“You do not understand, Father. I have insulted their family greatly. If the Prince has spoken with his mother of my behavior, she may change her mind.”
Okivra’s eyes narrowed, searching her face. “You insulted the royal family?” he inquired. “Their people are not exactly petty. I insulted the Queen directly when first introduced. My understanding of their culture was skewed. I believed their women weak. Upon learning that the Tanispan Captain was in fact female, I implied to the General that her gender was the reason they required our assistance in winning their war. She does not hold that against me now. Surely they will forgive whatever slight you may have given.”
She peered at her father, quizzical of his admission, surprised. He’d insulted the Queen? A blunder of the tongue was nothing compared to a physical assault on a member of the royal family. “I fear my slight goes beyond mere words,” she sighed. Biting her lower lip she cast another wistful glance over her shoulder. Nothing. Not a single sound to indicate anyone near the Nahedu watch.
“What have you done which makes you so pensive. It is not fitting for you.”
“I assaulted the Prince.”
“You did what?” the Chief blinked. “Why in the world would you do such a thing?”
“He caught me off guard, Father. I am not familiar with their customs. He greeted me outside the palace and grabbed my hand. I had no way of knowing what he intended to do so I defended myself accordingly by letting him know his actions were improper and uninvited.”
Raising his gaze to the sky Okivra smirked in spite of himself. “I see,” he mumbled. “Perhaps it is partially my fault for not properly preparing you for what to expect. Tell me. Which Prince did you assault? Was it the eldest or did you raise your hand to the Crown Prince and future King?”
“Are they not the same person?” she asked, confused by the implication. The eldest Prince was not in line for the throne? How strange their culture was!
“The Vor’shai judge their family line by daughters, not sons,” Okivra explained. Gently he rested his hand on Neomi’s arm, guiding her away from the outer perimeter of the camp. “The Crown Prince is the man married to the eldest daughter. I have not met him, but I know him to be the son of the Tanispan General. The eldest Prince I have met. He goes by the name of Edric. Not quite so military-minded as the other but tolerable.”
Her father’s descriptions were confusing. She recalled the Prince’s introduction. Edric. Yes, that was the name he’d given. It was the other Prince she didn’t understand. During the private conversation she’d overheard between Edric and the Captain, it led her to believe that the Captain was the son of the General. They spoke of his father. And his wife. Edric’s sister? Damn her ignorance of their family! She had been blind while in their presence, trying so hard to appear knowledgeable and confident while completely lost in their unusual speech. “Does their General have more than one son?” she shifted her eyes uncomfortably to her father. “I have been under the assumption that the Captain of their military was descended from him.”
“He is” Okivra nodded. “To my understanding, the Crown Prince was of a strong military background prior to his marriage. It is possible he retained his rank and title after the union. None of that tells me who you assaulted. Do you recall which of the men it was?”
“If the Captain is also the Crown Prince, then I spoke with them both. The one known as Edric was the one who crossed me, however.”
“And which of the men gave assurances of their hasty arrival to Ethrysta?”
“The Captain.”
“Good,” Okivra nodded sharply. “The Crown Prince holds more sway. He is the one you should strive to maintain his good graces. It is doubtful the other Prince will involve himself in the matter, so you should not dwell on the issue. Just keep your temper in check around the Captain and we will have no reason to worry. Though I don’t know why I warn you of this. It is your brother I am concerned about.”
“I have convinced him to behave around the Vor’shai,” she cut in. Her conversation with Onuric remained fresh in her mind. It had eased her nerves at the time though now she wasn’t so sure. Her brother’s temper was impossible to gauge. One misunderstanding could ruin everything in front of the Captain. “His assurances are the best we can hope for,” she frowned. “I explained the reasons why their coming is important and he agreed to be cordial so long as their men keep their distance from our women. He is convinced their soldiers cannot be trusted.”
Pausing mid-stride her father turned to face her, his gaze hard and stern. “Many of them cannot be,” he said flatly in response. “It is something I have considered as well. When I took our warriors to assist the Vor’shai, I brought none of our women for the sake of avoiding socialization between our people. Mingling of genders will be impossible to prevent in this situation. Your brother has every right to worry.”
“Am I the only one who feels the issue trivial? We have far greater things on our minds than socialization. Our men and women will be too distracted…”
“Some things create distraction from – distraction. Especially when presented with people outside our own race. They are different. We are different. Therefore it breeds interest. I have given our warriors direct orders not to fraternize with the Vor’shai soldiers. To do so will be a blatant disregard of my authority and punishable under the strictest sense. When their Captain arrives, I suggest you inform him to advise their men of the same. They are on our land. They will abide by my rules.”
“Then you believe they will come?”
“I have no doubt,” Okivra turned away, resuming his confident pace at Neomi’s side. “Ewei is preparing another group to attempt an investigation of Isavo. We need to have more information to provide the Vor’shai upon their arrival.”
“But the Vor’shai could be here any moment.”
“Which is why you will remain here to wait for them.”
Of course. Another excuse to leave her behind and out of danger. Whether it was a conscious decision on her father’s part or not, it inevitably ended the same. She was being kept out of the line of fire. Pushed to the background by her family. “What if I want to go to Isavo?”
Her father glanced at her, a slight smirk on his lips at the thought. “Why would you want to go there?”
“Why wouldn’t I?” she demanded. Did he not see how important this was to her? How was she supposed to help her people if she was left to play greeter? She was no diplomat. Her place was on the battlefield leading their men. To leave her there with the Vor’shai was only asking for more complications. This was Onuric’s duty. Not hers. “Let me go, Father. Ewei can stay here to meet with the Tanispan Captain. He has already led one group to their death in an attempt to reach Isavo. It is only right for someone else to take the responsibility if you intend to send another.”
“Neomi, you are the one who volunteered to greet the Vor’shai.”
Frozen in place she stared straight ahead, her father’s words echoing in her mind. She had volunteered. What had she been thinking? “I changed my mind,” she sighed, shaking her head. “I cannot do this. Onuric is trained to handle foreign diplomats, not me.”
“You are doing fine. It can be daunting, but the Vor’shai are not so terrible. They are far better than the humans.”
“And what am I supposed to do if they arrive and Ewei has not returned? Am I to entertain them? It seems foolish to send our warriors out now when we could wait and send the Vor’shai with them to investigate. Then we would not have to worry about dancing around the details of what we are up against. Their Captain could learn the truth first hand.”
Okivra’s expression became thoughtful. Contemplating her suggestion. She was surprised by her own idea. It was a rational line of thought. If the Vor’shai were going to fight at their side, it was only fair they be included in every aspect. The Captain might think it an insult to be left on the outside, waiting and doing nothing. “You pose a valid argument,” Okivra nodded. “The proble
m is that Ewei shares a similar opinion of the Vor’shai as your brother. He will not be open to the idea of having them tag along.”
“What was the point of calling for them if none of our warriors will let them help?” For the first time she was starting to see the flaws in the proud nature of the Ovatai. Were these men really so stubborn that they would risk the extinction of their people simply to avoid asking for help? There was a difference between working with their allies and being coddled by them. She disliked the possibility of coming across as weak to the Vor’shai but she was willing to do it if there was a chance they could help. “If Ewei will not do it than I will,” she said tersely.
The offer went against her earlier statements. She wanted as little to do with the Vor’shai as possible. Why did she continue to dig herself deeper into the politics of this alliance? It wasn’t her place. The other men merely made it impossible for her to step away from it.
Her father remained quiet. Unlike the rash minds of Onuric and Ewei, the Chief was sagacious. He would see the benefit to what she suggested. At the same time he would recognize the reluctance she felt in offering to take on such a role. It would be a test of her leadership abilities. Beyond that of anything she’d displayed in the past. She didn’t want him to sense her discomfort. The slightest hesitation could cost her the task. Regardless of her discontent at trying to further ingratiate herself with the foreigners, this was the best choice for the sake of her people.
Okivra’s hand came to rest upon her shoulder, his other lightly pressed against her cheek, turning her face to his. She gazed at him, an uncomfortable nervous flutter tingling along her skin at the anticipation of his answer. “Neomi,” he said calmly, peering into the depths of her eyes. “I know this is difficult for you. It is hard for all of us. Everyone handles the stress differently. You, however, present yourself with the courage of a true warrior. Facing the obstacles placed before you with determination. You remind me of your mother.”
A grimace contorted her pale features at the mention of her mother. Their family rarely spoke of her since she passed from the world so many years ago. She had been the most beloved woman of the Komoa tribe. Beautiful. Strong. The best choice for a man like Okivra. When she spoke, the men listened. It went beyond a minor compliment to hear the Chief compare them. “Does that mean you will let me lead the men to Isavo?”
“Only if it is your wish,” he replied. “Do not force yourself into a situation you are not comfortable with simply because Ewei and your brother are too stubborn. They will come around once they see the Vor’shai fight. The Tanispan soldiers will have to prove themselves worthy of respect the same as any warrior in Ethrysta. Had I not seen the strength of the Vor’shai in the past, I would be less inclined to trust them as well.”
“Then call off Ewei’s men,” she nodded sharply. “We will give the Vor’shai one more day to reach us. If they have not found Nahedu by this time tomorrow, I will concede to Ewei’s departure. Until then, consider the duty mine.”
Their pace slowed considerably throughout the morning. Edric could no longer feel his fingers and toes, the thick fabric of the gloves he wore having no effect against the cold. Each gust of wind only added to his misery, trudging along behind Callum in silence, the afternoon sun giving a false hope of warmth overhead. At his side Gadiel occasionally glanced down at the map in his hands, shaking his head at something. It was nothing but lines to Edric. Ink on parchment that led absolutely nowhere in this wasteland of bitter, frozen ground.
A crunch of snow came from behind them, announcing the approach of someone, though the effort was too strenuous for Edric to turn his head. The voice was feminine. Soft. Broken by the incessant chatter of teeth. Sahra’s slender figure appeared between Edric and Gadiel, shivering uncontrollably. “Commander… are we lost? The men are becoming restless. We have not seen sign of habitation for miles and we should have been to Nahedu… yesterday.”
“Lieutenant, I haven’t been clear on our location since the snow began to hinder my ability to commune with nature,” Gadiel frowned, tugging his cloak tighter around his face. “The Captain insists we are heading in the right direction. I’m not sure if he has an impeccable sense of direction or if he is just too stubborn to admit that he has no idea where we are.”
“Stubborn or not, we need to set up camp and build a fire so the men can get warm. If we continue like this, we will all die of hypothermia before we figure out where we are.”
“I can’t make that call for the Captain, Sahra. Try to hold out a little longer. He won’t let us die out here.”
Stumbling over her numbed feet Sahra pitched forward, arms outstretched to break her fall. Reflexively Edric and Gadiel reached for her, their hands catching her before she hit the snow. A pained grimace crossed her face at their touch. Edric’s heart went out to her. They were all miserable. He couldn’t blame the doubt she held at Callum’s ability to find the village with nothing more than the hasty scratches on the map but she couldn’t let the dissent trickle to the others. Callum was a proud a leader, but he wasn’t foolish. He would stop them before anyone became ill from the cold. His methods merely pushed them to their absolute limits for the sake of the mission.
Ignoring his own frozen limbs Edric fumbled over the clasp at his throat, letting the folds of his cloak fall away from his body. A burst of icy wind whipped around him, immediately reminding him of why his decision to remove the warmth of the fabric was a bad idea. Gently he laid the cloak over Sahra’s shoulders to create an added layer of comfort. She was a slight woman. The cold would affect her more than it would him.
“Your Highness,” Gadiel protested, gripping the cloak before Edric could fasten the clasp around Sahra’s neck. “I can’t let you do that. She is a soldier. While the sentiment is quite chivalrous of you, I have to point out that we are in active duty and in a potential war zone. We can’t have our Prince freezing to death for the sake of one woman’s chattering teeth.”
“I’m not going to freeze to death. Unlike the other men, I have faith that the Captain will see us safely to Nahedu before that happens.” A violent shiver coursed through him. The cold was getting worse the further north they traveled. He wasn’t sure he would last much longer without a means of regaining warmth and feeling to his limbs.
Sahra appeared too grateful to decline Edric’s offer. When his trembling fingers failed to fasten the clasp, she completed the task for him, a thankful expression on her face mingled with guilt for depriving him of the cloak. He forced a smile, shifting his gaze toward the horizon once again. They would be there soon. He had to be positive.
Over the next hour his positive thinking became impossible to keep up. The whole trip was discouraging. They were over a day late, nearly two. By now the Ovatai had likely given up on them. And with good reason. Why couldn’t the Chief ’s daughter have lingered in Tanispa for a single night? She could have guided them to the village with significant ease instead of leaving them to die in this wretched place.
His pace began to slow, dragging his feet along the ground. Sluggish. Uncoordinated. The cold was too much. Combined with the fatigue which hindered his senses, the world around him blurred in his vision. He needed to sit. Just for a minute. Maybe if he could close his eyes everything would be clear again.
“Edric?” The voice sounded distant. Difficult to identify. Blinking, he tried to focus on the face of the person standing in front of him, hands firmly grasping his shoulders, shaking him forcefully. “Edric, stay with us. There looks to be a checkpoint in the distance. We will stop there and build a fire for you.” Callum. He recognized the voice now, although he still couldn’t see his face. Vaguely, he was aware of arms wrapping around him, squeezing tightly, hands rubbing along his back to augment circulation. “Commander, where is his cloak? Why is he not wearing it?”
“He insisted on giving it to Sahra, Captain…”
“Then get it back from her.”
Footsteps. Someone was moving away from them. Gadie
l. It had to be. He’d been given an order. The heat transfer between his body and Callum’s was helping. From behind, something was being draped over his shoulders, another pair of hands quickly helping to generate an increase of blood flow throughout his body. Under any other circumstance the scene created by his friends might have embarrassed him. Right now he couldn’t focus on feeling anything but grateful for the help.
Blinking again he was able to make out colors and shapes in the distance. White. Everything was white. At first he feared that his vision had completely failed before realizing that it was just snow against a cloudless sky. Something else caught his eye. Out of place against the alabaster landscape. It resembled a building constructed out of snow and ice. A tower stretching upward. Not far from it was a second, symmetrical in design to the first. If they were part of the checkpoint Callum mentioned, it was larger than the others they had come upon along the way.
His senses remained affected by the cold though he felt capable of movement again. A little further. Then they would have a fire and everything would be alright. “We should go,” he tried to speak loudly, confident, finding his voice cracked and hoarse, the words slurred by the numbness of his face.
“Is he okay, Captain?”
A hand waved in front of his eyes, causing him to blink, focusing his attention on Callum. He looked concerned. His own lips were blue against the paleness of his skin. It was a wonder he was able to conceal his discomfort so well from the troops. “He’ll be fine once we reach the checkpoint and set up camp. Stay by his side. If he starts to falter again, we’ll have to stop and I will continue to the checkpoint on my own.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Edric argued, inhaling a deep breath of the icy air as Callum released his hold. “I can make it to those towers. They aren’t far.”
The Myatheira Chronicles: Volume Three: Crown of Ice Page 21