by Vitaly Zykov
Yarik froze at the entrance waiting for the outcome, reasonably thinking that his master did not require any help. Obviously, the latter thought so too. Darg jumped to one of the opponents, seized his wrist and almost without any effort, twisted the enemy's hand in the most inconceivable way. The poor creature howled and bent double dropping on his one knee. The second bully rushed to help his companion and missed a powerful kick under his knee – the rattle of his fall was impressive. The first brawler received a blow in his neck and flew next. The man with the hurt knee tried to get up, appealing to all gods, both Dark and Light, but got a blow in his temple and fell over his companion with his eyes rolled up.
Darg rose straight, found Yarik with his eyes and pointed at his purse and then at prostrate opponents and proceeded to a free table. Yarik nodded knowingly and approaching the immovable bodies began to ravage the purses of the tavern fighters from excess weight.
– What's he doing?! – One of the regulars of the tavern began to yell in protest.
– He's taking my loot! – Unperturbably answered Darg and called up the owner.
He slowly approached and asked:
– Are they alive? I hope so…
– You are offending me – drawled Darg.
At this point Yarik came up to them and unloaded purses on the table.
– I hope you have no objection? – Darg asked lifting his gaze to the owner.
– We stick to old customs here, – the owner shrugged his shoulders indifferently. – They ran into trouble on their own. What will you order?
After a little thought Darg ordered porridge and meat for two. To the question about wine he thought and refused, but ordered beer.
By this time defeated men began to stir on the floor. Sighing and gasping, darting evil glances and swearing under their breath, they silently slipped out of the tavern.
– Well, they will know how to call me a dirty nomad! – Widely grinned Darg who obviously was getting genuine pleasure.
Yarik looked at his master attentively and understood that Darg was obviously tired of duties of the tribe leader and now he for the first time began to breathe the fresh air of freedom. Yarik smiled and started to eat the cooling-down porridge which was very similar to buckwheat.
The lunch or rather the dinner passed in silence. Other visitors had even stopped looking at them, so they got a chance to have a good rest. The hall gradually filled with visitors who came to get a drink or two after a working day, then some maidens appeared wearing cloth that hid almost nothing. Darg leaned back in his chair and called up the servant.
– Do you have two rooms upstairs? – demanded Darg.
– Yes, master. We do. It will cost a silver coin, payment in the morning.
– I will take both.
After that he got up and slowly went to the ladder. Yarik followed him, yawning heavily and surprised by the strange generosity of his master. At the ladder they were already expected by a boy who was to lead the master with his slave to the rooms.
They stopped near the first door and the boy reported that this one and the next were their rooms.
– Listen to me, there were two girls near the bar counter. Ask the red one to come up to my room, and the dark-haired girl to that room. Got that? – Darg enclosed a copper coin in boy's hand.
The boy dashed away.
– You will have a rest and relax this night, – Darg answered to Yarik's wondering look.
Yarik who did not like whores would have refused with pleasure, but he could not contradict his master. Surprisingly, his master could show gratitude for rescuing his life. Though, in a little curious way.
Yarik only started undressing in the room when a tiny figure slipped into the door… He tried to open his mouth and say something, but a small palm lay down on his lips – there was no need for words.
And then there was wild madness. Blood and death, life on the edge and the breath of Abyss constantly gnawed his soul, creating a dark wave which was restrained only by the grip of his will… And now this wave spilled outside, closely intertwined with instincts, again and again raising two people up to the top of bliss. Yarik acted as if this was the last woman in his life. He drank her as they drink some expensive wine, trying to enjoy every sip, to extend these sweet moments…
CHAPTER 28
Yarik woke up from feeling of a sunbeam running over his face. He twitched his face, breathed noisily and opened his eyes. It's time to get up! He heard quiet puffing near his ear. Yarik turned and saw the sleeping dark-haired girl. She buried her face in his shoulder and was still watching her night dreams.
– Well, such things had never occurred to me before, – drawled Yarik remembering yesterday and carefully stood up and began to dress.
As usual, this procedure took a few moments. Now he had to pick up the bag and to take the money from his master. Yarik have no idea how much a night like that could cost, nor did he have any money.
Yarik quietly opened the door and came face to face with Darg.
– Ready? – He asked quietly, giving a respectful look to Yarik.
– Yes, master. Here I just a…
– Take, – said Darg, holding out two silver coins. – As I understand, she is worth it.
Yarik nodded gratefully, returned back, and put the coins near the headboard. The girl never woke up, now lying across the whole bed. Without looking back, Yarik went to the door.
The host was at the bar already, he was rubbing the same mug and scolding a maid for something. On seeing the guests, he straightened up and nodded kindly, watching at them attentively: they could run away without paying. Darg went directly to the host:
– My dear, we would like to have some food for the journey. For three or four days for two men.
The owner of «The noble robber» nodded and called the maid to hurry. She grabbed the bag from Yarik and dashed off to the kitchen.
Darg started a conversation with the host about the way to Glorrt. The host answered to the questions pretty thoroughly, painting for clarity with his wet finger on the bar surface. Yarik leaned relaxed on the table, not too involved in the conversation.
The maid came back with the bag which became much heavier, handed it to Yarik and then ran away. Darg looked at Yarik gloomy, rubbed the strings of his purse and with a painful sigh began to count money for the innkeeper. The latter brightened considerably, caressing the growing pile of coins with his eyes.
– Come on! – Angrily muttered Darg and headed to the exit.
When they came out of the tavern and were walking quickly towards the eastern part of the city, Yarik dared to ask:
– What has displeased my lord?
Darg snorted, his cheekbones were moving angrily.
– I don't have enough money to buy even one tirr! So we have to go on foot. Twelve days march! – Darg muttered under his breath some cursing.
– Maybe someone will take us in their cart? – Yarik asked with hope. – Master will pay…
Darg turned to the slave incinerating him with his gaze.
– Only a savage like you could get an idea that there exist regular passenger services between the capital of fly-bitten Uzz and this hole. The only connection is merchant caravans, but they will not give us a ride… And I do not want that either. So we are going on foot! – Notified the master with a menacing frown.
Yarik nodded understandingly.
It was the fifth day, when some string began to tremble in Yarik's soul. Someone familiar, almost native was very close. Yarik even heard echoes of almost a puppy joy of this being. Something small, but very fast was approaching the two travelers. Without slowing his pace the young slave looked at Tass – the local sun – it was evening, so the break will be in a couple of hours. Yarik adjusted the straps of the bag which did not want to lose its weight (they tried to restock provisions in each village, their present appearance did not cause any fears now) and added step a little, trying to catch up with Darg who was hurrying ahead. The unknown pursuer
, according to his feelings, did not carry any danger, and Yarik threw it out of his head. Everything will become clear when it catches up them!
Darg was still tirelessly striding ahead. The heat and the dust seemed not to haunt him. The only concession he had made to the nature and his body, was that on the first day he took off his jacket. He certainly looked very impressive in it, but to walk in the heat wearing a jacket, while even Yarik cursed the day when Darg bought him a shirt – that was just stupid. Yarik remembered how he timidly asked permission of his master to take off his shirt and received a severe rebuke about proper appearance for a slave of a respectable owner. From Darg's speech full of curses Yarik concluded that walking naked or partially naked was a terrible shame for a man in these lands. Even for slaves…
– Halt! – said Darg shortly, as he did during the last days, and turned from the road to a small but nice lawn.
Yarik startled. As always, when you are strong and tough, and it's clear and light in your heart, time passed quickly. It was evening already. Yarik habitually threw the bag on the place selected by his master and immediately went for branches for a fire. This road was considered safe, and they could afford not to hide.
When he returned half an hour later with a heavy bundle of dry twigs (he used some liana as a rope), Yarik found the pot already prepared for fire. During the wandering master did not watch the hierarchy too strictly.
– Master, where did you get the water? – Yarik asked curiously. It used to take them longer to find it.
Darg waved somewhere aside in response. Yarik listened and felt the fresh force of a small spring in that direction.
– What are you waiting for! Make the fire! – Growled Darg with irritation, fumbling in the bag.
It was the most embarrassing moment – to kindle the fire. Yarik grinned. A while ago it used to be a problem for him to do it. Now he had no matches or lighter. Flint and tinder were the only friends of local forest travelers. Kneeling, Yarik began to strike sparks. At some point the tinder began to smolder. Now he had to put carefully some small splinters gently blowing the timid flames. Done! Now he could add twigs, small ones at first, then larger and larger… That was a whole science. He had got a lot of slaps from Dukan still there in the camp of nomads until he learned to do it correctly!
– The Stone Age! – Muttered the young slave each time after this procedure in almost forgotten Russian language. To his careful questions about more advanced methods of kindling they hinted a couple of times that there were some sparking sticks which cost a huge amount of money…
The water in the pot boiled very quickly, and now Yarik was trying to cook something like soup, using picked up roots, remains of the meat and some grains. The responsibility for cooking was lying on him during all the travel, but judging by master's pained grimaces before each meal, he was not excited by this fact. However he did not try to cook himself – apparently, he could not do it even like that, and during every meal Yarik watched the face of his master contort in disgust and heard his angry puffing.
– I should memorize the recipe. It's very suitable to torture prisoners! – Darg broke the silence noisily sipping from his spoon. – Although this time it's better. At least it isn't revolting back like the first time.
Yarik nodded gratefully. They had little money, and had to save, so he seasoned the broth with roots and herbs, experimentally learning their effect. It was good that he could determine life-threatening plants intuitively.
Once the spoons scratched the bottom of the pot, Darg contentedly leaned back, providing Yarik with an opportunity to clean the pot. Not too pleasant work. Cleaning the pot with sand in cold water enraged Yarik, forcing him to remember the long-standing annoying ads about a dishwashing liquid which could clean any dishes even in cold water…
Finally, all the work was done and Yarik returned to the fire. Twilight that had enveloped the land long ago now was ready to give way to the darkness of the night.
– The second watch is yours, – said Darg, settling his back to the fire.
Now that he was confident of Yarik's ability to be vigilant, he began to trust him the most difficult duty – in the morning. At this time you really want to sleep and the forest vermin are most active in the morning, unwilling to fight with a traveler when he is full of energy, but to tear a sleepy man who understands nothing. Yarik nodded and muttered something irreverent under his breath, then fell on a pre-prepared pile of fresh branches, and fell into the dark pools of sleep, without clogging his head with unnecessary thoughts or memories…
Despite all the hardships that Yarik endured in this world, it was still unbearably hard for him to get up. And now, when Darg shook him promising to tear his head off if he fell asleep, and slumped on his warm spot, Yarik was standing yawning so hard that there was a real danger of getting a jaw dislocation. The campfire was barely smoldering, Yarik shivered and threw a couple of branches into the fire. It was about three o'clock in the morning and it was not too hot in one shirt. Judging by the last conversation with his master, it should be very cold here soon. In the Steppe due to the powerful magic of the Ancients winter never comes, but here, everything was different. And now it was probably the tenth week of the summer.
«I wonder if master will buy some warm clothes for the cold weather for me? – Yarik thought sadly. – How disgusting it's to feel yourself a thing!»
The first time in a few weeks Yarik slid into the depths of his mind and felt the strange tangle of magic nestled there. There was still very, very much work. And when could he do it? He's always on the road. Not a single minute to spare. The road takes all his energy. Even now when he is alone, there is no way to enter into a deep trance – there was a reason for night watch!
At this point Yarik almost jumped on the spot. Idiot! Why did he feel someone softly watching his back?! It was not like a cold gaze of a predator ready to attack, neither was it like an aiming archer who closed one eye for convenience. But it was not like a glance of an idle onlooker either! There could not be an onlooker there!
Yarik, trying to remain stealthy, attempted to carefully identify the spark of alien attention and locate the observer… It looked like he was sitting on a high tree on the edge of the glade. At this moment Yarik felt strange warmth, which appeared in the depths of his soul with the thought about the observer. Something native but very distant wafted on him.
Yarik was interested and he tried to concentrate on this feeling. As he expected, everything became clearer and more vivid. A warm gently pulsating lump appeared somewhere near his heart. Yarik mentally reached out to it. The pulsation became more frequent and the waves of pleasant soothing heat ran through his whole body. And then Yarik formed an impulse of sympathy, and tried to put it into the center of this pulsating lump near his heart…
And events raced at a gallop. A yelp came from the observer on the tree and something dark and rapid slipped along the trunk to the ground. Then it hid in the grass. Yarik's night vision just snatched a sharp wedge head and an oblong furry body. A small surf ran over the grass. A moment later a furry body of some animal jumped into the hands of the tense man. From unexpectedness Yarik even had no time to react and the unknown creature was already sitting on his shoulder and poking its wet nose into his cheek. The whirlpool of the animal's feelings was penetrating through the barriers of his own. There was delight, adoration, happiness of involvement and delight again.
A vague recollection of something small and quick in search of The Big glimmered in Yarik's mind. These dreams invaded Yarik's own from time to time.
– Tyke, why did you need me? And why are we linked to each other? – Yarik stroked the flexible back of the animal with quiet whispering.
It happily screamed and tried to perform a dance on the man's shoulder.
– Hush, – whispered Yarik, sure that Darg should not know about the hand beast of his slave.
At this moment another thought began of knock persistently into the closed gates of his mind. Yari
k sighed and revealed his feelings towards the animal.
The images began to flash before his mind eye. It's very scary, because the mother is far away, and the evil-scary-long is close to the nest. The veil that seemed so robust and used to fence you from the world has become thin and fragile now. But your enemy rushes somewhere down and the exit from the nest becomes unnaturally large and bright… You keep beating into the barriers that isolate you from the world, trying to escape. And then the world spins upside down, and you feel moments of flying, even without having time to get scared. And somebody big and warm catches you. The Big, strong and safe, he is a friend. The veil is destroyed, and you open your eyes for the first time, meet the eyes of your savior, and immediately feel as if some invisible ties connect your soul with this creature. And some wave makes you bite the finger of your savior, get the taste of his blood, the blood that will fasten these ties together…
– You mean, you're that little brat who bit my finger? – muttered Yarik, scratching the animal under its lower jaw. – But you've grown! – At this moment Yarik understood. – Wait a minute, so you have escaped from the Forest haven't you?! Gods of the Abyss! – Yarik said the last phrase with belated fear.
He remembered the words of Ghol – the small Urg or goblin as they say here. He called these animals «kaifat». Ghol spoke about them as of very dangerous creatures. And now this deadly dangerous beast was sniffing in his ear and trying to look into his eyes.
– I will call you Rual. In Urg's this means Night Jumper! Yes, that what I'm going to call you! I hope you don't mind? – Yarik asked the beast very similar to a weasel, mixing his mental speech with actual words.
A wave of heat, excitement and confidence was the answer. The beast who had just got a name continued to radiate joy.
At this time, Darg stirred. It was dawn already, and the master began to wake up.
«Hide in the bushes» – Yarik sent a mental-order to the animal. – «When we go, you follow us. Got it?»
