“But what if I fall? From this height, that alone would kill me – ” her voice trailed off. Uttae turned his back on her, reaching for something which hung from a branch above. Curious, she watched him, his hands tugging on a vine to check for security, nodding as if in approval of what he found.
With impeccable balance he maneuvered along the branch, wrapping the vine around Aiva’s waist, fingers tying an expert knot just below her naval. “If it makes you sleep easier, know that this will catch you.”
Before she could protest Uttae leapt to the branches overhead. She could hear him and Kroth speaking in their native tongue, an occasional laugh causing her to feel self-conscious. Were they talking about her? She hadn’t done anything to merit being the core of their jokes. Not yet, anyway. The worries she voiced were justified. Vor’shai didn’t spend their days hanging from trees. She was well within her rights to question the safety of it.
Sleep was impossible. How could she expect her body to relax when she was so far off the ground? Perched in the middle of nowhere. If anything happened to Uttae and Kroth, she would be lost in the unfamiliar terrain.
The look on Callum’s face when the horn sounded in Ghaient haunted her. He knew the dangers of the task she embarked upon. If something happened to her, he would be powerless to assist. There was no way for him to know where she was. Callum would be safe within the stone walls of the palace, but she was an open target to every creature. At least he was safe. It brought comfort to her troubled mind.
Leaning her head back, she felt her hair catch on the rough bark, pulling slightly. She didn’t care. The discomfort was nothing compared to the ache in her heart. Somehow the tree was more unnerving than the Feh Noq prison. At least Callum had been with her there. This was utter torture. She hated to be away from him. It was funny to think that before setting out on their journey, she wanted nothing more than to never see him again. Now she couldn’t wait to see his face.
Cautiously she brought her legs in, bending her knees to rest her elbows on top of them. With a heavy sigh she slumped forward. Burying her face in her hands, she tried to push the thoughts of Callum away. If she didn’t stop thinking of him, it was going to drive her mad. “Are you toying with my mind, Kaemin?” she whispered into her palms. “You were always the one trying to make me see how wonderful he is. Please tell the gods to stop tormenting me.” Why did she feel so obsessed? Every waking moment Callum was all she could think about. Maybe it is because you still haven’t told him…
She let her fingers weave through her hair. The thought lingered in the back of her mind. Time and again Callum had confessed his feelings, yet she had not done the same, despite the opportunities she had to do so. He still prepared himself for the heartbreak of an annulment. Why had she not told him that she didn’t want it? Why had she failed to express her growing emotions? An annulment would devastate her. But there was no way to know if he would be willing to go back on the agreement.
It was foolish to think he would deny her, though it seemed more so to assume that she had that kind of hold over him. If he feared her constant change of heart, he would turn her down. She couldn’t blame him. Her mood had been ever fluctuating from the moment he returned from Siscal. Unpredictable. One minute they were friends and the next they were at one another’s throats. She needed to think of a way to make the annulment less likely. Maybe even impossible. Or you could just talk to him.
Talk. Yes. It sounded so easy. But when faced with him again, it was inevitable the words would flitter away, forgotten, the same as they had every other time she decided to say something. And in their current predicament the only thing which would make an annulment impossible would be…
She blushed, squeezing her legs in closer to her chest. This was hardly the time to think about that. They had too many problems to focus on without jumping into anything so – adult. In her mind they were still children. He is your husband. It was strange to consider. Regardless of how often she referred to him by that title, it only now truly sank in. They weren’t children anymore. They were adults. And if the pirates hadn’t come and taken Shaelyn away during the reception, it was possible they may have already crossed the threshold of intimacy that now made her face flush with warmth to think of.
One step at a time. She wasn’t ready for that yet. If she couldn’t bring herself to tell him she loved him, anything else was premature. Married or not, they had much to come to terms with between each other before anything else could be allowed to happen. They needed a consistent friendship. The thought of being so close to Callum frightened her. Other than Dacian, he was the only boy she’d ever kissed. Unlike other girls at court, she lacked experience in the ways of handling men. Lady Faustine preferred it that way, though Aiva knew the women of court well enough to know that very few ladies upheld the virtuous standards Faustine preached.
There would be time for talk later. Discussion would be impossible until they were safely to the Luquarrian islands. He would be healthy again and they would be in better spirits for her to confess how much he meant to her. Then it’s settled, she thought decisively, shifting on the branch to lean her head against the trunk, forcing her eyes closed in attempts to sleep. When we reach the islands I will convince him to keep me as his wife. She smiled at the thought. Edric would be so happy. If Edric was even alive…
Stop it. Grimacing, she curled up tighter against the tree, praying silently that she would be able to distract her mind until morning. If she couldn’t, it was going to be a very long night.
By the next afternoon Aiva felt her hopes beginning to rise. Satisfied that they were far enough from the other hunters, they descended to the ground, senses alert and waiting, seeking signs of their prey. It didn’t take long for Uttae to signal a possible track. He indicated the scent, retrieving his bow from Aiva’s back without a word. Orkteids were known for their sharp ears and keen eyes, making them difficult to ambush. She found herself curious to see what this mysterious creature looked like.
Her mind was far from the track itself. All she could think about was getting back to Ghaient. If they were able to find this animal and kill it, she might be able to convince Uttae and Kroth to move through the night to the palace before the sun rose the next morning. She didn’t care about sleep. There would be plenty of time for rest when they were on the islands. What was a little lost sleep now if it got them out of Tunir faster?
Kroth took to the trees to gain a better vantage. He and Uttae moved along at a slow pace, communicating through silent gestures with their hands and heads. Aiva wasn’t much of a hunter. She’d never gone with her father and brother when they went into the woods for sport. If she’d known it might be useful in the future, she might have tagged along. But there was no sense dwelling on the things she should have done. She was an intelligent woman. If Uttae gave an order, she was confident in her ability to assist with the capture of their target.
Hand on the hilt of her sword she followed behind Uttae, anxious for a directive. They couldn’t lose this track. It was too important.
The sound of rushing water could be heard up ahead. Uttae drew an arrow from his quiver, placing it at the ready on his bow, listening. Aiva waited restlessly. How could he hear anything over the rush of the nearby stream? “Stay here,” he hissed. She watched in disbelief as he moved away, ducking into the trees. Stay there? What good was she going to do if she let him go off alone? It was frustrating. He didn’t trust her ability with the sword to be good enough to assist. Arms folded across her chest, she let him go. Now wasn’t the time to start a commotion. If she argued, it might frighten the orkteid away, and there was no telling when they would come across another.
From the branches above she listened to Kroth move with Uttae. They were leaving her. The realization was unsettling, causing her stomach to flutter in a wave of fear. She was alone in the middle of a jungle. Afraid of being on the ground without the others, she climbed onto the roots of a mangrove tree along the river’s edge. It offered on
ly minimal height from the jungle floor, her footing uneven atop the twisted and curved wood. Anything seemed better than just standing in the middle of the path, waiting for a wild animal to turn her into their next meal.
Back pressed against the trunk, she listened. Something didn’t feel right. She laughed pitifully. Nothing about her current predicament was right. It seemed humorous to try and pinpoint one single thing which would provoke her already excited nerves.
Amongst the trees she heard something crack. A twig. It’s probably just the trees settling. She moved in tighter against the protective barrier created by the trunk. The animals in the jungle were brutal. Agaruls, crocodiles, venomous snakes… her eyes drifted timidly toward the water. It was similar to the river which ran behind Uttae’s home in Iachoor. A perfect place for crocodiles to lie in wait of their prey. Trembling, she moved away from the tree, balancing awkwardly on the roots to find her way back to the flat ground of the path. Being near the water no longer seemed like the best idea.
What was taking Uttae and Kroth so long? In Tanispa the men would have already deployed their arrows and had the stag in hand. Instead she found nothing to indicate Uttae and Kroth were even near. No crunch of their feet along the leaves or a snap of the branches overhead. The area was silent aside from an occasional call from the wild animals deeper in the forests.
The crack came again, closer this time. Like a heavy foot stepping on a brittle twig. Muscles tensed, Aiva spun around, searching the trees for the source. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know. A low rumble sounded from only a few feet away, building as if in the back of a large creature’s throat, increasing steadily to a lazy growl. The blood ran cold in her veins. It came again, indicating the noise to be closer to the river. If she could move far enough away, it was possible to find a tree easy enough to scale and await Uttae’s return.
Turning, she began a steady walk backward, unwilling to take her eyes from the direction of the sound. The moment she moved, her heart felt as if it would burst forth from her chest at the sight of a creature standing near the river’s edge. It looked to be a tiger. A large cat, fangs bared, staring her down hungrily. She remembered paintings of such animals, majestic, but nothing to the size of the beast before her now, each paw larger than her head. To think of the damage it would do if it came close enough to touch her was not something she wanted to imagine.
“Nice kitty,” she whispered, slowly taking a step away. Fear gripped every part of her body to see it move with her, head shaking with another throaty growl. Despite her slow, controlled movements, panic began to take over her thoughts. What was she going to do? Outrunning it was out of the question. She could see the defined muscles of its strong hind quarters, built for lunging at its prey. Oh gods, I’m going to die…
She needed to think. It wasn’t running yet. There was still time. She took another step, trying not to scream as the tiger followed. It was so big! If it tackled her, she would be torn to shreds. With every step she took, it picked up its pace. Two steps instead of one, closing the gap between them. Run. Her ankle twisted painfully as she tried to turn, caught on a partially exposed root from a nearby tree. A searing pain shot through her leg, ignored by her conscious mind. Injury was unimportant. She took off down the path, struggling to maintain her balance on her tender ankle. Her screams rang in her ears, shrill, almost hysterical in their constant echo through the trees. Pride wasn’t enough to prevent her from alerting the others. Uttae was her only hope. If he heard her cries, he might be able to save her before the tiger came in for the kill.
Her thoughts were chaotic, the leaves and trees passing in a blur of motion. There was nowhere to go. It would follow her if she veered off the path and the tangle of vines would hinder her ability to find solid footing. Another cry escaped her at the sensation of something from above grabbing onto her arm, pulling her off the ground and into the branches overhead. The tiger gave a thunderous roar, leaping into the air after her, barely nicking the skin on her back with its outstretched claws.
Desperately she clung to whoever had rescued her. They weren’t in the clear yet. The tiger wasn’t limited to the ground the way so many other animals were. “Thank you,” she exhaled, breathless from the exertion of running. When her vision finally started to clear she recognized her savior as Kroth, his eyes fixed on the branches ahead. Intense concentration creased his forehead, seemingly unaware of her expression of gratitude. He knew they were still in danger. It would require great skill to avoid notice from the cat long enough for it to move on.
In his rush to get Aiva out of the tiger’s reach. Kroth was unable to get a firm grip on her arm, his fingers slipping from the sweat which covered Aiva’s skin. He fought to tighten his grasp, finding the attempts futile. With every swing through the branches Aiva felt her body give more and more, her screams ringing through the jungle the instant Kroth’s hand slid away. She was falling. With flailing arms she tried to keep hold of him, managing only to catch the quiver on Kroth’s back, tearing it away under her weight, nearly causing him to tumble from the tree after her.
“Princess!”
His shouts fell on deaf ears, the world spinning around Aiva as her body slammed into the ground, the air knocked from her lungs, leaving her gasping for breath, unable to concentrate on the simple act of breathing. Movement was impossible. In the shock of the fall she felt paralyzed. From somewhere nearby she could hear the pounding of the tiger’s feet over the jungle floor. She needed to get up. It was going to kill her if she didn’t move…
Her limbs trembled uncontrollably. With a ferocious lunge the tiger pounced at her, claws splayed. She wasn’t ready to die. She’d promised Callum that she wouldn’t leave him. Not like this. If Sytlea wanted to test her, Aiva couldn’t let herself fail so easily. Steeling her resolve she grabbed one of the arrows from Kroth’s quiver still clutched in her hand. She slid along the ground on her back to place herself just out of the tiger’s reach, the tip of the arrow pointed toward the beast. Her training with Cadell came back to her, his words invaluable in that instant. Timing was everything. Even the smallest fighter could overpower a stronger foe if they had good timing. She hoped he was right. If he was wrong, she wouldn’t be alive to tell him.
On her back, she waited for the tiger to come closer. Gathering her strength she drove the arrow into the eye of the tiger, scrambling on her hands to scoot away from its claws while it thrashed wildly from the pain. In her haste to climb to her feet she dropped Kroth’s quiver, letting the arrows fall to the ground around her. They were worthless without a bow. Not that she knew how to use one. If I get through this, I’ll have to take Callum up on his offer to teach me…
Reflexively she drew her sword. The sturdy metal of her blade would be more effective against a creature this size than a hand-wielded arrow. She circled the tiger, keeping within range of its injured eye. She intended to exploit any advantage she had. Lithely, she evaded the slashing claws, jumping from side to side with nimble movements. It batted at her. Like the smaller felines she played with as a child, only far more deadly.
Cadell’s teachings had spoken of utilizing every weapon available during a fight if her opponent had the upper hand. At the time she assumed he meant physical weapons, though now she was beginning to understand. As a Vor’shai, she had more options. She wasn’t in the desert anymore. The jungle was abundant with life energy from the plants and the rich soil. Her arsenal was limitless. Still, it remained about timing. If she stopped to utilize the energy of the life around her, it would leave her vulnerable to another attack.
Inhaling a deep breath she dropped to the ground, palms flattened against the grass, fingers splayed. She’d never had reason to request such power from nature. Her hope was that it would be no different from the minor tricks she learned while under Faustine’s tutelage.
She could picture Gadiel in her mind. He had done something similar while tracking the pirates through Carpaen. A soft blue light began to build around her hands. Small at fir
st, quickly brightening to extend out along the ground. Her heart raced at the realization that the tiger had renewed its charge. Why won’t this move faster? She willed the forest to work with her. As if pulled on invisible strings, the vines came to life from around the trees, growing in length to hasten along the ground, reaching for the legs of the creature coming toward her.
It gave a feral roar, lashing at Aiva, claws sweeping across the skin of her arms, drawn away by a sudden tug as the vines caught hold to drag it backward. She grimaced in pain, blood trickling over her pale skin. Until the beast was dead, she couldn’t worry about the wounds it inflicted. She was alive. That was all she needed to keep going.
Determination flashed in her glowing eyes, their blue light shining like brilliant sapphires, the energy within coursing through her body and into the ground to create a powerful circuit. The grass began to grow, thickening around the tiger’s feet, the tiny blades extending upward to grasp it like miniature hands lifting out of the ground.
Satisfied with the natural restraints which held the tiger in place, Aiva rose from her knees, collecting her sword from where it had fallen. “I would much prefer not to kill you,” she said through gritted teeth, limping to where the tiger continued to writhe at her mercy. Raising her blade, she drove the tip hard into the creature’s chest. Her nose wrinkled in disgust to hear the tearing flesh, bringing with it gruesome images of the man she killed on the beach in Palinon. Pathetic whimpers echoed through the forest as the tiger drew its final breath, slumping lifelessly to the ground at Aiva’s feet. “Your energy is returned to the forest,” she stated quietly, leaning forward to retrieve her sword from the corpse. “May new life flourish from your death.”
“Most impressive,” Uttae’s voice rang from the trees. With a dull thud he and Kroth dropped down from above, landing gracefully on their feet to inspect the fallen animal. “I came to assist, but it looked as though you had the situation under control. It would have been an insult to interrupt such a brave display.”
The Myatheira Chronicles: Volume Two: Beyond the Veil Page 57