Chapter 3
Ascent
Early that morning, as Ileana rode her horse on the road towards Vallaya at a moderate canter, she passed Lucian’s coach galloping out of town. She waved to Lucian, who was seated in the back with Beniamin sitting opposite. He saw her and returned the wave before continuing the apparently heated diatribe he was engaged in. She watched him disappear as the coach drove on by in a cloud of dust.
Upon steering her horse into their stable in the back of Andrei’s apothecary shop, she left it with their groom and entered her and Andrei’s residence from the back. Andrei was, as expected, behind the counter of the apothecary shop, and she greeted him from behind with a warm hug and a kiss.
Ileana was a vigorous and energetic wife, some two decades Andrei’s junior, whom he’d been married to for several years now. Andrei had, for most of his life, considered himself to be an affirmed bachelor, wedded to his business, with no time for domestic cares. Ileana had been the one woman capable of persuading him otherwise. She had become his partner in love and in business.
Andrei asked her, after their greeting: “No troubles on the roads? Didn’t encounter any danger? And was it a lucrative trip?”
She shook her head at the first questions and nodded at the last.
“I really don’t like you risking your life on these dangerous roads. With all the thieves and highwaymen out there, a lone woman is vulnerable,” Andrei said.
“But we need to travel for our business and you have no skill with people,” she laughed, “If we put you on the road and had you negotiate with these people, our business would flounder.”
Even though she didn’t have the aptitude (or the stomach) for the messier parts of his business—namely the butchering of vampires and the preparation of the vampire medicines—she was an invaluable asset on the sales side of their operation. She had always been the better salesperson. With her insouciant frankness, her endless supply of conversation and her pleasing appearance she could forge an almost instant rapport with anyone. After only brief conversations, she could make a client feel like he was the most charming man she’d ever met, make him feel like it was his wit and charisma that was conniving her into a ridiculously generous discount, while she imperceptibly persuaded him to buy a few more units at the fantastic prices he was getting.
She told him some of the details of her trip. She’d made deliveries, contacted buyers, established new connections and so on. Then she said, “And when I was just arriving here, I saw Lucian heading out of here in a hurry with Beniamin.”
“Ah yes,” Andrei nodded, “He’s visiting all the nearby villages, in the hopes of selling them on his vampire peace accord. He’s an ambitious man and is probably looking to ride this treaty to a more prestigious appointment. The vampires have a fairly large hunting ground, so far as I know. That means he’s going to have to make a number of stops. He’ll probably be gone for weeks.” Andrei then explained what’d happened while she was away: Lucian’s discussion with the vampires, Vasile’s latest kill, and his own progress with processing it.
He ended by telling her about Vasile’s interest in an apprentice: “I’ve told everyone, and the word has spread. It’s now common knowledge in town, but, so far, no one’s expressed any interest. Maybe someone from a nearby town will hear of it and volunteer.”
“Who would want to take on such a job? What parent would want to let their child do it?” Ileana said, shaking her head, “We pay Vasile a generous ransom and he has a king’s hoard of gold stashed away, but when will he get to spend it? The job is dangerous. I don’t know how many vampire hunters have disappeared into the bellies of the vampires over the years. It can only be a matter of time before they finally get Vasile and whatever apprentice he takes on.”
“Nonetheless, someone will eventually step forward,” Andrei said, “The money’s just too tantalizing.”
“Do you want to bet?” Ileana asked, “I’ll bet you that he won’t get any takers. The winner gets an hour of involuntary servitude from the loser, redeemable for any task. I’ll give you a week before I can redeem my prize.”
“A month,” Andrei replied.
“Eighteen days!” Ileana conceded.
“You’re on,” Andrei replied.
“Though, for our sake, I really do hope I lose,” Ileana said, “Whatever it is that has kept Vasile alive for so long, he needs to teach it to someone before he’s dead.”
To both Ileana’s and Andrei astonishment it was before the end of that day that the bet was concluded in Andrei’s favor.
As the morning passed over into noon and Ileana reclined in her room, the shop received a visit from Anton, a boy in his late teens. He reached the front of the shop, approaching with caution and circumspection. The building stood in front of him, with its stone walls, the “Apothecary and Vampire Wares” sign swinging on its perch and the heavy front door, built of thick beams of wood and reinforced with iron to withstand the impact of any potential vampire invader. He knocked on the door of the shop, and Andrei opened it, recognizing Anton. He was a sturdy boy, inured to the hard physical labor of his father’s farm. When he entered, he wore the ragged clothes of a tenant farmer’s son and wiped the fresh dirt on his calloused hands off onto his shirt.
There was a well-dressed customer in the shop when Anton entered, and Anton sat down on one of the stuffed chairs, hiding his face. He waited for the man to leave before he approached Andrei.
“Can I help you Anton?” Andrei asked.
Anton leaned over the counter and said confidentially to Andrei, “I need to speak of something private with you.”
Andrei was a bit surprised, since he only knew Anton by face—not at all on a personal level—and had he never really talked with him. “We’re alone right now,” Andrei said, looking around, “You can tell me anything in complete confidence.”
After a deep breath and a quick look around to see if they truly were alone, Anton said, “I want to be Vasile’s apprentice. I’ve heard he needs one, and I’ve thought about it. I’m the best huntsman for a hundred leagues, and he’d be a damn fool to reject me.”
“He’ll be pleased to hear it,” Andrei said nodding with approval. “But why all the secrecy?” Anton didn’t answer the question, and Andrei suggested, “You want to keep this a secret from your father, don’t you? A hard man. Not the most understanding person.”
Anton nodded in agreement. Andrei cautioned, “You can’t keep this a secret forever, though. You’re going to be out every night with Vasile. Surely you don’t think you can sneak out and hunt every night and work during the day? You’ll need rest.”
“I never get tired,” Anton boasted, “Just ask Vasile if he’ll take me. If he says ‘yes’ then I can broach telling my father. If he says ‘no,’ then this will be a secret between you and me. Can you do that for me?”
“Easily and eagerly,” Andrei nodded. Anton then hastily said his goodbye and left the shop, hustling to return to his father’s farm.
After Anton was departed, Andrei yelled into the house so Ileana could hear him, gloating, “You were so wrong today! So very wrong! So, what work should I put you to, my little slave?”
Elixir of Flesh Page 5