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MITEKAINE (Autor)

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2025 | 1. Auflage
508 Seiten
Publishdrive (Verlag)
978-0-00-102181-5 (ISBN)

Infos

Toyah ventures a bit too far from home and discovers secrets that have been kept for generations. 

Will each encounter and experience build her? or destroy her? 

Every decision she makes is like a test that has implications on her people, herself, and her values. 

Toyah battles authority, family, prejudice, boundaries, and herself as she learns what truth is and what it means to live in the depth of truth and love... and truth in love. 

Textauszug

i

Toyah froze. She scanned the forest for the source of the sound of the horse’s hooves she heard approaching. They were still paces away so, she waited from her perch in the tree. There were several low voices. They seemed to be aware about how to blend into the forest, just like Toyah was taught. Were these Ruh? None of their voices sounded familiar. Toyah waited. They got closer. They entered her line of sight and she watched them pass beneath her branch. These were not Ruh. They were wearing linen, like the Ruh. They were also wearing leather. The Ruh only wore leather boots. Not leather clothes. Toyah reclined on the tree branch and waited. She let out a breath she was unconsciously holding. When she was sure they had gone further ahead she dropped from the tree and crouched, watching them. She knew she had made no sound so, when one of them turned, she knew it was because he sensed her presence, not because he heard her. She stayed concealed. When he refocused his attention to the people he was with, Toyah followed them. It was easy for her to remain concealed and noiseless. She had been trained for it her whole life. As she followed them, she studied them. They talked, but very low. Toyah could not hear them. Just like the Ruh had been trained to do. Each one had a weapon, just like many of the Ruh. The man who had sensed her presence had a bow. As they continued on, he stood on his horse and lifted himself into a tree. Toyah wondered why and realized they had reached the apple groove. She was far from home. She looked at the shadows and knew she’d get back home on time. She wanted to know where these people where going. The man in the tree tossed apples down to his friends who caught them. Toyah realized his friends were still moving forward, which meant that the man in the tree was moving forward in the trees. This amused Toyah. After a while, he dropped back onto his horse gently. They were out of the apple groove. Toyah remembered that this is how her uncle and aunt had died—far from home. Still, she dared to go a little farther. The group she was following reached the foot of the mountain and dispersed. Toyah watched them until they were out of sight, then she turned back and headed home.

Dekha opened the door. His head tilted to the side slightly and Toyah wondered what was in her eyes. Dekha was her little brother. He was, in fact, her cousin. He was the son of her Uncle Qadar and Aunt Edreah, the ones who had died mysteriously in the forest. His father was her mother’s older brother. They had adopted him so now, he was her brother.

She followed him into the house and shut the door. As they had supper, Dekha talked about how his training might end early. Everyone was trained in the basics of stealth, weapon wielding, concealment, scouting, and defence. Some got by with the basic training; some pursued it to the highest level where, not only were they trained in weaponry but, in guarding, scouting, and warfare. Toyah had gone up to that point. Dekha was now close to finishing as well. “I wonder why that is?” Hiyan, their father asked. “Maybe this team had quick learners,” Ada, their mother said. Dekha smiled. “Or, maybe the guard and scout team is getting busier.” Hiyan looked at Dekha. “What makes you say that?” Dekha shrugged. “I just think that, if we graduate early, they’ll have more people on their guard and scout team. Could be because of expansion, extra caution… I don’t know.”

“Expansion?” Ada said.

Dekha looked at them. “Part of our expeditions seemed to have been explorations of the land a little bit beyond our boarders. I could be wrong but, Uncle Talmai might have some plans or something.” Hiyan and Ada exchanged a glance.

“So, will you be a scout or a guard?” Hiyan asked. “We are trained to be both now,” Dekha said. “You were as well, actually,” Dekha added to Toyah. “They told us they combined the training in your year at Third Square.”

Toyah had noticed but had not mentioned it. She used to watch the trainings when she was still in fourth square. By the time she graduated from Fourth Square to go to Third, she noticed that the mode of training was different.

“What did you do today?” Hiyan asked Toyah. “I went for a walk,” she said.

She also practiced archery but, did not mention it. It felt like a private venture.

“Spent most of my time in a tree, reading,” she said. “Enjoying your break I see,” Ada said.

“I am,” Toyah said smiling.

Earlier, on her way home, she had decided that she won’t mention the strangers she had seen.

Toyah lay in bed.

‘There is something about those people. Should I look for them again? Will I see them again?’

Keep doing your archery practice. I will guide you with what you need to know.

‘Alright.’

Toyah was on the ground, cross-legged. Her mind was screaming.

There was someone talking to her. Igniting aggression and

defence combined. Toyah was enraged and frustrated. She

wanted to yell but did not know what to say. She wanted to

retaliate with defences. He was shouting and she wanted to shout

back. He got louder and louder.

Toyah woke up. The shouting had become too loud for her to stay asleep. She couldn’t even hear actual words in the dream. All she heard and remembered was the shouting and how defensive it made her. Something had calmed her just before she woke up. ‘What was that?’

You will remember when you need to.

‘Okay.’

She looked at her curtain. The faint light of dawn shone through. Toyah shut her eyes, trying to go back to sleep.

Toyah woke up again. She felt like something important had happened in a dream earlier but could not remember the dream. All she could remember was that it was uncomfortable. She searched her mind as deeply as she could. She finally remembered one thing. “You will remember what you need to.”

‘I really hope I do when the time comes. Please keep my mind open so that I can recognize and accept the memory when it comes.’ I will help you.

‘Can I go into the forest?’

Go into the forest. There’s a plan you need to accomplish. Toyah smiled.

‘The archery?’

Your future in me.

‘Alright.’

She went down the hall and jumped when she saw Dekha. She thought everyone had left the house.

“Hello,” he said.

“Hello,” she said.

She headed for the door.

“You know, you could practice archery in fourth square on the free days. You don’t have to go Lord-knows-where in the forest,” Dekha said.

“I know. But, I like the forest better,” she said. “That, I have gathered,” he said.

She laughed.

“Careful,” he said as she walked out.

“Always,” she said. “You too.”

Toyah was frustrated. She was so close to being able to fire her arrows right where she wanted to. However, she had been close for too long. She wondered what was keeping her from hitting her targets. She tried to calm her breaths. She tried to relax her muscles. She tried not to let her fingers flail. None of that worked. She wondered if she needed a teacher but, the idea did not appeal to her. She didn’t want to talk to anyone, much less talk about her archery. ‘I need help.’

She sat on the grass, leaning against a tree. She was tired. “Recoil,” she heard.

She rolled forward, twisted and ended in a crouch, her swords drawn. The man in front of her had no weapons. He did not flinch. He showed no signs of defence. He stayed still. Toyah studied him. He wore leather pants, a linen tank tunic, and boots. She looked back up at his face. He had short curly hair and a trimmed beard. His eyes were brown. They were open… Toyah felt like she could see through them into him so, she looked away.

“So you do not need archery,” he said, smiling a little. Toyah stayed still. He lowered himself onto one knee in the grass. “When you fire the arrow, at the point of release, your body jerks back ever so slightly and, that messes the direction of the arrow,” he said. “At the point of release, stop thinking about the arrow and start thinking about your body—keeping it relaxed. Your aim is good so, you wouldn’t have to worry about the arrow once you’ve decided on your target.”

Toyah stood slowly, sheathing her swords in their scabbard strapped to her back. He stayed on the ground. She watched him for a moment. ‘Is he safe?’

Yes he is, Toyah. Look at him.

He did not move.

‘He seems to also be watching me.’

Silence.

‘He seems relaxed.’

Relax as well, Toyah.

Sealing her resolve, she picked up the bow she had laid on the ground when she was worried that her frustration might result in her tossing it and breaking it. She picked an arrow she had shot into the tree, since she had emptied the quiver that was strapped to her back next to her swords. He was really close to the spot where she had been standing as she practiced her aim earlier. She stood a little farther from the tree to keep some distance between them.

He’s safe, Toyah. Don’t worry.

‘Okay.’

She took a deep breath and let it out.

‘Let me just do it here cause, it would be strange to move closer to him now. Also, I can practice long range shooting.’

She docked her arrow and aimed at the scar she had been aiming at all morning. She followed his instructions on consciousness of her recoil. When she let the arrow fly, it landed right in the middle of the scar. He...

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 19.8.2025
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Literatur ► Fantasy / Science Fiction ► Fantasy
• ISBN-10: 0-00-102181-8 / 0001021818
• ISBN-13: 978-0-00-102181-5 / 9780001021815