Alora: The Wander-Jewel (Alora Series Book 1) (20 page)

“You had fifteen years when you were in your first battle,” Arista scoffed. “And you have only seventeen now.”

“My father is the chief of Stone Clan,” said Kaevin. “It’s up to him to make these decisions. Since our whole goal is to prevent Alora’s capture, it only makes sense to get her away to a safe place. And since they’ve already mistaken Arista for Alora once, she would also be in danger if she remained.”

“And Beth could return after the battle,” Jireo added.

“Jeeze, guys! Can’t you see you’re ticking them off? I’d keep my mouth shut if I were you.” Wesley backed away.

“Wesley’s right,” said Beth, staring up with narrowed eyes. “You boys just need to worry about yourselves.”

Alora noticed her head pounding. It couldn’t be hurting because of separation from Kaevin, because they’d been in contact for an hour before she transported Willow. And Kaevin’s head didn’t seem to be hurting at all.

“Hey, Beth,” she whispered. “Do you have any Advil in that first aid kit?”

“Does your head hurt?” she asked. “Maybe it would be better if you rode with Kaevin.” She dug though her kit and found pain medication, handing her two pills.

“No, that can’t be the problem. He’s not having any symptoms. I think it’s just lack of sleep.”

“Maybe,” said Beth. “But be careful, okay? I know you’re mad at him, but don’t cut off your nose to spite your face.”

Traveling at a fair pace, stopping only to rest and water the horses, the expedition group reached the canyon just after sunset.

“Do we have any way of knowing for sure if Vindrake’s men are coming? Or how far behind us they are?” Graely asked Nordamen.

“My power to sense gifts is only effective when people are in close proximity. If only we hadn’t lost Valor.” Nordamen’s jaw flexed. “His discernment was strong. He had the ability to detect gifts from a league away. We’d at least have a bit of warning.”

“Not to mention, he left behind a wife and young family. All because we refused to change our customs.” Graely’s gut churned with guilt.

“It’s not your fault, Graely.” Nordamen squeezed his shoulder. “No one on the council wanted to change the rule about leaving our weapons at the door.”

“Let’s not forget who’s truly to blame. It was Vindrake who attacked us in our own council hall.” Morvaen’s voice moved with his heated pacing.

“And we won’t be safe until Tenavae is rid of Vindrake’s scourge,” agreed Graely.
“It galls me we must once again defend ourselves from his unprovoked attack.”

“I think we must be half a day ahead, at least. Let’s plan and ready our defense and then eat and get some sleep.” Morvaen pivoted without altering his pace.

Graely saw Alora approaching with tentative steps. “I was trying to think how I could help. Is there anything or anyone I could fetch from Laegenshire?”

“An excellent idea, Alora!” Morvaen gestured with flailing arms, increasing the length of his strides. “Yes. We weren’t planning for a battle. You could bring more arrows. Of course, they could only be wood-tipped. And a few more warriors could be very helpful.” He stroked his beard, never missing a step.

“I’d forgotten how useful a bearer could be.” Graely couldn’t hide his enthusiasm.
Am I wrong to take advantage of her gift when she has so few years?
“You’d need to make several trips. Do you feel strong enough?”

“I’ve been eating like a horse all day. I should have plenty of energy. I just have a bit of a headache, but I think it’s from lack of sleep.”

Kaevin interrupted. “Father, wouldn’t it be best if Alora remained in Laegenshire during the battle? We don’t want her within reach of Vindrake.”

“You can’t order me around.” Alora narrowed her eyes at Kaevin and crossed her arms.

“I can’t, but Father can.” He returned a fierce frown.

“Son, we’ll be certain Alora is away from the thick of the battle. She can always transport to safety. My thought was to keep her with Beth, so if things go badly, they could both move to Laegenshire.”

“See you later, Kaevin. I’ve got work to do.” Alora gave Kaevin an I-told-you-so look. And she disappeared.

Kaevin found Beth near the campfire. “Hey, Kaevin. Did you see what Alora managed to do? She made three trips and brought nine more men with supplies and food,” she said excitedly. “And she’s gone back for three more.”

“That’s great,” said Kaevin sarcastically. “She’s going to be too exhausted to move herself to safety when Vindrake attacks.” He rubbed his forehead.

“Is your head hurting?”

“Yes, it’s been hurting all day. And it’s getting worse. I thought I might see if you had some potion in your magick kit.”

“Alora’s head was hurting, too. It’s probably the soulmate thing.”

“But we’ve been in contact today already.”

“Yes, but that was before she moved a fourteen hundred pound horse. And now she’s made a bunch of other transports. Didn’t we decide she drew power from your soulmate bond or something?”

“That mostly made us tired. This is much more painful.”

“I highly suggest kissing again.” Her lips curved in an innocent smile.

“She won’t even speak to me. I greatly doubt she’ll agree to kiss me.” He grabbed his head as a sharp pain hit.

“She’s transporting to Graely.” Beth gripped his arm. “You’d better go stand beside him and wait for her.”

Kaevin’s vision blurred as Beth led him, stumbling, to his father’s side.

“Just a moment, Kaevin. I’m discussing the placement of the wards with Morvaen and Nordamen. This might be a good opportunity for you to learn some strategy.”

Kaevin sank to the ground by his father’s feet, dropping his head in his hands.

“What’s wrong?” his father cried. “Are you sick again?”

Kaevin tried to answer, but the pain in his head flashed so intensely, he couldn’t form coherent thoughts. Finally, he croaked out, “Alora.”

“What about her? What about Alora? She’s due back any moment now.”

“She’s back!” said Morvaen. “And look—she’s brought four more warriors at once!”

Kaevin lifted his head in time to see Alora crumple in a boneless heap. He tried to call her name, but the ground rushed toward his face and knocked him out.

Nordamen rushe
d
to Alora. “She’s overtaxed herself again! We’ve got to get her awake to eat and drink something.”

“That’s not it! It’s the soulmate bond,” Beth raised her voice to be heard over the exclamations.

“We’ve already explained this to you,” said Nordamen. “She simply needs nourishment.”

“Then how do you explain him?” Beth pointed to where Kaevin was passed out on the ground by his father.

Nordamen looked back and forth between the two, astonishment on his face. “It can’t be!”

“I’m not listening to anyone in this crazy place tell me something’s not possible,” fumed Beth. “It’s like when people watch Star Wars and then say something crazy like, ‘You can’t hear explosions in space because there’s no air to carry the sound waves.’ It’s all impossible!”

Nordamen stared at her, uncomprehending.

“Just carry her over to him, please.” She put as much authority as she could garner into her voice and held Nordamen’s gaze. She could see on his face the moment he relented, and she sent up a prayer of thanks. He lifted Alora to carry her a few steps and lay her down by Kaevin. Beth put their hands together, and stepped back.

A curious crowd gathered to watch the proceedings. Graely, Nordamen, Beth and the four newly arrived warriors stood staring at the unconscious couple, along with a number of other warriors Beth didn’t know. Morvaen paced behind them, muttering something about how he’d killed Alora by overtaxing her.

“It’s going to take a while. And when one of them wakes up, they need to kiss. That seems to help.” Even as she spoke the words, she could see the doubt on their faces.

“What’s going on?” asked one of the warriors.

Beth crossed her arms and spoke with a firm voice. “They’re soulmates. And I don’t want to hear anyone saying otherwise. I’ve had enough of trying to keep them alive while everyone argues because they’ve never heard of it happening so young before. Guess what? I’ve never heard of any of this before, and I’ve learned to accept it. So just get over it!”

As time passed and neither one stirred, Nordamen began to pace behind Morvaen. The size discrepancy between the two reminded Beth of a couple of cartoon characters. Nordamen shouted, “We’re wasting precious time!”

“What do you propose?” Graely asked.

A groaning noise caught their attention, and Kaevin stirred.

“Get him food and drink at once,” Nordamen ordered.

“He doesn’t need food, he needs Alora.” Beth knelt beside Kaevin, waiting for him to open his eyes. Even before he became fully conscious, his limp handhold with Alora became a fierce grip. As his eyelids fluttered open, Beth leaned over him. “She’s right next to you. She’s unconscious.”

He rolled onto his side and lifted on his elbow, squeezing both of her hands. In his awkward position, he leaned in to kiss her. Beth could hear Graely muttering in the background. Some thirty seconds later, Alora’s eyes blinked open.

“Kaevin,” she whispered. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize—”

He smothered her words with another kiss. “I think you almost killed us. But it was my fault, too. I’m sorry I made you angry.”

“No, I’m sorry. I know you were only trying to protect me. I just wanted to prove I’m not a liability.” She spoke around his lips.

“You don’t have to worry. After this, I’m never sending you away. You need to stay close—my headache started this morning.”

“Mine, too,” she said. “But I didn’t know what was wrong. I’m sorry.”

“Ahem.” Graely cleared his throat. Alora glanced up, for the first time realizing they had an audience. She pulled her lips away from Kaevin as her face flamed.

“Now, do you believe me?” Beth asked.

Nordamen was speechless.

“Could it be true?” asked Graely. “And if so, what can we do about it?”

Nordamen shook his head. “I’m uncertain. It shouldn’t be possible. But it seems they actually are... uhmm...”

“Soulmates,” Beth said. “They’re soulmates, just like we said all along. So maybe we could all give them a little privacy.” Alora was relieved when Beth herded everyone away.

“I thought you said we only had to touch once a day.” She fixed Kaevin with a hard stare.

“Well, I thought that was true. But the other soulmates described to me were older and married. Also, it’s quite rare. I’m not actually certain of anything about the soulmate bond except it enhances our powers and we can die from separation.”

“So who knows something about it?”

Kaevin kissed her again, with an impish grin on his face. “Right now, I don’t care. I kind of like the recovery process. It almost makes up for the headache.”

“No, it doesn’t. Let’s not do that again.”

“Maybe we should kiss each morning to prepare for the day’s work.”

Alora stifled a giggle. This whole kissing thing was still really embarrassing, especially when they had an audience.

Graely’s voice made her jump. “I think perhaps we need to have a discussion.”

Alora pushed to a sitting position, glad to find her strength returning. She tried to pull her hand away, but Kaevin held it fast.

“When we return to Laegenshire, we’ll attempt to ascertain whether this bond can be safely removed.” Graely’s gaze was focused somewhere between them.

“Why don’t you want me to be soulmates with Kaevin?” She forced the question through her tight throat.

“I have nothing against you, Alora. You’re both simply too young for this type of bond. It is quite dangerous.”

“I don’t wish to remove it.” Kaevin squeezed her hand as he spoke.

“All right, we will discuss the bond at another time. But don’t think we will allow this to continue without attempting to protect you.” Graely rubbed his forehead. “How much of this kissing is necessary to be ready for the attack? Or will you need to be standing near one another?”

“I was hoping you’d know the answer to that question. We’re still trying to figure it all out.” Alora’s spirit sagged in disappointment.
Aren’t parents supposed to have all the answers
?

“I don’t believe we have to be close,” said Kaevin. “I’ve been thinking, she could wait someplace safe, someplace out of the way. And if she begins to feel any symptoms, the beginning of a headache, she could simply transport me.”

“What can I do to help out during the attack?” Alora asked.

“Honestly, I don’t know. Bearers always train one another on those things. It’s a shame Raelene isn’t here to advise you.”

“Yeah, that’s too bad.” She shared a guilty glance with Kaevin.

“To be quite honest, she probably wouldn’t recommend your participation in the battle since you lack experience. Mistakes could be disastrous.” Alora tried to hide her distress, but Graely leaned over to pat her arm. “But you’ve already done more than we’d dreamed possible. So I’m glad she wasn’t here to stop you.”

“I’m getting better, and I didn’t make any mistakes today.”

“So, you truly brought Willow here on purpose, then?” Kaevin asked.

“Okay, I’ll admit that was a total surprise—I was just wishing.”

“In that case,” Kaevin murmured, “you should be very careful what you wish for.”

*****

Abaddon was arguing with Vindrake, although he knew he was risking much by doing so. But he also knew he needed to prove himself indispensible. And to do that, he must have inspiration, knowledge, or ideas Vindrake judged to be invaluable. And for that to happen, he had to make Vindrake listen to him.

“Sire, I know you want to use the iron belts to protect the men, but it is highly unlikely the girl can move anyone except herself at this early point in her training.”

“Fool! I already told you she almost overcame my warding and transported me! Of course, she can move someone besides herself.”

“You misunderstand my statement.” He scrambled to correct his blunder. “I meant she could probably only transport people to herself. And of course she’s unlikely to bring an attacker to herself.”

“So what are you recommending?” His expression resembled that of one who’d bitten into a bitter fruit.

“The iron belts interfere with movement during fighting. Of course, Sire, I think
you
should be protected with iron. But for the other men, they would be unnecessary, and place them at a disadvantage against Graely’s warriors.”

“Your idea could have merit. I will consider it.” Vindrake turned to leave, still scowling.

“There is more to my proposal, Sire. Something that could help you accomplish your abduction quickly.”

“What now?”

Abaddon hurried to appease his obvious impatience. “While some of us have gifts that will aid us in the attack, others could fight as well if they were giftless.”

“And your point is?”

“If half of our men had green eyes and no visible bondmark, the confusion in the midst of the battle would make a capture easy to achieve. Rather than wearing an iron belt, these men could strap a belt to the horse, ready to lock around a prisoner. As soon as we take a prisoner and belt them in iron, we can retreat, before the Stone Clan warriors realize what has happened.”

“So you want some of our men to be masked with your potion?” Vindrake’s lips lifted on the corners, and his nostrils flared. “Yes, I like this idea. Their sniveling emotions will be their ruin. They would never shoot an arrow at someone who might possibly be an innocent. And while they’re willing to risk many lives in battle, one hostage will put them on their knees. Such a ridiculous notion, that one insignificant life could be so valuable.” His mouth widened in a sadistic smile. “And then Lena will come to me.”

“Yes, Sire.” Abaddon’s breath eased in the wake of Vindrake’s approval. “Your plan is excellent. With
your
leadership and
my
skills, we cannot lose.”

*****

Alora slept heavily, despite feeling awkward about the sleeping arrangements. Graely had finally consented to let them sleep beside each other, but only if he slept adjacent to them. And he declared himself to be
a light sleeper
. Kaevin had remarked to Alora, “Sounds familiar.” But nestled against Kaevin for warmth, exhaustion had overtaken her, and she was surprised when he wakened her at dawn.

“Good morning.” His breath was soft on her cheek. “It’s time to head to your cleft in the rock. Beth will be with you. And Wesley and Arista will be close by. We have the advantage of higher ground, and, thanks to you, we have an advantage in number of warriors. Hopefully, this will be over quickly.”

“How’s your head?”

“Good. And yours?”

“It’s good, but I was wondering.” She chewed her lip. “Should I bring Raelene over so she can help me?”

“You don’t think it will utilize too much energy?”

“If I do it now, you could kiss me before you go to your station.”

“We’ll have to face her sooner or later.” He chuckled. “This way, I get to go fight a battle as soon as she gets here. You can do all the explaining.”

“Fine.” She laughed. “But you have to explain it to my uncle when we go back.”

“Ugh! I might hope I’m killed during the battle instead. If you’re going to do it, get it over with.” He reached to take her hand.

“Here it goes.” Alora was pleased she performed the transport almost automatically. Before her stood her grandmother.

And Uncle Charles.

*****

Wesley and Arista practiced with the compound bows from the first light of dawn, until Arista felt confident with the powerful bow and Wesley felt comfortable with the wooden arrows. From their vantage point and with their extended range, he felt certain they would play a key role in controlling the road access. He couldn’t help being impressed with her skill and determination. She wasn’t like any of the girls he’d known at home.

Frustrated with the wind blowing her hair, she’d finally tied her tangled blond tresses behind her with a short piece of rope. “I’ll never be able to get the tangles out. We may have to cut it off.”

“I hope you don’t. I like your hair long.” He wondered if his expression showed the horror he felt at her offhand remark.

“Well, I hate it, and I wouldn’t have to keep it this long if I were a guy. It’s just a nuisance.”

“I think it’s really pretty.”

“You do? Then why do you keep yours so short?”

He felt the blood rush to his face. “It’s just the style back home. All the guys wear their hair short like this.”

She continued to examine the compound bow in her hands. “That’s interesting.”

“So...” Wesley said, as he fidgeted with his bow. “Do you have like a... uhmm... like a boyfriend?”

Arista frowned. “What does that mean? Are you asking if any of my other friends are boys?”

“No, uhmm... I mean, uhmm... are you dating anyone?”