Valle : Book 2 of the Heku Series

by T. M. Nielsen

  “I don’t believe you,” she said, not taking her eyes away from his ragged teeth.

  “You, Child, are you a donor?” he asked, running a long, thin finger across his lips.

  “I am not. I live here,” she told him, and took a few steps back toward the clearing.

  “Pity,” he said, taking a step toward her.

  “I don’t want to kill you, so I suggest you go back where you came from.” She was out in the clearing now, and Patra shied away from the smell of the heku.

  “Please, Child, just one taste. Once you see me as I truly am, you will be amazed.” His smile sent shivers down her spine.

  The heku quickly looked behind her, and then ran back into the dark forest. She turned to see who was approaching as the hoof beats grew nearer.

  “Emily?” Kyle asked, looking at her strangely. She was standing at the tree line with the rifle in her hand and an odd expression on her face.

  “Did you see him?” she asked, looking back into the trees.

  “See who?” Kyle looked toward the trees.

  “A very old, wrinkly heku claims to be Elder Larsen.” She started back into the trees.

  “Emily, wait!” Kyle said, dismounting his buckskin mare. “Was he in there?”

  “Come here, I’ll show you.” She disappeared into the trees.

  Kyle caught up with her quickly and he grabbed her shoulder to stop her when he smelled the decay.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked, turning to him.

  Kyle put his fingers to his lips, and took a step toward the trees, “I can smell you in there, heku. Come out or I’ll come and find you.”

  Emily turned when she saw the withered heku step out from behind a tree. Kyle stepped quickly between them and crouched defensively.

  “Who are you?” he hissed, and his hands balled into fists.

  “Do not address me as a commoner, Boy.” The heku stared at him angrily, “I was once an Elder of the Equites and will be treated with the respect that is owed.”

  “I don’t care who you used to be, get off of this island. You have no business here.” Kyle didn’t move a muscle.

  “Please, Child, tell him I didn’t hurt you when I could have… tell him I am to be trusted.” His eyes locked on Emily’s.

  “Tell him yourself and stop trying to control my mind. I told you, it doesn’t work.” She glared around Kyle at him.

  The heku looked nervously at Kyle, “I wasn’t trying to control her mind. I wouldn’t do that.”

  “I’m not going to tell you again, get off of this island,” Kyle hissed at him.

  The heku looked sadly at Kyle and Emily, then nodded and returned to the trees.

  “How do you find this stuff?” Kyle asked, turning to her.

  “Is it true? Was he an Elder?” Emily asked, walking back to Patra.

  Kyle nodded, “Yes, he was banished to the ground about 600 years ago.”

  “For what?” She jumped up on Patra and took the reins.

  “We don’t speak of it anymore.” He slid easily up on the buckskin mare and started back for the barn.

  “Why are you out here anyway?” she asked, looking at him.

  “I saw the cows bothered and came to see what was up.” He was looking toward the barn, “I should have known you would be in the middle of it.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” she snapped at him.

  “Just that if there’s trouble… somehow you always seem to be there.”

  Emily reached out and slapped the buckskin mare on the rump and sent her flying toward the barn. It was only a second before Kyle steadied himself and allowed the mare to run.

  By the time Emily got to the barn, Kyle was gone. Sam took Patra’s reins, and Emily slipped off the horse, “Get the corral cleared out, I’m going to break in that colt.”

  “Yes, Ma’am,” Sam said, heading out to the corral. Emily grinned. She noticed that Sam only called her ma’am when he didn’t agree with what she was doing.

  Emily picked up Allen and watched Sam get things ready. It was long past time to break in Patra’s colt. She hadn’t even named him yet, but it was time he was ready to ride. She wanted to give the stallion to Allen, but he needed to be entirely broken in first.

  Sam took Allen back when Emily headed out to the corral. She easily slipped a bridle onto the stallion, but he pulled violently once she got it fastened. She stood back as he struggled with the feel of the bit in his mouth. Once he calmed, Emily threw a blanket over his back and stood back again, watching him fight to get it off.

  “He’s a mean one,” Sam called out to her.

  Emily nodded and tied the reins to the fence. She walked over and got the saddle from the stand and headed over to the unhappy stallion. The horse stood 17 hands tall, and Emily had to get a good hoist on the saddle to land it on his back. She hadn’t even gotten the tie strap around his chest when he reared back and kicked her in the chest. She flew back and landed hard against the ground.

  “Damnit!” she screamed and scrambled to her feet.

  “Ouch,” Allen said to Sam, and Sam just winced and nodded.

  Emily tried again and got the tie strap securely around his chest, but the Paint watched her carefully. She reached under him slowly and grabbed the flank cinch. She fastened it quickly, and then stepped back as the stallion began to buck angrily.

  Emily slipped off her long sleeved flannel shirt and flexed her hands within the leather gloves, then approached the young stallion carefully, and calmly talked to him. She stood alongside his left side and petted his neck. She slowly lifted her left foot and put it into the stirrup and the young horse immediately began to fidget nervously.

  Emily mentally counted to three, then hoisted herself up into the saddle, gripping the horn tightly as the horse began to buck and kick. She was able to hold on for almost thirty seconds before she lost her grip and flew back into the fence. She fell to the ground, gasping for breath. The fence post had knocked the wind out of her.

  “Emily!” Sam yelled, running up to her.

  “I’m fine,” she growled.

  “Ouch,” Allen said again from Sam’s arms.

  Emily got to her feet and headed back to the angry stallion.

  “Let’s try again tomorrow… just leave the saddle on him and let him get used to it,” Sam said, taking Allen back into the barn. He knew Emily was taking this personally, and he didn’t think Allen needed to see his mom get trampled.

  “Alright you Sonofabitch, we can do this nicely or we can both die trying,” she said, grabbing his bridle and jerking it.

  As soon as she jerked his bridle, the horse reared back again and kicked her to the ground. She quickly rolled out of his reach.

  “Damnit!” she yelled again, and slowly got to her feet.

  Emily approached him slowly and was able to get securely in the saddle before he began to buck and kick. She held onto the horn and squeezed her knees together, hanging on while the raging horse tried to get her off. Her body thrashed with his kicking, but she set her jaw and managed to stay on top.

  After a few minutes, the horse stopped kicking and whinnied madly. Emily sat in the saddle, still holding on tight, though he didn’t buck again. She kicked her feet gently against his sides, but he stood firm and crooked his neck to look back at her.

  She grinned, “Fine, we’ll finish tomorrow.”

  As Emily slid off the stallion, she saw the anger in his eyes and wondered if he would ever be gentle enough for Allen.

  “Leave him in the saddle and bridle tonight, Sam,” she said, and took Allen from his arms, then put him on the ground to walk.

  “Miss Emily?” Sam asked, walking behind her.

  “What Sam?” She turned to him.

  “How are you going to explain your back to Chevalier?” He brushed the dirt and weeds off of her back, but the blood was obvious.

  “How bad is it?” she asked, trying to see for herself.

  Sam halfway grinned, “I’m going to plead th
e fifth and tell him I tried to stop you.”

  She sighed and headed inside, holding hands with Allen. Emily managed to get into her room without Chevalier seeing her, and she put the toddler in his play pen while she went into the bathroom to clean up.

  She glanced in the mirror and rolled her eyes, “Great.”

  Her clothes were covered in dirt and were torn. She noticed her left shoulder was bruised and scratched, and she had a small scratch under her right eye. She slipped off her shirt and turned in the mirror to see her back.

  She gasped. Her back was a mess of bruises, cuts, and scrapes. She could distinctly see the bruised outline of a fence post traveling up the middle of her back. She heard Chevalier come into the room and begin to talk to Allen.

  “Be right out, going to shower!” she called out to him.

  Chevalier picked Allen up from his play pen and threw him into the air. Emily hated when he did that. She said it wasn’t safe, but she wasn’t around, and it made Allen laugh.

  “How was your day little guy?” Chevalier asked, sitting down on the bed with him.

  “Ouch,” he said, pointing off into nowhere.

  “Aw, did you get hurt today?” Chevalier asked, grinning.

  Allen nodded excitedly, “Damnit.”

  Chevalier fought against laughing and raised an eyebrow at his son, “Damnit, eh?”

  Allen nodded.

  “Did Mommy say that?” He smiled when Allen nodded.

  He heard Emily out get out of the shower, “Had a rough day, Em?” he called to her.

  “Not really, why?” she asked from inside the bathroom.

  “Just thought it was an interesting word to teach our son.”

  “What word?” she asked, and came out of the bathroom in an oversized fuzzy robe. Her hair fell over her face just enough to cover the scratch under her eye.

  “Damnit,” he said, and Allen repeated it.

  “Great,” she said, sitting on the bed by them. “Allen that’s a no-no word.”

  “Ouch,” the toddler said, pointing at Emily.

  Chevalier turned to Allen, “Oh! Is the ouch for Mommy?”

  Emily’s eyes widened as Allen nodded and repeated the word, pointing directly to her. She figured it wasn’t worth fighting over, “I started to break in the colt.”

  Chevalier’s eyes narrowed, “I told Sam to hire someone to do that.”

  “Yes, and I told Sam I would do it.”

  Chevalier looked closely at her face, and he saw the scrapes, “Why must you always put yourself in danger?”

  “I wasn’t in danger. You act like I’ve never broken in a horse before.” She looked squarely at him.

  “Not one like this, Sam even told me how mean that one is.” Chevalier could feel a fight coming on and called Anna to take Allen. He screamed as the heku carried him from the room.

  Emily winced as they left the room, Chevalier sending Allen away only meant one thing.

  “Before you get angry, just hear me out,” Emily said. “I’ve broken horses before, even mean ones, and I’ll do this one too. I’m not going to bring someone in to do my job for me.”

  “How badly were you hurt?” he asked, moving closer to her. His words were caring, but his voice was angry.

  She scooted away from him, “I’m not going to let you turn this into a big thing. I’m not hurt, and I will break that horse myself.”

  “Emily,” he growled and reached out for her. His fingers barely grasped her injured shoulder as she pulled away from him.

  “Stop it,” she said, and frowned at him.

  “You don’t seem to have the self-preservation that God gave a turnip.” He grabbed the back of her robe when she tried to get away, and it pulled down far enough he could see the damage to her back.

  Emily yanked the fabric from his hand and stood up, adjusting her robe, “It’s not as bad as it looks.”

  “Emily,” Chevalier hissed. “Let me see it better.”

  “No”

  “What?” He frowned. He would never get used to his orders not being followed immediately and without question.

  “I said no.” She set her jaw and turned to face him.

  “Damnit, Emily,” he hissed and took a step toward her.

  “I said, no. You’ll see it and get all over protective and make a big deal out of it, and then we’ll get into a huge fight and honestly, right now, I will probably win, which will just tick you off more.” She crossed her arms and stood her ground.

  “At least let me put some peroxide on it, so it doesn’t get infected,” he said, still mad.

  “No”

  “You know what… fine… get yourself killed breaking in some stupid horse,” he growled, and then headed for the door.

  She hated when he left mad, “I met Elder Larsen today,” she said to him.

  Chevalier spun, shocked, “Who?”

  “Elder Larsen? Said he used to be one of the Elders for the Equites.” She noticed her plan worked. The worry and anger left his face and now he was shocked.

  “You met him… where?” he asked, taking a step toward her.

  “Out by the pasture in the trees. He spooked the cows and I went to see what was up,” she hurried and said, trying to keep his attention.

  Chevalier’s eyes seemed far away, “I need to call the Council,” he told her, and left quickly.

  Emily hurried out after him and stepped into his office just as he was making the call.

  “Emily, this is private,” he said, impatiently tapping his pen against this desk.

  Emily sat down and smiled. Chevalier just shook his head.

  “Elder Larsen has…” he paused looking up at Emily, “Resurfaced.”

  “Here on the island.”

  “Emily found him.” He looked up at her and chuckled, “Yes she does, doesn’t she?”

  “Yes, right away,” he said before setting the phone down.

  “Yes she does what?” Emily asked, narrowing her eyes.

  “Find trouble easily,” he chuckled. “Come show me where he is.”

  Emily ran up to the room and got dressed, then went back down to the barn. Chevalier was already seated on his moody Arabian, and Sam had Patra ready for her. She mounted the Painted mare and headed her across the pasture at a slow walk.

  “You never go riding anymore,” she said, watching the trees grow closer.

  “Seemed to me that was kind of your thing with Kyle,” he told her quietly. He’d never felt comfortable with how close Emily and Kyle were, but the fighting wasn’t worth it so now he just tolerated it and tried to look the other way.

  “Hm, no law says you can’t come out once in a while. Allen loves to ride,” she said as she stopped the mare and slid out of the saddle.

  Chevalier jumped off of his stallion and put his hand on Emily’s shoulder, “Stay out here.”

  She rolled her eyes, “I’ve already met him alone, and if he was going to hurt me, he would have already.” She walked into the trees a bit.

  “Larsen?” she called out to the trees.

  Chevalier waited a moment, “I demand you come here this instant,” he growled.

  Emily slapped him on the chest, “Be nice.”

  “What?”

  “Larsen? Can I talk to you?” Emily asked, louder. They waited for a few minutes in silence as Chevalier scanned the dark woods.

  “Coward,” Chevalier grumbled.

  Emily grinned, “Oh I can get him to come out.”

  Chevalier eyed her suspiciously, “How’s that?”

  She turned to Chevalier and pressed her body up close to his. He reached down and kissed her softly, “What are you up to?”

  She smiled sweetly and slipped her hands into both of his front pockets. She felt the sharp blade of the ceremonial dagger he kept on him at all times and ran the blade along the palm of her hand, wincing slightly.

  “Emily, what in God’s name…” he said, pulling away from her when he smelled blood.

  She pulled her han
ds out of his pockets and let a few drops of blood fall to the mossy floor of the small woods. She used the edge of her shirt to stop the blood as she heard a commotion ahead of them in the trees.

  “Mmmm… smell it, smell it,” the words were hissed from behind a tree.

  The gaunt heku slowly began to move toward her, his eyes fixed on her hand. Chevalier stepped in front of her and blocked his path.

  “No, no, not him… not him, I smell it,” Larsen said, stopping a few feet from Chevalier.

  “You no longer belong here,” Chevalier said to him, and Larsen recoiled with the command in his voice.

  “I do, I am an Elder.” He took a step to the side to get a better look at Emily.

  “You were an Elder. Now you are a haggard old heku, and it’s time you left.” Chevalier watched him carefully. He could still smell the blood on Emily.

  “I belong on the Council, back on the Council, not in the ground,” Larsen chanted, and locked his eyes on Emily’s. He growled, frustrated, when she broke the gaze and glared.

  “There’s a reason you were in the ground for 600 years, after that time, it was well stated you were to be out of the Equites. Go join the Valle or the Encala if you wish, but the Equites won’t have you.” Chevalier’s words were sharp and harsh.

  “Please, I belong with the Equites. Just one drink and I will be strong again.” He took a step toward Emily.

  Chevalier blocked him again, “I’m going to have you escorted out, and if I catch you anywhere near an Equites, you will have to deal with me.”

  “Chief Enforcer is right, but please, Sir, just one taste of the blood.” Larsen lunged at Emily, but found himself tightly gripped by Chevalier.

  “I better not catch you feeding without consent, either.”

  Emily wasn’t sure from where, but seven of the Island’s guards appeared beside her and Chevalier threw Larsen hard at them. They restrained him and hauled him toward the pier as he kicked and screamed for Emily.

  “What did he do that was so bad?” Emily asked, watching the haggard heku hauled away.

  “What was that?” Chevalier growled at her.

  She turned to face him, her eyes wide, “What?”

  Emily took a step back when she saw the look in his eyes. She’d seen that look, the feral eyes of a predator, “Chevalier, no.”