Ashes And Spirit (Book 3) (2 page)

Maleena looked up into Mckale’s silver eyes. “There is hope. It is small and everything won’t end happily for everyone, but it’s hope nonetheless.”

He ran his hand down the side of her face, gently brushing back her hair. “How will it end? What will happen?”

She shook her head and laid her palm on his cheek. “I have no way of knowing for sure, my love. The lake only shows what could be, what might happen in the future. It gives no solid answers. That is why Emallya said it was so dangerous. Too many people forget that it only offers possibilities.” Maleena didn’t plan to tell him that she had went through all the scenarios the lake offered. It would do no good. The future would be what it would be.

Maleena placed her hand in Mckale’s. “Help me up; it grows uncomfortable to sit here for too long.”

Mckale’s large, strong hands helped her gain her feet. Her ever-expanding belly made getting up from the ground difficult. With a sigh, she placed her hands on the small of her back and arched slightly to stretch. “I need to speak with Kellinar and Taela.”

“They are still in New Sharren. I think they feel if they keep busy enough helping to build and resettle the Mallay people there, then they won’t have to think about Anevay.” Mckale frowned. “Why do you need to speak with them? And do you think you should be going that far at this point?”

A deep pang of sadness struck her heart at the mention of Anevay. Only three months had passed and she still found herself ready to ask her friend a question, only to remember she was now in Maiadar. Just as the pain of losing Emallya and Bardeck had yet to ease, so too did the loss of Anevay. “I must talk with them because Anevay’s unfinished weave is the only hope I found.”

Mckale shook his head. “Taela already tried to figure out what Anevay was creating and has been unable to.”

She snorted. “Taela spent less than an hour in the records room. She didn’t really try, and we won’t know for sure until she does.”

“As you said, just because one can read the book doesn’t mean they have an ability to create new weaves. That was Anevay’s talent alone.”

“I know.” Maleena nodded. “Still, I have to talk with them. Taela can try again. She and Kellinar both are going to have to face the loss of Anevay eventually. The rest of us have.” She sighed and glanced at the still surface of the lake. “If she can’t finish what Anevay began, there might be another way to get the rest of the weave. But it will be a huge risk to them both.”

“How?”

“I’m not sure it can even be done yet. I will have to speak with Taela first. Until then, I’m not entirely sure of all the possibilities.”

“Fine. If you must talk in circles then you must. Sometimes you sound so much like Emallya with these enigmatic explanations…” Mckale sighed. “We will go to the border tomorrow.”

Maleena frowned at him. “No, I will go now.”

“Maleena, please. You need to rest. This alone,” he motioned toward the lake, “has drained your energy enough. If you want to argue about it, then I will speak with Nydara. See how fast you get to the border without a dragon.”

Nydara huffed a rumble of agreement. Maleena shot a glare at the silver, knowing the dragon would take Mckale’s side. “All right, tomorrow then.”

She gathered her heavy wool cloak around her then turned and walked toward the silver dragon. Mckale would need to help her into the saddle again. It seemed grace and ease of movement would continue to be a thing of the past until the baby was born. With a sigh, she stopped next to Nydara and looked up at the saddle. Even with the addition of the second lower stirrup, it was impossible to reach with her belly in the way.

With mirth in his eyes, Mckale stepped to her side and held out a hand. “My lady.” He bowed slightly.

Maleena laughed. “You are really enjoying my lack of mobility, aren’t you?”

“Of course, it means our child grows well and healthy. Besides, you look beautiful pregnant.” He bent and brushed a kiss across her lips.

She shook her head and rubbed a hand over her belly, feeling the baby kick strong. If the child would only quit propping his or her foot in Maleena’s ribs at night, she might get some sleep. She sent a mock glare at Mckale. “Don’t lie, Mckale. I look like a bloated cow. My stomach makes me wider than I am tall.”

Mckale threw his head back and roared with laughter, the deep timbre floating across the still and silent lake. When he regained control, he looked at her with warm amusement dancing in his eyes. “You hardly look like that, my lady. I remember my mother’s belly getting much larger than yours when she was pregnant with Sonja.”

Maleena waved away the comment. “From what you have said, your mother was almost as tall as Sonja. I highly doubt a large, pregnant stomach made her look as unwieldy as I do.”

He chuckled. “You can look into my mind and see that I’m not lying. You are beautiful like this.”

She rolled her eyes. He very well may think she looked beautiful, but she didn’t feel it. She felt huge and uncomfortable. “Let’s get back to Galdrilene since you insist that I rest. Tomorrow I have to speak with Taela. If what I’m thinking is possible, there will much to prepare.”

K
ellinar worked a weave of air to maneuver another large square block into place. The sun pressed down on him, warmer than he thought it would be for the Ash Plains between Shadereen and Calladar. The Mallay people who had decided to settle here and create their own nation, rather than integrate with another, had named it New Sharren.

After setting the block carefully in place, Kellinar wiped away the sweat that rolled down his face and looked around. It wasn’t much of a nation yet. A cobbled together camp stretched halfway around the building site. The people of the Mallay had endured late summer storms in structures that were barely more than tents and worked from sun up to sun down, sometimes beyond, to bring their dream of a future to life. They would need to finish the housing soon. Though unusually warm now, he sensed the change coming. The warm, late fall weather was about to give way to winter.

Galdrilene offered its full support. Providing materials, livestock, traveling rations, mages, craftsmen and women, and of course, Kellinar and Taela. Jocelynn and Varnen had also come. Jocelynn led the mages in the work of molding the large blocks of stone together from the Galdrilene Mountains. Varnen lifted blocks and other materials in place using air.

Kellinar worked in the middle of the site where several modest houses were in the process of going up. He glanced farther out where Jocelynn worked on the wall that grew steadily each day. It would eventually reach a full dragon-length high and encompass a large city. Right now, it was only halfway there in both height and girth.

During the month the people of the Mallay were getting ready to travel to their new home, Belan, Vesnar, and Telain went to Galdrilene to learn the workings of the city. Inspired, they were determined to run New Sharren under Dragon Law, the same as Galdrilene.

Kellinar smiled, remembering the excitement and hope of the displaced people when they first stepped through the tall waving grass of their new home. Neither emotion had died in the nearly two months since. With the help of the members of the guilds from Galdrilene, the New Sharrens were learning to make quality clothing, weapons, and household items among a myriad of other things.

The construction of the University was nearly complete on the north side of the growing city. For now, Davin Po and a few others from the University in Galdrilene directed lessons on reading, writing, counting, history, and mapping the stars on the open prairie beneath a small group of scraggly trees coaxed into growing by Jocelynn.

The open grasslands beyond the city were no longer empty. A large herd of goats browsed the bushes that grew along the deep river of clean water that cut through the endless prairie in a wide depression. Some included those saved from the Mallay, their tan coats and white legs making them stand out from the others that were donated by various nations. The long-eared breed from Calladar, the breed from Galdrilene with ears so tiny they could barely be seen. The smaller, dark gray goats from Shadereen, and the solid whites from Boromar, the largest breed. Several from Boromar were trained to harness, and they pulled small wagons as they accompanied those who ventured far afield to gather what the land had to offer to supplement the food supply.

The new breeds of goats were not the only new animals. Geese, once a forbidden food in the Mallay, were now attended by several young boys and girls as shepherds. In Trilene, goose meat and eggs were considered a status food, and the consumption of it by anyone outside of the Trilene District was illegal and the law strictly enforced. No longer. Haraban had given New Sharren a good-sized flock. Sheep were also a new addition to the diet of the budding nation.

As the call rang out for the mid-day meal, Kellinar looked to the east where Shryden dozed in the sun with Paki and Adirynn, waiting to be called to transport more supplies. Behind the dragons, the newly finished, massive rock berm rose high into the air with ledges jutting out from its sides at regular intervals. Atop it sat Varnen’s blue, Abrax, as he kept the afternoon watch.

One of Belan’s first orders of business was to implement the construction of a place for dragons. No one had protested other than the dragons and their riders; they wanted the New Sharrens taken care of first. The people of New Sharren were grateful to the dragons and their riders, and had insisted on seeing the berm started before they would work on anything else. A major effort over several weeks by Mckale, Jocelynn, the Earth mages and even Kirynn and several Fire mages had created the new Dragon Hold that also served as a protective barrier to the east. It wasn’t the caldera at Galdrilene, but it was comfortable enough and the dragons were grateful.

Several people walked by, each greeting him as Di’shan Kellinar. He smiled and nodded, doing his best to hide the discomfort he felt when addressed by his title, especially since many of them had watched him grow up.

The workers descended on the makeshift camp where women and men unable to help with building due to small children or age offered a variety of dishes for those coming in for the mid-day meal. Older children dashed among the tent houses, happy to be free from their lessons under Davin Po and the other instructors.

In another large camp, a mixture of Galdrilene Defenders and Border Guards from both Shadereen and Calladar traded out posts as those who took the morning shift came in to eat and others rode out to replace them. They made up the makeshift army brought together by the neighboring border nations and Galdrilene to protect New Sharren while the vulnerable, fledgling nation built itself. New Sharrens’ older “sisters” to the north and south were pleased to see the new nation rise.

Even a small group of young Ke’han warriors, eager to help and represent their people, had offered their assistance. Though it was accepted, it was also agreed that they were under their own command. A few of the Ke’han had brought their wives and even though they kept a camp well away from the growing city, the women were happy to help foragers learn the land. The Ke’han also brought both a Nagi and a Nagas with them. These smaller, earthbound dragons were instrumental in locating hidden pools of water just below the surface for grazing herds, as well as finding offerings from the ground in both food sources and metals.

Several young men and women worked through a final set of practice with their swords before heeding the call for mid-day break. Anxious to build an army, the New Sharrens were desperate to learn. It would be years before it was ready to stand on its own, but the timeline didn’t dampen their determination.