CHAPTER 55
CHEER
Kiethara spent the next few days in a sullen mood. A visit from Durga and Markii had always had a cheering effect, but this time it had left her spirits in dismal shape. There was a note of melancholy left in the air that she could not shake.
She tried to continue her scheduled training, but she had lost the gusto it once took to complete the arduous task. There was half the strength to the strike of her sword, the thorns on her vines were slightly duller, and halfway through the fire element her flames would simmer out. She had lost a handle on the motivation that drove her before.
The water element was the only thing that she did train increasingly well with. It was a curse and a blessing, her hardest element made easier by other’s misfortune. Still, as she became more accustomed to using it, she did not need such a strong emotion.
All throughout the day, Kiethara caught herself musing upon Durga’s words. She could not help asking herself: is Durga dead yet? Knowing that death was there but not knowing when it would strike was almost as bad as watching it in action. There was no way of knowing, no way of contacting them. All she could do was wait for Markii’s return, a visit she would be dreading every day until it came.
This sullen mood kept up for a week, but on the seventh day, she realized it was not healthy. Between the weather—which consisted of an endless gray sky that bore no rain—and bleak prospects, all she did was sulk among the trees. This way of living was not benefiting the forest in anyway, nor her resolve to end her father’s reign.
She had other priorities to focus on. One was Aaron’s disappearance. She did not want to call it that, but it was true. Usually after any event or visit, he would show up with a hefty supply of wisdom, insight, and advice. This time, though, the forest remained quiet and void of any presence besides her.
Unfortunately, this only added to her anxieties, but she sought anything to raise her spirits. She took an hour just to fly, laughing as she let herself fall hundreds of feet and performing complex maneuvers. She took to teasing animals for entertainment. One day, she managed to tie a daisy to a squirrel’s tail and then spent the next few hours chasing it through the trees.
These things created fine moments of levity, but none of them lasted; however, her answer came, sure enough.
Kiethara found herself lying in her hammock early in the morning, gazing up at the mountainous, billowing clouds that spotted the sky. The patches of sky that were visible threw rays of warm sun to the forest floor. She took a deep breath, basking in the lovely weather.
Almost unconsciously, her connection branched out from its normal reach. She allowed it, even encouraged it, for it was like stretching some internal muscle. She was beginning to really feel the forest with it. Each tree was its own presence—very soft, though very numerous. The fruits that hung from some were tiny pinpricks of power, and whenever one fell Kiethara swore she felt a faint pluck in her mind. She felt all these normal aspects as her connection wandered, but then something far exceeding the norm caught her attention.
It was so faint she barely felt it, fainter than the distant trees by which it was surrounded. There were only a handful of these presences that she knew. One thing that was for certain: they did not use magic.
Her heart fluttered and her stomach dropped. One of these presences was Markii. Had the ill event occurred so soon? It was very unlikely that they had even reached their tribe yet.
There was no point in waiting to find out—this person was still hours away from her clearing. With that thought, Kiethara jumped into the air and took off to the east. The symbols on her trees lay useless now that she had such a reliable map in her head.
Soon she approached the intruder, her heart soaring as she spotted a mess of blond hair. Beaming, she landed silently in the trees above Navadar and watched his progress.
He was mounted on his horse, and together the two made slow progress through the treacherous roots. Kiethara followed silently from above, but after a few minutes they stopped, and he dismounted.
“Too thick to carry on, mate,” he told his horse. From a pouch on the saddle he removed a long rope and tethered his horse. “Plenty of grass. I’ll come back in…well, sometime.”
To her utmost amusement, Navadar gave his ride a little wink before carrying on. Kiethara held her breath for a good few moments before breaking into a fit of giggles and jumping down from her branch.
“Now I wonder what he’s expecting,” she told his horse, who had given a snort at her appearance. “Let’s just hope for his sake he likes what he gets.”
And with that, she gave the horse her own little wink and silently moved through the trees after its master.
He had not gotten far, though his stride was purposeful and strong. She watched his back with pursed lips. How best to inform him of her presence? So many options…
She smiled and rose into the air. She bent her knees and positioned her feet over Navadar’s shoulders. Quietly, now…
With a light thump, she landed lightly in a crouch on Navadar’s shoulders.
“Boo!”
Navadar jumped violently with a slight cry, his hands flying up instinctively to grab her feet.
“Kiethara!” he laughed in surprise.
She flew off his shoulders and landed in front of him.
“Why, hello,” she said, grinning.
He smiled back, scanning her over with his forest green eyes.
“Thank goodness I don’t see any new scars.”
She puckered her bottom lip. “You don’t like my scars?” she teased.
“The scars I don’t mind, it’s how you got them! It pleases me to know the forest has been peaceful.”
“Peaceful?” she snorted. “Just because I didn’t get my flesh torn up doesn’t mean there weren’t any opportunities.”
She watched his face with amusement as he made sense of her words.
“Wait…something did happen, then?”
“Let’s not start with this now,” she sighed. She loathed retelling her tales to Navadar.
“Oh, no! We have started this. I want to know!”
She rolled her eyes and danced away from him.
“Wait!” he called, hurrying after her.
“You’ll have to catch me first if you want to hear anything!” Kiethara told him, weaving faster through the trees. She turned to send him a wink.
“Hide and seek, is it?” he asked with a grin.
Kiethara slowly rounded the trunk of a large spruce, peering out to see him a few feet away.
“Hide and what?” she asked.
“It’s a child’s game,” he explained, turning towards her voice. He spotted her and lunged forward. She shrieked playfully, taking off like a gazelle through the tall grass.
It soon became obvious to her that she had the upper hand in this “child’s game.” She was in an unfamiliar area of the forest, but it was her nature to navigate swiftly through the ferns, limbs, and twisted roots. On top of that, if she focused hard enough, she could sense where Navadar was.
So she decided to have some fun.
As soon as she was certain he was following her, she reached up and pulled herself into a tree. She doubled back swiftly and landed softly behind a puzzled Navadar.
“So how do you play hide and seek?” she whispered in his ear. He whirled around and made a grab for her, but she twirled out of his reach and took off in another direction.
“Well, it’s a little game,” he explained from behind her as they pushed their way through the hanging vines. “Where one person, or a few, hides, while one is in charge of seeking them out.”
Kiethara bit her lip and turned on her heel, torn on which way to head. Navadar was hot on her tail, beating away foliage a mere few feet away. She needed to turn him around. Grabbing a vine, and, with a little push of her magic, she swung herself around a tree. It worked perfectly, for Navadar continued forward, unaware that she was now to his left.
“So does that make me a hider or
a seeker?” she called from behind the trunk. She held her breath as he paused in his pursuit.
“I believe that I…” He became very quiet, everything becoming unnaturally still. Kiethara’s heart jumped to her throat.
“Am the seeker!” he called out in victory, right on the other side of the tree. His hands shot out on either side.
She let out a peal of laughter as she escaped his attempt to grab her. Her feet bounded lightly through the cool grass.
“Eh!” he called from behind her.
Kiethara leaped over a thin stream and used a flat rock to launch herself even further. Navadar was directly behind her, and she could not think of any new way to avoid him.
All of a sudden, the sound of his pursuit stopped. She kept running for a moment, laughing despite the fact she was out of breath, and then began to slow down. There were no quiet footsteps, no breaking twigs. In the distance there was the sound of rushing water, barely audible to her over her labored breathing.
She then heard what she was looking for—the light thuds of boots on soft grass. It was directly to her right.
She gasped and made to flee, but it was too late. Strong, sure hands shot out and grabbed her by the waist.
She squirmed, but it was in vain attempt. He pulled her close and tightened his grip.
“How long were you planning on torturing me? Hm?” he asked in a low voice, his nose trailing a line on her neck. She tried to suppress a shiver of delight.
“Just a bit longer,” she said, closing her eyes and allowing a smile to spread across her face. “I don’t think I’m good at hide and seek.”
“You were wonderful. I’m just a better seeker.”
“You’ve had experience, so it wasn’t a fair fight,” she pointed out.
“You’ve really never played?” he asked in surprise.
“Never. It wasn’t like I could split myself in two. I don’t think this game can be played with one.”
“Oh, that’s right,” he said, sounding a bit embarrassed.
“Navadar!” she chided with a laugh. “I thought the massive forest would be reminder enough.”
“Is that where we are?” he chuckled, running a hand through her hair.
Kiethara was beginning to pick up on his mood—she had been there herself for quiet some time. She turned to face him, which he allowed, repositioning his hands to her face. Their lips met with quiet joy.
Her worries, her pains…they all dissolved as she gave herself into the feelings Navadar sparked inside her. Her nerves were alive; she felt everything. Navadar’s warm body heat was the perfect antidote to the cool breeze that wafted through the leaves. She felt like singing with the birds that called out around her. Her heart thrummed with the rhythm of the rushing water in the distance…
Rushing water?
Kiethara broke away from Navadar and cocked her head. Was there a river nearby? She did not spend much time away from the center of the forest. Her curiosity was too great for her to stem.
“Do you hear that?” she whispered.
“Hmm?” he murmured, trying to reach her lips again.
She giggled and put a finger to his mouth. “Listen!”
“A river?” he suggested after a minute. He did not seem as interested in the mystery as she was.
“That’s what I think, but it’s so loud,” she mused. “Come, let’s see!”
She grabbed his hand and led him forward. Her footsteps were careful as they followed the sound, which grew more deafening as they got closer.
“Don’t you know what it is?” he asked loudly.
“No, I’ve never been in this area!”
“Well, whatever it is, it’s not a river!” he yelled. The sound had increased into a roar.
Kiethara pushed aside a curtain of moss, took a step forward, and gasped.
It was certainly no river. Reaching the height of at least fifty feet, a massive waterfall stood a mere ten yards away.
The sight was a sight like no other. The water was tumbling off a spectacular rock formation—a cliff, though not a sharp one. It rounded gracefully, coated in a fine layer of moss. Strikingly, the gallons continued into a deep pool below it. Lumps of rocks sat in the bubbling pond, ever changing from the constant pounding they received. The colors of the scene were so rich: deep blues and foaming whites of the water, sleek earthy tones on the rocks, and the vibrant greens of the moist foliage. The waterfall was simply mesmerizing. It kept the two rooted to the spot for several long minutes.
After the shock abdicated some, a feeling of excitement blossomed inside Kiethara. Could such a place like this really exist? She felt as though she had stepped into a different world, leaving the forest behind the curtain of moss they had ventured through. Sixteen years later and she was still stumbling upon marvels. It certainly made life worth living, knowing that at any moment she could discover one of the countless gems her home had to offer.
“Marvelous,” Kiethara breathed, taking a step forward.
Navadar copied her slight movement, but he could not seem to find his tongue. His eyes were wide as he drank it in, his head shaking slowly back and forth as though he were denying it.
“Spectacular!” she laughed, throwing up her arms and throwing back her head. A white rose blossomed unnoticed at her feet. “Tell me, Navadar, how does this compare to your gold statues and grand walls?”
“Compare?” he asked loudly, raising his hand to shield his eyes from the glare of the sun off the water. “By far, the only beauty that can stand to compare with this is you!”
Reflexively, she turned her head towards him. There eyes met as she blushed. It was her turn for her words to be caught in her throat.
Navadar walked forward until his chest was but a hairs breath away. Her heart thumped unevenly as she gazed up at him.
“Would you like to take a swim with me?” he asked huskily, tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear.
The way he said it, the way he looked down on her, the way he touched her…it made her feel hideously exposed. As though he was able to see every inch of her being. Part of herself was telling her to hide and run, to seek shelter from his all too penetrating gaze. Another part, however, told her that she had no reason to be afraid. Her insides squirmed.
“I-I…” she stuttered in a quiet voice, her unblinking eyes unable to leave his face.
“Is that a yes?” he chuckled.
Navadar’s confidence sparked her own pride. There was something almost arrogant about the posture he held in front of her.
“Absolutely,” she told him, jerking her chin up.
He grinned at her new countenance. He began to undo the leather strap that held his bow to his back, and she did the same with her sword and her potions. As she hung them on the branch, she watched Navadar from the corner of her eye. As soon as he hung up his weapon, he stripped off his tunic and his boots, so he wore only his trousers.
A wave of heat flashed across her face. She suddenly felt very self conscious. She only wore her dress, and when it got wet it was not the most modest attire…
Swallowing back her nerves, she turned to Navadar with a forced smile. But as soon as she got a good look at him, the embarrassed heat in her smoldered into something else and her smile became quiet real.
His chest and stomach were rippled with lean muscle; it was quite a sight, one that sent such intense feelings through her. Was this love? No one else had ever made her crave them in this way.
“I hope it’s warm,” she called to him as she tied back her long hair with a blade of grass.
“I think we’ll manage to keep warm,” he suggested shrewdly, smiling as he walked backwards towards the bank of the small lake. He threw his arms up. “Coming?”
She took a small breath. Breathe! Relax! It’s only Navadar, she told herself. Her smile widened as an idea struck her and, with a push of her feet, she flipped through the air. The gift of flight allowed her to soar over Navadar and land, flat-footed and steady, on an exposed roc
k in the water. Navadar’s head whipped around so fast that she giggled.
“Are you?” she mocked from her rock.
“Clever,” he noted, wading into the water.
“It is warm!” he called, almost in surprise. He did not hesitate in charging the rest of the way in. He disappeared under the water for a moment, reappearing at the bottom of the rock she stood on, shaking hair and water out of his face. “Now stop tantalizing me from up there and come down!”
She laughed and took a light step off the rock. Before she had a chance to really fall, he caught her by the waist. The water took her in hungrily.
He was right; it was warm. Much warmer than the water in her bathing lake. She sank into it easily. Underneath the surface she could feel the water pushing and pulling her, swirling from the force of the waterfall. Swimming would be neigh impossible, along with going anywhere near the waterfall. It was gorgeous, but she knew it could be deadly. If ever caught in the pummeling falls, it would push her down and keep her there until her drowned.
That did not hinder their enjoyment, though. Navadar and she leaned against the many rocks surrounding them, soaking in the refreshing pool.
“What a place,” Navadar declared, leaning his head back against a rock.
“Mm,” she agreed. “If it weren’t for you, I would have never found it.”
“Not necessarily. I didn’t really care about the noise before and I’ve passed fairly close by numerous times on my way to see you. It surprises me that something so huge can stay hidden like this, though.”
“It only hides from those who never look,” she reasoned. He laughed.
“I wish you would kiss me with those wise lips.”
“Oh? How bad?”
“Bad enough,” he playfully growled, turning from his rock and gently grabbing her. She gasped happily and wrapped her arms around his neck. Their lips met eagerly, and for several long moments Kiethara succumbed to a feeling of pure bliss.
Soon, however, the kiss turned into something else. Almost unconsciously, she ran her hands over his shoulders and down his chest, exploring its muscular planes. He groaned softly and moved his hand to the small of her back, the other to her waist.
They broke apart for a moment, breathing heavily. She inhaled his scent; it smelled of freshly baked bread and another aroma she could not name. It reminded her of the kingdoms and, although the memory left a bitter taste in her mouth, she still found the smell intoxicating.
As their lips found each other again, his hand crawled upward and cupped her breast. Her mind was unsure about this new touch, but her body had no such confusion. She no longer seemed to be in control.
She really did not want to be.
A few more minutes melted by before they broke apart again. They leaned back against the rocks, breathing heavily.
“How is Redawn?” she asked after a peaceful silence. Navadar picked up her hand and started playing with it.
He began to say something, but she could not hear him over the falls.
“What?” she asked loudly.
“It fairs,” he said with more volume. “However, shadows are beginning to stretch over its walls. The king is getting stricter about magic—he has already hung six people who were caught using it. The streets are patrolled by armed men. Doors are closed at night; goods are guarded with lock and key. The entire government is on edge and people are panicking.”
“Why?”
“No one knows why the army is suddenly up and active!” Navadar told her, his eyebrows pulling together. “There is no obvious threat, no opposing force to be seen. All we can hear are rumors. Some rumors are plausible and some are blown widely out of proportion. It’s hard, not knowing what is true or not. A death here, a missing person there…that’s all there is. But its enough to push the king’s hand and drive them into frenzy.”
Kiethara’s heart sank. Durga’s story had been similar.
“I know its Gandador, even if no one else does. On my way through Nikkoi, I was surprised to find that everyone there seemed to know he is pushing for a second rule. They all know it, but they do nothing. The lack of certainty is driving its toll. People in Nikkoi know he’s there, but they just don’t know where. They can do nothing but wait for something to happen. Nikkoi has lost hope, Redawn does not realize what is happening…it is madness.”
“He’s finally putting his crazed plan into motion,” she said, shaking her head. “The last time he came here, he told me he wanted to create this…empire. A mass of kingdoms, all under his rule. They would all use magic, the forest’s magic. He no longer has plans to just rule the forest; he wants to set the power free and rule the world.”
Navadar shook his head too. “What really bothers me is how well it is working. Can he set your magic free?”
“I…don’t know,” she admitted lamely. Navadar looked worried.
“What does your father say?” she asked, trying to change the subject off her power.
“Oh, he’s just worried about the king ordering a new supply of weapons,” Navadar said scornfully, rolling his eyes. “He sees the army march out and his reaction is to hurry up and sweep his shop!”
Kiethara laughed heartily at the image and, as soon as she started, she could not stop. She clutched her side and threw back her head. Soon, he was laughing with gusto as well.
“I like…his approach…” she gasped between chuckles. Navadar laughed loudly.
As she laughed, Kiethara reflected on how long it had been since she last laughed like this. She had been desperate for a cheer, and here it was.
Little did she know how much she would need it in the future.