by Vance Huxley
Eventually Billi had the green stone, and the teardrop, and the two small oval ones which he would decide on a setting for next year. The Tinkerer Billi would test the cost of settings through the year and promised a good price to bring Billi back. The second largest round stone would be Billi’s as well once a twisted rope of gold and a delicate cradle of the same metal were holding it.
The value of that sat in a pouch kept separate from the meagre remains of his original hoard, and would be handed over when Billi collected the goods. Billi was content. He was almost certain he would get more from the Traders for these than for the roughs, and certainly not less considering how keen they were to get sparkuls. Billi looked forward to finding out what the mounted one was worth. The Tinkerer seemed happy so he had made a profit as well. It was the sign of a good bargain when both parties thought they had a good deal.
The beguilers gave a last little twirl. “We will not tell the other beguilers about those you have left. It wouldn’t be fair. If you resisted us, they haven’t got a chance.”
Billi separated out two little red roughs and sighed. “But I didn’t resist, not completely. There’s one each as a reward for your hard work. You two will give me interesting dreams all winter so it’s a fair exchange.” They preened when the Tinkerer agreed that they’d had that effect ever since getting their first tattoos. Billi really didn’t mind since he had thoroughly enjoyed the trading and the beguiling, and the stones were found goods anyway. The Tinkerer would be horrified at the last sentiment if Billi ever said it out loud.
The Tinkerer supplied a burly youth to lurk nearby until Billi came clear of the tents, an indication of the value that Billi was carrying, which was a bit startling. The beguilers though that giving him an escort was funny since Billi looked stronger and more frightening than either guard, according to them. Billi thought they were teasing the burly youth a bit. He wondered if they were flirting? Did Tinkerer maids flirt with Tinkerer youths as well as beguile?
The truly ferocious guard hopped along nearby, just content to be out of the tent and enjoying the scents of all those who’d visited the Tinkerers. Rabbit had laid quietly through the bargaining and the contented song in Billi’s head helped a little when the beguiling grew intense.
* * *
The sparkuls went into a different hidey-hole in the hut. That was a loose rock in the wall and getting to it meant Billi holding the bed end up while sat on the floor. Not easy for anyone who didn’t have muscles like Billi’s, and even with the bed up the stone wasn’t obviously loose. Billi had started hiding valuables because of Edan and now he also worried about Traders if they got wind of his stones. The gold work from this afternoon went in the slice that came free of the roof timber close to the wall. That wasn’t as secure, but hard to see unless someone actually stood with their back to the wall with a decent light.
Billi decided to take all his sparkuls and gold out to the lakes and hide them well, but not tomorrow. The next day, since tomorrow he would be collecting the chain before the Tinkerers left to race against the snows of deeper winter. He had often wondered what happened if they lost because this string of fancy wagons had always been the last, every year. Perhaps their wagons were snug enough to survive while they dug themselves clear.
Right now though, he was intrigued by the promises of a different sort of Tinkerer dance.
Winter Dancing
Billi had a bite to eat and headed up the track again to see this dancing. The hints and teasing had worked. A few older men had even brought their lasses to see it although this was a very rare occurrence. That might be a bit embarrassing considering how uninhibited Tinkerer dancing could be, though only bonded lasses came and there were no maids. More or less all the youths and unbonded men in the Village had come.
At first the dancing seemed the same as usual. The tattooed maids flaunted and strutted with Tinkerer youths and men and their sparkuls flashed and glittered in the torchlight. The men left, leaving just the maids, and the music became faster and faster, wilder and wilder. A few discs of copper went onto the packed dirt to encourage the maids nearer, or to let a few bits of cloth flutter loose. Then silver glittered in the flames of the torches, and more clothing slipped free.
So far despite the amount of tattoos on show where the silver fell the thickest, this seemed normal, and Billi heard complaints that this was the same as last night. A rattle of the drum and a clash of bells and the music stopped, allowing the dancers to slip into the shadows. A single flute started, haunting, slow, and another maid stepped, glided almost, from the shadows.
A different sort of maid entirely and there were audible gasps from the crowd and a few appreciative whistles. Not a Tinkerer woman, not even a half-breed who were reputedly beautiful enough to drive men wild with a glance. This one looked like a spirit in the night. Her long white hair drifted, a fine mane that tumbled loosely around her shoulders and down her back, and her skin shone pure white in the flickering torchlight. That came as a shock after the usual swarthy Tinkerers and tanned villagers, especially as no villager ever looked that pale even when a shirt came off after a long winter. Her white skin looked even more startling because of the brightly coloured tracery of tattoos that ran riotously over every exposed inch, and over the rest of her as everyone could tell. The many strips of gauzy material blurred any real view, but allowed the eye to follow the stark bright lines.
The flute played a little faster and she danced, ethereal and light, skipping and twirling, floating across the pounded dirt and along the line of entranced men. Men who were suddenly looking into two chips of sparkling pale blue, something unique to anyone there. There were a few yellow blondes among the traders, with deep blue eyes, but not this almost colourless yet somehow intense version. Her face looked as different as the rest of her, fine, sharp featured with high cheekbones and brows so pale they were almost lost. Then her shockingly red full lips parted in a smile to reveal sharp, bright white canines, which contributed to her fierce, feral look. No raucous laughter and no crude suggestions came from the crowd, and no coins were thrown until the Dancer came to a halt. Then the cheering and whistling started and a shower of small copper and silver discs pattered on the dirt.
The Dancer held up her hands for silence, and when it almost arrived a deep, sensuous voice with a thick accent rang out. “I need parrtnerr, I dance wid, who iss ssrrongess?” A storm of noise answered as at least half the unattached men volunteered and were belittled by their friends. “Who iss ssrrongess heerr?”
“Billi, he throttled Edan with one hand.” A chorus of agreement rose up, mixed with merriment as of course Billi couldn’t dance. Edan sat among his friends, keeping quiet at the far side of the dancing area and though he scowled, he didn’t deny it. The Dancer looked round and a few pointed, so Billi gestured at his peg and the crutch and smiled an apology. The woman looked around again.
“Iss de ssrrongess?” Billi braced himself for the laughter but she glided across and looked him over. The crowd fell silent except for occasional flurries of laughter. Billi didn’t mind, this joke was on her since she had asked for the strongest. “Can dee liff a maid, ssrrong man?”
“He held up a grown man with one arm!” A storm of agreement rose to drown the negation from Billi and she leant in. He could almost feel sparks crackling in the air as the Dancer came closer.
“Sshow me, ssrrong man, sshow dee arrm.” Billi’s neighbours were gleefully pulling at him now, so he let them pull his coat back off his shoulders and arm and roll up the sleeve. Then he grinned up at her and flexed his bicep to a cheer. A few started to chant Bill-llee, Bill-llee. The ale and the joke were having their say now because they were all laughing at her. A glance showed that Billi one-leg was definitely the strongest here, and they really wanted to see how she would work around that.
“No Billee, dee iss Bearr, ssrrong Bearr. Will dee dance wid me, ssrrong Bearr?” Billi waved helplessly at his wooden peg, laughing himself now because this was so funny. The o
ne she wanted to dance with was sat in a crowd of young men who’d kill for the chance and he couldn’t. It was life’s greatest joke so far. Her eyes suddenly fastened on Rabbit, sat with his tongue out, laughing along with the rest. “Bearr iss Hunnerr?” The Bill-llee, Bill-llee started up again with some Bear-rah, Bear-rah as she straightened and put out her hand, imperious. “Dance wid me Bearrr!”
Billi felt the joke starting to go wrong as hands pulled him to his foot and thrust his crutch into his hand. She was going to make a complete fool of him. His smile slipped and Billi felt the heat start in his face as she moved in closer. Those around were straining to hear now. “Big and ssrrong. No need forr move wid me. Need dee ssrrong, forr frrow, forr cach.” Her voice dropped lower, almost a vibration against him, “dance wid me now, Bearr.”
“May as well ride the joke to the end now.” Billi stuck out his hand to take hers. She glanced around then led him, stumping after, to a big hitching post used to hold the bulls when they were being sold. “Wid back, dee brace on diss. Can liff me, can frrow?” The Dancer stroked Billi’s chest and arms and though the crowd couldn’t hear what she said there were plenty of suggestions flying now. Billi nodded, he couldn’t speak because she was so close that she took his breath away. Taller than she seemed, though not quite his own height, she wouldn’t be as light as she looked but even so he knew he could pick her up. “Pick me up, overr head, forr momenn.”
She raised her arms and Billi rested his crutch against the post and put a hand each side of her waist. Then with a smooth surge he picked her up to the full stretch, holding her there as Billi concentrated on his balance. Billi barely heard the cheer. It wasn’t easy to concentrate on anything but the woman in his hands, her skin warm under his palms. Moving skin as she pivoted forward to lie facing down in the air with arms wide before swinging back towards upright. Billi brought her slowly down to another cheer and she stood a moment and gave him the benefit of a big smile. Then the Dancer twisted out of his hands and plucked his crutch away, tossing it to the crowd. Billi noticed that Rabbit moved to stand over it, so at least he could find it again.
She turned and called out to the crowd. “Ssrrong enough. Rreally ssrrong Bearr.” The emphasis on rreally sent a shiver up Billi’s spine. A cheer greeted her because the crowd were loving this. “I dance wid bearr. You wan copperr dance, orr ssilverr dance?” Her voice dropped and became sultrier on the last two words. That probably sent the same shivers up other spines that Billi felt in his and it certainly produced a storm of glittering silver.
The Dancer twirled again and glided over, then started to unfasten Billi’s shirt, smiling up into his face. “Forr ssilverr, muss ssee de musscle move. Sskin wid sskin.” She started to push the shirt up and back, running her hands across Billi’s chest. “Da was liff. I ssay frrow, frrow harrd away. If say hold, dee hold arrm out. Up, dee frrow iss up, harrd ass can. Sswing de ssame. Make ssure dee cach when I jump.” Billi really did try to concentrate on what she said, but with her accent, that voice, and her hands on his chest and arms it wasn’t easy. No matter how this ended, it was going to be memorable.
The Dancer held up a strip of gauze and gestured to numerous others hanging from her clothing. Her teeth gleamed white in a dazzling smile and she tugged lightly at a hanging strip. “You grrip dese, keep dese?” She ran her hands down Billi’s arms, shucking the shirt off and scraped her fingers back up to his shoulders, “Mmm, maybe dee can keep all?” Her tongue came out and the tip ran over her canines as she lifted Billi’s arms straight out to the sides.
“Diss be hold, now we dance!” The pale figure moved away and curtsied to everyone, the flute started up and the Dancer began to move. At first she danced around the post wide of Billi but this time the music started fast and then went faster as she closed in. Her eyes flashed down at the swirling strips and up at Billi so he grinned and snatched at one.
The Dancer gave a little shriek of alarm and Billi stared at the strip in his hand! Then she smiled at the crowd. “Is quick, diss Hunnerr.” The pale shape danced past again, just out of range but Billi had the idea now. He was supposed to pull off enough of her coverings to give the crowd a show, but the inner ones would be tied tight. Billi was more than willing!
Cymbals joined in and the crowd were egging Billi on now, urging him to snatch another as she ran at him and called “frrow up!” He clamped his hands around her waist and did, expecting to catch her again though he remembered to keep hold of the strip of gauze.
No catching needed, the Dancer flew like a bird and from the cheer she landed well and a moment later Billi heard “hold” and stuck his arms out like a scarecrow. She swung under his arm, a littlun on a branch, but kept swinging around across his chest and her legs went across to the other arm. A surge and she slid across his chest, skin to skin for a moment, then came up. The Dancer sat for a moment on the bicep, not quite long enough for her full weight to settle.
Then she rolled off his arm and away, but not before Billi snagged another ‘prize’ and earned another shriek, and a cheer from the crowd. Billi thought the Dancer must had gauged his strength from the lift or something, but he still thought she took big chances. He wriggled himself against the post to make sure he was braced because he didn’t want to fall now! Billi thought he might be strong enough, but balance was another thing.
Billi managed to keep his foot and peg on the floor and the seat of his pants off it as the music became faster and still wilder. The Dancer swung and flew and threw herself at and over him from every angle. She only gave Billi a quick clear call as a warning but Dancer knew her craft. Billi swung her out through the air and saw how she landed from his throws, and her agile rolls always ended in a graceful continuation of her moves. She did that again and again, around and over a truly impressed Billi. She couldn’t be sure just how Billi would throw, he just made a best guess of where she wanted to be, but every time the Dancer made her landing look smooth and sure like a planned move. Billi knew this dance wasn’t practised but felt sure it looked that way.
Somewhere along the way another flute, bells, a fiddle and drum joined in as Billi caught her high, twisting leaps and held her overhead as she gyrated, then flung her away. She swung up and over her dancing partner and the scattered scraps of cloth around him grew, as did the noise from the crowd. It had to end soon before she ran out of gauze, which wasn’t helping Billi’s concentration. Luckily the tattoos were coming at him too fast to get a really good look.
“Cach.” This time she landed solidly, curled up so she almost tucked into the crook of one arm with her knees up. Billi brought his other arm across to hold her, and the music stopped completely. For a few moments Billi felt her breathing heavily against his chest and then her arm went up around Billi’s head, just before her mouth came up and covered his.
With the wild music and excitement, and having just had her rub all over him and pulled off most of her coverings, Billi didn’t hesitate. His arms tightened as he bussed her back for long moments. Then those sharp canines nipped his lip lightly, and the Dancer wriggled and slithered and danced away from him in long twirl and a roll that ended in a graceful bow. She also left Billi holding one more loose scrap, a long one. The crowd gave a collective gasp as she spun and spun and it unwound!
For a long moment everyone, including Billi, thought she’d lost the top half of her coverings! But no, she had a smaller strip still covering her breasts, more or less. A thick shower of silver rain glittered again. She’d played them perfectly, and Billi as well. Billi realised Dancer wasn’t quite finished yet as she smiled at him, then them, and held up her hands. The crowd went more or less quiet, very impressive after that display.
“Ssrrong Hunnerr, and quick. Wach forr yourr maidss, he no chasse, nearrly cach me anyway!” A roar of laughter answered her. Her voice dropped lower, husky. “Lucky maidss, mmm, ssrrong arrms.” The crowd laughed louder now, but some shouted for more and the Dancer swayed over towards Billi, teasing. She moved without music but the
Dancer still danced, stepping to an unheard beat. Her eyes met his and glanced down, and he saw another bit of loose gauze!
Billi felt sure there were none a moment ago but she looked back up at him, her tongue flicked out to dab her lips for a moment and Billi knew his cue. A last one for the crowd. She twirled past, arms high and the bit of cloth blew out just far enough so Billi snatched it, laughing. Then he stood staring for long moments at the sharp nipples jutting from the snowy breasts with their swirling designs as she froze. Her arms came down to cover them with a shriek and the Dancer ran into the shadows leaving Billi with her breast-cloth!
The crowd went mad and more silver flew while Billi reran that in his head. Was he supposed to miss? No, he’d seen a curl of laughter on her lips before she shrieked and her eyes weren’t shocked at all, and the Dancer definitely waited a long, long moment before her arms came down. So maybe that was his reward? Some reward, Billi would have interesting dreams for a year after tonight!
The Dancer came out to give a last curtsy with a shawl around her and wagged her finger at Billi, naughty boy. Another shower of copper and silver, in appreciation this time, glittered in the torchlight. Billi offered the cloth back but this time her finger went no, no, as did her headshake. The Dancer didn’t dare get near the bearr again, her body language said. Instead of the crowd being disappointed at the dance ending the pale Dancer ran off to good-natured laughter. Billi reckoned she’d earned her silver, now being scooped up by the other dancers. They were still wearing the scraps they finished their acts in, to give the youths a final treat.
One Tinkerer maid sauntered over and collected the bits of gauze around the dancing bearr. Billi offered her the breast-cloth but she laughed at him. “She don’t give that away before. Reckon ye get to keep that for catching her, your trophy.” She leaned in. “If ye want another, ssrrong bearr, ye just might get one if ye can catch me as well.” Then she laughed and twirled away. The Tinkerer maids were in a good mood tonight as well. Billi felt sure Dancer was no Tinkerer, not even some exotic type since her tattoos were painted on and those on Tinkerer maids were stained into their skin.