Below the Peak (Sola)(25)
“He must be burdened. He has to deliver news which no caring relation of blood or not would desire to hear” Astrid continued, her voice tinged with sympathy.
“With no bodies to show” Nara added as she remembered the short burial they had in Latrell. She wondered for a second what if her family were the ones to hear she had died.
She could almost imagine her beloved father’s spirit breaking and blaming himself for her death, Ingrid cheery soul crumbling and her mother suffering as she mourned for her and struggled to hold the family together.
“I want to go to Fisher City. I haven’t been there in a while”, the words jerked her back to the present.
“I don’t mind the smell of the sea either… I would like to live there instead of living in the capital” Astrid’s words toppled over the other almost incoherent to her ear. Surprised by the abrupt change of subject, Nara glanced at her with a questioning look.
“I have saved enough money to start a good life there” Astrid added. Every person in the army was handsomely paid-although not equally to people who were in higher ranks such as the General and his commanders. Nevertheless, even the knight watchers who acted as eyes from the high walls were given enough coin to waste beyond ale and women of the night.
Nara saw the trepidation written on her face, surprising her. For as long she’d known Astrid, she had never seen this side of her. The Astrid Nara knew was a strong woman in both body and mind, uneasily terrified of anyone or anything. Astrid was one person who had encouraged and coached her when she had been young, fragile, tame and gentle as a lamb into the strong-willed person she was now. Not once had she ever seen a hint of fear in the lady even when both got caught in a situation that was a matter of life and death. Even then, the woman fought through them and emerged unperturbed.
The memories only made her shock greater on seeing such intense fear in her friend. As if reading her mind, Astrid continued. “I’m afraid it will become a war that will not come to an end quickly” she tucked a lock of blond hair behind her ear nervously.
“I’m even more scared we’ll lose-” She talked in a manner as if the war had already been won and declared its victor.
“You don’t know that-” Nara began to object. Astrid cut her mid-sentence with a stern glare that she had become familiar with over the eight years which meant not to dare interrupt her when she talked.
“Our army is not as big nor is it strong as you and I would like to believe. Not anymore. Abasi now rules all the south and so far as to Amahle and Kona. We are lucky we are alive!” Astrid whispered harshly. Nara regarded at her intently, not liking the fear in her mentor’s eyes. Her mind became restless as she recalled what Barra told her about seeing the Kalil General and his men. It is as though General Schmerz had left them alive so they would deliver the tragic news themselves. He had used them as a messenger, a good courtesy to what was to come.
She looked around their circle and perceived the uncomfortable sets of eyes on them. Their little whispering group was starting to garner attention. She placed her hand on Astrid’s and opened her mouth and tried to come up with something to make her stop talking, it wasn’t the time to rile up grieving people, but her throat felt dry and her tongue thick. Astrid’s words seemed to have sealed her lips. She couldn’t come up with anything.
“War is still fresh in their minds and body unlike us. When was the last time we went into a serious battle, apart from playing cat and mouse with bandits and marching to helpless and measly lands to terrorize them into surrendering which they do eventually without putting on a fight? Twenty, forty years and more. Kalil not more than three years ago, with Mesak kingdom!” Astrid hissed gaining more curious and angst eyes around them. Noticing the looks, Astrid quickly bowed her head and cracked her knuckles in embarrassment.
Nara took notice of how some of the men were unsettled from what they just heard. She could say they were shaken.
No, I won’t be shaken Nara told herself. She would not let Astrid’s words get to her. They should not rush to the conclusion of the war. And if to say war breaks, she coolly reflected they had a strong army too to withstand Abasi’s force.
Out of nowhere laughter and giggles echoed in the woods, breaking the tense atmosphere and rising it to a new level of eerie silence. She had heard that kind of laughter before, high pitched with a melodic ring to it enough to enchant women to paralytic state and lead men to their death. They belonged to no other than the nykr. Her ears tickled to the laughter that was soft as feathers.
Shoulders stiffening, her hand shot quickly and gripped the silver hilt of her sheathed sword. Nara sat very still, keeping her senses sharply alert. It seemed like time stopped when recognition of whom the voices belonged to finally dawned on the rest of the troop. Even those who were nodding off to the night woke in alarm-sleep forgotten. Heads cocked to the side where the laughter was coming from while hands instinctively reached out for a nearby weapon ready to protect themselves and fend of the dangerous intruder.
There must have been a grotto nearby. Nara thought, disappointed they had failed to spot one earlier in the evening before they had established a camp, for this dire situation could’ve been avoided at best. From encounters like this and stories embedded in them from childhood, each one of them knew nykr were evil water spirits. Nykr, magically beautiful as they were dangerous with the ability to take a form of a human woman on land or that with a tail of a fish when in water. With offerings and sacrifices it was believed that nykr would favor fishermen with the healthiest catch, but if not pleased with the offerings, the Nykr would drown them. There were few of them left wandering around, their male counterparts the n?kk already hunted to extinction.