“What else did you see?” Cliona asked Kidreyli.
“Darkness spreading over the land like a plague.” The Valtyr closed her eyes to assist her focus. “There was a man, a young man. He was wearing regal red clothing and he had a jet black beard….”
Kaitra interrupted, “With a gray streak down the center of his chin?”
“Yes, how did you…?” Kidreyli started to ask.
She interrupted, “I saw him too. I have seen his image in meditation before, but it was more focused this time.”
“What else did you see?” Eirran asked Kaitra.
She closed her eyes and refocused on the images that had come to her. “There were three shadowy figures circling around a small fire. They looked like they were chanting, but I couldn’t understand what they were saying. It was pitch black all around them.”
“Even though you could not understand them, did you sense something in this image?” Cliona pressed.
“It felt like dark magics, sucking all the life from their surroundings,” Kaitra replied. “I saw a woman in a fine white dress. I have seen her before in meditation as well.” Just then it became clear to her. “The woman is Valtyr. She’s the one who gives birth to the boy.”
“What are you saying?” Kidreyli asked.
“The woman in the dress I see is Valtyr,” Kaitra restated herself. “She appears to be the consort of the man in the red cloak.”
“This must be a nightmare. This just simply cannot be,” the warrior declared. She looked up at Eirran, her tear stained cheeks reflecting in the firelight. “Can it?”
“Is what we have seen real?” asked Kaitra.
“Yes,” replied Cliona.
“I must leave,” Kidreyli announced as she got up and dusted herself off. “My people must be warned of these events.”
The disapproval of the elders resonated silently through the trees.
“You do not agree?” asked Kidreyli.
“We would encourage you to consider another option,” suggested Eirran.
“What options can there be?” the warrior was surprisingly fearful as her words passed through her emotions.
“The existence of this child is known to but a handful of people,” noted Cliona. “Dispatching this problem discreetly will keep that knowledge contained.”
“Yes, but if I fail, what happens then?” asked Kidreyli. “All the horrors of Dunsait could be released upon this land. Even the eastern provinces could be affected.”
Kaitra stood up and declared, “You are not alone. I will be with you.”
“No. You won’t,” was the firm response from the Valtyr.
“Don’t you see? We are linked together in these events. We both see the same things because we are together when they happen.”
“Kaitra is correct,” confirmed Cliona.
Kidreyli noted, “Your life experience is limited. This will be a very dangerous and difficult path and I’m not sure you truly understand the scope of this adventure. I sense that death is a very likely outcome.”
“If that is our destiny, then I welcome it,” declared Kaitra. “I do not intend to watch the places and people I care for be destroyed. My heart will not stand for any more of it.” The sorceress was emphatic as she placed her hand over Kidryeli’s heart. “You and I, we can do this. We must try.”
There was a determined pause while Kidreyli’s mind raced over the possibilities. The thoughts always circled back to woman she had grown to care about along on this most dangerous path. Her inexperience and naiveté could easily get both of them killed. In the end, she concluded that with a bit of encouragement, she could provide needed help with the archery skills and magics she possessed. She stated, “You will need to become an expert archer by dawn.”
Kaitra saw the approval in her friend’s eyes and took the opportunity to give her a firm hug. “I’m not worried. Tyral said that I was a better archer than you.”
“Why don’t we all get a little sleep,” Eirran suggested. “A fresh start in the morning will be best for all.”
Kaitra hugged him, then hugged Cliona and said to her, “Thank you for your insight.”
“You are most welcome, my dear.”
Kidreyli hugged Eirran and said, “Thank you.”
“You are welcome.” She started to back away when he pulled her tightly to him and whispered in her ear, “You and Kaitra—your spirits intertwined brighten the darkest night.”
He released his hold and Kidreyli backed away a step, staring him in the face for just a moment as his words tore through her spiritual defenses.
Eirran and Cliona watched and listened to their young friends as they headed back for the village, the sounds of their voices diminishing as they walked.
Kaitra asked, “What did you mean about the child’s ears?” She reached up, pulled the Valtyr’s hair back and expressed with surprise, “You ears are pointy.”
“You never noticed before?”
“No. The way you wear your hair, it covers them up.” They silently continued on for a few steps, and then Kaitra encouraged, “I like them. You should allow them to be seen.”
The Valtyr smiled uncomfortably, “Maybe. By the way, why didn’t you tell me that Tyral had started talking to you?”
“I wasn’t sure how you would react…,” Kaitra’s voice faded into the night.
Cliona asked, “What did you tell Kidreyli?”
“What she already knew,” he said with a smile as he used a wooden bucket to spread dirt on the fire to smother it. “Do you think Kaitra saw in her visions her unwilling complicity in this child’s birth?”
“I think that knowledge was overwhelmed by the images of her own death at the hands of the bearded man. She has seen these visions before. She believes that she is strong enough to alter the foreseen outcome and eliminate the impending evil.”
“Do you think that is possible?”
“Hard to say. She has great potential, certainly enough to bring about the desired result, but her experience lacks depth.”
“And what about Kidreyli?”
“I don’t believe that either one of them saw that Kaitra is the catalyst for the events that may lead to her death.”
“This tale may have a very sad ending,” Eirran posited.
“Or it may end well. Like the water in the stream, you never know how the stone may divert the current until it is confronted.”
t was very early, but Kidreyli was awake. She had gotten a few hours sleep, but the visions experienced earlier filled her heart with anguish. She sat on her bed watching Kaitra sleep, convinced that the task before them was truly impossible. Secreting themselves into a place they knew nothing of was simply unrealistic. She could not conceive of how a successful plan could be fashioned without some additional help.
“Tyral, are you awake?” her mind whispered.
“I am now,” was the reply. “Do you realize that the sun has not risen yet?”
“I know. Sorry to pick your brain this early. Are you aware of the visions the Clannya helped us see last night?”
“Yes. “Devastating news all around.”
“Do you have any insight?”
“This man you seek, I believe I heard talk of him in Triami about five months back. The constable seemed deeply concerned over some recent attacks on villages in his area. He spoke of a large gathering presence, militaristic in its form. A very organized, very methodical force, apparently obsessed with red, as their soldiers all wore the same red uniforms. He made it a point to describe how well armed and prepared these men were. He said the leader was someone known as Satreka and described him as you had seen in your visions, operating out of the southwestern-most lands of Dhoya, near the town of Fadlis.
The warrior smiled and asked, “How did you hear all of this? Were you standing in his office?”
Tyral laughed under her thoughts, “He believed that he was being discreet by speaking of these things to one of the town elders in a dark and quiet corner of the stable
you left me in.”
“I must say, you are good,” Kidreyli laughed silently to herself.
“Yes, well, if he is in the area around Fadlis, he likely controls the ancient castle Caerlyk. It is a very defendable fortification—difficult to impossible to gain access.”
Kidreyli did not want to hear that assessment. “The Clannya have suggested that we try to deal with this situation in a clandestine manner.”
“It’s probably the best option. A large scale assault on that castle would likely fail. We would need to find a way in and get a general layout of the structure before trying anything.”
“What about Kaitra?”
“Her role in this is uncertain. I sense that she could provide needed assistance, but I also get this feeling that she could lead to your undoing.”
Kidreyli was surprised at her assessment, “I don’t think she would intentionally harm me.”
“Nor do I. However, I suggest caution. I also believe that we should begin our travels toward Caerlyk as soon as possible. You never know what we may encounter on our journey that may help us. I’m confident that a resolution to our dilemma will present itself.”
“Always the optimist,” the warrior noted as she smiled to herself.
“No point in being a pessimist.”
“Listen, could you please stay out of my head for a while. I thought I would try some deep meditation.”
“A good idea. It might provide helpful insight,” Tyral conjectured.
Then all was quiet again.
Kidreyli sat in the dark. She was physically exhausted, but her emotions were wound tight. She fiddled with her hair, listening to the very quiet snoring of her friend in the other bed. Then a sense of purpose began to drive her. She used her fingers to part her hair around her left ear so it would be visible, braiding the shorter tresses forward so it would stay out of her eyes, and tying it off with a strand of leather. She repeated the process on the right side, and then she got up and quietly went outside.
The village was still, but the birds were riotously going through their morning rituals. She slowly walked into the tree line several steps, holding her hand out in front of her in an effort to sense the village’s wards. She did not want to cross them. It provided a safe place for what she intended, but she did not want alert the villagers to what she was doing.
Her fingertips tingled a little as she came up to the boundary. She stepped back a few paces from it and sat on the ground in a lotus position. She closed her eyes and began rhythmically drawing in deep breaths, in her mind, becoming one with the earth around her. After a few moments, she could feel her life force begin to flow downward, as if it were tendrils of fog creeping their way down a mountainside, following the roots of the surrounding trees. Her energies had become one with her surround and her spirit had transferred itself into the nether realm. She released into the mix the question at hand.
An ethereal image formed within her mind. “Grandmother, is that you?” she asked.
“Yes, dear child. It is good to see your spirit so strong.”
“I’m so glad you are with me.”
“Kidreyli, we are always with you.”
The young one said in her thoughts, “Our mortal lives in this place are under serious threat. I have been made aware of the existence of a Vydarrun.”
“Yes. He will be born soon. At that moment, we are facing danger from within and also from without. If the humans discover this, they may take it upon themselves to eliminate our culture as an act of self-preservation. Our savage history has not been forgotten.”
“Then the Clannya are correct—that we should keep this a secret?”
“My experience has taught me that they are right about most everything.”
The young warrior smiled and asked, “Do you have any suggestions on how I should take on this problem?”
“Take a deep breath and with great courage plunge fearlessly into the fray. Isn’t that what we always do?”
Kidreyli laughed under her breath and paused briefly before asking the next question. “What of my friend?”
Her grandmother’s tone turned serious, “You have strong feelings for her, but she is not of our people. You know she would not be accepted by the elders of our clan.”
“I know,” Kidreyli was saddened to hear what she already knew.
“The worst thing you can do in your mortal existence is to deny your heart. You choose your path and you live with the consequences.” She paused momentarily as if gathering her thoughts and then continued, “My spirit and those of your ancestors soar above the clouds when we see that you are happy in your chosen life. Please, my child, do not deny us that. You were never happy in your life with our people, but since you began your journey, your heart screams with pleasure, and you are more comfortable with yourself than you have ever been. If your deepest instincts are telling you that this woman is the person you need in your life, then so be it, and may the cultural norms be damned.”
Kidreyli was taken aback by her anarchic comment, something totally out of character to the person she knew as a child.
The wise old spirit concluded, “Be as happy and fulfilled in your life as you can, whatever that entails.”
Kidreyli’s eyes opened wide and she took in a quick breath as the meditation was suddenly terminated and part of her spirit was thrust back into her body, still sitting amongst the trees in the early morning light. She sat motionless for several moments letting the energies rebalance and her spirit to fully return. She took in a deep breath of clean morning air and lay on her side in the bed of leaves. She was asleep in seconds.
A little rustling of the leaves caused the Valtyr to cautiously open one eye just a slit, just enough to see the approach of a very small child. She waited, pretending to be asleep, as the little one got closer and closer. Then, at just the right moment, based on all her training and experience, she reached up and grabbed the little girl around the waist and pulled her down on top of her, announcing loudly, “I’ve got you now!”
The little girl let out a scream and laughed that laugh that little girls do.
“What are you doing, Niko?” Kidreyli asked.
“Nothing,” the little girl slyly replied.
“Yeah, nothing,” smiled the warrior as she sat up with the girl on her lap.
“I saw you lying over here and I just wanted to see if you were okay.” She reached up with her little fingers and said with her perky voice, “Your ears are pointy.” They were not much different in size from human ears, the tops of them just came to noticeably rounded points. “Can I touch them?”
“If you want, but they’re just ears.” Niko gently touched her ear as Kidreyli noticed that the sun had been up for a few hours. “Hey, I think I’m going to get some food. You want to come?”
“Okay,” Niko replied as expected.
The two of them walked hand-in-hand as fast as the little girl’s feet would carry her through the village to its center. A few pieces of bread and some fruit were still on the table near the central fire pit. Kidreyli grabbed the bread and a fruit for herself and a small fruit for Niko. They sat at a table facing away from the morning sun, watching the villagers and the birds and the squirrels going through their daily routines. A chipmunk came up to them at the table and the warrior tossed it a small piece of her food. It sat up on its hind legs and munched away, happy as could be that it got this food with so little effort. A golden finch bounced off a gust of wind and sailed into the trees.
A hand unexpectedly touched the warrior’s shoulder, causing her to jump unexpectedly from the light trance she was in.
“I was wondering where you were,” commented Kaitra. She tipped her head and smiled with surprise when she noticed the change in her friend’s hairstyle. “Good morning, Niko,” she said as she sat at the table across from them.
“Good morning,” was the response from the little girl as she chewed on the piece of fruit.
“So you changed your hair as I requeste
d?” Kaitra noted.
“Yes,” Kidreyli spoke through a mouthful of bread.
“I like it. I love those ears,” the sorceress fondly smiled.
“They’re pointy,” commented Niko in her perky little voice.
“What is it with you people and ears?” asked the Valtyr.
Again, not so good at dealing with the teasing.
Eirran came over to the table and greeted them enthusiastically, “Good morning all. I trust you slept well?”
Kidreyli caught him staring. “What?” she blurted out.
“Pointed ears, I just never expected that,” he replied through a smile.
“They’re just ears,” Kidreyli was really embarrassed now.
He put his hand on her shoulder and laughed, “Only kidding, my friend. I came over to see if you wanted to discuss what we did last night.” The atmosphere instantly became serious.
“We need to make plans,” Kidreyli noted. “Kaitra will need a horse and supplies, and any insight your people might have about this situation would be appreciated.”
“I spent some time with Cliona this morning,” Kaitra explained. “She gave me some things that will serve us well.”
“Good,” replied the warrior.
Eirran offered, “Give me a little time. I will gather up several of our people who might be able to help. Meet us at my hut in about thirty minutes.”
As he walked away on his self-appointed task, Kaitra noted, “We are going to have to do something very special for these people when this is done.”
“You are so right about that. Niko, we have to go now.”
“Okay,” the little girl responded on cue.
As they walked away, Kaitra asked, “Does she ever say anything else?”
Kidreyli laughed. “I don’t know, but she is spectacularly cute.”
When they reached their hut, Kidreyli held open the door for Kaitra and said as she followed her in, “I am mostly self-sufficient for travel, but you are going to need almost everything. You will need a sheath and belt for your sword, a bow and quiver, with at least ten arrows, some rain-proof clothing for cover, containers for water and for food, and a bedroll.”
Into the Fray: Volume 1 of The Sorcerers of Jhanvia Series Page 7