Not Enemies

Chapter 14 — Not Enemies

Everything was like a fog. Images of the last battle, the faces of her comrades, and the farewell at the metal gates blurred into one smeared picture. Acrid soot tore at her throat. The wounded girl coughed heavily without fully regaining consciousness, and the cough echoed hollowly through the walls of the half-ruined brick building.

— Kh-kh… Hey, Oli! Are you making a fire over there, or did you decide to smoke us all out of the forest? — Michael’s voice came from outside.

A small house of red brick stood in the middle of the forest. Its old walls had long been covered with moss, and instead of a roof, an enormous concrete slab lay across them. One of the walls had collapsed, leaving behind a pile of bricks that now made it difficult to get inside.

— Oh, forgive me! You can see for yourself everything around is wet. Where am I supposed to find dry branches for you? It’s good I managed to light it at all, — Olivia complained unhappily, kneeling by the fire. Every now and then she blew on the damp branches, brushed hair away from her face so it would not fall into the flames, and coughed from the thick smoke. — You’d better help. And why are you even doing this? You should have left them there, like we were taught, and that’s all.

— You still have a lot to learn, — Michael said in a heavy voice. — Pavel, take him by the arms and let’s carry him. I can’t drag this big one alone.

Michael and Pavel took the lifeless body of one of the strangers from the wagon and carried it behind the house.

— And if you need help, ask Reyn over there. Maybe he’ll come to himself, because he’s walking around pale as a sheet. Probably the first time he’s seen so many corpses.

Reyn stood by the wagon, examining the strangers’ unusual crystal weapons. Nausea kept rising to his throat and then retreating. Sam, who was nearby, was turning the crystal duals in his hands with admiration, but he looked as if he were not quite himself. The shine of the transparent blades seemed to beckon him, and a clearly visible glassy veil covered his eyes. It both frightened Reyn and made him admire Sam’s courage — it seemed the dead lying nearby did not trouble him at all.

— Olivia, I’ve almost finished treating the wounds! I’ll change the bandages now and help! — Luka shouted from inside the house.

He carefully climbed outside, struggling to move his tired legs over the broken bricks, went around the house, and headed through a small patch of forest toward the rain-fed lake at the foot of the mountain.

— Oh, Pavel, sorry, I didn’t see you, — Luka almost bumped into Pavel, who was standing behind a tree and catching his breath.

— How is she? At least alive?

— All is Udgal’s will. There doesn’t seem to be a strong fever.

— Where would she go? — Michael said, continuing to deepen the pit nearby. — If she handled an Oxis and held out to the end, she’s no simple wanderer. We need to be careful with a stranger like that. And you, Pavel, dig. Stop resting. It’ll be completely dark soon. Before nightfall, we need to get rid of the smell of blood and corpses, or we’ll be the Oxis’ next meal.

The incomprehensible foreign speech reached the girl through the noise in her head and dissolved again into heavy oblivion. The acrid smoke continued scratching her throat, but now the smells of blood, wet earth, and unfamiliar herbs mixed with it. Somewhere beyond the wall, a shovel struck the ground with a dull thud.

The girl slowly opened her eyes. Above her, the soot-stained gray slab that served as the ruined house’s roof blurred into view. An attempt to move answered with pain throughout her entire body. She immediately closed her eyelids again and froze, trying to breathe as evenly as possible.

Foreign voices. An unfamiliar place. Her weapons were not nearby.

Outside came the creak of the wagon, then heavy steps. Through her lashes, the girl saw two men remove one of her comrades’ lifeless bodies and carry it behind the building. She almost tried to rise, but her body did not obey. She had to keep pretending to be unconscious.

Soon someone carefully climbed over the broken bricks and entered. Luka placed a vessel of water beside her, lowered himself near the girl, and began changing the bandages soaked through with blood, carefully applying something sticky and cold to the wounds. She endured it without moving while his hands touched her shoulder and side. But when Luka lifted the edge of the black cloak and reached toward her leg, the girl sharply opened her eyes and, with the last of her strength, kicked him in the chest with her heel.

— Ǎgur̗nam! No dǔtug mi! Hǎur dǔkru ka en mi am̗sot̗nam!
Savage! Do not touch me! Better kill me, like my brethren!

With hands trembling from weakness, she reached for her belt and pulled out a small metal object — almost square, with a rounded edge and many tiny holes on one side.

— Ev̗zor! Ev̗zor! Vena dǔkav! Am̗gom̗nam dǔmo. Mi vun. Zan pom. Dǔrav!
Alert! Alert! Vena calling! The unit is dead. I am wounded. Need help. Respond!

She froze, waiting for an answer, but the metal box remained silent.

Luka crawled away after the blow, grabbed his spear, and pointed it at the girl.

— Stupid Tetu! I was trying to help you! Michael! Michael, she came to herself, and it looks like she’s hostile!

Behind the house came a dull impact, as if something heavy had fallen to the ground, followed by approaching steps. Michael and Pavel quickly ran inside.

— Quiet, quiet… Calm down, we won’t hurt you, — Michael slowly came closer, holding his hands in front of himself and gently lowering them from top to bottom.

— No dǔrǔne, ǎgur̗nam!
Do not come closer, savage! — the girl shouted loudly.

Her hands trembled even harder. She shook the metal box several times, receiving no answer, and then threw it at Michael. Gathering her legs to herself with the last of her strength, the girl covered her head with her arms, as if expecting something terrible to happen now.

— What did you do to scare her so much, Luka? — Michael stopped and gestured for him to lower the spear.

— I didn’t scare her at all! She attacked me herself!

— Quiet, calm down, — Michael continued and slowly crouched nearby. He took a waterskin and tried to hand it to the girl.

She trembled and anxiously looked around, trying to find anything she could defend herself with. When Michael brought the waterskin closer, she sharply knocked it from his hands.

— Useless. She’s rabid and speaks strangely. Maybe there’s something wrong with her head? — Pavel picked up the waterskin and handed it back to Michael.

At that moment, Olivia entered, holding a burning torch.

— You’re scaring her, don’t you see? Three men surrounding a wounded girl — even I would be frightened.

Olivia took the waterskin from Michael, opened it, and took a small sip, showing that there was ordinary water inside. Then she crouched and held it out to the girl again.

— I’m Olivia, — she said, pointing at herself. Then she pointed to the others one by one: — Pavel. Michael. Luka.

Footsteps sounded outside again, and Reyn entered the house with Sam. Sam was holding one of the crystal duals and staring so intently into the transparent blade that he almost fell while climbing over the broken bricks.

— Dǔgir̗ou sa mi!
Give it back! It is mine! — the girl sharply reached for the weapon, frightening Sam.

— Sam, give her back the dual. Maybe with a weapon she’ll feel safe and calm down a little, — Michael said, taking another step back. — Just be careful.

Sam slowly approached and held the weapon out to her with the handle forward. The girl immediately snatched the dual and pressed it to her chest.

— So what is your name? — Olivia asked again, pointing first at herself and then at the girl. — I’m Olivia.

— Vena! — the girl answered, pointing first at herself and then at Olivia. — A Olivia!

— Not “a Olivia,” just Olivia. O-li-vi-a! — she laughed, holding the waterskin in her hands.

Vena took it with one hand, still not letting go of the weapon pressed to herself. First she smelled the water, then carefully examined the waterskin and cautiously tasted it, as if checking whether it had been poisoned. Once she was convinced there was no danger, the girl began drinking greedily.

— Well, she’ll definitely live. Oli, stay with Luka and keep an eye on her, but keep your distance. Who knows what else she might do. And you, loafers! — Michael smacked Sam on the back of the head and swung at Reyn. — Go to the fire. It’s already burning without you. Fry the meat. We won’t torment her with questions. Let her calm down and rest. Later she’ll tell us herself what happened and how. If only we could understand anything…

Michael and Pavel went behind the house again. From the sounds coming from there, it was clear they had continued burying the dead. Every time the shovel struck the ground with a dull thud, Vena flinched and pressed herself harder against the wall, muttering something indistinct under her breath.

— Am̗gur̗nam…

No one understood what exactly it meant, but she was unlikely to be speaking tender words of gratitude.

When Michael and Pavel finished, they returned to the house where Olivia and Luka were. Both were breathing heavily, and their palms had reddened from long work with the shovel.

— Luka, give me some of that ointment you used on her, — Michael asked, looking at the blisters rubbed onto his hands. — A little more, and I’ll be lying down for you to bandage too.

Luka handed him a small jar. Michael scooped a little of the sticky mixture with his finger and began carefully rubbing it into his palms.

— Good thing the wagon was already empty of goods, — he said. — And that we brought a shovel. Otherwise we would have had to simply cover the bodies with stones — that wouldn’t have hidden the smell for long.

He turned his head toward the fire.

— Reyn! Sam! Are you almost done over there?

— A little more! — came Sam’s answer.

In the night silence, a long cry of an Oxis sounded from far away. A few moments later, a second answered it, and then, somewhere even farther off, a third. The sounds carried freely over the quiet forest, making them seem much closer than they really were.

Vena sharply flinched and pressed the weapon closer to herself.

— am̗aěpir̗el. am̗aěpir̗el.
Birds… birds… — she hurriedly muttered in her own language, anxiously peering into the darkness beyond the ruined wall.

Soon Sam came inside, carrying several pieces of roasted meat. He had held them over the fire a little too long: the edges were blackened, and the boy’s own clothes and hair smelled strongly of smoke. Approaching Vena, he offered the food to her first.

The girl carefully took the meat with her free hand, but did not eat. She watched those around her closely, as if waiting to see what would happen next. Only when Sam returned to the fire and the others began eating did Vena smell the piece, cautiously bite into it, and begin slowly chewing.

An Oxis’ cry rolled over the forest again.

This time, the girl almost jumped to her feet. Pain immediately forced her to sink back down, and she now held the dual before herself with both hands, ready to defend herself.

— Quiet, they’re far away, — Michael slowly approached, but when he saw the lack of understanding in her eyes, he stopped. — Of course… What am I doing.

He picked up a fragment of brick from the ground and crouched by the small fire inside the building, which served more as a source of light than warmth. On the firelit ground, Michael drew a long line, depicting the road, then drew the iron wagon near which they had found the girl. After that, he pointed to the drawing, then stretched his hand toward the road and showed a large distance with his fingers.

— There, — he said, pointing into the distance again. Then he touched the ground beside himself. — And we are here.

Vena watched his hand warily. After a few moments, she shifted her gaze to the drawing, then to the dark forest, and little by little lowered her weapon.

When dinner was over, several burning logs from the outside fire were placed into the small hearth inside the building. Here, fire was now needed more for warmth than light: weak tongues of flame pulled soot-blackened bricks, the faces of the people sitting around, and the transparent blades folded near the wagon out of the darkness.

Reyn had been examining the strangers’ weapons for a long time already, bringing one of the duals closer to the fire, then turning it to the other side. Dull reflections flared in the depth of the crystal and instantly disappeared.

I still don’t understand. The material is the same as in tips made from beast hearts. Only crystals of this size don’t exist. That means they somehow join them together or make them grow, he thought.

— Beautiful, — Sam said, sitting nearby and unable to take his eyes off the transparent blade. — I’d like one like that too.

— Of course you would. A weapon like this probably costs a whole fortune, — Reyn answered and immediately bit his tongue, realizing he should not have said it aloud.

— Reyn, can’t you stop trading even here? — Olivia smirked. — Try asking. Maybe Vena will give you the second blade for a couple of greens.

Several people laughed quietly. Vena did not understand their words, but looked warily toward the weapon and pressed the returned dual closer to herself.

— Аm̗gur̗nam ka can dǔtug dat ěmet̗kru am̗Jean.
Savages… How can you touch the weapons of the Jean? — Vena muttered quietly and unhappily under her breath.

— That’s enough admiring, — Michael said, noticing her displeasure. — Reyn and Sam take first watch. One watches the road and the forest, the other watches the house and the fire. The rest sleep.

When the conversations quieted, people began settling down for the night right on the ground, spreading cloaks and whatever had been found on the wagon beneath them. Luka checked Vena’s bandages once more, without approaching her without warning, then lay down not far from Olivia. Michael settled near the ruined wall, placing his crossbow beside him. Vena remained by the far wall, not letting go of the weapon.

She sat motionless for a long time, listening to foreign breathing and the occasional voices of the watchmen. Reyn circled the house from time to time, peering into the dark forest, while Sam sat near the entrance, but more and more often turned his head toward the crystal blades lying by the wagon.

Waiting until Reyn’s steps moved away and Sam stopped shifting in place and went to the other side, Vena slowly stood. Her legs trembled, every wound answered with pain, but she still reached the ruined wall and carefully climbed over the scattered bricks.

Behind the house, it was dark. Only the weak light of the hearth pushed outside and barely lit the nearest trees. The moon gave almost no help: its light struggled through the dense weave of branches. Leaning on the dual, Vena took several steps and stopped.

Before her lay fresh graves. The earth on them had been carefully leveled, and stones were laid over the top so predators could not reach the bodies. No one had left her comrades to rot by the road. They had not stripped them and had not thrown them to the beasts.

Vena slowly lowered her gaze. The people she had taken for savages and killers had buried the fallen like their own.

After standing there for a while, she tried to walk farther, but her legs began to give way. After another few steps, the girl almost fell and only held herself up at the last moment by leaning both hands on the handle of the dual. Turning around, she saw Michael.

He stood near the house and silently watched her. He did not approach and held no weapon in his hands. Vena warily straightened, expecting him to try to bring her back, but Michael only spread his arms to the sides, then pointed into the darkness, showing that she was free and could leave.

After that, he pinched his nose with his fingers, pointed at the graves, shaped broad wings with his hands, and pointed toward the forest. Then he closed his nose again and moved his palm over the ground.

Vena looked at the graves. Now she understood: the bodies had been hidden together with the smell of blood so the predatory birds would not find them and return here.

Her strength finally left her. The girl sank to the ground, still leaning on the blade. Her shoulders trembled, and tears ran down her cheeks, which she could no longer hold back.

Michael slowly came closer and held out his hand, but did not touch her. Vena looked at his open palm for some time, then cautiously took it. He helped her stand and led her back into the house.

At the entrance, Michael stopped and looked at the watchmen.

— What are you doing here? — he barked so loudly that the people inside the building immediately stirred awake. — How did she get past you?

— I was watching the forest! — Reyn began making excuses. — Sam was supposed to watch what was happening inside the camp.

— Nothing of the sort! — Sam protested. — You said you were circling the house on all sides!

— I said I’d check the road!

— Quiet, both of you! — Michael barely held himself back from smacking each of them on the back of the head. — If she had decided not to leave, but to cut our throats in our sleep, would you also argue over who was supposed to watch? One watches the forest, the other watches the people inside. Was that so hard to remember?

Reyn and Sam fell guiltily silent. The others, once they made sure there was no danger, began settling down again. Michael helped Vena sit by the wall, then stood at the entrance for a while longer, casting displeased looks at the watchmen.

The night went on. The forest gradually sank back into silence, broken only now and then by distant Oxis cries. But Reyn could no longer calm down. He kept glancing at the wagon where the weapons of the dead lay. The light from the hearth reflected in the transparent blades, making them flicker in the darkness.

The thought of grabbing at least one dual and leaving before dawn would not leave him. A weapon like that could make him rich. Perhaps even the richest trader among the Wolves.

But whenever another long Oxis cry came from the forest, Reyn tightened his grip on the handle of his whip and moved closer to the fire. The desire to possess a crystal blade was great, but the fear of being alone in the night forest was stronger for now.

Night was nearing its end, and the watch had already changed. Toward morning, Vena finally fell asleep. Meanwhile, Michael was cooking meat, not wanting to eat charred pieces again, while Olivia and Pavel had gone to inspect the surroundings and make sure the road was safe.

— Michael, what happens next? Will she ride with us? — Sam asked, lowering his eyes and still feeling guilty about the night’s mistake.

— Udgu knows. I have quite enough of you lot already. If she wants, she’ll come with us, they’ll patch her up there, and then she can go wherever she likes.

Hearing this, Reyn was visibly encouraged. That meant he still had a chance to earn something. Perhaps he could trade food and medicine for a weapon — then he would not need the crystals anymore.

A cool morning wind blew, and footsteps sounded from behind the house. Michael turned around, deciding Olivia and Pavel had returned. But the next instant, fear flashed in his eyes, and his hand reached on its own for the crossbow lying nearby.

Sam, standing with his back to the house, did not understand what was happening and was still trying to say something. With his other hand, Michael sharply shoved him aside and aimed the crossbow at the stranger.

Near the house stood a sturdy, short-haired man in a heavy black cloak similar to Vena’s. Beneath it was layered leather armor covered with straps and metal rivets. A crossbow was fixed behind his shoulder, and crystal bolts and a long transparent blade hung at his belt. Short stubble covered the stranger’s face, and an old deep scar ran from his forehead through his left brow and across his blinded eye, clouded with a whitish veil. With one hand, he held Olivia firmly in front of him, and with the other, pressed a short crystal knife to her throat.

— Ǎsa du̗ur.
Hey, get up! — he said, turning his head for a moment toward the sleeping Vena, but immediately looked back at Michael.

— Am̗gur̗nam, sha tum ud ǎsa dǔkel?
Savages, what have you done to her?

— Hey, hey, calm down. Let the girl go. Your friend is just sleeping, — Michael tried to speak in a friendly way, but did not lower the crossbow.

— Vena!
Vena!

The stranger’s loud voice woke the girl, and she flinched sharply from surprise.

— Dǔfen lǒtok lǒsha dǔsom du̗ur.
You found a fine place to sleep. Get up, — the stranger’s irritated voice spread through the whole forest.

— Bor dǔnuk Bogdar!
Bor, Bogdar! — Vena said in a thin, hoarse voice.

— Am̗sa no am̗zǎnam.
They are not enemies.

— No zan̗ha. Lǒsha am̗nam?
Doesn’t matter. Where are the people? — Bor tightened his grip on Olivia even more.

The incomprehensible words of the strangers only made the tension rise. Cold sweat began running down Michael’s back.

— Om mǒha. Am̗sa dǔhǎret mi.
All dead. They saved me, — Vena answered.

— Ev̗zǎlu. Ka dǔsav̗kan fo am̗Jean?
Disgrace. How will you explain yourself before the Jean? — the stranger muttered and spat aside.

Then he looked at Michael again.

— I not want harm. I take comrade and leave. Then let girl go.

The familiar, even if broken, speech gave at least a drop of hope.

Vena slowly stood and, limping, went to Bor. Then she pointed toward the wagon where the weapons of the dead lay.

— Disgrace, — Bogdar repeated.

Without removing the knife from Olivia’s throat, he reluctantly passed her to Vena.

— We take own weapons too, — Bogdar said, looking at Michael.

He went to the wagon and began gathering his comrades’ weapons, fastening blades first to his belt, then behind his back.

Something stirred in the bushes, and Pavel appeared from behind the branches. Bogdar reacted instantly: he pulled out another short knife and threw it toward the young man. The crystal blade sank into the tree with a sharp whistle as if into soft earth. Pavel flinched and involuntarily pulled the trigger.

The arrow flew near Vena’s hair, struck the brick wall, ricocheted, and flew off to the side.

— Quiet! Quiet, everyone calm down! — Michael shouted. — Or we’ll all kill each other here. Let our friend go, take your comrade, and get out. We don’t need what belongs to others. Some gratitude for saving her!

— Pavel, come out of the forest and lower the crossbow! — Michael ordered, slowly aiming his own weapon toward the ground.

Bogdar carefully followed his movement, then gave Vena a short hiss, ordering her to release the girl.

As soon as Olivia felt no one was holding her anymore, she rushed toward Reyn and Sam. They stood with open mouths and bulging eyes, silently watching what was happening.

— Oli, are you all right? — Pavel’s voice came from the forest; until Michael’s order, he had kept the stranger in his sights.

— I’m fine, — she answered shortly, not taking her eyes off Bogdar.

He slowly removed the crossbow from his shoulder and fixed the sword in its place. Then he approached Vena and, shielding her with his body, began carefully pushing her toward the forest.

— Dǔru vez. Dat lǒwǎru.
Move faster. To the river.

Without taking his eyes off Michael, Bogdar continued backing away after Vena.

— Think not see you again, savage.

Vena slowly disappeared among the trees. Bogdar held Michael in his sights for a few more moments, then stepped into the forest and vanished as silently as he had appeared.

Everyone sank to the ground at once and exhaled noisily.

End of the Chapter.