Basiyr: Chronicles of Nahtan: Book 6 (The Herridon Chronicles)

by Kramer, D. L.

  "It was an honor, Ye're Majesty," she said, standing and curtsying again. "I hope it helped some."

  Nahtan paused before walking back toward his tent. "It helped more than you realize," he told her honestly.

  **********

  Valry wiggled her toes as Rial unwrapped her feet.

  "How are they feeling?" he asked. He poured some water over a rag and began wiping the dried paste from them.

  "They still hurt inside," she said. "But not as bad."

  He pulled her down, dragging her nearly a foot across the floor of the cave toward the fire so he could look at it. She squealed and Hun-Ki crawled over to lick her face, making her squeal again.

  "Rial!" Inacia scolded him.

  "The brat's fine," he said, checking the deeper wounds. He winked at Valry.

  Valry squealed and giggled, covering her face with her arms as Hun-Ki lifted one paw to put over her chest and continued trying to lick her face.

  "That's it, hold her down for me," Rial nodded to Hun-Ki.

  Tion sighed and rolled his eyes as Rial let go of her foot and Valry scrambled to try to sit up again, eventually managing to squirm out from under Hun-Ki's paw.

  "There might be more church guards out there," Inacia said. "They'll hear her."

  "Then we'll kill them like the last four," Rial told her.

  Since taking shelter in the cave, they'd come across church guards searching the hills each time they'd gone out for water or to hunt food. So far none had come near the cave, but they'd been trying to be careful when they hadn't been out for a while.

  Rial took a little of the blue powder and bit of clean water and began mixing it into a paste.

  "Can I see your ring?" Valry asked him.

  "Why do you want my ring?" Rial looked at her.

  "Is it like papa's?" Valry reached up and took his hand, turning it around.

  "It's a signet ring, if that's what you mean," Rial said. "But I do need my hand to finish this, Princess."

  Valry let go of his hand and let her arm drop dramatically across her stomach. Rial glanced at her, then sighed. He took his ring off and handed it to her, then went back to mixing the powder and water. Valry perked up and took it, turning it to look at it.

  "There," he said. "I've just handed full control of my hold over to a child."

  Valry grinned at him. "Can I be a swamprat too?" she asked.

  "Swamprat?" Inacia asked.

  "Lady Takis' personal term of affectation for me," he explained. "I'm afraid she lacks eloquence, but she still manages to somehow get her point across with her bluntness." He lifted one of Valry's feet and began dabbing the paste onto the deeper wounds.

  Valry continued to study his ring. As Rial started mixing the other paste, she closed her hand around the ring, then closed her eyes and grew still, her breathing slowing and becoming calm and even. Rial glanced at her, then over at Tion. Tion was watching Valry intently, but didn't seem concerned. He looked at Inacia next and she looked from Valry to him and shrugged.

  He was just finishing her feet and wrapping the last one when she took a deep breath and opened her eyes again. She handed his ring back to him. He realized there was a light sheen of sweat on her brow.

  "Here," she said.

  "What were you doing?" he asked her, taking the ring from her and putting it back on.

  "I was trying something," she said, sitting up further. "Go outside and touch your ring and think my name."

  Rial watched her for a moment, then stood up and stepped outside of the cave. The evening was growing cold, and he was glad they'd have the cave for shelter. He placed his fingers over his ring and thought Valry's name.

  He took a sharp breath when he felt the ring pulse once then twice back against his fingers. He turned and stepped back into the cave, staring at her.

  "Now when you're at Valin, if you ever need help, just touch something with your coat of arms and think my name," she said. "And I'll know you need help and can tell papa."

  "How did you do that?" he asked her.

  "It's hard to explain," she said. "Gaurel might be able to. He told me what to try."

  "What was it?" Inacia asked Rial.

  "My ring pulsed when I thought her name," he said, sitting down again and tossing another branch onto the fire.

  "It nudges me inside," Valry said. "And I could see your coat of arms so I know it was you."

  Tion reached over to tap Valry and she turned to look at him. He leaned over and tapped his fingertips on her chest over her heart, looking at her questioningly.

  "It's still there," she nodded at Tion.

  "What is?" Rial asked her.

  "The Mark of Zakris," she said. She untied the top of her dress and pulled it down off her left shoulder, showing the five round, silvery white spots over her heart. "I got it when Zared attacked mama and me and Zakris had to save us." She tied her dress again, her small fingers moving carefully to make the bow as even as she could.

  Rial stared at Valry for a long moment. He was coming to realize she was going to be far more important than simply the heir to the throne. More than just Nahtan's daughter and future queen, this ability she had to use this power from Nahtan's old world, bearing the Mark of Zakris and having defeated Zared all promised to make this little girl into someone who would bring great changes into the future of Herridon.

  Her father would have the strength to build and solidify the kingdom, but she would be the one who could bring it to true greatness.

  The realization made his resolve to protect her all the firmer.

  Fourteen - "I'm not a lady"

  Bear drew back the bow, feeling the resistance from his fingers all the way up through his shoulder. His eyes focused on the coyote below, barely a grey speck against the rocks and grass. He could see the ewe a short distance away, grazing peacefully with no idea of the danger that was stalking her. Saema and Itina stood just down from the ewe, less than fifteen feet from the coyote, also unable to see the animal approaching.

  He released the arrow, the bow's power sending it flying. He lowered the bow as the arrow struck the coyote with enough force to send the animal flying back several feet before effectively pinning its body to the ground. Itina ran to look at the coyote as Saema turned to look up the hillside, hiding his eyes from the late afternoon sun. He finally held up a hand, waving to Bear after spotting him. Bear raised his hand in return and went to sit back under the tree that was providing him shade.

  His cloak was folded and buried in one of Chase's packs. He had removed it shortly before arriving here, not wanting to risk anyone recognizing it and alerting any church guards in the area to his presence. Chase was tied a short distance away under another tree, and would occasionally pull against his lead, snorting and stamping his hooves. Bear had to keep telling him that it wasn't going to do any good, they weren't going anywhere else right now.

  Bear had found the tunnel where Tabari's map said it would be, and a short trip inside had found it guarded by Bavol Mo'ani. He'd sent a message through them up to Mo'ani that he was here on this side, but he and Nahtan were no longer speaking so he wouldn't be coming any further up for now.

  Not knowing which way Nahtan would be bringing his armies, Bear had backtracked from the tunnel to a spot where he'd be able to see their approach before they turned to either go up the pass or head to the tunnel. He'd met Saema and his granddaughter there, and offered to help guard their sheep herd against predators in exchange for them letting him sit in the hills above their small cabin. The spot gave him an excellent view down the valley as well as a chance to get a feel for the red bow's distance and power.

  So far, the bow hadn't disappointed, and everything Jedrik had said about it had been true. He leaned back against the tree, taking a drink from his waterskin, his black eyes scanning over the ground below.

  Not too long after, he saw Itina begin climbing the hill, three of his arrows in her hand. It took her several minutes to reach him as she climbed carefully alon
g the rocks and only moved quickly in the few grassy areas.

  "Master Sewati," she said, out of breath as she reached him. "Here are your arrows back." She handed him the three arrows as she brushed curly brown hair out of her face.

  "Thank you, m'lady," he bowed his head to her, taking the arrows.

  She giggled, reminding him a bit of Valry. Only a couple of years older, she helped her grandfather with the small sheep herd here while her parents watched their other herds further up in the hills.

  "I'm not a lady," she said, sitting down beside him.

  "You're the lady of the cabin," he said, checking the points and fletching on each arrow before putting them back in his quiver.

  "I punched two boys at market last week for calling me names," she said. "Ladies don't do that."

  Bear chuckled. "Oh, I know a noble born lady who'd do that exact same thing," he assured her.

  "Really?" she looked up at him, her tone suspicious, as if she couldn't tell if he were teasing her or not.

  Bear nodded. "Aye," he insisted. "And she punches hard enough she can knock a man near my size onto his arse."

  Itina narrowed her eyes at him. "That's impossible."

  "I've seen her do it," he told her.

  Itina poked him, obviously convinced now that he was teasing her. She turned to look down the hill.

  "You spotted the coyote and two foxes all the way up here?" she asked.

  Bear nodded. "I have very good eyes," he said.

  She glanced up at him. "How many--" she paused. "Lambs are by the creek?"

  "Four," Sewati replied, glancing at the narrow creek that ran near the cabin.

  Itina squinted her eyes, looking down at the cabin. She glanced at Bear, then looked back at the cabin. "How many rocks are by the front gate?"

  Bear focused on the gate, his eyes picking out details. "Eight," he replied, then paused when two riders came down from the road leading to the pass. The dust from their horses and angle of the light made it hard for him to see any details. "Do your parents or grandfather know anyone who lives up by the pass?" he asked.

  Itina shook her head. "No," she said. "All our kin lives over by Orm and the market."

  Bear stood up, pulling two arrows from his quiver and nocking one on his bow while he held the other ready in his off fingers. Holding it ready to draw, he stepped forward from the tree slightly. He followed the riders down, tracking their speed over the terrain. As they cleared the light and entered the shade, he recognized their blue cloaks.

  Tabari had said the church guards had gone through the tunnel, and the Bavol Mo'ani had confirmed that. So what were two doing coming down from the pass? He continued to track them as they rode toward Saema's cabin.

  "Who is it?" Itina asked, standing up and looking down the hill, trying to see.

  "Soldiers in blue cloaks," Bear replied. "Have you ever seen them before?"

  "Yes," she replied. "They're from up in the pass. But they don't usually stop."

  Bear watched as the church guards pulled their horses in, dismounted and walked over to Saema. He kept the bow aimed, drawing it back fully and ready to fire.

  The conversation appeared normal at first, with the three men only talking. Then one of the guards grabbed Saema's arms while the other punched him in the stomach. Sewati took a step forward, and when the guard who'd punched the old man drew his sword, he released the arrow. The second flew immediately after, both striking the guards barely a second apart.

  Itina gasped beside him, then cried out for Saema and began running down the hill. Saema had collapsed to his knees and was still kneeling there when Sewati and Itina reached him.

  "Grandfather!" Itina ran over to him, kneeling beside him and trying to help him sit up.

  Saema coughed and Bear could tell breathing was painful for the old man. He'd be surprised if he didn't have at least a couple of cracked ribs. He paused by each of the guards' bodies, checking to see if the arrows were salvageable. Each one had pierced their armor with no problem. He decided it was going to damage the arrows more trying to pull them from the bodies.

  "Let's get you inside," Bear said, helping Saema up. "What did they want?"

  "They asked if I'd seen any redcloaks," Saema coughed again as they started walking toward the cabin. "When I told them no, they said they were taking the farm so they could watch for them." He looked up at Bear. "You've saved the herd a half dozen times and now me," he said.

  Bear frowned. "Someone's likely to come looking for those men," he noted. "It's not safe for you to stay here." He looked at Itina. "Do you know where your parents are?"

  She nodded her head. "They'll be in the upper pasture for two more weeks," she said.

  "It's a full day's walk to get there," Saema said. Inside the cabin, Bear helped him to a seat.

  "Itina said they came from up the pass?" Bear asked. He poured Saema a cup of water from the wood pitcher by the door.

  Saema nodded, taking a drink from the cup. "There's a garrison back up there," he said. "But we rarely see them except for messengers or supply wagons going back and forth."

  Bear frowned. They hadn't known about any garrisons set back in the pass. They would have known if the Archbishop had any, and Corydon's patrols should have spotted any being built.

  "Do you know where it is?" he asked.

  "There's a woodcutter's road about half a league past Widower's Fall," Saema said. "It's back in there somewhere. My brother helped cut the trees for it some years ago."

  Bear knew he'd need to get that information to Mo'ani so he could pass it onto Lord and Lady Corydon.

  "Itina, we need to get you, your grandfather and the herd all to Orm," he told her. "I need you to help your grandfather pack some things while I go get my horse and packs. We need to get you there before those guards' friends come looking for them."

  "Okay," she nodded, turning to go start pulling out extra clothes for them.

  "I'll be back shortly," Bear told Saema. He left the cabin and made his way back up the hill to get Chase.

  Itina had their things packed by the time he got back to the cabin. He helped her hitch their pony to their wagon, then load the lambs into the back and herd the sheep out onto the road. Chase snorted at the sheep as if trying to decide if they'd be more fun to scare than to just follow, and Bear had to push his urging back more than once through their bond. Chase would always push back, but in the end he'd give in.

  With Bear keeping watch and helping, they made it to Orm late that night. Saema directed Bear to their relatives' hut, and Bear helped get the herd into their pasture. He was just turning to leave when Itina ran over to him.

  "Do you really know a lady who hits boys?" she asked him.

  Bear crouched down to be on eye level with her.

  "Yes, I do," he nodded. "She's one of my best friends."

  "Can I meet her someday?"

  Bear considered her for a minute. "I'll tell you what," he said. "When you're about twelve or thirteen summers old, if you still want to meet her, have your parents take you through the pass. When you get to the hold on the other side, they'll want to know where you're going. Tell them Captain Sewati gave you leave to come to Herridon. They'll keep you there and send a rider to where I am, but when word reaches me, I'll bring you to meet her."

  She studied him for a few seconds.

  "Would she teach me how to hit a man your size?"

  "If she thinks you could handle it, she will," Sewati nodded.

  "When I'm twelve summers then," she nodded. "I want to learn to do that." She paused for a moment. "Could I learn to shoot a bow like you?"

  "Maybe," he said. "You need very good eyes and strong arms."

  She nodded. "I'll work on getting strong arms before my twelfth summer," she promised.

  "You've got four or five years," he told her. "You can practice by learning how to protect your grandfather and his herd."

  She nodded. "I will."

  Bear stood up. "Now inside," he turned her t
oward the hut. "And take care of your grandfather, he's a good man." When she was safely back inside, he walked back to Chase. "Back to the tunnel," he told the big horse as he pulled himself into the saddle. "We need to let them know about that garrison."

  **********

  The next morning Nahtan rode back along the army, watching closely for Mallin. He finally spotted the former church guard lieutenant where Brijade and Aralt said he'd be, about a quarter league back. He was with several of the soldiers from Olorun, apparently having found their company more comfortable to be around than the Mo'ani's.xxxxx

  He reined in Renato, waiting for Mallin to notice him. He wasn't surprised when it only took him a second.

  "Highness," Mallin nodded at him, lifting his saddle onto his horse's back. His dark hair was pulled back and tied and his beard combed but still scraggly looking.

  "You've been making yourself scarce for a while now," Nahtan noted.

  Mallin adjusted the saddle and glanced up at him before buckling it. "You haven't exactly been yourself," he pointed out. "I figured it would be in my best interest to stay out of your way before one of us said or did something that ended badly."

  Nahtan nodded. "No, I haven't," he admitted. "And I see that now. That's why I'm here to ask for your help again."

  Mallin stopped and looked up at him. "I'm pretty sure you've already killed any guards here I could have helped, and the one you've got prisoner isn't one I'm inclined to do anything for."

  "I don't want your help with Thorvald," Nahtan shook his head. "Even if I didn't have any interest in him, there's no way Lord Asher's letting him go." He waited while Mallin finished with his horse then swung up into his saddle. "There are about five hundred church guards outside the temple we're heading for," Nahtan explained as Mallin rode over next to him. "I would like you and Kiril to try to talk them into dispersing."

  Mallin considered that as they turned to ride toward the front of the army. Nahtan could see him working out the possibilities as they rode. He couldn't begin to guess how it might be best to approach the men there.