The Myatheira Chronicles: Volume Three: Crown of Ice

by Melissa Collins

  In turning his gaze away from Neomi, he caught sight of the man standing to her right, closer to her than Edric was comfortable with. The Ovatai men would always be a threat when it came to Neomi. This particular man was no one to scoff at. His frame was sturdy, well-built, muscles evident even under the layers of clothes he wore to protect from the cold. The long strands of snowy-white hair were cropped at his shoulders, his brightly glowing eyes focused on Edric in obvious disdain, unimpressed with what he saw.

  “So this is the Prince?” he sneered. “I expected someone more… majestic.”

  Edric’s eyes narrowed, insulted by the man’s remark. More majestic? Did this man have no concept of whose presence he was in? It seemed common sense that it was uncalled for to mock your allies while in the middle of a war they didn’t have to help with. “If I am not majestic enough for you, I could just round up the men we brought and see them all back to Tanispa. Surely the Captain would not argue.”

  “I can have them gathered and on our way home immediately upon our return to Nahedu,” Callum nodded, stiff in his motions, turning toward the door to signal the finality of his decision. It gave Edric a sense of pleasure to see the man’s expression falter, shifting his gaze to Moinie, unsure of what to say. From under her mask of long hair Neomi lifted her eyes to stare at Edric, emotionless, unfazed by the threat of him leaving.

  Hastily Moinie moved toward the door, using her body to create a barrier between Callum and the exit, arms extended to the sides to expand her control over the exit. “Do not mind Ewei, Your Highness,” she stated with uncertainty, peering over Callum’s shoulder to where Edric stood, proud and victorious at having forced the Ovatai to recognize the precariousness of their situation with the Vor’shai. “He lacks training with social interaction. I must ask that you try not to be offended by his ill manners.”

  “Ill manners are different from direct insults, which will not be tolerated. The Captain and I came to assist out of the goodness of our hearts; not to be ridiculed by some uncultured soldier whose intention is to make himself sound more impressive than he really is.” Edric’s eyes drifted to Neomi again. He wanted so badly to keep his word and walk away from this madness with Callum so they could return to their families. The sight of Neomi sitting there, silent as the grave, made his heart ache at the thought of leaving Ethrysta now. His feelings for her were hindering his ability to handle business. He had no intention of actually returning to Tanispa. The trick would be finding a way to concede to staying without appearing weak.

  “If you are fishing for an apology, you will not get one,” Ewei scoffed. “Take your men and leave. We never wanted you here in the first place.”

  “Ewei, that is enough!” Moinie shouted, holding firm at the door where Callum attempted to pass. “You are not in a position to give orders of that nature. Only a member of the Chief ’s family can send anyone away when they have been called here by Okivra himself.”

  “And you fancy yourself in a position of that power, Moinie? You ride on the coattails of your husband.”

  “I am not in a position of such power but that does not give you the right to speak to me in that manner. My husband holds a higher rank than you so don’t waste your time trying to belittle me because of your own inferiority complex.”

  The exchange between Moinie and Ewei was more heated than Edric was prepared for. Uneasy by the tension in the air he looked to Callum, their eyes meeting in silent discomfort, left in the middle. There was nothing they could do or say to stop the shouting. Whatever animosity existed between the two would have to run its course without interference of an outsider.

  For the first time since Edric’s arrival Neomi rose from her seat at the table. The speed of the motion caused the hair hanging across her face to slide away, revealing a large bruise over her right cheek, stretching up around her eye which opened in a narrow slit from the swelling of the wound. In that instant Edric felt his heart nearly stop. Pure instinct took over his body, muscles tensed, stepping forward before managing to regain control of his senses, fists balled at his sides in preparation to fight. He wasn’t sure who he intended to challenge. All he knew was that he wasn’t going to let anyone get away with laying a hand on Neomi.

  Seeing his reaction Neomi quickly ran her fingers through her hair, directing the strands to cover the injury once again. Hand held out defensively toward him and Callum, she spoke loudly, cutting through Ewei and Moinie’s persistent yelling. “On behalf of the It’aryn family, I ask that you ignore the insolence of this man and request you to remain in Ethrysta. Some of us seem to have forgotten that we are facing something bigger than our own pride and lack the acuity to know when to shut their mouths.”

  At the comment Ewei’s booming voice trailed off, turning to face her with an angry scowl. “You dare insult me in front of these men?”

  “You insulted them. Now, be quiet before you make yourself look like more of a fool than you already have.”

  Under normal circumstances Edric might have found the retort humorous. His mind wouldn’t let him focus on anything other than the mark on Neomi’s face. Who would do such a thing? Was it this man? His temperament was suspect. Edric simply couldn’t fathom anyone raising a hand to a woman like her. “Neomi,” he started, moving forward again to close the gap between them. A look of desperation flashed in Neomi’s eyes, causing Edric to pause and reassess what he was doing. He couldn’t go to her. Not in front of these people. His questions would have to wait until they found a chance to be alone.

  Her unusual silence made sense now. She knew he would be angered by the sight of the wound inflicted upon her. Did she really think it could be concealed? That he wouldn’t notice?

  “Ewei has come with orders from Nahedu,” Neomi stated sharply, cutting into Edric’s thoughts with the deliberate tone of her voice. She was trying to change the subject. Edric couldn’t deny the necessity of doing so. If he was allowed to dwell on the injury she suffered, he would go mad. “We were going to discuss the plans this morning amongst ourselves, but it was decided that it would be wiser for us to share them with our allies as well. As Ewei is the only one with knowledge of my brother’s commands, I will relinquish the floor to him, if he thinks he can express the information in a presentable fashion.”

  Snorting derisively Ewei moved out from behind the table. He was well-armed. Edric took note of the weapons carried on Ewei’s person, sizing him up, searching carefully for an indication that his hand might have been the one to strike Neomi. If he noticed anything suspicious, he intended to express his disapproval, and that would require him to be aware of what methods Ewei had access to in defense. A sword hung at his waist, paired with a large dagger strapped around his calf just above the top of his boots. Arrows could be seen from the quiver attached at his thigh, accompanied by a sturdy bow at his back, all of which were in perfect reach of his hands for quick access in the event of battle. Edric would be outmaneuvered if it came to weapons. His only hope at taking Ewei in a fight would be to disarm him. But the Ovatai were trained warriors. It would take significant effort to rid Ewei of a single weapon, let alone an entire array.

  With impressive confidence Ewei came to stand in front of Edric, looking him up and down in disgust. “Was that really all it took to convince you to stay? A pathetic plea from that woman?”

  “She asked politely,” Edric replied, a proud smile visible on his lips. Holding his ground he refused to be intimidated by this man, folding his arms across his chest in a display of confidence.

  Moving closer Ewei stepped up, his chest nearly touching Edric’s, their faces mere inches apart. Nose wrinkled he stared down at Edric, making no effort to mask his scorn. “I don’t believe that’s your only reason,” he hissed. “I think you’ve taken a liking to the It’aryn daughter.”

  The smile on Edric’s face disappeared. Straightening his back he held Ewei’s gaze, unwilling to look away. He wasn’t going to give this man the satisfaction of seeing him falter. Regardless o
f the danger he faced in being discovered, it seemed safer to react with confidence than to hint at unease at the mere topic of him and Neomi. “Neomi is a fine leader. I have a great deal of respect for her. You, on the other hand, are pushing your luck.”

  “Respect?” Ewei laughed. “Is that what you call it? Don’t play your games with me, Prince. I know all about you. I’ve heard the way you are with your women back home.”

  “Are you trying to accuse me of something?”

  “As a matter of fact, I am –”

  Ewei’s forward motion was halted by a strong hand reaching in between them from Edric’s side, forcing Edric back to allow Callum room to step in the middle. “That is enough,” Callum stated coolly, his tone low, anger evident in the slow, precise pronunciation of each syllable. “If you have an allegation to make, state it. We will handle the matter appropriately and without violence. If you have an issue with that then this meeting will be adjourned until someone of higher rank than yourself comes forward to address the orders you came to give.”

  “You will not speak to me that way, Vor’shai.”

  “I will speak to you however I like. You are no better than me.”

  “Ewei, stop,” Moinie commanded from the door. “The man before you is the Crown Prince of Tanispa. I suspect Chief Okivra would be less than impressed to hear you have chosen to treat the Captain and his brother with such disregard. The future of our alliance with their people rests in the Captain’s hands. Think your words over wisely or you may find yourself without a head to do so.”

  Heart racing, Edric stared at Ewei, tensed and waiting for him to make the accusations he knew would come. What he didn’t understand was where Ewei had gotten the idea. He and Neomi had discussed the importance of no one discovering the truth of their affair, so why was it that everyone in the village seemed to know?

  From over Callum’s shoulder Ewei continued to hold his eyes steady on Edric, watching him carefully through the narrowed slits of his lids, daring him to speak. Anything Edric said would be used against him. Ewei wasn’t a fool. This meeting was going to be harder than Edric thought. “We should focus on the business we came to discuss,” Edric stated calmly, proud of the control he maintained with his voice. “What orders does Onuric send you with that require you to interrupt our mission?”

  “I have not finished our previous discussion, Prince,” Ewei spat in disgust. “Are you afraid I am going to call you out on your disgusting acts against my people?”

  “That conversation is ended, Ewei. Consider yourself warned.” Neomi’s gaze hardened. There was no hint of discomfort in her expression. No indication of concern for what Ewei thought to accuse Edric of. She was the perfect image of poise and grace, unaffected by Ewei’s attempts at making her crumble.

  A quiet laugh could be heard under Ewei’s breath, shaking his head irritably. “I should have expected as much from you. How could you stand to let this man touch you, Neomi? He isn’t worthy to be in your presence.”

  “The only one in this room who is proving unworthy is you. How dare you make such crude and baseless claims…”

  “Baseless?” Ewei’s brow creased in heightened anger. “You think them baseless? I saw you coming from the Vor’shai quarters this morning. I smell that man now the same as I did upon your skin when you stood before me. How can you sit there and pretend that I am the fool in this room when you are the one who attempts to mask the truth?” Eyes narrowed at Edric, Ewei took a step forward, forcing Callum to push backward from the force, pressed against Edric protectively. “I know what you’ve done, Prince,” he sneered. “I demand you draw your blade and face me for the disgrace you lay upon my people in tainting the daughter of our Chief.”

  “That is quite a claim, Ewei,” Callum responded with an odd casualness, stiffening his posture, a single, confident step from him causing Ewei to stumble back. “You forget that I left your company this morning to seek the Prince for this very meeting. My path took me directly from this hut to where Edric spent the entirety of his night where I then was in his presence until leaving to return here. Neomi did not cross my path, nor was she inside the Prince’s quarters. You have no evidence to support your claims other than an irrational desire to find a reason which might create friction between our people. I suggest you back down or I might find myself compelled to inform Onuric of the slight you have committed against him and the Chief by raising your hand to Neomi out of this foolish notion.”

  A flash like fire sparked in Edric’s eyes at Callum’s words. So it was him. That bastard! Fists clenched, he tried to move toward Ewei, held in place by Callum’s strong arms preventing him from pushing forward. Ewei’s head tilted back, curious, watching Edric with growing interest. “Why should I trust anything you say, Vor’shai?” he replied coolly, making no attempt to deny the recrimination. “Your man behaves oddly for one who swears innocence.”

  “And you behave oddly for a man who is supposed to be respectable,” Callum lowered his head to stare at Ewei condescendingly. “State the orders you come with or the Prince and I leave. This is beyond a joke and I refuse to be subjected to your lunacy any longer.”

  “Fine,” Ewei wrinkled his nose, turning sharply to face Neomi. “In your absence we evaluated the strange circumstances of the Avaern’s sudden awakening. It has been concluded that the beast must have been disturbed by the excessive use of energy by our warriors during the battle here in Isavo. The Avaern was said to be sensitive to such things. As we believed it to be dead, we paid it little mind until it was too late. Now we have reason to believe that we can use this to our advantage… if it is in fact the truth.”

  Somewhat relaxed by the shift in topic away from Edric and Neomi, Moinie stepped from the door, making her way further into the room to stand beside Callum. Her expression revealed a mild uncertainty at what Ewei explained. “Our advantage?” she questioned. “How exactly are we going to make use of that knowledge?”

  “By reproducing the effect,” Ewei stated simply. “We cannot fight the Avaern unless we know where it is hiding. A track is necessary to determine its place of slumber so we might be able to plan an ambush. Obviously we have to have an idea of where the creature is before we can begin hunting it or we would be wandering blindly, accomplishing nothing, much the same as you all have been doing for the past week.”

  They planned to ambush the Avaern? A beast thought to have been created by the hands of the gods themselves; and they believed they were capable of outwitting it? The thought was ludicrous. The sketch showed the Avaern to have wings. To track a beast capable of flight would be a feat on its own. “You intend to summon the Avaern here?” he asked, raising his brow toward Ewei in curiosity. “I saw the devastation the creature left behind when last your people attempted to face the beast. There are fewer warriors here now than there were corpses upon our arrival to Isavo. How exactly do you propose we conjure the Avaern without immediately sending us all to our demise?”

  Clearly irritated, Ewei shot Edric a look of disdain. “I don’t believe I asked for your opinion.”

  “My father asked for his opinion when he sent me to request the presence of their people,” Neomi frowned, drawing a deep breath to control her obvious rise in frustration. “I must say I agree with him. Have you some method to control the Avaern or do you honestly expect us to simply call it here without repercussions?”

  “We aren’t going to fight the beast. The intent is to summon it and watch for details which might assist us in combating it,” he scoffed. “Once the Avaern arrives, if our assumptions are correct in how to draw its attention, we need to be mindful of what direction it comes from. Our goal upon seeing it is to take cover and avoid detection at all costs. We need to observe the creature, not war with it.”

  “And you think we will be able to calmly take in these details while it flies overhead? Have you forgotten the chaos which brought this village to the ground?” Moinie challenged. “Whose idea was this? I cannot believe my husband would be f
oolish enough to attempt something so inane. This reeks of your doing.”

  “I wouldn’t be here if your husband had not approved the plan,” Ewei sneered. The brilliant blue of his eyes flashed momentarily, shifting to fall on Neomi. She stood perfectly still, erect, her expression unreadable. Lifting his chin haughtily Ewei’s lips curled into a sly smirk, folding his arms across his chest in a display of authority. “This mission does not involve your little playmates. The Vor’shai will return to Nahedu and await further commands from Onuric or the Chief. We cannot risk unnecessary errors while tracking the beast.”

  Edric’s gaze strayed to Neomi, unable to avoid stealing a glimpse of her confident, regal posture, the glow of her eyes meeting his from across the room in a brief, knowing glance. There was more to Ewei’s plan than he was letting on. For some reason he wasn’t willing to divulge the information in its entirety while in Edric’s presence, though it baffled Edric to consider why. What was it about Edric that put Ewei on edge? A mere suspicion of impropriety didn’t seem enough to create such a reaction in a man like him. Unless it ran deeper than Ewei let on. A hint of jealousy, perhaps? No. Edric couldn’t believe that. The Ovatai weren’t familiar with such emotions. Simple hatred was easier to accept. Jealousy required Ewei to have some attachment to Neomi. Given his harsh demeanor, it seemed unlikely Ewei was capable of forming an attachment to anyone.

  With slow and deliberate steps Neomi moved away from the table. She possessed an air of nonchalance which made even Edric believe her approach to stand by his side was nothing more than mere coincidence. “If the Vor’shai are not required for the task then I think it may be best if Moinie and I prepare our men for the return to Nahedu so we are not interfering with your work.”