“What do you mean?”
“How would you feel if we did something none in Kote have ever experienced?” Meeka asked for more and he laid out what he had been planning for awhile. “I actually wanted to do something like this, but I was too busy all month to try and work out how. If we practice, do you think we can do it for the grand finale on the last day?”
“You’re serious?” She asked skeptically.
“Sure am. I want this celebration to never be forgotten.”
Meeka smiled before shaking her head. “I can only imagine… I will only do it if I know the two of you will be with me.”
Brooke wrapped her arms around her and gave a soft kiss. “I will always be with you. I don’t keep you around just for great sex or to fondle your breasts. I love everything about you and want to share you with everyone to show how happy I am that I can be so close to the woman I love with all my heart. I would be glad to be by your side just to hear you sing. I cannot sing well, but my dances are refined.” She felt the tension in Meeka ease as she sank back in her chest and turn just so to give her a loving, thankful kiss.
“Thank you, My Love.” Meeka loved it the way Brooke smiled.
Elder Shania walked over, eavesdropping. “Instead of it being just the three of you… We have five good singers who would complement Meeka’s superior voice and several dancers to join you, Brooke. Cage, we could show our new trading partners we aren’t entirely bloodthirsty. If Meeka would be willing to teach our singers some of her native songs we could keep building our friendship between our peoples. What do you think?”
“Good idea, Shania!” Cage exclaimed and rubbed his rough chin. “Sean’s been practicing with an ocarina I made him almost every night in his bedroom and is getting pretty good. If he took my place and played with a few other good musicians I would be free to really make an impression to highlight the event.”
“We’re really going to do this?” Meeka just had to ask.
“Damn straight. I want my first year on this world to keep being exciting and to bring a little of my own here. You need to at least have a glimpse of what a real party is like.” He laughed.
“You mean beyond the orgasms you lance gives?”
Those listening began to laugh at Brooke’s words, her lovers included.
Finally Meeka said “I’ll do it so long as I’m not alone. I know just the songs I can teach my sisters. We’ll get started tonight, but don’t tell Father or Mother. This should be a great surprise.”
“You will have what you need.” Elder Shania said with a bit more enthusiasm.
“Meeka, tell me which songs you’ll be singing so I can begin practicing.” Cage said.
The healer shook her head. “I haven’t sang the songs in a long time so you wouldn’t know them. There will be four appropriate to all this so you’ll have to listen when my sister singers are ready…”
It took about a good hour of walking to reach Cillian’s. Daku met up with everyone and said everything is well. Cage led the way to the barn where he had Jumped all the gear the tribe would need for the five days of the celebration. Food, teepees and a few tools. The tribe was greatly surprised to finally see the trades made with Jom and many men and women smiled or sighed for the leather would make good clothes. Everyone worked quickly by pulling out the teepees that were not needed since Cage not only made better shelter out of trees, but that most of the tribe had come.
Firewood was gathered by the young while adults prepared the structures. Building, eating and getting warmed by a fire went faster than expected and four hours before Cillian and Tiffa were spotted by a young hunter placed near the road, they got in a good initial practice. The hosts wished to say goodnight to their family, but Cage told most to go to sleep before they had tried. The few posted to watch over everyone said they were asleep. The pair understood and didn’t push the issue, heading inside for a few hours of sleep.
“Good morning you two. Where are Cage and Daku?” Tiffa asked as she sat down with Cillian in the Utala camp behind their house.
“Left about an hour ago. Doing a morning run.” Brooke answered as she sipped on a hot drink brought by her woman’s kind mother. “Usually they do it rather than fighting most days.”
“They fight?” Cillian asked.
Meeka nodded. “Daku is the only one who can give Cage what he needs so he doesn’t go out looking for battle.”
Cillian had to ask “Meeka, will Cage go battle-mad? You know of what I speak. You should remember Blio the Butcher.”
Meeka shook her head. “No, Father, I do not believe Cage will turn into a cold murderer. Little is truly known of Cage’s ancestry, but they were a warrior people. He feels alive when he is fighting, especially against powerful opponents. Father, you’ve been in the Vlaran army and have seen battle, what was it like for you?”
“Truly and completely frightening, but” Cillian admitted as he rubbed an old scar on his forearm from an old sword strike that nearly took his arm. “in the heat of battle I knew no other moment of clarity in my life. I hated taking another’s life, but in all honesty I miss the heat of battle.”
“Then I’ll give it to you.” Came a labored voice from behind.
Cillian felt himself jerked up from the ground by the collar of his shirt and thrown on the ground. The surrounding Utala spread back, eyes wide and frightened. Pain exploded through his shoulder and hip from the surprised assault. Instinctively Cillian went for the eight inch blade in his boot. The attack stirred the blood Cillian had feared he’d never feel again. With a great roar blasted from deep within his chest he jumped to his feet and glared at his attacker. First he saw a wide, feral grin followed by sharp black eyes that had reveled in a life of danger, cruelty and death, but twinkled with joy. Anger subsided enough for the mayor to say “Fuck, Cage, why did you attack me?”
“Sometimes an old hound needs to remember that he still has teeth. Here I come.” And Cage laughed as he lunged with a powerful leap, adding a spin rotation. Cage’s legs split with his left heel coming down.
Hesitation would have severely damaged Cillian’s face if he was even a moment slower. Adrenaline made it so Cillian moved just enough to avoid a deadly strike. The mayor knew that move wasn’t being held back in the slightest and was in a serious fight for survival. Long forgotten instincts exploded within the man as he went to hamstring Cage, but the blade cut only air as the opponent rolled away and swept the ground. Cillian had never seen such a move from a unorthodox position, but stomped and heard satisfying snap as he broke Cage’s knee.
Expecting the attack to end there and waiting for a scream of agony that didn’t come, Cillian stopped and shouldn’t have as Cage gripped the ground in a spin to a handstand and his other leg that wasn’t broken buried itself in Cillian’s middle, knocking the wind out of him and to the ground while the dagger dropped and flew aside. Only Sassy’s barking inside his house made noise for an instant.
Laugher erupted from Cage’s lips along with a loud crack from his knee as he sent a spell to pop the joints back in place and repair the ripped ligaments all in a few moments. He then pulled his knees to his chest and thrust them with such force that he flipped himself to a standing position and sat on his heels by Cillian’s side. Thick drops of sweat dripped off the warlock’s chin and he had to wipe some from his eyes. “So how was the feeling of a good fight again?”
Catching the wind Cillian’s vision swam, but Cage’s nearby grin gave something to focus on. Silence and the heavy pounding of his heart drumming in his chest allowed him to feel what all men crave in their life, excitement. Slowly he replied “I had almost forgotten… but do not do that again.”
Then Cillian watched Cage stand and his vision cleared just as he watched his wife run up and smack Cage so hard his head spun so much from the unexpected swing he fell. Tiffa said hotly “Get off my property! Now!”
“My Love… I’m fine…” Cillian said.
Tiffa’s angry blue eyes turned to him. “No! He
did the inexcusable and I will not allow him here for the rest of today. Warlock or not, he knows I do not tolerate fighting at my own home. Get off your ass and leave too Cillian! I saw how you fought back. Neither of you are allowed to be here for the rest of the day. I do not want to look at either of you.”
Being scolded like children had a few Utala laughing till Tiffa spun her piercing blue eyes to everyone else. “Do you think I’m joking? We made an agreement and my only demand was no fighting. You are all free to camp elsewhere if you cannot restrain yourselves!”
Instance silence followed and was broken by Cage rubbing his jaw and sitting up. “I apologize Tiffa. Come on Cillian before she really loses her cool.” He handed the knife over and Cillian took it. To the others he said “I’ll see you all later in town.”
Together the two men got up and walked away with Daku beside them, laughing in a deep rumble.
“Sorry about the surprise, but I had a reason.”
The mayor looked up at the smiling, dark green robed mage brushing off grass from his chest. “I know why you did it. In the army, new recruits were attacked by their superiors randomly. Our superiors used to say surprise attacks are what we needed to get used to for not all wars were honorable. I found in my younger days that if I was surprised I didn’t need nearly as long to shed my fears to fight from one moment to the next.”
“Battle instincts.” Daku nodded and looked at the mayor. “Survival depends on them. The faster you can react, the better chance you have of surviving. From what I saw back there, you still have them, Cillian.” He then jerked his furry white head to get a better view with those large blue eyes. “Meeka takes well after you and your mate. I wondered if Tiffa could get angry and found my answer.”
“Yeah, and I felt it.” Cage rolled his jaw, feeling the stinging after effects from the blow. “Damn, she has one hell of a swing. If she used a fist she might have even knocked loose a few teeth.”
Cillian chuckled and look at his shoulder to see his wife watching them leave and how she held her hurt hand from slapping Cage’s solid face. Brooke, Meeka and many others watched them leave in complete silence. “After today, I know I’ll be hurting, but at least I still got the moves.”
“I can second that. That stomp on my knee was beautifully done. Was it intentional or done in the heat of the moment?” Cage wondered.
“Intentional.” Cillian responded. “In the Vlaran army we’re taught to incapacitate enemies by breaking the knee if we lost our sword.”
“Hmm…” Cage pondered as he remembered how well placed the strike had been to break his knee with minimal effort and with the ability to recover with months of healing, if it could be done. He’d need to learn that trick if it was a common soldier tactic and how to watch for it. Then his eyes lit. “Oh yeah! Almost forgot!” Cage and the others stopped on the road as he shoved a hand down a pocket, whispered “Cillian’s bow.” and felt the emptiness slap the desired object into his hand. The Mayor’s jaw dropped as a longbow was pulled out from the pocket. Standing four feet tall with a string wrapped around the top Cage handed it over. “Here Cillian is the combat bow I promised to make.”
Cillian held the bow reverently in one hand as his other’s fingertips traced the intricate designs of leaves and the footprints of animals winding throughout the entire bow. “Beautiful.” He whispered reverently, all bodily pain forgotten. The elegant curves and beauty made this by far the best bow he’d ever seen or touched. He found the line and began unwinding it to string it to the other end. “What is the string made of and how long were you making this bow for? Many months must have been spent making something so beautiful.” The reverence in his words made Cage feel good.
“It took three days actually, but don’t let others know.”
“You jest.” Cillian finally managed to securely loop the other end.
“I’m serious, Man. It is made from oak, the same as what I made my home from. The string is a secret. It is stronger than average wood and can take hits from a sword without breaking. What took the longest is designing the patterns which also function to support tension and break up the solid pattern at distance so it’ll be more difficult to see. Because it is stronger, you won’t need to really worry about bugs destroying it like your last one… Try the pull.”
And Cillian did. “Remarkable. It is just how I like it.”
“Cillian’s quiver.” Cage whispered and pulled out a thin wooden tube carrying two dozen three foot long arrows. He held the strap and drew an arrow. “Here, try it out.” Cillian gladly took the arrow, notched it to the string, took aim and drew. An expert release, a soft whoosh and a thump made the new owner hoot for joy. “I might have made the bow, but it were your grandkids who made all of the flint-tipped arrows. Sean selected all the best branches, carved them under careful observation by our best hunters while Rena took down several birds with her excellent knife throwing abilities and used the most pristine flight feathers to fletch each arrow. For the arrowheads, they worked together all month long to chip the flint rock into shape.”
Cillian’s chest swelled with pride as he reverently threw the quiver strap over his right shoulder to rest the material comfortably against his neck, finding the ready quiver precisely on his hip where it didn’t need to be adjusted. Bow in hand he retrieved the arrow from the trunk of a pine, put it away to return. “This is beyond anything I dreamed of, far more valuable than the pelts I have… I cannot wait to show Ren and my dear friends.”
“I only ask you tell them who it came from, not how it was made. If you went around telling it took only three days I’d be asked by everyone to grow a bow. It is best you play ignorance. I won’t stop you from showing it off for it was actually fun to make, but not even my people know I made that for you as a gift. They need to make their own, and have. Will you do this for me?”
“I will.” Cillian vowed, understanding what he meant well enough. “This is a bow worthy of a king. It’s accuracy is perfect and has great balance. I will use it well when I go hunting next week. But why did the children use flint?”
“Because metal is hard to come by for my people. I can make wood as hard as metal if I wanted, but metal cannot be replaced. We have so little and I’ve used spells and almost none is raw in my island. Maybe a pound at most. We couldn’t spare any to make metal arrowheads.”
“Then do you want to head by Vok’s, our blacksmith first or do you have something else needs doing before the festival resumes at noon?” Cillian asked and wrapped the combat bow over his thick chest.
“We can, but my tribe’s going to need some livestock. I’ll need to by about three dozen head of cattle, goats, sheep and maybe some pigs.”
Cillian smiled. “Since Tiffa kicked us out, we should be able to deal will all that beforehand.”
Cage chuckled alongside Daku and headed for the smith family first…
“I’m willing to pay handsomely on behalf of my benefactor.”
The Bandit Lord looked down from his seat to a large burly man with an old, but well used sword strapped to his hip, a ratty crossbow strapped to his back with a holster carrying many bolts. The obvious henchmen’s odor clearly told the lord he lived and worked with illegal drugs sold all across the black market. The leader of the largest underground bandit force in all of Vlara had quietly listened to the thug’s proposal after letting him into the camp far to the far outskirts of Zalt.
He clearly ran the bandits and made a fine living off the wealthy without revealing their wintery hideout in all the years he’d been in command. How this drug lord’s henchman found them was a problem the bandits would take care of. Torches lined the cavern walls while offering respectable heat. Thick gold rings with gemstones decorated the Bandit Lord’s large fingers and by his ornate chair sat a great battleaxe only a man of his stature and size could wield effectively. Other bandits he’d known for years sat at the table with the henchmen, waiting for any little excuse to end his miserable life. The long silence came to an end as
the Bandit Lord leaned forward, allowing firelight to deepen his scarred face and wild brown and grey beard. In a deep gravelly voice like a landslide he said “Let me be sure I understand what you are asking. Your boss wants my boys to go over to that pathetic little town and slaughter the lot for interfering in his business?”
The henchman was clearly unsettled and it made the Bandit Lord grin, revealing missing or rotten teeth. He did manage though to keep his voice rather calm. “Correct. Kill all the men, take the women for your own if you want. My boss wants to rid himself of those pests and has enough influence that should you succeed you and your men won’t need to hide in the caves or outside populations. You can take the town all for your own and he can make you not only a more wealthy lord, but an actual lord, recognized by everyone, including the king. To show he is serious I have hidden two thousand gold pieces as a preliminary payment” Faces showed genuine surprise and eyes shifted greedily. “and it will be accompanied by fifty sturdy swords for your men. If you agree to my boss’s proposition I’ll give you directions to the stash so you won’t outright kill me and keep the gold all for your own.”
The Bandit Lord leaned back in the ancient seat of past brigands and could see his top men already considering the deal. Two thousand gold was a great pay for killing a small, easily forgettable town. He had plenty of men to do just what was asked and the promise of taking all the women, land and town all for themselves was too much to resist. They had been making fair coin for their efforts, but the promised payment would surely last much longer than three years thieving and killing. “Before we chose to accept, just who is it that wants us to do this?”
The henchman had good enough sense not to tell. “That is not part of the agreement. If the boss gets what he wants, he’ll likely contact you later.”
“Fair enough. We will have one last romp before winter and get what’s owed to us for what has been done. Boys, go ready the men and the boats. We head for the town within the hour.” The room shouted joyfully and ran for the tunnels, only the Bandit Lord, two of his trusted and the thug remained. “Now where is this promised gold and weapons?”
Laugh of Destruction (Book 3 of the Death Incarnate Saga) Page 37
