As they left, the cotton that puffed from vents churned with wild fury. The visibility became so limited they couldn’t see more than a few inches ahead. In a flash, Cobaaron burst into hot light and the fibers instantaneously incinerated. Ky laughed when she saw his annoyance.
They continued to the abandoned city of Coontosh, and found the great hall was no longer occupied with women or the warriors they chose for the night. The men, who hadn’t succeeded in pursuing a pleasurable evening, slept on the cold, hard ground around smoldering fires. Cobaaron and Ky’s presence roused the men; warriors stoked fires before leaving to hunt.
Hours later, when the warriors returned with food, the women and the rest of the men returned to the main hall. As they ate, word spread that they were leaving soon, and almost as rapidly, complaints from women circulated because they only stayed one night. The exhausted women asked why they had come so far for a single night’s rest if warriors assured them Sarnia was far away in the opposite direction.
“Long bill birds leave for the Split Sea coast. We will fly to their nests, and be very close to the walls of Sarnia once we’re there. We won’t be walking the entire way,” Cobaaron assured the groaning women, as they prepared to leave. His enthusiasm wasn’t shared, but it didn’t hamper Cobaaron. With the dream fresh in his mind, he was eager to begin.
Huntra bounded up to Ky with feathers in his mouth from a recent kill. He was enthusiastic and keen to move on. He swelled to his large stature to carry Cobaaron and Ky on his saddles.
Before the women were ready to depart, they began their journey to the nesting grounds of the snowbirds. “To the frozen lake, Huntra.” Cobaaron leaned to the side to ruffle his fur. His affection didn’t go unnoticed by Huntra. He pranced and strutted, as if the brief attention could make him run for miles on adrenaline.
Cobaaron took Ky’s hand and didn’t release it; Ky always felt at ease and comfortable when their fingers entwined. Cobaaron was an affectionate man, but when it came to his warrior side, there was one thing he rarely said; he only told her that he loved her once, but nearly everything he did from the way he watched her, touched her, or spoke of how he felt about her, proclaimed the depth of his feelings. She cherished his reassuring caresses that he didn’t hide as if they were confessions.
After a short hike of only a few miles, they were exiting the mountain. Ky didn’t remember the mountain air being this cold. She glowed warmly to stop shivering in the frigid air. Meanwhile Huntra, a snow tiger, romped in the deep banks. He hopped in the drifts and down the mountain, leading the way. Because he was so quick at maneuvering in the snow, he took his time jumping in large circles as if playing a game. When they reached a steep, smooth slope, the men stripped tree bark for use as sleds to descend rapidly. Huntra ran behind them, enjoying himself immensely. Ky held tightly to Cobaaron who was taking the brunt of the cold wind while nearly nude. He heated his own body, but Ky had no idea how the other men were bearing the freezing winter air in so little leather.
In no time, they reached the Valley of Quen. It was warmer at the base of the two mountain ranges. Frigid wind didn’t bite their cheeks. But it was temperate only enough it was tolerable. Warriors and women took turns walking behind Cobaaron and Ky, because she was glowing so intensely that her heat warmed the air and wafted back to the procession.
“Dismount, Ky. You must shine and heat the region. There are no other Stars here, warming the earth from the inside. It’s too cold.”
They hopped off Huntra, and she shone brighter. Cobaaron took the lead, and Ky walk several feet behind him so she could warm the breeze. The snow under her feet melted and the air became hot. She continued to increase her heat, until the men were satisfied and no longer groaned about the shivering cold. Incredibly, she watched as the ice and snow turned to melting streams, and exposed blue grass along the foot of the mountains.
They crossed the basin for miles. Cobaaron said they wouldn’t walk far; it didn’t seem to be the case, because Ky’s feet ached. It took hours to trek from one side of the windy dale to the other. Finally they reached a wide, frozen river, and Cobaaron announced they were almost there. They carefully dragged their feet in small shuffling steps as they made their way up the middle of the wide channel of thick ice.
Due to the excess weight, the frozen river creaked. “We should head to shore,” Cobaaron said when Ky couldn’t dim her light and stop melting the ice under her feet. He led her further away from the troops, and hugged the shoreline. When the ice cracked with a sudden snap that echoed throughout the valley, Ky flinched in alarm; her heightened emotions sparked her light, melting the ice faster. She stared at Cobaaron with wide eyes, but then they nervously laughed. Luckily, she hadn’t fallen through. “Maybe I should risk carrying you. Come.” Cobaaron held out his hand. Another shrill crunch sounded as a giant crack encircled her; before a breath could be taken, Ky dropped into the freezing water.
The current swiftly swept Ky away, and she drifted far from the hole she plunged through. The icy water felt like thousands of tiny needles pricking her skin. Even glowing for warmth did little good, because the rushing water mixed and churned losing any body heat created. It was so cold that Ky was sure she only had a few seconds to live. Ky panicked because of the very real possibility she would die of hypothermia before she drowned. She opened her eyes, scratching at sand and small rocks. But it gave her an idea. Ky searched for something she could hold onto, like a rock or log.
The water was shallow and she could reach out and grasp anything she found, as she washed downstream. Unfortunately, there was nothing heavy to cling onto. Ky clutched at sand and sediment, and hoped if she gathered enough she would stop, but with each scoop, the clump loosened and particles dispersed, making the water murky.
By luck and saving grace, Ky’s feet hit a boulder, and she was pinned in a cluster of rocks. Without seeing the stones, she snagged one as she rotated and washed down the river sideways. Ky hugged the rock, but her wedged foot captured her. Ky glowed, purposefully wanting to boil the water around her to make the ice melt above her. It was slow melting because the current passed her rapidly. She panicked again, because melting the ice wasn’t an option. She was running out of breath.
Ky heard a deafening pounding. The ice cracked. She heard it break, and a moment later, she was hoisted out of the water. Ky gasped for air, and was thrown over Cobaaron’s shoulder. He ran to shore and set her on solid ground, covered in hard snow. He tugged her close, trying to warm her with his heat, and stopped when she shined to dry herself.
Ky was breathing heavily. “I’m okay,” she assured him, though she was still shaken. That was the scariest experience of her life, and now that she was fine and out of danger, she felt the full anxiety of what could have happened. She bit her lip to keep her emotions under control or she would have cried in front of everyone.
“I know. I followed you under the water, and when you stopped...you’re a real warrior Ky. Keeping a head on your shoulders is half the battle sometimes.” He smiled, rubbing her arms as if she were cold. “The wild has toughened you up.”
“I don’t believe in giving up,” Ky testified with a shrug, trying to sound calmer than she felt. “But I was scared.”
“You’re brave because of it,” Cobaaron praised. He rightly sensed she was overwrought and didn’t want to talk about it with an audience, because he said, “Come, we’ll walk alongside the mountain. It’s only a few miles upriver. Don’t let go of my hand.”
They continued to trail along the frozen river, and stopped every once in awhile as Cobaaron scented the air. When he did this for the fifth time, Ky finally asked, “Do you smell a beast? I would rather know if you did.”
“It’s not an animal that I smell. We’re still being followed. It’s a witch, or we couldn’t have been followed from the City of Sterlings. Let’s hurry to the birds.”
They hiked about a mile, before everyone neared the shore because huge holes were chiseled in the ice. Everyone gathered
at the edge of a forest of tall pines dusted in snow. “Do you trust me, Ky?”
“You know I do,” Ky said with a nod as she smiled. She’d follow him to the edge of the earth, but didn’t know why he would ask such a question. Maybe the mishap at the shoreline was still fresh on his mind, but that wasn’t Cobaaron’s fault.
“Good. Follow me up this hill among the trees.” Cobaaron held her hand, and they climbed up a small, steep snowcap. When they got near the top, Cobaaron had her crawl on her belly. “Stay back, Huntra,” Cobaaron growled when Huntra pounced into the snow, heading down the hill. Ky peered over the hilltop, and saw what they were hiding from. Gathered at the lake by the thousands were huge white birds with long, thin, curved beaks. The birds stripped the flesh from enormous silver fish that reminded Ky of great white sharks using their razor-sharp talons.
“I need you to do something, Ky. I’ll be right behind you.” Cobaaron helped her stand, and kissed her lightly on the corner of the mouth.
“What do you need me to do?”
“Look like prey.” Cobaaron pushed her backward, and she landed on her duff. The hill was steep; she zipped down the slick slide toward the birds. Ky screamed as she spun a few times, and then rolled. As she tumbled she got glimpses of Huntra running after her. She skidded to a stop, and found herself surrounded by birds that threatened to pierce her with their talons as they hopped closer. Nearby, twitchy birds abandoned the disenchanting, cold fish they were eating and eyed her. More flew around Ky. They were quick to peck at her. Ky screamed, covering her face. Their beaks were so sharp they dug into the ice. With jerky, fast movements, they would look at her with one eye, then peck again as she rolled out of the way, but only to become prey for another.
Ky was plucked from the ice. A giant long bill tossed her in the air, tilted its head back, and opened wide. Ky fell to the back of the bird’s tongue and slid down its slippery throat. She braced her arms and feet, pushing against the flesh, but its throat was wide and coated with slimy saliva. Ky was swallowed, and forced down to the bird’s crop.
Ky landed in a stomach that contained fish guts, bones and even rocks. The fish reeked. She gasped through her mouth but had no remedy for her watering, stinging eyes. Her feet sunk into the spoiled white flesh. The squishy sound alone nauseated her. She hunched over, and heaved.
Huntra toppled down the throat and plopped into the stomach, rolling over the fish. His reaction to the disgusting flesh made Ky’s stomach churn. Huntra rubbed his cheeks in the gunk like catnip, and devoured the slop.
“Huntra, that is disgusting,” Ky groaned, and then swallowed to avoid vomiting. Ky couldn’t look at him after that as he ate.
Noxis was next to slip down the throat. He complained of the stench saying, “Aw! That is truly an obnoxious odor.”
“Where is my husband?” Ky questioned him nervously, hoping he would be eaten soon.
“A different long bill almost ate him, but Cobaaron fought because he wanted in here with you. They’re stupid birds that scare easily. The flock won’t bother if it’s not an easy meal. They won’t ingest him soon. But they are stupid, and will forget. He’ll try to have this one eat him in a bit.” Noxis pointed to her cat. “Don’t let him eat too much; it’s diseased, and it will slowly kill him if he eats a belly full.”
“Huntra, don’t eat anymore,” Ky snapped and clapped her hands to scare him into listening. He reluctantly stopped, but when he tried eating it a moment later, she clapped her hands again and yelled at him to mind her. “It will kill you. You heard him!”
A small woman fell into the stomach. Cobaaron had a firm grip on her, until he was successfully eaten. Noxis gave a nod to his brother. “I see you brought bait.”
“Don’t let the fish touch your lips. In fact, don’t wipe your mouth, either. Don’t let anything touch them,” Cobaaron told the girl. When the shaking young woman trembled, plugged her nose with her hand, Noxis yanked her hand away. The girl paled green, and then threw up on Noxis’s sandal.
Noxis groaned and huffed. “Mother of pearl,” he cursed. “Why do women keep getting sick on me?” He pointed to the girl. “Keep your distance from me.” He then glared at Ky. “Both of you stay away!”
“That smell,” the girl complained.
“Be glad the fish is in the belly. Its rotting flesh lets us breathe.” Noxis hadn’t taken another step before the bird swallowed two more warriors and a girl Ky knew to be Ambrosia. Ky remembered her violet eyes. One of the warriors was Laxis, and the other was young and Ky never saw him before. The younger warrior was quick to hold out his arm, stopping Ambrosia from face planting into the fish, before warning of its danger.
“I can never get use to the smell of stink fish,” Laxis complained with his nose scrunched and his lip snarled. He breathed through his mouth but then complained of tasting it.
“Now what?” Ambrosia asked for anyone who would answer.
“We wait,” Cobaaron stated.
“Sometimes days,” Laxis taunted. His words made the small shivering girl look frantically around as if claustrophobic and then she paled before vomiting.
“Be strong, women; this isn’t dire. You’re in good company,” Cobaaron said.
They waited for more men to be eaten, but instead huge chunks of stink fish meat dropped down the throat. Every once in awhile Cobaaron would threaten Huntra not to eat the fish or he would skin him alive, but his hollow threats only lasted a few minutes before Cobaaron once again scolded him for attempting to sneak a bite.
Hours passed, as the stomach packed with more stink fish. Ky was getting used to the smell. Unexpectedly the bird took off, and they were thrown off balance into the slimy fish. Ky felt her body increase in weight as the g-forces pressed her down. Ambrosia comforted the shaking girl, telling her it would soon be over. Ky was certain it was an empty promise, but the assurance was comforting. The heavy weight lifted, and Ky released a sigh of relief. She was more nauseous than ever after the strong pressure squeezed her stomach. She swallowed again to keep the churning at bay.
“Will we be there soon, my King?” Ambrosia asked Cobaaron, begging him to lie if necessary.
“We should be flying to their nesting grounds now,” Cobaaron answered, sounding confident. “If they don’t stop, and if they don’t become dragon prey, we should be there by tomorrow.”
“So long?” the small girl asked dismally.
“Maybe longer if they feast somewhere else,” the young warrior said to the small girl as he shrugged. The girl paled white, then green before looking at Ambrosia obviously hoping she would contradict him.
“Don’t scare her, Tyrus.” Laxis grinned, finding it amusing. “All of these women are helpless babes.” Ky’s eyes narrowed. She may be eighteen, but not young enough to be called a child and she certainly was not helpless. Laxis then looked at Ky and added, “Well, at least they pretend to have youth.”
“Watch it, Laxis,” Cobaaron warned him. “I know what you’re insinuating and I will not permit your threats.”
Laxis said nothing, glanced at Noxis, and then shifted away. The tension between the men was high. Ambrosia sensed it and spoke up: “As a healer’s daughter, I know if a man has been put under a spell or charm. Cobaaron isn’t under one. Ky isn’t a witch any more than I am.”
“That is reassuring,” Laxis snarled with sarcasm.
“I don’t trust healer’s daughters. They may not be witches, but I’ve known a few, too many of them, and their love potions carry a heavy punch,” Tyrus said.
“How dare you!” Ambrosia snapped, and swung her hand to slap him. Cobaaron captured her wrist in a firm grip, and shook his head angrily.
“Don’t touch his face. The fish are diseased,” Cobaaron warned harshly.
“Fine,” Ambrosia said, and Cobaaron released her wrist; she flicked her finger, and Tyrus hiccupped a bubble. Soon he was hiccoughing larger and larger bubbles until he swallowed hard.
“For being a respectable healer’s daughter, you sur
e are ornery.”
“Enough,” Cobaaron growled. “I ask you all to trust me. Don’t divide my army with rumors of witches, Laxis. When we reach the City of Lights, we will hold a tournament for the new leader of the army. Spread stories of that.”
“You will not give it to Octavos?” Laxis asked.
“He has stepped down as my second.”
“Then it’s true. He suspects your partner is a witch,” Laxis stated, and scanned the belly of the bird with his eyes as if calculating an escape if his plans didn’t end favorably.
“What are you going to do, Laxis? Kill my partner while in my presence? You would never get passed me.”
Tyrus moved to Cobaaron’s side and readied himself for a brawl. Noxis grasped his two blades and snarled, “No one is fighting in here, Laxis. Stand down, and remember who you’re talking to or I will kill you myself.”
No one spoke for several minutes as the men continued to gauge each other. Tyrus asked Noxis a question to ease the tension: “Will you be commander?”
“I serve Cobaaron. I’ll do as he asks,” Noxis growled at Laxis.
“If the quill allows, Noxis will be on my council. Either way he will serve close to me,” Cobaaron stressed.
“As you wish,” Noxis said with a bow. Ky wasn’t sure, but she thought she saw relief on Noxis’s rigid face. Or maybe he was thinking of his brother as a king to a noble city, and was filled with pride. Either way, it was evident Noxis had no desire to take the army.
CHAPTER TWO
“We’re going to land. Get ready,” Cobaaron announced as his hair stood up like electricity was surging through his body. Ky began to float until her back hit the top of the crop. Everyone in the stomach rose. “Huntra come.” Cobaaron reached for him, and pulled him to his chest. “We’ll have to fling the women out of the way of the chicks’ mouths. Toss them over the nest to the water. Make sure they’re safe before you jump.”
The Coming Dawn Trilogy Page 33