The Omaja Stone Read online

  Jiandra slid to the ground and turned to help the trembling, exhausted Nandal woman down from Otto’s back. Shirali threw back her hood and ran to greet her children with arms open wide.

  Elio appeared and took Otto’s reins. “We were worried sick, sister. What delayed you so long?”

  “I had to wait for a guard patrol to leave Hagglefinn’s.” Jiandra tried to slow down and steady her heartbeat. “Then we were stopped by more guards just as we were making our way around Kingston. They didn’t see her face, thank the Gods. I was so frightened.”

  Elio gave her a comforting hug. “It’s all right; everyone is safe now. We’ve prepared some pallets for them in the basement for tonight. Go on inside. Gracie has dinner on the table for you and the woman.”

  #

  Yavi stealthily followed Svana’s trail down to the servants’ quarters in the basement and caught up with her in the narrow passageway.

  “Sivana,” he pronounced her name softly in Nandalan.

  Startled, she whirled around. He placed a finger to his lips and motioned her to follow him into a dark, recessed doorway at the end of the hall. Once there, he gently grasped one of her bandaged hands, lifting it for inspection.

  “Are you all right?” he asked.

  “Yes, I’m fine.” She peered shyly up at his face. “You should not be down here. She will know.”

  “Does she mistreat you always?”

  The girl didn’t answer. She slipped her hand away from his.

  Yavi’s gaze lingered on the soft angle of her shapely jaw, the outline of her delicate neck, and the curve of her pink lips. “I will go if you wish,” he murmured.

  “Yes, you must go. It isn’t safe.”

  He hesitated a moment.

  She rose up on tiptoe and shyly kissed his cheek, then dashed off into the darkness.

  #

  The next day, Jiandra was back at the hidden waterfall in Cobbleton Wood, kneeling to drop the stone into the pool. The water swirled with purple, changed direction, and Zehu’s shadow appeared on the glassy rock wall.

  “Lord Zehu,” Jiandra bowed to the ground.

  “I am exceedingly proud of you, Jiandra.”

  “I was so afraid last night, Lord Zehu. I don’t know what manner of warrior I can be for you. Not a very brave one.”

  “Not a very brave one? In truth, rarely have I seen bravery such as yours, Jiandra.”

  “But I am so weak.”

  “How do you mean?” His voice had a gentle, questioning tone. “In brute strength, or in character and will?”

  Jiandra heaved a sigh. “In everything.”

  The shadow flickered. “Allow me to pose a question. Which is stronger—a man who accosts another man with a sword and kills him, or a man who leaps between them and protects the other from being killed, risking his own life in the process?”

  Jiandra studied his silhouette curiously.

  “Well? What do you think?” he probed.

  “I don’t know. It depends upon how one views strength and weakness, I suppose.”

  “Many would say that a large, muscular man is strong, while a soft, feminine girl is weak. He can obviously overpower her with brute force. But she can utterly subdue him with one look of her beautiful eyes, one sigh of her breath, one word of affection from her sweet lips. He is helpless against her charms.”

  Jiandra smiled. She was beginning to love the sound of his voice.

  “You should reconsider your feelings of weakness, Jiandra. To me you are stronger than any muscular, trained and armed soldier in this land. That is why you will be the warrior I will use to deliver Villeleia from the coming destruction.”

  She was warmed by his encouragement. “Well, I can’t be a warrior unless you continue to help me. Although I thank you for your kind words.”

  “They aren’t kind words. They are true words.”

  She fell silent.

  “And yes, I will continue to help you. The second power of the Omaja is Protection. As long as the stone is on your person, you cannot be physically harmed in any way.”

  “In truth, Lord Zehu? Not even by weapons of steel or arrows?”

  “Not by any weapon, magic, or physical attack of any kind. I’ll show you. Take up the stone in your right palm and stand still.”

  Jiandra leaned over to scoop the stone up out of the pool, then rose to her feet.

  “Now, stand firm and don’t move. Have no fear.”

  Jiandra gripped the stone in her right fist, and waited. Something rustled in the underbrush nearby. Suddenly a large wild boar broke free from some bushes a few feet away and charged her. Startled, Otto reared, whinnying in protest, eyes wide. Jiandra’s breath caught in her throat and her heart seemed to stop, but she had little time to do anything other than stand there as Zehu had ordered. The boar galloped toward her with determination, and then suddenly jerked and fell back as if he’d smacked into an invisible wall about one foot from her skirt. He squealed in pain, shook his head and kicked a couple of times, then scrambled to his feet. He ran off into the woods grunting in confusion.

  “Oh my—oh!” Jiandra released a sharp breath, clutching her chest and doubling over. She choked on a hiccup of laughter. “Why did you scare me like that?”

  Zehu chuckled. “I told you the stone would protect you. You didn’t believe me?”

  “Well, I do now, don’t I?” She laughed, clutching her chest, her heart racing. “What further lessons do you have for me, Lord Zehu? Shall I be able to bear them?”

  “You shall, dear one,” Zehu reassured her. “I am sending you to find Solange’s attempted assassin. Go and inform Solange. She will help you.”

  #

  “We are requesting an audience with the queen,” Jiandra explained to the steward when she arrived at Castle Villeleia. Her brother Elio stood beside her, towering over the man by several inches. “’Tis a matter of pressing importance.”

  The steward was a slender, perturbed-looking man with ears that stuck out on either side of his narrow face. “The castle is on high alert after the assassination attempt. Is the queen expecting you?”

  “No, but she will want to see us, I assure you. We’re her, ah…friends.” Best not to claim cousinhood right now, she thought.

  “Hmph.” He turned on his heel and left them to wait in the foyer under the watchful eye of two castle guards.

  After several minutes, they were relieved to see Solange emerge through the main hall doors to greet them, the castle steward and her guards following closely at her heels.

  “Cousins!” Solange welcomed them. “Come, I am eager to visit with both of you again.”

  They followed her to a private sitting room, where she ordered tea and then shut the door, leaving her steward and guards waiting outside.

  “You are looking well, Solange.” Jiandra smiled as the girls seated themselves on a settee.

  Elio sank into a chair across from them, on the opposite side of a low table.

  Solange clasped her hands in her lap. “How have you both been? And your younger siblings?”

  “Well, thank you,” Jiandra reassured her.

  “What news do you bring of the stone? Does it work? Are you truly able to communicate directly with the Gods?”

  “Indeed, yes. It’s quite remarkable. Lord Zehuraster, the Protector, appears to me on the rock’s face behind the waterfall.”

  “What has he told you?”

  “He has mostly taught me about the magical uses of the stone itself. It can sense others’ thoughts, and it offers the wearer physical protection.”

  “We shall have to be careful that no one knows about this. It could be stolen from you, or robbed by bandits.”

  “No, Zehu says it can’t be taken from me by force.” Jiandra cleared her throat. “Speaking of the stone, Solange, I would like to have a word with you about the detainment of the Nandals.”

  “Yes? What of it?”

  “The stone led me to a poor, mistreated Nandal woman and her s
tarving children, just as the Nandals were being arrested all over town. It was horrifying, what the guards were doing, dragging innocent Nandals down the street in chains and ropes, men, women, and little children.”

  Solange stood up and paced to the window, then turned back to face her. “This detainment order is necessary, Jiandra. We have to find the Nandal assassin before he tries again.”

  Jiandra rose and moved to Solange’s side. “This starved, desperate woman and her two tiny children are no assassins. Forgive my boldness, but I must beg you to revoke this order against the Nandals. Villeleia is inflicting undeserved pain and hardship on innocent people who are already in a low condition.”

  Solange regarded Jiandra strangely. “You would defend the Nandal trespassers in our land?”

  A bit of panic seized Jiandra’s chest, and she faltered. “I would defend those who are too weak and helpless to defend themselves. I’ve not seen a single Nandal around Kingston or Cobbleton who has the desire or means to truly threaten Villeleia’s security. Whoever the assassin was, he does not represent or typify the common Nandal within our borders, who is simply striving for survival.”

  Solange thought a moment before responding. “I admit that what you are saying is probable, that the assassin is not a typical Nandal. But be that as it may, the only way to find him is to detain them all, until he is located. I believe this is necessary for my own safety as well as our nation’s sovereignty, Jiandra.”

  “And I do not mean to detract from that objective.” Jiandra softened her voice. “I only wish to urge restraint. The soldiers are behaving like brutes. Twice yesterday while in town, I was stopped by guards who wanted to know who I was and what I was doing, without so much as a ‘good day,’ interrogating me as if I were some criminal.”

  “Why would they interrogate you so roughly?” Solange frowned. “Were you transporting the Nandal woman?”

  EIGHT

  Solange’s question stopped Jiandra cold. She had not perceived the queen would pose any sort of obstacle, once the situation were fully explained. Now she realized Solange would not be her ally concerning the Nandals until the assassin was captured. She thought fast.

  “I was only taking them to the coach station where I paid their fare to return to Nandala. The woman still has family there. They should arrive back in their own country within a week.” She glanced at Elio, who kept silent.

  Solange turned to him. “Elio, what do you say to Jiandra’s concerns? Do you agree with her?”

  Elio cleared his throat, pushed himself to his feet, and came to stand near Solange by the window. He gently took her slender hand in his larger, work-roughened one. “I agree that your safety is our first priority.”

  Solange’s frown dissipated as she stared up into Elio’s boyishly handsome face.

  “However,” he continued, “I too am concerned about the treatment of the poor and desperate. I fear, as my sister does, that many innocents within our land are suffering unnecessarily under this detainment order.”

  Solange nodded. “That is truly not my intention.” She glanced at Jiandra. “But I cannot and will not revoke the detainment order until the assassin is found. It was put to an assembly vote, and I will not overturn the Council of Advisors’ decision.”

  Jiandra sighed. She knew what she had to do. “Then there’s no time to waste. I will go and find your assassin myself.”

  “You?” Solange raised an eyebrow. “How?”

  “I will use the powers of the Omaja, Knowing and Protection. I will be able to read the assassin’s mind to discern who he is as well as be protected from danger while I look for him.”

  “You would leave your farm and your siblings to do this task for me?”

  “Lord Zehu told me to do it. He said he’s sending me and will help me. Elio can look after my siblings and the farm while I’m gone, and I don’t expect it will take long.”

  Solange nodded. “I shall assign a detail of guards to accompany you and arrest the assassin, then.”

  “Thank you.”

  “And please be very cautious, Jiandra. I would not forgive myself if something happened to you.”

  #

  Jiandra arrived back at the hidden waterfall that evening just before nightfall. “I shall need help finding this assassin quickly, Lord Zehu.”

  “You shall have it.”

  “Solange wants me to travel with her guards. If they try to capture any poor Nandals while they are with me, I’ll—well, I don’t know what I’ll do.”

  “You will know what to do when the time comes. For now, it is time for you to learn the third power of the Omaja. Healing.”

  Jiandra’s face brightened. “Healing?”

  “Hold the stone in one hand. You will heal with the other.”

  She closed her left fist over the stone, awaiting his next instruction.

  “Walk about twenty paces north, along the trail. You will find someone in need of healing. Look closely as you walk. I will wait for you here.”

  She took in a deep breath, gave him a quick bow, then turned and followed the trail, scanning ahead for any sign of life. Eventually, the faint sound of a small animal’s plaintive squeals of pain came to her ears. She surveyed the ground, quickening her pace.

  Finally she saw it. A tiny chipmunk lay near the path, struggling to get away, pawing at the ground with its tiny front paws. He appeared as though he’d narrowly escaped the jaws of a predator; his hind quarters were crushed and bloodied. Quickly, she gripped the stone in her left hand, hoping she could make it work; otherwise she would have to stand here and watch the poor thing die right in front of her, an image that would haunt her painfully for days. She stretched out her right hand and covered the frightened, twitching animal with it, mentally focusing Healing.

  A warm power flowed up her left arm, through her heart, and out of her right arm. In a second, the chipmunk hopped to his feet and squirmed vigorously under her hand. Jiandra pulled her hand away. He stood up on his hindquarters, his miniature eyes full of alert curiosity. Then he scampered off into the underbrush, and Jiandra rose to her full height, beaming. She rushed back down the trail to Zehu.

  She fell to her knees before his silhouette. “That was wonderful!”

  He chuckled. “Yes.”

  She gazed down at the Omaja. “I wish I had this on a chain of some sort, something strong and secure, so I could keep it around my neck without fear of losing it.”

  “Take it to the silversmith on Lumberton Lane in Cobbleton. Dee is his name. He works with all sorts of metals and makes jewelry. He is trustworthy and discreet; he will fashion it into a pendant for you without asking questions about it, and he will not allow anyone to see or take it while it is under his safekeeping.”

  “Thank you, Lord Zehu,” she breathed, smiling up at his shadow. She rose to leave. “Before I go, can you tell me where the assassin is hiding?”

  “Head toward Caladia. You’ll find him in that area.”

  She nodded. “Help me find him speedily. I shall return to you as soon as I am able.”

  “You are never outside my watchful care, Jiandra. Know that.”

  “Yes, Lord Zehu.” She bowed, turning to go as his shadow faded and the waterfall resumed its course.

  #

  Two days later, with the stone made into a beautiful pendant necklace and draped around her neck, Jiandra packed a few necessities onto Otto, belted her father’s scabbard and long dagger around her waist, and took leave of her siblings.

  She hugged Gracie. “Take good care of little Sirin and Kunjana. Keep them out of sight. Elio will watch over the farm while I’m away.”

  “Be safe, sister.” Gracie’s lovely hazel eyes regarded her solemnly, reminding Jiandra so much of their mother. “We’ll miss you.”

  “I want to go with you, sister!” Rafe wailed. “I can help.”

  “You are a very brave and strong young man.” Jiandra bent down to kiss his forehead. “I need you to stay here and protect your sister a
nd little Sirin and Kunjana for me.”

  Shirali was standing nearby, nervously twisting a dishcloth in her hands. Jiandra grasped both her hands. “Don’t fret. The Gods will look out for me. I will be traveling with the queen’s guards. Be strong, and stay out of sight. With any luck I’ll have the assassin identified and ready to hand over to the authorities in a few days, and the queen can cancel the detainment order.”

  “I will keep the house in spotless order while you are away, miss.”

  “Thank you. And watch over Gracie and Rafe for me, while Elio is working in the fields.”

  “Yes, faithfully.”

  Elio finished tying her bedroll onto Otto. “Do be careful, sister,” Elio urged, hugging her. “We will be fine here while you are away, but if something were to happen to you…” He cleared his throat, releasing her. “Just—do be careful.”

  Tears stung Jiandra’s eyes at his unexpected show of sentiment.

  “Stop crying.” He swiped at his eyes, grinning down at her. “You’re making me blubber like a little girl.”

  Jiandra pushed playfully at his shoulder, then turned to mount Otto. She rode away, waving farewell as she left.

  When she arrived at Castle Villeleia, the steward went to alert Solange, who came to greet her in the foyer. She was followed by two heavily armored guards carrying their helmets under their arms.

  Solange turned to address the men. “Brockriede, Logsdon, this is Miss Stovy. She is my cousin and my friend. You are to keep her safe on her travels and see that she returns to me in one piece.”

  “Yes, Your Highness.” The guards bowed curtly. Logsdon was a short, stout, round-faced man with black hair, a thick, scraggly beard, and penetrating black eyes. Brockriede was tall and lanky, lighter-haired, with bright blue eyes.

  Solange stepped forward to grasp Jiandra’s hands. “Do not take unnecessary risks, cousin,” she urged. “If the stone does not lead you to the assassin straightaway, perhaps it would be best to return quickly and not linger out in the countryside or the villages. But, my men are sworn to protect you, and I trust their loyalty and skill.”