«Red Eyes»

Chapter 11 — “Red Eyes”

The memorial rite ended in haste. In a single moment, the clear evening sky was covered by massive dark clouds, and heavy rain poured down as if from nowhere.

Even though the rite had not ended exactly as Sarah had planned, it had still done its main work — strengthened the bonds between the Ravens and Green Grass, and at least temporarily muffled the disagreements that had risen between the people. This was clear in the way everyone hurried from the fields toward the settlement gates, laughing and helping one another, completely forgetting the recent argument.

Gradually, the voices in the village quieted. The sound of rain merged with the roar of the waterfall, and that peaceful silence quickly pulled people toward sleep.

(image 11-1)

Only in the tavern, where the Wolves were staying, there was no peace.

On his sleeping mat, Reyn kept tossing and turning.

— Traders… Mm-mm… What did the mentor tell us? How often do they travel to the Ravens? Will I have time to return or not? What can I come up with? What can I come up with…

He pulled the blanket over his head and sighed heavily.

— I don’t want to miss a vein like that. But what if someone notices? Then it’s all over. And how do I explain to my own people that I’m staying? But if I don’t stay, someone else will find those crystals…

Reyn rolled over onto his other side.

— A-a-ah… I urgently need to think of something.

In the far part of the common room, someone stirred.

A dull thud sounded.

Reyn instantly fell silent.

— By Silim’s mercy, Reyn, will you shut up already or not? Let me sleep!

A pillow stuffed with dry straw flew in his direction.

— Go to sleep already!

Reyn caught the pillow, placed it beside him, and stared at the ceiling.

But sleep still would not come. The chance to earn his first red Lagerent seemed far too great.

“Tssssss-eeeee.”

The loud noise from behind the waterfall sounded early in the morning, raising the traders to their feet. With circles under his eyes and yawning heavily, Reyn got up, shuffled across the floor, dressed as he walked, washed, and went to help set out the goods near the rented trade house, which looked more like a wooden stall with an awning than a real house. The Ravens were only just waking, but for the Wolves, getting up this early was normal. Whoever rises early has Udgal put a Lagerent in his pocket.

Sarah woke just as early. With the first rays of the sun, she was already heading toward the traders.

— O-o-oh, her again. After yesterday’s performance in the fields, I had almost started forgetting her voice.

The traders began exchanging glances and quietly laughing among themselves. Sarah, true to herself, immediately began arguing over prices, trying to bargain for every coin.

— You have to be joking! The road to Green Grass is farther, and prices there were lower. For a price like that, you could buy a whole wagon of grain at the Creek!

(image 11-2)

— Then go there and buy it, — the trader snapped. — We haven’t been there yet, but I think after your village burned down, prices went up there too. There’s no one holding back the northern lands now, more beasts, fewer herbs. The Creek will ask for its Lagerent too. Either buy, or move along. Don’t scare off customers first thing in the morning.

Grinding her teeth, Sarah still bought everything she could afford. At the same time, she realized that the traders had learned about the fate of Green Grass on the road, which meant prices in the Creek itself might still remain the same.

— That’s it. Final. I can’t lower it any more. Stop twisting my tail, Sarah. Take what you’re given and go. We still have to travel to the Creek.

— To the Creek? If you meet any of ours, find out whether they reached there. Tell them we are now with the Ravens. Can you do that?

— I can find out, but I can’t promise anything. I might forget.

The trader meaningfully rubbed his fingers together. Sarah frowned, trying to understand what he wanted. For Reyn, this was a perfect chance to show himself.

— Give him a Lagerent already, why are you standing there! — he immediately cut in. — A trader remembers what is paid for and agreed on until death. That’s how we’re taught.

The trader snorted with satisfaction.

— See? The youth understands.

Sarah took several Lagerents from her pocket — whites mixed with greens — and began counting.

— How much? Will a couple of greens be enough?

— Nope. My memory is poor. A couple of greens will only last halfway.

— Have you lost your tail completely? — Sarah looked at the trader unhappily.

He only shrugged.

Sarah silently looked at the coins in her palm for several seconds. She did not want to pay. Every Lagerent mattered now. But if the people from Green Grass had truly reached the Creek, she had to know.

Grinding her teeth, Sarah counted out five green Lagerents and placed them in the trader’s hand.

— What a wolf. What you lowered, you pulled right back out. You never miss your own. You should learn some humanity in trade from us.

— And you should learn trade from us, — the man grinned with satisfaction.

Sarah only waved to Luka so he would stop counting ravens and help load the purchases onto the wagon. They were already about to leave the traders when Michael and Sam came up to them.

Under the pretext of helping, Michael immediately took hold of the wagon handles.

— Good morning to you too, — Sarah grumbled. — Why so late? Where have you been flying? I was at the storehouse. There are hardly any seeds there. I bought a little more, but it’s not enough. There are so many of us now.

— Stop grumbling. I can see it. What do you suggest? — Michael yawned widely.

— What do you think? Fly to the Wolves like a falcon and buy everything we need. It’s cheaper there, and there’s more choice. We can’t plant the fields with the same thing over and over. In winter, we’ll be biting our own elbows.

— Ugh, I don’t want to. One thing after another. First your settlement, then the fields, now the Wolves, — Michael answered lazily, still not fully awake.

— What do you mean, you don’t want to? We can’t waste time. The sowing season is ending. After that, we won’t have time to gather the harvest before the frosts. Michael…

Sarah was already ready to lose her temper.

— And what about taking the glass? You said yourself we could get more goods for it. So come on, move.

Not missing his chance, Reyn was moving his ears with all his might, trying to catch the conversation. Because of the noise of the market, he could hear only separate phrases, but the words “Wolves,” “glass,” “trip,” and “need a guide” were enough.

Everything quickly fit together in his head on its own.

Learn trade from the Ravens? Yes.

Stay near the crystals? Yes.

Avoid the trip to the Creek? Yes.

It was an almost perfect excuse to stay with the Ravens a little longer. All he had to do was reach the Wolf settlement before the traders, warn his own that he was staying for a while, and then return before the caravan finished its business at the Creek and brought news for Sarah.

Just thinking about it made Reyn smile involuntarily.

It seemed Udgal had finally decided to slip not a green, but a real red Lagerent into his pocket.

(image 11-3)

Neira, passing by with a basket, unexpectedly joined the conversation.

— Michael, don’t be stubborn. The glass really does need to be taken. Besides you, no one properly knows the road. Everyone else is busy right now. Some are in the fields, others on the hunt.

— Good morning to you too, Neira, — Michael muttered unhappily. — And who am I supposed to go with if there are no people?

— With me! — Sam immediately perked up, tearing himself away from the fish swimming in the river nearby.

— I’m interested. I haven’t been far beyond the walls yet.

— Well, the two of us definitely won’t be enough, — Michael smirked and ruffled his hair.

— How is that not enough? There’s a pair for you, — Neira pointed with her crutch at Pavel and Olivia, who were looking at goods in the market.

Pavel was just showing Olivia a bracelet made of claws, at which she only snorted.

— Did they pass the trial? They did. Do they shoot well? They do. A trip like that will only be good for them.

— Yeah, and you’ll take this one too, — Sarah pushed Luka forward. He had already clearly been planning to disappear unnoticed.

— I’m no-o-ot… I mean, herbs… Trips aren’t for me.

Those were almost the only words Luka had said all morning.

— Come on. You have a spear. An herbalist won’t hurt on the road either.

— Eh… What am I supposed to do with you, — Michael sighed. — You won’t let me enjoy being home. I’ve gotten younger, and you’re already driving me back onto the road.

He habitually rubbed his chin and only then remembered there was no beard there anymore.

Sarah and Neira burst out laughing together.

— Hilarious. When I return, I’ll start growing the beard back, — Michael muttered offendedly, clearly not appreciating the joke.

— Then we need to gather. And find the map sketches. I haven’t been to the Wolves in a long time. Though the fact that they returned whole already says the road is safe for now.

Hearing this, Reyn visibly perked up. He even sold some trinket at the discount the buyer had been begging for for half an hour, which was not like him at all. After that, the young wolf cub headed quickly toward Michael, Sarah, and Neira.

— Ahem… Excuse me. I happened to overhear the conversation with the edge of my ear and am ready to offer my services as a guide.

— Uh-huh. How accidental, — Sarah snorted. — You Wolves never miss your chance. Just like Oxis birds around carrion.

She fixed her hair and turned away.

— They don’t need a guide even for free. No doubt he just wants to earn something.

— Sarah, that’s impolite, — Neira lightly poked her with the crutch. — He is still a guest.

— So how much for the service? — Michael asked, already guessing where the conversation was going. — And why such interest? I won’t believe a trader would voluntarily give up trading at the Creek.

— Not expensive, granny. I’m ready to escort you for a blue Lagerent.

Neira practically choked, and Michael smiled.

For which he immediately received a light strike from the crutch on the leg.

— Have you lost your tail completely? — Neira said indignantly. — Michael knows the road through our forest better than any of you. Any fool can lead someone along a trail, and you’re already asking for a blue Lagerent. No other reason than that you need to go to the settlement yourself.

She narrowed her eyes.

— Two greens. And not a Lagerent more.

Reyn had been about to object, but quickly realized the old woman saw straight through him.

— You know trade, granny, — he smirked. — Yes, I need to go to the settlement too. I’m thinking of staying with you for a little while, to learn. And there are plenty of beauties here.

Without shame, he pointed at Olivia.

No one was happy about that remark.

— But two greens is too little. And I’m ready to set out right now.

— Sure. Keep dreaming, — Neira snorted. — As you wish, then. I think Michael can manage on his own.

She was already about to go about her business when Pavel and Olivia came up to them.

Pavel, not knowing the essence of the conversation, decided to greet her:

— Oh! Gran, what are you doing here…

Neira sharply turned around and, out of anger, nearly smacked her own grandson with the crutch.

Which only made Michael laugh harder.

— I’m speaking with the traders, — Neira answered calmly.

Reyn looked from Pavel to Neira for several seconds.

— Wait. He can call you that?

— He can.

— Why?

— Because he is my grandson.

— Ah…

— You cannot.

— Understood.

— You did not understand.

— I understand now!

Neira raised the crutch slightly.

Michael could not hold back and laughed.

— Careful, Reyn. A little more, and they’ll start raising you like one of their own.

— Thanks, but I’d like to live a while longer.

— Too late, — Pavel smirked. — If Gran has taken you on, you have no chance.

— Pavel!

— He’s a guest! — Sarah added.

This time everyone laughed.

— I’m going, otherwise with all of you I’ve already forgotten why I came to the market. Whether to take the wolf cub with you — decide for yourself, — Neira waved a hand and went to look over the goods. It was clear that even though she was one of the most respected people in the settlement, her curiosity for new oddities had not gone anywhere.

— Then we won’t drag it out until tomorrow. The wagon with glass is at the storehouse, but I’ll have to take your horse, Sarah. Sorry. We leave today. By midday we should already be out, so we can get through at least half the forest before sunset.

— So fast? — Olivia asked in surprise, not yet having switched away from the market and not fully understanding the rush.

— So are you taking me, or can I still change my mind? By midday, I’ll already cost more! — Reyn immediately cut in, trying to push his participation with arrogance and not letting Michael explain anything.

— For two greens, you can go. If not, then I don’t need you even for free, — Michael waved him off. — That’s it, gather. No time for talk. Khemars and Oxis birds don’t like getting wet, so while the forest is still damp after the rain, we need to move. The faster we leave, the farther we’ll get and the sooner we’ll return. And I still somehow have to explain this to Catherine…

— And me? — Sam immediately asked.

— Yes, and you. I’ll definitely get it for you. But we’re not leaving you behind.

Reyn did not think long. He would have agreed even for free, so he quickly nodded and ran to gather along with the others.

The hardest part turned out to be rolling the wagon with glass out of the storehouse and harnessing the horse. And, of course, convincing Catherine to let Michael go on yet another trip. Not only had he still not fully healed, now he was planning to take Sam with him too. Michael had to promise so many things that by the end of the conversation, he was no longer sure he could fulfill even half of them.

(image 11-4)

Everyone gathered quickly, even before lunch, but trouble began right at the gates. Luka almost immediately settled beside Michael and began telling stories from his life. And he clearly had no intention of stopping.

— Did I ever tell you why I chose a spear? No? Then listen. One day, I’m walking past an old well and hear some muffled sounds. At first I thought I imagined it. I come closer, and there’s a girl who fell down inside. A real one. Still very little. And around me are boys my age. One is crying, another is running in circles, the third has run off to get adults. But I knew what to do at once.

Luka proudly raised one finger.

— I found a long stick and lowered it down. She grabbed it, and I pulled her out.

— Alone? — Michael asked doubtfully.

— Well… then two more helped. But the idea was mine.

— Of course it was.

— That’s why I chose the spear. It’s a stick. Only better.

Michael only shook his head. The story sounded suspicious, but Luka was telling it with such enthusiasm already that he did not want to argue. Especially since after the well came a story about a goat, then about a dog, then about how he mixed up medicinal herbs and walked around for a week with a blue tongue.

A little ahead, things were no better.

From the moment they left the settlement, Reyn confidently took a place beside Olivia and now fully used the situation. Olivia nodded from time to time, agreed, and pretended to listen carefully, though she kept glancing back at Pavel more and more often. Pavel stubbornly pretended not to notice anything, but the longer Reyn talked, the gloomier his face became.

(image 11-5)

At some point, Olivia even began hoping Pavel would finally come over and save her from this endless stream of stories, but that did not happen.

To her surprise, some of the stories really did turn out to be interesting.

— In our settlement, there is the Tree of Visions, — Reyn said proudly. — Huge. It grows right in the center of the village. When a teenager turns sixteen, he must eat its fruit.

— And what happens then? — Olivia asked more out of politeness.

— Visions.

— What kind?

— Everyone has their own.

— Very convenient.

— I’m serious. The fruits look like yellow gooseberries, only at night they glow red. After them, a person sees the past, the future, or something important for himself. And then he must climb the tree on his own and tie the named cloth of his family to his branch.

— And that’s all?

— No. From that day, you are responsible for your branch. You watch it, trim extra shoots, remove insects, treat it if it gets sick.

— And if you don’t watch it?

— Then the branch dies.

— And what?

— Then the whole family is exiled from the settlement.

This time, Olivia really did become interested.

While ahead Reyn talked about the traditions of the Wolves and about the exact vision that had come to their ancestors, thanks to which they learned to make glass coins, behind them Luka continued tormenting Michael with his stories. Sam managed to run several times from one group to the other. Eventually, he got tired of listening and returned to Pavel, who was trudging a little behind the others and, out of boredom or maybe jealousy, kicking stones that came under his feet. He clearly did not possess such a talent for chatter, and it infuriated him. The thought of shooting Reyn in the backside appeared so clearly in his head that Pavel even involuntarily smirked.

It was then that Sam was the first to notice movement in the bushes right by the path.

Under the low branches sat a small wounded rabbit.

(image 11-6)

— Pavel, Pavel, look! A rabbit! And it looks like it’s hurt.

Sam excitedly pointed toward the bushes by the road. Pavel raised his head and, without much interest, looked in the direction indicated. In the small clearing, there really were white rabbits, and Sam’s back sticking out of the bush clearly showed that he had seen something.

— Yeah, I see.

Sam carefully stepped forward. The little animal did not run. On the contrary, it hopped a little farther and stopped again. Sam took a few more steps. Then a few more. Pavel watched this for several seconds and was already about to call to him not to go too far, but waved it off. Nothing terrible was happening. There were plenty of rabbits in the forest.

Only when the distance became too great did Pavel start to feel uneasy. And then the bushes to his right rustled. Another little animal, just like the first, calmly stepped onto the path and stared at him with round eyes. Only this one was not white, but striped. A moment later, its eyes filled with red light, and long sharp teeth showed from its mouth. It looked as if the beast was smiling in a vile way.

(image 11-7)

— Sam! Back!

From surprise and the sight of the fangs, Sam squeaked and flopped down onto the ground, beginning to crawl backward.

For a moment, Pavel froze.

Feathered Shigranya.

All the hunters’ stories instantly surfaced in his memory.

The crossbow was already in his hands. The arrow flew almost immediately. The little beast was thrown aside, and Pavel himself rushed toward Sam. He arrived just in time. The wounded Shigranya was already jumping at the boy. The arrow struck straight into its side, and the body rolled across the ground.

— Get up! Quickly! Why are you sitting there?!

Pavel grabbed Sam by the hand and yanked him up. Behind them came a strange, terrible chewing sound. Turning around, he felt everything inside go cold.

The Shigranyas had already surrounded their dead kin and, without the slightest hesitation, were devouring it right there in the grass. New ones appeared from the bushes. One more. Then two more. Then a whole scattering of red eyes.

— Run! To Michael! Now!

He shoved Sam forward. His hands were shaking so badly he could not reload the crossbow. It was one thing to shoot at a huge Tumarg from a safe tree. It was something completely different when a dozen small creatures surrounded you, jumping from side to side and not even letting you aim.

They had almost reached the open stretch of the path when Pavel stumbled and fell to the ground.

— Run! Sam, run!

But Sam turned back instead.

— I won’t leave you!

— Run, you fool!

Pavel threw aside the crossbow, pulled out a knife, and shoved a second one into Sam’s hand. They managed to beat off the first creature. Then the second. Then the third. But there were more and more of them. Sharp teeth sank again and again into legs and arms. The wounds were shallow, but there were many of them, and the bites were ragged.

Olivia was the first to notice their friends were missing. Turning back yet again, she saw movement among the trees and immediately broke into a run. Michael noticed it too.

— Olivia! Stop! Where are you going?!

But the girl was already running.

Meanwhile, Pavel could not bear the pain and collapsed onto one knee again.

— Sam… go…

He pushed the boy once more.

One of the Shigranyas sank its teeth into his injured leg. The others leapt forward at the same time.

Sam squeezed his eyes shut from fear and thrust out his hand.

In the next instant, a bright flash lit everything around.

A huge fireball flared near his palm and tore forward. The impact was so strong that several Shigranyas were literally scattered to the sides. The air filled with the smell of singed fur.

(image 11-8)

Pavel only managed to cover his face with his hands.

When everything quieted, he carefully raised his head.

Smoke rose from the ends of his hair.

Part of his hair stood on end, forming some kind of bird’s nest on his head.

— Sam… what did you do…

Sam himself looked no less frightened. He stared first at his own palm, then at the burning grass around them, completely unable to understand what had happened.

Several Shouts behind them, Olivia was already running along the path, trying to see Pavel and Sam. They were nowhere in sight. The girl had already begun anxiously looking around when a bright fire suddenly flared among the trees. In an instant, it became clear where to look. Tearing the bow from her shoulder, she rushed toward the flash.

At that exact moment, another Shigranya jumped at Sam from the bushes.

An arrow pierced the beast straight through.

The body collapsed at the boy’s feet.

— Have you both completely lost your minds?!

Olivia burst out from behind the trees without lowering her bow.

Pavel wanted to answer something, but instead only breathed out heavily. Only now, when the danger had retreated, did he truly feel the pain. His hands were shaking. His legs were covered with dozens of ragged bites, and blood was already running down his boots and soaking the grass.

Sam took a step toward him. The boy was still staring at his own palm, as if trying to understand what had happened.

— Pavel… I…

The world before his eyes suddenly swam, the noise of the forest became distant and muffled, and his legs gave way on their own.

Sam lost consciousness and collapsed straight onto blood-covered Pavel.

— Sam!

Olivia rushed to them.

End of the Chapter.