Chapter 28

Four days had passed, and Nyesh still couldn't find his daughter. When they had started they had been only a day and half away from them and this process of stopping to set up camp and rest was steadily slowing them down. Sitting on the forest floor, his walking stick beside him, he looked into the fire, desperately trying to find any image, a hidden sign of where she might be.

The fire shadowed her leader's face and, for a minute, Branwyn almost mistook him for his father. What was he thinking right now? What was he feeling? She knew Nyesh was fiercely protective of Karma nowadays since Rose's death and would stop at nothing to have her safe. It was a mutual knowledge between parents that loss of a child was upsetting. Branwyn knew her own son, Naosis, was a strong lad, but vulnerable all the same. But the pain of potentially losing her son on battle or to some other horrid fate made her want to curse the gods, to Alasdair, and herself for not protecting him.

The raven made her way to Sheila and Senka's tent, where Sheila sat on the dirt floor, mixing herbs, murmuring an incantation for visions, and tossing the herbs in a small pot of boiling water. Soothed by the soft smell of light incense and chanting, Branwyn closed her eyes and sent a silent prayer to the gods to keep Karma, Nahun and Naosis safe, along with whomever they traveled with.

Yrel landed in human form and came to see her as she exited the tent. His yellow eyes were tired and his face was wan, deep lines creasing around his eyes and mouth as he embraced her, "Anything?" she asked, her voice hopeful.

The crow shook his head mutely and her face fell. Nyesh stood, leaning heavily on his walking stick, "Get some sleep, Yrel." He sighed, "We'll search tomorrow." The crow nodded, murmuring his thanks and let Branwyn help him to their own tent.

Running a hand through his hair, Nyesh looked around and to the fading sunlight to the west. "Keep her safe, father...guide her well, Star-dancer." He thought, limping over to the fire to keep vigil.

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Rose reached out to the surface of the water and suppressed a sob as the image only broke into ripples at her touch. She turned to her mother as the woman came forward, majestic in white silk. "You miss him, Rose?" Namid asked her.

The wolf-cobra bowed her head, "I wish I could help Nyesh, mother…who knows what kind of trouble Karma could get herself into!"

Namid kneeled next to her daughter and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, "Karma is as much a troublemaker as I was when I was her age, but this time, she has allies. The dancers traveling with her would sacrifice themselves before they would let a blade even touch the Lupine and Pantheran's queen." Namid explained, "Your Karma is strong now, her resistance to Ecl and to a greater force at work makes her strong."

Rose nodded, "But if it comes down to combat, she can hardly wield a sword!"

"Daggers are her chosen weapon, dear," The lines of age near Namid's mouth deepened as she smiled, "I remember you too, could hardly use a blade, but you did learn."

Rose sighed, "I know, I'm just worried…very worried." Rose leaned into her mother's embrace as Namid put an arm around her shoulder.

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Karma and the group had taken a shortcut that traveled past and around the mountains to the lands of the Howlkin. The area was littered with frozen lakes and various caves, and patches of bare tree and mud. They slept in a cave that night and Karma wrapped the blankets securely around herself as snow raged in a storm outside and flurries caked the ground in white. Naosis and Nahun and her slept wrapped in blankets, while Iris, Mara, and Acelan slept with their wings wrapped around their bodies. Lying awake, she watched as the snow howled outside and felt hot tears fall down her face. They reminded her much of singing wolves and of the Lupine.

The fire Nahun had built was reduced to embers and a chilly wind blew through the cave, forcing Karma to draw the blanket up to her chin. Sighing deeply she blinked and stubbornly rose from the cluster of bodies, sleep evading her…

Abandoning the blanket, she left.

The princess of the Lupine and the Pantheran blundered through the snow, blind and cold, until she came to a lake. The lake was frozen and covered in a thin layer of snow that was steadily rising. She kneeled next to the lake and bowed her head, huddling close to her body for warmth. Karma watched her breath as it disappeared into the storm in a cloud of smoke and, with a gloved hand, uncovered the ice so a mirror-like sheen was visible. Gazing down, she saw herself as a traveler, wrapped in various furs and heavy silks, black hair blowing wildly in the wind, pink-violet eyes downcast.

Karma sighed and stood to go when a figure pounced upon her, driving her to the ground, a scream lost to the wind.

Acelan woke with a jolt and sat up, fully awake and panting. He couldn't get the dream, from his mind. The horrifically realistic dream had shaken him up quite a bit and he turned to Karma but paled when he saw the empty space where she should have been.

He rushed outside, but froze when he saw Karma dragged by two wolves and six more following. He recognized these wolves as the guards of the Howlkin and frowned, addressing the she-wolf in the lead, "Deadria, let her go!"

The she-wolf looked at him with deep-set, gray eyes and growled, eyeing the half-blood. "Acelan." She whispered, "The girl is wanted by your half-brother, our king, for trespassing!"

Acelan met Karma's eyes and she looked at him as if to say, "Leave before you get captured."

Acelan shook his head, "Then I am twice as guilty for bringing us here." He briefly saw Mara, Nahun and Naosis stand behind him, as Deadria's guards spread out.

Standing tall Deadria nodded, "Chain them." She snapped, "Akoto will be expecting these little traitors, particularly the phoenixes."

As they chained him, Acelan bowed his head. This was the only way to get inside, to claim the throne, as he should have years ago.