The Jewel of Kamara (The Delthenon Chronicles) (30 page)

“It
doesn’t matter. I won’t do it.”

She
shook her head and rolled over to face him. “We have no choice,” she sobbed.
“We can’t stand in Tempani’s path. We all need this too much.”

He
scooped up her hand and held it against his cheek. “I need you too much. I know
it’s selfish, but I won’t give you up. Ever.”

“But
what about…” she gasped as he cut her off and covered her lips with his.

“She
has promised me she will find another way,” he murmured. He kicked off his
boots and lay down beside Dahlia. He lifted her up and rested her against him.
She nestled under his chin and relaxed into his arms.

“I
won’t give you up either,” she whispered before her heavy lids finally closed.

Chae
frowned as he stroked her hair. Please find another way, he prayed to whichever
God or Goddess was listening. He wasn’t even sure which one he believed in
anymore.

—

Nic
rubbed his pounding temples as he stared down at the pile of reports that lay
on his desk. They all said the same thing. The kingdom was in trouble. From the
drought in the north to the pirate raids on their west coast to the tensions in
the city. He didn’t know which problem to face first.

And
to top it all off there were the growing problems with
Galiena
.
Upon his father’s death, Nic made the decision to not ask for Princess
Naleeni’s
hand in marriage. He needed to focus on his
kingdom. And it needed to be done without
Galiena’s
influence.

Emperor
Elin had not taken the news well. He had seen the refusal as a slight against
his daughter. Nic knew it wouldn’t be long before he started demanding land
again.

How
did his father do it? Nic barely had a moment to himself. He was sitting in
Parliament or listening to the complaints and advice from the realms’ most
powerful nobles or sending troops out to restore order. Sleep seemed to be a
luxury of the past.

He
frowned as he read the next report. Hallam had sent out some of his own men to
get an idea of Tempani’s whereabouts. So far they’d had no luck in finding her.
They knew she had been at the convent but had disappeared from there two weeks
ago.

Nic
breathed a sigh of relief. Teddy had gotten to her in time. She was safe. For
now. There was only so much he could do at the moment to keep people from
hunting her down and extracting their own revenge.

The
bell chimed to signal dinner. Nic groaned and pulled himself to his feet. Now
he had to sit through course after course while listening to the nobles tell
him they were right about Tempani all along. He wanted nothing more than to
avoid the court, but he knew he needed to put on a good front for the kingdom
in wake of the murder.

And
if anyone made a snide comment about his beloved he would disappear into
himself and pretend he was silencing them once and for all. Perhaps one day he
would be able to do it for real.

—

They
did their best to ease themselves into tribal life, without forcing their
presence on those who clearly didn’t want them there. They continued their
training, fighting armed and hand to hand. This would often draw a crowd of
curious onlookers. They wanted to see what the girl, who could have been their
leader, was capable of.

And
she didn’t disappoint. The awe in their eyes was clear as they watched her
sword flash in the sunlight, bathing them in diamond sparkles, as she battled
Keane. A small laugh was heard when she knocked him down, her sword snaking up
to his throat.

She
raised her eyes, and they fell upon a small woman, a baby sucking from her
breast. She had yet to lose the flab from her tummy but underneath that she saw
the muscles that once resided there.

She
nodded at Tempani and then walked away. Tempani, panting, wiped the sweat from
her brow as she watched her leave. Had she just received a small act of
acknowledgement from the tribe? She was about to go after her. Ask her if she
knew of a way she could join the tribe, but before she could one of the men
spat at the feet of Chae. Tempani sighed and walked over to extinguish another
argument.

Tempani
sat by the fire that night, staring into the flickering flames, so lost in her
thoughts that she didn’t notice Zadi sit beside her until she cleared her
throat.

“Julo,”
Tempani said, a smile on her face as she greeted the girl in Kalaowin. She was trying
to speak only in Kalaowin with others who spoke the language and save her
Kamari for those who couldn’t.

“Has
Chae given any further thought to my idea?”

Tempani
frowned. “It isn’t fair on him. I can’t expect him to marry against his will.”

Zadi
shook her head, her frustration evident. “You are too soft-hearted with your
friends. If you want to be Shiasa, you need to toughen up and stop getting so
caught up in their feelings.”

“Chae
and my friends are all I have,” she said.

“No,
they’re not,” Zadi snapped. “You have a destiny to follow. You have people to
lead.” Zadi stood up and wiped the dirt from her breeches. “When you’re ready
to be Shiasa, let me know.”

Tempani
stared after her. Stung by her words, she felt a sense of betrayal. Weren’t
they all in this together? Wasn’t Zadi the one telling the others not to push
her too hard? When had that all changed?

She
wouldn’t force Chae to marry if he didn’t want to. Every day people were forced
to do things against their will, and it wasn’t right nor was it the way she
wanted to do things. She wanted to be fair. Just.

“Your
girl does not mean to be rude.” The voice was soft and came from behind.

It
was the woman from earlier, the baby attached once again to her breast.

“Do
you know who I am?”

Tempani
shook her head.

The
woman inched closer to her, the fire illuminating her face. Her black eyes were
piercing and slightly intimidating. She was short in stature and had a nose
that was too long for her face. She shouldn’t have been beautiful, but her confidence
made it so.

“I
am the bodyguard to the Shiasa,” she explained. “My husband,
Keer
, is standing in for me until she is off the breast.”
She gazed lovingly at the baby as it gurgled noisily.

Tempani
frowned at the woman. “I don’t care for your husband.”

“He
spoke highly of you,” she said. “Said you made it rain. You impressed him.”

Tempani
snorted.

She
ignored the snort. “Do you know why I am the bodyguard to your grandmother?”

“Because
you’re a good fighter?”

“The
best fighter,” she corrected. “But that’s not the reason. It was my destiny. I
am the eldest daughter of the Shiasa’s brother. When I came of age I returned
to my father’s former tribe to take my rightful place as her bodyguard.”

“And
it’s always the girls?”

“The
first born female relative is always the bodyguard. She will remain in her
place until the next one is of age.”

“So
we are related?”

The
woman nodded. “My successor has now come of age, but she will lose her rightful
place now that the line ends with your grandmother.”

“Does
that mean that
Helio
has a daughter? She should have
been the bodyguard to my mother?”

“Yes,”
she said. “But then Hamalia abandoned us. Chose a Kamari over her people, and
in doing so this girl was stripped of her destiny.”

Tempani
gritted her teeth. “She didn’t abandon you.”

The
woman turned the full force of her gaze on Tempani. “So imagine our surprise
when Hamalia’s daughter turns up here with her bodyguard in tow, wanting to
reclaim what they believe belongs to them.”

Tempani
stared at her, confused.

“It
seems your father,” she spoke the words as though they burned her throat, “may
have been preparing for this all along. He and
Helio
must have stayed in contact over these years. Another betrayal to the Shiasa.”

“Zadi?”
She muttered. “But she’s a slave. Papa….”

She
shook her head. She had thought it weird that her father had a slave in his
employ at the manor. He had claimed it was to fit in with Kamari ways, but then
they only had one slave. Everyone else on staff was free. Had he really done it
because she was her bodyguard and he knew all of this would happen?

Surely
not. The king was his closest friend. And he had those maps of Kamara and the
Kalaowin region in the old wing. He was working for the king. Or was that just
a guise? Had it all been for her? 

“Your
mother turned her back on us. She did not have the heart of a Shiasa. It is
believed her weak heart has been passed to you.”

“So
even if I do join a tribe my chances of being voted in are near impossible?”

The
woman cocked her head to the side, a glimmer of a smile on her lips. “We are
family. The heart you have is the same as mine. I can see that. You must prove
you belong here.”

“How?”

“Ask
one of the elders to tell you the tale of our First Shiasa. The answer lies
there.”

“Thank
you.”

“
Reeta
,” she said.

“Thank
you,
Reeta
.”

Reeta
had left her with a lot to think about. But
before that she needed to find her cousin. Her bodyguard. She wandered down to
the river to find Zadi scrubbing clean one of Tempani’s shirts. Tempani rested
a hand on her shoulder.

“You
have more important things to do than that,” she said and pulled Zadi to her
feet. “If I get struck by an archer right now, it’ll be your fault, cousin.”

Zadi
smiled and clasped Tempani’s forearm. “
Rando’s
,” she
corrected. “You need to be Shiasa before you get me as a bodyguard.”

Tempani
laughed. “I guess I’ve got some work to do then.”

~9~

Tempani
followed the children as they herded the goats up the mountain path to graze on
higher ground. She laughed as they chattered away, each one trying to make
their voice the loudest so she would listen to them. Despite resistance from
her grandmother and most of the adults, the younger ones were starting to warm
to the newcomers.

At
first they were shy. Hesitant in their approaches to them until one little girl
straightened her shoulders and approached Tempani.

“Julo,”
she greeted the young girl.

“Julo,”
she said back. “Tonight is Elder Night. Ma said to ask for your tale tonight.”

“You’re
Reeta’s
daughter?”

“
Alvara
.”

“That’s
a pretty name.”

“No,
it’s not,” she scowled. “It’s a warrior’s name. I come from strong parents.”

“Of
course, you do,” she said.

“
Alvara
, hurry! The goats are hungry!” One of the boys raced
over.

“This
is
Harri
,” she said. “Do you want to come with us?”

Tempani
nodded and followed them as they joined the other children. All it had taken
was for one of them to approach her and the rest followed. If only it was that
easy with adults. With them, she would have to work harder.

She
spent the day up the mountain, enjoying the view of the camp below and
listening to the stories of the children. They were taught from a young age how
to hunt, fight and farm. If it came to it, they could fend for themselves.

They
returned to the camp just before the sun set, not allowing Tempani enough time
to wash the dirt and goat smell off her body. She shrugged an apology when her
friends covered their noses.

“I
was fitting in,” she whispered to Dahlia when they sat down to their meal. “The
younger ones actually like me.”

“Finally,
some progress.”

Tempani
grinned. Yes, it was progress. A small step, but a step nonetheless. And
tonight she would make an even bigger step. She would find out how to belong.

Her
ears pricked as she heard the low, gentle banging of a drum. It grew louder the
longer it went. All around them people rose and walked down the path towards
the Shiasa’s tent.

Tempani
got to her feet. “It’s Elder Night. We need to go.”

“Have
we been invited?” Dahlia asked. “I don’t want your grandmother to yell at us in
front of everyone.”

“Don’t
be silly. Come on.”

The
others eyed one another but followed her without a word. She was, after all,
their leader. A handful of the children waved to her when they came upon the
circle. The adults glared at her.

Her
grandmother narrowed her eyes when Tempani moved towards them. She swallowed
hard, hoping her voice didn’t betray her and show them how nervous she was.

“We
would like to join you this evening.”

“Only
Kalaowins may sit,” she hissed.

“Would
it make it easier for you, old woman, if I bled before you? Showed you my blood
was real?”

“I
am Kalaowin,” Zadi spoke up and stepped in front of Tempani. “And as the granddaughter
of the Shiasa, I invite these people as my guests.”

Their
niski
laughed quietly and patted the spot beside him.
Zadi sat beside him without another word and beckoned for the others to join
her.

The
fire crackled as everyone settled around it. Children, desperate to stay awake,
snuggled against their parents. Tempani stifled a yawn as she sat in the dirt,
her back resting against Dahlia’s legs.

“Elder
Night is a tradition rich in history,” the Shiasa spoke. “We invite our
children to listen to our stories and take away the wisdom we impart so they
may learn from our triumphs and mistakes. Is there a tale anyone would care to
hear?”

She
ignored Tempani’s raised hand. “With no requests the elders may choose their
own tale.”

“I
want the tale of the First Shiasa,” she said. “Don’t ignore me, old woman. And
don’t tell me I can’t request a story. I have been invited here.”

She
glared at Tempani before slowly giving a nod of her head.

A
reverent silence fell around the circle as all eyes fell on the elder,
Dimpa
. His silver hair fell over his shoulders and his skin
crinkled at the eyes, a sign of wisdom in the tribes.

When
he spoke he did so quietly, yet his voice was strong and each word carried with
it a call for respect.

“In
the days following the birth of our people from the Goddess Allarah, we roamed
the southern parts of this land looking for a place to call home. As we
wandered, clusters of people broke from the main group, choosing to settle in
one place over another. Some chose the riverbanks or the dense forests or the
green meadows. On the twentieth day of travel the final group stopped and made
their home in the mountains.

With
all tribes now settled on their chosen piece of land, a struggle for power
began. Each tribe had a leader, selected by their peers for their strength,
wisdom and courage. Yet battle raged for the ultimate power of leading our
people as one, not dissimilar to the king in the north.”

He
paused and waited for people to finish spitting on the ground at the mention of
the northern king.

“Tribal
leaders fought one another to the death to prove who the stronger and more
capable leader was. The only tribe to refrain from the fighting was the one
housed deep within the mountains. And yet their leader held more power than all
other tribal leaders combined.

She
held the ability to speak to animals. Not just horses, dogs and cows but odd
creatures that were part human and part animal. And the one creature that we
valued above all others. The dragon.”

An
audible gasp swept over the group. Tempani raised her eyebrows at Darby. They
had not heard of the existence of dragons before. All Kamaris thought the
stories of their existence were just that. Stories.

“The
power struggle continued until two of the tribes forged an alliance. At their
head was
Criolu
.”

More
spitting.

“He
moved from tribe to tribe, killing their leaders and replacing them with his
own men. But one tribe remained elusive. Each time he tried to travel up the
path into the mountains he was met by strange creatures that wouldn’t let him
pass. He lost many good fighters in his quest for ultimate power.

Desperate
to take control over the final tribe,
Criolu
aligned
himself with a northern sorcerer. Together they took that mountain, destroying
everything and everyone who stood in their way. It was a massacre. Men, women,
children, animals. One life after another was taken from this world. But they
could not find the lone female tribal leader. It was as though she had
disappeared into thin air.

Criolu
returned to his tribe, believing he was now
the sole leader of the Kalaowin people. No longer needing his northerner
friend,
Criolu
murdered him. Slit his throat from ear
to ear.”

A
spattering of excited chatter broke out. The good part was coming.

“He
began to rule the people cruelly. Each tribe was forced to offer more than half
their livestock each month as a sign of respect. Some were forced into the
mines to dig for diamonds, and everything that was uncovered went straight to
Criolu
. And if you spoke out against him…”
Dimpa
ran a finger across his throat.

“All
this time there was a young woman hiding out in the mountains, grief stricken
for her slaughtered people. She had been forced into hiding by her elders and
protected by a creature so powerful that some say it
rivaled
the power of the Gods.

Then
one night she was visited in her dreams by our Goddess Allarah. She begged the
Goddess to end her suffering and reunite her with her people, but the Goddess
wouldn’t hear of it. She told the young woman that the fate of all Kalaowins
rested in her hands. She was to rescue them from
Criolu
and take her rightful place as their Shiasa.

The
young woman argued with her Goddess. She did not want to lead people who had
stood by while her tribe was slaughtered. The Goddess told her that a true
Shiasa had a kind yet remote heart. She was not to be ruled by her feelings but
not be emotionless. Her heart was to have a perfect balance. The young woman
turned to the Goddess with a frown and said ‘I am ruled by nothing but my feelings.’
The Goddess smiled at her and pointed at the dragon that towered over them.
‘She believes otherwise. The dragon will only choose to protect a true
leader.’”

Tempani
shivered at her words. Was that the key? She had to find a dragon to
acknowledge her as the rightful Shiasa?

Yes that shouldn’t be too hard
. She thought to
Tilaw
as she stroked his fur.
Where am I going to find a dragon?

He
looked up at her, understanding in his eyes.

“The
young woman pondered over the Goddess’ visit for weeks. Her decision changing
like the wind. Until one morning she woke to the sound of laughter. It sounded
foreign to her for a noise so pure and full of happiness had not met her ears
in so long. She
travelled
down the mountain path and
stumbled across a little girl who was playing with a pile of twigs. The little
girl smiled up at her and then hurled a twig towards an overgrown bush. A tiny
wood nymph clutched at the twig and jumped into the girl’s lap, placing the
twig back in her hand.

It
was at this moment that the woman knew she had to rescue her people so once
again they could all experience some joy. She whistled for her dragon, who flew
to her side and allowed her to jump on its back. She reached a hand down for
the girl to join her but the pile of twigs lay discarded, and the woman knew
the girl was a gift from the Goddess.

She
flew to each tribe and was met by deafening cheers as she blasted each leader
aligned to
Criolu
if they did not surrender to her.
Most refused and paid the price. She saved him for last. She came down on him
as he slept and wanted nothing more than to make his death a painful one but
that would mean her feelings ruled her judgment so she made it swift. Painless.

She
called all the tribes together, and one by one a new leader was voted into
each. Chosen by the people. To aid them would be the tribal elders, wise in
their hearts, minds and eyes. No decision would be made without a vote by the
leaders. And no outcome acted upon without approval from their Shiasa. They
would be led fairly and truly and never suffer at the hands of an unjust ruler
again.

The
years went by and Shiasa’s changed with each generation, but one thing never
did.” His eyes flicked to the mountains. “Our First still watches over us all,
and we in return protect her mountain home. We protect the spirits of her slain
tribe so we never forget her pain.”

Tempani
sensed their eyes on her as
Dimpa
finished. She knew
they were waiting for a reaction. Something to show them that she understood
the message. She tried to keep her face blank as she stretched her arms over
her head.

“I’m
exhausted,” she murmured as she rose to her feet.

Chae
was quick to follow suit and pulled her towards the group and out of earshot.
“You’re not going to try anything stupid are you?”

Tempani’s
face was the picture of innocence. “Of course not. I’m going to bed.”

“Promise
us you won’t go chasing myths,” Madoc said. “All this talk of dragons and the Goddess
and that creepy little girl.” He shuddered. “It’s all nonsense.”

She
smiled at him and patted his hand. “I know it is. Goodnight.” She waved over
her shoulder as she weaved her way through the crowd.

“She’s
going to sneak off isn’t she?” Madoc asked.

“She
wants the dragon.” He glanced at his friend and sighed. “I’ll take first
watch.”

Tempani
lay awake in her bedroll as she waited for silence to take hold of the camp.
She desperately wanted to get moving as soon as possible because the closer it
got to dawn the more chance she had of getting caught by one of her people.

She
groaned as the two men still seated around the fire broke into another ballad.
This was now their tenth song. Normally she would not object to their singing
but tonight she did. She had a mission, and they were delaying her.

She
was ready to go. Dressed in her breeches and shirt, she had a pack filled with
whatever supplies she could scrounge in her tent. It wasn’t much, but it would
do. Nika had taught her to hunt and what berries were safe to eat so she knew
she wouldn’t starve. She may not even need to resort to that. For all she knew
she’d be back, with a dragon, before anyone realized. She smiled at the image
she had of wandering back into the camp with a dragon trailing behind her.