Trail of Flames Read online

  I gently folded the notes and tucked them into my pocket. “We go tell Canoga and the other leaders the news and see how many people are on our side.”

  There was far less activity within Canoga’s house today than days ago when Bersi, the large bearded man, answered the door. The Secaran leader didn’t look up from his cluster of maps and documents as we stepped inside. He held a strange metal instrument in one hand and a piece of charcoal in the other, drawing lines across the paper and marking specific points.

  “Are you preparing to march off to war?” Canoga said. I couldn’t tell if there was sarcasm or humor in his voice.

  “The Grakkir received our message,” I said. “They asked me to wait here until further instruction.”

  Canoga didn’t reply. Perhaps that wasn’t the response he was hoping for.

  “When it comes down to it, I know the Grakkir will train your people well.”

  Canoga sighed deeply and went silent for a long time, the charcoal motionless in his hand.

  “When I was your age, I assumed the City would never find us,” he said quietly. “I grew up believing we were safe and continued to think so when I became leader. But lately…” His voice drifted off. The wind blew through the trees outside the window. All three Secara turned towards it, as though listening to unheard voices.

  Canoga finally stood and looked at me. “The trees tell stories to each other and, subsequently, to us as well. The old Belian tree beside my house has been here longer than anyone can remember. He is perhaps the closest connection the Secara have to our god while we remain on this earthly plane.”

  My gaze turned to the massive tree outside. “The tree is like a god?”

  “More like a sprout with far-flung roots that lead to the Higher Plains, as the Grakkir call it. He is not the god himself, but a cutting. It is how Secaran leaders have communicated with our gods since the beginning of time.”

  The longer I focused on the tree, I began to sense a familiar energy coming from it. The tree was silent though; his voice was not for me to hear.

  “He has heard the shrieks of fallen brethren, the moans and quaking from trees nearest the City,” Canoga continued. “He knows danger will come to us someday. Maybe tomorrow, maybe in one hundred years. Inevitably, it will come.”

  He stepped around the table and stood before us. Up close, I realized he was older than I’d assumed. “Plants do not fight, Valieri. They grow and observe, they live, and they die. Others might call this complacency or laziness, but that is how the Secara are raised. We mind our own, we observe and learn from others, but we remain solitary.”

  “This doesn’t sound good,” Saven mumbled as he peered through the window.

  I pursed my lips and remained quiet, waiting patiently for Canoga to finish.

  “When I asked the Belian tree what he thought of your plan, do you know what he said?”

  I shook my head quickly, but I had a feeling it wasn’t the answer I was hoping for.

  “His words surprised me. He said, ‘Do not be like us. You can walk, you can run, but I think you should fight. Don’t let a situation control you, do something about it because you can.’”

  “So, you’ll help us?” I asked hopefully.

  “I will let my people know the Belian has given his counsel and I stand with you, but the decision is still for each individual to make.” Canoga gave me a small smile.

  I nodded. “Understood.”

  “And what about you?” Cypress asked Bersi. “Are you going to fight, Father?”

  I felt my mouth pop open as I looked from the man to Cypress, searching for resemblance.

  “I will,” he said assuredly. “It is perhaps the only thing your mother and I agree on anymore.” He chuckled as he opened the door and gestured us through.

  Before I had a chance to ask Cypress questions about his parents, I noticed a pair of riders on horseback coming towards us. Nearby Secara stared as they passed, and even my jaw went slack when I saw their faces.

  “It has been a long time, young Fiero.” The older man dismounted gracefully despite having only one arm.

  “Vondak, I am glad to see you are well,” I said in Grakkir.

  I clasped forearms with my old Warrior trainer, then gave a respectful nod to Irlav, the Scout and Vondak’s assistant, when he hopped to the ground.

  “And you,” Vondak said. Both men bowed deeply to Saven. “We are honored to be in your presence again, Snake God.”

  Saven nodded briefly to the men.

  “We are told the Secara wish to join your crusade against the City.” Vondak’s doubting eyes scrutinized each person who passed, no doubt assessing their strengths and weaknesses. He didn’t seem impressed. The aged Warrior’s calculating gaze fell on Cypress, then to me. He raised an eyebrow. I wrinkled my forehead and ignored the subtle question.

  “And Ysolda sent you to train them?” I asked.

  “Yes. It is our duty, after all, to train others. Ysolda said we are the Secara’s best hope of standing a chance in battle.”

  “Has your leader convinced the Grakkir to fight with us?” Cypress piped up.

  “They do not need convincing.” Irlav looked at me instead of Cypress. “The entire clan is eager to get their revenge.”

  I nodded with understanding. Memories of the City’s attacked swirled through my mind, strengthening my resolve against our enemies.

  I stepped out of the way as Bersi and Canoga joined us. Canoga looked the Grakkir men up and down, his expression a mix of surprise and worry.

  “Canoga is the leader of the Secara,” I said.

  Vondak stepped forward and grasped the old man’s arm perhaps a little too roughly.

  “Ysolda sent you to help us?” Canoga asked. He replaced his troubled expression with that of a calm, assured leader.

  The Warrior nodded. “But not today. We have ridden hard to get here so quickly and we must rest and water our horses. Where can we do so?”

  “We have a stable on the other side of the garden.” Canoga turned to Cypress. “Cy, would you please escort our guests?”

  “Of course,” Cypress said.

  Vondak gave a single nod. The four of us followed Cypress through the village and I realized I was grateful for the way he helped my people. He was one of the few people who didn’t seem completely intimidated by the Grakkir.

  Though I had only interacted with Vondak and Irlav during my training, I felt at ease around the familiar men. It was much easier to ignore the enthralled stares and ominous glares of the Secara with the two of them by my side.

  “The Secaran leader seems fearful,” Irlav said with a tiny smirk.

  “He worries for his people,” I said quickly.

  “And he’s terrified of you two,” Saven added.

  I stifled my laugh.

  “Do you trust these people?” Vondak murmured, slowing his pace to widen the distance between us and Cypress.

  “Well enough.” The Grakkir language rolled off my tongue as if I’d spoken it since birth. “They are wary and fearful, and they have become comfortable in their solitude, but many believe the City must be destroyed. Even Canoga supports our cause.”

  “I must meet with him later,” Vondak said.

  “Of course.” I glanced at him. “How are the Grakkir?”

  Vondak’s and Irlav’s jaws stiffened. “It is a pitiful time for the Grakkir,” Irlav spat.

  Vondak cast his assistant a sharp look, then turned to me. “Our people have not yet chosen a permanent home and remain nomadic, traveling with game.” He scoffed. “The gods must be looking upon us with shame as we run farther from our enemies.”

  “The gods have abandoned us!” Irlav snapped.

  Cypress froze and spun in alarm. I stared in surprise at the normally quiet Scout.

  Vondak rounded slowly and growled. “Do not speak disrespectfully of the gods. It is not their job to pander to us like children. It is our responsibility to earn their respect and protection. Or do you lack f
aith in them?”

  “No, I have faith.” Irlav glanced apologetically at Saven, who turned away uneasily.

  “Um…we’re here,” Cypress spoke meekly. He gestured to the barn standing a few yards away from us.

  Without another word, Irlav led his warhorse to the stable.

  “These are troubling times indeed,” Vondak sighed. His eyes looked sad and worried as he watched Irlav’s back.

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  When the sun began to set in the evening, I took Vondak and Irlav to Canoga’s house to discuss training. Cypress wished to be involved, but I told him I’d return to his home and tell him what happened.

  The Secaran leaders prepared food for the Grakkir, as they knew it was customary to provide Warriors with a hearty meal while they prepared for war. Though they didn’t say anything, I could tell Vondak and Irlav were put off by the overabundance of fruits and vegetables and small amount of meat. They quickly consumed their meager portion of pork and nibbled the lettuce and other flavorless greens begrudgingly, like children. If any of the leaders noticed, they kept quiet.

  “We have a small but growing number of willing fighters,” Canoga said. “What is your current count, Farsil?”

  The farmer, who had become the unofficial organizer of willing recruits, perked up. “Thirty as of this afternoon.”

  Vondak was no more impressed by Farsil’s eager answer than he was by the bitter radish left untouched on his plate. “Not enough,” he said. “How many Secara are there?”

  “Six hundred and seventy-two,” Canoga replied.

  “Even if all were willing to fight, we would not have a substantial army,” Vondak said.

  I noticed unease and disappointment on the faces around me. “How many Grakkir are fighting?” I asked.

  “All who are physically able,” Vondak said. “Approximately one hundred and fifty, at last count. Anyone who was not a trained Warrior is being trained as we speak.”

  Nervous glances passed among the Secaran leaders. I felt Saven’s eyes piercing into me through the open window. “These people need hope,” he said.

  “We need fighters,” I argued.

  “Have one and you’ll get the other.”

  I sighed heavily. Kalea and a few others looked at me.

  “Don’t be discouraged before we have even begun preparing,” I said. “If there are other clans, then there will be more people who share the same beliefs we do.” My eyes roamed from one face to the next. “The City may have numbers and weapons, but they don’t have what we do—Ancient Blood. If we can’t outnumber them, we outsmart them. If we can’t out-muscle them, we use better strategies. They created weapons, but the world around us can be a weapon. We are weapons.”

  I felt my face and hands grow hot, and when I glanced down, my palms were glowing with the Ancient Fire. When I turned to Vondak, I saw a tiny smirk on his lips.

  “And you will go find them?” Kalea spoke up. “That’s what your journey is about, correct?”

  “Yes,” I said. “As soon as Vondak and Irlav begin training, I’ll go look for other clans.”

  “Alone?” Bersi asked dubiously.

  I wrinkled my brows and shook my head. “I am never alone.”

  Saven hissed slowly and everyone turned toward the window, his outline silhouetted by the setting sun.

  By the time the meeting ended, few people felt confident that our plan—or my plan—would work.

  “We begin at first light,” Vondak told Farsil outside Canoga’s house.

  Even in the dim glow from his lantern, I saw Farsil’s face pale as he looked at the Warrior. “R-right,” he stuttered. “I’ll tell the recruits immediately.” He disappeared into the darkness, lantern bobbing like a frightened bat.

  “That one may die,” Vondak announced. “But he has a strong fighting spirit within him. If he can strengthen his skills, he might stand a chance.”

  I almost laughed at his bluntness, but Saven’s nose on my shoulder interrupted me.

  “Your friend is here.” He flicked his tongue.

  I glanced around until my eyes spotted a dark shape peering from behind a tree. “Cypress?”

  The Secara jumped a little and laughed nervously as he approached. His hiding place may have been a decent one, but few could hide from Saven’s godly sense of smell.

  “How was the meeting?” he asked.

  “Productive,” I said shortly, not at all oblivious to the fact that he’d been eavesdropping. “What are you doing here?”

  “I, uh…” he looked to the stone-faced Warriors. “I came to offer our spare room to your Grakkir friends.” He smiled hopefully.

  Vondak and Irlav shared a quick glance of silent agreement.

  “We will sleep with our horses,” Vondak said.

  “In the barn?” Cypress asked.

  “Where else?” Irlav looked irritated.

  Cypress put up his hands in surrender. “No, no, that’s fine. Help yourselves.”

  The men both nodded respectfully.

  “Tomorrow,” Vondak said to me.

  “Alright,” I agreed.

  Cypress watched until the men were out of earshot before releasing a heavy sigh. “Wow. Are they always that intense?”

  “Yes,” I chuckled. “You get used to it.”

  Saven nudged me. I could feel his exhaustion mingling with my own. “We must sleep and prepare to leave tomorrow.”

  “Of course,” I replied. “I’m ready to go to bed,” I said aloud.

  Cypress fell into step beside me. Saven looked at the man with irritation, which surprised me.

  “You’re leaving tomorrow, aren’t you?” Cypress asked.

  “Yes,” I said quietly.

  “To find other clans, right?”

  “You heard that too?”

  Cypress nodded.

  “Then you know how pitiful our numbers are. We need more fighters, and I can’t afford to stay here any longer.”

  “Do you even know where to find them?”

  I stopped suddenly. As much as I hated to admit it, I didn’t know where to begin looking. Cypress found us, after all. This forest valley was so well hidden that we would’ve gotten lost or walked right past it without ever knowing the Secara were here.

  “Do you?” I asked.

  “Yes.”

  I finally looked him in the eye. “What are you suggesting?”

  He hesitated, but his gaze didn’t waver. “I want to go with you. I’m a trader—I know where to look for the others. You’ll walk in circles to the other side of the earth before you find them.”

  “No.” Saven hissed softly.

  I ignored him. “How hard can it be? We share a similar energy. I’ll just search for that.”

  “They hide just as well as we do, if not better,” Cypress countered.

  I bit my lip. I looked up at Saven and he gently shook his head.

  “At least consider it,” Cypress begged.

  “I do not think it is wise,” Saven insisted.

  I felt torn. Cypress’s knowledge of the trading routes would be helpful, but I trusted Saven’s instincts as much as my own. If he had a bad feeling about Cypress, I couldn’t just ignore it.

  “I’ll think about it,” I finally said.

  Saven hissed sharply as we sped toward Cypress and Kalea’s house. I entered without knocking, startling Kalea where she sat at the kitchen table. She was chewing nervously on her thumbnail, which seemed odd for the composed woman.

  “Sorry,” I mumbled. “I’m just going to go to sleep.”

  “That’s alright,” she replied absentmindedly. I watched her for a moment until Cypress walked through the door. He looked at his mother with concern in his eyes. She forced a smile as he put his hands on her shoulders. She reached up and gently squeezed his hand. I had to turn away. The tender moment stirred too much sadness in me.

  “I’m training with the Grakkir men tomorrow,” Kalea finally said.

  I paused and glanced at her, not knowing w
hat to say. “They are very skilled trainers,” I offered. “They taught me everything I know, and I’m sure that didn’t scrape the surface of their knowledge and abilities.”

  She took a weary breath and met my eyes. “I don’t like to encourage violence. None of the Secara do. But times are changing, and we must change if we don’t want to be left in the past. So, I’ll fight with you. I just hope you understand what you’re getting us into.”

  Her eyes were not as angry as they normally were. She was concerned, worried, maybe even a little fearful. She was very much like my mother, and that made me sadder.

  “I do,” I assured her.

  Before anything else could be said, I hurried to the storage room and shut the door. Saven waited at the window and we shared sympathetic looks.

  I stood by the window and looked into his amber eyes. “Why do you hate Cypress so much? Why not take him with us?”

  “I do not hate him.” Saven sighed. “Perhaps you have not noticed, but he is beginning to take great interest in you, maybe even care for you. If he comes with us, you may begin to care for him too. And if he should die, I fear for your broken heart.”

  Tears brimmed in my eyes as I thought of everything I’d already lost. My parents, my sister, my village and all the Fiero, Tarek. I had sent Sarrenke, who was like a sister to me, away for the same reasons Saven was warning me about.

  “We have to think about the mission,” I finally said. “Nothing else. Besides, I can’t give my heart to someone when it was never whole in the first place.”

  I sat down on the bedding and tried to ignore my longing. I had never truly cared for a man the way Saven was suggesting. Cypress was not like other men I’d met before. He was not harsh and war-ready like the Grakkir, nor did I have to keep him at a distance like I’d done with Fiero boys. The thought of becoming close to someone made me feel hopeful, but that was not the way for someone to feel if they planned to go to war. Was it?

  Chapter 5

  We awoke while it was still dark, and though I felt like I hadn’t slept a wink, it didn’t take long for my mind to sharpen when I focused on my mission.

  As I crept from the house, the silence that surrounded me was comforting. Cypress was still asleep, and perhaps Kalea had just awoken to join the rest of the Secara recruits. Saven slithered along beside me. We shared a moment of calm as we walked the empty road. No hopeful eyes gazed upon me as though I was their leader, nor did we endure spiteful glares from those who felt like I would be the death of them all.