Quest for the Moon Orb: Orbs of Rathira (47 page)

As soon as Karma woke up that morning, the altercation over dinner filled her mind.  Without the cushion of exhaustion to numb her, the full force of her hurt enveloped her and it was even worse than it had been the night before.  For long minutes she lay in her bed, simply trying to breathe through the pain as Zakiel’s contemptuous words repeated themselves over and over in her mind. 

She began trying to understand what had happened in an effort to distance herself from her own emotions, and it helped her to get through the morning.  But no matter how many times she went over everything that was said and done, she could not make sense of it. 

Zakiel had gone from smiling to angry in a heartbeat, and she’d truly felt that protecting Kapia was necessary.  She’d done what she believed was right and she would not apologize for it, nor would she hesitate to do it again.  If Zakiel didn’t understand that, then he didn’t understand her.

So, is that it? she wondered.  Were all the words of love and devotion meaningless the moment she said or did something he did not approve of?  If so, as much as it hurt, she knew it was better to learn these things now rather than later. 

Shortly after they set out, Kapia rode Goldy up beside Bredon.  They spoke for a few minutes, then Kapia returned to her place beside Karma with an angry expression on her face.

“Bredon said that Zakiel asked him about the knife last night,” Kapia said. 

“Did Bredon explain it to him?” Karma asked.

“Yes, he did, and apparently Zakiel thanked him for his foresight and generosity.”  Kapia hesitated a moment, then glanced at Karma.  “Bredon said that he didn’t seem angry at all when they spoke.”

“He yelled at us, and then thanked Bredon,” Karma said wryly.  “At the least, he should apologize to you.”

Kapia shrugged and looked uncomfortable.   

“What is it?” Karma asked.

“Zakiel asked Bredon to pass along his apologies to me.”  

Karma thought about that for a moment, then shook her head.  “He is no longer angry with you, but he is angry with me for defending you,” she guessed.

“It would seem so, yes,” Kapia said.  “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry,” Karma said, smiling at Kapia as she strove to hide the pain that was, once again, threatening to overwhelm her.  “It’s better this way.  Now, how is Sir Bredon this morning?”

Kapia knew that Karma did not wish to talk about Zakiel any more, so she respected that and went along with the change of subject.  Neither of them felt much like talking anyway, and after a little while, they fell silent.  In fact, the entire caravan was quiet.  The close set trees and heavy foliage made everyone feel a bit claustrophobic after the wide open desert.

Zakiel called a halt at mid-day in a clearing just large enough for the entire group to crowd into.  Karma dismounted using her stirrup, hiding her smile when Kapia used hers as well, leaving Sir Bredon standing there, staring at the strip of leather with a scowl.

She turned around to give them some privacy and accepted a cup of water and a plate of food from Lashi.  She didn’t have much appetite though, and after a few bites she returned the plate to Lashi.

“I’ll be back in a minute or two,”
Nikura said after he finished his own lunch.

Karma nodded, then watched him walk away into the trees.  She decided the Sphin had a good idea, and turned to ask Kapia if she wanted to take a short walk with her, but she was engrossed with Sir Bredon.  Karma smiled and decided not to disturb them.  She removed the Ti-Ank from Dippy’s saddle, then turned and walked into the woods on the opposite side of the clearing from where Nikura had gone.  She spent most of her time with the Sphin, but there were some things she insisted on privacy for.

She only meant to walk a few yards, just until she found enough brush for privacy, but there didn’t seem to be as much brush among the trees here as they’d been seeing all morning.  The further she walked, the sparser the foliage became.  There were fewer trees, and those were thinner, smaller, and appeared less healthy.  She looked up as she walked, frowning at the dead leaves and branches higher up.  When she lowered her eyes she realized she’d stepped into a small clearing with one enormous, dead tree in the center of it. 

There was something about the tree that made her blood run cold, and she stared for a moment, trying to figure out what it was.  The tree was huge, with long, leafless branches stretching out over most of the clearing like long, clawed fingers.  The entire thing was black, as though it had been charred in a fire.  But even though it was black as pitch and showed no signs of life, she had the distinct impression that what she was looking at was neither dead, nor exactly a tree. 

As she stood there, she sensed that the tree
felt
her.  It
knew
she was there, and it wanted her.  She had no explanation for how such a thing could be, but the hair on the back of her neck stood up straight, and her heart began to race as every instinct she owned screamed at her to run.

She spun around, one foot raised, her arms out for balance, Ti-Ank gripped tightly in one hand, but already she knew she was too late, had waited too long, gone too close.  Before her foot hit the ground in her first running step, she felt something icy cold slam into her back hard enough to knock the breath out of her.  The icy sensation spread rapidly, yet she forced herself to pick up her other foot, determined to keep running.  But the ice spread to her arms, legs, heart and lungs so fast that she was lying on the ground, motionless, while still completing that last running step in her mind.

Zakiel watched Karma all morning, though he made every effort to hide it.  He was very angry, but with himself, not her.  He had no idea how or why he’d become so furious the night before, and he was greatly ashamed of his actions, and for the unforgivable things he’d said to Karma.  The moment he’d seen the knife in Kapia’s hand he’d known where it had come from.  He had meant only to talk to her, to ask why she had it.

The moment Kapia pulled it away from his grasp, his fury exploded.  He was, in truth, grateful to Karma for stepping in between himself and Kapia.  He had no idea what he would have done, but a sick feeling in his stomach told him it would have been bad.  He would not have struck his sister, but he would have hurt her with his words, just as he had hurt Karma.

He’d never had a temper before, and he did not know what had happened to him.  He’d spent most of the night trying to understand it, and wondered if transforming into the Vatra before he was truly ready had something to do with it.  All he knew for certain was that Karma was angry with him, for good reason, and that he could not bring himself to face her.  Not until he had an explanation for his outrageous behavior.

“Lunch, Highness?” Timon asked.

Zakiel turned around and accepted a plate from Timon.  He began to eat mechanically, not really tasting the food as he chewed.  He swallowed, but couldn’t bring himself to take another bite.  He handed the plate back to Timon, and reached for the water on the tray instead.  He turned around as he drank, his eyes going at once to where Karma had been only moments before, but she was no longer there.  He scanned the crowded clearing as he finished his water, absently handing the cup back to Timon.  He spotted Kapia and Sir Bredon, Lashi and Caral, even Goldy, Dippy, and Nikura’s mount standing nearby, but no Karma.  He started walking back toward Dippy, his eyes skipping from face to face, his step picking up speed each second that went by even though he tried to convince himself that she was there, somewhere, he just hadn’t seen her yet.  But something inside told him she wasn’t there.  He sensed her
absence
, just as he seemed to feel her presence lately.

Suddenly, a loud, ground shaking roar sounded from the trees off to his right, causing everyone to freeze for one long heartbeat before Nikura burst into view, a blurring streak of gray and silver as he shot across the clearing and into the trees on the other side without slowing.  Zakiel didn’t pause to think as he raced after Nikura, his heart suddenly in his throat.  The sounds of his Hunters as they crashed through the trees behind him drowned out any sounds that Nikura might be making, but Zakiel realized that he didn’t need his ears to find Karma.  All he needed was his heart, and even though it was beating far too fast, and burned with a sharp, knifing pain, he followed it unerringly through the thinning trees to where Karma lay at the edge of a clearing, with Nikura standing over her. 

Zakiel fell to his knees beside her, and turned her over with gentle hands.  He gasped at the utter whiteness of her face, and for one horrible moment, he thought she was dead.  It was a moment that taught him how much he really loved her, and how empty his life would be without her. 

He almost laughed aloud as he realized what a fool he’d been.  Had he really told himself that he could not leave Rathira for her?  Had he really told her that?  It was absurd.  Ridiculous.  Preposterous!  He would follow this woman to the edge of the universe and back again. He would follow her anywhere, any time, forever and Beyond.  It did not matter
where
they were.  It only mattered that they were together.

Zakiel gazed down at Karma’s white face, wondering if he would have the chance to tell her what he now knew, or if it was already too late.  He lowered his face to hers, and felt his heart begin to race at the faint sensation of breath against his cheek.

She lived.  That was all that mattered.  Anything was possible so long as Karma remained in the world with him.

He turned toward Nikura who was crouched down at the edge of the clearing, just beyond Karma’s feet, his tail twitching slightly as he growled.  Zakiel stood up and started to walk toward him, but before he could take more than a step Nikura spun around and hissed at him. 

Zakiel’s initial reaction was anger.  This was no time for Nikura to display his legendary temper.  But when he looked beyond Nikura and saw the gigantic black tree in the clearing, he realized that Nikura was warning him to stay away from it. 

“Don’t worry, Nikura, I’ve no plan to go near that thing, whatever it might be,” he said. 

Nikura relaxed, then stepped up near Karma’s head.  He nudged her gently with his nose, then looked up at Zakiel with such sadness in his large blue eyes that Zakiel’s heart skipped a beat in fear.

He shook his head, clenching his jaw with stubborn determination.  “I don’t know what happened, Nikura, but we will not lose her.  We cannot lose her.”

He bent down, picked up the Ti-Ank, and squeezed it in the center as he’d seen Karma do so many times.  The rod shortened and he slipped it into his belt, then lifted Karma into his arms, noticing for the first time that his men stood around them in silence.  He leaned down and kissed her gently on the forehead, then pulled her close against his chest.  Her skin was too cool, her breathing too shallow, but she lived.  That was all that mattered.

“Nikura, do you know what happened to her?” he asked as he began walking back through the woods toward the caravan, the Hunters surrounding them with their weapons out.

Nikura seemed to think for a moment before nodding his head up and down once, then twice, then a third time. 

“You’re not sure?” Zakiel guessed.  Nikura stared at him.  “You think you know, but it’s a guess?”  This time Nikura nodded once.

Zakiel’s mind raced.  “Do we have time to get to the Sirelina?”

Nikura nodded once. 

“Then that’s what we’ll do,” Zakiel said.  “We’ll get her to the Sirelina as fast as possible, and hopefully they will be able to help.”

Nikura hesitated for a long moment, then nodded once.  Zakiel thought about that as they entered the clearing where the rest of the caravan was waiting anxiously. 

“Brother, what happened?” Kapia asked as she ran forward.  She gasped when she saw Karma, her hands going to her mouth as though to hold back a sob.

“Is she...?” Kapia couldn’t say the word aloud.

“No, Sister, she is not dead,” Zakiel said as he hurried toward his diplo, nearly choking on the word.  “I fear that she is not far from it, though.  I need to get her to the Sirelina as quickly as possible.”

“You must ride ahead,” Bredon said.  “I will lead the caravan behind you.”

Zakiel nodded, then turned to hand Karma to Bredon so that he could mount.  As soon as he was in the saddle he reached down for her.  Only when she was safe in his arms once more did he speak again. 

“Nikura, ride Dippy,” he ordered, knowing that the Sphin could not run at speed for a long distance as the diplo could, and knowing also that Nikura could not be separated from Karma for so long without it harming them both. 

Nikura ran to Karma’s diplo and leapt into the saddle.  A moment later Dippy trotted up beside Zakiel, Nikura’s claws hooked securely around the edge of the saddle. 

“Garundel, will you come with me?” Zakiel asked.

“Of course, Highness,” Garundel said at once.  “I will select three others as well, by your leave.”

Zakiel nodded to Garundel, then turned to Bredon.  “Cousin, I beg you, do not let Kapia out of your sight for a single moment.”

“I will guard her with my life, Highness,” Bredon said, bowing formally.  “Now go, we will join you soon.”

Zakiel nodded, then kicked his diplo and set out at a run, Nikura beside him.  Garundel took point, Corbon took the rear, and two other Hunters rode on either side, guarding their flank.  They would have to slow to a walk every fifteen minutes or so to rest the diplos, but they’d get there as fast as they could.