Chapter Twenty
~
“Recite your runes for me,” Selene said.
I turned the stick spittin’ the one-pound lizard that would be my dinner. The sizzle subsided.
“As meaningful as Orc script to me,” Morgan said, and growled.
“I was speaking to the lad,” Selene said. “But it wouldn’t hurt you to practice with him.”
“With dark,” Morgan said, “I was thinkin’ about trackin’ yar friends, and givin’ them a fright to make them rethink comin’ after us”
“Track?” Selene threw the stick he’d been snappin’ into ever smaller pieces, into the fire, with a tad of irritation, maybe. “Are you serious? It’s pitch black out there. You can’t see the trees in front of you, much less the ground.”
Morgan’s chest vibrated in that ogre chuckle. “My snout can track a blood trail even if ya blindfolded me. I’ll be back.” He unfolded his legs and stood.
“Don’t go out there. There are traps a wizard can set, the likes I haven’t even considered showing you yet.”
“I don’t like sittin’ and waitin’.” Morgan reached for his staff.
“At least don’t take Bacchus.” Selene stood quickly, as though he was gonna block Morgan from leavin’.
That would have been entertainin’ to watch.
“Wha—”
“They’ll sense the residual energy,” Selene hurried to explain.
“Re zid—”
Selene waved at me to shut up. They make up words. I turned away from them in irritation—not that they’d notice. My lizard had started to sizzle again, so I pulled it from the fire and blew on it. After a sniff, I feared I might have gotten it a little too toasty. I wafted my hand over it and turned back to the two.
Morgan’s free hand clenched and the right side of his upper lip drew up against his tusk. The staff is his weapon of choice. A blind man could see that, considerin’ the ogre didn’t go anywhere without it. He glared at Selene a long moment, before he leaned Bacchus against the wall, picked up the enormous bow, and took the time to string it.
“Don’t do anything stu—”
Morgan’s growl, the unfriendly variety, stopped Selene from finishin’ his sentence.
“Shouldn’t we go with him?” I asked.
“I’m not a mountain man. Hate the dark. In no hurry to battle blind. And don’t even consider traipsing off with him, or I’ll break one of your legs.”
Morgan snorted, the humorous variety, and strode away. The orange glint of the fire faded off the pale-blue of the bull’s vest as he moved further away from us, until there was nothin’ but blackness, which pretty much summarized my fallin’ mood. I leaned forward and tested the rear leg of my dinner. Cool enough, I gripped it in my teeth and sawed it off with my new knife.
Selene shook his head. “Never thought you’d be using that on lizard when I gave it to you.”
“I don’t like this,” I muttered as skin and bone crunched between my teeth. “We should be stayin’ together. Why’d ya let him go off by himself?”
“Attempting to keep fools from doing foolish things is like capturing the wind in your fist.”
“Ya’re afraid of him.”
Selene’s expression turned pensive for a moment. “There’s that too.”
“Ya might as well head for Nador first light if ya don’t even have the backbone to speak up to him.”
Selene allowed a passin’ grin. “I stopped him from givin’ himself away with Bacchus.” Then he mumbled, “unless he reaches for his power.”
Power. He didn’t say ethereal. “Ya took away his greatest weapon.”
“Which means he’s less likely to get himself in too much trouble.”
“Or be unable to recover from it.”
Selene’s face curled up. “You are such a cynic.”
“I don’t know what that means, but ya’re wrong.”
Selene rocked in a silent chuckle. “You spoke of Nador. Reminds me now is as good a time as any to check in.”
I grimaced, maybe, not understandin’ what “check in” meant.
Selene stood, walked over to Morgan’s pack, and pulled out the ogre’s skillet.
“Ya gonna fry somethin’?” I asked. What’d that have to do with checkin’ anythin’?
Selene smiled but didn’t answer. He walked to the pool of water dammed up at the seep, filled the pan half-full, and returned to his place close to the fire, settin’ the skillet on the rocks, but not on the fire. The moments passed, and I realized Selene waited for the surface of the water to still. When it did, Selene held his ring forward. A two-count later it glowed, brighter and brighter, until it shone off the surface of the water.
“Come, brother,” Selene whispered.
The black reflection wavered, and I stiffened, expectin’ to be transported again with Selene, but nothin’ happened. A shimmer floated over the water.
“No, still alive,” Selene answered a question I didn’t hear.
So he was leavin’ me out of this conversation. Maybe I resented he hadn’t taken me along this time. Not that I wanted to go anywhere.
Selene spoke, his voice muddied. “Mid-day they returned. Either they expected I’d be gone, or believed their task would be much easier than they found it to be—
“As strong as the springtime aura suggested—
“That’s indeed why I’m disturbing you this evening—
“She wouldn’t, eh—
“She’s a snippy witch, that one—
“Yes, she was my greatest hope.” Selene’s face soured. “None then, eh—
“No, I’m committed to following this to its conclusion—
“Needn’t be insulting—
“Not a chance—”
Selene shook his head sadly.
“My worth is due to Ollimon. He may be rich, but he deserves what I leave behind if I don’t return—
“Just being realistic—
“Fine then. Say as many prayers as you wish—
“Good night, friend.”
Friend? He called him brother, before. Which is it? The shimmer evaporated, and Selene slumped. The glow of his ring faded. He took a slow breath and looked up at me. “The news isn’t good.”
Maybe I shouldn’t ask the brother-question. I swallowed. “Figgered the talk about willin’ yar belongin’s implied the situation isn’t polished tack and fresh oats.” I cleared my throat. “Maybe ya should leave in the mornin’, for yar own good. Don’t want yar friends to have to fret, fightin’ over yar thin’s or nothin’.”
The side of Selene’s face rose in a sad smile. “Enjoy the rest of yar reptilian dinner.” He unrolled his beddin’ and lay down, facin’ away from me and the glare of the fire.
My gut welled with the need to strike out at someone, or somethin’. I considered hurlin’ the last of my lizard at the back of Selene’s head, but I was too hungry to waste the smallest morsel. I nibbled off the remainin’, crispy limbs.
A little guilt washed across me. I should have thanked the wizard for tryin’ to find me a new home to apprentice. I considered the origin of my anger. The answer acted as though it didn’t wish to be found. Maybe it was because Selene had somethin’ to go home to? Every time I think of the three strangers out there who wish to do me harm, confusion knots up in my head.
I often think of the folk who treated me so harshly those days I traveled north. Maybe humans aren’t the kind, or moral race, after all. A fuzzy image of the orc hen sittin’ in that dugout home sewin’ for me flitted through my mind.
Not that it was such a big deal. But they all put aside tasks of their own to do for me. And I never even asked for the help. Yet wealthy sorts up North couldn’t be bothered to lift a finger in suggestin’ to some wizard leader, that it was wrong to kill a couple strangers far in the South, who would never bother them none.
I shook my head and swallowed down the last two bites of my dinner. Wasn’t steak, even chicken, a little chewy, but better than gnawin’ on more dried elk. Another two lizards would be worth roastin’. I glared at the granite walls, but quickly looked back at the shaft entrance.
Morgan shouldn’t be out there. Shouldn’t be alone. I shifted around on my bedroll tryin’ to get more comfortable. I missed the comfortable mattress I slept on at the Inn. The mine’s chilly.
The minutes slogged. The fire crackled softly.
How long had the ogre been gone?
Could already be the middle of the night. Might as well try to get a few minutes of sleep. I yawned, and prepared my sleepin’ fur.
Stay safe out there, ya stubborn ogre.
~
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