.”
A pit opened in Ahren’s gut and her stomach fell through. Ignoring the feeling, she sat beside her friend and swung her feet under the bench. Ahren was the only woman she knew — of course besides her mother — whose feet didn’t touch the ground from the seats. She licked her suddenly-dry lips and searched for the best way to ask her question.
“I saw you sneak out yesterday.”
Tamyr’s head jerked up, but she didn’t say anything.
Ahren folded her shaking hands in her lap and pressed on. “I saw you meet with that mayor, too, the one that tried to get everyone to turn against Aibek.”
To Ahren’s shock, tears flooded Tamyr’s eyes. “Yes, I met with him. You have to understand… I have to do whatever I can to avenge Ahni.”
Ahren frowned, trying to make the connections to seemingly unrelated events. “How can a disgraced mayor help you avenge her?”
“He can help me convince everyone that a stranger from the city can never lead them as well as someone they’ve known all their lives.” Her features softened, and Tamyr grabbed Ahren’s hand. “I know you like him, so I won’t try to kill him. I just want him to go back where he came from and leave us in peace.”
“I don’t understand how Aibek leaving would avenge Ahni. Don’t you remember?” Tears brimmed and ran down Ahren’s cheeks. “I’m the one that killed her. Not Aibek. Not Faruz. Me.”
Tamyr smiled a watery, tearful smile. “You didn’t mean to, though. It’s still Aibek’s fault.”
“How? How is it Aibek’s fault?” Ahren stood and paced in front of the bench. “He didn’t want her dead. Look how he treated you. Even when everyone thought you had stabbed Alija, he made sure you were given food and baths and clean clothes. He didn’t have you beaten or executed like Tavan would have.”
“That has nothing to do with anything! So what if he made a show of being nice to me. Here, sit down. You make me nervous pacing like that.”
Ahren stopped mid-step and returned to the bench. She hopped up and swung her feet beneath her, trying to contain the pent-up energy.
“Anyway, like I was saying, if Aibek hadn’t shown up, Alija or Wayra or any of the others could have taken that role. They could have done everything he did and then some, and Ahni would still be alive.”
Shocked disbelief clouded Ahren’s vision for a breath. “How could any of them teach us how to fight? They had no more training than any of us.”
“I don’t know. How did they kill all of Tavan’s soldiers? They obviously had more skill than you think.”
Ahren smiled, realizing that no one had told the villagers the whole story. “Poison! They poisoned the soldiers, Tamyr. They wouldn’t have had a chance otherwise, and they knew it.”
“That’s not the point!”
“Oh, for the trees’ sake! What is the point? We needed Aibek to defeat Helak’s men. Without his help, we’d all be dead. Why are you so obsessed with getting rid of Aibek to avenge Ahni? He would have saved her if he’d had a chance. He even tried!”
Tamyr cursed and slapped at the tears streaming down her cheeks. Her voice dropped to a low whisper. “You don’t know that. No one could know that. I have to do something to avenge her.”
“Then help us defeat this army. You’re an expert at moving through the forest without a sound. Help the rest of us learn. Ahni would have wanted us to be free.”
“Don’t tell me what she would have wanted!”
Ahren recoiled at the sudden shout.
Tamyr lowered her voice and continued. “I knew her better than anyone. I loved her, dammit, and she loved him.” Her voice cracked on the last word.
Ahren swallowed a lump in her throat. She’d never expected the amount of pain she heard in Tamyr’s voice.
“She came here every day. She told me all about how wonderful he was. How they were going to get married. How her child would be the next governor. What could I do?” Tamyr sniffed. “I helped her any way I could, and I kept anyone from telling her that he slept with at least a dozen other girls in town. That would have destroyed her.”
Tamyr trailed off, her eyes staring into the past, and Ahren shifted uncomfortably. What Tamyr had revealed about Ahni was intensely personal, and Ahren wasn’t sure she should be privy to that kind of knowledge.
“But what I regret the most is that I never told her how much I loved her. I never tried to convince her that he was bad for her. Perhaps, if I had convinced her…” Tamyr glanced at the sky and stood. “I need to get back to work.”
“Can… Can I help you? I… My family isn’t up yet.” Ahren sighed and hopped off the bench.
Ahren followed Tamyr through the wash house and back into the dye room. Now that she was prepared for the odor, it didn't seem quite as bad. Still, she wrapped the zontrec scarf she’d used as a sash across her face and gazed around at the bottles and vials littering the counters.
"Where do we start?" Ahren tried to hide her watering eyes. She pulled the cloak up higher and dabbed at the tears the strong vinegar smell had triggered.
"Well, we need to put that stack of sheets in the basin. Then, we'll find the perfect shade of blue. It needs to match this." Tamyr held up a brilliant blue pillow cover.
"What do you want me to do?" Ahren hovered as Tamyr dunked the soft zontrec into the boiling hot water.
Is it water? Ahren wasn’t sure. She thought it might be straight vinegar by the odor.
"Can you keep it all moving with this while I find the right dye?" She handed Ahren a long iron pole with a wide paddle at the far end.
Ahren did as she was told, but quickly realized the work took more muscle than she'd expected. She untied her cloak and tucked it behind Tamyr’s workbench.
The pole weighed half as much as Ahren, and the soggy fabric clung to the paddle, weighing it down into the vile-smelling liquid.
Struggling under the weight, Ahren craned her neck to see what her friend was doing. "How long does this take?" Ahren shrugged, wiping the sweat from her face with her shoulder.
Tamyr laughed. "I forget you're not used to this." She took the pole and swirled the liquid effortlessly. "Perhaps it would be easier if you could reach better. Would you be against using a stool?"
Heat suffused Ahren's face, but she nodded. "I could at least give it a try." Sometimes being short
was an asset. Other times, like now, it was a distinct embarrassment.
Tamyr brought over a small, three-legged stool and placed it beside the large metal cauldron. "Do you think you can keep going a few more minutes? I've almost got this right." She waited until Ahren had climbed onto the stool and handed her the pole.
"I can do it." Ahren wished she'd at least stopped for a quick breakfast before she'd left the house, but she'd been afraid of losing her nerve. Her arms shook under the strain, but she kept stirring the foul liquid and moving the heaps of wet linens.
"Perfect!" Tamyr's shout broke Ahren's concentration and she almost dropped the pole into the hot water. "I think this is exactly right."
Ahren watched, transfixed, as Tamyr poured a series of blue, green, and red dyes into the heated vinegar. The color spread and mixed, and Ahren remembered at once that she was supposed to keep everything moving. She ignored the heat growing in her palms as the hot liquid warmed the metal pole. Instead, she focused on the work of stirring the dye evenly into the linens.
"Here, I'll take it now." Tamyr appeared behind Ahren, wrapped her arms around Ahren's shoulders and grabbed the pole.
Something about the move triggered a rush of anxiety in Ahren’s stomach, and she giggled once before she relinquished the paddle.
Ahren tried to turn enough to see Tamyr's face but lost her balance. Her left foot slipped off the narrow stool, and her remaining ankle wobbled beneath her. A thin scream escaped her lips, and she grabbed onto the first thing she could reach ––the paddle.
She fell in an unceremonious heap on the wooden floor, and her momentum pulled the paddle out of the vinegar solution, spraying dye everywhere. Tamyr toppled behind her and crashed into something Ahren couldn't see. She came to a stop with a soft grunt, and all fell silent.
"Are you all right? I'm so sorry." Ahren shoved herself to a sitting position and glanced around for Tamyr. She found her friend lying on the floor, covered in bottles of inky dye. Some had cracked open and leaked their contents onto Tamyr's apron and skin. The result was an odd blotchy pattern of yellow, red, and blue. Ahren gasped and crawled over to Tamyr, who wasn't moving.
The Nivaka Chronicles Boxed Set Page 73