Tales Of Nevaeh: The Trilogy and Backstory of the Epic Sci-Fi Fantasy Series Tales Of Nevaeh: (The 4 Book Bundled Box Set)

by David Wind

  Carefully, sadly, she reached to close his eyes, but stopped. “Look at his eyes, see what they have done to him.”

  Areenna bent close. What she saw turned her cold. His eyes were a pale silver-blue, with narrow, vertical black pupils. She had never seen a man or woman’s eyes formed that way. “Like an izzie or a snuck.”

  Eittel closed his eyelids with two fingers. “Now you know some of what has been done to us. Others in the village have changed as well. Their eyes, their thinking...he was a good boy, learning how to be a good man. There is great sadness in this,” she added as she stood to face Areenna. Her eyes, beneath the bare light of the stars, were a pale blue. Her hair fell in tight waves. “Why are you here? What need you from us, from our village?”

  “We go to the Island. We need a boat to take us to another that awaits.”

  Eittel stared hard into Areenna’s eyes. “You would bring a man to the Island?”

  Areenna started to say something but stopped herself. Something in the woman’s face caught her off guard, something behind the question. “I would.”

  Eittel glanced down at the other two women, and then at Mikaal, before looking back at Areenna. “Many have been the rumors of late, of a man who has traveled to the Island, and left with great powers.”

  “And yet, to have this happen would speak of the Dark Ones.”

  “It would seem so, but these rumors say such is not the way of it.”

  “Then, My Sister, we should either be thankful for that, or laugh at the rumors. Which choose you?”

  Eittel smiled, looked at Mikaal. “I choose to believe that good, however its form, helps Nevaeh.”

  “And will you help us?”

  Eittel studied Areenna for a long, thoughtful minute. “What will you do to help us?”

  Before Areenna could respond, Mikaal jumped to his feet, drawing his sword at the same time. There are more in the field! He whirled and charged into the kern field. Still joined, Areenna saw him race ahead and, a heartbeat later, saw three men surround him.

  CHAPTER 25

  MIKAAL HELD STILL. The three men separated; one faced him directly, planting his feet solidly and raising his sword; the other two moved sideways at the same time, until they were slightly back but still within his peripheral vision. He gripped his longsword loosely enough to control it properly. Trained to fight in every conceivable situation, he knew his blade needed to be maneuverable, not tightly fixed. He back-stepped.

  As he moved, the man to his right lunged. Instead of facing the man, Mikaal drew his sword over his right shoulder just as the other’s sword blurred toward his neck. Deflecting the sword stroke, Mikaal spun ninety degrees left, his sword following the spin of his body in a hard slashing arc.

  The man to his left had not had the time to lift his sword and died on the spot, his head severed from his body. Even as the headless body crashed to the ground, Mikaal continued to turn, rotating gracefully to face the first attacker. Mikaal’s speed was like a blur in the night, and the first man, recovering from the deflection of his sword, was unable to lift it fast enough to stop Mikaal’s speeding blade. The tip of his longsword bit into the other’s arm, slicing through flesh and muscle. The sword dropped from his numbed fingers even as a scream tore from his mouth.

  Completing the circle brought Mikaal face to face with the last of the three, his sword again at the ready, his feet balanced and firm on the ground. The man’s eyes narrowed, but not before Mikaal saw the same pale eyes and ovoid black pupils. Instinctively, Mikaal knew this man would be a better fighter than the other two.

  “Yield now and live,” Mikaal offered.

  The other stared at him, hatred twisting his features. He drew his sword back in a two handed grip, took one side step and then, flexing his knees, charged.

  Mikaal held the man’s eyes, waiting until the last second before bringing his sword across his body, repelling the blade. While the man recovered, Mikaal took a step back. “Yield, you cannot win this fight.”

  The man screamed and lunged, his sword coming from overhead this time. Mikaal bent his knees, lowering his body and brought his sword parallel above his head. The meeting of the blades created a thunderclap. Mikaal’s attacker drew back, spun, and struck with a wild stroke, trying to catch Mikaal before he recovered.

  Mikaal, sensing the blade closing in, dove forward, somersaulted to his feet, and spun to face the man, his sword again at the ready. The attacker charged, his eyes wild, his lips parted in a scream of hatred. The fury in the other’s eyes bored into Mikaal and, as the man leapt into the air, both hands holding the pommel as the sword bored toward his head, Mikaal shifted, knelt quickly on his left knee, and pushed his sword up into the man’s chest, the point penetrating armor, flesh, and bone until it pierced the man’s heart. The other fell like a tree split by lightning, taking Mikaal to the ground with him, Mikaal’s sword still lodged in the other man’s heart.

  Pushing against the dead weight, Mikaal struggled to escape from beneath the dead man, but as he fought, footfalls pounded near and he looked up to see the man he’d wounded holding a sword in his good hand, raising it for a killing thrust.

  As the sword descended, an explosion of light illuminated the kern field.

  <><><>

  Areenna stood locked in place, watching the fight through Mikaal’s eyes. When he faced the third man, and was caught beneath the man’s weight, she raced toward him, her powers flaring, her hands covered in blue-white light. She was a hundred feet away when the man thrust the blade downward.

  Before he could finish the stroke, Areenna released every bit of her power. The force struck the man, creating an explosion so powerful that no piece of the man remained.

  Seconds later, she helped push the second man off Mikaal and, grasping his hand, pulled him to his feet. “I thought…”

  Easy. He drew her to him, held her close. I could not use my powers, they would have seen.

  She gazed into his eyes. All will know soon enough. These women will accept such, she told him as Eittel reached them.

  Eittel looked from one dead man to the other. A tear tracked down her cheek. “These men too, were from our village. We cannot stop her! We cannot stand against the Darkness, not if they can do such as this!”

  Areenna whirled on the woman. Grabbing her shoulders and, putting her face within an inch of Eittel’s, said, “We can because we have to! Because you have to! Because anything less leaves us without humanity! Would you become a slave as were these men? Would you give up everything you love rather than stop them? Give up would you, rather than avenge these deaths?”

  Eittel shook her head and stepped back. “They are too strong.”

  “If you believe such to be true, then you are as dead as they.” With that, she turned to Mikaal. “We find no help here. We must go on.”

  Sheathing the sword, Mikaal looked at Eittel. “The Dark Masters will be here soon, they bring enough warriors to kill or enslave everyone in Aldimor. Yet, you take no action to stop this because of your fear?” He stared hard at the woman. “Think you woman there is no difference between fighting them and dying, or becoming a slave like those poor fools?” He grabbed her by the front of her jerkin and threw her toward the two remaining bodies.

  She fell to her hands and knees, staring at the men she had known all their lives.

  He stepped away from the woman and addressed Areenna, “We need to go before Lessig can send more to find us.”

  Without another word, they started away; a dozen steps later, Eittel’s voice rang out. “Wait.”

  They stopped and waited.

  “Do not go to the village. We no longer know whom to trust there. Know you why our village was chosen?”

  Areenna glanced at Mikaal before saying, “This may be where the Dark Masters and their fleet will land.”

  Even in the low light of the stars, Areenna saw the blood drain from her face. “There...there is no way to stop this?”

  Areenna shook her head; Mik
aal took a single step forward and said, “We cannot stop them at this point, but we will not allow them to take Nevaeh.”

  Eittel looked from Mikaal to Areenna. “You are right. What point is life as a slave? What need you of us?”

  “A boat.”

  Eittel nodded. “A boat you shall have. We must be careful, and quiet.”

  <><><>

  Lessig neither screamed in rage, nor allowed any anger to tinge her thoughts. She sat calmly, re-examining everything that happened. Then she smiled. Areenna and the boy with magic had again escaped her, but not as much as they might think, for she had learned a good deal.

  She knew they needed a boat, for what, she was uncertain, but it would not be long before she gained the knowledge. Turning, she motioned toward the east and a moment later, a small cloud of buzzing insects floated above her. With both hands, she made motions in the air, unintelligible words floated from her mouth, and then, the swarming insects solidified into a shadowy winged shape and a thousand insects, acting as one entity, flew southeast toward the small fishing village on the coast of Aldimor.

  <><><>

  Areenna and Mikaal stood on the deck of the freesh boat, its single sail billowing under a pressing northerly wind. They had been traveling for five hours, and in the east, the faint bands of dawn rose above the horizon: the fishing village lay many miles behind.

  After bringing Areenna and Mikaal in a slow semi-circle around the village, the women took them to a small but worthy boat. As they sailed from the village, the three women, riding Mikaal and Areenna’s kraals, left the way they’d come. With luck, the three women were well on their way; however, Areenna had convinced them that they could do more good in Tolemac, than by hiding in the fields, where the oncoming ghazi would find them. The three agreed to make the journey to Tolemac instead of returning to their patch of cleared field.

  “He should have been here by now,” Mikaal worried from his position at the tiller.

  “Timon will be here,” Areenna said confidently, as she scanned the sea ahead

  Shall we risk a vision? Mikaal directed after catching her thought. Seek him in that way.

  She turned to Mikaal. Call up a vision without Neleh to block us? Too dangerous. I will try a sensing. That you can cover with your block.

  Closing her eyes, she started the process of seeking, and as she began, Mikaal called “Hold.”

  Her eyes snapped open to find Mikaal pointing behind her. She turned to see a distant speck on the water. “Timon.”

  An hour later, they stood on the deck of Timon’s boat, the smaller fishing boat attached to the stern. Timon, broad and tall, smiled at the two. “Once again I take you where I should not.”

  Mikaal laughed. “With the exception that this time you leave us.”

  “And how do you return? No, I have strict orders from my queen. So,” he said, looking into Areenna’s green eyes, “See you any wraiths in our future?”

  Areenna, her eyes locked on Timon, blinked once before answering. “I wish it were only wraiths...at least those we know how to deal with.”

  Timon’s eyebrows, like twin arches, rose high. “That, Princess, was not what I was hoping to hear.” Shrugging, Timon went to the wheel, where he grasped it tightly and turned the boat in a slow circle.

  When the turn was complete, he looked up at the sky, and at the sun now past its zenith. “We reach the Island by sunup tomorrow.”

  <><><>

  The day was ending as Neleh leaned on the balustrade, looking outward over the lands of Tolemac while above her, Gaalrie floated on a warm updraft. Except when Enaid was training the women, she spent most of her time with the high queen. At this moment, Enaid stood in the center of a group of women and Neleh, from atop the keep, watched her.

  Duv lay at Neleh’s feet. The tawny gold and black spotted head of the rantor rested on Neleh’s foot. In the weeks since she had found and healed the young rantor, he had more than doubled his size and both Enaid and Roth had told her that when Duv was full grown, he would be among the largest of Nevaeh’s rantors.

  Above, Gaalrie let out a cry, spun in the air, and dove toward the stables and the corral. Neleh followed her descent, knowing the exact point where the treygone would settle. A moment later, the cinnamon and black aoutem landed on Charka’s large blue back, folded her wings, and nestled into the spot where Mikaal’s saddle would have been placed.

  Closing her eyes, Neleh cast her thoughts outward, seeking the connection she had been hunting for several days. She caught a tinge of sadness from Gaalrie, and an aching sense of loneliness from Charka.

  Then the world warped and she was far away, floating over the sea where she saw two boats, one large one small, sailing eastward; on the deck of the larger boat stood Areenna, Mikaal and Timon.

  The warping caught her again, and she was back in Tolemac, looking down at Charka and Gaalrie. A smile lit her face. She knelt and pulled Duv to her. “They are safe,” she whispered to her aoutem.

  <><><>

  The voyage passed swiftly and, as the sun rose on the eastern horizon, the Island came into view. Unlike the last times she had been at the Island, this view was vastly different, it took her breath away, not for its beauty, which was nonexistent, but for the devastation revealed, as no matter where her eyes landed, all she found was debris within a reddish mist. From the very tip of the Island, for as far as she could see, nothing but eroding, disintegrating structures remained.

  Except, of course, for what she called the needle. Which, taller than any other object on the Island, reflected sunlight despite the mist. As she had the first time, she understood exactly what the Island was, and the loss became almost overwhelming.

  “We reach the Landing within the hour,” Timon announced from behind.

  Turning, she offered a smile to the man who had twice before been their hope and salvation here. “We go not to the Landing but to a point midway...at the center of the Island. I will show you when we are near.”

  Timon looked at her for several seconds. “It is safe?”

  “I think nothing is truly safe on the Island.” She turned, went through the small doorway, down the steps to the cabin below deck, where she found Mikaal still asleep. His face was relaxed, calmer than it had been in days, and she was glad he had been able to rest.

  Sitting next to him, she stroked his cheek.

  Mikaal stirred and opened his eyes. “It is morning?”

  “It is. We are near. An hour at the most.”

  Mikaal nodded and sat. He took her hand and squeezed it gently. “What are your thoughts?”

  Areenna laughed. “You ask aloud what my thoughts are, yet you have but to join me to know.”

  “I like hearing your voice. It reminds me that we have two ways of talking, two ways of being.”

  I understand, she replied silently. She stood and pulled him up with her. Tossing the silks, he rose saying, “I’ll be up in a few minutes.”

  Areenna returned to the deck, going to the bow to watch their approach to the Island. Five minutes later, Mikaal joined her, handing her a strip of dried carna. She grimaced but took it anyway, knowing there might not be any food for a while.

  What do you think awaits us beneath the Island? Mikaal asked.

  She shrugged. I have tried not to think of it, as I feel all of Nevaeh pressing upon me. I…

  I understand, he said. I can offer you nothing to ease your mind, except to say what we do is important.

  No, Mikaal, this is not despair. This is different. I know my duty. I know that whatever comes next, I...we will face and get through. I am simply sad that we did not have the chance to become...to become—

  He grasped her shoulders and turned her fully to him. “You are wrong,” he said, his hands gripping her shoulders tightly. “You are wrong.” We are who we are, and what we do is more important than what we may have missed if the Black Witch had not forced our hands. Do you think we would have formed this...bond? Do you imagine you would have learned who
I really am? Areenna, all is as it should be.

  She took in his silent thoughts, the feeling of them more than their meaning. She bent forward and brushed her lips across his. Then she spun from beneath his hands and, stepping back, said, “Let us prepare.”

  “Look at the Landing,” Timon called suddenly.

  Areenna and Mikaal turned simultaneously and followed his pointing finger to the western Landing where several women waited on the long wooden platform. They turned to the eastern Landing, and saw four women getting into a skiff.

  “What is happening?”

  Areenna shook her head. “I don’t know. Perhaps we will learn more when we reach our destination.”

  She squeezed his hand and went below, where she changed from the simple pants and tunic into the leather pants and the quilted leather top of a warrior. She heard Mikaal’s footfalls long after she sensed his coming, and turned to him, her armor in hand.

  He took the armor without a word, set it on her, and tightened the lightweight breastplate to the back plate, adjusting its fit so it rode perfectly above the layer of leather. Then he handed her the wide belt and she strapped it on, adjusting its fit so the pommel of the sword was at the exact spot she preferred.

  “Thank you, My Lord,” she said with a smile. Reaching down, she picked up the white bow and, with a practiced movement, strung it. She slipped the quiver across her back and hung the bow on its hook.

  He nodded, stepped back, and went to his own equipment. Areenna worked with him and, as he had done for her, repeated the process for him. After adjusting his longsword, he pointed at the steps to the deck. “My Lady.”

  The lightness departed when Areenna put a booted foot on the ladder. In a little while, they would face the unknown. Somehow, she knew there would be more tests before they could return to help their people.

  When they stepped upon the deck, the Island was a hundred yards away. They were nearing the mid-point of the Island. “See you a place to let us off?” Mikaal asked Timon.