Tinker chittered in Vynn’s direction. He nodded and spoke with me hearing Tinker’s interpretation in my head.
“This group is what we call a “tenfold”. They are spread out all over the valley. They act as saboteurs and keep our warriors harassed. It is rare for two groups to be anywhere close to each other. That is what happened to our wagon convoy. But I would council we rest here tonight then take a short trip toward the rocks over there”, He nodded over in the direction from which I had come. “If we get into the heights we can travel over stones and leave no prints.”
It made sense to me.
“And the other matter?” I asked. “Where should we be heading?”
Vynn turned to Dwan and gestured for her to respond. She stood and looked around, trying to get her bearings. I noticed the clothes that she was wearing from the bag I’d found. A belted tan tunic covered a set of tight leggings that reached to her ankles. Her feet were covered in soft leather moccasins. The outfit allowed an easy look at her figure. It was definitely a pleasant sight. She apparently made up her mind and spoke through Tinker. Her idea was to find a safe place in which to fully recover from their ordeal and my wounds. A couple of days should do it. Then we would head toward an outpost that she and Vynn were aware of. She guessed it would take three days of travel to get there. She also cautioned that the outposts moved frequently and may no longer be there. If that were the case we would strike out for Olvion itself. On foot that would take eight or nine days, total.
That being decided I busied myself gathering the loose pelts and skins from where they were scattered and dragged them over to where Dwan still sat. She started to rise and help but I urged her to rest and recover from her ordeal, saying she would need all of her strength for the next day’s travel. By the time I’d gathered everything that looked useful Vynn had started a small but cheery fire using flint and steel. The sun was receding now and night was not far away.
I was a little concerned about the fire leaving us vulnerable to discovery but Vynn and Dwan seemed to think we were safe enough. I deferred to their experience in these matters. I went to the garbage dump and relieved myself, my actions copied by Tinker. By the time we returned to the fire night had engulfed us completely. I took off my vest, then my leg and arm guards and piled everything by the helmet I’d stashed before. My shield made a passable pillow when covered with a layer or two of furry pelts.
Dwan was lying on another pile of furs, covered to the waist. Her hair was swept back over her ears and looked black as ebony in the firelight. I’d never seen a prettier woman. I smiled when I thought that this made her, in my estimation, the prettiest girl in two worlds, leaving her eligible for the title of Miss Universe. I suddenly realized that I had been able to be near her for hours and speak to her without any of the debilitating shyness from which I normally suffered. I pondered how this was possible. I remembered how Tinker had been able to soothe my fears when I first came in contact with her and wondered if she had somehow helped me with my personal affliction. In light of all that had happened I did not regard anything as being beyond her capabilities.
Vynn interrupted my reverie by coming out of the dark with a smile on his face and a stitched water skin in his hands. Tinker was sitting near my foot engaged in the never-ending mission of grooming her tail. Vynn spoke to her, the translation appearing instantaneously in my head.
“Are you a man that enjoys spirits, Tag-Gar?”
At first I did not understand but Vynn smiled more broadly and held forth the skin. I got it.
“Why yes, my warrior friend, I have been known to raise a glass or two in my time.”
“I found this, it was obviously taken from our ambushed caravan,” Vynn said. He sat cross legged next to me and offered the skin. I pulled out the wooden plug and sniffed. It smelled better that I expected, kind of like a wine that had cinnamon in it. Vynn urged me to drink with a gesture. I threw caution to the winds and sipped. The taste was a delightful surprise, like a strong, spiced merlot. I followed the sip with a gulp. It was incredibly refreshing. Vynn laughed. I handed him the skin and he copied my actions. We shared another round before I heard Dwan’s voice in my head.
“As the only healer present I should have been given the opportunity to test this beverage for safety purposes.”
By this time the alcohol had begun to make its potency noticeable. My head swam lightly and the incredible stresses of the day started to drift away, leaving me relaxed and a little drowsy. I smiled and held the skin out to her. She scooted nearer to me, still wrapped in her furs. Her hand lightly touched mine as she took the wine and I enjoyed the sensation more than I would have thought possible. Once again I marveled at my ability to be so near to a beautiful woman and still be in control of my faculties.
Dwan tipped the skin up and took a small swallow. Vynn laughed and gestured for her to take more. She did. Soon a pink flush began to spread on her cheeks and forehead. I got the feeling she had not had a lot of experience with alcohol. She pushed the skin back into Vynn’s hands and fanned herself with her hands.
At this time I became aware that Tinker had stopped working on her tail and was standing as tall as she could, her nose wrinkling and pointed at the wineskin. I stretched over to the pile of objects I’d gathered from the camp and retrieved a shallow clay bowl that looked like it had been created in some elementary school art class. I took the skin and poured a small splash into it. Tinker sniffed it, looked at me, then Vynn and Dwan in turn. Vynn was grinning, Dwan seemed intrigued. My little friend sniffed again then lowered her head to the bowl and took an experimental lap with her tongue.
We all jumped as she leapt some four feet off of the ground, emitting a withering squawk. When she landed she put her paws under the lip of the bowl and flipped it over, still loudly fussing. The fur on her shoulders and tail stuck straight out.
Dwan, Vynn and I all exploded into laughter which only seemed to increase her anger. She scampered onto my thigh and looked directly into my eyes and subjected me to even more of her chattering rebuke. Vynn, who had had a bit more of the drink than I, fell over backwards laughing. Dwan put her hand to her face to hide her reaction.
Finally done with her reprimand, Tinker turned away, shot her tail up straight and stalked away from the fire into the darkness. A second later she walked quickly back, struggling to retain a look of dignity while shivering from the night chill. She got as close as possible to the fire, curled her tail around herself and closed her eyes.
Dwan and I were able to restrain our amusement but Vynn was not. As he laughed I saw Tinker open one eye then close it again. Vynn suddenly leapt to his feet clutching his sword. When neither Dwan nor I reacted he asked if we too had heard the roar of a beast nearby. I looked at Tinker again and saw the edges of her mouth turn up very slightly. Dwan giggled and pulled Tinker closer to her saying something about the females of this group needing to stick together. I convinced Vynn that he had been the victim of Tinker’s wrath. Once he realized what had happened he laughed heartily.
As the night grew darker the stress of the day made our eyes heavy. I gestured to Vynn that I would take the first watch but he shook his head (I guess some gestures are universal). I didn’t have the energy to argue and besides, I really needed the sleep. So I nodded my thanks and stretched out on a pile of furs. The fire felt great. I soon passed out.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Learning
He was enormous in size, much larger than any human she had ever encountered. The color of his eyes and hair was different from what she was accustomed to but she also found it pleasing, especially the eyes. Heretofore, she had only observed humans from hiding and had noted that, boringly, all had the same complexions and hair color.
In the past few days she had led him to food, water and clothing. At night while he slept she continued her exploration of his mind. She was mostly pleased by what she learned. There was much kindness and more than a little sadness there. Her attempts to repair the birth anom
aly regarding his fear of females were succeeding. He would be encountering many human females in the coming days and such an affliction was simply too distracting. She had also been successful in reducing the fear he had been experiencing at his current circumstances. She did not understand how he had arrived in Olvion and neither did he. The Awareness had not yet seen fit to make any revelations to her on that subject.
Learning his language had been an engaging exercise. Every night while her body rested her mind would examine his speech. Her kind was uniquely equipped for absorbing and understanding languages. She did not know why this was so but it was an ability that she enjoyed. She had already been acquainted with the language of the Valley Humans, having acquired it from her mother. Though she was still learning her new human’s tongue, she knew enough to enable him to communicate with the two Olvionis.
The location of the clothes were revealed to her by the Awareness. She had followed the images in her mind to the hill and the burial cavern within. The cave had an aura that was almost overpowering. The bones of the human warrior emitted a potent energy that she was unable to identify. Being there in that crypt, seeing the skull of that long-dead warrior and absorbing the energy it emitted inspired feelings in her that she had never before experienced.
Once the human’s most critical needs had been met her next task was to put him in contact with other humans. After leaving the cavern she had cast about for mindscent and eventually detected an especially strong one. It was from a female and she had been near. It was only when they were almost upon them that she had detected the odor of the beast-people.
These creatures lived on the other side of her beloved mountain home and frequently encroached upon the territory inhabited by her kind. They were savage, killing and eating any living thing with which they came in contact. It was not in the nature of her kind to hate but they did recognize the danger that this species presented.
In his encounter with the beast-people her human had performed adequately. He was still being limited by his lack of familiarity with his new existence and a conditioned reflex to avoid conflict. She found this trait appealing but it was one that she would have to help him control if he was ever to reach the mindset needed to accomplish their task.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Communicating
I awoke to bright sunshine and warm air. Sometime in the warming of the morning I must have kicked the furs off of my body. I allowed myself the small luxury of remaining on my back and stretching. The sky over my head was cloudless, looking like a pink ocean. I was very much aware of a feeling of contentment. The surrounding trees had a scent that reminded me somewhat of pine. It reminded me of the numerous camping trips I had taken with my father and brothers in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. I reluctantly roused myself.
Though I had expected to be awakened to take my share of watch duties Vynn and Dwan had evidently decided that I needed my rest more than they did. I started to ask about it but they were both busily preparing for us to depart our little camp so I let it pass while feeling a little guilty. The wound in my thigh felt tight and was a little more painful than it was on the previous day. I limped to the trash pile smiling and nodding at both of my new friends as I passed. They were both stuffing supplies into bags made from animal skin. With both of them standing I was surprised to see that Dwan was considerably taller than her companion.
As I relieved myself at the ditch I noticed that the human remains had been removed. A patch of freshly turned dirt bore witness to a more dignified burial. This told me something new about my new friends. They honored their own kind and bestowed upon them what dignity they were able to provide. I was thankful for this realization because it meant that they felt much like myself in those matters.
When I returned to the camp I started to don my armor and other articles of clothing. Dwan came over to me shaking her head. Tinker was nowhere to be seen but I got the message that she was determined to tend to me. I allowed her to inspect my wounds. The ones on my back and ribs felt much better but she applied more of the analgesic salve to it. I experienced another slight case of embarrassment when she yanked down my pants to examine the more serious stab wound on my leg. Rooting through her bag Dwan eventually found a small jar containing a red paste and scooped a portion onto her finger. I stopped her and took a quick sniff. It smelled like garlic. She applied the stuff to my injury and the pain immediately stopped altogether. I smiled my thanks. She smiled back. That smile was killing me. I saw that the same stubborn lock of hair was, again, hanging in her face and brushed it back behind her ear without thought. I was quickly beginning to think of this action as endearing. I could feel my affection for this beautiful woman growing. But I cautioned myself. Surely a woman so attractive and spirited would have a man waiting for her somewhere. Maybe she and Vynn were an item. Whatever the case I told myself that it was not good to set my hopes high.
With my wound treatment accomplished we all picked up items we intended to take with us. Vynn handed me a patchwork of skins that had been fashioned into a crude backpack. It was filled with water skins and a few furs. I noticed the half-empty spirit skin on top as he passed the load to me. He saw what I was looking at and grinned.
Dwan was struggling to shoulder another pack. I stepped over to help her get it situated more comfortably on her shoulders. I made a gesture for her to wait then returned to the spot where I had stashed objects from the camp. I found the little sword I had confiscated and took it back to her. The ornate wooden sheath had a belt attached to it. I stepped close to her and buckled it around her waist. Even with the ordeal that she had been through the scent of this woman, when I was up close, was unsettling. She had obviously taken some time to clean herself as best she could because I saw that the greasy smears that had been on her shoulders were gone. As I knelt to close the buckle our faces were even with each other and she looked directly into my eyes. For the first time in my memory I was able to return the direct stare of a beautiful woman without feeling faint. She finally dropped her eyes and smiled as if she was shy.
When we were all mostly done with our departure preparations Tinker came trotting out from the direction of the trash ditch. Apparently she had forgiven me for the wine incident. She scampered up my leg and onto my shoulder, nuzzling my ear in greeting. I gave her a quick smooch on her twitching nose. She drew back as if deciding whether that action was something she was going to permit. She apparently concluded that such was to be the case because she leaned forward and nuzzled the same ear again.
We struck out across a grassy stretch of land heading in the direction of the distant hills. As we walked Vynn, showing his military training, took a position as advance scout keeping about a hundred yards ahead of us. This gave me a chance to get more information from Dwan about the new world in which I found myself.
The planet I was now inhabiting, like Dwan’s home city, was named Olvion. All of the members of the four kingdoms spoke the same language. Dwan said the Greys spoke a different language from her people but some of them also spoke Olvioni. She surmised that this ability had been learned from people who had been taken prisoner. I imagined that a captive would have much in the way of incentive knowing that the stewpot awaited him or her if they did not do a good enough job teaching. As far as Dwan knew there was only one continent on this world. She imagined the rest of the planet to be ocean but she acknowledged that no one was really certain. The valley floor on which we now walked was huge and was once home to numerous villages and farming communities. The last five years had reduced these to a very small number owing to the danger of the invading Greys. Still there were a few left, protected by military outposts that were manned by warriors from Olvion much like the Army cavalry had protected settlers from renegade Indians in our old west.
Dwan advised me that the city of Olvion was massive and that a high wall surrounded the entire city. The city was provisioned by the surrounding farming communities and by contributions from the three coastal cities. Water was
provided by numerous community wells within the walls. She opined that Olvion could withstand a siege indefinitely as long as they had a supply line from the coast.
Dwan held an unshakably strong allegiance to her home city and its king. She displayed obvious pride when speaking of both. I detected a little hero-worship when she was talking about King Zander. I must admit to a bit of jealousy there. I was fast becoming infatuated with this woman.
As we filled the day with conversation I was surprised to discover that I was picking up a few words from Dwan’s language. As I earlier stated, when Tinker was interpreting for us I would hear Dwan’s voice in my ears and simultaneously her voice in my head in English. More and more I would hear a word or two in her language that I understood. I wondered if one of tinker’s many amazing abilities was to help one more easily learn a new language. It didn’t seem entirely impossible, especially when one considered what she was already demonstrably capable of.
When the sun was high we stopped by a stand of scruffy trees and refreshed ourselves. I handed Dwan a water skin and she surprised me by saying “Thank You”, in English. My face must have registered the surprise I felt because she smiled broadly, showing pretty white teeth. She looked at Tinker and spoke. In my head I heard her say that she, too, had been noticing an ability to pick out a few of the words from my language. We sat for about an hour rehydrating ourselves and snacking on some of the berries we had recovered from the Grey’s satchels. Dwan rechecked my injuries. The thigh wound had started to ache again and she poked another dollop of the red paste onto the stitched edges of the cut. Once again the pain immediately waned.
After our break we resumed marching. I indicated to Vynn that I wanted to take a turn at the advance position. He reluctantly agreed. I strode ahead, enjoying the fresh air, the silence and the pink sky. We were some two hours from where the hills began. I strolled leisurely but still kept a careful lookout for danger. Aside from the Greys I was still concerned about the local fauna. I searched the horizon on all sides for movement or smoke but saw nothing. I couldn’t get the thought of that hyena-like beast out of my mind. Tinker rode on my shoulder, holding on to my ear lobe with one small paw while using her teeth to comb her tail.
The Olvion Reality (The Chronicles of Olvion Book 1) Page 10
