Chapter-2-2

⁠—⁠—⁠— II ⁠—⁠—⁠—

While the leopard-headed warrior was engaged in deliberations with Loto and his chiefs about how to meet the oncoming invasion army, Rinda, Remus, the faithful Suni, and the mercenary Istavan were enjoying the feast in the women’s house across the clearing.

It seemed that the two large huts on either side of the central clearing were the only communal buildings in the village. On the west was the chieftain’s hut where matters concerning the village were debated, and across from it on the east was the feasting hut, where guests were greeted and food was prepared. Guin had been rushed to the council of war without so much as a moment’s rest, but in the cheerful space he left behind, the Raku women were fussing and bustling to and fro to entertain their unusual guests.

The hut that Istavan and the twins had been welcomed into was much the same as the one Guin had entered later. The floor was hollowed out, with a fire pit dug at the center. Around the pit lay dried rushes and comfortable-looking sun-bleached skins to sit on. A great feast continued to be laid out before the visitors, one hearty dish after another, accompanied by jugs of wine and milk.

Istavan sat on a pile of skins, his legs folded in the Valachian fashion, and his black eyes sparkled as he watched the Sem women work. By rights, he should have been in the other hut with Guin, planning their strategy against the Mongauli, but Istavan Spellsword was not one to be overly concerned about things that did not concern him—and besides, he was hungry, and his throat was parched. Despite his considerable battlefield experience, the young mercenary was still more of a child than a full-fledged warrior.

He sat in the light of the fire, relaxing. Although he remained self-conscious about his disheveled appearance, he eagerly examined the feast being laid out before him, wondering just how much would come, and how good it would taste.

“Not that we can expect much from these monkeys, eh?” Istavan declared in a loud voice, knowing it would irk the twins. “Who knows what they’re feeding us! The monkeys of Nospherus gobble down some pretty peculiar things: the moss that clings to the underside of wildlands rocks, slippery earth eaters… I’m sure that’s what they expect us to eat! Ach, and by the by, how it stinks of monkey in here!”

Rinda couldn’t stop herself from snapping back at him, though she knew how pleased the mercenary would be to see her upset. “How can you say such things, with all they’re doing for us? What if they understood you? And the Raku are not monkeys! They are very kind, and gentle, and caring—far more human than you or any of those Gohran demons who used to be your comrades, Istavan of Valachia!”

“You seem awfully fond of the little buggars! Maybe you’re related, eh? Got a monkey for a grandfather? A baboon climb up your family tree somewhere?” the mercenary teased, his dark eyes flashing.

“You would slander the royal family of Parros?!” Rinda spluttered, furious.

“Stop paying him attention, Rinda. He’ll just try to annoy us more,” advised Remus.

“Ah, stop your chittering, you’re the biggest monkey of them all, kid!” Istavan laughed, shooting Remus an exaggerated glare. But then a large, glazed pot was set before him, into which he immediately dipped his hand. Liking his first mouthful of the pot’s contents, he disregarded the twins entirely for the next few moments.

“Hrmm,” the mercenary made a pleased noise, his mouth stuffed full of food. “Not bad, not bad at all.” He swallowed the food with evident relish. “Berries from the rock amaranth, I’d say—steamed in horsemilk? This is tasty! Those monkeys really went all out. Hey, here—try some!”

“We’ve had our fill, thank you,” replied Rinda with a sly smile, pushing the dish back toward the mercenary. “We’ve been in the Raku village, eating and resting while you and Guin were losing the Mongauli army in the wildlands. You must be very tired, Istavan. We thank you for your courage.”

The mercenary was startled at the unexpected nod of gratitude from Rinda. He stole a quick look over at the princess, but her sly smile had melted and in its place was the innocent face of a cherub who would not harm a fly, let alone speak an unkind or veiled word. Remus stuck his face in his jug, drinking milk in gulps.

“Good eating, this,” Istavan proclaimed, turning back to his food. The Raku women pushed more plates towards him. They had prepared a true feast for their guests, making the most out of what little edibles the wastes of Nospherus had to offer. There was a thick, green soup of rockmoss, and fried mushrooms of a kind that Istavan had seen growing in the wildland rocks’ nooks and crannies, where moisture gathered in the mornings. There were baked sand lizards, succulent peeled cactus fruits, and amaranth dumplings. Istavan licked his lips and whistled in astonishment at the variety.

The Raku women apparently thought they had thirty visitors, not three, for they kept bringing dish after dish piled high with food. Sem children played at the women’s feet and gazed up at the plates with wide, hungry eyes, but all they received was a slap on the temple and a push towards the door.

Istavan paid them no mind as he hungrily munched on juicy cactus pulp and dipped amaranth dumplings in stew. He crammed them into his mouth two at a time, entirely forgetting all the misgivings he had proclaimed to have about smelly monkey food. Suni sat at Rinda’s feet, leaning against the girl’s legs, and looked accusingly at the mercenary’s busy mouth.

“Mmm, this one’s good, too. Wonder how I made it this far on vasya berries?” Istavan grimaced. “That reminds me. Once, on the Corsea, the ship I was sailing on got wrecked, and I was forced to eat a shipmate so I wouldn’t starve—don’t tell anyone about this, you hear? I’ve got confidence enough in my ability to survive, no matter what the circumstances, however fate handles me. But I’m happy to say that was the only time I ever considered cutting off my own leg and eating it!”

“You certainly have had some remarkable adventures, young as you may be,” purred Rinda, smiling and tilting her head endearingly. A day’s rest had done her good; a youthful sparkle had come back to her eyes and a healthy glow had returned to her skin. She had bathed for the first time in what seemed like ages, and combed her hair, becoming once again a fairy-like young girl. In the darkness of the hut, she and her brother were beams of moonlight. They were full of life and noble beauty.

Suni’s eyes had returned to the twins, where they were fixed in a reverent gaze. Istavan noticed and was on the verge of making some malicious remark but changed his mind. He looked up at Rinda and smiled.

“Yes,” said the mercenary, dripping with pride, “I’ve had just about any experience you can think of. I am the Crimson Mercenary, after all—Istavan of Valachia! Never stumped no matter what I run into, cutting through anything that gets in my way. What’s more, I’m different from your average hero—I’ve got a destiny, I have. Why, sometimes I impress even myself, I wonder just how far I’ll go! Ah, but I do love adventure!”

“And yourself, it sounds like,” added Remus, giggling.

But Istavan refused to be put off and continued with undiminished enthusiasm. “I’ll be a king before you know it, believe you me! Or emperor, even—anything’s possible for me! Yeah, my beginnings may have been humble, but I’ll show the world that I mean business. I’m not like others. I can sense danger, you see, and slip out of the tightest spots with flair—the stars are on my side, now and for always! And by the pale light of Aeris, mark my words: when I meet the Shining Lady, the path to my throne, and to my destiny, will open wide before me.

“How about it, little princess? Maybe I’ve already met my Shining Lady, eh? I mean, look at the way the firelight makes your hair glow all over with silver, and your eyes shine like you were a doll made of stardust and moonlight. I wonder, did I mention… yes I must have, but I’ll say it again. You really are quite beautiful!” Having said this Istavan cackled drunkenly and slammed his empty jug down on the table before him. One of the serving women quickly approached and refilled his jug with wine.

’‘Watch what you say to my sister,” Remus warned, his temper rising. But Rinda laughed warmly, and patted her brother on the shoulder.

“Why, thank you for your most kind words, Istavan of Valachia. But really, the food is getting cold. We mustn’t let the Raku’s generous feast go to waste! Here, try this, it’s very good!”

“I believe I shall! I certainly shan’t disregard the advice of my queen bride to be!”

Istavan reached out to take the plate that Rinda offered him. Upon it was something whitish and translucent save that half of it which was scorched black by a cooking fire. It was not very pleasant to the eye, and for a moment as he reached for it Istavan wondered in the back of his mind what it was. But he was too caught up in his own merry mood to notice the concern on the faces of the Raku women, and the way that the twins exchanged conspiratorial glances and jabbed each other in the ribs, barely holding back laughter. With his right hand he picked up a slimy chunk of the stuff, stuffed it in his mouth, and chewed slowly, three times.

His face twisted with revulsion. Spitting his slimy mouthful onto the ground, he yelled, “What in Doal’s name—?” His tanned face turned a dark red.

Rinda and Remus burst into laughter, slapping their thighs and doubling over in their mirth. The Raku women hurried toward them, making startled gestures.

“They fear,” Rinda interpreted through sobs of laughter, “that it did not meet milord’s liking!”

“Meet my liking? Gaah! What is that thing?”

“Why, exactly what you ordered, Istavan: baked sand leech!” Rinda’s laugh was so loud that she startled Suni up from where she was sitting at the princess' feet.

“S-Sand leech?!” The mercenary’s eyes went round, and he spat again on the dirt floor. “Peh!” He looked on the verge of vomiting. “When did I ever ask for it?”

“Don’t you remember saying, ‘They better have a black pig roast, or a sand leech roast at least waiting for us’? Why, the kind Raku were only trying to please you!”

“Indeed,” Remus added, “they asked us many times if the dark-skinned one really ate sand leeches! ‘Do they eat sand leeches in his country? It is forbidden among our people, for they feed upon the corpses of the dead!’” Remus made a face like a concerned Raku matron, and then slapped his hand over his mouth to stifle a peal of laughter that brought tears to his eyes.

Istavan’s stomach churned, and he hopped lightly away from the lump of sand leech flesh on the ground, as though it were poised to leap up and attack him at any moment. This sent the twins into another bout of laughter, further irking the flustered mercenary.

“Brats! Churls! Have your fun with me, will you? I see now, you had it planned all along! You were smiling much too sweetly, I ought’ve guessed! Miserable wretches!” Istavan’s tightly drawn cheeks turned bright red as he swore at the twins of Parros. “Heed my words, accursed twins! By the eight crotches of Doal’s nine tails, I’ve saved your tainted hides for the last time. By the slimy dung of Doal’s black swine, and the three hag sisters born from it, you’ll pay for this! Aye, you’ll pay!”

“But,” said Rinda, her face as innocent as a kitten’s, “you did ask to eat the sand leech, did you not? Why, it’s quite rude of you to suggest that we were plotting against you. Aren’t you the Spellsword Istavan, who can sense danger and is never surprised come what may?”

Istavan was out of his mind now. He lunged and tried to grab the twins, who laughed and jumped nimbly away, leaving poor Suni to tumble squealing across the ground. The Raku women hurried up from all directions, waving their arms in an attempt to calm the raging mercenary.

“Wait!”

Rinda stopped abruptly, straining to listen to a noise coming from outside the hut. Voices, Sem voices, were arguing loudly. A look of worry came over Rinda’s face and she turned to her brother. “Remus?”

Remus looked at his sister, then went to the doorway to see what was going on outside. He quickly ran back into the hut, cheeks puffed with excitement. “It’s the Sem! They’re all out there!”

“What?” exclaimed Istavan, swiftly recovering his sword from where he had cast it on the ground and heading out the doorway. Rinda, Remus, and Suni followed close after him… then stopped in their tracks.

A great crowd, no, an army of Sem had gathered in the clearing at the center of the village, filling the place up, spilling out between the huts around it; probably their numbers stretched all the way to the village gate. It was hard to see in the torchlight, but Istavan thought there had to be two or three thousand of the ape-like warriors there, a vast throng composed of many smaller bands and irregular clusters. Chieftains stood at the head of each group, all jostling for space in the crowded clearing.

The torches set around the clearing were reflected in the Sem’s eyes, which shone like innumerable stars in an inverted sky. The axes in their hands and the arrows in their quivers floated around them, pale white in the flickering firelight. All the faces were turned up towards a pedestal in the middle of the throng. Upon it stood Guin, towering over all in the clearing. He noticed Istavan and the twins and gave them a curt nod. Then, in a great voice, he called out for the chieftains to approach the pedestal. He asked the other warriors to sit down and for the ubiquitous Raku children to be sent out of the crowd and into their homes.

Thus began the meeting of the tribes.