The Mountain Clans

"I... don't get to sleep alone?"

"No. First, I don't trust them, second, I don't trust you, third, there aren't enough beds in this place. Get in and scoot over, your honor is not going to be compromised, you have my word. Scoot over."

I hugged the side of the bed, my eyes wide as he got into the bed next to me, then pulled me back against him.

"What are you doing?"

"This or tied?" he asked sleepily. "Sleep, Princess."

I lay there, stressed and tense, but eventually relaxed when he began snoring softly. As soon as I did, I fell asleep.

A soldier woke both of us, opening the door and calling in. "Storms let up, Captain," he called loudly. "We have a quick breakfast waiting."

Konani pulled me up and grabbed our coats as he led me out to the table. This time I had no trouble eating, I was starving!

We were back on his horse in less than ten minutes and I was surprised that it was still dark out. Konani seemed to have no issues, settling me in as he had the day before so I could hold on to him as he took off at slow run. I was shivering, but I hardly noticed the cold. How could he see? We could be running off the cliff at any moment.

"Ease your hold, Princess," he called. "Are you trying to break my ribs?"

"How can you see?!?"

"I see well in the dark, Isola, have no fears. Even if I didn't, Masseri knows his way along this path better than I do. Be easy, I'd hate to have to tie you across the back just so I could get us where we are going!"

I forced myself to ease my arms around his chest, but reflexively I tightened my legs around his hips instead. He patted my back reassuringly, then left it on my shoulder, holding me against him. It was comforting and it helped me to relax. Soon, I began feeling the cold and that was all I could think about as I pulled my arms in between us. I knew when morning hit, I could see the light through cracks in the blanket, but I had no wish to peek out and let the cold in. How could he stand it? His face and hands were out in it! He had to be frozen!

I reached a hand up through the blanket and laid it over his cheek and it was cold enough to make me wince. I reached up with my other hand and put my palms on his face to try and warm him a bit.

He chuckled and patted my back again. "You are sweet, Princess, but don't worry over me. I'm used to the cold and this is nothing at all compared to how the winters get here. Keep yourself warm."

I pulled my hands back in and huddled against him, shivering harder now.

"We will arrive before nightfall if we keep going. There's a waystation between here and there we should reach around one. We can pass it by and get there sooner, or we can go in and eat and warm up, but that would put us riding until after dark when it's even colder."

"Keep going," I told him, hating myself for it. I wanted a warm room and a hot meal!

"That's my tough girl," he chuckled, patting my shoulder again.

I felt a little warm in my heart, hearing him say that. It made me think of my father and I wondered what had happened. We had outrun all the news, so I had no real way of knowing. Were my parents dead? Captured? Being held or tortured? What would the Miovians do in order to find me? Would they come here after me? Try and trade me for something? I couldn't imagine I was really that important. They had control of the castle, the army, everything. They didn't need me and they couldn't really want me, I was useless and ugly and a burden.

I hadn't realized I was crying until Konani started rubbing my back consolingly. He didn't ask questions, just held me against him as his thumb stroked. He would have been such a nice man if he hadn't done what he had that first night. Looking at my most private places as if he'd had some sort of right! It didn't matter that he was looking to try and put an age to me, he could have just asked! But he had been nothing but nice since, even if he had been hard on Lani. I, more than anyone, knew that Lani was dangerous and he was only being practical.

I was frozen and miserable, my legs and arms sore, my shoulders aching from holding on so tightly. When he finally told me we were less than an hour out, I actually let out a small sob of relief. I was close to my limit!

I was numb and locked up when he finally slowed. I could hear sounds, people, and clamor. We were in a village or city, but I still didn't try to look out and look around. I was too cold to be curious.

Even when he reigned in and dismounted, holding me against him, I wasn't curious. I only wanted to get warm and get feeling back.

I knew when we were inside, but Konani didn't put me down until we were in a second room and he could set me on a stool in front of the fire. He moved the blanket, scooting me closer and putting the blanket around my shoulders.

An older lady put a warm clay bowl in my hands full of something that was steaming and smelled wonderful. I drank it gratefully and the woman smiled, pleased, as she brought me another bowl.

"Who is this little fey creature, Nan?" the older woman asked Konani as he sat on another stool next to me with his own bowl.

"She is no one for now. Once my soldiers catch up, she will be known. For now we keep her warm and comfortable. Girl, I know you won't like it, but you will get warmer without the layers on you. I'm going to take off your coat and gloves and even your boots, alright?"

It didn't seem likely to me, but I trusted him. He lived here and I didn't think he was lying to me. I nodded and he stood, pulling off my gloves and letting the old woman pull my coat off as he knelt and unwrapped the leather chords from around my boots.

He was right! I could actually feel the heat of the fire now as I sat in only the clothes I had been given. Konani sat next to me again in nothing but a pair of linen pants to stay close to the fire.

"Once you are warm again and your belly full, I want you to sleep. Ola will keep you warm, you'll share a bed tonight. It is how things are done here, nothing is warmer than sharing body heat. Ola, I need to get word to the gate, I didn't want to stop. Is Imuri near?"

"He will be back soon, he was dropping something off for me. She is pretty, this one? Have you found you a little..."

"No," Konani cut her off quickly. "She is," he agreed to the other statement. "Though she thinks it isn't so. The downworlders are petty and cruel to each other as ever."

"Ahh, girl! Do not listen to what others say in envy. You are a little fey treasure!"

"What is fey?" I asked, trying to stop shivering.

"She does not know of the fey?" Ola asked Konani in concern.

"The downworlders have long since stopped telling the old stories, Ola. They have no fear of what the mountains hold."

"What's a fey?" I asked again, even more curious now.

Konani gave me a grim smile. "They are... small creatures. Humanlike, but much smaller. Small as my hand. They have wings and fly. Pale white skin that glows in the moonlight and bright red hair that's wild and free. They are said to be tricky, but will grant favors if you always leave bread, milk and honey out for them. If you get trapped within their realm, you may never leave."

"Is that true?" I asked, unsure if I believed him.

"Some say it is so, but it has been long since a story has been told about seeing one. Still, those who hope for good luck, leave a small plate at their window with bread, milk and honey."

I tried to judge if he was teasing me, but he looked serious. I looked down at my bowl and sipped it a moment before asking the next question without looking at him. "Do... you truly think I'm not ugly?"

He snorted a laugh and Ola laughed as well. "Girl, you are stunning," he promised.

"He is right, you are a lovely girl, even so small as you are. You will make some man happy when you take a husband. As it happens, my grandson is not wed..."

"Ola!"

"What? You aren't!"

"Ola, she is far out of my reach not to mention too young."

"She has her womanhood on her! Anyone can tell she is only small, not young."

"Too young for me. I'm old enough to be her father, almost, and anyway, that is not why she's here."

"Why IS a downworlder here? A pretty little downworlder with no husband or clothes of her own with winter coming on?"

"That is no concern of anyone's at all. You will find out soon enough," Konani scowled.

Ola turned to me with her smile. "What is your name, child?"

I opened my mouth, but Konani cut me off.

"She is just 'girl' for now! That is all you need to know!"

"So you say, Nan," the old woman chuckled. "For now I will call you Iti. Come, Iti, I have a place where you can clean up before bed."

I looked at Konani and he was grinning, his eyes shining. I stood, but stopped. "What does that mean? Iti?"

"Tiny," he told me, still smirking.

I followed Oni to a back room and cleaned up, changing into an oversized gown before she tucked me into the large feather bed.

"Why's it so big?" I asked, looking around it in confusion as I scooted over.

"Here, we all sleep in the same bed for warmth. It gets cold in the winter and body heat helps. Sleep there in the middle, I will be in soon."

"There are no other beds?" I asked incredulously.

"There is another bed, but it is for... another use. No one sleeps in it, they only use it for... private moments. After, they come to bed."

"What if you have a large family?!?"

"Then we are all the more warm," she smiled. "It is not like the downworld here, there is not so much space on the mountain. Our homes stay small and stacked, those that are not carved into the mountain like the chieftains and kings are. We must leave room for what crops can be grown up here, and the animals. I am fortunate in that Nan is who he is and I get such a large home on the bottom so I don't have to climb."

"He lives here too?"

"This is his home, but he stays mostly down at the gate."

"Do all families live in the same house, or is it only because you are alone?"

Oni chuckled. "It is not so. I am not alone, I have seven grandsons, all of them serving the king. They all come from time to time. I have one son living and two daughters. Daughters leave to live in their husbands home with his family. Sons stay and live in the home of his parents and the ones who came before. It is a good system. Sometimes a daughter does not marry and she stays, or sometimes her husband passes and she returns. A full house is a blessing to all."

"So how many people have slept in this bed all at once?"

"When my grandchildren were smaller, we had twenty seven in this bed."

"How?!?" I asked, looking around.

"We slept on both ends, the children tucked in where they could fit. It is the way of things here."

I looked around again, unable to imagine so many people in a single bed. What if you had to move? Did they keep each other up all night? It seemed impossible.

"Try to sleep, Iti," she smiled, then got up and left.

I lay down and thought about what it would be like for twenty seven people to be in this small house, how crowded it must be! I imagined growing up here, living this way, being so used to the cold like Konani was.

Movement made me jerk awake, disoriented.

"Hush, Iti," Oni murmured. "Go back to sleep." She lay down next to me, but not too close. From the foot of the bed, Konani climbed in on the other side and lay down closer to the wall, far enough I couldn't reach out and touch him with a hand.

I realized then that I didn't feel very safe at all. If Konani was sleeping, who was keeping watch? What if the Miovians had come up the mountain ahead of us somehow and spoke to the king already? Knew I was coming? Knew Konani was bringing me and where to find him? Would they come in while we slept and kill us all? Kill him and take me back to Mareshomese or Miovia? What if they traded me to the Lucanan's to broker a peace? It was said they were trying to gain Lucana as an ally in their war?

Slowly, I eased over more and more until I was close enough that I could feel Konani's warmth. He rolled to face me. "No one is going to harm you, Isola," he whispered softly. "You are safe, I have a man on watch. Try and sleep."

"What if...?"

"No what if's, Iti. Don't think on it. Close your eyes and think of something else, sleep."

I curled up and he set a comforting hand on my arm. Was he stronger than Lani? Would he be able to protect me like she always had? I felt like he was. He would protect me.

I fell back to sleep.

I woke when he got up and slipped out of bed and realized when he did that the nature of the feather bed made it so you could hardly tell when someone else moved. I only knew he moved because he'd pulled his arm away.

Sitting up, I looked around, but Oni was already out of bed and I could smell food cooking in the next room. Dressing quickly, I hurried out and stopped at the door, watching Konani speak to a soldier near the door. The soldier looked at me and Konani turned to look at me as well.

"Sit and eat, Iti," he called. "Makeri is bringing proper clothes for you and Oni will fit them to you. Once she is done, we will go."

I nodded, my heart trying to beat out of my chest as I sat down. What was going to happen to me? To Lani? Was she alright?

I was so lost in my thoughts that I jerked and flinched when Konani sat next to me to eat.

"Easy, Iti," he told me soothingly. "Have no fears for what is to come."

"You will protect me?" I asked, looking up at him.

He turned and looked down at me, his look a bit surprised and uncomfortable. "I will do all I can, Iti," he nodded. "But there will come a point when it is no longer in my hands. You understand this? You will stay and I will return to my post."

"I know... I know, but... until then? You won't let them hurt me? Or Lani? Are they going to give me to some horrible old man?"

"Easy now," he chided. "I have no say in who you will go to, but I will give advice to the king and strong suggestions. Clan Chief Helemiki has a son who has come of age, a gentle boy. He would suit you well. I will suggest you would make him a good match and bring the clan closer to the king, yes?"

"Can he protect me? This boy?"

"The Miovians cannot come here, Iti. They would not, not even for you."

"Who is our Iti that she fears an entire downworld nation?" Oni chuckled, sitting across from us.

"This is Princess Isola, as you will find out soon enough. Princess of the downworld nation of Mareshomese."

"Ahh, I see," Oni answered sadly, looking me over as if she pitied me. "So much on such tiny shoulders. How did you come to this place from that?"

"Her people are at war. Leilani was her guardian and she brought her back here to keep her safe. She knew nothing of the divide."

"Do you have her too?" Oni asked in surprise, sitting up.

"I do, but... she is a bit less trusted than Iti. She is bound and held under guard, being brought in a cart. Iti has zero guile and she is a docile, sweet little thing. She doesn't have it in her to harm another. Leilani, on the other hand, would probably kill everyone before she would be made wed the prince."

"I am told he is a handsome young man," Oni frowned.

"They are still enemies."

"How will he keep her from gutting him in his sleep?"

"They will have to use a binding ritual and... if anyone could be a match for Leilani with a blade, it is Wakea. Anyway, I doubt she has had much practice while she's been gone, not if she's been this one's guardian."

"Yes, I can see as she might have lost her edge," Oni chuckled. "I imagine our Iti invited her to a great many tea parties and played dress up with her."

I blushed, looking down. "I did none of that! She... I read a lot. Sometimes... sometimes I would read aloud during an exciting part and she would act it out for me. A swordfight or a treacherous trek through a jungle, fighting a mighty beast. She's nice... but she was never soft."

"I imagine not," Konani smiled. "There now, here's your dress," he called, standing to answer the door.

The dress wasn't like I was imagining. I was thinking something like what Oni was wearing, but it was a fine, silk dress. Different from what I had worn back home, but made of the same fabrics. The style was like nothing I had ever seen, though, the back completely open all the way down until it was almost indecent and the front was structured to hold its form and not move. Oni laced it tight on me, then took it in and hemmed the bottom. Another soldier came and surprisingly, he did my hair up in an elaborate coil.

"Had eleven daughters," he grinned at me in the mirror. "Their mother lost four fingers on her right hand to the black frost, so things like this were on me. I actually miss it, believe it or not, it was always the best part of my day to sit and listen to them talk."

I smiled up at him, warmed by the thought of a father loving his daughters so much.

"You bring the wrap?" Konani asked the soldier who had brought the dress.

"It's in by the fire, staying warm. It's all she'll have to go out with, so I figured I'd keep it as warm as I could before you took her out in it."

"The shay ready?"

"Right out front, ready and waiting. Quilts already in it. The men are waiting behind with the cart."

"Then we are ready, get the fur cloak for her."

I was pulled up to stand and the soldier wrapped a very warm fur cape around me before Konani led me out to a small, open carriage with only two wheels and a single horse. As soon as we sat, both soldiers piled the quilts on me as I huddled in.

"It's a short ride!" Konani assured me.

"Wait!" I cried as he lifted the reins. I jumped out and ran to Oni, hugging her tight and letting her squeeze me back for a long moment before getting back in the cart.

Konani's face looked grim and maybe a bit sick as he flipped the reins and we took off.

I had questions, but I was too busy looking around to think of them. There were stone houses butted up to the cliffs and more places carved into the cliffs between the houses. Buildings, businesses, more than I imagined there could be with the narrow, winding path going up. I saw small fields, places where there were gardens in better weather and more fields where animals stood in little lean-to's and stayed close to each other. I'd never seen a place like this, or people like these with their odd clothes and coats made of animal skins and furs. I was used to Nani, of course, but seeing so many people who were so much like her seemed off to me. Even the men had the same long silken black hair and beautiful dark eyes. They also all seemed so happy, smiling and laughing and watching curiously as we passed. The higher we got, the more people recognized Konani and hailed him and his soldiers following close behind.

I turned and looked up at the elaborate carvings at the top of the path and the huge opening in the side of the cliff rising up so high that it got lost in the clouds. "Is that it?" I asked breathlessly, in awe of the size of it.

"It is," he answered, still seemingly grumpy as he drove us right into the opening to a path inside the mountain. He didn't stop until we reached what looked like stables, then helped me out. We stood waiting while the other soldiers lifted Leilani out of the other cart, her red and angry as she tried to struggle. She'd been changed into a dress too and her elbows were hooked behind a long pole, her hands tied in front of her. They could lift her with the pole and never get near her and they did, a man on each end. I noticed as they set the pole on their shoulders that Nani's feet were bound as well and tied to the pole so she couldn't kick. Her mouth was gagged and her hair wild like she'd been struggling mightily.

"Must she be tied that way?" I asked Konani pleadingly. "I'm sure she wouldn't hurt anyone if you just asked her to..."