"Tamyr? Are you all right?"
"I'm fine. How big is the mess? I don't want to look."
Ahren's eyes roamed the room, taking in the blue spatters on the walls, the ceiling, and herself. None of the linens had come out of the basin, which had remained upright. A small puddle of deep blue sat beside the shattered remains of a stool leg. The stool itself lay on its side a few feet away.
"I... I'll stay and help you clean up." Ahren couldn't think of anything else to say. "You won't lose your new position because of this, will you?"
Much to Ahren's surprise, Tamyr laughed. "No. The job is done…and done well. We just made a bit of a mess. You don't have to stay if you don't want to. You have to be starving."
Heat spread up Ahren's neck and into her ears. "I understand. I made quite a mess of things. I hope you don't get in too much trouble."
Tamyr jumped up and pulled Ahren to her feet. She brushed away the small fragments of glass and flecks of dye and placed her stained hands on Ahren's shoulders. "You didn't do anything that nearly every person to get this position hasn't done." Tamyr laughed again. "I swore to myself that I wouldn't drop that blasted thing, and now I'm guaranteed not to. You did it for me."
Unable to resist, Ahren joined in the mirth. Tamyr looked ridiculous with multicolored dye splashed across her face and neck, and the room wouldn't take much to clean up.
They laughed until Ahren's side hurt, erupting into a new torrent of giggles when Ahren's stomach grumbled loudly. Finally, Ahren decided it was time to get some work done. She crossed to the broken stool and bent to pick up the shattered leg but slipped in the puddle of dyed vinegar.
"Be careful!" Tamyr hurried over to help. She lost her footing on the wet floor and slid the last foot or two. "Oh!"
They each grabbed hold of the other, steadying themselves and each other as they wobbled dangerously close to the full, steaming basin.
When they came a stop, Ahren realized she had both arms around her friend, clutching Tamyr's waist. Likewise, Tamyr had a painful grip on Ahren.
Ahren pulled back enough to see Tamyr's face and gasped at the intensity she saw there. Tamyr's eyes were wide, her eyes dilated in the bright morning light. A soft blush showed beneath the spots and colors of dye. She didn't give Ahren time to gain her bearings, instead dropping her face swiftly until her lips met Ahren's in the softest caress. The touch lit a fire inside of Ahren, and she pulled closer. Tamyr responded as Ahren had hoped––by deepening the kiss. Vinegar mingled with sweat and tears, the taste driving Ahren to new heights. Soft curves pressed into Ahren's bonier form, and Ahren pulled her closer still.
Somewhere in the world outside their embrace, a pounding noise started. Ahren ignored it, clinging to Tamyr.
"Is everything all right in there?" a female voice shouted through the closed door.
Tamyr broke the kiss and stared wide-eyed at Ahren. "Yes," the word came out a harsh whisper. She cleared her throat. "Yes, everything's fine. I just dropped the paddle. I'm cleaning it up now."
Outside, laughter erupted from at least a dozen women. Tamyr smiled. "See? They were waiting for it." She caressed Ahren's face, pausing at a smudge on Ahren's jaw and rubbing the spot over and over. "You should go. I need to clean this up, and you need to get some breakfast."
Unable to speak, Ahren nodded. She started toward the door, but Tamyr grabbed her arm. "Don't go that way. Here, I'll show you the back way."
They padded quietly through the door in the side of the room, which Ahren had assumed went to another washing room. Instead, it led to a small, separate outdoor area adjacent to the larger courtyard. Tall plants and potted fruit trees hid the space from view. A narrow gate connected it to the courtyard.
"You know how to get out from here, right?" Tamyr rubbed at the spot on Ahren's jaw again and laughed. "You're a mess. Is there a back way into your place? Your family probably shouldn't see you like this."
For the first time, Ahren smiled. "Yeah."
"All right. Well, I'll see you later. I need to get back to work." Tamyr grabbed Ahren's hand, squeezed it gently, and disappeared back into the dye room.
Ahren stood still, staring at the closed door for a long moment. An owl hooted somewhere nearby, breaking the trance. Ahren turned to leave, slipping quietly out of the courtyard and clambering up the nearest tree. She didn't want anyone to see her like this, especially not if she looked half as silly as Tamyr.
The sounds and smells of breakfast drifted through closed windows, and Ahren let the bitter wind dry her face. She didn’t want to face her father, so climbed slowly toward the cistern at the southern edge of the village. Her mind whirled from the morning’s events. Had she convinced Tamyr not to betray the village? She didn’t know. She brushed her fingers over her lips, relishing the warmth that spread through her at the thought of Tamyr’s kiss. She’d tried to ignore her attraction to her friend for several months, since she hadn’t been sure how Tamyr felt about her. She knew now.
Ahren shoved thoughts of the kiss from her mind — or tried to. She had a bigger problem. Tamyr had all but confessed to planning to betray Aibek. Regardless of her feelings for Tamyr, Ahren still thought Aibek had been the best leader they could have hoped for. He’d taken risks a villager would never have considered. He’d risked being ostracized and told everyone he’d traveled to the Heart of the Forest to see the Bokinna.
“What do I do? What do I do?” Ahren muttered softly. She stopped and leaned her head back against a broad tree trunk. She closed her eyes, struggling to hear the forest’s whispers. Her father had always told her the forest knew the answers, but she could never hear its voice.
If she tried to build a relationship with Tamyr, did that mean she had to participate in the wash woman’s schemes? She tipped her face up to the treetops, hood down, oblivious to the cold, until the sleet stung her face. She pulled her hood up and tucked her cloak close. The wind whipped harder, driving the pellets of ice into her eyes and hands. Finally, she left her perch and crawled away.
With no answers and uncertain emotions, she climbed down into her family’s courtyard. She couldn’t tell this story to anyone, so she’d have to figure it out on her own. She hopped down onto a bench and raced for the small door in the side of the house.
A rush of warm air greeted her, intensifying the pain of her frozen cheeks and nose. The scent of baking breads and roasted venison made her stomach snarl painfully.
The wind ripped the door out of her hand and slammed it against the wall, and Ahren had to wrestle it closed. She turned to the kitchen, expecting to see the maids and cooks gathered there, but only the housekeeper occupied the room.
“Oh, dear. You look frozen half to death. Come to your room and we’ll get you all warmed up.” The sweet brunette took Ahren’s cloak and shepherded her down the hall.
“Really, I’m fine. I just need a few minutes in front of the fire.” Ahren’s objections fell on deaf ears.
“I’ll get you some famanc and some cakes. That’ll warm you right up.” The housekeeper sniffed at the air. “You could use a warm bath, too, I’d wager. Well, come on. I’ve already got water heating.”
Too tired to argue further, Ahren smiled and let the older woman take care of her. Before a half an hour had passed, she’d bathed, dressed in clean clothes, and snuggled down into the chaise, a thick quilt wrapped around her shoulders.
She sat there for ages as the wind howled and hurled pellets of ice against the window, trying to figure out how to approach Tamyr again. She agonized and turned the problem inside out and upside down with no success. After several hours, she let her mind go blank and relished the comfort of meditation. Her eyes drooped, and she laid her head on the arm of the chaise.
Exhausted from the day’s emotional turmoil, she slept.
16
Watching
Aibek waited a few days before he returned to the city. For the return trip, he organized two groups of three to scout out the city’s defenses. The selected men gat
hered at the mouth of the cave before splitting off into their assigned teams.
“All right,” he leaned close to the circle of warriors. “Remember. We need to find out where their base of operations is. I suspect they’ve taken the palace as their center, but we need more than my best guess.” He straightened and strolled through the circle, his hands clasped behind his back the way he’d seen generals do in his training. “We need to know how organized they are, how many there are, and what kind of threats they’re using to keep the existing city guard and army from revolting.”
He reached the edge of the circle and spun on his heel in a crisp about-face. He stood there, searching the faces of the assigned men for any hint of indecision. “Above all else, we have to be careful not to draw attention to ourselves or any member of our group. Any questions?”
“I do.”
Aibek froze at the fury in Marah’s voice. Instead of answering, he broke free of the ice holding him still and strode over to her. “We’ve talked about this. We need people who won’t be noticed. Whether we like it or not, people in this part of the land don’t travel in mixed company. Let this first group go. Next week, we’ll send a couple of all-women groups to see what you can scout out.”
"Why wait? Why not let me take a couple of others today?" Marah squared her shoulders.
The brilliant red in her cheeks and the fire in her amber eyes took Aibek's breath away. She was easily the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. He shook his head to clear it. Thoughts like that had taken Serik from him. He needed to keep a clear head.
"Please, just let us go this time. Let us get an idea what's happening in the city, and in three or four days, we'll try again with different groups and you can go then."
Marah braced her hands on her hips, facing him squarely. "Why? Give me a good reason why and I'll happily stay behind. We both know women are more likely to gossip. We can go to the market and chat with the storekeepers. We can probably get more information in an hour than all your men could get in a week."
Aibek's stomach sank. She had a good point, but he'd committed to the assignments already. giving in would make him look weak in front of his soldiers. He couldn't think of anything to say, so he just shook his head and adjusted his belt.
After a long pause, he dropped his voice to just above a whisper. "You're right. You can probably get more information than any of us." He gestured to the assembled men. "But if I back down now, I look like a weak leader. Please, will you work with me and wait until the next trip?"
Marah threw back her head and laughed. "Admitting that others have good ideas doesn't make you a weak leader. Clinging to bad ideas and outdated ideas does."
A sickly smile crept onto Aibek's face. "I don't know. I think I should stick to my decisions. In the Academy, they always said we had to present a strong front."
"Did the Academy also tell you how to cope with restless dragons?"
"I... Well... Not exactly." Aibek grinned.
"Because that's another problem you're going to have to address. They're not used to hiding in caves. How long do you plan to keep them cooped up here?"
Aibek's shoulders slumped. "I don't know. We need more information. We just don't know enough about what's happening in the city yet."
"When you went into Xona three days ago, did you see any signs that the city was unsafe for women? How busy was the market? Did all the women have male escorts?"
Aibek strained his memory, searching for details he hadn't considered important at the time. He remembered a group of young women laughing and strolling through the streets. In fact, he remembered several women walking alone close to the center of town.
"No," he said at length. "The women don't seem to have changed their behaviors at all. They were shopping and laughing in groups and alone."
Marah nodded emphatically. "Good. Then there's no reason not to add a group of three women to the team. I'll lead, and I'll take Siani and Cati with me. We’ll stay fifty paces or so behind you so it doesn’t look like we’re all together."
Aibek considered. A thought occurred to him, but he worried she’d take it the wrong way. After a long moment, he asked anyway. “Would you mind staying fifty paces in front of us? That way we can see if you run into any trouble?”
“I… I guess that would be all right.” Marah frowned, but nodded. “Do you think they’ll allow me to bring my bow into the city? I’ll feel better with a few arrows in my quiver.”
“When I lived there, they didn’t take hunting weapons, only swords and spears and such. If the new leadership kept the same rules, they should let you keep it.” The thought pleased him more than it should have, but he’d seen how deadly she could be with her bow.
Satisfied that he’d made the right decision, Aibek strolled over to the waiting men. He assumed the same military posture as before, with his hands behind his back and his shoulders squared.
“Marah’s made an excellent point. As a woman, she can carry her bow and arrows into the city.” Several soldiers murmured, but Aibek continued without addressing them. “As a sniper, she’s unparalleled. She and her chosen teammates will stay fifty paces ahead of us, so they can react to any trouble quickly. The distance will also allow us to make us look like separate groups so we don’t draw any undue attention at the gate.”
After some quick instructions to the warriors staying behind, Aibek led the expedition to the city. He kept the women in the main group until the city wall came into view on the horizon, then held back and let Marah's group get ahead.
He held his breath as the women went through the inspection process, but they proceeded into the city unmolested. As they'd hoped, the guards allowed Marah to keep her bow and quiver. The men went through just as easily and split into their prearranged teams once inside the city. Aibek led his team to the west, toward the building that had once been the city guard's headquarters. They paused in a narrow alley behind the market to plan. Buckets of refuse and human waste lined the low stone walls, waiting for the street urchins to pick them up and dump them in the river. The stench made Aibek's eyes water, but he couldn't think of a better place to strategize.
"Once we get there, I'll do the talking," he told his team. "I'm hoping one of my schoolmates will be there, or someone I know from the years I spent here, anyway."
"That's a great plan." Bartel nodded and stepped closer. "Should keep us from having to do any fighting. We wouldn't have much of a chance here. There's too many of them."
"Nonsense. We've got help. They wouldn't stand a chance." Kai laughed. "Of course, they have weapons, and we don't, so that could be a problem."
"Weapons or no weapons, don't get cocky. Our 'helpers' aren’t here and have no way of knowing if we get into trouble.”
Kai’s shoulders drooped and his face fell. “Good point. What’s the plan?”
"Well, I don't know about you, but my plan is to avoid any kind of fighting. We've got no chance of winning anything here." Bartel smoothed his hands over his shirt. "Aibek's right. No one can help us."
"Right. At least we're agreed on that. I think the best thing will be to hang around near the headquarters and see if I can spot someone I know. That should give us a decent chance, I think."
Bartel and Kai nodded and followed Aibek out of the alley.
They took up a position near the entrance to the headquarters building, which was a nondescript, low-slung rectangle built of the same sparkling marble as the giant city wall it leaned against.
Short, bearded soldiers came and went, and Aibek waited, looking for the taller, slender men and women he'd trained with. he'd almost given up hope, when he finally recognized a friendly face.
"Intza! I'm so glad to see you. Can you tell me what's going on?"
The tall, bulky man squinted at Aibek for a breath, and Aibek worried his favorite opponent had forgotten him. A cool breeze ruffled Aibek's hair and Intza's features relaxed.
"It's Aibek, right? I thought I'd heard you left town."
"
I did. I came back to visit my aunt and uncle, but I can't find either of them. No one will tell me anything. What's happened? Who are they?" He pointed to one of the bearded mountain men.
Intza grabbed his arm and pulled Aibek away from the others. His voice was a low whisper when he spat, "Look, we've been invaded. You should probably leave the city. Everyone who talks about starting any kind of opposition disappears. We haven't figured out how they know everything we talk about, but nothing is safe. You need to go. I'm sorry I don't have better news. I haven't heard anything about your aunt or uncle, but I think your friend's family is safe."
Aibek had to listen closely to catch the nearly-imperceptible words. He'd grown used to the slower diction of the forest-dwellers and had forgotten how quickly the people in Xona talked.
Intza glanced over his shoulder. His deep brown eyes met Aibek's, worry and fear evident. "Look, I have to go. Remember what I said. Get out of the city. They hear everything."
Without another word, Intza jogged back to the line entering the headquarters. Aibek frowned and motioned his friends away. They made a beeline for the city gate. None spoke, though Aibek could see the curiosity burning in his friends' faces.
They made it to the wall without incident, but before they’d passed the guard tower inside the first set of iron gates, someone shouted, "There they are!"
Aibek froze. Surely they hadn't been identified already. Intza’s words rang in his mind.
They hear everything. Had someone overheard his conversation with Kai and Bartel?
Before he could react, someone grabbed his arms and wrenched his wrists behind his back. Uneven rope burned his skin as his captor tied it tightly above his hands.
Aibek glanced around the tiny stone cell. Metal bars closed the narrow opening to the corridor. A single guard stood watch at the end of the row of cells. He’d watched as Kai and Bartel had been brought to the same section in front of him, but Aibek didn't dare try to talk to them. Someone had overheard them in the alley, so they would certainly be listening for any conversations in the prison.
The Nivaka Chronicles Boxed Set Page 74