Burning Bright 7 & 8

[maderr]

Chapter Seven


“I don’t feel so good,” Pechal said.

Raz frowned in concern. “Feel sick? You rather look it.”

“Not sick…just strange. Ever have a feeling you couldn’t explain?”

Why does looking at you hurt?

Raz shoved the thought away. “Yeah, know what you mean. Probably just making yourself sick with worry.”

“Probably,” Pechal agreed, though he sounded far from convinced.

“Knock it off,” Raz said, cuffing him. “Stop fretting and get a move on. The mill is only a few hours away, I don’t want to waste daylight.”

“Yes, boss,” Pechal grumbled good naturedly. Standing up, he cuffed Raz back and then bolted back to camp. Ailill laughed as they continued to banter, packing up what little remained of their camp and smoothing the fire with dirt.

Pechal whistled as they traveled along, faltering only briefly when Ailill surprised him by joining in after a moment. Recovering, he grinned and resumed whistling, filling the forest with sound.

Raz eyed him from time to time, never looking long enough for Pechal to catch him doing it. Pechal was…different, somehow. Nothing overt, something subtle. He couldn’t figure out what.

Well, other than his eyes, which had suddenly turned really strange. Every now and then they looked gold, or red, even orange. Like flames a voice whispered.

The same voice that kept playing back a smooth, cool voice. The same voice that cooperated with the parts of his mind that enjoyed torturing him, calling up memories of jewel-green eyes and pale skin, a look of abject pain. Why does looking at you hurt?

He wished he could take the words back, undue the harm they’d caused. But there was no such thing as undoing a mistake. You either lived with it or fixed it. Raz ached to fix it, to see what those eyes looked like when they were happy, to see joy instead of pain fill that face.

Why? Why did he feel this way? Anguish that made his eyes sting. Shame that made his chest ache. He’d never met the man; they had stared at each other for mere seconds. There was nothing there to explain why he felt as he did.

Yet every night dreams he couldn’t remember kept him from truly resting, and every morning he woke up speaking the name of a man he didn’t know. Pechal had said he didn’t feel right – neither did Raz.

At least he didn’t have the weird eyes to deal with Raz frowned in thought. Probably from the fire feather they’d used before Pechal broke free? Raz had heard about them, everyone had heard about them, but he’d never actually seen one or what they could do.

Near as he could tell, all it did was cause a lot of light, a smell like burning wood, and messed up Pechal’s eyes.

“Come on,” he said, shaking off his solemn mood. “If we make it to the mill before lunch, I’ll make Shio and Shinju catch a rabbit.”

Pechal’s eyes flared orange at the thought of rabbit. “Then hurry up, you’re both moving way too slow.” With that, he bolted, running pell-mell through the trees in a way that for most promised a swift, hard introduction to a low-hanging branch. But Pechal was as swift as nimble as the rabbits he loved to eat, when there was promise of food at the end of something.

He may not be feeling well, but even as a Candidate Pechal was still Pechal. Raz smiled and took off after him, Ailill surprisingly close on their heels.

They reached the old mill clearing an hour before midday. Raz smiled and waved back to Shio, who was perched on the roof of the mill. He laughed when she realized who was with him, and then the two sisters were running toward them and Raz shoved Ailill out of the way as the sisters tackled Pechal.

“You’re all right!”

“You idiot!” Shinju pulled hard on his hair, making Pechal wail. She frowned. “You’re burning up. What’s wrong with your eyes?” Then she leaned forward and kissed his cheek. “We’re glad you’re okay.”

“Eh, they hit me with a fire feather,” Pechal said. He smiled and tugged her hair in revenge. “I’ll be back to normal in a few days. Now come on, Raz said if I hurried you two would catch a rabbit.”

Shio rounded on Raz. “I see. We do all the work, huh?”

“Do you want to me to go hunting?” Raz said. “I’ll come back with a mean basket of berries, but that’s about it.”

Shinju rolled her eyes. “I don’t know the two of you survived without us.”

“They’re called taverns,” Raz said.

“And vendors,” Pechal added.

“And people should learn to lock their doors,” Raz finished with a grin.

Shio and Shinju sighed. Tossing her lavender hair, Shio rolled her eyes and turned away. “It’s a good thing we already caught two rabbits and a few fish.” The sisters led the way back to the mill, grumbling good-naturedly about the incompetence of their companions.

“How in the Queen’s name did the two of you wind up on their good side?” Ailill asked, eyeing the twins thoughtfully. Unlike Raz and Pechal, who looked like little more than simple peasants to the casual eye, Shio and Shinju clearly looked like they were accustomed to a much harder life. Though there was no evidence of it, the sisters were well-armed and he’d seen firsthand how easily they could take down a group of full-grown men.

Raz laughed. “We’re amusing, I think. Plus we’re not going to…expect things from them.” He grinned. “We have a policy against sleeping with teammates.”

“And anyone who does what they can do to a poor little fish,” Pechal muttered.

Ailill laughed.

“Oh noble berry picker,” Shio said, holding out a basket. “Would you like to go and find some things to go in a stew?”

Raz glared. “Where did you get the basket?”

“We found it lying around,” Shinju said, eyes wide with innocence.

“Put that away!” Raz huffed, fighting a grin. “I’ll go find a few things. Try to stay out of trouble while I’m gone.”

Silver flashed as Shio started to prepare the first rabbit for cooking.

“I’ll come with you, if that’s all right,” Ailill said. “I’m a skilled berry-picker myself.”

Shinju rolled her eyes and began to work on the second rabbit. Beside them, Pechal laid down and pulled his bandana over his eyes. Raz knew in the time it took him and Ailill to reach the forest Pechal would fall dead asleep.

Just another day.




“That smells good, Shio.” Raz stared hungrily at the boiling pot.

“It’ll smell even better when we add the rabbit,” Shio replied. “You’re really good at finding this stuff – it almost makes up for the fact you’re a lousy hunter.”

Raz shrugged. “I don’t mind once they’re dead – I just don’t like the killing.”

Shinju shook her head. “Don’t like to do the work. Just like a man.”

“Hmph,” Pechal said. “That’s funny coming from a couple of girls who act like men.”

Shio rolled her eyes. “Just because women on land have grown weak doesn’t mean all of us must be weak.”

Raz laughed. “What, Kundou isn’t on land now?”

“There certainly isn’t much land to it, is there?” Shinju asked. She took over stirring the stew from her sister, ladling a generous portion into a wooden bowl which she then handed to Ailill, who accepted in with surprise.

“Hey!” Pechal protested. “There’s no rabbit yet.”

“Patience,” Shio said. “I’ll add it now.” She flicked her dark eyes to Ailill. “The Faerie Queen’s people do not eat meat.”

Ailill smiled gratefully. “I did not want to cause a fuss by mentioning it.. Thank you.”

Shio nodded, smiling briefly.

“Huh,” Raz said. “I never noticed, but looking back – you don’t meat.”

“Why’s that?” Pechal asked. “You’re really missing out.”

Ailill chuckled. “Back home, in the village where I lived for several years, there’s a girl in the house next to mine. Her mother died when she was young, and she’s cared for her father ever since. When she was fourteen, her Form came to her – she turns into a rabbit.”

Pechal looked at the pot of stew boiling over the fire. “Good reason.”

“We tend to think so,” Ailill said with a smile. “And no I won’t tell you what I turn into.”

Raz snickered at Pechal’s crestfallen look. “So it is considered rude to ask?”

“Yes,” Ailill said. “Though I take no offense at genuine curiosity. But it is easy to judge a man by the Form he takes, something which we fight hard not to do in Verde. To ask a man his form is to indicate that you’re making a hasty judgment. It show impatience, lack of thought, and an invasion of privacy. Not everyone likes to share their Form.”

“You make it sound like your Form is fairly well known.”

“It is,” Ailill said. “Those who know me, know me primarily by my Form.” He sounded tired as he said it.

“Sort of like being seen for your position, not as just a person?” Shio asked.

“Precisely,” Ailill said.

Shinju gave him a thoughtful look, dark-green eyes sharp. “You don’t carry any weapons. I thought perhaps it was because you’re as squeamish as those two idiots.”

“Hey!”

Ailill smiled weakly. “I have no need of weapons.”

“Stop harassing the Highlander,” Raz said. “We don’t harass customers, and we don’t upset friends – except for Pechal.”

“Shut up,” Pechal grumbled, and started to say more when a quick gesture from Shio stopped him.

“Hurry up and eat,” Shio said in a reprimanding tone.

“Yes, mother,” Raz said dutifully, but waited for Pechal to finish stealing two helpings before making an attempt at getting his own.

Then Pechal and his bowl of stew went flying as Shinju tackled him. A hard thunk brought everything to a momentary standstill, and Raz stared at the arrow lodged in the wall of the old mill house. “Spread out!” he threw aside his bowl and drew his dagger, lunging for cover as more arrows started to fly. “Pechal, stay hidden.”

“From behind!” Shio cried, then gave a cry as she attacked the nearest of them who had tried to sneak up on them. Nearby Shinju hurled threats in a language Raz didn’t recognize except that it always spelled trouble for someone.

Then he didn’t have a chance to do anything but fight, dodging away from a sword, nicked by an arrow. “Someone find that bowman.”

Ailill threw off an assailant. “I’ll do it,” he said, and took off for the woods.

“Little pointy-eared ran away did he,” a man the size of a bear laughed as he approached Raz.

Raz curled his lip. “Bastard. You really will do anything for money, won’t you, Vladimir?”

“I never liked you cowardly little thieves anyway,” Vladimir replied, and then lunged at Raz.

Dodging away, Raz rolled and was on his feet again before Vladimir could recover. “Nimble little mouse, aren’t you Raz? Make this easy on yourself and just give up.”

“Not on your life!” Shinju cried, and silver flashed as she threw a dagger.

Vladimir roared as it embedded in his shoulder and shifted his attention to her. Raz used the chance and bolted, racing across the campsite to help Pechal, knocking out one man.

Everything froze at the sound of loud cry – something like a snarl, or a howl, but not quite either one of those things. It sounded again, and this time was followed by a pained cry that was very much human.

“Fire and ash, what was that?” Raz demanded, then barely avoided the fist thrown his way. He caught the arm, twisted it, kicked the mercenary down and snapped his neck – then saw stars before his eyes as someone got him from behind. He turned over, barely in time to avoid the knife meant for his back, and kicked his assailant in the stomach.

Then the man fell, an arrow in his head. Raz scrambled to his feet and looked for the source of the new arrows – but of course the forest appeared empty. He looked to where Shio was still fighting Vladimir. “Back off, Vlad!”

Vladimir snarled and lunged, but faltered with an angry cry as an arrow landed in the same shoulder where Shinju’s dagger had struck. He finally looked around, realizing most of his men were dead. “I’m not finished with you,” he said. Sheathing his sword, he motioned to the few men still standing.

“Go away,” Raz said. He started to say more, when the sight of something large and strange appeared at the edge of the forest. Two somethings he realized – a body being hauled along like a trophy by a large white cat. It was long and sinuous, and massive enough it could probably take down a horse just for fun. When it drew closer he could see that it’s eyes were pale brown. Raz’s eyes widened. “What is that?”

The cat reached the campsite and dropped the body he’d been dragging along – a bowman. Raz gaped. “Is that—it can’t be—“ From the corner of his eye, he saw Vladimir move toward Pechal, but couldn’t react in time – and then Vladimir fell, an arrow lodged in the corner of his forehead. Shio knelt and examined the fletching, then smiled. “Another mercenary group in the forest.”

Raz relaxed. “Ivan!” he bellowed, “Get out here right now.” A moment later, he could see them coming out of the section of forest closest to the mill. “Let me guess – you want the money that no doubt is on his head?”

Ivan started to speak, but in a sudden blur of movement he was pinned to the ground by the enormous cat.

“Stop!” Raz said before Ivan’s bowman could shoot. “It’s okay – I think.”

“You think?” Luka asked incredulously. “Fire and ash, what is that?”

“Ailill,” Pechal said eagerly. “It’s Ailill.”

“Get it off me!” Ivan roared, struggling futilely beneath the weight of the cat, unable to get so much as an arm free. He froze as the cat licked his face once, twice, and his protests came out as little more than sputters.

Raz started laughing, and after a moment everyone else began to join in.

Making a sound that sounded like a cross between a growl and a purr, the giant cat continued to torment Ivan. Eventually it settled down, and moved so that it rest with its head and front paws on Ivan’s chest.

“I’m so glad everyone finds this amusing,” Ivan said irritably. “Will someone kindly tell me why I’m being harassed by a giant cat?” He craned his head up to eye the cat resting lazily on his chest. “It’s heavy, get it off.”

Raz snickered “It’s Ailill, we think. He said he’d take care of their bowman for us. I wonder if he’s what made that strange sound.”

Ivan sighed.

Giving him one last sputter-inducing lick, the cat climbed off Ivan and let him stand.

“I think he likes you, boss.” Isidor grinned when Ivan glared at him.

Raz left the group to their laughter and looked over the dead bodies scattered across the campsite. He didn’t look at the two he’d killed, knowing he’d be sick if he did. He hated death, hated killing, but that wasn’t what bothered him the most.

What bothered him was that there should be something to say. Something to make everything easier to bear. Something to reassure the living…and the dead. But there wasn’t.

There wasn’t a single thing he could think to say.

“Raz!” Pechal nudged him. “It’s okay. Don’t look so gloomy.” His friend smiled at him. “Not our fault, yeah?”

“Yeah,” Raz agreed, but didn’t stop frowning. “I guess we need a new spot. Certainly can’t stomach staying here.”

Ivan stopped glaring at the cat, which was rooted to the spot next to him, and pointed a thumb behind him. “We’ve got a camp a couple of miles east. We were on our way elsewhere when we caught signs of Vlad stomping around. Figured twelve against five wasn’t terribly fair. Though next time I’ll just let the cat handle things.” He resumed glaring.

Behind him, Luka chuckled. “We’ll clean up here, if you want. Bit more practice.” He seemed to give Raz a sympathetic look. “But you guys have to make dinner.”

Raz nodded. “Thanks. We owe you.”

“Oh, definitely,” Ivan said. “The next time we need something stolen…”

“Free of charge,” Raz said. “Unless you leave details out.”

Ivan grinned. “No idea what you’re talking about, Razrusheniye.”

“Shut up,” Raz said. He motioned to his team. “Let’s get going.” He looked at the cat. “Coming?”

For reply, the cat rubbed his head against Ivan’s leg.

Raz laughed. “All right. We’ll see you at camp.”




Chapter Eight


“I’d say we’re done here boss,” Maksim said with a yawn. “Can we go eat now?”

“Definitely,” Ivan said. Evening was rapidly turning to full night, which meant traveling through the forest would become difficult if not outright impossible. “Fire and ash, I can’t wait until we’re back to business as usual.”

Isidor grunted. “Agreed.”

“Let’s go,” Luka said. “If food’s not waiting, you can take your frustrations out on Raz and Pechal.”

The group laughed as he pointedly left out the two women. Luka looked toward the cat that had provided a surprising amount of help in disposing of the bodies. “Thanks, cat. Ailill. Why are you still a cat anyway?”

In reply, the cat merely yawned.

Ivan rolled his eyes. “I’m going to have a few choice words with you once you’re human again, Highlander” He stepped away from the cat, always nearby when he stood still, and started to lead the way back to their campsite – only to find himself eating dirt, with a heavy weight on his back. “Cat!”

His men laughed. “I think, boss, that we’ll just head back to camp and leave you two alone.”

“I’m going to kill you all,” Ivan threatened. He continued to hurl threats until he was alone in the clearing, and turned over when the cat finally climbed off him. He sat up. “What is your problem?”

The cat blurred, shimmered, and when Ivan blinked to clear his eyes, the cat was suddenly gone and Ailill was in its place. Ignoring the nauseous feeling caused by the presence of magic, Ivan glared. “What?”

“There’s something wrong with you,” Ailill said, a frown on his face. “I didn’t notice as a human, but my Form has better senses…I thought magic was illegal in Pozhar.”

“It is,” Ivan said, one hand automatically trying to go to his chest. Though in the past few days the pain had settled some, it still felt as though knives were being driven into him from to time – being pounced by an overgrown cat hadn’t helped. “But tell me when that ever stopped someone.” He looked way. “Its none of your concern anyway.”

“No, it’s really not,” Ailill replied “But I’m concerned all the same. What happened?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Ivan said, and stood up. “We should get back to camp.” Before he did something stupid. He made it three steps before something with teeth yanked a leg out from under him, and he turned around to once again find himself pinned down by a giant cat. “Stop that!” he snarled.

Ailill shifted back. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for any of my behavior to offend. It’s just that I seldom get to have fun in my Form. I was only playing before to cover up that I was trying to figure out what was wrong with you. I didn’t know who else knew.” He grinned. “Then I just did it for fun.”

“My men know. They were there when it happened.” Ivan wished he’d go back to being a cat. As unnerving as it was, having a human Ailill on top of him was far worse. Ailill wasn’t pretty, or even handsome, but such things had ever appealed to Ivan. Ailill was different. He was competent, confident, independent. Someone who could take care of himself – no doubt turning into a giant cat helped with that – and didn’t waste time over fussing how to get things accomplished. They’d met in a tavern. The Highlander had seemed to know with a glance that Ivan could help him – he hadn’t, actually, but Ivan had known to take him to Raz. He knew he was infatuated. His team was one thing, but Ailill was a man who could take care of himself, who could stand beside Ivan, not behind him. That Ivan found appealing. He was also very obviously male, which definitely appealed as much as Ivan had once tried to deny that part of himself. “What do you want?”

“I would say,” Ailill said dryly, “that was fairly obvious from the start. You’re the one trying to avoid it.”

“It’s not exactly allowed in this part of the world,” Ivan said.

Ailill snorted. “You get paid to break rules, unless I have seriously misjudged mercs all these years.”

“First rule of the business is to go unnoticed,” Ivan replied, wondering how they’d gotten on this subject. “Bedding other men gets you noticed. That leads to dead.”

“A poor excuse,” Ailill said, “but we’ll discuss it later. What’s wrong with you?”

Ivan sighed. “It doesn’t matter.”

“Do all you Firelanders have rocks for brains?” Ailill demanded. “Where I come from magic is a part of life. Has it occurred to you I might be able to help?”

Ivan opened his mouth, then closed it again. It hadn’t occurred to him.

Ailill laughed. “Rocks for brains. Tell me what happened.”

“Earl Zholty tried to hire us to find and kill Pechal,” Ivan said, slowly sitting up as Ailill at last backed off. “I said no.” He continued explaining everything that had happened.

“That’s an interesting curse,” Ailill said as he finished. He leaned forward, looming over Ivan again.. “I thought you were a merc.”

“I am,” Ivan snapped. “Thought it’s gotten to the point I may retire soon.”

The moonlight was bright enough he could see Ailill smile. “Must have been a lot of money in it.”

“Yeah, and all the problems that come with getting involved in the squabbles of nobles. I like money, but I like breathing more.” Ivan started to try and stand up, but a warning look stilled him again. “Are we done here?”

“I think I can break the curse,” Ailill said, ignoring him, “but I need one of those fire feathers to do it.”

Ivan could only stare. “That’s it?”

“Don’t know until I try,” Ailill said slowly. “Pozharian magic is different from my own…but I think I can manage it. The principles are the same.” He smirked. “Of course, it’ll cost you.”

“Of course,” Ivan repeated, rolling his eyes. “How much?”

Ailill replied by surging forward, pinning Ivan to the ground and taking his mouth in a kiss that was immediately hard, possessive, and consuming. Nothing hesitant or questioning about it – Ailill simply took what he wanted and expected no problems in getting it.

That appealed, even if most of Ivan’s mind was trying to panic. He ignored it and focused on kissing Ailill back, fighting for dominance, tongue exploring every bit of a mouth that tasted like green things and black tea. Definitely a man’s mouth, so different from the women he made do with.. This was everything he tried not to want every time he slept alone.

“That’ll suffice as a down payment,” Ailill said, breaking away with a gasp. He ducked his head to lap Ivan’s throat, nipping gently at the skin where jaw met neck.

Ivan managed a laugh, and let his hands to do what they wanted when it was obvious Ailill wasn’t going to complain. But part of him was waiting for everything to go wrong. “Scorcher of a down payment,” he said. “Curse must be worse than I thought.”

“Well, you might be overpaying,” Ailill said. He licked Ivan’s lips, then kissed him again. “And if you wanted to pay in full up front, I wouldn’t complain.”

“You Highlanders aren’t shy, are you?” Ivan shuddered as Ailill proved exactly how shy he wasn’t.

Ailill laughed, and there was something sheepish in it. “It’s not that so much as…I haven’t changed in a long time. Coming out of my Form, I’m always a bit…bolder.” He tugged at the laces of Ivan’s shirt. “You don’t seem to mind.”

“Seems stupid to protest at this point,” Ivan replied. Burying his hand in hair that was just as soft as it looked, strange when the rest of the man was definitely not soft, Ivan dragged Ailill down for another of those consuming kisses. If this was all he’d ever get, he intended to take all that he possibly could.

A sharp, booming crack split the quiet evening, and Ivan swore as the sound startled Ailill into biting harder than he meant. Pushing, he rolled them over and then clambered to his feet, reassembling his clothes.

“What was that?” Ailill said, standing up beside him.

Ivan started running toward the forest. “A flintlock,” he said.

“You’ll never find your way through the forest,” Ailill said. “It’s too dark now.”

“I’m not going to stand here while someone attacks my men!” Ivan snapped.

“Try to keep up,” Ailill said, and in the time it took Ivan to draw a breath he was a cat again. The moonlight set off his white coat, making him easy to see even in the darker light of the forest. Then Ailill bounded off, and Ivan swore as he dashed after, not even trying to keep pace with the feline just hoping not to lose him, arms up to take the brunt of the branches he inevitably hit, moonlight just enough to avoid running into a tree.

The camp was in shambles when they finally reached. Ivan went cold as he saw the bodies spread out across the camp.

“Boss,” Luka said from where he’d obviously landed in front of a tree. “Gleb needs help; he took the shot. Three of them. Took us by surprise, snatched Pechal. Raz went after them.”

With one of those eerie growl-screams, Ailill turned and dashed off into the forest. “You okay?” Ivan asked Luka as he found Gleb. Swearing as he saw the blood pouring from leg, Ivan set to work fixing the wound. “How is everyone else?”

“No fatalities,” Shio said as she picked herself up. She was bleeding from a cut on one arm, but didn’t seem to notice it. “They were even nastier than Vladimir – I thought you said he only hired one other group.”

Ivan made a face. “That’s what he told me. Help me out here, unless you’re squeamish.”

“You have no idea how utterly ridiculous that statement it,” Shio said. Dragging herself across camp, she dropped down beside Ivan and helped him tie the leg off to slow bleeding, then drew a thin dagger from somewhere Ivan didn’t see and began to dig out the bullet.

“Who or what are you?” Ivan asked. “I’ve never met women like either one of you. Is Shinju all right?”

“She’s going to be furious when she wakes. Unless you want to know what it’s like to be attacked an angry lightning-eel, I suggest you and everyone else keep away.”

Ivan didn’t bother to ask what in blazes a lightning-eel was. “Right,” he said, then moved to hold Gleb down as he finally woke – to intense pain. “Hold still,” he said sharply. “Shot’s almost out.”

Gleb nodded and bit back a scream.

One by one, the people around the camp started to stir. Isidor yelped as he tried to help Shinju, and Ivan shared Shio’s chuckle. “Leave the Kundouin alone. How is everyone?”

“Fire and ash, someone is going to die,” Maksim swore. “My head feels like it was split open. What did they hit me with?”

“Probably a rock,” Ivan said. “Only thing hard enough.”

Luka stood up slowly, grimacing in pain. “They got Maksim just as they got Gleb – that threw the rest of us off, and after that it was scorching chaos.” He moved toward the fire, swearing softly as he sat down, favoring his left leg, and began to rekindle the flames that had been doused in the fight. “Hope your cat man can catch them, because they made sure we weren’t fit to follow. Raz shouldn’t be running either, but I don’t think being dead could have kept him from it.”

“Forest will kill him first,” Ferapont said grimly. “Too dark to be running like that, and he’ll likely get lost. I don’t know how the mercs are managing it.”

Ivan nodded and said nothing, merely helped Shio finish wrapping makeshift bandages around Gleb’s wound.

Another booming crack shattered the brief calm the group had achieved. It was immediately followed by an animal cry of pain, a terrible yowl. Ivan was standing before he realized he’d moved. “Ai—“

Shio snagged his arm. “You can’t. You’ll get lost. They’ll be all right – trust Raz.”

Ivan shook her off. “I’m worried about them both. Raz, from what I gather, is injured. And I can’t tell if Ailill is wounded or dead.”

“Sit tight, boss,” Luka said. “If we go out there, we’re guaranteed to wind up dead. That won’t help anything.”

Ivan snarled in fury and prowled around the camp, helping his men with their injuries and salvaging what he could from the mess made in the fight. He was just about to lose his temper when two men stepped out of the trees and into the clearing, holding each other up.

Blood trickled down Raz’s face, a great deal of it dry, sticky, and smeared with dirt, a leaf stuck to one cheek. Beside him Ailill drooped tiredly and as he stepped closer Ivan saw that one sleeve was completely soaked in blood. He dashed toward them.

“I’m all right,” Ailill said. “Changing gets rid of most injuries. I was too exhausted to keep chasing though, especially if they had more of those strange weapons.” But he didn’t protest when Raz was dragged away by the sisters and Ivan slid an arm around his shoulders and helped him to the fire. “I tried to catch him. Those things are nasty.”

“Flintlocks?” Ivan asked. “Yeah, they’re all kinds of nasty. Expensive, not really worth the hassle.” He frowned, mind beginning to race. “Not many people use them, pretty much mercs and a few hunters. The occasional noble who fancies he knows how to use one. If we had time it wouldn’t be hard to track down who has them. A small group with at least two flintlocks? Quiet enough I don’t already know who they are?”

“Foreign,” Gleb said faintly. “I don’t think they were native. We’d have heard of them. Only groups we know with flints are Matvei and Stas. Word is Taras picked up a couple, but this attack doesn’t fit their style. Moving through a dark forest like it’s midday? Foreign.” His voice trailed off as he spoke, final words barely audible before sleep took him away from the pain.

“Fire and ash!” Raz swore. “Stop trying to kill me.”

Shio didn’t sound worried. “If I wanted to kill you, Raz, you’d be dead. Now sit still.”

Obediently Raz subsided. “I can’t believe I let them get away.”

“You’re lucky you’re not dead,” Shinju said tartly, wiping away the blood that had dried on his face. “Taking off like that was stupid, and doing stupid things won’t save Pechal. Tomorrow we’ll start tracking them down.”

Ivan looked up from where’d been looking at the man half-asleep against him as a thought occurred to him. “Why didn’t they kill him?”

“What?” Raz asked.

“I mean – when the Earl offered us the job, he said explicitly that we were supposed to find and kill the Candidate.”

Luka chuckled, but it wasn’t a happy sound. “That’s easy, boss. If his lordship was willing to pay a hefty fee to have us kill the Candidate, what do you think the High Priest might pay for a merc not to kill him.”

Ivan swore. “This is why we don’t get tangled up in lordly politics.”

“Looks like we’re tangled up and thoroughly knotted,” Raz said sourly. “Ouch!”

“Stop squirming and it wouldn’t hurt as much,” Shio said tartly. “You are the biggest guppy I have ever met.”

“What’s a guppy? You two make no scorching sense, sometimes.”

“A baby fish,” Shinju replied. “There, you’re all set. Now let’s all get some sleep.”

“What does that make you?” Raz grumbled, some of his humor returning. “Sharks?”

Shio and Shinju laughed. “Sharks are scared of us.”

“Somehow that doesn’t surprise me,” Ivan interjected, amused. Beside him Ailill chuckled. “Are you certain you’re all right?” he asked more quietly as the camp fell silent around them, everyone either asleep or well on their way.

“Just tired. And extremely disappointed.” Ailill sat up just enough to give him a brief kiss.

Startled, Ivan nevertheless kissed him back. “Go to sleep,” he said quietly. “We’ll renegotiate the arrangement later.” With an effort, he moved Ailill to an unused bedroll, protesting only briefly when Ailill insisted he stay.



“Boss looks pretty cozy. Who gets to wake him?”

“You,” Maksim said, voice full of laughter. “But first give me the fifty silver you owe.”

Isidor snorted. “No deal. Bet wasn’t for sleeping.”

“And of course they spent all that time in the field talking.”

“No silver.”

Ivan sat up with a growl. “No heads on your scorching shoulders either if you don’t knock it off.” He rubbed his face and grimaced, feeling in desperate need of a bath and at least three more days of sleep. “I know I didn’t hear you two talking about some bet.”

“Must be hearing things, boss.” Isidor shrugged as if horribly confused. “We were just talking about what to do for breakfast.”

“Go figure it out elsewhere – and be quick about it.”

“Yes, boss.” Isidor and Maksim obediently went to see about breakfast.

Groaning, Ivan fought the urge to curl back up against Ailill and go back to sleep. “What time is it?”

“Barely past sunrise,” Luka said from where he was stoking the fire. “Raz and his terrors are already gone.”

Ivan swore and stood up. “Those idiots. They’re going to get themselves killed.”

“If it was one of your men, you’d be doing the same thing,” Ailill pointed out, reluctantly standing to join the rest of the waking.

“That’s beside the point,” Ivan snapped. “My men aren’t Candidates. Raz is getting deep into stuff he shouldn’t be messing with.”

Luka shrugged. “His call, boss. What do you care anyway?”

“Maybe I’m going senile,” Ivan groused.

“Doubtful,” Ailill murmured so only he could hear.

Ivan shot him a look but didn’t otherwise respond. “All right – most of you are in no condition to travel hard.” He let them all complain for a couple of minutes. “No arguing. You lot are staying here – we have to travel fast and at least half of you can’t do that. The rest of you are staying to look after the injured lot.” That aside, if hunting down Raz took a turn for the nasty, he didn’t want his men to take the fall with him. Which forced him to think of something else. He looked at Ailill, making his hands stay where they were at his side. “You should be getting out of the country,” he said. “I know Raz must have finished his job for you, which means you should be going before you get tangled up in all this.”

“I’m already tangled up in it,” Ailill said, the words said casually but the heat in his eyes decidedly not. “That aside, I already accepted the down payment for helping you with that curse.” He reached out and yanked Ivan close, leaving not much more than a breath of space between them. “You’re not allowed to take it back.”

Around the campsite, Ivan’s men howled and laughed. “Now you owe me fifty silver,” Maksim declared, laughing all the harder when Isidor threw a small sack of coins at his head.

Ivan eyed them until both men found something else to do. He pulled away from Ailill before his men found more ways to harass him. “I think the discipline is severely lacking around here.”

“Not with Ailill to finally administer it to you,” Luka said, ducking behind the injured Gleb as he said it.

“Your head is coming off when I get back,” Ivan said, and continued more seriously. “Stay low and out of sight. Shouldn’t be anymore trouble, as we’re running right towards it. Don’t move until you hear from me – and any message will come with the code.”

“Right, boss.” Luka said, joking manner falling away. “We’ll head toward Green Falls, hole up there. A bit out of the way, but that’s all to the good.”

Ivan nodded. “Move slowly, go easy on poor Gleb – though not too easy. Gleb, don’t do something stupid. I mean it. Everyone take care.”

“You too boss,” the men chorused.

“Hey, Ai,” Karp added as they reached the edge of the clearing. “Take care of the boss. Good ones are hard to find.”

Ailill smiled, and covered Ivan’s mouth to shut him up. “I will.” Then he blurred, shimmered, and was a large white cat. Nipping playfully at Ivan’s leg, he then turned and bounded into the forest.

“You’ll pay,” Ivan said, then turned and chased after Ailill.