Vedientir

by Ivan Hladni

  "My meals have become too short," said Kerkio when they left the yard.

  "And my walking has become too long," added Dion. "A horse, a pony, a donkey. A cow would be nice as well, if it would want to carry me in the right direction. I really don't want to be on my feet anymore."

  Kerkio laughed and answered much too joyfully for Dion's taste.

  "Don't be like that. We only have a few more day parts of walking to Inner Mara."

  Chapter 7 - Night in Inner Mara

  Norik said his goodbyes after he dropped them off on the west bank of the Naumona and Dion watched him paddle his boxy boat back home. It was larger and looked heavier than the thin boats Dion used on the Calapis and the Loi, but Norik had no trouble controlling it.

  "Why did you do that?" he heard Kerkio's question, and when he turned to face him, saw that Kerkio too was looking at Norik. "Silver coins," Kerkio added. There was nothing but curiosity in his voice.

  "I decided to do that the first moment I saw them bloodied on that pasture. It reminded me of Lorei and my grandmother, but I realized that their loss can be lessened a bit." He stopped speaking for a moment. "I am not sorry."

  "Nor should you be," said Kerkio. "Unless we run out of coin to pay for our stay in Mara tonight."

  "Mara will be on you, and I'm already starting to feel hungry again."

  Kerkio frowned and shook his head in feinted disdain. "What a marvelous treasurer you would be."

  Norik tethered his boat to one of the willows on the eastern bank and waved to them once more. He climbed up the steps carved into the muddy bank and finally vanished from their sight. That reminded them that it was time to continue on their way.

  "This is the part where we are going to be sorry that we hadn't gone on the Northern road," said Kerkio looking over the treetops at the low hills that stood between them and the village Mara.

  Dion unfolded the map and turned it so that Kerkio can see it also.

  "If you really want to, we can go to the Northern road to get around those hills, but that's at least a four mile journey west that does not take us any closer to our destination. Perhaps it even leads a little bit back towards Echa," said Dion.

  "No, I don't want to."

  "We should cut through the forest here and go as straight north as we can. If we follow the river we'll go too far east. If we walk straight enough, we will reach a small settlement, part of River Mara, and then we turn west there and follow the river to avoid the biggest climbs." He turned the map even more towards Kerkio and with his index finger drew a path he just described.

  "Straight ahead it is then," said Kerkio. "Lead."

  The noon sun had already passed its highest point in the sky when they saw the houses of the small settlement on the Naumona in front of them.

  "Tired?" asked Kerkio.

  "I've been tired for two days," replied Dion, "but I would like to remedy that. To Mara without stopping?"

  A grin covered Kerkio's face. "Not that long ago you were singing a song of not wanting to be on your feet anymore, but all right. A long walk under a load is the best way to check if there's a legionary hiding in there somewhere."

  "No legionary here. Just someone who wants to rest his feet and is currently painfully aware that he cannot do it right away."

  They spent the rest of the day walking and stopped for the briefest of moments only to take care of the small needs that arise in a body during the day or to eat a small piece of food. Here and there they had to overcome a few obstacles and take a small detour from the river.

  "Tired?" now Dion asked after he noticed that it was late afternoon already.

  "Yes, but I have learned to endure. The legion must be able to cover the distance we traveled twice as fast as we have covered it, and be ready to fight at the end of it. I'm used to walking this long."

  Dion's face, red from heat and weariness, grew more somber.

  "I am honestly satisfied with our progress so far," added Kerkio. "If we keep this pace tomorrow after we get on the North road in Mara, we'll be in Tialoch in the evening."

  "Do you hear that?" asked Dion. For a while now he thought he could hear distant sounds reaching them between Kerkio's words, but he did not stop Kerkio speaking until he was quite certain that he was hearing axes striking wood.

  He was so happy that for a moment he forgot about weariness and his aching feet. "We are in Mara!"

  "I hope so. I would not like to end up sleeping in the open. We don't know if there are more of those shriekers around. Let's go see," said Kerkio. They followed the sound of axes that led them away from the river and deeper into the forest.

  "They don't look very dangerous," said Dion very quietly when they spotted the source of the sound between the trees. It was a small group of woodsmen.

  Kerkio watched the three woodsmen of grandfather age and one of his age chopping off branches from a huge felled tree that lay in a cleared patch of the forest. A muddy road cut into the forest led from the north to the clearing. The road was full of holes dug by hooves, thin tracks left by carts and deep cuts made by trunks that had been dragged that way out of the forest. At the point where the road and the clearing met stood a large work horse fitted with a harness used for dragging tree trunks.

  "Stop as soon as you exit the cover. Let them see us first," said Kerkio, still trying to be quiet, and then he stepped out of the cover into the clearing. Dion followed.

  The youngest man was the only one in the group who was facing in their direction, but he didn't notice them at first. He was bent over and busy clearing smaller branches from the trunk. He straightened up and was about to start working on a larger branch but it became very clear that he saw them then. He was surprised at first and the surprise almost grew into fear but he became noticeably less tense when he saw the blue of the South legion on Kerkio.

  "What is happening?" he asked them loudly but with a hint of nervousness. His gaze seemed fixed on the standard that Dion was holding in his hand. It looked as if he knew what it was even though it was rolled up.

  The other men also stopped working and they watched Dion and Kerkio in silence. Even the horse noticed the change and looked at the men for a moment but then quickly continued grazing on the small patches of grass that were still untrampled.

  "Nothing good," answered Dion as they slowly walked towards the young woodsman. "Are you from Mara?"

  The young woodsman nodded affirmatively but then pointed with his head towards Dion as he raised his eyebrows.

  "From Echa," Dion replied to him, understanding the woodsman's gesture. "We have been on our feet since dawn. We need a place to spend the night. Which way towards the nearest tavern?"

  "You came from Echa to Mara? Through the forest?" said the young woodsman, not hiding that he was impressed. "You legionaries really are a tough sort when you can cover all that distance in one day."

  Dion did not wish to go into details with the stranger so he just shrugged off the man's remark and then repeated his earlier question. "The tavern?"

  The young woodsman thought for a moment. "There are two taverns on the main road in Road Mara, but they are more to the north, toward Tialoch. Seven miles to the closest tavern, I think, if you follow the village roads to the Main Road. A two day parts walk from here."

  "What about the village elders? We could probably spend the night at one of their houses. We need to speak to them anyhow." The woodsman began shaking his head while Dion was still finishing the last sentence.

  "All three live next to the Main Road. One owns one of the taverns I spoke about."

  Dion could not hide his disappointment as sweat dripped from his face and watered his already wet shirt.

  "May I ask something now?" asked the young woodsman.

  "How bad is that 'nothing good'?"

  "War broke out in the south but it has stopped at Echa for now. At least I hope it did," Dion answered him. "I have a feeling that you already guessed what might be happening. I noticed that you recognize the
standard."

  "I know what it means," the woodsman said and he looked worried now. "What must we do?"

  "Avoid going south, all of you," answered Dion loud enough so that the others in his group could hear him, and he then looked at each one of them to see if they understood.

  "You are not calling us into war?" asked the woodsman.

  "No."

  "I thought that because of the standard," the woodsman started explaining himself but Dion nodded that he understood.

  "Did any of you see or hear that someone other than Kerkio and me came from Echa today? Have there been other men? Riders?"

  "We've been here since this morning," answered the woodsman. "We saw no other strangers but the two of you."

  "We'll hopefully find out soon enough," said Kerkio and looked at Dion. "Let's find one of those taverns before the light of day completely disappears?"

  Dion sighed audibly and shook his head.

  "How far away are the first houses of the village from here?"

  "There are some at the end of this road," the woodsman answered and pointed to somewhere behind the horse.

  "Please," the woodsman added before either Dion or Kerkio moved or spoke, "there is no need to seek lodging in the village. My house is at most a mile away from here, and I have a spare room available. To speak the truth, only one bed is in it, but we'll think of something when we get there."

  He waited for their answer but then added to break the silence and perhaps aid their decision.

  "You've traveled a long way today. I would be honored to give shelter to the legion and especially to the standard carrier."

  "Do we walk or sleep?" Dion asked Kerkio after the woodsman stopped speaking, and all could see that Dion had not only already accepted the woodsman's offer but was already daydreaming about sleeping in the offered bed.

  "We can find the elders in the morning," he finished.

  "The bed is probably yours?" Kerkio asked and it was decided.

  "Wonderful," said Dion greatly relieved that Kerkio had accepted the woodsman's offer. The man was smiling happily as he tossed his axe from one hand to the other so he could extend his right arm and shake hands with Dion and Kerkio.

  "Galinos."

  They heard his name being spoken again as soon as he introduced himself. It almost sounded like an echo but the second time it was a woman's voice that called his name. It came from the road.

  "Can we come?" the same female voice spoke again. Galinos turned around towards the road, waved his hand and answered loudly. "Yes. It is safe."

  At that a smaller shape split away from the woman's dress and came quickly towards them.

  "Finish without me today?" Galinos asked the rest of the group as he waited for the girl to reach him.

  "Sure. Come to the mill in the morning," one of the older men replied to Galinos and the tiny girl of golden hair and large front teeth wrapped herself around one of Galinos' legs.

  "Daddy, when are you coming home?" asked the girl.

  "Right away, actually," answered Galinos and then turned back towards Dion and Kerkio. "And we have guests this evening," he said to Relia. "These two brave legionaries will sleep at our house tonight," he said solemnly, as if he was telling a bedtime story.

  Dion waved at her, but she looked at him only for a brief moment. She was more interested in Kerkio and as soon as their eyes met she shyly looked away towards the ground.

  "Young lady," started Kerkio with the gentlest voice he could muster and bowed as low as he dared. He didn't want the bag to come flying off his back.

  "Do you accept us in your home? We have trimmed the tails of five dragons today and are very tired and very hungry."

  Galinos laughed when his daughter looked at him with eyes wide opened in awe. Her gray dress swayed when she struck the earth with one of her feet and shouted "You're messing with me!"

  "Relia, don't shout," said her dad.

  "All right, there were only three dragons," Kerkio corrected himself, but Galinos stopped Kerkio and Relia from continuing on.

  "This way, if you are ready," said Galinos and showed them towards the road and his wife who stood there in a white dress with knitted red flowers on the sleeves. Standing next to the massive brown work horse she looked almost as tiny as Relia.

  "Avia, my wife," Galinos introduced her, even though there was no doubt as to who she was. She had the same full cheekbones as Relia and the same light golden-brown hair that flowed down her neck and ended on her shoulders.

  "I hope we will not be much of a hindrance tonight," said Dion after Galinos introduced them.

  "Guests are always welcome. Hey..." said Avia but then ran after Relia in the middle of the sentence. The little girl was already running back home.

  "We would be in Tialoch tonight if Relia was leading," said Kerkio as they were leaving the muddy road behind and entering the southernmost part of the village Mara. "She looks tireless."

  "We can deal with her," said Galinos. "Her younger brother is the tireless one. Not even a year old and already louder than his big sister."

  "I do not want to seem ungrateful but are you certain we will not bother you?" asked Dion when they turned east towards Naumona, following Relia and her mother down the village road which was now wide and straight and led between rows of houses towards the end of the village and the river.

  Galinos laughed loudly with a laugh that sounded as if it could bring cheer to any occasion. "You won't bother him, but he might bother you."

  "So you are a woodsman by trade?" asked Dion to cut short the silence that lasted too long after Galinos' laugh had stopped.

  "I guess I am," answered Galinos. "I do with wood what is needed. I am also the one who most often gets to drive the pulp carts to Aquia, up into the mountains east of the Naumona. The work has increased ever since the king ordered more watermills to be built only for the production of paper. There isn't a waterfall anymore in Aquia that does not run at least one watermill. Most of them are still for flour, but the new ones are built for paper."

  "Mother told me that they were receiving less sheep skins and more paper lately in Echa's library. Now I know where all that paper comes from," added Dion to the conversation.

  "She says it's not as nice to write on paper as it is on skin, but it has already become hard to come by as many skins as they need for all their work."

  "Here we are," said Galinos when Relia turned left into an unfenced yard with a wooden house in it.

  "Grandma!" shouted Relia as she ran towards the door located between two windows on the west side of the house. There was a bench underneath each window.

  "Quiet, you'll wake up Leut," whispered grandma when she appeared inside the door's frame. She wiped her hands on her thighs and then noticed the strangers.

  "Avia's mother. Our guests from Echa," said Galinos.

  "I haven't prepared enough for dinner," grandma said quite frustrated after she shook hands with the guests. "I'll make pancakes so they can fill up," she continued and Relia burst with joy upon hearing that.

  "Six eggs. Be quick," grandma said to Relia and sent her to the other side of the yard to the henhouse. "You help me inside," she said and dragged Avia into the house after her.

  "Rest. Come in," said Galinos.

  "I don't want to wake your baby," replied Kerkio and then placed his bag on the bench on the left side of the door. "This bench will be more than enough for now."

  Dion took the other bench, leaned back on the wall of the house and closed his eyes from pure joy when his feet felt relief.

  Galinos looked at both of them and then snapped his fingers.

  "You asked if someone else came to Mara from Echa today."

  Dion opened his eyes and looked at Galinos.

  "I know a man who maintains the Main road. If anyone knows what's happening on the road, it's him," explained Galinos as he was leaving the yard. "Get comfortable. I will be back by dinner," he finished and went west deeper into Mara.

  "Pa
ncakes," said Dion suddenly.

  "What?"

  "He reminded me of pancakes. I'm going too. Be back quickly," said Dion and got up from the bench.

  "Where are you off to?" asked Kerkio half worried and was about to get up and go with him, but Dion stopped him.

  "I noticed it along the way while we were walking towards the house here," said Dion. "Sit. You don't need to go with me."

  "What did you notice?"

  "An acacia - a black locust tree," answered Dion and ran towards a slender dark-gray tree covered in white flowers that grew near Galinos's house. From the distance it looked as if it was covered in snow.

  "What are those for?" asked Kerkio with a puzzled look on his face when he saw the flowers in Dion's hands. "You look like a bride."

  "These are for eating. They have just bloomed."

  "Are you sure?" Kerkio asked again, now a bit wary of the flowers in Dion's hands. "Isn't the tree poisonous?"

  "It is, but the flowers are not," said Dion. "I'll go prepare them," said Dion and went into the house.

  He entered into a large main room whose left wall was made of stone and was home to a fireplace in which a tame fire crackled. Beside the fireplace stood a rocking chair and right next to it was a crib. The sounds that filled the room were coming from there - the baby snored almost as loudly as an adult. Opposite the entrance stood a long hallway that led from the main room to the rest of the rooms in the house.

  "Add more wood to the fire," he heard Avia's mother speaking in the kitchen. A door to the left of the fireplace led to it, located in the very corner of the room's only stone wall.

  "Excuse me," said Dion when he entered the kitchen. "You said you were making pancakes," he added. His eyes escorted Relia who passed by him and went out of the kitchen.

  The old mother turned towards him. She was busy cracking the eggs that Relia brought against the edge of a large wooden bowl.

  "If you wouldn't mind making a bit more batter. I would like to fry these acacia flowers when you're done with the pancakes, but I'll need to add some more flour to make the batter thicker for the flowers."