“So,” he said, cautiously. “What be tha trouble, Jedd?”
“We canna take his money, Erigg,” the barkeep said, pointing to the huge pile of gleaming coins on the table. He did not look at Tchurn.
Erigg was shocked. “What? Yew don’t want gold? Are yew mad?” Jedd glowered at him. “Fine, fine. Here.” Erigg shook his head. “This should pay fer anything else he consumes tonight. Well, food and drink that is.” He dropped several dirty coins into the barkeep’s hand, and smiled.
Jedd bounced the coins up and down in his hand. His next words were low, his eyes on the coins. “Don’t be touchin’ Jilii, Erigg. Tha Goor own her now.”
Erigg grew angry. “What? Why aren’t yew…”
“Don’t touch her!” Jedd whispered fiercely. “They’ll kill yew!” He turned away. A firm grip upon his son’s elbow dragged the boy along as they retreated behind the bar.
Is no one willing to do the killing? asked Viridian. So the blood will be spilling?
“The Goor have not settled,” I replied. “Perhaps we will have entertainment.” Jil gaped at me, and I gave her a dark smile I was not sure she could see.
Erigg stared at Jil’s backside with agony before he sighed, and turned to Tchurn. Tchurn’s hand still rested on the grip of his enormous sword as his red eyes burned down at Erigg.
“You interfered.”
“With what? Yer massacre? Yew know I won’t stand fer that. Now come on, sit down.” He leaned his antlers against the table before reaching high up and pulling on Tchurn's shoulder, and kicking behind one of Tchurn’s knees with his good leg. Nothing happened.
Tchurn stared down at Erigg with what was the smallest hint of a smile I could imagine. He propped his sword against the cliff wall. Erigg looked up at him, hands on hips.
“Come on, yew boulder. Sit down.” He yanked on Tchurn’s shoulders again. It seemed to me that Tchurn bent his knees and leaned back slightly just before Erigg pulled.
Tchurn plopped onto his bench, which splintered with a loud crack.
“There yew go,” Erigg said. Tchurn turned around to face the table and picked up a mug, leaving Erigg to struggle. He carefully bent down, stretching his right leg out wide and hopping twice, before gathering the discarded furs. He pulled Tchurn’s coif off his head, and set the furs firmly on Tchurn’s shoulders, who pinched them across his armor with his huge hand. He recovered his antlers and glanced at Jil as he hopped around the table, but said nothing as he slid awkwardly onto the bench opposite Tchurn, facing the bar.
The Goor returned to their tables, some more slowly than others.
I was monumentally disappointed.
As we are with you, said Carmine.
“Whore,” I called her, but it was Jil who twitched and let loose more Shame. It was impossible to resist, but I knew my emotion was not Shame. It was not!
Rop remained standing. “uXulu task: serve!” he called out. Exasperation came out of their lips in stone-based insults, but the giant, nude women let go of Jil and returned to the tables. I was not pleased at their departure; being surrounded by huge breasts had been thrilling. Dislodged from my fleshy cocoon left me morose, and with no reason to remain. I floated over to Tchurn’s table, leaving Jil at the bar. It was only a few steps away, by eXia’s long stride, but it was enough to draw out an entreaty.
“Don’t leave me alone,” Jil begged as I left, with a rise in Fear.
She did not deserve a reply, and I wanted her to suffer. She was weak, and useless—a detriment to my plight. I would have accepted being bound to anyone else in the bar, even a Goor. Anyone but her. I abandoned her, and enjoyed the additional rise in Fear, despite the risk.
“I could have killed them,” said Tchurn, wiping his runny nose with the back of his enormous hand. He clutched the furs about him and shivered.
“Aye. Don't yew think I know that?” Erigg picked up a cup to take a drink, looked inside, and set it down. “All these Goor? Why do yew think I stopped yew? We aren't here ta lay waste to the only Inn in these here mountains.” Erigg looked into all of the nearby mugs, then sighed.
Can he truly kill all these Goor by himself? asked Cerulean.
Even while ill? asked Tawny.
The thought of a slaughter brought excitement again; blood splattering the walls, screams of pain. Why did it thrill me so?
You are more like us than you want to admit, said Carmine.
I was not certain what to think of that. I frowned, nonetheless.
Erigg looked over Tchurn’s shoulder, toward the bar, and said to Jil: “Can yew join us, lass?”
Her eyes went wide and she shook her head several times. I noticed Rop watching her at the same time as Erigg. He let his gaze fall. A pinch of the mouth and squeeze of the fist were all I needed to tell me how he felt about Jil’s captivity. It was not so difficult to gauge human emotions; this foul connection with Jil was unnecessary.
“We will deal with Rop,” I told her from near Tchurn’s back. I turned to see the look of shock on her face. Did she presume that I offered to help her with her predicament? I clarified: “His affect on your Fear is intolerable.” When she understood, her face fell, and a quick thrust of Anguish came out of her. “You will have to earn your own freedom,” I warned her.
As will you, said Magenta.
“What do you mean?” I demanded, but there was only laughter in response. I Hated them and their cryptic insinuations.
“What, Master?” Jil asked. Hotun was standing behind the bar, and gave her a strange look.
Tchurn stretched his feet back into the coals, sighing before a phlegmy cough wracked him. He spat, sprouting another sizzle from the fire.
“You’re late, Erigg,” he said finally.
“Oh, well! Sorry about that! Did yew not notice tha weather we’re havin' outside?” Erigg spread his arms dramatically. “It maybe didn’t slow yew down, but yew can bet everyone else out there is trampin’ around like pregnant gohoats in deep mud! And me with me tree stump here.” Erigg slapped his right leg. “Methinks we’ll be lucky ta see any of the rest of tha group fer a few bluedays.”
“What group?”
“Tha group I’m forming. Right now. Startin’ with yew.”
Tchurn glowered. “Why did you summon me?”
“All in good time, me lad. Allow me ta warm me innards first, if yew don’t mind.” He called over Tchurn’s shoulder: “Jilii, could yew bring us some stew?” She pretended not to hear him as her face continued to flush with Shame. Hotun had disappeared; there was no one else to serve.
“Desist,” I warned her. “Your Shame is affecting me.”
“Yes, Master,” she said, but her Shame did not lessen. I growled at her, and it must have sounded more ominous than intended. Her eyes went wide and her Fear spiked. I turned away from her before another emotional catastrophe ensued.
Tchurn stared into the fire and snorted deeply. He spat and twisted his neck to wipe his mouth on the fur on his shoulder.
“That don't sound too good. Yew need ta get yerself ta bed.”
“I want the fire.”
“There's no fire in tha rooms?”
“What rooms?”
Erigg looked up. “There’s dozens of rooms up there, carved into tha mountain. There’s a web of tunnels leadin’ ta small caves.”
“No. Easy to get lost, or trapped.”
“Well, there are rooms, yew just be too scared ta use ’em.” He smirked.
Tchurn shattered a mug he had been holding. Chagrin devoured the smile on Erigg’s face.
“Sorry, lad, sorry! I forgot.” He cleared his throat. “Yew’d best stay down here. Yer boulder butt won’t fit in them tunnels anyhoo. Besides, looks like them rooms are all taken.” Tchurn looked up to see Goor eyes looking down upon him. “So, we can sit here and talk about the old times then.” Erigg winked and called for mead.
Tchurn frowned, distress on his face as a memory came forth, but he said nothing.
What memory tortures
him so? asked Tawny.
We could watch, suggested Cerulean, if Maal remembers how.
“Remember what?”
I like to watch, purred Magenta.
I do not want to know! cried Amber.
“Perhaps tell me what you are suggesting,” I demanded.
This is more fun, said Tawny, giggling. I scoffed; more wasted time.
Hotun returned with four steaming mugs, interrupting my contemplations. “Me Da says yew can have as much as yew want to eat and drink with that money yew gave ‘im. Him too.” He nodded at Tchurn. “Um, as long as that sword stays over there.”
Tchurn looked up at him, and he quailed. “Me Da said,” he squeaked.
“Good, good!” said Erigg, rubbing his hands together in anticipation. “Bring us two of yer biggest bowls o’ that sweet smellin’ pot yew got bubblin’ back there.” He waved his hand toward the area behind the wall. “Me belly is growlin’ like a hungry wulff!”
A blast of Fear brought my attention back to Jil. She was watching Rop approach, and his face was unpleasant; his patience had been breached. He grabbed Jil’s chain and shook it. “Girl task: work.”
Jil nodded, and started to move toward the tables, eyes on the ground.
“Will you not fight for your freedom?” I filled my question with scorn.
Jil glanced at me. “I canna beat him!” Rop frowned, and pursed his lips, confused at the statement.
“Have you tried?”
Jil looked at me as if I were insane.
Her first accurate assessment, said Cerulean.
Rop shook her chain again. “Work!”
Erigg stood up, and Rop showed teeth. Erigg carefully straddled the bench, noticed Rop’s face, and brought his empty palms up. “How much to let her rest?”
Rop stared. “No task.”
Erigg smiled, but it was false. He dug into a pouch tied to his belt and held out five more cruddy coins. “Girl task: rest?”
Rop took one coin and examined it. He gave it back. “No task.”
Erigg put the coins away, his smile gone. He lifted one of the thong necklaces over his head, the one with the long claw. “Snowswimmer claw,” he said, presenting it to Rop.
Rop’s eyes grew huge. He released Jil’s chain and took the claw. He turned it over and over. “You task: lie? Snowswimmer task: always kill all.”
“No lie. Look at it. What other creature has a claw like that? Pinch it at the base and it splits in two.”
Rop did, and the claw separated irregularly down the middle. He grinned as he put the claw over his neck. “Girl task: rest.” He turned to go.
“‘Til bluerise.”
Rop scowled but nodded. He went to show it off to a nearby table.
Erigg looked over at Jil and smiled at her. He held out his hand. “Come join me, Jilii!”
“Erigg fought for you, and look at the result.”
Jil began to approach the table.
“You have been spoken to!” I thundered.
Jil’s Fear surged and she took a step back. “Sorry, Master!” she cried.
“Jil?” Erigg said with great concern. “I’m not yer master.”
“You may not approach this table. You did not earn it.”
Jil was horrified, spewing Shame and Anguish intermixed. “Please, Master!”
“’Tis ok. Come on over, I won’t hurt yew.”
“Until you can demonstrate your worth, you will crawl.”
Tears began falling from her eyes.
“Jilii!” He looked at Tchurn. “What’s wrong with her?” He did not wait for an answer, instead rising to nab his antlers. “What’s wrong, lass?” He limped over to her. “Is it yer hand? That burn looks mighty bad.”
I approached her, fingers sparking. Fear and Anguish assaulted me, but I fought. “On. Your. Knees!” I shouted.
Strangle this pathetic cunt, said Carmine. At that moment, it was fortunate for Jil that I could not.
Jil cried out and fell to the ground, covering an ear with her good hand.
“Come on, lass,” Erigg said, nearly falling as he sped to her side. “Yer ok now. Shhh.”
“If you wish to sit at the table, you will crawl to it.”
“Yes, Master,” she said, crying. Anguish and Shame flooded out of her, shattering my resistance, and superseding my emotions. All I could do was watch her crawl, crying and miserable, while I suffered along with her. I would not let her know that her misery and sadness were shared, though every part of me wanted to help her, to stop the suffering. Anything to stop the suffering!
Compassion is for the weak, said Indigo. But she is suffering!
Erigg tried to get her to stand, but she crawled over to the table with his soft, supportive words as companions. His gentle approach lessened her misery, and by the time she reached the table, half of her emotion’s potency had vanished. To my surprise, she was not a complete imbecile. She waited on her knees at the table.
“You…” I had to pause. My voice sounded far too weak, so I bolstered it with Hate. “You may sit.”
“Thank yew, Master.” She sat down on the very edge of the bench opposite Tchurn, closest to the walkway.
Erigg stood beside her at the bench, his face bursting with worry as he rubbed her back. “Lass, are yew well?” She quickly covered her breasts with her good hand, Shame still rampant. “Tchurn, share one of yer furs with the poor lass,” Erigg said. Tchurn did not move or answer. Erigg glared at him, then leaned forward to try to pull a fur off of Tchurn, but even his careless grip on them made them unmovable.
One of the voices giggled.
Erigg blew out an angry breath, and started to undo his vest. Before the first button was undone, he paused as he looked inside his vest. He dropped his hands and moved around Jil to sit beside her on the bench. He engulfed her tiny form with a thick arm.
“How do yew know me?” Jil asked, sniffling. Her good hand wiped tears away, creating smears of dirt across her face.
He glanced at her blackened fist before answering. “’Twas a long time ago when I was here last. Don’t know fer sure, but there was a wee lass who used to sit on me lap and play with me beard. Her name was Jilii.”
The image of small, human children appeared. The view had me chasing them, and giggling. They squealed with delight when they were caught in a squeeze, then released to be chased again. Was Jil one of these children?
After a short time, she asked: “Why’d yew help me? Other travelers have come through and just left. Most didn’t even stay tha night, seein’ tha Goor lived here now.” She looked up at him with wet, green eyes, a quivering, pouting mouth, and upturned eyebrows. She could not have appeared more defenseless, and it affected me as well; I could not summon the Hate desired for her abject weakness. Why was she such a perfect victim?
His blue eyes focused intently on hers. “Lass, yew look like yew haven’t had a good rest in a long while.”
“But tha claw. I’m not worth that.”
“Don’t yew ever say such nonsense, lass. ’Tis just a claw.”
“’Tis not a snowswimmer claw?”
Erigg smiled and winked at her.
“No one’s ever killed one!”
“Them things are awful nasty, ‘tis true.”
“Me Uncle Rullen told me a story about his Da, who was the only man in our Clan to have ever survived one. He’d been out with twenty Clanmates, hunting fer game, when they got ambushed. The ‘swimmer killed all of them, though they were some of our toughest warriors. He only survived because he’d been knocked over a cliff onto a hill of fresh snow. He remembered the snowswimmer looking down at him, tryin’ ta decide if it could make the jump. Said its eyes were full of smarts and cruelty, and musta figured it had twenty men ta eat, and didn’t need his meat too. It gave him an awful roar before leavin’. Uncle Rullen told me his Da woke up sweatin’ in the night sometimes, fer the rest of his life.”
“Aye, I remember that sound,” Erigg said. “Truth be told, I don’t want t
a hear it, ever again.” His eyes looked off in the distance. “I traveled with a group of very tough men once. We’d hunt mammooths and sell their furs and meat to other Clans fer trade.”
“Yew hunted mammooths? Me Ma said no one would dare hunt them, on account of each hunt gettin’ two ta three men killed!”
“Well, maybe yer Clan didn’t have tha know-how ta do it. There’s a trick to bringin’ them down, to be sure. Our best winter we brought fifteen down, losin’ only that fool Jennol.” Jil gaped at him, and he chuckled.
“But our last year together, we were on a hunt when we realized three of us were missin’. A snowswimmer had killed them before we knew what was happenin’! The other nine died before I killed it.” He grew angry as he added: “They was good men! Didn’t deserve ta die ta that beast.” He shook his head. “Can’t say I got away without a scratch, though.” He patted his bad leg.
She was in awe of him. He could have asked her anything in that moment, and she would have done it. Assuming he was not a braggart, however, he was more capable than he appeared. Had he been without scars on his arms until the fight with the Snowswimmer?
“Yew truly killed one?”
“Aye,” he said. “But I had… help.” He frowned, but then gave her another quick hug. “Let’s get some food in yew.”
M A A L
It took some time before more food arrived, which Tchurn claimed and devoured, irritating Erigg enough to reprimand him for not allowing Jil to eat first. Tchurn ignored him.
I had little to do, other than argue with the voices while Erigg questioned Jil about inane topics about her Clan. As he whispered something to her, I floated downward to attempt to hear it. I became aware that I had unconsciously settled upon a floating height that left my gaze above their heads, even of the seated Tchurn. This view—looking down upon them—satisfied me in a curious way. What is it about a higher viewpoint that inspires confidence and authority?
Maal The First Skull- Shadows of the Mind Page 9
