CHAPTER 64
TRUST
Markii—much to Kiethara’s and Camella’s delight, as well as to Navadar’s immense irritation—supplied them with numerous ideas to help perfect their strategies. He might have only come clad with the sword on his back, but hidden in his heritage were techniques and skills he had been blessed with by his tribe. During dinner, some of his suggestions set three pairs of eyes wide in awe. Whoever this anonymous tribe was, Kiethara could tell that their culture, seemingly similar to Redawn, was in fact much different.
For instance, Markii explained to them that clay was a particularly useful substance to utilize. He knew several different methods in molding it, heating it, and manipulating it into practical weapons. Balls of hardened clay turned out to be very deadly, especially when covered in sharpened bamboo needles. Clay could also be used to make arrow tips, which Navadar required. It could even be used as a shield, although not one that would last for very long. What really made the substance valuable, though, was its availability. He was certain that the forest floor would have plenty of clay to offer them.
They had continued the topic of weapons throughout the remainder of the meal. Kiethara nodded and smiled as they brainstormed more and more possibilities, but she could not help from feeling dismayed. Not one of the weapons they were discussing involved magic.
Of course, she knew that Navadar and Markii did not use magic. Only Camella did, and a scant amount at that. Still, when she agreed to let them help her, she had not expected this. Plans that pulled further and further away from magic and potions and more towards…well, useless devices, in her opinion. She knew the value of a sword, but its value came to play only in certain situations. When there was no magic, she needed a blade. For the most part, she used it paired with magic.
Did they not see the flaws in their tactics? Did they not realize that her father could disintegrate the arrow before it was released, render them incapable from lifting a blade, or dodge their missiles by simply disappearing? It was a battle of power, and she could see no power in objects of clay and steel. But how could she tell them that?
There was another dilemma she faced as well. Aaron had told her not to reveal her training or techniques carelessly, as her mother had. It had consequences. Did that apply here, though? Kiethara desperately wanted to show them her training, so they could grasp what they were up against. Maybe she could even teach Camella a few tricks. It was a question of trust and common sense to give her friends a better chance, or loyalty to Aaron.
She chewed it over all night. She tossed in her hammock, Camella’s light snore unable to lull her into the deep sleep it normally did. Aaron’s stressed warnings resounded in her every thought, yet they were shadowed by a small voice of reason. Reason.
Everything happened for a reason. How long had it been since she had applied her favorite proverb? She smiled softly at the night as she began to see points of reason, like stars lighting up on a darkening horizon. Had she met Camella’s grandfather so she could have his granddaughter’s help now? Did Durga die in time for Markii’s unwavering allegiance to turn from protecting her to aiding the forest?
Why had Aaron left her?
That one was a little harder for her to answer. It was almost as hard as the question of whether she should reveal her training to them or not.
By morning she had her answer.
Markii was sleeping around the same area that Navadar was. Kiethara had had no hand in it—it had been all Camella’s doing. She had insisted that it was more convenient, in case the girls ever had to get to them quickly. Markii had made no comment as per usual, but she had heard Navadar’s teeth grinding together.
So Kiethara had to wait for them to arrive in her clearing before she could make her announcement. She fidgeted as dawn turned into a bright, beautiful morning.
“You’re up early,” Camella yawned, lifting herself off the ground with a groan.
“When do you think—” she began to ask, but then just then the men walked through the trees.
“Navadar! Markii!” she called with a smile.
“Good morning,” Navadar said as he walked over to her. Markii stopped at the fringe of the trees. “You look a little…keyed up.”
Kiethara just nodded. She was practically bouncing on her heels. “Can everyone gather around?”
Navadar and Camella were quick to stand before her, but Markii was not. His gray eyes narrowed the tiniest bit.
Camella crossed her arms and coughed conspicuously. Her eyes narrowed, too, as her gaze focused solely on Markii. She coughed again, so loud and obnoxious that Navadar had to stifle his laughter with his fist. Kiethara bit her lip.
Markii’s restless gaze stopped on Camella for a brief second before he approached their group with unmistakable caution. Camella sighed and rolled her eyes, turning back to Kiethara with a raised eyebrow.
This time, it was Kiethara trying to stifle laughter. She knew the two of them would never get used to Markii’s extreme behavior. She had a hard time swallowing it sometimes, too.
“Everyone’s here now, ma’am!” Camella declared, clicking her heels.
“Thank you, General,” Kiethara said, rolling her eyes.
“Is that my rank?” she asked excitedly.
“Um…”
“Does Navadar have a rank?”
“I don’t know…”
“Does that mean I’m superior to him?”
“What?”
“I’ll take that as a yes,” she confirmed, turning to Navadar. “Now that we’ve established that you’re my subordinate—”
“I am not your subordinate!” Navadar argued. “Let’s establish that—”
“Guys!” Kiethara yelled, exasperated. “We are so beyond the point right now it’s not even funny.”
They both ducked their heads.
“Pay attention,” Camella hissed at Navadar, slapping him upside the head. Navadar elbowed her.
“Aye,” Kiethara moaned, placing her head in her hands.
“Our apologies,” Camella told her. “What is it?”
“Well, here’s the thing…” Kiethara took a deep breath. “I really admire and appreciate the work we’ve done so far. Truly, I do. But I think we’re straying too far away from the real weapon that is going to be used—magic.”
“Navadar and Markii don’t use magic,” Camella reminded her quietly.
“I know,” she said. “But I still think that perhaps if I show you my own power, the techniques that Aaron taught me, it could help. Maybe once you see what you’re up against, you will be better suited to avoid it.”
“That makes sense,” Navadar coincided.
“It’s smart,” Markii added suddenly. Kiethara smiled. It took so much to gain his approval.
“I want to do this fast. Gandador can come sweeping in at any moment. Go sit by my hammock and we can get started.”
They complied—somewhat at least. Camella threw herself to the assigned seating, and Navadar sat besides her, leaning against one of the two trees with one leg out and one bent. Markii, however, went to stand next to the tree on the other side of the hammock, Kiethara sighed softly.
She thought hard for a second. How could she condense everything Aaron had taught her into a day’s lecture?
“All right,” she began. “There are four elements—”
“Earth, water, wind, and fire,” Camella interjected.
“Right, which are controlled by—”
“Emotions,” Navadar interrupted with a crooked grin.
“Right again,” Kiethara smiled. “You’re more informed than I would have ventured to guess.”
“We’re not that thick,” Camella noted.
“What Camella probably meant to say,” Navadar said, throwing a hard glance at Camella. “Is that we’ve paid attention.”
“We’ll see about that,” she grinned. “Now, let’s get into specifics. Someone throw me an emotion.”
“Anger!” Camella called at once.
&n
bsp; Kiethara’s hands burst into flames. The flames were tamed, though, not fueled by any anger. She was too well practiced to need emotion to accomplish that; however, she wanted to show them what she could really do.
“Someone make me mad,” she asked.
“I volunteer Navadar.”
Navadar shot Camella an annoyed look.
“Well, get on with it,” she urged.
He sighed. “How am I supposed to make you mad? And why is it necessary?”
“It’s necessary because I want you to witness the extent of every aspect of magic.”
“So what am I supposed to do?”
“Your worst,” she challenged, raising an eyebrow and putting a hand on her hip.
He gazed at her for a long moment, thinking. Then his smile widened.
“Why don’t we demonstrate a different emotion?” he murmured.
Navadar stepped forward until he was a mere inch before her face. Kiethara could feel her cheeks burning into a deep pink as he touched his nose to hers. For a moment, she was lost in the depth of his eyes…
She then remembered that they were not alone, that Camella and Markii were observing this display only a few yards away. Embarrassment flooded through her.
“There,” Navadar said triumphantly, stepping to the side. Camella laughed heartily.
“Brilliant!”
Kiethara looked down. Of course, she was invisible. Navadar’s sudden display of affection was merely a tease.
If that’s the way he wanted it…
She dropped her sword belt and her vine belt. Navadar’s eyes widened and he took a step back apprehensively.
“What’s going on?” Camella demanded.
“Kiethara?” Navadar asked warily.
Kiethara took a couple of steps backward, just to make sure. She was going to show them how serious she was trying to be. A good scare might be the only way to accomplish that.
She closed her eyes and focused hard on a face that never failed to make her angry: Sinsenta’s. She remembered his taunts, his jeers, and used them to form the depth of the emotion she needed.
A pillar of fire literally exploded from her upraised hands, shooting twenty feet in the air. The heat was painful from where she stood, the flames thick. She did not keep it up for long, but it was just enough.
Navadar skidded back a good few feet as Camella emitted a shriek, jumping up. Only Markii remained completely still. She watched him in astonishment as his eyes narrowed and his arms crossed nonchalantly. He had no other reaction. Did he ever scare?
Kiethara silently stalked towards him, gliding an inch above the grass. She held her breath, allowing the wind to rustle the trees around her.
“Navadar, where is she?” Camella asked nervously.
“H-How am I supposed to know?” he stuttered, scanning the clearing. “Kiethara, we get it. Turn visible, please…”
She did not think they did. Especially Markii. She was getting a bit annoyed at his confidence. She wanted to see it shaken.
As soon as she got closer to him, however, his vigilant eyes—which had been roaming—froze and narrowed in on her. She looked down to check to see if she had turned visible. How did he do that? Slowly, she eased herself up and around him.
She raised her finger to the back of his neck and created a small spark of flame.
Markii’s sword was whistling through the air before she had realized it had been unsheathed. She barely managed to avoid the blade as she ducked to the side.
Anger sparked by pride roared inside her. He had almost killed her! And she still saw no fear!
Kiethara’s leg swung around and planted itself in the small of his back before he could recover from his swing. He grunted as he stumbled forward, but he still managed to turn and grab her arm in reaction. She had not realized that she had turned visible.
Again, her leg flew up until it made contact with his chin. He let go of her, and before he could do anything else, she set her hands on fire and shoved him to the ground.
In the same swift, instinctive motion she placed her knee on his chest and her burning hands by his neck.
The clearing was silent.
Breathing heavily, she stood up. It took her a moment to set her hands back to their normal state.
Markii was propping himself up on his elbows, spitting a tooth out of his mouth. Sick satisfaction washed through her.
Kiethara finally lifted her head to meet Navadar’s and Camella’s shocked gazes. Navadar was biting his lip, as though struggling with some internal battle. Camella’s jaw had dropped wide.
“There,” Kiethara said, breathing heavily. “Perhaps now you’ll take me seriously.”
“We were taking you seriously,” Camella whispered.
“Not seriously enough,” she growled. “Some of us seem to still believe that their methods are superior to my magic.”
Markii was getting up now.
“Magic is the remedy to the incompetent,” he said bluntly.
“Incompetent?” she asked in disbelief. “How can you say that after our fight with Swallin?”
“That’s exactly my point,” he told her. “I beat his delusions without magic. You fell for them. I applied the final blow, and only with my blade. Fighting was never meant to be tangled with magic.”
“Fighting has been involved with magic since the dawn of time!”
“For all you know. Magic is unnecessary.”
“Durga used magic!”
“For health purposes, and nothing else,” he countered. “What magic is supposed to be used for: domestic uses.”
“Domestic uses? How can you fight for the forest if that’s what you truly believe?”
“I don’t want magic to fall into the wrong hands, or to be destroyed,” he said evenly. “I want someone wise and discerning to guard it. You fit that requirement; however, as for the actual fight, I don’t think magic is enough to win it. It’s just a lot of flare, flash, and bang. Excessive, unnecessary.”
“Flare. Flash. Bang,” Kiethara repeated in a dead voice. “Flare, flash, and bang?”
Navadar decided to intercede.
“Markii,” he said angrily. “Watch yourself—”
“Kiethara!” Camella called worriedly.
Kiethara gritted her teeth and closed her eyes against the sudden surge of emotion and power. She felt as though she was going to explode. She could see her crystals glowing brightly behind her lids.
“Are you okay?” Navadar asked.
Kiethara opened her eyes. “I need a moment.”
Without waiting for an answer, she blasted off the ground. It was such a relief to release the magic that had built up inside her. For a moment, she thought of nothing other than the strong winds in her hair and the sun in her face.
After a moment of fierce acceleration, she slowed. She was so high up and, below her, the horizon stretched far. It reminded her of the first time she had been enlightened to the true size of the forest. She closed her eyes and roamed the vastness with her mind, losing herself deep within her connection.
Markii was no longer in her clearing. He was headed east, back towards where he and Navadar slept. He was alone.
Kiethara threw herself into a sudden dive, her stomach plummeting in tune with her altitude. Just before she reached the tops of the trees she pulled herself up and swept gracefully over the leaves. When she reached Markii, she dived beneath the canopy.
She landed on the balls of her feet a mere foot behind him.
He froze, his hand shooting to his back.
“Don’t bother,” she said coolly. “I don’t feel like laying you on your back again.”
Markii turned around. His face was emotionless, but still intense.
“Listen, I’m sorry that I lost control,” Kiethara sighed, uncrossing her arms. “Your words…they took me by surprise.”
He nodded.
“I didn’t know you felt that way about magic. I realize now that I don’t know much about your opinions, du
e to the fact that you don’t voice them.”
“Opinions—”
“Are unnecessary?” she guessed. “I hope our little spat proved that opinion wrong. I need to know what you think. I need to know why you are here—the whole truth, not certain parts of it. I need to be able to trust you.”
“You can trust me,” he said evenly. “I will not do anything to harm you.”
“That’s not—”
“Listen,” he said abruptly. “Why I am fighting for the forest...that shouldn’t matter so much to you. Just take comfort in the fact that I am. Gandador has hurt a lot of people, but in very different ways. Just as different wounds have different remedies, I have different motives. Just as different remedies have different supplies, I have different fighting techniques. Just as Navadar has, just as Camella has.”
“They aren’t—”
“They fear you,” he interjected. “They love you. I don’t want to offend you, but I hold neither of those for you.”
Kiethara smiled softly. “You’re a rational man, Markii. I can’t argue with that.”
“Rational men,” he said. “Can be trusted.”