Herb Woman: The Kaerling Boxsets, #4

By Freya Pickard

The companions' journey takes them across a vast, dangerous ocean and their relationships, tenuous at best, become even more strained.

 

"Freya has a wonderful grasp on storytelling and the written word. She has the one thing that is hardest to find in a writer and that's a smooth dance of words. All of the beats are just right whether it's a sentence or a paragraph." Chris S

 

As the King's Assassin, Ashlar Slate, continues to pursue the four companions, threats also assail them from elsewhere; pirates and a deadly poison.

 

This is the fourth book in The Kaerling boxset series. Join the journey before it ends!

 

If you enjoy tales by Robert Holdstock, Tara Saunders and a Frank Herbert, you'll love The Kaerling series!

 

Warning: contains scenes of a sexual nature, violence and slavery, which some readers may find upsetting.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Freya Pickard
• Release date: Jan 30, 2024
• ISBN: 9798223491507

Freya Pickard

Pushcart Prize nominee, Freya Pickard, is the quirky, unusual author of The Kaerling series, an epic fantasy set in the strange and wonderful world of Nirunen. A cancer survivor, she writes mainly dark fantasy tales and creates expressive poetry in order to leach the darkness from her soul. Her aim in life is to enchant, entertain and engage with readers through her writing. She finds her inspiration in the ocean, the moors, beautifully written books and vinyl music (particularly heavy metal and rock). She enjoys Hatha Yoga, Bhangra and Yogalates and in her spare time creates water colours and pastel drawings of the worlds in her head.

Book preview

Prologue

The first sound Tari could remember hearing was water. The tip-tap of rain on the window panes in her family's large kitchen would draw her attention throughout the winter months. Later, when she could walk, her mother took her to the great river that curved through the hidden plateau. This waterway was vital for her family's survival, and, as she grew up, the liquid force that wound serpentine across the farmland fascinated her.

The river flowed differently in every season. In the spring months it would roar past, earth coloured with froth on top as the mountain snows melted. During the long summer season the water ran clear without hurrying. In autumn, the levels rose again and the river became purposeful, as if it had somewhere to go before the snows arrived. Winter was perhaps the most beautiful season when ice captured the currents and her mother would break the surface with an axe so they could draw out the chill liquid beneath.

Being assigned to the Shrine of Aqua was an answer to unspoken prayers in Tari’s fifth year at the Temple. The sacred grotto, moist and humid from the spring that welled up within the mountain, made her feel she was home. The quietness of the rock chambers carved out of the topmost peak, was a relief from the busy, politically motivated lower shrines.

Tari was aware she was dreaming and let the vivid remembrances wash over her, feeling safe and secure in the memories. She saw once again the square cut altar with loaves of bread and bottles of oil set upon the surface. One of the acolytes, Karu, stared at her from the silver-grey curtain that divided the altar room from the grotto where the statue of Aqua glistened with moisture.

A flicker of unease invaded her belly as she saw fear in Karu's eyes and the pallor of her dark skin. The acolyte wasn't looking at her but at someone standing beside her. Someone tall and lean, dressed in well-worn doeskin trousers and jerkin. It wasn't Undine.

Tari turned her head to see Erl beside her, his bright, warm blue eyes gazing at everything with interest. Still aware she was dreaming, she found herself in priestess Undine’s chamber, folding up clothes. Erl loomed in the doorway, the small, silver dagger in one hand, an enquiring look on his face. She knew she shouldn’t be telling the young man her secret, but Undine already knew about it. Erl didn’t appear angry that she’d just tried to kill his sister and there was something about him that made her want to trust him. She could hear Karu in the acolyte’s room gathering more clothes.

It's a family heirloom, she heard herself say, cheeks reddening. My family were elf-friends in the past and the knife was lent to my ancestors by one of the elves before a great battle. It's been in my family ever since, looked after by the eldest daughter.

My lady? Priestess?

Tari looked up, expecting to see Karu, but the dark-skinned girl was not there and she opened her eyes to a dim gloaming in the room assigned to her in the Cathair.

Tari? Are you awake? The same female voice spoke with a low, lilting accent.

She was far from the quiet shrine of Aqua in Aura Vere on Falnaboldu. She was here, in the castle on the Isle of Kiros. The treu-priestess sat up in the soft bed and rubbed her eyes to see Sheila, one of the Queen's maids. The short girl smiled and stepped beyond the quilted bed towards the table that stood before the curtained window.

What is it? Tari peered through the half-light watching Sheila set out a tray of breakfast, a small candle partially illuminating the dim room. She smelt the fragrance of sweet tea, stewed fruit, and was that freshly baked bread?

Sorry to wake you so early, but the Queen requires me to harvest some flowers that only grow on Old Kiros at this time of year. She wants you to accompany me. Sheila pulled back the heavy swathes of embroidered material and let in dull, grey light.

Tari yawned and stretched, reaching for her borrowed gown as Sheila approached the bed once more, helping her on with the soft woollen garment.

What time is it? Tari hurried across thin rugs on the cold, wooden floor to her waiting breakfast.

An hour before dawn, my lady.

The treu-priestess grimaced and sat down. In addition to the usual stewed apple, Sheila had brought her fresh rolls, butter and cheese.

I can't eat all this! Tari protested.

Sheila suppressed a smile. I would advise you do, my lady. The ride to Old Kiros is not short and we will be accompanied by sergeant Prionnteach.

Tari felt a flush of heat invade her cheeks as she stirred honey into the warm fruit and repeated to herself the words that enabled her to appear calm. Serenity. Peace. I am a priestess of Aqua. I am Undine.

When do we leave?

As soon as you've finished breakfast. Sheila's face was carefully neutral; the Queen and both maids were aware of how attractive Stio was to Tari.

Have you eaten? Tari started on the apple as Sheila poured her a cup of sweet Kirridian tea.

Yes, my lady.

"Did you say that Old Kiros is not a short ride away?" Tari felt a sinking sensation in her belly. She hated riding; trust her to be trapped on an island where the inhabitants bred, rode and idolised horses.

Yes, my lady. It's several turns each way.

Tari winced. She would ache for the rest of the day; she hated riding. Will we be back before luncheon?

The treu-priestess finished the stewed apple and glanced at Sheila who quickly hid a smile. Of course, my lady. That's why I have woken you so early. Sergeant Prionnteach will be waiting in the outer courtyard in one turn with horses for us.

Tari said nothing and buttered the still warm rolls. Why had the Queen assigned Stio to them? Why couldn't Sheila's sweetheart, the soldier Carlin, take them to Old Kiros? And what would her duties be after luncheon was over, she wondered.

What is Old Kiros? she asked and sank her teeth into a fluffy, yeasty roll.

It's held to be the original settlement in the First Age.

Tari groaned inwardly. Not more history! Why were the Kirridians so obsessed with their past? At least the bard, Comh, wouldn't be accompanying them, Tari thought to herself as she cut off a piece of cheese and devoured the sharp creamy hardness. It would be bad enough keeping her composure being in close proximity to Stio...

And, after luncheon with the Queen, Comh, will attend and tell you everything you need to know about the lost star of the iendu.

Tari forced a smile and nodded her thanks, her stomach sinking again. Everyone seemed to know that she found young, lean men attractive. Both Stio and Comh were tall and muscled and yes, she found them both fascinating. But that's because she missed Erl.

The treu-priestess concentrated on finishing her meal and wondered once again why her father’s friend, Lored, had told the Kirridians that Tari was interested in the lost star of the iendu.

Chapter One - The Dreaming Dawn

Otta sat in darkness hearing the drip of water in the tunnels behind her that neither she, nor her brother Erl, had had time to explore. The smouldering fire before her let loose thin, bitter smoke that found its way outside through the many fissures in the cavern's roof. On the other side of the glowing embers, her brother snored gently.

The short, slim woman pulled the blankets around her shoulders and crossed her legs, sitting upright. She hadn't tried to contact Lored for several nights, having exhausted herself in the attempt a few days before. She still wasn't exactly sure how she was meant to reach out with her mind to someone she hardly knew. With her twin it was easy; they'd communicated mind to mind before they'd even learnt to speak. It was something they'd never mentioned to anyone, not even their parents. The priest, Ram, at the shrine in Atwood had made it clear that mind to mind speech was part of the dark arts and anyone suspected of it, would be executed.

But since they'd met up with Lored and Tari, and travelled with them and priestess Undine, Otta had realised that their talent was not unique. She was sure Undine and the taku, Lored, had been communicating silently. And, seeing as Undine was supposedly the priestess of Aqua and that Lored was meant to be a taku-kevir from Olin Heon, she couldn't imagine that either of them would be practising the dark arts. There was an intenseness in the energy around people who spoke silently and Otta had witnessed their two blue-robed travelling companions communicating mind to mind many times.

But so far, she'd been unable to speak to Lored in the Cathair, and, as Undine had left them at Port Hollis, Otta didn’t have anyone left to ask about the procedure. Nagaru nudged the back of her mind and she shook him off. Yes, she remembered that he’d told her to accept Lored’s help in controlling her power, but she didn’t like the taku and resented his questions about her parents. Now, she wished she had asked him for help...

The twins were living in the caves in the Wild Wood, several miles from the Cathair. They'd been unable to accompany Tari and Lored to the castle because Otta looked so much like a kaerling and kaerlings were prohibited from landing on Kiros. She and Erl had managed to escape the soldiers who'd tried to stop them leaving the quay at Port Rioga, and so far, they'd kept out of the Kirridians' way.

The plan had been to meet up with Lored and Tari at noon the day after they'd all arrived on Kiros. But the twins had seen Lored watching soldiers on horseback riding in the meadows north of the Cathair and so far, neither he nor Tari had met them at midday at the crossroads.

Every day for the last week, either Otta or Erl, had waited at the meeting place. And for the last week there'd been no sign of their travelling companions. For a moment, Otta wished that Undine had accompanied them across the sea to the island; she felt sure that had the priestess been with them, there would have been no difficulty in maintaining contact with Lored. But Undine wasn't with them and that was a relief to Otta as the priestess' power rivalled her own.

She inhaled deeply and marshalled her thoughts. She needed to contact Lored to tell him of the murder she and Erl had witnessed the first day they'd waited at the crossroads. She needed to find out why he and Tari were delayed and when they'd be able to leave the island. All Lored was supposed to do was obtain a remedy for seasickness from the herb woman at the Cathair. Both Otta and Lored would need this remedy when they left Kiros and continued their pursuit of the kaerlings who had abducted Derri and Lally.

Otta sighed and thought of Lored. It was less than an hour before dawn and the taku-kevir should still be asleep. She'd already tried contacting Lored during daylight hours to no avail. When she'd tried at night she'd seen him look at her and listen, as if he could hear a whisper, or at least see her in his mind's eye.

She brought her thoughts to bear on the power within her soul, feeling it burn through her veins and cascade through her inner being. Closing her eyes, she imagined Lored was seated across the fire from her. Closing her ears to Erl's breathing, she drew on the energy inside her and built up the power.

When it shimmered like an incandescent veil, Otta released it slowly towards the image of Lored. He sat in the shadows, the low flames flickering on his dark blue taku robes and hood. Even though the man had started wearing a blue silk cap to cover the stubble that grew on his head, Otta's strongest recollections of him were with the hood. Neither of them had had a particularly enjoyable voyage from Port Hollis to Port Rioga and her memories of the silk cap were vague.

The image of the taku looked up, the hood falling back to reveal dark reddish stubble on his head. The weathered skin was creased around the eyes and mouth and his dark brown eyes stared intensely at Otta. Fear shivered its way into her bowels and she nearly lost her concentration. The taku was powerful, nearly as powerful as she. But he was middle-aged and skilled in the power. He knew how to channel with ease, whereas Otta's talent was wild.

Hear me, Lored! She spoke silently.

He blinked and tilted his head.

Hear me, Lored! She spoke again, projecting her thought to him. We need to know when you and Tari will meet us.

The taku frowned and thrust his head forwards, the glow from the nearly dead fire lighting his face with an eerie cast. Otta fought down her fear of him and projected her thoughts again.

We witnessed a murder, the first day we were here. You must be careful. The Kirridians are killing each other.

Lored now tilted his head to the other side, screwing up his eyes as if he could only just hear her. Otta tried again.

We need to know when we can leave. And be wary of Kirridians in grey uniforms. They're the ones killing each other. Please, tell us when you and Tari...

Lored's image wavered and dissipated like smoke. Otta groaned softly as she heard Erl snore and became aware of moisture dripping in the tunnels at the back of the cavern. She felt worn out, as hollow as an empty jug. Groaning again she shrugged off the blankets, rose to her feet, stretched her limbs and eased out her neck.

The cave wasn't quite as dark as it had been and a faint radiance lit the entrance tunnel beyond her twin’s supine form. Otta walked slowly to the cave mouth and gazed out. Clouds hung low and mist billowed between tree trunks. The autumn colours of the leaves were dulled but as she watched, a breeze shushed through the dying foliage around her. She sniffed the air and knew that the cloud would clear. Today would be a good day for foraging. It was Erl's turn to watch the crossroads whilst she gathered enough food for them to eat.

Feeling drained and weary, Otta returned to the cave to catch a little sleep before Erl woke and they prepared breakfast. She didn't relish having to tell him that yet again she'd failed to communicate with Lored.

LORED BENT OVER THE bowl of warm water on the stand before the mirror. Steam rose from the surface of the ceramic vessel and blurred his face for a moment. His unmade bed was a dim image in the pocked surface. To his left, before the window, stood a large table on which the remains of his breakfast lay.

The servants would return shortly to make his bed and clear the table. He needed to wash and cover his head once more with the blue silk cap that Kimorka had made for him before he'd left Port Hollis. The taku-kevir splashed water on his face and over his head, feeling how long his hair had grown. Using the water to flatten his auburn curls, Lored let loose a strand of power to keep his hair still as he drew the silk cap over his head. The almost translucent threads hooked over his ears, holding the material in place.

He checked his reflection, confident that the cap would conceal his hair. Taku-kevir shaved their heads every eighth day. There was nothing in the Book of Taku-kevir to tell them to do this; it was just something that taku did. But Lored no longer looked to Olin Heon, the centre of power for taku-kevir on the continent of Falnaboldu. He'd lost his position as secretary to the Master of Olin Heon when Wyn Farrow had died the previous year. The new Master of the Tower had no use for him and Lored was no longer required to report back.

The Zoratti had given him a new purpose in life that summer; to find and protect the sister he'd never met. This he had done, but Tari still did not know that they were related. He'd managed to gain her trust by telling her that he was a friend of her father and knew the secret of their family. Tari needed to be protected and she had to remain ignorant of her true heritage, for now.

Lored examined his face, rubbing his hand across the stubble that was just darkening his jaw. The next rest day was four sunrises hence but he wouldn't shave until then, keeping up the pretence of being a true taku-kevir before the Kirridians. Not that he regarded himself as being anything less than a true taku, he just didn't wish to associate himself with the taku left in Olin Heon who no longer honoured the instructions given in the Book of Taku-kevir.

He didn't really have a reason to follow the Zoratti's prophecies and instructions, even though he'd lived with them until he'd gained admittance to Olin Heon as a youngster. But the Zoratti had a way of making sure humans did what they wanted them to do. He shook his head, seeing how his once smooth skin had lines around the eyes and to either side of his mouth.

He finished washing and dressed quickly, not wishing the servants of the Cathair to see him without clothes. As Tari did, he carried the mark of their father upon his back, and, if word somehow reached the kaerlings of their shared mark, neither of them would live long. Lored wasn't worried that the Kirridians would betray his hidden heritage to his enemies; no kaerling was allowed on the Isle of Kiros. But everyone had a price and word still might reach the cruel nation who posed such a threat to the free peoples of the world. 

He straightened his dark blue robes and pulled on his knee length leather boots just as someone knocked on the door. The taku allowed the servants to enter and watched as his bed was swiftly made by two young girls and the table cleared in an efficient manner by an older man. He nodded his thanks as, just after a few minutes, the servants left his room.

Lored sat on one of the wooden chairs at the table and felt inside his cloak pocket for the ever-growing packet of reports. He laid them out before him on the wooden surface, reading them carefully. He had three more people to question; Captain Regan, Queen Raith and the former Cathair Surgeon. Regan had promised him an hour of his time that morning and Lored was hoping the Queen would allow him to question her within the next couple of days. That just left the former Surgeon to the Cathair, who now plied his trade out in the countryside visiting remote farmsteads. Breitheamh Rafferty had already sent three messengers to bring the Surgeon back to the castle as Lored felt the man's testimony would be vital in disproving the charges against Rue, the herb woman.

He sighed and held his head in his hands. He and Tari had only come ashore to visit Rue, in order to obtain Tabacum, a remedy that would prevent seasickness; something that both Lored and Otta, being holders of power, suffered from. The twins were pursuing the kaerlings in order to retrieve the kaerling child, Derri, they'd rescued the previous winter. Tari was pursuing the kaerlings in order to try and rescue her friend Lally. Lored was accompanying the three younger travellers in order to protect his sister.

How many days had it been since he and Tari had disembarked from The Alainn Gaoth? He counted on his fingers and was shocked to realise an entire week had passed. Where were the twins? Were they still waiting at the crossroads at noon every day? Had the Kirridians found them yet? He thought not; the capture of a kaerling on Kirridian soil would be something that the Cathair would hear about within a matter of hours. And he was certain that Regan would inform him, should such a terrible thing happen. He hoped and prayed, for Otta's sake, that the twins were keeping out of sight.

He pressed the heels of his hands over his eyes, recalling the dreams that plagued him. He'd not dreamt of anything for a couple of nights, until that morning. There'd been a vague, fleeting vision of the elderly gentleman with curly, grey hair, riding a thin horse at a jolting trot along a grassy path. And then he'd dreamt of Otta again. As had been the case ever since he'd been sleeping at the Cathair, Lored had dreamt that the young woman called to him. This time she sat surrounded by darkness, her face lit with flickering blue flames. A faint whisper had reached him when she opened her mouth. Hear me, Lored! He'd strained his ears as she'd continued calling to him, her slim, pointed face intense and emotionless. Kirridians are killing each other... A gull calling outside his window had woken him.

Was Otta trying to reach him in the mind to mind way the Zoratti had taught him so many years before? That she could speak silently to her twin, Lored had no doubt; he'd witnessed the power around her intensify many times as the twins appeared to reach an agreement without speaking aloud. Why was Otta trying to contact him? She'd brushed aside his offers of help regarding the control of her wild power many times during the journey from Aura Vere to Port Hollis. She hadn't answered any of his questions about her background and ancestry. The impression he'd received from her was that she disdained his offer of help and didn't feel it necessary to learn how to control the power within her.

So, why was she trying to contact him now? Was Erl ill? Were they in danger? He sighed again and placed his hands on the table, staring out of the window. The diamond-shaped panes framed by lead were slightly distorted and he gazed out upon misshapen grey stones and more leaded panes of glass opposite him. Above the dark slates of the roofs, the sky was clearing of pewter cloud and sunlight increased with every minute that passed. Without using his power, Lored knew it would turn out to be fine. Such a shame that the previous day had been so cool and cloudy when he and Tari had witnessed their first horse race on Kiros.

At least an hour had passed since dawn and Regan would be expecting him. Swiftly, Lored rose to his feet and gathered his precious parchments, concealing them once again in the large pocket of his blue cloak. Carrying an extra ream of parchment as well as an ink pot and quill, Lored left his bedroom and trod the narrow corridors to Regan's office.

Chapter Two - Leaf Fall and Autumn Mist

Erl swallowed the last of the oatmeal and checked the cooking pot for seconds. There weren't any and he sighed, searching in his pack for some dried fruit. The portions of dehydrated flesh were slowly shrinking but Otta's hot cereal didn't really fill him up at the beginning of the day. It was his turn to wait at the crossroads between mid-morning and mid-afternoon, whilst Otta foraged for more food.

He sighed again and chewed stolidly on the fibrous mass of dried apple and pear. He didn't mind waiting at the crossroads; he wanted to be the one to meet up with Lored and Tari first. He missed the treu-priestess and there was an ache inside him that worsened with every day that passed. He missed Lored too, but not in quite the same way.

Waiting six hours a day at the crossroads was mind-numbingly tedious. It also made his backside ache, sitting in a tree all that time. It was getting harder to find trees with enough leaf cover to conceal him. Since he and Otta had been living in the cave, autumn had crept upon the Isle of Kiros and every day more leaves fell, leaving branches bare and stark against the ever-changing skies.

Do you want me to wash up before I go to the crossroads? he offered.

Otta shook her head briefly, her long, dark locks a tumbled mess around her face. Her light blue eyes looked tired, her skin pale. I'll do it before I start foraging. She sounded exhausted.

Did you...?

Yes.

And? Erl leant forward feeling the heat of the small fire on his face.

I failed. Again. His twin glanced at the ground, her shoulders bowed.

Oh. Erl felt disappointment well up inside.

They had no way of contacting the taku and treu-priestess at the Cathair. Otta couldn't go anywhere near the Cathair for fear of being mistaken for a kaerling. They'd arranged with Lored that they would meet up with him and Tari at noon the day after they all arrived on Kiros. And the agreement had been that if Tari and Lored didn't appear at the crossroads, the twins would wait for them on the following day at midday and the day after that, until the taku and treu-priestess found them.

These plans had been laid a week ago and so far, there had been no sign of Tari. The twins had only had one glimpse of Lored and both Erl and Otta were feeling the strain of not knowing what was happening. They didn't think Lored and Tari were prisoners, but neither of their companions had even attempted to contact them. The twins were trapped on Kiros as Lored held all the companions' money. And all the time they stayed on the island, Otta was at risk, because of her close resemblance to the kaerlings.

Did you see him, or...? Erl ventured, not wanting his sister to shout at him, but needing to know if she’d made any progress.

Yes, very clearly. She raised her head, resignation leaving faint lines on her face. Perhaps clearer than any of the other times. But I don't think I could make him hear me.

Could he see you, do you think?

She nodded, her dark hair momentarily concealing her face. She pushed the untidy locks behind her pointed ears. Definitely. He tilted his head to one side and then the other as if he was trying to hear. So he must have been able to see... Her pale blue eyes stared beyond Erl.

Thank you for trying again. Perhaps you'll get through to him next time.

Otta snorted and set about piling up tin plates and cups. She removed Lored's cooking pot from the fire before speaking again. Perhaps. Perhaps I'll work out exactly how to go about contacting someone I've never opened myself to before. She shivered and paused a moment before rising to her feet.

Erl felt her fear and in a way could understand it. Lored was a powerful taku and the only person Otta opened herself up to was her twin. There had been some connection with the kaerling, Jas, during the summer, but Erl hadn't really understood how that had worked. He wasn't sure he'd want to try and contact Lored or open himself up to someone who wielded that amount of power.

The young man placed his booted feet firmly on the ground and pushed himself upright, just as their father, Alvar, had taught them. He looked at her across the fire. If you don't want to try again tonight, I could always go to the Cathair myself and ask for Lored.

Otta balanced their plates and cups in one hand and lifted the cooking pot in the other. What good will that do? She emanated disapproval at his suggestion.

Well, perhaps, if I can get to see him, we can find out what's going on!

She snorted derisively. "And why would you be able to gain access to the