Van Horn awoke with a start, as he was wont to do. Opening his eyes, he took in his surroundings, and tried to remember where he was. Oh, right. Wagon, Hercor, Bowman's Planet... His thoughts stirred as he shut his eyes. Part of him wanted to go back to sleep, while another part pushed for him to wake up. It was only when the smell of hot food cooking wafted into the wagon and thence to his nose that one side finally won out. Opening his eyes again, van Horn pulled himself upright and yawned. He then took another look around the small wagon, given that it was the first time he had had to study one in daylight. Too busy otherwise.
The somewhat cramped wagon had all sorts of bundles tied up everywhere, either hanging on the walls or piled onto one side of the interior space. The floor had various rugs or blankets strewn about, and in two places they had been gathered up into mounds. Van Horn smirked at this, noting that he had his own makeshift pillow made from the fabrics. Another yawn came, and then he decided to get out before his legs cramped up. The wagon was, after all, made for life forms smaller than he, and though it was spacious enough to accommodate all three, it wasn't the greatest night's sleep he'd ever had. Though pretty damn close when you've been close to death twice in one day.
Van Horn pushed off the blanket that he had on top of him, and turned to climb out the back of the wagon, which was the closest entrance to him. He was careful to avoid the pair of swords that sat in the back, as well as the other pieces of soldier's equipment that the Farkas family had brought with them. After getting to the ground, he stood up, closed his eyes, and stretched his back and his arms over his head.
"Errrrraaahh." The simple emotive sound escaped his lips and filled the nearby area. Van Horn opened his eyes and saw a couple of lupar looking at him from another wagon nearby. Sheepishly grinning, he waved to them and finished stretching his legs. They grinned and waved back, then went back to doing whatever they had been doing just a moment ago.
Van Horn was mildly curious, but didn't particularly care. Instead, his stomach rumbled, and he realized that he hadn't eaten since a small snack at lunch the day before. Gotta get some food in me. Now, where's that damn good smell coming from? He set out to walk towards the barn's entranceway to find out.
As he walked, he noted things that he hadn't during the night. The 'barn,' for one thing, was built more like a warehouse, with a large open floor and a large opening instead of any doors facing the courtyard. The only thing differing it from most warehouses van Horn had known on the planets he'd visited is that this one had a wooden roof and stone walls, rather than simple concrete-and-steel.
The floor of the barn was stone, as well, though a thin layer of grass cut from the banks of the river made it so that animals - Unintelligent animals, that is, van Horn had to remind himself - could lay down and sleep, or just rest. As he walked out from the side of the barn that had the lupar wagons from the caravan, he saw the natives' beasts of burden tired up on the other side of the barn. So that's what I smelled last night, he thought. But the scent of good food was coming from outside the barn doors, so he followed it and stepped into the sunlight.
He was greeted with the sight of the courtyard full of activity. Soldiers from Hercor were training and drilling near the gatehouse and barracks area, while a stream of gatón and lupar flowed in and out of the hostel. He soon saw why, as their destination was also the origin of the wonderful smell; it was the 'chuck' wagon from the caravan, apparently doing its job just as well as always. Which means there'll be a line, he thought to himself. Ah, well, might as well get started on waiting at the end of the line.
Van Horn started off, and then stopped as a thought hit him. Wait a minute, I haven't bathed. Of course, he had gotten used to not being clean while traveling earlier, given that his Darter had lacked amenities for such hygiene. But now he remembered that he had been in a river yesterday, had gotten muddy, had walked half the day, then was in a rough-and-tumble fight that may or may not have gotten blood on him. I need to find some place to clean up.
He looked around the courtyard, trying to figure out how the others would be getting themselves clean. All he could see was that a few of the caravan natives were heading out the main gates, and then turning to head towards the river. Must have to wash up out there, he thought with a sigh. He then looked down and tried to check himself over as much as he could. Hmm. Mud stains all over my pants... Some bloodstains on my arm since I didn't clean myself off soon enough. God, I hope those bastards don't have any diseases. Van Horn's skin crawled at the thought of blood-borne pathogens. Despicable little things.
Before he could decide whether to wash up or eat first, he felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning around, van Horn saw Pavlo standing there. "Well, there you are."
Pavlo grinned. "Indeed I am. I was wondering when you were going to get up."
"Well, some of us didn't ride here in a wagon." Van Horn replied with a slight chuckle. "Which reminds me, I'm famished, but I don't know if I should wash up first. Is there any sort of convention about this with your people?"
Pavlo's grin faded a bit as he thought. "No... Not really. It is polite, usually, to wash up a bit, but we are traveling, and you were in a battle last night defending the wounded and even the Hercorian guards." The grin returned to full force. "I think no one would mind if you came out naked."
Van Horn's face turned red a bit. "I, ah, don't think I will be doing that anytime soon. But if it's alright, I would like to get some of whatever smells so good."
"Very well. Let's get in line then, shall we?" Pavlo replied, and then followed van Horn as the latter moved off to find the end of the line.
Oh, God, this is good, van horn thought to himself as he ate the food that he had gotten. "What do you cal this again, Pavlo?" He asked the lupar as they sat on the back of the Farkas family wagon.
The lupar smiled a bit, clearly pleased that van Horn was impressed with the food. "It's yusurri paste. They grow it here at Hercor, so our chefs managed to get some. Although I wonder what they could have traded...?"
Van Horn shrugged. "Well, unless it was someone's child, then I'd say the trade was worth it." He said and then scooped up another bit of the unappetizing-looking, but good-tasting paste. Damn shame they don't have any flatware. My hands ain't that clean... Ah, well. Briefly, he wondered if the plant could be cultured off-world. You'd make a good killing, since this stuff tastes better than quillar.
Pavlo shrugged in response, then a smirk came over his features. "Well, I haven't seen Mikula for a while..." He trailed off, and then he chuckled, which van Horn joined in on.
"Seriously, though, where is Mikula? I haven't seen him this morning." Van Horn asked wonderingly.
Pavlo nodded towards the gate. "He went to get water so we could wash up. Usually, that's a female's job, but none of us have mates, so we have to do it ourselves."
Van Horn had to repress an urge to look at the lupar funny. Hey, so they're sexist. What primitive culture isn't? Hell, these guys at least give credit to the opposite sex, he thought. It still didn't sit quite right with the human, but he kept his peace.
"Oh? So we'll be able to clean up without having to bathe in the river, then?" He asked, hoping to direct the subject to a less touchy topic. For me, anyway.
Pavlo chuckled. "What, you want to get naked in front of a town of strangers?" Van Horn blushed at the question. "No, of course not. I just had no idea what was... The accepted way of getting oneself clean."
The lupar's grin broadened. "Well, there are a couple of tubs we brought in our little pack. First the women will be able to bathe, then the males, although if you want, you could probably go first. I don't think anyone would object, seeing the way you've helped to defend us twice now, and help the wounded."
Van Horn blushed again. "No, thank you. I don't want any special treatment. I'll wait and clean myself after everyone's done, in fact, just so no one can feel put out."
Pavlo gave van Horn a look. "Put out? No one thinks that. But if you want, you can wait, I guess. Not like there'll be much clean water left."
"Well, maybe I'll just get more." Van Horn replied with a smile, and then went back to trying to shovel the mush into his mouth. "Besides," he said one he had swallowed a bite, "I wanted to see if I could salvage anything from my Darter anyway. Might as well wait until I'm back from that before I get cleaned up."
"Ah." Pavlo said, and then fell quiet and pecked at the last of his meal. It's a pun, but he wolfed it down, van Horn thought with a grin.
He had almost finished when Mikula appeared from around one of the lupar wagons, carrying a pair of large buckets. He set them down near the back of the Farkas wagon, their water splashing over the rims a bit, and sighed. "Such a long way to carry water that we're just going to dump over our heads."
Pavlo chuckled. "Especially when you just had a bath yesterday, eh?" He asked mischievously. Mikula growled at his younger brother. "Funny, aren't you? Perhaps you'd like a bath right now?" He picked up one of the water buckets and held it menacingly.
"Uh..." Pavlo looked stricken, and he froze into place. He didn't stay that way as van Hon began to laugh, and Mikula soon joined in. "Had you going there, eh Pavlo?" He asked as he put the bucket down.
Pavlo stuck out his tongue. "Laugh it up, zugert. At least I don't need a bath as much as you."
Mikula shook his head. "Whatever you say, Pavlo. In any case, I see the two of you have eaten already. Perhaps one of you could help me carry this over to the bathing area so people can start getting cleaned?"
"I'll do it." Pavlo said grudgingly. "I don't have anything else to do."
Van Horn nodded. "Yeah, and I was going to salvage anything I can from my car." He stood. "If you don't mind me eating and running?"
Both of the brothers waved him off. "Of course not, Earl. Go right ahead. We'll still be here when you get back, I'm sure." Mikula said, and Pavlo nodded his agreement.
"Thank you, my friends." Van Horn said with a smile. "Well, I'd better get going if I want to be back before the day is half over." He said. "If you'll excuse me?"
The two lupar nodded and waved their goodbyes as van Horn walked away, returning the waves. He quickly turned and began his walk, passing wagons and lupar coming in with more buckets of water. Many gave him nods, which he returned. Nice to know these folks are the polite, decent kind.
Van Horn reached the main doors, where he saw things had changed a bit during the time he'd been eating. The food wagon was still sitting there, but the lupar who ran it were cleaning, rather than cooking. Off to the right, the line of storehouses had a small group of Hercor guards in front of it. Must be a bit wary of the newcomers. Can't say I blame them, van Horn thought. He began to walk towards the gates to the outside, which drew attention from a few sources. Mostly, it was the guards eyeing him, sizing him up. A few lupar who watched him, however, seemed to be a bit more finely dressed than the armored guards. Must be merchants, form the way they look and the fact that they're moving about the storehouse. Van Horn mused over how Hercor got such a reputation for keeping people out when they obviously were equipped well enough for trading.
He shook his head a bit to clear it. Debate that later, just get going. He mentally prodded himself, and then continued his walk cross the courtyard. A glance to his left showed that many of the gatón were out about their carts, but apparently not doing much. Probably not much to do, given their- our, predicament. He mentally corrected himself. I'm pretty much stuck with these people now... Though it could be worse. At least they don't want to dissect me like some government would've done on Old Terra. He grinned at this thought as he approached the gates.
The gates were left open during the day, but they had a good contingent of guards in the gatehouse. Geeze, that's how many? Van horn mentally tallied up the number of guards he had seen just then. Has to be at least, twenty-five, maybe more. That's a lot for a small town. He wondered just who was left to work the fields outside.
He got his answer as he passed through the gates. In the nearby fields he saw not only male, but female lupar, as well. Of course, dumbass. Only more advanced societies have that 'woman of the house' BS. Van Horn sighed a bit. Gonna have to remember to keep my thought patterns out of the old ruts.
"Excuse me." The halting words, spoken in Lupari, brought van Horn's attention back to the present. He turned to face the speaker, who was a guard. He looked nervous, and a couple of his comrades were standing by the side of the gatehouse, also looking nervous. "Yes, how can I help you?" Van Horn replied.
"Uhm, rules state that the gate area should be left clear as much as possible, so they can be shut quickly if need be..." The guard said, and trailed off, looking up towards the arch above. Van Horn followed his sight, and realized he was standing right in the middle of where the gates sat when they were closed. With a smile, van Horn realized the source of the guard's nervousness. He's trying to tell me to move along, but he's scared of me, as well, so he's trying to be polite. Well, might as well return the favor.
Van Horn looked back down at the guard, and gave him a polite smile. "Ah, I see. I will move along." He nodded to the lupar and turned, heading out and towards the river, leaving the relieved lupar behind. He smirked to himself. Probably gonna tell a tale of the big bad boogey man, or whatever he'll call me when he goes out drinking.
Van Horn followed the obvious path to the river that had been flattened with repeated use. For that, he was grateful, as the path lead towards where the Darter had come to rest. Looking ahead, he saw a small group of lupar already standing and staring at the upended wreck. From the nets that they absentmindedly carried, they appeared to be fishermen of sorts, but their duties seemed forgotten this day.
Van Horn sighed to himself as he began to approach the group, wondering how he'd handle any questions they'd have. Well, only one way to find out, I suppose. He continued walking at a leisurely pace; eventually reaching the small area of flattened dirt that seemed to be the favored fishing area. His arrival spurred a few fishermen to turn from their conversations to look at him, and their wide-eyed stares and silence brought the rest of the locals' eyes around to stare at the human.
Van Horn smiled politely, and nodded to the group. "Good day." He said in Lupari, and walked to a spot a bit further upstream from where the lupar stood. He sat down without waiting for the stunned natives to reply, and began the process of taking off his shoes, shirt, and undershirt. Gonna have to leave the pants on if I want to retain any modesty, he reasoned.
The tableau went on in silence, as van Horn felt no need to talk to the natives, and they seemed too unsure of what to say to him. Finally, though, a younger lupar - Jeeze, can't be more than sixteen, or whatever the lupar equivalent is, van Horn thought - took a step forward and cleared his throat.
Van Horn looked up from where he had just finished taking off a sock. "Yes?" He asked politely.
"Uh... Mister... Might I ask what you're doing?" The youth asked with his ears and tail twisting down to the position that van Horn had learned was embarrassment.
He smiled slightly. "I'm taking off some of my clothes so they won't get wet when I go swimming."
The youth's eyes seemed to bug out. "Swimming? You're going swimming?"
Van Horn nodded and he took off his shirt before answering. "Yes. That thing in the river used to be my... My wagon. I want to see if anything survived it being attacked. Well, apart from me." He finished with an amused smirk.
Apparently, the other, older lupar seemed content to let the youth speak. "You? That was you? But, we saw it..." The young lupar looked from van Horn to the wrecked Darter and back again. "We thought that it was some sort of creature, not a wagon."
Van Horn grunted as he took off his undershirt. "Well, it's not a creature. And I'm going out there, so could you do me a favor and watch my clothes...?" He trailed off.
The youth got the intent of the action. "Jerryk. My name is Jerryk."
Van Horn continued to smile friendly like. "Well, Jerryk, I'm Earl. Could you watch my clothes until I get back? I don't want anyone accidentally kicking them around while they're working." Nor do I want anything taken as a souvenir by curious fishermen.
Jerryk blinked. "Uhm, sure. I can do that, if you want... Uh... Mr. Errr-aal."
Van Horn grinned at the title. "Just 'Earl' is fine. And thank you." He stood up after placing his undershirt on the pile of his clothes, and turned to walk to the riverbank. He dipped a foot in to feel the water first, and then started to wade in. Current shouldn't be too bad upstream of the spring, so it should be like my swim in the forest yesterday. Taking heart, van Horn plowed into the deeper water, and began to stroke his way across to the wreck of the Darter.
Alexis woke up slowly, her ears taking in the various sounds of people moving about, talking, moving things. She screwed her eyes shut as she became more aware. So tired, just a little bit longer.
But her nose then picked up a good smell, and her stomach rumbled. Alexis realized that she'd never get back to sleep while she was hungry. So she opened her eyes, and took in the room that her family and her had shared with another gatón family from Kuamket.
The room was small, even by gatón standards, and it lacked anything but a small cot. Piles of blankets were strewn about on the floor in an effort to make it more comfortable. Alexis felt like snorting, but her nose was always stuffy in the morning, and so snorting in derision would have not been pleasant. Not very comfortable with just about every body stacked next to each other, she thought.
"Oh, good, you're awake." The voice came from the cot, and Alexis realized she had overlooked the one person that had used it the night before. Turning her head back around, she tried to smile at the other gatón. "Yes, I am, Mrs. Teryo. Where is everyone?"
The older woman shifted the child that she cradled in her arms. "I'd imagine that they're all out getting breakfast. I heard that the lupar from our caravan got some of the local plant that the Hercorians grow. It's supposed to be good, so maybe you should go and get some before they run out." She finished with a small smile.
Alexis chuckled softy, not wanting to disturb the baby on the other woman's arms. "Well, why aren't you out there, then?" She asked politely, but with a smile to show she was just trying to make good conversation.
Mrs. Teryo smiled back. "Well, little Heeb here wanted to get his meal first, so I stayed behind to feed him, since I don't know how our hosts would take to that."
Alexis nodded, then levered herself up slowly. She stretched to get the kinks out of her back and limbs. "I wouldn't know, either. So perhaps it's a good thing you stayed. In any case, I think I will take your advice, and go get some breakfast. Would you like me to bring you back anything?"
Teryo shook her head. "No, that's alright dear. Mr. Teryo is going to bring back some food. Either that, or he can try to breast feed Heeb here."
Alexis and Teryo chuckled softly together, and then Alexis waved a goodbye and pushed open the door. Walking into the hall, she took a moment to gather her bearings, having come in during the night. She finally remembered which way the stairs were, and she walked in that direction. As she went, she passed more doors like the one that led to the room her family and Mrs. Teryo's shared. Soon, she was at the stairs, and she climbed down those easily and entered another hallway, identical to the first.
Almost identical, anyway, as a couple of gatón were standing and talking. They became silent and nodded out of respect as she moved past, although Alexis thought she could see something else in their eyes. She briefly wondered what else the two were thinking about, when the memory of last night rammed back into her consciousness.
Oh, Gods. I really did that? Alexis halted a moment to make sure it wasn't some dream-inspired fantasy, which was likely when one is recently awakened. But soon her mind cleared and the night's events became clear.
She made herself start walking again towards the small receiving area that also served as the entrance to the hostel. Various feelings arose and vied for dominance in her mind as Alexis moved out the entranceway to the building. Two thoughts, though, remained clear: Mikula's alive and safe, and What do I do now? She had feelings for Mikula that were deeper than what she felt towards someone who was just a friend, but how deep are they really?
Alexis felt very confused, and so she stopped and looked for a spot to sit and think. She picked a small spot near an empty cart and sat down, leaning against eh wheel that faced towards the center of the courtyard. And so she sat, and tried to reason out her feelings. What I wouldn't give for a tree about now.
Her thoughts ran rampant. Am I just... Fascinated by the new and unusual? The allure of the exotic? She couldn't help but have doubts, given the unusual nature of the events that had changed everyone's lives. She then noticed a figure that literally stood above the rest as it strode from the barn where the lupar wagons were held. Alexis smiled slightly as she recognized van Horn walking out. She was happy that the unusual being had survived as well, and she thought about that. I know I don't have any similar feelings over van Horn that I don't have over a friend. Happy he's all right, worried sometimes but little else. So maybe it's not the allure of the exotic?
Alexis shook her head, and debated whether she should try and flag the human down. She decided not to, as he strode purposefully towards the main gates. He looks like he knows what he's doing. I'd better not bother him now. She watched as he paused at the gates, and the brief conversation with the guard. Alexis also smirked in amusement at the relieved way the guard walked back to where a few of his comrades stood.
Then she remembered that Mikula was a soldier, and so were his brothers. That brought up the whole mess of feelings she had to begin with when she had sat down. She sighed, and wondered what she should do.
Alexis' stomach grumbled, reminding her of the reason she had woken up to begin with. She looked towards where the lupar food wagon had been serving breakfast, but she saw that they had stopped and were cleaning their cookware. Great. No breakfast for me then, I guess.
She started as a plate was laid down next to her. Alexis turned and looked up to see her brother, Reyato, standing to her left. "I figured you would miss breakfast, so I saved you a plate." He said with a smile.
Alexis tried to smile back, but the effort felt weak even to her. "Thank you, Reyato." She picked up the plate and smelled the paste that sat on it. "This smells good. What is it?"
"The local Hercorians call it 'yusarri.' It's very good, so have some." Reyato replied, a bit of concern seeping into his voice. "You look like you need it."
Alexis smiled again, this time a bit better. "Yeah, I guess I should." She then turned and tentatively too a bit into her mouth and chewed. Then she found out how good it was and quickly gulped up the rest of the plate in a few minutes.
Reyato feigned shock. "My word! I suppose I should count my fingers, eh?"
Alexis ignored him as she licked the plate clean. "Mmm, that was good." She licked her chops off to get the last bit of flavor off them, and then looked up to her brother. "Thank you very much, Reyato."
He chuckled. "No problem, sis. After last night, I figured you might not be feeling too well and would need some extra sleep. Just had to plan ahead, that's all."
The mention of the night before caused some of Alexis' rising mood to dissipate. "I suppose I did make a fool of myself, didn't I?"
Reyato scratched his chin. "You mean your little outburst? I wasn't really talking about that, but rather the long walk in." He leaned back a bit. "But I suppose it's the former that has you so down right now?"
Alexis frowned and looked away. "Yes, it is. I embarrassed myself, Mikula, and my family."
Reyato shrugged, which Alexis could see out the corner of her eye. "I don't know about you or Mikula, but I wasn't really embarrassed. I don't think mother and father were, either."
You say that now, but what if I told you about what I feel inside? She couldn't help but think bitterly. "I suppose, Reyato." She then stood up, holding the plate. "Thank you for the food. I'll take the plate back." She said dismissively.
Reyato looked confused at the tone of her voice, but he had long ago learned not to question a female's mood shifts. "You're welcome. Mother and father and Shaya are all inside by now, so come in and say hi whenever you get done doing whatever you want to do."
Alexis turned to face her brother. "What makes you think I'm going to do anything besides return this plate?"
Reyato gave her a grin. "Because I know that look on your face." He turned and left her standing alone by the cart, holding the empty plate in her hands. She watched her brother go, then turned to look down ad the wooden plate she held in her hands. Everyone seems to know me better than I know myself; she thought and gripped the plate tightly, coming to a decision.
With a sigh, she raised her head back up and walked towards the food wagon. She got there quickly, and with a small smile and a nod, she handed the plate to one of the cooks, and then turned and slowly began to walk towards the barn. Might as well get this over with.
A tap on her shoulder startled her and she spun around to see who would be behind her. She felt embarrassed when she saw that it was a Hercor guard. "Excuse me, you are Miss Alexis, yes?" He asked. She nodded and the guard waved a hand towards the ramp that led up to Hercor proper. "The maegister sent me to escort you back up to his house. Apparently, your leaders want to speak to you."
Alexis felt stricken. Now?! Of all the times... Ugh. "Very well, soldier, please lead on."
It took another twenty minutes or so to again climb the ramp up Hercor's spire, and another few minutes to get to the heart of town. The trip in town was made a bit longer than when Alexis had come the night before, due to the larger amount of lupar out and about. Mainly women and children, the former going to the few shops that existed in the town, and the latter running about in various forms of play. Both groups, however, took time to gawk at Alexis, who was not only gatón but, she realized, also had the unusual hair. I must stand out pretty well, she thought. She would be happy once she was away from their questioning eyes. I haven't felt this way since the lupar came from Tanzano into our old village. It took a tragedy to change their suspicions, though they learned to treat us as friends. But these Hercorians haven't begun to feel the full power of the Wobbies. She shuddered as her and her escort entered the small square in front of the maegister's house. Though I pray they shall never have anything happen to them like what happened to us.
Alexis' thoughts came to a halt as she and her escort came to the main door. A quick knock was all that was needed and the door was pulled open from the inside. Alexis saw that the lupar who answered it was the guard who had been with the one called Vilini the night before.
"Ahh, Miss Alexis I would presume." He waved her and the guard inside, and closed the door after they came inside the small foyer. "Thank you, Frayter. Wait here and let in the other one when Jenk gets him up here." He then turned back to Alexis. "This way, please." He led off, and Alexis followed, perplexed at who else would be summoned up into the town. She didn't have much time to think, however, as she and the guard - Varshi, I think his name is - passed quickly through the hallway and entered the same room she had been in the night before. Alexis felt a sense of déjà vu, as again Forbasa and Jukas sat on the one couch, and Varner sat on the other couch. Instead of Tiana Farkas, however, Alexis saw the irate guard from last night. He was leaning back on the couch, and he seemed to be in pain.
The two gatón shaman and Varner stood, but Vilini sat still, apparently too hurt to move much. Alexis wondered why he was even here, but she soon focused on Forbasa as he came up to Alexis. "My dear Alexis, I do hope your family is alright?" He asked in Lupari out of respect for their hosts.
Alexis smiled a bit before replying in the same language. "They are fine, thank you Shaman, for your concern."
Forbasa nodded. "And I take it that Jahni wasn't exaggerating when he said Vanhorn and Mikula had returned back from their apparent deaths?" He asked with a grin on his muzzle.
Alexis' smile died. "No, he wasn't. I do hope Mrs. Farkas was told that Mikula is fine?"
"Yes, she was told last night." Varner said from where he stood. He had a small smile of his own. "She was very happy, but I think the emotions took a toll on her, so she's sleeping in a bit today."
Alexis nodded to the maegister. "Indeed, a good idea methinks." She said, and then she tilted her head quizzically. "But, if I am not being rude, why was I asked to come up here? I told Jahni everything I could when I sent him up here last night, and then I went to sleep." She was a bit confused as to the nature of the meeting.
Varner motioned Alexis to take a chair that had been added to the room since her last visit. She went to sit down on it, as Forbasa and the others were also returning to their seats. The simple wooden chair was a bit uncomfortable due to its size. Made for Lupar, no doubt, Alexis quickly thought to herself, but then focused on Forbasa as he spoke. "My dear, we simply wanted some accounts from yesterday and last night. We were hoping that you could shed some light on why things suddenly changed so drastically."
"Not to mention, are the two attacks Hercor suffered yesterday related?" Varner asked pleasantly.
Alexis shook her head. "I don't know why you're asking me. I was in the forest during the first attack, and on the ramp to this town during the second one. You'd be better off asking Mikula, or Vanhorn, or him." Alexis gestured to Vilini. "As I recall, he was outside during the second attack. At least, I would assume so, since I saw him being helped in through the gates afterwards."
Vilini gave her a sour look, but it melted away into one of pain. "Yes, I was outside. And believe me, I've already told them everything. The maegister is simply being thorough." The words seemed to drain the lupar, and he set his head back slowly to rest it against the couch. Alexis realized that he must've been hit pretty hard to leave such a pain, but Varner drew her attention away. "Yes. Vilini speaks truthfully. We simply want your account, and we will get the accounts from others."
Alexis sighed. "Alright, then. What do you wish to know?"
"Just tell us what happened just before Hercor was attacked and take it from there." Forbasa suggested politely. Alexis nodded and began to recount the story, from the mysterious communication van Horn had received, to the approach and attack of the Wobbies to the eventual chase through the Hercor fields. When she was done, she took a few minutes to explain to the two Hercorians the things that van Horn had told her about his machines. "You really should ask him up here, even. I know he can tell you much more than anyone else can." She finished and sat back in the chair.
Vilini seemed to grimace at the mention of van Horn, once he had been told who - or what - she was referring to. Varner just sat and accepted the information, but his face belied disbelief, though not suspicion. "Well, I must admit, I've never heard any story like that before."
"Neither have I." Jukas said, adding in her two cents. "Although, from what little I've seen of this human and his gadgets, I am not surprised."
Forbasa nodded agreement. "Yes, the story rings of truth with what I know. However, we should ask Vanhorn up here to speak, anyway. That is, if you wish so, maegister." He nodded his head in deference to Varner.
Alexis felt a bit unsure of herself, seeing her shaman act so respectful and deferent to someone else. She then realized that Forbasa, and indeed the entire caravan, were pretty much at the mercy of the Hercorians, and if the maegister was annoyed, he could at the very least kick them out without their wagons, leaving them to suffer the elements. Alexis involuntarily shivered at the thought, but she took heart in knowing that the maegister seemed intelligent and kind enough.
Varner brought her attention back to the room's other occupants. "I am not so sure... This human claims to be of the same race as those who attacked us?" He asked, a bit of suspicion leaking into his face and words.
Forbasa nodded sadly. He told us himself. However, I have not seen any attacker up close, only their machinery, so I cannot say for certain if he is telling the truth or not."
Alexis frowned, which drew Varner's attention. "Is there a problem, Miss Alexis?"
She felt a jolt of fear, being unsure of herself to speak to such persons of obvious respect and power. But something had changed in her recently, and it gave her courage. "I am just wondering why your esteemed persons are debating asking him up here. Vanhorn is knowledgeable in many things we cannot understand, and he has shown us nothing but kindness and concern. I can see that you are suspicious of him, maegister," she nodded her head towards Varner and lowered an ear, "but I can tell you from observing him from within his own wagon, his living quarters, that he is a good person. You have nothing to fear from him."
"Unless you wish to make him an enemy." Mikula's soft words came from the door. Alexis jumped in her chair and turned to face Mikula and the guard who had escorted him into the room. She felt her tail begin to curl around her leg by itself as she remembered her embarrassing behavior the night before. But she held herself together long enough for Vilini to speak. "Are you making a threat?" He asked with irritation.
Mikula's ears went down a bit in embarrassment. "No, not at all. I misspoke, I suppose. I was just observing that I would not him to be an enemy." He shrugged. "One only has to see what he did to the attackers last night to understand that."
Varner looked unconvinced. However, Vilini seemed to do an abrupt about face on his attitude. "Yes... I didn't see much of him... But he did save my life." He sighed and laid his head back again. "My apologies for getting angered. I am not feeling well."
Alexis was very surprised at the guard's change of attitude, but she didn't say anything as Varner began to speak. "Well, now that we have that cleared up, I suppose we should ask this 'vanhorn,' to come up and speak with us."
Forbasa nodded. "A good idea, indeed. I think you will be impressed with him."
Varner nodded and then addressed the guard who had escorted Mikula in. "Varshi, you know what this 'human' looks like?"
Varshi frowned a bit, and his ears twitched. "Is that the name of the furless one?"
Varner nodded." It is his race, yes. He is called 'Vanhorn.' Go find him and ask him to come up and speak with us."
Varshi looked stunned, and his ears folded downwards against his skull. "But... How do I even talk to him?"
Mikula turned about and looked at the guard. "Just speak normally. He knows Lupari, and he's friendly."
Varner nodded. "Well, you heard him. Now go, Varshi."
The guard nodded, then turned and disappeared down the hallway.
Van Horn was tired and sweaty. He had been working over his wrecked scout car for about an hour now, and had found little to salvage. What the missiles and reactor explosion didn't get, the water's messed up, he mentally condemned the situation. With a sigh, he went back to work trying to jimmy open a cabinet. Since the car was on its side in the river, the flooded compartment was almost ninety degrees off kilter, and so the cabinet he was working on was directly over his head, instead of being at a comfortable angle and height.
With a loud noise, the warped door came free and opened abruptly. Van Horn jumped back to avoid having the content of the storage space fall on him, though when he saw what had fallen, he quickly moved to scoop the items up. "Damnit! Don't be ruined, don't be ruined." He spoke to himself to help with his anxiety as he picked up the Intek Laser Rifle and the M-1911/2985 pistol that he'd used to defeat the earlier bandit attack. In the haste to escape the doomed Darter, he had left them behind. Now, he hoped they would work, despite what they'd been through. He checked the two weapons one at a time, holding one under his arm while he looked over the other. Looks good. A bit waterlogged, but they're military weapons, so they've been designed to get a little wet and still work. He had hope that he now had his weapons advantage back over the bandits that seemed to plague the area.
Van Horn reached around to behind his back, where another bag like his 'bug-out' kit hung on a shoulder. The waterproof polymer fabric had survived in its own storage cabinet, although it was unfortunately empty. Still, better than having to carry all this stuff through the water. He grabbed the bag and swung it around on its strap, and then stuck the two weapons inside, where they joined a change of clothes and a pair of boots.
Van Horn grunted, as he had to stretch the bag a bit to accommodate the rifle. I should take it apart to clean and store it- but I'm in a wrecked scout car in a river; that can wait until later. He looked down and managed to find the spare clips in the muddy water. He frowned as he bent over and grabbed them and shook the water out. "These are almost certainly fucked... But I gotta try salvaging them anyway." He mumbled to himself.
The noise of water splashing outside drew van Horn's attention to the open escape hatch that was in what was the floor of the Darter. Now, the hole faced downriver and was only halfway above water. Van Horn reached into the water and grabbed the bowie-style knife from its sheath and brought it up in a guard position. Best not to take chances, he thought to himself.
He needn't have worried, however, as the shape that appeared in the frame was that of Pavlo, swimming like Mikula had, using a doggie paddle. Again, van Horn found himself suppressing an urge to laugh. He leaned back from his ready position and stretched back to help hide his contorting face from Pavlo, who was now climbing into the wrecked scout car. "You won't mind if I come in will you?" He asked.
Van Horn grinned. "Sure, though the place is a mess." He said and he leaned down to replace the knife into its sheath. Gonna have to clean a lot of things tonight, he mused silently. "What are you doing out here? I thought that lupar hated to get wet?"
Pavlo shook himself a bit, again bringing up a comparison to a dog in van Horn's mind. I've got to get off of this planet soon, before I say something stupid like 'here boy!' He thought as Pavlo finished shaking his upper body. "That is true. But someone had to come out and get you, and I seem to be the only lupar who can swim and is willing to actually talk to you face to face."
Van Horn frowned. "'Get me?' Did something happen? Is anything wrong?"
Pavlo shrugged. "No, I don't think so. One of the guards from Hercor came looking for you. One also came a bit earlier and took Mikula with him. Apparently, the gatón shamans and the Hercor leaders want to ask some questions about yesterday's events."
Van Horn frowned, unsure of whether this was good or bad news. "So? Well, I cannot leave them waiting, now can I?" He asked Pavlo with a small grin. "I can finish up here later, since no one seems inclined to come out into the river, even for curiosity's sake."
Pavlo nodded. "Indeed. I wouldn't even come here, and I know the place." He looked around. "It's changed a bit, however." He said with a slight grin.
Van Horn Chuckled and zipped up the bag he carried. "Well, being attacked does tend to let you do a bit of redecorating." He said and waded to the hatch in the floor/wall. With a quick adjustment to the bag, he shoved off of the frame and settled into the water.
A splash behind him brought van Horn around, and he again saw Pavlo swimming with the doggie-paddle. He shook his head and swam over to the lupar. "Here, let me help you." He said and held out his left hand.
Pavlo looked suspiciously at it. "Help? I can swim fine."
Van Horn shrugged, and refrained from grabbing Pavlo like he had grabbed Mikula the other day. "Suit yourself. I'll wait for you on shore." With that, he turned and began stroking his way towards where he had left his clothes.
Along the way, van Horn noticed that most of the lupar fishermen were busy now, though they took every chance watch the human as he swam. Two lupar stood next to where he had left his clothes, one was a guard, and the other was the young one that van Horn had asked to watch his possessions. Nice to know these folks raise honest kids. He thought. And then he was at the shore, and he pulled himself out and onto the bank. He stood erect then, and towered over the two lupar waiting for him.
The guard just looked bug-eyed and stood there mute. The youth, however, took a step forward. "Uh, Mister Earl, sir, I kept your clothes in place, like you asked me to." He said.
Van Horn smiled at the kid. "Thank you... Jerryk, the name was?" He waited until the youth nodded. "Thank you, Jerryk. Now," he turned to face the guard, "I understand someone wanted to escort me up to the town. I take it that you're that person?"
The guard blinked a few times before he found his voice. "Ah, yes. I am Varshi. Our town's leader, the maegister, and the leaders of the caravan want to talk to you."
Van Horn nodded as Pavlo climbed out of the river behind him. "Alright, then. Let me get to a place where I can change my clothes, and we'll go after that."
"I'll second that." Pavlo said and then shook himself again, trying to dry himself off. "I would like to look presentable, if I am to go up into town."
The guard frowned and his ears twitched downward. "My orders were to only get the- the 'human.' Not to escort anyone else up."
Van Horn decided to have some fun. "Did your orders say that you couldn't escort anyone else up?"
The guard looked stricken and he turned to van Horn. "Uh... No..."
Van Horn smiled "Then Pavlo can come with. After all, don't you have some place up there where the wounded are kept?" He waited for the surprised guard to nod. "Then Pavlo can see his brother. Now, we need a place to change." He turned to face Pavlo. "Would it be imposing if I could use your family's wagon?"
Pavlo grinned broadly. "I would consider it an insult for you to not use it."
Van Horn nodded; his smile still entrenched on his face. "Let's go then, before Varshi here goes permanently mute from shock."
Pavlo chuckled at that comment, which drew a dark look from the guard. The former didn't care, as he started to follow van Horn towards the town, leaving Varshi to catch up.
It was a good time later before they reached the gates to Hercor proper. Varshi had a slightly indignant attitude over the earlier crack that van Horn had made, but he was slowly warming up to the human as he asked questions about many things. It's like he knows nothing about how we live, and yet he wants to find out, the young Hercor native thought. The idea that anyone would want to learn about boring details, such as how waste was removed from the town or how often the crops were planted, astounded the guard.
But it was at the gates that Varshi found himself even more astounded, as the human paused at the gates, looking over one wooden gate door to the other, mumbling something to himself in a tongue that the lupar couldn't understand. "What is the holdup?" He asked of the newcomer.
Van Horn looked down at the guard, and gave a sheepish grin. "I'm sorry, but these carvings are magnificent. Could you tell me what they represent?"
Varshi was taken aback. "I- I... I am no storyteller. Perhaps you could ask one of them after I take you to the maegister?" He asked, trying to remind the human about the purpose of visiting the town. To his dismay, van Horn turned back to take another look at the carving. "I'm sure you must know a thing or two. Could you at least tell me what this represents?" He asked, tapping the largest figure on the door.
Varshi blinked and sighed in exasperation. "That's Vorana. She is the patron spirit of good luck." He shook his head. "But we shouldn't be standing in the gates."
Van Horn looked down again. "Oh? Get that many attackers here?" He asked with a grin.
Varshi bristled visibly. "No, because I was sent to get you some time ago, and the longer I take, the more annoyed the maegister will get. I do not like to be seen as failing my duties, especially when it's someone else's own laxness that causes that appearance." The words started polite, but came out sharp towards the end. Varshi clapped his jaws shut as he realized that he had practically told off someone who was much larger than him and had been able to kill dreaded Kurrnaki almost at will. His ears folded down a bit to show his sudden trepid feelings.
To Varshi's surprise, however, van Horn simply blinked himself, then nodded. "My apologies. Please lead on." He said quietly, with an unreadable look - to Varshi, anyway - on his face.
Varshi gulped down his fear. "Alright. Follow me then." He said, and then turned and started off to head towards the maegister's house, van Horn and the silent Pavlo following behind.
Varshi's discomfort returned as many residents of the town who were about stopped to stare open-mouthed at van Horn. I am going to be questioned to no end over this, the lupar thought regretfully.
Van Horn, meanwhile, returned the stares of the natives, though he did his best to keep his looks friendly, or at least neutral. Fascinating. The town looks so much like an old European town from the eleventh century... Though it's better built, all made out of stone. He thought to himself, observing the various building styles. "Varshi, if I may ask a question that won't slow us down, why did your people decide to build using all stone?"
Varshi slowed down to contemplate, then mentally chastised himself for that error. Bloody creature. The most infuriating thing is that he seems to not be doing this on purpose, and even seemed to be saddened when I mentioned that he was making me look bad... And usually, people get mad when you say something so stupid to them. Varshi ran through these thoughts quickly, and then answered with what he knew. "I am told that we use stone because it doesn't burn. Otherwise, any fire that broke out could kill everyone, as we are up so high."
Van Horn nodded absentmindedly. Well, no one said these folks were stupid. "A good idea, I think. In any case, it adds a nice charm to the place."
Varshi slowed - again! - To look over his shoulder at van Horn. "Charm? I never thought of this place as charming."
Pavlo smiled and spoke up for the first time in many minutes. "Earl is right, though. The town looks very nice."
Varshi felt pride rise up to salve some of his bruised ego, but Pavlo's words caught his attention. "'Err-al?' I thought your name was 'Vanhorn?'" He asked of the human.
Van Horn shrugged. "You have a family name as well as your own, individual name, right?" He waited for Varshi to nod agreement, though it was delayed due to their entering an alley. "'Van Horn' is my family name. 'Earl' is my given name." He explained matter-of-factly. Then they came out the other side of the alley, and van Horn had to pause with Pavlo to get a good look at the outside of the house that stood before them. "This is the maegister's house." Varshi said, enjoying the impressed looks the newcomers had.
Van Horn nodded. "Very nice. Reminiscent of Viking Longhouses." He said, using a mix of Lupari and English names. This confused the two lupar, however. "What are those?" Pavlo asked.
Before van Horn could reply, they heard someone calling their names. Looking up towards the second story of the house, they saw Alexis waving to them. "Well, I think we should talk about that later." Van Horn replied as he waved back to the young gatón.
Alexis smiled broadly as van Horn and Pavlo returned her greeting and walked towards the house, with the guard Varshi leading them. She turned away from the window as they disappeared from sight. The room's other occupant quizzically tilted her head. "I take it that Vanhorn and yet another of my sons are here?" Tiana asked with a slight smile.
Alexis nodded. "It is indeed, Mrs. Farkas. Funny they should arrive just now. Would you rather we talk later?" She asked the lupar. She asked to speak to me, but we will both want to be there when the maegister meets with Vanhorn, Alexis thought to herself.
Tiana nodded. "Perhaps, though I do want to tell you one thing now." She said, and stood from the chair she had been sitting in since Alexis had arrived a few moments ago. "I wanted to thank you for having Jahni come up to let me know that Mikula was still alive."
Alexis felt embarrassed, and her ears and tail swung into her kind's normal such positions for that emotion. "It's nothing to thank me for. Jahni did all the work of coming back up, and it was a simple matter to make sure he would talk to you."
Tiana smiled again, slightly. "Yes, but you didn't have to tell him to tell me in person that he had seen my son with his own eyes. I presume that was not a lie?"
Alexis shook her head. "Of course not. I would never lie about something so important, nor would I ask someone to." A momentary shudder went through her body as she remembered her feelings from the day before. No, I would never wish my feelings on anyone else if I can help it.
Tiana motioned towards the door, letting Alexis move first to open it and head into the hall. "I figured as much, knowing you as I do. And my sons speak highly of you, as well, which only confirms my judgment about your good character." Tiana said as she followed the gatón out into the hall.
Alexis again felt deeply embarrassed. "You honor me too much. I am simply doing what needed to be done. What any good person would do." She said as she reached the stairs and began the walk down.
Tiana followed down the stairs carefully before replying. "I know. But there are fewer good people than most would suspect." She frowned, though Alexis couldn't see it as she was watching her step. She could, however, hear the change in Tiana's voice. "I thought there were many good people leading my clan in Tanzano, but I was wrong."
They took the rest of the stairs in silence, and soon reached the landing that opened up into the foyer. A servant was just closing the door as they arrived, and Alexis started off towards the room the maegister used for audiences. A hand on her shoulder stopped her, and she turned to see Tiana looking intent. "One other thing, Miss Alexis, that I'd like to say to you."
Alexis felt a tiny bit of fear in her stomach, not seeing such a look often in Tiana's normally gentle features. "Yes?"
Tiana looked around to make sure that the servant was gone, and no one else was nearby. She then turned back to Alexis, and much to the latter's surprise, drew her into a soft hug. With her muzzle near Alexis' left ear, she whispered into it. "Thank you for caring about my son." Drawing back, Tiana gave Alexis an unsure smile, and then turned and walked off towards the audience chamber.
Alexis stood mute for a moment, unsure of what to do or say. Then the shock wore off and in its place was a new feeling. A kind of warmth that felt good. She wanted to puzzle over it further, but the meeting was going on and she wanted to be there. In case the shaman needs me, she thought as she turned and followed the hall. In her heart, however, she knew that was only a half-truth. She wanted to be near the action.
Van Horn was impressed with the maegister's house on the inside as much as on the outside. Well, relatively speaking of course. He still had clear childhood memories of visiting family on New Honshu, and few buildings could compare to the glittering megalopolis of NeoTokyo, with its glittering towers and massive layout inspired by its fictional namesake. Still, for a light-tech people, these Hercor Lupar have some good design sense and aesthetics.
Full impressions had to wait, however, as he entered the large room where the town's maegister held his audiences. Not nearly large enough, van Horn mentally complained. As large as the house was by lupar standards, a human such as himself had to bend over to walk anywhere inside of it, lest he make a permanent dent in the ceiling. A good thing that guard took Pavlo off to see Kanu at the hospice they have here, else he'd love to taunt me over this, he thought with a wry smile.
The room did, however, interest him. Tapestries hung on the walls, and the couches seemed handcrafted. Must take some damn good skill to make them look that good. He saw Shamans Forbasa and Jukas sitting on one, and two lupar sitting on the other. One he took to be the maegister, by the look of the nice clothing. The other was dressed in a guard's outfit, and he was sitting back and nursing his head. Is that the guy I saved last night?
Van Horn's thoughts stopped as Forbasa stood and walked over. "So nice to see that you are not numbered among the lost." The shaman said and smiled. And then he held out his right hand, remembering the greeting.
Van Horn smiled broadly and shook Forbasa's hand with a subtly firm grip. "Indeed. One writer of my people put it best when he said, 'reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.'"
The two gatón chuckled, as did the elder lupar on the other couch. "How wonderfully adroit." Forbasa said. "But I am being rude. This is maegister Varner, the head man of this town." He said, and waved towards where the lupar sat. The elder stood and nodded to van Horn. "A pleasure to meet you... I think." He said somewhat unsurely.
Van Horn continued to smile and held out his hand towards the lupar. "And I am pleased to meet you, I know."
The lupar regarded the hand suspiciously, and his ears twitched a bit at the subtle rebuke. Still, he managed a smile and reached out like Forbasa had done. "My apologies. I am just... Intimidated, to say the least."
"Perfectly understandable and completely forgivable." Van Horn said as he gently shook the lupar's hand. No need for showing strength. This guy knows who won the first round. As he thought that, van Horn felt confused. Won? What the Hell? Why do I feel so antagonistic to these lupar? I wasn't very nice to that one who came to get me, and now I feel like I'm competing with this leader? The thoughts rolled forth as he disengaged his hand. Need to be more polite. "It is an honor that you would ask me here to your house, maegister Varner."
The lupar looked a bit confused, then he smiled. "I thank you for being honored. I do hope you can answer some questions for us."
Van Horn raised an eyebrow, but politely smiled. "I hope I may be able to. Please, ask away."
The lupar sat on his couch. "Well, first, please take a seat. I don't think it is comfortable for you to be leaning over like that." He indicated a lupar-sized chair for van Horn to sit on. Van Horn looked for it, and sat down on it - carefully. "I thank you for your hospitality. Now, what is so important that you'd send someone all the way to find me?"
"Well, we'd like to hear from you about the attacks yesterday. Mainly, do you know what caused them? Your friend Alexis seemed to think you might have had an idea." Varner asked intently.
Van Horn felt his insides scrunch up. Oh God, a fucking committee! He knew how the nefarious creatures operated. "I do indeed." He said, and was about to begin telling them the story when Tiana Farkas came through the door. She smiled at Van Horn before turning to face the maegister. "If you would, maegister, would it be alright if Alexis and I sat in to hear what is going on?"
Varner looked a bit uncomfortable. "It's irregular... But I suppose yesterday was very irregular. Very well, but let me call someone to bring in some chairs." He stood up. "Please, excuse me, all of you." He bowed slightly and left the room by the back entrance.
Van Horn blinked a bit in confusion. The guy has more character and fortitude than I thought, he observed silently. Then why do I feel hostile to him? Then he realized what it was; he had been, effectively, summoned like some sort of serf by a lord. The walk up the rock spire had been like climbing stairs to some old Terran castle. And he's obviously the kind who likes power, though he uses it well. So it must be the old authority resentment problem, compounded with the loss of some of my own power, van Horn thought to himself, remembering the loss of his Darter, the most visible of his gadgets. He sighed as Alexis came into the room and the others began to chat a bit with each other. I am disappointed in myself. I thought I outgrew this shit in college.
"Is something wrong?" Alexis asked him, bringing van Horn back to the immediate reality. He looked at the gatón - sitting down and I'm still almost as tall as her - and gave her a small smile. "I'm fine, Alexis. I'm just thinking about some depressing things. Thank you for asking, though."
"What things?" She asked. Just then, however, Varner walked back in, carrying a chair, and he had a servant carrying another. "I'll tell you later." Van Horn said as they placed the chairs on the wall that faced the couch where the elder gatón sat. Soon, everyone was seated and again, a story was told about the day before. Van Horn found it a bit rough going, as he had to explain certain ideas to the natives, such as the basic, basic, basic idea of radio waves and about how the Wobbies thought. To his amusement, they also had trouble understanding the idea that humans liked water and swimming.
Finally, though, he was finished, and he took a few seconds to compose his thought. The others, too, seemed needing of some time, so he sat quietly. After a minute, Varner spoke up. "It is getting lat in the day. I think we should take some time for a midday meal." No one objected.
Van Horn walked down the streets of Hercor, led by guard Varshi and trailed by Alexis. They were heading off to the hospice to visit the brothers Farkas after eating at the maegister's house and another discussion that turned out to be surprisingly fruitful. Maybe the natives haven't been contaminated yet, van Horn mused silently to himself. The maegister was constrained by the fact that many things he wanted to do needed to be run by the ruling council, but they would meet tonight. Although initially annoyed at the questioning, van Horn had realized that Varner had wanted all the facts so that he could present his case to the council. Apparently, the insular nature of Hercor was something that was fading, though the older members of the council held sway and still tried to keep the town as isolated as possible. Varner was working to remedy that, but he had wanted to know all the facts so there would be nothing his opponents could use to undermine his position.
Or so he says, van Horn cautioned himself mentally. Politicians are a crafty lot... Hell, he could be telling the truth, but only in the exact opposite way, and he's the insular influence. Almost as soon as he thought that, van Horn dismissed the idea. No, no xenophobic is that good of an actor. The only ones who rise to power are the most psychotic of that neurosis, and thus couldn't act they way Varner acted today. His training in sociology included the mass psychoses of culture, xenophobia being a rather depressing constant. Another one being politicians, he mentally scoffed. Something still did not sit right with him, though van Horn had decided to put those feelings aside and work cooperatively. All the more so because I really have no choice.
A noise brought his attention from his reverie. Ahead down the street was a scuffle between two children lupar, each looking barely twelve years old to van Horn's eyes. Their mothers seemed to come from nowhere and began the task of prying the two boys apart, forcing the small group to stop as the path between the houses was little more than a narrow alley. The two women pried the kids apart, and soon began dragging them off by the scruff of their necks.
Van Horn smiled at the scene. Varshi noticed this, and he was prompted to speak. "What are you smiling at, if I may ask?"
Van Horn sighed. "Little boys are little boys, no matter where you go." He said and winked at Varshi, who blinked for a second as he grasped the meaning. Alexis, meanwhile, chuckled. "You have an amusing way of looking at things, Earl." She said.
Van Horn turned to her and bowed. "Thank you, Miss Alexis. Though I'd like to think that I am merely finding the amusing things in life and simply making them plain."
"Yes, well." Varshi said unsurely. "The hospice is just around the corner." He motioned to the end of the alley, and started off, the other two following quickly behind him.
Alexis walked to get next to van Horn, and spoke softly to him in Gatonese. "He isn't very nice, is he?"
Van Horn replied in the same tongue. "It's not a matter of nice, my dear, but the fact that he now has something new to think about."
Her ears flicked quizzically. "Like what?"
"Like that I just mentioned to him just how much little boys are alike, which implies that there is similarity between lupar, gatón, and my own species. Not everyone finds such similarity comforting at first."
Alexis was clearly puzzled. "How could they not?"
"We're here." Varshi said gruffly. He did not know Gatonese, but it didn't take a genius to figure out that the two were talking about him.
Van Horn looked over a house as large as the maegister's, but it had a sign out front of some sort of bird-like animal. Must be their version of a red cross, or a caduceus symbol. Sounds were coming from the building's open windows, sounds that weren't usually very comforting. People in pain, van Horn realized, and he felt a pang of sympathy in his heart.
He noticed Alexis tensing up beside him, and he knew she felt the same way. Van Horn sighed. "I wish I could've done more..." He said absentmindedly in English.
"You wish what?" Alexis asked in Gatonese, bringing van Horn back to the present. He looked down on Alexis and smiled. "I keep forgetting what I've taught you. I said that I wish I could have done more." He sighed and followed Varshi, who had started off in a huff towards the door.
Alexis followed behind, but stayed silent until they got inside the front doorway of the hospice, which lacked a real working door. She wondered at that, and then figured it must've been easier to carry people in when you didn't have to hold open a heavy wooden door. Inside the foyer was a desk, behind which sat an older female lupar. The scene gave van Horn the willies. My God, it's déjà vu all over again, he thought, mentally making the tired joke to try and relieve some of the creepy feeling he had. So much like us... They even make their hospitals like ours.
Varshi spoke quietly with the older lupar femme, who alternated listening to the guard with wide-eyed stares at van Horn. The latter simply smiled back to her in a friendly fashion, realizing just how strange it would be for her to see him. After a moment of a mostly one-sided conversation, Varshi turned back to face van Horn and Alexis. "The fellows you seek are at the end of the ground floor of that wing." He pointed to his left, van Horn's right. In the middle of the wall was a doorway, again without a door, and through it van Horn and Alexis could see beds with natives on them. "Unless you need me to guide you back, I will leave you now and go off duty." Varshi finished and lowered his arm, then crossed both over his chest.
Van Horn nodded. "I think we can find our way back, don't you, Alexis?" He asked of the gatón, who nodded. Turning back to the guard, van Horn gently put his hand on the lupar's shoulder. "And before you go, Varshi, I want to thank you for your efforts and your patience. I know I wasn't the nicest person, but I meant no ill will." He smiled. "I just had a bad day yesterday."
Varshi had started a bit at the touch, but van Horn's words kept him still. He blinked and then replied. "I- you are welcome." He took a step to the side, and van Horn lifted his hand off. "You weren't the only one who had a bad day yesterday..." Varshi trailed off, looking around the room. His thoughts were clear to van Horn, who immediately felt bad. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to imply that I had any excuse for acting the way I did, not when your home was attacked."
Varshi looked up, surprised. "No, that's not it. I was just thinking about it... But I remember what you told the maegister, about how you ran out to distract the attackers. And I remember seeing you fighting to defend my fellow guardsmen." The lupar looked down uncertainly. "I just... I wanted to apologize for my own actions. I usually don't let myself get so short-tempered."
Alexis shook her head. "You two can go on apologizing all day, but it won't change the fact that neither of you are badly at fault."
Van horn grinned. "She's right. How about we let bygones be bygones?" He asked and held out his hand to the lupar.
Varshi looked up, confused. "'Bygones?'" He reached for van Horn's hand anyway, having seen the greeting ritual, so he knew what was expected, though confused as he had already met the human.
Van Horn shook the lupar's hand and released it. "Sorry. It's an old term that means 'let the ill feelings from the past remain there.'"
Varshi nodded, and he even smiled a bit. "A good term, to be sure. And I agree with the sentiment." He nodded and then yawned. "And now I should go before I pass out. I didn't get enough sleep from last night's watch. Good day." He said and walked out of the hospice with a wave.
Alexis and van Horn waved back, and then turned to head into the indicated room. "You were nice there." Alexis observed.
Van Horn shrugged just before they entered the large room on the other side of the doorway. "I didn't do what any good person should do. Apologize for my attitude. "He sighed, and then stopped to take in the room in front of him, Alexis pausing as well.
Before them stretched a room that took up the entire portion of the building's ground floor. Like wards in military field hospitals, the beds of the sick and injured were arranged in the large common area so that the heads of the patients were towards the walls, letting them have a good look at the room, if they were well enough, thought the room's view was broken up by numerous support beams that held up the floor above.
Each row of beds seemed filled with injured, and van Horn realized a good many of them had come from the Blakest attack the day before. The lupar lying in the beds mainly had broken limbs, or even missing ones. These latter ones were the main source of the moaning that van Horn and Alexis had heard earlier. Again, van Horn felt pangs of sympathy, and now regret. I should have left sooner. Should have made more radio calls as I drove away, calling the bastards to me and not to these people.
Alexis looked up at van Horn, and could practically feel his mood deepening. She reached out and laid her hand on his arm. "You are not at fault, Earl. These people were hurt like my people were, by your enemy and ours."
Van Horn shook his head. "I shouldn't have come near your people, Alexis. I only brought the attention of the Blakests to this area, to this town. And look what it has wrought."
Alexis looked up at van Horn, frowning. "But when you came, you helped us. You cared for the sick and injured, you saved lives and made us comfortable. When the bandits in the forest attacked us, you defended us. When Hercor was attacked, you selflessly went out and drew the attackers away. Then somehow, you cheated death and came back again to defend us from bandits." She shook her head. "You said it yourself, these Wobbies attack without provocation. What would have stopped them if they had decided to attack Hercor, even if you had stayed away?"
Van Horn sighed. Then he turned to Alexis and gave her a weak smile. "Now who's being nice?" He joked weakly.
Alexis gave a little smile right back. "I'm just doing what any good person would do, when their friend is blaming themselves for the actions of others."
Van Horn nodded, and sighed again. "Thank you, Alexis." He said and patted her hand, which was still on his arm. "You are a good friend." He lifted his hand, and Alexis withdrew hers. "Now, let's go find the troublemakers, shall we?" Van Horn asked, his smile growing stronger.
Alexis' smile grew in response. "Indeed."
Mikula rubbed his forehead. "Kanu, why can't you just tell me what you meant last night?"
His elder brother shook his head. "You cannot be this dense, Mikula." He sighed. "And if you are, then there's a reason. So go find out yourself."
Mikula frowned, and looked to Pavlo. "Do you have any idea what he's talking about?" But the younger brother shrugged silently, frustrating Mikula even more. He turned away from the other two. "Fine, be assholes."
Kanu sighed. "Mikula, aren't you a bit old for the whiny brat act?" His tone and words stung Mikula, who turned back around on his stool, his ears down in shame. "I'm not acting like a whiny brat. I'm just damn tired of this mind game you're playing with me."
Kanu shook his head again. "Mikula... It's not a game. It's just sometimes things can't be told to you, but you have to realize them on your own. In this case, I thought that you'd have enough obvious clues by now."
Mikula twitched his ears in annoyance. "I don't have any idea what you're talking about. Frankly, I didn't think there was anything to figure out, until you said something. And I still have no idea what you could be talking abou-" His words cut off as he saw van Horn and Alexis walk through the doorway at the end of the ward.
Kanu and Pavlo also looked towards the pair, and smiled as they drew near. "Don't tell me you're visiting on my account?" Kanu asked politely.
Van Horn shrugged. "Well, not like there's much else to do." He winked to show he was joking. The others chuckled at that. "Don't listen to him," Alexis said with a smile, "we of course came to see how you and everyone else from the caravan is doing."
"Oh? Then I am honored you decided to visit me first." Kanu said, though a slight raise of his eyebrow would say something else to an observant person. Neither Alexis nor the other two brothers did notice it, but van Horn did. He grinned slightly. "Indeed. Might as well start at the most depressing and work our way up."
Again they all chuckled, though this began to draw some looks from the others visiting their injured relatives. Noticing this, the small group calmed down, their moods somewhat dampened.
"So Kanu, how are you being treated here?" Alexis asked, clearly concerned after having helped to take care of the wounded for a good amount of time.
Kanu gave her a wane smile. "Quite fine, Alexis. Thank you for asking, but the Hercorians... Although they are not perhaps as nice as you, they do know how to help people get well." He said, making Alexis twist her tail a bit in embarrassment at the compliment. "Thank you, Kanu. Though I think you underestimate the help others gave you."
Van Horn yawned. "Excuse me, the day seems to be wearing on me a bit more than usual."
Mikula looked up at that. "If you want, you can sit here. I've been here too long, anyway." He said and stood.
Van Horn gave him a raise eyebrow. "Oh? Well, I would like to rest, but I'm afraid that the maegister asked that we should not go around without an escort, or at least in pairs. I don't want Miss Alexis here to get in trouble."
Mikula waved his hand dismissively. "I can go with Alexis. That is," he turned to face the gatón, "if you don't mind?"
Alexis smiled. "That would be fine, Mikula. I hope you won't mind waiting while I visit with some people when we get to them?"
He smiled back. "Certainly not. In fact, I'd like to say hello myself to a few of them."
Alexis nodded, and then turned to face the others. "If you'll excuse us, then?" Mikula's two brothers and van horn nodded, and Alexis and Mikula left, walking down to the other wing, where the other wounded were kept.
After they were out of the ward, Kanu sighed. "Thank you, Earl, for your timely interruption."
Van horn chuckled softly. "Not at all. I take it you two were having an argument?" He asked and sat down on the stool Mikula had vacated.
Kanu sighed. "Sort of. I slipped up last night, and now he's trying to have me tell him what is so obvious to the rest of us."
Van Horn nodded. "Ah. I figured as much, which is why I feigned a tired spell."
Pavlo looked confused. "You mean you really aren't that tired?"
Van Horn shook his head. "No, I just figured it would be a good excuse for Mikula to leave and accompany Alexis."
"Which is what he wants, whether he realizes it or not." Kanu said with a soft chuckle.
Pavlo looked between the other two, a confused look on his face. "What do you mean, 'whether he realizes it or not?'"
"Pavlo, don't tell me you haven't noticed?" Kanu asked incredulously.
"Kanu, he hasn't been in such close company with those two as you or I have been." Van Horn said. He turned to Pavlo and gave a small smile. "But, you have seen them before we left the area around Kuamket. You've had to notice something."
Pavlo shook his head. "All I know is that they are good friends."
Kanu and van Horn shared a look, and then they chuckled together, much to Pavlo's consternation. "What? What did I say?"
"Pavlo, didn't you notice the way Mikula's ears flicked when I flirted with Alexis a bit there?" Kanu asked his younger brother, who frowned. "Yes..." He replied.
Van Horn joined in. "You also didn't see the way Alexis grabbed Mikula last night when we came through the gates."
"She what?" Pavlo asked, clearly surprised.
"She ran up and grabbed him like he was going to float away." Kanu said with a wide grin on his muzzle. "I'm surprised you haven't heard anyone gossiping about it by now."
"I've been busy." Pavlo said with a shake of his head. "And I'm a bit surprised. I know Mikula mentioned being with Earl when he went racing about, so I guess she thought he was dead like we had thought Earl was dead. But that doesn't explain why she would-" He stopped in mid-sentence, and his ears perked up as high as they could go.
Van Horn chuckled. "I think he has it, Kanu."
"Indeed." Kanu replied with a grin.
Pavlo looked at the other two, his face showing a mix of surprise and disbelief. "I didn't... When did this happen?"
Kanu tried to keep from laughing. "It's not like it happened overnight, but they've been carrying on for some time." He said. "Which is why I'm surprised you hadn't noticed."
"I... Guess I've been busy." Pavlo said, blinking hard. He looked at his brother. "I don't suppose mother knows?"
"I'm sure she does." Kanu replied with a smug look, and he settled back in his bed a bit. "She's always had a nose for finding out information like this."
Pavlo only nodded to this in reply. Then he thought of something and spoke. "Wait, you were taking to Mikula just now about something that he wasn't figuring out. You meant this whole thing?"
"Yes, I did." Kanu replied and closed his eyes. "Mikula's just... I don't know, he's just kind of not realizing it, though some part of him does, otherwise he wouldn't be so irritable when I refused to say it aloud for him."
Pavlo shook his head. "I'm still confused. Why not just say it then, so he can stop pretending?"
Van Horn sighed. "Pavlo, it isn't so easy. Mikula hasn't fully realized his feelings himself because some part of him doesn't want to come to grips with those feelings, or the choices he'll have to make if he acknowledges them."
"What do you mean?" Pavlo asked. But van Horn just shook his head. "You'll see. One way or the other, before this thing is through, you'll see."